It's still growing

 I've mostly been working on the blue shawl of the bamboo yarn (colorway called "Egyptian stucco," the yarn itself is Auxanometer by Theodora's Purls

 The pattern is Syyslaulu (I always have to look up the name, I think it's Finnish) by Heidi Alander. So far it's just garter with increases at the start of every right side row but once it's big enough, there's a wide band of lace that finishes it up. 

Two things I forgot from yesterday: first, it's high summer here, the dog-day cicadas are definitely out. I took a short video outside of the yarn shop with all the noise. It's okay right now but I admit by September I'm REALLY tired of hearing cicadas. 

 Also, at the museum, the second docent I talked to (he was the one who I paid for the gift shop items) was a graduate of my university. He said he recognized me even though he never had me for class, but then he named his wife and a good friend of his and I recognized both their names - I had the friend in several of my classes. Not totally a small world because the museum is only about 40 miles from here, a lot of our students live in Sherman (and my car was the only one in the lot without a Texas tag, and I was the only visitor to the museum, so I'm guessing he lives in Sherman. But still, it's nice to be remembered by former students. 

I'm thinking of maybe trying the local museum (smaller, and just local history) and maybe Fort Washita (an unusual fort: it was established to "protect" the Choctaw and Chickasaw people who were essentially forcibly moved here from Anglos who might come for their land or go after them). I think part of it is this summer I'm alone in my head too much, and I also need to "learn" stuff that's not related to either teaching or research, like, my brain needs that. (And yes, I read, but there's something about the seeing-reading-walking around that makes it better at a museum). There's also a museum of Native American art on my campus, I should go there some afternoon when they are open.

But based on how much the trip yesterday improved my mood, maybe I do need to plan something like that every week for what remains of the summer.