Drbarb’s Weblog

this week to see Amy, Ann Marie, Stella, Sophie and Kate. Will get some beach time and I will love that. But most important is getting to spend time with my family on the West Coast. Can never do enough of that! I have been busy, busy, busy gardening and organizing a garden tour for our neighborhood. That is coming up on May 18th! So you will be hearing more about that later. Right now I had better get packing - haven’t traveled in a while so I am out of practice. We will be spending some time in Venice CA and three days in Palm Springs - will need to bring layers. Palm Springs will be warmer!

My dear friend wrote me a note to tell me she had tagged me on her blog - I am new to blogging so wasn’t sure just what that meant!

Here is what me friend Knitting Painter Woman - journal_to_a_muse - had to say about herself - the tag was to write five things about yourself!

1. If I’d known then what I know now, I’d have told my mother to stop insisting that she knew more about art that my instructors, and that she “correct” my work. I’d have studied and experimented out in the open and become a real artist.
2. Since a good friend died last December I’ve been thinking a lot about death, dying, and philosophy.
3. I am very proud that I unlearned the parenting style I grew up with and that my grown children are who they are.
4. My yarn stash is probably at the STABLE stage. (STash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy)
5. If I won the lottery, I’d hire an architect and have a custom home… not a McMansion, but a cabin in the woods…near the ocean with a studio and woodworking shop for my DH.

AND here are five things about myself:
1. I am married to an otter - really
2. Since I retired I am finding all kinds of ways to express myself creatively and loving it.
3. I promised myself no more yarn purchases until I finish the sweater that has become almost a two year project.
4. I am blessed with wonderful friends, family and a DH who is my mentor and inspiration in all creative endeavors, even if he is an otter.
5. Every spring I say no more major plants and THEN the seed and plant catalogues arrive - it is part of my DNA -what can I say?

And since I don’t have lots of blog friends yet I am tagging beadedforest, cheeseslave and salmonandfern.

My grandson turned four on Valentine’s day and here he is in his new bike! He is one happy four year old. Also check out my pretty flowers. MyDH bougt me a carnivorous pitcher plant for Valentine’s Day - isn’t he romantic? But it is beautiful.  Happy belated Valentine’s Day everyone,

with the pics - really got distracted last week! Here are Alex and Grace at the park!

On Monday of this week my husband was hospitalized - he came home on Wednesday afternoon and we think the small bowel obstruction is finally resolved! So I haven’t been blogging or getting my flickr account set up - lots of tending to a sick husband and making sure our dog Darwin was cared for. But DH is back 100% and I am so grateful!! So sometime this week I will get pictures posted - have some really cute ones of Alex and Grace and a couple of finished knitted projects!

Seems we are destined to intestinal problems for 2008. Two weeks ago it was Darwin and the tennis ball. This week it’s been John - my DH. We thought he had the flu earlier in the week but it turned out to be a partial small bowel obstruction - still  not completely resolved. If he is not really better tomorrow we will go back to the doctor - working on getting rest and a soft diet. Anyhow I have been preoccupied. Still working on some creative things - trying to get an afghan done and  finish a wool sweater BEFORE our wretched heat returns.  If I don’t get distracted I will publish a couple of wire knitted pieces that I finished. I joined the knitting/crochet site - Ravelry and stated a course from Joggles on embellishing fabric. First I have to figure out how to get Flickr working. Too many thinks to do and sick husband takes first priority! 

Darwin is back 100% but I decided yesterday that the tennis ball I bought him 2 weeks ago today cost us $450.00 - the amount of the vet bill. So for now we are buying KONG toys - figured you can buy lots of KONG toys for $450.00. Think he also ate some bark mulch and was ingesting some of his own fur. All of that together gave him one bad tummy ache! He had his first major grooming on Friday and looks quite handsome - will get a picture posted later!

but not completely out of the woods. We are slowly introducing him back to his regular diet - he had some diarrhea last night - for those of you who are interested in knowing those details. When we took him in on Sunday, the vet asked if we were missing anything that Darwin might have eaten. Last night when I was folding clothes I realized that I am missing one black sock. Oh boy!  Will keep you informed on our dog saga!

I just finished this afghan - John gave the kit to me as a gift for my birthday last July. Colors are a little too saturated (my picture editing problem) but it really is a lovely addition to our living room. It is the Absolutely Fabulous Kit from Collinette yarns.And Kerry, John’s daughter, made me the beautiful scarf for Christmas - I decided to make it a wall hanging so we can enjoy it everyday! Isn’t it beautiful?John helped me hang it with magnets and we are going to make some beads from sculpey  or polymer clay to hide the magnets. Will send that along when we get that done! 

  

 

Our dog Darwin became quite ill yesterday and necessiated a vet visit. He was diagnosed with an ileus - same thing John had in 2004, after his back surgery. It was awful to see him in that much pain, knowing there was nothing we could do to help. He seems better this morning but not 100%. Still not sure if he has an obstruction or it could be pancreatitis. Kind of wait and see. Will keep you posted!