quick updates, some good, some sad

Sad first, just to get it out of the way. In the middle of the night last Wednesday I woke up and found Cado the Whippet in a bad way. Fortunately, there is an emergency animal hospital in town so I was able to end Cado's distress and suffering without waiting for morning.

Cado on her bed in the kitchen.

My dad is still living with glioblastoma, but is declining. I'm glad we've had time to get to know each other better, and sad that the cancer is taking that away now.

I've started another pair of hand spun socks, I was knitting them for myself, but now I think I'll give these to Ryan. He had his 20th birthday yesterday. I can't really, really believe I've been a mom for 20 years. Part of me feels like I've always been a mom, never a time when I wasn't; and part of me can't believe that much time has passed so quickly. I love my son in so many different ways; with ferocity and tenderness, understanding and frustration, patience and toughness, heartache and pride and awe. I would not change any of it. He is my firstborn, the beginning of my motherhood journey. A journey where I've seen and learned more about myself than I ever dreamed possible. Anybody who started all that deserves a pair of hand spun, hand knit socks.

I finished another skein of hand spun sock yarn, this one specifically for socks for DH. The above isn't a very good picture, sorry. Spinning yarn for, and knitting simple socks, has been a comfort. Speaking of simple socks, I did try shrinking down the last ones, the Society of Sisterly socks. First I tried shrinking them by hand in hot soapy water, without much luck. So then I added alternating hot and cold shocks. Still not much change. Well, fine. I threw them in the washing machine with a load of laundry on a gentle cycle (its a front loader). Now this is risky living! And after all that, I still ended up tossing those socks into the dryer on low to get the shrinkage I wanted. But now they're just right. I seriously want to wear them everyday.

Oh, and little Scipio kitty has gained half a pound.

Oh #2; there is a really cool quilt exhibit at the Oceanside Museum of Art, runs until March 13.