One Ugly Sock...

I've gotta say it: This is going to be one ugly sock. And I'm not really sure I care, because most of the time, my feet are in shoes. 

But I'll try my best to make the other one prettier. It doesn't help when you start the gusset the wrong-way 'round... There are rookie-style boo-boos in this sock, but again. I don't particularly care. I'm just happy to be knitting socks again. 

There are purl rows where there ought not to be, and there are some spots where I'm going to have to do some judicious weaving to close up some gaps. Not like me at all. And on top of it, the tension in this sock is SO TIGHT. I mean, it's like I know I've been under stress, and this sock is going to show it. I hope it fits on my leg and foot. It might not. This could be interesting. 

The yarn is Lorna's Laces, and I believe the colorway is St. Charles. I could be wrong, but this is deep-stash yarn, and the original ball band is...somewhere. Probably stuck in a notebook or in a project bag. 

The leg is my own design. I always do a plain foot, and a heel flap. Not sure which toe style I'll do this time. Crap - I may do something on the heel and toe entirely different on the second sock. Live large, right? As long as the legs match. 

I think I can say that I will never do an 8x8 rib again. What a pain in the rear end... Oh well. In the end, I will have another pair of socks, whether I'm in love with them or not. Just so they're wearable. 

The Heel Turn...

Turns out, a "heel turn" is a wrestling term, too!! Kid #2 wore a shirt that said something about "heel turns," and I asked where I could purchase "this knitting shirt." Well, after a few laughs, I Googled it. Apparently, it is a wrestling term as well as a knitting term. 

I find heel turns (the knitting term, I mean) to be magical. Here's a teeny-baby heel turn on this sock, and then a picture a few rows in, where you can definitely see the short rows at work. 

Which is also funny, because when I see a shawl or something that has short rows in it, I freak out. But I do them in socks all the time. 

And yet, there might be a sweater or something that uses short rows, and I just nope on outta that idea. I need to transfer sock knitting skills to other projects. I have a couple sweaters - or more like t-shirt things, not full-blown sweaters. They're in my to-do list, and I need to be courageous and just do them. It's only yarn. 

As you can see here, my technique is a bit rough. That's what I get for setting these aside for over a year. I have to share a pro-tip with you: Do your SSKs (slip slip knit) purlwise. Then you don't have that obnoxious little yarn carry-over. 

I've taken to writing myself notes to do that, because I don't remember, and then I'm half-way through a heel turn and I have a weird looking heel. Again, not that anyone notices, but I do. And it bugs me. 

Baby Knitting...

So the shower went ok. It was weird not having my sister there, since it was for her soon-to-be-born grandchild. They got some nice gifts. Mine, as usual, was the only one that was hand-made, and I'm not saying that to brag. It's just how it turns out. 

Of course, the afghan is to the left. It was with yarn held double. The afghan and the smallest hat were Bernat Baby Softee. The striped hat and the sweater are Cascade 220 Superwash. I biggened up the sweater, so I think it's going to fit by the time the kid will need it. The baby is due in early May, so while it's my "usual" pattern, it only goes up to 6 months and if the kids are bigger, the sweater will stretch a bit (garter stretches nicely) but it would be a one-time wear... 

The pompom maker worked out well. I did tassles on the smallest hat, and the pompoms on the bigger one. It's not my usual device, because, of course, that one is stuck somewhere in a project bag in the depths of the stash closet. I bought a new one, with two sizes, because maybe you might need a bigger pompom, right?

It took me a hot minute to figure out how to use this one, but once it was in process, it was pretty easy. I was probably more anxious about trimming the balls, because I wanted to make sure everything looked perfect. 

There was an aunt of my niece-in-law's who was inspecting VERY closely the stitching on the afghan. Go for it, sweetie. The kids loved the items, and I was glad to get them done. I hope they got the care instructions (everything's washable in cold water and warm dryer), because it's easy to forget when you're a sleep-deprived parent.

Funny story: My nephew said, "We were told that they may want to induce, so we've had this plan, and a date in our head." I looked him in the eye, and said, "You know that the word 'plan' is now irrelevant, right? I mean, you're gonna have no control over anything for the next 18 years, at least." My mom was snickering, he looked a little abashed, but he also laughed. I told him it was my duty as his aunt to tell him straight... 

Sad story: They made a speech at the end about "people who should have been here, but who are no longer with us." That caught all of us. 

I think that's why my sock is so messed up (aside from just all the other crap going on in life right now...) -- going from size 8 needles to 1.5? Yowza. 

Art or Porn...

Oh dear, the State of Flori-DUH is once again in the news. Apparently, art is now porn. Just as books are "woke," Michelangelo's "David" has cost a school prinicipal their job, because one parent (yeah, one parent) complained that their child was "damaged" by viewing a picture of this statue. 

Yeah. It's not 1540, though since this statue was so well-received in the era in which it was created, that's pretty progressive. But wait. In 2023, some poor little flower saw a naked guy carved out of stone and was shocked. Or something. 

Yes. It's a naked man. No, it's not pornography. It's art. It's a magnificent sculpture that was supposed to be in a cathedral (remember David & Goliath? This is THAT David... who was said to be "...ruddy, handsome, and strong." In the bible. 1 Samuel 16:12, if you care to look. It's in a museum. Nuns, children, old people -- tourists of all stripes -- visit and take selfies. 

It's bad enough that Flori-DUH wants to ban books such as the history of Rosa Parks because white kids might be "upset" that racism is an ugly, ugly thing  -- that still exists "loud and proud," if you will, right here and now -- and parents don't want their kids exposed to certain subject matter. 

Well, that's cool. But what YOU want for YOUR kid doesn't mean that it has to apply to MY kids unilaterally. If YOU get to make decisions about YOUR kids, then -- logically (and I know this may come as a shock, so take a deep breath) --- I get to make decisions about MY kid. 

If parents don't like the education system, there's a quick solution to that: homeschool your kid. There is a small (yet noisy) minority which loves to complain that teachers are indoctrinating or grooming our kids. That same minority thinks that, because they went to school, they can teach at school. Um. No. 

So if they're so dissatisfied, they can take their kids out of school and home school them. Oh, that's inconvenient to you because you work? Well. Then you have a decision to make. Get your head out of your keister and realize that teachers give a large part of their lives, and generally suffer economically compared to other professions so that your kids learn things. Learn to think. Learn to communicate. Learn to work together -- you know, all those "adulting" things that one has to do when one works in the grown-up world. 

Don't like the books in the local library? Here's another easy-peasy pro-tip: DON'T CHECK THEM OUT. Nobody is forcing you to read the entire freakin' library. Though I do agree with Stephen King when he says that when folks want to ban books, kids should run to the library to read them ASAP so they know what they're going to be missing... 

The Hip...

Well, PT is going ok. I'm working on loosening up my hip flexor. I'm finally able to go all the way 'round on the recumbent bike, after a few minutes of loosening things up. I can only do 1-2 minutes all the way, but that's ok. It's a work in progress. 

I'm able to have further PRP shots, and I'm hoping that I can rehab this hip back toward normal. It'll never be "back to where it was," just because of age, arthritis, etc. But I would like to ditch the cane, ride a bike, do my yoga practice, and muck out stalls again. Oh, and walk without pain. That would be nice. 

One of my favorite "exercises," if you want to call it that, is lying on the massage table with my feet hanging off (like just toes and tops of feet off the table so they're not extended so far (even though I can do that comfortably), on my stomach. Eventually, I'm supposed to get onto my elbows, which is a classic "Sphinx" pose. I'm not there yet. But I'm getting there. 

Flo...

So the students at the yoga studio named our new (well, inherited) ficus, and her name is Flo. We repotted her, and while you can't tell in this picture, she has blue Christmas lights on. I was going to remove them, but the students want her to keep them. 

I need to rearrange her lights, because as you can see, she's topping up toward my one pendant light. I might have to add another string of lights to her, as her canopy grows. 

She must like it there; she hasn't dropped leaves like she did at first, and she seems to have lots of new growth at the top. 

Soon, it will be warm enough to get two pots of plants replaced: I'm working on a snake plant, which will be in a lovely pot near the corner where its vertical lines will look really nice. And then a spider plant, on top of the cubbies, because even though it's not going to be a hanging plant, it will still look nice on top there. All of the plants in the studio are there for their ability to clean the air. We do have top-of-the-line air filters in our HVAC system, but it's always nice to have some green in the studio.

Random Picture...

Quinnie seems to like cheek skritchies... I caught this photo quickly, because when she sees the camera, she looks away. Stinker. 

I can tell she's slowing down a bit. She still barks like crazy, but at times, we can have someone walk past the house and she doesn't hear them. She sleeps that "old lady sleep" where it's pretty deep. She loves her pets till she's done with you and then she's done. 

Her face was once fully black. She had a classic Elkhound dark face, with "eyeliner" around her eyes. There's a lot of grey on that muzzle now. Her eyes are still that beautiful liquid brown and can be quite expressive. Especially when she's begging for food...which is always an Elkhound trait. 

She has a hot spot on her tail, thus the Cone of Shame. I can only take it off her when I'm in the same room and have my eyes on her. 

I Really Should be Knitting...

Calendars... Ugh!

For some reason, I had it in my head that the shower was March 19. It's the 12th. Yikes...

So far, I've got the afghan done, the sweater, and a baby-sized hat. Working now on the Toddler hat, just because the sweater is big enough for perhaps a 12-month old. I figured I'd do a 2-row pattern on that - a little more sophisticated, and maybe just do the tan pompoms. 

I biggened the pattern, and I'm mostly ok with how it turned out. It needs refinement, which I will do at another time, with no deadline! I'm doing a "Dagwood." One big button. Funny enough, I don't have a picture of the sweater - yet. I think I'll do the picture of the whole layette soon. As soon as I get my fingers flying to finish the last hat!

I did tassles on the baby hat, and they were cute, but tiny (as befits a baby hat). I have enough yarn and a decent pompom maker device to do bigger ones on the bigger hat, which makes sense. I love this pattern, "Easiest Baby Hat" available on Ravelry. Sorry, there's no link, it's in my library as a download. It's basically a rectangle. You can do two colors, with the contrasting color at the crown. I did that on the baby hat, and it was a bit of a miscalculation, but as I think of it: now it can be worn 2-sided with a larger stripe in front, or a smaller one. The one above is stripes, and I've calculated how long the 2-row repeats need to be before I can finish with the same 4-row swaths and the back cuff. Then, just knit it up the sides. 

The baby hat is in the Baby Softee. The toddler hat is in the Cascade 220 Superwash. The sweater is in the Cascade, so I figure that was a good choice.  

Then there's the packaging. I haven't even gotten the stuff I need to put together the gift, but I can get that next week. I don't have to go "baby," especially if what I find is all gendered. My mom said that at Party City it was all either boy or girl - which is kind of silly, because there are those rare birds like my nephew and his wife. They didn't want to find out the gender "unless it was blatantly obvious on the ultrasound," and even if THEY know, we don't. Which is kind of cool. 

There aren't enough good surprises in this life, right? 

The Saga of the Hip...

Well. I went for my 3rd PRP shot. I'm now scheduled for PT, which I'm taking at a place a few doors down from my studio. It's a unique set-up: instead of a batch of patients assigned to the PT, this person spends the hour on you alone. For those of us who are hyper-mobile, we need supervision! I'm really glad to be able to not only have a place close-by, but also -- let's be honest -- not be exposed to a batch of strangers. I have a mom to be aware of. 

I took a picture of the device that spins the blood down. For some reason, it reminded me of something out of Star Trek: one of those "I'm growing nanobytes" kind of pods. 

The doc was very happy, because I once again was able to produce a large amount of plasma. 

I have to say that while I notice some improvements, this treatment is not for the impatient folks. The changes are incremental, some are pretty subtle, and it's going to take a long time to get to a plateau where I'll be more stable. 

I have some goals: Get back to a yoga practice that's not in a chair; ditch the cane; get back to the stable to muck out stalls; ride my bike. Not feel pain when I get up off a chair, or try to sit in one. Just the basic stuff. Oh, put my own socks on. That would be nice. 

The PT and the doctor assure me that those are indeed reasonable goals, and that I can expect to get near 100% of achieving them in some fashion. Of course, I'll never be "before arthritis." But that's to be expected. 

It seems also that they're more concerned with the arthritis than the torn labrum. I did ask about "blasting the bone spurs," and the doc said, "Yes, but no." In other words, yes, there's technology. And no, it won't fit my situation. Fair enough. I'd rather he be honest instead of just doing something that would mean I'd be back time and again to repeat the process. 

So today is my second PT treatment. I was sore after the evaluation, so this could be interesting!

It's Supposed to Snow...Or Not...

As per usual this winter, it's all weather hysteria all the time. Two school districts cancelled school today, because we were supposed to get "whalloped" with snow - up to 8" if you followed certain weather info. 

Mind you, yesterday, it was 50 degrees and sunny. Today is grey. And not a flake in sight. I'm really not sure what it's going to do today. Snow? Rain? Both? Neither? 

I mean, 10 years ago, we were sub-sub-zero and had 2 feet of snow on the ground. Today, I'm looking at my hyacinths starting to break through the ground, and whispering, "Go back! It's not time yet!!" 

And of course, we could be in California, suffering with feet and feet of snow, in areas where they never usually get snow. I have a friend in Tucson who was posting pictures of the 2" of snow on her car. I honestly have no idea if it has ever snowed in Tucson, but apparently, this was news. 

The weather is totally jacked up, but what's going on in DC? They're banning (or trying to) everyone in the LGBTQIA+ community because they can. They're also trying to ban free speech. They're also destroying legitimate safety nets as fast as they can. Because who needs them? Only the marginalized, and if the marginalized aren't rich donors? Pffffffffth.... be-gone!

And Then There's Flori-DUH...

Seriously. Wanna watch a slide into fascism, let's go to the Land of the Mouse. Dirtbag DeStoopid is hurtling down that road quickly and apparently, there's not much to stop him. Their latest is an attempt to ban the Democratic party. I'm not kidding and it's not on some erzatz "news" channel. 

Digging into the history they're wanting to ban (because we don't want to upset the feelings of little white kids...), they've realized that once upon a time, the Democratic party was the conservative party. The Whigs (a/k/a the present-day Republicans - though not quite as crazy as this bunch) were the liberals. 

So, they decided to ban "any political party which, at any time, had ties to slavery." Neat trick - use the history you deem to "offensive" to teach our kids, to virtually eliminate your biggest political rivalry. THAT is offensive, folks. DeStoopid is making a kingdom. He's paving the way to the biggest opportunity there is, and if he can finagle his way into the White House, we're in big trouble as a country. 

Where are the folks who can do something about this? I'm honestly asking, because if this is allowed to prevail, then our country as we know it will eventually cease to exist. 

And people wonder why I'm actually happy to have no grandkids...

Random Picture...

A student handed this to me. "I know you make your own, but..." -- it's Mexican Vanilla. Hubby says it smells really strong, in a good way. Can't wait to bake something with this. 

I feel humbled to have students who are friends. They've hung in there with me with this hip thing, and they're dedicated to their practice. 

We're hoping to increase our student population. We've got workshops scheduled for March, April, and May. Hoping to get more students to decide that a regular yoga practice is a good idea. 

Covid has been rough. Small businesses are still struggling. If you have a local shop, whether it's a book store, yarn store, coffee place, pub or restaurant -- do them and yourself a favor and patronize them. 

Small businesses are indeed the backbone of communities. We are invested in the area, we want to be able to serve you and your family. And we need your support. 

Often, I hear, "I can get yoga free at my gym." Yes. You can. But can you get personalized attention, do you know your teachers and their qualifications, and do you understand the time we spend making sure that the classes we have fit you and your fellow yogis? Do you know the money we've spent on training - because it's a lot, for sure. And we use that to ensure that our classes are safe, effective, and helpful to each student. Learning about modifications, adapting a sequence on the fly for students, holding specialized workshops for your benefit. 

It's a lot, and we do it for you. So please support us!

Plot Twist!

Well. Lots of news to share, and updates to provide. 

First, I have already frogged the baby jacket. It wasn't working. It's a lovely pattern by Lion Brand, but I ended up messing it up, got frustrated and went back to my "old standby." Figured I'd biggen it a bit, and now I'm in full EZ-mode: THINKING about my knitting and making changes to a pattern on the fly. 

I have never done this. I'm a pattern-follower to the nth degree.

I'm a Capricorn, we follow the rules. To. The. Letter. But here I am, goin' rogue! It scares the crap out of me. And I had to order more of the "latte" colored yarn, because I don't think I'll have enough. 

So of course, I added a few hanks extra, because you know. You never know when you'll need a random hank of Cascade 220 Superwash. I do plan to make a neckerchief/shawlette thingie, but it's nice to have a bit of extra just in case. 

As you can see, the bottom is the turquoise and the top is the latte. So I'm on a search for turquoise buttons now. I had some brown/tan ones for the other version, but now they won't work. And do you think I can find ALL those baby buttons that I bought years ago and "stashed in a place where I can find them again"? Nope. Of course not. That would be too easy. 

So I've got a month to finish this AND two baby hats. The baby hats will be out of the Softee, same as the afghan. It will all get done. I keep saying that to myself. I'm trying to knit faster, but it's garter stitch. It just seems to go on forever. 

Winter Tries to Kill Us...

So awhile back, it was freezing. Like "sub-zero, your face freezes, eyeballs feel cold" frozen. Like "why do I live here?" frozen. And I don't have a garage (long story). 

Of course, we're in Illinois - it's just weather. Stick around, and it'll change. But my car has a nasty habit of the driver's side door freezing. Which it did. Three times. 

So the solution to that is, I open the passenger door, crawl over the seat, open the door from the inside, then crawl back down and walk around the car and get in the driver's side. 

Imagine doing that with a cane, when you can't put a lot of weight on one of your legs. 

Yep. That was fun. 

But the best part was grabbing the door handle on the outside and the thing snapping back at me. I didn't even realize that I was bruised till I noticed it a few days later. My ring finger got whacked. You may notice the lovely color of that part of my finger. I was kind of surprised, but then, not - it's happened before. Hubby said it looked like I'd broken it. No, just the joys of being on a blood thinner and a door that was out to get me. 

Today is sunny; it's 38 degrees outside. Beautiful day. But give it a moment. Winter is still out to kill us. We'll be whipsawing from the 50s to the teens over the next 10 days. Never cold enough, long enough, to kill off the crud, but enough to keep our immune systems guessing. 

Latest Read...

Just finished Jennifer Chiaverini's book Switchboard Soldiers. You need to read this. It'shistorical fiction - meaning that the story is based mostly on facts. A couple of characters were created out of an amalgam of real people, but several are "real people" and their story is amazing. 

Back just before WWI, in the era of switchboards which were staffed by women, and you had to talk to an actual operator to make a call, the idea that a young woman could have a promising career as an operator, or even a supervising or instructing operators. That was big stuff. 

Then, WWI happened, and General Pershing needed operators. The male telegraph operators weren't fast enough. So AT & T (not the AT & T we know now - the one BEFORE all the consolidation) advertised for bilingual French/English operators to serve in the battlefield. 

It's an enthralling, untold story. It's a beautiful read, and would make a great book club selection. 

I'm on to A Murder of Crows, a mystery, and I'll report back when I've finished that one. But for now, go grab a copy of Switchboard Soldiers and learn something!

The State of the State of the Union...

Well. Talk about adults in the room. There was one. And the idiots walked right down the cookie-crumb trail he laid for them. "Dark Brandon" definitely came out, though I can tell you that the Republicans are still bound and determined to cut Social Security and Medicare. You know, those safety nets YOU AND I PAY INTO, and we've paid into them ever since we drew a paycheck. 

I used to say that I'd be grateful enough for my grandma and my parents to get theirs. Well, my dad died before he could draw his first check. My mom is in her mid-80s. She's terrified. And I just hit my mid-60s. And I'm mad. 

Morons in Washington who were and are insurgents and traitors are sitting in the House and Senate because enough voters are idiots (and enough districts are gerrymandered) and those voters don't know or care that these folks DO. NOT. CARE. They want raw power and the squirrel-brained Magats who voted for them will be out on their pasty-white keisters into the cruel, cold world. Without a pot to pee in or a window to throw it out of, as my dad would say (cleaned up, of course!). They think that their little red hats will protect them. 

They're sadly mistaken. 

He led them by their twitchy little noses right into admitting that, "of course" they're standing up for seniors and "of course" they wouldn't DREAM of cutting the social safety nets that everyone has been paying into. Because, why would they do that? 

(Though, to be sure, the subsequent appearances on Fox to state that "obviously" they want to protect seniors fools absolutely nobody. They don't even believe evidence when the smoking gun is set in front of them, so the day they want to vote these safety nets down? They'll swear on the souls of their respective grannies that they NEVER said that they weren't going to do that...that their souls are pure and they're doing this "for the good of the people." To which I say, HORSE-PUCKIES.)

In spite of the shenanigans (or malarkey, if you prefer) of the screeching gibbon MTG and the scowls of Lauren "Food Poisoning" Boebert, the president actually played them like phonograph records. 

Couldn't have happened to a nicer set of sub-human criminals. 

Now, calling the DOJ... Would you PLEASE start arresting the people higher up the food chain? Particularly the Mango Maggot? It's time. It's well past time. You're sending absolutely the wrong signal - that they can get away with saying - and DOING - anything and y'all aren't going to do a blessed thing. 

That would be a tragic lesson for us to learn. And would be another nail in the coffin of decent, respectful discourse and civil behavior. 

Toilet Water...

A long, long time ago, "toilet water" was a lightly scented perfume used after bathing or shaving. "Eau de toilette" was an elegant way of saying "light scent." 

People used base scents, like lavender, geranium, and the like. And it's pretty concentrated, though "light" - about 8% perfume oil, where cologne is more like 3-5%. 

Well. Then there's the OTHER toilet water. 

The other day, Quinn didn't drink after eating, which is her normal pattern. She eats, drinks her fill and is done, so she drinks about 3 times a day. Ok, well, everyone's entitled to a change in pattern. 

I heard slurping and thought that Raisa had been drinking out of the bowl, which is normally in the kitchen. 

As you may remember, we have a "gated community," because the girls don't get along. I mean, seriously don't get along, and while we thought it would get better as they got older, it really hasn't. So for our own sanity and safety, we keep them separated. 

Wasn't Raisa. It was Quinn, drinking out of the "Porcelain Water Bowl." See, in the one bathroom, Hubby leaves the lid up. I am a "keep it closed" kind of person, because first, that's how we did it growing up, and second, I've always had dogs. Never a potty-drinker, but why take chances? And of course, in the days when you used toilet cleaners that were the in-the-tank kinds of things (which I no longer use), the potty-drinkers would've been poisoned!

We have never had a potty-drinker. Till now. 

Gives a new name to "toilet water," and the toilet is now closed. There's a second bowl in the bathroom, and the one time Hubby forgot to shut the lid, Quinn went back to the Porcelain Water Bowl because apparently, that's the vintage of water she prefers. Um. No. Lesson learned. 

The Saga of the Hip...

Well. I totally blew January, as I figured I would. It was a rough month. I was supposed to have the 3rd shot, but I didn't. 

I have now acquired a sore shoulder because I think I've been using the cane wrong, and my muscle tone in the left leg is shot. And of course, the right shoulder being the side I use the cane on -- shoulders aren't meant to take our body weight over a period of time. 

And, hey -- let's throw in me being on the spectrum with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, because my muscle tone has been shot to smithereens, my joints are killing me. There's nothing to "cure" with EDS. All you can do is strengthen the muscles around the joints. Which is what my regular yoga practice was doing. I am literally not practicing...and I mean that in the grammatical sense of "literally." I am not practicing at all. Which has really wreaked havoc on my body. A lot of it was and is the pain. 

And a lot of it was January. The month I lost my sister, a year ago. That was a clumsy sentence, but that's what has been whirring in my mind. It's depression and grief expressing themselves physically. 

It also doesn't help that (a) I've had a lot of work which involves sitting my butt in front of a computer up to 6 hours a day; and (b) knitting is safer when I'm sitting! I'm on a baby deadline. 

I have been exercising as much as I can. But it's not enough. 

I have a plan... I'm going to get the 3rd shot in the series. Then I'm going to ask my doctor to send me to physical therapy. And then we're going to talk about a scope to see if they can blast those bone spurs off the ball of my hip and the socket of my hip. I don't necessarily think they'll do anything with the labrum. For those of us who are flexy-bendy beings, our joints are inherently unstable in the first place -- so trimming or removing any of that labrum is just going to destabilize it further. But -- I'm thinking that if they can remove the bone spurs, that might alleviate a lot of the pain. 

You should hear my hip. It snaps, crackles, and pops. It's not cool. It's kinda freaky. 

So I'm waiting for the doctor's office to call me back to schedule things and we'll move forward. 

Random Picture...

I live in a town next to another town known for its drawbridges. Bridge roulette is a thing here. The canals are heavy traffic areas for barges, and I grew up knowing that if you wanted to get from one side of town to the other, you needed to build in "bridge time."

And all of the bridges are old. Like "we have to hand-make parts" old. We run cycles of which bridge is closed. There used to be individual bridge tenders in their little towers next to the bridges, but now they're trying to centralize and computerize the raising and lowering of the bridges. So one by one, the bridges are now cycling through the process of being upgraded with computers and software. 

A few months ago, I got caught. If you're a "lifer" in this town, you can usually anticipate the bridges, and you know the side roads, and alternate routes, and a way to get around without being caught. 

Well. Occasionally, you lose at "bridge roulette." There's even a high-rise bridge which is known to back up for a mile or two if you don't time it right... 

This was one of the bridges which lies south of the high rise bridge. And it was a beautiful morning. So I sat and listened to the radio while I was waiting. 

Because sometimes that's all you can do. Waiting. An art that all of us who live here have cultivated. Because like time, you can't stop a bridge from going up or coming down. 

Pregnancy Begins With a Penis...

 ...so perhaps THAT should be regulated by the "party of small government." (See what I did there??) My postcard campaign continues, and honestly, I don't know whether to smack Lindsey Graham upside his entirely EMPTY head, or... THANK him for galvanizing women young and old. Because he's such a chuckle-headed nitwit. Great move, dude...national abortion ban? Great strategy. 

Pink Tsunami, here we come. Duck & cover, Lindsey. You own this one. 

The party of small government wants to get into my uterus (even though my child-bearing ship has sailed a while ago), but perhaps they ought to look at the teeny-tiny penises. They're all so busy bloviating and thinking that they've got the biggest one in the room. 

Got news for you, boys. (And girls, where IS your common sense?) The uterus brought you into this world. Women voters will take you out. 

And while I'm at it, let's talk about student loans. I have a disclosure to make: I have never had a student loan. I had a grant. Hubby had loans, but the interest rate was 1-2% - whereas now, they're the equivalent of a mortgage. My kid doesn't have student loans, but friends do. People I know have declared bankruptcy because the loans are basically usurious... Seriously, do some math and understand DAILY COMPOUNDING OF INTEREST. 

Have you ever seen a closing statement for a mortgage? Or a car loan? I have. You buy a car for $30,000 and after you tack on interest, your loan paper says you're paying upwards of $60,000 for that car over the life of the loan. And that's calculated on SIMPLE interest. The interest is figured in with your payment, and is amortized through the life of the loan. 

But with student loans, interest is compounded DAILY. Daily compounded interest means interest is accumulated daily and is calculated by charging interest on principal plus interest earned daily; therefore, it is higher than interest compounded on a monthly/quarterly basis due to the high frequency of compounding. So think about this, because the math looks "small" but if you consider that the rate is DAILY, you can see how this is just...insane. 

You first take the annual interest rate on your loan and divide it by 365 to determine the amount of interest that accrues on a daily basis. Say you owe $10,000 on a loan with 5% annual interest. You'd divide that rate by 365 (i.e., 0.05 ÷ 365) to arrive at a daily interest rate of 0.000137. That daily interest rate looks pretty tiny, doesn't it? Well, it's different from your car loan, which is calculated MONTHLY - every 30 days. This student loan interest is calculated DAILY, so you can see how that would add up. 

Anyway... Look at the postcard above. Good old Marge Greene got $180,000 in PPP loans FORGIVEN. And she's screeching like a stuck pig about $10,000 in student loan forgiveness. A bunch of  'em got HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of dollars in PPP loans FORGIVEN. But hey, why would you want to give someone a hand up, when you can kick 'em while they're down? Is that the new "christian way"? Seems so. 

I've gotta sit with DeathSentence and The Texas Idiot for awhile before I talk about the racist, abhorrent, disgusting, dangerous thing they've done. All I can say is that I hope that the backlash from this is like a herd of elephants, butt sides facing an industrial fan on high speed, with said elephants having the runs. Simultaneously. 

Hip, hip hooray...

So my mom's total hip replacement has occurred. She's home, after an overnight in the hospital. I'm very glad she stayed. 

We got her to the hospital at 6 a.m. and the surgery was scheduled for 7:30. I stayed, with my hospital knitting (see the sock). And I had a fully-charged Kindle, and they had HGTV playing in the waiting room. And I could people-watch - which was weird. 

Because about 60% of the people IN THE HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM couldn't quite figure out, nearly 3 years into this, that a MASK GOES OVER THE NOSE, TOO. Seriously, people. The signs (with pictures) are all over the place. 

Anyhow, as I was waiting. And waiting. And waiting, I noticed that there were a lot of codes being called, but I was ok because none of them were "code blue," so I wasn't too concerned. But the time came and went for her to have been done, and I was still sitting there. Then, the manager was coming around asking for various families...turns out that somehow, the hospital was full. As in "no room in the inn" full - no rooms available. So if you lived close, they suggested that you go home. Anyway - I got to see her for a few minutes in the recovery room. She cracked an eye open, said, "I've been hit by a bus," and fell back asleep. That was my cue to go home. 

I got home and took a nap; then they called me around 4:30 p.m. and she'd finally gotten a room. I'm so glad I wasn't stuck there all day. I wasn't doing any good; just taking up space. 

Her neighbor is helping her out, we have the food lined up, and all systems are go. She hates the compression socks. "If they come up any higher, I might actually have a perky bustline." Yep, no filter... 

Now it's time to focus on fixing MY hip. Doctor's appointment on Monday to figure it out. 

The Garden...

I was poking around the back pot of parsley and found...caterpillars! I usually do flat-leaf parsley in the front yard for them, but somehow, they made their way to the back (curly-leaf) and have taken up residence. Started out with 5 of them, and I'm down to 2...so I hope that 3 of them have gone on to be chrysalis-to-butterfly, and not bird food. It should be safer back there, because the birdfeeders are all up front. 

These are Swallowtail butterflies in the making. My milkweed never even bloomed. So Hubby tells me he prefers the taste of the flat-leaf parsley, but I warned him to still be careful about the caterpillars. They blend in so well that they take you by surprise!

The birds have been enjoying the seeds from the coneflowers and the Brown-eyed Susans, and the hummingbird feeders were reorganized. I pitched the ones that weren't working or were ignored. Usually, it was because hornets and bees could get to them, or -- my favorite one finally broke down beyond repair and I couldn't find a replacement. So I have three that they seem to like and we're sticking with them. 

And at work, my wild flowers in pots have done well, considering that they're somewhat neglected. I bought a bubbler. We have a "flower pot drain bowl" that we've been using as a bird bath, and I added a bubbler to it so as to cut down on mosquito eggs. The birds seem to enjoy it.

When the office door is open, the sound of the bubbler is quite soothing. And of course, Flat St. John had to pose to show himself off in this "water feature." 

We have nasturtium, salvia, begonia and windflowers, so it's a nice assortment, as I said - considering that I've virtually ignored the whole thing all year. It's been busy...

We're planning The Great Tomato Sauce Canning for the first weekend in October. I'm considering something that I've seen another friend do: roasting the veggies and then puree them in my Vita Mix. Or I'll do it the way I always do: in a huge stock pot, simmering for hours. We'll see. I think it's about the same amount of time, maybe less doing it via the roasting method. It might be worth it to do 2 batches, one in each method, to see how it goes. 

Welcome...

To the new Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, Paula Clark... The first woman, and woman of color, to be a bishop in this diocese. She's had a long, hard road since her election and we waited for nearly 2 years to have her consecration ceremony. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry was heading the service. 

Her vestments, hand-made, honored her membership in the International Order of the Daughters of the King, and the ceremony was planned specifically by her.  

Hubby and I were going to join the choir, but after looking at Covid numbers, looking at my own risk factors, and the fact that my mom just got out of the hospital and we're her primary humans...we decided, reluctantly, to withdraw. Which is a shame, because the music was pretty awesome. 

You may recognize Bishop Curry from his preaching at Harry & Megan's wedding. He's pretty dynamic, to say the least. 

Bishop Paula wore some awesome red kicks! And some purists objected to the tennis shoes. OK, let's break this down... About 18 months ago, she had a traumatic brain injury, brain surgery, a long and difficult recovery, and then her husband died. She's got some lingering mobility issues. She's lucky to be alive, through much prayer and dint of hard work on her part...What did you expect? Manolo Blahniks??? Get real. Comfort and ability to walk and stand -- that's important. She's not here to make a fashion statement and those folks who object to this? They can kiss the north end of a south-bound horse. Or my pasty white rear end. Whichever...

Random Picture...

This is Quinn, getting a Saturday Skritch. She turns into "oozy dog" and just melts. she loves her belly rubs, for sure. She's healing up very nicely from the nasty cysts she's had lately. 

She turns 12 soon. She's really getting older, and I can see subtle signs, such as a little less spring in her legs when she gets up on the couch, and sometimes a bit of deeper sleep where she startles. And her tail is not curling - that's kind of a classic Norwegian Elkhound "old dog" phase, when their tail stops curling over their rump. 

Shyness has never been her problem. When she's in "flathound" mode, she's totally relaxed. 

Looking for yoga and there's no studio nearby? We have Zoom classes!

In the area? We have THREE new classes, including Prenatal on Saturday afternoon, an additional chair class on Saturday morning, and Yoga with Gratitude & Grace on Wednesday nights. 

Check our website at www.just-breatheyoga.com or 

text/call us at (815) 546-2770 if you have questions about which class is the best one for you. We are a safe, inclusive space - and welcome you as you are. 

It's Been a Long, Strange Trip...

 Seriously, I started to write this in JUNE. And then I hit a wall. The wall consisted of a lot of things. Boss Lady's retirement and the attendant stuff, things happening in the family, delayed grief from my sister's death, busy-ness from a training I was in the midst of...a lot of things. 

But mostly I felt like there was a hole in my soul. Even with the monumental stuff going on in the world, I was just...numb. When Katanji Brown Jackson was sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice, I was excited. And numb. I didn't have words. 

When Roe was overturned, again: stunned. And numb. 

When Beto O'Rourke called out a protester, same thing. "About time" and...numb.

When TFG got that search warrant served on him...you'd think THAT might break through the fog, but it hasn't, really. 

I just feel bad that I haven't written and it's like I fell of the face of the earth. 

The Postcards...

So I've been venting some spleen with postcards. Actually, my studio is going to be a gathering place for folks writing postcards to voters for a particular candidate. I believe in the power of the postcard. 

We do so many emails, so many texts, so many phone calls...a postcard is something different. My friend "A" latched onto this, and I ended up sending a bunch. To the SCOTUS and to the idiots who don't support sensible gun legislation. And as thank-you notes to those who are actually legislating. Doing the job we elected them for. And reminding those who're slacking off. 

I'm absolutely not sure if it does anything but it makes me feel like it's SOMETHING. Especially in these times when we all feel so out of control on the whole ball of ugly that's happening in this country. 

I enjoy reminding Uncle Clarence that, while he's dumping "precedent," he'd best be careful: At one point in history, he would've been 3/5 of a person; he couldn't vote; and he and Ginni couldn't marry. Loving v. VA was only decided, after all, in 1967... 

I got my postcards from VistaPrint, but you could get them from anywhere - maybe you even have a stash of postcards that you picked up on your travels. You know nobody wants them, and if you're decluttering, why not use them? At least you'll be making your point. It's pretty therapeutic. 

The Knitting...

Well, there's some progress. I had to add another ball of yarn. And then the age-old question: "How do I do this so that it doesn't look clunky?" It's honestly easier to do when you're knitting with an appropriate-sized needle. Like, if I'm knitting socks, I'm using a size 1 or 2 needle, and the fabric is pretty stable. But with the Long Sands Tee, I'm knitting a linen yarn with slightly bigger needles, to make that "lacy" fabric, so I could do a couple of things:

I could knit double for a few stitches. I could end at a side seam so that I could just knit 1 or 2 stitches and "bury" the new join in the side. Or I could do a variation on a spit join. 

For the uninitiated, the spit join is usually used (in my experience, at least) when you want to join two balls of wool. Like, straight wool, not superwash, not mixed with any other fiber. The reason is, you take Yarn A and "unwind" about 1-2" of it, and do the same for Yarn B. Then, you spit in one hand, lay the yarns with the unwound ends overlapping, and rub your hands together to build some heat and "felt" the yarns together. It's remarkably strong. 

But with linen, it doesn't felt. So the variation I found was to unwind part of the end of Ball A and the same amount on Ball B. And braid them together. 

I went to The Google and looked for "ways to join yarn," and found this. The demo was on a worsted weight, so they used a paper clamp to secure the end. Of course, as you can see, all I needed was a paper CLIP... 

The only thing I don't like is that, because I'm using the larger needles to get the drape in the fabric, I can see where this is at. And of course, it's the front, toward the center. 

As a new skill, it's cool. But as an actual way of construction for my garment, I really wish I would have done it on the seam. I'll get a picture of it, and show it next time. 

The project is coming along nicely. It'll get set aside in September. My mom is (finally) having her hip replaced, and I'm "it." I will be taking her to the hospital, and I'm hoping she stays overnight to be observed. She's well into her 80s and honestly, if something happens, I'm skilled enough to dial 911. And that's about it. She should stay overnight, and I thought I had her convinced. But she's waffling. Don't get me wrong, all her marbles are there. But she thinks she's MY age...and she's not. There are benefits to her staying in the hospital overnight, including the fact that the elderly don't come out of anaesthesia easily. If she were to try to get up, and I wasn't right there, there would be a problem. If she was in the hospital, there would probably be an alarm and someone (or several nurses) would be able to deal with it so she wouldn't hurt herself. 

So my "surgery knitting" will be socks. The Kindle will be charged. It takes about 2 hours for the surgery, so I'll probably stay put. It's easier. This is where I miss my sister. She was "the person" for this stuff. I can take care of the other stuff, but medical things are out of my area. 

I Did a Thing...

I got an email from Amazon saying that, basically, my Kindle (3rd gen) would no longer be able to download books. Well, that kinda sucks. I didn't update it; no need to. It was working just fine. But what's a Kindle if you can't get books, right? 

You can see (a) the difference in size - the old one is on the right, and the new one is on the left; and (b) the difference in the brightness. The new one is much cleaner, and you can make the light more "warm" as you read in the evening, to cut down on the blue light. 

I was given a Fire (Gen 8), which is cool. I have a lovely case for it, and I have TWO games loaded: 2 versions of Solitaire. Yeah. Big gamer, that's me...

In that Amazon email there were two coupons, and I figured, "let's see how this works." I got the grand sum of FIVE BUCKS for my old Kindle, but with both coupons (and a $40 e-book credit!), I got a Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition for a grand total of $90. Which, Hubby says, was LESS than he paid for my Kindle Gen 3 lo those many years ago. Happy day!! I'm just getting used to the lack of a keyboard, and learning where things are. 

I loaded my $40 worth of books - it wasn't as many as you'd think, but I got some good ones. I don't necessarily like the way they organize them. My old one, I could dump "read" books into a file. This one, they have "read" across the book, but with the transfer of my books from the Kindle Gen 3, some of the "read" were transferred as "un-read." 

I also got a nice cover, Van Gogh's "Starry Night." I'd have loved a TARDIS one, and I may still look for that! I'll say that it fits in my purse better. And it has increased my reading time. I have a lot on my TBR (To Be Read) list, so putting a slight dent in that pile. 

The benefit of the Kindle as opposed to the Fire is the longer charge on the Kindle. But it's a piffle; both are nice. I can use books from either when I read them to my yoga class on Sunday nights. It takes up less room. And my bookshelves are already overflowing. 

So I'm happy with my 2 new "toys." I would like to do another game, but I can't decide what to do. I've looked at the word games (I do love Scrabble), but nothing has made me say, "Yeah, I can do that without it driving me nuts." And unfortunately, the Fire comes with ads. Which is incredibly annoying. 

I Did Another Thing...

My hair needed to be re-touched. Yes, I love my silver, but I'm not opposed to playing with a little Rose Gold every so often to shuzh it up a bit more. My stylist, a young woman, said to me recently, "How do you feel about rose gold + violet?" I figured the worst that could happen is that I didn't like it. 

I love it. I've gotten so many great compliments on it. I wasn't going to do it for the summer, because I thought I'd be able to go to the barn more. Well, they changed their parameters, and my hip was acting up (see below), and so I figured I'd give it a try. 

It's quite obvious in the sunshine. And I think it looks spectacular! Is it vanity? Yeah. But it's a little vanity. 

Yeah, my hip is aggravated. I had one cortisone shot that lasted about 3 months, maybe 4. I was disappointed, but the doctor seemed to think that was a good result. I guess all in all it was, considering that your hips never rest. You're either holding them in place sitting or they're supporting you even lying down and standing. 

So I had a second cortisone shot and it hurt like a bugger. Doc really hit The Spot there, and Hubby said that I levitated "about 3 feet off the table." It's been bothering me more, and that's my basic objection to cortisone shots: I tend to do stupid stuff because it doesn't hurt. It makes me feel like it was before I hurt myself. Or it hurts because I've been stuck at the computer too long. Or I slept funny. Or I stood up too long. It's a no-win situation. I'm looking at an experimental treatment, because they don't replace hips for a torn labrum. Thankfully. One of us in the family with a titanium hip is enough!

And I Did a FINAL Thing...

I finally finished (after 1 revision) my 500-hour teacher training thesis. I haven't heard back from this revision, but I'm hoping they like this version and I can check this one off my list. In the meantime, I completed an 85-hour Prenatal Yoga training, which I've wanted to do since 2014...At last it's done. 

In the meantime, I started a 20-hour prenatal training, and I'm going to finish that, mainly so I can get sequence ideas. It's always nice to get some inspiration. 

I've done the community (free) prenatal class and I have a student body of...one. The other one was 30+ weeks along, so she's near to term and probably not coming back. I'm hoping to get a community going, and I know it'll take some work, but it will be worth it. 

I also hired a teacher who's a triple-threat, sort of. She's a student of mine who did her training during Covid, and she's certified as an ASL interpreter, and is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, so while her training was from a studio with a Christian bent, she is well-versed, and can do some nice classes. She also can appeal to the other population segments. 

We're also working with a local group to do trauma-informed yoga with sexual assault clients. Things are moving in a positive direction, and we're hoping to continue to grow. 

Random Picture...

Frog legs. Or "sploot." Whichever. We were at my mom's house and Buddy decided that he was going to relax. I can't resist frog legs. Or sploot, or whatever you want to call them. 

Quinn usually does frog legs, and Tippi used to. I haven't seen Raisa do them - but she has her own quirks. 

I appreciate when a dog can relax around me; frankly, it usually happens because I'm a dog person. Honestly, it also usually happens with cats. I guess I just have the "thing" that allows them to let themselves hang loose and mostly ignore me!

I will write about all the Big Important Things that have been happening. Just not right now. It's enough that I figured I'd land here and spend some time with you all. Thanks for being here. 

The Knitting Goes On...

So the "secret project" is coming along nicely. I'm over 50% done, which is a good thing. No picture yet; perhaps when it's done? Definitely when it's been given to the recipient. 

And I (or Hubby, actually) went into The Box of Sox...and pulled this out. It's Baby Regia, which is technically sock yarn. BUT... I'm wondering if I should instead make a shawl out of it from the Ukranian patterns? I'm thinking the Water Glare (pattern here). It would be pretty. I don't have a shawl with that much blue. Well, technically, I do, the Sally Melville "Wings" in the alpaca laceweight, but this colorway might be a good addition. "Wings" is a very pale blue, sort of like that sky with the ivory clouds in a bit of a haze. I love it because it's just enough to wrap around my neck and tie it. 

I just think that if the yarn says "for babies" and "socks," they're not thinking someone like me should walk around in them. I'm hard on my socks. And, I have lots of yarn left in The Box of Sox. 

As I'm knitting this Secret Project, I'm altering the design as I go. Maybe that's the reason I should have done a test run, but this is going to be a one-off and done. The nice thing is, even though Hubby doesn't knit, I can ask questions, and he's got a good enough idea of garment structure, etc., that he can give good suggestions. 

I know that I probably shouldn't have had him pull the yarn. I've got 3 singletons that I know of off the top of my head that really need mates. And I have some yarn sitting right here next to me that I frogged and re-started for another pair of socks. And I have a shrug/sweater thing from Expression Fibre Arts that I really need to get going on. And the linen t-shirt I had started. Long Sands, (pattern here) that's working up in a beautiful pewter linen yarn. That can be a 3-season thing, because I'd wear a t-shirt under it; it's a loose enough knit that it's more of an over-the-top kind of item to wear. And I do have long-sleeved t-shirts that I wear in the fall. 

It's a Stretch...

So yesterday, I did something rather out of my comfort zone: I took a workshop on integrating Qigong into yoga sequences. Qigong, as you may know, is similar to Tai Chi, except that Qigong can be an isolated movement or movements to affect a certain part of the body, such as "gathering the sun" or "combing the body." Tai Chi would be a whole sequence, like yoga but...not. 

Anyway, I'm intrigued and I want to learn more. And somehow, something happened to my hip. It's crazy, because we did a 20 minute flow of moves, and none of them were extraordinary. We stood in one place. OK, we did bounce a bit, and I could've landed wrong. But I don't think I did. 

And that evening? I was walking with a cane; my hip felt like it was going to collapse out from under me, which for me is extremely odd. 

What I found interesting about it was the intersection of some Yin principles with Qigong, in terms of energy meridians and how they affect the body. 

And something definitely affected my leg...I ended up using the cane in the house, which didn't thrill Raisa at all: she looked at it as if it was going to bite her. And Quinn? She just walked around me! 

Luckily, I'm heading to the doctor on Monday to see if I qualify for an experimental treatment. Of course, it's not covered by insurance, but it should prevent an eventual hip replacement. I cancelled my regular Yin class tonight; I wanted to do a whole "Spring Yin" thing, but not if I can't get up and down off the floor. 

Last night I used my far-infrared pad to "cook" the area. Today I used ice. I'm not using the cane today, but stepping out laterally is still a bit tricky. We shall see how Monday plays out. 

Orchids in Bloom...

Well, the 8th orchid has bloomed. We have only one which is just shooting up a flower stalk. It'll be a month or so till that one does anything. 

We've never had eight of them in bloom. Heck, we've never had eight of them SURVIVE... Hubby's got a dab hand at growing them. 

He said today, "No more!" (Which is like me and yarn...if there's a unique enough orchid he finds, it'll probably make its way home!) Our shelf is a bit crowded. Two of them need re-potting and one needs splitting, so I may have to find the split part a new home. 

The whole table is just beautiful and one of the pink ones has a scent. I can't smell it unless I'm on top of it, but it's just a nice thing to look at when I'm "cooking" my hip. 

The Reading...

So far, I'm taking a trip down Memory Lane with my reading: Elizabeth George's "Inspector Lynley" mysteries. And the description in the book is about 180 degrees from the guy who stars in the series. I think the guy in the series fits the character better. And Havers is different, too, in the series, at least physically. I'm also still working every day with the book of meditations on grief, which I referenced a few entries ago: "Healing After Loss," by Martha W. Hickman. 

The Lynley books are typical English mysteries, and I really like how they're written. I've seen most of the series, and I've enjoyed it. Picturing it in my head while reading the books is maybe a bit of a cheat, but that's ok. They're fun to wind down with at bedtime. 

The Garden...

Well, we still haven't planned much in the garden. Hubby took the top layer of dead leaves off today; which I think is a bit early, but I'm only reading it in the garden section of the paper...

We've still got the native plants in the front gardens; I do want to add some sunflowers along the south side of the house. The dirt there needs augmentation, though, and I'd love to put a border or something like that along that side of the house. I have to get to the local museum because they have seeds for local plants. I think I might have room for a few more plants; you never know!

Random Picture...

When I was out with my friend J the other day, I picked up some beads. I've dabbled, I confess. But she's an expert and does some beautiful work. So I got these, and made two bracelets. My original thought was one blue, one yellow, but I alternated the beads. 

Yeah, it does jack diddly for Ukraine, but it's a measure of solidarity in a very minor way. 

We're planning a day where she can help me fix some bracelets that, over the years, have broken. It's something to do over a cup of tea, so why not use it as a way to get together and spend some time? She doesn't knit or do yoga, and I don't arrange flowers or make jewelry -- so it's something we can do together till I can walk well enough to get back to taking strolls around the neighborhood. 

Need a tax deduction? How about the Elizabeth A. Morman Memorial Scholarship? It's in honor of my sister, for non-traditional women who are coming back to Joliet Junior College to study nursing. Non-traditional students are those who are older, often coming back while working or in other situations. We're giving one scholarship ($1,000) per year to a student who meets specific criteria which is on the website. 

Looking for yoga? We're open! Masks are optional. Check our schedule here at Just Breathe Yoga Studio for drop-in classes, series classes, workshops and more. 

Zoom classes are available if you're not quite ready to come into the studio. Private sessions aer available, as are small group classes. Many classes are available both on Zoom and in-studio. Call or text at (815) 546-2770 for more info, or email at info@just-breatheyoga.com if you have questions about whether a class is appropriate for you.