Hello, Monday! | 6.22.20

Hello, Monday! | 6.22.20

I discovered this weekend that there is a poem for Lamb’s Ear. As you can see, my garden has a sea of Lamb’s Ear! And it has an army of happy bees that spend their days marching the stalks to harvest every drop of nectar held within those “pink tongues”.

I swore off vegetable gardening after last year, but then the coronavirus changed what life looks like (at least from my perspective) And it made sense to put in a SAH Garden. Apparently, this was the plan of everyone else in the area as well because the nurseries were all cleaned out by Memorial Day Weekend. My choices were not usual, but perhaps that is a good thing. So new varieties of tomatoes are growing quickly and I even have some tomatoes growing on the plants! There are sweet peppers instead of spicy ones. And beans – yellow and green. One important key is that I planted what I can manage by myself, in case Steve bails on me again this year. Rather I should say, he has bailed. His gardening input was to add some fresh dirt to the beds. But, a garden planned for a solo gardener is not a burden at all.

My containers are not full of the usual things either, my thoughts are mixed on how they look right now. But I count myself lucky that there was one lone verbena left for me to get! The color is really lovely!

I am almost done with Clue Three of the TTL Mystery shawl… and my love grows for the design work! I will share photos on Wednesday – but it is the perfect pairing of yarn and pattern!

But!! I started swatching last night and I am very happy with my initial results. It needs a bit more knitting and then a nice bath. But, I think this yarn will work beautifully!

I hope your Monday is full of good things!

Friday Finds | 6.19.20

Friday Finds | 6.19.20

I can’t believe what you say, because I see what you do. — James Baldwin

Happy Juneteenth, everyone.

Today I will spend the day thinking about how meaningful this day is for Black Americans…and how far White America thinks we have come…but has not. And how I can do better.


Now let’s get on with the finds!

Need some listening suggestions? I got you this week!

Also Into America hosted by Trymaine Lee has some smart conversation!

I discovered The Sierra Club’s Overstory podcast this week! It is perfect for my morning journal time!

My knitting brain has been focused on baby knits and this caught my eye this week.

But so did this… because Ansel. Ummm, yeah. It is lovely and it would be the perfect yarn for a sweater. Seriously… you need this in your knitting life. Now!

I know some of you have been doing a flurry of dishcloth knitting… but what about some potholder love?

Carolyn Bloom continues to amaze with her crocheted circles. 

And that is all I have for this week! Have a great weekend everyone!

Work-ending

Work-ending

I would love to tell you I got all this knitting done over the weekend, but strawberries are ripe in the ‘Burgh.

And so, there was lots of hulling. Lots of macerating. Lots of rolling boiling. And lots of slow-roasting. And, as always, I want to thank Judy for this incredible recipe which made my house smell wonderful all.weekend.long.

We ended up with 10 pints of jam, which sounds like a lot but, they won’t last until next berry season! But oh boy, these jars are jam-packed with the taste of summer! There is nothing like a nice dollop of jam on yogurt cold, dark January. It is the tastiest promise of summer I can think of!

And in-between berry preserving, I pickled some jalapenos as well!

The jam making was a good diversion from my allergy misery. Oy, the itchy eyes, the sneezing… am I the only one, or does this year seem a bit worse than normal?

And here we are on a Monday, that feels very much like a lazy Saturday morning to me. Coffee and knitting anyone?

P.S. I did not want the day to go by with no mention of Rayshard Brooks. I read a post on FB yesterday about the need to think about the police in all this. Really? Here is what I think about the police… they believe they can get away with murder. I have zero respect for them. Zero.

TGIF | 6.12.20

TGIF | 6.12.20

Another week in the bag and this one brought our first 90+ degree days. If this is a taste of what is to come…sigh. Honoré commented yesterday on my “summer sweater” and it not being very wearable in 90+ degree weather. And that would be true if it were wool, but it is linen and yes, I can and will wear it all summer long. Sorry I did not get a photo of it yesterday, but it was exactly what I hoped it would be! Light, airy, and so comfortable! I finally added my modifications to the project page if you are interested.

It was a week with lots of reflection and inward looking… and listening. So much listening. And that is where I am going to start this post.

Tune in —

And this is a fantastic 8 minutes and 33 seconds. Thanks, Casey Neistat!

Get Going —

Katie gave me the inspiration to cast on my Mystery Shawl. I did start. I am on Clue One. Clue Three is out. I am not stressing about being “behind” (okay, maybe a little especially when I have this list of things I want to knit and wear yet this summer!) what yarn? I am using Jill Draper’s Ansel in Forget Me Not 1 and 3. And this yarn… oh my. It is scrumptious. I just love woolen spun yarns… and this one is perfectly done.

And then Julia Farwell-Clay had this temptation this week! Oh boy. WANT!! I am planning on this to be the perfect August Knit, you know for those days when the constantly running AC makes the house feel like a deep freeze and a nice lap full of wool is just the thing you want!

Inspiration —

This year I have been spending time reading poetry. Each month I try and find a “new to me” poet and settle in with their words. It has been inspiring in ways that I never imagined. And these days poetry becomes more and more vital to my day. I am in awe of poetry writers and their ability to put their words and feelings on paper. I think it would be so much fun to take a poetry class… and perhaps a socially distanced poetry class!

Finally, open your eyes —

Yesterday’s episode on The Slowdown was brilliant, go listen… it will be the best 5 minutes of your day! (and it was the perfect thing to have listened to before seeing this:

Yes, I see you. Yes, I care.

That’s it for the week, I hope I shared some things that will make you stop and think, some resources to help us all be better, and a little knitting… because sometimes it is the only think keeping me (somewhat) sane.

See you all back here next week!

 

TGIF | 6.12.20

TGIF | 6.5.20

Greetings from Phase Green Allegheny County! 

Curiously, this phase change will not change much in my life. We are still being cautious in our outings, not planning any  travel. I am not racing out to get my hair and nails done, nor are we stampeding a restaurant for in-person dining.

Steve returning almost full-time to work, with an almost full office is enough to worry about without adding in anything else.

This week though, amirite? And the stupid just keep flowing…I am not sure who I think is dumber Rand Paul or Lisa Murkowski!

Thinking About —

Breonna Taylor… lots. Today, she would have been 27. I have a son who just turned 27 and thinking about her makes me very sad, very angry, and trying to imagine how devastated her family must feel. I hope you will think about Breonna today, that you will say her name, and do one thing to work towards justice for those who have none.

Good Reads —

Yesterday, I posted on Instagram a small list of books to read that will help us all become better allies. But I was struck by the newsletters I got that instead of trying to sell me something, paused their business to shine a spotlight on Black Lives Matter. There were some that have said nothing, and this morning I unsubscribed to a bunch of them. But to those that spoke out, you can be assured that I will move you to the top of my “online retail” list! (on the move up list: Wool and Honey, and Churchmouse Yarns, and Workroom Social, to name a few)

Standing IN the gap —

Yesterday, GGMadeIt taught us about the gap and standing in it!  Watch her, thank her, join her… and then STAND in the gap for those around you.

Finally —

I am going to close with the moving eulogy that Reverend Al Sharpton delivered yesterday for George Floyd. This section was especially profound for me and it so terribly true: “…George Floyd’s story has been the story of black folks because ever since 401 years ago, the reason we could never be who we wanted and dreamed to being is you kept your knee on our neck. We were smarter then the underfunded schools you put us in, but you had your knee on our neck. We could run corporations and not hustle in the street, but you had your knee on our neck. We had creative skills, we could do whatever anybody else could do, but we couldn’t get your knee off our neck. What happened to Floyd happens every day in this country, in education, in health services, and in every area of American life, it’s time for us to stand up in George’s name and say get your knee off our necks.”

I would encourage you to take the time and watch Rev Al, it will be the best 31 minutes of your day!

 

Friday Thoughts | 5.29.20

Friday Thoughts | 5.29.20

Another

Black

Body 

Shot.  — from Running For Your Life, a community poem

I heard this poem Wednesday on NPR. It made me cry and it made me unbelievably angry that I am cloaked in my White Privilege, in my nice home, not living in fear of law enforcement (aka those who believe it is “open season on black people” with absolutely no fear of repercussions for their actions.) If you have not listened to it, you should…


And as if Ahmaud Arbery was not enough.

Then came “Central Park Karen” and her actions against birdwatcher, Christian Cooper. . 

And then George Floyd. And please don’t give me “but the aftermath is so wrong” because I don’t know how what is happening in Minneapolis has not happened all over America on a daily basis.

Because today I learned about Breonna Taylor.

And I am really so over this. And not because I don’t want to hear about these murders – I am so over this because when will justice finally happen? When will racism die the death it needs to. How long will Jim Crow America still be Jim Crow America.

Even President Obama weighed in, “This shouldn’t be “normal” in 2020 America. It can’t be “normal.” If we want our children to grow up in a nation that lives up to its highest ideals, we can and must be better.” Yes we can and we must.

Sadly, there is not enough poetry in the world to fix this. But Keedron Bryant’s song and the community poem, Running for Your Life are providing me with words that are helping me to better understand.

And for that I am grateful.

 

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