Like everything this year, Halloween was different. With nowhere to go and nothing to do, I’d still planned to dress up for Halloween just to participate in my office remote costume contest, but when a migraine struck midweek, leaving me feeling achy and tired for the next few days, I no longer had the energy. I’ll just have to save the idea and supplies for another year. By the weekend, I was feeling mostly back to myself, a good thing too since we’d had a mountain of mulch deposited in our driveway courtesy of a free service Andy discovered - ChipDrop. Since I first mentioned my plan to convert a large area under our two apple trees into a new flower bed through the magic of sheet mulching, Andy argued that ChipDrop and their promise of ~20 cubic yards of free woodchips would be the perfect solution, and while I initially had doubts, he of course turned out to be right. Still, it turns out that a pile of wood chips almost as tall as me takes a lot of time and energy to spread around so my mother-in-law’s offer to come help with our project on Saturday was greatly appreciated. With her help, we were able to complete most of the project in just one day. Of course, even covering an area of around 450 square foot in a roughly 6 inch deep layer of wood chips barely made a dent in Mt. Mulch, and even now, many weeks later, we have a least half left. Still, no regrets. We’ll get through the pile eventually, and it’s hard to beat free!
Read moreLife: Week 13
Finally, it feels like spring! After several days of sunshine, there are finally splashes of green popping up all over Redmond. Even though it rained most of the weekend, Andy and I managed to find a break in the wet weather to go for a long walk through Paradise Valley. I'd been there only a few weeks ago, and was happy to see the the place blanketed in fresh new green. We even found a few clusters of blooming trillium - a sure sign of spring in the PNW! On a more personal note, after months of knitting, I finally finished the double knit baby blanket I started back in October for one of my oldest friends. There were many times that it felt like I would never finish, but I’m so happy with the finished product! Now I just have to find the time to visit her and her new little one so they can start making use of it!
Read moreLife: Week 50
Knitting. This week, that's what my life was. Outside the time I spent working, nearly every waking moment was spent in a desperate scramble to finish all the handknit Christmas gifts I'd planned. I knit in the morning, I knit at night, and on a couple of days I even knit through my lunch break. In between all the knitting, I did manage to find time for a well timed brunch with one of my oldest friends. The weather was even nice enough to walk - at least at the time we left home. Andy and I definitely found ourselves walking home in some unfortunately cold and soggy conditions. Then again, we did find some pink blossoms on a poor confused cherry tree in our apartment complex, so perhaps the weather has been more vernal than I’ve noticed.
Read moreLife: Week 29
After the stress and excitement of last week, Andy and I took it easy, spending a quiet week at home. The hot weather we've had recently has turned me into a homebody, but over the weekend I did manage to get out of the apartment a few times. Ever since getting hooked on my cousins new plant blog, I've been itching to make a trip to my local nursery for a few houseplants. With a quiet weekend close to home, I finally had the opportunity to pick up a few new bits of greenery, including a curly spider plant (already safely stowed out of the reach of my cat, who mowed the last one down to a nub) a prayer plant and a beautifully variegated pothos. Now to see if I can manage to keep them alive despite my previous less than exemplary record with houseplants. Over the weekend, I also made a stop at my favorite knitting store to pick up yarn for a new sweater, because what sounds better in 90 degree weather than sitting under a pile of wool. Mistakes were made, but I'll definitely be happy when I have a new sweater just in time for cool fall weather!
Read moreLife: Week 19
Right now, work is getting dangerously close to taking over my life. Thankfully, the end of the busy season is in sight, and I know that soon I'll be back to a less hectic schedule. When I wasn't at my desk, I was busy knitting in an attempt to finish a birthday gift for my niece by her party this Saturday. I didn't quite manage it, but I was at least able to get it into a state presentable enough to gift temporarily so my niece could try it on! It was a mostly rainy week, with a couple of particularly intense storms, but by the weekend, it felt like summer had arrived. I even wound up with a sunburn from an afternoon spent in the sunshine catching up with family on my sister's front porch during the previously mentioned birthday party! Before I know it, the long busy days of summer will be here. I'd better start remembering my sunscreen!
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