Well Hello

Hello Gentle Readers.  As I write on Tuesday morning, sunlight filters through a cloudy sky. Three gold finches in khaki coats are at the tube feeder while the blue jays squawk from the tops of bare trees. They might be posting a warning about a Cooper's Hawk that sometimes frequents the neighborhood or they might be enjoying a call and response with their small flock. Today will be the warmest day since we returned from visiting our daughter and family in Connecticut. 

We left the Monday of Thanksgiving week in autumn weather and returned eight days later to winter. Several inches of snow had fallen over a layer of ice. In the budget parking lot, our car was covered in ice and snow.  At the end of the traveling day, we were grateful the car started and for the ice scraper and brush in the trunk. We had a wonderful time celebrating Thanksgiving and sharing a week in the life of that busy family. We cooked, baked, feasted, played board games and rousing games of UNO. We watched a little football and took some brisk walks. Lance and I took the kids to the independent bookstore so each one could pick out a book. We packed a lot of fun into the week. Then we came home to rest. 

 

Today I am linking with Kat and the Unravelers  and happy to be here. Before we left, I finished the cutest little pair of "Pop-Top" mittens. The above photo shows the fingerless mitt with the top positioned behind it. The first mitten went smoothly. It took a few minutes to puzzle out the second mitten as they needed to be knit as a left and right mirror so the pop-top was on the back of each hand. No doubt, this was just my brain in a bit of a muddle trying to get us organized to travel. Anyway, Norah loved them and wore them to school the day after we arrived. 

This last week I finished the blue mitts. They might be a gift or I might keep them for driving. The Rowan Norwegian Wool is a wooly but soft wool so these mitts are warm. 

In order to use the rest of a skein of West Yorkshire Spinners patterned sock yarn, I cast on a pair of scrappy Christmas socks. When I need a break from the blue cardigan, I knit on these socks. 

I don't have any finished books to review but last Thursday evening we were fortunate to attend a live concert by Yo Yo Ma at the Lied Center for the Performing Arts. Mr. Ma played his cello (no accompaniment) for over ninety minutes. His performance and music were absolutely elegant. The classical program alternated between pieces by Bach and other contemporary composers. Besides the beauty of his music, Yo Yo Ma is a gracious, kind human being. He spoke a few sentences in between pieces, creating a sense of presence and community in the large auditorium. His encore, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was a little bit of magic. I have been listening to his short podcast series, Our Common Nature, and can recommend it. He also has an Instagram account. 

Later I thought about all the human minds and hands that came together to make his performance possible. Someone or several someones imagined and crafted a cello with strings and a bow. Another person who lived in Germany, dreamed and composed the music he played. Then a boy born in Paris came to the United States at the age of four and began to study music. Family, mentors, and community supported his endeavors as he became a virtuoso musician. Now he shares so much more than his music with the world. Across time and place, we are a community. 

I'm headed out for a nice long walk and then to run some errands. What are you thinking about today?

Ravelry Links

Pop Top Mittens

Blue Mitts

Scrappy Christmas Socks