Peace

This morning a good friend and I had coffee in a local coffee shop. We had a lovely time chatting and making some plans for our upcoming book group gathering. She also gave me a birthday package that included some thoughtful gifts including this bookmark. The peace symbol is handmade from recycled copper wire by an artisan in a third world country. I love it. It was just what I needed today.

All is well that ends well. Last Thursday my husband underwent sinus surgery and then yesterday had a procedure done in a dermatology office. He is recovering well and I have a new appreciation for anyone who is a full time care-giver. I also think about those who live alone with no help to keep meds and care on track during the first groggy hours after surgery. We are so fortunate to have each other and good medical care. Both procedures had a good outcome. All is well but after some restless nights, we are both a little tired.

Hospital waiting time means knitting time so I knit on the first sock of this pair. I am really enjoying the Indikon Mitts. I may keep them for myself instead of putting them in the gift stash. The fabric is so cozy and the blue gray color is one of my favorites. The yarn is leftover from a sweater that I wear. I plan to follow my usual process for knitting mittens, finishing the hands and then knitting the thumbs in one sitting. This increases (but doesn't guarantee) the likelihood that both thumbs have the same number of rows.

I continue reading Arctic Dreams and am enjoying it. This is a slow read but the information fascinates me. Last night I read about polar bears. Scientists who spend their careers researching minute details of a species amaze me. This book is armchair traveling for sure. Good thing as the fragile ecosystem of the remote areas would be forever changed by heavy tourist traffic

A few tomatoes ripen on fading plants. The cucumber vines are in the compost bin. Sunset comes earlier. Saturday felt like autumn all day long. Even the warm days feel slightly different. The linden has streaks of yellow and a few maples in the neighborhood sport leaves outlined in red. If I want to visit the Sunken Gardens before the blooms freeze, I best get moving. I also need to buy tulip bulbs for two spots in our front yard.

Linking with Kat and the Unravelers in these last days of summer. What are you up to in the days before the official start of Fall?