Cool!

 At last, it's cool! Well, cooler. We've enjoyed the mornings especially. Adam's been digging in his sweaters.

Leo has become a very snoozy old fellow. He spends a lot of the day like this, and a bit of the day running away from Lucy.

For me, it's time to light the candles, turn on the twinkle lights, listen to George Winston and Narada Christmas Collection, and basically breathe a deep sigh of relief that I survived another hot summer. Now I want time to slow, for the weeks between now and Christmas to drift along at snail's pace so I can squeeze every moment of joy and peace out of it -- autumn!

Did you notice that hummingbird in the photo with the lantana? Yes! My first hummer!

And the last two are a couple of the autumn watercolor cards I've been painting to sell at the market.

Happy Autumn, all!

the phone

 I'm a grandma now, but I remember being 19 years old, in college. One pay phone serviced our  residence hall of about 30 girls. Most calls were made in the evenings -- calls to and from home, to and from boyfriends, scheduling appointments. There were no computers per se, no email, no internet, no cell phones. If there was communication between me and my parents hundreds of miles away, it happened with snail mail letters (which I never wrote) or paying for a phone call in the hallway with girls squealing around me. That didn't happen often either. 

This was normal, and we thought nothing of it. Somehow we still knew if major events or trips happened. Otherwise, we got on with our lives apart from each other. I traveled in Europe for 6 months after college and barely corresponded with my folks at home.

Now, our grown children are assailed with phone calls, emails, text messages, Facebook messages, video chats, Instagram reels, and who knows what other subtle means of messaging from us. There's hardly any privacy for the average 30 year old being scolded by society for not being independent enough.

I've pondered lately about parent and grown-child relationships. They seem fraught for many of my friends these days. Is it in part because they can't seem to get away from us. I sometimes worry that I'm an emotional slave to my grown children, desperate for contact, panicked if I don't hear from them every week. My parents didn't do that! They were content, as far as I knew, to send me off into the blue yonder and hear from me a few months later, if that. On a postcard, that probably said, "Yes, I'm alive." Did they worry? Maybe. Did they let me know? No. When did we become so dependent?

Any thoughts, you ladies (or gentlemen) of my generation? 

Home

 I returned on Friday evening from a trip to West Virginia to visit my mother and other family. It was a quick trip, with too much driving, but it was a good visit with everyone I saw. 

I drove to my brother's apple orchard, deep in the mountains and quite remote, for an overnight visit. It was wonderful! It is a quiet, beautiful place -- no internet, no cell reception. A real escape. Adam couldn't even follow me on Google Maps for that 24 hours!

I had a good, but brief, time with Mother, and an absolutely wonderful dinner out with 7 of us extended family at my favorite restaurant in Lewisburg. That was a great evening.

Now I'm back home, knitting a pair of socks, gathering marigold blooms for dyeing wool ... later. Watching the cats play. And oh-so thankful that it's September at last.

Here Comes the Cold Front!

Lucy is so silly. She LOVES to lie under soft, fabricky things: blankets, pillows, throws, bedding, stray clothing. Lying under this pillow on the floor was a first, though.

I've been knitting. It helps me with my August coping. At long last, I'm knitting a classic British tea cozy! I've wanted to do this for years.

The knitting on the wrong side is quite strange.

You have lots of yarn carried across the backs of other stitches. It produces a very thick, padded-feeling cozy. 

At this point, I'm beginning the reduction toward the top of the cozy.

It turned out cute. I like the two colors. The wool is Lion Brand Wool-Ease. But it's too tight. I think I pulled the carried yarn too tightly. I imagine I'll be knitting a second one, a good bit bigger.

On Saturday morning Adam made us yeasted waffles for breakfast.

The animals spend a lot of their time during the day snoozing, just waiting for Adam to come home. He is their favorite. 

Today's high was 89 (and humid).

Tomorrow's high is only 83 though, and after that the week cools a bit more. Friday's high is supposed to be only 79!!! Yippee!

I wonder if I'll be tempted to have my morning coffee on the back deck?

 

August, Thus Far

I knew Adam was feeling much better when he decided to make challah bread for church communion at the beginning of the month. We had a second service at a parishioner's home in the afternoon.

Leo is very noble cat. He is almost never naughty. I put that ratty purple collar on him to keep him humble, haha.

At long last I'm back to a little sewing. I don't make clothes; I leave that to Adam. But I found a Youtube tutorial to make these cute "project bags." This keeps you from putting all your yarn/sewing projects into WalMart bags.

They're lined, and have a nice, flat box-pleat bottom, so they sit well and don't dump your yarn ball on the floor for the cat to steal.

The one below I made with scraps that I sewed together first before making the bag.

 Every Sunday Adam puts a good quote in the bulletin from some ancient church father. I cut this one out and have kept it for a long time. It is quite convicting, i.e., a good self-diagnostic.  But it's also useful as our heads are full of the voices of the world: politicians, celebrities, media folk, total strangers. Do they disparage others? Exalt themselves? Make trouble? Something to consider.

Speaking of sewing, I'll go hunt up a picture of the dress that Adam made me last week.

It looks rather plain, hanging there. But it's perfect and I love it. I bought a blue dress recently, and told Adam how much I loved its simple drape and comfort. So he went and whipped up this dress for me! Amazing. It's a nice heavy linen, and he measured me and made it fit me like a glove. 

Now I want about five of them.

Adam fell on the back deck stairs last Wednesday, during the stormy/rainy weather. He did himself a real mischief and was in a good bit of pain. But we knew if we went to the E.R., we'd sit there for a full day before anybody would see him ... ugh. This does happen. And just to get there is a 30 minute drive, and simply getting him out of the house seemed impossible.

So, we waited, and he rested for several days, and it has slowly healed a good bit. We are such a pair of old people!

Up and Down Days

 In the past few years I've not felt quite well. I've always been a robust, healthy woman, and being ill is hard for me. It started with occasional abdominal pain, then regular pain, then occasional back pain, gradually increasing to daily back pain/discomfort. So frustrating! I'm a "doer," and lying on the couch on a heating pad, day after day and month after month, is not my style.

I followed my doctor's advice for various tests and specialists. Then I changed doctors and received some corticosteroid shots in my back. I still have hope to regain some health and energy. But inside me is a little voice that says, "Perhaps this is it, and it's downhill from here?" Ugh.

Today I added a smoothie to my usual breakfast because I wanted something cool and fruity. But then I felt awful all morning in my tummy, and I wonder if I should avoid dairy. My back also began to ache and burn a bit, so I put my little battery-powered tens unit between my shoulder blades for a couple of hours. 

I managed to do some clearing out in the kitchen, which was encouraging, and I spent some time in my studio painting a little, and spinning a very little. Then it was time to lie on the couch. Two Advil helped. 

I don't talk about poor health often, but I thought it might be a good reminder to me, in years to come, to recall where I am at this point. At 61, it seems too early to be this impaired. I miss spending the mornings outside hauling and burning tree limbs, or sitting in my studio for hours carding, spinning, or sewing. I just can't do it anymore.

I've tried managing my energy in the last couple of years, working in my studio in the mornings and resting on the couch in the afternoons. That sounds luxurious, but it's not! It's frustrating! I struggle to get a small meal on the table during the school year when Adam is teaching and can't cook.

The next thing to go will be my farmers market duties. I sometimes feel I'm ready to do that, but then what would I do with all the things I make in the studio? Do I stop making things? Then what will I do with my time?  I need to ponder carefully how to manage my health, my energy, and my goals in the next decade.

Heading Into August

We have an apple tree bearing in the old orchard that we didn't even know was alive! Well, well, well. I might have to make a cobbler or a pie or something. They're not ripe yet because they would not release easily from the tree.

I'm working again on this brown sweater, hoping to finish it for winter. I have to clean, card, spin, and ply the yarn before I can actually knit again. SIGH!

Lucy is now in training to be a loving kitty. Adam is working on her each evening, giving her gentle scritches on her cheeks. She's so pretty.

I finished knitting this little shoulder shawl with some Cheviot wool that I dyed with avocado skins/seeds, and with some alpaca fiber I spun about 6 years ago, also dyed with avocado.

The lady pictured above strolled by the market this morning. I got a kick out of her t-shirt. She's clearly a sailboat lady.

After the market today, it was SO hot, and we were so tired, Adam and I stopped for lunch at a little place along the highway called Chubby's. The first photo is his burger (with jalapenos) and mine (without). But mine had cole slaw and onion rings on it. Adam's had bacon and pulled pork as well.

 They were moist, delicious, and perfectly cooked to medium.

Happy August, sweating friends!