A Friday list for May Day

Strange as it might seem, I am on vacation this week. We booked several vacation weeks at the beginning of the year, thinking it would be, ya know, another year like all the previous ones… taxes would wind up in April, I would be exhausted. A would be about to launch into her busy season, but still able to break away for a few days of time off.

Who knew?

Who knew AARP would shut the tax program down literally overnight? And that the rest of my job would be deemed essential? I am thankful for that, but March was very confusing and stressful. I suspect I am not alone in that feeling! A’s town offices reacted to March differently, some were happy to have her come in on her usual schedule, others wouldn’t let her in the parking lot. So there was a bit of scrambling to figure out how she could work remotely (yea, TeamViewer!) and a bit of anxious planning on our part as we figured out budgets for different scenarios.

But we were so lucky, so very lucky, that both of us were able to keep working. And she was able to keep working safely, no public interaction, socially distant while at work.

I had to work harder at being socially distant for those first few weeks of everything shutting down. I put a line of tape down in my office and asked people not to cross it. They thought I was nuts. I made cloth masks and wore them to the office. They told me I inly needed to wear them “in public.” Hello! What are all you people if not public? And I chafed at my boss saying he needed me to be in the office every day. Really, I do grantwriting and communications. I get that our industry is essential, but not that it was essential for me to physically be present.

Then the governor issued stay at home orders for April, and I was able to convince him. So for the month, I worked at home 4 days a week and went in the office one day a week.

A works at home a few days a week, and we quickly discovered that our lovely open floor plan is not particularly conducive to two of us working from home! Let’s just say that it is good that we have closets. Many a phone call has been taken in ours.

So when this week arrived, I was ready for a break. A had filled most of the week with consulting; back in March when things were uncertain, it seemed prudent to maximize income. That means I have been home alone. How sad! 😜

I have been puttering and doing lots of knitting and spinning, and a little sewing and weaving. I have tackled a seasonal chore a day, but not anything too time consuming. One day it was cleaning the bathroom fan, another it was washing the bedroom windows. I have enjoyed my staycation, but the new reality is creeping in, and I want to go to work Monday. Even though I love being home, something is seeping in…anxiety because of all the people who gave no choice? An awareness of the need for human interaction? I am not sure what it is. So here it is Friday, and I have a bunch of things I want to get done. I thought I would share the list with you!

• The seasonal chore for today is to hook up the pool filter so the rain we get stays in the pool.

Also, call the pool store, hoping that we can figure out how to get the water tested and chemicals bought.

• If that means I have to go out, I will do the week’s shopping while I am out.
• And drive through Dunkin for a free donut.
• And go to the PO.

• Spin for half an hour. I did that yesterday and liked seeing the progress.

• Pick up the last weekly clue for the Romi Hill MKAL shawl. It usually releases mid-day. I am totally loving this knit, but not the online group. I won’t do an MKAL with that group again, though I will knit more of her patterns, they are lovely… and have charts as well as written directions. It takes time to do that, I really appreciate it.

• Give all my other knitting WIPs some love… the latest monthly clue for the Estonian Lace scarf came out this week, I started that as soon as it did. A few rows a day keeps me up to date on that clue. There is also a lace wrap I am knitting for a customer, I do a few repeats a day on that. And a sweater I started for myself that I try to work on each day. Then there is another lace and beaded scarf I have going. Thankfully that one is at a stage where I have the pattern memorized, so it is the one I work in when only mindless knitting will do. And then there are some mittens for A for Christmas. I am about a quarter of the way through the first one, but I have time. 🙄

• Lastly on this list is sewing masks for us. Restrictions are easing, but with the freedom to move comes the need for more masks. I hope to bang out several today.

By the time I get through all of this, A should be home from work and the weekend can begin! Weekends are so different now, aren’t they? We kind of like the freedom from social activities, but miss seeing the people. Still, we are grateful to both be introverts with hobbies…

Well, I had better get up and moving, that list won’t do itself.

Ye ha! Friday off!

It really has been a crazy couple of weeks at work, but eventually it had to mean a day off – yea! I worked enough hours this week that I am getting Friday off with only an hour or two of vacation time. I can live with that!

So that means you get one of my Friday lists!

There are household chores on it, of course. Last weekend A did them all, so I will be making it up to her this weekend.

There is knitting – bound and determined to finish the Down the Road and Back Again shawl.

And sewing- I started laying out the fabric for a simple dress a couple of weeks ago, and haven’t been able to get back to it. I’d like to finish laying it out and cutting it out.

Spinning. The fiber is prepped. The bobbins are empty. It is time to start it.

Someone needs to start putting the gardens to bed, and planting the garlic. I guess that will be me. But maybe not on Friday.

Another thing I am going to do is stay in bed until 6 am, at the earliest. I am exhausted.

What are you doing to celebrate Friday?

ooh la la I am off on Friday!

At least, I think I am.  Worst case scenario is that I have to work for a couple of hours, if the big project doesn’t go as planned.  But if it does, I will use vacation time to cover those few hours and take the day.  Yes, that means I worked a ton of late and long days this week.  Sigh.

Only two more weekends until vacation and the visiting knitters!  So we have lots of chores lined up to do, hopefully getting enough done that Labor Day weekend isn’t spent scrubbing floors.

I have given up the thought that the book cases will be finished, but I do plan to have some of the shelves finished.  There are 5 that should be done tonight, so books can be put on them in a day or two, and there are 5 more that are nearly done getting their first coat of finish paint.  I figured out that each shelf gets worked on 6 times. I can’t do the whole thing in one sitting, so for the primer and two coats of paint, I touch them 6 times.  And then they have to dry thoroughly, get sanded between coats.  No wonder this is taking forever.  I can fit 8 on my painting table at a time. This could take all winter. And there is still the trim to do.

A had me make a list of all that needs doing so that she can help. I wasted no time! So there will be chores amongst the knitting and spinning this weekend. Hope you will be having more fun than this!

It’s been a long time!

Sorry to be away so long, I have no excuse.  Just lazy!

Last week I wound up the TDF (tour de fleece, for you non-spinners).  I was pretty sure I was done on Friday, finished all the Three Waters Farm fiber I had, and as I was on their team, what we spun was to be at least 50% their fiber.  But I was having such fun spinning that I just kept going and spun one more braid, not TWF, so not in my official count, but still fun and pretty. I tried a traditional 4 ply.  Never did that before. It is an interesting yarn, quite firm and dense.

So here is all my spinning.  I figured up the yardage, and it is about .9 miles spun in just about three weeks.

And the blue that I finished up on Sunday – sorry for the poorly lit photo – not sure what the phone was doing with colors…the blues are brighter than that, and the counter is gray. Go figure.

I picked out a few more braids to spin up, but haven’t started them, time to get back to knitting.  Durrow has been sadly neglected, so I am plugging away at it.  I love how the medium purple is looking with the navy.  Can’t wait to link it to the squares done with the darker purple.

That is really is for crafting since I have seen you last.  finished but haven’t blocked the frieze cowl.  I missed my window of dry days this week, we are back to the muggies now.

I have been trying to work in the yard a bit here and there, but the weather has been so awful to work with, I just do five minutes some times and can’t see for the sweat pouring off my head.  I did manage to get this to happen, with very little effort on my part – put the plant on the porch and water it now and then, and voila – a bright summery miracle!

I planted sweet peas and morning glories beneath the trellis that you can see, and one on the other side of the porch.  On this side, that gets morning and mid day sun, they are literally 2 inches high and haven’t budged in weeks.  I water them, truly I do.

On the other side of the porch they did the same thing until about a week ago, now they are growing like mad, and have started climbing the trellis.  That side gets afternoon sun.  I am hopeful for some pretty, sweet smelling flowers there soon.

In front, I am working on clearing weeds and putting down soil and mulch along the outside of the new path.  I have literally gotten about 4 feet done. Many more feet to go.  Sigh.

The pool effort comes along.  I feel like I am finally making progress, though there is still al lot of sediment in the bottom that stirs up when ever it is touched, I think the amount is being reduced each time I get in and stir it up, them run the filter. I do that about twice a week, though with the weather so awful and hot again, I might do it more this week. It should be clean by September!  I am definitely getting the bigger, more powerful filter and vacuum for next year.

Other than that, I have been working. A lot again this week, enough that with only 2 hours of vacation time, I have Friday completely off.  I love when that happens, as you know! A is taking classes all week, culminating with a certification test Friday, so she is studying all of her waking hours.  We are not very exciting!

Last weekend we had a visit from nephew D and his wife A, they have recently relocated from Colorado to Vermont, and are taking advantage of the summer good weather to come to Maine fairly often to visit family while the traveling is easy. He is a teacher, so has been enjoying his summer vacation. It was great to see them and hear more about their lives and work.

This weekend looks to be a nice one – Whorls and Purls on Saturday, and then we are meeting Mom and B for supper on Saturday night.  We will go to a local seafood place and they will all have lobster.  I am not sure if I will have crabs or scallops, but I won’t have lobster, that is for sure.  🙂

And with Friday off, you know you get a bit of a list!

• Laundry  – I will get it rolling, I am sure A will wind up finishing it Sunday.
• Bathrooms – the darned things need cleaning every week and it is annoying.
• Grocery shopping – I usually go on Saturday after knitting, but it has been really awful there the past few weeks, so I am hoping that Friday will be better. Maybe the morning?
• Hair cut if there is no line.
• Post office – while I am out, what is one more stop?
• As much front yard gardening as I can get done before the sun is overhead and too hot.

That should be enough chores to get me hot and cranky, so I will jump in the pool to cool off, then come inside for knitting and spinning on the porch for the rest of the day. I want to make good progress on the Durrow square, and then start spinning the next thing. I should go upstairs and start cleaning and organizing in the craft room, but not sure I will have the energy.  Between work and the heat, I find that we are both just drained and don’t have a lot of energy for anything that doesn’t absolutely have to be done.  But maybe I will do as my friend Deb suggests and tackle one small section at a time.

Also, I have to think of something fun and celebratory to do for A after her test. She will be tired, it is 8 hours long, so the celebration can’t require expending energy.  Maybe I will bake her a cake or something.  Got any good ideas?

What are you guys doing to celebrate summer this weekend?

 

 

Friday list partway done

This week had some hellishly long days and meetings, and as a result, by using 2 hours of vacation time, I get the whole day off today!

Off is a relative term. I have LOADS of chore like things to do.

I finished priming the shelves this morning. I should be able to start the pretty color painting tonight.

Laundry is in process.

Have to stop at the PO to mail of a swap package today, as well as some yarn bits to a friend.

Then it’s a haircut, the grocery store, the pop up veggie stand for some strawberries.

Home again to clean bathrooms and bake a cake.

If I am up to it and feeling brave enough I need to get into the pool and scrub it. While it is looking much better, it isn’t swimmable yet. This is the only time I hate getting into the pool – when all the sides and bottom need scrubbing and then the water will be murky and nasty. But it’s the only way to get that stuff into the filter and out of the water.

Tomorrow J comes to do his back breaking magic on the yard. So much work to be done out there, just to keep up with what we did last year.

But this did happen yesterday!

Not a great photo, taken from the porch, but it is in the bed I made last year while J cleared in front. I planted two oriental poppies last fall. They both survived but only this one will bloom this year. That is OK, I can be patient. I did plant some sweet pea and morning glories in the bed to climb up and shade the porch a bit. They popped up, so I meed to add a trellis…

Anyway…

Tomorrow will be taken up with yard work and keeping him busy until it is time to clean up and take him out for supper to thank him.

Sunday Crimson Crow and I are off on another adventure… I will share more about that later.

In case you are just here for the knitting, a hellish lot of meetings means that socks get worked on.

These look nearly finished but one isn’t. I need to redo the cuff, but that won’t take long. Trouble is I right away started another pair, so the needle isn’t free. Duh.

The sweater continues and doesn’t seem to change, but I do think it is almost long enough. A few more weeks?

No spinning yet this week. Perhaps Sunday…

Friday list!

If you have been following me for a long time, you know I used to work four days a week, and Fridays were my day to be home or out and about on my own.  I used to make such lovely long lists of things I wanted to accomplish.  And sometimes, I was successful!  But then came changes at work, and my schedule got shifted back to the traditional 5 days a week.  No more Friday lists.

This week, however, I am going to be home, so thought I would reprise the Friday list.  I know I am excited! I bet you are, too.  😉

 

Here goes:

Wait for the Cable Guy, the reason I am home and not at work.  He’s due between 8-9 and his work will take about an hour, so technically, I could then go to work, but I decided to take the whole day. because I can.  It is WICKED slow at work. Plus, you know cable guys’ reputations.  🙂  We are SO excited to be getting a cable bundle for TV, internet, and telephone, instead of paying the earth for satellite TV and internet, and traditional land line phone.  Here’s hoping it all lives up to its billing. We will save almost $100 a month with this deal, and I see that as a big plus.

If the weather cooperates (cool, dry, sunshine, and a light breeze would be ideal) I want to get out into the yard and do some trimming and weeding, and maybe plant a plant or something.

Ditto on the weather, I would follow that work with a  dip in the pool, and what I hope is the last good scrubbing it will need. I didn’t get into it last weekend, it was too chilly and showery.  I scrubbed what I could reach, but that isn’t much and the angle isn’t right for a good scrubbing.

Clean the screened porch and the front porch and get them ready for summer.  I understand it is coming, the teasing with a warm day here and there will stop soon, and all days will be warm and lovely. It would be nice to have the snow shovels, sand, and salt stowed away when that happens.

Make a run to the dump with yard trash and house trash.

Get the groceries.

Go to the PO when it is actually open and I can speak to a person.

Take photos of my knitting to show you – I have really made progress on things, I think a photo will prove it. To you and to me.

Start the weekend’s laundry.

 

It’s an ambitious list, if I get to half of it I will be pleased.  The sitting and knitting will come while waiting for the Cable Guy, and while waiting and watching him work.  I think workmen love that, when the homeowner pulls up a chair and watches their every move, don’t you?

I am sort of thinking of doing a really quick bulky spin this week as well – I have some fiber that I have to spin outside (it sheds), and I know I can do it like lightening.  But I should be concentrating on the knitting for the next couple of weeks.  So torn.  🙂

That’s my day!  I will check back in later and let you know how I did.  And maybe have some photos to share.

 

 

A rare Friday list

I know you have missed these almost as much as I have missed having Fridays off from work. 😀This week was a bit unusual at work, with late meetings, and a fundraising event this Sunday. So, to keep my hours to 40, I am able to stay home today.

What will I do with myself you ask? Here goes:

I am doing a bit of spinning this morning, working on filling that third bobbin.

Have to go out and get a haircut, long over due. While I’m out, I’ll go to the PO, and maybe, if I am feeling adventurous, the dump. We’ll see about that last one.

Back at home, there is always laundry to get started, a few dishes and some general tidying to do.

Then knitting. There are some photos I need to take for you, if the weather cooperates. And I dug some yarn out of the stash for a sweater, so I will be working on a swatch and a plan for that. And winding lots of yarn.  The yarn is Briggs and Little Heritage, picked up many years ago in New Brunswick. The color labels say “dark gray heather” “medium gray” and “light gray.”

I get the latter two, but the first looks very green to me. It looks nice with the grays, though, which is all that counts.

I even found the pattern I was going to make originally – a simple yoked sweater with colorwork in the yoke and at the bottom of the sweater. It is pretty, but I think I want a cardigan, and I don’t want a round yoke.  I dove down the Ravelry rabbit hole for a while, and when I was done with that, I decided I want to make my standard raglan top down sweater, with stripes. I toyed with the idea of making a turtleneck sweater I have made before, but I realized that the one I have is almost the same color. Oops! So, I dug out the old pattern, an ancient Candide one. This is my second copy, pretty worn out, and it cost a dollar. I wonder if it is still available, and how much it costs these days? It might be time for a new one.

Anyway… I also will work on the blue sock, which is getting closer to done – working on the leg. My goal is to get it done by Wednesday, then cast on the next pair, which will be knit with the Garden Center yarn I spun with an opposing ply, can’t wait to try that! Which reminds me, i might cake that today.

That’s really all I have planned for the day – not a lot but that leaves me loads of time for that knitting and spinning. And thinking about yet another sweater…that turtleneck still seems like a good idea, I wonder what other yarn I have in my stash? Add that to the list – more stash diving!

 

 

A Friday list this week!

I am so glad that this isn’t the year I decided to go to Rhinebeck!

Came down with a horrible cold this week, and so left work early yesterday, and stayed home today.  My list today has a theme!

Do some research on cold meds I can take – ones with no sugars or alcohol to satisfy the whole 30 eating plan; ones with no caffeine or other stimulants to comply with doctor’s orders regarding the heart; ones with no NSAIDs to comply with gastric by-pass surgery requirements.

I honestly think I can do two out of three with what is in the medicine chest, but I am just not sure.  So on my list today is also a call to the doctor to get her take on it.

Once I know that, I need to make a shopping list – I have no decaffeinated tea!!!! Definitely  want some tea… and the meds, and I think we need more tissues…

If I feel up to it, I will take a hot shower and head out to get those things, if I don’t feel like it, I will call A at work and ask her to stop on her way home tonight.

I expect I will do some knitting and spinning, but mostly, I will be napping.  If only I could lie down without everything hurting and clogging up.  I wonder how horses sleep standing up??? I should learn how to do that.

Not an exciting list.  Sure not as exciting as if I was heading off to Rhinebeck, right?

Friday list

I took the day off to even out from last week’s crazy hours, and so you get  a Friday list this week. (You lucky thing!)

Oh, such a simple list!

Get up and dressed in a very special fair outfit, meet up with niece B, head off to meet Mom, then go to the (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association)  Common Ground Fair!

It is supposed to be a rainy day, so the very special fair outfit involves shorts, sneakers and warm socks, a t-shirt, sweater or sweatshirt, a raincoat, and a ball cap.  All of which seriously impedes the ability to shop as all these layers fill the day pack when they are not in use!  A towel, shoes, and socks go in the car so that the ride home can be warm and dry.

This year we are going to Thorndike to catch the train to the fair – a ten minute train ride that hopefully saves lots of traffic congestion and walking from distant parking lots. We would rather spend our walking around energy AT the fair, not getting TO the fair. Conveniently, the train drops us off near the flush toilets!  Mom planned this change, can you tell?

Mom and B will want to spend loads of time with the farm animals large and small.  Fortunately, the animal barns are always located fairly near the fiber and yarn tents.  I am excited this year to check out spinning fibers by local dyers.  Still not ready for a whole fleece (haven’t got hand carders!) so I won’t be lugging three bags full of wool around the fair.  Maybe next year? But I do plan to get some pretty, unique yarn and fiber.

And who knows what I will find in the Maine-made artisan tents?  So much great stuff is made here.

We have a new family rule this year for the fair, though, that I have to keep in mind – if you buy it, you carry it.  So maybe I will leave a layer of clothing off so I can carry more. We’ll see how cold it is.

Then there is the food – !  Cousin B will likely be selling his wood-fired pizza, so delicious – and there is so much more.  The food has to be Maine-sourced, which can make an interesting meal – but we harvest crab meat, and grow potatoes, and make maple goodies….I am hungry just thinking about it.  I will take pictures there and pictures of the things I buy, and share them with you as I do each year – it will be like you came with me to the fair – get ready for a fun day!

 

 

 

Return of the Friday list!

A and I have scheduled a few Fridays off over rest of the summer, so watch for the return of my Friday list posts.

This week:

I have to go to Ellsworth in the morning to drop food off for a work meeting – I don’t have to stay for the meeting, so it will be a drop and run.  Run where?

Out to breakfast, then some grocery shopping with A.

Pick up the mail at the PO.

Home again, where we will tidy up the house and get the laundry rolling, as this is a busy weekend coming up, starting with a visit from nephew D and his lovely wife, also A. They are in town from Colorado and asked if they could come over sometime in the afternoon. Naturally, we said yes, haven’t seen them in so long!

There will likely be cookie baking in preparation for the visit.

And, as it is predicted to be hot, there might be some swimming.

And a bit of spinning/plying/knitting indoors.

Perhaps a visit with D’s A to Creatively Maine, as D’s mother (sister-in-law L) nicely gave her a birthday gift of a  “universal gift card” (cash) to spend there.

More swimming.

More knitting.

Sounds like a fun summer day, doesn’t it?