Fourth of July Frustration...

...This is my "not favorite" holiday of the year. The only bright spot is that the moronic pyromaniacs haven't been shooting off their stupid boomers since Memorial Day. Which has happened in the past. I will say that it's mid-afternoon and sunny - and they're just starting. You can't even SEE the sparkles so what the ????? 

I'm exhausted. Quinn's been throwing up for two days. Hubby and I are snapping at each other because we're taking the dogs in shifts, and it's getting old. 

And we're not upset at the dogs. We're upset that people are so oblivious. The town next to us has really cracked down, and they've actually arrested people and fined them $500 each for possession of illegal fireworks. On the other hand, while our city is patrolling, they missed an obvious pick-up. The kid across the street actually tossed a big boomer, and the smoke was still in the air as the cops pulled past the house. And they didn't stop. 

What does it take? Someone blowing off their fingers? Maybe. 

We've tried the Thundershirt. We've tried Benadryl. We've tried Pulsatilla (a homeopathic remedy). I massage them with lavender essential oil, and I've got it diffusing now. 

So far, Quinn's still hiding in the bathroom. Tippi's out here by me, snoozing before the late-night barkfest. Raisa is out with Hubby on a walk, to blow off some steam before the "festivities" start. 

For several years, I've really hated the Fourth of July. Actually, since Quinn became so spooked by the noise. I can handle Tippi barking - though that's only been in the past few years. Quinn's been really awful at this time, and we've tried everything we can think of. 

I'm actually ordering some CBD oil. Yes - I'm putting my dog on canabanoids. A friend of mine uses them for her dogs, and has had really good results. I need to do something because when you see your dog trying to crawl behind the toilet, when her pupils are dilated, when she's drooling like crazy, and now spending days barfing? It's time to do something more. 

I've ended up putting her in her crate early each night. Set the diffuser up in the kitchen, draw the drapes, crank up the fan for some white noise. And hope for the best. 

CBD oil is derived from hemp - it's pot without the THC. So it should relieve her anxiety and aggression issues (particularly with Raisa - and come to think if it, it might help Raisa with HER aggression issues) and it won't zonk her out like doggie valium. 

I'll let you know how it goes. 

Knitting...

Yes, it's another pair of socks. The sweater was getting heavy. Though I might switch back to it tonight, as long as I'll be up with the dogs anyway. 

This is a plain vanilla pair. I have a 15-row rib going on and then plain sailing through the rest. It's OnLine self-patterning. I've never used it - I actually won it in a raffle, and so I'm trying it out. With this kind of "busy" yarn, plain is best. Maybe a rib down the side, or K6 P2? But for the most part, let the yarn do the talking and skip the fancy stitching. 

And on top of that, it's kind of a brainless knit. The yarn is in a grey/black/blue/white colorway, and it looks like it'll knit up nicely. It got great reviews from my online (ha) sock knitters group, and they said it wears like my favorite: Opal. 

I like the way it's working up now, and I think it's going to be a nice "basic" sock - I mean, not my usual "wildly" patterned colors, but something I can wear like the grey variegated ones that I have. I may also try the "Strong heel" variety again. That worked up nicer than I thought it was going to. 

And the sweater is just going along. Like I said - not being a speed-knitter, I can't show you a "front" today, a "sleeve" tomorrow...I'm just plugging along. 

Go Cubs Go...

So yeah, this happened at Mass this past Sunday. My friend L officiated at the wedding of his niece and her new husband. This is what they gave him. Of course it's a replica. A very good replica. And it weighs a stinkin' ton! 

The women's version that I saw - and there was only one, which is really not cool - was a wimpy-looking thing that resembled a high school ring. This is something that they need to remedy because there are quite a few women fans. Many of us have been fans for a long, long while, too. 

But apparently, the ring can't be downsized? I mean it is rather a hunk of gaudy stuff - but I wonder if they could've modified it? Either way, it was rather thrilling to have even a replica. 

I mean really: A World Series ring. With a Chicago Cubs logo. The first in over 100 years. And I was able to, even with a replica, put it on my finger. 

Yes!  

Everyone's freaking out because they're 41-41 now. Relax. By this time, normally, we're rolling up the grass on the infield. This is an extraordinary time. Last year? Indescribable. Wonderful. Wonder-filled. Awesome. Can we repeat? Well, I don't know. I think so, but then I've been a Cub fan my whole life. I always think "This year!" 

This year, we have all the talent. We just have to get it together. It could happen. If the front office lets Maddon be Maddon, and then perhaps lets him get the players he needs? We'll be fine. And I have the feeling that even if the just let him do him? We'll be fine. 

Random Picture...

This is the lily garden next to the spot where we do garden yoga. The flowers are in bloom and the garden is shaping up nicely. Next week is "Art in the Garden," so I'm not sure if we'll be outside. I have to call them. If they're setting up for that lovely event, I'm pretty sure they're not going to want us around. 

Our own garden is doing well, too. The brown-eyed Susan and cone flowers are now in bloom. The dill is growing. The bee balm is bright and beautiful. Lavender and Salvia are adding pops of purple to the patch. We have a few gazing balls out there, and Hubby will put up the one bird bath. The hummingbird feeders have attracted a bit of an audience, so I'm looking forward to a lot more traffic in the coming few weeks. 

Our own day lily "fence" around the front yard is coming along, though we could use a little thinning out. 

Back to knitting. Gotta get a leg on that sock! Happy Fourth of July - if you're celebrating. Me? 

I'm trying to keep dogs calm. 

501 & Time-Out...

Well, this is blog post #501... Yay! That's one positive thing. It seems like a lot, but of course there are prolific "professionals" who do this daily. I'm lucky to commit to doing it "more frequently" and then something happens, I fall off the face of the earth, and then I come back. 

Time-Out...

The February Lady Sweater is thisclose to being sent to "time-out." That's where uncooperative knitting patterns go. Usually to die. Part of it's my own fault. I had another migraine (more on that below), and toward the evening of this past Sunday, I thought I should knit. 

Yeah. It was stupid. I had Hubby help me measure the arm-holes, and we decided that I was "there." So I thought I'd separate the armholes, putting them on waste yarn. 

As I was happily counting the 65 stitches onto the waste yarn, I glanced down and noticed that about 45 or so stitches CAME OFF THE RIGHT NEEDLE. Yeah. Laying in my lap. Bare naked stitches, no needle. 

Thankfully, there's enough wool in the silk/wool blend that the stitches "caught" and didn't entirely fade away. 

I was very upset. I almost tossed it in the bin right there. I thought about saying some words. But mostly, I thought about rescuing the blasted thing before it was too late. 

No picture. I was panicky. I actually held my breath till I was almost dizzy - I mean "more than migraine dizzy" dizzy... I was too afraid to move for a moment, much less breathe. This picture above shows how far apart the needles are. They're not supposed to be that far apart. The yarn at the top left is the yarn that's supposed to be on waste yarn for the sleeve hole. The yarn closest to the yarn bowl, and to the right needle? 

That's the stuff that slipped off. It's on another hunk of waste yarn, and I only re-counted it 1700 times... No, not really, but it felt like that. 

And it's still wrong. This pic here at the left shows putting the "fallen" stitches back onto the needle. And sweating. Nearly swearing. 

But I got 'em back on. Did the rest - I mean, I put the other sleeve-worth of stitches on their waste yarn, set it GENTLY in the knitting bag and went to bed. 

I just couldn't face it. I couldn't face screwing it up again. I couldn't decide whether to frog it or press on. So I did the next best thing. 

I went to bed and slept on it. 

It's not a hard pattern. Really, it's not. But it's extremely slippery yarn. And the migraine didn't help. 

So today, after errands, I picked it up again, and counted. And I'm off a bunch of stitches. A lot. And I re-counted. A bunch more times. And I'm still off. 

The sweater is going to grow (she says - and so do the instructions). So I took the number of stitches between the "button bands" and divided that number by 7, which is the total number of stitches in the lace pattern. It's divisible by 7, with a whole number! Yay, no fractions of stitches. 

So I'm going for it. I'm putting this picture here, at the right. It's the completed yoke. I didn't do the lace pattern under the arms, so the yoke part is a little longer than the pattern suggests. But it's not as long as some Ravelers have made it. And at this point?

I'm gonna have to have a priest bless it. Because all I want to do is get it done. It's still beautiful yarn. It's going to be a gorgeous lace pattern. I'm in love with the buttons. 

But I'm a bit annoyed at it right now. One more screw-up and it goes into Time-Out. It's going to be another "Teal Sock" at this rate. 

(It's going to grow...it's going to grow...it's going to grow) This is my mantra right now. When I'm done here, I'm tackling the first 4-row repeat of lace and we'll see how this goes. I think this yarn needs to be this sweater. I hope this yarn wants to be this sweater. 

More Migraines...

I'm a little worried. I've had a bunch of migraines, which may mean my daily Rx isn't working as well as it used to. And you know what bugs me is that I'm pretty much on the "last" migraine medicine there is. 

Over 30+ years, I've tried 'em all. Including anti-depressants, which caused me to eat like a starving animal, and that's not going to happen. And I still had the migraines - plus I gained 8 lbs. in one week. 

No thanks. Chiro doc says he can adjust me for the migraines. We'll see. It did work for my grandpa's sinus headaches (which I suspect might've been migraines, but back in that day, "men didn't get migraines"). 

I've been on this particular Rx (which I've complained about because it's hideously expensive) for about the past 12 years or so. And it's been working. And I'm at the top of the therapeutic dose. And my neuro wanted to try to get me off it, figuring that as I'm in menopause, maybe it's time. 

But I've had a number of break-through migraines. 

Maybe I need to look at Botox. If you flunk all the Rx treatments, Botox could be an option. I have to make an appointment and see her. It scares me a bit, because I've been under good control for a long-ish while. 

Dogs & Summer...

Yeah, normally it's "dogs OF summer" but I have a little PSA (Public Service Announcement) for you all. Print the image and stick it on your fridge. And do this test. If you can place the BACK of your hand onto the asphalt or concrete, and hold it there for over 5 seconds -- and I mean pressing it in as if you were standing there - then you're good to walk Fido or FiFi.

If not? It's too hot. Remember - they're barefoot. And wearing fur coats. 

And really - with the temperatures in so many areas being so hot so often? For the love of Dog - don't jog with the pooch, even if you and the dog are "used" to it. Temperatures across the US are rising. It's not "normal" summer anymore. Storms are more violent. Heat is hotter. Dry is drier. 

The dogs need to adjust and so do we. So please be aware of what's going on outside before you take the dogs out, or even let 'em loose at the dog park. 

And let's talk ticks... Ticks are spreading into regions they haven't previously inhabited. Ticks are leading the Lyme disease charge. Our girls (the Elkies) are both positive for Lyme disease. We got them like that, because in Northern Wisconsin, where they were, they didn't bother to check them for Lyme, but we do in Illinois. 

When we got Tippi & Quinn, their Lyme numbers were in the triple-digits. A couple weeks of doxycycline? We're good now. Numbers are stable. And of course, we're on flea & tick prevention year-round. 

I'm also using an "outside fun" spray from Young Living Essential Oils. It's made of a couple of oils, plus the foaming Thieves soap. I spray it on myself when I'm doing outside yoga. I also had Kid #2 try it up where he lives, in "skeeter central." He says it works, but of course, you do have to reapply it. Not like DEET, but that's fine. I don't want to poison myself or my dogs. 

So take care of your family - the bald ones and the furry ones. 

The Ring...

So my friend "L" is a bigger Cub fan than I am. And this is his newest acquisition. We go back and forth on FaceBook about how the Boys are doing, and I'm kind of chill. It took us over 100 years to win the Big One. It's early yet. We're at .500 and it's ok. 

Obviously, a replica. But still stunning. I hope he brings it to church soon - I want to try it on. And I'll make him take a picture for me! 

He said it weighs almost a pound. I wonder how he can lift his hand up off the table even! 

There's a wimpy Bradford Collection version for the women, but if I'm going to go there, I'm going there the right way. 

But I don't think I'll go there. I'll just borrow his ring for a photo op, if it doesn't break my hand! If I can get him to bring it, I'll get the picture for you. 

Random Picture...

About 6 years ago, we had lots of rain. Lots. Of. Rain. It flooded. Our local park, where the dog park area is, was virtually ruined because the river there didn't "overrun" the bank - it charged through the park and took out trees, benches, pavilions and anything else in its way. 


This shot is the back fence, nearest the river, of the dog park area of the park preserve. The area on the other side of the fence was all low-lying grass where the dogs would mosey around, nosing for bunnies and deer poop. The river wasn't really near it - probably 20-40 yards away. 

Well. Mother Nature had other ideas that spring. It rained and rained and rained. And while we've had a "rainy" spring this year, we also had an extremely mild winter. The ground is still cracked and hard, even with several inches of rain at once, and with several days of rain over a long-ish period of time. I notice it when we're doing garden yoga - even though we're in an area which should be nicely drenched, it's not. 

I guess we're lucky that our garden is native plants - they're used to the vagaries of Illinois "spring/summer" weather.