01 January 2012

a new year and a cold snap coming

 So! Today's high will be 50F, then nothing above 25F till Wednesday, when we have a heat wave all the way up to 36F. So before I go run errands (and I do have a list of them) I'm going to have a nice soak in the tub while I can still do that without turning on electric heat. The wood stove, in its new location and with its new stove pipe (replacing the old chimney) keeps the house toasty warm when outside temps are in the 40s...

Yesterday I spent more than an hour splitting firewood and stacking the porch high with it. I'll miss that when I'm done! As long as I don't have to split just to keep up with heating needs, it's a fun activity. I have three-and-a-half "ricks" stacked not too far from the back door; that's at least 7 weeks' worth of wood (if not twice that), so now I split mainly to get a little fresh air and exercise. Once I've filled the little stack inside by the stove, the big stack on the porch, and have the wheelbarrow full, also on the porch, I usually call it done. That way I'm not touching my stash...

Have seen all the cats now, except :( the missing Snuffy (last seen September 23), and I haven't seen the "new" black-and-white visitor that Bob says may be one of UB's (Eubee's?) children. That one hasn't been closer than the wood pile yet, to my knowledge. On the other hand, the neighbor's cat, who I call Tabby, is happily curled in the chairtrap behind me, and has been, for several hours. I sometimes think I should go tell her that if she'll let him inside he may still be her cat, that he's learning "indoor cat" manners quite nicely, but then I decide it's really not worth the effort of talking to her, and such a nice cat deserves a home that he won't be locked out of anyway. Once one has ten or twelve what's one more?

Spent most of yesterday evening at the nursing home but made it home before the crazies left the bars. Amateur Night! I had to stay sober enough to dodge both the deer and the drunks, which means I didn't drink at all till I was home, then had a nice glass of red wine.

The shawl I began knitting on my Florida trip has been ripped out once again and restarted. This time I'd finished the first ball of yarn and begun the second when I decided it's really not wide enough. Now it is, eight feather-fan combinations wide, and instead of simply [YO - K1 8x and then K2tog 8x] I've fancied the lace work up a little, like this:

*(K1, YO)4x, SSK 4x, K2tog 4x, (YO, K1)4x, repeat from *.

I'm using Berroco Origami, in a blue colorway.

I read 48 books in 2011! That's down from the previous two years, but still an adequate amount, considering full-time school and other obligations. On my trip I took the Kindle only, and love it all over again. It is so convenient! Except... I don't dare take it to the bathtub, which means I'll continue to read two books at once - one "brick and mortar" (for wet conditions) and one on e-reader.

2 comments:

Gin said...

Your wisdom shows through. Phones don't belong in the bathroom, either, even if they're in your back pocket. They can't be trusted not to leap out and dive into that disgusting round pool.

meowmom said...

LOL Gin, you are so right. I apologize - thought I'd answered you a long time ago but apparently that post did not make it into print.