Haven’t been on here much lately. Deep into #MyMovingLife, on the moving-in side. Little by little things are coming together, while also making time to plug into the new community. My favorite part is discovering the wild places with my dog Buddy.

We’re basically living in a construction zone for the rest of this year as they finish up the last homes in the community. Fitting, because it’s rather a construction zone on the inside of our house, too!

#MyMovingLife has kept me off of social media, for the most part. I’m actually a bit glad for the “forcies.” However, I NEED to be on the other end of this and back to a normal routine. Having all this time to let go of things thoughtfully has been a gift, but feeling unsettled is getting old.

We were given a sweet send off from our friends (it’s a big tennis town), with a not so subtle boomerang. We’re only an hour away and plan on making time to return to see our friends.

My granddaughter had her 2nd birthday yesterday, with a Mickey Mouse’s Clubhouse theme. My daughter is an event planner and it was very fun, with all the little touches. Plus she made this cake! Such a happy- looking cake! (The topper wasn’t an edible one. She pointed out it was from Amazon.)

This week I took an unexpected detour from packing to rake leaves from my path through our woods. Probably took an hour of vigorous exercise. Boy, I needed that break and I’ve left a gift for the new owners.

Today we visited the new house. It looks like a house now! Getting excited. And surprisingly bright for a center townhouse unit. With a wonderful view of the woods.

Next up - packing my knitting and sewing areas. #MyMovingLife

Knitted a cowl while on vacation. That’s what happens when you are on a ski vacation and don’t ski. 😜

#knitting

I’m now making another one, one needle size down, because I’d like it to be a little tighter. It’s a pretty easy knit once you get past the bottom section. (Not that the bottom section is hard, you just have to pay more attention.)

Pattern is Civetta Cowl on Ravelry.

I was at Jay, VT this week, up near the Canadian border. (Verizon sent me a welcome to Canada text so I must have gotten close enough to ping a cell tower there. ) It snowed most of the week. One day with large fluffy snowflakes that made you feel like you were in a snow globe.

I got out on the snowshoes a couple of times. It was peaceful and beautiful. A photo or video doesn’t capture the 3-dimensional magic of being there, but I had to capture the sound of the babbling brook I walked along.

Years ago, as I was in the city getting a trailer hitch on my car, I walked down the street to have lunch while waiting. I passed this sign on a telephone pole and took a photo.

On the way back from lunch I saw a young gal looking at the sign.

Isn’t that cool? I asked.

I’m Jess, she answered.

Oh, wow, I responded. Do you forgive him?

I’m not sure, she said.

I wonder if she ever did, and also…what if she wasn’t the Jess the sign was meant for but it healed her relationship, too?

Love. Let’s spread it, shall we?

Giving things away brings blessings way more special than money.

I met a new friend today. She came to take some of my herbs, and brought me this gift. She made it. It’s a moon with an amethyst hanging from it. And when she learned that I was going to release the rest of my herbs (after I set aside what I would take) to the land, she said she would take the rest if that’s what I would be doing. She didn’t want to take too much. ❤️

Our whole exchange reminded me of this: https://stories.dandelionforest.earth/2023/01/24/the-gift-of-strawberries/

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Believe there is good in the world.

Be the good.

Hiking the trail system behind our home, I realized that it was probably the last time I would hike here. The brook crossings are getting harder when the water is high - typical of winter and spring - and we are moving in the spring.

It was a satisfying walk, as it seemed Buddy and I were the only ones to have hiked here since the last snow. We saw plenty of wildlife tracks tho. I took a photo of the trail before me then of the footsteps I left behind. A metaphor for my time here on this land.

I paid for a Grammarly subscription for the first time this year (before that I just used the free version). The extra analysis has actually helped me with revising some of my meandering, conversational sentences.

Yesterday I got this notification from the app. They sure pegged me!

This is how an English Shepherd sleeps. 💤 #dogsofcoso

I found this photo today (and I’ve also completed what turned out to be a week-long project dealing with all our non-digital photos in albums and boxes and frames).

You all can probably figure out this is a photo of a hamster. But he’s not any old hamster. His name was Felix, and he was my pet when I was a pre-teen. That means this photo is 50+ years old and my older self is really touched that my younger self took and saved a photo of her hamster. I could feel that little girl’s heart, today.

He finally got his wish.

Our first snow of the winter (I’m in MA). About a foot (we live in a mountain town so slightly higher elevation and usually get a bit more than surrounding towns). So pretty but it will all melt away in Wednesday, when it’s getting up to 50 degrees. Grrrr.)

Headed out for a quick snowshoe in our yard and woods with my doggie.

I’ve had cats all my life - until our last kitty died in 2020. I love hearing all your cat stories and your #caturday photos. It makes me miss having a kitty but not enough to get another one. We’re down to one pet, a doggie, who, btw, is obsessed (not in a good way) with my kids’ cats.

This is Simon, who is now a feisty geriatric kitty who doesn’t take $h1t from my dog when we go visit. I’ve decided I’m going to start posting pics of kitties past and present who bless(ed) my life.

I have been waiting years for a working digital photo frame. Got an Aura Frame (called Carver) from our kids. I love that portrait mode photos show 2, side by side (that’s smart!). Loaded it up with photos and the kids are starting to upload grandkid photos.

These photos that showed up together are favs from previous years. My 2 daughters and oldest grandchild ready for the beach, and my now 20-month old granddaughter when she was a baby.

This is going to bring me lots of joy.

Merry Christmas Eve!