Both Brain & Heart...

...are full...

(l-r) Baxter Bell, me, Melina Meza - Yoga for Healthy Aging Training

I've finished my 30-hour intensive; as soon as I finish my final exam (to be emailed to us on Monday or so), I'll get a certification and can market myself as a certified "Yoga for Healthy Aging" teacher. It's a great way to create a longer health span - the time you spend "healthy" in your life, instead of the time you spend sick or affected by some chronic issue. 

And in this week, I not only have half a notebook of notes, picture upon picture of sequences (easier than writing it all down while doing it), and some excellent notes for future reading, but I HAVE SOCKS...

Knitting...

I finished the blue self-patterning pair. I was kind of a "hit" at the training because (huzzah!) I wore hand-knit socks EVERY day of the training. Of course, you can't practice yoga in socks, unless you're doing everything on the floor. But the weather has finally "found" fall, and the studio was cold. Which was fine with me. Rather cold than warmer. 

The blue pair are another "fraternal" set. I'm going to be jazzed if I get a matching set, but so far, unless it's a variegated yarn or solid, nada. 

Everyone was amazed that I was knitting during lunch. Hey, that's my meditation...and I was so close to finishing that I really was motivated to get them done. 

The St. Charles socks are moving along; I'm at the cuff ribbing. The size 0 needles are...interesting. We'll see how this goes. I think it'll be fine, but I'm a bit worried they'll be too big. But I think casting on 64 would make them too small. So I went with 72. I've done several in that size before. 

This is the next yarn up, but you know...I'm not sure. Well, I know it's sock yarn, but I can't find the label. And looking at it, I'm wondering now. Would it make a beautiful shawl? It's soft enough. But then it's neutral enough for a very nice pair of socks. I have to figure out what I did with the label. If it stripes, maybe it's destined for socks. But if it pools and puddles? I could live with a shawl in this yarn. 

Or I could do the shawl and give it to someone. I wouldn't have a problem doing that. 

It did come out of the "12 bags, a pair a month" tote. I haven't been in that closet lately to see how many more bags I have... But "too many" might just cover it. And that's not counting the bag of sock yarn in my office. 

Speaking of which, I've done a little planning.

The Office...

As I sat in a moment of "potty break" in the training, I started thinking about the office area (a/k/a The Dumping Ground). I've started to clear out the crap. Kid #2 has finally, I think, removed all of his stuff, from his recent change of house. 

And I was thinking. I need space for my yoga mat and preferably also the meditation set-up. But we have an oak rocker in the basement that's just sitting and doing nothing. I could get cushions for it, move an Ott light from the dining room (don't ask) and stick that near the window. Then, remove my computer from the front room, putting it back on the desk, where it belongs. Move the file drawers back UNDER the desk, eliminating a hiding spot for Quinn where she gets tangled up in wires, and giving me a touch more floor space... I'd probably get more done that way... 

And a little rug under the rocker. The music stand and guitars. And I thought I could make all of that work. It's a small bedroom, and Hubby did me a huge favor by lining the walls with bookshelves. Though it does make some inverted yoga poses a bit of a challenge. But I really need to cull through things. Perhaps put the fiction books down in the basement on the bookshelves that used to line the hallway. We moved them to gain more space in the hall and hang up a bunch of needlework and photos that I'd done. Which I like, but then I had to put the bookshelves somewhere. And in the basement they went. 

It's a work in progress and I'm going to be fiddling with it for a while. I just need to get back to having a dedicated space to write, plan my yoga sequences, and have a "she-room" since we don't have room for me to have a "she-shed." Now THAT would be ideal...Hmmmmmmm. 

Baking Again...

Not like I had nothing else to do, but in a moment of weakness (or maybe ego?), I volunteered to do the cake for our vicar's retirement. Tomorrow. Which means, yes, after a solid 30-hour intensive yoga training, I headed to the church office where I'm the Administrator, and put in another 4 hours getting things in shape for Sunday (I'd already done the church bulletins on Tuesday for the vicar's review), and drafted and mailed a newsletter. And so I made a cake. 

We're holding a luncheon for the vicar. I'm on the Bishop's Committee and we have a present for her. The congregation is also getting her something - no idea what... but we do know how to put on a feed. I was watching one of the gals dress up the tables. Of course, it's all a fall theme. 

So of course, my cake is pink and green. See, I have this theory. Retirement is a change. I love autumn. I do. I just think that it's depressing as a colorway for a "retirement" cake. "Autumn of one's life" and all that. I kind of like the "jazziness" of pink and green. This is tinted burgundy, and so there's probably more "rose" than "pink" in it. And I had some edible glitter gel, so I put some "squiggles" on the cake. Anyway, my point with the colors was that I wanted it to be more like, "Wow - retirement opens up possibilities! You have a Third Act (or maybe Fourth Act?) Who knows WHAT could happen?" I wanted it positive and joyful. And to me, pink & green exemplify joyful colors. I do have orange, but I thought orange and green were too Halloween... 

I was messing around with the Russian frosting tips again, but I got the frosting too soft. It's going to be a work in progress to get the texture right. On my mom's birthday cupcakes it was too thick. This was too thin. I have to figure out what's "just right."

Here's the thing. I'm about done making wedding cakes. Most halls or banquet venues have stopped allowing "mom-made cakes" and you have to have their nasty stuff. (Sorry - I am a consummate cake snob.) When my nephew got married, I was going to help my mom make his cake, but he wasn't allowed, unless we were "licensed and bonded." Crap - we're RELATED. Not like we're gonna skip out of town!

And my friend Doris had asked me to make her granddaughter's wedding cake. We just had this phone conversation because I told her there was no way I was going to get my kitchen inspected randomly by the local health department, and I wasn't going to spend all the money to get certified as a commercial kitchen. It wasn't worth it. It's probably all for the best. 

But it's nice to know my church will let me bake for them any time I want to! That being said, this recipe looks like a good one to try for the next coffee hour. Though Heaven knows we don't need more sweets. I love baking cookies and it's nice that, with the braces, I can't eat half of what I'll be baking this Christmas. 

It's really time for a sugar detox. Hubby got me the stuff for smoothies, and even though it's colder outside, I really do need to get my sugar addiction under control. Because it's wayyyyyyyyyyyyy off the scales. 

Random Picture...

So our church is almost 200 years old. And it's haunted. I went in today to drop off the bulletins and some other stuff, and said hi to God and the ghosts. I had to turn up the heat because we'd just had the organ tuned and it was too cold. 

Well, my phone was acting up and kept shutting off. And it's nearly November, so it gets darker early and I was having trouble seeing the thermostat, but too lazy to turn on lights. 

I was all, "Ok guys... quit spazzing my phone out..." and I finally wrapped everything up and got packed up for home. The light was beautiful. It's a lovely building. 

As I took this, my phone took another dive. But THIS time, I saw the message on the screen... 

"Battery critically low." 

Some days, it's not the ghosts. It's the battery. 

Toe Decreases and Yoga Intensives...

Believe it or not, those two things have something in common. 

I'm in the near-middle of the week-long Yoga for Healthy Aging intensive - it's a 30-hour training, and I'll get a certification out of it. It's in Lisle. I've had to take the week off, which has thrown things into a tizzy. I got a sub to teach my classes, which was a good thing, because my brain is kinda mushy from all the stuff we're trying to cram into it. 

My students are going to hate me. Well, no. They'll love what I'm learning. Just that I'm so excited about it. I bought 2 more books dealing with yoga modifications and variations. 

No. Much like yarn, you can't have too many yoga books, especially with regard to those on sequencing and modifications. See, my classes are mixed level. Yogis of all levels attend, and the ages span at least two, sometimes three generations. I have to be prepared for the 20-something who's blown a knee to the 30-something who wants to get stronger, to the 70-something who can't balance. All in one class. I need modifications and I've almost given up planning sequences. You know that phrase, "You plan, God laughs"? Well, it apparently applies to yoga teachers too... 

I plan a sequence on shoulders. At least one or two students come in with active shoulder issues. Pfffffffffffthhhhhh goes that sequence. I plan a class around legs. I'll get a fake hip or a fake knee. Pfffffffffffffffffffffthhhhhhhhhhh goes THAT sequence. I've gotten pretty good, if I do say so, about modifying on the fly and offering alternative poses. 

Certainly tests my equanimity. 


Anyway, how does this apply, you might ask, as I drag myself back to the subject. Well. The studio is a bit chilly because the weather is dreary, rainy and grey - you know: fall. So I'm wearing my hand-made socks. And I finally got it in my head to bring my knitting. 

Socks, of course. At first, I brought the beginnings of the St. Charles socks - Vanilla Latte is the pattern. But I didn't want to deal with them because right now, they look like nothing. 

So I grabbed the Blue Self Patterning, which are on the verge of being done, and I really want to get them on my feet soon. This picture is dated by about 2 or 3 days. I'm on the toe decrease now and everyone was ooohing and ahhhing. One person asked me if I sold these in my studio. 

I suppose, if I wanted to, I could sell the "yoga socks" version (no toes, no heels - just the short-ish leg and instep). I could do that, but who'd pay for a sock with no toes and heels? And besides, it'd have to be something like $20/pair at least. The legs would be no taller than about 5" if that, because I don't want to knit that much for people who may not buy them. You don't need long yoga socks anyway. Though they could be pedicure socks. Could be S-M-L sizing. I definitely have enough sock yarn, and the trend is mis-matched socks...

In my spare time. 

Garden Yoga...

Is done for the season. We were being pelted with Honey Locust leaves and it was a very brisk 67* at the last class, but it was worth it. I purchased a bush called Amethyst Beauty Berry. Hubby wasn't necessarily pleased, but it's in the northwest corner and will be gorgeous. Pink flowers in the spring and a "fountain shape" that doesn't require pruning; now, though, it's got beautiful purple berries on it. Tomorrow, if it's not pouring, I'll get a picture of it. 

So this tree, two weeks ago, was just turning color. Last Saturday? This was it. Bald, with very little to tell you what it looked like earlier. It's a beautiful tree - I love the trunk and the shape of it. 

Fall hit sort of late and it's wet and gloomy so far. 

The brightest spot in the garden last week (aside from the mums and the Amethyst Beauty Berry) was my mat!

The berries are just a tad more purple than my yoga towel/travel mat thingie here. It's advertised as a "travel mat" but it's very thin. I use it over my regular mat, because, aside from the odd hot flash, when we were practicing in the hotter weather, I'd slip. 

Rule #1 in teaching yoga is to be human. But Rule #2, at least in my book, is to try not to face-plant in front of your students. Seriously, you can really hurt yourself, so I got this to help keep my hands and feet sticking where they needed to stick. 

It's a good idea for travel anyway, because if you do yoga somewhere (like I did once, in a conference room), on a grungy carpet when you're not quite sure when or if it was ever cleaned? You'd like something like this under you. Let's just say that Downward Facing Dog was as close as my face got to that carpeting! 

Anyway, we'll start up again next summer. I think we rushed it this spring, and the weather in spring was as odd as the weather in fall -- like Mother Nature couldn't decide. 

One thing Mother Nature HAS decided on was that, lately, the skies at night have been stunning. We've caught a few sunsets and sunrises (this is a sunset last Sunday at Yin class) that were pretty spectacular. She knows how to put on a show when she wants, that's for sure. 

Random Picture...

I think someone let the air out of Quinn... This is the infamous "Norwegian Flat-Hound." Used to be an Elkhound when it was blown up... She does tend to really sleep when she wants to sleep. Didn't blink an eye when I took this shot. 

She's a patchwork puppy with all the surgeries, which is why she's still in a thunder shirt. Hubby has "diapers" (as you may be able to see) still around her neck so her collar doesn't irritate the skin till a little more fur grows back from her recent surgery. Unfortunately, she's got more cysts growing. The vet doesn't know if we'll be able to ever find out why or if they'll ever stop. 

But she's a snuggle-bunny and my fierce protector-beastie. Scared of her own shadow, but heaven help you if she doesn't know you and you knock on the door! You'd swear the Hound of the Baskervilles lived here! 

This Just In...

...I'm knitting again. 

Well, it's been quite hectic here, and because of a few things that went a tad pear-shaped, I hurt my left thumb. Not badly, but enough so that I didn't want to practice for the upcoming Christmas service, nor knit. 

But I'm back. Finally. I'm almost 6" into the foot of the second blue striped sock, and so of course, I set aside the shawl and the sock and started...another sock. 

This was in time-out. For about 3 years now. I was nearly done with the first sock with this yarn, back when I was doing the iron infusions (that would be FOUR years ago, actually). When the nurse called me, for some idiotic reason, the yarn slipped right off one needle and raveled irretrievably. It was a ribbed sock. I mean, I was truly about 6 rows from the toe decrease. 

I was so upset that I frogged it and set it aside. For a long, long time. So of course, I started again. This time, I'm using size 1 needles, which is a bit different, but I think the yarn can take it. I'll know in about 2" or so. The yarn is Lorna's Laces in the colorway St. Charles. It's so "fall" that it just about smells of pumpkin spice. As I recall, it whorls around nicely with the colors. I'm doing a 2x2 rib on the cuff, and then a 6x3 rib on the leg. I've cast on 72, figuring that with a size 1, I needed the circumference without stretching too much. 

Will try a new heel, maybe. Not sure. Maybe Eye of Partridge or maybe I'll take a fly at the Strong Heel again. I don't know. I'm very attached to my double-knitted heel. It wears well and it's almost where I can do it in my sleep. 

My goal is to be able to knit a pair of socks on auto-pilot. I'd love to have that skill in my bag. I'm quite close. Maybe a few more pair.

The Theatre...

Why do production folks feel compelled, in an acoustically perfect environment, to crank it up to about 40??

My sister and I took my mom to the Paramount Theatre in Aurora to see "Million Dollar Quartet." It was a great show. And yeah, I know - rock n' roll is supposed to be loud. But this was pretty darned ridiculous. 

We weren't supposed to take pictures, but I'm such a rebel... The actors were really playing their instruments, which was cool. And the speaking was at the right volume. But the music - the instruments in particular - was wayyyyyyyy too loud. Even my mom, with her hearing aids, was a little blown back in the seat. 

And why is it that short people are ALWAYS seated behind huge guys? Who are then compelled to "bop along" with the music, so you're swaying back and forth like a crazed pendulum just to see the show. 

I enjoyed the play, all that aside. And the migraine I had... Which wasn't helped by the incredible volume. 

We'll find another show and do that again. Found a great pub to have lunch in, and maybe next year, we won't be dodging raindrops. 

Speaking of acoustics...

Our church hall is getting new windows. These are them. They're actually a 2-part thing. At the very front of the hall, on either side of the front door, the BOTTOM part of the windows is what you see. Which is fine. Otherwise, they'd have had to cut the wall up. 

But this variation is along both sides. It's a nice window, and you can tilt in the bottom part to wash it. 

The contractor and I had a long discussion about politics. He's not extremely conservative, but believes we need to "give him a chance," and I do not. This isn't a job you can "intern" at... And I don't think he's qualified to do what he thinks is "presidential." What he IS qualified to do is just what he's doing. 

Wrecking the country. 

THAT is going quite well. The politics are so corrupt that it's almost unfathomable. This is how a Democratic Republic ends...not necessarily with a bang, but with a whimper from the people who really do care, but are so overwhelmed that they can't function anymore. 

Keep us occupied with the tweets. Keep us occupied with everything scurrilous and heinous that he's doing or has done. That keeps us distracted from the budget just passed which (wait for it...) gives tax breaks to the 1%. And guts Medicare and Medicaid. 

Because, you know, poor and elderly people can just pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Just like he did. With his daddy's money. 

I don't have any answers. But I do know we need them now. 

Don't think they meant this...

So I was in the post office the other day. Of course, it's October, so everything's pink. I'm pretty sure that the placement of the balloons wasn't intentional. 

Or maybe it was. But they distinctly look like bosoms. 

I'm almost certain that, once you see this, you can't un-see it. 

I know they mean well. And for what it's worth, it was my "laugh of the day."

It's Howl-O-Ween...

Tippi entered the contest for Howl-O-Ween, the annual fundraiser for the John Nelsen Moosdog Rescue Foundation. She's got quite a number of votes, and I haven't even put my votes in. This isn't the costume she entered with. This is her at her last visit to Lewis University. Not "last" last... just the most recent one. 

I have to send her paperwork in to TDI. I saw that the vet now has her on the "elderly" vaccination rotation. Thankfully, TDI allows the vets discretion because our vet believes that as dogs get older they can space out the vaccines for distemper and rabies. Which is nice. 

I'm not "anti-vax" but I do worry about the flea protection and heartworm, because I believe that in some instances, it's a toxic overload for the dogs. No matter that it's dosed according to size. 

When Hubby has to tell me, "I've just put flea stuff on, so don't pet them," it bothers me. 

Start my morning...

This is how I start my morning every day. A shot (about 2 oz) of Ningxia Red with a drop of Carrot Vitality oil. It gives me a nice burst of antioxidants and tastes good, too. 

I'm trying something and I'm not sure it's going to work, but I think it's worth a shot. As you know, I get migraines, and I think they've been exacerbated by the braces on my teeth. So perhaps they'll be going away when the braces are done. In the meantime, for several years, on the advice of my neurologist, I've been taking magnesium. Since I'm on a prescription for GERD, which tends to deplete your magnesium levels, I've been doing that, and it's helped to mitigate some of the migraines. 

Well. I've been reading that coconut water is high in magnesium and potassium, which is good for you anyway. It's pricey, but if you shop on sale, you can get these "terra packs" and they last nicely. I buy the unflavored stuff, and I've finally found a brand that I like. So I stick a little bottle in the fridge and drink a couple ounces a day. 

I'm also trying the CORE water; more balanced pH. So far, aside from taste, can't tell the difference...

End my day...

Tonight, I didn't feel like leftovers. So Hubby ate the last of the chili, which is fine with me. It was good chili. I just didn't want it. I'm getting toward the end of my "food tolerance." I can go for long periods of time, and eat the same thing over and over. 

The weather is starting to get more seasonable, so tonight, for the first time this season, I made oat meal. I don't do instant, unless it's an emergency. These are the Old-Fashioned oats. Golden raisins, nutmeg, cinnamon, three slices of candied ginger, diced. And a banana. With a little Montana honey. 

It was pretty good. I have to get some golden flax seed, which I like on oatmeal. Also, sometimes I put in a chopped apple, or some unsweetened applesauce. 

Oh, and I forgot: I stuck some unsweetened coconut on top, and stirred it in. 

That was how I ended my evening, and I'm finishing up my chamomile tea. It's a nice way to just have a "ritual" to signal that the day is done and I can get in my jammies and wind down. 

Sunrise...

So today we had a sub for the doc in the office, and it was my turn to bring muffins. It's been insane, so I didn't bake (which I usually do). I went to Dunkin... Anyway, it was "zero dark:thirty" and the sun was barely up. My new favorite picture spot didn't disappoint. 

This was sunrise. 

Sometimes, in our busyness, we don't stop to look at where we're at and the beauty we're handed each day. Not that I like getting up that early, but on days like this, Mother Nature rewards me. 

Autumn in the Studio...

I took my African Violets home; I have to repot them, and I'll end up lopping them off and re-rooting them. They'll look ragged for a while, and if they survive the lopping off, I will bring them back to the studio. But till then... I have autumn in the studio. 

The color of the salt lamp plays off the baby pumpkins and the yellow/green gourd really well. And it mimics the shape of the ghost pumpkin. The knobby gourd on the middle shelf just adds texture. 

I didn't want to do anything insane for Halloween. I mean, we've only got the Great Pumpkin on the porch, yard flags and the bat wreath on the back door. I should probably have stuck up a few more decorations, but it just didn't feel like it was going to happen. It's not only me...even the folks who usually go all out? This year, they're not. It's a phenomenon I've seen a lot this year. 

We're all hunkering down and trying to get through whatever lunacy is hitting us. 

Random Picture...

So I've been missing a capo or two. I absolutely couldn't find one, and my guitar teacher tore apart his studio. I'm still missing one. As I was reorganizing my office for the zillionth time, I glanced at my Sigma...

Apologies to Clement Moore:... And what to my wondering eyes should appear? 

My capo. On the headstock. Just where I left it. 

One down. One in the bag. Now I have to find the other one. 

I texted the picture to my guitar teacher and said, "Where would YOU expect to find a capo?" He thought it was funny. I'm still looking for the nice slim one. 

Tomorrow: tackle the music bag and the spare guitar case. It's gotta be there somewhere. They don't (usually) just get up and walk away.

Well, THIS is Awesome...

...not... 

Lucky me, I seem to have started on the next phase of "the change." Night sweats. Yeah. Fun. Last night, I don't think I actually slept till about 1 a.m. or so. And I woke up soaking wet. 

Now I know what mom was talking about. I need to work on some techniques to quell the hot flashes, since they've been getting pretty horrid. So, I'm a year out from the beginning of menopause. I've had hot flashes off and on, but now they're coming daily - I sat and counted one morning, and in the space of 2 hours, I had something like 8 "flashes." They don't last long, you know. But it feels like they last forever! 

The definition of "menopause" means 12 consecutive months without a period. I've done that time, and it's been another year. So...24 months down. What the heck?

Perhaps meditation and some breathing techniques? Definitely not going the HRT route. No interest in that. But I thought I was sailing along kind of nicely. 

Then this. Urgh. 

Oh, the Danskos... Nobody showed up for my a.m. garden yoga class. I wasn't sure, honestly, if anyone would. 

See, it rained like crazy yesterday afternoon and through the night. The area where we practice is kind of low, and sometimes, it can be a little "swampy." I didn't cancel the class because the rain today was going to happen (and did) in the afternoon. So I did dither. I was thinking about how wet it might be. I was wondering if anyone would think to come out. Would they think, "Oh, it's October, so we're done" even though I hadn't put anything out on the website or social media? Would we have new folks since we did the demonstration last week at the Fall Fest? Maybe new folks would come out to see for themselves... Or maybe they wouldn't and it would be too cold, or too wet, or the area we're in would be mushy and muddy... 

But I figured I needed to be there. I'm 5 minutes away anyhow. It was a gorgeous morning, albeit a bit cloudy. You could tell that rain was moving in, but it was a bit breezy and it wasn't humid at all. 

As I was waiting, I wandered in the space and took some pics. The fall colors obviously haven't peaked yet, and I'm not sure how or if they will. Fall is tricksy, you know...(Hobbit reference) Sometimes, when you least expect it, there's an extravaganza of color. 

And other times? Not. 

Anyway, as I was wandering, I thought, "Heck, I'm wearing fall colors! 

The Fields is going to be open through Thanksgiving, but they're beginning their "closing up shop" maintenance in terms of dismantling the larger fountains and cleaning them up, shutting off the smaller ones, trimming up the more "tropical" plants, like some of the large potted ferns...that kind of thing. Mums are all over the place, and the breeze was whipping the water in the fountains that were still running (click on this picture, and you should see it). The large grasses are turning gold and the sedum is getting red. 

You can see that Autumn is progressing and while many people think of this season as one of "dying," I actually think of it as a beginning. 

Think about it. In the spring and summer, the trees are green. But in the fall, they're brilliantly colored. This seems to me to be the true nature of the tree: to be colorful. To give us something to look at while the time changes, and the days get shorter. To give us beauty before the long winter season. 

So that's my take on Fall. With the brightly colored Danskos as comic relief. 


Knitting...

So the other sock of the self-patterning Plain Vanilla ones is in the works. I closed the gusset and I'm about 5.5" on the foot. I have to get to 7" to start the toe decreases, so I think in a week or so, I'll have a pair. I've got to grab the next bag out of the "Twelve Months of Socks" that I started what? THREE years ago? I think this will be the 3rd or 4th pair of that 12-pair journey. 

I'm not sure what I'll pick out next. Hubby did the bags. So I'll see what happens, and go from there in regard to pattern. 

I'm still working on the shawl; haven't touched the February Lady Sweater recently. I really should get back to that soon, since I wanted to wear it. 

I was wondering about starting some wash cloths for my yoga teachers - not sure if there's enough time for them to be done for Christmas. I'm a little stumped as to what to do for them for Christmas. I would normally just bake, but too many of them are gluten or sugar-free (which isn't a bad thing; just puts a crimp in a baker's style for the holiday!). 

I do have a problem though. It's the SSK. I'm really having a time with it. For the past few pairs of socks, the SSK decrease has left me with "loops" along the one side. The K2tog side is nice and crisp. But the other side has these little things that look loose to me. (You may have to click on the picture. I can see it, but to me it's glaringly obvious!)

I tried to slip the first stitch knit-wise, second stitch purlwise. Then I tried slipping both of them knitwise. I can't seem to figure out how to do it, and honestly, when I've checked YouTube, I get seven zillion opinions. 

Sock knitting is like that. Want to start a war? Walk into a room of sock knitters and say something like, "Magic Loop is stupid." Or "why do you even bother with toe up construction?" You'll be skewered. 

As a matter of fact, on a FB page, someone complained that they were "not treated nicely" by someone who commented on a post. Well, knitters have opinions, and sharp sticks! Seriously, if you're going to ask an opinion on social media, you really do have to have a little bit of a thick skin. You can't hear "tone" - any more than you can hear my tone, though if you've read this blog long enough, you can kind of hear my voice. 

So, if someone gives you an opinion, you may take it as "snotty" or "condescending" because you can't see or hear the person. But I'd still be careful with those of us who play with sticks and string! 

Anyway - anyone that has an opinion on my SSK problem, I'd be glad to try it on the next pair of socks. 

And I'll let you know about the decision on the dishcloths. 


Young Living...

So today I had another essential oils class. I had a lot of fun with the group that showed up. And you know - if you can't get to me, I can come to you! I put on this big thing at the studio because I have room. But I can help with your discovery of the best essential oils on the planet - in the comfort of your own living room! 

I've been working on building the business here, and I think it's a good company to align with. The Seed-to-Seal policy the company abides by is what differentiates it from the other oil companies. And I like having access to science - that's important to me. 

When I was looking to get into oils, I did do the "grocery store" oils. But after doing the research, I've begun to see the difference. Oil that's 100% oil - that's so much more healthy than oil that's part carrier oil. 

I've "ditched and switched" for the most part. I don't use candles in the house (unless the power is out - we keep a box of tapers around just in case, and we have several flashlights). I don't use those scent thingies you put in your outlets. I went through my personal care products and whittled everything out that had stuff in it that was potentially irritating my skin. 

I mean, I'm no purist. I kept the perfume that Hubby gave me. And there's a facial wash I'm partial to that doesn't irritate my skin. That being said, I was having some issues as I went through menopause where my system was apparently changing. I find that I'm more sensitive. 

Either that, or as we get older, we do become a bit "overrun" with toxins. So making this change has been something positive. I want people to understand that this isn't "the latest fad." These oils have been around since ancient times. The pendulum seems to be swinging back. Not that I'm giving up on medicine. 

I'm not crazy. 

I'm trying to attune myself to what my body needs and trying to cut the toxic load on my body. And I can help you do the same. We don't even have to be in the same city or state. Let me know. 

Random Picture...

I was nominated for the "7 day black & white challenge" on Facebook - which I'm sure you've seen. It's a nice change from some of the garbage, right? 

What I did was pull 7 different pictures. It's your life in black & white, so I thought I'd dig around and see what I thought would work. 

I really want to talk about the latest tweets from the twit, but I also want to get some sleep tonight, so this picture came to my mind as something that's beautiful and worth talking about. At least before World War 3 gets started...

This is the pediment from the Customs House building in Charleston, South Carolina. Kid #2 was big into Nathaniel Hawthorne the year my mom and I took that trip, and if you recall your "Scarlet Letter," you remember that in the beginning of the book, there's this whole thing about the Customs House. 

Well, the one in Charleston was quite grand. And I had to grab this shot. I used the "real" camera, and this is the B&W version. That being said, it was a grey-ish day that day, and the pediment was white, as was the pillar, as was the fascia on the overhang... So the "color" version of this one is quite similar. 

Actually, the B&W one brings out more detail. And as usual, click on the picture to get more of a peek at it. I can't for the life of me figure out what those wires are that encircle the acanthus leaves. Any ideas? 

Just Pictures...

I had a zillion things in my mind. Then Vegas. Then the Mango Moron tossing paper towels like he was slinging t-shirts at a ballgame. Then overwhelm from having to be at all 3 jobs in one day (which is my usual Thursday, but today it hit me for some reason).

So. Pictures. 

Black-and-white week...a 7-day challenge on Facebook. This is one of my favorites and it was a favorite in color, too. Taken a few years back, when the glass birdbaths were new and the solar bubbler worked. We put the birdbath under the tree (which, three years ago, didn't take up half the front yard). The tree kept the water cooler for the birds, and we were able to string the solar panel out into the front flower garden. Now, that flower garden is full of native plants, and the tree has taken over most of that side of the front lawn. No solar panel is going to work while that maple is alive. But I wouldn't trade the tree. Well -- MAYBE... I'd love a fountain in the front yard. 

The studio is ready for fall. I removed the African Violets, all of which need re-potting. I did actually repot the orchid I purchased, and I have to get that back to the studio this week, before the weather turns to crap. (Oh joy... as I try to space this, the website is acting flaky, much like my Pandora tonight in class...) So I needed something on the little 3-part table. Mini-pumpkins, a goose-neck gourd and a ghost pumpkin fill the bill. It all kind of goes with the salt lamp. Oh, and there's a little bumpy gourd in there, too. I have to get The Great Pumpkin out on the porch this weekend. Hubby and I have both been in a slump for a few years now, and if we manage a few "garden flags" that are Halloween-ish and getting the big plastic pumpkin out there? We call it a day. I have ghosts, skeletons, etc. And I haven't got the energy to fiddle with them. If it's half-way decent this weekend, I may get some lawn stakes in the ground. Not sure about the ghosts though. And those are the ones I can easily reach in the basement!

(Ok, now I see... when I load the pictures first, the spacing goes wonky!! I knew that. Really, I did. So this time, you have to put up with chunky paragraphs. My apologies.)

The shawl... continues to grow. I shouldn't knit on it when I'm tired. I've been tired this week, and I can't figure out why. It's nothing medical, I'm sure. The hematologist said my numbers were a little low, but then again -- on the "orthodontic diet" I haven't been eating a lot of protein. So maybe things are catching up and I'm finding that juggling isn't my forte. It is what it is. I'll bounce back like a weeble. I usually do. After a few days of snappishness I'll be ok. Anyway, what ended up happening is that I bound off the 8 stitches on the wrong side. So unpicking a whack of bound off stitches was not cool. I did it. I didn't give myself a heart attack, but it was close. I had to lift stitches off the needle, hold them so that it wouldn't ravel, and then get the stitches back on in the right order. I'm sure I've got a few twisted, but I can fix a twisted stitch easily. This weekend, I want to pursue a sock so I can feel like I'm not wallowing in one project. 

That being said (yay, normal spacing!), I'm actually already at the half-way point of the 14-times repeat of rows 3 - 12. So I'm sort of half-way done? Ish? I'm still having a tiny concept problem as to how this comes back to a narrow end. I can't quite get it in my head. I love schematics. I miss schematics. 

The other thing I love is old books. So at church today -- well, in the church office, I'm working on a project. I saw these books and I took a picture which I posted on Instagram (find me there at perrierpat). The smallest of the books here, called "Key to Heaven" is from 1907. I took a shot of the inscriptions on the two oldest ones. To the left here, the oldest one is the tiny one in the bottom left corner of the picture. I also found the other inscription on the book in the upper right, which is a prayer book. That one actually looks to have two inscriptions and I have to study it a little more to see if it's really two different owners, or maybe 3. The name on the cover is one thing, and the top inscription is from 1946. The second, in similar but "not quite" handwriting, is 10 years older. Two different inks, which is not a big deal. But the handwriting isn't quite right, if it's the same woman's prayer book. 

Either way, I'm rather fascinated at how they came to be in the library of a church in Lockport, Illinois,which doesn't seem to follow if you look at the first inscription. Both inscriptions appear to be made by the book's owner(s) since they say "presented to me." I'll have to ask one of our long-term members if she remembers a family by the name on the front of the book. Perhaps she can explain the double inscriptions. Either way, all the books are lovely and I have them in the church office. We're setting up for a rummage sale, and the library area will be cleared out. I don't want these beauties to be mistaken for "books for sale." If I have to stash them in a cabinet, I'm cool with that. I do know that we get a lot of folks coming around for that rummage sale, so I may have to poke around myself. Seems Kid #2 wants a particular book for Christmas. I'm about 99.99999% sure I won't find it at the church rummage sale. 

I'll have to go to my "secret source," Abe Books out of New York. I found one for him last year and I swear he wanted to cry, but wanted to be "manly." 

Across the parking lot, there's a Methodist church. The steeple was very pretty today. The sun hit it just right. The air was clear. The sky was blue. The clouds were light. The copper on the roof reflected the sunlight in a gorgeous burst of color. That copper contrasted strongly with the white clapboards on the steeple, the steel of the cross and the red brick of the rest of the building. Our chapel has a more modest cross, and it's a little more low-slung. That being said, our building is almost 180 years old... And it had already burned to the ground once. So I'll take it. Speaking of which, as I was in the church today, God and the ghosts were a little cranky. The church is haunted. I truly believe that. I've never seen anything, but I was in there today to drop off bulletins, and someone walked up the aisle. And I was the only one in the church at the time. I was looking for the water for the plants, and heard the boards creak. I stepped out of the sacristy and basically said, "If you're coming out here, please help me find the jug of water!" After that, I was able to find it. I wonder who it was that was visiting...

I saw these two beauties (I jest. I jest.) on my drive to job #2... On the same truck. There was another one on the back window, but the guy had a very strange cab on his truck bed and I couldn't see it clearly. Of course, I had to follow him nearly all the way to the office. Funny, him having those bumper stickers and shopping at the Aldi -- which is, of course, a German grocery store. I guess that's proof that you really CAN'T tell who's who. I remember thinking, "So your president is a cold dead body?" And funny enough, the "liberal" media? Ha. Don't even. The largest media company is owned by a conservative. I'm afraid it's not very kind of me, but I will judge you on your bumper stickers. 

...and tonight there's a Harvest Moon. Of course, this is all off my phone. I really have to start hauling my camera! It looked like the Man in the Moon had a moustache the way the clouds were blowing over. It's supposed to rain Friday through Sunday. Heaven only knows if we'll have garden yoga. 

Reminds me of the Canticle of St. Francis, which is appropriate since his feast day is ... now-ish, I think! St. Francis called them Brother Sun and Sister Moon. Sister Moon tonight? She's a beauty. Doesn't have to be a big huge moon - and often, those are so low on the horizon, we can't see them anyway. I like this one. This is over the cemetery. If it holds out, maybe I can get the camera out and get some decent shots of it.