There Are Just Some Things That Always Make Me Happy

Hello there, and I hope all of you are doing well. I'm sitting here after a busy few days at work (everyone is suddenly remembering they want to knit holiday gifts!), enjoying a cup of tea on a day at home. There are a few things that I've been thinking about lately, and since it's Thursday, I thought I'd write a Three on Thursday post. So here are three things that always make me happy.

1. Animals, particularly those in my family, but all animals in general. The other day at work, a woman asked me a question and I immediately remembered the answer. It was a somewhat esoteric thing, so we were both surprised. She said, "Wow, I'm impressed at your memory," and I said, "Me too, but I can't count on it, since most of the time the things that are foremost in my brain are animals and cake." She laughed, but I was serious.

Earlier in the week, when the weather had started to get cooler, I took this photo and posted it on Facebook and Instagram and mentioned in the caption that it was one way to know the weather was colder without going outside. 😊

This is not only cozy, it just makes me happy to see. (If you are wondering where Alfie was when this was taken, the answer is that he was basking in a sunspot on the bed in the guest room. I guess he hadn't figured out that the heat was on upstairs - or maybe these two told him it wasn't??)

2. Which brings me to my second thing - CAKE. I love cake. (OK, I love anything sweet, but I'm talking about cake here.) Cake makes me very happy. I think it's because we don't have it that often, and when we do, it is usually to celebrate a birthday. Today for instance, I'm already in a good mood because I'm going to bake a cake for The Tim's birthday celebration tomorrow. And that makes me happy enough to cancel out the "blah" of it also being laundry day. So tomorrow we'll have cake *and* clean clothes! 😃

3. Related to cake in a way, but also not - wrapping gifts. I know that an awful lot of people would rather have a root canal than have to wrap gifts, but I really enjoy it. I LOVE choosing things to give to people, and wrapping them is the piece de resistance in that whole process. I enjoy choosing what paper or bag I'll use, which ribbon goes on each package, and then the excitement that wrapping a gift adds to the mystery. And gift-wrapping season is upon us, even without The Tim's birthday, so I'm ready to go!

Funny story related to gift-wrapping, etc. I have a friend named Liz who started a practice a couple of years ago where she writes notes one year for herself the next year. For instance, last year, when she opened up the box that holds the holiday wrapping paper, she found this note (she has said I could share, by the way):

Dear 2021 Liz - 

You have plenty of wrapping paper, but this year you need to buy more ribbon and gift tags. You're doing a great job. 

Love, 2020 Liz

Or this note she found in her planner for Thanksgiving dinner next week:

Dear 2022 Liz - 

No one liked the new potato recipe you tried, so skip that. And remember to buy extra sweet potatoes, since those are more popular with your guests. You've got this!

Love, 2021 Liz

I think this is funny in a happy, amusing way, but I also think it's an excellent idea! Maybe you don't write it as a letter with an affirmation, but it's good to have a reminder with the stuff you're going to use. I for one *always* think I'll remember to do _____ for next year, but nine times out of ten, I forget altogether or only remember at the last minute. I may have to begin using Liz's system. 

Whatever you do or do not do, I hope you can think of at least three things that always make you happy. Just writing this post gave me a boost!

Be sure to head to Carole's page to see what others have posted for Three on Thursday (link above).

Big Sigh

It's been a little while since I've participated with Carole and the others and posted for Three on Thursday, so I have decided today will be the day.  Mine are not related, but each one pleases me, so here we go.

1. Today I'm getting my hair cut. This makes me happy, because it's just at the point where it's starting to look shaggy and my weird cowlick is becoming uncontrollable. Whenever I leave the salon after a hair cut, I always feel like things will be OK.

2. Today and tomorrow (if necessary) I am certain I will finish the shawlette I am knitting for my niece Amanda. That pleases me because a) all of my gift knitting will be finished, and b) I can return to any wips or new projects I want to start without any worries about finishing gifts in time to mail them.

3. You may or may not have heard the expression that "Pennsylvania is Pittsburgh on one end, Philadelphia on the other end, and Alabama in the middle." Or, you may have heard reference to "Pennsyltucky," meaning virtually the same thing. Though most people don't think about it one way or the other, the state is largely small towns, many of them rural. So there's always the push-and-pull between the cities and the "country" parts of the state during elections, and mostly in the state legislature. So I was hoping against hope that somehow PA voters would elect Josh Shapiro for Governor and John Fetterman for U.S. Senator. I have to say that I was really worried it wouldn't happen, because so many of the political ads were definitely full of fear-mongering and race-baiting, and frankly in a lot of the state that plays well (i.e., Philadelphia is always a dangerous, crime-filled place, mainly because of so many black people). 

But the best thing happened - Shapiro and Fetterman won the election!! Yes, millions of people still voted for their opponents who shall henceforth never be mentioned again, but the numbers worked the way I wanted them to and I feel so relieved! I'm also happy that the predicted "Red Wave" didn't materialize in the country at large, and I feel that if we can all keep working hard, we will be able to keep our democracy in place. 

The other best part about the election is that there are no more ads - though I did like one that was against a certain person who lives in NJ but was running for office in PA. It showed a version of the painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware River, with that person as Washington, and everyone in the boat wearing MAGA hats. The tag line was, "Keep Pennsylvania free from New Jersey." That actually made me laugh out loud.

(from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC)

So at least for today, things are going well. I'm happy to take it one day and one victory at a time.

Thursday Snuck Up on Me This Week

Today I've decided to join Carole and others for Three on Thursday. So here are three things that are completely unrelated, but are currently going on with me.

1. Well, it's that time of year again:

Yesterday, just like Bart Simpson above, I closed my eyes and managed to get my flu shot for this year. Which of course means that today my entire body aches, my right arm is SORE, and I'm pretty sure that I'm at death's door. And yet, I'm glad I took care of that, because getting the flu is not on my list of fave things to do.

2. Because I am old, I wear a watch every day. Yes, I know that I can see the time on my phone, or on the computer, etc., but I grew up wearing a watch and I rely on my watch. I have three watches - my "good" watch, my gecko watch (a Timex for children, but ask me if I care), and a cheapo watch that The Tim bought for me because it has a leopard print strap, and he knows I'm a sucker for that. They are all battery operated, as are all (?) watches these days. And on Sunday, after I arrived at the yarn store for my shift, I realized that the very last one with a working battery had stopped. 

You would think with battery-operated watches being common, finding a place to get a new watch battery would be simple. At least in this area, you would be wrong. So my plan on Saturday is to go to a place in the burbs that I know has watch batteries and will replace them for me.  

In the meantime, I *could* wear the watch my father gave my mother on their first anniversary, which is a winding watch. The only problem is, the face and the numbers are so incredibly small, I can't really see them that well. Sigh.

Time may be a construct, but apparently it's one that I rely on ... as a matter of fact, even though I'm writing this on my laptop, I just looked at my wrist to check the time (for anyone wondering, I think it's Half Past a Vein).

3. Do you plan ahead on your knitting projects? As in, when you are finishing say, a shawl, do you say to yourself, "Next up is the so-and-so sweater," and then stick to that? I tend to have a broad plan of "I'd like to try and knit this next," but a lot of the time I'm at a loss, and then other times, the plan (such as it is) goes right out the window due to something new and shiny that I have come across. That happened this week when I kept seeing references to, and photos of, the Cargill sweater (pattern coming out tomorrow, Friday, September 30). For reasons that I can't even quite gather, I really really want to make this sweater - and this is waaaay out of my usual wheelhouse! Taking it a step further, I used my employee discount, plus a $50 gift card I won last year before I was working at the yarn store, to buy the yarn I would need to  knit it!  WHAT??? On the plus side, it's yarn I wouldn't usually be able to afford in a sweater quantity, and by the time all of the discounts were tallied, it cost me only a bit more than $35. But - I have not been so taken with something and bought yarn to make it right away for years, and I just hope in the end I use the yarn for something ... I'll keep you posted. (But I have to admit that as I was buying the yarn, I kept thinking to myself, "Who ARE you??")

And that's that for today. Time to move some laundry around and clean the bathrooms. I'm telling myself that if I try as much as possible to do some of the usual things, the flu shot effects will not bother me as much ...

Three Rainy Thursday Things

Hello all, and I hope you have had a good week so far - either way, it's Thursday, so we're almost finished with the week anyway.  

Today I'm joining Carole and the others for a Three on Thursday post.  The first two are related somewhat, but the last one is just something that I was wondering about on my way to work this a.m.  

1.  Happy Bloomsday!

Usually on this day, I take the day off from work, but my request was not approved this year.  But we'll still celebrate this evening, which leads me to another thing we will celebrate as well:

2.  Today is also the birthday of the first kitty that belonged to The Tim and I.  We named her Molly Bloom and designated Bloomsday as her birthday.  Here is a close-up of her sweet face.

She was really a great cat - friendly, adaptable, cuddly, and extremely brave.  She used to do a lot of traveling with us, and she also [begrudgingly] used to let us put hats on her and take photos.  But as long as she could hang out with us, it was all good.  We have always told her, and continue to say, that she was "The Original and Still the Best."

It makes me sad that I lost so many photos of her when my previous laptop died, but at least I have some print photos, though right now we don't have a scanner so they are difficult to share.  But you don't actually need a photo to continue to remember and love someone, right?

3.  OK, this is the one that I wondered about on my way to work this morning.  It was raining pretty steadily and continually, and it occurred to me that every person who was visibly of the male persuasion was walking along getting soaked - none of them had an umbrella.  Thinking about it, I realized that I see that a lot, and so I'm wondering, is there a reason that men seem to be averse to carrying an umbrella?  It's not like I love doing it, but I do prefer it to getting soaked.  The Tim is in fact an umbrella person, so maybe I notice more when I see men just walking in the rain getting wet, I don't know.  But as the king would say in The King and I, "Is a puzzlement."

And there you go.  Have a good one!

Ha, Ha, Huh?

Thursday - for me, my last workday of the week.  Suddenly on Tuesday afternoon, I decided I was taking off Friday, and since no one was around to say NO, it became a plan!  

Today I'm joining Carole and others for Three on Thursday - I have two amusing things and one thing that I had never really thought about that kinda surprised me.

1.  This amused me because sometimes I think if one more person tells me about an app I will scream!

2.  This story and embedded video on the local news made me laugh way more than it probably should have.  A local newsperson said after airing it, "They say every rose has its thorns, but in this case, every rose had its thong." 

3.  This kind of amazed me, because I had never ever given it any thought at all.

WHAT???? How could George Washington not know about dinosaurs???  He was the Father of Our Country!  😉

Anyway, I hope you can manage to get through the day with the knowledge that our first president did not spend his childhood obsessed with T Rex and friends ...

All In One Week!

This woman illustrates how I've been feeling at times this week - annoyed with everyone and everything.  Not that I'm never annoyed other times, but in general the big annoyances tend to space themselves out.  

Since today is Thursday, I'm going to join Carole and the others to tell you Three Things That Have Really Annoyed Me This Week:

1.  On my way to work on Monday, I realized that I'd forgotten to bring the lunch I packed and it was still in the refrigerator at home.  So I stopped at the Wawa that is on the way to work, and picked up a yogurt with granola to have for my lunch.  Since we only have 20 minutes, running out for something at lunchtime can mean that you have time to get whatever it is, but not necessarily to then eat it.  

Anyway, I happened to hit the place at a time when a lot of other people were there, picking up odds and ends as well, so there was a line of about 8 people ahead of me.  We were in line for *maybe* 10 minutes, tops.  But of course, when the woman ahead of me in line got to the front, she put her one item on the counter, waited for the store clerk to ring it up, and ONLY THEN OPENED HER PURSE TO SEARCH FOR HER WALLET.  

Now, if you are standing in line with ten things in your hands, trying not to drop anything, that's different.  But this woman had one small item.  Did she use the time in line to at least search for, and pull her wallet out of her purse?  Did she at least do that once she was at the front of the line and put the item down?  Of course not.  And then of course, she had one of those humongous purses that required digging around until she found her wallet.

This is the same kind of thing as when you have been waiting for the bus to come for 20 minutes, and it finally pulls up, and ONLY then does someone in front of you start to look for their bus pass or bus fare.

This makes me so stabby, I can barely keep myself from commenting.  But I just stand there annoyed instead, so that someone doesn't punch me.

2.  Do you ever have these kinds of conversations with someone?  In this case, yesterday I had one of these conversations with The Tim (this is a made up conversation by the way, for the purposes of illustration, it's not what was actually being talked about).

The Tim: I wonder what Mary's favorite color is?

Me: She told me it was yellow.

The Tim: Oh I don't think that can be right.

Me: Well, that's what she told me when I asked her.

The Tim (in a snippy, aggrieved tone): Oh well then I guess I'm wrong, I don't know anything.

O.M.G.  I am just saying what another person told me when I asked the same question he was wondering about. And somehow, he has become the injured party.  I promise that I didn't say anything in a smart-aleck way, but the other person (in this case, The Tim) is somehow deeply offended that I would contradict them.

Most of the time, when I see it coming, I can stay out of these conversations with other people, but every once in a while, I'm clearly not paying enough attention, and it happens.  

It's so hard to deal with this when you are perfect like me. 😏

3.  There are a myriad of ways to spell my first name.  If someone doesn't know me at all, or has only met me/talked on phone/whatever once or twice, I a more than willing to let it go, and it's no big deal.  But when you have been seeing the same doctor for over ten years, and they still write down your name incorrectly, or you have been working with someone in the same dept for years and they always misspell your name, THAT'S annoying.  

One of my doctors *always* writes my name on prescriptions, etc., as "Bridgette."  Then on one of the forms that you have to check to make sure your insurance, etc. is correct, it says under my name, "aka Bridget."  No, that's not who I am Also Known As - *your* version is that, if you want it to be.  GRRRRR.

One of my co-workers has worked with me for over 5 years, and they continually write my name in e-mails as "Briegette."  I'm sure part of is is passive-aggression, but then in the case of things like e-mails, other people use her version EVEN THOUGH I MY NAME IS RIGHT THERE WHERE I HAVE SENT A RESPONSE.

Yesterday, I sent out a group e-mail, and both in the FROM part of the e-mail, and in my signature, you could see my name the way I spell it.  The aforementioned co-worker responded first, and then the other three people involved also used that spelling.  In the life I live in my head, I will start responding to everyone else's e-mails by some creative spelling of their names.

And that is why this week has been super annoying to me.  I ask myself, could these things not have at least been spread out over several weeks, so that my desire to stab someone would not be as strong as it is right now?  Apparently not.  Which is reason #560285473 that it's a good thing that tomorrow is Friday and I have taken a vacation day.

 

Pleasing

Hello, I hope all of you are well. It's Thursday, and I'm going to participate along with Carole and some others for Three on Thursday - so here are three things that are pleasing me today.

1.  This boy.  I took this photo this morning after I finished eating breakfast.  Pip had just finished giving himself a thorough bath.  He is truly one of the sweetest kitties I've ever known.  By the way, do you know why he is named Pip?  His shelter name was Legolas (this was when the LOTR movies had come out and people were obsessed), which was a play on the fact that he has only three legs.  We didn't think it was fair to call him that, so we decided we would change his name.  Eventually, we chose Pip for two reasons: 1) it was clear that he *is* a pip!, and 2) we wanted him to have Great Expectations.  😊

2.  Today is my last day at work until next Tuesday.  I usually try to take Good Friday and Easter Monday off, and this year is extra pleasing because after two years of not getting together with my niece and her husband, they are joining us again this weekend!  I have an appt tomorrow morning for a haircut, but otherwise nothing major, so it should be a nice quiet day.  We always have a good time with Amanda and Pat, so I'm sure that this weekend will be a lot of fun.

3.  Today is Wawa Day.  Which means a free coffee of any size all day long at their stores.  I don't drink coffee very much at all, but I always have a free cup on Wawa Day, because if you add enough milk it all tastes just fine.  And I like the fact that they have a day where they give away something to anyone and everyone.  Today on the news, they said the first Wawa opened 58 years ago, and I was a bit dismayed that I was older than the Wawa.  But then I decided that since this is the first place I've lived where they existed, I couldn't have known, and therefore it really didn't matter.  And that my friends, is what you call Perfect Logic.

I hope that you are able to find at least three things that please you today.  Take care!

Happy Last Day of Christmas!

Well, it had to happen, even though I always wish it didn't.  Today is the 12th Day of Christmas, or Women's Christmas if you are in Ireland, Orthodox Christmas, or Epiphany.  I love Christmastime so much, I'm always sad to see it end for another year.  

BUT - it is also the day we celebrate(d) Dug the Doodle Dog's birthday, since it is the date we officially adopted him.

(Sadly, here in the U.S. the anniversary of something awful, but I don't have the wherewithal to deal with that right now.)

OK, so it's also Thursday, and Carole is doing a Three on Thursday collection of posts, and I thought I'd join in the fun.  So here are three things that have already been good in 2022.

1.  Cold weather has returned.  It is winter, after all, and the warm temperatures last week just annoyed me.  I know that for some people it has been a terrible week of too much snow and cold, and I am sorry for that, but for me Winter = Cold and so I've been pleased about it.

2.  I was ready to start a new knitting project, and I had the stitches cast on, the set-up rows done, and then - didn't understand the next part of the pattern, no matter how I tried to figure it out.  So I finally contacted the designer, and really thought that if she responded at all, it would be in a little while, since people are catching up on things at this time of year.  BUT - she responded within a day, and her response was not just helpful, but so incredibly kind.  Even if while writing it, she was rolling her eyes (i.e., "I can't believe she doesn't get this!"), it didn't come across like that on receipt.

3.  I was able to make an appt for my annual eye exam and it is a week from tomorrow!  This is good because there were not many open slots available, and my vision has been really bugging me lately.  So rather than have to wait any longer, I'll be there almost right away, and able to see what has/has not changed, and if things can be improved.  The eye doctor I usually go to is wonderful, but her popularity has increased recently, and it's been a bit more difficult to get onto her schedule.  So yay for me!

I hope you can think of at least three things that have been good for you so far this year.

I Know It Shouldn't Be Funny

Do you laugh at things that shouldn't really be funny?  I have to confess that this is one of my biggest problems - I often find things incredibly hilarious that I know intellectually are not only *not* funny, but shouldn't be seen as such by anyone.

Since today is Three on Thursday, I'll share some with you.  I apologize in advance to anyone who is offended, but by the same token, you've been warned.

1.  Signs like this just make my day.

I do know that they are informational for the public, and warning people to be careful, I do.  But the way that this person's fall is being shown gets me every time.  The only thing that could make it better would be if there was a speech balloon and they were saying, "Oh!"  That would likely put me over the edge.  (DISCLAIMER: As a person who has fallen many times, a few of them with serious consequences, it still makes me laugh. Go figure.)

2.  Typos that are beyond unfortunate.  Case in point: Years ago, I was looking through one of the professional journals for librarians, and reading some of the job ads. One was for a position at a "Christian college," and the ad was very heavy on the words, faith, Jesus,  and service. Which is good, because it was a very detailed description of the type of person they hoped to hire.  

The name of the position they were hiring was supposed to be: Public Services Librarian.  But either the ad itself, of the person responsible for proofreading, left out a very important letter, and that typo gave the job title a whole 'nother meaning, if you get my drift (it's in the first word of the position, the fourth letter was missing).  Something like this would ordinarily already amuse me, but the fact that this very seriously religious institution was associated with the ad made me laugh until I cried.  And I always wondered if they got a lot of resumes they had never, ever expected to receive ...

3.  People losing things that will never be retrieved.  

One morning on my way to work when we lived in DC, I was on the Metro already, and we stopped at one of the stations where people could transfer from one line to another.  *Right* as the bell rang signalling that the doors would be closing soon, you could hear this very high woman's voice yelling, "Please wait!" and then the teeny-tiny mincing steps of her running in very high heels.  She just made it, but as she stepped onto the train, one of her shoes came off and fell onto the track below, she said in the most despondent high voice possible, "My shooooeee!" and though others did their best to comfort her, I had to really concentrate on my book so that maybe no one would notice I was laughing so hard I was crying.  

Yes, I know she had to figure out what to do for the rest of the day with only one shoe, and there's a good chance based on how she was dressed that it was an expensive pair of shoes, and someone else's misfortune should not be so funny to me.

Nevertheless.

A Classic, Adjusted for Today

Hiya!  How are all of you doing?  It's Thursday (THANK THE LORD!), and at least for me, that's good news.  This week has been approximately one month long.

I decided to do another Three on Thursday post today, because I had three things that immediately came to mind.  But instead of telling you that they are The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, I'm adjusting things to tell you about The Good, The Bad, and The Funny.

1. The Good:

Walking to work this morning, I was struck by the beautiful sky.  Look at it!

I know that "Red sky at morning, sailors take warning," but it was still just stunning.  Even a deeper pink than I could capture.  Proof that if you pay attention, there is loveliness around you.

2.  The Bad:

It's the time of year when the fruit falls off the the gingko trees.

It's the least wonderful time of the year.  Because the fruit falls off of the trees, and people either walk on it and crush it, or cars run over it.  The result is the scent of vomit.  I kid you not.  There are entire parts of blocks where you don't want to walk because of the awful smell, and the danger of stepping on one, whether already crushed or not, and carrying that lovely aroma with you all day.  

I know that gingko jellies, etc., are a delicacy in a lot of Asian cuisine, but there are sooooo many trees in in Philadelphia, that even if people tried to get all of the fruit, it would have to involve an army.  Here are some facts about gingko trees that you might find interesting.  And because you can't tell until they are mature if the tree is male or female, they are no longer allowed to be planted in the city.  But there are so many already there and thriving, that I think we're good for a long and smelly time!

3. The Funny:

I was nearly to our building on my way to work, when I saw a young man coming towards me.  He looked like he had the same kind of hairstyle associated with Fabio - remember him??

So as the guy is getting closer, I'm thinking to myself, "Oh God, he must be a winner. Who wears their hair like that anymore? Who *wants* to look like Fabio? That's just sad."

Reader, the guy was wearing a light-colored hoodie.

😭😭😭😭

So how's your day been so far???

First Full Day of Fall - YAY!!!

 

I wish this photo was mine, but alas it is not and I could not find any credit for it.  So if you know, please inform me so that I can give the credit below.  But is it not a wonderful depiction of fall?  Leaves, pumpkin, candle, walnuts, and KNITS!  

Thanks to everyone who enjoyed a walk down memory lane with me and commented - I was glad to know that so many of you enjoy that song as much as I do.  😊

Back to fall, which is just the best.  This is the time of year when cozy/hygge/comfort starts to really settle into my brain and my person.  So I thought maybe I would write a Three on Thursday post and let you know Three Things That Fall Means, at least in my universe.

1.  This is not cozy, does not involve food or drink, but it is perhaps the most practical, everyday thing that fall means to me that actually brings me real joy:  the start of cooler weather.  Which means that going forward, it might actually get cold enough long enough to KILL OFF THE MOSQUITOES!!  Praise the Lord!  As someone who is clearly listed as a five-star meal in the mosquito version of the Zagat diners' guide, the elimination of mosquitoes is something that brings me joy and makes an actual difference in my everyday existence.  

2.  Dryness.  Once fall arrives, unless I have been exercising, I can spend an entire day being dry, rather than walk around looking and feeling (without the benefits of) as if I just took a shower.  And I don't know about you, but I prefer feeling dry to feeling sweaty and damp.  Personally, I can always find a way to warm up, but at a certain point of being hot, there is no chance of actually cooling off for me.  So the arrival of fall gives me hope that the exhaustion of heat and/or humidity is soon to be on its way somewhere else, hopefully to someone who actually enjoys it.  I do ask myself often why I have to be alive during global warming, but at least at the moment, there are still actual seasons to be had and experienced.

3.  Early darkness.  Now I know this one is even less popular than my desire to avoid summer, but I'm being honest here.  I LOVE that in the fall, it starts to get dark early.  I love walking home from work, or walking the dog and being able to peek into house windows to see a glimpse of people's lives.  It always looks cozy. Plus, all of the street lights, twinkle lights in windows, candles, etc., are so much easier to see and enjoy.  To me, it's a sign cozy times have arrived.  Of course the funny thing is that I dearly love looking into others' houses, and get mad if they have curtains or blinds drawn; but of course *I* don't want people looking into MY house!  (They can't anyway, due to the way our house is, but you know what I mean.)  😀  Double Standards R Me, apparently.

So there you go.  Yes, I do enjoy the things that others enjoy about fall - food, drinks, decorations, holidays, etc. - but these three things are ones that I know others may not appreciate like I do, so I thought I'd share.

In any case, I hope the fall season is good to you, take care!

Small Acts of Courage Shouldn't Be So Difficult

Before I say anything else, thank you so much for your very kind comments about my finished summer top!  It is one of my most favorite things I've ever made, and to say I'm thrilled with the result is an understatement.  When The Tim first saw it after it was finished and I tried it on, he said, "That looks great - it's like it was made for you!" and then about a minute later said, "Oh yeah ... it was.  Anyway."  Which made me laugh.  Thank you for taking the time time say you liked it.  😊

Today is Three on Thursday, so I have decided to participate.  And my topic is not knitting-related, but there you go.  You have likely noticed the title of this post - or if not, you have now.  I am going to talk about three small acts of courage - or lack thereof - from my recent experience, and why they should not be so hard for people.

1.  In a recent department meeting, I asked a question about something, and it started with the phrase, "Could you offer any ideas to why the committee decided ...," and our boss responded, and I quote: "Well, Bridget, maybe it's because none of them are as stupid as you are." I will admit to being shocked and struck dumb.  And my co-workers said ... nothing.  Now, moving beyond how it was inappropriate in the first place for him to say that, that fact that no one said ANYTHING at all, then or afterwards, is upsetting to say the least.  A friend was being generous and said that a) maybe they are afraid of him saying that to them, so they said nothing, and b) maybe they said nothing to me because they were embarrassed or felt bad.  All I can say is, if you are ever in a similar situation, please speak up somehow.  Anything at all said by anyone else would have made a difference to me.  (P.S. I have complained to HR, who have told me that since it was said and not in writing, there is not proof, so they cannot do anything.  So apparently my co-workers have blocked it out and when asked said nothing or that it never happened.)

2.  In a similar vein, at a department meeting yesterday, the boss said that he felt that none of us should attend monthly section meetings because "we don't need to spend an hour that way."  Then he said, "I am guessing none of you have an issue with that."  So I spoke up and said that I did, and it was valuable because it gave us a chance to interact with our colleagues in our section that we don't necessarily see or talk to otherwise.  By the end of the discussion, three out of four of us had said that we wanted to continue going to the meetings, because we found them useful and since attendance is voluntary anyway, anyone who doesn't want to go is not obliged to do so.  After which the boss said, never mind, we could attend if we chose to.  When the meeting was over, the other two people who talked thanked me, and said they would not have spoken up if I hadn't.  And I knew that he would probably be annoyed when I spoke, but I felt strongly we should be able to participate in the meetings, and knew that if I didn't speak up, no one else probably would.  There are four people (including me) in our department: one person NEVER wants to disagree with anyone or stand up for herself ever, one person is the favorite who can do no wrong whatever, one person is often the victim of his wrath, and depending how recent it has happened, either does speak up or not, and then there is me.  It's not easy for me to speak up, because at the most I have one other person who might offer support; also, I know that our boss is not overly fond of me.  But I strongly believe that if something matters to you, you should state your case, even if it might not be agreeable to the boss.

3.  Non-work-related (aren't you glad??), is my third example.  There is a neighbor on our street who is always calling out others for not sweeping their sidewalk, not putting their trash out "the right way," and/or so many other things that are in no way a problem for anyone else.  We do not, for example, have a homeowner's association that has specific rules.  Sure, the city wants trash in receptacles, not just strewn on the street or sidewalk, but this particular neighbor wants everyone to use a certain type of thing for it "so that it all matches."  (Because you know how trash collectors enjoy uniform looking trash.)  One of his big gripes is that people who don't live on our street park their cars on our street.  First of all, we live in the middle of the city.  In order to park at all and not get ticketed, you have to have a decal that you purchased from the city for your zone in order to park legally for more than a certain amount of time.  Needless to say, parking spaces can be difficult to find.  Sometimes the gods smile upon you, and you find a place on your street; sometimes you are three blocks away.  Anyway, this neighbor started a petition to take to the city to make it illegal to park on our street unless you lived there.  Everyone was talking about how ridiculous it was, and trying to avoid the guy altogether so they wouldn't "have" to sign it.  We had a block party a few weeks ago, and said neighbor brought the petition for everyone to sign.  At which point, The Tim - who seldom interacts with neighbors, much less speaks to them (but of course they all still think he is the "nice" one), told this neighbor why his petition was not a good idea.  Afterwards, no one was willing to sign the guy's petition, and though he left in a huff, everyone else kept complimenting The Tim for his "courage" in refusing to sign and saying why.

***

People, none of this should be that hard.  These are not life and death situations, these are situations where one person who is a bully is pushing their weight around and no one wants to speak up.  I understand why it is hard, but it shouldn't be.  With so much else going on in the world, and people being more than willing to speak out about the big stuff, why are the small acts of courage (it that is even what you can call them) so difficult?

Anyway, that is my rant o' the day.  I am not asking for sympathy nor congratulations, I'm just trying to point out that all of us should do our best to support each other when it can help or make a difference.  We all have to live and work together every day, regardless of how we feel personally about each other.  Wouldn't it be better if we could be more brave in small, everyday ways?  

If you have read this far, thank you for coming to my TED talk. 😉

Three

I wanted to post for Three on Thursday today, but couldn't think of three particular things to talk about. Then I started thinking about things grouped into threes.

Not only were there Three Little Pigs, but if you take it further, the Big Bad Wolf threatened to "huff (1), and puff (2), and blow the house down (3)."

Three things that all of us are encouraged to do.

It's one, two, three strikes you're out at the old ball game!

The Three Bears were not all that pleased with a visit from Goldilocks.

And I could go on, but since it is in fact supposed to be Three on Thursday, and I've already shown four things, I will stop.  But it did get me on a tear, I have to say!

Having said all of that, just remember that according to Paul Simon, there are Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover ... 😏

In Which I Wonder ...

Hello sports fans!  (Well, unless you are a 76ers fan, and wondering WTF they are doing, building up huge leads in playoff games and then blowing them in the 4th quarter.  Honestly, just lose from the get-go if you're gonna keep doing that.)

Anyway, I digress.  My mother used to greet us in the mornings with that phrase sometimes, and it always amused me because I was the only one who cared at all about any sports ever, and my sisters would just give her dirty looks.  Apparently when she would say that around her friends, they would lecture her about how not *everyone* liked sports, how they were dangerous, etc., which frankly amused her and amused me when she would tell about it.

Another digression.  Whoops.

Moving right along, I have decided to do a post for Three on Thursday, just because I feel like it, not because I have anything important to share.  Some days you just feel like posting, you know?  So I decided to talk about Three Things That I Wonder About.

1. One of the blogs I regularly read is one written by a woman who writes about health and beauty for women over 50. She is a good writer, and a lot of her posts are both informative and amusing. But every once in a while, she really bugs me. So much of what she writes is ranting about how companies and society at large try to tell older women what they should/should not wear, how they should act, what they should do - you get the gist. Then she will write a post where SHE says older women should so, act, say, etc. and it just kills me!  For instance, her daughter got married a while back, and she had all of these posts about trying to find a dress for the wedding.  She wanted a short dress, rather than a long one, and one that was also "modern-looking."  Fine.  So she had all of these posts about Mother-of-the-Bride dresses and how horrible they were, and how you shouldn't wear them, the colors were awful, etc.  She ended up with a very short black V-necked sleeveless dress that made her happy.  Which is what is important.  But she kept showing the other things and making really disparaging remarks about not just the designs, but anyone who would even consider wearing them.  Yes, I found some of them awful, but thought some of them were just fine.  What do I know, I don't have any kids, so will never be in that situation, but my point it that she was doing what she always accuses "the industry" of doing and it bugged me.  

Because of course I am perfect, and so others' imperfections just cannot be tolerated. 😒

Anyway, she wrote another post doing the same thing yesterday and I think I have to stop reading her blog.

2.  On my way to work this morning, I passed a woman who was walking a really cute young doggy.  I asked if I could pet the dog (this is why my walks take longer than they should), and she said yes.  It was a really sweet pup, and when I was walking away, I said, "Thanks for letting me pet him, he is really adorable." And she said, "Thank you!  He's adopted," and kept walking.

And I wondered, did she think I thought she was the one who had birthed him?  Of course he's adopted!

3.  Why is it that when you are knitting something, and you get to the EASIEST part of a pattern, and you started out with the correct number of stitches, that somehow or another after four rounds, you end up with 16 extra stitches??  I'm working on a pair of socks, and I've gotten to the stockinette portion, and though I am not completely zoning out, I am somehow regularly ending up with 10-16 (16 last night - WTF?!) extra stitches.  Now I know the answer is that clearly I'm not paying enough attention, but this is the first time this has happened to me for a really long time - I mean, when I first learned to knit anything, I was always adding stitches unintentionally, but it hasn't happened while knitting socks for years.  Sigh.  

This is why we can't have nice things. 

You just have to wonder ... 

I For One Did Not Mind Wearing a Mask

You know I meant to post yesterday, but I was overcome with a huge case of  Do-As-Little-As-Possible which of course as a lot of you know, is the type of malady that not only can come on suddenly, but one that has no vaccine and no accepted medical treatment.

But fortunately, it only lasted a day, and now I can actually not just write a post, but get motivated to so things, even if they are not major or not of great benefit to society overall.  At least it's a step in the right direction, if you ask me.

Most places in the U.S. at this point are relaxing a lot if not all of their Covid-19 restrictions for people who have been vaccinated.  Tomorrow, the City of Philadelphia will cancel the indoor mask-wearing mandate for any vaccinated people.  I've been thinking about all of these seemingly sudden changes, and deciding how I want to proceed, and while doing so, I realized that once I got over the intial claustrophobic feeling of wearing a mask, I really didn't mind at all.  And so, continuing to wear one - even when the state said we didn't have to - was not a problem for me.  

Then I realized when I sat down to write this post, that it was also Thursday, and have decided that I would make this a Three on Thursday post.  So here you go: Three Things I Liked About Having to Wear a Mask:

*these are all reasons beyond the obvious ones about not getting Covid, or giving it to anyone else, etc.

1. In the cold weather, a mask helped to keep my face warmer; in the warm weather, a mask helped me not feel my allergies so much, since it blocked a lot of the pollen.

2.  I could frown, stick out my tongue, or just place a look of disgust on my face, and as long as it was not too elaborate, no one was the wiser.  It was freeing to stick my tongue out at douchebags with no consequences. 

3.  This one is my most favorite - wearing a mask meant that for the last year plus some months, I have not had to deal with a single random male person of any age telling me to "Smile, honey, it's not that bad," or "C'mon sweetheart, give us a nice smile there."  ZERO OCCURRENCES during the pandemic and it has been the Very.Best.Thing.Of.All.  Granted, if someone had been stupid enough to say it anyway, I could revert to actions described in #2.  But not having to even hear the words at all was the most wonderful benefit.

I would like to think that moving forward, when people have colds, etc., they will decide to wear masks to keep others from catching it.  But I also really liked to think that people would band together during the pandemic to do the right thing, and that everyone who possibly could would get vaccinated once the vaccine was available, so I think I may be the only one saving my masks for when I am sick.  

In any case, at least a lot of people DID wear masks, and I hope for them there were some benefits other than the obvious and necessary ones.  I have to say, for me it has become automatic, so I guess going forward I'll have a new habit to break, at least for every day regular life ...

Amusing Art

I had another post in my head to share today, but I'm going to put that off until another time.  Because today on my way to work, I saw something that not only amused me, but also made me think of a good thing for Three on Thursday.

As you may have guessed by the post's title, I am thinking of three particular pieces of art that have amused me greatly.  I'm not making any commentary as to what is or is not actual "art," because I have no real ability to speak to that.  But I do know the kinds of things that amuse me.

1. What started it all: On my way to work I pass a store that sells framed art and that will also do framing.  They always have a variety of things in the window.  Today there was a large black and white photograph that got my whole brain going on this topic. It showed Nelson Mandela sitting in chair, smiling, with his hands held out as if he was speaking to a crowd of people.  To his right on a small couch, there was Martin Luther King, Jr., Muhammad Ali (back when he was known as Cassius Clay), Malcolm X, and Barack Obama - all leaning forward with serious expressions, as if they are listening to every word.  Now, let me say that I get this - these are all men who all made a huge difference in the world, particularly in their respective areas, and they are all icons.  But I am amused these days by photos that you know are Photoshopped, but look completely convincing.  

And that reminded me of two other art pieces that have always made me laugh when I remember them.

2.  A friend of mine in high school brought in a picture drawn by her younger sister who was in first grade.  It was depicting the Holy Family's Flight to Egypt.  It showed Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus in a plane!  Apparently the friend's mother asked why they were in a plane, and the little girl said it was supposed to be a flight.  OK.  Then they asked who was flying the plane, and she said, 'Pontius Pilot' (of course meaning "Pilate"), and every year around Easter I think to myself what would have happened if in fact they had all left Egypt on a plane in the beginning of the whole story ...

3.  And now one of my all-time favorites.  When we lived in DC, one of the places I worked was in the library at George Washington University.  Our department had one wall that was all windows, and looked out on a plaza where people came up from the Metro.  There were all kinds of street vendors located there, but my favorite was the guy who sold paintings on velvet.  Of course, he had the usual suspects: Elvis, Jesus, and The Beatles, as well as some scenic views.  But for me the best one will always be a triptych he had in place of honor and clearly felt was his masterpiece.  It depicted JFK on one end, Martin Luther King, Jr. on the other end - and then in the middle:

For real, honest!

Every time I remember this, I laugh really hard, remembering not just how all of us used to talk about it, but how much fun it was to watch people come up out of the Metro, walk over to take a look and then do a double-take!  To quote The Tim when I told him about it, "I don't know why you think it's so hilarious. I know I always think of those three together."

😂

Today in My Brain

You know, I could have posted yesterday, and thought I probably would, but then completely forgot about it.  I sincerely hope that all of you managed to get through your days nonetheless ...

Today I'm going to share another Three on Thursday post, because why not?  I have three things happening in my brain today so that's a good start.

Thing #1 - I have decided that I am going to work harder to embrace "OK."  I tend to be a perfectionist more with myself than with anything else to be honest.  As a result, I seldom reach the great heights that I think I should, and often end up in the depths below.  Whereas, it recently occurred to me that "OK" is absolutely fine, and most of life is lived in "OK."  If things are OK, it means they are neither magnificent nor dreadful.  So I'm going to try and embrace that concept.  If things head downwards, well, they do; but if they go up, it's just a bonus!

Thing #2 - Unless you have been specifically asked to assist/comment/whatever, the five words you should keep to yourself are "You really should do [this]."  Nothing is more annoying than having an upsetting or negative experience, or not getting the result you'd hoped to get, than having a third party who was not involved and whom you did not ask, say this to you.  Often the SHOULD is not something you could have done/said anyhow, and other times, you have already figured it out yourself.  Think whatever you want to think about what someone else SHOULD do or say, but unless they ask you, just keep it tucked away with the other golden nuggets of wisdom in your brain.

Thing #3 - Everything is political.  I remember the first class I took in Political Science in college.  The professor gave us an assignment for the next class, which was to record every single thing that was political in our day, to see how much each of us felt politics was a regular part of our lives.  Everyone came to the next class with really good contributions, but then the professor took us through his day.  It went something like this:  

I get up at 8 a.m. each morning.  (The time zones are set and agreed to by people in organizations other than myself.)  I brush my teeth.  (Water provison and regulation is set by the town, state, and federal government; toothbrush manufacure follows national guidelines.)  I turn on the radio while I get dressed.  (The Federal Communcations Commission controls what goes over the airwaves.)  

And he went on like this throughout the entirety of a day.  Granted, this was exrtreme in its detail and scope, but what he was trying to emphasize was that for as much as people claim to be disinterested or not involved in politics, or for as much as they think politics should only be brought into certain types of discussions, that politics is in fact everywhere around us all of the time.  And that ignoring politics implies a certain degree of privilege.  Whenever I see someone getting upset because a designer/dyer/knitter expresses a political opinion, and others immediately say, "Keep politics out of knitting," I think of this lesson.  It was an interesting exercise, to say the least.

That's it for Today in My Brain.  I hope yours is keeping you company as well.  😉

The Not-So-Big Three

Hello everyone - it's been a while since I participated in Three on Thursday, but today I had the inspiration to do so.  The other day I realized that it's been a little while since I shared any progress on my knitting projects, and so that is what I'll do today.

1.  Yesterday I finished the first sock of a pair I've been knitting:

I like the way it turned out.  However, in true Bridget fashion, I failed to choose a contrasting heel/toe yarn that would have enough for *two* socks in the leftover ball I was using.  Sigh.  It doesn't really matter to me, but when I finished the toe and had about 8 inches of yarn left, I said to myself, "Well, that isn't surprising."  Self-awareness is important, you know ... 

2.  I've made a lot of progress on my Advent Throw!

I am through 19 of the 24 mini-skeins that were in my yarny Advent calendar.  This has been one of the most enjoyable things I've worked on, not just because I'm enjoying the minis, but the pattern (Habitation Throw by Helen Stewart - a Ravelry link, fyi) is so pleasant to knit!  I can see a few of these down the road, even just as stashbusters and perhaps even as gifts.  It's one of those patterns that is just interesting enough to require some attention, but not so much attention that you can't do anything else.

3.  And yesterday - though I had thought and even said I would do so sooner - I sat down and ripped out part of the sleeve on the sweater I've been knitting.

OK, this is not a "current" photo, but it's the most recent one I have, so work with me here, people.  Anyway as you may or may not recall, I had gotten onto the cuff of the first sleeve, and decided that it looked suspiciously big for me.  So I tried it on, and though the top part of the sleeve was fine, the bottom and the cuff were not - I had way too much room and knew it would bother me.  I don't' like my sleeves and cuffs tight, but I also don't like it when they are so big that my arm and wrist swim in them.  So yesterday I ripped back to just below the elbow.  I'll do some more frequent decreases and see if I can hit on the right amount for the fit and comfort that I like.  As much as I was dreading having to rip back about 1/2 of a nearly-completed sleeve, now that I have done it, I'm both happy about it and ready to try and get it right for me.  My first attempts will be today - it's rainy and raw outside, so a perfect day for some knitting!

I have noticed that in 2021, I have still been enjoying my knitting, but for whatever reason, I'm moving on all of it more slowly.  Nothing I'm working on is overly hard or complicated, and I like all of my projects.  It just seems that during February and so far in March, I'm spending more time both on other things and on nothing.  I have no deadlines, nor do I answer to anyone other than myself, but it is something that occurred to me.  

Anyway, that's the story for today.  I hope you have a good day, regardless of whatever may be happening outside wherever you are.

Three Happy Things

 It's been a bit since I participated in Three on Thursday, so I decided that today I would share Three Happy Things with you.

(Image source)

SNOW!  This is the first time for years that we have actually had a true snowstorm in Philadelphia.  In the city, we got 8 inches, and it was just wonderful.  Just enough to make it *real* and not so much that people couldn't shovel out and get around.  

This basket of happy, which contains my WIP Advent Throw (pattern is the Habitation Throw by Helen Stewart), and the other minis from my yarny Advent calendar that will be knit into it.  I just love seeing the happy, bright colors sitting altogether!

This ridiculously sweet face!  The Tim took this photo the other day, when he was busy doing something on the first floor, and Hamlet was keeping him company, but also getting in some rest at the same time.  Hammy is such a sweet pea, and loves nothing more than just being wherever we are, ready to cuddle at any moment.

I hope you find some happy things for your day as well.  Finding things that make you happy helps to keep so much bad stuff at bay!

Alone Can Be Good

Well, we did get some snow yesterday - a really nice amount - but at the end of the day, the dreaded and annoying "wintry mix" moved in for the hours of overnight, so though we have snow on the ground, it's icy, packed snow.  Which is fine for a one-horse open sleigh perhaps, but not much else.  Oh well, it's pretty to look at, and at least other than taking the dog for a walk, I don't have anywhere else to be, at least not today.

I thought I'd write a post for today's Three on Thursday, and my topic is Three Things That Are Good About Just Being Two People At Christmas in This Unprecedented Year.  (And after this year, if I never hear the words "unprecedented year" again, I shall not mind one single tiny bit.)

Anyway, moving along.  I know that tons of people are upset because - if they are being responsible humans and care about others - they have to things differently this year.  No getting together with friends and family, or traveling to see them, no gatherings to exchange and open gifts, etc.  They are on their own, with only their families in the same house with them.  Which for a large part of the population, is just not what Christmas is about.

I am here to tell you (as I have before) that Christmastime is exactly what you make it.  Do I ever wish that we could go back to the years that we traveled home for holidays every year, got to see and catch up with everyone in person, and enjoyed all of the anticipation that went along with it?  Sure.  I enjoy seeing my family and spending time with them.  The Tim does not miss seeing his family, now that his parents have both died.  The siblings are not that close, and so we don't spend much time interacting with them anyway.  

But years ago, we realized that due to job issues for one or both of us, it just wasn't going to happen.  And though it was kinda weird the first year, now we love our very own Christmases, and actually cling to them.  Last month, in the weekend after Thanksgiving, we had a Zoom with my niece Amanda and her husband Pat in Baltimore.  Their original plan was to go to my sister's in WV for turkey day, since everyone would be getting together there this year.  But due to Covid, everyone just stayed put where they were.  Well, Amanda and Pat at least loved it!  As she said, "You know I love them all, but it was nice to enjoy the day and have NO drama!"  😊

And so, let me tell you three things that can make Christmas a wonderful day when there are just the two of you and whatever family members live in your house (in our case, a dog and two cats):

1.  The whole entire day belongs to YOU.  If you want to have candy for breakfast, there's no one to be upset, or no one to say, "But so-and-so is eating candy for breakfast, so why can't I?" which can lead to dirty looks from parents or anyone else around.  Feel like taking a nap in the middle of opening gifts?  Do it, and you can finish when you get up, while the other person does their thing for a while.  Unless you follow a strict daily schedule where every person always has to do a certain thing at a certain time, it's all up to you.

2.  You can still get together with everyone, just virtually, and at a mutually agreed time.  If you are a person who usually sleeps late, there's no requirement to get up at 5 a.m. with the rest of the family and immediately interact while everyone opens gifts together.  Instead, you can say, "Why don't we Zoom/Facetime/whatever at ____ [an agreed time]?"  

3.  Christmas Dinner is EXACTLY what you would like to eat, at the time of day you want to eat it.  I know so many people who complain every year that the one thing they dread is eating Christmas Dinner at 2 p.m., when they are used to dinnertime being at 7 p.m., or having to eat Cousin Mary's cooking because this year it's at her house.  If your Christmas Dinner sucks when there's just two of you, there's only yourselves to blame.

I could think of other things, but you get the gist.  I chose things that I most often hear others complain about.  The important thing to remember is that if you want to get together with everyone, you still can - just differently this year.  If you are a lucky person like I am, whose family enjoys interacting and who have not lost anyone this year, you're still going to be able to "see" them and interact - just not all day, every day.  I promise you will survive, and you might even enjoy it.  How you decide to approach it makes all the difference.

And remember, at a minimum, you may have the same experience as Amanda and Pat - NO DRAMA!!! 😛