Three beautiful things from my past week, now part of Carole‘s Three on Thursday roundup:
1. My brother was able to join Rudi and my parents and me from California this Thanksgiving, which felt like a gift. (We missed his partner, Matt, but you can’t be greedy.) And I’m glad he got to spend a few extra days with my folks.
2. There was the most beautiful sunset tonight visible from my parents’ front windows. I’m going to miss their westward facing views when they decide to leave this place.
3. The surest way to feel awful on the internet is to read the comments section, which is generally filled with questionable posts. The people who comment here, however, are lovely, and I was encouraged by reading The Yarn Harlot’s most recent post and all the kind, generous, understanding things people said to her.
How about you? What’s been beautiful in your world lately?
No photo today, but I’ve got several things with me in Connecticut for the holiday weekend. The pumpkin socks did not get finished, but I think I can wrap them up while watching the parade in the morning if I don’t doze off too many times. I also brought my purple and green shawl, which just needs the edging applied. And I brought a skein of yarn for socks and one for a hat, depending on what I feel like starting next. I have a skein of yarn for a hat somewhere at home that I remember buying at Sheep & Wool two (three?) years ago that I really want to knit, but I’ve torn apart the stash twice hunting for it without success.
On the reading front, I brought three books north with me: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, The Unbreakable Code, and A Most Extraordinary Pursuit, so I’m set whether I want middle grade, YA, or an adult mystery.
Head over to Kat’s blog to see what else folks are reading and knitting.
Because I’ve been up all night cleaning and packing and because we need to hit the road shortly for our drive to Connecticut, I’m going to give you tomorrow’s song today:
I’ve shared this before, but my dad likes to play Arlo Guthrie’s “Alice’s Restaurant” every year and feels the day isn’t complete without it. When we were younger, my brother and I had other ideas about that. When we were very small, clearly we just had to put up with it. But as we got older, we’d head into our own rooms and put on “better” music. So Dad responded by making a cassette version and playing it in the car on the way home from Thanksgiving supper. We stole the tape so he couldn’t do it the next year. He made a new tape. We hid that one, too.
But, ultimately, it was never about a song, even one that lasts 20 minutes, but it was about being a part of a movement. And we are, because now it’s not Thanksgiving for me either without hearing it.
So, wait for it to come around on the guitar and then sing along loudly — and with feeling — when it does:
You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant.
You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant.
Walk right in; it’s around the back —
Just a half a mile from the railroad track.
You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant.
I just woke up from dozing off while working on a book review post, which is a sign I should close the laptop, brush my teeth, and go to bed, particularly since I’m still carrying around this lingering cough.
So I’ll share some photos I took Sunday while out for a bike ride. Some trees have totally dropped their leaves, but others have donned their best party attire for the upcoming holiday:
The majority of trees in this area turn yellow and orange. (I suppose the majority of trees everywhere do that.) But since I grew up in New England, I expect a certain amount of mapley red and usually am disappointed down here. Right now, the Japanese maples are out in full force, but mostly their red is a deeper, more purpley one and less fiery than the sugar maples of home.
So when I come across a solidly mapley maple (or, as in this case, a Japanese maple doing its best sugar maple impression), I just have to snap a picture, right?
There are nine books to write about for June, so I’m going with the easier option of a Coffeeneuring ride, especially since Rudi posted those photos for me.
If you’re going to talk about the revitalization of D.C.’s branch libraries, it’s impossible to have that discussion without highlighting the one in the Shaw neighborhood. This happens to be my current secondary library branch, the one I’m most easily able to get to on my way home from work. (more…)
