Monday was our long trip home from Placerville. If you read last week's blog post, you may remember that we stopped at Heritage RV Campground and Resort in Corning, California, on our way south and stopped there again in the early evening Sunday, on the way back. There were a lot more people staying there this time, perhaps because it was the weekend.
When we were there on the way south, I hadn't taken any photos in the off-leash dog play yard. These spaces at campgrounds are very much appreciated. We don't have a lot of space for the pups to stretch their legs in our RPod, and walks are rather pokey, so they really needed it before we started our long trip home on Monday.
Tuesday was a very busy day. The dogs went to the groomer, and I had a doctor's appointment. In the evening we had another Madroña pop-up meeting. It gave us a chance to tell everyone how much we enjoyed seeing them in person (if we did) and how we were sorry not to have been able to meet the others in person. A few of them live further away from Placerville than we do.
The next day, I decided to defrost the big freezer in the garage. We took the car out to make room for the ice chests that would hold all the frozen food during the process. Once I had unloaded the freezer, I set up containers for the water from the melting ice and put sponges in the bottom. I really should have taken a photo of what it was like when I started the process. It had been some time since I had done this, and lots of ice had built up on the shelves, especially the top shelf, where you can still see a layer of ice about 3/4" thick covering most of the shelf. It took all day for the ice to melt. I couldn't leave it long, because water would run out onto the floor of the garage, so I would set the timer for 10-15 minutes to run back and check. It was a busy day.
We had bought this freezer from Sears & Roebuck in Houston in 1998. We moved it to our condo in Park City, then to our house there, and again to Bend. It has continued to operate properly.
I tried to organize things a little better when I put them back after the freezer was defrosted. I'm glad that's done!
During the trip, I took the Gentle Spirit Tee to work on. The pattern starts out with short rows across the back neck and shoulders. While we were driving, we listened to an audiobook. I kept losing my place on the short rows and had to tink back, so I could work on it when I could concentrate. I'm on the straight stockinette stitch now.
Before we left on our trip, I bound off my The Love of Spiders shawl. I didn't have time to block it, though.
Thursday I finally did the blocking. It measures 2.5" wider and 2" deeper than expected, although I had gone down one needle size to account for my normally loose knitting. I think it's because the green yarn is a bit thicker than fingering. That would explain why I was playing yarn chicken with the green toward the end.
I was happy with how it turned out. I took it out for a photo on the deck.
Then I tried it on one of the bushes in the back yard.
I didn't take the quilt along on the trip because it would have filled up the RPod, but I'm back working on it now, just coming around the last corner.
Then it will be a straight shot down the final edge and done. I might finish it this week.
Friday we went to the grocery store and got our flu shots. The Covid boosters still aren't in yet. Last year I was exposed to Covid three days after getting the booster and came down with it a few days later, along with several other people I know who were there. I plan to go to the same event this year, but will wear a mask, regardless of when I get my booster. I wasn't very sick, but it was a real pain trying to keep my germs away from Charlie.
While we were gone, a fire developed north of us, so most of the time we were gone the air quality was listed as hazardous. It was a good time to be gone. The air quality was OK again when we returned, but the smoke returned again Thursday and Friday. We finally got to walk again on Saturday. A good walk always calms the pups down.
Sunday was smokey again, so we skipped the walk and had a session of tossing the ball up the stairs or down the hall.
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What's on my needles: I finished blocking The Love of Spiders shawl by Melanie Berg. Done swatching for Gentle Spirit Tee. I had to go down a needle size. I finished working on the shoulder short rows during the trip. Now it's straight stockinette stitch for a while.
What's on my iPhone: We listened to Southern Cross by Patricia Cornwell using the AudiobooksNow app, finishing it just as we were approaching Bend on the return trip. Now I'm back to listening to The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles.
What's on my sewing machine: Still waiting on something new.
What's in my hoop: My whole cloth quilt. Still filling in the rest of the border.
What's in The Doll's Storybook: When I was working for Personnel Journal magazine years ago I edited an article reporting on an experiment that compared groups of different types all working on solving the same problems. One group was all men, one all women and one a group of men and women. The groups' interactions were evaluated as they worked together to come up with solutions. The most effective group was the one where men and women worked together. I thought this could also apply to other characteristics besides gender. The results of that article inspired this story, Mariah's Play, where Mariah is rehearsing her lines for a play about a group of dolls that have a problem to solve.
What's my tip of the week: We buy organic vegetables whenever possible. I was looking for mushrooms and complained to the produce employee that the organic mushrooms always come in a plastic tub that our curbside recycling won't take. The employee was a member of a local mushroom organization. He explained to me that the mushrooms that are sold by the pound are basically organic, because mushrooms don't tolerate chemicals. He also pointed out that the white mushrooms are the same as the brown ones. The white ones are just an albino variety.
Where are my books: The stories in each book first appeared in the blog, and they are reproduced in print with a few changes.
Coming soon: Billy: Stories from The Doll's Storybook.
If you don't get free shipping from Amazon or B&N, buy from the BookBabyBookshop, because 50% of the price goes to St. Jude. Other booksellers pay much less, because the vendor gets a cut. My author's page at Book Baby is here. Scroll down and click on any of the books that interest you. Find my books at Barbara's Bookstore as well, or ask your local library to order the books.
Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.
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