Some days I just Plow through

WOW, it is 3:40 EDT and I cannot believe how much I have gotten done so far. No need to detail all of that, but as I was finishing a few tasks just now I realized how today was really good and very different than other days. It might be the alignment of the moon and stars, it might be conquering procrastination, it might be pressure, it might be a lot of other things. I have had a pile of papers to file at the office for WEEKS, no MONTHS. Part of what stood in the way was how much time I estimated this task would take. This morning, and it was not planned, I arrived at 7:30 and by 9:30 I was done. I also had some meetings on my calendar which I needed to change the occurrence of. Please don't ask me why I was procrastinating on this tiny little task, but I was. It took me all of 3 minutes to make the change.

What I am thankful for is that there are days like this BUT not all days are like this. I would be a wreck if I worked at this pace every day. OK back to work to take advantage of this focus and energy

Lining up my knitting projects

It is like clockwork, when the temperatures dip, I start lining up my knitting projects for the winter. I am nearly done with a sweater that I started last December. It is a jacket in garter stitch with some green yarn that BEL gave me for Christmas last year. For a long time, this project was stalled because the cast on is a really weird, but this weekend, on the car trip to Vermont I broke through. It is nearly done, but that does not mean that it might not sit unfinished for months.

I have wanted to knit wool slippers for Coniston and have been thinking about a Lopi yarn pattern for slippers. Tonight I browsed through my binder of sock patterns, found the Lopi pattern and off I go. I am obsessive so I will probably be knitting a few pairs of these over the next month or so. After all, guests at Coniston during the winter need their own pair of knitted slippers, n'est ce pas?

After that, I want to knit myself another Jaegar jacket and Judy has been making a pattern of a basket weave sweater that I want to use.

It is winter, and the projects are lining up.

World Series - rooting for the Phillies

Yes, I am a fickle fan. When the Red Sox were losing to the Rays, and it was really intolerable, out of frustration I said "That's it, I am going to be a Rays fan now." So last night watching the game, and rooting for the Phillies, Rod reminded me that I had declared myself a Rays fan. Not anymore, I said because they beat the Red Sox.

Growing up, all of my brothers were Red Sox fans, so being a rebel, I rooted for the Yankees. I did not even realize the extent of that choice. Now as a Red Sox fan and living in Red Sox Nation, I do.

So, I am rooting for the Phillies tonight because the Rays beat the Red Sox. Make sense?

Channel 1 - what is it?

Our friend Dave was at Coniston this summer for a week, and at the end of the week he dubbed our front windows, Channel 1. The name has stuck. We don't have a TV in Vermont so instead we watch our 3 front windows, or Channel 1. This morning, I got up at 7am fully intending to go back to bed, but the sun was about to rise, so instead, I watched that on Channel 1. It took about 30 minutes until I could actually see the sun, but the faint light behind Mount Mansfield, and then the orange, turning to REALLY orange and then the sun was unbelievable. I now understand what the prior owner meant about the sun rises over Mount Mansfield. It is pretty pathetic that I have not see the sun rise yet, except as a digital image on Rod's camera.

Channel 1 changes, and you cannot click to get the "show" that you want. I have been waiting since August for the deer to come back. The wild turkeys did not show up on Channel 1 but they did run around the back of the house for Rod's sisters when they were here, all 9 of them.

I know when we live here full time that we will have a TV, but for now we have Channel 1 and this is exactly what we need for our relaxation when we are up here.

The leaves are still turning, the summer folks have gone home, the full-timers are getting ready for winter and some where in between summer folks and full-timers is where we are; "Watching Channel 1"

Cobwebs

I have been thinking a lot about cobwebs lately. Why? Because there are a lot around. Coniston has a lot of cobwebs and coz we leave Lexington most weekends, the cobwebs there grow as well. The clincher for me though was the cobweb in the bathroom at church this morning. "I am not going to clean that one up too!" I said to myself as I sat there. (BTW, I did clean up the one which was a yard long connecting our ceiling fan to the ceiling after Rod pointed that one out!)

This reinforced my opinion about cleaning which is: Why bother, it is just going to get dirty again! I guess some could judge that I am not a very good housekeeper if there are so many cobwebs around.

Cobwebs are not only bad however. This summer at Coniston there was the most beautiful one on the outside of our round window, with dew on it. We turned just one light on and took some pictures of it, because it was so beautiful. Cobwebs also collect bugs for me, so I don't have to chase them around and catch them. They are kind of like bats who collect the mosquitos.

Someone this summer said cobwebs are the sign of a healthy house, so let's leave it at that, we have too very healthy houses and the church bathroom is pretty healthy too.

"Sisters Weekend"

Last weekend was Sisters weekend at Coniston. This idea came from Sara who gets together with her sisters and sisters-in-law regularly. This was our third time getting together and it was perfect. Of course, we missed those who could not be there for a variety of reasons.

What did we do? Talked, walked, feed each other, sat around in our PJs, rubbed each others feet, watched "channel 1", sat in "channel 1", admired rainbows, read the Sunday paper, biked to the Grand Isle ferry, fed the stove, got the stove started etc.

It really was a wonderful time and one that will be remembered. It was a great weekend to have before my business trip to California. Tomorrow I fly back to Burlington to spend another wonderful weekend at Coniston. It is Applefest at South Hero this weekend.

"Sisters" are pretty special.