Thursday, December 8, 2011

Reasons to be Cheerful

It's time once more to link up with Planet Penny for a look on the sunny side of life.

All of today's Reasons seem to deal with warmth in one way or another. This is quite unintentional, yet not surprising, for our temps have been in the teens and low twenties all week long. (That's -5 to -10 for you Celsius folks. I think I'll stick with Herr Fahrenheit - the weather doesn't sound so cold his way.) A very good excuse for thinking cheerful thoughts that will warm our hearts, if not our hands. So here we go with 3 Reasons to be Cheerful:

1. Abundant hot water. This is something I think about every winter, as I love hot showers and baths. I am so grateful to have plenty of water and the means of easily heating it, especially when I consider that so many around the world lack both water and warmth.

2. Speaking of hot water, here is something that makes me VERY cheerful:

Tea and scones on a chilly afternoon

Earth hath not anything to show more fair.

3. And the best (I think) has been saved for last: a pattern I designed has been published. Back in October, I was invited by a small publishing house (InknBeans Press) to donate an original pattern for a very special book they were planning, the profits of which would go to support homeless people via the Los Angeles Mission. The book came out this week, and here's the cover:

"Keeping America Warm"

This is the pattern I contributed:

Laurel Leaf Scarf

Keeping America Warm is currently available in e-book form, and the print copies should be out shortly. Again, all profits from the book will go to support the Los Angeles Mission.

I am so glad to have been invited to help such a very good cause.

That wraps up (ha! scarf pun) our Cheerfulness for this week. Don't forget to hop over to Planet Penny's for more warmth and good cheer, and feel free to leave a Cheerful comment below.

Here's wishing you a wonderful rest-of-the week.

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12 comments:

  1. Oh, my! I'm having to hold the Goatmother back! She has serious envy of your teapot and sugar bowl! Congratulations on your pattern for the book! It looks lovely. Great reasons to be cheerful all!

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  2. Not so cold here in Wales, but very windy, the fences, telegraph poles and trees down kinda' windy. It's a wild night so reasons to be cheerful chez knitsofacto right now are a warm and weatherproof home, the snuggly bed we're headed to shortly, and a toasty husband who loves me enough to let me warm my feet on him when we get there. Simple things but, like all that hot water, so important.

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  3. Oops, I also meant to say Huge Congratulations, how wonderful having a pattern in print to support such a good cause.

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  4. What a wonderful thing to be involved in, well done Mrs. M.

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  5. Congratulations! That's SUCH a pretty scarf pattern, and a gorgeous colour. I love your array of mismatched china, my favourite look, especially the little bird on the teapot.
    The answer to your technical query, the abandoned hamsters still looked like cute little animals, just not like the cute little animal in question! They'll take on a new identity at a later date!
    Thanks for joining in. Your comments on the temperature will make me stop moaning about the cold here, which is actually cosy by comparison!
    Penny x

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  6. Great cheerful reasons - I love hot water (especially baths) too. And I'm a huge fan of tea. In fact I have been given teapots by two past boyfriends....which I think suggests how much I like it!
    Well done with your pattern it looks like a lovely scarf - and for such a good cause too. juliex

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  7. Hot water, yes! I actually wash dishes by hand because the hot water feels so good. We're have a fairly mild winter down here, in the 70's till the last cold front came through, but in the 60's isn't bad. Hot coffee and toast in in the morning and hot tea and toast at night.

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  8. Forgot to say congratulations on being included in the book, love the scarf.

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  9. You are so right about how lucky we are to have clean water, hot when we want it.
    Tea and scones - mmm-mmm!
    And major congrats on your inclusion in the very special book! What a great contribution.

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  10. Congratulations on your first publication. That's terrific.

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  11. Congrats, Sue. Very much deserved!

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  12. Woohoo! A long time waiting! Congratulations, and what a wonderful cause to contribute to this time of year. Hopefully it will raise enough money to help beyond the season.

    I, too, am grateful for hot water because of the many years I spent in a trailer, way out in the country, with a propane tank that didn't hold much and often was empty. I also am grateful for heat, because I lived in a townhome for several years with a seriously malfunctioning heater that never seemed to be able to crank out anything when the mercury dipped below about 40 degrees, which is does frequently in Colorado.

    I was grateful for a roof over my head in both the trailer and the townhome, but boy, do I enjoy my roof now with hot water AND heat!

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