by Kat | Jun 7, 2018 | General, Words
Today’s things have nothing to do with each other.
Thing One:
Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. I can’t help but wonder what kind of nation we would be if he had not been killed and I thought his ability to empathize with others made him a truly amazing human being. Perhaps these words will be a balm for your day. They remind me that each one of us does have an impact!
Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest of walls of oppression and resistance. RFK
Thing Two:
Yesterday we had 4 yards of mulch delivered! And while 4 yards is less than 6, it is still a ton of work to get it all moved from this pile to the garden beds. We did not quite finish yesterday so I have a bit more to do this morning. It’s so much work but, I just love how nice the beds look with fresh mulch… oh and having a good audio book to listen to also is a huge help, as were the temps only in the 60’s all day!
Thing Three:
Today I go to the salon for the second installment of “I am not coloring my grey hair anymore” which means I am getting my grey hair colored. However, I think this might be the last ‘regular’ installment. I am hoping that all future installments just mean a few ‘foils’ here and there as I finish the transition. Maybe I am overly hopeful, but that’s my story and I am sticking to it!
What things are going on in your life today? Want to see more interesting things? Head on over to Carole’s!
by Kat | Jun 6, 2018 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Did you ever have moments in your knitting when you feel like you are not making any headway? This is that time for me in my Eavesdrop sweater… I am knitting but it is slow going, or so it seems. But, I am on the fourth skein and I only have 2 more to go so if I buckle down and put some knitting time it…
Yes, that is the only thing standing between me and a finished object…knitting time! I had a hiccup over the weekend when the Farmer’s Market had all.the.things in and then I had to finish a book which I forgot was due yesterday. My Monday encompassed all the reading (of actual real books which makes it kind of impossible for me to knit and read!)
But, I am back to listening, which is perfect for knitting.
Speaking of reading….
This week’s finishes were spectacular!!
I finished five books! YES, FIVE!!
A Month in the Country was my next read from Michael Ondaatje’s recommended reads list. It was a lovely short little story and I gave it 4-stars. If your Summer Book Bingo square needs a historical fiction book, this would be a great choice! It is post WWI in England is beautifully written.
The Magicians was crazy good! I could not stop listening and loved every minute of it. 5-stars and I recommend it!
Heartburn filled my “with recipes, patterns or puzzles” square. It was a lovely short listen, narrated by Meryl Streep. It is a 4-star book filled with good things and laughs!
The Night Stalker by Robert Bryndza is the second in the DCI Erika Foster mystery series. It is fast paced and riveting! I gave it 4-stars and recommend if you want something grittier than Armand Gamache and Three Pines.
Warlight is Michael Ondaatje’s latest novel which might be my favorite book of the year. I know, but what about The Woman Who Smashed Codes, you ask? All I can say is get your hands on this book and read it. Ondaatje is a master word smith. The writing is spectacular, and the story is brilliant. If you want spoilers, you can read my review here on Goodreads. I gave this book 5-stars and highly recommend you drop everything and just read it now!
The audio finishes were thanks to two full days in the kitchen. And, really? Thank goodness for books which made the tasks much more pleasant!
Believe it or not, I am almost done with The Magician King, the second book in the Magicians Series. It is equally good and I am ravenously listening to find out what happens to Quintin in Fillory!
I started Willa Cather’s The Pittsburgh Stories on Monday night, which will fill my “set in the state where you live” square. I love that Willa lived in Pittsburgh for about 10 years and love her description of arriving at the stunning East Liberty Train Station in 1896. Something we have in common… we both first came to Pittsburgh via a train and arrived in the same station! I am enjoying this short little read tremendously and hope to be done with it later today!
I am about halfway through Ohio, and while I am enjoying it – staying awake to read it at night has been a struggle!
Up next in my queue: Less, Six of Crows, and The Yiddish Policemen’s Union all for Book Bingo squares!
And, FYI… I am closing in on my first BINGO!!
But, what about you? What are you making or reading this week?
If you wrote a post to share today, please leave your link below!
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by Kat | Jun 5, 2018 | General, In This Moment
City living has its perks, but it also has its drawbacks. One of those drawbacks is ambient light at night, which makes seeing stars a challenge!
When I read this poem by Derek Walcott, I was carried back to my childhood and memories of seeing that last star boldly shining as the sun begins to tint the sky, or that first star to show itself as the sunlight faded. I hope it stirs equally pleasant memories for you.
Star
If, in the light of things, you fade
real, yet wanly withdrawn
to our determined and appropriate
distance, like the moon left on
all night among the leaves, may
you invisibly delight this house,
O star, doubly compassionate, who came
too soon for twilight, too late
for dawn, may your faint flame
strive with the worst in us
through chaos
with the passion of plain day
by Kat | Jun 4, 2018 | General, In This Moment
I am not sure one could pack more into a regular weekend than I did this weekend!
I re-purposed 2 skirts into Esme tops. This was surprisingly super quick, and I am feeling most accomplished for reusing unworn garments into something I will wear. The pile of unworn items is shrinking as they are re-purposed, which makes me feel so very good!
The farmers market had an explosion of good things which prompted some monumental tasks that included making Judy’s Famous and Oh So Delicious Oven-Roasted Strawberry Jam, pickling radishes, making Bourbon Soaked Cherries, and making stuffed peppers to freeze.
And, much of this happened during a sudden water outage Saturday afternoon thanks to a water main break in the neighborhood. How this can happen with the temperatures in the 80’s is beyond me! But, no water in the midst of all.the.things caused me to put off peeling and cutting up about 4 lbs of apples for apple crisp until today.
We also enjoyed a delicious Friday Happy Hour, had some steamed mussels on Saturday of which there were leftovers which made an incredible pasta on Sunday.
All this took place with the ‘normal’ weekend things going on as well and I feel like I lived the Make Hay While the Sun Shines motto to the fullest (even though the sun shone very little over the weekend!)
Obviously, there was little to no knitting time so my Eavesdrop is about the same as when you last saw it. However, all that time in the kitchen helped me make good progress on an audio book, which helps my Summer Book Bingo card tremendously!
I almost feel like it should be a “no list” Monday, and outside of those apples – maybe it will!
How was your weekend?
by Kat | Jun 1, 2018 | General
I am now in the “easy flow” of Eavesdrop, I have finished the sequence parts, the increase parts, and the Horizontal Stitch parts! I will just say that horizontal stitching with linen is not something for the faint of heart! I got it done, but it too the better part of an afternoon and all evening! I now have 13 inches (or there about) of stockinette to do. Translation… easy, peasy knitting!
I am also contemplating my next knit and I need to swatch, so I am ready to cast on. Why the rush? Well, I want to have this close to done so I can squeeze in Marie Greene’s 4 Day KAL. So, I am focused on getting Eavesdrop done, which means some monogamous daily knitting.
However, all the planting is done, the garden beds are all in fairly good shape which means I have no real distractions to keep me from knitting! I doubt I can have it done by Monday but maybe…
How about some links to welcome June!
Summer sweater knitting should be a thing so I have some ideas for you: Hvide Sande or La Lancia or Latitude or Congrats are all fingering-ish weight sweaters and all are so cute!
In the summer sweater knitting vein…#makenine2018 on IG continues to inspire me! The creativity!! This and this… both caught my eye yesterday and the urge to swatch is strong!
I have always been obsessed with Koigu and their Pencil Box Collection is wonderful!
For the shawl knitters out there: I love Walk your Way and Areas is really interesting as well. And, if you like texture…Bobble Diamond Shawl is fascinating. Also, TTL Summer MKAL shawl is up for sale this morning!
Finally, building blocks for Fair Isle lovers!
That is all I have for this week! Have a wonderful weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!
by Kat | May 31, 2018 | General, Words
Last Thursday we got our vegetable gardens all planted. It was a long day’s work, but it was a very good distraction so the worry about Sherman did not overwhelm me. It got me thinking about things I do to avoid being overwhelmed by something else. Okay, confession time… there are even things I do so I can avoid doing something I don’t want to do at all (i.e. procrastinating.)
Thing One:
Gardening is one of my favorite early morning things to do. No phones, no texts, totally unplugged – just me, the dirt, and the plants. It is the best therapy I can think of for highly stressful situations. Plants are wonderful listeners and are completely non-judgmental, and birds riotously singing lifts even the saddest spirit. Even weeds can be a good thing… they are the perfect target of frustrations and aggression. And, last week when my worry level was off the charts, they provided a balm to my ragged spirits with a bonus of a sense of great accomplishment at the end of the day when the garden beds were full of tomatoes, beans, potatoes, and peppers!
Thing Two:
Knitting is my super-power, and that is a true fact. I do not like to sit “idle” at all… I am fidgety. Knitting gives my hands something to do and allows me to focus. It helps with waiting, with long car rides, and for those times when I just need to be still. Sadly, it is also the thing that helps me perfect procrastination! Knitting or dusting… I know, it is a tough choice and dusting rarely ever wins!
Thing Three:
Audio book reading/listening has really helped me amp up my reading completion numbers! It also is the best companion for walking, or making dinner, or sipping coffee in the early morning. It helps with making beds, and doing laundry, and yes – even knitting! It has also reduced the amount of time I watch television!! And, when I actually do haul out the dusting cloth – a good audio book keeps me company and I am not really focused on how much I dislike the task.
There you have my things for the day… want to see more things? Head on over to Carole’s!
by Kat | May 30, 2018 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
The knitting on Eavesdrop continues. I know you will find this hard to believe, but I am not to the sleeve divide yet! I barely knit over the weekend…shocking I know! However, yesterday I worked on getting back on track and this morning I will be taking it off the needles to see just how close I am! I just started my third skein of yarn, so I hope I am close!
I also need to cut out a couple more Uniform Tops to stitch up! I have the fabrics all ready to go, I just need to sit down and get them cut out. We have some rain forecast which might help make that happen sooner than later! Or, I just need to stop procrastinating and do it!
My reading, however, has not stagnated at all! I filled the first two squares of my summer book bingo card with The Baron in the Trees and Snow Falling on Cedars – both of which I absolutely loved!
The Baron in the Trees was a richly told story of an adolescent boy, Cosimo, who takes to the trees and he stays there until he dies at age 65. It is vibrantly written, incredibly engaging, and a truly lovely story and I gave it 5-stars!
Snow Falling on Cedars was equally well written, but in an entirely different way, and still a very compelling story. It has had a profound impact on me and it also got 5-stars.
I am almost finished reading A Month in the Country and have about 4 hours of listening time left in The Magicians. Do I think I can finish them to count in May? I don’t know but I will certainly try!
What’s next?? I will be starting the Night Stalker today! And, I have the second book in The Magician’s series and Nora Ephron’s Heartburn queued up next! The best part…all these books have a square on my bingo card! I love summer reading, don’t you?
But, what about you? What are you making and/or reading this week?
If you have a post and are joining us, please leave your link below!
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by Kat | May 29, 2018 | General, In This Moment
Dew covered blossom
At last after a slow start
More buds wait for June
After a very slow start, May is ending with a riot of color and growth. The best thing was the roses blooming over the weekend. The perfect way to welcome June!
It makes for a very happy way to start a Tuesday (that does not feel very Tuesday-like at all) and I hope your day eases you gently in to this short week!
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 25, 2018 | General
Not much knitting progress has been made on my Eavesdrop I am about 20 rows from the “suggested sleeve divide” but I am off on row gauge, so I will measure then to see how many more rows I will need to do. However, Sherman’s surgery was successful! Now we just wait for the biopsy results, but the vet was most hopeful and so are we! Thank you all for your thoughts for Sherman! He is most appreciative and so are we!
Friday’s that begin a long weekend are even sweeter, aren’t they? We got most of our garden in yesterday while Sherman was gone, and I just have a few pots to finish today.
Outside of that, we have no major plans for the weekend at all and that feels just perfect!
Now, how about some links!
First up, the knitters are in solidarity with Flint, Michigan. There is an amazing 11-year-old girl who is making things happen in her community and Thea Coleman noticed and Water is her latest “take a stand” pattern. 100% of the proceeds are being donated to her GoFundMe campaign ($3k as of this typing!) So, if you do nothing else this weekend, buy this hat pattern and support a very good cause!
Alicia Plummer also has a pattern that is supporting Flint with 10% of the proceeds from the sales of Real Life
These bird socks are just too cool!
The Seven Sisters is my favorite from the By Hand: Making Communities book.
Churchmouse Yarns Chevron Lace Scarf is FREE!
Blacker Yarns Trym Vest is also free and has a multitude of possibilities!
I love a yoked sweater, and Hap Yoke is different and so beautiful!
Laine Magazine, Issue 5 is now out and there are several gorgeous patterns in it!
That’s all I have for this week! Have an awesome weekend and I will be back with a short post on Monday!
P.S. Summer Book Bingo begins TOMORROW!! There is still time to join in the fun!
