Chicken Casualty

The granddog's favorite toy...not Steve's Lava Chicken...

was a bit of a casualty for the kids' summer visit this year, but I suppose worse things have happened to chickens. 

Still, it's a bit confusing when you're a dog. 

At least all of the cousins had a great time, and no limbs were lost at Aunt Jess and Uncle Aaron's annual sleepover.

To celebrate all the good times, after helping Sweetie give the whole house a good clean on Monday, 

I took a trip to Cedar Point and got this shot of Siren's Curse in a nearly full tilt as Top Thrill 2's train launched backwards next door! Took this while waiting in line for a night ride on the newest coaster, which was great! 

Then the cleaning resumed with a visit from our friends at Stanley Steemer, who did a great job on the carpets,

which gave me some time to work on my sweater. I've divided for the sleeves on this Neretina by Kirsten-Michele, and I'm pretty stoked about how it's turning out! 

And, though I was thinking I might get another CP trip in last night, we went walking at Sandy Ridge instead. I was rewarded by this lovely shot of dreamy, purple wild bergamot in the hazy glow of the setting sun. 

All-in-all, a good, low-key week, but I'm tired! How has your week been? 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Upside-Down and Inside-Out

Remember this fun project, started in Michigan with an 8-year-old? I worked on it with her in the beginning, 

but over time, she lost interest in the actual stitching...lol! She is young and full of energy! Who can sit still to hand stitch squares in 2024?...

Then hand quilt in 2025? Apparently, that's a job for Pretty, and here's the back of the quilt to prove it!

That little upside-down shot shows that the lines aren't perfectly straight, and I maybe should have taken the time to do one more row of stitches around the perimeter...but it was bound before the end of last weekend's visit, so that's a yay!

Still, I wanted to secure the binding with a little decorative stitching, so I brought it home to do that...

And this Pretty Knitty (and granddaughter) quilt will be reunited with that 10-year-old this summer, when they come to visit ME! 

How will I pass the time until that glorious day? Probably a little inside-out sock knitting! 

I've found it's the best way to control my tension on colorwork socks, and I'm looking forward to getting this pair on my feet soon! (Upside-down and inside-out can be good things, depending on your perspective, but I hope most of your days are more sunny-side up, in general.) I'm sure there will be a reveal in next week's post, so be sure to come back and check it out! 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health! 

Like a Bird on the Wing?

Like a bird on the ... wait ... 

No wings for this guy yet. Lolz...seems appropriate for a day that we're going to visit prison. Unlike my brother-in-law, though, this bird will get his wings this afternoon. In fact, a few of his feathers are already finished.

For anyone who might wonder, visiting someone in prison is hard. Pre-Covid, we visited about once a month, and it was difficult, but we had it down to a routine. These days, our visits are far less regular...and the motivation to schedule each visit is scarce. Still, since we are generally his only visitors and contact with the wider world, we are trying.

Unlike the depictions I've seen on TV and in the movies, we can't take in photos, books, gifts or anything to share with him, not even a stick of gum or a slip of paper. We enter the facility, obtain our badges and lock up our belongings before we walk to the building where visits take place. Just the clothes on our backs and a government issued ID are all we may have with us. 

And a credit card for the vending machines. Who wouldn't love to share a meal with loved ones from a vending machine? Well, our inmate appreciated his microwaved, frozen chicken sandwich, Nacho Cheese Doritos chips, Payday candy bar and Dr Pepper today, and we are glad for that.

We are allowed one hug of greeting, and one at departure, visiting seated on molded plastic lawn chairs on opposite sides of a small table between hugs. This morning, we had much to catch up about, since it has been 8 months since our last visit. Family news, job news (his and ours), newsy news...our time together drags between topics and races through the words that make us laugh or want to cry. It's awkward every time.

When the visit is over, we walk back to the entrance/screening building and collect our things for the drive home. We are both spent, and I may or may not have taken a three hour nap this afternoon. But I've gotta get back to those wings! 

Like a bird on the wing is the soul that follows Jesus...or so I've often thought it should be. His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:28). But life is still hard in many circumstances. 

When I keep following Him, I get through the difficult things just fine. So I'll get by on a wing and a prayer (and maybe a bit of meditative knitting) when life gets complicated. I hope that you will do the same, no matter what life throws your way. 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Kansas, Part I

Even if one starts the week with knitting and quiet reflection, 

(Test knit. I'll link on my Rav page when I can.) 

 
One can't always foresee a change of direction. 

(Flying from CLE to Granddaughter Central.)

JK, we knew there was travel, but nearly missed our connection! 

("Kansas, she said, is the name of her star...")

Still, travel knitting adds to my handknit sock collection! 

And now we can say that we have visited these lovelies in their new home...

...and their parents...and their new puppy!

It's been a whirlwind (IYKYK) and we are having fun, but there's not a lot of time for blogging. Luckily, there are quiet morning moments for knitting, and since Andi asked for a knitting refresher, I have set her up with some practice...

By the way, the kids are doing ".5 photos" now, and I'm conflicted. These photos are great to show a whole room...

But not super-flattering to the nose and forehead! Oh, Alleigh-girl!

Hahahahaha 🤣 🤣 🤣! 

I hope you're having fun in these last throes of summer. These girls go back to school next Friday (!), and I hope they don't grow too much before we see them in person again! Be watching for a photo dump next week...I just can't help myself. 

(Sun catchers to paint! All the crafts!)

Until then, thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health! 

Visiting Prison

Prison. I go there about once a month to visit.

Some of you know that, and some of you have asked, "What's that like?" Since today was a visit day and a blog day, I took a few photos and tried to deliberately think through the experience so I could share it with you.

Pulling into the long drive, there are trees, and lots of grass. From this distance you can barely see the barbed wire. We could be driving up to any institution.

Then, just like anywhere, we park some distance away from the doors. Something that strikes me every time I get out of the car is Old Glory waving up there...the symbol of freedom in this country, flying high, right outside the doors. Outside.

Walk a little closer, and you see two things off to the left. The high fence with razor wire at the top, and a Little Free Library. Children visit their daddies, and grand-dads and brothers here, and this blue and white piece of the outside provides books to read during their visit.

This is the end of the line for the pictures. I suppose I could take photos of where I take a number and walk through the metal detector...but once inside, everything goes into a locker except my ID and a money card we use to purchase snacks and coffee during the visit. No phones, no paper, no food or drink, no knitting...

So, we show our IDs, get a fluorescent stamp on one hand, and remember to declare my hip replacement. Once we have a visitor slip, off we go to the metal detector. Sweetie sometimes has to remove his belt or shoes, if they have metal on them. I try not to wear any metal, but it does not matter. Titanium hip, baby. After I set off all the beeps, I step around to be "wanded" by the guard, who pays special attention to that left hip. (Once or twice I've gotten a "pat down gently with the back of my hand," but it does not typically come to that.) 

Next, after being buzzed through two secure doors, we walk across a sizeable courtyard to another building. The room is good-sized and brightly lit, with hard floors and large windows on two sides. There are a few picnic tables outside. Inside is a collection of small, clear plastic tables (about 2' high, and 2' square); hard, white, plastic lawn chairs; and vending machines. It is not what I would call a comfortable room, and today it was not air conditioned. Bummer.

Still, this is not small, private or dark, like you might see in a movie. Inmates are not shackled. It is an open room, and several inmates and visitors move about and sit to visit. We know the procedure, show ID and hand stamp to the guard, and once assigned to a table, wait. It can take 20 or 30 minutes for our inmate to appear.

At the beginning and end of the visits, inmates are allowed to hug visitors. He almost always says, "I wish I could bottle hugs!" For the rest of the visit, we sit across the tiny, clear table and talk. We never talk about why we are here. So far, he has not wanted to talk about that, and we have respected his wishes. He holds all the cards on that conversation. We hold the money card, and I get him a soda and a sandwich. 

Today we talk about books that he has read, politics, the weather, food, family, trucks and Ravelry. Yeah, something is happening in my knitting-verse that has made it onto talk radio and into prison conversation. While I shared with him what I know (which is not very much), he looked at me in astonishment, and said something like, "Really?!? I thought it was all made up...like a joke or something!" No, no. Real. Knitters can be pretty controversial. Look up...nevermind. Family blog. Suffice it to say that even knitting can get ugly.

To leave, we reverse the process: show the ID and the hand stamp, walk through the courtyard to a third building to show the ID, walk back to the main building to show the ID and the hand stamp, collect our things from the locker, and step outside into freedom once again. It is good to be free. 

So, that is basically what a prison visit looks like for us. Is it what you saw in your mind's eye? It really never looks like what I once thought it would...but after 3 years of visits, I am getting used to it. 

Still have questions? Drop a comment. I will answer what I can, but remember that my experience is limited. 

Have any of you been on a prison visit? If yes, I would be interested to hear what you thought of the whole thing. 

Now, friends, I have been away from my knitting all day! So thanks for stopping by, and may you all Knit in Good Health!

The More Things Change...

As I think back to when our own kids were small like this,

I remember that my Sweetie has always been a kid magnet. Even as Dad, our kids (and many of their friends) climbed all over him, just like this.

In fact, as they grew, the neighbor kids would often come to the door in the evenings to ask me, "Can your dad come out to play?" If he was home, his answer was usually yes, and each time I see him with these girls,

I am transported back to another place and time...but the here and now isn't too bad either. I mean, it is pretty cool to be Gramma to his Pop Pop, and I really cannot imagine doing this phase of my life any differently. I mean, look at these happy faces.

They are smiling at not just Pop Pop (although he does edge me out as their clear favorite for the outdoor activities)...they are smiling at US! Gramma and Pop Pop are a team, even though Gramma is the one taking the pictures (which means she's not usually in the pictures)!

I guess it just goes to show that the more things change, the more they stay the same. He is the rough and tumble one, I am the sit and read. He is the champion hide-and-seeker, I am the let's-make-something type. Thankfully, in this stage of our lives. we are both pretty snuggle-y!

This is a belated post, with photos from a couple weekends past, but the message doesn't change. Since we've been home again, he has been taking care of things around the house to be ready for winter, and I've been starting on the preparation for Christmas knitting and yummy-treat-making. It really is true, over and over again...the more things change, the more they do stay the same.

Whatever your plans are today, I hope that you are celebrating old traditions and creating new memories. Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Covert Ops...

So, in the last post, I mentioned a little visit. You know that I usually don't mention visits until they are done...the visiting is usually so intense that I blog in advance actually! This visit was as intense and wonderful as ever, and we enjoyed our time with Mindy and the girls immensely! There were walks to the park,

with lots of time on the swings,

and the monkey bars and monkey everything, because they like to climb and run and play!

There were walks (rides in the wagon) in our neighborhood,

walks at the zoo,

running at the zoo,

and feeding of the animals!

Peanut playtime with Pop Pop, 

Sweet Pea playtime with Pop Pop,

and so many wonderful hugs,

but I was not at liberty to say! It just about killed me! Especially when we took Peanut to her first year of Vacation Bible School, and her picture showed up on the church's FB page! lol!

Photo by Tyler Wick, who took GREAT photos all week!

But I kept the secret! Even when toddler eyes were begging me to post the cuteness to the internet!

Why was I under a gag order?, you ask. Well, Mindy and Peanut and Sweet Pea had snuck into town for a surprise birthday party for Mindy's mom! What a fun reason to keep a secret, and the party was a success...super-yay! Happy Birthday (a little late) Sue! I'm sorry I couldn't tell you they were here!

So, in the end, everyone had a wonderful time, and the girls now have new sweaters for when fall arrives. A red one for Peanut, 

and a purple sweater for Sweet Pea!

Now, there are several friends on my list who still don't have sweaters for fall, so I must stop blogging and get after it! I hope that you are enjoying the summer, and that all your stitches and swatches are behaving themselves. This is a short season in my neck of the woods, so I want to take advantage of the slightly slower pace and lovely weather while I can!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!