Knitting, Gardening & Maestor, the Lhasa Aposo

I've almost finished knitting the items that go with me to visit the family; I have about 15 rows left on a triangle shawl I'm knitting out of Crystal Palace's yarn, Shimmer. The drape is very pretty and I think it will make a nice wrap to wear with almost anything and anywhere. I hope my sister will like it. It's hard for me to know what my older sister will like because they are quite a bit older than I and we've not lived close enough together for the last 40 years to visit often. On the other hand, I feel very close to my nieces and nephew. I am the youngest child of 10 and there is a nephew and two nieces older than I. Knitting for the family has been a lot of fun. As soon as we return from the GA trip I will knit a bag for the friends we will be visiting in NJ at the end of May and then I'm going to be knitting for myself for a long period of time. I have several projects that need to be finished that I'm anxious to get back to. And oh, I almost forgot, I have the Whoduknit project to do for my partner which will take precedence over the others. Have to come up with something rather wonderful to knit from one skein of yarn.

The last couple of days have been beautiful here and we've taken advantage of them. Yesterday after we returned home from having another Pet-scan, Mr Rõ got the tiller out and worked in the vegetable garden for a couple of hours. I sat in the garage with the doors up and sorted through a few more un-packed boxes. Why am I doing this? The boxes have been setting in the same spot for two years, since we moved, and I haven't needed anything in them in all this time. Why do I need to go through them again; I should just pitch everything.

Today Mr Rõ tilled some more and I actually raked a few leaves from around the potting bench out behind the shed. I don't have the energy to do very much at a time but it feels so wonderful to be outside and watch my plants (which are still in pots from the move) putting out. Surprisingly they have survived two hot, dry summers in their little pots. I do hope to see them in the ground this year. We have a SDB (standard dwarf bearded) iris (photo of Plum Wine on side-bar) in bloom. This is really early for central VA and oh how 'The Head' has swollen. He took pictures and ask me to e-mail them to a couple of his male friends – bragger! These men are so funny when it comes to their iris, always wanting to beat the others at being first, having the most, having the last, having the only one. What fun.

Later this afternoon we setup some chairs under the cedar trees and I knitted while Maestro teased his dad. Maestro would pretend he to walk over to the property next door and wait for his dad would call him back. Of course Maestro pretended he didn't hear so his dad would get up and come to him. This baby is so like a child, sweet, smart (I think he has a college degree), and cunning. Tomorrow he goes to the groomer for a bath and haircut. He doesn't like the idea of going but once he is back home he is wild with excitement. What a charmer.