Right Now: July 2024

I couldn't think of anything to post about until I remembered that it might be time for what's going on Right Now. I'm still not sure I have enough to say, but maybe if I just start typing, some words of wisdom will flow from my brain to my fingers and keyboard. 

A red-spotted newt I saw in the woods
(but he doesn't have anything to do with the rest of the post.)

Making -  A few things with garden produce. We've frozen 20 quarts of snow peas, and I have two small zucchini and two lonely cherry tomatoes. I'm going to make air-fried zucchini tonight. I love eating fried zucchini but I hate making it and the breading doesn't stick well. Hopefully, the air fryer is the answer. 

Drinking - This chai. I drink a cup (or two) of tea every morning but it's getting a little boring. I like chai but don't like making a big production out of it by making it myself with milk and spices, so these tea bags make a delicious and easy cup of chai. 

Watching - The Repair Shop. This is kinder, gentler, old-person TV, but it's pretty much the kind of thing I want to watch now. It's a British show where a bunch of different craftspeople repair family heirlooms. They really do remarkable work, especially with ceramics, clocks, woodworking, and even teddy bears. You can watch it on Britbox and there are some full-length episodes on YouTube. 

Keeping Up With - Riding my stationary bike. It's nothing fancy, but I started riding it about six weeks ago, working up to 30 minutes a day. I got really lazy when John went on his fishing trip and didn't ride at all for 10 days, but the nice thing about exercise is that you can always begin again. There's an added bonus that I can also read while I'm doing this, so sometimes I get involved in the book and forget about watching the clock.

Wishing For - A good soaking rain followed by a week with low humidity. That doesn't sound much like summer in the east, but I can wish! 

Slightly Disgruntled About - My perceived lack of customer service at Lowe's. I went to get water softener salt and I usually get six 40 lb. bags at a time. There were no cashiers, just self-service checkouts with three Lowe's employees standing around chatting near the salt. I asked one of them if he could help me and he said "No, he was only helping self-service checkout customers." I said that's what I was and could he please use his scanning gun to help me purchase six bags of salt. He said he couldn't do that; I would need to take one bag to the checkout myself and then I could change the quantity to six and pick up the other five bags on my way out. That's what I did, but I figured that three men that looked to be about half my age could have helped by helping me lift at least one bag to take it to the checkout. Am I just an old curmudgeon who expects special treatment based on her age and gender? Feel free to let me know!

Wondering - What happened to my black-eyed susans and poppies. I used to have a whole bed full of them, but that was back when we had an above-ground pool. We took that out long ago, but I'm left wondering where my flowers have gone. They seem to have disappeared over the last few years, and I'm wondering if John mowed them off since they were no longer contained with a fence. 

Considering - A haircut. I always wear my hair up in the summer, but am wondering if I should give in and just get it cut short. The last time I thought about this seriously was nine years ago, and the only time I've actually done it is when we moved to FL 44 years ago. I was so unhappy then that I cried, so that is certainly entering into the decision process. I have started a folder on my laptop with photos of short hair that I like, so maybe someday ...

Planning - Some painting. Last year we had our enclosed box gutters fixed and this year it's time to paint them. This is all high second-story and roof-level work and John does not feel secure enough on a ladder to attempt it. I don't think he should be up on a ladder either, so I put together a list of 10 painters and told him that he could make the calls now that he's retired. The score so far stands at 10 painters called, five calls were returned, four have shown up to do estimates, and two have actually submitted estimates. One of them looks good so we'll probably go with him, and now John has a better understanding of why I used to complain so much when I was the person in charge of procuring electricians, roofers, plumbers, etc. 

Laughing At - This skateboarding turtle chasing a cat. (I'm tempted to see what Nugget might think of a turtle on a skateboard, but I don't have access to a turtle or a little skateboard.)

What's going on in your world right now?

Unraveled Wednesday: 7/3/24

I'm happy to join Kat and the Unravelers today with some potholder weaving! Kat is taking a break so I don't think we'll have an official linkup, but it's Wednesday so I'm here with some making and reading. I unpacked my potholder loom and since it comes with enough assorted rainbow loops to make two potholders, I used some of them first to make a random cheerful potholder.

I didn't take it off the loom until Tuesday morning because I wanted to look at it in the morning light to make sure it was a pleasing color arrangement. I decided it was, so after employing my trusty crochet hook, voilà, I had a potholder.

Front

Back

The front and back of this one both look the same but I hope to weave some patterns in the future where the front and back look different. I was quite happy with my first potholder so I started a second one in kind of a dark rainbow theme.

You might have noticed the fork in the photo above. I've been doing my weaving at the kitchen table and I found that my fork makes a perfect pusher-downer (or whatever the technical weaving term is) for the weft loops. I am really having fun! :-)

I finished two books this week. The first one, Knife by Salman Rushdie, was a very powerful memoir. I haven't read any of Salman Rushdie's previous writing but was curious what he might have to say about the horrendous experience of being attacked by an assailant with a knife in Chautauqua in August of 2022. Words are largely inadequate for situations like these, but in Knife Rushdie has shown that his ability to write rises well above. He describes the knife attack, meeting it with an almost eerie sense of calm as he has been living with the fatwa for 35 years, and his grueling recovery in intensive care, rehab., and life afterward.

 Rushdie has written an honest and visceral account of his physical recovery but also the very real damage that was done to his mental well-being and what he has gone through to not become a bitter victim. One of the things I appreciated most about this memoir was the intelligence, plain-spokenness, and even humor that was evident in his writing.

I tend to think (possibly mistakenly) that things are easier for famous people, so I was surprised to read about instances where this is not necessarily true. Rushdie said that he accepted the speaking engagement at the Chautauqua Institution in large part because the fee would pay for a new air conditioning system in his home. He suffers several iatrogenic (illness caused by medical treatment) issues with blood pressure medications that were not discontinued when he was discharged, along with the usual pain and frustration caused by doctors and medical appointments.

I don't know how I might feel about Rushdie's fiction, but the weakest part of this memoir was the long section where he imagined a conversation with his attacker. While I did understand this part (I've had many imaginary conversations in the shower with people who disagreed with me), I don't think this section fits into the book very well. But the rest of the book clearly shows a man who has a great ability to write, what that ability has cost him, and how he has managed to recover and continue to live a happy life. This was four stars for me.

“Without art, our ability to think, to see freshly, and to renew our world would wither and die.”

The second book, Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy, was one Kym recommended last week. Are you wondering what to read when the Supreme Court is making egregious decisions, politics has sharply divided us, wars are raging, and you can't face one more bit of we're-going-to-hell-in-a-handbasket news? Sipsworth might fill the bill. It's a charming story about Helen Cartwright who has lost both her husband and son. The story consists of Helen's sad and lonely daily habits until one night while picking through her neighbor's trash, she brings home an aquarium, a deep sea diver toy that reminds her of her son, and inadvertently, a mouse. Because no woman is an island and we all need something to care about, Helen becomes the mouse's protector and caretaker. She names him Sipsworth and her connection to him leads her to be open to new connections.

This book felt much like A Man Called Ove but it didn't hold quite the same meaningful possibilities. It's still deserving of 3.5 stars rounded up as a welcome respite from the news.

What are you making and reading this week?

Let the Fun Begin!

I don't have a nice alliterative name for "Potholder Tuesday" but my loom and loops have arrived and I am ready for some potholder weaving fun.

Harrisville Designs says "Discover the joy of potholder weaving," and any extra joy we can discover is wonderful. Big thanks to Janelle, Becky, Carole, and anyone else who encouraged me last week in my pursuit of potholder joy!