routine.

Posted on January 19, 2014 by barefootrooster

First up, I knit a tiny hat for my best friend’s son. He’s just about six months old, and I’m hoping this will help keep him warm this winter.

Boh’s ears have been particularly entertaining this week.

Snowbird’s out-of-the-house debut! You can see here that the shoulders aren’t quite right; I think they are too shallow for my arms. But the most important part of Snowbird is that it covers my butt. Perfect for covering up for heading to the gym. (Boots because of the snow!)

More sweetness, and a huge arugula salad.

Yup.

“Helping.” No matter that his ears are actually in the way.

One ear up for couch lounging.

And this series is from this morning.

From a look of complete boredom–what, you don’t like my conclusion?

To full-on, quite loud snoring. I love this dog.

confession.

Posted on September 29, 2013 by barefootrooster

It has been weeks since I last did any blog-reading. So it isn’t just that I’m blogging irregularly. I’m also totally behind on everything happening in the knitting, spinning, and cooking blogosphere. I (partially) blame the death of Google Reader. I like routines and systems, and even though I’ve been using Feedly, I don’t like it anywhere near as much. And then, of course, the work is piling up: dissertation-writing, lots of conferences, fellowship applications and (eek!) even a job application or two.

But this helps, right?

And this?

I snapped this picture of Boh hiding amongst the book piles earlier today.

And here’s what I had for dinner: a farm veggie stirfry. It was just what I wanted to eat — comforting and autumnal, if that makes sense. I’ve spent today (and yesterday, too) getting resettled here after almost two weeks of research in DC. Want to see what that looked like?

Chai and a cookie at my favorite spot to unwind after a day at the archives.

Pickling all the things at Champ’s apartment.

Mini-galettes filled with butternut squash, caramelized onions, fontina and sage.

DC sunset from Champ’s balcony.

Homemade rice cakes in both sweet and savory flavors.

Oh! And a self-portrait snapped in a well-lit restroom, which I’ll share so you can see my new bag in action.

It is enormous and I love it. I had a great time in DC, but I am happy to be home. Happy almost October, blog-friends!

august?

Posted on August 14, 2013 by barefootrooster

Time for more apologizing. (And for getting used to a new version of WordPress. This is fancy!) I don’t know why I’m not knitting, and I don’t really know why I’m not blogging. But I’m not quite ready to give up on this space, and I hope you’re not ready to give up on me. I’m hoping to get back into a groove one of these days.

Until then, though, you get pictures of what we’ve been up to, both here at the lake house and further afield. Since I last blogged (in June?!), I’ve TAed an intensive 3-week summer course, joined my family for a week on the gulf coast of Florida, spent a weekend in the Catskills saying goodbye to a dear grad school friend who is moving/moving on to take a postdoc, given a paper at my first non-grad-student conference (yay!) and visited my younger brother in Colorado. (Whew!)

Want to see some of that? Here you go:

During that three-week course, Boh spent a lot of time entertaining himself.

And there were strawberries.

Cuddling the papers to grade…

Frolicking at a nearby park on our way to the farm.

First farm tomato!

Delicious.

Writing.

Bird-watching, coffee-drinking, breakfast-eating, all from the balcony of the condo my parents rented on the gulf coast of Florida.

Seashells collected on morning walks with my mom.

Beautiful beach.

A snapping turtle greeting me (and Boh — see his nose in the lower left-hand corner?) in the Catskills!

Catskills relaxation.

And some more.

Sam, my brother’s horse.

Colorado National Monument.

And now — just today, actually — home again, this time for awhile. Time to settle back into lake house life, which I’m hoping will include lots of writing…

Thanks for reading, friends.

still no knitting…

Posted on June 15, 2013 by barefootrooster

But I’ve got lots of food, Boh, and the porch. Here’s what’s been happening ’round here this week.

It was cold enough that I needed my puffy coat to be on the porch. In June.

No idea what this guy is up to here.

Chocolate dipped frozen bananas, some with almonds, for an Arrested Development viewing party.

I just liked this combination of many of my favorite things. That blue pullover vest is maybe the first piece of gear I bought in college when I started leading backpacking trips. It has traveled the world with me, and it is still one of my favorite things to grab when I’m just a little bit chilled.

A dear friend came to town last weekend, and we made a breakfast feast: toast, fresh tomatoes, a wonderful carrot and radish slaw, and eggs with spinach and fresh basil.

Bedroom eyes?

Working while Boh keeps watch.

More working. Boh not exactly watching.

Tree along the path behind my house. Hard to see in this picture, but there’s evidence of pileated woodpecker work on this trunk.

More porch reading — prepping for the course I’m TAing this summer.

Last night. This dog wanted to snuggle, and I was happy to read a graphic novel while he lounged, napped, and snored.

This morning: coffee and breakfast (biscuits, yogurt, blueberries, and last year’s canned peaches) on the porch.

We’re easing into summer over here, and trying to balance different kinds of work with at least some summer fun. How is your summer going? Also, what are you guys knitting? I need some inspiration.

hello, june.

Posted on June 3, 2013 by barefootrooster

It seems I managed not to post while in Chicago. I also managed to not knit a stitch in Chicago. Those two statements might be related. Anyway, I did think about casting something on today, so I imagine I’ll have knitting content to share soon.

In the meantime, I am NOT going to show you pictures of how I managed to skin my knee and the top of my foot pretty badly on Saturday walking down to the dock. There is road work resulting in very finely powdered blacktop and gravel that I am now (ahem) aware of. Loose road dust plus a steep descent in flip flops do not make for a pretty result.

But this makes up for it:

Right?

So does this.

And this.

Tango hung out with us this weekend while his person was busy working long shifts at our town’s annual summer festival.

And then today, after running a bunch of errands — bank, groceries, library — Boh and I went for a really good walk.

And then we did some work down on the dock.

I really did have a great time in Chicago, but it is good to be home.

so, this is happening.

Posted on May 3, 2013 by barefootrooster

It feels like I just got home, but I’m leaving for a month in Chicago on Sunday. And I’m packing my life into a big rolly suitcase and a tiny carry-on. I’m renting a mildy furnished studio close to the library I’ll be working at, which means I’ve been making tough choices about what to bring. (Believe it or not, my favorite cast-iron skillet is buried deep in my bag. (All of my backpacking/expedition planning has prepared me for this. I might have spent Wednesday pouring laundry detergent, dish soap, cleaning solution, and conditioner into tiny bottles…)

But you don’t want to hear all about that. How about some pictures of the last few weeks?

My dear friend K. came to visit — and by came to visit, I mean showed up and took care of me. We ate delicious things, and she caulked the windows on my porch, sewed a curtain for the closet in my guest room, and cuddled Boh every morning.

Her visit was just what I needed.

Sweetness from this guy.

First flowers from the yard.

And then I took a quick trip to Philadelphia for a taxidermy lecture and demonstration, which was incredibly cool. (Don’t worry; I won’t post any pictures of that.)

Home again.

And then a whirlwind of a trip to New York for a dear friend’s beautiful wedding. And the Met, for their Civil War photography exhibit. And a treat: a manicure and pedicure with an old friend/gracious host.

Boh seems a little anxious about May. He’s not coming with me to Chicago, but he’s got plans that are equally exciting. No fewer than three of my friends are helping out by hanging with Boh while I’m away, and I think he’s going to have a fabulous time.

And now we’re all caught up! I’m certainly incredibly excited about this research opportunity, but I’m also really ready to settle back in on the porch and spend my days writing, cooking, and taking breaks in the lake. That’s what June is for, right?

hello, april…

Posted on April 10, 2013 by barefootrooster

Hi folks. Continuing to apologize for rather irregular blogging isn’t what I want to be doing every time I sign on here. But thanks for bearing with me and for reading what I do manage to share. I tried to at least remember to snap some pictures of the non-work stuff going on around here this week, so here’s a bit of that:

Helping.

Dumplings also help.

Tea on the porch.

Boh keeps watch. (And demonstrates his length! I am always surprised when he sits up straight like this.)

Weaving in the ends…finished pictures soon!

More “helping” from Boh.

Spring sunset.

Tuckered out. I love those wrinkles. Happy April, folks!

slowly, slowly.

Posted on March 26, 2013 by barefootrooster

Boh and I are slowly reacquainting ourselves with our home and working to reestablish our routine. Which, for Boh, involves lots of this: napping with his bone on the couch.

I’ve been doing a bit of knitting, and I’m a few stripes away from the home stretch of this wedding present Hudson Bay inspired blanket. I’m seeing the happy couple in April, and would love to deliver this to them…a few months after their first anniversary. (This is what happens when you attend eight weddings in less than twelve months…) I’m really happy with how this is turning out, and I hope they like it!

There’s a new piece of my routine that I’m psyched to tell you about: I’m taking a birding class! I saw this bird, a belted kingfisher, at the end of my first birding class field trip on Sunday and it was so cool. And yesterday I woke up to the clear call of cardinals. I’m learning so much, and I’m excited to get better at identifying all of the birds and birdsong I encounter in my yard. (I might even start taking my binoculars along on my dog walks!)

One more: it’s not knitwear, but I did get a pair of green flats. I’m going to need to wait a few weeks for it to warm up to wear them outside, but I like them.

Also on this week’s agenda? Sitting back down at my wheel. Playing in my kitchen. And getting back into a groove with my dissertation. (Speaking of dissertations, HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to brokeknits! She defended last week, and is now Dr. brokeknits — or brokeknits, Ph.D., if you prefer.)

Happy Tuesday!

home.

Posted on March 20, 2013 by barefootrooster

Hello, friends. Thanks for sticking with me through a couple of mostly blog-less months! I’m back at the lake house, and Boh is here too. I’ll spare you the details and pictures of the mess I found when I returned (still dealing with that), and instead, I’ll focus on the good stuff. Things like tea, sunset, and my sweet dog.

Lemongrass tea in a beautiful mug a dear friend gave me for my birthday. And a subtle vanilla candle to help me reclaim my space.

Handknits and a snoring pup. Just as it should be.

Sweet dog.

Last night’s sunset.

Coffee, Jolie Holland playing on the iPad mini, and some yarn for inspiration on the coffee table. So good to be home.

reunited.

Posted on February 26, 2013 by barefootrooster

Well, for a weekend, at least. Boh didn’t seem all that excited to see me, but I’m taking that to mean that he’s having a great time with my parents, and for that, I’m thankful. I got some quality dog-cuddling in, and enjoyed great food and time with my family. Here’s a whole slew of Boh pictures to tide you over until I head back to get him on St. Patrick’s Day!