Happy Times

This past weekend our family came together to celebrate the engagement of our daughter, Laura, to Jonathan, who will be married on September 26, 2009 in Upstate New York. It is a private wedding for immediate family so we took the opportunity last weekend to introduce Jonathan to our family. We also had several members of Jonathan's family present. We had a group of about 60 ranging from four months old to ninety-three years old. We had food galore. My sister was the hostess and chief cook and a fine one at that.

As we get to know Jonathan we are really pleased that he and Laura found each other---on an internet dating site! It's a joy to watch how smitten with one another they are.

It was such a pleasure for me to have so many family members there--aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, nieces and nephews, the grands and such. Some I hadn't seen in a long while.

Now we are preparing for the upcoming wedding. Excitement all around.

I've been busy blocking shawls--four so far. One favorite, the Thanksgiving Shawl from the Elegant Ewe in Concord, NH. I believe it was designed by the owner. I used Mountain Colors yarn and made it larger than the pattern. I think I'll wear it for Thanksgiving!! Oh, it probably won't be cold enough here in Memphis as it's made of 100% wool, so maybe some cold day I'll get it out. I'm knitting another from a Knit Picks pattern for their lace yarn sampler. It's on their website. I already had another earlier lace weight sampler so used that. I'm going to make the one skein scarf, too. I have two cotton ones that will get the most use.

Now, the project coming up---a sweater using Knit Picks City Tweed DK in plum. Going to knit a cardigan from it.

I have so many projects in the knitting closet that I could go a long time without buying any yarn, but what's the fun of that?! Seriously, I am trying to use up the stash as best I can before the urge to buy more yarn comes crawling in. I have so much wool that I really need to do some felting projects for Christmas.

Reading. Well, I've read Elizabeth Berg's Home Safe. Good enough. Started The Book Thief this week. It looks good. Both book clubs are reading Olive Kitteridge this month---GREAT choice!

I have downloaded several books for the upcoming days--Pat Conroy's new book, Rebecca Wells new novel, too. Since the President is reading Lush Life, I downloaded that, too. Then there's always Dorthea Benton Frank's new novel. And, Sarah's Key about WWII and Shanghai Sisters by Lisa See. I'd better get busy.

So, we have been having some happy times and for now, that's the way it is......