Little Boy Blue, Yarn, Walk, Bike, Yoga and More!

 

Another project started.  I call this one, Car Scarf.  Not very creative a name.  I don't usually name my scarves, just the afghans; but I needed an easy on the eyes, no counting stitches for a car project.  Thus, Car Scarf.  LOVE these contrasting colors together, teal and gray.  This is my favorite go to yarn (Encore, Plymouth worsted weight).  Each skein is 200 yards, it's 75% acrylic and 25% wool, therefore washable; is in my opinion the softest everyday yarn.  I also have a teal tweed skein with me here in Hilton Head that would blend; but not sure how much yardage I will need since I'm not using a pattern...just knitting.  Stay tuned.

This was step 1 (see previous post)

Step 2, where everything had been edge with the dark blue for 2 rows.  Once you edge you can really begin to see the variety of sizes.

This is step 3, 4, and 5.  TaDah!  Light blue was then used on each square/rectangle.  Some squares (the larger ones), have 1 row of light blue, others 2 or 3 rows, but several had 4, and I think one had 5 (can't remember).  Then it was edge with 3 rows of the dark blue, tossed in washer (this is washable acrylic), then layed out and stretched a bit (blocked).  It's drying as we speak.  Typ;cally things soften up in the wash; but this didn't as much as others I've worked on.  Some pretty course yarn used here and there.  Once it's dried, I'll decide whether or not to wash a 2nd time to soften more.  

"Little Boy Blue"  

For those of you perhaps younger than me and unfamiliar with this childrens nursery rhyme.  This is what came to mind when I named this afghan.  It will be donated to The Homeless Families Foundation on my return to Ohio.

Chicken Enchilda's before plating it up

Awesome coffee with great froth

Stuffed mushrooms, parsley pasta, chicken parmesan with sliced tomatoes

Almost an omlet with fresh strawberries, sliced avocado, banana nut bread with cream cheese.  With a breakfast (brunch) like this you don't need much the rest of the day.  We've been eating well on this trip.

We're keeping fresh flowers in the condo.  Two sides of the same vase so you can see the whole thing.

WOW!!  Back to my love of WWll books.  This is a fusion of biography, letters, note, and diaries smuggled out of a prison in Berlin.  American, Mildred Harnack at the age of 26 travels to Berlin to enter a PhD program when the rise of The Nazi party took hold.  She orgnaized secret meetings in her apartment and was the ONLY American to head the German Resistenance to Hitler with acts of sabatage and more.  A truly remarkable young lady during a difficult time.  Mildred Harnack's Great-Great Niece is Rebecca Donner, the aurhor of this book.  PLEASE put this on you list and let me know what you think folks.  Highly recommended.

Can't compare January 2023 to December 2022, as I forgot to get a tall;y from my calendar before we left town; but I'm sure Janaury is better.

Bike:...have gone for 4 bike rides 3 miles each.  I don't ride at home, no decent trails, plus I really don't have a bike, so indeed better.

Planks 11 planks of 4 repeats of 45 second planks with 13 seconds of rest between.  I know I didn't do that many in December, just don't know how many I did.

Walks.  Went for 8 walks of varying distances.  Total steps for the month 281,528 for a total of 116.89 miles.

Yoga twice for the month, though I think I did a few more and forgot to record them.  

All in all, not a bad start to the New Year.  Now if I can only build on this.

Starts and Finishes With Knitting and The New Year

 

Another completed knitted project.  My Outlander scarf/shawl is done!  It's been soaked, and blocked and worn twice!  It's so soft, I love it.  Wonderful yarn to work with and to wear.  I love how the colors blended.  This yarn, as you might remember was a gift from my Darling Daughter.  She Rocks, by the way.

Pieces parts!  When I had my grassroots charity,. Bridge and Beyond (for 14 years), people would send me squares, rectangles and things they had left over.  As you can see these pieces are not the same size.  Sometimes when other charities folded they would send me things they had left.  Some are knitted, some are crocheted.  I would design, label, and bag.  I've always named the would be afghans and called this one Little Boy Blue.  I would use my stash to find yarn that would blend with these pieces parts and begin edging them to get them to flatten out better and to start getting them to be the same size so they could be joined.

While I closed the charity a year ago, I still have things to work on to donate.  Here's the start.

They're coming closer to being the same size, but.........I edge with 2 rows each, then see how much of the dark blue I have in my stash to determine if I have enough to continue using the dark blue to bring to size, or if I'll need to switch to the light blue you see in the upper left corner.  It's a process, a bit like putting a puzzle together.  But, it's coming along

Belated Happy New Year to you all.  I hope everyone had a safe and fun New Years and that 2023 brings us all closer to being done with Covid, and that the poor folks in Ukraine can improve their situation.

A very powerful book about the power of Harvey Weinstein and sexual misconduct.  How the Me Too Movement got started, and how long this sad situation insued.

Just a few of the women involved.  It was of course in the news, so many people know about it, but  reading/listening to the book tells you so much more than we knew.  Well worth the read or listen.  Incrediable journalism.

Another non WWII book I've listened to and highly recommend, The Story of Helen Keller.  She was far more accomplished than I knew.  Put it on your list, if you've not already read or listened to it.

I've not tabulated my numbers for December on my exercising.  Forgot to do that before we left for the winter, so will have to see if I still have my notes when I return home.  But, I'm getting a good start I think to the New Year.  I've rented a bike for the duration and know that will help me be more active.  Plus, the weather is nicer so getting out to take some walks will be easier as well.  We'll see how I fair here in January.

All ready for our dinner party.  We managed to fit 14 in for dinner last night.  We catch up with other folks who come for the winter or a big chunk of it.  It's fun to see the same folks each year.  We call ourselves the January Gang.

One of my friends brought me these beautiful yellow roses (yellow is a favorite for me), she said yellow means friendship.  Everyone enjoyed seeing the pretty flowers.

I prepared 4 pork tenderloins with a sauce that everyone always loves.  Syrup, garlic, rosemary, and ground mustand.

2 Large casserole dishes of red skins, and brussel sprouts.  I had to cook the sprouts a bit before I could add the butternut squash, as the squash was cut in smaller pieces than it typically is, also added cranraisins (I like cranberries, but couldn't get any).  Forgot to take a picture of the salad which was a mix of greens and caprese style tomatoes and fresh mozzarella in a small log almost to sit on top of the greens.  Drizzeled with balsamic glaze makes for a pretty and colorful salad.  Whew, slept in this am, we were a bit tired.

Need to get out and visit you all (everyone on my blog list), to catch up.  Been since Christmas since I've posted and done any blog walking.  See you all soon.

Merry Christmas, Outlander, Henrietta Lacks

 Merry Christmas from my house to yours!  If you traveled for the holidays, I hope you were able to travel safely and reach your destination.  I know the storms across the country made life difficult for many.

Good headway is being made on my latest scarf/shawl (Outlander).  Took this picture a few days ago, but since then have finished the last section you see plus started the next section.  Hope to have it finished fairly soon.  But, things have been busy with the holidays and darling daughter's visit...........sooooooooo, we shall see.

Finsihed this book awhile back, a change from my typical World War II books.  The story is fascinating, entertaining, and sad all rolled together.  It'a s true story, and sheds light on why  many Black Americans lack trust in medical science.  I encourage you to read or listen to this if you haven't already.  I loved listening, due to the language variences used.  I recently read an article indicating a statue of her will be placed in Roanaokes Henrietta Lack Plaza, to replace a Robert E. Lee monument which seems very appropriate to me.  Bruce Cobbs designed the statue.

Outlander, Starts and Finishes and......

 

Thank you Darling Daughter!  Look at these colors!  This was a gift from Darling Daughtger because she knows how I love the show Outlander.  This collection of yarn is The Outlander Club.  218 yards each of Pure DK 100% Superwash Merino from  Honey Girl Farms.  I started with Jamie Fraser which is the bottom of this first picture, then striped it with the gold which is Fall at the Ridge, then the gold by itself, then striped the gold with Claire's Surgery (the grayish blend), then a section of Claires Surgery on it's own which is what you see at the top of the picture.

Took two pictures because of the sun sorta made it hard to see the one color.  This will be another asymetrical scarf/shawl...depending on how large it ends up, though this has a slightly more curved shape than the previous scarf I made.  The pattern will continue with solid sections followed by the blending of two of the colors in striped sections.

Yes, I finally got this one finished!  Just need to tuck in two ends and soak and block it.  I Love the colors of this one as well.  You can see how much less curved this one is than the Outlander.

It's been pretty cold lately with many nights and some days below freezing and no leaves left on the trees, as you can see.  Took this on my street one evening.  Beautiful red sky.

While yes this is another WWII book, it is quite different than the others I've posted about.  This is a true story about Brotherhood between enemies.  The story of Charlie Brown and Luftwaffe Fighter Flying Ace, Franz  Stigler in 1943 in the skies over Germany.  I really enjoyed this book and heart warming story and highly recommend it.

Got a kick out of this, and it seems to sorta represent my exercise during the month of November.  I do like a good Martini, but didn't do any yoga during the month.  My planks were about the same 7 in Oct and down to 6 in November.  I did better with walks, up by 2.  Took 11 walks in October and 13 in November for a total of 97.22 miles, about 3.35 miles average per day.  I was one day short in the month as my fitbit wasn't synching and was plugged in rather than on my arm to force a synch.

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving, and for those that traveled...safe travels.  

Hogan's Heroes, Thanksgiving, Anne Fran

 

Just a few days ago this popped up on Facebook.  An article from The New York Post.  Not a publication I typically read, so was surprised it was in my feed.  I loved the sow Hogan's Heroes, and LeBeau was a favorite character.  What I didn't know about him at the time was he was in fact a survivor of The Holocaust.  At the age of 16 he was taken from Paris to Auschwitz Concentration Camp along with his family.  He was one of 14 children born to Orthodox Parents.  His parents were gassed, and none of his siblings lived.  He was moved from Auschwitz to Buchenwalk were he spent 31 months incarcerated.  He worked in a wooden shoe factor making heals.  

He was a performing and believes one reason he was spared was because he sang and entertain The SS officers every other  Sunday.  He was liberated and returned to Paris and performed, both dancing and singing; and then sailed for The United  States were he performed on soap operas, Broadway and most notably, "Hogan's Heroes".

He has written a biography, which is on my to read list:

I was fascinated to learn this about him, and wanted to share.  Perhaps you all knew this?

How many of you go through a check list like this when you leave the house?  I know my hubby does, checking pockets etc.  I doubt he thinks of the stove and or iron, but certainly the other items.

A book perhaps you read back in High  School?  I didn't read it back then.  Frankly, I never liked reading when I was younger and always fundged a book report by reading the first, last, and middle chapter of the book.  So, I guess I'm making up for lost time.  

Things I didn't know:

1. She was in hiding 761 days (25 months).  
2. That only her father lived through the concentration camp captiviity
3. That they were multiple versions of the book.  This one is a combination of the first one written (without any conversation about sexuality).  Her Father Adolph censored that out.
4. Her last diary was written August 1st, 1944, and she was arrested on August 4th, and the Germans surrendered to the US on May 8th, 1945.  Just a few months after she was arrested.  

Not sure what I make of her as a teenager.  On one hand her situation seemed far better than many who were in hiding, or taken early to camps.  At times she seemed very nasty to her family and the others in hiding with them.  I didn't find her endearing.  Did you?  Would love to know your thoughts.

My asymetrical scarf looks pretty much the same even though I've spend quite a bit more time working on it.  It truly is taking much longer to complete than I anticipated.

Spotted this Turkey on a recent walk.  I don't decorate outdoors for this holiday, do you?  I've seen some in the neighborhood, but far less than Halloween decorations.  If you're traveling for the holiday, please be safe.  If you're gathering with family, I hope you enjoy yourself and everyone stays healthy.  We'll not be doing the large family gathering this year, since hubby just recently had surgery.  Many thanks to all that left kind messages.  His surgery went well and he feels better each and everyday.

Knitting, Voting, Georia Tann Scandal, and Counting Steps

 

The Color on this scarf isn't quite right.  I sure miss my old software.  It had a greeat feature that one click improved the color.  Don't remember quite what the option was called.  I used Irfanview, before I got my new laptop which is Windows 11 and so I only have a photo app, which doesn't seem to do much.  But, the scarf is coming along nicely.  I have 120 stitches on the needle.  Had hoped to have this completed by now, but it's such thin yarn it's a slower process than I thought it would be.  Wonderfully soft yarn and thus far am much more pleased with this than the previous shawl project, which I still haven't soaked or blocked.  Figured I would wait until I get this one finished and do them both.

Look who hubby and I ran into when we voted earlier this week!  I love the ability to vote early, it sure lessens the lines, and gives you options.  Who knows if you'll be sick or maybe your car won't start on election day!  AND, hubby will have surgery that day, so we would not have been able to voite on election day.  The states that don't allow early voting are, in my opinion very very backward!  And sadly, I think making voting as hard as possible is purposeful, and shameful.  

Not being able to get the horrific story about The Tennessee Children's Home Society out of my mind, I decided I needed to read more about it and that horrible woman, Georgia Tann.  Lisa Wingate, author of the previous book, "Before we Were Yours", teamed up with a reporter friend, Judy Christie to tell the stories of some of the stolen babies and their separated families in this book, book 2.  The reunion I mentioned that was arranged enable many who shared this sad experience to come together and share their stories.  People found each other at book signings and through the help of DNA testing with Ancestry.com and 23 and me, some have been able to re-unite with long lost siblings.  Due to the timing, many tracing their routes are now 2nd generation but learning about their birth families and what happened.  

I've learned that my husband's assistant's uncle was in fact one of these "Georgia Tann" stolen babies.  I believe I mentioned in my previous post that no one was held accountable to this horrible scandal, not the police, not the judges, not any of the workers, and not Georgia Tann herself.  

This is the actual house where it all began, though as time went on; there were other locations.  Part of how she made her money selling the babies was due to wealthy people being willing and able to pay high prices for babies.  For example, movie stars.  She had a following in Hollywood.  Movie stars June Allyson, Esther Williams, and Joan Crawford were among some of the famous stars who bought Georgia Tann's children.  Knowing that Joan Crawford was one, we also know that not all children found loving homes.  In 1986 60 minutes did a special on this scandal.  This audio book was 8 hours compared to 14 hours for the previous book.  Again...it was a short read/listen for me.  I really couldn't put it down.

There are a few other books, "Bought and Paid For", "The Baby Thief" I found listed about this, but thus far I've not found an audio version of them.

Happy to say October was a better month then September (my Covid month and ill fated France tour).  I took 11 actual walks, did planks 7 times and yard work 7 times.  Yard work is raking, and mowing mostly.  My steps went from 89.78 miles in Sept to 101.94 in October.   One must keep at it.