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I’m going to be honest; I’m not that excited for the summer months here in Texas. The heat is barely tolerable. Some people get onery and cantankerous, or just done right mean; and they always seem to be the ones to find me “with a bone to pick.” Lately though, God hasn’t been putting very many people in my way; which I honestly appreciate come summer. Everyone needs quiet time, and summer is when I like to be still and move slow.

Erick and I do a lot of hanging out indoors in the summer. That can get hard on me, until I step outside; and then I want to be cozy at home again. It’s too hot in Texas during the summertime not to have a cool, comfortable place to relax and enjoy good company and good food; and let’s not forget crafting.

I love knitting or crocheting somewhere comfortable and pleasant to the eye. It’s one of the greatest pleasures of life for me. One of the reasons I love knitting at home, or in a homely place is that I can relax most readily there.

I have also found that in the right crowd, crafting gets just the right amount of attention. There are people that like attention from time to time, even today. And there are those who prefer to set healthy boundaries and be in control of their own lives; that is who I aspire to be.

Which just goes back to curtesy’s importance in the modern world. Healthy boundaries are permeable. That means that they have breathing room for you AND the person/people you’re interacting with. But I believe the self always comes first. For that reason, I do what I can to craft happy.

Erick is home from Vegas! Our home is complete again! I got a treat size of Haribo gummy bears, and a slogan bracelet in support of testicular cancer. One of the children in Vegas gave that to Erick, and since it barely fits him I am wearing it for the both of us.

Lol Erick sang the wiggle song! I missed hearing that song!

Things are just the way I like them again!

I had fun while Erick was gone too, just not the same quality of fun as I have every day at home.

Home truly is where the heart is!

Today is a busy day. I have multiple projects going for my ministry group, and am working on patterns to publish (or republish) for the autumn and winter. There are also my responsibilities to Erick’s and my household that I am working on. And so far so good!

I have been having a magnificent time this week! The weather is bright and cool in the morning and pleasantly warm in the afternoon. The wild birds are returning from their migration journey. There are starting to be foliage, and grasses again. I’m always happiest when we have mild Springs like this; the only thing that would make it perfect would be a gentle spring shower or few. But God may have that in store for us later.

I’m Irish ☘️ on my father’s side. He and I were peas in a pod growing up. And when Katie was found under a cabbage, she, dad, and I were three of a kind. That’s how it always felt to me. My mother was most peaceful on this day historically, if you could say a women who could out bluster the North Wind was ever peaceful ☺️ but I think that’s what attracted my father to her; she was a force to be reckoned with.

I grew up admiring all the adults in my family and wanting desperately to grew up! Today I miss so many of them! The Irish family and the Filipino family! But it is today that I try to count blessings more than sorrows. One traditional family dish that we made often on this day, was “stone soup” only we eventually started leaving out the stone and adding potatoes in its place. We made it our tradition that each child added a potato to the soup first and foremost. Then mom added cut carrots; and dad added seasoned beef, and beef broth. Sometimes we added onions, but those stopped making the ingredients list after we adopted our first dog, and we learned onions make dogs very ill, and too many can kill them. Luckily none of our dogs died to onion poisoning! Saints preserve them!

As the years passed, I developed into an uncommon person in my neighborhood. I celebrated “strange ways” and I had “odd hours.”

Despite all this I tried my best to keep Christ and his saints in my heart ❤️ and today I feast with one of my favorite saints, St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland 🇮🇪. Because as someone once said, “ We’re all a little bit Irish ☘️ on St. Paddy’s day, some of us just more than others.”

I had a great birthday weekend! Thank God for another year and another chance to celebrate with my friends and family!

The weekend before last, Kate took me out to Mon Chou Chou. I brought baked goods to my ministry Friday. Erick surprised me with Chinese from my favorite restaurant over the weekend. This was one of my best birthdays ever!

I didn’t buy that much expressly for my birthday, but I did buy several things for me for Easter. I also paid my share of the bills.

The good news is I am not overdrawn.

I have been working on a crochet pattern for spring in the interim. It’s a work-in-progress at the moment and has gone through a couple iterations on my blog Which Stitch Crafts, but it’s not garnered the attention of many people there, so I’m hoping to reinvent it and bring it new life here.

That is what a lot of Spring’s energy is doing in my opinion this year. Renewing. Rebirths and rebuilding.

Erick and I had a tough 2025. This year I am focusing on rebuilding my relationship with him and the rest of the people in my life.

That said, posting on Facebook and Instagram and even this site is going to become more infrequent.

My family is the most important blessing in my life. I will not let that be taken from me at any cost. I wasn’t ready to go back to work. And I still don’t know that I actually am working. But, nobody in my family tolerates my blogs well. They do their best to support me, and have meaningful conversations with me. I am just very much out of sorts here. So, if this blog and my others survive this time of testing then I may have more to offer you, my readers. In the meantime, go easy on me.