a little august love.

Overall we enjoyed a super productive weekend. I finally got around to putting up pictures and unpacking books; Serkan fixed up the hose and washed the car (a pretty much all day job on both accounts). I wrote some letters (finally!)...

And I started crocheting a blanket. I have never finished crocheting anything before. And before this project I only really knew how to make one stitch. Last night, I watched and rewatched YouTube videos with some Crochet for Dummies and About.com sites open for more specific info on the stitches. I am a beginner. But do I choose a simple pattern? Hmm, no. I've already pulled out my beginning once and am tempted to again, but I think I'm going to nimble my fingers through it and see what happens. Wish me luck!

{pea in a pod from etsy}

I must mention again that I am a beginner. Oh, at so many things. This morning greeted me with a lovely post on the gift of encouragement. We had to run out of the house shortly afterward, but I kept thinking about the importance of encouragement. The day spriraled forward and I realized again that I live with the greatest encourager on the planet. All I can wish is that each of you has someone to enhearten you when you most need it. And when all else fails, this little blog community gives quite the hearty dose of encouragement. And it's only appropriate to thank you. Thank each and every one of you. Thank you. 

{for you by teiko}

...

I'm in my 30s and I suppose, at this rate, I'll be a wide-eyed beginner forever. Sunday was my mom's birthday. (I didn't plan to write about this, but it all feels connected.) It's something I noticed on Saturday night and then went on with my business. In the morning, the decorating bug finally bit me. (Hard to believe we've been living here a month already and are barely getting around to decorating! I've never waited so long before.) Last night my aunt wrote to me about some vitamins I'd ordered. She also mentioned that my mom would have been 60! That she probably would have handled it better than some others in our lovely family. That there's not a day that goes by that she doesn't think of one of her sisters. (My mom and one of my aunt's passed away in the same year, about 18 years ago.)

My aunt has always been wonderful at feeding me information about my mom. I've always been hungry for stories and mostly too shy to ask. (Have you felt like this before?) It makes me smile to think that she would have handled aging well, maybe even gracefully. Today I spilled my third glass of water in a week (slight exaggeration, maybe...). I find myself wondering where grace has gone. And, then there's my husband, encouraging me. And reminding me it really is all OK. And I'm reminded, too, that the first person we need to encourage (and be kind to) is ourselves. 

{by laudeu}

Today we went for a hike and made our first "winter summit": a little hillock with a feathers-thick layer of snow crunching underfoot.

{by tim plante}

Love and be kind to you. 

{non-attributed photos: unknown, please let me know if they're yours}