The backyard

My husband and I worked on the yard this weekend. I mean really worked on the yard...not just sweeping up the fallen leaves from last month or watering the garden. No sirree Bob!

I (yes, me) cut all of the overgrown vines that were wrapped around the tree in the corner, pruned the jasmine bushes (crossing my fingers that they grow back properly), and completely cleaned out the darn pond, which is no longer a pond. My wonderful husband and I scooped out the sludge, leaves, and other mucky icky stuff that had collected in the bottom, as well as the murky water, and I punched holes in the bottom of the plastic pond mold. We let the rest of the water dry up until mid Sunday afternoon. We filled the now empty pond mold with dirt. I plan on purchasing more herbs and placing them on top of this and decorating with rocks. I want to pull up more of the overgrown and long neglected plants during the last days of summer and through the fall.

I decided on herbs, rather than flowers or shrubs because in researching the best type of plant to grow in my area, I found this website: Herbs 101. An herb garden fulfills my need for easy to grow plants, that are practical, as well as pretty.

Now I totally understand why people love to garden the way I love to knit. Took long enough...LOL!

Of Death and Elvira

Obsession comes in waves with me. I never know when they will hit, but they hit me hard. I just finished reading Mistress of the Art of Death a few days ago. It was the first book that I read cover to cover for over a year. In fact, I was so engrossed in the story that I am reading it again to see if I can pick up things that I missed the first time. In my humble opinion, it is one of the best historical fiction books that I have read in a long time. The story, set in medieval England, spans between 1170 and 1171, after Thomas Beckett's death. It involves murdered children, Jews, religious fanatics, and a female doctor who specializes in what we know call autopsies. There is even some romance thrown in there for good measure. I couldn't put it down for the fast pacing of the mystery and suspense.

Also, I got back into knitting. I went onto Ravelry for the first time in a few months. I need to be really frugal with money; being on Ravelry and seeing all that wonderful yarn would sometimes be too much for me, and I would wind up buying some for a future project that, more times than not, would not happen. I logged on a couple days ago and the Elvira, all grown up pattern leaped out at me. No matter that the weather is getting cooler and the days shorter...signs that the fall is coming and I need to think about bringing out the warmer clothes. This pattern is top down and uses light fingering weight. My dream pattern. I have 3 skeins of Wollmeise that I have been waiting to use. I am knitting it right now, while also promising that the neck down T-shirt that I started will be worked on during my daughter's ballet classes. This should be easy enough, because all I have left is the last sleeve.

I am so glad for the fall season. My knitting is on again.