Unraveled Wednesday April 13, 2022

 Hello and Good Morning!

Yesterday turned into a beautiful day after a brief morning shower.  I did not get out for a walk but I did manage to do a little bit of archery in the afternoon.  What a sight!  I only shot 15 arrows (building my strength back up) and of those 15, only 2 hit the target!  In my defense, the target is a bit further away than it used to be.  The majority of my arrows fell short - I really need to build my arm strength back up!  All in all though it felt wonderful to get out and do that.

And here we are at Unraveled Wednesday again.  As usual, I am linking up with Kat and other Merry Unravelers to talk making and reading.  Fortunately there was no unraveling this week.  In fact, Hiking Trail sock #1 was finished and #2 started!!  No second sock syndrome for me.

The Guernsey Wrap saw some more rows added.  I am now just over halfway through the second knitting of chart A.

Interesting how that one section really pulls in the sides.  Everything will even out once it is blocked.

My reading has been slow this week.  I'm still reading Still Life and have just 100 pages or so left.  Still enjoying, just reading more slowly.  And, Fletch and I continue to read Teaching a Stone to Talk after dinner.  This is not a book to rush through (and we are not).

Today I will be heading to the office in a bit.  I need to check mail and I have a package of goodies to ship out to Colin & Mailing.  It is supposed to get into the 80's here today!  Depending on how I feel, I may walk this afternoon...or I may nap...I did not sleep well at all last night.  It's time to take the winter comforter off the bed and put on a lighter summer spread.  Maybe if I do that I will sleep better and not wake up so hot!

Wishing you all a wonderful mid-week.  Be sure to stop by Kat's to see what everyone is making and reading.

Tiny Needle Tuesday 4/12/22

 Good Morning!

It's kind of gloomy out there.  But on the mild side.  I just opened the patio door to chase away some deer from the garden and Mabel came racing from out of the woods.  That reminded me that Fletch told me a Mabel story yesterday.  Our neighbor, Karen, has a little yappy dog.  I have no idea what kind of dog it is, but when it is outside it barks constantly.  Apparently the other day Mabel was in Karen's back yard and Teddy - the dog - was barking and barking and barking.  Mabel finally turned and charged and jumped on Teddy!!  Karen apologized to Fletch but said she had to swat Mabel with a broom to get her off Teddy.  LOL  I just hope that Mabel doesn't act that way if a fox or foxes start barking at her!

Yesterday was another very pretty day.  I managed to get out for another walk on the canal path before lunch.  No blue heron sightings, but there were turtles again on logs.  I was able to walk a little faster and actually a little longer (just under 2 miles), so progress is being made.  I'm not sure if I will walk today...my feet are a little sore for some reason and also it is now raining.  If it brightens up in the afternoon, I'd like to do some archery, but time will tell.

So here we are at Tuesday and it is time for a stitching update for TNT or Tiny Needle Tuesday.  Still no Adam & Eve in the sampler, but there are some new motifs that have been put on the sampler:

I didn't stitch as much as I thought I had, but having to switch colors slowed me down a bit.  There are more "animals" to be stitched and a tree in the center (under which will be A&E and around which an evil serpent will be wrapped).  Lots more to stitch still.  

In other news, remember when I got that strange flower from Trader Joe's?  A Protea.  I think it has to be over a month now.  Well, it is finally beginning to spread out a little bit!

The color has changed - it is not quite as red as it had been.  The leaves all turned a lovely bronze color, but they also started to get moldy, so I ditched them, cut the stem down and moved the bloom into a smaller vase.  It amazes me that it is still looking so good!

Other things I just realized:  my lilac is showing color in its buds!!  And Friday is Good Friday and a work holiday for me...though my work calls it "Spring Observance" so that no one is offended.  Both nice things.

May your Tuesday be filled with nice things too.

Weekending

 Good Morning!

This morning finds me a little groggy.  I slept 9 hours last night and I've only just had my first sips of coffee.  Bliss!  (Cafe Du Monde coffee - LOVE!!)  How was your weekend?  Mine was most wonderful!

My one conference call on Friday was cancelled and thus my weekend really started a bit early.  And, Friday was a simply gorgeous day.  Brilliant sunshine, comfortable temps.  I (finally) ventured out for my first walk in months.  I headed to the canal path and it did not disappoint.  There were little yellow flowers (believe they are Cinquefoils) all over the place.

There were turtles basking on logs in the sun.

The canal water was so brown!  And it was up to the top edge of the canal by the path.  We have had so much rain lately.

But the best was just as I got to the bridge where the canal spills a little bit into the Schuylkill River, a Great Blue Heron flew up.  So majestic!  Of course my phone was in my jacket pocket, but he/she landed by a tree nearby and I was able to get a picture then.

I'm walking a little slower and only did about 1.5 miles which was enough - I could really feel it in my back.

Saturday was a wet day!  Dee and I met up for our Saturday morning therapy session - one where we solve the world's problems while sipping coffee and knitting.  It was lovely.  And, by the time we were ready to leave Starbucks, the rain had stopped.  I ran some errands on my way home and then had a relaxing afternoon.

Sunday came along and I decided to take another walk after breakfast.  This time I went to the River Trail.  It was in the low 40's and breezy, so it was a little bit of a chilly walk.  Again I was able to go just over 1.5 miles.  I do not remember seeing Bluebells along this trail in the past, but right now there are clumps of them everywhere - both sides of the trail.

Also some interesting and pretty (at least to me) fungi growing on fallen logs.

I did a bit of cooking when I got home and then around 4 we went over to Bonnie and Zhongren's for dinner.  Anna (and her dog Otto) came and also Nai Nai (Chinese for Grandmother).  Of course we made dumplings

The not-so-attractive ones on the pink tray are ones that I made.

As always, dinner was delicious.  And, it turns out that yesterday was Nai Nai's 86th birthday!!

It just seemed a little weird to not have Colin & Mailing there to celebrate with us.

All in all, a wonderful weekend.  I'm thankful to be getting back to walking again - even though I can feel it in my back, by the time I get home, my back is fine.  I'm hoping to get out again at some point today - either late morning (a chilly 35 degrees right now) or early afternoon.

If you've lasted all the way through this long, rambling post, here is a picture of sweet Mabel for you!

Up in the apple tree.  She didn't know where to look or where to go.  Birds kept flying in and out of the tree and she was going from branch to branch.  She is definitely getting bigger and holy moly she consumes a lot of food!!

Time to get a second cup of coffee and get rolling into what the day offers.  Hope your start to the week is a good one!

Unraveled Wednesday April 6, 2022

 Good Morning!

I was happy to make it to the office without getting washed away!  LOL  I woke in the night to heavy rain and it was still coming down when I left my house at 6:40 this morning.  And now at 8:30, it is STILL coming down.  I stopped at the grocery store to pick up fruit, muffins, scones, etc. for the meeting going on and, as the cashier said, better rain than a drought.  Also, better rain than snow.  My drive to the office goes through Valley Forge Park and the creek (I think it's Valley Creek) was roaring and overflowing its banks.  Ponding on the roads.  Looking at my phone, I believe the rain should pretty much be over by 11 a.m.

My PT Evaluation yesterday was ok.  Once again, I am finding that people do not really listen to what you say.  The therapist kept referencing "my pain" even though I said multiple times that I have NO pain.  But, I came away with some exercises I can do twice a day to build my core muscles back up which, in turn, will support my back.  I also got the "go ahead" to schedule a massage.  YAY!!!  I have another PT session this afternoon...I think with a different therapist this time.

All of this brings us to right here, right now.  Unraveled Wednesday!  A round of applause for no unraveling this week.  Of course, I have not done a whole lot of knitting, but I've done some.  First up the Hiking Trail sock for Colin (this is sock #1...still...):

This shot shows 40 rows complete on the foot.  For Colin I usually do 75 rows, so a little ways to go before the toe decreases.  I was able to knit another 5 rows this morning while waking up with my coffee.

Next up is the Guernsey Wrap.

Quite a way to go on this one!  There are 3 charts for this wrap.  Chart A and C are both 78 rows.  Chart B is (I think) 24 rows.  You knit Chart A twice (all 78 rows) and then rows 1-58.  Then you move on and knit chart B - once.  Chart C is also knit twice (all 78 rows) and then rows 1-58 again.  Then you (finally) bind off.  The picture above shows where I am as of last night.  The first 78 rows of Chart A are complete and I am about 5 or 8 rows into the second 78.  This is still a relaxed and easy knit.  And, with only 58 stitches to a row, it goes fairly quickly.  My issue is just finding time to knit!

On the reading front, I am still enjoying Still Life by Sarah Winman.  This is not a quick read for me, but I am enjoying it.  Fletch and I finished Stanley Tucci's "Taste" and we are glad to be done with it!  I started out loving it and then enjoying it and by the last third to quarter of the book I was sick and tired of all the name dropping.  I would have liked more recipes and less about how wonderful he is!  LOL  Our new book for reading after dinner is Teaching a Stone to Talk by Annie Dillard.  I bought this book back in the early 90's, but never read it.  We started the other night, and so far so good - really enjoying.

As usual on Unraveled Wednesday, I'm linking up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk making and reading.  Do head over there to see what everyone is up to - lots of inspiration always.

Tiny Needle Tuesday April 5, 2022

 Good Morning Friends,

Oh my!  Yesterday was a whirlwind of activity - work related - which was not what I wanted or expected.  I also was reminded that there is a dinner tonight and a meeting all day tomorrow that I am to attend.  How did I forget?  I declined dinner.  And the meeting?  I will go, but I will leave early due to a PT appointment.  And now I have a PT appointment this morning as well (they called yesterday to say they had an opening...so my evaluation is today and my first session tomorrow).

My hope was to get a walk in yesterday, but that didn't happen (thanks to work).  Then I thought maybe I'd do some archery, but I never had a chance to do that either.  No knitting or stitching was done.  Not what I would call a good day!  LOL  The one thing I was able to do was schedule both Fletch and me for our second Booster shots - we will get them this Thursday.  After that, I will schedule the first shingles vaccine for me.

Anyway, here we are at the first Tuesday in April and it's TNT,  And...drumroll...I have a finish!

Kind of hard to see this small, but you can click to enlarge.  I'm so happy with the way A Visiting Bird turned out.  The design is from Carriage House Samplings (Kathy Barrick) and I used DMC threads on 32 count fabric.

Next up is the A&E Sampler where A&E have yet to appear (still).  However, the alphabets and numbers are all finished.  Now the real fun will begin:

I had thought/hoped that I would be able to stitch at least one or two things below the numbers, but alas that did not happen.  Hoping to remedy that today - fingers crossed that work will not be as busy as it has been.

Looks as though the balance of the week could be rainy for us, so plenty of time to curl up and stitch, read and knit.  That is, in between, work, PT appointments and the like.  I may be a little late posting tomorrow as I need to be at my office by 7:30.  Oy vey!

We watched (PBS) the first segment of the new Ken Burns program on Benjamin Franklin.  It was interesting, but I didn't enjoy it as much as some of his other pieces.  Did anyone else watch it?

Wishing you all nothing but good things on this first Tuesday in April.

Weekending 4/4/22

 Good Morning!

How are you?  And, how was your weekend?  Mine was lovely.  Friday ended up being a fairly busy work day and I was exhausted by the time that was over.  We made some home-made pizza for dinner which turned out so well.  We will often broil some eggplant slices to go on pizza, but Friday we used a summer (yellow) squash instead.  And some marinated artichoke hearts sealed the deal.  Yum.  I was pretty tired and was in bed by 9:30!!  That felt wonderful.

Saturday dawned and I got ready to head over to Dee's for some fun.  She took me over to Lambertville, NJ which is just such a quaint and cute little town.  We hit a coffee shop (of course) for some delicious coffee and knitting time.  Then we headed to Chive for lunch.  The last time I ate at Chive they were located in PA, but since then they have moved across the River to NJ.  Their food is always fresh and delicious.  After that we headed to Twist so that I could enhance my yarn stash.  Not needed by any means, but definitely fun!  Here's what came home with me.

The Opal yarn just screamed SPRING to me and the Crazy Zauerball.  What can I say?  I'm not normally a "pink person," but this ball of yarn kept reaching out and grabbing me.  I had to have it!  Such a nice day!  Thank you Dee.

I was home by around 3 p.m. and Fletch came in a little after me.  He had gone over to Colin & Mailing's house to repair their mailbox which had started tilting before the kids moved to Austin and he also took over some garden fencing for Mike to use.  Fletch and I sat out a short while on the patio - it was a little chilly with a breeze, but with jackets on, we were ok.  I had picked up some fried chicken for dinner and just made a bunch of stir-fry vegetables to go with that.

Sunday's weather was all over the place.  We had some breakfast and I worked a little bit on my stitching.  I was determined to take a walk, but the sun would come out and then it would rain, then the sun would start to come out again and then it would rain really hard for a bit.  We even ended up with hail in the afternoon!  No walk for me that day.  But I'm hoping to get out this afternoon.  I have one conference call at 11:30, so maybe early afternoon I can get out.  I need to drop off a book at the library and pick up some prescriptions at CVS too.  Nothing too exciting for a start to this first week of April.

So, tell me, what did you do this weekend?

Friday Felines and a Back Update

 Good Morning Friends!

Lots and lots of rain last night.  And more this morning.  Sweet Mabel went out around 5 and when I came back downstairs at 6:30 I discovered yet another vole on the patio.  How many voles can one property have?  Apparently many.  Here's our sweet huntress:

Breakfast time!

Well, I met with the neuro surgeon yesterday.  I have to say I was not overly impressed with him.  He would ask a question as I would start to answer it, he would begin talking again.  Rude.  And didn't really listen to me.  But, bottom line, I now have a back brace I can wear when needed.  For example, standing around the kitchen and cooking (which I love to do) is hard on my back, so I can wear the brace.  If I'm going to be in the car longer than 45 minutes or an hour, I can wear the brace.  I can also get back to doing some exercising and definitely walking.  He suggested PT, so I have an evaluation appointment set up for next week and then 4 PT sessions scheduled.  I honestly do not think I need to go twice a week, but I'll see how it goes and play it by ear.

So, even though I was not impressed with the doctor, I am pleased with how the appointment went and the prognosis for my back.  I don't need to see him again unless my back gets worse.  It's all good and I cannot wait to get back to walking and moving (gently at first)!  I've two conference calls today, but after that maybe the skies will clear and I can get outside.  Fingers crossed!

And tomorrow Dee and I have plans to get together for some coffee...some yarn shopping...some lunch...as I said, it's all good!  I think that's a very nice way to welcome April!  And I hope you enjoy your weekend.