New dog

To catch up:  Brooke decided that a crocheted nursing shawl would be too hot for Casey.  I crocheted a pineapple patterned one and don't know who to give it to.  Casey was born 4 days after Amelia's birthday.  Bingo died.  Wacha, a stray cat I had for a short time, had to be euthanized.  And Jim and I adopted Yorkie selected by everyone but me.  (Jim and I had a discussion about whether or not I am a spiteful person and agreed that I do carry grudges.  Ya think?  If one carries grudges does that mean one is spiteful?)

I think we are calling the little 8 year old dog Pooch.  We are both concerned that she doesn't seem to relate to either of us.  She has accepted the bed I gave her, with some cunning encouragement, but now all she does is sleep.  She likes to go outside, loves walks and exploring and sniffing but that's about it.  We have written to her foster mom to see if we can get some insight and guidance.  This is a two week trial period but if she doesn't warm up to us, she may be going back.  Is there such a thing as autism in dogs?

Morning after the holiday

Almost all goals met!  I had just one row of finishing to do on Casey's blanket and I did that yesterday.  Brooke and Ali came and got me for lunch, so I did get to "play" with them.  I didn't get the ends woven into the wash cloths but that is going to happen today.  I haven't watched the Oz movie so that is on today's agenda.

For a variety of reasons, today will be low-key.  (Allergies don't help.)  That's ok.  Yesterday, I put all my crocheting books in my Ravelry library as well as all my hooks.  The oldest booklet I had was dated 1956.  There are actually  a couple of shawl patterns to look at as candidates for Brooke's nursing shawl.  Today I would like to put my stash up and take pictures of what I have and of Casey's blanket. 

Brooke is teaching herself to crochet!  She found a book which has good illustrations of left-handed crocheting and she is off and running.  She showed me the hat she is working on and it looks great!  I introduced her to Ravelry.  She has two patterns for Halloween  costumes:  one is a spider costume, the other is an old lady in a walker!

Coffee finished, news on the TV -- time to get the day started.

Labor Day weekend, post #2: The best laid plans . . .

My big goal today was to go to my first CAL (Crochet Along) at Knit and Caboodle in St. Charles. I cleaned out my crochet bag. (Did I really need all my cotton yarn in there?), put the Claudia yarn I was going to use in it, got my water bottle and set out. As soon as I got to about 50mph, I started hearing a wubba-wubba-wubba sound in the car. The tire pressure light was not on. There was no pull in the steering. Then I remembered hitting the curb while driving home Friday. (How'd that happen?) I figured my front-end alignment was kablooey and it would do neither me nor my car any good to drive all the way to St. Charles, about 25 mi. one way. End of that plan.

So it is back home to put the ballgame on TV (the Cards are ahead at the end of the first inning! Yay!)  I want to finish Casey's blanket today and see if I can get the CAL project started.  Looking over the goals I set on Thursday, I have completed #3 (the watermelon is sweet and delicious), can't do #5, will start the CAL project as next project for #6, finished half of #7, couldn't do #8 (They had other plans) and am doing #9 and #1 at the same time!

1. Finish Casey's car seat blanket
2. Make black bean salad
3. Cut up the watermelon
4. Watch the Oz movie I have from Netflix
5. Join the Crochet Along that begins on Sunday.
6. Figure out which crochet project to start next.
7. Weave in ends on the finished washcloths.
8. Go play with Amelia and Ali on Saturday.
9.  Watch baseball. 
10. Go swimming on Monday.

I am adding  #10 since the pool opens on Monday.  Newly cleaned pool and fresh water!  I should be able to do #3 today and maybe #4.  I should be able to finish #7 also.  It is good to have goals to keep one from being a vegetable.

I'm disappointed about the CAL but maybe I can make it to next week's meeting.

Labor Day Weekend, post #1

The weekend began for me after my Better Balance since I don't have anything scheduled until next Tuesday.  That's a long time to be rudderless.  My biggest challenge in to stay busy and productive and not vegetate in front of the TV.  So:  Goals for the weekend:

1. Finish Casey's car seat blanket
2. Make black bean salad
3. Cut up the watermelon
4. Watch the Oz movie I have from Netflix
5. Join the Crochet Along that begins on Sunday.
6. Figure out which crochet project to start next.
7. Weave in ends on the finished washcloths.
8. Go play with Amelia and Ali on Saturday.
9.  Watch baseball.

This definitely needs additions   I will add more as I think of them.  Now it is time to see if I can get Bingo inside and go to bed.

Lap Cat

A cat on one knee, a tablet on the other, I am attempting to write a blog while watching the Cardinals play Atlanta.  It doesn't look good: 4 - 1 Atlanta.  Hoping for an 8th inning rally.  It could happen.

Today is declutter the house since Nancy comes tomorrow to clean.  I'll be going to Ali's while she cleans to play with Amelia and, maybe get Ali to teach me about Google+.  Right now, I'll wait until the end of the game (unless it goes into extra innings) to slough off the cat and get busy.  I usually break my chores down into little spurts.  It's amazing what you cam accomplish in less than fifteen minutes.  Ask the flylady .  

After all the little jobs are finished, it's back to the baby blanket I've just started.  I bought a pattern through Ravelry that looked so cute that, even though it was rated easy, I was afraid to start it.  Inspired by a  Zen Pencils Poster, I hitched up my big girl panties and started it.  It is easy!  I have two rows finished and am looking forward to more!

 "Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.!

Crocheting

Thanks to Jim for a good (metaphorical) kick in the butt, I have gotten said butt out of the recliner and started to be active again.  My latest "passion" (Jim wants to outlaw this overused word) is crocheting.  It is important to me to be useful.  I discovered  knitting looms in time for Christmas last year and realized I could make hats for newborns.  There are also groups that make hats for seamen.  Newborns need blankets.  There are lot things that can be done. 

For a while, I stopped crocheting because it hurt my hands.  Now, for some reason, it is not.  Yay!  My present goal is presents for Christmas and for Casey, my grandson who is due on November 8 (assuming he can read a calendar.  It is pretty dark where he is.). 

I have also used crocheting as a way to get some socializing.  Today, I went to a 2 hour workshop on getting the most out of Ravelry, the amazing website for knitters, crocheters and other fabric fanatics.  Because of that, I was unable to join an every-other-week crochet group that meets in Kirkwood.  I signed up for two groups at Knitorious but was unable to go to them after my attempt to go to middle earth.  (I fell after stepping in the open air return register in the floor.  Owie!)  Anyway, you get the point, fiber people like to get together.

If you want to check me out on Ravelry, I am Carolstl.  More later.

I was lying in bed feeling sorry for myself last night and thought about the people in my "Better Balance" class and how they deal with the limitations of pain and aging.  I know what Cleo would say.  She is a lovely, gracious woman with a walker in about her late seventies.  She just got out of a two day stay in the hospital for a urinary track infection.  She was glad she was around people who cared about her and didn't let her go to her apartment to lie down when her symptoms presented (they are different for us old folks).  She is sweet and kind and counts her blessings.  She doesn't lament that she has to use a walker; she is glad she can walk.

So what if I am almost housebound.  I have a house--one that is cozy, warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  So what that there are things I can't do well.  I have family and friends who help me and sufficient funds to hire help when they can't.  I have lots of "cans" and "haves" in my life and really very few "can'ts" and "have nots".

I've always thought that I'd like to be gracious and grow old gracefully.  I want to be like Cleo when I grow up.