March Winds

 Good Morning!

It appears as though March will be going out like a Lion...at least in Southeastern PA.  I was woken in the night by the wind howling and windows rattling!  My goodness what a racket.  Saturday was an absolutely gorgeous day and I even got some more archery in during the afternoon.  We also had a fire in the pit Saturday night - delightful sitting out.  But Sunday we woke to rain and then the winds picked up.  We'll be lucky if our daffodils survive the wind!

How was your weekend?  Ours was nice.  We wrapped up feeding Colin & Mailing's cats on Saturday night.  I think we should have gone over Sunday morning too, but Colin said no need...however, they did not get home from DC until late afternoon...I'm sure those cats were starving!

Over the weekend I managed to get some knitting accomplished and the Northern Lights socks are finished!

I do love the way they turned out.  The yarn is Stroll from KnitPicks and the colorway is Northern Lights.  The pattern is Twinkleberry (a free pattern that is no longer available).  I used Size 1 needle.  These are for a friend in Rhode Island, so into the gift bag/box they will go and one Christmas gift is finished!  I've picked out yarn for the next pair of socks which will be for Colin, but I have not yet caked it up.  Maybe by Unraveled Wednesday.

Nothing much on the agenda today.  Work is quiet so far which is just how I like it!  I doubt that I will walk given the wind, but I will do an inside work out.  Bathrooms need to be cleaned and there is laundry to do.  Even with that, there should be plenty of time for knitting, stitching, reading, whatever.  Should be a nice day.  Hope yours is off to a good start!

Lion or Lamb?

Good Morning and Welcome to March.

Did March come in like a lion or lamb?  I'm trying to figure that out.  Saturday was bitter cold...but it was still February.  We had terrific (not in a good way) winds and even a snow squall or two.  Sunday brought abundant sunlight (YAY!), but some lingering winds and pretty chilly temps.  Today it is bright and sunny and is forecast to get up to 61!  So, I'm thinking March around here came in like a gentle lion or a tough lamb.

Friday afternoon started off well when I got home and spied these pretty blooms on our buffet.

Fletch had been out running errands and said this bouquet caught his eye, so he brought it home for us to enjoy.  I'm so glad he did - the blooms are gorgeous and I love the variety both in types of flowers and color.

Yesterday I spotted these beauties at the edge of our driveway.

I love that there are so many blooms in this clump!  We have daffodils that are budded, but not yet open.  I do wonder what happened to our snowdrops though.  No sign of them.

Despite a lot of running around this weekend, there was a bit of knitting progress.  I did not finish the shawl as I had thought I might.  I was able to knit 2 more rows on it last night, but it got up to over 400 stitches on the needles, so getting through a row takes a little bit of time.  Luckily I'm right where I should be stitch count wise and the remaining rows are not difficult (I hope I have not jinxed myself!!).

I also put a few rows in on the Canary Blanket Saturday night while Fletch and I watched a show on Prime.  If you have not seen An Inspector Calls we highly recommend it.  My hand was sore when I woke up Sunday and I don't know if it was from knitting on the blanket (I hope not) or if I slept funny (or slept on my hand).  Oh well.  I'll try some more on that project later this week and see what happens.

My Miss Lemon Lime socks did see some love and by last night the leg of sock #1 was complete:

Such a pretty pattern!  And I've even gotten used to/adjusted to doing purl stitches at the start of each needle.  This morning while waking up and sipping coffee and managed to knit the first 10 rows of the heel flap!  I plan to make the foot plain - no lace pattern.  I just prefer plain stitches on the feet of my socks.  Both this and the shawl came to work with me today and I'm hoping to work on one of them at lunch.

A bright note:  Fletch wore his Barn Owl socks the other day and pronounced them "very nice!"  No mention of any snugness - lol.

Hoping your March is off to a fabulous start!

What I Did Instead of Knitting

Well Hello Everyone,


This is what I did last night instead of knitting:

Yup - baked cookies.  Specifically Toffee Pecan Cookies.  Oh my!  I snagged this recipe last Fall (I think) from Leslie and they are so yummy -- very, very sweet, but oh so tasty.  I should have been knitting or exercising (ha!), but I don't often make dessert and Colin is coming by for dinner tonight...I figured he could take the majority of them home so that Mailing can enjoy as well.


Speaking of exercising, I got the great idea of signing up (free) for 21 Days of Pilates.  Every day I receive an e-mail with a link for a video (just 10 minutes each).  I got the idea from Mary.  So far (it started Monday), I have done NONE of the videos.  I know.  It's bad.  But, in my defense, I don't have time in the morning (I get up at 5:30, shower, have coffee, get dressed and am out the door by 7) and Monday night I was at yoga.  Tuesday my tablet was dead, so I couldn't watch the video in the  bedroom (which is where I exercise...when I do exercise that is), and last night I got home from work a little later than usual and had to start cooking dinner right away or we would have been dining at 9 p.m.  So, I'm full of excuses, that's for sure.  Not sure about tonight since Colin will be over for dinner.  But I am determined to start...maybe this weekend, or just start next week.  I still have all the links in my e-mail.


Update on the tow thing - all repaired~!!  I managed to tie it up using a cable from our IT department and it didn't drag going home.  Fletch got it fixed and secure while I was cooking dinner.  It had been bolted on to the underside of the car and Fletch said the entire bolt piece had rusted away (in 3 years!!).  Yikes.  Just glad we weren't on a camping trip somewhere towing our camper.  What a disaster that would have been.


A book I keep on my nightstand and read periodically is Hal Borland's "Twelve Moons of the Year."  It is a collection of his essays that appeared in the New York Times many years ago.  They are mostly about nature and the changing seasons.  There is an essay for each day and they typically are no more than a page.  I enjoy reading one or two before bed.  Last night, as I climbed into bed, I could hear the winds roaring and whistling by.  It was mild (50 degrees or so), but very, very gusty.  Apropos, the passage for March 8th was titled "March Winds."  Here are a couple of quotes from that essay that I really like:


"The winds of March are as inevitable as the vernal equinox, and they can be as variable as the moods of the season."


"March wind is the dying breath of winter, the first triumphant gasp of spring.  It is clearing of the air.  It may howl or whisper, sooth or punish, but it is the wind of change, the voice of seasons in transition."


Sounds like we are in for more change - snow forecast for overnight tonight (and it is to be in the 60's today!).  The roller coaster continues.....