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!!

When in doubt… let's look at what's happening Right Now! It's been a while.

Enjoying… actually, that's Rusty's Old Fashioned, but I enjoyed smelling it… all that citrus and those boozy cherries! We went down to my favorite local spot last night — 313 Dodge — the main reason was to purchase a gift card but why not enjoy dinner & drinks while we're there?? It was so good. They were so busy! Rusty commented on all the "hen parties," and he wasn't wrong… I spotted only two other men in the main room. I wondered whether/how the weekend mix might differ — more couples/date night, perhaps. I might have to do the research!

Excited about… all the girls being home again this summer! Kate will be arriving in just a month-and-a-half and will be here until the middle of July. Maddy will be here from the end of June through July. There will be some overlap!

Not excited about… road construction this summer… as in on the street where I live! Oy. I'm excited to have a nice new street with a sidewalk on both sides and real curbs, even, but what a pain. We just learned this week that the timeline is way earlier than we thought, so I had to inform all of our summertime guests of the possibility that they may not be able to actually drive up to the house. So far, all have taken it in stride. Even though Ann's house is only a few blocks away and just around the corner, she won't be affected by this event… until next year! They've already begun removing some trees in the greater neighborhood — I'm happy to see that it's not all that we feared would be axed — and installing new power poles.

Knitting… I wouldn't say that I've become a monogamous knitter, really, but I feel a bit more focused in the past few years, especially where big projects are concerned, though the occasional gnome or hat might show up, too! I found this random accidental shot in my camera roll this morning. I should be starting on the 7th and final row over the weekend. Woohoo! Then a boatload of ends to weave in and a border to knit. Hoping to spend some quality time with my Temperature Blanket after that, though Nell's new Resolve (Rav) hat pattern looks so fun and I have a bunch of MDK Atlas to use up! Oh, and now this… Poule de printemps (Rav) that I just spotted as I was linking to Nell's hat… a free pattern for cute knitted chickens? OK!!

Listening to… Spotify's AI DJ, and I'm not disappointed in what it's serving up. I don't have to think, there's a lot of variety, it's both familiar & new, and it never ends.

Looking forward to (#1)… Today's arrival of long-term guests in my Airbnb — they'll be here through the end of June! It's been extremely quiet – do I hear crickets? — for both Airbnbs so far this year. I was quite happy for the extended break from all the laundry, cleaning & bed-making… now I will enjoy a prolonged "break" with pay! haha. Ann has someone coming this weekend, too, but the house has been clean, ready & unoccupied for so long that I have to DUST!

Looking forward to (#2)… A return to Mexico in just a few weeks! The stretcher frame has arrived!

Making me laugh… that ridiculous meme made me laugh out loud! It doesn't hurt that the woman resembles a few people I know…

Organizing… Normally, at this time of the year, I'd say that I'm (still) organizing our taxes but guess what? They're DONE!! I'm still waiting on the last few questions (for the very last time ever) from Ali's tax preparer… I am so looking forward to the end of that chapter & book!

Planning… a quick weekend road trip to Minneapolis with Kate in early June — another #whirlwindarttripwithkate which will also include a dinner reservation at OWAMNI. Kate was introduced to "The Sioux Chef," Sean Sherman, several years ago when he operated a food truck and was serving at an art event that she attended.

A few years later, he published a cookbook, The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen — which I was absolutely delighted to see on a shelf of "Cooking Books & Magazines of Historical Significance" at the Peabody Museum, alongside The Joy of Cooking, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Stalking the Wild Asparagus, The Moosewood Cookbook, and How to Cook Everything, among others. There are more bookmarked recipes in that book that in any other that I own, though we've only made a couple so far (Wild Rice-Crusted Walleye is one of my standy-by favorite recipes). And now he's opened a brick & mortar restaurant in Minneapolis, which has been on our radar/list since forever. Can't wait!

Watching… We're enjoying the new/last season of Sanditon. I've actually tuned into broadcast news a few times over the past couple of weeks. The Voice — my guilty pleasure; I love the new guys, Chance the Rapper and Niall Horan.

Wishing… a happy weekend to all!!

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