Hi, everyone, it’s Chappy, and I have a friend who needs your help.

Okay, I haven’t actually gotten to meet her yet, but her name is Lucia, but everyone calls her Lucy. She’s lucky enough to live with Susan and Erin and Paige at Juniper Moon Fiber Farm. (Actually, that’s another confusing thing because there used to be the Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm because it was on the Vineyard, and then there was the Hudson Valley Fiber Farm too (which I kind of liked because it was a shorter drive and I don’t like the car), but, anyway, now Susan and her farm is in Virginia and called Juniper Moon. I’m not entirely sure where it is, but the pictures look like fun.)

Anyway–the help part.

Last night, Lucy was hit by a car.

I know! It’s awful. My sister Katy was killed by a car, you know, which worked out kind of good for me because that’s why Mommy needed a puppy when I came along, but it was still really sad. And even sadder, Susan at the whatever-you-call-it Fiber Farm lost of her dog Biscotti to car just over a year ago, too. (I know, the idea just makes me want to howl.)

But, here’s the point.

Last time we heard, Lucy was still alive, but having trouble breathing because her lungs are bruised (which just sounds painful, and Mom says she can only imagine how much that must hurt). The vet wanted to keep her on oxygen to help for several days, but it was too expensive.

So, there are two things you can do.

1. Say a prayer for Lucy. Or send good thoughts, or good vibes, or whatever you want. But, send some positive energy her way. Like I said, I haven’t met her yet, but she is a GOOD dog and she’s only a few months old and just shouldn’t die. Puppies just aren’t supposed to die, especially when they are so cute and lovable–not to mention loved. And hard-working!

2. Help pay the vet bills. Susan said that she doesn’t want to ask, that she hates to ask, but the bills from Lucy’s rush to the vet last night–and then the transfer to the second, more-expensive vet–wiped out her bank account. Now, I don’t know pretty much anything, but I know that bank accounts are necessary for things like food and collars and biscuits and chew toys and treats. And food. So I know it’s important.

This is what Susan said:

If you’d like to make a small donation to help with Lucy’s vet bills, you can send it via Paypal to susangibbs1 AT mac DOT com. We are all so very grateful for the thoughts, prayers and kind words you are sending to Lucy and to us.

But I definitely know that sending prayers can only help, and that if you can spare even just $5 to help pay for the costs of keeping that sweet puppy alive long enough for me to meet her and play with her, that would help, too. (And yes, I realize that would mean I’d have to ride for something like six and a half hours in the car. And be near the sheep again, who hopefully aren’t as mean as the goats were last time I saw them.)

Oh, and for any other dogs out there reading this? If your Mom or Dad needs to give you an extra hug, you should probably let them. Mom didn’t think it was funny when I played the “I’ve got a toy, keep away” game when she came home at lunch. Go figure.

• Tags: Chappy, Family, General • Permalink:Plea for an Injured Puppy // 6 Comments »

Don’t the boys look happy? Opening their Christmas Stollen?

Though, really, the “happy” part started earlier. When I opened the bedroom door for Chappy this morning, he ran straight downstairs to admire the Christmas tree.

Well? Guys? When do we get to open the presents?

We paused for breakfast (pancakes) and then sat by the tree for a bit … Chappy, though, was very focused…

I’m not entirely sure he remembered to blink! Seriously, he just sat and stared.

We moved the ottoman out of the way, and he moved closer … but I’d still swear he was staring so intently at that present in the front that he forgot to blink.

Naturally, we let him open his present first–a red ball that has a blinking light inside.

He helped open the other presents … or did after we let him open his second present–some biscuits I bought for him. (Well, my helper did, since the store was closed when we went there on Saturday.) We gave him one of the biscuits, of course, but now they’ll wait while he works his way through the batch of biscuits my niece made for him–because homemade is better!

Anyway, he helped open the other presents, but … like any kid … decided that that wrapping materials were more fun to play with than the actual gifts.

He was happy for this one, though! The inside is a different color, but he doesn’t care–he’s got two, full-sized dishes again!

We got out for a walk this morning, too, before the rain started. We expected it earlier, in fact, but actually, the rain held off for most of the day and only started around 5:00. We had turkey with trimmings for dinner–more or less a complete replay of Thanksgiving–and all in all, it’s been a pretty nice day.

Tomorrow, Mom and Dad are going to my cousin’s farm. We were going to go last weekend, to deliver their allotment of Christmas Stollen, but Mother Nature had other plans.

So, we rescheduled for this weekend, but my best friend is home visiting from California and tomorrow is the only day she can manage a visit, so … Chappy and I are going to stay home and let Mom and Dad go without us. (Mom’s a little bitter about this, “It was your idea,” but what can I do?) Chappy would probably have enjoyed meeting my cousin’s dogs and possibly even seeing the horses, but my guess is that he won’t really MIND not having to spend 3 hours or so in the car tomorrow, after 2 hours yesterday (grin).

All in all, though, how do you think he feels about his Christmas?

Lick-smacking good?

Or “Man, that tastes bad” disappointing?

• Tags: Family, General • Permalink:Happy Boys? // 6 Comments »

Chappy hopes that all of you are having as wonderful a day as he is.

Since this is Christmas Eve, we spent the day at my sister’s house. There were some presents, there was some yummy food, but mostly, there was love and a good time.

It was a beautiful day for a drive, too–the first time Chappy’s been in the car since, well, I would SAY since we moved in, but technically, the next day we took him in the car while we ran to the election polls to vote because we knew he would freak if I left him in this strange house. But, still, that was just a couple miles up the road, for just a few minutes … today was an hour there, an hour back, so it was a big day for him!

Anyway, we’re all in for the night, and I keep yawning, so I’m cutting this short.

Except, of course, to wish all of YOU a Merry Christmas tomorrow (whether you’re celebrating Christmas, or just–hopefully–enjoying a day off from work).

• Tags: Family • Permalink:Wonderful // 1 Comment »

We had the first snow of the season yesterday. About 2-3 inches, but enough for us to find out that the townhouse people DO in fact clear away the snow from not only the streets and sidewalks, but the driveways and walkways between houses. I took this picture of our street on our walk around the block earlier.

I tried, I really tried to get a picture of how this tree was shining as if every clump of snow was a diamond, but a point-and-shoot can only do so much–especially when you (1) can’t really see anything on the LCD screen and (2) you’ve got a dog more interested in sniffing and walking attached to the arm holding the camera.

We decorated the Christmas tree, too, which didn’t take nearly as long as usual (grin).

It looks pretty, though, and all our favorite ornaments are on, so we’re happy.

Though the process kind of bored Chappy.

Luckily, his grandpa came along to give him a good tummy rub.

And, of course, a good nap is always useful. (I’m biased, of course, but isn’t this an adorable picture?)

Oh, and my car had its eighth birthday on Thursday. I took this picture to commemorate the occasion. It’s hard to see, but that’s 54, 024 miles on the odometer.

How about another picture of Chappy with his Grandpa? He (Chappy) likes to weave his way behind people’s legs while they sit on the couch, and sometimes, he’ll just sit there and relax.

When he’s not busy napping, of course!

• Tags: Chappy, Family • Permalink:First snow // 6 Comments »

Hey, we have pictures!

As in, pictures hanging on the walls. Nice, huh?

No, this isn’t quite ALL the pictures we hung, but  after a while, while walking around with my camera, I noticed this:

And decided it was time to sit down for a while.

It sure was windy last night and this morning–a tree at our old house fell down across the driveway, so Dad called my brother-in-law to ask him to bring down a chain saw tomorrow to get it cleared away before the closing on the house in a couple weeks. Luckily, it wasn’t a BIG tree, but a few more feet of height and it would have damaged the garage doors–and it would have made it really difficult for my parents to get out of the garage, if we were still living there.

Hey, look–two sleeves!

I got a lot of knitting done on them yesterday, because I had extra time to knit yesterday. Why? Because we had our first (non-family) visitor yesterday … Kim! She came over yesterday afternoon and got the first look around our lovely new home, and then we sat down with our knitting and some of the delicious coffee she brought along, and just … knitted. So nice.

Of course, I tried to do something nice, and sent her home with a copy of Pixar’s “Up” for Liam to watch and … last night, realized that what I’d lent her was the CASE for Pixar’s “Up.” The actual DVD was still in the player. Oops! So, this morning, when Mom and I headed out for a cup of coffee (Saturday tradition, you understand), we swung by Kim’s house to drop off the actual DVD–and then Mom got a tour of Kim’s adorable little house. So, this was fun!

The one problem I have right now? The next step for my sweater is to sew the shoulder seams, sew in the sleeves, and sew up their seams. Except … my Knit Klips seem to have disappeared. You know, those little orange clips that are so handy for holding your knit pieces together while you sew them up? I know exactly where they WERE. As a rule, I know where my things are. I put them away when I’m done with them, so I know where to find them later on. But the move, of course, screwed that up a bit, and while I can find the pin cushion and such that the Knit Klips were right next to? The clips themselves have disappeared.

Darn. I LIKED those things.

• Tags: Family, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Wall Art // 1 Comment »

Well, Mom and I spent most of the month of October talking about how much we were looking forward to Thanksgiving this year, because we figured that, by then, we would pretty much be settled, and how thankful we would be for that.

Well, here we are, and yes, we’re thankful.

• Tags: Family • Permalink:Thankful // 2 Comments »

I took the day off from work today, obstensibly so I could relax with the house to myself for a while.

Well, I DID enjoy having the house to Chappy and me, but, um relaxing? Not so much.

However … remember the picture I showed you on Sunday? Of the downstairs that looked like progress simply wasn’t being made?

Well, after my “relaxing” day off, it looks like this:

It’s amazing what a difference just getting the floor cleared and the rug unrolled made!

I got my books organized, too. I know, it doesn’t really look like it, but they ARE. I alternated the horizontal/vertical thing to make them look a little more interesting, and kept to single-files where I could. They’re still not catalogued (Heaven knows when that will happen), and the alphabetization over in the fiction section isn’t perfect, but … they’re more organized than they were! Those 5 under-the-bed boxes, though? I have nowhere to put them. They’re filled with YA books that I grew up with and used to be under the table in our home office, but that’s not an option anymore, soooo….

Of course, the OTHER thing I really wanted/needed to do didn’t work out. I bought a wireless print server so that we could try to consolidate our printers… especially now that I’m two whole flights above them and really could use a printer that I could, you know, print from.

So, the printer we want this on is attached to Dad’s computer. Okay. He’s away at the moment, so I booted it up … he’s right. It takes a good 10-15 minutes for the thing to boot up. But, okay, I occupied myself by moving books around. Started the print server install … and around step 6, the mouse locked up. The keyboard would work, but I couldn’t use the mouse or move forward. Grr.

I didn’t really want to sit through rebooting it AGAIN, so … I tried his second computer. (The one I got him for his birthday in January that he still hasn’t completely switched over to yet.) At least it boots up quickly. I transferred the printer cable to it so I could install the printer’s driver … that bombed out. Apparently that printer is not one of the ones supported by Windows Vista. Uh-oh.

But, wait! Mom’s computer! I’ll install the printer on hers–it’s Windows XP, it should be fine. And it was. I installed the printer, and then ran through the set-up for the wireless print server, and clicked the “install on computer” button on the Linksys setup screen … and, nothing. The setup screen completely disappeared, as if I’d closed the program. Tried reloading it, clicked “Start,” clicked “Install on computer” and … poof.

So … still no wireless print server. Which means that I still don’t have a printer. And I’ve also just discovered that Dad’s slightly elderly, laser, color printer that we can’t afford to replace won’t work on his newer computer. (I wonder if it would if the wireless server was working correctly? I have no idea.)

Still … Chappy’s enjoying having the rug to lie on, and he says he enjoyed having me home, even if I didn’t sit down to relax with him at all until about 3:00.

When Mom got home from Patty’s, she almost fell over when she went downstairs, she couldn’t believe her eyes! I had left a few things for her to do–like emptying out the last couple things in this hat box (yes, it used to have a hat in it), that Chappy thoughtfully pointed out to her. She did, and then said, “I guess this is garbage then…”

Which was all Chappy needed to hear, because he immediately pounced on it. Not BEFORE, mind you, just after she said she didn’t want it anymore.

Which is good, because as soon as he caught it, he started to chew on it.

Apparently it tasted very, very good.

I’ve got the DVDs and VHS tapes by the TV organized, too. Dad was funny the other day when he saw me unpacking the tapes. “Do we still have the machines to run those?” Um, yes, Dad we DO have a VCR. Three in fact. I don’t care how wonderful those DVR things are … we don’t have one, and there’s no other way to record something on a channel different than the cable box!

I’ve even been getting some spinning done. In fact, I’ve gotten more spinning done in the last week than I have in the last few months! I finished the bobbin I’d barely started, have done one more complete one, and started a third. Granted, each bobbin only has about 2 oz on it, but still … it’s been months since I spent so much time with my spinning wheel.

• Tags: Chappy, Family, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Looks Like Progress // 6 Comments »

My best friend called me from California to tell me I’m not showing enough pictures of the rest of the house. (Okay, she called to wish me a belated birthday, but she DID make a point of saying she wants to see MORE.) So–to keep her happy … (And with a mention that I (1) took these with a phone balanced on my shoulder and (2) while carrying on what I hope was a lucid conversation and (3) a reminder that the house is  still a work in progress. By our usual standards, it’s a mess. By the standards of the last couple weeks? Doing better).

The view from our window. Note that there is NOTHING behind us but trees. At night, off in the distance, you can see the bottom end of the nearby Hyundai dealership’s lights because we’re really not that far from Rt 10, but otherwise, there’s nothing back there.

Mom and Dad’s room (with a glimpse into Mom’s closet). Their window looks over the garage and to the front of the house.

View from above of our living room. We finally got the book case full of movies and tv shows set up, though it’s a little wobbly on the carpet. Mom went to a hardware store to try to find some of those furniture safety straps to secure them to the wall, but couldn’t find anything. (And, yes, we DO have an enormous behemoth of a television set.)

My very bland bathroom, because she wanted to see. It’s very beige, but has the essentials–tub with shower, toilet, sink … and a medicine chest! (Thank you Home Depot.)

Going down the stairs, Santa waves a friendly hello. No, he’s usually not out quite this early in the year, but it seemed silly to put him away just to pull him out in a couple weeks. So, for now, he’s cheering us on from the landing. I’m going to miss him, come January.

View of the front door from the stairs. (Also the vacuum cleaner, the shopping bags I need to bring out to the car, the pen we block the front door with, leashes, umbrellas, door stop because the door to the garage is on a spring. And … oh yes … someone peeking through the railing.

Once down the stairs, this is the view to the right, into the living room. The second bookcase is set up and my cookbooks are finally unpacked. The rocking chair is still looking for a home, but at least it’s in from the garage. It’s the first piece of furniture I ever bought myself and I love that chair. I’ve sat in a lot of wooden rockers that were incredibly uncomfortable, but this one is perfect. I just wish I had room for it up in my room.

Turning from the living room toward the kitchen–the kitchen table, the breakfront in the corner, next to the pantry with Chappy’s dishes in front…

And the kitchen looks like this–complete with vegetable soup simmering on the stove, a fresh batch of granola, and a chocolate pound cake cooling on the counter.

Let’s not forget the Birthday balloon from my sister, still going strong nine days later.

Here’s the view heading back toward the stairs.

Now, going downstairs? This is the one room that–even though we’re making progress–still looks, well, like we’re NOT making progress. But we ARE!

Dad’s office area looks remarkably neat and clean (a rarity for him). He’s right by the window. If you’re paying attention to the floorplans, he’s right under the kitchen table.

Mom’s area (under the kitchen) is still a work in progress. She’s got a new computer desk, though–a $25 model from IKEA that we bought yesterday and that I assembled this afternoon. The row of short bookcases divides her section from Dad’s. She’s got the shelves filled with photo albums (which always look messy) and books … though the top will eventually be cleared off.

The two chairs in the sitting area? Well … you can’t exactly see the television from there at the moment. (See it there? In the back on the left? And … do you see who else is watching?)

Which makes sense, because right now, Chappy’s the only one who can really see the television.

Okay, Dawn, I hope you’re happy!

• Tags: Family, General • Permalink:Today’s Photos // 7 Comments »

What am I thankful for today? I went to the eye doctor because my left eye has been feeling like it had something in in for days now. (Okay, a couple weeks.) It didn’t hurt, wasn’t affecting my vision, so–what with the move and all–I didn’t rush over to the eye doctor. But, it’s still bugging me, so today I went.

Turns out, I’ve got a scratch on my eye which, according to my doctor, can feel the same as an irritant. He prescribed some antibiotic eye drops to prevent an infection, but otherwise it should just take care of itself.

It’s good to see that Chappy is relaxed. He doesn’t have a pillow up in my office-room (yet?), but the aghan my Grandmother made me back in the 80s works well, too, don’t you think?

You must watch this wonderful stop-action video. So sweet and life-affirming! They took over 60,000 pictures to make this video!

Oh, my, a Sheep Incognito calendar. Have you seen their wonderful artwork? The idea of all those adorable pictures on my wall makes me giddy.

Cinnamon Eggnog scones? Yum!

Is this what reading is really going to be like in 5 years?

And, wait, there was something else I was going to say … what was it?

Oh yes.

Happy Anniversary, Patty and Mike! Twenty-one years now … your marriage is now old enough to drink.

• Tags: Family, General • Permalink:Happy to See You // 3 Comments »

I hope you’re impressed that, even with all this moving craziness, I’ve still gotten some knitting done. Here are the cuffs of my two sleeves. Like the body of the sweater, they start with a horizontal cable (9″ long) and then stitches are picked up along the edges for the lower ribbing, and then for the actual sleeve. I finished the lower ribbing on one of them tonight, and picked up the stitches for the second one.

Usually, of course, I do my sweater sleeves at the same time, but I’ve got enough chaos around lately, I don’t want to deal with the two skeins of yarn that continually tangle thing, so I’ll be doing these on their own. Just … why not start with both of them at the same place, right?

Speaking of chaos … here’s my room. Now, for one, I can’t quite decide what to call this. My office? My fiber room? My sitting room? So, basically, I’ve got my bedroom, where I sleep and get dressed, and “my room,” where I do everything else. I’ve finally got my computer in here–it’s been plugged in next to my bed for the last week, but this is the room where it will live, so –at least it’s here. That’s what accounts for all those unsightly electric cables under the pretty cedar chest under the window.

The pillow on the cedar chest was made by my sister as a birthday present, because the colors in the fabric reminded her of me … looking around the room, I’d say that’s a yes, wouldn’t you? I hate the pile of stuff in the corner, though. (Well, I hate piles of stuff in general.) And I’m second-thinking the table RIGHT in front of the door when you come in … except that, once you’re in the room, it works there. If/when I ever sit at that secretary desk, it will give me a nice work area … it’s just kind of an obstacle to coming into the room.

Everything is in there, and all the major stuff has a place … the first, crucial step toward organization … but there’s just such a lot of it! I absolutely hate clutter–you know this–so the fact that it is, in fact, cluttered is kind of driving me nuts.

Well, not quite yet. I’m still in the “work in progress, don’t panic” state of mind as I work on getting things put away, but … if I don’t find room for everything to BE away, well … Let’s not talk about that, shall we?

And, it won’t make you jealous if I tell you that cedar chest is full of yarn, will it?

This is one of Chappy’s favorite spots–in the hallway between my two rooms. Here, he can keep an eye on me wherever I am (including the bathroom, which is just behind him)–as well as the hallway down to his grandparents’ bedroom.

The good news is that, after his sad, pathetic, woeful morning of howling and whimpering yesterday when his Mom headed off to work, today he was quiet and more his usual self. Because, yes, when I left for work yesterday, he took it very, very badly. I called twice and each time Dad just held up the phone so I could hear the “Wooooooooooooe, Wooooooooooe” in the background. Poor thing! (Well, both of them–Chappy for being miserable and Dad for having to listen to Chappy being miserable.)

You want to know what’s really exciting?

Look! Spinning! I actually sat down in front of my spinning wheel and spun up some of this luscious Cormo. The most spinning I’ve done in weeks. Woohoo!

Anyway, we’re all working hard on settling in. We’ve actually cooked meals, and everything. I clocked my commute today–going in (going through Indian Lake to work around the traffic on Rt 46 at rush hour), it’s 3.7 miles, coming home the more direct route, it’s almost exactly 2.5. That’s about 3 miles less driving a day than I was doing two weeks ago, when my commute was almost exactly 4 miles no matter what route I took. No complaints, there! Though we need to get the remaining stuff out of the garage so we can get our cars in there. (Finding room for my wooden rocking chair is surprisingly challenging.)

I can’t take a picture of it because my camera’s in the other room and anyway, he looks so disgruntled when I take his picture–like that one above–but right now, Chappy is curled up asleep in my green and pink afghan. I know, they’re not my usual colors, but it’s the afghan my grandmother made me twenty-something years ago and which is serving as a nest for Chappy until I can find him a decent pillow for in here. (Assuming I can find the floor space for it.) He looks so cozy, and is dreaming about something … I hate to disturb him to go say goodnight to his Grandpa!

Oh, and for the record? His bathroom habits seem to be settling in. You don’t really need more detail than that, do you?

• Tags: Chappy, Family, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:I Hope You’re Impressed // 5 Comments »

We moved the red chair in my office today. I know, this looks like a huge room, but it’s about 10×10′, and the chair’s ottoman comes close to the middle of the floor, but still … the chair is in front of the closet now and within arm’s reach of the bookshelves with all the knitting books. (And, yes, I DO have a lot of knitting books!) It’s harder to see out of the window now, but it’s not like it’s THAT far away, and I can always move over to the cedar chest under the window if I want a closer view. The rug in the corner, alas… the one that I had in my bedroom and that I love … doesn’t fit. It’s banished to the garage. I suppose I COULD have it cut down to fit, but since it had a rectangular border all the way around the edge, that seems … odd. I’ll miss the look of it, even if this room does have perfectly good carpeting.

I’ve got all my books unpacked. Granted, right now they’re just shoved on the shelves, but still! They’re out of the boxes and lying flat. I found one paperback that had its back cover torn off, but not as many damaged corners as I’d been afraid of. They won’t always look this messy, mind you, just until I can get them organized. The important thing is that the boxes aren’t piled in the middle of the room any more!

And, look! Food in the pantry. Honestly, I can’t imagine how we would have managed without this.

The family came to visit today. We gave them all chores to do, but then fed them pot roast, mashed potatoes, corn, and the Grandma Cake I baked yesterday. They brought me a homemade floor pillow as a birthday present, too, and helped hang my dresser mirror on the wall.

So far as I know, this concludes the birthday festivities … all of which I appreciate, even if I still don’t quite feel like I HAD a birthday. Too busy, too many chores that needed to be done, but still … lots of love.

And, yes, I might take one of my still-unused vacation days next month and treat myself to a day to just have FUN … kind of a birthday redux.

I can’t believe I have to go back to work tomorrow. I hope Chappy will be okay, considering how he howled when I left for an hour on Friday. I hope he goes to the bathroom like he’s supposed to while I’m gone. He HAS, incidentally, gone several times on the deck–not every time, but often enough that I’m not as worried. He still hasn’t “downloaded” there, which means that he’s only done one of those each day, while on his regular walk, but … that will come with time, I’m sure.

Has this been a relaxing vacation? (Ha! What vacation?) Um, no. Has it been productive? Very. We got an enormous amount of stuff done this week, and hopefully won’t need to do this again for a long, long time. Even down-sizing, we’ve got a ton of stuff!

• Tags: Family, General • Permalink:Progress // 3 Comments »

So, taking a cue from Carole…

Furniture. Furniture is good, right? At least it’s all positioned more or less where it’s supposed to be. And my spinning wheel is out of its bag!

See? I don’t know when I’ll actually get to sit and spin at it, mind you, but that’s not the point, right? That, and the fact that I’m gaining some floor space is an encouraging thing. Even if my area rug is still rolled up in the corner! (In fact, I’m wondering if it’s going to fit in the room at all … I don’t remember the dimensions of the rug.) I’m sitting in my red chair right now, though, so … definite progress.

And then … yes, I know, this looks like a mess, but in fact, this is huge progress. All the different bookcases are lined up along the wall, just waiting for, well, the books. Because, before you can release the books from their boxes, you need someplace to put them, right?

And, what girl wouldn’t love this? A brand new pantry?

Of course, it came in pieces and needed to be assembled–which is always my job. Considering there were no actual instructions in the box, I did pretty well, huh?

Well, okay, I called the 800 number and they emailed them to me. (You’ve got to love the internet, right?) But, still. We’re really very happy with this. Nice quality for self-assembled furniture, even if the magnets to hold it closed should be a tiny bit closer to the edge, because it doesn’t quite connect to the ones on the door. The only complaint is that the latch/lock doesn’t work–that was the sole set of holes that didn’t line up correctly–there’s about 3″ between the lock on one side and the latch on the other door, but since we don’t plan on actually locking it, we’re okay with that. (And, well, the plastic handles could be a little nicer, I suppose, but so what?)

And, one of my favorite parts? We ordered this from Amazon.com, and since I signed up for the Amazon Prime program, the shipping cost me NOTHING. Every other website we looked at for a pantry charged a minimum of $70 for shipping. So–a $185 pantry with no sales tax, no shipping. A bargain!

And, then, there was this.

You know it’s my birthday. It hasn’t really FELT like one (though there’s no question I’m tired enough to feel a year older!), but still, it is 43 years since I made my debut. My sister came down again, and she, Mom and I went out for coffee. (Well, Mom and I had coffee, I had a cupcake, Mom had a cookie, and my sister had a glass of water.) It was the first time that I’ve been away from Chappy since we moved in, and even though we left him home with his favorite Grandpa, he apparently HOWLED, poor little boy.

On the plus side, he made two puddles outside today. That’s a start!

Here’s what Mom found tonight. The baby bracelets from the hospital. Two for her (one each for me and for my twin Susan), and mine. Which, since I was so tiny (3.1 pounds), was actually wrapped around my LEG because that was the fattest part of me.

It’s a little small these days. But, speaking of birthdays and baby hospital bracelets … my sister’s brother-in-law and his wife became a father again … today! We’ve got another November 6th birthday in the family! Welcome little Joshua.

I got some spinning wool, too, as a birthday present. 24 oz from the Sheep Shed that Mom bought at Rhinebeck. Two in a nice, olive green, and one in a lighter green. It will make a gorgeous 3-ply yarn someday.

Sooner, now, of course, that I’ve found my spinning wheel … if not quite as soon as I’d like.

Okay … really tired now… I’m older, you understand, and it’s been quite a week.

Is it really Friday, already? So soon? Where did this week GO?

• Tags: Family, General • Permalink:Being Thankful // 7 Comments »

So, let’s see … the house is still a mess, but there IS progress being made.

See? I got my chair ottoman down on the floor! And as of right now, those cubbies are in the closet where they belong. The knitting and craft books are all thrown on the bookcases … they’re at least out of boxes, and I’ll organize them and stand them up later on.

We put the two bookcases I’d had in my old bedroom in the little hallway between my two rooms, next to the wall/balcony/overlook by the cathedral ceiling. It looks like the perfect place for my African Violets and a couple family photos. The actual books may change at some point, but hey…

Unfortunately, when I peeled the blue tape off these little filing cabinets in my office/fiber room, it took the finish right off with it. So they now look just dreadful. I mean, they weren’t expensive pieces, and they’ve actually been sitting in our old garage for a couple years now, but still …

My aunt and cousin sent us house-warming flowers. Aren’t they pretty?

Here’s the view from my bedroom, looking straight across. Looking down is the entrance by the front door.

Chappy’s glad to have his little corner set up. Our chair-and-blanket, his basket of toys, and the ottoman from the living room furniture.

Chappy says he could use a tummy rub, though, please. Though the good news is that, while he refused MOST of the times I took him out onto the deck today, he did, in fact, go twice. That made us all feel much better, and we made quite a fuss! But still, a tummy rub for encouragement couldn’t hurt.

• Tags: Family • Permalink:Moving On // 6 Comments »

Oh, people, you have NO idea how tired I am right now!

What time did the movers finish last night? Well, let’s see … they had to go back to our old house around 2:00 a.m. to get a SECOND load of furniture. Yes, you heard me. Two in the morning … our neighbors, old and new, must just love us.

When did they finish the actual moving in process? That would be 4:00 in the morning … eighteen hours after they started.

Eighteen hours.

Now, we can’t complain a bit about the three men doing this move. They worked HARD. They were nice, they were polite, they were good humored throughout, despite being exhausted at the end. We felt really bad that we couldn’t give them the size tip that they truly deserved. They earned it! But, as you know, this move was necessitated by financial need, and considering that the move cost us $1100 MORE than the high end of the estimate, and about the same as a month of our new rent (which is a real stretch to begin with) … the best we could do was making them coffee and giving our sincere thanks.

Their boss, on the other hand? Well … you would think that a person that owns a professional moving company would be able to estimate a LITTLE closer than that. That they would send the four men they said they would, instead of just three. That they would send a truck big enough to hold all the furniture, instead of making that short-handed crew to make a second trip back at two in the morning … and thank heaven that it’s only 2.5 miles back. You would think that, if the owner said he was going to come on the day of the move, that he would … or that he would at least return his crew’s no doubt frantic pleas for more guys or a second truck.

Needless to say, we are not at all happy with the man in charge.

And we are really, really tired. I managed to sleep late this morning … I got a whole four hours of sleep.

Well, almost.

Chappy was WONDERFUL yesterday. Bringing him to the house early, before the movers arrived was definitely the right choice. We set up his ex-pen in the kitchen for when the guys got here, but in the meantime, we sat on cushions in the front window. (You know, before the house filled up with lots, and lots of stuff.) He relaxed. He napped. He was happy, if confused. The only time he barked was when the movers brought stuff right into the kitchen and walked past him.

But … by the time we got to bed … and I am SO grateful for having just rolled my feather bed, comforter, and pillows together, so that I was able to make my bed at 4:15 in the morning in about two minutes flat … By the time we got to bed, he was fidgety. He was restless. Of course, he was the only one of the 7 of us involved in this move that got to nap, but this is what he always does the first night in a strange place. And, since he’s having trouble with stairs and such lately, and our usual jump-on-the-bed ottoman now lives in a different room, I didn’t want to risk him jumping off my very tall bed in the dark. I was certainly too tired to deal with it! So, he got to sleep in his crate last night. Possibly tonight, too, I’m not sure.

Today, though? I can’t get him to go to the bathroom. Now, our old house, his whole life, he went on the deck in the back. Always. Sure, when we went for walks, he would take advantage of the amenities, leave messages and such, but his regular bathroom was a deck. This townhouse actually has two of them, and when he visited on Saturday, he used one as his facilities just fine.

Yesterday and today, though? He sits by the front door, and when I open the door for him to use the deck, he goes outside and sits down. Or runs right back inside and heads for the front door. It’s like house-training all over again. He looked so desperate this morning, I DID finally take him out front, but I held strong this afternoon (and felt like a terrible, mean person), and he did eventually make one, very big puddle. But, since then? Nope. He just looks miserable.

Sigh. I keep telling him that we’re all making adjustments, but it doesn’t seem to help! (And the point of him going on the deck is so I don’t have to take him out for walks just before work, or when it’s raining or snowing. Or so that my parents don’t have to–especially since Mom can’t hold his leash because of her hands. He HAS to take advantage of our simply opening a door for him. A leash and heading out the front door every time is simply not an option.)

So, some pictures? Here you go.

At this point, we’re all wondering why on earth our furniture is so BIG. There were a couple pieces they couldn’t get in at all. Which means that there are a couple things we were expecting to have but don’t … and things that we have that are way too big for the space available. And, um, no money to make changes, so we’re just going to have to deal for a while.

On the plus side, my bedroom–small though it is–is at least set in its essentials. We reworked the furniture arrangement this morning. I’ve only got about a foot between my bed and the closet, and the dresser drawers don’t quite open all the way at the foot of the bed, but at least everything is there. I just have to find my jewelry box for the dresser top, put out a couple pictures and get my mirror hung on the wall, and that room is set. And my toiletries are all in the bathroom where I can at least find them.

The rest? The kitchen? The living room? The entire downstairs where Mom and Dad’s offices will be, as well as the bulk of my books? Um … well …

Okay, really, really tired now!

• Tags: Family, General • Permalink:Death by Moving Van // 10 Comments »

It’s 5:30. Would you believe that the truck with all our stuff hasn’t even left our old house yet? It’s been, what, 8 hours, and they’re only halfway done?

(I am dreading finding out how much higher this actual move is going to cost over the estimate.)

On the plus side, Chappy’s been napping. Mom’s over here now. But … they can’t possibly get that entire truck unloaded at this point before … what? Midnight? One a.m.?

Another plus, though? Not only did my sister bring down some baked ziti for us for dinner tonight, but … around 3:00, I thought I heard some noise outside, but figured I was hearing one of the neighbors. Chappy woke up from his nap and asked to go outside, so we did, and walked around a little, and then came back in through the garage …

Wait, where did those flowers come from? And … that wasn’t there before! A box of food from an Italian restaurant in Caldwell, with a nice card from two of my parents’ oldest friends. (Awww!) She came all this way just to leave something nice. (She’s been known to leave flowers in the mailbox, too. She doesn’t ring the bell, or come to the door, just leaves the treat and disappears.

Chappy’s napping again. I’m feeling jealous. And both Mom and I are a little concerned about how loooooong this day is going to be. Especially since there’s so much we’re going to have to DO!

On the plus side, I’ve got my bathroom essentials set up, know where my toothbrush is, and I brought my feather bed, comforter and pillows with me when I came over this morning. At least I know where I’m sleeping tonight!

And, wow, the moving men must be TIRED by now…

UPDATE: Oooh, wait, update … Dad just called  (5:40) and said the movers told him that they’ll have to go back for Dad’s office stuff and MOM AND DAD’S MATTRESS. Um … what are they supposed to sleep on tonight??

• Tags: Family • Permalink:Moving Day Part 3 // 2 Comments »

• Tags: Family • Permalink:Moving Day, Part 1 // Add Comment »

The tape the movers used to pack my books is pretty terrible, but looks kind of cool.

Unlike the empty bookcases, which just look sad. (But not as sad as the fact that the movers didn’t know how to spell “downstairs,” or that the concept of keeping books from the same shelf together didn’t seem to occur to them. I’m really trying hard not to freak out at that–or worry about the way they piled some of the books into their boxes.)

Here are my clothes, waiting to move. I tucked them into plastic bags right on the closet rod and then carted them over to the new closet. They DO fit, by the way, though it’s a TIGHT fit.

Can you see the Chappy in this picture? Yeah, it’s pretty hard–he’s in his usual spot in the dining room window, but you can only see about half his face.

Oh, poor Chappy … as you know, we’re moving tomorrow, and today we took over some of our stuff. The clothes from the closets, for example. And my yarn/wool stash. My spinning wheels. Stuff that we could stash out of the way in closets over there so they wouldn’t be in the way.

So, the three of us loaded up our two cars this morning and headed over and lugged everything in. Mom and Dad finished first and came back about 15 minutes ahead of me, and Chappy, poor Chappy, was practically frantic! When I got home, he rushed to greet me like I’d been gone for three weeks … or three years! And he was panting so hard, we think he spent most of the time we were gone running around, hyperventilating.

For our second trip, Dad stayed home with Chappy, and called me five minutes later to tell me that he was howling…

This is exactly the reason that I’m going over early tomorrow, and bringing Chappy with me. If us taking stuff out of the house freaks him out this much, the movers would be even worse! And my being out of his sight is obviously that much worse. I’ve seen him on vacations, when we’re ready to head home, he starts worrying, so we always put him in the car first thing, so he doesn’t have to worry. Well, clearly, he’s really, really worried right now. Mom’s books are packed! Her yarn is gone! Her CLOTHES are gone! The end of the world is coming, and he’s not going to be happy unless he’s with me.

Poor little guy.

And, well, for a few hours in the morning, at least, the new house WILL be the quieter place to be!

I’m not sure when you’ll hear from me next–but probably NOT tomorrow. Hopefully Tuesday.

You know, the only real advantage to moving just now? Halloween (aka Barking Day) was barely a blip in the family-stress-level radar.

(And, of course, you KNOW I’m only showing you these disastrous, cluttered, messy house pictures solely because the house NEVER looks like that. We’re neat folk, here!)

• Tags: Family • Permalink:Pre-Move // 7 Comments »

I don’t have a clever title for you, but at least I’m HERE, right?

First things first–I finished the body of my sweater tonight. I know, the cabled waist makes it look kind of odd, but I haven’t blocked it yet, and the ribbing (on my swatch) stayed flatter and less pulled-in than it was straight off the needles, so I’m not worrying.

The trick is that, well, I simply can’t do any blocking right now because, I don’t know if you realized, but we’re PACKING.

Mom came across her old, Royal typewriter that she got somewhere around 1954. My sister and I always loved that typewriter and played with it whenever we could. The year that I broke my wrist, Mom let me use it to type all my homework (instead of trying to hold the paper still with the cast). Not that pounding on those keys made it easier, exactly, but … I got very, very good at typing with my right hand.

It sound come as no surprise to you that even my “graffiti” typed onto the platen with the white-out paper was correctly punctuated. (Since, you know, it only belonged to ONE of us.)

I told you about my book database woes, right? Here’s something to give you an idea of the scope. A couple years ago, I noticed some slight discrepancies between the List and the real books on the shelves, so I decided to take inventory. I sorted down my 3000-ish book database and sorted everything by location and then by author, and starting with the books in my bedroom closet, started comparing …

I never got past the closet. Just doing one side of it took me forever. Now, sure, it might have been easier if I’d drafted Mom to help–two people would certainly make it easier–but still, that’s hours of work. Hours and hours and hours of work. Days. Weeks!

And that was then the database was about 98% correct.

Now? Having just gotten rid of maybe a third of my books? And then packing what’s left into boxes and taking them across town and reshelving them in completely new configurations?

That print-out from the inventory attempt is about 100 pages long … Trying to compare a new version of that to what’s stashed on my shelves?

Um. Not going to happen. A nice person on Ravelry suggested using a database program like “Collectorz” with one of those little ISBN cat-scanners, but I have one of those scanners, and using it was a nightmare. Assuming I could get it to work (it was stubborn), getting the online information about each book title took FOREVER, and if you’ve got more than a hundred or two  books, that’s a huge chunk of time. Not to mention that none of that includes other things that I track on my database–like descriptions, locations, size, topic, whether it’s read or not. You can’t beat homemade if you have specific needs, right?

Chappy’s mood of the day? “What’s happening NOW?”

But then, my sister came down to help Mom start packing up the kitchen, and when you start messing with FOOD preparation equipment, Chappy gets worried!

• Tags: Family, General • Permalink:At Least I’m Here // 2 Comments »

Three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2100 square feet. Cathedral ceiling in the living room. 2-car garage (a tight fit, but still). Finished basement/family room which will be Mom and Dad’s offices plus an extra tv (we figure) and a futon for guests (once we BUY a futon for guests). Two decks off the back, from the two lower levels (which will be very convenient for Chappy, even if he won’t have a doggy door). The two small bedrooms will both be mine–one for sleeping, one for spinning, yarn storage, and my computer. Still in Denville, and actually about a mile closer to work. The lease kicks in on November 1st–just in time for my birthday.

Except for the fact that we’re renting rather than buying, I’d say it just about hits everything I put into my ad in August, wouldn’t you? About the only thing that’s going to be challenging is that there’s about half the kitchen cabinet storage that we’re used to–half the cabinets, and no pantry. But, hey, we’ll think of something!

(And, hey, the smaller window upstairs in the front? That’ll be my Mom’s walk-in closet. You heard me. She’s got a closet with a window.)

And … because I’m as good as my word:

She really didn’t think I was going to give her that sweater! But, really, it looks perfect on her, don’t you think? Thanks, Gail!

• Tags: Family • Permalink:New // 30 Comments »

Let’s pause a moment to admire this lovely sweater, shall we?

Here’s the really poor modelled shot–because, well, you can only do so much while holding a camera to your face.

It’s a quick hello and goodbye, because this sweater is (hopefully) on its way to a new home tomorrow. I told you I offered it to our realtor, if she found us a good home, right? Well, if things go the way they should, tomorrow, we should have one. We’ll be handing over a check (well, four, actually) to our new landlord tomorrow afternoon.

About the only glitch likely to happen at this point? I didn’t know until lunchtime today that I would have to give a certified and/or cashier’s check tomorrow. So, I called Fidelity and arranged for a wire transfer, which I was assured would go through today, so that I could go to my local Sovereign branch tomorrow and get my cashier’s check … except … apparently he was wrong. The transfer won’t go through until tomorrow. It’s supposed to be first thing in the morning, and it’s supposed to be instantaneous, but … if the money isn’t in there by, say, lunchtime when I go to get the Cashier’s checks, there’s going to be a problem!

Well, at least the sweater is done. You’ll note I opted for my second-choice buttons. Not because the others weren’t perfect (they were), but because I love them. I had sewn them onto a cardigan I made about 15 years ago and cut them off before I got rid of it. Since this sweater is going to a new home (appropriate, you’ll agree), I decided to keep those other buttons in the family and use these instead.

What else is news?

Forty-six years ago today, my Mom and Dad got married. Thank you, Mom and Dad! I’ve had so much fun with you these past 42 years 11 months, I only regret that I wasn’t here to enjoy the first four years with you, too. (Although, in retrospect, judging from some of the new-parenting stories I’ve heard about you and Patty … like taking her carriage out for a walk without her … coming second (well, technically third) was still probably the wise choice.)

• Tags: Family, Finished Knitting, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Hail and Farewell // 8 Comments »

My sweater is moving along. See? There’s the waistband PLUS the lower part of the sweater.

I did it twice, even. I picked up those 165 stitches last night and knit the first 5 rows, but wasn’t happy with the way it looked–the ribbing was pulling in too much and didn’t look right. You realize, of course, that my gauge is (of course) different than the one in the pattern. Though … it looks like it’s different from the swatch (of course). I may have to take a closer look at it tomorrow when I’m not so tired. If necessary, I’ll redo the lower section again, when I get a better look at the actual gauge. (You know, when I’m not so tired.)

We spent the day up at my sister’s today, because our realtor had an Open House here today. So, Mom, Dad, Chappy and I drove up to Pennsylvania and spent the day there. I even got a look at my nephew’s bunny, Snowshoe. So did Chappy–he stood in Tyler’s doorway, his nose going a mile a minute, and then gave one, little woof, like he was asking, “Did you know there’s a rabbit in there?”

And now he’s tired… it’s been a long, rather confusing day for him! Mom, too, who’s finally getting over her cold, but spent most of the day coughing … though at least her voice is starting to come back.

• Tags: Family, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:October 4th // 1 Comment »

Chappy is so confused, he really has no idea what’s going on.

First, the three of us disappeared again yesterday with Gail … though not for as long as we thought. We looked at one rental in Parsippany, and then at a house for sale … and decided to place a bid on it. I’m not telling you anything about this house because I don’t want to jinx it, but ask that you cross your fingers for us. If … no, WHEN, we get good news, I’ll share details and photos.

Then, we came back here to fill out paperwork–to not only put the bid in on that house, but to list this one for sale. I’m not going into messy details, but we’re hoping that will take a while because we don’t want to leave this one any sooner than we have to. It only helps the bank if it sells quickly, not us.

After all the paperwork, we went back to the house to take some pictures, and then, to completely distract ourselves, we went to the movies to see “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.” Funny (if farfetched), and the bit at the end where Flint was trying to tell his Dad, via cellphone, how to send an email attachment? Absolutely hilarious–it so reminded me of back when Mom was learning to use the computer and she’d call me at work with questions. “I’ve got a blank box.” “You mean a window?” “Okay….” You know, of course, that she’s come a long way, but still!

One of the things we came across today?

The original brochure for THIS house. Only $69,990! A bargain.

And the floorplan. (Am I the only one who just loves poring over floorplans? I find them fascinating.) Our house is actually a mirror image of this one–the garage is on the right, looking at the house, not the left.

Anyway, we’re busily going through things to (1) make the house presentable for when Gail comes back on Wednesday to take pictures for this house’s listing (sniffle) and (2) trying to pare down everything else to fit into a house about half this size. Some stuff is easy, but some stuff is much, much harder. (And, how DO you manage in a house with no front hall closet? Where do you put the winter coats? The boots? The hats/gloves/scarves? Raincoats?) Not to mention 8 tall bookshelves and 9 or 10 short ones … which, no, do not go in a front closet, but which definitely need someplace to go!

I did have a flying visit from Kim, who bought one of my lots of books and decided to pick it up in person, too. And I gave Chappy a much-needed haircut, so his fur isn’t falling in his eyes any more. I even found the time to throw a pound cake together–always good to have around the house.

Really, though? Chappy has no idea of what level of confusion is coming, poor boy…

• Tags: Family, General • Permalink:Confusion // 4 Comments »

Needed: A friendly, cozy home for a happy, cozy family.

For Us: Room for my parents, me, and my happy 8-year old dog. Three bedrooms (not too small) are a must because we need room for guests, computers, books, yarn, and photographs. Two bathrooms would be ideal, though we could settle for one and a half if we have to. Also a handy door for the dog’s bathroom, please. A small yard is fine because we spend most of our time inside–we want to spend our time with you, not out doing yardwork, though having a pleasant neighborhood to walk the dog is a huge plus. If you’re a townhouse, that’s fine with us. We want air conditioning, please, but we can bring our own washer, dryer, and dishwasher if we need to, so long as you have room for them.

For You: We are a happy family and almost never yell or argue, so we are very peaceful to live with. We don’t play loud music or have crazy parties, but we invite the rest of our family and friends over as often as possible–rarely more than four at a time. We don’t smoke; we rarely even burn things when we cook. And, about the cooking? How does fresh baking every weekend sound? Yummy-smelling pot roast and tomato sauce? Fresh bread? Cake? Your kitchen will love it. We use natural cleaning products, too, and except for hanging some pictures, we don’t do too much with tools, so your walls are safe. We’ll try to clean your windows at least once a year, and we’ve had over 30 years’ practice taking care of a house, so we have experience in what makes a deserving house a happy home. Most of all, we promise to provide a lot of laughter.

Qualifiers: If at all possible, you are already located in Denville–or at least are close enough to my office that I can still come home at lunch to play with my dog–and can keep the phone number I’ve had my entire life. But, any town that leaves me with no more than 15-20 minutes’ morning commute would be great! A monthly payment of not more than $1000-1300 is a must. (That’s a mortgage payment, there, not a rental payment.) We can’t bring a lot of money to this relationship, so we need you to be sound and ready for our commitment. We’re willing to invest in fresh paint to make you feel beautiful and new, though, because this is an exciting fresh start for all of us. You should know that we’re not collectively all that handy, though, so we’re hoping you won’t require any repairs any time soon.

Bonuses: Wooden floors are ideal, and sunny windows to keep things bright and cheerful are high on our list. (If you have stairs, though, my middle-aged dog really prefers them to be carpeted because the slippery wooden ones scare him, but we could get a runner if you don’t have one.) I would love a bright, roomy, welcoming kitchen because I love to cook. (Seriously, the better the kitchen the happier I’ll be.) A finished basement would be nice, but as long as it’s a dry one, finished isn’t necessary. A porch would be a great treat because, Mom and I both love porches and we’ve never had one. A shady deck or patio for a couple chairs is nice, but like I said, we don’t spend a lot of time outside.

What else? A two-car garage would be fantastic because we’re used to having one, but we mostly just need enough space for us and our stuff so that we don’t feel like we’re right on top of each other–because being cozy and close as a family doesn’t mean we don’t need our own space once in a while. At least one of us (cough) comes with a lot of books and yarn, so having room to store them where it’s dry and welcoming is important. We’re hoping for friendly, welcoming neighbors, and a nice view would be lovely, though we’d rather not have to deal with slippery hills in the winter. Especially the driveway–something flattish would be a huge plus.

In return? If you provide the place for us to put down new roots and make us feel welcome, we promise to stay and take care of you for as long as we can. This is a long-term committment, we’re looking for, not some fly-by-night affair. If you let us, we promise to love you just as much as you deserve.

---

(Do I expect to get everything on this list? On my salary? In Northern New Jersey? No. But inspired by this post, I figure, how can it hurt to put it out there, tell the Cosmos what I want, right? And, who knows, if we all think positively enough, anything can happen. So–send some positive thoughts our way, please. In this market? We need them!)

• Tags: Family, General • Permalink:Wanted: A New Home // 16 Comments »

You know that I don’t dare throw a birthday party for myself, but that doesn’t mean that Chappy doesn’t get one! Although, really, it’s just family.

There was a new toy (made out of fire hose–but with a squeak, which Chappy considers absolutely vital in a toy).

Followed by romping. (Can I just tell you how much I adore this not-altogether-perfect picture? Mostly because it embodies sheer happiness.)

Romping in the yard with Tyler (here, apparently explaining the rules to Chappy).

Romping in the yard with Tiffany.

Followed by a brief hiatus when the tennis ball rolled juuuust under the fence.

There was even romping with his Uncle Mike.

Not to mention pot roast for dinner.

And lemon pound cake with fresh berries for dessert. (Yum)

Chappy really enjoyed his.

There were games, too.

And knitting! Here’s my niece working on her Ingenue (which I made last year). Isn’t it  nice to know that I’ve got somebody else in the family who knits?

Really, everybody had a good time.

Especially the birthday boy!

Honestly, I don’t know how we’re going to top this on his actual birthday on Tuesday… Though it should help that I’m taking the day off from work.

Added:

Mom snapped this picture of me and said I should add it to the post to show that I was there and having fun, too … which means Dad is the only one NOT shown, but trust me, he was here, too!

• Tags: Chappy, Family • Permalink:Birthday Party (Not Mine!) // 6 Comments »

Today would have been my grandfather’s 106th birthday. (And yes, I know, he probably wouldn’t actually have lived that long.) As it is, though, he didn’t live nearly long enough. He passed away in 1967 when I was about 10 months old.

Obviously, I didn’t have much of a chance to get to know him, but sadly, neither did my mother or my older sister, because he died of Alzheimer’s back before they even knew it was Alzheimer’s, and when Mom started dating Dad and met his family … well, according to Dad, his father was already not the man he had been.

Still. I’m glad that he and I overlapped, at least a little. I hope he and Susan are having a great time up in heaven, with my other grandparents, and our other dogs. (Of course I believe that dogs go to heaven!)

Speaking of Grandpa, I let him inspire my guest post today about communication over at Joyful Jubilant Learning, if you care to go read it.

So, what have I been doing today? The office was closed, which is always a plus for a holiday, and this morning, Mom and I went into town. Well, first, we went for coffee. Then I called (after calling home to ask Dad to look up the number) my hair salon to ask if my stylist was in today because I needed a little adjustment to my haircut. It was too long around my face, especially on the right side, and just needed some tweaking. They said to come by at 12:30. Which was fine, but … our other stop for the day was going to be the grocery store, and we couldn’t leave the milk in the car, so … we dawdled some time away by doing a little shopping instead.

After we got home a little after 1:00, I cut up some berries for dessert for Sunday, and threw together a Banana-Blueberry Bread (Blueberry Banana Bread?) to salvage the three, dying bananas in the fruit bowl. I sat with Chappy in our favorite chair and read for a while, and then I made tomato sauce for supper.

I really like homemade sauce SO much more than any sauce that comes out of a jar. No comparison. I have no objections to starting with canned tomatoes (much easier than trying to peel and dice them myself–especially since I don’t love lumpy sauce), but I like the actual sauce to be fresh. It’s so easy, too. Saute an onion and some garlic–maybe some pepper, celery or carrot, too. Brown some meat if you want to add it. Then add two big jars of crushed tomatoes, some basil, some oregano, salt-and-pepper. Maybe a little sugar to counteract the acidity of the tomatoes. Or, another trick, a little baking soda to do the same thing. A splash of red wine is good, too. But, ultimately, it’s easy. The most strenuous part is cutting up the onion.

Actually, that IS the most difficult part. A couple years ago, my niece and I made a batch of French Onion Soup, and cutting up that many onions made my eyes tear dreadfully, and ever since then, they’re really sensitive to onions. Except for using contacts (which I don’t wear), I’ve tried all the tricks, but still … Even if my eyes don’t tear while chopping them, they’ll sting while stirring them as they begin to cook. One of these days I’m going to cave and buy a pair of those ridiculous onion goggles … (grin).

(And, no, sorry, I don’t have a picture of the tomato sauce.)

Tomorrow? I’ve got a birthday cake to bake for a certain, almost-8-year-old gentleman we all know. (You know, the furry one stretched out on my floor.) He also needs a bath, but first, Mom and I plan on taking him out in the morning for some coffe… er … some water and maybe a few bites of a cinnamon bun or something like that. He’ll enjoy that. His actual birthday is Tuesday, but we decided that the whole weekend should really revolve around him!

Remember last Fourth of July when one of my favorite independent bookstores burned down? Well, they just, finally, reopened a few weeks ago and then yesterday–the very start of Independence Day weekend–they got hit by lightning! What are the odds?

• Tags: Baking, Family, General • Permalink:106 // Add Comment »