60th on the 25th

 From 1899 until 1961, Kuwait was a British protectorate.  It became independent in June of 1961; however, the date of February 25th was chosen to mark the day since it was that date in 1950 that Sheikh Abdullah Al Sabah came into power.  (Plus the fact that temperatures in June are pretty hot so not ideal for outdoor celebrations .)

Normally we travel this time of year to escape the hoopla, but due to covid restrictions, there are no street celebrations allowed so it will be very quiet, which is just fine with me.

My mood yesterday and Tuesday matched the weather we were experiencing ... very gray, very dreary.

But thankfully my mood has brightened, my energy has returned with today's blue skies.

While my husband enjoyed riding his "new' used bike, I enjoyed a peaceful neighborhood walk.

And found a little something on the ground.

A reminder to:

Smile, breathe and go slowly.

(Thich Naht Hanh)

Sunday Strolls and Tiny Fridas

 Hello Friends!

How are you?

There's been such terrible news over the past week of the hard hitting winter weather that caused havoc in some states/cities.  Sometimes it seems there is just a never-ending cycle of bad news when the past year has already caused so much hardship for so many, in so many different ways.  

Even though I'm mostly hanging out by myself, I find that there are days when I draw inward even more and require extra quiet time to process all that is happening all around the world.  Thankfully our weather is still quite mild so I'm able to walk it out and walk it off; and today was actually able to walk three different times.

I've never seen a duck at the park before.  Sure hope his home is somewhere nearby.

Feline friend, Woody, kept me company while I picked up litter.

Last Wednesday I did something I haven't done in a year ... I actually met up with a few friends (one of them being Aruna, and the other two are craft group friends),  We met at Art Cafe and were able to sit outside while we chatted and got caught up on how we are all doing and feeling.

I knew I wanted to give them gifts so finally made these cute little Frida hand sanitizer covers, a pattern from essiebirdies that I've wanted to make for awhile.  I couldn't find the same type of container as she wrote the pattern for, and when I asked my husband to bring home three small bottles of hand sanitizer, instead of bringing three the same, he bought three different ones which was different from the one I had at home that I'd already adjusted the pattern for,

That meant each one had to be changed accordingly.

Basically, I just winged it since I was working on them the night before we were to meet.

At one point I thought I'd make them for our craft group but after crocheting these 4, I'm not so sure.  Doesn't seem there will be any large group gatherings anytime soon anyways.

For a few weeks now, hair salons and gyms have been closed completely and all other businesses have been required to close at 8:00 p.m.   There's talk now of a daily curfew for everyone; we are just waiting for the final decision.

Take care of yourselves.

Stay safe.

Wednesday Walk With Me

 Hello Friends!  I hope you are well;

staying safe ... (and warm, if it's cold where you are).

I spent Monday and Tuesday doing some cleaning and rearranging (which actually means making messes and breaking things :), so today decided it was time to head out for a neighborhood walk.

February 25th and 26th are Kuwait's National/Liberation days so flags have been going up all over the place since the beginning of the month.

I met my feline friend, Bailey, at the walking path so gave him a little food and sat to have a chat.

He has a particular spot where he normally waits for me every evening, but I wasn't able to go for my usual late afternoon walk because of road construction on our street so I'm glad I saw him earlier in the day.

 When I went to take a picture of this very large, drooping sunflower head, I was quite surprised to see a bumblebee.

I've seen honeybees, worker bees and sweat bees, but don't think I've ever seen a fuzzy bee here before.

I've noticed with the blogger changes lately that it's only my signature graphic showing up in blog sidebars.  It used to be the first photo of a post that would come up as a thumbnail.  Blog friend, Mariette, addressed this in a recent blog post, so I'm going to play with the scale of photos (and leave off my usual signature) to see if that will change what pops up.  It's not that big of a deal, but it is irritating when they keep upgrading things (and not always for the better if you ask me).

Hope you are having a wonderful Wednesday!

A Beautiful First Day

 Today's weather was absolutely gorgeous to welcome the first day of the new month.  In Celtic tradition, this day is celebrated as the halfway point between winter solstice and the spring equinox.

And since it is Monday, I was once again on the lookout for all things yellow.

I took a different route through my neighborhood and was delighted to see so many flowers in bloom.

It seems many states are in store for a whole lot of snow so if you are in line of the Nor'easter then take care, stay safe and warm.

I wish you much peace, joy and love.

Happy February!

Strawberry Season

 Happy Sunday everyone!

It's strawberry season here and we've been getting some very tasty ones lately.  Even Tofu got in on the sweetness, tops included.

I am enjoying vegan pancakes nearly every morning topped with powdered sugar and tahini.

Years ago I crocheted the start of a gift bag but never finished it up, so was inspired to make a strawberry applique that I whipstitched to the front, did some single crochet to close up the bag, made a drawstring and it was a quick finish, which shouldn't have taken quite so long to make.

Hope you're having a lovely weekend.

Take care.

A Cheerful Heart

Hello Friends!  I hope this finds you doing well. 

Had a lovely walk around my neighborhood this afternoon.  Weather is mild and perfect for wandering.  I kept an eye out for all things yellow today.

We find from experience that yellow excites a warm and agreeable impression.... The eye is gladdened, the heart expanded and cheered, a glow seems at once to breathe toward us.

(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

A Monday meandering makes me happy.

As always, when I find an empty plastic bag, I fill it up with trash and toss it in the nearest garbage can.  And, of course, feed the kitties along the way, too.

I had run out of the cotton yarn I use for my crochet hearts so finally, after more than a year, visited the craft store for a restock.

Making pretty, colorful hearts makes me cheerful.

There is no personal charm so great

as the charm of a cheerful temperament.

(Henry Van Dyke)

Happy Monday!
Have a good week.

An Art Date Again, Finally

 Today I met up with my friend, Aruna, for brunch and a drawing date.

We met at the vegan restaurant, Wilgrow, which is walking distance from where I live, and when we opened our sketchbooks, we realized it had been exactly 11 months since our last outing at the very same place.

(She is the serious drawer of things and I am the doodler.)

The weather was just right for my walk there and for us to dine outside, but these are the only pictures I manage to take.  Guess I was too busy talking, doodling and eating.  :)

Since she will be leaving Kuwait for good in the next month or two, I'm hoping we can maybe get in a few more meet-ups before then.

Sunday blessings and warm wishes,

Wednesday Walk

 Silence is the great teacher, and to learn its lessons you must pay attention to it. There is no substitute for the creative inspiration, knowledge, and stability that come from knowing how to contact your core of inner silence. The great Sufi poet Rumi wrote, 'Only let the moving waters calm down, and the sun and moon will be reflected on the surface of your being'.

(Deepak Chopra)

I've been in a very contemplative mood lately and when I feel that way I tend to draw inward.  You would think that through a pandemic, isolation, lockdowns, that I might be craving the company of others, but the older I get, the more I prefer silence, most of the time.

Monday was my husband's birthday but it was not a very happy day since he had to attend a funeral.  This past Sunday (which is the first day of the work week here) was a holiday for the new year.  Many people were out and about, celebrating and enjoying the weather over the long weekend, but sadly, the day turned tragic when the 12-year old son of one of his friend's was fatally hit by a car.  He said the father was so distraught at the gravesite that he kept collapsing.

We don't know the details of what happened but it's usually speed or distraction that causes these types of accidents.

Every time I am out, I see so many people rushing, speeding, racing around other cars, and I wonder where they are all going.  Why is everyone always in such a hurry?

Don’t be afraid of taking the slow lane in life.

It brings more happiness.
(Jennifer West)

Walking helps me to think, work through feelings, clear my mind.  

And that allows me to get back on track and get my mojo back.

Hope you are all doing well.

Have a peaceful day.

Gift Bags and Warmth

 During some of my recent cleaning sprees, I found freebie cards my husband got at a trade show many years ago and some party poppers that a friend gave me for my birthday more than 15 years ago.  Instead of holding on to stuff, I decided it's time to get creative and find ways to make use of them.

I wrote a simple New Year's message on the card and then put it in a gift bag along with a party popper, some chocolate and a crochet ornament.  I'll take them with me whenever I go out shopping and hopefully bring a little joy to an unsuspecting recipient.

We've been using our electric heaters for weeks now to keep the chill out of the floors and walls.  It can feel like an icebox inside even if it's not super cold outside because of the tinted windows and the fact that there's no insulation, but today we had really mild weather so heat wasn't necessary.

Walked to our neighborhood grocery store for a few things and bought a couple of plants, too.  I refuse plastic as much as I can so the guy who bags things gave me a box instead.  :)

Sending warm wishes your way.

Have a lovely day.