September: The lost month

September is a month I'd sort of like to forget. 

It started out fine.  My son started school, and it sort of went downhill from there, for me. 

Actually, I can't lay the blame on the school, but that is where the fresh and new crop of germs was laying in wait.

I don't remember exactly which day it was I started feeling ill.  The first full week of September, maybe.  I caught a virus and that laid me out for well over a week. I was diagnosed with viral pharyngitis. My lymph nodes were swollen. My whole body hurt. Half my face swelled up. Then I started feeling a bit better, and was quickly knocked down by the flu. 

By that time, illness hit the entire household.  My son started with a sudden rash and the cold turned into pink eye. My husband caught the flu and he was pretty miserable.

Meanwhile, the last of the nice summer weather drifted past me as I was laid out on the couch, wishing the pain would go away. 

The fall colors have started. 

Currently the weather has been wet.  It started storming last night and I think most of the day.  The rivers are rising and roads in my county are closed, due to washout. 

A few things I learned this month: It's okay to let the housework go when you feel like you are at death's door.  (Okay that may be a slight exaggeration, but this is the longest I've ever been sick.) 

Also, it is entirely possible for me to sit and watch tv without having any knitting in my hands. I have done almost no knitting this month. It wasn't until this past weekend that I felt like picking the needles up. 

I also learned that it is entirely possible to live off of peanut butter and butter sandwiches. I know that may sound awful, but it was the one of the very few things I could eat and keep down. It's everything a body needs: Proteins, fat and fiber. The other thing I was living off of was chicken soup.

All the plans and ideas I had for September had to be let go.  I even missed bow opener for deer season. Yesterday was my first day sitting out and I was so worried I was going to have a setback. 

Nothing came to my deer blind.  *sigh* I take that back.  A lot of birds and one really noisy blue jay came and kept me company. 

Well, here's to a new month and a fresh start. 

Episode 10 - Welcome back

Welcome back! Thanks for visiting with me today. Grab your favorite drink and come sit a spell. 

I recorded this podcast at the beginning of the month.  Then I got hit by a virus, followed by what I'm assuming is the flu.  My apologies for not posting this sooner. 

Finished objects

I wrapped up a pair of vanilla socks. 

Project: Vanilla socks
Pattern: My own
Started: July 10, 2019, or so.
Needle size: U.S. 1, 2.5 mm, circular needles
Yarn: Knit Picks Felici 
Colorway: Surf's up, Mostly blues with a stripe of purple

Notes: I made these socks a bit different.  I followed the pattern and it wasn't the correct way.  All the decreases are on top of the foot, instead of the usual on the side.  However, the socks fit really nice this way.  Did I unvent something?  

Pattern: Easy half circle shawl from LionBrand.com
Started: I don't know. 
Finished: Can't recall. 
Needle size: U.S. size 8, 5 mm
Yarn: Lionbrand Shawl in a ball
Colorway: Windchime

WIPs
Pattern: Nanner socks by Wendyknits
Started:  Let's say ... Aug. 31, 2019
Finished:
Needle size: U.S. 1, 2.5mm
Yarn: Knit Picks bare yarn I dyed bright yellow

Pattern: Lia sweater pattern from Knitty.com
Started: Let's say ... Aug. 25, 2019
Finished:
Needle size: U.S. 11, 8 mm
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Superwash bulky
Colorway: Garnet Heather

Spinning
Currently working on some superwash wool for socks. I have plans to spin up a bunch of fiber for a sweater during "Spin Together" set for October. 

Book Chat
Started reading "Gaudy Night" by Dorothy Sayers. 

Coffee talk


I have figured out a way to load audio only so those who want to listen on the go can now do so. The RSS feed is slowly aggregating to the different podcatchers.  I admit, I don't know the first thing about this side of podcasting.  The hosting page is here: https://anchor.fm/amniconstudio.  The RSS feed is https://anchor.fm/s/69e4f5c/podcast/rss I don't know if I have to submit it to the Itunes store, or if it will eventually make it over there. 

The changing season

School started at the beginning of the month.  My little man is now a high schooler. I still remember his very first day of school and how he was so excited to go get on the bus.  He barely said good bye to me. 

Last week I caught a nasty virus and was down for the count for the majority of the week.  When I didn't have to be up and doing something, I was in bed resting and sleeping. Naturally I got sick when I was going up against a publishing week. I'm so thankful for the ability to work at home.

The leaves started changing color and dropping. 

The colors started changing near the beginning of the month. One of my friends commented how it seemed my area was starting early.  It got so chilly that I broke down and got the wood stove going. 

What else has been going on since I last wrote?  

Well ... 

We butchered the turkey.  I know, it's much earlier than usual.  It was decided that we didn't want to try butchering a monster-sized turkey in potential sub-zero temps this year. 

All the roosters were butchered as well.  Butchering was broken into two weekends. Both times it went pretty fast.

More baby buns were born.  

These guys are almost ready for their new homes. 

Meanwhile, Loki is tending to her most recent brood. She is such a good mom. 

Shadow had a litter a few days ago.  A "bonus" litter, if you will.  I suspected she might be pregnant.  She gave birth sooner than I expected. I don't have any pictures of them.  I'm hoping this is the last of the babies until next spring, or so. I've been keeping everyone separated. However, when I let Shadow loose in the coop, she runs around to the hutch Thor is in, and acts like a lovesick teenager.  When I let Thor stretch his legs he runs around the coop, peeing on everything. 

I've been preserving stuff from the garden.  This year I decided to freeze most everything, rather than trying to can.

I've been making tomato sauce and blanching broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. Most everything else has been eating almost as soon as it is ready. 

We have a small addition to the farm yard. Meet K2. 

This pretty boy was sold earlier this spring.  The family he went to can't have roosters.  They contacted us and we took him back.  He's got such a great personality and he was used to being babied by people.  He also has great roo-ing instincts.  So, we decided to keep him.  Since he looks just like his daddy we decided to name him K2. 

Bow deer season was last weekend. Unfortunately I was still feeling too cruddy to go out. My husband has gone out a few times after work, but the timing hasn't been right.  The deer changed their routines a bit. 

I did a bit of crafting earlier this month.  Gosh, I can't believe the month is two-thirds done already. I did next to nothing this last week and very little this week. 

On that note, I have some news.  I did record a podcast episode. Then I caught that rotten virus and didn't have the opportunity to load the video or write show notes. I'm hoping to release it sometime this weekend, depending on homestead chores and what not this weekend.