by Kat | Sep 24, 2021 | General, In This Moment
It feels like Autumn turned off the summer switch and plunged us directly into fall here in Western PA. Late Wednesday afternoon some storms pushed through bringing rain, winds, and much cooler temperatures. Thursday morning was all about the layers for Sherman’s morning constitutional. I was so happy to have a cozy sweater to put on!
Fall brings the return of some of my favorite things (besides cooler days, that is!) I made a happy discovery on Monday morning when I opened my podcast queue to see that The Slowdown has returned! Yes, it is back with a lovely new host… Ada Limón. (today’s episode is especially moving!) And for all of you Pádraig Ó Tuama fans, he returns with Poetry Unbound on Monday!
I was fortunate to watch Nadia Bolz-Weber interview Pádraig about In the Shelter this week and it was such a lively, fun, beautiful conversation. I have since started re-reading In the Shelter with new eyes and it is helping with those feelings of discomfort, angst, etc that I have been feeling. (The Chapel has been the best thing I decided to do this year. It has brought a renewal of joy to my life. And it is decidedly “un-church-y” and is missing all of that Uber-religious-sanctimonious-fake bs that I have zero tolerance for.)
I might have stumbled on they key to returning my missing Knitting Mojo… I had been talking to Steve about Sherman needing a new sweater … a lighter weight layer rather than the “winter wooly” he has for those super cold mornings. And then, serendipitously, I saw this on IG Wednesday night. I am purchasing the pattern today and I have some well-aged hand-dyed red sock yarn in my stash that I think will make the perfect Fall Sweater for Sherms!
In the realm of Completely Weird and Definitely Wrong I need to talk about my lilac bush. In the middle of August it started dropping a few leaves and then as the month progressed more leaves dropped and it started getting some dark brown spots on the leaves. I did a bit of a Google search and decided that it might have bacterial blight… except that the branches did not wither or die at all so I figured I would solve this problem *after* we returned home from our little vacay. Fast forward to our return from Erie and my entirely de-leafed lilac had a plethora of new green leaves on the top 12-inches of all the branches… like ALL the branches. And this week it began blooming. Dozens and dozens and dozens of blooms. Seriously, easily 6 dozen lilac blooms. It looks like some strange Seussian plant with pale green leaves and a riot of pale purple booms on a long stick. I have no idea what on earth is wrong with it… but if you have any ideas please share! Lilac blooms in October is something I never ever imagined. lol
Finally, I have this urge to bake.all.the.things. and have been looking with longing at all you who have sourdough starters you are reviving for the fall. Sigh. I have never had sourdough starter success. Ever. And I have tried. But I reminded myself that I have successfully baked very good bread… so instead of wishing for something I am not likely to be successful with, I have put “bake bread” on my Monday To Do list and I am excited to renew my relationship with Peter Reinhart. (and some freshly baked bread will be the perfect accompianment to the left over chicken soup I made yesterday!)
That is all I have for this week… I will see you all back here on Monday with my September update for my word. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
by Kat | Sep 21, 2021 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Delicious Autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. — George Eliot
Greetings AUTUMN!! (And, Greetings, Unravelers!) My most favorite season officially arrives this afternoon… despite the plethora of pumpkin spice things that have been in coffee shops near us all. I love fall and I am hoping that its arrival brings my Knitting Mojo with it.
Yes, my Knitting Mojo seems to have up and departed and I am a trifle worried about how long it has been gone! I did not do much knitting in the week before we headed to Erie because I had a long-assed list of “to-do’s” that needed to be “all-done” before we left. I did bring knitting on the trip, but the only knitting I did was a few rounds on Sunday when Steve watched the Steeler’s game. Other than that, I did not pick up any knitting at all during vacation.
Yesterday afternoon, when the last load of laundry was in the washer I made myself a nice cuppa and got my knitting…. and nothing. I struggled to settle in with the rhythm of the mindless stockinette and I started to have some worries about having enough yarn…so I started a sleeve to see how much yarn that would take but I only lasted until my coffee was done and I have not picked up my knitting since. I am not sure what the issue is because I have no burning desire to cast on a new project, which is curious because FALL! It is Knitting Season… right? Anyways, if you have any spare Knitting Mojo you can send my way… I’ll gladly take it! (so you get another golden blob photo, yet again!) And today I am chaining myself to my sewing machine to do some mending that desperately needs to be done. And if I can convince myself to stay put, I hope to sew another pair of pants, which hopefully will be wildly successful because of the alterations I made! It should be a much faster sew this time as I have the pattern all cut out and ready to go and I think I will be more familiar with the pattern directions this time around!
It was a slower reading week as well (as I explained last week…vacationing with a non-reader, sigh):
Portrait Of A Spy by Daniel Silva
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I had originally given this 5-stars, but in contemplating the book over several days… I down graded my rating to 3-stars. Book 11 in the ongoing saga of Gabriel Allon seemed to hit a bit of a hurdle (or maybe it is more like a distance runner slowing the pace a bit to be able to finish the race).
I think this book kind of “jumped the shark” a bit… Allon has been taking more of a leadership role… directing from a somewhat safe(r) place, but then suddenly… he ditches all that and the book ends up in a bit of a jumble. Previous books felt more realistic than this one did. If you are reading the Allon series… I think you could safely skip this one and move on to #12.
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I listened to this book slowly… over the course of almost 3 weeks… and still, I wished it had not ended. It is, hands-down, the best book I have had the privilege of reading this year. I listened to Kimmerer read it to me and it was excellent! I very much felt like I was listening to a dear friend share her wisdom, history, stories, and yes, her sacred world.
This book tugged at my heartstrings. It made me gasp with wonder and joy, and groan in frustration. As I listened, I could not help but be more in awe of my surroundings (I highly recommend listening to this while hiking in Presque Isle State Park… it really deepens the experience!) I have not been able to stop thinking about her writing and the things she magnificently shared.
If you read nothing else this year, read this book. If you want to better understand our relationship with the world around us, read this book. If you want to set your feet on a path to being a better steward of this world, read this book. I highly recommend it, even if you do not think you need any of those things!
What about you? How’s your Making Mojo doing these days?
That’s all I have for today, I will see you all back here on Friday!
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
by Kat | Sep 20, 2021 | General, In This Moment
…brings a return to ‘normalcy’ with the end of a brief, but spectacular, vacation.
Normalcy… what a word, huh? Perhaps not the best since I have been feeling anything but normal these days! I confess that I have been struggling a bit recently… Feeling off-kilter. Unsettled. Unfocused. Just going through the motions. (and yes, likely a bit depressed…which don’t think I would have recognized without having read these wise words)
But I have had some amazing lifelines this week (besides all the fresh air and hiking!) I don’t know who said they had read Braiding Sweetgrass (Jane maybe?) This book has been a balm to my day. The stolen moments I spent listening to Robin Wall Kimmerer were so amazing… it almost feels like I am sitting down with a cuppa to listen to a dear friend share stories, wisdom, and anecdotes. I have about 4 more hours of listening along with my ‘normal’ Monday List (although, perhaps not so normal with what feels like a metric ton of laundry!!)… but listening to Robin will make all of that much more palatable! Ha!
I brought my laptop for the sole purpose of joining the Read With Me discussion of Unsettled Ground… I can’t express how much more a good discussion lends to the enjoyment of a book, and Bonnie, Carole, and Kym have cultivated a very good group of ladies! That discussion had me thinking about Unsettled Ground again in some surprising new ways! Thank you all for making reading so much better!
Another good thing was all that fresh air and hiking! As I shared in my IG postcards last week, we had spectacular weather – yes, we had some occasional rain during the day but it was never enough to deter us and the couple of times it rained harder at night made sleeping in an unfamiliar bed easier! We saw so many birds, which I love! I also saw a few we had not seen before, thanks to a pair of binoculars! (A Green Heron across the bay, a pair of Gray Catbirds splashing in a puddle, and two shorebirds – a Solitary Sandpiper and a Semipalmated Plover!) We perfected our “quiet walking” and came upon a deer visiting a pond. I loved how she did not bolt, but rather just eased away into the forest.
And finally, coming back home! After more than a year of Pandemic Living one might think you get sick of being home and while it was good to be away, it is even better being back home… especially back to my own bed. A good nights sleep also helps combat the off kilter feelings, for sure! (as does the return of a “normal” routine!)
And with that, I am off to get going on that Normal Routine! See you all back here on Wednesday!
by Kat | Sep 15, 2021 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Dear Unravelers…I have barely knit an inch of the Vanilla Sweater since we last talked, but I have spent endless hours walking in, listening to, and soaking up the beauty that is Presque Isle. I have been trying to share a few “postcards” of my day on IG, if you are interested!
One thing I did listen to this week that really made an impact on me was the On Being episode with Suzanne Simard. I wholeheartedly concur with her theory that trees communicate (and I am now on the waitlist for her new book!) There is no way to stand in the midst of a forest and not believe it. Perhaps my favorite moment this week thus far has been the wind encouraging the poplars to sing. Their wind-inspired chorus was just magnificent!
The other highpoint was watching a bald eagle effortlessly soaring over the lake… I could watch them make lazy circles in the sky for hours on end.
Steve is not a reader… at all, so I have done little to no reading this week. Sigh. But, I do have one finish to share. It is the new MED book, Entertaining Race. It was wonderful and if you have previously read any Dyson, you will enjoy enjoy his latest book. If you have not read any Dyson… this is a lovely introduction to his brilliant writing.
Entertaining Race: Performing Blackness in America by Michael Eric Dyson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
“…a teacher who preaches, a preacher who teaches and an activist who cannot rest until all are set free.”―Senator Raphael Warnock
It is impossible to read this book and not hear Dyson speaking in your ear. This book is a collection of essays and letters, or perhaps a better description would be sermons. They are powerful, moving, and thought-provoking. Dyson doing what he does best… preaching, teaching, and putting the reader firmly on the path of activism, because you cannot read and not be motivated to do something. I simply loved the essays on Rev Al Sharpton and Dr Kendi… they filled me with such joy and my love for these two amazing gentlemen grew significantly. Dyson also introduced me to some voices that were lesser known to me – a white woman who is a bit clueless – to the phenomena that is Beyoncé.
If you desire to challenge yourself to view the world from a different perspective, this is an excellent starting point. If you feel like you have a broader perspective… this book will widen that perspective in a profound way. I highly recommend Entertaining Race.
I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.
That is it for me this week… short and sweet! I will be back next Monday! Have a great week everyone!
by Kat | Sep 8, 2021 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
The making this week had a bit of “unraveling” of the sewing version… perhaps “ripping out” is a better term. I removed the waistband and removed a bit of fabric, but I could not remove as much as I needed to… so a good wash helped tremendously! Hot water and a tumble dry have made these pants a wearable muslin (albeit I still have to roll the front band a bit! lol)
I have made some adjustments to the pattern and have cut out another pair of pants… stay tuned! Things I love about the pattern... the details (the pockets, side panels, and waistband are just genius), the fit (outside of the rise, I love the wide legs… they are unbelievably comfortable… it’s like wearing pj’s!), and the fabric… (who knew that IKEA linen would be so yummy? It is a heavier weight, but perfect for pants!)
On the knitting front… no unraveling, but it does not look much changed from last week… I am still just going round and round. Thank goodness for meditative knitting!
Roughly 3-ish inches to go on the body…
I kind of fell off the ‘art wagon’ but I have not put it out of my mind. I have a picture of one of my favorite spots on Lake Erie that I have been working on. I am happy with it… my colors especially!
My inspiration…
My interpretation…
Oh… and a special someone started FIRST grade yesterday! (and I don’t think the cats went with her to school…but she tried!! lol)
Vivi… expert cat wrangler! lol
The reading this week… I bailed on a book that just was not working at all for me…The Illness Lesson. Try as I might, I could just not get into the story. Oh well, it was an easy pass as Braiding Sweet Grass became available at the library! However, the finishes I had were amazing!
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What an incredible – emotional – story. I have not been able to stop thinking about it. The writing is just fantastic!
What happens when the lie becomes your reality? That is the crux of this story. Two sisters, two very separate paths, two very different outcomes.
But what about the other people living in your distorted reality?
And that is where this story leads us. I highly recommend this book!
The Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Just when you think you know where every Allon story is going, Silva throws the most marvelous loop!
Artwork, WWII, and Swiss Banking… a painfully entwined business. But a story emerges… can the wrong be repaired?
Maybe, but not on the way you might imagine. This series is just incredible!
That is all I am going to have for this week. I am taking a little “vacation” from blogging but I will have a post next Wednesday! See you all next week!
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
