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Calming the Mind, What’s on Your Mind, and a Year of Thanksgiving

When the mind is jumping all over the place ….

4h quarter Full Focus Planner and Rocketbook

I pick up some hand knitting or grab an eraseable pen and start moving my hands with either knitting or writing. That action seems to calm my brain and give me some focus and direction. I also use essential oils and food choices (coffee?) to help with focus and attention.
What do you do to calm the mind?

What’s on your mind, Lea-Ann? ….

Tom sporting a U of M Bowtie and his oncologist with the MSU bowtie

Swiped from Facebook, right? Well, too much to share. But right now I have knitting machine projects (garter gusset tee, FIsher Lassie, and the LK150 Success Academy lessons), Epicure (the upcoming food challenge and meal planning), DoTerra (new oils released at convention). AND, above all, I have my family — Tom who will have a lung biopsy on 9/17 and cardiothorasic consult on 9/30 for the nodule suspected to be malignant from the bile duct cancer. BUT, the praise is that his PET scan showed No Evidence of Tumors in his surgical bed (JUMPING FOR JOY), my children’s and grandchildren’s schools, my health, COVID, riots, racism, fires, etc. etc. etc. The prayer list goes on and on.
Feel free to share what’s on your mind in the comments below!

A year of Thanksgiving ….

Tom’s final chemo treatment and starting Rio Calina

Can you BELIEVE it is September already? I find it difficult to think about the fact that a WHOLE year has passed since we suspected Tom’s gut was having issues. Going through something like this sure turns the focus from wants to needs and from expectation to gratitute. I pick up my latest project (Cat Bordhi’s Rio Calina Cowl [and prayers for Cat’s family as she goes through her end of life journey] available at catbordhi.com) and reflect on life and gratitude.
What are you grateful for?


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Forget It All

Really. I mean it. I want to knit! There, my little tantrum is out of the way. It started back on my birthday when someone (Cynthia) said to me on facebook to knit something I want to knit or would bring me pleasure or something like that. Ever since then, I’ve been looking at all my WIPs, my UFOs, my dream list, and nothing has fit the bill. NOTHING! I was really starting to feel that I’m in a knitting slump. I mean, I know I’m overwhelmed with updating the website, juggling special orders, finding boxes when they arrive and get shoved in the backroom, keeping up with accounting, and nameless other things a store owner has to do (vacuum? What’s that?). But, really, a slump?? The whole problem just got solved. And it was Cat Bordhi to the rescue — again! She has a new technique i can’t wait to get on the needles and try. The Sweet Tomato Sock Heel. Yep, I’m ready. If only I hadn’t walked out of the store without the needles and yarn and, to top it off, I’m not stepping back foot in there until Tuesday. I promised myself a day off to spend with Tara and Haley before the crush of August hits and Monday is the day. So, here am I, ready to knit and no tools. How about you?  Do you want to try the Sweet Tomato Sock Heel along with me?  Which pattern are you going to knit?  Keep my enthusiasm going.  In the meantime, I’ll get back to working on the new website design . . .

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insouciant back in stock!

While Susan has the pleasure of scanning, photographing and describing new yarn, I get to do the fun job of processing reorders, special orders and deciding on new products, books and gadgets. If you’ve been waiting for Cat Bordhi’s Personal Footprints book, its here!! I’ll call you for pickup information or shipping information based on your date of order. Some other new fun gadgets in the store are the Heart Pom-Pom Makers and the Stitchkeepers by Rollie (to keep your doublepoint needles in your project while in your bag!).  restock of Personal Footprints for Insouciant Sock Knitters

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Heart Pompom Makers

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Stitchkeepers by Rollie

Enjoy browsing!!  Lea-Ann