Unraveled Wednesday - the Last of 2025!

Good Morning!

As you can see, my Vermont Christmas Cactus continues to perform.  If you click to enlarge you will be able to see that the blooms are doubles.  I don't remember that from the original (parent) plant in Vermont, but my memory is certainly not as sharp as it used to be.

Well, how are you?  I'm doing well.  The State Store was visited at 9 a.m. yesterday to get wine and Prosecco and then Fletch and I managed to do the grocery shopping before lunch.  I did venture out to my least favorite hangout yesterday afternoon - the laundromat.  But now I have dry towels which is a good thing.  I forgot to call Mr. Appliance yesterday, but I will reach out to them today to see about having our dryer looked at.

Even though Kat is not posting today, it is still Unraveled Wednesday and I actually have some knitting to show!  Like my stitching, my knitting had been languishing for quite some time, but I'm happy to report that the first shortie sock has been finished and the second one is on the needles!

The first one took a little over 2 months!  I think that's a new record - even for me.  LOL. Hard to tell from the photo, but the second one is through the heel flap and turn and gusset stitches have been picked up.  Next thing you know I will be sailing down the foot!

On the reading side of things, I finished The Killing Stones by Ann Cleeves.  I think this may be the very first book I've read by this author!  Fletch and I watched Shetland and now this book brings me back into the world of Jimmy Perez.  The read was enjoyable, though not my favorite mystery by any means.  I'm now in the midst of another book and picked up yet another one from the library yesterday.

By my count I read 82 books in 2025 (I won't finish my current one today, so 82 is the final count).  In 2024 I read 52 books.  I don't set reading goals for myself, I just always like looking back at what I read.  Of the 82 read, there was only one audio ("Raising Hare").  There were 14 books of poetry read and 17 non-fiction books.  There were books of essays and a couple of short stories (not my favorite genre, but I did enjoy the ones I read).  26 of the books I rated as 5 stars and 29 of them as 4 stars.  That's a very high percentage!  2025 was a wonderful year for reading and I'm expecting more of the same in 2026.

Who has big plans for tonight?  Not us - LOL.  We have not gone out in decades on New Year's Eve.  Too many crazy people out there and I probably won't even make it to midnight.  Usually I make a crab quiche for us to enjoy with a bottle of champagne, but this year we are having BBQ shrimp (NOLA style), crusty bread, a big salad and Prosecco.  There are still cookies and other sweets left from Christmas, so no need to make a dessert.  My plan/hope is to just relax today with knitting and/or stitching and my book.  Whatever your plans, enjoy.

Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 12/30/25

 Dear Friends,

The wind is HOWLING and has been since yesterday afternoon.  We were mild yesterday.  At one point I looked at my phone and it was 50 degrees!  Then the winds picked up and the temp dropped rather rapidly.  During the night it sounded as though the house would be blown apart!  When I looked out the back bedroom window this morning I could see that our thistle feeder is on the ground (again).  The wind is just under 40 mph and steady...as in non-stop.  Whew!

After doing absolutely no stitching the past couple or few weeks, it felt good to finally get back to it yesterday afternoon.  Here is an overall look at where Appil stands as of this morning:

I managed to completely fill in the bird and then outlined the balance of the tree.  That bottom row (not finished) is the bottom of the piece!  Still a whole lot to be stitched, but luckily still much fun.  Here's a close up of the bird:

I'm hoping to finish the brown, brown, brown of the tree trunk before the next TNT.  We shall see...

Meanwhile, my dryer may be broken!  I don't really need or want this, but a load of towels has been in the dryer since yesterday afternoon and after a few cycles they are still not dry!  At least the washer is still functioning as it should!

I'd like to get to the liquor store for wine at some point today (trying to avoid that place tomorrow - New Year's Eve) and we do have grocery shopping to do.  Fingers crossed we do not get blown over.  There is no link up tomorrow for Unraveled Wednesday, but I will be back with a post.  See you then!

Catching Up 12/29/25

 Hello My Friends,

How are you?  I'm hoping that everyone is fine and recovering nicely from the holiday overload.  So.Much.Food.  But delicious!

We did have a lovely Christmas.  Iris was a delight.  We spent Christmas Eve at Colin & Mailing's and had a wonderful dinner and stocking stuffers. We were home early (before 9 p.m.) which was perfect.  Christmas morning found us at Bonnie & Zhongren's by 10 a.m.  Colin, Mailing and Iris showed up shortly after and then Anna and John.  We laughed and ate and unwrapped gifts and ate some more.  And...we were home by 2 p.m. in time for naps!  LOL

Our forecast was for a winter storm on Friday.  That did not occur until late in the day and then came in more as an ice storm than snow.  We ended up with roughly 3/4" of ice on the cars and driveway.  Luckily we had no where we had to go.  The only picture I took all during the past week was of the bird feeder outside my office window.  

Taken through a dirty window and screen, but if you click to enlarge, you may see the icicles hanging off the roof of the house.  The birds were happy to be fed.

I've been relaxing a ton!  Lots of reading, some cooking, a bit of knitting, some organization of things.  No stitching yet...but that should happen today.  Colin is off all week, so no babysitting Iris this week.  I miss her but my back is thankful.

I hope your days are unfolding in a relaxed and easy way.  I plan to be back tomorrow with a TNT update!

Christmas Eve and Unraveled Wednesday

 Good Morning!

Happy Christmas Eve.  I hope everyone is relaxing and enjoying the season.  We woke to more snow yesterday.  Only a dusting but it sure was pretty.  Now the winds are howling 

The Christmas Cactus above is the oldest of mine.  It's the one that started as a cutting from my Grandmother's huge plant.  And, mine has finally bloomed.  There are roughly two dozen more buds showing color and ready to open at any time.  Gorgeous!

We did manage to go grocery shopping yesterday and I made it to CVS (mob scene).  Fletch delivered a bunch of goodies to his former clients.  Everything is wrapped except the gifts for Colin, Mailing and Iris.  I'll get those wrapped this morning and also will make eggplant caponata to take over to Mailing's parents on Christmas.  

Now it's time to link up with Kat for Unraveled Wednesday.  I have no knitting to show...but my plan is to get back to that pronto (most likely on Friday...fingers crossed).

There has been a little reading.  I gave up on the Atomic City book.  Even though I'm interested in it due to both of my parents working there during the war, the book was a slog for me.  I'd pick it up and read a page or two and my eyes would start to close.  Too many other books to read!  I did finish Wreck by Catherine Newman.  This book continues the story of Rocky (Rachel) that started in the earlier book "Sandwich."  I had read Sandwich and thought it was okay...not great, but okay.  I found Wreck to be better.  It's a rather quick read (just around 200 pages).  Now I'm in the midst of "The Killing Stones" by Ann Cleaves and waiting for a bunch more in my queues at the library.

Wishing everyone a Very Merry Christmas - if you celebrate - and even if you do not, I wish you a very happy time this week.  May your days be full of delights and relaxation!

Weekending 12/22/25

 Hello and Happy Winter!

Now our daylight hours will gradually begin to lengthen.  This morning though it's a tad dark (cloudy too).  And...our 8" of snow disappeared last Friday.  It was still on the ground Thursday night when I went to yoga but heavy rains and winds made it all disappear on Friday.  Now, of course, more snow is in our forecast for tonight into tomorrow.  It is proving to already be a snowier Winter than last year.

The kids - Colin, Mailing and Iris arrived home safely from Aruba prior to the rains and winds.  They had a great time and Iris did well on the plane flights.  She went to the mall to see Santa over the weekend...but that didn't go so well.  LOL. Lots of tears - she did not like some strange man holding her on his lap.

I hope everyone is doing well and had a good weekend.  Mine was filled with cooking and baking.  Dinner one night was home made pizza.  Another night we had mussels, salad and garlic bread.  Last night I made spicy Cuban beef.  And cookie baking was done.  This year I did cut back on the number of cookies - I made peanut butter, chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and walnut crescents (like snowball cookies, but rolled into a log and then cut and shaped like crescents).  I also made a couple loaves of cranberry pumpkin pecan bread.  One of those went to our neighbors Rob & Eva and the other one Fletch will take (along with a lot of cookies) to one of his former clients.  Another two loaves of the bread will be made (one for us!! and one for C&M).

This is the only picture from the weekend!  Mushrooms sautéing for the pizza I made on Friday.  It was yummy (and there are leftovers in the fridge).

Today is my last day of watching Iris until January 5th!!  Tomorrow I have errands to run (CVS of course for prescriptions), gifts to wrap and assorted domestic chores I'd like to get done.  We are headed to C&M's on Christmas Eve for dinner and stocking stuffers.  Christmas Day will find us at Bonnie & Zhongren's for brunch and gifts.  After that:  RELAXATION!!!!

I'm not sure whether I will post again this week.  There has been no stitching for TNT and no knitting for Unraveled Wednesday though there has been reading, so I may post on Wednesday.

Hoping that today finds everyone resting and enjoying the final days leading up to Christmas.  Let there be no frantic running around!

Unraveled Wednesday 12/17/25

 Good Morning All,

It is 28 degrees here this morning which is 12 degrees warmer than yesterday...the warming trend has started.  I believe rain is in the forecast for tomorrow and Friday, so much of our snow (which is still sticking around) will be gone by the weekend.  Yesterday when I was at C&M's to feed Talbot I noticed the rain chains that Colin had hung were covered in ice.  Really pretty.

You may need to click to enlarge and really see the ice.  But look at that blue, blue sky!  Brilliant light yesterday.

Now it's time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to chat about what we are making and reading.  Fun stuff!  Not much knitting (and no stitching!) has been going on here.  I feel like I'm busier than when I watch Iris - going over to C&M's twice a day eats up a good chunk of time.  Despite spending a little time knitting while over there (to keep Talbot company), I still have not even finished the first of Mailing's shortie socks.

I still need to knit 5-10 rows before starting the toe decrease area.  Oh well.  Obviously the Family Birthday Socks are not happening.  Nor are the Family Christmas socks.  Maybe Valentine's Day?  I'm not putting any pressure on myself - the socks will get knit when they get knit.

No books were finished in the past week.  I'm plugging away on The Girls of Atomic City but am really pretty bored with it.  This past week I picked up two new books that came in for me:  Wreck by Catherine Newman (a follow up to "Sandwich") and The Killing Stones by Ann Cleaves.  I may just need to start one of those.  Fletch and I are still listening to the latest Dan Brown, but I can't tell you anything about it because I doze while we listen after dinner.  LOL

Yesterday morning a surprise was waiting for me when I came downstairs:  Fletch had gone out and bought a live tree (very small - table top size and planted in a red bucket)!  It is on a chest in our living room and is just so pretty.  I don't think we will even decorate it - it is pretty skinny and it would be difficult to put any ornaments on it.  Plus, we both like the way it looks all on its own!

My massage yesterday afternoon was fabulous!  Mallory (my massage therapist) really worked on the area that has been hurting since last week's yoga class (where I twisted maybe too far?) as well as my upper back and shoulders.  Pure bliss.

Last night I made a big pot of pinto bean soup for dinner and I have a large container that I will take over and put in C&M's fridge so that they have something to eat when they get home.  I also picked up a loaf of rustic bread for them to go with the soup and have a half dozen clementines that I will leave for them.  They get home around 9 p.m. on Thursday, so I still have four trips over (morning and afternoon today and tomorrow) to take care of Talbot.  

In between the cat feedings, the laundry, etc. I need to remedy the no gift situation for most everyone we will see on Christmas Day and I need to start baking some cookies.  I'd best jump on it!

Weekending 12/15/25

 Good Morning!

Well, I guess it really is winter!  On Saturday our forecast was for 2-4" of snow starting that evening.  I was at Collin & Mailing's feeding Talbot, so I put an extra bowl of food out for him...just in case.  Fletch and I watched the latest Knives Out movie and by the time I went to bed, the forecast was saying less than an inch of snow.  This is what I woke up to Sunday morning:

A little bit more than "less than an inch".  Of course there was also sleet involved.  I made some pear waffles for breakfast (really good - highly recommend) and by the time we were finished eating breakfast the snow had mostly stopped.  I took the leftover waffles out for the deer and measured the snow on the picnic bench:  8"!!  

My poor rosemary plant on the patio:

I've been using it regularly...but it may be done for now.

Our street had now been plowed, but I managed to get out and head over to C&M's by 10 a.m.  Their street had not been plowed either, but I managed fine and just pulled into their driveway a bit.  I don't think they got the 8" that we had, but it was still pretty.

Talbot was very happy to see me (and get more food).  I also went back over in the afternoon.  I was so surprised that Talbot actually spent some time in the sunroom (which is not heated and was icy cold).  Luckily he came back into the main part of the house before I had to leave.

We had a yummy shrimp stir fry for dinner (over jasmine rice).

C&M and Iris all arrived in Aruba safely.  Colin texted that Iris was great on the plane!  And, the hotel they are staying at (a Hilton) had overbooked, so they were upgraded to a lovely suite.

Today's plan is to get back over to feed Talbot this morning.  I will probably hang out there for a little while - I'll take my knitting and maybe have a hot cup of tea while keeping Talbot company.  Later I need/want to wrap gifts that I hope/plan to mail out tomorrow.  I'll be back to feed Talbot in the afternoon and then, perhaps, start baking some cookies.

Friday Winter Blooms

 Hello Friends,

It's Friday and I'm happy about that.  I had 3 very good days with sweet Iris this week, but I am ready for a day at home!  Today is that sweet girl's birthday and I cannot believe she is a year old.  I think I mentioned that I'm having a difficult time coming up with gift ideas for everyone.  That is not quite true.  It is very easy to find things for Iris...and they keep being delivered to my door!  LOL

Anyway, today I thought I would share some blooms with you.  The first is not quite blooming, but it is budded.  By my count this morning there are (at least) two dozen buds on this Christmas Cactus!

This plant is from a very, very old plant.  Years ago (maybe 25 or more...maybe 35) I took a cutting from the Christmas Cactus at my Grandmother's home in Vermont.  That plant was HUGE.  You could not even wrap your arms around it!  My plant has had good years and some that were not so good, but I think this year will be a banner one!

Extra surprising is the snapdragon blossom that I cut about 2 weeks ago.  It is still looking wonderful.  Often when I cut a snapdragon in the summer, it will start to lose petals pretty rapidly.  Not now!  

The bonus is that there is another stalk in bloom outside!  Wonders never cease.

My Yin Yoga class last night was very good, though I may have twisted a little too far - LOL.  I've had a pain in my left side all night.  Advil is my friend though and I have another Yin class at Noon today.  My plan/hope is to do a few errands this morning before class and then settle in for an afternoon of stitching and/or knitting.  There is a library book that has come in for me, so I will stop there and I'm betting there might just be a nap this afternoon as well.  I took an eye roast out of the freezer for dinner and have fresh asparagus and a huge buttercup squash to go along with that.

The kids fly out to Aruba early tomorrow morning.  I will still be going over to the house - actually twice a day - to feed Talbot while they are gone.  And to water their Christmas tree if needed.  Bonnie volunteered to take them all to the airport and pick them up when they return.

I hope everyone has a relaxing weekend planned with a bit of fun thrown in - enjoy!

Unraveled Wednesday 12/10/25

 Good Morning Everyone!

It doesn't seem possible, but 36 years ago I was just beginning to feel the twinges of labor.  Yup - Colin was born just after midnight on the 11th of December.  There was snow on the ground and it was frigid out!  We don't have snow at the moment (though some is predicted for this afternoon) but it is chilly.  Not quite as cold as yesterday though.

And, I'm so happy to tell you all that my washer is fixed and was used multiple times yesterday successfully!  Jay (Mr. Appliance) was here just before 9 a.m. and by 11 he was leaving.  What a relief to have that done.

Now it's time for some updates.  Let's link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk about making and reading.  A few more rows (I think 8) were added to my Panning for Gold cowl.

This is just a fun knit and the yarn is great.  The biggest surprise is that I picked up the first shortie sock for Mailing and actually knit a bit on it!

Sorry for the dark photo, but IRL it is very pretty.  I'm a good way down the foot (more than half way) making my way to the toe decrease area which will be in the purple like the cuff.

Yesterday was a nice mail day as well.  I ordered some yarn from MDK and it arrived yesterday!  I have wanted to make a Shakerag Top since forever, so I finally caved in and bought some ITO Kinu (silk) yarn for that in the color way Cayenne Red (which really looks more orangey or peachy to me).  And I also ordered some Jane in Caladium to make some fingerless mitts for moi!

Pretty, huh?  Looking forward to using these yarns in the new year...or maybe a Christmas Eve or Day cast on.  We shall see.

On the reading side of things, I finished The Antidote by Karen Russell and I must say again how surprised I was - I loved this book!!  Back in the Spring when I got it from the library I just could not get into it at all.  But when it was announced as the RWU choice I decided to give it another chance.  My thanks to Kym, Carole and Bonny for this choice - without them picking it for our group I would not have bothered picking it up again.  The characters are so quirky and wonderful and even though I do not consider magical realism a favorite genre of mine, it just seemed to work so well in this book.  I'm looking forward to our RWU meet-up and discussion in January.

I'm a bit more than half way through The Salt Stones by Helen Whybrow.  It's a little more technical than I think necessary (I don't need to know that much about sheep chewing cud and what is in their stomach, etc., etc.). And, Fletch and I are listening to The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown, but I'm not really enjoying it and, in fact, pretty much doze while we are listening!  Other than the fact that it takes place in Prague, I don't remember much about it (and I don't like the narrator either).

Be sure to head over to Kat's place to see what others are making and reading.  I'm betting you will not be disappointed.  Have a great Wednesday!

Weekending 12/8/25

 Hello, Hello!

Whoosh!  Again the weekend sped by.  It was (too) busy and fast.

There was yoga

There was baking a cake for Iris.  (And both layers fell apart when they came out of the pan!  I wanted to cry but instead I cursed really loudly.  The frosting - whipped cream - luckily held everything sort of together.  And it did taste good.)

There was celebrating Iris' birthday with lots of presents and laughs and good times.

There was a trip to the laundromat (my washer is now scheduled for - hopefully the final - repair tomorrow).

There was helping Fletcher wash his hair!!  He had a spot of skin cancer on his nose that was removed on Friday.  He now has a honking LARGE bandage on his nose that cannot get wet.  Luckily he goes back today for a bandage change and for the doctor to have a look-see.  Hopefully a small bandage will be in place.

There was ordering a new TV.  On Friday the volume on our TV quit.  Just like that!  We finally got around to ordering one late yesterday afternoon.  Last night before I went to bed the volume inexplicably came back on!  I need to quickly cancel the order!!

And now I'm thinking about the holidays fast approaching.  I have not thought about cards at all.  I have not bought more than a couple of gifts. I'm having a difficult time coming up with ideas for anyone!  The problem is that we all don't NEED anything and when we want something we just buy it.  BUT, I'd like to have something for folks to unwrap on Christmas.

Finally there was waking at 3 a.m. and not getting back to sleep.  Ugh.  And today I'm on Iris duty - hopefully I can stay awake.

OK, that's more than enough.  I hope your weekends were lovely and cheers to the week ahead.  May it be filled with happiness and relaxation.

TGIF

 

Good Morning!

Here's hoping that this Friday owning finds you doing well.  I am, though I'm a little on the chilly side - the heat needs to be cranked up a bit.  My Friday started rudely when, at 4:45 a.m., I came downstairs to let Mabel out and stepped in the middle of a hairball on the kitchen floor.  Yuck.  Fortunately I was not barefooted.

Our washer repair guy showed up right on time yesterday!  But...the machine is not yet fixed.  The belt for the spin cycle had slipped off the pulley.  Jay (repair guy) was able to get it back on, but when he tested it, the belt slipped right off again.   Apparently we need both a new belt and a new pulley.  That is in the works and Jay is confident he will be back early next week to complete the repair.  Meanwhile, I suppose another trip to the laundromat is in order...

Today, however, is about rest.  Last night's Yin yoga class was wonderful (there were only 3 of us in the class!) - lots of shoulder and upper back stretching.  I have another Yin class at Noon today.  The balance of the day (I'm hoping) will be for knitting, stitching, reading and most likely napping.

Tomorrow we are heading over to C&M's for dinner to celebrate Iris' first birthday!  I can't believe she will be 1 already (on the 12th).  I have yet another yoga class late morning tomorrow, but before going to that I will make a cake for her birthday party.  We are celebrating a week early since late next week the kids all head to a sunny location to celebrate.

Whatever your plans are, I hope they include plenty of relaxation.  Enjoy!!

Unraveled Wednesday 12/3/25

 Good Morning,

I hope everyone is doing well.  I was thankful to be home yesterday as the weather was miserable.  I woke to sleet and that pretty much continued all day long.  It was cold and raw.

My morning was spent attempting to schedule my washer repair.  I've given up with the original service that Speed Queen had arranged.  After multiple e-mails, texts and phone calls, I still have not heard from anyone!  Another call to Speed Queen was made and now another service should be out tomorrow for the repair.  I have their number and if I do not hear by this afternoon with a window of time, I will be in touch with them.

But now it's Wednesday and time for us all to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk about what is on our needles and what we are reading.  Although not much knitting has happened, there has fortunately been no unraveling.  I managed to (just barely) start my Panning for Gold cowl.

I'm enjoying the way the colors are playing together in this yarn.  I've cast on 150 stitches on #4 needles and have started with a K2P1 rib.  The picture shows 5 rows completed and that's where it stands as of now.  I'll do another 5 rows and then decide on another pattern.  I have several cowl patterns by Helen Stewart and I may just do a combination of some of the rows in her patterns.  I may add bobbles just because I love them and think they are fun to make.  There will definitely be some eyelets.  But for now the entire thing is just a mystery!

No pressure for this piece.  I'm not sure who it will be gifted to, but that won't be until next year.  This is definitely not a gift for 2025!

There has been reading, but no new books have been finished.  I am roughly 2/3 of the way through The Antidote by Karen Russell (the next RWU pick for discussion in January) and am still enjoying it very much.  Such interesting characters and such an interesting story.  I am finding that some parts drag on a little longer than I think are necessary, but overall I like it.  I also picked up and have started  The Salt Stones by Helen Whybrow.  I'm reading a few pages each night as I crawl into bed, so I'm not real far, but this is another good book.

Dinner last night was a frittata!  I had some asparagus in the fridge and sautéed that up with a bit of onion and some chopped mushrooms...added a bit of chopped up ham along with some tarragon and some thyme...then sprinkled a bit of Swiss cheese on top.  Poured in the eggs that I had whisked with a small amount of milk and a few chopped cloves of garlic.  Popped it in the oven, and at 400 degrees, the dish was ready in about 15 minutes.  YUM!  And, plenty of leftovers too.

Today I'm back over at C&M's to watch Iris (I'm hoping my car doors are not frozen shut with all the sleet).  I need to stop at the store to pick up sunflower seeds for the birds.  This will be my last day watching Iris this week.  I was scheduled for Friday, but I asked Bonnie if she could take that day so I can go to yoga.  In exchange, I am taking care of Iris next Monday when Bonnie was originally scheduled.  

Here's hoping your week is going well.

Weekending 12/1/25

 Good Morning My Friends,

How are you?  How was your weekend?  How was your Thanksgiving?  I am well and both Thanksgiving and the weekend were lovely.

One Thursday, Fletch and I headed over to Bonnie & Zhongren's in the late afternoon.  Mailing was cooking and everything was so delicious!  We had roast turkey (from the farm) and gravy, mashed potatoes with caramelized onions, stuffing and roasted broccolini (one of Iris' favorite veggies).  Zhongren had baked some naan, Anna made an apple pie and I made a praline pumpkin pie along with both cranberry orange relish and cranberry orange chutney.  I don't think anyone was hungry after that meal!

The weekend included two yoga classes as well as a trip to the laundromat...my washer has yet to be repaired.  The repair person who was scheduled to show on Wednesday ended up being a no-call/no-show.  I tried calling the business on Friday, but of course they were closed for the holiday.  Oh well, in the grand scheme of things it's not all that important.  Yes it is annoying and frustrating.  But I try not to hold on to those negative thoughts.  I'm lucky to have a laundromat close by (that was not crowded).  I'm hoping for an appointment tomorrow since I will be watching Iris today.

Sunday ended up being full of beautiful surprises!  I made some multi-grain pancakes for breakfast with blueberries.  While cooking I looked out and saw a bluebird.  Such a brilliant blue!  He (definitely a male) had come to our picnic table where we have a large saucer filled with water (and a heater to keep it from freezing).  Then, during breakfast, I looked out and noticed it was snowing.  So pretty.  It didn't stick really (except on the pumpkin which is still on the picnic table) but it was just so nice to see it coming down.  Then I noticed that our snapdragons are still blooming.  What a surprise!

We also have a petunia that refuses to stop blooming in our kitchen window box.

Continuing with the cooking theme, last night I made Shrimp in Thai Coconut Curry Sauce that was wonderful.  We had it over basmati rice.

I only used 1 TBS of fish sauce (that stuff is STRONG!!) and next time I would add more of the red curry paste.  Very yummy though.

Most likely there will be no TNT post from me tomorrow.  To date, I have not put in a single stitch since I last posted an update on my sampler.  I doubt I will have time or the energy to stitch tonight.

Also, we watched a great movie last night:  Train Dreams.  Available on Netflix and we highly recommend.

Welcome to December!!

Unraveled Wednesday 11/26/25

 Good Morning My Friends,

It is another gloomy day here in Eastern PA.  Rain is once again in the forecast.  However, it is supposed to be in the mid-sixties today.  Tomorrow is another story - the forecast is only for a high of 41.  We might be once again in roller coaster weather.  But, rain or no rain, it is time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers for the last Unraveled Wednesday of November.

There has been no unraveling here.  In fact, there has been absolutely no knitting.  Oh well, c'est la vie.  I guess the Family Birthday Socks will not be happening - at least not in time for birthday celebrations (which are set for December 6th).  I will get to them, but not this week.  Of course this lack of knitting on my part makes me wonder why I signed up for the 2026 Farmer's Daughter Sock Squad.  LOL

A cowl is still on my mind...something easy perhaps.  I pulled out a skein of yarn to (maybe) cast on.  The color way is "Gold Panning" and it is from Twisted Owl Fiber Studio in Longview, TX.  This was bought at the NJ Sheep and Wool Festival a few years back.  It is 75/25 Merino/Nylon and the label states 100 grams/463 yards.  A steal at $11 for the skein!

Hard to tell in this dark early photograph, but the colors are mostly blues and some white with gold here and there.  If my Mom were still alive, I'd be making something for her since she ended up panning for gold in CA many, many moons ago (when she and her girlfriend biked from Vermont to California in 1941).

BTW, the pillow on the right in the picture is a crewel work pillow that my Mom stitched many years ago.  (The rooster pillow is store bought - I think Home Goods.)

Reading has been pretty slow.  I did finish Three Bags Full the sheep detective story by Leonie Swann.  It was a fun read, but became a bit boring for me.  I did see that there is a second book called "Big Bad Wool" but I think I'll wait a bit before trying that one.

I'm very happy to report though that I am now reading The Antidote by Karen Russell.  This is the book our RWU group will be discussing in January.  I'm loving this book so much!  This is a huge surprise for me since I tried reading this last Spring and could not get into it.  Now?  I'm finding it to be a great read.  Also surprising since magical realism is not one of my favorite genres.  It just seems to be working for me this time around.

A trip to CVS is on my agenda for this morning (prescriptions to pick up) and I'm looking forward to my washer being repaired this afternoon.  Other than that, I plan to just take it easy.  We are going to Mailing's parents for Thanksgiving, but won't be going till late afternoon, so my pie making will be tomorrow morning.  Wishing everyone a tasty and relaxing Thanksgiving.  I'm very thankful for this blogging community.

Tiny Needle Tuesday 11/25/25

 Good Morning,

Looks to be a bit of a gloomy day here.  Rain is in the forecast and it is dark early here.  But, it's Tuesday and time for a tiny needle update.  Another creature has arrived on the large sampler.  A bird!

Despite my best efforts, this mighty bird has not been completely filled in.  I guess I was too busy cooking to spend more time stitching.  At any rate, it was nice to stitch something other than a tree trunk!  LOL. Here's the shot of how the whole sampler looks overall so far.

The top half is almost completed!  It's taken about six months to get to this point, so I'm guessing another six months of working on this before it is finished.  Probably best not to think about that.  The important thing is that I'm (still) enjoying stitching this piece.

Here's hoping that your Thanksgiving week is going well...not too frantic or busy and finding time to be thankful.

Weekending 11/24/25

 Good Morning Friends,

Whoosh!  What happened to the weekend?  It feels like it went by in a blur.  I hope yours was good.  Mine included a lot of yoga (which is really helping my back!!).  Saturday morning I watered all the house plants and two of my Christmas cacti are really putting on a show now.

These two usually sit on my sewing machine cabinet, but I moved them to Mabel's ledge to get a good shot of them.  The one on the left actually has two plants in the pot and I think the second one (which is loaded with buds) will be a different color than the red.  If you click to enlarge, you will see all the buds which appear to be white with a light tinge of pink.  Time will tell.

The weekend also included some cooking.  Saturday I made a delicious salad (new to us) to go with the lamb chops that Fletch grilled.  I can't remember where I saw this recipe, but I will be making it again!  You chop up 4 beets (cooked), a pear, half a red onion and about a third of a cup of walnuts.  Toss all that together.  The dressing is 3TBS EVOO, the juice of a lemon, S&P, a quarter cup of chopped parsley. a third of a cup of chopped celery (which I forgot) and a TBS of honey.  Mix together and pour over the beets and pear.  YUM!!!

On Sunday I got to work making the cranberry-orange relish and the cranberry chutney for Thanksgiving.  The cranberry orange relish is from my Mom's recipe files.  You just chop up a bag of cranberries and an orange and then add sugar.  It is still tart, but a little sweet.  The chutney is one of Fletcher's Mom's recipes and includes a chopped up orange, another bag of cranberries, a lb of raisins, some cider vinegar and then cinnamon, cloves and ginger.  Everything is dumped in a pan and cooked on the stove till the berries pop.  It thickens up nicely.

The chutney's are uncovered to finish cooling.  We had a little with dinner last night - I wanted to make sure it was good enough for Thanksgiving.  LOL

There is still a pie to be made - that will be done either Wednesday or Thursday morning (depending on what time we need to be at Mailing's parent's home on Thursday).  Today and tomorrow I'm caring for Iris and on Wednesday my washing machine is scheduled to be repaired!  The days keep zooming by.

This time of year is one I really enjoy - candles at dinner, wrapping up in a warm shawl, etc.  But, I know many (Fletch included) are impacted by the diminished amount of sunlight.  Just remember, it is less than a month until the Winter Solstice and then our daily dose of sunlight will steadily increase.

Wishing everyone a gentle week.  Enjoy!

Friday Felines 11/21/25

 Good Morning,

I have not posted a picture of Mabel in some time...she is not fond of having her picture taken - LOL.  But here she is resting after a long night outside (bad girl not coming home).

She may be bad, but she is sweet also.  And, if you look closely you'll see there is a bird at the feeder and another one flying in.  Last year's feeder was one that was suctioned cupped to the window and I think Mabel liked that one better.  However, the squirrels destroyed it, so we have a different one now.

The last two days with Iris were hard on my back and shoulders, so today is going to be about resting.  I did have a Yin yoga class last night and am planning to go to another one today.  But that's it!  Oh, I may stop at the library.  The other day I requested The Antidote by Karen Russell for our Read With Us group and yesterday I received notice that it is in for me!  Fast!

Whatever your Friday has in store for you, may it be a good one!  Enjoy.

Tiny Needle Tuesday 11/18/25

 Hello My Friends,

How are you this morning?  I'm a bit on the tired side.  I slept well for so many nights in a row, but then last night I woke at 2:30 and never really got back to sleep.  And in the "I Can't Believe It" category, my washer is not working correctly!  It was only about 14 months ago that we bought a Speed Queen.  But, the spin cycle is not working.  Everything comes out of the washer soaking wet and dripping!  Today I will be finding a repair person.  On Sunday our power went out twice in a row.  It wasn't off long, but I had wash going and clothes in the dryer, so I went down to the basement to make sure things were running.  There was a smell of something burning.  Fletch and I spent about 15 minutes in the basement looking all around and could not find anything wrong.  No smoke, just that awful smell.  So, I don't know if that power issue had anything to do with it or not...we shall see.

Meanwhile it's Tuesday and time for a TNT update.  I ran out of time before I could finish coloring in the snake, but he/she is almost finished.  And, a good portion of the brown, brown, brown trunk of the tree has been completed.

Here is the way it all looks right now:

It is slowly coming along.  I started this on 5/31/25, so I've been at it for over 5 months now!

One of my Christmas cacti finally opened one of the buds!  I counted another dozen or so buds on this one small plant!

The other Christmas cacti have buds (lots) but none open yet.

Thank you all for your kind thoughts for my friend Janet.  She came through her surgery on Friday with no issues and actually came home on Saturday!  She was supposed to stay overnight at the hospital for two nights, but she was doing so well they let her go home a day early.  They are still waiting on further biopsies to determine whether she needs any additional treatment (chemo and/or radiation) beyond the surgery.  Fingers crossed for her.

Here's hoping everyone is having a good week!

Weekending 11/17/25

 Hello Everyone,

Well, I have no photos to share from our weekend, but it was a very good one.  And it started a little early!  Damon (Fletch's brother) arrived Wednesday just in time for dinner.  I had made a crab quiche and we had a BIG salad with garden greens.

I spent Thursday and Friday at C&M's caring for Iris.  While I was doing that, the guys were tackling a lot of projects around the house.  This was no vacation for Damon!!  On Thursday I had made a crockpot dinner since I wouldn't be home and then I had another Yin yoga class at 7:30.  What a fabulous class!!  (I'm going back this week.)

Saturday I had another yoga class and the guys did more stuff around the house (inside and out).  Then we headed back to C&M's for a delicious dinner.  We had a rump roast, carrots and salad.  Colin had baked sourdough bread to go with everything.  And also...an amazing chocolate cake (3 layers) with the BEST buttercream chocolate frosting I have ever tasted.  And wine, of course.  The men enjoyed a fire outside, but Mailing and I opted to stay in (it was pretty chilly out and a bit on the damp side).

We took Damon out to breakfast Sunday morning and then he headed home.  I did a bunch of laundry and Fletch finished up some projects.  Today is more laundry (just sheets that I didn't get to yesterday).  I'm planning/hoping to do some yoga and also some stitching and knitting.

The weekend was full, but so lovely and I hope yours was too.

Unraveled Wednesday 11/12/25

 Good Morning All,

It's a little warmer this morning - low 30's.  Thankfully it sounds as though the winds have died down.  It was very blustery yesterday afternoon.  My massage in the afternoon was blissful, though I have SO MANY knots in my back, shoulders and thighs.  Ugh!  Hopefully regular massages and my yoga classes will help with that.

Time does seem to be moving at warp speed and here we are at Wednesday again and time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk about making and reading.  After not knitting for what seems like forever, I managed a few more rows on Mailing's first shortie sock for the Family Birthday Socks.

Nearing the end of the gusset decreases.  Last night I had a dream that these shortie socks plus Iris' pair were finished and Colin's were started.  But, at the rate I'm getting these done (slower than a tortoise) these may end up being Family Christmas socks or even Family Valentine socks.  LOL

Part of my slowness in making these Family socks is that I do not work on them when I'm at C&M's watching Iris.  I want them to be a surprise and Colin is always interested in what I am making.  I'm going to try another cowl with the yarn that did not want to be a Heart Warmer Cowl!  I really want to make this for my friend Janet (Leslie's sister).

You may remember that my friend Leslie has been through so much - lung cancer and then two bouts of breast cancer and more recently uterine cancer (thank you Tomoxifan).  Now Janet has been diagnosed with breast cancer (2nd time) and she is scheduled to have a double mastectomy on Friday.  If you would send some healing wishes her way I would really appreciate it.

In other knitty news I did succumb and push the button to subscribe to the 2026 Farmer's Daughter Sock Squad.  And, it feels good!  I have no idea where I will put all the yarn, I'm overrun at the moment with storage bins, etc.  But, this is a good opportunity to organize and rediscover things buried at the bottom of various places.

Reading has been so-so.  I did finish The Letter Carrier by Francesca Giannone and enjoyed it.  It was a pleasant, easy read for me which apparently is exactly what I need these days.  Two books that I had been in queue for (a long time) - The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong and My Friends by Fredrik Backman finally came in.  And, I could not get into either of them!  I would read a few pages, get bored, or my eyes would start to close.  They were both returned to the library.  I may try them again later on...time will tell.

I am reading a rather fun and different mystery now.  Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann is a sheep detective story!  Yup - you read that correctly.  A flock of sheep discover their shepherd dead with a spade stuck in him and the sheep go about trying to figure out who did it.  Another easy read that is perfect for me right now.  I heard about this book through The Farmer's Daughter who has a book club (I'm not part of it, but I enjoy seeing what they are reading).

Fletch and I are on the final leg of Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane (we are now in Canada) and we are still enjoying it.  Listening will be on hiatus while Damon is here, but we will pick it up again after his visit.

Well, that does it for me.  I have a long list of chores and errands for today, so I'd best buckle down and get to it!  Happy Hump Day!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 11/11/25

 Good Morning and Brrrrr!

My phone says it is 29 degrees out, but feels like 15!  I think that's the coldest we've been since last winter.  I texted Colin to bundle up - he takes Iris out for a walk every morning.  And, that girl is just like her father was at that age - she does not want to have a coat on at all.  Or a hat...or socks!

It's Tiny Needle Tuesday again (already) and there is not much to show for the past week.  Only a few stitches in the palest color of the Evil Serpent were put in.

Of course the upside is that most of my chores were completed.  Not all, but most.  Today I'd like to finish those chores, do the grocery shopping and I have a massage booked for this afternoon.  Tomorrow I have a few errands to run in the morning and I'd like to do some baking (cookies).  Damon should arrive by dinner tomorrow and I'm planning to make a crab quiche and a salad to go with it (with greens from the garden - Fletch closed up the cold frame yesterday, so all should be ok).

Stay warm if you are in this cold snap and have a wonderful Tuesday!

Weekending

 Hello My Friends,

Time does seem to be marching along, doesn't it?  Already November 10th.  So, tell me, how was your weekend?  Mine was good.

There were two yoga classes again.  The Yin class on Friday (LOVE!!) and then a regular Vinyasa class on Saturday.  Boy could I feel it though!  The Yin class focused on stretching hamstrings (can you say TIGHT??).  The Vinyasa class included a lot of twisting which I enjoy, but my back was more than a little tired after that.

Chores were (finally) accomplished!!  Both bathrooms were scrubbed, the kitchen floor was cleaned, multiple loads of laundry were washed and dried and I was able to pick up my new glasses Saturday afternoon.  Yay!

In addition, I managed to do a little baking.  Sunday I made the Parisian Apple Cake.  A fast and easy recipe that turned out delicious - highly recommend.

Last night I roasted a bunch of mixed nuts.  Usually I just toss them in a tiny amount of EVOO, salt, red pepper flakes and fresh rosemary.  Instead I tried a sweet and savory recipe.  They are ok, but I think I prefer my simpler way of doing them.  This recipe called for egg white, sugar, cinnamon and then a bunch of spices.  They taste good, but I'd rather not have the sweet part - just give me the savory.

There are now fresh sheets on the guest room bed, although that room still needs to be dusted and vacuumed.  We are expecting Damon to drive up from Virginia on Wednesday and he'll be staying until Sunday.

I'm debating about joining the Farmer's Daughter Sock Squad again for 2026.  I haven't even used all the yarn I received in 2024, but it's an awful lot of fun to have a surprise in the mail each month and the price is beyond reasonable.  Plus, for 2026, the theme is color!  The button hasn't been pushed yet, but I'm very, very close!

Here's hoping your Monday finds you doing something fun.  I'll be with Iris and that is always a good time!

Happy Friday and a Correction!

Good Morning,

When I posted on Wednesday I shared a link to a book I am not reading - LOL.   The book about Oak Ridge, TN and the women who worked on the Manhattan Project that I am reading is The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kieran which is a non fiction book, not a novel.  Sorry about that!

Last night when I finished reading "The Letter Carrier" I picked up Atomic City and read another chapter.  There are photographs in the book including some "then and now" pictures of a few of the women.  It's an interesting read, but unlike my normal behavior, I will most likely pick up another book (novel) to read alongside.  There are a few on my nightstand to choose from as well as another one ready for pick up at my library.

Both Wednesday and Thursday were great days with Iris.  I can see the four teeth on top that are beginning to come in.  That little girl is a trooper and doesn't complain too much.  We spent a lot of time reading (as usual) - many books multiple times.  One of her favorites that we read at least 4-5 times a day is Grandfather Twilight which is just such a beautiful and sweet book.  Another favorite is Night is Coming which is so soothing to read (even in the daytime).

The other week Bonnie (Mailing's Mom) had gone apple picking at an orchard.  She brought over apples for Colin & Mailing, but also for Fletch and me.  The apples had been sitting in a bowl on the buffet, and I was beginning to smell them every time I walked into the kitchen.  Not wanting them to go bad, last night I peeled and chopped about 8 of them and made some applesauce.

Yum!  Brown sugar (not much), cinnamon and nutmeg plus a sprinkle of vanilla sugar.  There are more apples still and I'm planning to make a Parisian Apple Cake hopefully this weekend.  

Today is busy with multiple errands (CVS, wine, library) and yoga at Noon.  Laundry has piled up again and after successfully avoiding my chores for multiple days, I need to buckle down and get them done.  We are looking forward to a visit from Damon (Fletcher's brother) next week.  I need to find out if Peggy, his wife, is coming with him or not so that I know which bedroom to prepare!  And what meals to plan to fix!

Time to have some coffee and get started on my day.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Unraveled Wednesday 11/5/25

 Good Morning!

Once again, I've slept in a bit on a Wednesday...so rushing to get a post written and get some coffee into me.  Not a lot to share anyway, but it's time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers.  

There has been no unraveling fortunately, but there also has been no knitting.  I have not picked up my knitting in over a week!  I know, shame on me and that is certainly not the way to get family birthday socks completed in time.  

Still at the beginning of the gusset decreases.  Thank goodness I'm making shortie socks for Mailing...and Iris' socks should (ha!) be quick.  I'm guessing I will get these two pairs completed and, perhaps, Colin's socks started.  But his socks will be full size and I imagine they may be started but not finished by birthday celebration time.

I've been reading a bit though I have only one finish to share with you.  It's a fabulous one though!  I read The Place of Tides by James Rebanks and I cannot recommend this book enough.  Rebanks' writing is simply beautiful and I found this book to be calming and soothing.  Perfect for These Days.

Now I'm enjoying The Letter Carrier by Francesca Giannone.  Many thanks to Kat for bringing this book to my attention.  It's an easy and fun read - reminds me a bit of Brooklyn and Long Island by Colm Tobin.

Usually I do not read two books at once (other than what I'm reading and what Fletch and I are reading together), but I have started The Atomic City Girls.  This book is about the women who worked in Oak Ridge, TN during the war.  Many of them didn't even know what they were working on!  Though a novel, the book is filled with famous people and so far (I've only read the introduction and one chapter) I'm enjoying it.  My Dad was recruited and pulled out of grad school to work in Oak Ridge.  He took a week off to head up to Vermont and marry my Mom.  Upon their return, she began working there as well. I figured this book is required reading for me - lol.

Fletch and I are still in the midst of listening to Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane.  We are maybe halfway through (we are now in India) and are continuing to enjoy this.  

Time for me to guzzle some more coffee and pull some things together to take with me when I head out to watch Iris today.  Happy Hump Day!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 11/4/25

 Hello and Good Morning!

Another day has passed with me successfully avoiding chores.  LOL. I did, however, take in donations to our local food pantry and I did pick out new frames and order new glasses - they should be ready in under two weeks.  Yay!

Fletch has been doing garden chores daily - getting it all ready for a long Winter's rest.  The other day he dug our potatoes.  It was a very poor showing this year.  There were only 6 small ones.

But, let me tell you, these were the sweetest and creamiest potatoes I've ever had.  They were delicious...I only wish there had been more.  We had them last night along with fresh green beans and some haddock that I cooked in the air fryer (nice and crispy and tasty).  When I walked out to look at figgy, I noticed a few more figs are beginning to ripen.  They are all small but there are loads of them.  I hope more will ripen...I'm not sure as the leaves are beginning to yellow.

Anyway, all of this brings us to the first TNT of November!  As I mentioned yesterday, stitching has been calling me much more than knitting and I think I got a lot stitched in the past week.  The Evil Serpent has been completely outlined and the tip of his tail has been filled in.  The balance of his body still needs some color and obviously there is a lot of tree trunk to be filled in.  And the creepy crawly was finished.

Sorry for the shadow...here's an overall look at where things stand.

Every time I pull this out to stitch I get a big smile on my face.  I love it!  But...I will be happy to do something a little smaller for the next one (no pattern chosen yet - still lots to stitch on this one).

Time for another cup of coffee and time to get my day started.  Hope your Tuesday is a good one!