Score!

Yesterday I toddled off around 9 o'clock in the cloudy and drizzle to wend my way to The Clearing for an afternoon visit with my friend KS who was on "greeter" duty there.  My first stop was at Renard's Cheese just south of Sturgeon Bay for a bag of fresh cheese curds.  "Yes, I want you to cut the tape holding the bag closed for me, thanks."  I didn't want to faint from hunger and there's nothing like a bag of squeaky baby cheese to hold famishment at bay while you're dodging tourists and listening to Odd Thomas on the Kindle.

Next I popped into Spin in downtown Sturgeon Bay to see what there was in the 40% off baskets and to see if my friend TS was working.  She wasn't, but I did find 4 skeins of this gorgeous Debbie Bliss Fez yarn in a pretty shade of brown.  The yarn is 85% merino wool and 15% camel.  I showed it to Durwood when I got home and he said, "I didn't know camels gave yarn."  It makes sense, though, after all where do you think camel coats come from?

My third stop was a pit stop at the public restroom in Baileys Harbor, but then in a few miles I pulled into Bargains Unlimited in Sister Bay.  I have a system there.  First, I flip through the silverware bins to see if there are any silver pieces, yesterday there weren't.  Then I head into the clothing room to check out the purses and flip the racks, didn't find a thing.  I slow down walking through the center, appliance shelves to see if anyone's ditched a good food processor (nope), then it's over to the fabric & yarn section.  I found a knitting book that I've looked at a few times in Joann's but never bought for a buck and a bag with a skein and a half of Dazzle Aire, a 60's era acrylic yarn for a buck.  My Friday Night Knitting friend, FW, knits the most wonderful slippers and likes to carry a strand of Dazzle Aire with whatever else she's using because the stuff wears like iron, so I picked it up for her.

By then it was closing in on 12:30-ish so I pulled into the Jensen Center, the office and bookstore of The Clearing.  I cruised the tiny store and found a fleece jacket in my size for 25% off plus I'd get my 10% Friends discount on top of it.  It isn't my favorite color (dark teal) but it for sure wouldn't be there when I go up for my class at the end of September so I bought it.  Couldn't pass it up.  By then KS was packing up to go over to the Lodge so we drove over and settled in to chat and knit the afternoon away.  You know how you can jinx your day when you assume it'll be quiet and say so out loud?  Yeah, that's what happened.  Only a few people were slated to check in yesterday so she crowed a bit that we'd have tons of time to visit.  Hold your horses, KS!  The cleaner hadn't been in there yet so we were treated to a 45 minute vacuum concerto and then a fairly steady stream of visitors popped in needing the nickel tour of the building and a short talk about TC's mission and history.  I got to knit a bunch but our chatting was sporadic.  We'll try again, soon.

I picked up a Papa Murphy's pizza on my way home but after supper I made another deposit in my Investment Cooking weekend.  This recipe is called "Oh-So-Good Chicken Casserole" but I call it Salsa Chicken & Rice.  I figured out how to make it low-fat (if I buy the right cheese and change the sour cream to fat free Greek yogurt) and it's kind of naturally low-salt (if I buy the right cheese) and it freezes well.  Plus it's yummy.

June 21--George White, Hands Reaching Out.  Grabbing, grasping hands.  Lina dreamed of them every night, twisting herself in her sheets trying to get away from them.  Hot and dry or cold and clammy, they all reached out to her.  All laid their fingers on her skin.  Some of the curled like claws, digging their nails into her forearms tugging her their way.  She hated the hands and feared the places they pulled her toward.  The dream was so vivid and came so often that she researched the meaning of dreams on the Internet.  That was a mistake.  Talk about falling down the rabbit hole.

Happy Father's Day!  Happy First Day of Summer!  I'm done.
--Barbara