Hello!
Life
I am still blogging from Southern California (expect my blogs to begin with this phrase until September). Still at my brother's house, though things are settling down a bit if you can call 11 kids and, 3 adults, (my sister and her 2 kids from Texas, and the son of one of my brother's friends from high school, as well as my 3 youngest kids, and my brother's 3 kids, as well as my brother and me) settling down.
Every night still seems a party though, and with all of the kids every day is vacation for them. There have been days at the 2 Disneyland theme parks, the beach, parks, and lots and lots of video games and swimming at the house. Pretty chaotic, lots of towels to launder, and people to feed. A bit more knitting time for me lately though.
The feeding part is amazing. My brother used to be a baseball coach before he got sick. He was always great with kids, and loves sports, and was a pretty amazing coach. I'll just say it straight: People love him. Some of his baseball parents have put together a foundation to help with his care. The foundation raises money for a daily morning nurse, and organizes friends who want to help out by setting up what is called a "meal train" and a schedule of people who "put him to bed" for when his wife is working nights or is out of town with the Air Force.
The Meal Train is one of the coolest things. It is a web site called Take Them A Meal. As I understand it, you can set it up for just about anything. Say a neighbor or friend has a new baby and people want to organize to help out the new mother for the first month with dinners, or someone broke their leg, or had an operation, or, like my brother has a progressively debilitating illness, you can set up a page for them where people can sign up for a meal. It keeps it all organized. There is also a mailing list of everyone who has signed up, so if the needs change, it is easy to contact the group.
People want to help, but so often they just don't know how. Bringing dinner is a great way to really help my brother. His friends stop by with amazing food (last night 2 families joined together to bring chicken, hamburgers, potato casserole, and a green salad for 20 people, though usually it is just dinner for 4), they spend 5 minutes to a half hour chatting, and go. The visiting part is one of the best things. When you are stuck in the house day after day, even with voice controlled internet, tv, and texting, and your own 3 kids running in and out, well, it gets lonely.
My sisters and I have snuck out for coffee a few mornings in Old Orange at Cafe Lucca. (Those of you from Europe who read this blog, do NOT ask me how "old" Old Orange is, please.)
We stopped by Crystal's Hair Studio in the Orange Circle just to say, "hi." I went to high school with Crystal. But, we were too early, and she wasn't in.
Although the reason I am down here is not the greatest, it is wonderful to be able to spend so much time with my family. I miss the Doc, but we try to talk on the phone every night. O! one funny story about him. My daughter, Allifer, is still in Washington because she has work. The Doc had her come home on Saturday and show him how to use the washer and dryer. Really. This is a true story. It's not like he has never done laundry, but since we moved into that house (15 years ago) he has not. Ha! I do miss him.
Knitting
The Ravellenic Games are over, and I finished the 3 main projects I had hoped to finish. I started 2 new ones, but was not able to finish either before the closing ceremonies last night (which were very very fun!). More on them later, I promise, as I have a funny story about the cowl.
This is where I am on the Capricious Cowl:
When the variegated part reaches the same size as the solid part, I will "unzip" the provisional cast on, kitchener the two live rows together, and have a 2 sided cowl. I will need a VERY quiet space for the Kitchenering.
Stay safe and well.
Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet from my brother's house
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