My Happy Things Friday

Hi, Elisabeth, you have inspired me again to look for happy things!

• My friend Mary Ellen gave me a lovely bar of soap as part of my Christmas gifts, and I liked it so much I ordered more from the same place, Center Street Soap. It's lovely! It feels smooth, smells nice (but without lingering so that I smell it actively all day long, I don't like that), and the bars are even aesthetically appealing. Pretty!

I bought a sampler pack, what they call travel size. Isn't it clever of them to use their ends this way? And I get to try lots of different ones. Win win.

Pretty bars.

And pretty packaging.

They also sent a few samples!

• Next thing making me happy: the right tools for the job. I've been happy with the shawl I'm knitting, but I got notably happier when I changed two things.
  I use interchangeable needles when I'm making a project like this that will grow. The only needles that I had in the size I needed were dark green, which is not ideal with a darker yarn, and the short cord I used was black, not ideal for counting stitches in that dark yarn, especially in low light.

So I ordered a set of light-colored needle tips, and switched to a longer orange cord.

So much easier to see! I was enjoying the project before, but it feels even better with the right tools.

• Stretching and movement: About 18 months ago, I joined the online stretch class that I learned about from NGS, which is a simple, 15-minute stretch class three days a week on Zoom; the healthcare system that runs it is in Wisconsin, but they let me in! I do think it helps me get a little more limber and flexible, but the other thing it does is make me think about other opportunities in my day for movement. I drink a lot of water, so I can move around while filling my water bottle: it's only a minute, but every little bit helps. Similarly, when I get in the shower it takes a minute or two for the water to warm up, might as well be fidgeting in that time! I've just started another video class, a chair yoga session, so we'll see if that sticks with me. But it makes me glad that I'm trying to do this, since I gave up on the water aerobics for now.
• Maybe I shouldn't be happy about this one, since it's not a great story, but the end of it does amuse me. This story was in the paper recently, about a lawmaker whose outfit was photoshopped by a news station:

They tried to claim that the changes were made by "automation by Photoshop" and Adobe was like, oh honey, no we did not. When Adobe is countering your argument? I have to laugh.

• Also liking: cardigans and zip-up sweatshirts... because they are easier to whip off* when I have a hot flash than over-the-head sweaters/sweatshirts...

*I am already so, so tired of taking layers off and putting them back on, again and again, words cannot express.

•  ...and wool clothing, because it doesn't get soggy and smelly when I sweat (sorry, that sounds gross, but you know, here I am, keeping it real in hot flash city). I have a couple of Woolx shirts already, and just got another one (thank you, eBay, where they aren't cheap but aren't list price either). It hangs better on me than on the hanger, I do think.

A friend has also recommended the Wool& brand, so I'm looking into those as well. They're the ones who do the 100 Day Dress Challenge, if you've heard about that. I haven't yet dug deeply into how well they do on plus sizes; I see they have some, but maybe not much? At least in stock right now?

If you're thinking of wool as stiff and itchy, you need to check out what they can do now. Soft, light, and breathable. You also don't have to wash it every time you wear it, either, since it doesn't get all rumpled and doesn't smell bad. Try that with a cotton shirt in Florida. What I have found is: it's not cheap, but it can be worth it. I want to get some leggings, too. And maybe a nightshirt, as I've been sleeping in one of the shirts I have.

In my experience, it's easier to shop by brand than to look just for wool, in part because that will bring up everything with 5% wool, or that is described as "wooly" but not actually wool. (Also, word of warning on eBay, I'm seeing a lot of listings that say shipping from China.) So if you have any brands to recommend, let me know!

• One last thing that's helping with menopause: I dug out a fan to use when, for example, I have a cat on a blanket on my lap and get a hot flash (which tests my love for Maggie on my lap, for sure). I bought this fan from a vendor at a market in Hawaii in 2006: she was sitting in the tent, weaving these and hats.

It has held up remarkably well. Very flexible, gives a good breeze.

What's making you happy today?