Knit for calm, and stresses.

This was yesterday's output as I listened to an Agatha Christie espionage audiobook 

Glove one of the current pair for the knitting ministry.

And at this age when you get a call from someone you haven't been in touch with for years, you know ahead of time it's because yet another old friend has gone. Yesterday about noon I got the call. I let it go to voicemail, not feeling strong enough for a conversation.

Turned out H, from the embroiderers' guild, had died a month ago, they'd forgotten to let me know -- no local notices because she'd moved away -- but there was a memorial service in two hours' time, could I make it.  

I also received an email asking if I had any pictures from when I ran the embroiderers' guild blog, to send. So I picked this holiday party pic I'd taken in 2013, with the person front and center, wearing blue.

If the recipient could print it out and add it to the display, I thought people might enjoy picking out friends, and themselves, from a while ago, since the event was about memories. I don't do events like this memorial in person, especially in flu season, but I did my bit. And the members tend to stay many years, so I expect those who made it to the event will have been in the picture.

Tomorrow I see the orthopedic doctor, and handsome Son is kindly driving me, for which I'm thankful. He had to rearrange his week, which meant his manager had to reorganize the shift schedule, which meant that someone else had to accommodate the change, too, quite an upheaval, for which I sent my thanks.  I'm very nervous about this appointment and needed some support.

The Miss Austen TV miniseries was so good, sad, but so well acted, all the stresses of women forced into dependency shown and dealt with. The main characters, particularly Isabella and her sisters, were brilliantly acted. It's definitely a must see. Women trying to make a life from meager resources and opportunities, despite their great talents. It's all so familiar.

Yesterday's cute winter boots: I messaged my senators and Rep asking them to run online Town Halls instead of attending the SOTU (State of the Union, official address by current president to full Congress and supreme court justices). 

There's disagreement about this idea, but I think it's better not to give the dictator an audience.  The tradition is to run the event live on all broadcast media, no need for my elected officials to be seen there, too, by the watching public. 

Happy day everyone. I'm trying to find good ideas and thoughts, but today's a struggle. Especially since the USPS tracker claims my vital rx was delivered to my step yesterday. It's not there, nor in the mailbox. Nor on the steps right and left of mine. I wonder if it's been left on the wrong step. I've screenshot the tracker report and I guess I'll ask tomorrow at the po.  

Pancakes and Misfits, The Saga Continues

Handsome Son was planning a visit anyway yesterday, so I seized the day and made us pancakes. Served with choice of honey, lemon juice and sugar. 

We demolished a stack. With copious amounts of tea. He had forgotten about pancakes so he really enjoyed them. And we had a great visit, he strongly encouraging me to stay away from violent images in social media about the Putin invasion. 

He's very aware of the PTSD this awakens in a person who was a child in Europe in ww2, and an adult in Europe, living in the twenty minute nuclear warning zone during the Cuban missile crisis. And a person who had to take to her bed when Bush the Second launched the attack on Iraq, after catching a glimpse of the rockets launched onto civilians.

He's encouraging about the Sock Ministry, as an antidote, all in all, helpful. 

Shortly after he left, a thump on the front steps, and the long lost Misfits box appeared. The one that, after sending delay update after delay update, FedEx finally swore up and down they'd already delivered last Friday.

It bore the signs of a box which had been sitting on a loading bay for days, freezer block completely thawed

Salad produce, some fruit,  rotten or dried out and yellow. 

The pantry items and sturdier vegetables were fine, fortunately, the weather had been cold, so it was not a total loss.

 I informed Misfits, guessing that the fire they lit under the shipper had triggered a search and finally a delivery. Up to them now what they do about the already processed refund. My friend Mason will no doubt let me know.

Meanwhile, the good thing was that I was still in the window to edit the new box I'd ordered, to remove duplicates, reducing it to a small box, barely above the minimum required.

This has been an exciting week.. but we still got our unboxing. And another on Friday, all being well.

Now I can make the planned carrot cashew and butternut soup, and celery and potato soup, and roast the Brussels sprouts, and generally resume the regularly scheduled program.

To be fair, this was the shipper's fault, not Misfits, and the first real problem in nearly two years of biweekly deliveries.  one bad experience  in about 42 boxes. Upsetting at the time, but not a regular feature.

Clearly having food in the house has improved my mood, funny how that works.

Still heavy news from Ukraine, cities attacked. War crimes.

Knit on, pray on, donate on, friends. Thankful the US has a real President now, and strong trustworthy women in power. 

Historic pictures from the State of the Union address, first day of women's history month, first ever female Speaker and WOC  Vice President flanking the President. Two out of three. Getting there. Finally.