Finished with Fireworks...

Theoretically, I could've blogged the whole time since last Thursday....I was up anyway. It was the annual Festival of Scaring The Crap Out of Animals... commonly known as the 4th of July. This year, the 4th was on a Sunday, which gave us an extra day - the Monday - of chaos. 

It was lovely. Not. I spent a lot of time with Quinn in the bathroom. We finally hit on a formula that seemed to work: a VERY noisy fan; Sileo; Lavender butt rub and in the diffuser; Burrito Wrap her in a large bath towel... And read to her. Don't even ask me why that worked, but it did. Round about Saturday, I added the heavy bath mat for her to rest upon and she seemed to like it. 

Whatever works. And I really want to shoot people. Or give them an M-80 enema. It got so bad that even Tippi, who's older and half-deaf, was upset. And ultimately, there are more than animals involved.  Well, first, let me say, there are more than pets involved. Horses bolt. Chickens stop laying eggs. Service animals even get freaked out, and then what happens is they can't perform the duties they were trained for. 

And then the people: Those who have sensory issues. Veterans. People with PTSD. There are lots of folks who just can't stand the noise. And honestly? If my WINDOWS are rattling? Your fireworks are too big. 

And in Illinois? They're illegal. 

So when I call the cops and they say, "We have crimes to deal with," I do get a little snippy. After all, fireworks, as I said, are illegal here, so that's....um.... a CRIME, I think. I live in a small town; it's not exactly Mayberry, but it's close. I'm not asking you to arrest them, though that would be nice. I'm just asking for a few more patrols. That's all. Get your butt out of the station and drive around a bit. 

It's just a thought. 

The Garden...

Well, the romaine is done. One tomato plant may not make it. My parsley is going nowhere - the stuff for the butterflies has already bolted. I may not get celery this year --- unless it grows through to fall! 

My wildflowers are going great, and we've seen a few Monarchs. I haven't seen any of my Swallowtail caterpillars since they were babies. 

But I did see a Hummingbird Moth! So. Freaking. Awesome! I could only get a video of it, because the little stinker moves like a hummingbird. I haven't seen it since, and I've been watching. But if you check the section above...many people I know have said they haven't seen the usual birds and critters since the long 4th of July weekend. 

One of my students found a kitten cowering behind her house. My hummingbirds have been AWOL for a while, and we had a clutch of baby bunnies hiding out in the kennel - not the smartest place for them to be with our 3 dogs, all of which have very high prey drives. 

The Knitting...

Still on the Endless Cowl. On the one hand, I'm nearing the end of the cake. On the other hand, I ran into another knot and I thought it was ok, but now I have to tink back a few rows, because apparently, the knot is NOT ok. 

It looks like the dark charcoal will be the end of this; I'm a tad disappointed that there wasn't more white - like only about 4" of white in the whole thing. Lots of tan. Luckily, the person I'm giving this to is relatively small - the cowl won't overwhelm them, but they can wrap it more than a few times, so if there are any boo-boos in the miles, and miles, and miles, and miles, and MILES of stockinette stitch, the multiple wraps should help...I hope. 

I can't wait to finish it and I think I should be done this week. Then I can move on to the next Christmas project. Which is another variegated cake and will more than likely be a shawlette, just because it's NOT miles and miles and miles and miles and MILES of stockinette stitch. 

Nooming...

Well, I'm a couple months into Noom, my weight is kind of on track; I'm in the "low and slow" camp because I find that when I do that, I tend to keep it off longer. I'm hoping this "keep it off" is permanent. Because I'm kind of over the yo-yo thing. 

What HAS been happening is I've upped my exercise. I work where I'm at a desk all day, when I'm not teaching yoga. And 3 nights of yoga doesn't cut it for much of anything except a decent night's sleep (absent fireworks...). 

I've been walking a lot, and getting on the elliptical more. And I've been consciously moving around more at work. Boss Lady and I are working on getting healthier; she started Noom a few weeks ago, and we're comparing notes. Luckily, we are NOT each other's "buddy." We figured that would be a bad idea...and that way, we can each be on our own journey. It'll work better that way, trust me!

Random Picture...

The one time I got a stink-eye from Tippi... The Big Bunny Ears. In her early days as a therapy dog, she'd dress up in bandanas and hats. Well. This did not go as planned. 

She hated it. I think it was probably too big for her anyway and she felt like a Vegas showgirl without all the glitter. And it probably didn't help that we all laughed at her. 

I got the "I'm gonna crap in your shoes" look for this one. But it made a great picture for our annual Howl-O-Ween fundraiser, because it was just the perfect balance on her face of  "I'm doing this because you're my human" and "you're REALLY gonna pay for this one." 

She was also a bit chubby here, so those legs look like little toothpicks and her chest was kind of broad. Not her best look, but we still love her. 

Looking for yoga and don't have a studio nearby? We offer a subscription service - do yoga on your own time at home, whenever you're able to do so. Videos uploaded regularly and we have two tiers: Senior and Complete Package. Check our website for details: www.just-breatheyoga.com

If you're in the Joliet area, workshops are being scheduled so come on out! 

I'm a Granny!!!

OK, pick yourself up off the floor... It's ok. Let me explain while you catch your breath...

Remember my big pot of parsley? The one I took a picture of and boasted to you about, regarding how lush it was and how beautiful and what I'd planned to do with it?

Well. Mother Nature had other plans.

The other day, I looked outside and thought, "What the heck? Did Hubby pluck the parsley?" Well, no, he didn't. I went and checked the pot and about had a heart attack. 

At first, I thought I had a flock of monarch caterpillars. Unfortunately, no. 

But I do have swallowtails!! Nine of them. Note: Checking after our morning thunderstorm, I have EIGHT... Wonder if one wandered or was dinner??? 

And the little buggers have decimated my parsley. There were even two of them fighting...if you can call it fighting, because they each wanted the same sprig. 

It was kind of cool to watch, and I filmed a little bit of "lunchtime."  (see below)

If they all survive (and the survival rate is pretty dismal given the number of birds who like caterpillars), we will have beautiful swallowtail butterflies. 

Hopefully, after they've finished the parsley, they'll move to the dill where they were a few years ago. This is the first time that we've had parsley in a tub, not in the netted trug. 

Who knew that they loved parsley? Apparently, they eat it, rue, and a number of other things. Including carrot tops, too. Maybe I can convince Hubby to move them to the back with the carrots? Hmmmmmm. 

Our town will be spraying for mosquitoes; it's the second time, and frankly, I'm stunned that I have these guys - because they sprayed  about a week ago, and I had no idea that the eggs were there. I guess that's why you have to wash your herbs before you eat them?? Urgh. Just the idea of eating butterfly eggs...

Ahem. Anyway. They're spraying so I have to get Hubby to move the pot to the tool shed, cover it anyway, and then cover the existing milkweed and dill. With tarps. Even if I could get them to stop spraying, the drift from other yards would impact what I have already in the garden. 

Lunchtime video

I wish I could actually cover the entire garden -- I've got a huge patch of Brown-eyed Susan, phlox, butterfly bush, two kinds of bee balm - and they're scattered through the front yard. I'd literally have to cover the entire lawn area... I'm pretty sure that won't go over well with Hubby, even if we had the tarps to do it. 

I'm not one of those who'll actually take the caterpillars inside and raise them. I'm not sure that's always a good idea, and we don't have the room anyway. I know, the butterflies are in trouble. But I'm already providing a garden for them. At some point, I have to acknowledge the stats and survival rate. Besides which, I honestly don't have time to learn how to successfully raise them. 

On the Monarch group I participate in, they're really going whole-hog. They have enclosures, they have rooms set aside to raise them, and they are - to me - obsessed. And that's cool. Monarchs ARE having trouble. But I can't do that. I really don't think it's in me to do it, and at this point, I certainly don't think I have the time/money and even milkweed stock to invest in this kind of venture. And I don't think I want to anyway. 

Not my picture...Mature swallowtail

I do sound a bit like, "Well, I have a black friend..." don't I? I don't really mean to sound that way - like I'm rationalizing spurious behavior and excusing myself. I am trying to be more realistic about what I can and can't do. I've had some trouble with boundaries, and I have an awful time with the word "No." As a complete sentence, I mean. 

I'm trying to rectify that. It's not easy. And unfortunately, the swallowtails will have to be the first to "go." I mean, if they all make it - WOW! I have a reasonable expectation that at least one or two will. So that's what it is. 

Knitting Goes On...

I'm on the heel flap of the Green Sock. Trying to move along, and it's going ok. I'm going to push myself to actually complete the pair. 

Then work on the Sole to Sole, which I found in my office. I frogged that one, if you remember. I have Sock #1 - just need to finish that one. As I go on, I'm going to try to get the "singletons" wedged in between other projects. I've really got to get them under control; there are only 2 singletons, but if I keep on that way, I'll have more singles than pairs. Defeats the purpose of wearing my own socks, doesn't it?

I've been trolling Ravelry for a few new ideas, and I have a bunch of stuff in my library: socks, shawls, shawlettes, and hats mainly. 

I think I want to finish the February Lady Sweater first to see if I ever want to do another sweater. I'd also like to do a simple tee - whether it's as a layer or as the thing I'd wear with a skirt or a pair of pants. I haven't decided; but mainly, I haven't found a simple one that doesn't look like it would bore me to tears half way up the body!

What I found last night, to use with this lovely Rembrandt Yarns "Precious Metals" worsted weight is the ultimate in simplicity. But maybe not. It's a pattern called "Grapevine Lace Scarf." 

Yep. A scarf. This is a limited edition color of 218 yards. (Thanks, I've learned that lesson from the Close to You Shawl...) I chose a pattern specifically for under 218 yards - looks like the scarf pattern takes 210 or so. That gives me 8 yards to either cast off, or squish in a few more rows, if I can do it. 

I also have this in sock yarn, which WILL be a shawlette - but I have more yardage in that one. Actually, Rembrandt Yarns was what I used for my first Close to You, so while I love it, and while it seems to look different in every yarn it's made with, I'm going to do something different with this colorway. Not sure what, yet. But it'll happen. 

If you're interested in this yarn, Sandy's at the Indiana State Fair in August, so she's gearing up for that. But check her out on Facebook and if you're in the area, go see her! 

Random Picture...

"Honey, someone broke the elkhound again..." 

Quinn, while still terrified of the fireworks that people continue to blow off (enough, already - it's half-way through July and we're all over it), does have her moments when she's her lovable goofball self. 

I missed the part of this when her rear end was actually closer to Hubby's elbow, as she managed to worm her way down sideways for a belly rub. 

I'm hoping that she calms down; I'm hoping her backside heals from the latest cyst/hotspot. I want her out of her thundershirt and back to being a smiling cuddle-bug doofus. 

Reading and Knitting Up a Storm...

Have you ever had one of those experiences where you're reading a couple of books concurrently and there's just a synchronicity about them? The books dovetail and you find more depth in the one book because you're reading the other. 

Well, that's going on with me. Remember, a blog post or so back, I was reading "The Cloister Walk" and then I said I was reading a book about congregations in conflict? Well - the more I get into each of them, the more parallels I find. It's like Kathleen Norris (Cloister) is helping me walk through the book on conflict. 

That's not something that happens often, and I'm really rather relishing it. Has that ever happened to you? If so, let me know - I want to know if I'm alone in this quirky thing.

Peace Rocks...

So today I planted another peace rock. This one was at Turtle Lake. I went from work today and drove out to the park. I needed a "piece of quiet" (to steal a phrase from Mary Engelbreit) and I sat on the bench, read a little of an old Time magazine and just kind of gazed. Meditated. Enjoyed the sounds of nature, and what the sky was doing. Then my phone beeped. Seems that funnel clouds were going to be developing. But, per the message, "nothing to worry about" --- because they didn't think they'd reach the ground. 

Illinois. August. Tornado season. Yeah. 

Thanks to global warming (or climate change - but I prefer global warming, thanks - it's more accurate), the weather this summer has been, shall we say, ODD. The month of August in Illinois is traditionally the hottest. 

Not this year. We haven't broken 80 degrees all month. That is not normal. As I was sitting on the bench, I remembered that I had the rock, so I grabbed it and stuck it near the bench. It's posted to Kindness Rocks Will County, so I hope someone finds it and then passes it along. 

Anyway, I then decided to take a small stroll around the area. The light was different, that's for sure. Not quite stormy, not quite bright. It was about 75 degrees but humid enough to feel like it was in the higher 80s - at least to me. 

Though my temperature sensor left the building a few years ago, so I have trouble with hot/cold. 

I took a bunch of shots, and I have to fiddle with them a bit. Turtle Lake is a nice place. We really should go back there to ride the trails. It's near a preserve area where part of it is shut off for certain segments of the year because the birds are breeding. Herons, cormorants, the odd pelican -- it's a beautiful spot. 

When we had decent winters, it was a great place for cross-country skis and snow shoes. 

Anyway, I came back home figuring that if funnel clouds were to appear, I should probably not be near water or an open area. I'm a little superstitious that way. 

Knitting Up a Storm...

After doing a couple of chores and waiting for the aforementioned non-existent funnel clouds, I set about putting a few more rows on the sock. 

I seriously thought about bringing out the scarf, or pulling out the sweater, but I want to get these off the needles and move on, so I figured this would be mindless enough so that I could watch TV, stroll around the internet and just kind of zone out. 

Knitting, for me, even with a complex-ish pattern, is meditation. And I figured if I was going to meditate, I may as well get socks out of it. I do a 7" leg, then I'll do the heel flap and finish it off. 

I should really try a new heel. On the next pair, maybe I'll attempt the Sweet Tomato heel. But when I'm doing a plain vanilla sock, I tend to keep it all fairly ... well, plain. I want to get to a point in my sock knitting where I truly can just whip up a pair without too much bother. I'm good with the cast-on, the ribbing, and the leg. Gotta work on the heel, the turn and then the toes. Everything else is pretty much gravy. 

Random Picture...

All I can say is "Thank goodness for yoga!" What, you say, does this picture have to do with yoga?

Well. Let me tell you. 

As I strolled along the bank of Turtle Lake, I was met by a plethora of grasshoppers. Quite a few dragonflies, too. Many of which were mating. 

Well, I'll leave you two alone, ya know... I didn't see a whole lot of different butterflies, which was kind of strange. The area is surrounded by milkweed, thistle, goldenrod, Queen Anne's Lace and any other number of wildflowers and native plants. I kind of thought I'd see at least one Monarch, or maybe a swallowtail. I saw lots of the white "cabbage" butterflies. And then I saw this little fellow. 

He didn't like me following him. But I managed to sneak up on him without casting a shadow (which was the part that freaked him out, I think). That's where the yoga comes in. 

I took a large step forward with my left foot, bending at the knee. I had my right leg behind me, about 4 feet back, with my foot turned out about 45 degrees. My weight was distributed along the legs, with my feet rooting into the ground, with my trunk over my hips. 

As I leaned forward to position the phone where I could take the picture, I laid my left ribs along my left thigh. I had my phone ahead of me and pointed downward toward the little butterfly. I took an inhale, held it, snapped the picture, and then exhaled. I rose up on the next inhale, hopped my feet together and proceeded to clamber back up onto the decking area where some guy was fishing. 

Photo in high lunge... Oh, and did I mention I was totally unprepared. I was wearing Dansko clogs at the time... 

Thank you, yoga training! 

Hats, Socks, Politics & Facebook...

Well, there's probably a connection there. We'll see how this goes...

Knitting...

The baby layette - at least my version of a layette - is moving right along. I needed a set of size 5 circulars in the 12" length, and of course I can't find the (3 or 4) pair(s) that I have right now. So Hubby, ever the smart man, says, "You should hit the knitting store if Michael's doesn't have what you want."

Now you see why I married him, right? 

We went to Michael's. Before that, we had (gasp!) a date-ish night. And then we went to get balloons. 

Yes, this all ties in together, just stick with me. 

So Michael's? The knitting department at our local store has gone wayyyyyyyyyy down the flusher. They used to have several aisles. Now they moved it across the store, it's 2 aisles and a part of a wall. 

I found 2 sets of DPNs; one bamboo and one aluminum. I got both. (NOTE TO SELF: When you're in a notions department, pick up tape measures. Whether you need them right that moment, pick up tape measures...Trust us on this.)

There were only 16" sets of circulars. Oh well. It never occurred to me to hit the JoAnn Fabrics right across the street. 

Such is life. Ironically, to pick up the balloons, we had to cross the street anyway. I keep forgetting that JoAnn's is there. 

All of this is for BABY. Mamma came back to teach yoga this morning, and I got her some "Welcome Back" balloons. 

I'm zipping right along on the hat. I think this may be my "favorite hat pattern" if it works out well. I think the rolled brim will be adorable. 

As for the socks, I'm finishing up the Opal Watermelon socks. Remember - the ones I thought I'd lost? 

Lately, my friend Roberta has been posting bird pictures on Facebook. And today, she said, "Wow, every one of these makes me think of how the colors would look in socks! It's like a sickness, isn't it?"

Well, yes it is. 

After I finish the Watermelon socks, I will likely pick up another UFO and see if I can make some headway. I'm kind of done with baby knitting for now, though something is nudging me to whip up another baby sweater. 

As it is, though, I can always do a hat easily. I'm thinking it'll take me longer than the weekend, but hopefully within the week. 

Facebook...

...has become a war zone. I'm serious. I'm posting goofy pictures of my dog, knitting pictures, funny memes.

What I'm avoiding for the most part are the political posts. Too many of my "friends" have gotten really vicious about Hillary. 

One more time: I am not a Hillary fan. But I will not vote Republican, as long as I have ovaries and a uterus. 

I'm frankly stunned at the whole BernieBot phenomena, but I'm somehow not surprised, given the vitriol and anger in the discussion, and the decay of rational dialog in general in society. 

Speaking of goofball pictures of my dog, this is Quinn, who is absolutely embodying the "dignified and elegant" Norwegian Elkhound persona right now. She's sacked out on the couch. 

At least this time, she's left room for any human who wants to go sit with her. 

Milestone...

So my friend G wanted to meet me for a walk. We've touched base on FB, on emails and the like, but we really needed to talk. She's my "owner-mentor" as I work through the fun(?) of owning a studio. 

We decided that today was a great day, which it was. My Jawbone UP had a moment!!

As we walked and talked, I wasn't paying too much attention. We had a grand time. It buzzed when we got close to the end of our loops around the trail. 

When I came home, I checked the phone. Over 11,000 steps! In two hours!! Yipee!

The good news (aside from the fact that I actually MADE it) was that the shoes I wore are going to work out fine for my trip to Oxford, MS. The other news is that I need to make sure I have lighter socks. I'll pick up a second pair of shoes so that I can alternate them. 

Trip...

The trip to Oxford will likely be the last one that Kid #2 and I take for a while. First off, I'll need to visit Kid #1 (more later). Second, Kid #2 will be starting a Master's Degree program and will probably take most of the classes during the summers. 

We're going by way of Cairo, IL so we can get the Mark Twain Connection. You have to travel with an English teacher to get that...

The news about Kid #1 isn't great, but it's ok. 

Over Easter, The Fiancee gave back the ring. We're very sad. They've been together for about 6 years. But of course, the flip side is, if The Fiancee "isn't happy" then I'm glad that was decided BEFORE they married. 

Kid #1 is doing ok. Relocated to Virginia, which is where he'd planned to go for years, but The Fiancee didn't want to leave. I get it. I always wanted to leave, and I left. My siblings didn't leave; though I think mostly they wanted to. 

And now, they won't or can't leave. I wouldn't have trouble starting over somewhere new, and Kid #1 is learning that now. I'm glad. Sad, because it's not exactly a day-trip. But glad that this is what he chose. 

He's found work; he has a plan. Life goes on. Once he's settled, we'll figure out how to get Larry (his cat) out to him. But that's a while yet. 

Garden 2016...

Veggies 2016 are in. Today, we went to Eastside Greenhouse to pick up some tomatoes and herbs. Hubby decided to plant all 4 tomato plants, even though in 2 months, he'll be complaining. 

We got a 4-pack of kale, so we'll see how that goes. He'll eat kale (which I just cooked tonight with leeks and garlic) so I'm hopeful that if it's a bumper crop, it won't go to waste. If nothing else, I'll be a smoothie-bot!

Also got basil, lemon basil, Rosemary and Thyme. No parsley, no sage, for you Simon & Garfunkel fans! We have parsley in the freezer from last year, thanks. 

We've also planted leeks, Brussels sprouts, radishes, lettuce and carrots. Oh, and a few cucumbers, too. 

The herbs will be planted next week. I'm a little worried about the huge herb trug; it was pretty infested with ants. I think what happened was that Hubby covered it - and the ants were nice and cozy through the winter. He's going to empty it all out and refill with clean dirt. Hopefully that will fix it. Also, we'll leave it open year-round. 


The Monster Bleeding Heart has come back for another year. It's a little over 30 years old now. 

And a VERY peeved hummingbird just buzzed Hubby. We saw it while we were eating dinner, so we rushed to make a home-made syrup, which is cooling. He grabbed a feeder off the porch to scrub and the bird, in a fit of pique, buzzed him, as if to say, "Hey, dude!! I'm HERE... Where in the &*^%% is my food???" 

Should be another 10 minutes and we can put food out for him. 

Random Picture...

This is the Monster Bleeding Heart. It's on the northwest corner of the porch. I planted one plant. Over 30 years ago. And it keeps coming back, larger and more beautiful each year. 

This year, the dill came back (surprise, surprise); so did the lavender (it never really died), the Icelandic poppy (rivaling the Monster Bleeding Heart for persistence), one bee balm, one butterfly bush, and the carnations. 

I still have to plant wildflowers. Columbine are back, looks like foxglove may be back, and some oddball wildflowers I planted last year (brown-eyed Susan, and a few others that I swore I marked...). 


It's amazing this thing has lived this long, because the sorry stuff that passes for "dirt" in that spot is impossible. I've got lily of the valley in the north, right behind it on the left side of the porch, which you can barely see. But that stuff will grow anywhere. 

Apparently, so will Bleeding Heart. 

Go Set a Watchman...

This is gonna be a quickie, kids... I have a to-do list that's taller than I am!

Harper Lee...

I read this in exactly 24 hours. I didn't think I'd pre-ordered it, but I had, from Barnes & Noble. 

So Kid #2 gets the copy I just ordered from Amazon... 

OK, here's the thing (no spoilers).

Everyone's up in arms over the revelation that Atticus Finch is a racist. 

"What? Gregory Peck/Atticus Finch a racist?? NOOOOO!"

Hey, folks. 

Gregory Peck was an amazing actor, who also happened to be extraordinarily liberal in his beliefs. When he delivered that famous speech during Tom's trial, of course it felt like it came from his very being. Because it did. 

But he was, folks, ACTING. He played Atticus Finch. A noble character in Mockingbird, to be sure, but a character after all. 

And let's take a breath, get off the fainting couch and stop clutching our pearls. 

Atticus is EXACTLY the man he should be, for the period within which the book was written. I would venture to guess that most men of Atticus' stature in a "real" Southern town in that time period were also racists. 

They didn't want to see their society changed. They truly believed that the North was taking away their very way of life. 

Atticus being a racist is no more surprising than it ought to be. 

Everyone just breathe here. 

Read the book. 

What's probably not as surprising is that there ARE other manuscripts. Think about it. Harper Lee has a transcendent style of writing. Her way with words is unlike other writers. I always found it hard to believe that she had a one-off stunner in "To Kill a Mockingbird." 

The news that there's yet a third manuscript isn't hard to believe. Even if it's not a fully-fleshed-out story, I think it should be published. 

Her voice should not be confined to just one or two books, if indeed there are more of her words out there. 

Honey...

I have a friend who runs a honey operation. So I was able to hook up with her to get the first harvest of 2015 honey. This will be used for potica this fall, and I'm so excited to have local honey!

If you're in the area, visit their site and contact Jo if you want some lovely, locally sourced honey. 

This is why bees are important. Not because my friend owns this farm. But because for all our sophistication and mechanization - we need bees. 

Bees transport pollen. Plants don't reproduce without pollen. We don't eat if bees don't survive. 

And we really, really need to support local small farmers like Jo. I mean, honestly - when was the last time you looked at your food and truly wondered where it came from? 

If you don't have your own garden, you don't realize that while it's a ton of work, it's also a ton of satisfaction to grow your own lettuce, herbs, and other veggies. 

And if you're a meat-eater, how about contacting a local farmer to see if he or she has the ability to supply you? Yes, you'll likely pay a bit more. But you'll know where your burger or bacon came from. And it won't be Chile or China. 

We're in the breadbasket of the nation and it's time for a cultural revolt to bring us back to the breadbasket instead of the superstore. 

Random Picture...

This little guy will be a black swallowtail some day and I'm happy as can be to see him! I'm still trying to catch up with the Monarch (yay!) who's been flitting around my coneflower and dill. They're notoriously hard to capture, in my mind. Or maybe I'm slow. Which is fine - I'll catch a shot of him one of these days. 

This is last year's dill in the front garden, and we're just using what we can. It'll reseed itself and we'll trim it up for next year. But dill is a butterfly magnet, so go forth and plant, people!

Go below, in the comments, and let me know what's in YOUR garden!

Ohhhhhhhhhh, DEER...

Deer's Dinner...

... Yup. A week ago, these were in full glory. These were the lovely coral bells. They still ARE the lovely coral bells, but significantly trimmed by our "deer" friends at work. Taken through the window as we're having hail, fire, flood and frogs today in the weather forecast. 

At least the blossoms are still there (click and enlarge) so the butterflies and bees will be happy. 

I planted these last year, and they did "ok." This year, they took off, and came through our incredibly nasty winter just fine. And they were nice and bushed out. 

Oh well. Deer gotta live, too...

Knitting...

Jordana Paige bag

Talk about a random act of kindness! When I finally got to meet my knitting friends, we were ready to go to Le Mouton Rouge Knittery, because they wanted some Fluromania yarn. As we were leaving, J comes out with this Jordana Paige bag. "I don't like it. Do you want it?" I said, "Sure; what do you want for it?" She handed it to me and said, "Take it." This is about $80 - 90 worth of knitting bag. She says it's too heavy and that I could probably use it since I still travel for work. Well, not a lot, but I can certainly use it. It goes in the closet (well, I'm using it now) with the other JP and Namaste bags. I'm gradually weeding out my purses till about all I have are the combo knitting/purse bags. 

As to the Fluro sock. Well, I almost had a conniption. J said I was nuts to cast on 72 stitches and it was "huge." I thought, crap - gotta frog. But I tried it on yesterday. Now, it may EVENTUALLY be too big, since my feet and legs swell due to the heart Rx. 

But surprisingly, this one fit. Nicely. And remember, I've got "biker calves" so I wanted more room there. I can't quite figure out how to decrease down without being unable to get the sock over my ankle, if I need more room at the calf. 

Hubby, who has apparently (a) learned from his Great Sock Mistake; and (b) been married to a knitter for a while, says, "Can't you felt it??" Well, probably not, since it's 75% wool and 25% nylon, but I'm sure it'll be ok. 

I'm debating the toe. Should I try Star toe? I'm reading where the round toe may be a little flimsy. I usually do Kitchener Stitch. There appears to be no good spot to find out which toe is more durable. 

I really might try Star toe. I've wanted to, and I have some decent directions. It's only a sock. 

Next sock will probably be along the line of the FrankenSock with a spiral rib pattern on the cuff and perhaps Strong heel. I've gotta branch out as long as I'm on a sock kick.

The Kid & The House...

Well. Disappointing news. But good lesson. The house failed the home inspection. I mean FAILED the inspection. In a huge, big, very bad way. The inspector went over the house from roof to basement, and there are seven really nasty things that have caused The Kid to walk away. 

Thing one: Roof damage where we couldn't see it. Hail damage, and with the mansard roof, bad flashing and crickets (the part that makes the roof connect with the other sections of roof) - enough so that there's raccoon poop in one of the gullies, and it shouldn't have a gully there. 

Thing two: Rotted wood throughout, some on the garage roof, some on the front pillars and door frames, and on just about every window frame. Paint covers a lot. 

Thing three: Asbestos. I knew that it was there!! I pointed to it with the Realtor, and she assured me that it wasn't what I thought I was looking at. It's friable (breaking off) asbestos on many of the pipes in the basement. Many of the pipes which should have been removed when they updated the plumbing. 

Of course, there's also

Thing four: The plantings right up to the foundation, which perhaps have caused leaking of water into the basement; and

Thing five: The deck supports (under the new deck) are rotted. 

Thing six: The "updated" wiring -- isn't ALL updated. There's still some of the old porcelain connectors with corroded wires. Yes, there IS an updated fusebox. But too many of the old connectors are still live and not wired into the new box.

Thing seven: No attic ventilation (which I also noticed). 

Good thing: No mold anywhere.

All in all, if you wanted to rehab a house, this would be your house. If, on the other hand, you're a first-time home buyer, perhaps ONE of these things would be fixable (I mean, of 1, 2 and 3 -- and 5). But to have rotted wood, a bad roof, AND asbestos? Walk away.

So The Kid talked to me about "how do I do this?" and then called the Realtor. We truly believe it's not a case of deliberate "sell this pig to a dummy." I know that some of the damage had been there for a while. I believe that the homeowners put paint on it and figured, "We'll get to this." And then they had 4 kids and you know how that went. 

He's going to rent for a year or so (less, if he can get a 6-month lease) and then purchase. At least this way, too, we can take time. It was cutting close for his start date and this way he can look around. 

The Realtor mentioned that he could "ask" for the sellers to fix things, but he did say, "You know, asbestos is a deal-breaker." All in all, it cost him a couple hundred bucks, but he learned a LOT about what to look for. 

Even if Hubby and I were inclined to buy a property like this - it's a lot to tackle unless you really are a contractor yourself. 

So he'll be making appointments to see some rentals next week. I've offered to go with him on Tuesday, which will give me a break from 

The Great Freak-Out...

I am totally NOT happy with my cardiologist's nurse. Not my sister, who works in that office. She, as a matter of fact, wants to strangle the woman. 

See, I'm scheduled to have a CT scan of my heart next week. But I'm allergic to the IVP dye. Not the "I want to barf" variety of allergic. The "I can't breathe" variety. 

And yes, I know - it was almost 30+ years ago that I had the reaction. And things have changed. BUT - research (Mayo Clinic) says that you STILL have a good chance of reaction to the new stuff if you did to the old. 

She's messing me around, saying, "Oh, Doc wants you to have the test" and talking to me like a 12-year-old. Which is Annoyance the First. 

Annoyance the Second is that she's obviously not communicating to the doctor what my concerns actually are. So she says "Doc wants you to go see an allergist." We went 10 rounds with me explaining that I already have an allergist and that the test for IVP is a blood draw. She said, "I've never heard of that." I said, "It's because you don't work for an allergist."

I was losing my temper. So I'm going to call my allergist to get the exact name of the test. SHE has to ask the doc which dye he's using. And between the 2 of us, get a test scheduled before the 16th... 

WHY they waited??? I've been a patient there for over 2 years, and it's all over my medical records. I will be complaining to the office manager. I already expressed my dismay to the nurse, but you could feel the breeze blowing as it went in one ear and out the other. 

I'm not REFUSING to have the test. I'm asking for an ALTERNATIVE, so that I can survive it. 

Raisa and The Collar of Shame...

The Collar of Shame

We tried the "pillow collar" for her, after her spay. She slipped out of that quicker than spit. Well, she's got a lot of hair, and looks bigger than she actually is. 

We didn't want to use the cone, and this was recommended for her. 

She is not happy. This morning, she finally ate and drank some water. She perked up and did sing the Happy Toast Song. We're keeping her home from obedience tomorrow. She'll likely be physically able to go, but as you can see, no bandage. And it's too soon, I think. She can wait a week. Let her relax and heal a bit.

Butterflies are Free...

What kind of butterfly?

And on the cone flowers. I'm not sure which variety this is. But it's cute and prolific. The bees have been back, too. But I haven't been able to get a good shot of them. I may have to pull out the Canon. 

The verbena (hot pink) and butterfly bush are finally blooming. But we need a lot more sun. The butterfly bush would be twice its size if it was out from under the big maple. 

Many of the day lilies are blooming and we are overrun with marigolds. But it's all bright and lovely, so I can't complain too much. 

We may rip out the remaining two rosebushes, which are now all stem-and-thorn and nary a bud on them. 

Yes, I'm still on my quest to make fully half the front yard into a garden. 

The dill has collapsed somewhat. It's in pots, and probably would do better wild, but then it does take over. Anyway, it's all due to the wet. I need to harvest some of that and keep it set aside since the cucumbers are taking their time. 

The Eating Plan...

I know I shouldn't look at the scale. It's a roller coaster for a while and I'm over the "I want to eat EVERYTHING" phase. But today, I've done 2 rounds of Almased shakes. I'm really not horribly hungry, and I need a bit of a kick-start, if only for my own mental health. 

Almased tastes good, especially with non-sweetened chocolate almond milk! And I don't usually use the flax seed, though I do have it. I should probably add it. 

It's not cheap. But it's the only one I've managed to use that doesn't make me feel all bloaty and annoyed. 

I didn't lose the weight I wanted to, before the Florida trip. And I really wanted to lose the weight before the heart procedure. But at any rate, a week of this should be good. It'll give me an incentive, even if I use it twice a day and eat a salad with protein at the end of the day. 

Really, Tennessee??

So this happened... Tennessee, which state TURNED DOWN Medicaid expansion, has a governor who's a blithering idiot. Check out THIS STORY where, in his infinite wisdom, he's decided to have women arrested if they're using drugs while pregnant.

OK, I kind of get that. You're carrying another human being; you need to be careful with drugs, alcohol and tobacco. But hey - here's an idea... Since TN has a large population of under-served women in regard to basic health, women's issues and the like? How about ALLOWING the expanded Medicaid?

Then, maybe, women can learn what most of us who have "real" medical care know: that this is something pretty basic.

But nooooooooooooo - this macho man would rather jail them. No matter that these women will be jailed under his own direction. No matter that this disproportionately nails the poor in his state. 

You gotta be loyal to the party. At any expense. 

Just read the story, please. And thankfully, the ACLU is seeking plaintiffs to challenge this law. 

Again - someone without ovaries making a sweeping decision about those of us who have them. Which brings us to...

Random Picture...

Ok, Random GRAPHIC. And, appropriately, by a woman. This quote by Jane Goodall means a lot to me. 

Read it and tell me what you think. Someone said that perhaps women, being more likely the "nurturers," would have more influence. 

I'm not sure about that. But what I am sure about is that we, as a society, have to take into account our actions. 

We're no longer isolated. We're interconnected to a degree that boggles the mind. What we do has an impact on people. Whether deliberate (like our friend the governor of TN) or not, our actions mean something to someone. 

Whether a family member, a co-worker, the person who bags your groceries, or even the person who cuts you off in traffic.

I'm just as guilty of being frustrated and angry. But I'm trying to just take a breath. Realizing that maybe that person is having a crappy day. Trying to put myself in his or her shoes, so that I can maybe acknowledge what's going on. 

And many times, I fail. I shake my head. I make a judgment, and sometimes that turns into an action. Whether a deliberate action on my part that affects someone -- or an action that affects a complete other person. Because of a judgment I made about someone else. 

It's a difficult task to work on. But it's worth it in the long run.