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.