Unraveled Wednesday / Knit & Read

Unraveled Wednesday: Snail’s Pace

Vicki5 Comments

I’m joining Kat & the Unravelers for Unraveled Wednesday!

KNITTING:

There’s been a lot going on around here, y’know? A bathroom remodel, birthdays, a couple weeks of dog sitting, “longer” days… sometimes (quite often, actually) we don’t sit down for supper until 8! So, I’ve been knitting, but it’s slow…

A partially knitted project on a white table, featuring a maroon background with colorful patterns resembling plants or flowers. There are two yarn balls, one maroon and one multi-colored, beside the knitting.

I didn’t measure, but I’d say I’m a bit past half-way on the back of my Farfalle Cardigan . That big Noro egg is deflating but I don’t think I’ll be cracking the second until I’m working the fronts — there’ll likely be quite a bit left over.

A cozy chair adorned with a colorful, knitted blanket featuring square patterns, accompanied by a textured purple throw. In the foreground, a partially completed knitting project is displayed with yarn and tools.

I don’t knit in the Garden Room very often — Knitting HQ is at my chair in the living room — but it’s a great spot for photos (and morning coffee/meetings/chats/word games).

QUILTING

I’ve looked at it a few times, gathered fabric, played around in Excel with border ideas. So far, the borders seem to compete too much with the blocks. I’ve considered adding more blocks instead to get the desired size, but I feel that would throw things off in a way that I don’t think I could live with, so I’m back to the borders & trying to simplify! Wish me luck.

READING:

Last night, I finished The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey. It took a month, but it’s a well known fact that I read at a snail’s pace… haha.

I was delighted to learn this morning that my copy of John of John is on its way!! That’ll be up next, and I cannot wait.

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Hip, Hip… Not Hooray!

Vicki6 Comments

About two years ago, when the Swiftie Bracelet Factory was in high gear, I had my first appointment with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). I was having pain in my hip & with the trip to Amsterdam & the Eras Tour Concert on the horizon, I couldn’t imagine hoofing around the city and navigating through concert crowds in that condition. At that time, he said that surgery/a hip replacement was in my future, but we weren’t there just yet. I had a cortisone shot, instead, and it worked incredibly well!

Last year, I had another visit/another shot… that one didn’t work quite as well.

This year… ow! Ow!! OW!!! A long, active weekend in Philly, closely followed by two weeks of dog duty have really taken a toll, not to mention just the overall increased activity that naturally comes with springtime!

I had another appointment on Friday. We’re there.

Close-up of an X-ray image showing the hip joint and surrounding areas.
Close-up of an X-ray image showing abstract shapes and patterns in shades of gray.

My right hip (the bad one) on the left; my left hip (the good one) on the right. There should be a little space between the ball & socket of my right hip; instead, it’s bone-on-bone & bone spurs to boot.

I haven’t made a final decision yet, but I’m starting to get my ducks in a row, and we’re maybe looking at July. Stay tuned.

As a palate cleanser (‘cuz, whew, that’s a lot & I cannot dwell)…

Kate recently wrote about NASA’s Landsat Name Generator (marking this year’s Earth Day… which is also Kate’s birthday).

A series of five satellite images showcasing diverse geographical features, including mountains, rivers, valleys, and ice formations. The images illustrate various landscapes from an aerial perspective, highlighting natural patterns and textures.

Vicki

Aerial view of varied landscapes including rivers, lakes, desert, and volcanic activity, showcasing diverse colors and textures.

Victoria

I could type words into a generator like that all day long! If you hover I love discovering the locations of all those formations — you can click on coordinates to see it on a map.

Aerial view of a green landscape with a river and a city near the coast.

And it changes! In this version, the V is Lake Cataract in New South Wales — about 4 hours SE of Maddy & Viv!

Have fun!

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Oh, but wait…

Vicki5 Comments

Gird your loins!

Two children standing in front of movie posters at a theater, one wearing a gray hoodie and the other in a pink and blue outfit, both holding blankets.

The birthdays keep coming!

A young person sitting at a table with a birthday cake featuring lit candles, looking happy and holding a plate.

Our Ginny-girl is 10! TEN!!!!!!!!!! Double-digits! How crazy is that? (Some great throwback photos if you want to scroll through May 2016!)

I had the girls overnight on Friday & we went to see The Devil Wears Prada 2, all of us having had a refresher the week before, so we were primed. (Ginny wanted her picture take with Michael, too.) There were a ton of garage/yard/rummage sales, so we hit a few before meeting Ali for lunch.

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Weekending

Vicki6 Comments

You wouldn’t believe how much fun it is to play “Charades” with Davy!

Three children playing together in a cozy living room, with one child doing a plank exercise on the floor while the others watch and laugh from the couch. The room features a rug, a floral-patterned chair, and various toys scattered around.

It’s basically “Guess What Animal I Am!” He really gets into it & he’s so darn cute! He does an awesome dolphin impersonation.

A corner of a stone building featuring large Gothic-style windows and a plaque. A black wrought iron fence encloses a pathway with a sign that reads 'Davygate'.

Kate’s in York for a few days before heading to London (and eventually home on Saturday)… and she found DAVYGATE!

I’m on Kai duty again for the next week, then, too. She misses Kate, but it’s going pretty well.

A dog wearing a harness stands on a sidewalk, looking towards a grassy area with trees in the background.

She went to day care four days in a row last week; this week it’ll be three days & broken up a bit. We went on some longer walks on the weekend, and yesterday Rusty & I took her out to High Cliff for a walk around the Butterfly Pond. (So many good smells!!)

I managed to take the time needed to sew the remaining seams…

A smiling person holding a colorful quilt with various patchwork designs in a home setting.

…and have a “finished” quilt top! I even got all the pressing done over the weekend. It’s kind of astounding to think that I walked into the quilt class with a pile of fabric, some rulers, cutting tools & thread… and three months later, THIS! I opened my trusty Excel file & am working out ideas & proportions for the borders — I think there will be six altogether, half of them very simple (but not plain).