Solstice Day!

I prepared myself for this change in season by cleaning out things.  It started as a simple cleaning out the underwear drawer to cleaning out three drawers and the closet.  As I accumulated things, I started looking around the house for things that I don't use or don't need.  I ended up with a box that was overflowing, six grocery bags, and a small table.  It felt pretty good to get rid of things.  Luckily the Goodwill folks opened a drop-off branch right down the way from me.  It is close and convenient.

Today I got up early to enjoy the coolness of the morning.  I dropped Patty off at the groomers and I headed south to Boston Mtn. for the spinning guild meeting.  It was a long, long meeting as far as our group meetings go.  There was a lot of stuff to discuss, so I got a lot of crocheting on the baby blanket.  I am really getting tired of the blanket, but I am persevering to try to get it done sooner than later.

I was able to sell some books at the meeting and that made my savings account happy.  I don't know what is going to happen when I run out of friends.  I don't want to get stuck with a lot of books.

After picking up Patty, she and I headed up to CJE's house. JE was visiting and I thought I would check in with them.  It was a good quick visit, but I didn't want to stay away from home too late.

I made a good supper with a baked potato and some barbequed chicken on top of the baked potato. Easy dinner.

Tomorrow I am going to go to an oral storytelling class that is being held on a vintage train.  It should be fun.  I have stories to tell, and that isn't the problem.  It's how to get them out there.

So now to go to do some meditating and some prayer work for this glorious Solstice.  I always think it is the end of summer instead of the beginning.  Oh, well.  For me a new year starts and new goals and plans to be made.

Have a good rest of the weekend.

Beautiful June Day!

I could keep running from the person I used to be. Or I could write another story.


My new quote for the day.  It struck a cord with me.  I found it on a blog called A Dribble of Ink.

I really haven't been writing for a while.  Then suddenly I am staying up at night with a story going through my head.  I wish there was some magical way to just put those thoughts on the computer and then I could go to sleep.  Sometimes I have to get up and write them down.  Sometimes I finally go to sleep.

I lived with Amy Kate for 38 years before she was printed in my new book.  I think I have a new character that may live with me for a while.

The yard is wild and overgrown on the edges.  I need to do so much trimming.  I am not motivated, so I still need to do so much trimming.  My hollyhocks are taking the prize this year.  So gorgeous!

Patty is itching all the time now.  She drives me insane with the scratching, licking, sucking that she does to relieve the itch.  I have checked her over and no ticks or fleas.  I did find one flea last week, and I immediately bathed her and washed her bedding. 

Wild Kitty wants to fight Noodles for a place in the yard.  The last two nights have been screaming matches that make me go out and move Noodles into the house.  He just wants to sit on his deck in the chair and watch the world at night.  It is a difficult transition to being a senior kitty with a protective mom.

I have slowed down my knitting lately.  I am just not inspired.  At this rate I will not have a baby blanket for SH's new grandbaby.  I also started a new pair of socks for the baby-and they are still in the bag.  I did knit on the sleeve of the sweater yesterday.  I love that it isn't a difficult pattern.

I found a great film on Netflix over the weekend.  It is Mile Mile and a Half.  It is about a group of people who plan for six months to hike the John Muir Trail in one month.  That is about 210 miles of rugged mountainous terrain.  Whew!  I guess it helps to be young.  I used to think I wanted to do a long-distance hike.  One that would take a long while to walk.  I never got around to doing that.  Now I could manage maybe a 4-5 day trip.  Then I would be hungry and cranky and tired and sore.  Especially my feet.

Saturday was my parents' wedding anniversary.  Yesterday was Father's Day.  So I did some thinking over the weekend.  Some times that is good and some times it isn't.

I finally got all the gift books sent away.  Now any monies I make go into the bank.  In theory I won't have any emergencies that require extra money.  Ha!

My friend CF was needed by her daughter to babysit the grandkids for 10 days.  Luckily I was able to go pick her up last Monday and bring her back to Fayetteville. The drive was gorgeous.  It rained both days, but we made the best of the coolish and wet weather.  Every stream, every river, every creek was flowing with tons of water.  I saw a swan at the mill pond.  I saw elk.  A female turkey was standing out on the road coming down from Steele Creek.  The woods are lush and jungle-like.

Today I am going over to B's house to pick CF up and we are going to meet DA for lunch.  It will be old home week.  The wind is blowing and it isn't too hot yet.

I made a new batch of granola over the weekend.  I didn't have pumpkin seeds to put in this time, but I did add some diced up prunes.  I also added a bit more cinnamon than usual.  It is so good and fresh.
Breakfast of champions!

So off we go into the Solstice this weekend.  So funny that everyone talks about it as the official beginning of summer.  Actually I always think of it as the ending of summer.  From Solstice on the days get shorter.  It is so gradual and subtle that one doesn't notice it.  Then suddenly it is Autumn Equinox.  Humans are such funny creatures.

Well, I must shower and go pick up CF.  Have a great week.  The weather is turning again.  I think the hot will move in soon.  We have had such a cool and wet early June that we are lulled into thinking this is okay.  Hmmm!

Yes, I Live In A Jungle!

My book is here.  I sold my first ones yesterday!  I stayed up late last night to read some of the stories. I was disappointed at the mistakes I found.  Oh, well, lesson learned.  One can never, ever find all the typos.  I hope others will forgive the mistakes.

I finished two itty, bitty knitting projects that were a divergent from the big knitting.  I did spend two really nice rainy days this week watching Netflix and knitting on my sleeve. 

The weather has been rainy, rainy, rainy.  It is hard to quickly run out and mow the yard before it is too thick to mow.  It is also too wet to mow most of the time.  It is such a weird weather pattern.  The weather man last night said this weather is the first "normal" weather we have had all year.  I guess.
Come July when we are HOT and DRY I will remember my complaints about the wet.

I did spin up one of the blue bobbins I need for skein two.  I am addicted to Netflix as I do some of these tedious long tasks.  I watched the 2012 season of Longmire.  That has gotten rather complicated.  And I watched the third season of Sherlock.  I had stopped watching those a while back, but returned and finished them yesterday.  I also like Murdochs Mysteries and Poirot.  Those are much longer series, so I can have marathons of Murdoch and Poirot.  They are both period pieces and I enjoy the simplicity of good vs. bad.

Patty found a new pile of garbage my neighbor threw out.  I think she would eat until her stomach would explode.  Thank goodness I got her before she did that.  But it is taking a few days to get it all digested and pooped out.  She is pathetic.

Noodles has moved from eating chipmunks to eating baby rabbits.  He is systematically eating one-sometimes two-a day.  He sleeps all day during the heat and mugginess, and then hunts during the night.  I have to look around for bodies when I get up.  Ugh!

So now it is getting dark again and is ready to rain again.  I tied the hollyhocks up this morning.  The wind blew them around last night and I am afraid they will break.  The bumblebees are still pollinating them no matter what.

Have a good weekend.