A Friendship Fourth of July

It's been a while since I've repeated this post but I am moved to today, with some new material and new (to my blog, I think) photos from the trip I blogged about.

In July of 2013, we were commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, which took place July 1, 2 and 3, 1863.  This battle, fought near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is said to have been the defining moment of who would win the United States Civil War.

I wrote many posts during the 150th anniversary of the war (1861-1865) including this one on July 3, 2013. 

I had wanted so much to be able to visit Gettysburg that week.   There was supposed to be a large gathering to commemorate that watershed battle, but, unfortunately, many people had the same idea and, unlike me, they didn't try to make last minute plans.

Spouse and I had already taken time off from work.

I was not happy, but then fate intervened.

First, I need to explain that many years ago, both this cousin (let's call her "C") and my childhood best friend (BF) were house hunting in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City.  C has spent almost her entire life in Brooklyn.  BF grew up with me in the Bronx (another borough) but, as an adult, moved to an apartment in Brooklyn at the time she got married.  

Anyway, C and BF found themselves at the same open house.  

They hit it off.  They became friends, not knowing (at first) that they had something else in common.  Or, actually, someone else.  Me.

(Just as another fun fact, a good friend of BF's husband was the son of my next door neighbor growing up, proving that even New York City, with its eight million people, can be a small world at times.)

At some point, my cousin and childhood friend found out they had me in common, and when spouse and I came to Brooklyn, we always tried to visit both of them.

Fast forward to 2013.  About a year and a half before, BF was diagnosed with cancer.  As the summer of 2013 came close, she was doing well.

One late June day, C called to catch up on life.  In talking with her, she mentioned that, on July 4, BF had planned a BBQ.  Among other people, C was invited.  Too bad I couldn't be there, as I lived 150 miles away, and probably had other plans....or could I?

I contacted BF, and yes, we were welcome to come.  And to stay with her and her husband.

We came. We had a wonderful visit and 4th of July BBQ with BF, C, and other friends of BF.    We had a great time, that first few days of July we spent down there.    

My friend loved to garden in her small New York City plot.

I can't remember if this zucchini plant (picture taken July 4, 2013) was in my friend's yard, or in the yard of one of her neighbors.  

These were her tomatoes.  She also had rosemary and dill growing.
 

A fig tree in her neighbor's yard.

My friend's dill.

I can't believe eleven years have passed since that day.

This is not a story with a happy ending, I'm sorry to say.  That night, before the unofficial street fireworks began, my friend, her husband, my spouse, and I, walked to a store and had some ice cream.

Over the frozen treats, she matter of factly told me she had decided where she would be interred after she passed.  She knew her time was limited, and joked that the cemetery was near a shopping center, meaning that people would be sure to visit.

That kind of joke was so like her....

This visit was the last time I saw my BF "well".   She passed away in 2015.  May she forever rest in peace.

If I I had been able to find lodging down in Gettysburg, I never would been able to go to that wonderful BBQ, and we wouldn't have spent other quality time with her during that visit.

Maybe some things are meant to be.  

When I think of the Fourth of July, I think of her, each and every year.

May my readers in the United States have a happy and meaningful Independence Day.  

Cancer sucks.

A happier post tomorrow.

The Manx Farm Cat #WordlessWednesday

Although I don't own a cat, I enjoy them.

 

But I had never seen a Manx cat, at least until last week.  Turns out the owner of the blueberry U-Pick farm we've frequented for years owns "Sassy".  You've probably heard of Manx cats, the cats without tails - here are some facts about them.

I never did get a picture of her face.  But you can clearly see the tailless rump.  Her owner explained this breed can have back problems or a shortened spine because of this.

Sassy and I had a little photo session, aided by her owner.

Perfect for a #WordlessWednesday - linking up with Sandee at Comedy Plus.

May and June Crochet Project Update

As my regular readers know, I was going to be accountable for completing a crochet project I first blogged about on  November 17, 2022.  On January 25, 2023, I told my readers I was underway. And now, I'm holding myself accountable for untimely reporting.

I never reported for either May or June.  And now, it's July second.

What is a temperature blanket?  I'll explain it more below, if you are interested.  For others who have read this before, I'll simply say that each row of the blanket is of a color (see below for the chart) that represents the high for the day.  I will have 367 rows (because one day I decided to include the day's low temperature, too), giving a color representation of the year's high temperatures.

Now, for my progress.

As of April 29, 2004, I was up to June 20, 2023. 

As of July 1 (yesterday) I was up to July 13, 2023.

I'm not surprised.

I don't crochet that much in summer, especially not the big afghan this project has become. I really can't comforably take it into the car.  For a couple of row trips this past May and June, I had another, more portable project, that I was hoping to complete by mid-July.  I'm not going to make that deadline, either.

It's more and more difficult to photograph this afghan in progress, too.  This didn't get the first few days of January but I hope you get a sense of the project.

Part of the lower part of the afghan. 

Not all the colors came out accurately.  That large dark strip towards the bottom is Kelly green.

I think, for the next progress report, I'll just try to photograph spring and summer.

Hopefully, I'll provide my next status report before fall.

And now, more technical detail,  if you are interested (including some I haven't blogged about before):

For a temperature blanket, you pick colors representing temperature ranges that make sense for your climate (or the climate of someone you want to gift the blanket to). You can knit, crochet or quilt it.  Some people make one for a new child or grandchild/great grand in their family to record their first year of life.  Or, you can just make one for no reason at all, like me..

I recorded the high and low temperatures for every day in 2023 and my plan was to crochet one row for each day's high with its assigned color. These are my color picks for the yarn I'm using:

0 F (-17.8 C) and lower:  Pale Plum. It's unusual where I live to have a high less than zero F, and, in fact, 2023 did not offer such a high.  But we did have a low of -5F (-20.5 C) one night so I decided to include a strip of low temperature color and high temperature color for that day.

Here are my other color choices.

1-21F   Dark orchid

21-32F  Royal blue

33-43F  Turquoise

44-53F  Spring Green

54-66F  Kelly Green (think of St. Patrick's Day)

67-77F  Bright Yellow

78-88F Carrot orange

89-99F  Pretty in Pink

100F (38C) and above - Fruity Stripe (shades of pink - a variegated yarn) which I won't be using. 

 

This is all done in single crochet, using Red Heart worsted (weight four) yarn.  I did that partially because it's single die lot and I wouldn't have to purchase all the yarn at once.  Sadly, I've used JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts to purchase this yarn, and they are having financial troubles.  I don't think they have conquered these problems completely.  Only time will tell.

 

Let's see how it goes this summer.

Let's Meet Up for Music #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday, it's Canada Day in Canada, and it's time for music!

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers? Well, we are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please! Otherwise, your post may be labeled "No Music".)   Our head host is Xmas Dolly, and our co-hosts are Cathy from Curious as a Cathy, joined by the knowledgeable Stacy of Stacy Uncorked and, last but not least, me.

Every other week, we have a theme.  On alternate weeks, we can blog on any music theme we want. This week our theme is Rendezvous - songs about meeting at a place or time.

I had a lot of trouble with this theme but I hope you enjoy what I did put together.

The one song I thought of right off is Dr. John's 1973 hit "Right Place Wrong Time".  

These other songs may not fit the theme but I'm going with them.

A Southern rock favorite - 1979's Charlie Daniels Band and The Devil Went Down to Georgia.  Listen to how a meeting between The Devil and a boy named Johnny went.

A song I identify with summer is Martha and the Vandellas' Dancing in the Street from 1964.  This is such a happy song, no matter what street you meet up in.

Speaking of happy, we are coming up on July 4, the American Independence Day, and this song has become a must-play for fireworks. Our close friends in Canada will be enjoying their fireworks tonight.

So, before we go further, let's celebrate Independence Day with the 1985 hit Living In America, Apollo Creed's entrance song, from the movie Rocky IV.

Here's another song from 1964.  I fell in instant love with it although, at my age when it came out, I had no idea what kind of meeting house they were talking about. You might not want to...um...rendezvous here after hearing this story.

There's a place in New Orleans called...well, let the Animals sing the story.  It's been debated if this song is based on a real place.  It just might be this haunted hotel.

Time to go.This last song was almost just an afterthought because I know it's been on my blog before.  This is a song about a woman and a meeting on the London Metro.  Here's Berlin and The Metro from 1982.

And that's a wrap.  Aren't you glad we met today?  I hope so.

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.