Things are heating up, but here’s a cool cat on a crisp day to help us chill out.
Via Imgur.
Weekend Open Thread
73 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread”
Comments are closed.
Things are heating up, but here’s a cool cat on a crisp day to help us chill out.
Via Imgur.
Comments are closed.
Well, after a brief interlude, I’m back to being only marginally ambulatory with insufficient pain management. On the plus side, I have a firm surgery date in August for a total knee replacement.
Here’s Lily in one of her “secret” napping spots in the garden. She wore herself out trying to catch the pair of nesting Steller’s Jays that live behind me. She’s obsessed with them!
Ooh, Jan, you have Steller’s Jays? That must be a beautiful sight, Lily in white chasing those beautiful blue and black birds! And they’re probably smart enough to keep it a game and not get caught!
Hope you are ambulatory sooner than August!
Lily will never be able to catch them, but it is funny to see her leaping up after them when they fly by 15ft over her head! 🙂
At least I hope she never catches one, they could really hurt her…
Jan wishing you an eventual pain-free life.
Thanks! After this one, I get to do it all over again with the other one. Surgeon insisted on doing them separately. Depending on the timing, I’m hoping to be back to my usual activities by the end of next year. (Which sounds an awfully long long ways away, now that I think about it.) It’s the next three months which worry me most though… :/
Jan, so sorry about the pain but glad you’ve got the surgery scheduled. Can Lily wait on you while you’re off your feet?
She looks so sweet and peaceful (but we know better!).
Yeah, if she ever learns how to catch anything, she can bring me mice! Sweet and peaceful is indeed a transient thing with her… 🙂
I am so sorry to hear about your mobility issues and the pain, Jan! Boo, hiss. But I must say Lily is gorgeous, and I hope she brings you some relaxation as well as amusement.
Laughing at her antics is what keeps me going these days. And she can be a good cuddler when she wants to be! 🙂
Lily just gets cuter and cuter!
And as someone with a Bionic Knee™, I have only one piece of advice: Do your exercises! No matter how miserable they are, do them — you’ll be grateful down the road, believe me. If you have someone who can crack the whip over you to make sure you do them (with occasional “holidays” on the rare days they feel nice), it really helps; my daughter did that for me, and she’s bossy enough that she really wouldn’t let up on me 99% of the time. And within a few months? I honestly would totally forget that I had a Bionic Knee™. So do your exercises!
The only warning I need to give is that you will never be able to just go through airport security again without being wanded, alas. Even if you show them your scar. I’ve tried just about everything, with no success; the only times I haven’t been wanded were at one of the few airports that had those let-the-TSA-people-see-the-outline-of-your-entire-body-as-if-you’re-completely-unclothed machines. Personally, I don’t care; if some TSA person finds my 63-year-old body exciting, I figure the least I can do for ’em is let them see the outline of all my lumps and bumps if it gets me out of being wanded. 😀
My mom will be helping me, she’s a great whip-cracker! I figured that would be the case with the TSA, the idjits.
Alas, the doctor told me that my bionic knee would not work like Jamie Summers’ nor could he make me look like Lindsay Wagner. 🙁
Jan, I feel for you with the knee pain. I’m glad you have a surgery date. It is very frustrating to be semi-mobile. I tore my meniscus again at the end of March and have to get around on a scooter at work, and everwhere else I’m limping in extreme pain. Gradually it has been getting better. My doc says there’s prolly a knee surgery in my future, so I certainly do empathize!
I love Lily! Glad you have her for company.?
My mobility will continue to go down between now and surgery, but I don’t think I can use a scooter at work; I work in a laboratory and it would be a safety issue, plus there are too many tight corners. There may be some type of walker that I can use; I’ll have to see. My greatest fear is that my other knee will crap out because I’m completely dependent on it and it’s not that far behind arthritis-wise.
Lily has been a real joy, I’m glad I got her when I did!
The scooter I rented is very compact with a tight turn radius, and has speeds from “turtle” for small spaces, to “rabbit” for wide open spaces or long distance. Since you have surgery scheduled your insurance might pay for part of the cost. Mine won’t, but without the scooter I would have had to take off work for weeks, which was/is impossible.
Can you use a rolling chair in the lab? I have found my office chair at home is quite helpful since I have hardwood floors, not carpet. Maybe one of those three-footed canes would help? Best wishes to you!
Lily is beautiful. I wish you lots of strength for the next 1.5 years, Jan!
No heat here, it’s grey and cloudy and only 11C (51F) at the moment and it will warm up only to 62 this afternoon ? ☁️?.
Not much going on today, my husband is doing much better 2 weeks after his operation but he is still not a 100% mostly because he doesn’t sleep well since he can’t sleep on his stomach as he usually does. Tomorrow we will be going to have breakfast with friends and then catch Wonder Woman at the cinema.
Hope everyone has a good weekend!
We have a four day weekend (Pentecost) and for the first time in months I am not running off to Vienna or having houseguests or flying across the ocean. I am just going to enjoy this time as much as I can (planted some new flowers today, going to free up some more flower beds, sit in the garden, write in my journal…) My students take their oral exams on Friday and that will be a big weight off my shoulders!
Going to my 50th High School Reunion!
Definitely warm down here in Central FL, but at least we finally started getting some rain, forecast to continue through well into next week. I can live with a rainy weekend if it will help out the woods and abate the fire hazard. Have to go grocery shopping, but after that it’s the recliner, good books and however many kitties decide they want to sleep on Mama while it rains. Can’t lose with that combo! Have a great weekend, everyone!
Getting warmer here in Colorado! We peak in the high 70s to 80s these days.
Heavy housecleaning this weekend, as I’ve got company coming next weekend. I also get to start a glorious lace shawlette for my hairdresser–I promised her something specially knitted for her wedding when she got engaged, and it’s taken forever to pin her down. It will be stunning, though: palest grey lace with beads.
Just posted for work about my 2017 sweater project, if you’re interested:
https://www.interweave.com/article/knitting/how-to-knit-faster-2017-challenge/
Thanks for posting the article DebG. Will have to read it after errands but I browsed through the images. I love the Purl Soho sweater! I’ve been looking at that one for a while.
Warning–it’s extremely boring to make, until you get to the cables on the yoke. It took me forever because it was so tedious.
That’s one of the reasons I’m not sold on it. I do love the cable design though and the sweater looks fantastic on you.
Dang, Deb, you make some BEAUTIFUL things and you make them beautifully! I am not in your league — I think I’ve knit about 5 sweaters in my entire life! These days I can’t even persuade myself to knit one since it’s too darn hot in Florida to wear them, so I’ve been mostly knitting socks for my daughter. You are very, very talented — great job! I’m envious of your spinning; but I decided several years ago that I simply don’t have time for it, between working and knitting. not to mention my husband would croak if I started buying roving as well as yarn. 😀 Your spinning is as terrific as your knitting! I bow before you!
You look lovely, Debg!
The long light green sweater is the most beautiful I have ever seen.
I love the Flash Snowflake. You and your hair are lovely. Your poses make the sweaters stand out.
Taking it easy today after shearing our 3 extra woolly , not at all cooperative, sheepies yesterday. Think they are happy to have their winter coats off though.
OOOOOH, what do you do with their wool?
Sadly we’re not quite skilled enough to shear off their fleeces to allow me to spin it yet, but hopefully one year! So, we just compost it, after the birdies have taken what they want for their nests.
The Most Interesting Cat In The World.
I don’t always show myself off. But when I do, I’m spectacular.
I am at the last stage of my room reorganizing project. One last piece of furniture to put together.
Then the reaquisition of a second closet, storage space and book shelves. And a more private bathroom. More work, but worth it.
It has been so hard not sitting down to draw. I’m stuffed with ideas.
And very soon I will have a surprise for Murray. Not telling! No hints. ?
Oooooooo, I won’t tell! Tell me!?
Nope!
Wow, you’re tough!
But sweet! You’ll see.
Faye, can you tell me? I promise I won’t tell Murray.
That kitty looks like it helped the kitty in the catnip basket a few days ago. Gorgeous whiskers!
Good Morning All –
I have errands to run and lots of little projects to finish. Just a few things to share…
Update on the bees – the one hive is doing very well, and the other is not. The happy hive still has their queen, she’s laying eggs like crazy and I think they’ve been collecting a ton of nectar and pollen. The one box is super heavy. The unhappy hive has built four queen cells in the “swarm” position. I found those last Sunday. On Wednesday they were still closed, but as of yesterday two have hatched. I’m trying the last minute “Hail Mary” move to save that hive – take a frame of brood from the one hive and put it into the other. Hopefully the bees will accept them as their own and take care of them, keeping the bee-life timeline in tact. But I already may be too late. So fifty-fifty news on that front.
And then apropos of DebGs post – it reminded me that we could do a sock exchange (or a knit-along) through ravelry.com. An account is free and you don’t have to be a knitter or crocheter to window shop. Plus there is a private email feature which allows the exchange of info to be a little bit more secure. Found these adorable hedgehog socks there: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hedgehog-socks
no wombat socks or puggie-doughnut socks – YET! Just sayin’. 😉 Be sure to join the Cutetropolis Group once you are there! http://www.ravelry.com/groups/cutetropolis-crafters
I’m fascinated by your real bees. Will they swarm? And to where!?
Hi Faye – that is the million dollar question. sigh. If they do swarm, they will go anywhere. First, hopefully they’ll just go on the side of a tree or something and I can scoop them into a bucket. IF – I see them! Then I can deposit them right back where they came from after making some adjustments and hopefully they will think they have a new place. I just have to make sure I nab the queen.
Maybe I missed this , but do you wear a “beekeeper” outfit? Like that white head to toe coverall with the mesh head net?
Yes I do. 🙂 At the moment I’ve been wearing a full tyvek suit with booties and everything. Over the suit I wear a helmet, veil, and gloves. I swell up very badly when I get stung and the pain lasts twice as long as for normal people. Have still been stung through the suit and gloves – just not as badly as I normally would be. However, as it warms up I have to switch to something more breathable. The tyvek really sticks to you when you sweat. Interesting fact: don’t wear black around bees. They’ll sting you unprovoked. They think you are either a skunk (who think bees are delicious!) or a bear (who will break into the hive, and destroy all the comb to eat the honey).
Thanks, Tara! Actually, I did know about bees being attracted to black because I have black hair. I went many years just wondering why bees always seemed to target me at outdoor events. Finally, once Google was invented, I was able to learn that bees are attracted to black.
I guess one of the upsides to getting older is that my hair is getting lighter and slowly moving towards being brown, so I will have fewer bees chasing me around! 🙂
My newest grandson was born yesterday, weighs 8 lb 8 oz, 21 inches tall. He hasn’t got a name yet. They better come up with one or I’ll just call him George (I’m gonna hug him and squeeze him and call him George). He was due on May 24th, but I think he preferred a June birthday. That makes 7 June birthdays in my immediate family.
The kittens have their eyes open, and Grace moved them out of the box and behind my desk. I can’t get to them without moving a heavy TV and the table it is on. Sophie was very worried when Grace started moving them in the middle of the night, and her whining is what woke me up. Now Sophie can hear them, but can’t see them, and that makes her whine.
Patty, congrats! We’re all so happy for you! Pix of all the babies (furry or otherwise), please.
You could try a great big appliance box for kittens. I did that for a feral mom and her 3 kits. Mom could get in and out, but she knew that the babies were safely contained.
The new grandson, and his oldest brother, Isaac. They look alike, I think.
Awww! Cuties! Even if they’re not as furry as our usual suspects 😉
Congratulations Patty. They do look alike. Both adorable.
What a sweet picture…congrats, Patty!
My day has been uneventful but pleasant. Went to the farmer’s market where I bought asparagus, which is roasting in the oven now. Yum! Looking forward to tomorrow morning. Meeting a friend I haven’t seen for quite some time at a favorite coffee shop. Will be great to visit and catch up!
They’re both darling, Patty! How many grandkids do you have now? Do you have both boys and girls?
This one is number 8. I have 6 grandsons and 2 granddaughters. My oldest grandson is 17. A grandson and granddaughter live in Florida (I live in Kansas) so I only get to see them maybe once a year. The others all live here in town. My husband has 7 grandkids (4 girls, 3 boys).
This is him with his other brother, Benjamin, Ben is 2 yrs old.
Look at Ben’s hair. Great look.
Oh my goodness – aren’t they precious! Congratulations Patty.
?
Congratulations on George-at-first!
And also yay for kittens!
CONGRATULATIONS!!
Congratulations on all the beautiful human and furry grandchildren, Patty 🙂
Omigosh, so much news today! Knee surgery, hubby improving but not quite there, beautiful Lily chasing boids, A NEW GRANDSON! Bees, knitting, sheep shearing! Wow, what a busy group!
I’m not doing too much, gardening soon, out to dinner, – tomorrow, sadly, singing at a friend’s memorial. She asked me to do this a few weeks back when she told me she had possibly 9 weeks to live tho’ she hoped it would be sooner given the pain she was already feeing. She was a brave and very practical woman, had twins via sperm donation when her bio-clock was ticking and no man was in her life, raised them on her own, they turned out to be two fabulous kids. She has ensured that her memorial would be a joyous affair. One of my dearest friends – I was her birthing coach for her first child, she introduced me to my husband and she was my matron of honor – is also an event planning sort of person – craft and music festivals – and she organized the memorial. So I think it will be an uplifting sort of event.
PS I’m assuming you’re the model, DEBG? So cute! Love your hair – I just went au natural myself and love it.
Yep, I’m the model. Thanks for the compliments. I started going grey in my mid-20s and it was just too much work to dye, especially since it grows like weeds.
https://youtu.be/6tond7Hin5w (Hope this works)
Okay, how does this not have more views?
OMG I got bunny kisses!
Ani! So industrious! So kissy! So cute!
Gorgeous Ani!
I think I posted that here, but maybe it was Facebook. Anyway, I’m glad you enjoyed it. 😀
It looks like Ani has lost most of her dewlap?
Hi all.
I’m not doing much today. Need to do dishes and laundry and whatnot.
My friend is having game night tonight but I don’t know if I feel like going.
And I am not wearing any socks.
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So I ended up at game night because I wanted out of the house. I did all the dishes first at least. We just played a game called Splendor and I won. 😀
Sounds like life is happening for everybody. Ani is so cute, Mike! She looks a lot like the first bun I ever met, Mr. Thumper. He was a sweetie.
I’ve had a very quiet week. My husband got some kind of bug, and gave it to me, so we both had major blahs for about 3 days each. And then my doctor switched one of my pain meds, and even though I was sure it wouldn’t make me sleepy, it about knocked me on my behind; I spent Wednesday evening and all of yesterday feeling like I had a whole bale of cotton stuffed in my brain, my legs and arms were like rubber, and I was completely useless. Today, fortunately, I’m feeling mostly normal again — except my back is causing about 90% less pain, so apparently it’s working well. Yay! I’m not a big fan of pain, having had pretty much constant back pain for most of the last ten years or so.
Other than that, I’ve been working a bit, reading a bit, and starting and then ripping out the baby blanket for my niece. Took three tries with three different patterns before I gave up and decided to just make up my own. So I’m doing a seed stitch border and then bands of several different colors inside with part stockinette and part garter stitch. I think it’ll turn out well. Heaven knows the first three tries were total failures! Trying to knit when I had a totally befogged brain probably didn’t help, either. 😀
I hope everybody has a good week. I need to figure out what to fix for next Saturday — we’re having a block party. This is such a neighborly block, it should be a lot of fun. The pool is temporarily out of commission because a main filter part broke, but it’s been replaced so I’m hoping I can go soak in the heat a bit later in the week. I’ve also got a mountain of work to finish by Thursday, so that will keep me out of mischief. Maybe.
I have a really fast thing I do for parties that’s always a hit. All you have to do is grate a big block of parmesan cheese ( grate when room temp, preferably in a food processor) over set for about 400, parchment on cookie sheets, little piles of cheese with a grind or two of pepper (or condiment of choice) and bake them until their golden. Let ’em cool and put in a tin and let everyone have at ’em. Fabulously dee-lish.
UH OH! This time she caught me!
This photograph is as good as a painting!
Agreed! Very Victorian style.
She’s a lovely little puss cat.
I do hope that your surgery goes well, Jan – I can certainly relate after my shoulder surgery. It is a bit of a pity that your surgeon won’t do both at the same time, tho’ that’s really tough. And, yes, do your exercises. It will be very hard at times – take meds before your PT sessions if need be – but stretching out those tendons and muscles is what will give you the range of motion in the long run. You will have frustrating times – I used to think “It’s just pain, it’s just pain” – or you can just curse. I find it amazing that physical therapists can steel themselves to the occasional exclamations, shall we say, of their clients but it’s part of their training. They’ve heard it all. What you do on your own doesn’t have to be at the same level – I think you’re supposed to stop short of significant pain when you’re exercising at home. Keep us apprised, use us as sounding boards, shoulders, whatever.