by Kat | Sep 2, 2022 | General, In This Moment
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!
by Kat | Aug 31, 2022 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
The making this week… so very good! I have a finished sweater! Woo hoo! And I love it. The fit, the details, the yarn, the marl-y-ness! It is just the Perfect Sweater! This is the pattern. This is the yarn (my colors are Escoria and Nightshade) I apologize for Porch Pictures… but it rained all day yesterday so there was no chance of getting any photos of me wearing the sweater… but I promise you that I have barely taken it off since finishing it!
I told myself that when I finished Calamus, I would pick up – in earnest – my Pheasant Pullover and I have. I have made some serious headway on the body and have about an inch to go… then I will try it on and see how the length is. If it is okay, a couple of inches of ribbing and then I will set off for Sleeve Island! Or maybe I will put the body on pause and knit the sleeves and then use the remainder of the yarn to knit a tunic-y sweater. Really, I am seriously considering it! But either way with just a bit of focused knitting and this will be a finished sweater with plenty of time for lots of fall wearing!
I also did a bit of sweater swatching….for a warm fall days sweater and a warmer sweater for cooler days…yes two sweaters from the same pattern! I started the warm fall days version… and yes, it is the remainder of my cone of Tides in the Escoria color way, but no marling this time! The warmer sweater will be knit from HolstGarn Supersoft which will create the loveliest warm layer! I love the puzzle-y start to this sweater… and soon I will be picking up and knitting the front shoulders! I think the lace panel makes it so pretty and breaks up the miles of stockinette knitting a bit!
The reading this week… so stinking good! Any week with More Lucy Barton is a good week! If you have sworn off Pandemic Books or if you have said I won’t read any Pandemic Books… you might want to reconsider and settle in with Lucy by the Sea!
Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I had sworn off any more Pandemic Novels… but perhaps this is the ONLY Pandemic Novel one should read. Honestly, skip all the others and settle in with Lucy as together, you begin to make sense of what we have/are living through.
We are all in lockdown, all the time. We just don’t know it, that’s all. But we do the best we can. Most of us are just trying to get through.
This story begins at the very beginning of the pandemic when William whisks Lucy away from NYC to settle into a home on the coast of Maine. I found myself at times in agreement with William and at other times in sync with Lucy. But really, what this story all boils down to is how people deal with isolation, loneliness, the uncertainty of an illness that has killed far too many people… and in those trying circumstances… how can we maintain our humanity? It is also about relationships… especially how the bonds of friendship are exactly what we need to get through challenging days/weeks/months/years.
To say I loved this book is an understatement… I highly recommend!
I would like to thank Netgalley and the Random House Publishing Group for the ARC of this e-book.
There you have my making and reading for the week. What is filling your days?
As always, if you wrote a post to share, please leave your link below and thank you!
by Kat | Aug 29, 2022 | General, Words
I mentioned earlier this month that I was feeling “done” with my word. And then I really settled in and spent time with Ali Edward’s team as they invited me to look at my word as if I was beginning again but from the perspective of how beginning in August looks so differently than it does in January.
Welcome to the deep breath of August… words that spoke to my heart. These words became my mantra this month especially as I began again contemplating what a full life might be.
I took a cue from a friend and made myself a daily reminder on my iPhone to sit down and spin. It is working so beautifully because I am almost done spinning for a sweater I want to knit! A simple reminder to make time to do something that I enjoy so very much.
I prioritized time for me… which is not ever on my list of things to do but this month I made space for me. I read poetry – specifically Derek Walcott. I have made a note in my calendar to spend every August with his poetry. It was so perfect this month…and especially Love After Love – it just fit so perfectly with making time for me!
I also did some knitting and lots of painting! The realization that not making space for myself results in a poorer quality of mental health which might actually be a gift to those around me!
I noted the changing light in the days, the difference in the birdsong, the groaning of my garden as the long string of dry weather took its toll. And rather than bemoan these things… I reveled in them.
In other words, I filled my days with August… and I loved every single second of it!
I want to thank Carolyn for so graciously providing a space for us all to share our journeys! See you all back here on Wednesday (hint!! There will be a Finished Object!!)
by Kat | Aug 26, 2022 | General, In This Moment
This week has felt very disordered to me… a not very weekend weekend, a missing day on Monday, and then trying to catch up with what day it is… I am really glad that the week is over! But before I close the curtain on this week, I have a few things to share!
First up… I got notification from my gastroenterologist that the polyps were benign and she will see me in 5 years! Whew! That is an enormous relief… I have a family history that is heavily laced with colon cancer and this news was a very good thing!
Next, I am painting way more than knitting these days…what? I know… but it is true! I am feeling very good about what I am learning. This is week five and, of course, there were new things to learn this week! The goal… to not have my deciduous trees not look like cotton balls on a stick. I won some, I lost some… and I especially like my hard edge trees.
I am getting a very good feel for the amount of moisture will do for a painting. Now, that does not mean I have a good handle on that moisture, but at least I am able to recognize issues, lol! And I was inspired to try another go at the little barn image. So a little free hand sketch… some Arches paper (I don’t have any Arches paper in 11×15… but I am going to get some!) and I found the sweet spot for my sky wash!
I also did better, IMO, with the grassy area. Layering is still a bit of a struggle but I am eager to practice every day! I am loving painting so much, I have signed up for a fall class with the same teacher and I am looking forward to more challenges!
Finally… perhaps my favorite thing of the week is that today is Sherman’s birthday. He is 10 years old today! (60 years in dog years based on his weight) I cannot imagine what life would have been like these past 10 years without him. He is my bright spot of each and every day. I absolutely would not have survived Pandemic Living without him. I have never had a dog with so much personality…and I love him so much! This weekend will be full of extra snuggles with him as we celebrate this milestone for him!
He looks grumpy, but he is the biggest softie on the planet… grey face and all! Happy Birthday, dearest Sherman! (who really just wants to know where his next treat is! Haha)
And that is all I have to share with you all this week. Have an amazing weekend and I will see you all back here on Monday with my August OLW update!
by Kat | Aug 24, 2022 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings Dearest Unravelers!
Welcome to the last Wednesday in August… I know. How on earth is that possible?!
I am sure you are all asking about the PLUS portion of the title… yes, you will get a bit more than making and reading today as I will give you all a small update on my Grand Procedure from yesterday! (so skip ahead to the ** if you are so inclined!)
The Grand Procedure is absolutely not on anyone’s list of things they love to do, but the actual procedure is not the hardest bit IMO… the Prep is the most odious bit! It seems each time I do a colonoscopy the prep work is always tweaked a bit from the previous time but this time… massive tweaks. The consumption of the Jug of Delight was broken into two parts. So Sunday night I began… half of the jug taken in 8 oz portions at 10 minute intervals beginning at 6PM… and repeat again at 11PM to finish the second half of the jug. Sleep much? Nope, nary a wink! But I did have a morning appointment (albeit the last one of the morning) because if not… I would have had to consume the second half Monday morning, oy!
When I moved to Pittsburgh, I was fortunate to get a female gastroenterologist, I really like her. But you get the “next in line” for anesthesiologist…which is kind of important because they are the one that sends you to the land of sweetest dreams. This time my anesthesiologist was a woman as well… who listened! My outcome post-procedure was much improved thanks to an anesthesiologist who listened and made adjustments. I had two sessile polyps removed… and I am waiting on the results… and I am not thinking about them… much but I will absolutely update you all when I know my results.
And for the nappers out there… Me nap? Really, never, unless I am sick but I did take a lovely little nap yesterday afternoon and, post nap, managed to make dinner for Steve and I last evening! Good things indeed!
**Now how about a tiny bit of a making update. I managed to finish a sleeve and get the second sleeve started on Sunday before I was preoccupied with the Jug of Delight, lol.
I did not do a lick of knitting on Monday because I figured if I could not drive a vehicle, how safe was it to knit where I had to keep track of rows for decreases. LOL
And Tuesday the Great Fall Clean Up in the house began… a precursor to the Greater Fall Clean Up outdoors… so not much no knitting yesterday either… nor was there much spinning but there was some!
However, there was some very good reading this week! And I will close out August listening to Pilcher’s The Shell Seekers!
Trust by Hernan Diaz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A tale told by multiple narrators… each revealing more of the story.
Fascinating. Curious. And yes, it makes you wonder about truth and ultimately trust. (And it gives the reader an insight to the Stock Market Crash of 1920’s)
I listened to this story and the narrators were all excellent. My opinion of the characters changed many times through the course of the unraveling of the story.
I highly recommend!
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book… oh, this book. A friend called it a “gut-punch” and it is certainly that. It is also a story that is revealed slowly, over time… and done so incredibly perfectly.
I cried, lots. But by the time I had roughly 200 pages to go… I was numbed to it all. My heart flipped from Jude to Harold, Andy, Willem, JB, Julia, Malcolm, etc. And still… I could not stop.
So how do you help someone who does not believe they are worthy of your help? Your love? Your kindness? Your friendship?
And how much sadness can one group of friends survive? This group had more than their fair share… too much.
The ending did not surprise me… but Howard’s conversation with Willem broke me.
This was my first dip into Yanagihara’s writing and it won’t be my last… I find myself wanting to devour all her books. She is a masterful writer!
I recommend… with caution… it is a hard read but so worth it!
And that is all I have for today! I hope your making was more productive than mine!
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below!
by Kat | Aug 19, 2022 | General, In This Moment
Today I have a stack of letters that I need to get in the post… buckle up!
Dear Citizens Bank Mortgage Department,
I realize that your goal is that people who have a mortgage would never pay it off and make all payments on time…and refinance frequently. However, when we called for a payoff letter… we were serious. Never did we imagine that your payoff letter would be incorrect… by a whopping $3.00. Just enough to keep the loan open… Which would keep our auto-payment open, but not pulling any payment because $3.00 is, of course, less than our usual mortgage payment.
So we called you. And called you. And called you some more. And then we got a late fee. And you reported a late payment to the credit bureau… which I am wondering how that is even possible since we don’t owe a payment!
Likewise, it is so comforting to call a customer service rep who is working from home with audible television and kids in the background. I really don’t think she is going to make our problem a priority.
Anyways, you have assured us this will all be fixed *sometime next week*… excuse me if we don’t hold our breath and we will be calling on Tuesday just to make sure!
Sincerely,
Mortgage Free, minus $3.00…
Dear Weekend,
I know that you are usually full of some fun, some good food, and for sure… a cocktail or two. This weekend will not be that. I just want to let you know that clear liquids and jello does not mean I am upset with you… I just have this little test on Monday to get ready for.
And the timing on the “prep” portion of my weekend “fun” will be determined later today when they give me a “go time” for my procedure…but I am really hoping that I do not have an afternoon appointment on Monday!
Nulytely FTW
Finally… a letter to myself:
Dearest Kat,
I found this marvelous quote this week… perfect timing for you!
To learn something new, you need to try new things and not be afraid to be wrong. ― Roy T. Bennett
It seemed to be your mantra this week because you tried lots of new things… (new shoulder seams, new bind off, and another painting!)
I know you felt a bit overwhelmed, but you listened to the advice in this week’s painting lesson and incorporated it in your painting! Yay for different brushes… and using those brushes differently!
I am so impressed with your bite-sized approach to this week’s lesson… a little bit each day and you did not get overwhelmed!
I think this is a painting that you will look back on and say things started to click for you… and you can even see the forest *and* the trees!
Sincerely,
Your Kinder, Gentler Inner Voice
And with that, dear readers, it is the weekend.
I will be back on Wednesday with some Unraveling. Think good thoughts for me on Monday!
