This has been a very good week despite the horrible Russian invasion of Ukraine. Two of my kids have been here with their significant others and their dogs. My mama’s heart is so full.

Neither my younger daughter or my son have been here in the winter, so they say and they got a good vision of what our life is like in Maine in the winter and how beautiful it is here at this time of year. And how crazy the weather can be.

We had some cold weather, got to walk on the ice, ate lobsters, experienced temperatures in the mid-60s and the mud that happens on a camp road, and figured out how to “run” from a snow storm when you have obligations that require you to be somewhere at a particular time. We made a puzzle in a day and we ate and drank and laughed and did a lot of dog walking. Five dogs is a lot of dogs! But they’re all so good at getting along. They set a good example for the humans of our world.

I took a step away from work and volunteering and even knitting to some extent. I always forget to take pictures of the people in my life because I am fully present in the moment. Lucky that I have a good memory and can remember the feeling of being together.

My son and his girlfriend have headed to Texas for a wedding and then to Los Angeles for a soccer game and they left their two dogs here with us. They’ll arrive back on Tuesday. Meanwhile, we are having some quality time with Gus and Picasso. They’re adding some good giggles to our days and I am talking lots of extra walks around the yard with the boys. We will be vacuuming the sofa when they all head home. The light-colored dogs love the dark sofa! LOL

I finished my Fine Sand Cardigan and it’s blocking. This was a very long project from start to finish. Not because the sweater is complicated or difficult but because it kept getting pushed aside in favor of other (more pressing?) projects. This is a fun pattern, written a little bit differently, and the sweater and yarn are really lovely. I look forward to wearing this in the spring and summer months. You can find all of the details: pattern name and yarn used in my Ravelry project files.

I cast on a new project, too, of course. My Medomak Fiber Arts Camp friends wanted to do a KAL (knit along) with the pattern Campfire by Lori Versaci of VersaciKnits. We had a cast on Zoom party with a small group of friends but since I have already knitted this shawl, I cast on Humlebi in Juniper Moon Farm’s Patagonia Organic Merino in an oatmeal-y colorway. The cast on is a picot cast on and needed my complete attention so I mostly chatted. We will be gathering by Zoom again on Saturday for the bobble section. I have to remember how to do the bobbles so I can teach those who are concerned that they can’t do it. It’s fun to see my summer friends in the winter – and especially since I have missed the last two summers of camp!

As I sit typing this update today, in the sunshine on a beautiful lake in Maine. My grand-dogs are snoozing in my studio chairs and my husband is downstairs starting breakfast (I can smell it) with our BBD. All of our kids are healthy and happy and I am enormously grateful for the life we are building and hugely aware of the inexcusable attack by Russia on Ukraine. My heart goes out to the people of Ukraine. War is hell.

Gone knitting.