A Tribute to Charley

He was found wandering in Cordova, TN, by the (then) West Tennessee Basset Rescue group...about the same time that Missy M (who lived in an apartment in Cordova then) was hoping to find just the right dog to come live with her. It had to be a special dog...one that could be happy being quiet while M studied, or who could be relaxed enough to stay alone while she was at work (sometimes late). She had already tried an adoption with Elmo...who turned out to have many issues, including severe separation anxiety, and who needed to be in a multi-dog household...and naturally, she was a bit leery of going that route again. Still, the Basset Rescue lady was persuasive: "just take him on a two week trial period." And, so...a fantastic relationship was born. Charley was everything that Missy M had hoped for...and then some...and they were a perfect pair.

Charley loved rawhide chew-bones...almost too much at times...and he knew exactly where his treats were kept. He was an "inside dog," and he never wanted to be outside for too long...he did his business and was ready to come inside...now! Still, he was always ready to go get the pizza...or get Chinese...and he understood what those words meant, too. He hated thunderstorms...hated them. He loved his purple blankie...especially if it was in a certain position on M's bed. Other than getting up on the bed at night, he didn't jump on the furniture...never seemed comfortable on a sofa or chair, even if you put him there. He loved his dinner...was usually a member of the clean bowl club...in record time. He was a regular camel about water...lap, lap, lap. He had the longest tongue you could imagine...and he would sometimes let the very tip-end of it peep out of his mouth when he was asleep. He was so cute!

They had about 2 1/2 years together, enjoying each other's company and enriching each other's lives. Then, just as suddenly as he had come into her life, he was taken from it. Charley crossed over the Rainbow Bridge early last Thursday morning, a month or so after he had dislocated his neck and shoulder. The emotions of having to say goodbye are still raw and right on the surface...and the tears are still flowing. This is the most difficult part of opening your heart to a pet...when they are gone, there is such a huge hole that has to heal.

Dear Charley, we are all better off for having known you. You will certainly be missed.

Where in the World is...?

Did you ever play that game, Where in the World is Waldo? He's my hero!!

So, here I am, in a most unlikely spot, at the Grand Canyon! I went to AZ last weekend for the wedding of my first-cousin-once-removed...and since I was in the same state with one of the "wonders of the world"...and since I had my camera with me...well, it was only natural to change my plans a wee bit and GO!

I was inspired by a friend, who was visiting with us recently as she and her husband were making a move across the country from one coast to the other. She was driving their car and left our house, intent upon driving to the Canyon. I thought..."how exciting!" Then I thought..."you nut, you're going to AZ later on this month...you too could see the Canyon, with just a couple of changes in your plans." And, that's exactly what happened.

I got there the afternoon before (Sunday) and scoped out Mather Point (not too far from the South Rim entrance, where the above pic was taken), which was supposed to be a great place to view the sunrise over the Canyon. I checked the sunrise time (on the Park's excellent website) and left a 5:00 a.m. wake-up call (which didn't come until 5:10). Fortunately, I had trouble sleeping, so I got up even earlier...got dressed in the warmest clothes that I'd brought...grabbed my clapotis shawl that Missy M had knitted for me, and that I had worn to the wedding...and headed to the Point to catch the sunrise...without that first cup of coffee, I might add. Here's the photo I took as the sun peeked into the Canyon:

And here I am, freezing my ears off...swathed in the shawl that I was thanking heaven for at that moment, taking a self-snapped pic, just to prove I was there at sunrise (over my right ear). Oh my goodness, it was cold! In the twenties, someone said. Snow was still visible in spots. Brrr! Then, I hopped in the car to dash back to the hotel for that coffee and breakfast, a hot shower, pack my bag, and hot-foot it back to the Phoenix airport. Made it...with "plenty" of time to spare! It was a fun weekend, all the way around.

I hadn't been to AZ in a long, long time, and I remembered very little other than the high number of cactii...and the low number of big trees (like oaks). That much hasn't changed, except there were fewer cactii...and they were further out from the "city." And, there certainly is a lot more "city" than in 1965!

I had mapped out a before-the-wedding, Saturday morning yarn shop crawl, but instead of visiting 3 shops, I made it to two...and an Indian reservation. Blame it on Google Maps...I did! Still, I found the most bea-u-ti-ful baby alpaca-blend yarn called Highlander from Alpaca With a Twist, in a rich red tweed called Tartan Red for Mr. T's Shawl-collared Sweater. Found this yarn at Arizona Knitting and Needlepoint in Scottsdale (photo to left). I went all the way to AZ to buy a yarn that is from Georgetown, IN! I've already swatched it and love, love, love the way it is knitting up. I also bought some lovely sunshine-yellow lace-weight yarn at Fiber Factory in Mesa.

Still, I have to say that the most fun was had at the wedding reception, and then the brunch on Sunday. I enjoyed a wonderful time with cousins that I so rarely get to see. [It certainly helped at the reception that I was receiving text messages from home on the score of the Final Four games (Memphis beat UCLA...oh happy day!)] I wish the bride and groom all the very best...and I am glad that I got the opportunity to share in their joy.

The Wettest March in Over 6 Decades

"It's raining, it's pouring..." Yep, that's what we've been singing around here lately. Yesterday, I had my doubts about whether we'd ever get a break in the weather: rain, thunderstorms, more rain, wind, more rain, hail, more rain, lightening, more rain, tornado warnings, and still more rain. It spoiled opening day for the Cardinals...postponed until today. The fountain on the deck is at the tippy-top, ready to overflow if another drop falls. The pond is so full, that I can look out of the kitchen door and see the fish swimming about (!)...but, unfortunately, the level will drop back down due to some itty, bitty hole in the liner that we need to repair. Fortunately, we seem to have graduated to partly cloudy today...only a slight chance of precip today and tomorrow. Fingers crossed...toes, too!

All of this rain reminds me of our recent trip to Ireland. I thought I'd post a couple of collages that I created from the mountain of photos we took. The one on the right is of scenes that we loved: the sea between the mainland and the Blasket Islands, the River Nore in County Killarney, the Cliffs of Moher (center), and sheep...lots of sheep...all over Ireland!

The collage to the left is of us, of course...having a good time on our trip. And we did...have a great time!

Of course, we are still feeling GREAT, as we are celebrating around our house: the Memphis Tigers are in the Final Four!!! Go Tigers Go! It's been a long time (1985) since we made it this far, and we are thoroughly enjoying the moment. We play UCLA on Saturday, April 5th...about the same time I'll be attending the wedding of a cousin in AZ. Hmmmm....I wonder if I slip out to find a TV, if they will even miss me? Do you suppose I could slip a web-enabled cell phone inside?? We'll see...

I've been working on another afghan for another cousin's upcoming wedding (on July 4th). The pattern is imprinted into my brain, as I have been knitting these afghans for years...and years...and years. The first one I made was for Mom in either 1978 or '79, from a Bernat kit, and I liked it so much that I kept the instructions... and have used them over and over. As I've said before, the afghan is knit using US 10's, on worsted weight yarn (I use acrylic, because you certainly want an afghan to be easy-care and washable) in 7-8 strips (depending on how many color combinations are desired) then joined together (I like to crochet them together now, since I learned how; I used to sew them together...and hated that part of the project). I can easily work on a strip on long trips or short breaks. I can almost do this pattern without looking...but not quite. I was knitting away, while the Tigers were beating up on Texas last Saturday, completely engrossed in the game...and I realized that I'd made one of those mistakes that just keeps compounding itself. Oops! Had to take out about 18 rows to straighten out the problem.

I'm eager for major league baseball season to get here, since I can turn on a game without getting too involved (I find most of a baseball game to be b-o-r-i-n-g) and knit something that requires more concentration...a more intricate pattern, etc. I can't seem to do that with college basketball...or college football, either. I do think that the Stitch 'n Pitch folks are really onto a great idea...:)

It's Easter...Right?

Check out the photo to the left. What do you see?

Well, what looks a little like something on the lens is actually SNOW falling on Easter Sunday. And, in the lower left, is our very first daffodil blossom of 2008.

Yes, it snowed on Easter here. And then the sun came out and melted the inch or so of accumulation off the deck and bridge. Then, later in the afternoon, the sun went away...and it started to sleet. Then, to hail. And, finally, to snow yet again. Almost an inch of accumulation of "stuff" on the deck...for the second time in the same day. What else can I say? Turn the fire on, please.

At least the wintry weather-mix, along with the NCAA Tournament action, gave me an excellent excuse (like I need one, right?) to spend the weekend knitting. I finished my Sassy Stripes socks (see photo, right) and the Ripple Wave Afghan (which is knit in 8 strips, then joined together) I made for a cousin's wedding ("ah, shouldn't ha' told you tha'"...to quote Hagrid of Harry Potter fame...since it's a gift that hasn't been given yet...so, I won't post a photo of it just yet). I really like these socks, which were a simple rib pattern, followed by stockinette stitch (SS).

Simple is all I can manage while watching the Tigers play...because they create way too much action on the screen to allow me the luxury of following any pattern stitch. They gave us a bit of a scare in their victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs...but they are nonetheless in the Sweet Sixteen. It should be another exciting weekend!

On March 17th, Everyone is Irish!

We're back...! Yes, we had a wonderful week in Ireland, returning last Wednesday...exhausted after the l-o-n-g flight from Dublin to Chicago and then the 5-hour+ drive home to STL...but ever-so-glad that we'd made the trip. I spent most of yesterday and today printing photos and creating our Photo Book on Photoworks.com. If you'd like to see it, follow this link to My Page at: www.photoworks.com/members/Adsit2. BTW, we really like the way that PhotoWorks does the Photo Books...we've had 3 or 4 made there and always liked the results.

The photo of the green beam (above) is from the Guinness Storehouse self-guided tour. Thought it was appropriate for a post on St. Patrick's day. Here's a shot of St. Patrick's Cathedral (right).

Of course, we felt like we had found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow when we returned to NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday...and heard that the Memphis Tigers were the Number 1 seed in the South Region! Go Tigers Go! The games begin on Thursday of this week...so I'd better find a no-brainer project to let me knit through the inevitable tense moments that tournament games bring. How about that Harry Potter Third & Fourth Year scarf I'm knitting for Missy M? It's just knit, knit, knit in the round...the only thing I have to count is number of rounds in each color (19), then change color (gold to burgundy, then vice-versa). Sounds like it might be a perfect project for tournament time!

I worked on a couple of small projects on my trip: the Irish Hiking Scarf (more on that in a later post) and my Sassy Stripes socks. Most of our days were jam-packed with sightseeing, leaving us exhausted in the evenings...with little energy to pick up the pointy stix.

I did finish one of the Sassy Stripes socks, but I can't seem to make it from the heel to the toe on the other. This is the first time I've had a problem getting my hours straight when coming home (flying East to West). I can barely make it to 10:00 p.m. before falling asleep in my chair, knitting needles and project resting in my lap...but I seem to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 3:00 a.m. when getting up with one of the dogs. Reverse jet-lag? Oh well...this, too, shall pass.

On a positive note, we were amazed to find Ireland awash in buttercup-yellow, with daffodils blooming nearly everywhere we went. Coming home to the tiny shoots finally awakening from our own Spring bulbs fills me with hope: Winter will soon be just a memory! Meanwhile, here's a photo of a hillside near Thomastown in County Kilkenny, Ireland.

I'm Seeing Red...and Green!

Look: I finished my Minimalist Cardigan (left) at 2:00 a.m. this morning...woo-hoo! I just love, love, love this yarn (Cash Vero DK, Color Number 020) that I got at Knit and Caboodle in St. Charles. I modified a pattern in the Interweave Knits magazine, Fall 2007 edition, lengthening the sleeves and the body...just enough. As you can see, there are no buttons, just a shawl-like collar, knit in stockinette stitch...against the Moss Stitch pattern for the rest of the sweater. I started knitting this project on 1/5/08, with the goal of wearing it on Valentine's Day...looks like I made it by a whisker!

Here's a close-up of the Moss (pattern) stitch:


We're planning on trying out a new (for us) restaurant in St. Charles called The Vintage House. In checking their menu, it looks like they are heavy (pun intended) on their German heritage, and they feature local Missouri wines. This should be a super-special "date night" for us!

Of course, our conversation at dinner is likely to center around our upcoming trip to Ireland...ooh, can't wait! I've been reading up on the Emerald Isle...circling the sites we want to visit...printing out addresses of wool shops all over the country...plotting our course for the 7 days we'll be there. This is usually Missy M's role, but she's been unusually swamped at work, so I thought I'd try to help out. More on this later.

Since it's been cold, cold, cold here this week, I thought a nice bowl of chili would hit the spot tonight. Ummmm...smells like it's ready. Time to close!

Snow...and FO's

It's a Snow Day in STL! We got nearly 7 inches of the fluffy white stuff yesterday and into the night...our heaviest snowfall this season. The dogs are alternately crazy-nuts about leaping and bounding around the back yard (remember, Basset Hounds are pretty close to the ground...:)...or, they don't want to get off the deck and get their bellies (or other important parts) wet. Mr. T has worked hard to keep paths clear for them, but at times the snow was falling faster than he could sweep.

Here, right...Mr. T sweeps off the Solar Light Bird Feeder on the deck so our feathered friends can get a little breakfast. The rest of the feeders in the back yard are covered in snow, with only a few assessible...and it seems that every bird in the neighborhood showed up for the buffet this morning. I counted 9 male (red) cardinals in one area...with numerous house finches, purple finches, sparrows, titmice, "snow birds," woodpeckers (3 different kinds), and grackles. The squirrels and the bunnies are quite active, too, trying to share in any feed that has fallen to the ground.

And, check out the photo of the deck below, left! We won't be sitting out there any time soon, will we? Also, it's hard to tell...but that's a photo of the bridge over the fish pond, right...both of which are covered in snow. I sure hope those fish will make it through this.

It's a perfect day for a cup of hot tea, lots of lemon and sugar...the warmth of the fireplace...and the click of the knitting needles! I'm currently working fast & furious on my Minimalist Cardigan (pattern in the Fall 2007 Interweave Knits magazine) in deep red Cash Vero DK on US6's. I've finished the back and the left front...working on the armhole decreases on the right front today. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a sleeve going by the end of the weekend! I've also been working on M's "Harry Potter Third & Fourth Year Scarf" from the Charmed Knits book...a great take-along project, as I am knitting it on circs like the First Year scarf (the finished one of which went to Mr. T, who is wearing it with regularity, much to my delight).

I took advantage of my business trip to ATL earlier this month, to have some quality knitting time (no dogs!) to finish a couple of pairs of socks: (left) the Panda Cotton red ones with the colorful "Fruit Salad" toes and heels are a Valentine's gift for Mom; (right) the multi-color Sockotta stripey ones are for moi. The center photo shows a cabled hat in Wool Ease Forest Green Heather that I knitted for SIL J in Nashville...her birthday is next week. The pattern is called "Jack's Cabled Hat" from the Knitting Pattern-A-Day Calendar Box that she and Brother J gave me for Christmas. I peeked ahead to March 31st...but I thought the name of the pattern sounded appropriate...and the yarn just begged to be cabled! I hope she will enjoy wearing it. I will get moving on a pair of blue-hues for Missy M soon, using some of her Yarn Pirate sock yarn.

Thank goodness for the calming effect of knitting. It's been a tough month around our house...one that I'm happy to say "so long" to, without a doubt. We've all been battling some "-itis" or other (sinunitis, bronchitis, etc.), plus I've had a re-routed root canal (originally done 5 years ago...had to be re-done...ow...) and re-emergence of my old nemesis, back pain. A trip to the Out Patient Surgery for an epidural cortisone injection has eased that last problem...at least for the moment. Fingers crossed...toes, too...that I'll only need to go through that just once this time (instead of the customary series of 3). I hope, I hope, I hope...

Anyway, my flight back into the STL airport was from yet another direction (north by north-east to the southwest?), so I snapped a fuzzy photo that shows the curve in the Mississippi above the city...can you spot the Arch in the haze to the right-top of the pic?