Just some words...
I couldn't sleep last night. The past week's work schedule was different than usual, and I've had trouble sleeping all week. I'm thankful that I'll be back to my regular schedule this week!
While I was lying there, sleepless, I was thinking of some young women I've known who have made questionable decisions regarding the men in their lives. It makes me sad...but these words came into my mind, and I posted them on Facebook. They've received some positive attention, so I'll re-post them here:
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This is on my mind tonight... To all of the young women I know:
Ladies, you are as strong as you want to be. There are men out there in this big old crazy world who are smart and strong and good, who behave and dress like grown men instead of like juvenile gangsta-wanna-bees, who have aspirations in life beyond getting a minimum-wage job, who will love, respect, and support you, who won't abuse you physically, verbally, or emotionally, who don't need drugs or alcohol to have a good time, who don't believe that they are men just because they can grow a beard and procreate, who can speak and maybe even write intelligently and can express their emotions without foul language, who will be good fathers and will set a good example for their children, who will be admired and respected by others and who will only improve with age. 
If you settle for a man who is none of these things, you are telling all men that this is all you want, that it is all you deserve, all you are worth, and all you expect of them. 
Ladies, hold yourselves and your men to higher standards. Perhaps they will endeavor to live up to your expectations. They are out there, I promise you, and YOU are worth the wait.
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I doubt that anyone will make any life changes because of my words, but I just had to share them. I'd say something very similar to the young men that I know, about the women they're choosing, but I know they wouldn't listen, either. I wouldn't have listened when I was their age...

:o) 

So, knitting. I have been slacking off and not knitting as much as usual since dropping out of Sock Madness, but these are done:

"Hit the Road" socks

...and I love them. They were inspired by a pattern in Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush.  The original pattern would have resulted in something like this:

Illustration from Knitting on the Road, "The Road to Oslo" © Nancy Bush

I doubled the length of the leg and added a repeat of the cuff pattern to the foot in order to better show off the lovely stranded colorwork, used a different ribbing pattern than the one in the original, worked the heel flaps in two-color Eye of Partridge stitch, and used the red yarn to turn the heel. The yarn is gray Opal, from Germany, and the red is a mystery yarn that I found in my stash.
I think these are some of the prettiest socks I've ever knit! Knitting on the Road is one of the first books I bought when I was learning to knit socks. I've flipped through the pages many times, and it has often served as inspiration, but I think "The Road to Oslo" is the first pattern I've knit from it.
I've cast on a couple of pair of tiny baby socks, just for knitting when I don't want to have to think too hard. There are always babies being born, and I'd like to start having some little knitted things on hand for gifts. I'm knitting all four socks at one time on two circular needles.
It is full-on summer here. The mulberries are ripe, day lilies and spiderwort are blooming, blackberries and raspberries are growing, the fireflies (AND mosquitos!) are out every evening, and it's hot outside! I've spent a lot of time already just floating in our small swimming pool to relax at the end of the day. All of our lawn mowers have died, and we will be replacing them shortly...no, I did not break them! They are just old, worn out, and deserving of retirement. The yard is looking a big shaggy, but it will get better soon.

That's all I have for today. Be well. Be strong. Be happy.