Knitting, Cats, and Veterans Day

Finished two knitting projects: socks for my husband and my November gnome. Little Bear, the cat, seems to be getting better.

Monday: We had errands to run, but it was a lazy day and nothing got done. I had a knitting guild meeting in the evening.

Tuesday. - It was pretty cold here, so I actually had to put long pants on! We had to go to the bank and post office, but then I realized that since it was Veterans Day, both were closed. We were able to go to our favorite restaurant (Flanigan's), where they offer veterans a free meal. So, hubby got a full rack of ribs and loved it. I got my usual hamburger and fries. He took half of his ribs home for dinner. In the evening, I knit on my Rock It Tee, and I’m making great progress today.

Wednesday: Today, we ran a couple of errands. Then we did some more packing. I keep reviewing my list to make sure I don’t forget anything. In the evening, we watched an old movie (Yours, Mine, and Ours with Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball)

Thursday: It was a lazy day. I checked us in at the airport and printed our boarding passes. Then we finished packing, except for the last-minute stuff

Friday - my neighbor drove us to the airport at 8:30. We were told to get to the airport 3 hours early for an international flight. Now for our big adventure!

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Euros, Utility Pole, Yard work, and a sick cat

Sunday was a nice, quiet day. Lots of relaxation and movie watching while knitting.

On Monday, we went to the bank and ordered Euros for our trip. I was afraid the power company was going to show up to replace the rotten utility pole, but they never did appear.

Tuesday morning at 8am, the power company arrived in 3 huge trucks. They had a remote-controlled machine with tank treads on it. This machine picked up the utility pole and took it to the backyard. While it was in the yard, they attached the hardware to it before they raised it. The machine picked up the pole and moved it over the fence to put it in the hole on the other side. This machine also held the bucket so the guy could get up the pole and attach the wires. It took about 7 hours, but we were only without power for about 2 hours. All day, we sat in the yard and watched them work on the pole, which was very interesting.

On Wednesday, we went grocery shopping, which we had put off for the past 2 days. I’m so glad we only went to Aldi's, Walmart, and Gala Fresh (the meat market). In the afternoon, we worked in the yard. We cleared out the back of the back yard patio and moved the bushes in front of the screen room to the back. Then we spread out the “Moses in the bulrushes” and the amaryllis bulbs in the front flower bed.

I went shopping with Donna on Thursday, and she stopped at the bank so I could pick up the euros that we ordered. While Don took an afternoon nap, Donna gave me more “Moses in the bulrushes” to spread in the front flower bed. Little Bear was not her usual self, and we were worried about this little cat.

On Friday morning, Don noticed the front flower bed and thought all the plants had doubled in size on their own. At first, I let him believe it, but I was laughing so hard that he knew something was up. He was relieved to know that we added more plants. Then we trimmed palm trees, and Donna helped us drag yard waste to the street. Little Bear, the cat, is not doing well. She isn’t eating or drinking water, and Donna thinks she may have eaten a lizard. I hope she doesn’t die.

On Saturday, I attended a knitting class on Zoom at 10:00 a.m. However, we then had to attend the Postcard Club, so I took the class on my phone while we drove to the meeting. I was able to finish my class out in the parking lot before joining the rest of the postcard enthusiasts.

As soon as it got light out, I went looking for Little Bear, and I found her curled up behind my potted plants. I wasn’t sure she was alive, and I shone my flashlight on her. Thankfully, she moved her head. A little while later, she came to the screen door and wanted inside. I was able to get her to eat a little dry food. Then Donna came by with some canned cat food for her, and she ate a lot of the food. When we got back in the afternoon, she was asleep under our swing, and I brought her some water, but she wouldn’t drink anything. Before long, she came to the screen door and wanted inside. I was able to get her to eat a little dry food, but then Donna brought her more of the canned food, and she ate a lot. She even started to clean herself, which she hadn’t had the energy to do in days. I’m glad to see she is feeling better.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Friends, Stamps, and Relaxation

It is amazing how quickly this week has flown by!

On Monday, we had dinner with Bob and Donna at Flanigans, our favorite local restaurant.

Tuesday was our stamp club meeting at Kingdom Buffet. This is the first time I’ve been there since we moved to this location. We had a huge crowd, and I was happy about the turnout. Don got some new treasures. In the morning, I called the dentist and asked for an antibiotic. Ever since I got my new crown, my mouth has hurt on that side, and I haven’t been able to eat on that side.

It was nice to relax on the front porch on Wednesday, and Don has been doing his exercise walk in the neighborhood. The lawn men came and mowed the lawn. I’m always happy after they come because the yard looks so good.

It was cool enough on Thursday morning for me to do some weeding. Then we did our grocery shopping, where Don had to read every label and compare every unit price.

Around 7:30 on Friday morning, they delivered the new utility pole. The guy said they might install it that afternoon or definitely on Monday. Then Don had his hospital board meeting. Halloween was quiet. We didn't have any trick or treaters. 

Our Stamp Club had its fall show at the Embassy Suites on Saturday. We had a great turnout! The Post Office sent a representative with a special cancellation made for the show. Don found lots of treasures at great prices, so he was very happy! I had fun talking with everyone, so I didn’t have much time to knit.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

National Bison Day

National Bison Day is celebrated every year on the first Saturday of November. It honors the American bison, also known as the buffalo, which is an important symbol of the United States. Bison once roamed across most of North America, but their numbers dropped sharply in the 1800s because of overhunting and loss of land. Thanks to conservation efforts, their population has grown again. The bison was named the national mammal of the United States in 2016, showing how important it is to America’s history and culture.

On National Bison Day, people celebrate by visiting national parks, learning about bison history, and supporting conservation programs. Many Native American tribes hold ceremonies or events to honor the bison’s role in their culture and traditions. The day reminds everyone to protect wildlife and the environment so future generations can enjoy them too. The bison stands for strength, resilience, and the spirit of the American frontier.

The 1981 18-cent Wildlife of America: Bison (#1883) stamp was part of a special series that celebrated North America’s wild animals. Issued on June 13, 1981, this stamp shows a strong and powerful bison standing on the open plains. The bison was chosen because it is one of the most famous symbols of the American West and represents the country’s natural beauty and history. The artwork captures the animal’s thick fur and massive size, reminding people of how these creatures once roamed the Great Plains in huge herds.

This stamp was part of the “Wildlife of America” set, which featured different animals from across the continent. Collectors and nature lovers enjoyed the series because it helped teach people about the importance of protecting wildlife. The bison on the stamp also reminds Americans of conservation efforts that helped bring the species back from near extinction. Even today, the bison continues to stand for strength, freedom, and the beauty of the natural world.

References:
First Day Cover from the author’s collection
https://nationaltoday.com/national-bison-day/
U.S. Department of the Interior. “National Bison Day.” doi.gov
National Park Service. “Celebrate National Bison Day.” nps.gov
National Bison Association. “National Bison Day.” bisoncentral.com
Smithsonian National Postal Museum. “Wildlife of America Issue.” postalmuseum.si.edu
Mystic Stamp Company. “1981 18¢ Bison, Wildlife of America.” mysticstamp.com
United States Postal Service. “Wildlife of America Stamps.” usps.com

Return to FL

We left South Carolina at 4:45 am Friday, 10/17/25, and arrived in FL by 3 pm. We stopped about 3 times for the rest area and ate lunch at McDonald's. We took down the hurricane shutters, and Bob and Donna helped us raise the living room and bedroom awning. When we arrived, the AC was not working, and I texted Lucas (neighbor who works on our HVAC system) to see if he could put us on his list for Monday. He said he was able to come right over, so he found a broken wire on the condenser (maybe from the lawn company?) and had to add refrigerant to the unit. Now it works beautifully!

On Saturday, we went grocery shopping, and in the evening, we went to the car show. Donna and Bob had entered their trucks in the show, and Donna won a trophy for the best decorated.

On Sunday, I dusted and vacuumed. Don cut the candlestick bush that had overgrown. We put out the patio furniture and put away the hurricane shutters. Then Don moved the hose reel next to the laundry room door, and it is much easier to use the hose now.

Monday, we trimmed the bushes under the bedroom window and the Golden Dewdrop bush in the front yard. I’m glad we finished before it got too hot. We went to Home Depot and I bought 2 plants: a milkweed and an impatiens.

Tuesday morning, I went shopping with Donna.. We went to Rorabecks (I bought a beautiful tomato plant and a lantana flower). For lunch, Don and I went to Flanigans because we had a 20% off coupon for our meal. It was good to see our server, Jeff, again.

Wednesday morning, I did a load of laundry before Don woke up. After breakfast, we went to the beach. It was a beautiful morning, and there was hardly anyone there at 9:30. We got in the water for about an hour, and we were the only ones in the water the whole time.

On Thursday, one of Donna’s new kittens came to visit us. It was a little orange and white kitten that I call Nosey because it seemed very curious. We sat on the swing, and he explored the back patio. And when we moved to the front screened room, he followed us there. He spent the morning in our screened room, and I asked Donna where I should take him when I went in for lunch, so she came and got him. A few minutes later, he wandered back to our door, and I let him in. He spent the rest of the afternoon taking a nap in the screened room. A guy knocked on our window, who said he was a contractor with the electric company. He needed access to our backyard because they are going to replace a utility pole in the back corner behind our shed. They can reach it from the other street, even though it is on the other side of our fence. We stressed that they better not tear up our yard or our irrigation system, and he said they wouldn’t. It should happen within the next 3 weeks.

Today is Friday, and I’m sitting on the front porch enjoying this beautiful breeze. They say it will get cold next week, but I’m not sure what they consider cold.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Hummingbird Yarn

I want to make a hummingbird illusion pattern that I found on Ravelry, but I want my yarn to look like a hummingbird. Since I haven’t found any yarn I liked in that color, I’m going to try to dye the yarn myself. Here is the inspiration for the colors. 

Here are the steps I took.

Supplies:

• Mask
• Paper towels
• Soaking pan
• Citric Acid
• Dye Pot
• Measuring cup (1 qt)
• JacquaredDyes: Emerald, Turquoise, Sapphire Blue, Purple
• Paintbrushes
• Large wooden Spoon
• Tongs
• Reusable Zip Ties
• Rubber gloves.

1. Put a reusable zip tie on each skein of yarn to use as a handle while dyeing.

2. Soaked 4 skeins of yarn in 8 quarts of water with citric acid for 30 min.

3. Squeezed excess water out of the yarn and put the yarn on the side.

4. In a dye pot, I heated 5 quarts of water till a rolling boil and lowered the heat.

5. I added ⅛ tsp. Of Emerald dye to the water and stirred,

6. I slowly added the yarn until all the yarn was covered with the water.. After a minute, I rotated the yarn until all the dye was used up.

7. I pulled the yarn out by the zip ties and rearranged the yarn.

8. Spread the yarn out in the water so that all 4 skeins have a side showing.

9. I filled a cup with 1 cup of water, added ⅛ Turquoise and mixed thoroughly.

10. I poured approximately. ⅓ of a cup randomly over the yarn.

11. I waited about 1 min. until absorbed (I used my wooden spoon to make sure it was absorbed).

12. I pulled out each skein of yarn and turned in the zip tie. (I hung each zip tie on a wooden spoon laid across the top of the pot to hold the skein after turning so I could do the others.)

13. Spread the yarn back in the water and randomly spread ⅓ cup of dye around the yarn.

14. Wait 1 min. Until absorbed.

15. Turn the yarn again and spread the remaining dye.

Repeat steps 9-15 with Sapphire Blue.

Repeat steps 9-15 with Sapphire Blue.

I decided the colors weren’t rich enough, so I repeated steps 9-15 with turquoise, then sapphire blue, and finally purple one more time.

Lastly, I repeated steps 9-15 with the emerald as the final color.

I was happy with the results.

I heated the water to just below a rolling boil. Then I turned off the heat and let it sit until the water cooled.

After it cooled (a few hours), I rinsed the yarn and hung it to dry.

 

Aunt Het Festival 2025

It started out with the quilt show on Friday morning, held at the senior center. Seniors got in free if they showed their badge for the center. I met my friends Linda and Debbie there at 9, and it was fun talking about the quilts with them. We got to vote on our favorite, and the one with the most votes got the “Seniors' Choice” Award.

On Saturday, Debbie came over about 9, and we all walked to the festival downtown (2 blocks from our house). It was fun seeing the craft and food vendors. Plus, we talked with people we knew and hadn’t seen in a while. It is a great community festival and is in its 42nd year! We really enjoy the decorated pumpkin silent auction. Each pumpkin is decorated by school classes that are raising money for their PTA. Many of them were very creative! On the way home, we walked to the Mill to see the food court, and Debbie bought a coffee from Knowledge Brew. Then she bought lunch at Bucky’s BBQ to take home. It was still too early for us to eat, so we passed on the BBQ.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Visit with Friends

I met Marlicia and Tahlia many years ago when we stood in line for Miss Babs Yarn at Maryland Sheep and Wool. I found out that they had a podcast called Pen, Hook, and Needles, and I started watching it. Since then, I joined their Patreon group and we meet on Zoom once a month. For years, I had hoped to get up to Front Royal to meet them in person again, and it finally happened.

On Sunday, we got to their house around 9:15 and had tea and cookies with them. Marlicia made these great three-ingredient peanut butter cookies! They gave me this huge Santa bag full of goodies, too. The,n when Marlicia learned that Saturday was my birthday, she gave me this beautiful skein of yarn. Plus, she gave me a box of wire blocking wires. I really appreciated their wonderful generosity!

After about an hour, we had to leave and head for home. I’m so glad we finally were able to visit them.

Original photos by Pat Hensley  

Trip to Washington, DC

9/21/25

We left the Big Lynn Lodge in Little Switzerland at 6:30 am. We drove 7 hours to the Hyatt Regency Dulles in McNair, VA. We had a very nice room for the week. After settling in, we walked to the Innovation Center Metro Station (about a 10-minute walk from the hotel). When we got there, we looked at the map and fare kiosk to get information, and a nice metro kiosk worker came over to ask us if we needed any help. He was very nice and gave us lots of great information about getting the Senior SmarTrip card. Then we returned to the hotel and watched movies, and rested.

9/22/25

We got up early and used the SmarTrip app on our phones, which showed we had money on a card we used previously. So, we tried to use that money to take us to the Herndon station so we could get a senior SmarTrip card to pay half-price fares, but the man said it had to be added to our Apple Wallet. So, we tried that, but my phone kept saying we had no internet. Finally, the nice man called the Herndon Station and told them that we were on our way, and he let us through the gate. When we got to Herndon, the man was waiting for us and let us out of the station, and told us where to go to get the senior SmarTrip card. Once we filled out the application,we got our cards and returned to the station to add money to the cards.

Then we headed to Ballston to see if our favorite bagel shop was there, but it wasn’t, so we ended up going to Union Station and found Bulldog Bagels there. After we had breakfast, we went to the Postal Museum. We got some free postcards there. At lunchtime, we had lunch in Chinatown. Our favorite Chinese restaurant is no longer there (it has been 16 years, so…). After lunch, we spent the afternoon at the National Portrait Gallery. For dinner, we went back to Ballston and ate at the Potbelly Deli. We returned to our hotel around 7 pm, and we were exhausted. I had walked over 20,000 steps and up 19 flights! In the evening, we watched TV and I knit.

9/23/25

Another wonderful day in DC. We had breakfast at IHOP (Ballston-MU metro station). Then we went to the National Botanical Garden, which is probably my favorite place to go. At noon, we went to the Supreme Court for our 12:30 reservation for a lecture. Then we toured the Supreme Court Building and the exhibits. We had lunch at the cafe there. We spent the rest of the day at the Library of Congress. Now I want to watch the movie National Treasure again! It was interesting that knitting needles were not allowed at both places. In the evening, we watched TV and I knit.

9/24/25

We left early and went to Union Station to get a bagel at the Bullfrog Bagel for breakfast. We were smart and brought our own water and soda this time. Then we walked to the Library of Congress, where we got our research library card. While we were there, I asked the lady making our card if she thought my book would be there, and she looked it up. There it was, and I could even request it if I wanted it! She said her two daughters were teachers, and she would get them a copy from Amazon! Then we walked to Lindsey Graham’s office at the Russell Building. We were there early (9:30) and the intern, Emily, said it would just be the 3 of us, and she took us on a tour of the Russell Building and the Capitol. Then we even sat in the Capitol Gallery. After that, we walked to the other end of the mall to the American History Museum. First, we had lunch (it was expensive and awful). Then we explored 2 floors of the museum before deciding we were tired and ready to return to the hotel. In the evening, we watched TV and I knit.

 

9/25/2025

Another fun day in DC! We ate breakfast at IHOP. They had a value meal of eggs, bacon, and French toast for only $6. Then we went to the National Air and Space Museum. Don was a little disappointed in it because it didn’t have as many exhibits as in the past. We couldn’t understand why they had race cars and motorcycles featured in some of the exhibits, and there were a lot of exhibits featuring Russia and Great Britain’s aircraft. Next, we went to the National Gallery of Art and we enjoyed seeing artwork from some of our favorite artists (Monet, Renoir, Rodin). Last, we went to the National Archives and saw the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution in their entirety. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped for dinner at IHOP because they had an $8.99 special (burger, fries, and a soda), and it was delicious! In the evening, we watched TV, and I knit.

9/26/2025

We had breakfast at IHOP again and then took the metro to McPherson Square. From there, we walked to the White House and got pictures of it from the south side (closest to the Washington Monument). Then we walked to the Washington Monument and took pictures there. Next, we walked to the Museum of Natural History and had to wait for about ten minutes until it opened. We enjoyed the museum, and I liked seeing the Hope Diamond. After that, we went to the Hard Rock Cafe so I could buy a guitar bottle opener/magnet. Then we went to the American History Museum so I could see the First Ladies exhibit and the Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz. By then, we were pooped and ready to eat dinner, so we stopped at IHOP again for dinner before heading back to the hotel.

Interesting story: We saw a Secret Service Uniform from when Nixon was President. Nixon saw security in Europe and wanted his security to look like that, so he paid $500 for 32 uniforms to be made. After he left office, these uniforms were sent to a warehouse in the mid-1970s, where they sat for a few years. Eventually, they were bought by the Meriden-Cleghorn High School Band in Iowa for $10 a uniform from the United States General Service Administration in 1980.

9/27/2025

We drove to IHOP for breakfast, which was an adventure. We both ordered the $6 French Toast Combo Value Meal, but when we got the bill, the waiter charged us $12.99 for a Build Your Own French Toast Combo. When I told the waiter the check was wrong, he had to get the manager, who started sticking up for the waiter. When we told him to get the menu, and I showed him what I ordered, plus I also pointed to it for the waiter to see, as well as reading the name of the special. Then the manager said Okay and fixed our bill. When we got back to the hotel, we went to the Innovation Center Metro Station to get bus 983 to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (Air and Space Museum) at Dulles Airport at 10:15 ($1.10 each way). We spent about 3 hours there and really enjoyed it. It seems like a lot of stuff from the other museum had been moved here. On the way back to the metro station, the bus stopped across the street from our hotel to pick up people, and we were able to get off the bus. Then we drove to Starbucks so I could get my birthday drink. We also picked up a Subway BMT to take back to the hotel.

Things I Learned:

1. If you are old enough to get the Senior SmarTrip card, it is worth it. Fares are half price on the WMATA.
2. IHOP at the Ballston Metro had a great breakfast and dinner (weekday special).
3. The Supreme Court Building had a cafe with good food.
4. I wouldn’t eat anything at the American History Museum Cafe.
5. You need timed tickets to go up the Washington Monument and the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, but they were sold out.
6. I would recommend people go to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles instead of the one on the mall. It was much better!

Original photos by Pat Hensley