Come To Candy Mountain Chaaaarrrrllliiieee

http://www.filmcow.com/charlietheunicorn.html

Shaun the non believer!!! Shuuuuuuunnnn.......Shhhhhhhhhuuuuuunnnnnnnaa

She Be Found!

I called the SPCA in Laval today to find out that they are not the shelter lost animals in my area go to if found. Hello BergerBlanc!!!!! http://www.bergerblanc.com/bergera.html
I called and was told that maybe I should come in because there was a dog brought in last night that might be Blossom.
This place is insanely busy!!! I drove in right away and waited while someone brought in a cat to be disposed of because its too much trouble now (Persian!!) then when the desk person was free to talk to me she directed me to another person to take me back where the Found dogs were. There were several! As we walked along, suddenly there was that sheepish face and scraggly fur I know so well. " Blossom!!" I exclaimed, "Oh poor baby! there's my girl!" and she look VERY relieved.
Problem : There was a miscommunication of recovery cost so I haven't all the cash on hand until tomorrow morning unless they take credit cards and then I have to wait until a certain cell phone NON answering husband can call me back. WHY have a effing cell phone if you are NOT gonna answer it! I coulda been dying...it coulda been a hospital calling to say that there is an emergency. I guess he doesn't MIND waiting until the golf game with the clients is over to find out and that just pisses me off. Not for the first time I might add.
So now I am home, waiting for HM to call or come home so I can go bail out my jailbird dog. At least she is safe and sound.
Small Rant Here: Last year we lost Freckles. I called the SPCA and was never told about Berger Blanc so she could have been in a shelter and I never knew. It breaks my heart. Plus while I was away and Monkey went missing Hm never called a shelter. They only keep them for 5 days though so would they have turned up at BB its hard to say. I think dogs are generally easier to catch. Back home I always knew where to call incase of a lost pet (S.H.A.I.D animal shelter) here I am at a loss...UNTIL NOW. Apparently there is some kind of bad blood between the BB shelter and SPCA...is that why I wasn't told last year??

So.....

I went out last night for a marvelous evening of knitting with the Montreal Knits crew. Love my times out with them so much. I tore out the Diagonal Rib Sock. The pattern was obscured by the colours so why bother. While there chatting, ripping and knitting, a storm blew in ferociously with wind, thunder and lightning, and lashings of rain. Then it blew over. That was in Montreal.
Back home, the rain poured in open windows thanks to the huge wind blowing it in and therwe was literally pools where bedroom and bathroom floors were. HM wiped these up with some towels The kids were wound up at this huge adventure of storm and indoor puddle jumping and ran to the neighbor boy's house to share storm tales. In the chaos, they let Blossom out. HM never noticed she was gone until later in the evening and met me at the door upon my return with the news. I drove around our area for an hour looking for her in and out of rain, calling her name where I could (by now it was midnight...neighbors HATE when you drive around YELLING at midnight). No Blossom.
So HM's track record for pets when I am out: 1 cat (Monkey) and 1 dog (Blossom) gone.
Yeah.

Ok....

So I was all itchy to start a new project so I wound Jessie's Collinette Jitterbug (Jewel colourway) into a yarn cake and cast on Ann Budd's Diagonal Rib Sock from Knitting Daily. On round four I had to rip it all out and cast on again, and again, again....and yet again. I just wasn't leaving enough tail for all 65 stitches(3 times!!!). DUH!! So, we're all casted on again and I slogged through round one..catching my mistakes as I go..round two...3...oooh round 4... HOLY SHIT! A full pattern repeat DONE. I just stopped after round 6 cuz I felt woozy what with the concentration and all. Poor poor brain.

At this rate of 3 hours per 6 rows the socks should be done intime for the next millenium. Hopefully I will speed up. The Collinette is frigging awesome to work with I must say. Nicely springy in my hands, not too fine. It called for a 3.5 MM needle but I took it down to a 3. Stll seems a tad loose to me but that maybe because of the pattern. The colours are lush and juicy if colours can be called that. No mamby pamby pastels, neutrals, or muddied colours here. The picture doesn't do it justice at all. Its much more vibrant in person. I will DEFINITELY buy Jitterbug again. Well...I didn't buy it this time so not again..I will DEFINITELY buy some. There.

Success

The boys made it home after their first morning of school safe and sound and seemingly pleased with life. I was relieved when the front door openned and they thundered in after walking home all by themselves. I'm so proud.
The search for a "special" sock pattern with which to knit my sister's socks in Collinette Jitterbug sock yarn is over. I have settled on Ann Budd's diagonal rib sock in Knitting Daily. It looks easy enough for me and not too plain, Following a pattern will slow me down but the other two pair can be done plainer so I should get them all done by Xmas for her.
Also thinking on Cameron's sweater and how it should be. I think raglan and in the round with the colour work done in a purl stitch for texture, contrast color also in a stripe in the ribbings and for the collar. I think. Gotta make all my calculations to know how much to cast on. I have Cameron's second sock on the gusset decreases now but the itch to start something new is very very string. Startitis strikes again!!!!

Oh and another thing.........

This year I am having the boys walk to school. "How novel!" you mockingly say? Well, it kinda is. When in NS school was 1/2 hour drive away. Here it's only a 20+ minute walk, but I had issues with security of my kids. Plus, we have bussing in this community. So for the sake of convenience and child safety the boys rode the bus. Now they are in grades 3 and 4 and I think that maybe its time for them to spread their wings a little and use their legs. There is a crossing guard at the busy intersection which is a huge plus and I think that they may be savvy enough now to avoid problems along the walk. This morning I walked with them and at lunch time they are walking back on their own. Whew. I am on tenterhooks.
In light of the disappearance of Cedrica in Trois Rivieres this may seem like I am being glib and neglectful where my children's safety is concerned and believe me I hear ya. But in the broader scheme of things, this is a well travelled route to school, and the boys and I have discussed issues of strangers and how tricksy they can be. We can only do so much to protect our kids without it becoming a overbearing. I am still VERY nervous but I really think that its time that the boys had a little more independence and freedom...and EXERCISE. So, the decision is that they walk.
I am sure my nausea will dissipate in a couple of years.

First day of school....

Does back to school look like this at your house??


And my camera batteries are dead. I so suck as a first day of school mom. I either forget to take a FDOS photo or...dead batteries. Although, as a second day of school photo mom, I so rock.

Learning curves etc

So, this one time when we went out on the boat and went swimming, my foot got blue. Seriously. I climbed laboriously up the swim ladder (stupid thing) and when I was finally up on deck eventually I noticed that I had blue something on my foot. Hmmm..thought I, Thats weird.
Turns out its the anti-fouling paint on the bottomish part of the boat and the rudder. It, like, totally smears when its wet. I was all WTF!? but apparently, thats how it works. Whatever decides to try and stick to the bottom of the boat (like barnacles and stuffs) comes off WITH the paint. Duh. This whole boat thing has a sharp learning curve. I am nowhere near the top....I haven't actually made progress up the incline. So so sad. Also, when you try to scrub the hull of said boat, the paint smears. Very very messy but the puddles are a pretty powder blue colour.

School starts On Tuesday. THIS TUESDAY. As in the day after tomorrow. I have all the supplies bought except for some page protectors for Ben. $150 bucks later.......Yeesh! In grade 4 all i needed was pencils, crayons, scribblers, and a book bag. WTF?! These guys need markers AND coloured pencils as well as dry erase markers....I think the DE markers are for the teachers...and certain workbooks need to be purchased at 10 bucks a pop. Plus duotangs and paper and scribblers, pencils etc blah blah blah. You know, I had to wait until high school to need hilighters!! Maybe they weren't invented until then though.....hmm. Anyways, I am stressing. I've been having the school panic dreams AND a recurrent dream of not having an assignment done and having to pass it in to pass the juniour high or high school class BUt being terrified to attend class due to the assignment not being done because I can't seem to do it. Then I think "Wait a minute. I am 39 years old and went to University...how can this assignment be necessary??!" But apparently unfinished assignments in one's scholastic past makes for an education missing an important brick of knowledge and it could all come tumbling down like a house of cards thanks to being a slacker. Oy! The stress, even in my sleep! I feel like such a fraud even though never have I ever had to produce a history of Peru assignment! sigh. Then there is the bus to school dream.... but i can't remember what the school looks likes, or the name even though I know I've been there. It was tied into the missing Peru assignment last night. Ugh. I hate school.
Cameron's sock #2 is progressing slowly in the humidity but it seems to have broken so maybe more progress is forthcoming. As I said to Marla today, if I actually wrote down my planned projects, I would totally lose it from being overwhelmed by the length of said list. So i keep the list in my head where it is a nebulous thing, easily reshuffled and items forgotten about until I see the yarn or pattern and the "oh yeaaahh" button gets pushed. Then I think " I really gotta write this shit down.." but don't. See? I have a system! And thus, wigging out is neatly avoided.

One Day....

One day in NS I took my kids and my Mom to Lismore Sheep Farm. My mom has been an avid knitter all her life but age is slowing her down and taking the fun out of it for her what with arthritis and following patterns and all. She was very excited to visit the farm though! When you arrive signs invite you to check out the barn where interpetive displays explain shepherding, sheep, wool, shearing and just about everything inbetween. After the barn and some lamb lovin's we headed to their wool shop. I bought DPN's in sizes I didn't already have and some yarns and some roving for doing thrummed knitting. Mom bought 2 sock kits.
Some of the yarn I bought was white/natural and these I took over to Mom's one day and dyed with Koolade. The green and blue skein ended up getting trashed but the rest woyund into yarn cakes beautifully and are waiting to be made into...somethings....

Updates.....exhausting

Me and my Lismore Sheep Farm hat. Me on AR LUNASEA, steering.
Ben at the bow, keeping watch for ice bergs.
Cammie fishing for seaweed, jelly fish, andwhatever else off the dock in Pictou. Note the historic replica of The Hector in the background. Not bad real estate for a summer vacation eh? The Hector was truck by lightening in June and lost part of it main mast.

I am so slow at up dating here. I have been home THREE whole days and so far have done laundry and meals but no blogging to speak of. Not that anyone is waiting with baited breath to see what I have to say or what I have been up to....but still.

So, as you know there was HEAPS of rain in NS this year. Had to wear wool socks to bed in July, wtf is up with THAT???? We were feeling fairly mildewed and developing gills when the sun appeared from time to time, just to keep me from going postal.

We hunted fossils at Arisaig, explored Big Island's sand bars and pools at low tide, saw whales off Doctor's Brook in Malignant Cove, went to Lismore Sheep Farm (home of The Wool Shop and River John Needles) and hung out at the camp ground and at my mom's. Trips to Halifax were taken to escape rain and ginormous mosquitoes that made my life a living Hell. Will we be pulling this vacation stunt again? I think NOT.

After HM arrived in a storm of rain we began the joys(?) of sailing.

Sailing is......interesting. I love being on the water but I would actually like to reach a destination. Pictou Island is about 6 miles or so off shore. We never once made it. We did see seals and porpoise.... but never got to Pictou Island to beach comb for beach glass or dig clams. On our last voyage we gave it up after a couple hours and decided to go to a beach. Accidentally we got run aground on a rocky shoal and I had to get off the boat to push her off since the motor wasn't doing it. That left me somewhat stranded.....what a fiasco that was. There I was, swimming after the boat which the wind was pushing farther and farther away (without sails), HM was freaking out and screaming at Ben to throw me a line, Ben was bravely trying not to cry and trying to throw me a line, I was in the water getting tired and reassuring Ben that all was well, not to worry or be scared, Hm was freaking out....You get the picture... Eventually I broke through to HM and got him to put the motor in reverse until almost to me then cut it so I didn't have the out board's prop to worry about while I tried to get the swim ladder in my grip before the wind blew it out of my reach again. I clambered on board eventually (sucky swim ladder!!), held Ben tight in my arms and gave both boys hugs and kisses to reassure them that all was well and that they were very brave while mommy was in the water (drowning??). I strongly resisted the urge to shove HM overboard with a foot firmly planted up his arse. We motored out to deeper water (we hoped..the depth finder had gone on the blink at the height of the adventure..) and raised sails to get back to the marina.

But I'm not bitter........

A Picture of Stepanie and ME

August Presence

I done made it thru the darkness that was vacation with the family in tow and have come out to the other side which is blessed peace and aloneness. I sound so terrible! I love my guys, especially right now when they are 12 hours away, but as a mom there really is no such thing as true DOWN time. And I am a girl who needs it.

HM arrived in NS with a lashing rain storm (What? Rain in NS??? whooda thunk it!!?) and we got the boat into the water in Pictou. We took her our sailing on the briney 3 or 4 times before he and the boys went back to Qc together. They left the boat for me to sleep in at the marina rather than continuing with my camping in skeeter country. OY! How I could go on but I won't...for now.

Staying in Pictou is awesome in comparison. Walking distance to lots (pubs, ice cream stands, pubs...)and yet still somewhat private. The marina is row on row of boats with some folk that stay on their boats as much as possible yet noone is up your butt when you are looking for privacy which is most excellent. Lots of nice afternoon and evening sessions of socialising on the main dock but earlier in the day is more private.

So...... right this minute I am blogging from the effervescent and fragrant Julia's 'puter since I am staying here for a few days to help with house painting. The house painting party isn't until the weekend but I arrived last night since I had spent yesterday in the city with my darlin' Barb (Love you Basia!!!)and didn't want to drive an hour and a half back to Pictou. What brought us to the city?? THE HARLOT WAS IN TOWN!!!!!!!

YES!!! La Harlot ( http://www.yarnharlot.com/ see picture at top until I can load mine) was in Halifax for a booksigning and oh my stars and little oysters she's even better in person than in print. Fucking hilarious. Insightful and brilliant but with the funny added she is perfection with bushy hair and Birkinstocks. I got my new book signed and went completely BLANK when in her august presence and babbled incoherently and I hope I wasn't too scarey. This is her fourth book of humour and she rocks the genre of "knitting humour". As she puts it, she's pretty much it!! But even if there were others, she'd still be rockin' it.

First impression was she looked nervous. Second impression, looks just like her pictures! Then she spoke and I was mesmerised. She didn't sound like I thought she would. She is a very petite woman so I expected a girlier voice I guess. She has a deeper, throatier voice and mixed with her dry with and sarcasm was very listenable.

A night to remember!!

Back home in Qc the guys are loving their daycamps! I am so proud when they tell me about their accomplishments and how much fun they are having. Cam is in tennis daycamp and Ben in sailing. Next week Cam does sailing and Ben has golf!. HM taught Cameron to tie his shoe laces(gasp) and he hit balls at tennis. Ben assembled and sailed his wee boat, following the teacher like the other little sailing ducklings in his camp. Its was less than a week and my babies have grown so much. I made Ben promise not to get married before I get back home.