ASL Charity Afghan ~ this has turned into afghan from he!! after more attempts than I'd like to think about, the first row is finally done, and actually looks pretty good. I'm working on the blocks for the 2nd row, to discover that the last block on the first row has the wrong colour combination .... and I just cant leave it, as it will drive me absolutely around the bend .... BUT, on the advice of Wendi, I've decided to continue along with the squares as planned. IF I have time after all squares are completed, I'll re-knit the mistake square .... and if there isn't enough time then maybe we can include a game of "what's wrong with this afghan" during the raffle !!!Old friends come back for a visit ...
I had 2 old friends come to town on March 12. Lucy, the beagle, is our house guest when her family go away on holidays. ironically I was just saying to DD that it was getting to be time when I was craving my "Lucy fix". thank goodness for March Break ... Lucy came to stay with us again !!! she comes running in the house like she never left, knows exactly where everything is (including where HER crate is, I mean used to be ... I ended up having to move a crate back to "her" spot in the kitchen). her and our Betty have a marvelous time wrestling and running around, while our Hasia just sits there "supervising" ready to discipline should anyone get too rough. (you'll notice the picture where Lucy is hugging my latest pair of knitted socks!)
Ironically, on the same day, Kris is flying back home from BC, where her and the family moved to about 5 years ago. what a great reunion .... needless to say we went thru quite a bit of wine for the 2 weeks she was here !!!
the first weekend of March Break DD and I tried something I had found on-line. Dog Paddling Adventures is an outfit that arranges hikes, canoe trips and camping (yuck) trips for dogs and their families. what an AWESOME idea !! the only catch with this first hike was the addition of Lucy, who had never been off leash, and we were worried about her recall. no worries ..... up we get, bright and early .... configure the back of the truck so that our Betty and Lucy have a crate to sit in (which they both prefer) and our Hasia is able to sit up towards the front in-between DD and myself so she can look out the window. after a quick Starbucks stop off we head to Pigeon River Conservation area. OMG .... what an absolute hoot ... before we even got out of the truck we were greeted by at least 3 dogs who came running over to introduce themselves. based on this greeting, and not seeing any dogs on leash, we just opened the back of the truck and let our 2 labs jump out and introduce themselves ...... we were a wee bit more careful with Lucy, and kept her on a double leash. the day was bitter sweet ..... the weather was perfect, the guides Eren & Kevin were awesome, and the other hikers (both 2 and 4-legged) were all very friendly. unfortunately, just before lunch, DD slipped on some ice (of which there was lots of) and ALMOST fell ..... she was able to catch herself on a bench beside her. maybe she should have let herself fall ... she ended up really spraining her wrist quite badly. fortunately there were 2 doctors on the hike, and they graciously checked her out to make sure nothing was broken. DD ended up being in quite a bit of pain, so we headed home after lunch. sprain aside .... what a great way to start off March Break .... we were already looking forward to our next hike with them on the ride home !
I had 2 old friends come to town on March 12. Lucy, the beagle, is our house guest when her family go away on holidays. ironically I was just saying to DD that it was getting to be time when I was craving my "Lucy fix". thank goodness for March Break ... Lucy came to stay with us again !!! she comes running in the house like she never left, knows exactly where everything is (including where HER crate is, I mean used to be ... I ended up having to move a crate back to "her" spot in the kitchen). her and our Betty have a marvelous time wrestling and running around, while our Hasia just sits there "supervising" ready to discipline should anyone get too rough. (you'll notice the picture where Lucy is hugging my latest pair of knitted socks!)Ironically, on the same day, Kris is flying back home from BC, where her and the family moved to about 5 years ago. what a great reunion .... needless to say we went thru quite a bit of wine for the 2 weeks she was here !!!
the first weekend of March Break DD and I tried something I had found on-line. Dog Paddling Adventures is an outfit that arranges hikes, canoe trips and camping (yuck) trips for dogs and their families. what an AWESOME idea !! the only catch with this first hike was the addition of Lucy, who had never been off leash, and we were worried about her recall. no worries ..... up we get, bright and early .... configure the back of the truck so that our Betty and Lucy have a crate to sit in (which they both prefer) and our Hasia is able to sit up towards the front in-between DD and myself so she can look out the window. after a quick Starbucks stop off we head to Pigeon River Conservation area. OMG .... what an absolute hoot ... before we even got out of the truck we were greeted by at least 3 dogs who came running over to introduce themselves. based on this greeting, and not seeing any dogs on leash, we just opened the back of the truck and let our 2 labs jump out and introduce themselves ...... we were a wee bit more careful with Lucy, and kept her on a double leash. the day was bitter sweet ..... the weather was perfect, the guides Eren & Kevin were awesome, and the other hikers (both 2 and 4-legged) were all very friendly. unfortunately, just before lunch, DD slipped on some ice (of which there was lots of) and ALMOST fell ..... she was able to catch herself on a bench beside her. maybe she should have let herself fall ... she ended up really spraining her wrist quite badly. fortunately there were 2 doctors on the hike, and they graciously checked her out to make sure nothing was broken. DD ended up being in quite a bit of pain, so we headed home after lunch. sprain aside .... what a great way to start off March Break .... we were already looking forward to our next hike with them on the ride home !
MUD MUD MUD .... oh my gosh .... off we go with our 3, Kris & Raven (her care for the week while she house-sits for her brother). I assumed there would be SOME mud, but I don't think any of us expected what we ran into. between us trying to walk thru it, and the dogs running thru it, we were splattered up to our nether-regions. that being said, it was a beautiful day, and the dogs had a blast !!
Kris loves dragonflies .... so I had to find something that I could whip up for her before she left .... a great wee project that knit up really quickly, and turned out super !!
GIRL'S NIGHT (and puppies too) .... it was a full house Kris with Raven, Wendi with Tiger, myself and our Hasia Betty and Lucy. there was lots of munchies, wine and laughs all night long. Wendi's hubby Jim showed up about 11:00. they didn't leave until the wee hours of the morning, but Kris and I were up even later (her and Raven stayed for a sleep-over). I've decided I'm too old now to do this too often ... but it was well worth it (and resulted in a very quiet Sunday at my place)
Hasia turns 5 ~ this is a wee bit out of sequence, but that's ok. March 27 2004, proud parents Pyke & Daisy announce the birth of their 12 puppies .... the "H" litter. on Saturday May 22 2004, one of their little girls came home with us, and changed our life for ever. Hasia was our first foster puppy for the Lions Foundation of Canada DogGuide Program. for her 1st birthday, Hasia was SSD training at the foundation, for her 2nd birthday she was on her "honeymoon" with Toby, and for her 3rd birthday she was in CVC training with her foster sister Betty. this year, her birthday was a Friday .... what a wonderful excuse for a party. attendees: Tiger (with Auntie Wendi), Wilbur (Hasia's son) & foster sister Libby (with Auntie Sharon), Rory & Akita (with Auntie Cindy), Betty & Lucy (with me). Eddie (from next door) came for a short time while everyone was playing in the backyard to pay his respects. before Kelsey booked it out of the house after all the guests arrived, she made some special treats for all the guests (that went over REALLY well). Auntie Sharon brought a special b-day cake (fried liver and kibble) .... the ladies weren't impressed, but the dogs all seemed to love it. Happy 5th Birthday to our Hasia ... my special puppy :)week of good-byes
- the 2 weeks just flew by, and the next thing we know it's Thursday again, and Kris is back on a plane going home. hopefully it wont be another 5 years before we see each other again.
- a couple of days later, it's Saturday and Lucy's family have come home (and apparently want her back .... can you imagine the nerve ??!!). so we say good-bye to our wee Lucy, and look forward to seeing her again when her family go on their summer holidays
- driving to work on the morning of Monday March 30 2009, I hear about a horrific car crash that had happened early that morning. a 17-year old young man crashed his jeep into an embankment on the 403 and was killed instantly. it's 8:44 am and I get a text from my daughter "Thomas died". the next thing my phone is ringing, she is crying and all I can hear in the background is people crying and talking. he was 5 minutes from home .... but a combination of speed and fatigue caused him to lose control of his vehicle and he never made it. he was my daughter's grade-9 boyfriend, but remained to be her good friend and they saw each other and got together often. he ended up moving to her school for grade-11 and they shared their lunch breaks and some classes. he was an honour student, an entrepreneur, always positive & up-beat (the glass is half full kind of person), well-mannered & polite (a very important trait if you want to date my daughter !!). his senseless death has touched so many people ... my thoughts and prayers go out to his parents and family. to all this friends, and those that will only hear about this, my hope is that you take a piece of Thomas with you ..... he lived more in his 17 years that most do that live to old age. give life everything you have, stop moping about "what sucks" about it and take control to make the best of it. Learn from Thomas .... from the good things he did and the positive way he lived his life .... but as no one is perfect, learn from his mistakes. NO ONE is too young to die, or too invincible .... you have been blessed by God when you were given life, so don't throw it away. part of me wants to smack him for being so stupid and careless, and such a teenage boy .... I know WE think he was taken too young, but who are we to question. hopefully Thomas, how he lived and how he died, will be a lesson for all those that loved him, and even for those that will only hear his story.
God Bless Thomas .... Rest In Peace
