Not As Sunny As Promised

 We were supposed to have a partly sunny day today but it was more partly and less sunny than advertised.  The longer this pandemic rages the less I am able to tolerate gray days.  I went to a friend's house (in my mask) to sit at the opposite end of her seven foot dining table to write and chat.  Mostly chat.  We hadn't seen each other for months, we'd talked on the phone some, but hadn't been in the same room in a long long long long time.  Didn't get much writing done but that's okay.  I'll give it a try tomorrow.

Dad's rose is blooming again and this time the Japanese Beetles are nowhere to be seen. 
Hooray!

The cool weather has really slowed down the ripening of my remaining tomatoes.  Only one is changing color, the others are just hanging there looking... green.  Hurry up!

Because I uncovered this giant cucumber this morning.  How did I miss it?  I do not know but it looks like there are cucumber salads in my future this week.

 

ACJ gave me a birthday gift before we buckled down to writing (a little)--an embroidered tea towel.  She said I got the "curry" one because I'm the only one she knows that likes curry.  What a lovely gift.  I put it right onto the oven handle and have already dried my hands on it.  There's nothing like a good old cotton towel and to have it embroidered is a bonus.  (This is the person I gave the stack of embroidery transfers I found downstairs to.)

 

14 September--Barbara Malcolm, Better Than Mom's. 

Fay’s nose dipped into the fragrant steam.  “Mmm, that smells great.  What is it?”  Naomi got a pair of Cokes from the refrigerator and opened them both, placing one in front of Fay and keeping the other for herself.

 “It is barbecued pork fried rice, just like I said when I came in.” 

“Oh, I did not hear you.”

“I know you did not.  You were too busy swearing at that poor defenseless yarn.  You need soy sauce?”  She dipped a hand into the pocket of her shirt and took out a few soy sauce packets left over from her last visit to Yong Foo’s Chinese Take-Out down the street. 

“Mm, yeah.”  Fay dropped her fork and squirted one packet on her plate of food.  “This is terrific.  How did you learn to make such good Chinese food?  You do not look Chinese to me.” 

Naomi sipped her Coke.  “Ha, ha, very funny.  But wouldn't you feel silly if it turned out I was adopted and my daddy was Chinese?” 

Fay looked up, a frown creasing her brow.  “Wha…?” 

“Oh, get serious.  I was only kidding.  So tell me about learning to knit.  I see you are having a lot of success with it.” 

Fay swallowed her mouthful of food and sipped her Coke.  “Well, I stopped at the craft store on my way home from work the other day and they had all their knitting needles and books and yarn, well, some of the yarn, on sale.  I looked through the books to find a beginner’s book and found this one, The Cool Girls Guide to Knitting by this woman Nicki Trench.  The whole front half of the book is full of how to make all the stitches with pictures that make it look so easy and the back half is patterns of how to make stuff.”  She forked up some more rice.  “This is really good, Naomi.  Anyway, I was already getting tired of just knitting back and forth so I decided to find the easiest pattern possible and get some yarn and some needles and give it a try.” 

“Could you not use the yarn and needles you got from the knitting ladies?”  

Fay shook her head.  “Nope.  First off, I did not want them to know I was doing it because Patti told me to just practice the knit stitch all week and next week she will teach me to purl, but it was boring just going back and forth, knit, knit, knit to the end, swap hands, scoop up the yarn, and knit, knit, knit back.  Besides they have all kinds of yarn that is way cheaper than that wool stuff Iris gave me.  Did you know that?”  She did not wait for Naomi to answer but kept on talking.  “I found all sorts of multicolored stuff, knitters call it variegated, in a zillion colors.  I picked out a few skeins of acrylic, it goes in the washer and the dryer, which is much better, I think.  And then I read the pattern I picked out and got the right size needles, but instead of the expensive bamboo ones (they are like six dollars a pair, if you can believe it, for bamboo sticks!), I got metal.  They are way cheaper, like two forty-nine a pair, and they come in bright pretty colors.  You know I like bright colors.”  

“Yes, I know you do.” 

“So I just loaded up my cart with all these skeins of colors and the book and a couple different sizes of needles.” 

“So what is the problem? Did you pick a pattern that was too hard?” 

Fay shook her head as she finished the last bit of her supper and cleared her mouth with a sip of Coke.  “No, I do not think so.  It is just rows of knitting with a few variations that the Cool Girl explains very clearly.  No, I am coming to think that the problem is the yarn or the needles.  The needles are too slick; my stitches keep jumping off when they get close to the tip, and the yarn feels kind of sticky in my hand, not smooth like the wool.  I do not know.  Maybe I am just too stupid and awkward to knit.  But I think I might like it if I ever learn how.  I could make mittens or hats or scarves for winter.  I could even make some for the women’s center.  Those ladies you are always going on about lately could probably use something warm that somebody made for them or their kids.”  She peeked at Naomi from under her lashes as if afraid she had said something wrong. 

Naomi looked at her with a big smile on her face.  “That is a wonderful idea, Fay.  I am sure the ladies down there would really appreciate a handmade knit hat or scarf.  I do not think you are stupid at all and I am sure everyone feels like you do when they start.  Those ladies had a good reason to start you off with quality equipment; it sounds to me like it is easier to work with.  Maybe you should put your purchases aside until you have learned a little more and practiced with the good stuff.  Then you might be able to make the stuff you can afford work.  Now, I have something I want to tell you.” 

Today's toss was a bag of old Gillette conditioner and lotion.  DIL1 motivated me to revisit the shelves of remaining health and beauty aids.  The shampoo is still good, it still makes suds, but I don't use conditioner and the lotions and deodorants have separated.  Ick.

I'm going to have to mow the lawn this week but it's supposed to get up into the high 70s and 80s tomorrow and Wednesday so I'll wait until Thursday.  Maybe Friday.  Or the weekend.  I'm in no hurry.

--Barbara