Hump Day

Hello All,


First of all, thanks so much for all your wonderful comments on my Monday post about my Mom.  She was a fun person for sure.  Fletch reminded me that there are some interesting "things" in her scrapbook, so I will try to show some of them in future posts.  The trip to CA was pretty scandalous for the time...both my Mom and Jennie were from a very small town in Vermont and my Grandfather was the Baptist minister in town...my Grandmother was worried about what people would think of girls in jeans - lol.  More on that in another post.


I'm about half-way done the leg on Colin's second sock.

(picture just taken at my desk moments ago).  I'll do some more at lunch and hopefully be at the heel flap by tonight.


So, what to knit next?  I have the yarn to knit Sigla but that is a Winter sweater (of course I couldn't have started it back in January, right?), though I'd really like to knit it.  I also started Mick Jagged some time ago, didn't like my joins and ripped it out...I could do that.  Or, I could start some Spring socks for myself (I'd love to knit up that rhubarb yarn I bought out in Lancaster not too long ago).  And let's not forget that I'm going to the Steel City Fiber Festival in 2.5 weeks.  I've already put together a list of yarn I need for certain projects (Tales From the Isle of Purbeck or Yoga Shawl or Squad Mitts - another wintery pattern).


Decisions, decisions.  I'll just have to think for some time.


What else?  My little brother and his wife are vacationing (from Colorado) somewhere in the Florida Keys.  He texted me a picture last night from their fishing day where they landed a 5' shark!  He even had a picture of its mouth (gross).  They did release it after they took pictures.  Then he texted a picture of them getting ready to go out in kayaks.  No thank you!!  Dee - I know you do this, but I could not...at least not where there are animals that could "get" me!!


A lot of our snow in the backyard has melted (still some piles) and we may be able to shoot some archery tonight or tomorrow (thanks to longer daylight into the evening), but our temps are dropping again with a forecast only around 39 or 40F today.  But, it's not snowing (or raining), so Fletch is grilling chicken sausage with bacon and pineapple for dinner!  I need to figure out a veggie -- maybe grilled eggplant.


Work is slow today (obviously).  Hoping your Wednesday is going well.  Halfway to the weekend!

Almost Spring...and a Finish and a Half

Hello,


Happy Spring, almost.  Tomorrow morning Spring will arrive.  This morning when I looked out the kitchen window I saw a fat robin on a patch of grass that is exposed (we still have quite a bit of snow on the ground).  Also when I looked out the window first thing this morning (while still in bed), I could see some huge sheets of ice hanging off the upper roof ready to fall onto the patio roof.  We've been hearing crashes all morning and stuff is dripping like crazy.  The icy patch at the end of the driveway is gone.  Hooray!


Can you hear the Hallelujah Chorus?  The Oaklet Shawl is finished!!  Woo-Hoo.  I love the colors.  I did not like working with the yarn (KnitPicks Chrome in the Vermont colorway).  And the shawl?  I like it, but am disappointed that it did not block out larger.  It can hang down my back, but then it won't wrap around my shoulders comfortably.  If I wrap it around, then it draws up pretty short in the back.  I would call it more a shawlette than a shawl.  But, the main thing is it is finis!!

So much sunlight today!  This was finished yesterday just before dinner.  And, on Friday night I finished the first of Colin's socks:

The yarn is Regia and the pattern is Petty Harbour (free on Ravelry).  Look at the size of that foot!  This had better fit him...it's big on me, so there is hope.


Also on Friday I made pizza for dinner.  OMG, this was so good.  Trader Joe's pizza crusts (I like their pizza dough too, but these ready-made crusts are fabulous).  Toppings were:  some sauce and oregano, asparagus (which I had par-boiled), black garlic (also from Trader Joe's - it is a fermented garlic and is kind of sweet and smoky), prosciutto, onion slices, marinated artichoke hearts and some mozzarella.

Last night I cooked a turkey breast and roasted some winter squash and Brussels Sprouts with a little butter, maple syrup and cinnamon.  Yay for turkey sandwiches today.


I really do like to eat...more than I should.....


Last night was another one of those nights when I didn't sleep well at all.  I went upstairs around 11, read for a half hour or so and turned off the light.  Fletch came up at 1 and I was still awake and I doubt I fell asleep before 3 a.m.  Tyg woke me at 5 to go out and then I woke up at 7.  I've been in a cleaning frenzy this morning (bathrooms, kitchen floor, several loads of laundry) in the hopes that I will be exhausted tonight and sleep well.  I hate going to work worn out!


See you next season!!