Snapshot of My Life on October 19

Weather in SW Michigan ...
Cool and rainy today. This is the view from the end of my driveway.

Really? ...
Love this picture of Daughter Heather and Granddaughter Kimmy out pumpkin shopping.

Yes, they really are biological mother and daughter, one beautiful and fair, the other beautiful and dark.

The facts of country living ...
Sat for two hours at the Toyota dealer yesterday to get my car serviced and have mice removed from the car heater.

This is prime "rodents looking for a warm place to nest" season. Normally I don't have the heater cleaned out until I really need it, however I'm taking some friends with me on a jaunt Saturday and wanted the car exterminated. Not all people appreciate sharing their ride with rodents, especially if the heater fan doesn't work.

Now hoping nothing else moves in before our outing.

I am creating...
For years I had a rule: No more than three knitting projects in progress at once. It worked great. Things got finished. I could plan the next project and buy new yarn for it without guilt. I didn't get stressed wondering which project to work on next.

Something happened. I'm not sure what. Due to a lack of knitting discipline, I have NINE projects in various stages of work.

One more sleeve to go on Mondo Cable Pulli. Then I'll be down to eight projects. Knitting life is better when I stick to three, so I'm working on getting there.

Three of the projects were in progress when Bob died. I haven't looked at them since, but I'm ready now. Either I'll finish them or frog them.

Two of the projects aren't started yet, but they're for Christmas and need to be cast on soon. The beautiful yarn I'm going to use is sitting on a table in front of me just begging to go on the needles, only I don't have any empty needles to put them on.

I am procrastinating ...
Knitting sleeves. Four of the nine projects on my list just need sleeves.

I am reading...
Listening to The Reversal (A Lincoln Lawyer Novel) while I knit sleeves.

While fetching the link, I saw a review that said, "Readers who crave a feel-good ending may balk at the novel's disquieting finale."

I don't think I'm going to like a disquieting finale. Maybe I'll move on to the next library audiobook.

I am hearing...
Raindrops. Not happy about that. I'm trying to wash the sap off my car and am about half done. If it was twenty degrees warmer, I could do it in the rain with a natural rinse from the sky.

Outdoors ...
Tuesday Keith, the lawn mowing guy, vacuumed up all my leaves. Next Tuesday he'll be able to repeat the process. The lawn is covered and there's three days left before he comes again.

Something new for me ...
A week from Sunday I will become a member of the Wesleyan Church, Lighthouse Community Church in Kalamazoo/Oshtemo.

After four years of attending there, it's about time.

Giving thanks for ...
Sunny is doing better. She's tapered down to one prednesone a day. If all continues to go well, she'll be on an every other day schedule next week. And maybe I'll feel confident enough to put the mattress back on the box spring, although after six weeks I've gotten used to sleeping with the mattress on the floor.

And ...
This year even the oak trees showed some color. The autumn has been beautiful.

Life Snapshot for October 8

Weather in SW Michigan ...
Crisp and beautiful. We almost had first frost last night.

Really? ...
Some tree dripped sap all over my car and now it's covered with bees and ants. Living in the country is so interesting.

I am creating...
Working excusively on the Mondo Pulli. The Dream in Color yarn is so nice to work with that I keep picking it up and ignoring my other projects.

I am reading...
Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture by Adam S. McHugh.

I'm only on page 55, but so far there had been many "Oh yes!" moments in my reading.

I am hearing...
Quiet.

Last week I took a walk around the condo complex that's at the top of my probable places to move. It was also very quiet considering how many people live there.

I'm so looking forward to being moved. I am not looking forward to the process of moving.

Outdoors ...
Found this in the driveway this morning.

Wish I could train the hawks to select from the abundant bird breeds instead of the rarer breeds like this Yellow Shafted Flicker.

Something new for me ...
The Lang Proud Rooster 2013 Calendar

Heavy paper, beautiful and colorful roosters. I enjoyed my 2012 so much I had to order the 2013. I hope to hang it in my condo kitchen before 2013 is over.

Report on Sunny
After a month on full strengh prednesone, she's not much better. Twice now I've tried to taper her off the steroid and failed. The vet says to give it another week and maybe another week after that.

The osteoarthritis has spread to her shoulders and neck. It's very difficult to keep her from aggrevating it by curved sleeping and just moving around. Ever try to keep a steroid filled dog quiet?

She has moments of acute pain even with the prednesone. I'm very concerned about her and heartbroken that she has to go through this.

Picture of Sunny from a healthier time.

Giving thanks for ...
The sale of the commercial building in downtown Paw Paw. Closing was last week. Such a relief that I don't own it anymore.

And ...
Equal time for Pappy, my other much loved little dog.

Two Sweaters on the Needles

Last time I blogged about Vitamin D, it had garter stitch edging that was curling up to the point I knew it would never block out flat. It got put into time out for a few weeks until the weather got cool. Then I picked it up, frogged the edging, and replaced it with seed stitch.

The seed stitch lays nice and flat, plus I like the looks of it better than the garter stitch.

Only the remainder of the sleeves are left to be knit. I'm still deciding if I want them three-quarter like the pattern or full length.

One sleeve is knit twelve inches, the other sixteen, so Vitamin D is almost done.

Pattern: Vitamin D by Heidi Kirrmaier

Yarn: Knitpicks Andean Treasure. 100% baby alpaca. Sport weight.

Color: Mystery Heather.

Needles: Options #4.

Gauge: 6 stitches/inch, 8 rows/inch in stockinette.

In truth, the hesitation over the length of Vitamin D sleeves is only an excuse to cast on the Dream in Color Classy yarn that arrived about a week ago.

This is a quick easy pattern knit top down with no seams. The yarn is pleasant in the fingers and slips easily on and off the needles.

It's possible this will be the first project I have ever knit with no changes and using the yarn shown in the pattern.

Pattern: Chic Knits Mondo Cable Pulli

Yarn: Dream in Color Classy Superwash Merino, heavy worsted weight

Color: Starless Sky

Needles: US #8

Gauge: 4.5 stitches/inch, 6 rows/inch in stockinette.