Partially exhaling, and other sources of encouragement

The red wave turned out to be a pink ripple, though the election's not all done yet. Hope still springs eternal, with the best midterm turnout in decades. Some very good state measures protecting reproductive and voting rights, too. 

NJ district 7 is not called yet though the GOP candidate is claiming victory, no doubt ready to shout rigged if he loses. My own district 12 was an easy win for Coleman, a Good Person, despite the mysterious countywide failure of election machines.

On, while we wait for final results, meanwhile resuming at least shallow breathing, to nature and Freecycling.

I pulled a few butterfly bushes and put them on Freecycle

Then stood back as my in-box rained requests on me. They were gone in a couple of hours to a happy new home. 

I also got a long complaint that nobody should plant butterfly bushes because they're invasive. I thanked the writer but reserved my judgement. True they're prolific self seeders, but they support all kinds of insect and bird life, so I can't see it's a bad thing. 

And I made a new idea for hot breakfasts now the warm weather is receding. 

A lot of grated and chopped sweet and bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, capers, because I didn't have black olives, and bit of instant mash because I didn't have a raw potato, in a yeast batter. I used half and half masa harina and wholewheat flour, thanks Chris, still using the tortilla flour from you.

It was good hot from the pan for supper and toasted to hot for breakfast.

These might replace the fruit-stuffed pita that's been breakfast for a while. It's a kind of all purpose food.

There was a Textiles and Tea program yesterday, which I'm too wrung out over the elections to do justice to, but tomorrow is another day. 

Meanwhile

There's a lot to be happy about.

Happy day everyone, keep breathing till we secure our democracy! We got this.

Teddy bear's walkabout, fast food, Shaker stitch, eye capers

 Yesterday we had a visitor in town

Just down the street from me. I didn't see him though. It's the time of year when young black male bears are turfed out to find their own territory to breed in. 

They're usually only a year or two old, and they follow the waterways, some of which now run under large highways. This little guy was a few yards from a heavily traveled six lane highway, but appears to have got safely away.

Last night fast food, swift supper, was

spinach and broccoli pancake, nice way to enjoy vegetables.

And I embarked on the first sock of the next batch, largely to stay calmer. 

Showing both sides. Pretty much identical.

This is Shaker stitch, aka fisherman's rib, to be completed on straight needles, not having found a way of knitting this in the round, to be transferred to dpns when it's time to start the body of the sock.  

This is a stitch pattern which creates rib without purling, and I like the rhythm of it. I once long ago knitted my boyfriend a whole lovely sweater in this stitch. 

Today was taken up by the endless layers of the eyecare office, five to be exact, asking me to repeat yet again the info I'd sent in online and been acknowledged, then asking me to write a stack of pages of the same information, then asking me it all again to enter into their patient database. At that point I got very curt with the technician and pointed out she had all that in front of her on the clipboard, whereupon she glanced down, started copying it for herself.

Then the higher echelons came on, shoving dilation drops in my eyes, bunging me into and, collecting me from, another waiting room, then doing measurements for the lens implant, finally bunging me into yet another exam room to wait for the big chief. 

Who turned out to be very nice, rapid fire but clear and audible, agreed I needed the work, checked the previous tests, looked for himself, said we'd start with the right, worse, non-dominant eye,  bunged me back up front with a clipboard full of info, and told me he would call in eyedrops to start before surgery, and Michelle would call to schedule same at another location. Which is close to home and I've been there before.

Time elapsed three hours, or possibly days. Interestingly, the more senior the tech, the nicer.  

So that's part one done. Breathing heavily after all the stages and command's.

Phew. I can finally see again, dilation having subsided. As well as I can right now, anyway.

Photo AC.  Look at the light, try not to blink, keep looking, now the other eye, oh sorry, got carried away there. 

But do keep your little light shining for peace in Ukraine and justice at home.

And now it's time for Textiles and Tea. I'll let you know tomorrow how it goes.