E Bay

I just listed my very first item ever on E-bay. They say you can sell anything. We'll see what the market is for totally random items.

Original Leather Cover for Amazon's Keyboard Kindle 3rd generation

20 bucks or your best offer. . . .You pay shipping.

2017 - toe in the water

January 1, 2017 Folly Beach, SC

Suffice it to say the year begins with a lot of trepidation.

Garrison Keillor, in response to the comment that "The Writer's Almanac" now seems to be a form of resistance, a weapon with the potential to soften nationalistic hearts and provide a literary antidote to jingoism, says, "What poetry tells us is: you can gain the whole world and lose your own soul -- look to your soul.

I think I'll go re-subscribe to "The Writer's Almanac".

It's been a rainy week here in Lake Lowcountry. Mom visited last week and helped me plant and/or repot some pots, so it looks a little more cared for around here. All the rain has helped all these new plants to relax and snuggle their roots down, down, down. Things have visibly grown in just 10 days.
Mom left me with explicit instructions to water and fertilize frequently. Mother Nature has been helping me out there.

Other wins have been that I'm feeling quite a bit better after a recent doctor visit confirming that my thyroid levels were totally out of whack, I got rid of many random partial sets of dishes and bought a nice set, so the cabinets are less cluttered. I've been for a walk most days, and a friend and I are going to start a weekly yoga class. I've figured out how to change my Kindle from mom's account to mine and I didn't lose the books she had bought. I've figured out how to download an audiobook, purchased from Audible, through Amazon, onto my Ipod (my new plan for walking entertainment). I spent a couple of mornings writing emails to SC Senators and Representatives for a friend who is trying to get a political appointment. And the Cubs are winning.

My knitting however is a bit at an impasse. I tried to do a sweater for a toddler, and made that unfortunate mistake of two balls of yarn from different dye lots. So reknit in a different yarn, and still not completely happy with the pattern's way of doing bringing the cap sleeve together under the arm.

I've been knitting a pair of socks with yarn purchased in the fall at SAFF. I was never happy with the first sock -- the cuff was not tight enough and it was overall too big. So after I got through with the 2nd sock where I corrected these issues, I unraveled the first and began to reknit. All was well until I realized I had not cast on enough stitches and this sock was going to be an entire pattern repeat smaller than its mate. So, I unraveled again, and am going at it for the 3rd time (surely the charm but I've lost interest).

For the coming week, my hope is to pull together the new lower deck to be a pleasant place to sit and enjoy coffee or a glass of wine. I'm going to do some spray painting and perhaps experiment with chalk paint.  Hmm fun times ahead.

Two weeks ago, I put this oblilisk-shaped trellis beside this clump of ivy.
It is already going for it!

I have a vague memory of my grandmother trying to teach me to crochet and it not going well. I had the opportunity to try again at a recent Fiber Guild meeting and heard several similar stories around the room. Other comments heard that afternoon:  "and we thought weaving was complicated!" "What do I do now?" "Where do I hold it?"

First learning something new is always really awkward. Here is my first attempt. The really neat parts were done by Natalie by way of showing me how. (I loved watching her hands fly!) The really wonky parts were done by me by way of trying. Needless to say, my hands did not fly.

 I came home and kept fiddling with it, then watched a couple of YouTube videos. Then I tried again.

It definitely has some tension issues. There's a lot of loosey-goosey going on -- but still. It has possibilities for using small amounts of left-over yarn..

And because Chain of Fools kept running thru my head, here's Aretha:

There's a New Cat in Town

After Fred died, we said we weren't going to get another cat. I really enjoyed not sharing the bathroom. I noticed that it really was easier to keep the house clean. We held out for 4 months. Meet the new cat at our house -- he came with the very appropriate name Leon.

 Leon first belonged to a neighbor. We fed him for her several times when she traveled. He was young, playful, neater than many cats. Neighbor had to move and find a new home for Leon. We couldn't take him because Fred was so pathetic. So Leon went to someone else, and I recently heard thru the grapevine that his new home wasn't working out very well. We had the chance to take him in and pretty easily made the decision to have him.

He's a noble looking beast, isn't he? Really large (fits right in at our house) -- 24 pounds. I think he is 4 years old. The longer he's here, he is relaxing some and becoming very playful again. A real romper and stomper!

 This lovely quilt showed up on Facebook and I'm struck by how much it looks like our new boy.. 

Spring Forward

Playing Around

We're home from a fun trip down to Florida to see Spring Training baseball. It was too far to go to Arizona to see my beloved Cubbies, so we settled for a  few random games in the Grapefruit League. Sarasota, Bradenton, and Tampa -- then up to Tarpon Springs to see friends there.

In Sarasota, we went to a night game -- Orioles vs Tampa Bay at Ed Smith Stadium. Tampa Bay outplayed Baltimore but I could see why they all need a few weeks of practice before the season starts. Lots of missed opportunities on both sides.


Sunday was an afternoon game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Houston Astros in Bradenton at McKechnie Field.

McKechnie Field was pretty small, but it had a great atmosphere. Maybe because it was Sunday afternoon there were lots of families there. The concessions were outside and there was a lawn area where people were chilling out in chaise lounges and playing with the kids who were too little or just tired of the game.

This guy sat in front of us and kept score. His dad said he had is own set of metrics. According to our pastor who is a huge Cardinals fan and preaches a baseball sermon every summer, this is what it's all about -- kids growing up with the game.

Here's a Pirate at bat.

Day Three -- We fought the traffic into Tampa to see the Yankees play the Astros at George Steinbrenner Field. Compared to the other stadiums we went to, this one was super delux!

It was the prettiest field, but most boring game we saw. The score ended up Astros -1, Yankees - 0. It seemed all the hits were pop flys or outs on first.

It was a fun time. This was our Christmas present to each other. I like it a lot more than a sweater.

A friend has talked me into going to a week-long yoga retreat at the end of April. It sounds like a good idea -- a great way to relax and rejuvenate after tax season wraps up. It would be grand, except I have gotten so very out of shape, I'm not sure I can keep up even with the first-time ever beginners. Oh well, I've never been to yoga class yet that didn't tell you to stretch to your own limit, and not to worry about what everyone else is doing, so I'm taking that to heart. Still, I'm trying to get a little more flexible before I go.Trying, trying, trying to just go take a walk most days -- not the gym, just take a walk. Some weeks are better than others.

Today, I was on the West Ashley Greenway -- and came upon this spectacular display of winter leaving/spring coming that was just exploding and spilling over the fence in someone's backyard.

It's going to be a little easier to walk, if I can watch spring marching in.

You Gotta Play. . .

Mom said "$6 down the drain." She's right, but still it gave us a couple of days of wild dreaming. (We were going to be generous and do good in the world.)

Jeeze, How Does Anyone Have Time to Blog???

It is January again. Another fresh new start. I love them.  Here are some sweet little things that are currently surrounding me.

Debbie gave me the Ling Chang desk calendar years ago and I've continued to get the refills every year since. I have old folders back to 2002. Plus, I have a group of sister-like people I give this to every year. I especially like this January's pansies.

Before Christmas, I went to a pop-up art show where some of my Fiber Guild friends had work. I bought for myself, this lovely little accordion book, handmade by Kris Westerson. It is all handmade paper, including the cover which I'll show you in a minute. The quote says "Change is law and no amount of pretending will alter that reality. -- Socrates" -- and she drew the zentangles.

Here is the front of the book. I love handmade art books. I love the lovely pages, and the clever designs. There are so many bindings. If I had it all to do over again. . . but at this point, I'm just going to enjoy the ones others make.

Sandy Witman sent me this sweet set of envelopes, made by a friend out of calendar pages, pages from found children's books and other random sources. I want to learn how!!

This is one of my favorite sweet little vignettes of the holiday season -- At Mom's --this lovely camellia from her neighbor's bush that reminds me of Daddy -- and then Mom reminded me that Marie Mauney gave her this pretty vase. What a sweet and simple way to keep loved ones close during the holidays.

and speaking of camellias -- here is my own Lady Clare -- a variety that Daddy did have in our yard in Raleigh, holding it's own in my border here in Charleston.

I was blind but now I see. . . .

Wednesday evening June 17

Cynthia Hurd, age 54, a library manager whose life was dedicated to books, children, and church.

Susie Jackson, age 87, a mother figure to generations in her family.

Ethel Lance, age 70, a church custodian who found strength in a gospel song to overcome life's challenges.

DePayne Middleton Doctor, age 49, a minister whose angelic voice could heal troubled hearts.

Clementa Pinckney, age 41, a pastor and state senator who lent his booming voice to the voiceless.

Tywanza Sanders, age 26, a barber, poet, and aspiring entrepreneur ready to take the world by storm.

Daniel L. Simmons Sr., age 74, a minister who served as a model of endurance and service to God.

Sharonda Singleton, age 45, a pastor and a high school track coach who became her runners' biggest cheerleader, on & off the track.

Myra Thompson, age 59, a builder of faith who worked to restore her beloved church's properties to their full glory. 

Sunday morning, June 21

Four days after their minister and eight other members were shot to death at a Wednesday night Bible study, the historic Emanuel AME Church held Sunday services with a full church and overflow crowds standing in the street outside to witness this congregation's grace and strength.

Sunday evening, June 21 on the Ravanel Bridge

 A "Bridge to Peace" Unity Chain on the Ravelnel Bridge Sunday night.

Thursday, June 24, 2015

 The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Affordable Care Act - again

Friday, June 26 at the funeral service for Rev. Clementa Pinckney

Friday, June 26

And just before Obama arrived to speak at the funeral service, the Supreme Court once again made history and decided in favor of gay marriage.

Friday, July 7, The Confederate Flag is removed from the state house grounds in Columbia, SC.

And that is where we stand today. What a summer!

Same Tree, New Colors

Here is the same Bradford Pear tree in the last post -- that one was fall, this one is spring.

"and the seasons they go round n round. ."

Once again, playing catch-up.

oh my, Fried Green Tomatoes is a neglected idea. It was September, then Fall, then Christmas took forever, now it is deep into a too long winter. Is it wrong to be impatient with coming spring on Feb. 21? So be it.

Here's a bit of a photo album update:

Fall at Waterway South

As an early 60th birthday celebration, we went to see James Taylor with friends Molly & Russ Keeney from Black Mountain.-- 60th birthday? Wait, how? Surely not yet. Wow, that went fast.

Mom spent time with us at Christmas. On our annual Christmas Day walk on the beach, she found an intact sand dollar.

Very special this Christmas -- Joyce Cooper, who lives down the hall from mom at Glenaire, gave us this beautiful afghan she knitted in the 1970s. She said she did 12 or 15 of them (can you imagine?!) and everyone in her family who wants one has one. She knows I'm a knitter and thought I would appreciate it -- and she is absolutely correct in that. I love the way it looks on the red couch.

Which brings me to my knitting. Just before Valentine's Day I finally finished and mailed this sweater vest to Jeffrey. It is made with a very warm (I hope) Scottish shetland wool.Over T'giving I sent it via Mom partially completed to Winston-Salem for him to try on and needed to tink down to the beginning of the armholes and deepen and broaded the "V". I like the side ribbing in this pattern.

 

So now we are just trying to finish up Winter. It has been unreasonably, I mean unseasonably, cold for the SC Lowcountry -- temps in the teens for days at a time. I am working for H&R Block through April 15 and Duncan keeps getting more deeply involved with the Coast Guard Auxiliary. We have stayed pretty close to home.

These 2 beach pics were taken in lieu of attending services on Sunday Feb. 8. It was warm and nice on the beach. We walked far, took deep gulps of sweet sea air and napped in the sun. Altogether it felt we had been to church.

Wedding Wrap as Baby Blanket

Jena posted this picture on Facebook today. Raelyn Ross is almost a week old. Is she cute, or what?!

The 2014 Wedding Wraps

About a year ago, when I first learned that Carina, -- who I helped RAISE --, had set a wedding date, I decided I just had to knit shawls for her, her sisters, her mother, and I graciously included his mother so she wouldn't feel like an outsider among this united Bitticks-Alston sisterhood. I was not thinking of these to be worn IN the wedding, but just to have for whatever they doing around that time. The wedding will be in NC in October and the wedding colors are navy and cream. Most of these pics are "in progress" but here's what I came up with. . .

This one is for Alyce, mother of the bride, good friend for nearly 30 years. It is always good to have friends who are professional counselors. Saves you lots of grief -- and $$ over the years. I owe Alyce big-time.

This one is for the groom's mother. Same yarn as Alyce's but a different pattern. This one came out to be rather small -- a shawlette for just around the shoulders. Pictures I've seen made me think this would do for Josh's mom. . .

This one is for the middle sister. She is tiny and this is big chunky yarn. To be honest, I did this one last, and I'm ashamed to say, I was getting weary. I found the chunky yarn on the shelf, and dug around for a pattern. This one knitted up in about 2 days. Voila!

This one is for the youngest sister. By the time the wedding takes place, she will have a baby and I figured she could wrap herself and the little one in this together. I ended up adding fringe made of yarn and ribbon. I don't know if these outter edges will ever hold that scallop shape and not roll and that is one of my favorite parts of this one.

And this one for the bride. The commercial name for this pattern is "Lagoon Pond" which doesn't sound very pretty to me, so I've been calling it "Marital Bliss". I did not add fringe and there is no glitter or sparkle -- an exercise in restraint.

It was fun to do -- gave me lots of time to enjoy memories of good times together when the girls were little. Lots of babysitting, lots of birthday parties, lots of snow days, nice holiday memories . . .  And though none of these shawls is without mistakes, making them has made me a more confident knitter.

Jena's baby came yesterday. All is well.