First things first–

My nephew graduated high school!

And he put the sweater I made him on just long enough for me to snap one (not very good) photo:

The important thing, though, is that (1) he seemed to like it, (2) he definitely seemed to appreciate it, and (3) it fits! The rest is out of my hands.

As to other knitting, I’m almost done with my EZ Green Cardigan. I’m working on the neckband and when that’s done, the only thing left will be to sew on the buttons and to add loops to hold them. So … which buttons do YOU like for this almost-finished sweater?

I asked Chappy, his opinion and this is what HE said:

Not particularly helpful.

Speaking of green–I made this lovely green yarn out of those three bobbins of singles–two dark olive, one light olive–and am thrilled with the way it came out.

I also turned my Autumn Dreams sweater (which never fit right) into a purse. I tried so many things to try to salvage it as a garment, but none of them worked, so finally … I just cut off the top altogether, added a lining and some leather handles I picked up at Rhinebeck, and here we go.

Actually, I was really proud of myself for coming up with a way to attach those handles. They had a loop at the end that couldn’t be opened, so I took the neckband of the felted sweater and threaded it through all four handle-ends and then sewed it to the top of the bag (which is actually the bottom ribbing of the sweater) and tucked it in behind the lining. Those handles aren’t going anywhere!

Didn’t my nephew look handsome in his tux for the prom?

Let’s see, what else?

My sister enjoyed her birthday present:

Homemade Vanilla extract by yours truly.

Oh, and it’s entirely possible that I might have put my tax refund (which I didn’t expect to get in the first place) toward a new camera. (Cough)

Chappy had a rough night the other night. We had some big thunderstorms and instead of being stoic like usual, he sat in his crate PANTING at me, nudging the latch every now and again because he so badly wanted to be OUT of the crate. I figured he would quiet down after the worst of them passed overhead, but no. So after about an hour and a half of pant!pant!pant!, I got out of bed (about 4:30, this was) and petted him for a while. He was so GRATEFUL to be out of that crate! I still can’t figure out what made him react that strongly. I mean, I know he hates thunderstorms, but to pant nonstop for over two hours in the middle of the night? When he usually is so calm about it? What was it about this storm that set him off so?

Still, other than that, I swear Chappy spends most of his time laughing at me.

What can I tell you? Life is just a bowl of …

Tags: Chappy, Family, General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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So, let’s see….

We celebrated Mom’s birthday last weekend, but the subject is rather Taboo.

No, not because we can’t talk about it, but because the Hasbro game “Taboo” kind of took over. We had had a copy of the original edition from something like 1989, but when our basement was invaded by black mold 5-ish years ago, we had to get rid of it, but Mom’s been regretting it since. So, last weekend, she bought a new copy and we played it Sunday afternoon with my sister and her family. Lots of fun (and Mom and I won by 40 points to 38 which made it pretty much perfect since it was HER birthday, after all).

Then Sunday night, my best friend—who was visiting home after her mother fell and broke her hip—came over and the three of us played. We made up our own rules and just rotated the clue-giving and guessing, and oh, we laughed. I mean, really, really laughed. More than once we had to just stop the timer and pause to regain control of ourselves. Hilarity is definitely the word. (Which was particularly good for Dawn, who really needed the fun break.)

I took Mom’s actual birthday, Valentine’s Day, off from work and the two of us went up to Ridgewood to Crumbs bakery for some fresh cupcakes. (You remember, we bought some in NY when we went to Vogue Knitting Live in January.) I made supper, we all went for a walk … even the weather was perfect. I told Mom that that was Chappy’s gift to her, and that ordering perfect weather was particularly difficult this year, so he hoped she liked it.

So, remember when I told you about the cracked spinning head for my Majacraft Aura? Well, Majacraft was nice enough to send me a new one. (I do love their customer service!) The unfortunate part is that I haven’t been able to use it yet. I simply can NOT get the whorl off the original wheel to put it on this one. The little one, yes. The inner of the two whorls would come off just fine … except I can’t get the outer one off. At all. I’ve been sending emails back and forth to Glynis, and neither of us can figure out why it just won’t MOVE. The shaft spins inside the whorl, it just won’t move horizontally OFF the shaft.

As a tribute to their awesome customer service, she finally decided to send me a new whorl, which is on its way. Only, in extreme irony, she accidentally sent me a new inner whorl, not the outer.

I’m starting to think this is jinxed (grin).

Today, though, Mom and I went on a yarn crawl—something I haven’t done in ages. It was an official one, too … the first Northern NJ Yarn Crawl. There were 11 stores participating, but Mom and I just went to 5—which was plenty for one day! And tons of fun.

We started at the Stitching Bee in Chatham.

It’s a small store (especially when filled with yarn-crawlers), and since they sell needlepoint supplies, too, there were lots of canvases being displayed which makes it look like there’s no headroom (grin). The people were super nice, though, and the store is clean (which isn’t something you can say about every crowded yarn shop around).

I bought this gorgeous skein of Jitterbug yarn in the brand new “Evergreen” color. (And I’m kind of kicking myself for not getting two to make a shawl, but let’s not be greedy.)

As an extra bonus, though, they were giving away grab-bags, and look what I got! This great skein of blue Araucania sock yarn AND a pattern to go with it. That was so generous of them, so thank you!

I took a picture of the owner, but it didn’t come out very well.

Second stop was the Blue Purl in Madison, which I love. We found this little fellow waiting outside for someone, and I thought this was adorable. Chappy would have known exactly how he felt, except he was at home staring at the door.

This is one of my favorite local shops. They’re really nice, very helpful, and the store is just gorgeous with its hardwood floors and even chandeliers. It’s got the rare gift for a yarn shop of feeling spacious. (Mom took this photo, by the way.) I would have felt guiltier about not buying yarn there today if I hadn’t been there just a few weeks ago.

I was really excited to meet Ann Weaver, too, (pictured with the store owner) who was there promoting her new book, “Craft, Work, Knit.” She was wonderful—energetic and bubbly and so excited about sharing her patterns and showing off her samples. (And, seeing the samples in person made me love them even more.) She was nice enough to give me a copy of the book to review over at Knitting Scholar, and I’ll be writing up an interview with her, too—so don’t miss it.

Third stop, about which the less said the better, is Accent on Knits.

Aesthetically pleasing though it may be to arrange the inventory by color (cough), it makes it a lot harder to find things. (And I can only imagine how difficult it would be to find the yarn for a multi-colored project like a fair-isle design!) I thought the owner was unfriendly and while a couple of the sales people were nice enough, I wasn’t impressed. This was the first time I’ve been in their new location and I expect it will be the last. And the store smells of … I’m not even sure … but some strong, perfume-y scent that bothered my asthma and had me driving down 202 with the window open. I have no plans to go back to this store—even if it does have its own parking (which is a small miracle in Morristown).

At this point, we stopped at Wightman’s to get a couple doughnuts for lunch. Some frozen pies, too—including a pot pie on the recommendation of the Blue Purl owner who raved about them. I haven’t eaten a pot pie since the Swanson’s chicken pot pies Mom used to make when I was a kid, and I hated them. Ever since, anything that involves chicken gravy touching anything like pastry or biscuits, I can’t stand. Chicken stew with biscuits on the side is fine, but no gravy on the biscuits, please! But I’ll give this a try.

We went to Angelfire Studios in Basking Ridge next–a store that does yarn and pottery. This was the first time I’d been there—hadn’t even heard of it before this yarn crawl. We had trouble getting in the door, though, since it stuck so hard for a minute I thought they were closed! I was sorely tempted by some of the Spud & Chloe yarn they had, but since there weren’t as many skeins as I wanted in the color I liked, I managed to resist.

While there, I bought a raffle ticket to win this gorgeous art-y shawl. The owner’s husband was in a terrible accident last September and is still in the hospital, and they’re raffling the shawl to raise money. I hope they sold lots and lots and lots of tickets. Mom and I bumped into Kim buying some yarn and tickets for herself.

I met two more authors, too. Courtney Kelley & Kate Gagnon Osborn, who wrote Vintage Modern Knits, which I reviewed just a week ago. I didn’t know they were supposed to be there, so this was an extra treat because I was able to tell them how much I liked their book. And to see live samples, too, which makes me want to knit some of them even more!

The final stop was Down Cellar in the center of Basking Ridge. (Yes, apparently the same town as the other shop, but I don’t know how they drew that town line because they were not exactly near each other.)

This was the only shop of the day that wasn’t in a standard storefront, but in a converted house. Lovely. Great selection of yarn, friendly people, and tons of notions like bag handles and even zippers. Not to mention a sewing room upstairs. And great lighting. You all know how important lighting is when you’re trying to see yarn colors, and theirs was great.

I fell on my credit card again there and got this skein of Madeline Tosh DK yarn in “Vanilla Bean”—a deep, warm brown with hints of lavender. (The photo’s a little over-exposed, so it looks lighter than the yarn really is.)

And this, this! From their sale room because she’d overstocked on the color. Eight skeins of Rowan Felted Tweed (color 150, a really lovely red) all for 35% off. I am SO glad I went upstairs! My grand total for both yarns was $63. Woohoo!

One more “new” thing to show you—these socks. I’ve been working on them for months, because you know what a slow sock knitter I am. This was the first yarn I ever bought from the Blue Purl and I just finished them on Thursday. They are also only something like the third pair that I’ve made that were not plain stockinette stitch and I hope you like them, because I plan on going back to basic socks again pronto. I find that on size 0 needles, with sock yarn, cabling makes my hands hurt, and it’s not as mindless as I like my sock-knitting to be. I won’t say that I’ll never make a “patterned” sock again, but … it’s probably going to be a while.

Speaking of yarn purchases. Do you remember when Twist Collective had that article about the long-lost “Green Sweater” that Elizabeth Zimmermann had made for her goddaughter? That was recreated by a knitter for the sweater’s owner? (In, ironically, Stix-n-Stitches. One of the yarn shops on today’s yarn crawl that I did NOT visit.) Well, I loved it when I read about it and the pattern has apparently been available at Schoolhouse Press for a while, so I bought it a couple weeks ago. Even as a kit, the yarn and the pattern were only $36 so I really couldn’t resist.

Remember when I moved my furniture around so that the table is under the window? One of the things I wasn’t happy with was the garbage pail. It was one thing when it was behind the door, but now it looked so … ugly. Industrial metal mesh, with a plastic garbage bag, and being able to see the garbage every time I walked into the room. Ick.

So I did what every knitter would do.

I gave it a cozy. This was one of the sweaters I was never happy with, so last month I had ripped back the top, down to the underarms and re-bound it off, figuring it would work as a cowl or a shoulder shrug or something. Turns out, it’s the perfect size for my garbage pail. How about that, huh?

And with that, I’m exhausted! G’night, all!

Tags: Family, Friends, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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After waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting to open presents…

I gave my present to Mom.

We bought this poster of the Flying Horses (America’s oldest carousel, which is on MV, and one of Mom’s favorite places on the island with lots of childhood memories.)

I brought it home and turned it into a cross-stitch chart for her next project.

(For clarity, I put all the outlining lines on a separate page.)

Naturally, the gift included the fabric and the floss for the project!

And, of course, Dad and Chappy got THEIR favorite gift this year … stollen!

Chappy did enjoy his present from his grandparents while it lasted. (Well, it’s technically still here, but already on its way out.)

And how nifty is this coffee mug that looks like a camera lens?

Such happy, Christmas faces. I hope yours are just as happy–whether this is a normal Saturday for you or not!

Be Merry, everyone.

Tags: Family by --Deb
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I blocked my shawl, folded in half on my blocking board, just like last time. I’m so glad I thought of this! It saves space and even doubled-up, it doesn’t take much more time than a single layer. But since it fits on the board without going over the edges, I can then stand up the blocking board–handy since I don’t have the floor space for it.

It came out just lovely, though. As always, I am awed by the magic of blocking lace.

Here’s a photo of my finished merino/silk yarn, skeined, washed, and dried. Pretty stuff.

Chappy was very excited on Thanksgiving, because his breed showed up on the national dog show for the very first time. Welcome, Boykin Spaniels! The dog in the show seemed pretty nervous and didn’t do as professional job as one might hope, but he was adorable (as Boykins are) and got a nice round of applause. Chappy was very chuffed.

Healthwise, he’s doing fine. We should be able to drop the prednisone dosage again this week, so fingers crossed that his numbers continue to do well!

And–yay for me. I told you that I’d been saving for a new spinning wheel but that his vet bills had pretty much eaten that fund? Well, in a practically unprecedented move, my office decided to give Christmas bonuses this year. (Seriously, in the almost-20 years I’ve worked there, I’ve gotten two or three bonuses at most.) So I decided there was no excuse NOT to take the plunge, and ordered it on Wednesday. It should be here in a couple days. I can’t wait.

I hope everyone had a great weekend–extra long, here in the US. We had the family here on Thursday. Chappy got three helpings of turkey. (My goal for the day was to get him FULL, something he claims isn’t possible.) I finished my sweater and just need to sew on buttons. I organized my crafting closet a little better. We went to the movies for the first time (for me) in months–and saw Tangled, which was GREAT fun. I loved it.

And I’ll end with this–a photo of the sunste we had the other night. It was so pretty!

Tags: Family, Finished Knitting, Finished Spinning by --Deb
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My birthday weekend was extra big this year–not only because I took Friday off from work, but because I got a whole extra hour of sleep for my birthday. (Ta ta, Daylight Savings Time. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.)

Friday was vastly exciting, because I went to get my driver’s license renewed. Thankfully this went more smoothly than the last time because, for one, the DMV was actually OPEN this time. That, and a couple errands with Mom, pretty much filled that morning, and Chappy and I just hung out together in the afternoon. Nice day.

Saturday was my actual birthday. Mom and I went out to Mara’s for coffee in the morning and I got my free birthday dessert cupcake (Cannolli-filled, thank you). Then we stopped at the Verizon Wireless store and I upgraded my cell phone … though I’m not sure I’m happy with it.

I didn’t get one of those fancy smart phones because (1) I just can’t justify the $30 more a month when I barely use my cell phone as it is and (2) I wouldn’t get enough use out of it because, except for pretty much Saturday morning errands, I’m always within reach of a computer or driving myself between work and home (a 10-minute ride). I don’t text message, either. But since you can’t get a “smartish” phone without a data package these days, I opted for the $15/month data plan.

This would probably be fine except that it keeps insisting that my passwords to gmail and to twitter are incorrect. Which they’re not. I retyped them several times to be sure, but it keeps saying no. The only reason I opted for the data plan at ALL is because I figured it might be nice to be able to check my email when I’m out and about, but as it is right now, apparently that’s just not going to happen. So–as of this second, I’m paying for the data plan that I can’t really use except for some basic, slow (really, painfully slow) web browsing. Not only that, but my old plan included 20 free text messages a month, and this one doesn’t include any–so even if I WANTED to send a few text messages, since this phone does have a keyboard, I’d have to pay extra for them, too.

Sigh.

I’ve got 30 days to decide if I want to keep the phone. Which, you know, seems nice enough as a phone, (a Samsung Impulse II, by the way), but not meeting my data expectations.

Oh, and I can’t figure out how to get my preferred ring tone on there, either.

Anyway!

Ramble was delighted to be here to celebrate my birthday. He’s ready to move on, now, but we were really glad to have him for the party.

(Note his party hat, provided by Mom.)

Mom’s giving me a special kind of work-in-progress as a birthday present. You know that wall full of Martha’s Vineyard-themed cross-stitches that she’s done? Well, the Heath Hen has had another design for years that I really liked–this one for Tisbury. There’s something about the branching tree that I’ve always liked, and every time Mom finishes a project and sighs, “Now I need something else,” I mention it. So … she’s going to make it. She gave me the unopened cross stitch kit and a “gift certificate” to cover the framing costs, which basically means that I gave it back to her and once it’s done and framed, it will be “my” picture. Just, you know, on the wall with all its friends.

Today, Sunday, the family all came to visit. Pot roast. Scalloped potatoes. Mashed cauliflower to eat. Plus, of course, cake.

(I was the only one in the family who knew what the Roman Numerals for my birthday should be.)

One nice little story to finish out the post.

You know, of course, about my dearly departed twin, Susan. And how I don’t actually know where she’s buried, just that she’s somewhere “along the wall” in our church’s cemetary. In a plot whose number appears in the official church records but which does not appear on any of the maps of the cemetary. And which Dad doesn’t remember because he was under a bit of stress that day. And, of course, she doesn’t therefore have a stone, so visiting her is a vague kind of soak-up-the-atmosphere kind of thing.

Well, my Windows7 desktop allows for a rotating scheme of desktop photos, and one of the ones I have is of the cemetary (from this post)

Just around midnight last night, as my birthday was passing by and I was about to turn of the computer, this picture popped up on my screen.

Now, Susan only lived about 6 hours. I don’t know the exact minute she died, but she was born about quarter to ten at night. I came along at 10:08, and every year on my birthday night, I think of her, knowing that at that time, X number of years ago, we were BOTH here, breathing, and alive with beating hearts. There’s just those brief few hours that we were both here and breathing, and that makes them especially sacred to me. Sacred to us, as identical twins, before we parted to go our separate ways.

So, when this picture popped up just before my birthday ended last night, I took a couple minutes to talk to Susan, to tell her I loved her, and missed her. You know, the kind of thing you say to dearly-departed loved ones.

Then, she wished me a happy birthday right back.

Because, just before I closed the computer, this picture of birthday cake candles showed up.

Really, could there be any other explanation?

(Yeah, yeah, coincidence, but since I have 50 pictures in that folder, what are the odds that these two would show up, in sequence, just at the exact time during the year that I always think of my departed twin? Exactly. She’s obviously good with computers, that Susan. Besides, it made me smile, and she’s always been good at that.)

Happy birthday, Susan. I do love you.

Tags: Family by --Deb
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First things first–

Happy 47th anniversary, Mom and Dad!

This picture is actually from Mom’s bridal shower, not the wedding, but I love how happy they look. (Which isn’t to say they don’t look happy in their wedding pictures, of course, but I don’t happen to have any of them handy at the moment.) But, anyway, it’s what they looked like 47 years ago, give or take.

To celebrate, I brought home a cannolli cake after work, which was fine, I guess, but not as good as it looked.

Though it definitely looked good. It was just the right size, too. Each of us had a quarter, which was just about right.

Naturally, Chappy had some also. (I do so love that pleading look he gets while waiting for permission to clean off a dish.)

I’ve been neglectful about keeping you informed of my knitting. So here’s a picture of my current project. The yarn color is a blue-green sea-kind of color, Kamchatka Seamoss from Peace Fleece, though it’s darn hard to photograph. The pattern is the Greenfield Cardigan from New England Knits. It’s a nice, basic, top-down, garter-stitch, raglan cardigan. There are a couple leaf details coming up, but really, this is about it. Very simple (yawn). I mean, in a good way! It’s going to be a perfectly nice sweater (I hope), but it’s not exactly a thrill to knit. Because, um, easy and low-thought though garter stitch is, it’s not exactly an adrenalin rush.

Chappy’s not himself today. I think he’s stiff, because he periodically sits up and kind of quiver-stretches his lower spin, and he’s been rather quiet. I think the problem is that he hasn’t had enough walks lately, with the weather being so wet. I’m sitting here thinking about where I might plug in the heating pad so that he might benefit for a while. That usually seems to help. At the very least, it helps me feel like I’m doing something. (You understand.)

Hey–Rhinebeck-goers! Did you know that Stitchy McYarnpants is reviving Blogger Bingo this year? Woohoo! I’ve already signed up to be a square.

My current goal is to finish spinning up that never-ending roving of mine. Remember? I started spinning up the last pound of it last month. (I mean, it’s only taken me 5 years to get this far.) I want to at least get it spun into singles, if not plied by Rhinebeck, and it’s looking promising. I’m on the last 4 ounces now, and am past the halfway point on the last bobbin. I’d actually like to get it done this week, before we leave for MV–just in case I decide to bring my spinning wheel with me. (Because, I only have 4 Majacraft bobbins and this will use them all. I really need to get more of these some day.)

I DID tell you we were going to Martha’s Vineyard, right? We’re so excited. The last time we were there was when we dog-sat for a friend a year ago April. The year before, we went up for the (then) Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm Shearing Festival. We haven’t actually had a “normal” MV vacation since 2007. (By “normal,” I mean just us going up and hanging out–though we hope to see friends, if we can.) We’re leaving on Saturday and we can’t wait.

Tags: Family, Knitting/Spinning, Martha's Vineyard by --Deb
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We went up to my sister’s house today. It was blessedly sunny for the first time in days. (Though we were all amazed at how high and muddy the Delaware River was when we drove over the bridge.)

It was such a nice day, too, with the whole family together. Well, almost. My niece was away at college, so she wasn’t there. We missed her, but had a good time anyway.

Chappy’s favorite part was when we all went for a walk. (My nephew was out on his bike with a friend at this point.) I’m still amused at the range of clothing layers among the five of us–from shorts and a t-shirt to pants and three layers.

We walked around to one of my sister’s friend’s houses. She wasn’t there, but we wanted to see the stream in the back.

It was so pretty! It does this big, looping twist through the backyard. Patty said that it was the reason they  bought the house, and, well, I can completely understand. Of course, the stream was running faster than usual, also. Did I mention that we’ve had a TON of rain lately? Not as much as, say, North Carolina, but still.

It turned into a gorgeous weekend, though. I’m so happy for Jessica’s sake–she’s getting married this weekend!

Sadly, the weekend wasn’t as good for Kim. She had an electrical fire at her house last night. (Yes, this is the Kim who invited us to the historical house tour last weekend.) Luckily, everyone is okay and the only real damage was to the wiring (which, really, is damage enough), but … scary!

Yep, really pretty.

How about you? How is your weekend going?

Tags: Family by --Deb
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Happy 27th birthday, Jilly.

(One of my all-time favorite pictures of her, all dressed for my sister’s wedding. She didn’t get to GO, mind you, but she wanted to celebrate just the same, and sat in her favorite, most-photogenic spot for the photo. That orange chair was SO perfect for her coloring.)

I still can’t believe she’s been gone for 12 and a half years.

Brought to you by:

Tags: Eye-Candy Friday, Family, Katy, Jilly, Muppy by --Deb
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This is a rare, rare Wednesday because I saw my entire family today. (Well, you know, Mom, Dad, Chappy, Patty, Mike, Tiffany, Tyler–the usuals. Not the extended family.)

See, first, Dad had a golf outing down near Atlantic City somewhere and was leaving at 5:30 this morning, so he was going to be gone all day.

Then, Tiffany called Mom to ask if she wanted to go see the King Tut exhibit in New York–the one Mom’s been talking about for months. She’s wanted to see the King Tut exhibit since it rolled through NY the first time around back around 1979. And the date Tiffany picked? Today. And, oh yeah, Mike, her dad, my brother-in-law was going to. (This is the point that caused shock and amazement among most of us because Mike likes New York City about as much as I do.)

So, that meant two things. One, poor Chappy was going to be home alone ALL day and, Two, the house would be empty.

I did exactly what you’d expect me to do … I took the day off from work. I mean, really, the house to myself for a whole day? How could I resist?

I was thinking, though … I didn’t know what time Mom, Tiffany, and Mike would be getting home from the city, but it seemed wrong to send them home without feeding them. They would be tired and hot, and anyway, I’d want to hear about their days so … I told Mom I’d make something flexible for supper. Something that would be ready to serve whenever they got here.

But then it occurred to me that I never really get to do stuff with my sister, or spend time just with her, and she usually sees Mom on Wednesdays. So, I sent her an email and (1) invited her to come visit, or (2) come visit and bring Tyler and we could all have supper together … even Dad, if he was home from golf in time.

She and Tyler had an errand down in Point Pleasant (down the shore), so she said they’d go down there to get Tyler’s bike and come back here afterward, probably around 2:30. I was thrilled and immediately started thinking about what to make for supper. It had to be something that I could have ready to go before they got here, and ultimately I decided on deli sandwiches and homemade salads. I ran out to the grocery store this morning before Mom left to pick up the necessary stuff, and after they left, mixed together some potato salad and a huge bowl of macaroni salad. (I never should have cooked the whole box of elbow macaroni; I don’t know what I was thinking.) I also sliced up the strawberries I bought, baked a quick, plain cake to serve with them, and whipped some stabilized whipped cream–all of which was in the refrigerator by 1:00, and I was beat!

I sat and read with Chappy for a while. He, incidentally, was having a great day. Sure, both his grandparents were out, but he had his Mom home on a work day AND he’d seen Tiffany and Mike when they came to pick up Mom.

I even added about 500 words to my book. Not a huge amount, I grant you, but better than nothing.

Then … Patty called around noon and said they were running late. At 2:10 Dad called to say he was leaving the golf course and expected to be home in about two and a half hours. 2:15, Tiffany called to say they were in New Jersey and on their way home, so the three from the New York Adventure were the first to arrive. They were all tired, but had a wonderful time, though Mike was tired enough and trying so very hard to keep his eyelids politely open, we sent him downstairs to Dad’s recliner for a nap.

About 4:00, Patty and Tyler arrived, and about five-ten minutes later, Dad did. They were all very tired and seemed very hot and very, very glad to get out of their respective cars. They must have been almost side-by-side on the Garden State Parkway for most of the drive home, they arrived so close together.

Chappy wore himself out saying hello to everyone and making sure they all knew how happy, happy, happy he was to see them. (Because saying hello is one of his favorite things EVER. If he could figure out how to say hello in a properly enthusiastic manner while eating at the same time, he’d be the happiest dog in the world.)

Everybody enjoyed dinner … though we ended up with a LOT of leftover macaroni salad. Not everybody wanted the cake I’d made, either, but being hot and tired will do that to your appetite, so no hard feelings. And meanwhile, everyone is tired–including me. I may not have put the miles in that everyone else did today, but I still got a lot done.

Maybe going to work tomorrow and sitting at my desk isn’t such a bad idea, after all.

Tags: Family by --Deb
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This little guy? My Chappy? He’s having a practically perfect weekend. In fact, as “just us, no guests” weekends go? There’s not much that would make it better. (Other than the forecast possible thunderstorms later today.)

First, it’s been blessedly cool compared to, well, basically the entire summer. Like, in the 75-80 degree range, and with no humidity to speak of. You can step outside without automatically saying, “Whoo! It’s hot!” which is a pretty rare event this year.

Then, yesterday, Saturday, we took him out for coffee. That is, Mom and I drank the coffee–Chappy doesn’t need the caffeine. But it wasn’t just the three of us.

Dad came, too! This is practically unheard of, and only happened because bribed him with eggs for breakfast because we had a Mara’s gift-coupon for buy-one-get-one-free.

Afterwards, we walked around town, I stopped at the bank, and Chappy insisted on stopping at the doggy-specialty store, the one with its own bakery. That was funny, actually. The store is on our town’s main street, and we’ve stopped in a few times to buy biscuits. But, they also have an entrance in the back, on Bloomfield Avenue across from the parking lot where the car was. We were walking back tot he car, and Chappy literally pulled me up the stairs to the door, as if he’d read the “Come visit our bakery” sign next to them. It was funny because we’ve NEVER gone in that way and hadn’t even realized that we COULD, but Chappy read the sign or followed his nose and … there we were. So, yes, my clever dog got a package of freshly-baked biscuits. It’s only fair.

We had a nice, lazy afternoon and then, the four of us all went out AGAIN, this time for supper. We went to Stewart’s, which not only has the best root beer, but has car service. You know, where you pull up in your car, and they bring your food on a tray that hangs on the window? They’ve been around for ages and since it’s about the only restaurant we ever take Chappy to (other than coffeeshops), it’s his favorite. They bring Milkbones out to the dogs, too, which he appreciates, even if he prefers bites of hamburgers and fries.

Today, we had a walk, I baked a pound cake, and then I plied a couple hundred yards of yarn while watching “Wag the Dog.” I haven’t seen it in years and had forgotten how much the Political-Science major, cynical-side of me really loves that movie. Dustin Hoffman is wonderfully hilarious as the producer. His response to every set-back is “What? That’s nothing,” followed by some Hollywood anecdote about something that was even worse.

The yarn is all plied, though I lost track counting while I wound it on to the skeinwinder, so I’m not sure what the yardage is. It came out pretty, though, and pretty consistent, which is always a treat. Once again, this is “Sock Hop” yarn from Crown Mountain Farms, in the “Twist and Shout” color, which I’ve had waiting to be spun for a few years now.

Next up for spinning?

If you’ve been reading long enough, you should recognize this.

Five years ago for my birthday, Mom gave me three pounds of this merino/tussah silk roving from the Sheep Shed (bought at Rhinebeck a couple weeks before my birthday). Three pounds of it. I don’t know what I had been thinking. Over the next year or two or three, I spun about two pounds of it, but at different times and different skill levels and after referring to it for months as the “never-ending fiber,” finally ended up stashing the last pound of it.

Well, it’s time it got spun, don’t you think? And right now, while I’m “in practice,” too, so that hopefully all 16 ounces of it will make consistent yarn. Because, yes, I still love the color of the stuff. It makes a beautiful purple-tinged gray yarn. So gorgeous.

And, now? We’re having roast chicken for supper (making the house smell really good, I might add), and Chappy’s getting very excited. He ADORES roast chicken and turkey. I’d venture to say that they’re his favorite kind of meat to eat … he doesn’t get this excited about the chicken in his food dish every day, or when Mom cooks a couple chicken breasts for supper. But … roasted in the oven? Ohhhhh, he loves it. Loves it! The house is starting to smell really yummy, and he’s pacing a bit, not quite able to settle down out of anticipation.

I tell you, this weekend keeps getting better and better for my boy.

Tags: Family, Finished Spinning, General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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This is the face of a happy dog. Because, of course, today was his birthday party. My sister and her family came over and we all partied. We ate well, for one. We had chicken stew in the crock pot (which Chappy loves), potato salad (not one of his favorites, but everyone else loves it so he said it would be okay), homemade biscuits (people-biscuits, that is, that you slather with butter, not the crunchy doggy kind), and carrot cake for dessert. Mmm…

And presents–in this case, all biscuits, which makes Chappy VERY happy. He really doesn’t need more toys, but new biscuits? Especially homemade ones from his aunt? Oh yes. And how could he resist this adorable gift tag from his grandma?

Naturally there was cake, too. As you can see, he is IX years old. (Please note the gift bag in the background. That had a single biscuit for Chappy to open on his own. (The other biscuits, of course, were in a plastic bag which makes them non-doggy friendly.)

As a bonus, my niece was able to come today. We didn’t think she’d be able to come, but she did, so we were extra happy.

She even brought a game to play.

Oh, and my beautiful Miss BB sweater that didn’t fit me quite right (because of my darn waistline issues)? It’s found a new home. It fit my sister as if I’d made it just for her, so … I gave it to her! Doesn’t she look happy?

I got a fair amount of spinning done, too. That’s almost 4 oz there, though I didn’t spin ALL of it today.

For the rest of the day? It’s the Fourth of July, of course, so there will be fireworks (which Chappy hates) and the Boston Pops on tv (which Mom loves). I need to watch 1776 again–one of my very favorites.

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Tags: Chappy, Family by --Deb
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First things first–happy birthday, Grandpa!

He’s been gone since 1967 and we never had a chance to know each other. I was 10 months old when he died of Alzheimer’s which, I figure, puts us at about the same mental level for most of the ten months our time here on earth overlapped. It doesn’t allow for many memories, though.

I have exactly one thing of his. (You know, other than his little boy, my father.) Although I suppose that technically my Grandmother’s secretary desk used to be their secretary desk, but well, we’re talking personal items here. And this is it. A monogrammed handkerchief.

I don’t quite remember how I ended up with this. It was in my father’s dresser for years and then, one day, it was in mine, but I don’t remember how or why. I don’t know for sure who embroidered it, either. It could have come from the store this way, or it could have been my grandmother. I don’t really know. I just know that Dad told me it belonged to his father, and that makes me appreciate it all the more. On the rare occasion I need a handkerchief, this is the one I reach for.

My Dad gets good-grandfather points, too. I was busy in the kitchen today getting ready for Chappy’s birthday party tomorrow … and it was a little too hot for me, anyway … so Dad took Chappy for a walk. Don’t they look happy? You know, it’s really unusual for me to see Chappy from a distance.

I’m blocking my shawl and enjoying the usual blocking magic. It wouldn’t fit on the blocking board itself, though, because the corners stretched past the edge (making pinning difficult).

So, I folded it in half. Not only does that mean it fits on the blocking board, but … only half the amount of pinning!

And, right now? I’ve got the blocking board standing up against the bookcases in the hall. I’m just hoping that Chappy doesn’t try to rub his head on it (as he is wont to do) and poke his eyes on the pins. But I told him not to, so…

It sure looks pretty, though, huh? The shawl, you’ll remember, is the Shetland Shawl from “Folk Wraps”, knitted in my handspun Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm cormo. (Yes, I know, Susan’s farm is Juniper Moon now, but this was from my first share of MVFF, so … Martha’s Vineyard.)

Oh, and Buttons and Lucky are having fun. They picked out our movie for tonight, too.

Tags: Family, Finished Knitting, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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We went to see Toy Story 3 today, and when we got home, well, I had to go find Buttons and Lucky and give them hugs. In fact, they sat with us while we ate supper, and I brought them upstairs afterward so they we could spend time together. They’re sitting with me right now, watching me type, and keeping an eye on Due South on the television.

The doll is Buttons, who I got on my first birthday. She was my absolute favorite doll. Still is, in fact. She’s only about 7″ tall, and was the perfect size to carry around when I was little. I carried her everywhere. The crack in her face? The lack of hair? That’s from years and years of serious loving. I’d regularly wake up in the morning to find her head on one side of the bed and her body on the other. I’d put her back together and give her a kiss, and start the day.

The dog is Lucky. We bought him at Great Adventure amusement park on August 2nd when I was 9. His fur is pretty much all rubbed away now. He used to have spots, and his eyes were a brighter blue, but his face is still the same. He fit perfectly under my arm, too, with the curve of his back, between his neck and tail a perfect fit.  Mom would hold him at his neck, cocking his head, while we played, and over the years it wore through. She mended it, but it wore through. I tried mending it. He even wears one of the earliest examples of my knitting–a “collar” I knitted in green acrylic and sewed on, a layer or two down from other mending attempts, but still showing at the back. The leather collar he wears belonged to our very first dog, Muppy, after she outgrew it.

During the movie, I knitted on this hat. Normally, of course, I’d knit on the sock in my purse, but since that has a cable pattern and is something I need to see, I started this instead. I knitted the ribbing last night, and pretty much everything else was done while watching Woody, Buzz, and the others.

Of course, the sad part about going to the movies? This little guy was left home alone. That doesn’t actually happen very often, especially in the afternoon. He gave us SUCH a greeting when we got home, too–super excited, and he’s been sticking pretty close to me ever since.

Oh, and my “Sheep need shade” sale yarn from Juniper Moon Farm arrived today … this great hand-dyed brown that goes really wonderfully with those buttons from Lars that I got the other day. Now I just think I need to find the right pattern!

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Tags: Family, General by --Deb
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As is usual for Memorial Day weekend in our family, we went up to my sister’s for the family birthday celebration. My niece and nephew, specifically, but also sharing presents with my brother-in-law, whose birthday was the 11th, and with his brother’s family there, too.

We had a really nice time, and Kaitlyn and Joshua were so adorable.

I love watching little kids try to summon up the courage to pet Chappy–who is very, very good and patient about the whole thing.

Here’s the obligatory picture of my niece and nephew with their birthday (cup)cakes. My nephew hates having his picture taken, so I love that his big sister took advantage of the moment to torture him by combining a photo op AND a hug. (Ew!)

My sister had fun with baby Joshua, too, though he loves, loves, loves being jiggled, so it was pretty much impossible to get a photo of him where he wasn’t blurry. (Well, not without using the flash, which I try to avoid as much as possible. There just wasn’t enough light for a fast enough shutter speed. But, you know, I try not to torture children and animals with the nasty flash thing, so… One of these days, I’ll get a diffuser, at least.)

Today, I made a mess in my room again.

I pulled out ALL my yarn and ALL my spinning fiber and reorganized it all.

The spinning fiber is now all in my cedar chest. (I find it interesting that at least a third of the space is from Juniper Moon Farm or its earlier incarnation of Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm. Most of the rest is from the Sheep Shed, whose booth at Rhinebeck I visit every year.)

All the yarn is stored in these handy sweater-storage bags and stuffed into the cubbies in the closet.

And I do mean “stuffed.” The cubbies aren’t actually deep enough for the bags. I can slide them in about halfway, so they stick out into the front of the closet, but still … that’s not necessarily a terrible thing. I can see inside to know what’s in each one, and meanwhile they’re protected from dust, and there’s a slice of cedar in each bag to repel moths. And it looks so organized, too, if a little irregular in the stacking since they don’t sit “straight” in their cubbies. I don’t care, though. I LOVE these bags.

I washed my most recently spun yarn, too, though it’s frustrating. I can’t get the water remotely as hot as I like it to be. I like to shock my yarn with a burst of hot water for it’s final soak—that and some mild agitation to really set it, and then let it soak until the water is cool enough to touch. Then I’d squeeze out the water, bang it against the shower walls, and let it dry … except, this bathroom, the water—when I’m lucky—comes at best to the upper ranges of “warm.” So the yarn didn’t bloom the way I really like … but, still. It’s pretty, huh?
I’ve got a video for you. A very Rube Goldberg “mousetrap”-ish kind of video, with a very catchy song to go with it.

And then, how about one that’s a little more serious and thought-provoking? This TED video examines the free exchange of ideas in the fashion industry—it’s not plagarism, or stealing, the ideas are shared, and business booms … It makes some interesting points about the industries that DO restrict exchange (film, music, books). It made me think about knitwear design, though—how some designs suddenly crop up all over the place with different names … and how trying to restrict ideas (like a certain Scottish designer whose books go for a mint on eBay if you can find them at all) may well be defeating the purpose. Anyway, it’s intriguing.

And, one last thing, as we remember all the men and women who have fought for this or any country … some amazing “Homecoming” photos that you should really see over at Pioneer Woman Photography.

Tags: Family by --Deb
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Twenty-one years ago today, I became an aunt for the first time. It was a big week for me, actually. I graduated from college on the 20th and then headed up to Martha’s Vineyard for a few days’ vacation before coming home and looking for a job.

I used to go up to MV on my own from time to time, you know. Back before Mom, Chappy and I started going together each trip (because how could I leave either of them behind?). Mom and I usually alternated years, more or less, between going together or me going by myself or with a friend.

That year, though, 1989, there was no question. There was no way on earth my mother was leaving the area before her granddaughter arrived. But me? I was sitting on MV, in the Daggett House B&B (back when the Daggett House was still a hotel). No phone in the room, no cell phone. Just, the evening of the 24th, a knock on the door from the inn staff, saying I had an urgent call from home.

I don’t think I need to tell you how ecstatic I was. I left the inn and wanted to go BUY something for this baby. I wanted to tell everybody, but didn’t have anybody to tell. I just knew how happy I was. Glad my sister was okay, thrilled that we had a new person in the family … and not exactly unhappy about being on the Vineyard, either.

In fact, you’d think that maybe I would have been–sitting on a little island, several hundred miles away from my new baby niece, but it was okay. One, it was my favorite vacation spot in the world, but Two, the hospital wouldn’t have let me in the door, anyway. Their visitation policy was that grandparents of new babies, and siblings of new babies could actually visit, but everyone else (like siblings of the parents of the new babies) had to stay outside in the hallway. As it was, I came home from MV on the same day that Tiffany came home from the hospital, and we met the next day.

Almost exactly four years later, on May 20th, I became an aunt a second time, to my nephew Tyler. This time, I was home in NJ, and got to go see him right away. Or, well, from the other side of a glass window. I remember riding up to Newton with my Dad after work. Mom had spent the night at my sister’s, keeping an eye on Tiffany, and we got to the hospital right around the time Mike’s parents arrived. So … Patty, Mike, Tiffany, and brand-new Tyler were all in this little “meet the baby” visiting room, with my parents and Mike’s parents clustered around cooing and making proud new grandparent noises … while I stood outside in the hallway, trying to see through the blinds. (Sigh.)

But, still … I’ve been an aunt for 21 years now. Almost half my life, and I have to say I’ve been enjoying it immensely. I like children in general, but prefer not to be primarily responsible for them, so aunthood is perfect for this. I’d visit, play with them, spoil them, admire them, but then get to go home.

Although, I was always careful about the “spoiling” part. In those early years it was still possible I might have ended up a mother myself one day, and didn’t want a vindictive (though loving) sister counting the minutes until she could return the favor of giving my kids a drum set for Christmas, or could show mine how to make mud pies in the living room, or something of that sort. Grandparents have earned the right to do stuff like that–they cleaned up all our messes, after all–but aunts and uncles need to tread a little more carefully.

We’ve joked for years that my sister provided children for me to play with, and I provided dogs for her (and her husband) to play with. We’ve each made sure my parents had grandchildren and grand-dogs to brighten their days, and both of us have adored each others’ kids–fur or not.

Because, I do adore my niece and nephew. They’re not little any more. My niece is–as of today–21 years old, and old enough to do anything she wants to do. She has a boyfriend and a career path, and is beautiful and funny and one of my favorite people in the world. My nephew is 17 and has a brand-new driver’s license to show for it. In a few more months he’ll be in his last year of high school and on his way to wherever he’s going to go. He’s tall, funny, generous, and has a pair of gorgeous blue eyes–the only pair in the family.

I don’t know how those cute, little children grew up so fast.

Tiffany, Tyler, and Katy

What I do know is that I have loved every day of being their aunt. Neither of them has ever done anything to make me embarassed or ashamed at being connected to them. (Sure, the teenage years can be a little tricky, but still.) They are both smart, funny, upright human beings. I can’t really take much, if any, responsibility for the people they’ve grown to be. Obviously my sister and brother-in-law are more responsible for that than I am. But I can state without equivocation that I am proud to have known them and been a part of both their lives. I am proud to share a bloodline with them. Not to mention happy to have provided puppies for them to play with.

The hardest thing about being an aunt is this: You burst with pride, but can’t take any of the credit.

But sometimes, it’s enough just to be able to say that you love them. Enough to be able to share their joys and growing pains, even if you’re not there every day like a parent. (And, sometimes, to be an adult ear that cares but doesn’t belong to a parent … because sometimes that’s a valuable thing.)

So, let’s have toast to my aunthood, shall we? Twenty-one years of sharing the greatness that is my niece and nephew.

Tags: Family by --Deb
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We went to see what was left of the cherry blossoms yesterday. Like Ina said the other day, the cherry trees in Branch Brook Park were in full bloom two weeks early. Last week, to be precise.

Which meant there weren’t many blossoms left for us to see on Saturday, but who cares? We had a great day, anyway.

We made an interesteing group, though. Mom in her winter coat, Dad in his spring coat, me in just the hoodie I was wearing around the house, and Chappy, of course, in nothing but his fluffy coat (and his harness, of course).

We saw some shiny, happy ducks enjoying the day, too.

Of course, Chappy’s still trying to figure out why I tried perching him in a tree.

I told him it was so he could get a better look at the pretty flowers.

Oh, and afterward?

So, so tired … all of us!

Today? I baked a banana cake with lemon-cream cheese frosting, and made a fresh batch of granola. And pot roast. Not to mention doing a load of laundry and working on.

Also, believe it or not–NINE book reviews for Knitting Scholar. Did you see? I’ve got my first yarn review up … suddenly, Knitting Scholar is NOT just about books!

Tags: Family by --Deb
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I haven’t shown you a current picture of the sweater in a while, so here’s how it looks right now. I worked the first sleeve down to past-elbow length and then paused to start sleeve number two. I figure I want to be sure they’re the same length and match and all, so … I’ll knit sleeve number two to the same length and then work the rest of them together.

Exciting, right?

We’re just coming off of a practically perfect weekend. At least, that’s what Chappy thought. I got out of work an hour early on Friday (always good), so that was a good start. We had take-out Chinese food, too, which is always a treat.

Saturday, Mom and I went out for coffee, stopped at a grocery store (where I bought the strawberries i told you about), and then spent the afternoon relaxing … which was good, because we had a surprise. My niece came to stay!

She and I had arranged it on Wednesday–that she would come Saturday night instead of staying at school into Easter morning. Just … we decided not to tell Mom and Dad, so they really were surprised! In a good way, you understand.

Sunday, of course, was Easter. We had bacon and eggs for breakfast–a rare, rare treat because we so seldom ever have bacon in the house. (Mom’s severe allergy to anything made from pork, you remember.) We five went for a walk, coming home to a house smelling of roasting turkey–Chappy’s favorite. And then the rest of the family arrived, and he was in heaven. His whole family, fresh turkey … what more could a dog ask for?

Yesterday was a bonus day, too, because I took the day off from work. So not only was Monday morning not “Mondayish” at all, but he got an extra treat … his favorite neighbors from our old house finally came to visit. He hasn’t seen them since October and he was SO happy to see them! Ecstatic, even.

So, you can see why I’ve been too busy to post, huh?

Oh, and by the way? It’s insanely warm out there for April 6th. Hot, even. We’ve got our air conditioning on … which is trying, I have to tell you, but the air blows so strongly in the upstairs rooms (since the system fan is in the attic), Dad had the landlord shut the flow up in the attic because the upstairs room were steaming hot. Except … now, they’re hot because even with the air conditioning on–or even just the fan–there’s nothing coming out of those vents. Not good because Mom and I both get cranky when we’re hot. I hate being hot. Hate it, hate it. And, in April? Way too early! All the trees outside are blooming weeks early and it’s just crazy (grumble, grumble). It’s no fair skipping right past Spring into Summer, you know?

Tags: Chappy, Family, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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Alas, I don’t have any pictures, but I had a nice day today. I took the day off from work and went to visit my niece at college–the first time I’ve visited her at school. It’s been a while since she and I had a visit, just the two of us. I finally got to meet her roommate, too, after hearing nice things about her for months. (A girl, incidentally, whose grandmother was my 6th grade teacher. What are the odds?)

Anyway, I met her at the hotel … she doesn’t actually live ON campus, but off-site in a nearby hotel because there wasn’t enough housing at the school. So, I met her at the hotel and we visited for a while. I brought her some granola, fresh from the oven. Chappy–since he couldn’t come himself, but wanted her to know he was thinking of her–sent one of his toys as an ambassador. He said she could bring it back on Sunday when she comes to the house.

Then, we went to the Barnes & Noble practically next to her room. We got something to eat at the cafe and then browsed through the entire shop together. That really was fun! You know that I adore bookstores, of course, and it’s particularly fun to do it with someone else so you can compare thoughts about the books.

Or, well, okay. When I’m doing serious browsing because I want to buy stuff, I prefer to wander around on my own. But social browsing? Entirely different thing. So today? The fun kind. About four hours of chatting with one of my favorite people, that makes for a good day where I’m concerned.

The best part is we’ll see her again on Sunday for Easter, along with the rest of the family. How is it possible that it’s Easter weekend already? And April? How’d that happen so fast?

The tricky part now is coming up with a good dessert. Tiffany went to a nutritionist recently because of some ongoing, er, digestive issues and found out that she’s sensitive to wheat and sugar. Not quite an allergy, but two things she should avoid. She said that, since she’s started trying to eliminate them from her diet, she feels a lot better–which is great. But … Wheat? Sugar? That pretty much eliminates all baked goods, huh? Though we did kind of agree that pie would work. Minimal amounts of wheat in the pie crust, and controllable amounts of sugar. So. I guess I’m baking a pie on Saturday!

Anyway–nice day. Wholly enjoyable. Thanks, Tiffany!

Tags: Family by --Deb
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Today we got together with the family–my sister, brother-in-law, niece, nephew and my brother-in-law’s brother, his wife, and their daughter and son.

This is Joshua, who was born on my birthday in November.

His big sister Kaitlyn (though, I’m sorry to tell you I’m still never sure how to spell her name). She was taking my picture, here.

Jigsaw puzzle, anyone?

Kaitlyn DID give her brother the gift we brought him, after she thoughtfully unwrapped it for him.

Isn’t that teddy bear meant for me? I want it…

This picture of my Mom, sister, and Dad just cracks me up. (I’m sure Mom will hate it, as she does all pictures these days, but the dirty look she’s giving Dad, and the teasing smile he’s got, along with the amusement on Patty’s face … I love it.)

I had to snap this picture just as we were leaving–the teddy bear sitting in Joshua’s little chair.

The only one left out? Poor Chappy.

He forgave us just as soon as we got home, though. Although my guess is that the second walk we took him on definitely helped!

Tags: Family by --Deb
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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.

Sick Lucy

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 by --Deb
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