One Year!!!

 Hello and Good Morning!

I realized this morning that today marks my anniversary of retiring.  Yup - it's been one whole year!

It's not clear to me how I ever found time to work.  LOL. Even though my life would seem boring to so many, I'm so very content with the way I live and the way my days unfold.  Nothing exciting, just small joys each and every day.

Fletch did grill steaks for us the other night.

It had been literally months since I had had a steak and boy was it delicious!  These were NY Strip steaks and both of us couldn't even eat half of our steaks!  So, today's lunch will be a salad with a few pieces of steak on top and there will be more for another lunch.  That certainly makes the price of steak more attractive.

Tonight I'm making shrimp stir fry.  There will be a ton of veggies in it.  And, maybe we should see if there is a bottle of champagne downstairs or Prosecco to celebrate a year of retirement.

Although we don't have signs of daffodils or crocus yet, Colin texted a picture - their first crocus is blooming (and they are only about 12 miles north and west from our house), so it should not be long.  The Red Wing Blackbirds are back and coming to our yard daily (a sure sign of spring) and this morning I heard geese honking as they flew overhead.

I did make a run to Trader Joe's and Joann's yesterday.  Both were disappointing!  I specifically wanted salmon from TJs.  We prefer the wild caught, boneless and skinless...there was none of that in the store.  So, I got a few filets that have the skin on, but I don't like that.  HOWEVER...there were some finds as well:  Cherry Plums which are delicious and Fletch had read or heard that TJs peanut butter cups were great.  I'm here to tell you they are!  No more Reese's PB cups for me!

Joann's wasn't crowded, but it was pretty much picked over.  Not much ribbon or buttons, almost no floss.  There were plenty of ugly fabrics, but not much in the way of remnants (mostly fleece).  I bought a couple of plastic needles for weaving in yarn ends and that was it!  And, the store was really (I mean REALLY) dirty.  I was glad to leave.  I may (or may not) get to the other Joann's near us before it closes, but I don't feel compelled - lol.

This has been such a nice week providing knitting, stitching and reading time each day!  I'm hoping for more of the same today.  And, welcome to the weekend - enjoy!

Unraveled Wednesday 2/26/25

 Good Morning!

Two days in a row now that the temp when I got out of bed was above freezing!  Progress my friends, progress.  No signs of crocus leaves (or blooms) or daffodil leaves and buds here, but C&M have crocus blooms at their home (only 20 minutes from us) and my brother and sister-in-law in Delaware have daffodils blooming.  It can't be long now!

Who else is finding it hard to believe that we are at the last Wednesday in February?  2025 is flying by (good thing with all the nasty nonsense going on).  Let's link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to see what everyone is up to in the making and reading worlds.

Believe it or not, sock # 2 is well underway!

Yes, the leg is done and I am ready to knit an Eye of the Partridge heel and do the turn.  Then I will book it down the foot to the finish line.  I am ready for this pair of socks to be finished!

As for reading I finished The Secret History by Donna Tartt for our RWU group.  I did not like the book.  I found the characters despicable from the get-go and that did not change throughout the 500+ pages of the book.  They just remained nasty.  And I didn't like the story.  BUT, the writing was so good.  Really gorgeous.  I'm glad I read it, but I've turned to an easier-to-read book now - kind of a palette cleanser if you will.  More about that next week.

I need to get moving and have more coffee. I have an appointment with the audiologist at 9 a.m. (just a routine visit to have my hearing aids checked).  If I have the energy (doubtful after a pretty much sleepless night) I may make a Trader Joe's run.  And, if I do that, I will visit JoAnn's (in the same strip mall) to see what they have.  I found out that after initially saying only some stores would close, it now seems that ALL stores will be closing.  Maybe I can find a treasure?  JoAnn's was where I always would go for remnants (upholstery material = great tablecloths).  This particular store has looked pretty shabby for the last year...low supplies of DMC thread, low supplies of yarn, etc., etc.  But, maybe I can find something?  And now I wonder where I will find sewing thread or even fabric (I like to see and feel fabric before I buy).  Anyway, if not today, then maybe tomorrow for those visits.

Be sure to visit Kat's Blog to see what everyone is doing!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 2/25/25

 Hello Everyone!

How are you?  The temps are slowly warming here still.  Thank goodness (our electric bill arrived yesterday - ugh!).  When I came downstairs this morning I discovered that Fletch had turned off ALL the heat last night.  That's the first time in months we have not even had the downstairs bathroom heat on. Woo-Hoo!

And yesterday I managed to get out for a walk on the River Trail in Valley Forge.  First time in weeks.  No pictures - it was an empty trail but for myself (which is the way I like it).  There was a lot of Spring birdsong, but I didn't see any birds other than a few ducks on the water.  I saw one girl with a dog on my way back, and that was it!

Well my friends, I have a finish for you!  Summer Iris by Blackbird Designs was finished (the stitching part) on Saturday.  

I'm not sure what count fabric this is, but the piece is roughly 4x5.  I used one strand of Weeks Dye threads over two linen threads.  The design called for the year to be stitched on the left and a single initial of the stitcher on the right.  Instead, I stitched Iris on the left, the date on the right and my initials (very pale on purpose) also on the right.  And...drumroll...I actually finished this into a little pin pillow yesterday!

I went through my fabrics and found this pretty embroidered fabric to back the cushion.

                                                                                    

The pin pillow now resides in the dough bowl I have that is filled with little pieces.

A new piece has already been started!  It is The Kindness Sampler by Birds of a Feather.  Kindness is appropriate ANY time, but I thought Kindness would be particularly appropriate during "these times."  Here is a picture of the overall design.

The sticker in the upper right corner tells me that I paid $7 for this design.  The other day I looked on line just for kicks.  The design is out of print, but you can get it used for $12 or you can find it on eBay for $72!  That's just plain crazy.

Anyway, I picked out some linen (40 count Light Examiner) and the called for Weeks Dye threads and made a small start on it yesterday afternoon.

So far, so good.  But let me tell you, 40 count is tiny!  I'm definitely using my magnification headband when I stitch on this.

Time for me to pour another cup of coffee and try to get my day started!  I hope you all have a good one.

Weekending 2/24/25

 Good Morning All!

Hey!!  It is above 30 degrees this morning!  A milestone has been reached.  This week should be warmer - warm enough that Fletch has said he wants to grill on Wednesday.  I believe there are a couple of NY Strip Steaks in the freezer calling our names!  Despite the freezing temps and the ugly weather (not to mention ugly times), we are moving closer and closer to March and Spring!  I'm excited.

I'm hoping your weekend was as lovely as mine.  Nothing too spectacular...rather more of the usual...cooking, reading, knitting, stitching, napping, avoiding chores, and the BEST - Iris snuggles on Sunday.

Friday I couldn't figure out what I wanted for lunch, so I roasted some eggplant slices and then covered them with a sauce.  Delicious!!

All you do is brush slices (roughly 1/3" wide) of eggplant with EVOO and sprinkle on some salt & pepper.  Roast for 20 minutes at 430, then flip and roast about 10 more minutes.  When they come out of the oven you brush them with a sauce made of EVOO, red wine vinegar, s&p, minced garlic, a little oregano and a bunch of chopped parsley.  Let the slices sit for a few minutes to absorb some of the sauce.  YUM!

Colin, Mailing & Iris came over on Sunday for lunch.  I baked some bread and we had that with soup I had made on Thursday.  Fletch requested a pineapple upside down cake for dessert.

The kids went home with some of everything for another day.  Both Fletch and I were too full for dessert (which we don't normally have with lunch anyway), but the kids ate everything up!  Iris was so sweet and each time we see her she is longer and more alert.

The only "chore" I did (other than cleaning bathrooms) was gathering and organizing all the various papers for taxes.  I'm ready for my appointment on the 20th of March.  After the kids left yesterday I did a little stash diving which was fun...more about that another day.

How was your weekend?

TGIF 2/21/25

 Good Morning!

This weather!!  It's like a broken or scratched record...playing the same bit over and over.  Bitter cold temps, winds (which did pick up again yesterday) and snow.  Yesterday was a good day to stay in (which I did).  It started snowing here right around 1 p.m. and continued for a couple of hours.  Just a dusting, but again the wind picked up.  This morning there is evidence of Mabel (or some creature) walking down the walk by our front door.

I made a huge pot of soup yesterday for dinner.  Enough that there is some in the freezer and more in the frig - Colin, Mailing and Iris will be over Sunday for lunch so home made soup and home made bread are on the menu.  Fletch has requested a pineapple upside down cake for dessert, so there will be that too.  (I need to get the pineapple and heavy cream for whipping.)

Yesterday I shunned all chores and managed to knit in the morning and stitch in the afternoon.  Reading was sprinkled throughout the day.  I'm hoping for more of the same today (except that the kitchen floor really could use some attention....).  I should also finish pulling together things for taxes - everything is in a folder, I just need to organize it and list out some stuff (medical, donations, etc.).  Our appointment with our tax person is not till March 20th (Spring Equinox!!!), but I'd like to have everything together before then.

No plans for the weekend (other than the kids being here Sunday afternoon) which is the way I like it.  The sky is blue and the sun is up.  We are going to order out Thai food for dinner which will be easy and tasty!  I'd love to get out for a walk, but temps in the teens and wind don't make me excited about doing that.  I'll see how it goes.  I have a book to drop at the library and another one to pick up, so when I go out I will see how it feels.

Meanwhile, wishing you all a lovely weekend filled with kind and joyful things.  Enjoy!!  I'm off to fix another cup of coffee.

A Gathering of Poetry 2/20//25

 

It is still winter as far as I am concerned.  Fortunately we have no snow on the ground presently, but it is still bitter cold and icy underfoot.  So, I thought this poem from May Sarton would be a good one to share as I link up with Bonny and others for A Gathering of Poetry.

Blizzard

 

Hard to imagine daffodils

Where I see nothing but white veils

Incessant falling of thick snow

In this nowhere non-landscape

Which has no shadow and no shape,

And holds me fast and holds me deep

And will not cease before I sleep.

Hard to imagine somewhere else

Where life could stir and has a pulse,

And know that somewhere else will be

This very field, changed utterly,

With hosts of daffodils to show

That spring was there under the snow.

New Englanders are skeptical

Of what cannot depend on will,

Yet I should know that this wide range

Of white and green and constant change

Have kept me kindled, on the edge of fear,

Travelling the weather like a mountaineer.

Taken from "The Silence Now" by May Sarton

Unraveled Wednesday 2/19/25

 Hello All,

Gosh it is cold here!  BUT, any snow that was in the forecast has disappeared off the radar, so that is a good thing.  And, even though it is bitter cold, we have been having blue skies and sunny days which lifts the spirits so much.

Once again it is mid-week - Wednesday - and time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk making and reading.  I'm excited to let you know that (FINALLY) the first sock is finished!!  Woo-Hoo

Sorry for the crappy picture.  The cuff and toe are actually purple; the upper leg and lower foot are a pale bluish-grey and the middle section is more of a mulberry color.  Gotta love these mid-winter shots!  I finished this sock yesterday afternoon and have not yet cast on for its mate, but hopefully today.  I don't want to linger too long on that lest I end up with second sock syndrome.

There were no books finished this past week.  I was catching up on reading some "New Yorker" magazines that Colin had passed on to us and I'm focusing on "The Secret History" to finish that up (now I've only got around 100 pages left!!).  Donna Tartt's writing is just so good, but what despicable characters!  And what a nasty story!  Though I'm enjoying the writing, I will be happy to move on to something else...perhaps a bit light hearted.  I think our group discussion of The Secret History should be a good one though and I'm looking forward to that at the end of March.

Time for me to get going.  My stomach is growling and I could use another cup of HOT coffee.  Have a great Wednesday!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 2/18/25

 Good Morning!

Happy Birthday to my brother Philip.  We spoke yesterday as he will be spending today skiing with friends.  There is roughly 2 feet of new snow where they are going, so it should be a good day.  Me?  I would be hanging in the lodge sipping a hot beverage and knitting and/or reading hopefully in front of a roaring fire!  I used to cross country ski, but I think those days are over.

Our winds are still whipping around here.  I heard the wind off and on during the night.  Thankfully not quite as ferocious as the day/night before, but still enough to be noticed.  Hopefully they will die down before I have to go out today.  There are prescriptions to pick up and groceries (mostly fresh produce) to buy.  It's getting to that point where I am craving summer meals - you know - grilled stuff.  Back in our younger years, Fletch would go out and grill - even in the snow - but not now (and I can't blame him).  Yesterday I did place an order with Rancho Gordo for a bunch of dried beans, so still plenty of stews and soups to be made.

But let's get down to business.  Today is Tuesday, so time for a Tiny Needle Tuesday (TNT) update.  Progress was made on the Summer Iris piece from Blackbird Designs.

A couple of flying birds have appeared, the vase/urn is complete and the beginning of the flowers (well stems and leaves) is complete.  I love the blue in this piece. It is "Dove" by Weeks Dye Works.  It won't be long to finish this, so I need to start thinking about the next project!  That will necessitate another stash dive which is always fun.

What are you up to this Tuesday?  Stay warm and cozy and out of any storms!

Weekending 2/17/25

Hello My Friends,

How are you?  Isn't that lily gorgeous?  That's from the bouquet Fletch gave me on Friday.  Just stunning in size, color, fragrance - glorious.

So, we did make it to Repperts on Friday and got Fletch his dark chocolate covered pretzels...and a few other candies as well.  The Flying Pig was not as good as we had hoped.  My drink - The Limerick Swine (what a great name - vodka, ginger beer, cranberry and lime juice) was just ok - really rather weak.  I had a turkey wrap with smashed avocado, tomatoes, red onion, etc. and it tasted like it had been made a week ago.  Fletch had chili which he said was just average and sweet potato fries which were not good.  Oh well, at least we know we don't need to rush back there!  And, it was still fun to do something different.

Saturday was a crazy day.  We ended up with snow in the afternoon.  I stayed in and actually did some cleaning and laundry.

Then Sunday came with heavy, heavy rains.  Torrential downpours...water in the basement...but somewhat warmer temps.  The kids stopped by with Iris in the afternoon - luckily during a lull in the rain.  After they left the rain picked up again and the winds!  Horrible winds.  Just as I started to cook some dinner our power went out.  Luckily it came back on in a few minutes.  I made baked mushroom quesadillas using this recipe.

They were good.  Really tasty and I think some beans would make a good addition in the filling.  I also made some fresh guacamole to go with them.  Dessert was some flourless chocolate cake which C&M had dropped off when they visited.  Yummy!!

And then we lost power again just after 10 last night.  Like earlier, it was only off for a few minutes.  Thankfully.  And those winds?  Still howling this morning.  I was up at 4 to pee and had trouble getting back to sleep because it sounded like the house would be torn apart!

The plan for today is to put a big pot of soup on the stove and let it simmer all day.  I do need to run out for a couple of things at the store and Fletch has to go out for a doctor's appointment.  Otherwise, I intend to stay in and out of the howling wind!!

How was your weekend?  Here's hoping that your Monday will be a gentle one to ease into the week.

Weekend Time! 2/14/25

 Hey-Hey and Good Morning!

Happy Friday and Happy Valentine's Day.  May your day be sweet and filled with lovely things.

I was up early this morning (thank you Mabel), but feel well rested for a change.  I don't believe we got as much rain as they said we would, but temps rose and ice and snow melted.  Then the winds picked up and man! they howled all night and have been howling this morning too.

When I came downstairs this morning I found a beautiful bouquet of flowers on the table!  And some chocolates!!  Later this morning Fletch and I will venture out to Repperts - they make the ONLY dark chocolate pretzels that Fletch likes.  I bought a different kind for his birthday and he never ate them (they ended up in the trash), so today we will get him some!  And then we are going out to lunch at The Flying Pig - a recently opened bar that we have not yet tried.  Looking forward to that.

We were supposed to babysit Iris tonight while C&M went out to dinner, but they cancelled their plans.  Iris had her 2 month check-up yesterday and got some vaccinations.  C&M were worried that she might not feel all that well today.  That little girl has gained more than 5 lbs since birth and is now 22.5" long.  Colin said she cried when she got jabbed, but then quickly settled down and fell asleep.  C&M went out to lunch and Iris slept in her stroller the entire time.

Yesterday I not only got some stitching time but I also (finally) turned the heel on my sock and am now cruising down the foot.  There was even time for reading.  A good day in my opinion.  There was even time left for cooking dinner (fried blue fish for Fletch and baked cod for me and smothered cabbage for both of us).  Here's hoping today will turn out similarly (minus the fish - lol).

And that's a wrap!  Happy weekend - enjoy!!

Unraveled Wednesday 2/12/25

 Bonjour and Hello,

I'm posting a little later today.  We have a snowy winter wonderland outside and I decided to fix breakfast for my love and me (bacon & eggs, pastry for Fletch, English muffin for moi).  One load of wash is in the dryer and another in the washer, so it has been a productive morning.

A snowy feeder and Cardinals in the bushes.  (The pole keeps the feeder propped up high enough that Mabel cannot jump into it...)

Those are Mabel's footprints going out into the backyard.  There are deer tracks all over the place and the birds have been feeding (only a junco at my window feeder though).  Yesterday I ventured out the front door and poked around in the ice to find the piece of the feeder that Mr. Squirrel had removed.  I found it, almost slipped on the ice, and then re-filled that front feeder with the "hot seed."  While poking around, I saw buds on my lilac!!

They are small, but they are there.  And now they are covered in snow.  The "white stuff" in the picture is the ice that is still on the flower bed.

Of course, tomorrow it is forecast to be 50 degrees with rain...which will make a mess of everything.  Then the temps will drop in the evening into the 20s which means the mess will freeze...sigh.  And, Colin told me that one of his employees said they saw that we could have a MAJOR storm next Thursday with 15" of snow!  I'm not looking that far ahead and anyway, by the time that date rolls around the forecast will have changed.

So, it's Wednesday and time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk about making and reading.  On the making side of things, my Eye of the Partridge heel flap is finally finished.  Whew!  That sure took a long time.  I hope to turn the heel today and then rapidly progress down the foot.  That would be nice.  Time will tell...

This past week was another good one for reading.  I finished reading Braided Creek which is the collection of Haiku-like poems that Ted Kooser and Jim Harrison sent to each other.  It is a wonderful book.  Some are funny, many are poignant, and all tend to be soothing.  Highly recommend.

I also read Blue Light Hours by Bruna Dantas Lobato and loved it.  This is a book I learned about through Mary's blog.  Based on her review and recommendation, I requested it from my library.  It came in within a couple of days and I picked it up after lunch one day.  I read half the book in one sitting and would have finished it except that someone was hungry for dinner (not me and not Mabel).  A wonderful, beautiful book filled with love and yearning.  Again, highly recommend.

And, I am still plugging away on "The Secret History" for our RWU group.  I'm past the halfway mark and am still not fond of the characters or the story, but the writing is just so good!

And that does it for me!  Time to rinse out my coffee cup, check the laundry and do a few things.  I hope your Wednesday is a good one!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 2/11/25

 Good Morning!

Well, it is still cold here (22 this morning).  There is still ice on part of the yard and flower beds and on the picnic table.  Sigh.  I did manage to get out yesterday to run a couple of errands - we needed sunflower seeds and peanuts for our feathered friends.  The roads were fine and the sun came out.  It was a pretty day, but there was a chill wind stirring everything which I did not like.  When Fletch took the trashcans out last night at 10 p.m. for pick up this morning, he said it was really nice out.  No wind and almost mild.  10 p.m.  Not a time for walking....

Meanwhile, it is Tuesday and time for a TNT post.  After finishing my BIG sampler piece last week I went stash diving over the weekend to find something new to stitch.  At first I thought how about a tiny red sampler?  Then I found some red linen in my stash and thought why not a tiny ecru sampler on red linen?  Well, that did not look good AT ALL.  It was pretty fugly as a matter of fact.

I ditched that idea and pulled out some ivory linen and some red DMC and started stitching a small bird piece.  Then I looked in the dough bowl I have in my office filled with smalls and found I already had that one done!  Kind of like starting a book only to discover I'd already read it.

Next I pulled a different sampler and tried that.  Awful!  I persevered but did not like it and then discovered I had stitched over 3 instead of 2 at the very beginning of what I stitched.  So, naturally, everything was off.  I decided it was the fabric that I just wasn't happy with, so that went in the trash (it was only a 7.5" square random piece of linen, so no huge loss).

Yesterday I pulled an old small Blackbird Design piece to stitch.

It is called "Summer Iris" so of course I HAVE to stitch it!  (You can click on the picture to enlarge so you can see the design.). Not liking the pale, pale border I decided to make that darker.  And I just managed to get the top border completed last night before my eyes grew weary.

A small start, but so far so good.  And, most importantly, I like the linen and floss (Weeks Dye Works).  I've also come to realize that I really prefer stitching with one thread over two (or over one) rather than two threads.  It just looks neater for me.  This is a small piece, so it shouldn't take too long to complete.  After this, I may have to go back to a BIG piece!

How is your Tuesday moving along?  I hope you have something fun to do!

Weekending 2/10/25

 Good Morning!

Last night sounded like New Year's Eve here with the Eagles winning the Super Bowl.  You all know I am not into sports AT ALL.  Fletch did have the game on, but then we watched All Creatures at 9 after which he flipped back to the game, so I was aware of the win.  But I didn't (and don't) care.  Ha!

I made some Ginger Cream cookies at the end of the week.  These are cookies that my Aunt Ellen used to make all the time.  They taste like gingerbread to me, so I find them delicious.  Fletch doesn't really care for them, but I thought Colin & Mailing would enjoy some (and I was right).

We had a nice time seeing Colin, Mailing and Iris on Saturday.  They made home-made maple-sage sausage and then fixed biscuits, sausage & gravy.  Yum!!  Once again Iris was a bit fussy, but I can't blame her - she pooped 3 times in the first hour we were there!  I'd be fussy too.  LOL

We got home before any of our wintry weather started.  We ended up with sleet and freezing rain.  Since it didn't really warm up yesterday, everything is still coated in ice.  Even the yard is icy!  Mabel was pretty slow coming across the yard yesterday...stepping gingerly and trying not to slide.  Luckily the wintry mix they had been forecasting for tomorrow is now not showing.

A friend emailed me this poem over the weekend:

The Nest

           For Alfredo Espino

 

This morning

I watched a goldfinch

Disappear into a tree

Through a hole no bigger

 

Than my open mouth.

From the hollow

The bird

Began her crooning.

 

That’s what poetry is

I thought – 

Not the tree,

But the hidden song.

 

Not the yellow bird,

But the instinct to climb

Inside the darkness

To sing.

                          – Benjamin Gucciardi

I found the poem beautiful and thought you all might enjoy it as well.  I had never heard of Benjamin Gucciardi and ended up down a rabbit hole when I googled him.

Wishing you all a beautiful start to the week - enjoy!

TGIF and a Finish!!! 2/7/25

 Hello My Friends,

And Happy Friday!  It's been a week, hasn't it?  Lots going on and I'm sure lots more to come.  Let's hold steady and not lose faith.

We did end up with ice and sleet overnight Wednesday night into Thursday.  Fletch and I stayed in all day yesterday.  No need to venture out.

And...drumroll...because of staying in all day and ignoring the cleaning chores, I have a finish!  My big sampler is complete!!  Woo-Hoo!

Isn't she pretty?  I really do like this one a lot.  I am also really happy to be finished stitching on it!  The piece is "The Blessing" by Vilma Becklin of Examplars From the Heart.  (BTW, I don't believe she is designing these days.). The fabric I used is 36 count linen and I stitched the sampler over two threads of linen with silk threads by Vicki Clayton.  She had put a packet together with threads specifically for this sampler.  I wasn't keen at first with the variegated threads, but I truly love how the sampler turned out.  This was a long haul:  I started this piece on September 3, 2024 and just finished yesterday, February 6, 2025!  For those of you curious about the back, here is a shot of that:

So today I will have the pleasure of looking for something new to stitch!  When I was awake during the night I was thinking about various pieces.  I might pick up something that was started a long time ago and never finished...but those are all BIG pieces.  I may be in the mood for something small and quick.  Maybe something all in red for February?  I'm not sure, but I'll enjoy looking through my stash later on.

I suppose I should get to at least some of the cleaning that I've been ignoring as I finished this sampler.  But honestly, cleaning is so easy to ignore!!  Especially when I have projects and books calling my name.  I did take butter out to soften to make a batch of cookies.  We are heading over to Colin & Mailing's for lunch tomorrow and I wanted to make some cookies for them.

Now it is time to pour another cup of coffee and get the day started.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Unraveled Wednesday 2/5/25

 Good Morning,

Hope this Wednesday finds you well and enjoying life.  I think that watching the birds at our feeders is good for me and good for my soul.  I think it helps lower my blood pressure...until Mr. Squirrel comes calling that is.  BUT, he's gotta eat as well and his antics can be amusing.  The other day I caught a weird sight:  a squirrel on the ground under our sunflower feeder was busy munching away.  His tail was in the usual question mark shape, but it looked like a skinny rat's tail!  There was no hair or fur or whatever on it.  Fletch came to see him and said that it looks like either Mabel got ahold of him or he had some strange birth defect or disease.

And now we are expecting wintry weather again!  We are supposed to have snow, sleet and freezing rain starting late tonight/early tomorrow morning and going through 9 or 10 a.m. tomorrow.  Getting around should be pretty miserable.  Be safe and warm if you are in the path of this mess.

But right now it is Wednesday and time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to chat about making and reading.  Goof stuff!

I will spare you yet another picture of my sock that is taking FOREVER for me to knit.  Perhaps if I would pick it up and actually knit on it there would be progress.  This past week all I managed to do was 6 rows on an eye of the partridge heel flap (I did get a lot of stitching accomplished though as yesterday's post revealed).

This morning I pulled out an old, lingering project.  My Hitch on the Move shawl.

This has not seen the light of day in months...maybe 6 months?  My intention was to pull it out and rip it out...or rather unravel it all.  I had not been happy with it.  BUT, when I pulled it out and spread it on the table, I liked it!  Whoa - maybe I should try knitting on this for a bit and see how it goes.  To be continued.

Meanwhile, on to the reading.  I finished Winter Morning Walks which is a collection of poetry by Ted Kooser.  After he had undergone some treatment for cancer, his doctor advised him to stay out of the sun, so he took to taking (very) early morning walks.  And, after a lull in his writing, he found that he was writing again.  These are short poems that he wrote and sent on postcards to Jim Harrison, another poet.  This is such a calming selection of poetry and I found myself sad when I finished the book.  But then I had also ordered Braided Creek which is a collection of poems that Ted Kooser and Jim Harrison wrote to each other.  They are haiku-like and quite beautiful.  There is no indication as to which poet wrote each poem - it makes it fun to guess.

Fletch and I stopped listening to The Warmth of Other Suns a week or so ago.  He was getting bored with it.  I will finish listening to it as I think it is quite good.  We have not yet come up with something to read (or listen to) together.

I am also reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt which is the current selection for the RWU book group.  I'm roughly 150 pages into it and am enjoying the writing a lot.  The story?  Not as much.  BUT, I still have a long way to go, so the story may grow on me.  I'm not finding it a fast read, but luckily I have enough time to finish it before our Zoom discussion in March.

And finally, I started reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.  I had bought this book a few years back, but never started it.  After enjoying "The Serviceberry" by Kimmerer, I moved Braiding Sweetgrass from a bookshelf to my nightstand.  This will be a long term read as I can only read a few pages at night before my eyes start to close.  I've gotten through 1.5 chapters and am thoroughly enjoying it.

Today I will venture to the library as four books came through on my queue!!  Three for me and one for Fletch.  I need/want to get them before any winter weather comes our way.  I'll leave you with a picture of my Valentine Cactus with its second bud opened.  It is gorgeous!

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!