42 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread

  1. Dubravkamcvmd October 7, 2017 / 8:44 am

    Uh…far out!

  2. EAG46 October 7, 2017 / 9:11 am

    So beautiful!

  3. Jan October 7, 2017 / 9:12 am

    Well, my first week back at work could have gone better. Couldn’t take anything except Tylenol because I had to have a biopsy Thursday and there was much pain and gnashing of teeth even though I’m only on half days. The surgeon read me the riot act Wednesday about getting the inflammation on the knee down as it’s limiting my range of motion. I can walk fine and flatten it fine, just not flex it as far as I should by now; that has actually gotten worse the last two weeks. So my three day weekend will be just me, a bottle of ibuprofen and a LOT of ice. ? At least Lily is being her usual rambunctious and naughty self to help keep my mind off things. ?

    • allein ? October 7, 2017 / 10:44 am

      🙁

    • debg October 7, 2017 / 11:10 am

      Jan, so sorry. My kitties are sending extra purrs your way, and they’re champion purrers.

    • Puddleglum October 7, 2017 / 11:14 am

      Aww, hugs!

    • Murray C October 7, 2017 / 11:22 am

      Ouch, Jan, that’s not good. I hope you can get the inflammation down soon – that range of motion is so important. I forget if you were working in a pool at all – a nice warm therapy pool would be great. Any chance of that? (but only after the icing this week end)

  4. Alice Shortcake October 7, 2017 / 10:52 am

    A funny little incident at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre last Monday: part of the set for “Coriolanus” consisted of a huge movable staircase. For some reason it got jammed, and the stage manager appeared to apologise for halting the performance! The delay probably didn’t last more than twenty seconds, but it must have seemed like an eternity for the stagehands trying to shift the staircase. That’s the first time anything of that kind has happened to me in over thirty years as a regular RSC patron, although a few years ago I watched in horror as a trap door opened accidentally and a man playing a big drum fell through it like a ton of bricks.

    • Murray C October 7, 2017 / 11:17 am

      AHHHHHRRRRGGGGHHH! Every performers’ nightmare come true! Tho’ the trap door incident must’ve looked like it was meant to be?

      • Alice Shortcake October 7, 2017 / 11:46 am

        It was a weird little incident. Everyone sitting higher than the stalls seats must have seen it coming for a couple of seconds, but it was over so quickly it barely got a reaction from the audience. And “Titus Andronicus” is a strange play but it’s not THAT strange…

  5. Patty October 7, 2017 / 11:12 am

    That’s a beautiful cat, even without the rainbow colors.

    Almost done with week 1 with a knee stabilizer, and even a broken leg doesn’t stop people from asking for rides, or for me to do things for them. Daughter wanted me to do drop offs for school next week, which wouldn’t be a problem, other than the fact my knee stabilizer does not fit in my car, even with the seat all the way back. Her FIL would have substituted for me, but he is too sick from cancer treatments. Daughter doesn’t drive, and SIL is going to work out of town next week. I agreed to do it, but only if they bring the van over here for the week, because I can fit my leg in it. Normally I would drive my car to their house, and take their van to drop kids off (that way I don’t have to install car seats in my car).

    Fall has arrived, along with the rain that comes with it. It stormed the last couple of days, with a tornado touching down 20 miles from here. I did not go to the basement, because 1) knee stabilizer, plus crappy basement stairs and 2) very rarely do tornadoes actually come through town. The legends claim the 3 rivers surrounding the town prevent them from hitting us. I did watch the weather news, to make sure it wasn’t heading for town, and would have gone to the basement if it did.

  6. Puddleglum October 7, 2017 / 11:13 am

    Oh my what a lovely cat. And beautiful photo too, really.

    You guys. I’m feeling great this morning. Last night was the fall art walk and I had my first gallery sale of my life. To a total stranger! Woohoo! And some other good things lately… I got a new job that I’m starting in a week and I’m really excited about. I’m getting my hair cut and colored this morning so that’s always fun. It’s the last farmers market of the year so I’m going to get some flowers. My Tolkien book club has another meeting tomorrow and I’m looking forward to winning trivia again lol. Going to see It tonight with a friend. Um…its a beautiful fall morning and I have coffee and a good book waiting for me. So all in all, yay. 🙂

    • Murray C October 7, 2017 / 11:19 am

      Puddlglum fantastic – I know how it feels when someone you don’t know buys your work! Congrats and good luck with he new job.

    • N. Fritz October 7, 2017 / 11:31 am

      Terrific news, Puddleglum! How exciting to have your art enjoyed by others!

    • debg October 7, 2017 / 2:25 pm

      So happy for you, on all these fronts. It’s lovely to enjoy life!

  7. debg October 7, 2017 / 11:16 am

    A quiet weekend of spinning and knitting for me.

    It’s the last 2 days of Spinzilla, a “contest” where teams of spinners compete to see which can spin the most yarn in a week. (Most people don’t take it that seriously–it’s more about having fun and showing pretty pix of yarn.) I haven’t contributed much, though I did manage to spin 8 oz. of singles for a 2-ply laceweight. So today and tomorrow, I’ve got to buckle down with my wheels.

    I also finished #16 of my 17 sweaters planned for this year, and started a new, veryvery easy cat t-shirt last night. It’s on big needles, so it’s possible I can finish it within a week.
    https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/professor-meow-sweater

    After this week’s exhausting photo shoot, I look forward to sitting a lot!

    • dubravkamcvmd October 7, 2017 / 1:28 pm

      I love the Professor Meow sweater!

  8. N. Fritz October 7, 2017 / 11:40 am

    Hello all! I’m spending a much needed weekend alone, except for the neighbor’s cat who has decided to visit me this afternoon. I have tons of work to do for school, and on the homefront. I got behind when bf visited the first three weekends of the semester, and I was fending off a cold all this week. But I am optimistic that I can catch up!

  9. Duckie ? October 7, 2017 / 11:42 am

    Glorious soggy morning to all.
    My bed has flannel sheets and a quilt, and I have my flannel footies on. It was a wonderful snuggle night, listening to the wind and rain, knowing that hubby did NOT have to work today.
    Happy Thanksgiving to all us Canadians.
    A three day weekend to spend in crafting and reading. And eating and sleeping. I vow to do no unnecessary work this weekend. And hubby has offered to do all dishes!
    No more invisible cat to worry about. The owners are home, and he made his displeasure, regarding their being gone so long, loudly known.
    I have the urge to curl up with psychedelic cat in front of a fire.

    • Puddleglum October 7, 2017 / 11:51 am

      How lovely and cozy Duckie! Aren’t flannel sheets one of the best things about fall? That, and fuzzy socks. I hope you have a great long weekend.

      • ? allein ? October 7, 2017 / 12:15 pm

        I usually find flannel sheets too warm (though they were nice in my old apartment when they started skimping on the heat). I like t-shirt sheets; I have Pure Beech modal sheets and they’re perfect – not ice cold when I crawl into bed in winter but light so I don’t get too warm in the summer….unfortunately, they’ve gotten a bit discolored over the years and I have recently discovered a hole in the fitted sheet (they’re a good 8 or 9 years old, though, so I guess that’s not a bad run) so I might have to go shopping.

    • Duckie ? October 7, 2017 / 12:02 pm

      Kitty should be called ‘Skittles’, ’cause he is obviously tasting the rainbow.

  10. debg October 7, 2017 / 12:18 pm

    That is one amazingly beautiful cat, I must say.

  11. allein ? October 7, 2017 / 12:22 pm

    So I run a Christmas card exchange on another forum I belong to, and I opened up the signups earlier this week. People sign up by sending me a private message with their address and their email so I can send the list to them. So far 7 people (not counting myself) have signed up and FOUR have forgotten their email address. Two realized it themselves and sent it shortly after, but still. Arrgh!

  12. allein ? October 7, 2017 / 1:08 pm

    I saw my friends the other night and they gave me birthday presents.

    (they’re salt & pepper shakers)

    • allein ? October 7, 2017 / 1:08 pm

      The back is fuzzy and the inside is pretty.

      • allein ? October 7, 2017 / 1:10 pm

        And, because I turned 42…

        • Faye October 7, 2017 / 2:11 pm

          Gorgeous gifts!

        • Duckie ? October 7, 2017 / 9:50 pm

          First time I saw these socks, I thought they said ‘DONUT DANCE’.

          • allein ? October 7, 2017 / 9:59 pm

            Haha! Sounds yummy!

            (They say “Don’t Panic” in case anyone else wasn’t sure.)

            • Faye October 8, 2017 / 2:23 am

              So long. And thanks for all the fish.

  13. Laura October 7, 2017 / 1:23 pm

    Hi, all. Sounds like the usual mixture of life’s ups and downs. Do those exercises, Jan — I remember how unpleasant it feels, but if you lose the range of motion now you’ll never get it back. It happened to a friend of mine after a hip replacement; she didn’t do her exercises and now she is virtually immobilized. It’s a real shame. And good luck with the knee stabilizer and driving, Patty. It sounds challenging, at the least!

    Congrats on the sale, Puddleglum! And happy Thanksgiving to the Canadians among us! ??

    We’re having a still too hot weekend, but tomorrow is the twice-yearly picnic for the greyhound adoption group we got Melody from. The trainer who turns all her retired dogs over to this group comes to see her babies, so it’s one big happy family. Should be fun!

    DebG, that sweater is adorable! My daughter may be wearing one before I’m through…but baby knitting first. What’s important? Our niece sent us a photo this week of her daughter’s christening, wrapped in the large white lace shawl I gave her (and one for her sister, too, when she got married a couple years later) for her wedding, which made me really happy. That shawl — 6-foot-square Shetland lace! — took me months, and I m so glad to see it being used instead of just stuck in a drawer. That family is definitely knitworthy!

    Have a great week, everybody!

    • debg October 7, 2017 / 2:30 pm

      Not all people are knitworthy, Laura, so I’m glad your family appreciates you! Yeeks, that’s a big shawl. I go for shawlettes these days, partly because I’m lazy and will lose interest, but the public story is that you don’t have to fold shawlettes to wear them–the right side doesn’t have to compete with the wrong side.

      Oh, and 2 more brags! One of my authors from Knitting Traditions wrote a companion piece about the first licensed female pilot:
      https://www.interweave.com/article/knitting/elise-raymonde-de-laroche-knitting-traditions/

      And the second of my Women’s Work blogs went up recently:
      https://www.interweave.com/article/knitting/womens-work-history-of-textiles/

      • Laura October 7, 2017 / 3:22 pm

        Yes, it was big. Or I should say they were big. I knit the Fiddlesticks pattern Garden Shawl for my first niece, and then the Spider Queen — I got the pattern from Blackberry Ridge, but I’m not sure where it came from originally — for her sister. The Spider Queen was an EVIL pattern; it was totally asymmetrical from one row to the next, so I ended up spending a summer with headphones on listening to music and ignoring the world to be able to focus on it enough to knit it. I couldn’t even listen to a book, which is what I usually do when I’m knitting lace! My goal one of these days is to knit the Heritage pattern wedding Ring shawl — something like 8 feet in diameter but knit with a fine enough yarn to pull through a wedding ring, which is a terrifying thought! — but I haven’t done more than get the pattern; that one takes courage, and I’m not sure I’ve gotten that far yet!

        But I just LOVE knitting fine lace. I found that Blackberry Ridge, amazingly, makes a very affordable yet smooth, strong, and even fine wool/silk laceweight yarn (as opposed to their featherweight, which isn’t spun well at all) that I’ve used for several shawls now, so my only real expenditure is time, but since it’s something I love anyway….so yeah, Shetland lace and shawls, those are my specialties. You obviously specialize in sweaters! Respect! Do you knit as fast as the Yarn Harlot or something? It wouldn’t surprise me!

  14. Faye October 7, 2017 / 2:08 pm

    Hi all!

    Cosmic Kitty may be a modern version of the Cheshire Cat! Gorgeous.

    My big adventure was waking up to feed Millie. I ate Oreo Thins for breakfast sitting on the edge of the bed. Then went back to sleep until 1:30 pm. Cookies for breakfast is not healthy but once in a while…

    Yesterday and today is reorganizing my bed room closet and bed room into the no man in the house configuration! Hanging winter coats and summer clothes in one closet and winter clothes in the other. Bin stacking, new shower curtain, then fine tuning everything so I can find things.

    Bought Millie two hoodies and a coat for her first winter as a grown up. Will take pictures. I bought two new blankets and insulated curtains as my bedroom has one wonky cold window. I do not plan on being cold this winter. I curl up in an immobile ball if I get cold.

    Big project once organizing and weatherproofing is completed is bringing up stuff from the basement that has been stored for four years. Keep or sell on eBay type stuff. My motivation is I know I have a full set of expensive drawing pencils I could use And hundreds of dollars of beading supplies to sell. Cashing in will justify my never making jewelry out of it. I could do that but drawing is much more compact and has my heart.

    Well time to get dressed and get going.

    Murray, I nailed my roasted peppers pasta sauce with slightly burned peppers, tomato paste, dash of sugar and dried grated lemon rind!

    • Duckie ? October 7, 2017 / 9:54 pm

      Faye, when I read ‘beading supplies’, my fingers got twitchy. I’m trying to use up my fabric stash, and I can’t afford anything else, but my fingers definitely twitched. Good thing you didn’t say ‘lace’!

      • Faye October 8, 2017 / 2:28 am

        I know that feeling. Must. Not. Give. In.

    • Murray C October 8, 2017 / 11:02 pm

      Sounds dee-lish, Faye – sorry I didn’t respond earlier, busy week end. I’m finishing up some small drawings for the lyric sheet that goes inside the CD that I did a cover for a while back, the one for my friend who has a rock and roll band for little kids, geared toward reading and literacy.

      And I had to sing for a gallery opening today – a friend does paintings around the theme of immigration and I did Irish immigration songs. There was a priest there, Fr. Michael Doyle, who was a Vietnam war protester, was jailed for a bit but gave such an eloquent speech in his defense that the judge told him it was the best defense he’d ever heard. The judge’s wife – believe it or not, Trump’s SISTER – is (or was, not sure if she’s still around) one of Father’s staunchest benefactors.

  15. murkle46 October 8, 2017 / 7:51 am

    Autumn needlepoint project suggestion

    Beware children,for they are the plague bringers!

    • Murray C October 8, 2017 / 11:03 pm

      They left out Hanta virus!

    • fkaWaldenPond October 9, 2017 / 12:10 am

      Omgoodness Murkle, I want to drop everything, go to med school, become a doctor–just so I can hang this in my patient waiting room. 😀

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