OK Here Is Some News For You

Hello again. I'm sitting here on a so-far rainy day that is supposed to turn into a 5-day heat/humidity wave which annoys me greatly. Yes, I know we have been lucky enough here in Philadelphia to have a nice long string of lovely days and perfect nights. But that only makes the prospect of having to go back to ick weather even more depressing.  

I've decided I'm done with this summer. I know there is still plenty left, and things to do, enjoy, etc., but it's all been a lot, personally and in the universe, as it were. I'm sure we'll all survive, but you have to admit, this whole universe part of things is more than exhausting, right?

Anyway, on to better things and some news I think you'll enjoy. 😉

Say hello to Katie (aka Katie Potatey)! Even shortly after we had to return Angus to the rescue where we got him, The Tim said he thought we should still try to get a dog. After a bit of thought, I figured it was worth another try, though I am still heartbroken. But as he pointed out, you don't want to close yourself off just because of one bad experience, when there could be other good ones waiting. So we thought that we would look for another dog to add to our family this fall, when the weather would be nicer, and our house - whose a/c is questionable at best - would be more comfortable.  

Then a friend who knew the story of what had happened, mentioned that an acquaintance of hers told her about a great dog who had been at a rescue about an hour out of Philadelphia* and was looking for a family. The owner of said dog had to give her up because they had a terminal illness, and no longer had the strength or the finances to care for her. 

Well, we certainly understand how hard it is/was to give up an animal, even when you are in good health; I told The Tim and we decided it was worth looking into. I filled out an adoption application for the dog, and the woman at the rescue called me first thing the next day to tell me that a) we'd been approved, and b) to talk to me about the dog. So as the Magic 8-Ball might say, All Signs Pointed To Yes.

That was all on a Tuesday morning. Since the dog was far enough away to be a bit of a drive for us, I asked the woman if we could wait until the weekend to come to meet her, since it would work better for us. She said that was fine. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Katie is 6 years old, half Wheaten Terrier and half Golden Retriever. She is pretty well-behaved - unless she sees a squirrel and then good luck to anyone with her - and she is also quite ridiculous.  Milo loves her - we haven't seen him so happy since before Pip died. You may remember that we got him for our first dog, Dug. So Milo has always had and loved having a dog buddy. And after Pip died, he was kind of bereft, since they were buddies. And even though he gets along with Alfie and Esme, they are pretty much glued to each other most of the time. Katie is not 100 percent sure what to do about Milo's friendship, but she is fine with it. 😊 Alfie, who used to love dogs, growled at Katie first thing. So she is afraid of him, and Alfie takes full advantage of that, 24/7. Esme would clearly like to get in One.Good.Sniff of Katie, but of course is too afraid to even really try. So cat-wise, things seem to be working out fine. We always tell any dog who joins the family that there are only two rules in our house:

1. The kitties were here first.

2. You have to be nice to the kitties.

Katie is doing fine on this front.

She is unexpectedly cute - I mean, her face is cute enough, but she is kind of a low-rider, which is amusing in itself:

The woman at the rescue told me that she LIVES to play ball! And she wasn't kidding! Other than squirrels, Katie's philosophy is that Ball. Is. Life. Her favorite kind of ball is the kind with spikes on it, but any ball is a good one.  The woman at the rescue also told me that she carried around one ball all of the time, and the woman said she thought it was an Emotional Support Ball. 😃 

It's true - Emotional Support Ball (aka ESB) is a constant now in our household. The Tim mentioned that ESB was looking a bit worse for the wear, so we'd best make sure we knew where we could find another one. I took a picture and asked Google Lens where we could get one, and fortunately they are $3.99 at PetSmart! So when this one heads to the great ball pit in the sky, we can easily have another on hand - phew!

(ESB in its current condition)

Katie hasn't been here very long, but she seems to be a real keeper. She weighs about 35 pounds, so she is not very big, and we've had some success getting her to obey some basic commands. I suspect she already knew them, but during the time she was at the rescue, had a large field to be outside in, and so didn't need to understand walking on a leash anymore. One thing interesting about her is that she is not really food-motivated, which has never ever been the case with any of our other dogs. Not that that's a bad thing! 

She seems to be happy to be with us, especially The Tim, who if you have not intuited before, is always the Good Cop. She enjoys going to the dog park, not for the other dogs, but to play ball of course! And we took her to the vet who said her previous owner clearly took good care of her. 

I recently sent the woman at the rescue a text with the picture of Katie above, telling her that she seems to have settled in well and that we are loving having her. I said I wished her former owner could know that - not that it would make things better, but that maybe it would be some small comfort. The woman said she was going to forward the message, so I hope it was some comfort to the person who had to give her up, and who seems to have more than enough on her plate. 

One thing funny to us is that Katie is from Scranton, PA - home of both Joe Biden, and Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company in "The Office." The Tim says he just hopes she didn't live before with a character like Dwight K. Schrute. 😂

So that is the latest news from here, and the story of Katie joining the family. 

I will never stop loving Angus, and I still cry missing him more than words will ever be able to express (I'm crying now), but she is a wonderful distraction. ❤️ And I hope with every part of my being that Angus is as lucky now as she is. 

*An hour outside of Philadelphia = The Wilds/Terra Incognita to us! 🤣🤣

FO Post: The Only Knit Gift This Year

You may or may not remember that The Tim told me last year that he didn't need any more knit socks at the moment, so not to make any for him.

During the course of doing laundry, I noticed that a pair of socks I made for him years ago, that he wears as slippers around the house, had several big holes in them. He usually wears another pair of socks under them, so either he didn't notice, or figured it didn't matter (or - I'll take both for $100, Alex). 

Well, that just seems ridiculous to me, so I decided that I would knit him a new pair, and if I got them finished in time for Christmas, fine, but I wasn't gonna hurry. Of course, since they are knit from worsted weight yarn, they knit up really quickly. and I finished the second sock this past Monday, even after taking a long break in between the two so that I could wrap and mail gifts to people out of town. 

So here they are! I am not known for my color management, so you really can't see some of the one-row colors in here, other than the black which shows up. But I really like the way they turned out, and it was fun to have a knit gift for him. 😀

Project: Replacement Social Security Number Socks

Pattern: Vanilla sock pattern using worsted weight yarns

Needles: US size 5/3.75 mm

Yarns: All are scraps of Plymouth Encore worsted yarns from several other projects. I'm a big fan of Encore, because it has a little bit of wool in it, but the acrylic means that it can go in the washer and the dryer with no issues. 

Notes: The pattern is one I came across a long time ago - does anyone remember the Knitlist? I mean, that's waaaaayyy back! Anyway, someone posted it there, and since it's not, as far as I know, the specific property of any designer, I can share it here.

Basically, the way it works is that you take your Social Security number, and assign a yarn to each number - you can either say that there are 9 different colors, or assign yarns to a number and use only that color throughout, which is what I did. For zeroes, you can either do a purl row, or eyelets, or assign a color. 

Now, before you get all worked up about identity theft, someone would have to be very very close to your foot and sock, and would need to know how to count knitted rows, in order to figure out your SS#. It seems to me, that if someone seems that interested in your foot for that long, and you either don't notice or don't think it's the weirdest behavior this side of the Mississippi, then that's on you.

His previous pair (with all the holes) was made up of brighter colors, whereas this one is more subdued. But I like the way this one looks. And except where I didn't realize that colors were not distinctive enough to show up unless you were *very* close, I like the way they all complement each other. The heel and the toe are in black yarn, because that is what I had the most of as a leftover. 

So there you go - now you even know how to make your own if you like. I think they are really fun, but of course, the options are limited, since if you say to someone "Could you tell me your Social Security number for a knitting project," there is a good chance it won't end well. 

I do have to say that after knitting the first pair, it was a huge help to me whenever I would need to know The Tim's SS# for some form or another and he wasn't around. 😄

The only other knitting project I would like to finish before the end of the year is my cardigan. All it needs is the second sleeve, and the buttons, so I think I can get it done. I put it aside at the beginning of December for the aforementioned wrapping and sending of gifts (which have all been received now, yay!). It took me about two weeks to do the first sleeve, which was in fits and starts, so I think I can get it all done. I'm not gonna drive myself nuts about it, but it would be fun to have such a great finish to my knitting year.

What about you? Have you knit any gifts? Anything you hope to finish before 2025 heads out?

Current Situation

Hello all, I hope you are doing well, and if you are in the throes of cold weather, that you are managing to keep warm! When I went to my volunteer gig yesterday, one of the employees of the Petsmart who unlocked the door for me said, "You don't look like you are very cold at all." And I pointed out that I was very bundled up. He said, "Yeah, I don't like to do that." I didn't pursue it, but I do hope he at least realizes that is the reason he was cold ...

Anyhoo, I have already sent two packages of gifts on their way, and will have the last, larger box (for more people) on the way by tomorrow. It is apparently within my abilities to remember to buy birthday gifts for my nieces who all have December birthdays, and wrap them in other-than-Christmas-paper, but not within my abilities to remember to get cards to accompany the gifts. So today I will venture out to buy the cards, and then come home and finish the rest of the wrapping for things being mailed. 

Apropos of that, I saw this yesterday and thought it was worth sharing. Especially since it is 100% accurate and worth heeding.

Furniture Update: all of the new furniture we purchased has now been delivered and already enthusiastically used. Chair-palooza is forutnately winding down. The spare chair was moved to our bedroom by the two of us on this past Sunday, and we were both pleasantly surprised to note that it looked nicer there than we had even thought it would.

One of the giveaway chairs was claimed on Monday evening, and the woman collecting it seemed quite pleased with it. I have a taker for the other chair, who originally said that she would pick it up today. Which would have been so great. But then she messaged me and said would I mind if they waited until Saturday? Turns out they are moving into a new apartment on this coming Friday, and rather than move one extra thing, they determined it would make more sense to just pick it up after the fact. Which I completely agree with and understand.

Please note that, as I suspected, The Tim still brought up the boxes of decorations over the weekend, and yes, as predicted, it did cause me more anxiety. 

Me: Why did you bring those up when there is already so much stuff here?

Him: We have to bring them up anyway.

🙄

I forgot to tell you another part of Chair-palooza. In order to get the new couch, we needed to get the old chairs out of the way. So we carefully took them apart, and them took them downstairs in pieces (the doorway to the third floor is even skinnier than most of the other doorways in the house). For part of a day, they were also in the living room. I went online to the Sanitation Dept site to arrange for Bulk Pickup so we could be rid of them (they were in no condition to be usable by anyone else, and the place we bought new furniture doesn't have takeaway-the-old-stuff service). The earliest time it could be scheduled was December 23, so I went ahead and took that appointment. We figured in the meantime, we would just put all of the pieces out in the garden so they'd be out of the way, and then easily moveable out front when the time came. Except they didn't fit through the garden door, because of course (repeat along with me) it's not a standard size. 

So now we have 4 pieces of decrepit furniture sitting in the outdoor entryway to our house. I told The Tim all we needed was a stripped down car on cinder blocks to complete the tabelau. He said "tableau" was too fancy a word for it.😂

Finally, another exchange I thought you might enjoy. Background: We have quite a few holiday-themed dishes, glasses, mugs, etc. The Tim unpacks them every year and puts them away, which is fine with me because I have plenty of other things that are my resposibility. So on Monday evening, he started unpacking those, while I was upstairs working on something else. During dinner, he said he had left some things on the table for me to put away, because he wasn't sure where they belonged. I figured I knew the things he meant, and didn't give it another thought.

When I went to leave for my volunteer shift yesterday, I saw that a lot of the things he'd unpacked were on the table. I figured, no big deal, he'd worked all day and ran out of steam, I'd put things away when I got home. Then when I got home, I noticed that a few things looked like they were unpacked but not very clean. So I texted to ask him if things were washed or not. The response: "I'm leaving that up to you." 

So last night, I told him I'd washed things on the table and put them away, and said I thought he'd given me a weird answer to my text. And he said, "Well, I wasn't sure if you wanted to wash them now, or when you went to use them." 

Never, ever, ever, in the history of myself have I unpacked items to be used for food and beverages and put them away, thinking I'd wash them when I went to use them. I just decided to file the whole experience away and blame it on phases of the moon or something.

But seriously, WTF???

Again, just to reassure you, we are both still alive. Puzzled, but alive.

Things to Celebrate

Hello from cool, dreary, and rainy Philadelphia! The perfect kind of day to just stay inside and be cozy, and that's pretty much what I plan to do.

We have been kind of busy lately. I have been getting ready for both The Tim's birthday, and for Thanksgiving. The Tim always gets into a flurry of cleaning activity around this time of year, in preparation for holiday season, so he's been working on that. The cats are either sleeping and avoiding it (actually preferred), or busy snooper-vising. 

Yesterday was The Tim's birthday, and unlike today, it was a perfect fall day - sunny, cool, and just a touch of wind. He took the day off from work, and I swapped my volunteer shift with someone else, so we were both home for the whole day. He had asked to go out to breakfast at a place in the neighborhood, so we headed there first thing. He had one of his fave things, a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon, with tomato, onion, etc. as well. I had the tofu scramble, which is really good, and comes with fried potatoes, which we both enjoyed. We were stuffed until it was time for dinner!

The Tim had told me what he would like for his birthday, and for once, I had been ready for over a week, so that worked out really well. He requested a cheesecake for his birthday dessert, and we enjoyed that after presents, while the kitties enjoyed some kitty treats. 

We had originally planned to go out to dinner, but he said later in the afternoon that he was feeling slightly out of it, like he is getting a cold, so we decided to do that another night, and just had leftover chili and some grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner. It was a lovely day, and fortunately, this morning he felt much better. A good night's sleep I'm sure helped. 😊

Over this past weekend, I put out our Thanksgiving decorations. I don't have a lot of them, but I love having them. Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday, and I feel that a lot of the time, it gets short shrift. 

I posted this photo as well as a few others on Instagram, and got so many comments from people saying they remembered these particular candles from their families growing up! I just have always loved them.

My other exciting news is that I finished the body of the cardigan I have been knitting! Here is a not-lovely bathroom selfie for you to get an idea how it looks.

This is the Fidalgo Cardigan, and it is one of the most favorite things I have ever knit. I love that as you are knitting the sweater, you are knitting the button band - no hassle having to pick up stitches after the fact! I have learned a few new-to-me skills with this pattern, and it is so well-written that I feel like it would be understandable to just about anyone. I watch the designer's podcast, and she is just one of those people that I would love to be friends with. Yesterday afternoon, I managed to knit half of the first sleeve, so I'm hoping this will be an FO before long.

So that's been what has been going on around here. The Tim had a lovely birthday day, even though it means that now for a few months, we'll be same age (he always loves being "the younger one" for most of the year). We're looking forward to Thanksgiving next week, not just because we both love the holiday itself, but for the first time in four years, The Tim won't have to work! He also took the Friday after off, so we will have a nice long holiday weekend together to enjoy. I'm so happy about that. Obviously, we've survived the years when he had to work on Thanksgiving Day, but it's just so much better when he can have the day off and be at home too.

I hope your week has been kind to you, and that you are enjoying any crafting projects you have. See you next time!

A Horse Tale

Hi all! I hope this week is treating you well. It's been very nice here in Philadelphia, and I am enjoying every minute of sunny days and cool nights and mornings.

Yes, the above image is Mr. Ed, the talking horse. As you may or may not know, Mr. Ed is one of my favorite TV shows *ever.* When I was a kid, I dreamed of having a horse - any kind of horse, really. But if it turned out to be a horse like Mr. Ed, that would have just been a bonus. And Mr. Ed is the reason that I have a lifelong love for horses. Just seeing one makes me happy. If I get to pet one, kiss its nose, or ride one, then it's all exponentially better.

OK, that was some background. Now the reason I'm telling you about this. A month or more ago, when I abandoned my Relax Tee, I said that if anyone was interested in the lovely linen yarn that I was using, I would be happy to send it along. A woman named Barbara who lives in Texas, and obviously reads the blog, sent me an e-mail and said she would love to have it. In the course of our e-mails back and forth, she mentioned that she had horses. REAL LIVE HORSES that she can see every day, whenever she wants to! In any case, I finally got my act together and sent the yarn, and she sent me a very lovely thank you package, which I'll take about in another post. But when I read the note enclosed with it, I was reminded of this story, which I don't think I've ever told you before, so here goes. If you are only interested in knitting or book content, you can skip this post.

*****

Years ago, when we first moved to Philadelphia, we lived in a neighborhood where about half a mile from our apartment were the City Stables. It was near a little market we used to visit, so when we could we would go and see the horses afterwards. Well, it turned out that they offered riding lessons for adults, but they were so popular, it was by lottery. I took riding lessons as a child, as part of a club at a school I attended in some place where we were living at the time, but hadn't really ridden a horse for years. The Tim had never ridden a horse, so we put our names into the lottery, and we were chosen!

They did the lessons in groups of six people. Our group was 5 women and The Tim. One of the women, whose name was Dottie, said at the beginning that she signed up for lessons because "she was hoping to meet a man." Good luck with that, right?

So after our first lesson, which involved showing us how to put the tack on the horse, get onto the saddle, and then guide the horse around the ring, we were back at the stables, putting things away, grooming our horse, etc. My horse was a sweet boy named Durango. I was the last one out of the lesson, so The Tim was nearby waiting for me to finish. Dottie went over to him and started chatting. Now, you should know that The Tim is a very polite and often charming person in public, and will talk to anyone, but isn't really stellar in the listening department unless he knows he has to be. So he and Dottie are chatting, and I heard her say, "What's your name?" And frankly, I suspected he wasn't paying attention, and that was confirmed when he responded, "Durango." I immediately started to laugh so hard I cried while I was finishing up with the *real* Durango, and Dottie replied, "Oh that's so weird, just like the horse!" Frankly, I was laughing so hard, I have no idea how he got himself out of the conversation. 

Going home, he said, "You know, I wasn't really paying close attention, so I thought she asked me if I knew the horse's name." (No sh*t, Sherlock.) 

Well, this story has become a legend in our family. One of my nieces said the only way it could have been better would have been if the horse's name had been Powder Puff or something like that.

The next 5 weeks of lessons were wonderful, but nothing as memorable as the first night, when we learned that one of the people in our group had the same name as one of the horses at the stable. 😉

Barbara - thanks for the gift, and for bringing this memory into my brain. I hope you enjoy your yarn at least as much as I enjoyed this story, and thinking about it again.

*****

Happy Trails, y'all. 

Last FO of 2024: Tim's Ribbed Hat

Hello everyone, and Happy New Year! I hope that so far, 2025 is behaving for you. I have no complaints (other than my usual complaints, which are more than enough) so far. 😊

I wanted to share my final FO of last year with you, and tell you a story about a conversation that was had when it was gifted. 

Anyway, do you remember that a couple of months ago, I finished this hat for myself? Well, after I finished it, I had quite a bit of yarn left over, and considered that maybe I could reverse the colors and make one for The Tim. The yarn is merino wool and cashmere, and so it would be a nice Christmas gift. At the time, I was doing a bunch of other things, so it was a bit on the back burner.

Then at the beginning of December, I decided to cast on and see how things went. If it didn't get done for a Christmas present, I'd give it to him for Valentine's Day. So I would knit on it every couple of days, and since it's a hat, and not very complicated at that, it was finished in time for Christmas!

Project: Tim's Ribbed Hat

Pattern: Classic Ribbed Hat, by Purl Soho (large adult size)

Yarn: Purl Soho Cashmere Merino Bloom, colorways Red Mulberry and True Turquoise

Needles: US 3/3.25 mm

Modifications: None

Here's the story part:

The Tim (opening gift): Oh wow! A hat just like Greg and Preller have (two spouses of two nieces who received Musselburgh Hats in the past)!

Me: No, that's not a Musselburgh Hat. When I asked you if you wanted one, you said you had one, even though I have never made one for you.

The Tim: Well then what is this hat? [Tries it on, "Oh this is soft!"]

Me: It's like the hat I made for myself a couple of months ago, but the colors are reversed. It's extra soft because the yarn has some cashmere in it.

The Tim: So we're going to match?

Me: No, not exactly. My hat has the same colors, but reversed from yours.

The Tim: Oh, OK. Well this is nice. [a minute or two passes] Maybe next year I'll get a Musselburgh Hat then.

Me (in my brain): *^%#$%^&*(

To his credit, he did say that it was good timing since the hat he has been wearing it "all stretched out" (because he PULLS at it!), and he has been happily wearing it. And he really loves anything I knit for him.

But after having a whole conversation months ago about whether or not he wanted a Musselburgh Hat, and him saying no, even though he thought he had one but he doesn't ... 

So next year for his BD or for Christmas, I guess I know what to make for him!

Festive Friday FO: Broken Garter Scarf

Hello and happy first Friday of December! Our original plan was to go to Baltimore this weekend to be with my niece Amanda and her husband Pat. We were really looking forward to kicking things off with them. But I have had a killer cold and the sore throat from hell since Monday. My Covid test was negative, so I guess it's just an awful cold. I have been so miserable, and though the medicine the doctor gave to me is helping, I knew that it would be a bad idea to still go. I still feel awful, and overnights are the worst. So I if I have to be sick, I'm staying home.

Oh well, a couple of extra days to rest and take my time with Christmastime things.

Do you remember these photos from last November/early December?

 

It was the start of a scarf I was making for The Tim for Christmas. However, I got to a certain point and realized I had not paid close enough attention to the pattern, and one way or another, it was not going to be ready for Christmas. So it got put away until I decided what to do.

Project: Broken Garter Scarf for Tim

Pattern: Broken Garter Scarf - a store pattern from Loop. There are solid color patterns that are similar on Ravelry, you'd just need to decide how to change around the colors.

Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed in the following colorways: Rage (150), Alabaster (197), Seasalter (178), Lotus Leaf (205), Cinnamon (356)

Needles: US 6/4mm

Modifications/Notes: Well, OK I did modify the pattern, but not intentionally. The pattern tells you to do two rows (1-2) with one color, then two rows (3-4) with the next. Then it says to repeat rows 1-4 40 times. Well, when I "finished" with the last color combination, the scarf was not long enough to go around a neck even once. 

Yep, you guessed it - I was supposed to have *80* rows in each section, but I only had 40 rows. Sigh.

No way was I gonna rip it out, even once I decided I didn't need it for Christmas. Because that was already a lot of knitting. So I decided to do the "last" part for 80 rows, and then repeat the other colors and number of rows on the other side. So the middle would be one long section, and the "sides" so to speak, would match.

I finished knitting and weaving in the ends around the middle of November, and I like it. I think I would like it better if I'd done the pattern as written, but I'd also like a million dollars, you know?

I still think it looks nice, and I know that The Tim will like it. That's all that really counts.

I like the colors I chose, but I have to tell you, the red shade (aka 'Rage') is my favorite! Not just the shade of red, but the name - Rage! I enjoyed telling people I was knitting with rage ... Maybe a Rage Sweater is in my future???

It's a little bit wrinkled from being stored in the project bag, but 1) it's a scarf, it's not going to be perfect anyway, and 2) again, it's a scarf, so it's not going to be laid out perfectly when it's worn.

It was an enjoyable knit for the most part, except when I'd be going along and would realize that I had not changed colors - but that's my lack of attention, not a problem with the pattern. 

And now the knitted gift for The Tim is finished and will be ready to wrap. A year late, but then again, Christmas comes every year, you know?

Happy December!

Hello and welcome to December - which is really feeling like December here in Philadelphia. The weather is very cold, but mostly bright, which is just so nice! I'm at home today rather than at my volunteer gig, because right now there are no kitties at the location where I volunteer! Everyone was adopted over the weekend, which is good news. But it does mean that I have to stay home and annoy my own kitties this morning. 😉

Thanks for going along with me yesterday when I posted the photo of our old cardboard wreath, the symbol of the start of Christmastime in our house. I was especially happy that KSD noticed, since I know she gets as much of a charge out of it as I do. When we first bought that decoration, we were living in married  student housing at the University of Notre Dame, and had gotten married the October before that Christmas. Yesterday, I did an inflation tally, and thought you'd enjoy my findings.

When we bought that cardboard wreath in 1978, at the equivalent of what would probably be a dollar store today, it was priced at 39 cents (you can still see the price pencilled faintly on the back). If we wanted to buy that same decoration today, it would cost us - are you ready for this? - a WHOPPING $1.89! 

IS NOTHING SACRED????? 

Yesterday morning I ventured out and stopped at Sephora and Barnes and Noble, to find some gifts for some nieces and to get a couple of books for birthday gifts. My one set of nieces have birthdays on December 18, December 25 (aka Lizmas), and December 29. A lot of people just ignore their birthdays - you know, the "This is for your birthday and Christmas," but I grew up with a mother whose birthday was December 2, and she said that *her* mother insisted that if you were born in December, you still deserved an actual birthday. So that is the way it works. Anyway, I had complete success, and that made me happy for the rest of the day, I have to say.

Today's agenda includes paying a couple of bills, and digging out Christmas cards to get ready. I know we have some, and I want to make sure that we have stamps, etc. Yes, I still send Christmas cards. Maybe not as many as before, since I have had many people tell me in no uncertain terms that they do NOT want a paper card, and who do I think I am, sending cards when the earth is already so polluted. So I just don't send anything to them. But sending cards and receiving cards gives me a lot of joy, and I always recycle ours or use parts of them for gift tags for the next year, so I feel it's OK. 

I'll probably also get out some "easy" decorations - you know, pillows and such that you have for around the house that you don't need to set aside a day to unwrap and organize.

Of course, there will also be knitting and reading. And the taking of cough syrup, since I started with a chest cold on Sunday, and coughed my way through the night last night. 😡

As I mentioned above, yesterday was my mom's birthday. Last night, The Tim and I were drinking a birthday toast to her, and I was saying that if she were still here, she would be 106 years old. And The Tim said, "Oh God, she'd still be getting me to find her cane for her 50 times a day!" and we had a good laugh, because she would "lose" her cane all of the time. And then she'd say, "Tim, I've lost my cane/that person has my cane,* will you help me find it," and he would say, "Geraldine, it's right in front of you," and she would respond, "Oh for God's sake!" and the two of them would have the best laugh about it.

Whereas, if The Tim wasn't around, and it was only the two of us, she would say the same thing to me, and I would say - in a completely normal tone of voice - "Mom, it's right in front of you," and she would say in a truly annoyed fashion, "Well, no one likes a smart ass."

Sometimes you're just not the favorite, and you have to live with that. 😂

*whenever she would "lose" her cane, if we were out somewhere and someone else near us also had a cane, she was always convinced they it was hers and they had taken it ...

Pleasing

We had a lovely evening celebrating The Tim's birthday. He enjoyed all of his gifts, and was truly thrilled to receive the second sock to complete his pair of house socks. I had wrapped them in a couple of layers, where the older sock was on top. So when he opened it, he said, "Are you giving this back because you can't find the yarn to make the other one?" and then was surprised and pleased when he dug down to the next layer. So it was a success.

There are a couple of other things that have been pleasing, and I thought I'd share. Do you remember that last spring, the city planted a honey locust tree (aka "Loco") where a previous tree in front of our house had been? Well, Loco has been thriving. And last Saturday, it was time for us to get another tree, at the other entrance to our house (which is technically the main entrance). This time it is an American Hornbeam ("Beamy), and we are so happy with it! 

(The Tim: Oh good, it's a dormant tree. I was wondering why they would plant a new tree when cold weather was coming.

Me (in my brain): Brilliant deduction, Holmes.)

I'm so glad to have a tree in that spot, because the street is so small, and having a tree there must makes it all seem cozier, you know?

On Monday, I headed to Anthropologie. I had seen something online that I thought would make a nice gift; it was out of stock online, but it said, "Check stores." Our store did have it in stock, but in person, I didn't like it as much. However, I found something else that I liked even better for less money. But even better was the gift box they provided:

I had noticed on my way into the store that they had some yarn trees decorating the windows along with shiny ornaments, etc., so I guess they have a whole yarn/knitting thing going on for the holiday season this year. It goes without saying that I think it's an excellent idea!😊

So there you have two small but good things that really pleased me over the past week or so. It's a good reminder to pay attention, because even when a lot of other things seem to be terrible, disheartening, etc., there are still some little, lovely, happy things happening around you if you just look.

FO Post: The Hofo Sock

Hello there! Well, I survived both the prep and the colonoscopy, and I do have some pathology results to expect in the next week or so, but that is taken care of for now, and boy am I glad. I just hope the pathology report shows nothing worrisome, because I want to just be finished with the whole thing for another three years (three years! Last time I had only two, so that in itself is an improvement). But please know that I did truly appreciate your supportive and kind comments about surviving the prep. It's nice to know that people understand when someone is just plain uncomfortable.

ANYWAY.

When I was a kid, one of the jokes that at first puzzled me, and later pleased me because of wordplay, was this one:

Q: When is a door not a door?

A: When it's ajar.

And so, for this FO post, I have a similar question for you:

Q: When is a HO (half-finished object) not a HO?

A: When it's an FO.

Project: The Hofo Sock

Pattern: Plain vanilla sock pattern that I keep in my brain.

Yarn: Plymouth Worsted Encore Solids. The light blue is the Denim colorway, and the green is - you guessed it - the Kelly Green colorway!

Needles: US size 5/3.75 mm

Notes: In 2020, I knit these for The Tim. And he wore them. A lot. Until the sole of one of them wore completely through. So he handed the other one to me, and said, "Could you just knit a mate for this one? These are cozy and I like them, and I only need one more." So I said I would, set the sock aside, and immediately forgot all about it.

A couple of months ago, I was cleaning out the mess that was my knitting and crafting stuff, and came across the lone sock, waiting for its mate. So this time I placed it where I could see it, and determined that I would knit another one for The Tim's birthday. A couple of weeks ago, when I finished another long-term project, I picked it up and decided to see if I still had either/both colors of the yarn. I did! I tend to grab Encore when I can, because I think it's a nice yarn, and for certain projects and for certain people, it's a much better choice than other, fancier yarns.

And at last, the lonely sock once again has a mate:

I made certain to wash the older sock, and I even used the de-piller on it, and though you can tell that one has been worn, and one hasn't, they really look like they belong together! Of course, I had failed to write down the specifics - aka how many rows led to color changes, etc. - so I studied the older sock and I think I got pretty close. 

In any case, they are currently wrapped up ready for The Tim to open when we have his birthday celebration later today.

Oh - and "The Hofo Sock?" Well, it's a HO that was also an FO. 😉

Happy November! And, What I Knit During October, Part 1

Hello everyone and Happy November! I hope all of you surivived Halloween. Ours was quiet - not a single trick-or-treater. I blame the current state of the world. People are afraid to let their kids go trick-or-treating, and only allow them to go to parties, or do the Trunk and Treat thing which frankly I think is gross. I miss seeing the costumes so much, that was one of my favorite things.

Oh well, just another thing that apparently isnt' going to happen again around here. A friend of mine who lives in one of the fancy 'burbs said that they only had 20 trick or treaters. Which sadly makes me feel a little better - it's not just a trend in the "big bad city." 

*****

But onward to November and the coziness of it. I will especially enjoy it when November 12-15 is over. I have a colonoscopy on the 15th, and have to do the usual (for me) three-day prep. So other than those dates, bring on November!

I have a finished object to show you - actually one of two pairs of socks I knit during October, which is insane, because I seldom can knit one pair of socks in a month, but guess what? If you concentrate on a project, it gets finished - who knew?? 😄

It all started with this ball of yarn:

Project: Tim's Halloween Socks

Pattern: Plain vanilla sock pattern, based on this pattern, which is my go-to for basic socks

Yarn: Nox Yarn Mars Sock base, colorway is Potions Master

Needles: US size 1/2.25 mm

Notes: I've had this yarn in my stash for a long time, and every year would notice it either right before Halloween, or right after. This year, I made an effort to find it well in advance. 

My original plan was to make a pair of Halloween socks for myself. I was even going to use a pattern. So I got it going, and decided that with the way the yarn was dyed, the pattern would be completely lost. Since the pattern I was trying out used the number of stitches I generally use to make socks for The Tim, I decided to just knit a plain sock and give it to him for our anniversary, which is a few days before Halloween.

It's a 1 x 1 ribbed cuff, and then a 3 x 1 ribbed leg, with a plain foot. Shortly after starting these, I finished another project I was working on; I'd also completed one sock of a pair I was knitting for myself. So I decided to concentrate on these, since I had a deadline at the end of the month.

I finished them a week ago today, and I'm really happy how they turned out. And it's a shame that Nox Yarn is no longer dyeing, because this was lovely yarn to knit with, and makes a great pair of socks. 

They were gifted for our anniversary on Monday, and even though The Tim has been sitting *right next to me* for a lot of the time I was knitting them, he was completely surprised. Which works for everyone, right?

*****

Do you have any special plans for the weekend? We're headed to IKEA at some point to look for a couple of area rugs for our living room. We had our living room rug picked up for deep cleaning and storage last week (long story, I'm sure I'll tell it sometime), and would like to find a couple of smaller rugs for the living room until the big one is in use again. Other than that, I'm sure there will be a LOT of napping (The Tim), a lot of hilarity (the kitties), and a lot of knitting and reading (me). It's supposed to be cooler (thank the Lord!) this weekend, so it will be nice to just cozy in and stay in the house.

I hope your weekend goes well.  Rest up, because next week should be a long one, at least here in the U.S., with Tuesday being election day. I sincerely hope that you will cast/have cast your vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Because any other choice is unacceptable if you want to continue living in a country that you're not completely and totally ashamed of, with a vile creature deciding our futures ... or lack thereof.

And I believe that sincerely.

Take care.

Resurfacing After Being MIA

Well here we are, almost in the middle of the month, and I'm finally checking back in with all of you. The past couple of weeks have been difficult, but things are looking up, so fingers crossed that it stays that way.

At the end of July/beginning of August, my Reverse SAD finally got me and got me good. It was so hot and so humid for so long that I got to the point where I could barely function. I was tired and miserable all of the time, and my depression and anxiety ramped up like it has not for a while. I was in pretty bad shape to be honest.

I did manage to get myself together enough to enjoy a weekend visit to NYC to see a lot of family, which was really nice and I'm glad we went, but then we came home to the same slop and that caused me to crash big-time. Fortunately, last week, even though it was still humid, it wasn't as hot and the rain did a lot to make the flowers, trees, etc. look and obviously feel better.

This week has felt so good! It's so nice to be able to have the windows open, especially at night, and to take walks without being soaked in sweat after a block and a half. And considering that it's August, it's a nice surprise that it's feeling that way now.

As mentioned above, we were in New York to see a lot of family for a weekend overnight. My sister Nancy and her husband live in Southern California, but they come to NYC usually every summer to visit with a lot of his family who live in the area. This year, their kids and families joined them. My nephew and his wife in Arizona have four kids, and the last time we saw them was 11 years ago. Three of them were able to make the trip, so it was nice to see them as young adults now. My niece and her husband who live in Northern California have two kids that we have never met, so we got to meet them in person, which was nice. Then my other sister and her husband from WV came for the weekend also, and one of their daughters and her family live in Brooklyn, so it was really great to get to see nearly everyone! It was loud and funny and frustrating (none of them are planners, ugh!), and of course, we always enjoy the train ride to and from there. It would have all been perfection if it hadn't been in the high 90s Fahrenheit with the ever-popular "feels like" temperature of 108 degrees. 😡

Only for family would I even consider braving it!

Then, we had found someone who could do our bathroom and kitchen floors - meaning that sooner rather than later, the new refrigerator would be in the kitchen where it should be! There were a couple of blips - the original date they said they'd start had to be pushed back, because the person they dealt with at Home Depot/Lowe's (I forgot which one) ordered the wrong bathroom tiles. 

The guy who was the head of the crew then said they would show up "early afternoon" on this past Saturday to get started on one of the bathrooms, after they finished another job. Which was fine with me. So I was going along in my day, and about 1:15 in the afternoon, The Tim informs me that he called and told the guy not to come, because it was "way past early afternoon." WHAT? I consider early afternoon  to be until around 3 p.m. Then he went on about how he told him it wasn't professional to treat people this way, etc. All I could think of - and I really don't think this very often - was WTF??

This, from the person who weeks ago explained to me (even though I already knew it) that contractors are usually working on several jobs at once, so they seldom devote all of their time at once to your project only. So I don't know what kind of needle ended up in his butt to cause him to do that, but I was really afraid that the guy would say, here's your down payment back, find someone else.

So currently, they are supposed to come tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday to get all three floors replaced. The lead guy texted me yesterday and told me he would text me again today to let me know what time tomorrow to expect them, and where they were starting, so I could have things ready. I hope it all works out this time. Otherwise, The Tim better have something else lined up.

In the meantime, Alfie will be in heaven when they finally arrive. I told a friend that it wouldn't surprise me if he has been watching floor repair videos on YouTube so that they have no excuse to not let him "assist" ... 😄

And now you are all caught up on the high-/lowlights. Cross your fingers that the next time I post, the floors are at least underway!

FO Post: Late But Finished!

Hello from a snowy Philadelphia! We are supposedly getting a big (for us, especially recently) snow today. I'm planning a cozy day with the kitties, I just hope that things don't get too bad since The Tim is at work, and his job involves a lot of driving around. Yikes.

Anyway, on to the FO:

(unblocked, because I barely had time for a photo before they where taken by the recipient!)

Project: Replacement Iron Horse Mitts 

Pattern: Iron Horse Mitts, by Emily Butzi

Yarn: Yarn Addict Sock, colorway OOAK (One Of A Kind)

Needles: US size 3/3.25 mm

Modifications: None

Notes: I made a pair of these a few years back for The Tim, when he requested fingerless gloves, "but the kind with part of the fingers covered." Last spring, he asked if I would make him a new one because he had lost one of them, and he really likes them and wears them all the time. 

Needless to say, the rest of the skein of the original yarn I'd used was long gone, and I didn't have anything very similar in my stash. So I decided that if I came across anything that resembled the old yarn, I'd get it, because he thought they were a good color. Fast forward to October, when there was a little mini-festival of yarny things at Loop over the Rhinebeck weekend. Yarn Addict was there, and when I saw this shade of green, I knew it was pretty close to what I had originally used, so I snapped it up!

I originally planned for these to be a Christmas gift, and they were ... kind of. I think I previously mentioned the scarf I had also been knitting for The Tim, where I got well into it and then realized I'd been missing a huge part of the instructions! Well, then I just put that aside, and was putzing around doing very little knitting while doing everything else for Christmas. Finally, on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, I finished the last finger on the first of the mitts. So I took the one of the previous pair he still had, and wrapped them up as "One Old, One New, Both Kind of Similar." Well he was thrilled, which was good, and the good thing is that the yarn I'd bought in October is about as close in color as I could hope to get with a replacement pair.

The Tim could not understand why I was still planning to knit a mate for the new one, since he "only needed one, and they match pretty well." Bless his heart. I pointed out that if I finished the second one, he'd have a spare in case he lost another one. That made sense to him. 

So yesterday I finally finished the second mitt. He is thrilled to have three mitts now - a pair and an extra! Which makes me happy. He is extremely knitworthy, you know?

The pattern itself is well-written, and the result is a nice, cozy item. The "fingers" are not hard, just a bit fiddly, and there were a couple of spots where I needed to fill in a bit of a gap where I had not picked up stitches all that well. But overall, I'm pleased with them, and would recommend this pattern, which comes with two sizes (Women's and Men's, I guess).

So with this FO, I have my last project of 2023, and my first project of 2024. 

Which of course means I can start something else, right? 😊

*****

I hope all of you have a lovely weekend, and can stay warm and safe. If you are in the opposite hemisphere, I hope your weather is nice and not extreme in the opposite way of ours! 

I'm looking forward to just staying put and being cozy. All of us will be home, so it will be especially nice. I love when it's snowy and we can just all be here together.

See you next week!

Goodbye November

Good morning (or hello whenever you read this!) on the last day of November. One of my most favorite months of the year, but also bittersweet. It's the month that my father died, and every year I am more aware of all of the things I have gotten to experience that he missed out on. It makes me feel bad, but it also makes me aware that my life has a lot going for it, even if there are blips along the way. 

This past November had a lot going for it. There was our weekend trip to New York, lots of sunny days and good walks, good knitting time, of course Thanksgiving, and then yesterday - finally after years of waiting for it to happen - our roof finally got fixed!! No more mini-Niagara Falls experience from the ceiling in the bedroom when it rains, no more buckets to have to maneuver around when getting to the closet. The work crew showed up yesterday around 7:30 a.m., and they were finished by 2 p.m. It was a wonderful way to end the month, and since yesterday was my middle sister's birthday, I told her that we were celebrating a new roof in her honor. 😂

So today I have some laundry already underway, and I want to put away the few fall/Thanksgiving decorations that we have. Then I am planning to do a good cleaning of the first floor. Today or tomorrow I'll sit down and pay some bills, so as you can see, glamor is still a large part of my life ...

In knitting news, I started a scarf for The Tim, which I hope to have finished by Christmas:

There are five sections of the scarf, and this is the first section completed. Now it's time to change up the red color to a navy for the next section. It's kind of an addictive knit, so I am hoping that fact will make it all doable over the next couple of weeks. If not, it will be ready for next Christmas, so it works either way.

Do you remember the story of the former co-worker/friend who sort of inexplicably sends us homemade cookies every year for Christmastime? Well, just like clockwork, the package of cookies arrived yesterday, and to say The Tim was excited is an understatement. For someone who never even met this co-worker, he really counts on her coming through every year! I'm grateful that she sends them (they are so good, she is a former pastry chef, so they are nothing like the cookies we make), but it still amuses/puzzles me when they get here. It's nice to have a friend who you never really realized was a friend, I guess.

That's it for now. I hope you have a good last day of November, and that you enjoy many more Novembers to come. The timer on the washing machine just dinged, so time for me to move some things around and get going on the rest of my day. I'm the sort of person who likes to get things done earlier in the day, and then have some time in the afternoon to myself. Tonight is The Tim's turn to cook, so I don't even have to figure out what is for dinner (and I also know if he is cooking, it will be something yummy!).

Just Like It Was Supposed To Be

Hello and Happy Monday of Thanksgiving week!  We are back from our overnight weekend trip to NYC to celebrate The Tim's birthday. Every single part of the weekend went well, and I think he had a great birthday.

We got up nice and early on Friday and headed to the train station for our trip. Both of us love taking the train, so that was as much part of the fun as anything. When we arrived, we went to our hotel first, to check in, even if our room wasn't ready yet. We took the time to sit and have a cup of coffee/tea, and take a little break before deciding on our plan of the day.

Our hotel (and a lot of the city) was already decked out for Christmastime.

We decided we wanted to check out the Morgan Library and Museum - someplace we've always wanted go, but hadn't visited yet. It was a short walk from our hotel, and since we lucked out all weekend with somewhat warm, sunny weather, it was really pleasant to walk around. 

The Morgan Library and Museun did not disappoint. The Tim took a lot of photos which I'll share whenever he sends some to me, but I was so astonished and amazed by the place and what we were seeing, it didn't even occur to me to take a picture. Amazing does not even begin to cover it. We were there for the bulk of the day there was just so much to see. If you have never visited, I highly recommend it.

We headed back to our hotel, enjoying the decorations and people-watching.

To quote The Tim: "Those are some big red balls." 

We had a lovely dinner and then walked around some more, taking a little stroll through Central Park before it got too late. I have to say, New York never disappoints - so many interesting things to see, even if they are let's say, not in the tour books! 😊

Saturday morning we had bagels for breakfast at a great deli, and then walked over to Rockefeller Center to watch people at the skating rink, and so that I could say hello the Empire State Building, my most favorite skyscraper, always.

And then, the reason for the trip:

We love this show, and have seen a couple of productions, but never seen it actually on Broadway.

It turned out that Josh Groban wasn't in the matinee that day, but his understudy was so good, I can only think the difference between the two is that I had never heard of the understudy before ...

Annaleigh Ashford was Mrs. Lovett, though, and she was fabulous, as expected. She really lived it up in the role!

We had really excellent seats, too!

After the show, we headed to the train station, but never fear, earlier in the day, we'd paid our regards to Broadway ... and George M. Cohan!

The train ride home was quiet and very pleasant, and we were home before we knew it, to a grand reception - and airing of grievances - by the kitties.

Sunday morning, I took the birthday boy out to breakfast at one of our favorite diners.

And then later we had some cheesecake slices from the diner with candles, "Happy Birthday" singing, and gifts. 

The entire weekend went even better than we could have expected. We were exhausted yesterday, since even though we love New York, it does wear us out. And when we came out of the train station on Saturday night, we said the same thing we always say after a trip there: "It's so quiet here!" 😀