Back Home 10/21/24

 Hello My Friends,

I am back home again.  Actually I got back last Thursday as planned, but continued my break from computer land for a few more days.  First of all, I am sorry to report that Marcel did not make it.  Colin & Mailing had him put down last Friday evening.  He had stopped eating (again) and, as Colin said, he could tell it was time.  Hard, but time.  They adopted/rescued Marcel and Talbot at the same time.  Marcel was only 4 months old.  He was Colin's work-from-home companion - hanging out on Colin's desk or somewhere in his office.  He was such a good kitty and he is missed terribly.  I do hope that Talbot will be ok and not miss his buddy too much.

Meanwhile, my quick little get-away was very peasant.  Our AirBnB was lovely - spacious (3 bedrooms, 2 baths), a really nice kitchen and comfy living room.  We just hung around the house on Tuesday.  Wednesday we drove to a local bookstore and then walked down to the beach.  There were some jazzy skeletons along the way:

The day was gorgeous, but quite windy and I was rather chilly.  Carol walked down to the water and took some pictures.

Blue, blue skies.  Even though we were there in the off season, traffic was crazy.  I'd hate to see it mid-summer!!  But, parking was free at this time of year which is nice and we had a great seafood dinner Wednesday night at Fins and then, too soon, it was time to leave Thursday morning.

Friday I caught up on laundry and Saturday I cooked.  Colin & Mailing were coming over to get some furniture from us, so they stayed for dinner.  I made eggplant caponata in the morning and the guys grilled wings.  We also had Brussels sprouts and some winter squash.  I made a Nantucket cranberry and walnut cake for dessert.  

It was nice enough that we had a fire after dinner.

Sunday was a lazy day and then yesterday we saw our first frog on the patio this year!  Who would have guessed that one would show up in October?

Luckily Mabel was elsewhere when froggy showed up.

Now it's back to routines.  I need to pick up a prescription and there are a few chores that should be taken care of.  Whatever your Monday holds for you, I hope it's a good one!

Unraveled Wednesday 10/9/24

 Hello Everyone,

Happy Hump Day and Happy Unraveled Wednesday.  I was up and out early this morning as Mabel had her annual physical at 8 a.m.  I'm happy to report that they found her not only beautiful but also very healthy.  She now weights 8.9 lbs...up from 8.7 lbs a year ago.  If only my weight gain could be as minimal!  LOL

Meanwhile, send your healing juju Marcel's way.  He had been throwing up a lot and having diarrhea and then not eating...turns out he has a cancerous tumor.  He is now on steroids and starting an anti-cancer drug (i.e., chemo therapy).  They will also be administering B-12 shots to help build up his energy.  He has already improved...is eating and a bit more active, but it's a long road ahead for him.  Luckily Talbot is doing fine.

And, I am pretty sure I pulled a deer tick off of my arm this morning.  There was a black "spot" on my arm and it would not come off with my finger...I got out tweezers and yanked it off...blood and all.  Yuck!  I'm waiting for a text from CVS telling me a prescription is ready to pick up.  I contracted Lyme disease a few years ago, so I will always test positive.  I don't want to take any chances with getting it again!

Meanwhile, as already mentioned, it is Unraveled Wednesday and time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk making and reading.  Fortunately there has been no unraveling.  On the other hand, not a lot of knitting.  BUT, Tapped Maple Sock #1 is finished and the second one has been started.

I'm a little more than a third of the way down the leg.  It's just plain knitting, but I have not had much time to devote to this sock.  

Reading has been good!  I finished Leonard and Hungry Paul a few days ago.  What a delightful book.  I know it will not be for everyone.  It is not compelling or fast paced.  Not a whole lot happens, but it is nice.  Everyone in the book is nice.  It is a book that, if you read it, will just make you feel good.  

A bunch of books came in for me at the library and I started The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl.  For some reason I was expecting another Ruth Reichl memoir with recipes, but this is not that.  Rather it is a novel (just as the title indicates...duh).  And, it is good.  A fun read and there are lots of descriptions of food.  I started this yesterday and read about 60 pages, so a fast read.  Which is good, because Intermezzo is another book I picked up.  I'm not sure what to expect (I've never read anything by the author), but I'm looking forward to getting into this next "Read With Us" selection.

Fletch and I finished listening to In True Face which was just ok...kind of boring in a lot of places.  But now we are reading Clear after dinner and what a great read it is!!  Has anyone read anything else by Carys Davies?  I'm so impressed with her writing.

Lastly, I finally got to making sauce with our tomatoes yesterday afternoon.  We have not had it yet, but the house smelled wonderful and I did sneak a couple of tastes...yummy!  Garden tomatoes, peppers and garlic along with some mushrooms, onions and left over grilled sweet and hot sausage.

We will have some of this tomorrow night.  Tonight Colin is coming over to help Fletch with a couple of things and we will be grilling lamb chops.  I'm planning to make an apple galette as well.

Fletch has an appointment at 10 and I have some errands to run, so I'd best get moving.  I need another cup of coffee.  Hope your week is going well!

Friday Felines

 Good Morning!

Yesterday kind of got away from me.  I slept until 6:30 (!!) and had a lot of reports to run for work...then the emails started flying in and the next thing I knew it was time to take Mabel to the vet for her first meet up.

The purple/pink ribbon you can see on the chair above is her current favorite toy.  Thank you Giroux!! 

She was a very good girl.  Surprisingly quiet in the car and at the vet (at home she almost never stops talking to us).  She weighs 6 lbs, 5 oz and the doctor says she needs to gain some weight.  She received a 2nd distemper shot (apparently the one given at the SPCA was only a half dose??) and also a half dose of the feline leukemia vaccine.  The 2nd half will be in 4 weeks.  I don't ever remember having a cat (or kitten) get a half dose of a vaccine...I need to ask the vet about that (she will call today to see how Mable is doing).

I finally managed to do some stitching yesterday afternoon and someone - Mabel - was very, very interested in learning about needles and thread and scissors.  Despite her interference, I was able to put in a few stitches so I will actually have something to show next TNT (Tuesday).

Rather than coming to our house for dinner last night, Colin suggested we go over to see him (Mailing is still out Thursday nights with a work group).  Col was out in his garden picking hot peppers when we arrived.  He made a delicious dish of garlic, white beans, artichoke hearts, parsley and EVOO which we had on toasted slices of a baguette.  Delicious!

Marcel was underfoot a lot, as usual.  But he is such a handsome cat, you cannot be annoyed.

Poor Talbot was recovering from his vet visit on Thursday.  He had to have 3 more teeth pulled, so has some pain meds to take.  He really just wanted to cuddle with Colin.

Talbot actually got a certificate for bravery at the vet!  I should have taken a picture of that.

After dinner we enjoyed a fire outside

 and then we headed home around 9 p.m.  Mabel was happy to see us and demanding some attention.

It sure is nice to have a cat in the house again (even if I woke up to some cat puke on the kitchen floor this morning - at least it was on the floor and not on a rug!).

Happy Friday and Happy Weekend - enjoy!

Unraveled Wednesday - June 23, 2021

 Hello and Good Morning!

Can someone tell me how it is already June 23rd?  Almost through June and almost half way through 2021.  Whoosh!  It goes by so fast.

Meanwhile, today is Wednesday which means I am linking up with Kat and friends to talk knitting/making and reading.  I do have one finish to share.  This lavender (LOVE this color) dishcloth - just a plain one - was finished before we left on vacation.  It's already been in use and needs to be washed.

The only knitting accomplished during vacation was the ribbing on the cuff of a new sock.  Since then I've managed to knit a bit more on it.

I've named this sock Fuego because it reminds me of fire.  The yarn is Trekking XXL (75% wool and 25% nylon), color 674 - Orange-Yellow (how clever - lol).  I've used this yarn previously and it always knits up nicely and wears well.  I debated doing a "pattern", but decided the self striping of the yarn was enough and that a pattern probably wouldn't show that well.  There are 15 rows of 2x2 ribbing and then plain knitting for the leg (70 rows before the heel flap).  I'm using size 2 needles.

Damon and Peggy, after seeing me knit on this, have both said they would love socks for Christmas.  I promptly got out a tape measure and got their sizes.  (1" difference between Damon's right and left foot!!)  After this pair I will pick out some yarn to make their socks.

My reading has mostly consisted of rather light stuff.  Another book by William Kent Krueger in the Cork O'Connor series (Boundary Waters) which I enjoyed.  Fletch and I finished reading The Good, Good Pig after dinner.  I had read this years ago when it first came out and enjoyed it the second time around.  Not sure what is up next for us.  We tried one of the Maigret books by Georges Simenon, but decided it was better read alone...will need to find something for after dinner tonight!

We are now at two strikes trying to go to a concert in the park with Colin & Mailing.  After a number of very sunny and warm days, it rained most of yesterday (though it cleared by around 5 p.m.) and the concert was cancelled - or rather postponed until a date in August.  We still went over to their house for dinner which was a lovely charcuterie board with meats, olives, tomatoes, pickles, some rosemary almonds and crackers (no cheese as the kids don't do dairy).  We brought over some brownies I had made and they opened some wine.  Talbot pretty much stayed in the sunroom curled up on a chair or on the cat tree.  Marcel was a pest, but finally secluded himself under a chair - lol.

Such a handsome boy.  I wonder how those cats will take to Austin...

It was chilly enough that we put on jackets or sweatshirts and then sat around a fire in the pit after dinner and watched the sky change colors.  Lots of pretty clouds and a couple of bats flying around.  We were home by 9:45 which was good for me as I was tired.  The past two nights my sleep has been broken by foxes barking/screaming in our woods.  An eerie sound and I often have trouble getting back to sleep after hearing them.

Today I am going to the office.  It should be a brief visit (none of my bosses will be in) and I plan to be home before lunch.  Now it's time to dry my hair (my head is getting cold!), pour some more coffee and wake Fletch.  Wishing you all a great day - enjoy!

Weekending

 Good Morning All,

My brain feels a bit foggy this morning.  And it's grey outside which doesn't help matters.  Our next door neighbors are getting a new roof and the workers have started.  Luckily my home office is at the opposite end of the house.  Did you all have a nice weekend?  Ours was good.

We did not go to Colin & Mailing's as planned on Saturday.  Mailing had gotten her 2nd jab (Pfizer) on Thursday and had been feverish and then very fatigued.  So, they pushed our get together to Sunday which was fine with me.  Saturday I did a bunch of errands and Fletch and I did a grocery run in the late afternoon.

Sunday morning Fletch and I went out to breakfast.  The first time in I don't know how long.  The diner was fairly empty and the food was really good.  So that was a win!  When we got back I made a strawberry rhubarb pie to take over to Colin and Mailing's.

Yum!  It turned out well and I made some whipped cream to go with it.

Colin grilled chicken thighs (marinated in a habanero sauce and more marinated in a chile adobe sauce) and romain.  Mailing made some roasted potatoes and asparagus wrapped in proscuitto.  It was a lot of food...and so good!

Even Marcel tried to snack a bit:

Or else he was looking for some wine....

Anna (Mailing's sister) was also there and she did bring Otto.  He mostly stayed in the sunroom with the door to the main house shut...he could not be trusted to just stay in one room.  Colin is the only one in the group not vaccinated, but he is getting his first shot (Pfizer) this afternoon - thank God!

All in all, a lovely weekend.  I even managed to pick up my knitting needles and start a new sock!  I didn't get too far, but hopefully will show some progress on Unraveled Wednesday.  Meanwhile, work is calling...it will be another busy week (or 3-4 really).  Kind of like being off to the races!

Have a good one!

Unraveled Wednesday 7/29/20

Good Morning!

I think I've already asked this question, but how did it get to be the end of July already?  The summer is flying by.

Yesterday I did not manage to go through my yarn looking for fingerless mitt yarn.  I'll try to do that today.  And the only knitting I managed to do was on the Hellebore Hitchhiker after dinner.

Looks the same as last time, doesn't it?  I swear it is a little longer, it's just difficult to see that.  This Hitchhiker is taking FOREVER to knit.  I'm not sure why as the yarn is wonderful to knit with and I love the colors.  Usually I find knitting a Hitchhiker to be meditative and relaxing...but this time it is just boring to me.  But, I will carry on and get it finished...at some point.  Meanwhile, I really need to pull out something else to work on too.

Did you see Clara Parke's Respite page from yesterday with the crocheted cat couches?  (Val - thinking of you!!)  I sent it to Colin & Mailing with a note that I would NOT be making any cat couches.  Colin replied with this picture:

What a fluff ball Marcel is!  And...the crocheted afghan (one HUGE granny square) is the one I made in college (so it is 45+ years old!!).

I'm still slowly getting through "Song Yet Sung" but am only about 50% of the way finished.  Another thing that is taking me forever!  Fletch and I did finish reading "Survival of the Bark Canoe" by John McPhee (a re-read for us, but enjoyable) and we have started "Woodswoman" by Anne LaBastille (another re-read).

On the agenda today - we both are having blood drawn so are heading to the lab together mid-morning.  Mine is for the Lyme test to see if it is indeed what my rash was.  And then our neighbor Rob is coming over for dinner tonight (making chicken stir fry).

Be sure to head over to Kat's to see what others are making and reading.  Happy mid-week!!

That Was a Quick Week!

Hello All and TGIF!

It was not my intention to post on Monday and skip the rest of the week, but somehow the week got away from me.  Work seems to be getting busier and busier (which I guess is a good thing).  I did go into the office on Tuesday to take care of some stuff.  There were only 3 of us in the office the entire time I was there, and I got my stuff done and was home before lunch.

No sign of the hawks - either adults or babies, but the whole side of the building is splattered with their mess and the entrance to the building is still filthy.  I hope that gets cleaned up soon.

I still need to be in the office the last week of May for budget reviews, but a number of people are opting to not come to corporate for reviews in person, but rather do the reviews over Webex.  I still need to coordinate ordering lunches, etc.

Other things during the week.  Our iris are beginning to open!  We can always count on them opening the first week in May.  They seem a little late this year (surprising with the mild winter we had).

On Monday I did harvest rhubarb and made a pie!  Not the most beautiful, but Fletch pronounced it as my best ever!!

I cut up more rhubarb for another pie and froze it.  A ton of rhubarb went to my boss Bill - he and his wife love it.  And, I still have more than enough to make some jam.  I bought blueberries yesterday, so will make some bluebarb jam.

Colin was over last night to get some bamboo plants for his property (we have it growing at the back of our woods) and he hung around for a fire.  It was nice to see him, but still so weird to sit far apart and no hugging, etc.  Earlier in the week he texted me this photo:

Nice to see the Canary Blanket is loved!!  The coral & green blanket behind Marcel is the one I crocheted while in college - so 45 years ago!!  This picture was taken in Colin's home office - he said Marcel likes to hang out with him while he is working!  Colin has also found out that he can work remotely (i.e., from home) permanently!!  He was always able to work some days from home, but felt obligated to go into the office some.  Now that obligation is gone!!

I also got out and walked after lunch twice this week, but did not see any wildlife (other than a lone turtle).  I was walking on the trail in Oaks and I think I spotted a second heron's nest, but still no sign of the birds.

Today should be easier work-wise.  My conference call has been cancelled and reports I do are pretty much caught up.  I have some chores I want to do (laundry, kitchen floor, etc.), but other than that no real plans.  I did have to rip out the Hitchhiker last night - somehow my stitch count got way off...not sure how...but easier at this point to just rip it out and re-start.  I hadn't done much on it at all this week.  I did start socks for my brother, but only got through the cuff of the first sock.  Hopefully this weekend will see much more knitting!

TGIF!!  Have a great weekend!

Friday Felines

A Tisket a Tasket

A Kitty in a Basket

Sweet Marcel

Have a wonderful weekend!  I'm waiting for the rain to end...

Friday Felines

Hello All,


A little overcast this morning (storms expected late this afternoon and/or evening), but still a very pretty sunrise and I heard geese flying overhead when I stepped out on our patio this morning.  Everything is popping open - apple blossoms, weeping cherry, Redbud, wild roses.  And my allergies have also kicked into high gear.  Yuck.  I woke up completed stuffed and head-achy this a.m.


Poor Tyg had a tiny scratch beneath his left eye (I thought at first it was a deer tick).  When I got home from work on Monday his whole left cheek was swollen and then I noticed that his fur was all matted beneath the swelling.  Yuck again!  We ended up using a warm compress on him and then put some Neosporin on (which he did not like), but it did the trick.  The swelling started to go down.  I had to do one more compress the following day, but now he is all back to normal.  (And a vet bill avoided.)


Meanwhile, here is Marcel in his glory:





LOL.  Mailing ran a Spartan Beast race last Saturday and Marcel is wearing her medal.  Yay for Mailing (I certainly wouldn't and couldn't do that race) - she actually ran it in (I think) just around 5 hours.  I couldn't get the link to work, but if you are not familiar with these races, the beast is 15 miles and there are a lot of obstacles to go through (jumping over fire, going through mud, carrying heavy buckets up hills, etc.).  You have to complete not only the run but all obstacles as well.  She is signed up for two more Spartan races this year - the easy one and the middle one.  I'm glad the beast is over for her.


Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.  I have plans to meet up with Dee for knitting and coffee tomorrow - looking forward to that!