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About Patti_is_knittinginflashes

Living and crafting between the hot flashes

four things | twenty-one

The hot, muggy days of summer arrived this week. Mr. Aitch and I are getting the outside of the house ready for summer living: grilling, dining al fresco, and relaxing. It’s been a busy week outside.

Today is Worldwide Knit in Public Day! I’ve still got my sock project so maybe I’ll make some progress today. What a great opportunity to knit at the local Celtic Festival!

what I’m reading

I finished My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier and thoroughly enjoyed it. I figured out the ending three pages from the very end. The description classified the book as a gothic novel but I viewed it as historical psychological thriller. Whatever.

what I’m watching

We heard great things about Bonfires of the Vanities so we watched the movie starring Bruce Willis, Tom Hanks, and Melanie Griffith. The book got rave reviews so I can only assume that the book is much better than the movie.

what I’m working on

Mr. Aitch got a new battery operated power washer a couple of weeks ago. The weather hasn’t cooperated much until this week so he/we finally got to try it out. The deck isn’t huge but it took us two days to clean it. He has two sets of batteries but the downtime between recharging killed the momentum.

After the deck was clean, Mr. Aitch washed the outside concrete stairs to the basement. It’s a one person job so I puttered around with other things: watered the pots of flowers, moved/rearranged the deck furniture, did a load of laundry, brought all the outdoor cushions upstairs for easy access, hung the solar mini lights around a part of the deck railing, and took a much needed shower. I still need to put the other electric lights around the deck but it was just too freaking hot with the sweat running down my face burning my eyes and practically blinding me. Note to self: wrap a bandana/headband around forehead to catch the sweat.

what I saw on my walk

I only walked two days this week due to the outside chores but I spotted this little guy in my neighbor’s yard.

Have a stupendous weekend!

Patti nona

four things | twenty

School’s out for summer…at least in our county. When I was a kid we stayed up late (11:00 PM) on the last day of school and slept in the next day. Of course, we didn’t sleep too late as there was so much to do: kick ball, dodge ball, hopscotch, Red Rover, swing on swings, ride bikes, roller skate, go to the pool, and stay out until the street lights came on. Yes, there was a lot to do in the summer.

Yesterday was the first day of summer vacation and it started out great – sun was shining, warm but not hot, then the clouds moving in and it rained the rest of the day. So much for getting outside and playing. I did see two 6-7 year old boys playing in their yard with little toy construction trucks, roads made of old wooden boards, and just messing around in the dirt. Lots of dirt. Good for Mom and Dad for encouraging outdoor play!

On to this week’s four things…

what I’m reading

I was between books for one day. I got a digital library book Saturday afternoon: My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier. I’m about halfway through and it certainly is as mysterious, romantic (though not sappy romantic), and full of intrigue as her novel, Rebecca.

what I’m watching

Rain Man with Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. Another great movie. I can only imagine the outtakes. Have you seen it?

what I’m loving

what I saw on my walk

This row of honeysuckles just filled the air with sweetness.

Enjoy the week.

Patti nona

four things | nineteen

I can’t believe it’s the end of the week already. Time certainly flies whether you’re having fun or not!

It’s been unusually cool here this week. Rainy, cool, and breezy. I think Mother Nature is messing with us. I even wore my “bed socks” to bed the other night. These are thick and heavy and I can’t wear them with any of the shoes or boots I own. They are perfect for keeping my feet warm in bed.

what I’m reading

Book Club was last Monday so I’m between books right now. I have several digital books “on hold” through my library so whatever becomes available first will be my next read.

what I’m watching

Mr. Aitch and I watched What About Bob? Thursday evening. Perfect casting and perfect acting. As usual, we could only remember bits and pieces from when the movie was first shown in 1991 but still thought it was funny.

what I’m loving

I just happened to look of the door to our deck when I spotted this hummingbird flitting from flower to flower. By the time I got my phone out to snap a picture of him, he perched on top of the Tiki torch holder.

what I saw on my walk

I had to text my BFF to find out what kind of bloom this was. It looked like a peony but I wasn’t sure as I’ve never seen one quite like this. She confirmed that it was indeed a peony. That iris was jealous and just had to bend into the frame.

Have a great week!

four things | eighteen

I hope your week was good event-wise and weather-wise.

We did finally get the garage door repaired. We originally went with a nationally known company but when they ignored us for two weeks, Mr. Aitch fired them. He called a local company on Tuesday and the repairman showed up on Thursday. The job was completed in less than an hour and a half.

Our area had some weather excitement and not the good kind. We got rain Monday night and all day Tuesday and were under a flash flood warning. The ground wasn’t bone dry so some of the rain soaked in. And then it didn’t.

We live in the Allegheny Mountain portion of the Appalachian Mountains and water has the tendency to flow downhill, or down-mountain. With the windstorms we’ve had this year lots of trees fell in the rural places. Add rain soaked soil, more heavy rains, those downed trees and a disaster can happen. The trees and branches end up in the creeks, streams, and rivers. Flash flooding happens.

You may have heard about the rescue of students and teachers from a Westernport school in Maryland. That’s not too far from us. Schools in my county closed early on Tuesday and remained closed until Friday. Mr. Aitch and I are very fortunate to not have suffered any damage.

I had to go out Wednesday and took a few pictures of a stream that overflowed its banks on Tuesday.

Fortunately the water has really receded less than 24-hours later. It was over the stone walls. You can see the log jam at the bridge that crosses the stream and how the road got covered with water and mud. That bridge and the one below were under water. Several businesses had heavy equipment clearing the mud and debris from parking lots.

I was standing on this bridge for those pictures and this bridge is definitely compromised.

what I’m reading

Well, actually I’m listening to the book ArtCurious by Jennifer Dasal. She talks about some of the strange and odd tidbits of artists and their paintings. One chapter is about the curious theft and return of the Mona Lisa, one of the world’s most famous paintings. Her style reminds me of my Art History professor at WVU. He often included little known details about the artists and their works during class.

what I’m loving

source: Country Living

what I’m working on

I’m still plugging away on my socks. I turned the heel and got all discombobulated. My stitch count is off when I began the gusset. My plan is to unknit the last row I did and see if that helps. I’ll also do that when Pepper is either asleep or not jumping on me when she comes into the room to find me. It’s nice to be so loved.

what I saw on my walk

I only got a walk in on Monday and Friday due to the rain Tuesday-Wednesday. It was just too wet to walk and then the garage door repair on Thursday kept us home. It was very warm and muggy yesterday. In fact Pepper stopped and laid down under a tree less than halfway on our usual route. We turned around and went home sooner than I wanted to but was grateful to get some exercise.

Two gorgeous flowers to share today.

These colorful calla lilies are so bright and intense. I don’t know if they will dig up the rhizomes in the fall to replant next year or if they are treating them like an annual flower.

None of these peonies were blooming on Monday when I saw them but several burst out sometime within the past couple of days. Looks like more will follow from the multitude of buds still unopened.

Have a safe and beautiful week.