Greetings for the great Wind Bowl of California; I’d wave, but I’d best hold on to this tree so I don’t blow away! Thanks to the remnants of a Philippine typhoon, we’ve had an early taste of winter this past week~ a drop in temperatures, driving rain, & of course, gale-force winds taking down trees all over. No major damage around the garden~ fences & furniture is intact, though the remains of the cucumbers & green peppers were flattened.

I’m beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel work-wise; I’ve been working weekends for a couple months, but quarter-end & escheat reporting should be wrapped up in the next week, and my CEO told me that they are finally ready to hire a new accounting manager. YIPPEE!!! I doubt they will find and train someone by my next vacation (the week after Christmas), but it’s a relief to know I’ll have some help & backup in the future.

Good news on the Jessica front as well; instead of being homeless, she is now living & working back in San Jose. She was able to get on with Safe*way, at a brand new store near where she is living; the money is modest, but better than unemployment & it’s a union job with full benefits after her probation period. She seems to have lucked into a good roommate for a change, an “older” woman with a daughter away at college, so she’s being mothered & looked after~ or at least as much as she will allow (goodness knows where that independent streak came from!) We are fostering Violet the Cat again, but the transition has been a bit quieter this time; it only took a month for her to start joining us in the living room in the evenings, perched on tip-toe in my lap.

Chris is still working most weekends, but not the crazy-excessive hours of summer, so we’ve managed to slip away for a couple adventures over the past month (which I’ll be sharing shortly). This past Monday was a holiday for me & he had the day off, having worked the weekend; we lucked out big-time, scoring half-priced tickets for the King Tut exhibit at the De Young Museum in San Francisco. We had the first entry at 9:00 am, & actually had the gallery all to ourselves for about 15 minutes~ we had quiet & room to enjoy the gorgeous artifacts without bumping elbows or fussing children. We were done in just over an hour, since the rest of the museum is closed on Mondays, & took a leisurely hour stroll around the Botanical Gardens & Arboretum pausing for a picnic snack, & to watch one of the many tai chi groups practicing in the park. Since the rain was threatening to start, we headed back towards home before noon, stopping off for lunch at Mimi’s Café; a restful day was capped off by a quiet nap with the cats & grilled cheese sandwiches for supper.

Time to sign off & pay attention to my novel, before it has to go back to the library on Tuesday; this is how I know I’ve been working too much~ I’ve only read 8 books since June!

Psst! Psst!

I’m over here, behind the big rose bush.

Yes, I know it’s weird, but this is the only hiding place they haven’t been able to find.

Who are they? You know, the people at that place that necessity dictates I spend 40+ hours a week, doing my juggling act to keep the wheels turning.

Yes, those people, the ones that don’t understand the words “No, it’s time to go home!”

So let me fill you in before the guards are sent out to drag me back to my desk.

b   I had a great time at Stitches West; the Fair Isle tam course was well worth the cost- I picked up some new skills, cool short-cuts, & the desire to try more, & the instructor was wonderful- equal part informative, entertaining, & instructive. Friday afternoon I met up with my friend, did a little browsing thru the Marketplace, then checked into our room before heading down for a wonderful buffet dinner in the hotel restaurant & joining the scores of knitters taking over the bar & lobby. Saturday, we had a leisurely breakfast & checked out, before heading into the Marketplace at 10:00 am. I stuck to my resolve, only looking during my first complete walk-through, stopped for a break to watch the fashion show & rest my feet, met up with my Friday night knitting group for lunch, then back to the booths that held my treasures. I even stayed in budget, buying only 3 skeins of yarn, one pattern, a small Fibersphere, & some stitch markers!

b   Sam did make the Tennis team, earning the 1^st varsity doubles rank & 6^th overall, but his eligibility is a touch precarious, since he’s been lax about keeping up with his Algebra 2 homework (can we say “senoritis”?) & is currently failing. He has already played 3 pre-season matches, winning 3 out of 5, & will have his first regular season game on Tuesday. He’s still tired but has been (surprisingly) mature & sensible about his schedule- he spoke with his sensei & is taking a break from teaching karate (unless needed as a back-up) & will only run the sound for youth every other week until school is over (10 weeks & counting!)

b   Had a couple local adventures~ went back to Scottish country dancing class for the first time in over a year & was pleasantly surprised that I still have my muscle memory (if not my stamina, but that will return in time); had a girl’s night at a friend’s last Saturday- homemade potato soup, fresh bread, nibbles, sparkling cider, & - what else- knitting project show & tell; took a vacation day & went on the annual Garden Club nursery crawl- didn’t find much in the way of plants, but it was a gorgeous day outside- & you know what they say: “A bad day at the nursery is better than a good day at the office anytime!”

b   Lastly, a “God is in control” story: Chris had a staff meeting last Friday & his hours have been cut to 32 per week for a least a month, probably longer. This was somewhat unexpected, as they have had more work to get done before the season opens then they had time or people to complete it, but who ever said corporate is logical. Anyway, we currently have money in savings, which was earmarked for buying an older pickup (think big & cheap) as an extra vehicle for Sam to use & rate him on for car insurance purposes (both our cars are still being financed), but priorities are what they are. Here’s where it gets interesting: Saturday morning, we received a long overdue refund from our insurance company, which ended up being $200 more then we expected- the total was enough to cover the shortage for one month & set aside some money for Sam’s Senior Prom in April. Then, Sunday afternoon, just as we were heading out for a walk in the lovely Spring-like weather, Chris’ cell phone rang; it was KJ, the woman who owns the horse training facility & had hired Chris last spring to do various jobs on the property. He hadn’t heard from her since August, when he recommended some part-time laborers since he was too busy at work to help out anymore; she was calling to beg him to come back to do some work & supervising for her, as she was going back into the hospital for hip replacement surgery. He went out that afternoon, & says she has enough work to keep him busy one day a week for at least a month, maybe more- which will cover one more month of short hours. Wait~ it gets better! Our state income tax refund (the first we’ve had in 3 years) was finally released by the cash-strapped controller’s office yesterday- another month’s makeup money is in the bank!

Rats!

They found me~ back to the grindstone.

Only 11 weeks until vacation.

*sigh*

My garden is peaceful; each day, we’re a little less heart-sad, the girls are a little less confused, and the new routine becomes more comfortable. I was prepared for this parting and I am able to rejoice, both for the fourteen years we had together, and that I was sitting with Daisy, stroking her ear, as she was released from her frail, failing body. The hardest part was seeing Sam, halfway between man and child, sobbing as he dug the hole and laid her down to rest with a little bundle of rosemary for remembrance.

ö ö ö

Evidence of Spring is popping up around here; our tree is beginning to bud (having only dropped its last leaves a couple weeks ago), bulbs are blooming in the backyard, and Sam is in the midst of tennis tryouts. We don’t see a lot of him these days; he’s at practice until 5:30 or 6:00 every evening, comes flying in long enough to swap gear and grab a sandwich before heading to karate or church (not only is he teaching twice a week at his dojo, he has been running the sound board for youth services for a few months now), then home around 9:00 to do homework before collapsing facedown on his bed. The final roster is to be posted soon and he’s fairly confident he’ll make the team, but I still remember the shock and sting of being cut in favor of coach’s paying students last year; even though there is a new coach (thank goodness- I don’t think I could have been polite) and Sam is one of only 2 seniors trying out, I had to remind him not to take anything as given until the list is up and fees paid.

< = < = <

Work is still taking up too much of my time and energy, but I will be escaping for a few days- the annual Stitches West convention kicks off on Thursday evening and I’m heading over for two days of fiber fun. Friday, I’m taking an all-day technique class, Fair Isle Tams, which I’m very excited about, staying over at the hotel with my friend Felted Hare to knit and nosh, and then meeting up with our knitting group Saturday for Market shopping. Now that our LYS has officially closed, this will be an opportunity to stock up on quality yarn and scope out new ideas in one place. It is hard to convey the size of the Marketplace; there are literally hundreds of vendors from all over the country, filling their booths with a dizzying assortment of yarn, roving, tools, patterns, gadgets- a knitters’ Nirvana- too bad the State of California has not seen fit to release my income tax return yet (oh-oh, don’t get me started!)

M J K L M

Well, my boss is gone & I’ve made it through my first end-of-month close on time & with my sanity intact (mostly) - now I get to enjoy a day of rest to catch up. First thing on the list (after a shower, breakfast, & reading the paper) is to catch up with my blog friends.

Vacation was blessedly quiet & uneventful; I kept up a rigorous routine:

1.      Sleep until 7:30 or 8:00

2.      Eat

3.      Do one errand

4.      Eat

5.      Nap

6.      Read

7.      Eat

8.      Watch TV & Knit

9.      Bed by 10:00

The weather cooperated with this stringent schedule, by being staying cold, wet, & stormy, so I was never tempted to deviate from my regime of sloth.

Jessica ended up spending a couple days with us for the holidays; the guys drove down Christmas Eve to pick up, while I stayed home to cook dinner~ ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, corn muffins, & picked up my favorite pumpkin pie from Costco. We invited the guys- Jerry & Don- over & had a great evening, eating, laughing & sharing stories.

While she was here, Jess asked me to show her how to knit; evidently, she met a group of knitters that gets together at a coffee shop close to her apartment & has developed the itch to play with yarn.

She caught on pretty quickly, finishing an 18” practice piece in the first day; I think if she sticks with it & is willing to ask for help from her group, she’ll develop the knack. After binding off her practice piece, she wondered aloud what she should do with it; as a lark, she draped it across our old lady Daisy’s shoulders as she waddled by. Surprisingly, an hour later, Daisy was still wearing it, so we sewed a big button on one end & she now sports an original designed Cat-Shawl.

I sent her home with several sets of needles, enough yarn for a couple small projects, & a beginner’s book for inspiration. I’ve written about my own need to create, what it means to my life & sanity; it’s my prayer that Jess finds that for herself.

It was a “Knitter’s Christmas” for me this year; the guys got me Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s new book Free-Range Knitter: The Yarn Harlot Writes Again, two gift certificates to the local yarn store, & handmade yarn swift. What is a yarn swift, you ask?

It’s a tool to wind hanks of yarn- which are difficult to knit from without tangling- into more manageable center pull balls.

I found some photos of a tabletop model that I saw at Stitches last year, so the guys put their heads together, raiding their collective stashes of scavenged materials, & created this collapsible swift out of solid oak. The funny part was- they all rushed over here on Christmas afternoon, so they could watch me use it for the first time; even though they had built it, none of the men could figure out what I was going to do with it- but now they’re already tweaking the design & planning some improvements J

I had best get going; we’re having dinner with some friends tonight & I need to fix something for to take for dessert. I hope your New Year has been shaping up nicely- so far, so good around here- & I’ll leave you with a few random photos from Christmas.

Three good nights of sleep, a very enjoyable Christmas caroling party with some friends & the prospect of seven lovely days without any commitments has restored my equilibrium. Thank you for all the well wishes & prayers sent on my behalf~ I felt your care & love lift me back up.

There was no one catastrophic episode, but lots of smaller troubling events which all happened within a couple of days; two of my children had relationship meltdowns, while the third told me about his new 19 yo girlfriend with the 4 month old baby; Sam flunked one of his “easy” classes; Jess isn’t making enough to pay her rent & learned she has to move again after only a month; Chris has been sharing his fears about the work situation with his mom, who proceeded to fill me in on both his anxieties as well as her own; my direct supervisor gave her two week notice, so everyone is looking to me to take up the slack (not an option); my coworker’s husband got laid off his job, after they lost their home this summer~ consoling her has aggravated all fears with which I struggle.

Distance & reflection has helped; I find that my situation is more secure, the winter weather has brought a spike in bookings for Chris’ company & short staffing problems gives him plenty of work for the next few weeks, & my kids…well, they’ll have to figure out their own lives.

Before I head off for an eye exam, I want to share a photo of the goodies I received in the Christmas Swap sponsored by Becca; the jewelry & scrapbook embellishments were created by White Hot Magik & I am impressed by her talent & artistry. I wore the necklace & earrings to the party the other evening & received several compliments, so I passed on her website address, www.TheFlyDragon.esty.com.

**History**

Weakness with some atrophy after fall on outstretched hand in April 2008. Normal x-ray

**Technique**

T1 and T1 fat-sat axial, sagittal and coronal

**Findings**

Bone marrow signal shows signal changes and irregularity involving the capitellum and its articular surface. This could be posttraumatic. It is involving the midposterior aspect of the capitellum. It does not appear to be acute. The rest of the bone marrow signal is normal.

The signal for the biceps tendon, brachialis tendon, and the triceps tendon is normal. Signal for the surrounding musculature is normal.

I think the medial and lateral collateral complexes, as well as the conjoined flexor and extensor tendons are normal. I do not see any fluid collections, tears or tendinosis.

**Impression**

Signal changed and suggestion of mild fragmentation of the articular surface of the capitellum and flattening suggestive of ischemic necrosis. This could represent Tanner’s.

 We’ve suffered through another wave of 100°+ temperatures, so the garden is looking particularly bedraggled right now; nothing but cherry tomatoes are producing, but I see lots of mini bell peppers coming on, the lemon tree has set a good crop of fruit (which won’t be ready until maybe March), some of the grapes are beginning to blush, & my three lone sunflowers burst into song, then quickly faded away.

I’m already plotting another Fall/Winter garden (pun intended); I’m going to skip the cabbage this time, but I would like to try the cold weather tomatoes again, as well as lettuce, spinach, peas, carrots, onions, & broccoli. It’s also time to divide the bulbs & plant some new ones- I’d like to put in some iris along with more daffodils & tulips.

Work is again taking too much of my time; I’m back to working on Saturdays (just a couple of hours) for the foreseeable future (more state mandated reporting which I’m trying to preempt before the October 31st deadline) & then Friday, the teller I cover for at lunchtime had to have emergency surgery to remove her gall bladder. Chaos naturally ensued (remember, we are already down one teller due to “budget” cuts), particularly when I steadfastly refused to “volunteer” to cover her 3 days a week in addition to my regular duties. Yes, I know- I’m a bad person, not a team player, inconsiderate of the company’s welfare, yadda-yadda-yadda.

Oh well.

Fire me.

Please.

I dare you.

I double-dog dare you.

I didn’t think so.

Ravelympics are jogging along; I’ve finished my hat (that’s the brown-on-brown swirl pattern below), two dishcloths, two of three cat toys, & have only 40 rows left on the last sock. I probably won’t get through with the last two dishcloths, but I only threw those in at the last minute, just in case (well, you know the team is called “Overly Ambitious”).

In a totally unrelated event, I went back to the doctor about my elbow. It has been nearly 5 months since I fell, & I’m still have limited range of motion & swelling in that arm. He was a bit concerned at the continued inflammation & booked me for an MRI, then off to the orthopedic specialists for consultation. I had the MRI on Monday afternoon & the results will be available to the doctor next week, but I don’t have an appointment with orthopedics until September 23^rd; after Monday, I’ll be calling every day to look for any cancellations (Kais*er doesn’t do waiting list call backs.) Anyway, it was an interesting experience; the only things I removed were my shoes; I laid facedown on the table, stretched my arm out above my head, & the tech placed a mini-machine around the elbow region; he gave me earplugs & a pillow for my head, then rolled me inside the big scanner. It took about 15 minutes altogether, & although it was pretty loud & startling in the beginning, I found the rhythmic sounds soothing enough to doze off.

It’s official.

I can no longer deny the inevitable.

Sam is a senior in high school.

My baby!

I gave him his class ring- it’s huge & it fits his man-mitts.

When did that happen?

He talks freely about his plans, which I’ve had a few months to get use to but am still ambivalent about:

-2 years at the local community college, studying Criminal Justice

-Into the Navy for a minimum 4 years stretch

-Apply to the Police Academy while finishing a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice on the GI Bill

My boy wants to be a police officer.

I am equally proud & terrified; the truth is, it makes sense for him.

Doesn’t mean I have to like it.

To quote Aunt Mame- Why did I ever get him those damn long pants?

Sigh

The food in my bowl

Is old, and more to the point

Is anyone else having as much trouble as I am getting back into the swing of things after the long weekend?

We were spectacularly lazy the past few days (well, at least Sam & I were- Chris worked most of it, but did have Friday off) & I find myself less than motivated to do any kind of sustained mental activity. Sam thinks it is the combination of heat (108° today) & the return of the smoke-filled air; I think it’s simply a relaxation hangover.

Chris got home at a reasonable time Thursday evening- especially considering he had driven into work instead of taking the commuter bus, & had to deal with the holiday commute traffic- & since the boy had gone off to a friend’s for the night, we decided to go out for dinner, the first time in literally months. We tried a new place that opened up a couple months ago, Famous Dave’s BBQ; the side dishes were great, the entrees good, but not outstanding- for the price, I’d prefer Texas Roadhouse. We watched one of the DVDs I got from Net*flix, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, before heading off for an early night.

Before you ask, no- Chris did not wake me up to watch the hot air balloon launch this year (you know Mama doesn’t do 5:00am- last year was a fluke! )  In fact, he missed it all together; when I got up at 7:30, he was face down on top of the comforter, snoring like a band saw. It was just as well, because the launch ended up being cancelled due to wind gusts & a chance of thunderstorms.

It was very atypical weather for the 4th of July; it only got up to 85 here, after the clouds burned off (last year, it topped out at 115°), & the coast was fogged in most of the day. We considered going into San Francisco for the fireworks at Fishermen’s Wharf, or even over to Jack London Square in Oakland, but no one could muster the energy or enthusiasm. I made an early visit to the gym to ride the bike & over to the store for provisions, but spent the rest of the day at home, doing a little yard work, napping, & watching the NCIS marathon & the Capital Fourth on PBS. We didn’t even go over to the high school to watch the fireworks, though our new neighbors did their level best to recreate the show in the front yard; poor Poppy & Dahlia couldn’t figure out which way to hide- they really dislike the noise.

Saturday & Sunday was more of the same; one trip out for necessities, lounging around reading or watching movies, a bit of knitting, napping, & work on my Garden Club presentation. Sam had a friend over, so they camped out in the study, playing video games, & I actually cooked: breakfast-for-lunch, with gingerbread pancakes, bacon, & fresh fruit, & stir-fried chicken with vegetables & soba noodles for dinner.

Well, I’d best get back to work~ Wednesday is the Garden Club meeting & I need to finish my outline, collect some samples for visual aids, & print some handouts. I decided to go with a general overview of Home Composting, focusing on low tech, low cost equipment for the small home gardener.

Yeah, I know~ yawn....

I haven’t seen this movie yet (don’t know if I will, because you know I only like happy endings) but the Apron Queen has challenged me to think about my personal “Bucket List”~ you know, the things you want to do before it’s your time to meet our Maker.

I’ve not led an adventurous life~ far from it actually, due mostly to my natural inclinations toward safety & comfort~ but I have been blessed with opportunities to experience some of what this wide, wonderful world has to offer & that has whetted my appetite for new experiences. 

After careful consideration & endless revision, here is my list (subject to change & update at the whim of the Gardener):

C      Own my own home

C      Finish my Bachelor’s Degree

C      Buy a brand new, straight from the factory car, just the way I want it

C      Learn to speak basic Italian

C      Play the mandolin

C      Paint watercolors landscapes

C      Sing torch songs in front of an audience

C      Take a cruise to Alaska

C      Travel across Canada by train

C       Spend a month in Scotland & the Isles

C       Take a walking tour of English gardens

C       Stay overnight in a castle

C       Join in a sing along at an Irish pub (preferably in Ireland)

C       Travel to New Zealand

C       Take a cooking school vacation in the Umbria region of Italy

C       Kiss my husband at the top of the Eiffel Tower

C       See the Pyramids

C       Wear a size 12 (or smaller) again

C       Have a tummy tuck- I want to see my toes again

C       See my children get married

C       Watch at least one child or grandchild graduate from college

C       Hold my great grandchild

Hmm, from the look of things, my ambitions will keep me from ever being in #1; since I will invariably add to the list as I manage to check things off, let’s just hope I am granted enough time (not mention energy & financial resources) to work my way through the inventory.

So, tell me, what is on your list?

Stick a fork in me~ I’m done!

Well, maybe not exactly done

More like “Buried at a reasonably manageable & familiar level, lower than in the past 8 weeks.”

You know, ankle high instead of neck deep.

At least until October- but I’m not going to think about that right now.

So, what have I been up to, since I have obviously not been investing much brain activity around the Garden?

Work, mostly~ you know, that J-O-B one is forced to attend, in order to write legally negotiable checks for bills & such. The chi around the office got seriously out of whack- right in the middle of some heavyweight state-mandated reporting deadlines (which naturally fall on me), we lost three employees in as many weeks, one of them from my already minuscule accounting department (& no replacement on the horizon- ugh). Workload has trebled while we try to regroup, so I’ve been putting in late days & several weeks of Saturday work time to get on top of things. This past one was brutal- we were in the midst of triple-digit temperatures when the A/C in my office either couldn’t keep up anymore, or simply gave up; since I needed access to all the programs & files on my computer, I ended up working for 6 hours in +90°, with an ice pack on my neck & frozen water bottles under my feet.

It wasn’t a pretty sight by the end of the afternoon- but I’m done with Saturdays for a while.

So, why didn’t I come by to write you all in the evenings or on the weekend (what was left of it, that is)?

Because I couldn’t face any more time in front of the computer.

Because I didn’t seem to have the ability to string together cognitive sentences.

Because I was looking at a backlog of home projects that really needed my attention.

Because I was feeling lazy & unmotivated.

However, I am done with that also.

Well, maybe not the backlog of projects- that never ends.

Oh, and the lazy part- that’s pretty constant, too.

Nevertheless, as I am creeping up on my second Blogversary this week, I feel a renewed need to invest part of my self- my time, my creativity, my personality- in this little cyber-garden of friends.

Okay, enough mushy stuff~ read a fortune cookie & I’ll catch you later.

Yes, I am a little blue today~ I had a really-and-truly senior moment yesterday.

As you know, Chris left for Colorado two weeks ago & was expected home last night . I took a half-day off work, going to the gym, grocery store, & then home to start dinner~ a rare occurrence. After putting the country ribs in the marinade & cracking the last of the crab, I took a nap (oh, what luxury!) before going for my hair appointment, leaving a short list of clean up tasks for Sam.

We had everything grilled & ready by 7:00 pm~ I had fresh asparagus & a big pitcher of ice tea to go along with dinner, turned on the A/C & fans to make it comfortable (it got up to 98° yesterday), & sat down to wait. By 8:00, I was beginning to wonder about the traffic  & told Sam to go ahead & eat; at 8:30, I was thinking either the plane crashed  & the airline hadn’t got around to calling families yet , or he stopped in at work, started talking, & forgot the time. So, at 8:45, I get up to call his cell phone  & glance at the itinerary hanging on the calendar.

His flight was scheduled to land at 5:28 pm.

Today.

Not Wednesday.

When I told Sam, he chuckled kindly & said “Really? Cool~ I’m claiming his ribs.”

No jokes about my age, eyesight, or mental shortcomings.

You know, he’s always been my favorite.

Oh, my!

Has it really been a week since I last posted?

It hasn’t been due to vacation or general laziness, really.

No, this is the real culprit:

Pretty, isn’t it? Chris has taken to calling me TC- for Technicolor K. You know what else? I didn't even hit my elbow when I fell; I stepped on the rock & pitched forward, landing on one knee & my hands- my face was protected because I had my sling backpack in front of me (I was trying to fish out my camera). I didn't even hit that hard, but it was just enough to pop out the left elbow.  

When Chris went to the desk to get an ice bag, the staff leaped into action, arranging for a doctor to come to the hotel & sending up a huge basket of fruit, Rondele cheese, crackers, & a bottle of Shiraz. The doctor said my elbow most likely wasn’t broken, but only x-rays would tell for certain; since I didn’t want to spend several hours at an emergency room “just in case”, he wrapped it well, left a prescription for pain medication & instructions to see my personal physician when I got home.

Fortunately, a little incident like being mugged by a rock didn’t keep us from enjoying the rest of our stay in DC. We did drive over to the Jefferson & FDR Memorials that evening, walking around taking some evening shots, then went for BBQ & ice cream.

Wednesday was an absolutely gorgeous day. I was up early again (having not slept particularly well) to get a spot in line for a tour of the Capital- this worked out much better than the previous day J; afterwards, we went to the National Botanic Garden (right across the street) & down the road to the Air & Space Museum for the rest of the afternoon. We had dinner at an Italian place near the hotel, and then settled in for a long soak & a movie on TV.

We headed home on Thursday; it was another long day, with 2 delayed flights- we arrived at the house after 1:00 am (3 ½ hours late), much to the surprise & delight of the cats. It was a struggle to get to sleep, since all three of them were up on the beds, trying to get as close as possible, & Dahlia kept waking me up by tickling my face with her whiskers.

I’ve seen my doctor & had x-rays- everything is fine, just ugly looking. We had a wonderfully lazy weekend; Sam spent the night with a friend & OD’d on video games, while Chris worked in the yard, mowing & planting, & I held down my recliner in the living room. Just in case you were wondering- yes, I can knit, albeit a little slowly & gingerly.

The guys went back to the grind this morning- I’ll be off a couple more days until the swelling goes down a bit more & I regain some range of motion. Although I’m right-handed, I found I use my left hand more than I thought- typing has been a challenge & there won’t be any lifting for a while- but I plan on going in Wednesday, if only to direct traffic while others fetch & carry for me.

Hmmm~ I think I could get use to that.

Spring Greetings from meg’s garden

I pray you each find the hope & promise of the new season

Get out & dig in the dirt, even if it’s only a pot of herbs to put in your window for now

We are off this afternoon for a week in the Nation’s Capital. I am unsure of the availability of the Internet where we are staying, let alone the time to write any entries, so if you don’t hear from me, trust I will be back in Blogland real soon, with lots of things to share.

Have a blessed Easter; we will be celebrating Resurrection Sunday at the National Cathedral & I will be thinking of you.