IN Carmel

 Another beautiful morning and afternoon.  I expect the same for a beautiful evening.  The morning started with more knitting on the second ICE protest hat.  It added up to a slim inch.  That needs to continue for at least 4 more inches.  So slow, but that is what it takes.  I want 5 inches at least this time for the bottom of the hat.   At mid-morning I did a patio garden walk and I just stayed outside after that walk.  More to rake and it was time to move plants.  A perfect day with moist ground making digging easy and cooperative plants.  I chopped some ornamental grass that came as a gift from Rosie, years ago into smaller chunks and called Ginna over.  She took one and thought she would do a chopping job on it.  Later she came for some other plants.  It was a good morning for her as well.   Lunch came a long a bit late with chair time to recuperate.  Then it was cleaning up the asparagus bed t...

 Last night I went to bed with the prayer that I would have a good night of sleep to renew the body I live in.  And this morning I said, "thank you, God".  And then the promise I made was to respect the temple I live in.  My comment to Doug as some point was...it isn't like it once was!  Surprise, surprise!                                      A last crocus of the spring. It's time to pass beauty on to another plant. All the morning stuff happened and I decided it was a knitting morning.  I continued on with using four needles to reach to the top of the hat.  Four needle knitting is certainly not my favorite thing to do but there would be no hat unless I carried on.  So I did and the hat is finished.  It's not my best work but good enough for a first hat.                   ...

 Today could be called a nothing day.  It's either feast or famine when it comes to energy.   Up early but this time the directions were to skip breakfast and I did.  I was off the Y around 8 deliering the sword bag with the hope that Chris would get it when he arrived.  I was not going to arrive at the Y at the usual times.   At 9:10 I was off to IU North with the last of the painted rocks that would be added to the take one cancer table.  Then came the time for the Pet Scan.  It's a radiated test to determine if the cancer is active or inactive and where it is living if active.  That happens every six months.  There is material injected and allowed to circulate through the body that is a 45-minute process.  Then scan time comes with dye injected that will appear while the scan machine whirls away for about another 10 minutes as I pass through the tube. I think this might be at least the 5th time this has happened.  ...

 Days fly past faster and faster as the weeks go by. I think the world has been spinning faster.  Has anyone checked?  It's Mid-week again.  Did I write mid-week just two days ago or was it a week ago?  Maybe not. Maybe I should put my brain on speed dial.           These plants are members of the heliborne family.  They know how to bloom in the snow. This morning's goal was to create another bag with that beautiful fabric for the swords.  And I did.  About 20 years ago from somewhere and someone the fabric was a left over that made it's way to me.  In those days I accepted any fabric people wanted to get rid of.  I would eventually find a place it was needed.  A few pieces took a long time to meet a need and this morning that all came together.  The fabric is strong and will last a long time.  That's just what Chris needs.  So, another tough bag created and finished.  Chris wil...

          More fabric for another bag coming tomorrow.  Chris likes the first one for his many Joes.      Another day with crummy weather.  So the rest of the pictures are not  from today but yesteryear. As you know, the Y has become again a place I visit often for many good reasons.  I've met some very interesting people.  One is Chris, my Martial Arts Teacher.  He is a dear gentil soul for many reasons.  I learn more reasons every time I see him.  His wife Evelyn is also a similar gem.  He loads himself up with Jo sticks and wooden swords for us to use in class.                                                          I'm hoping for a lot of these in the garden this summer.   We've been trying better ways to tote a...

 I call this a crazy weather day.  The temperature so far is pretty moderate.  I think the real cold stuff is coming tonight.  At times it has been snowing so much it's difficult to see across the street.  Then the sun comes out.  It's one of those March lion and lamb day all within 10 minutes of time.                                                                        Kissed with a touch of snow.     Knitting was the big thing today.  I finished the four plus inches of ribbing and then onward and forward to straight knitting.  Easy.  I made two more Velcro straps for Y Chris and the M Arts sticks and delivered them to him at the Y.  I didn't stay for Living Strong today since it was all about balance and fal...

                           Not today but we've seen a few of these this month.  They fade pretty quickly. Now today was a little different.  Last week's days were full of a lot of things.  Today was a day of rest, full of just about nothing.  Not quite but almost.  I might call it a day to catch up with myself.  This coming week will not be like that. Maybe that's why today felt like such an opposite experience.  It was a church morning and before the service I had questions for Darren who gave me answers.  I needed those answers.  That was a good thing.  The choir sang one of my favorites and I hummed right along with them.  Once those notes are in my head, they are there to stay and get played again and again during the week.   I introduced myself and visited for a while with a new attendee Melissa.  I invited her to help decorate spaces...

  Up and ready for the day.  That meant that I was on the road by 8 on the way to church.  Another Saturday getting things in place, ready for the crew to complete with the goal of an 11:00 meal for the community folks.  The discovery of all 6 pans of food frozen solid was not a good find but given time we persevered with getting everything ready for a good meal as well as providing food to take home.  We had time to sit and visit which is always a good thing.  I was the main dish washer today and that felt like a nice safe place to be.  When there were times to take a break, I worked on the last few visuals for the Palm Sunday service.  All is ready for the service.  I need to ask some questions about the parade that happens around the block of the church.  Then we're really ready. Then home for lunch.  There was the usual NAP that goes with this kind of Saturday that always tuckers me out.  That happened during some very good...

 Good sleeping happened. I was ready for the day. So, here comes the rest of the story or at least most of the story.  That is if I can remember.  There were the usuals I mentioned yesterday.  But one big difference was the addition of the wind.  It almost blew me to West Field getting the paper.  Impressive to say the least and that stayed with us all day.  Sometimes it was pretty scary.   About six months ago I did a lot of plastic bag preparation for carry out lunches at church.  The supply was running very low with just 60 bags left.  Enough for the coming Saturday.  So...More bags came out and a lot of time was spent opening plastic bags that will get us through most of June.  It's those little things like opening bags that go a long way in making our Saturday work twice a month just a little easier.  That is finished for a while.                   ...

 So far, it's been a day full of fun things.  I will admit it doesn't take much to entertain me.  A little goes a long way.              A beautiful late afternoon in March with the sky so blue and the maple tree whispering it's spring.                                                 I can show you the evidence.  A big thank you to the tree. Tooth bush time as usual. Breakfast as usual.  Paper as usual. Gray clouds as usual.  So, you see it was the usual morning. Well, sort of.  The knock at the door at 9 told us the Isley man was here to fix the toilet.  That was a bit unusual.  Next, I was off to H.L. to get a small grapevine wreath.  Somehow our church crown of thorns got pitched.  Or we just can't find it and I'm usually pretty careful with it. Th...

                                                     Exciting days ahead.  They happen every spring.                                                                                         I'm finding many buds on first time jonquils bulbs planted in my garden. In another month this c poppy among many will be producing yellow flowers that are so beautiful with all the blue money plant flowers that make the two very good pardoners. They are two flowers that seed themselves and bloom at the same time.. How easy.  It'a mid-week Garbage Day also called Wednesday i...

 There was a lot on the invisible list of things to do.  So, I did the list.  And wouldn't you know...the garden was calling soon after what was a later breakfast.                                          Number one of soon to be many.  Proven...In the bud there is a flower. First there was the walk around looking at yesterday's effort. Then the tools and cart left the garage and put themselves right beside one of the beds.  I gave them a little help with that chore.  And the music in the garden was loud and clear singing "fix me" to the accompaniment of birds singing.                                 Messy, Messy. This bed is showing us it's winter mode.  It's yelling HELP! So I did.  The Lambs Ear plants go through a hard win...

Woo.  What a day.  Way to much stuff happens when it's 70 degrees or more outside.  Not everything but a lot of things.  I'm sitting in front of the fan to write today's blog.  Woo.  It's hot.   The morning started and I jumped right into the start with knitting and the news.  I paid more attention to the knitting which was a good thing.  The garden walk happened and then it was Living Strong Time arriving a few minutes late.  Today's session was all about protein.  Where it is and how much do we need and the necessary things it does for our bodies.  Our ailing bodies probably need more than we think.  I left before the session was over with all the handouts which were pretty good.                                Something to keep in mind.  No something that helps form our muscles.   Off to church to think about Pal...