Most of the boxes are unpacked. The rooms look normal and lived-in now. We’re becoming more confident in our movements around this big new house. It doesn’t feel like Home yet, not the way the old house did, but I’m also not pining for the old house. Well, except for the big kitchen. I do miss that. In every other way, though, I am very comfortable here. It feels good. It feels right. I like my new town, even though the closest LYS is 20 minutes away and the only craft store is Michael’s. I like that I have yet to see a Starbucks, even though I’m sure they’re here. I like that I’m already learning my way around these streets after just a week. This was a good move, I’m pretty sure. Even the dogs agree. They love to be outside, rolling around in the lush grass and watching the world go by through the fence. None of us are enjoying the chain experience; they continually get tangled up around trees and each other and I have to go out and free them. But since there’s a long section of fence at the back that’s barely 3′ tall and my puppies are good jumpers, I can’t let them run free yet. And since we’re in the historic district, we have rules to follow for replacing our fence. It’ll get done, we just have to go through the committee and get approval first. But eventually we’ll have a lovely 4′ wood picket fence and the dogs can run around in circles to their hearts’ delight.

They’re also enjoying being free overnight. We didn’t have a good way to shut them up in the kitchen as we’d done in the old house, so we left them out and they did fine. No destruction at all (*knocking on wood*). But the last few days, Grace has decided she gets lonely in the middle of the night, and we’ll get short barks around 4 in the morning. That’s not okay with me. I got up with them this morning, let them out, then went to sleep on the couch. But I don’t want to make a habit of it, even if they do end up all cute and sleepy by mid-morning.So I have figured out a way to keep them downstairs, thanks to a door and a gate, and we’ll see if that helps. If not…well, is there doggy Ambien? 😉

I did indeed manage to cast on a hitchhiker the other day, and it felt SO SO GOOD. I’d missed the feeling of the yarn in my hands, the rhythm of the needles. But I didn’t start it with the purple I showed you. Instead, I started a teal/gray one that’s a custom order and it’s going to be gorgeous. I’ll do my best to take some photos today. Now, do I sit and knit for a while, or do I do something productive and useful? Hmmm…