We're All Home Now

David and I are back from our weekend in Portland, and A.J. is home after his visit with the vet.

On Friday morning David and I took the Amtrak Cascades to Portland to visit Frank and John. It had been since Christmas since we saw Frank, and John last visited in February. Too long, but everyone is so busy. The train ride was so relaxing and we enjoyed the scenery. David loved the idea of not having to drive in the horrible traffic, and he is a train buff so the trip was a treat for him.

We caught up with Frank and John on Friday night for dinner and to watch the Trailblazer basketball game. Rachel, Frank's girlfriend joined us. We really enjoyed meeting her. The boys had barbequed steaks, baked potatoes, salad and garlic bread. Rachel brought strawberry shortcake. We ate REAL good. The game was interesting. They lost, but John provided entertainment with his coaching (I do the same with the Mariners). We had a good time, lots of good food, and of course, good company. I also did my best to provide entertainment by banging a toe on the door jam. Never a dull moment. The boys have a nice apartment, and I love the shoe closet. At least they know where to find their shoes.

The pictures above of Frank and Rachel, and of John WERE NOT taken at their apartment. Just want to clarify. The shoes, however, were taken at their apartment.

Saturday was a nice relaxing day. David and I slept in, had breakfast and then walked over to Lloyd Center. I can remember when the Lloyd Center first opened up many, many years ago. Now it is a covered mall and full of the usual shops, which is too bad. Back in the dark ages, the Lloyd Center was an open air mall with many local unique shops. It was a very interesting place to go to. The fresh air was always welcomed after strolling through the large department stores with all of the perfume in the air.

Saturday evening we caught up with Frank and John and went to Harvey's for a comedy show. It was good, and we had some good laughs. Some of the routines were a big raunchy, but on the whole good. After the show we caught up with Rachel and went to Huber's for dinner in downtown Portland. Huber's is Portland's oldest restaurant well known for their turkey dinners. Frank was the only one who had turkey, the rest of us had to be different. After spanish coffees, too much food, and good company, we all parted and said good night.

Sunday John picked us up for lunch and then took us to the train station for the trip back to Seattle. We were lucky enough to have seats on the water side so the view was spectacular.

David and I feel truly blessed to have such wonderful sons, and to have such a good time with them when we are together.

A.J. is back home now after being at the vets since Tuesday. We had him stay with the vet while we were out of town to have them administer his medication and to give him some more time to stablize. He is on prednizone to help him feel better and he is walking and singing as usual. Susan was so kind and went to visit with A. J. while we were gone and it meant a lot to him (he told me so).

A.J. has liver cancer, and it's inoperable. It is an aggressive cancer and we really don't know how much longer he will be with us. All of the doggies are happy he is home, but they do know he is sick. They are being so kind and gentle with him. As long as A.J. can walk and isn't in pain, he is here with us. We love this crazy little dog, even if he is blind, sings, dances, is toothless, and tips over food dishes. All of those little things make him the loveable doggie he is.

Well, it's time for bed and bedtime snuggles for the dogs. Tomorrow is another work day.

TTFN

Sue

Tuesdays

I'm not liking Tuesdays too much right now.

Tuesday the 7th, was a nice day.

Tuesday, the 14th, started out nice enough. After all, it was my 58th birthday and I was feeling just fine. Priscilla and Preeti took me out to lunch to Pabla, an Indian restaurant, and we had a lovely time and good food. A lovely day up to that point. When we got back to lunch, we received a firm wide notice that 38 people had been laid off that morning. Several good friends. Needless to say, last week at work was a bit of a bummer.

David and I traveled over to Edgar's Acres over the weekend, and fortunately the weather was outstanding. We did a lot of work on the garden (I'd show pictures, but left the camera at home), and relaxed.

This week started out fine, beautiful weather, and things at work were much calmer. Then Tuesday the 21st.

A.J. is sick and we don't know what's wrong at this point. Yesterday evening he didn't want to come out of his little house when we got home. He was fine in the morning, and in the afternoon when David came by to see the dogs and let them outside for a bit. Around 9:30 David put him down off of his lap onto the deck and A.J. couldn't walk or stand up. I ran over to pick him up and his neck went rigid and he was ice cold. The only reason we knew he was alive was I could feel his heart beating. With slippers on our feet, David and I drove A.J. over to the emergency vet. By the time we got there A.J. gums and tongue were white and he as really out of it. He stayed at the clinic overnight and is a bit better today. I went and picked him up and transported him to his favorite vet, Dr. Rachel. He's warm, and the color in his gums and tongue are now a light pink. The other dogs are wondering where A.J. is.

I figured since I was at home today and really can't concentrate on anything much (I love my dogs) I'd knit. I'm trying to finish up a sock.

Remember this sock? The one I was bored with?

Well, I kissed it good bye. I decided why knit on something you are (1) bored with, (2) don't like, and (3) not enjoying knitting it. I'll try it again later. I realize I may be contrary to the entire sock knitting society in North America, but I just wasn't enjoying knitting with Blue Moon Socks that Rock yarn. I LOVE the colors, but hate the way the yarn was pooling in the foot.

Since then, I've started other socks.

The sock on the right is knit with Regia sock yarn and I really enjoy knitting with it. I have a couple of pair of socks knit out of this yarn and they still look new and have held up to wearing and washing beautifully. I've decided it is one of my favorite sock yarns. The sock on the left is knit out of Universal Yarn Bamboo Sock, which is merino wool, bamboo and nylon. I've never used this yarn before. It feels so nice and I'm enjoying knitting with this yarn as well. The fabric of this sock is very soft and relaxed. It will be interesting to see how it washes up and how well it wears.

In case you are wondering, no I didn't finish a "pair" of socks out of the Regia yarn yet. My routine is to work on three pairs of socks at a time, by knitting one sock, then moving on to another yarn, and knit one sock, etc., until I have three socks. After three socks are done, I start all over with the three different yarns, and knit one sock at a time. When I am done I have three pairs of socks. This helps a great deal with the second sock syndrome. It helps to entertain my brain while commuting to and from work.

This weekend we are heading down to Portland on the train to see Frank and John. It's been a long time since we've seen them. I'll remember to take my camera.

Well, on to socks and to pray for A.J.

TTFN

Sue

Seeds and Needles

The past three weeks have been nuts. I've been busy gardening and knitting, working, living life, and making a poor effort of keeping in touch with my blog and others.

With the weather being crappy for the most of March, David and I have been taking advantage of whatever decent weather we are given on the weekends during late March and April. We've been going over to Edgar's Acres most weekends to get the garden cleaned up, and planted. Susan has been coming over some weekends as well to help because she wants fresh, organically grown produce. She loves to weed, so we are happy to have her join in on the gardening experience. We are going to be heading over the next two weekends as well because the Hood Canal Bridge is going to be closed for six weeks starting May 1. When we head over to Edgar's Acres, the trip will be another two hours longer.

The deck at Edgar's Acres is done and LOVERLY. We are thrilled with it and the contractor did an outstanding job.
Ready for the nice weather to begin.

In late March Susan and I went over to clean up the garden and plant onions. We've got Susan's leeks ...

Walla Walla sweet, red slicing onions, and Copra yellow storage. Louie helped.

In the raised bed we planted parsnips (with radishes on top to break the ground for the parsnips), spinach and lettuce.

The following weekend Susan came over to our Bellevue garden and we planted peas. I plant the peas and beans in Bellevue because it's easier to keep up with the picking.

We had a three hours of sun on that Sunday, enough to warm up the soil and let us plant.

In the meantime, I'm waiting for my seed potatoes to eye out enough to plant at Edgar's Acres.

The early white potatoes should be ready to plant this weekend, and maybe the reds. The russets not quite.

In the meantime, I've been knitting. I've got a bunch of baby knitting to do for friends and relatives expecting starting this month, through September.

I'm calling this the lime sherbet baby blanket. The color isn't coming out true, but it is exactly the same color as lime sherbet. The stitch is called the ribbed stockinette, and is knitting up beautifully.

I will be posting the entire pattern (when I have time?).

This is baby blanket no. 2, knit in a bulky weight yarn. Soft, Soft, Soft.

This is the third section to the big baby blanket I'm knitting.

Then there is baby blanket no. 3 in a log cabin pattern. There is a reason why I'm knitting on four blankets at once.

I was cruising along on baby blanket no. 2, when I discovered I left the other yarn at Edgar's Acres. Then I moved on to baby blanket no. 3 when I discovered the two remaining skeins were of a different dye lot. I had to think about this, and decided I will try adding more sections with the other skeins, and call it a design element.

I started baby blanket no. 1 because I couldn't work on the other two. Not sure why it's baby blanket no. 1 except the picture came up first on this posting.

The big baby blanket is more of a winter project so I'll work on it next week when we are supposed to get snow again. Probably next Tuesday on my birthday.

Finally, the sock. I have started on this sock three times and I still don't like it. It's my commuting knitting but I am bored with not liking it and trying to enjoy knitting it.

Finally, one of my additional sons, Matt, has moved in for a while. We adore Matt, and we adore his lovely girlfriend Elizabeth. The dogs adore Matt as well.

I warned Matt that he becomes a subject of my Blog by moving into the house.

Well, I have dinner to get started so I'm off to cook and knit, and enjoy the last decent evening on the deck that we will have for a while.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE!!!!!!!

TTFN

Sue