Staying True To My Words!

Well Hello There!

As predicted yesterday, I was able to knit at lunch time and actually got through the first 5 rows or so of the toe decrease on the last Barn Owl sock.  And I did finish it up last night.  Voila!

They look less yellow-ish on Fletcher's feet.  And, of course, after telling me how wonderful they felt the other night, last night he thought they might be a little snug.  I can show him snug and it ain't these socks!  LOL.  He should just think of it as me giving his feet a hug.  I'm so happy with the way they turned out.  The yarn was great to knit and I will definitely be ordering more Sheep's Clothing Yarn (still eyeing the "Fox" colorway).

I was talking with Dee (well, emailing) wondering what I would start next.  Of course, socks, but what color?  Dee thought green would be a good choice with St. Patrick's Day on the horizon.  I did not think I had any green yarn (which I can remedy at the Allentown Fiber Festival in early April) and I don't have any "Kelly" green yarn.  But, I did find a skein that I had completely forgotten about (how could that be??).  A lovely skein of House Cat that I bought from Wandering Cat before Val and her Mom decided to get out of the yarn business.  So last night saw the beginning of a new pair of socks:

The colorway is "Leaf Bug" which is just the perfect name for this skein.  I love it!  The pattern I have started is Miss Lemon (freebie on Ravelry) but I will call them Miss Lime...or Miss Lemon-Lime.  I'm curious to see how they go since there is no ribbing/cuff.  You knit one set-up row and then go right into the leg pattern (which is a 4 row repeat).  I completed two repeats and hope to get more done at lunch today.

Also as predicted, our temps have dropped and the winds have picked up.  It is still above freezing, but I saw plenty of snow to the West of us (looking at you Kat).  I took some home-made lentil soup out of the freezer for dinner and since Colin will be joining us, I'm hoping he will make his "Big Daddy Biscuits" to go with the soup.

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Unraveled Wednesday 02/26/20

Hello and Good Morning!

Another moist day here and quite grey.  But mild.  This is the second day this week that I have not worn a coat to work!  It's February folks!  I think today might be our last mild day for a little bit though.  The forecast promises more seasonable temps beginning tomorrow (and sun!!).

This week has seen a lot of progress on the second Barn Owl Sock.

Nearing the toe decreases!  This picture was taken last night.  This morning, thanks to Tyg, I was up a bit earlier than usual, so while I let my hair air dry and sipped some coffee, I knit another 7 rows.  I'm hoping to get to the toe decreases over lunch time and then (maybe??) finish this sock up tonight!  For some reason, the second sock of a pair always knits up fast for me - much faster than the first every single time!

The Odyssey Shawl has not seen any attention since the weekend.

There are only 7 more rows till the bind off, but as I mentioned previously, I will probably add some rows so that the lightest color in the yarn will show up in the shawl.  My plan/hope is to get this finished over the weekend...and then soaked and pulled out on the blocking pads.  I need to find a good place to do that (meaning where Tyg will not disturb...). This is a great pattern - I highly recommend it.

There are some very good books on my reading front.  I just finished When Women Were Birds and what a pleasure that book was!  On my night stand I have "Olive Kitteridge" (which I read when it first came out, but want to re-read) and "Olive, Again."  Anxious to get going on those, but of course two books came through on Overdrive, so I've started reading The Gown which, so far, I'm enjoying (about 1/4 of the way finished).  Yesterday I received notice that Girl, Woman, Other was available, so that is now downloaded.  It is SO good to be enjoying reading again.

Have any of you read Margaret Renkl's book "Late Migrations?"  If not, I do highly recommend.  She also often has op-ed pieces in the NY Times.  I read this one yesterday and it is so good.  My favorite line is:  "I would love to give up the President for Lent."  Wouldn't we all?

I heard on the radio driving in this morning that we are just 3 weeks from the Vernal Equinox!  Spring is right around the corner.  And we turn the clocks forward in another week!  I received an email at work yesterday letting us know that our office will close at Noon on Friday, March 6th so we can all get an early jump on the Daylight Savings weekend!!  What a crazy reason to close an office early, but I'm not going to say no!

OK, time for me to get rolling with work.  I'm having password issues getting into financial and labor reports that I need, so I've got to round up someone in IT to assist.  Linking up with Kat for Unraveled Wednesday.  Want to read about what others are making and reading?  Head on over to her blog.

One Little Word

Good Morning!


Hard to believe that it is the last Tuesday in February.  And Happy Mardi Gras by the way.  I forgot to wear beads today.


I missed posting about my One Little Word at the end of January, but this time I remembered.  My OLW for 2020 is:





Naturally, I think of it in terms of food (because, well, I love food - love to eat, love to cook), but there are so many other ways to  nourish ourselves whether it be through education, physical activity, relationships, self care, etc.


All my life I have been an avid reader.  As a child one of my favorite places to go was the library.  My best friend, Leslie, and I would spend hours together reading.  (We used to set up lots of snacks and beverages.)  But late last year I went into a reading slump and couldn't find anything that really appealed to me.  So many books just seemed "meh" to me.  Fortunately I believe that spell has ended.  I think my reading tastes have somewhat altered as well.  I've been reading more poetry and essays this year and find that they are what I crave.  I'm happy that books are once again providing nourishment to moi.


Just about a year ago I made a huge change in my life.  I started smoking in my mid-teens and last March (31st) I stopped!  It was much easier than I imagined and though there are still a few times when I miss it, 98% of the time I never even think about it!  I think I miss the ritual more than the actual smoking (which had begun to annoy me).  I don't feel any different - no more energy, no less coughing (in fact my sinuses are worse!!).  But, I'm happy to be nourishing my lungs and body with fresh air.  (My wallet is a bit happy too - more yarn!!)


My focus now is on food.  I'm moving to a more plant-based diet.  I'm not interested in becoming vegetarian or vegan, but I do want to lose weight and get in shape.  We have always had a healthy diet with lots of fresh produce, but as I've increased in age (ha!) the weight has come on.  Probably a combination of things, but some change has been needed.  Next week I'm meeting with a nutritionist.  I'm pretty knowledgeable about what foods are "good" for you and what ones are "bad," but I'm hoping she can provide me with some tips and tricks that will help me on my journey to becoming a healthier person.


Finally - on the self-care end of things, I am booking a massage for next Saturday or Sunday.  I have not had one since the Fall and I need one (physically and mentally).


And that's a wrap for me!  Linking up with Honore for our OLW discussions.

Laissez les bons temps rouler

Weekending

Good Morning!

The sun is up and shining brightly in Eastern PA and wow!  What a gorgeous weekend we had.  Even though my car was a little frosty this morning, it is supposed to get up to 60 again today.  I'm loving this Spring-like weather even though it is weird for February.  So, here was my wonderful weekend:

This was Friday at lunch time.  The first Barn Owl sock was completed (and even the ends woven in!!).  Happy to have that one finished.  It does look like a giant foot and a twig leg - lol.

Saturday morning I had an appointment with our tax person.  Luckily this was a positive experience - lol.  After that I headed over to Broad Street Grind and met up with Dee.  Barn Owl #2 is on the way!

This (sort of) proves that Dee and I actually DO knit a little bit when we get together.  We also do lunch sometimes.

My avocado toast was wonderful.  It was sourdough bread toasted with a very thin bit of cheese on it.  Then there was a bit of quinoa salad with apples, slices of avocado and some frisee lettuce.  Not pictured were some yummy fries that came with it.  Lunch was at Northbound which is in the old Souderton train station.

Fletch and I did some errands in the afternoon and the evening was quiet.  Sunday morning as I was starting to fix breakfast I looked out the window and saw this guy:

A pretty Downy Woodpecker at our suet feeder.  The round barrel thing by the garden in the background is our compost bin (which needs to be replaced).  We went grocery shopping (and spent way too much $$) and then I decided to take a walk in the afternoon since it was so gorgeous.

I headed over to one of my favorite trails, the River Walk in Valley Forge Park.  There were a bunch of people on the trail, but it wasn't crowded.  I actually saw a couple of runners in tank tops and shorts!  In February!!  (It was warm, but not THAT warm)  It was warm enough that I would not have been surprised to see a snake, but thank God I did not.  LOL  I probably walked about 2 miles.  I purposefully kept it short because Fletch and I had plans for a little later.

Finally!  We had not done any archery in such a long time.  The Fall was so wet and then it got really cold.  But yesterday was perfect.  It was a lot of fun.  We both shot about 18 arrows and that was enough for the first time out in a long time.    We always make sure Tyg is inside when we do archery - no guarantee where our arrows will fly - HA!  But yesterday there were no worries.

He was curled up on a kitchen chair sleeping peacefully.  He had been outside all night and was exhausted!!

All in all, a wonderful weekend.  I only wish I didn't have to come into work today.  I would love to take a longer walk along the river and maybe shoot a few more arrows.  Instead I'm at my desk...but the 2nd Barn Owl sock traveled to work with me and I hope to knit on that at lunch time.  I'm almost finished the leg and ready to start the heel flap!

Friday Finally!

Good Morning and TGIF!

We are finally back to winter temps (18 on my drive in to work), but I think it is supposed to be back up in the 50's over the weekend.

Yesterday afternoon when I got home there were about 8 deer in our neighbor's yard.  Some migrated over to our yard and I snapped a picture through the kitchen window.

They got spooked and ran off when our neighbor pulled in his driveway.

The Barn Owl sock received some attention at lunch the other day and I am now up to the toe decreases.

The plan is to finish this at lunch today - including weaving in the ends and maybe/hopefully casting on for sock #2.  Fletch tried this one on last night and said:  "this feels really nice!" - YAY!!  And, the fit was good...I knit a few more rows and then started the toe decreases.

Tomorrow I have an appointment in the morning for taxes but then I am meeting up with Dee for coffee, knitting, chattering and perhaps a bit of lunch somewhere.  That should take care of any sting from the tax appointment!

Today should be relatively easy at work.  I have a conference call at 10, and that's all I've got on my calendar. 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Unraveled Wednesday 02/19/20

Good Morning!

The sun is out in Eastern PA.  It's a bit chillier which is ok (it is February, not May), but just so nice to see sunshine and shadows.

I discovered after I posted on Monday that not all comments are coming through to my e-mail.  I've always received comments that way which, of course, makes it easy to respond to those who comment.  I have not been in the habit of going back to my blog to read comments, but now I will be doing that.  It means a lot to me to have people read and comment and I like to acknowledge that.  But, if you comment and don't hear back from me it's just that I haven't gone back to the blog yet to see comments.

No strong knitting updates for you on this Unraveled Wednesday.  I've made some progress on both the sock and the shawl, but it is not all that noticeable!

My shawl holder was still in bed when I snapped the above picture this morning.  I am on the final section (and it is lace) of the Odyssey Shawl by Joji Locatelli.  I've completed 4 of the last 13 rows before bind off.  I may add a few rows depending on how it works out.  I definitely want the lighter color in this shawl.  You can't see it, but my life line is still in place (moving slowly up each time I complete 3-5 rows).

Yesterday at lunch I managed to finish the Eye of the Partridge heel flap and turned the heel on the Barn Owl sock.  I've picked up the gusset stitches and am now working down the foot.

On the book front, I've been reading Bird Brains which you can see on the table above.  This book is so interesting and the photography is wonderful.  It is all about corvids, and I really do love crows (actually all birds).  I'm taking my time with it and just enjoying.

I've gotten back in the habit of cooking something (or several things) new each week.  Sunday I made the Rosemary, Garlic, White Bean Soup I mentioned on Monday.  Last night I made a Harissa Salmon dish that turned out so well.

Harissa is a North African chili past or sauce.  We had never had it and were curious about the spiciness of it.  Not all that hot, but very tasty.  The dish was basically new potatoes, chick peas, green olives, bell pepper, red onion all tossed with EVOO and salt & pepper and then roasted at 350 for about 30 minutes.  Then you put the salmon fillets on top and brush the Harissa sauce on them.  Pop it all back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes.  Then sprinkle pomegranate seeds, fresh mint and lemon slices on the salmon.  It was delicious and I will definitely make it again.

One last thing before I get to work.  I stumbled across this article this morning about Fair Isle.  Love all the pictures of the sweaters (jumpers!) and vests.  Also really liked the fact that some of the same folks were photographed in 1970 and then again today.  And, the last picture - the girls' coats and muffs and the little boy's Tam.  Enjoy!!

Linking up with Kat for Unraveled Wednesday.  Head on over to her blog to see what others are making and reading.

Monday Already?

Hello!

So far on this Monday morning I've just been trying to figure out where the weekend went.  At least the roads were quiet and the parking lot at work fairly empty (yes, my company is one of the few that is not closed for President's Day).

Once again our friends Carol and Gregg did not come up on Saturday.  This time Carol came down with the flu.  A good reason for them not to come, but still disappointing for us.  It has been about 2 years since we have seen them!

Fletch and I ran some errands both Saturday and Sunday and I did manage to get a 40 minute walk in along the River Trail in Valley Forge Park yesterday.  The trail was muddy and crowded!  Lots of runners, lots of dogs (and those walking the dogs), and some folks on bikes.  I also did a bit of cooking over the weekend:  home-made pizza on Friday, New Orleans style BBQ shrimp on Saturday and a new recipe for Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup that I made yesterday.  Everything was good.

Colin and Mailing were in the area on Saturday and stopped by to bring us a little something:

Is that not the cutest planter?  They were at a home show and a local shop (Floral & Hardy - love that name) were there with a "Succulent Bar" (which they also have at their shop).  So the kids made this for Fletch & me.  The plants don't really show up all that well, but they are so cute.  If you click to enlarge, you can seem them a little bit more.  Interestingly they were told the best way to water it is with crushed ice - the ice is slow to melt which the plants prefer.

Almost no knitting was accomplished all weekend!  What??  The Barn Owl sock is still where it was at the end of last week - it never saw the light of day this weekend.  I might have knit a few rows on the Odyssey shawl, but honestly it looks the same, so no picture.  The poor Canary Blanket has not had any attention for a few weeks.  (I got scared when I over-did it the last time and my arms hurt for several days.  I need to just pull it out and do 5-10 rows at a time.)

So that's it.  The weekend got away from me and I honestly don't know where it went!  I hope everyone had a good one and that your week is off to a great start.  The sun is out for us (of course, rain is in the forecast for tomorrow...again...).

Happy Valentine's Day!

Good Morning!  Happy Valentine's Day!!

My morning is busy with two conference calls, but we are having a catered Valentine's Day lunch at work💘 and I'm planning on an early dismissal (fingers crossed I can make that happen).  Fletch and I don't have plans - we typically don't go out on Valentine's Day as restaurants are crowded (and often over-priced).  Instead we will be making pizza for dinner and opening a bottle of prosecco.  Yum!

I think that tomorrow is finally the day our friends Carol & Gregg will be driving up from Maryland to celebrate Christmas and Carol's birthday.  Good thing - Tyg has been trying to get into the gift bags - lol.

Speaking of the beast, he wants to wish you all a Happy Valentines Day and hopes that you get some tuna or salmon.

He's looking a little grumpy there, but in reality he was just waiting to take a swat at me or Colin (whomever was closer).

Colin did come over for dinner last night and brought us a Valentine card as well as a chocolate raspberry cake for dessert which was SO good!!  Col has a habit of picking up fruit from a bowl or plate on the buffet and playing with it - often juggling or just fooling around.  This is what he did last night:

Too silly - fruit cairns!

Time for me to get to work.  Hope you all have Happy Valentines Days and the best weekends - enjoy!!

Unraveled Wednesday 02/12/20

Good Morning!

So far it's a weird day:  1) it is not raining, 2) the sun is out, 3) I am extremely busy at work.  All of it weird!!

Therefore, a rather quick post on this busy Wednesday.  I was able to get through the 2nd lace section on the Odyssey Shawl with no need to rip anything back!  I'm keeping the life line in and sometimes I think just having it prevents any mishaps!  Kind of a Murphy's Law sort of thing:  if I didn't have the life line, you know I'd be making a mess of it - lol.

Fletch does a pretty good job of holding the shawl out!  Last night I managed to put in two rows on the 3rd section before my eyes started to close.  Knitting with closed eyes is not a good idea for me.

And the Barn Owl sock has seen a little love as well.  I'll do  few more rows on the leg before I start the heel.

Gosh I'm loving this yarn - so pretty!  And, bonus:  Fletch likes it too (and these socks will be for him).

On the reading front I picked up When Women Were Birds at the library on Saturday and am halfway through it.  This is a book to savor!  It is just so good.  Thank you Jane for introducing Terry Tempest Williams to me.

OK, I've already been interrupted 3-4 times while typing this short post.  I'd best get back to work.  Linking up with Kat for Unraveled Wednesday.  Head on over to see what others are making and reading.

Monday Rolled Around Again

Hi There,

Another rainy Monday.  In fact it's another rainy week.  All week long!  Oy!

Actually it did not rain over the weekend (much).  But it was windy and cold on Saturday when I met up with Dee.  We had such a nice time (as always).  And lunch was delicious!

I ordered a grain bowl.  It was wonderful.  Farro & barley with veggies and some dried fruit included.  And a few slices of red pear on top.  I was only able to eat 1/3 - 1/2 of it.  So filling.  Reminded me of meals I used to make when I was in college and poor and starving - lol.  My friends and I would cook up a bunch of brown rice and add carrots, celery, onion, etc. 

While Dee and I were at a coffee shop, I worked on the Barn Owl sock for Fletch, but I forgot to take a picture.  The Odyssey shawl saw a little love this weekend too.  I'm about half way through the second lace section and it is going smoothly (fingers crossed it continues that way).  Again, no picture - will try to get one for Unraveled Wednesday.

I'll leave you with a snap of this article that Fletch saw in a magazine.  Have a great week!

Friday Felines

Look at these two cuties!  Colin worked from home yesterday and decided to do laundry.  After taking the duvet cover off, he just threw the duvet on the floor and the cats made a nest.  Do you see Marcel peeking out from under the covers?  T-Bone (Talbot) sprawled on top.  Later in the day they switched positions.

They sure had the right idea.  It was a grey, wet day all day...and all last night and now it is pouring outside!  But the temps are mild - 46 on my ride in this morning.  Believe that is to change this afternoon with winds picking up and temps dropping.  Unfortunately I am not able to burrow into a duvet...instead I'm at work.

Yesterday's knitting at lunch wasn't quite as I had planned.  I decided to work on finishing the cuff of the first Barn Owl sock.  I did two more rows and then noticed a hole several rows down.  I could not find a dropped stitch.  So, I started to tink back...but tinking on DPNs with fingering weight yarn is not a strong point of mine.  Since the cuff wasn't even finished, I just pulled out the needles and unraveled all that I had done.  Last night I was able to cast them back on and knit five rows of ribbing.  Hopefully today's lunch time will go more smoothly.

On a more positive note, Mailing's Ear/Headband fits!

She texted me this picture this morning.  Such a nice pic on such a gloomy day!

Happy weekend everyone - enjoy!!

More Rain

Hello,

I feel as though I may need some snorkeling gear.  We are forecast to get 2-4+ inches of rain today.  Flood watches are out.  It's also chillier than recent days - only in the mid 30's, so not real comfortable out.  It is the perfect day to stay home...but I am at work....

I did, however, manage to start a new pair of socks last night.

Isn't that yarn pretty?  The colorway is Barn Owl and it is from Sheep's Clothing Yarn Co.  A 75/25 blend.  I believe I picked it up at the Allentown yarn festival last year...but it may have been at a LYS that Dee dragged me to (LOL - not a difficult thing to drag me to a LYS).  Anyhoo, it is delightful to knit with (so far - I've managed to do 10 rows of 2x2 ribbing).  This is not the yarn I had in mind, but this jumped out of the stash chest and caught my eye.  I'm planning these for Fletch (hopefully he will like the yarn) and I think I'll just do a K6, P2 pattern on the leg.  There's enough color variation that I don't really want a busy pattern.  This picture gives you a better sense of the yarn - pic is from Sheep's Clothing web site:

This project bag and the shawl have both come to work with me today - I'll probably work on the sock at lunch.  And now I'm prepared for meeting up with Dee on Saturday - an easy knit to work on while we chat and sip coffee!

Unraveled Wednesday 02/05/20

Good Morning!

Another grey, wet day here (what a surprise).  Our forecast is for heavy rain tonight, tomorrow and tomorrow night - as much as 3+ inches.  So, I guess it's good that it is rain and not snow...though a snow day where I could stay home and knit would not be a bad thing.

Speaking of knitting, I was able to finish the knitting on Odyssey up to the 2nd lace section!

You can see the ever so subtle change in color - gradually getting lighter.  I think this is going to be so pretty.  My hope is to take a lunch break today and move the life line up and start the 2nd lace section.  The first few rows are just regular knitting and purling and adding stitch markers - nothing too complicated that I could mess up if someone were to interrupt me.  That's the plan...hopefully it will transpire.

Dee and I have plans to meet on Saturday, so I need to get the next pair of socks ready to go...or even started!  I think I know what yarn I want to use...just need to find it in the stash and then wind it up.  These will be some new socks for Fletch...not in time for Valentine's Day for sure, but hopefully this month!

I've not been reading very much.  Mostly just after dinner with Fletch (we should finish Big Chief Elizabeth tonight and next up will be The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson).  And then I read for a few minutes before falling asleep at night.  Still reading The Trees in my Forest which I'm enjoying.

Even though the weather is pretty crappy, I realized it was very pleasant driving to work today.  It is definitely lighter outside (even though it's overcast) and there is something soothing about a damp morning - looking over fields and into the woods.  A bit foggy in patches and a bit of stillness to the world.  I often see a hawk perched in a tree surveying a field in Valley Forge Park - just waiting for a mouse or vole to appear.  (But this morning he was not out.)

Linking up with Kat for this first Unraveled Wednesday in February.  Head over there to see what others are making and reading.

Trying Some New (to me) Things

Good Morning!

It is grey and wet here (again), but very mild.  When I got home yesterday Fletch had NO heat on in the house!  And, bedroom windows were open last night.  It was good to air out the house a bit.

Yesterday saw a few more rows knit on the shawl, but it looks the same, so no updated pictures to show.  Instead I thought I'd talk (write) about a few new (to us) products we have tried.  Some are good, and one we did not really care for.  First up, food items.

Fletch and I are definitely not vegan or even vegetarian - we love a good steak, or a piece of chicken, definitely bacon!!  But, we do have vegetarian meals on a regular basis.  I will often make stuffed (with spinach, onions, some kind of beans, etc.) portabella mushrooms and recently I made a slow cooker "lentil sloppy joe" mix that was really good!  The other week when Colin and Mailing were over for dinner Fletch grilled the  Beyond Meat Beyond Burgers  and they were delicious!  It did not take long to cook them and there were even some leftovers that Fletch had later and said they were still good.  Colin tried cooking some inside in a skillet after that, but said they really were not good done that way - weird texture, etc.  I'm curious to try the Beyond Meat Ground "Meat" and I believe there is a sausage too.

This past weekend when grocery shopping we bought BBQ Jackfruit and neither one of us cared for that.  It was ok, but not something I'd buy again and Fletch said to not bother saving the leftovers for him.

We've been using our own bags at the grocery store for years and we have mesh bags for produce (that I try to remember to use, not always successfully).  I was thinking about all the plastic in our shampoo bottles and decided to try a shampoo bar (like a soap bar) and even a conditioner bar.  I bought both from Educated Earthling and they arrived recently.  The delivery time was slow and I received an annoying number of emails congratulating me on my purchase, etc., etc., but I do like the product.  The shampoo bar lathered up very quickly and rinsed out of my hair quickly too.  I wasn't sure about the conditioner bar, but honestly my hair didn't seem as tangled when I got out of the shower (and my hair is long...way below my bra strap).  So far I've only used them once - I've discovered one of the benefits of aging is that I no longer need to wash my hair daily.  In this dry winter weather, I can get by with washing it only twice a week!  (I've also discovered that I no longer have to shave my legs daily - yay!!!)

That company (Educated Earthling) has a number of other products I'd like to try - bamboo toothbrushes, solid dish soap (!), bamboo utensils that I want for my lunch sack that comes to work with me.

So that wraps up the consumer report from me today.  Have you tried anything new?  Or any of these products?

Monday Again

Well Hello!

How was your weekend?  Mine was not what I had planned!  Well, first our Super Bowl lunch at work was very nice - pizza, wings, hoagies, snack things, cookies, brownies, etc., etc.  And, the best part was the office closed at 2:30.  Yay!!

But our friends Carol & Gregg did not come up on Saturday.  Gregg has been having back issues recently and they have been getting progressively worse.  Finally they had an appointment for an MRI on Saturday at 11:30.  Apparently he has both a pinched nerve and bulging discs.  Not fun.  I hope he can get some relief pronto!

So, I went over to Colin & Mailing's early Saturday to feed the cats and then later Fletch and I went grocery shopping.  Not an exciting day.  We did (finally) finish watching Season 3 of the Crown.

Sunday we got up and decided to go out to breakfast.  That's always a good move in my book.  When we got home I started cleaning bathrooms, kitchen floor, etc., etc.  It had been a very foggy morning, but by 10:30 the sun was streaming in the bedroom window and I decided to get out and go for a walk.  Ha!  By the time I got to the trail, it was completely overcast and chilly.  I walked anyway for about an hour.  The first half the wind was so biting in my face that my eyes were watering and my nose was running. 

You can see from this picture how grey and uninspiring the day was.  This tree had fallen into the canal fairly recently (and will need to be cleaned up before kayak season!).  I was hoping to see the Great Blue Heron again, but the only wildlife I saw were some ducks.  I did, however, meet a chocolate lab whose name is Fletcher!

Shortly after I got home it actually started snowing!  Just some minor flurries and nothing that stuck to the ground...but chilly!!

The afternoon was spent knitting and I successfully finished up the first lace section of the shawl I'm working on (Odyssey by Joji Locatelli).

Difficult to get a good shot of it.  The top photo is of the shawl on the floor.  The second photo is me attempting to spread it out.  The shots on Ravelry show the lace pattern much better.  this should be very pretty once it is finished, soaked and blocked.  I've also knit the next 6 rows of the 2nd section...only 14 more to go and then the second lace section.  The plain sections are just knitting back and forth - no counting needed, so I've brought it to work (I have yet to pick out yarn for the next pair of socks).

Late in the afternoon on Sunday Fletch discovered Tyg had made a little nest in the guest room!

He wasn't thrilled with being found/disturbed.  Shortly after I took this picture he wandered into the kitchen for a little bit of food and then went out to walk around/survey "his" property.

The kids made it back from CA with no issues - they flew back to Newark (NJ) on the red eye Saturday night - got back home by 7 a.m. Sunday and I think slept all day.  I left Mailing's ear band at their house and am hoping she will send a picture of herself wearing it!

Wishing you all a wonderful week!