Of tree-climbing and realizing one's age...

Hawai'i was so great, anywhere you point your camera is a great shot :) This was a roadside view I photographed while we were moving! We were driving to the airport and I took pics all along the side of the road...I think in desperation because I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE. Most of those pics turned out great, I only had to toss about 5 blurry shots (I'm surprised my camera did that well! It continues to surprise me!)

We had a couple of rainstorms blow through yesterday, the first came with high winds. We had noticed that our pear tree now has branches a little too close to the roof and chimney, so have been planning to trim. DH had just left for the store, and the wind started whipping around so much overhead (I was on the patio) that I decided I'd better cut down the biggest offending limb before it caused damage. I got out the hacksaw he had been using earlier in the day, removed said limb by myself and then cut it into hunks after the storm passed, about an hour later. Feeling successful, uh-huh.

Then, I was surveying the tree for more to trim, and noted one other limb that needs to come down. Unfortunately I'd have to be standing on the lowest limb of the tree to reach it. So I pulled a chair over, and stood on it and contemplated for the longest time that I am no longer a skinny teen who has been in every tree in the neighborhood. I weighed that against the thought that the limb-removal would have to wait, and thought "what the heck" and swung my leg over the tree limb. You guys would'a laughed so hard; I hung there by one leg while my arms were screaming, thinking about it for 5-10 seconds, and then got back down, with lots of leg abrasions. I'm sure my 76 year old neighbors were watching, they are always glued to their picture window. Hah. 'The day the 46 year old learned her age...'

So the branch removal awaits a more limber person with perhaps more upper body strength! Or, a ladder, heh.

I soaked a bag of garbanzos overnight, and they are now simmering away on the stovetop. I hope to be adding them to a variety of things this week; first I want to make hummus. I love that stuff. I may make bean-cheese salad, too. I'll toss a handful onto my lettuce salads over the week, and probably freeze the rest. It feels nice to be able to potter around the kitchen again.

I was trying to make a crumbcake this morning, and found our eggs are a month old. Eeeeeew. So now my half-mixed cake is waiting for me to run to the store. I so wanted to go to church, it's been a month, but am not sure I'll make it. I started another course of antibiotics yesterday--this is dragging on too long. Sigh.

I started another knitting project yesterday, while sitting in the shade on the patio. The ADD is hitting hard...I have seen photos of some really fun 'wonky squares' blankets on Ravelry, and I really wanted to make one for a while. The pattern is available here, and it is so cute....I have been sitting on some single balls of each color Debbie Bliss Cashsoft DK that I had collected last year whenever I saw another color. I was thinking of doing a fair isle item, but started on this instead...

and I'm playing with the technique. I did not purchase the pattern, but had a pattern square similar to it in my Great American Afghan book, so have been experimenting with the colors and the technique. This is fun and relaxing, and the Cashsoft feels so good running through my fingers! I'll put a pic up soon.

Have a good weekend everyone, it's getting ready to rain here again.