Three on Thursday

Hi All,


Joining Carole and Kat as well as others for a Three on Thursday post.


1.  Having Mon & Tues off this week was wonderful.  But, the downside is getting back to work.  So far yesterday and today have been slamming with no time to breathe.  At one point yesterday I realized I had gotten in to my office at 7:30, it was now 1:30 and I hadn't even found time to go to the bathroom!  Yikes!  the busy days go fast, and I would rather that than slow, boring ones.  But, an opportunity to catch my breath would be nice as well.


2.  I booked my flights for Sisters' Weekend later in October.  So excited.  this year we are meeting up in Daytona Beach.  And I booked my flights for going back to FL (Orlando this time) in early November for a meeting (but I will be booking a massage as well...it won't be ALL work).


3.  Looking forward to vacation in just under 2 weeks.  YAY.  We are doing the camping trip that was supposed to happen back in May.


So, those are my 3 things today.  Going to a lecture this evening that my yoga instructor is giving -- "for women only."  I'm thinking it's going to be a little too new-agey for me, but I really like Maria (my instructor) and want to try to support her when I can.  We shall see....


That's it for now - back to work I need to go!

A Finish (Well, a HO), Some Luxuries, Practicing and a Surprise!

Hello All,


A Tuesday Afternoon and it is back to HOT Phila. weather.  Whew.  Between Fires in the NW, Hurricanes in the Atlantic, Earthquakes in Mexico and weird weather EVERYWHERE, I'm thinking Mother Nature is one pissed off individual (and I can think of several reasons why).  Hoping everyone is safe and having a good week.


That's a pretty long title up there, so let's get with it.  Here is my finish (or in Dee's famous words, my HO):

That's one Nutkin finished and one started.  Yippee!!!  It's a crappy picture, but now that I've figured out how to knit this sock my way, I just love the pattern.  With 80 rows after the cuff and before the heel flap it's longer than I usually make socks and I really like that...I will continue to do that (provided boredom doesn't set in).  And, yes, I'm proud of myself.  I cast off the first sock yesterday morning and cast on the 2nd one last night.  No SSS here!


The luxuries and the practicing go together.  Sunday was Fletcher's birthday.  Some time ago I decided to take this Monday and Tuesday off.  Originally we were going to go away, but we couldn't come up with any place we really wanted to go (and spend money) - especially with leaving for vacation in just under 2 weeks.  So, a little luxury is having a couple of days off with no plans and I told Fletch that really I was practicing for retirement - LOL.  Happy to say that will be no problem (well, at the moment I still have a paycheck...retirement will make a huge difference, I know).


Since we were not away I cooked for the birthday boy.  I made angel hair pasta with mussels and shrimp and a big tossed salad.  So good.  And a pound cake - which fell apart when I took it out of the pan.  Not pretty, but pretty tasty just the same.  Good thing we were not having company.


Yesterday Fletch decided he wanted to go to Cabela's to see if there was anything (else) I could get him for his birthday.  We took back roads which included some detours due to road construction up to Hamburg, PA.  Fletch found a couple of small things and I found a fleece vest for only $17!  Not bad.  The ride was long, but nicer than highway driving (and we didn't have anything else to do anyway).


Today we had absolutely no plans.  I ended up going to a yarn shop in Kimberton called Purls of Wisdom.  I had been there once in the Spring, but didn't have much time and didn't buy anything.  What a lovely shop it is!  Well stocked and friendly people.  And, plenty of "come in and knit" times on different days of the week.  I did not buy myself ANYTHING!!  Shocking I know.  But I did purchase some things that will comprise my give-away for the I Love Fall KAL hosted by Dee and moi (mostly all by Dee, really).  So that is (for now) the surprise.  My question:  Do you want to see what I got for that?  Or should it remain a mystery/surprise?


One last little luxury - a shower at 3 p.m. today.  Normally I would be working.  What a treat to not have to wash my hair after dinner and then wait for it to dry (forever), or to get up early to shower before work.  Little things, I know...but they make me happy.


And, Leslie (my bestest friend for 50+ years) is calling tonight and we're booking our flights for Sisters' Weekend in October.  Life is good (despite the HOT weather).


What are you up to?

Happy Mail

Hi Everyone!


Yesterday brought some happy mail:

The timing could not have been more perfect after a crapola day at work (I love my job, love my bosses, don't so much love some of my co-workers.  Nuff said.).  I was so fortunate to win a drawing that Andi over at My Sister's Knitter held.  Each month Andi features a different and new (to me anyway) indie dyer.  Fabulous stuff.  The variegated yarn is from Dragon Hoard Yarn in the color Peek-A-Boo.  Look at all those colors in it!  And the mini skein of bright green will be perfect for heels and toes.  Of course, I have 4 projects on the needles right now and some Christmas socks to knit for folks, but I'm thinking come January when it is cold outside, this yarn will cheer me right up!


Naturally I could not resist ordering some yarn as well (which came last week):

All these pretties!  The top 3 skeins are from Valerie (FABULOUS Sale!!).  Colors are (left to ight):  Black Dahlia, Leaf Bug and Cosmopolitan.  The bottom 3 skeins I ordered from Simply Sock Yarn (and got a free bag also!).  The skein on the left is Regia - color is camouflage.  The middle skein is from Lang and I can't remember the colorway.  The bottom right is from Blue Moon and the color is Sabertooth Caterpillar.


I was bemoaning the fact that no more packages are due to be delivered...but that is probably a good thing.  I don't know if I mentioned this or not, but Fletch cracked me up the other week by saying he thought he should take up knitting.  My response was WHAT???  His rationale is that if he takes up knitting, he too will be receiving packages in the mail all the time.  LOL.  I should be set for a little while - even if we have a major blizzard and the mail stops for a week or two (never happens).


Anyway, I am back at work and avoiding a certain co-worker.  I will say that one of my bosses complimented me on how I handled that individual yesterday.  There is a slight comfort in knowing that they (bosses) know and understand what I have to put up with on an almost daily basis.  And, you know what?  I'm 64, so it won't be forever (thank God!!).


Hope your week is going well. 

SloMo

Good Morning All,


How was your weekend?  It felt like summer again in our neck of the woods.  Pretty warm and extremely humid.  That put me in slow motion.  I did not get a whole lot accomplished this weekend, but plugged away on several things.


I did walk Saturday afternoon, but it was sticky .  Amazingly the water looked clearer than it has in months - I could actually see to the bottom of the river (it's not all that deep, but usually looks like a muddy mess).


As of yesterday I had turned the heel and started the gusset decreases on my first Nutkin:

I really like the way this pattern looks.


Last night I just blabbed on the phone with a friend (for too long) and baked a coffee cake, so no knitting.  But slow and steady, these socks will get done.


Busy day here.  I've got some paperwork to take care of this morning related to a meeting in October in CA that I am organizing.  Then we have a lunch/employee meeting at Noon which will go on for probably close to two hours.  They are always fun (and delicious!!), but it also means cramming work into a shorter work day.  I'm not complaining though.


Hope everyone's week is off to a great start!

Friday Felines

Hello All,


A beautiful morning here in Eastern PA.  I think it might get warm, but so far it's gorgeous.


Happy to report that Talbot did come home last night.  He can have the cone off when supervised...but today while Colin and Mailing are working, the cone will need to be on.  Meanwhile, the brothers (Talbot and Marcel) have been reunited.

So sweet - Marcel grooming Talbot.  Talbot has to go back to the vet on Saturday to have his sutures removed.


No knitting to show (again).  Had a massage last night, came home and showered and then had a glass of wine, ate some pretzels, talked with a friend on the phone, read a little and went to bed by 9:30 - LOL.  The massage was wonderful, but I was wiped out afterwards.


Lest Tyg feel abandoned by all the recent posts about Talbot, here is the wonderful Tygus (as Colin calls him).

Cute little paws hanging over the picnic table.


Have a wonderful weekend!  Here's hoping mine will involve at least a bit of knitting.

Talbot Update

Good Morning,


Thank you all for the good wishes for Talbot.  He is not home yet...had to spend another night in the kitty hospital.  He still had not eaten anything yesterday and the vet gave him an appetite stimulant.  When Colin & Mailing visited him last night they brought food which he DID eat.  Yay!


The cone is off and Mailing is picking him up after work today  Colin promised to text an update once he is home.  Marcel will be so happy to see Talbot and, I'm sure, Talbot will feel much better at home.

No other news.  Not much knitting has been done (sadly).  Tuesday night I baked cookies and last night sort of got away from me.  By the time I picked up my knitting my eyes were tired.  Tonight I have a massage, but early - at 5:00, so maybe tonight I will be able to turn the heel on my Nutkin sock.


It is overcast and a little dreary out today, but looks like the sun is trying to poke through the clouds.  Rain is forecast for the afternoon and a high of 80 - all of this means humidity back in the picture.


Hope you all are having a good week.  We are almost at Friday!!

Talbot

Good Morning Friends,


Poor Talbot!  He is one of Colin & Mailing's cats -- they rescued two while they were living in Pittsburgh.  Did you read Val's Blog yesterday about Cecil?  Well, sounds like Talbot has been going through the same thing.


The last time he ate any food was Friday and he started vomiting (bile) over the weekend.  Mailing took him to the vet Monday morning.  They did an ultrasound and saw a "foreign object" in his intestine - blocking it all.  They performed surgery, but didn't find the object!  (He might have ended up passing it by that point, I don't have all the details).  They were doing a biopsy on his intestine to make sure there isn't something else going on.  He was resting on a heating pad Monday night.


He is still in the hospital!  They have been giving him an IV drip for fluids (very dehydrated) and want to keep him until he eats (and keeps down) food.  Col and Mailing visited him last night and according to Colin, Talbot's mood is much improved despite having to wear a cone.  Just make things even more shameful, he had to have his belly shaved.


Marcel, Colin & Mailing's other cat, is missing his big brother.  Hoping Talbot can come home today.  Please keep your fingers crossed (and paws) for both Talbot and Cecil that they come through ok.

Just a Few More Pictures

Good Morning!


I couldn't resist showing just a couple more pictures from Grounds for Sculpture.  If you are anywhere near this beautiful place, don't hesitate - go!!


First up, here we (Mailing, me, Fletch) are peeking out from one of the tunnels we walked through:

And here is another one of my favorites.  Look at these characters!! 

Next to these creatures was:

A bubbling cauldron!  The title of these two together is:  "Has Anyone Seen Harry?"  With Fall upon us (it feels like it here), and Halloween around the corner, I couldn't resist showing these.


Finally heard from my brother in Miami who is safe.  Hot and without power, but safe which is what matters.  I have lots of co-workers all over FL, and everyone is ok, thank God.  What a beast of a storm Irma has been.  hopefully the rest of the Fall/Hurricane Season will be calm and peaceful.


Gotta get to work!  Have a good one.

Monday, Monday

Hello All,

 

Thinking of all my relatives and friends in FL and hoping/praying all are safe. 

 

Our weekend was wonderful!  Mine actually started at Noon on Friday (my bosses gave me the afternoon off to get a jump start on a birthday weekend!!).  Saturday we met Colin and Mailing for lunch and then headed over to Grounds for Sculpture.  What an amazing place!  42 acres of beautifully maintained grounds with a ton of sculptures all over the place.  Some are absolutely huge, others are rather small.  We wandered around for 2.5 – 3 hours and did not see everything.  Definitely a place to return.  Here are some of my favorite pictures.

 

Colin & Mailing in front

 

This one was called Breadline - Fletch at the rear of the line

 

Love this one!  that's Fletch standing on the ground in the middle

 

Look at the detail!

 

Sheep!!

Colin settling in for a beer and a game of cards

There were peacocks on the grounds...I liked this albino one.

 

There are so many other great sculptures, but these are some of my favorites.

We didn’t leave the grounds until after 4, and the NJ Sheep & Fiber Festival, although close – 15 or so miles, closed at 5.  So, I did not make it there this year…but I hope to next year.

 

I did manage to get almost to the heel of my first Nutkin sock.

 

 

Only about 6 more rows till I start the heel!

 

Sunday late afternoon found me back on the trail alongside the canal.  There was not as much traffic on the water or trail as I had expected for such a beautiful day.  I did see a lot of turtles basking in the sun.  Here is one granddaddy!!

 

 

Now it is back to work.  Hope everyone has a beautiful week.

TGIF

Good Morning!


Why is it that short work weeks ALWAYS seem so incredibly long?  Oh well, almost at the weekend.  One conference call done and one more to go.  And it's breakfast Friday at work:

We tried a new caterer this week and everything was/is so yummy.  there was also yogurt and granola, some cheeses and meats. 


As I had suspected, no knitting has been done in the past couple of days.  Yoga Wednesday night was a workout and I was exhausted when I got home at 9 p.m.  Last night Colin stopped by for dinner and then we had a fire.  Perfect night for a blaze.  Tyg hung around with us for a bit, but he won't get too close to the fire.


Weekend plans look good.  Tomorrow we are meeting Colin and Mailing for brunch/lunch at a new (to Fletch and me) place called The Butcher and the Barkeep.  The menu looks promising - lol.  Then we are heading to Grounds for Sculpture in New Jersey.  I'm excited about this!  Col and Mailing were there in the summer and loved it and have wanted us to go back with them.  My birthday is Sunday, so Colin suggested we go this weekend.  YAY


It also turns out that the NJ Sheep & Fiber Festival is only about 15 miles from the Grounds for Sculpture.  IF we have time (and that's a big IF), we will stop there on our way home.  I would love to get there to see the sheep (especially), but I honestly don't need more yarn (I want more, but don't need more...yet).  So, we shall see and play it by ear.


The weekend is supposed to be gorgeous, so I'm hoping to get a walk in both mornings.


This guy has been hanging out in a window box at one of our kitchen windows.  He has been here for about 3-4 days now.

Fletch usually hunts for praying mantis egg cases during the fall - it's good to have these critters in your garden.  Last year he didn't find any, so we were happy to see this guy show up here.


And this guy has been hanging around lounging on the cool pavement of our patio.

He feels like he is beginning to bulk up for the winter months (just like me, unfortunately...).


Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend and keeping those in the path of Irma in my thoughts.  May everyone be safe.

Unraveled Wednesday 9-6-17

Good Morning From the Grey Suburbs of Philadelphia!


Yes, we are having a bit of a drizzle this a.m.  And we had some rain last night, but not as bad as had been forecast (though Mailing had hail on her way home from work!!).  And the temps did not drop as much as promised.  Still muggy around these parts.


I did manage to re-cast-on Nutkin Monday (after ripping it all out Sunday), but only got 5 rows of ribbing done.  Last night after dinner I settled in for some knit time.

That's 15 rows of ribbing (much, much better than the folded over cuff).  And I managed to knit another 12 rows after that, so one pattern repeat done (10 rows) and the next started.  I'm happy to say that it is working out well doing the first stitch on each needle as a knit stitch rather than a purl.  It doesn't impact the main pattern and looks fine.  So, Nutkin is reborn as my own version.  I most likely won't get to work on this again until the weekend.


Reading continues.  "The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend" is not what I expected and a bit of a slog for me, but I'm about three-quarters of the way through it, so will push on.


Mid-week already!  I'm heading to yoga tonight since there was no class on Monday and I believe Colin will be over for dinner tomorrow.


Hope everyone is settling back into routine after the long Labor Day weekend!

Happy Labor Day!

Hello All!


Seems I took a few days away from the computer which was very, very nice.  I did read a few blogs on my phone and commented on one or two, but it's kind of a pain commenting using my phone.  What's been going on?


Friday I ended up with an unexpected (and very welcome) day off from work.  I didn't set an alarm, but was up by 7 and after coffee took a nice hour plus walk on the River Trail in Oaks.  It was chilly!!  My phone had registered 48 when I got up and when I walked I could have used a headband covering my ears and mitts on my hands.  Both ears and hands were stinging from the cold!  But it was a gorgeous day and it did warm up a bit (but not too much).  I managed to cast on for Nutkin my choice for the I Love Fall KAL Dee and I are hosting.  Let's face it, Dee is really hosting as I am doing ABSOLUTELY nothing!  (But I will be pulling together a give-away for it.)  More about Nutkin later......


The cool weather also got me in the mood for baking and cooking.  I made a batch of Tomato Jam for Colin and Mailing.  I also baked Tahini Cookies.  So good - a kind of shortbread cookie.  And, Fletch was hankering for a chocolate cake, so I made that too.


I also managed to get a lot of "chores" done - cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, etc.  At least it was good weather for all that - rainy and chilly both Saturday and Sunday.  I actually wore jeans and a flannel shirt, hand knit socks and a jacket on Saturday when I was out and about.  It felt great!


The shawl saw a little time:

It's coming along nicely and is such an easy pattern to memorize.  Really enjoying this one.


This morning I woke up to another gorgeous day.  By 8:15 I was on the River Trail again and walked for about an hour and a quarter (dodging puddles and mud slicks all along the way).  There were a few folks out and about, but not too many and it was just the perfect day for a walk.  I'm glad I got out early as it is warming up and is supposed to hit 80 later on.


Now, as far as Nutkin goes, it is no more!  And no pictures to prove it ever was!  I wasn't too keen on the cuff part, but figured I would give it a try.  No ribbing, but a folded over cuff.  I managed that ok...wasn't thrilled with it, but could live with it.  Last night I had done the first 7-8 rows of the pattern (it's a 10 row pattern repeat) and noticed that I had ENORMOUS ladders.  HA!  The pattern calls for the first (and last) stitch on each needle to be a purl stitch.  I've had issues with this in the past and I now realize that when the first stitch is a purl for some reason I can't tighten up the stitch to prevent ladders.  It looked pretty awful.  So the entire thing was ripped out.  I will cast on later today and start again.  I'll make a ribbed cuff that I prefer and I will not do the first stitch as a purl.  The rest of the pattern is fine and I like the way it looks.  Hopefully a nice picture of the new start for you by tomorrow or Wednesday.


This weekend also saw some reading.  I finished "The Summer Before the War" which was ok, but dragged a bit in places.  I'm a third of the way through another book - "The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend" which is very light reading, but ok.  A couple more books came through on Overdrive including "Magpie Murders" which I'm anxious to start, so I will hurry through Broken Wheel.


I'll leave you with a picture of Tyg from last Thursday night.  We had a fire in the pit and he climbed up the apple tree, then came down and stayed in the crotch of the tree for a little while.

Hope everyone is enjoying a lovely weekend.