Our wintry blast from last week has been ushered out by warming temps and lots of rain. The robins seem most gleeful as they hop around in the back yard.
It was a quiet weekend here, and sometimes that is exactly what was needed. Curiously my week’s list is not overly full, so I added a much needed “pantry clean out” to it. Now, that does not necessarily mean it will get done – this task has been added to numerous lists and yet it remains undone…
I hope your lists are all in order! Happy Monday everyone!
February, fill the dyke With what thou dost like. Thomas Tusser, A Hundreth Good Pointes of Husbandrie
Friday’s in February will focus on finding things to love about a month that for me is an “in-between month” – it’s not quite spring and not quite winter, although those deliciously mild temps have given way to a full-on blast of winter here in the ‘Bergh, but despite that, my thoughts turned to spring! Funny how a few mild days does that, right?
I am really loving Marie Yovanovitch this week who shared these inspiring words: “It has been shocking to experience the storm of criticism, lies and malicious conspiracies that have preceded and followed my public testimony, but I have no regrets. I did — we did — what our conscience called us to do. We did what the gift of U.S. citizenship requires us to do.” Ambassador Yovanovitch provides the light of hope in the most beautiful way, and after this week I really needed that light!
I have recently felt the urge to declutter and clean out things. This led me to haul out some knitting bags that are filled with languishing projects. Most I have frogged, but one little gem was found in the midst of all the “what was I thinking” projects. My inspiration comes from Gale and her gorgeous take on KK’s Cladonia. Renewed love for a languishing project is a very good thing! I have a little bit of knitty math to do to figure out how big I want it, but I have a new “old project” that is calling my name!
There was lots of knitting temptations to love this week – in case you need a new project to love:
Finally, one of the best things this week was the love of friends. From messages from friends I have never personally met, a FaceTime call that brightened my week, to the most wonderful surprise that came via snail mail. I want to take a moment to tell all of you how much I love this community here at AsKatKnits, and how much I appreciate each of you. You make the world an infinitely kinder, lovelier place and my world is richer because of you! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!
Happy Friday and my wish for you all is that you weekend is one of long slow days! See you back here next week!
How are we five days into February already?! Is it me or did time suddenly just speed up drastically? Sadly, my knitting has not taken the same turn and in fact it all feels quite January-like as I slough through these rows! Sorry for the miserable photo but we are back to grey days again! (and the great brown blob just really isn’t at all photogenic!)
My January making was really not bad at all! I completed two hats (one for me and one for my daughter), one Felix Cardigan, and two Esme Tunics! .
January reading in numbers was quite impressive! I finished 13 books, reading 1,913 pages and listening to just over 81 hours of audiobooks! Most of them were solid reads that I enjoyed tremendously. This year I am spending more time thinking about the rating I give a book (last year I gave LOTS of 5-stars, but some of those were so much better than others) but I did read two 5-star books this month (Conversations with RBG and Night Sky with Exit Wounds) I feel very good about giving them 5-stars because both books have stayed with me! This week’s finishes were as follows:
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. This is not Life after Life, but that is okay. I like Juliette – she is smart and I did not always quite know what she was up to. But, the book moves you along in a most pleasing way to the most delightful ending (Wow, I did not see that coming!) In the audio version I listened to, I really enjoyed Atkinson’s explanation of how she wrote this (un)historical fiction. I highly recommend!
This book made me wish I knew more about classical music, but sadly, I don’t. I did make a list of the songs I did not know with plans to listen to them. I never thought about politics and music being linked. If you are a fan of classical music, you would enjoy this book tremendously.
Oh boy, this book would not be one I would have finished if it was not for a book club. I struggled to like the characters and the book itself could have used some editing. Many things made me angry in this book – the treatment of Mary (vs. the treatment of males who were carriers of typhoid) for one.
There was so much that I did not know about this time period that I spent some time looking up to understand. I think the book could have done a better job with including some of those left out facts. All in all, I do not recommend this story.
I also set one book aside, Olive Kitteridge, I could not finish this book at this point in time. Perhaps I will try again some day, but at this space in life it was just not something I could ease into reading.
That is all I have for this week, what about you? What was good this week?
If you wrote a post to share, please leave you link below and thank you!
Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Best Part of the Month: Realizing that there was more sunshine than it felt like. January is long, and it felt so sunless and seeing that there were more pockets of sunshine than I remembered brought a smile to my face! Also, to celebrate the gradually lengthening days was something very worthwhile!
Something New: Finding a faith home after struggling and avoiding for far too long.
Best “Oh, Wow” Moment/s: Settling into feeling uncomfortable, unsettled, and out of place…and discovering peace there and all kinds of room for growth!
What I did Well and What I can do Better: I found joy in the small things. I nourished my body with healthy choices (most of the time) and I spent more time meditating. These were all the very best parts of the month. And, those things that I could do better? I need to spend more time stepping outside of my comfort zone and I need to push myself to do that more.
Saturday meant a trip to the Post Office so I could get my daughter’s hat on its way and, in the afternoon, we visited Spoonwood Brewing Co and tasted some of their new brews! We also took a growler home for our very quiet Super Bowl Celebration.
Grumpy Face Sherman did not see his shadow either. He wonders where are the fireworks for him!?
Sunday, as I am sure you all heard, Punxsatawny Phil did not see his shadow and neither did Sherman. Yep, we started out with not one lick of sunshine here in the ‘Burgh, BUT!! I headed off to church in the snow and gloom and when I left one short hour later, I was greeted by BLUE SKIES and, yes, SUNSHINE!! And, a day that started with a dusting of snow ended at 52˚F. Only in Pittsburgh, I am telling you, lol.
We are ready for some football!
We took the easy route with our Super Bowl eats, some Buffalo Wings and some left over Pierogi Pie (which is seriously to die for!!) and a glass or two of beer. We laughed at some of the commercials, I cried over one, and we were scratching our heads at a show all about Lego building blocks… say what? But really…how has Bubble Butt, err YoGlutes never been a thing before now??? Also, that Half Time Show was so good!
However, those clear skies stayed for the remainder of the day and when I took Sherman out for his evening constitutional, I was greeted by the moon and lots of stars (and it was still so warm out!) It looks like we will have more sunshine today with our forecast hinting at a high of 60˚F! I don’t think Phil meant an immediate return to spring, but maybe?
A weekend that welcomed February in the best way and now I might be off to find some Pretzel Pop Tarts! How was your weekend?
Bis zum nächsten Mal, January! But, in actuality – you weren’t so bad! I was inspired by Katie to track A Year of Temperatures and I started on January 1 and I am really stunned at how warm it has been! In these past 31 days we had 2 days in the 60’s, 6 days in the 50’s, only 2 days in the 20’s, and the rest of the month rested easily in the 30’s to 40’s. A January Thaw on Global Warming! (Also, we did not have much sun in January… sigh.)
It’s Super Bowl Ad Weekend (for those of you who only watch for that aspect of the game!) Carole shared a great one this week and I am jumping right on that band wagon with one that I chuckled over. I live in an extremely Alexa-fied house and this really hit home!
I heard this fascinating piece on NPR this week and in case you don’t like either football or ads – streaming on Amazon Prime, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is so binge-worthy and yes… her outfits are to die for and I love every.single.thing.she.wears! It is truly a wonderful series and I highly recommend it!
In the I did not have enough to knit category – I have been oogling my daughters hat with some serious Hat Envy and I had enough of the main yarn to knit another one, but not enough KSH, but I did have some grey so I cast on and knit myself a hat in one day. Yes, yes, I did! It needs a bit of a soak and a pompom and it will be done. I really love how they are a warm and cool version of the same hat! Never fear, I have now returned to my Pheasant Pullover and will be dividing for the sleeves this morning!
Are you wondering what caught my eye in the knitting world this week? There were a few things that I did like:
Finally, the Lozenge Cowl, knit from Spincycle Yarns Dyed in the Wool which is so pricey, but I think this would work well in any yarn with gradual color changes! (Also, this is a free pattern!)
That’s all I have for this week – have a great weekend and I will see you all back here next week!
I am joining with Carole today to share some brilliance regarding the Impeachment Trial currently underway…Yesterday began the question phase of the trial where the Senators submit questions for Justice Roberts to read out loud at which point either the selected counsel or both the House Managers and the President’s counsel answers the question or does not, as the case may be. (and there are a lot more not answered questions than are answered)
Thing One:
Don’t expect there to be any more honesty in this trial than there is from the IMPOTUS-in-Chief…
As a friend points out, the Supreme Court takes another hit as a credible institution as Chief Justice Roberts presides over a trial in which Trump’s lawyers lie (see “secret bunker”) and make absurd arguments (see Dershowitz: anything goes if it helps the president’s reelection)
Allies of Pres Trump have begun holding events in black communities where they praise the president as they hand out *tens of thousands of dollars in cash* to attendees. First giveaway took place last month in Cleveland.
Finally, if you do nothing else today – please call your Senators!
Have you called your Senators? 202-224-3121 gets you to the switchboard. If you think this is pointless, it’s not. It’s just as important to support your senator if your believe they’re on the right path as it is to share your views with one who you disagree with. Be counted.
It has been a long, sad week. My Tuesday night knitting group lost a member last week and knitting last night was bittersweet – we were there, but a bit diminished. However, we made plans to pick up a special shawl that was in progress for a beloved niece. We will each take turns knitting until it is finished. Our stitches will be full of love and memories of Mary and having a path forward with some meaning felt so right.
I have not picked up my Evening Dew Cardigan in over a week, as my knitting attention has been distracted entirely by my Pheasant Pullover! I finished the colorwork portion over the weekend and have been working on the mindless knitting portion of the body but I am still not to the sleeve divide. I still have a little over an inch to go before I am to that point. However, I am so happy to be mindlessly knitting and reading!
Early on, I had been directed to Pete Souza’s Instagram feed and I enjoyed that tremendously. However, seeing the feed here with the correlation to what he was responding to is simply brilliant. I laughed at many of these, and it also made me yearn for the days when we had a president we could be proud of.
Maybe we pray on our knees because god only listens when we’re this close…
This book is only 70 pages, but those 70 pages are packed full of such incredible words. Words I sometimes had to read over again because they were just so beautiful. This is not a book of poetry to miss.
Stars. Or rather, the drains of heaven—waiting. Little holes. Little centuries opening just long enough for us to slip through.
Slip through the words and settle yourself into the world of Ocean Vuong, it is a place you will want to linger in and enjoy. I highly recommend!
What can I add that has not already been said about Tuchman’s tome on WWI? Woefully little, but I will try. I listened to this book and it very much felt like I was sitting in the history class with the professor everyone said was wonderful – only to discover, they were wrong – she was more than wonderful, she was brilliant and made things clear and so understandable!
If you at all have any idea that you like history – this is a must read book. I highly recommend the audio version with Wanda McCaddon narrating, she is wonderful and very easy to listen to!
The answer it seems to me now, lies in the miracles.
Do you believe in miracles? You might after you read this book. I fell in love with Davy, Swede, and Reuben. This book makes you think about faith, poverty, justice (or rather injustice) all told from the wise perspective of Reuben. Read this book and be witness to the wonder of this family. I highly recommend!
That is all I have to share this week, but I want to know what is consuming your making time?
If you wrote a post to share today, please leave your link below and thank you!
