Bad blogger!

Sorry everyone, I know I've been MIA. I keep meaning to blog.

My mom is doing ok. She's going through physical therapy for her right arm and hand. Her PT session have already been extended twice, which tells you that it's not going as well as it could. Her hand is still swollen but looks much better than it did several weeks ago. I'm not having to go over to their house as often to help with things. That's good!

The fiber frolic at my house for my knitting group on May 1st was a lot of fun. I didn't get much time to sit down. Everyone wanted to see my design studio and drool over my wall of yarn. :) Next time I want more time to sit down to talk and play with everyone. Sorry there are no pictures. Everyone was having such a good time that nobody, including me, remembered to take any pictures. LOL!

In April, my niece had a birthday party to celebrate her son's first birthday. Her grandmother Lydia was there. She had been suffering from cancer for several years and had just gotten out of the hospital. Down to about 80 pounds, she was a shadow of her former self. She told me she was waiting for more biopsy results, admitted she was tired of fighting, and that it didn’t matter what the test results were. Sigh...I knew she wouldn’t be with us much longer. Even as bad as Lydia felt, she still asked about my mom. She knew about my mom’s fall and surgery. She told me that the cards my mom had sent her over the years had helped. "Your mom has a good heart." :) She asked when my mom's birthday was in May so that she could send her a birthday card. (She didn't live long enough to do this.) That day I was wearing my recently complted Painted Mountain shawl. Lydia admired it so I took it off, placed it around her shoulders, and told her it was hers. She smiled and said “Really?” I was happy that this small gift made her smile and feel better for a while. She was still thanking me as I left the party. Lydia died on May 6, 2010. Her funeral was a hard one to attend. Her daughter told me how touched she was that I had gifted the shawl to her mom and asked if I wanted it back. "No," I said, "keep it for the memories." She said she would send me a picture of her mom wearing the shawl. I hope she does.
Hubby was on vacation for two weeks. We got most of our vegetable garden planted. It's been a real struggle between hot temps and lots of rain. One day we had over 3.5" of rain! I've put some mulch down but the weeds are starting to come up big time. Need to get some cages and protection around somethings to keep the critters out. I've already seen deer tracks in the garden.

Here's a picture of a pair of Mallard ducks that have been visiting our yard. I cleaned out the small pond in our backyard and they've been swimming in it. Boo and Pookie keep watch when they're around and try to stalk them. Those geese are too smart to let a cat near them. I laugh when their prey flies off to safety. (Thanks Angie for letting me know these are ducks not geese. Hubby is always telling me they are geese. :) )

Lots of new projects in the works. Some knit and some crochet. A crocheted stole is out for testing. My testers should be done with it by June 19th. There are several more that need testing, others that need written up (including a round star and leaf shawl I translated from a pattern in Weldon's Practical Needlework from 1895). There never seems to be enough time in the day to do everything I have to do and things I want to do.

BTW, I'm moderating all comments for the moments. A spammer keeps trying to post unwanted stuff on my blog. You can still post comments though it may be awhile before I approve them and they show up.