Happy Holidays

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Dog Sweater Donations

After a year of stockpiling small handknit dog sweaters, I've made the decision to donate them to a small dog rescue. Happy Tails rescue focuses on bichon frise and maltese although pictures on their website suggest they might take mixed breeds. Some pups have to be shaved because of severe matting and a soft fuzzy garment might provide some comfort. Hopefully I will have a couple of pictures forthcoming.

Flowers for Christmas

Yesterday's Holly Jolly sale has come and gone for another year. Beautiful goods to be had but few customers. Oh well.
I came home to the first orchid in bloom. I don't remember it blooming this early last year but who's complaining! I have another that's cultivating buds and , for the life of me, I can't imagine what I'm doing to encourage such fertile behaviour. I think it's 'benign neglect'. Yes, that's the ticket. Leave them alone, water little - maybe even spray the soil instead of watering. All those tarantula-like roots reaching out of the pot scare me. I think I'm supposed to transplant but that just might kill them off... I think I'll just leave them be.

Another addiction surfaces

The first snowfall has lingered and renewed itself on a daily basis. It's not unpleasant except for the blasted wind. I awoke today to my apartment temperature at 66 Fahrenheit (an American thermometer). How did it get so cold?

So it's quite pleasant being indoors and I seem to have succumbed to the making of 'sausage' jewelry. I'm not sure how to name it but Nancy was the first to give in to the allure of wire and beads in an obsessive way. Her work is exquisite. I'm not so productive and have only one and a half pieces to show for my efforts so far. Maybe if I could just apply myself to Viking Knit...

Xena went back to the vet today where she is actually being boarded by the original owners. Miss Xena, true to her name, was very combative with my little cat. My Tayoh who is so good natured and so terrified of Xena. She was terrorized into living in my closet. I couldn't bear it....Xena had the need to be an only child and I couldn't give her that. I feel so guilty but I'll soon get over it now that Tayoh has the freedom to run around the apartment and can use her own washroom instead of mine. The past ten days have been really trying as I tried to make Xena feel at home. I felt so pressed to fill the void left behind by Amber but now we'll just coast and come to accept the loss.

Jewellery Class

Last Sunday had our dear friend, Karen, teaching yet another of her talented projects. The Viking Knit taught previously was so daunting and I wondered to myself :'would this class be as scary...?' I did manage to finish the pendant (aka sausage) but the shape was not the same as the example. The beads were not tight enough for my liking. I would still wear it though once I find the right chain. No, there will be no Viking Knit attached to this pendant.
I attempted a second one using 18 ga wire which seemed to hold up the whole mess just fine. But the beads here are too uneven. I shall probably clip them off and start again.

Welcome Xena

I decided to adopt another cat after Amber's passing since Tayoh seemed so lonely. I happened to find a 13 yr old female waiting a year for the taking at the vet. Her name is Xena, Warrior Princess. What an awful name and quite descriptive of her attitude. So far she's been terrorizing Tayoh who is so sweet and non-threatening. If I recall, it took a year for Amber to accept Tayoh on a certain level but never entirely. Xena is huge - 17lbs and on a serious reducing diet. So far she has managed to consume her own special diet and Tayoh's food as well. Her carrier would house a Great Dane. Needless to say, the cabbie carried Xena right up to the elevator where I could push her the rest of the way.
Despite her size, she is very limber and can jump up to 4 ft high. She needs a serious combing and bit me twice for my efforts. What are the possibilities of clipping her nails.....

I think I should change her name in the hopes of influencing her demeanor in a more positive way. I think I'll call her Lily (after Lily Williamson). She doesn't seem to respond to Xena anyway.
Oh, what have I done... Mind you, it's only been 1 day in her new home. I suppose I should give it a chance.