Category: Blogging



This post is part of Just Jot it January, and the prompt for today, Craft, comes from Astrid. Check out her blog here!

I love being retired. After a lifetime of crafts that I never had the time to dive in whole, even though I had a lot more money, there was no energy at the end of the day, nor the time. Being able to deep dive until the muse is used up on a topic or drive.

Diamond Painting is calling me back, and now that the bigger knitting project is finished, the Dragon from last year needs the sealant so I can send it off.

Oh, that’s the thing about these crafts; it is delightful to indulge deeply, but it is so much better to have someone to gift the finished products to. I know some actually sell their works. But I just can’t get to that point. I don’t like a timeline, and I get too perfectionistic the minute I think someone else will see it or pay for it. The minute ‘time is money,’ it is called a job. I can’t. I just can’t.

But yummy yarn, loom knitting, crocheting, Tunisian crochet, diamond painting, drawing, Zentangles, playing with my wig or my own hair (a throwback to my first career of being a cosmetologist), all my musical instruments recorders, ukelele, piano, singing, coloring, rainbow looming, writing, reading. There are many I’m afraid I’m leaving out, and I feel like a bad parent for neglecting them to the point of forgetting their names! And are they all considered crafts? Then there’s macaroni. Oh, yeah, that’s spelled with a ‘K’!

Photo by Ksenia Chernaya on Pexels.com

Just Jot It January, Writing


Linda’s JJIJ, and Joanne’s prompt, Writing.
From the Free Photo Library

I love writing. Fiction, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, blogging, even my memoir. But at least as much as the topic, I love writing cursive or playing with lettering, calligraphy. I don’t like the modern stuff but rather

The modern

I love to practice

The Gothic look

Or

Or the swirly, pretty stuff

To me writing is artwork. My handwriting lately (or the fast note writing during lectures) is horrible. But I like to take my time and enjoy writing. Even grocery lists.

But having the best hand writing in the house means only I can write the lists. I’m not bragging. My guys here would write a list so fast that even they can’t read it, much less if there’s a note, like, not the one with salt, or the crispy kind not soggy, you know what I mean?

But that means I’m stopping whatever I’m doing to write the list. So I got upset having to drop my knitting or jumping off the stationary bike to write the list.

Instead, my husband set up a shared Keep app list we add to as we go along.

More organized, efficient.

But now I need to find other reasons to practice my ABCs.

Guilt trip jumps in here. I need to write more letters to friends and family. I’ll think about it. Again.

Time to get writing.

To creating yet another habit!

Your prompt for #JusJoJan the 13th and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “close up/close-up.” Use the verbal phrase “close up” and/or the noun/adjective “close-up” somewhere in your post, or write a post in the spirit of the phrase. Have fun!

Photo by Andre Mouton on Pexels.com

A face only a mother could love or one more wrinkle? The close-up may not bring in the bucks, but what about personality? What about love? Those who are as touchy as a cactus or close up their hearts and hide from emotions are even less appealing. It isn’t easy to be around the monkey, for the energy is tough to keep up with. Walking on eggshells for the touchier relationships is tough, too.

I’ve been lucky enough to live with the types I mentioned and have to admit that as hard as it was, there were good times, too. The monkey is more fun than the cactus, but when those anti-touchy-feely types feel safe and can find their center, they can reveal their hearts of gold. Long, honest talks can bring understanding. It’s not easy. Early traumas can trigger anyone. Even me. Making me a part of the problem while hoping to be part of the solution. Yeah, bring it up close, and those gray hairs and wrinkles have good reasons to be there.

It’s a lot of work, don’t you think? And worth it.

Just like the leg warmers. And speaking of close-ups, the areas that I had to do decreases, look like little hearts. I think I see a correlation. Maybe not.

The stream went cold. Just like when our electricity went off a while ago. We finally got our foot of snow. Not enough to cover the bushes but it’s looking better.

If you click on the photo, you can see the snow close up. But you still can’t feel the cold.


These leg warmers are finished except for binding-off and weaving in ends. I think they will be toasty for a chilly winter day.

These leg warmers were tough. I’ve never made leg warmers and hadn’t a clue. I wanted to do them Two-At-A-Time so they would stay the same length as each other. But I mostly knit socks toe-up, Two-At-A-Time, but then I realized others do the cuff-down, so I looked that up, and a random single-leg warmer cast-on. I can’t remember whose tutorial I watched nor how many stitches I cast on. But the thing I can say is that I did one-by-one ribbing for the thigh cuff. Any time I added a new color, I pulled a bit. Then, the new color was just knit-stitch. As I worked down to the knee, I made sure there was room to bend. As I came to the calf, I started to decrease. By the ankle, I had decreased about 20 stitches. Then, I did the one-by-one ribbing for the ankle. I think they turned out okay. They might be nice early mornings with tea and toast, don’t you think? I hope so.

Oh, I forgot, I used size 8 ChiaoGoo cable needles. The cable is quite long, 40 inches, I think, And the yarn is just acrylic but soft. I wanted them to be comfortable in southern California. I think wool would have been too hot.

I may not do another pair of leg warmers for a while. But when I do, I think I will do bamboo and more lightweight yarn or just the superwash wool for up here where it’s cold. I might be fun to get good at these.

Thank you, Linda, for Just Jot It January.

Thank you, Barbara, for the prompt, Toast.

Just Jot It January, 11th, Olive


This has been coming up in my Duolingo Latin for a while. Yay! I have a chance to use it!

Linda’s JJiJ can be found here.

Our prompter, Kaye, who lent us olive, can be found here.

By the way, I love olives. But Latin is really hard right now.


It just so happens that I woke to one of my old pastimes, singing with Sheriff John. I couldn’t remember all the lyrics, and my first search turned up this YouTube.

I hope this brought you a bit of cheer. I’m happier!

Thank you, Linda, for this fun month. And to our prompter for the day, Di, for pastimes.


Your prompt for JusJoJan January 8th, 2024 is “gratitude.” Use the word “gratitude” any way you’d like. Have fun!

I am grateful for the prompt from Sadje click the blue gratitude. For the “rules” of JJIJ, click the other blue word. I am grateful for the WordPress family given to me starting with Linda, Sadje and so many others. Everyone is ready to help, lend support, or laugh with.

I love all of you!

I feel such gratitude for all my family and friends who surround me with love.

This is kind of a weird thing to be thankful for, but I’m thankful for what we learned from the pandemic. Zooming church and friends is a wonderful way to enhance our lives.

Oh, and I’m grateful for our snow. Except I couldn’t make it to my doctor’s appointment. But, hey, we are Zooming an appointment tomorrow.

Tomorrow we’re going to get a lot more snow. We really need the precipitation.


Pet Psychic Magical Mysteries (Pet Psychic Series #1-8)Pet Psychic Magical Mysteries by Erin Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This eight-book series was good in some ways. It was great for reading before sleep. I did like the main character’s attitude, but I hated the voice given to the dog by Hannah Somerville (narrator). It wasn’t bad enough to stop reading. That and the scoff sound before saying they scoffed, and that happened a lot. It’s still not enough to quit reading (listening). There was enough mystery involved that I wanted to see it all through. Not the murders, but how the main character would fix all the problems, or if she even could. Murder for the police is commonplace, so it was a vehicle to show off Jolene’s skills as a person who could hear animals speak. She pretends to be a pet psychic, but that cover brings her in to help solve the cases. It keeps the curious at bay. However, she has to hide her growls or tweets as she chats with the animals.

I don’t want you to think it is childish, but it is rather a fantasy, cozy mystery in every book. A fun book that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Well worth putting off other books while wading through all eight in a row.

View all my reviews

 


Your prompt for #JusJoJan the 6th and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “just do it.” Use the phrase “just do it” somewhere in your post, or write a post in the spirit of the phrase. Enjoy!

Edit: I just realized I didn’t put this picture in here. Oops!😂
Oops! I left out the fun one, too. Sorry for the edits!

Sorry I don’t know who this guy is.  But I found this GIF on Tenor.

Sir, I’m waiting for traffic to slow. In LA or Orange County you sometimes have to take a chance. I did and lived without my broken car for a couple weeks. Yes, the driver saw me but plowed right into the side of my car. Traffic down there is brutal. Kindness is hard to find.

I’m waiting to see if it’s something I really want. Dangers abound. The high dive has no rails out on the board. People have slipped and become vegetables from hitting their heads on the way down. What benefit will climbing all those rings and walking out into space give me? Experiences. Yes, I did it a few times. I gave it up because it was cold outside of the water. Time wasted from actual swimming.

I’m overcoming the fear of tomatoes flying. Irrational, yes. But what else keeps me from the stage. Just do it? I’ll look like a complete fool. The purpose? Experiences. And I grew to love singing on stage. It felt fantastic to relate to that many people at a time.

On the other hand I found dealing with folks one-on-one far scarier and daily. Everyone wants to fix me. Am I not allowed to have frustration without someone jumping in and telling me I’m wrong? Can I not melt down in some kind of space of my own? Aw, but that is a different topic. Not having a place for just me is getting so frustrating. Is it any wonder I don’t just do it? I don’t feel safe enough to express.

Ever.

Time to knit. My own world is soft and productive.

Not me. Chosen from the free photo library.

Just Jot It January, penultimate


That works for Finishing Friday. Except. Nothing is almost finished here. Nothing is that penultimate stitch from the last.

Oh! I’m one stage from mailing

It needs to be sealed.

The same with these light catchers (that have a hook ready for them.)

Well, these need to be chained together with the jewels to get hung up.

Closest to finished in knitting is:

Thigh high leg warmers are down to mid calf now. Only the thinner bits from calf to ankle left. I have no pattern for these. But doing them like I do socks. Two-At-A-Time. Just top down as there are no toes. My favorite needles, Chiaogoo red-laced cables.

The rest of the knitting is in the same amount of doneness.

On the other hand:

My ukulele tutorial says to chop off the left-hand nails for better chording. Done. I am hearing better sounds. No where near a song but several chords now.

For most of this week I’ve managed to beat my former 5 miles in 30 minutes biking goal. Not by much. The best of the week was 6 miles in 27 minutes. But it was a rare energy thing.

Penultimate is a word used often in music. That next to the last chord creating tension that resolves in the end.

I like that last bit. And without that penultimate chord the song would be boring. It’s one of my favorite words.

Because now I can breathe. The seventh to the resolve and the song can live out in the world and in my soul.

I just thought of something. The penultimate chord nags, “Are we there yet?” The final chord pulls into the parking spot. Boom!

Click these to learn more about #Just Jot It January and our prompt of the day from Judy’s Blog.

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