Frost warning

Sunday morning I learned that there was a freeze warning for the night. That meant I put aside some of my other plans for the day in order to bring in the harvest (but not without finishing that little pumpkin, from Curly Purly, that I felt compelled to make over the last couple of days.)

Mostly herbs (TONS of parsley, also basil, oregano, mint, lemon balm, lemon verbena, rosemary, nasturtium, tarragon)

Also, some green tomatoes, green beans, tomatillos, kale, and Swiss chard.

And (probably) the last of the flowers...

I brought the herbs that I'll eventually move inside, along with a "bowl" of lettuce, into my garage-sale greenhouse.

And I noticed that even at the end of the season, Rebecca still looks fabulous.

I DID SO go to Rhinebeck!

Girl on the Rocks is having a fake Rhinebeck contest. Wherein those of us who couldn't go pretend that we went and post about all the wonderful yarn we procured (which is actually from our stash).

You see, all these cool knitters and bloggers converge upon the New York Sheep and Wool Festival at Rhinebeck, then come back and post about it on their blogs which just makes us feel even sadder that we weren't there (although, of course, being mature, we are really happy FOR THEM)...so this is our way of saying, hey, we're cool, too...we have cool yarn, too...we have cool friends, too...look and see...

So, I saw some beautiful foliage on my way down to the Hudson Valley...

stopped and got my fall pumpkin fix...

Once there, I met up with all my pals from Ravelry, said hello to all my friends in the authors' tent, like Stephanie, Ann and Kay, and even Clara, who saved a book for me!

I brought back some amazing yarn, like this from Kristin Thomas (sadly, she has moved on to other things and is no longer spinning)

I have 3 balls of each color...it wants to be some kind of yummy cardigan, I do believe.

And in my spare time, I resurrected this project, based on the Farmer's Market Bag in Weekend Knitting, and a chart with the word for "peace" in different languages from a long-forgotten website.

I got to stay in luxury accommodations, too...

I can't wait to (not) do it again next year!

Small and sweet pleasures

It really doesn't take a lot to bring me pleasure. No mood-altering chemicals, windfall of money, or adrenaline rush needed...

Here's a non-inclusive list of tidbits from daily living to show you what I mean.

October Dahlia

A walk at Taughannock Falls State Park,

complete with dozens of these miniature cairns in the stream

An impromptu knitting-that-was-supposed-to-be-studying night, after visiting Village Yarn and Fiber Shop with T. I promptly got to work on the Curly Purly pumpkin and RocBike ear warmers.

Making apple pie filling (recipe from Mary Jane--see books sidebar) from apples picked at the aforementioned trip to Hurd Orchards.

Having T. meet me at the University of Rochester library when my class gets out after 9:30 p.m., so that I don't have to bike home by myself.

Walking with T. to Corn Hill Creamery, along the Genesee Riverway Trail, with a great view of the city of Rochester.

Having Marianne, of Marianne's Consignments at 792 South Clinton Avenue, open up even when she was technically closed, because I desperately needed a pair of boots I knew she had in there! (I needed them because my own, which had been in my 12-year-old unlocked car to be taken to have the heels repaired, had been STOLEN! But that is not small, sweet, or a pleasure, so let's move on).

A simultaneously perfect fall sunset to the west

and a full moon to the east

>

Did someone say something about sox?

True facts about myself:

Today I heard the radio anchorman say, "You probably know that tonight is Game 1 of the World Series." Um, actually, I didn't know that.

Tonight when I logged into Blogger, I noticed that the featured blog was The Joy of Sox. I thought...hmmm, maybe it's a new blog about knitting. Really, I did.

Even though the radio announcer had earlier reminded me of who was playing in the World Series.

Let me know who wins, will you?

Argyle (and other) updates

While I generally try to compose a somewhat coherent post, complete with relevant pictures, I am still feeling rather pathetic, and a list format is about all I can muster.

1. I lost a part of a tooth today. This is not good news. A crown and possible root canal, along with other unsavory-sounding dental procedures, may be required. This is also not good news for our unfinished porch, as the money allocated for the outside of the house may have to go to the inside of my mouth. At least they broke the news gently at the dentist's office...I think they feared, justifiably, a meltdown on my part.

2. In better news, I am working on some argyle-related patterns for Rocbike. First, some ear-warmers. However, as best I can figure out, the decreases would make a knitted-in argyle pattern pretty tough. So my newest idea is to knit them in a solid color (probably dark brown, the dominant color in the Rocbike argyle), then use duplicate stitch to add a diamond, argyle-ish pattern in the widest section. Knitters, what do you think? any other thoughts, suggestions?

3. I'm also working on a design for a felted cover for the deck of Jason's Packet Boat, his super-cool commuting/grocery shopping/kid-carrying bike. It will be argyle of course. I figure if it's felted it will be pretty rain resistant. I'm excited about getting to work on that, as well, and am positive I'll meet Jason's deadline of completing it within the next 50-60 years. Again, knitters, any general argyle-knitting suggestions? I've knit intarsia plenty of times, and I have a good article from Interweave, but I'd still love any tips from you more experienced argyle-knitters (hint, hint, Molly!)

4. According to Blogger help, there is no way for me to automatically reply to your comments individually. So whenever you post a comment, I will first go to your Blogger profile (if you have one) to see if I can get your email. Otherwise, unless you include your email address in your comment, I will respond to you in the comment thread for that post. Make sense?

Okay, I'm gonna go try to make my mouth feel a little better. Next post will be more coherent (and probably interesting!), I promise!

p.s. Oh, and I feel like all the cool kids are going to Rhinebeck this weekend. Wish I could go!

Fall scenes (AKA pretty pictures relieve stress)

I am having quite the stressful week, so all I can muster now are some scenes from a bike ride a couple of weekends ago where I took the Genesee Riverway Trail through Genesee Valley Park, and on to the Genesee Greenway Trail. The pictures are all from miles 0-2 of the Greenway.

And, since I'm photographing and painfully documenting all my UFO's on Ravelry, here are some shots of things long ago begun and never finished.

Well, they're not finished, but they're still kind of pretty. I think I feel a little better now.

Break the Bottled Water Habit, Win a Prize and Cut Your Carbon

For Blog Action Day, a challenge to pledge to give up bottled water. To take the pledge, click on the button to the left.

Here's the information from the Carbon Conscious Consumer's ongoing challenge.

When you want pure, healthy drinking water, you should reach for bottled water, right? Surprisingly, on neither a personal nor a global level are you making a healthy choice.

For each gallon of water bottled, two gallons are wasted; producing the plastic wastes the energy equivalent of a quarter-bottle’s worth of oil. And what’s in the bottle could just be tap water.

This October we’re asking you to think about where the water in that bottle came from, and where the plastic is going…take the Carbon Conscious Consumer pledge and drink to a healthy ecosystem.

Each month from July to December, Carbon Conscious Consumer (c3.newdream.org) will highlight a new, simple way each individual can make an impact, plus show the difference each person makes both individually and along with the people they’ve influenced; prizes go to participants who influence the most new pledges.

During October, make a conscious choice to slake your thirst without drying up our planet’s resources. In addition to benefiting the environment, participants will have a chance to win a free condo for a week at a ski resort in Idaho. (Julie's note--although if you have to fly to Idaho, you'll significantly increase your carbon footprint!) Click the button at the left now to get started.

My hometown

My hometown is the kind of place…

--where the self-professed “only Democrat in town” describes the town as stuck in time, “like a bug in amber”

--where his wife says, “That’s what I like about this town”

These painted figures on a building on Main Street, faded but still there, for as long as I can remember.

--where they meticulously maintain their historical society and museum

--where the cornfields end right at the town limit

--where you can run into a classmate from 26 years ago and be greeted with a hug and an invitation to dinner

--where, during a conversation with someone you’ve just been introduced to, you learn that her boss is the same man who hired you for his new factory so you could earn money for college, and that she is also friends with your former English teacher

--where that high school English teacher still remembers you

--where your neighbor spends a few hours mudding (plastering) the new walls in the old house you’re renovating, on his day off and without your even knowing it until you come home

--where you can walk out your front door and hear a belted kingfisher over the river within five minutes

--where the riverbed still holds a car that was dumped there many years ago

--where a past acquaintance (and new friend) knows the people living in the house you used to live in, and moreover, offers to call them up the next morning so you can see the inside of the house

--where you can let your kids walk around at night

--where they still have paper boys and girls

--where the out-of-the-house options for a good time on a Friday night consist primarily of: going to the high school football game, going to the Mexican restaurant for cheap Margaritas, or driving half an hour to see a movie

--where a waitress says to the former Americans visiting from Australia, “If you’re from Australia, how can you speak English so well?”

--where your African-American friends from out of town are reluctant to come visit, because they have to drive through an area of KKK activity

--where you're out of luck if you don't have transportation and need to get to a reproductive health clinic

--where you were introduced to feminism through the library

--where the residents had such a hard time switching to a new emergency phone system that the local newspaper ran the headline, “To Call 911, Dial 9-1-1”

--where they had to run that headline because people kept trying to reach 911 by dialing the town’s 3-digit exchange first

--where that newspaper is titled The Rushville Republican

--where the names on the election signs are the names of people you went to high school with

--where people who barely know you go out of their way to let you know that you are welcome, even if you are a bisexual feminist tree-hugging Buddhist progressive

--where at noon, a church carillon plays “Let Freedom Ring,” followed by “Grand Old Flag,” and the finale, “Let There Be Peace on Earth”

--where you realize, finally, that the town was neither as good or as bad as you remember, and is, in the end, no matter how far away you travel, your hometown.

p.s. For more pictures of Rushville, Indiana, and a more narrative reminiscence, go here. (It will make more sense if you click the "Arrange" tab and choose "arrange by date taken, oldest first.")

Halfway there

So...in case you haven't noticed (and why not??)...I'm half way to two of my three goals.

I have 21 projects (okay, that's not quite half, but close enough!) and many more under progress.

Clapotis.

Calla Coasters.

Signs of fall-inspired socks and cross-stitch.

The projects have slowed down a bit, but I'm working on a couple argyle-licious designs for Rocbike. Stay tuned as more will be revealed!

I'm also preserving a TON of food, but I'm not counting it as a project unless I picked AND preserved it!

The flowers keep coming, especially the dahlias, zinnias, and now, Jerusalem artichokes.

And I've been LOVING fall, and spending it with some of my favorite young people (and their parents, of whom I'm also a big fan!)

And two weekends ago I rode for twenty-two miles up the Genesee Riverway Trail to Lake Ontario. (For a fuller description of this trail, see the first ever RocBike podcast!)

I hope to do the retreat sometime in the winter, so I need to get my meditation mojo (I think that's an oxymoron) working.

Blog action day

Is October 15. Bloggers from around the world will write about one issue on that day--the environment. Go here for more information and to register your blog. And come back here on October 15 to see what I come up with.