Friday's Productivity

This morning, it was a bit overcast and cooler (mid 50s), but the afternoon has hazy sunshine and warmer temperatures.  No rain yet, but there is some in the forecast for the weekend.   I am glad we had that bright sunshine, yesterday and the day before.  Daughter texted saying it was raining up north, where she is. 

I went for my immune booster shot and a hydration session, this morning.  I took my knitting along (I am making a scarf) and worked on that while being hydrated.  An older lady who was also having treatment, commented on it (in Spanish) and asked me if I had made the hat I was wearing.  I don't know enough Spanish to carry on a conversation, but I got the gist of what she was saying and was able to nod and smile, and say, "Si".  Several of the nurses, too, admired the scarf that I am knitting.

I am making it with leftover yarn from the stash - taupe and bone in color.  An open-work pattern based on a similar scarf that someone gave as a gift to my daughter a couple of years ago.  I am using a pair of knitting needles I've owned since I was 9 years old!  That's how old I was in 4th grade when I had to choose between learning knitting and crochet for the weekly "handiwork/crafts" class.  I don't quite know what made me choose knitting rather than crochet.  My grandmother crocheted, two of my aunts knitted.  My mother knew to knit, too, and later, she learned to crochet.  For some reason, knitting appealed to me more than crochet and that's what I chose (since then, I've learned the basics of crochet).

I was required to buy two sets of straight needles, size 10 and 12 (British sizes; the size of the needle decreases as the numbers increase; in the US sizes, the needle size increases along with the numbers) and two balls of wool.  I chose a ball of green and a ball of yellow wool as they were my House colors (our schools in Sri Lanka were based on the British system and we had what were known as Houses to which students belonged, with each House having a name and its identifying colors).  I was going to knit a scarf.  And if anyone is wondering why someone living in a tropical country needed a wool scarf, we often went on holidays in the mountainous areas in the middle of the country where it got cold enough to have frost and even the occasional flurries of snow.  But what this means is that my #10 and #12 knitting needles are over 50 years old and still being used!  Bet my mother never dreamed of that when she paid however much it cost to buy two sets of knitting needles for her 9 year old!

British Size 10 and US Size 10 Needles

I wasn't quite able to get through yesterday's to do list:

- 3 more work-related assignments - Done
- Submit my time sheets for this pay period (showing days/hrs. I took sick leave and days/hrs. I worked) - Done
- Put away yesterday's laundry - Done
- Send emails to friends - Did 2
- Mail gift cards
- Clean my bathroom - Done
- Clear/tidy/dust bedside table/nightstand - Done
- Clear/tidy/dust top of chest of drawers - Done
- Clear/tidy/dust family room coffee table
- Do dishes  - Done

Whatever didn't get done will be moved to today's to do list:

- Hydration and injection - Done 
- Email office - Done
- Email 2 other friends
- Mail gift cards
- Family room coffee table (clear/tidy/dust)
- Dressing table top (clear/tidy/dust)
- Discuss garden plans and litter box cleaning with gardener - Done

My daughter's friend was unable to come to clean the litter box as planned yesterday, due to illness.  So, I asked my gardener friend if he can clean it for me and he did it without a complaint.  The mother of one of daughter's other friends has offered to clean the box next week Tuesday and daughter will be home on Thursday night.  It's the little things like not being able to clean the litter box that drive me up the wall.

I hadn't listed another load of laundry, in my to do list, yesterday, but I went ahead and did one, anyway.  The quilt I laundered last night was one I had posted about earlier.  I still haven't quite finished repairing it, but it is in use in the meantime and, with each washing, needs to have more patches repaired! 

Roman Stripe Quilt on the Drying Rack

When I had turned it over for the other side to dry, I saw something I had done to the backing and thought I should show you.  I had put a new cotton flannel backing to replace the old torn backing, but, in the process managed to cut into the fabric by accident!  I darned the cut and then, to cover it up, I appliqued a pink heart over it!  This one was machine appliqued, using a zig zag stitch (and then, the fabric cut away from the sewing).  I explained to daughter that it was to cover up the darning, but she thought it was cute, anyway.  :)

 

Appliqued Heart

Brunch was a fried potato, a scrambled egg, the last slice of turkey cold cuts, which I also fried along with the potato,  a tangerine and something called "soft baked granola bites" that daughter bought for me.  I might eat some rice and chicken for dinner, or have soup, again (had soup last night, too and the night before!)

I went out in the garden, this afternoon, and picked a few oranges from my tree:

Oranges

Today, I am grateful for:

- A good drive to and from hydration
- Sunshine in the afternoon
- Oranges from the garden
- Help with the litter box cleaning
- Getting things done, little by little

Hope all is well with you and you are having a lovely day.