there is a light at the end of the tunnel and hopefully it is not a train

Last night Jill and the girls spent the night at their house and all went well.  We have agreed that she will spend one night there and one night here for the next little while.  Last night I went to bed at 8:30 and got up at 9:30 this morning. I had a really good sleep but was so stiff I could hardly move.

I actually got some knitting done this morning. The other day  I found a sweater coat in the second hand shop for $5.00. It is wool and acrylic but has a really nice feel.  I dismantled it and am knitting "The Tea Leaves Cardigan" by Melissa LaBarre, for me.  I have almost finished my Adult Surprise Jacket,  just have to finish the sleeves.  Wonder of wonders I may get to wear it before the weather is too warm.

The girls are back now and the baby is checking everything out as usual.  Shelby split take-out food all over the living room carpet with the help of the baby.  As Shelby said " FORTUNATELY we have the dogs."  So much for Charlie's diet.

This is it for today due to a rather non-functioning brain. 

A GRANDMOTHER EXCHANGE PROGRAM

Well my DGD who is fascinated with Japan wants to find a Grandmother Exchange Program with Japan.  That way she can have a Grandmother to teach her Japanese and I can learn to make very fancy Kimonos.
Her plan is that I make these kimonos and sell them for $3,000 each to raise enough money so we can all go to Japan. After that she is planning on Disney Land.  I apparently don't have any say in this...............
Yesterday I took all the Girls to their Neighbour's house and I went to a retirement party.  Margaret picked me up and then the sneaky woman paid for my drinks and e had a great time and laughed and laughed and laughed..............

THE DOG ATE MY MORPHINE

Well I haven't blogged in the last month because my life has been too hectic.  One of my Girlfriends had a heart attach, Jill had her surgery and she and the girls have moved in.  We now have Bill, Myself, Jill with here broken chest (the surgery was a success), a ten year old with ATTITUDE , a eight month old Drama Queen, an older cocker spaniel and a 9 month old puppy.
Both the baby and the puppy are teething ........................ the baby likes to chew the dog toys and the puppy likes to chew things like Bill's $150 Cpac mask, my inhaler, Anul Likeit, computer cords.  We have a kennel to put the dog in but she managed to open the zippers so we closed them with safety pins ....................... she managed to open the pin .......................... the paper clip got bent open ....................... this was the time she chewed Jill's pill bottle with her time released morphine.  We came home to find the mess................. vomit on the carpet ................. a very subdued puppy and 13 missing pills.  Fortunately she threw up and got rid of most of the medication but it was a couple of days before she was back to her bouncey self.
Today was "Take Jill to appointments day" so we put the dog in the kennel and padlocked it shut.............. after all the appointments we came home to find the puppy had torn the mesh windows on the kennel and again was free to roam and chew.

My Quilting is not progressing at all and my knitting very little.................... oh oh baby calling

update

Well Sharon has been after me again to update this blog.  I really do have a good reason for not blogging.  Every morning Jill arrives with the baby ( and Shelby if it is the weekend).  I have been helping her with the baby so she can get some rest as her heart problem makes her very tired.  The surgery is now booked for March 15th.  This is the third appointment she has been given so "third time lucky" ....................  right. I spent a lot of time on the phone with the hospital booking clerk to no avail but I know have a better idea how the system doesn't work ................. the problem with this date is that I will have to miss the quilting retreat as Jill will be home with us and will need major help with the baby.  I can live with this as long as it means Jill is better.
Then Shelby comes home from school sick..........  sore throat, runny nose, cough ................... and wonder of wonders she shared it with her Mother and the baby.  Now I have sick family coming everyday and things are going okay until Friday.  I wake up with a sore throat.............. then the baby is so sick she can't hardly cry.  Bill who worries more than Jill and I wanted the baby to go to emergency.      So guess who goes to emergency ................if you thought it was Bill YOU ARE WRONG............  the girls refuse to allow him to go to emergency with them.   He is sure his family member's condition is more serious than anyone else so he grabs the first Dr he sees and demands they  look at his family member first.

So 4 hours in emergency on a Friday night to find out what Jill and I knew in the first place..................  the baby has a head cold. Mind you it was nice to have our thoughts confirmed.............. isn't it always but it would have been nice if it hadn't taken FOUR HOURS.
So now we are all sick except Bill. Hopefully he won't get it because he is really miserable when he is sick .................... in more ways than one.

One of the other things that happened is a long time  friend of mine had a heart attack. She was in hospital for 3 or 4 days then decided she should go home even though the Dr.  wanted her to stay one more day............. Next morning her DH had to take her back into emergency where they kept her over night.  I am  still annoyed with her for not taking better care of herself.

THE ROOM
Jill and I have been working on the ROOM with help for Dottie one day and it is starting to look like I may actually be able to sew in there. Still have to clear off the cutting table and the sewing machine table. There is also a few things on the floor that need a home............................ somewhere I am sure there is a place for them. The problem is that it may not be in this house...........

My Adult Surprise Jacket is progressing but is still not finished.   I had to dye some more yarn for it but it is getting close to finished so I keep working away at it.  I will probably get it done just in time for spring when it is too warm to wear the Jacket........
Well that;s it for today other than I am going to have to miss knitting tonight at the Pool Hall.

 

Parcel in the mail

I received my Sock Scrimmage parcel today from Susan, member of "Society of Knitting".  Along with the lovely little sock there was a skein of yarn in Turquoise, candy,  and two cute bird buttons.  It came in a Quaker Oats container as their mascot was the man on the box.
This is Elizabeth in the hat I made her.  Shelby says it looks like a old homeless lady's hat.  Elizabeth seems to like it so that is what matters.

Can you believe it

I am posting again..................... what is that .................... 3 days this week???  Anyone in shock out there?  Went to knitting last night and took the camera so I could get photos of Gail and I working on each others wee socks for Sock Scrimmage.  Took the last photo today just before I mailed it off to Susan in Oregon.  Bill even knit 11 stitches for me.  He had never knit before and the very small needles were a challenge but he caught on quickly.  This Sock Scrimmage has been fun, rather like a scavenger hunt.




   This is Bill knitting on my wee sock.  His hands are so big they almost engulf the needles.


Gail knitting on my wee sock. That is Tammy giggling beside her and in the background is Gladys.  We haven't seen her in so long we told her we weren't sure  we even remembered her!!!!!!
 That is Gail's wee sock that I am finishing and Dotty is giggling in the background.   There was a lot of giggling going on but I don't remember why.
t Sharon (in red) and Laura both knitting socks.  That is Kathy in the background.
 The above photos are from Knit Night at the Pool Hall last night.  Below is my wee sock at the Port office just before I mailed it.

Clever me ................ I forgot to take a photo of just the sock for my records.  Maybe I can re-size the one from the Post Office.

Most days Jill comes over in the mornings after she drops Shelby off at school.  If we are not up she will make the coffee for me. This morning she made coffee  and brought me a cup when it was ready but it was really, really weak.................................... like there was a faint hint of coffee and it looked like tea............... She forgot to put the coffee in the pot, just filled up the water and turned the machine on. I think things are getting to her. At 10:00  she went off for her appointment at the Lab to get the Holter monitor put on. She wears it for 24 hours and keeps track of her activities.  This will tell them if she has any atrial fibrillation.  The surgeon wants to know this as he can do something about it when she has her open heart surgery next month. Elizabeth stayed with me and we had a good time.  She laughs now and it is a lovely sound. For a change the baby went to sleep very easily just before Jill came back. Jill opens the door ................ Lita starts barking...............Charlie and Princess join in ............................  baby is NO LONGER ASLEEP. ........................ Fortunately we didn't have Bill yellin "SHUT UP "as loud as he can.I am not sure why he continues to do this as the dogs don't listen and he has just increased the noise level a million decibels ( I am sure that is the right number ........... no exaggeration ).  Shortly after this Bill got up and went out;  Jill and Elizabeth left; I went to the Post Office and then came home to nap.

Naps are such a lovely luxury and I can have one when ever I want.................... well almost when ever I want.

SNOW

Well we had 2-3 inches of snow last night but then it started raining and we now have slush.  It is so disappointing as I didn't get to do any sledding. On the other hand it means the Gals will come to knitting tonight.  Usually the lower mainland shuts down if we get any amount of snow because most people don't seem to know how to drive in the type of snow we get (wet and very slippery).

 Terry Fox statue in front of the Terry Fox Library in Port Coquitlam,BC

Update on the Wee Sock Scrimmage:- I have a photo of my sock with a local landmark and a stranger.
I still have a few more photos to post for extra points.

Just an update about the Poopy day, that evening Shelby phoned me to say her Mum was throwing up and would I come over.  Jill was fine when I arrived but I stayed for a while and went home about 9:00.

Jill was planning on weaning the baby before her heart surgery but the baby is weaning herself.  She hates to go to sleep and connects breast feeding with going to sleep because Jill lies down with her to nurse when Elizabeth is sleepy.  She also doesn't like it when you lay her down on your lap or in your arms. She gets mad and just screams........................... who would think a six month old would have a temper like that.