The Calm Between The Storms

That's what yesterday was, calm and sunny and lovely.  I almost didn't mind having to go out to snowblow and shovel away the nearly 4" of snow that fell Saturday night, and then go out again to snowblow the street because my car was out when the plow went by (because Durwood went to Woodman's all by himself and left me home alone for two whole hours; he was ecstatic to be able to go and I was pretty thrilled about it myself).  I didn't mind going out to fill all the feeders one bit.  I got out my snowshoes and clamped them onto Durwood's big boots that I wear for snow removal, etc. which made climbing the hill much easier.  I noticed that the squirrels make good use of the trails I tromped in the snow too.  The hawk spent a little time on the fence too but my pictures were barely better than Durwood's were from Friday so you're spared them.


When he was at Woodman's Durwood got me a little bouquet of alstromeria.  I know he felt bad that he hadn't been able to go out shopping before Valentine's Day and I tried to tell him that a love note would have been perfect but he whined that he didn't have a nice notecard and I said I didn't care if he wrote something on the back of an envelope; it's the words not the paper.  Anyway, he was happy to be able to finally "Happy Valentine's Day!" me with flowers.  Aren't they pretty?

I worked on Feb Men's Chemo Hat #3 over the weekend.  I got to the very end of the green yarn about 8 stitches from the end of a round, I tried adding in a different yarn but it looked jarring so I just took the other end of the toast/gold colored stuff, finished the round and the rest will be all toast.  It'll be fine.  I really like this pattern made with two colors.

Remember last week I found that pattern tutorial for a bento bag?  Well, I finally went downstairs and made one yesterday.  I love it.  It was easy to make and I think it looks terrific, it's really roomy, and it will be very handy to carry things in.  It's kind of like fabric origami, you cut a rectangle of fabric 3 times wider than it is tall, then narrow hem all four edges, fold it into thirds from side to side (the wide way), carefully seam top and bottom (keeping part free per the directions) and, voila!, a bag appears.  You could quit there but she offers a few finishing touches like topstitching the slanted side seam facings to strengthen the seam and making corners of the points, which I did.  Awesome bag!  I made the medium size and put in 2 yarn cakes and an almost finished sweater front and, look, there's room for more.  This one's made from a scrap of linen, I think I'll make the next one from ticking.  There will be a next one.

While I was down at the machine I sewed all the jelly roll strips (1600 inches total) together so that when DD comes home for a visit next month she and I can spend an afternoon making quilt tops from them.  She said she's got hers all sewed together and now mine are so we're ready to sew.  I love these colors and can't wait to see how they sew up.

February 17--Albert Sands Southworth and Josiah Johnson Hawes, John Quincy Adams.  The old man sat in the walnut chair in front of the fireplace.  The rug under the chair had small burns where sparks from the fire had burned it over the years.  On the table next to him was a stack of books that changed as he read through them and a pad of paper and pen so that he could write down his thoughts.  The old man had lived in the house since he was a boy.  He knew every nook and cranny and each hiding place.  He didn't hear the settling creaks of the house at night, he could barely hear the creak of his own old bones.

Speaking of old bones, I need to get mine up and stirring so I can get off to work marginally on time and with semi-dry hair.  Later, dudes and dudettes.  Oh, and here's a little Monday bonus photo, LC snoozing in the ogre hat I made her.  Way too cute, she brightens up this dreary day, don't you think?
--Barbara