Snow and Birds

We are in the middle of our 2nd major snow event this winter.  This is pretty major for here as in the last few years we haven't gotten much snow.  Luckily, (or not - if you are a kid and hoping to miss school) both snowstorms have come on the weekends, so we can just hibernate for a couple of days.  I made a big pot of soup, cleaned house a little and now am planning to just knit and/or watch tv and/or play on computer the rest of the day.  I just hope no one loses power.  The snow so far has been mostly light and powdery, but it did sleet a little earlier.  There are lots of tall pine trees around here that play havoc with power lines when we get ice.

My bird feeders have been very busy this morning.  I need to get some water out there, but at 21deg. it would freeze - any ideas?  I noticed this woodpecker visited several times. 

Click on to see closer

Everybody stay warm and safe!

Catching Up With Knitting and even Christmas!

I'm still here. I've just been blank lately.  Life has been pretty normal the past couple of weeks.  I'm still very sad about Magic, but know it was for the best.  His brother, Onyx has always been the independent, aloof cat of the two.  Since Magic died though, he has become much more loving and needy.  I'm sure he misses his brother.

I am knitting when I can. Are you a process knitter or a product knitter?  Some of my knitter friends amaze me by the number of projects they have going at once and how much they produce.I am very impressed and sometimes a little jealous.  However, unless I have a deadline for a gift, I've decided I'm a process knitter.  I like the knitting.  I like watching it progress and always having something to pick up and work on.  I like choices too, having two or three things going so that if I get tired of one (or hit a snag and lose my temper and throw it on the floor) I have another project to go to.  I also like having a simple small project going for taking with me.  This is a must for knitting group.  If I get brave and decide to take a lace project or anything with a complicated pattern and counting, I usually have to come home and rip it out.  Besides knitting, we do a lot of talking and laughing and that is not conducive to intricate projects.  Most everyone in the group confesses to the same problem.  I also try to save my bigger projects which are not easy to transport (you don't want a big afghan spilling off your lap into the floor of the doctor's waiting room) for home.  I said all this to say, I don't knit very fast!  I still have the same projects on the needles as several weeks ago!  That would drive product knitters crazy as they want to have a finished product to admire and then move on.  For us process knitters though, that's okay, up to a point.  Eventually I get tired of something and want it finished!

Here are the current projects, two of which you have seen before.

My two-at-a-time, toe-up socks on magic loop.  This is my traveling project, but even though I only work on it occasionally, you can see I am up to the ribbing on the cuff so it will be finished soon.  I really enjoyed doing socks this way and will again.

 New project - Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf (pattern found on Ravelry), using Noro Silk Garden, left over from the sweater I did last year.  Robin loves this pattern and after seeing a gorgeous scarf she knitted I had to try it.  I love knitting with Noro, it is fascinating just seeing how the colors turn out.

And this is the afghan for granddaughter, B, using Plymouth Encore.  No pattern, I'm just making it up as I go.  Very easy peasy, but sometimes a little boring just knitting and pearling such long rows!

While uploading (downloading?) these pictures I saw some from Christmas I don't think I've published.  Just family, and mostly the grands!

B

N & B

Daugher-in-law Janet, Granddaddy, B & N

B, me, son Jon (acting silly) and daughter Amy

B & N

Christmas morning with Baby Alive.

Poor child, didn't get anything for Christmas! Ha

She let me curl her hair for once!

Taking Baby Alive for a ride in the shopping cart.

Both girls are getting ready to have extensive dental work so keep them in your prayers.  With B it is braces, but also some dental surgery before the braces.  With N, we're not sure yet what is going to be involved, her dentist is referring her to a pediatric dental specialist.  When she was born she had kidney problems and was given antibiotics.  These apparently damaged her enamel  and her teeth are a mess and it is sometimes painful.  On top of that she fell on concrete about a year ago and knocked both front teeth loose.  They turned dark, and one had to be crowned.  This looks bad as one is dark, and one really white. (I know this is a superficial problem, but kids are going to be cruel and luckily so far she isn't conscious of it, but I know it will happen)  I hope they fix this too.  She just turned three, has had kidney problems, scoliosis, tonsils and adenoids removed, ear tubes twice so far and now these dental issues.  She's a trouper though - always happy. 

And if you remember my friends Brenda and L.C. who adopted LaiCie from China in August - this is beautiful LaiCie dressed up for Christmas.  Brenda brought her into work to see us and she had better watch out, everyone of us would kidnap her in a minute!

 

She brought us all cookies and loved handing them out!  What a cutie.

Good bye Magic

I

Today was a very sad day.  Magic, one of my two cats had been losing weight for the last couple of months and drinking lots & lots of water.  He was still feisty though and seemed to feel okay.

Yesterday though he started being sick, meowing, hiding from us, and I knew things weren't good.  He wasn't eating or drinking, was vomiting, and seemed very uncomfortable. 

We went to the vet first thing this morning and found out he had kidney failure.  She was very kind and gave me several options, but all were short-term, temporary fixes that might make him feel better for a short time, but would have just delayed the inevitable.  Also, he was almost 14 years old.

We debated a long time, but in the end decided to put him to sleep.  It was such a hard decision.  He was my baby.  I got his mom from my boss back in 1995 when she was just a kitten.  We had an appointment to get her spayed, but before that happened she knocked out a window screen, got out and got pregnant.  She was just a baby herself, less than a year old.  She went into labor while sitting in my lap on July 4, 1996.  My son, husband and I watched all four kittens being born.  We gave away two, but kept Magic and his brother Onyx.  Of the four kittens Magic was the only one with long hair (obviously took after his father).  He was always the largest, slowest, sweetest, and best natured.  (to humans! he never liked other cats)

 

He tolerated both grands the best and was the gentlest to them.  They both gave him a hard time too.  From the time both of them were tiny they have always loved cats and especially these cats! 

 

B carries Magic around most of the time when she is here.  I would think he would get tired of it, but would then find him on her bed at night, so I think it was mutual. 

 

He was such a good boy today.  He let them examine him and just laid his head on my hand while they gave him the injection, looking right into my eyes.  It just about killed me, but I just couldn't let him suffer.  Goodbye Magic, I miss you. You were loved.

Happy New Year

Let's hope 2010 is a good year.  We're glad 2009 is behind us and hopeful for 2010! 

DH retired April 1, had surgery on his knee in August and then in September had his heart attack and open heart surgery. Think we will skip all of this excitement this year!  He's doing well now though so we are thankful for that.  Many are not so fortunate.

I go back to work tomorrow and look forward to and dread it at the same time if that is possible.  I've loved having the girls here, was glad for them to go home, but miss them now that they're gone.    I've  loved staying up late and sleeping late, but I need to get back to a routine. After we got back from taking the girls home Thursday, I spent Friday and Saturday putting away Christmas decorations and getting the house back together.  I must be schizophrenic because I also have mixed feelings about that.  I love the house decorated for Christmas and I'm sad that Christmas is over, but also happy to get the decorations put away and the house back to normal.  Making up my mind has become a problem!

It is really cold here  It was 14 deg. last night and just barely 30 today.  Yesterday was really windy and the wind was just whistling around the house. We stayed in Friday and Saturday, but today needed a change of scenery so we went to the movie to see Sherlock Holmes.  Save your money.  It is dark, violent, and the beginning was very depressing (to me).  It did get better, but was not what I needed to see today.  A comedy would have been much better!

At knit night a few weeks before Christmas something in our conversation triggered a memory of an old crochet project I had made several times years ago.  I didn't have my old pattern (or didn't want to spend weeks looking for it) so found a few online that were very similar.  I had to refresh my crocheting skills, but made this in a couple of nights and it did turn out really cute.  I gave it to N as part of her birthday present and she loved it.  I almost forgot to take pictures of it, but just before we took them home I remembered and thought you might want to see it.

Crocheted baby bassinet/purse

 

This pattern made a larger bassinet than my old pattern and I didn't have to get the tiny doll.  This doll is a tight squeeze, but does fit.  I found it at Target.

N taking it easy with her baby.

I had to show these pictures of N in my make up drawer.  I had just washed the princess dress, and she got into some of my old make-up I keep in the downstairs bathroom.  She was having a grand time (and got it all over her face and dress)

 

As I said, she kept me busy!

Knitting took a backseat the past couple of weeks, but I was able to knit a little the last few days.  Yesterday I was able to turn both heels on my two at a time, toe up socks.

 

 

I've missed knit night the past two weeks, and am excited to go back tomorrow night and am thinking about a new project.

 

Here's wishing all of you a wonderful, safe, healthy, and happy 2010.