When in doubt... let's look at what's happening Right Now! It's been a while.

Enjoying... actually, that's Rusty's Old Fashioned, but I enjoyed smelling it... all that citrus and those boozy cherries! We went down to my favorite local spot last night -- 313 Dodge -- the main reason was to purchase a gift card but why not enjoy dinner & drinks while we're there?? It was so good. They were so busy! Rusty commented on all the "hen parties," and he wasn't wrong... I spotted only two other men in the main room. I wondered whether/how the weekend mix might differ -- more couples/date night, perhaps. I might have to do the research!

Excited about... all the girls being home again this summer! Kate will be arriving in just a month-and-a-half and will be here until the middle of July. Maddy will be here from the end of June through July. There will be some overlap!

Not excited about... road construction this summer... as in on the street where I live! Oy. I'm excited to have a nice new street with a sidewalk on both sides and real curbs, even, but what a pain. We just learned this week that the timeline is way earlier than we thought, so I had to inform all of our summertime guests of the possibility that they may not be able to actually drive up to the house. So far, all have taken it in stride. Even though Ann's house is only a few blocks away and just around the corner, she won't be affected by this event... until next year! They've already begun removing some trees in the greater neighborhood -- I'm happy to see that it's not all that we feared would be axed -- and installing new power poles.

Knitting... I wouldn't say that I've become a monogamous knitter, really, but I feel a bit more focused in the past few years, especially where big projects are concerned, though the occasional gnome or hat might show up, too! I found this random accidental shot in my camera roll this morning. I should be starting on the 7th and final row over the weekend. Woohoo! Then a boatload of ends to weave in and a border to knit. Hoping to spend some quality time with my Temperature Blanket after that, though Nell's new Resolve (Rav) hat pattern looks so fun and I have a bunch of MDK Atlas to use up! Oh, and now this... Poule de printemps (Rav) that I just spotted as I was linking to Nell's hat... a free pattern for cute knitted chickens? OK!!

Listening to... Spotify's AI DJ, and I'm not disappointed in what it's serving up. I don't have to think, there's a lot of variety, it's both familiar & new, and it never ends.

Looking forward to (#1)... Today's arrival of long-term guests in my Airbnb -- they'll be here through the end of June! It's been extremely quiet -- do I hear crickets? -- for both Airbnbs so far this year. I was quite happy for the extended break from all the laundry, cleaning & bed-making... now I will enjoy a prolonged "break" with pay! haha. Ann has someone coming this weekend, too, but the house has been clean, ready & unoccupied for so long that I have to DUST!

Looking forward to (#2)... A return to Mexico in just a few weeks! The stretcher frame has arrived!

Making me laugh... that ridiculous meme made me laugh out loud! It doesn't hurt that the woman resembles a few people I know...

Organizing... Normally, at this time of the year, I'd say that I'm (still) organizing our taxes but guess what? They're DONE!! I'm still waiting on the last few questions (for the very last time ever) from Ali's tax preparer... I am so looking forward to the end of that chapter & book!

Planning... a quick weekend road trip to Minneapolis with Kate in early June -- another #whirlwindarttripwithkate which will also include a dinner reservation at OWAMNI. Kate was introduced to "The Sioux Chef," Sean Sherman, several years ago when he operated a food truck and was serving at an art event that she attended.

A few years later, he published a cookbook, The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen -- which I was absolutely delighted to see on a shelf of "Cooking Books & Magazines of Historical Significance" at the Peabody Museum, alongside The Joy of Cooking, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Stalking the Wild Asparagus, The Moosewood Cookbook, and How to Cook Everything, among others. There are more bookmarked recipes in that book that in any other that I own, though we've only made a couple so far (Wild Rice-Crusted Walleye is one of my standy-by favorite recipes). And now he's opened a brick & mortar restaurant in Minneapolis, which has been on our radar/list since forever. Can't wait!

Watching... We're enjoying the new/last season of Sanditon. I've actually tuned into broadcast news a few times over the past couple of weeks. The Voice -- my guilty pleasure; I love the new guys, Chance the Rapper and Niall Horan.

Wishing... a happy weekend to all!!

Wondering... What's up with you right now!?

We had a great Sunday afternoon celebrating Malina's 5th birthday!!

She's such a delight!!

Her actual birthday was Saturday and we were supposed to go then, but...

...Mother Nature threw a few more snowflakes than expected our way! Rusty estimated 14" at one point and it was still falling... I'm guessing about 16" total, plus wind so there were some crazy drifts in a few places! There are still a few snowflakes showing up here & there in the extended forecast... I am so done.

I walked over to Ann's yesterday to check the mail and discovered this:

Signs of life! A sight for sore eyes. There's 6" of snow in the Friday-Saturday forecast. That's spring in Wisco!

I'm joining Kat & the Unravelers today for Unraveled Wednesday!

But first, THANK YOU for your comments on my last post. I didn't receive notification of any of them and remembered that, for some reason, when I use the word "HEY" in the title for a post... I don't. mumblegrumblegrrrrtypepadyourdaysarenumbered

KNITTING:

My blanket for a certain someone is coming along. I've enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would, which is why it's getting done so quickly, I guess.

I'll be finishing up the last square in the fifth row today and, at this point, it's basically square. I imagined six rows altogether -- seven would be better -- and I think I'll be able to do it with the reinforcements.

There will only be three squares where the "dark" color is supplemental yarn, and I'm OK with that! I still think I'll be making a border, and will use some of it there, too.

READING:

I finally finished The Miracle of the Bells. I'd like to watch the movie someday... after I learned about the leading male actors (Frank Sinatra & Fred MacMurray), that's who I envisioned as I read. It was an OK book... in the book club group last night there was talk of a book "standing the test of time," and this would be a VERY different book if written today. Things in the world have changed a lot since 1947!

I've picked up a book that's been on my nightstand for a while -- I started reading it a while ago, though it never made it on my Goodreads list. It's What We Wish Were True by Tallu Schuyler Quinn. I learned about this book and Tallu from Judy at Judy's Chickens -- probably via her Instagram @judyschickens. Tallu was the founder of the Nashville Food Project, an organization where Judy is also an active member. Anyway, Tallu died from cancer about a year ago, at the age of 42, and this is a book of essays that she wrote, knowing that her diagnosis was terminal, and knowing that she'd leave behind so much. It's both heartbreaking and uplifting.

And yes, I'm still listening to A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life by George Saunders.

It's a bit of a trip...

I'd never have imagined on March 20, 2004, when I hit "Publish" that I'd continue to do that for 19 years.

Connections & friendships are everything and the #1 reason for never stopping. Thank you to everyone who's ever stopped by these digs. You're everything.

So, hey, let the 20th begin!

First of all, Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Secondly, Happy 18th Quit-iversary to Me!!

(I wish you could see that Ginny is wearing the 5 Point Bomber!) I had a great day last Friday at the kids' school for "Special People Day," including a visit to each of their classrooms, an art fair throughout the halls, lunch, and a performance of the all-school musical. Having missed the Christmas concert because everyone was sick, and overnight snow on Thursday threatening cancelation of last week's events, I was incredibly happy to be there... after a 2-hour snow delay! The show must go on!

They were all so happy to show me everything and, boy, they sure do love being there! They've had Spring Break this week but they're ready to go back... Ali sent a photo this morning of Ginny & Malina playing school at home.

Anyway, I took the big kids home with me on Friday for an overnight.

It was chilly, but not windy, and the sun was strong enough to melt/dry the pavement, so the girls spent some quality time chalking up the driveway!

On Sunday, I buckled down and got a grip on the bookkeeping/taxes. Still buckled in and ready to get that all over with.

Monday morning, I started my car and immediately the tire sensor thing came up... clockwise, from the front driver's side, I read (something like) 37, 36, 36, 1.

"ONE?" I said to myself. "That must mean it's flat!"

Sure enough. As flat as could be. I called work, called the tire place but they don't open until 7:30/8, while Rusty used my handy air compressor to get a little air into the tire. Usually, I'd have just taken Rusty's car, as his habit is to walk to the studio, but he had to go to Sturgeon Bay for an event. Finally, my brain cells started working and I remembered that Ann & Brian have a vehicle a few blocks away and are very happy for us to take it for a spin now and then. That meant that I could put off our repair until Wednesday, my day off -- much more convenient (and way less frantic) for everyone.

It was another screw. I swear, my tires are magnets... I've never had a vehicle in for so many tire repairs, and it's always for something like that.

I have finally been felled after months of warding off every illness that the people around me have had! I felt it come over me on Wednesday afternoon. Sore throat, stuffy head, runny nose... negative Covid test, anyway! I'm fine but I'm looking forward to the weekend... hopefully to wrap up taxes, but mostly to sleep in!

I hope y'all have had a great week, and wishing you a great weekend!

I'm joining Kat & the Unravelers today for Unraveled Wednesday! After last week's off-the-chart excitement, things are back to normal around here, and I'm...

KNITTING:

A blanket.

More like a throw.

My Temperature Blanket is on hold while I whip this up! I've been posting about it on IG/FB -- I even took it to Mexico -- but I've been cagey about saying exactly what it is... because the recipient, a certain young man who graduates high school this year, follows me over there and has "liked" most of those posts. Just wait until he finds out it's his!

When I learned that his favorite color is blue, I knew that I finally had a use for the bagful of mini skeins I'd purchased... in 2019. They were test skeins for someone working out dye formulas, so each skein is a slightly different color, but they all "go." I decided to split them into lights & darks, and I'm riffing a bit on Kay Gardiner's A Light in the Window (Rav) pattern. I wind a skein into a ball, knit until it runs out (usually), knit between one & five garter ridges of natural/undyed yarn (there's sort of a pattern), wind another skein into a ball (alternating light & dark), knit until it's time to make a "window," then carry on... using the remainder of the previous light or dark ball to start the next square.

It reminds me, in a very abstract way, of indigo tie-dye, and if that isn't one of the most perfect unintended happenstances for a project ever, I don't know what is!

So, I'm halfway through the fourth row -- each row has five squares -- and I'm hoping for six rows altogether! Seven would be great, but I'd be OK with six. I have a few more skeins of light than dark, so visited a new-to-me yarn store when we were in Fond du Lac on Saturday in search of supplemental yarn. (Be Prepared!) Knitty Gritty Shop is a very nice store, dangerously located right off the interstate, but not at an exit which makes it just a little bit less perilous. heh. Eventually, I'll knit a border around the whole thing (supplemental yarn may come into play there, if not in the squares).

READING:

I'm still reading The Miracle of the Bells, by Russell Janney (only a couple chapters to go!), and still listening to A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life by George Saunders. Thankfully, I just finished "The Nose" section of the Saunders book and hope there aren't any more stories like that! Just over three hours of listening to go.

What can I say? Life is busy.

Pretty sure I'll be watching The Shipping News again rather than reading it for the upcoming discussion...

I looked up after taking the blanket photo in the Garden Room this morning and just had to take another! It'll be dark again next week at leaving-for-work time but, as I recall, it won't be for too long. Don't forget to "Spring Forward" this weekend!

Rusty was in Sturgeon Bay Friday night -- doings for a current exhibit at the Miller Art Museum. (Looks like he'll be going back on Monday... I better remind him!)

When he got back on Saturday, we jumped in the car and headed down to Fond du Lac's Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts for the Wisconsin Visual Artist's member show (which he forgot to enter!).

There were a lot of great pieces but this one struck me in particular... maybe because I'm starved for flora & fauna at the moment! It's a mixed media piece called Summer Bearer, by Kristin Gjerdset.

Unfortunately, I did not get the details on this piece, but I can show you a detail of what it's made of...

...stuff that others might put in the burn pile! The textures are incredible. I have no idea how that was transported! 

By Sunday afternoon, Rusty had the pieces marked and the stretcher frame all put together at the studio. I went up to do a "test hang" and am delighted to report that we're right on the money.

It's going to be great! Next step is packing up all the pieces & hardware and get it shipped. It's still over a month until we return to Mexico, but it can take a few weeks for parcels to arrive, so the sooner the better.

I had forgotten that Sharon made him a crock for his paintbrushes. It's been in use for a while!

Well. Yesterday! Wow... there's my "hard reset"!

Shared on IG by both Modern Daily Knitting & Holli Yeoh, along with friends and other folks (and me!). It was so satisfying to read the comments here and on the MDK post... THANK YOU!! I may have basked a little. haha. I did! I basked in the limelight!! (Because why not? It fades fast!)

I was smiling all day... for real, I think, and big, not even realizing it, because everyone I saw yesterday immediately smiled back at me. (I'm still smiling.)

Are you curious? I am...

• There were FIVE TIMES the normal number of page hits here
• My 5 Point Bomber on Ravelry went from one like to 51!
• Holli's 5 Point Bomber pattern is (at this writing) at #5 on Ravelry's "Hot Right Now" page (and I saw it as high as #3 last night - when I thought to check) (falling fast because... fading limelight)
• Holli updated the pattern to include the COLORING PAGES
• I sit on the MDK Contributors page between Jillian Moreno & Mary Jane Mucklestone on a page full of actual knitting rock stars (I am actually fan-girling!)
• Some IRL people/friends found out that I've had a blog for almost 20 years

High praise from my little sis on FB! Haha. This is so funny. (She binged on Yellowstone when they were here.) She even left a comment on the MDK post.

AND... my washer was fixed yesterday for only $200. I've never been so happy to spend $200 in my life. Kudos to the experienced repairman who asks pertinent questions and anticipates the possible problem, who brings the part with him so, if confirmed, it can be installed right away! I'm a fan.

I'm joining Kat & the Unravelers today for Unraveled Wednesday!

KNITTING:

It's a very exciting day! Not only do I have an official FO...

...but we're also going on a field trip! Step right this way... ( to visit Modern Daily Knitting!!).