Disturbing my calm neighborhood

The neighbors at the end of my block are having a new roof put on. It's amazing how much the noise disturbs me.

It may be here

The forsythia at the corner of my house is budding under the warm spring breeze.

Stone fences

It's hard to know how old these stone fences are. The fields are long overgrown. It is amazing that someone cleared the land, built the fences and farmed up here on the hill.

Texture

I came across a tree covered with these on my walk up the hill. Are they fungi?

Before Pandora

I collected these charms in 1972 on my trip to Europe with my Grandma P.

When asked which country I liked the best, I answered without hesitation, "Switzerland".
You can see the Bern bear, a Swiss chalet and a cuckcoo clock.

I anticipate many more wonderful visits to Switzerland in the future. My son will be joining the class of 2019 at Franklin University Switzerland.

A Georgia O'Keefe moment for my geranium

They are blooming and ready for moving outside. But I can't rush the season. There's been snow in the air.

The Running Goddess

This came across my Google alert for Asian University for Women recently: a race to promote women's fitness and charities, one of which is a scholarship for AUW students.

I'm not sure I could do the "run", but I could "walk" 5K. It's the Sunday between Mother's Day and Memorial weekend.

Anyone care to join me for a good cause, good fellowship and probably a nifty T-shirt in Westchester county?

Do you remember your first boss?

I worked at Bejcek Pharmacy during high school. It was a small town drug store with a soda fountain and cigar humidor. We sold Cody perfume and greeting cards. Records were kept by hand.

Mr. Bejcek was a tough boss, but he had a hearty laugh that you would hear through the store.

I worked hard and learned a lot watching from behind the counter. It was a safe place for a shy, bookish girl to start out.

In my senior year, the two local pharmacies merged. We moved down the street. It wasn't the same. The era was soon over as the national chains came sweeping in.

From the Homecoming program for 1963, before my time, but not much:

Taking pills

My routine may not be working. 

In the morning, I have to take one pill 20 minutes before breakfast. I pop it when I get up and lay out the ones for later. I take them after food, often when I come upstairs after breakfast. If I see them in my lid, I know that I haven't taken them. I am often distracted and may not  notice them until late morning.

Before bed, I set out my evening pills to take just before going to bed. 

Twice this week I have found my evening pills in the lid when I wake up. That's not good. 

Do I really need to set a reminder on my iPhone, repeating forever?

Traveling

I came across this picture of our first cross-country trip with him, from Texas to California. We were headed to the library convention in San Francisco. I wasn't sure that I could make it. Traveling with a baby was so new to us. But we developed a pace, making miles while he slept in his car seat. We had a lovely trip.

The library convention is returning to San Francisco this June. We will be leaving immediately after my son's graduation ceremony to fly across the country.

We are a traveling family.

The third strip

I am working on my new sweater. I've had to make some adjustments but I'm happy with the size and drape of it as it grows, one strip at a time. The edge at the bottom is the right hip around to the front. The upper part, made of smaller squares, is the back of the left shoulder.

The other side of the house

There was some color peeking under the bushes. I don't know what they are. Some sort of miniature white bell-like blooms.

They're sprouting

I have dill, cilantro and two kinds of basil. If you look closely, curly parsley. There is no sign from the chives or mint. I want to replace their spots with chili peppers.

I had to think for a moment

Where am I? Is this from a past life?
Do they really have these things in Upstate NY?

The lounge

We woke up in Lugano before 5 a.m. for a 7 a.m. flight. Before we left the hotel, we knew that the flight from Zurich to Newark would be delayed. The incoming flight hadn't left Newark. We couldn't do much until we got to the Zurich lounge when we were able to get on wifi to check our options for re-routing. 

Nothing was working to get us all to our destination in Syracuse that night. Our car was parked at the airport, two hours from home. We had to stay with our original flight. I had a seat on a flight that night to Syracuse. My husband and son were wait-listed. They had seats for the next morning. We couldn't do anything until we landed in Newark. 

A good lounge allows you to have a comfortable place to sit, talk and recharge your electronic devices. While we waited, we cycled through breakfast and lunch buffets. 

The Swiss Air lounge is good at providing chocolate which does help a traveler's mood.

Cleaning out

I have been thinking about cleaning out and organizing my room. I may finally be making some progress on the stack of mending and such. I haven't used my machines in a long time. In particular, the serger has been under a mound.

You may recognize this piece of linen as being the background of several of my knitting pictures. I hope to make some travel pants for our trip this summer. First step is to serge the edges and prewash.

Progress can be measured.

Noon walk around Franklin University, Lugano

Since we had been on campus before, I declined another tour of the Franklin University Switzerland so that I could take a walk around just as the bells from a local monastery were tolling noon.

It's a short video. Listen for the sounds.

View over the Alps, early morning

It makes the early departure worth it. 

First strip

This is the first attempt. The squares are positioned on point, added diagonally. The size of the squares decreases. What is shown is from right hip across back.

I judged it as being too big and pulled it out. 

Ruca

I am fascinated by this yarn. It is made of sugar cane viscose. The fiber is from China and it is hand painted in Chile.

My new plant project

MoM would have loved it, found it on clearance at the warehouse store. It's an hydroponic system with grow lights.

If you look carefully you will see basil, dill and cilantro sprouting. 

The last snow in our front yard

We've had some warm days. The huge piles of snow are leaving. I have a personal attachment with this last bank in our front yard. It is what is left of the huge mound I tended along our walk. I walked many a shovelful from the driveway to get it out of the way.

Now for spring.

My new knitting project

I have decided to start a sweater named "the carp" from Japanese Inspired Knits, by Marianne Isager.

It is made from mitered squares stitched in diagonal strips. I'm using a larger needle so that the pattern is more open thus I have to fuss with the sizing. I like the effect of the variegated yarn.

I ripped out the first attempt. Now I have four squares done, 149 to go.

A walk on Easter

The day wasn't reminiscent of spring. It was cold with flurries. Melting snow makes itself known in the raging water.

300!

I have logged 300 workouts. (100, 200) I can't say enough about how the app keeps me motivated

I want to thank my MapMyWalk/Fitness/Run/Hike friends for encouraging me on. Love you all.

Anyone else care to join me?

What is savory?

I liked the nut mix passed out on the plane. I wanted to study the ingredients.

In the past I would put together a snack mix that was more healthy, that I could bring to a party and munch on without feeling guilty. I would put in home-roasted pecans, walnuts and almonds. Raisins, Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips and animal crackers were added for sweetness.  I never really liked pretzels in it. But adding something salty balances it.

The sesame sticks in this bag make a nice addition. "Honey roasted" means more sugar added. But what exactly is "savory" about this mix, as in the opposite of "sweet"? I've seen other flavored sesame sticks that would be savory, like "garlic" or "Cajun". So I looked, there's even "jalapeño cheddar". And I know without looking that they all would be high in sodium, too salty.

Now I remember commenting on the sign down at the end of my street advertising "Savory New England Fish and Chips". What exactly does that mean? Their website claims they are "savory tavern-battered". Anyone thinking about it realizes that these fish fillets never came close to a drinking establishment. At least they don't claim that the potatoes are "home fries".

So what is "savory"?

Get me out of here before I fall deeper into the rabbit hole.

I'll put them up for the ugliest socks

I miscalculated by half a foot.

On the positive side:

1. They are purple.
2. I got to practice diagonal ribbing.
3. I used up two balls of left-overs. I still have some of the grey to use on heels and toes.
4. They will keep my feet warm.
5. They are done and I can start my next project.

Well, almost. I have to use the Kitchener stitch to finish them.

Bags that haunt

I stopped to have a cup of coffee. I noticed a young women sitting in the corner with books and colored pencils and such spread out around her. On the bench beside her was this bag. I asked if I could take a picture of it. She was remarked that it was her husband's laundry. I said it was that bag I was interested in. When was that last time she was in Woolworth's? She had no idea what I was talking about. She said that she got it at church. Yes, I can imagine that there are bags of bags in church closets waiting to be (re-)useful.

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