Rusty & I celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary yesterday. Ali & the kids came over for dinner & a visit in the evening.

Two dapper dudes in plaid. Davy is something else these days... finding different ways to amuse himself, and sometimes finding himself to be pretty hilarious!

Nine years ago, I spent our wedding anniversary in Rio de Janeiro. On one of those days, Ann & I visited the Botanical Garden.

I'd noticed some familiar flowers & foliage that turned out to be Crown of Thorns -- making up an entire hedge. The very old potted plant, above, has been in the greenhouse window at work for as long as I've been here (17 years), and certainly longer. I took it home last summer and divided it, cleaned it up, gave it new soil... and my reward has been a better (not stellar) looking plant and a lot more flowers. Also, I have one at home now, too. It makes me happy and I will always think of Rio when I see/water it!

There's a big weekend coming up!

I have folks driving up from Saint Louis today for tomorrow night's game, and Ann's (repeat) guests are driving up from SW Wisco tomorrow. It is going to be COLD!! Wind chills below zero and at night, so not even the hope of warming sunshine. Welcome to the Frozen Tundra! If the Packers win, they'll play at home again next weekend, and we already have people hedging their bets and booking lodging. Fingers crossed!

Almost 13 years ago, a small volunteer army spent Valentine's Weekend cleaning & transforming the coffee shop, preparing for Ali to open the doors on a Monday -- fresh-faced and ready to take over! She'd worked there while in high school and when the previous owner was ready to move on, he contacted Ali... and the rest is history.

And, literally... it's almost history!

After almost 13 years, Alison is passing Kaukauna Coffee & Tea on to new owners!

I'm taking my cue and moving on as well. Tonight will be the last Make.Do Knit Night @ KC&T, and I'll be removing all of the yarn-y inventory over the next couple of weeks.

It's been a bit of a whirlwind and, to be honest, my head is spinning a little bit. I still haven't quite processed what this will mean for me -- no more bookkeeping, no more payroll duty every two weeks, no more picking up/delivering weekly orders from Big Box Wholesale Store, no more of all the little things that crop up on any given day.

It's going to be weird for all of us, but I'm sure we'll find our new normal!

There's a list of them. Making the Garden Room a bit more comfortable in the colder months moved to the top and Rusty's been busy.

First, he made interior storm windows... because why buy them when you can make them yourself? (I can think of one or two reasons, but whatever...) They're not perfect, but they're in and they do seem to make a difference.

Then, he wanted to insulate the ceiling in the "new" part (the white beadboard), which is part of the old wrap-around porch. The "old" Garden Room was part of the old wrap-around at one time, too, but it was incorporated into the house and insulated long ago.

He started with foam insulation board, then some sort of paper/foil barrier; he "found" some lathe strips in the attic, and finished it all off with some bead board similar to the old stuff. The grooves aren't as deep and it's new, but it should age well.

This is classic Rusty-on-the-job. I have a few of these from over the years... sometimes with a banana or cup of coffee in hand.

The wood on the old part of the ceiling was reclaimed from a closet that used to be in the kitchen. A couple passes with some stain and varnish, and it's pretty darn close!

The plants should be happier with the cozier digs. This is one of two new amaryllis, exploding with flower buds! (The other one is biding its time.) I can't wait!

Next thing on the list is the long-overdue laundry room floor! There will be some major cleaning out & purging in that process. Stay tuned.

Oh! We have new neighbors! There's a tragic tale about the house next door, and it's been vacant since last summer -- sold, flipped, and finally (I think) sold again. Looking forward to meeting them and PRAY that we got some "good ones" again.

I spontaneously joined Ali on a trip to Costco (and Olive Garden) recently. While there, I picked up a bag of shelled fresh peas -- 20 oz. worth -- without a clear thought as to what I'd do with them, though split pea soup with ham was on my mind, as it usually is at this time of year, especially when we've had ham at Christmas... so why not fresh peas? I did a little searching and found this recipe for Ham & Fresh Pea Soup, which I changed very little.

HAM & FRESH PEA SOUP

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp pesto
4 medium potatoes, peeled, roughly chopped
8 c. low-sodium chicken broth
10-12 sprigs fresh thyme tied together w/kitchen string
        I used fresh oregano because it's what was on hand;
        a blend of fresh herbs would probably work great
1-2 bay leaves
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
20 oz fresh or frozen baby peas
2 c. fresh spinach
3-4 c. diced ham
Feta cheese & fresh thyme for garnish, if desired
        I sprinkled some grated parmesan on top

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until hot. Add shallots & cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally; add pesto &cook, stirring constantly, for another 30 seconds.

Add chicken broth, potatoes, herbs, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil & cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Remove tied herbs & bay leaf. Add spinach & peas and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to blend to desired texture; I like my vegetables a little chunky. If a smooth texture is desired, a traditional blender would be more efficient (but work in batches & be careful because the soup is hot).

Add the ham and stir well to combine & heat. Taste & add seasonings if needed. Serve hot, garnished with cheese & fresh herbs, if desired.

>>This soup was SO GOOD! Ann & family were over for dinner last night and even the boys liked it.

Recent grocery list

I've been meaning to type up my riff on a Chicken & Rice Soup recipe for Ali. The original is from NYT Cooking (a separate subscription to which I will definitely keep if I ever unsub from the Sunday paper delivery). I made it for her & the kids and it was so easy... but I felt it needed a little (kid-friendly) improvement.

CHICKEN & RICE SOUP WITH CELERY (& CARROTS) & PARSLEY

8 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 lb. skinless boneless chicken thighs
4 stalks celery, leaves reserved, stalks diced
2 carrots, diced
        My addition to this recipe -- which I did not do but definitely will in the future
3/4 c. unrinsed jasmine rice
salt
1/2 c. fresh parsley leaves
1/2 fresh lemon, zested & juiced
        I used a little Penzey's lemon peel (powder) and juiced the lemon
        (because it's easier*)

In a large Dutch oven or pot, combine broth, chicken, celery, carrots & rice. Season lightly with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; reduce heat & simmer until chicken is cooked through and rice starts to break down, 20-30 minutes.

Finely chop together the parsley & celery leaves.

When chicken is cooked, transfer it from the pot to a medium bowl using tongs. Using two forks, shred the chicken, the return it to the soup along with the parsley & celery leaves.

*The original recipe instructs to make a mixture from the parsley/celery leaves with lemon & garlic that is used to garnish the soup. Um, first of all, that part didn't register when I read through the recipe, and secondly, there's no way the kids would eat soup with a dollop of green stuff in it -- they balked at the sliced celery! So I just threw the chopped leaves into the soup. One thing it really needed was a little color, so I'll be adding carrots next time! And dicing the celery... so it doesn't look as much like celery!

_ _ _ _ _

I saw this How to Get Unstuck quiz today and quickly skimmed it... nodding YES to every item in Question #2, and finding that so humorous that I couldn't even move on. Haha.

I hope you all have a great weekend... maybe with soup!

It's another 3TT/Unraveled mash up! I'm joining Carole & friends for Three Things on Thursday + Unraveled Wednesday with Kat & the Unravelers.

KNITTING / 3 PHOTOS:

I finished a hat -- my first FO of 2022!

• My Ravelry Project Page: Perky Little Bun Hat
• Pattern: Perky Little Hat by Sharon Lentsch
• Yarn: Malabrigo Rasta (Boreal colorway)
• Needles:  US 15
• Start to Finish: January 3 - January 5, 2022

I actually knit it twice; the first was a test/prototype. Ali wanted a "messy bun" hat, but she has a pretty big bun so I wanted to make sure it would work! I had some leftovers from other projects, so knit up the tester and I'm glad I did because we made a couple of adjustments. The Rasta has very little stretch, so I decided to run some fold-over elastic through the stitches to finish (instead of the yarn).

The colorway is gorgeous! To minimize any pooling or flashing, I knit alternating rows from both ends of the yarn cake.

We'd also decided to lengthen it a bit, which was easily done by knitting an extra row or two or three in each section. I have yarn for at least one more (in a much less exciting color) (which I might end up overdyeing)!

READING:

I haven't been reading. When I do, it'll be: The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois (audio), by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers, and (still): This Golden Fleece: A Journey Through Britain's Knitted History (pages).

_ _ _ _ _

It's been a little crazy around here. Annie & her family were supposed to come up for a day or two between Christmas & New Year's Day, but they were hit by Covid/Omicron... falling like dominoes over a couple of days. Thankfully, all vaxxed, so none of them got very sick but their visit was postponed. They're all here now and finally spent a night in their own house! They like it a lot! It's really cool that Annie was informed that she'd achieved AIRBNB SUPERHOST status while they're here! (That's all me, but it is her house!) So now we're a duo!

I was able to nab a couple extra days off next week, and I'm looking forward to some proper visiting & catching up. I've been a little out of sorts since the new year began, and I hope to get a little more centered/grounded, too.

I'm joining Kat & the Unravelers today to share a review of my 2021 Knitting & Reading!

KNITTING:

It was an OK year! Details of all on Ravelry; I am knitorious.

Completed:

• A bunch of gnomes
• A bunch of stars
• A hat
• A Christmas stocking

Started/Current WIPs:

• A crocheted blanket -- getting close (and will get back to it ASAP)
• A second Wild Fields hat
• A messy bun hat for Ali (not recorded above)

That blanket has been the focus this year, for sure.

READING:

I exceeded my goal this year! The bar was set at 12 -- pretty low by some standards -- and I read 15 books.

There are some doozies in there -- even a few 5-stars -- and a dud. I never "returned" an audio book before, but I just.could.not.handle Maggie O'Farrell's "I Am, I Am, I Am." I sure did love Hamnet, though! What a great bunch of books... a little more than half were audio.

I actually ended up buying a hard copy of Stanley Tucci's memoir and then I received one in a gift swap, so I gave it to Ali because even thirty-somethings are crushing on Stanley! haha. Kate gave me The Tucci Table cookbook for Christmas, so, yeah... we're fans.

It's the "wrap up" time of year! I recently received 2021 Wrapped from Spotify.

That's a lot of listening time, and 16,000+ minutes (266 hours) more than last year. I'd say that's pretty accurate, and most of that listening time is at work or in the car, though I also listen to books (mostly in the car). There are plenty of "quiet" hours, too.

According to Spotify, my "Audio Aura" is wistful and expressive. I listened to 227 different genres during the year, but these are the top five:

• Indie Folk
• Classic Rock
• Dance Pop
• Soul
• Indie Rock

Airtime was given to 3,277 different artists, but the one at the top was Amen Dunes.

Gregory Alan Isakov has made the list for the past few years.

They tell me that I listened to that top song 61 times, which they thought was reasonable (though I suspect they'd say that no matter how many times it played)! I'm unable to embed my playlist here, but here's my Spotify profile and you can find it there (along with some other random stuff).

What have you been listening to?

Here we go again Year In Review!

I do it in words (the first sentence of the first post of each month) and in pictures (a favorite posted photo from each month) -- the two are not necessarily related.

January 2021:

I'm afraid I may have misled a few of you with my closing meme on New Year's Eve!

February 2021:

Yesterday was the official beginning of The 100 Day Project...

March 2021:

It was a long weekend for me, with Monday off this week... that always means a lot to share!

April 2021:

Kate will land in the UK a month from today!

May 2021:

We celebrated Ginny's 5th birthday yesterday!

June 2021:

It's a whirlwind!

July 2021:

June was really great, for the most part!

August 2021:

My dad died on Saturday night, just a couple weeks shy of his 86th birthday.

September 2021:

So other than these few words, it's gonna be a Wordless Wednesday!

October 2021:

How are we almost a week in already??

November 2021:

Lucky 13! Thirteen is also a Fibonacci number, a prime number, a star number, and a happy number (among other things, and thank you very much Wikipedia).

December 2021:

I had a few things to keep in mind as I planned our trip to the North Shore -- a weekend with no guests, work/teaching schedules -- but mostly, the opening of Rusty's New Island exhibit at the Trout Museum of Art in Appleton, WI, which he'd been pulling together for months.

I know I say it every year: I can't quite believe the year is almost over!

This year, like no other much like the one before: I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THIS YEAR IS OVER!!! BURN! (Again!)

Joining Kat & the Unravelers today for Unraveled Wednesday...

KNITTING:

What I thought might be a satchel or bag turns out to be a backpack!

Have you ever seen anything cuter? I'm sure you have, but dang... We've been informed that something will fill the backpack, but from recent clues it appears that we are knitting a small gnome that seems too big to fit in there... so we'll just have to wait & see (again!)!

It's fiddly knitting, for sure, but it's in small manageable bits -- do a little knitting, take a rest, do some more knitting, take a rest, sew some stuff together (or stuff it with some stuffing), take a little rest, etc. This month-long KAL is just my speed, and I have time to do some other things, too. My friend Deb is also knitting this project, but as a fairly monogamous knitter, this is not the scenario she prefers; in fact, she didn't even start it until almost two weeks in (when she finished a project) and then sat down and knit through all the clues... and now she has to wait for the next clue(s) and pick up something else in the meantime.

We're all a little different, eh?

READING:

Goodness, I have hardly read/listened to a word lately, but when I do...

Listening to: The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois, by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers.

Actual book: This Golden Fleece: A Journey Through Britain's Knitted History.

Instead of reading, I've been watching variations on a theme: The Great British Baking Show. And Young Wallander... which I feel like I may have seen before -- some if it is so familiar but much is "brand new."

What are you knitting/making, reading/watching? Are you a monogamous knitter/maker?

In my memories today:

It's surreal, and hard to believe another whole year has passed. It's not an anniversary I wish to celebrate, but I sure do remember... one of the sickest/weirdest stretches of days I've ever had in my life.

You might have caught a recent post on IG wherein I was sharing some gnome progress remembered this day... the beginning of a bunch o' gnomes for the kiddos (when we were finally able to celebrate together). Christmas + Covid + Knitting Gnomes will be linked forevermore!

Anyway, I am happy to have been BOOSTED last Wednesday. I was a little wiped out from that (and a bad night's sleep) on Thursday and thought I might be coming down with something on Friday/over the weekend -- even wondered if it was Covid and am I going to get it every year?? -- but thankful for a long weekend to get things done and take care of myself, too! I'm feeling much better.

This year, in addition to the MKAL Gnome (hopefully posting about that tomorrow), I'm knitting STARS!

The pattern (free on Rav) is Star Ornament by Adella Dutra and is it ever fun to knit in super bulky yarn! I happen to be using some Blue Skies Alpaca Bulky that I've had in my stash for years -- turned out to be not quite right for the type of hat Ali wanted one year, so it's just been sitting -- and I'm delighted to be using it up & making something so quick & cute.

It hardly seems possible that it's been 11 years since my sister Sharon died.

I love how she's the only one in focus & looking at the camera in this photo.

And her expressions were priceless (those eyeballs)!

She was always an animal lover!

And one of my most favorite people in the world. I miss her so much.

That girl!! 😍😍😍

One of my favorite albums of the past decade & a half (how is it that long??) is Raising Sand by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss.

I was delighted to hear that they finally made another recording together, and it just happened to be released on the day that Rusty & I were driving up north, so we had a listen... and, of course, then a reprise of Raising Sand!

The new album is called Raise The Roof, and you can listen to a couple of tracks -- and see them perform -- at a recent NPR Tiny Desk <Home> Concert (embedded below).

They are MARVELOUS!!

Well, today I was supposed to drive to Chicago to pick up Kate at O'Hare. We were going to stay at a very fine hotel, find an incredible place to eat, have a good night's sleep, and then she'd drive us home tomorrow.

Instead, she's hanging out with three dogs & two Shetland ponies for a week in Penicuik, just on the outskirts of Edinburgh, in an old converted barn. For a short time in the 18th Century there was a distillery on the premises, producing single malt scotch whisky, as well as an annual sheep market. None of that anymore, but she can see sheep from the living room couch!

Instead, I went to Milwaukee today -- to IKEA, specifically -- where the name of the game was:

And that included SWEDISH MEATBALLS, of all things... at IKEA! They were OUT -- both in the cafeteria and in the shop. I can't quite get over it.

But it was every piece of furniture I had on my list, too, and also feather "decorator" pillow inserts. Stuck in a container somewhere, I'm sure -- in a boat, on a dock, or even at sea.

Don't worry, I still managed to spend one or two or three hundred dollars! Haha. Some stuff for the Airbnb, some stuff for Christmas, some stuff for me!!

Speaking of Airbnbs, the Christmas trees are up!

I bought skinny 7' pre-lit trees and borrowed an idea I saw on Mary's blog for decoration. I think they're kind of charming.

We both had guests over the weekend because the Packers played on Sunday night, and they were all wonderful, but Cheri was at mine for her birthday, too. We never met face-to-face, but we texted a lot, and she really loved the place... going as far as saying, "...we went to Maui for my husband's birthday last month and my birthday beats his."

The football fans are downright giddy!

And in other news, I attended the girls' first dance recital yesterday!

My photos are awful, someone kept standing in front of Ginny, and there wasn't a whole lot of dancing... but it was fun and they sure were cute!!

I believe I've just finished up my Christmas shopping... still have a few quick little things I want to make, and the overseas parcels won't be going out until after Christmas, but it's all super chill (and I even have my ham ordered).

Hope you had a great weekend!

I'll be delivering Sebastian's Christmas Stocking to his grandmother this evening. He lives in New York and she'll be going to visit in just over a week, so the timing is perfect.

Janet is a patron of Rusty's and we met at an event in October. When she learned that I was a knitter, she told me about Sebastian being the only grandson without a Christmas stocking -- her mother had knit stockings for everyone else, but had passed away before Sebastian was born, and no one else in the family was a knitter. He'd been sharing with his brother for years!

This is not my favorite type of project, though I knit two similar stockings for Mack & Addie when they were little, but she was so nice and I was sympathetic... so I agreed on the spot to make one for him. She sent me some photos and a few of her mother's notes... the original pattern was published in A Woman's Home Companion in 1945! I worked on rewriting the pattern so that it made sense to me, charting the name & date, and gathering materials. The plan was to focus on knitting the stocking while we were on our getaway to the North Shore.

We made one stop Friday on our way north -- at Herschnerrs in Stevens Point -- because I realized that I needed a couple more colors. Everything fit very nicely into a portable project box.

I started on Saturday morning.

The light was amazing from the huge windows in our cabin that faced the lake, the sun reflecting on the water -- it was blinding at times! I had the personalization finished by mid-afternoon.

I had the girls & boys finished by noon on Sunday, and Santas were well underway by the afternoon.

Then the trees, and then the foot. It was knit flat until the foot, which was knit in the round. Ooops! I forgot DPNs, and I didn't remember when we stopped at Herschnerrs, so I checked with google... I knew there was a yarn shop in the area.

Sure enough, just a little over two miles away! Playing With Yarn -- World Class Yarn Shop, according to their website -- and I would agree, but also add MUSEUM. I did not linger too long, but I did notice some Rowan Calmer in the clearance bin and that's a rare find these days. Anyway, I know my tension is very different on DPNs than on straights, and if these needles had been a little less pricey, I'd have bought 7s and 8s, but decided on only 7s -- up one size ought to be okay for a stocking that didn't need to fit an actual foot.

That was Monday right around lunch time, and I closed the toe before heading to bed on Monday night. We were leaving for home on Tuesday!

When we got home, I pulled out the crochet again for a few days while I mustered up the will to weave in ends. Not to mention Thanksgiving and two Airbnbs to prepare for guests arriving Friday & Saturday. All that out of the way, I sat down at my computer desk on Saturday afternoon to listen to Longmont Yarn Shoppe's Fiberside Chat with Sarah Schira of Imagined Landscapes (the GNOME lady... oops, one slipped in) and also to catch up a little with Stephanie Pearl-McPhee -- all of which I found informative & entertaining, and the perfect accompaniment to the weaving in & seaming.

I gave it a soak on Sunday... it's pretty thick in spots, so it took a while to dry (I ended up hanging it over the shower rod instead of flat on a blocking mat).

I made two very fat tassels, but ended up using only one... hung it up on my then-still-undecorated Christmas tree for a photo. Et voilà!

Details:

• Ravelry Project Page: Stocking for Sebas
• Pattern: Personalized Christmas Stocking
• Yarn: Plymouth Galway (red, white & green) + other worsted scraps
• Needles: US 6 (4mm) straights, US 7 (4.5mm) DPNs
• Start to Finish: November 20 to December 2, 2021

I'm so excited to send it on its way today. And I don't ever want to knit another stocking like this again!

Joining Kat & the Unravelers today for Unraveled Wednesday...

KNITTING:

I got a start on the last (or maybe not)... the latest little bit of gnome knitting last night.

Those are all the pieces so far. I feel like that little bit of pink on the needles might be the start of a hat... but it's a mystery, y'know, so who knows!?!

Whatever it is and however this all turns out, I'm already sensing a DANDY Gnome!

This is really fun. I think fun & fiddly & mysterious is just what I need right now.

Don't worry, Hexie Love Actually will be getting plenty of love again once I catch up with gnome clues!

READING:

Listening to: The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois, by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers.

The book on my nightstand has not been getting any love lately, but it's still: This Golden Fleece: A Journey Through Britain's Knitted History.

I’ve knit a few small pieces for the Gnome MKAL (5 clues released so far and I have almost caught up), but this one…

…is adorable. I am just guessing, but I think/hope it might be some sort of satchel or bag. 😍 And if it’s a boy gnome, I am loving that I chose pink! 

I cancelled next week's hotel reservation in Chicago. I briefly entertained the notion of not cancelling, but even a high floor at Sofitel wouldn't be balm enough.

Meanwhile, we're all rolling with the punches and moving on with holiday plans. For Kate, it means planning a holiday feast with her friends Blair & Judson (aka, Bludson), with everyone sharing their traditional holiday favorites. Thus, I had a request this morning for my mom's Heavenly Hash recipe; rare was the holiday table that this dish didn't appear, even if it was made the "day of" instead of begun the day before.

It is the world's most poorly written recipe card! One should not need to make notes such as "reserve juice," or to underline additional ingredients in the body of the recipe, or use asterisks to clarify directions. Not only are components missing from the list of ingredients, they aren't even in order!! GAH!

So I sent her the card, which she appreciated for the "archival quality" ("reserve juice" is in my hand, the larger note at the bottom is in my mom's, many spills and drips), but I also rewrote the recipe and sent it in a separate document. I'm sure it could still use some tweaking, but ohmylord, it is an improvement!

Heavenly Hash
(Begin to prepare a day ahead)

(1) #2 can pineapple chunks (20 oz.), reserve juice
½ lb. green grapes
½ lb. red grapes
½ c. mini marshmallows
1 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. flour (heaping)
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
½ c. water
(3) bananas
nuts (pecans), optional
1 pkg. Dream Whip

Cut pineapple chunks and grapes in half. Add to a bowl with marshmallows.

In a saucepan, bring reserved pineapple juice & sugar to a boil. Blend flour, cornstarch & water, and pour slowly into boiling juice & sugar. Cool. Pour over fruit & marshmallows. Refrigerate overnight.

When ready to serve, add bananas, nuts, and 1 cup whipped cream (prepared Dream Whip).

I had the three "big kids" overnight, and a few minutes with Davy, too. He's walking more than crawling now, and is so grown up! He's so expressive and everything is so exciting to him... it's a joy. AND, I got a real "kiss" last night (he leaned in, anyway, and if not quite puckering he knew what he'd get)!

Our main activity was coloring a big Christmas Train & Tree that I picked up on a whim yesterday at Target. You just never know with that kind of thing, but this definitely captured their interest!

Junah worked mainly on the train, while the girls & I were occupied by the tree.

And this afternoon, we/they decorated my actual tree! I think this will be the extent of it, though I might string up some of my mom's pearl garland.

We watched TV: A Charlie Brown Christmas, Paw Patrol, and Diarrhea of a Wimpy Kid (if you were to ask Junah).

And here's a picture of Ginny & Malina by Junah.  :)

I was in the back yard this afternoon helping Rusty haul his table saw/table in & out and assisting with cutting some long pieces of wood -- inside storm windows for the Garden Room are underway! I had a moment while he "measured twice," and wandered over to my family locator sign.

It sure is getting weathered!

And it's official: Kate won't be traveling home for Christmas, which is the smart thing... but I'm still sad and mad and grumpy and pissed off at the world... and just one more reason to knit a gnome this month. Boo. Sights on April now, and later in summer for Maddy & Viv. Gotta run so I don't drown my keyboard...

Ooops, I did it again!

This is me choosing colors for another Mystery Gnome Knit-along: Leave Gnome Stone Unturned! I had fun making the last one (even with all that I-cord... which sure made a cool detail), and the KAL goes for a whole month. There's an email every day, but it doesn't always contain a clue. And, as you might recall, it's coming up on a year since I had Covid and knitting gnomes helped me get my groove back (in a bunch of ways). It just feels right.

I finally snagged an appointment for my booster! Sheesh. It wasn't easy, but I wasn't about to give up!

The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved listening to Dave Grohl tell his tales! I'm not even particularly a fan of any of the bands he's been in, but he loves The Beatles... and that's pretty much where my love of music began, too. And he loves his family. And he's not afraid to stand up for what he believes in. And I admire all that. No doubt, I will listen to this again sometime.

View all my reviews

Next up: The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois, by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers. That's a 29-hour listen, so likely not a "finish" until 2022!

I had a few things to keep in mind as I planned our trip to the North Shore -- a weekend with no guests, work/teaching schedules -- but mostly, the opening of Rusty's New Island exhibit at the Trout Museum of Art in Appleton, WI, which he'd been pulling together for months.

This is an ongoing creative project that pulls together a lot of Rusty's interests -- maps, geography, beaches & sand, painting, drawing, architecture, storytelling, etc.

But it doesn't stop there. There's a culture & history, tourism & travel, artifacts & currency... there's even a flag.

I'm the Betsy Ross of New Island, having sewn that flag in 2005 for a summit of "Micronations" in New York City, which we attended. Well, Rusty attended -- I stopped in after hanging out with fellow knit-bloggers (the first time I'd traveled to do so, and Ann & I were just a few months into the Quit -- it's going on 17 years!  What a trip!).

I found an old review of that show wherein Rusty (Lee Mothes) is quoted just a paragraph or two away from YOKO ONO.

Anyway, the exhibit at The Trout is big.

It fills the entire mezzanine and there is a lot of work on display.

There are a few pieces for sale, but a lot of pieces borrowed from their owners, and many pieces that will just never be for sale.

There are sketchbooks and notebooks on display. And the "Roger" coin, the mold for which was made by another local artist, and which Rusty had minted (it's turned up in coin collecting publications).

Random Places.

And not so random.

One of THE COOLEST NEW THINGS about this exhibit is the addition of VIRTUAL REALITY!

I'm excited that the show is up until early February because I need to go back and experience all of it!

The process is fascinating!

For more on New Island, visit the website at newisland.net and for other work oceansanddreams.com

Thanks for all your kind words & well wishes for re-entry and the other situations around here... mostly first-world problems and, well, as my husband likes to remind me:

EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT

He shared this photo with me the other day, snapped as he arrived home from the studio (he usually walks unless the weather is bad or he's on his way to/from someplace else). I love that glow from the Garden Room right over to & on the pergola. I want more! I strung up some fairy lights in the kitchen that I'd picked up on a whim, and I soon hope to be knitting a Starry Light (Rav) or four! Soaking it up for the next few weeks as the darkness continues to grow... counting the days until it starts going the other way again. I am soaking up the lightness/light, and continuing to hope... and breathe.

Wow. That's another NaBloPoMo wrap! Once upon a time, several years ago when many other friends were still blogging and some even NaBloPoMoing along with me, my friend Terry carried that NaBloPoMo spirit through an entire year! She hasn't posted in almost 6.5 years, but she still has a blog. I'm not sure I have that in me (though it's much easier to post a photo & a short post from my phone than I remembered -- all my posts from the North Shore were done that way), but I do have more to share -- I never posted about the opening of Rusty's "New Island" exhibit, which we attended the night before we left to go north, nor as much as I wanted to share about that trip and what we did (those posts were short).

Maybe I'll see you tomorrow...

Re-entry is exactly as described. It's been 10 days since I've been to work! I'm not really complaining, as I do like to be busy, but 10 days on my own terms...

I slept like crap last night. Woke to a message from Kate warning me that the stupid new variant may affect her travel (in the form of reinstated quarantine upon return), so that's up in the air and, as you might imagine, NOT MAKING ME HAPPY. I had a great idea but am having problems ordering it for Maddy & Viv. And Ali's been dealing with a not-fun situation(s) at work, plus one of her employees had emergency surgery the other day!

Yikes!!

Rusty & I are going to a movie tonight. I can't remember the last time I was in a theater.

BELFAST.

(I even found unused gift cards in the app -- from who knows when? And I am going to have a beer!)

The holiday wreath/decor parade continues!

Yesterday, I replaced the wreath on the fence with the twig one that I'd purchased (and forgot about) for that location. The twig wreath is much more subtle, but also looks great against the weathered wood.

The pergola location allows me to enjoy the fresh wreath so much more!

Shortly after I did the switcheroo, it started to snow.

So pretty.

My friend Peg gave me some boughs that they'd cut on their property up north, along with some dogwood branches that she found on the curb. I love how they're kind of wild and crazy on the front porch... but I had to bring in my planter to thaw overnight before sinking the branches into the dirt!

I ran across a wreath that Junah made while we were camping, and it was the perfect addition to the back door for Thanksgiving! (I love those patterned leaves.)

Holy cats, only two days to go for NaBloPoMo!! I've been a terrible blog reader and comment responder, especially since vacation, but I hope to start catching up! Thanks for reading & hanging in with me!

Today.

How it started:

What happened next:

Intermission:

How it's going:

That's a wrap for tree lights this year! And, yes, it does seem like I do battle with the damn lights every flippin' year... some of them, anyway. I don't know what's with the lights on the top section -- they're not new, but they're whiter & brighter! It all looks more balanced in real life.

This is in preparation for another sleepover with the kiddos next weekend, and they'll help with decorations. Tomorrow, we'll pull down the boxes and I'll sort the kid-/non-kid-friendly ornaments! And I just might leave it like that until Kate arrives and she/we can finish. (But maybe not.)

Last week, I'd read about a drop-in class at a local garden center to make a succulent pinecone arrangement, and was reminded this morning. I was 50/50 on it until I got all those dead lights off and decided I needed a break! The "drop-in" part was the best! There were only a few people there when I arrived at noon, and most of them I knew! My mom's neighbor, Julie, was there with two of her daughters, her son, and a few of (her six) grandchildren -- and it was her birthday! They were nearly finished with their pinecones, but she invited me to sit down, and we spent a few minutes catching up. I'm very happy with how my project turned out, but the kids' were amazing!!!

Today was Wreath & Swag Day!

I already hung the wreath at home that I made for myself. I'm thinking of moving it to the pergola, where last year's wreath was hung, so a) I can enjoy it more, and b) hang the twig wreath on the fence that I bought specifically for that spot... and forgot about! What a dope.

There was some running around, getting a door hanger for Ann's, but wow...

...so worth it! I love how that turned out -- just the smallest hint of red, and the color of that bow is perfect!

I also picked up an inexpensive fresh swag at the grocery store for the back porch.

The pinecone wreath that my sister made for me, has been on my front door for YEARS, but it was in really bad shape, having lost pinecones here and there over the years. Some I've saved, tucking them in if I could, and I've been able to fudge it until now... it's taken a couple of bad hits over the past few weeks, and I was contemplating trashing it.

Well, on one of our hikes during our trip to the North Shore, I spotted the exact types of pinecones that I needed, and Rusty offered to gather.

I got out my glue gun and fixed it right up! The new ones look... fresher! I'm sure it won't be long before they blend right in (and maybe you can't even tell).

I had to take off the bow & the star garland that I had wrapped around it -- that garland was so old, there were hardly any stars left (and most of those fell off in the unwrapping). I think I'll leave it unadorned this year.

I really don't want to, but I think I'm going to get our tree up over the weekend and wrangle with the lights. The kiddos are going to sleep over next weekend and they'll help decorate (after I organize decorations into kid-suitable and not!).

Happy Thanksgiving and/or Thursday!

I am thrilled with all the new growth, blossoms & buds on this little "Thanksgiving" cactus! There's a larger one upstairs that's just starting to form buds and will definitely be putting on a show for Christmas... which is one month from today!!

Amaryllis Watch 2021 has officially begun! I ordered these from Modern Daily Knitting, and one will either go home with Ali today or I'll take it to Ann's. I have some bulbs of my own that are "resting" in the basement, and they'll be ready to re-pot in a week or so. The Garden Room is getting full.

Whoa.

I ran to the credit union, to the P.O., cleaned & prepped our Airbnb (with Rusty's help) ("football" guests arriving Friday), to Sam's & KC&T for a pick-up/delivery, to the grocery store for... y'know (except that we're having LASAGNA instead of turkey), and stopped off at Ann's on the way home.

PAINTING! It was 47F today, and apparently warm enough for painting. This may or may not be the last painting day this year, but the major stuff is done, and I'm so happy!

There are football guests arriving there on Saturday, but Rusty & I already cleaned/prepped before we left for the North Shore, so it will just be some last-minute details.

I'm looking forward to spending the day with Ali & her family tomorrow!!

Sunrise this morning in Minnesota:

We left mid-morning and stopped briefly in Duluth to visit my cousin — possibly for the last time there as they are preparing to move full-time to their place in Northern Wisconsin!

Sunset on the road this evening in Wisconsin:

We arrived home a couple hours later. Back to reality, rested & refreshed!