Friday | Nope! It’s Saturday

Good morning, dear readers. I have been very quiet this week and just wanted to check in with all of you. I’ve been running behind on my blog since Monday and didn’t want the week to end without an update. This week has been full of foliage, school planning, knitting, and reading a book that will likely be my favorite of the year!

Weather update:
Here in New Hampshire, the weather has been chilly and we woke up to a 27°F morning on Thursday. We’ve had a few other dips below freezing throughout the week so that means fall is in full swing and it’s time to prepare our souls for winter. My part of the state is at peak foliage so we don’t have to travel at all to take in the sights – a trip to the grocery store or library is full of color. It’s such a beautiful time of year in New Hampshire and I’m trying to soak all of it in.

School planning success:
On Tuesday I shared that we were off from school this week and that I was hoping to get our next term (through Thanksgiving) planned. That was a success! (almost, there’s two more activities I want to look into) It feels so good to go into the week knowing that I have so much plotted out and there will be no last minute scurrying to get assignments and activities ready.

I’m also learning how to slow down a little bit. In previous years I’d try to pack the days with planned learning. Now I’m trying to be conservative about what I plan and allow more natural play with our learning time. It’s helped everyone’s anxieties about school!

Knitting:
I am so happy to share that I’ve been knitting a lot this week! I’m still working on Cloudesley (my Ravelry link with yarn details) and have knit about 4″ of the body this week:

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I took these pictures early in the afternoon yesterday and have made even more progress than they show. I am still loving this pattern so much. The cabling in the back is just enough interest and fun to keep me motivated to start the next round. This has been a fabulous companion with audiobooks and catching up with the Baking Show this week!

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I also finally washed and blocked my Anker sweater (finished knitting in May!) and Traveler Cowl (finished knitting in June). They are currently drying down in the basement and I hope to have some finished pictures for you all next week. I’m starting to feel more enthusiasm about getting these projects ready to be worn now that the weather has gotten so much cooler!

Reading:

There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
“Books, like paper lanterns, provide us with a light amidst the fog.” p 110

I am certain this will be my favorite book of the year. This was a fabulous tale that linked three seemingly unrelated characters from 1870s London, 2014 Turkey, and 2018 London with a single drop of water that fell in Ancient Mesopotamia. Sounds complicated, but so well done by Shafak. This book felt like two of my favorites: People of the Book and The Weight of Ink. I love books that remind us how connected we are across time and space and didn’t want this one to end. I wrote in my notebook that I wanted to “curl up in this book and live there.” I’m also quite taken with ancient history right now and this book taught me so much.

If you have any recommendations for more books like this, I will be happy to collect them!

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And with that, I must say goodbye! I am working at the library today and I believe we’re planning a fire in the firepit tonight. Other than that, I hope to spend some time with audiobooks and Cloudesley, as well as watch this week’s Baking show episode.

I hope you’re able to enjoy a few of your favorite things this weekend. Take good care!