Anticipating… a busy rest of the summer/early fall. And it’s good!

Celebrating… my longest walk since surgery! I tagged along with Kate & Kai yesterday as they headed to High Cliff State Park to walk the short loop around The Butterfly Pond, where the paths are all paved. It was probably around 2000 steps. I had my foldable cane, but did not need to use it. I’ve been getting around without my cane for several days.

And, as if Saturday morning, all of the borrowed medical equipment has been returned! That feels like a big milestone. The only thing I considered keeping longer was the “Step 2 Bed,” but it took up so much room! I bought a little foldable step stool, instead.

Drinking… because of medications, I haven’t been drinking alcohol for over a month, so my main go-to beverage (other than water) is made with Ritual Non-Alcoholic Aperitif Alternative, juice of half a lime, and sparkling water — in a tall glass, over ice. So refreshing!

Embracing… the process.

Enjoying… being back behind the wheel. I missed driving! Also, I want the record to reflect that I survived being chauffeured by husband several times a week for nearly a month… more accurately, he survived. OMG. Given a choice, I always drive… for many very good reasons. A few of them were demonstrated over the past month, but I maintained my cool… mostly. Anyway, I’m back.

Excited about… Maddy’s upcoming visit in September! It’ll be another quick one, but we’re already making plans to maximize the days — including a family trip up north.

Feeling good about… PT & progress. I have an appointment this afternoon, and I’m looking forward to it.

Knitting Crocheting… I’m working through my Felted Tweed leftovers & churning out a granny square or two every evening. I’m enjoying the process.

Laughing… and eating ice cream with this group. The girls are missing because they were at camp all last week… Junah’s there this week!

Looking forward to… a trip to Nashville at the end of the month. That’s been my carrot! Originally, I was going to wait to have surgery until after the trip to Nashville, but the stars aligned & timing worked out to do it before…. thank god. I don’t know if I’d have made it, otherwise. Kate, Ann & I are going to see Brandi Carlisle with special guest Gregory Alan Isakov at the Bridgestone Arena. We have plans to visit MDK HQ & Parnassus Books, for sure, and some great restaurants, probably some museums, and for sure some honky tonks!

Needing… to carry on… I’ve been doing some cleaning up & cleaning out! There’s some breathing room in The Little Working Museum — empty totes & boxes, even — and it feels really good. I need to make/reclaim some space in order to get back to the quilting.

Noticing… changes. Ann & Brian removed a large, terribly placed barberry bush a couple of months ago, so the hibiscus has come out from the shadow, and some Japanese lantern (an orange “lantern” is peeking out at the lower left) has appeared… or reappeared. The bee balm is going crazy!

Planning… besides Nashville, Ann & I are going to NYC in November to see Lincoln in the Bardo at The Met! (I told ya I’d go.) So far, I only have tickets for the show, so we still have to figure out travel/lodging. It’s my birthday weekend, and I’m really looking forward to that. AND, Kate & I are going to AUSTRALIA early next year! Airline tickets have been acquired, and the real planning will get underway when Maddy is here! I was originally going to wait until after I retired to make that trip… but I’m not waiting.

Reading: Pages/Audio… I’ve been reading some of the QuiltFolk publications that I’ve acquired. I don’t really have a book of any kind going right now.

Watching… we are currently watching The Bombing of Pan Am 103 on Netflix.

Wearing… comfy, stretchy, knit pants & t-shirts whenever I can. haha.

Wondering… what’s up with you??

It’s been ages. Right now, I’m…

Anticipating… the inevitable turn in the weather, but when?? We have had the most wonderful stretch of late September days easing into October. The warmth of mid-summer without the awful humidity. The daily highs in my 10-day forecast range from 87F-66F (only two days in the 60s). The summer was mostly unbearable, so I’m delighted to have some nice “autumn” days.

Celebrating… I’m not sure if “celebrating” is the word, but sort of? I endured my first-ever colonoscopy yesterday (we won’t get into why it’s taken me so long) and, other than one small polyp that was removed, all is well. It’ll be another 7-10 years before I have to do that again, and thank god! I’d almost rather be in labor.

Drinking… less. I’ve cut way back on alcohol consumption over the past few months (and have lost 15+ pounds as a happy result). I still enjoy a cold beverage, though, so have been sampling some NA IPAs– or mixing an NA half-and-half with a regular IPA. I like a mixed drink, too — usually, I add some ice to a pint glass, add a half-ounce of Campari, juice of half a lime, and fill it up with sparkling water. I really like the flavor of Campari & finally found an alcohol-free version (alone or to mix half-and-half) in Ritual’s Aperitif Alternative. The flavor is amazing and it’s calorie-free to boot. They make a lot of other liquor alternatives but I haven’t tried them.

Excited about… heading to Nashville on Friday! I’ve

Hoping… for the best for us in a very general sense, and that we’ll survive this “government.”

Knitting… more on that (& reading) tomorrow!

Laughing… uncontrollably the other day when Kate pulled up at Starbucks & gave her order to the menu board! The acoustics were terrible & she definitely thought the barista was talking to her instead of the guy ahead of us… but then he was giving his order… and what’s going on?? She was so committed! It’s possible that you had to be there, but we were laughing so hard that, of course, it was impossible to give the actual order without cracking up. I’m still laughing.

Looking forward to… a long weekend in NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE!! Yeehaw! I leave on Friday & return on Tuesday, and my itinerary is getting full! MDK HQ, Ann, Kay, Kaffe Fassett, Brandon Mably, and a bunch of other knitters unknown to me! It’s been a long time since I’ve done a true solo trip… I hope I have fun.

• Friday: Hatch Show Print (tour)
• Saturday: Kaffe Fassett lecture @ MDK
• Sunday: Brandon Mably workshop @ MDK
• Monday: Frist Art Museum

Also on my loose list are Robert’s Western World, The Stillery, Vinyl Tap, Jeni’s, and another museum — possibly Johnny Cash or Patsy Cline, or the Country Music Hall of Fame. I was originally going to return on Monday, but have an extra day to fill!

Loving… Malina’s private concert-for-three the other day. She wrote the music, decorated the “venue,” and set up three chairs for her (mostly) appreciative audience.

Needing… to get my travel knitting in order. I keep getting sidetracked.

Sewing… I have an itch, evidenced by the many sewing/quilting reels that are showing up in my media feeds! Nothing has happened yet, though I did mend the crossbody bag that I use all the time. My Alabama Chanin project is still on the work table, but I haven’t sewn anything recently… I did find some interesting metal embellishments at an estate sale last week that I think I’ll be able to incorporate.

Wearing… definitely not any woolens yet! Still happily sporting capris, sleeveless shirts, and sandals!

Wondering… what’s up with you?

…life’s a shit show (pardon my french) in almost every possible way! I’ve often used blogging as a means of improving my mood — it just does, for some reason! I suppose that reason is that I try to be a little upbeat & positive. Anyway, it’s been ages since I’ve done a “Right Now” post, so here we go!

Cooking… I made a pot of Chili All Day earlier this week. Rump roast was on sale at the store, so I bought one & cut it up to make my own stew meat, which I’ve never done (or thought to do) before. It worked out great! I have a tendency to rush the browning (overloading the pan), which is an important part in building flavor, but I cut up half the roast & got it on the heat while I cut the other half — when the first batch was done, the second was ready to go. Anyway, I was told that I should cut up a rump roast for Chili All Day every time from now on.

Excited about… taking the kids to Chicago! As a joint Christmas present, Kate & I are taking all four kids to The Windy City next weekend. We all have Friday off, so we’re leaving Friday morning and returning on Sunday afternoon. On our schedule are visits to the Willis Tower Skydeck, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Field Museum. We’ll visit Millennium Park & The Bean/Cloud Gate, of course, and also hope to squeeze in a stop at the LEGO Store! The hotel is close to the museums, has a pool, and serves breakfast. The Rainforest Cafe @ Gurnee Mills is on the way home, so we’ll cap off our trip with a lunch stop there on Sunday.

We’re so excited to take the kids to The Big City for the first time!

(That’s one of my long weekends, so I’ll have Monday & Tuesday to recover!)

Knitting… is pathetic. It’s been fits & starts, though I have begun seaming (again) the Family Temperature Blanket. Amy Christoffers’ new Pressed Flowers Mittens caught my eye this morning, and I’ve also been dithering about Andrea Mowry’s new Thru Lines scarf.

Looking forward to… I scrolled ahead on my calendar the other day & spotted a note on a date in March: Apply for Social Security This Month. Am I looking forward to that? Will there be anything to look forward to? I dunno, but I have big plans for that $, so I hope so.

Loving… the increasing daylight hours!

Needing… always… to clean & organize my office/workroom/studio, and I have recently made some small strides.

Reading: Pages… I was reading This Long Thread, by Jen Hewett, prior to going on vacation, but wanted something else for Charleston, so I grabbed What I Ate in One Year, by Stanley Tucci; both books were part of last year’s Jólabókaflóð gift. I had the book on the bedside table at our condo, but didn’t actually crack it until we were in the hotel on Tuesday because of the weather/flight issues. Now I’m just going to finish it, and then pick up the Thread again.

Watching… We’ve been watching The White Princess, and I find that I’m constantly checking Wikipedia to explore royal relationships. Speaking of relationships, we’ve also been very into the new season of Finding Your Roots!

Wondering… if we’ll really get 4-7 inches of snow tomorrow.

What are you doing Right Now??

Looking… pretty in PINK!

Anticipating… a super-fun family movie date tomorrow to see BARBIE! Everyone's in a tizzy about what to wear. Barbie would wear a Pussyhat, wouldn't she??

Cooking… tonight it will be Sloppy Joes & corn-on-the-cob, along with a salad, for one last family meal & get-together with Maddy. She'll begin her journey back to OZ right after the movie tomorrow. (I already took Annie to the airport on Wednesday morning.)

Enjoying… the third orchid blossom!

Excited about… jumping on my bike! Thinking of doing Just signed up to do the Peninsula Fall Challenge in Door County again this September.

Feeling good about… making some lifestyle/nutrition changes, which will make ^^ a lot easier.

Knitting… well, let's see… I have a pair of socks underway, a Christmas stocking, a blanket, and will soon be working out/casting on a skirt!

Sewing… not much, but I did get the machine threaded up so I could do some mending/hemming the other day. That's a start.

Wanting… that glass panel (or similar) but not in that $600 trellis! I've been unable to find anything about the artist, but I have made a couple of fused glass pieces in the past… so maybe there's a workshop in my future.

Watching… not a whole lot, but I have been delighted to catch a couple of Murphy Brown reruns in the past week or so, both with Murphy's mother — played by Colleen Dewhurst, who is one of my favorite actors in the history of acting.

Wearing… Crocs. haha.

Took a quick Door County trip on Wednesday with my girls — for cherries & lunch!!

Wishing… that Australia and Peru weren't so far away.

Wondering… what's up with you right now!?

Happy Weekend!!