My Pod 2

A Lot has Happpened and Big Changes Afoot.

2010-09-08T07:30:00.002-04:00

Its really hard to know where to begin. There we were, my boys and I, enjoying our vacation by the sea when all hell broke loose and our lives changed.

I am not dishing out dirty details which enough people know and noone else really needs to know. Suffice to say that the problems of the past few months came to a crisis point while I was away and now our lives will never be quite the same.

Here is the story without gory details:

Imagine how it feels to work very very hard for a company that had a good reputation. Imagine that while working there you notice things. Things of a not so savory nature. Things like taking advantage of customer/clients, fraud, misrep-resentation, falsifying of documents etc . Stuff like that. What would you do? Imagine too that you are a person with a strong sense of right and wrong and ethics and honour....this is important in our imaginings because a lesser person may have just pretended not to notice things. May have just turned a blind eye.

Imagine that at first our upright citizen thinks that its honest mistakes and tries to correct it through the proper channels. Then he sees that they aren't HONEST mistakes but deliberate. Then he tries to effect change from within, which makes him unpopular with his bosses. He champions his clients and THEIR clients but he is ONE person between them and the corporate machine. Imagine, again, how this must feel. The stress. The worry. Over time it has a crippling effect as bosses say one thing but in fact ok the doing of other things. Imagine that you point out that customers are losing/being taken advantage of due to changes in policy and your "superiors" tell you that this was an expected side effect, that they would knowingly rip people off. How would you, as an honest person, deal with this?

In our scenario, the Honest Man informed these clients via a mass mail out that their products were expiring due to lack of representation, according to the company records. He included a trusted contact in that letter incase they wanted to prevent their losses. He tried to protect customers against losing money and protection. Many responded with gratitude, not knowing that their representative was gone and they were glad to save their products they'd spent so much on.

Unfortunately, some of these clients DID have representation but it wasn't in the records and one of these brokers got very PO'ed and thought that the company and the Honest Man were trying to steal his clients. The company wasn't happy about this OR the fact that their negligence had been brought to light. Our Honest Man had since left the company's employ and was exploring the possibility of creating a business with his friend, the trusted contact he'd suggested to the clients. Just when things were finally looking brighter for our Honest Man, the Doom came.

Allegations were being made about his actions. Suggestions were made that he'd acted to benefit himself. A complaint was lodged with a regulating body and an investigation commenced. While this investigation took place however, the Honest Man could not continue building and working on the business he'd so hoped to vreate as a way to provide for his family. His stress levels and anxiety for the future grew and grew. He told the regulators his side of the story and provided documented proof of the company's actions. The 'investigation' dragged on for 2 full months. The Honest Man appealed to a government official to look into the case and make sure the regulators were not being influenced by the huge corporation.

Then the investigation was finished and the regulators decided that the Honest Man was wrong to have chosen loyalty to the law and what's right over loyalty to the Company. Their letter insinuated that he should have turned a blind eye to the illegalities.

The Honest Man was crushed. Those in charge of protecting the public against Corporate wrong doing had found in favor of those doing wrong rather than he who'd been trying to defend and protect the victims. His reputation as a good and honourable person was now besmirched on the public record and the Company was laying liability of their actions at his door when they were sued. It was all too much. Betrayed by the Company, the industry, the regulators and the government, the Honest Man fell into the very deepest despair.

Isn't that a tale? Would make one hell of a novel for ol' Johnny Grisham, wouldn't it? This stuff could never happen in real life could it??! It must be some sort of crazy delusion of conspiracy theory.

Except that in the fiction there would probably be some sort of happy ending where the Company and Regulators and government officials get theirs and Our Hero, the Honest man, is validated and vindicated and everybody good lives happily ever after. In real life, we could only wish that this would happen.

As a result of that deepest darkest despair, my Honest man and I have decided to put some distance between us and the hateful mess. For the health and well being of our family unit, We are pulling up stakes and heading East to go back to a simpler life. Working to live rather than living for the career. We are making drastic changes, including the move, such as down sizing our possessions to fit into a smaller accomodation, looking for lower income employment because it offers less responibility than management did and also because thats all there is in the small town world we are relocating to. Let someone else save the fucking world. We will save ourselves, thank you very much.

Its been 5 years in this place. 5 years of his hard work and we did have some good times! That job was wonderful in so many ways. He found it challenging, never dull, exhilerating by times and he believed in what the industry offered people and did his best for his clients so that they could do their best for theirs. We met wonderful people and had adventures we never could have had if it hadn't been for his position. Our house, while messy and chaotic, is our dream home and we had such plans for it even though we never intended for it to be our last house. We just didn't envision leaving it under such a cloud of misery.

Yet, as the great lyricist said, "every dark tunnel has a light of hope, so don't hang yourself with a celibate rope". There is joy in this move. Small town life is good. Being close to family and support again is VERY good. Changing our focus to simple pleasures and loving rather than having them secondary to achieving is also good. We are bustin' a move toward happiness again.

May you be happy and healthy and have what you need. See you on the other side.

Nova Scotia

2010-08-18T01:50:00.002-04:00

Hello from wonderful Nova Scotia! The boys and I drove here on Thursday last and have been enjoying as much as we can of the beaches and our wonderful friends and family.We were blessed with sunshine for the first 4 days of our visit and managed to do 5 beaches in 3 days! By Monday Cam flat out refused to even consider a beach outing, claiming he was "beached out". So we went shopping!
You just can't beat Guy's Frenchies, the best thrift store shopping ever! I went into the nearest one, hoping for some pants for the fast growing Thing 2, and came out 58 dollars poorer and his wardrobe quite enhanced ( manly terry bathrobes for both boys, 1 pair jeans, one pair cords, one pair Tony Hawk cargo shorts, several shirts for Cam and at least 2 for Ben). I also got a couple of tops for the cooler weather for myself (4). And a couple of books (3). Beat that retail stores!

Tuesday, which is still today in my head, we went to visit my mom and dad. I timed it to send the boys to a movie while I went to pick up my mom and together she and I went to the home. Dad's been moved now, for a couple weeks almost I think, to the more secure but much more enfeebled infirmary wing. It smells like pee. Its noisy with various yowlings and hacking coughs etc. When we arrived, the nurse dad was speaking to pointed us out to him as we approached but we didn't really register with him. He continued to mutter and ramble at the nurse and gradually we eased him away to get changed from his soiled pj's to clean ones. Then we managed to coax him into a wheelchair because walking was tiring him, and took him outside for fresh air and a turn or twenty around the gardens. Through it all he continued to be fairly incoherant. I would make comments on what was there and he commented on what he percieved and if we were lucky it might be the same thing. Yet, for all that he was more or less content. His eyes were bothering him so he tried eating supper with his eyes closed, with some assistance from me. At this point I had to pick the boys up so we said our goodbyes, which didn't much register with Dad. Mom, as usual, tried to force his attention but can't seem to understand that it doesn't work or why it doesn't. Its not a willful thing. Taking his face and turning him to face her, eye to eye , and speaking firmly as if to a child does not work and usually agitates him. Trying the same method to get a kiss goodbye while he is focusing on his supper is also doomed to failure. She still does it though. I was content to kiss his head and offer a gentle hug that didn't interfere with his dinner attention and a heartfelt "I love you, daddy" to which he actually replied with a a lovely response, though I'm not sure he meant it for me, since I'm not 100% sure he knew who I was.

We left and retrieved my boys and took mom to the grocery store where she got disoriented as to what aisle the tissue paper prducts were in. Rather than take my suggestion that we try the next aisle she chose to ask a store employee where the Kleenex was. He jovially answered that the paper products were in the next aisle. She then insisted taht they'd been moved from the aisle we were in and where she was sure she always bought it. His confused yet eager to help expression and answer to the negative that no, they hadn't been moved, kind of clued Mom in that she was wrong. Once we reminded her what we were there for again(diabetic vanilla Boost and Kleenex), she was ok again. I got her a cold rotisserie chicken plate for dinner thinking it would be more substantial that the leftover soup she was planning to have. Then we took Mom home.

I know its wrong but I can hardly stand to be around her, at least in her house. I know she wanted us to stay longer and for supper but the idea of it made my skin crawl. I spent my teen years in that house, and they were not terrible by any means, but now as an adult it makes me claustrophobic. The nictine stained walls and ceiling, the smells of air fresheners and the like OVER the stink of 30 years of cigarettes nauseates me, and after the mice incident from my last visit ...!? My usually mild germ phobia rears its ugly head. ( my house maybe untidy and carry its own patina of grime but I also disinfect quite a bit. I go through a lot of environmentally unfriendly and possibly toxic disinfecting wipes and a fair bit of bleach in the run of a month thanks to my better-than-it-used-to-be germ issue. And hand soap...but I digress).

I am so gonna go to hell for not being more tolerant of my elderly Mother.

I need some more beach time I think. Hello, Clam Harbour this weekend!

Thursday

2010-08-05T22:04:00.003-04:00

Gratuitous Hippopotamus shots because they were my favourite part of Granby Zoo. LOVE!

What a week. Not in a bad way, mind you. I got my shop on at a couple of thrift stores which led to getting my shop on in the hardware store....you know how it is.

On Tuesday I decided that I was going back to a thrift store I visited last week to grab the rattan shelving unit I saw for 20 bucks. It was seriously fugly with its incorporated wine rack (donations welcome...maybe a nice merlot?) and had been partially painted with an ivory flat latex. The horror...the wine rack hadn't been painted and the paint job itself was very bad. 6 cans of gloss ivory coloured spray paint later, its much cleaner looking and will be holding all of my crafting books and some assorted crafting stuffs (needles, iron, sewing basket etc) in my craft space/"studio" in the basdement family room. I'm very excited because gradually I have been hauling all my yarn and crap downstairs and for the first time in perhaps my life, all my craft stuffs will have a central location. This is MY place and the rest have been warned on pain of death to keep out. There is still some hauling and organising to be done but its shaping up and making me happy. Pictures will come eventually.

Next week I am heading East! SO EXCITED. I hope we have good weather while we are there because I need some beach time.

Lets see, what else....I have more duties with the yarn company I work for now and thats fun and new. No new escapes for Da. Miss Kitty comes home all the time now that Mouche is gone (did I mention that? Mouche had to go because of his treatment of Miss Kitty. Now she comes and goes as before and it makes me so happy that she is actually coming back home again as opposed to hanging around other people's houses). Pippin was neutered today and needs to have his urine tested to check for crystals. I am waiting for him to gimme a sample (eeeew)so I can run it to the vets tomorrow. I got an awesome deal on a big book about textiles for beginners (how to knit, crochet, weave, felt, and quilt. It was regularly 19.99(UK) but I got it for $10 Canadian. Schweet! I went back the next day to nab the last copy for my lovely friend and fellow enthusiast Barb.

The upstairs bathroom is FINALLY finished. Check out the photos above! So much prettier than its former self.

The nightmare of the last two months seems to be "almost" over. It has to do with Hman's old job and his new career plans and how things are NOT going well thanks to some hiccups and monkey wrenches caused by his old job. We were told yesterday that the issues may be resolved "soon", but don't know whether it will be a resolution in our favour. Yet, that light at the end of the tunnel is glimpsed and we are trying to keep it together and prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Just knowing its soon over is heartening. Its more than we knew before (we have been seriously stressed over how long this was going to go on...6 months? A year? yet, how long a wait is this "soon"?). To all of my friends and family that have been my shoulders to cry on, sounding boards, and support I want to say thank you very much. I hope I can be as supportive and soothing as you all have been.

My Da's Famous Now

2010-07-30T10:20:00.002-04:00

Dad moved into his new digs at the home on Saturday with the aid of my Wunder-Sistah and her husband. It was all so new and a tad confusing for him. He does like his new comfy chair and does spend time in the lounge with the other residents. There have been a few "getting settled" issues but the staff is used to things like that and all in all Da is doing fine.

However, one incident has made Da the home "celebrity" amongst the staffers. Maybe I should say he's become "infamous" rather than "famous".

On Da's 3rd day in residence, the home recieved a phone call. "Do you have a resident by the name of R******S*****?"
"Why yes we do! Please hold and I will transfer your call."
"No, don't bother. I just wanted to make sure that this is where he belongs."
"???"
"Yes, he's over here at the hospital on the 5th floor where he was living before his transfer."
"!!!!!!!!!!"

And then mild panic ensued, I am sure. Dad was returned to the home, safe and sound and cheerful after his unsanctioned visit to his former nurses and an emergency staff meeting was held to discuss the security breach that is my Da. It was debated whether to move him to a more secure area in the home but that would remove him from the other more active residents and stick him in the area where the more bedridden etc are located. His nurses stood up for him though, stating that it was only his
3rd day and that he deserved more time to settle in and learn the rules etc. Their wiser heads prevailed and Da stays put for now with an extra set of eyes watching to make sure he doesn't walk out the front door alone again.

Thanks to the incident, though, EVERYONE that works there knows who he is. He's both baffled and chuffed as to how all these nice people know him. He is greeted cheerfully by name as he walks the halls to this or that destination or when he is encountered by any staffer. "How does everyone here know me?" he has wondered to my sister.

I'm sure it was quite serious on Monday but now all we can do is laugh at our Dad the famous escapee .

Fridayness

2010-07-23T16:45:00.002-04:00

Today, for the second time this week, I've had trouble using my debit card. It happened at grocery stores both times and I had to whip out the credit card to save the day. This time however I went to my bank to see what was wrong with my account/card. Turns out, that I'd used my card somewhere that was cloning cards!!! GASP! I've been wracking my brain to remember if I'd used my card in a shady place of business lately..a questionable depanneur maybe? Anyways, the bank said I just had to change my PIN and all would be well. WHEW!

Dad is moving tomorrow! My sister tried to get my brothers to lend a hand because at a thrift store she got Dad a nice easy/armchair for his room. Apparently my brothers are too busy. I could just SCREAM and its all I can do to keep myself from calling them to bawl them out for having their heads so far up their own arses. Anyways, one way or another she will get the chair and herself to the place on time to check Dad out of the hospital and into the home and try to have him settled in comfortably. Thank goodness her husband is around to lend a hand. If I could afford the air fare.... I haven't been able to leave the guys for a trip back since April.

Our big family outing for the month was a trip to Granby Zoo. It was exausting trudging around all afternoon but I loved the hippos so it was worth it! They are so cool. Now, its not ONLY a zoo...there is a small water park with two wave pools, a lazy river ride on tubes, and some other assorted bits and bobs AND a small amusement park with a mini roller coaster, ferris wheel and games of chance etc. There are restaurants and canteens to get your munch or drink on and lots of places to have a wee rest. If we ever go again I'd like to spend the night before at a motel in the vicinity so that we could get there earlier. Its an hour and a half away from our home. Next month we have our trip east scheduled and a promise was made for a day at La Ronde in August.
I have the first sock of my second pair nearly done of the 6 I committed myself to for Romanian orphans.

News

2010-07-21T20:27:00.002-04:00

As anyone who reads here knows, my Dad was stricken with quick onset dementia with delirium this winter. We'd noticed the cogs were slipping a wee bit over the last year or so...just little things here and there..but then the whole train seemed to leave the tracks over the span of a few weeks and Whoa Nelly! that was hard. The delirium was due to an undetected infection and over time has eased and now Dad usually recognises his family and no longer thinks he's being held prisoner by criminals on a boat.

My sister has been handling EVERYTHING for Dad. Doctor's, paper work, financials, lawyers...you name it she handles it. She's my hero.

So, since February Dad has been hospitalised because he is no longer able to live at home safely. Last week the call came that he is going to move into the local long term facility! My devoted sister went to our home town yesterday and dealt with the paper work and information. She got to visit the room waiting for Dad and see how his life is going to change from such limited freedom in a hospital situation to a much more social and active small community. The TV and socialising lounge is right next door to his room and the dining hall is a short walk down the hall. The activities they engage in there range anywhere from trips to the Mall to soft exercise sessions. He will have a roomate but their room is spacious enough that we could get Dad a comfy armchair for having some peace and quiet in his room if he's not up to being sociable. This is going to be so much BETTER for him than how he's been living the last few months that I am really excited for him.

Its a big adaptation for him, though. The support staff at Glen Haven seems to have thought of just about everything to ease his transition from hospital to home facility and I think that he might be able to enjoy himself given the chance.

Mom won't need to do his laundry anymore either once he's moved in since its all done in house, so thats a bonus too. I can't wait to visit Dad in August and see his new digs. Maybe I can challenge him to something on the lounge's Wii!

Tuesday in July.

2010-07-20T15:49:00.002-04:00

So far its been a beautiful day for weather and somewhat productive. I did errands while waiting for a kid in tennis lessons. I have spaghetti sauce in the slow cooker and ingredients to make my version of shish taouk. Miss Kitty pee'd behind the washer again and thats been cleaned and I bought some enzyme odour remover stuff so it won't stink up the joint.

I started editting a manuscript for a friend. I am not an expert, nor do I play one on TV, but I did major in English at University and I remember enough to know when a sentence doesn't work properly. If only I had one of those memories that actually stores useful stuff like the rules of grammar and punctuation. I can say something isn't right but can't give a good reason why. I'm running more on instinct here I guess. So far my pencil and highlighters have been busy.

The beds have been switched around and now the old bunk bed frame (minus a rail)is serving as a shelving unit for my totes of yarn and fabric. Not all of the yarn has been moved nor have my books as I need a bookcase to put them away in. I hope to find one cheapish at the thrift store. I don't want that space that I have carved out to be overwhelmed in clutter like its predecessor(s). The key will be having enough storage to put things away. Places for my things and things put in their place.

Summer is slithering by. We hope to get to Granby this week and take in the zoo. The kids will love the water park. Next month has a trip East scheduled and possibly a day at La Ronde.

I hope everyone is having some fun this summer.

Trying not to take it personally....trying....

2010-07-14T13:22:00.002-04:00

I have lived away from my friends and family for 5 long years now. We get back east fairly often and try hard to fit people in to our visits. Most folk cannot come visit due to finances and work schedules etc and we get that and accept it. What I get hurt by is those that can fit any other trip or event into their very busy lives and budgets, but yet never ever have yet made the attempt to reciprocate a visit here despite numerous invitations and their "Oh i would love to be able to come visit...maybe next summer" comments.

I am trying very hard not to be hurt or take it personally. I am trying to be a grown up about it. Yet, when you are repeatedly NOT a priority in loved ones lives, it really hurts. Alot.

I must be PMSing to even give a shit.

Holy Frak its July!

2010-07-12T11:57:00.002-04:00

I have become so remiss in posting its pathetic. I blame Facebook and Twitter. And the fact that I am so boring and have very little to write about.

HEATWAVE!! Last week we had a heat wave. It was nasty but I was able to refrain from killing anyone in my house. Much jumping into the pool. THANK all deities that we have a pool!!!! In NS, I could handle heat by going to the shore . Here in the land of lakes and rivers, there's no icy cold ocean to cool off in so I am grateful as hell for a pool. Even if it is heating up at an alarming rate.

KNITTING: I keep messing up the buttonholes of the Kria sweater and I am too hot to settle in and fight it right now. Instead I have started some baby things for a baby I know is due in October or November. Then yesterday I came across a charity knitting plea on Ravelry for orphans and Gypsy children and mothers in Romania. There are some very small socks and mittens needed and I may volunteer some handknits. Small and fast. After a sweater I need quick gratification, even if the bugger isn't finished yet. SOON! It's only 7 rows, armpit weaving, and washing/blocking from being finished! But i keep screwing up the damn holes.

OTHER CRAFTS: I have a serious problem with this now. For years I have admired handmade pincusions in all their adorable forms and now I am gathering the materials to start making some. Why? Because they keep calling to me!!! Sew us! Stuff us!! Make us!!!! What am I supposed to do with them then???? I only have so many sewing friends that would appreciate the time and energy and cuteness of a pincusion. I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

Then there's the quilting: now at a standstill because my machine is in the shop for a tune up. I managed to find fabric to finish the blue and yellow log cabin quilt top on Friday, oh happy day. I also have enough fabric to get a good start on the pink quilt scheduled for after the yellow /blue. Meanwhile I embroider and work on baby knits and avoid my housework.

As usual!! lol

End times????

2010-06-28T23:02:00.003-04:00

What a freaking few days it has been! First off, the other day we had an earth quake. Today, funnel cloud over the West Island. Also last week a tornado touched down in Ontario, same day as earthquake I think. WTF! There is a reason I do not live south of the border...ok...many reasons...and two of them are earthquakes and tornados. You all need to keep that shit down there where its expected.

Between crazy weather, earth quivers, and oily oceans I am really starting to wonder if that friggin' Mayan calendar was right. Maybe I should just hide under my bed until things settle down and its January 2013...except its nasty under there and its way too humid to even think of making the effort.

Speaking of efforts, my quilt is at a stand still until I buy fabric and get my machine tuned up AGAIN. Today's crazy mini hurricane blew down my bean trellis so I have to put it back together tomorrow and secure it somehow. I steeked my Kria sweater project and because of my effed up sewing machine, the machine stitching broke and let go in places and I had to do a crochet reinforcement that looks like total ASS and I am not sure some of the loose ends won't let go along the steek line. My formerly soothing p[ractice of embroidery has turned on me because for some reason the cosmic forces will NOT allow me to create a frikkin' French Knot no matter how hard I try and re-read the instructions. You'd think i was trying build a rocket or something, but those damn knots just will not knot!!! ARGH!

And its not even July yet....wow. It may prove to be one pippin sansy of a summer!!

PS: does anyone know how to keep spammy commenters at bay?

Summertiiime, and the livin' is...sweaty

2010-06-24T11:42:00.002-04:00

We have high humidity the last couple days and while the temps are not extreme, they feel very squishy and sweaty. Bleah. I do NOT like to sweat. I think I would be very happy living up north in the chillier lands but the gardening would not be so nice.

Was wakened from the last of my sleeping in of the day by screaming cats and flying fur in my bed. Not pleasant at all. Mouche had attacked Miss Kitty while she and I were sleeping. This is just getting nerve wracking, this hate he has for her. I have a spray bottle now for when he gets near her in the living room, where she usually hangs out. How can such a sweet lovable Mouchey guy who plays with a kitten so nicely, be such a turd to my poor old lady cat. She actually tried to run away this week but the neighbors whose house she was lurking around brought her home (after I'd given her up for gone having checked the shelter for her to no avail), thats how much he's getting on her nerves. At least by keeping HER in the house (oh she is NOT pleased)we can protect her more while this sorts itself out. But WILL it? sigh. I don't want to send Mouche away but if he doesn't cut the shit it may come down to that.

I haven't been knitting much except for apple cores for the AppleCore Blanket pattern. These things are addictive...fast(now that I've memorised the pattern), light, uses leftovers (except that I also bought yarn for them which wasn't supposed to happen), did I mention fast? Practically instant gratification, knitting wise. Besides this I have been re-introducing myself to embroidery. O.M.G. This is a very soothing occupation. I find myself getting lost in the simple stitches I am using for my first project in YEARS!!!! Its a spray of wild roses on unbleached fine cotton for a quilt I have in mind for my grand neice Annika. But first I need to finish the lingering blue and yellow log cabin quilt thats been on the go for about 8 years. Its been going much faster in recent months but is currently lingering on my dining room table and serving as a cat mat. LOL Both Mouche and Pippin love sprawling out on it for a snooze.

We are on our second FULL day of vacation here and while the urge to kill has not risen sharply, there are moment when I understand why wild animals will sometimes eat their young. The squabbling brought on by constant association with one another....the sassing back.....the whining.....the tantrums.... I need some good earplugs and some stronger drugs to withstand the next 2 months.

Kitten naming redux

2010-06-21T21:20:00.002-04:00

The name "Sansy" just has not been a hit. It just doesn't roll off the tongue and the guys were resistant. The hunt for a name never ended, even after he'd been named. I guess we knew it wasn't THE name for this complex individual. Today we were trying Jasper because the balck stripes on his face remind me of the polished stone but it wasn't it either.

Kate the Enabler suggested Peregrine, as in Peregrine Took aka Pippin from LOTR and I think we have our name. Fun loving, mischievous, lovable, sweet, curious, troublemaking FOOL OF A TOOK! We have our name and it is Pippin.

Perturbation

2010-06-17T20:07:00.002-04:00

We are very perturbed here. The pump on our washer is finished and needs replacing. Cost is, as yet, unknown until repair dude calls with the quote. Having him tell us what we already knew cost us over 70$.

Yup..perturbation. We have it. Don't think we'll go blind from it though.

The saving graces of hobbying

2010-06-17T09:56:00.002-04:00

I don't understand people that don't have a passtime or hobby interest. What do they do in their spare time???? What do they dream and plan and hope for? To me its just weird and seems like a very empty existance. Also, those people that I have know with no "interest" or "hobby" are very unhappy people.

Now, that said, there are those of us who may or may not have what some consider TOO MANY hobbies or interests and are these people really much happier than those with none? maybe not because they never seem to get anything done. A balance must be struck.

All this to say that I am GLAD I have something to do and live for besides whining and navel gazing. To whit, I segue to the garden and its goin's on. And it does have it goin' on.

This year I used seeds for German Giant radishes and I have had THE BEST radishes ever. Yearly I bitch and moan about how mine never do well for such an easily grown vegetable. Not this year. I am in ecstacies over my yield and the quality. Its German Giant from now on in this garden! Woo hoo!

The spinach is ready to be picked as are the "baby"salad greens. They are lush from the recent rains. The shelling peas continue to dawdle along. They are so hard to wait for after growing snow peas.

Something ate off all my bean seedlings again this year. I think its a neighborhood squirrel or something from how they were nipped of at the top over night leaving nothing but a stem. Something else nommed away all my watermelons but one poor plant. I think it was slugs or some type of bug. Nothing is hurting the last plant...weird.

Yesterday, 6 tomato plants were set into their summer homes. 3 Superfantastic and 3 Principe Borghese to be trellised against the shed wall. After that I started setting in the peppers and it began to rain. I got 12 in, I think, before I gave it up. I also popped in my 3 cucumber seedlings and ringed them heavily with ground coffee for protection from evil bugs/slugs/snails.

Next up for plantings, more radishes and peas and a replanting of the bush beans. Maybe another watermelon or two as well.

See? How can a person not find solace from the everyday blahs of life without a passtime?? Once my washer is fixed I will be hitting the quilt doings again.

Because Kitties Make Things less Crappy

2010-06-14T20:04:00.002-04:00

And thats what get's me through...most days.

Just when you think everythings ok....

2010-06-09T17:28:00.003-04:00

...A letter arrives to throw everything back into the misery it was 3 months ago. ARGH!!!

Anyway, just a note to say we've hit a new patch of pain in the ass. Things were going so well too!! Thats what upsets me most. Life was getting bacxk onto an even keel, we were free from the corporation, new opportunities had arisen....and now corporation is being bitchy. Its like they missed having someone to pick on so they decided to ring our bells for some shits and giggles.

In the perfect world that I envision this will simply be a pain in the ass and will be resolved in our favour because right is right and thats it. Unfortunately, in the real world, you do something you think is right and you get smacked down for it because someone with the power is suspicious of motives and just can't leave something alone. It doesn't matter that you didn't do anything wrong. You've made them look bad/ineffective/stupid/negligent and now you must pay.

Pray for me because my nerves have just about had it.

Pleased.

2010-06-06T12:51:00.002-04:00

I wish I had a photo to accompany this post. I will later cuz Ben just took one.

I am pleased as punch to announce that the nameless kitten has a name now. It came to me as I was facebooking about doing nothing with the kitten on the sofa...again. I referred to him as le petit Monsieur Sans Nom (The little Mr. No Name) and it hit me right then....Sansy. I will pronounce it with an accent to both be pretentious and creative, so its said like this : Sahwn-zee.

Voila...he has a name and it is Sansy. YAY!!!

The 5th of June

2010-06-05T15:14:00.002-04:00

Its a pretty low key day here. Its over cast and not terribly hot. The Hman is gone fishing for the weekend and the kids are gaming with a pal downstairs.

I've had a week of pinched nerve in my left shoulder but feel on the mend thanks to my teriffic chiropractor. I have a contract to finish up this week, so I have been working from home as well as at an office in Montreal on some text writing. Its been a more difficult task than the last time.

Last Sunday I brought home the wee tawny tabby with white kitten that I'd committed to before Mouche came along. He is adorable and lovable and cuddly as all get out. Yet, he is still Nameless. Nothing monikeristic is coming out and sticking to him. It is bugging the shit out of me. Have I mentioned his adorability? I think I could just walk around with him around my neck all day. He is always near by, especially if we are on the sofa. If not then he's racing through the house and up the cat tree, soon to be back with the humans on the sofa. Like today...he and I have been couch potatoes for ages. If I get up, he tends to follow, do whatever, and if I go back then he comes back too. Last night he kept me company while I watched The Wolman from the basement sofa. Such a sleepy cuddly wee baby. 11 weeks old now. Still without a name. I've tried everything. It'll come eventually I guess.

Thats about it for us this week. So boring!!

Almost June!

2010-05-22T10:59:00.002-04:00

I cannot get over how FAST time is flying by. 2010 is like an eyeblink...sure there was a lot of shittyness to the beginning of it but its still moving at warp speed towards 2011! It's almost June for cryin' out loud!

Almost June means almost summer and almost summer means almost end of school and we all know what that means.

My going insane with The Bickerson twins. Oh yes. Its already started lately. Thing One and Thing 2 annoy the crap out of one another until one breaks and starts screaming or hitting. I won't lie. Its usually Thing 2 annoying and Thing One screaming. Like nails on a chalk board no matter how deep the voice is getting.

So, facing a summer of madness brings up the lovely debates on day camps. They are 11 and 13...they are getting a bit long in the tooth for day camps so we need to search out ones that cater to an older crowd. Did I mention that only one is open to the idea? Yeah. Fun.

In other dealings, summer's approach means the semi-annual changing of the wardrobe and this year mine sucks. Between what I am disposing of from winter and that which does not fit etc for summer, I have trasg bags of clothing to donate and nothing to wear that can be seen outside the home. This has brought also the annual delusion that I can sew myself some stuff. How hard can it be?

There in itself is my red flag. Whenever that phrse "how hard can it be?" comes up, I have been training myself to STOP and back away from the idea. Tiling my kitchen floor on the farm? It was very hard for such a simple thing. And apparently I can't even buy a pattern in the right SIZE let alone sew it.

Yesterday while out with T2, we went to Fabricville. Things may have gone better had I been alone and able to focus solely on the task at hand rather than constantly trip over my sidekick and answer his questions about how much longer this was going to take. They really need to install a waiting area in these stores so I can park a male with a book and say I'll be back in awhile, don't leave thios area.
Thus, I ended up with a misleading pattern that in NUMBER was the right size but in actual measurments was NOT. I discovered this while pinning the pattern pieces on my fabric last night.

To all my friends who find sewing so relaxing and soothing, I THINK YOU ARE MAD!! Nothing frustrates me and makes me cry quite so much as sewing. I contantly fuck up, mis-read instructions, buy the wrong size(this one's new actually), run a needle through a digit, break needles, mis cut, mis measure...you name it. Anything that I can screw up in sewing, I do. So why do I even try???! Because it is a deceptive craft, thats why. It looks SO EASY when you take a simple non-froufrou garment, break it down into 4 easy pieces to be sewn together. It even SAID easy on the pattern for this "one hour" sewing project that I bought the wrong size for and thus the wrong amounts of fabric. ARGH.

Anyway, I took said fabric that I'd been starting my practice skirt on and basically created a tube with and elastic waist band. The easiest skirt in the world. Now I just need help in hemming it. I will probably make the same skirt with my purchased fabrics too. One of which has lovely scalloped selvedge edges for a self hemmed skirt. I think anyways.

The Kria sweater has been giving me fits in the hood creation but a friend gave me a brilliant bit of coaching and now it will be ripped back during todays drive to Charlesbourg and restarted. Rather than doing a wonky bit of intarsia while knitting back and forth oon two different sizes of needles, I will continue the sweater in the round, through the neck and the hoodwith steeking stitches at the front and a marker for increasing the stitch count of the hood in the back. Its gonna be swell and will no longer drain me of my will to live. YAY.

Speaking of will to live, my Mom is feeling much better than she was when I last saw her. Apparently her potassium levels were all outta whack (too high she says) and it was making her weak, dizzy, ill feeling etc. Now she feels great! I am trying to convince her to come and visit us this summer for a week or two. She's never been here and it could be fun for her.

Recent changes in the household numbers: I'd committed to adopting a tabby and white kitten through my friend Elaine last week. He's very cute and almost ready to leave home. Then two days later, my friend Geeta called. Her 3 year old black male cat Oscar was not happy. She'd adopted him a year previously and he has never enjoyed indoor cat life. He's very vocal about the whole thing too. He constantly tried to make a break for it when the front door opened etc. So she called me, her cat loving friend in a much quieter neighborhood to see if I would give him a chance at a happier life. How do you say no to a black sable cat named Oscar Peterson???? A couple hours later he was here. Lets just say I do not know HOW they lived with him for a year without giving in. I lasted two days and then he was let out. HE'S LOVING IT. And though he is still vocal, its more of the chatty in a loud voice variety of vocal. He musty have some Siamese or something obnoxious in his ancestry. This annoying feature of being very loud and never content in being inside or outside or the contents of his food dish has lead to his name evolving into Le Mouche!! He is our pesky pest of a fly. But he's very soft, cuddly, playful and lovable. Monsiuer Le Mouche...Mooshie-mu, Mooshoo...he gets it all from us grown ups but the kids are still calling him Oscar so far.

Wonder whats going to happen when the wee'un comes to us!? 3 adult cats and mischievous kitten. Should be interesting!

Our Spring of Renewal?

2010-05-12T11:19:00.002-04:00

It would appear that our winter of discontent has passed,here at Chez Nous. I'm pretty sure my nerves of spaghetti couldn't take much more drama and the like. Things have settled down regarding my parents and things are lookin' good where Hman is concerned.

So good. It brings me so much joy to see him smiling again. He's embracing his new project with so much enthusiasm, its almost like he's been reborn from the ashes. He's been so strong that to have had him brought so low was very difficult to watch, for me and also for those who know and love him. Now, he's full of ideas and plans and optimism and its WONDERFUL.

I think the boys see a difference too. I see a lightness to them as well these days. They are relieved the dark cloud has passed on and that we have decided not to move house. This is a good thing.

Maybe its just the Spring talkin' here. The sun is shining, the lilacs are in full fragrant bloom, flowers abound in the neighborhood. It all conspires to have one feel that life is grand and embraceable again. The old adage that "This Too Must Pass" is true I guess. The sadness and worry of the past 6 months has lifted and exposed our faces to the lightness of Being again.

DAMN, it feels good!!! :oD

To all of our friends and family who listened and sympathised and commiserated and just plain oved us through it all, I want to say that I am extremely grateful for your positive vibes. All of you, even if you don't realise I mean YOU! Yeah, YOU! ;op

It was worth it

2010-05-11T17:01:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I was in Toronto for the Downtown Knit Collective's Knitter's Frolic. Its a wee fair loaded with vendors of yarny goodness and knitting related doo dads and boy was it busy!

Friday morning saw me gently awoken by Veronik's dulcet tones warning me that it was most definitely time to rise and shine. I lurched upstairs and was joyously greeted good morning by the ridiculously good looking and chipper Husband of the House. I was showered and cafeinated and then we loaded the car. During that chore I twisted my ankle which proceded to hurt until I woke Saturday and it didn't. Once loaded up and ready, V and I hit the highway for Toronto.

We met Megan at Lettuce Knit and then headed to the Japanese Cultural Center to set up our booth, #40. This didn't take terribly long and by the time we were done we were ready for a drink and a meal. So, it was off to meet friend's of Veronik's at a pub.

The pub was small but wonderful. EXCELLENT food. I had the Smoked Salmon Nicoise Salad and it was delicious. Everything there was good. Such a cozy spot, loved it!

Saturday was the market day of the Frolic and we were on our feet and on our toes! Megan, Veronik, and I manned the booth and we met so many wonderful people!!! Issue two of St-Denis Magazine was met with great enthusiasm as was Veronik's latest book Knitting 24/7 . People were so happy to meet the knit samples from the book and magazines! Usually if they were impressed by the pictures, they were knocked out by the real thing. Megan thinks we did well in our sales but it would have been nice to take home less yarn. For our first time at the Frolic, we did great and have lots of ideas for next years booth set up.

Saturday night it was off to Julia's house for a smoked meat feast. Veronik had brought a glorious Schwartz's brisket with her and while we waited for it to steam, we drank wine and partook of the most yummy cheese, a cave aged gruyere from a local fromagerie that Julia likes. OMG....that cheese must be subtly laced with heroin because we could not leave it alone...sooooo gooood. We had such a fun time!!! Lots of laughs and good chat. My only regret is that I was driving so I had to consume less wine.

Sunday Veronik taught two classes and so was a very busy lady. I took the opportunity to do a wee explore starting with the neighborhood that Lettuce Knit calls home. Then I found a big used book store on Bloor that kept me quite occupied. I returned to the JCC too early so I found a quiet spot and a chair to doze off in untill the workshops were done. Then we gals were off to another friend's house for beer and bbq. YUM. Robin cooks a mean burger.

I was really really touched by how friendly and accepting Veronik's close friends were of an outsider. I never was made to feel like the odd one out, and was very comfortable with both Robin and Julia. It was an excellent trip!!!!!!!!!!

Monday saw us hitting the highway home and though we were later than we'd planned, we got home safe and sound and very very tired. My feet were swollen most of the weekend because of travelling etc and they are still not themselves, but I have to say it was totally worth it!!!!

Wow, been awhile

2010-04-23T23:31:00.002-04:00

I just haven't had anything to write about, really. I mean, the brain is thinking thoughts but nothing anyone really wants to read. Not that thats why I write in here...this has always been my venting/celebrating space for my own benefit because journaling in a notebook just doesn't do it for me. I have no idea why. I LOVE notebooks and journals. LOVE them. If I was a bazillionaire I would totally open a money losing Journal Store. I mean, it'd have to lose money right? Because all it would sell is Journals. And maybe fancy writing sticks. But thats all. All the fanciest journals and pens in the world that i could find would be on those shelves. And yet, I journal here in the cold and sometimes heartless cyber space. Odd. I thinks its because my handwriting is nasty. Thats it...nasty handwriting that is a shameful example of the WORST penmanship ever seen. Except for my husband's. Oh man...thats some gnarly scribbling. Cannot read it. Its lie trying to read cyrillic. Terrible. I digress...

Ok...so..whats new...I thought I posted here the opther day but it would appear to have disappeared. Very strange.

Bathroom update: still not finished because I am a lazy cow and the Hardware store never has more than one package of epoxy paint at a time and is an hour away. I know...excuses excuses.

Knitting: Kria still not done. See #1 reasoning above. I am however well into the yoke (past second decrease round).

Family etc: Well, its been a crazy time here Chez Nous the last few months. I couldn't really say anything incase unwanted eyes saw it but now I can finally say something. Hman was on leave for stress and has now been offered a severance package. He could have stayed on but with a work environment so toxic and unmanageable, it just was not a good idea for him to go back. So, now he is officially unemployed for the first time in the 19 years we have been together. Oh wait...there was those two down sizings several years ago but he had work within 2 weeks of the first and after the second we went into business for ourselves. You know, I still consider it the first time. This guy has the work ethic of a...hmm...who works hard to the point of workaholicism??? A workhorse? Man, I suck at analogies, but you get my point. A shirker of hard work and challenge the H-man is not. Thats why he's my hero(sometimes)!! But such a strong ethic kept him trying to make a situation work that just couldn't for him, and it wore him out. To go back to the same situation in which nothing had been changed for the better? Well the man ain't stupid either. So, now we have traded one type of worry and stress for another type. Because we just loves us some worry and stress. Thats why we had kids! Feel my fasciciousness. Find me a dictionary! Pretty sure i have a mispelling back there.

Speaking of those two hooligans I call my presciouses,they have a tournament tomorrow all day. Woohoo. They play a "sport" that I just do not understand at all called Kinball. Google it. I can't explain it, but they LOVE this game/sport and have played several after school sessions over the last couple of years, starting with Thing One and now both of them. Each session ends with a tournament and it lasts all day or until your team is out. I hope they have fun.

Sunday I am returning to NS for another stay of trying to help out my parents and give my older sister a break from being the responsible one all the time. Not that it does give her a break, really. She just can't stop being the responsible one! Its a curse. Poor darlin'.

After THAT, its off to the Big Smoke for the Downtown Knit Collective's Knitter's Frolic in downtown Toronto (aka the big smoke, or T.O, or T-dot, or Hell's arsehole...guess it depends upon who you are talking to..). I will be working in the St-Denis Yarns booth (#40 y'all...BUY YARN!!)with my friend and boss Veronik Avery. This takes place May 8th and on May 9th (Mother's day)there are classes and workshops being held. V and I went to Ikea yesterday to find yarn and garment display accoutrements and had such a great time. i love Ikea. I got a great little table for my back step. its to set my laundry basket on so I can hang out my laundry without breaking my back balancing on my step stool and balancing a big basket of clothes on a 1 1/2 inch metal railing. It really is a bad scene, trust. Poor darlin' sister said "About time!!" because she has tried to hang things on my line and feels my pain. Anyways, there is a whole story about how an Ikea worker bee was not going to let me purchase my table without buying the matching chairs...I shit you not! They are sold separately! Yet, she was adamant that due to the day's promotion, that I coulkd not buy my table alone without the chairs(which cost extra and I do not need nor want). Yes, the table was marked down by 10 dollars but she wouldn't even let me take it to the cash register and pay full price! Dudes! This was so weird...and we did not see the "must buy chairs" anywhere on the sign by the pile of boxed tables! The woman all but guarded the boxed table when I gave it up, to make sure I didn't try to sneak it by her. I gave up, and helped V ring her stuff through the self serve cash register and then rang my lonely cupcake motif apron through. Meanwhile, while I tended to my purchase, Miss V, defender of shopper's rights against fascist worker bees, asked politely of another worker bee of why the table could not be sold alone. This lovely lady in charge of the self serve cash registers and helping out the idiots(me) who frig them up was most helpful. The tables and cvhairs are sold separately, so the tables can be bought alone she said. Miss V pressed on, informing her of our ambush by the Yellowshirt (fascist)and attempts to reason with her regarding the table. Our lady maintained that as far as she had ever been informed the tables could be purchased alone and she knew of no such rule that chairs had to be bought too even with that day's promotion. Miss V and I looked at one another...looked around for the Yellowshirt...and ran for the table before she could catch us and bitch us out again. I got my table AND I got it for the sale price of $19.99 plus tax. And its PERFECT!!!!! My table with a tale. Love.

No good news today

2010-04-08T11:37:00.002-04:00

I found out today that my Dad has been moved from the big city hospital to the one in our home town. He'll be in quarantine for awhile to make sure he's not bringing and nasty bugs (flu etc) with him and then as soon as there is a space he'll be on the Geriatrics floor and then its a matter of the doctors determining what facility will best suit his needs from now on. His current diagnosis is Fast Onset Dementia with some Delirium. The delirium may go away in time, which I'd been hoping for, but that was before I knew that the doctors had settled on Dementia at last. Its been such a long wait for...nothing. So many fal;se hopes that this was something that could be treated or that would pass when all along its wasn't and now, my Dad, my smart Dad is destined for a "facility".

I'd told myself he wasn't going home. I tried to prepare my mother that he wasn't. Now that I am faced with the actual news that he not going to go home again, I cannot stop the tears. I guess there is knowing and then there is reality.

I don't like this reality one bit.

April 2 is a major WTF!

2010-04-03T19:29:00.002-04:00

I cannot believe the temperatures from yesterday and today. We are talking majorly warm! T-shirts and shorts warm. Breaking into a sweat warm. Yesterday was a luxurious 24.8 degrees Celcius for a high and today was 23.4 (according to Environment Canada for my area). Awesome. Felt warmer for sure. Its still 23 as we speak!

Its been a crazy mild winter and spring for the Qc. Usually we still have some snow laying around by now but not this year.

Today I puttered a bit in the garden. I don't want to get too into it because I have other things to do and it is a tad early but when the plants are popping up, what can a garden gal do? I planted peas. The worst that can happen is that they rot and I have to buy more seeds but I can live with that. Yesterday I started some seeds indoors: peppers and tomatoes. I think I would have been better off starting the peppers a bit earlier but this time I am NOT planting them out before mid-June at the earliest. Last year taught me a lesson.

I finally have child measurements for that sweater I am making so I can fearlessly tricot away. (tree-ko is French for knit) I coulda been done by now I swear but I am going to do my best to focus on it even though other things are tugging at my attention. Like painting the bathroom FINALLY. Today I washed the walls and ceiling and was all set to prime but then realized that some holes needed filling and my tube of Poly-Filla is all dried up. sigh. Who knows when this burst of productivity will repeat????
Other distractions include the yard work and the Apple Core Blanket with which I am smitten and desire to start knitting pieces of. In fact, I have one "apple core" almost finished but am unsure of how to do a sewn bind off. Google will show me the way. It always does.

We watched Sherlock Holmes last night and may I just say AWESOME. I enjoyed it very much and not just because of a half nekkid Robert Downey, Jr. Mmmmmmrdj.....so cut...so dashing...so scrumptiously decadent in a smallish package (not a large man I think). Le sigh...

That's about it for now. Happy holiday weekend to all.

Blogging from HOME

2010-03-26T12:40:00.003-04:00

I'm back. It was a long drive yesterday and I actually had to park in a Big Stop parking lot and take a nap for awhile before gassing up again and continuing on my way. It helped A LOT I must say, since I was very noddy headed before the nap and not at all afterward. Even with a nap and locking myself out of my car at a Moncton McDonald's, I made excellent time ( about 13 hours) and was home before the kid's bedtime.

My last visit with Dad was my longest. I wanted to spend extra time with him on my last day. I left while he was napping for a break and returned to him after his supper. We had a nice time. Sometimes he was lucid enough to know what I was talking about or to ask pertinent questions, but most of the time he's in his own version of reality that we think may be based on the thousand's of books he's read over his lifetime. Or his own fantasy. Its hard to say.

I finished my Nutkin socks while away! One is tighter than the other due to my own stress filled knitting hands. Tighter tension. Still wearable though.

I was loving Teri's version of Hermione's Everyday Socks so I casted on in "Sage Heather" On Your Toes fingering. Work is stalled on the Kria sweater because I am waiting for measurements.

Cameron has been highly emotional since I got home. Ben is happy and jolly but Cam has gone from happy to obstinate and weepy. He says he doesn't know why. 11 can be so hard, all the feelings starting to get jumbled etc. I remember having days like that and not being understood or even understanding it myself and having the grown ups get exasperated and yell at me for being a pain in the ass. Such is the life of a pre-teen... I'm trying to be understanding and supportive which is hard when you have someone defying you or telling you to leave them alone. Sometimes alone time is the best. He usually comes back to me cooled off and able to talk/apologize/be held. I think all the feelings that my being away created are all coming out at once and fairly inappropriately. Poor guy.

It was hard being away and out of my own home space, yet I really appreciated my time with my family. I feel closer to Teri since we got some actual TIME together just hanging out. Same with her husband. He's a very nice guy, which I knew, but he can also be quite kind and thoughtful in unexpected ways. The girls were both sweet and sour so I got to see them as they really are rather than always best behaviors, and I love them even more for it. Now I love the REAL girls and not just facades.

Anyway, I am home now with my guys and am glad. Very glad.

Blogging from away

2010-03-20T18:13:00.002-04:00

Here I am...not at home! I'm sitting in my niece's living room outside Truro, NS and typing on my awesome, new to me lap top. I'm quite happy about my newest acquisition. Its pretty much all I talk about now...how I love my laptop. Freedom and independence from the family 'puter is MINE. I can be out of the basement now!!!!

I have been here in glorious NS since Sunday night. I drove all day to get here and have been trying to divide my time between my mom and my dad, who is still in hospital. There hasn't been any changes in his situation.

Today I was at Mom and Dad's house to try and lend a hand. Its pretty obvious (and has been for a long time) that my mom has almost given up on the housework thing. Its nasty. My dad did the vacuuming so its now a big deal if it gets done. They have THREE crappy vacuum cleaners. None of them do much of a job I'll and are fine if one has bare floors but as for rugs they are almost useless. I got to try all of them today. I also tried to do some wall washing but that's a job for a team. The little wall I did do needed 4 changes of bucket water. That's how nicotiney the walls are in this house, and that's not even the worst wall! Its that gross. I gave up on the hall because after 4-5 buckets for the smallest part, I was not up to scrubbing and changing bucket water 20 more times. I went at the pantry cabinets instead. There too I only managed a fair job because there is so much stuff in the way. It really needs to be emptied of the clutter and scrubbed, then all of the clutter scrubbed before its put back.
I also cooked two sets of meals..both with ground beef because that's all she thawed out and it was a big package. I did a pasta dish and a stew. They are packed in single serving containers and put into the freezer. I went through the fridge and OMGs!!!!! There were jars condiments and stuff in there that expired up to 7 years ago. I almost passed out. None of it was stuff my mom ate and lots were still sealed but STILL! Jeebus!!!I did a lot of throwing out.
As I was doing all of this my Mom occasionally got in my way, escaped outdoors where she industriously picked up sticks and cleared dead flower plants out of some spots, had lunch very slowly as she looked at the paper, and got cranky. I guess if someone comes in and messes with all your stuff and gags a lot at the state of things, one does tend to get a bit snippy. Or maybe that's because I suggested that after her lunch she might like to give the bathroom bit of Lysol wipes attention.
Then she was exhausted and had a wee dizzy spell. Interesting. My patience and back wore out so I returned to my base in Teri's house to do my laundry and go out for ice cream with the family.
Tomorrow I will visit with my dad and when he falls asleep, go visit my dear friend Karen.
KNITTING: The Nutkin socks are DONE. Unfortunately my stress during the knitting of the second sock caused a tighter tension and my second sock is smaller.

Where did the time go???

2010-03-10T08:21:00.003-05:00

This is NOT my picture of KRIA but one from the internet and is almost identical to the pattern book's version of what I am currently working on, and is here for reference to what I say about it and the changes I am making in my version.
Wowsers! Its been forever and now that I am here I only have a few minutes.

The trip to NS did take place and was pretty ok. Of course most of our outdoor plans got washed away in rain and wind, so no beach walking or things of that nature. I DID finally get to visit with my friend Terri-Lynn and her family. It was a major highlight of the trip, actually. Its been such a long time since we saw one another face to face! I have to say that for us, the spark was still there. You know how you lose touch and then don't have anything in common anymore? NOT SO HERE! It was pretty much non stop blah blah blah and laughter and fun the whole time for us grown ups. The boys came out of their shells pretty late into the visit, right before we were to leave. I am so in love with T and T's house! Spacious and open and BRIGHT. Love it to pieces and can see myself in something just like it. I love my own house for sure but this place was really cozy, comfy, well lit from lots and lots of windows. Very very nice.

We also got to spend time with our friends Barb and Mike and their family over a nice lunch and some shopping. I have been able to hook up with Barb on most visits home but I still miss her lots and lots so this was an especially nice time. One of these days I will get to see their new home as well! Its only been two years they've been in it!

While we were in NS my dad took a turn for the worse and has been in the hospital ever since undergoing tests and minor treatments for dehydration and infection while they try to figure out whats going on with him. First the idea was Hepatic Encephalopathy, but his mental state has not improved since the duct blockage between his gall bladder and liver was cleared. So, its not that. New theories are a brain fever, a thyroid issue, or variant Creutzveldt-Jakob disease. He was meant to have an EEG (?) early this week so maybe we will know more soon.

They day we left for NS I got a very nice phone call offering me a 7 day work contract with a nice pay cheque. Today is my last day of the contract. It was mentioned yesterday that they may want me to come back for another 3 day contract next week, but that its still uncertain. I should know tomorrow sometime. This has led me to think that I might be able to have a home based business doing what I have been doing for the last 7 work days....writing text content for an English language website. My friend who hired me thinks there is plenty of work out there for someone writing for companies that can't afford to have an in-house person and so contract out the work. The Hman and I are turning the idea over in our collective brains and if I have to work next week, then I will definitely be in the market for a new to me lap top to work from instead of the family computer thats slowing down so desperately and needs upgrading. A lap top means I can take my work with me! I was using company computers for this contract and let me just say...an Anglo writing English on FRENCH computers is very inefficient, prone to typos and mistakes thanks to the wonky French keyboard and programming.....And possibly in tears of frustration.

KNITTING! Well, the Olympic Mittens did not infact cross the finish line. Mitten one did get switched to Magic Loop technique and did go smoother, but just did not get finished. My second Nutkin sock has been on hold until last night because I couldn't remember how I turned the 1st one's heel. No said heel is turned and the gusset stitches ready for pick up! YAY! In the days of it's hiatus I casted on and have made great progress in a sweater for a little girl of my sister's acquaintence and I am loving the simple stockinette in teh round. The pattern I'm using is Kria, pattern #8 from the Lopi 28 pattern book by Istex. The yarn however is NOT Lett-Lopi, but Briggs and Little's Tuffy in 3 colours: Rosewood, ecru, and oatmeal. The main colour is the rosewood...a heathered rose colour...and the colour work patterning is subtle with the ecru and oatmeal. It makes for a less bold effect that the black and white called for in the patterns charts. The steek is marked by two purl stitches up the front of the sweater and I think thst pretty brilliant. I'm adding length to both the body and the sleeves because I want the sweater to last longer than one season, and at its bigger gauge than that in the pattern, it should be about a size 5. I'm also planning to add a hood. Its gonna be haaaaaawseooomme!!!!
Ok...gotta get ready for work. See ya!

New beginnings etc

2010-02-15T14:04:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow marks a big step in our family. Tomorrow is exciting to me. Tomorrow we have an appointment to register our first born at secondary school. I am torn between being thrilled and wanting to puke. Can I get a hollah from the other mommies out there?

Ben (AKA Thing 1) is in 6th grade. This is his final year of Pramary school. Its the end of an era for him and us parents. We decided that he should continue his education in his first language so we are switching from French education to English. Why? Well, whilst he is brilliant with math, language is NOT his forte so much and we though that given some of his issues, we would try to level his playing field. He reads English as well as or perhaps better than he reads in French, so he won't be held back due to poor reading skills but his spelling and grammar might suck pretty bad. Apparently thats ok though because so many of the students come from Francophone families so he won't be the worst. Without the struggle of doing everything in a second language, he may even begin to excel and maybe some of his issues will be less intense. Being a teen is hard enough without having the struggle of language. He has a solid French foundation now that will be an asset in life. We are satisfied.

However....he's just a little guy! He's young for his age and small for it too! Its so scary for me to look at sending him off into a world of bigger people!!!! I know I know...he'll be fine...everything will work out...but for me its still scary as shit. Luckily the woman I spoke to totally gets that. She's probably heard it from every parent and maybe experienced it herself. I still wanna throw up though.

Now for the part I am actually quite happy about. Thanks to my sucky French skills I haven't been able to volunteer or be involved in the boys school and very little help in the homework department. Now? I am so looking forward to becoming more involved!!! I can volunteer. I can take part in the Parents organization (I forget what its called here...not PTA but its the same idea). Once Cameron is going there too (we convinced him it would be great thanks to their Focused program in Visual Arts) it will be even better! Maybe I could start an extra curricular knitting club if there isn't already one, or volunteer with it if there IS one already? Hman was intrigued by the fact that there WAS a Golf club/team but due to lack of volunteer coach this year there isn't. If its just a case of being a volunteer and not a teacher, he may consider volunteering as well! Lets face it...I'm also pretty stoked about being able to read notices from school without having someone translate or needing a dictionary, to be able to more or less comprehend the Report Cards (even though they are pretty weird now and even Hman doesn't quite get what they mean...so much for OUR higher edumacations), the chance to be the involved parents we wanted to be and were more so back in NS...this is a happy thing. And a scary thing. A new beginning for the family in a way.

Ravelympics knitting: I suck. SO SLOW. Very little progress made on my St-Denis Arctic Mittens . The charts are fine...the yarn is wonderful...I'm just very slow when it comes to busy colour work with DPNS rather than a circular needle like on a sweater or hat. I am going to try switching to the Magic Loop method for small circumference knitting in the round and see if that clears my path a little and speeds my progress. I only have 12 more days! ( I think?)

NOTE: If you go to the St-Denis link and decide to print the charts, note that the thumb charts have not yet been released and that the thumb placement on the palms is hard to spot .

Next week Things 1 and 2 have their "spring" break! YAY! No alarm clocks! We will be spending 6 nights in salty Scotia and are very happy about it. We will get to see some family and hopefully some friends and maybe walk on a beach in the cold and bracing briney breeze. A change of scenery is just what the doctor ordered after the last couple of months we've put in.

A trip to FRENCHY'S is also in my future I foresee! I miss Frenchy's sooo much! I got my most favourite pair of jeans there (Old Navy low waisted boot cut with lycra) about 6 years ago and those babies are still being worn. Not bad for about $4!!! At the rate Thing 2 has been out growing things we like to stock up on some larger sized clothes for him to grow into. Maybe I'll find something for myself for a change too? Hard to say. My sizes are hard to come by there.

I'm dying to see friends we didn't get to hook up with last trip. This one will be much less a whirlwind since there isn't a business trip thrown into the mix. 4 more sleeps to Friday!

Have not polititians feelin' spendy

2010-02-12T12:22:00.001-05:00

http://thechronicleherald.ca/News
I had a good sanctimonious post about this but my computer ate it.
Aren't you glad?

Knittings

2010-02-09T13:37:00.002-05:00

Jim posted a question in the comments about thrummed mittens. He's a non-knitter (aka muggle) and does not know what a "thrum' is. To him I offer this 'splanation.

In knitting, a "thrum" is a bit of unspun wool roving that is knit with a stitch in a piece of knitting, usually mittens or slippers. The stitch with the thrum is repeated at a regular interval and causes a pleasing dotted appearance on the right side (outer side) of the knitting. The ends are inside the garment and create a warm insulative layer that is wonderfully soft and cozy. That layer is why the mittens or slippers (or any other thrummed garment) is over sized. Its a much needed bit of cozy up here in Canada, land of igloos and polar bears if you go north far enough. The technique is thought to have originated in Newfoundland but some theorise that it is a northern European invention that made its way to Nfld with settlers and traders etc. Whoever is responsible, us chilly willies say "THANK YOU!" for the cute and cozy Thrummed garment. Mmmmm thrummy goodness.

Thanks goes out to my family for sharing their plague cooties. What would I do without a lovely sinus cold to make me so snottilicious? Such generosity deserves reward...possibly a pillow over your sweet sleeping faces some night when I have regained strength. UGH...I am dosing with Cold F/X and Sinutab since the symptoms hinted at their existance this morning. I "heart" drugs. I am not the type to whine about a virus and yet do nothing to fight it. I WILL take vitamins and remedies and sleep as much as possible and as a result sometimes I am well again the very next day. Not a fan of needless suffering. Nope not a bit. Why yes I did have an epidural during child birth, thanks for asking, and if I coulda been, I'd have been unconscious. Miracle of birth my ass. Ok....maybe I would not have been comatose for that...hindsight is iffy on the subject.

Lookit! I made pictures! The pretty coloured one is my darling sister Jessie's scarf that seemed to go on forever and ever and ever. I don't like making scarves and have no idea what possessed me to make this one but its beautiful and soft and cozy and she deserves every delicious stitch of that 50/50 silk and wool blend. The colours will go with any sweater or coat and will look stunning against her olive skin.

The grey sock is my first of a pair of Nutkin socks. I love this pattern. Its easy and pretty and I only changed one thing...the heel. I did a regular ol' slip stitch heel flap and turned heel rather thna the pattern's short row heel. I just LIKE the regular ol' heel bestest. Aren't they awesome? Yarn is Cestari 100% wool sport/sock on 2.75 or 3 mm needles. I'm pretty sure they are 2.75s. I started these waaaaay back in November so its hard to remember.

That is all!

Thrummed Mittens

2010-02-07T11:08:00.004-05:00

(my Dad's thrummed mittens are the blue and white spotted ones...Xmas gift 2008)
Thrummed mittens are some of the warmest hand gear out there. They are oversized due to the wool roving inside and some people don't like how they look as a result. If you have problems with cold hands, these could be a solution.
They are kind of fun to knit, especially in public. Folk freak out when they see them! (This can be a little scary too if they are blah blahing loudly in a language you don't always understand and come up fast and loud from behind you, startling you in a coffee shop.....just so's you know)
People think its hard to make thrummed mittens but it really is NOT. They are dead easy to knit for any knitter. Its just a matter of learning a wee technique and making a lot of thrums before starting so that they are ready. However, they can be a bit tedious because they do go slower than just knitting up plain mittens. The finished product is worth it, though.

Alison's Thrummed Mitten Pattern (written for woman's medium)

You will need a 100 gram (4 oz) skein of worsted weight yarn, 50 to 60 grams (2 plus oz)of wool roving, and appropriately sized DPNs(or circulars for magic loopers). I used Briggs and Little Heritage yarn and 4 mm dpn needles.

Cast on 36, 1x1 rib for 18 rows, increase to 45, knit two more rows to the first thrummed row.

I go every 3 stitches, ie: thrum, 2, 3, thrum , 2, 3.. for a row. The next thrummed row is done like this: 1, thrum, 3..1, thrum, 3.. so that the thrums are offset. There are 3 knit rows between my thrum rows (thrum row, knit the thrums through the back loop row, knit row, knit row.. and repeat).
Continue to thumb placement (use EZ's thumb trick). Place the thumb in row 3 of your thrumming sequence and it will not disrupt your patterning. Continue for the rest of the hand. I used 11 stitches with the waste yarn.

When you are a scant inch or a pinch less from the finished length you need and are just before your last planned thrummed row: In the row before the thrummed row (row 4 of the thrumming sequence) decrease by K1, K2tog. Thrum the next row as scheduled and all the thrums will fit in pattern perfectly . Knit next row tbl as usual. The next TWO rows are decreased by K2tog all around. This leaves you with 8 stitches to finish off by running the working yarn through them and cinching off. I was very pleased with the shape and the fact that my thrums stayed in pattern. If desired you could have placed 3 thrums in the second to last row for denser tip thrummings.

Take out thumb placement yarn and pick up the thumb stitches, plus one at each end to make 24 thumb stitches. Knit one row and commence thrumming sequence until almost to the right length. In row 3 of your final thrum sequence K2tog around, row 4(final row) K all, break yarn and finish.

This is for a women's medium width. To up size or down size, increase or decrease your stitch count by 3's.

Absentee-ism...

2010-02-05T11:21:00.003-05:00

Sorry if I have mispelled the title of todays post. I don't have a dictionary on hand and am too lazy/don't care enough to look it up online. For that I do apologise.

It was pointed out to me last night by someone very dear and darling to me, that I have been lax in the blooging department. For this also, I apologise.

Sometimes life doesn't send happy cheery blog fodder a person's way and I don't want to waste anyone's time in posting a downer. At the same time, though, a blog is a journal where I should be able to post whatever the fuck I want. What are your thoughts?

So, where to start? There is a bit of crap happening on this end that I am not at liberty to share with the internet-verse but I can say that its making life a bit of a pain in the ass these days. To put it mildly. I keep telling myself to relax, breathe, things could be worse and then guess what!? THEY GET WORSE!!!! There is a lot of deep breathing going on here, let me tell you. And teeth grinding. My jaws have been aching.

This week chez nous, we had the car break down again. I had escaped the house to take part in a knit night in NDG when it happened so I ended up having to go back home. Last time repairs cost almost 2000 dollars. That was just back in December. This weeks bill of repairs is less than half that, so I guess its a small blessing. Something to do with a misbehaving engine cylinder. We hope it will done today.

Today we had a lovely phone call from Thing Two's teacher. It would appear that he has been lying and sneaking about homework and things needing signatures. Also, doing very little in his classwork. Troubling and called for an immediate intervention so we walked to the school and hauled him out of class to A) find out where he'd hidden his back pack and B) confront him with the issue. It would seem he's been keeping a lot of feelings and worries and fears under wraps too and they all came spilling out once the dam of tears broke. Things are being dealt with but the added stress is not welcome.

My Dad's health continues to be of concern. Apparently something showed up in his blood tests that warrants an ultra sound on his internal organs. My mother was very vague on that part. She'd rather discuss the neighbors and other various and sundry topics in GREAT DETAIL AND LENGTH than something thats actually important. I'm trying to be patient until I know whats what but its very frustrating.

I think thats it for the crap that I CAN discuss.

KNitting: I finished the charcoal and pink thrummed mittens that I was making for my hairdresser Nancy. She's a great person and I appreciate her skils very much. I go months between cuts but when I need the bangs trimmed, she never charges me for it. Sometimes she even takes it upon herself to style my hair at those bang trimmings to give me a boost and we chat about our families, weight, blah blah blah. She'd admired Ben's thrummed mittens last year and I promised her a pair eventually. She loves them.
Work contuinues on my sister's scarf but the last few days have not been productive knittingwise. I have about 1/2 a skein left to go and I want it done next week so I gotta get crackin'. Still don't have a Ravelympics project but have options. Did I mention that I have taught Hman to knit? He picked it up really really fast! Its a great way to clear the mind of things that are stressing you out or worrying you, if you can force yourself to sit down and do it. I don't foresee him becoming an adept but he at least is giving it a try from a therapeutic point of view. :o)

Reading: I have gone back once again to George R.R. Martin's series A Song Of Ice And Fire. I re-read A Game Of Thrones again last week and am on to a book two A Clash Of Kings. This is a really good series of Fantasy fiction and is as yet unfinished. Book 5 is breathlessly awaited for a few years now. Thats the great thing about Martin's writings....they are NOT rushed and thus crappy installations to cash in on a theme. This tale is convoluted, loaded with major and minor characters and takes a lot of time to tell. Book 4 A Feast For Crows was disappointing in that it covered only half of the story at that point in time...the other half is coming in book 5...there is JUST SO MUCH! So while it seemed like the story did NOT progress, it kind of did. Its hard to be patient but this series was started several years ago (I first read it in the mid to late nineties and book four only came out in 2006 or 2007). If you like murder and mayhem, intrigue and mystery, betrayals and plot twists....you might enjoy A Song Of Ice And Fire.

Workin' and stuff

2010-01-21T14:58:00.003-05:00

Grrrrr...I'm a scareh monstah!!!!
Photo taken by Cameron Autumn 2008 in the Laurentians while we were on a walk. He was trying to get a blurry effect and had me shaking my head and jumping around. Guess what? Didn't work so you can now see me in all my goofy monstery-ness!!

I mentioned awhile back that I had fallen into a new job opportunity but I didn't give much in specifics. I think I didn't want to Jinx it...LOL

I am currently a sales rep for St-Denis Yarns, a small and brand new yarn company created by Veronik Avery. If you are a non-knitter then you won't understand how awesome that is. If you are an up to date knitter who understands the WOW that is Veronik's design talent, then you will feel my bliss.

So, now you can see why I blog and knit so much less...I'm on the phone!!! LOL Thanks to that, I need to call Valerie, my wunder-chiropractor, and get a left shoulder tune up ASAP. I'm kinked but not in a fun way if you catch my drift. Nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more...

Winter here Chez Nous has not been so bad of late. Yes the ground is still white but the last week or so has been pretty mild and seen some melting, flurries, and even a bit of drizzle. Sorta like being back home but without the mud.

Since the fall, my mother's health has much improved but my poor ol' Da is experiencing some elderly issues that have us concerned. This is life with older parents, I guess. I am hoping to get a trip home sometime sooner than later to visit the folks back home. Its been since November and the visit with Mom and Da was very very brief.

Anyways, thats what I have been up to! I hope this winter season is treating you all well and you have your warm woolies keeping you comfy. If not, go buy some St-Denis "Nordique" and get some warm woolies made!!! ;oP

I need a LIST

2010-01-17T17:18:00.004-05:00

Its January here Chez Nous. I know its January EVERYWHERE but when I bring it up like this I mean its SAD/depression escalation time for me. this week I had the joy to experience this AND the PMS so, you know, it was touch and go there as to who would die. Luckily we all survived relatively unscathed (I credit yarn, crappy novels, and Glee...and maybe some sugar).

So, as I said, its January at my house and I think I might survive the winter better if I made myself a LIST. Oh yes...nothing says you have been navel gazin' too long like a LIST!

Being an animal of short attention span and forgetfulness, I both bore easily and forget those highly entertaining ideas of stuff to do that I come up with almost constantly. there fore, I just this minute came up with the idea of making a LIST while the idea is fresh in my mind (aka before I forget). Also, too much choice often paralyzes me into doing nothing other than taking a nap and hoping I will wake up with a direction. Thus a LIST! I don't have to do it in order and all my ideas/choices of things to make and do are there for reference. Nikol Lohr made herself a list but this is not a copy cat activity. For reals! I was actually over on my Friend Sarah's blog and saw her 2009 finished projects round up and saw a couple of things that made me go Hmmmm and then I thought "...HEY! I have a lot of things that make me go Hmmm...I should write them down. Like a LIST!" See? Inspiration is everywhere.

I forsee this LIST being the impetus behind smaller, qualifying lists-of-no-capitalization. Like the item regarding choosing a Ravelympics Project. This is the current bane of my decision making existance.

LIST 2010

1) Rag Dolls

2)circular needle holder that hangs for a clothes hanger.

3) Cat mittens

4)Ben's sweater

5)Robin's Egg hat

6)pick a Ravelry Olympics Project

7)make a list for #6

8)make thrummed mittens for Cameron

9) Bunny Hop Slippers

10) Make a duct Tape dress/torso form

11) make those stitch markers for Ginette

12) French Press Slippers

13) Unoriginal Hat

14) EZ's Green Sweater

15) something for Itzel's baby before it gets here.

16) knit top with sewn skirt dress for a little girl

17) that sweater for Baby Viola

18)fix Jessie's Colinette socks that she gave me in 2008 to repair

19)paint bathroom

20) paint hallway

21) paint other bathroom

22) replace laundry room flooring

23)retry Pretty Thing Cowl

24)hook a rug

25)locker hook a rug

26)Finish my Nutkin socks

27) make myself a sweater

28)camisole/tank top

29)Quo Vadis mittens

30) finish Mitred Mittens that I found stuffed in a drawer and then give to Tara because of her teensy hands

More as ideas come if I remember to write them down...

PP#3

2010-01-15T14:25:00.003-05:00

My friend Janet made me these uber cute wrist bands for my birthday. Look at that beading???!!!! Thats attention to detail, my friends. I am so blessed to have made amazingly talented friends here in the QC.
The hat is my latest finished object, and I am hugely proud of it. This is H-man's very warm,lined, earflap tuque. After its Soak in the sink, it blocked out nicely on my styrofoam head form. It fits H-Man and he has declared it awesome and plans to wear it with pride on the slopes ASAP.
Yarns: Noro Kureyon makes the multicoloured background, Warani is the beige patterning, and Mission Falls DK is the soft, smooth lining.
Pattern: Its based on the Circus Loop Hat pattern by Luckyfind on Ravelry (free!!!) with some tweeking of the cast on number to accomodate both earflaps and a knit-in lining.
Knitting this hat reminded me of how much I enjoy the quick gratification of knitting hats and I forsee more in my knit future. Maybe not as involved as this one though.

Photo post #2: Christmas Tree (aka Bob)

2010-01-15T14:17:00.002-05:00

What's a photo post without a gratuitous cat picture? They were not terribly impressed with furniture reaaranging and wreaked havoc on the porcelaine village. :oD

Photo post #1: Puerto Rico

2010-01-15T14:08:00.002-05:00

Apres Noel

2009-12-28T22:23:00.002-05:00

Its now after Christmas and things have relaxed decidedly around Chez Nous. Its a relief thats for sure. Our Christmas was very quiet but enjoyable. I do miss the Christmas Eve visitings etc from our former life. Christmas seems so empty without the extended family and friends to share it with.

I recieved the book I so wanted (The Knitter's Book Of Wool) and as a surprise I also recieved The Knitters Book Of Yarn. I feel so spoiled! These are wonderful books by Clara Parkes and deserve a spot on the knitter's bookshelf. I'm pleased.

I also got my long awaited birthday gift of a rug hooking frame and fabric cutter. My friend's mom decided she didn't want her equipment anymore and sold it to us for a very reasonable price. Also included was a bag of fabric strips she'd already cut. I may start a hit and miss piece for practice.

I'm suffering from a case of too many crafting options to choose from. I've got my sticks and string as always but now have the rug hooking (2 types: locker hooking and primitive hooking) and the knitting machine crying out for my attention. I wish I had several of me!!! There's just too much craftiness here for one me!

I set up my knitting machine on Saturday, following the instructions in the manual very carefully. I attempted to cast on and knit with it several times and in the last attempt actually got about 4 rows done before it arsed up. There appears to be a steep learning curve involved here. It may take me quite awhile before I ever get around to hooking up the ribber attachment at this rate. Le sigh...

All in all, a very nice holiday. Hope yours was bright and blessed.

BIRTHDAY

2009-12-15T15:19:00.002-05:00

Today my baby, Thing 2 , is 11 years old!! He got his gifts (a Wii game and an Artemis Fowl book series addition)this morning and was very pleased. Today we will bake his cake together and later we will all decorate our Xmas tree (or "Bob" as the kids have named it). Its a slightly snowy day here but temps are gonna drop over the next couple of days to Brr-y number (maybe miunus 15 C for a high on thursday!). I have got to get the boy to a store for new winter boots...he's been wearing mine which are of the unisex variety since his feet are now too big for last years boots. He's into men's small sizes now...OMG!!! Shoes were a size 7 this fall and clothes are sizes 14- 16 or a men's small. He's not very tall though...maybe my height or a touch shorter. The hand me downs go from younger to older in this house and it doesn't always sit well but as my brother always says"It is what it is!", so shut up about it.

Happy news today for me: I am investing in a knitting machine with my first pay cheque that a certain knit designer I know found on Kijiji for $50. Its a swell deal AND has an attachement that will allow me to mke socks, so its a much much cheaper option than the antique sock knitting machines I had been lusting after. Now all my sock knitting demands can be met in much less time than it takes me to knit by hand, once I learn how to make machine go. Veronik says she will tutor me if I have problems. Plus, if I want to I can make sweater parts on this baby too and speed up my sweater knitting..I have some skinny yarn that is supposed to be a sweater for ME and you know I'd be at it for the rest of my life if I knit it by hand. I foresee a drastic drop in my stash level as soon as I get over the learning curve.

I had news today about my birthday present of a floor frame for rug hooking and a strip cutter...it should be in my hot little hands by next week and I am very excited about this as well.

My friend Marie Michele gifted me a pattern today that I have been smitten with for a couple of days now. They are felted ballerina flats and just so frickin' CUTE and apparently very speedy to make and I have plenty of odd skeins of worsted that would be perfect for them, so guess what i will be doing ASAP.

My darling sister's intended xmas gift will not be ready for Xmas mail out. I still have a skein to go and just cannot get any amount of speed going on it, loverly as it is. It will instead be a, apres Xmas gift! January should see that #$%^& done...LOL How can something so simple and plain be so slow, I ask ya!? The yarn is exquisite though...

Speaking of mail outs I have got to get my ass in gear and get the cards in the mail too!

Lazy Days

2009-12-11T08:45:00.002-05:00

I have been remiss in not blogging and for that I apologise. I just have not felt very bloggy. In fact, since the trip I have been extremely un-energetic. At first I thought I was getting sick or something but it was just plain old exaustion. How do other people do this...trips and then work and kids and all of that? Nowadays you need to pry me out of my cozy nest with a crowbar. Too tired and lazy to do or go anywhere except when I must.

Today however I need to break this behaviour. My friend V wants to go shopping together and that promises to be some good girly time, so last night I crashed out at 7 PM (seriously dudes I am breaking sleep records left and right lately) so that I would NOT go back to bed after the kids left for school this morning. I am also guzzling coffee.

Last week I came home from...hmmm...where did I come home from? Maybe Knit night? Anyways, I came home and my men had started the decorating by setting up my porcelain village and some other light up decorations around the living room. I think we are going to search out a U Pick tree place this weekend and cut down our own tree rather than schlep one home from the lots. Or at least the guys will. I think I have work.

I've been doing some part time work at Effiloche for the pre-holiday season. Mostly ball winding and helping English speaking customers so that Ginette is free to run the cash and help Francophone customers. Also I work one day or evening a week cleaning the shop which can take anywhere from 2 to many hours depending on what needs doing.

Knitting: I am doing very little lately!! BAD KNITTER (see the sleeping etc above). Sometimes sitting with my knitting makes me sleepy, so its been a little counter productive. On the needles is the Xmas gift started in June and now I have serious concerns that it will NOT be done for Xmas mailing. Also, my Nutkin socks have not progressed in over a week because I have been devoting any and all knit time to the gift. Can I state again how much I love the Nutkin socks? Its an awesome little pattern by Knitzi and its also a FREE pattern! The chart is dead simple to follow and after a few rounds you don't even need it really unless you put the work down and then forget how it works. I'm using Cestari sock yarn in Natural Light Grey and five 2.75 mm needles. Love. Will enjoy wearing them VERY much. I changed the heel however, to a plain ol' flap-type heel rather than a short row heel because I prefer the POFH. That was my only switcheroo.

Tonight is a combination December birthdays bash and knit night. Geeta, Celine, and I have all had birthdays in the last week and a half so Ginette thought we should have a party knit night. I will need more coffee while out this afternoon.

Work for a certain yarn company continues to be wonderful. I sent out 20 promo packs last Friday and one of my phone calls last week jogged a shop owner's memory that she had wanted to get the yarn in stock, so an order happened! YAY! Wait until people get a load of the next yarn...its fingering weight and in the same 36 colours as the sport weight. Delicious. The next pattern magazine promises to be just as awesome as the first edition too, dudes!

Some might say "OMG! Wool for baby stuffs!!!! The stains! The difficulty in washing!!!" and to that I say Poo! Wool is PERFECT for baby stuffs and I only wish I had been a knitter when my kids were small. Its naturally dirt repelling. Its also naturally fire retardant!!! Think of that next time you read the labels of baby's stuffs and see the fire retardant label and then wonder what chemicals they are using. Its warm even when it gets wet (and you know babies get wet thanks to leaking diapers etc). And wool is NOT difficult to wash. Seriously. You throw some good wool wash (NOT Woolite ) or my handy stand by, shampoo, into some tepid water and you put the item in to SOAK. How hard is that? Now with good wool wash like Eucalan, or Soak, or maybe Kookaburra (not 100% sure) you don't even need to rinse the item. It has soaked out the soil and is low to no sudsing. No rinsing! How cool is that? With shampoo there IS rising needed though. You SQUEEZE out the item, not wring it, then wrap it in towels to squeeze out the most water you can OR put it in the machine for a spin cycle while its in a pillow case or special lingerie/fine washables bag.

Dudes...it doesn't get any easier. Go with the wool. You know you want it.

HOME: Day 4

2009-11-29T22:20:00.003-05:00

Thats right. We have been home for 4 days (arriving Chez Nous around 8 am Thursday morning after and all night drive from NS). So much happened while we were away and so much has happened since that I am a bit blurry around the edges, brain wise.

I had my first Margaritas in Puerto Rico and can now say that I like frozen as opposed to shaken. So there. I can order Ms with authority!

I drank before noon more than once. Don't look at me like that.

Yes it was margaritas...they are shameless temptresses I tells ya.

I spent lots of time on Palomino Island soaking up sand and swallowing my fair share of sea water when snorkelling.

Hman made my want come true when he rented a Hoabie Cat and took me over to Palominito Island which was taunting me with its lovely desert isle-ness. While we were there a guy came out of the water after swimming over from Palomino, thats how close it is. But I am not in such good shape as swimmer dude.

There were iguanas every where. Very cool.

The frogs known as El Coqui are very very LOUD for their tiny size. Prompted several evening sessions of yodelling "koKEE koKEE koKEE" around the resort. My husband is not too embarrassed...given enough beer he started doing it too.

I met super fabulous people and caught up with others that I haven't seen in awhile. I had fun.

And then when I came home I was offered a super cool job that I am thrilled to pieces over. I am now a yarn company sales rep. Or "account representative" since Julie says "sales rep" is passe. I must be pretty old school because sales rep keeps popping out. Thrilled does not even cover my joy. I am stoked!!!

Girly stuffs

2009-11-11T18:40:00.003-05:00

I'm not a big time girly girl but I do like me some girly stuff. I love pretty clothes and shoes but never really get a chance to wear them being a stay at home mom and all. I do colour my hair to both give it a bit of flair and to cover the $^^$#$ing greys that have been multiplying in the last couple of years, but I am not real regular about it.

Now I have a trip coming up. I also watched a video my my friend Karine's (topstitch girl in the side bar) blog of how she does her minmalist make up. Together the two mingled in my brain and made me buy stuff. Thats my story and I'm stickin' to it.

First of all, nowadays everything seems to break me out. My skin was resilient as a teen and I wore pounds of make up with no more breakouts than an average teen girl would experince. Wash my make up off before bed??? That was for sissies...and sober people since in University bedtime was often preluded by alcoholic beverages. No real adverse effcts. NOW? Even washing my face can sometimes cause an eruption. I've tried pricey stuff and cheap stuff...natural stuff and chemically stuff..its all the same to my face. My facial skin seems to have the temperament of a toddler being given pureed peas...accepts it and then spits it out and has a tantrum.

Since watching karine's video and having this trip coming up, I bought some Neutrogena "Healthy Skin" cleanser for wrinkles and acne...thats should cover it right??? So far so good but its only day two and a half. Of course, washing my face makes it then feel a tad dry afterward so today I got myself some Neutrogena daily moisturiser for sensitive skin. Its oil free and seems nice and light. Lets keep our fingers crossed!

Now, going away always makes me revamp the make up case, too. For someone who almost never wears this stuff I have a fair bit. I tossed my old (virtually full)foundation and powder, washed all my brushes and applicators. I invested in a new neutral eyeshadow quartet, lip liners to use as lip stain since they were super marked down, a new tube of foundation to combine with my daily moisturiser (only won't do it daily ) for a tinted moisturiser effect instead of the feeling of having a layer of shellac on my face (which I am hoping will be easier for my skin to tolerate), a new pressed powder compact, and a fancy powder brush with a cap for having in my purse to deshine while out. I had one before but I lost it or broke it. I cleaned my sharpener and sharpened all my eye and lip pencils. My blusher is still pretty unused so I kept it.
I think I'm ready facewise, to travel.

I coloured my hair too. Can't have all those strangers seein' my greys now can I? Plus now my roots and ends resemble one another again which is always nice. New shiny hair and a fresher face. Wish I'd bought some new shoes too! I'm feelin' girly!

I dyed a skein of cashmere and this was the result

2009-11-10T08:52:00.002-05:00

What I started with was a fairly bland skein of cashmere in a shade of beige/tan/camel. It was very yellowy light brownish...or brownish yellow? I called it icky. Anyways, it was the last one of this colour in the shop and sweet, amazing, superwoman Ginette gave it to me with the orders to dye it and make something nice for myself. OK!

I soaked it in warm water laced with a healthy splash of vinegar while I prepared the "dye". I went through my cupboards to see what blue food colouring I had left and came out with Wilton's in Sky Blue. Not at all what I was aiming for but it was blue and the skein was soaking so I mixed up a good strong batch of blue water laced with the miracle substance also known as vinegar. Because the Wilton's gel always seems to leave bits behind I strained my solution through a paper towel lined strainer. No gooky jelly bits in MY cashmere thank you very much.

The skein was squeezed out and laid in a Pyrex baking dish and I poured the dyeall over and around it and then kinda smooshed it around to try and get the solution all through the skein. When i was satisfied with my saturation I topped the dish with some plastic wrap and fired it into the microwave for between 2 and 3 minutes to get nice and hot. then it sat for a little while until it was cooler and the dye was pretty much out of the water and into the yarn.

I took the whole she bang to the laundry room sink for squeezing out the liquid and for rinsing in sinkfuls of clear water. then I went a further step and gave it a soak in Soak . In the skein the colour was kinda...odd. Hmm...olive, khaki, blueish green in there too, hints of the original colour. I was not sure I was happy with the results. When it was dry it was better....or maybe I was just used to it. In the ball though, I definitely liked the effect of all those shades mingling!

This pretty yarn cake is currently being made into my own Pretty Thing Cowl, pattern by Stephanie Pearl-MacPhee. Its slow going because patterns with charts challenge my brain and attention span very much. But its smooshy and soft and I am told I look great in greens, so I am happy and will be happier still when its DONE and I can wear it snuggled around my neck.

Halloween guys

2009-11-09T21:36:00.003-05:00

We had a zombie complete with nasty teeth compliments of food colouring and a wizard. He's NOT Gandalf or Dumbledore...he's just a silver wizard. Lets be clear on that. ;oP

Things seen at Rhinebeck

2009-11-09T21:23:00.003-05:00

Rhinebeck and its loot

2009-11-09T21:06:00.002-05:00

A lot of the joy of Rhinebeck is in the people you get to know. Cases in point are viewed in these pictures.

We have the lovely and charming Veronik and her friends Carol and Laura, whom I have laid claim to. mwhahahahaha

We have Isolda Teague disguised as Bob the Ravelry mascot. She knit that head ehrself in about a week or two. Bizarre. I didn't actually meet her but just snapped her picture.

We have my Mindy from Virginia with Joanne and Otto of Strauch Fiber Equipment Company and Heidi who works with Mindy in the Kid Hollow Farm booth where this photo was taken. Joanne is my new email mentor in locker hooking and Otto is just a cutie pie. Heidi is actually shorter than I am. For REALS.

And then we have most of my loot. Not pictured are my two sweatshirts and my earrings. And the stuff I gave as gifts already.

Goodbye, Harley

2009-11-09T20:56:00.002-05:00

Lazy Knitter Slippers: a recipe

2009-11-08T10:13:00.003-05:00

I am on my 3rd pair of slippers...these ones for s certain sister who wears through the soles of everything wooly that is knit for her and so needs more wooly footwear. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!

The first two pair were for the boys. They really like them. I thought to myself that since they are so easy and quick to make and I am just kinda making it up as I go, why not post a recipe for them here? They resemble my friend Barb's slippers but her's have more shaping and charm. These are quick and dirty knitting for those who feel that "good enough" is good enough. If you are looking for perfect fit with short rows and decreasings and cunning technique, go away now. Shoo shoo! Off with you.

Alison's LAZY KNITTER Slipper Recipe

MATERIALS: yarn, needles, tape measure, darning or tapestry needle, scissors.

First off, pick a yarn, any yarn. Get your favourite gauge with said yarn and write it down. For slippers, as with socks, firmer tends to be better but its your slipper so whatever works for you.

Step the second: Measure the foot around the widest point and measure the length of the foot from heel to toe tip.

3rdly : Do the math. Take your stitches per inch and multiply by the circumference of the widest part of the foot. Round up or down to get a number divisible by 4 for casting on. There is no ease factored in so these are the only numbers you need. Got it? Good.

CAST ON! Leave a nice length of tail for sewing up later. Knit in garter stitch for the number of ridges to give you half of your foot length or a little shorter (its a slipper, not rocket science). When you reach about mid length switch to 2X2 ribbing. Continue to knit until your piece is the length of the foot. Break or cut your yarn, leaving a nice bit for stitching. Thread the yarn onto a darning or tapestry needle, feed it through your working loops on the knitting needle, slipping them off the knitting needle as you go. Cinch the toe of the slipper as tight as you can, stitching to fasten it, and then start sewing up the selvedge edges that make the top of your slipper. Stop when you reach the garter stitch!! Finish your ends and cut your yarn.
Go to your cast on tail now. Folding your cast on edge together, stitch the halves of the edge together with the cast on tail securely. Finish your ends cut yarn. Turn the slipper inside out/outside right to have your seaming on the inside. VOILA! Slipper one is done. Put it on the intended foot and admire your cleverness. Make another to match.

What I enjoy about these slippers: I love how easy and brainless they are. The bigger your gauge the faster they knit up! I am using my Alafoss Lopi stash up for some cozy family slippers. The second slipper can be calculated by simply counting garter ridges and ribbing rows rather than needing your tape measure. The ribbing tightens the slipper around the foot for a good comfy fit and if the slipper is slightly too short, then the fit is even better with no slippage on the foot that makes some slippers clumsy for walking in (everyone has encountered the " loose slipper shuffle" I am sure). The pointy heel corner will stretch out for the heel in this case as well. They are pretty stretchy so our making them just to the measurement of the foot without having calculated in any ease makes them crazy simple!

TIP: Wooly slippers are notoriously slippery on bare floors so caution should be used . To create non-slip pads for the sole, cut out patches or a whole sole from rubbery non-slip shelf liner and whip stitch them to the soles of the slippers. The liner I used was Duck's "Easy Liner" from Walmart and its sold as a roll and comes in various colours. You might find smaller amounts of something similar at dollar stores. Another option could be to paint the sole with liquid latex use for making hooked rugs non-slippy.

If you need a quick basket of slippers by the front door or as a gift, feel free to use my recipe and create your own Lazy Knitter Slippers in any size or gauge.

Harley update

2009-11-06T10:45:00.002-05:00

Harley will soon be called Dungeon Cat because he is living in the bathroom lately. Yesterday he took his oppotunity at freedom as a chance to pee on a wool sweater I had lying out to dry after washing it. OMG! This whole "sick cat pees everywhere " thing is highly annoying. His little life almost came to an end for that one.

He is still underweight by a lot. He still has a drunken swagger when he walks. He's very klutzy when attempting normal cat things, because of his muscle loss and nerve damage I guess, so he crashes a fair bit which can't be fun.

We began his trial on Prednisone on Wednesday and he has had a big turn around with his activity level. He REALLY wants outta the bathroom/dungeon but given his nasty habit thats not happening. He is also eating more on his own from his food dish. This is heartening but its still not enough to get his weight up. I'm still forcing some liquified foods down his throat daily to get as many calories into him as possible.

So, while Prednisone is not a cure for his condition, its making him much more comfortable. This is a good thing.

How I made my brother laugh in the early '70s

2009-11-03T08:58:00.002-05:00

I have the distinct memory of making my brother laugh hysterically in the back seat of dad's car during a drive to somewhere or other...probably to Nanny's house. My method? The Manamana song I'd seen and heard on Sesame Street. I may have been about 4 yrs old which would put my stellar performance sometime in 1970? He did the girl's part while I manamana'd my heart out to his pee in his pants, tears in his eyes laughter. My brother is 11 1/2 years older than me by the way. He also liked to tape record me singing my ABC's which I would mess up on purpose like this" A-B-C-D-E-F-cookiemonster....". He also used to get me to attempt to put my foot in my mouth, and being gullible and compliant I tried with a will.
Now we are all growed up and I don't make my brother laugh anymore. At least I'll always have my back seat captive audience memories.

I miss old school Sesame Street with is mild violence (that chef falling downstairs laden with desserts)and weirdness (Fisherman Jones cartoon, Yipyips, psychadelia..). It was so cool.

I love Christopher Walken

2009-11-01T12:00:00.002-05:00

Seriously, the man is an $^&ing GENIUS plus he's funny as can be. His weirdness is delightful!
My friend Kadi, also a Walken lover, pointed me to this video of him "performing' Lady Gaga's Poker Face". LOL It really is funny when you take song lyrics and just read them. TRY IT SOMETIME!!! I suggest something like Dah Doo Doo Doo by the Police or Radio Gaga by Queen!! hahahaha

Happy Halloween plus Cat

2009-10-31T13:03:00.003-04:00

Or All hallow's Eve...or Samhain...whatever you like to call the day! Take a minute if you can to honour those who have gone before, won't you? That is what today is truly about. That and celebrating another prosperous year gone by. And you know, chocolate/candy/treating/tricking CAN be part of the honouring/celebrating process..... ;OP

Audrey came over and treated my guys with YUMMY Lindt Chocolate and FINALLY got her present from me from Rhinebeck ( a button that says "Spinning: because knitting isn't weird enough!" and my Ravelry party favours bag) and saw my new loot.

Harley saw the vet again on Thursday. we gots good news and we gots baddish news. The GOOD: his ear infection is cleared up (yay), he is NOT anemic and his liver and kidney function appears to be normal(according to blood tests). The not good and therefore BADDISH news: he still has a fever (sound familiar????), he's still walking funny, he lost 4 ounces he could NOT afford to lose given his under weight situation.

Vet Nathalie is working under the assumption that he has the same disease at Cooper suffered from...coronavirus resulting in FIP, which is both incurable and impossible to 100% accurately diagnose in life (only by autopsy can anyone be 100% positive that a cat suffers from FIP). Also, its a fatal condition along with being incurable. Thus, our plan of treatment is to continue with the antibiotics to clear up any residual infection that might be causing a fever, supplementing his caloric intake in anyway I can, making sure said caloric intake is as nutritious as possible, keeping him as happy and comfortable as we can to improve the quality of life he has left. Unfortunately the medicating and "force feeding" of liquified kitten food and supplenets stresses him out terribly. He is to the point that he often cringes away from us because it may mean feeding or medicating rather than the lovings and cuddles he was always used to. Its a sad but necessary thing if he is going to stay with us as long as possible. Poor wee baby. He really is one of the sweetest kittens I have ever met. He is much loved in this house. Luckily he is improved to the point where he has taken some kibble in on his own and has stopped messing all over the house, so he has been allowed out of the bathroom for as much cuddling as he can stand. He loves the milk replacer for convalescing cats and kittens so I let him have as much as he wants, plus his beloved coffee cream. he even like the Cat Milk that Whiskas puts out (and no other cats I have ever had has ever liked it, even dairy product ho,13 yr old Miss Kitty). His kibble is the high calorie "just off the mama's teat" kitten food by Royal Canine. His liquified food is canned kitten food, milk replacer powder, Nutrical, homemade cat food, nutritional yeast, and warmmed water or cream and "served" warm. I sprinkle some nutritional yeast on his kibbles to entice him with its cheesy taste and give him extra B vitamines. I dose him with Viralys along with his antibiotics.
Running out of ideas...

Heh heh

2009-10-28T20:07:00.003-04:00

The Which Ewe Are You? Quiz I scored as a Perendale, a longwool type sheep.

Overwhelminess, I has it

2009-10-27T09:58:00.003-04:00

The new ME.

Today I feel so overwhelmed by life and its doings that I can barely breathe. And I don't truly have the option to go back to bed and pull the covers over my head like I want to do. Its all those piddly fucking little things that pile up on you, y'know? Like laundry....again. I have a mountain of clean clothes to fold and separate into baskets for their owners. I didn't do it before because as each load was done, I was busy with other shit and let the mountain grow. It will take less than an hour to sort ou. This I know from experience but in that hour I could also be doing about eleventy million other things that really do need doing.

Halloween costumes: I need to sew a wizard robe from silver satin before Friday night because I work Saturday and cannot do it last minute. And create his staff and belt sacks of magical stuffs. I need to thrift shop a suit to turn into a zombie costume. They wear the clothes they were buried in, yes? Again...before Friday..Oh yeah...also because of school party...shit!
AND don't forget pumpkin buying and carving with the kids.

My wonderful sister has a big birthday TOMORROW and even though I have it ON the calendar and meant to get the card last week, I still managed to fuck up and forget to buy the fucking card.

Yesterday with the costume fabric shopping and black and white themed dance shirt shopping, I forgot ALSO to pick up the Lysine I asked the vet to bring in for me to give to Harley in the off chance miracle that an amaino acid supplement could help him. Long shot, I agree.

Sick cat tending: he needs to eat if he's going to get well and he does not want to have anything except cream. That he willingly devours with gusto. Home-made cat puree, watered down canned food, Nutrical high calorie cat supplement gel...all are fought off wildly and mainly land on whatever I am wearing so not only am I looking and feeling like a crazy cat lady...I REEK of it. Seriously. All I need is the grey wild hair and the stench of cat piss and I'm that crazy lady on the Simpsons. Its not funny in real life.

Slipper knitting: we have bare floors and its COLD. The kids are asking me for them and I have one pair done but they are as slippery as all get out so NOW I am sewing patches of Duck Easy Liner shelf liner stuff to the bottoms and that is easy yet time consuming. Maybe be faster to just glue it to all my floors? Or at least the stairs?

Floors: they are so gross...lets not even go there but they need a serious cleaning before winter shuts us all up with the dirt and germs.

Germs: that fucking flu is freaking me out lately. I was pretty laissez faire about it until last week. Should we vaccinate? Shouldn't we? How many containers of Lysol wipes and anti viral kleenex should I stock pile? How to keep the news from my scared children that a 13 yr old kid died from it on the weekend in TO (allegedly) after I was calmly reassuring them that since I will be able to look after them and nurse them should they catch the flu, they will be fine, no worries, relax. They hear stuff though and come to me a bit scared/worried. Especially Cameron, my worrier. He is SO me in a different form. Acts up to hide his real feelings, a tease and button pusher, under achiever, funny, but very sensitive which is hard to remember because he tries so hard to act like he doesn't care. But he does...today he was worrying about Harley and crying because he missed Newman, which we thought he din't mind at all because when faced with the news of no more Newnie Noo he was unconcerned..apparently an act. His cat death worries and flu fears came to a head this morning. Poor guy.

Little stuff: like meals, and vacuuming, and dishwasher loading and unloading, kitchen clean ups, bathroom clean ups, homework supervision (such as it is), sleeping, eating, breathing... and all those other things that go into looking after a family like being able to hug them without screaming "Not Now! Don't you see how swamped I am???". I have to fit that shit in there too.

How do other people do this and not lose their minds and not only have everything done but are HAPPY about it ???

Dear iPod

2009-10-26T13:02:00.002-04:00

Hi iPod, its me...your user. I just wanted to take a minute to say how much I love you. Even though you are an older style 2gb and not as slim and stylish as the newer generation, I love your sleekly blocky lines. The fact that you try to get along with our family PC just makes me adore you more! Its not YOUR fault that the PC won't always be cooperative with its files.
I love how you keep me entertained with books and music and podcasts so that I can sit still awhile and get some knitting progress. Your sassy pink silicone rubber protector helps you put up with my klutzy, dropping ways and I love your wee lock button although getting near deafened by an accidental volume boost via my boobs when you were tucked into my bra in a Spanish airport BEFORE I found said cute wee button is a whole 'nother story. Your wheel control is just a l'il bit touchy for my hamfisted (and boobed )ways it would seem.

All in all you were one of my most wonderful gifts to ever have recieved and I adore your ease of use and excellent capacity. Now if only we had a Mac to keep you company and make for easier interfacing....

Love always,
Alison

Ruh Ruh Rhinebeck Recap (sans photos)

2009-10-26T08:23:00.002-04:00

Its been a bit tired and busy Chez Nous but after having repeatedly been taken to task for lack of blogging, here I am. I hope it will appease.

Last Friday, after my car was finally set free from the shop ($2600 later), I hit the openish highway (damn construction zones) heading South to cross the border into the US of A and my destination was the picturesque and movie set like village of Rhinebeck. Seriously. Think quaint yet modern New England village and you would come up with Rhinebeck. Love it.
The drive took longer than I anticipated, even though I drove it last year. I was alone this time and it made things drag. My directions didn't print off thoroughly so I had to buy a map at the duty free store, along with wine and Canadian chocolate incase of emergency and as treats for Mindy's kids. Turns out that as a map reader I don't quite suck ass but I'm pretty close. When I got to the border, I picked the shortest line but it turned out also to be the slowest thanks to Mr Hard Ass customs official who had no sense of humour and decided I was WAY too laid back to be doing something so nefarious as to cross into US territory for a Sheep and Wool festival. That HAD to be a lie. That and the fact that I had no arrests on my record made me a pretty suspecty customer in dude's books apparently. I think my knitting basket full of half finished projects convinced him...that and my warm woolies packed in my bag for the forecasted cold. grrr
Ok...so after I answered many stupid questions (where's rhinebeck?...DUDE its YOUR country, you should know!! I'm having map issues!) I was set free again to continue on what I hope will be my annual weekend long migration into the US. I had to pull over again to check my map and then I hit the highway. I drove and drove and drove and FINALLY made it to Kingston, crossed the Rhinecliff bridge and tried to get to Rhinebeck. An hour and some wrong turns later I actually DID make it into Rhinebeck and connected with sweet sweet Virginian Mindy and my fellow Canadian Veronik, at the fairgrounds. It was dark by this time and we were all tired and hungry .
We attempted a smooth return to Kingston to eat at the Olympic Diner with Carol and Laura but of course, I took wrong turns. Poor Carol and Laura. They were so fed up with waiting they had eaten and left but came back when we begged. We had a nice supper and lots of chatter and laughter as Veronik reconnected with her friends and I made new ones. It was terrific. Then it was off to target for a last second purchase of kettle, coffee grinder and corkscrew and then back to our motel for some bedtime wine, knitting in jammies and chit chat. Despite my best efforts (nose strips, decongestant, antihistamines, nasal spray AND ear plugs of two types) my snoring still disturbed their sleep. What a curse! We were a tired 3 some next morning. Mindy had to leave first to work the Kid Hollow Farm booth. V and I had the leisure to stay in bed a tad longer and linger over a yummy breakfast and coffees at Pete's Famous Restaurant in the village. Then we moseyed on to the fairgrounds.
First stop, Building B( I think) and there I hit the first booth I saw which just happened to be the one I wanted...Bartlett Yarns! They sell a lovely crisp sportweight 2 ply on cones for a marvelously good price. I got a turquoisey blue, 1750 yds, for $36 all in. SWEET! Then it was booth viewing, mixing and mingling with the knitterati as friend and colleague after friend and colleague spotted Veronik and stopped to chat. A lot of the time I had no idea who the people were even after their names were given and hands were shook so I didn't gush and make a complete ass of myself like last year's Yarn Harlot episode.
This year the fair seemed calmer than last year. It seemed to have fewer people. maybe the forecast of cold and possible snow kept folk away? Hard to say but I was grateful because I had less claustrophobia and didn't lose my friend immediately like last year.
We hooked up again with the amazing Carol and the dryly funny Laura and had lots of fun. Carol and I are a bit...enthusiastic...about Veronik's yarn company (St. Denis...distributed in the USA by Classic Elite Yarns) and took it upon ourselves to accost people at every opportunity with a sales pitch, company logo pin and free mini skein. Yay free yarn to play with! We amused Veronik and Laura, who are much more reserved and polite. Plus it helped that Carol has a fan club of her own because of her hand dyed yarns (Black Bunny Fibers) and we met many of her friends and customers. Seriously, it was like old home week! Great fun for a friendly person like myself. I even had some fellow North Shore Knitters show up on a day trip to check out the wonder that is the NY State Sheep and Wool festival. Valerie, my wonder chiroprator, and Marie-Christine, left home around 4 AM and drove to the fest in order to soak up as much of it as a day trip would allow. Valerie got a LOT of yarn! LOL
We visited sweet Mindy at her post and kept on exploring the fair until it was finally time to head for the TRavelry party in Red Hook. I did NOT get lost. Tah dah!
Now, this year the party organisers tried something different to ease last years parking issues. Everyone met at the school at the end of the same road as the Elk's Lodge and then we were all bussed back to the lodge. The school bus went all evening ferrying people to and from the party. While waiting in line, Ravelry peeps were entertained (?) by a female in a Bob costume. Bob being the Ravelry mascot, a Boston terrier of uber cuteness. The head of the costume was KNIT! Inside was none other than Scottish designer Isolda Teague.
At the party we sat at table with Pam, and Betsey, and Phyllis, who all know V, and had some refreshment and handed out more mini skeins. I met up briefly with Robyn, of Robyn's Nest, and Madeleine. Both are Montreal Knits people and it was good to see them since they tend to knit in the West Island area now. We didn't stay at the party very long, being seriously tired. Pam, V, Betsey, and I left and went to Salvatore's for supper. One of the menu items was Chicken Francais which the waitress called Chicken Frohn-chays which took me by surprise. No I did NOT correct her. The conversation at the table was fascinating for me, a yarn industry outsider. Well...can a customer of yarn companies really be an outsider? It was just really really interesting to hear some of the stuff that happens on the other side of the deal. It was eye opening and changed my perspective on some things as well. Thanks so much to Pam and Betsy for such scintillating conversation and dinner companionship.
Back home to the room where once again we jammiefied and did some knitting and gabbed until sleep took us away again...except for when my snoring woke them up.
DAY 2: almost as good as day 1! It sucked mightily that Carol and Laura had to leave us in the early afternoon. I am telling you, they are super fun to spend time with and I have serious girl crushes on both. Carol got to buy the colour of yarn that I loved but didn't suit my colouring. Dang her for being blonde. Enjoy it Miss C. It was hard to see them go.
While Veronik did some book signing I did some (more) book buying. I got the 99 Yarns pattern book from Green Mountain Spinnery and LOVE IT. It could be my suprprise new favourite pattern book of all time. Also, I got it signed. Yay. V went off for some quality time with her dear friend Pam afterwards and I got to browse booths at my leisure, visiting ones I'd missed and revisiting ones I hadn't been able to linger at before. When I was good and tired I went to see Mindy and she got a break for coffee. My energy was failing but a nice big hot chai latte gave me renewed life. While with Mindy at her booth, the show was quieting around us and vendors were more able to visit back and forth. I got to know Pat and Heidi of Kid Hollow Farm better (and bought a sock yarn called Foggy Mountain..its lovely!!!) and what great folks they are. Otto and Joanne of Straugh's came over to chat and lo and behold, Joanne is into locker hooking rugs!!! I was in 7th heaven asking her all about this technique which I had briefly tried on my own a few years ago. She cleared up a LOT of my confusions...gave me some excellent advice...and was so nice and friendly and warm I just wanted to take her home with me to be my rug hooking buddy/mentor. On her advice I invested in a "normal" rug hook and am very glad I did. the booth where I got them had the kind I had seen for biggish prices but also had much less expensive makes. I got 2 of the cheaper ones because I tend to misplace things alot. Joanne and Otto raise cashmere goats and he had on a 100% cashmere sweater under his plaid jacket that was a dream to fondle the collar of. we all might have fondled more, because our hands were cold and Otto was cozy, but we are all good (ish) girls and Joanne's sense of humour probably only would have gone so far! LOL What a jolly bunch we were! Much laughing and fun.
Earlier in the day, V and I had found a treasure I'd been searching for at Carol Leigh's Hillside something or other booth. Nostepinnes! I'd found some before but none of them moved me to purchase. Here at this booth they had some Snipe's made nosties and there were a coupkle darkly finished ones that I was taken with. V got one and I the other and we called ourselves Nostepinne Sisters. Later V took Pam there but the dark ones were all gone and Pam's didn't match ours so she's a Nostepinne Sister but of the adopted or step variety. This struck us as quite funny when beer was added to the equation but I think you had to be there. Mmmm beer. Sam Adam's Octoberfest to be exact. But more later.
We had also found our knit friend the mighty and glorious Deeawn and her pal Susan FINALLY. late in the day. I'd missed her call somehow...I think my reception had been interupted. Deeawn is a force of nature and we crack one another up. Susan was a love and fit right in. We all helped Pat and Heidi and Mindy pack up shop, filling tote bins and disassembling "walls" and shelving. Then V, Deeawn, Susan, and I headed into the village for some supper. Mindy was supping with Pat and Heidi at a fancier place. Our budgets were hurting a bit so we went to Foster's and had some great BEER and food. And MUCH laughing, waiter appreciation discussion, and storytelling and fellow patron annoying. Sorry, less rowdy people! It was wonderful. Then D and Susan were off to their abode of the night and V and I went to the grocery store in search of a few items and more beer. We got a Sam Adam's mixed dozen and in it was the Octoberfest we'd had a pitcher of at the pub as well as a nice brown and wonder of all wondered Cherry Wheat beer! It was actually quite tasty!!!! There was much giggling back at the room once we were all 3 together again and in our jammies, knitting, sipping, and with Veronik translating Beau Dommage songs to our hysterical laughter. Poor Mindy had been fighting a cold all weekend and was so tired from that and work and our late nights and we were tired from all outr fun and disturbed sleeps that it was very easy to find things funny.
We didn't cry when my "Mindy Lou Who" left next morning with Pat and Heidi...headed back to Virginia and not to be seen again in person until next year's festival. It was hard to have her going but we still have each other online. Its both a curse and a blessing these internet friendships, because we are so far away from one another with Carol in Pa and Mindy in Va and I forget where Laura is...Pa or Mass?
Anyways, sad to see Mindy go but mindful of our owwn schedule we got showered and packed up and ready to leave. We wanted to book an extra room for next year for more friends to stay with us but ALL THE ROOMS ARE BOOKED. Popular place for Rhinebeck weekend and most people are return guests. Dismayed at our foiled plans, we headed for Red Hook and breakfast at The Historic Diner. Best poached eggs I've had since my mommy used to make them for me when I was small. Ever notice how sometimes simple things just are so much better when someone else makes them?
We hit the road, forgetting to gas up with all our chit chat, and I noticed just in time while driving that my car was seriously on E and got to the next gas station, disturbing poor V's intended nap. I begin to understand why Hman worries about letting me out in the world alone but alls well that ends well and our weekend was way better than "well".

The other side of a "She Wolf"

2009-10-13T14:25:00.002-04:00

Paul And Storm's Cruel Cruel Moon

Go to the link and click on Play at the top of the page. heh heh

YES I AM THAT JUVENILE! Thanks for askin'.

Rip Off Artists

2009-10-13T09:48:00.003-04:00

HBC's Cowichan "style" sweater. In the business of ripping off Canadians for 300 years and counting.

As a knitter I have an admiration for the sweaters made by the Cowichan knitters of the West coast. They are individually unique garments and much prized by their wearers for both their current fashionability and their warmth. Not only that but the 100 plus years of tradition that are behind the sweaters and the work that goes into them.

I few hundred years ago a company was formed that exploited Native North Americans in the name of profit. This company was the Hudson's Bay Company, formed by profit seeking British businessmen. Looks like the exploitation never goes out of style. Cowichan knitters applied for the sweater contract for the 2010 Olympics and really, what could have been BETTER than a Canadian original being worn by our Canadian team and marketed to teh Canadian people. Instead the Bay chose to be "inspired" by the Cowichan tradition and create knock offs to sell for $350 to commemorate the Olympics on Canada's West Coast.
More links to this story: Cowichan News Leader.com

Now Public article.

Vancouver Sun article.

I am not a big fan of the Olympics. I think that they are a fairly useless drain on the tax payer's resources. The MILLIONS of dollars spent on this event could have contributed to cleaning up Vancouver's homeless and drug addicted, but no, there was never enough money for the programs etc but there is HEAPS of money for the Olympics. How many Canadians have to pay for the PR grab of hosting the Olympics? How many drug addicts had to go without treatment because of a governments lack of funds for the programs that we pay our taxes to support? How many homeless shiver and die in the alleys because the shelters are under funded?

Anyway, I guess my point is that in the end someone always gets ripped off but why does it always have to be the little guy.
If you want an Cowichan sweater, buy an authentic one. They cost less than the Bay's version and you know it was made by a Native North American artisan. If you want a sweater in this "style' then hire a knitter to make you one. Mass marketting kills the allure and pride.

Nothing Particular

2009-10-08T10:49:00.002-04:00

A sample of what last years NY Sheep and Wool Festival was like.

I have not been very bloggy these days because it seems like I just keep repeating myself and boring the readers here ,who grace this blog with their presence, to tears. I really am this dull people! Just ask my husband. Its all blah blah laundry...blah blah kids... blah blah kitties...blah blah blahbbity blah yarn.. blah blah did that dust bunny just move on its own?

Truly dullness at its finest.

Today is no different but I think that if one comes here, then one knows what to expect so one is not terribly surprised at the boring factor. And if you keep coming back then its because my version of boring is somehow interesting to you. For that I am grateful.

So today's post is its usual random blah blah's about my usual blah blahs (see all of the above).

Laundry was very nearly folded and basketted into COMPLETE-ish submission yesterday but the blue kryptonite that is the sofa made me sleepy so I was felled by the power of the nap after lunch hour I didn't get hurt when I fell of course because the kryptonite, as well as being blue, is also very cushy and comfy. Sweet sweet sleepytime kryptonite....

Knitting has been slow. Mostly because I find it very hard to sit and get it done, even though I love it. Attention span issues, I have them. I FINALLY got my new needle tips yesterday...worked row 14 of Liesl and flupped it up. I have one too many stitches so I need to tink back and see where I missed a K2tog. I really CANNOT have anyone near by when doing this damn thing. Grrr...
Thrummed mitten #1 should have been done by now but I got distracted by some Alafoss Lopi and the desire to whip up a pair of felted mittens. They are knit but not yet felted. the pattern is a little wonky...numbers not right..ginormous thumb in proportion to the hand... I don't know if I would use this pattern again.
Hman's sock #2 is still not done and I still await the ball of yarn for it, not that I am ready for it. If I was a good little knitting wife I would have it finished before I run off to Rhinebeck next Friday (8 more sleeps), but we all know where I fall in this category of good little knitting wives.

Thanks to Barbara, I have been distracted by a slipper pattern. Well, that and because my feet have been cold and I can't seem to locate my slippers. Said pattern is seriously cute and would make EXCELLENT gifts for certain people I have in my family. I intend to attempt them after Rhinebeck (if I can resist the startitis until then) and see how I would feel in knitting a few pairs.

The ripping apart of the first ever sweater I knit has finished. MAN, there was a lot of yarn in that sucker. Ben had mixed feelings about the ripping of his sweater but I have assured him that the new one that I make with the salvadged yarn will be much better. I am toying with the idea of a Lopi inspired patterned yoke sweater since they are so easy and fast. Also drawn to a gansey. I will save it for January though.

The moving decision has been remade: first we decided that the boys and I would move in order for me to be nearer my parents so that I can help them out more. Then with Mom's improving health we thought that maybe it wouldn't be necessary. Now we have decided again that the move will be made. Stay tuned for any further waffling, but so far its decided...again. We've even been discussing which house gets what furniture and stuff. Its weird though, because dividing the household items seems so divorce like and this is SO NOT a break up. I stated this to to Hman, that it felt like the worlds most amicable divorce, but without the benefits of freedom and a fresh start. Don't worry. He laughed at that. He is used to my observations at this point in our 18+ year relationship.

Next week, as I mentioned, is Rhinebeck (8 more sleeps). I am stoked. I worked a cleaning shift for Ginette so I have a bit more money for my coffers. I was hanging out with one of my Rhinebeck roomies last night and I must say I am not the only giddy one. Veronik has work to do while there, promoting her yarn company etc but its also a huge social occassion for knitters and knit folk of all stripes. Industry people get to touch base with the general knitting population, network, and commiserate with one another. General knitting population gets to go crazy at seeing/meeting/accosting so many knitting industry celebs, the insane amount of yarny and fibery goodness all around, the knit wear worn by the other knitters in attendence (where else can complete strangers in a crowd of thousands fondle someone's sweater and NOT get punched in the face? Not only not get punched out or arrested for assault BUT perhaps have their knitwear fondled and cooed over in return? Only at a sheep and wool festival, my muggle friends. If you were a yarny goodness enthusiast you would know that.). So while work is done at these things, fun is had as well. I am lucky enough that I will be able to observe the working and the funning and that I have a friend that can introduce me in a non-stalkery way to other knitting insustry peoples. While I do admit a certain amount of fangirl excitement at this sort of "backstage pass" as you will, I am honestly just as excited to meet my friend's friends and put faces to many names and maybe if I'm lucky soak in some knowledges through osmosis. I learned a lot at last years event, about who and what I am as a knitter and what I like. This year I hope to build upon that with wiser purchasing and observing. I am composing a list of must do's and must buys , thinking on patterns that maybe I will invest in a whole projects worth of yarns for rather than a sampling like last year. I am getting giddy at the whole weekend away with no family obligations too...that in itself is very exciting! Some people go to Las Vegas to completely lose/find themselves for a weekend. Rhinebeck is my Vegas.

Its almost Punkin time

2009-10-07T16:02:00.000-04:00

MWAHAHAHAHAHA....

This hurts me more than him...

2009-09-29T13:03:00.002-04:00

Harley, my wee Ragdoll shadow, has a very not nice habit. He has not been peeing in the litterboxes. He poops there, no prob. But there are no pee clumps in the box when I clean them. The girls have been using the great outdoors, so this is how I know who has been doing or not doing what.
I cannot find where he is peing either. I have been seeking out hidden corners and sniffing around but he has hidden his spot from me thus far. It ends today.

Today, Harley will be locked in the main floor bathroom with a litter box, food, water, and a sleeping basket. This retrainibg method is going to hurt me worse than him because I know he will be crying and I will want to let him out so we can cuddle. He is a most excellent cuddle cat. So, as bad as it is for him to be locked in the bathroom....my nerves and composure will be suffering as well. Send me strength!!!

In honor of Suldog's latest post (not for kids)

2009-09-28T09:33:00.001-04:00

New week

2009-09-28T08:35:00.002-04:00

It is the beginning of the new week and I thought maybe I'd lay down a blurt or two here to take the edge off a misty moisty Monday morning.

Hman returned home safe and sound on Saturday although about 2 hours earlier than expected, thus all the house tidyings were not done. Note to anyone who arrives anywhere early: Don't bitch if things aren't ready for you! Not that he bitched...he just sighed and shook his head and started tidying things which drives me crazy.
He arrived home without my present because he couldn't find a Gullah basket and everywhere he tried told him he'd have to go to Charleston, which he didn't have time for. I hate tourist websites that recommend stuff that is out of date. Its ok though because I got extra Rhinebeck money. He asked how much I needed I said LOTS. He said Lots isn't a number so I said MORE THAN LAST YEAR! It seems to have worked...Oh and then there was the moment when the amount ended in a 13 so I said it was unlucky, gimme another 50. And he did. Rhinebeck...were are going to enjoy ourselves this year. I will be buying a sweater's worth of something for sure.
Cameron has been very congested for about a week. The kid is always congested!!! He has a mould allergy and the Nasonex only helps a little and only if you are the allergist and looking up his nose and saying "Oh yes...much better!" Other than that he's still the walking talking snot bucklet he always is until it either gets worse or he has a cold. Then its almost impossible to understand a word he says, between his lisp and his refusal to enunciate and then add the nasal accents.
Whatever was bugging him was passed on to me but seems to have left after two days.

I am tired. Was awake much of the night. I get smooshed between Harley and Hman and cannot get comfy. I wish the cat would get in the middle..That'd be better for me. When I went to the sofa, Harley tagged along and pinned down my legs for his sleeping comfort...remind me why I wanted a fur baby again? Also, he won't pee in the litter box. I have been trying to find out where he's doing that but have not yet detected his spot(s). Then this morning, right in front of me, he pee'd on the laundry pile that had fallen to the floor from the hamper in the laundry room. WTF? I don't get it. The boxes are clean! We have two of them! He poops there, why won't he pee there??? UGH...so gross.

Thrummed Mitten: Am displeased. Its too short and the decreases look like shit because they made the mitten kinda pointy. Have to rip it back about 2 1/2 inches to where the decreases were started and knit it again, but differently and about an inch longer. This time I am planning radical decreases in the last rows starting with a K1, K2tog...thats 15 stitches decreased in the first row, 10 in the second decreas row, and then I will just K2tog for the 3rd. Bam.
Liesl: Still waiting for new needle tips. Am beginning to think I won't have it ready for Rhinebeck. More like I'm pretty sure I won't, at this point.
Hman's Socks: Husband man says the first sock is perfect but I think its about 3-5 rows too short...the end goes UNDER his toes just a smidge. After sock 2 is done I will rip out the toe of sock one to match the slightly longer foot length I will put on Sock 2. Its bugging me.
Want to knit the new Spilly Jane pattern Quo Vadis . Lord knows I have enough single and partial balls of worsted weight yarns to make a few pair of these lovely unisex mittens. Unfortunately my printer is sucking badly these days and the copy I printed off is somewhat illegible. Grr. I think the pattern would also make lovely fingerless mitts...and flip top mitts. sigh. Stupid printer and pile of WIPs already draining my will to live....

I missed out on last weeks two knit nights so tonight I'm going to go hang out with my friend Veronik at her place in the city. I'm starting to feel hermit like and curmudgeonly so I gotta get out.
PS: the cute adorable bra and panty set that I got for my mother, based on HER measurements is too small. I knew shouldn't have trusted her measuring skills.

Viral Video By Uqam Students

2009-09-23T20:33:00.001-04:00

Heh heh

2009-09-23T12:17:00.000-04:00

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

I love Will Ferrell. Love the sarcasm.

Chchchchanges...

2009-09-21T16:14:00.002-04:00

Amy Singer of Knitty.com models her Liesl sweater. Will mine look anywhere near as nice?

Changed Liesl over to the Warani yarn and to 9mm needles.. YES! NINE mm needles. So far so good and better than the Yarn Treehouse Merino Classic on 8 mm. Unfortunately, there is a snag. One of my 9mm needle tips has a chip in it (being made of a laminate wood product) and I have had to call for replacements. While still functional, its a little painful (sharp scratchy edges). I am on row 10...will row 11 see the right number of stitches??? It didn't yesterday..hence the ripping out...but I feel good about today's progress. Much happier with the project on the whole actually.

Now that the Merino Classic is free its tempting me...I LOVE the colour. It makes me think of chicory blossoms on the roadsides in late June which I adore the colour of. I'll call it Cornflower. Anyways...now what will I do with only 970 yards? I scratched my head and then wondered if maybe I could knit Veronik's Cap Sleeved Henly with it...Using my questionable math skills and a calculator I figured that if I knit it at 5 stitches to the inch, the closest stitch count for MY size would be the medium. This calls for 1050 yds of sportweight yarn...will 970 (ish) of worsted do? This I do not know because I haven't got yardage calculation skills like that.

I finished shopping for my Mom's birthday present today and got it into the mail. I spent more than I planned but I think its a nice parcel of girly stuffs. I don't see her very often so a half decent present is called for I think. (Just hope Hman doesn't look at the bank account too hard.) She's at the doctor's today and should be recieving some test results.

My new DPN needles arrived today in sizes 7mm and 5.5 mm! YAY! Time for more Instant Mitten knitting because winter will be here before I get any normal mitts knit, and the 7 mms are for Fuzzy Feet felted slippers. My old 7mms were too short and with sucky points. Not nice to knit with at all, specially in the round.

After two nights of crap sleep, last night I crashed out around 10 and slept like a baby!!!!! Today I feel great! And NO NAP. I even made pancakes for the kids this morning. I wish I felt this good and energetic everyday.

Oh NPH...how I love theee!

2009-09-21T08:15:00.002-04:00

The uber talented Neil Patrick Harris hosted another YES another awards show last night. This time the Emmys. Of course being an idiot I forgot to watch BUT thanks to the wonder that is the innernetses, I got to watch the Dr Horrible hijacking of the show over and over and over...and over....

LOVE Dr Horrible. Love the Sing Along Blog! Wish I had it on Dvd so I could watch it over...and over...and over... and not just because I has the lust for Nathan Fillion. OH...don't forget Castle premiers tonight!!!! tee hee heee...

What's new, Pussycat?

2009-09-19T13:42:00.002-04:00

I went to knit night last night and it was so incredibly quiet. there was just me, Cindy, and Ginette and sometimes the silence was broken only by one of us talking to ourself as we counted stitches or talked through a pattern repeat...LOL This is almost unheard of at Effiloche but I guess everyone was tired or busy. I wanted to be there because I had two booklets on hold ( Lopi 28 amd Berroco Blackstone Tweed ) full of inspiration for future projects. Audrey (The Devil) is making noises about a Briggs and Little order and I have a queue of sweaters that would benefit for having a yarn to knit them in...temptation ...always so much yarny temptation...)

As we chatted and caught up, I really had nothing new or exciting to relay to my friends. Nothing was new. Nothing was very different. Hman has left for South Carolina for a week of golfing fun with clients. I guess thats new, but he goes on trips or conferences a couple times a year so its not really new. Plus if the boys and I are moving home Nova Scotia I will need to get used to a semi single parent life, so I am not complaining or bitching but I miss him when he's not around, the big lug.
Truth is that for the last few weeks I have been adjusting to school schedule with the boys, and I'm not doing that great. The napping has returned with a vengeance. Almost all summer I didn't nap. It was great! Some day I was even up by 9 or 9;30 (and y'all know what an "up at the crack of noon" girl I truly am) and able to function for the whole day! Gasp! Shock! Awe!! I think it was the simple blessing of those two extra hours of sleep without the alarm going off. That and sunlight exposure. Now the alarm goes off at 7 and I am trying to drag my ass out of the bed by 20 after or so and motivate the kids to get ready for school with much pleading or threatening or cajoling, depending on the day and the kid and how late we are running because I fell asleep again after the clock radio came on. The truth is that I suck at mornings. I wish I didn't but I do and always have done.

So, after the kids go to school I have two options...guzzle coffee and get moving or go back to bed. Some days I do indeed go back to bed. Most days I do coffee and get things going but by 1 pm amd crashing hard on the sofa until the kids return from school. Its sad and pathetic and doesn't always have anything to do with what time I get to bed at night. Also, I have noticed that I am NOT sleeping well at night between Harley crowding me from the edge of the bed on my left and Hman sleeping the other side. This week may be a blessing in disguise for sleep quality.

So, as you see, there is nothing new OR exciting going on here at all. Is a SSDD situation now that school is back in session.

On the knitting front: I finished the shrug and its too tight across the back of my neck. I should have extended the back by at least an inch or three for comfort. Disappointed I am. If I continue to lose weight it might fit next year.
Hman's socks are coming along beautifully. I finished sock one last night but worry that I may have ended it a few rows too short even after having tried it on him, said I would knit a few more rows and then decrease, did so, and am still wondering if they'll be a few rows too short. Sock two will get on the needles ASAP and I await a 3rd ball of the yarn that I had to order because of the skeins being short (only 166 yds rather than the almost 200 I'd assumed, so one ball does NOT equal one good sized sock). The shipping on one little ball of Kroy from Ontario doubled the price of the frigging yarn. Kroy has an excellent price point unless you have to order it in. Grrr. But they will be lovely.

TUESDAY is the official start to the Effiloche Thrum Along. Some of the girls want to make thrummed mittens etc so a knit along was proposed and the Autumn Equinox as a start date. I have the yarn and some roving and 3 pair of mittens to be made. May need more roving since my supply is now heavy on the pink side and two of these pairs are for the boys. Ginette has some gorgeous multicoloured Louet pencil rovings in stock that would look gorgeous in thrummed projects with a coordinating or contrasting yarn. I have visions of a certain green yarn paired with the purples of the "Grape Jelly" rovings....puuuurrrr. Then again...I have more knitting visions than I can execute myself. I need a clone or two.

We all wanted a Johnny

2009-09-14T23:25:00.003-04:00

Dirty dancing final Patrick Swayze
envoyé par laetitoumi. - Regardez plus de clips, en HD !

I remember when Dirty Dancing came out and every woman I knew would have loved to have been Baby. Patrick Swayze was THE man the way Brad Pitt or George Clooney are now. Its hard to believe its been over 20 years since I first saw him in movies like Red Dawn and Tiger Warsaw. Now he's gone. I am sad.

Accomplishment...I has some.

2009-09-13T11:46:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I finished my silk and wool blend shrug in all its glorious colours of purple, blue, and sand. I had bound off the night before BUT the bind off was too tight and the garment was rendered useless. I found an uber stretchy bind off yesterday and it rocked. Many thanks to the blog Slip Slip Knit for that. It is wearable but I could have used an inch or more ease through the back, but I wanted it close fitting. I will know better next time to go for more ease.

On the ride to Henry and Louise's house in Ile Perrot for supper I turned the heel and started the gusset decreases on Sock 1 of the Paton's Kroy Sock F/X socks I am knitting for a certain husband I have. It is what I owe him after F*&^ing up a beach day on vacation by returning too late for said beach outing. My penance is another pair of socks so here I am with almost half a pair done. I am loving this yarn despite its somewhat splitty nature. The colour gradiant is so pretty but not all girly or wild. The colourway I am using has the odd name of Clover Colours and it looks nothing like clover! 'Sup with that? Looks like an autumn landscape to me in it colours. ( I tried to use a picture of it from the web but it wouldn't work.) I am using 2.75 mm needles for a dense knit rather than the 3 or 3.25mm(?) recommended on the label. A tighter knit with socks makes them warmer and theory has it they last better.

Last of all, I weighed in yesterday. It was a happier weigh in than earlier in the week when it had appeared I'd gone up (damn water retention). Yesterday I was a satisfying 200.6 which means I've lost another 2 plus pounds. Since mid June I am almost 14 pounds off. .6 to go for that goal...LOL I was aiming for 10 pounds off by Labour day and I made it in August. I was aiming for 15 off by Rhinebeck and I am almost there (1.6 pounds away!). After that I will make another short term goal. I am feeling rather accomplished today!

Sheep Visual Art

2009-09-09T15:29:00.001-04:00

Got this in an email from my sister and it wasn't half bad, if you like sheep.

NOT FOR CHILDREN

2009-09-05T12:26:00.002-04:00

You will also want to put the music on my playlist on pause if you choose to watch this video.

My friend Janet knows I am a big Nathan Fillion fan: Firefly, Serenity, Slither, Castle...I love him in almost everything he does. He is especially good at comic timing...ad libbing funny stuffs into his work. Also, he a good ol' Canadian boy. Did I mention handsome?
Anyways, Janet sent me the link to James Gunn's PG Pron. Its HILARIOUS!!!! Everything you love about pron without the sex. Its like anti-pron (yes I know I spelled it wrong...I don't want freaks showing up here looking for pron...except yarn pron...or kitty pron...and by freaks I don't mean you guys).

So this is the episode of PG Pron entitled Nailing Your Wife. Enjoy responsibly...my coffee shot out my nose.

PG PORN: Nailing Your Wife | Celebrities | SPIKE.com

I think I can I think I can...

2009-09-03T18:12:00.002-04:00

I think I can finish sleeve one of my shrug tonight if I really try. I will try to sit still and work on it. I have a couple inches of ribbing left to do and then its cast off. Then I get to pick up from the provisional cast on and work the other half of the back and the other sleeve.

The yarn is very pretty...soft purples, blues, and taupes. The slubby bits make for a lot of texture to jkeep the stockingette from being blah. I actually have yarn left over from the sleeve (or I should say, I WILL) but I know that to finish I will still need a coordinating yarn for the collar bands.

I'd like to take a line or two and thank everyone for the kind words regarding Cooper. It really helped. Thanks a lot, folks.

Mommy and Daddy

2009-09-03T09:41:00.003-04:00

Aren't they cute?

Puppy Mill Video

2009-09-02T09:36:00.002-04:00

A lot of pet store throughout Canada get their puppy's from Quebec puppy mills. If you want a purebred dog go to a reputable breeder, NOT a pet store. If they stop making money they will stop having puppy mills and abusing these poor creatures.

Hard Call

2009-09-01T12:44:00.002-04:00

I've been trying to stay pretty positive about Cooper's prognosis. I've been hopeful. Unfortunately all the care in the world ain't a cure and the poor bugger was not improving beyond his eye and nasal discharges were no longer green.
He's been sleeping a lot and cuddling up looking for heat and comfort. On anti inflammatories he is a pinch more active but nothing like a healthy kitten and also, thats not a cure . He still had a fever today, back up to 40 degrees and now he's losing weight. He's not a big cat so a 1/2 pound loss in a week is a lot. He's been getting a smelly again (cat pee smell) and I noticed that the big blue sofa has the smell where he tends to curl up. I am washing the cushion covers and have Febreezed everything but never was anything wet...I think it just rubbed off (or maybe he was getting dribbly?)Basically, He's plain old getting worse. So today while at the vet we discussed his health, his lack of progress beyond the eye and boogers, how often he would have to come back to the vet if we kept trying to help him. Since the vet is positive in her mind that he has FIP, there would be no actually "getting well", just managing his illness and frankly if its anything like that last 3 weeks has been, we just can't afford several hundred dollars a month in vet bills. All of that added to todays examination meant I had to make the tough call and so Cooper did not come home with me.

Its cold to think of it as cutting our losses but the fact is that if it was FIP, he was just going to get worse and worse. He was obviously not well, and sometimes I could see he was uncomfortable or maybe even in pain. Watching him walk fron his sleeping spot to his food dish was like watching an elderly cat. There was not spring, no litheness to his walk, and he was even somewhat unsteady sometimes. The longer we kept trying to hold out hope or manage his symptoms, the more attached we were going to get and I was getting pretty attached already, what with his wanting to sleep curled up with me as often as possible. What he had with us, albeit too brief, was a family that wanted to love him. A family that gave his last weeks comfort and affection. At least he had that.

Day out

2009-08-29T22:14:00.002-04:00

Today felt like Autumn had decided to arrive. It was rainy, breezy, and there was a distinct chill in the air. A perfect day for visiting an alpaca farm!!!

Audrey, rescuer of damsels with dead cars, aka The Devil, and wunderknitter, arranged a tour of an alpaca farm not far from where we live. It was wonderful. We didn't get lost (much) and the farm was adorable...like something out of a story book. If you ever get a chance to meet the couple behind Brin d'Alpaga you should take it. They were warm, welcoming, informative and very genial hosts to our small group of knitters.

Their barn was so tidy and clean!! The paddock as well. The alpacas all look to be in great condition with their short summer coats. They eventually got comfortable enough with us strangers there to lay down and chew their cud in serene poses, beautiful eyes half closed but still alert.

We went into their boutique for a visit and not one of us left empty handed. there were items manufactured in Peru from alpaca skins and fiber. Alpaca themed items. Hand knit scarves with the alpaca's name on it to let the buyer know who supplied the fiber for the yarn. I particularly like that touch. I have been to farms like this before and that personal connection to the animal is a very nice feature they had. I was also amazed that they had made so much out of the small piece of land they had. It is possible to have animals without having acres and acres of land. One simply needs the zoning, cash, and the desire.

I came home with two yarn "cakes" of hand spun 3 ply...each ply of the yarn being made of a different alpaca's fiber. In my yarn are the colours of Cortez the white stallion of great grace and gentlness, Poncho the gelding with such a striking black and white coat, and Chanel a two year old female the colour of chestnuts in the autumn sunshine.

On the way home, Audrey and I decided that such a great outting called for a spell at the Brulerie du Moulins cafe. They have great sweet iced tea, baked goods from scratch and fresh roasted coffees. VERY satisfying.

I have been trying to stave off a cold or something for days and almost like clock work every afternoon and evening it makes itself known. Today was no exception. When I got home I changed out of jeans into sweats and passed out on the sofa...then when things got noisy I toddled upstairs to the bed to cuddle with Harley and think about my wonderful day (before the 'sick' started up again). I took more Cold F/X this evening. It really does work...so far the cold has not fully formed. its more a scratchy back of the throat sniffly sensation. Could just be some sort of allergy...

So there is my loverly day. Good friends, great animals, Awesome HANDSPUN yarn to be turned into something amazingly warm...what more could a girl ask for?

Siiiiggghhh

2009-08-27T19:50:00.002-04:00

Hman had an interview today that we THOUGHT was going to be for a Halifax position. Wires were crossed and hopes dashed when he went to the interview 3 hours away and discovered that the company WANTS him...just not in Halifax. They didn't see the cover letter to his resume that stated he wanted to head east and thus they were meeting him for a job in Ontario. DOH! So there went that lovely fantasy of moving sooner than next year and with my husband in tow. The Halifax job is totally unsuitable as it turns out (entry level)but since they thought he wanted the Ontario job they never said boo at his salary expectations. I'm somewhat bummed tonight.

He, on the other hand, found it a funny comedy of errors and very flattering that they were so excited to meet with him. They said that finding someone with his skills and expertise is becoming very hard to do and his ego got a nice boost. Thats a good thing because with where he is now its a constant beating of head against brick wall.

So, we will still be moving just not sooner like I'd been so hopeful of. Feeling impatient because the decision has been made and now I just want to get going on it.

Happy news: weighed myself yesterday and was down another pound which makes 11 pounds off since mid-June. YAY. Tonight I had a nice PMS induced Aero bar consumption(Oh Aero, how I love you....). Also, the heat is gone. Last night was 9 degrees. I wore my wool socks to bed (thank you Teri) and my flannel jammies. I think its time to put a comforted back on the bed.

My shrug made of Brooks Farm 'Ellie', a thick and thin 50/50 mix of silk and wool, is motoring along. I have the first sleeve on DPNs now and have started the decreases. I am very excited about it and get many compliments on the colours and texture on the knit fabric. Cannot wait to have it finished!

Vet visit # 2 for Cooper

2009-08-24T13:30:00.002-04:00

We just got back from the vet's a little while ago. I gotta say I really like my veterinarian, Nathalie. A) she speaks ok English which is a BIG plus in dealing with me and B) she is sympathetic and C) she has great common sense.
She took Cooper's temperature and its still elevated (39.5 C this week)so either he is still suffering from an infection OR its the possible you-know-what. His eye is MUCH improved though in her opinion. No infection visible and he has it open wider than before. She is concerned about a cloudy membrane that seems to be coating some of the eye and gave me the number for the veterinary opthamologist for that. A test showed no signs of ulceration. His weight is still 7 pounds 3 oz, so he hasn't gained but he hasn't lost either. I was disapponted but still relieved. She does not find him to be underweight for his size so she isn't worried about his weight unless it drops. He was fairly sniffly today, signs of imflammation in his nasal passages (residual infection? simple rhino related inflammation?) so she asked me to continue his antibiotics for 5 days with whats left in the bottle and gave us anti inflammatories for 5 days as well. He is MOST unimpressed with this torture and has gone into pissed off hiding for now. He'll get over it when the AIs kick in and he has no pain or fever and feels good. We will go and see her in a week to take his temperature again.
While there, I discussed drugs, supplements, and diet with Dre. Nathalie. We will not use anything while he's still feverish for the time being. He is no worse and somewhat improved so we will stay the course. I did invest in some Medi-Cal "Development" kibble to mix in with our usual cat food in the hopes it will give him a boost, being a richer and higher calorie food for developing kittens which he kinda still is. The road to health is paved with good nutrition after all. I also got a couple of cans of the Preventative formula to tempt him (but if untempted the other cats will eat it). She found it odd he is unmoved by the wet food offerings. Quirky little bugger would rather suck on my hair? LOL
So there we have it...status quo in a good way!

Cooper talk and knit natter

2009-08-23T17:15:00.003-04:00

After discussing Cooper with my superneice, the former veterinarian (though really, once you have your DVM are you ever NOT a vet anymore even though you prefer teaching to sticking your arm up a cows arse at 3 am in January? Really?) I am less frantic about Cooper. YES he did test positive for the antibodies associated with Coronavirus (causes FIP) but not every cat that catches the Coronavirus gets FIP. Sort of like every person who catches Chicken Pox doesn't get Shingles, see what I mean? He might be a lucky boy that doesn't actually have FIP and was fighting off an infection or a bout of that frakking Rhinotracheitis. Only time will tell.
Last night he was almost perky! He chased Harley a short distance and actually came up and slept with the Hman and I part of the night, snuggling close at one point into the underarm area (we both woke up at different times to find that he was there in the arm pit so he switched pits through the night...LOL) though originally he was at our feet. We haven't had a bed cat since Monkey...or maybe Freckles? Best bed cat ever was Eliot...that was a snuggly cat lemme tell you...but I digress.
Today he has looked for some mischief and napped, followed me around, interfered with typing and gotten lots of snuggles when he's willing. He is still eating well, as I have mentioned before. I will be cleaning that eye area again today (did it last night). Its no worse than before but he just looks so much nicer when its clean BUT he is fighting me off more vigorously. Thats a good sign, eh?

I am looking forward to the vet visit tomorrow. I think she will see some improvement in our boy. Lets all hope he's put on an ounce or two and that his fever is gone. That would be a great sign, eh??? Supahneice also reassured me that the usual drugs used in treatment (steroids and maybe Prednizone)are not astronomically priced so that also a relief.

Hippy that I am, I am also interested in what my commenter has said about diet and holistic therapies like Lysine and a raw food diet. I am nervous of making cat food incase I cannot create a food that is nutritionally balanced enough, although I hear great anecdotal evidence promoting it. A website I saw gave some recommended vitamin support information for cats suspected of having FIP and I will be bringing all of these questions to the vet tomorrow.

The other day I casted on yet another project...I just get so bored sometimes and need to start something new and enjoyable. Using my Brooks Farm Ellie I am attempting a shrug. Did I mention this already? Can I just say I LOVE this yarn in a stockingette fabric. Its shows off the slubby texture so well! I loaded an audio book onto my iPod so I have something to keep me in my chair.

I have TOO MANY TOMATOES. Need to try a salsa recipe today. Thats my cue to get back to the kitchen!!

Hmmmmmmmmmm

2009-08-22T16:19:00.000-04:00

Cat Herpes

OMG

2009-08-22T12:37:00.001-04:00

My friend's daughter singing. HOLY SMOKES.

Got the calll

2009-08-22T12:06:00.002-04:00

The vet called yesterday about Cooper, enquiring after his health and then giving us the news. The test came back showing a high antibody count which means we can assume he's positive for PIF/FIP.
According to my readings the only way to truly diagnose this is post mortem. Blood tests can measure the antibody count associated with the virus and then the vet takes that information, along with the cats symptoms and health and makes an educated assumption/guess. Her guess is that he's got it but there are treatments to alleviate his discomfort and maybe prolong his life. Daily meds mainly.

I emailed the breeder to voice my displeasure at the situation and her replies are apologetic and somewhat disbelieving the diagnosis. She swears he can't have FIP and that he's still suffering from heat stress from the last two weeks of heat and humidity, and the rhinovirus he had (maybe it wasn't), and the move to a new home. She has offered to take him back and apologised for the expenses we've incurred and that she would never knowingly hand off an animal with an incurable disease. Her actions do speak for themselves in that her house cats are all disabled Ragdolls:blind, semi paralysed...she would rather see a cat rehabilitated than put down so her offer to take Cooper back is genuine but I wonder if he'd be better off with us with no dogs and fewer cats than the breeder's place. Compared to her home and the cattery our mad house is down right tranquil. Also, for all his hair sucking weirdo-ness, I like the little bugger.

Some cats DO recover after having been diagnosed but this is mainly because of misdiagnosis which is very possible. Some respond well to drug therapy and go into remission for months. Could Cooper recover? His appetite is very good even with how sick he is and he has not been dehydrated. Would a deathly ill cat eat and drink so normally? I have been trying to tempt his appetite as well with canned food but he is unimpresed and sticks to the kibble mostly. Harley and the girls appreciate his disinterest in all the dishes of temptings he rejects however! They will probably all get fat on his rejects. LOL In his favor is his undiminished appetite and the fact that when its cool at night he is much more lively and seems a bit recovered compared to last week. No more green snot, much less congestion, when its cooler he's less lethargic and a bit playful and cuddly....SIGH...So hard to tell...we shall see.

I will know more after I talk to the vet on Monday morning. She is going to re-examine him and we will discuss his options for wellness or at least relief of discomfort. We can re-do the blood test in a few months if he's well enough. It could tell us better news.

Just blathering because I have noone to talk to

2009-08-15T10:33:00.002-04:00

And who would want to listen to me blather? Sometimes we just need to pour out the brain, y'know? So since todays post is just emptying and reorganising my brain's clutter, you may want to skip it. The hamster wheel is spinning hard, baby.

YARN STUFF: I have decided I have too much yarn. I decided that a long time ago actually but yet I keep getting more. Its a bad habit this feeding the stash. I really need to knit the pile down but now its gotten overwhelming. That and I only have small amounts of most things and not enough for major projects. GRRRRR... Who needs this much sock yarn??? But its so pretty....and if anyone was to abscond with it I would be heart broken and very very mad. Its a territorial yarn thing...ITS MINE. Touche pas!!!!

The Rhinebeck additions from last year are haunting me, especially Ellie. Ellie is a silk/wool blend from Brooks Farm in Texas and is deliciously soft and makes for wonderful texture. I have come up with the idea of a top if I can find a yarn to knit the Ellie with inorder to give me enough yarn. I only have 800 yards of Ellie. I KNOW!! Stuopid stupid stupid.......why did I only buy two skeins???
So, my idea is to maybe alternate rows with another yarn and do the very top part with just Ellie. Or maybe just the front of the bodice rather than the whole. But I have top find a yarn first. If not then Ellie will be cushion covers or hat and scarf. :o(
I am sick to death of the projects I am dawdling on. I have no desire to keep on knitting garter stitch on the Einstein. WHAT WAS I THINKING??? I am way to ADD for that kind of commitment. Maybe I should just knit hats from now one. They are way quicker than socks due to larger gauge (usually).

I am much better at thinking about knitting than getting any actual knitting done. Especially in this heat. Have I mentioned the heat? Its a hot week. I was so hot I skipped knit night last night. For reals! Too Effin' Hot!!

CATS: I am getting attached to the newbies. It was just a matter of time befopre their fuzzy cuteness wore me down. Harley is incredible. He is gorgeous with a capital G. Those big blue eyes!!! Those markings!!! He has a lovely disposition just as the breeder told us. Simple adorable and when he's in the mood for some luvvin's the purr is something to hear. Last night he hopped up on the couch to get double pettings from Hman and myself, rolling over for belly scratchings as usual, paws working at the air, purr rumbling, eyes rolling back in ecstasy. He is a piece of work!

Cooper is still in patient mode. Last night he was limp from the heat. It was a little worrisome but given how sick he is and the heat, not unexpected. He was friskier this morning in the cool. I have been faithfully dosing him with his meds and putting eye drops in his bad eye. If anything the eye is a combination of better and worse? The weepiness seems to darker and crustier but his eye seems clearer. Is that possible? I need to whip up a new batch of boiled and salted water and bathe that craps away again. It was well bathed Thursday night and all cruddiness gone. Then I had done his drops and ointment. Since then I have just done drops to be less traumatic on him but today the eye area must be cleaned up.

I worry about the PIF test. I shouldn't get too attached to him incase it comes back positive. If it does come back positive I am going to be so pissed off.

MOM: Still no test results and her next specialists appointment isn't until the beginning of September. My handy brother showed up last night and mowed the folks' lawn with his big mower and trimmed their hedges. He returned this morning to fix their toilet. The seal had broken apparently and was causing a leak. I will be so glad when I can be there a couple times a week or more to help take care of things like the laundry and helping with the cooking and house keeping. Its just beyond them now though Dad did vacuum the other day. That said, I don't even want to do my own house scrubbing! And truly some of my walls could use it (damn kids). We won't discuss those windows that I haven't scrubbed yet (my bedroom, Ben's bedroom, morning room, kitchen. For the morning room and kitchen I need a ladder to get at the outside filth. That and some bushes trimmed. It will get done before the snow flies though!!!
The folks' house though...omgs...they are chain smokers and the house is stained with the cigarette smoke and reeks of it. Its one thing to go in and scrub but they have to not smoke while I am there and I don't know if they can do that. I really cannot tolerate the smoke, it makes me gag now. When did cigarettes get so STINKY?? I don't remember them being so effing stinky when I was younger...I mean yeah they smelled like cigarettes and that didn't smell good really but now they STINK! To think I smelled like that going to high school because my parents smoked so much in the house. ICK.
And once the scrubbing and freshening is done, its just gonna fill up with smoke again. Like its done before.

MOVING BACK: I am so excited but at the same time worried and sad. I have made some wonderful friends here and it will be hard to leave them behind. If we have to leave Hman here too it will be hard on us all, him being without us and me being a semi-single parent and the kids not having Daddy around all the time. YET, many families are divided due to work etc and they make out just fine and I am sure that we will pull through ok.
I am excited to be back amongst my people again. My family especially. I will also be excited to get a job too! And we are still discussing the maybe's of my having a yarn shop. How does one do market research on yarn shopping? How do I determine if the area can/will support a LYS of its very own. And I have visions of a wonderful shop that caters not just to knitters and crochetters but also some spinning and maybe some weaving too. Thats extremely expensive though and would have to come later . Or maybe I'd win the lottery. I mean, it is still a dream right?
So, moving back home is fraught with nerves and its a year away. Its going to be and interesting year!

Friday night

2009-08-14T23:16:00.002-04:00

Tonight we kicked back with "I Love You, Man", the Paul Rudd/Jason Siegal flick. A bromance. It was pretty friggin' funny.

That is all.

Don't Buy Bottled Water

2009-08-13T20:08:00.000-04:00

Especially Fiji Water

Thursday Vet Visit

2009-08-13T19:31:00.002-04:00

I took Cooper for his vet appointment. His exam showed he was sporting a fever and possibly had blood in his stool (thanks to the rectal thermometer for that bit of info). He doesn't have any racket in his chest to say that his malady has moved chestward, thank goodness. He tested negative for Feline Leukemia and feline AIDS but we are waiting on his PIF blood test which had to be sent to a lab (Feline Infectious Peritonitus coronavirus is the disease in English). If he has PIF then he is most likely a goner which is very sad. The vet gave us new antibiotics and a a 3 day course of medicine for his fever and any inflamation and right now he seems to be feeling pretty darn good if his following Harley to bat at his tail is any indicator. Too bad the anti inflammatory couldn't be taken longer than 3 days! On the plus side he is eating and isn't dehydrated, somewhat to the vets surprise. Poor wee thing. He's only 7 pounds at 11 months which is quite small for a Ragdoll. I think Harley weighs about that and he's only 6 months old. Hears hoping the next bit of vet news is happy news.

Ben has a his own blog

2009-08-12T12:44:00.001-04:00

Tiger Lad's blog He doesn't post much but it helps him with his writing when he does.

This morning

2009-08-12T11:06:00.004-04:00

Cooper found his patch of sunshine and no amount of foot traffic was going to budge him from it. Harley chose a less illuminated postion on the table next to the same door.

Last night I noted that Coop's nasal congestion is not getting better. He had a sneezy exhale that required the application of Kleenex (EEEEW CAT SNOT!!) I will be calling the vets later to get an appointment. I'd hoped that he'd be on the mend by now but his eye area is still nasty and his cold is no better so I want a second opinion and maybe some stronger medicines. In the meantime, I am enjoying his growing trust.

Finally; The newcomers Harley and Cooper

2009-08-12T10:53:00.003-04:00

They don't stay still very well when the camera comes out so I have a lot of blurry shots of tails and asses and disappearing around furniture. Cooper seems to have forgiven me for his bath and is much less stanky. He reeked, seriously.

They are less nervous and eager for attention in the morning when we get up, especially Harley. he is overjoyed to see us in the morning.
Last night however was what I feel is the biggest breakthrough in getting closer to one another. Cooper got up on the big blue sofa with me for cuddles and his usual weird nuzzling and then settled into the crook of my arm like a bay and went to sleep cuddled between arm and body. it was heart warming. Then afterwards he folloed me from room to room and up to bed. When Hman came to bed later he didn't see Cooper curled up beside me asleep on the light coloured sheets (it was dark) and partially laid on him. Coop spent most of the night sleeping between us with the occassional hair sucking, nightgown licking nuzzle fest which I tried to discourage. I'd say we are bonding, non?

And then there was Vacation time

2009-08-12T10:46:00.003-04:00

As you can see we had some heavy fog some times. Most of my pictures from vacation suck due to blurriness etc. This is about all that could be salvadged. Also, we got to see most of the family while at my sister's soiree to welcome her youngest son home for a visit from Calgary where he an his fiancee live. Isn't he a happy lookin' guy? Coulda been the beer. My eldest brother was there as were all my sibs and some other nephews and nieces but like I said....bad camera settings made for wicked bad pictures. :o(

After fishing came the waterfall...

2009-08-12T10:42:00.003-04:00

We even picked up a piece of litter to leave it better than we found it. Such a beautiful spot! It would be a perfect picnic place. Its a part of the Pourvoirie's property and they have developed it slightly to enhance its beauty and accessibility.

That Fishing Trip

2009-08-12T10:35:00.003-04:00

Such attractive fisher folk and not a single trout was landed. Bummer.

In other Pictures........

2009-08-12T10:27:00.004-04:00

Miss Kitty is now getting to be the ripe old age of 13 years old. Wow!! She charms the passers by but annoys the hell out of motorists because she refuses to hurry across the street and will even stop midway to look at the car honking its horn at her.

One day Ben got down with his inner chef and created fantastic Chef's Salads for Hman and I for supper. They were magnificent. He did the prep in the afternoon d then assembled the salads at supper time while we sat waiting at the table. I think we soon need a repeat of this meal.

WWKIP day (World Wide Knit In Public Day) 2009, Montreal : Some of my most favourite people gathered to knit and chat and REPRESENT! in Portugal Park.

Newman's Last Portrait

2009-08-12T10:23:00.001-04:00

Socialization progress RE: cats

2009-08-10T12:14:00.002-04:00

If you have no interest in hears MORE about those two furballs, then move along. I'm just trying to help you not waste your valuable time. :o)

Cooper, of the nasty eye and uncertain purrrsonality, seems to be coming out of his shell. He was described as "friendly but not people crazy" the way some Ragdolls can be. He avoided being petted but once in my arms he calmly submitted to the hman's desires of fondling his fur. Then he would skedaddle upon being set down.
We really thought at first that his nervous behaviour would be made worse in the mad house that can be our home and planned on leaving him behind. But I just couldn't do it. There was the possibility that he might blossom and come into his own as a cat and pet if given enough love, care, and respect. It seems to be paying off...or not depending on your perspective on hair sucking. And foot biting. he likes to bite feet of people.

Yes, Cooper has decided that in the middle of the night what he really really wants (I'll tell ya what he wants) is to nuzzle up to me purring maniacally and sniffling loudly and then finding the just right place on my head (usually a temple area) and start sucking and chewing on my hair where its shorter than elsewhere on my head. Why, yes I do know that this is nasty and creepy! Thanks for mentioning it but since I was the one with cat spit wettened hair, I am fully aware. I did not so much allow it as could not avoid it. I would remove as much hair as I could from his reach but short of throwing him away or shaving my head, there's not much to be done except discourage him. He doesn't discourage as easily as one might anticipate given his usual personality trait of running away at the approach of people.

Not only this but Harley gets in on it by paralysing me with the cute and needing his belly rubbed at the same time or pinning me down by laying on my chest and rolling and purring and making starfish paws so I am simultaneously relieving Cooper of my hair redirecting his face away from my hair and petting Harley...they are totally tag teaming me!

At 4 this morning we were awakened by the dynamic fur duo racing and wrestling in the hall outside our bedroom and then their pouncings and purrings in our bed (and the hair sucking and noisy nuzzlings..eeewwww). I think its safe to say that after two days in our home Cooper is A) beginning to socialise more positively than we'd hoped in so fast a time and B) he's feeling a lot better than his former listlessness indicated. A repeat of hair suckings and cute attackings happened around 9 AM as well. As my neice Teri Lynn said this morning (she of animal edumacation and smartyness) there is a lot to be said for care thats consistent and remains so until the condition is relieved. Here's hoping his snifflyness and weepy eye can be relieved. I will be staying on it until it is o or the vet says it can't be helped. Speaking of the vet, I don't want to take him in until I have a chance to improve his condition myself.

Now another subject: bathing cats. I am very nervous to attempt bathing the stnkiness that is super Cooper. He smells like cat pee(less than Saturday but still whiffy) and Harley still bears a slight odour of the cattery. The cleanliness liker in me desires them to be cleansed of that place but the human in me fears for my own safety if I try to bathe the cats. That and for their progress in settling into the home and family if I force them to suffer yet another indignity. Have you bathed cats? What do you think? I suppose I could go to a groomer....?

Just remembered

2009-08-09T22:26:00.003-04:00

I realised I haven't mentioned the weight thing , food issues, positive thinking stuffs lately.
I have ups and downs on the NO STARCHES edict I put on myself. Lets face it, bread is really fucking good as is rice and pasta and ohmygods potatoes how I LOVE potatoes. That said I did have some of my forbiddens on vacation.
However I came home from vacation to find I had managed to hit the 8 pounds off mark. Two more pounds to my ten pounds by Labour Day goal.

Now explain this to me my darlings in cyberland. Why is it that when I get close to the goal, or achieve some success, that I immediately desire the forbidden foods in an almost addict like way. I have been eating so healthily for the last 6 weeks (except for the ice cream binges in NS...BUT COME ON! Scotsburn makes the best ice cream I have ever tasted and I can't eat it/buy it here!) and you know I am feeling pretty pleased with my progress. I still eat too much at night but the eating is mostly fruits and veggies, some almonds, or some yogurt. I do love me my yogurt...its like dessert thats good for you!!

So my desire for the forbiddens is way high these last couple of days. It could be withdrawals from having some breads and stuffs over vacation. Maybe thats it and not self sabotage? I hope so. Withdrawal I can do (kinda) but self sabotage is just so sad.

Lets recap shall we? Just because it makes me happy to see the numbers..
6 weeks ago: 214 lbs. 2 days ago: 205.7 (lets call it 206)lbs. Yay me! But my undies is still tight. :o(

ALSO, I got inspired by Crazy Aunt Purl aka Laurie and wrote her an email thanking her for her leafless salad ideas. I am a tad tired of the leafy greens I do admit. For the first time ever, she responded to an email from me. SQUEE! Ok...this may sound real lame to you but for me it was a happy geeked out moment. She gets ALOT of email from her readers.

Now if only emails were like real letters and I could frame it.... ;OP

Cat Chat

2009-08-09T10:49:00.002-04:00

Well, we drove to the Joymagic Ragdolls cattery yesterday to check out this kitten that the breeder Jocelyn had recommended to heal our broken hearts. As usual, Harmony (4 or 5 yr old breeding female) latched on to Hman and also another lady named Betty proved to be her equal in the "lovin's" department. They were hilarious and we wish we could have walked out with them in tow so that we could have them pushing each other out of our laps for years to come.
We met the 6 month old seal lynx mitted male that was going by the name Pirate in the cattery and he was everything she said he was. Busy, friendly, affectionate, funny, and charming. His eyes are more of a sky blue than saphire and he is not very shy at all. We have renamed him Harley for the quality of his motorcycle like purr and easy rider personality, not to mention his scarred eye that lends him an air of 'danger'. LOL He has already captured Hman's attention's and admiration by demanding attention and readily flopping over on his back for belly rubs and air pawing.

Also on offer for our perusal was a damaged lilac bicolour male. He had no name. He is 11 months old and at some point had surgery on his left eye due to a membrane that wouldn't retract (I think thats what it was). As a result he has a weepy less than perfect eye that has kept all clients from adopting him. He is skittish and shy but not a complete loss. When I held him in my arms he was quite calm and accepting, if not thrilled by the experience. I felt sorry for him and since she offered him to us free of charge, because she trusted that in our home he would be cherished rather than just be a house cat, I couldn't leave him behind. Its my theory that he may come into his own in a home with affection and constant care. He's much more aloof than Harley and I likened him to the strong silent type so we named him Cooper after Gary Cooper. His good eye is an intense blue but not prominent like many Rags, smaller and more deeply set. His eye is a nasty mess for now but I bathed it in boild water with salt added and applied antibiotic drops and ointment last night. He had a sniffly way about him so Jocelyn sent him home with oral antibiotics too. It is my hope that his eye will get better than it currently is and that the discolouration of the fur around it from the weeping will fade. he has warmed up a bit, exploring the house more and actually coming to Hman and I on separate occassions for some pettings. He even jumped up on the sofa next to me ON PURPOSE for petting. He has adopted the basket with the antique red wool horse blanket that was Blossom's bed in the living room out of the 5 baskets on offer.

Last night, when I mosied for my middle of the night peepee, in slunk two kitty ghosts. then they followed me to the bedroom, exploring and making noise. Later a purry fluffy mass climbed into the bed for some snuggles and I am assuming it was Harley due to the purr. Cooper did purr today durring our sofa session, so I now know he is capable.

So there we have it. We got a twofer "deal" and now the house will be cat hairier than ever. Although thanks to Teri Lynn, wonderneice, I have a FurBuster now. I just need to get them to appreciate the joys of being brushed and groomed.

Pictures when I can get them to stay still long enough for for the capture to work. Its amazing how fast they move between the click and the capture!

It came,etc

2009-08-06T18:35:00.001-04:00

Fall Interweave Knits dropped into my mailbox today. Its just as awesome as I thought it would be.

My mom had an ultrasound today. No results yet as to what the mysterious swelling is.

Progress

2009-08-06T11:18:00.002-04:00

Last night I attended knit night in NDG and got to fondle and drool over the St.Denis yarn company's support magazine (available at LYS that carry St. Denis yarn). When i open my still imaginary yarn shop some years in the futuire I am totally stocking this yarn. Not just because it is the brain child of my friend Veronik Avery, supah stah knit designer, but because it is truly a very fine yarn. The magazine is magnificent. The sizing of garments is for many sizes INCLUDING MINE!! Gasp! Shock and awe abound! Some go EVEN LARGER and are still stylish not frumpy. Y'all know my issues with the frumpy big girl fashions...grrrrr. Just because a woman is larger than the fashionista norm does not mean she wants to have her beauty hidden under a tent of fabric. Most big girls look best with a figure skimming look (do not read that as skin tight clothes...thats nasty) just like any other figure type does. This magazine and, in particular Oona's Hoodie, makes me very happy. Check out the whole collection on Ravelry and prepare to drooooool. By the way, Customs, y'll are dickwads for holding YARN at the frikkin' border. What is wrong with you people!? Although my husband may think it should be listed as a controlled substance at the rate I sniff and fondle it...

Demand this yarn and its magazine at your local yarn shop. The colours are to die for.

Also last night I FINALLY cast off the first sleeve of a certain garment that I cannot describe here because its intended recipient visits. As soon as its gifted you will know all. I thought it would never end! Now for sleeve two, seaming, finishing work... Its actually a very fun wlittle knit and I look forward to making another in the future (I have the yarn already ). I finally feel like I am making some progress in my projects. the Einstein coat/jacket is a never ending piece of garter stitch that feel like it will never end no matter how long I knit. At a nice big gauge I really thought it would go faster. My sister's Xmas gift has only been mildly worked on because it has lots of time.

As for other Xmas gifts....I was toying with the idea of little dresses for two girlies and maybe arm warmers for the older ones but now I am smitten with the valentine cabled hat in the current Knitscene. Its so cuuuuute!

The Fall Interweave Knits looks like its going to be a big winner. I have seen some of the pictures on Ravelry and they have set me to feeling covetous. Likewise the Vogue Knitting this Fall. Autumn issues are ALWAYS the best!!!