It's Not That Hard...

...or at least that's what I thought. 

I'm within a week or so of my (hopefully) last hematologist visit. A couple years ago, I finally admitted - or was forced to admit - that I was anemic. My GP had been telling me for years that I "didn't store iron." But it took my cardiologist to whomp me alongside the head - and almost refuse to do my PVI procedure, to tell me that, guess what? "Not storing iron" = anemia. He was madder than a wet hen that my GP essentially let my iron levels get to somewhere around a 5... They transfuse you at 4. 

So I had iron infusions over 6 weeks. Looked like they were pumping in prune juice, to be honest. And my levels gradually increased to about 12-ish. And they've stayed. 

That's not the problem. The problem is, the last 3 times I've visited "Dr. Blood," I've had to have blood drawn. And I go downstairs to the hospital. And they never have the order. In spite of my telling Dr. Blood's staff that I was going to go to the hospital's lab to have it done... 

This time, I was busy, and was impatient. Finally, after the really nice registration clerk couldn't get the order faxed over (from 1 floor up...), I trotted over to Dr. Blood's office and kindly but firmly asked them to "go old school" and hand me the piece of paper... which they did. Trotted back. Got stuck into a room. And sat for another 10 minutes... 


Good thing they weren't taking my blood pressure... Anyway, this nice lady walks in. I have stunning veins. Every nurse I know says so, and you can see them eyeballing my hands and inner elbows, thinking, "I want to sink a needle in there!" 

This lady did the usual prep, and then said, "Little pinch" like they always do. But there was no pinch... She'd pressed down on my upper arm, right above the vein, and I didn't even feel it. 

And better yet? No bruising. None. Nothing. You can barely see the needle poke. I'm on blood thinners, and I bruise when someone looks askance at me. It's insane. I come up with bruises where I don't even remember knocking the limb against anything. I pretty much take it in stride, and laugh it off. So when I get blood taken, I do bruise up nicely. It's pretty spectacular, if I do say so. But this? Hasn't happened in decades... 

She was amazing. I think I've found my personal phlebotomist... 

It's A Book...

As many of you may remember, I did the internship for elephant journal (yes, it's not capitalized). I met -- well, "met" -- a lot of great people. One of them - I can't even explain, but we click. 

We've chatted; we've kvetched. We've compared stories, trials and tribulations. It's just one of those things that happens online. You just click - there's no other word for it. 

She's written a book! I have a copy and I can't wait to dive into it. 

Our diets are closely linked to our health, both mentally and physically. Our bodies hold toxins - actually, they're held in the fat cells. And it's tough to get rid of those little buggers. Some estimates say that a larger and larger percentage of people will be diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Well - if you could "clean up" your diet and make sure that you are as healthy as you can be, wouldn't you do so?

I'm going to see about working some of these recipes into the rotation. Exercise and eating right - won't keep us alive forever, but if we can have a good quality of life, then we can live it to the fullest. 

Knitting...

Busy, busy, busy... started working on Christmas music, and then after the guitar lesson, I picked up Close to You again. As you can see, we're plugging along. I'm supposed to have 32" needles, but these are 29". I'm hoping I can fudge them and just keep on knitting. 

Chandi's has a great "hurricane sale" selection and I may have to get a couple more hanks to create a few more of these. Or some variation of a beautiful shawl with sock yarn.

Tomorrow, I'm attending a Fall Fest; doing 2 yoga demonstrations (for which I hope students actually show up!), and I'll be bringing knitting along. I'm not sure if I'm even going to have a table or chair to sit in between sessions, but if not, I'm bringing a small folding table and a lawn chair. And I'll bring one of the socks to work on. 

So either (a) I'll have somewhere to sit and chat with people about the yoga studio, or (b) I can go home. But if it's (a), then KIP (Knitting in Public) is a great conversation starter. And socks are usually right up there at the top of the list! I can bring this project, too - we'll see. 

Cubs...

Clinched again! And I'm having a bit of a concept problem with someone I know. This person is a die-hard White Sox fan. I mean, if you cut into this person, likely the blood would be black-and-white. And the devotion to the team is high. Extremely high. 

On Facebook, this person is pretty derogatory about the Cubs. I mean, I don't like the Sox, but in the scheme of things? It's baseball. It's guys running around, getting paid a boatload of money to play a game. With everything else going on, lighten up a bit, right?

Anyway, the Facebook post was kind of... Well, no. Not "kind of." It was DEFINITELY nasty. I'm not sure how to handle it and am tempted to give it the attention it deserves: by ignoring it. 

My issue is that of course it's just baseball, as I stated above. But also - I know the depth of the fandom. And in the larger picture? I can ignore it and live my life. But I find my respect for this person ever-so-slightly diminished. 

Is that petty? 

Mouse In the House...


As I sat waiting for my teacher to show up for my guitar lesson, I noticed the ceiling tile... Tell me what you see... 

I thought it was kind of funny, and so did my teacher. Apparently, this tile had showed up in a classroom. It got moved. Then it was in a hallway. It got moved. Now it's outside his studio. I wonder how long it'll stay there!

In another bit of absolutely random news, my favorite mug sprung a leak. Hubby put the kettle on for me, and had put out a "breakfast" sized mug. Well heck... with THAT much tea, I'd be up all night in the bathroom! So I switched it out for my "Keep Calm and Just Breathe" mug. It was a gift from one of my teachers, and of course, my studio is Just Breathe Yoga Studio... I went in to get the tea, and there's tea...all over the counter! 

Oddly enough, it was cracked in the middle. I have no idea how it happened. I guess I could've repurposed it for a pen cup, but I have far too much "stuff." So I tossed it. And immediately went on Zazzle to order a new one. First World problem, right?

Random Picture...

Dug into the archives for this one. This was the last trip I took with my mom. She's doing well - she hit 80 and we're taking her to the theater in a few weeks. But she's not a traveler much anymore. 

This is outside Pigeon Forge, TN. It's a "modern Mount Rushmore" by the Dollywood theme park. Left to right, just in case you're not sure what you're really looking at: John Wayne, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin. 

I guess the only thing you can say is that a woman finally made it onto Mount Rushmore... 

A Minute and a Half...

...till the brown rice is done. Lest you think I'm eating dinner at nearly 10 p.m. CST, ha -- I'm actually (dare I say it) GETTING AHEAD and making some brown rice for tomorrow's lunch. 

I've tried these bag thingies, and so far, everything has been ok. I mean, I can pronounce all the stuff in the bag and on the ingredient list, so there's that. And they take pretty much a minute. And I can fit them in my little dark blue Thermos for lunch. I usually try to follow the package directions to serve them with a starch, like a pasta, rice or quinoa. 

I'm not a huge fan of white rice. For one, arsenic -- and yeah, I do eat a LOT of rice. For another, I just prefer the "fullness" of the brown rice, and I do buy organic as much as I can. 

This packet is different from what I usually get. I really like the spinach dal, but I thought I'd try this. I've been trying to get more organized and get things prepared in the p.m. the night before. 

Since I'm part of the "part-time brigade" lately, I'm keeping lots of balls in the air. Which is cool. In a strange way, this has brought me more balance. I know I have to be somewhere at a certain time, and I can walk away. 

Anyway, I've got my bag ready, and will have my lunch mostly ready. All I have to do is heat the pouch up in the morning and put it on top of the microwaved rice and there you have it. 

Lunch.

Breakfast is a yogurt smoothie, or a protein shake. Meds and supplements are already in my purse. Newest copy of "The Sun" magazine is in the bag, knitting is next to my purse. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. 

Knitting...

Speaking of which... Not much to show you. One more point on the shawl, but nothing else happening. I'm still drooling over the various lace shawls, and still working on the Sole-to-Sole and the blue self-patterning one. I'm bringing the Sole-to-Sole to work, and trying to get a few rows on it here and there. I do have to buckle down and get that self-patterning one done. I mean, really - I'm close to finishing the gusset decrease - two rows or so. And then I can start on the foot. 

And I want to start some Christmas knitting. I know - not sure how all that's going to shake out, but I'm going to try for a couple of hats and perhaps another Close to You shawl, if I can move along on this one. I was buzzing like crazy, but then other stuff came up. 

I really should have been practicing tonight - I have O Sanctissima to learn to finger-pick, but again - tonight. Things took over. 

Anyway, I'm going to get back to the shawl in a few moments - at least to get half way through to the next point. 

I got the latest issue of Creative Knitting, and I'm intrigued by two pullovers and a pair of wristlets. But the remainder of the issue is consumed with "Cables on the Catwalk" and I've decided that you have to be the size of a toothpick to wear cables the size they've created in a few of those sweaters. 

Someone my size (and I'm not huge, but I'm not tiny)? I'd look like a lumpy package in a sweater that's entirely cabled. 

So. Will look again at one of the pullovers and see if I'm brave enough to do the asymmetrical front. It's a little scoop up at the front hem, and I'm not sure about it. I kind of like straight lines. Especially since I don't want to emphasize my stomach in the first place... 

Coloring...

I had to grab a couple of jump drives for some files I'm toting around. The one jump drive I was given was starting to read "corrupted" or "files need to be fixed" --both of which are a sure sign that the drive is about ready to crap out. So I transferred the files to my laptop (note to self: have Hubby back this thing up tomorrow!!), and got these cute little jump drives. 

Yes, they're meant to be colored on. So I did! One of them holds files related to some work I'm doing for my church, and the other holds stuff regarding my Young Living business. I thought they were cute. 

And I can certainly find them in the bottom of my bag! Speaking of which, I also bought two new backpacks. 

I got a bright pink one for Tippi's therapy stuff. I had a "diaper bag" kind of bag, but since she's rather taken with the idea that I should actually lift her robust self into my truck, the "diaper bag" slung over my shoulder is a bit awkward. Her color is pink, so this works. 

The other one replaces a large open tote I use for my music; and it's a dark periwinkle. Both are Jansport bags, both at 50% off (yes!!) and both should last for a good long while. 

Random Picture...

Well, thought a throw-back would be good. I've been too busy to get many pics taken lately, and it's been beastly hot. Fall has taken its time, and summer has decided on a last gasp. 

This is from Florida a few years ago, when my friend Alice and I attended a conference. I loved the bright pink and I couldn't resist. we see hibiscus here, but unless you've got a 3-season room or a closed-in porch, they don't last. 

I wonder how the resort is doing. Florida is struggling. 

But nothing like Puerto Rico. Hopefully the Dotard will get his act together, realize that PR is NOT in the ocean (Caribbean Sea, actually) and our government will stop trying to kill us all off or start World War 3 - and get those folks, you know - the American territory we have - some help. The help they desperately need. 

Stop tweeting and start presidenting.

It Got Me Thinking...

...a phone call I had today with a researcher. Not one of those, "We'd like to ask you a few questions about dish detergent" researcher. But someone from a writer's group who asked for some volunteers for a project she's working on. 

She's a "confidence coach," and was working with women, mostly entrepreneurs, to enable them to grow personally as well as professionally. 

She said to me, "You sound quite confident and balanced."

Well. Let's just say I fake it well. Because it got me to thinking. AM I as confident as I project? Some days, I don't feel it. Some days, I've got the world by the tail. MOST days? I don't feel it. I feel like I'm faking my way through it. 

I'm confident in most decisions I make, in regard to the studio, at least. And I'm confident - for the most part - in the personal decisions I make. But I think -- particularly since I'm staring 60 in the face -- that I am re-evaluating a lot of things. I'm re-evaluating what I'm choosing. What I've chosen. And where I want to go and who I want to be. 

None of this is strange. I think there are landmark birthdays where you really get set back on your heels and you have to come to full stop and think a moment or two. For me, 30 was a piffle. However, 35 hit me hard. Forty was another piffle. I saw 50 as "finally grown up." But 60? I'm not sure how I feel about that number. 

I'm not buying the "60 is the new 40" crap. Because that's a tale we tell ourselves. It's a lot like the "prosperity gospel" stuff that the televangelists preach. The only "prosperity" is theirs because you're foolish enough to send them your hard-earned money. 

Yes, I believe that you should seek out positivity. But reality is a nice place to live. Not "reality" as in "reality TV" or... the current state of the White House and the Occupant... But "reality" as in, "Let's be realistic and look at both the profits and the pitfalls of what we're thinking about here. How do we best accomplish the task or the plan that we're looking at?" 

I have a sock yarn called "Unicorn Farts." It's a fun name. It's not the nature of the world. We're not here to believe strictly in daisies, buttercups, unicorn farts, and fairies. 

Yes, it's a big, beautiful, wonderful and wonder-filled world. It's also a world where animals are abused; kids are abused; women are abused; the planet is having a major meteorological hissy fit; two crazy man-boys are pushing us to the brink of World War III. "Thoughts and prayers" only go so far. 

Reality means we get down to brass tacks and become activists and advocates for the change we want to see. However that shapes up for us, getting on the phone, writing letters, standing for something and DOING something? Much better than daisies, buttercups, unicorn farts, and fairies. 

Autumn...

Well. That was a bust. It was 95 degrees today. In Illinois. It's the first day of Fall. Mother Nature isn't done with us yet. 

I met with my friend K who came back on one of the last flights from Puerto Rico. She's kind of a basket case, not knowing what will be left after this latest hurricane. I've asked her to teach some classes at the studio -- to bring some "normal" into an entirely abnormal scenario. She commented that this weather was "certainly weird." You could say that. It's almost October. 

We've had warm-ish Octobers before. But this is August. This is "chew on the air" weather -- Illinois folks are used to an August where you can sort of slice the air and gnaw on it because it's so sticky, hot, and heavy. Not at the end of September, though. Especially since, this past August, we didn't even break 90 degrees. At all. 

According to reports, we're having a "wet and mild" winter. We need "nasty cold freezing" to (a) kill all the germs we're not used to dealing with year-round; and (b) snow enough to raise water tables. 

We shall see. Mother Nature, on behalf of the sorry, stupid human race, I apologize and beg your forgiveness. Will you stop now? Thank you. 

Sunrise...

Today on the way to work, I was, thankfully, running early for once. I had to pick up a gift card for a raffle at the office, so I was able to scoot out of the house quickly. As I drove north on Rt. 53, I noticed a heavy ground fog. So I figured I'd nip into my new "favorite place"... the old swing bridge trail. 

And I wasn't disappointed. 

Well, I was a tad disappointed. This shot is at the base of the hill, and I had to skootch up a bit to get the sun in the shot. It's only on my phone. I need to grab the big camera and try again. Don't you love the light? It was beautiful. 

Knitting...

I'm still beavering away on the shawl; it does go quickly, and my animal Reiki-practitioner friend says she has the same yarn...which is really weird since this is a rather unique yarn company and what are the odds that a yarn that was a gift to me would be in someone else's hands? Either way, if she does have it, she's got another idea of what she can knit with it... 

I'm on the 6th point, if you count the first one. There are 18 points in this pattern. Still a little freaked out about the double yarn-overs, but so far, it's been a positive experience. The way the colors are laying out is quite interesting to me. When I had the hank just laid out, I wasn't quite sure how the grey would work into all of it. It almost looked like it was going to pool like crazy, but it really isn't. It's obvious there's a "plan" to the colors, but it's not - at least to my eyes - either a traditional self-patterning or variegated. That's what's going to make this unique. 

I've already eyeballed some amethyst sock yarn that may be the next iteration of this pattern. 

For me, knitting is "process" as well as "product." I mean, there are knitters who purely love the PROCESS of knitting. The act of knitting. If they never finish something, they're just happy knitting. Other knitters are "product" knitters. They want to just get the project done so they have a "thing" knitted. 

I'm a blend of the two. I like the process. It's meditative, even when I want to throw it against a wall. I like finishing, but I don't mind having 3 or 4 (or 5 or 6) projects on the needles. I'll get it done. Except for The Dreaded Teal Sock (yeah, I know...it'll get done), I really just go from project to project. I'm not wedded to any one project. I did put the Dr. Who project bag in the car and as I was waiting for a yoga class to get out (so I could get in to teach), I put a few rows on the Sole to Sole sock. It'll get done. 

I think that's my new mantra. "It'll get done." 

I need to knit or read to recharge my batteries. I'm rather introverted, though I fake the extrovert part. And when I come home, I want to just. Sit. I need quiet, and I need to recharge somehow. These solitary pursuits help me gather myself for the next "exposure to people." Does that sound horrible? I can't help it if it does. It's true. 

Random Picture...

So when I recently cleaned off the Arlo table (used to be where our canary Arlo resided), I put up the beautiful pottery bowl from my mom's friends and I put up my Buddha. This little guy used to rest on my desk in a prior office.  For what it's worth, it didn't keep anyone calmer there... But that's another chapter in the novel. 

Close to him are the Lake Michigan rocks, notice the heart-shaped marking on the one on the left. From the left, the next rock down is raw citrine, then a rounded, faceted garnet (middle). Up toward the right is raw jade, and then the other Lake Michigan rock. Over to the left, you can see a peek of my chalcedony bracelet. 

I was looking for a "tray" of some sort, and after rummaging in the closet, I came out with this Mikasa "cookie tray" that I got at a close-out sale with the thought that I'd give it as a gift. It's small -- too small for my cookie trays. But it's perfect, because even when I eventually gather more crystals/stones, they'll sit nicely on this little tray. I'm learning about crystals, but for me, it's not necessarily what their "powers" are. It's just that I like them. I find beauty in them, whether raw or polished or faceted. They're a "gazing point" for me. You take your "piece of quiet" where you can find it. 

This Being Human...

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

— Jellaludin Rumi

...I'm sort of talking about the poem by Rumi. There it is above. So I'm thinking about it because I'm wondering about how good we're all doing with "this being human." And I'm not necessarily convinced that we're doing our best. I mean, individually, I see people doing extraordinary things - from those involved in the hurricane relief efforts, to the firefighters out west trying to keep the blazes contained. And in towns big and small, there are folks who do their thing daily, without fanfare, without expectation. Just doing what they're supposed to be doing: being nice humans. 

I'm worried about our country. I'm worried about the world we're leaving to our kids. I'm worried about the petty tyrant occupying the highest office in our land, threatening to create World War III, gutting health care, and promoting hate and divisiveness. I'm worried about this being human thing, because lately, it doesn't seem like we're doing it too awfully well. More like we're doing it "awfully" and NOT well. 

Maybe my time in the news-hole has caused this rumination. Maybe it's given me space to think more about it. Maybe things going on in other areas of my life have caused me to try to discern the mechanics of relationships and how people get along (No worries, if you're concerned - it's got to do with some organizations in which I'm involved. All at home is well.) and how people deal with conflict, change and growth. How people deal when they're being nudged out of their comfort zone. How people deal when what they've known for a long time is now gone. How people deal with loss the likes of which this country has never seen. 

I don't know. I do know that "this being human" is a daily... no, an HOURLY practice. And we only have one lifetime in which to get it right. 

Knitting...

So the shawl is coming along. If it turns out well, I will whip out another one for a Christmas gift. No, I'm not telling for whom! I will tell you that I messed up a bit, but fudged it to fix it. Ripping back double yarn-overs? Not if I can help it!

I've been carrying around the Sole to Sole sock, trying to get a few rows in at lunch or whenever I have downtime. Working on that. And the blue striped sock is coming along - I'm still 2 rows from the instep section because, well... the shawl beckoned. 

I think that if I get to the Christmas gift, I'll have to first do a "stash raid" to see if I have variegated sock yarn. One of the folks in the shawl group said that she did hers with a laceweight yarn and kept going till she had 30 "points" - which you can see I'm just sort of starting to fabricate as I go on. This picture is slightly old because I actually have 5 points on this right now. I stopped for a conference call at which I needed to take notes, and to write this because I've been thinking about the "being human" thing and didn't want to forget. 

Pie...

So I do love some pie... And at our church picnic, we had a pie baking contest. Three judges chose the top four pies. Hubby was disappointed that he didn't win. Rhubarb-raisin would've gone over quite nicely with my dad. It's Hubby's mom's recipe and I think it was a tad exotic for the church folks!

What was a little annoying was that a Kahlua-chocolate cheesecake won. It's a PIE contest. 

Much though I love cheesecake - probably even more than pie - it's not pie. Never will be. Unless of course you do one of those boxed Jell-O thingies. Which, personally, I don't believe are "real" cheesecake anyway. 

One of our Star Bakers didn't enter his creations. He is a modest sort, and he made, bar none, the most AMAZING Key Lime pie I have ever put into my mouth. And I've had "real" Key Lime pie before. I swoon just thinking about it. 

Hubby was going to make a chocolate custard pie, which he's also done before. But he had a little brain fart and messed up the cornstarch part, so it never set up. Bummer. I love THAT pie, too. 

A quick note on the orthodontic front: My rubber bands are OFF!! I can now move my jaws, thank you. I feel like I can speak again. And my chiropractor thinks that this will relieve the recent spate of migraines I've had. 

Therapy Dog...

Tippi continues to do her therapy work at Lewis University. Yesterday, Brother Chris decided she "was hungry" and brought her a tiny piece of chicken. Well. She was hooked. And now, of course, she'll expect it!

Anyway, when we have downtime, she gets a special toy. It's always in my therapy gig bag, and she only gets it when we do therapy and we have some time or she needs a break... 

It's a stuffed snowman I got from Fun Time Dog Shoppe, an online store where I get most of their toys, since I trust them. Click on the link and take a browse. All of the proceeds go to rescue, and you can pick which rescue from a list they have. 

It's awesome...or should I saw PAWSOME?? Anyway, we have a great time, and she gets really excited about visiting the students. We have the visits twice a month during spring and fall semesters, and the students really look forward to it. So does Tippi. 

Reading...

I suppose I shouldn't say this, but the librarians at the university let me take books out that are generally not in circulation. And I've read two by the same author. I'm going to have to buy my own copies, because I feel compelled to want to underline or highlight... Don't look so shocked. 

I won't do that to a library book, at least. But there are some wonderful words in Kathleen Norris' books. In actuality, I was attracted to her title, "The Cloister Walk," because for some reason, stories about nuns fascinate me. 

Well, this wasn't about nuns. Turns out she's a poet, and spends an awful lot of time in Benedictine monasteries in retreats. She writes beautiful prose. I have no clue about her poetry, though my friend Wendy did give me her book "Dakota" - it's on my list, but right now, I'm making my way through "Amazing Grace," which is an outstanding collection of essays. The book is old - it was copyrighted in 1998, but the words are still relevant. 

I can see my book order as we speak. My newest yoga teacher has also recommended a couple. Hey, I really have stayed away from the yarn store. And I only have two vices. (Three, if you count chocolate...)

Random Picture...

So on my way to work, there's a street down which the old "swing bridge" used to be. The bridge is actually still there. On Tuesday as I was making my way to work, the sunlight was...just amazing. So I turned down the steep hill and decided to take a few shots. 

The Forest Preserve folks are restoring the prairie area there, and it's fairly deserted (I know - probably not my brightest idea, but I figure that fearless is a good thing sometimes - you can't live your life afraid). Anyway, the bridge is still there, fenced off, and all kinds of "don't cross this gate" warnings. I have to look at an overhead map because I can't figure out if it's the river I was hearing or the canal -- the canal doesn't usually move that fast. Once it gets developed into a park-like thing, it'll be very nice. Right now, it's in the "wild rehab" stage. You can't go any farther than the bridge. But there are areas where the egrets hang out, a few benches, and it looks like they'll be working on a trail with the unused railway tracks. 

I got a little weirded out by the "this place floods quickly so don't stick around" signs... Seriously, unless the flood is of Noah-like proportions, I can't see it. Well, if it's the CANAL, then we have a problem, because there's a concrete wall separating the DesPlaines River from the I & M Canal. If that concrete wall breaks? Well, yeah. Problems. Big problems. 

Anyway, it was a beautiful, peaceful place. Nice way to start the morning. 

A Nearly Perfect Evening...

...except for the slightest niggling little migraine... Still here in the "news hole" except for reading the paper... Go Cubs! 

Knitting and Barbara Stanwyck movies. 

I'm not quite sure where I left off, so here's a recap of the projects... Yes, projectS...

The plain vanilla sock goes on. I'm about 2 rows from finishing the decreases and being able to start on the foot. There's about 4-5" of foot then, and after that, I decrease for the toe. 

Measure it up with sock #1, make sure everything works, then it's done and I can wear them. I love having "basic" socks. I love the idea of having a neutral pattern, so even though this may be a little "wild" for a "neutral" - think about it. 

It's a lot more tame than some of the florescent ones I've done! It's not quite as tame as the one pair in the pattern, "Roman Rib," but it's pretty quiet. 

Remember this yarn, from one of my yoga students? It's a sock yarn, but in the "too pretty for feet" category. I was searching high and low for a shawl pattern. This hank is only 400 yards - sock yarn is usually around 410 or 420. So I had to find a pattern that used either EXACTLY 400 yards or even a little less. 

I also wanted something "just a bit" challenging, but not crazy like a wedding ring shawl, particularly since sock yarn is a bit more sturdy. 

This one, "Close to You," is a lovely pattern, and has double yarnovers. I've never done a double yarnover. So I went to YouTube to learn what to do with them. 

Seems like it's pretty simple. And a double yarnover is self-explanatory: Instead of one loop of yarn, you loop it twice. 


The trick is in the return row. You have to knit the first YO and then PURL the second one, since, if you look at it, you actually can't knit both - you'd have a dropped stitch. 

This pattern is really nice. You have the "lace" rows and then a bunch of "ladder" section where you gradually increase, so that it's a bias shawl. And then there's a picot bind off. 

It's a 14-row repeat, and it's scalable - so you can increase it, which is nice. I have a few patterns I'd knit over and over, and this one could be one of them. A hank that's over 400 yards is possible, and the "ladder" sections are fairly mindless. 

The Stanwyck movie this time around is an oldie that I've never seen: "There's Always Tomorrow" with Fred MacMurray. 

After I got home from interviewing a new yoga teacher (yay!), I decided that I really, really, REALLY needed to start this shawl. 

So I put up the swift and ball-winder and started to ball up the hank. I really need to re-think the swift. First off, I need to get a better table to deal with the screw-on bit at the bottom. Hooking it to Aunt Mary's sewing machine is cumbersome, with my hands being what they are. So even if I do get the bottom hooked on, I still sometimes have problems with the part that expands or contracts the umbrella part. Some days, I can't get either of the parts tight enough. 

And then the ball-winder is kind of the same thing. I don't have a really good place to hook it onto, so today, I had to have kind of a death-grip on it, so that it didn't pop off the top of the bookshelf. 

I'm thinking of selling the umbrella part, and getting a swift that's a table-top, so that all I have to worry about are the pegs to distribute the yarn. It would be easier and no screws to worry about. I have to think about it. 

So here's the start of it. I'm done with the first 13 rows, and mid-way through row #14. I repeat that 14-row section 18 times, and then rows 3 - 12 once. At the end, I should have almost 150 stitches. 

The picot bind-off should finish it off nicely. You block the body part in the triangle shape. 

With any luck, by the time I get to that point, Kid #2 will have removed the remaining guitars out of my office, I'll have my "garage sale" stuff organized. I need to put it all in the basement so that it's out of the way. 

Then, perhaps, I can block the thing on the floor. And maybe, too, by that time, I'll have unearthed my blocking pins! That would indeed be a miracle...

Yoga Teacher...

So I interviewed a new teacher. MY teacher had her in class and they talked; it seems she's looking to sub, which is excellent, because the studio needs a reliable sub. 

And there's a class we could fill if we had a teacher, so I've asked her to write up a description and give it a title. We'll see how it goes. 

She fits our general "vibe" and brings her own energy, too. We wanted to have some diversity in our teaching. It's very competitive to have a studio in this area, believe it or not!

So I wanted to have teachers of all levels; from senior to basic to advanced. We usually try and experiment. You never know how a teacher will go over with the students - or how a teacher will fit in. Or if the teacher likes our population! It all goes in many directions. And sometimes, as a studio owner, it feels like one experiment after another. 

Random Picture...

I went to JoAnn Fabric to pick up a circular needle set - I'm pretty sure I have what I need, but I couldn't put my hands on them. Of course, I'll find them either after I've finished the shawl or mid-way through! 

They didn't have exactly what I needed, but close enough. And as I was waiting in the check-out line, I saw yet another sign of the coming apocalypse... Look at the chocolate bar on the left... bacon, chocolate and potato chips. Seriously. 

I can almost get behind the "S'Mores" one on the right. 

But the one called "Pigs N' Taters"??? I can't. I just can't. 

Down the News-hole...

 ...much like Alice's "Rabbithole." I've been in a "news-hole." Hubby has had almost 24/7 coverage of both hurricanes and the forest fires out west. Not to mention the daily doings of the crazy mango in the White House... I'm "newsed-out" and I've crawled into a knitting/reading/old movies hole. 

It's kind of nice to unplug. I've read a few articles on some new yoga techniques, gotten further in a few other books I've been working on, looked at some knitting patterns... It's all been nice to just unplug for a while. 

On the knitting front, I've closed the gusset on the blue/grey sock. It's coming along. I think I'll be done with it in a few weeks. I'm liking the way it's striping, and it's a "fraternal" sock by about a quarter-inch. I really don't mind that they don't match. Apparently, it's a "thing" and besides, if I wanted to match, I'd have to pull yarn and see if I could find the starting point. 

I can barely figure out how much of a tail to leave for a longtail cast-on, so wasting yarn isn't in my future. 

Then, after this sock, on to the next project. I've printed off several shawls, and since I have some beautiful sock yarn (at least 2 skeins that I don't want to put on my feet), I plucked a few 400-yard shawl patterns off Ravelry. One of them may even be able to be used with the rest of that laceweight blue/cream stuff I have. The more I can use up the alpaca, the better I like it. 

I also found that I haven't made as much progress as I though I had on the Sole to Sole. So it's now "car knitting" - which may not work, since I drive myself a lot! But perhaps lunch knitting. I can use the mental break. 

Sign of the Coming Apocalypse...

So not only are people too lazy to put frosting into a decorating tube, but there's the abomination of peanut butter frosting. 

I can't. 

It's as bad as "blue red velvet cake."

Or Pumpkin Spice Cheerios. (Yes, that IS a thing.)

Yeah, call me a baking snob, and I get it - not everyone makes their own frosting. I'm ok with that, though frosting is extremely easy to make. Doesn't have to be fancy buttercream. Find a basic recipe and just keep at it. 

But seriously, even the frosting in the decorating tube. It's not like there's no You Tube or Pinterest tutorial. They're just whacking it on cupcakes. You don't need anything special for that - not even, to be truthful, a decorating tip. You can cut the corner off a zipper-bag and squeeze out a passable decoration. 

How Does My Garden...

Grow? Well, we're in the waning times now. The flowers are all going to seed, so I think that even putting in plants at the vicarage for church won't do for now. I'll save seeds and hopefully, we can plant in spring. 

My little friend at the garden center offered me 20% off on this beauty, but at this point, our front garden area under the picture window is so unformed - unplanned - unimagined, even - that it's best to just wait. 

I didn't realize that this was lighted. I saw it the other day when I taught my garden yoga class. I was even more tickled by it. I wanted the light on it, and I was planning on "uplighting" the front area anyway. So this would be icing on the cake. (ha)

So we'll likely wait. This is the perfect size and I'm hopeful that next year, they can get it for me. I can't decide what I want in the front, and Hubby is still "mulling it over." That could take a while...

There are enough cobwebs on our deck that we won't be needing Halloween decorations! I have a white pumpkin and some gourds, but I think they'll go in the studio instead of at the house. 

I'm hoping to get the ghosts hung out in the trees. I did find them. We badly, BADLY need a basement clean-out. 

New Fave Tea...

So I've had a crud. I don't know where I picked it up, but I'm still working with a lingering hack, almost a hairball. You know the cough I mean, but finally it's stopped keeping me awake. 

I have a recipe that someone posted, and I adjusted. It uses Young Living Essential Oils Thieves blend in the Vitality line. Those oils in the Vitality line are able to be ingested. 

Here's "Thieves Tea" my way...

1 tea bag (your choice - I used black tea, but herbal works well)
6 - 8 oz of water
2 T. full-fat cream (you need it; I'll explain it)
1 - 2 drops of Thieves Vitality
Honey to taste

Bring the water to a boil. While doing that, add the Thieves to the full-fat cream. You need full-fat so that the oil emulsifies in there and doesn't just "float on top." Thieves is a fantastic oil - and it has a spicy kick, so you want it blended in. 

Steep the teabag for 5 minutes or so. Add honey, then add the cream/oil mix. Stir it up. 

Enjoy. Kind of like a chai but better. I bet this would be good with the Celestial Seasonings Lemon Ginger herbal tea. May have to try that soon!

I tried this the other day. I think that I could've used 2 drops of Thieves, but as always, it's easier to start slow. You can always add more. Taking away? Not so much. 

Random Picture...

One of the ladies at church painted this for the Children's Classroom. It's beautiful. No matter what you believe in, this is a lovely work of art. 

Our church is in a unique position because we're poised to grow. And with growth, you sometimes get anxiety. Some folks like things "the way they are." Some folks are all "let's grow!! Now!" And some are "well, let's see how it goes." 

Stir that all up and sometimes you have "conflict stew." Not that conflict is bad. Conflict, actually, can be very productive. It starts people talking, especially when you have a community of people who essentially like each other and enjoy spending time together. 

I think that's the difference. Conflict today can be harsh. It can be hateful. And I'm not saying that it's all sunshine and unicorn farts in church. 

Church politics can be positively awful. Church politics often makes "regular" politics look like a meeting of saints and angels. 

But in our little church, we seem to, for the most part, get past some of the nasty and get to the fact that we basically want what's good for everyone. 

So. We need a reminder. A reminder to breathe. Pray. Meditate. And most of all, trust. 

Trust a higher power. 

And trust yourself and those with whom you surround yourself. 

Russian Connection????

...So every once in a while I check the stats on the blog. Just want to know where my followers and readers are. I've had a consistent, though small, following for a while now, and while I'd love to hear from you, I get it. 

Life is busy. 

So I checked today. Dang. I'll be investigated for collusion with Russia. Twenty-one pageviews in Russia and 18 in the US... What's going on here? Bots? 

Hope y'all like my political rants, reading preferences and knitting. Oh, and cooking... 

Knitting...

Starting off at the top of the list. This was a gift from one of my students. Her sister is the dyer, and she brought it back from the Indiana State Fair. She said, "Tell your Hubby that this is MY fault!" It's beautiful and I think it will be a shawlette. The yarn is too pretty to put on my feet and hide in shoes. 

Just because I could, I joined a Facebook group for shawl knitting. Oy. Probably shouldn't have. Because I'm now in as deep there as I am with socks! 

So many projects. 

And I'm planning on doing as many as I can, while I can. Though I'm going to have to go on another yarn diet. (Go ahead. Laugh. I'm laughing, too.). I really have to get some things done, and I feel good about those things that are really progressing because at least I'm moving forward. 

Today, I should have brought my knitting along. I had some time, and I didn't have any knitting. But I'm at an area with the sock where I need to concentrate, and I figured I could work on it a bit tonight, which I'm going to end up not doing, actually. 

The magic has happened again. The heel turn. This is why I like a traditional heel. This little bit of glee when you can start to see the cup of the heel forming. The short rows, which freak me out otherwise, are my bona fide signal that the foot is near. And where there's a foot, there's a toe. And that means that I'm nearly done! 

I finished up the heel turn and closed the gusset last night. I was going to do more, but as you'll read below...stuff happened, and I went to bed a little early. 

The end-of-summer cold hit at its worst yesterday, and I actually woke up this morning without a voice. Nevertheless - 4 cups of tea later, I could at least speak. A hot shower, and I was off to work. 

I got adjusted by my chiropractor, and while it's not a "cure" it does help. Seems like it got my lymphatic system working. 

Basically - I thought I was going to have all evening to knit because I didn't think I was going to be able to teach tonight. But I was able to. 

Oh, and I spent about 45 minutes ripping out part of a sweater for my friend Roberta. She managed to drop a stitch. Cotton yarn, straight needles. Typically, this is a recipe for disaster, and it kind of was. But I ripped back 2 rows and was able to get her back on track. 

She was clenching her fists and breathing like she was having an asthma attack. And I get it. Watching someone rip your knitting is a little --- ok, a LOT --- painful. I thought I wasn't going to be able to fix it, but I got lucky. Whew!

And I also did stop by Betsy's Tea and Knitting. Picked up more Gunpowder Green tea (love that stuff!) and another package of stitch markers. I swear, they walk away. They up and walk out of my house. 

Them and tape measures. Somewhere in the universe there's a place where all the stitch markers and tape measures go. And they sit there, laughing at us. 

Cooking...

Hubby made this last night. That also helped the cold... Chicken soup with LOTS of garlic in it. And shallots. Lots of them. The chemical compounds in garlic and onion-related veggies are good for your immune system, too. 

It'll be good tomorrow. It's always better when it sits for a day or so. Tonight after class, instead of the soup (which would've been a good idea), I had a grilled cheese sandwich. 

And snapped yet another rubber band. At least this one I didn't swallow. I hate those things, and I'm hoping that at the next orthodontist appointment, I can stop wearing them. 

Something else I've been using to help my wellness is my Young Living Essential Oils. This is this past month's Essential Rewards order. The stuff in the front row - that was free. I use the Ningxia Red every morning. Even the dogs (the elkhounds, at least) get a little bit. Full of antioxidants. For this cold, I've been using a bit of Thieves Vitality oil in there. 

Wowza - that'll open your nose! The items in the front are mainly the entire kid's line of oils. I use them anyway. They're a nice addition to my stash. 

The supplements (in the back) are Sulfurzyme (use it like you would a joint supplement - because that's what it's for), Multigreens (a supplement with concentrated "superfood" green veggie goodness), Super Cal (calcium) and Super B (B vitamins). I buy this stuff at the store anyway, and these are also infused with the essential oils, so for the same price as what I buy in the store, I'm helping myself stay well. 

New Flowers...

I went to repot an orchid I've had for 3 years. Only to find that it died. So I bought another one, but it's supposedly a "mini." I don't know if it needs repotting or if I need to wait till it's done blooming. 

I want to repot it because I want to bring it to the studio, but in its current pot, it's top-heavy. Just what I need is a yoga student knocking the thing to the ground and not only killing the plant, but hurting themselves on the pot shards. 

I rinsed out the old pot and put new bark in it. Also -- this one came in moss. Is that something I need to wash off the roots? Can you mix the media? 

I can't find anything in my "Orchids for Dummies" and there's conflicting stuff on the internet (go figure)... 

I'll take advice from any orchid folks... Chime in! This one is not the same bloom as the original, but it's the same family. Quite pretty, and I'm pleased with how healthy it looks. I want to keep it that way. 

Kindness Rocks... 

I've been planting my rocks all over. Waiting for someone to find them. This one I left outside my church, on the concrete bench. "Be a Nice Human."

Easy enough to say. Hard to do, right? It seems that we have a lot of challenges. I try to be cool, calm and collected. I try not to say things that are nasty. I try to be good to everyone. Or at least nice. 

But. Then there are days. There are times when "the stupid" is so strong that I can barely stand it. It's amazing how dense some people can be. I mean, even in regard to the most basic of things, people don't think. They absorb whatever's shoveled at them, and I've come to see that, whether true or not (a) if it's in print, people tend to believe it, in spite of all the "fake news" crap floating around; and (b) if you say something often enough, with enough authority, you have believers. 

So if I say the world is flat often enough, and with authority, there are corners of the internet -- dare I say "corners of the planet"?? -- who'd believe me wholeheartedly, in spite of pictures or science -- or pictures AND science to the contrary. 

I swear that if one more person posts something stupid about the hurricanes being God's vengeance or the fires being retribution for something, I'm going to punch someone. I'm not convinced God is mad at us. 

Mother Nature, on the other hand, has a LOT to be peeved about. And she's not above showing it in a manner obvious enough for even us humans to get it through our remarkably thick skulls. 

Steampunk Lincoln...

Outside Betsy's, I saw this and stopped dead in my tracks. First off, Mr. Lincoln is missing a leg. Not sure if it's supposed to be missing or it just wasn't shipped with the rest of it. 

And second... Is this steampunk? I mean, he's half in armor, and he's got gears and a chimney coming off his chair. And there's that one leg thing. 

I've never seen anything like this. And I don't remember anything in the local paper about it. 

The plaza is a nice area to sit in, though it's kind of close to the Amtrak tracks. It would be cool to ride past this and stop for a break. It runs alongside the old I & M canal, and is part of a really nice trail system through the historic area of Lockport, Illinois. This part, in particular, is across the street from "Lincoln Landing" - which is a relatively new "installation." It used to be a batch of historic structures known as "Symerton." Which was once a small settlement here. But they moved them up the road a bit, and restored them. And where Symerton once was, they redid the landscaping and put enormous chunks of local limestone in. 

Which, because it's Illinois, cracked, and they had to do it over. 

Anyway, Lincoln Landing is on the other side of the big bridge, and still has part of the canal system there. We used to bike it a lot, and we haven't done much of that this year. Between the busy-ness of my schedule and Hubby's shoulder bothering him, it's hard to get time in for a ride. 

No Picture...

...but the promised story. Last night, I was on a conference call. Lucky for me, I didn't have to do anything but listen and take notes. I was already in my PJs at 7:30 p.m.!

I can't smell anything. I have a stuffed nose, a semi-productive cough which keeps me up at night, and I want to take my eyeballs out and freeze them till December. 

I smelled skunk. I mean, it caught in my throat and penetrated the stuffed sinuses. 

In walks Hubby in disgust and he puts Raisa in her crate. Raisa is licking her chops and has a funny look on her face. 

The stupid dog launched herself off the deck at a rather large, and then peeved, skunk. The dog got skunked and Hubby barely managed to get out of the way of a blast. 

He made up a batch of dish soap, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda and doused her. She got mad. Tough kibble, you moron!! 

This morning, we re-washed her with a blend of Thieves cleaner, water and Purification oil, which I had diffusing all night (the oil, not the cleaner). And he took her to the groomer for yet another bath. 

I think she's ok, though if you get really close, she still stinks. Even the elkhounds were disgusted. 

Though I'm not sure they'd ignore a skunk either... 



Tuesdays With Tippi...

We're in year 5 or 6 of doing this. I can't remember, but I think we're closing in on 6 years. Tippi loves it still, though now I have to lift her into the truck. Our goal was to walk more and get her to lose some weight, but again - busyness and then it got hot -- or at least hot if you're a 9-year old dog with a double coat. 

I'm going to start walking her more now, though. The weather is changing and she really needs to move. I lift her in and out of the truck, because I've noticed she's a little stiff in her hips. 

I'm giving her the Ningxia Red, some turmeric supplement and will start her on Sulfurzyme, too. It won't hurt her, and it could help her mobility a bit. Of course, getting at least 10 lbs. off her wouldn't hurt. That's going to take a while though. 

We'll keep you advised...

Random Picture...

Lately, the sky has been fascinating. Whether it's because of the huge hurricanes (Harvey, Irma, Juan and Katia) or the change of weather or the wildfires, everyone's been commenting on the striking clouds and sky. 

This was a little chunk of it outside my office yesterday. Tonight's sunset was hot pink, turning to purple. Hazy - what with the smoke we're getting. Even though we're 3,000 miles away, the fires are immense. We expect to feel the ramifications of this weather and these fires for quite some time. 

Someone in class told me tonight that Irma could reach, theoretically, into Indiana and Ohio. 

Think about that. Hurricanes in the Midwest. Still think global warming is a hoax?