by Kat | May 28, 2018 | General, In This Moment
At its core, the nobility and majesty of Memorial Day can be found in the story of ordinary Americans who become extraordinary for the most simple of reasons: They loved their country so deeply, so profoundly, that they were willing to give their lives to keep it safe and free. ~ Barack Obama
Today is not just the “unofficial start of summer” nor is it just a long weekend or a day off from work. It’s not just ‘backyard barbecue with family and friends day.’ And while these all are awesome things to enjoy; today is really about those incredible men and women who gave their lives in service to our country.
I hope that your day will include some time reflecting their extraordinary sacrifice and I hope you have a very Happy Memorial Day!
by Kat | May 22, 2018 | General, In This Moment
This past week has been filled with gardening moments.
There is something that just feels so amazing that these little plants return year after year.
P.S. The Great American Read debuts tonight on PBS (at least it does on my PBS affiliate). You can find the list of the Read the 100 List here.
by Kat | May 21, 2018 | General, In This Moment
What a weekend, Gentle Readers! It seemed to fly by at warp speed and it contained bits of all kinds of things.
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The Happiest of Hours
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Wedding Knitting
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Sweater Day One
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Sweater Day Two
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So comfortable
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Details
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That Sherman
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Bee Balm
I masterfully unlocked the “Wear Your New Summer Sweater” achievement by living in my new Lucinda all weekend. Yeah, that’s right. I wore it Saturday until the temps warmed up, then steamed it to wear it to church on Sunday. I worried about the sweater not holding its shape well, but it loved being steamed and looked as fresh as it did when I put it on Saturday morning. This sweater is just so incredibly comfortable, I am pondering knitting another!
The elusive “Knit at 4AM while watching a Royal Wedding” achievement was unlocked on Saturday morning. That’s right. I was up, knitting in hand, watching Meghan and Prince Harry’s nuptials. Best knitting time of the weekend!
The “Inaugural Bee Balm Bloom” achievement was also unlocked this weekend! No blooms at all last year, so when buds appeared earlier this week the excitement began to build. I am entirely enthralled with these unique looking blooms.
And, finally, we managed to unlock the “Yes, We Got Poison Ivy Again” achievement. Yeah, we are not at all happy with this predicament. We managed to avoid the poison ivy when we trimmed all the bushes, but Saturday we tackled some newly out of control Virginia Creeper and low and behold, while pulling vines we thought were safe were actually poison ivy. This is a double-ugh worthy achievement.
Bonuses for the weekend: I made pizza dough on Friday and grilled it with a bit of salt, pepper, and olive oil. It made the perfect conduit for marinated sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. And, on Sunday I blanched some fresh asparagus and made a quick and easy salad with Cannellini beans, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, lemon zest and juice. So good, and so easy!
How about you? How was your weekend? Did you have any achievements?
by Kat | May 15, 2018 | General, In This Moment
It seems with blogging daily I am telling you everything that is going on in my life. Close, but not really. A good bit of time has passed since my last Currently post, and Tuesday’s being an inordinately challenging blog post day, I figure it might be time for some more current and pressing things in my life right now, right?
Watching: I recently binged the London Spy on Netflix. Wow. It was good and had crazy twists and turns. I highly recommend. I am also watching Season 2 of The Handmaid’s Tale as they drop each week on Wednesday, also so good! And, The American’s is winding down to the series finale. So, lots of mystery and wtf moments in the watching department!
Experiencing: Incredible relief! I had a little sit down about my volunteer activities and it worked out better than I thought it might! Yes, I am still doing some volunteering, but it now feels more like volunteering and less like free work! This is a very good reminder to me that setting boundaries in all things are a best practice.
Planning: Lots of things (some of which I shared yesterday) but really… MEALS! I have somehow strayed from healthy eating. Okay, that makes it seem like I was not at all responsible for what I eat and drink, lol. The fact is I have gained some weight back and it is a good reminder that being healthy is a lifestyle, not a temporary fix. So, we have been spending the month of May focusing on getting back to that lifestyle. It has been a challenge, but I think we are turning the corner. I am not beating myself up over this lapse, but rather using it as a motivational point.
Loving: This post from IG that January One shared on Sunday. It struck a cord with me and was just what I needed to see.
Repurposing: I have discovered that Lotta Jandottor’s Esme Top with cap sleeves (which needs no binding around the sleeves) fits PERFECTLY in a repurposed 100 Acts of Sewing Dress No. 2. I will be sewing up a few more tops in the next week or so and it makes me feel so good that these dresses are not going to waste!
Contemplating: Planting!! Specifically, tomato and pepper varieties and pondering beans with the hopes that Operation Keep Bunnies Out does do just that.
And, there you have a list of what’s current in my world right now! What about you?
by Kat | May 14, 2018 | General, In This Moment
Closing in on the finish line of my Lucinda feels so very good. This weekend’s rain actually helped spur that finish along and just tiny bits of knitting remain.
That can mean but one thing, figuring out my Summer Knit Agenda and I think I have it mapped out fairly well:
First up, a new Vodka Lemonade out of Jaeger Trinity (which is some recently unearthed deep, deep, deep stash). All I need to do is swatch to confirm what size I am knitting and with what needles and that will hopefully be a quick little knit!
My Summer Knit Agenda also includes a Uniform Cardigan out of fingering weight Coast. I ordered the yarn this weekend from Denmark. Why? Believe it or not, the price was insanely better, and they had the color I wanted. I am still working out the recipe I want to knit, but I will have enough yarn to do whatever I’d like!
I also have some Quince Sparrow that will become a (hopefully) quickly completed Eavesdrop.
And, finally I like to knit Tegna with some vintage Briar Rose Fiber yarn.
The only other summer knitting plans I have are for these socks to get mates!
Now that I have my knits plotted out, I now need to organize my Bingo Card in a similar manner so that I have the perfect reads to go with these great knits! But, that is for another post!
What about you? Are you making plans for summer? What’s on your list?
by Kat | May 8, 2018 | General, In This Moment
I don’t want to sit there and be like, ‘Oh, I don’t care what the audience thinks.’ It does matter to me. I just want them to think, to be honest. – Donald Glover
I have debated long with myself about posting this, but the impact that this has had on me is such that I am compelled to share. A warning, the link below contains powerful but graphic images, please proceed with caution.
Sometimes, in that which is incredibly uncomfortable you find that what you cannot comprehend you feel with amazing clarity. You can read some of the thoughts on the symbolism in Glover’s This is America here and here. There is much more on the Twitterverse as this has been trending since the video was posted Saturday night. The imagery in this video is stunning. Each time I watch it, I find new things to see and feel. It is powerful, painful, and perfect.
Thank you, Mr. Glover, for making me think.
