Writes, Knits & Reads: They're Done...

Yep. The Dreaded Teal Socks are done. DONE. D.O.N.E.... It's taken me what? 5 years? I finished them the day after my 60th birthday (more on that later).

It's a long time coming, and I'm so glad they are finally done. I think I broke the "Addicted to Sock Knitting" FB page - I posited a question: Should I spend my 60th birthday finishing these or starting something new?

Well... a couple hundred opinions later, a friend said, "Just finish them and get them off your back." So I did.

As one comment said, "You must've loved them at one time - the stitches are beautiful and I love the yarn." I did love them. Honestly, my "dislike" happened at the heel of Sock #2 - I lost the pattern, couldn't figure out then which heel I was doing, and ended up totally mucking up the heel of that sock. And I was bored of the ribbing.

If you look closely, you'll see two things: (1) I was literally 1" from the toe decreases -- far too close to finishing to rip the second sock out. And what would I do with a single teal sock??? and (2) there are two distinctly different heels. One is beautiful. One... Isn't.

And the second sock is about 1" smaller in the circumference and about 1/2" shorter in length - even though I measured it. I think my tension was pretty crapped up, honestly. I was so frustrated at this pair of socks, it was destined that they wouldn't turn out to be a perfect pair.

Though... if you think about it, my feet aren't a perfect pair either! And I bet yours aren't either -- most of us have one foot larger than the other by a little bit. And then, as we get older, our feet actually grow. I remember (back a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away), when I was in high school. My shoes were size 7. Now I'm a size 9.

The needles are the Kubics squares. SUPER-sharp, great for lace. But not great for a person who's a "pusher," like me. I push the needle with my left index finger. Yeah, I know - but each of us has our ways. Those needles are extremely sharp, and I've got a callus on that finger now, rivaling that of my guitar calluses. I had to let my finger rest for about a week before I could pick up the Petty Harbour socks again.

And I have to say, Petty Harbour is starting to get on my nerves. I love the pattern, and I love the yarn. I love the way this is working up. But the purls are driving me nuts. The 4-row repeat is quick enough, but the "sort-of" ribbing look is a pain in the rear end. Then again, maybe I'm spoiled because my last two pairs have been plainer. The yarn had done all the work in those. This one, it's me and the pattern! There's really no discernable progress, so I didn't bother with a picture. In a few more inches, maybe. I'll be working on them tonight.

ProFlowers Debacle...

So my 60th birthday was just recently. My oldest friend tried to send me flowers using ProFlowers. Well. The first time was a total mess.

They were supposed to be delivered on my birthday. Which they weren't. They came a day later. And were left on the porch, because of course they were delivered in the 45 minutes that Hubby was out with the dogs.

It was a "barely-two-ply" cardboard box, with no insulation, and the flowers were bare - no plastic or anything.

So -- wilted lettuce. Icky. And I know she paid a good penny for them. So she called and they were supposed to be delivered on the next day.

Which they weren't. I complained on their Facebook page, and they emailed me. By that time, my friend had arranged a refund. They were supposed to send me a "comp" bouquet.

They finally arrived on the Thursday. Stargazer lilies. They usually arrive closed, so they can open and you can enjoy them.

I think they are beautiful, except that the scent isn't what I need right now.

It'll be interesting to see when (or if) the "comp" bouquet arrives. I think I'll be delivering that one to my friend for all her trouble.

I don't think I'll be ordering from ProFlowers ever. I do order online when I have to, but I prefer to use a local florist; even if I have to ship flowers somewhere else. I think supporting local businesses is important.

After all, you CAN get yoga videos on YouTube - but I'd rather you came to my studio. I care about my students, and I can't run a studio without students. Local businesses need you!

60 Years...

So as I noted, it was my 60th birthday recently. A friend has told me this is "the best decade." I'm not sure. I'm feeling weird because I'm now older than my dad - he only lived to 59. I'm not sure how I feel about that, because even though we weren't close - it still stings a bit.

I would have liked him to know his grandkids.

I had somewhat of a melt-down on my birthday; miscommunication was rather the order of the day, and that, coupled with frozen flowers? It just sent me over the edge. It wasn't pretty. But it happened. Time to take a deep breath and go at this thing called "life" again. In a way, this IS a milestone. I'm looking at what my life was and what I am now. And what's next. And I'm so unsure. Maybe the insecurity comes first, and then the "best decade" comes later.

Chicago Women's March...

...Or the march where we showed (once again) that we despise the Mango occupant of 1600 PA Ave. I went with 299,000 of my new best friends... We were 300,000 at Grant Park. This time, Chicago was prepared, and streets were shut off for us to use - so we actually did gather THEN march. Here we are, the three ReSISTERS as we call ourselves. My friend Sue had her artist hubby make her "sign" - and I'm telling you, we were photographed about every yard or so! Her aunt is the one in the middle. It was her first time.

What I loved, aside from seeing everyone PEACEFULLY protest, from seeing the young as well as old, the diversity, the creative (and sometimes crude) signs, the joy and the common purpose we shared? Was seeing Sue's aunt's face. She glowed. She was overwhelmed by the energy and the vibe that was at the march.

It's a transforming experience. And in Chicago - a place I normally avoid. Not because of crime or anything. Just that I don't like the hustle-and-bustle of the city. I'm not a city person. I'm a slower-paced person who's not always racing here and there. Anyway, on this day, everyone slowed down. Everyone took time. We talked. We chanted. We marched. And we made an impression. Following are some photos; I took nearly 200 of them, and though I deleted about 50 or so which didn't turn out, I had a ton to post on social media. These are just a few of them. Enjoy...

I made a double-sided sign, and this one quote from Shirley Chisholm is one of my favorites. Elizabeth Warren kind of co-opted it, and her version was on the other side.