by Kat | Aug 23, 2019 | General, In This Moment
Overnight rains have ushered in much cooler temperatures! After days in the 90’s, today our high will be in the low to mid 70’s — ahhh! I have the windows opened wide and my ears are rejoicing hearing the birds rather than the non-stop drone of the air conditioner. It is amazing how this change in weather resets your attitude, isn’t it? I also rejoiced at having a hot coffee rather than iced and it tasted so good!
Thinking About —
My next knitting project! I have some “lingering on the needles” sweaters and I will probably pull out Tegna first and try and get it finished. Why? Well, believe it or not – I can see the end of the Romi sweater – I only have the 6 rows to go to the lace (and final) section of the body and the sleeves! Now granted, the body rows are long, but the end is in sight! However, this sweater caught my eye this week and it has been rattling around my brain ever since! I even think that I have yarn in my stash that might work for it! However, no swatching until I have Morrine Short and Sweet finished! (At least that is what I am telling myself! Ha!)
Gathering —
I have started a “garden journal” (albeit late in the season) but I am writing down what plants I grew and how they produced. This way, next spring when the lure of all the seedlings calls, I will have a road map for what worked well and, more importantly, what did not work well so I can hopefully get better outcomes! I switched up cherry tomatoes this year and these were much less prolific than previous years plants and I had some large tomato plants that were real duds as well.
Inspiring —
I have been reading the NYT’s 1619 Project and this week these poems especially. They are hard to read – it is not a proud past we have and that is even more complicated in that this past is still our present in so many ways, and if we continue on happy with the status quo, it will be our future as well. But I believe we can do so much better and it all starts with truly understanding our privilege.
Finally —
I am so happy that the weekend is here! I have a new book from the library that I hope to read tomorrow. And, beyond that I am not planning much of anything for my “day alone”! I don’t really want a list a things to get done – but rather a day where I don’t have anything that I need to check off!
Don’t forget about my “Pay The Nickel Boy’s Forward” give away is still going on – if you want to put your name in the hat, you have until Sunday night to leave a comment! I will pick the winner on Monday and get the book in the mail to you! Have a great weekend and I will see you all back here on Monday!
by Kat | Aug 16, 2019 | General, In This Moment
Mid-August… yes, I said it. Unbelievably, the month is half over. I am having zero success in my efforts to slow August down and my garden is beginning to show “end of season” signs. All of this is putting me in a bit of a melancholy mood – although I am more than ready for the neighborhood kids to head back to school, thank you very much!
Thrilled —
I don’t know if its just my “Ravelry Pattern Highlights” but I have enjoyed seeing a much more diverse group of models and designers recently! Models are not all 20-something, stick-thin, and white – and I say bravo! It is lovely to see diversity of age, shape, and yes, beautifully multi-cultural! It also makes me so happy that the “never-ravelry” nitwits have seemingly burned themselves out.
Go Sew —
I have spent much of the week pinning and cutting out a bunch of patterns. Honestly, this is my least favorite part of the entire sewing process and I figured that just sitting down and pinning/cutting in assembly line fashion would minimize the pain. As of this morning I have three things cut out, with two to go! In other words – next week will be full of my favorite part of the sewing process – the sewing part! My sewing next week will include: two Uniform Tunics, one Esme Tunic, one pair of Rose Pants, and yes, one Zadie Jumpsuit! I am excited to sit down at my machine with a stack of sewing to work on!
Irritated —
Yes, the aging process has positives, however this week I cannot think of a single one! Perhaps that is because I am focused on the aspects of aging that are just downright irritating. Things like the increased occurrence of UTI’s in postmenopausal women (hello, why yes, I do have another UTI…thank you very much!) and needing a different strength reader to *read* the damned computer monitor! So, this week I am navigating the pitfalls of growing older – and not very gracefully. My irritation is extending to Happy Hour as I am weighing the pros and cons of having a cocktail while on an antibiotic.
Forward looking —
Next weekend Steve has a work function and I am really looking forward to the time by myself! It feels selfish to say that, but boy it is so true!
What about you? Are you looking forward to anything?
That’s all I have for this week! I hope you all have a great weekend and I will see you all back here on Monday!
by Kat | Aug 15, 2019 | General, In This Moment
Joining with Carole today to share three things! Errr…okay maybe one thing with three parts!
Thing One
“… thinking back on it now reminds that the pleasures of the table, and of life, are infinite – toujours bon appétit!”
Today is Julia Child’s birthday! She would have been 107 years old.
Thing Two
“I’m not a chef… I’m a cook and a teacher.”
My cooking library contains two books by Julia and Mastering the Art of French Cooking was the first cookbook I ever bought. I learned so much from Julia about how to cook. She absolutely was (and is!) an amazing teacher!
Thing Three
“I really enjoy cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food…”
I am quite positive that I have watched (and re-watched!) every cooking show she has ever done.
Today I think I will settle in with my knitting and watch Julie & Julia again!
Bon appétit, dear Julia…and Happy Birthday!
by Kat | Aug 12, 2019 | General, In This Moment
Are a harbinger for a coming change….
The past two morning it has been so crisp outside that I needed a sweater to work in the garden! Everything is laden with dew and glistening in the early morning sunlight. The drone of the mosquitos and the buzzing of the cicadas seemed like “white noise” as I picked vegetables in the garden.
Over the weekend, I noticed the birds are beginning to flock – sitting in fretting little groups on the wires around our house.
No matter how I want to ignore it, the summer days are waning. So today is all about “making hay while the sun shines!”
What about you? What do you feel the need to get done before summer is over?
by Kat | Aug 9, 2019 | General, In This Moment
Once again, Friday is upon us in a week that just sped by! I need to figure out how to slow these August weeks down in order to fully savor these summer days!
Thinking –
Why does it seem that stripey socks knit up faster than plan socks? I cast on my Non-Euclidian socks Wednesday night while watching Maddow and above is my result of two nights of knitting. Perhaps it is these fun “Happy Accident” colors from Knitterly Things – because I am really happy knitting them! Perhaps it is that urge to “just get to the next stripe” that makes them seem to speed by!
Also, in the how is this going so quickly category… I am into the “Right Front” section of the puzzle knitting that is Romi’s Morrinne Short and Sweet! This has project is my “I can finally sit down and watch an episode or two of Father Brown” afternoon knitting – so it is really moving right along! I love how Romi has laid out the pattern row by row – there is something so enjoyable about crossing off each completed row! I know it does not look like much yet, but it feels like it is moving along rather quickly I promise you!
Grateful –
I spent much of this week thinking about those grandparents I mentioned last week and their impact on my life. I am profoundly grateful to each of them and so blessed to have had them in my life. They each provided a safe harbor in a turbulent life and it has been a good experience to reflect on them and a joy to find bits of them in me. Theirs are the voices I hear in my head with their words of encouragement and love.
Inspired –
By this question: Do you need to let anything (or anyone) go? Oh my, sometimes Michelle brings clarity to exactly that thing you are struggling with. These words are exactly what I needed today!
Forward looking –
My daughter shared some fun news this week – they found a house and in October they will no longer be renter’s, but homeowners! I am so excited for them, but this means that I need to get a move on finishing up Genevieve’s quilt! It will be perfect for her new bedroom! There is an added bonus to this because it means Christian will be home again in October to help with the move… and that might be the best thing of all!
What about you? What is your TGIF today?
Have a great weekend and I will see you all back here on Monday!
by Kat | Aug 2, 2019 | General, In This Moment
This first Friday in August just seems like the perfect time to do an “around here” post!
Around here – I am so happy to welcome August with its warm, sunny days – although there is a perceptible difference in the hours of daylight. It is no longer light out when I get up and the light is fading much earlier…BUT!!! We still have so much summer to enjoy and there is still lots of time for Al Fresco Happy Hours!
Around here – I will celebrate some special dates next week: the 8th would have been my paternal grandfather’s 112th birthday and the 10th will be the 26th anniversary of my Nana’s death. Both people were so influential in my life and I still miss them so much.
Left to right: my dad – Gordon, Grandpa John, Aunt Janice, Grandma, Uncle Kenneth As I recall, this photo was taken about 6 months before my Grandpa John died at age 62.
Heidi’s Baptism, left to right: My sister, Susan, my mom (holding Heidi) me holding Rachel, my ex, and finally, My Nana – Mae Huxhold How about those hair styles? I have permed hair – so awesome! Haha! This picture was taken about 3 years before my Nana died. I looked for a photo with her from Sam’s baptism – but there are no photos that include her and that makes me so sad. She avoided the camera – so photos that include her are rare.
Around here – I have happily reached the “little flowers” portion of my shawl and the end is in sight! Good thing because, as you can see above, I am well into the second half of my yarn! Also, a good thing because I am itching to cast on a new project! This crossed my radar last month and I have been bouncing it around in my brain for about a week now and I think going to Sock School sounds like the perfect thing to do and I might even learn something that will inspire me to knit more socks! Plus Carole’s finished socks really inspired me and I have a skein from Knitterly Things that needs to be socks in a bad way!
Vesper Sock Yarn in the “Happy Accident” colorway
Around here – I am picking more and more from my garden. I have a plethora of peppers that will make their way into our meals this week! I am also picking more than a handful of tomatoes each day as well and I am this.close to the raspberry apocalypse!
Around here – I have been surprised by some of the unexpected moments at the debates this week! Now, granted, there were way too many unsurprising moments, but those brief unexpected ones are standing out for me! But, best of all might be the post debate commentary – from Clorox discussions to how much “Moscow Mitch” hates his new moniker and I laughed at all of them, but this one… well, I am with Miranda Yaver!
And, there you have my brief but, hopefully spectacular “around here” moments! I hope today ushers in an amazing weekend for all of you and I will see you all back here on Monday!
