1. If you’re from anywhere East of, say, Hope, in Canada, or if, wherever you are in the US you have been affected by the Polar Vortex, you may want to look away lest envy consume you. Or, alternatively, you may choose to gaze in hope of spring. . . . I almost tripped Tuesday morning when I saw this snowdrop getting ready to bloom in my garden, especially since I’ve despaired, for years and years, of getting Galanthus to naturalize here.
2. We got this brilliant little speaker for Christmas from our son and daughter-in-law. Working in technology-impoverished classrooms as I often have to, this is a very helpful gem
Tiny and light, I can pack it easily in my case and use it to play my students podcasts that I bring in on my iPod. It works with Bluetooth, so with a phone or tablet . . . so handy. I suspect we’ll use it out in the yard or at the beach this summer. These next photos are just to show how small it is, with a hardcover book for comparison.
Pretty cool, eh?
3. And speaking of cool, tiny things. . . I was enjoying one of the home-smoked oysters we were fortunate enough to get a few jars of at Christmas, when I crunched on something a bit, er, noisy. After panicking a bit (you remember my recent dental woes, perhaps), I discovered that the sound effects came from this teeny pearl-in-the-making. It reminded me of finding one in an oyster when I was perhaps 8 or 9, when getting to stay up with Mom and Dad after my younger siblings had gone to bed, sharing a few of their pan-fried breaded oysters, was one of the best treats imaginable. . . I saved that tiny pearl for months and months and it still floats to the top of my memory pond occasionally. Today’s reminder was more forceful. Have any of you ever found a pearl while eating an oyster?
4. And since we’ve headed back to childhood via my memory, here’s an image of a little one, my darling Harriet, in a photo my daughter recently posted on Facebook. I’m so pleased that my grandchildren are growing up with books as did my kids, as was I lucky enough to. Honestly, a love of reading is one of the greatest gift my mother passed along to all her children. . . She’d be pleased to see this scene. . .
5. And finally, a little hat I just finished for a birthday girl who’d better not be reading this. It was her birthday yesterday, and we’re taking her and her partner for dinner tomorrow night — the photo was taken pre-blocking on Thursday night, so she may unwrap a still-slightly-damp hat. (And don’t worry, those funny loops along the bottom edge are the inside of the corrugated rib curling up — blocking will fix that nicely.) Hope she likes these cats-on-her-hat. . .
And there we go, another Friday, another Five Things. what’s up for you this weekend?
Oh, how I wish we lived closer, as we seem to have so much in common! Reading, teaching university students, adult offspring, grandchildren, and knitting! The Jambox does look like a great tool for the classroom. I just finished a UFO — fingerless mitts with a cute owl knitted into the design.
That is a lot in common! I keep seeing owl designs for knits and will have to make one at some point.
Technology never ceases to surprise me. Remember the huge speakers of the 70s? The Jambox probably amplifies just as well, although, perhaps not with the throbbing beat of former times. So portable!
I've never found a pearl in an oyster, but I don't eat them very often.
Isn't it great to see the little ones surrounded by books, books and more books?
Oh yes! I remember those. Mind you, I also remember my wee Sony transistor radio, just a big deal to have in the late 60s. . . .
I looked today for my snowdrops but they're just green sprouts. Yours must be in a sheltered spot. I love children's books and there are so many beautiful favourites to share. I really miss that part of my job. Harriet looks really engrossed in the book.
That's a very cute hat. I plan to watch another French movie on Netflix this weekend and continue sorting boxes of books.
Oh, tell me about the movie when you've watched it. I especially like to find ones that have subtitling for the hearing impaired(which I am) in French. Hearing and reading along really reinforces the learning for me.
And yes, those snowdrops are quite coddled where they are now.
Speaker for Christmas, check. Snowdrops, oddly, check. At least some years. Pearls and grandchildren, rare and precious.
Knitting, never. Bad thing for those of us with poor small motor coordination. Still remember the sorrows of trying in 3rd grade.
Enjoy your weekend my friend.
My mom taught me to knit as she did for reading and playing piano: before I was old enough to know I was too young. Having given up her classroom to raise us, she recreated it at home….are your Christmas speakers similarly cunning and wee? Such clever stuff these days, no?
Oooh, the hat has a lovely fur-like quality. And I've got one of those Jamboxes. It's quite useful, but a bit finicky to get used to in terms of how it syncs.
You've got a sharp eye. That's the angora blended into the black Regia that gives that halo. As for the jumbos, so far we've only tried it with the iPod jacked in directly and with my smartphone doing the Bluetooth thing. No problems yet…
Oh, that hat is adorable!! A pearl, wow. I've never found one. I don't know how my garden's going to do this year. We're looking at a continuing drought, which if severe enough may result in watering restrictions. Mostly though it's really suffering from neglect, just haven't had the time I'd like to get out there and clear/replant.
Sympathies on finding time for the garden. I'm just lucky Paul is happy to do so many maintenance tasks in his semi-retirement. It must be especially frustrating for you with your Hort. Background d
I've never found a pearl in an oyster, although we do eat them quite often … I have snowdrops in my garden, under a frangipani, oddly enough. I need to do some work in the garden this weekend. Sadly, my raspberry canes, which fruited wonderfully last year, have not even flowered this year – I think that even for a low-chill variety, winter was just too warm.
As for children and reading, I have one reader (total bookworm) and one non-reader (the boy), despite both having been read to every night, surrounded by books and with two voracious readers for parents. I live in hope that he (Holden) will come to books one day …
Where is the hat pattern from? Those cats are adorable.
Hmmm, snowdrops and frangipani, sounds like a zone contradiction! It seems to me that it must be tough to raise readers today, given all the competition for their entertainment energies. My students read shockingly few books, although a significant number talk of childhoods full of books and some want to find their way back to that and, I suspect, may very well do so. You've done what you can to set Holden up as a reader and I believe that will manifest someday.
The cat hat pattern is by Deborah tomasello. You can find it in my Ravelry projects
Well, the snowdrops come out while the frangipani is pretending to be deciduous. My backyard is its own weird zone entirely 🙂
And, yes, I hope that one day Holden will find his way to books. I think he'd like to – he's been struggling through Heart of Darkness (for the coming year at school), which wouldn't be my choice! Apparently he did enjoy Catcher in the Rye as his English teacher made much of him being their own HC.
It's interesting to see how some technology delights us, becoming part of our current "scene" while other advances leave us unimpressed. Books and children (and children with books) are always a delight.
Exactly. The speakers are an instance of technology I enjoy
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I'm going off to look up those speakers right away. They look like just the thing for the sewing room, backyard etc etc.
I was startled on Thursday to see Snow Drops in town – no camera, so no photo, but it was a sweet moment.
Spotting them really was a sweet moment. Pure smile….and yes, I think you'd find the jambox usedul