A Gathering of Poetry | September 2022

A Gathering of Poetry | September 2022

Poetry is a constant in my day… it is the thing I start my day with – reading a poem or two. And my favorite month of all is Poetry Month which happens every year in April. But one month with a focus on poetry is just not enough and even though occasionally a poem shows up on my blog, it almost feels like an afterthought… The I-don’t-have-anything-to-post-today-so-here’s-a-poem post. And that is kind of sad, because poetry is never just an afterthought. So welcome to:

A Gathering of Poetry

The inspiration behind this idea was a post from Bonny which spurred a flurry of emails from Kym and voilá… every month on the third Thursday, we will be sharing with you all a poem!

This month, my poetry selection is from Ted Kooser. I really love his poems and he is such a prolific poet!

A Dervish of Leaves
by Ted Kooser

Sometimes when I’m sad, the dead leaves
in the bed of my pickup get up on their own
and start dancing. I’ll be driving along,
glance up at the mirror and there they’ll be,
swirling and bowing, their flying skirts
brushing the back window, not putting a hand
on the top of the cab to steady themselves,
but daringly leaning out over the box,
making fun of the fence posts we’re passing
who have never left home, teasing the rocks
rolled away into the ditches, leaves light
in their slippers, dancing around in the back
of my truck, tossing their cares to the wind,
sometimes, when I’m down in my heart.

“A Dervish of Leaves” by Ted Kooser Copyright © 2020 


It is our hope that you will be moved to join us on the third Thursday and share a poem!

See you all back here tomorrow!

 

Unraveled Wednesday | 9.14.22

Unraveled Wednesday | 9.14.22

Greetings Gentle Unravelers!

Yesterday, a momentous occasion occurred here in the ‘Burgh… Sweater Weather arrived and it is a thing of beauty! I basked all day in wearing a sweater because of the weather! Please note… this is entirely different than wearing a sweater because the AC is set at 40° below zero, just saying.

It was perfect weather to do some knitting… and yes, even some unraveling! Gah! I had boasted that I was making headway on my sweater…open mouth, drop stitch… in the lace portion…which required me to rip back 10-ish rows. Sigh. So really no headway made… but at least I am back on track however, no knitting has been done because this was not the knit for the Read With Us discussion last night!

I do have some finished/almost finished sewing projects! I have 2 finished sweatshirts or one will be done later today when I get the Steam-a-Seam tape that I need to finish the funnel neck version. But, it is done but for that and a bit of hand sewing! Both are made from a lovely French Terry fabric that I got some time ago from Blackbird Fabrics. The fabric was fiddly in the cutting out portion of the process. It required extra care to make sure it was not stretched anywhere. But once it was cut out assembling it was super easy once I figured out the tension on my serger.

Funnel-neck with normal cuffed sleeve version.

The pattern for these beauties is the Cosmos Sweatshirt from Sew House Seven and it is a great “starter project” if you are new to sewing with knits! The instructions are clear. There are loads of tips for success in the actual sewing of knits.

These cuffs are perfect… not too tight at all.

And the end result is a nicely fitting sweatshirt that does not look very sweatshirt-ish at all. I did one small alteration on the sleeves for the Indigo crew-neck version. I shortened them an inch and a half and used my double needle to hem the sleeves!

Crew-neck with un-cuffed sleeves.

I really love Sew House Seven patterns… their Free Range Slacks pattern is my go to for pants. I have a couple more patterns in the queue from them, so look for some new additions to my wardrobe this fall!

The reading this week has been a bit of a mixed bag. I started The People in the Trees several weeks ago… and I really tried (I read half of the book) but it was just not A Little Life… at all. While A Little Life is about a group of friends and their lives together – one of whom had some truly horrific things happen to him – The People in the Trees was more about a person doing the horrific things to others… and justifying it all to himself. It was not a book for me but your mileage might vary.

I did finish a new children’s book this week… and I highly recommend it!

Magnolia FlowerMagnolia Flower by Zora Neale Hurston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I got this book because I heard Ibram X. Kendi talk about it and I thought it would be a lovely book to send to my granddaughter.

It is a beautiful story with beautiful illustrations. This is a book that you will need to read with your child to answer the questions that will arise in the reading.

If you have children in your life and you want a book to help them grow in awareness that all things are not equal, this is a beautiful start!

I highly recommend!


And with that, I am off to do a bit of practice painting (my new painting class starts next week) and then I am going to work on that sweater and see if I can’t catch myself back up and *not drop any stitches* this time!

As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!

Oh… and I will be back tomorrow with a bit of a surprise posting!


Weekending | 9.12.22

Weekending | 9.12.22

Greetings everyone and Happy Monday!

It was a full weekend… a full indoor weekend thanks to the grey skies that brought some rain to Pittsburgh! Much needed rain, mind you…so I am not complaining. (Okay, I am not complaining about the rain but the mosquitoes on the other hand…)

I tried my hand at making pita bread from scratch – it needs a bit more work – but warm sort of pitas on Friday were a treat! I just need to work on the “getting the pita from the counter to the baking steel” bit… that was rough but no fingers were burned in the attempts however oval pitas were not quite the look I was going for! Ha!

I did lots of practice sewing on French Terry fabric scraps… trying to find the elusive sweet spot for all the tension knobs on my serger. It took some time, but I did get it “dialed in” for my fabric. And then some actual sewing began. I have one sweatshirt almost done, and one more all ready to go! It was a bit stressful as this sewing is well outside my comfort zone… but I rewarded myself with an extra “happy hour” on Saturday while we caught up on the new HBO series Game of Thrones House of the Dragon.

Outside of that there was a Steeler win (in overtime) which made Steve insanely happy.

I spent some time reflecting on 9/11.

I learned a new word.

I also spent some time working on this month’s suggestion for my word, which is to think about my word visually – with pictures – this month. I am finding this to be so much fun, capturing images of the things that fill my days!

AND… I even spent the tiniest bit of time knitting on my puzzle-y sweater start! The back is patiently waiting for the fronts to get caught up… and they are moving in that direction!

There you have my weekend highlights…I am more than ready to get this Monday off and running. I have my list ready for the week… how about you? Are you prepped and ready to tackle this week? I hope so!

See you all back here on Wednesday with The Big Sweatshirt Reveal!

 

Museum of Me | September 2022

Museum of Me | September 2022

This month the curators were encouraged to update the thoughts about school exhibit… not necessarily a back to school exhibit, for which my curator heaved a sigh of relief. No need to stress over my lack of “back to school wardrobe, notebooks, binders, pencils, etc.” Whew! It is not my desire to have you all feel sorry for me…at age 61 I promise you that my lack of those things then have had no lasting impact on my well-being now.

Likewise, this will not be a picture heavy post but rather a bit of a commentary on my thoughts about school… of which I have a few… thoughts that is!

I had a “love hate” relationship with school. I have already shared that I was the child who was picked last for everything. I had some amazing teachers – who are still impacting my life today! As well as some less than amazing ones, who thankfully, I barely remember them today.

However, today I am going to talk about two teachers that altered my life dramatically…

When I went to high school (back in pre-historic times, lol) every sophomore had to take “Speech Class” – it was required for graduation. And, somehow, the education gods smiled on me because my teacher was magnificent! Mr. Berghorst opened my eyes to a world beyond Holland, Michigan. He challenged me to over come my fears of public speaking – for which I am profoundly grateful. He also inspired us to read… everything. His class room had a border of dozens of The New Yorker covers encircling it. He had a copy of The NY Times in his classroom for students to read. He knew that reading could take us anywhere and everywhere – and he encouraged us to read to learn, not just to read for “fun”!

The other “set” of teachers that changed my life were the cluster of history teachers I had in high school. They unlocked for me my deep and abiding thirst to learn about the past…every bit of the past, but the one who most significantly altered my life was my “Michigan History” teacher, Mr. Schaap. Michigan History was a required class for graduation as well, and I took it my junior year. Through Mr. Schaap, I learned a bit of the ugly history of Holland Michigan. (What today, I am certain would be erroneously classified as CRT and removed from the curriculum!) But Mr. Schaap also helped me start the Young Democrats. There was a group of us (laughably, The Young Democrats were a larger group than The Young Republicans) and we worked with the Ottawa County Democrats and even helped get the first Democrat elected to a county seat! Through Mr. Schaap, I made some delightful connections within my community that I did not know existed. (Apparently, there were lots of ‘hidden Democrats’ in Holland! HA) I also learned that the best history is the history that is painful to learn… because that process is the one that begins change.

I think often of these two men and the impact they had on my life. I also think that sometimes taking a class you think you will absolutely not like, or don’t see the value of what you might learn in that class… is exactly what you need to do. Go in, open your mind, listen, challenge yourself to do what you think you cannot, learn something painful, and grow! Those things are the keys to success in life…

Thank you for stopping and listening to me share a bit about my thoughts on school. I would like to thank Kym for leading us (and for the new artwork!)

Have a great weekend and I will see you all back here on Monday!

Unraveled Wednesday | 9.7.22

Unraveled Wednesday | 9.7.22

Greetings, dear Unravelers!

Welcome to the first Unraveled Wednesday of September!

It has been a slim making week… too much Holiday Weekending which left me with lots of catch up things to do on Tuesday! But!! There is a new Mystery Gnome… and I have Clue One done! Woot! Clue Two comes out tomorrow and I am planning that for my evening knitting!

Sadly, no sewing… which I hope to remedy today. Really! Ha!

I did however manage a few minutes each day for spinning… thanks to my trusty pop-up reminder! It is a thing I look forward to each afternoon. I have spun about a third of this “braid” and enjoying it tremendously! It is really such a lovely mix of fibers…BFL, Shetland, and Manx Loaghtan – a signature blend from Hipstrings. It is lovely to spin – not to slippery, not to sticky… just right!

The reading this week though… oh my. Excellent books, each and every one. And all so incredibly different from one another and all new-to-me authors!

Did you hear mammy died?Did you hear mammy died? by Seamus O’Reilly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am not quite certain how this brilliant memoir came across my radar, but I am so very glad it did!

A peek inside a family living in Northern Ireland… a family of larger proportions…so buckle in and enjoy the ride.

Seven would have been considered crisply eccentric, and nine plainly mad. To be one of eleven was singularly demented.

O’Reilly tells a poignant tale… life after his mother died… poignantly, beautifully, and with a healthy dose of gallows-ish humor. The writing is pure and so spot on… at times it made me chuckle and at times it took my breath away. I finished it and wanted so much more…

I think you will too… I highly recommend!

The Shell SeekersThe Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my first Pilcher book and I am left wondering why on earth that is!

This was a beautifully written story of the very well lived life of Penelope Keeling and her entirely imperfect children… and some “children” who were not really her children, but she loved them profoundly.

At times I worried this story would fall into the “romantic novel” category and while it veered close, it never quite crossed the line into that territory. The characters are richly developed… the story is beautiful and it quite made me want to say YES, I will go with Penelope to Cornwall with you! I confess… I shed a few tears through the journey and this is a book I won’t soon forget!

Dead-End Memories: StoriesDead-End Memories: Stories by Banana Yoshimoto
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I knew nothing about this author or this book, but the cover called to me and so I requested the audio version of this book from Netgalley. And then, I was simply blown away…

This is a collection of 5 short stories with a common theme… they are all lonely women. The stories at times discomforting… and more than a bit strange… but despite that, I could not stop listening. I needed to know where the stories would go… and they left me with a bit of hope and the promise of something better. They are stories that require some work for you to get through… you must listen carefully and sadly, I found the audiobook narration, by Kathleen Li, a bit stilted at times – making it difficult to pay attention. I had to go back and listen to bits several times. Thus, I think this book would be better read with your eyes… and that was the reason this book did not get 5-stars from me.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HighBridge Audio for the copy of the audiobook.


And there you have my update on what I am making and what I have read… what about you? What are you beginning September with?

As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!


September RIFFing | 9.2.22

September RIFFing | 9.2.22

At long last we have arrived at the cusp of my favorite season… autumn. I live all year for autumn… and though I have learned to live happily in the moment of *now*… my heart is always longing for autumn! This week we have had some lovely “teasers” with cooler days and nights and I am so ready! I am sorry Summer, but I am really over baking hot days, endless sun, and all.the.humidity! And I’d be ever so grateful for some days of soaking rains… all day soaking rains! Yes, September brings lots of hopes for so many things!

So let’s get RIFFing, shall we?

a REAL goddess —

The Goddess in action!

I don’t know about you all, but this week I have had a laser focus on the US Open! Why you ask?

One word… Serena! (and personally, I think all players should be in self-designed twirly, sparkling tennis attire!)

As of this writing she has played just two games, but both were both so incredible! She is sparkling from head to toe… and taking no prisoners! And I am here for every single bit of it! (She played again Thursday evening… doubles with Venus! Sadly, they lost… but what a match it was!)

Inspired —

This is Week Six (and the last week) of my Beginning Landscape class. This week the Watercolor Gods smiled on me as I feel I did better that I had in any previous week. I know I still have miles and miles to go on learning, but small bits are beginning to click. I have roughly 3 weeks before my next class begins and my plan is to go back and redo each and every lesson… begin again, as it were… with my newly acquired skills! That means 2 lessons a week and I am so excited to “do them all again!” Is there anything in life better than inspiring yourself? I think not! (If you doubt that… see the Goddess above!) And no photo’s here… I shared both paintings on IG!

Finding (my inner sewist) —

Autumn is looming and I really need to sit down at the sewing machine and actually do some sewing! I have things cut out… patiently waiting… to be assembled into garments. In the same thread… I have a garment in mind that I want to make. I have looked for patterns, but have found none that check all my boxes… so I am going to make my own pattern for a simple a-line denim jumper/tunic. And…. I have another Grinch-y Advent Calendar to make for Olivia. (I need to get black flannel and an assortment of colorful buttons…) Anyways, this is notice to me that the coming “Unraveled Wednesday” posts should be all about the sewing… NOT the knitting!

Finding (visibility) —

I saw this tweet yesterday and was intrigued by the photo… Ruth Marcus and Strega Nona? What?

I am gifting you all the article so you can read as well. It very much struck a chord with me having made the decision some years ago to stop coloring my hair… the invisibility factor for women of a certain age (and older) is very real. Ruth goes on to address how a woman looks… you are damned if you are gorgeous (See the Sanna Marin nonsense) and you are damned if you are not. Women have to think about tone of voice, inflection, what they are wearing, hair – as in appropriately colored hair. This is not a new thing… I am sure you have all heard the adage about Ginger Rogers “doing everything that [Fred Astaire] did…backwards and in high heels.” 

Some days it really feels like that for every step forward, we are knocked dozens back… but maybe, just maybe… Ruth has cleared the pathway for us all a little. Maybe we can all pick up some of Strega Nona’s bad-ass-ness, which in my mind… is a very good thing! (And in case you are wondering, yes… I absolutely have read the Strega Nona books to my kids… they are so awesome!)

And I think, Ruth is the perfect Goddess Bookend for this blog post… two amazing women how showing us all how to be the most amazing badass women!

And with that, I am out of here! I will be back on Wednesday with some fun unraveling to share! Have a great LONG weekend everyone!

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