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.

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! 

Five Favorites for This Friday

I think it's time for another post of things that made me happy over the past week. I know it's getting into an extra busy time of year for a lot of you, so this is your reminder to hold on to the things that make you happy, make you laugh, let you feel like yourself no matter what else is happening.

1. I sent off the Advent calendar to my great-niece and great-nephew, once I found things to stuff into the teeny tiny stockings. It ended up being a combination of "penny" candy from a store here called Five Below, a variety of very tiny ornaments I came across at Target, some of the 50-cent and dollar coins that The Tim's mother had kept, and then for the 24th day, a ten dollar bill for each of them. I know it was safely received, since my niece texted me. She said she is hiding it until they return from their trip home for Thanksgiving, so that even if they "decimate" it, it will happen during December. 😊

2. Weather that is matching the season! It's been cool at last here, feeling legitimately like fall. Yesterday and today have been rainy, which is also fine because a) it's cozy, and b) we really need any rain we can get. 

3. The floors on our first floor. We have random-width pine floors throughout the house, dating from when it was built, which was sometime before 1850. We've had a large rug covering most of the first floor since we moved in, and recently sent that out to be cleaned. In the meantime, The Tim has cleaned and polished the floors all over that level of the house, and it is so pleasing to see them looking so nice. When we bought our house, it was largely because we were completely drawn in by the floors, and they look better than they have for a long time.

4. I have been able to eat and drink whatever I want since my colonoscopy is over! It's not that I am stuffing my face 24/7, but just that it's nice if I decided to have an apple that I can do just that. The prep last week was bad enough, but the day of my procedure, my appointment was for 2 p.m. and I wasn't allowed to even have water after 5 a.m. I would been willing to mow down a group of kindergartners for a glass of water by the time I was leaving!

5. My knitting has pleased me this week. It made me happy to see how thrilled The Tim was with his replacement sock, which really didn't take that long to knit once I actually got it going. 

And do you remember a few weeks back, I showed you the beginning of my first ever two-color yoked sweater?

Well, I've continued working on it, and as of today, I have 15 rounds left on the patterned part before I get to just knit and knit and knit until it's an FO. And though there are parts that are wonky, I'm really pleased with how it looks now:

 

It still takes me a LONG time to get through each round, because even though it's not as slow as when I started, I'm still slow with both colors AND the chart. But as they say, slow and steady wins the race. Well, not that it's a race, but ... you know what I mean!

So what has made you feel good this week? I hope you can come up with at least a few things. 

This weekend I'm hoping to get things more organized - between things being all over the place while The Tim was working on floors, and being in the throes of switching summer clothes for winter clothes, things are distressingly messy in our house at the moment. So I'm hoping to get it all under some kind of better control. We're also going to figure out our Thanksgiving menu, so we can make sure we have the ingredients on hand. I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving (as usual), but also as usual, am surprised it's almost here!

Whatever your plans, I hope you have a weekend that agrees with you. Take care and I'll check in again next week.

Five Favorites For This Friday

 

OK, it was kind of hard to come up with five good things about the past week, mostly because it was so hot every single day all day and night that everyone in our house was miserable. Plus I got sick, which did not help the overall vibe.

But there are always some good things, so I just needed to find them. Here you go.

1. This podcast. I came across Renee's podcast about a year ago, and granted, not every single episode is one that I watch, but in general, I really enjoy it and get a charge out of her. She lives in Kentucky with her husband, and has two adult daughters. She is so crazy about her family and her two sweet dogs, and it's funny because I think she would be fun to hang with - while at the same times suspecting we would not really get along that well in real life. 😂

2. My walks. It's been really hard to get moving this week, but I've forced myself to go out between 5 and 6 a.m. every single day this week, even if it's for a shorter than usual walk. And even though I've seriously had to force myself to do it, or do it out of guilt, once I'm out and walking, and once I get home, I'm so glad I left the house. And for most of this week, it's been the only time I've left the house! Wednesday was the best walk because I got to pet 8 dogs. Eight!

3. Ordering a new refrigerator. Yes, ordering it. Because that's the fun part. Emptying the old one and moving stuff to the new one is another story, as is paying for said refrigerator. But the ordering is full of anticipation. We've been lucky - our current fridge is 30 years old and we have never had a single issue, or had to call for service, etc. But it is falling apart, and we figured rather than continue to tempt fate, we'd take the active step. As when we shopped around for a new front door, we were surprised at the cost of refrigerators - because when you didn't buy one for so long, prices do tend to go up! It will arrive next Friday, so we don't even have to wait that long until it's here.

4. Chocolate chip brioche bread toast. I've had this with my breakfast this week three times. The Tim found the loaf at a Lidl store in New Jersey, and bought it for us to try. It's been a big hit.

5. My current book. 

This is such a good read, and entertaining to boot. My mother spent summers during her childhood in Chicago, where her aunt, uncle, and cousin lived. Her stories from those days were always great, and some of them seemed ridiculously fantastical. This book covers a time period just before her childhood, but a lot of the same places, people, and well, practices, were involved. And having lived in Chicago myself as a child for a few years as well as an adult, I love the stories and the history as well. This is one of those non-fiction books that is so readable and enjoyable, you might forget that it's all based on real things!

So there you go - I did find five good things, and I have to say, finding those were fun. I'm starting to recover from being sick, and it has just (barely) started to rain here, so maybe myself and the plants and flowers will at least get a break for today. Because they have been predicting worse heat and humidity next week (is that even possible? Won't we all just explode?), and it's one of those weeks when I have some kind of appt every single day. So that will be a challenge.

I hope wherever you are, and whatever weather conditions are happening, that you can round up five things for yourself that made you happy. Have a good weekend, however you manage to do that, and I'll check in next week.

Five Favorites For This Friday

Hello there, I hope if you are in the current heat wave you are surviving. And if you are not, I hope you are enjoying whatever weather you have where you are!

My week has been OK. I had originally thought I'd do a couple of things that once we got into the throes of the heat I realized were pretty unrealistic, but on the plus side, I had only one doctor's appointment this week, so that was nice.

In any case, I decided to do another favorites post, so here are five of my favorite things this past week, in no particular order.

1. Our trip to Baltimore last weekend. You already heard about this, but it was extra nice because we are not taking a vacation trip this summer, so any small trips are extra enjoyable.

2. Workmen who are especially helpful and honest. We have a small brick planter in front of our house that has been there for however long we don't know - it was already there when we moved in. Last month I noticed one morning when I went out to water our tree, that part of it had collapsed onto the sidewalk. Since then, I've been trying to find a masonry person who can come and take a look. Finally I found someone and he came by this past Tuesday.

He said that it wasn't worth repairing, since it was not attached to the house in the first place - whoever had originally "designed" it had just kind of stuck it there, and we were lucky it has lasted as long as it has.  He told me "I could have my crew come and remove it for about $1000, but that would be overkill for you to hire us." He gave me the name and contact information for someone who would do it for less and just as well. He told me that the person was someone he would have no problem coming to work on his house, so to give him a call.   

Now, I realize that this could be someone not great, or some kind of racket or whatever, but I have chosen to think the person who came to look at the planter was being honest and helpful. His company has good reviews and ratings on various sites, so I'm willing to believe him. I will try to give the other guy a call next week and see what happens.

3. My Emotional Support Chicken project. I am having so much fun knitting this, and as of yesterday have a nice chunk finished.

The next time I work on it, I'll be starting the neck of the chicken. This is such an addictive knit, and not hard at all. It does require paying attention, since there is some counting involved, but mostly at the start of each section. Once you get going, you just need to keep track of where you are in the pattern. It's just making me happy whenever I work on it. 😊

4. Walking. As you know, I've been trying to walk more and have been doing well keeping up with it. But this week with the heat, I wasn't sure how I would fare. Fortunately, the mornings have been cool enough that I can get in a 2-3 mile walk before things get to dangerous or unbearable. And that makes me happy, since walking - especially first thing in the morning - is nice. There aren't as many people around, and a lot of those that are, are walking their dogs, so I get the benefit of getting to pet some pups along the way!

5. YouTube TV. We have never had cable, but about a year ago, The Tim said he had read about YouTube TV, and thought it might be worth a try. We signed up for the free trial, and now a year later, are still enjoying it so much. It's a lot less expensive than cable, and has a lot of features that make it worthwhile for us. We love watching certain shows, movies, and things like baseball games, etc. Most of the things we like are available on YouTube TV, so we have found it well worth the cost. 

Though we are not glued to our TV set 24/7, we watch it enough that it's been a good experience. And it will record things for you and store them in the famous "cloud" for you to watch - it stores them for a year, which means that we have time to watch them before they disappear. This is not an ad or promotion for this product. We just realized the other day that we've had it now for a year, and how much we like it.

So there you go. I hope you can find at least five things that have been good in your week. We have tickets for a concert tomorrow by the Philadelphia Boys' Choir, in the afternoon, but nothing else going on. And fortunately, the concert is nearby, so we can walk there without a) being in the heat too long, and b) without having to worry about parking.

Have a good weekend, however you spend your time!

Five Favorites For This Friday

Hello and Happy Friday, and happy last day of May! I'm kind of sad to see May end, as it is one of my favorite months, usually because the weather is pleasant - not too hot for any length of time, with cool nights which means good sleeping. This May was rainier than usual, but I think around here at least, April was a LOT rainier, so I'll take it.

If you are a long-time reader here, you may recall that I used to do something fairly regularly called "Five Favorites For This Friday," which was a post that was a random collection of things that made me happy in the past week. I felt like doing one today, and I looked to see when the last one was.

Gulp. 2016.

Well, I'm bringing it back today, so here we go.

1. I apologize to anyone who already saw this on Instagram or Facebook - feel free to move to the second item on this list!

I took this photo on our way to West Virginia last week, because looking at the mountains covered with trees reminded me of something. When I was in fourth grade, my classroom had a view very similar to this one.

I used to look out and think how the trees resembled a tufted carpet. Then I imagined that God and our guardian angels walked along it unseen, making sure that we were OK. It was always a comforting thought. (I spent a lot of fourth grade looking out the window. We had moved in the middle of the school year, and I was way ahead in lessons, etc.)

2. I took this picture to post on  my friend Carol's Facebook page. Some of her family background is Polish, and I knew she in particular would appreciate this. On Saturday night, this was our dining venue. I didn't just like the sign, I liked the bonus statue of the Infant of Prague in the window. A perfect storm, you know.

For the record, the pierogies were wonderful. I wish I had more right now!

3. Guilty. All 34 counts. 

4. There's a little girl who lives down the street from us, who I used to see at least twice a week, taking a walk with her babysitter. She is a cutie, but has always been pretty shy if you said hello - you know, she would kind of give you a smile and then hide behind the babysitter. 

I saw them yesterday afternoon, and was surprised because she was so much bigger. And she has definitely gotten over being shy! I said hello and commented that it had been a while since I'd seen her, and she said, "I'm five now, and I had a birthday party last week!" I wished her a happy belated birthday, and she launched into a long, complicated story about something that happened at her birthday party which was probably not as complex to understand as it seemed. But the best part was at the end of the story, when she said, "So all in all, it was a fabulous and magnificent event!" 

We should all be so lucky, right? 😊

5. Yesterday I showed you the very beginning of my Emotional Support Chicken. I spent yesterday afternoon putting the two back wing sections together, and working on the next part. 

I'm having such a good time with this! I even tried crocheting the two back wing sections together (the red vertical line) and though it's not perfect, I'm happy with the result. I just thought that the crocheted seams that I had seen on other projects looked much more decorative, and wanted to try it.

So there you go. It was a decent week for the most part. 

Now it's on to June and the weekend. The only specific plans I have are to take some herb plants and put them into different pots, and getting The Tim to help me with potting some lavender plants in a large pot similar to ones that are holding some other plants that seem to be very happy. Other than that, I just have my usual little projects around the house, and seeing what I feel like doing. It will be nice to have a quiet weekend after traveling last weekend, and having a kind of iffy start to this week.

I hope you'll have a good one as well, and find some time to just do whatever will make you happy. Take care. 

Five Favorites for This Friday

The last Friday of July has arrived, which is fine with me. July is one of those months I enjoy in theory - as I do like the Fourth of July - but really dislike in reality - constant heat wave, anyone? So I'm never all that sad to see it go. And this is the day years ago when our sweet Dug the Doodle Dog had to leave us and join those already in heaven. Sigh.

So in order to try and counteract that, I've decided it's well over time I did a Five Favorites post.  

Voila!

1. I successfully did a crochet chain provisional cast-on for a knitting project! Any kind of provisional cast-on has eluded me for my entire knitting life. So the fact that I finally figured out one way it would work was a major boost. I'm not saying it worked perfectly when I was taking it out, but that was user error and in the end I got it to work like it was supposed to, which is what matters. 

2. The other morning when I walked out the door, I got to meet a new neighbor named Katie, which was nice, BUT - she was walking her 8-month-old mini-Bernadoodle puppy named Miso! OMG Miso is ridiculously adorable, very wiggly, and has so many kisses to give. I told her if they ever need a dog sitter or dog walker, I'm right across the street.

3. (I already posted about this on Instagram, so if you follow me there, you've seen it and can go to #4.)

A few years ago, we bought a clematis plant for our garden. The first year, it was very happy, but didn't bloom, which was fine. The next year, it was covered in blooms, and that was quite exciting. Then last year, in an overambitious weeding of the garden during a cleanup, I realized I'd pulled it out, and to say it was upsetting would be an understatement.

Then, this year, I noticed a small tendril was climbing up the trellis - I was so thrilled, because somehow some little piece had survived! It took off, and I was so relieved to see it was happy and thriving. But then - this happened:

Words cannot express how happy seeing this single bloom made me feel! It was a reminder that at least sometimes, not all is lost.

4. I have thus far made it through the week without having Alfie attack my legs! Granted, it may be because he was too hot to make the effort, but I'm hoping he's decided that it's not worth the momentary hilarity/satisfaction to end up in trouble. Time will tell.

5. A good thing happened this week that I want to tell you about, but not until you know the background of it. So suffice it to say I'll tell you next week as part of the "This is all the crap that happened while I wasn't posting" at the end of June/beginning of July. (Spoiler alert: I did not win any lottery money.) But be assured that it was something that was a step forward, and provides some help - even if just a little bit - to our overall situation. 

I hope you can find at least one or two things that went well for you this past week. Enjoy your weekend, and I'll see you again in August! 😊

Five Favorites for This Friday

It's been a really long time since I've done one of these posts, so I thought I would go ahead and tell you five things from this week that were good.

1. A woman who I follow on Facebook posted this cartoon, and it made me laugh really hard because, well, look for yourself (clicking on it should open it to be more readable):

2. Our roof has needed to be replaced for a while now - I'm talking falling ceiling and  mold in the bedroom (which is why I have moved to the guest room - I can't sleep through dripping water!).  The Tim keeps talking about calling someone, but there has been no evidence of that happening.  So this week, I called three different places to come and give us estimates.  One came on Tuesday, and the other two are coming next week.  I'm glad I finally decided to go ahead and call myself, because maybe that means we can actually have the problem solved.

3. I can't remember if I told you that The Tim bought me some very large plant containers for my birthday (at my request).  About a month ago, we went to a nearby place and bought plants to go into the containers - a forsythia, a lilac, and a hydrangea.  I am beyond thrilled that not only are they all still alive, but they appear to be thriving - the hydrangea has a bloom emerging!  I really hope I can keep them all alive and happy.  (Though this weekend we are supposed to have our first heat wave of the season (which should happen in the SEASON of summer, but hello global warming), and as the TV weather people keep telling us in a sickly enthusiastic way, "It will break records, with temperatures in the high nineties and the 'feels like' temperature will be over 100 degrees!" Here's hoping the plants survive it!)

4. My horrible boss at work has been out of the country for the past two weeks and it has been glorious to not have him around in person and cyber-wise.

5. We had a primary election here in Pennsylvania this past Tuesday, and for a change, nearly every person I voted for, won!  And, stupid Dr. Oz (who lives in NJ by the way) and his terrible opponent are still fighting on their side of things about who won!  The deciding votes will be - get this - once the MAIL IN VOTES have been counted.  The irony, it burns.  As a friend of mine says, ha-to-the-ha!

Here's hoping there have been a least a few things that were good in your world, and that your weekend is a nice one, whether or not it is going to be eleventy hundred degrees where you are.  Take care, and I'll see you next week! 

Five Favorites for This Friday

Seems like a long time since I've done one of these posts, but I actually have five things, so let's give it a go.

Here are five of my favorite things from the past week.

1.  The Eagles FINALLY won a game!  Even though the division that they are in is made up of all teams that suck this year, this win actually put them in first place.  I'm gonna enjoy it while it lasts.

2.  At work on Monday, I got to pet a 6-month old baby sloth and feed her some zucchini sticks!  We have an exhibit at work called "Survival of the Slowest," and Lulu the sloth is the main attraction for most people.  When the exhibit first started, she was teeny, but now she is six-months old, and since the museum is open a few days a week now, she is back.  The other day, her keeper had her out in the entryway (it was a day the museum was closed to the public), to get her more used to people, and all of the sounds.  I was so excited to see her, and the keeper said, "If you want to use some hand sanitizer, you can pet her."  And I've never moved so fast in my life.  She was so sweet, surprisingly soft, and those sweet eyes were just the best.  Since she was having her lunch, I got to give her a couple of zucchini sticks.  This will be a favorite for more than just this week!

3.  Kamala Harris pleased me at the debate.  Granted, I like her a lot anyway, but especially compared to Mike Pence, she was clearly the standout.  And then of course the fly - I know some people thought it was immature and stupid how people were going on about it, but I think the inner 8-year-old boy in all of us thought it was freaking hilarious.

4.  I was able to do something for someone that they didn't expect and clearly appreciated, so it was a favorite for both of us.

5.  The Tim and I just returned from a walk over to City Hall to drop off our ballots. Granted, it's not as much fun as actually walking into the booth and voting, but it was a lovely walk, the people accepting the ballots were pleasant and very conscientious, there was no line at the time, and best of all, we did our part to get rid of the Orange Menace and his ilk.  PLEASE VOTE.

So even though there were plenty of not so great things this past week, these things all made me happy.  You gotta take it where you can find it these days, right?

As a bonus, I hope this will make you smile.

Have a good weekend!

Five Favorites for This Friday

First of all, thank you so much for your kind comments yesterday.  I appreciate that you agree that I should do my thing even if others somehow find it offensive.  I was also reminded of something my mother used to tell us - if someone makes a point to tell you how good/smart/wonderful/whatever they are, and you are not, they are the ones with the problem.  I appreciate that being brought back to the front of my brain.

It's been a long time since I've done this kind of post (according to imprecise search skills, the last was December 2019) so let's give it a try.  Here are five things from the last week that pleased me.

1.  The grill we ordered for cooking outside in the garden arrived, AND the weather is nice today and is supposed to be nice through the weekend.  That means we can try it out sooner rather than later. 

2.  I get true amusement out of people who try to deliver a burning insult, but it fails for one reason or another.   Case in point: One of the people who left a rude comment told me that my blog posts about knitting and recipes proved I was "retarted."  OK, I must admit that it took me way too long to figure out what they meant to say, but nonetheless.  I was tempted to write back and tell them that I thought they were "a looser," but figured it would be lost on them.

3.  This amuses me every single time I see it.

4.  Yesterday on the deck, we noticed that our friend the Sunbathing Blue Jay had returned.  OK, it's probably not the same bird over all of these years, but every summer, we notice a blue jay on our deck in the hot sun, lying on its side, with one wing extended.  And every year the first time we see it, we think that there is a dead blue jay on the deck.  Then we move or make a noise and it stands up, ruffles its feathers and flies away.  That in and of itself is amusing, but the funniest thing is how it drives the cats NUTS.  They sit there, tensed and staring at it through the screen, like they have some great plan.  Then when the bird stands up, they almost have a heart attack.

5.  We re-watched "Waiting for Guffman" this week, and OMG I love that movie!  It's so ridiculous, and some of the lines - and the delivery - are hilarious.  I think we all know someone who is just like at least a couple of the characters.

What about you?  Have you had anything make you happy, or smile, or laugh this week?  Let me know in the comments.

And have a good weekend!

Five Favorites for This Friday

Hello fellow Friday-ers!  I hope you are able to get through the stuff you need to do today so that you can enjoy the weekend.  It's December - we should especially be able to enjoy ourselves, right?

I realized the other day that it has been a little bit more than 2 years since I did a five things on Friday post - what??!!  I enjoyed those, and for whatever reason it fell off my radar.  So what better time than now to do it again, when there are many things to enjoy and that make me happy?

So without further ado, let's see what I come up with, shall we?

1.  Knitting a pair of Christmas socks for myself.  I realized that I hardly ever end up knitting a pair of Christmas socks for myself, and so immediately decided to remedy that.  (And I failed to take a photo for this post, but I promise one soon!)  I am knitting the Vintage Fairy Lights pattern, which I started a couple of years ago, but decided it was too much brainwork and just switched to a plain sock.  However, I decided that I could figure it all out this year, and I did, so I am well underway, and they are making me very happy!  It doesn't hurt that the yarn I am using is in a colorway called Rudolph and Clarice. :-)

2.  Watching Vlogmas videos.  I really enjoy seeing how others are observing/enjoying this season, though I am also intrigued by how their Christmas decorations seem a) in a theme, and b) very fresh.  Ours are, shall we say "eclectic," and a lot of them are clearly loved many years.  Which is fine for us.  But I do like seeing into other peoples' lives, even if it's a specifically-set time, place, etc.  In my deepest heart, I'm a nebshit, what can I say?

3.  Lights and candles.  They make everything look happier and prettier, and I also find that they make me feel cozy.

4.  Decorating my desk at work.  God forbid our whole department put up any decorations, since they are on their best days, Scrooges, but - there is one other person who decorates her desk and since we are the only two that will be at work today, we've decided to have a decorating party, complete with Christmas music and cookies.  One of the few times it will be fun to be at work (at least for part of the day, if not the whole time).

5.  Turkey and dumplings.  Well, vegetarian turkey and dumplings, but in any case, I am planning to make that for dinner on Sunday, and I'm looking forward to it.  I love making dumplings almost as much as I like eating them.  Granted, the "recipe" I use doesn't really make what most people think of as being dumplings, but that is what we always called them growing up, so there you go.  A couple of times during the winter, I make this meal, and it's one of our favorites.  I realized last year that one of the times I make it is during Advent, so this will be the weekend this year!

Do you have five - or more or less - things that are currently your favorites?  I hope so. 

Have a good weekend, and if it is cold where you are, make sure to stay warm.  :-)

Five Favorites for This Friday

If you are reading this, you too have made it to Friday!  Some weeks it's more difficult than others, that's for sure.  Today I am thinking that regardless of what else does or does not happen, it's just a regular length workday, not like last Friday where I had to be at work until after 9 p.m. - and it took me the whole weekend to feel like myself again!  I'd like to say it's because I've gotten older, but I've always been someone who needed time to recover from a major break to my regular routine.

Anyway, there have been some good things, as I hope there have been also for you.  Here are some of mine.

1.  A spell of fall weather at last!  We had three whole days (count 'em) that legitimately felt like fall, and it was glorious.  Tomorrow the temperature is supposed to be 78 degrees.  I may have to seek out the person on the morning news who said, "That sounds wonderful, since it's been so cold."  Sweetie,  if you think it was actually cold, you're gonna be pretty darn surprised come February.

2.  I got in a lot of knitting time, on all of my projects.  We had a ton of stuff that we had recorded, and had not yet watched, so this week we caught up.  Which meant lots of time to knit.  Which meant actual progress, and it felt good to move things along.

3.  The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen show in Rittenhouse Square last weekend.  It happens in October and in May, and I really enjoy walking around looking at all of the various types of work.  The choices include handmade furniture, paintings, jewelry, and even clothing.  A lot of it is not anything I'm that interested in or that I would or could even afford to buy, but I love seeing that types of work people do.  One of my favorites from this show was a booth where the most delicate ceramic pieces I've ever seen were displayed, with tiny works of art on them.  It was an unusual and interesting set of things.  People have amazing talents, you know?

4.  Oatmeal.  When it's really chilly or cold in the mornings, I love having a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and this week I had it twice.  I usually top it with raisins, cinnamon, and if available, some kind of nuts.  I also like it with a dollop of peanut butter mixed in, and have recently become aware of the tastiness of Craisins or dried tart cherries in the place of the raisins.  Anyway, it's such a nice, warming, and filling breakfast, and makes me feel like I got a good start.  Weirdly, in warm weather it does not appeal to me at all.

5.  Apples.  This is the best time of year for apples, and they are so good.  I love them just as they are, but I also like apple slices with some peanut butter on them, apple pie, apple crisp - you get where I'm going, right?  And it also means there are plenty of apples available so I don't have to save them only for my packed lunch every day, and can make this recipe.  YUM!  The farmer's market here has had some wonderful Honeycrisp, Mutsu, and Stayman apples and we've been taking advantage of that big time.

Have a good weekend!  Mine should be pretty great, since tomorrow I am getting to meet up with Dee and we are going to have lunch, go yarn store visiting, and then her husband Steve is going to come into the city, and along with The Tim, we're all going to have dinner together.  I. CANNOT. WAIT. 

Most people I know will be at Rhinebeck this weekend, and if you are one of them, enjoy it.  We'll be having our own fun here in Philadelphia.  :-)

Five Favorites for this Fall Friday

Well, OK technically Fall doesn't begin for another couple of hours, but - details, details.

What a week.  I mean, WHAT. A. WEEK.

I really really really had to think to come up with five things that made me happy in the last week.  But I found them, and here they are.

1.  Vegetarian sloppy joes.  The Tim made some the other day for dinner, and they were sooooo yummy!  And it's kinda funny, because when I used to eat meat, I wasn't really that crazy about sloppy joes, because the ones I had always seemed kind of greasy.  But these were most excellent.

2.  Talking to a friend I haven't seen for a while for a nice long time.  Last weekend, I had a phone conversation for a bit more than an hour with a friend who I haven't really had a chance to talk to for any length of time for about 4 years.  We e-mail back and forth, but nothing too involved.  It was fun and so nice to talk to someone who "gets" things that no one else does.  And that's a lot coming from me - someone who HATES to talk on the phone for the most part!

3.  Taking a colleague out for a belated birthday lunch.  One of the scientists who works where I do had his birthday at the beginning of September.  Every year at my birthday time, I inform him that he is taking me out to lunch.  To his credit, he always does.  So I took him out for lunch yesterday, and we had a good time.

4.  Weird but amusing dreams.  I've had a few dreams this week that were even stranger than usual, but what I could remember from them was really funny.  I woke up laughing twice, because somehow even as the dream was occurring, I knew it was ridiculous.

5.  The show "Difficult People."  I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but we watched the episode for this week last night, and there was a particular part of it that made me laugh so hard, I could barely breathe.  Even The Tim was gasping.  So stupid and so funny.

I hope you've found some good things this week.  Everyone needs to find at least one, right?

We do not have any specific or elaborate plans for this weekend.  The weather is going to be stupidly hot and humid, so I sincerely doubt there will be any activities that require spending any amount of time outdoors.  Does that mean I have to clean the house???!!!

Have a good one.  Happy First Day of Fall!  And if you are lucky enough to be enjoying fall-like weather, enjoy some for me too.  :-)

Five Favorites for This Friday

Even more than usual, TGIF!! (By the way, have you seen Kym's new way to interpret that?  I may have to give that a try myself in the future.) 

Thanks for all of your kind and supportive words over the past few weeks.  This week has been particularly brutal, and so I need a favorites post to keep me from just losing it altogether.  So let's see what we have to think about that has been good over the past week.

1.  The weather.  The actual weather outside - not in my head!  It's been a lovely week here in Philadelphia.  Tuesday was the least enjoyable to me, since it was warmer and more humid than it has been recently.  But other than that, the days have been sunny, warm but not too warm, with  nice breezes and overnight temperatures that require a sheet or lightweight quilt to be comfy.  Particularly given what other places are dealing with, it's been perfect.

2.  Our trip to Nockamixon State Park on Labor Day.  It was such a nice day, and though there were lots of people around, it was not crowded in the least.  We saw and petted lots of pups, laughed at some of the kiddos at the pool, and enjoyed watching the birds of prey flying around.  We saw hawks, buzzards, and even some brown eagles.  Even better, none of them were interested in us!

3.  Kim's Knitters Hunk and Knitters Chick contest.  It's just gotten underway, and if you haven't been participating, you should.  Not only is it fun to see who is nominated and vote, but I find it fascinating to see who is involved.  So many people nominate their faves that you truly see a crazy range of people.  

4.  Kindness.  Seeing how people have been going out of their way to actually do what they can for others with all of the hurricanes, wildfires, flooding, and even earthquakes happening.  So much of our daily lives has been overtaken by the horrific actions of the current administration in DC, that it was rewarding to be reminded that most people, when given the opportunity, have true kindness in their hearts.  

5.  Farm stands.  On our way home  this past Monday, we stopped at a farm stand and bought some fresh corn, a cantaloupe and some peaches.   We are still enjoying all of them, and they really and truly are so much yummier than what you can buy at a grocery store.  

Hopefully there has been at least one thing this week that has made you happy.  And here is wishing all of us a good weekend!  For those of you anywhere near any of the terrible weather, I hope that you and yours will be OK. 

Take care, everyone.

Five Favorites for This Friday

Hello - Happy Friday and Happy Bastille Day!  I hope this finds everyone doing OK.  It's been a tough week, but if you are reading this, it means you survived it, just like I did.  That counts for a lot.  Right now it's raining here in Philadelphia, but that's good because a) rain for the plants, flowers, trees, etc., and b) it's supposed to chase away the stupidly high heat and humidity, and make it breathable again.

Here are five good things from my past week.  I need to remind myself that there is always at least one thing that is good, no matter how everything else has stacked up.  :-)

1.  Laughing.  I love to laugh, and this week has had some really funny if stupid things that happened that made me laugh until I cried.  Most of them are the kind of things that would be too hard to explain to anyone who wasn't around, but even remembering them now pleases me.

2.  Fake margaritas.  The Tim has recently taken to buying this:

He pours some tequila in a glass with this, and some ice cubes, and voila - fake margaritas!  They are mighty tasty, let me tell you!

3.  This is a nice story - how kind of Chris Martin to bring the guy onto the stage.  (Yes, I know it was dangerous for the guy to be crowd-surfing, yadda yadda yadda, but I'm focusing on the good here.)

4.  Petting dogs.  On my walk to and from work, I often run into people taking their dogs for a walk, and a lot of the time, I get to pet said dogs.  It always makes me happy, and sometimes the dog seems pretty pleased too!  This past week there were more opportunities than usual, so that was a real plus.

5.  Packages in the mail.  This week I got 4 packages in the mail!  It was all stuff I'd ordered, but nonetheless, it's such fun to have something waiting for you when you get home from work.  I love getting mail in general, and getting a package amps it way up.

What things have made you smile or just feel happier this week?  I hope there's at least one.

Have a good weekend - as far as I know, nothing special is happening with us, but sometimes those are the best weekends, right?

Five Favorites for This Friday

Are you ready for the weekend?  I have some things I want to do around the house and in the garden.  Next week my sister and brother-in-law, and my niece Amanda and her husband Pat (of our trip to Puerto Rico fame) are coming to spend the Bloomsday weekend with us.  So I want to finish putting some stuff away, and finish cleaning up.  And I would like to plant a few things that I have for the garden and front planter.  Elstwise, nothing too elaborate or exciting, but that's fine since we'll be so busy next weekend.

The socks from the last post are in a brief timeout, until I can get over to Loop and buy another set of needles.  I lost one from the set I'm using, which I bought because the other set I was using was so worn, they were snagging the yarn.  The Tim had sanded them for me a couple of times, but it's time to move along.  You'd think with all of the sock knitting I do, I'd spring for multiple sets of double pointed needles.  At least right now, you would be wrong ...

Anyway, it's time to share five good things from the week, so here you go.

1.  Cool weather.  It's actually still spring, in spite of everyone else wanting it to be summer.  For the last few years, we've been lucky if we got a week of springtime weather before heat and humidity arrived.  This year, we've actually had spring weather - nice days and cool (sometimes actually cold!) nights for sleeping.  Since I suspect we are going to have a brutal summer (and the heat and humidity are supposed to arrive on Sunday), I've been enjoying spring and the cool weather.

2.  A better circular needle.  I started working on the Sonora Shawl, and when I got to the colorwork portion, it was a nightmare with a metal needle.  So I walked over to Loop the other day and got a wood needle, and it's made all of the difference!  That made me happy, because I have really wanted to knit the pattern ever since I saw it, and instead I was a) making a mess, and b) getting really discouraged and frustrated.  Wood needle for the win!

3.  Lasagna.  We don't have this very often, but the other night, The Tim fixed some truly amazing vegetable lasagna.  Fortunately, there are leftovers, so it wasn't a one-shot deal.  :-)

4.  Kitty cuddles.  Since it's been cool, all of the cats are still wanting to cuddle.  I've been enjoying it, knowing that once the weather changes, those cuddles will be few and far between.

5.  Taking a long walk on a beautiful day.  Last Saturday was a gorgeous day.  and in the afternoon The Tim and I went out for nice, long walk.  We have taken plenty of walks together overall, but generally we are on the way to somewhere, or running an errand, so a leisurely walk was a special treat.  We stopped and got coffee on the way, then stopped at the Farmer's Market on the way home.  It was one of those days when it seemed as if the planets had aligned, you know?

What about you?  Do you have any things from the past week that were especially good, and/or made you smile?  I hope so!

Here's to a good weekend, no matter what your plans happen to be.

Five Favorites on a Friday

Hello and Happy Friday!  I only have to be at work until noon today, which is nice, though the reason is a dr's appointment.  But since (at least in theory) it's a follow-up, it should be fine.  I have my book in case there is a long wait, and it will be air-conditioned, so that will be OK as well.

Since I haven't posted five favorites for a while, I thought I'd do it again today.  It's always good to remember things that make you happy, and to have a happy outlook heading into the weekend.

1.  Getting a start on our garden.  Last Sunday, I spent some time sweeping and cleaning up in the garden.  We generally don't go out and clean it up at all during fall and winter, so there are always lots of leaves to deal with, as well as anything else that has blown in (I'm looking at you, plastic bags) or been dropped by squirrels and others.  I really accomplished a lot, and hopefully this year we'll be able to enjoy it for a while before it gets too hot and humid to be outside.  I'm hoping to find some flowers to plant so there will be some happy color.

If I may digress for a moment, I have a funny story from when I was out there.  Jetsam and Jack went out into the garden with me (Pip and the Koodle found the broom too scary, and stayed inside - wimps!), and they were having a good time, chasing bugs and just hanging out.  When it was time to come in, Jetsam came over to the door and went right inside.  I went to pick up Jack, and he ran away and "hid" in the bushes.  So I walked around the garden saying, "Jack, where did you go?  I hope you're not lost!" and all of sudden he popped up, and ran over to me as if to say, "Surprise! I'm right here!"  I picked him up and put him in the house, and he was *so* pleased with himself.  He went over to Jetsam all happy with his plan to have fooled me.  And I swear that Jetsam just looked at him with an expression that said, "Dumbass."

It was really funny.  At least to me.  Anyway.

2.  Almost finishing the Mojito socks.  I love these socks and have enjoyed knitting them so much, I kinda hate that they will be done.  But on the other hand, I know that when I open my Box 'o Socks in 2018, I will be thrilled to see and wear them.  Also, they will be a happy reminder of our trip to Puerto Rico.

3.  Deciding (well, at least 90% deciding) one of my next projects.  I came across the Sonora pattern, and fell in love!   I love it's basic-but-complicated look, and I think it would be fun to knit.  I'm not sure what yarn I will use - I have a ton of fingering/sock weight yarn, but generally one skein only of any given color, and this pattern calls for two skeins of one color and another skein of contrasting color.  I'm gonna do some stash exploration this weekend.  If nothing else, I may actually break down and buy yarn for it.  On the website, there are some suggestions for pairings using the yarn it was designed for, and they are lovely.  But I'll see what I have before doing any spending.  Next will be deciding what yarn/pattern to use for my next pair of socks.  There are *a lot* of choices there, no purchasing required!

4.  Brownies.  The Tim made brownies last weekend, and we have been enjoying one with a cup of tea in the evenings this week.  YUM.

5.  Anticipation.  Specifically, related to two things that are coming up.  One is a mysterious trek to someplace in NJ for some mysterious reason.  The Tim has been talking about this for weeks, and will not provide any details.  The only thing I know is that it was supposed to take place last Saturday, but was rained out.  So apparently it's partially or completely outside.  I'll find out tomorrow.  The other thing I'm anticipating is for next weekend, when we are heading to WV for Memorial Day weekend with the family.  It's always fun, ridiculous, and a chance to catch up with everyone.  Usually some extended family we don't usually see show up, so that's always great too.  This year, one of the extended family couples is bringing their dogs - Radar, a 3-year-old yellow Lab, and Mattis, a 9-month-old yellow Lab puppy, who is being trained to be a therapy dog for the Franklin County, Ohio, police dept.  (His full name is Mattis K. Nine, and he has his own Facebook page!)    As The Tim has pointed out, we have been puppy-deprived, so this will be an extra treat for us!

What about you?  What went on this week, or is even coming up, that made you happy?  Feel free to share, and have a lovely weekend!

Mattis K. Nine - can you stand it????

Five Favorites for This Friday

I don't know about you, but I need a Friday faves post.  This week has nearly done me in, and I need to think of five good things.  So here you go.

1. Weather nice enough to open all of the windows, and nice enough that I wanted to take nice long walks in the evenings.  (Though nice long walks are not as much fun on my own, but such is life.)  We will not discuss today's or this upcoming weekend's weather.

2.  Lunch with a good friend.  A week ago today, I had lunch with my friend Carol of Black Bunny Fibers.  She works in an office less than two blocks from where I am, but negotiating a time when we could both meet and go to lunch was ridiculously complicated.  But it finally happened, and it was so much fun to see her and catch up.  This weekend, her oldest kid goes away to college - how did that happen??

3.  Continued return of my knitting mojo.  For a while it was pretty quiet, even non-existent at times.  But the Olympics got me going again, and thankfully I'm still knitting away now that they are over!  Good thing, too, since I had planned on knitting some Christmas gifts ...

4.  Receiving my package for Kathy B's dishcloth swap in yesterday's mail!  First of all, I love getting stuff in the mail, and second of all, I can't wait to open it.  But I am not opening it until I return from the P.O. tomorrow after getting my package to my partner in the mail.  It's stupid that it's not on its way yet, the knitting part has been done for two weeks.  I just have not gotten myself together to organize the rest and send it. Tomorrow is the day!

5.  Friday.  It's been a rough week, and I am seriously exhausted.  So all I have to do is make it through today (which looks to be a challenge in itself), and then I can enjoy the weekend.  The Tim is on vacation, so he will actually be around both days, which is pretty unusual.  We don't have any specific plans, but that's part of the beauty of it.  A weekend to do what does or does not inspire us.

So there you go.  What about you?  Are there any good things that you have for this week?  Feel free to share in the comments.

Also, if you haven't entered my blogiversary giveaway yet, you can leave a comment here through midnight on Saturday for a chance to win some goodies.  :-)

Have a good weekend!  

(By the way, I think I may actually be close to having the photo editing problems I mentioned earlier in the week resolved, and I can share some finished projects with you ... so stay tuned!)

Five Favorites for This Friday

June is busting out all over!

OK, so it's not, at least in Philadelphia.  For most of the week, the heat and humidity have been busting out all over, and then today rain.  But that does not a hearty, happy song make ...

No matter, though, 'cause today is Friday and it's time for me to remind myself of some good things and push the bad things out (or down, away, whatever).  So here you go.

1.  Memorial Day weekend.  I think I mentioned that our plans changed due to some problems Dug was having.  The good news is that he is feeling better, and that we had a lovely four-day weekend (we'd both taken last Friday off since we thought we'd be traveling).  It was relaxing, fun, and both of us actually got some things done we'd had on back burners for a while.  We even had company on Sunday late-afternoon, when The Tim invited some of his co-workers and former co-workers for a drink.  I can't remember the last time we had non-family company, and it was great.

2.  A short work week.  'Nuff said.  :-)

3.  Potato salad.  I made potato salad for our at-home picnic, and I finally got a combination for the dressing that hit the perfect mark for both of us.  It was incredibly yummy!  Plus, we both love potato salad so it was even more exciting that it turned out extra well.

4.  Ice cream.  We don't usually have ice cream, but The Tim bought some for us to have for the holiday weekend, and it was such a treat!

5.  Lunch with The Tim on Wednesday.  I had to go for my six-month versions of x-rays and MRIs on Wednesday.  The Tim was off work that day, so he took me out to lunch at one of our fave places that is just enough out of the way that we seldom get to go.  We got grilled falafel sandwiches and baklava.  It made up for all that happened that morning, trust me!

Hm.  Food played a large part in my favorites this week.  Not surprising, but kinda funny.  I guess with everything else swirling around us, having the chance to have some "special" foods to eat made them even better than usual.

This weekend, The Tim is working both Saturday and Sunday during the day, so I am left to my own devices.  I don't have any special plans, other than the usual hilarity of laundry and other household wonders, but I'm sure I'll manage to think of something to entertain myself ...

Have a lovely weekend, and I hope there were at least five things this past week that made you smile.

Five Favorites for This Friday

Believe it or not, it's the Friday of Memorial Day weekend.  I always find this time of year difficult, because I am not a fan of summer, though I do enjoy going to the beach.  But I strongly believe that it should not in any way be 90+ degrees and humid already, especially when it's still only May!  I hate that when it's July or August, but at least then I tell myself that's how those months are supposed to be.  I like Memorial Day weekends when it's great to be outside but not miserable.  And then June eases you into summertime.  Clearly I live in a fantasy world.

We had plans to go to WV for the weekend, as we often do on Memorial Day, to get together with family and have a ridiculous time.  But Dug is not doing all that great (he's having a particularly severe arthritis flare up), so we changed our plans to staying home and making our own fun.  And though it would have been a wonderful trip, having a long weekend with no obligations is also something we know we'll enjoy.  We already made plans to go out to breakfast one day, have our own picnic, and things like that.  Lemonade, people.  Lemons go into our tea here.  :-)

Anyway, I realize that it's been a long time since I've done a Friday favorites, so here is my Memorial Day Summer Kickoff Five Favorites for this Friday.

1.  Family.  I am always grateful for my family, immediate and extended.  But every single person has been understanding, concerned, and supportive of our decision to stay home, and is holding good thoughts for Dug.  And in our own little family, we are all happy to be able to spend time together and enjoy each other.  Life is fleeting, and though I had to learn that lesson at a young age in a way I wish did not have to be, I'm glad that it's made me aware of it ever since.  Whenever I remember that life is short for all of us and having someone, anyone, to love and love you is the point, I feel better about things in general.

2.  Cool nights that are pleasant for sleeping.  Being able to comfortably sleep with the windows open, and maybe even having to pull up the sheet over you at some point is one of the things I like best about warmer weather.

3.  Our CSA.  We signed up for the same farm share program as last year, and we got our first pick-up yesterday.  Fresh strawberries, asparagus, spinach, radishes, eggs, salad greens, and fresh cheese - it doesn't get much better than that!

4.  Planning our picnic.  There's a better than 99 percent chance it will be in the house, but planning the goodies is part of the fun of anticipating the holiday if you ask me.

5.  Bicycles.  The other day when The Tim was not working, he was nice enough to take my bike to the local shop for a tune-up.  (He rides his in all weather; I ride in nice weather only.)  I'd wanted to do it for weeks, but it has been so rainy, I just didn't get around to it.  So now my bike is ready to go whenever I am!  I love to ride, and want to try to increase my distance over the summer if I can.  There are so many great places to ride right around here, and even if it's too hot later in the day, the weekend early mornings are usually nice enough to get in a good long ride.

So there you have it.  As  the saying goes, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry ... but in our house, we just go with a new plan!  I hope your plans whatever they are, go the way you would like.  I hope you have at least five favorites that you can think about.  And I hope that whether you have a long weekend or not, that it's a good weekend anyway.  

Because here comes summer, no matter what!  :-)