Sherbet Colored Baby Blanket, and Politics Galore

 

Leia's blanket is coming along, a bit slower than I might like; but I tend not to knit as much in warm weather.  The colors remind of sherbet.  The bright pink section I'm working on will be the main section, then I'll repeat the mint green, bright pink, light pink for the edge.  It currently measurers 13.5 inches by approimately 40 inches wide.  I can't quite lay it out without the risk of losing stitches off the ends of the needles.

These books aren't listed in any kind of order, I just collected up the pictures of the political books I've read since posting any previously.

14 Hours of Audio.  Watergate, Deepthroat, Nixon's downfall.  A best seller, and a Pulitzer Prize winner.  I did not read this book at the time.  Actually my wedding day and the Watergate break in occurred on the same day.  I was too self absorbed to pay much attention to this at the time.  But, thought it was important to read/listen to now as a point of comparison.  Nixon was a crook, and a liar; but sorta looks like a choir boy compared to trump. 

12 Hours in the audio book.  This book details the hot mess that exsisted during trump's administration.  The temper tantrums, the last minutes changes in decision.  And how erratic the decision making process was handled in The Oval Office, In The Residence, On AirForce One, and even The Situation Room.  His staff would go into a meeting thinking he had made a decision and then he would change his mind, often as a means to embarrass a member of his staff.

I found this book absolutely fascinating!!!  What an accomplished woman.  She was involved in so many levels of politics her entire life, not just her adult life.  I listened (14 hours audio) to this as her retirement was announced.  It just seemed like the thing to do.

7 hours of audio.  Rumsfeld, Chaney, and Bush lied over and over again to the American people, and to congress about the state of affairs with regard to Iraq.  They refused to pay head to detailed reports about how failed the invasion of Iraq was.  How many lives were lost unnecessarily?  How much money was spent?  The infighting between those that hungered for power is also exposed in this book.

6 hours of audio.  This book focuses on Alexander Butterfield, an aid with far too much power.  He knew about the secret tapes that blue things apart for Nixon.  You can see how obsessed Nixon was with secrets and deceptions.

14 hours of audio.  Beyond a scary time, the end of trump's administration and the beginning President Biden's.  So much at stake, the most dangerous time in US history.  Woodward and Costa interviewed over 200 people to write this book.

11 hours of audio.  Much of this book seems like a repeat of many things you've already read about and or heard in the news; but to hear these tapes with trump's own voice, and all his dis-jointed sentences...run on, and or actually not sentences.  His ramblings, his utter lack of decency in all forms is beyond the pail.  

These important books total 78 hours of audio!!  That's a lot of political jazz, but it seemed to me to be truly important to read/listen to them all.  So much deceit, so many lies, so much corruption.  I really shouldn't include the book about Nancy Pelosi in this group, but since I was grouping the political books together; I did.

I've been doing yard work, going for walks, and trying to keep up with my planks.  I've not done well with trying to do any yoga, and I'm not knitting as much these days.  The hours just seem to slip by.

Let's Start at the Very Beginning, A Very Good Place to Start.....

 

Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start...are you singing with me?  Bet you are, lol.  This is the beginning of a baby blanket for our newest family member, my great-great niece, Leia.  It reminds me sherbert with the light and dark pinks, and mint green.  I hope this won't take too long to knit; but it's 165 stitches for one row, so it's not going to be a quick project.

A fascinating true story about Cornelia Fort, Nancy Love, and Jacqueline Cochran among the 1,100 women who became pilots, who ferried bombers, who trined the men who had far less hours flying to serve their country.  Another situation where the women didn't receive the respect and honor they deserved until after the fact.  Highly recommend this book.

Those in Peril is a novel with lots of twists and turns about billionaire Hazel Bannock and Major Hector Cross.  The author, Wilbur Smith describes the book as a tale of sex, violence, and other things through in.......like Somali Pirates.  A very different sort of book for me; but one you keep reading/listening to........because you must know what happens next.

Three Sisters by Heather Morris is considered to be book 3 (#1 The Tattooist of Auschwitz, #2 Cilka's Journey), but I believe it can easily be read/listened to as a stand alone book.  Three Slovakian sisters survived the horrors of the death camps.  As the Allies were moving in, The Nazies forced Men, Women, and Children on the Death March; but the sisters escaped and their story of surivival is riveting.

I've added my stats to the tab across the top of my blog.  June was a so-so month.  I traveled one week,  and bascially maintained.

Planks down to 12 from 13 the previous month (Full arm planks)

Side Planks   up to 4 from 2 the previous month

Walks    9 (forgot to record May), miles slightly down from 104.

94 to 102.54

High Steps  down from 4 to 2 from the previous month

Mowing, the same 5 x

**I did not manage to do any Silver Sneakers Classes in June

HELP NEEDED:

I have Windows 11 on my laptop, I have Samsung Android Cell, and an ipad.  Recently I got a notice on my computer indicating I could use something called Phone Link to link my phone and my computer.  Pictures, texts etc would appear in both places.  Typically I use my phone to take pictures, then transfer the pictures I want to my computer for use on my blogs and or just photo's I want to keep.  Once I do this I generally delete the photo on my phone so I don't have lots of things on my phone taking up space/storage.  Has anyone used this app to have everything automatically on your phone and your computer?  If so, do you like it?  I can see it would save time; but ...........what I've not been able to find out is, if I delete a picture I no longer need or want on my phone does it automatically delete it from my computer?  Thanks for any info any of you may have on this.

Knitting A Baby Blanket and Scarf, World War II Audio Books, and Horses!

 

The Blue corner to corner baby blanket is growing.  The white section is now done, and blended into light blue which has blended into the darker blue currently.  It now measurers 30 inches a side and 48 inches in diameter while on the needles (that often changes a bit), and has 154 stitches on the needle.  We're not yet at the decreasing point...not sure how large I want to make it...it's an eyeball thing for me.  Most people that make baby blankets go for about 30-36 inches.  Mine are always larger, more a crib size or afghan size vs "baby size".  Only time will tell.  I'm happy to see the shading changes.

The Buckeye Scarf (bottom in the picture), has been waiting in the wings for a while.  I started it just around Thanksgiving, then put it aside when I was started working on The Blanket of Many Colors.  Decided it was time to bring it out again, and I like to have projects to switch back and forth between.  As I mentioned above size to me is an eyeball thing.  This Buckeye Scarf will be a gift for a friend who's an avid Buckeye Fan.  I knew it wasn't currently large enough but wanted to compare to a scarf I made myself awhile back with the same pattern.  I like these asymmetrical scarves.  More fun to make than a regular scarf; and perhaps a bit dressier when worn.  The wing measurement is currently 37 inches (the previous one I made is 56 inches), it's 8 inches at it's widest part, while the completed one measures 10 inches.  The width of The Buckeye Scarf will probably be a bit wider on completion, as the yarn is a bit heavier.

Still in WWII mode....this book, "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand is hard to put down.  The book was a best seller and has in fact been turned into a movie, though I've not seen the movie.  This is a true story of Louis Zamperini, his participation in The Berlin Olympics, joining The ARmy Air Force and being a downed pilot.  The courage, hope, and endurance of men against severe conditions and horrible brutality is a testament to the human soul.  I highly recommend this book.

 One of many scenes I've enjoyed these past couple of months as I walk and or ride my bike.  The loop is just over 3 miles through beautiful Sea Pines Plantation in Hilton Head.  Hubby and I have really enjoyed our time away from The Ohio Winter.  I've not made a counting yet for my planks, bike rides, walks, or yoga for the current month of February to compare to January, but my gut feeling is it's less.  We've had some super windy days with cool temps which have lessen my exercising.  I need to pick up the pace with just a week left here before heading back to cold Ohio.

 

Yarn and Audio Books a Plenty

 

Chipping away on A Blanket of Many Colors.  The squares closest to you are now joined together.  I tried stitching them initially, but decided I didn't like the look and so returned crocheting them together...which is what I do 99% of the time.  I like the ridge that's created on the front side.  

Row 2 is laid out needing one more square each for the left block (teal green center) and blue on the right side, while melon will be the primary color in the middle block.

The baby blanket is growing nicely too.  In my last picture there 71 stitches on the needles, now there are 100.  It measured 20 inches previously and is now 31 inches, and you can start to see the blue fading, getting lighter and some white is now showing up.  Stay tuned.

Yet another WWII book, this book, "The Things we Cannot Say is by Kelly Rimmer.  I've read others she's written and have enjoyed them all todate.  Warsaw 1942 15 year old Alina with plans to marry her best friend, Tomasz doesn't understand what war does to people, to family, to friends, to neighbors.  The cruelty of war is hard lesson to learn.  Secrets abound.  I highly recommend this book in either it's written format or audio.  Personally, I enjoy audio far more than reading.  I like to do multiple things at the same time, knitting, cleaning, walking and listening for example.  PLUS...I like the drama that you hear and feel with audio books, for me missing when you read.  To hear the accents and how words and names are pronounced is more to my liking.

I've continued my quest to walk or ride bikes almost daily and to do planks 2 days running with the 3rd day being an off day.  I can't say this has been 100% of the time in these past 2 weeks but, pleased to say I'm hitting 95%.  Good luck to all trying to exercise.  Let's encourage each other.

Knitting Corner to Corner, Planks Work the Core, and We Must Be Brave

 

Digging through my stash for yarn suitable to make a baby blanket I came across this blue mix, JoAnn Sensations which is a mix of acrylic, polyester, and nylon.  Currently there are 71 stitches on the needles.  The pattern is the always popular Grandma's Favorite corner to corner.  Increases happen at the beginning of each row until you get the width you want, and then you start decreasing at the beginning of each row.  It looks pretty much like solid blue so far, but as you can see from the large ball, it is a blend of shades of blue and white.  I've only just started this and no doubt it will take a time to complete; but I only just found out a baby would be in need.  It currently measures 20 x 8 inches.

Am continue to work on the blanket of many colors.  I now have 4 full squares complete and the colors chosen for the next 2 squares.  I've made a few changes in colors from the previous post/pictures.  Am currently trying to determine if I want to stitch them together or crochet them together...or perhaps knitting them together.  I am leaning towards stitching them together, which is not what I typically do with squares/pieces, but these squares have a bit of an edge since they are made corner to corner, vs knitting back and forth straight rows.

No, this is not me, but this is the style of plank I've been doing.  I have done a variety of routines, altering time and repeats; but ....then I completed fell off the wagon.  A few days ago I restarted doing 40 second planks with 4 repeats and 12 seconds of rest in between.  My question is, are you ahead to do fewer repeats but longer planks or the reverse?  I've read articles supporting both methods.  I will not be doing these daily, you do need to rest.  I've done 2 days in a row with a day of rest thus far.

I recently enjoyed this audio book, "We Must Be Brave", by Frances Liardet.  When bombs fell on Southhampton, England people crowded onto buses and left the city.  Pamela, a little girl asleep on the bus wakes and wonders how she got where she is, and what became of her mother.  This Novel is entertaining, and very emotional.  And while it's not a "true" story, events like this did indeed happen during the difficult war years for many families.