It's the cat's fault!

Recently, things have been disappearing on me. I'll put my glasses down on side table next to my bed, and when I wake up they won't be there. I end up frantically searching the house (not easy, when you're as near-sighted as I am), and they'll finally show up on top of the refrigerator or some other ridiculous place. I'll set my scissors on the end table next to me, and after a wild search discover that they're in my gym bag. My book walks quietly behind me, turning up wherever I've already looked.

You've probably already jumped to some crazy notion like maybe I'm getting old, or distracted, or the insomnia is finally getting to me. I really don't think it's me. I'm blaming the cat. I think she's still angry that we brought the puppy into the house, and she's trying to drive me crazy in revenge.

 

I mean, just look at her face...

Friday's Favorite - My Son!

Yesterday was my son's 23rd birthday. It seems like just yesterday he was my little boy, excited about having pie and ice cream, and lots of birthday presents to unwrap. Now he's all grown up, and able to buy his own toys. (He recently purchased a jet ski! Seriously, what do you get a boy who buys his own super toy? A life jacket maybe?)

I'm very proud of the man he's become. Although I do wish he would call his mom once in a while!

A Twist on our usual Knit Night

Last week (I'm a little late getting these pictures up), we decided we would meet a little early for knitting and spend some time spinning first. I was the only one who showed up with a wheel. Not that it bothered me. I just explained to all the curious people at Starbucks that I was trying to keep up with the demand of the knitters, who were using up their yarn stash meeting there each week!

MPKC 8/20

 

Recently I've been visited by the green-eyed monster. Because I belong to so many knitting groups, there is always someone who has just visited one of our LYS (local yarn shops) or has purchased yarn online. Every week I sit through the inevitable show and tell, admiring and fondling the additions to someone else's stash. I try to be good and remember that my stash, both yarn and fiber, has probably reached SABLE proportions. (SABLE is stash acquisition beyond life expectancy.) But now some of the girls are in yarn of the month clubs, receiving wonderful surprises of yarn and/or patterns each month in the mail, and it was more fiber-fun than my jealous nature could stand.

So I decided to create my own Personal Yarn Club, using patterns from my "I Want to Knit This Someday" queue and matching each with yarn from my stash. Each pattern and yarn was put into a ziplock bag with a tag letting me know the categories (sock, sweater, shawl, lace, easy-to-knit, gift, quick, long-term committment) and tools (needle size, stitch markers, etc) for that pattern. I ended up with over 60 projects ready to go. If I think of this as a monthly club, I have a 5 year subscription! 

Now that's a stash worth envying!

Nupps and Beads, but not much else

I am totally obsessed with the Aeolian Shawl, and that seems to be the only progress I've made this week. Officially I'm working on the sleeves of the baby sweater, since my knitting student has started her sleeves. But all I did was put the stitches onto the needles in preparation to knit, and then I set the sweater aside while I did a few more rows of the shawl chart. And I did plan to knit a few more hearts for Yarnified Love Bomb day (today!), just as soon as I did a couple more rows of the shawl chart. I brought my Super-Secret-It's-A-Gift project to start at knitting group, but the shawl chart kept calling my name and I couldn't concentrate to count the cast-on. (Okay -- I probably went too far on that last one. I mean, seriously, claiming I couldn't count the cast on yet I can add beads and bubbles while chatting?) 

At least the shawl is making progress. I did have to buy a third tube of beads, which is absolutely ridiculous. Counting repeated charts, I'm on chart #18 with only 3 left to go!  Depending on the nupps, I may even finish the shawl this week.

Vero Beach

I'm fortunate to have a friend with a timeshare in Vero Beach. Every year she invites me to spend some time at the Driftwood Resort with her, and every year I have an incredible time. She's a gracious hostess and the Driftwood is a beautifully unique place. This year I was only able to stay one night, but we managed to get a lot of relaxation fit into the two days I was there.During the days we alternated between the beach and the pool. In the evening, we played Mah Jongg.

If I had the money, I would be very tempted to purchase a timeshare for myself there. My friend has owned her's since the Driftwood first offered the timeshares. Her children spent time at there at beach and pools growing up, and now their children (and even grandchildren!) are there with her this week. (I, of course, had nothing to do with spoiling my friend's great grandchildren -- even though I made every attempt to do so!)

I hate saying Goodbye

 

It's been a very stressful weekend for me. I really hate saying "goodbye" to the people I love.

The first "goodbye" was not a goodbye in the regular sense. A good friend, one of my church ladies that I had gotten close to, has Alzheimer's and is now in an assisted living facility. I'm lucky enough to be included on her visitor list (which is very limited, since she is easily agitated and gets very upset -- apparently a common reaction when you know you should recognize people and places but can't). When I first arrived, she didn't know who I was. But I was able to gently remind her of some of our fun times together, and we ended up having a great time together.

And it really was a great time together. We chatted about the things she remembered. We giggled over things we had done in the past. We made plans for future visits. And if some of the things that she remembered weren't quite right, if she mixed up people, or if there were moments that confused her -- we were able to find a way to accept it and laugh together about it.

It wasn't until I got home, after telling her goodbye and promising to come visit her again soon, that I cried. Because even though my friend is still there, and we can still laugh and have fun together, I can see that she is quickly leaving us (both mentally and physically) and the day is coming when "goodbye" really is "goodbye."

While I was still trying to accept my friend's condition, I received a message from an old friend and ex-sister-in-law. Sharon was letting me know that our very good friend had unexpectedly passed away on Saturday.

I still don't know what to say about this. It's been a while since I've talked with Pats, and even longer since I've seen her. But we had a friendship that time and distance didn't affect. I always knew she was there, and either one of us could pick up the phone and we'd start in the middle of the conversation just as if we had talked every day. I'm feeling very lost knowing that I don't have that safety net anymore.

Pats was my college roommate. She was the maid of honor when I got married. She was godmother to my firstborn. She was there when my marriage fell apart, helping to put me back together when I thought the world was ending. She was there to kick my butt when I was being an idiot, and to give me high-fives when I was celebrating. She was my best friend, even if time and distance kept us apart.

I hate having to say "goodbye."