Snow Showers

We had more snow today but not stick-around snow, just annoying wet, sleety snow.  Ugh.  It stayed just around freezing so it was snow that stuck to the grass for a few minutes and then disappeared but it was damp and chilly and yukky.  I stayed inside and worked on writing.

This squirrel spent time leaping up to the suet cakes, knocking down a small chunk, and then dropping to the ground to find it and gobble it up.  It did it over and over and over.

I came to realize after a single round of knitting the sock on a circular needle that it wasn't the way to go for me.  There was too much thinking involved and counting because one end of the stitches on one side was one round and the other end of the stitches on the other end was a different round.  Plus it's hard to knit a triangle when it's shaped like a circle.  Like I said, too much thinking, so I knitted the stitches back onto DPNs so I know where I'm at.  Maybe I'll switch back to the circ when I get to the foot, maybe I'll stick with the DPNs, I just don't know.  Time will tell.

I worked on the cast sock too and realized that there is the same number of stitches on the cast sock and the sock sock, 48.  One is on size 8 needles and the other is on size 3 needles.  Big difference.  Of course, the cast sock yarn is worsted or aran weight and the sock sock yarn is sport weight, much thinner, which also makes a big difference.

I happened to glance out the window when I was closing the drapes to see the western
horizon this vivid red.  Beautiful.

Today's toss was some baggy leggings.  I wore a pair yesterday and they looked awful, like wrinkly elephant skin, so I decided to donate them.  I'm not going to fit into them again.  Cross my heart.

The prompt today said that you could be invisible for an hour a day.  What would you do?  I said I'd go look at my kids and grandkids as they went about their daily lives.  I miss them.

I got a very interesting phone call this morning.  Seems they reevaluated some class sizes at The Clearing and they called to say that I was in the Women's Writing Retreat.  Hooray!  Now everybody has to be really good with mask wearing, social distancing, and vaccine getting so the classes run and I get to go the last week in September.  This will be my roommate's and my 20th year going to The Clearing.  We need to go.

--Barbara

A Snowy Day

Well, it did more than flurry overnight.  We got about 2 inches of wet, heavy snow.  It got just above freezing this afternoon so at least half of the snow is already gone.  I didn't go out and shovel because it's supposed to be close to 40 tomorrow and in the 50s by the weekend.  We can't really complain.  After all, it is Wisconsin and only the middle of March.  Three years ago we got about 2 feet of snow in mid-April so these couple inches are no big deal.  I'll be glad when the streets are dry again so I can go back to walking around the block.

The Christmas/Easter cactus bud is hanging on and growing bigger.  I hope it keeps it up.

I sat down and paid attention and knitted the heel flap and turned the heel of the Fire Sock.  I had to knit it onto DPNs for the picking up gusset stitches part and then knitted it back onto the circular needle to keep going.  I amused myself that I needed those old DPNs for a single round.  Maybe next time I'll figure out how to do it with the circ. or get someone to show me.  Maybe there's a YouTube...

Then I was tired of small needle knitting so I started another cast sock with some old scratchy yarn that was buried in the bottom of a bag of yarn.  It's too rough for a baby hat but it'll be okay for someone's toes, i think.

Today's toss was a book of essays I read a couple times and don't need to read again.

The prompt today was to make up song lyrics in a musical style you hate.  !!!  I don't know how to write a rap song so I made up a country song.  It's pretty terrible but I filled the page.

Today was signup day for Life Members of The Clearing.  I hit redial 492 times (my phone counts it up) before getting in (it took an hour and forty minutes) only to discover that the class I want was full so I'm number one on the waiting list.  I signed my friend up for an Independent Study at the same time.  Of course, this is dependent on whether the classes are held at all but since it's the last week in September I figure we've got a shot.  Fingers crossed.

--Barbara

Sock It To Me

I didn't spend much time looking out, checking for birds or squirrels, and I forgot to go out and fill the peanut wreath, etc. so I didn't see any wildlife, or not long enough to take a picture.

I folded a basket of laundry (ooh, exciting!) but spent most of the day writing.  I wrote the prompt in the book that Lala gave me at Christmas, and the art prompt from the Page-a-Day Gallery calendar, then I spent some time working on another scene for Better Than Mom's.  I think I'm at a point where I have to reread the manuscript because I'm having trouble finding ideas.  Maybe a read-through will help jog the old brain cells.

It's time to knit the heel flap on the Fire Sock.  My theory that the metal needles made my hands hurt proved true.  Once I knitted the sock onto the wood circular needle my hands haven't hurt.  Since I'm not knitting on DPNs which is what the pattern is written for I've got some figuring to do to make it work but I'll manage.  How hard can it be?

 

Today's toss was a pair of drawing books.  I bought them at the library book sale but one is too complicated and the other one is just a series of pictures.  Neither one gave me the step by step instructions I need to make a drawing.

The prompt was that a friend commits a terrible crime and confides in you.  Do you keep the secret or tell?  A terrible crime?  Of course I'd tell.  Besides I"m bad at keeping secrets so I'm sure I'd blab.  If it was a good friend they wouldn't tell me anyway since everyone knows I'm a blabbermouth.

I just looked outside and little tiny snows are falling.  The street is wet and the grass is turning white.  *sigh*  Last week's warm weather was a cruel trick.

--Barbara

Sunday Sock-ing

It got a lot colder today, twenty degrees colder, and windy.  It was still sunny but back to late winter and it's supposed to snow tomorrow night.  I knew it was going to snow again soon since it was so nice the last week or so.

This squirrel made a quick visit to the birdbath for a drink but skipped the suet feeder.  Probably because the pellets are gone but I've been surprised that none of the squirrels have been at the suet cakes lately.  Maybe I'll fill the peanuts, the cob corn, and the pellets tomorrow just for some more activity out there.

After I took a walk and worked on some writing prompts, I settled down to knit on the sock.  Knitting with the metal circular needles on Friday night made my hands hurt so I switched to the bamboo DPNs which feel better but all those needles felt like too much.  I looked into ordering a wood circular the right size online but I'd have had to pay $6 shipping for a $7.50 needle.  Not worth it.  So I knitted a few more rounds then I decided to check downstairs to see if I had a bamboo or wood circular needle in the size I needed.  I did!  I had the exact needle that I saw online in my very own basket.  Hooray!  It's amazing how much easier on my hands the wood is over metal.

Today's toss was a too big knit shirt.  The last time I wore it I made up my mind that it was going to go into the donation pile.  Today was the day.

The prompt today asked for a list of the people you respect.  Not a hard list to make.

I forgot to set the clocks before I went to bed last night so I woke up at 8 o'clock this morning only to discover that it was really 9 o'clock.  I'm glad I took a nice walk so that I'll be tired when bedtime comes since it'll be an hour early according to my biological clock.  I'm glad I'm retired.

--Barbara

All Sorts of Sprouts

It was a gorgeous day so I went out and worked in the front yard cleaning up last year's plants.  When I trimmed away the old leaves and stems of the day lily I found that the new leaves are sprouting.

 

Same thing when I trimmed back the dead mums.  There under the leaves and dead flower heads are the beginnings of this years plants.

The hyacinths are going great guns.  I can see the purple color of the buds nestled down in the leaves.  There are tulips and daffodils poking out too.

 

I have to show the crocuses again.  They're so cheerful with their bright yellow flowers I can't resist taking their picture whenever I take the camera out.

 

House Finches were the only birds to come to the feeders today.  I tipped out some cracked corn from the round feeder and the mangiest squirrel came to eat.  He looked like he has a skin condition.  Yuk.

Today's toss was a trio of turtlenecks that didn't get worn over the winter.  I tried one on with my sweater today and it just wasn't right so all three got the boot.

The prompt today asked what you'd hope to find in an attic.  I said a million bucks or pirate gold.  Actually I'd like to find letters and journals that provide a look into someone's life or a trunk of beautiful old clothes.

I spent a lot of the afternoon working on the next art assignment.  I picked it and it requires drawing.  I can't draw very well so I get frustrated easily.  Why did I pick it?  I do not know, but I'll keep practicing until I'm happy with it.

--Barbara

Sprouts & Birds

The bulbs out in front of the house are growing like mad.  It seems like they shoot up a couple inches a day.  There are small sprouts in the edge of the lawn too.  I can't wait until all the flowers bloom.

Mourning Doves came for a visit today.  This one sat on the birdbath sipping the water for a long time.  I love their mournful cooing when I'm waking up in the morning.

This Cardinal spent a few minutes eating seeds in the platform feeder.  I was in the middle of yoga but took a quick break to take his picture.

I finished knitting the cuff of the Fire Sock and plunged right into the leg.  I decided to let the colors of the yarn shine instead of knitting a pattern in the leg of the sock.  Knitting on this for three hours made my hands ache.  I can't decide if it's because I'm using metal needles or because I'm gripping them too tightly but I decided I'm not going back to the bamboo double pointed needles.  Working with those four needles is too much like wrestling a porcupine.  I'll probably switch to DPNs when I get to the heel because working the heel makes more sense to me that way.  Not logical, but there you are.

It was a cool but sunny day today and my legs didn't ache anymore so I was able to take a walk around the block.  I figure I was lucky to only have a little side effect from the vaccine shot.  I got invited to join a women's writing group on Zoom with a few of my Clearing writing friends and others, and I went the first time today.  It was great to see them, to meet new people, and to stretch my writing muscles.

Today's toss was a drawing book.  I tried to follow the one drawing a day format but it presupposes that you can draw.  I need more instruction than the book provides.  Dang it.

The prompt today asked how you persuade people to like you.  My answer was that I don't.  I'm not going to change to make someone like me.  It'd be too tiring to remember how I was supposed to act with that person.  I'm me and people can like me or not.

--Barbara

No Ice Left

After I worked all afternoon with the spade clearing a path from the door to the birdbath the other day, the warm temps melted all the ice and compacted snow anyway.  I could have saved my labor.  Oh well, it was probably good for me.

 

I went out the front door to check on the hyacinth sprouts and look!  There's flower buds a-coming.

 

Then I looked down and saw a clump of yellow gold.  Crocuses!  I have crocuses blooming.  Amazing.  Now it'll probably snow or freezing rain and bury the sweet little things.

I finished the WW egg drop soup for lunch today so, since we all know soup is better the next day, I whipped up a cauldron of WW chicken noodle soup.  It's boiling because I was cooking the pasta which took extra long because the recipe made me pour a bag of frozen mixed veggies into the pot at the same time as the pasta and stop the boil.  I should know better.

I tried to take a walk this afternoon but my legs are achy from the COVID shot so I only went halfway around.  I thought a walk would stretch out the aches.  It didn't.  Then I sat down and finished March Cast Sock #4.  I like the colors of this yarn, I hope someone in a cast does too.

Then I was out of knitting again so I went downstairs and dug out another skein of sock yarn and cast on another sock.  I'm not using the same pattern I used for the last two socks, I'm just going to knit the cuff and then knit the leg plain.  Less thinking that way.  I REALLY like the colors of this yarn.

Today's toss was a pair of clear glass bowls I bought to use for dog bowls when I used to bring DS's dog over to visit Durwood.  He really liked dogs.

The prompt today said to write the opening scene of a movie about the Earth being uninhabitable.  Picture a teenage girl suffering oxygen deprivation because she's too cool to wear a mask.

--Barbara