Unraveled Wednesday 3/31/21

 Good Morning and Good Bye to March!

It doesn't seem possible that today is the last day in March and we are a quarter of the way through 2021 already!

Our first vaccination shots went off without a hitch yesterday.  After all my complaining about what a cluster Southeastern PA is/was in reference to scheduling shots, I have to give them an A+ for how things are being run.  We arrived early - like 45 minutes early!  Fletch was all set to wait in the car, but I said I was going up, so he tagged along.  The two police at the entrance told us as long as were scheduled that day, we could go in.  As soon as we walked in there was a guy with an I-pad who took our names and had us verify our birthdates.  Then we got in line which looked like airport security.  There were two lines and they moved right along.  We got our shots, waited the 15 minutes and were on our way home before our scheduled times!  It was great.  So far no reactions for me.  Every once in awhile my arm feels heavy - not sore - just heavy and that's it.  Last night Fletch said his arm was a little sore.  He is still asleep, but I'll find out later how he feels this morning.  Our second dose is set for April 20th.

This Unraveled Wednesday finds me with a new start.  I posted about the finish of my Northern Lights Socks on Monday.  My new start is:

A side note:  My new "Attempted Murder" mug arrived!!  Love it.

The new start is my Beekeeper Socks.  The yarn is from KnitPicks - their Static line and the colorway is Beekeeper.  These will be for Colin since he wants to raise bees.  The pattern is very vanilla-like.  It is just a 2x2 rib for the cuff and then the leg is knit 6, purl 2 around.  This is what I did when I knit Fletcher's Barn Owl socks and he says they are so comfortable and feel great.  Hopefully Colin will feel the same.

On the reading front, I did finish "Clock Dance" by Anne Tyler.  It was ok.  The first half of the book was definitely better than the second half and, like so many of Tyler's books, I find the characters engaged in activities that just don't seem plausible to me.  I also realize that her characters (to me) seem the same from book to book.  I am now reading Gone to Dust which I believe is a mystery Bonny read and recommended.  It is a quick read and I'm enjoying it...will most likely look for another in the series.  Fletch and I are still plowing our way through "Decline and Fall" by Evelyn Waugh which at times is just plain silly.

As usual, I'm linking up with Kat for Unraveled Wednesday.  If you head over there you will find inspiration from others in the making and reading departments.  Have a wonderful day!

Tiny Needle Tuesday March 30, 2021

 Good Morning!

Back to the chilliness this a.m. - 28 degrees which is a bit of a rude awakening after the warmer weather we had last week.

Yesterday ended up being different than I expected.  My boss Bill called shortly after I hit publish for my blog post and it turned out that I ended up going in to the office for a bit.  No big deal...it is only 12 miles away and the drive is a pretty one wandering through Valley Forge Park.  Plus, as I told Fletch, it gives me a chance to check on the hawks.  Sadly I didn't see any hawks, but the sticks are still on top of the light fixture.  No one sitting on them, so no eggs yet.  It was a quick trip in and out - I got to the office at 9 and left before 10:30, so not bad.  I still managed to get the bathrooms cleaned and do some laundry.  Now I need to find new bath rugs for the downstairs bathroom as the toilet bowl cleaner leaked onto the rugs and left a trail bleached out.  LOL

Here we are at another Tiny Needle Tuesday and I'm happy with the progress I made this past week.  I stitched 3 more letters (G, S and H) and...drumroll...stitched the second fir tree!  I love the look of those trees, but geeze, what a PITA to stitch.  LOL

And here is a close up of that fir tree clump:

I think next up will be another creature or two.  Time will tell.  I also need/want to finish the bottom border (fingers still crossed that it will meet up the way it should).

Today is our first vaccination appointment.  Hoping it is not crowded and goes smoothly and quickly.  Fletch has an eye doctor appointment this afternoon, so we will be rushing back home so that he can get to that.  I hope to knit/stitch/read this afternoon...oh, and I guess I will check work email - hahaha.  I am also in search of unsweetened coconut.  All I can find at our grocery stores is the sweetened kind.  I found a new recipe I want to try for Easter:  a Lemon Macaroon Pie!  I may head over to a "natural foods" store later today to see if they have the coconut I need.

Hope your week is going well.  See you tomorrow for Unraveled Wednesday!

March Winds

 Good Morning!

It appears as though March will be going out like a Lion...at least in Southeastern PA.  I was woken in the night by the wind howling and windows rattling!  My goodness what a racket.  Saturday was an absolutely gorgeous day and I even got some more archery in during the afternoon.  We also had a fire in the pit Saturday night - delightful sitting out.  But Sunday we woke to rain and then the winds picked up.  We'll be lucky if our daffodils survive the wind!

How was your weekend?  Ours was nice.  We wrapped up feeding Colin & Mailing's cats on Saturday night.  I think we should have gone over Sunday morning too, but Colin said no need...however, they did not get home from DC until late afternoon...I'm sure those cats were starving!

Over the weekend I managed to get some knitting accomplished and the Northern Lights socks are finished!

I do love the way they turned out.  The yarn is Stroll from KnitPicks and the colorway is Northern Lights.  The pattern is Twinkleberry (a free pattern that is no longer available).  I used Size 1 needle.  These are for a friend in Rhode Island, so into the gift bag/box they will go and one Christmas gift is finished!  I've picked out yarn for the next pair of socks which will be for Colin, but I have not yet caked it up.  Maybe by Unraveled Wednesday.

Nothing much on the agenda today.  Work is quiet so far which is just how I like it!  I doubt that I will walk given the wind, but I will do an inside work out.  Bathrooms need to be cleaned and there is laundry to do.  Even with that, there should be plenty of time for knitting, stitching, reading, whatever.  Should be a nice day.  Hope yours is off to a good start!

Friday Good News!

 Hello All,

Yes!  Finally Fletch and I have confirmed appointments for our first vaccination!!  Woo-Hoo,  We are both scheduled for mid-day next Tuesday, March 30th and then 21 days later we will do it again as we are getting the Pfizer vaccine.  It is a huge relief to finally be scheduled.  We registered with the County and, then, Southeastern PA just seemed to be in a cluster mode...so slow...so we registered with several drug stores and our grocery store, etc., etc.  Never any appointments available.  Yesterday we received the emails from the County with links to set up our appointments.  I'm glad we were able to get them together too.

Yesterday remained foggy pretty much all day and it is still looking a bit foggy this a.m.  Very soon I need to run over to Colin & Mailing's to feed Talbot and Marcel.  I'll open up the sunroom for them - they love being in that room and watching all the activity in their back yard!

Fortunately my 8:30 a.m. call was cancelled.  I still have a call at 10 and another one at 11.  I'm hoping to either walk and/or shoot some archery this afternoon.

A nature photo for this Friday morning.  When my friend Carol came up to visit she brought us a bird feeder that sticks to your window.  We have a number of feeders out back, so Fletch put this new one on my front office window.  For a few weeks we didn't notice any activity, but recently purple finches have been coming to dine (and I've watched them feed each other - so cute!!).

I have a little stool that I use as a foot rest sometimes under that window.  Tyg likes to come in, hop onto the stool and then put his front paws on the window sill.

Time to gulp down my coffee and fix a travel cup for the drive to Colin & Mailing's.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Unraveled Wednesday 3/24/21

 Good Morning!

It's a foggy one here (outside...today my head is not so foggy).  Rain is coming in and it looks like we will have rain all day.  Hopefully not too heavy - Colin & Mailing are driving down to Richmond, VA after work today.  Mailing has to go down for her job and Colin is going along since he can work from anywhere!  They will wind up with a weekend in DC with some friends.  Fletch and I are on cat feeding duty starting tomorrow morning.

As I said, rain is coming in, so I probably will not walk today.  I didn't yesterday either but I managed to get some more archery in (another 25 arrows shot).  It was such a beautiful day yesterday that we had a summer-like dinner.  Fletch grilled wings (half hot and half BBQ) which were delicious and I made a potato-leek salad to go with.  And we had some roasted cherry tomatoes.  Sigh...I do love to eat!

Before I get into Unraveled Wednesday business, let me briefly tell you about yesterday.  The virtual luncheon was nice.  A lot of folks attended - probably 70 or so logged on, but it went without a hitch.  I did not win any prizes but oh boy! the prizes were very nice ($200 Amazon gift cards, $200 Chef-at-Home cards, Apple Watches, I-Pad minis, Bose ear buds, Yeti coolers, Google Nests, X-Boxes, etc., etc.).  Like I said before, Bobby and the company are beyond generous.  Also learned a few nice things:

1. My office, though open if you want to go in any time, will not officially open before September.  And then it will depend on the status of vacinnations as well as the status of schools (since so many I work with have school age children).
2. When we do re-open, no one will be working at the office for more than a few hours at a time.  No more 8-4 or 9-5 or whatever folks used to work.
3. Our office space is much, much larger than we need whenever we do re-open, but we are stuck in our lease until 11/24, so we will not be moving to a smaller location or anything.

All of this was so nice to hear.  I had talked with Bobby previously and he had indicated that this was what he was thinking, but it was nice to hear it announced to everyone!

One other thing:  the Hawks are back!!  Do you remember that last year we had hawks nesting on a light fixture on my office building?  It was so cool to watch the babies grow and finally fledge.  The building and surrounding walkway, etc. were a MESS though - bird poop on the side of the building, on windows, on the walkway, etc.  Property management finally put up a canopy over the entrance!  Anyway, maybe 6-8 weeks ago I had noticed some sticks on the light fixture and then they disappeared.  I figured property management had cleared them out.  Yesterday there were many more sticks on the fixture and the hawk was squawking at me from a nearby tree.  When I got up to my office Bill told me the hawk had buzzed him as he came into the building!  I hope property management lets them be (even if they are a terrible mess).

On to Wednesday business!  Some progress has been made on the 2nd Northern Lights Sock:

Last night I turned the heel and started down the gusset.  It won't be long now!  I think I've already decided (subject to changing my mind, of course) on the next pair I will make.

Still no more progress on the Guernsey Wrap.  Every time I think I will pick it up and knit on it, something else gets in the way.  Oh well!  No rush, no deadline, and it is a good thing to have projects from which to choose.

On the reading front, I did finish Miss Benson's Beetle and I loved it!  I am now engrossed in Clock Dance by Anne Tyler and am enjoying it.  Anne Tyler is one of those authors for me who I sometimes really like and other times her writing just bores me.  Reviews on Clock Dance are mixed, but I like it so far (roughly half way through it).  I also received notice from the library that a book I had been waiting for came in, so I picked it up yesterday on my way home from the office.  Victorian Gothic is not a genre I typically read, but the reviews of This Book have been good, so I will give it a try.  Have any of you read it?

On this Unraveled Wednesday, I am linking up with Kat to talk making and reading.  Head on over to her space to catch up with her and others.

Tiny Needle Tuesday 3/23/21

 Good Morning!

Gosh - yesterday was such a beautiful day!  I did manage to get out in the morning for a walk (just over 3 miles) along the River Trail in Valley Forge.  The Schuylkill River goes alongside the trail.  I only saw a few people (either biking or walking) and no wildlife, but I did hear woodpeckers in the woods.  At one point I spotted this hanging over the river:

At first glance I thought it was some strange kind of nest, but then I saw lots and lots of them.  It's just clumps of leaves that washed together when the water was high.  But so strange that almost all of them are round in appearance.

Work stayed quiet all day and later in the afternoon I got in some archery for the first time this year!

My first two arrows!  I did not continue doing as well...but I shot a total of 25 arrows which I thought was a good start to the season.  Rather than shooting all the arrows at once, I'm shooting 5 and then fetching them.  Since a good portion of them do not hit the target, it's easier for me to stop after 5 and walk up to retrieve them - less likelihood of missing one or just forgetting where one went.  Anyway, it was a lot of fun.  Obviously our target has weathered a bit....

Well, it is Tuesday which means it's time to report on Tiny Needle Progress.  There was a tiny amount of progress this week.  Another motif in the bottom border was stitched.  First a close up and then the overall sampler.

It is coming along.  Just two more motif figures along the bottom edge and I sure do hope it meets up well with the right hand side.  If not...I will fudge...I will not be ripping out - LOL.  There are still some letters to stitch (and I should decide on a color for my initials - I want them to be different than the other letters), also a larger fir tree than the one at the top, a few more leaves and a bunch of creatures.  I'm enjoying seeing this come together and, fortunately, it is still a joy to stitch.

A little later I'll head to the office for a little work and our virtual lunch.  Thanks for the wishes for me to win a prize!  I don't really care - I already received gift cards, a lovely candle (forgot to mention this, but it was in the box with the gift card and golden egg).  Bobby and the company are beyond generous!

One thing I need to work on is planning a meeting for April.  My one boss, Bruce, has decided he is having a meeting for his team in April in Florida.  What???  I told him I would organize it, but I will not be attending.  I have no desire to travel at this time and I think he's nuts to be holding a meeting...but that's my opinion, not his....

Enjoy your day!  Time for me to pour some more coffee and try to wake up.

Monday Fog

 Good Morning!

The "fog" in the title refers to my brain, not the weather.  I'm having a case of the Monday fogginess for sure.  Could be because I heard Tyg on the roof at 2 a.m.!  Went down, opened the patio door and he scrambled down off the roof and into the house.  Then at 6 he came upstairs meowing because he was ready to go back out.  So, I slept ok, but it was interrupted.  Better than no sleep however.

How was your weekend?  It was a pretty one here.  Fletch worked on outside projects - mainly pruning our apple tree.  Portions of it died over the last couple of years, so I'm curious to see how it leafs out this Spring.  

The call that our taxes were ready didn't come until late in the day on Friday, so Saturday I drove up to the office in Souderton to pick them up...and pay our bill.  It was a brilliantly sunny afternoon and just perfect for a drive through some lovely countryside.  I guess a number of people had the same idea about a drive that afternoon as traffic was a bit on the heavy side.  But, mission accomplished.

Sunday dawned even warmer and nicer.  I got some laundry done (and was able to hang it out on the line to dry!!) and Fletch and I did a quick grocery shopping in the morning.  After lunch, without giving myself a chance to feel drowsy, I headed over to the trail alongside the canal.  I was lucky to get a parking space - very crowded, but everyone kept their distance and I had a nice 3+ mile walk.  The ice was gone from the canal and both mud and ice were gone from the trail.  No sign of a blue heron, but I did see a number of turtles basking in the sun.

Love the reflection of the blue sky in the canal.

Today I'm hoping for a quiet morning.  My 10 a.m. conference call has been cancelled.  I want to wash sheets and hang them on the line to dry and I'd like to go for a walk this morning rather than waiting until after lunch.  I'm planning to head over to the River Trail in Valley Forge Park which I have not walked since last Fall!  

Tomorrow I'll be heading to the office.  We are having a "virtual lunch" from 11:30 - 1:00 and I figured I'd just do that from the office.  I have a bunch of things to print and some other things to take care of.  Everyone received a box at home that included gift cards plus an extra gift card from Wawa for lunch and a golden egg with a raffle ticket inside.  I almost never go to Wawa, so will most likely give that card to Colin & Mailing.  So, pretty much it will be like our lunches pre-Covid times, except it will be virtual and you will provide your own lunch.  It will be fun to see how they pull off the raffle for prizes.  As usual, extremely generous even in weird times!

Hope you are having glorious Spring weather where you are - enjoy!!

Friday Felines and Other Miscellaneous Stuff

 Good Morning!

Thankfully it appears as though our rains have stopped.  Yesterday was a washout.  I never got dressed!  I did work and I did some domestic chores, but I stayed in PJ pants and a tee shirt and sweater ALL day.  Today I WILL get dressed.  And, hopefully, I'll receive a call that our taxes are ready to pick up.  Federal and State are e-filed, but local we have to mail.  And, of course, the firm will not e-file for us until we pay their bill.  And, I want to stop at the grocery store for a couple of things - home-made pizza for dinner tonight!

This was the way things looked last night:

Tyg on a messy table keeping me company.  Sock #2 started; spent tulips still in a vase and stuff EVERYWHERE.  A fresh tablecloth is on the agenda for today...along with general kitchen cleaning.  I have a conference call at 10, but that will be a quick one, so I should be able to get my chores done this morning.

I saw this mug on the internet somewhere and I need/want to get it.  I love crows, and this type of humor just appeals to me so much.

If you are looking for something new to watch, Fletch and I saw The Dig the other night and enjoyed it.  We both enjoy archaeology and this is based on a true story.

We don't have any plans for the weekend...yet...how about you?  Hope you enjoy.

Unraveled Wednesday 3/17/21

 Good Morning Friends,

How are you on this St. Patrick's Day 2021?  I am doing well.  Last night was another one of those nights where it took me FOREVER to fall asleep.  I was tired...too tired to read any more so I turned out the light, but 2 hours later I was STILL tossing and turning.  Luckily I fell asleep shortly after that and, thanks to Tyg being outside all night and not being noisy on the patio roof, I slept until after 6:30.  

After I finished typing my post yesterday and hit the publish button, I stepped outside on the patio and this is  what I saw:

Gorgeous, huh?  It lasted about 2 minutes and then was gone.  And, of course, we all know the saying "red sky at night, sailor's delight...red sky at morning, sailor take warning."  True enough it turned grey and cold.  We actually had sleet in the afternoon!

My visit to the office was very quick - I was out of there before 10 a.m.!  I saw one other person in my office - she walked by my desk and said good morning and headed to her office at the opposite end of the building.  When I left, I saw one maintenance worker in the lobby downstairs.  Fully masked and keeping distant.  That was it!  Kind of weird.

Meanwhile it is Unraveled Wednesday and I'm happy to say I have a finish!

Pretty, pretty.  I am so pleased with the way this has turned out.  Now, of course, I must cast on for sock #2 today.  I don't want to tempt the 2nd sock syndrome gods.  The yarn is KnitPicks Stroll and the colorway is Northern Lights.  The pattern is Twinkleberry (which I don't believe is available any more) - a lace and cable pattern.  I just used the pattern on the leg and knit a plain foot.

On the reading front, I finished one book and started another.  I finished The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg.  It was ok, not great literature, but one of those "feel good" books.  And sometimes that's exactly what you need to read.  Yesterday I started Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce.  I read about this book on someone's blog...maybe Bonny's?  I can't remember.  But what a hoot this is.  At times I am laughing out loud as I read it.  I was on the hold list for months at the library and it finally came in the other day.  I almost didn't bother with it, but am so glad I did.  Fletch's and my after dinner reading is Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh and this is another laugh out loud book.  At first we both thought it was going to be just too silly, but now we are both enjoying it each evening.

As usual, I'm linking up with Kat for Unraveled Wednesday.  Head on over to her corner of blogland to see what she and others are making and reading.  Inspiration abounds!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 3/16/21

 Good Morning!

Last night (finally) was a good night sleep-wise and I feel as though I am beginning to catch up.  I'll head in to Chesterbrook (where my office is) in a little bit.  First I need to consume some coffee and wake up.

I'm happy to say (and show) that I finished the motif at the bottom of the sampler that I had started last week.  My gosh!  That single motif seemed to take FOREVER.  But I finished it up, stitched another letter (the U), a little fox and a cluster of leaves.  First up a close up:

The little fox is just so darn cute!  Still an open space there - one more letter and another creature will go in there...and after that the left hand side of the sampler will be finished!!

Here's an overall shot of where things stand:

It's coming along.  Still quite a bit to stitch on this one, but I'm beginning to feel as though I am closing in on it.  Still definitely enjoying it, but I admit I will be happy to be working on something else (eventually).

There is not a lot I need to do at the office today - mostly some printing of spreadsheets for Bill (and printing a couple of patterns for moi).  I also need to scan some documents - got word yesterday from our accountant that our taxes are finished, so I have the E-file authorization forms that Fletch and I have signed to scan and send so that taxes can be filed.  Guess I need to head up there and pay the bill as well.  Glad to have that pesky part of life over with!

Still pretty chilly here.  I don't think I'll be walking today unless things warm up significantly.  And, I can't tell yet what the wind situation is.  It was still pretty blustery yesterday.

Hope everyone's week is going well.  See you tomorrow for Unraveled Wednesday!

And Another Week Begins

 Good Morning!

How are you?  How was your weekend?

I'm sleepy.  That seems to be my mantra more and more, but it's true.  I woke at 2:15 this morning hearing Tyg crying on the patio roof (again).  I came down, opened the door, called to him and a minute or two later he was off the roof and coming in the back door.  I didn't fall back asleep though until after 4 a.m.!  And yesterday, I guess due to the time change, Fletch and I were both walking around like zombies.  Normally changing our clocks doesn't really impact me very much, but this time it has.

Oh well, the weekend was nice.  Saturday when I got up the first thing I did was make Cuban Bread.

This is a nice, easy bread to make and the house smelled wonderful!  Colin and Mailing came over for dinner and, since they are still vegan for another couple of weeks, dinner was vegan (and delicious!).  I made the enchilada stuffed mushrooms (no picture - I forgot) and a huge bowl of fresh guacamole.  Mailing brought over some roasted potatoes that were delicious.  I never got around to making a dessert, but it turned out to be just as well since we were all stuffed with the main course.  Fletch got a fire going outside in the fire pit and we sat around out back for a few hours just talking and laughing.  Such a nice evening.

Sunday was a blur.  We did a little grocery shopping and that was about it.  I managed to knit a little.

Working my way down the foot of the sock.  It did not fly off the needles as I thought it might, but the heel flap and turn are finished and I'm partway down the foot now.  This yarn looks so different in plain knitting rather than the pattern that is on the leg.  But, no matter, I like the way it is coming together and I think the intended recipient will like these.

So, it's mid-March already!  Wednesday is St. Patrick's Day and Saturday is the first day of Spring!  Our temps have dropped some and the winds have picked up again (March Lion).  I will be working out inside this week rather than walking.  I also think some rain is in our forecast later in the week.  I had thought I'd go to the office today, but now think I will wait until tomorrow.

Wishing you all a great start to the week and hoping for those of you in the path of the Spring snowstorm that you are not getting dumped on too much!  Stay warm!!

A Walk by the Canal

 Hello!

Yesterday was another beautiful day in Eastern PA and work cooperated nicely (meaning nothing was going on) that I could get out for another walk.  This time I decided to walk the path that I love with the canal on one side and the Schuylkill River on the other.  There were folks out running and biking and some walking dogs, but again it was not terribly crowded.  I even saw a kayaker on the canal and another on the river.  This time my round trip walk was just over 3 miles.  My biggest surprise was seeing ice on the canal!

I had not expected that at all.  There were clumps of snow in the woods, but parts of the trail were covered in ice as well.  Our weather has been so warm it really surprised me.  The trail was also pretty muddy in places.  Even the ice could not keep the turtles away!

It was good to see them basking in the sun.  Also my old friend:

Still no mask on the dear fellow.  

There were a lot of clumps of pretty yellow flowers.  I believe these are cinquefoil.

It was so nice to be back along that trail.  Last year there were several trees that had fallen across the canal, making it interesting for those kayaking or canoeing.  I noticed yesterday that they have all been cleared out.

I did make curried vegetables for dinner (onions, pepper, ginger, garlic, eggplant, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini) along with jasmine rice.  It was good, but not great.  I can't seem to find a really good curried vegetable recipe.  If you have any suggestions, please let me know.  Later, Fletch lit a fire and we sat outside for almost two hours - it was delightful!

Another wonderful day.  I am hoping to get out for another walk today, but first I have my usual Thursday financial reports I need to run and distribute.  Hope you all have a wonderful Thursday!

Unraveled Wednesday 3/10/21

 Good Morning!

I loved reading about hints of Spring you have all seen.  Truly I love all seasons, but I have to say that I am really, really looking forward to Spring this year.  Whether it's due to the quarantine and being home all the time, or the fact that our Winter was colder and snowier than it has been in some time, I don't know.  Whatever the reason, I am happy that Spring is right around the corner.  Nancy in Wyoming said that she had a few patio days, but now two (!!) winter storms are forecast which is not unusual for March, but still...  My little brother in Boulder, CO said that someone told him Boulder is expecting feet (that's multiple!) of snow this weekend, but this week has been nice enough that he has been riding his bike to work.  Spring - any and all kind of weather can happen!

Yesterday I did manage to get out for a walk after lunch.  I walked at Oaks which is a paved trail and I did use my trekking poles.  While walking I was thinking "what's the big deal?" but later last night, I could feel it in my shoulders and across my upper back.  Nordic Pole Walking CAN be a workout!  I walked to where the Perkiomen spills into the Schuylkill and it was so nice to be back on the trail.  I walked just under an hour and just under 3 miles.  Enough for a start.  I saw a gorgeous red tail hawk soaring above me and there were numerous clumps of snowdrops alongside the trail.

There were people out running, walking, riding bikes - some in shorts and tank tops!  It wasn't mobbed though - not as crowded as last year at the beginning of the pandemic.  Fortunately I saw no snakes.  Unfortunately I saw no blue herons either.

With the nice weather, Fletch grilled out last night.  He grilled lambchops and acorn squash.  Yum!  We also had sugar snap peas.  Tonight we plan to have a fire in the fire pit.  I can't wait.

Meanwhile, it is Unraveled Wednesday, and I am linking up with Kat to talk about making and reading.  Monday's post included finished pictures of my Heart Warmer cowl.  I have not knit anymore on the Guernsey Wrap, but progress is being made on the first Northern Lights sock.

Just love the way this yarn is knitting up (Stroll by KnitPicks in the Northern Lights colorway).  No pooling.  The pattern I'm knitting (Twinkleberry) is an easy one to memorize.  I'm making these a little longer than I usually do, so my normal 15 rows of ribbing for the cuff and then the leg is up to 96 rows.  I think I'll continue on with the heel flap and turn and then down the foot.  I don't intend to knit the pattern on the foot, so they should fly off the needles in no time (should being the operative word here).

Here is Tyg last night keeping me annoyed company while I knit.  He wasn't fooling with my yarn, but wanted to play with a cable needle and then stuck his head in my project bag to see if there were any shiny objects he could grab in there!

Silly cat!  He has been enjoying the warmer weather - rolling around on the patio, running across the yard, searching out mice and other edibles.

On the reading front, I mentioned the other day that I finished Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley.  This is not a book for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it just charming.  Over the weekend I read two mysteries I had gotten from the library - both in series that I am reading.  One by Linda Castello (they all take place in an Ohio Amish community) and the other by Deborah Crombie.  Both were easy and enjoyable reads.  Now I have started The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop but am only about 35 pages into it, so no decision yet.

I'm hoping today will be another easy work day and that I can get out for another walk.  I'm debating whether to head to the River Trail or the Canal Trail.  But first, the morning has a few chores (in addition to work) for me.  Wishing you all a wonderful day - enjoy!

Tiny Needle Tuesday

 Hello and Good Morning!!

Yesterday at this time it was in the teens.  This morning?  36.  That's above freezing and lends hope.  According to the radio guy, today is supposed to hit 63.  The hope/plan is to get out for a walk either late morning or early afternoon.  Time will tell.  I want to get into some (or give it a try anyway) Nordic Pole Walking so I'd best look for my poles - I think they are in the back of my car.

But first:  Tiny Needle Tuesday.  You would think/guess that with two weeks since I last posted about stitching I would have a lot to show.  That is not the case!  All I managed to do in those two weeks is the start of another motif at the bottom of the sampler.

The little bit of red is the beginning of another motif.  It is not even halfway finished!  Honestly, I felt more like knitting (and thus, managed to finish heart Warmer which I posted about yesterday).  I'm not bored with this project or tired of it, I just felt like doing something different.  So I did.  Maybe next week there will be more progress to show.

Fletch and I did see some hints of Spring yesterday.  In the morning before I left for the office, I looked out back and there had to be at least 10 Red Winged Blackbirds in the yard - under our sunflower seed feeder.  I love Red Winged Blackbirds - always makes me think of getting to the lake in Vermont as we would always see them along the roadway leading to the lake.  Around here, we usually just see them for a little bit in the Spring.  We often hear them, but don't always see them.  But to have 10+ in the yard was a wonderful gift!

Later in the afternoon Fletch came in and told me a small patch of crocus had finally appeared in our bed alongside the driveway.  Another welcome sight for sure!

Looks like that bed could use some cleaning!  Now I need to see if our snowdrops are coming up.

Colin texted that he saw deer in the backyards around him as well as a little rabbit running along the fence and a disappointed fox skulking off in the opposite direction.  YAY for the rabbit's escape!

Wishing you all a Spring-like day wherever you are.  Do let me know what signs of Spring you see.

Catching Up

 Good Morning!

I had not intended to be gone for an entire week, but sometimes that happens.  The days got away from me and all of a sudden a week had slipped by.  It was busy!

And winter has not lost its grip yet.  It is in the teens here this a.m.  Hard to believe it is supposed to be in the low 60's a little later in the week.  We are planning to grill out and have a fire in our firepit which is (finally) snow-free!

So how have you all been?  I've read blogs here and there, but I did not do a lot of commenting.  I will try to catch up this week.

My vacation day last Tuesday was so nice.  Carole did (finally) make it up to my house.  I was worried for awhile as she was stuck in heavy, non-moving traffic for about 45 minutes.  She love the Antler hat and mitts that I made for her, as well as other gifts and we just laughed and laughed.  By the time she left I was completely exhausted!

Not very much knitting or stitching was done in the past week.  I did, however, finish my Heart Warmer Cowl and I love it!  Here it is in its (obviously) unblocked glory:

I haven't even gotten around to soaking and blocking it yet...and then I wonder why bother since it will just be squished up around my neck!

(Barely awake Friday morning...no make up, hair a mess - a pandemic life!!  LOL)  I love the way the green in the top and bottom ribbing (that color is "Mistletoe") matches so well the specks of green in the varigated yarn.  The main body is Manos Del Uruguay Alegria 75/25 in the colorway Ghostbusters.  The Mistletoe ribbing is Wildfoote 75/25 by Brown Sheep Company.  The Wildfoote is a little thinner than the Alegria, but it all works together.

One more finish for the books:  I finished reading Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley and I loved it!  Thanks for the recommendation Kym - it was a good change of pace from what I had been reading.

Today I'm heading back in to my office.  Originally I had a 10 a.m. conference call, but when I checked email this morning I found it had been cancelled.  Still, I have spreadsheets I need to print (BIG paper) and some other stuff to do.  I just won't be there as long which is nice.  I need to drop a book off at the library and probably will stop to pick up wine after my office visit.  This afternoon I hope to do a little stitching or work on some socks I started knitting.  Later this week, when the temps have elevated a bit, I plan to get out for a walk...or two...or three.

Wishing you all a great week ahead!

Weekending

Good Morning!

It's March!!!  Just a few weeks till the first day of Spring (and my Mom's birthday - March 20th - she would have been 102 this year!!).

How was your weekend?  Mine was pretty full.  I was out and about Saturday morning and geeze it was foggy!  It got progressively worse as the morning wore on.  But, later in the day the sun came out.  Fletch and I headed over to Colin & Mailing's and took a nice 1/2 hour walk in their neighborhood before the sun went down.  There were plenty of folks out walking (everyone keeping their distance, of course) and we passed one house where folks were sitting around a fire in the back yard.  The wood smoke smelled wonderful.

Getting back to the kids' home, we lazed around and watched a few episodes of Whose Line Is It Anyway?  with Drew Carey - hysterical!!  I laughed so hard.  Then we had dinner which (naturally) was delicious.  The kids are vegan right now (Lent) so dinner was vegan.  We had French Lentil Soup that they made and some home made bread (regular, whole wheat and rye flour combination).

The soup was different than Lentil soup I have made - this version has turnips, onions, carrots, potatoes, rice, spinach.  Very filling and very tasty.  The bread was dense, but so good.  They even had some butter in the frig (left from pre-vegan days) that Fletch could use on the bread!

After dinner Colin got a fire started in their fire pit in the back yard.  Luckily I had brought my wellies over so I could walk through the snow.  It was a gorgeous full moon night for a fire.

Colin had started to clear snow away from the pit, but then thought better of it.  Better to have some snow than a mucky, muddy mess!

Sunday was a rainy day.  Fletch and I did some grocery shopping, some napping and just general lazing around.  A little (very little) knitting was accomplished, but not a whole lot.

I may not be back to this space till Thursday.  Tomorrow I'm taking a vacation day because my friend Carol (have not seen her in almost a year) is coming up to celebrate Christmas and her birthday.  We've tried to get together several times and each time our plans have fallen through.  I'm really looking forward to seeing her again.  And Wednesday I need to get in to the office, fairly early.  My boss, Kevin, is flying in from Atlanta today and his new VP will be on site for some orientation as well.  

I'm hoping today is quiet work-wise as I plan to bake a Blueberry Gateau and also a batch of oatmeal cookies.

Wishing everyone a great start to the week!