Honestly, with the first & busiest week behind me, I think it's mostly a downhill slide from here until Christmas! That's not to say there isn't anything to do between now and then... there's plenty!

We took the kids to the parade last Tuesday and they had a blast.

Junah's mouth was literally agape a few times, and they collected as much candy as they did on Halloween (if not more).

Kate & I drove down to Milwaukee on Wednesday afternoon to collect Maddy & Viv! That was a long day, but totally worth it.

On Thursday, I popped in at Knit Night -- only because I'm the host. I had a particular project that I wanted to finish, which I did, and then took my leave to spend some time at home with the newly landed.

Friday was my company's employee party... and the debut of PARTY PANTS!

That's a terrible photo -- my bedroom mirror is very old and it doesn't not photograph well. Heh. Anyway, those are my single-layer Alabama Chanin Palazzo Pants, stenciled with a metallic/pearl paint. I'm wearing a shimmery top from H&M, and a cropped J. Jill cardigan that I've had for a while.

My earrings are handmade by my new custom jeweler: Glass Brick Beadwork. That's Kate's newest (and it's very, very new) endeavour!

Our party began when we all met at an Escape Room. We split into two groups and spent an hour putting our heads together to try and solve clues! It was WAY more fun than I expected -- the room I was in was in the "film noir" genre, a murder mystery whodunnit (SO up my alley), and I was most surprised by a) how quickly an hour went by and b) that there was a second room! We'd barely entered and surveyed the second room when it was over... so, obviously, Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade were not being channeled by any of us, but it was a great time! We finished with a nice catered dinner at a local brewery.

Oh, did I mention that we had weekend Airbnb guests for yesterday's football game? Also, that dates changed and signals crossed... and that Maddy & Viv arrived about a week earlier than I initially thought. Long-story-short: When I finally realized (less than two weeks ago) that there was a conflict, I ended up booking an Airbnb for Maddy, Viv, and their friends Katy & Andrés!! (I'm thinking of it now because it happened to be kitty-corner from the brewery where our party was!)

Our Airbnb guests were among the best we've had... and not just because they brought me a gift from Florida! We've been in pretty close contact from the moment they booked, and I wouldn't be surprised if that continued. It was a pleasure to assist them in fulfilling a dream...

On Saturday, I saw a Facebook ad for the "last estate sale of the year" from a local company and cajoled Kate into coming with me. Oh, what a treat that was... in an early '70s time capsule of a house. Here's Kate in the bathroom:

Seriously, I almost took the same photo. We found a couple of treasures, too!

Stay tuned for December Weekending, Part II!

It was long and late and the kids got restless, but for the most part, THEY LOVED SWAN LAKE! Ginny fell asleep just minutes before the ballet ended.

And did swan dances (on tippy-toes) all weekend. Junah seemed very intrigued by the sets, the crossbow, Baron Von Rothbart (who reminded me of a former tenant)... the costumes were incredible! We were in the second and third rows, Right Front Orchestra, so the kids really had a pretty good view. And they would go to a ballet again (Ginny said that she wanted to go "every morning")!

Our high school is doing Peter Pan this year, and we'll go to that for sure!

The kids (and their mama & papa) were over quite a bit this weekend. I had an abundance of celery & leeks from our CSA, so Ali helped me slice & dice and we made a double batch of homemade Cream of Celery Soup. Mmm, it was SO GOOD! The kids even ate it... after some cajoling.  :)

I'm just waiting for Ginny to decide that she doesn't want her picture taken anymore (like her brother). Malina is wearing a pullover that I made almost 8 years ago! She's the third to wear it and it's held up pretty well, considering that the yarn was fairly inexpensive -- but washable and that's my priority for kid stuff!

She also modeled some mitts that I made a while back, but I guess I never added them to Ravelry. I'm sure I made them for Junah or Gin...

I was surprised -- and delighted -- to notice my little "holiday cactus" is all of a sudden loaded with buds! I'm not even sure where this one came from. There's another upstairs that's healthy but there's not even a glimmer of a bud... I'm so excited!

Especially since it sounds like the scene in this photo will be whitewashed this evening... snow is on the way. yuck.

Four more sleeps and we'll be on our way to Arizona... 80F and sunshine!! I know we'll have to come back, but... lalalalala... I'm not thinking about that right now.

My girlie took off early Saturday morning for a long road trip.

She's in Upstate NY now --  not far from Rhinebeck, actually -- and will soon be headed to Brooklyn for the Friday night opening of Paradeisos (art by Yulia Iosilzon, curated by Kate) at Carvalho Park.

After she left, I finished prepping The Artist's Perch for guests arriving later in the day.

Football fans, y'know.

And after that, it was time to play!! There were a couple of things that I didn't get to when I was in Michigan.

Rusty helped me set up a work surface and we brought an old desk up from the basement for all the stuff. Next time, I'll arrange this differently... for better flow and in an effort to avoid this:

The second time in as many weeks that I smashed a jar of paint on a garage floor. The first time it was on Kym's floor, with "white gold" paint... and much less of it. This time it was on mine, with a nearly full 4-oz jar of "black gold." Yep.

It sure is pretty, though.

My goal was to paint a couple pairs of Palazzo Pants. I wasn't intending to make two pair, but my paint swatching revealed that my initial plan for ochre & navy -- while a gorgeous color combo -- wasn't going to work for me for a number of reasons.

I decided to make a single-layer pair of PP from the navy blue fabric (which was already cut because... navy & ochre was the plan), painted with a dark-silver color. I am calling these my Holiday Party Pants, because I intend to have them finished for wearing to all (one or two) of the holiday parties I'll be going to this year! Haha. All I need to do is sew the seams and attach the elastic... and they'll be done! If I'm inspired and/or have time, I may do the tiniest bit of embellishment, but I don't have to do a thing if I don't want to.

The ochre layer, already cut (ahem), were painted with the ill-fated & re-mixed black gold. Those pieces will eventually become a double-layer pair of PP, with ochre on top and black (which needs to be cut) on the bottom, worked in negative reverse applique (in which all of the ochre/top layer, save a 1/8- to 1/4-inch border around each motif, will be cut away).

I also made another "rag" piece, and used up paint on other pieces/sections -- the silver on black may be used on the Car Jacket project (that's what I had in mind, anyway).

Speaking of the Car Jacket:

There were a few days in Michigan, and a few since I returned, that I didn't work on it at all; but there were other days when that's all I worked on, so things are progressing. Typepad is being a jerk today, occasionally timing out when I try to load photos, but you can see on IG as well as here (if you look closely) that I tried another new color of floss. I'd ordered both Eggplant and Teal a while back, thinking that they might find a place here. The colors were a little overwhelming, looking at a whole spool of floss, but Kym shared a tip for matching thread to a project that I thought would also apply here, and that is to unwind a bit of the thread so you can better see its true color in relation to the fabric.

Rusty indulges yet another big idea with a sketch over early morning coffee yesterday.

"Let's make the back porch 'wrap around' again! With a sort of greenhouse/conservatory thing... that has curved windows!"

Who knows if it will ever happen, but we sure do like to dream and make plans!

I was making other plans over the weekend, too.

I have a few projects percolating, and I cut out a pair of long Palazzo Pants yesterday.

Then I started questioning my fabric color choices... that led to painting, stitching, and cutting some small 5-inch swatches. That particular project is still percolating a bit, and I have a couple of other things to try before I make a final decision, but I think I know where it's heading. It's all in the details!

I've been diligent about #100moredaysknitorious2019 and yesterday's stitching was done while visiting with Ann, even though she was distracted by time and cooking dinner and wasn't working on her project.

In addition to all that, we changed the last of the storms & screens, washed some windows and swept off the back porch, made a pretty great beef stew, and watched a little football! I'm sure there was more mundane stuff (I'm looking at you, Laundry), but those are the highlights. I hope you had a great weekend, too!

The History of the Handkerchief presentation over the weekend was informal, full of anecdotes and factoids (of the factual type), and made most interesting by audience participation -- personal stories and memories -- and the presentation of several examples (including by one attendee who brought a box full)!

It will not surprise you to know that there have been books written on the subject.

I did a terrible job of documentation, but was quite taken with the appliqué on the hanky above, and with PANSIES on the "Handkerchief of the Month, As Seen In Vogue." (Though I haven't been actively collecting of late, I am still quite enamored of that flower.)

Years ago, when I managed my mother's antique mall and hankies were, um... let's say... PLENTIFUL in my world, I sewed a bunch to casings and made adorable valances for the Garden Room. Most of them faded terribly after years of eastern & southern exposure, and eventually I had to thank the whole shebang and dispose of it. It lives on in memory as one of the most fitting decorating decisions I ever made. Maybe I'll do it again...

Saturday was a glorious late September day! I met up with Ali after the market and we went to "Nancy's" (my local antique mall) with the kids -- we each found a few things, and Nancy sent us home with a couple of old table-top type games (I'll try to remember to post about them).

We came home and the discovery of my Longaberger double-pie basket (aka, picnic basket) led to... you guessed it, an impromptu backyard picnic, which the kids pretty much packed for themselves. You might notice walnuts in the grass in both the lower left & right corners of the photo. There were many, many more... and pieces... all which have led me to regret grabbing a WHITE blanket upon which to picnic. Oh well. I haven't laundered it yet...

We ended up heading down the ravine, which led to the path, which led to the road and the bridge and the river and the old football field and the discovery of a bunch of these wooden dog & swan cut-outs under the bleachers. Familiar with the site, they are most certainly placed on the field to discourage geese.

When we got home from our walk, Junah & Ginny wanted to go for a bike ride and, eventually, we ended up at the skate park. The kids ran around and up and down, they played and made a couple of new friends, and played some more. Jün wasn't too thrilled about having to head home and, just to give you a little inkling of this kid and his strong-willed personality... he threw his bike down and declared that he wasn't going to ride it home. After a little face-off with his mama, he dragged it (crying the whole while)... literally dragged his bicycle on the sidewalk for about half a block. Tiring work, as you might imagine, and it was right about then he also started to complain about the tears all over his face...

Seriously. I don't know how we all hold it together sometimes.

The Garden Room menagerie increased by one on Friday -- Miss November joined the chicken, duck, and kangaroo planters! I couldn't resist her.

They'll soon be displaced by plants. Maybe I'll move them down to the dye studio.

We had Packers fans in the house over the weekend. I've picked up a few things here and there in preparation for our guests (especially on sale/clearance because NFL licensing is no joke). I even picked up some rain ponchos, and they were needed yesterday! It's a gorgeous day today, though, and our guests are off for a tour of Lambeau Field before heading to Chicago to catch their flight back home to L.A.

Do not adjust your calendars! It's still September, and the kids had a visit with Santa on Saturday! It was part of a fundraiser for a local guy who goes all-out with his holiday display but needs to relocate it. Junah was totally into it... threw his arm around Santa's neck, and is obviously very animated in the discussion of his wish list.

We also stopped in at the Fall Market at 313 where I had the incredible good fortune to snap a photo of the girls at the exact right moment -- they last an approximate nano-second! Ali & I both went home with some lovely bouquets, too.

We were super happy to find a walking leaf-type bug in the back yard!

On Sunday, I puttered... I did some dyeing, finished popping out the cut pieces of my Large Paradise stencil and rolling it up for later, (mostly) reclaiming my worktable, washing some Alabama Chanin cotton jersey yardage and other laundry, chatting with my sis (no stitching with her yesterday, though, but I did fold some laundry), watching the football game, weaving in ends on some cowls, stitching, and ending with the Emmy Awards.

I started with the patching of a hole on my favorite PJs (very small hole, very large patch!). I continued with the first of the second 100 days of stitching (mostly) on my Alabama Chanin Car Jacket... it ended up being a bit of a false start, a half-hour of stitching that came right out. Today will be better!! #100moredaysknitorious2019

Tonight, we'll continue (with last night's episode) of Country Music | A film by Ken Burns on PBS. We are loving it! Neither of us would ordinarily be called "country music fans," but we are truly "fans of music"... all types of music! As with any other genre, there's good and bad, things you like and things you don't, things you listen to more or less... I don't really get it when people say "I hate {fill in the blank} music." It's all so fluid...

I hope you had a great weekend!

Rusty & I went to the Friday night opening of "Surfacing: a contemporary textile exhibition" featuring the work of Wisconsin artists Alison Gates, Patricia Filzen, and Heidi Parkes, curated by Cristian Andersson.

 “Through the historical perspective of craft and ‘women’s work,’ the pieces in the exhibition will at times speaks on feminism, environmentalism, and politics, while at other times pull back remembrances of home, comfort, and familiarity.”

Alison Gates is a professor of Art and Women's & Gender Studies at UW-Green Bay (also a knitter, among other things). I've known Pat Filzen for many years; she is pictured above wearing a vest made from one of her woven pieces. Heidi Parkes is a Milwaukee-based quilter; I've been following her on IG for quite some time.

I was very excited to learn that Heidi was also presenting an all-day Visible Mending Workshop on Saturday, and was quite possibly the first person to sign up!

I expected to learn a little... I wasn't expecting to learn A LOT!! It was a great workshop and I'm so happy that I attended.

This family-favorite Kantha Quilt belongs to Sarah, and was damaged a few years ago by her Husky puppy! The nature of this quilt makes is perfect for "visible mending" and, perhaps it doesn't seem like it would be very difficult... but one of the things we learned with this piece was how to make a repair to something like a quilt when fabric is actually missing (having been chewed). The rest will be all about choosing fabrics (the fun part!) -- though there are also lots and lots of small tears to mend, so hopefully not too tedious.

This is a repair that Lisa made on her husband's pajama pants. He's an accountant... so this "visible" mend was made... um, with subtlety. From Lisa, I learned about using tiny magnets on my work as a needle keeper!

Deb bought this antique Double Wedding Ring Quilt at an estate sale, and there are a number of fabrics in various states of... disintegration. (Oh, how I wish I'd taken more photos!) She'd made one little repair in class, a brighter pink square on the left just below center (above a red square and between pink-ish squares on either side). She'd observed the most obvious fabrics needing repair/replacement, but discovered in class that there are many others.

I wish I'd taken photos of the jean jacket that Cristian was repairing... it's his favorite! (Kate's known him for a few years and she knew exactly which jacket I was talking about!) Heidi had previously worked on it for him and, by continuing that work, Cristian was pleased to be making it a collaborative project.

One of my projects was Kate's laptop case. She bought it from a maker on Etsy several years ago, and would have likely purchased a replacement if he could have been found. It was a great project for class! I repaired two damaged corners, noticing and proactively patching another small tear in the process!

I left the workshop with a start and/or guidance for a couple of other projects that I'd brought... and ideas for several others at home!

Sunday was a bit dreary, but I went downstairs and cleaned up my dye studio a bit and even threw a few hanks into the pot.

This view is usually full of hydrangeas in the foreground, but they suffered from house painters and electricians over the summer. Storms didn't help, either. Among all the greenery, you might make out a young catalpa tree (the more distant one with huge leaves) missing some branches and listing quite to the left... a big box elder had fallen onto it.

I first saw this guy when just three legs were visible in the crack between the window and sill. To be honest, I tried to "get" him, but I missed. Then I got busy doing other stuff and he came out... and kept his distance. We'll see how long this "relationship" lasts... I'm not a "spider person" in the least!! That's going to count as my Macro Monday photo because Ali thought it was as big as a tarantula when she saw my photo on IG! (He's sorta big but not THAT big.)

Lastly, it was the 111th anniversary of my maternal grandmother's birth yesterday.

Marcella -- or Marstella ("Mary of the Stars") (pronounced Mar-SHTEL-la by her German-speaking mother, according to my mother) -- died at age 57, when I was 8. She was into needlework of all types, and I wish she'd lived long enough to have shared that with her... so I could have proudly shown how neat my needlework was on the back! Haha. One of my treasures is an embroidered pillow top that she'd partially completed, and that I eventually mustered the nerve to finish -- it took a few years! I have very few photos of her, but my favorites are the wedding photos. Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Two-thirds of my kids are out of the country, but the remaining one-third and I had a marvelous day!!

We took a few photos and... Ginny!! That girl pretty much stole the show! Personality is oozing from every pore.

A local floral designer had a pop-up shop at Kaukauna Coffee & Tea, so Ginny and I ran up there (so I could buy myself a bouquet), but by the time we got there -- a mere :30 after it started -- all that was left were two bunches of fresh eucalyptus! Obviously, it went over way better than anyone expected.

I bought the eucalyptus, anyway, and combined it with some bleeding heart and fiddlehead ferns, fresh from my garden, to make bouquets both for me and for the Airbnb guests due later in the day.

After photos, Ali and I walked down to meet our friends for "Momosas" and brunch and, boy, did we have a great time! I can't remember the last time we all got together, and it definitely won't be so long until the next.

On our way back we took a detour for a stop at the antique mall. We ran into a dealer that used to be in my mom's antique mall, who I haven't seen in years. Ali was in late elementary/early middle school when I was managing that mall, but she remembered her, too. It was really fun to catch up!

I continued sewing, trying some new things:

And started a new knitting project (after a week of virtually no knitting whatsoever):

I think this yarn will make a fun Entrelac Scarf! It's Melilla by Cascade. Perhaps there will be enough progress to warrant a photo for Unraveled Wednesday!

Our last Airbnb guests had a problem with the lockbox and, in trying to figure it out, I accidentally reset the combo... and it became a big problem for me! I tried cracking the combo a few times, but eventually took my spare key to have a couple of copies made...

But I continued trying to break in! Adding to my list of talents, and with a bit of help from Rusty in the manufacture of "tools of the trade," I "cracked" it on Saturday afternoon!

I can't believe it's been two months since we were in Spain & England!! I still have to write a couple of posts to wrap that up. Now that everything involved with an overseas traffic/speeding violation has been taken care of, I might be more in the mood...

I "enjoyed" a 3-day weekend, dampened just a bit by the onset of a cold and, of course, income taxes. Whatevs. Three days off = three naps! Taxes are done & dusted; I wasn't in the mood to agonize... it could've been (has been) worse.

We had Airbnb guests arriving on Friday afternoon, so I spent the morning readying.

A new duvet cover, lightweight cotton blanket, and decorative pillow cover were fun additions to the bedroom. I also added black-out liners to the curtains (after cutting & hemming them).

I also watched the buds on the last (surprise) amaryllis stem begin to open:

The bottom photo was taken this morning. You can still see a little snow in the back yard and ravine. We were in the middle of a blizzard at this time last year, left to deal with a couple of feet of snow... so I'm not complaining.

Otherwise, I just blew my nose a lot while I did some sewing and knitting.

I'm getting close to finishing the first sleeve of my Alabama Chanin Car Jacket. There are more photos on IG, if you're interested. And Ginny's Rye socks will be finished as soon as I kitchener the toe.

My energy & enthusiasm are still pretty low. The sun is shining and that helps! Hope you had a great weekend!

We went down the hill to 313 Dodge on Friday night for our local going-out version of Friday Night Snacks:

Janel & Kristin recently changed the menu and I had a gift card that I kept forgetting to use (third time's the charm!). Oh yum. We had/shared the Cheese & Charcuterie Platter, Asian Chicken Meatballs with Pickled Veggies, and Roasted Beet, Pesto & Burrata Salad, along with beverages... and we were too full for dessert! I almost doubled that order of meatballs... I'm glad I didn't because they were huge! Oh darn, dessert might have to be a separate trip sometime.

While procrastinating about finishing our taxes*, I spent the weekend catching on up sleep (also possibly fighting off a cold or something) and long overdue mending & sewing, finishing a baby sweater, putting together a stubborn IKEA bench, shopping & cooking, cleaning/readying the Airbnb apartment, and hanging out with kiddos!

The kids and I started out riding bikes, but ended up taking a walk down in the woods and on the trail below our house.

I thought this dead tree looked like a dragon or a gnarly dinosaur.

And was delighted to find even the smallest promise of spring (as I'm watching sn*w flying around outside my window this very moment) (they say we could be close to 70°F on Sunday - it's spring, indeed)!

This morning's sunrise was a beauty!

I've been thinking about a 100-day project for a while, stymied a bit at what I'd actually do, but it came to me just as the #The100DayProject came along. Starting tomorrow, I am committing to at least :15 of sewing each day on my Alabama Chanin Car Jacket! I'd really like to finish that project... because there are so many more projects that I'd like to sew! I'm looking forward to setting up a dedicated project work space, and getting to work.

*I will get them done... I've never been late nor filed for an extension, and I don't aim to start now.

...or In Hot Water - NOT!

or... All's Well that Ends Well.

Whew.

Hey Friends! A quick catch up with non-related cute kid pics.

He looks ready to take on the world!!

Rusty & I went to a closing reception for an art show on Friday evening and, upon our return, discovered that the water wasn't very hot... and a big puddle on the floor around the water heater in the basement.

Fifteen minutes later, our second Airbnb guests arrived!! OMG.

There wasn't much to do but inform them, apologize, and then work at getting it fixed. They were SUPER gracious, insisting that they were here mainly to relax and hang out.

Sitting on my lap, playing peek-a-book with mumma!

Also, it snowed on Friday night.

So, while Rod came over on Saturday morning to go with me to pick up the water heater I'd purchased on Friday night, Rusty shoveled...

(There was an option for delivery, but the estimated date was March 13th. Hahahahahahaha. Who orders a water heater in advance... just because??)

How gracious were our guests? The guy came out and offered to help get it down the basement!

Rusty & Rod had it in and installed by mid-morning.

I'm not happy that we had to buy a new water heater right before going on vacation, but I've already come home from a week-long vacation (with three little kids and all the associated laundry) to find that the water heater had given it up while we were gone.

There are two things that I'm happy about. First, it's bigger -- 50-gallon capacity instead of 40. Second, our water pressure seems to have improved. A couple of years ago when they re-did all of our water lines and everything, they guys were all saying how much better our water pressure would be... but there wasn't really any change, until now!

Kate is leaving tomorrow for an extended time away, starting with a visit to NYC. We'll meet up in a couple of weeks in Spain, but I don't expect to see her home until June or July, or maybe even August! That's going to be so weird.

So Ali & the kids came over to hang out on Sunday night, bid farewell to their Auntie Kate, and humor their grandmother.

I love how Ginny's stealing the show!

I am/have been busy getting the books caught up and straightened out for a meeting with Ali's accountant tonight. I was a bit behind, but I'm feeling very good about it all... establishing processes is helpful!

Maddy's taxes are all but finished, too.

I started ours (the easy stuff), but it looks like I'll be waiting until after vacation to finish. I'll be refreshed & renewed!! Haha.

Our guests loved their stay, even with the water snafu! And our third Airbnb guest arrives this evening for a few days! (This whole thing continues to blow our minds.)

Hope you had a great weekend!!

I'm having a Snow Day today... but not after actually driving to work, doing something for a half-hour to make it worthwhile, and then driving home! We're not getting as much snow as predicted, but it's very windy and that makes driving difficult due to visibility issues.

So, I'm working on a little of this and a little of that (mostly business/tax related stuff), and will also be taking some time for some FUN!

It was all about the movies last week/weekend! Oscar nominations were announced on Tuesday; on Wednesday, we watched Roma (10); on Thursday I bought tickets for next month's Best Picture Festival; on Saturday I watched The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (3), and on Sunday First Reformed (1). Roma won't be shown at BPF because it wasn't a theatrical release, and instead/new we will see the nominees for the Short Films (Live Action & Animated) at the beginning of each day, and I'm excited about that! There is a lot of crossover in nominations, especially when all of the BP films have been nominated in at least five and up to 10 different categories. There are a few biggies, though, that I'm going to need to find/stream somehow: At Eternity's Gate (local boy Willem Dafoe/Lead Actor), The Wife (Glenn Close/Lead Actress), Can You Ever Forgive Me (Melissa McCarthy/Lead Actress and Richard E. Grant/Supporting Actor), and If Beale Street Could Talk (Regina King/Supporting Actress). Without sounding too much like a nut, I'd also like to see Cold War and First Man. There are some other nominated films that I won't see at BPF, haven't already seen, or haven't listed... but arguably, not very many.

Also on Saturday, I visited our brand new LYS! Casting On had their soft opening, which I've been eagerly awaiting since I learned about it on the day my former LYS closed. The owners, Sara & Sam, are super warm & friendly, and I can't wait to watch as they all progress and grow... and Make.Do has been invited to take up some shelf space!

There's been a bit of a Malabrigo drought around here, though, so I fixed that! Those left two hanks are WASHTED worsted-weight, and I think they'll become a sweater for a certain little granddaughter who will be turning one in < two months! 

There was a little website update over the weekend and an even tinier one this morning with some fresh-from-the-pot yarn:

Check it out: Make.Do! The yarn in the top photo reminds me of last year's Best Picture winner, The Shape of Water, so that's what it's called!

OK. I'm getting back to work on this cold, snowy day...

It was VERY cold (1ºF), but I couldn't help it! That cold temperature meant that the sky was crystal clear... and how often is there a Super Wolf Blood Moon??

These are not-so-great photos from my phone, but not bad considering... I love the colors of the moon and how it looks sort of painted.

I hope you had a great weekend! Other than having the kids for a while on Saturday afternoon/evening while Kate & Al went on a "sister date," I just sort of plunked along... not quite at 100% yet, but slowly improving. I predict that by the time Friday -- and the start of a 3-day weekend -- rolls around, I'll be feelin' fine.  :)

And now he's 5!!

I can hardly believe it...

He was such a little nugget.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JUNAH!

There was a little friends & family party... and no shortage of present-opening helpers!

He decorated his own cake and it was just perfect!

_ _ _ _ _

I'm nearly recovered from the dastardly head cold after a 3-day weekend full of... not much. It was kind of a pain, but I'm thankful it didn't develop into anything more.

OK. This is going to be a super random dump of odds & ends that have been swirling in my brain...

It was kind of a crazy long holiday around here, beginning right after Thanksgiving with Maddy's arrival & Viv's visit. We celebrated, more or less (something/anything/everything), all of December, right through Christmas, and continuing with Ann & family's arrival for a few days just before the end of the year.

Mack picked up right where he left off last summer... with a baby in his arms! He's so sweet on her. It's adorable!

We made two visits to a new-to-us and spectacular indoor pool/rec center while Ann was here, once with Ali & the kids, and once with friends (above). Junah's going to be 5 years old in 5 days... and he looks it, doesn't he?!

We played a lot of Bananagrams!

It sure is a fun game. Maddy called me over to see one particular word she'd made...

All day long on New Year's Day, I was thinking "begin as you mean to go on," but I also just needed to chill, y'know?

One thing that I did do was the refashioning of a thrift store find -- rescued from the Clearance Rack (at the thrift store, so it was maybe $1.50). I don't know why it was on clearance -- well, actually, yes I do... it had sewn-on ribbing at the hem & cuffs that gathered the fabric and at the wrist and made for a bubble-butt look that wouldn't be flattering on anyone! I really liked the fabric and the size/length and thought for all of one second about whether to buy & re-work it. It took a while, but it was so easy to cut off the ribbing and turn up/sew new hems. I've been wearing it almost everyday since!!

I was pretty awful with picture-taking over the holidays... the one above isn't even mine (credit to Ali!). It tells the story, though: it was a chaotic & fun holiday season with the very best people. ❤️

Finally, the last wrap-up of 2018, I think... my Top Songs on Spotify. My #1 artist was, again, Gregory Alan Isakov, followed by The National, Amber Run, Lord Huron, and Langhorne Slim; and my favorite subgenre was the rather esoteric "Indie Folk."

They made me a playlist of my Top 100 songs... don't let "indie folk" scare you, it's a crazy fun mix of music! I was playing it yesterday and Katie asked about a few songs she was (surprisingly) unfamiliar with, eventually declaring it a "solid" playlist, which I consider high praise! Haha. Anyway, have a listen... maybe you'll find something new to like, too!

I didn't even finish talking about the weekend before last -- Sunday, anyway -- in which I took this:

...(plus a few more pieces) to THIS:

It took a lot longer than I'd hoped (I had a LOT more things on my to-do list) (still do), but it's done and I love it!

_ _ _ _ _

Last weekend started on Thursday evening with the first Christmas party of the season with the gang from work, and continued with a company-paid day off on Friday! I needed it, too, since I didn't have a regular day off last week. I did exciting things like get my oil changed & a tire repaired, picked up & dropped off packages at the coffee shop & visited with Ali for a while, went to the grocery store and Target. Woohoo! Those are all things that needed to be done, though, and I basically got paid to do them.

Rusty & I drove over to Two Rivers on Saturday for a meeting/gathering of the local chapter of Wisconsin Visual Artists. They met at the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum, and had organized an optional printing workshop... for which we both opted in!

One of my first real jobs was as a typesetter, though I didn't even know that's what I was doing at the time, and it was the very dawn of computer typesetting, so I never actually worked with block letters/art and real leading before. I just flipped switches to get the amount of leading I wanted between lines of type, and actually typed on a keyboard (mostly) instead of plucking individual letters from a type drawer. Either way, what was being produced was not the end-game... it was all destined for the printer! And though I never printed a darn thing in my life, I was in that environment for many years... and, coincidentally, Rusty owned a print shop at one time (long before I met him), and my brother also worked in various print shops for many years.

So this experience was both very familiar and very new!

We each had our own little sign press & galley with various tools, some ink & a supply of paper, and a good selection of type and art from which we could choose. I never actually thought about what I'd actually make/print, so I went seasonal first and went from there... here are a few examples of my work:

OMG. It was SO MUCH FUN!!!

I can't stop thinking about it, so I guess that means that a full-day (at least) workshop is in my future! Time was limited, so I really didn't spend much of it away from my own press, but I did take a peek at Rusty's project:

Well, he is an artist!

Edited to add: Rusty showing off one of his prints on the Hamilton Wood Type IG feed!

There was inspiration everywhere:

...including in the bathroom:

There was an amazing exhibit of Jim Sherraden's work at the museum...

Including these paper quilts. He's apparently been a visiting artist at Hamilton. I didn't know, until I googled just now, that he's famous! Way cool.

I hope you had a great weekend, too!

I am smack dab in the middle of a long weekend, heading to Minneapolis today for the Gregory Alan Isakov concert this evening. We'll hit a couple of museums tomorrow* before heading home.

I did some dyeing over the weekend... indigo and more! I barely spent two seconds in my basement dye studio over the summer, and it was a year ago that we were getting it all set up... I guess autumn/winter is my time down there!

*I cast my ballot weeks ago so I wouldn't have to worry about making it home in time! Fingers crossed!!

I continued to take it as easy as possible over the weekend! My shoulder continues to improve, but man does it ever ache sometimes! I'm amazed at how exhausting it is to be in constant pain and constantly aware of an injury and limitation. It was very helpful to have two days away from my desk/computer. Even though I vary my position... it's really not much of a variance. I sit and (comfortably) hold the mouse this way or that way, keyboard this far away or that far away. Heh. It feels so good to stretch out on the bed with my arm extended on and supported by a pillow, but I can't do that all day long! It's also been quite helpful to have someone willing to massage the area everyday... until today! Rusty's in Door County teaching a class at The Clearing Folk School all week, so I've made an appointment for a pro deep-tissue massage tomorrow evening. That'll be a great segue into my mid-week day off. I'm also hoping for some solid advice from the massage therapist. "Taking it easy" doesn't mean that I have been idle; I've been moving and stretching everyday, pushing but not too hard! Yesterday afternoon, I was able to put my hair in a ponytail without first lifting my arm to support it against a door frame -- with few twinges -- that's progress, and progress that I'd like to continue, and maybe she can help.

I spent a little farmer market time with Malina on Saturday -- at the market, at the nearby antique mall, then at home.

She's fitting into the Alabama Chanin onesie so nicely right now! It's getting so soft & cozy. She's smooshy & sweet, too!

We went up to visit Kate when Ali came over. I love how fabulously Kate & Malina coordinate with the porch sofa and with each other -- a study in reverse stockinette!

This little dumpling is starting to longingly gaze at food... all but reaching out & grabbing some. Getting close though, and with the teeth, too; she gnawed on my thumb for a good 15 minutes yesterday.

We had so many compliments on her little sweater when we were out. I'm excited to finish mine, though the knitting isn't exactly flying off the needles right now. I've been keeping at it as best I can without overdoing it (hopefully). I stopped just shy of binding off my second mitered square last night*, but finished it off this morning, and hope that I can get all the ends woven in and get them soaking yet this evening -- they'll be off to Philly on Tuesday or Wednesday at lastest (one or two days past my personal deadline). I try to vary my position while knitting, too, and take much more frequent breaks that I'm used to. Bleh. 

I spent Sunday afternoon out at Ali's at a little party she had for her employees & families -- but no photos! There were so many kids, including two newborns, and it was just fun to hang out. Ali had some activities, including stringing "O" cereals to make a necklace; the string she had was quite limp, though, and quickly frustrating to try and get it through a tiny sugar-crusted hole. I lamented that I didn't have my tote/knitting with me, but then recalled that I'd long ago stashed a few "emergency knitting notions" in my wallet -- and voila! I came up with the perfect needle to save the day. Ha ha!

*While watching the incredible resurrection of Aaron Rodgers and the Packers' second-half comeback to WIN THE GAME 24-23 (down 20-0 at halftime) after Aaron had been injured and carted off the field in the first half!

I helped Kate move some big stuff (specifically, her mattress) from the storage unit to the apartment, so Maddy could take over the guest room over the weekend. There are still a few big things to move, but the weather's been awful and Kate needs to return the borrowed truck... because she's leaving this week on a road trip to L.A. with a friend.

(There is no moss growing under that girl.)

(Any of my girls.)

The weekend was largely spent in the company of this crew, give or take...

That's not the best photo, technically speaking, but the SMILES show through loud & clear... and that makes it THE BEST! We sure have fun together... and, yes, Mack is still completely smitten with that baby. He & Addie had a great week at camp, and Ann & Brian enjoyed their time away in NOLA!

Maddy had an excellent adventure with her campers, in & around the Apostle Islands for nearly two weeks, and it was so great to see her so happy & relaxed. They had great weather except for one day, and they had three bear encounters all on one day... YIKES! Get it over with!! She's bound for Oregon in 3 short weeks!

On Sunday, Kate & Al took the boys to see Christopher Robin. (They liked it... was a bit melancholy.) It was Junah's first experience at the theater since our unsuccessful go at Cars 3 over a year ago. At one point yesterday, Ali wrote, "Two potty breaks and one drink refill so far... never got so much exercise at a movie!" Haha.

Annie & I took charge of the girls for those few hours!

We took a walk, played with blocks, read some books... Annie napped with Malina... it was really great!

Despite the busy weekend, I managed to get a little "me" time, too.

I cast on and started auditioning/swatching my Rhinebeck Sweater! I've finished one of two swatches and still need to block, but stitch gauge is spot on so far... not so much with the row gauge. I'll need to figure out how crucial and/or what adjustments to make on this particular sweater... or choose a different one!

Apparently over-excited about how close I am to the bind-off, I dropped a section of stitches on the TTL Shawl late last night -- too late to really even think about fixing it (I think I can fix it); hopefully, that will get back on track this evening.

I never got around to adding the pockets to my FAME dress, either, but it's on the short list for Wednesday!

Ann & family are back in Madison for the next 10 days; then return for a final few days mid-August before their departure for Spain on the 21st. WHOOSH!

When you feel as though you had a 3-day weekend when it was actually just the normal 2-day variety, and that said weekend was largely spent with a (clean) houseful of people, including a 4mo, 2yo, 4yo, 11yo & 13yo, along with various adults, and that the weather wasn't always great -- and not to say that I wasn't absolutely exhausted at the end of each day -- but I'd say that was a pretty darn good weekend!

Ali sent me this photo on Friday and it's one of my favorites of the weekend -- Ann & fam gave the kids a set of superhero capes & masks and, OMG, I just love Jün's happy expression here!

And Mack...

...and Addie, too, with the baby!! Practically baby whisperers. She did not lack attention & cuddles, that's for sure!

I managed a moment or two, too.  :)

The kids all played together MARVELOUSLY!!! It was pretty wonderful. I might still be a little in shock.

I managed to have Saturday & Sunday mornings mostly to myself, which I'm sure saved me.

I finished Junah's shirt -- buttonholes & buttons (from my mom's button tin). The buttonholes could be a wee bit bigger, and I'm hoping that they'll loosen up a bit. It was a complete failure of the buttonhole function that sent my machine to the shop last time and I could tell that it's still a touchy operation. I will need to seriously start looking for its replacement (it seems a daunting task).

Next step: a photo shoot with all three kids in their Mickey duds + one other wardrobe change. It's never too early to start sending good photo mojo, and crossing fingers!!

I managed some knitting, too! I'm closing in on the end of TTL Mystery Shawl Clue 4, with Clue 5 in hand, and the 6th & final clue due to be released on Friday. The general consensus in the Ravelry spoiler thread for this project is that it's been a real pleasure to knit and is incredibly beautiful to boot! I don't think I'm spoiling too much here, given that it's all jammed onto that straight needle. I've gathered that Clue 5 is the quickest to complete, so I might even have a chance to catch up! I was admiring my Blue Angel hosta through the front door yesterday and decided that it really wanted to be a backdrop for a knitting photo. Heh.

Annie wants to do some Christmas knitting, so we looked over a few patterns, chose some yarn & needles...

...and I gave her a refresher course! She learned to knit many years ago, but it's been a while. It was quite an interesting lesson as she knits continental and I throw, so I really had to concentrate and watch how she was forming her stitches (purls in particular) in order to iron out a couple of little problems. She took one project with her and hopes to make some progress (if not finish) before they return late next week. In the meantime, I'll wind & prep the others.

Maddy came home on Friday for a break from camp; she's stressed out as it's been a super tough summer -- too much work and no assistance (she's supposed to have an assistant) or support. It's just truth when I say that my girls have an incredible work ethic, and if she's feeling it enough to express it... it's bad, especially because she truly LOVES camp! Her saving grace is a trip coming up... fingers crossed, along with all the good thoughts, karma & juju!!

Anyway, I had a million things to do in the pre-cleaning/reclamation department, but I knew that offering my girls some SISTER TIME was way more important -- for all of them -- so I offered to take the kiddos on Saturday. Kate, Al & Mads went out to lunch, stopped at a hobby/craft shop, ran a few errands... and then came back for drinks, games & dinner.

Malina experiences full-on fart gun a la Ginny!

These two! Gah!! Junah was sitting on the step and Ginny sat down next to him... and then scooted over to be closer. 

We took full advantage of my around-the-corner neighbor's invitation to help ourselves to her raspberry bushes. Junah doesn't really like them, so he gave me all that he picked, and then carried home a little handful for his mamma.

We actually had some rain on Friday, which meant a full ran barrel on Saturday!! So fun.

On Sunday, I hit the housework! I've been constantly reminding myself that it's a process... things aren't going to be perfect on Wednesday, but they'll be better and will improve each time. That's the plan, anyway!

BONUS! I found the fat quarters that I bought in Nashville last February! I've made a conscious effort to not let The Case of the Missing Fat Quarters drive me crazy over the past few months... they'd cross my mind now & then and I've even "looked" for them a little bit. Man, they were stuffed into a knitting project bag and I would never have looked for them there.

It's a normal week around here, except that Junah's sleeping over on Tuesday night and cleaning ladies are coming on Wednesday and I'll see my sister Ann & the boys (from Spain) by the end of the week! Woohoo!!

I drove down to O'Hare on Saturday to pick up Kate after her month in the U.K. We decided to stay overnight and chose the new (as in barely open a week) St. Jane for our accommodations. Formerly the Hard Rock Hotel, St. Jane is in Chicago's beautiful Carbide & Carbon Building and is named for Jane Addams.

Instead of a bible in every room, it was a biography!

The weather was fabulous and it was great to be outside!

We had a light lunch at the Purple Pig (of course) and dinner at Catch 35 (first time). I had those gorgeous scallops and Kate had a mixed grill.

We tried to get to a couple of (way up there) roof-top bars but most were busy with private events until late; we settled for a lower-level roof-topper with exorbitantly priced pre-mixed cocktails (which we didn't know were pre-mixed until they were poured). They looked & tasted pretty good but should have been half the price (and my glass should have been all the way full instead of 2/3, too... what's that all about?). /gripe

I had a great time with my girl!

We got up, had coffee and shared a blueberry muffin, and then head home. We were on the road by 10 and home before 2.

The girls came over for a little while, and everyone else came later for supper. It was a nice evening together!

Katie went to bed fairly early and I wound down with a couple of episodes of Anne with an E (I started on Friday and am bingeing hard -- love this show) and my TTL Mystery Shawl.

The photo is from Friday night, having barely begun Clue 2; as of last night, the first of two very enjoyable repeats is finished... and Clue 3 awaits!

I'm looking forward to next weekend already!

As in temperature. And humid, too.

Malina's like...

WHUT??!!!

The big kids were keeping cool as they saw fit (some in undies, at most, others in head-to-toe fleece -- which seems to hold a lot of water and it was cold, so... to each his own).

Also, cool big air-bubble knees!

Ginny & I both suffered injuries when I fell after saving her from a likely bump/fall off of the retaining wall. I'm the only one to actually spill blood; Gin's Minion band-aid (and unseen crocodile plaster) are purely decorative/placebo measures. Maddy, certified in First Aid because of her summer camp job, jumped right in to fix me up. Gin was obviously quite fascinated by the procedure, but Junah made a face after the application of hydrogen peroxide and bowed out. I'm just thankful that I didn't twist anything and that it's my left knee we're looking at and not the right; my right knee won't likely fare another grinder very well. (That big scar on my shin is where I met the bottom drawer of my filing cabinet at work last year. Yep, that hurt.)

It's nice having Maddy around for a few days while camp is on break for the 4th! It's still hot but, thankfully, not as humid today... so we'll take it. I hope you're faring well, too!

I spent a lot of time with kiddos over the weekend, but managed a little progress on a few of my projects in the "less hectic" periods. I cut out the pieces for another Geranium Dress, worked a little bit on another, and got started on my TTL Mystery Shawl!

Friday evening, out on the pergola, with an adult beverage -- ready to go! I am currently a bit more than half-way through the fourth of five repeats for Clue #1, and it is quite enjoyable (and beautiful) so far. I'm very happy with the change of yarn so far.

On Saturday, I picked up "the big kids" to go to a Native American Dance Performance presented by the Menominee Nation at the Grignon Mansion.

We took a shuttle bus from the library to get there... "On the buth," said Ginny with a grin. There was a demo of a few historic yard games that kids might have played in the 1850s, and we tried them all! Ginny and I joined in one of the dances, too!

The Trapezette Dress has been seeing lots of action.  ;)

Ali filled in at work yesterday so a co-worker could attend a memorial & Rod had an afternoon gig, so I had all three!

Junah does not willingly pose for photos very often, but when he put on the life vest that he found in the shed, I suggested that we send a pic to Maddy and he was all for it. "Junah says that he's ready to go kayaking whenever you are!!"

Some of us (okay, one of us) napped a few times. We walked over to the park but Junah saw right away that there was no shade on the playground area, and it was hot outside, so we turned around and came home. They put on swimming suits and we had some water play interspersed with helping Grandpa with yard work, and general relaxing and goofiness.

Jün & Gin helped me spiralize some zucchini and Rusty grilled some turkey burgers and we all had a nice supper -- with ice cream for dessert (the kids seem to like "Grandpa's ice cream" best... plain ol' vanilla!).

We decorated the wire tree for the 4th of July.

I noticed an opportunity in the back yard and cajoled the kids (Junah) into a group photo...

With mixed results!

Can you believe it? Malina is 3 months old today!! All three kids have changed/grown so much!

It was definitely a high-energy, fun weekend and I wouldn't have had it any other way. This time is so brief, witness:

I hope your weekend was just as you liked it!

Just before the kids left on Thursday night, I remembered to have Gin try on her new dress so I could measure for the hem. I took care of that little detail on Saturday morning!

I guess I've got the sewing bug at the moment! I picked up a cute Disney fat-quarter bundle at Joann's a few weeks ago featuring Mickey Mouse -- I couldn't resist it then and it's been calling to me ever since! I had to listen...

I had a blast putting that together -- it's a Made By Rae Geranium Top for Malina. I made the 3-6 month size because she is growing!! It's the first one I've made with the pleated skirt variation.

There was enough fabric leftover that I thought I'd try to cobble it together, along with something from my meager fabric stash, to make a coordinating top for Ginny. I've made the bodice, which looks much the same as Malina's, and here's the skirt front underway:

I'm making the pleated skirt for this one, too, and it will also have POCKETS! The skirt back will be made entirely of the "extra" fabric. I originally wanted to use white for the "extra," but I didn't like the weight of it compared to the MM fabric, so... it's not perfect, but I think it'll be cute enough.

Ali sent a few photos this morning. I think that Malina can't take her eyes off of her new top!!

She brought the kids over last night for ice cream cones...

...to celebrate (Grand) Father's Day! I love how Malina's got her eyes on Ginny! Junah's all wet because he was dousing himself with a water bottle -- it was pretty hot & sticky yesterday.

So relaxed, and too cute!!

Let's see, what else... We went to a couple of art/music things on Friday evening. We did a run for some gravel on Saturday, and also to try and find a rain barrel that I liked; didn't find one, so ordered one that I hope looks as nice in person (we shall see on Thursday!). I had my first-ever 90-minute massage on Saturday, too, during which I may have fallen asleep once or twice, but also resulting in my arm/shoulder feeling SO MUCH better! And I didn't even know that my left kneecap was in so much need of attention until she started working it... aahhhhhh. It was true bliss.

The weekend ended with this message from Al:

A swishy & swirly one, I bet!!

I drove to Chicago & back on Friday to deliver Kate to ORD. She had a quick visit with some friends in Edinburgh (who she'll meet up with again for a side trip to Wales) and is currently relaxing & enjoying the beautiful scenery in the Scottish Highlands. (Follow along here on IG, if you'd like.) Lucky girl!

I spent much of the weekend cuddling & caring for Malina while her parents were busy at a local music festival. The Electric City Experience is in its third year, evolving a bit with each one.

Ali had the coffee camper there, and Rod had a few gigs -- including sitting in last-minute for a bass player who was busy becoming a dad!

I was just a short walk from festivities and, since Malina isn't a fan of bottle feeding, I could easily walk her down for a meal/snack (and her mama could take a little break, too).

That Lemon Rhubarb Italian Soda was delicious, with Ali's homemade rhubarb syrup -- tart with a little sweet & sparkle, just the way I like my beverages!

Maddy came home late Saturday afternoon for an overnight visit and it was perfect timing, as many friends were around, too. We all had fun socializing with folks we haven't seen in a while. And fireworks!

On Sunday, we met up with the "big kids" for a little festival brunch/lunch.

It doesn't get more groovy than that!

I'm pooped, but back to work (a looooong week) and making sure to carve out some "me" time.

I stopped by my LYS on the way home from work on Friday to find some buttons for the girls' sweaters.

I can't believe I still haven't sewn them on! It was a very busy weekend with lots of distractions and many things buzzing 'round my brain. I'll buckle down and get that done because, believe it or not, it has been sweater weather the past few days.

On Friday evening, Kate & I stopped in to see Cristian Andersson's installation & performance piece, Scriptorium (some background here).

There was more bad news on Friday and, combined with Cristian's reading of the news, the piece by Annie Leue that we'd seen at the SAIC Student Show not even a week earlier came immediately to mind, prompting the post above. We did not see/hear Cristian's entire performance, but he later made a moving reply to my post on IG (click through for all the photos/comments).

Nothing against Harry & Meghan, but I just couldn't muster much enthusiasm for the wedding. I was happy to see a recap or two and some photos and, in hindsight, I probably would have enjoyed it... but not as much as my mother would have, and perhaps that was another reason for my lack of interest.

Instead, I had a fantastic day with Junah & Ginny on Saturday!

They brought over some new bikes to leave at my house and we rode around the 'hood to check on things... the remainder of the sewer/water work on a few streets over, the old water feature at a park a couple blocks away that's been on the docket for a (someday) re-do, the sad condition of sidewalks and settling earth due to the above sewer/water work that took place on our street last year. I called the City Engineer yesterday (again) and am awaiting a return call about when it'll all be fixed. They came up and put some safety barriers in a couple of places a few weeks ago, but even those are being swallowed up as things continue to deteriorate. It's not a good situation!

Ali came over with all the kids on Sunday, too, and we had a nice impromptu dinner together with Kate & Maddy.

This little one! She's wearing the Elwood cardigan that I made for Gin a couple of years ago -- it's a little big for her, but look at that cute pudgy rolled-up sleeve.

I think she's looking more and more "gingery" every time I see her! What do you think?

During a little chat with Ann in Spain on Sunday, I also talked with Addison for a bit and he sweetly asked about the baby. I told him that we're just beginning to see the hint of a smile now and then, but by the time they're here in July she'll be smiling ear-to-ear.

Work on the kids' clubhouse continues... there a door manufacturing operation in our basement over the weekend. The doorknob came from "the bucket o' knobs" that Rusty's collected/saved over the years. I think it'll soon be finished!

I discovered a couple of new-to-me beers:

The Gnam Gnam was very good. Had I known beforehand that it had mango I wouldn't have tried it, but I couldn't even tell... I did get a hit of the Thai chili and it was perfect! I also enjoyed the Lager of the Lakes -- more than I thought I would, actually. Also, the design of both of those cans is pretty spectacular!

Due to coworker scheduling, I had the day off yesterday instead of my usual Wednesday and noticed that it was VICTORIA DAY, so of course!!

I had a long overdue chiropractic adjustment yesterday and a long discussion with her about my tendonitis, which has become a sometimes very uncomfortable/painful shoulder situation, and between the adjustment and a couple of awareness things... it's feeling better today. Here's hoping for continued improvement!

I've had the itch to make another Alabama Chanin Swing Skirt and pawing through my stash of t-shirts, souvenir & otherwise, I came across one that I bought last year at La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and it was perfect!  The embellishment could go either way because, y'know, GAUDI, but I'm keeping it simple... running stitch in black thread to outline each of the cathedral towers. I can always add more stitching later... at times it screams for beads!

Thanks for all the great comments about my patch job yesterday! It was a very methodical process and fun to learn. I neglected to mention that I have a few copies of that issue of Making (and some of the others) in the shop and would be happy to send them out into the world -- $24 (+ tax if in WI) + flat $5 shipping. Let me know if you're interested! (Someday I'll get the online commerce thing going.)

I took off from work at noon on Friday, ran a few errands, and then drove up to Fish Creek in Wisconsin's Door County Peninsula to spend a weekend with nine other members of my Book Club.

Provisions.

Our book club has been meeting for about 20 years. I've known, been acquainted, worked and/or socialized with some members for much longer than that, but most I know only because of the 2-3 hours when we share a dinner every couple of months and (usually) discuss a book that we've (more or less) all read (maybe).

Anyway, we've read a few books over the years by Wisconsin authors and/or set in our state, and a couple that were specific to Door County... which happens to be just not too far away... and somewhere along the line, a book club get-away was dreamed up! We found a spacious condo with plenty of room (and bathrooms).

This was our "backyard." There was still a little snow on the deck, but it was nice enough to sit out and soak up some Vitamin D on Saturday afternoon.

We were able to walk to dinner & cocktails at Bayside Tavern on Friday evening, and to breakfast at The Cookery (newly opened for the season!) on Saturday morning.

Our main event was a Door County Trolley's Wine, Spirits & Brew Tour on Saturday. We shared the trolley with another group of 10 women on their 3rd annual girls' weekend (which all began with a bridal shower), a group of three, and two couples.

There was a lot of singing and laughing, and our driver/guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. It was a great way to spend the day with a group! We stopped at Door County Distillery, Starboard Brewing Company, and Simon Creek Vineyard & Winery, with a delicious lunch stop at Crate.

They have a board at Starboard on which you can write suggestions for future brews and/or naming suggestions -- Lor Horny Hop and Hop Bop Bonino are from our group.  :)

We stayed in on Saturday night, ordering take-away pizza from Wild Tomato and staying up late (again) playing games and laughing. I did less playing games and more knitting*... but still a LOT of laughing!

I'd been a little hesitant as the time approached (Inner Introvert: What did I get myself into???), but told myself it was only for a weekend (suck it up). I gave it a positive spin in my brain and decided that I would enjoy it... and I did. But I also had SO MUCH FUN! And RELAXING.

We packed up on Sunday morning and headed out of town for breakfast, ending up at The Log Den for their Sunday buffet... and what a wonderful stop that was! Family-built, -owned, and -operated, 76-year-old owner Wayne is still the head cook!

They also have a log home listed on VRBO and they invited us to go over to scout it out for next year!!

*Mixed results on the knitting... Friday's time was much better spent than Saturday's... more on that in a day or two, and probably an FO!

The weekend began late Friday afternoon with an overdue & much-needed massage and ended on Sunday evening with a mopping of the bathroom floor after the toilet tank spontaneously cracked! Apparently, it happened just moments before we took a break from watching the conclusion of Borderliner, when Rusty went in and I heard him start to swear (very unusual behavior!). I couldn't believe how much water & how quick, but thankfully we were on it right away. A new tank was ordered this morning; we'll be flushing with a bucket for the next week!

This is when a second bath, even half-, would sure come in handy!

In between, I did a little work on taxes, cleaned up my work table a little, did some sewing, celebrated 13 years QUIT, had breakfast out with my girls yesterday, and enjoyed the sunshine & warmer weather. It's about 20 degrees cooler today than yesterday, but I spy another weekend warm up. Let's hope!

I've had a little elbow/forearm pain/strain, which seemed to worsen a bit after a couple of hours of nonstop knitting on Thursday evening, so I gave knitting another weekend off.

I sent Ali home yesterday with some leftover fabric from my bathroom curtains and next thing I know she's posting an adorable little pinafore. She even sent me a Snapchat with Ginny modeling... SO CUTE!!

Ali dropped Jün off on Saturday evening, and I returned him almost 24 hours later.

Left to his own devices... 10.5 hours of snooze time!

His new favorite place is perched on the arm of my recliner, right next to my table of treasures -- scissors, cases, measuring tapes, stitch markers, knitting needles, tools, bits of yarn, patterns -- it is endless and fascinating to an almost 4yo.

We had a great time doing all sorts of things, including watching holiday shows (Thomas the Tank Engine and Mickey Mouse), doing laundry (he's great at matching socks!), and putting some finishing touches on the Christmas tree.

As mentioned yesterday, I did a little cleaning & organizing. I identified two specific areas in desperate need of attention.

This is a lovely old but rickety bamboo shelf unit in a corner of the kitchen that used to see a bit more action because it's where the phone is located. You can see a couple of phone books; they've never been cracked, so they're now in Recycling. There's also a personalized Phone List, which I had on the computer and used to updated on the regular, but it's been YEARS, so also recycled. Pens, pencils, paper, calendars, recipes, a few (ahem) greeting cards, cycling stuff.

It's not perfect, but it's better. I added a LOT to the recycling bin yesterday. The phone is still "located" here, but it's unplugged more often than not. The only reason it's still on the wall is because it would leave a mark if removed, and I'm not prepared to deal with that right now. Because of "bundling," it's cheaper to have the phone than not... it's probably even cheaper if I added cable TV back in... but all I really want is internet. The phone drives me nuts, even with Nomorobo activated, and it makes me feel ill when I think about surfing through all those cable channels that I don't care about; it's been 6 or 7 years since I cut that cord, and I don't miss it a bit.

This is an old drop-leaf table that Rusty had when we got married. It's located just kitty-corner from the shelf above. It usually starts out with some sort of display, but quickly becomes a catch-all!

I even found some Christmas stuff (from the contingent in Spain) from last year!

I finished seaming my Abulón cowl at Knit Night on Thursday, and gave it a soak yesterday. It was on our bed to dry, but it's going to take a while, so moved it to the upstairs bedroom. Maybe a Unraveled Wednesday debut??

How was your weekend?