We're Having a Heat Wave...

...and it's going to be obnoxious by Thursday. August has decided to just be itself all in one week, seeing as last week, it was 67 degrees at night.  What's a girl to do, except hunker down in front of the fan and knit. Small stuff, of course. By Thursday, the temps will be 105-ish. Not the "feels like," but the actual temperature of the area. 

The Knitting...

I needed a break from the sock. I was knitting along on it and just finding myself dreading it. I mean, it's not like I haven't been knocking out socks like crazy - at least for me. I figured I needed a break, so I figured I'd whack out a wash cloth. 

It just seems like that 5 1/2" leg is taking FOR. EVER. I knit a bunch of rows, and measure. And it's still not there. So I do it again. And it's still not there! 

That's when I knew that I had to do something, because otherwise, that sock would go into Time-Out, and I'd be left with a finished singleton that I whacked out and a partial of its mate, ruining my streak. 

I have at least 2 singletons left, at my count. I just have to figure out where I stashed them. 

My friend K is trying to quit smoking, so I toddled off to Michael's and got some cotton yarn, knitting needles, and a little bag for her. If you're going to set someone up to knit, do it up right, I think. I have a project bag, her needles, a little workbag, and I'll find one of my 16 tape measures and give it to her, along with folding scissors and a tapestry needle, and crochet hook. 

I find that what discourages me from knitting or any other craft is not having tools to hand when I need them. So starting something then finding that I need X -- and having to go hunt for it, or realizing that I actually need to go buy it? That's a pain in the rear, and it's frustrating. 

I would imagine that quitting smoking is equally as frustrating. I saw my dad try at least 8 times, and I'm not exaggerating. He tried everything. He tried the tools available to him, because it was so long ago, there were no nicotine patches or pills. He tried a rubber band which he snapped at his wrist. He tried a staple in his ear (acupuncture-ish). He tried crocheting - seriously, he was pretty good at it. He tried cold turkey - which was the thing that eventually worked. 

But once he got cancer, 8 years after he quit, he found that smoking was somethign that actually helped the nausea from the chemo. Drove my mom nuts, but as the doctor said, "That's not what's going to kill him."

So for K, I want to set her up for success. If nothing else, maybe she'll knit up a few wash cloths. 

As you know, I use them on my face. The knitted ones are really nice for exfoliation. The crocheted ones, in my opinion, are better for dishes, but Hubby likes those for after he shaves. 

What I did was a diagonal pattern, sometimes called "Grandma's Dish Cloth," though in my mind, it's "Sister Albert Marie's Dish Cloth" because that was one that this nun could whip out in a day. Technically, I probably could too, but I'd have to have been knitting with larger needles. 

It's hard for me to transition from size 1 to size 8. Technically, the Sugar & Cream yarn calls for size 7 needles, but I had a set of 8s handy, and I knew I was going to knit tighter, having just been knitting socks. So that's what I used. The yarn was what I had in stash, sothat's what we have. And I have at least 4 cloths that are beyond repair now, so this is just a replenishing mission here. 

My top and bottom finishing isn't great, but it's a wash cloth. I did go to Betsy's to pick up some Butterfly Pea Flower tea, and I bought out their stash of light blue. My mission is going to be to do cloths for my yoga teachers, and I've got some lovely charcoal soap, and that's what they're getting for Christmas. It took me a weekend to do this cloth, and even if I do a different pattern for each one, they do go quickly. 

I prefer to do a wash cloth for new knitters. Even though cotton yarn is pretty unforgiving in terms of its stretch (it doesn't), I think it can take a beating if you need to frog it a couple times. I know a scarf is the thing most of us learned to knit, but to me, that can be mind-numbing. This diagonal pattern teaches useful techniques, and it's far enough apart for you to get the hang of just straight knitting for a bit. 

End of An Era...

Well, I couldn't put it off any longer. I had to finally ditch my old Birkenstocks. The footbeds were just done. The one pair was so old that they're not made anymore. And the other pair was quickly following. And the soles were getting too slippery for me. New hip, can't afford any mis-steps or slips. So out they went. 

I ended up buying a pair of the Arizona style (which is what I usually wear, and that's how I show off my socks), and then I got a pair of clogs, which would look like a loafter with long pants. Works for me. 

The Arizona (yes, I have weird feet) are unoiled leather, so they'll end up with a nice patina on them. It's different to feel these "new" ones, as opposed to ones that just literally molded themselves to my feet. The break-in is annoying but you do have to take it slowly. Blisters are no fun. 

The clogs are really comfortable, and I can wear them around the house since it's too stinking hot to wear regular house slippers, and I don't want to go barefoot (!) because it's Shed-mageddon here in the house. Doggo floof the size of bunnies coming from both dogs. It's everywhere. 

The clogs are a light lilac, you almost don't notice the color. I went by shoe size. Back in the day, I was European 39 which is 8-8.5... My feet have grown a bit, as they are wont to do as you get older. I'm a size 9 now, so they sent me European size 40. A little room at the back of the heel, but when I wear them with socks, it'll be fine. 

I'll wear these sandals clear through till the snow flies. They're really comfortable and supportive, and as you can tell - they do last. My brown ones were at least 30 years old, and the black ones nearly 25. Not too bad - I really got my money out of them. 

I wore my Boston clogs for the hip replacement and the nurse refused to let me wear them home - she was afraid I'd trip. I get it, but those things are molded to my feet. I wore them at home just fine. 

Pedicure Time...

So the other problem with the hip is that for now, I can't externally rotate my hip, which means I can't take care of my left foot. I use a long scrubby brush to wash the foot, but otherwise, I am just getting to where SOMETIMES I can put a sock on. 

Once I got more mobile and felt comfortable, I got out to Diva's, my usual spot for a pedicure. I had the tech use my color; I feel better just bringing my own, though the summer colors (aside from a crap-ton of Barbie pink...) were cute. I had a "Metallic Blend," which is a nice neutral. And sparkly. 

I wore my "remedial flip flops," a pair of Sanuk sandals. As you can see, there's a strap around the back, which actually helps me walk in the things! So after a pedicure, your feet are usually really, really smooth with lotion, and I had regular Sanuk flip flops, and they just didn't work. Especially with that left foot, with the wonky toe that wants to cross over the big toe? I was a mess walking to the parking lot. No way I was doing it with a healing hip. 

The part of the sandal that goes thru the toes is the part that goes round the back of the foot. At Diva's, once they get you to the polish point, you get your sandals back on, so you're already set and your toes don't smudge. The fabric that wraps around the instep is lovely, too. These are just a tiny wedge, and they're very easy to wear. I feel stable in them, which is a huge deal. At that point, I was still using a cane. 

The hardest thing, once I got in there, was putting my left leg up and into the tub, and then lifting it on to the shelf where the tech can work on my foot. Of course I told her the issue, and she was more than careful, which made me feel comfortable. And it felt soooooooo good. Not only the pampering, but just knowing that I was able to do this bit of care for my feet. 

I asked her about those "foot masks" that you see at the drug store and she emphatically told me NOPE. She said that my feet were really soft (I thought I had calluses, but apparently, not as bad as some folks), and that the masks had the potential to burn softer tissue. Thanks, but I really don't need that, right? My feet were dry, however, and so are my legs. I still have to work on folding over to get to my ankles. 

I'm looking forward to the next trip to Diva's and picking out which color I want next. Maybe a lovely blue? I'll have to go shopping in my bathroom cabinet. See what hasn't been used in a while. 

Otherwise, the hip is doing quite nicely, almost as if things are slotting into place in the correct order. I can do a few yoga poses (VERY few), and I am forgetting my cane every so often in the house. I'm set to come back to the office full time in September, and today at PT, I was told that while I still had some ways to go, my stride is more fluid than it was and my strength is building in the way it should. Yay!

Random Picture...

Monday was my first trip to the grocery store. In almost 18 months. Seriously, I had stopped going because it was so hard to get around. I went to the Fresh Thyme, and I stuck to my list. Crap, though - they moved a lot of stuff around! I couldn't find things! And you can tell there are shortages in some things. But it was nice to get out and do my own shopping. 

I haven't gone to a bigger store yet. And seriously, the first few times that I went even to a CVS, I needed a nap!

But it was good to see the progress; the fact that I could go shopping (sorry, dear!). The fact that I could walk a ways longer than I could the week before. I'm trying to not compare with anyone else. My journey to being whole again is my own. Nobody else's.

I anticipate further progress. I anticipate that someone, somewhere, may say that I'm "babying" my leg. And I anticipate that, if that's said to my face, the person saying it will probably regret that they said it. I'm a big girl and not afraid to tell someone to buzz off.  

The Last Leg...

It's been a wild, wild week, culminating with FANTASTIC news. 

We have a priest! 

And that's all I can say right now. A 2-year search has resulted in a selection, and the person has accepted the offer. 

And now we move on; more on this the MOMENT that I can tell you all. 

Knitting...

It was kind of a crazy Friday today. Got a late start at the hairdresser - she was late, not me. And then she took her time, so I was an hour late to the church office. After staying far too late (interruption after interruption), I whizzed home, grabbed a guitar for my lesson, and whipped out to the college to meet my teacher. As I was writing my check, the green pen I had managed to explode in my hand. I now have a right hand with tints of Kermit the Frog...

Got through the Mass parts that we're working on, sped home, and got a text from the mover...he stood me up again. 

I'm in charge of moving the church offices to the next-door building and I've been trying for 3 weeks to get this guy out for an estimate. I gave him an ultimatum and said, "This is it, dude. I have a deadline!" He swears he'll be at the church tomorrow. Hmpfh. 

So, since my plans changed, and I was blessed with some free time, I figured I'd knit. I'm on point number 17 of 18 of the Close to You Shawl. 

I figure I can finish it this weekend, I think. Each point is 14 rows, and then I have a 12-row finish and a picot edging. It has been a fun knit, but I'll be glad to set this pattern aside for a little bit because I have others I'm itching to knit.

The Last Leg...

So as usual, we were eager to get going on the last day of our trip. After breakfast (standard hotel: egg-ish things, sausages, bagel, etc.), and a couple cups of tea for me (one of them in a to-go cup) and we were off. This time, I wanted to make sure my caffeine level was adequate to the drive. 

And this time, we swore that we wouldn't repeat the day before, even though our GPS said about 6-ish hours to home. I didn't want to risk that whole "low energy driving" thing, especially as we were heading more toward "civilization" (read: More traffic!). 

We got all the way to Iowa - and stopped at IOWA-80, which is billed as "the largest truck stop in Iowa." Okey-dokey... It was a mall-ish kind of place; The Kid had a burger, and I had an egg sandwich from a Panera. Bought some Amish goodies for my friend A., gassed up and left. 

We drove a long, long, long, long way on Rt. 88 in only one lane because of construction. It was ridiculous. 

Nope, not even a photo for you. It was that kind of drive! Got The Kid home and helped him off-load his stuff, then headed home myself. 

I hit up a car wash on the way home; I knew I wasn't going to get that sprayed-on oil off, but the car was absolutely bug-encrusted. 

Got back late afternoon, to Hubby and happy dogs. 

And - so far, The Kid and I still like each other! Another successful road trip in the books. 

It sounds maudlin, but seriously - I don't know how many more of those I'll have with him, and I want to enjoy all of them. At some point, he'll date, have a life that doesn't include me - which is fine - and I want to have these memories. 

Strawberry Moon...

Lately, the moons seem to be either "super" or "strawberry" or "orange" or whatever. Whatever happened to just a plain old "full moon" in the meteorological realm? Anyhow, I caught a photo of the supposed "strawberry" moon. 

I know - we're too close to town and lots of lights and lots of buildings. We didn't and we don't see these moons in their full glory. And when I'm going home from the yoga studio, the only places I seem to have a beautiful view are not good to take photos in. For example, the cemetery on the outside of Stateville Penitentiary. They don't like when you're in there in the dark - you'll get a visit from a guy in a car with lights on the top. 

Well, the moon was full. Not so sure of the "strawberry" part, although my students told me a day or so later that, for some of them, it did indeed look strawberry. I'll take their word for it. 

Cookies...

In case you're wondering what the cookies are, they were purchased at the Polish Deli near the chiropractor's office. They do a great sandwich, wonderful soups, and a "hot plate" dinner full of stuff that would've come out of my granny's kitchen. 

These are Liebnitz cookies - a bit graham-cracker with hazelnuts and chocolate bits. Today, I was on the run all day and was thus starving. I even had Raisa eyeballing me while I was chomping on a piece of cheese. I was giving her the eyeball back, with a "no way, kiddo" slant to my side-eye. 

After a dinner of salmon and baked potato (thanks, Hubby), I sat down to watch Season 5 of "Great British Baking Show," knit and munch on some cookies... It's a great finish to the evening. 

Plans for tomorrow...

Tomorrow, I have (in the middle of a heat wave, by the way), a photography gig. I'm taking pictures of the Frankfort, IL "Families Belong Together" protest march. 

I have to figure out how to haul the camera, wear the appropriate hat to protect myself from further sunburn, get sunscreen on and survive the heat. Oh, and keep hydrated!

Today, it hit in the 90s, and it's after 8 p.m. - still muggy and sticky. It ought to be interesting. 

All I hope for, in this environment lately, is that nobody gets hurt and the protest is peaceful. 

With the recent killings at the newspaper in Maryland, and the political hate-fest emanating out of DC? It does make you fearful and makes you wonder what happened to America. What happened to civil discourse? What happened to "agree to disagree" as a way of communication? 

Well, we know what happened. And it can't be gotten out of the White House soon enough. Along with family members, cohorts, conflicts of interest, and co-conspirators. 

We need a broom to sweep clean - a big broom. 

And perhaps the protests around the nation and the unexpected winning of certain primaries - perhaps those will help correct our course. That, and an indictment or two. Soon. Please. I want the country back for my kids. 

Random Picture...

One of the patients at the chiro clinic had never seen a red husky. I had to persuade Madame to sit still for a picture. 

This was the best of the 3 shots. 

She finally figured out that I had a treat in my hand, but she wouldn't deign to smile at it or me. She did decide to put her ears up. You can see in her eyes, "I'm only doing this because I choose to. Not because you want me to or I want to look cute." 

She's such a diva. Right now, she's "banished" to the kitchen. She hasn't done anything wrong; we're just having the Elkhounds in the living room because idiots are blowing off fireworks and the elkies are frankly terrified. 

So here's my PSA for you: Don't shoot off fireworks yourself. The 4th of July is the WORST holiday for dog disappearances. They're usually terrified and they will bolt. And if you don't like pets, think of the vets...PTSD and fireworks? Not cool. 

Best of Random Pics...

I'm not lazy. I'm just tired of the stale news cycles... So today we're doing a "best of" -- I've dug through the phone and I've found some random pics that I don't think I've posted before. But if I have, please excuse and just enjoy!!

Comments always welcome - and share my blog with your friends. (Doesn't that sound awfully needy??? Well, we writers are like that...)

Altar in my office

This is the altar in my office. I use it as a focal point for meditation, and it's a little "sacred space" for some of my treasures, including my great-granny's medals, Tippi's TDI badges, candles, a rock from a trip -- all kinds of stuff that just means something to me. 

I saw an article in Yoga Journal about the altars people kept and some were quite spare. Some were beautiful. But all of them reflected the individual who created them. Some were just a bulletin board. 

All you need is a little space where you can put something meaningful up in front of you. It doesn't have to be "religious" in nature. It can be a picture, a seashell, a candle... anything that causes you to pause and think. 

That's the purpose. Not adulation. Not worship. But a space in your life (at home or at the office -- or both) where you are reminded to "stop and smell the roses." Or look at the picture. Or light the candle. 

Basically, a spot that reminds you to breathe. We all need that. 

Hi temps...

I don't know when I took this, but it was last summer. Just because it's 7* here (feels like "spring may never come" -- a/k/a -11*F), we often forget that yes, spring will come. And then summer. And we'll be griping or boasting about how hot it is. 

When you're freezing in this, the (hopefully) last of the Polar Vortex times, remember this picture and realize that, come August, you'll be whining. 

Well, I'll be whining. Either way.

We took these clematis down this past year. They had actually rather withered and even though I know they can last for years and years, ours succumbed to either the crummy soil, the hot weather or the dogs who kept peeing on them. 

Or a combination thereof. 

Clematis

So last year, we took down the trellises and put in 2 lilac bushes. We will most likely trim the lilacs and keep them from getting "wild" but I will miss these clematis. I love lilacs, but I will miss the beauty of these flowers.  

If you get a chance, please plant these. They're gorgeous, hardy and beautiful in a mixed planting. Meaning, you can plant ANY combination of these flowers. If you want to be matchy-matchy, go for it. If you want to mix red, white, purple, variegated.

Well, do that, too. You can have big ones, small ones, a mix of the two.

You can plant one side in blues, one side in purples. Or any of the above combinations. 

Clematis have different blooming times, too. Ours always bloomed early and then by August, we were done. Mr. K., next door? His is GIGANTIC, but it's got smaller flowers. And it blooms a month or so after ours and lasts through fall. 

I bet he's got hummingbirds nesting in his; it's a very thick bush, growing up the side of his house. 

Raisa snout

So this is the first picture I captured of Raisa. First off, my Nokia is a second-generation. I'm truly looking forward to the upgrade this year!! Second, she's really quick! Luckily, my phone didn't come in for a slurpy Husky kiss. 

She's blending into the family well. And today, I got a text from Hubby, claiming "MY DOG" crapped all over the kitchen. 

"She's grounded for LIFE" he says. And then he takes them all out for a lovely long walk. He's putty in their hands -- errrrr, PAWS. 

This is her 3rd accident in the house, but she's barely 6 months old, and I think the excitement of having 2 other dogs in the house often distracts her.

Huskies always, ALWAYS have the canine equivalent of ADD - and puppies have it the worst. 

She'll calm down. Around age 6 or so... Maybe. 

This little lovely is a "chatelaine" -- Now, normally, the definition of a chatelaine is "the mistress of a household or large establishment."

Sheep chatelaine

The secondary definition is "a clasp or hook for a watch, purse or bunch of keys." In knitting terms, a chatelaine can be called a "scissors-keeper." This little weighted sheep has a "tail" and that has a velcro loop where you can secure your scissors. 

My scissors are usually kept in a project bag. And the ones in that bag (a/k/a an inexpensive zippered make-up bag) are the really sharp ones; I put a wine bottle cork on the tips to keep from jabbing myself when I'm rooting around in there. These are "airline approved" and blunt-tipped. This is a good place to stash them, so that the next time I fly somewhere, if I take something other than the "Before and After Scarf" (hey, 96" of knitting takes up most flights I'll be on!), I can grab these and be assured that the officials won't confiscate my good pointed embroidery snips. 

She's cute. Quirky. And a sheep. What more could a knitter ask for? 

If you're ever looking for a "little something" for the knitter in your life (or as a small treat for yourself), check these out. This is from Lantern Moon, and I got mine for under $20. You can get them at your LYS (buy locally when you can!!!) or -- of course -- on Amazon or at your favorite online yarn store such as Jimmy Beans or the like. 

Yes, since you asked: all the dogs DID think she was a new toy. She's on my knitting table where they can't get to her. 

Ahhhhhhhhh - spring-to-summer on the prairie trail!! This was last summer, at the beginning before it turned beastly. We were on the new prairie trail and I stopped a couple of times to snap some pictures.

Wild thistle

As you can imagine, a "prairie" trail is very short on (a) shade and (b) trees. But it's not short on wildflowers and grasses. This thistle was just beautiful and in a clump of them. 

Our local park district has been diligent about ripping out the invasive stuff and putting BACK the native stuff. This prairie area has been planted with milkweed (hello Monarch Butterflies!!) and thistle and all the prairie grasses native to our area.

The wild garlic and other invasive stuff has been removed and they're keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn't come back.

I mean, we're talking wild roses -- they're just not native to our area; they've been tossed into fields and of course, they germinate and take over. 

Honeysuckle is another noxious weed. Ok, my mom had some planted alongside the driveway as a "living fence" next to our neighbor. But she quickly changed her mind when Hubby actually sawed the stuff down to a one-foot-high stump.

And the next year, it grew 5 feet and blossomed. It's lovely. It smells nice. And it takes over!!

Well, this brings me to the end of this post. Let me know how you liked my selection. Maybe I should do this every quarter or so?