Thank you for coming, you have been missed. Last weekend, Bill and I spent some quality time in the backyard, cleaning it up and making it look pretty. We (Bill) put down tons of wood chips where it was previously just dirt. It makes such a difference! It gives a finished look and is much more pleasant to look at. We planted our veggies and herbs. We also hung flower baskets. I love the bright colors, and and so does our hummingbird. I’ve seen him a couple of times feeding at these flowers.

We created a second little sitting area in the yard. It’s a nice change from sitting on the porch. A different perspective is always good. I also rearranged the furniture on the patio, I just need to get a new table. I arranged the chairs to get an idea of how it would fit, and this afternoon I found CJ sitting in the middle of the chairs, like it was her fortress. It cracked me up.

My favorite plant is a succulent, given to me by a neighbor from her garden. I was given a big one and a little one, and the little one kept getting dug up. I’m not sure if CJ stuck her nose in there and uprooted it, or if a squirrel was torturing me. I finally put it in the pot with the large one and it is being left alone. The big one is doing well and has two babies! The backyard definitely provides a lot of enjoyment.

Also providing lots of enjoyment is my new found energy. In my last post, I mentioned being tired lately. I racked my brain to figure out what had changed and the only thing I came up with was my allergy medicine. I had just switched from Allegra to Zyrtec. I took Zyrtec years ago, and now I remember that I felt energized once I was off it. I’ve changed to non-drowsy Claritin and am feeling a lot better.

I started on a new little project which got me started on a different project. I pulled out my fabric scraps to make these pincushions, and was sidetracked into cutting up my scraps into 5 inch and 3 inch squares. I have some pretty good scraps. I don’t necessarily have a plan for the squares, but I feel productive. The pincushions haven’t really progressed, but my scrap pile is in good shape.

I hope you have some great plans for the weekend!

What is wrong with me lately? I have been uber-uninspired by all my works in progress. I’m hoping it’s just a phase. Ever since I got back from London (about a month ago), I’m just not feeling the project love. I hoped casting on a new project, Lacy Baktus shawl (rav link here), would get me out of it. I impulse purchased this Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock yarn in river, and once it arrived, I knew it had to be a Lacy Baktus. I am not disappointed. The pattern was easily memorized and I’m slowly getting through it. Very slowly. As much as I’m happy with the project, I’m still lacking the inspiration and motivation.

It’s not just the knitting. I haven’t really accomplished much of anything this last month. It took me a month to read a 400 page book, Too Great A Lady: The Notorious, Glorious Life of Emma, Lady Hamilton; A Novel by Amanda Elyot. I brought it to London to read there as it was about a British Hero Lord Admiral Nelson, but I didn’t have much (any) time to read, so I picked it up when I got back. It was a good book, well written, interesting. Again, lacking the inspiration. It should have taken me a week to read, at the most.

I also haven sewed anything. I’ve only blogged once. I did make two necklaces. So for the last four weeks I have two necklaces, a blog post, 400 pages and a third of a lacy baktus. Eesh.

The good news is that I’m starting to feel the love again. I’m working on a couple of pajama bottoms, I’m two repeats short of the halfway point of Lacy Baktus, and I read Deep South by Nevada Barr (384 pages) in less than 24 hours. Now that’s better!