Your Daily French Lesson

We have a new knitnighter. Sadly I am not there as I type because HusbandBob is mansick.

However, knitnightbarry will fit right in after this awesome Facebook exchange between several of our knitnighters. It also proves that the term "balls of yarn" is funny in any language.

P.S. Knitnightbarry has a PhD in French.

 

 

 

At this point, of course I had to look up la roupette. Wouldn't you? It was an invitation to dance.

 

 

Another day at the office.

I will say this for the weekend's meditation retreat. Just as one goes to a therapist to gain clarity of mind, so goes one to a retreat such as this to gain clarity of body and presence.

It was lovely. With some new agey silliness. It's not every morning after breakfast you step outside to someone embracing a tree for 15 minutes. Also the bits of nature one woman brought to be mindful with was cacao. And if you are the lover of the tv show Portlandia as I am, then you know that I " 'bout lost my shit" inappropriately at that point.

There was zero walking for me but the flip side of that ws that all of the food served was vegan, gluten free, and dairy free. To be honest, I have no idea other than greens and beans what it was actually made of but no loss no gain in that department.

This morning's library treat was a few pages of "Constant Comment" ( a review of books known to be done not so anonymously by Dorothy Parker). Hilarious and one I might go back to. Reviewing a book called Lay Sermons by Lady Margaret something she notes that in spite of Lady M's opinions, the Thames was still full and wet. Also that the potential reader might do well to change the last word of the title to Off.

A joke now.

Q: What did the heart say to her misbehaving children in the back of the car?

A: if I have to stop, I'm going to pull over and give you a sound beating?

I didn't make that joke up but am lucky enough to have a friend lead me to it in improvisatory exchange. This also gives you a little taste of the laughing of the weekend.

A Promotion!

HusbandBob teaches one class of "you didn't learn enough in high school algebra and now you want to be a nurse" math during the fall and spring semester at the local private college. (They call it a university but I have my doubts.) Today we took a drive past the building where he teaches. We also went to the library.

There is a small but sufficient (even with a little Jesus bias) college library in our town. Within walking distance. (3 miles or so away). It opens at 8:30 am. That's when I like to walk. That's the distance I like to walk. I like books and libraries.

My new job description (begining next week) will be to walk to the library, get a cup of coffee from the coffee bar set up in the basement, read a book about something I know nothing about for a little bit, and walk home.

I was nothing less than gleeful throughout the visit. They gave me a library card. While HusbandBob is an educated man, he isn't the sponge of learning new stuff that I am. He smiled at my joy but couldn't necessarily feel it. But then, that's why I have a blog.

Also, I walked eight miles today in between thunderstorms. And yesterday YouTube taught me the two second shirt folding method and I cleaned out my closet and my dresser. Who Is This Person Living In My Body?

 

 

 

New Knowledge

When turkey buzzards are roosting, they do so with their wings spread.  They used to hang out on a creepy dead tree near my house that has since been cut down.  I'm glad to see they have found a new if not as aesthetically pleasing home.  They are, in fact, one of the many banes of Liza Jane's existence as she believes they will be attacking our home at any moment.

 There are flowering trees that I have never seen in my life.

I pass this view every day on my way to work.  It wasn't until I walked the route that I even realized it was there.  The field belongs to the local private university.  The distance almost makes this 'burg look like a lovely place.

A woman down the road has two chickens in a little house.  While adorable, I question whether those chickens have enough room in life.  The turkey buzzards are no doubt wondering if they have a key hidden under the mat.

The same neighbor has two cats that pose well together in the morning sunlight.

The same cannot necessarily be said for this guy.

I've managed to get at least 5 miles of daily walking for the last week or so.  I am  pleased.  Things I have learned from this are:

• I've been wearing shoes that are too small.
• The product "New Skin" for blister prevention is my new best friend.
• If you find yourself out of "New Skin", vaseline also keeps the toes from bumping into each other.
• I can't really concentrate on an audiobook when walking in new places.
• My new second choice for the desert island book is The Count of Monte Cristo
• I'm not sure what my first choice is, but I'm not ready to commit to one.
• Once you get up at 6:00 am every morning to walk five miles, sleeping in until 9:00 am and taking care of household chores seems like a vacation.
• Unless you are a cheater pants on fire, you must remove the fitbit flex when spinning (as well as knitting)  I am not a cheater pants on fire. 

 I attended the support spindle workshop at Natural Stitches on Sunday.  Why yes, I did drive all alone into the big city.  And when I drove home, I didn't even need a map to get out!

Here's what I have to keep reminding myself-  you draft to let the existing twist travel to the fiber.  You don't draft and then spin the twist into it.  In spite of repeating this to myself 742 times, it's still something I'm working on wrapping my brain around.  Also for a little while it hurt my brain to watch the process while flicking and spinning.  I had to practice with my eyes closed.  The other 3 workshop attendees (who seemed to have a good bit more spinning experience than I did) did not need to do so.  I can see where it will take time to get better.  The support spindle is less frustrating to me than the drop spindle and less crazymaking than  an actual spinning wheel.  It might be a stepping stone or I may have arrived at my spinning boundary with it.

Pinterest continues to be a source of inspiration and entertainment.  I made this with a collection of rings that no longer fit my sausage fingers.  It looks like the one in the picture except a few of my rings are deformed and unround from beating on drums.

I feel like I've done a lot for the first full week and a half of summer vacation.  I hope the trend continues. This weekend I am going to a meditation retreat (ha ha- typed medication at first) with BFFAmber. There will be chanting.  I may be opposed to chanting (ha ha typed changing!)  That remains to be seen.  I am also thinking a lot about crocheting and granny squares.  There are so many kinds and some of them are so beautiful.... and so hard!

Today, however, is household chore day which includes trying to figure out what clothes I have and how to store them in such a manner that I don't forget about them.  I'm one of those people that has to see what I have to know it exists.  

Thus ends summer update The Two.  Thanks for sticking around.  Also, thanks for the encouraging walking words.  I'm talking to you Suzanne of Minou's Minute!

Summer plans are happening

 

This is going to be one of those dull, "look at me! Look at me!" posts. There are no funny stories, but "look at me!", wouldja?

 

Summer employment is underway. I've gotten all greens in my evaluations. I did take a Sunday off. I don't want to drive myself crazy.

 

Another plan was to investigate infused water. BFFAmber gifted me an infuser and it is splendid. While this pic is all about the strawberries and seltzer, cucumber infused water is my favorite by far. It's like drinking water with water. It's very watery in a good way.

 

Healthful eating is also part of the equation. Today I made a Greek garbanzo and black bean salad as a side dish to sweet potato/black bean/pepperjack cheese quesadillas. It was gourmet. It took all of the morning to prepare which gave me something to do between walks.

 

As HusbandBob will have little to do with any of the above ingredients, I took some bean salad to BFFAmber at work because she is not on summer vacation and didn't have lunch today.

And finally, after what I feared would be absolute failure, knitnightmarc guided me in formatting my 2TB external hard drive which I then renamed marcisagenius. KnitnightjustineMD may have shared a collection of audiobooks that will keep me walking well into September.

 

 

The rule is, if I get sick and tired of this job when school resumes, I have the option of quitting. If I do see some results, I will continue to "work" when school starts. (The option to quit is also part of the brain game I have to play).

 

 

 

 

 

Amazing

I have some amazing friends. Today I watched them decorate these:

 

Purple shoe sugar cookies

And these:

 

Purple macaroons

For a special event for a family member. I say watched because I knew better than to even get too close to the table. They did create an IEP for me in that I told them what to draw on some of them and they obliged.

Not pictured are the shoe cupcakes as they were not yet assembled. I should be able to get a picture on Saturday.

It all happened right before my very eyes and I am still incredulous.

 

Update on my summer employment: I've been achieving the step goal daily (I may raise it for the summer to 15,000.). The altered caloric intake has been a little more challenging but every day is a new chance to try again.

 

 

 

Last Day for Students Eve and also knit night.

Item one. For those who have a fitbit flex. If you forget to take it off at knit night, you can get your last two thousand steps of the day while sitting on your ass knitting.

Item two. While at knit night a girl, 6 or 7 with possible mild developmental delays, approached the table and showed her coloring book to everyone. Then she looked at our knitting and zoomed in on my sock. She asked what it was, said that she loved it, and gave it a kiss. Had it been done, I would have immediately stuck on some googly eyes and handed it over. As it is now, as far as I'm concerned, my socks are blessed.

 

It's the last day for students tomorrow. That means the summer will soon begin. So far, official plans include at trip to Aunt Sippy's, a meditation retreat weekend, and 2 weeks in Emerald Island North Carolina.

Unofficial plans (to be done only after some rigorous walking) include trying the new spindle, making infused water, and possibly investing in a vitamix that I may make smoothies a part of the daily routine. Last year mindless Internet traveling led to homemade pasta making. I don't want to make too many official plans because something interesting may come up. I'm looking at you, Pinterest.

Part of the reward for walking is listening to audiobooks. The longer I walk, the longer I get to listen. I'd be happy for any audiobook recommendations. I've done all of the David Sedaris - I need the next level of engaging!