Happy New Year Part 2!!

Hello Again,

I hadn't thought I would post twice on New Year's Day...but I did it!  I bundled up and went out for a walk.  So GLAD I did!

First I got ready...wearing the Icelandic Sweater my Mom knit for me at least 35 years ago (and I fit in it again!!):

No make-up and bags under the eyes.  This is moi!!

I drove down to the Pawlings Road River Trail where I walked quite a bit in the summer.  I was surprised that there were 3 other cars in the lot.  What a beautiful day.  The trail is snow covered, but filled with foot prints and paw prints.

Blue, blue sky.  At one point I looked up and there was a flock of geese flying overhead.  I couldn't get my gloves off quickly enough to get a snap, but what a typical winter scene.

I was bundled up and actually (except for my cheeks) almost too warm!

I only met one other person (and his dog) on the trail.  We wished each other Happy New Year and continued on our way.  There was ice on the river, but the water was flowing (and noisy!!).

So glad I decided to venture out!  It has been too long since I moved a bit (I haven't been to yoga in a month).  A perfect winter's morning walk.  And the first of my explorations!!

Now I'm relaxing with a bit of wine (it's almost Noon) and soon I will figure out some lunch for Fletch and me.  The afternoon will be devoted to knitting and reading.

My walk was a gift.  Enjoy the day!

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Oh gosh it is chilly outside.  Tyg woke me at 6 a.m. to go out and it was 3 degrees.  I went back to bed...woke up at 7:45 to brilliant sunlight pouring into the back bedroom window.  Cozy under the blankets, but it was still 3 outside,  It has now warmed up to 5F.

The party Saturday night at our neighbor's was nice.  Met some lovely people and better yet, got to see the inside of the farmhouse.  Rob renovated the kitchen and it is now huge with exposed stone walls and lots of space (since that's where everyone gathers during a party). 

Yesterday we stayed put.  It was cold all day long.  Fletch ventured out to fill the bird feeders and add water to the bird bath (which is heated).  I made our standard New Year's Eve dinner:  crab quiche:

A favorite recipe of ours from the Philadelphia Orchestra cookbook that I've had for years.  I double the crab in it and this year I added spinach.  It turned out great.  That and a glass of champagne (with a splash of chambord in it) - perfect!

For a change I managed to stay up till midnight.  We watched an episode of Shetland (such a great show) and then watched Austin City Limits till midnight...no ball dropping on Times Square for us.  By 12:05 a.m. I was in bed - lol.

So, a brand new year filled with opportunities.  I'm going to "attempt" at keeping a journal this year, but no huge expectations.  If I write, ok.  If I don't, that's ok too.  Here's the cover of my journal - love it!!

And, my "one word" for 2018 is EXPLORE.  I want to explore new things - techniques, places, etc.

Plans for today include knitting, reading and cooking (dinner will be pork chops, collards and hoppin' John to welcome in the new year).  I always try to take a walk on the 1st, but not sure that will happen today it is so bitterly cold.  My second fingerless mitt is almost done...or about half-way done.  I'll work on that a bit, but I want to cast on something new for the 1st and that will be Colin's first sock.

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, may the New Year be filled with good health, fun times, laughter, and all things wonderful.  I'm off to pour another cup of coffee and figure out what to have for breakfast.

Snowy Saturday

Hi There and Good Morning!

More computer difficulties, but finally on again.  Sometimes I simply hate technology - lol.  Seems like I'd be lost without it...feels sometimes like I'm lost with it.

Anywho, we did not have a white Christmas, but this is what I woke up to this a.m.

Looking out from the back patio:  picnic table and fire pit, garden to the back (green round thing is the composter and behind that two "greenhouse" covers over some raised beds (collards growing!!), and our woods behind that.

The birds were feeding constantly.

That's Fletch's kayak at the top - hanging from our patio roof.  The pole in the picture keeps the clothesline (which the feeder is on) propped up high enough that Tyg can't jump up (lesson learned when one day he jumped from the ground into/onto the feeder and got a poor unsuspecting bird).  This morning I actually watched Tyg run after a low flying flicker!  One of the big red-headed woodpeckers (which for some reason are called red belly woodpeckers).

So, the roads are a mess.  Fletch heard earlier that there were already multiple (like 9-10) separate multi-car accidents on the Schuylkill Expressway.  The snow is so light that Fletch could use the leaf blower to get the cars clean, but he said it is very slippery out.

We have a party to go to tonight...luckily it is just across the street.  We may be the only ones to show up - LOL. 

Yesterday we got the grocery shopping done...and a run to the liquor store.  I think we are set for some time.  No need to venture out.

On the knitting front I managed to get the first fingerless mitt finished! 

I love it!  Now I just need to cast on the 2nd and get knitting.

I've also wound yarn for Colin's socks.  He picked out yarn while he was here Thursday night.  And I need to look at patterns.  He said just plain was fine unless I wanted to spice it up a bit.  So many of the patterns I have are lacey...not what he would like.  I've made him a pair using the Petty Harbor pattern, so want to do something else.  I can search this afternoon.

When Damon, Fletcher's brother, was up at Thanksgiving he brought a HUGE box of stuff from home which contained tons of things their Mom had saved.  Correspondence (letters and postcards from us), telegrams (!), birth announcements, report cards and the like.  And there were pictures.  Here is a blast from the past.

No date on the picture, but I'm guessing it's from the early 80's - post marriage but pre-Colin.  This was taken in Norfolk, VA at Fletcher's Mom's house.

Well, I've rambled on long enough.  Stay warm and happy!!

Three on Thursday

Hello All,


I trust you all had fabulous holiday celebrations.  We certainly did!!  I was going to post a bit earlier, but ran into major computer problems this morning...my laptop may be on its last legs (hoping not...don't really need yet ANOTHER expense at this point in time...but we will see).


So first the fun things.  Christmas Eve we ended up at Mailing's parent's home for making dumplings and then dining:

It is a lot of fun to make these, though I pretty much suck at it.  Mine are the not-so-pretty ones in the foreground.  Mailing and her sister are really adept at making beautiful crescents.  And their father is the master at rolling out the dough.  The stuffing is ground pork, scallions, ginger and some other spices.  We had these with some beef, a delicious salad of noodles, tofu, red onions and cilantro.


After dinner, Colin & Mailing came over to our house and the four of us opened stocking stuffer gifts.


Christmas Day Fletch and I got over to Colin & Mailing's by 11 a.m. for brunch.  There were home-made popovers and a delicious black tea punch that had (besides a black tea simple syrup) brandy, champagne and some other liquor.  It was perfect! 

That is Colin & Mailing at the head of the table, Fletch and Anna (Mailing's sister) on the left and Mailing's parents on the right.


We opened gifts and later Fletch and Mailing's Dad took a walk.  It was much too cold and windy for the rest of us.  Some napped and others just lazed around.  At one point Fletch and Talbot got very comfortable together (though not too close...).

Dinner was amazing:  a roast that was cooked to perfection, Brussels Sprouts, home-made butternut squash ravioli and also home-made spinach & mushroom ravioli and then home-made chocolate mousse with whipped cream.  Eventually we waddled out and drove home.  I have been pretty much a slug ever since!


No work for me this week which has been a joy.  I haven't done nearly what I thought I would, but that's ok.  I did start fingerless mitts for myself and got as far as the thumb on the first one and had to unravel the entire thing.  It has been started again and I'm working on it slowly.  I did something - not sure what - to my arm/elbow the other week and I've been having a bit of pain with that.  Fletch thinks it's a pinched nerve which it may be.  It might also be my arthritis acting up.  Whatever, I've been downing Advil and avoiding lifting heavy things.


A pot of bean soup with ham is on the stove and I have bread rising.  Colin & Mailing are coming for dinner tonight.  We need to find out what else they would like as we had to return one of our gifts to them...we had gotten them the pasta attachment to their Kitchen Aid mixer, but they got a pasta machine a week before Christmas!  A redundant gift!  Luckily Amazon is so easy to do returns.


I also promised Colin I'd make him another pair of socks (Mailing did get some hand-knitted socks), so maybe he will pick out yarn tonight.


I've started reading "The Other Einstein" and am really enjoying it.  I finished "The Little French Bistro" which was just ok in my book...also finished "The Keeper of Lost Things" which again was ok...it seemed to bog down for me in parts.


Christmas found me with some books as gifts (Yay!!) - one of which is Slow Knitting which I've glanced through.  It's going to be a very enjoyable read.  Hopefully I will learn to slow down a bit and savor things a little more.


Not sure if I will be back before the 2nd or not...kind of depends on this laptop and whether it starts acting up again or not.  Fingers crossed it will behave itself.


Wishing you all a safe and happy new year!  May there be good health, plenty of laughter and much joy in your lives.

Three on Thursday

Hello All,


The Christmas luncheon yesterday was really lovely.  Well, the hotel where it was held is a bit of a mess, but the food was terrific and there were a ton of laughs, gifts and a few tears.  All in all, a lovely day.  And, I was home by 2 p.m. which leads up to my 3 on Thursday:


1.   My wrapping is finished!!!  I got some done in the afternoon and everything else was done by 11 last night.  I didn't even allow myself to think about adding to what is done and wrapped.


2.  I baked some more cookies.  And, I may be finished with that as well.  I haven't made cut-out cookies yet and I may do that...but I may wait and make them for Valentine's day or something.  It seems as though every year by the end of January I throw out a ton of cookies.  We give a lot to various people, but we still end up with a ton for the two of us and we just don't eat them that quickly.  I know you can freeze them, but my freezer doesn't have enough room for them.


3.  I finished The Keeper of Lost Things this morning while having my coffee.  It's a fun, easy read (though it bogged down a bit for me in parts).  I'd label it as one of those "feel good" novels.


I'm excited with the prospect of casting on for some fingerless mitts for me!!  With thumbs!!  That may not happen till next week, but I think the weekend will be very relaxed and may provide the perfect opportunity.


Someone was exhausted last night.  After all, he had to help with the baking and especially with the wrapping.  I hope Santa brings this boy something fun!!

So completely relaxed!  That's the life.


Hope you all ae enjoying the wind down to Christmas.  Take some time to relax a bit...

Unraveled Wednesday 12/20/17

Good Morning!


We had another beautiful sunrise this morning.  I wanted to take a picture, but I was driving to work and traffic was not favorable for pulling over to snap a picture or two.


But...I do have some knitting to show.  This was one of my secret knits - fingerless mitts for my friend Carol (who was at our house Saturday for dinner).  She does a lot of photography and I figured these would come in handy in the cooler weather.  Happily she was thrilled with them (and there were two even though the picture is only of one - lol).

The yarn is some I bought at Good Karma Farm a couple of years ago.


I also made another pair for a friend at work who was recently diagnosed with leukemia (now in remission, but still out of work - a long road ahead of her).  Whenever I'm not feeling well or even just very tired, my hands get extremely cold.  So, I thought they would be nice for her - she could still easily use her phone or tablet, but hopefully be a little cozier.  I used some KnitPicks fingering weight yarn and then forgot to take a picture of them. 


Next up I want to make some with an actual thumb piece instead of just a buttonhole for sticking your thumb through.  I might just have the time next week!!


I'm still reading "The Keeper of Lost Things" which I am liking ok...I just haven't been reading very much.  However, I did bake two more kinds of cookies last night:  oatmeal raisin (not my favorite, but Fletch loves them) and ginger creams which are just kind of a cakey cookie that taste like (surprise!) gingerbread.


So, today we leave work by 11 for our luncheon and then we can go home!!  I hope to get some gifts wrapped this afternoon and, perhaps, a little nap.


Hope you are finding yourself relaxed mid-week leading up to Christmas.

Getting It Done!!

Hello Everyone,


Well, the speed of life at work has still not slowed down.  I intended to post yesterday, but life/work got in the way.


How was your weekend?  It started snowing hard around 1 p.m. Friday, so I left work at 2.  As it turned out, the office closed at 2:30.  We only ended up getting an inch or two, but it was enough to make traffic crazy!  I was happy to get home for the night.


Saturday I was up early baking a cake for dessert that evening.  Our friends from Maryland came up for dinner.  We had a wonderful time - lots of laughs, too much food, and some beautiful gifts.  All good.


Sunday was grocery shopping and then I (finally) started baking.  I made one double batch of toffee pecan cookies so I could bring some into work on Monday.  I had intended to make another kind, but ran out of time.  Maybe tonight....  On the other hand, I did manage to get a couple of gifts wrapped and under the tree and in stockings.  Progress!


Despite a busy day at work yesterday, I did manage to sneak out for a bit mid-day and finished up stocking stuffer shopping for Colin & Mailing.  Tomorrow is a half day (we get to leave after our Christmas luncheon which is off-site this year, and Friday is also a half day!  I want to book a pedicure appointment for Friday afternoon.  And, at this point, it doesn't look like I will be coming into work at all next week.  Woo-Hoo!!


The weather is still crazy - snow on Friday and this morning it was almost 50 when I got up!  Colin is stopping by this evening after work and we plan to have a fire in the pit!!


Now, I'd best get to it...another busy day at work.  Hoping everyone's week is going well.