Author: Boyd

First pictures of the new nursery

Boyd

Several people have asked to see pictures of the nursery, so I thought I would post a few. We got the room put back in order this morning and set up the portable crib and hung the valances and cleaned out the dresser and put all of Siri’s clothes away. This will give you a much better idea of how it all looks.  The color is called “Northern Pear Tree” and it is from the No-VOC line of paints at Home Depot called Freshaire Choice.  This was my first experience using No-VOC paints and I must tell you that it made the painting experience much more pleasant for me.  And the room has virtually no new-paint smell at all, which is a very good thing.

That is Harald and Karin’s baby carriage from when they were born. It’s a Simo Babylux from Norway. They don’t make them any more.

How y’all are?

Boyd

Thinking about all my fellow southerners, and those who feel the soulful tug of the south in their heart no matter where they live, as we get ready for Fat Tuesday.  My uncle in Tallahassee just ripped out his winter garden late last week and momma overnight expressed an entire box full of collard greens and mustard greens which arrived last night.  I took the day off today (in part) so that I could cook up this mess of greens and make some cornbread and rice and some baked chicken to go with it.  The pitcher of tea is ready and waiting and although Harald will come home and say the house stinks, it smells like heaven to me!
 
Anyone else got big plans for Shrove Tuesday, before the seriousness of Lent sets in?
 
Our church is doing a “read along” for Lent, with the congregation dividing into subgroups depending on which book from the “40 day journey with …” series that you pick.  I went to the Luther Seminary bookstore this morning because I couldn’t find any of the “40 day journey with …” books in stock at any of the local stores.  But LS had them all – makes sense since they are the primary retail outlet for Augsburg Fortress.  Anyway, I read several pages of Sr. Joan Chittester and Madeleine L’Engle, but neither one of them really spoke to me.  The Parker Palmer version did a little.  But when I picked up the Julian of Norwich and read three pages, it shook me and wouldn’t let go.  So I’ll be doing my 40 day journey with Julian.  I couldn’t bring myself to leave, though, because my intuition kept telling me there was something else there I was supposed to see.  I looked and looked at looked at all the displays and tables, and then out of nowhere, one lone copy of “The Parent’s Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for Modern Parents” and I knew instantly that was it.  It will appeal to the sinophile in both of us.  So I came home with two good books instead of one.
 
It is 42 degrees outside right now and the sun is shining bright.  I rolled the front windows down on the way home just to get the refreshing, clean air in my lungs.  I know, only in Minnesota, right?  Well, anyway …..

My first fully completed sweater

Boyd

Although this isn’t the first sweater I’ve begun, it is the first one I’ve finished. I’m still working on that dang Einstein coat. I must admit what at first seemed like a good idea (miles of garter stitch) quickly turned into some form of tedium. I’ve got the body of the thing done, but I have to do the sleeves to finish it. Anyway, back to this green beauty. It’s made out of Cascase 220 which I must tell you I like very much. The picture doesn’t do the yarn justice – it has these marvelous flecks of blue and yellow mixed in with the yarn, but the effect is very subtle. I’m glad I got this sweater done. I learned a lot of things in the process, the most helpful being those things I would do differently now that I know about them. But it is what it is and it will always be special because it was the first sweater I ever finished for myself.

Groundhog Day … yeah, right ….

Boyd

Today, Punxsutawney Phil allegedly saw his shadow, thereby predicting another 6 weeks of winter.  Which led me to question, just how accurate is this  “immortal groundhog?”  Well, according to Stormfax, he is only about 39% accurate, which means he is 61% inaccurate.  Sorry, I’m going with Stormfax on this one.  Click here to read more about Groundhog Day than you probably ever wanted to know …

Mercurial Motion

Boyd

I had a hunch, so I checked it out and, sure enough, I was right.

Mercury went retrograde on January 11th and won’t stop the retrograde motion until February 1st, reaching a full return on February 14th.  Whew!

I KNEW there was something going on with communications and thinking, but no one here had mentioned it and I kept forgetting to check it out.

The next retrograde period begins on May 7th and will continue until May 31st, achieving a full return on June 14th.

There is another period in September and another one in December.

So hang on, everyone, things are about to settle down and straighten out in a few more days!  If you don’t know what it means to have Mercury go in retrograde motion, here is a good page that explains what it’s all about.

New Socks!

Boyd

Look at these gorgeous, I mean GORGEOUS, pair of new socks that just came off the needles a few minutes ago! They are made of the softest Marino wool I have ever had the pleasure of touching. And the colors?  Turquoise, purple, rust, chartreuse – oh my!  They were an absolute joy to make. I started them a few months ago (September maybe?), but have worked on them off and on over the past few months. I had to get them done because I have a very important pair of socks to make for a very important woman and I want to use my favorite wood needles, which were occupied with these until now.  The wool came from a St. Paul dyer named Aiesha Celia.