61, I voted tonight

Sort of. One of our 4 trick or treaters was a voting booth. After I showered the 4 of them with gobs of candy (it's a good thing to be the only ones late in the trick or treat evening) I cast my vote.
I told him how important his costume was and that I wanted my vote to count. I wonder who won in the Samuel the paperboy voting booth. There was not a hanging chad in sight.

Happy Halloween. My inner witch was happy today!

62. mini random

Well. Here we go.
~Oh, dear. Yesterdays story did not pan out really well. I should have 'splained myself a bit better. I intended that each word would follow each other, all adding up to a story. Some of those words don't relate so the exercise is dead. Let me know if you want to do it again, I'd love to see what WE come up with!
~Knitting and loving it:

Town and Country sweater, foxfire yarn
~I'd like to share with you my new fancy schmancy stitch markers. They are quite exclusive. I'm sure you don't have them.

Found at an office supply store near you!
~I was at work when I started the cables on the sweater, forgetting to bring any stitch markers. A bit of a desk raid and I was all set!
~One more day to October. Honestly, I'm just getting used to it being 2008 and soon the year will turn.
~This now concludes this mini random.

63. Tell me a story?

Want to play a game? I love words and how they can play off of one another. I feel I used to be better at it than I am now, perhaps I have a few cobwebs in the brain.
But. That is neither here nor there.
Help tell a story in my comment section to this post. I'll post the whole story tomorrow.
I'm sure you are asking yourself right now...SURE, SANDY! BUT HOW?
Okay, I'll tell you.
Add one word at a time to the comment section telling a progressive story. Please no dirty talk. Swear if you must but only if it is story worthy. You can only add a word at a time but you can add as many as you want.
~~~
I love stories. Should it be a ghost story? Halloween is right around the corner!

64. sticker on a bumper and blue in the sky

I saw this bumper sticker the other day on a car in front of me and I can't stop thinking about it. Which goes against it's grain.
It's a strong message, one that will do me some good to remember sometimes.
But I shouldn't think about that too much!
:)
Hey look! Up in the sky!

There was a bit of blue peeking out for about 14 seconds today. For most of the day I thought that the sun just had forgotten to get up (Which by the way, coincidentally, Derek did today. Forgot. To. Get. Up.) It was dark. And stormy. It was a dark and stormy day. Lots of rain, no snow but then the blue sky poked in for, like I said, 14 seconds and then the wind started howling. Howl. Ing. Which is pushing in the cold.
Hmm. I need to get some mittens out for tomorrow morning..

65. SIXTY FIVE!!!!!! or: Musings of my brain on a Monday that feels like Tuesday

Hmm. 65 more blog entries until the end of the year. Do you know what that means? LESS than 65 days until Christmas. Really, it's too late to make a huge Christmas knitting list.
The economy has of course been on my mind lately as I'm sure it's entered your thoughts. (Funny story : Jenn told me, pointing to the money hanging out of my jeans pocket, that I was losing money. I told her she'd have to be more specific: stocks, 401K, retirement plan, general cost of living)
I'm saying, as I say every year that this is THE year that we will cut back on Christmas. Honestly, I'm personally getting a bit humbug about it all. While opening perfectly great gifts I often admit to thinking "Where am I going to put this?". Stuff. I've got plenty.
Are you cutting back this year?
And then are you REALLY cutting back this year?
Snow tomorrow? Maybe the flakes will fly! And just yesterday I had my bare feet outside in the grass. It was a great day, warm and wonderful. The kind that kitties like to sit on the porch basking in the sun shining off the black door!
Tomorrow, I'm sure there will be some basking in a big comfy blanket on a cozy bed. Or two. If you're a cat. If not, get to work!

66. How warm feet can make a warm heart!

What would make these wonderfully manicured feet happy?

Why, Cookie socks, of course! You could have knocked me over with some lace weight when I opened the Cookie package and found the nicest note and these beautiful socks. I cried a little and then put them on. They are wonderful and fit like a glove. Or like hand knit socks. The only detail that I know is that they are Smooshy yarn, which is quite possibly one of my favorites, just ask my toes. Not to knit with, to wear. I've never knit with it. It's been a long while since socks graced my needles.
Perhaps Cookie will expound on the sock details. I'm not sure of the pattern. If she mentioned it in her blog, I probably skimmed it anyway. :(
(I can't help it. I'm a skimmer!)
Great job, Cookie! And thank you from the very tips of my polished toes!



~~
Lucky me, round 2:
There is a pork roast in the oven along with some deliciously roasting brussel sprouts along with a pot of fresh dug mashed potatoes. (they were not mashed when they were dug)
Dinner is at 6. Don't be late.

67. Here, m I sitting in a tin can

We had a wonderful day at a 25th wedding anniversary for my oldest and dearest friend and her husband (he being my second oldest and dearest friend by association). I have known her since we were 15 years old. I was the maid of honor at her wedding and she at mine.
We marveled at how a 25th wedding anniversary seems like it's only for older people not us. And how it's amazing that all the kids are getting older and yet we are not. Funny how that happens.
And?
I have had this song in my brain all week long. Endlessly since Andy and Bethany had a bit of a singalong earlier this week after seeing a commercial with a bit of the music in it.
I can't get it out of my brain!
It's stuck. Interwoven in the fibers.
So, I share it with you. I'm not listening, just in case it is making it's exit. I keep humming Christmas songs in hope that it will be purged.

Please. Don't sing it aloud. You'll make me have it for another week!

68. Orange rhymes with ....orange

Wanted:
Orange yarn. Specifically, Hunters orange. Needed for my boss who is wanting to knit warm hats for her hunters.
Only worsted weight yarns need apply. Please, no red orange or peaches and corals. Only true hunters orange will be considered.
It will enjoy long walks in the woods, plenty of fresh air, wildlife sightings will be plentiful. All weather will be encountered, must be pure wool and willing to hack it. No wimpy acrylics will be accepted.
Please apply within.

69. Veggies rock

Every year at Rhinebeck, traveling from hotel to fairgrounds, I pass a charming little stand announcing that it has FRESH DUG POTATOES. Every year, I say I'm going to stop there. And then on Sunday, I check out of the hotel, travel to the fairgrounds for the rest of the day and proceed home without stopping because I don't go by the potato stand on the way to the Taconic State parkway, which is for the record, one of the most beautifully scenic rides I have ever seen.
This year, I told my Fair Buds that I will be stopping this year. And we did.
I bought 10 pounds of fresh dug potatoes and some Indian Corn which is now on my front door from that Hick's Boy's no relation to Hobson Applicance Vegetable stand.
I have not yet eaten one of those potatoes but I have a beef stew planned for them to be one of the flavor stars this weekend. It is definitely stew weather!

70. I just can't get over the beans. I know I should. But I can't. Imagine, thinking they were poop.

Alas, it is the season of dark photos with the leaving for work and arriving home in the dark. Honestly, I love it. I'm not sure if I was some kind of vampire in another life or perhaps an owl (at least I'd like to imagine me as an owl rather than a vampire) but I love the cozy darkness and having the neighborhood lights on.
It is a pleasure to be excited about knitting right now. This is the Town and Country sweater from A Fine Fleece in the Foxfire cormo/silk/alpaca.
Nice!

71. And now, I take some ribbing and a winner

I feel that you were at a disadvantage for the contest. How much would I spend? Usually I don't buy much. In fact, I came home from the Vermont Sheep and Wool having spent nothing on fiber. ZERO. But the New York Sheep and Wool is a bit tougher for me because of 1 booth. Foxfire.
And the little detail that you did not know was that I totally fell in love with the cormo silk yarn used for my Charlotte's scarf and I had pretty much decided that I would buy a sweaters worth of it. Although they did not have the cormo silk this year, they DID have cormo silk ALPACA. I'm all about it.
So, thank you for guessing low. I am usually a bit more frugal than I was this year.
I bought: (each and every purchase boosting the US economy thank you very much)

11 skeins of cormo/silk/alpaca in Natural colorway, Foxfire: $242.oo
3 skeins of fox sox yarn for mittens, Foxfire : $ 14.42
1 Bird in Hand mitten pattern, Foxfire : $ 7.00
1 DPN size 2, Foxfire (very special Grafton Fibers DPNs) : $ 31.00
1 Deerpath Socks pattern, Foxfire : $ 7.00
2 skeins fox socks yarn for blog prize, Foxfire : $ 28.00
1 Ice breaker hat pattern, Green Mountain Spinnery : $ 6.50
4 skeins Green Mountain spinnery Mountain Mohair : $ 50.00
________
$385.92

Grand total is $385.92. My wallet is a bit sore tonight. But as I told my boss today, I don't smoke or drink (much), I don't gamble or do drugs. I knit. Everyone has something.
The winner is KELLY who guessed $378.62. A pretty great guess, huh?

~~~
By the way, yesterday's story was full of CRAP. It's true. Apparently, there were a certain group of people, I'm not going to name any names but these certain people had a bit of a navigation accident with a luggage cart, bottles of beer and chocolate covered espresso beans.
Now. I have seen chocolate covered espresso beans before and they never looked like deer scat. Perhaps rabbit poo but not deer. These espresso beans were quite large for their kind.
So, if anyone ever asks? Spilled beer and chocolate covered espresso beans CAN indeed look like a deer public bathroom.
When I got that email I almost laughed until I cried. Honestly! If you could have seen Norma, Leigh, Jen and I marveling over nature right there in the doorway of the hotel! What kind of deer would do that? We pictured the deer and everything.
Is my face red!
Well, at least Kelly can now think of the contest yarn as espresso beans and beer yarn instead of poo yarn. That would be the silver lining I suppose.
This would be the place in the blog entry that I planned to put in a picture of the ribbing of my new fancy schmancy knitting, the sweater named Town and Country from A Fine Fleece in that natural colored Foxfire yarn. A picture of ribbing. And a comment something like this:
I'm ready for my ribbing now.
And everyone could proceed to laugh and generally poke fun at me/us for thinking beer and coffee beans are deer poo.
But? I forgot to take a picture of the ribbing.
You can picture it though, right?

72. I've got the poop for you

You've seen it on Norma's blog and now you see it here. Because it's just THAT darned interesting! When I brought my bags to the car on Sunday, I had to delicately step over the deer bathroom. I was amazed that a deer would come out of the woods and into a doorway like that to relieve themself. Perhaps he was looking for some Charmin. Seems like the woods would have afforded a bit more privacy than a glass doorway. Wish I had seen the pooper. Not the pooping but the pooper.
And oddly, this poop incident inspired my choice for a blog prize for you! Really!
I revisited the FoxFire booth (Yes, I bought some Foxfire yarn but I won't tell you all of it until tomorrow when I will choose the winner) and the minute I saw it, I knew it was kismet.

Deerpath Socks, pattern and yarn. Scat colorway of course. Well, it's much nicer than the poop deck offerings. In fact, the nice folks at Foxfire calls this beautiful colorway Woodland Rose. But you now know the Rest of the Story.
Still a chance to put in a guess.
~~
Today being the day of reentry, I look at the pictures and wonder if it was all a wonderful dream.
The people are what make the weekend such a pleasure. Not these kind of people

HOLY POOPING DEER, the crowds were horrible. I do not have claustrophobia but I felt a bit constricted in the throat when in the midst of a shopping barn, trapped by hundreds of people.
The moments that were the most special to me were the moments spent in a couple minutes of conversation, a hug in passing, sitting on a bench catching up, dinner as a group. It all adds up to great, soul satisfying fun.
Saturday night, Margene, Kim, Leigh, Terry, Jean and I decided to go to the movies to see The Secret Life of Bees. Go to see it. We all loved it. If you have not read the book, read it. I rarely get to see those chick flick type movies in the midst of so many of my chicks. It was another of many wonderful memorable moments of the weekend.
But? There were a small group of people near us (Possible 4 of them) that talked from the minute the movie started til the very end of the movie. WHY would anyone go to a movie when they have so little interest and so much to say to each other? It was INFURIATING to say the least. They got SHUSHED many, many a time, hardly even noticing.
Then? I don't know what came over me. I leaned forward in my chair and said
WILL YOU PLEASE STOP TALKING!
You know, in my mind, I remember it as screaming it out all mean and bitchy like. But it was not that way at all as I was told by my fellow movie loving chicks. But I was quite smug and proud of myself that the first time in my life, I did not sit there quietly taking CRAP from other people. (hmm. Definitely a theme in this post, eh?)
And it worked too! For about 1 minute they were quiet.
Oddly, although it was very distracting, I enjoyed the movie immensely.
~~
Anyhoo, I have to go think about making dinner. No one is serving it to me here. This place is not anything like the Eveready at all.

73. A black sheep who likes to Baa

There is no place like home. I hope this video works. This is my first blog video taken by me, ever.
I can't wait to sleep in my own bed.

74. Blogging from the scene

Here I am, sitting in the lobby in Poughkeepsie after a long full day of fiber and fun. I have to say that it was freaking freezing today. Somebody turned on winter while I was not looking~ The sun felt good though.
There were meals at the Eveready Diner (2 meals today) and indeed there were purchases. Still a chance to guess on the amount I will spend on fiber related things only. It's been fun to read them all. I have to say that you all think I have a lot of restaint.
I even have a black sheep video to show you but my camera cable, which I DID indeed bring with me is in MY car which is with NORMA and not me. Go figure. So, tomorrow you'll come back to see home video of a black sheep?
SO, what's going on in the outside world? The world without crowds of people and wool everywhere I look? Anything I should know about?

75.How much money would a knitter spend if a knitter could spend money? (Okay, that did not work as well as the wood chuck)

I'll be doing one blog entry from the scene at Rhinebeck! That way you'll be there too, virtually!
~~~
This trip deserves a bit of fun, don't you think?
CONTEST!!!
How much will I spend this weekend, on fiber related things only. Food,wine and lodging are not included.
I will buy a fiber related prize and award it to the one that is closest. If there is a tie, I will then randomly pick from those.
Money. How much?

76. 1 more sleep

This last week has been tough on me. Well, if we are counting, which we are, the last month has been tough on me and my whole family. But this past week? Hell on wheels. I missed so much work with hospital visits and the funeral, work was crazy busy. Not the good kind of busy, the bad kind. The kind when no matter how much you work it won't all get done so you choose the lesser of two evils.
But? I took tomorrow off anyway. Luckily I have a wonderful boss who gets it.
I need this weekend like a bee needs a flower. Like a cat needs some 'nip. Like peanut butter needs jelly. Like snow needs a shovel. Like a knitter needs yarn. YEARNS for yarn.
~I plan to sleep late tomorrow morning, pack some clothes without much thought at all, pop my new Book on CD in (Dark Torte by Diane Mott Davidson) and drive my troubles away.
~For some reason? The only books on CD I ever get are by Diane Mott Davidson. I get stuck on some things in life.
~I reiterate, a knitter in an Altima.
~I don't even have any knitting ready to take.
~I made no plans to meet wonderful people like I did last year. I'll be looking for you though. If you see me, stop and say hello.
~I have a sore finger. A booboo. On the tip of my middle finger. It's actually one of those dry skin cracks. But every time I type a k,i,or a comma it yelps.
~Hey, look at that! I broke out into some random without even knowing it!
~I finished the co workers lime green dragon scales scarf today. The minute it was off the needles, I found her and put it around her neck. She hugged me. She is someone who needed a bit of cashmere around her neck. She's had a tough go lately. Made it all worth it.
~ But? I was kind of counting on that scarf to be my Rhinebeck knitting because I have that pattern memorized. It would be easy socializing knitting.
~I must sleep now. Norma called me earlier in the evening and I could barely talk to her with all the yawning going on. I told her I would be in bed by 7. Apparently,I lied.
~note to self: bring camera AND USB cord.

77. A monarch on a Shasta: A knitter in an Altima

Butterflies were free to fly (fly away) the other day! This is the time of year that the ones left here are basking in the sun and eating as much as they can. Perhaps as a last binge.
~~~
The washer is chugging, getting clothes ready to pack so I can head to the New York Sheep and Wool. RHINEBECK! Who's going?
I cannot wait to spend time with my favorites.
Will I see you there?

78. some things are too funny for their own good

Touché, Mother Nature, touché.
I wait all summer long for a pumpkin to grow. I watch as hundreds upon hundreds of pumpkin blossoms fall off the vine, unpumpkinlike. Week upon week, month after month, I check that pumpkin vine. I always see the same thing. Pumpkin vine, no pumpkins.
Until yesterday. October 13th. Frost can be any day now. Any MOMENT. Snow could fly. A pumpkin grows. It does not have time to grow to adulthood.
I wonder if it would be weird to build a one pumpkin greenhouse in the yard?

79. A story about a camp

When my Father in Law was 20 years old (that would be 60 years ago), he and 4 friends took a trip to North Conway, New Hampshire, loved it so much and all pitched in $100 each to purchase a piece of land on the side of a mountain in what is now known as Intervale.
They spent the next few years planning and building what is known as Camp. It is a great place with a super view (I did take a picture but it was too late in the day to be of any use). It is comfortably rustic and filled with the history of young men and their lives. Over the years, all the men got married and started selling off their share to the others. About 10 years ago, My in laws bought the last partner out and are the sole owners.
We have had a great number of wonderful memories there over the years right from the time Andy and I were dating. (27 years ago for those that are counting!)
There is no television (although my nephew did bring a small tv with playstation. I objected. Camp is no place for a screen), no phone and that is the way it will stay. There is electricity and running water and plenty of beds. What more could a person want, really?
~~~
More pictures from the weekend.


(This one is from Cathedral Ledge where a man was being loaded on to an ambulance when we pulled up. Apparently he was climbing the rocks, slipped, dangled by his foot, smacking his head on the rocks, cracking his helmet and was unconscious needing the mountain rescue team to rescue him from the edge of the ledge. Huh. That is supposed to be "fun", right?)

And my favorite:

Bethany and nephew pup, Calvin taking a run down the road.
I guess I have to accept that I am now back in the real world.
Meh.

80 more days: Perhaps it's easier if I count the days left?

Home from a great weekend in New Hampshire. The trees were putting on a stunning show of beauty and Mt. Washington looked wonderful as usual! My favorite weatherman, JR, announced before we left that Mt. Washington had a coat of snow on it's top and I looked forward to this the whole 3 hour ride up there. Just ask Bethany.
As you can see. No snow on the top.
I'm over it.
Details tomorrow. You know how I love to tell a story!

42? The family is gone. Neighborhood cats, I have plenty of catnip treats to go around. I'll sit in the window and wait for you

42. Fig on a Friday night, living it up right, lying (laying??) on a newspaper. Coincidentally the article he is laying (lying????) on is titled DOGTOWN. I think he's hiding it so we don't get any crazy ideas!

We're all relaxing tonight and heading North to the White Mountain area to enjoy a weekend as a family. Most members of the family have a 3 day weekend, not me.
I hope Fig doesn't have too many cat friends over Saturday night. You know how those things can get out of hand!

42. Why handcuffs remind me of vacuum cleaners*

Some people at work today were having a discussion about people who swear up a storm. Now, I happen to know and love one certain blogger who can swear a trucker under the table but this conversation turned to my mother, who's strings of profanity were an endless source of embarrassment for me as a younger me. She swore and she swore loud and long.
One day when my brother was about 11 years old, making me 17, he handcuffed himself to the vacuum cleaner. Now this wouldn't be his last time finding himself in a pair of handcuffs (these were somehow the real thing, no key in our possession by the way!). Kind of foreshadowing his future but that is another story. He has outgrown that law breaking little phase of his.
When my mother saw him handcuffed to that vacuum, she let loose a string of words that would have made sailors blush and the neighbors cringe. I of course, in my eternal 17 year old wisdom thought it was a bit hilarious. Still do.
She told him that he could stay handcuffed to that vacuum for the rest of his *^%%&* life. She did not care one ^$&**&^# bit. All the while, my brother was yanking on his hand trying to get it to squeeze out of the handcuffs and crying.
Finally, my mother made me bring him to the Fire Station carrying a vacuum handcuffed to his hand to get it cut off. You can imagine that we made their day. They cut the cuff off his hand, leaving the other attached to the vacuum handle. It stayed there until that vacuum bit the dust and ended up in the landfill where no doubt someone wondered why anyone would put handcuffs on a vacuum cleaner!
~~~
* Why am I numbering my posts 42? Because Gayle suggested it and it made me laugh.

42. I have 5 minutes to post while Andy is on a break from his important internet poker tournament.

Mitten.
Knitting.
Good.

What the hell number is this supposed to be? I can't keep track anymore..

Business first, then some random:

First up and most important: Carol of Mad for Knit is running in a half marathon for Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Let me say that again. She is running the half marathon. All we have to do is donate a bit of money. Now, I know that this economy has just been flushed down some kind of scary toilet but cancer sucks. You know it. I know it. Carol knows it. She will run, I will donate money. Seems like we/I am getting the good end of that stick.
Here's a couple of important facts about Carol and the Half Marathon:
~She needs to raise $2500 and she is stuck at $2400 and change. We can help her out, can't we?
CLICK TO DONATE<--------------
~Okay, she was stuck at $2300. I donated money. I tell you this because I cannot be one to tell you to do something without doing it myself. That would be hypocritical.
~This is the most important one. You still reading?? She is going to put my father in law's name on her jersey. She is running in memory of Bob Hurley.
~Please, donate a small amount or a big amount. Please. In memory of my Father in Law. And all of those others with cancer. The parents, the sisters and brothers, the friends. The children.
Thank you.
Thank you.
~~~~
Now? I'd like to do a bit of random:
~It's been a while since I have done random
~Carol? Putting Bob's name on her jersey? Made me cry.
~That was a good thing.
~Today as I was eating (Of all things) Doritos (I KNOW!!! What was I thinking???) I bit my tongue so hard it is now swollen.
~We had a light frost this morning which made me crazy happy for some reason
~meatballs
~I wonder what number I AM supposed to be on (in the numbered blog entries)
~Honestly, it hurts my brain to think about it so I am done numbering. Until the last one that is!
~Oh! I Forgot to tell you that Carol has a raffle for donating.
~I watched "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" the other night. I love that movie in the Christmas season. I love it even more at this time of year. Seems like I get the spirit early and a bit of it snuffs with all the busyness and lists.
~I am hoping to get back to actual commenting on blogs. That would be a miracle. Or even some emailing back of the wonderful comments I've been getting.
Let's not get crazy, huh?

287. Did anyone notice how I have royally screwed up the numbering of the posts this time???? Scheez.

To close the chapter on the apple crisp saga, I give you this story.
Inspired by you, my blog friends, I spoke at Bob's funeral today and said the following words:

I have been lucky enough over the years to have my Father In Law be one of the biggest fans of my cooking. There is nothing a person who loves to cook likes better than to have someone eager to eat that food. One of Bob's favorite desserts over the years was apple crisp. As I assembled one this weekend as my own personal tribute to Bob, it occurred to me that apple crisp was the epitome of Bob. Hard and crusty on the outside but warm and sweet on the inside. I encourage you this week to join me and my family in an apple crisp tribute, especially for Bob!

It went over great. Got a good chuckle from all and even a random AMEN thrown in from an old friend. Over and over people then got up and spoke about the same kind of thing. The curmudgeon on the outside but the warm heart on the inside.
He was quite a man.

I thank you, dear readers for your kind words over the last week, for your undying support, your humor and your apple crisps.

When we got home tonight, we all got in our pajamas, ate some of that crisp and promptly fell asleep where we sat. Me? After a bit of knitting, of course!

286. I wonder why

So, can we talk? I'm a little concerned about tears. Not the presence of them but the lack of tears.
A little back story for you first.
I am the person that cries. Always.
Commercials, graduations, songs, sappy movies, non sappy movies, wind blowing the right way, a lonely looking dog, I cry. Always. For years and years. Tears.
Now? My dear, dear father in law dies, my whole family is in tears and I am bone dry. Not a bit of wetness.
It's not that I don't FEEL. I do. I feel my husbands tears to the core of my being. And yet? Dry.
What gives, I wonder.
What gives?

285. A delicious evening was had by all

I knew today was the day when I woke up! The air was crisp and cool, an ocean breeze blowing in the brilliant blue sky! I was chilly. Soup time!
Tonight I picked a good amount of the wonderful kale that has been growing in my garden since a certain traveler planted it there and I got busy.
Although I don't have a picture of the finished product, it was extremely good.
I cut up the usual soup veggies, onions, celery and carrots. Sauteed them until soft, added 3 Italian Sausages and a clove of chopped garlic, stirring until the sausage was a bit cooked. Then I added 3 boxes of Swanson Natural Goodness Chicken broth. Homemade would have been better but I had none.
The chopped kale was added along with a small chopped potato. Kale needs a little while to simmer and be tender.
In the meantime, I put a link of chorizo in a small pan and browned it, adding it to the soup along with a can of tomatoes and a can of cannellini beans.
It hit the spot, taking the chill off the evening and being good for my soul despite not being chicken soup!
And there was apple crisp for dessert!

284. To everything there is a season

Shopping today. For funeral clothes. Let me tell you that nothing sucks the joy out of shopping for shoes and clothes than shopping for funeral clothes. Although the apple crisp did not get made today (tomorrow is only a day away) there was some great pizza for dinner and a couple of glasses or more of wine. And that made the day okay. Some days just call for a wine ending. Perhaps this week is best to close with a wine toast.

I cannot tell you how comforting it is for me to think that there will be apple crisps being made across blogland in memory of Bob this weekend. In fact, I'm ready to call it the Weekend of Apple Crisp and I ask you to join in.

And, before I make a fool of myself, bloggin while under the influence, I sign off for today.

~~
I Have this song on my mind today:

283. You leave me speechless (well not totally, that would be a boring blog entry, wouldn't it?)

I cannot thank you enough for your wonderful outpouring of love and support. I appreciate each and every word that you sent to us.
The last week has been one of the hardest things we have ever done. Ever. Seeing a loved one struggling to breathe is something that I won't long forget. It was an awful way to die and Bob did not deserve that. He is at peace now and if the last week was good for anything, it has brought relief to the whole family that the fight is over.
The grief will begin in earnest soon but for now, we do not have to sit in that hospital room and see what we did.
Last night, as I fed the family (once again), all of them sitting around our table, it hit me that Bob would not sit there ever again. It was a strong moment for me, one filled with pain and wistfulness. After the dinner was over, many laughs were had as we all had memories to share.
Sunday is the wake, which I dread. And Monday is the funeral.
I'll get through this. The family will get through this as many families before us have.
In the meantime, I may make a huge apple crisp. That was Bob's favorite!

282. This first day of October, the start of my favorite month of the year, my FIL has lost his battle with Interstitial Lung Disease, cancer and diabetes

It is with great sadness that I share with you that my Father in Law, Bob Hurley, passed away about an hour ago today, October 1, 2008. He was 79 years old.
Bob liked people to think that he was an old grouch. A real curmudgeon. The fact is though, that he had a heart of gold and family meant Every Thing to him.
I miss him already and am so relieved that his terrible suffering is over.
Please squeeze your loved ones tonight, in memory of Bob.