Tuesday already?

Good Morning!

Is it Tuesday already?  Is it Spring?  If you read Dee's Blog then you know we had some snow on Sunday.  And wind!  But yesterday the sun was out and it felt like Spring...today, more of the same and it could hit 60!  The wind did do some damage though:

That is known as our "Swing Tree."  It stood (past tense...) next to the start of the trail into our woods.  There was a branch that crossed the entrance to the trail and for years we had a swing hanging from that branch.  Colin spent many happy times swinging high over our boggy area and back into the woods.  Yesterday afternoon Fletch and I noticed that the tree had come down.  Thankfully not all the way because it would have crushed the trellis that Fletch put up recently.  Fletch was able to push the trellis back so that if the tree falls further it will not damage it.  It is going to be a mess to clean up!

So, how was your weekend?  Mine was nice.  I met up with Dee on Saturday at the Farmers' Market (last weekend for it till Spring) and then we went for coffee/knitting/chatting.  We left before we were trapped in Lansdale - lol.  It was the day for their Holiday Parade and they close the streets to traffic.  We escaped in the nick of time.  My Sunday was spent prepping for Monday which was my colonoscopy.  I will say that the prepping has certainly improved...I didn't get sick and was able to keep it all down.  My procedure went well - thank goodness!  It was a weird day after that though.  My history with this procedure is that afterwards I am very lethargic and sleepy, not interested in eating, etc.  Yesterday?  Just the opposite.  Fletch and I went out to eat as soon as I was able to leave the facility.  When we got home I started cooking (the dinner I was making took 4 hours or so to cook) and then proceeded to clean both bathrooms and do 3 loads of laundry.  LOL.  So bizarre after being sedated.  Today I am back at work.

Meanwhile, I was able to get quite a bit of knitting done.

Only a little over half a sock left and my little brother's socks will be finished!  I hope to finish these up this weekend (if not before). 

Thanksgiving I plan to take the Canary Blanket to Colin & Mailing's and spend some time working on that.  Colin wants to watch "The Irishman" (Martin Scorsese's latest) which comes out on Netflix on Thursday - it's 3.5 hours, so plenty of knitting time.

I've made the cranberry/orange relish (my Mom's recipe) and the cranberry chutney (Fletcher's Mom's recipe).  Wednesday I will make two pies.  There will only be six of us for dinner on Thursday - Fletch & me, Colin & Mailing and Mailing's parents.  I'm making a maple pumpkin pie and a pecan pie.  Mailing has the turkey ordered and I'm betting the rest of the meal will be delicious (she makes such a tasty stuffing!!).

Not sure if I will be coming into work tomorrow or not.  The office is closing at 1, so I'd sort of like to not bother...but with being out yesterday, I'll see how it goes.  In case I don't post again this week, wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.  May your holiday be filled with an abundance of good health, much laughter and plenty of love.  Enjoy!  And safe travels to all on the roads/in the air.

Thursday Stuff

Good Morning!

The sun came up this morning like a ball of fire!  And it is bright outside.  Wow - so nice after some grey days.  Another mild one predicted for today and we are actually planning to have a fire tonight after dinner.  Should be lovely.

Speaking of lovely, our work Thanksgiving luncheon was so nice on Tuesday.  Terrain was beautifully decorated - very rustic and gardeny (is that a word?) and the food was fabulous!  They also had a fire pit set up for us outside with the making of smores for after lunch.  It was a very mild day, but some folks stayed to enjoy that.  I left right after the luncheon was over.  I knew it would be a trek to get home (and it was - traffic was so heavy), but still I was home by 3 which was so nice.  Fletch was at a doctor's appointment, so I took a quick 45 minute nap and got up just as Fletch came home (and he is now scheduled for his 2nd cataract surgery in late January!!).

The George Winston concert we went to Tuesday night was so good.  I didn't know it, but he also plays the guitar and the harmonica.  But mainly the piano.  I kept thinking how much Fletcher's Mom would have enjoyed the concert (she played the piano and gave piano lessons to neighborhood kids for years).  He played for an hour, took about a 15 minute intermission and then played for another hour.  One of the things I enjoyed about the concert was that he spoke about each piece and who/what had influenced him. 

The venue - The Sellersville Theatre - is a small, intimate theatre (only around 325 seats or so) and there were not too many empty seats.  It was a late night for me as we didn't get home till almost 11, but so nice.  Fletch really enjoyed it which made me happy since I had gotten the tickets as a birthday present for him back in September!

I managed to get a little (very little) knitting done on my brother's sock:

It's coming along nicely and I'm enjoying the yarn and the pattern.  It came to work with me today, so I'm hoping to get a bit more accomplished at lunch.

How is your week going?

The Next Sock

Good Morning!

I'm happy to write that the sun is OUT this morning.  It came up like a giant red beach ball and now it is shining brightly.  It is actually supposed to get up to 55 or so today.  I guess our crazy roller coaster weather is just going to continue.

Last night I was able to get a start on my little brother's socks for Christmas.

The ribbing (15 rows) of the cuff is finished.  The yarn is Lorna's Laces and the colorway is "Baltic Sea."  It is knitting up kind of muddy/grey, but looking at the cake, you can see there are browns, blues and greens in it.  I may need to add a bit of a pop of color at the heel and/or toe.  I plan to use the pattern Petty Harbour (free on Ravelry) which I have knit before.  It's a simple pattern (4 row repeat) that is easy to memorize.  Hopefully that means I can get this pair of socks finished in time to mail to CO for Christmas.

This will be a short day at work.  Our Thanksgiving luncheon is in Glen Mills at Noon which means leaving the office around 11 a.m.  And...if tradition holds, Bobby will just tell everyone to go home after the lunch.  That works for me - perhaps I can catch a quick nap since Fletch and I are going to the George Winston concert tonight.

With that, I guess I'd best get going on what I need/want to accomplish today.  Hope everyone's Tuesday is shaping up well.

Monday Again

Good morning!

Geesh it is a bleak looking morning out there.  So overcast, damp, so November!  Now, this is the kind of day I can really enjoy IF I am home...but instead I'm at work.  However, I just got word that my 10 a.m. conference call has been cancelled...so that's a nice thing!

How was your weekend?  Mine was nice.  I met up with Dee on Saturday for coffee, knitting and then a bit of lunch.  Always a fun time.  Otherwise the weekend was filled with the normal:  laundry, groceries,  cooking.  I did head over to Marshall's on Sunday - I need a new pair of jeans.  It looked like Black Friday!  I could hardly move in the store.  Way too many people.  The only thing I found was a pair of fleece leggings which I love for the winter.  The jeans were pretty slim pickings.

I did finish my SIL's second sock last night.  Woo-Hoo

So pretty and so confetti-like.  Next up, socks for my brother.  Hopefully I can start those at lunch today.

We watched the first episode in the new season of The Crown last night.  I really like Olivia Coleman, but it will take a bit of time to adjust to her in the role.  Also, somehow, our Netflix was set to be in Spanish!  Don't ask me how, but it took a bit of time to get back to English. 

Still in a bit of a reading slump, but this morning I received notice that the latest Louise Penny ("A Better Man") is in my queue...excited to start that tonight.  That should bring me out of my slump for sure.

Here's to a great week for everyone!

Unraveled Wednesday 11/13/19

Good Morning!

How did it get to be mid-November already?  It suddenly dawned on me yesterday that Thanksgiving is only 2 weeks away and then Christmas comes quickly after that (4 more weeks).

Next Tuesday is our Thanksgiving luncheon at work.  This year we are having it at Terrain in Glen Mills.  I've eaten there before and the food is so good and the ambiance is wonderful.  It also happens to be a great store for housewares, plants, etc.  Started by the same folks who started Anthropologie.  I know they will tell us to go home after lunch which is great because Fletch and I have tickets for a George Winston concert that night.  I'm really looking forward to that.

But meanwhile, TIME is getting away from me!

Luckily there has been no unraveling.  Unfortunately there has not been much knitting.

Can anyone spot the difference from my post the other day?  I didn't think so.  Exactly 4 more rows have been knit (this morning over coffee) which puts me to the point of starting the heel flap.  I brought this project to work today, but am not positive I'll be able to "take" a lunch break and work on it.  It's a busy day (again).  But still, progress which is good (albeit slow).

The snow ended up missing us yesterday, but oh mama it is Bitter COLD this morning - about 21 on my drive into work.  Thank God for cars that heat up quickly and seat warmers!!

Linking up with Kat for Unraveled Wednesday.  If you haven't already stopped by her post, go take a look!

Hope your week is going well.

Running Behind a Bit 11-11-19

Well Hi!

As the title states, I'm a bit behind today.  And this will be a quick post.  First up, this is what I saw early this a.m.

A gorgeous sunrise.  My phone didn't really properly capture the brilliance, but you can get the idea.

After that, I headed to the dermatologist.  Ever since I had a basil cell removed a number of years ago...then lost half my nose to basil cell cancer about 5 years ago, I get checked (full body) every 6 months.  Yay for nothing found to be cut out today!!

Then I headed to work, and it has been a busy day.  It is almost time for me to leave which is a happy thought.

So what has been going on?  Friday, as my phone sat on my desk at work, suddenly ALL my contacts disappeared.  Yup - no phone numbers, no email addresses.  What a PITA.  I've no idea what or how that happened, but it did.  I'm slowly adding contacts as I have time.

Very little knitting was done over the weekend.  Nothing on the Canary Blanket!  And just a few rows on the 2nd sock for my SIL:

I think the leg is about half way finished, so hopefully not too long before I turn the heel and start down the foot.

My table is messy (folders, books, papers, etc.), but Fletch picked a Winter Berry branch and some wild cherries.  I love the way they look with the little tray in front with gourds and pine cones.

We had some friends/neighbors over on Saturday for dinner and Denise brought dessert.  She made a very dense apple cake - sort of like a Boston brown bread density.  Very tasty and to go on top she made pumpkin mousse.  Oh my!  I know not everyone is a fan of pumpkin flavor, but this was so light and airy and simply delicious.  I've been tempted to eat the leftovers straight out of the frig with a spoon - no need for a bowl or anything (but I have resisted).

Oh and we went to a new grocery store yesterday which was fun but it took forever because we didn't know our way around the store and we HAD to look at EVERYTHING.

OK - snow is in the forecast for tomorrow (and rain) and then Wednesday the high is supposed to only be in the low 30's.  I wore my Sigla sweater last Friday and I may need to pull that out again!

Gotta run - hope your week is off to a great start.

Unraveled Wednesday 11-6-19

Good Morning All,

On this Unraveled Wednesday I bring you a HO finish and the start of the second sock (no second sock syndrome allowed!! - especially when these will be a Christmas gift).

I did not finish the sock at lunch yesterday (I did a Trader Joe's run instead), but managed to finish it after dinner last night and promptly cast on for #2.  I was able to get 10 rows of ribbing finished (Sock #1 has 15 rows of ribbing at the cuff) and  am hoping to add to that at lunch today.  The above picture is more true to the colors in the yarn than the picture I posted yesterday.  I still think of confetti when I look at this sock and the yarn.  It's fun!

My reading slump seems to be continuing.  I'm sure it will change and I am waiting for some good (I think/hope) books to come through on Overdrive.  I picked up Island by Alistair MacLeod again.  The writing is so good, but the stories are SO bleak that I can't read much of it at once.

Today my main thing is to enroll for benefits for the coming year.  Yup, it's open enrollment time (and it is NOT passive - you have to enroll each year or you lose your benefits) when we get to find out how much MORE our health insurance will cost.  Crazy expensive...but even crazier expensive if you don't have insurance.

Linking up with Kat on this Unraveled Wednesday.  Head on over to find out what others are making and reading.  It's a great place to be tempted with other projects and a great place to hear about books.

Success???

Good Morning All,

It's a beautiful morning here in Eastern PA and I was the first person in line at my voting place!  Let me tell you, the new paper ballots we have to use are a PITA.  What a SLOW process.  You have to color in all the circles (just like a test in high school) and then you feed your ballot into a machine where it is scanned.  My ballot was spit out by the machine the first time and landed on the floor!  I'm not sure why we switched from the machines to a paper ballot...does anyone know?  Maybe Kat will have the answer - I know she is working the polls in Pittsburgh today.

Anyhoo....Dee had suggested I try dragging and dropping pictures into the blog, but I could not get that to work at all.  Araignee commented yesterday that by switching to HTML mode she was able to add pictures.

Look Ma, it worked!!!  That's the sock picture I tried to add to yesterday's post.  Sadly it hasn't changed one row.  I never was able to knit last night.  Maybe I can finish it up and Kitchener it at lunch.  This picture is much lighter than the colors are in real life.  There is a strong red, blues, etc.  This looks more yellow and pinky to me.  Either way it's pretty!

Yesterday ended up being a very busy day for moi.  But a good one.  The lunch out was nice - we were celebrating Sheryl's (Bobby's assistant) 60th birthday.  There were just 8 of us for lunch at a local restaurant, and it was very good.  I did have my review later in the day which went well, but then a flurry of e-mails came through that I needed to attend to and I ended up leaving work much later than I normally do...and I needed to stop for wine on the way home.  This is why:

My words of wisdom, thanks to Fletch who saw this in some publication and cut it out for me.  It's true!!

Both Fletch and I are slowly feeling better.  Fletch is not as raspy sounding, though he is still coughing a lot.  I am still sleeping so much!  Nine hours straight through last night (which is why no knitting was accomplished...and no reading either!).

Hope you are all doing well.  Please remember to VOTE.  Yes, it's an off-year election, but still important.

A Crisp Start!

Quite a bit of a chilly start this a.m. (30 degrees).  The seat warmer in my car was very welcome on my commute into the office today.  I know many struggle with the time change, but I am so glad to not have it be pitch dark on my drive into work.  And, at least for a few weeks, it should still be light on my way home.

I ended up with some kind of *bug* on Friday.  I left work before 11 a.m., slept for 3 hours that afternoon and then was back in bed by 8 p.m. Friday night and slept about 12 hours!  Not sure what was going on, but glad it is over.  Fletch is still battling something and we are both having either allergies or cold symptoms.

Thank you all for your encouraging words about fixing the Canary Blanket.  I’m glad to say I accomplished that over the weekend and even knit a few more rows.  The fix was easy just as you all had said it would be and now I know how to do it!  I also managed to get a bit more done on my SIL’s sock:

Well, I still can't add pictures no matter how I try.😭

I’ve started the toe decreases and should finish that tonight, Kitchener it up and start #2.  The color above (if the picture would have been added...) is different from IRL.  This looks much pinker.  Either way it is pretty yarn though.  After that it will be socks for my brother (yarn and pattern already chosen).

Today is a little busy.  I have a conference call at 10 a.m., then a luncheon off site at Noon followed by my annual review around 2:30.

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