New Yarn!! Garden Produce!!

 Good Morning All,

Gosh, the air actually felt a little chilly this morning (early - like 6:00).  That was weird!  Another weird thing?  I completely forgot to put my hearing aids in yesterday.  LOL. My hearing loss is not great...it is very minor.  When I first got up I made coffee, took my meds and supplements, took by blood pressure (good), etc.  I knew I would be jumping in the shower soon, so I did not put them in.  Then I wanted to wait to put them in until after I dried my hair.  Then I was getting ready to run a couple of errands and I just forgot about them.  Today they are IN!!!

Yesterday was a good mail day.  My July yarn from the Farmer's Daughter arrived and it is gorgeous!

Just look at that blue!!  The mini is not bad either.  I've been so pleased with the yarn I have received for 2024 Sock Squad.  Of course, I'm behind in using it all, but that does not matter.

We are finally getting garden produce!!  Fletch went out in the morning to check on things and came back with this:

Our first cucumber and the first cherry tomatoes.  The redder tomato on the right is actually a very (very) small Roma tomato.  We had a salad to go with dinner last night and included these in it.  Delicious!  Fletch mentioned that we have a few yellow squash that are 3-4" long, so it will not be too long before they are ready to pick.  And, with July 4th coming up next week, it is time to harvest the garlic.

Yesterday I managed to finish the patterned leg of sock #2, so it is on to the heel flap and turn and then the foot.  That should go faster than the leg for sure.  I'm planning to get to that today as well as more skirt knitting and, perhaps, some stitching.

Wishing you all a wonderful Friday and the best weekend - enjoy!!

Chicken With Peaches

 Good Morning!

Whew!  It is HOT here again.  Yesterday my car thermometer registered 102.  That is just nasty.

It was so nice to (finally) get together with Dee again.  We had a nice time and I actually was able to knit 9 more rows on my skirt!!  In the afternoon I picked up my hearing aids and they are wonderful.  Nothing is too loud or annoying.  There are two main things I noticed:  the first was my own voice!  It definitely was a little louder.  The second was the toilet flushing sounded really loud.  LOL. I go back in two weeks for any needed adjustments to the fitting, etc.  Those two things - meeting up with Dee and getting my hearing aids - wore me out though.  I was in bed by 9:30!  LOL

The other day I mentioned that I would be trying a new recipe for chicken with peaches.  It's a winner folks.  Of course I completely forgot to take a picture, but THIS is the recipe I used.  Of course, I did my own thing.  I did not use a cast iron pan (I hate cleaning them) - instead I used a pyrex baking pan which worked fine.  I used boneless, skinless chicken breast rather than thighs because the thighs in the grocery store looked horrible.  I did use the shallots, kale and a couple of peaches.  Also Thyme from our garden.  I cut the large chicken breast into three pieces and there is still one piece left for Fletch to have for lunch.  This came together rather quickly and then baked in the oven.  Easy-Peasy.

We still have a bunch of peaches, so there may be peach pancakes on the menu for breakfast tomorrow...or a peach crostata...or a peach/rhubarb crostata.  Or all of it!

The home health nurse is supposed to come for a check up on me today...but I have yet to hear about a time (they should have called yesterday).  Wishing you all the best Thursday possible.

Unraveled Wednesday 6/26/24

 Hello and Good Morning,

Thanks again for all the good wishes for my healing.  I had an excellent visit to the Wound Center yesterday - what a lovely group of people and - BONUS - no waiting at all!  I go back in another 2 weeks.

Our heat is back unfortunately.  Yesterday my car was reading 98 while I was running to CVS in the afternoon.  I hope everyone is staying cool and well hydrated.  

This being Wednesday, it is time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk making and reading.  I do have some knitting to show!  First up, my Shakerag Skirt is growing!!

Sprawled out on Mabel's "ledge" at the front window in my office - LOL.  The rows still seem rather long, but I'm getting through them one by one.

The second Fairy Maiden sock is progressing as well.

Though a very pretty pattern, I doubt I will ever knit this pattern again.  I am continually either adding a stitch or dropping a stitch.  I find it a very fiddly pattern and I will be happy when I finish the leg (2 more pattern repeats) and move on to the heel flap.

Reading is moving along as well.  I finished Suite Francais which was excellent.  I am savoring Amy Tan's "Backyard Bird Chronicles" - just reading a little bit at a time.  I also picked up "Grace (Eventually) Thoughts on Faith" by Anne Lamott which I am finding to be just ok...not great.  Finally, I am now in the queue for "The Ministry of Time" which is the next "Read With Us" selection.

Now for the exciting news:  Dee and I are finally getting together again this morning!!  LOL. It has been weeks and I am so looking forward to catching up with her.  And later in the afternoon I have an appointment to pick up my hearing aids.  A banner day for sure.  Hope your Wednesday is a good one too!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 6/25/24

 Greetings All!

Yesterday ended up being the first day in weeks that we did not turn on the AC!!!  We never did get the rain, but wow the winds were strong.  It was rather gusty all day long.  We are supposed to be back up in the 90's again today and for several more days, but for now the morning is gloriously cool.  I'll take it.

It feels like forever since I wrote a TNT post, but I am finally back to stitching.  The piece I'm working on is called "Gaze" by The Primitive Needle.  Here is a link showing the full piece:  https://www.casacenina.com/the-primitive-needle/gaze.html.  It is one I have had in my stash for such a long time and it is kind of new-agey, but it really appeals to me.  Here is my start:

I'm using the called for over-dyed floss (both Weeks Dye Works and The Gentle Art) and all the bright colors are so appealing to me.  The linen - not so much.  First of all it is a low count (30...so stitching over 2 threads, it works out to 15 stitches to the inch).  I really prefer a higher count linen.  The fabric is very rustic and rough - not easy to hold (I don't use a hoop or frame when I stitch).  The linen threads also are kind of splitty.  Fortunately this is not taking long to stitch.  It's pretty small - only 5.5" by 4.5".

The only "thing" on my agenda today is a follow-up appointment with the doctor about my "site."  That's at 10:30 and the balance of the day is mine.  I'm trying a new recipe with chicken and fresh peaches tonight (the peaches this year are so good!!).  If it turns out, I'll share it with you later in the week.

Here's hoping your Tuesday is filled with good things.

Weekending 6/24/24

 Good Morning!

Weekending:  It was (and still is) HOT.  We stayed mostly inside.  The end.

That pretty much sums the weekend up.  Beastly hot.  I was able to do some knitting and stitching inside as well as a bit of reading, so it was not all bad.  We had a slight chance of rain last night, but that never happened.  Thank goodness Fletch watered the garden.

While Fletch was watering, I walked out to look at things.  First up, we have little yellow squash beginning to grow!!

It's almost time to harvest garlic...but we usually do that around July 4th.  Meanwhile, our onions are growing so well.

We can't decide if our tomatoes are doing well or not.  We have one Roma plant this year - I wanted it for cooking.  There are two tomatoes on it beginning to ripen, but they are small.

Our cherry tomato plants do have fruit, but nothing ripening yet and the plants don't look all that healthy.  Fletch planted a ton of beans and we have exactly 2 shoots coming up.  Not sure what's with that.  We do have several very small cucumbers growing and the eggplant on the patio is healthy and finally flowering, so it should not be long before we see early eggplants forming.  The most exciting though is that we now have figs!!

It took awhile.  After forming 3 figs prior to any leaves erupting, nothing more happened.  The tree leafed out and nothing...then one day Fletch spotted a dozen or so figs about the size of pencil erasers...now they are getting to be marble size.

We will do a quick grocery shopping this morning before it gets beastly hot again.  That's it for today's plans.

I hope everyone is staying cool.  Fingers crossed we get a break from this weather soon.

Summer Solstice. 6/20/24

 Hey-Hey and Hello!

I do not normally (don't think I have ever) linked up for "A Gathering of Poetry."  But today I am linking up with Bonny to share a poem.  

This morning I was up a bit early...fixed a cup of coffee (my first in more than 2 weeks!!) and did a few things.  I was waiting to get in the shower until Fletch was waking up...since he has to "tend" to me after I get out of the shower.  While waiting, I picked up a book from my nightstand:  Musical Tables by Billy Collins.  In my opinion, one can never go wrong reading Collins - he is a master!  And this volume of his poetry is especially fun - all the poems are very short and the one I will share is perhaps one of the longest.  At any rate, it seemed so appropriate for the summer solstice.

Summer

 

The two of us

One night in lawn chairs

Music coming from somewhere.

 

You explained

what we were hearing

Was the B-side of the moon.

Happy Summer Solstice everyone!

Unraveled Wednesday 6/19/24

 Good Morning All,

I am happy to tell you that every single day is better!  I've still got a *hit load of healing left to do, but it is coming along.  I had a very good follow up appointment with my PCP yesterday (who gave Fletcher the highest marks for the "nursing care" he is providing to me!).  So, all is good.  I even drove on Monday and went grocery shopping as well (we were completely out of fresh produce...so mega $$$ later we have a frig full of veggies and some fruit).  It is SO good to be having GOOD food (the hospital food was vile).

Not only has Fletch been a wonderful (and necessary) help to me, but Mabel has been wonderful too!  They say that animals can sense when you are not well and she is patient...not whining...not walking on my head or body at 4 a.m. to go out, etc.  She is also very wary (thank God) when she is outside and is sticking close to home.  She is also willingly staying in at night.  The fox (or foxes) are still nearby, so we are all on guard.

Like everyone else, we are dealing with a major heatwave.  Yesterday after my PCP visit, my car thermometer was reading 97.  Yikes!  And then Monday night, just after I went upstairs to go to bed, our power went out.  I got up, came back down and sat outside with Fletch.  Our neighbor who had just come home told Fletch that a transformer had blown.  I am happy to tell you that amazingly PECO (our power company) had the power back on in under an hour!!  A close call.

Anyway, it's Wednesday and time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk making and reading.  Though I have not done a whole lot of knitting, I wanted to show you the progress on my Shakerag Skirt.  I am now at the row where I will add the markers and start the decreases.  Still a lot of rows to knit, but they will (thankfully) be getting smaller and smaller.

Sorry for the poor photo - it was difficult last night to get a good picture.

The first Fairy Maiden sock (with my April Sock Squad yarn from The Farmer's Daughter) was finished yesterday and the second one started.

The second one is now at the point where I will begin the leg pattern.

Finally, I picked up the Cactus Triptych from the framer yesterday!!  Not the best picture, but I had to find a place to put it last night where there was no glare on the glass.

I'm so pleased with the way it turned out.

No books have been finished since I read Summer Solstice, but I am a little more than halfway through Suite Français and what a wonderful book it is.  The writing reminds me a bit of Proust.

Time to wrap this up.  I've a ton of phone calls to make...appointments to schedule...etc.  I'm going to try to catch up on some blogs today and will try to comment.  Thanks again for all your thoughtful emails and concern for moi.  So very much appreciated.  

An Update

 Hello Everyone!

This will be quick because I am not quite up to blogging yet.  BUT, I wanted first of all to say thank you so very much for all the emails, texts, etc inquiring how I am.  I'm sorry not to have responded to many of you, but I just wasn't up to it.

Long story:  I ended up in the hospital last Saturday (the 8th I think) and discovered I was fighting a very nasty infection.  Like 3 IV antibiotics!  That was healing well (and still is), but my BP spiked while in the hospital and they had a hard time getting it to lower.  I finally came home on Thursday (13th).

Fletch has been wonderful!  And I will be having home health care (nurse) coming in every few days to check the wound, etc.  Per the doctors it will take roughly a month for healing to be complete.  I'm still tired and sleeping lots, but am managing to do a little (very little) knitting and some reading.

One book I read while in the hospital was Summer Solstice - An Essay by Nina MacLaughlin.  I had read "Winter Solstice" by her during December or January and enjoyed it.  I liked "Summer Solstice" so much better!  5 stars and highly recommend (and only 61 pages!!).

I've read some blogs, but not all and haven't commented...I will hopefully get back to that soon.  Not sure how frequently I will post...depends on how I am doing.  Once again, thank you all for checking in on me. Words can't begin to describe how wonderful it was to get your notes.  Thank you!!  Our little blogging world is a wonderful place.

A Little Break

 Hi All,

I'll be taking a little break...for a few days.  Yesterday was terribly busy in the morning and then I did not feel well the balance of the day (like sleeping ALL afternoon and more than 12 hours last night!).  Needless to say there has not been all that much knitting or stitching.  I'll be back later!