Mid Week and 4 simple things that make me happy.

This time of year I never know if I will be in the house crocheting through a storm or outside enjoying the promise of spring.  For the last week, I have made a lot of progress on the scrappy ripple blanket.  We had a few days where it was stormy and cold, and raining.   This photo I took when the winds were so bad, I was certain we would lose power around here.  I made a hot cup of coffee and got out my hook and ripple blanket.  It was so relaxing sitting and hooking and listening to the storm and rain outside.

Here is my blanket about 1/2 of the way finished.  I have made a lot of progress since I took this photo.  It is using up little tiny balls of yarn and if you look real close there are 4 shades of blue, 4 shades of yellow and on and on with several more shades of green, pink, purple, turquoise, and on and on.. My basket of yarn is getting to be pretty empty at this point.  I have been looking at yarn on several web sites already to purchase, and replenish the supply.  In the little town that I live, most the stores that sell acrylic yarn for blankets are very often more times than not out of many colors of yarn.  This means frequent trips to the store until eventually you have enough colors to make something.  Either that, or you must go to the 2 yarn stores which have very beautiful yarn that is cost prohibitive to make large projects like this.  I love those yarn stores and hope to buy enough to make a wool jacket or something for myself some day.  Until then, I am buying budget friendly acrylic yarns for my blankets. 

Soon enough though, the weather cleared and I was able to peg out my first load of laundry this year.  You have no idea how much this excites me!  This means that soon I will be shutting off the tumble dryer until next fall again.  I love going out in the mornings with a load of laundry and listening to the birds sing while I peg out the washing.  It is one of those simple moments in the day where I get to slow down and reflect and meditate on all the wonders in the universe.  I can't imagine life  without a clothesline.  One of these days I will invest in some nice steel T posts and make the old fashioned type lines that string across the yard.  Call me weird if you want, but I like to watch the clothes blowing in the breeze. 

One of the simple pleasures in life is a wonderful and creamy batch of homemade rootbeer.  It is simple to make and ever so tasty. I always add vanilla to give it that creamy flavor as well.  No preservatives and no high fructose corn syrup.  I will need to make another post sometime with some recipes and sterilization techniques on how to make this.  It is made the old fashioned way with champagne yeast for carbonation.  

I hope you dear reader, are having a wonderful week so far.  I am off to tidy floors and do the mid week cleaning as tomorrow is rubbish collection day.  This means that today I clean out the fridge and clean the house and rummage about to make sure the recycling bins and the garbage cans are filled all the way up before first thing in the morning.  If I look hard, there is always enough clutter that needs to be cleared someplace in the house.  I never seem to have a problem finding enough to put out there, it is just finding the inspiration to de-clutter a closet or whatever.  If the TV show hoarders were on every morning, I bet you my house would be spotless at all times.  Now that show is encouragement and inspiring to clean!  I see an hour of that and go crazy cleaning and tossing things out.  

Until next time xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx