Productive Day

I started out knitting while listening to Morning Edition and Performance Today on public radio. Late morning, after I realized that the sun was out and we probably wouldn't get more showers, I went out to do some yard work. The north end of the house was somewhat shaded, so I pulled ground ivy from around the air conditioner and then started pruning the holly tree. I used hand pruners, long-handled pruners, and a pruning saw. I also used an aluminum and canvas camp chair because it's too hard to get up and down otherwise. I'd work until I got hot and sweaty, then sit on the back porch, drinking water and knitting. After I cooled off, I'd work some more. I got 14 or 15 inches of a scarf for the Seaman's Church Institute done that way. By mid-afternoon, at least half of the fenced area behind the house was in shade, so I went to the station and got gas for the mower. I mowed that area, as well as the areas around the burn barrel, around the shed, and between the shed and the parking area. After cooling off a bit following that, I realized it was time to come in and listen to All Things Considered and Marketplace. I have one of the patio chairs in the living room, so I can sit there when I'm sweaty and not get my couch stinky from it. I changed knitting projects when I came in. I'm working on a pie-are-square shawl with a lace pattern. I'm near the bottom and have over 600 stitches on the needle, so each row takes me about half an hour. About 500 of those stitches are in a lace pattern with a fourteen-stitch repeat, so I keep counting to fourteen over and over and over again.

Now it looks and sounds like we're going to get more showers!

Even though it's very early, I may get in bed - or rather on it, since I'm not using the air conditioner and therefore I don't need any covers - and read for a couple of hours.