Sorrow

Hamlet  

May 5, 2009 - January 25, 2022

I can't bear to write it all out again right now.  If you want to know what happened, I shared a post on both Instagram and Facebook. (It's nice that you can write it on Instagram and it will share it other places if you like.) 

Hug your loved ones, furry and otherwise. 

And please keep a good thought and prayer for our sweet boy.

Scenes and Gifts of Christmas Day

Well, I meant to post yesterday, but I had an awful headache in the morning, and by the time I felt better, it was late in the afternoon, so I decided to just wait until today.  

As previously mentioned, we had a wonderful Christmas Day.  I thought you might enjoy some of the scenes and gifts of the day.

First of all, Hamlet and His Big Weird Package.  This was from Santa, and required a lot of sniffing.  

But he was *very* happy with what was inside - a new bed!

Pip was annoyed that we took SO LONG to open presents - The Tim and I made our breakfast and ate it before we got started, and he let us know of his displeasure.

This was the view from the breakfast table.  Everyone was hinting!

The cats also got a bed from Santa, which has been a BIG hit!

Between resting in the new beds, and playing with some toys from Santa, Hamlet and the kitties had a lot of fun all day.  They were so busy!

Here is a gift Santa brought to me - The Gallery of Dug the Doodle Dog!

I love this so much!  The Tim and I both cried when I opened it.

And look at the one photo - The Doodle with his Koodle!  Look how *tiny* the Koodle is here, I forgot he was ever that small.

I got a tiny Baby Yoda in my stocking:

And I'm sure you can imagine that this gift from The Tim was a huge hit with me:

I asked him where he found these, and he laughed and said, "CVS."  Clearly not the one near us, though, since you're lucky to find things you actually *need* at that one!

He also got me this Gritty ornament, but I'm going to put him on my desk at work to make me smile instead.  Gritty is the mascot for the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team, and he is basically a very funny a**hole, and it amuses me to no end.

And finally, this little kitty ornament was in my stocking - I love his knitted hat and scarf!

I'll have to try and get photos of the mugs I got The Tim for Christnas - they cracked me up when I got them, and he LOVES them!  So stay tuned for those.

Today I have no specific plans but will likely write some thank-you notes for gifts we received, and then do some knitting.  Not a bad way to spend time, you know??

Letters to Santa

Dear Santa Claus - Hello, this is Pip.  I hope you are doing well, and that this year has been good to you.  Is the North Pole still in a pandemic?  I hope you will be careful on your trip, because I would hate for you to get sick with Covid-19, and also I would not want you to take it back to the North Pole with you.  But now that I think of it, you've gone through a lot of these things, haven't you, so you know how to stay safe.

My year has been pretty good.  My parents spent LOTS of time at home with us and even though for a few months they've been going back to work, they still spend evenings and weekends with us because they are very careful and don't go out places unless they have to.  We like it that they are home and that they are not sick, and I especially like it for cuddling but also because it gives me a chance to tell them even more than I usually do!  (I do love to talk, Santa - are any of the reindeer that way??)

Anyway, you probably are wondering what I might like for Christmas.  Well, a catnip toy is always a good choice, and it would be nice to get some treats.  We ran out of treats about a month ago (a MONTH AGO!!!), and our Ma keeps saying that we should just wait and see if you bring us some treats before we go and buy some.  I don't agree with that, and I have said so many times, but I don't think she is listening.  

Anyway, last summer my cousin Amanda gave us some Soups, I think they were from Friskies, and I LOVE THOSE.  My parents think they look like ... well, vomit, but they are wrong, they look like yumminess, and they are!  So if you think I have been extra good, one of those would be nice to eat on New Year's Day for dinner.

I guess this is a lot to ask for, and maybe some of these will be wrapped up from my parents, I guess you would know if that is the case.  So I'll leave it in your hands.  Please give my best to everyone at the North Pole, and I promise to be sleeping when you arrive!

Love always, Pip.

********

Dear Santa - Hi Santa!  It's Hamlet!  I love you!  I can't wait for you to come to our house!  I love Christmas!  I love you (I know I just said that but it's true)!!  

I love Christmas presents!  I hope you will bring me something fun, or even a treat!  I love it when I can chase a ball!  And I love it when my parents give me a treat!  My Ma bought me an Advent calendar, and every evening she opens one of the windows and there is a treat in there and it is yummy and it is so fun to see what it is, sometimes it is a gingerbread man, and sometimes it is a snowman, and sometimes it is a decoration, and every time it's a surprise and I eat it because it is so yummy and then I can't wait for the next day to open the next window, and what do you think the chances might be that maybe in these last couple of days one of the treats will look like a SQUIRREL??!!!  

I wish I could stay up to see you when you come to our house!  I would give you all kinds of kisses and cuddles and also I would kiss and cuddle the reindeer too!  I love you, Santa, so I promise to be asleep when you arrive, but please know I'm sending kisses and cuddles to you!

Merry Christmas Santa!  Don't forget about the animals who need some extra love and attention, maybe give them something special too!  I love you!

Love and sloppy kisses, Hamlet.

********

Hello Santa, I see that the others have already written their letters, so of course this is Milo the Koodle.  I have been very good this year (as far as Koodles go), and so I think I truly deserve something special.  Treats are always good.  I see that Pip has already told you about the lack of treats in our house for approximately one month.  I have tried to take legal action but it is difficult to do so when you can't use a telephone and are afraid to leave your house.  Plus, I've asked around and apparently there are no cats who are qualified attorneys, which when you think about it isn't really that surprising because cats have better ways to spend their time.  Anyway, please bring treats.

Also, I promise to try and be nicer to my parents because I know they do love me, but can you blame me sometimes for getting irritated with them (see treats problem, above)??  Maybe you could bring them a handbook on caring for your cat, because I'm thinking it could only help.

I hope you have a safe journey on Christmas Eve.  I will do my best to be asleep when you arrive, though if you could come either before 2 a.m. or after about 3:30 a.m. Philadelphia time, that would be best, because I do need to have my middle-of-the-night running and yowling session, and I'd hate for that to mean you skipped our house.

Thanks, Santa, and a Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Lots of love, Milo the Koodle.

********

Note from me:  Dear Santa, Good luck!  😊

********

Have a good day, everyone, and an extra special wish for a happy Christmas Eve Eve to Kym and her sister!

So Many Things

There is just too much going on in my brain and in my life these days.  Sadly, it's not really wonderful, fun stuff - rather it's related to work and finances, mostly.  I feel like I'm keeping my head above water, but I can see a LOT of big waves headed my way, and can only hope I'll resurface once those hit.  Ugh.

The good news is that I do have things that can help distract me.  The bad news is that even when I am completely distracted by those things, the others are always just sitting there waiting, full of self-satisfied knowledge that I have no choice but to know they are there.  It's exhausting.

Over the weekend, I was able to spend time on those distracting things - I finished a book I've been reading, worked on a sock, and worked on my summer top.  Though I have to tink back two rows on the summer top - which now has lots of stitches - because I am at a knit 1, purl 1 rib section and last night I noticed that two rows back, I did two knit stitches in a row.  And especially since it's on the front of the piece, I know it will bug me if I don't fix it.  At least it's only k1, p1, and not something more involved or complicated.  I fear at this point, that would just cause me to put it away indefinitely, or even just tear it all out and start over someday.  

Have I mentioned that I'm not a big fan of 1 x 1 rib?  I feel like I can never get into a rhythm with it, and so it ends up taking more brain space than I think it should.

Anyway.  I did treat myself to something fun recently:

Apparently, on a recent Fox News broadcast, Tucker Carlson (ick) made some comment about Kamala Harris visiting a yarn store or something related to that (I don't watch it, so I don't know the exact story), and referred to our Madame Vice-President as the "Crochet Czar."  Well, Neighborhood Fiber Co. and Nerd Bird Makery decided to do something about that, while also helping people.  So they created this enamel pin, and the proceeds went to help support Covid relief efforts in India.  I love it when people can take something that was said that was supposed to be mocking, and turn it into something positive and completely against what the original intent was!

Not much else to report right now.  Our weekend was pretty quiet, the kind where you get a little bit of stuff done, and make some progress, but none of it is on major projects or is something anyone else can see.  But it felt good to accomplish something anyway, and WE know what was done!

Our little family of mourning doves moved out about a week ago, on to their bird lives outside of their nest in our window.  I can only hope they all go one to live long lives, though life is tough for mourning doves.  We miss them so much!  I just loved opening the blinds every morning and having Deirdre and the babies there, and occasionally Dad - who The Tim named Jacques Derrida.  They were all so sweet to see, and so curious to look in the window.  I pointed out to The Tim that we were truly experiencing Empty Nest Syndrome ...

We are currently "in the market" so to speak for a new kitty family member.  Dee and I have discussed this, because we think *any* homeless kitty is one who needs us.  But The Tim has decreed long ago that we can only adopt animals who truly NEED us, and by that he means they have something going on that would make it less likely they would be adopted otherwise.  Balancing with that the fact that a lot of special needs kitties are not ones we could really help - i.e., if they need medication or treatment regularly, we are not always home and cannot likely afford it right now - or our house is not perfect for them, it's been a challenge.  But I have faith that one way or another the right kitty will show up, and often rules made by The Tim are also thrown out the window by him.

Case in point:  After Dug the Doodle Dog died a few years back, when we decided it was time to think about getting another dog, The Tim said he would prefer if we got a smaller dog, and one that might not shed as much.  And as you know, we ended up with Hamlet, an 80-pound Golden Retriever who sheds as his primary hobby!  😍

Anyway, that's it for now.  I hope your week goes well, and that wherever you happen to be, the weather is not causing massive problems for you and/or for you community.  Take care.

An FO for Friday - Not Blocked and No Longer a Secret

I'm glad that today is Friday, because this has been a rough week in so many ways, and since today (at least so far is rainy and dreary) I can just stay home and do what I want - or not do anything.

I have an FO for you today.  I almost waited to share it until it was completely finished - meaning blocked - but that will likely take a while, so you are getting an FO post anyway.

As mentioned during July, I decided to join the Stillness Shawl MKAL hosted by Helen Stewart.  To be honest, I'm not sure why, except that I'd seen the finished projects on several podcasts from previous MKALs and they were always lovely.  It could also be because at the time I was knitting a pair of socks designed by her and really enjoying it.  Anyway, I signed up.  More amazingly, I actually participated, in that I decided on yarn, wound it up, and not only downloaded the clues each week, but actually kept up with the knitting.  WHAT????

Project:  Stillness Shawl

Pattern:  Stillness Shawl MKAL, by Helen Stewart

Yarns (from left to right):  Indigodragonfly Tough Lester Sock, in the Dark Lord Bob colorway; Plucky Knitter Plucky Feet, in the colorway Good Ol' Pip; and, Sweet Swallow Yarns Nuthatch in the Shy Violets colorway

Needles:  US size 6

Modifications:  None, since I was flying blind here!

Notes:  First of all, I was pleased because I used all stash yarn for this project, and since that has been something I've been really trying to do, it was nice to use three skeins in one project.  Also, I was pleased because I got to learn two things that were new to me, which is something I have also been trying to do.  This pattern included an i-cord cast on; one of the sections was the Star Stitch, which frankly I was worried about since it looked rather complicated, but as it turns out, it's fairly simple to execute.

After finishing the first clue, I was feeling quite proud of myself, I must admit:

I think the fact that I was able to do this without [many] problems kept me motivated.  I will say now that the project is finished, that I feel confident that I can trust any pattern written by Helen Stewart to be not just well-written and understandable, but very easy to follow.  Even when I would mess up, it was my mess, not because of anything to do with the pattern.

The finished shawl is a really BIG one - so big that I do not have the space nor the pins to block it!  I mean, even before blocking, there's a whole lotta shawl here:

As a point of reference, this is across a double bed!

I do think it is pretty, and when I talked about my blocking issues on Facebook, Lorette offered to block it for me if I wanted to sent it to her.  I have to say, I'm giving that some serious consideration.  I know she does a lot of both shawl and lace knitting, so she knows much more about blocking this kind of item that I do.  I'll keep you posted.

In any case, this was actually fun to knit, and though I didn't really do a lot of the chatter, etc. type of stuff on Ravelry, I did enjoy seeing others' projects.  I think the reason that all of the planets or whatever aligned and I ended up finishing this was because at first it seemed a good distraction and a way to use stash, and then it became a personal challenge to me to keep up.  This is not to say that I'm likely to sign up for any KALs again anytime soon, but it was a good feeling to sign up and then actually *do* something!

 I guess sometimes you can still surprise yourself in a good way.  

******

Not a lot else worth reporting.  This morning I walked up to the Post Office, and finally mailed out all of the prizes for Christmas in July.  Why do I think I'll mail each one as it happens?  From here forward, if you win a prize, just assume it will go out all at one time with the others.  Geez.

I did feel bad because the woman who helped me was so apologetic, saying, "I just want to let you know that in the current situation, I can't guarantee that any of these will get there right away, or as soon as they probably should.  The Post Office is under attack, you know."  I told her that it was OK, I'm a big supporter of the P.O., and between the virus and the administration, they were getting hit everywhere.  She looked at me and smiled and I hope it made her day at least .000001% better.

Hamlet is recovering from a bad bout of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, which has really knocked him (and by extension, all of us) for a loop.  Fortunately, the vet took x-rays and it wasn't caused by any blockages, tumors, etc. - just probably from something he picked up and ate off the street.  We watch him like a hawk, but sometimes things get past us.  He is starting to seem more like his usual sweet self though, so that's good.  The cats have been very annoyed because they can't sleep on/next to him because he smells bad and that is a real inconvenience for them ...

Next weekend we had scheduled a trip to Baltimore to visit my niece and her husband (we made the plans back in April).  Now my sister and brother-in-law are planning to be there as well, which means most of the family will show up to visit also.  I had been leaning towards cancelling even if it would just be the four of us, but the addition of even more people has made me certain that I don't want us to go.  It just seems irresponsible, and though I know they are all careful people, I just think we have been so conscientious about things, why stop now?  Having to go into work two days a week has been making me anxious enough.  It is disappointing, since we haven't seen anyone for such a long time, but I'm not willing to take the chance, particularly when things are taking an uptick again.  Why can't people wear a mask? (Rhetorical, I know why and so do you.)

Anyway, it's Friday, and it's the weekend, and we have wine, and The Tim just informed me that he made some chocolate pudding!  All's well that ends well, right?  😃

Have a lovely weekend yourself, and take care.

It Was Nice While It Lasted

Last week was so incredibly enjoyable, being able to stay home and not deal with my horrific co-workers!  As you may have noticed, I didn't even post here, though to be honest, a lot of the reason was because nothing much was happening worth showing you.  :-)

It was an excellent blend of getting things accomplished and relaxing, and the weather was very cooperative, which I appreciated A LOT.  I didn't get all the things on my to-do list taken care of, but I hadn't really expected to, so I wasn't really upset with myself.  But the things that were done gave me the chance to feel like I had finally made a dent into a lot of things!

The weekend topped it all off nicely, with the New Jersey Sheep and Fiber Festival on Saturday, and the Eagles winning their football game on Sunday. 

The fiber festival was so much fun!  One of the nicest things about this festival is that it is very approachable as far as size is concerned.  Which is not to say that it is not as much sensory overload as the larger fairs and festivals - trust me, there's A LOT to see!  Of course, I spent a lot of my time talking to and petting the sheep (whether or not they wanted me to - spoiler alert: most of them didn't care), and I even got to kiss and hug one of the sheep which was THE BEST THING OF ALL.  The Tim even took photos, but as my camera and my computer are currently not on speaking terms, I'll have to show you that later.  Even Instagram isn't speaking to me, so I can't send you there to see any photos at the moment either.  Oh well. 

It was very difficult to not buy a whole bunch of beautiful yarns.  But I managed to restrain myself and came home only with a bar of goat's soap, with Franckinsense and Myrhh scent.  It's put safely away until Christmastime. 

I did get the chance to see some people that I had hoped to see, including Dee, Vera, three good friends from Philadelphia that I follow online but don't often get to see, and Kathleen Dames.  It was so nice to run into people to briefly catch up, and to live vicariously through their purchases.  It was especially nice to meet Kathleen, as we have been friends online for approximately 15 years, and had never yet met in person!  We'd come close, but it just never worked out until Saturday.  She was there with Kay Gardiner (one half of Mason-Dixon Knitting), and introduced us.  Kay was as nice and as funny as you would expect her to be.  One funny thing was that when I was talking to Kathleen, I mentioned that I ran into her when I was looking for The Tim.  She said, "Oh my God - THE TIM is here???"  I got a huge chuckle out of that.  (And eventually I did locate him, well after the fact.)

You may also enjoy this exchange, which occurred over breakfast that morning.

The Tim:  So ... is this one of the big fiber things?
Me:  It's relatively small, if you remember.  [He has gone with me at least 3 times in the past.]
The Tim:  When did it become smaller?
Me:  As far as I know, it's always been smaller.
The Tim:  When did they move it?
Me: What?
The Tim: Well, didn't it used to be in Maryland?
Me:  That would be Maryland Sheep and Wool, which happens in May.
The Tim:  Oh, I wondered about that.  I guess I'm talking about a whole other state.
Me (in my brain):  !!!!!!!
Me (in person):  Ya think??

Anyway, then yesterday I just hung out at home, worked on some laundry and some stitching, and watched the football game.  What a nice way to finish my week of vacation.

And how sad to have to return to work.  Such is life.  At least tomorrow, we have our lunch hour craft group meeting.

Again, sorry for no pictures here today - hopefully I can show you some things soon.  Have a good week!

A Good Combination Weekend

Well, the weekend did not disappoint.  In more ways than one, actually - we had good weather, and it actually felt like it consisted of two days as opposed to two hours.  It was an excellent combination of accomplishing things and relaxing.  I love it when it works out that way.

Saturday consisted of some running around in the morning.  We headed over to NJ for a trip to Kohl's, Target, the liquor store (don't tell the PA officials!), and the mall.  The Tim had a coupon for Kohl's, and I benefitted from it, and we also picked up some kitchen towels, which we seem to go through at a record pace.  We bought some wine and gin at the liquor store, and I returned a pair of shoes and got a battery for my watch at the mall, then we headed to Target for some groceries.  We were finished and home before noon.  Then The Tim took a nap, and I "finished finished" my Shift cowl - meaning that I sewed up the back seam, and so now the knitting isn't just finished, the project is!  I absolutely love it and will share it soon in an FO post.  That evening we just hung out and watched some shows we had recorded.

Sunday The Tim had to work, so I was on my own as usual.  Hamlet and I took a really nice, long walk in the morning, and stopped at the dog park on our way home.  He was pretty wiped out afterwards, I have to say!  Then I swept up in the garden, which didn't really take long because I'd done the major cleanup a few weeks ago.  The only downside was that I really really really missed my snoopervisor, Jack.  :-(  The others are nervous about going outside, so the Koodle just slept upstairs, and Pip sat at the screen door giving instructions the whole time.  I was hoping to sit out there in the evening, but dinner was later than usual, and by the time we cleaned up, it was getting dark, so hopefully after this week's heat wave we'll have some nice days when I can enjoy it. 

After that and taking a shower, I decided that I deserved some relaxing time, so I sat down and started working on the socks I want to make next, and watch a podcast.  After that, I spent about an hour ironing - yes, there are things I still iron.  I actually find it to be one of those activities that I don't do very often but when I do, I enjoy it, as it becomes a bit meditative.  Also, it's not that great to iron in our basement, so I like to bring it all upstairs to the living room, where I can look out the window into the garden and watch the birds and squirrels.  And - I'm actually accomplishing something at the same time!  Then I went back upstairs and cast on my Pabaigh and got about 4 rounds knit.  After dinner, I finished a book I was reading, and then headed to bed, since my busy day was catching up with me.  But it was a good way to end the weekend.

So now it's Monday, and fortunately this morning walking to work it was still quite pleasant outside.  Which was nice, because heading home I think it's gonna be a lot different!  This is a short work week for me, since I'm taking off Friday, so there is one fewer day of vacation I lose at the start of the new fiscal year.  And then next week is the week of the Fourth of July - WHAT???

Here's hoping that we all have a good week, one way or the other.  If you are in the heat zone, I hope you can stay cool.  I'm already busy figuring out how to make it work ...

Note: Knitting also works.  ;-)

Sweet Baby Jack the Kitten

That sweet face!

Jack the Kitten

Born:  early May 2016  Adopted:  October 2, 2016   Died:  June 5, 2019

No one wants to write this kind of post, and no one wants to read this kind of post, especially leading into a weekend.  But I wanted to do it before much more time passed because you should know.

The photo I had originally planned to post on Wednesday, with Jack inspecting

my latest knitting project that I was going to discuss.

The day before yesterday - Wednesday of this week - we lost our Jack.  It was quick, unexpected, and we are all still reeling.

Always on the move

As you know, in my previous post, I showed photos and told about how he had been helping me in the garden on Sunday.  And of course, since then, he'd been his usual happy, active, funny self.  When I left for work on Wednesday morning, he was there as usual, saying goodbye as we did each day when I left for work (we have a whole little ritual in our house).

His photo on the adoption site, The Philly Kitty

Wednesday was The Tim's day off, and he left in the morning to do a grocery shop.  He was gone no more than an hour, and when he got home, he said he could hear Jack crying, but he couldn't figure out where he was.  After looking, he saw him at the foot of the basement steps.  When he went down to investigate, Pip was with Jack and very concerned.  Jack was unable to put weight on his back legs.  The Tim thought maybe he had been running and jumping around and fell or something like that, and had hurt or broken something.  So he called our vet, who had no appts available until sometime next week (WTF?), and then decided to take him to the VSEC here in town, where we had taken Dug for his specialty tests and diagnosis when he was failing.  He called me at work and said to leave, take a cab, and get there ASAP.

Window closeup

It turned out that it was not an injury from a fall or anything else, but rather related to a heart condition that Jack had that we did not know about.  (Which is ironic because he had the best heart of all!)  The vet said that we shouldn't feel bad, because in cats so young, it is not common to check for heart problems unless something manifests itself, and this is unpredictable at best.  Jack had suffered FATE - Feline Aortic Thromboemolism - and in his case, of the Saddle, which is of course the area that controls the back leg muscles.  It is sudden and painful, paralyzes the back legs, and though it can be treated, most treatments are not successful, and not for very long periods of time - as in, not even always a week or a month.  They gave him medicine to control the pain, but there was no way we wanted him to suffer at all or any longer, and especially not be able run and pop around like he did every waking moment.

Sunshine belly

They brought him to us, and we spent about half an hour talking and singing to him, and settling him down to the point where he was purring.  He was clearly comforted and glad we were there, and though it was awful, we felt the same.  Fortunately, the injections the vet did acted quickly, and he left quietly and peacefully to join St. Francis and so many loved ones that will take care of him and play with him and love him until we can all be together again.  He wanted to stay, I'm sure, but wouldn't have known how, and we could not bear the thought of him limited in any way.

Always ready to assist, and he loved knitting projects!

Jack was only three years old.  He should still be here, feisty and intrepid as always, still enjoying himself, still cuddling, playing, exploring, helping, making that little noise that only he made. We were talking about it yesterday, and he never ever did anything bad.  He would get in trouble for being stinker, but he didn't have the capacity to be a bad kitty.  When he joined our family, it was after we had lost Dug in the summer, and as The Tim said, he brought us some much needed joy.  We called him Jackie Joy most of the time, since it described him and how he looked at everything in his life.  (He was also known frequently as Jack Attack, or BooBoo, but mostly Jackie Joy.)

His first time in the garden

This is a huge loss for all of us, and the fact that it was quick and unexpected makes it all even harder.  We are glad for some of the small mercies:  1) that The Tim was off from work that day, 2) that even if he had the episode right after The Tim left the house, that it was only an hour or less until he could help him, 3)  that Pip stayed with him, 4) that we could be with him and help him even when we never ever wanted to let him go, and 5) that such a wonderful group of people exist in the world to help.  I can't say enough about the VSEC staff, who sadly for them often see people and their sweethearts at in the worst possible scenarios.  The kindness, empathetic, and immediate treatment of Jack and of our feelings makes them all heroes as far as I'm concerned.

The first time he got to hang out with his brothers on the bed

So we are sad, and it will take all of us a while to adjust, and as my mother used to say, you never get over it, you just get used to it.  To quote The Tim from Wednesday, "Life can turn on a dime, can't it?"

Exploring the goodies from Santa with Pip

But thank God (or whoever/whatever you believe in) that there are Jacks in this world and that they find us.  He truly saved us, and his everyday love and joy made it clear that he was a happy boy.  So yes, be sad that he is no longer with us here to cuddle, see, and laugh about.  But then try to live a joyful life however you can.  Whether it's chasing a bug, helping/assisting even if not asked, or just enjoying everyone and everything around you, try to find some joy every single day.

Always happy to lounge in the garden!

That is the main thing about Jack - he was joyful without even trying.  He lived a good life every day, and shared it all with us.  He was our baby, our shadow, our goofball.  Please give your family - any and all of them - lots of love, joy, and kisses for us and for Jack.  Now he really is an angel in every sense of the word.

Sleepy baby boy.  Things will never be the same.

I hope you are all able to have a good weekend, and that you will always remember to say I love you whenever you get the chance. Enjoy your life when you can, because we only get one chance.  Take care, and thanks for all of the wonderful, funny, and kind things you have always said about our sweet baby Jack the Kitten.  

Six Months Later, an FO Post!

Oh 2019, you will be the year of so few projects!  But that's OK, I'm not in a contest to get a certain number of things finished to win a prize.  But I have two recent FOs and after so long, it's a nice feeling to have things FINISHED.

First up is my Sweet Tart Shawl. 

Not difficult - it just takes a long time when you can't knit due to a broken wrist!

Project:  Sweet Tart Shawl

Pattern:  Drea's Shawl by Craig Rosenfeld

Yarn:  MadelineTosh Sock, colorway Tart; and Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino (no colorway listed)

Needles:  US 5

Modifications:  None

Notes:  This was an enjoyable knit.  Once I got the hang of things and remembered where to start the alternating yarn for the stripes, it was something that was easily able to done while watching TV, or talking to someone at a knitting group.  The stripes make it fun to watch grow, and by the time you get to the solid part, there's not that much more to go.  Now I just have to decide if it's for me, or if it will be a gift for someone.  The photo above shows the truest version of the colors, but the photo below of it being modeled by the Molly hanger, shows how nice it looks when you wear it.

This was my first time using Koigu yarn, and it was lovely to work with.  And I know that currently MadelineTosh yarn is controversial, but I have had this in my stash for a while, and it is my favorite colorway of that line.  When I worked at Rosie's Yarn Cellar, I was able to add a bit of MadelineTosh yarn to my stash because I got an employee discount.  Come to think of it, that's how I was able to accumulate most of my stash ... it was lovely yarn to use, and I am looking forward to using what is in my stash for other projects.  

I think I'll put this shawl away with the gifts, since I'd be putting my other shawls away until fall anyway, and if I am not inspired to think of it as the perfect gift for anyone, I'll keep it.  

If you enjoy making something that has some interest during the knitting, but is also an easy project, this pattern is for you - and it's free!  It's a win-win situation.  :-)

*****

We had a wonderful Easter weekend, and enjoyed our usual visit from my niece Amanda and her husband Patrick.  As is our tradition, we made our Inappropriate Easter Eggs, which I will share in another post.  But it made for a lot of laughs, and along with good food and drink, as well as perfect weather, we couldn't have wanted anything more.  I hope your holiday weekend was a good one as well.  I have to say that Hamlet and the cats were completely worn out today, as they had quite a good time, eating the treats that were brought for them, and getting all kinds of extra attention.  Apparently, being popular and good hosts can wear one out ...

Scenes from Christmas Day

Our Christmas Day was lovely, as I hope was yours.  In Philadelphia, the day was really nice - sunny, not too cold, not windy, and enjoyable for a nice walk or two with the pup.  Everyone was very pleased with their gifts, and I was glad I had knit a pair of socks for The Tim a while back, since I like to give him something hand knit every year, and if I had waited, that couldn't have happened.

Here are some photos I thought you might enjoy seeing.  (And yes, I do have Rudolph pajama bottoms, why are you surprised?)

Here we are opening kitty presents from Santa - Hamlet didn't want to miss anything!  In this photo, Milo and Pip are checking out Milo's catnip penguin.

Hamlet is blocking the view of Jack who a second after this lept to get the toy in my hand.

As for Hamlet, he had a good day, with a new bed from Santa that was all his own (not a hand-me-down), and a bone that was honey-roasted flavor and disappeared quite quickly!

There was a brief kerfuffle when the Koodle attempted to collect all of the kitty toys for himself, and when he failed, he left and went upstairs to sleep some more (kids, you know?); but that did not keep Pip and Jack from enjoying their new catnip toys.

Once they were all set, we looked to see what Santa had left in our stockings, and opened our gifts.  Both The Tim and myself did well.  The Tim had chosen a couple of his gifts himself, but was pleasantly surprised when he opened them, as he had forgotten completely!  I realized later in the day that it was the first time in years when I had not received a book or anything related to knitting.  Which is fine, my gifts were fabulous, but it was just a surprising realization.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing, reading, listening to Christmas music, and had a wonderful dinner.  After dinner, the two of us and Hamlet walked over to the light show at City Hall.  It was so cool!  They projected different images on the building as music played, and at one point, there was even a fairisle pattern wrapping it!  I was really annoyed when I realized I'd forgotten my camera, but I consoled myself with the knowledge that night time photos with my camera would likely not work that well anyhow.

The day felt so nice and long, which is always good on Christmas Day.  Yesterday we stayed put, as everyone was tired out from our festivities, so it was a good day to read, watch movies, and nap.  Today we had a few things we wanted to do, but now the rest of the day is our own.  The Tim works tomorrow, and I have a eye exam in the morning and am then meeting a friend for lunch who I don't get to see very often, so I can't wait.  Saturday afternoon, we are headed to NJ for the afternoon, to see Hamlet's previous family, and meet their new dogs.  He will probably be over the moon excited!  His former working partner dog will also be there, so 4 dogs going crazy will be the order of the day.  I'll try to remember to take my camera along.

That's it for today.  I hope you are enjoying your Christmastime, and/or your break from work if you have one. 

Sunday Smorgasbord

Here we are, the very last Sunday of August for this year.  The last few days have been so nice, so enjoyable, and the nights so pleasant.  I was foolishly thinking that maybe it would just stay like this, but no, starting today the humidity returns, and starting tomorrow the 90s join it.  I should learn.  But apparently I never do.

When I worked at the Senate, John McCain was known for being nice to his staff.  That of course should be the norm, but it was not by a long shot.  So you knew the nice ones, the kind ones, the good ones, even if they may have beliefs and views that you did not share.  It helped you to remember that at the end of the day, they were all just people.  I also admire anyone who lives through torture and comes out of it with a desire to do good for everyone.  I didn't agree with most of his politics, but I also feel he understood what being a public servant meant, which is a rare commodity these days.  I will also never forgive him for giving Sarah Palin national recognition.  But in the end, I hope Senator McCain had a quiet and peaceful passing into paradise.  

My oldest great-niece is now moved into her dorm at Arizona State University, ready for the adventure that is college.  I know she will do well, but I am surprised every day that I have a great-niece old enough for college, because how can I be that old?

This Tuesday night is Stitch 'n Pitch here, with our Phillies playing the Washington Nationals.  A group of us are going, and I'm sure it will be fun and ridiculous.  I hope Aaron Nola is pitching, since he is one of my most fave Phillies.  Of course, it's also going to be a bazillion degrees hot with a bazillion percent humidity, which makes me wonder why this can't happen in June or something ...

One of the things that we were told about Hamlet is that he is particularly fond of tissues, paper towels, etc.  This morning he proudly came upstairs holding an empty toilet paper roll that we had set at the door to the basement for recycling.  If a dog can be beaming, he was.  It's definitely one of the funniest things he has done since he's come here to live.  

Hamlet continues to get comfortable with the cats, after not being sure what to do about them at first.  They of course cannot understand why he doesn't go out of his way to cuddle with them, etc. like Dug used to do.  The Koodle of course continues to take advantage of this, particularly by enjoying the dog pad while Hamlet is too polite to unseat him.

I have been knitting, though I have not been taking a lot of pictures of my knitting, mostly because I only think to do it when there is no chance of getting any decent shots, or I don't really have the time (i.e., I'm getting ready to leave for work).  But I did recently add another row of squares to my blanket.

The top row is the newest.  I am having fun making this, and though it only is worked on in fits and spurts, I'm not in a big hurry with it.  Plus, I can't work on it too much at any given time or I become obsessed and then my hands hurt.  

It's looking more and more like I won't be finishing my Edie top in time to wear it this year, though it's still a possibility, just not a definite possibility.  The person who was going to help me fix the messed up sleeve is not available anytime soon, so I have to wait for her schedule to open up.  I am certain it will be finished though, so I'm not worried.  I am trying to decide what my next "big" project should be - I have several in mind, all of which I already have yarn to make, and all of which I have the desire to make.  Maybe I'll put the names in a hat and draw a random winner ...

This past Friday, I got my hair cut for what very well may be the last time at the place I've been going.  It makes me sad, because it was really close to home and the person who cut my hair understood what I wanted, and I like her so much.  But they recently raised their prices significantly, and even if The Tim had a full-time job, the price is a bridge too far for me to spend on my hair.  It's funny, I'll pay more than I should, up to a certain point and then I just can't go beyond that.  Anyway, there is a woman who works at my dentist's office who has a great short haircut, and she gave me the name of where she goes.  So I'm gonna give them a try at my next appt.  The cost for a haircut there plus a tip would be pretty close to just the cost of the haircut where I'm currently going.  It's not as close to home and they apparently book up pretty quickly, but it's worth a try.  If you have been reading this blog for more than a little while, you know I'm really picky about my hair.

I guess that's about everything currently rattling around in my brain.  Today's plans include cleaning up some things, heading out to see if I can find a couple of new shirts that I could wear to work (there are a couple of sales to check), and some knitting.  The pair of socks I'm making for my brother-in-law's birthday are moving along quite well, thanks to self-striping yarn being so much fun.  

What are you thinking about or working on these days?  Is anything exciting going on in your life?

A Shakespearean Weekend

In case you are wondering what the title of this post means, let me tell you about Hamlet.

Meet the newest member of our family!  Yep, this sweet pup is now officially part of our merry band of misfits.

Back in the fall, you may or may not remember that I visited my friend Kathy, who helped me seam together my Cranberry Custom Fit Sweater.  Kathy told me on that day, "Oh by the way, I found your next dog."  As it turns out, Kathy's husband Sam (who I haven't met yet) is a volunteer for a local group who assist blind people.  He knew a couple who each had guide dogs who were getting ready to retire them, and Kathy thought either dog would be good for us - already grown, well-trained, and well-behaved.  So I told her to let me know if anything developed.

To back up a bit, a couple of months ago, The Tim had told me he thought he was ready to adopt another dog.  Now as far as that goes, I am not picky at all.  The Tim had many things on his list of the perfect dog, and among them were that a) the dog not be too old, so we would have it with us longer, and b) the dog not be a really big dog, since it became difficult to lift Dug when he got really sick.  I could appreciate this, and so did not point out any dogs I knew that were available that fell into these categories.

About six weeks ago, Kathy told me that the dogs she had mentioned were going to be retired very soon, and gave me the number of the man in the couple, named Jeff, and said to call him.  So I gave him a call, and we talked for quite a while.  Never having had any reason to really think about it, I was surprised to learn that guide dogs were "retired."  But it turns out that it's fairly common.  A perfect guide dog has to be on top of its game, and though Jeff's dog was still perfectly healthy, he said the dog had slowed down some, and he had applied for a new dog.  Apparently, you are only accepted into a new session when they think they have a perfect dog, based on your profile.  Jeff expected to go to the session in October, and the dog, named Hamlet, would probably come for a visit over a summer weekend, to see how we all thought it might work (or not).

The kicker of course:  the dog was 9 years old, and a Golden Retriever.

When I reported this part to The Tim, he said, "Oh that would be great - almost like another Dug!"  Which of course meant that his list of qualifications meant nothing in the end. :-) (Also, I think the English major in him was thrilled.)

Jeff called about three weeks ago, with news that he had been contacted to say that they found him a perfect match dog but instead of October, the session he was in would start today - way ahead of what we all had expected!  So we quickly arranged for Hamlet to visit the weekend after July 4.

Surprisingly, all went well.  By the time the weekend was over, Pip and Jack were *very* close to being friends with Hamlet, and he was clearly interested in them, but not aggressive in any way.  The Koodle, who of course thinks of himself as a real badass, spent the weekend in the basement like the chicken he really is ...

Saturday afternoon, we headed over to NJ where Jeff and his wife live, to pick up Hamlet to join our family for good.  On the one hand, I felt bad because of course we were taking him from the home he knew for most of his life, complete with his people, and Karma, the black lab guide dog who belongs to Jeff's wife (and who is already placed in a new home as well, once she goes to her session in October).  I think Hamlet is still a bit confused, but he is adjusting, and is getting a TON of attention, walks, treats, and love.  The cats - because, well, cats - have of course forgotten they ever met him, and so we are starting again from the beginning.  But in no time I'm sure the household will be back to the usual routine.

Though just to let you know, Pip is already friends with Hamlet because why not if there is someone else to narc on?  He would however, like you to know in case you did not that there is a DOG in the house and apparently the DOG will be staying and did you know the DOG drank some of Pip's water?????!!!!!  Trust me, we're hearing all about it ...

Hopefully Hamlet will decide our house is a good place to be and he will be happy that he joined the family.  We couldn't be more thrilled!

I have to warn you, there will be more stories about him in the days to come, and you can expect to be subjected to many more photos - so prepare for the deluge. :-)

Let's Just Start Again

Ugh.  These past few weeks have just been awful.  Fortunately, I'm still here, but I just have had a really bad time of things lately.  My work has  become pretty unbearable.  They have recently increased our hours, and though that does mean more money, it's not really a raise because our hours are increased.  I am now making $10 less an hour than I did.  Which would be different if I liked where I worked, but it's just made everything worse. I've felt just stuck and not really able to do much of anything once I get home.

Enough of that though.  Fortunately, we had planned a bit ago to go to Baltimore this past weekend and visit one niece and her husband, and also get to see another niece and her family.  After a few weekends in a row when the weather was just terrible, this weekend the weather was lovely!

This guy went with us, and had a great time!

We got to see my niece Amanda's kitties. They are both black kitties, named Clancy and Yuri.  Unfortunately, they are not impressed with Dug ...

This is Clancy - she is extremely talkative!  Yuri is very shy.

On Saturday, we got to go to my great-nephew Zach's basketball tournament game.

Here he is after taking a shot in the warm-up.  It was a good game, but they lost in the last 9 seconds by one point.  There is another game on Wednesday night, and if they lose, they are out of the whole thing.  If they win, they play in the finals on this coming Saturday.  It's amazing the variations in height among fourth graders.  :-)

And then later in the day on Saturday, we took a walk in my niece's neighborhood, and visited a [new to me] yarn store there, That's the Point.  It's a lovely little shop the sells yarn and also needlework materials.  I didn't spend much time there, since everyone else was waiting for me outside, but I did buy a skein of yarn produced from a local alpaca farm.  I figured I wouldn't be seeing that anywhere else.

We made our way back to Philadelphia yesterday after brunch, and spent the day catching up with laundry, etc.  I had taken today off work (thank God!), so it's been a lovely day at home.  I treated myself to a manicure, and signed up for the Loop bus to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival in May.  I'm so glad that they decided to take a bus, now that Rosie's is gone!  I've missed going the last couple of years, so I'm really looking forward to it.

So that's the news from here.  I'm going to try to post more regularly, because I do enjoy it, and it helps me keep some perspective.  I have a couple of things to show you, and some other updates on some things.

Have a great week, and thanks for sticking around!

A Happy Christmas Day

Well, we had a great day on Christmas.  Quiet and relaxing.  It was too warm and humid, but we tried to ignore that and enjoy the day anyway.

Our house ended up looking nice, once we got everything ready, and then actually cleaned up!

 This year, the Misfit Toys had a little tree of their own.

 Santa and Rudolph were at the ready.

 As were the Misfit Toys.

One of the windows looking out onto the garden was especially dressed up!

 The Christmas tree was just waiting for Santa.

The secretary was even fixed up!

And there were tons of other decorations that you'll see one way or another. :-)  If you are on Instagram, I have some pictures there as well.

Anyway, Santa did in fact show up and it was quite exciting.

 One of Dug's favorite gifts was a corduroy candy cane.

In typical kitty fashion, Jetsam played with Pip's gifts - a catnip stocking and a catnip wedge of pizza!

 Milo the Koodle found the Little Pink Socks (like Mooch has in the "Mutts" comic strip) to be completely irresistible.

 Pip repaid Jetsam by playing with one of his toys, a catnip cell phone.

There were several pauses in the action, which meant that we actually spent a good part of the day opening presents and finding out what goodies were in our stockings.

Later in the day, we had a great Christmas dinner, and watched the end of "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," which we had started watching a few days before.

Many lovely, sweet, and funny gifts were opened, many carols were listened to and sung, a lot of food was eaten, and we had wine in the afternoon and eggnog in the evening.

The only thing missing was cold weather and a fire in the fireplace.  But we were all together, and it was a wonderful day.  You can't really ask for more than that.