NaBloPoMo 2021

NaBloPoMo 2021:20

We arrived at our cabin on the North Shore of Lake Superior last night at around 5:30 or so. We're staying at a place called Breezy Point and, well, last night we could certainly understand that moniker!

We had a quiet evening in, after having a late lunch in Chippewa Falls on the way… just snacked and chatted and watched some big lit-up lake boats go by.

This morning it was much calmer… I slept in a little (HELLO, VACATION!) and woke up to sunlight reflected on the lake. Whoa, brightness! And solar gain throughout the day… it was 79 in the cabin at one point, with the thermostat set to 60F.

We hung out in the cabin for most of the day. Rusty was doing some drawing/writing and I was knitting! I've started the Christmas stocking for Sebas(tian)!

About mid-afternoon we drove to Two Harbors and found a map, scoped out a hiking trail, and hiked down to Agate Beach and looped back through an old neighborhood. Then we went to the hardware/general store — I needed some colored pencils to do a little charting for the stocking — and to the grocery store for provisions for tomorrow. It's supposed to be stormy & cold (maybe a little bit of snow), so we're staying in again for most of the day, watching the Packers vs. Vikings (in enemy territory!), and then we'll go for dinner to a very nearby restaurant.

Anyway, after the hardware/grocery stop, we went to McQuades Pub & Grill for an early-ish dinner (we had carry-out from there last year), and then came home to settle in. I had my alarm set so we could watch ISS go over, and then I took a photo of the amazing almost-still-full moon over the lake.

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My phone picked up a few stars, too!

 

NaBloPoMo 2021

NaBloPoMo 2021.19: Mind blown

Kate shared an Instagram account with me yesterday that is BLOWING MY MIND!

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Papetal™ by Jennifer Tran (@_papetal_)

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Obviously, I'm in good company since the author/maker blew her own mind! I don't know about you, but I look at that photo and see fabric — a nice silk scarf, maybe, and then see a pasta-maker, and wonder what the angle is, having a scarf come through a pasta-maker… and THEN realize that it's actual freakin' PASTA!!

Even if you don't follow her, it's worth peeking at her Instagram.

Lordy, she wrote a book about making flowers… from paper!

 

You can "look inside" and, wow, similarly mind blowing.

Talk about your Eye Candy for a Friday.

We're on our way to the North Shore! I'll check in tomorrow, and the next day, and the next… since it's still November. Heh.

 

3TT: Three Things on Thursday · NaBloPoMo 2021

NaBloPoMo 2021.18: 3TT

Joining Carole & friends for Three Things on Thursday… 

I've been doing this NaBloPoMo thing for a few years now, and I thought it might be fun to look back at a few November 18ths of the past.

2009

On November 18, 2009, the first year that I participated in this month-long exercise, I'd shared finished a scarf!

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I ended up giving that scarf to my mom. I love that colorway, and the scarf turned out great, but I don't know what happened to it!

 

2013

At long last, I'd begun the prep work (clearing space) for a little remodeling project and among the things I found in the process were a couple of knitting pattern pages torn from magazines.

11-18-2013

I'd knit both of those patterns in the mid '80s when I lived in Oregon.

WW Holiday Dress 1980s

"…it's this little dress that made me a knitter"

This photo of the actual dress was not included in the original post — I must have found it later. Quite the "little" project for a relative newbie, eh? Look at all those elements!

 

2016

In 2016, I was getting messy and creative…

11-18-2016

Dyeing yarn! I'm going to have to work on making time for this again. I miss it so much and acquired some new-to-me equipment a few months ago that I'm dying to try, not to mention the stash of ready-to-colorize yarn!

One of the bases I'm excited to dye — and then knit — is KnitPicks' Felici Worsted. It's the same fiber content — 75% Superwash Merino Wool + 25% Nylon — as the sock yarn, but WORSTED! And when I do eventually get around to it, that's what I'll use to knit Viv's new socks! They ought to wear so much better.

 

It's always so interesting to dive into the archives… thanks for humoring me!

 

NaBloPoMo 2021

NaBloPoMo 2021.17

In the car on the way to my house on Saturday afternoon.

Ginny: "Lalala lalala la lala la lalala lalala la lala la…"

Me: That's a pretty song, Ginny! What's it from?

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G: It's from nothing! I made it up! I make up songs, and forget them, and just make up another one… over and over and over!!

Me: 😍 ❤️❤️❤️ 😍

 

NaBloPoMo 2021

NaBloPoMo 2021.16

The holiday spirit is ramping up! Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and if we're not already speeding toward Christmas as November begins, we sure are by the time we gather to give thanks. I continue to receive letters addressed to "The North Pole," I made those wreaths last week, trees for the Airbnbs* have been delivered and will go up soon (with very simple decoration), and over the weekend it was confirmed that…

Kate will be home for Christmas!

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I sure wish Maddy & Viv could come home, too, but I'm hopeful & looking forward to an extended visit next summer!

I'll be driving down to ORD in mid-December to pick up Kate and we're going to stay down there for a night before driving home; she'll fly back to Scotland on New Year's Eve (cheapest flights!). Can't wait!!

*The Packers play on Christmas Day, so we both have guests for actual Christmas… I just had to do something more than a tabletop tree!