May Days

Hello!  It’s been a minute.  With so much cacophony on the internet these days, I’m increasingly loathe to add my voice (however small and innocuous) to the overall noise.  There is so much temptation to despair and I just…can’t.*  

The musical at the kids’ school this year was My Fair Lady and I ended up doing all the costuming myself.  Piglet had a main role as Alfed P. Doolittle and he was a scream!  So funny.  There were a lot of funny moments in the play and the production really was spectacular.  

Our Eliza was magnificent, but Higgins and Pickering also knocked it out of the park.  Fun fact: my main backstage role this year was valeting the actor playing Pickering—ha!

Probably our best show to date, and also our biggest.  Costuming was a ton of fun but also a LOT of work.  I’m particularly pleased with how the Ascot scene turned out, but honestly, getting all the Cockney Ensemble folks ready was fun too.  I got to build Eliza’s ballroom jewelry, including the great hair ornament.

I enjoyed it so much and am looking forward to costuming the Shakespeare play in the fall (Boo, Birdie, and Ponchik all have roles).

As soon as that wrapped up in late March, I pivoted back to my book in progress because I wanted to enter the first part of it into a writing competition.  (They wanted the first 5000 words, which I had, easily, but needed to fix some of the flow in that section).  In the process, I rediscovered an editing software I used on All This Without You.  I had used it for line edits on grammar and liked it a lot better than Grammarly (which gives me a pain), so I was inclined to go back to it on this book.  

In these intervening years, the software has had major upgrades and now includes a whole box of analytical tools that are so helpful.  I used it for a manuscript analysis and I was immediately able to dive into substantive editing with a lot of good direction.  My second analysis was similarly useful.  I’m wrapping up the last of that analysis before running another (or possibly running the beta reader function).  I’m hoping to have real beta readers look at it this summer.  

My only complaint is that a lot of my characters are speaking in dialect, and the grammar checker absolutely cannot deal with it.  I’m sure there is probably a way to do something in the settings, but my computer is very elderly (the lady at the Apple store said “vintage”) so I think I don’t have as much functionality as I would on a newer model.  But it still works (except for the keyboard, which is finicky and troublesome, so I’m on a bluetooth keyboard that I do not love, but whatever).  I’m not interested in changing out electronics just because.  My phone is old, my teeth are gold, and now my story is all told.**

I put in some heavy labor at the garden during the last week in April and I need to do a bit more this week on my plot.  I’m on the committee that takes care of the communal areas and I have a section I’m responsible for, so a good chunk of that heavy labor involved dealing with that.  

We are looking to have a bumper strawberry harvest, though!  I bought a couple of tomato plants, a cuke and a pepper, put in seeds several weeks ago and we’ll see what we get.  I was so busy in March and April I didn’t really get to enjoy the spring bulbs much, but that’s okay.  There’s always next year.

And before it gets super ridiculous to share, here’s my Javelin sweater, completed in late January or early February.  I wanted to make this pattern for several years, but I absolutely could not get my brain around the gauge or the pattern repeat, until suddenly I could.  (For the record, it is a twisted rib that is knit through the back loop; I wish she had said that somewhere in the pattern!  I would have made it a lot sooner).  

I also have a hard time figuring out gauge when it has to be over a pattern.  How does one count the stitches?  I’ve done it a few times now and I *think* I’ve figured it out?  But it always throws me for a loop (ha—see what I did there?)

Nothing much to note about the pattern itself; it was very straightforward once I got the pattern repeat down, and Teti’s patterns are all so intelligently designed with short rows to lengthen the back, and other small details like that.  I very consistently get well-fitting sweaters I love from her patterns.  It is worsted weight and I wore it a lot during these past few cold months.

It’s spring now and the weather is drunk, so go home please.  We had some days of 90 degree weather, then it dropped back close to freezing, and then has been swinging between the 80s and the 50s.  I’ve swapped my wool unders for silk ones, but I’m still cold all the time, except when I’m boiling in the 90 degree heat.  Ah, spring.  

Piglet successfully defended his senior thesis last week and now we are in the very fast slide to graduation in about a month.  *gulp*  He’s currently on his senior capstone trip to Europe with his classmates.  

So I’m feeling all the feelings, natch. I knew it would be like this—like the merry-go-round is going too fast and I really want to get off and let the scene settle in front my eyes for a few moments, but the best I can do is hold on and enjoy the ride.

That’s it for me at the moment.  I just finished the new Count of Monte Cristo series on PBS (very good, highly recommend) and  am trying to finish The Forsytes (not as good, very mixed feelings as I love the 2002 version and this one is…different).  

Discovered the 2008 Sense and Sensibility from the BBC (written by Andrew Davies, who did the 1995 Pride and Prejudice).  I absolutely adore Emma Thompson’s take on the book, and Alan Rickman will always be the definitive Col. Brandon for me, but I really like the BBC's 3-episode series.  The three-hour series is able to cover much more of the book than the movie.  

I’m trying to keep my head down on the editing and gardening and everything else that needs doing this time of year. I started the Orna sweater in January right after finishing the Javelin, but it is going slower because I had to set it aside until last week. It is worsted weight so I won’t want to wear it for a while anyway, and it is good to have an all-over pattern that is engaging but not impossible to follow. It is strange to not have a dozen handwork projects on the go, but that is okay too. Reading and editing are important and enjoyable too.

*Pascha photos courtesy of a very talented photographer at our parish; photos of My Fair Lady from a talented professional photographer parent at our school.

**Riffing on Dr. Suess.  Bonus points if you can name that book. 

Summer in the Garden

Last week, we were down the Shore for a little family getaway and the weather was almost cold the first few days.  It was a nice time away, but we returned home to the start of some serious heat.

We are in the midst of a rather impressive heat wave; it has been over 100 degrees the past three days and the humidity is high, so it feels like walking into an oven when you go outside. It is supposed to rain tomorrow and cool things off a bit. My flowers in the back patio are looking a little scorched, but there really was nothing for it. I'm hoping they rally with cooler temps.

Pre-scorching, obviously.

In practical terms, it means I'm out weeding and watering before 7 a.m. just to be in a tolerable temperature. This morning it was 93 degrees by 9:30 a.m.

 

The community garden where we have our big plot also has six sour cherry trees that in past years have gone unharvested.  The president of the garden association sent out a plea to pick so we were happy to help ourselves!

By the time the girls and I got there, the low hanging fruit was gone, but we were able to get a goodly amount with a regular ladder.  I made two pies with it!  Pro tip: a metal straw is brilliant for pitting them and made quick work of the job.

We've had a spectacular strawberry harvest this year (almost double the yield of last year) and I'm happy with how things are sitting with the vegetables I put in.  

I think we got around 60 cups this year!

I've already got two cucumbers well on their way; it will be the earliest cuke harvest I've had.  I planted four this year.  I also have another watermelon, but I got proper trellises for both the cukes and the watermelon to keep them somewhat contained in their respective corners.  

One of my tomato plants came with a green tomato on it that ripened in May, but that was a total fluke, and the tomatoes are just starting to flower a bit now. Two of them were volunteer plants from the perimeter garden that I was given, so they are a bit small at the moment.

The carrots finally took! It took two sowings to get it, but the second time was the charm (weirdly, it was the same situation last summer. First sowing, nada. Second sowing, a few. This year, I've got three different carrot patches going).  I have two peppers going and the one has a couple on it that are ripening v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y.  

I moved my blueberry bushes to the community plot last fall because they were doing poorly in the back patio garden and the one especially is doing much better.  The other one was flagging pretty badly last summer, but it might rally yet.  I'm hoping another year in good sunshine will perk it right up.  

Taken in early May, when it was flowering.  The berries are looking quite nice at this point!

The raspberries in the back are coming into harvest now and we have quite a crop! I was worried we wouldn't get as many since last year's harvest withered since we were away, but it doesn't seem to have affected this year's crop much.

This was just the first picking.  We've had several pie tins already and there is so much more to pick!

And, drum roll please...the mulberry finally fruited!!  I'm so happy about it, as I absolutely adore mulberries.  Mine is a dwarf variety, and I put it in the back patio several years ago and despaired of getting fruit.  This year, we got a good handful!  

The fig tree died with the move to the big garden, but it was pretty leggy anyway and had never fruited, so I pulled it out and replanted with a healthy-looking plant from our local hardware store.  Here's hoping for some figs next summer!  Gardening is a marvel.  I learn so much every year, and it keeps me moving forward with hope. Plus, there really is no better therapy than putting your hands in the dirt! 

Capstone Season

Just popping in briefly to say it is capstone season around here and life is busy.  I'm just trying to survive it, to be honest.  The summer is already over-scheduled and I feel slightly crazy.  Piglet starts his senior year in the fall and there are Things to Do to get ready for the college admission process.  

 The garden is putting out an incredible number of strawberries (I picked at least 16 cups today, probably more) and the raspberries are coming in nicely.  Did a bunch of heavy work pruning the rose that came with our plot but hadn't been dealt with in a long time.  

I also need to thin the irises (again!  I did it in the fall and they seem to have sprung back with more than ever!) and do some other work in the larger part of the garden as part of our community garden contract. 

 

I'm making baby sweaters to stay sane.  (Lots of new babies in my life!)  At some point I'll post about them. 

I did finally get to the end of my superwash stash so started a cowl from Kate Davies' latest book.  Watching Elementary like it is comfort food and liking Jonny Lee Miller more and more.  (I liked him in the Austen films/series, but couldn't get into his other work.  Really enjoying his take on Sherlock Holmes).  

Raspberry and Tomato

I'm a little stuck with the book right at the moment so instead you get a knitting post from me!  (Cue the band).  Some my stuck is that the last three weeks have been nuts.  Piglet had the end of his cross country season during tech week for Birdie's play, Midsummer Night's Dream.*  

The show was wonderful! Absolutely hilarious. I worked on altering costumes again this year and I was sewing right down to the last minute because Helena's costume ended up needing a last-minute alteration and zipper replacement.  

The spring musical looks to be a sartorial challenge, so I imagine Feb and March will be All Costume Alterations, All the Time.

After the Shakespeare madness, the kids were off school a bunch of days for various and sundry, and now we are in the slide toward Thanksgiving. Piglet made the high school basketball team and has started practices, which are pretty intense.  His game schedule starts in December and is like whoa.  It all feels a bit fast, and I wonder how anyone manages to write a novel during November.

Which is not to say I've gotten nothing written.  I've actually gotten a lot done.  But the story feels slightly stalled right at this minute.  So I'm letting it stew for a day or two before getting back at it.  In the meantime, I'm reading around it, and researching.  Which is fun!  I made an interesting thematic discovery this week that means a little bit of reworking, but I've got to think about how to best play it out.  Meantime, I always have a little book and pen with me in case a scene or dialogue pops in my head.  It's Listening To Music From Another Room time.**

I finished this sweater way back in May, just as the weather warmed up enough that I couldn't wear it.  I blocked it but didn't even weave in the ends until last month.  It is the White Lizard pattern and I enjoyed working on it.  It was just enough of a challenge to be interesting, but not so much so that I felt like I was losing my mind every other line (unlike the piece I'm working on right now...more on that in a future post).

Nothing to say about the pattern that I didn't write in my ravelry notes.  The yarn is a German one I bought on sale 18 months ago and I've no complaints about it.  I would use it again, for sure.  

The garden is almost done for the season; I'm still picking tomatoes from the one super productive plant, but we are getting close to frost, so I think it is just a matter of days before that is all done.  The pics represent only a fraction of the tomatoes I've picked off that plant.  This is probably three or four weeks' worth and I started picking in August.

The squirrels have been an absolute nuisance in the back this year and NOTHING deters them, being the hardy urban creatures they are.  I got a sonic thing with flashing lights and nada.  Doesn't even slow them down.  

Tried coffee, that worked for a day, but then they acclimated. Tried putting the coffee pods from our espresso machine, which worked for a day, but they acclimated. Tried Irish Spring soap, nothing. 

I did get packets of some kind of natural deterrent from amazon that seem to have done something. It deters them more than anything else, but not 100%. I'll take what I can get, since they seem determined to dig up all my plants back there.

In my garden plot, I got three more watermelons in September! They grew after I picked in August and assumed the vine was done. While not as tasty at the August ones, they were fine enough.

I need to plant spring bulbs, but there's not a screaming rush at the moment.  I did something to my shoulder this week and while the chiropractor was able to do some good yesterday, I'm still uncomfortable, so I should hold off on heavy work for a bit.  Maybe next week. 

On the off chance you are looking for family-friendly viewing, may I recommend the Netflix reboot of Lost in Space?  It is so good!  (And pretty squeaky clean by today's standards).  There are three seasons that form one coherent narrative arc.  I've been rewatching it with my kids and we are all enjoying it.  The production values are very high, the acting and writing wonderful.  I love the family dynamic at the heart of the show.  Highly recommend.

Right, so that's me!  

~

*I don't generally post pics of other people's kids, but these were already shared on our school's social media page, so I feel comfortable sharing them here.

**This may just be my own process, but I find there comes a point where the characters are living enough in my head that scenes and dialogue come to me in random moments.  The experience is like eavesdropping; you just listen to see what they have to say and put it down as fast as you can!  I don't always use everything I write down, but it is always helpful.