Go Figure.

The D.C. vacation was most definitely not about knitting, or fiber.  I brought a sock to knit on the plane, and that was about it. 

Nonetheless, on our last day, minutes before we hopped the train to head for the airport, I stumbled upon this:

And then this:

A few steps further on, and look at this:

And then?  This:

Can you believe it?  This was all happening right on the National Mall, as part of the Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival.  We happened to be in the Welsh area as we headed toward the Metro stop.  My husband wanted to go check out an iron worker, which we did, and as I stepped away I saw the fleece.

The husband insists that I tell you I did not really want to stop and look around, because I was mentally done and ready to head home.   So you have him to thank for the fact that I found the sheepy stuff.

So there you have it.  Actual fiber content, no thanks to me.

Happy Friday everyone!

Just Wondering.

The Fourth of July is upon us.  Tell me, is the Fourth much of a holiday in your parts?  It is here, in lovely Whitefish Bay – we have a parade and a big community party followed by fireworks.  Very festive.  Growing up in the sticks, though, it wasn’t much of anything.  A few firecrackers (lit under empty tin cans if we were really feeling ambitious), and maybe a ride to the closest “big town” for a 10-minute firework display. 

Having just been in Washington D.C. and seeing the document that started it all, I’m all for celebrating our freedom.  We also happened to be at the World War II memorial when a group of veterans, all in matching shirts emblazoned with their regiment number, were having a tour.  It was incredibly moving to see these dear elderly people who were just kids when they risked everything to protect our freedom.  Amazing.

We’re lucky to take our freedom for granted, but I hope to take a few minutes over the weekend to reflect on all we have. 

How about you?  Will you celebrate?

Quick and Dirty, But So Fun!

Back, so soon? 

Can you guess where I was?

How about now?

Hint:  LOTS of walking.

Aaahhhh….

Now do you know?

OK, OK, I give…

You guessed it!  Four days, approximately 80,000 steps, three humongous breakfasts, a big bag of laundry, plenty of souvenirs, and photos galore…

And now I have to go back to work.

Happy Monday everyone!  (Wait, it is Monday, right?)

Hot!

It’s been a tad toasty here in the Land of Cheese this week.  This means poor air quality, roads buckling, the city providing “cool spots” for people to go wet themselves down, and lots of Captain Obvious news reports. 

I’m not a big fan of super hot weather.  However, it is fabulous for the tomatoes, as well as the farmers’ corn crops.  The funny thing is that I remember long, hot summers when I was a kid – days and days of sweltering humidity, mostly spent at the municipal swimming pool turning my hair that weird blond it gets from chlorine and sun, and warm summer nights sitting on the porch watching fireflies and heat lightning.  Now, these stretches of hot weather don’t seem to last long, and many evenings we wind up needing a sweatshirt outdoors.

Maybe it’s just that Lake Effect.  Who knows.

I’m going to be taking a blogging break for a few days.    It’s all good!  I’ll miss you,  but I’ll be back soon!

Here’s to a New Week.

Happy Monday everyone!

Friday at Last.

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

Happy day, all!

Random Act of Kindness.

So Cheery.

Our backyard neighbor found himself with a surfeit of pansies over the weekend.   The garden center was selling flats at three for the price of one, since pansy season is a bit past at this point.   He pressed as many upon us as we could find containers for, and we also wound up putting a few right into the ground.

I love a pansy.  Such a happy flower! 

Wasn’t that a nice thing for him to do?

Happy Thursday!

This One’s a Killer.

Ten on Tuesday is Ten Things You’d Bring to a Desert Island.

Ugh.

They never tell you if the desert island has electricity, of course (for charging electronic devices).  Or WiFi.  Let’s assume so, shall we?  Or perhaps we can just suspend our need for logic for a while – it’s a metaphorical desert island, people!

1.  A Kindle.  Loaded with books.  (Note to self:  Get a Kindle.)

2.  My husband, who would happen to have his iTouch in his pocket.  (What, is that cheating?)  (I think I’d take the husband even without the iTouch – he’s always good for a few laughs.)

3.  Just in case, how about a satellite phone?

4.  One large-ish satchel packed with knitting – lots of lace, because lace takes a long time to knit, and socks, because they are small.

5.  My iPod.

6.  Sunscreen.

7.  A deluxe Swiss Army knife. 

8.  Good coffee.

9.  Good chocolate.

10.  I can’t decide between a comfortable lounge chair and an excellent flashlight for #10.  I’ll get back to you on that.

Happy Tuesday!!  What’s on your list?

A June Afternoon.

The weekend brought what finally felt like the first days of summer.   Fitting, since Friday was the last day of school.  It really was lovely – perfect for gardening, walking, bike riding, and sitting on the deck.  

I did a little of all of the above, and I also put Sunday afternoon to excellent use.

Looks pretty lame compared to Joan’s, but as I told her, I had to spend some time staring at photos of the border in order to understand where I was going with the chart.  I am a very visual learner, and simply knitting along on faith makes me feel like I’m flying blind.  I think I’ve got it under control now, but I still have to concentrate hard on every right-side row.   No whizzing along for me!

Happy Monday everyone!

 

Befuddling.

It seemed that my purple tall bearded irises went missing this spring.  The yellow and maroon ones sprung right up. 

Definitely not purple.

I thought I’d gone nutso.  How do you misplace perennials?    I turned this over in my mind, and had no answer.

Today, I walked around to the back of the garage for something, and look what I found:

I have no idea why they wound up behind the garage.  It was clearly intentional – the plants have little wire fences around them.

Now, if you’ll please excuse me while I try to reboot my memory…

Hope you’re having a good weekend!