The Upper Midwestern Lifestyle

I met with my phone book rep this week, like I do every year about this time. I've had the same rep since I moved my office to this part the state. We conduct our business in about two minutes and then spend the rest of them time catching up on each other.

We're about the same age and grew up in the large metropolitan area of Minneapolis-St.Paul just across the river from each other, but our lives have taken totally different paths, only to end up in the same small community in eastern South Dakota.

Our conversations always keep me thinking for days and this one is no different. She said we account for our time differently here than she experienced in California and the Caribbean. I thought, okay, they probably don't spend a lot of time shoveling snow or dealing with frozen pipes. She read my mind, explaining that when one asks another here how their weekend went one hears a listing of everything accomplished, whereas elsewhere people talk about where they went, with whom they meant and the like. She further explained that people spend time entertaining and enjoying the company of others. I thought about this blog. So. . .my defense is that I've spent the majority of my life here and the time I've spent elsewhere didn't rub off. Nevertheless, I'll try to make this less of a listing and more entertaining.

On the Machine: I'm still working on the Bug Jar Quilt. I tried to work on it this afternoon, but Greta (left) and Hans (right) decided to use it for their nap. Thank goodness, I covered it because they're both still losing their winter coats! I still wonder who's idea it was to nap there.


Off the Needles: Little Arrow Socks were knitted in part on the California trip out of Blue Moon Fibers Socks That Rock. These are Pair #5 of the 52 Pair Plunge III and bring my Limenviolet Sock Yarn Marathon total to 3.6 miles. I'm working to get the pattern in shape to add to my website.

Pair #6 are Baby Socks made out of Trekking scraps and used about 70 yards.
Not pictured is the Sock Scarf which I started back in May. That ultimately took 984 yards of Lorna's Laces Sock Yarn for a Limenviolet total of 4.23 miles since February 1 of this year.

52 Books in 52 Weeks/Book 30: Charlatan, by Pope Brock. This book describes not just the American Medical Association's prosecution of J.R.Brinkley for his use of goat testicles to rejuvenate people in the early part of the 20th century, but the development of medical licensing, other medical hoaxes and the development of modern medicine. Incidentally, J.R. Brinkley started one of the first outlaw Mexican radio stations on the border. Highly recommend.