Means a cooler start to the week! And the mornings are so dark now. The tables have turned and instead of the sun waiting for me to rise… I am waiting for the sun, which just might be the perfect way to ease into the week.
These words by Jericho Brown have lingered with me since I listened to them last week on The Slow Down and, like Jericho, “I am in a mood about America.”
Googling, I found this reading by Alfre Woodard to share with you all! Each time I hear the poem, something different speaks to me.
It’s been a week, again. A world on fire… literally.
So to maintain some semblance of sanity, I have avoided the internet…which means, I “found” nothing this week to share with you.
But… I reached Dreamy Sleeve Island! Which means nine million stitches were successfully picked up and bound off! The finish line is calling and I want to wear this cloud!! I mean this blasted heat and humidity has to end sometime, right?
But today is also for remembering…
“Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.” — Barack Obama
In retrospect, Gentle Readers, I should have done 1 more repeat of the patterning. In the end, rather than rip back 10 rows of ribbing, I just forged ahead and did an extra inch of 1×1 ribbing… Sigh. At no point in time did I ever try the body on to see how the length was. Yep, that’s right… not once. I went by the photo images on the pattern, and knit to the specified length from the under arm. Lesson for savvy knitters… always, always, always try the sweater on! Especially when the end result means additional inches of 1×1 ribbing… on US size 4’s with lace weight yarn. Anyways, I think the extra ribbing will be fine and most certainly will not roll or fold up, so there is that benefit. Today, I am working through picking up stitches around the fronts to knit the applied I-cord front/neck bands. Umm, I generally don’t mind picking up stitches. I usually do some knitty math to figure out my pick-up ratio and go. This time, the ratio has been calculated for me, but boy howdy… this fabric is not the easiest for picking up stitches! So I am armed with bright light and a good audiobook to keep me company with the task. I confess, I am a bit nervous about picking up stitches around the arm holes… I don’t know how that will work and in my mind, it has all manners of disaster written all over it. Keep your fingers crossed for me, and I welcome any and all helpful tips, suggestions, and/or knitterly mojo you’d care to send my way!!
But, challenging knitting aside… it was a summer for reading accomplishments and so many good books! Perhaps the best thing that all these books brought me was the expansion of my horizons through my reading. In the wee hours of Sunday morning, I finished my second SAH Bingo Coverall! (A reminder of my first SAH Bingo Coverall) I also finished my first “post-bingo” books this week! Yay!
Month or day of the week Season in the title (yes, I swapped this season for “month or day of the week,” but my card – my rules): The Summer Book
Part of a series: The Lewis Man
Told from more than two different points of view: The House of the Spirits
Prize-winning author (but not prize-winner): The Night Watchman
Collection of poetry: The Rain in Portugal
Recommended by a friend: The Things We Cannot Say
By and author on your current year favorites list: The Chessmen
Historical fiction: The Good Lord Bird
Blurbed by someone you admire: Tightrope
Set in a different season: The Innocent (I loosely translated this to the Cold War season)
Bird or animal on the cover: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Latest book by an author your love: Afterlife
Any book: Counting Descent
Recommended in Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Summer Reading Guide (any year): The Sweet Life in Paris
Originally published in the 20th century: Invisible Man
Re-read a childhood/YA favorite: Stuart Little
Recommended on a podcast: Intimations: Six Essays
Children’s Classic: Wind in the Willows
On a friend’s favorites shelf: Upstream
Chosen by a celebrity the PBS/NYTimes bookclub (at any time): The Street
I have read this book dozens of times… alone as an early reader and out loud to my children before bed. The escapades of Stuart are simply wonderful. The joy of having it read to me, though was entirely unexpected! I could immerse myself in my inner child and lose my self in Stuart’s story. I highly recommend this audio version!
A beautiful companion to Ta-Nehisi Coates Between the World and Me. The writing is poetic and haunting. The view into the mother/son relationship is poignant, in a world where black boys are not safe in most places. Perry does a beautiful job of putting the reader in her shoes. I highly recommend this book.
If it is at all possible, I think re-reading this as an adult made this book better. Or perhaps it is the time we are living in… the concerns of coronavirus, the worry about the political climate, the desire for racial justice. And for a few hours, I was able to escape all that to life with Mole and Ratty. A place where differences are not bad, where everyone is welcome, and where the ability to just head out to no where is absolutely okay. The writing is profound… with lots of adult nuggets tucked away! I highly recommend getting lost in the Willows!
A painful, yet moving memoir of a daughter trying to make sense of her mother’s life and death. I was left with many questions, as I think Trethewey intended… because she still has questions. The story is chilling and heartbreaking.
And that is all I have for today! If you wrote a post to share, please leave your link below, and thank you!
“The month of August had turned into a griddle where the days just lay there and sizzled.” ― Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees
Yes, this quote perfectly sums up what August was for me…a month of sizzling, never ending heat. By months end, my gardens were all looking rather fried. We did have some significant rainfall that made all the weeds leap to life seemingly overnight, but do you think I did any weeding? Yeah, that would be a big N-O, lol.
We also found ourselves at the six month mark of Pandemic times. My state went on “lock down” on March 15, but my house started at the beginning of March. The days have a familiar rhythm and it is hard to think back to what “life before COVID” was like. It almost seems like another lifetime ago. But some of the changes are so very good. I feel like a smarter shopper now, with a major shop about every 3 weeks. Yes, I pick up “fill in” items… veggies and fruits. But my garden provided loads of fresh beans, some incredibly delicious orange peppers, and a plethora of tomatoes. And all that helped reduce the “extra trips” out.
But some of these changes are just very bad, there is no way to sugar coat not seeing my kids and while I am extremely thankful for FaceTime, texting, and phone calls… it is really not a substitute for being together in person. It pains me to say that this will likely be “reality” at least through the end of this year and it is the thing that makes me the most depressed.
The Best Part of the Month
This, ironically, was not something I did… but rather something Vivi’s chicken did! Yes, one of those Easter chicks laid its first egg! There was much joy and excitement in this feat and it might have been one of the best photos I got all month!
Something New
Zoom Knitting seems to be here for the duration, and this month we finally got “smart” (yes, even knitters can take 6 months to get their act together!) One of our members had moved away, and we finally figured out a day and time that worked for everyone, her included! So Knit Night now seems like one of the best things as hearing her escapades again make for some much needed laughter. No one tells a story quite like Julia does!
Best “Oh, Wow” Moment/s
The August skies absolutely came through with the “Oh, Wow” factor! And they reminded me that looking up is always a good idea! They kicked “ho hum” mornings in the pants! And for those “end of the day” moments… well sometimes they provided that last needed thing for my daily gratitude list.
What I did Well and What I can do Better
Sadly, August had no “I did this well” moments. But boy do I have a list of things I can do better. While there are no photos here, August was a month that I learned the hard way that my opinion not something anyone needs… ever. I read some of the best reminders of this on your blogs this month… along with the reminder that there is no prize for martyrdom. Oy. There is a part of me that is very, very glad August is over… and with it, hopefully, my incredible talent for being the truly most obnoxious ass in North America. My goal for September centers around this quote:
Thinking doesn’t hurt. Words DO. — Anna Maledon
And that is my August… even the not so pretty parts. See you all back here on Wednesday!
Did you see that John Meacham has a new podcast? I have listened to the first two episodes and it is well worth a listen!
Thing Two:
I know a few of you are obsessed with play Animal Crossings: New Horizons. Did you all see this???
Yes, Knitlandia proudly supports the Biden Harris ticket!
Thing Three:
In the everything old is new again theme…Did you hear about The House Dress on NPR? Apparently it is the new it thing! So, now all I will need is an apron and I can be my Nana!
And that’s a wrap for this week! See you all back here on Monday!
A brief dip into autumnal temperatures were enough to spur me on to pick up my Evening Dew Cardigan and a bit of knitting over the weekend while watching The Peanut Butter Falcon and an episode or two of Silent Witness and I find myself less than one repeat away from the bottom ribbing! I am stunned that it still looks (and feels) like I have barely used any of the Briar Rose Fibers Angel Face! (sadly, this yarn is now discontinued, I think Sea Pearl would work well in this sweater, especially with a strand of mohair!)
I am also ready to start arm decreases on the vest for Winston! But, I am a bit concerned about the size so I am waiting for my daughter to give me a measurement before going further…knitting holding pattern FTW. lol
Fortunately, my reading has not been in a holding pattern at all! This is the week that I achieved a coverall on my first SAH Bingo Card! I listened to a version of The Hobbit earlier this summer, and it was good, but nothing compares to reading Bilbo’s tale. I had previously read the book the summer I was 12 years old… and I fell in love with dear Bilbo and Gandalf. Imagine my delight in discovering that 47 years later The Hobbit was still just as magical!
My 25 books from card one:
Collection of Poetry: Columbarium
Originally published in the 20th century: The Hobbit
Recommended by a friend: 10 Thousand Doors of January
Borrowed: Shadow Pass
Set in the state where you live: An American Childhood
Bird or animal on the cover: Late Migrations
About religion: Entering the Passion of Jesus
Classic: The Mill on the Floss
Collection of essays: New Poets of Native Nations (okay, loosely essays, but absolutely a collection!)
Best-seller: Say Nothing
By a new-to-you author: The Unquiet Dead
Debut: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous
Any book (free square): The Spendid and the Vile
Set in a place you’d like to vacation: Mourning in Malmö
Number in the title: Victim 2117
Translation: Smilla’s Sense of Snow
Originally published in the 19th century: Leaves of Grass
Comfort Read: Tartine Bread (literally, a comfort food read!)
Retelling: The Crane Wife
Memoir or autobiography: Dept. of Speculation (again, loosely, but a memoir was how this read for me)
Audiobook with multiple narrators: The Hobbit, presented by BBC Radio
Sub-title on the cover: Eye of the Red Tsar: A Novel of Suspence
Recommended on a podcast: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
Chosen by a celebrity bookclub (at any time): American Dirt
About a person with a disability: Hot Milk (The main character did not have a disability, but her mother did)
This was a book I could not stop listening to. What astounded me most was how this book written a lifetime ago, was unbelievably relevant today… scarily so. That made me so sad, that nothing has changed. Ellison writes a compelling story that seems so realistic. I highly recommend this audio version, the narrator – Joe Morton – was fantastic. I highly recommend this book!
In “Pandemic Times” and no traveling, pick up this book an take a journey to Paris. Lebovitz’s Parisian escapades are a balm to a shelter-in-place spirit. From learning French, to visiting a doctor, to discovering the local flavors… it gives the reader a feeling of being there, in the best way!
And with the above two finishes, I am left with just two books to complete my second coverall! Those books? Wind in the Willows, which I am reading at night and am about half way through and Stuart Little, which I should be finished with later today! That will put me at 50 books read since Book Bingo started way back in April!
How about you? Is your project in a holding pattern? Is your reading exceedingly good? What are you excited about for the fall to bring?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below, and thank you!
Sometimes Monday is for weekend reminiscing…with memories of proscuitto wrapped figs happy hour, torrential downpours, the return of autumn beer, and the departure of the endless heat and humidity.
Sometimes Monday means the return of a woolly sweater, which is a most welcome layer in this mornings chilly air and this knitter’s heart sings with joy.
And sometimes Monday brings the end of August and with it; darker mornings, flocking birds, and a mug of hot coffee to warm my hands.
Oh boy. It has been a very hard week. A week that took an already dismal month and ramped it up by about 1000% and while I am thankful that Jacob Blake survived, I am so angry that there was an incident which put that in question. And, I can’t even be sane about 17 year olds with assault weapons walking away unscathed. So I spent lots of time this week listening. Listening to the pain. The hurt. The eloquence. The raw emotion.
And then a cascade of events began to happen, starting with the Milwaukee Bucks! And I say GO BUCKS (except, it’s not a boycott… they are striking, boycotting is what the viewer would do, but okay) (and Hurrah to the NBA for standing with the Bucks!) Rapidly many other sports players followed suit – MLB and MLS, WNBA, and yes…even a tennis player… I say BRAVO!! Perhaps you are not a sports fan, but my hope is that this will finally be the tipping point for monumental change.
The Milwaukee Bucks have decided to boycott Game 5, source tells ESPN.
But perhaps the best moment came last night at a baseball game that wasn’t. Oh but that leadership…
With zero leadership in the White House, these men are speaking with their actions! Well done, gentlemen, well done. This is leadership. https://t.co/HTO10hvgsk
And that beautiful note ushers in the rest of the good things this week:
This past Tuesday, Ali Smith’s Summer dropped and I am number eight on the library wait list. I can’t wait, especially after reading this excellent review! I have loved this brilliant series, and if you were waiting for them all to be available… your wait is over. Start with Autumn and move through the seasons. They are just brilliantly written and eerily timely!
The September issue of Vanity Fair is a special project, called The Great Fire and it has grabbed my attention. The guest editor is Ta-Nehisi Coates, and it is a must-read issue. His editor’s letter is powerful, stirring, and so painfully true: “And so evil does its business in the shadows, ever-fearing not the heat of the Great Fire but the light. To clearly see what this country has done, what it is still doing, to construct itself is too much for any human to take. So it was with the slave narrative. So it is with the cell phone.” I broke down and bought a subscription this week and the reading that I have done thus far is incredible!
And because we all could use something to escape…coming September 23rd to Netflix… Enola Holmes! I.can’t.wait! (Yes, it is starring Eleven from Stranger Things!)
For all the Vera fans out there, Ann Cleeves shared that there will be a season 11 of Vera! Wahoo!
**A warning, this link goes to a Ravelry project page** In my never ending Ranunculus love… this one here has me rethinking the idea that I have finished Ranunculus knitting! Oh my, I love her sleeves! Yep, a third Ranunculus is being considered!
And, finally!! Isabell Kraemer has released a pattern that I have been oogling on Instagram! (Yes, I purchased it!)
Thanks to LONG audiobooks, I have gotten in some good knitting time this week! And voilà, I have a completed Ranunculus! It needs a wash, but I am wearing it today and it is perfect. Shorter sleeves FTW! I also started a new vest for Winston (No page yet, but the pattern is Avery 2.0 by ML Eagan). I did not get gauge, but I liked the fabric I got in my swatch, so I am knitting the smallest size (and will end up with a 12 month sized vest!)
I also began the process of cutting out mask pieces for some “assembly line sewing”
This week’s reading, oh my! I am feeling a sense of urgency about SAH Summer Bingo… I am 5 squares away from two coveralls. 5 squares. I have plotted out my course (Stuart Little, Wind in the Willows, Invisible Man, The Hobbit, and The Sweet Life In Paris) Fingers crossed that the library holds for Stuart Little and Wind in the Willows will come through before Labor Day…and if they do, then I think I can do it! All the others are either in progress or waiting in the wings!
My finishes this week were so, so, so good! And for as long as The House of the Spirits was, the others were short and deliciously sweet!
I enjoyed this book very much. The lyrical writing, the telling from two perspectives, and the story all combined to create an engrossing listen. The ending though… yes, this could absolutely be about what is happening today. (History does repeat itself, sadly.) The two narrators were wonderful! I recommend this book!
This debut book of poetry was absolutely perfect and listening to Clint read his poems made them even more so! There were so many poems I loved, but one that has stuck with me is “What the cicada said to the brown boy” and these words especially:
but every time you swarm they shoot
get you some wings, son
get you some wings
With every Mary Oliver book, I love her more and more and this book is no exception! It is a short book, but it is so full of being aware. It reflects on “great thinkers” and her responsibility. She shares her love of nature, and the wonder of the world around us. I highlighted so many parts! So many incredible words, but these I have written in my journal:
For me the door to the woods is the door to the temple.
How do I even begin to explain how deeply these essays moved me. How they made me think. How they made me cringe. How they made me angry.
6 timely, moving, and necessary essays to shake up your world. And, trust me… you need Zadie to shake it up.
Amid the great swath of indiscriminate death, some old American distinctions persist. Black and Latino people are now dying at twice the rate of white and Asian people. More poor people are dying than rich.
Untimely death has rarely been random in these United States. It has usually had a precise physiognomy, location and bottom line. For millions of Americans, it’s always been a war.
JUST BEFORE THE global shit hit the fan, we were in a long, involved cultural conversation about “privilege.”…privilege and suffering have a lot in common. They both manifest as bubbles, containing a person and distorting their vision. But it is possible to penetrate the bubble of privilege and even pop it—whereas the suffering bubble is impermeable….
If this book is not on your “must read” list, it should be. I highly recommend.
That is all I have to unravel for you all! As always, if you wrote a post to share, please leave your link below.
In a little bit of housekeeping, the last couple of weeks there have been some “spammy” posts linked. I am trying to monitor them and remove them when I see them. Last week there was also some issues with people leaving links, I am not sure why that is happening, but if you can’t leave a link via the link up, please leave your link in your comment. If the problems persist (i.e. the spammy posts, and the issues leaving links) I will look at the future of a link up. I just wanted to make you all aware of whats been going on.
I am joining Honoré and friends again this month to share an update on my word.
Let’s start with my guiding quote, one that has served me well each and every day!
Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen Hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Appreciate your friends. Continue to learn. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is. — Mary Anne Radmacher
Eight months in and I am *finally* starting to see intention in a very different way. A way that I might never even considered in “normal living” times. I have stopped fighting with my word. I am no longer wishing for a different word. I am no longer feeling like intention is beating me down but rather, it feels like I have made peace with my word, it is lifting me up, and I have opened myself to learn where I can go with it.
So how’d all that happen?
Well, for starters…the overwhelming lack of “normal living.” No normal living chaos or over-packed lists. The daily idea that more is so much better has really no space in Pandemic Times. And with it goes all the “more” things. More wardrobe. More shopping. More sewing. More knitting. More. More. More. More. and yes, even more more.
But in Pandemic Times, I have found that more has an entirely different meaning. As in…
Yes, absolutely more texts/phone calls/FaceTime with family, but my days have also been…More thoughtful. More creative. More realistic.
And included…More quiet. More reflection. More decluttering. And more less of so many things. And not missing any of them!
More intentional!
I think that is the biggest thing that struck me this month. All those things from lists, the feeling of never doing enough, the need to be more, to go more…are all entirely unnecessary to intentional daily living and they did not fill me in a meaningful way, they just made me feel busy. I am laughing at myself at all the things I signed up for so I could “do less” which, in reality, just meant more things on a list… yep, I have let them all go. And it has been so freeing!
Learning to let go of all the noise has been a learning process, but eight months in I feel like I am finally getting it!
