It's this way. I was on my way into the office, and I was (in my mind) crafting the most FANTASTIC blog post. I was on a roll. And I swore that I would remember it. I swore that, at lunch, I would type that puppy up, and it would be awesome.
That was ... ummmm ... around Wednesday, I think.
Never happened.
And I've forgotten what it was I was so stoked about.
One of these days, I'll start taping myself. At least then I'll have a clue what I'm rambling about.
Knitting...
The "watermelon" sock presses on. I'm about 6.5" along on the leg, so I'm maybe 6 - 8 rows from the heel flap.
I'm also on the waiting list to test-knit a sock. While I volunteered, I'm now kind of chickening out. I'm not the speediest knitter in the world, and while that might be attractive for the designer - to see how we slow-pokes handle it - I'm not sure.
And I'm really rather bummed.
I was supposed to write a review for a yarn shop. We just got news that she's closing. So that leaves one small-ish, not-so-well-stocked shop in the area. The next closest one is in Bloomington, IL - 50+ miles away.
We're 50 miles southwest of Chicago. You'd think we'd have some options here. I'm very disheartened, but I understand why Leslie is ready to tackle her next chapter.
I'm hoping to get out there to do a little "sale shopping" before they close for good. I'm still in the mood for "Time Traveler" - that scarf pattern is really tickling my fancy. For a "travel project," I think 12 feet of garter stitch is just about right.
Fruit...
I had never tried red bananas. So I found some and bought them.
I had no idea. I thought "banana = banana." Not so much. These take at least a week - or 10 days - to ripen. Otherwise, they look like plantains and are so hard you can only imagine the tummy ache. I set them next to the bananas for the dogs and let them sit there.
They're delicious when they're ripe. Yellow-ish flesh, and a more "creamy" taste. The skins aren't as pliable as the yellow ones - you really have to cut off the nub on the top, and it doesn't peel easily. I don't know that I'd go out of my way to buy them again, but they're a great size if you don't want the "monster" bananas you see in the market.
Coloring...
Yes, I set my needles down the other night. Worked over a few of these over the past week. My hands - particularly that screwed-together left thumb - hurt. So the small sock needles were troublesome for a while.
Coloring is very relaxing. There are a bunch of pictures to download - you don't have to buy a whole book. But you do need decent colored pencils.
It's nice to sit and plan - or sit and just grab the next colored pencil in the mug and then color and see how it births itself.
I'm rather drawn to paisley patterns and mandalas. They remind me of my friend Alice, who does stained glass.
So tonight, after my guitar lesson, I'll probably color some more. I have one I'm working on and I can't decide which is the negative space - which gets color and which stays where it's at.
2016 Garden Update...
So the garden grows. We're bursting with lettuce. I wish we'd have done some more loose-leaf romaine. But this stuff is remarkably hardy.
This weekend, I'll likely be making basil pesto. I have walnuts, the basil is going nuts, and I have plenty of Parmesan cheese in the freezer.
For the front of the studio, I believe I'll stick a few dill plants into a pot. First, dill is remarkably resilient. Second, it's good for the butterfly population. And third, we need to do something for a spot that fronts a brick wall with a western exposure. Yikes, the heat!
I purchased a Cardinal Flower plant for the front yard. Hubby and I are deciding where to put it. The one surviving Bee Balm is doing wonderfully. The kid at the nursery says we "won't be able to keep the hummingbirds away" with the Cardinal Flower. So it may end up in the main bed.
I decided on Cone Flower for the studio. So tomorrow, I'll take apart the pot that's there and see what the landlords have given me. If it's do-able, the Cone Flower goes in. If not, I get a second pot, buy some basil or dill or something and stick herbs on one side, and Cone Flower on the other. Either way, it's a colorful pop at the front door. And if it helps bring more bees and butterflies around? I'm good with that.
Random Picture...
From the garden. Hearts are everywhere. You just have to look for them. Perhaps looking for hearts should become an obsession. Everyone has a heart. If we look for the other person's heart, maybe we'll find that instead of being afraid of them. Maybe we'll see what's common among us instead of what divides us.
Maybe looking for their heart will lead us to look deeper into our own heart. Maybe we'll find what's missing in our heart. And maybe our hearts will expand when we find the other person's heart. Nothing bad can come of a heart that's expanded in size to encompass more beings.
Any way you look at it -- hearts are good.
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