Friends, we have reached the halfway point of September. I know, it makes me sad too!
I have some finds to share with you this week…so let’s get started!
First up, I really love Kym’s monthly activity share that she focuses on. I actually try and add them into my daily routine…sometimes successfully even! That’s right, I am very vested in my Squat-ember squatting and every time I engage in my daily squat I remind myself that this will make planting the plethora of bulbs the tiniest bit easier! That’s my story… and I am sticking to it (not that I think planting a plethora of bulbs will be easy… at all! HA!)
Anyways, this week NPR brought my attention back to Kym’s monthly activity focus with this intriguing article which led me down a very fascinating rabbit hole! I have been watching a little bit of Dan’s Live to 100: The Secrets of the Blue Zones on Netflix every evening and I have been enjoying it. (I especially love the gardening, the spending time on the floor, the eating… really, I think he talked to Kym before writing his book!) Anyways, if you are looking for something to watch instead of sports, I recommend this (you can watch an episode on the floor… easily! They are short and packed full of fun things!)
Some months ago I signed up for Ailbíona McLochlainn’s newsletter, Nuacht Cniotála (Knitting News) and have discovered a delightful peek into life in Ireland in a small making community. She lives on the Inishowen Peninsula and I am in love with everything she shares. If you are looking for knitting news that is not all knitting, not all selling… you might like to sign up for her newsletter as well. The peek into her community is delightful!
Recently, I also signed up for Ellen Bass‘ newsletter… and this week the first one showed up in my inbox! It is packed full of goodies… one of which is that she highlights poetry from her students. This one caught my attention… I don’t know about you, but I have had several classmates who have walked hiked the Camino de Santiago… and it was an undertaking! This little book of poetry sounds like a good way to experience it… without making the trek!!
And there you have my recent finds! Have a fantastic weekend and I will see you all back here next week!
Last week’s break was such a good thing for me… mentally. I did not blog and I did not spend much time on social media… the total time I spent was picking photos for two IG posts from Erie. Posting and not scrolling seems selfish as I am writing this today. But being away from social media has given me lots to think about and while I am not at all ready to give up my blog, perhaps I am ready to give up social media.
But while I mull all that over in my brain… I do have some AMAZING finds for you this week! Things that will get you outside, give you things to think about, and perhaps discover something new! Let’s get started:
Thing One —
Tomorrow is Global Big Day! That’s right, another bird count day… an important one because we are at the peak of migration season! Recording the birds you see or hear is super fun… and super easy! All the “how” details are here so get out there and look for birds!
Thing Two —
This one has been loudest in my brain. I have listened to this episode twice and I have it saved so I can listen again. It is the Emergence Podcast discussion with Jenny Odell about time. I am on the waitlist for her book so I can delve deeper into her thoughts on time. One thing I know for sure, I have been working on incorporating more vertical time into my day… less horizontal time and my gosh, I love it!
Thing Three (a) —
This week, The Slowdown podcast has done something amazing… Major Jackson has spent the week discussing poetry with a guest host… a young guest host! It has been so much fun! I have LOVED the poems the kids have selected, I have LOVED the conversations the kids had about their love of poetry, and I have really LOVED the poetry word games that Major Jackson played with the kids each day. If you have children in your life… queue up The Slowdown and introduce them to the joy of poetry!
Thing Three (b) —
It has been the week for Discovering Youth Poets! Twitter has become less of a hellscape since I discovered Joseph Fasano and his “daily poetry thread” But really, his poetry prompts for kids might be my favorite and have blown me away! And he has a prompt for Mother’s Day!
This Sunday we will celebrate all mothers. Here is a poetry prompt to help us say thank you to our mothers for helping us find and love ourselves. Teachers, students, anyone, feel free to share what you create ❤️ pic.twitter.com/M8S971Dod0
Whew! It’s been a week… and I have arrived on Friday with a completed list! Yes, yes! All the sewing is done! I am closing in the the toe of the second red sock! And I have started on the Vacation List!
And I managed to stumble across a few things this week that are share worthy! So lets get started!
One —
As you all know, I love a good cocktail. I especially love the complex layers of flavor that an aperitif provides. (Think Aperol, Campari, Fernet Branca, Amaro, etc.) This week, I discovered Cynar (pronounced Chee-nahr) and I have a new love! It is made from artichokes(!!) along with some other ingredients and I think the flavor is not as bitter as Campari and Aperol… but it makes a delightfully complex cocktail. This week I made a Cynar Negroni (equal parts dry gin, sweet vermouth, and cynar) I liked it better than a “regular” Negroni, as did Steve. But my favorite of the week’s “Taste Testing” was the new to me Bensonhurst. (if you scroll down you will find the recipe here) We tried a number of different rye’s and our favorite was the smokier flavored Double Barrel Old George Rye from Grand Traverse Distillery. If you are looking for a new addition to your drink repertoire, I highly recommend Cynar!
Two —
A knitted skirt crossed my path this week and it has been rattling around my brain ever since. (Apparently others have been struck by this same phenomena!) Some years ago I knit a skirt (Ravelry Link) and I wore the absolute hell out of it and it was one of my most comfortable knits! I am contemplating… but I am not loving a skirt of a linen/cotton blend knitted fabric. I have had poor results with linen/linen blend knitted fabrics… they grow. So I am thinking that a wool/cotton blend might be smarter. (Hello, Coast… yes, I am thinking about you!) No swatching will happen before May… but I might be looking at colors!
Three —
I have prepared myself for a nationwide ban on Mifepristone… I mean really, does anyone think that a ruling delay to Friday at midnight could mean anything positive? My rage has reached the Off the Charts level. Some years ago I read The Power and recently I discovered that Amazon has made a series based on the book. I have watched a couple of episodes and admit to recently fantasizing about obtaining the power… I mean, a good jolt is what some of these people need, imo.
And that is all I have for this week! I will be back on Monday with my word update!
The First March Friday… is very March-like. We have winds heading our way… and rain. And windy March days always, always brings Maurice Sendak’s Chicken Soup With Rice book to the forefront of my mind. I especially love the poem for March:
Or you could just listen to Carole King sing it here!
So bring on those winds… I am ready! Ha!
I did find some really wonderful things recently that I thought I’d share with you all. Little things that crossed my path that made me stop and look, listen, absorb, and yes… share!
First, I discovered a new, entirely delightful podcast from Colorado Public Radio – Terra Firma, which is hosted by CMarie Fuhrman. It falls very much into the Very Good Things Come in Very Small Packages category. Once a week, 7-10 minutes… and listening to it brings the very best kind of pause… you know, the one where you are having an insane day and you just need a breather. I have found this to be the best stress buster ever!
Second, I stumbled upon Candice Hicks by accident… and what a happy accident that was! Either way, I am utterly fascinated with this embroidery series she did: Notes For String Theory. This is so The Magic Of A Blank Page… no?
My final find was a boon for me, but I thought you might like it as well! Eons ago… and I mean eons… like back in the very early 2000’s, Chico’s sold an amazing linen shirt. They were spendy… $75 for a shirt was a lot for me… then especially. But I scrimped and saved and bought two of them – a glorious mustardy-green and a basic black. And they were truly workhorses. I still wear those shirts but they are looking… well, worn… especially the mustardy-green one that I wear most. For a couple of years I have been looking for a shirt pattern that emulates that shirt… the fit and the details. I feared I would have to attempt to make a pattern from one of my shirts… not a thing I really wanted to do because of all the pieces of a shirt. Well, Muna and broad inboxed me this week with their Tarawi Shirt pattern. It is *almost* identical. The shirt tails are the only thing not the same, but changing that would be so simple! The thing I love about Muna and broad was this sentence from their email: “We really wanted your body to be included!” Their patterns have the largest size range, multiple bra-cup sizes, and yes… even arm sizes… to ensure that you can sew something that fits your body.
And there you have it, friends… a few Friday Finds to start your weekend off! Have a good one and I will see you back here on Monday!
I don’t know about you, but I have found since I turned the “50’s” corner, I have struggled mightily each year with an ever worsening case of the dreaded Dry Winter Skin!
Usually, by mid-February, there is not enough moisturizer in North America to make a difference. But this year, I have found some things that are working… and not only working but making a difference! I thought I’d share my finds with you all!
First, a several weeks ago Kym had raved about this product so, of course, I clicked the link and poked around a bit on the JVN website. I not only picked up her recommendation, but I also got a bottle of this scalp oil… and for the first time in a very long time my scalp is not dry and flaky! Once a week, a few drops massaged into my scalp before I wash my hair and the results are so good! No dry, itchy, flaky scalp any longer!
Next “problem” dry skin area for me are my poor feet…over the years I have tried what feels like a gazillion products to combat dry, cracked skin and had no success with any of them. That is until I saw an “ad” on IG of all places for Aquaphor Healing Balm Stick. It says “Immediate Relief” on the label and oh.my.gosh… it is immediate relief! An added bonus is that I give myself a mini foot massage when I rub it in and my hands are loving it as well!
The final find that I have to share with you came because my “usual” face cleanser was no longer being made by Aveeno… grrr. I really loved what I was using and I hate when a product I love gets discontinued. So I was forced to find something new… and though it took a few product “tries” I have found my new go to face wash. It is L’Oréal Age Perfect Nourishing Cleanser. It is not drying even with daily use!
And there you have it… three things that are making my winter so much better!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! See you all back here on Monday!
