We buried my beloved Grandma Veva yesterday. She was 87 years old. It was a beautiful Spring day, and nearly everyone who loved her was able to be there. I can’t tell you how many times someone said, “I’m so glad to see you again, even though it’s under these sad circumstances.” She did everything she could to make sure it was easy on us—made all the arrangements in advance; had a simple viewing and reception but no formal service—but it was still tough. I miss her.
I’ve managed to get some knitting done today, and I finished my Heart Warmer Cowl.
Last month I picked a beautiful skein of Madeline Tosh out of my stash—may have been a gift?—and went looking for something to make with it. That’s when I found the cowl, and it seemed like a fun little sampler-style pattern that would force me to learn some new things. I had to learn the German twisted cast-on at the start. I’m pretty sure I mucked up the lace section with an extra row, but I decided I couldn’t be bothered fixing it. The bobbles were a slog, and I still think they look a little like nipples. The “smocking” section was fun, though I was a little worried about getting the tension correct. And today I probably spent a good hour on the laborious tubular bind off. It definitely needs a really good blocking, but I’m happy with it! It provided some much needed distraction, and I’ll enjoy wearing it this winter.
Did not expect when I woke up this morning to be boarding a plane tonight, but sometimes life sucks. Hug your loved ones, folks. ❤️
“When I was born, the name for what I was did not exist.”
That’s a hell of an opening line.
Today’s shift was at the Plaza Entrance, handing out maps and answering questions. It wasn’t very crowded at all, and it was fun to be in the carnival area. But after a lovely start to the day, the rain began to threaten…
On the upside, we briefly had a glimpse of a lovely rainbow over the Dome. But at 4pm or so, the heavens opened fully. It bucketed. Some folks had ponchos and umbrellas, but even then everyone got drenched. I was mostly able to stay under cover, but my poor feet still got soaked.
By that point very few people were actually entering the Show, and I was mostly just shouting to let them know where the exit was as everyone ran for their cars. My team lead let me go half an hour early as there really wasn’t much need anymore. Of course, I had one more stop to make…
Mac-and-cheese on a stick! You don’t get a photo of me holding it because I was juggling my umbrella and the plate. It was hot and crispy and gooey, though. It did have a tendency to fall off after you’d had a bite or two, but that was okay. Very tasty! And at $9 this was excellent value… but the staff very kindly gave it to me for free! So I’m prepared to vote Mac-and-cheese as the best Food-on-a-Stick at the Show this year. ❤️
Today is the day Mr. Snook’s homebrew club are filling the barrels*, so as chauffeur I’m enjoying some knitting time while smelling the serenity.
* Every year they all brew the same recipe, pour it in a couple old whiskey barrels, and let them age under a guy’s house. Then they all share the results…
While I was at the Show, Mr. Snook was whipping up a Persian feast! He made RecipeTinEats’ slow-cooked lamb shanks, saffron rice (Tachin), and cucumber tomato salad. He thinks the lamb came out a little salty, but it pairs well with the rice. And how good is that crunchy crust? 😍
The Farmyard Nursery on Good Friday was always going to be a challenge, but I started undaunted.
It was a warm day. I spent the first 3.5hrs outside trying to corral the ever growing queue. There were thousands, and thousands, and thousands of people.
After lunch I was on pram parking duty, which mostly consisted of making sure people didn’t sneak through the Dairy to cut the line. I was very happy to see my friend Alice and Luke Eller and their boys. Everybody seemed to be having a good time.
After my shift, I walked around the stadium to check my food options. Deep fried ice cream on a stick? WELL DESERVED, MY FRIENDS.
At $12, I was pretty pleased with this. It was basically a fried doughnut surrounding a puck of ice cream, smeared with caramel sauce. Very good!
I popped into the District exhibits on my way out. Impressive as always!
And then I headed for the train. I survived!! Time to enjoy the Long Weekend…
My name is Kris. I’ve been blogging since the 90’s. I live in Sydney, Australia, and I spent most of my career in the tech industry.
No AI used in writing this blog, ever. 100% human-generated.
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