2026-14

What happened in May…

In the Garden –

More roses blooming early in the month.

Last year we had so much exterior work on the house (roof, painting, window repair, tuck pointing) that we never put in any kind of garden. But by the end of May, I had planted seven tomato plants, some basil, and some colorful marigolds, zinnias, scabiosa, and sea thrift. There are still many weeds to pull, but there will always be many weeds to pull…

Knitting –

I sewed the buttons on my Zephyr Cardigan.

Zephyr Cardigan, pattern by Celia McAdam Cahill, Knit Picks Wool of the Andes yarn

I started the knitting of Frog and Toad, but then had to take a break, as the tiny needles hurt my thumb joint.

Frog and Toad, in progress, Knit Picks Swish DK yarn

I made progress on socks and a market bag.

Ilene Bag by Hannah Mason, Lang Linello yarn

New yarn – I indulged in a colorful rainbow of mini skeins on a day I needed some cheering up. I also won a skein of sock yarn in the guild raffle. Not sure what either of these will be, but right now, I enjoy just looking at my yarn rainbow.

Reading –

I finished ten books in May. Three were in the Jane Austen adjacent category. In particular, Jane Austen’s Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney, is a look at other women authors Jane Austen would have been reading in her lifetime, writers who inspired her, and who she refers to in her own writings and letters. These authors have mostly ‘disappeared’ from the literature canon, mainly because they were women. My ‘to be read’ list is now much longer, and I look forward to reading many of the authors described in this book! That may be my project for next year. I love having very long list of books waiting for me!

A Visit to Eugene, May 3rd –

A day with family while our son Brian was on the west coast, visiting from Philadelphia.

Art, but on Ice, May 24th –

Once again, no art museum visit this month. But we attended the Stars on Ice show in Portland, a showcase of Olympic figure skaters. It’s been a while since I have attended a live event, though I do like to watch competitions. This year, I was enchanted by the skill and performances at the Olympics, especially seeing the mutual support of the athletes for each other. With just the right amount of sequins, music, spins, and backflips. What must it be like to have their gravity- and friction-defying motion in their muscle memory! (I took just a few photos – which are blurry because they move so fast!)