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.”

Pauline Would Be Proud of this Pilgrim

Bike Ride* Post ahead, I promise! Keep reading!!

Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres.
--Julius Caesar

.
Translation:
"All Gaul is divided into three parts. From De Bello Gallico Book I, Ch. 1; these are the first words of De Bello Gallico, the whole sentence is 'All Gaul is divided into three parts, one of which the Belgae inhabit, the Aquitani another, those who in their own language are called Celts, in ours Gauls, the third.'" At least according to Wikiquote.

Right. What has that got to do with your bike ride, Patricia? Have you gone around the bend...no pun intended?

Those words were the beginning lines of  Mrs. Pauline Thomas' Latin II classes when I was a sophomore in Ripley (Tennessee) High School, and I remember it like it was yesterday. Or maybe last year. OK, actually that's not exactly how I remember the Latin at all. "Omnia Gallia est divisa in tres partes" is what my mind keeps mumbling, over and over during my ride through this part of Tennessee. I may have the words in a jumble, but the reasoning is crystal clear...to me at least. Because...

All Tennessee is divided into three parts, people. And I'm in the Eastern part, for sure. The orange part. Never seen so much orange in my life. Not my favorite color by any stretch of the imagination.

Reminds me of another quote, this time from a favorite movie:

"We are pilgrims in an unholy land."
-- Dr. Henry Jones, Sr.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Right.

So, why are you wearing orange today then, Patricia? Since the Panthers aren't playing in the Super Bowl, I dug out my one and only orange sweater to wear to show my support for Coach John Fox, whom I have admired since he coached Carolina, and for Peyton Manning, who is a class act wearing a quarterback's number.

And, you better believe I'm wearing blue pants to complete the outfit. True blue. Tiger blue. The color some of those Celts supposedly painted their bodies in battle. Or, so said Caesar.

OK, on to the Bike Ride! I am pleased as punch to report I completed my third century by the end of January! 305.4 miles, to be exact. Woo hoo! Something to celebrate.

Let's see, where was I at the end of my last report?

1/20/14: Rest day. I have learned the best schedule for my body is 3 days on, 1 day off. And, I now know that my daily limit on the bike is about 1 hour. I had been aiming for 16.7 mile/day on average, but that was keeping me on the bike for nearly 90 minutes...and creating a problem with my lower back, making my left leg and foot numb. Not. Good. So, I nipped it back to 10-12 miles per day, which will keep me in the "under an hour" ride range, as long as I am averaging at least 12 mph.  Live and learn, right?

1/21/14: 9.0 miles, putting me on Main Street in Greeneville, county seat of Greene County. Greeneville is a beautiful place, and many are choosing to retire here, attracted by the vistas as well as the lack of personal income taxes. I downloaded their Tourism Board's brochure on retiring to Greene County (find it here: http://www.growingreene.com/images/uploads/2009%20Retiree%20Brochure%20proof%20(6).pdf) and was favorably impressed. I also had to chuckle because it reminded me of something I haven't seen since we left TN in 1988: wheel tax. Yep, I had to learn all about ad valorem taxes, etc., when I left my home state. In TN, we just called it what we saw it: not personal property but wheels!

1/22/14: 10.5 miles, outside of Greenville riding on Andrew Johnson Highway.

1/23/14: 10.2 miles, taking me into Hamblen County, headed on Stagecoach Road toward Morristown. 

1/24/14: Rest day

1/25/14: 9.7 miles putting me in Morristown, county seat of Hamblen County. 

1/26/14: 11.7 miles, crossing into Jefferson County, on Hicks Road on the outskirts of Jefferson City. As you can see in the map above, my ride is taking me close to Cherokee Lake, one of the TVA lakes. From TVA.gov: "Construction of Cherokee Dam (named for the Native Americans test lived here) began in August 1, 1940, and was completed on a crash schedule on December 5, 1941. The reservoir has nearly 400 miles of winding shoreline and about 28,780 acres of water surface...(and) a flood-storage capacity of 749,400 acre-feet...Cherokee Dam is a hydroelectric facility. It has four generating units with a net dependable capacity of 148 megawatts." Oh, how I miss living in TVA territory!

1/27/14: 10.3 miles, putting me on the edge of Strawberry Plains.

1/28/14: Rest day

1/29/14: 11.4 miles, crossing into Knox County, on E. Magnolia in Knoxville...at Chilhowee Park, where the Knoxville Zoo is located.

 
1/30/14: 10.2 miles, riding through the streets of Knoxville, turning onto the Clinton Highway. You are correct if you have noticed I'm avoiding The Hill on my ride. If you want to learn more about the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, you're on your own. Momma, who attended UT for one year in the late 30's (and was miserable the entire time she was there), liked to come to Gatlinburg in the Smokies annually, and we often combined a trip to the mountains with a football weekend. Growing up, that was fun. After the reception we (Tiger Fans) received a few years ago, I have no desire to leave another nickel of my tourist dollar in this county. Moving on.

1/31/14: 9.5 miles, putting me on the west side of Knoxville, making a turn onto TN 170W toward Oak Ridge. This is near the part of Knoxville where my great-Uncle James (brother of my grandmother Margaret) and Aunt Billie Stewart lived. They are both long gone, but I remember visiting them as a child, stopping by whenever we came "east." 

Total for the month: (Previously reported) 213.5+9.0+10.5+10.2+9.1+11.7+10.3+11.4+10.2+9.5 = 305.4 miles for January. High five, everybody!

2/1/14: Rest Day

2/2/14: 10.2 miles, crossing the Clinch River, putting me on Ingraham Lane in Oak Ridge. This made-up city, which didn't exist until WWII, straddles Roane and Anderson Counties. It has a fascinating history, which you can read about here: http://oakridgevisitor.com/history/oak-ridge-story/. I think this war-era picture speaks volumes, don't you?

Yep, I have done my ride for today, earning some extra calories to spend on those Super Bowl snacks. 

Tomorrow will be a full month of riding, and I'll fill you in on some changes I'm seeing...giving full credit to this experience. Stay tuned for my next update!

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* Footnote: To bring you up-to-date, in case you are just joining me...

My plan to get/keep in shape for gardening this year is to ride my stationary bike. Because I always need a reason to do something...or at least to continue doing something, I have decided on a program based on a distance of 2600 miles...which is the distance from our house to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, as Google-mapped using the (beta) Bike function. I started 1/3/2014...and am continuing the saga today. 

BTW, I am tagging all the posts about my ride "Where in the USA is Patricia" on my blog, and #WhereintheUSAisPatricia on Twitter. While I won't be blogging about my ride on a daily basis, you can check my Twitter Feed over there in the right column for daily updates on my ride and location. Happy pedaling! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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Two To One...and the One, Won!

Yep, it's the morning after the Big Game.  Lots of Monday morning quarterbackin' going on.  We were a house-divided around 3917:  Mr. T and N/M/E were wearing blue (for the Colts), and I showed up in my black and gold (for the Saints).  Missy M phoned in her ambivalence...she was probably going to yell for Peyton (the quarterback, not the coach) she said, but she wouldn't be unhappy if New Orleans pulled it off.  Well, they sure as heck did!  New Orleans 31 - Indy 17.  They are probably still dancing on Bourbon Street.

Truthfully, I was hoping to be wearing purple on the first Sunday in February, but my quarterback (Brett Favre) didn't make it out of the Big Easy two weeks ago a winner.  So, I transferred my allegiance to the Saints, who have been favs since we lived in Shreveport in the mid-70's (back when they were called the NO Ain't's...:).  I've usually adopted whatever team of whatever city/region of wherever we were living at the time: the Falcons when we were in ATL..and now, the Panthers since we are near Charlotte (where fellow University of Memphis alum De'angelo Williams plays).  Liked the Packers while Favre (fellow University of Southern Mississippi alum) was there; now cheer for the Vikings.  Never could like the Rams when in STL, even though I tried while Isaac Bruce (UM alum) was there.  But, have always had a soft spot for the Saints.

When the final second clicked off the game clock, I felt like a winner in more ways than one.  I had just finished my newest FO:  the Woven Rattan scarf (weaving in the last end with 1:46 to go in the 4th quarter...:).  I started this scarf (see photo, left) last year during the play-offs, but couldn't m-a-k-e myself finish it.  The Manos del Uruguay Wool Clasica handspun, kettle-dyed yarn is yummy, and I love the colorway 107 (purples, burgundies, pinks...what's not to love?)...and it was created to become a beautiful, warm scarf.  When I spotted the shop sample at Knit and Caboodle in St. Charles, MO (still my fav LYS, although I now live 5 states away...sigh), I thought "gotta knit that!"  The pattern was free with the yarn purchase, so what could be more right?  Hmmmm.

I really struggled with finishing this...not because the pattern was difficult, but because the pattern was, well, irritating is the only word I can think of.  I enjoy knitting, but this pattern was more about slipping stitches, wrapping yarn overs, and passing the slipped stitches over the (very few) knitted stitches on right side...all of which creates that beautiful woven rattan look...and which requires constant attention to where you are in the pattern.  Not good for relaxing and catching up with my shows.  The wrong side was even more painful (and I mean that literally and figuratively): it required purling two stitches together, and then without removing the completed stitch, purling into the first stitch still on the LH needle.  With fat-to-thin yarn and size US11 needles, I felt like I had to wrangle the wrong side.  My hands actually hurt after a session with this project.  I'm happy to have finally finished it, I will thoroughly enjoy wearing it...and I will file this pattern away, never to be done again.

I also finished my Possum XOX Socks on Friday, but I'll wait until another post to show you a picture of them.  They are a gift, so...well, you know. 

I'm trying to clear out my UFO's so I can focus totally on my Ravelympics2010 project.  Here's a pic (right) of the yarn (Baby Alpaca Grande Tweed color 2229 by Plymouth) and the swatches.  Can't start the project until the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics on Friday. More on that later.

All's well weather-wise here in the Piedmont of NC today.  We have a bit of snow lingering ("waiting on the next round"?), the Weather Channel is predicting both snow and rain for tonight, but as of right now...it's just cold.  I'm getting ready for Elmo's appointment with his new NC opthalmologist.  Will let you know how that goes.  Fingers crossed...toes, too!