IN THE MEANWHILE~Shabbat Eve; Castle Rock-WA

The older I get, the more I understand that I’m not looking for a big life… I’m seeking a peaceful one - a Life that is steady to wake up to, feels soft & gentle to walk through, and calm enough to truly enjoy.

I also recognize that I need an adult in my life.

A friendly female friend to enjoy local activities with - would be nice.

Someone to talk with; someone to share my life with - strangers met along the are okay - and not to be overlooked, as they could be angels in disguise. But, I miss MY persons: Bob is long gone, living above the clouds these past 7-1/2 years, & Holland is now gone, too - and though I do miss him, I'm savoring the peace.

For myself, my Days are busy with living, but … I miss my persons. Being in this area of WA does take my thoughts down rabbit trails involving Bob, but grief is no longer a constant companion, & I don't get lost on those trails anymore. And when I think of my current husband, I rein the missingness in sharply, reminding myself that I do not miss being disrespected - that reminder keeps things in perspective. I don't know what tomorrow holds - or what we - if there is still a we, come December - will be doing, but I know that today, right now, things are peaceful. I like that.

Holland is taking care of the bills, and he's keeping me supplied with asthma inhalers: he may want to live a separate life while in the redmill stronghold region, but he does worry about asthma flareups and my faulty heart (angina & arrhythmia). But I've lived with these issues all my life & came to the point a looong time ago, that I trust Elohim with my life 100%: and I will live as long as He dictates. I refuse to freak out about physical death. It happens: it will happen to me some day.

In the meanwhile I continue to thank Elohim for His grace towards my waking up every morning, I tend to my own business, watch a few movies & listen to some rockin' tunes; while designing & crafting in a housebound period, forced on me by the whacky WA weather cycle.

Doing whatever it takes & turning it a thanks filled Day, with a joyful outlook.

New asthma inhaler.

Sarah, Plain and Tall - 1991~The First Meeting:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8yXGk61GwM)

Sarah, Plain and Tall~Skylark: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYD7rVvhz6o)  

Sarah, Plain and Tall~Winter’s End:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVyd6u7-rPI)

I always thought I would go Home before Bob; I am more than a bit surprised he is gone, and I am still here. And though I have lived 95% of my Life dedicated to walking Yeshua's Way, & I do long to see Yeshua soon … I refuse to let the redmill BS catapult me there, ahead of schedule - I anticipate living my life fully, as long as Elohim grants me that pleasure, & I patiently wait to hear the trumpet calling me to meet Him in the sky.

But since I am here, and I only have but this 1 life to live … I intend to fully LIVE it without the fear of {what if's}, or dodging verbal darts laced with my current husband's "the family" poisoned tactics designed to force a towing of the line: Holland can spend all the time he wants indulging in "the family" hysterics - and now, he is freed up to do exactly that. With all the pollen on the breeze, my lungs are on fire, and every coughing breath I take hurts (I haven't been able to do any workouts at all this week- not even easy ones) - I am not going to fight with my husband over ridiculous people living ridiculous lives … or get sucked into a global fear-mongering wildfire: he can buy a front-seat ticket on the global chaos train wreck; he can scream to high heaven trying to justify "the family" craziness & bemoan & wail his way through the "update!" newsfeed interferences; but I do not have to hop on the hamster wheel, with him. I choose peaceful vibes - if the only way to have peace is to live a separate life, then that is what I will do: and, the redmills, the world; and the rest of the doomsday criers, will just have to find it in their hysterical hearts to forgive me for wanting to halt the hysteria wildfires from encroaching on my life. I have enough of my own concerns to keep my scattered thoughts & my own arrhythmic heart occupied.

Holland has Beast Betsy, & she's available to me, when I need her; but I'm finding that I actually don't mind being hemmed in by the 4 walls of my little home, at the moment - that would have drove me crazy 3 years ago. But, now, it's not an issue: it's actually quite comforting right now. There is quiet. There is space. There is room for reflection, & these things, right now, are enough. It's another complexity in my already complex Life. 7 years ago, there was too much space, too much quiet, and too much reflection in the empty 1,600 sq. ft. home I had then … and I had to get out of the house every Day, all day to feel on an even keel; in my Life, in this moment of Time, sheltering in place & taking the time to be still in my little 400 sq. ft. home, is my even keel. It's a strangeness I am welcoming. I am not worrying about anything. I am not planning anything; I am not really even thinking past what I'm doing in the moment.

Maybe sometime in the near future - when the weather stabilizes, I'll request Betsy for a Day-out-of-house - and see what there is to do and explore, a bit north of here. I want to skip Longview & Kelso, if I can help it. Both have a lot of memories connected to them - Longview, good & sad; Kelso, bad and sad. Something in the other direction seems like a good choice, to chance.

Weather - starting tomorrow.

While visiting some of my blogger friends, I saw that one of my Posts had been featured on a Page … and I'm still doing whatever it takes:

My Post was featured on this Blog Hop

Getting back to “in the present” happenings of today … I've been working on a matching kitchen hot pad set - I need to stay busy and keep my mind occupied with things in the present. Designing is therapeutic to me, crafting is soothing, and the end result brightens up my immediate space. Staying busy with busy work, works for me. I’ve always found calm in designing and crafting: my scattered thoughts need a focus. I completed most of the set last night, and I'm hoping to have the entire set complete by bedtime, tonight.

MOD HOT PAD SET; Castle Rock-WA~April 9th, 2026

And I'll be laying my head down, praying for a friendly female friend to enjoy local activities with, when the weather stabilizes enough to let me outside to enjoy hoped for activities.

MOD SPRING FLORIBUNDA ROSE COASTER; Castle Rock-WA

MOD Spring Floribunda Coaster

I worked up this coaster with blue skies and spring blooming floribunda rose bushes, in my craft design thoughts 🤔

I am by nature a mess-cat 😲🤦🏻‍♀️, so the dark colors work for me … plus, I like the pop splash of bright & bold colors on the senses 😉

This coaster is a bit larger than usual because of the rosebud trim.

Materials: Worsted weight in colors of choice; #6 crochet hook; scissors; tapestry needle.

Terms Used:

ch = chain

st = stitch

dc = double crochet

hdc = half double crochet

tbc = treble crochet

sl st = slip stitch

sp = space

EA =each

EO = end off

rpt = repeat

Coaster Base: ch 3; close with a sl st - this forms a ring.

1) Ch 3, work 11 dc into ring; sl st to top of ch 3 (12 dc)

2) Ch 3 & dc in same space, work *2 dc in EA st* around; sl st to top of ch 3 (24 dc) 

3) Ch 3 & dc in same space, 1 dc next st - work *2 dc in next st, 1 dc next st* around - loosely tie blue yarn in back of work - do not cut; attach green & sl st to top of ch 3 (36 sts)

Attach green for rosebud.

4) Ch 3 & make 3 hdc on hook; drop green … 

3 hdc on hook; rose bud base.

Untie blue yarn and draw through all loops to complete a dc (this is rose bud base): *work 1 dc next two sts, 2 dc in next st, 1 dc in next two next sts* around coaster; sl st to top of green bobble (46  blue dc). Lightly tie blue yarn at back of work; set piece aside.

3 hdc on hook; blue drawn through rose bud base & continued, around.

Lrg. size to accommodate the rose bud base.

Rosebud Instructions:

1) With Rose Pink - and leaving a pretty long tail, join to green & Ch 4 & in back st: work 1 tbc, 1 dc, 1 hdc, sl st in same sp - turn work & sl st at base of foundation ch; turn work again.

Join Pink to green.

Begin floribunda petals.

Turn work & sl st at bud base.

2) Ch 4 & work 1 tbc, 1 dc same sp, 1 hdc & sl st at base of foundation ch. EO, leaving a long tail end.

Ch 4 & work 2nd petal.

3) With the tail end, draw a loop through the center of work & ch 4 - work a 4 tbc in same sp, on hook without closing; join blue & sl st at back of first tbc to close in a cluster. Tie pink ends for later.

Draw a loop through the center of work & ch 4.

Work a 4 tbc in same sp, on hook without closing …

With blue, close to form a cluster.

Sl st at back of first tbc to close in a cluster.

Yarn ends lightly tied at back of work.

4) Continuing with blue, work edging trim as follows: *ch 1, sl st in next st*; rpt around, ending with a sl st in first sl st.

Edging trim.

Turn work & sl st around the trim base (this helps keep the coaster from curling): EO & weave in loose ends.

St st along back border.

Stem & Leaf Trim: With hook & green yarn, pull a loop up at an angle at the left side of coaster; insert hook into coaster base & working in sl st, make a 'stem' shape to base of rosebud - then pull a long loop up and  cutting yarn, leaving a long tail, pull yarn through and tack the long loop in a leaf shape … run yarn end across back to opposite end of bud base and make a similar leaf shape. EO and weave in ends.

Sl st a stem across front upward to bud base (this will camouflage the joining of the rounds - and every rose bud does have a stem 😉)

A nicely finished, simple, Spring-themed Coaster.

I think it turned out pretty well 😊 … and it's wide enough to catch any mess-cat mishaps 😂🤣😉

MOD TIDE POOL KITCHEN TOWEL SET

MOD Tide Pool Kitchen Towel Set

When my husband told me (a few weeks ago, in Fortuna-AZ) that we would be meandering our way northward again, towards the PNW coastline; I started thinking of beachy themed designs for the Spring Kitchen Towels I hope to have completed & ready for use by then ;-)

This design is a patterned design, and uses bobbins as it is worked. It will go slow because bobbin work takes a bit longer than jacquard work. I like jacquard, but I am not good at it – it always looks bulky & clumsy. So, I prefer working with bobbins, which takes twice as long: but the work is smoother and looks neater. MPO

Materials: cotton yarn in following colors: MC = Mint & Beige = CC and scarp yarn in Beige, Mint, White, Green, Denim, & Lt. Gray; scissors; 19 plastic yarn bobbins (pattern below if you don't have any - trace & cut out): pre-wrap a bobbin with a length of colored yarn mentioned; pattern graph (shown below); #9 knitting needles; crochet hook #J; tapestry needle; large button

##If you do not have bobbins, here are some patterns you can use to make your own - I traced these patterns onto empty plastic containers, traced around the shapes with a pen (or fine point marker - ink later washed off), and cut them out - smoothing the edges, so the yarn fibers don't hang up.

Yarn Bobbins Patterns; 4 ct.

MOD Graph design

Terms used:

g st = knit every row

st. st. = stockinette stitch (1 K row = RS - 1 P row = WS)

k = knit

p = purl

MC = main color

CC = contrast color

EO = end off yarn

CO = cast on stitches

EA = each

inc = increase 1 st (make 2 sts in same st)

dec = decrease 1 st (work 2 sts together)

sc = single crochet

dc = double crochet

sl st = slip stitch

With Chamois, CO 72 sts, & work 3 rows g st for hemline foundation.

Rows 4 thru 14: Work striped hemline pattern as follows: pickup each color wrapped around a bobbin and and knit across row … K 5 sts Lt. Gray - 2 sts White - 7 sts Mint - 3 sts Green - 4 sts White - 2 sts Denim - 7 sts Mint - 2 sts White - 2 sts Green - 2 sts White - 3 sts Lt. Gray - 7 sts Mint - 4 sts White - 3 sts Green - 2 sts White - 2 sts Denim - 7 sts Mint - 3 sts White - 5 sts Lt. Gray

Hemline pattern; Front side.

Hemline pattern; Backside.

Work this color sequence for 10 rows st. st. … wrapping yarn around the backside of each color change to keep work smooth. EO bobbin work, tying off each cut strand of yarn. Attach Chamois.

You will now begin to work the tide pool pattern:

Rows 15 & 16: K; drop Chamois at end of row 16, and attach Mint.

Rows 17 thru 20: Work in g. st.

Row 21: K 36 st, drop mint; attach White & k 5 sts; then pick up mint and k to end of row.

Bobbins on backside of work.

Row 22: P 30 sts, drop mint; pick up white & p 8 sts; then pick up mint and p to end of row.

Row 23: K 32 sts, drop mint; pick up white & k 10 sts; then pick up mint and k to end of row.

Row 24: P 28, drop mint; pick up white & p 12 sts; the pick up mint and p to end of row.

Design taking shape; frontside of work.

Bobbins on backside of work.

Row 25: K 28, drop mint; pick up denim & k 2 sts; then pick up mint & k 2 sts; then pick up white & k 13 sts; the pick up mint & k to end of row.

Row 26: P 26 sts, drop mint; pick up white & p 15 sts; then pick up mint & p 1; pick up denim and p2; pick up mint and p to end of row.

Row 27: K  28 sts, drop mint; pick up denim & k 3; then pick up white & k 15; pick up mint & k to end of row.

Row 28: P 21 sts, drop mint; pick up lt. gray & p 5 sts; then pick up white & p 15 sts; pick up denim & p 3 sts; pick up mint and p to end of row.

Row 29: K 28 sts, drop mint; pick up denim & k 3 sts; then pick up white & k 15 sts; pick up lt. gray & k 5 sts; pick up & k to end of row.

Row 30: P 20 sts, drop mint; pick up lt. gray & p 6 sts; then pick up white & p 4 sts; pick up denim and p 3 sts; pick up white & p 8 sts; pick up denim & p 3 sts; pick up mint & p to end of row.

Row 31: K 28 st, drop mint; pick up denim & k 3 sts; then pickup white & k 6 sts; pick up denim & k 4 sts; pick up white & k 4 sts; pick up lt. gray & k 8 sts; pick up mint & k to end of row.

Row 32: P 19 sts, drop mint; pick up lt. gray & p 9 sts; ; then pickup & p 4 sts; pick up denim & p 5 sts; pick up white & p 4; pick up denim & p 3 sts; pick up mint & p to end of row.

Row 33: K 28 sts, drop mint; pick up denim & k 3 sts; then pick up white & k 2 sts; pick up denim & k 6 sts; pick up white & k 4 sts; pick up lt. gray & k 9 sts; pick up mint & k to end of row.

Row 34: P 18 sts, drop mint; pick up lt. gray & p 11 sts; then pick up white & p 6 sts; pick up denim & p 4 sts; pick up white & p 2 sts; pick up denim & p 3 sts; pick up mint & k to end of row.

Row 35: K 19 sts, drop mint; pick up denim & k 17 sts; then pick up white & k 7 sts; pick up lt. gray & k 11 sts; pick up mint & k to end of row.

Row 36: P 20 sts, drop mint; pick up lt. gray & p 8 sts; then pick up mint & p 3 sts; pick up white & p 7 sts; pick up denim & p 15 sts; pick up mint & p to end of row.

Row 37: K 19 sts, drop mint; pick up denim & k 15 sts; then pick up mint & k 10 sts; pick up lt. gray & k 8 sts; pick up mint & k to end of row.

Row 38:  P 40 sts, drop mint; pick up denim & p 5 sts; then pick up mint & p to end of row.

Row 39: K 28 sts, drop mint; pick up denim & k 5 sts; then pick up mint & k to end of row.

Row 40: P 37 sts, drop mint; pick up denim & p 3 sts; then pick up mint & k 1 sts; pick up denim & p 3 sts; pick up mint & p to end of row.

Row 41: K 28 sts, drop mint; pick up denim & k 3 sts; then pick up mint & k 2 sts; pick up denim & k 3 sts; pick up mint & k to end of row.

Row 42: P 37 sts, drop mint; pick up denim & p 3 sts; then pick up mint & p 3 sts pick up denim & p 3 sts; pick up mint & k to end of row.

Row 43: K 28 sts, drop mint; pick up denim & k 3 sts; then pick up mint & k 4 sts pick up denim & k 3 sts; pick up mint & k to end of row.

Row 44: P 33 sts, drop mint; pick up denim & p 3 sts; then pick up mint & p 5 sts pick up denim & p 3 sts; pick up mint & p to end of row.

Row 45: K 28 sts, drop mint; pick up denim & k 3 sts; then pick up mint & k 6 sts pick up denim & k 3 sts; pick up mint & k to end of row.

Row 46: P 31 sts, drop mint; pick up denim & p 3 sts; then pick up mint & p 7 sts pick up denim & p 3 sts; pick up mint & p to end of row.

Design in place.

Backstitch & Chain Stitch around designs.

Rows 47 thru 62: With mint, work these rows st. st; EO Mint & attach Chamois.

Work the towel topper decrease row as follows: P 2 – P 3 tog across row to last 2 sts: end P 2 sts: 27 sts on needle.

Change from knitting needles to crochet hook and work in sc as follows: dec 1 st EA end until 8 sts remain.

Sc across 8 sts, for 17 rows.

Sl st x3; ch 6 and sl st in same sp; sl at to end. Turn.

Dc x12 in chain loop; EO.

MOD Tide Pool Kitchen Towel; Finished.

Add a decorative trim edging to the button loop of your choice.

Sew button in place and weave in loose ends.

MOD GARTER ST SQUARE DISHRAG:

Cast on 2 stitches.

Row 1: Knit 1-Inc 1 st in next st.

Row 2: Knit 1-Inc-knit across the row.

Row 3: Knit 2-Inc-knit across row.

Row 4: Repeat Row 3 until you have 50 stitches on the needle.

Row 5: Knit 1, Knit 2 together, knit to the end of the row. Repeat Row 5 until you have 3 stitches left on the needle; K 3 sts tog - EO off and weave in loose ends.