Rose Cottage

  As October comes to a close, we are finishing our fourth and final BlogBoost challenge for 2024 - we did it! The next challenge will begin with the new year in January, so save the link!  Whether we posted daily, or just more regularly, we've all gained from the challenge.   It's always fun visiting each other's blogs, taking a kaleidoscopic peek into each other's worlds.  As this challenge ends, new opportunities beckon. F ollowing our blog challange host Paul's tips, I plan to continue posting several times a week, and visiting other blogs. Checking my stats, my most popular posts this month were about my Cherokee journey  the Blog Roll , and prequel to my Reiki 1 class .   And ... the all 'round favorite, with 435 views, is FRONT DOOR !  After teaching Reiki 1 last weekend, I committed to joining my students in doing self Reiki and supporting practices for 21 days. I plan to post practices and tips on my K ing's Touch Reiki  blog...

  My granddaughter Kayleen called this week with a request. She was trying to crochet a hat with leaves for her kitty, and was running out of time - could I possibly make it?  A number of kids at college have service animals, and she's entering Zella in a costume contest ... yes, of course I could!  KK sent me the patterns ( hat and leaves ), explained her ideas, and brought over the yarn and a couple of hooks.  My kitty Percy wasn't very cooperative, so I brought out Galina -  ᎦᎵᎾ -  to try it for size. (And - of course - she wanted one of her own).  ᎦᎵᎾ in Zella's leafy hat So I made her one with dragon-red flames, and a second leafy hat for one of the other kitties -  Charizard amigurumi is modeling the second. (Do you think his hat and ties would be better in the green?)  Charizard and Galena  KK was delighted! And offered to leave the yarn, 'I know where to find it if I need it again!' ...  That green yarn and modificatio...

 Turnip carving -  This was fun! I was intrigued, reading about the tradition of carving jack-o'-lanterns in the British isles, using turnips!   (In her post on the 17th, Vedya mentioned this old practice!) Carving turnips goes back hundreds of years, long before new world crops (including pumpkins, tomatoes, potatoes and other plants) were introduced. In Switzerland, they hold a turnip lantern festival, called Räebelichtli Umzug . Turnip hollowed with a spoon   So - I got the largest turnip in the bin, heated it  about 10 minutes in my Air Fryer (to soften it a bit), then used a knife and spoon to scoop out the interior, and then to incise designs.  Carved and lit from within Since they are smaller than the new world pumpkins used these days, a battery tealight is suggested for lighting; I used a real candle for the pics - and made the handle from twine. Another side My friend Kathleen Schulte sent me this Pic of a carved turnip they spotted at...