Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Unraveled Wednesday 7/20/22

 Good Morning All!

How are you this morning?  I woke up a little early (5:30) with a charley horse in my right calf.  Gah!  A jolt of pain will wake you quickly.  Fortunately I was able to shake it out before my muscle really seized up.  Then a nice leisurely shower and a slow sipping of the first cup of coffee.  Bliss.

Looking out my home office front window, I can see there is a bit of breeze (thankful) and I'm noticing a difference in the light...the shadows on the trunk of our crepe myrtle are in a slightly different place than they were a month ago.  I've also noticed it getting dark in the evening a little earlier.  That's fine with me.

Things are still quite dry here.  Fletch is watering the garden daily and I'm watering the things by the patio in pots (basil, oregano, rosemary, eggplants).  The eggplants are looking particularly nice these days.  And plentiful!


These are the Japanese version (I forget the name), but they are long and thin (obviously) rather than rounder and fuller.  I can't wait to put some on pizza and also I have a baked ratatouille recipe I want to make.  We have more tomatoes ripening on the vine and some I picked the other day are on the kitchen windowsill.  We need to eat some of them today!

I receive emails from Laura Pashby (Small Stories) and today's brought me two new (to me) words!  The first is Petrichor which means the scent of earth after rain.  Love this!  And then Biblichor which is the scent of pages of old books (slightly almond-ish or vanilla-ish).  What great words!!

As usual on Wednesdays, I'm linking up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk Making and Reading.  On the making end of things, a little progress has been made on Fletcher's second Cafe Au Lait sock.


The heel flap (Eye of the Partridge) has been completed and I am ready for the magical turn of the heel.  Then I will be speedily knitting down the foot (hoping I'll be speedy!!).

As far as reading goes, I finished The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles.  It is long (570+ pages), but I did end up liking it.  No, it is not as compelling as "A Gentleman in Moscow" or "Rules of Civility" - I breezed through both of those books.  "The Lincoln Highway" was a slower read for me and it seemed to meander at times and get a little too long winded.  Many times I kept saying to myself "Hurry Up Already!!"

I am now reading Violeta by Isabel Allende and loving it.  This is the story of Violeta born in 1920 at the height of the Spanish Influenza and goes up right to present day and the Covid Pandemic.  From one pandemic to another.  I'm only 50 or so pages into it, but it is holding my attention (as long as I can stay awake to read - lol).

What are you making and reading these days?

16 comments:

  1. I am nodding at your thoughts on The Lincoln Highway. And I adored Violeta! I hope you do too! :)

    I love that turn of the heel... it is the most magical thing in knitting!

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  2. I was not familiar with Laura Pashby, but I am a fan of new and descriptive words, so I had to sign up. I long for the scent of petrichor! Your sock is looking great and so are your eggplants. I'm off to put Violeta on hold. Thanks for the recommendations!

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  3. I have heard of petrichor before, but biblichor is new to me -- what a great word! Your eggplants look delicious. One of the gardens/yards I pass on my workout every day has been growing them, and I've decided I need to try some next year because I really like eggplant and especially the skinny Japanese type. I think the leg of Fletch's Cafe au Lait sock looks a bit like fancy coffee foam art!

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  4. Biblichor is a new one for me. Thanks!

    We got a lot of rain on Saturday night and throughout Sunday. I'm surprised it didn't make it your way, but with the heat domes and lake effect, I guess anything can happen.

    I ended up making quite a bit of pesto yesterday and three more quarts of pickles. Today I have to pick a lot of dill and hang it to dry.

    Your eggplant looks tempting. I'm a fan.

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  5. Sock and veggies are looking good.
    We got a good rain last night (about an hour), and it's supposed to start raining this afternoon and go into the evening. It's still hotter than Hades though. Hope some of the rain makes it your way

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  6. I may look for Violeta at the library. That sounds interesting.

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  7. your knitting is telling me fall will be here someday someway. Lovely!! I am hiding in my house while it's hot and humid out there!

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  8. This morning, I’m enjoying a cup of tea on the patio as a slight breeze ripples through the leaves. I can hear a train rumbling in the distance as well as its mournful whistle. I love summer in Laramie! In the knitting front, I’m slowly working on two pair of socks.

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  9. Isn't it fun to learn new words? Thank you for sharing them.

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  10. I knew Biblichor but not the other one. It's still hotter than hot here. I picked two more zucchini yesterday and shredded and gave them to Dennis's niece who was visiting Mom. I also gave her three recipes to use it in.
    Dennis has taken Piper to tennis and then both she and Lizzie will go home. They've been here since Monday morning. I have to take Mom to the chiropractor and cardiologist this afternoon and then I HAVE to start packing for our trip since we leave Sunday morning.
    Take care.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  11. Biblichor and petrichor - two of my favorite scents! I have The Lincoln Highway on my kindle right now but I'm hesitant to start it.

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  12. I grew those little eggplants once by mistake and they were very good. I really like eggplant but haven't had one in ages.

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  13. I always love finding new words! What fun. :-) And you are really moving on that sock! Go, Vera. GO! :-)

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  14. The eggplants are so pretty! Nice job on the second sock! I love learning new words-thanks for sharing!

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  15. It's interesting to find new words. I may have to subscribe to that email. I want to try a basic eggplant parmesan recipe but I'll have to buy the eggplant. Yours look so pretty. I may skip The Lincoln Highway for now. I did enjoy the other two books by that author.

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  16. P. S. Don't ask me why my comment showed up as anonymous. Weird.

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