Yes. That is snow. We have close to 2 inches as I’m typing this and we’ll have 4-6 before it’s over (at least according to the weatherman.) I’m hearing some people grumble that it’s too soon, but it’s the near-end of October. We had a great fall, a glorious summer, and a long and early spring. I have zero complaints. I simply refuse to believe in bad weather this year (outside of natural disasters) and am looking forward to snowpants, warm beverages, and bonfires.
I know I’ve been quiet this last month. I haven’t had the words. I’ve only had feelings. All of them. All smooshed together in a ball that won’t be parsed.
Knitting: I made a scarf. I loved how it turned out. It somehow ended up in the washing machine and is now some very lovely felted wool. I have no idea what I’m going to do with it. Felt it more and make mittens? Currently, I’m working on this scarf and a pair of vanilla socks. Then a fern pair or maybe these pop radio. They luck so fun!
Watching: I’ve been watching the “America: The Story of Us” with Violet on Prime. (I stole a friend’s idea and started doing “Documentary Wednesday” with her.) The Duchess on Netflix per friend recommendations (I both loved and loathed it) and Emily in Paris which I thought was a sweet (but adult) cotton candy of a show. I purchased and binged the first season of A Discovery of Witches (I’ve been knitting a lot, don’t judge) and absolutely loved it. It made me want to reread the books.
Reading: I’m still reading Caste because it’s heavy and it makes my heart hurt and I have to put it down and take breaks. I also find myself recommending it to everyone. I’ve also recently read Anxious People by Fredrik Backman and it was such a good book. Violet stole The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue before I could get to it and she says it’s really good so that may be next but I just picked up an order from my local bookstore and Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls is calling out to me. After being in a slump where nothing sounded worth reading, I’m glad to be feeling the pull of books.
Making: Not a whole lot. Plans for next year’s garden and how I can expand it. I was baking my feelings for a bit but got out of the habit of that. I’ve been volunteering for two hours a week for a local political organization because action is the antidote to despair. I answer phones, make signs, write postcards and talk to neighbors in the hopes that we will have a flawed but mostly decent human being as President again.
So that’s me. What have you been reading, watching, making, and whatever other -ing you want to share?
And lastly, if you happen to be in the US and are eligible to vote and haven’t already, please make sure to vote. And wash your hands, and wear a mask, and be kind to each other out there.
Ah, I’ve missed you! I understand, though. I missed my weekly post for the first time in months and months because…all the feelings, I guess. I just didn’t want to sit in them last week. Still on the fence about this week.
I almost tried The Duchess just last night. I’m wondering if it’s a bit like Fleabag? I didn’t quite feel in the mood for it, but now that I’ve finished Emily in Paris (yummy candy that I mostly doled out one piece at a time) I need another diversion. I’m currently liking Mrs. Wilson on Prime—says it’s only available through Oct. 31. Highly recommend. Netflix has two new home design/makeover showS that folks are apparently binging but I tried them and I just can’t with young, pretty white women squealing over things that really don’t matter and who are seemingly oblivious to, well, everything right now. I love some good escapism (Emily), but those two shows fell into the not-good for me.
I’m sorry about your scarf. But it will make adorable mittens, which you seem to have more need of than we do here. Feels like we’re only just now getting to real fall. The seasons feel all out of whack to me. I’m realizing how much the rhythms of the school year have kept me grounded in time, and those rhythms are all off. I’m having a hard time dancing to the new beat.
I hope your son likes The Crossover. I’ve seen 6th grade boys who don’t much like reading just eat up Alexander’s novels in verse. He’s a dynamic speaker, too. You can find some nice short videos on YouTube. My reading is all kinds of off. Can’t seem to focus. I’ve been listening to mostly fluff. It makes chores more tolerable.
As for making—not much. Most of my making energy has gone into work. I’m trying to get my groove back. Have to figure out where it’s hiding, first.
I hope you’re finding yours.
I don’t know what Netflix shows you are talking about but I know there is one that is popular currently that I just will not watch. I used to follow the Instagram account and I had to stop. One of the women was truly horrid and when I watched her use her social media platform to go after people, I stopped following. Great branding and pretty pictures don’t make up for being a horrible person.
I appreciate being friends with a librarian so much. I love that you 1) knew the book was for Abram and 2) gave me additional resources.
I missed your post this week, but (obviously) understand taking some time off. 2020 has been a wonky year in so many ways. I think it makes sense that we lose our grooves periodically. I have faith you’ll find yours again.
Thank you for the Mrs. Wilson recommendation. I’m going to watch an episode and knit a bit this afternoon. Hope to get the second sock cast on before the end of the day today. As for Duchess, it is a bit like Fleabag. Though I absolutely loved that. If you watch it, I hope you will let me know what you think.
Hope you’re feeling in the groove again soon! Sending big hugs, Rita.
I was so happy to see your blog post in my Bloglovin feed today! Happy mail, indeed! I love your blog posts so much. They make me warm and fuzzy. Your home, your pictures, just make me happy. 🙂
I always love the first snow even though I am not a huge fan of winter. I am currently going through an awakening right now, trying to live a better life within a pandemic so I don’t have a midlife crisis/anxiety/panic attack of massive proportions. So I am embracing things that used to bother me; looking at things completely different. Snow will be one of those things HA. We didn’t get any of it….yet. But last year, we got a huge snowstorm on Halloween. That should have been a sign of things to come LMAO.
We watched an episode of the newest Unsolved Mysteries last night! I thought of you. 🙂
Sending you a hug and healing vibes.
Awww. thanks, Kari. That’s the very best compliment.
I know a lot of people who don’t like winter. It *might* be my favorite season. Last year, I had a woman tell me I made a convert of her so I’ll tell you what I said to her. PLAY IN IT. If you don’t want to go sledding or make a snowman or go skiing, just go for a walk (or a snowshoe). The key is to do it for at least 15-20 minutes almost every day. (Unless the windchill is stupid low, than you make yourself a hot beverage and watch a good movie or read by a fire or something.)
I very much believe in the embracing things that bother you idea. I need to do some of that too.
AND I need to watch that!! I was wondering when the new episodes would need to go live. I need to round up all the things I want to watch and write them down so I don’t forget!
So, so happy to see this post from you, Kate! “Feelings . . . All smooshed together in a ball that won’t be parsed” has been exactly what I’ve been going through as well, but in my case it’s been going on for seven months. I take my hat off to you (and Rita) for managing to write with any coherence during this dumpster fire of a year. (I also take my hat off to you for volunteering with the election. Showing up/stepping up/speaking up in the midst of such extreme conflict is hard, and I really admire your determination to do this.)
The felted scarf would make beautiful mittens, but it occurred to me that you might also be able to make a tote bag. It looks like it’s a tubular construction, so perhaps there’s enough width? (If it isn’t wide enough, you could also piece it using some sturdy fabric, and then use that fabric for the handles.)
Anxious People sounds SO good. I saw it in my bookstore the other day but didn’t pick it up. I’m going to add it to my TBR list. I listened to an interview with the author of Caste on the radio about a month ago, and found myself nodding along. It sounds like a tough but important read.
My -ing . . . I finished Villette and started The Count of Monte Cristo (my youngest handed it to me and said it was good escapism; he’s right). I’m making good progress knitting my sweater but I also just started some baby booties for our niece, who is expecting her first baby in about a month. I’ve been doing some sewing (a few more masks, another revamping of a previously sewn top into a different style of top, yet another braided rug). My son and I are re-watching Schitt’s Creek. (Unless we pay for another subscription service or cable, we’ve now watched all the Star Trek series we can.) Rita mentioned she tried a couple of new home design shows on Netflix. I watched two episodes of what I’m assuming is one of these shows, and my reaction was exactly the same as Rita’s, so I won’t be watching any more of them. When our re-watch of Schitt’s Creek is done, I think we’ll watch the latest season of The Great British Baking Show, which we can now stream on CBC. (I sometimes have a hard time with these baking shows—all that plastic wrap! argh!—but shows about food are somehow still mostly ok.)
I hope you have a good week, Kate. Stay safe.
I don’t know if I’m writing coherently, but I like having a diary of what I’ve been watching and working on it. Last week I was looking back through old posts trying to get up some inspiration to write. The years have all slipped away so quickly and even in this dumpster fire of a year, time is still ticking. I miss your posts a great deal but am so grateful that you still come and talk to me.
I did think about making a tote bag but I think I’m going to have enough to make everyone in my family a matching pair of mittens – using the different colored yarn scraps for different people to sew them up.
Your list of -ings is both inspiring and intimidating. I LOVED The Count of Monte Cristo, and love that you’ve made good progress on your sweater. I put yarn in a cart yesterday to make a new one for Abram but didn’t pull the trigger. I have so many other projects I really should get done first. I had the same issue with some mask fabric. I ended up just ordering some off of etsy. I wonder if the show you started watching is the one I refuse to watch? Something says it probably is. I do love the Great British Baking Show.
I hope you and yours are all doing well, Marian. I’m truly grateful for your friendship.
I’m happy to see you here, but shocked by snow. Really? It all seems too early to me.
I read The Elegance of the Hedgehog years ago and liked it. The story stayed with me. I hope you like it. I’m trying to read Untamed by Glennon Doyle right now, but I don’t get it. The book seems unstructured and pointless to me. Perhaps I’m not her intended demographic.
We’ve been re-watching The Good Place at night. It’s just right kind of light and absurdity to keep me entertained while we wait for Election Day results. Other than that life is the lowest of keys here. We are healthy, so not complaining.
It’s not too early for us to get snow, but it was a record breaking amount and it’s still on the ground which has me a little concerned for the length of winter we might be facing. And today is positively eerie. Very green skies (thunderstorms) with rain/snow. Very dystopian novel.
I read Elegance of the Hedgehog years ago and remember liking it but it was back when my brain was in perpetual Mommy fog so I don’t remember any of it. A friend recently told me that it was in her top five books of all time so I decided to reread. As for Untamed, I read it because it’s been having a moment, but I’ve never really loved Glennon. I think she occasionally has a pearl, but I don’t understand the love for her. (We must be in the same demographic.)
I’m glad to hear that you are staying healthy and low key.
Last night as I got into bed, I thought about you Kate. I wondered about the fall colors and pumpkins with your family. (Missing my pen pal thoughts.) Then I woke up to this post of SNOW!!! I so love to see and read your post today. So sweet, your home looks like a picture perfect winter postcard. Perhaps there will be a snowman soon which my have a desire for felted mittens too! The last time that I saw snow in person was just after hurricane Harvey 2017 and the people here went wild with happiness to dress up all warm to play in it!
That looks like corn bread which I love and miss. There was a place that I went to take care of my cravings for it, but the name of the restaurant I cannot remember at all! I’ve tried backing it several times and never liked my own. I hope yours was a delicious treat!!
I couldn’t figure out; what are all the little packages of tags with the little round things sorted out on the table? Curious minds want to know more.
Yorkie and I have been -ing… completing our outdoor projects on our home sweet home. We have done a lot in six months. (Six months already!!!) Monday installing rain gutters and winterizing my garden of St Augustine grass.
-ing… making new friends with neighbors. I decided to invite one lady over for social distance coffee or tea, yesterday. I took that idea from you and/or Rita. Her and her husband are close to my age and purchased the house behind so we share a corner property pin. She is from Scotland and also, funny enough, watches the British Bake show. A few weeks ago a neighbor, joined me on my front porch wearing a mask to enjoy a late afternoon cocktail.
-ing… finishing my book that I started last winter with the first move into the apartment on the bay front. It’s a mystery and I still haven’t figured out who done it or if it correlated or coincidence. It truly is an easy enjoyable read, but… the move, then the pandemic, then the next move … and making a cottage a home!
I’m proud of you, Kate, for volunteering with elections. My mom volunteered with elections when women weren’t in politics. As a child, I truly didn’t know how important her work was then. So I am grateful for your work now!
I wish I could say lots of people went wild with happiness for snow here, but I think we’re all a little nervous about a long, cold winter. Today is supposed to be stormy with rain/snow so it’s going to be a bit a mess. It could still warm up a smidge in a week or two, but I think we may be in for a long winter.
I’m so glad to hear that you’ve been becoming friends with the neighbors while staying safe and healthy!
As for volunteering, it really isn’t just a little thing – and more for my benefit than anything else, but thank you very much. I’m grateful for women like your mother who paved the road.
Stay well, TD. It was so lovely to hear from you!
The recipe shown WAS for corn bread, but I was actually making banana bread -the recipes share a page. I’ve made cornbread in the past but mostly for Thanksgiving dressing.
I also have been having thoughts that we might be in for a long winter. If not the number of days, the “feels like” a long winter. I have been ordering more than usual supplies to store up like a squirrel anticipating grocery delivery delays due to trucking, weather and pandemic. I’m probably not alone with theses thoughts and behaviors.
Thank you for the wellness wishes. Same for your family! Nice hearing about what is going on in your area and activities!!
I don’t think you are alone and it’s smart to be prepared. I realized I forgot to answer you question about my pretties. I recently had a friend of mine send a care package full of crystals. I laid them all out to see what I had and to let the kids to see which ones they liked. A good many of them are sprinkled throughout my house to add some good energy and sparkle.
I’m glad that you came back to answer my Curious George question. Crystals with the name and energy tags are a very nice care package! That’s neat!!