TGIF 5.30.25

Hello Gentle Readers, The last two weeks of May came with cooler temperatures and some gentle light rains. Yesterday for a brief moment, a flock of cedar waxwings flitted about the serviceberry tree just out from the deck. Now and then I see them in the neighborhood but to have them so near was a treat. Having the bright little goldfinches in and out of the yard brings sunshine on cloudy days. 

I recently had a surgical repair and am recovering. The procedure went well but recovery has been more challenging than I thought. My husband is taking good care of me. So here I am taking it easy and slowly rejoining the world. 

On this Friday, I am thinking about all of the support we have received from family and friends in the last few months. We are very grateful for all of it and will pay it forward. Still, thoughtful support varies with recipients. It doesn't have to be grand. Meals are often welcome but kind words and simple gentle messages with no strings attached are just as powerful. The immediate post operative period can be tricky for the patient and the caregiver. Schedules and bodies are unpredictable. Even in grief, rest is paramount, and social interaction requires energy. 

I am ever so grateful for the gentle rains of the last few days. The air is fresh and not so full of dust and pollen. The trees are lush. Rain without violent storms is wonderful. Rainy days were a restful backdrop for recovering. I reread one of my favorite novels, Astrid and Veronika by Linda Olsson. This is a quiet story of two women taking care of each other and becoming friends. 

I am inspired by students training in the medical professions at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. I encountered residents training beside the surgeon and the anesthesiologist. At a follow up appointment, I watched two student nurses introduce themselves to RN's. They seemed to be there for observation and training with seasoned staff. Young compassionate faces enthused by the science and practice of medicine is a reason to hope. 

Fun this week is on the sedate side. Late April I planted some lettuce seed in a large pot to keep it off the ground and away from the critters. I harvested some this week to eat with egg salad and it was a treat. For Mother's Day, my son gave me a generous coffee card to Scooters, a midwest coffee shop franchise. I'm looking forward to having a fancy coffee and trying out some of the fruit smoothies on the menu. 

Anyway, all is well. I am recovering. I am reading all of your news but probably will not comment on all I missed.  I enjoy the to and fro of our conversations and hope to be holding up my end soon. Take good care. Enjoy these last sweet days of May. 

A Sweater, A Sock, and A Washcloth

Hello Gentle Readers. Happy May. All the deciduous trees have leafed out, the sky is bright blue, and the day promises to be very warm. The neighborhood changes almost daily. I was surprised to see a purple clematis blooming and twining around the pole of a street lamp. The iris love these warm days.  Although it is very dry again, not having rain means the iris stand tall and gorgeous. The purple ones remind me of my Grandmother Helen. She often took my sister and I outdoors to pick a bouquet for the table. As we got older, she sent us by ourselves. We used her heavy silver and red kitchen shears to snip whatever flowers we wanted. She was generous with all nine of her grandchildren. 

Today is Unraveled Wednesday with Kat and friends. I enjoy reading all the posts about making, reading, and life. I worked on three projects this past week. As I took the photo, I thought about the walking-into-the bar genre of jokes. "So a sweater, a sock, and a washcloth walked into a bar . . . " Although I am not a bar person, I'm sure some knitter could come up with a creative joke involving unraveling. 

This week I knit on the washcloth in waiting rooms and social gatherings. I worked on the socks in odd short moments. Evenings I knit on the sweater with a cup of tea or ice water. I'm making progress on all three which should tell you something about the dust in my house. On Mother's Day evening, I completed the bind-off on the sweater body. Last night while winding a skein for the sleeves, I found six knots. Rats. Luckily, I have another. 

I read Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo. This is the story of William and Ellen Craft who escape enslavement by using keen intellect and clever disguise. The Craft's escape, in plain sight, to Philadelphia and then Boston is only the beginning of their story. With unmatched bravery and also putting themselves in danger of being returned to their enslavers, they participated in the Abolitionist lecture circuit in the United States and then England. In this complex well researched nonfiction, the author writes an individual story set against the larger story of slavery. She clearly identifies points of speculation and doesn't attempt tidy conclusions. My sister recommended the book to me and I'm glad she did. 

I'll leave you with a photo of a gorgeous neighborhood iris. Likely I'll be away from this space for a week or so but will be back soon. All is well and I hope also with you. In the meantime, a sweater, a sock, and a washcloth walked into a bar. And . . . ? 

Hello May

Hello Gentle Readers. May begins with bright warm Spring days. The birds sing and flowers bloom. Iris in my yard and the neighborhood are beginning to bloom. The lily of the valley by the front steps are also blooming. Saturday five bright Goldfinches flitted around the tube feeder attached to the deck. Two perched on the feeder while the other three traded places in line. Some kind of pecking order was being established. 

Today is Unraveled Wednesday with Kat and company. Thank you to Kat for hosting the link-up post. I continue to make good progress on the Red Forager sweater. I plan to knit another inch on the body and then start the ribbing. The four row repeat of the mock cables in the center back and front as well as two at each side break up the stockinette knitting. The yarn, needles, and pattern are a good match. The knitting is peaceful and the sweater has been good company these days.

I am also knitting a pair of scrappy socks. Once upon a time, I tried to knit the leftovers of the periwinkle into some project. The little odd sized balls, along with other scraps of the same shade, were in a bag together in my stash. The white yarn also comes from various skeins. Last Fall I knit this pattern, another design with slipped stitches every so many rows. It's a good pattern for scraps or a self-striping yarn. 

I am currently reading A Passionate Mind in Relentless Pursuit: The Vision of Mary McLeod Bethune by Noliwe Rooks. The authors' grandmother trained to become teacher at Bethune Cookman University, a school began by Mrs. Bethune. Rooks is a professor and chair of the Department of Africana Studies at Brown University. 

Mrs. Bethune was a remarkable woman and the only Black American whose statue, representing Florida, stands in Statuary Hall in the U. S. Capitol. How that came to be is one of many fascinating stories in this biography. She considered education and the welfare of young Black Americans to be essential. To this end she founded a school for black girls that became Bethune Cookman University as well as a hospital. She enlisted the aid of Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt as well as Harry Truman in many of her civil rights endeavors including being instrumental in establishing the Tuskegee Airman's Institute.  

The biography begins with Bethune's "Last Will and Testament" published in Ebony Magazine and written by her to bequeath wisdom to the next generation. You may have read the first sentences of sections sometimes published separately. She began, "I LEAVE YOU LOVE. . . .  I LEAVE YOU HOPE."  Among other statements, she included,  "I LEAVE YOU A THIRST FOR EDUCATION. . . . I LEAVE YOU RESPECT FOR THE USES OF POWER."  (Caps were used in this biography.) Bethune's life is an inspiration and a lesson for today.  She was a remarkable woman. I recommend this well written biography.  

I wish you good making and reading this week. 

Ravelry Links

Red Forager

Scrappy Cold Brew Socks