As Promised - Answers to Your Questions

Hello there!  I hope all of you had, at a minimum, an "acceptable" weekend.  A friend of mine recently described her weekend that way and I think it's a good way to think of it these days.  As she said, it was nothing that interesting or exciting, but it wasn't a bad weekend.  So there you go.  If yours was more than acceptable, lucky you!

As promised, today I will answer the questions you asked me in the comments of this post.  But before I do, please let me tell you that once again, Blogger is being wonky with comments.  Either I don't get notified that they are there, or I get them a week after they've been posted.  So if you did ask a question, and it's not answered here, that might be the reason.  It makes me crazy, but I have no idea how to "fix" it.

But let's just move forward, shall we?

Kim in Oregon asked:  What was the first album you ever purchased?  

Hm, this is a hard one.  My musical tastes were largely influenced by my older sisters (11 and 12 years older than me), and frankly, they bought all of the albums - The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, etc.  I remember buying 78 rpms when I was a kid for particular songs I liked (yes, I'm that old), but I suspect I was college age when I bought my first album on my own with my own money.  I'm *guessing*it was "Tapestry" by Carole King.  I still have it, along with the others I purchased since then (sadly, my sisters took their albums with them when they moved out of the house after college).  Anyway, "Tapestry" is still one of my faves, and I know Every. Single. Word. of all of the songs.

Araignee wanted to know:  When it is chilly and gray outside what is your quintessential autumn meal? I mean in a perfect world, pandemic shortages and considerations aside?

The first two things that came to my brain are not meals, though I guess you could consider them as something for breakfast.  Anyway, those two things would be the recipes I have for Martha Washington's Gingerbread (which I make into muffins), and Maple Oat Scones from one of the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks.  However, I'm guessing she means more in the line of dinners ... so I would have to say stuffed peppers or stuffed cabbage made in the crockpot.  To me, those are cooler weather meals (spoiler alert: I would never not eat them, regardless of weather!), and I love a cold or rainy day when the house smells so good the whole time.

Alison had two questions:  1) Did you have a happy childhood? What is your best memory of being a child?

Overall, I had a very happy - if hectic - childhood.  We moved a lot, so there was a lot of new schools, being the new kid, etc.  We were also pretty poor, so there was the occasional being farmed out to live with relatives for a while, but overall, I think my childhood was wonderful.  We were a close family, and enjoyed each other's company, and my parents always did a good job of making it feel like our lives and desires were limitless, even if they were not able to afford everything we all thought we 'needed.'  I have many wonderful "best" memories, but one of the most fun was when we would go on summer vacations to the shore (this was when I was 4-6 years old or so, and we lived in New Jersey, not far from the ocean).  My parents saved what they could and every year we went for a few days, and stayed in cheap but clean motels.  It was so much fun to be at the seashore, AND the very best part was, since we were on vacation, we could have ice cream for breakfast!!  I can remember once or twice a waitress questioning the choice, and my father saying, "We're on vacation - we can all have whatever we want for breakfast."  Even as an adult, when we have been able to take vacations, I still make sure that I have ice cream for breakfast at least once.

2) I would also like to know if you hang your 6 pack of yoghurt bottles over the side of your shopping trolley?

OK, this one stumped me a bit, because I don't know that this is a "thing" here in the U.S.  But in answer, all I can say is that we usually make our own yogurt, which probably ends up being closer to Greek yogurt than anything else - really thick.  It's always plain yogurt, and we add what we like to it, or sometimes use it like cream cheese on a bagel.  When we do buy yogurt, it's generally the big container because we eat so much of it, the small ones are gone almost immediately.  I will take our yogurt or the store-bought kind sometimes in my lunch to work, in a small container.  I have a feeling that is a really boring answer (sorry Alison!). 😃

Kathy B. asked:  Why was that big ship on your old header?  I think of the Edmund Fitzgerald when I am on the paddle board and my bow on a wave.  I think how it is likely that is how the ship broke in half.

That ship was one of the ones at Old Mystic Seaport in Connecticut.  I took the photo when we visited there on a driving trip to New England about three years ago.  Old Mystic Seaport is someplace I have wanted to visit ever since seeing some photos in a geography textbook in fourth grade.  It did not disappoint, and I took a ton of photos, all lost now on my old hard drive that died.  That ship was one of the ones there, and I just loved the way that photo turned out, so I decided to use it for my summertime header.

Dee had a somewhat philosophical query:  If you could have a "do over" and change things up, what would you do over?

This is always a good question, and I do think about it every once in a while on my own.  It always comes down to individual events, and most strongly, times when I inadvertently hurt someone's feelings.  The big things - college, marriage, where to live, etc. do occasionally make their way into these thoughts, but mostly again, in relationship to times when I have hurt someone without meaning to.  I learned the hard way at an early age not to live my life with a bunch of "woulda, coulda, shoulda" thoughts, so I really don't dwell too much on that.  But being a sensitive person whose feelings are easily hurt, I always think of times I've done that to others.  If I think you deserved it, no big deal, but if you didn't and I didn't meant to do it, it kills me and stays with me forever.

WendyKnits had an interesting question to ask:  We have an ice-breaker question at the start of our weekly staff meeting, so I'll ask you this week's question: What characteristics of your astrological sign do you think are true to your character:

My astrological sign is Pisces, and they are considered to be governed by a constant push/pull energy between their intuitive, spritual core inside and the realities of living in the physical, outside world.  YEP.  They are likable and friendly but can be moody and introspective. YEP.  They are emotionally sensitive. OH YEAH. And they are empathetic. YEP.  In the negative traits, they are idealistic, negative, and escapist.  YEP (though I think idealism is a good thing, for the most part.  But when I get caught up, I can see it as a negative).

Cheryl got down to brass tacks:  As a fellow knitter, I am curious about your stash. How big it is, how it is stored, etc. Pictures would be fun.

My stash changes constantly, not just because I have tried in the past couple of years to knit from it only, but because twice a year I go through it and anything that no longer appeals to me gets donated.  But it is still probably larger than it needs to be, partly because I used to work in an yarn store, and then also because I bought a lot of stuff when it was going out of business.  I know it's smaller than a lot of other people's, but much larger than those who only keep what is for specific projects.  

Here is a photo of my stash in its "home" - a set of cubicle shelves bought at Target years ago, and cloth bins where the yarn actually lives.  Each bin also contains cedar blocks and lavender sachets to keep moths away.  

(I never realized how hard it is to photograph something in a corner!)

Here's a photo looking into one of the bins:

Nance has a knitting-related question as well:  Are you a Continental knitter or an American knitter? And were you taught that way or did you switch?

Like Donald Trump and his minions, Nance, I am a TRUE AMERICAN!!! hahahahahahahaha ...

Seriously, though, I knit in the American/English way 99.999999% of the time.  It's the way I was taught, but I taught myself to knit in the Continental way when I worked at the yarn store so I could help customers, and can do it well enough for the times I use more than one yarn.  Like anything else, I'm sure with practice I would be better, but right know I'm happy with the ability I've got.

And lastly, Shirley wanted to know about our house:  I think you live in an historic home. (I think I remember some reference to the age of your house.) Can you tell us a brief history of your home?

We live in Center City Philadelphia, which is the part of the city that existed before the Consolidation Act of 1854, which expanded the city's borders to include all of Philadelphia county.  Our house first appears in city property records in 1850, belonging to John O'Connor ("of Ireland"), a brewmaster, whose wife was deceased, and who lived with two daughters: Mary, a schoolteacher, and Margaret, a spinster (and I'm guessing that didn't mean someone who used a spinning wheel!).**  It is a fairly typical rowhouse, three stories and a basement, but we are lucky in that at some point the people who lived here bought the lots behind them and next to them, meaning that our house is two rowhouses together (meaning the back walls were demolished), and the lot next door is a carport (a real luxury in the city), and our walled in garden.  The funny thing is that each of our public utilities - water, electric, and gas - are registered for a different address!  The street we live on is a typical old Philly street, wide enough for a horse to pass through, but not for instance, city snow plows to make it.  Our car (a Mazda 6) *just* makes it!  Because Philadelphia has so many streets like this, there are special trash and recycling trucks for those neighborhoods, so they can fit down the street.  Our particular street exists for only one block, period - also not unusual for Philly.  We live within easy walking distance of just about all of the places you've heard of - Independence Hall, the University of Pennsylvania, the Liberty Bell, etc.  It's a wonderful neighborhood and one funny thing about it is that originally the houses were built and were tenements, housing many families who worked in the grand townhouses for the people who lived in Rittenhouse Square.  An early nickname for our neighborhood was "Rottenhouse Square" as a result - you know, full of "dirty" Italians, Irish, Blacks.  Now, the tenements are individual homes, and the grand townhouses (most but not all), have been turned into multi-family units, either as condos or apartments.

**This has always amused me, since my grandfather on my mother's side was John O'Connor, so in theory, we could be distant relatives!

Phew!  That's a lot - maybe more than you ever wanted to know.  But I do enjoy these posts, because I love finding out what people want to know, and also, I'm nosy enough that I like to find out about other people myself.  

If you have thought of any questions you wish you could have asked, keep them in mind for the next time.

Here's hoping we can all have a good week - or at least an "acceptable" one, right? 😉

A Friday Rant

Sorry to be an angry downer today, but this is the birthday of one of my dearest friend's mother, and she is gone because she was a victim of Covid-19.  My friend is hurting today, even more than usual, because she never properly got to say goodbye, like so many others.

I posted this on Facebook, and I'm copying it here, because I want to make sure that even if I am preaching to the choir, people know and remember.

I hope that all of you will have a good weekend, and that on Monday we will all be able to laugh at the goofy answers I have for the questions you have all been lovely enough to post.  Take care.  xoxo

******************

You know those posts you have been seeing occasionally that say, "Do you actually know anyone who has died from Covid?" Well first of all, they infuriate me, because it implies one of two things: 1) it's not really that bad, so how many people could really be dying from this "bad flu," or 2) let's keep track and declare a winner when someone knows more people than anyone else who are no longer here!

Well I'm here to tell you that I know four people who have died from it. Guess what? It kills. And if it doesn't kill you, it leaves you with chronic, serious issues, even if you are a young person.

Every single one of the 200,000+ people who have died from Covid-19 died from Covid-19 - not from an underlying condition if they had one. You can live for years with an "underlying condition." Every single one of those people had at least one person who couldn't see, touch, hug, or properly mourn their loss. Every single one of those people had to die without their family and friends. Yes, in the end we all die alone, but if we are lucky, our last conscious moments are those where we realize we are surrounded by love.

We have been robbed of so much more than just the chance to go to a restaurant, or have a kids' birthday party, go to the mall for new shoes, or go to a football game. We have been robbed of our chance to show love and choose what we want to do and where we want to go on any given day. Many have been robbed of what little mental stability they had left; others of what income kept them from being homeless.

We can and should try to keep going, to let those who are important know that they are, to speak up and tell others that it's more important for all of us to be safe than it is for them to have "constitutional rights." It's going to be an even longer haul, and everyone needs to adapt and do the best we can, even at its crappiest.

And everyone should remember that in the U.S., there is one person who could have actually DONE SOMETHING to deal with this, and to make all of us safer, and he chose not to. And spineless followers who could have forced action decided they didn't care.

Remember those lost. Offer support and love to their loved ones. Take care of those you can. Take care of yourself. Stop whining and take a walk around the block if that is how you gain perspective.

And VOTE. If you don't vote, or you vote for some random person because you find neither choice to be perfectly and exactly what you want, well then, you deserve what you get. But the rest of us do not.

Love you, Mrs. J. And Happy Birthday even if you aren't getting to enjoy it here in person. I'll do my best to love them all here for you. ❤

It's the First Full Day of Autumn - And It's That Time Again!

 

Hello all, I hope this first full day of autumn finds you well (or, in the case of Alison and others in the Southern Hemisphere, I hope your first full day of spring finds you well!).

It's been a while since we did an "Ask Me Anything" session, so this seemed as good a time as any.  For those of you who may be new, or never cared anyway have not participated before, here is how it works:

1.  You use the comments to ask me any question you would like.  How tall am I? (5 ft. 5 in.) Who is my favorite giraffe?  (Any that I am currently seeing.)  Do I actually like anyone?  (Very few.)  What was my mother's confirmation name?  (Bibiana.)  

2.  If the question is one that isn't completely inappropriate or rude (that part is determined by me), I'll answer it in a future post.

So ask away!  Remember, I'll only answer the ones in the comments of THIS post, and I'll post the answers next Monday, September 28, 2020.  

Really and truly, just about anything is accepted.  And if there are those that are not, I may not answer the question, but I will tell you why I'm not answering it.  😈 

In the meantime, here's something I hope will make you smile.

A Quick Little FO Post

Hello on a cool and sunny morning.  I'm getting ready to head out for a Covid-19 test bright and early today.  We are required to get one before returning to work (though I have been back at work since the beginning of August, so timing??).  Fortunately, I have no symptoms, so I just need to have it checked off the list for my file.

The weekend was nice, nothing elaborate one way or another.  Our hearts are broken with the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was a heroine in this house.  And though she does belong to all of us, I really wish that her family could at least have her to themselves in death.  It was somewhat of a cloud on the weekend, but I am also grateful that any suffering she experienced is over.  I am also very grateful that I lived in a world where she lived.

In any case, I stuck to my knitting and ended up with an FO!  Granted, it was a quick knit to start, but I had not originally planned to start and finish something over the course of a single weekend.

(front)

Project:  Jan's Headband

Pattern:  Lisa Headband, by Birgitte Reiten (Ravelry link)

Needles: US size 4, 6

Yarn:  Various fingering weight yarn leftovers, held together to make DK weight 

Modifications:  I used this pattern for the basic stitch counts, and for the help with making increases/decreases that worked more seamlessly in appearance.  

Notes:  This was a really quick knit - I started it on Saturday afternoon, finished it Saturday evening, blocked it and joined the ends to finish it on Sunday.  Originally, I planned to follow the pattern as written, but it was so vague and confusing that I decided to work with the numbers only.  

(back - not perfect mattress stitch, but not too awful)

This is a Christmas gift for the daughter of a niece's partner.  She is a preteen, so she may not even be interested, but then again, I know I see lots of girls her age and older wearing these headbands instead of hats when it gets cold, so maybe she'll actually use it.  But no matter what, it pleases me to have another gift made and ready to go.

That's all for now.  Off to get my stuff together and walk over to my testing site.  I hope this week treats all of us well.  I for one, am excited that tomorrow is the first day of autumn!!

Friday FO: When Four Quarters Make One Gift

I am feeling quite pleased with myself at the moment, because I have completed a project for Christmas gifts that means one entire family is already marked off my list!

Project:  KJPO Hats (Ravelry link)

Pattern:  Olmsted Hat, by Jaclyn Salem (also a Rav link)

Needles:  Size 4US

Yarn:  See each individual project. Everything was leftovers from previous projects.  Except when I used yarn that remained from my Crazytown Cowl (which was DK yarn to being with), I used two strands together to make the DK weight needed for the pattern.

Notes/details/modifications:

K Hat - leftover sock yarn, held together to make DK weight. The whole thing uses some Hedgehog Sock yarn in the colorway Construct; the other two yarns used are Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the colorway Spats (around the brim), and Ancient Arts Fibres in the Grey Tabby colorway.   

Knit exactly as pattern indicates.  Started: August 17 ... Finished: August 24.

J Hat - leftover yarn from my Shift Cowl by Andrea Mowry; a small amount of Good Ole Pip in Plucky Sock; Orange Tabby from Ancient Arts Fibre Sock; Slutty Pumpkin from Nomadic Yarns; two random amounts from minis.  Followed pattern as written, but started the decreases at 6 inches instead of at 6.5 inches.  Started:  August 30 ... Finished: September 4.

P Hat - leftover yarn from my Shift Cowl (aka Crazytown Cowl) by Andrea Mowry.  Adapted for a kid's head. Cast on 96 stitches, and knit for 5.5 inches before starting decreases.  Started: August 25 ... Finished: August 29

O Hat - used Ancient Art Fibres sock in Grey Tabby, along with Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Peppermint Mocha; Nomadic Yarns Twisty Sock in the McGonigle and the Dumbledore colorways.  Cast on 92 stitches, and knit for 5 inches before starting decreases.  Started:  September 1 ... Finished:  September 12.

I love how each hat turned out - different but with some similarities.  After making a hat for The Tim last year using this pattern, I thought that it would be very adaptable to size, since it is a pretty versatile pattern that starts out stretchy when you follow the pattern exactly.  I adjusted sizes mainly so that none of the hats would be too slouchy, because when I tried on the one I made for The Tim, it fit me just fine, but there was a lot of extra material to be either slouchy or for a large folded over brim.  In any case, I highly recommend this pattern.  It is very clearly written, very straightforward, and knits up quickly, since the only point where you have to pay close attention is when you get to the decreases.  

So now I have some Christmas knitting completed - early enough to give me some time to decide what else I should attempt for others. 😊

******

I've been able to do a lot of knitting during the pandemic, and I have to say that not only has it given me something to keep my mind and hands busy, but it has also helped me maintain a certain degree of normalcy.  True, there have been plenty of times when the world has been too crazy and too upsetting to even consider doing anything at all that required any brain power or concentration.  But when I was able to rein in the panic, being able to read or knit or stitch meant that I wasn't constantly in a state of major anxiety.  

Unfortunately, it's not looking like things will settle down anytime soon here, at least not in the U.S., so I hope I can continue to manage my feelings with things that are only only enjoyable, but that take my thoughts in another direction and allow an escape, no matter how brief.

I have never been more grateful to have a decent sized stash, let me tell you!

******

I hope all of you have a good weekend.  It's the last weekend of summer here in the Northern Hemisphere, and in Philadelphia, there has definitely been some hints of autumn in the air.  Whereas some people find that depressing, since it takes us into the seasons of colder weather, and fewer hours of daylight, I look forward to the cozy.  

I'm especially grateful my biggest concern right now is locating some warmer things to wear; I don't have to deal with flooding from hurricanes or evacuating due to wildfires, or face the daunting fact of starting over with nothing.  

Take care, everyone.

One Down and a New Book Started

Here we are again, for Unraveled Wednesday with Kat and others.  Be sure to visit the link if you are curious about what everyone else is making and reading.  

I'm pleased because this week I have a HO (Half-finished Object) to show you:

This is the first of a pair of socks that I am making as a birthday gift for The Tim.  I was so happy to have the first sock off the needles that I immediately took a picture, which is the reason it looks so misshapen and lumpy.  But I am so pleased with it nonetheless.  I cast on the second sock last night, and managed to knit the cuff before tiredness took over.  But I'll be able to get some more done today, and have no doubt these will be ready for his birthday in November.

I started a new book, by an author who is new to me, and so far, I'm really enjoying it.

I heard about this author here, and decided to see if I could find her books.  Fortunately (and somewhat surprisingly) my library had the e-book, and there was no waiting list, so as you can imagine, I checked it out right away.  I am sad to know that the author has brain cancer, because at least based on this book, she has a lot of good writing in her.

In other news, I finished the last of the hats I was making for my niece and her family for Christmas, so I'll have a post about that coming up soon.  I'm very pleased with how they all turned out, and even more pleased that four gifts are finished!

I hope your reading and making is going well, and that wherever you are, the weather is as lovely there as it is here today.  

There Was a Lot of Relaxing

No one will ever be able to say that anyone in our house did too much this weekend.  Other than getting dressed, feeding everyone, and the necessities of Hamlet's "toilette," no one did anything requiring effort.  Which is fine, but the addition of really really really nice weather all weekend took it to a new level.

Though Milo the Koodle started early, on Labor Day weekend.  My houseplants live in a space where they are across from a window, but don't get a ton of sun.  So I try to remember to place them on the windowsill on extra nice days to soak in some extra sunshine.  Labor Day weekend was another nice one, so I set the plants out to enjoy the holiday.  Then someone else decided that *they* wanted to sit in the sun too ...

This piece of nature art is entitled, "Koodle in the houseplant jungle."

He was surprised when I took the photo, because I'm pretty certain that he thought no one could see him.  😏

Anyway, this weekend relaxing was taken to a new level.  We have Pip doing some extremely dramatic lounging.

Though he does look comfy, doesn't he?  He stayed in this position for a couple of hours.  (Why do cats never seem stiff from sleeping in weird positions??)

Not to be outdone, the Koodle decided to play "Why don't you try to figure out how many paws are in this picture?"

Seriously, it looks like more than four, don't you think???  He is sleeping on Hamlet's bed, which of course meant that Hamlet was unable to use it at all.  Because even though Hamlet is about ten times the size of the cats, he will never ever challenge them about anything!

We were able to spend a lot of time outside in the garden, and I got a lot of reading and knitting done both inside and outside.  I managed to finish the last hat in my group for Christmas gifts, and just have the toe to finish on the first sock of a pair I'm knitting.  I finished one book and started another.  I enjoyed watching the Notre Dame football game, and was happy they won; otherwise, it was a PITIFUL weekend for any Philly sports fans - the Phillies and the Eagles both lost in the kinds of showings that should be used forever as examples of how NOT to play!  

Me:  Well, at least the Union [Philadelphia Union, pro soccer team] won on Saturday night ...

The Tim:  I don't care about them at all, but I'll take it.

(Things are really bad when The Tim takes it to heart!)

Sometimes it just goes that way, what are you gonna do, right?

This morning I hope to finish the sock, and start the second one.  Then I want to spend some time thinking what/if/how I can make any other gifts for this year.  I'm kind of at a loss, because I want quick gifts and the others I want to make them for are knit-worthy, but not with a lot of variety, if you know what I mean.  So we'll see what happens.

I hope you enjoyed the weekend as well, and that the coming week is kind to you. 

I've Made a One-Time Exception, For a Good Reason

If you know me, you know that I really really really really cannot stand the f-word.  I get so sick of hearing it all of the time, but realize that most people now use it regularly without even thinking.  I won't go into further detail here about my feelings, but I am writing to let you know that I have made a one-time exception.

Around the beginning of April, I saw that a company called Lipslut was planning to produce this lipstick.  I preordered six of them - one for me, one for a dear friend whose mother recently died from Covid-19, and one for each of my nearby nieces (geographically speaking).  They finally arrived earlier in the week, and I just returned from a trip to the post office to mail them.  Inside each package, I enclosed this note:

Dear _____:

I preordered these, and they were supposed to arrive in July, but like everything else, they were delayed due to the pandemic.

Unlike Trump, these lipsticks are:

• cruelty-free
• good for all skin tones
• proceeds go to Black Lives Matter

Wear with pride, and VOTE!!!

Love, Bridget

According to the person at the post office, they should all arrive on Monday - I'll be happy if they just arrive before the election!

But in any case, I am pleased to have purchased these and spread the word.  Sometimes an exception is worthwhile. 😊

Should you care to own one yourself, they are currently available here.  You can choose where you would like your donation to go, though the Black Lives Matter choice was only available during preorders.

For anyone who finds this offensive, I apologize for the [implied] language of the product, but not for the sentiment, as I find the man and his entire family and administration abhorrent.  So you may want to stop following the blog anyway.

******

In other news, they are currently digging up our street to resurface it.  On the one hand, this is good news (despite the NOISE), because it has been in really bad shape!  On the other hand, being in bad shape kept drivers from speeding through when using it for a shortcut.  We have lived in our house now for nearly 30 years (!) and they have never touched the street during that time.  I told The Tim that I think 2 things are happening: 1) the city has it on their schedule that every 50 years, they resurface our street, and 2) since our street is only one block long, they can do it in only a few days, and still mark it as a street that has been fixed for their statistics.  😏

I hope all of you have a good weekend.  I am going to try go get myself together a bit more - those couple of weekends when I didn't feel well threw me off entirely.  

See you next week.  Take care.

More Than Meets the Eye Here

How is your week going so far?  Mine has been uneventful for the most part, though yesterday was a day at work and let's just call it one of those days you hope to not repeat anytime soon and leave it at that.

Our Labor Day weekend was really enjoyable, full of nothing really out of the ordinary, but such nice weather you were glad to just be able to be.  Saturday I had a haircut appt, and I was actually kind of disappointed that they were ready for me right when I got there.  I had been sitting in the shade outside the salon watching the world go by, and it was quite enjoyable.  Having said that, it was even more enjoyable to get my hair cut!

Today I am happy to join Kat and the others for Unraveled Wednesday.  As usual, I've been doing a lot of reading, but my current book is especially interesting:

I had read a review of it in the New York Times Book Review a couple of months ago, and added it to my "Want to Read" list on Goodreads.  Then to be honest, since it hadn't been published yet, I forgot all about it.  Then I saw a post on Instagram (back when I could use Instagram) where someone was reading it and liked it, and lo and behold, it was available on Overdrive without having to add my name to the hold list!

I would say that if you like women's history, medical history, and World War I, that you will like this book.  (I don't mean "like" WWI in the sense that you think it must have been wonderful, of course.  I mean that you find it interesting and fascinating to read about, as I do.  I'm saying that because once I said I loved reading about WWI, and someone lectured me because "you shouldn't love war."  Sigh.)

Anyway, it's an excellent book so far.  I'm about 1/3 of the way through it.

Knitting-wise, I'm still working away on the hats I'm making (I'm on #4 out of 4!), but I have also started another pair of socks, this time for The Tim:

Actually this is an old photo - I am now on the heel flap of this sock, so I've made a lot of progress, I just haven't photographed it recently.  This is just a plain vanilla sock pattern with texture stitching that I'm doing along the leg.  The yarn is the Yukon Cornelius colorway from Sweet Sparrow Yarns.  Sadly, she has stopped dyeing these Christmas colorways - I've had this in my stash for a few years - but at least I got a few when they were still available!  These will most likely be a birthday gift (November) for The Tim; if for some reason I am delayed in finishing them, I'll aim for Christmas.  

And do you like the project bag?  I LOVE it so much, and after seeing it on the Crazy Sock Lady's podcast (she was using one), decided that I would use some of my "treat me" money to get one for myself.  I got it from SewCrazyCrafter on Etsy, and oh does she have some nice things to choose from!  But I just love this - the knitting squirrel, the eyeglasses, the saying - it just makes me happy whenever I see it.  

That's the news for today's installment.  If you want to see what others are reading and making, hop over the Kat's blog (link above).  And no matter what else you do or don't do, I hope you have a good day.

Labor Day 2020

"All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity" 

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Like so many things this year, even Labor Day is changed.  For a lot of us, it's another day at home, doing what we can and trying to stay safe, not just for ourselves, but for our loved ones.   

One thing that has not changed is the meaning of Labor Day.  Maybe this year we even realize it more than usual, because for some people there has been no staying at home and/or working from home.  They have gotten up every single day and gone to work not just so we have health care, but so we have groceries, mail service, public transportation, trash pickup, etc.  And yes, they are heroes, but they are mostly brave because the majority of these "other" workers have little or no choice.

So - even though many of them are working today - let's still keep a thought for the people who keep things going all of the time.  For as awful as things are right now, they could be a lot worse if these Laborers didn't go to work.

Enjoy your day however you can, and remember to thank others.

Tiny Needle, Tiny Progress

Sigh.  I have not worked on my cross-stitch for a couple of weeks.  Most of the time, I spend time with it on Saturdays.  But on Saturday two weeks ago, I didn't feel that great, and this past Saturday, I got involved in other things.  I did however, make a tiny bit of progress on it one day last week.  So here is my tiny contribution to Tiny Needle Tuesday.

As you can see in the above photo, I got the little book outlined, and the "pages" stitched, and was able to start on the border.  The border is tricky, because not only is there a lot of backstitching involved, but the color keeps changing.  So for this it will be slow and steady, but I think I'll be happy with it when it's finished.

I'd like to finish it by the end of September, because I have some Halloween-themed projects and I think it would be fun to work on one of those during October.  We'll see.  As far as cross-stitch is concerned, I'm a monogamous stitcher.  I like to concentrate on one thing, and finishing it before getting involved with another project.  

And now that September is here, it's time to start concentrating on this a bit more so that I can finish it!

*****

I have nothing interesting or exciting to report.  The weekend was fine, with pretty nice weather.  We ended up staying put because for whatever reasons, both of us had trouble sleeping on both Friday and Saturday nights, so we were kinda wiped out both days.  I did manage to take Hamlet for a longer than usual walk late Sunday morning, and we met a couple of elderly ladies sitting outside a coffee shop who made a major fuss over him, so I think he may have enjoyed that even more than a trip to the park!

Here's hoping that this week and this month will be good to all of us.