Please tell me shoulder pads are not coming back

Because Nordstrom is selling a t-shirt with shoulder pads. Like, for real.

Treasure & Bond Padded Shoulder T-shirt, yikes.

And now to see what crazy jeans Nordstrom is selling these days:

These are Burberry heart-motif leather jeans. They appear to say, I love my crotch. I guess they’re a statement piece. US$3090.
Baggy, saggy crotch jeans. US$1140. And only comes in size 2. Hubby says these look like clown pants. Indeed.
Asymmetrical, “deconstructed” inside-out “effect” jeans. US$890.
Profoundly ugly shorts, US$845. I don’t know what’s with the socks and shirt, either.
These button front “military style” jeans make even this skinny model look like she has thunder thighs. Imagine these on an actual human. US$810 (40% off, whoo-hoo).
“Heavily distressed”, “crossover fly”, and bleached to pink. I have a hard time believing this was done on purpose and isn’t just a horrible mistake marketed as such. US$575
No, “drop crotch” is not a good look. No. US$495
Can you imagine how emaciated you’d have to be to pull these off? US$495
These are horrible “scrunch leg” jeans. And they apparently don’t work with any shirt that Nordstrom sells, so the poor model has to go topless. US$470
Truly hideous “patchwork” jeans. US$450

What I’m thankful for, 2020 version

  1. Food made by other people, especially Paula’s mac & cheese when I got out of hospital, Candace’s mom’s divine lasagna, Mary Jane’s birthday feast, and my mom’s Xmas turkey & dressing

2. August trip to Vineland’s Inn on the Twenty and a patio lunch, like it was almost normal

Best fish and chips, ever, plus a civilized glass of rose

3. A reprieve from work – extended health leave. It was lovely not sitting at my computer all day, and I’m determined to make sure I don’t fall back into old patterns in 2021. Work, it turns out, is highly overrated.

4. Getting better in hospital, with visits from Graeme & Paula. Visitors are an essential part of the care plan. And realizing, even in hospital, that there were a lot of people much much sicker than me.

5. Schitt’s Creek. My hospital roommate Joy said that David Rose is her spirit animal. I feel you

6. Weekly Zoom/Houseparty check-ins with the girls. Although I have so missed those impromptu weekend lunches at Le Select Bistro or Hanoi Three Seasons. I would kill for a restaurant meal, honestly.

7. Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Blood & Ash series – counting down the days to April 20th for the third in the series.

8. Ditto, K.A. Tucker’s Wild series, with a surprise Christmas novella, was a great diversion.

9. Many great audiobooks, including:

10. My new favourite Bleusalt scarf, so soft and sustainable:

11. My hair has finally stopped falling out. Yay!

12. And my house has never been so clean, while we were waiting to hear the results of the US election. Looking forward to Biden/Harris 2021.

13. My sweetie!

Damn Delicious’ One-Pot Beef Stroganoff

OK. Highly recommended. Not “fine dining”, but Pure Comfort Food. Makes a ton. And even better as leftovers on Day 2. (I recall the days when I used to be snobby about leftovers. Can you imagine? What’s better than making a ton of comfort food and having a ready-made lunch and dinner the next day.)

It’s easy peasy to make, and don’t scrimp on the mushrooms.

I think it goes without saying, but nevertheless: I probably at least doubled the amount of sour cream. Because it’s stroganoff, and you want it creamy.

Here’s the recipe link:

One Pot Beef Stroganoff

Recovery update: my craft-y distractions

Latest rug project, called Harvest Moon (by Deanne Fitzpatrick @hookingrugs):

Slightly earlier version:

Slow but steady progress after a couple weeks of hospital time.

Harvest Moon is the exact same pattern, with a twist, that I did last summer in Mahone Bay. Last summer’s was called Summer Blooms (different colours, and you don’t hook the moon!):

Summer Blooms was my favourite at the time. I really liked how it turned out. When Harvest Moon is done, I will do a side-by-side compare and contrast.

Also working on a scarf (after my wool stash got infested with moths a couple months ago, my fault entirely – this wool was frozen for 48 hours to make sure that all the greeblies were killed off):

We Are Knitters Cucho Scarf in cinnamon.

Here’s what is SHOULD look like when done:

Honestly, super boring to knit, which is one excuse for the slow progress. But easy peasy, which is all I am capable of when it comes to knitting.

Of course, I’d love to aspire to:

Or:

But my next knitting project is much much simpler:

The Clyd blanket – mine in pearl grey.

And this will be the next I suspect:

Le Marais Shawl – maybe in Marshmallow?

Perhaps this blog will document my progress to becoming an actual accomplished knitter? I’m doubtful, but who knows.