Tag: Harney and Sons

On a walk the other day, my son spotted a beetle in the road. He wasn’t dead, but he was clearly a little early for his time. It was only February and beetles shouldn’t be crawling around while there is snow on the ground and freezing temps. He asked if he was dead, but being the bug gal that I am, I could tell he was just in a frozen stupor. I took him home. Isn’t that what everyone does when they find a frosty beetle in the road? I didn’t recognize the species and wanted to study him closer with my field guide nearby. Fast forward to the next morning. Walking toward the front door, it dawned on me that I had totally forgotten about the beetle I brought home the night before. I looked down at the spot on the rug where I placed him. He was gone. Clearly, he thawed out and was now happily roaming around my house.

I have another finished object! This is a cowl made with alpaca wool purchased at the local farmers market. I started with a provisional cast-on in the round and knit until there was just enough yarn left for grafting the ends together. The stripes and slipped stitches are random.

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What childhood books would you re-read again as an adult, just to bring you back to that place you were as a child? I have two: Rasmus and the Vagabond, and the Little House on the Prairie series. These books transported me to another time and lifestyle. I loved them. I recall my daddy working in the yard behind our house growing up. He would take the logs of trees that fell in the winter, carve them up to mimic benches and create a space for me to sit and read in the solitude of our back woods.

We had school pictures taken recently. All staff are featured in the yearbook along with the students. The photographer reminded me I needed to sit for mine. Fine. Snap. Thanks to the beauty of digital photography, I was able to see the image immediately. Apparently, I had a serious case of static. This year’s photo looks something like this:

I am participating in two really fun knitting events that begin this month. The first is Confident Knitting by Arnall-Culliford Knitwear. This program will introduce twelve techniques while knitting twelve accessories. I subscribed to the print/e-book but there are yarns and kits to accompany the program as well. The second event is Woolwide Adventures (@woolwideadventures), hosted by Irene Waggener, Anne Frost, Amy Snell and Erin Pirro. This program will take us on weekly adventures where “…we’ll explore the wonder that is wool, meet shepherds that raise it, learn techniques to craft with it, and of course, the amazing sheep that grow it.” I am looking forward to learning new things and meeting new friends.

I best get going-I have a beetle to find after all!

In my cup: Harney and Son’s Formosa Oolong

In my earballs: Nothing. It’s silent. Not a sound.

Saint of the Day: St. Katharine Drexel. Now here’s an inspiring gal! Katharine’s family was blessed with spiritual and material wealth. She was well-educated and traveled extensively. After watching her stepmother suffer with terminal cancer for three straight years, Katharine learned that their money couldn’t protect them from suffering. During a family trip out west, Katharine witnessed the struggle of Native Americans. In 1891, Katharine made her first vows as a religious and dedicated herself to working for the American Indians and African-Americans in the Western United States. In 1915, Katherine founded Xavier University in New Orleans, the first Catholic University in the United States for African-Americans. This is just the tip of the iceberg! She founded a religious community, opened the first mission boarding school, and established missions in 16 states. St. Katharine believed everyone should have access to an education and she dedicated her life and inheritance to this end. Katharine lived to be 96 years old! She is the patroness of racial justice and philanthropists. What an inspiration!

Have a blessed week. I hope the sun is shining in your corner of the world!

{{Hugs}}

ReginaMary