by Kat | Jul 19, 2019 | General, In This Moment
There is no black-and-white situation. It’s all part of life. Highs, lows, middles. – Van Morrison
Mary has challenged us this week to share #goodnewses, and, Gentle Readers… the struggle is real. How do you find good news when there is so much horrific news? Part of me feels that even finding something good is being a Pollyanna, especially not in the times we are living in. I think Van Morrison is right – it is not a choice of good over bad, but rather understanding that sometimes it is not either or, not good or bad, but rather just bad.
And, so rather than trying to write a forced TGIF post – today I am taking page from Michelle and sharing #atinybitofquiet.
My plan for today will include cutting out another Uniform Dress, finish the last 3 inches of the body of my sweater, and be comfortable in the fact that bad news is part of life.
Happy Friday everyone… if you are in the path of the heatwave, stay cool! See you all back here on Monday.
by Kat | Jul 12, 2019 | General, In This Moment
Another Friday and another weekend. Summer is not being lazy at all!
Thinking About:
The future came and went in the mildly discouraging way that futures do. – Neil Gaiman, Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
I find myself pondering the passage of time this month. In less than 10 days, Genevieve will be 4 years old and that seems so impossible to me. July is almost halfway over, and that also seems impossible to me. Gaiman’s quote seems most appropriate – indeed the future is coming and going all to rapidly. And speaking of Genevieve – her mom and dad took her to get her ears pierced last week. Genevieve has been begging and begging to have this done. Well, as you can see – she has one ear pierced but there was no way in hell she was getting the second one done! I confess, I am laughing about this – I should not, but I am. That face looks so angelic… ha! Bribery to get the second ear done has begun in earnest but she has not yet succumbed!
She looks so innocent…
Grooving On:
Early Bloomer’s color work! There is something addictive about color work – it is hard to put down. The urge to knit just more row to see how the pattern will unfold pulls me in and keeps me knitting. I have one set of flowers to go and their magical lure will be complete! Vera asked to see the colors I am knitting with… a dark brown, coffee-colored yarn paired with a green and a turquoise. I think they work well together. I am a little concerned that the neckline is going to be too wide – but maybe not. Once I am done with the color work, I am going to take Heidi’s suggestion and finish the neck to check the fit.
Just one more section to go!
Impatiently Waiting:
While I would like summer to slow down a bit, I am eager for my growing tomatoes to ripen! I think we need more sun than we have had for that to happen, but I am hoping that soon I have at least a handful of tomatoes to put on my salad!
Yes, those are raindrops on my tomatoes!
Fed Up With:
Rain. And really, the volume of rain we have been having! We got another 2 inches of rain yesterday. The flooding here is crazy and my garden has had a moat surrounding it more days than not. I might not mind the rain so much if we had an all-day, soaking rain versus the torrential downpours we have been having. They are “rain events” not rainstorms.
That is all I have for this week! I have my fingers crossed that I will win the battle and Happy Hour tonight will be outside. Have a great weekend everyone and I will see all of you back here on Monday!
by Kat | Jun 28, 2019 | General, In This Moment
Sometimes, I feel like I just need to shake my brain out – empty it of all sorts of odds and ends to free up some space! Today is definitely one of those days!
I got my second (and final) dose of the shingles vaccine this week and can I just say that I am glad that is over with! 48-ish hours of feeling meh was not what I needed this week, but I am really glad that I don’t have to worry about shingles! (now if only some other worries were as easily relieved!!)
I watched and knit my way through two nights of debates this week (this was a huge boon to knitting as I am racing through my Screen Door. I have 5 repeats to go to the DECREASES! My takeaway thoughts on the candidates… night one I was pleasantly surprised by Julián Castro. But, night two was owned by Kamala Harris! Wow! She seriously rocked it! I know there are still miles and miles to go, but this is a very promising start!
The outpouring of support for Ravelry this week has been inspiring! Or, perhaps it is better to say that I am inspired by the outpouring of support for and the inclusion of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ members! Is it perfect? No – far from it, we still have so much work to do to in making sure everyone feels welcome and like they belong, but this was a huge step in the right direction!
Also in knitting, Thea has a new pattern out this week and she is donating 50% of the pattern proceeds to RaicesTexas until Sunday!
I think Sewing Hacks might be my favorite thing but I was especially wowed by this week’s hack from Grainline Studios!
Finally, in the colossal fail category – this weekend will find me grocery shopping. Yep, that’s right in a grocery store the weekend before a major holiday. I am entirely blaming that damned shingles shot that I will be a member of the shopping bedlam!
I will also be treating myself with a little visit to JoAnn’s as well – they have a crazy sale this weekend and sometimes you just can’t pass up a sale, right?
There you have my brain dump – what do you need to get off your mind before the weekend starts?
by Kat | Jun 21, 2019 | General, In This Moment
Summertime is always the best of what might be. — Charles Bowden
Happy Summer Solstice! After torrential overnight rains, this morning the clouds are giving way to pale blue skies. The humidity is gone, and the birds are singing! I have shut off the AC and opened wide the windows, welcoming in the cool air. After a week of rarely seeing the sunshine, this is the perfect start to summer!
Celebrating:
Our ninth “anniversary” of sorts! I use the word anniversary loosely because we are not married – but no less committed to each other (and perhaps more so!) Anyways, we had the most hilarious conversation this morning where we struggled with the date a bit – how many years now? After much conversation and checking of calendars – Happy 9 years of co-habitation! The highlight of the morning thus far was the email informing me that I have 1 year of BritBox awaiting me! Steve does know me so well – sometimes is scares me! Ha! Anyways, I have plans to celebrate tonight with our usual Happy Hour, which tonight will be a Happy Anniversary Hour! And, I think the weather is going to cooperate nicely and allow for a bit of a bonfire tonight!
Making:
Yesterday I got all the pieces cut out for Vivi’s quilt top (thanks to Middlemarch – which is the most engaging company) and this morning my plan was to start sewing squares together… But perhaps it would be a better thing to get this yarn skeined up and soaking since the weather is perfect for drying yarn! I also need give my Screen Door a quick soak and a bit of blocking. Yesterday, I pulled out this project and managed to get past the sleeve divide. And, this weekend I want to make some more of this incredible jam. It is insanely delicious – far less sweet – and much faster than this jam. I did NOT strain the jam as suggested in the recipe. As you can see, there is no shortage of “making” going on here.
Watching:
The latest season of The Handmaid’s Tale and a new series, Das Boot – both on Hulu. I also finally caught up with the latest season of Bosch on Amazon. And, best of all – the latest season of Endeavor on PBS!
Loving:
Michelle’s Summer Friday Prompts! They are a wonderful thing to contemplate and I am carrying them with me through the week in my morning meditation time. This week’s prompt was ironically timely – and I am profoundly grateful for the prompts. It is always a good reminder to look beyond the bad and think about the future – and to find something to be grateful for.
Asking:
For your valued input! I have been thinking about the future of Unraveled Wednesday – is it stale? Does it need a reboot? How many weeks can we really be excited to talk about our making and reading? I welcome your thoughts, comments, and suggestions! (and if you don’t want to leave a comment here you are welcome to email me at kachrist37 (at) gmail (dot) com – of course you know to swap out the (at) and (dot) with an ampersand and a period.
That is what is happening in my world right now – Have an amazing weekend and I will see you back here on Monday! (And, I look forward to your thoughts and suggestions about Unraveled Wednesdays!)
by Kat | Jun 14, 2019 | General, In This Moment, Words
Happy Flag Day! I think today is the first time I ever read George Washington’s words and they have special impact this year. They are a good reminder of who and what we are.
Thinking About –
Friday mornings have had a new twist this month, thanks to Michelle’s Tiny Bit of Quiet series! I am truly enjoying her thoughts. Her words provoke lots of thinking in my morning meditation time. This week it seemed the world was in step with last week’s Friday quiet thoughts when yesterday these words reminded me how important those pauses are.
Getting Ready –
I passed the halfway point in my Screen Door yesterday and I will spend some time today memorizing the decreasing rows so that I can get this knit off my needles! I am eager to start a new sweater for fall. I hope to get this sweater cast on over the weekend, that is if I can get Screen Door done! I am also very happy to not be pressured to finish this in 4-days but hope to have it done by Marie’s July 4 kick off in her FB group and I will be happily cheering along the participants.
IN Focus –
I have been thinking about my word (focus) and Macro Monday’s and I have been contemplating how challenging it is to “be in focus.” My life, just like my lens, sometimes focuses on things that are not important – this process has given me much to contemplate as I learn and grow this summer.
Fun, fun, fun –
Finally, it is Friday! Steve told me last night that he wanted Pizza and Wings for happy hour tonight – so we are doing something different and ordering them from a local restaurant. I am going to try and still my inner voice and “be okay” with whatever presentation this takes tonight. Try…. such a little word that can be so hard! Stay tuned to my IG feed to see how well I do with all of that! And, while there might be some dish and lay-out compromising happening, I am not giving in on Happy Hour Outside and there might even be a bonus tonight – I think we will be able to utilize the patio heater because today is not supposed to be warm at all.
That is all I have for this week and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! See you back here on Monday!
Photo by Tim Mossholder from Pexels
