Tiny Needle Tuesday 2/4/25

 Hey There!

Good Morning!  How are you?  I can feel that it is a bit warmer this morning, but I can't yet tell whether it is clear or somewhat cloudy.  Yesterday I actually managed to do a few things.  I paid the bills that were sitting on my desk (too many) and I took everything out of the freezer to do an inventory.  It is possible that I could be accused of hoarding food!  LOL.  I discovered that we have roughly 5 different kinds of fish in the freezer, along with a whole chicken, chicken breasts, drumsticks, different packages of beef, some vegetarian stuff I had made a couple of months ago, and on and on and on.  Whew!  No pork chops or ground turkey, so those are on the list for today's shopping.  Mostly though we just need fresh produce, milk, OJ, bread.  Also TP and tissues.

Do you remember a few months back "they" said there would be a shortage of Sriracha?  Luckily that did not happen.  But now, we cannot find Pickapeppa sauce - the original.  I can find mango pickapeppa, but not the old original.  I even checked Amazon!  None of our stores have it currently.  Just seems weird to me.

Anyway, moving on, it is Tuesday and time for a TNT update.  So close!

Look!!  The lawn is finished, a sunflower has been added on the right along with a little heart and the last blackbird is flying off in the upper right.  What's left?  A big ol' harvest moon in the upper right.  I hope the moon is not as much of a slog as that green grass was.  The green grass and the blue house seemed to take forever!

This sure has been a fun piece to stitch.  I'll have to think about what's next...and I'm thinking smaller for sure.  LOL

Time to grab more coffee and make sure Fletch is getting up.  Hoping your Tuesday is a good one.

Weekending

 Good Morning!

It's a bit chilly in my office (remember, I try not to use heat in this room because of Christmas Cacti and other plants) and we had snow last night!  What???  We had heard that we could have a wintry mix, but Fletch said it didn't look like we would.  Then around 8:30 he looked out and our picnic table was covered, there was snow on the grass and the cars in the driveway had a dusting.  And...it is supposed to get into the 50's today!  Talk about a roller coaster.

How was your weekend?  Mine was relaxed in many ways.  We had dinner Saturday night at Mailing's parent's home to celebrate the Lunar New Year.  Dumplings, fish, green beans, etc., etc.  All was delicious.  I brought a beet salad to go with everything and there were cakes with red bean paste (which I LOVE) for dessert.

Iris had slept for 6 hours straight Friday night!!  But, she was cranky and fussy on Saturday.  Dinner was early as C&M wanted to get home in time to give Iris a bath and get her settled down for the night.  I'll have another chance for Iris snuggles next Saturday when we go to C&M's for brunch.

A pink Christmas Cactus is blooming again...maybe it's a Valentine's Cactus?  LOL

My fight with the squirrel continues.  Carole had suggested that I get some hot seed for the feeder since squirrels don't like that.  Well...I bought hot seed.  The bag specifically states "no squirrels, just birds" BUT after filling the feeder, who came to dine?  Mr. Squirrel.  He feasted for some time and then finally went away (he doesn't even move when I bang on the window now...grrrrr).  I thought ok, maybe he will get a tummy ache and not come back.  But, day two found him back at the feeder munching on the hot seed.  He has pretty much destroyed that feeder - ripping it apart.  I also found Mr. Squirrel sitting in the peanut feeder we have hanging on our patio.  

Time to have another cup of coffee and try to wake up.  I have errands to run this morning and, once it does warm up some, I am hoping to get out for a walk.  I hope your Monday is off to a great start!

Ending the Week...and the Month

 Hello My Friends,

Let's wave goodbye to January as we welcome February tomorrow.  It's been a long month, huh?  And so much negativity - it is truly wearying.  Add to that today's weather which is damp and grey.  We are supposed to have rain on and off all day long.

But yesterday the sun was out and I decided to get out and clear my head.  I drove over to the River Walk in Valley Forge Park.  There were just two other cars in the parking lot and I did not see a single soul during my walk.  I had to walk slowly and cautiously at times as there was a lot of ice on the trail.

The ice was not thick, but it sure was slippery!  There was also ice at the edge of the Schuylkill River.

There were some ducks on the River, but I did not see any other birds or creatures.  I enjoyed the solitude so much.  

When I turned around to walk back to my car, I discovered that it was still a bit windy.  Enough that my eyes watered and my nose was running.  And, despite wearing an ear band and having a scarf wrapped around my neck, I was a little chilly.  Still, though, it was a beautiful day and I'm glad I ventured out.

That blue sky was amazing!!

We are looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow evening for a Lunar New Year celebration.  And, of course, getting in some Iris snuggles.  Wishing you all a wonderful weekend - enjoy!!

Unraveled Wednesday 1/29/25

 Hello All,

A balmy 36 degrees this morning!  It is overcast, but warmer.  However, the winds are supposed to really kick in.  I'm happy to say that my dermatology appointment was great - no spots of bother" were found which is a wonderful thing.  Today I will run out to CVS to pick up a prescription for a cream for my itchy finger.  My doctor is sure it is a type of eczema.  I have been using an over the counter cortisone cream but not with much success.  My doctor says that what she prescribed is roughly 100% stronger/better than any over the counter stuff.  Fingers crossed (but not the itchy one).

And, Happy Lunar New Year!  2025 is the Year of the Snake.  I'm not fond of the animal, but both Colin and Mailing are snakes and I love them dearly.  Iris is a dragon!  We will be celebrating with Mailing's family on Saturday - dumplings for dinner!!

So, it is Wednesday and time for an unraveled update.  Let's link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk about making and reading.  I do love Wednesdays - to find out what others are up to and what they are reading.

My "making" has been a bit on the slow side.  I guess that once again I've stitched a bit more than knit, but there has been progress on my sock.  A third color has been added:

If you enlarge the picture, you may see the color better.  These three yarns are are my November 2024 Sock Squad yarns from The Farmer's Daughter.  The Silver and Mulberry skeins are half skeins (50 grams) and the purple is a mini.  I'm about to start the heel flap, then turn the heel and start down the foot.  I'll switch back to the silver and then add some more purple at the toe.  Hopefully it will all turn out lovely.  I like the silver and purple and I like the silver with the mulberry, but the purple and mulberry together seem to clash to me.  We shall see....

Reading has been good.  I have three books to tell you about.  First up I read The Farmer's Wife: My Life in Days by Helen Rebanks.  Her husband, James, is apparently a famous author...but not one I've heard of.  Anyway, they live on a farm in the Lake District of England where they raise their four kids along with a whole lot of sheep and cattle and other animals.  Helen also includes recipes in this book.  So between the book being a memoir and recipes, I was drawn in.  It was good.  Not great, but good.  The recipes to me were rather ordinary and I didn't bother writing any of them down.  The book did make me realize (again) that I'm sure glad not to be married to a farmer and living that life!!  LOL

Next up I read Broken Ground by Val McDermid.  I had written down Val McDermid's name on my TBR list noting that she is an author of Scottish mysteries...detective type books.  This one is the 5th (I think) in a series starring Karen Pirie a cold case detective.  It was just ok for me.  An easy read, but not all that compelling.  I may try another one of McDermid's books and see how that goes.

Saving the best for last, I finished Water, Water the latest collection of poems from Billy Collins.  What is not to love?  Fletch had given me this book at Christmas and I was keeping it on my nightstand and spacing my reading out to savor each poem and to make the book last.  But last night I picked it up and finished the last 20 or so poems.  Though not my favorite Billy Collins collection, it is wonderful.

The reason I picked it up and finished it was that I started my latest library book Conjure Women - a book that Karen had just read and recommended.  But, when I started reading it I discovered I'd read it a few years back!  Now my list of errands today includes a stop at the library to find something new to read!

If you are still here, thanks for sticking with this long post.  Happy Hump Day and enjoy your Wednesday.

Tiny Needle Tuesday 1/28/25

 Good Morning My Friends,

The thermometer outside our bedroom window was almost at 30 when I got up an hour ago!  It feels almost balmy outside.  I sure hope the wicked cold is over.  Our electric bill came yesterday and it is a whopper!  We have electric heat which we have always loved.  We have thermostats in every room (including the two bathrooms) and rarely turn the heat on upstairs (we do use that bathroom's heat when getting showers).  Usually we just have heat on in the living room, kitchen (when I am not cooking) and sometimes the downstairs bathroom.  Recently though we've had to really crank things up and turn on the guest room heat to help warm up the downstairs.  Our electric bill is roughly double what it was last month!  As I said, I sure hope the dangerous cold is over, but I heard the wind again in the night howling around the house.

It's time for a TNT update on my sampler.  I managed to add a few things this past week.  Here is a closeup of what was added:

The tree on the right side is now sporting some Fall leaves.  The grass has started to grow and a few critters (I'm guessing they are dogs) are strolling across the bottom.  And, one and a half blackbirds have been added (one-half at the top and one near the top of the tree).  It sure has been fun to stitch some things other than a BIG dress!  The grass gets a little boring, but then I switch to something else.  Here is a picture of the overall piece.

Still a lot of stitching to go, but progress is being made!  The poor linen is so wrinkled...it will be a bitch to iron this one and get it flat!

I have my semi-annual check up with my dermatologist this afternoon - wish me luck!  Ever since losing half my nose to skin cancer, I see her every six months for a full body check.  Luckily there have been no further issues, but I'm always a little anxious when I go.

Well, time for me to pour another cup of coffee and try to wake up.  I can hear Fletch is in the shower and we will go grocery shopping later this morning (I can't wait to see the price of eggs - NOT).  Hope your Tuesday is a good one!

Weekending 1/27/25

Hello Everyone,

 

How are you this Monday morning?  Who else is finding it hard to believe that we are at the end of January?  Once again, time is zipping by at a rapid pace.

 

We had a delightful weekend.  We were at Colin & Mailing's on Saturday and Iris is growing so fast!  She is enjoying holding up her head...or banging it against you when you hold her.  LOL. She is loving her walks outside - she pretty much falls asleep immediately.  A girl after my own heart.

 

Talbot is doing well too.  He has taken Iris' appearance at the house in stride with no issues.  Saturday was a sunny day and he was lounging on the ottoman most of the time we were there.

He's a furry one!

 

Mailing is usually the baker, but Colin has started trying his hand at sourdough and he gave us a boule to take home!

Oh yum!!  Sunday I cut a few slices for our lunch and made a meal that I hated as a kid and now I love!  You toast your bread, then spread it with deviled ham (the kind you get in a little can).  Top it with some barely steamed fresh asparagus and then a bit of very sharp cheese.  Stick it under the broiler to melt the cheese and bang!  You have a wonderful sandwich.

 

It always amuses me how many things I disliked as a kid and now I love:  turnips, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, cooked cauliflower (I always loved it raw), etc.  This sandwich is one of those things.

We are a little late to the party, but we are now hooked on the show Shrinking.  I'm looking forward to getting into Slow Horses too.  Amazing - I am actually enjoying TV!  LOL

Time to pour another cup of coffee and sort the laundry.  Hope your Monday is off to a good start!

End of the Week 1/24/25

 Good Friday Morning!

It's milder this morning - already up to 15!  I was thinking about C&M getting Iris out in this weather and really, they are smart.  And, Iris seems to love it.  Yesterday Colin texted Fletch a picture when they were out for a walk.  Mailing was bundled up in her puffer coat and had Iris strapped to her front - all bundled up of course.  They both had great grins on their faces.

I also remember eons ago - decades - when I was a little kid (single digits), we had a big snow and we built an igloo right outside our front door.  My parents got out sleeping bags and let us kids (my two older brothers and me) get in the igloo and be all cozy and warm.  We did not spend the entire night in the igloo, but it sure was a fun time.

Another memory is of my Mom gathering freshly fallen snow to make sugar on snow (maple syrup on snow).  Delicious!!

I did get some cookies baked in the past couple of days.  First up are oatmeal cookies with dried blueberries and pistachios in them.  Yummy!!

The next batch were chocolate chip with the addition of caramel chips.  Oh man!  I will make these again!!

Well, I can't get the picture to load, but they just look like chocolate chip cookies!  LOL. We will take some of both kinds over to Colin & Mailing tomorrow.  And, I did share some with Rob & Eva (neighbors).  I didn't see them or go in - Rob just tested positive for Covid.  He got on Paxlovid right away, so hopefully he will be feeling better soon.

My hope is to ease into the weekend nicely.  I want to get out to pick up wine to take over to C&M tomorrow, but otherwise I plan to stay in and read, knit and stitch.  Make your Friday a good one!

Unraveled Wednesday 1/22/25

 Good Morning All,

I do hope everyone is managing with this bitter cold weather (IF you are in polar vortex that is).  I looked at two different weather apps this morning.  One told me it was -5 outside and the other told me it was +1.  To me they feel pretty much the same!  Those crazy kids (C&M) took Iris out for a walk yesterday!  They texted a picture to Fletch and she was so bundled up (thank goodness and as she should be).  I don't know how long they were out or how Iris took to the frigid air.  Colin had bought a fleece bunting (complete with bear ears, covered feet and covered hands) for Iris, so I'm sure she was toasty.  And, my friend Leslie had crocheted her the cutest hat.  (At this point I am remembering how Colin would literally howl and scream and cry any time I tried to put a winter coat on him - LOL - he was the child who would go outside in the snow in shorts and a tank top.)

Yesterday I did get out to do the grocery shopping...but many shelves were bare (none of Fletch's yogurt, no broccoli, no scallions, etc., etc.).  However, there were plenty of fresh flowers and I just had to get some.

Actually the yellow roses are from the prior week.  They never really opened up, and some wilted, but I added some new flowers to brighten up our days a bit.  There is also a vase on the table.  Today I will probably venture to a second grocery store to see if I can find what the first store was lacking.  First, though, I have promised Fletch that I will bake some oatmeal cookies for him.

Before I get to the baking though, it is time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk all about making and reading.

Only a little knitting was accomplished during the past week.  I know the sock looks the same, but a number of rows have been added.

I need/want to pick another color for this sock (there is not enough of the light grey for 2 socks).  I will try to get to that today.  Also on the intention list is to get back to my Heart Warmer Cowl and to cast on a hat.  Colin continues to walk on these chilly mornings and I think a nice warm hat is in order for him.  As usual, I'm full of good intentions. (Isn't that quote something like the road to hell is paved with good intentions?  Hopefully I will not end up in hell.  LOL)

Reading has been excellent though.  I have two books that I highly recommend for you.  They are so good that I have, in fact (Carole - do NOT laugh) started keeping a journal (yes - moi) of quotes.  I kept a journal like that years ago and then stopped.  Anyway, onward to the books.  The first is The Heartbeat Library by Laura Imai Messina.  This novel is all about loss, grief, healing, friendship and is simply marvelous.

The second book is one a number of you have already read:  The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer.  Gratitude, reciprocity and community.  Lovely concepts.  As I mentioned in my post yesterday, our neighbor Rob bringing over fresh baked bread from his oven made me think of this book (and I will be sharing cookies with him!).  Reading this book got me thinking about how my grandparents lived in Vermont.  They did an awful lot of bartering.  At one point my grandfather was running the village creamery and would trade butter and milk for meat from other villagers.  My grandparents never had much but they did have plenty.  Having read this I am also reminded that I bought "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Kimmerer but have not read it.  I need to make room on my nightstand for that book for some "before I turn out the light reading" each night.

That's a wrap for me on this Unraveled Wednesday.  Be sure to head over to Kat's to see what others are up to in the making and reading worlds.  I guarantee you will be filled with inspiration.

Tiny Needle Tuesday 1/21/25

 Good Morning!

My coffee tastes particularly good this morning - my phone tells me that it is zero degrees outside.  Yikes!  I did not go outside at all yesterday.  Fletch did clean off the cars.  One of the cars has doors that are frozen shut and will not open...luckily the other one has doors that open.  Fletch has an appointment this morning, so he has to go out.  I will wait and do grocery shopping later in the day.  The next few days are not forecast to be any warmer, so no real point in waiting.

Time for a Tiny Needle Tuesday update.  Some stitching was accomplished!

The lady's rather big dress is finally completely stitched!  Next will be a walkway to the house and then the yard.  Lots of space will be filled in completely.  The tree on the right still needs leaves and then there is the big moon to stitch in the upper right...and some blackbirds.  I am not going to figure out how many stitches are in this piece - that would just make me nuts!!

Fletch has been keeping a glass of water on the counter by the sink - easier to take a sip from that than opening a water bottle all the time.  However...this is what I saw yesterday:

Mabel was a little thirsty I guess.  I washed that glass and put out a fresh one for Fletch and once again Mabel helped herself.  This is the first I've ever seen her drinking from a glass.

Time for me to get a second cup of coffee and start moving around.  Have a good Tuesday!

Weekending 1/20/25

 Good Morning!

Pretty chilly here (11 when I looked at my phone earlier), but not as cold as Boulder, CO.  My brother texted me that it was -7 at his house yesterday morning!

So, what has been happening?  I was at the King of Prussia Mall twice in the past 4 days.  This is a place I have not been to for at least a decade!!  But, necessity demanded a visit.  I (finally) got an iPhone and needed to pick it up at the Apple Store.  Then we ditched cable on Friday but could not get our TV hooked up to our new internet (we had to upgrade that...of course...), so we bought an AppleTV to hook up and that seems to be working.  Eliminating cable has not saved us very much $$$ (we are now streaming Hulu plus live TV) because our internet fee went from $35 to $100.  It's all a game and I don't enjoy playing it at all.  Bottom line:  I hope I don't need to go back to the mall...ever...!!

Then on Saturday mid-day, I received a text from our neighbor Rob with this picture:

Fresh out of the oven and he wanted to know if we wanted one.  They are either round loaves or gigantic rolls!  LOL. And they are a combination of sourdough, rye and whole wheat.  I replied "you bet" and within 5 minutes Rob was walking into our house with one of these beauties.  We ended up having part of it last night with bowls of chili and it is delicious!

(For those of you who have read "The Serviceberry" by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Rob's sharing reminded me of that book.)

Sunday started off chilly and damp feeling.  We were expecting a "big" snow and it finally started around 11 a.m. and continued to snow most of the day.

We ended up with maybe 3" or so...maybe a little more (I did not go out to measure).  You can see in the bottom left of the photo where Fletch had shoveled a path out to our bird feeder hanging on the clothesline.  Gotta keep our avian friends well fed in this weather!  Our temps are forecast to dip into the single digits overnight for the next 3 nights or so.

My plan for today is to stay inside and do some knitting and stitching, some reading and perhaps a little napping.  If I get motivated or ambitious, I may try to do something with my recipes (organizing would be a good idea) or my knitting and stitching supplies.  Sometimes it is easier to just close my eyes and mumble "another day."

Please stay warm if you are in the path of this deep freeze.  We have food to keep us going for days which is a nice feeling!

A Poem. 1/16/25

Good Morning!

I was not intending to post today, but then I saw Bonny's Post and was reminded that it is the third Thursday of the month (already!!) and time for A Gathering of Poetry.  Today I am sharing one of my favorite Ted Kooser poems.  It can be found in his book "Valentines."

Screech Owl

All night each reedy whinny

from a bird no bigger than a heart

flies out of a tall black pine

and, in a breath, is taken away

by the stars.  Yet, with small hope

from the center of darkness

it calls out again and again.

Unraveled Wednesday 1/15/25

 Good Morning Friends, 

I hope this Wednesday morning finds you doing well.  Mabel allowed me to sleep a little later this morning, but I was awake in the night (from roughly 2 a.m. through 4 a.m.) and listened to the wind once again howling around outside.  I've never been one to be bothered by the wind.  I don't like being in it (sensitive ears), but it hasn't "bothered" me per se.  This year?  I am bothered.  It just feels like it is incessant and unrelenting.  I say enough already!

And, I can't seem to warm up.  Yesterday I was cold all day long.  (I was wearing wool socks and slippers, leggings, a turtleneck and sweatshirt and had a shawl wrapped around me.). I took a nap under a heavy wool Pendleton blanket and woke up shivering!  What's up with that?  I'm trying to remember the sweltering heat of the summer and how I longed at the time for cooler temps, but that is not working.

OK, enough complaining.  Time to get on with the day.  It's Wednesday which means Unraveled Wednesday and time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk all about the making and reading.

I haven't yet started back on the Heart Warmer Cowl.  I had also hoped to cast on a hat, but that hasn't happened yet.  I did, however, start a new sock so that I would have something easy and simple to knit while Fletch and I listen to a book after dinner.

 (My cute little sheepy stitch marker is from a visit to the Finger Lakes Fiber Festival years and years ago.). The yarn is some of my 2024 Sock Squad yarn from The Farmer's Daughter.  No pattern - just a plain vanilla sock.

Several books were finished this past week.  First there was The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar.  This is a novel based on the life of van Gogh's sister-in-law, Johanna Bonger.  Of course there is a modern day story to go along with Johanna's story and that was a little bit of "chick-lit," but overall I enjoyed the book.

Next up was A Single Thread by Marie Bostwick.  Definitely "chick-lit."  There was divorce, cancer, new friends, opening a quilt shop, etc., etc.  A very quick read that was not all that inspiring, but apparently what I needed at the time.

Lastly, there was Here by Richard McGuire.  Graphic novels are not my typical genre, but Kat had recommended this book last week.  And you know what?  I enjoyed it!!  I requested it from my library, picked it up Saturday morning and read it Saturday night.  Really, there is not a lot to read, but the art work is very interesting and parts of this look at a corner of a room over hundreds of thousands of years was pretty humorous as well.  I'm sure I did not catch a lot of things since I did not look again (and again and again) at the book.  I also saw that it is a movie (which I'm having a hard time understanding...but...I may look for it).

Finally, Fletch and I are continuing to listen to The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson after dinner and are continuing to enjoy it.  This will be going on for some time as we have at least 22 hours left to listen!!

I'm headed to the library later to pick up another book or two and we also need more peanuts for the birds.  Hope your Wednesday is a good one!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 1/14/25

 Hello and Good Morning,

I was up early this morning - like 5 a.m.  Someone (that would be Mabel) was crowding me a little bit...nudging up heavily against my legs.  Sigh.  But, that's fine.  I got up, showered and am now having coffee and feeling pretty awake!

It is Tuesday and time for a check in on my stitching.  I have some wonderful news:  the house has finally been completely painted!  Yup!  It took some time (if it had been my house I would have fired the painter and gotten a new one...so long...), but now that part is complete.

The lady still needs the bottom part of her dress, but the outlining is done on her.  Whew!  I really dislike doing outlining.  It adds a lot, but I find it to be a PITA.

What else?  It stayed pretty gloomy looking yesterday until late in the afternoon when the sun finally decided to shine.  I made a big pot of soup for dinner along with some biscuits - a perfect day for that.  I'm not sure what today will be like weather-wise (it is still very dark outside).  But shrimp is on the menu for dinner, so that will be good!

Fletch has an appointment this morning, so I will be on my own for groceries.  We are desperately in need of fresh produce - I think we are down to broccoli and radishes in the frig and two apples in the fruit bowl.  Time to replenish!

Whatever you are up to, I hope your day is an enjoyable one!  Stay warm (or cold if that is your preference).

Weekending 1/13/25

 Greetings from Grey PA,

It's certainly not very inspiring outside this morning.  It's all grey and overcast, though (thankfully) no precipitation in today's forecast.

How was your weekend?  Ours was relaxed and pretty lazy.  There was time for reading, knitting and stitching!  I did venture out to the State Store on Saturday to get wine and also to the library to pick up books.  Fletch was good enough to clean off my car before I ventured out (we had more snow overnight Friday night).

Yesterday we ventured over to Colin & Mailing's for brunch.  It was Iris' 1 month birthday!!  Colin fixed pineapple mimosas (Yum) and delicious chicken and waffles.  We had some greens on the side.  Everything was delicious.  We only stayed through brunch.  It was pretty obvious that C&M were both tired.  And, truth be told, we were tired too. I took a 1.5 hour nap once we got home!

This morning has been a bit on the busy side.  I got up a little late (for me) (7 a.m.), came down and got the coffee perking and then dove in to some chores.  I put a clean tablecloth on the table, took the Christmas things off the buffet and put a new runner down.  Brought back my fairy light tree and the little house that Zhongren built.  Put some more things in the donation bag and got the first load of wash going.

I also watered all the house plants and my largest Christmas Cactus is still blooming.  Lots of blossoms and more buds.

Well, time to get the first load of wash into the dryer and get the second load started.  And, time for another cup of coffee!  Hope your Monday is off to a great start!

Unraveled Wednesday 1/8/25

 Good Morning!

Mabel was kind enough to not wake me up until almost 7 this morning!  That was wonderful and enabled me to get 8.5 hours of sleep.  Bliss!  It is a crisp 23 degrees outside and the birds are coming to the feeder at my office window.  Mabel is somewhere else in the house - she is not on her ledge where she can bat against the window.

Last night's Book Zoom meet-up was good.  Even though I had not read the book.  And even though the discussions did not led me to want to read the book.  LOL.  It was nice to see everyone again.

Now it's Wednesday.  Hump Day.  Mid-Week.  Time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk all about making and reading.  Two of my favorite subjects.  As I mentioned the other day on my blog, there was a bit of unraveling that went on.  In fact all that I had knit on the Heart Warmer Cowl was ripped back to the very beginning (meaning cast on).  I had gotten through the first round of lace work and was starting on the second round when (somehow) I was distracted and really messed it up.  I tried for over an hour to un-knit or tink back what I had done but honestly I could not make sense out of any of it.  Finally I realized it would be faster to rip it out and start over.  So, that is what I did.

This is how it looks now.  Ten rows of ribbing (1x1) are completed and the first two rounds of the cable and lace pattern have been knit.  Yesterday I did no knitting thanks to being busy and my finger bothering me.  Today I am hoping for some quiet time when I can get back to work on this (no distractions and no irritating background noise!! - wish me luck...).

Reading has been good.  I finished The Return of the Light - Twelve Tales From Around the World for the Winter Solstice which I enjoyed.  This is a book I had suggested to Fletch that we read after dinner, but he did not enjoy it.  The tales are short and easy to read and they are all about light (sun).  Easy to read a tale before turning out the light to go to sleep.

I also read The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd - another book that I enjoyed.  At first I thought it was one I had already read, but as it moved along, I realized I had not.  (I guess I may have read a number of books like it - slavery in the South in the early 1800's.)  The book was a good read for me - easy to read and not too taxing on my brain.  Exactly the kind of book I like to read in early January.

I'm happy to say that Fletch and I have agreed on a book that we are listening to after dinner:  The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson.  The narration, so far, is wonderful.  This book has been on my TRB list for quite some time and Sunday the post from MDK was about it which was the reminder I needed!  For those of you who have already read the book, and for those interested in it, I had a newsletter from our local PBS station and it mentioned that Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (of "Finding Your Roots" fame) has made a documentary titled "The Great Migration."  The four part series will start airing on PBS at the end of January.

And that's a wrap for me.  Today is a day where I have absolutely no plans and that suits me just fine!  I hope everyone has a wonderful day and remember to check out Kat's blog to see what everyone else is up to in the making and reading worlds.

Tiny Needle Tuesday 1/7/25

 Hey Everyone,

Good Morning!  Man is it cold here in Eastern PA.  It snowed all morning yesterday!  Despite that, we only got about 2" or so of snow.  Which is fine with me.  Then it snowed again last night for a couple of hours, but just a dusting.  And the wind!  Still howling around outside.  It's hard to remember back to those sweltering summer days when I was wishing for winter!  LOL

Finally, finally, I got back to stitching a little over the weekend.  It felt like years since I had picked up a needle.

Another sunflower was added to the left of the house as well as a third black cat and another red squirrel.  So many critters!!  A little more of the woman's dress was stitched, but there is still a long way to go on that.

Winter has taken a toll on my hands.  Or, more specifically, my right hand.  I have a crack that has formed at the top of my thumb.  My right index finger is covered in eczema (at least that's what I think it is).  It's a wonder how something can itch and hurt at the same time!  At any rate, this has made stitching a little difficult and also knitting.  I have a dermatologist appointment at the end of the month and I'll be happy to have my doctor take a look at my hand.

Looking forward to seeing some of you tonight for our Zoom book discussion with Kym, Carole and Bonny!

Weekending 1/6/25

 Hello and Good Morning!

First of all, Happy Birthday to my friend Carol!  May this year be one of joy and good health for you.

Second of all, it's snowing!  Yup, we had a dusting (again) on Friday, but today more is expected.  They are forecasting 1-3" for us.  But, of course, they don't really know what they are talking about.  When I look at our radar map, it appears that it could snow through 1 p.m. - that is 6 plus hours of snow, so we shall see.  Meanwhile, it is cold and periodically the wind is still howling around.

Luckily, I have no pressing need to go out.  Saturday I spent ALL day inside.  I did manage to get dressed (just barely).  I found time to knit, stitch, read, nap and cook.  It was (for me) a perfect day.

Some unraveling occurred.  The entire cowl that had gotten to the 20th row or so was taken off the needles.  Apparently I cannot work on lace work when there are distractions (TV) in the background.  I'm back to where I need to start the lace work and cables, so wish me luck (and some peace and quiet).

Yesterday I did venture out.  We were low on sunflower seeds and with the storm predicted, wanted to be sure we had enough for our feathered friends.  And, since I was out I also picked up wine - it would be horrible to get snowed in without wine!  LOL

Yesterday I did more stitching and some knitting and also cleaned off my desk.  That took some time.  I have journals out that I will use for 1) books that I read or listen to in 2025 and 2) a journal to record my walking.  More things were pulled together for the donation bag.  I would like to pull things together to donate to our local food pantry - a bunch of "food stuffs" are on shelves in our basement, so if I can tolerate being in the basement (it's cold!!) I will do that.

Today the plan is to do more knitting and stitching, a bit of reading and maybe some more organizing of "things."  It is so easy for stuff to pile up and before you know it, it's overwhelming to deal with it all.  I also took Thanksgiving turkey out of the freezer so that I can make mini turkey pot pies for dinner.

How was your weekend?  Please stay warm and safe - especially if you are in the path of the storm.

Unraveled Wednesday 1/1/25

 Hi All,

Greetings and Happy New Year!  We had a wild (and loud) thunderstorm last night.  Crazy.  We had expected rain, but not thunder and lightening.  Today is overcast (like January often is)...on the mild side, but quite windy out.  40 degrees, grey and windy is not appealing to me for a walk, so I will probably stay in.

How were your celebrations (if any)?  The crab cakes I made tasted very good...but they did not stay as cakes.  They fell apart.  Most likely I should have kept the mixture in the frig longer to really firm up, but I was late getting started mixing things together and then didn't really want to wait.  There is a lot of crab left over, that's for sure.

As usual, Fletch and I stayed in.  We watched two episodes of Poirot (neither of which I remembered seeing in the past, so that was fun).  And then we watched a program on the Folk Music Hall of Fame.  Interesting to see Peter and Paul (of Peter, Paul and Mary fame), Livingston Taylor (I remember listening to him in the early 70's, but he never became as popular as his brother), Joan Baez, Judy Collins and so many others.  I went to bed after that...Fletch stayed up to watch the ball drop.

And here we are at Wednesday.  The first day of the New Year and the first Unraveled Wednesday for 2025.  Time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk about all the making and reading.  If you've been reading my recent posts, you know that I finished Colin's second sock on the 21st of December and had not picked up any needles (knitting OR stitching) since then.  That, my friends, was rectified yesterday.

A tiny start!  I had caked up the yarn a few days prior and then yesterday afternoon cast on for a Heart Warmer cowl.  I've knit this pattern in the past and I LOVE the bobbles.  Fun to knit and fun to wear.  I am using fingering weight yarn from The Twisted Owl Fiber Studio (75/25).  The color way is "Honky Tonk Woman."  I often buy yarn for the name of the color way - LOL.  In this case, I love the colors in it as well.  This will be a gift for next Christmas!!  I'm attempting to get a head start this year.  And would like to knit more than just socks!  So far I've completed 3 rows of the 1x1 ribbing...hopefully more to be completed today.

On the reading side of things, I finished a few books since I last posted on an Unraveled Wednesday.  First up was "The Grey Wolf" by Louise Penny.  I'm interested to read how others felt about this book.  Though wonderful to be back in Three Pines with Armand Gamache, this book did not grab me like Louise Penny's other Gamache books have.  It was good, but some of it fell flat for me.  "The Black Wolf" is set to be published in October 2025, and I'm curious to see how I feel about that one.

Next up was "Long Island" (a sequel to Brooklyn) by Colm Tobin which I enjoyed (I think I liked Brooklyn better).

And then Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawagichi.  This is not a book I had heard about until my friend Leslie had mentioned it.  A mutual friend from high school had recommended it on Facebook.  The concept was interesting and it was a very quick read.  The four stories are inter-related and (for me) just ok.  I rated this book at 3 stars.

Fletch and I did finally finish the lecture series book "The Mind of the Raven" by Bernd Heinrich.  Though funny and interesting at times, listening to this book was too much like sitting in a lecture room.  LOL. We started reading The Return of the Light on the 21st, but after several tales, Fletch said he was not enjoying it.  That book has been moved to my nightstand and I need to remember to pick it up and finish it (though by the time I go to bed I am often too tired to read).  We have not yet come up with a new book to read or listen to after dinner.  Hopefully one will speak to us soon!

Once again, wishing everyone a Happy New Year.  Cheers to 2025 - may it bring all of us peace, joy, love and good health!