Weekend: the Random Version

I couldn't seem to put together a cohesive post this morning, so today you get random bits from the weekend.

That photo above is from my nephew and his wife, showing that their son likes the socks I knit. (I figured you can't go wrong with a laughing baby picture.) I did offer to knit him a sweater because I think babies should be layered in wool in the wintertime (especially if they live in upstate NY). 

We're back in MD this week, and it's all laundry all the time. I haven't been here for three weeks and John hasn't been down in two weeks. Needless to say, he did not do laundry or clean at all when he was here by himself. I'm wondering if the sheets will dry at all if I hang them out? At forty degrees but sunny, it's a possibility there might be some drying.

Justin has run into a glitch with his job. It's a long story, but it comes down to the fact that they want him to take a covid test and delay his start date. I didn't think this would be a problem, but it took three hours of searching last night before I lucked into an appointment at a CVS about half an hour away. Nobody wants to test people who are asymptomatic because tests are still very limited (in NJ anyway). How are we going to control this without adequate testing? I know I'm not the first person to ask that question, and I surely won't be the last. 

I feel more at home in NJ than in MD, so I decided I needed to do something fun in MD to make it feel homier. My answer? Bake doughnuts! I don't know how I arrived at this, but my pan should be delivered today. There may be a doughnut post later this week. 

Luckily the pan I ordered only bakes six doughnuts because I also told Kym I would give yoga a try. I'm not a "yoga person", I'm not very flexible, and the last time I did yoga was in 7th grade when our gym teacher from India made us all start class with Salute to the Sun. 

Yoga, meditation, laundry, doughnuts - I'll barely have time to read or knit! I did finish two pretty good books yesterday, so I also need to write my Goodreads reviews and keep reading. 

I'll leave you with another baby picture. It's clear he likes his socks much better than that sweater. Hope your Monday, your week, and your year are off to a good start!

Randomly On A Friday

I've got a few random bits and pieces today, beginning with this llama I surprised during a recent visit to WoodsEdge Farm. He was concentrating on eating grass with his head down, but I laughed at his look of surprise when he looked up and saw me!

I both loved and hated The Handmaid's Tale, and the same was true of the Hulu series (it was almost worse seeing it on the screen in front of me), but I am sure that I will be reading The Testaments in 2019. Too bad none of the libraries I use to access Overdrive will let me place a hold on it ... yet.

What couldn't be fixed

Rose-Lynn Fisher

I think the photomicrographs that Rose-Lynn Fisher takes of her tears are just beautiful. They look like aerial photos, but are really pictures of her own tears. She began taking them after she reconnected with an old friend who died soon afterwards. The photos are different depending on whether the tears are air-dried or compressed beneath a coverslip, and settings on the camera and microscope, but I love the idea that her curiosity was piqued even while she was in the midst of sadness. I see several heart-shaped islands with tributaries and inner geographic land forms and cities above, all captured within a tear.

This photo is from five years ago, but it was lovely enough that I wanted to share. I'm heading back to NJ tomorrow and while I won't see any blossoms yet, I do hope the leaves have grown on both of my amaryllis at home. I'm excited to see what awaits me!

I'm done with all this random yakkity-yakking, and hope you have a wonderful weekend and your December gets off to a lovely start!

Randomly on a Monday

I've just got a few random things to share on this Monday.

I cleaned out the refrigerator and found about 20 really small, slightly dessicated apples in the fruit drawer that I couldn't just throw away. I'm not quite sure how they got there, but I peeled them with the intention of making sauteed apples to serve with meatloaf on Friday. Many of them cooked down quickly to something resembling applesauce, while others remained fairly chunky. I tasted them and thought this would make interesting apple pie filling, but we've managed to eat almost the whole batch, so no pie. There's just a small bowlful left, and I'm debating whether whipped cream would be a good addition or not.

In the winter my hands take a real beating despite my repeated moisturizing efforts and trying almost every hand cream available. January is the time it really gets painful when the skin beside my thumbnails splits. I sound like a wimpy whiner, but the cracks do hurt, and make doing dishes, knitting, and almost everything that I use my thumbs and hands for more difficult. I try to keep them lubricated with A&D ointment and covered with band-aids, but they inevitably fall off.

I was in the drugstore looking for something that might work, and saw a bottle of New Skin liquid bandage. When I read the ingredients, they sounded similar to Super Glue. A quick check of Google showed me that loads of people already do this, so my thumbs are now Super Glued and I can knit again!

In a first for me, I actually watched two football games. This was mainly because Justin was predicting a Patriots - Vikings Super Bowl and we both wanted to see if that was going to be the case. My takeaways from the games: I felt very sorry for the Jaguars mostly because they looked so sad, and I was shocked by how well the Eagles did. Good thing the Crisco Cops were on duty. Also, I really love the Vikings' purple and am going to search for some sock yarn in that incredible color.

My boots have been leaking for a while now, and I've been searching for the perfect waterproof and warm pair. John and Justin told me that Muck Boots were the only logical choice, but I resisted for quite a while, hoping for something a little cuter. I finally gave in and ordered a pair, and it turns out they were right. I'm not a fan of camo or pink, but these work so well I can overlook that. There is also the powerful feeling that wearing these tall boots gives me. I love my Big Boots and want to wear them everywhere!

Three on Thursday, Randomly

Joining Kat and Carole for Three on Thursday. I don't have anything earth-shaking today, just three random things that made me happy this past week.

I recently complained about poor customer service from Amazon and Comcast, so it seems only fair to shout gleefully about good customer service when it happens. I wanted to get a gift card for my sister-in-law and her husband for a place that they have raved about, but wasn't sure it would work out because I'm four hours away. I called the merchant, chatted with a very pleasant and helpful woman, and she created the gift card and sent it immediately, just as promised. She did apologize for having to charge an additional $0.47 for the stamp to send the card, but said she would use a Christmas stamp (and did, as promised)! If you happen to be near Mansfield, PA, I highly recommend Papa the Butcher. They are a wonderful butcher shop, also serve delicious meals, and have excellent customer service!

Does this sky remind you of anything?

This is what came to my mind right away. John thought I was nuts when I told him we had a Simpsons sky, but Ryan knew just what it was when I sent him the photo. 

We live just ten miles west of the Delaware River, so it's only fitting that Santa left the sleigh at the North Pole and hopped in a canoe for a recent visit.

 I was glad to see that at least one elf wore his waterproof boots.

Head on over here to read more Three on Thursday posts.

Random Bits and Pieces

Some random bits and pieces that made me happy this week:

Sneaking a case of water (working outdoors, he drinks a lot of it) into the bed of Justin's truck and then sending him the photo when he got back to the ranch 

A sister-in-law who sends me photos of the amazing seedless Armenian cucumber she grew (Too bad she can't save seeds for me. :-))

This one didn't make me especially happy, but it was interesting to receive a photo of the bear footprint Justin came across.
"Don't worry, Mom. It's just a 300 pound brown bear, not a grizzly."

Comparing photos of the garden, then and now

May 2017

August 2017

Rewatching Endeavour in anticipation of season 4 beginning on Sunday

Here's hoping your weekend is full of things that make you happy, both great and small. :-)

Random Bits and Pieces

I don't know if it's August doldrums or just lack of imagination, but I've been wracking my brain to try and come up with something interesting to write about. All I've got is a collection of small things, so random bits and pieces it is.

I managed to take some photos of several poppies before the petals fell. They don't last long, but are pretty in sunlight and shadow.

Slightly cooler temperatures and decreasing humidity make me think of baking. I woke up one morning this week with temperatures in the upper 50s and thought, "It's time to make the calzones." So I did.

Stuffed with pepperoni and cheese, they aren't the healthiest thing I could have baked, but since my diet has consisted mainly of tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, and zucchini, calzones made a nice change.

After my recent musical revelations with hick hop, I got the best recommendations from Margene and Vicki. Margene suggested Jason Isbell, and I've listened to two of his albums, The Nashville Sound and Something More Than Free. Vicki recommended Gregory Alan Isakov and the Colorado Symphony, and I've been listening to all three excellent albums pretty much non-stop on spotify. I used to use my ipod mainly for audiobooks, but now it's also got lots of good music on it. If you have any musical suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

Remember the picnic table that got in the way of a crashing branch?

The kind and wonderful tree guy dropped off new pressure treated lumber and said he would be back to do the repairs. I told him that wasn't necessary because Justin and I worked together, replaced the top, and it's almost as good as new.

I'm going to be testing my "new" picnic table by serving some homemade salsa made with garden tomatoes and a nice beer or two on it. Hope this weekend is a good one for you!

Random Bits and Pieces

A random bits and pieces post worked well last week, so I thought I'd try it again (maybe even as a regular thing?). It seems like a good way to share those little things I've collected, run across, or photographed throughout the week. I might have some real winners!

The week started with a spectacularly frustrating and aggravating situation that had been brewing for almost six weeks, but I was finally made aware of it on Monday. You probably wouldn't believe it if I recounted the whole convoluted story, so let's just say it was a perfect storm of incredible overreach, incompetence, and bureaucracy between the USPS, DMV, and an insurance company. The form above is called a change of change form (at least the name made me laugh) which is what you'll need if someone changes your address without notifying you. Check the Invalid Request box, submit the form to the USPS, cross your fingers and hope for the best ...

On a much better note, I'm usually paying attention to the floral show outdoors at this time of year, but the orchid blooming inside on my kitchen windowsill is looking quite beautiful. It's a pleasure to do dishes while appreciating the lovely purple orchids right in front of me.

We had a tradition when the boys were young that if the temperature reached 100° , we would have ice cream for dinner. It hasn't been quite that hot here lately, but the heat indices have been over the 100°  mark this week. I haven't yet resorted to ice cream for dinner, but there is still plenty of time left in the summer.

But this morning we're getting some much-needed rain and it's much cooler. So, at least for now, I'm not quite as cranky from the heat, hoping my change of change form goes into effect, and life is just a bowl of cherries (for breakfast). Hope your weekend is a good one!

Random Bits and Pieces

I've been wracking my brain to try and come up with something interesting to write about, but all I've got is a slightly related collection of small things, so random bits and pieces it is.

I found a dead garter snake in the lawn when I was mowing, and because it was relatively long and its skin looked pretty in the sunlight, I thought Justin would appreciate the picture I sent him. He replied with the photo below, which I did not like very much.

I worried about rattlesnakes when he was in Texas, but New York state is home to plenty of timber rattlesnakes. There are at least three dens identified by the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation on the ranch where he is working, and they are a threatened species so there are laws protecting them. It looks like my worry may continue.

My purple cone flower blooms have really exploded. John was complaining about my flowers taking over his garden, until I pointed out that the bevy of bees in my flowers can only be good for all of his nearby vegetable plants.

Snow peas are nearing their end, and I hope to have string beans, cucumbers, and some rain soon.

I saw an adult bird fly away from this house every time I was near the front porch, but never saw or heard any babies ...

until I paid attention to the spider plant hanging next to the bird house. There are three baby birds who haven't fledged yet, so they spend their days standing in the nest waiting for food to be delivered. I do hope they learn to fly soon so I can water the plant and clean up the porch underneath them. Let's just say that spider plant has been well-fertilized.

And that Japanese beetle trap blowing in the background? I have several of them for these detestable insects:

They are out in full force, eating my roses and clematis. These two were harmed after the taking of this photograph. There is something satisfying about knocking them into a jar of alcohol and watching them suffer a bit. I am still lucky enough to have some beautiful roses that I've gotten to before the beetles.

And they're not eating my hydrangeas, so I'm grateful for that.

I hope your weekend is full of beauty, blossoms, and very few beetles.