...sometimes even a single feather is enough to fly. (Robert Maclean)

12.29.2015

mittens for reading in bed

I love to read in bed.
Heck, I just love to BE in bed.

And I'm a Goldilocks kind of gal.  
I like things to be just right.
Pillow just right under my neck.
Sheets and blankets tucked just right under my chin.

But above all else, it's about regulating temperature.
Maintaining homeostasis.
(Right?)

I think so, anyway.

Well, this time of year, 
I'm super out of luck in the ambient-reading-temperature department.
 
From May-September, 
I don't need any special reading accoutrements or accommodations.
But October-April is another story, since our bedroom can be on the chilly side.
(We're conservative with the heat, both for the planet and our purses...)

------------------

We typically have a bunch of layers over ourselves:
(flannel sheets, fleece blankets, goosedown comforter...
all topped with a heavy sheepskin pelt.)

That's nice for the bulk of the body that can be underneath,
but it doesn't help the poor little hands that are trying to hold a book out in the chilly air!
Brrrrrrrrrrr! 

  For awhile I would try to hold the book with my left hand 
and keep my right hand tucked inside
except for a quick dash out of the covers when I had to turn the page, 
but as you can imagine -- that wasn't that much fun. 

Luckily, Boo took pity on me and decided to make me some open-fingered reading mittens.

She's been a little knitting elf
with her double-pointed needles...

Voila!
Here they are, the striped beauties...
They're sooo soft and definitely help retain the heat! 
Just enough of my fingertips and thumbs exposed to handle the pages.
I tell you...
Reading mittens have changed my life!

Boo got the "recipe"from KnitPicks:  Line by Line Mittens to Gloves 
Of course, Boo ad-libs and knit-libs and improvises a little in everything she does.
So these are not exact to the pattern.

She got the yarn from KnitPicks, too.  They have great stuff.
She said she got the pattern for free for buying yarn.  
So there you have it.


Now I can get back to dreaming about the coast of Maine.
(well, the summertime coast of Maine, to be specific...)

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Now if only I could stay awake long enough to read more than a few pages...


12.26.2015

chicken boots!

Every chicken loving lady needs a pair of chicken boots.
Check out the Sloggers I got for Christmas!





 They are super comfy, and made in the USA.
And they seem very durable, with really good tread. 
You can rinse them right off if they get icky!
They even come with a half-size change insert so you can customize the fit.

Perfect for gardening, chicken chores,
or adding a smile to drudgery and errands.


I can hardly wait to show them to the chickens!
(They won't be able to peck holes in these like the do the neoprene on my Bog boots!)

If you want to treat yourself to a pair,
you can find them here.


12.25.2015

Merry Christmas 2015!


Merry Christmas!


 We're very grateful this Christmas to have our boy Huck still with us.
He is nearly 10 months post-surgery, and going strong...!
Full of spirit... he amazes me every day.

He has taught me so much...
about life,
about gratitude
and fortitude
and
about making the best of things.

He has never shown self-pity.
Not even once.
 
-------------------------

We had a scare a couple of weeks ago, when we thought we were going to lose him.
We feared the cancer had returned,
but it turned out to be an awful abscess in his right rear foot,
making it extremely difficult for him to walk.  

It was a serious infection, and he could have died.
Dogs can live with 3 legs, but not 2...




Luckily he's getting better every day.
We're so incredibly relieved...!
He's such a dear, dear boy.
And his sister Clara has been such a sweet angel,
waiting patiently in the background while his needs took precedence.  


 Oh, Clara...  assuming her usual position
(snug as a big giant bug on a rug, snoring away).

We might not have snow around here,
but thanks to our wonderful Great Pyrenees, we still had a "white" Christmas!
 This is "snow" left behind from a brushing session...!

 Some people spin it into yarn, so we might check that out.
I could spin the fur into yarn and Boo could get busy with her knitting needles.
We'd have enough for a sweater in no time flat!

Merry Christmas to all!


And to all a Good Night.