by Kat | Feb 17, 2017 | General
Valentine’s Day Roses are still glorious. Happiness in a vase, my friends!
And, speaking of happiness…Happy Strike4Democracy Day!! I will be contacting my dear MIA Senator Toomey with some messages to vote no on all the things he likes to vote yes on. Perhaps I should be knitting him a scarf? What do you think? Subliminal messages might work! (And, shadow knitting FTW!!)
Can I just say that my favorite part of a sock is the heel? Well, it is! The heels are turned on my Mystery Sock – I am all ready for Clue #3 next week!
On the agenda for this weekend – sweater catch up knitting. Fortunately, Season 3 of Chef’s Table on Netflix is out today so I have my binge-watch all queued up!
Now, how about some links for your edification?
First up – did you read about The Met digitizing its collection of art? Really, the images are amazing. (Warning – this can be a huge time suck! I spent a good bit of time yesterday looking!!)
First up is Heart On My Sleeve – a compilation of sweaters from an incredible slate of designers in both adult and child sizes! And, here is the best part; this project is supporting the Against Malaria Foundation! So, knit something for someone you love and help fight malaria.
Wooly Wormhead’s Circled 4 is awesome (Circled 1-3 are not bad either…) and who does not have any sock yarn in their stash? (Okay, really – I want to know if you do not have sock yarn stash – please tell me in the comments! You might be the lucky recipient of a skein of sock yarn from MY stash!!)
Checks, please! More sock yarn knitting…
Bihan Heol – more sock yarn, but gosh is this cute!
never say never socks – in sock yarn, of course! (and on sale until tomorrow at midnight in Brussels…)
Kitty Egg Warmers
Three Wee Sheep – now really, these would be so darling on a little spring Easter Tree!
Cullen Earflap Hat – for those of you who might be getting weather that actually resembles winter!
My friend, Simone has just released patterns for matching hat and cowl! So, so cute!
And finally, Lou would be lovely knit up in some Sheepspot CVM
That is all I have for today – have a fantastic weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!
P.S. No doctor appointment was set yesterday – procrastination 1, kat 0.
by Kat | Feb 16, 2017 | General, Words
This week’s Think Write Thursday is to write about something you’ve been putting off doing. We all have those tasks, projects, phone calls and more that we find excuses to avoid. What are you procrastinating about? And why? And, finally, how are you going to address it? Happy writing!
I love this part – “Happy writing”
Ummmm, not so much.
This post strikes fear into my very inmost being. Really. I am going to have to talk about things I put off and I am not talking about cleaning out junk drawers or re-organizing kitchen cupboards.
Nope – even though those things are not on my “to do” list with any regularity. The Procrastination Elephant in the room for me is scheduling regular health maintenance.
Oh, I have a million excuses as to why I have not done this, but when it gets right down to it, none of them are really valid excuses.
This was not always the case – in Holland I had a doctor I loved. And, I trusted her.
No, I mean I really trusted her – even to talk about being overweight without shame or avoidance. And, with her I got regular maintenance done – mammograms, colonoscopies, bone density testing, and regular blood work.
Then I moved to Pittsburgh and discovered how hard it is to find a doctor. And, trust me – it is really hard.
Pittsburgh is a fairly large city, yet do you know that they do not have a single physician who specializes in Women’s Midlife Health?
So, in the time I have lived here, I have seen 3 different doctors – and last year, I did not visit a doctor at all. I have not really loved any one I have seen – and let me tell you about the Health Care Insurance Wars here in Pittsburgh. No one takes all insurances – so if you have “X” insurance, none of the UPMC doctors will see you. If you have “Y” insurance, none of the Highmark doctors will see you. (And, if you can only afford “Z” insurance – you are straight out of luck because no one will see you.) It is absolutely insane.
However, I have this list of things that has been nagging at me.
Things like getting a mammogram and a bone density test and a colonoscopy.
If this post was not hard enough, I now have to make a plan to address it.
Now is the part when I confess that typing is not easy – nor is it any easier to verbally say it out loud.
However, here I go…
I will look up my last physician’s phone number and call him TODAY to make an appointment. And, you can hold me to that – I promise to update you all with my appointment time in tomorrow’s blog post!
Will that get everything off my list? Nope, but it will be a start and I will bring my list…
If you want to join Carole and I in our Think Write Thursday journey, we would love to have you – please sign up here!
P.S. Every week is really not this hard! Promise!!
by Kat | Feb 15, 2017 | General, Making
It is a dark and rainy day here in the Pittsburgh area – perfect for a bit of knitting, listening, and getting some laundry done.
I completed clue #2 of Kirsten Kapur’s Mystery socks just under the wire last night. Clue #3 has been printed out and I will see what I can get done this morning – we are up to the heel flaps, so perhaps both can be finished today! (Which is a very good thing because I have two sweaters I want to get done!!)
In the Finished Object Category – I managed to get my Very Valentine Honey Cowl done last week, it got a nice Soak™ wash and it was all ready to wear on Sunday. Can I just say that I love the extra stitches I cast on – it loops nicely around my neck and even drapes quite a bit! All the details are here, if you are following along.
In the Reading/Listening Category – in my ears is I am No One by Patrick Flanery. Curious, very curious. I love the narrator and the story is interesting. I am only up to chapter 9, so the story is yet unfolding.
On the iPad – I have not yet started Tana French’s novel – I know, what is wrong with me!? I am almost done with Menace in Malmö. Bedtime reading has its ups and downs – as in how tired I am when I go to bed as to how many pages/paragraphs I get through!
Linking up, as usual, with Ginny’s Yarn Along!
Happy Wednesday everyone!
by Kat | Feb 14, 2017 | General, Words
Happy Valentine’s Day, Gentle Reader! Today a poem from my favorite poet, Pablo Neruda. Go and laugh with your loved ones today.
Your Laughter
Take bread away from me, if you wish,
take air away, but
do not take from me your laughter.
Do not take away the rose,
the lance flower that you pluck,
the water that suddenly
bursts forth in joy,
the sudden wave
of silver born in you.
My struggle is harsh and I come back
with eyes tired
at times from having seen
the unchanging earth,
but when your laughter enters
it rises to the sky seeking me
and it opens for me all
the doors of life.
My love, in the darkest
hour your laughter
opens, and if suddenly
you see my blood staining
the stones of the street,
laugh, because your laughter
will be for my hands
like a fresh sword.
Next to the sea in the autumn,
your laughter must raise
its foamy cascade,
and in the spring, love,
I want your laughter like
the flower I was waiting for,
the blue flower, the rose
of my echoing country.
Laugh at the night,
at the day, at the moon,
laugh at the twisted
streets of the island,
laugh at this clumsy
boy who loves you,
but when I open
my eyes and close them,
when my steps go,
when my steps return,
deny me bread, air,
light, spring,
but never your laughter
for I would die.
Pablo Neruda
by Kat | Feb 13, 2017 | General, In This Moment
For a weekend in which we had no plans, we sure as heck did lots of things!
Saturday, I went to my local Huddle and let me tell you this – when you find your people, it is so INSPIRING!!
Then Steve and I walked at the mall – because well, rain made it nicer to be dry inside. Bonus, a 1 Day Macy’s Sale scored a new suit for Steve.
We stopped by the “new” Whole Foods near us to see what all the hype was about. Sushi and Lobster tails somehow fell into our cart. And, maybe 2 donuts…
Then there was a massive joint Kon-Mari-thon for the remainder of the day on Saturday and half the day on Sunday. Sometimes you need to Kon-Mari with someone else, to help you over those rough patches – you know those “it does not spark joy, but…” moments.
I even managed to get half way through Clue #2 of TTL’s MKAL – one sock down, one to go! And, there was even some stitching time!
There was a quick trip to TJ’s and Steve got me a couple of bouquets of daffodils. This morning their sunny faces sure made it feel cheerier than a typical February grey Monday in Pittsburgh. AND Monday is not quite so painful knowing that this is only a 4-day week.
