Bits and Pieces: May 2026

I've got a few things that I could post about but none of them are really enough for a whole post of their own. It's clearly time for a Bits and Pieces post. 

• I was driving by the river and saw this wonderful sight. I had to find a place to pull over and see if I could take a picture. Thankfully, I was successful. They're merganser ducks and I thought the 10 ducklings were adorable. I wonder how the one hitching a ride on mom's back got their position, but I bet all of the siblings will all be jockeying for that coveted place in future duckling parades. 

• I’m seriously considering this dress for Justin’s wedding in October. I’ve looked at what feels like hundreds of dresses everywhere from bridal salons to Goodwill and Marshalls, plus endless browsing on wedding-wear websites. I don’t want anything fussy: no ruffles, no bling, just a simple, comfortable, reasonably priced dress. Apparently, that’s a lot to ask for, but this one checks all the boxes. It even has pockets! The only drawback is that it’s made by a seamstress in Lithuania who sells through Etsy. You send her your measurements, and she custom makes the dress for you. She has excellent reviews and is currently running a 25% off sale that ends June 2. Since I haven’t found anything similar any closer than Lithuania, I’m thinking I should probably just take my measurements and place the order.

• Ryan made me a carrot cake for Mother’s Day, and after we all enjoyed some together, he sent me home with the leftovers. It’s been such a treat having a little slice of carrot cake after dinner this week, though sadly I finished the last piece on Thursday. There are no pictures because I was much more focused on eating it than photographing it. It was delicious, and probably tasted even better because Ryan made it for me.

• I've finished knitting the Dream Hitchhiker and it's blocking, but I'd like to get something else on the needles. I've thought about what I could make for Ryan for Christmas and I might knit a hat. I knit him a rainbow scarf by his request last year and I have yarn left over that would make a nice hat. Except ... someone stuffed it into my stash closet willy-nilly, so I'll have to do a somewhat thorough organization of the stash to find it. That might be a weekend project so I can do it right instead of just hunting for the yarn and then throwing everything back in.

 

 

• It’s such a pleasure to drive along the roads around here right now because the wild phlox is in bloom. I love seeing the flowers in their beautiful shades of purple, with a few that are almost white. I’ve cut some in previous years, but once brought indoors, the petals tend to drop quickly. I suppose that’s just nature’s way of reminding me to enjoy them while they’re blooming in their natural habitat.

Feel free to share any interesting things happening in your world, especially if they’re bringing you happiness. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Unraveled Wednesday: 5/13/26

I’m happy to join Kat and the Unravelers today with the Dream Hitchhiker, which is finally nearing completion. It’s been a busy week, so I haven’t had much time to knit, but I’ve finished all the teeth and completed one row of yarnovers. I’m experimenting with another row or two to see how I like the look. If I’m happy with them, I’ll cast off, block it, and tuck it away until fall. If not, it should be easy enough to rip back the yarnovers. Either way, I expect and hope to be finished by next week.

After that, it’ll be time to focus on the duplicate stitching for Justin’s hat. I may also need to think about casting on another project so I have something to actually knit, though at the moment I have no idea what that might be.

I did finish a book this week and it was a good one. The Book of Birds is nothing short of a marvel, part field guide, part poem, part work of art, and wholly a celebration of the fragile, astonishing lives that share our skies.

Robert Macfarlane’s words are wonderful, lyrical, precise, and full of reverence for the natural world. He doesn’t simply describe birds; he invites us into relationship with them, asking not just what they are, but who they are. Each entry feels alive with movement, sound, and story, expanding beyond observation into something more intimate and essential.

But the real magic happens when Jackie Morris’ illustrations join those words on the page. Her artwork is breathtaking, delicate yet vivid, grounded in close attention but infused with a kind of quiet enchantment. Together, text and image create an experience that feels almost sacred, as though you are being asked to slow down, look closer, and remember what wonder feels like.

As a reader in the U.S., I haven’t encountered many of these particular species in real life, but that didn’t diminish the experience, in fact, it deepened it. I welcomed the chance to learn about birds beyond my immediate landscape, to see the shared threads of fragility, resilience, and beauty that connect them all. The book subtly reminds us that conservation is not local, it’s global, and it begins with attention and care.

I was lucky enough to read an ARC, but this is absolutely a book I will be buying and returning to again and again. It’s not just something to read once; it’s something to pore over, to revisit, to treasure. A future classic, and a powerful reminder that we will not save what we do not love.

Thank you to Edelweiss and W.W. Norton & Co. for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on June 9, 2026. 

What are you making and reading on this Wednesday in mid-May? 

Friday Letters: The Obama Edition

Today I'm taking my virtual fountain pen in hand to write a few Friday letters. Stephen Colbert's Late Show is ending on May 21, and I will miss him, a lot. Barack Obama (another person I miss quite a bit) recently invited Colbert to his Presidential Center in Chicago, and Tuesday’s episode felt like a gift: two well-spoken, thoughtful, funny, humble men in conversation. It moved me to tears more than once, so it seemed only fitting to write them both a few Friday letters.

 

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Dear Obama,

Your Presidential Center is both amazing and inspiring, just like you. I didn't previously have any plans to visit Chicago, but I think this is a trip I need to make someday. The five-foot high letters, from your 2015 Selma Anniversary speech, wrapping around the outside of the building, provided the first opportunity for me to shed a few tears. 

“You are America. Unconstrained by habit and convention. Unencumbered by what is, ready to seize what ought to be. For everywhere in this country, there are first steps to be taken, there is new ground to cover, there are more bridges to be crossed. America is not the project of any one person. The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word ‘We.’ ‘We The People.’ ‘We Shall Overcome.’ ‘Yes We Can.’ That word is owned by no one. It belongs to everyone. Oh, what a glorious task we are given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours.”

Thank you for these words of hope,

Bonny, who is cautiously hopeful

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Hey Obama, 

It's just me again. I want to applaud you for the diversity and variety of everything you've included on the 19 acre campus of your Presidential Center. The Museum, Forum, Home Court, branch of the Chicago Public Library, John Lewis Plaza, Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit and Vegetable Garden, a playground, the Great Lawn which includes a sledding hill, and so much more makes this a place that I could easily envision spending a week or more. There is truly something for everyone.

I think you may be right in predicting that Michelle's dresses will be very popular, but Bo and Sunny are pretty appealing, too. I wonder if yours is the only Presidential Library to include dogs' water bowls and chew toys?

I would love to see your Nobel prize as well,

Bonny, an admirer of you and much of your stuff

 

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Dear Stephen and Obama,

I want to thank you for your recent show, tour of the Obama Presidential Center, and being yourselves. The questions, answers, humor, discussion about aliens, and wastepaper basketball were just what I needed. I have a feeling that shiny gold trophy you presented to Obama might become highly coveted, so I hope it’s being kept under close watch.

Thank you for everything you've both given us,

Bonny, an ardent admirer

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Wishing you all a wonderful and hopeful weekend.  

Unraveled Wednesday: 5/6/26

I’m happy to join Kat and the Unravelers today with a slow start on some duplicate stitch animals and a close to completed Dream Hitchhiker.

I started the duplicate stitching with the deer and it went fairly well. I did discover that despite making a list and checking it twice, I had not ordered the black (or asphalt heather as Knitpicks calls it) used for eyes, nose, and outlining the ears. It should get here sometime this week, so then I'll use it to stitch the deer details.  

I started stitching the raccoon but it turned out I was mistakenly reading the badger chart. What you see above is me removing the badger stitches, being really careful not to clip any brown hat stitches. 

I accomplished that successfully and what you see above is the result of me  checking and rechecking multiple times and doing the first three stitches for the raccoon. I've stopped here, and will recheck several more times before I stitch any more on the raccoon.

But I've been using the time that I'm not duplicate stitching to knit on the Dream Hitchhiker. We've had quite a few cool days, so I welcome the warmth of it on my lap. It looks much the same, just a lot more teeth. I've got 54 teeth which is probably plenty. I've been debating how I want to finish it - bind off after the yo row, do a couple more plain garter stitch rows, or maybe even do those plain garter stitch rows in another color. I've got some of the same yarn in a light gray, but I can't decide if that would look weird or not. If you have any thoughts about the finish, I'd love to hear them. 

I'm reading an ARC, rereading Good People, and relistening to The Things We Never Say but haven't finished anything, so no book reviews this week.   

What are you making and reading this first Wednesday in May? 

Read With Us: Good People

 

If you’re in the mood for a novel that lingers and is quite discussable, I think our next Read With Us pick is worth your time.

Good People by Patmeena Sabit is the kind of story that invites you to look closer: at relationships, at choices, and at the stories we tell ourselves about being “good.” It opens in an unassuming way, but don’t be fooled; there’s an undercurrent here that builds into something deeply thought-provoking.

What makes this a great book for Read With Us? It’s layered without being inaccessible, emotional without being overdone, and full of those moments that make you pause and think, “What would I do in that situation?” The characters feel real, flawed, complicated, and impossible to fully judge, which means our discussion is bound to be lively.

Expect:

• Moral gray areas that spark debate
• Subtle tension that builds as you read
• Characters you may or may not agree with, but won’t forget

I'll keep this one spoiler-free for now, but come ready to unpack motivations, question assumptions, and maybe even challenge your own definition of what it means to be a “good person.”

Part of why this book is so good is that Patmeena Sabit is an Afghan American writer whose work is shaped by her own cross-cultural experience. Born in Kabul shortly after the Soviet invasion, she and her family fled to Pakistan as refugees before eventually settling in the United States, where she grew up in Virginia; she now lives in Toronto. Good People draws on themes of immigration, identity, and community, reflecting the complex intersections of cultures that have influenced her life and writing. 

The hardcover and audiobook versions have manageable hold queues at my libraries, so I hope that is also the case for you. I started listening to the audiobook, but decided that I also needed to read it with my eyes, so I bought the Kindle version for $13.99.  

Kym, Carole, and I will be talking about the book, giving additional information (but not too much!), and doing promotional posts throughout April and May. Discussion day for Good People is scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 7:00 pm Eastern time, so mark your calendars. We'll ask questions on our blogs that day and then host the always educational and illuminating Zoom discussion.

I do hope you'll Read With Us, and I really hope you'll also Discuss With Us!

A Fun Form of Poetry

Poetry Month has looked a bit different on our blogs this year, but I’m still glad we’ve respected authors and their copyrights by not sharing full poems without permission. As National Poetry Month comes to a close, I wanted to share a poetic form that felt fun and new to me.

I recently attended a poetry workshop at the library focused on newer forms. While many were unfamiliar and arguably interesting, quite a few felt too odd for my taste. When something becomes barely readable, like the form that relied on diagrammed sentences, it starts to defeat the purpose of poetry. I was especially lost with “Substitute 7,” where every noun is replaced with one that appears seven entries later in the dictionary. But I digress.

Leila Chatti first introduced the idea of Cootie Catcher poetry in the February 2022 issue of Poetry magazine. In that piece, she includes a link to a printable version so you can fold your own Cootie Catcher and create your own poems. The following link adds some more details: Art Prompt Poem and the video below offers a good explanation:

I made one myself and filled it with random words and phrases pulled from the archives of my older blog posts, which was a fun exercise in its own right. I’m not sure the resulting poems are especially “poetic,” but I did enjoy the creative process.

 

Nostalgia

Moment of serendipity

Tinkered with over time

 

Patience

Her brain is completely scrambled

Presume to be hopeful 

I hope you read some kind of poetry you enjoy, or maybe even something that challenges you, today and every day!

 

Unraveled Wednesday: 4/29/26

I’m happy to join Kat and the Unravelers today with a completed hat for Justin. Now all that remains is the duplicate stitching of five animals. That should go quickly! ;-)

I was pleased that I was able to find all of my original notes from when I first knit this hat 13 years ago. It helped me with the counting and determination of where I should start with the duplicate stitching. Now all I need to do is thread my needle with "Doe" (the color at the bottom of the deer, which is actually a buck) and get going. I counted and marked the hat several times yesterday afternoon and once again last night, but just couldn't bring myself to start at night when my eyes were tired. I think this duplicate stitching might need to be done in morning light. But a journey of a bunch of duplicate stitches begins with a single one, which will likely be done a little later this morning. 

I finished two books this week. Allen Levi’s Theo of Golden is the kind of novel that feels intentionally gentle and almost parable-like in its structure and message. Centered on a mysterious stranger who quietly reshapes a small Southern town through acts of thoughtful generosity, the book leans heavily into themes of connection, creativity, and what it means to truly “see” another person.

What works best here is the episodic nature of the storytelling. As Theo returns the pencil portraits to their subjects, each interaction opens a small window into the lives of Golden’s residents. These vignettes are often touching and occasionally profound, capturing moments of regret, reconciliation, or quiet transformation. Allen Levi writes with a clear affection for humanity, and there’s an earnestness to the prose that will resonate with readers who enjoy reflective, heart-forward fiction.

That said, the novel’s strengths are also where it can feel a bit limited. The characters, while likable, sometimes come across more as vessels for ideas than fully fleshed-out people. Theo himself remains intentionally enigmatic, but the lack of deeper complexity left me wanting more substance beneath the symbolism. Additionally, the pacing can feel slow, especially if you’re looking for a more traditional narrative arc or rising tension.

Still, there’s something undeniably soothing about the book’s worldview. It asks readers to consider the quiet impact of kindness and the ways art and attention can restore dignity and connection. Even when it veers toward sentimentality, it does so with sincerity. Given the state of the world now, I can understand how so many readers feel comforted by books like this.

Overall, Theo of Golden is a thoughtful, quietly uplifting read, best suited for those who appreciate contemplative storytelling over plot-driven momentum. This was three and a half stars for me. 

 

A World Appears by Michael Pollan is an ambitious, wide-ranging exploration of one of the slipperiest subjects imaginable: consciousness itself. In true Pollan fashion, the book blends science, philosophy, personal reflection, and cultural inquiry into a narrative that is both accessible and intellectually curious. Only Michael could write a whole book about consciousness and end with this quote, "Because consciousness is the only means we have of knowing anything we can’t step outside it and take up a god-like perspective from which to render a final judgement. So where does that leave us? Exactly where we already were, wandering in the exitless labyrinth of consciousness."  

 

But Pollan excels at being a guide through this complex terrain. He translates dense neuroscientific debates and philosophical arguments into language that feels inviting rather than intimidating, and his curiosity is contagious. The sections that delve into competing theories of consciousness, particularly those that challenge strictly materialist views, are some of the most engaging. He also brings in unexpected perspectives, from plant intelligence to artificial intelligence, which keeps the scope feeling expansive.

At the same time, the book’s “panoptic” approach is both its strength and its limitation. Because Pollan casts such a wide net, some areas feel more like introductions than deep dives. Readers hoping for a more rigorous or conclusive argument may find themselves wanting more details. Pollan often seems more interested in opening questions than resolving them, but that's an approach I appreciated. I'm not sure that many questions can be resolved when writing about consciousness, but the author keeps readers interested by raising more questions.

Where the book truly shines is in its more reflective moments. Pollan’s ability to connect abstract ideas about consciousness to everyday human experience, what it means to feel, perceive, and exist, gives the book an emotional resonance that elevates it beyond a purely academic survey. His writing reminds you that this isn’t just a scientific puzzle; it’s the very texture of being alive.

Overall, A World Appears is a thought-provoking and engaging read that invites curiosity rather than closure, and Pollan's curiosity is almost always contagious. He may not provide definitive answers, but succeeds in making the mystery of consciousness feel richer, stranger, and more worth contemplating. A strong four-star read for anyone interested in the intersection of science, philosophy, and what it means to be human. This was four stars for me.

My apologies for my overly wordy book reviews. I'm going to have to work on writing shorter ones. What are you making and reading this final Wednesday in April?