Hats & Organs

 And here is the beret in its blocked state:  

Pretty nice, if I do say so myself.  I'd taken a photo of the other one, but I held the camera too close and the flash washed all the color out.  Eh, there's not much more to it than the last time I showed you.  

In other news, my brother and nephew recently participated in an organ symposium.  I have no idea what an organ symposium is, but here is my very talented brother playing his piece: 

And here is my very talented nephew playing his piece. 

Joshua has been taking piano lessons since he was little, but has recently started teaching himself to play the organ.  He also plays the cello in his school orchestra.  

And I'm still the only one in the family with absolutely no musical talent.  But watching them has spurred me to go practice more. 

One day, blog posts will be interesting again.  Today is not that day.  Enjoy the music.  That's all I have for you. 

Sunday Afternoon

Man, it's hard to believe how fast my three day weekend went by, but alas, it's Sunday afternoon and my days off are almost over.  

I still didn't get anything accomplished.  Well, except I finished knitting the beret I'd been working on.

The tricky part was removing the belly button cast on.  I was so worried I would drop one of the stitches, and I think I actually did.  

The pattern said to block it over a 12" plate, but I didn't have one, so I had to use a 10" inch.   Once I'd gotten it as stretched as I could, the stitches didn't seem as even as I'd like them to be.  We'll just have to see how it turns out.  In the mean time, I cast on another one.  

Same yarn.  Same pattern.  Different method.  When I was organizing my needles last weekend, I found I had a 40" circular needle of the size I needed, so I broke it out for the next hat.  I've never been that fond of the Magic Loop technique, but I thought in this case, it might be better than trying to juggle those DPNs.  I can already tell the center will be more even.  I'll let you know how it goes.  

I think I might give the second one to Cody's girlfriend for Christmas.   I'll have to ask him if she wears hats.  

The only other thing I did this weekend was to go through all my level 1 Christmas books and marked the songs I want to keep on playing. 

I probably ought to try to get you a Christmas concert worked up this year, since I didn't do one last year.  I'd intended to.  I even recorded a couple of songs, but made the mistake of putting my camera onto the end of my keyboard.  Every time I played a note, the whole thing would shake.  I was afraid you'd get seasick watching them, then I never got around to re-recording them.  I'm seriously considering getting one of those stand things with the light to record my songs on my phone.  I'm just not sure I want to invest in one if only one or two people will even be watching.  

Speaking of phones, I'm about ready to upgrade my iPhone 7.  Yesterday, I went to the AT&T website, and let me tell you, they have the most frustrating and convoluted site you ever did see.  I spent an hour just trying to find my way to my wireless account.  I was able to log into my email account, but they kept saying I didn't have a wireless account.   Um, yes I do.  I've had one for nearly 20 years.  Then the site said I could combine all of my accounts under the same log in.  Um, I thought I did that years ago.  But no, that log-in didn't work.  I tried one more log in, and it said my password was incorrect, but I'd just updated it.  

I was getting more and more frustrated, uttering more than a few unwholesome words for which I had to repent, when at long last, I finally got into my wireless account.  Wouldn't you know it.  I get an error message.

We're having trouble loading your cart right now. Please try again later.

Sigh....

You know, that's why I had to put my payment on autopay a few years ago, because I couldn't ever get into the site to pay my bill.  It's almost like they don't want to take my money.  I'm about to cut ties with AT&T, just for this reason.  I've never had any problem with the phone service, but their customer service leaves a lot to be desired. 

Now for a bit of good news, our Delta surge seems to be tapering off rather quickly.  This is a screen shot from the MS Health Department website:  

It peaked rapidly, and is falling off just as rapidly.  Even so, this week, the U.S. surpassed the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic in deaths.  And yes, I know we have three times the population, so it has affected a smaller percentage, but you also have to take into account we also have vastly more medical knowledge and technology available than we did 100 years ago, so it balances out. I mean, Alexander Fleming didn't even discover penicillin until 10 years after the Spanish Flu struck.  Can you imagine if we'd had to deal with COVID with only what they had available back then?  This is why I don't think it's all that helpful to compare COVID with pandemics from the past.  I mean, during the Black Plague, they had no concept of germ theory.  The idea that things like viruses and bacteria even existed was more than they could comprehend.  They thought you got sick from miasma, or bad air.  Even the word "malaria" literally means bad (mal) air (aire).  We know so much more today than even 50 or 60 years ago.  

On the other hand, they didn't have to deal with people getting medical advice from Facebook memes back then, either. So again, it balances out.  

By the way, Alexander Fleming saved my life when I was 11.  Someday, I'll have to tell you about that. 

In the meantime, enjoy this picture of Cutie, who has claimed Cody's bed for her own. 

I just have to remember to leave the door open for her. 

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All That Didn't Happen

 I love fall.  

I love everything about it.  The cool, crisp mornings and warm, but not too hot afternoons.  The colors.  The smells.  The holidays...

But I think  the thing I love most is using my vacation days to take three day weekends for the last three months of the year.  And today, yes today was the first of those vacation days.  

It was actually chilly enough this morning I needed to break out the flannel pants for a bit, but never got so warm I had to close the doors and windows and turn on the A/C.  All in all, the weather was just about as perfect as it gets.  

I had so many plans for my day off.  I was going to call the plumber.  I was going to get the washing machine fixed.  I was going to find an oral surgeon.  I was going to do so much stuff...In the end, none of that happened.  None of it. 

Today, I was a cat. 

Except for laundry and dishes.  Those were my  accomplishments for the day.  Laundry and dishes.  

The most exciting thing that happened was I got some new candles from my friend Kristine's shop.  She has a new one out called Writer's Nook, and the minute she posted it, I knew I had to have it.  That was a good call, because it smells soooo good.  It might just be my favorite (non Christmas) of her candles.  Cutie approves, too.  

She wasn't too happy when I put the other three up there for the photo, though.  

"Do you mind?  I'm trying to nap here!"  

The other three are some I've bought before, and that I've bought them again ought to tell you everything you need to know.  The Gaudete on the far left, get that one.  Do not pass GO.  Do not collect $200.  Just get it. I think that one is my all time favorite candle of hers, and that's not an easy achievement to attain.  She has so many good smelling things.  

Well, I was finally able to get the cat a bed of her own.  I've been looking, but Walmart has been out of them for a while.  Supply chain issues and all that.  Thanks, Joe.  And all of you who voted for him.  

I'd gotten one for Squeaky a while back, but gave it away after she went to that great litterbox in the sky.  Of course, at the time, I hadn't planned on getting another cat, but then life happened.  My reasoning is that if Cutie had a bed of her own, she wouldn't be napping on my piano bench all the time, and it seems to be working.  She took to it right away.  It took the Squeaker several weeks before she'd even get into hers.   

And lastly, I was finally able to eat my Harvest Moon cookies, just a few days late.  

But it still counted.  

Shine On

 Shine on Harvest moon, up in the sky.

Well, I didn't make it out to the lake to watch the Harvest moon rise.  I'd actually gotten into my car and driven about half way there, but when I got close enough to have cleared all the trees -- almost out to the airport-- I saw a heavy bank of low clouds along the eastern horizon.  Hmmmm...

I stopped at a stop sign and sat there contemplating those clouds.  I thought, "By the time the moon clears those clouds, it'll be just about clear of the trees out at the house.  On the other hand, those clouds could break up.  Or maybe they couldn't.  But maybe they will..."

I sat there for a good long minute, debating on whether to go on out to the lake, or to just go back home.  Then I said to myself, "You know you still have to get up at 3:30 in the morning."  And with that, the decision was made for me.  I turned around and went back home.

Where I watched the moon rise from my front yard. 

 After which, I came inside and drank my traditional mug of hot chocolate -- even though it was 80 something degrees outside.  

My photos didn't turn out so great, because it was so steamy the telescope lens kept fogging up.  Even my glasses fogged up.  And I got eat up by mosquitoes.  But it's tradition.  It's one of the oldest family traditions I can remember.  So I carried on.  

By the way, three more employees have come down with COVID.  Two of them are brazers.  Line brazers yes, but still, they're brazers.  And when I say "so and so has got the COVID", remember, that's only the ones I hear about.   I'm sure there are a lot more. 

Finally, I feel I need to issue a clarification.  Apparently it was only the one HR person who didn't know about the maintenance man's passing.  We got to work Friday, and his picture still wasn't up on the screen, so that time, we asked the person in charge of putting stuff up onto the screens -- like we should have done in the first place.  

She told us the screens were not working.  She had something all ready to put up, just as soon as they got the screens fixed, which they did, and his memorial was up Saturday when we got there. 

Still, her desk is like two steps away from the other HR person, and she couldn't have mentioned to her?  Yeah, lack of communication is a big, big problem out there. 

It always has been.  

Stormy Start

There I was in bed, sleeping in knowing I didn't have to wake up to an alarm this morning, when suddenly, I heard Weatherman Matt's* voice coming across my weather app.

"Doppler radar indicates heavy rain approaching your area."

It was followed almost immediately by a loud clap of thunder.  Instantly, I was wide awake.  

Throwing off the covers, I ran to the back door and flung it open.  I didn't even stop to put on pants.  Shouting through my mouth guard, I called, "KITTY!!!  KITTY!!!"  From somewhere behind me, I heard a plaintive meow, and my first thought was, "Oh, good!  At least she had sense enough to get under the carport."  After letting my very wet and miserable kitty in, I went back to bed, but got right  back up as it was already almost 5:00 AM.  

Wait, what??   5:00 AM isn't sleeping in?  It is when you're used to getting up at 3:30.  

But I don't want to talk about that...

Other than the cat bring another live vole into my house and letting it loose, the rest of the day passed without incident.  I guess that was her revenge for me leaving her out in the rain.  

I spent a bit of time doing something I've been saying for months that I need to do.  And what was that?

For a while now, I've been fussing about how hard it is to find the right size knitting needles when I need them.  I've been telling myself for weeks I need to get them organized.  Today, that organization finally happened.  

I separated them by size, and put all of them -- DPNs, circs, everything -- into the same bag, so now, when I need a size 7, no more searching through dozens of needle packets -- half of which are empty anyway.  I just go to my ziplock bag with the 7s and get out what I need.  Cool, huh?  I even have a bag for miscellaneous sizes, mostly needles I only have one of that size.   

Cutie forgave me long enough to give it her seal of approval.  

In other news, I'm making progress on the beret I'm knitting.  

Yeah, I'm going to go ahead and show it on the blog.  Even if the recipient sometimes reads, she's not really someone who has to be surprised.  Besides, I did pick up a little something else for her at the Downtown Jubilee last week, and that will be a surprise.  

Speaking of the Jubilee, this was the first year in several years I've been able to go.  Last year, they didn't have it, and the two years prior to that, I was at the Fiber Fun In The 'Sip.  It was nice visiting some of the local vendors, and seeing local talent singing.  Even so, I missed going to FFITS, too.  I wonder if she's going to start it back up next year.  I hope so.  It's one of the few times I get to hang out with my knitting buddies any more, since Hank Of Yarn closed up in Southaven.   Amy suggested a shop down in Ridgeland we could try, but we haven't yet.  Maybe this fall...orrr we could all just go up to Leann's place and hang out.  She's been wanting us to come up there ever since she opened it.  

We need to get on that.  

By the way, I did not knit these. 

I picked them up at Walmart, because my old slipper socks are starting to get a bit raggedy.  These are sherpa lined, so they ought to be nice and cozy.  Now, I just need to find some firewood, and I'll be all ready for cold weather.

Speaking of cold, we're going to have a front coming through and the highs Wednesday and Thursday are supposed to be in the low 70s.  I can't wait!  The bad news is, the Harvest Moon will rise tomorrow night, and we've got a 50% chance of rain.  Well, we can hope it clears off in time to watch it rise.  

If I can drag my lazy behind out of the house, I might drive down to the lake and watch it rising over the water.  Yes, I'll take the telescope if I go, and yes, I'll take pictures.  If I go. That's the real trick.  Getting me out of the house.  

In the meantime, enjoy these spider lilies I picked from the patch behind the fence.  

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some knitting and piano practicing to do.  Laters. 

*Matt Laubhan, meteorologist for WTVA voices the alerts for the station's weather app.  

What If You Died And Nobody Told Your Employer?

 What if you died and nobody told your employer?  

It's been a week since the maintenance man died.  A few days ago, some of us started questioning why they hadn't put a memorial for him up on the screens by the doors and in the break areas.  At first, we thought maybe they hadn't gotten around to it, but no, that wasn't right. 

They'd gotten other memorials up the same day as the person's death.  Not Mr. Gene.  A couple more days passed, and we were really wondering.  No picture on the screen.  No envelope.  Nothing.

One of my coworkers said it is disrespectful, not just to him and his family, but also to those of us who knew and worked with him.  I told another coworker, "It's like he died and nobody even noticed."  

As it happens...

One of the brazers is really good friends with a lady who works in HR.  Today, she had come out to the department to speak with Coworker, as she often does.  Somewhere in the course of the conversation, Coworker asked HR why they didn't put Gene's picture on the screen.  Quickly, Coworker called to me and said, "What was that man's name again?  Gene....?"  I told her his last name, and HR looked shocked and exclaimed, "He died???  Are you sure?"  

I replied that his obituary was in the local paper, and his funeral had been Monday.  One of the front office people had stopped by and told me he'd gone to the visitation.  HR replied that they hadn't known he'd even died.  

I'm not blaming HR.  It's not her fault nobody told them.  And I could see the person's face and tell that  she was very upset.  They hadn't sent flowers to his funeral, and the family probably thought they didn't care.  

What was mind boggling to me is that nobody thought to tell HR that one of their employees had died.   

Well, the situation is rectified now, and Gene will get his proper memorial, thanks to three irate employees who refused to let it go.  

*Gene and Mrs. Gene-  swiped from his FB page. 

We're Winners!

 Today was my annual health screening at work, for my insurance.  Now, I don't usually have any problems meeting the requirements to avoid the higher priced premiums, but my cholesterol has always been high.  Before going in for these screenings, they recommend you fast for at least 6 hours before hand, so your numbers will be more accurate.

Wouldn't you know it, today was the one day I wake up absolutely starving.  Normally, I'm not hungry first thing in the morning...not today.  I was ravenous.  I tried to hold out, but I said, "Forget this.  I'm eating some oatmeal." And eat some oatmeal I did.  I knew it would effect my test results, but oh well...

Thus, it was not without some trepidation I went into my screening. 

And let me tell you, I killed it in there!  ALL of my numbers improved so much, except for my triglycerides, but the nurse said that was probably because I wasn't fasting.  And get this...my total cholesterol was down to 225!  It usually hangs out in the 300 range, and my LDL was 134.  She said they want it to be below 100, but that is when you've fasted.  For a non-fasting number, mine was OK.  

All that going in early and stomping up and down those stairs paid off!  And I'm sure losing 25 lbs didn't hurt, either.  I was so wanting to lower it naturally, without having to go on medications, and I did!  The trick is now to keep it that low.   I'm considering buying one of those machines you can test it at home, just so I can keep an eye on it. I don't know, though.  They can be pretty pricy.  

I felt so sorry for that poor nurse, because the test meter kept messing up.  It kept giving her an error message. She had to run my tests three times to get it to work right, which meant three finger sticks for me.  She kept apologizing, but I told her not to worry about it.  Things happen.  Heh, she had to get one of the other nurses to help her figure out how to clear the error, and I overheard her said, "I know she's about tired of me!"  Nah, it wasn't her fault.  

Once I was finished, and the nurse had explained the numbers to me, I was so stoked, I took my paper and accosted my coworkers with it, forcing them look at my outstanding cholesterol levels.  The three of us started dancing around, with me waving my paper in the air, singing, "We're winners!  We're winners!"  

And the rest of the brazers looked at us like we'd lost our minds...

Then I came home and saw that my spider lilies are starting to bloom. 

 Yay!  That means fall is almost here!

Now for a bit of bad news, I found out yesterday another former coworker of my lost his battle with COVID.  I didn't know him that well, and he wasn't there very long, but his mother also worked out there for a few years.  She and I had been good friends, but lost touch after she quit.  Her husband also worked out there briefly, but I didn't know him but in passing.  They had three sons.  Jason was the youngest.  He was 46 years old.  Y'all please be in prayer for his family.  

And finally, that I even needed to explain this tells me society is doomed. 

Doomed, I tell you.  

Doomed...

Dear Coworker

 Yes, I gave you a little thank you wave as you let me cut in front of you on the way out of the parking lot this evening.  

I was extending you a common courtesy.

I was not agreeing to be your wife. 

Simmer down, there pardner.

Thank you.

That is all. 

Back To The Grindstone

 Way back years ago, when I first started working at ADP, even before the current facility had been built and we were in the back room of what we colloquially refer to as "the old plant", I had a coworker who would say every single day at the end of lunch break, "Well, back to the grindstone,''  as she slapped her hands down on the lunch table.  Every.  Single.  Day.  

That's what I felt like this morning when that alarm went off way too early.  Back to the grindstone.  The good news is, this is my last full week of work for the year!  Thanks to judicious use of my vacation days, I have a long weekend every single weekend from here until January.  Maybe I can catch up on some of the stuff I need to get done...like finding an oral surgeon who can get me in before November.  I need to get on that, or it will be November, and I won't even have made the appointment.

All right, then, moving right along.

My long awaited new Kindle has arrived!  

OK, it wasn't actually that long awaited, as I ordered it Friday and got it Saturday.  That's capitalism for you.  But, since it was a different size than the old one, I also had to order a new case and screen protector.  Those didn't arrive until today.   In the meantime, I just left said Kindle in its protective plastic bag, and played my games through the cellophane.  

That's a word you don't hear much any more.  Does anyone still call it cellophane?  Or am I just an anachronism?  Wait, don't answer that...

Anyway, the case and screen protector arrived today, and the Kindle is safely cocooned in them, 

and game play...um, I mean reading...  may commence. 

In knitting knews, I finished the second hat.

 I think this one will fit much better.  That bit to the left is the yarn I had left over.  I was tempted to make a pompom out of it, but I decided against it.  Mainly because I detest making pompoms. 

For the last several days, I've had a skein of yarn whispering my name.  I'd gotten it out a while ago, and just laid it on a book shelf in the craft room.  Every time I walked past, it seem to mock me.  "Wind me!" it said.  Yesterday, I finally gave in and wound it.  

While I was trying to figure out what to do with it next, I got out the old sock yarn blanket and added a square to it. .

Once I'd seen how it is going to knit up, I knew the yarn would be perfect for a beret or tam with a snowflake - like pattern.  I got onto Pinterest and almost immediately found the perfect one.  Unfortunately, I can't share with you right now, because this is going to be a Christmas present.  

This pattern is knit from the crown down instead of ribbing up.  You cast on 8 stitches to double pointed needles and increase as you go.  After nearly poking my eyes out more than once, I still didn't like the way it was looking.  I pulled it all out, and tried again.  Same result...then I remembered!

The belly button cast on!  

By that time, it was way past my bedtime, so I waited until today to try that method, and it worked like a charm.

That bit sticking up in the middle looking a bit like an umbilicus is the belly button cast on.  It'll be removed at a later date and the hole tightened up.  

And finally, more bad news.  I lost another friend to COVID yesterday morning.  

He will be missed.  

And I found out, Beverly and James both have it now.  This is Bev's second time through.  

Now, I think I'll go to bed early and hide under the covers for a while.  

We Are

*This is the post I wrote on the tenth anniversary, but I think it deserves a re-run.  We no longer live in a safe world. And with the current administrations bungling in Afghanistan, it's more dangerous than ever.  We need to remember who we are.  In spite of that mashed potato in the White House, we need to remember that we are We The People.  We are America.  We will hold the line.

   

They thought they'd break us, that day back in 2001. 

They thought they'd break us. 

They thought we'd roll over, give up, submit as so much of Europe has done. 

They thought they'd break us, that day back in 2001. 

But they forgot one thing. We are not Europe. We are America. 

We are the land of Don't Tread On Me. Of Come And Take It. 

Of Patrick Henry. Of John Paul Jones. Of Remember The Alamo.  Of the Minutemen. Of the Tuskegee Airmen. Of Jesse Owens and the US. Track & Field team. 

Of gun totin' rednecks. Country boys and Swamp People. Of "Give me liberty or give me death" and "Choot em!" 

We are America. The land where rights come from God, all men are created equal, and governments that can be altered or abolished. 

America was not always there, like Europe has been. America came screaming into the world in a violent and bloody birth, under the light of the rockets' red glare, to the lullaby of bombs bursting in air. They will not break us. 

For we are strong. 

We will pause this day. We will remember. We will bow our heads and mourn those who were lost. We will pray for the ones who lost them. We will give thanks for those who rushed into burning buildings when everyone else was rushing out. And for those who stepped forward and answered freedom's call.

But we will not break. We will not bow down. We will not submit. 

Then, in one great Nationwide act of defiance, we will go on living our lives. We will go to church. We will go to work. We will barbecue. We will tailgate. We will watch football. 

And the Star Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave 

and we will be free.  Because we are 

 America.

I Did Some Tweaking

It's a good thing I had a vacation day today.  I did not sleep at all last night.  I was so upset about the maintenance man...and then dealing with the stupidity on FB...  

If I had received better news about him -- like that he hadn't died -- I would have showed you my new yarn from my friend Leann's store.  These are from her new 2021 Fall collection, and are just two of the stunningly gorgeous colorways she makes.  The one on the left is Toasted Marshmallow, and the one on the right is Foliage. 

She really needs to stop coming up with such beautiful yarn, because I want it all!

This morning, after tossing and turning most of the night, I slept in until 7:00, and it felt wonderful.  It was actually a bit chilly, and that made the coffee taste even better.  The best part is, it was cool enough to leave the back door open for a while, and the animals could come and go as they pleased without me having to get up from the chair every five minutes to open the door for them.  It didn't last long, though, as by noon, it was warm enough for the air conditioner to come on and I needed to shut the door. 

While I was enjoying my seasonal weather, it inspired me to do some tweaking with my Fall Decorations.  If you'll recall, I'd bought some mini pumpkins and squash, and was going to put them my ceramic pumpkin bowl.  However, once I'd tossed the potpourri and put the gourds in there, I realized I didn't really like the way it looked. 

It was too orange, if there is such a thing.  Not enough contrast, as it were.  What to do?  What to do?  I'd already tossed the potpourri, and wasn't about to dig it back out of the garbage just to fill a decorative bowl.  Suddenly, I had a flash of inspiration.  The vase!  I'd put potpourri into the vase!  

I got the aforementioned vase down and moved the potpourri that was in it into the bowl, then put the fake gourds into the vase.  That gives me a little pop of color on top of that shelf. 

Unfortunately, also this morning, my Kindle finally gave up the ghost.  Or, rather, the charging port gave up the ghost.  The Kindle works just fine.  It just won't charge.  I tried and tried and the USB wouldn't make contact, and therefore,  no charge.  I got onto Amazon and did the trade-in thing, then ordered me a new one.  It's supposed to arrive tomorrow, but since I did the trade in, I had pack up the old one, abd to go into town to ship it off.  

By the way, we have a UPS store in town now.  I didn't have to drive all the way to Batesville.  I debated on going up to Batesville anyway, to go to Lowe's, but in the end, I decided I was too tired, and just went to the Walmart here in town.  The first thing I saw when I walked in was

a new wreath for my front door!  It's big and bright enough you can see it from the street, and adds that just right touch.  Now, my scarecrows are back on my car port door where they belong 

and all is right in the world.  Well, the world of my Fall decorations, that is. 

That was my excitement for the day, unless you count my new mail box door arriving.  

I didn't even take it inside.  I opened the package right there on the street and put it onto my mailbox.  Hopefully, this one will survive, unless we have another hurricane.  Or somebody runs into it and knocks it off.  At least now I know where I can order a replacement if I need another one. 

Once I got back home from town, I pretty much spent the rest of the day watching TV, practicing the piano, and knitting.  

The hat is making progress.  The cat sawing logs.  OK, then, moving right along...

One of these days, I'm going to do a whole post about my piano progress, but for now, let me just say, I've gotten Suzette back out to help me practice.  

Since I got the cat, I've been having to keep her put away, because Cutie thinks she's a toy.  The intent was to get her out when I sat down to practice, but I keep forgetting.  Today, I finally remembered.  She was glad to listen to my practice, too.  Just as the real Suzie would have been.  

And finally, when you by dog food, but forgot you bought dog food, so you buy more dog food, you end up with a lot of dog food. 

At least Jesse won't go hungry.   

The Maintenance Man

 The maintenance man died.

People are stupid.

Stop the nonsense and get the damn vaccine!  

P.S.  I'm still anti mandate.  But I really wish you'd get the vaccine before I have to bury more of my friends! 

September 8, 1900

 The blog will be observing a day of silence in remembrance of the 8000 souls claimed by the sea on this day in 1900.  

Galveston Storm Memorial, Galveston Island, Texas

Well, Poop! ...Again

 Those of you with memories better than mine may recall I'd been knitting a hat, and it turned out way too big.  You may also recall, I cast on a smller one yesterday, and began knitting the ribbing.  Normally, I knit the ribbing on a smaller needle so it will fit more snugly.  Sometime yesterday evening, I finished the ribbing and reached for my larger needles to begin the body.  That's when I noticed the larger needle looked a bit small.  It looked smaller than the  small needle.  I grabbed my handy dandy needle gauge and...well poop! 

 

I'd grabbed the wrong needle.  I'd done the ribbing on my size 4, instead of the size 3 I'd intended to use.  Sigh...

My first inclination was to rip it all back and start over, but I managed to talk myself down off that ledge.  The fabric looked fine, and it seems pretty snug, so I decided to keep it, and just do the body on size 5s.   I think it'll be OK like that. 

After a holiday weekend that was still way too short, when that alarm went off at 3:30 this morning...let me tell you, after being able to sleep in until 5:30 for three days, it was quite a shock.  I did not want to get out of bed, but someone has to feed all these animals, so out of bed I got and off to work I went. 

After a work day that seemed to last forever, I ran into town to pay some bills and do my little bit of shopping.  I stopped off by the Little Free Library, and good news!  It was stuffed full, mostly of children's books.  There wasn't even any room for the books I'd planned on putting into it, and I think that's fantastic.  I'll just ride my books around in the back seat for another month.  They won't mind.  

My last stop for the day was Walmart to get a new wreath for my front door.  Alas, they didn't have any that I really liked, so I left empty handed.  As far as wreaths go, I mean.  I didn't find any picks for my lamp things, either, so that was a bust, too.  I didn't even find any fresh potpourri.  OK, I forgot to look for the potpourri until I was on the way out the door, but still...

What I did find was these:

Each pack wasn't but .97 cents, so I got three of them.  The plan is to put the pumpkins and gourd looking things into this bowl, 

and dump the old potpourri out.   In the meantime, I moved this to the front door just to give it some color. 

I'm debating on going up to Joann's in Southaven and seeing what they have up there.  Or maybe I'll go to Walmart or Lowe's in Batesville.  They might have something I like there.  

And finally, a couple of bits of good news.  First up, more of my spider lilies are showing their heads.

And I've had word the maintenance man seems to be doing better.  Remember the one who has COVID and has been on a ventilator for the last week?  They said they tried a different antibiotic and he seems to have turned a corner.  

Let's hope it continues...

Well Poop!

 I finished the hat I'd been working on, and I could tell -- well, I could tell even before I'd finished -- that it was going to be too big --even if I tried to pass it off as a slouchy hat, the ribbing wasn't snug enough.  I tried it on, and it was way too loose even for my head, but really way too loose for someone with no hair.  

I thought briefly about ripping it all out and starting over, but I decided I was too close to being done for that.  I went ahead and finished it, then stuffed it into the gift drawer.  Surely, someone with a gigantic head or a lot of hair will need a hat sooner or later.  Or I might wash and dry it and see if it draws up any.  It's superwash, so I don't have much hope of that happening. 

This morning, I got up and cast on a new one with the second ball of Felici I still had, 

going back down to a 120 stitch cast on.  It should fit, but if it ends up being too small, I'll just give it to one of the kids.  In the meantime, I also cast on a normal sized beanie with some of my Knit Picks Brava worsted.

It's pretty soft for acrylic, and hopefully will soften up even more when I wash it.  

Other than that my Labor Day holiday passed pretty quietly.  I debated briefly on getting dressed and going shopping, but decided against it.  I have to go into town tomorrow anyway to pay some bills, so I'll just go pick up my few little things then.  

What I did do while I was knitting was to discover a couple of new to me shows, one called America's Hidden Stories, and the other one called Mystic Britain.  Both are historical documentary type series, and are pretty interesting.  I found them both on Hulu.  I said I was going to spend the weekend watching TV and knitting, and that's pretty much what I've done. 

I took a bit of a break to finish weeding what used to be my wildflower bed.  Well, almost finish.  There's still a little grass right by the edge that I didn't get to yet. 

I'm probably going to cover it with some leftover landscape fabric to keep grass and weeds out of it until next spring.  Unless I find some fall plants to put there, that is.  Maybe some pansies or something.  I've got time to decide, though, as it's still a little too warm yet for pansies.  

In the meantime, my Lantanas are really taking off, 

and my Zinnias are spreading so fast, they're falling over. 

But lookit here!  The first harbinger of Fall:

Yes, Gentle Reader, my spider lilies are peeping their sleepy heads above ground! And even though it's still warm, the wind is out of the north today, and it has that fall feel.  

Or maybe it's just wishful thinking...