Weekending 5/18/26

 Good Morning My Friends,

Here's hoping that everyone had a nice weekend.  Mine was nice, but Monday morning finds me wishing for a bit more sleep.  And more time to get things done!

A good part of the weekend was spent cleaning our bedroom.  Not the guest room (as I should have done).  I re-discovered some books in a bookcase and also unearthed a couple of treasures for Iris!  The first is a doll.  My Mom and her friend, Jean, spent quite a few days meandering the back roads of Lancaster County.  They hiked and biked and visited Amish households (Jean made some quilts and then had the Amish do the actual quilting).  When I was in college (yep, no longer a kid), my Mom bought me an Amish doll.

A simple rag doll that had been sitting on top of a bookcase for years.  I dusted her off and now she is keeping Iris company.

And in Colin's old bedroom, on the loveseat, I found a pillow I had made for Colin when he was a youngster.  It was just gathering dust, so I cleaned it up and now it belongs to Iris.

A bee, a frog, a ladybug, etc.

So, the purging continues!  (A trip to the thrift store to drop off donations was made before I could change my mind about anything!!)  I just need to hurry up and clean the guest room as Damon arrives on Thursday.  I will be with Iris today, Wednesday and Thursday, so Tuesday is my only option for getting that room ready for a visitor.

Yesterday Colin and Iris came over in the afternoon and stayed for dinner.  (Mailing was off for a spa day with her Mom and sister.)  I made a (new to me) curried lentil dish with ground turkey that turned out well.  We had that with some brown rice.  Dessert was a blueberry gateau.  Iris loved it all.

Time for me to get moving and have another cup of coffee.  Sometimes it's difficult to wake up!  Here's to a good week for all of us.

It's Friday!! 5/15/26

 Good Morning Everyone!

Yesterday ended up being quite a busy day for moi.  I ended up doing 4 loads of laundry (clothes and I changed sheets).  With next week's forecast in the 90's, I also managed to finally pull out summer tops and lighter sweaters and put away all the heavy woolen sweaters, fleece leggings, etc.  Of course that meant I woke in the night last night chilly.  LOL. Another blanket on top of the bed solved that problem.

While putting winter woolens away and pulling out light weight summer things I managed to purge a bit.  The back of my car is loaded with bags that will be donated today.  I was thinking of Kat's blog post about release and letting things go.  Trust me, there are still many clothing items that I should let go - things I wore when I worked.  But I love them so!  However, I made progress on another front.  My Mom passed away a little over 22 years ago.  My Dad gave me all of her scarves (she loved - and wore frequently - silk scarves) which I wear sometimes.  He also gave me all of her jewelry.  I pulled out a few things that I liked and kept things like her wedding and engagement rings.  A lot of her jewelry was not my style or taste.  And none of it was expensive stuff.  BUT, I have been unable to part with it...until yesterday.  I packaged everything up and it will go to the thrift shop today along with other donations.  I found a stack of 4 picture frames I had bought at Pier 1 before that store closed.  I haven't used them in years.  All are going to the thrift store.  It's a start!

My next job is to clean (thoroughly!!) the guest room.  Fletch's brother Damon is driving up from Virginia on Thursday for a visit.  Unfortunately his wife can't come.  He is planning to help Fletch with a bunch of outdoor chores, get our window air conditioners in, etc.  That room is often a dumping ground so there is much to be done!  I also need to give thought to what to cook while Damon is here.  I know we will be at C&M's on Saturday for a cookout, but I need to plan food for other nights.

Colin will be over on Sunday with Iris in the afternoon.  Mailing is having a spa day with her Mom and sister.  And someone will be 18 months old in June!  Not sure how that is possible.  We enjoy celebrating Iris' half birthdays as well as her full year birthdays and I've been having fun pulling things together for her.  She loves being outside and especially loves helping around the yard and garden.  So, we got her a little red Radio Flyer wagon and some gardening tools (trowel, hoe, etc.) And yesterday this book arrived for her:

I love Margaret Renkl's writing and I think this book will be great.  And Billy Renkl's illustrations are wonderful.  I can't wait to read it with her.

Well, I suppose I've rambled on long enough.  Plus, I can hear that Fletch is waking up and I promised to make French toast and sausage for breakfast.  I'd best pour another cup of coffee and get moving. 

Welcome to the weekend!  May it be a good one for all of us.

Unraveled Wednesday 5/13/26

 Good Morning Everyone!

Once again we find ourselves at the mid-point of the week.  It's time to link up with Kat and her Band of Merry Unravelers to talk about making and reading.  Always a fun day for posts.

If you read my blog, you know that I finished the first "rugby sock" last week and I'm happy to say that sock #2 has been started.

Not only started, but halfway down the leg heading for the heel flap.  You all know that I am not a match-matchy person, but for those of you who are, the stripes on sock #2 line up with the stripes of sock #1.  

Voila!  Matchy-Matchy.

None of the swatching I had intended to do was done...but there is always tomorrow.

Only one book was finished last week.  A Good Animal by Sara Maurer is a coming of age story set in Sault Ste. Marie, MI on a sheep farm.  It was an ok read - not great, but good at the time I read it.  I found it to be a bit predictable and even a little "schmaltzy" but, as I already said, ok.

As I wait for some books to come in at my library, I'm back in the French countryside with Bruno, Chief of Police.  More deaths and plenty of wine and food - perfect!!

Today I'll be back with Iris and am looking forward to that.  I hope your Wednesday is a good one.

Tiny Needle Tuesday 5/12/26

 Good Tuesday Morning!

A chilly one here.  I actually got up in the night to put another blanket on the bed (I leave the back window wide open so that Mabel can jump into/onto the sill and look out...plus I like the fresh air).

It was wonderful to finally be with Iris again yesterday.  She, and C&M too are suffering from jet lag.  Combine that with more teeth coming in and she had some uncomfortable moments.  She slept for 2.5 hours in the morning - we finally woke her up so that she would not sleep ALL day.  But then she slept for another 1.5 hours in the afternoon.  Anyway, their trip was fun and it is good to know that little Iris is such a good traveler!

Colin said that last night she was awake from 10:30 - 1:00, so that is a little progress.  And, her hair is long enough now that sometimes Mailing puts it in pigtails!!

There is not much to show for Tiny Needle Tuesday this week.  I almost didn't bother to post, but here's the update.

Just a little more filling in of the grass in the Garden of Eden.  I hope to get a bunch of stitching in today.

Happy Birthday to my oldest brother who turns 79 today (I'm not sure how that happened!!).

Before I forget, I made THIS RECIPE for dinner last night and it did not disappoint.  Quick, easy and very, very tasty.  I did use 2 chicken breasts and we have so much leftover!  Naturally I didn't think to take a picture until we were finished...oh well.  Give it a try if you like chicken, mushrooms and asparagus!

Weekending 5/11/26

 Good Morning!

How are you and how was your weekend?  I'm happy to say that the kids got home safely Saturday evening.  And soon I will leave to go over and spend the day with Iris.  I cannot wait to see her!!  I'm betting she has not yet learned to say Gramma, but she will have fun teasing me when I ask her to say it.  

Saturday while driving over to C&M's to feed Talbot in the morning I almost had an accident...I was driving along and traffic was not bad and then I pulled something off my hair...or ear...and discovered it was a tick.  Violent words came out of my mouth!  You cannot blow those things off.  I rolled down the window and tried, but it held fast to my hand.  Luckily I had a box of tissues in the car.  I grabbed one and got the tick into it, rolled it up tight and held it until I reached the house (luckily not too far).  First thing I did was flush that tissue down the toilet!

Geeze...I felt itchy ALL day long and kept feeling as though "things" were crawling on me.  This morning I woke to Mabel right by my head and that freaked me out!  We did treat her the other day with NexGuard, but still...

Anyway, on to better things.  My herbs are all in pots at the edge of the patio now!

Basil, Rosemary and Thyme.  And, I used some of the Thyme and Rosemary last night!  I was cooking haddock and decided to do it in foil packs on the indoor grill.  That worked great, by the way - only took 8 minutes or so for the fish to cook.  Before I closed up the packets to cook, I spread a mixture of EVOO, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, and fresh Thyme, Rosemary and Parsley all over the fish.  Delicious!

Mother's Day turned out to be a beautiful day.  I did spend some time doing chores that had recently been ignored (bathrooms were cleaned and kitchen floor scrubbed), but time was also found to stitch a little (very little) and knit just a tiny bit.  All in all, not a bad day.

Now I need to down a bit more coffee and then head out to see Iris!  Have a wonderful Monday.

TGIF

 Good Morning and Happy Friday!

Wishing the kids safe travels home tomorrow.  Hoping that Iris does well with the long (very long - like 14 hours+) flight back.  First class, reclining (fully) seats and good food should help.  They will be coming home to lots of blooms.  Just look at their peonies!

I love that deep, deep pink one.  Our peonies are still just buds.

Yesterday I finished up the first rugby sock!

I spent a little more time at their house waiting for the UPS man (in vain).  I found a sticker on their front door stating that UPS tried to deliver a package requiring a signature and that they would attempt again the next day.  No sign of the UPS truck, but the sock was finished!  And, I think Talbot enjoyed my company.  He spent a little time in the sunroom, but mostly was curled up at my side.

The second sock has not yet been started, but hopefully today.

Last night I baked some cookies (toffee pecan) and I have a container to leave at C&M's house today.  I also have a large container of vegetable beef soup that I will put in their frig.  I plan to get a bottle of wine for them and also flowers for Mailing for Mother's Day.  I'll probably pick up a loaf of crusty bread to go with the soup as well.  They should be set at least for one day!

It looks to be a beautiful day today.  The sun is shining brightly and I slept 9 hours last night!  Woo-Hoo.  Fletch is planning to grill sausages for dinner.  I'll sauté up some onions, peppers and mushrooms to go with that.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone!  Have a beautiful weekend.

Unraveled Wednesday 5/6/26

 Good Morning Fellow Makers,

Hoping this Wednesday morning finds you all doing well.  I'm doing well and looking forward to winding down my cat duties with Talbot.  Still a few days to go, but it is going well.  He's been fairly talkative this week and also a bit needy for affection.

How about we link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk about what we are making and reading.  The sock is progressing:

The foot is about halfway done, so it shouldn't be long now to wrap up this first sock.  The yarn is from Fibernymph Dyeworks and is Lisa's Mountain House Winter color way.  The stripes remind me of a rugby shirt, so I may just call them Rugby Socks.  Just plain vanilla socks, letting the stripes show all their glory.

Though I had hoped to do some swatching this past week, that did not happen.  The yarn is sitting patiently waiting to be caked and swatched.

On the left is Ito Kinu in the color way Cayenne Red (doesn't really look red to me, but...) which will (hopefully) become a Shakerag Top and on the right is a skein of Jane in the color way Caladium with which I intend to make Jacob's Hat by Norah Gaughan.  Or, I may opt to knit up some fingerless mitts with it.  As usual, I seem to have more plans and ideas than I have time!

Reading has been good.  This past week I finished 3 books.  First up, I listened to A Year of Marvellous Ways. by Sarah Winman.  Magical realism is not typically a genre that I enjoy, however I did like this book.  Filled with mermaids war, love, loss, and thoughts on aging.  Marvellous is a wonderful character.

With my eyes I read The Safekeep by Yale van Der Wouden.  I can't remember where I heard about this book.  It is set in the early sixties in a Dutch Province and deals with the aftermath of WWII.  The book is filled with desire, obsession and suspicion and is very atmospheric.

My last read was Under Water by Tara Menon.  This was fairly intense, dealing with the tsunami in Thailand and years later Hurricane Sandy in NYC.  Survival and guilt all wrapped up together.

Now I'm in the midst of a much less intense read!

And, finally, a picture of sweet Talbot who stayed by my side for an hour one day.

The yellow in the above photo is a blanket I knit for Colin several years ago!  Have a wonderful Wednesday.

Tiny Needle Tuesday 5/5/26

 Bonjour and Hello,

The sun is up and I'm attempting to wake up.  Mabel came into the room meowing loudly, so I knew it was time to rise.  The first sips of coffee have been had, but I still feel foggy.

But, it's Tuesday and time for an update on my stitching.  Yesterday morning I thought that I would not have anything to show you, but I managed to carve out an hour yesterday afternoon with my needle.  Lo and behold, another creature has appeared.  Only the outline, but clearly a rabbit!!

There is another larger creature that will be on the other side of the tree, but that is yet to be stitched.  I also managed to stitch a little more fill-in on the grass part, but that is all.  Here's an overall shot:

At this rate, I doubt I will finish by the end of the month, but c'est la vie.  I knew when I started this piece it would take a long time to finish.

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to today - it is supposed to be around 85!  After that the temps will drop a bit and rain will once again come in.  Fletch got some snapdragons in the ground yesterday and all the plants came out of the back of my car.  Mabel was busy chomping on my thyme plant until I showed her the catnip.  Then she happily munched on that.  We need to get some potting soil today so that my herbs can go in some pots.  If I'm lucky, I will find some time for making.

My plan is to get over to C&M's early...feed Talbot and open up the sunroom for him and then get back here to go grocery shopping.  Since the end of the week will be cooler, I plan to make some soup Thursday or Friday.  A container of that will go into C&M's frig.  I'll also pick up some fruit for them.  I already left a large piece of cake in their frig.

Let's make this Tuesday a great one!  Have some fun.

Weekending 5/4/26

 Good Chilly Morning!

Yeah, it's on the chilly side here.  Fletch and I did get to the greenhouse on Saturday, but everything is still in the back of the car.  Our nights have been too cold to leave things out!  It should warm up a bit in a day or so.

Meanwhile, some flowers are beginning to open at C&M's

Talbot has been a good boy, though it is obvious he misses his family.  The other day as I sat on the couch reading he climbed up and into my lap and then onto my chest...drooling and trying to lick me.  Luckily there have been no more hairball messes to clean up.  I'll see later what today brings.

Yesterday I made a Dutch or German pancake for breakfast with blueberries and raspberries.  I wish you could smell it!

There has not been much time for stitching or knitting with all the back and forth to care for Talbot.  I have been reading some and I have been cooking.  But tonight is leftovers, so maybe I'll find some quiet moments later today to settle down with a needle (or 4).  I hope this Monday finds you well and doing something fun!

Unaveled Wednesday 4/29/26

 Good Morning All,

It's a mild morning.  I woke up too warm this morning...thinking it would be cool overnight I lowered the back window in the bedroom and threw an extra blanket on the bed.  Oh well, at least I slept well.  We have rain in the forecast for later today and then, I think, heavy tonight.

Our Iris have started to bloom and they are gorgeous!

Even though Kat is taking a bit of a blogging break, I still want to post about knitting and reading for an Unraveled Wednesday post.  My first Mountain House Winter (Fibernymph Dyeworks) sock is progressing.

I'm a little over 2/3 of the way down the leg and should get to the heel flap soon.  This is what I knit when I go over to feed Talbot.  Yesterday I only got 5 rows completed, but some days I'm able to get 12 or 15 done.  

Yesterday was a little busy at the Wu-Lane house.  Talbot had a bit of an "issue" on the office room couch - not sure if it was a hairball or something (....) else.  But I cleaned that up and then scrubbed the cushion a bit.  I'm afraid the cushion might be a bit stained.  After that I checked on seedlings that Colin has started (cucumber, tomatillo, cantaloup and cherry tomato).  He has trays in the office room window and also in the upstairs bedroom window.  They all got a good spritzing.  I'll water house plants today.  I remembered to get the trash cans out for pick up today.  Anyway, all that left less time for knitting.

Reading has been a little slower.  I did finish The Patriarch by Martin Walker.  This is another Bruno, Chief of Police book.  This series is such a pleasure to read.  Yes, a murder, but plenty of talk about food and wine and life in the French countryside.  When I spoke with one of my brothers last week, it was ironic to discover that we were reading the same book!

Time for me to get moving.  I promised Fletch blueberry pancakes this morning, so I need to mix up the batter for those.  Wishing you all a lovely Wednesday!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 4/28/26

 Good Morning!

How are you on this Tuesday morning?  I am well, though I wish I had slept better.  Finally taking Advil at 3 a.m. helped (I need to remember to take some before going to bed).

Being Tuesday, let's have a TNT update.

There is a new critter between Adam and the yet-to-be-finished tree.  Another creepy crawly!  There is another one (creepy crawly) that will go on the other side of the sampler, but it's not yet time to stitch that one.  I know this is not the creature I have been promising.  That beast will come...eventually.  Not as much stitched this past week, but c'est la vie.  Obviously I am not in a race.  Here's a close up of the latest critter:

I'm going to focus on finishing the tree, but this week is ending up quite busy and I have not had time to pull out my stitching.  Maybe later on.

While I was with Talbot yesterday Fletch got out to the garden and planted our glad bulbs!  We will not have as many veggies in the garden this year, so he used part of the raised bed box that garlic plants (volunteers) are in for the glads.  And, he will fill in with zinnias.  Last year the deer chomped our glads as soon as they came up, but this year they won't be able to get to them since the garden is fenced.  Well, here's hoping anyway.

Hoping to get to the greenhouse we like this week.  I want more snapdragons to put in by the patio (the deer ignored them in that location last year) and more catnip to plant under the apple tree.  I also want some herbs to have on the patio...or maybe in the garden - rosemary (of course), French thyme which did really well last year, basil and parsley.  That should be enough.

This morning I'll head back to C&M's and open the sunroom door again for Talbot.  I know he spent time out there yesterday afternoon.  But when I left before lunch, he was sprawled on the back of the couch in the office room.  Soaking up the sun.

The kids are having fun.  They've been to the Great Wall (a mob scene according to Colin) and the Forbidden City.  Still to come is the Panda House at the zoo.  They have been sending lots of pictures which is a good thing since I'm missing Iris so much!  She's been introduced to third cousins and I guess is hearing lots and lots of Chinese!  She already knows many words in Chinese (ears, mouth, nose, etc.).

More errands later today since I did not get them all done yesterday.  I went to the food pantry to drop off a donation only to find out they had moved.  Luckily their new location is not that much further away, and I found it with no problem.  Then I went to Target for one thing...which I couldn't find...but ended up leaving there with three bags of stuff!  LOL. Today I will run to the grocery store after lunch.  As usual, we are in need of fresh produce.

Time for me to get moving.  Have a great Tuesday!

Weekending 4/27/26

 Good Morning!

How are you?  And how was your weekend?  We are well and the kids made it safely to Beijing where they have an apartment for their stay in China.  Colin reported that Iris did really great on both long flights.  YAY!!  The weather looks really great over there - blue skies and sunshine.

Our weather, on the other hand, has been chilly and grey.  It was a pretty cold weekend.  And there was rain.  I spent a couple of hours with Talbot on Saturday afternoon.  I had brought my knitting with me and initially he was trying to learn how to knit.  Ha!  But then he curled up next to me on the couch and we had some nice bonding time.

All curled up and keeping warm.  Today looks to be pretty nice with temps in the upper 60's, so when I go over this morning I will open the sunroom door so that Talbot can hang out there if he wishes.  That's where his cat tree is and he loves to sit at the very top and watch the birds and squirrels in the backyard.  And, of course, bask in the sunlight.

I ended up cutting one sprig of lilac even though I said I wouldn't.  I added a bit of Lily of the Valley to go with it.

I knew it would not last long (barely 24 hours), but the scent was heavenly.  The Lily of the Valley only lasted another day or so, but there is plenty for me to pick more if I want.

There is already wash in the dryer and more to be done today before I head over to see Talbot.  I plan to hang a bit with him this morning, but be home in time to have lunch with Fletch.  There are a few errands I would like to do after lunch before heading back for Talbot's afternoon feeding.  Target sells some wonderful sachets - lavender and bergamot - that I like to tuck in with winter sweaters and blankets when I put them away for the summer season.  

Now that I no longer work, I have way fewer clothes than I used to, but I still put away the heavy sweaters for the summer and pull out tank tops, etc. that I put away last Fall.  Of course, I still have plenty of things that I never wear anymore, but for some reason I can't seem to part with them...just yet...

Now it's time for a second cup of coffee.  I hope your Monday is off to a lovely start!

Almost the Weekend! 4/24/26

 Good Morning!

Once again (thanks to Mabel and the LOUD birds this morning) I got up early.  Actually, I like doing that.  As long as I feel fairly rested the early morning hours are some of my favorite.  It's quiet (except for bird song) and peaceful.  I consider it found time!

Speaking of found time...I did wind a skein of sock yarn and started another sock last night!

This is one of the skeins I recently bought from Lisa (Fibernymph Dyeworks).  It is Mountain House - Winter.  The yarn base is "Heavenly" and it is lovely - an 80-10-10 blend of SW Merino, Cashmere and Nylon.  It does feel heavenly!

Yesterday ended up being a longer day with Iris which is not a bad thing.  Colin had a conference call that went later than normal, so I was late getting home.  I was beginning to feel a bit rushed trying to get dinner going and doing a few other things, so I decided to skip yoga.  My shoulders were bothering me anyway.  So, instead, after dinner and listening for 20 minutes to "The Long Ships" with Fletch I cleaned up the kitchen and then pulled out the skein of yarn and caked it up.  I've only done about half the cuff so far, but it's a nice start.  Then Fletch and I started Season 2 of "Drops of God" - if you have Apple TV, I highly recommend this.  I don't knit while watching TV (we usually turn out the lights) and this show has subtitles anyway (it's in English, French and Japanese).  But so good!  About wine!

Does anyone know what this flower is?

It's blooming in one of Colin's front beds and I love it.  He doesn't know what it is - it was already there when he and Mailing bought the house.

Finally, I mentioned that I had picked up a few poetry books from the library.  These are two of them:

"The Beauty" by Jane Hirshfield and "The Unswept Room" by Sharon Olds.  After reading a volume of Ada Limon's poetry and not being won over, I mentioned that to both Leslie and Connie - two published poetry writers who are friends of mine.  Leslie said that one of her favorite poets is Sharon Olds.  Connie recommended Jane Hirshfield...and recommended staying away from Sharon Olds.  Ha!  Of course, I needed to get books by both.  I've only read a few poems from both books so far, but am enjoying each of them.  I know that some of you are familiar with Jane Hirshfield.  Has anyone read Sharon Olds?

The other poetry volume I checked out at my library is The Essential Haiku Versions of Basho, Buson & Issa.  This is great!  I love Haiku and am familiar with Basho and Issa, but not Buson.  Fun to explore.  Along with these 3 poetry books I have 8 (!!) other books checked out from my library.  I guess I'm set with reading for a little while.

Today is my last day of watching Iris for a bit.  They head to China tomorrow.  They will only be in China for 4 days or so (seeing some family, going to The Great Wall and the Panda House at the Beijing Zoo among other things) and then they fly to Taiwan for the balance of the two weeks they will be gone.  Iris has been such a love this week and I am going to miss being with her so much.  I will still be heading over to their house twice a day (starting tomorrow afternoon) to feed Talbot and show him a bit of love.  He will be missing his family.  That will give me more found time!  I plan to take a book (or two) and some knitting with me when I go over and that way I will have something to do while spending a bit of time keeping Talbot company.

This is the last Friday in April!  Let's make it a good one.

A Finish on Thursday! 4/23/26

 Good Morning my Friends!

It is a pretty and sunny morning here with temps forecast to get up to 74.  Ahhhh, this is the kind of Spring weather I really like.  Cool evenings - great for sleeping and then warm (but not HOT) days.  

The birds were quite noisy this morning and I woke up a little early.  So, as one does, I put the coffee on, fed Mabel and then pulled out my knitting.  And voila!  My Panning for Gold socks are now finished.

I love everything about these socks.  The yarn is from Twisted Owl Studios in Longview, TX (I don't believe they are in business now) and was bought at a fiber festival for only $11 per skein!  The color way is Gold Panning and the yarn is 75/25 SW Merino and Nylon.  There is still 27 grams of the yarn left - so plenty to use in a scrappy cowl or for heels and toes on another pair of socks.  They knit up quickly (for me) and now I need to figure out what yarn for my next pair of socks!

Most likely I won't figure out what sock yarn to knit with next until tomorrow night or over the weekend.  I have a yoga class tonight so will not have time to dive into the stash.  But, no rush.  I have a book I'm reading plus severeal volumes of poetry that will go into my bag when I drive to Colin's this morning.

Yesterday was a fun day with Iris.  Zhongren came over in the morning for a couple of hours to play with Iris.  Although I was right there, it gave me a bit of a break.  Plus, it was just nice to have time with Zhongren to chat (Colin was in the office room on a number of conference calls).

Now I'm in need of some more coffee and perhaps a clementine or two!  Have a wonderful Thursday.

Unraveled Wednesday 4-22-26

 Good Morning!

It's a little wet outside this morning.  I heard heavy rain during the night, but looking at my phone, it appears that the rain is over for the day.  However, a sweatshirt and leggings will be my outfit today for watching Iris.  I tend to feel cold when it is damp out.

The other day when I pulled out of our driveway heading to Colin's I stopped and stared.  At first I thought I was seeing a wild turkey (we used to have them all around the neighborhood).  But, it turned out to be a turkey vulture.  Friends, these birds are HUGE!  He/She was in Rob's yard pulling up something with a bone attached.  He/She flew off as soon as I snapped the picture and that wing span was just amazing!

Happy Earth Day!  It also happens to be Wednesday, the day I usually link up with Kat for Unraveled Wednesday, but Kat is taking a little break from blogging, so there is no link up today.  I'd still like to show you my knitting and talk about what I've read.

The second Panning for Gold sock is progressing nicely.  I'm a little more than halfway down the foot.  Some mornings at Colin's I can knit a row or two as Colin and Iris finish up their morning walk.  And, usually when they have lunch I can manage 5-8 rows.  Not fast progress, but it is progress.

This sock will be finished up in good time. 

Reading has again been great!  I finished our next RWU book (our discussion will be in June).   Good People by Patmeena Sabit is a powerful book.  I wasn't sure that I would like the format, but I thought it worked quite well.  Even though I would have liked to hear the voices of the family, I think the absence of those voices gave a certain strength to the novel.  I'll reserve my other thoughts/comments for our discussion in early June.

Next up I read Everyday Sacred: A Woman's Journey Home by Sue Bender.  I read and enjoyed "Plain and Simple" by the author decades ago when it came out and enjoyed it.  The story of the Begging Bowl in "Everyday Sacred"was interesting.  The book is a very quick and peaceful read.  Looking in one of our bookcases, I found a copy of "Plain and Simple" and I may re-read that some point (right now I have way too many library books on my nightstand!).

The last book I finished this past week is The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey.  Oh my!  I absolutely loved this book.  So many fascinating details...I almost want to find a snail of my own!!  A very beautiful and thought provoking book.

As if I don't already have enough library books on my nightstand, yesterday on my way home I picked up 3 more!  Two are poetry books that I'm looking forward to reading.  One will go in my bag today when I head over to Colin's.

Have a wonderful Wednesday and tell me what you've been making and reading lately.

  

Tiny Needle Tuesday 4/21/26

 Good Morning!

Another chilly one - perfect for snuggling with Iris!!  And, it's Tuesday - time for an update on my Appil sampler.  A bit of stitching was accomplished during the past week.

The tree is fully outlined and one leaf has been filled in.  There was also a bit of ground work completed, but that might not be as noticeable.  Here's the obligatory overall shot of where things stand.

Lots of filling in to do...the tree trunk, branches, leaves, etc.  And then, of course, more creatures as I keep promising.  My mantra is:  I think I can, I think I can.....  Still enjoying this piece and having fun stitching it.

Time for me to get moving.  My head is cold so the first order of business is to dry my hair (while sipping some hot coffee).  Hope your day is a good one!

Weekending 4/20/26

 Good Morning All,

A bit of a change in the weather.  We have a freeze warning for tonight!  Yup, it's a chilly one and yesterday was a wet one in the morning.  I ran out to CVS (of course) and I nearly froze!  On the flip side, we had dinner at Colin & Mailing's on Saturday and were able to eat outside.  We also enjoyed a fire in the pit later that evening.

I noticed that our iris are now budded and the wisteria has begun to blossom.

Our lilac is finally beginning to open its buds.  I wish those would last longer when cut...they always droop within a day or so.  I most likely won't bother cutting any this year.

This week I'll be watching Iris every day.  Bonnie (Mailing's Mom) is in China.  The kids will fly over on Saturday, so I'm going to cherish this week and enjoy all the snuggling I can squeeze in!  They will be gone two weeks and I will miss them so much.

Not much else to report.  I was successful in avoiding most chores (I did do laundry) over the weekend.  A little cooking was done.  A delicious shredded raw beet and carrot salad was made and this will definitely be made again and again.  Wonderful!  (I did not put the walnuts in, though I may add them next time and I used Agave rather than date syrup).  One beet and two carrots made the perfect amount for the two of us.  I don't think I had ever had raw beets, but it was a very yummy dish.

There was time for some knitting and some stitching and a bit of reading.  Overall a great weekend.  I hope yours was just as nice.

Winding Down 4/17/26

Good Morning!

It's Friday and time to prepare for the weekend.  Yay!  Our redbud is in full bloom right now and is gorgeous.  I see a lot of red buds as I drive through our town.  I used to see them along a creek when I would drive to work but...I'm retired!  I have not been driving to work for two years now!

On this fine Friday in National Poetry month, I do have a poem to share with you.  It's one that my friend Leslie Parker wrote.  Leslie and I met when we were 12 and have been best friends ever since - 60 years!  How lucky I am to have her as my friend.  This poem is one that was published in NC Bards 2025 Anthology and with Leslie's permission I am sharing it with you.

Dandelion

 

Wishes 

sail on a breath, 

scatter, take root,

shoot skyward. Yellow

blooms command attention

in envious lawns—

shaggy-headed stems

childish hands pluck,

weave into halos—

before they shrivel 

in the sun, 

sprout anew.

 

My mother curls, close-eyed,

breathing slow

and shallow

in a wrinkle of green sheets.

Her hair,

gone to seed, stirs

beneath a breeze

whispering through 

the open window,

as if ready,

at long last,

to take to the air.

 

I hope your weekend brings you much joy.  We will be having dinner at C&M's tomorrow night and I know that will bring us joy!

Unraveled Wednesday 4/15/26

 Good Morning and Whoosh! 

Halfway into April which does not seem possible at all.  Time (and days) slip away faster and faster.

But, hey!  It's Wednesday which means time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers.  Let's see what everyone is making and reading.  I'm betting you find inspiration and, perhaps, a touch of enabling (I know I will).

Last week I showed you my first Panning for Gold sock which was at the toe decrease point.  I did finish it that night and started the second Panning for Gold sock immediately.  No second sock syndrome for me!  The second sock is almost at the heel flap.  I think I have maybe 10 more rows or so and then the flap will commence!

This yarn is just so nice to knit!  It is from Twisted Owl Fiber Studio in Longview, TX and was bought at a fiber festival.  Quite a steal at $11 per skein (100 grams).  I bought two other skeins as well.

On the reading side of things I listened to Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks.  Oh my!  Although Brooks' writing is just so good, The Plague is not a happy topic.  Some of Brooks' descriptions were a bit much.  I didn't really feel as though the ending fit, but that's me.

With my eyes I read Sex of the Midwest by Robyn Ryle which was laugh out loud funny.  It's not about sex, but rather about the lives of folks in a small mid-western town post Covid.  In some ways it reminded me of Olive Kitteridge.

The last book is a volume of poetry by Ada Limon that I found at my library.  I found Lucky Wreck to be pretty raw and at times almost angry.  Not familiar with Limon's poetry, I wasn't sure what to expect, but this was not really for me.

Lucky me!  I get to have a mammogram this morning...a necessary evil.  Here's hoping that your day holds better surprises for you!  It's going to be pretty warm here.

Tiny Needle Tuesday 4/14/26

 Hi Everyone,

How's it going?  I ran out of time yesterday and didn't post, but I will tell you the weekend was lovely.  Saturday felt so much like summer!!  The kids had a wonderful time camping.  Iris loved sleeping in the tent.  Sunday morning was chilly enough that a fire felt great as they enjoyed breakfast outdoors.  I was happy to have slept in my own bed...I fear my camping days are over.

Now it's Tuesday and time for a TNT update.  Some stitching was accomplished in the past week.  The last tree/bush/plant/whatever has been started in the Appil sampler.  Most of the outline and one bloom has been stitched.

I decided to go with the plant instead of one of the creatures just because the brown trunk and green leaves can be a bit tiresome (aka boring) to stitch and I wanted to be sure they get done!  Here's an overall shot of the sampler as a whole:

So, a couple more creatures on the left (and more ground of course...also a little boring to stitch).  The blank space on the right will be filled in with a few words (and, if I remember correctly, one more bug/crawly thing).  I do feel as though the end is in sight!  I also know it will take me some time to get to the end.  That's ok, I'll get there in good time.

No plans for today other than grocery shopping and a stop at the township to pay some taxes.  What fun!  It's going to be warm and even warmer later in the week, so I want to plan some easy and cool meals.  Here's hoping that your Tuesday is a good one.

A Silly Zip Ode

 Hello Friends,

It's Friday...or Friyay.  Though honestly, not much difference day-to-day for me since I retired.  But still, I appreciate a weekend.

Yesterday was a lovely day with Iris.  I won't see her again till Monday (boo-hoo).  They are going camping over the weekend with Zhongren and it looks like a great weekend for that.  

Both Bonny and Kat posted "Zip Odes" this week.  A form of poetry where the number of words in each line corresponds to the numbers in your zip code (with zero being a "wild card").  It's a fun idea and I decided to try my hand at it.  So far all I've come up with is a silly one for Iris.  One of the books we read (over and over again) is about a farm and the animals greeting the day.  And so...

My zip code is 19403

Hello!

The Rooster greets the day with a hearty crow

Sheep bleat, pigs grunt

All the animals are waking up       

The day begins

It's a fun exercise.

Time to get back to the kitchen.  I'm making eggs and sh*t this morning (eggs with left over veggies and/or meat all scrambled up) and I can hear Fletch upstairs walking around.  Later I have yoga and yet another visit to the library.  After being #62 in the queue last week, our next RWU book, Good People by Patmeena Sabit is now available for me to pick up!  Woo-Hoo

Hope you can all get out and have some fun this weekend...or at least have a peaceful and restful few days.  Whatever you do - ENJOY!!

Unraveled Wednesday 4/8/26

 Good Chilly Morning My Friends,

Yes, a chilly morning.  It is 26 degrees here and the heat is on in the house.  Freeze warnings and watches are popping up on my phone.  And it looks like this up and down weather will continue for some time.  Sigh...

But hey!  It's Wednesday, so let's link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers for Unraveled Wednesday.  We'll chat about making and reading - both very good things.

On the making or knitting side of things, here is my first Panning for Gold Sock:

The leg and foot - or rather most of the foot - are knit.  I'm at the spot where I will begin the toe decreases.  My plan was to finish this up last night, but a friend called to chat and then I watched some TV with Fletch.  (Is anyone else watching Drops of God on Apple TV?  We've watched 2 episodes and are pretty much hooked now.). Back to the sock - no rush to finish these.  It's not like I don't have any number of socks to choose from to wear.  I may end up giving these to Fletch, but again no rush.

It has been another good week for reading.  I listened to the last available Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion - Volume 8.  The author, Beth Brower, is planning many more volumes, but she is not writing quickly enough!  I thought Volume 8 had some surprises in it and now I can't wait to see where this goes.  Plus the narration is just perfect.

With my eyes I read This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman.  After loving her earlier novel, "Isola," I had high hopes for this book but it didn't quite make it for me.  I found the story (stories) okay, but after a while a bit on the tedious or tiresome side...and a little trite at times.  The writing was good, but I wanted more.

I also read the debut novel by Nancy Foley I Am Agatha: A Novel which I really liked.  All about love, memory, art, secrets.  I was not expecting the ending at all!  The book was inspired by an artist in New Mexico - one I had not heard of (Agnes Martin).  Now I want to find out more about her and her art.  Georgia O'Keeffe is mentioned which was fun.

Having picked up two more books last night at the library, my nightstand still has a large stack of books on it.  One of the books I picked up is Everyday Sacred: A Woman's Journey Home by Sue Bender.  I saw this in one of Juliann's posts and remembered liking "Plain and Simple" by Sue Bender when it came out years ago.  I started "Everyday Sacred" last night when I went upstairs to bed, but only got through the introduction.

Wishing you all some delightful making and enjoyable reading on this chilly April day.  I will be caring for Iris, but perhaps will sneak in a little bit of reading when she naps.

Tiny Needle Tuesday 4/7/26

 Good Morning!

Our roller coaster weather continues.  It is not too cold this morning - in the forties, but my phone is showing a freeze warning for tomorrow.  Geeze....

Meanwhile, Colin is starting some seeds.  Yesterday he took a little break from work to get some pepper seeds into starter pots and Iris helped!  This, of course, gave me a little break which was nice.  I guess I'll have some pots and/or seedlings to tend to while they are away (they head to China and Taiwan on the 25th for two weeks and I'll be going over twice a day to feed Talbot and give him some love).

But now it is Tuesday and time for a TNT update.  I am happy to report that Adam is (finally) fully fleshed out!

The flesh was a bit of a slog (as it was for Eve as well).  And, a little more of the ground has been completed.  Still more creatures and another tree to be stitched, but it is moving along.  Here's a shot of the overall piece as of this morning.

My thought is that I should (theoretically of course) be able to get more done on this whilst the kids are away, but only time will tell.  I'm still hoping to wrap this up before the end of May.

I took NY strip steaks out of the freezer and tonight I will grill them on the new indoor grill we got.  Hoping they are good!  And, since it is grocery shopping day, I need to figure out what we will be having for the balance of the week.  The freezer is fairly full with an assortment of meat and fish, but as usual, we are in need of fresh produce.  Wednesday and Thursday I will be with Iris, so I'd like meals to be quick and easy those nights (plus yoga Thursday night). 

There are books to pick up at the library and some to drop off, so a visit there will most likely happen.  I'd best sip my coffee, wake up and get the day started.  Hope your Tuesday brings you some happiness.

Weekending 4/6/26

 Hello One and All,

Happy Easter Monday.  How are you?  And, how was your weekend?

It definitely was not the best Easter Sunday for a Sunrise Service!  It was breezy and chilly (cold at times) and rainy quite a bit.  My Dad and I used to go to a Sunrise Service North of here - above New Hope when a friend was the minister there.  He moved on after a bit and is now retired.

Anyway, on with the weekend.  I had yoga both Thursday and Friday.  Saturday was a gorgeous day.  And warm.  Capri leggings, a tee shirt and flip flops were the order of the day.  I baked the coconut pie

First I had trouble with the crust.  I think I processed mine too long...I could roll it out, but it was goopy and I could not get it into the pie plate.  I ended up running out to buy Pillsbury pie crusts.  The kids liked the pie ok, neither Fletch nor I really cared for it and the last of it went home with C&M last night.

By the time the kids arrived, the rain had pretty much stopped so Colin was able to help Fletch outside with some projects.  The meal pretty much sucked!!  Although everyone seemed to enjoy it.  I have always loved the 7 hour leg of lamb recipe. I've made it so many times.  Yesterday?  Not so much.  Even the smell was making me sick.  I joked that maybe I was pregnant.  LOL. The lamb was tender and falling off the bone (as it should be), but I found it dry and (again) the smell make me sick to my stomach.  The carrots, parsnips and onions all caramelized but so much they were hard to get out of the pan!  The tomatoes and potatoes were good though.  And the asparagus was tasty.

I enjoyed pulling out the china and silver (which I should have, but did not, polish).  Most importantly, the kids all loved the dinner.  Iris was particularly excited when six deer wandered into our yard.  She kept waving to them!  Too cute.

A little lamb and some veggies were saved for Fletch, but the balance went home with C&M&I.  

Today I'm looking forward to playing with Iris.  I hope your Monday is a good one!