Randomly, Just Because...

I had a whole post started about 10 days ago, and I know it's been --- YIKES --- since JULY when I last visited with you.

Life got nuts. I apologize. Part of it (well, a lot of it) is me. I've been totally overwhelmed and I feel like all the plates I'm juggling are falling down around me. And I really, REALLY need a vacation but I'm not going to get one - just some random days off. Which isn't a vacation. It's a long story that will have to wait for another day.

Anyway. Twelve pics... About one a week, I think - for the weeks I didn't show up. I have to tell you the latest Windows update has cramped my style...It's messed with my phone and its ability to upload pictures, and my email had a major brain cramp and almost died. We won't talk about how many emails I have in my inbox - that's my chore this weekend. Among other things.

Knitting... 

Several urgent projects going on in the knitting baskets... This is part of a baby ensemble. It's allegedly car knitting, but I've got to get skippy with it so I may end up putting in some chair time this weekend on this one.

Cascade Superwash in a really cool mahogany color, though it shows up kinda pink in this picture. My standard baby sweater pattern, but on a size 6 needle, because while the pattern calls for a size 5, for some reason, I didn't like the fabric it was producing. It was stiff and while the stitch definition was nice and I got gauge, it still didn't feel like I wanted it to feel.

So I went up; I've added an inch of girth to it. It'll be fine. Babies bundle...

There's gonna be a wedding in February. About the time everything else comes due....so I started this simple wave afghan. The last wedding afghan I did, I believe was in crochet.

Knitting seemed like a good idea, though I can crochet much faster. I'm not thinking, apparently...

Anyway, this is Caron Simply Soft, which is a great go-to acrylic. It has a nice sheen, it's washable, sturdy enough for baby stuff, and it comes in some gorgeous colors.

My mom said, "her colors are blue, taupe and grey." Okey dokey. I couldn't find grey to save my life...I must've bought it all for Kid #2's afghan (more on that in a second)...

So I bought "Bone." The blue here is "Ocean," which, yes, does have a slight green tinge to it. It's close-ish to teal, but not that green. I like it. It's very jewel-toned, which is my cup of latte. The brown? That's Caron's idea of taupe. Go figure. I got nuthin'... I thought "taupe" was a rosy beige. Not brown.

ANYWAY... I think this combo looks lovely just as it is. Who knew??? So when I described it to my mom, she said, "Oh, she likes soft colors." This was 3 pattern repeats into this thing.

The bride is getting this. And hopefully, she'll like it. And if she doesn't, I'm ok with that too.

Kid #2's afghan is about 50% done. I know I should probably plow through it to get it finished, but I'm pretty sure it'll be done for Christmas. I'd like to get the Bridal Afghan about half way, so that I can switch off on them.

I haven't knitted a sock in months. I'm kind of having withdrawal.

Lunch and Food...

Hubby has taken to packing my lunch in quite an interesting fashion. I was packing lunches, and then he decided he'd do it. Fine by me. It gives me about 7-ish extra minutes to get ready for work.

The other day, he made me a salad, cut up some cukes, put some cherry tomatoes in a container. I grabbed the round container with a bit of cheese in it and the other red-lidded container has my dressing in it.

And I always have fruit for lunch... he even peeled my tangerine (lower left container)... And gave me celery sticks.

It looks like a lot; but two nights out of the week I go directly to the studio to teach a yoga class, so I have a biggish lunch so I'm not chewing on a yoga mat. The fruit I usually save till about 3 or 4 p.m. so as to kind of get a nice bit of energy toward the end of the afternoon.

Yes, I have a placemat and a napkin. I eat at my desk; I want to be a little civilized. I need to get back to getting out of the office for lunch; staying in isn't healthy.

But my lunches are!

One of my students brought me a piece of baklava. Egyptian baklava. Who knew? Anyway, it was delicious. It's a bit drier than some I've had, which is fine with me; I don't like it really soggy because it messes with the phyllo dough. This was also made with a simple syrup, rather than honey. She would say that the Egyptian one is the "right" one... I'm not going to argue. I'll eat baklava any day.

Other Stuff...

Speaking of the studio, I went out after class recently to see this... Lights. The landlord had put those white lights along the front and sides of the building.

Our parking lot is really nicely lit, front and back, but this added a nice touch to the building, I think. I have no idea why he felt he had to do that, but at least now, since we're in a bit of a "hole" geographically speaking, I can tell people to look for the lights.

The other day, at the church, someone I know was selling baskets and hats from Ghana. I bought these two things... The basket is called a "U-shape market basket" and the hat is just cute. Both are made out of wheat grass by a collective in a village. The money goes to the village; the folks that sell these buy them directly from the villagers. The basket is gorgeous and sturdy.

The hat will wait till spring and summer to be worn; I have to get a band for the inside of it, because apparently, a sweaty forehead will wreck the straw.

The skin on the handles of the basket is goat skin; the village raises goats for milk and meat. I'm happy to support the cause; and the items are well-made.

Speaking of well-made... I've been using this diffuser for about 4 years now; and it's still plugging along. While Young Living doesn't make this diffuser anymore, I have three of them. One is in the yoga studio and is used constantly. One is in the small bathroom where Quinn hangs out. And one is here on this shelf.

I love blending oils for different moods or just because I think they'll go together well. This is actually a blend I had no idea of - I saw it online and it's grapefruit + white angelica.

And it's called "Cray-Away."

Lord knows I'm in dire need of keeping the cray away...

At the aforementioned yoga studio, meet Yogi Bones... I have a thing for skeletons, and it being the season, I figured I'd hang one on the door. He doesn't articulate quite the way I wanted, but he does glow in the dark!

We have two skeletons in Lotus pose on the cubbies where students put their shoes and stuff. And I have a "Dark Knight" pumpkin...That's a pumpkin that's basically a very dark green.

We're diffusing stuff like Thieves + Tangerine and it smells like "autumn" in the studio lately.

Tippi Update...

Well, she's not quite done with chemo (5 more treatments, ends mid-November), and she's got a little chemo-brain. And her immune system is shot. But she went back to work "unofficially" this past week.

Everyone had to use Thieves hand sanitizer, because of her immune system, and because it's the only one she doesn't sneeze at... And the kids were great! Patient with her and loving on her, and she gave out 3 belly rubs. Not the most, but she was happy to be there. We're going to work visits around her chemo, so it won't be the same schedule, and everyone's ok with that.

It's Fall, Y'all...

This shot was down by the swing bridge on my way to work this week. Ground fog in the a.m. and the sunrise. And an abandoned area...

Kind of spooky and kind of awesome.







And In the News...

My opinion...

I'll do a blog on it. Just not now. My brain hurts and I'm overwhelmed with everything.

Normalizing hate.

Alienating our allies.

Demonizing anything not white and male.

Denigrating women.

Spewing impeachable acts left and right.

Sowing disrespect everywhere he goes.

And that's just the short list.


Random Picture...

I have this small calendar in my small office... And this is what it said for October. And it's what I think I need to do. Peeps, I've been feeling really down. My energy is in the toilet. I hate to sound like a whiny privileged Boomer. (Which I am - at least the privileged Boomer thing - I've got it ok in my life; I'm relatively healthy; I'm relatively successful; I'm employed)... I'm not feeling myself, which is mostly why I haven't been around. I'm in a writer's slump. I'm paddling but I'm not going anywhere.

It is what it is and I'm going to climb out of my slump. But current events aren't helping and while that may sound like a cop-out, for a lot of reasons, it's not. Many of us are suffering some sort of fatigue if we're even remotely awake and paying attention.

My hope is that in the near future, we'll have some relief.