Here's a wonderful article from the NYTimes about sheep herding in Maine.? The photography is beautiful and so is the story.
Our Christmas was glorious after so much isolation.? My son and DIL wanted to spend Christmas in Raleigh this year.? Their biggest gift to us:? they quarantined for almost two weeks so that we could all be really together without masks or distance That was meaningful to me because quarantine was their choice.? We had an epic two days with singing, eating, laughing (story telling), finally watching the funny speeches at their rehearsal dinner, cocktailing and eating some more.? Michael and I?? Well, we are essentially quarantined all the time, so it wasn't much of a stretch for us to isolate.? We hugged them for the first time in ten months.
New roof in Southport so I'll be able to stay dry until I'm 95.? That was the result of hurricane season, but everything is fine.? As soon as we got back to Raleigh, all kinds of little things started to malfunction:? heat, exhaust fan, a faulty circuit.? We delayed what we could around the holiday, but we now have things sorted.? I head back to the coast after New Year.
I'm working on getting proficient in flicking.? I'd like my right hand to stay on the needle all the time.? I'm still a little clumsy with purling, but the gauge is really consistent.? I just pick it up in quiet moments to practice.? All my other projects need some tweeking before I can go forward.? A Starmore jacket needs a sleeve cap re-knit.? I somehow read those directions incorrectly.?? I recalculated the sleeves on a classic Starmore, but I'm not sure how much I like the rate of decrease, so that may need some brain work.? In a desire to jumpstart my knitting,? I can't believe that I have ordered yet another set of needles:? Dyakcraft black nickels, mainly because they are supposedly super slick.? I do not need needles.? None of us do, but I when I ask W.W.C.D.* I know the answer:? order them.
No sewing!? I'm in a sew slump right now.? TV watching is close to zero.? I do watch YouTube, however.? I have become addicted to two vlogs about chateau life in France:? The Chateau Diaries and Doing It Ourselves.? I find them both endlessly light and entertaining.? The guy who produces Doing It Ourselves is quite endearing. I find myself rooting for him as he, his family and friends have managed to bring his future home, a gardener's cottage back to life by accomplishing amazing feats of carpentry, stonemasonry, and managing life threatening equipment while on a tight budget.
I'm reading.? I got into Carl Hiaasen mystery thrillers with "Tourist Season" and enjoyed it.? It's light fare, but that's what I need right now.? I'm now into Razor Girl and I find it funny and entertaining.
Over the last year I've picked up the ukulele of all things.? I used to play years ago, but this time I'm really learning all of the ins and outs.? Ukes are small and portable. Easy to pick it up and noodle with it a bit. Welcoming really.? As a Monger in all things,? I've got a custom tenor coming to me: Sinker redwood and quilted maple.? It will have frequent flier miles by the time it gets to me: Ontario to Hawaii to NC.? Attaching photos that were shared with me.? I'm excited and in these times excitement every once in awhile is? a good thing.
Love to you all and hope everyone is safe in these weird times.
Mary.
*W.W.C.D." - do you really have to ask what this is?? OK:? What Would Connie Do?? That always gives the perfect Magic 8 Ball answer to fiber related decisions b/c the answer is always, "Do it."
