I know. It’s been a bit. It’s also been a lot. The remodel continues at a snail’s pace. Abram finished cross country and headed straight into basketball. V dislocated their knee and brought an abrupt end to their swim season. Jesse and I planted garlic and then something dug through the beds so I don’t know how much (if any) we will actually get next summer. Violet and I went with my sister and niece to Lizzo (it was amazing). Abram and I joined my niece, nephew, parents, and sister for a Minnesota Gophers game (also fun). There was homecoming and football games and 8th grade boy nerf battles. Jesse and I both had COVID (zero stars – do not recommend). Violet needed knee surgery. Abe treated a few different neighborhoods with some friends. V handed out candy. October was gorgeous, and then snowy and gray, and gorgeous again and now we are in November.

Knitting: Finished a pair of socks for my brother-in-law, started and finished a pair from Abram (because when he outgrows them, they will fit me), and am working on this scarf in the Oyster Gray and Meadow color way. The repeat took me a little bit to get right but it’s starting to go fast now that I’ve got it down.

Watching: All the things. Finished the RHOBH season with all kinds of feelings (Garcelle is my favorite. Rinna is not.) Other than that I was mainly on Netflix – Somebody Feed Phil, which I dole out one sweet episode at a time. I love it so much. Do Revenge I enjoyed with Violet. Partner Track was fun and soapy, and finally, The Watcher which was kind of eh. I’ve been watching Tell Me Lies on Hulu and I don’t like it but I also keep watching whatever that means. I’m looking forward to the HBO Max Lizzo documentary.

Listening: Lizzo (it’s a theme and I’m about it), this is a whole mood for a blustery rainy October day (my sister gets credit for introducing it to me), and this for puttering around the house (aka millennial elevator music)

(ETA because I forgot) Reading: Maybe in Another Life (★★☆☆☆) and After I Do (★★★★☆) by Taylor Jenkins Reid – she’s a bit hit or miss for me. After I Do was a hit, Maybe in Another Life was a miss. When I Ran Away by Ilona Bannister (★★★★★), On a Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass (3.5 stars), Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (★★★★★). Currently reading: This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub

Making: We recently went dairy free. I never thought of us as big dairy people, but actually eliminating it has made me realize how much we actually we were using. This pumpkin bread or these pumpkin oat muffins (maybe even both?) are in the plan for this week. October brought about chili season and we’ve made three batches already. My favorite go to dinner lately is an olive oil baked sweet potato with shredded roasted chicken breast – sometimes I add green beans that I put up from this summer or a big spinach salad.

So that’s me. Hope you are all doing well! Would love to hear what you’re up to in your corner of the world.

I couldn’t manage a Tuesday Things this week, but I wanted to say hello, so here I am! Hello!!!!

We’ve had one fall day with all the windows open and breeze blowing and I roasted tomatoes. The 400° oven didn’t trigger rivers of sweat and the kids put on sweatshirts and it was glorious. The very next day, the summer temperatures returned.

The renovation continues. Some days are full of progress and ceaseless banging. Other days the project is stalled for one reason or another. I’m trying to be grateful for the peace when it’s here and the progress when it isn’t.

I don’t have a ton of things but let’s talk the ones I do.

Reading: The Good-Enough Life by Avram Alpert and A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder by Holly Jackson.

Watching: I started watching Pieces of a Woman (Netflix) but had to pause it. I need the house to myself to watch because it’s good, but hard. Head of the Class (HBO). Only about three episodes. I loved it when I was younger. Untold (Netflix) – I’ve watched The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist, Operation Flagrant Foul, and The Rise and Fall of And1. I’m not a sports person really, but I find these stories fascinating.

Knitting: I have a pair of socks due for a birthday that are not going to be done in time. (I have just a little bit of the gusset and foot to go, so it should have been doable but LIFE).

Making: Lots of garden stuff – notes for next year, preserving tomatoes and green beans, putting up onions and wishing I had a root cellar. Potatoes will be dug up in the next couple of weeks and I’ll put in the garlic. We also have some rye ground cover to plant in our larger plot for overwinter. My brother got me this book and I can’t wait to cross stitch my Stardew farm! (I did promise my brother I would do his first though.)

So that’s me. Drop a line and let me know about how you are doing!