A quick wish for the holidays and update on my knitting.
Today is Christmas Eve 2024, and the post is just a quick one. I’ll share what I’ve been doing today (cooking and knitting), and send wishes for Happy Holidays.
First, an update on my latest knitting project. The Birthday61 sweater, is moving along slowly. I knew it would be a long haul, but I am enjoying it. I’ve already begun on my second skein of yarn, and I’m still knitting the yoke. A little bit of knitting is happening today.
Progress on Birthday61
Food is mostly made for tomorrow’s small feast. Christmas Day is spent with my son. It is just the two of us, so we don’t go nuts. He has the day off, so he will make a ham. Probably cooked on one of his grills. I also made potatoes au gratin to be baked tomorrow. The vegetable will be my baked Seminole pumpkin. It’s all cooked and ready to eat. This was the only pumpkin I got from all my garden this summer. It tastes a lot like winter (butternut) squash.
Baking my garden pumpkin
Today at my home in Central Florida the weather is gloomy and cool. My cats have been sleeping indoors, which is unusual for Skittle. She likes to be outside, but she likes it warm!
Sleepy cats – Fontana and Skittle
We have lights up outside, but nothing for decorations inside! I’m just not in the mood to add more stuff to the house. My little fake tree is still in the shed, along with the few other holiday things I still have.
Whatever you are doing today and tomorrow, I hope it is enjoyable and peaceful. I miss the excitement of children, but I’m also happy for the low key way I celebrate.
I don’t write about Christmas these days, but have a few very old posts related to the holidays.
I had a great time visiting New Hampshire and seeing my kids. That small town feel never gets old.
It’s been three years since I’ve been able to visit my old home town. Actually, I only lived in New Hampshire for eleven years, but I call it home. I would love to still be living there.
Visiting Tenney Farm
A favorite farm, in the town of Antrim, where I first lived when I moved north, is Tenney Farm. The greenhouses were being filled with little seedlings of all kinds, and loads of gorgeous hanging baskets.
“Out own Stuff”
Ready for spring in New Hampshire!
Greenhouses
Picking out a hanging basket.
We were picking out a basket as a gift for someone, and it was so hard to choose from the wide, and gorgeous selection of flowers.
Nearly planting time.
Potted petunias in the greenhouse
I love, and miss, the small town feel of the area. I grew up in New England and miss the change of seasons. Spring is very welcome in the north, and much appreciated, after living through a long, cold winter. Unfortunately the Black Flies are out at this time of year, but they weren’t too bad yet..
Nature Inspiration
I’m staying with my daughter, and for the first few days we took walks in the woods behind her house. She does birding, so I tagged along for the fresh air. After we watched (from the house) a mama bear and two tiny, adorable cubs passing through the back woods, we stopped going for walks in the woods!
My daughter also volunteers and counts spotted salamanders with the Salamander Crossing Brigade. The volunteers go out on rainy nights and count the cool looking salamanders for science. Of course, my daughter dragged her old mum along for the fun! (Salamander photo in the slideshow below.)
Birch
Salamander crossing
Frankie loves the catnip plant!
A Trip to Harrisville to See the Yarn
I couldn’t be so close to Harrisville Designs and not visit! There was no room in my small suitcase for even one skein of yarn, but I loved viewing the shop. Will write another post about our outing on a beautiful Spring day AND the yarn I bought (ordered) once I got home!
Harrisville Designs Yarn Shop in Harrisville, New Hampshire
Picking Tulips in New Hampshire
I certainly miss living in a place where Spring is celebrated in a big way. After a long cold winter, the plants go nuts and grow like mad. Gorgeous yellow forsythia were everywhere. All the daffodils were open, and the tulips were coming along. Everything grows fast, like it knows time is limited before the warmth is gone once again.
In Hancock, a quaint little town in the southern part of the state, there is now a farm that grows tulips. We stopped to check it out on our way home from Harrisville. My daughter said that they ask you to make parking reservations at busy times. It was mid-week, and we figured, “How busy could it be?” Well, for a mid day, mid week visit, the field (parking lot) was full of cars, the road was full of people, and the tulip field was hopping! We were stunned at the turn out. Wolf Pine Hollow Farm at tulip time is apparently a big deal.
L takes photos
Tractor on the hill
Tent where you pay, and port-a-potties (far right)
Old truck
Things to know before you visit:
Parking is in a grassy (and possibly muddy) field.
There is strenuous walking involved – from the field, up the road, up a hill, and through the tulip area. (We saw a parking area next to the tulip field and it looked like those with difficulty walking could park there – call first.)
Pick your choice of tulips and pay $2.50 for each stem at a tent area at the field.
Way back beyond the tent are port-a-potties if you need them.
If you want ice cream, plan to wait, and wait, and wait. Our two tiny ice cream cones cost $11.50 and the girl admitted she didn’t know how to make change!
As is true in many small towns, the talk gets around. I heard stories about this place from the locals. Let’s just say that New Englanders like their small, quiet places and greatly resist most attempts to change things. A search reveals that the Farm is now up for sale. If you are a multi-millionaire you may be interested.
Time to Go Back South
After two weeks of visiting with my kids and enjoying the beauty of New Hampshire, I was heading back to heat and humidity. During my stay I reconnected with some old friends at my high school class reunion! Met up with my Aunt and cousin, whom I hadn’t seen for ages, and learned to play poker at my son’s house.
Leaving Manchester, NH
When I boarded the plane, I took with me some scrapes and bruises from falling off an e-bike (twice – I’m a klutz), and a tick bite on my back, but I was, as always, very sad to leave.
How to easily isolate an image from iPhone photos.
So, I’m knitting the Brodgar poncho and took some photos of my progress.
As I was scrolling through the photos on my iPhone something happened.
My photo began to light up with an outline moving around the subject (my knitting) in the photo.
Original photo
I chose the “Share” option from the pop up, and sure enough the isolated image came up in my Air Drop. That moving line took out the background and gave me only the knitting part of the photo – isolating the subject.
Photo with original background replaced!
Lightly touch the photo and the glowing, moving line will appear. Choose a photo with an obvious subject. It’s magic!
I don’t know if this was part of a recent Apple update or if I’ve had this ability all along, but it’s pretty cool and I’ve never seen it before.
Just for fun, I took the poncho knitting image and added a new background using Pixelmator.
This opens up some great possibilities for my graphic design work.
I’m a tech imbecile, so this might be old news for many. For me, it was a crazy way to begin my day. I wanted to play with it some more, but had to get to work.
Top of post: Starfish on the beach phone case is available to Buy Here.
On a recent morning my i-phone said it was 42 degrees, I dug out my hand-knit woolies and went outside to feed the birds! It was the perfect time to get some “real life” photos of me wearing a sweater, hat and mittens!
This is a cold temperature for Florida, but it’s been worse. I’ve lived (off and on) in Central Florida since 1979. I’ve seen freezes, rolling blackouts, and ice on trees when sprinklers are left on. Forty-two degrees is not exactly freezing, but I loved that I could dress up and pretend!
I remember how long winter months can be from my time living in New Hampshire. For all of you who live in the really cold winter climates, remember that Spring – and green – is right around the corner.
New England's Narrow Road 