Porter and I had a shortened walk yesterday because Durwood had a 10:30 doctor's appointment (everything's fine) so I parked by the big "lawn" behind an office building that borders the trail and we walked up and down. Well, I walked, she raced around sniffing every blade of grass, until we were circling back and she stopped looking down at the little woods all alert. What was down there? A single deer grazing. We were far enough away that while it saw us and paid attention, it didn't just bolt so I was about to use the telephoto lens and snap its picture. Cool, eh?
I had a bag of veggie peels and apples for the chickens and they loved it. I'm fascinated by these birds. I just wish they'd let me pet them, I know their feathers are soft. I know they are. But they just won't, no matter how sweetly I talk to them.
I was this close *holds fingers a molecule apart* to blowing off yoga yesterday because it was dark and chilly but I didn't and I'm glad I didn't. It's so relaxing and energizing to spend that hour focused on positioning my body and focusing on releasing tension, just working to be a puddle on my mat. That short time sets me up to have a good week every time, I just let go of all the small annoyances and smooth away tight muscles I didn't even realize were tight. It's a yin yoga class so we focus on settling into a pose and holding it, not flapping and sweating like a regular exercise class. You think that you're not doing anything and then the next day your muscles remind you that you did indeed spend an hour and fifteen minutes bending, stretching and flexing. It's worth every penny and every minute. Thanks, Mardi, you're the best.
November 20--Louis Comfort Tiffany, Stained Glass Window. Winnie lay in between the rows of grapevines watching the leaves flutter in the sun. The grapes were mostly ripe, a deep, rich purple, and their aroma was like wine. Bees buzzed around, nearly lulling her to sleep. She had come out into the grapes to get away from Mama and Uncle Leo. They wanted to her play with her awful cousin, Perry, who lived in town but got sent to the farm for a month. Winnie thought if Perry was her kid she'd send him away too. He didn't like to fish or climb trees, didn't like to get dirty at all. All he did was read books. He wasn't any fun.
When I went out to top up the birdbath heater I saw the most beautiful sunrise. I absolutely hate it when my alarm rings and I have to get up in the mostly dark but then I look out at the gorgeous pink and purple sky and I'm glad I'm up. Mrs. Boss called me yesterday to say that she's giving me all next week off, and Christmas week too. Without pay, of course, but I'm at the stage in my life where I value time over money (I never thought I'd say anything like that), so I'm good with it. I think I'll focus on doing some stealth sewing for Christmas. And here are the garbologists, must be time to get ready for my day. Toodles.
--Barbara
That's how it was when I left work yesterday and how it was when I woke up this morning. I took this picture just after I got into my car in the dive shop parking lot. I learned that in order to get a decent moon picture I need to brace my arms on something solid, a half-breath-and-hold-it doesn't work. At least the wind has died down, now I can walk Porter and not get blown off my feet, although I did like the windy walk last week... I liked it a lot, didn't I? ("alot"-- that's one of my peeves; it's not a word, it's two words, did you know that? the guy that writes the crossword puzzle in the local paper evidently doesn't because he puts it in at least once a week. the clue that makes me groan is "extra-wide shoe width", the answer is "EEEE" for when he's got four words ending in E side by side; it's a valid clue and answer but... *shakes head*)
I had customers and phone callers yesterday at work, just like a real store. I didn't sell anything, like merchandise, I sold classes and gear service, but I had 4 customers and actually took in money, well, charges but I had sales and humans who weren't UPS and the US mail actually in the store. I still had lots of knitting time but it was something, way better than last week's nothing day after day. Hopefully it'll keep going.
What's going to happen to the Post Office? Hardly anyone sends mail anymore, nobody sends letters and most everyone pays their bills online, how will they stay in business? Magazines? Junk mail? There just can't be that many birthday cards on any given day flying around and then if no one sends cards what will happen to Hallmark? It's a vicious cycle--mail something today!
November 19--Katharina Denzinger, Shoe. Every time Leah tried to put on those shoes she had to stop to shake them out. Because the shoes looked like sports cars--headlights, wheels and all--Kevin tucked a G.I. Joe or a Star Wars guy into one and zoomed it away. Often only one of them was in the closet, the other one having been driven off by its vacu-formed plastic driver to vanquish Nazis or defeat the Empire. She couldn't get mad about it, in fact she rather liked the idea that her shoe went off on adventures all by itself.
I like that, it's not all tense and adventure-y, but I like the image of a little boy vroom-ing his mom's shoe around the house. Okay, kiddos, I'm off to dress, eat, feed the chickens, and walk the dog on this chilly, sunny morning. Seeyabye.
--Barbara
It's so windy that the peanuts I put in the birdfeeder yesterday were on the lawn when I got up this morning. (I put them back and tamped them into the seeds; hopefully they'll stay or at least the bluejays will find them before the squirrels do.) Man, the wind is just roaring. I think I'll be bundling up for work. (d'you think I'll have any customers? yeah, me neither)
The inaugural concert of the So So Orchestra was a triumph. The director/organizer/HJZ's cousin's husband (sure is a small world, eh?) lured a few of the musicians from the Youth Symphony to "fill in their sound" but they did okay. It was so much fun to be a proud parent in the audience again and DS & DIL1 got just as much of a kick out of having their Moms and Dads at their concert again, so much so that they treated us when we stopped for supper afterwards. Thanks, kids! (we raised them right)
HJZ invited us to their house for Thanksgiving (in 10 days!!! did you know it's coming that fast?) and I volunteered us to bring dressing and pumpkin bread pudding with either rum or caramel sauce (or both). It'll be our first chance to see K&GZ's new little guy. (ooh, baby)
In the afternoon I went down to the sewing machine and finished the lap throw I started last Sunday. It's black and white flannel with black linen on the back so I used red thread to tack it together every 6" or so; the red isn't glaring but kind of a little treat of color when you look closely at it. I like it. I need to get my fabric and cutting implements out and get all of the "family" gifts cut out this week so I can sew them together and make a move toward that holiday in December that I'm not going to name right now so it doesn't lurch closer when it hears its name, but you know what I mean. Eesh. Don't you think it comes around faster and faster every year?
November 18--Etienne Delaune , Armor for Henry II. Steven had been his friend since the first day of second grade when Hank sat down on Steven's lunch on the bus. They fought. Of course they fought about the squashed lunch but they also fought about who could spit farthest and who could slide their math book closest to the front of the bus under the seats.
That was it, actually I finished the last sentence just now. I was pooped last night but had a good day despite the rain and wind. I made apple pancakes, finished sewing a blanket, went to a concert, and out to supper--what's not to love? It's Monday. It's payday. Time to eat, shower, and go collect my money. And try not to get blown to kingdom come in the process--but I bet the wind shaves a couple minutes off my time getting to work, it's a strong tailwind if you're driving east.
--Barbara
I put on my house socks when I got out of bed this morning and thought one felt funny. I looked at the bottom of my right foot and look at what I saw. Oh darn. Now, do I learn how to darn a sock (using the darning egg that Grandpa made and Aunt B gave me last month)? Or do I knit another sock? Thinking.
A couple weeks ago I resolved to knit no other project until I'd finished the Khaki Cardi and I managed for nearly 2 weeks, but I fell off the project monogamy wagon last night. The first chink in my armor came last weekend when I decided that I needed to sew another linen and flannel lap blanket--with fabric I've had for a couple years so I wasn't running out to buy more. Since it's raining today I plan to go back down into the sewing studio to finish it later.
But then I've been reading Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Knitting Rules and I came to the chapter about knitting socks, but I didn't have a sock OTN. I spent a few minutes surfing the patterns on Ravelry and my sock yarn stash last week at work (on one of those long days with no cusotmers) and came up with Campfire Socks and a skein of Knit Picks Felici Sport sock yarn in the Chimney colorway. Last night I dug out the pattern, copied it so I can scribble on it and still have a clean copy for next time, and cast on. I even made the mature decision to go down a needle size since the yarn's so soft and I'm a pretty loose knitter at times. I highly recommend the pattern. I knit it about 3 years ago for the first time and it's a great one, the socks stay up, and they make the most of a variegated yarn, helping the colors not pool. The Felici's a self-striper and the pattern won't change that but I like the way it looks.
When I was downstairs digging out sock pattern, yarn, and needles I came upon a half-finished helix stripe hat and brought that up too. Might as well pile on the projects, right?
I pulled out a couple dishcloth patterns too. Next month's the Bay Lakes Knitting Guild's holiday celebration and we exchange dishcloths. I always try to make an interesting one and I think I've got one picked out; it looks like a sand dollar, but I won't cast it on until the Khaki Cardi's sleeve is done. Promise. (And if any Ravellers are reading this, no idea stealing, not that you would but I feel better now.)
but just barely yesterday, getting the leaves down to the curb before the giant raindrops started to pound down. Whew. Turns out our leaf blower is busted so I had to put the bag on the lawnmower and empty it every other minute but I got a tiny bit smart and laid out a tarp to empty the bag onto so I didn't have to haul it down to the curb and back a bazillion times. That was the good part. The bad part was swapping the lawnmower for the snowblower in the front of the garage. *sigh* I know it's the middle of November and I live in Green Bay, Wisconsin (they don't call it the "frozen tundra" for nothin') and yet I'm just not ready to give warm weather back so soon. It rained all last evening and it's raining again right now. *double sigh* Good thing I got the leaves, well most of them anyway, down to the curb.
This afternoon DS & DIL1 are playing their first concert with the So-So Symphony this afternoon as the opening act for the Green Bay Youth Symphony. They're in a group of ex-high school musicians gathered up by a Symphony conductor (I think) fashioned after The Really Terrible Orchestra in Scotland (you need to watch this video). I can't wait to go to one of my kid's concert again.
November 17--Etienne Delaune, Armor for Henry II, King of France. Hank looked stiff, like his suit was made of steel instead of wool. Judith thought he held himself like he was afraid he'd cut himself on his shirt collar if he unbent a bit. God forbid he should smile. "They don't bite, you know," she said. They sat side by side on the vinyl-covered bench outside the banker's office conference room. His briefcase bulged with proof that they should get the load they needed to open a bookstore.
I've got a hankering for apple pancakes for breakfast, too bad we don't have any sausage. Time to grate fruit and stir batter. Au revoir.
--Barbara
Taking this picture of the Khaki Cardi's sleeve #2 gave me renewed inspiration to keep plugging away at it. The project's also the only one I have with me here at work. Progress will commence as soon as I hit "Publish."
I took the Taos Cowl along to knit on in the doctor's office yesterday, got a few rows added. Still like the colors, still not sure it'll be soft enough to wear comfortably.
