Tiny Needle Tuesday 6/30/20

Good Tuesday Morning!

Still no results yet on Mailing's test.  Colin told me yesterday it could take 2-5 business days (I thought it was 2-4 days...not business days).  She is feeling much better - was back to 95% yesterday, so that is good news.

It is pretty hot and humid here in Eastern PA.  I did not go out to walk yesterday.  Work was humming and I was busy (and irritated) all day long.  I've got more to do today, but am hoping to get out at some point.  Other work news:  the opening of my office is now scheduled for August 6th (had been July 13th).  It keeps getting pushed out, which is fine with me.

Meanwhile, it is the last day of June (how did that happen?) and is TNT, or Tiny Needle Tuesday.  Here is what I started after finishing Hallow Eden.

This is another small piece by Blackbird Designs called The Crows at Strawberry Hill.  Fletcher thinks the berry looks more like an acorn and is wondering why the crow has a collar on.  LOL  The liberties of cross stitch designers.  There is a mirror image (well, one hopes it will be a mirror image) of the crow on the other side and a couple of flowers center bottom.  A small border at the bottom and it will be finished.  Small, pincushion size.  I'm using 35 count linen and one strand of floss over two threads (thus, 17.5 stitches to the inch).  The threads I'm using are once again Crescent Colors.  I should finish this up in a couple of days and then I will start the next larger piece I picked out (another Adam & Eve sampler).

We are going to need to get to the grocery store soon.  We are almost out of cat food, we have no lettuce (garden lettuce has all bolted), almost no spinach, low on milk, yogurt, eggs.

I think I mentioned in another post the cat birds that have been pestering/scolding Tyg all the time.  Cat birds have a beautiful song - IF they sing.  Otherwise, they spend time screeching and it gets tiresome to hear.  Fletch and I often sit on the patio in the late afternoon and when we do, Tyg will join us.  The cat birds perch in the apple tree and start an awful racket.  We were tossing tennis balls at them which worked, but Fletch stopped at the Dollar Store and picked up a pack of water pistols.  Since he bought them, the cat birds have stopped their noisy fussing!!  Figures, huh?  But, the pistols are by our chairs ready to be put to use.

In other nature news, our trumpet vine is beginning to open - lots and lots of buds and blooms, so we should be seeing more hummingbirds.  And, our first frog of the season showed up yesterday!

OK, time to pour another cup of coffee and get to work.  Hope your Tuesday is a fine one!

Weekending

Good Morning!

How was your weekend?  Mine was not what I had planned.  Dee and I were supposed to get together for a walk and then some knitting under my apple tree.  But, Thursday night Mailing started running a fever.  So erring on the side of caution Dee and I decided not to get together.  Mailing was tested Friday for Covid, but we don't know the results yet - hopefully today (2-4 days for the results).  Since Fletch and I saw Colin & Mailing 6 days before she ran the fever, we are staying away from everyone.  I had planned to go into the office today, but am staying home instead.  Mailing is feeling better each day, but is still not 100%. 

Friday I did walk along the canal, and looking across the water I saw these day lilies:

Such a profusion!  I love seeing the reflection in the water.

On Saturday I walked a little over 5 miles along the path in Oaks.  And boy was it muggy!  We had rain early in the morning but by 9 it was clear, so I headed out.  There were a number of walkers and a lot of bikers.  I thought this little guy was going to come right for me:

Hard to see in the picture, but this is a young buck with tiny antlers still in velvet.  Tail up and he meant business!  I was in his way and he was not going to stop - lol.  Later a young, spotted fawn broke out of the woods running right towards me.  It had been frightened by two German Shepherd dogs (on leashes) ahead of me.  I'm like a magnet for these deer!

And, speaking of deer, they have managed to do severe damage on our garden!  They have munched bell peppers, jalapeno peppers (!!), tomato plants, etc.  Farmer Fletch has put up screening and wires around everything!  And he went out and got coyote urine to sprinkle around everything.  LOL

So disappointing after everything was doing so well.  And now our garden looks like a prison with wire everywhere!

I did manage to get a little knitting and a little stitching done over the weekend, but no pictures yet.  Not sure what I will be able to do today.  The morning has already been busy work-wise and I have a conference call at 10.  It is also feeling a bit sticky already, so I doubt I will get out for a walk.  Time will tell.

Wishing you all a great week!  I can't believe we are at the end of June!!!

Unraveled Wednesday 6/24/20

Hello and Good Morning!

It's a bit overcast and muggy here.  I need to get into the office this morning, so I'm guessing I will not be walking today.  I did manage to walk yesterday morning (around 9:30).  I walked 3.6 miles on the Oaks path.  Though still warm it was not nearly as bad as it was walking at 1 p.m. the day before.

Knitting is moving along nicely.

That is the Hellebore Hitchhiker with a few more teeth and the start of the Tomfoolery sock (which is reminding me of Tequila Sunrise).

Here's a close up of the sock which isn't great - I think this is one where it is going to need to be spread out on a leg for the pattern to be appreciated.  I'm knitting Cathedral Socks by Jeanie Townsend (free on Ravelry), BUT...I am not doing any purl stitches (except in the cuff).  I always mess up when doing purl stitches and yarn overs so I decided just to skip the purls and simply knit (plus I'm much faster at knitting than purling).  There's a bit of lace and a few cables, both of which I wanted.  Hopefully they will look good once on!

I've also managed to make a few more Granny Squares - no real dent in the needed 75 more (at least) for my blanket, but at least a start.

Yesterday when Fletch went out to water things in the garden he found this under our apple tree:

The sweet beginnings of a little nest.  Not sure why it was abandoned or who it belonged to, but it is fun to see how intricately the grass is woven.

As I mentioned, I've got to go into the office this morning.  Suddenly there is a bunch of stuff that needs to be done TODAY, so I will be busy.  Additionally, I had an e-mail from one of the managers at the Embassy Suites across the street from my office.  They are offering (free) 2 rib eye steaks, seasoning packets, an onion and a few other things.  Their chef will be doing a zoom class Thursday late afternoon.  I'm not doing the zoom class, but I am scheduled to pick up steaks this morning!  The hotel has been going through extensive renovations (badly needed) during the pandemic and now they are trying to drum up business again.

So that's my Wednesday.  I need to get dressed and out of here.  Should be a pretty drive through Valley Forge Park to get to my office.  Hope your week is going well!

Please head over to Kat's to see what others are making!

Tiny Needle Tuesday June 23, 2020

Hello all,

Whew!  Summer is definitely here.  I did go for a walk after lunch yesterday.  Just an hour along the path in Oaks that runs by the Perkiomen Creek and the Schuylkill River.  I was literally dripping when I got back to my car.  And, I noticed last night that my shoulders had gotten a bit sun burned which is a  no-no for me.  I think maybe I should try to get out this morning before the heat of the day. 

The good news is my floss arrived from the second shop I contacted.  I called them last week and the floss arrived yesterday!  So, Hallow Eden is finished:

I really like this piece - just quirky enough for me.  Today I will take the time to go through my stash and decide what to stitch next.

Last night I managed to do both a little knitting (on the Hellebore Hitchhiker) and a little crocheting (another Granny Square is finished).  But my hands felt sticky the entire time...just too hot.

The rooster up the street has been crowing non-stop for the last 20 minutes.  Actually he crows ALL day long.  Fletch and I often hear him when we sit on the patio in the late afternoon before dinner.  Sometimes I think that rooster is like a baby who has his days and nights mixed up.  Other times I think he just likes to hear himself - lol.  And the catbirds that have come back this year are constantly fussing at Tyg when he is outside.  It's enough of a racket to make you think you will lose your mind.

The hibiscus that Fletch picked up the other day is apparently loving being here rather than Lowes!  I just took this picture a few minutes ago from our patio.  Fletch planted it just at the front of our garden.

The picture is a bit blurry, but you can see how LARGE the blooms are and how many more have opened up.  It is a show stopper for sure (and it was only $16!!!).  Hopefully the deer will leave it alone.

That's it for me!  I think I'll go through my stitching stash and pick out my next project.

Le Weekend

Good Morning!

How was your weekend?  Mine was nice.  We started Friday night with a fire over at Colin & Mailing's.  We had to escape in to their sunroom for a short period of time when it started raining, but that didn't last long and the fire was burning even better when we went back outside!  They did cancel (or postpone) their solstice party due to the rainy forecast - they did not want a bunch of people in their house.

I was up early Saturday and by 8 a.m. was out on the path by the canal.  Boy was it muggy!  But there was lots to see.  First up, plenty of animal babies.

There were also sleeping ducks in the middle of the path

By the time I was walking back these 3 characters had finally moved over to the side of the path.

I saw a HUGE group of geese on the canal.

A man and his dog on the other side of the canal were chasing herding all these geese off the lawn and into the water.  Pretty noisy and funny to watch.

All of the wildflowers along the side of the trail are beginning to bloom.  So many different scents and colors.

There were a lot of folks out running, walking, biking.  It was a very pretty (though muggy) morning.

Fletch and I made a Costco run later in the morning and that pretty much wrapped up Saturday.  We watched Episode 1 of Laurel Canyon that evening which was ok.  We both liked Echo in the Canyon better - more music.

We ran separate errands Sunday morning and then did grocery shopping in the afternoon.  Fletch did his errands at Lowes and came home with this beauty:

There must be at least 50 buds on this.  It is absolutely gorgeous!

We had a relaxed dinner of chicken sauteed with sun dried tomatoes, peppers and scallions.  Plus a summer squash casserole.  I made strawberry shortcake, but we were both too full for dessert!  Last night we watched the second (and last) episode of Laurel Canyon and it was much better than the first one.

I did manage to start a new pair of socks with the Tomfoolery yarn, but I'll save that picture for another post.

Now it is back to work!  It is a beautiful morning here and I will try to get out for a walk a bit later.

Tomfoolery!

Happy Friday!

I've almost made it through another work week.  This morning will be rough - 3 conference calls (and I get so bored...but I have to pay attention...and I have to take notes...so no knitting or crocheting or stitching...).  However, I will call it a day by lunch time.

Despite the forecast for rain yesterday, the afternoon brought some blue skies and sunshine.  Not sure that will happen today, but time will tell.  I never got to walk yesterday.  Fletch and I had some running around to do in between my work stuff and before we knew it the day was consumed.

Last night I finally picked out yarn for my next pair of socks and (successfully!!) wound it up:

Isn't that pretty?  The colorway is "Tomfoolery" and it is Shepherd Sock yarn from Lorna's Laces:  80% superwash and 20% nylon.

After caking it up I went through my printed sock patterns but have not yet decided what I will knit.  I'll take a little time this morning to look in my Ravelry library, but even if I don't make up my mind at least I can cast on and do a ribbed cuff.  Maybe once I see how the yarn knits up a pattern idea will come to mind.  I do like how bright and cheerful the yarn is.

No special plans this weekend.  Colin & Mailing have cancelled their Solstice Party plans due to the yucky weather forecast.  Groceries need to be procured and we may make a trip to Costco (haven't been there since February I think!).  I'm kind of looking forward to a lazy weekend - time to read or knit or crochet or stitch or nap or whatever suits my fancy!  Wishing you all the kind of weekend you would like!

Twenty-Five!

Good Morning!

It is grey and damp here.  Looking at our forecast, we are in for at least 3-4 days of rain!  We are supposed to go to Colin's Saturday for a Solstice Party, but I'm betting they cancel due to the rain.  He and Mailing are not yet comfortable with folks hanging around inside their house (which I understand).  Time will tell.

It does not look like I'll be getting out for a walk, but I did yesterday.  This time I walked at Oaks along the Perkiomen Creek down to where it flows into the Schuylkill River.  Damage from that horrible wind storm (Dericho) we had a couple of weeks ago was evident.  Plenty of debris around.  Meanwhile there was a mud puddle along the path and there were scads of tadpoles in it!

I took a brief detour off the trail and walked down the (small) cliff to the water's edge.  There is a little sandbar that I walked out on.  The water was very calm and pretty clear.  When I turned around to climb back up to the path, I saw these tree roots:

So interesting.  I saw a few turtles by the water and heard so many different birds.  I saw some redwing blackbirds and cat birds.

My floss for the sampler still hadn't arrived, so I emailed the shop.  Turns out they are waiting for it to come in - they were out of stock.  But...they had already charged my debit card.  What?  Even Amazon doesn't charge until they ship.  I was not a happy person.  Luckily I located another shop that has it in stock and ordered from them.  Once it arrives, I will cancel my order from the first shop.

Yesterday I worked a bit more on the Hellibore Hitchhiker.  I never did get around to choosing yarn from my stash for the next pair of socks.  But...I did make another Granny Square and now have completed 25!

And from the other direction:

Woo-Hoo!!  I love the way they look together.  This group roughly measures 30" square, so I'm going to need to crochet a bunch more (like at least 75) to make a good size blanket.  I guess getting started on the next 25 will be on my agenda today as well as choosing yarn for the next pair of socks.

First, however, work beckons.  It's Thursday which means I need to run a bunch of financial reports and get them out to the field.  Wishing you all a nice and easy wind down to the week.

Unraveled Wednesday June 17, 2020

Good Morning!

I'm up early this a.m. and there is enough of a chill in the air that I'm wearing a shawl.  I love mornings like this.  Other than the birds, it is quiet outside.  Fletch is still asleep.  Tyg has come in to eat and is back outside.  Best of all there are no new emails in my work in-box!  My hope is for another easy work day with time to knit/stitch/work out/take a walk/etc.

Yesterday I finally managed to get back to the trail along the canal for a nice hour long walk.  There were people out running, walking, biking, but the trail was not crowded at all.  There are still plenty of geese babies getting the lay of the land (and water) and these cute duck babies:

I almost missed them they were so quiet.  No peeps at all.  Then I saw this guy stretching his back legs:

It just cracked me up to see his hind legs stretched out like that.  I did see a Blue Heron flying low over the water, but he/she was too far away to get a good picture.  I watched but never saw where he/she landed.

Wildflowers (and others) are beginning to bloom along the path:

There were some folks on paddle boards and I also saw a two person kayak.  It was a beautiful day and it felt so great to finally take a mid-day walk again.

Yesterday also saw the Hellebore Hitchhiker finally getting some attention.  A couple more teeth were added last night.

Too busy to photograph on that tablecloth, but you get the idea.  The plan is to knit on this some more today as well as pick out yarn for a new pair of socks.  Can't go too long without socks on the needles!

On the reading front I'm about halfway through Wild Game the next "Read With Me" selection.  It's a quick read, but some of it leaves me thinking "Really?"  Some (ok, much) of the behavior is so foreign to me.

Well that wraps it up for me on this early Wednesday morning.  Linking up with Kat for another Unraveled Wednesday.

TNT June 16, 2020

Hello All!

Welcome to Tiny Needle Tuesday where it appears that I have jumped back into stitching with both feet!  I've made quite a bit of progress on Hallow Eden by Plum Street Samplers.  I am waiting (not so patiently) for the thread that I've ordered:  Hickory Sticks by Crescent Colours.  It's the shade used for the alphabet, Adam & Eve's hair (I managed to get half of Eve's hair stitched last night before running out).  I ordered the thread ($2.50 for the skein of thread and $4 shipping!!) last week, so hopefully it will come soon.  The trunk of the tree has some of that color in it and there are still a couple of letters (in addition to the rest of Eve's hair).  But here it tis:

I just love this.  The snake cracks me up (Fletch thinks it looks like a giant fish hook).  The quirkiness of samplers is what I love about them.

Yesterday morning was busy at work, but I managed to get out around Noon.  Stopped at Trader Joe's on my way home and gosh!  That store still has lines to get inside.  I just needed 3 things, so it was a very quick trip and (for once) I did not get distracted and buy 20 things that were not on my list - lol.

I'm home today and am hoping for a quiet day.  I didn't sleep well last night, so there is most likely a nap in my future.  The temps are still mild (53 this morning), but each day is getting a bit warmer.  If it doesn't get too warm, perhaps I'll even take a walk.  I've missed my trails and it would be good to get outside a bit.

It's 6 a.m. in Eastern PA and I can hear a rooster crowing up the street.  Hope everyone's Tuesday goes well - enjoy!

Weekending

Hello and Good Morning!

Monday Morning and back at it.  I'm at the office...hopefully only for a half day or so, but time will tell.  There are more budget meetings this week and I have a conference call at 10 a.m.

Meanwhile, the weekend was wonderful.  I, naturally, didn't take pictures of anything that went on.  First up on Friday afternoon Colin called to see if we wanted to come over for dinner and a fire.  Of course we did!  I brought the makings for a new drink:  a Minty Cucumber Gin Cooler.  Oh my.  2 parts cucumber water (not infused, but mixed in the blender), 1 part mint simple syrup, 1 part fresh lime juice, 2 parts gin.  Mix up and top with seltzer.  So refreshing and delish...plus you are getting veggies - lol.  Colin grilled skirt steaks and we had lettuce wraps with the steak, Spring garlic and scallions.  Also rice and a Chinese cucumber salad.  We never got around to cutting a watermelon for dessert.  We took a nice 30 minute walk after dinner and then sat around a fire until almost 10 p.m.  So relaxing.  They have so much wildlife around their home.  We saw bunnies (so many!!), a fox, a young buck, a hawk and as dusk came on the bats came out.

On Saturday our friends Carol and Gregg finally came up.  We hadn't seen them in almost 2 years (except at a funeral last summer).  I made the same gin drinks and cooked shrimp and scallops for dinner.  That dish also had cherry tomatoes and spinach in it.  We had a French baguette to go with the meal and I had made a pineapple upside down cake for dessert.  I think I gained a few pounds over the weekend.

Our weather has been gorgeous!  The mornings are actually a little on the chilly side - low 50's, but brilliant sunshine.  The days have just warmed up to the low-to-mid-70's.  For me, that is perfect weather.  It will gradually get warmer as this week goes on and the forecast for next Saturday is in the 90's.  We'll be over at Colin & Mailing's again for a solstice party (just a few of us - Mailing's parents and sister, us and Mailing's uncle).

The knitting I had planned to do this weekend did not happen.  I found it easier just to work on some Granny Squares.

I need to see how many I have now.  Close to 25 I think!

OK, time to get busy with work.  Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Tis Friday

Good Morning!

Happy it is Friday and the weekend is upon us.  My Friday will be pleasant.  I'm skipping my standard conference call because I have a doctor's appointment, so that's nice. 

Our friends Carol & Gregg are coming up from Maryland tomorrow for the afternoon and dinner.  Other than last year at Carol's mother's funeral, we have not seen them in over 2 years!  We've made plans many times and then had to cancel for one reason or the other.  We'll be celebrating Christmas (!!) and Carol's birthday (back in January).  The weather looks good and I think we can stay outside even for dinner.  That makes the social distancing so much easier.

Some folks commented after my TNT post that they didn't realize Adam & Eve samplers were a "thing."  They definitely are in the cross stitch world.  I thought I'd show you one that I did some years ago and then some of the (large) A&E patterns I have in my stash.

First up The Evil Serpent:

You can see I did this in 2012.  My eyes were a bit stronger then!  I think the fabric is 40 count.  This is small - roughly 6" x 3".  Love the large birds and all the quirkiness of this one.

In my stash I have "And All Was For An Appil" from the Scarlet Letter.

The sun and moon!  So many stitches in this one - not sure I will ever do it, but I love it.

I also have Paradise Lost by Plum Street Samplers (the same designer of Hallow Eden which I am currently stitching):

All the animals in this are fabulous.

I also have this beauty in my stash:  Permit Me Not to Stray by Heartstring Samplery

I have several others too, but can't remember off hand what the names of them are or who the designers are.

Bottom line - I am not lacking for projects to do - LOL.  When I was going through my stash the other weekend I discovered I still have a lot of 40 count fabric and even 50 count fabric (what was I thinking???).  I may try to use some of the 40 count - not sure I can see well enough to stitch on it (even with magnification).  But I will try.

But today my plan is to work on my Hellebore Hitchhiker a bit - inbetween cleaning and cooking and doctor's appointment.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend - have fun!

Unraveled Wednesday June 10, 2020

Good Morning!

So happy to be HOME today!  The past two days have been fairly intense.  I still have a number of reports to run today, but at least I can do them here at home.  Since I had to go into the office the last couple of weeks I've been noticing a definite pick up in traffic.  I guess more and more folks are back to work.  I really liked going to the office in April when there was virtually no one on the road!

Not much crafting of any kind has taken place since the weekend (hoping to remedy that today).  My Hellebore Hitchhiker hasn't seen any love in days!  I brought it out last night to perhaps make another tooth, but my eyes were just too tired.

Luckily Bonny reminded me that Hitchhikers can be extremely patient!  I had forgotten that, but it's true.

Over the last week I did manage to make two more Granny Squares.

I'm continuing to have fun with these and enjoying the play of different colors.  These two really show how different fingering weight yarn can be.  The square on the right is obviously smaller than the one on the left yet they have the same number of rows in them.  Thin yarn versus thick yarn.

One thing I have been doing is cooking.  Last night I made pesto using some of the garlic scapes from our garden.

Oh my!  So yummy.  We had it on linguini and I added some artichoke quarters and kalamata olives to the dish.  We had this alongside some fish and also roasted cherry tomatoes.  It is supposed to get way too hot today (90+), so dinner will be a cold salad.  I'll get Fletch to pick lettuce from the garden before it gets too hot.

On the reading front I started the next "Read With Us" book:  Wild Game which so far is a fast read.  I read a few chapters last night before falling asleep and I think this one will hold my attention.

Linking up with Kat and her merry band of unravelers (channeling a bit of Ken Kesey this a.m.).

Planning to catch up on blog reading today...and get my work finished before Noon.  Hoping your week is going well so far!

TNT 6/9/20

Good Morning!

Whew!!  Yesterday was such a long day at work.  I had told Fletch I'd be home right after lunch, but before I knew it the time was flying by and it was already after 3 p.m.  So many spreadsheets, my eyes felt like they were crossed.  So I packed stuff up, came home and now I need to go in to the office again today.I had thought I could get a little bit of work done last night too, but I think my brain was too fried.  Instead, Fletch and I sat out by a fire.

It was a beautiful night for a fire.  The temp never got really hot yesterday and by 8:30 or so it had begun to drop.  I had to stand up every once and awhile and rotate so that my backside would feel the warmth of the fire.

Well, on to the stitching for Tiny Needle Tuesday.  After finishing May Basket last week, I went through my stash and picked out a little sampler too work on.  May Basket was small - approximately 3" square.  This new one is slightly bigger - it will end up being about 7" by 7.5".  You may remember that I really love Adam and Eve samplers, so that is what I chose.  It is called "Hallow Eden" by Plum Street Samplers.  Here is a picture of it:

And here is where I am:

I'm using the called-for linen by Lakeside Linens.  The color actually has a little bit of a green cast to it.  I'm using 28 count.  The threads are Crescent Colours (cotton hand dyed).  It's been enjoyable to work on some stitching again.

Tonight I plan to make some home-made pesto using fresh basil, fresh radish greens and garlic scapes that Fletch will pick in the garden today.  YAY for it being scape season!!

Well, almost 6 a.m.  I've got to get moving, dry my hair and get dressed and go to work.  wishing you all a wonderful day - enjoy!

Monday, Monday

Good Morning!

What a great weekend!!!  No rain over the weekend.  Saturday got a little hot and humid, but Sunday was ideal weather.

Friday night we did head over to Colin & Mailing's.  We were able to eat outside and even take a walk after dinner.  It did start raining (again) before we were back to their house, but it wasn't a downpour luckily.  Not only was it nice to see Colin & Mailing again, but we even got to spend a little time with Talbot and Marcel.  Such pretty kitties.

And then Talbot being like a lion - lol

I love the "garter" on Talbot's front leg.  A handsome boy for sure.

Now that Eastern PA is yellow, Dee and I were able to meet up on Saturday.  We were able to sit outside at Abyss Coffee and knit and talk - FINALLY!!!  It was so good to see her again and to feel (somewhat) back to normal.  No hugging, but we did share some yarn with each other.  I managed to knit enough that Saturday evening I finished the second sock for my brother.

I'm happy with the way they turned out.  The yarn is beautiful and though it was a bitch to wind, it was very nice to knit with and the colors in it are fabulous.  The yarn is by Cape May Fiber Co and the colorway is "Janthina" - I had never heard that word/term before, but it fits the color perfectly as it is a genus of a small sea snail.  The pattern at the top of the sock is taken from Gladys (a free pattern on Ravelry).

The weekend also saw some stitching done on a new project (which I plan to show tomorrow) and a little bit of crocheting on some Granny Squares.

Last night Fletch and I watched Echo in the Canyon which we both enjoyed - so many memories with music from The Beach Boys, the Beatles, CSNY, the Mamas & Papas (thus the title of this post), etc.  Echo is available on Netflix.  We also want to see Laurel Canyon but that is only on EPIX which we do not get...but I think we can get a free trial.

Power was finally restored to my office late Saturday night.  There are still a number of roads closed around here due to downed trees and wires.  That storm last Wednesday was something else!  Anyway,  I'm heading in to the office this a.m.  I have a few projects I'm working on and a bunch of stuff I need to print.  I don't plan to stay all day though!

One more picture.  Tyg on the fire pit yesterday (he gets annoyed when I show pictures of Talbot & Marcel and ignore him - LOL).

Hope everyone had a good weekend and here's to a great week ahead of us.

A Friday Finish

Good Morning!

It is a very sticky morning here.  We had more storms last night; fortunately not nearly as severe as on Wednesday.  But the air is thick this morning and rain is forecast for pretty much all day and into the evening.

We have plans to go over to Colin & Mailing's for dinner and were hoping to eat outside and maybe even have a fire...don't think that will be happening.  But, it will be good to see them.  I'm going to make a corn (with left over corn-on-the-cob) and black bean salad to take over and we are just planning to order steak sandwiches and make it an easy meal.

Last night found me fairly restless and I woke up early this morning.  So...what is one to do but work on a crafty project.  And with that, May Basket by Blackbird Designs is finished!

It was a fun project.  I'm not sure of the linen count - it is either 30 or 32 count.  The threads are Sampler Threads by The Gentle Art.  I worked on it a little last night and thought (ha!) I was finished so I stitched my initials and the date.  Then I realized I had forgotten to stitch the center of one of the flowers and then discovered that I had forgotten half of the butterfly!  I'm not sure what's up next - I'll look through my (extensive) stash sometime today and either pick out another small - they are so satisfying to do because they work up quickly - or I will pick out a sampler to start.

My Friday work day has eased up.  Originally I had 3 conference calls this morning, but two of those have been cancelled (at my urging - lol).  Bill and I were both going to go back into the office today to work on budget stuff, but the office is STILL without power!  Our data center and the "bunker" have power thanks to generators, but the balance of the office has none.  An email came out yesterday afternoon saying that PECO (electric company) doesn't expect our power to be restored till late tonight or some time Saturday!  Thankfully Bill called late yesterday afternoon and said let's not bother going in!  YAY!!!

I still have work to do, but at least I don't have to drive into the office.  Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  Enjoy.

Storms!

Good Morning!

Whew!  We had some MAJOR storms roll through here yesterday afternoon.  I mean MAJOR!!!  The sky literally turned black and then the wind started.  I heard later winds were clocked at 89 mph!!  The party canopies set up at the front of our building to protect folks from hawk fallout were completely blown over.  And, we lost power at work.  Our training room where Bill was doing his budget reviews still maintained power.  That one room had been set up initially with a built in generator because that is where our payroll department was when payroll was done here rather than at our parent company in Charlotte.  Anyway, I left around 1:30 when there was still no power and here are two pictures I got pretty close to our office.

Looks to me like tornado damage, but apparently it was a Derecho storm which I had never heard of!

My ride home included a number of detours due to downed trees, downed wires, etc.  This morning some roads are still closed.  Luckily we had no damage at home, but our power was out until 11:30 last night!  The power is still out at my office.  I'm here and Bill has his last day of budget reviews - they will be in the bunker, so they will be fine - lol.  And I can work as long as the battery in my computer holds out!

Gotta run - I have a ton of work to do.  Hope everyone is well.

Unraveled Wednesday June 3, 2020

Hello, Hello!

Welcome to the first Unraveled Wednesday in June.  Linking up with Kat and others to discuss what we are making and what we are reading. 

Last week and this have been busy for me - what with being in the office more than being at home.  It's been weird!  Yesterday many of the people in the office are from NYC.  And, our business is cleaning hospitals, so you can imagine what those folks have been through!  They are so resilient and never say no.  Not one of them refused to go to work due to Covid 19.  They opened the Javits Center as well as many other make-shift facilities.  Amazing work and I am so proud of all of them.

With the long days at the office, I have been tired at night and I have definitely missed my breaks during the day to work out or go for a 4 mile walk.  My office is still not open - now we are looking at a July 13th opening (but that could change again).  I should be able to get back to working from home by next week (and this Friday hopefully).  Today I have folks from TX in and tomorrow it is the CA group.  It is so nice to see my teams again, but weird not to be able to hug anyone, etc.

So, a little bit of knitting has taken place.

This is sock #2 for my brother in Colorado.  I'm about 1/3 of the way down the foot, so I should wrap this one up by the end of the week.  I have not worked on my Hellebore Hitchhiker at all and I haven't made any more Granny Squares.  Hoping to remedy both of those situations at least over the weekend if not before.

On the reading front I just downloaded two books from Overdrive.  I haven't started either, but am looking forward to both.  First up is H is for Hawk which I never read when it first came out.  I thought with my recent hawk watching activities this would be a good book for me.  The second one is Wild Game which is the next "Read With Us" (Kym, Bonny, Carole) choice for our summer read.  I enjoy memoirs a lot, so am looking forward to this.

What are you up to this week?

TNT

Good Morning!

Well, the hawks have fledged.  Yesterday there was only one in the nest and by some time in the afternoon that one was gone too.  Bill said that when he came in he saw one of the adults on top of the building "talking" to the remaining youngster in the nest - probably trying to convince him/her to fly.  I only got one lousy picture yesterday.

I miss the hawks!  It was so fun to watch them.  But, I'm glad it was a successful family and hopefully they will stay in the area.

Believe it or not, I am doing a Tiny Needle Tuesday post!  I've been in the mood to stitch again and so last Friday I finished up Fox Forest!  (And ironically or coincidentally, a fox ran in front of my car this morning as I was driving through Valley Forge Park!)

This piece is supposed to have the entire alphabet on it - all the letters floating all over the piece, but I decided I didn't like that.  Instead I stitched my initials and then 2020.  I like the 2020 which I did over 1 thread - wish I had done the same for my initials (which I did over 2), but I wasn't about to rip them out.

And, I started a new piece.  A small by Blackbird Designs called May Basket.  Here's where I am - close to half finished.

I've stitched a number of smalls.  Usually I just sew some backing fabric to them and stuff them as pin cushions.  I have an old dough bowl that is filled with them.

I'll save my knitting updates for another day.

Meanwhile, there was more rhubarb to harvest and Mailing sent me a link for a rhubarb cordial (Smitten Kitchen).  I got that mixed up last night.

Rhubarb, a little sugar, gin and some orange peel.  It has to sit for about a month and then I can strain it and serve with a splash of soda.  YUM!!!

I have quite a few folks in today for budget meetings...a busy day.  Hope you are all well!