Fall Afghan, Books, Flowers and More

Another afghan completed.  This one went through quite a transformation.  Again using yarn from my stash, green, orange, and black I mixed the yarns as I sized the squares.  In some cases I unraveled a few squares to redo them to get them to fit.  I used both orange and black to join them together and used all 3 colors to do the final boarder.  Am pleased with the final product, as I was pretty skeptical when I started on this one because the squares were so many different sizes.
 

This was early on, you can see the middle section had been worked on a bit.  Calling this one Fall.  It will be donated to Homeless Families Foundation, like all the others.  In the previous post you can see the very beginning of this project.

We spend the winter, or at least a good chunk of it in Hilton Head, so on one of my walks, I decided I needed to take a picture of this beautiful bush.  Isn't it gorgeous!  We don't have pretty blossom yet in cold Ohio.

Another day I spotted this painted rock.  I assume that's the name of the person who painted it?  I enjoyed it for a day, then took it with me on another walk to place elsewhere for someone else to find and enjoy.  This is the 3rd painted rock I've found while walking.  Found one last year at Hilton Head, and one in Williamsburg.  It's a fun thing that people do.  If I could paint, I would and place some around, but I'm no good at painting.

Once back home where they're aren't pretty flowers yet (too cold), I spotted this on one of my walks.  It was pretty windy so it's hard to see the flags, but the 1st one says deport elon, the 2nd one says America doesn't have kings, and the 3rd of course is the Ukrainian flag.  I appreciate seeing people standing up, even if the current administration isn't.  

I have been very disturbed by the actions of this administration.  Many of those deported were not criminals, and even those that perhaps are deserved to have due process.  Kilmar is not a criminal, and he was not here illegally.  He was not undocumented.  Despite knowing they made a mistake, despite being told by two courts (including trumps court), he remains in a concentration camp in El Salvatore.  People are being kidnapped off the streets, car windows being smashed to drag people from their cars.  I've seen many video's and read many stories about this happening to people who are here legally.  In all cases thus far, they are people of color.  

I know often when I post books I've read I see a fair number of comments that say I can't read that it's too much of what's going on now.  For me, that's the exact reason to read them.  I've wondered multiple times about The Orange Felons ties to Russia; but after reading this book...I have little doubt that he is, in fact a Russian Asset.  The detail given in this book is astounding even as much news as I've followed.  Truly astounding.  Please put it on your to read list.  And when you do read it, please let me know what you think.

Sometimes I have to clear my head and read a book just for fun.  I've read many of Jean Grainger's book and they're always a good read.  This one is a good mystery with lots of small town Irish flare.  Mags is the police sergeant and deals with being a woman in a mans world while still trying to solve a murder case.

World War II rages, the Nazi's are not only trying to take over other countries, but they're stealing treasures.  Art, money, and cataloguing art to steal the worlds cultures.  They're also destroying art they feel is unclean.  But, in the middle of all of this is a small very dedicated group of British and American soldiers who were museum directors, art historians, curators and the like who go behind enemy lines, often without arms to document, and move art to protect it from the Germans.  Their work focused on the period between D-Day and V-E Day.  I found the book fascinating.  I knew Hitler had an art collection that he had stolen; but did not know the hard work being done to protect the worlds treasures.

I was a young child when John F. Kennedy was President, and when The Situation Room first began.  George Stephanopoulos a former advisor to President Bill Clinton with 20 years of being an anchor of This Week and wo-anchor of Good Morning America brings lots of background and first hand experience of 12 different Presidents and how they used or didn't use the Situation Room.

March was a good month for me stepwise.  333,826 (up from 290,232) averaging 10,244 daily (up from 10,365).  Miles were also up 139.07 (from 126.03), averaging 4.48 miles daily.  I doubt April will be up, as we started having iffy weather while in Hilton Head, and once home nasty weather.  Planks were down as were leg lifts.  Planks 17 (down from 19), Leg Lifts 5 (down from 6).  Have not done well in April thus far, playing catch up with stuff around the house, and appointments.  Argh.  Must try to do better.

I'm also having a hard time being motivated, reading the news makes me not want to do anything.  Anyone else feeling this way?