Book Reporr for January, February, and March 2026

 Well, here it is the middle of May, and I just realized I never shared my reading from the first three months of 2026! That's something I am pretty sure that I can handle doing right now, so here you go. 

The Listeners, by Maggie Stiefvater. I tried so hard with this. It takes place in my beloved WV, during WWII, which seemed like it would be great. But I made it just a bit more than halfway through, and ... just no. 

So I'll move on to the next thing.

When Christmas Comes, by Andrew Klavan. Cameron Winter is an English professor with a mysterious past. During the holiday break at his school, his former lover Victoria asks for his help. He travels to the small town of Sweet Haven to check things out. The town is right next to an Army base for the Army Rangers, and is populated primarily by military retirees and their families.

Victoria's case involves Travis Blake, a widowed Army Ranger who is accused of - and has admitted to - the brutal murder of his girlfriend Jennifer Dean, who was an extremely popular and beloved elementary school librarian. 

Victoria feels there is something else going on that she needs to know.

As he starts looking into it, Winter is reminded of his own unhappy childhood, and the only things that ever made his Christmases happy. He is a very mysterious character, and you are unsure of how you should feel about him.

His investigation becomes quite complicated and somewhat harrowing,  and the whole story ends in a manner I did not expect.  

This is the first book in the Cameron Winter series. I may try to read one in two more to see just how I feel about him. But this was a really interesting read.

Book Lovers, by Emily Henry. An enjoyable enough read about two sisters who grew up in New York City - Libby, a married soon-to-be mother of three who is usually ready to enjoy life; and her elder sister Nora, who took charge when their mother died, and is a career-obsessed woman who works in publishing. 

The story is narrated by Nora, and tries to stand the usual tropes found in a Hallmark movie on their head - for instance, what if the driven career woman who visits the small town and falls in love *doesn't* give up everything for love? What if she gives up love instead?

When Libby arranges for them both to visit a small town where a hit romance novel is set, Nora balks at first; but when Libby frames it as a trip for her to have some time to herself before her next baby arrives, Nora agrees to go.

It turn out this adventure marks major life changes for both, and Nora us faced with her worst fear - "losing" Libby.

Like I said I enjoyed this well enough to read. I'm not much for romance novels, but this is a good on with a decent story.

Castle of Water, by Dane Huckelbridge. Three people are on a private jet heading to a remote Polynesian island - Barry Bleeker, a former Wall Street type who has decided to embrace his artistic side, and travel to where Paul Gauguin spent the end of his life; and Sophie and Etienne, newlyweds visiting a place where Jacques Brel lived. Their pilot is a drunkard, who does not want to be bothered with flight plans, etc., and besides it's never been a problem before.

Except now, when he tries to fly the plane through a huge storm and it crashes into the sea. Barry and Sophie are the only two who survive, and they are on an uncharted island inhabited by terns and wild banana trees.

This book does not give you the feeling that it will all turn out OK, and in major ways it doesn't. But it does tell you a story of two people figuring out how to survive and not give up, even when it does seem that they will never leave. The worst that can happen allows one of them to leave and hope for a chance to be saved.

A good read, but the sending left me wanting at least a little more information.

Small World, by Laura Zigman. Joyce Melishman lives in Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  where she works for an archival digitization company. She is recently divorced, and adjusting your life on her own. One of her favorite things you do is look at the online site Small World, where people can get help with local issues or problems.

When her older sister Lydia calls from Los Angeles to say she's moving back east after her divorce, Joyce tells her she can share her apartment for awhile. Joyce hopes that they can become closer as a result. As children, they were somewhat ignored by their parents, who were busy caring for their late sister Eleanor, who suffered from cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder.

But life with the two of them together again turns out not to be that great. And when a couple move in upstairs and take yo Lyfia, things become more strained than ever.

Only when a long held family secret comes out do things change at all, and Joyce finally understands what Lydia has tried to do for her. 

The Searcher, by Tana French. Cal Hooper is a retired Chicago cop, who has moved to a small village in Ireland, and spends most of his time giving up the decrepit cottage he bought, with the occasional evening visit to the local pub.

At first when a local asks him for help tracking down a missing sibling, he wants no part of it. But as he learns more he gets drawn in, and eventually agrees to do it.

He ends up finding more than he bargains for, both about the siblings and his neighbors.

Tana French has once again written a book that keeps you reading, with characters who seem like real people dealing with the real world. This is a good one.

The Perfect Divorce, by Jeneva Rose. I'm not really sure why I took this book out of the library, but I borrowed it and started reading. It's the story of a couple divorcing, an old murder case being reopened, and the search gor a missing woman. There are a lot of double-crossing moving parts, and I'm not sure I got them all. But I read the whole book to find out what happened. 

It was readable, but not really worth the time and effort.

The Incredible Kindness of Paper, by Evelyn Skye. Chloe Hanako Quinn and Oliver Jones meet when they are in elementary school, through a pen pal program. They become the best of friends, until Oliver and his family disappear one night, never to be heard from again.

Years later, when Chloe is living in New York City, and loses her high school guidance counselor job, she is somewhat unmoored and not sure what to do next. On a whim, she makes some origami yellow roses with encouraging words inside, and leaves them in various places. She used to give her high school students the same things, and they were very popular. 

Oliver is also living in New York City, working a job in finance that he hates. His family's vanishing act years earlier was part of a series of similar events caused by his mother, who always had grand plans, but ended up stealing her investors' money. So the bulk of his teenage years were spent on the run with his family, His mother is now in prison, but Oliver has spent his life taking care of his father and his younger brother. It broke his heart to leave Chloe all those years ago, but he had no choice.

When Chloe's yellow roses become a national phenomenon, will she and Oliver end up finding each other again?

This book was a very pleasant story, and you were rooting for Chloe and Oliver. The author never ventured into sappy territory, instead making you want to root for everyone that Chloe was able to help. And it was an excellent reminder that a tiny act of kindness can change someone's day.

Mornings with Rosemary, by Libby Page. This is a story about lifelong love, and finding your people.

Rosemary Pearson, widowed and forcibly retired when the library where she worked was closed, lives with her loving memories of her husband and her daily routine of swimming at the local lido where she lives. It's also one of the places in her London neighborhood, Brixton, that played a huge role in her life.

Kate Mathews is a young woman who moved to Brixton for a journalist job at a small neighborhood newspaper. She lives with a bunch of roommates that she barely knows, and crushing loneliness and anxiety.

When her boss learns that the neighborhood lido is under threat of closing so that a developer can build high end residences, he assigns Kate the story.

Kate talks to Rosemary, a regular at the lido, and not only do they develop a friendship, but their attempts to save the lido opens up both of their lives in new ways.

This was a lovely book.

The Art of Fielding, by Chad Harbach. I've been wanting to read this book for a long time, and finally got around to it. Since spring training for baseball is here, it seemed like a perfect time to check it out.

The main character,  Henry Skrimshander, is a very good high school baseball player in a South Dakota town. He has always been in love with baseball,  but assumes that once high school ends, he'll work at the factory where his father also works. 

But when he gets the chance to play college ball at Westish College, a small school in Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Michigan, it's like a dream come true. And things just continue to improve ... until they don't. 

All of a sudden, the other people around Henry - Owen, his roommate; Mike Schwartz, the team captain and Henry's mentor; Guert Appenlight, the college president; and, Pella, the president's daughter  - are not just trying to figure out how to help him, but also what they need their own lives to be.

I liked this book - as a baseball fan, I could appreciate all of that,  and why it was so important to Henry. But this was also one of those books where I didn't have an overarching love for any character - they were all fine, and I wished the best for them - but I needed to finish the book because I was invested in finding out how the stories would end.

Due or Die, by Jenn McKinlay. Lindsey Norris is starting to feel more comfortable in her job as library director in Briar Creek, and as a member of her community.  When a new person is elected as head of the Friends of the Library, things start to go downhill. 

The issues: along-time staffer suspicious of Lindsey; threats from those who feel the new head of the Friends has to go; them under of that person's husband; a major snowstorm; and, the destruction of the warehouse where some gift books - some rare  - were stored.

Good things: Lindsey adopts a sweet puppy, in spite of herself; she helps the new head of the Friends deal with her husband's murder; inadvertently solves through murder; and finds anew romantic interest. 

This is the second book in the series, and it is pretty nicely done.

Darling Girls, by Sally Hepworth. Jessica, Alicia, and Norah are three adult women who declared themselves sisters when they lived in a foster home in Port Agatha, about two hours away from Melbourne, Australia.  They have always had each other's backs, and are deeply devoted to one another. 

When the foster home is torn down, and a body is found buried underneath it, the local police ask them to come back to Port Agatha for questioning. They are forced not just to face their respective pasts, but the narcisstic, unpredictable Miss Fairchild who was their foster mother. 

This was an interesting story, with a lot of sorrow, mystery, and twists that I didn't expect. It helps you understand why each grown woman turned out as they did, but also makes you extremely glad they had each other.

Is This a Cry for Help?, by Emily R. Austin. When Darcy returns to work after medical leave, things are heated in the community. People in the community are worked up about library policies they think are wrong, and causing a lot of problems for her and the rest of the staff.

Darcy tries not to let it cause her to spiral. Her medical leave was necessary because she had a mental breakdown after learning a former boyfriend had died - they had been together for a few years before she realized she was gay, and she feel so much guilt. So her confidence and mental strength are already a bit tenuous. With the help of her wife, her therapist, and those around her,  she comes to realize things are not so bad, and she is stronger than she thinks.

This book really spoke to me, as someone with mental health issues. But I loved it even more because if its portrayal of what libraries are, what they mean, and why we need to value them and defend their purpose.

One of my favorite books I've read.

When the Cranes Fly South, by Lisa Ridzen. Bo is an elderly man, counting on visits from caretakers, his son Hans, and his granddaughter Ellinor. He is reaching the end of his life, with his loyal dog Sixten for company, and the memories of his life within wife Frederika, who is in a care home with Alzheimers disease. 

The loss of Sixten, who his son feels is too much for him to handle, and the death of his good friend Ture, cause a crisis for Bo. He wants to go on, but he knows he doesn't have the strength or the will anymore, once his friend dies and his dog is gone. But he does come to the realization that he wants his son and granddaughter to know he loves them.

This is a sad book, because the reader knows the eventual outcome; however, it's also a reminder of the importance of love and care for those closest to us, even when we are not sure we understand or appreciate each other.

Empresses of Seventh Avenue : World War II, New York City, and the Birth of American Fashion, by Nancy MacDonell. This is a really interesting read, and offers a really fascinating look into the world of haute couture in Paris, and how World War II more or less leveled the playing field for American based designers.  The history of fashion and its importance in France was fascinating to me, but mostly I found the history of ready-to-wear from American designers even more enlightening.  Not ever being able to afford really expensive clothes, reading about the concepts of clothing for the masses, so to speak, really informed me about things we take for granted these days.

It also made me glad that I was able to live in a time when the frand department stores still existed. Unlike a lot of other people, I actually miss them.

This book is well worth reading, if not for fashion history, for a good look at the social history covered.

Some Bright Nowhere, by Ann Packer. Claire and Eliot have been married for years, and have two adult children.  After 8 years of various cancer treatments, where Eliot has been her willing and constant caregiver, she'd ides she's done with treatment. At the beginning of her at home hospice treatment, she makes a decision that sends Eliot reeling.

This is a heartbreaking book in lots of ways, frustrating in others. I found it hard to understand some of each character's decisions from time to time, but I think that may have been the point. Just because someone is dying, you can't keep them from thinking how they want things to be; and you can't always really control your own reactions. 

A good and thought-provoking read.

Work in Progress : Confessions of a Busboy, Dishwasher, Caddy, Usher, Factory Worker, Bank Teller, Corporate Tool, and Priest, by James Martin. I have to admit to a fondness for Jesuit priests, since I went to college at one of their schools, and learned so many important things. I slso have a soft spot for the author, having followed him for years, and also having gone to a talk with him regarding this book at the Free Library of Philadelphia. 

Anyway, this book is his memoir from his early high school years  upnyo yhe time he joined the Society of Jesus. What is great about it is that he was from a Catholic family with a Catholic background, but not from a overly devout or holy family (known in my family as "The Ideal Parishioners.") So much of his story is familiar, from the childhood rhymes when playing games to the college experience and trying to find your first job after getting that degree. I am 4 years older than Father Martin, but could identify with so much in this book. And since it takes place in the Philadelphia area, many locales were familiar. 

Father Martin has a friendly, approachable manner of writing, and is a good storyteller. He is someone who remains friends with so many of those he talks about that you can only imagine that it's a lot of fun when they are together.

*****

Writing this post makes me feel like I read these books years ago, though it's not that far in the past. But it's been a tough year so far, with such soaring highs and such desolate lows. But books are there for you no matter what, you know?

I hope you have been letting reading help you as well, even if your life has been on a pretty even keel. Let me know if there are any amazing books I should be on the lookout for, or any really awful terrible books to avoid. 

I hope you have a lovely weekend.

Some Happy in the Midst of the Sad - A Birthday!

Today, in the midst of the sad, we have something happy to smile about and celebrate - Esmeralda is four years old!

This sweet, beautiful, and shy girl is one of the joys of our lives. She is still very skittish, but she has made a lot of progress in the past years. She does not immediately run away if you enter a room, and she will sometimes allow you to pet her. She loves to be talked to, and especially loves when you sing to her (even me, whose singing is more enthusiastic than in tune). 

Later we'll have some treats for the kitties, and if we are lucky, she'll even stay in the room for the festivities ... 😉

Today is also our sweet boy Hamlet's birthday in heaven. We thought he would be just fine with sharing his birthday with Esme.💕 Hamlet and Milo are the only pets we've ever had whose actual birthdays we know, the others are based on when we adopted them, or on other special days. The year we adopted Esme, it was right around this time, and like I said, we thought Hammy would be pleased to think a kitty shared his day. 

Also, Happy Cinco de Mayo! You can bet your sweet life that we are *definitely* having a margarita this evening, this year more than ever. 

*****

A couple of you have reached out directly through e-mail to send messages of love and support. And I want you to know that I appreciate it very much, but may not be able to respond anytime soon. I'm managing, and like I said, today has something happy to think of, which is helping and I'm doing the best I can, but it will just be a bit before I can get back to you. 

I absolutely know that even though I turned off the comments on yesterday's post, that a lot of love was sent my way - I can feel it. So thank you.

But today, please have a celebratory treat, drink, whatever to celebrate our shy girl. 🎂

When The Right Thing To Do Is Awful

Please note - Mosf of this was already posted early this morning on both Instagram and Facebook, so unless you have the desire to feel bad again, feel free to wait for the next post. I've added a few things, but it's mostly the same.

*****

OK I just want to get through this. Warning - this is a long sad post, but I just wanted people to hopefully understand both our decision and our heartbreak. Sometimes the best thing is also the most awful.

First meeting, and adoption day a few days later.

This weekend we had to return our beloved Angus to the foster parents who had him when we adopted him from the rescue he was in. On Saturday, he attacked Alfie, and though Alfie is fine, it was the second time that it happened (the first was when he first came home; it was less serious and we realized he was new to everything), and this time, @philly.tim had a much harder time getting him to stop and let go.

We were told from the rescue that he was fine with cats, but even though our cats are very chill and are not running around all day, he never was completely able to even just co-exist with them. We tried our very best for 8 weeks and two days, but after Saturday, decided that it wasn't fair to Angus, the kitties, or to us to continue.

The small comfort we have is that he went back to his previous foster parents, who adore him. But a huge part of my heart and soul has been ripped out of me.

These pictures cover our first meeting to his last morning here (yesterday morning). The last photo is his "luggage" we were sending with him. He arrived with his collar, leash, and a peanut butter treat bar; he left with food, treats, clothes, toys, and a whole bag of peanut butter treat bars. Not to mention our hearts and souls.

We will ALWAYS love you, Angus Podgorny Clancy, and you'll always be our sweet boy. I'm sorry all of the wonderful and joyful things about you in our lives was undone by your only real fault. I hope you find a family who will love you beyond reason like us, in a wonderful, cat-free home. God bless both you and your foster parents, who immediately were ready to take you home again, who absolutely love you, and will not let anyone but good people adopt you again.

I truly believe we did the right thing, but oh how it hurts.

My last photo of him - yesterday morning after a walk. 

His luggage. Not shown: our hearts, which cannot be placed into bags, but that we hope he knows are always his. I am counting on Duggie and Hamlet to watch over him for us.

I am at a loss, since having Angus really gave strucure and extra joy to my days. As you all know, dogs are different companions than cats are. And Angus was my shadow, my walking companion, and my partner in crime.

One of the best things about our neighborhood has always been the amount of dogs in it. Being out and seeing them with their people, sometimes getting to pet them, and generally just watching how happy they were to be going along, makes you smile. But I have to say today, and for a while going forward, that's also going to be one of the most tortuous things about our neighborhood.

And yes, I know that I'll be OK, that I'll get used to it even though I won't get over it. I know that, because of an entire lifetime of experiencing heartbreaking loss. I know he is being loved and adored with his foster parents, and that they will not allow him to go to any family but a good one.

 I got dressed and took a walk this morning and it was agony, even though it's a lovely day. But right now, and for a while, it just sucks too much to bear.

Anyway, now you know. I'm turning off comments for this post, because I know how all of you will commiserate with me and offer your love and prayers, and that is appreciated more than you know. But right now, I am 100 percent certain that I couldn't handle reading them, much less responding. I'm hoping you will understand.

*****

I will be posting tomorrow, because as is often the case, with the worst news also comes reasons to smile. So I'll talk to all of you again then. 

Five Favorites for This Friday - And Happy May!

Happy Mayday, Happy May 1, Happy Whatever You Want To Call It Day! It's a cool and sunny day here in Philadelphia, and it just seems like a good indication that May is here and will hopefully treat us well.

The past week had some good things in it. But let me start with some background for the first couple of things. Two weeks ago, I saw an Instagram post by Stephanie of Edible Thoughts Makes, where she showed a pair of socks she had completed. I really liked them and at the time, I was in a pretty big knitting slump. But I kept thinking about them, so I bought the pattern and thought I'd see how I did when I started. Well, it was exactly what I needed to start knitting again! 

I finished the cuff - with help from a close friend, as you can see - and then realized that I didn't have the needles to do the rest of the sock. So I ordered them, which meant I had to wait until they showed up.

During that time, there was an unfortunate event that led to me having stitches in my right hand. Which was bad enough, but the needles showed up and I was dismayed because I figured I couldn't even use them for a while yet.

But, Tim told me I should at least try, and that leads to the first thing on my list:

1. I *am* in fact able to knit! Not for a long time at one stretch, which is actually probably a good thing, but I can knit, and I got a good start on the socks:

The pattern is Little Boxes Socks, by Summer Lee. Since the above photo was taken, I have done the heel and am now on the foot of the first sock. YAY!

2. I read this book and it was just the right thing for me at the time. Yes, it does have romance, which is not usually my favorite, but romance done well is a different story.

I think that is the case with this book. Plus it takes place in Maine, and having been there one time, I love it forevermore.

3.  A good night's sleep. I'm not a great sleeper most of the time. And Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights, I only got about 2 hours of sleep each night. Wednesday night I not only had a good rest, but except for waking up once, slept through the night! It felt so good!

4. A few years ago, in a frenzy of cleaning weeds, etc. out of the garden, I realized I had pulled out the clematis plant that I thought was just one of the viny weeds. It was truly heartbreaking. The next spring, it showed up, and there was one bloom - I was ecstatic! And each year since, it's shown up with even more blooms on it. This is how it looked around lunchtime today. 

5. Not being sick. Earlier this week, I started coughing and feeling like I was getting something respiratory. I took some preventative measures, and as of today, I think I may have avoided being sick. That makes me so happy! 

And that's it for now. I hope you can think of at least one thing this week that has been your favorite, or made you smile. I like to sit down and remember that everything wasn't bad, or boring, or stupid in my world. Even if I can't control the rest of the world around me, I have some control over how I can find the good. 

Have a good first weekend of May! If you are lucky enough to be traveling to Maryland Sheep & Wool, I hope it's full of good things, nice animals, and friendly people.

Stuff Happened, But I'm Back!

Hello there! I hope all of you are well, and that there are things that are making you happy. I've been pretty MIA, and for many reasons. A lot of them are not my story to tell, but what is my story to tell is that our wi-fi was having serious issues. We called more than once about it, and finally a guy came to the house and said, "Oh your router is completely shot. I guess that has been the issue." YA THINK? Anyway, he got everything going again and here I am. I tried to post a few times, but things would just stop working in the middle of a post, and then the info would be gone. So frankly, I just gave up.

Onward, right? 

I've been spending a lot of time with these goobers, which is always a good thing because they are the important things in my life.

Things are still in the early stages, as far as everyone getting along. They are all doing better, but it's still not really good. We have hired a behavioral trainer who will come at the beginning of May to help us out, and I'm really hoping that will make a big difference 

I'd like to say that in the interim time that I've not been here, I have been knitting up a storm. But to be honest, my knitting mojo has been pretty non-existent for a long time, which was frustrating. Part of it was that I had some yarn that in the end, I just did't like, but kept trying to use for something. Then I just put it down and walked away. I finally realized that I should let it just sit for a while, and if in another month or so I still just don't want to deal with it, I'll destash it. 

But the good news is that I'm starting to get back to it. I started a new sock on this past Saturday, with the assistance of my knitting buddy.

When I started, I thought if it didn't feel like it was working, I'd just put it back down until it was time to try again. The good news is that it was enjoyable again and I want to keep going, so I think/hope that means I'm back on track! 😊

I have been reading, so it's not like I've just been in a funk. And I have been planning and thinking and organizing in other ways for other projects and activities. 

And like nearly everyone else in the world, trying to keep going everyday in spite of the horrors and stupidity that make up our lives these days. 

So that's it for today, I hope you are knitting, reading, doing whatever things make you feel good and make your life worthwhile. I'll be back sooner rather than later - at least that's the plan! In the meantime, thanks to those of you still here and reading. 

Happy Spring! And, An Introduction.

I was originally planning to write this post this morning, while it was still winter, but now Spring Has Sprung!

I have already noticed some buds on some trees and flowers, so hopefully we won't get a freeze that kills them off, because they look so happy! And I have all kinds of plans for what I would like to try and do with plants and flowers this year. So maybe at least one of those ideas will actually happen. 😊

*****

Now I must introduce you to the newest member of our family. A couple of months ago, The Tim said we should get another dog. No argument from me! He said that he wished we could get another Golden Retriever or a mix, because those are his favorites. Well, as you might be able to imagine, those are few and far between in rescues, especially around here.

So after I spent a LOT of time looking for that kind of dog, he casually mentioned one day that we should instead look for a smaller dog, Towards the end of both Dug's and Hamlet's lives, they had trouble with the steps, and The Tim would have to sometimes carry them up and down. He said that he thinks he couldn't really handle that anymore. OK, so I was on the hunt for a smaller dog. Trying to find a dog who was good with cats proved to be extremely difficult. But one day I was perusing one of the rescues I had been checking (having expanded my area for looking out of just the city), and I saw this photo:

Now really, when you see a face like that, you have to fill out an application, right?  Well, the description said he was approximately 7 years old, was part Schnauzer, and weighed 18 pounds. It also said he was good with cats. So I applied to adopt him, and we had a meet and greet with his foster, and on March 6, we brought him home!

His name at the rescue was Paper Boy, but we changed it to Angus Podgorny, which was the name of a character from an old Monty Python sketch that we always wanted to use for a pet.

Angus looks a bit different now - when he got to the rescue and was vetted, it was discovered that he needed several teeth pulled, and that his fur was so matted that he had to be surgically shaved (as opposed to shaved to look like a Schnauzer, I guess). So now he looks like this:

 

Get a load of the ears! I freaking love dogs with weird ears, and his have two entirely different lives!

He is very sweet, but also quite crazy and completely ridiculous. We do not know what cats he was tested with, but he's sure not calm around our cats, which we're hoping with time and training will no longer be an issue (the cats, I'm sure have already alerted PETA to their plight). But he's catching on, and already understands a few commands. It's only been two weeks today, so he gets some grace, you know? 

And he kinda sorta does look like a Schnauzer until you see him next to the purebred Schnauzer across the street! Then it's clear that there's something else going on, but he remains a man of mystery regarding that part of his heritage. 

Considering everything is still new to him, he's doing better each day. I have plans to hire someone to help me train him, just so he becomes a better member of society - people and animal-wise. The rescue said they had no idea how long he had been a stray, but they guessed quite a while from his condition when he was brought in to them. 

Next week we have a visit with a vet, because I wanted to establish a relationship before he would get sick or need care urgently. When I called, the woman on the phone asked me his name, and I said, "Well, we call him Angus, but his complete name is Angus Podgorny," and she responded, "Oh I LOVE a good Monty Python reference!" so I think we'll do OK there. 

So hello from Angus, who I'm sure you'll see here somewhat regularly. 

*****

Our plans for this weekend are to start cleaning up the garden, and also do some shopping. The weather is supposed to be agreeable for the most part, so hopefully we can start to make some progress on moving biggish pieces of trees that ended up there after storms out of the way. Also, we had a crazy couple of extremely windy days, so a lot of paper stuff flew into the garden one way or another and we'll clean that up too. 

And that's the news from here. I hope that Springtime will bring some light and happiness to all of us, and that whatever you decide to do (or not do), that you have a good weekend!

Goodbye, Sixties

It's true - this is the last day I will spend in my 60s; tomorrow marks the Big 7-0 for me.

Frankly, it seems weird that I'm having my 70th birthday. Not because I am denying my age - would I be writing this post if that were the case? It's just because it always seemed like a number that was so far in the future. 

But, I have full expectations that I will wake up tomorrow to a new decade of my life, and as there is nothing I can do about it, I'm just gonna see what it brings.

Here are just some of the things I've been thinking about, related to turning 70 years old, in no particular order.

1. I have outlived both of my parents. My father died at the age of 53, and my mother died at the age of 69 years and 7 months. 

2. I have survived several bouts of, and types of, cancer. 

3. I have been married to the same person for 48 years as of this coming October. 

4. I never graduated from high school, but I have a master's degree.

5. I have only gotten more liberal as I've gotten older, unlike what you are "supposed" to do. If the general feeling is that as you age, you become more conservative, I can't guess what viewpoints I must have at birth! 

6. I am fortunate to have good health. Not that I'm in great shape, but I can still do all of the things that I have to do and want to do, for the most part. Maybe slower, maybe with more creakiness, maybe with a bit of difficulty, but I am fortunate that I can still take care of myself and enjoy my life.

7. Though I am not by any means a tech-savvy person, I am able to use technology for things that I must use it for, and enjoy it for the things I actually want to use it for. 

8. I am, for the most part, a happy person. I suffer from a base level of depression and anxiety, but most of the time, they do not affect or define every minute of my life. 

9. I have an extended family that are a wonderful group of people, who I love to spend time with when I have the chance.

10. My love of animals has only increased as I've gotten older. Of course, my own sweethearts mean more than I can say, but I love helping animals through my volunteer work, and in any other way that I am able to do so. Even just feeding the birds in the garden fills me with joy.

I always say this, but turning 70 years old tomorrow is definitely better than the alternative. So I hope that this coming weekend, you will take a moment to be happy to be here, and to have your life, even if it's not perfect or exactly what you might like it to be. Let's face it, sometimes (especially lately) life and the world suck, but since "Hope is the thing with feathers," we can always look for it to take flight and allow us to have some joy.

Older me will see you next week.😄

The Good, The Bad, The Stupid of This Past Week

What can I say, some weeks just do whatever they want to and you just have to live with it, right? This past week was like that, but the good news is that obviously we have all survived.

I have photos of The Good.

First of all, the other day, Miss Esme decided that a) she would come up to the third floor (rare), and then also sit on my lap for about half an hour (even rarer!). She sat there and purred her sweet little head off.

I was also amused at the position of her tail. I was sitting next to a large pillow on the end of the couch, and she placed her tail straight up!

She can be a goofball when she lets herself be brave.

Another good:

These are the buttons I ordered for my completed cardigan, aren't they fantastic? I ordered them from Wooden Heart Buttons, and they are just perfect for what I wanted. 

Getting them was a challenge to say the least. Since the shop is in Canada, there was the whole thing with it being a "foreign package." I kept getting notices that it was being held in U.S. Customs to make sure there were no "contraband" ingredients. (Do lots of things get smuggled into the country with wooden buttons?) Then they were alledgedly delivered, but of course were not in the mailbox. I checked with the seller, and they had been mailed in an envelope, so I didn't think there was any way they could have been porch-pirated. Then after a week and a half, a whole s**tload of mail was sudeenly in our mailbox, and there they were! So I don't know what actually happened, but I have them, they are on the sweater, and someday I can hopefully get a photo to show you the whole shebang.

The Bad.

Take your pick. God knows there's plenty of choices. 

The Stupid.

A week ago today, I woke up and my right eye was swollen shut with dried blood all over it. It hurt slightly, but was more uncomfortable than anything else. So off to the emergency room - because obviously I haven't been there a while and we can't have that! - to see what was going on. It turns out that I scratched my lower eyelid while sleeping apparently, and so I had two stitches put into the area and even got an eye patch to wear for four days (this was the up side, I must say, matey!). And no, it was me, the drs agreed that it was in no way a cat scratch. As of today, my lower eyelid is slightly red, but there are no other indications that anything happened. And though it was kinda fun to look like a pirate for a few days, it messed with my perspective so I was happy to not wear it any more. Even more stupid: did we think to get a picture? Of course not.

The main thing that was an issue is that last Friday, I had made plans with my friend Louise to meet for lunch, and I had to cancel. We had made plans to do it last time we met, and at the time I didn't realize that it would be Lent; now that I know it's Lent, I'm gonna wait until after Easter to reschedule. Usually during Lent, I give up buying myself a coffee/tea/pastry/lunch during the week, and at the end of it, donate the equivalent (usually plus some) to a local food organization. Not that I buy something to eat or drink every single day, but it's not unusual to do so two or maybe even three times a week, so it does add up. So Louise, if you are reading this (and I know she sometimes does), let's plan for after Easter to get together again!

*****

No plans for this weekend, as far as I know, which is fine with me. Next week, I have things I have to attend to every day except Friday, so a no-plan weekend sounds good to me. 

I've been knitting and reading away, and have almost finished the second sock of my February yarn from Farmer's Daughter Fibers. Of course there is a story related to that, which I'll tell you in the FO post.

Have a good weekend. And be careful not to injure yourself in your sleep! 🙄

Well, I'm Back

I didn't really mean to not post for so long, but I got involved with finishing a couple of books that were coming due at the library, knitting away on a pair of socks, and trying to keep my mental health on keel. But I'm here now, so I'll give you a little peek from while I was gone.

Here we have an upset, scared, betrayed, and angry Miss Esmeralda at the vet's office. It only took three years, one new carrier, and an hour and a half of chasing her to make this appointment happen. But it did, and she was declared in perfect health - even good teeth! - and we came home where she hid for 2 complete days until we saw her again.

As I've mentioned, she is really afraid of everything. So any time before that we tried to get her to the vet's office, it was unsuccessful. I wasn't too worried, because she never goes outside, and she lives with two healthy cats. But we have been thinking of adding to the family, and we realized that there is no way that would happen if she wasn't up to date on her shots.

The whole thing was traumatic for both of us, and I felt so awful, betraying the trust she had finally given to me. Now we're back to baby steps, but I am glad to know she is as healthy as I suspected. And unless she suddenly shows signs of being sick, we don't need to repeat the experience any time soon.

I did finish the first sock of the yarn from the February installment of the Farmer's Daughter Fibers subscription, and I am well into the second. The yarn is a slightly brighter red than this photo shows, with the wine-colored mini, which is just a lovely combination.

I've also added to my Cozy Comfort Throw, but even though it is a good chunk of work, it looks nearly the same. I'll probably only start showing progress on this when there's a substantial amount to show, since it will take me a while, and moves along kind of slowly.

But I do like how it's turning out, and it's using up a lot of scraps, which is a good feeling.

So that's what has been happening around here. We had a nice Valentine's Day, going out to breakfast at one of our fave places, and had a yummy Chinese noodle dinner last night for the Lunar New Year. 

And of course I have spent A LOT of time watching the Olympics, as I'm sure a lot of you have. Not being athletic at all, I am constantly amazed at how accomplished the athletes are - even those who don't win a medal. Think of how good you have to be to simply make the team in the first place!

So now you know what I've been up to and how things are going. Time to hit "publish" on this, and get ready for a trip to the dermatologist. Since I had that basal cell carcinoma removed from my back this past August, I was supposed to return in 6 months instead of a year. Hopefully this time the appointment will be completely uneventful. 

I hope the rest of your day today and rest of the week go well. I'm hoping I'll be back again before another week goes by, but just in case, take care!

Happy Groundhog Day!

Oh Ned Ryerson - don't we all know someone just like him? I have to admit that "Groundhog Day" is one of my fave movies, becuase it is so ridiculous, but also because I often feel like I'm living in the same kind of world - not one where it's actually Groundhog Day each day, but one where the events that keep repeating are unfortunately horrible ones. Even before recent events, though, I'll admit I'd still have days when I'd think "Wait, didn't this just happen yesterday the same way??"

If Gtoundhog Day is not your thing, it's also St. Blaise Day, when we used to get our throats blessed when I was in school. One of my favorite saints' days, since I have always had throat issues, and I always felt that St. Blaise was trying his hardest to help.

Or, if the saints don't grab you, it's also the birthday of James Joyce. We always have some gorgonzola cheese on rye bread with a glass of white wine, as Leopold Bloom does in "Ulysses." (Which I never made through - I was lucky if I read 20 pages. The Tim, on the other hand, can practically recite it.)

In any case, I hope you are doing OK and if you are in the storm area/deep freeze area, keeping warm. Frankly, I if I hear one more person tell me how many days are left until the first day of spring or summer, I'll find a way to bury them under the ice forever. But as usual, that's just me. (I do mean it though.)

Over the weekend, I was thinking of what I want to knit next, as far as a larger project. I am almost there, but I was in one of those moods where, no matter what pattern I'd see, even if I had the right yarn, etc., there was always some reason it just wasn't right. Do you ever do that? At one point, I stopped looking at things because I decided I wasn't going to be able to decide to try anything in the frame of mind that I was in. Which is an improvement, because in the past, I would usually keep going, and then just be ticked off at myself, my knitting, and the world in general for three or four days. 

Anyway, I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, I did start working on a Cozy Comfort Throw a couple of weeks back, in an attempt to use up a lot of scraps and minis that are not being used for anything else. I bought some yarn for the  main color - but before the end of 2025 ... I already knew I was going to try and not buy yarn for at least the first six months in this year, so I headed myself off at the pass, so to speak! It's only cheating if I think it is. 😉 I haven't tried to photograph it yet, because it's still sort of at the point where the needle I'm using is kind of twisted, and trying to get it to be flat for taking a picture is more work than it's worth. But I'm enjoying it, and it's satisfying to watch those small amounts of yarn leftovers turn into something that I think looks nice and that will be useful. I'm waiting to see how it looks once it's finished before deciding if it will be for us, a gift for someone, or a cozy donation. That's mainly because I'm not making any effort to make it look thought out - I'm just grabbing whatever is next out of my bag when it's time for a new addition.

Other than that, there's nothing much to report. We're all hanging in, and so far, other than the cold that The Tim had (which he claims I gave to him, though I didn't have a cold), which *he* then passed to me, no one has been sick, injured, or any other version of being under the weather, so to speak. Let's hope that continues. 

Here's hoping a good week is ahead for all of us!

First FO of 2026 and a Test Knit!

Hello from cold and icy Philadelphia! Yes, we did get 9 inches of snow, but then at the end of last weekend's storm, we got three inches of ice on top of it. GRRRRRR.

So you can go outside if you are really bundled up in layers, but instead of being able to enjoy the snow, you have to be sure you don't slip and injure yourself. No fun at all. 

But we survived, though it was so icy that The Tim called out from work on both Monday and Tuesday - he *never* does that kind of thing, so you know it was bad!

Anyway on to the knitting.

I have my first FO for the year!

Project: Blue Hedgerows

Pattern: Hedgerow Socks, by Jane Cochran

Yarn: Farmer's Daughters Fibers Highwood Sock, in the colorway Deep Winter. This is the first installment of the Sock Squad 2026. 

Needles:  US1/2.25 mm

Modifications: I didn't pay attention to the instructions on how to center the stitches when you knit the heel. I had knit this pattern years ago for a pair of gift socks, and didn't really think it made a recognizable difference, at least for the extra efforts.

Notes: I started these socks for myself, but about halfway through the first one, decided to give the to my niece Amanda when they were finished. She is next up in the family queue for a pair, and I thought these might give her something to smile about these days. 

I did decide to continue the pattern down the front of the foot, which is something I only do rarely. But I'm pleased with how they look.

The large skein was 100 grams, and I used about 50 grams for the sock; the mini was 20 grams, and I used about 12 grams. I would calculate the yardage for you in a rough sense, but could not recall how to do it, and really you get the gist, so figure it out for yourself if you are desperate to know! 😊

The yarn is so pretty, and it's lovely for knitting. I was hoping I could finish these in January, before the February installment arrived, and I was able to finish these this past Sunday - I'm so pleased with myself!

*****

I also have a second FO for 2026, technically:

This is a test knit of the Bainbridge Beanie, a pattern that will be released soon from Michele Frazzetta of meeshyfrazz knits. This is the Child size, and it was a lot of fun to knit. The pattern has the option to make it with or without a brim, and I knit it with the brim because I thought it would be warmer, especially since it's child sized. 

The yarn is some deep stash Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport, in the colorway Poppy (the actual hat is a bit more coral than this photo). It's a sport weight yarn, and the pattern calls for DK weight, but it all worked out. I'm really happy with it.

Now I just need a kid to give it to ... 

Speaking of meeshyfrazz knits, the cardigan I've knit is also one of her patterns. I finally decided to go with some buttons I already had, and when I sewed them on, I was really happy with how they looked. Except they almost immediately fell off! I think they might have been too heavy. 

So I poked around, and found some wood buttons on Etsy that I really like, and ordered them. They are allegedly going to arrive sometime next week from Canada, so my poor cardigan is still waiting for its moment! I keep telling it that once it's all set to go, I'll be wearing it a lot, but I think it is pretty skeptical since I said that before ... 

And that's about it from here right now. Today is laundry day, but since I got started earlier than usual, as soon as the load of towels come out of the dryer, that will be that. Kinda makes it worth waking up super early with a panic attack that told me that there was no way I was going back to sleep this morning. Kinda. 

Stay warm, and be careful if you are surrounded by ice (or ICE)* like I am!

*Don't EVEN get me started ...

Five Favorites for This Friday

Hello from preparing-for-the-big-storm Philadelphia! For the past week, the forecasters have been talking about the MAJOR snowstorm we would be getting that would start on Sunday. Last night, they changed it to "some snow, but mostly freezing rain." Great. Snow, I can deal with. Ice means stepping outside is a death wish. 

Which only added to my decision made earlier in the week to try and "bring back" (so to speak) something I used to do fairly regularly on the blog, namely a post pointing out five things from the past week that made me happy, felt good, made me laugh, etc.  I could talk about all of the things happening that are terrible, scary, unfair, etc., but I know that all - or at least most of us - are feeling that, and probably don't need additional reminders. So here you go - five things from the past week that were good:

1. The socks I am knitting. 

I showed you these before, but now I am on the heel flap of the second sock. And I'm enjoying them so much, now that the pattern repeat is firmly in my brain (if not always in my hands). The completed first sock looks so nice, it makes me glad that I decided to continue the pattern on the top of the foot of the sock. (Though I'm not sure I'll do that again soon because it does mean that it takes me longer to finish a pair.)

2. Really cold weather walks. Yes, I know a lot of you are thinking I am crazy, but I love the feeling of getting truly bundled up and then taking a walk. For the most part, I have my routes to myself, because people are either working/in school,, or avoiding the outdoors because it's too cold. So I make my way around, occasionally getting to pet a dog or two, and then come home and get cozy with a nice cup of tea.

3. Making plans for little projects. I love to have little projects to work on - I do much better when things are broken into smaller components. For instance, this week, instead of telling myself that I needed to do a really thorough, after-the-holidays clean of the whole house, I decided to only concentrate on the first floor. Then the second and third floors got a good dusting and clean up, but will get their turn for more serious cleaning in the next couple of weeks. 

4. Watching old movies. Recently, The Tim was looking at various sites for something, and I saw that the old movie "Till The Clouds Roll By," was available. It's a "biopic" of Jerome Kern, in the style of the old movies where the term biopic is used very loosely. In any event, this one has a lot of famous people in it, but mostly importantly, Van Heflin AND Van Johnson - two Vans in one movie! And the movie itself is what we refer to as "killer" movies, meaning that there are scenes and events that just kill you. The Tim, who never watched many (or any, really) of these movies said, "I'm not sure this is all accurate," and I pointed out to him that a) that wasn't the point, and b) how often do you get a movie with BOTH famous Vans in it???

5. The ridiculousness of cats. Milo the Koodle, Alfie, and Esme are hilarious without meaning to be. The Koodle has decided that Dug and Hamlet's old sleeping pad is now his. So there's this 8 pound cat claiming a huge bed for his own. He's so pleased with himself, too. Then Alfie and Esme have decided that they both need to be out in the garden. So when I go out to fill the bird feeders, Alfie dashes out, and then has no idea what to do, because of course every bird and squirrel in the area disappears when I open the door. So he looks at me like "Wasn't there just a lot going on out here," and then cries. Esme, meanwhile, is too afraid to go near the door to the garden, so she waits inside and when Alfie comes back in, bats the crap out of him. It's never not funny!

So there you are, I hope this reminded you of at least a couple of things that were good, funny, or comforting this week. They're there - but lately (at least for me) you have to dig a bit to find them.

Have a good weekend, and if you are part of the area (which seems to be a LOT of the U.S.) where the snow/ice/whatever decides to show up, stay safe!