Summer Head Cold

I have one of those annoying summer colds today.  Or, as Tolkien put it in the Hobbit, "I hab a head code."
Thankfully, I am not too sick to knit and listen to literature.  I was listening to Shakespeare's sonnets and wanted to share one.  I want my love for God to be this passionate:

Being your slave, what should I do but tend
Upon the hours and times of your desire?
I have no precious time at all to spend,
Nor services to do, till you require.
Nor dare I chide the world-without-end hour
Whilst I, my sovereign, watch the clock for you,
Nor think the bitterness of absence sour
When you have bid your servant once adieu;
Nor dare I question with my jealous thought
Where you may be, or your affairs suppose,
But, like a sad slave, stay and think of nought
Save, where you are how happy you make those.
   So true a fool is love that in your will,
   Though you do any thing, he thinks no ill. 

Isn't that awesome? It's #57.

I found my new favorite sock pattern this week.  It's called Skew and it's FREE on Knitty.com.  When I complete my first pair, I will borrow a camera and show you.  They are super-cool!!!

Lil' Green Peppers

I have read in gardening books that peppers planted in very nitrogen-rich soil will produce fabulous greenery but less-than-fabulous peppers.  I think my peppers illustrate this theory.  Mind you, these aren't chilies, they are meant to be green peppers:

A Photo of My Mini Peppers for My Friend Sam

I just finished reading "The Remains of the Day" which I really enjoyed.  Just because I was seen crying off-and-on immediately following the completion of the book doesn't mean I didn't like it!

I started listening to "The Scarlet Pimpernel" this week.  Despite this being my sister, Cathy's favorite book I have neither read it nor seen the movie.  I am a few chapters in and am resisting the temptation to call my sister and ask, "When is it going to get good?"  Some people react badly to their favorite books being criticized.  I am one of those people.  Better read more before calling.  I have, no doubt been distracted by my knitting!

Playing in the Rain

This morning, I dressed for my daily walk (that I don't really take EVERY day), ran out to take the trash to the alley (moments before the garbage truck drove by) and found that it was raining.  Bummer.  I was tempted to pull weeds, though, the harvest calling to me from the other side of a 4-foot high jungle.  So instead of walking, I weeded in the rain and enjoyed myself thoroughly!  It was also fun to brag at lunch time that several items in my salad were from my garden!
Today, while listening to Pride and Prejudice for the millionth time, I finished a pretty little pair of socks:

Nutkin Socks in Paca Peds H&T in Colorway Deep Sea

I won't bother mentioning yesterday's earthquake as it has been fully canvassed elsewhere by just about everyone.  I am pleasantly surprised by the solidness of my house; we didn't feel a thing.  Kinda wish we'd felt a little something so we could have joined in all the hoopla!

Knitting to the Count of Monte Cristo

Hello!  I am listening to the Count of Monte Cristo right now while knitting a pair of socks with the yarn that my daughter, Rebekah dyed with me.  She designed the stripes and colors and I am knitting the Jaywalker pattern for her.  I am coming to the end of the book and the end of the second sock, enjoying both, although the book is dark and tragic and the sock is bright and cheerful.

I am really hoping that Maximilian finds out the truth about Valentine before he does himself harm.  Why doesn't Dantes tell him???

Garden Madness

After having been on vacation for ten days and afterward having been busy catching up on things (and by "things" I don't really mean anything important like going through mail or cleaning the house or preparing for back-to-school), my garden has been quite neglected.  Seriously neglected.  It's unreal how high the weeds can get in just a few weeks!  All of you gardeners out there have had the experience, I am sure, of going out to the garden to find freakishly out-sized veg:

Just a few of my extra-large veg

The flavor of the fresh tomato on my tuna fish sandwich this afternoon... Mmmmm!   It was something to blog about!

Vacation

Hello, all!  Hope your summer is going well!
3 of my children and I were able to have a vacation with my sister last month.  First we were in the D.C. area for a week and then we went to Ocean City for a few days.  It was such a blessing!

Being Crazy on Vacation

This month, I've been dyeing some more yarn, doing more puzzles, and knitting some socks.

Desert Stripe Sock with my Hand-Dyed Yarn

I've been going to daily mass more regularly again and am so glad!  

Getting ready for back to school.  Not sure how I feel about that!