Pappy's Doggy School Party
Pappy had a great time at his doggy school Christmas Party.

Here he is in his Christmas tie checking out the people treats. One of the doggy moms brought a plate of chicken pieces for the dogs - real chicken that she cooked up special for the occasion. Needless to say, the dogs loved that.

I shortened the tie by several inches so it would fit little Pappy. Other dog owners wanted a doggy tie, but Gail was out of ties and doesn't know where to get more.

We played the same three games as were played at Sunny's Party on Monday night. Pappy did as I predicted.

He did make it through a few rounds of limbo just because he's short and could walk under the pole. He wouldn't crawl.

For the game where he was supposed to knock down ten cans in twenty seconds, I had him dance in a circle. He managed to knock over two cans, which was two more cans than Sunny managed.


And then there was the hotdog retrieve. Yum yum. I disqualified him by taking the hotdog away from him after he'd eaten a few bites. When we got back to the sidelines, I gave him another small piece of his hotdog and fed the rest to Benson.

This is Benson the Newfoundland. He weighs about 130 pounds and was happy to help Pappy out with the hotdog.

Benson usually wears a bib because Newfies drool. This bib says, "I believe in Santa Paws." Benson has other bibs that say "Mama's Boy" and "Drool is Cool".

Benson's owner, Sue, formerly worked at Pfizer and is now happily creating a second career making embroidered dog bibs. I suggested she might want to add dog neckties to her line. She may do it.


It was fun to watch the dogs during the doggy gift exchange. Their humans had to help them open the packages, but the dogs all seemed to know the contents were for them.

This is Sparky the sheltie being very interested in his gift.

Millie, a German shepherd/chow mix, had Pappy's name. She gave him a stuffed cat and a bag of treats.

Now we have two weeks without doggy school. The dogs are going to miss it. I'm going to enjoy the break. All three of us will be glad to get back in January.

Sunny's Doggy School Party

Sunny received this IQube as her Christmas gift from Rex, a golden retriever. There are four squeaky balls in the cube. Both little dogs are having fun taking them out and tossing them around.

The gift exchange was the final event at the doggy school Christmas party Monday evening.

Prior to exchanging gifts, the dogs played three games and Sunny won two of them.

The first game was limbo. The dogs had to go under a bar without knocking it down. The bar kept getting lower and lower until finally the last three dogs, including Sunny, jumped over it instead of trying to crawl under it.

Sunny is very good at crawling. Her prize was a Christmas neck scarf. She was not impressed with it and hopes to never see it again.

The second game was a bunch of empty pop cans standing on the floor in bowling pin formation. We each had 20 seconds to get our dog to knock down as many cans as possible.

Most of us used the same strategy - lead the dog into the can formation with treats. Sunny was ever so careful as she danced through the cans. Thanks to two years of agility training, she didn't knock down a single can.

The winner was Ella, an energetic great Dane/lab mix. Ella got every can down with time to spare.

For the third game we had to throw a hot dog across the room and have the dog fetch it without eating it. The dog who brought their owner the biggest piece of hotdog was the winner.

This was the funniest game of all. Most of the dogs romped out to the hotdog and took a second or two out from being obedient to gulp down the hotdog before returning to their owner.

Sunny brought me the whole hotdog and she was the winner. The other dog owners couldn't believe she didn't eat it. The other dogs couldn't believe she didn't eat it. Now her classmates are wondering if she really is a dog. Or what?

Her prize was a Christmas neck tie. She thinks it looks way too masculine and she gave it to Pappy.


Here is Pappy playing with a IQube ball. His doggy school Christmas party is tonight. He's going to wear the Christmas tie and take a gift for Dahlie, a bull terrier.

Pappy doesn't like to crawl. He doesn't like to knock over empty pop cans. He is going to eat the hotdog. I don't think he's going to win any prizes, and he may barf. A whole hotdog is a lot for a 14 pound dog.

He does like to be with his doggy school friends and he is going to get a present from whichever dog drew his name. And, did I mention that the dog owners all bring people goodies to snack on while we watch the fun?

I can hardly wait.

Saturday Morning Lounging
When granddaughter Kimmy comes to spend the night, she likes to get up in the morning and mess around in the back room. Last Saturday she decided to make a potholder for her mother.

After the potholder was done, she got out the paper and markers and wrote a poem to honor the canine members of the family.

The pictures are not proportional to the size of the dogs.

Glory is a 70 pound lab mix.

Sunny is an 18 pound second generation designer dog (joke), part papillon, poodle, terrier, and many other things that we can only guess.

Pappy is a 14 pound papillon. He is the only dog of the three who appears to be a specific breed.

All three dogs are rescue dogs and most of their history is missing. All three are intelligent, loving, and very fond of Kimmy.

The "new" in Kimmy's poem refers to how long we've had the dog. We've had Pappy for two years now, but Kimmy still thinks of him as the new dog. She also thinks of him as royal in his appearance and behavior because he is very beautiful and dignified.

Glory, Sunny, and Pappy. A poem by Kimmy

Glory is pretty.
She's very nice, too.
She loves every one,
And definitely you!!!!!!!


Sunny is cuddly.
She's not very new.
She is just perfect,
The way she loves me and you!!!!!!!


Pappy is royal.
He's new, too.
But I still love him,
And he loves you!!!!!!!

Colors
Questions from Sunday Brunch.

"Where does the violet tint end and the orange tint begins? Distinctly we see the difference of the colors, but where exactly does the one first blending enter into the other. So with sanity and insanity."
-Herman Melville

1) What is your favorite color?

My very favorite color is the deep blue/purple color of the wild violets in the spring.

This color does not translate well into clothing, car paint, or walls. It needs to be wild violets blooming in the dappled shade in the spring. So rare and beautiful.

2) What colors are your cars?

Tan, the color of the dirt and mud of the dirt road we live on. Not very sporty, but very very practical.

Living on a dirt road, I can't even get the car home from the carwash without some fresh dirt on it. There are many advantages of living on a dirt road. A clean car isn't one of them.

3) What color are your eyes?

Blue with green highlights.

4) What color do you like to wear most often?

Bluejeans with almost any color casual knit top except white or yellow. The majority of my tops are blue, turquoise, purple, green, pink, or red.

5) Name your favorite possession of each color of the rainbow: (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, purple)

For red it's my Opal Crocodile socks handknit from the yarn I got for Christmas last year. (Thanks again John and Anne.)

My brain is hurting from trying to think of an orange possession. Guess I'm going to have to get up and walk around the house to find something.

OK. I'm back. I found orange on the handles of my favorite sissors.

For yellow it's The Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara C. Walker.

The four Barbara Walker treasuries are my most loved knitting books. The second yellow volume is my favorite of the four.

For green it's the wonderful, warm, cozy flannel comforter on the bed.

It's a cold, snowy, windy night here in Michigan and I'm looking forward to snuggling down under it when I go to bed tonight.

For blue it's my Squall parka from Land's End. It's perfect for Michigan winters - waterproof, wind proof, and warm.

For indigo it's my jeans. They are my uniform now that I'm not employed. They're warm, don't show the dirt, don't collect dog hair, and have great pockets.

I love it that I can wear a size 10 again after losing 40 pounds. I need to remind myself of that a hundred times a day during the Christmas eating season. It will be a depressing January if I can't get my jeans buttoned up.

For purple it's my blogs, Seasons of Violet and Stitches of Violet.

Hey Lady! Can't You Read?
Last week I went grocery shopping at Meijer, a big Wal*Mart type of store. It's the kind of store I can only tolerate for short periods of time. After an hour in there I lose all ability to make decisions and my brain starts screaming, I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE!

Last Thursday I had a large list of non-typical items to hunt down and I exceeded the hour.

Fighting the inclination to ditch the cart and run toward the door, I steered toward the checkout lanes and spotted a cashier I knew to be quick and competent. Her line was short. The cart in front of me only had a few items in it. What luck!

After unloading $130 worth of groceries onto the belt and getting most of them bagged and into the cart, the competent friendly cashier leaned over and whispered, "Did you know you are in the express lane?"

I looked up. And, what to my wondering eyes did appear? A sign saying

12 ITEMS or LESS .

For my whole life, I've been the obedient shopper who accurately counted the items in her cart and wouldn't think of going into the express lane with one extra. Now I was standing in the express lane with an overflowing cart containing dozens of items. Yikes!

I admitted I had no clue. I apologized to the cashier without explanation. There was no good explanation.

Competent friendly cashier tried to make me feel OK by telling me that sometimes when the store is busy the lane manager sends regular orders to the express lane.

I didn't feel better. I didn't look at the people in line behind me. I know what they were thinking, and I deserved it.

I just pushed the cart out the door and went home, very embarrassed.

It's almost three days later now. And I'm almost able to laugh about it. Actually, it was a great way to get checked out quickly.

Wonder if I could get away with it again?

Doggy School Chatter
One of the many things I like about going to doggy school is being in the company of like minded people.

We talk about things that aren't acceptable conversation in mixed (dog people/not dog people) society.

In Advanced Fun and Games, the name of our doggy school class, common topics include:

• Dogs who sulk, get jealous, or get into trouble because they're bored.
  
  
• Counter surfing.
  
  
• Dog hair in food and drink.
  
  
• Sleeping with dogs in the bed. (I can't get the dog to move off the pillow so there's room for me in the bed.)
  
  
• Birthday parties for dogs.

Then there are the digestive tract topics:

• Barfing dogs.
  
  
• Pooper scoopers and poop bags.
  
  
• Dogs bringing home prize horse turds.
  
  
• Dogs eating rodents in two bites and the details of how sick they get from doing it.
  
  
• That wonderful first day in spring when the snow melts and dog owners go out with gloves and a garbage bag and spend an hour picking up dog poop.

Last Christmas my dogs, Sunny and Pappy, bought their trainer Gail Monthly Doos, the dog poop calendar for "When you care enough to give a crap." published by Watch Your Step Productions.

Gail loved the calendar and showed it to everyone that came along. We gave her a nice gift to go with the calendar, but I think she liked the calendar the best.

It hung on the wall at doggy school all year, and this Christmas we're giving her the 2005 version.

This calendar has gorgeous pictures, each one incorporating a fact of our doggy owner life, dog poop. It's full of horrible (meaning funny) puns about - well you get the idea.

Any dog lover will get a big laugh out of this calendar. Out of consideration for not dog people, there might be a problem finding a place to hang it.

As much as I'm into dog poop (with three dogs I have no choice about this) I don't want this calendar hanging in my house. But doggy school is the perfect spot. Let the beginner classes look at it and wonder about how their life is changing in so many ways.

Precious Metals and Gemstones
Questions from Sunday Brunch.

"Riches cover a multitude of woes." -Menander

1) Which stone is your birthstone? Do you like it?

January is garnet.

Yes, I do like garnet, a deep red stone which is very common and not expensive to buy.

2) Do you prefer silver or gold?

Gold.

I find gold to be more beautiful than silver. Silver has an annoying tendency to tarnish.

3) Name the jewelry that you wear whenever you leave the house.

My wedding ring, a plain gold band.

My watch, a Swiss made Movado retirement watch from Pfizer.

4) What is your most precious and valuable item of jewelry?

The cultured pearls that my grandfather brought back from Japan in the early 60s. They need restringing. I tried to do it myself but the effort fell short due to lack of skill with the knotting.

5) Do you carry insurance on any of your jewelry and if not, why not?

During the years I was making stone jewelry and selling at art and craft shows, my raw material inventory and my finished goods inventory were both insured.

Now I don't have any jewelry worth insuring, and that's OK with me.

And the Sticks Came Tumbling Down
This week we had more snow, more wet and heavy snow.

It was heavy enough so many surrounding areas lost their power when the branches came down. Our house had some power flickers, but we never completely lost it.

This is the back yard looking out toward the back field where the dogs and I walk multiple times a day. Now it's an agility course for the dogs as they get to jump over the branches on the ground to get where they're going.

The branches are frozen into the ice and snow, so we haven't tried to pick them up yet.

This is the front yard. No big branches but too many sticks to count.

I'm no longer feeling sorry I didn't get all the leaves raked up before the snow started. It's all going to need to be raked again.

Romping in the snow gets the little dogs very tired very quickly.

This is Pappy in one of his favorite sleeping spots, right up next to Mom while I'm working on my laptop.

He was a member of our family for a whole year before he felt safe enough to roll over on his back. Now sometimes he sleeps in this amusing, relaxed position. It always makes me smile and be thankful that we were able to rescue him and bring him to a loving home.

Sunny was also a rescue dog, but she came to live with us when she left her mother at eight weeks. She has never know abuse or been afraid to sleep on her back.

In this picture she's taking a nap in the bed with Bob.

Bob is that big lump under the flannel comforter right behind Sunny. In the actual picture before cropping, you could see him snoring. Wasn't I nice to crop that out?

Feathers on the Ground
DH Bob and I both enjoy the quiet of country living, but sometimes things are too quiet for comfort.

Saturday morning the bird feeders were quiet. Bob filled the Chickadee feeder early in the morning, yet there were no Chickadees. Usually the cute little birds are waiting for their food and can hardly stay away from the feeder long enough for us to fill it.

We call it the Chickadee Feeder because the Chickadees are the tamest of the little birds that feed there. We also have numerous goldfinches, tufted titmouses, nuthatches, and an occasional woodpecker feeding there. None of them showed up on Saturday morning.

Once the birds returned, we forgot about the birdless hours - until Monday morning.

Monday morning I sat in the living room working on my laptop and watched a large hawk patrol the east side of the property. All the little birds were lying low. The crows tried to chase the hawk away, but failed.

I know the hawk is part of nature. I know the hawk is a beautiful bird. But I wish it would go hunt somewhere else.

Malling
Questions from Sunday Brunch.

"George Washington had a vision for this country. Was it three days of uninterrupted shopping?"
-Jeff Melvoin, Northern Exposure

1) Do you enjoy shopping at the mall?

No. Try to avoid it as much as possible and find that it usually is possible thanks to internet shopping.

2) What is your favorite mall food?

Cream cheese pretzels. Wish I had one right now, but I don't. One of the dieting advantages of living miles away from places that sell food.

3) What are your three favorite “mall” stores?

• Barnes and Noble - because I love books.
• Mrs. Fields Pretzel Time - for the obvious.
• Sears - because they have Land's End there now.

4) What is your favorite mall?

Lakeview Square in Battle Creek. It's all on one floor and I don't get lost in it.

5) Do you have one special person that you enjoy going to the mall with the most?

Daughter Heather. She gets excited about the things she likes. Then I look at them with new eyes and notice things I wouldn't have seen without her company.

For example: I never tried one of those yummy pretzels until I was with Heather one day and she bought one for me.

I'm looking forward to shopping with her next Saturday. Monette and I are going to meet Heather in Battle Creek so Heather can help us buy Christmas gifts for Granddaughter Kimmy. The best part of the day will be lunch. And maybe a pretzel.

Winter Wonderland
Water-Winter Wonderland was the Michigan slogan forty years ago.

Water Wonderland appeared on Michigan license plates beginning in 1954. It took ten years for the folks in charge of attracting tourists to realize that for three Michigan seasons out of four, no tourist cared about coming to a cold Water Wonderland.

The slogan got changed to Water-Winter Wonderland in 1965.

1967 was the last year Water-Winter Wonderland appeared on Michigan plates. In 1968 the plates proclaimed the new state slogan, Great Lake State.

I had to Google to refresh my memory on all this when the phrase "Winter Wonderland" popped into my mind while looking at the pictures I took on Wednesday.

On the busiest travel day of the year, the snow came down. And it wasn't just a nice little dusting. It was wet, heavy, slippery, and nasty.

I was cozy and warm in the house watching winter arrive and cooking for Thanksgiving. My only concern was the power. The snow was so wet and heavy that branches were breaking off trees. All our powerlines are above ground and many links we depend on go through wooded areas.

Fortunately the power stayed on. Unfortunately this beautiful pine tree in the front yarn ended up losing several large branches in the evening, after the picture was taken.

This is how it looked out the front window about three o'clock in the afternoon. Before it finished snowing Wednesday evening, we had six inches of snow in our Southwest Michigan Wonderland.

Thanksgiving Thoughts
The whole list of things I'm thankful for is very long, too long to write. If I did write it, it would read like the story of my life. I've been abundantly blessed.

Here are a few things I'm thankful for this November:

• Seasons of Violet. Over the past year writing this blog has resulted in a new closeness with family members who live far away.
  
  
• My husband. We've been home together for a year now and we still like each other and laugh together.
  
  
• My dogs. They are a constant supply of amusement, love, and reasons to go out on walks.
  
  
• My mother. A remarkable woman who is a great example of aging with class, grace, and vigor.
  
  
• My daughter. She met adversity head on and kept going until things got better again. She deserves the best and I hope she never settles for less.
  
  
• My granddaughter Kimmy. Ever since she was ten minutes old and grabbed my finger, we've been bonded. I'm thankful that she is maturing into a fine young lady and still has some time for her grandma.
  
  
• My son. He's a hardworking, easy going, caring man with a heart of gold. I'm so thankful he inherited the best qualities from both sides of his family.
  
  
• My daughter-in-law. She's the perfect match for my son and she's going to be a good mom to my unborn granddaughter.
  
  
• My unborn granddaughter. She's healthy and active, waiting to be born and delight her new family. We love her now, and we're going to love her even more when we meet her in April.

Something Very Different
While procrastinating getting up to make the Green Dream, I'm going to share two knitting/crochet sites with you.

You don't need to know anything about knitting or crochet to enjoy these pictures or to shake your head in disbelief.

Heather Sullivan has posted the cutest pictures of her hamsters in crocheted hamster hats.

She says:

Yes, I'm a batty lady with too much time on my hands. My hamsters are very well cared for and are quite happy to pander to my daily cuteness needs. They are not left to wander around with the hats on unsupervised and I don't recommend anyone keeps any yarn or fabric around hamsters at all because they can eat or chew on it and have lots of various problems with it(including death from the fibres causing a blockage in them).

I like this lady. She loves animals and she knows how to have fun.

Second is a knitting pattern in the Winter 2004 Knitter's magazine, a Sock Scarf, complete with randomly placed heels. According to the magazine blurb

We chose to stagger them (the heels) so the scarf would not lie flat, no matter how you wear it.

Isn't a scarf supposed to lie flat?

I'm guessing there is a minimum of $30 of yarn in this scarf. It's fingering yarn, so there are many little stitches. It would take me, a medium speed knitter, at least 20 hours to knit it - not that I would.

Correction Note added November 30, after receiving the actual magazine: The scarf is knit using Schoeller/Stahl Big Mexiko, a worsted weight yarn. It takes 5 skeins so the price is approximately $30 to knit it. The time it would take is much less than my previous estimate, as worsted weight knits up much quicker than fingering weight.

This scarf's only redeeming quality would be if it amused me, and it doesn't. Hopefully it amuses someone.

Do you like it? Would you wear it?

And, an even more interesting question, what would you think if you saw someone wearing this scarf?

Happy Thanksgiving
Questions from Sunday Brunch.

"I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

1) How do you cook your turkey? (Stuffing, spices, cooking bag, etcetera)

Stuff it with a bread stuffing and slowly bake it in a roaster in the oven with periodic basting.

2) What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?

Back in the 80s when I worked for The Upjohn Company the cafeteria had a chef who made wonderful things from scratch. The Upjohn Pumpkin Torte is one of those wonderful things.

It's a rich, heavenly dessert. Takes a little effort to make but it's not difficult and well worth the effort.

It tastes even better after being refrigerated for a day, so I'm making it on Wednesday and dessert will be ready for Thanksgiving dinner.

3) What are you doing this year for Thanksgiving?

Staying home and fixing turkey dinner for DH and Mom.

4) Do you have any family traditions at Thanksgiving?

I've been making Green Dream for over thirty years so I guess it's a family tradition.

It's made with lime Jello, melted marshmallows, milk, cream cheese, Cool whip, Miracle Whip, and crushed pineapple. The recipe is here.

The perfect holiday side dish for adding a slightly tangy accent with roast turkey, it's especially good to eat with cold turkey leftovers.

The Green Dream needs to be made ahead, so it's one more dish that will be prepared on Wednesday.

5) What one dish does it just not feel like Thanksgiving without besides turkey?

Mashed potatoes and turkey gravy. Have to have that or why bother cooking a turkey?

Huddling under an umbrella, I went out with my camera this afternoon to try and catch the mood of the dark, drizzly, gloomy weather we have had for most of the week. The forecast for the next five days is for more of the same.

I've always thought I liked the four seasons and wouldn't want to live somewhere that didn't have them. Today I'm wondering if that is true.

Maybe I have preseason SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder. According to the National Mental Health Association the symptoms include a craving for sugary and/or starchy foods. I've had five cookies today. That's five more cookies than I usually eat in a day and five more cookies than I can eat in a day and still maintain my weight loss.

The temperatures are mild for this time of year, in the 50s (10 to 12 C) during the day, and it hasn't been windy. It would be perfect leaf raking and leaf burning weather except it is too wet. So I sit inside doing things I love to do - reading, knitting, blogging, reading Yahoo groups - and feeling guilty because it's looking more and more like those leaves are going to be on the ground until spring. Again. Without the excuse that I have a job and there isn't time to rake them.

Which brings me to the introspective question: Will I ever get old enough and wise enough not to feel guilty about things that don't really matter like getting all the leaves up in the fall?

I have my own theories on why this time of year is depressing, at least for me. The reasons can easily be related back to the SAD model.

In the spring I have energy and big plans. The days are getting longer, the sun starts to warm the earth, and everything is fresh and green. I know that this is the year I will have a wonderful garden, redecorate my house, organize my life, and spend hours and hours doing all the things I love to do.

In the fall reality hits. The days are short, the air is cold, and everything is brown and gray. My energy has disappeared. I have to face the fact that somehow most of my plans didn't happen and now it's too late for this year.

On a more positive note, I have much to be thankful for. Onward to Thanksgiving - and then Christmas. The turkey is thawing in the refrigerator and I'm going to be making that wonderful Upjohn Pumpkin Torte.

Life is good. Now, where's the sun?

Promise of Joy to Come
This is the twenty week ultrasound of my granddaughter. She is due to arrive April 4, 2005.

In the meantime, she is having a good time in the womb.

Her dad reports:

She was very active during the ultrasound, too. She would shift and wiggle around. One time she even stretched her arm up above her head. The tech was having a lot of fun doing the ultrasound, she said, because the baby was so active.

That is this picture. The head is on the left and her arm is in the air.

Dad continues:

Her heart was visible during the ultrasound and we could see it thumping away.

The last couple pictures in the ultrasounds are of her profile. During the time when the tech was looking around and checking out this part we could see her open her mouth a couple times. She also moved her eyes once.

The most important ultrasound result is that the baby is healthy. The next most important question was "Boy or girl?"

It appears she is going to be a kind and considerate child like her father was. She kicked up her little legs to show us that she definitely has no male parts. So glad she cooperated.

Son John has written about the experience on his blog. Grandma has read it several dozen times. It makes me smile every time I do.

Chocolate Candy
Questions from Sunday Brunch.

"A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men."
-Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

1) What is your favorite flavor of M&Ms?

Reese's pieces. Love that chocolate and peanut butter combination.

2) Is there a special edition of candy that you wish they would make a permanent item on the shelves?

A couple of years ago there was a Nestle's Crunch made with white chocolate. I think it was responsible for several of my overweight pounds. I'm relieved that it is no longer around to tempt me - but I still think about it.

3) What is your favorite flavor of Hershey’s Kisses?

I'm not familiar with the different kinds of kisses. Maybe I need to check this out?

4) What is your favorite candy bar?

Swiss chocolate from Switzerland. Occasionally my mother gets a shipment from our Swiss cousins and sometimes she shares. Swiss chocolate is so much better than American chocolate (sorry, but it's true). I find most American candy bars to be way way too sweet and full of wax.

5) Do you prefer milk chocolate, dark chocolate or white chocolate?

I love love love white chocolate. There has never been any white chocolate in the Swiss chocolate deliveries. At least none that Mom has ever let me see.

Wonder if they have Swiss white chocolate?

Since I'm maintaining a 40 pound weight loss, I don't get to eat much candy. What am I missing?

What's your favorite?

Where Are My Mittens?
Mother Nature is bringing on winter whether we are ready for it or not. I'm not.

This morning the pond was covered with a thin layer of ice. Not too shocking. Afterall, it is November in Michigan.

What was shocking was when I went outside this afternoon and the layer of ice had not melted. Time to hunt down my gloves, scarves, and boots.


What ever made me write a blog entry on bathroom humor? It's really not my style. It occurred to me today that I did the same thing once before when I posted a link to ICBE, the International Center for Bathroom Etiquette.

Curious as to why I would do such an uncharacteristic thing twice, I checked out the date on the ICBE link. December 4, 2003. It seems to have something to do with the onset of winter.

Any theories on how cold weather and bathroom humor are related?

Two Years With Pappy
Pappy just celebrated his two year anniversary as part of our family. We are so happy to have him and so pleased that he has turned into a loved member of our family.

Pappy is a 14 pound Papillon. He was our first mature rescue dog. We're not sure how old he is or where he came from. He's not young and he's not old. He got shuffled from one rescue organization to another, until he ended up in a foster home with six other little dogs. His foster mom put him on Petfinder where we found him

We do know that at least some of his life before coming here was very awful. He has one ear with the cartilage broken down. He has a large scar across his shoulders. And recently, he had the dead tissue from on old wound erupt on his hip.

When we got him, he had an infected mouth and tear stains under both eyes. He was very shy and afraid of us. For the first several months he chose to be by himself in the back bedroom when the family was together in the living room or kitchen.

Now he is very healthy and without tear stains. He loves going to doggy school, especially agility. His favorite spot to be is where ever the family is, and he's often cuddled up next to one of us.

He's very intelligent and, now that he is comfortable displaying his real personality, he is a people dog. We love him and he loves us.

Most rescue dogs have "issues". Some were given up because of their issues. Some developed issues because they were mistreated and/or ignored. We were fortunate to have a good doggy school and a great dog trainer to help us work out Pappy's issues. And we are blessed because Pappy was a dog worth the time and effort required to bring him back to himself.

When I lost my job last January family and friends mostly agreed I was going to get bored. So far I refuse to admit to being bored.

There are some weeks that are more interesting than others, though. And this evening I just accidently ran across a website named Bored.com, "for when there is nothing to watch on television".

I'm bookmarking this site. It appears to be well designed and full of intersting links.

For example, it has a link to the Bathroom Habits Survey where you can find out what strange habits other people have when going to the bathroom. All answers are anonymous.

Approximately 850,000 people have taken this survey, so if you want to know what goes on in other people's bathrooms this is the place to check it out.

I was grossed out to learn that 50% of adults admit to urinating in a swimming pool and 74% admit to urinating in an ocean, lake, or river. Yuck.

At the bottom of the Bathroom Survey stats page, there is a link to Bathroom Life billed as "The Web's largest source of bathroom humor: farting, pooping, peeing, burping, vomiting, and more."

I've never been big on bathroom humor, so even as I write this I wonder why I am visiting these sites. Could it be that I really am getting bored?

Toilet paper over or under? (Can you believe that 34% of survey respondents don't care?)

Fruits and Vegetables
Questions from Sunday Brunch.

"The finest qualities of our nature, like the bloom on fruits, can be preserved only by the most delicate handling. Yet we do not treat ourselves nor one another thus tenderly." -Henry David Thoreau

1) What is your favorite vegetable and your favorite fruit?

Hummm. I've never thought about a favorite. I have my fruits and vegetables divided into three categories: enjoy eating, will eat, and would rather not eat.

One of my favorite fruits is fresh peaches.

But, now that I've thought about it, my very favorite fruit is fresh Michigan strawberries mashed up with a little bit of sugar and spooned over Bisquick shortcake.

One of my favorite vegetables is corn, especially corn on the cob with butter and pepper. Not exactly diet food, but definitely good tasting.

2) How many servings of fruits and vegetables do you eat a day?

Usually three servings of fruit and two servings of vegetables.

Before I lost forty pounds I could hardly find the produce department. Now I spend a lot of time there every week.

Of course, one of the reasons I'm in the produce department so long is because I can't get their stupid plastic bags open to hold the produce I'm trying to buy. Wouldn't you think they could come up with something better than flimsy, melded together plastic bags?

3) Did your parents force you to eat vegetables when you were younger?

Not that I remember.

4) What vegetable can you absolutely just not get down, no matter what you are bribed with?

Winter squash. The orange kind that tastes awful and leaves an aftertaste in my mouth that lasts for hours.

5) What is your favorite way to eat fruit?

Fresh and ripe. Some fruit just begs for ice cream, like the above mentioned peaches.

Cut up juicy peaches over vanilla ice cream. Yummy.

I didn't learn that at Weigh Watchers.

Is there a vegetable you just can't get down?

Post Election Insults
It's been a difficult week for posting.

I don't usually write about politics, which is the main topic of discussion in the US right now. My email is full of personal jabs at my character and my sanity for voting the way I did and I hesitate to transfer that type of conversation to Seasons of Violet.

Since I've stayed low profile about my political preferences and have not tried to convert anyone who thinks differently, it's been shocking to be sought out and personally attacked by the "blue" people.

Please don't leave flames about this in the comments. I've seen every nasty thing - plus some - that you could possible write.

Calling me names and bashing Bush are not going to impress me with your liberal tolerance and your love for your fellow man.

Any thoughtful, intelligent opinions are welcome, even if they don't agree with mine.

Lots of Hits
On a much brighter note, Stitches of Violet has been getting more views than I ever dreamed possible in one week. And it hasn't even appeared on the Google searches yet.

It's nice to have a place to put my knitting projects and I'm preparing several CIC patterns to post there: Basketweave Toddler Socks and Fluted Banister Toddler Vest.

The pattern writing has been taking some time. Writing patterns is very detailed and time consuming. And, after a while, they just sound OK even when they're not. Rather like writing computer programs, one of my former occupations.

eMail Me
gMail seems to be pretty good at sorting out spam, so I've added my gMail address to the Seasons of Violet sidebar.

Would love to hear from you anytime you'd like to drop me a note.

And, if there's anyone left in the world who wants a gMail account and needs an invitation, I still have many to give away.

Congratulations Mr. President


I agree with my Swiss cousin Jurg, who wrote:

So what we say is, that Bush has to eat his own soup! That means, that the bad things he made, he has to bring it well again by himself!

President Bush now has his chance to finish what he has started and prove himself the capable and intelligent leader most of the country believed him to be shortly after 9/11.

I will be praying for him.

All the Leaves Are Down
And waiting to be raked.

It's been cold, windy, and either raining or about ready to rain for days - until today. Today the sun came out, and I think I'm going to miss out on one of the last opportunities to rake.

Yes, I stayed up way too late last night listening to the inane chatter of people trying to fill air time between sporadic announcements of election results. For most of the evening I entertained myself by looking through stitch pattern books to get ideas for a Barbie sweater. About two am, I opened a bottle of white wine and sipped a nice drink. About three am, when I fell asleep in the chair, I toddled off to bed.

I'm feeling a little out-of-it today. Have been sitting here messing around online, reading things I normally would delete as irrelevant. In a way it's rather relaxing, if it weren't for that nagging feeling that my future life would be better served if I was outside raking.

And the Skys are Gray
The days are short now. It's dark by five-thirty. Right now it's about three-thirty and, looking out the window, it looks like evening.

The weather forecast is for rain tonight and on into the weekend - unless it gets cold enough to produce sleet and snow instead.

I think I just missed my chance to catch a few rare rays of sun.

Did you stay up to listen to election results?

Happy Halloween
Questions from Sunday Brunch.

1) What candy are you passing out on Halloween night if you are staying home?

Three Musketeers mini bars.

But we've never had a Trick or Treater in the thirteen years we've lived here, so we felt safe dipping into the candy dish. It's 7:30 pm and there is only one left.

2) What was your best Halloween costume?

My best costume was for Hoe-Down Day, not Halloween.

Hoe-Down Day was a homecoming week event at Marshall High School. My freshman year I went as an alien. I dressed in green and used green food coloring on all my exposed skin. Several of my teachers recalled this costume years after I graduated.

3) Are you doing anything on the night of Halloween if you are not staying home to pass out treats, and if so, what are you doing?

We're staying home to eat the treats we would be passing out if someone came, which they're not going to do.

We live in the woods on a back dirt road and all the kids are working the subdivisions.

4) What is your favorite Halloween décor? (ie, witch, ghost, pumpkins)

I know this is a corny, overdone gag decoration, but I always chuckle when I see one of these unfortunate witches.

I'm sure this is what would happen to me if I got on my flying broom and took off through the air. That's why I pretend I'm just a normal old woman.

5) Do you carve jack o’lanterns?

Nope.

What do you enjoy about Halloween?

New Knitting Blog
If you're interested in my knitting, please visit my new knitting blog Stitches of Violet.

It is under construction but functional. Tonight I posted the first knitting pictures, a Barbie dress and poncho knit for granddaughter Kimmy complete with links to the free, online patterns I used.

I have big plans to write up some of the patterns I design for socks, Barbie, and CIC and post them on Stitches of Violet. This will not happen overnight, but slowly the list of patterns should grow.

There will also be links to free Barbie patterns and free CIC suitable patterns that other people are sharing on their websites. I won't be linking to other free sock patterns as there are many sites that already do that.

In order to manage my own expectations, my goal is to publish on Stitches of Violet a minimum of once a week.

There will be no more knitting pictures on Seasons of Violet.

Since I'm not a prolific knitter, I've hesitated to start a "knitting blog". I'm not 100% sure it was a good idea, but winter is coming and I'm going to give it a try.

Chipmunk Damage
This spot used to house a hosta, a Japanese fern, and some creeping woodland phlox.

Their destruction and this hole was created by a chipmunk. Really.

A tiny little chipmunk had a tiny, harmless little hole in the back of this tier garden. Glory, our large dog, saw the chipmunk go down the little hole and decided to enlarge the hole a bit to see if she could find the evil rodent.

Glory is a very smart dog. She knew enough to do her digging when I wasn't around to stop her. She doesn't do it very often, only when tormented by little striped rodents. She is forgiven.

Party Time
Last Saturday was Granddaughter Kimmy's ninth birthday. She had a party at Peter Piper Pizza with plenty of friends, relatives, and a Sponge Bob Cake.

Most of her gifts were Barbie related, mine included. I got her a California Barbie, a Barbie carrying case, and this (non Barbie related) Hilary Duff CD.

Kimmy liked all her gifts, but none of the others were as exciting as the CD.

Autumn Rant

The older I get the less I enjoy the coming of fall.
It's something to do with the passing of time.
Year round, time passes at the same speed. . .
But in the fall, it sticks its arm out the window and flips you off.
- - Arlo (of Arlo and Janis comic strip by Jimmy Johnson)

Some autumns are more colorful than other autumns. This has been a moderately colorful autumn with an abundance of yellows and hardly any reds.

These two autumn pictures were taken last week.

This week there are more empty branches and brown leaves visible in the color mix. Also, more and more leaves on the ground needing to be raked up.


Seems like every time I turn around it's Christmas.

I used to work with a woman who said every time she turned around it was either the 4th of July or Christmas. She is ten years younger than I am. I'm sure that she will be dropping the 4th of July from her statement soon, if she hasn't already.

The 4th of July happens in the middle of the beautiful summer season and is over in a day - or two days if it falls on a long weekend. It requires little or no preparation. Parties and gifts are not required.

The "holiday" season starts before Halloween and lasts until January. In Michigan, it coincides with the shortest, darkest, coldest days of the year.

Even a minimal Christmas requires ongoing organization, shopping, exposure to very fattening (but delicious) food, and social get-togethers.

I'm a non-shopping, introverted, dieter and "the holidays" are not my idea of two months of good spirit and fun. So when the leaves fall down and the holiday songs begin, I kick off the holiday season by getting a little cranky.

The crankiness will pass. I will do what needs to be done, enjoy it as much as possible, and, when it's over, I will have a January birthday and get another year older. Then I can hibernate in peace for the rest of the winter.

Are there any introverts who enjoy the holidays? How about some tips?

Parents
Questions from Sunday Brunch.

"Parents are often so busy with the physical rearing of children that they miss the glory of parenthood, just as the grandeur of the trees is lost when raking leaves." -Marcelene Cox

1) What do your parents do for a living?

My father died way to young, at 45, of a massive heart attack in 1964. At the time of his death, he was working as a bookkeeper.

My mother was left with four children ages 19(me), 14, 10, and 8. She used the life insurance money to go college and get a teaching degree. She taught art, humanities, and English at the middle school and high school level until her retirement in the mid 1980s.

Now she happily does whatever she feels like doing: reads, paints, follows politics and world events, attends dance class, and reads Seasons of Violet.

2) How old were your parents when you were born?

Father was 26 and Mom was 22.

The wedding picture is from 1944, about a year before I was born.

I'm sure Mom/Monette will post corrections in the comments if I don't get my dates and ages correct.

3) What is the most important lesson that you learned from your parents?

Life isn't always fair. Sometimes it seriously sucks. Work your way through those times and things will eventually get better again.

4) What is the harshest discipline that you ever received from your parents?

I think I was a pretty good kid because I don't remember getting much discipline.

Once when I was about 5-6 my mother received a cosmetic delivery from a door to door saleslady (Avon?) containing an eyebrow pencil.

While Mom was chatting with the lady, I took the pencil and started drawing with it. It was soft and made wonderful thick lines, but after a few pictures there wasn't much left of it. When my mother got done chatting and turned her attention to me, she was furious and I got a spanking.

I remember this incident because at the time I though it was very unfair. I didn't know it wasn't a pencil to draw with. Of course, I had no business taking something that wasn't mine, but that logic escaped me at that age.

Sorry Mom.

5) What is the thing that you are the most grateful to your parents for?

One thing? If it's going to be one thing, it will need to be a very general thing.

I'm thankful to my parents for loving me and accepting me for who I am. Mom and I have some very different preferences and opinions, but that doesn't stop us from loving each other and enjoying each other's company.

Opal Purple Sidewinders
I love these socks so much I haven't wanted to wear them. They are hanging on the back of my closet door and every morning I enjoy looking at them.

It's the combination of the two yarns that makes them so special. The lighter parts are knit from Opal Mosaic and the darker parts are deep purple and black Opal Crocodile.

The pattern is from Soxie's Cell Mates, "Fun n' funky socks with matching Cell Phone bags".

I made a few modifications to the pattern.

In anticipation of the coming Michigan winter, I knit my cuff twice as long as the pattern calls for. There is 20 rows of k1p1 ribbing under the vertical stripe cuff so the sock will fit snuggly to my leg.

Then, I made the stripes on the ankle and toe a little thicker than the pattern said because I love the color contrast of the two yarns. Since I was knitting the small, 56 stitch version, there was plenty of Crocodile to do that.

My two color knitting skills are pretty lacking. I couldn't get the pattern's vertical stripes to look nice on the heel. After I frogged the first heel a few times and the yarn was beginning to look a little frizzy, I decided I was going to have horizontal stripes on my heel.

These socks were completed over a month ago. I was waiting for Soxie to get them on her website before I showed them on Seasons of Violet.

Thanks for a great pattern Soxie!! They were fun to knit and they're going to be fun to wear - someday.

Fluted Banisters
Last week I finished the Fluted Banisters, the October/November pattern in the Six Sock Knitalong.

The yarn is Opal Handpainted #11.

Since I have small feet, I used sixty stitches around to get a snug fit.

This pattern went very quick and was fun to knit. I'll use it again when I have randomly variegated yarn like this.

Pumpkin Torte
There is the most delicious recipe for Pumpkin Torte in the recipe section of my sidebar. I look forward to making it every autumn, usually for Thanksgiving.

The torte is 9 x 13 and has too many calories to count, so I don't dare make it more than once or twice a year.

If you've never made it before, you have the perfect excuse to make it twice. You have to try out the recipe before serving it to your Thanksgiving guests, right?

I'm Scared
Tired of the same old, boring, wimpy pumpkin carvings? Check out Extreme Pumpkins.

Today. We will buy a big, ugly, pumpkin so large one man cannot lift or move it. Today. We will carve that sumbitch into something ugly and plop it on the front porch. Pumpkin carving is reborn.

Drive Faster
Here is a reason not to go driving in the beautiful, solitary countryside.

Note to dialup readers: This website is a long load. I waited it out, but it took many minutes. If you play the video and you don't jump at the end, you don't have the entire clip downloaded yet.

Planning a project?

Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.
Murphy's Law

Here is a Murphy's Law Calculator to help you understand and predict the frustrations of life.

The calculator mathematically considers five project factors - urgency, complexity, importance, skill, frequency, and tells you the probability of Murphy's Law kicking in before the project is complete.

It's much easier to use than it sounds. Can be used on any project, small (getting dressed in the morning) to large (building a house). Give it a try.

Be sure to read the accompanying press release from the British Gas News to learn why your e-mail will most likely crash as you try to send something important, chances are highest that you will spill a drink down your clothes before an important event, and why showers go cold on women more often than on men.

So happy to be of service to my readers. You are welcome.

Furniture
Questions from Sunday Brunch.

"Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house."
-Henry Ward Beecher

1) What size is your bed?

Regular double bed.

It used to be big enough until the little dogs came to live and sleep with us.

Pappy is nice enough to move over when asked, but Sunny goes limp and refuses to move or roll anywhere once she is settled in. She weighs fourteen pounds but when we are trying to claim the bed we jokingly refer to her as the "two thousand pound dog".

2) Do you prefer fabric sofas or leather sofas? What do you have?

Fabric and fabric.

We have throws on most of the furniture so the dogs can sit with us and we don't have to worry about them jumping up on the furniture when they're wet and/or muddy. I think the throws would slide around too much on leather furniture.

3) What wood stain color is your favorite? (Pine, walnut, cherry, etc.)

Oak. It's been my favorite for decades.

4) What piece of furniture is at the top of your wish list right now?

Bookshelves. We have way too many books and we're out of shelf space.

5) Do you have a piece of furniture in your home that doesn't seem to fit but that you can't bear to part with?

I have a wonderful comfy La-Z-Boy chair in the very small dinette area of the kitchen. I love to sit there and knit while Bob reads to me.

The chair makes it difficult to completely open the refrigerator door, but we've adapted to it and it's going to stay.

Do you let your pets on the furniture?

Jamming at Meijer's
Last week everything was out of sync because of Pappy's unexpected surgery. I ended up at Meijer's on Saturday morning. (Meijer's is a chain of large, discount grocery stores in direct competition with Walmart.)

The wide aisles weren't wide enough. They were full of carts and people of all ages, shapes, sizes, and patience levels. The best strategy was to park the cart at the end of the aisle and walk down the row to pick up what I needed. In some aisles it was difficult to get through even without a cart.

I felt sorry for the mothers there with their children. Did they work all week and get a fun Saturday morning at Meijer's with the kids to kick off the weekend? Hard to imagine they would be there on Saturday morning if they had other times available for shopping.

Thursday morning the grocery store is quiet, the shelves are stocked, there are parking places close to the door. It's the perfect time to go and grocery shop.

My shopping is done. I won't be in anyone's way at Meijer's this Saturday.

W, Do Not Call!
While waiting for Pappy's lab results my heart rate tripled every time the phone rang. It was common and super annoying to hear a recorded message with some unwanted, unnecessary political message.

Why does the administration that saved us from telemarketers with the Do Not Call Registry think we want to get political calls?

VolcanoCam
Click here to see a videocam image of Mount St. Helens taken from the Johnston Ridge Observatory about five miles from the volcano. The image updates approximately every five minutes.

During dark night hours in Washington State, you won't see anything except splotches of color. During the daylight hours the picture is awesome.

Benign is Beautiful
We got the call this afternoon. Pappy's tumor was not a tumor. It was a wad of old dead tissue that surfaced from an old wound. He must have had it inside him for years.

We are so relieved and ready to have life get back to normal.

Pappy is frolicking around like he knows something good has happened. He was feeling much better today.

He's going to doggy school on Thursday evening. Teacher Gail says he can take it easy and let people fawn over him and give him treats. He'll love it.

Monday Madness
The Sunday Brunch topic this week was "Disney", and my answers went something like, "don't know", "can't think of one", "hummm", "don't care", and "no".

So instead of a Sunday Brunch post this week, I'm going to do a completely mindless and trivial but fun Monday Madness meme.

Name 3 things....

1....your ideal salad has on it.

• Onion
• Raisins
• French dressing

2....you do religiously in the morning.

• Drink a cup of coffee
• Dress to the shoes
• Take the dogs for a walk

3....you look forward to doing in your spare time.

• Reading
• Knitting
• Messing around online

4....you've never done before, but think you will at some point in your life.

• Travel to Idaho
• Start a Bible study blog
• Bird Banding

5....you love to do while on vacation.

• Get some sun
• See the ocean
• See mountains

6....you took pictures of in the last month.

• Autumn colors
• Frost
• My dogs

7....you have to do before the end of the day.

• Pay bills
• Return library books
• Take Sunny to doggy school

8....you like about your best friend.

• She knows when to talk and when to be quiet.
• She doesn't like to shop.
• We're sisters in Christ.

There are many, many things I like about my best friend. I just picked the first three that popped into my head.

What's something you like about your best friend?

Pappy Report - Day 5
This afternoon Pappy had a major breakthrough in his recovery from surgery.

After coming inside from a pee, he stood in the hallway and looked bewildered for a while. Then his little doggy brain made an important decision to claim his rightful spot on top of the loveseat. He ran into the living room, jumped up on the loveseat seat, and hopped onto the loveseat top.

This was an exhausting feat, and he spent most of the afternoon sleeping there and looking pleased with himself.

Late this evening, he went outside and ran around wagging his tail. He wanted to go out to the field, but it was dark and I wouldn't let him. Tomorrow we'll give it a try in the daylight.

It's so good to see him interesting in living again. Now all we need to make life sweet is a good lab report.

Thank you to everyone who has left comments and/or sent email expressing their concern and wishing Pappy well. We appreciate your good wishes, prayers, and support.

Pappy Report - Day 4
His big brown eyes look at me and ask what in the world happened to me? Why can't I walk very well anymore? Why am I sewn together?

I got him out for a little walk today without the other dogs. Thought we would go slow and easy and he would enjoy the beautiful autumn day. We barely got across the creek when he decided he couldn't walk anymore, and I had to carry him back to the house.

He spent most of the day sleeping and laying around on his special bed watching the family do things. We are giving him tons of love, attention, and babying.

After the surgery, the vet showed me the tumor sliced in two. The center was black with dead tissue because the tumor grew so fast the center didn't have a blood supply.

It was pure evil. It is indeed a fallen world when such an ugly thing can grow on a sweet, loving, innocent animal.

Opal Magic Cloverleaf Lace Socks
Last Sunday I finished these socks for Mom. The yarn is Opal Magic.

Magic is fun to knit. It has all the pretty self-patterning Opal colors and stripes as well as a wide 19 - 20 rows of solid color, the perfect place to include a pretty stitch pattern.

This stitch pattern is based on the Cloverleaf Lace pattern from the Six Sock Knitalong.

The cloverleafs are staggered instead of in a straight line, and the ribbing is knit 7 purl 1, two stitches wider than the original Cloverleaf Lace ribbing.

Fluted Banister Progress
This is my required progress picture of the Fluted Banister, the third sock in the Six Sock Knitalong. The yarn is Opal Handpainted (#11).

Fluted Banister is an elastic, pretty stitch pattern for socks that will fit and stay up. Once I got the feel for it, the pattern became pretty brainless to knit. Good thing, because with everything going on with Pappy I don't have much brain left to think about anything else.

Knit on, with confidence and hope, Through all crisis.
- Elizabeth Zimmerman

Pappy Report - Day 3
Pappy went back to the vet this morning.

He's doing OK but he has been in a lot of pain. She checked him over and gave him a pain shot and some pain pills for when the shot wears off.

Late this afternoon he went outside and was able to lift his leg for some doggy style peeing, so it appears the pain med is working.

The whole house is not OK with Pappy down and out. We're not doing our fun walks and tricks and games and everyone is worried about him, including the other two dogs.

Normal life has pretty much come to a halt while we nurse him back to health.

He wants to be with either Bob or me all the time, preferably right next to our body and snuggled in.

This works well so we can keep him from licking his stitches. This does not work well if we want to get anything done. So I'm not getting anything done and that's OK.

The Mattress is Down
The mattress is off the box spring and on the floor.

In our house that means one of our much loved dogs has had surgery and isn't allowed to jump on and off the bed. We put the mattress on the floor so the dog can walk on and off of it.

Always before the lowered mattress has been because of a spaying or neutering. Today it was a horrible surgery.

Pappy sprouted a tumor on his left hip that grew almost overnight. I took him to the vet this morning and she surgically removed it. There's a chance it's benign, but she didn't sound very convincing.

It's been sent off for a biopsy and we won't have the results for 7 to 10 days. Then we'll know what we need to do next, if anything.

We're mentally preparing for the worst kind of news thinking it can't possible be that bad. He's a healthy, active dog and we love him too much.

Meanwhile, he's still groggy and is on restricted motion for 7 days. She took a lot of surrounding tissue and it's a big incision, about four inches long on a very small dog.

Pappy is a people dog. He likes to be where we are. This evening he is on a special bed on the living room floor made from an old comforter and a spare pillow. We're taking good care of him.

I am so grateful that I can be home to comfort him and nurse him through his hard time.

Frosty Morning
This morning was the first hard frost of autumn. It was so heavy on the grass and plants, it almost looked like snow.

Last week we had our first frost. It was a light frost and quickly melted without taking out the annuals.

Sunday morning we had our second frost. Still not a killing frost, but very pretty. I wanted to take pictures then, but didn't have time before church.


Today when I took the dogs out for their early morning walk, I knew I was going to have to get back out with my camera and take a few pictures.

There is a green plant under all the ice.

Last week and the week before I noticed a flock of bluebirds by the bird houses early in the morning.

I'd like to think it was some of the nine bluebirds hatched and tended in this nest box this summer.

Horse Play
Questions from Sunday Brunch.

"A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!"
-William Shakespeare

1) Have you ever ridden a horse?

1959. I was 14 years old, and an introverted, unathletic high school freshman. My extroverted, athletic friend (the one in the yellow prom dress) talked me into joining the Girl's Athletic Association (GAA).

Why? Because if we acquired 15 athletic points we earned a ticket to the GAA formal dance and we - the girls - got to ask the boy of our choice to escort us.

Unfortunately, earning GAA points required doing athletic things.

Horseback riding was on the GAA list. My friend lived on a dairy farm and had horses. She assured me that three hours on a horse for three GAA points was "no sweat".

I had never ridden a horse before. She'd been riding horses since she was old enough to sit up, so it didn't occur to her teenage brain that I might need a few pointers. I got on that horse and before I could ask what to do next, the horse took off and jumped the fence.

I didn't fall off. She was a little more helpful after I threatened to go home, and we managed to ride for three hours. The next day I was so sore I could hardly walk. Not a good thing, because I had marching band practice.

I was too stiff to raise my knees when marching 8 to 5 (eight steps to 5 yards), so the band instructor pulled me out of formation and yelled at me for having a "tight skirt". He never did let me explain. The skirt was not tight. Stupid man.

It was all worth it, though. That's me in the purple formal. I picked a good looking date, didn't I?

2) What is your favorite horse story or movie?

"A horse is a horse of course, of course.
And no-one can talk to a horse of course
That is of course unless the horse is the famous Mister Ed.

Go right to the source and ask the horse
He'll give you the answer that you endorse.
He's always on a standing course
Talk to Mister Ed!"

While Googling for the words to Mr. Ed's theme song, I found Mr. Ed Online, an entire web site dedicated to information on Mr. Ed, the talking horse from 1960's television.
The diverse interests of the human population never cease to amaze me.

3) If you had the means, would you own a horse?

Yes, for Granddaughter Kimmy. She loves horses. She has gone to riding camp for the past two summers. This past summer she earned her "trotting" certificate.

4) Do you think it would be neat if we went back to everyone traveling by horse and buggy or just an inconvenience?

Is this a serious question?

It wouldn't be "just an inconvenience". It would be a major inconvenience and a complete change in lifestyle.

My body is too old to be thrown around in a horse and buggy. I would never leave home.

5) Have you ever ridden in a hansom cab?

No, but it sounds very romantic.

Do you ride?

Still Time to Join
I'm really enjoying the Six Sox Knitalong where over 700 of us are knitting the same sock pattern at the same time and yet everyone's socks are unique. Different yarns, colors, cuff lengths, heel types, toe types - the only thing every sock has in common is the stitch pattern used.

The October/November sock stitch pattern is Fluted Banister, a forgiving, stretchy, easy to knit, fancy ribbing. I know that because we had a chance to practice the stitch ahead of time by making a toddler or child version of Fluted Banisters for CIC.

For each picture of a pair of completed Fluted Banister CIC socks posted in the Six Sox Knitalong photo section by October 11, the knitter gets an entry in a special drawing. One of the prizes is a 100g skein of Mountain Colors Weaver's Wool yarn in the colorway "Winter Sky." Susan has just announced an additional drawing for a sock pattern of choice from The Knitter.

If you're not a member of the Six Sox Knitalong, it's not to late to join up, knit some cute, quick little socks for a great cause, and possibly win a prize.

If you don't want to join the group but need the perfect pattern for CIC socks, the pattern link is here.

For each pattern in the Six Sox Knitalong, I've challenged myself to knit a pair of corresponding CIC socks and incorporate the stitch pattern into a warm, wool CIC toddler vest.

This is my Fluted Banister vest and socks, knit, washed, and ready to get sent to the central CIC distribution location.

What is CIC?
Each time I write about CIC, someone asks me what it is.

CIC, Children in Common, is a group of parents who adopted children from the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. They were so shocked at the conditions in the orphanages that they banded together to try and help the children that had to be left behind.

It's estimated there are about 700,000 children living in orphanages there.

Winter indoor temperatures in the orphanages hover around 45 Fahrenheit (that's 7 Celsius). That's why CIC requests knit sweaters, vests, socks, in at least 70% wool. I use 100% wool.

The greatest need is for wool worsted weight socks and wool bulky weight vests for the very young children. The older children are taught how to knit for themselves.

The knitted items are sent to a central location (a CIC parent's garage). They are then packed into suitcases and taken directly to the orphanages by couples traveling to the area to pick up a child they are adopting. This prevents the donations from being "side tracked" and sold, never making it to their intended destination.

Hope this inspires you to knit up a pair of CIC Fluted Banisters. They're quick and fun and oh so needed.

To Wash or Not To Wash . .
After reading one of Cliff's posts, I've decided to 'fess up.

I'm one of those horrible women that other women "tut tut" about. I don't always wash my hands after using a public restroom.

I have my BS in Biomedical Science with an emphasis on microbiology.

People with degrees like mine tend to one of two extremes. Either they have germ phobia and attempt to live a sterile life or they understand that the futile fight against germs can cause more harm than good.

We all have a natural flora. There are millions of microbes living all over us and inside us. That's the way it's supposed to be.

When that natural flora is reduced or eliminated, it provides the unnatural flora an opportunity to establish itself. That's why patients on strong antibiotics get diarrhea.

I don't wash my hands in a public bathroom because I want my natural flora intact to fight off any strange germs that may be trying to set up housekeeping on or in my body.

I guess this means I am a little germ phobic - but only other people's germs. My resident germs are welcome to stay right with me to guard their territory.

Do you always wash your hands? Be truthful now.

Flower Questions
Questions from Sunday Brunch.

"Arranging a bowl of flowers in the morning can give a sense of quiet in a crowded day - like writing a poem, or saying a prayer."
-Anne Morrow Lindbergh

The above quote from Sunday Brunch reminded me of the pleasure of cutting flowers and bringing them in the house.

This morning I went out and collected a few of the very few remaining blooms in the field.

Most of the plants have turned brown and gone to seed, so I had to hike around to find these flowers, making them all the more precious as winter approaches.

1) If you had a wedding, what flowers did you have at your wedding?

First wedding I had a beautiful bouquet, but I don't remember what kind of flowers were in it. The groom had a good friend who owned a flower shop and she did all the flowers for free.

I don't recall having a choice about what kind of flowers she provided. Or maybe she did ask me and I told her it didn't matter. At age twenty I wasn't into flowers and could hardly tell a rose from a lily.

Let that be a lesson to all young girls: If you don't know your flowers, you are too young to get married.

2) What is your favorite flower?

I love almost all flowers. My favorites are the violets that grow wild and bloom in the spring. That is how I ended up with "violet" as my email id and Seasons of Violet as my blog name.

My least favorite flowers are the mums that everyone plants in the fall to extend the garden color season. They are attractive to see but they smell awful.

My father died unexpectedly in the fall when I was in my teens. Many of the flowers at his funeral were mums. Not only was I in shock and in mourning, I had to deal with being surrounded by stinky flowers.

3) Do you have flowers as part of your landscaping outside or your interior decor?

Tons of flowers outside. Most of them wildflowers growing in the back three acres. This time of year they have almost all gone to seed, even the autumn blooming goldenrod and Queen Anne's lace.

The front two acres around the house are very shaded and it is not easy to grow plants with pretty blooms. I plant annual impatiens for a block of strong color all summer.

I'm lousy with house plants, so I only have flowers inside when I pick them outside and bring them in.

4) If you went to your high school prom(s), what kind of flower did you wear in your corsage or boutonniere?

Gardenia, orchid, and carnations.

When I got the gardenia I had to ask my mother what it was - but not in front of my date.

5) Do you like to receive flowers as a gift or do you think it is a waste of money?

I love to receive flowers as a gift, especially in the dregs of winter when there haven't been any flowers in the yard for months. DH sent me a mixed bouquet in March once many years ago.

Waste of money? Probably it was. But it's one of my fondest memories because there was no reason for him to do it except he thought I would like it.

What is your favorite flower?

Quiz Time
It's been a long time since I posted a quiz.


What Is Your Animal Personality?
brought to you by Quizilla

What is your animal personality?

Stupid Woman
There is a stupid lady in one of the doggy school classes I attend. When you first meet her, she appears to be normal. After a few conversations it is obvious that she is Stupid Woman.

The first definition of stupid from Merriam-Webster:

a : slow of mind : OBTUSE
b : given to unintelligent decisions or acts : acting in an unintelligent or careless manner
c : lacking intelligence or reason

The lady in question is not slow of mind. She is very quick about making unintelligent decisions and/or acting in an unintelligent or careless manner lacking intelligence or reason. She really is stupid.

Much to my regret, I can't write about the things she does and says. It is too likely that someone from doggy school will see what I've written.

Doggy school is a kind and pleasant place. At doggy school, we all get along. It's not worth risking that peaceful atmosphere to write posts about Stupid Woman. Too bad. You would enjoy them.

What I'm blogging today is perfectly safe. Stupid Woman has no idea she is stupid. If she comes to Seasons of Violet and reads this, she will wonder who I'm writing about.

It won't be me who tells her she is stupid. She's bigger than I am.

Premature Catalogs
Christmas catalogs are arriving in my mailbox. A pox on them! It isn't even Halloween yet!

Last Saturday, September 18, the LL Bean Christmas catalog showed up. Then Monday the National Wildlife and Paragon catalogs appeared in the mailbox.

Yuk! I refuse to look at them and I refuse to buy anything from companies that send out their catalogs this early to upset the few remaining days of summer with thoughts of Christmas.

Are you thinking about Christmas yet?

School Supplies!
After several weeks of leaving Sunday Brunchers in the lurch without Sunday meme questions to answer, Jeanne let us know that she's too busy with life right now to keep the website going.

The good news is that Sunday Brunch has been resurrected by Erica. She plans to get the questions up on Saturday night, so we'll have plenty of time to write our answers on Sunday. Sounds perfect.

This week, however, the questions were posted late Sunday night, so my answers are late also.

If the first set of questions is any indication, Sunday Brunch is going to continue in fine shape. Thanks Erica.

Questions from Sunday Brunch.

1) Do you prefer wide rule or college rule notebook paper?

College rule when I'm writing paragraphs and wide rule when I'm making lists. Since I do most of my paragraph writing in Word now, all my pads are wide rule.

2) What is your favorite writing instrument?

The two basics I use daily are

• A #2 lead mechanical pencil with a good eraser.
  
  
• A smooth writing ball point pen that doesn't leave ink blobs. The last pack of suitable pens I bought were Papermate Comfortmate.

3) What is the one office or school supply that you can’t live without?

Pads of lined paper in pretty colors, both small and large size. I use them to write my lists and plan my days.

4) Staples or paper clips?

Staples. Most multiple page documents I want to keep are going into a file until they are tossed out. The staples fit in the file folders without making a bulge.

I also staple the pages of knitting patterns I've printed out from the internet. It keeps them permanently together and in the right order.

5) Describe the contents of the top of your desk.

The closest thing I have to a desk is a table in the back room next to the old couch where I sit, pray, read, think, and make my lists. The table currently contains the following:

• My primary Bible and Reversed Thunder, a study of Revelation by Eugene H. Peterson. I'm enjoying his thoughts on Revelation while getting more acquainted with that awesome book of the Bible.
  
  
• My Flylady control journal. It has cleaning routines for each room in the house. Now if the fairies would only come and do them.
  
  
• A three ring notebook containing printouts of Menu Mailer from the last three months, including the one for this week.
  
  Menu-Mailer is a weekly email newsletter by Leanne Ely containing a weekly menu, recipes, and a shopping list. The meals are tasty, healthy, and easy to fix.
  
  I've been using Menu Mailer for three months now and have been able to maintain my forty pound weight loss while learning how to cook and eat completely different from the old way.
  
  
• Hard copy calendar.
  
  I've used electronic calendars and found that I enjoy and prefer an old fashioned paper calendar. I use the 5 X 8 size and usually carry it in my purse when I go out.
  
  
• Pencil holder containing pencils and pens as described above plus highlighters, a large sissors and a nail sissors.
  
  
• A skein of Opal handpainted yarn wound into two balls in anticipation of starting the third sock in the Six Sock Knitalong.
  
  
• A skein of green Opal Magic wound into three balls in anticipation of starting a pair of socks for Monette to wear with her green teeshirt.
  
  It should be only two balls, but there was a knot in the skein. Bother!
  
  
• Printout of Susan's free internet pattern for a Barbie Poncho. It's going to be so much fun to knit this. I just have to figure out when to do it.
  
  My knitting list is getting way too long. One of the few reasons I'm glad that winter is coming.

What's on your desk/work area that doesn't belong there?