That fact was hammered home this morning when I opened the patio curtains at 6:15 AM to discover that the sun hadn't cleared the trees yet. You know what that means, right? It means that we're on the slippery slope toward winter. No-o-o-o-o-o, not yet. But look, see? The sun's still shining through the tree behind Lee and Suzie's house. Even as recently as last week it was high up over those same trees when I opened the drapes (and I don't sleep in). Soon it'll be sidling along toward the right (toward the Equator) and waiting just over the horizon until later into the day before it climbs up over the edge of the Earth (sorry, I think our planet should be capitalized just like Venus and Saturn) to warm and light our days. I hate to be a broken record about this whole thing but time sure flies.
As on most mornings I was out with my camera, just for a few minutes, to see what's blooming today and found some busy bees on the spiderwort and the daisies in full bloom. I broke off the blooms on the purple basil and the parsley so they make more leaves and spend less energy making flowers and, I gotta say, my right hand smells great. Kinda pizza-y but sweet and fresh. Mmm.
I'm off to the chiro again this morning and I'm hoping she'll say that I'm nearly cured. My shoulder was very achy yesterday so it was good that I didn't have any customers wanting airfills. Heck, I didn't have any customers at all except for BLV (a staff member) and ES stopped in too (another staff member)--and MW, my knitting pal and he doesn't count because he never buys stuff. I'm happy to have full range of motion so I'm confident that I didn't tear anything or break anything, I just have bruised tissues and those take time to heal. Especially at my (advanced) age. Bah.
July 11--India, Lucknow, Black Stork in a Landscape. The heat haze rising from the dry marsh made the great stork look like it was moving. It was just after noon and only the newly arrived Americans were out and about. Jik and Nancy were determined to wring every moment out of their honeymoon. They ignored the suggestion that they spend the hot afternoon hours lying in their room. "I thought siesta was a Mexican thing," said Jik, "but here we are as far away from there as we can be and still be on the planet and they're obsessed with afternoon naps too." They were too newly wed for Nancy to tell him that she thought that a siesta was a very civilized practice so she packed extra bottled water, wore a wide-brimmed hat, and carried a parasol to keep the blazing midday sun from lighting her on fire.
Okay. In one hour I have to be at Dr. Paula's office and I have a lot to accomplish in that time, not the least of which is making this rumpled, bed-headed woman presentable for polite society. Bye.
--Barbara
You know how your Mom warned you against listening to bad companions? Well, I ignored that advice last night. My Friday Knitting pal, Mitch, called just before supper to say that there was a treasure trove of yarn at Goodwill and I should come look. Now, most of the time I can resist that lure because most of the time Goodwill has acrylic and novelty yarns or yarn that's so old even the moths don't want it. Then he said the magic word--silk. Silk and merino and RED. I'm not sure I hung up the phone before my keys were in my hand. Durwood put the supper-making on hold while I zoomed the 3 blocks to Goodwill.
I met Mitch in the café and we walked over, him giggling all the way he was that excited about it. He was right to be excited. It was a treasure trove. A haul. A budget-busting amount of very good, not very expensive yarn. I fondled and thought, piled some in my bag and took some out, mentally added up what I had against how much money was in my wallet. Then he said, "Tuesday's senior discount day, 10% off." That did it, I was lost. I piled 10 skeins of the red Prairie Silks, the Plymouth Encore Colorspun, and 3 colors of Cascade Cloud 9 into my bag. I spent almost all my "mad" money.
Once I was home I kept thinking about that silk/merino yarn. Thinking that if I had it all I might be able to knit a sweater for myself. Durwood, the prince, offered me some money from his stash but I declined. Why should he pay for my manias? After supper I went back to Goodwill and scarfed up the rest of that Ruble Red yarn, 11 more skeins... and a couple skeins of Shetland wool, and more of that Cloud 9 in 2 other colors, an unmarked skein of red wool, and a couple balls of random creamy softness. That took care of all of my yarn buying money for the year. Maybe two years. Maybe FIVE years.
That loud crash you heard last night was me breaking my yarn diet.Later today there will be searching for a pattern for a me-sized sweater and probably a baby blankie or hat or sweater or booties or softie or all of the above. Good thing I have a lot of zipper plastic bags and lots of needles in lots of sizes.
I sloughed off yesterday. Well, it rained and rained and drizzled so I elected to stay dry-ish, also it was soooo humid when I went outside to take a couple sunset pictures, well, I felt like I'd taken a shower when I came in. (see the robin on the fence?) Ugh. There's nothing worse than 80+% humidity with matching temperature. Ugh ugh ugh. It's a little better this morning so I went out and reined in the wildly growing 'maters. Sunny, hot, and wet--that's how they like it.
My trip to the chiro yesterday felt good, but she reawakened or relocated the owies, especially the one in the front of my right shoulder. I guess I'm still in the "make it hurt so it gets better" stage. I'd like to be over that, please, especially when I'm trying to find a way to sleep. Can't sleep on my right shoulder (the regular way), can't sleep on my left shoulder (the right one folds in and hurts), and can't seem to find the right position on my back (knees cocked left, right, flat?). I finally got up just before midnight and took a pain pill, problem solved in about 10 minutes, but I'm still sore this morning.
Big storms came through in the afternoon. As the front moved in Durwood's breathing worsened so I got the list and got to go to the store all by myself. (Hey, I'm not the chef, I just pick the meat, he does the rest so I get a list) I confess that I did take thirty bucks of my mad money and bought myself some new sports bras and camisoles at Walmart. That's when it rained, hard, and that's when I saw KW who I was up at The Clearing with in May. That was unexpected and fun. (I don't know why I was surprised to see her, we live about 2 miles apart in tiny [104k] ol' Green Bay. Tsk.) I got a little wet in the rain but not soaked so I didn't catch a chill in the next store, the grocery one, and I got all the things on the list and only one thing more. *pats self on back*
Just as Durwood was getting supper into the oven my phone rang and knitting pal, MW, was calling to say that he'd found the mother lode of merino/silk yarn at Goodwill and he hadn't bought it all. I zipped right over. (what? it's 3 blocks) I was determined to only spend the money that I had in my mad money and not a penny more. It was hard but I managed. Then I was thinking at supper, I'd only bought half of the silk/merino (which was a deep red), if I bought the rest I could maybe make a sweater for me. So after supper I dug into my stash $ and deep stash $, went over, and bought the rest of it. I'm done with the "retail therapy" for a while, a loooong while. (yeah, because I'm broke) There was also some bright yarn that'll make a lovely something for an impending baby. (teehee, a baby) I bought that too, plus some other random yarn I couldn't leave behind. (that crash you heard was me breaking my yarn diet, big time)
July 10--Paul Herman and Jean de Limbourg, Jeanne of Boulogne, Duchess of Berry, Praying to the Trinity. Every day they had to go to Mass. Sister Joseph Therese would line them up, making sure that the girls had something to cover their heads with, even if it was half a Kleenex. They marched in straggly lines down the dim terrazzo stairs that were so slick with melted snow in the winter, down to the chapel in the school basement. Two boys from the upper grades peeled off and went to put cassocks on over their white shirts and dark pants to serve as altar boys for Father. If they were lucky Father Loeffler said the Mass. He was a young priest who jumped rope with the girls on the playground and played touch football with the boys. He gave short, sporty sermons that sometimes were even funny. Those funny sermons made Sister click her tongue. If they were unlucky old Father Auer was the celebrant. He was slow and deliberate and gave sermons about sin and obedience and prayer. He went on and on. He never made a joke, never smiled, and never came onto the playground. They were scared of Father Auer.
Hey, that was my childhood, although Father Loeffler was at Sacred Heart in Evansville, IN and Father Auer was at St. Agnes in Green Bay, WI. It's fiction, I get to move folks around if I want. I can change the landscape too, so nyah. *sticks tongue out* Ooh, my grandma used to say a bird would come and poop on your tongue if you stuck it out. Never did, and I've stuck my tongue out lots, so she might have been wrong. No, grandma's are never wrong. Ask 'em. It's a work day so--seeyabye!
--Barbara
The other day almost without my consent or notice I cast on a cowl. It's one of the "Onesies" from earlier this year and I have no idea what possessed me to cast it on when I have a perfectly good sock and shawl OTN, but cast on I did. I love the way the colors of the yarn are blending but it's a long time until cowl time. At least it better be.
I'm onto the gusset of the latest sock, my least favorite part of sock knitting. I need to make up some something to put a positive spin on making the gusset because I hate to have resentment in my heart for such an easy and integral part of a sock. If I had better luck with short row heels I might switch over but the last time I attempted one I had to rip it out three, maybe four times. I hate to rip. I've named it the POrange sock because I so like the way the pink and orange look beside each other.
I worked on the Jane's Locks shawl at Friday Night Knitting and everyone said they liked it. The more I look at it the more I like it too.
On Friday, when I almost sweated myself dry on our walk (we've had very high humidity lately), I realized that I could get ready soon after arising, get the dog, walk when it's a bit cooler, and then come home to have breakfast and blog. (Ooh, shifting my routine, that's dangerous.) DS & DIL1 were still home when I got there around 7:30 so there was a bit of time to admire their new sloped lawn and keep them company while they had their breakfast smoothies. (We haven't had a family supper since Mother's Day and I miss them, but they're talking about the last Sunday in July. Yay! What can we bring?) Porter and I enjoyed our walk (well, I did, it's sometimes hard to tell with a dog), at least I wasn't as suffocatingly hot but I did see a bright red leaf. Does that mean Autumn's on the way? Say it ain't so.) The less than good part was that Porter had just eaten so she made potty stops, yes, I said stops, once for #1 and twice for #2. Greater love hath no dog granny that to carry 2 clean-up bags. And thank you, Dollar Tree, for selling $1 clean-up bag carriers and rolls. There was a small flock of Canada geese on one part of the trail that stood their ground when a jogger went by but they made themselves scarce as the mighty Porter and I neared. She did pretty well heeling and sitting today although she has a tendency to sit sideways so she can see both ways down the trail. That made a couple passing bicyclists laugh. At least we're amusing, me and the dog.
I have to go out and tie up the tomatoes again today. Those suckers are really shooting up. I want to carry up the clean laundry for Durwood to fold and I need to find something fish-y for supper. See, if we have fish for supper on Tuesday, we can put the fish-smelly dishes into the almost full dishwasher and then run it, and it's the night to put the trash out so the smelly fish bags and skin go out too. Brilliant. (Thank you, thank you, it was my idea.) Maybe we should have honey soy salmon, we both like that a lot and there's salmon fillets in the freezer. Another brilliant idea. (I'm full of it, uh, them.)
July 9--Egon Schiele, Portrait of a Woman. Leo thought he could draw. He almost could. His people looked a little off and his perspective was slightly skewed. Take the portrait of his girlfriend, Maisie. She was thin but not skeletal like he drew her. Her hair was carroty red orange but not the frizzy cloud he evidently saw. He got her ruffled dress and beautiful green eyes right but he gave her acres more forehead than she deserved. Maybe he needed glasses. Thick ones.
I'm off... and I'm leaving too. I got an email from the library that I've got a few books on reserve to pick up and I'm out of blueberries. Gasp! Must fix that. Talk among yourselves.
--Barbara
Raindrops pecking at the window over my head woke me around 5 o'clock this morning, then I heard the thunder, saw the lightning, but it wasn't a gangbusters storm, just a summer storm. Nice. It's still raining but no longer storming. Very nice, although I do like a crash-bang-flashing storm--when I'm safe and dry inside. We need the rain. The garden needs the rain. DS & DIL1's new sod really needs the rain. You pay that much for grass and you love the rain. He's got all their hoses out on sprinkler duty in back so he stopped over to borrow one of ours so he can water their row of garden pots in front. They weren't going to have a garden this year because of the total backyard redo so DIL1 had the idea to plant a few things in pots and line the driveway with them. I think that was brilliant and it looks nice too. Way to go, DIL1. 
Naturally I spent a good bit of yesterday watering everything because it hadn't rained in about 10 days so now it rains but that's okay, watering got me out of the house, out into the suffocating humidity, and off my keester on the couch. I didn't sew up a skirt after all. Didn't even cut one out. I just read and knitted and iced my shoulder, but I'll get to that skirt, don't you worry. I grilled out some pork... pieces. They weren't chops or country ribs or roast they were just... little globs of meat, but they sure were tasty. Durwood chopped fixings for salads and steamed fresh green beans, and we had half a giant sweet potato to share. You totally wish you had come here for supper.
Blueberries! I have picked blueberries. Okay, it's only two but still... I was sure I wouldn't have one berry and I'm going to have a few, more than in year's past, that's for sure. And I think it's time to release the butternut squash from its protective cage and train the tendrils on the fence. Yay, squash! I'll be tying up the tomatoes again tomorrow too. Things are growing here in Barbara-land.
I didn't show you the Spiced Honey Almonds that I made on the 4th, did I? They're so good I can't stand it. I put about 1/3 of the red pepper flakes the recipe calls for in the honey to coat the nuts, switched the chili powder out for cinnamon and only put in half, but we love them. Maybe next time I'll increase the cinnamon to the full 1/2 tsp. but I don't think I'll increase the pepper flakes. Ten nuts = 3 WW Plus Points which makes a great snack. Oh, hey, according to the scale I dropped 2# last week so being a lot stricter with what I eat and working out more pays off. Who knew?
July 8--Southwestern Arabia, Standing Female Figure wearing a Strap and a Necklace. Dickon was convinced that the palm-sized statue was a female but Nadine was just as sure it was a male. Dickon turned the figure face up and pointed. "Look," he said, "no tackle." Nadine's lips thinned. "No nipples either." They'll never agree, thought Mort, and then he went back to sorting through the pieces of pottery on his tray to see if he could make something of them. The next morning when Mort unlocked their lab he stood looking at Dickon's lifeless body sprawled on the floor, his head bashed in, and the bloodied sandstone statue lying inches from his outstretched fingers. "Well, there goes today," Mort said under his breath and he turned away to ask the director's secretary to call the police.
I like Mort. Okay, it's time to go fish something out of the freezer for Durwood to make for supper. See, I bring up the meat to thaw and then he figures out what to make with it. Then I'll have breakfast (yogurt, fruit & granola today, I think), take a shower, dress, and go off to work where I'll get my paycheck and keep the world safe from SCUBA diving. Avaunt!
--Barbara
That's today's weather. Yesterday's too. It's headed into the 90s with a lot of nice 70%+ humidity with it. I got up early to water the flowers along the front (south) side of the house. Don't those red orange lilies look gorgeous? I wish they'd stay longer but I'm glad they're there at all. I'm very happy with my cauldrons too. I left them molder empty in the shed too long. They'll be gracing the front for as long as I can lift them into the wheelbarrow for the trip from the backyard. (The cauldrons used to be around our pool in the Liberty St. house with coleus in them; they may get coleus again next year since I really like the colors of the leaves.) I like yellow and red, although my geraniums seems to be overshadowed by the marigolds at the moment. I anticipate change.
DS & DIL1 got their sod all laid yesterday so I don't get to help. Tsk. I really wanted to too. Oh well, maybe I'll get to help the next time they do big yard work. I'd much rather get all sweaty and dirty out in the yard hauling heavy things than cleaning inside. I don't like cleaning. I like having cleaned I just don't like to do it, although today's sole chore is to clean the bathroom. (yesterday's was laundry--done) I read a tip (in the newspaper, I think) to get rid of that mildew factory of a bathtub mat. I don't leave ours on the tub floor, I stick it to the back wall of the shower so that the water drains out better but it still grows crud. The tip suggests using that rubbery shelf liner that comes in a roll. It's non-skid, sticks to the fiberglass just fine, and can be hung over a towel bar to dry or thrown in the wash to clean it. I had to stop at the $ store the other day and picked up a roll of the cheap kind so we can try it before I invest in some of the pricey Rubbermaid stuff. I'll report.
I'm thinking maybe I'll go downstairs and sew myself a new skirt today. I've had the fabric for a while and I can always use something new to wear. Besides I've been much more careful to stick closer to my points and to get off my duff and get some exercise this week so I anticipate a little weight loss tomorrow on weigh-in day. A new skirt to wear in celebration might be just the thing. A weight LOSS will be a welcome change when I step on the scale in the bathroom tomorrow morning. I weigh as soon as I get up on Monday mornings, as early as possible just in case gravity hasn't caught me yet. (I know it's silly, about as silly as waiting for all the electricity to run out of the wires when I throw the breaker before I change a plug or switch, but you never know, so I'm not taking chances.)
July 7--Southwestern Arabia, Standing Female Figure wearing a Strap and a Necklace. She's a comforting little weight in my pocket. Ever since I found her in a junky antique shop in Chicago I've kept her in my pocket, the left one to be precise. I've never lost her, never misplaced her, and only sent her through the wash twice. I was having a rotten day the day I found her. I was in town for an interview and had gotten splashed on my way there. I felt dirty and bedraggled, and I was sure I hadn't done my best. Rather than sit and brood in my room or raid the minibar I stepped into a narrow antique shop down a side street. There were tables piled on tables and chairs hung from the rafters. I found my little good luck statue in a basket of old buttons and game pieces. As soon as I'd paid for her my cellphone rang. It was the interviewer's secretary asking if I could come in for another meeting in the morning. What did I tell you, she's lucky.
Okay, I'm going to go... do something. Probably get dressed. Maybe down downstairs and dig out my skirt pattern. Maybe veg on the couch and watch something while I knit a bit. I promised Durwood that I won't do anything strenuous or involving heavy lifting, I'll give my shoulder a rest today. Oh, and there's that fairly dirty bathroom that needs my attention. I won't be bored. Sayonara.
--Barbara
That fact was hammered home this morning when I opened the patio curtains at 6:15 AM to discover that the sun hadn't cleared the trees yet. You know what that means, right? It means that we're on the slippery slope toward winter. No-o-o-o-o-o, not yet. But look, see? The sun's still shining through the tree behind Lee and Suzie's house. Even as recently as last week it was high up over those same trees when I opened the drapes (and I don't sleep in). Soon it'll be sidling along toward the right (toward the Equator) and waiting just over the horizon until later into the day before it climbs up over the edge of the Earth (sorry, I think our planet should be capitalized just like Venus and Saturn) to warm and light our days. I hate to be a broken record about this whole thing but time sure flies.
As on most mornings I was out with my camera, just for a few minutes, to see what's blooming today and found some busy bees on the spiderwort and the daisies in full bloom. I broke off the blooms on the purple basil and the parsley so they make more leaves and spend less energy making flowers and, I gotta say, my right hand smells great. Kinda pizza-y but sweet and fresh. Mmm.
I'm off to the chiro again this morning and I'm hoping she'll say that I'm nearly cured. My shoulder was very achy yesterday so it was good that I didn't have any customers wanting airfills. Heck, I didn't have any customers at all except for BLV (a staff member) and ES stopped in too (another staff member)--and MW, my knitting pal and he doesn't count because he never buys stuff. I'm happy to have full range of motion so I'm confident that I didn't tear anything or break anything, I just have bruised tissues and those take time to heal. Especially at my (advanced) age. Bah.
