Second sock under way and new me

There's a SSS, second sock syndrome, which strikes some knitters, where the momentum of knitting the first sock goes away and it's hard to get to the second of the pair. It doesn't affect me, probably because I'm incapable of not finishing.

Here, the second patch toe sock is under way while I listen to my morning political podcast 

I tried on the first one, and found it comfortable, so I'll use this method more. It's easier than the provisional cast on method, much as I like it.

The inspection of the water heater is scheduled for tomorrow, when Handsome Son happens to be off work. I'm pursuing a new-me policy of letting people do what they offer to do, rather than old-me, who would insist on doing everything. 

He texted to say he'd take care of letting the inspector in and giving him the paperwork. New me just said great, thank you.  This is restful. I like this new policy. It's respectful of other people's willingness and ability.  Took me a while to get this.

So I picked and arranged a few flowers, humming happily 

Happy day, everyone, celebrate gymnast Andrade's brilliant Olympic gold, from great poverty and deprivation, through grit and endless work, to peak achievement. Go Rebecca! And the huge sportsmanship shown by the other medalists, bowing to her on the stand. Simone and Suni.

One of my favorite Olympic sights was, after Noah Lyles won the 100m in a photo finish (!), he took what was for him a fairly slow victory lap. Cameramen puffing, panting, legs whirring  like pistons, trying to keep him in frame!  Ordinary people showing us the contrast.

Weather, aging, flowers, macrame and -- soup?

 Here we still are

My dry skin and hair love the humidity, so there's that. The heat, not so much.

And with all the various subdivisions of the population massing together for Kamala, there's one I can definitely get behind

I'll be there.

About aging: you're lucky if you manage it, even luckier if you have good health. I hate the expression X years "young". Old is lovely, and I'm not flattered at being assured that young is somehow better.  Speaking as a  person who has outlived the doctors who wrote me off at an early age, I think aging is just fine. 

Yesterday's high heat and humidity resulted in thunderstorms and torrential rain, which saved me from watering the flowers. How's that for an egocentric take!?

And today, new flowers are opening. I planted wildflower mixes as well as recognizable flowers, so I'm guessing at some of them.  

When I was out early, pottering about, there was a shriek and a leap into the groundcover, so I guess our frog population is happy. We have toads, too, but I haven't seen any this year yet.

Speaking of aging and everything old is new again, Tatters is teaching

Let's hear it from everyone who made plant hangers and bracelets and various messy string things way back!

Guilty as charged. Admittedly this piece involved knitting, in string and copper wire, and handmade beads,  as well as the inevitable lark's head knots. I made it in memory of my late great cockatiel, Emily Hope, whose favorite swinging perch is the support.

More in the moment, here's some spinning I did this afternoon. 

I can't spin for long, so I seize the moment. In this cop (yarn on the spindle shaft) there's sari silk waste followed by mixed silk, then wool. I might knit or weave this eventually.

Meanwhile I have a bunch of small amounts spun, waiting for a purpose beyond the pleasure of spinning.

Today, you know the weather, full disclosure, I made chicken soup. It happened like this.  I'd been slicing and picking and generally enjoying the chicken in various forms, and was down to the bones.  

I really didn't want to freeze them for later processing, so I thought, oh well, mad dogs and Englishfolk, and chucked the carcase into a pan with celery and carrots, and simmered it for ages. 

Then, bones lifted out, meat all picked off and back into the pan, bones and skin disposed of,  I blended the contents of the pan, added salt, pepper and powdered milk, and came out with three pretty good helpings of cream of chicken soup. 

It tastes all old-fashioned, and there'll be an evening I'll be glad of it, one of these cooler days. 

On a saner note, happy day everyone, happy Olympic watching and pontificating on 

It's tiring being an instant expert on presidential politics, and multiple sports all at once. Especially sports you'd never heard of before. 

White Rabbits, gold medals and a lotus

August, Lammastide, wheat harvest soon. Happy season, everyone.

And here's great Olympic news, there's a lot, but this is my pick

Real grown women! Not the little girls we used to see before the Olympic committee came to their senses and installed new minimum age limits.  Women's gymnastics for women!

Handsome Son visiting today, so there's chocolate cake and lemonade all set. 

Also strawberries and chocolate almonds.

He's having a good summer, with the shore and concerts and general fun. He can handle hot weather. That makes one of us.

Just a footnote about good neighbors. We are original owners in this development, bought our unit from the builders. So this friendly atmosphere is what we helped build and encourage. 

It's the result of significant reaching out and helpfulness on our part, too. Like a lot of other good things, it didn't come about by chance.  We were the white family welcoming Black and Indian new neighbors and encouraging other white owners to do likewise. 

We were out and about being safe people to ask things, to help people fathom their water shutoffs and other built-in builder's mysteries, and for people who had never had a fireplace, how to proceed safely. All that. 

 

So yes, it's lovely. And it's no accident. Just sayin'. Not throwing bouquets at myself, just saying it's always a two way street. The harder you work, the luckier you get. 

I'm reaping the reward now, from people who saw what I went through in the caregiving years, now being protective and kind to me in my own old age.  I know you can reach out and never reap any reward, perfectly true. But it's wonderful when it happens.

Thursday is my Misfits box day. Getting ready to wash and prep a lot of produce. My least favorite part, but it's how I make sure ingredients are ready to cook. It's insurance, so I don't feel too tired to cook! If it's halfway there, so much easier to cook the rest of the way. It helps me avoid the tea and toast routine of tired old people.

Time for Nancy yogurt, since my own has been getting thinner, it needs a boost. The last few spoons of this will be the next starter.

I always love to see these brown eggs, with real shells, golden firm yolks. A boiled egg with a toasted slice of that seedy, grainy bread is a great small supper.

Strawberries and chocolate almonds, because why not.  All set for easy hot weather food.