Welcome to the final Currently post of this year. I know. Where did the year go?
Time flies. It’s up to you to be the navigator. — Robert Orban
Good advice, and some advice I have been following closely this year – I am the navigator of my days – the “filler of my minutes”… Let’s see what I am finding to fill those minutes, shall we?
Cooking —
Even though November has decided to revisit early summer this week…tomorrow will be in the upper 70’s and Steve is threatening to turn on the AC again. Sigh. However, I know that cold weather is hanging on the doorstep and as such, my desire to cook all the cold weather foods is burning inside me! This week I made a huge pot of chicken soup, chocked full of carrots, celery, and yes… chicken. I also picked up some Vital Wheat Gluten to try my hand at this whole wheat bread recipe, which I will be baking later today! And next week I have plans to do more baking…pumpkin bread anyone?
Watching —
I am savoring the latest Masterpiece Mystery – The Magpie Murders. I have watched one and really enjoyed it. I hope to catch myself up with it as my Gnome Knitting companion. Ha! I also watched the latest Shetland series on Britbox… the farewell to DI Jimmy Perez. It was bittersweet, but I hope they have plans to continue something with Tosh and Sandy. It is not quite the same as the books, but they are based on Ann Cleeves books. And can we just talk about the scenery for a moment? It is stunning. Speaking of stunning… I discovered a BBC Scotland show, Landward (also on Britbox.) It is a little glimpse into life in Scotland with a heavy take on farming and nature.
Knitting —
Last night, I began Gnome Eleven and purchased the December Mystery Gnome… and I have begun thinking about yarn colors (the mystery gnome needs 5 colors!) I am not purchasing yarn but rather will be peeking into my yarn leftover bag if I need to add something different than what I have used thus far this year! And my new Gnome… well, I am thinking it will be a she… so no beard, but I am seeing some curly locks! And she has a handspun sweater… so I know she is crafty. I am wondering if I could take a wee button and a bit of a broken dpn and make her a little drop spindle! The Gnome Knitting has been such a fun project this year… and I am thinking about what to do next year that will inspire whimsy and creativity! I also have been enamored of all the in-process Pressed Flowers I have seen on IG. I am not jumping on the knitting bandwagon to make a cardigan, but I am rekindling my plans for a rectangle shawl version. I am at the *thinking about yarns* stage… and wondering what I might couple with some handspun that I have.
Aging —
While we were in Erie, we walked… a lot. On all sorts of terrain… and lots of uneven terrain. And each day I began to notice that my left hip was progressively more painful than the day before. And by the end of our time in Erie, me trying to walk in the morning would be comical and if I was not in so much pain, I’d surely have laughed at how I looked hobbling around. The intense pain has subsided (although the stairs are still a bitch) but I am making an appointment to go see my doctor to discuss what might be the problem. And I am long overdue for an eye check… but oof, do I need one. So it is on my list to make an appointment, pronto! And after that… I need to address my hearing (or lack thereof) issue. Getting old is not for the faint of heart!
Worried —
While I have not been stressing about it, I am concerned about what our nation will look like after Tuesday’s elections and what all that will mean for democracy as I have known it. I have voted and I have encouraged everyone I speak with to vote. (I mostly don’t care who you vote for as long as that candidate is living in a fact-based reality…) It does make me so angry that there is a very loud faction of people in America who are racist as all get out… and they are not even ashamed of it at all. And all this not so subtle fanning of the flames of violence… well, I just don’t know how we pull back from that but I hope there are more voters that are concerned about voting for candidates who live in a fact-based reality than not. And I really hope that all the poll workers working next week are safe.
And with that, I leave you. Have a great weekend and I will be back on Monday!
Well Kat, we sure are alike!! I have pumpernickle bread rising in my bread machine (that is a much easier way for me to make bread during work days) and am making a bean and sausage soup for dinner! It has been warm, but we noticed yesterday sitting out around 4 p.m. that as the sun drops the temp drops dramatically, so I think soup and bread will be a good supper tonight. We’ve been watching Magpie Murders and though not as good as some shows (my opinion) we are enjoying it. We also finished Shetland (I will miss Jimmy Perez). I’m starting to think about a shawl pattern and yarn to take to TX over the Christmas holiday. I will NOT pack more than one project (flying limits space)!! I have a doctor’s appointment at the end of the month and we are getting our 2nd Shingles vaccines on Monday. Come the new year I, too, need/want to get to an audiologist. Oy vey! We are dropping off our ballots today. Yes to being worried, for sure. Fingers, toes and eyes crossed for Tuesday results!
It’s been unseasonably warm here, too, but for some reason, the house is still cold. I could turn on the heat but it feels wrong when it’s 73 outside. I’m making pumpkin muffins this afternoon so that should satisfy my desire to bake things for fall for a few days. You are very imaginative with your gnomes and I’m looking forward to seeing these. It doesn’t help you at all, but my hips have been hurting for quite a while now and it may be time to do something about them. I voted a while ago, but I am also worried. I think I will anxiously hope for the best while expecting the worst.
I’m in the mood for some fall comfort food and plan to make a hearty beef stew this weekend. It’s been in the 70s here, but looks like it will cool off next week.
Like you, I am so worried about the election and the future of our country. It makes me sick that Mary Miller will probably win our district once again, all because of how the districts are drawn. I do hope for the safety of voters and the poll workers.
Hi Kat, so glad you had a wonderful vacation! Yes, growing old is not for the faint of heart. Some days it is down right difficult, my mind is in my mid forties and my body feels mid seventies and Im only in my mid sixties. But, I thank God everyday that I can still walk for miles, stairs and getting to the floor and up are the problems.
Love your gnomes. I often think I want to start knitting some gnomes but am not good at little fussy projects. I do have 2 fair isle projects going and one half and half.
It snowed here and I walked in 26 deg. weather and LOVED it. All the knitty things on, so so good!
Despite the strange weather we’re in for, I also have the urge to make soups and stews and chilis and bake bread. I really enjoyed the showers of leaves I was treated to this morning on my run, and the sun on all the color is so beautiful, even if it doesn’t feel like the crisp fall weather I’d like to be having!
I’m glad you’re on top of things and getting to see doctors. I hope the hip thing is nothing serious! I’m probably due for a trip to the eye doctor as well, as I’ve had headaches from looking at things on screens this week. Getting older is so much fun!
Hips, eyes, ears — the only things missing from your list of complaints are knees. (But just wait. They will start to bother you eventually, too.) I hope your doc is able to ease your pain. The warm weather deserted us last night — 39˚ as I type this a 3pom. But I have been wanting roasted root vegies all summer. Now that fall/winter is here I can indulge myself!
Ah – aging. The maintenance and sometimes repair takes time and energy. I hope your new gnome sports a drop spindle. I might be tempted to make one if she could be female and a spinner. I think our unseasonable warm weather headed East. We had some very warm days. Yesterday the high was 76 but today November blew in and the high was 44. I made a pot of black bean soup this evening.
Oh yes , something happens in November that says warm comfort food, homemade soup, casseroles and lovely puddings. Hope the election goes well- there’s been some good radio programmes in the UK on QAnon and conspiracy theories. Hope your hip is ok and good luck with the eye test. Ageing is not for the faint hearted, but the alternative is worse. Can’t wait to see the latest gnome.
I hope your pain is simple to fix!! I don’t like when the body betrays!!