Life Goes On

Johan’s I-spy quilt top is finished:

I dropped it off at the quilter and picked up my “Seeing Stars,” based on Connecting Threads’ kit “Clara’s Journey.”

Now I’m working on sewing on the binding. There were some nice quilts at Vintage Stitchers, but my phone died before I got there, so I don’t have any photos. I have stopped taking my camera, because my phone takes better photos. A quick stop at a nearby Simply Mac after the meeting put it to rights again. I should be able to fix it myself next time.

Common Threads met on May 3rd. Margareth brought this great weaving project for show-and-tell.

The second bobbin of Full Circle singles I started for the first The Frog Prince and the Knitting Community Orphans Spin-in was finished...

...and the two bobbins plied.

The Vicenza Shawl is almost done. I'm using Knit Picks Hawthorn in "Lovejoy."

The first performance of Beethoven’s Ninth went well. I somehow managed to get home in time to get ready and then meet up with my carpool. Sunday night we had another dress rehearsal in a new location. We’ll have performances the next two nights. 

The Knitting Community closed down. It was sad, but we will always have our memories, and the new Ravelry group The Frog Prince and the Knitting Community Orphans.

Daphne’s birthday was Saturday. It’s hard to believe she’s already six! Saturday was going to be filled with dance rehearsals and other kids’ birthday celebrations, so we had FaceTime on Friday. Both Daphne and Zachary were delighted with the little clothes for Daphne Jr., as well as the bed, chair and ottoman. Daphne was mostly offstage during our visit, but I got this screen shot of Zachary trying out the chair.

Most of the week was spent reflecting on Sunny’s life and what she brought to others. I know we need to spend some time grieving, and we’re allowing ourselves time to do that. We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of sympathy and empathy from friends and family, both in person, through the mail and online. 

Some of the most important lessons in life I've learned from my dogs. Every dog I've had in my life has taught me something. I think that’s one reason dogs don’t live as long as humans. We need experience with at least several dogs over time to learn the lessons we need to learn about ourselves, our interaction with others and life in general.

From Sunny, I've learned (among other things) the following:

Life is short; greet every new day with joy and enthusiasm.

Greet everyone who arrives at your home as if he/she were an old friend you haven't seen in years, but bark at them if they walk by without coming in, especially if they have a dog with them.

No matter how fast you wag your tail, it will not fly off your butt.

You will never run out of kisses, no matter how many you give away, but only give them to those who appreciate them.

Work to keep your pack together.

Every side is your good side.

Kibble. Yum!

Dishes should always be prerinsed before they go into the dishwasher.

Here's just a little of what I've learned from Rocky:

People food is better than dog food.

There's nothing like a cuddle on the couch or a view of the street while sitting on the porch with a friend.

Always come when you hear "carrot."

A ball thrown to the middle of the pond must be retrieved, but on land, you just have to show your humans where it landed. They will pick it up.

Looking before you leap is greatly overrated. The joy of soaring through the air is worth the risk of what's on the other side of that log.

Dishes should always be prerinsed before they go into the dishwasher. Preferably with a friend to help.

We will never be able to replace Sunny; every dog is unique, and the variations in personality seem even greater in poodles. However, Sunny will have a successor when we recover financially and when we are ready to give our time to a puppy. 

As if life couldn't get any more complicated, on Sunday, after leaving the opera on our way to drop me off at rehearsal for Beethoven's Ninth, this happened:

Just one of those things. No one was hurt, fortunately, but both cars probably totaled. The blame was probably evenly divided between the drivers.

What's on my needles: Still hand-quilting the “Delectable Pathways” quilt. Working on the the Vicenza Lace Shawl. Still have Aran sweater for Daphne Jr. and socks on needles.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vicenza-lace-shawl 

What's on my Featherweight: Waiting for the next project.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

What's in my wine glass: Lindemann’s Cawarra Shiraz-Cabernet 2014. Very nice.

What's my tip of the week: When making a 4-patch or 9-patch, alternating straight of grain and width of fabric patches will make the block more uniformly flexible, in case you have to ease to fit other pieces. Of course, the pattern on the fabric doesn’t always allow it to get the effect you want, but when it does, it can make life easier.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.