It’s Been a Minute

Happy Fall, y’all! That photo is from last year’s Autumnal Equinox, which we witnessed while in rural Shelbyville, KY. 

Autumnal Equinox 

It turned out to be the last time we got to see my brother Terry,  who passed away in January, and I am beyond thankful for those precious moments we got to spend with him and LaDonna. Carpe diem…Horace’s famous admonition to “seize the day!” Right? 

Latin scholar, Maria S. Marsilio suggests carpe diem is a horticultural metaphor that, particularly seen in the context of the epic poem, is more accurately translated as "plucking the day,” evoking the plucking and gathering of ripening fruits or flowers, enjoying a moment that is rooted in the sensory experience of nature. So…having a silo…in the photo…seems apropos…no?

Hard to believe, but the year 2024 is nearly 3/4 over. Time for cooler days to arrive…sooner rather than later…any time now…I’m still waiting…ahem…

It’s also time for fun Fall activities like festivals and the much-loved county fair. I remember how excited I would get about going to the Mid-South Fair in Memphis, which we’d visit nearly every September, usually in conjunction with the Memphis State-Ole Miss football game. Mercy me, I’m really dating myself with that sentence. The Fair hasn’t been held in Memphis in over 15 years (it’s now in Southaven, MS), Memphis State hasn’t been Memphis State in 30 years (it’s now the University of Memphis), and those two schools haven’t played football since 2019, when Memphis won…so Ole Miss probably isn’t itching for a rematch. But I digress.

Recently, when reviewing some milestones I’ve managed to have in my life…along with some I’ve missed, I realized that “winning a ribbon at the Fair” was gathering dust, neglected in some long lost corner of my mind. Seemed a bit silly…not to mention old-fashioned…at first glance, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought “why not try?” And, it just so happens that I am now living in a county that maintains a fairgrounds venue that still hosts an annual event every September: the Gwinnett County Fair. Well, well, well…what was I waiting on? Carpe diem, y’all!

Although I no longer smock like my friend Lyn, who won a cherished blue ribbon for a smocked christening gown at the Mid-South Fair long, long ago…and is likely the original inspiration for this bucket-list item…I do knit. A lot. And when I reviewed the guidelines for the Gwinnett County Fair’s exhibit entries, I saw several categories for knitted items that I had made since last September (one of the rules). I had a few items I could choose from. Ok…a lot of items. So I selected 4 things and filled out the online entry forms before I could change  my mind. Here’s what I entered:

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Class 423, Knitted Afghan:  Trisha’s Trifle Wrap 

Using a collection of 24 fingering weight merino wool minis from several stashed McMullin Fiber Co. countdown kits held together with deep-stash find of alpaca lace weight, the knitter took pattern designer Helen Stewart to heart when she said “the Trifle Wrap takes after its namesake in every way: light and decadent, gorgeously layered, and delightfully over the top…and it can be made beautifully out of leftovers from your (yarn) stash.”

Class 427, Knitted Shawl: 24 Blue Birds Shawl 

“Twenty-Four Blue Birds” is a full-circle shawl, inspired by the iconic prints and tapestries of the Arts and Crafts era. The original designer, Helen Stewart, says this pattern ”is a tribute to Arts and Crafts legends William Morris and his daughter May, Edward Burne-Jones, and their fellow designers and artists, (who) left us such a legacy of beauty and craftsmanship.” This pi-inspired shawl used 5 skeins of “Miss Babs” Yet, a hand-dyed lace weight yarn in 65% merino wool and 35% tussah silk, featuring stylized botanical lace motifs which shift into a circle of twenty-four “birds” towards the border, incorporating 48 beads to represent the knitter’s 48th wedding anniversary in 2024.

                                                                                Class 429, Knitted Cowl:  Muppet Mayhem Cowl 

The original designer says “this pattern is an homage to The Muppet Show and its traditional silliness…(.including) Yip Yip Dip Stitches, Fozzi Bear’s wiggling ears, and some strings of Miss Piggy’s purls. (along with) some slipped stitches that resemble Animal’s drumsticks (from the Electric Mayhem Band).” The knitter modified the original pattern to create a bandana-style cowl using 5 colors of merino wool.

Class 618, Holiday House, Miscellaneous:  Haunted House Cowl 

The original pattern designer of The Haunted House Cowl warned us that “this Halloween knit is full of frights and delights…(using) a combination of textural stitches and stranded colorwork…” including motifs for Jack o’ Lanterns, bats, witches’ brooms, and even scary skeletons. The knitter used 6 different seasonal colors of mini skeins, including both 100% merino wool and 70/20/10 merino/cashmere goat/nylon (MCN) yarns. 

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We delivered the items on September 6th as directed, had a sashay through the Exhibit Hall to see what others were entering (ooh! ahh!), and then left it to the judges to make their selections. 

Thomas and I made our way over to the Fairgrounds in Lawrenceville today as it was “pick up” day for all entries. When we entered the Exhibit Hall, a young lady coming toward the door was holding a framed picture which was sporting a blue ribbon. I congratulated her and asked to see the winning entry, which turned out to be an oil painting she had done of her Aunt’s church. The colors were beautiful, and her brushstrokes captured the aged brick structure surrounded by a profusion of thick shrubbery to perfection. And you could tell how happy she was with her accomplishment. I do hope it’s one of many blue ribbons she will receive in her life.

We lined up to give the staffers my entry receipts so I could collect my items. As the lady headed over to another area, I spotted my circular (or “pi”) 24 Blue Birds shawl…from which dangled a ribbon. I couldn’t help myself…my whole face was smiling. Then, I saw my Muppet Mayhem cowl…which was also sporting a ribbon. More smiles. And then, I saw her retrieve my Trisha’s Trifle Wrap, which was a last second addition to my entry, because I thought the colors said “Fall” better than the other items. The ribbon attached to it was red (second place), which was actually the first time that I realized the other two were blue (first place) ribbons. My hands started shaking as I began to take it all in. 

Then, to my utter amazement, I saw a ribbon attached to my Haunted House cowl. A blue ribbon. I was stunned. While this cowl has lots of colorwork (6 different colors of yarn) and required uninterrupted attention to the details of the pattern (which includes pumpkins, bats, eyeballs, ghosts, witches’ brooms, and skeletons), I thought it would never stand a chance against its competitors. You see, the Fair rules state that ALL holiday items must be entered in the Holiday House category…so, my spooky cowl was competing with cuddly Easter bunnies as well as elves and Santas. What were the chances? Turns out…pretty good!! 

Thomas snapped several pictures to document the day and to have to share with you. 

Haunted House Cowl

Muppet Mayhem Cowl

24 Blue Birds Shawl

Trisha’s Trifle Wrap — Afghan 

Tomorrow I’ll be taking the time to upload them to my Project Pages on Ravelry. And possibly thinking about how to spend my winnings.

Thomas said “beer money?”

I immediately said “nope…YARN MONEY!”

 A Bright, Sunny New Chapter

Here’s to spending 49 years with the same Valentine! Even though our story’s Prologue began in Jackson, MS, when Thomas and I met in 1975 a few days after my birthday, I always think of Valentine’s Day 1976 as the beginning of our Chapter One. The first paragraph was written on Youree Drive in Shreveport, LA. Yesterday we put the last period to Chapter Forty-Nine with lunch at La Madeleine across from the Mall of Georgia, in Buford. Yes, the names on the envelopes are still the same but the zip codes of where we exchanged Valentine’s cards have certainly changed over the years. Now I’m wondering where we will be celebrating the last sentence of Chapter Fifty?

Even though I’m (mostly) adhering to my hepatologist team’s advice on “eating small meals” [they want me to eat 5-6 small meals a day…I can manage the “small meals” part, just not the “5-6/day” part]…meaning, I typically bring home 1/2 of any restaurant meal…we couldn’t resist the temptation of a takeout of the heart-shaped, chocolate ganache-covered cheesecake for two. That came home with us, too. Wink, wink.

Say Cheesecake!

Truthfully, it wasn’t tuned to our taste buds. Too bittersweet, and a tad too dry. I mean, really! If you’re going to indulge your sweet tooth, shouldn’t the indulgence actually be sweet? And perfectly pleasant on the palate? So, we both made a “small meal” out of this dessert…small, as in teeny-tiny. Ah well. It’s as I have always said: bakery items look so delicious and tempting in the bakery case but are rarely as tasty as your imagination suggests. 

Reflecting on a day devoted to cards and flowers, I’m reminded of the many expressions of love following brother Terry’s passing last month. Each and every one was appreciated. Our trip to KY to join in the Celebration of his life was sad as well as sweet, draining as well as uplifting…all the emotions, all at the same time. 

Lovely Flowers from Lunn Cousins Ann and Sherry

Sweet photo of Daddy with baby Terry, 1944

As usual, knitting helped me work through the emotional roller coaster, as I’m calmer and more centered when I pick up my sticks. I finished my first projects of 2024: a shawl (pictured), two cowls, and a pair of socks…all begun in the final days of December and completed in January. 

Cranberry Fizz Sparkle Shawl

I have 3 projects on my needles now (two year-long blanket WIPs for a couple of KALs and my sage socks for the Ravelry Solid Sock Group KAL entry in the Herbs & Spices theme…pictured), with 2 upcoming MKAL projects (in the planning and swatching stages for March 1 and March 6 cast on dates).

Sage Socks for February KAL

I am happy to report what I’m calling “progress on the PBC* journey.” I remember having neither energy nor enthusiasm for last year’s Super Bowl…I may even have slept through some of it. This year was a different story, thank goodness, because who could possibly have slept through the 4th…or 5th, for that matter…quarter?  

Eager to turn a page on the listless previous chapter, I pulled out some favorite recipes for Peppered Shrimp (from those Louisiana days of Chapter One…;-), Edith’s favorite cheeseball (Momma always had a cheeseball for any party or nibbles-get together), Sweet ‘n Spicy Meatballs (adjusted a bit to tone down both the sugar content and the heat-level of the spices), along with the crockpot pairing of Rotel tomatoes and Velveeta cheese (ok…so protein is definitely king of our castle these days). Our Super Bowl “party” might have been an intimate gathering for the Adsit Family, but I finally feel like taking small steps toward Normal. BTW, I figured out how to add a few drops of green food coloring to a bag of shredded cabbage and made a “field” for the football-cheeseball…check it out:

Super Bowl nibbles

And in gardening news, Thomas spent a couple of days planting roses recently, including 2 Disneyland floribundas from Jackson Perkins (picture below, credit to J/P) and 3 English-style shrub roses from Heritage Gardens in the last of some XXXL green pots purchased from Home Depot last year. 

Seeing as how we have planted…and had to leave behind…scores of day lilies, irises, daffodils, and roses over the years and many moves, you will likely understand that we have now adapted our gardening style and have fully embraced container-planting. Ahem. 

I guess that’s how you make multiple moves work and love last through all the years: adapt and adjust. That way, you get to write a new chapter…one that begins with “It was a bright and sunny day…” rather than “It was a dark and stormy night…”

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For the non-knitters among the readers…

KAL= knitalong. A group of knitters who are knitting at the same time, usually (but not always) on the same pattern (if a designer is hosting the KAL) or using the same yarn (if a dyer is hosting) or the same kind of project (like a pair of socks or a gnome…I kid you gnot…;-). 

MKAL = mystery knitalong. Multiple people do the same unknown knitting pattern, usually released in installments, over a period of time.

WIP= Work In Progress. A project one is working on.

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*PBC=the name of my New Normal. Here’s what the Mayo Clinic says:

“Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune disease in which the bile ducts are inflamed and slowly destroyed lead(ing) to permanent scarring of liver tissue, called cirrhosis. It's considered an autoimmune disease, which means (the) body's immune system is mistakenly attacking healthy cells and tissue. Researchers think a combination of genetic and environmental factors triggers the disease (but have generally ruled out alcohol as a cause). It usually develops slowly. At this time, there's no cure for primary biliary cholangitis, but medicines may slow liver damage, especially if treatment begins early.”

The Best Laid Plans...Again

   I had good intentions...really good intentions. No, not about New Year's Resolutions (gave them up years ago). I had truly wanted to be diligent about blog-posting every Thursday. Then, two giants created a roadblock. Giant #1 (Google...Blogger's papa) and Giant #2 (Apple...my main technology connection and master) do NOT play well together, making creating blog posts on my iPad a teeth-grinding experience. And, I'm not doing this to be consistently irritated. I'm doing this because I enjoy writing the posts and sharing pictures of our world. Sigh.

Still, I've always believed "where there's a will, there's a way." And that "way" involved digging out my ancient, steam-powered HP lugger-of-a-laptop. Folks, we are talking Methuselah here! We can't even recall WHEN we bought it, but my Microsoft Office Suite is dated 2010 (works just fine...way better than the awful, horrible, terrible web-based applications used now). But, I digress...slightly...

Anyway, in order to get the lug-top up & running to help me create my blog posts without screaming obscenities and tearing out what's left of my hair (as typically happens when I use my iPad to try to post on Blogger), said lug-top had to update...EVERYTHING. That's what you get when you don't turn a device on for over a year. Big sigh.

So, I get all of those ducks in the proper rows, but before I can start to compose my first post of the year, life intervened. In the most difficult way possible. My wonderful, kind, sincere, considerate, encouraging, intelligent, funny, and loving older brother*, Terry (that’s him with us in that picture above)...who had been diagnosed with Parkinson's a few years ago...received an amended diagnosis that was a blow to all: he had Lewy Body Dementia. Then, almost before we could begin to read, research, and digest just what this cruel disease meant, he was gone. 

LaDonna, Terry, Jack, & Maredith

I did not intend for this first Thursday post of the new year to be sad, but that's the prevailing feeling. So, instead of piling on more words of our woe of having to say the final goodbye to this beautiful soul, let me just pop in a few pictures of happier days.

*Terry was actually my older HALF brother, as our father Sidney and his mother Lenore shared a whirlwind WWII romance, followed closely by a wedding in her native state of Pennsylvania (where Daddy was sent to Officers' Candidate School after enlisting in the Army Air Corps in 1943). Terry was born in '44, but the end of the war and the end of their marriage happened in tandem. To truncate a really long and complicated story (the ends-and-outs of which still elude me), he grew up in PA..in Williamsport, home of the Little League World Series, no less...with his mom and her family while I spent the first 10 years of my life thinking I was (and exhibiting all the common traits of) the oldest child in the family. 

I learned of Terry's existence when I was 9 or 10, during a Sunday drive to visit the Stewart clan on the farm in Whiteville, TN. As usual, I was reading…probably a Nancy Drew mystery, if I had to guess…when I realized that the conversation floating back from my parents in the front seat was being carried on in whispers. I heard the same name mentioned at least twice, so of course I asked “who’s Terry?” Thought Daddy was going to run off the road…could tell Momma was thinking hard and fast about what to say next. She finally said, “it’s time to tell them.” And so, right there somewhere on a back road through West Tennessee, I learned (1) Daddy had been married and divorced before; (2) Daddy had another child…a son…who lived in far-off Pennsylvania (hey, this was the early 60’s…it WAS far-off!);and (3) most importantly to my existence, I had an older brother! How thrilling! So many questions to ask: who, what, where, when??! Unfortunately, I started with “what:” what’s his name? Daddy said “John Terrell Lunn.” It was Momma’s turn to “run off the road,” only she wasn’t driving. NO, she said…can’t be…that’s Jack’s name! Daddy realized his mistake and corrected course: William Terrell Lunn…also named after his mother’s father, but he’s always been called Terry. After that exchange, even I could tell that more questions would not be appreciated at that time. So I swallowed them…and tried to imagine what it would be like to have an older brother come live with us (what I didn’t comprehend was that Terry would have been 19-20 by this time…beginning his own life with the Navy and college…and most unlikely to move in with a family he didn’t know). Jack was definitely in the car that day…and he would have been 6 or so…but he says he doesn’t have any memory of any of this.

Even though Terry lived in Tupelo when I was attending MSCW in Columbus (!), and then he lived in Cordova when Jack lived less than a mile away and we had just moved from Cordova to Collierville (!!), we didn't actually meet until we were both in mid-life. Still, that was NEVER an impediment to our relationship (other than feeling deep regret that our 3 parents...the ADULTS...made some choices in those early years that were not in the 3 kids' best interests). From the first moment he arrived at our front door in Collierville, I felt an immediate connection to my brother Terry. It was like I had found the missing piece to make the jigsaw puzzle complete! The fact that he and I shared nearly every single Lunn characteristic (hair color, eye color, complexion, a smile that "includes the eyes," a square chin, and an insatiable interest in learning anything and everything about anything and everything) made it so easy to accept that I was a younger sister as well as an older sister.

We are leaving Thursday to drive to KY to be with the love of his life, my sweet SIL LaDonna, and to attend his Celebration of Life service, so I'm actually posting this Thursday's post on a Thursday. Will wonders never cease...

I'll do my best to get my act together when we get back next week and post a Thursday's Child post on our trip to KY. Fingers crossed the lug-top co-ops!

Here’s a link to Terry’s obituary: