It’s been a week, hasn’t it? I have tried and tried to make sense of the senseless and I can find no simple answers… no complicated answers either. My heart is heavy for the citizens of Buffalo and for the Black/Brown/Indigenous American/LGBTQIA+/Non-Christian communities that are integral parts of the tapestry that is America. And so I this week, I picked up James Baldwin to settle into his world and listen for what wisdom he might share with me. And so I started The Fire Next Time….and of course, Baldwin has lots to share.
The most dangerous creation of any society is the man who has nothing to lose.
and
We, the black and the white, deeply need each other here if we are really to become a nation…
Both of those statements are true, but how do we move away from the first and become the second. And as I said… still there are no simple answers and while there might be some more complicated ones… it will take all of us together to be the complicated, yet simple?, answer.
This week we (America) achieved another major milestone on our COVID journey… one million persons have died (actually, more than a million as of this writing) and if that does not shock you I don’t know what, if anything, might. I think that the WaPo posted an incredible look back to our COVID journey. (I don’t know if this link is behind a paywall…sorry) I spent some time there this week remembering the lives that were.
And because in the midst of our, at times, painful reality…some escapism is needed. This week I settled in with my third gnome clue and watched Operation Mincemeat on Netflix. Oh.my.gosh! It was so good. The story (which is true) was just what I needed to move myself to another space for a bit. If you have not watched it, you absolutely should!
And finally, my above photo is the best of this week’s iPhone Pseudo-Macro attempts! Lambs Ear with rain drop remnants (with a side of again necessary weeding… it just never ends, lol)
I hope you have a good weekend and I will see you all back here on Monday with my word update!
I am wondering how on earth I am welcoming April… no fooling! This year seems to be moving at a pace slightly faster than warp speed… sigh.
However, my Blog Calendar tells me that today is the day for my Currently Check In! I am excited to be documenting my year in this way. This feels better to me than the monthly review… which, for me, felt like Blog Overkill. For me it feels better to check-in with a current list that allows me to see what I am doing now and where I was with the hope of perhaps holding myself accountable for things that “fall off my radar” for whatever reason.
Decreasing: Stashes… of all sorts. I spent some time at the end of March going through my “Yarn Closet”… reorganizing and, yes, removing a good portion of The Stash. It felt good. I also went through some “unpacked boxes” left overs from my move from Michigan almost 10 years ago…Yeah, I should have just tossed those boxes but I went through them. Thanks to one of those boxes I have a new set of pjs and I will soon have another pair completed! But most of the stuff I unearthed is gone… or is waiting to be donated. Some time ago I started a box for each of my kids and then promptly (conveniently?) forgot about them. But those boxes are back on my radar and I am going to spend this quarter working on getting them filled (which I hope will empty more boxes!)
Increasing: Play Time! Thanks to Karen Abend’s Sketchbook Revival, I have been spending some time each day practicing not being perfect. Playing. Coloring outside the lines. Trying new things. Contemplating creativity. And it has been so much fun! This is a thing that I want to keep on doing… because it is such a great release! Because it is so much fun! And because I am inspiring myself.
Anticipating: Spring. Really. Mother Nature has teased us with some hints of spring but I fear that we are going to go from Winter to Summer… wham, bam. Boo, because I like the in-between seasons… spring and fall. A gradual easing into what is coming next…but I might need to disavow myself of that wish this year. Sigh. Instead, I am looking forward to April Poetryand an April Trip to Erie… things that I can be sure of! Ha! And speaking of April Poetry – you will find Kym, Bonny, Sarah, and myself sharing our love of poetry on Thursday’s this month!
Meanwhile, in the oven: Yes, I am still mixing up a “Tub of Dough” roughly every 20 days…and baking baguettes, boules, and lots of pizza! I just love the ease and simplicity of 5-Minute Bread… This was absolutely one of the best things I am continuing from the start of the year. I hope to figure out focaccia this quarter…I have a recipe, I just need to make the time to make the recipe!
The Bandwagon Knitting Ban: Yes, that is right… In January I jumped on the bandwagon to knit a Musselburgh Hat… and… it was a failure on a number of levels. First… my yarn was too fine… so my hat might have fit a shrunken head. Second… Bandwagon Knitting. Yeah, sometimes it works… but, for me, it has not worked for a long time. I end up with a thing I won’t use or wear. So yep, I have A Bandwagon Knitting Ban… for the foreseeable future.
Projects for Success: This idea really resonates with me. But what is it… well, for me, it is making things I love…and wear often….again. Sort of like a Uniform Wardrobe…pieces that wear and play well with the other wardrobe staples. In that frame of mind… I started another Tegna, this time with a warm weather yarn. I also want to knit another Fall/Winter Marsa Alum. (Ravelry Link) I also plan on sewing another Esme Tunic… in a summery linen. I am also contemplating knitting another Ranunculus, (Ravelry Link) most likely not out of linen yarn this time… but I don’t have any idea on what yarn I want to use, but I am thinking about it… lots.
Reading: My reading life is so much better this year. I stopped reading for a “number” and started reading more spur of the moment reads. These little changes have really inspired me! And the books I am reading are staying with me longer… which might be the best change ever. Sometimes small changes make a huge difference in the quality of ones life. That is certainly true for me and reading this year!
And there you have a snapshot of my currents… Have a great weekend everyone and I will see you all back here on Monday!
I am joining Carole and friends today to share with you three things today!
It feels so good to almost be back to my normal routine (Steve still has a couple of days of vacation left this week) but it was especially wonderful to sleep in my own bed last night! I really love the little “cottage” we stay at in Interlochen, but that bed… and there is just something about sleeping in your own space, amirite? I get more restful sleep for sure! But as we are still technically “on vacation” – my things today are all about what’s happening around here as we wind down our vacation with a few days of stay-cation!
Thing One:
Asparagus isIN at my local Farm Market! These are my favorite words ever! And, we plan to head there to load up! When the asparagus is in, it is almost all we eat, and my mouth is just watering thinking about it!
Thing Two:
This weekend is Mother’s Day and Steve is going to the Three Rivers Quilt Show with me… okay, maybe he is going to the casino while I go to the Quilt Show, lol. I am super excited to see it because one of the knitters from Tuesday night has a quilt entered!
Thing Three:
Spring continues in my world – I came home to find my iris blooming and this year the display is fantastic! My rose bushes are covered in buds and I am excited to see that some of the poppy seeds I planted much earlier this spring are also growing! But the craziest thing of all is the volume of “helicopters” that cover my lawn (front and back!) from our maple tree. I am not sure what that means regarding weather – but they are a carpet on my lawn and my tree is still loaded with them!
There you have the things that are filling my brain but what’s on your list today?
P.S. I know I have a back log of comments and blogs to catch up on! I hope to get caught up over the weekend! XO
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?
Tuesday, the most awesome of blog days!! (Not!!) Today I am really jonesing for Carole to bring back 10 on Tuesday prompts. You know, those days when I did not have to think too much! However, today I have some What the Heck items that have me completely dumbfounded and provoking lots of thought!
Tide Pods. Seriously, are we all so stupid now that warnings need to go out to not eat them???
I got an email on Sunday from an organization that I think is doing great work, however, they informed me that compromise is a dirty word and anyone participating in any sort of compromise is a target to vote out of office. Really? Perhaps they need a refresher on how government functions… And, before you all start in on me… I am 200% for a Dreamer solution, yesterday. But, as in all things, solutions require compromise – not my way or the highway tactics – which means that sometimes you give on things to get things you want.
Why I keep some of the things I do…The junk drawer contained a tome of things that made me say, what the heck? For example, I found appliance manuals for appliances that have been long gone from this house. The removal of that almost 12-inch stack has brought volumes of space to our junk drawer!
On a brighter note, I appreciate all your sage advice on sock knitting and 100% superwash merino yarn sans nylon. I will get the skein caked and do a bit of swatching. Sokkusu O is a very tightly twisted yarn that just might work. If not… my second choice is Gourmet Stash “Grinchy” sock yarn that does have a good bit of nylon.
Happy Tuesday and I hope your day has absolutely no “what the” moments!
