January 1, 2024

I wasn’t going to do this anymore. Then, the bill showed. I thought, “why not?” That was in October. My right shoulder hurt so much my whole arm was pretty useless. I gave in and had surgery. I read everything I could find beforehand, but I still regretted it at times. I’ve had two months of physical therapy with at least another month to go. It is definitely better. It works differently. It’s kind of weird.

Mad Scientist

I made this for my grandson. He graduated from college a few years ago, but other projects and life kept me from starting. Usually, I only have two knitting projects at a time: a small one to carry and a big one for home. That doesn’t include knit-a-longs. Last year I joined two KALs which drove me crazy. I’m always anxious to finish.

Working with Alan Dart patterns is a love/hate situation. How does he do it? I hate knitting them, but I love the end product. The gloves were supposed to be black but getting that much detail in was impossible to see so I had to change to green.

Fox in the Woods

I’ve been trying to get a picture of them for several weeks and now, I’ve finally made it. I am hoping to get baby pictures, too, but it will be a lot harder and not for a long time. I don’t have good night vision.

Daughter’s Neck Scarf

My daughter likes short neck scarves, but they are a bit hard to find. I’ve made her a few using Sojourner from Miss Babs. She needed something sturdier, so we found Secret Garden by Scheepjes. It’s silk, cotton and polyester. The whole thing is ribbed and looks the same on both sides. I love using this method. You can wrap it around your neck without looking and it always right.

All the colorways were lovely, and it was hard to choose.

Wasted Time

I’ve been trying to take pictures of Yellow Rump Warblers to no avail. As soon as I think I can get a good shot, they flit off. I’ve given up. It’s very windy today, so maybe tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s a Wood Duck I took a few days ago. There was a female also, but I couldn’t get a good shot.

Where is Spring?

I have been so grumpy lately that I haven’t wanted to say anything. I received a call from an old friend on Friday and it really lifted my spirits. I also received a surprise from Artistic Yarn.

The only thing is—can I make socks in time for Easter? Maybe next Easter.

More Stuffed

Here are the rest. They were a little tricky, but I think they are great. From left to right we have: Hansel, the old witch, Gretel, March Hare, Queen of Hearts, Alice, Grandmother, the Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood. The two little things in front are catnip mice, but I just stuffed them. The Destroyer of Catnip Mice lives here. The aftermath would NOT be a pleasant sight. Now, what do I do with them?

Stuffed Things

I was looking around Etsy for something different to do. I bought tea towels from Sarah Young. They were easy. They were fun.

I Have a Headache

I have stopped taking my prescription. It was too strong and I didn’t care for the side effects. I have only been taking it in the summer anyway. And the over-the-counter stuff takes the edge off. It’s too hot to go anywhere and Sweetums is used to grumpy me.

The view out my back always makes me happy and I’ve never tired of it.

I’ve seen several Great White Egrets this year. I think more than the Great Blue Herons.

I bought my old girl a cat bed at the supermarket. This is where she lives now. I need to get more.

Maybe my next post won’t sound so disjointed.

A Letter

I found a letter that my Father wrote to my mother when they were teens. He had gone to a stamp show in New York.

May 12, 1936

Dear Dawfie:

I received your letter at 8 A.M., Saturday. It took me up to today to complete this letter and its some mess. You know, as I have told you before, I’ve been missing you terrible and going hungry for just a itsy-bitsy kiss. I can lie in bed and thing of the things we have done together, and it certainly makes me wish I was back with my honey.

We left home last Tuesday at 10 P.M. and this is what got me, we boarded the train and went to bed and when I woked up we were still in the station, but the station had moved to New York. Tch, tch, I can’t get over it. And what a thing they gave me to sleep in. I thought we made some mistake and had walked into a hay loft. Well, they cramped me into this 2X4 bunk, I didn’t have any room for my legs. But I solved this, by sticking them through the ventilator and out on the roof. But, as you know, there are a few tunnels on the way up to N.Y.. So after I had my shins knicked a few times, I pulled them in and out through the curtain into the aisle, but that didn’t work either, for the porter must have thought they were the electric light cord for every once in a while he pulled me out of the upper deck and into the aisle. I haven’t been doing much up here. I don’t know, I can’t a kick out of anything up here. I saw a picture called “Things To Come” at the Rivoli Thursday night. It’s a picture of the future, it was a fantastic picture, but it had a fairly good plot, which made it an all-around good picture.

The exhibit is marvelous and can’t be beat. There isn’t thing they have missed. It makes me feel like throwing my junk away. People may say they have this stamp and that one, but they can’t say they have in sheets as they are here.

I’m missing a chance to go up to Cornell with some of the fellows from over school. The’re going up this Friday coming.

Say, you want to see something huge, you should see the airship, von Hindenburg. I saw it Monday midnight. It’s a beauty, immense! You could put any of the others inside of it.

I guess I’ll be closing now. Don’t forget to write me again and I’ll write you and let you know when I’m coming home. Don’t forget to kiss the mirrow for me.

Love, Binny.

I tried to type this exactly as it was written. I left out a couple of sentences. They were too personal. I hope you enjoyed it as much as me. It contains so much I never knew.