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!

Unraveled Wednesday 4/1/26

 Good Morning Everyone,

Welcome to April!  I feel like I'm running behind - after a less than ideal (meaning extremely restless) night of sleeping (or not), I fell asleep early this morning and then slept in longer than usual for a day when I'm scheduled to be with Iris.  I've showered and coffee has been poured, but that's about it!

Yesterday I was able to procure a leg of lamb for Easter dinner!  The 7 hour leg of lamb that I will be cooking (Patricia Wells' recipe) is cooked along with potatoes, onions, carrots and tomatoes and becomes so tender that it falls off the bone.  According to the recipe, you should be able to eat it with a spoon.  I never have, but it's a good recipe.  I need to get a couple of bottles of wine to pour in - most likely I'll use white this time (you can make it with either red or white).  I plan to also have asparagus, but I will pick that up later in the week.  And a coconut pie which I'll most likely make on Saturday.

I also accomplished quite a bit on my long to do list including rubbing all the cabinets in the kitchen with orange oil.  It smelled so good!  And the cabinet doors are no longer dusty!

Now it's time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk about making and reading.

My Panning for Gold sock has not seen any love since Monday, but it is further along than last week.

I'm roughly half way through the heel flap which this time is a simple slip stitch rather than eye of the partridge.  Maybe I can manage the balance of the heel flap and heel turn whilst at C&M's today (while Colin and Iris have lunch together).

Monday's mail included a bounty of new yarn stash!  First up is the April yarn for The Farmer's Daughter's 2026 Sock Squad.  Aptly named Morning Honey.  I love it!

And the yarn I ordered from Lisa at Fibernymph Dyeworks arrived.  Fast!!  First up the set up minis that I requested.  The color way is River Rocks and I couldn't resist it.  There's a bit of Stellina in the yarn, so sparkles!!

And then two full skeins from Lisa:

The skein on the right is her Pollinator Pi color way and the one on the left is Mountain House Winter.  Both are gorgeous!  I've knit with Lisa's yarn in the past and it does not disappoint.

I'm pretty sure that Pollinator will become socks for Colin (bright!!  cheerful!!) since he has talked of wanting to have bee hives.  And Mountain House Winter may become socks for Fletch.  Of course, I need to finish what's on my needles and there are so many other things I want to knit.  More hours in each day, please.

Reading has been good.  I finished listening to Blaze Me a Sun by Christoffer Carlsson about a crime in a Swedish town.  This is the book that Fletch and I had started listening to but stopped when Fletch got bored.  I decided to finish it.  It was good, but I wish I had paid more attention (meaning stayed awake) early on when Fletch and I were listening.  I'm not planning to jump out and find other books by this author, but I did enjoy it.

With my eyes I read Speak to Me of Home by Jeanine Cummins - a saga of family, home, identity, love.  It was good though in places it felt a bit long and drawn out.  Still, a good read.

Fletch and I are continuing to listen to The Long Ships by Frans Bengtsson after dinner.  There is much that I had forgotten about this story that we read out loud decades ago, including a lot of humor.  We are both really enjoying this one.

And that's a wrap for me.  Time to pour some more coffee and try to wake up.  Happy Wednesday!