2paw

Soldier, Soldier, Will You Marry Me With Your Musket, Fife And Tub?

Yesterday it rained slightly. The tub outside fills with rainwater and it is a handy back up drink for The Labradors. They all had a drink in the afternoon and then later in the evening I heard a strange sound. It was Lorelai Gilmore on a mission: a mission to get that tub through the dog door and inside. I must say that if I had not been taking photos to document the event I would have had half an hour or so of peace and quiet. No-one biting anyone else's legs or nose, no one trying to eat the moths outside the front window and no-one trying to sit on my lap when they are too big!!!

Victory is hers!!!

Today it absolutely poured with rain and we had thunder and lightning, because of course it was the day of the Christmas Parade in town. Which I think went ahead regardless. MrsDrWho and I had agreed to meet in town for brunch and a little shopping and so the traffic chaos was a bit of a surprise. We were both in separate cars trapped in detour hell until we managed to connect via our mobiles and meet elsewhere. We ended up at the museum, where we had a delicious brunch:

The museum was right next door to the Niche Market where I caught up with Gemma and Isis!! (No pictures because I forgot)

I bought The Labradors a Very Big Treat: tinned dog food. It is fish. They love fish and I often pop a tin of sardines in their food. This is strictly a one off, but they ate the sardine variety in two seconds flat.

There has been crafting, a lot of boring crafting, and here is the evidence. I cannot show you what it is until Tuesday, when I hope it will become something Christmassy for YOU MrsDrWho!!!

I cooked some quick little quiches, a really easy recipe using 300ml light cream, 200g low fat feta, 3 eggs, some spring onion and tomato with sprinkling of Parmesan cheese on top. I used six sheets of filo pastry (four sheets together cut into 8 and then the other two doubled over and cut into quarters) and olive oil to make the cases and then cooked them for about 20-25 minutes at 180*C. Very yummy and no need to bake blind at all.

I used three free range eggs from the green grocer and they were all double yolkers. I'm tipping the rest of the carton will be too.

What else has been happening?? Well the rain has filled the creek again and Harki felt a bit sprightly this morning and hopped in,

 

and when Peri jumped in Harki whacked her in the nose with her happy waggy tail.

 

I have been catching up on TV and whittling away the hours on my DVR. I am considering a new skirt, although the nice vertical striped material in all kinds of green was vetoed as it apparently would make me look like a deck chair!! So I think I will sew some more of my dress tomorrow. I am thinking a pencil skirt with a little ruffled frill sewn at the hem. Maybe. One hot day and I will be wishing it was already made. I have been having to have an afternoon nap though, usually for two or three hours, which really cuts into your day.

I must finish the last part of the Christmas thing now. I'll make a cup of tea, that will ease the ennui. I am doing very well with the whole giving-up-sugar-in-my-tea-at-home. I don't miss it at all. If I drank five cups a day with two teaspoons of sugar, that makes 50g of sugar a day, 350g a week or a horrifying 1.5kg a month. I feel slightly virtuous, but when I have a cup of tea 'out', it is always such a lovely cup of tea!!!

Close Encounters of the Bird Kind

There's never a dull moment at our house. Lorelai Gilmore had a close encounter with a duck. The ducky, because that's what we call them, was standing on the jetty and like Margaret Thatcher, was not for turning. We were not deterred and walked along towards it. There was no chance of Lorelai Gilmore catching the ducky, I made sure of that, but he was a ducky with a death wish and only dove into the water at the last possibly moment.

 

 

Here's Peri bucking the system as usual. We are allowed to be just here in the BBQ area, but we are not allowed to walk along the tracks. Peri just likes to push the boundaries. She was a bit quiet yesterday and I was a little worried about her, but she seems fine today. Maybe she ate something smelly???

Harki went for her third and final ear check and though there are still a few tiny bacteria, she's fine and we just have to put the ear drops in twice a week. We're in caretaker mode. I am glad that Harki is not frightened at The Hospital anymore. She has a routine: we go inside and say hello and get pats and then we go outside and she wees in their garden, then we are allowed to go back inside and await our turn.

I did a little top shopping and picked up five various green tops. Just what I needed and they averaged out at $14 each!! The day is dull so the colours are not very true.

Lunch was some delicious watermelon (seedless) and some tasty juice with a big splash of lemon juice and some ice. I had the new Delicious and the new Interweave Weekends to read and I was thinking about my Christmas Cooking list. I didn't really get much done, as you can see.....

The plastic cups are my Guilty Pleasure (thank you Margaret!!!) It is far too dangerous to have glasses or cups about with Lorelai at the moment. She's really leapy. Plus, the cups are toys later on for Peri, and Lorelai Gilmore!!!

I have begun some Christmas crafting. I bought some new embroidery thread and then realised after I was home that I has no little bobbins. Never fear, because the Internet is here!!! I found some delightful free printable bobbins here and look, they even matched pretty fabulously with my colours!!

 

It is Trivia tonight, and I have just has a text from MrsDrWho to say her excursion has gone exceedingly well and they are on their way home from the other end of the state, so I hold out hope she will be able to come. I am going to have a nap now, if I can. There is a cool breeze and I have five new tops to choose from so I am lazily putting off washing till tomorrow.

K-Nine to Five

My social life took its toll by Saturday and I stayed in bed till after 2pm. 

• Our Trivia team won second prize and we have a voucher for $50 to use this Tuesday: Chicken Parmas all round!!!
• Sewing was lovely and I finished my felt creations. (see below)
• Knitting in the Pub was fabulous as the Pub was air conditioned. It was so hot out in the real world that I almost expired. All The Labradors had to play in the paddle pool and lie in front of Mr Coolie.
• Wee Jock's mum's birthday dinner was great. The company was excellent and the food very tasty.

Auntie Dutch finally received her presents and I was able to visit Uncle Dutch, Auntie and Uncle Electric and Baby Electric at the same time!! I made Auntie Dutch a K9 handbag- that's K9 from Doctor Who. I used the Doctor Who pattern book, but I slightly enlarged the bag and made a stiff plastic lining covered with poplin to give it a sharp shape. I even had a proper dog tag engraved with his name!!! She was very pleased.

I also finished her babushkas from the Felties book, which was a gift for her too. Rather sneaky of me. I made one larger, one the proper size and the smaller one is a brooch!!

Harki and Peri had a wonderful walk in the cool rain this morning. We have been walking early, before I realise I am up and before it is hot, so we are often there before 8am(that is early for us) The rain has been light but constant and you can see it has collected on the grasses and spider webs.

The grass is always greener for Lorelai Gilmore: at the end of our walk is a gate and every time we have to walk right up to the gate, and then she likes to sneak around it and sit forlornly on the other side. If only I was nice and would let her walk in the forbidden area.

Smarties have new user friendly colours so I bought a packet just to check them out. Not too bad really, better than the 100s and 1000s which I think look insipid and a bit dirty.

Tomorrow we are having a day at home, I have to pop to the Library, but other than that I shall sleep and then cook something delicious to eat!!! The Labradors will be able to play all day and have lots of attention. Lorelai Gilmore is at the Terrible Teenage Stage and is a bit big for her boots. Thank goodness Harki and especially Peri are such lovely girls.

Apparently they have this new thing called Typepad Micro which is a Twittery kind of Blog thing. Now when I go to post to my blog, a new box appears, so I am just typing in it to see what happens!! Rest assured, I am far to wordy to ever limit myself to something Micro or 140 characters!! Will this have a title?? So many questions, so little time

Lorelia Gilmore had fun destroying a box yesterday

Same Time Next Ear

Harki went back to see Dr Jessica today and as I had discerned, her ears were still boogelly. In the Waiting Room we met tiny, happy Clay who weighed about the same amount as Harki's weight loss. He was very brave and cute and Harki was very kind and friendly to him.

Harki had some bacteria dislodging ear wash and I had to hold her ears to stop her shaking her head. That was never going to happen. You have to hold her actual head to stop her flippy flopping her ears. Then some more ear soothing wash and then we went home. Breakfast was very late today.

Yesterday it was warm in the morning then there was torrential rain, and thunder and lightning storms, in the afternoon. MrsDrWho said there were piles of hail banked up at the edge of the road after school as she drove home too. I was totally saturated just crossing the road and the car park: it was that heavy and that quick. I didn't mind though. Lorelai Gilmore loved the rain and spent all afternoon going outside to get wet, and then coming inside to make us all wet. I left her tied up at the supermarket as it was too hot in the car. She's a faithful dog, she waited in a very concentrated way till I returned.

Harki and Peri lazed about in the morning sun:

Then Harki and Lorelai Gilmore lazed inside in the afternoon:

I am resting up and napping every day as I have some evening commitments this week: trivia, supper and craft with friends, Knitting in the Pub and then a birthday outing. If I don't have a nap every afternoon I will not be able to go to any events at all. Before my nap I sewed these for Auntie Dutch. They are not finished as we had some white felt issues. I bought some more and then of course I found the lost felt as soon as I came home. If it had teeth it would have bitten me.

Some interesting new EasiYo things arrived in the letterbox. Things we can't buy in the shops here. I am looking forward to making the ice cream. Though I must confess I would be more looking forward to the ice cream made with condensed milk and cream but that would be very wicked of me!!!

The lovely Wendy from FNQ sent me a postcard from the general QLD after the Sydney to Hobart race area. We have really turned on the four seasons in one day weather in the state, just for her!!

I am having a little rest from my raglan cardigan and am doing some dress sewing. I have cut out the pieces and am ready to make the bodice lining. Thank you MrsDrWho for the lovely note you wrote on the toile while I wasn't looking. I have one word for you: Karma!!!!

I am off to Trivia anon, where we will all share a free bottle of wine courtesy of last week's third place!!

The Bridge of Size

It has been a slightly fraught half a day. Yesterday was hot, but it is lovely and cool with a breeze now. Yesterday afternoon Tattslotto was down all over the city and perhaps the state. I tried in two places; one person was very unhelpful but the other was nice and kind, despite three hours of explaining there was no Tattslotto. Luckily I have an emergency on-line account so I am all ticketed up. I have jammed three fingers on my left hand in the hall door. I have been stuck behind a cyclist on the windy narrow road to the dam, so that it took me twelve minutes instead of eight. I won't pass when the road is so windy and he wouldn't move over. I have had some toast and local ham and a cup of tea so I feel slightly better now!!

I have made the toile for my new dress bodice. I did a FBA and the front fits perfectly. Unfortunately I adjusted the back to be three sizes too big and waaaaaay too long. I totally overestimated my size. Sighs. MrsDrWho kindly pinned the seams on the back for me and now I can draft the back pieces again for a perfect fit. I am a tad excited!!!

I have a new book. It was on super special  for $19 at the KMart (I've been kidnapped by) It is full of wonderful baking recipes.

 

I am particularly enamoured of the raspberry lemon meringue pie which the aforementioned MrsDrWho declared a carnival of taste and colour. There are lots of basic recipes, with up to nine variations to choose from: muffins, cakes, tarts, bread, cupcakes. Delicious!!!

 

Harki and Peri went for a walk around the dam grounds and Peri could not resist rolling in something smelly. Harki was very worried and decided to move right away. 

Lorelai Gilmore likes the jetty and the seagulls. Today I was juggling her lead, the camera and three sore fingers and I accidentally let go of her. I thought she might leap off the end, but she didn't. She had a lovely sniff and then when I called her, she came. What a good little puppy she is!!

There is still knitting happening. I have knitted 17cm of the raglan 'seam' and I think it needs to be 27cm. I have not counted my stitches. It doesn't bear thinking about.

Sadly, I am completely up to date with Fringe which I am enjoying immensely. I have had to start catching up on Castle now: hurray!!! I am looking forward to Miss Austen Regrets this evening.

I just gave Harki a new squeaky toy, but Lorelai Gilmore has stolen it and is squeaking up the house!! I thought Harki was in the hall crying because she wasn't feeling well, but it is Gilly making horrendously bad harmonies as she squeaks away!!!

The secret bag is finished. I am going to line it with some fabric covered hard plastic so it keeps its shape. I am hoping to pass it on to Auntie Dutch soon so there can't be any pictures till then!!!

Coop-La

At last we have some slightly cool weather: it rained on Lorelai Gilmore and me when we were walking this morning. Still, it's warm..

Yesterday evening Uncles Dutch and Electric brought a chicken coop to be stored in the garage. Well, what a source of fun that was. I had a sneaking thought that I might pop Lorelai Gilmore inside. No need. Peri is very clever, she had a quick recce and then 'encouraged' Lorelai Gilmore to go inside. 

 

After all the excitement of visitors, Harki decided it was a bit too much effort to go up the steps. When I came back from walking in the rain this morning she was up in the garage and had obviously investigated the new thing.

If you do this: ( does my bottom look big in this?)

And then play in the paddle pool, ad infinitum, then you get this:

One very happy, muddy puppy.

I have started the unnamed top-down raglan cardigan. There were no bamboo circular needles in the shop, so I had to have a Knit Pro one. It was a knitting emergency and I didn't want one from The BSODL(tm) It is nice and pointy, which is good, because the bamboo is splitty. Note that I have had to go to The Dark Side and use stitch markers, which I have thus far managed not to knit into the fabric. I have lost one, but it wasn't a special one. I will cope.

MrsDrWho*, Mrs Princess and Miss Mac invited me to join them for a very social trivia night. It was a lot of fun, very uncompetitive (no arguments or cross words from any people there) we had a delicious platter, wine and I had a cup of tea and it was Not Too Hot. Bonus: we came third and won a $25 voucher which will pay for some wine next time. We were flummoxed by two of the six topics; Cars and Sport!!!

Oh you can see where I wrote down our answers to check them.That's a banana calzone which MrsDrWho had not quite all of for dessert.

Plans for the next few days:finish lining the secret bag, make a toile of my dress bodice, I did adjustments yesterday (with Gilly's help) and drafted an A-line skirt because bias skirts and I are not friends, keep knitting my cardigan, buy a long retractable lead so Lorelai Gilmore can have a swim and catch up on all the Fringe episodes I have stored on my DVR. I have 200 hours of saved programmes to watch. I have 20 hours of space left so I really have to catch up NOW!!!

*Cateau additions proceed with some speed.

Weighting To Exhale

Two possible interpretations of my blog title today:

1. Every Labrador has Gained Health, as TinkingBell would say. Harki is only 41kg instead of more than 48, Lorelai Gilmore is 26 instead of 28 and Peri hasn't been to the Vet but she must be slimmer. She looks slimmer.
2. It is so hot we are melting. We'd like a big exhale of cool air and possibly misty rain.

Harki had to go to the Vet because she has FlippyFloppyEar. Lorelai Gilmore was so sad to be left behind.

Harki had to go in the very hot car, but I put a big drink in the back and we went straight there and back. (Very Frodo Baggins of us)

 

When we came home I put some clean water in the paddle pool and Peri had The Most Wonderful Time.

Then everyone joined in, but Peri was still In Charge.

I bought myself something to help me feel cooler. There are lots of different kinds on the market. I bought this from my local Cancer Council office, but you can buy them online. It is delicously cool, and it is refreshed and cold again instantly when I plunge it into iced water. I have bought some crystals to see if I can make my own.

I have finished on Tennis Sock. It has a tennis court (to scale)on the front of the leg and then the top of the foot is covered with 105 little tennis ball shaped holes. I love them!!!! One down and one to go.

And, inspired by Suzy's cardigan, and Ailsa's too, I have knitted a tension square, washed and dried it and made lots of calculations. I am hoping to make a short sleeve top-down raglan cardigan from Cleckheaton Bamboo. Hope being the operative word here!!

So we are lying around, being hot, drinking cool drinks, hot tea and filling the air cooler up with ice and cold water and wondering if it will really be 30*C for the foreseeable future??? Oh and MrsDrWho and I have these!! There are elbows!! I shall only know answers about Doris and Frank!!!

Stryperdrive

I have finished my first socks for the Southern Summer of Socks. They are divine and I love them so much and I am very sad this wool is discontinued. I made the extreme effort to make all the stripes the same size, I cut and pasted till it was right and I am very happy.  There were quite a few ends to sew in. It was totally worth it!!

The Stryperdrive Socks, knitted on 2.5mm needles using my own personal sock pattern with 64 stitches. I used Lana Grossa Magico. I don't really ever want to wear them, they are so nice, but in the spirit of my 'using nice and special things' drive: I shall. I've started my third pair of socks using Ailsa's fabulous Tennis Ball sock wool. I am perusing books to find a suitably tennis-bally pattern.

The Labradors have been well, and Harki has been naughty. I know we all find this hard to believe, but she has. On Wednesday she hopped out of the car and took off down the road after a cat, knowing she had no chance of getting within a bull's roar of it, and then she meandered back in her own time when I called her. I put Peri inside and then walked down the footpath till I could see her. She looks so happy in her wickedness!!

Peri Naughty and Lorelai Gilmore have been honing their synchronisation skills at the other back gate.

What else?? Our Dining Out Knitting group dined out at Pickled Evenings and very delicious it was, and despite the picture, not very pickly!!!

There has been much knitting and I have finished the Sensu Scarf for Mrs Mauritius. Sensu is the Japanese word for 'folding fan' and this scarf in Feather and Fan folds and rolls very nicely. I knitted it in two pieces and grafted the live stitches together at the centre. I have two matching cast on edges!! It needs blocking. Knitted from Zara Extra Fine Merino two balls, using 5mmm needles.

 

During Blogtober I sent some White TimTams to Melanie Jennifer and she retured the favour with some excellent white chocolate with hazelnuts. Good thing I took a picture because I have eaten it all. Thank you Melanie Jennifer!!!

 

The weather is going to be very hot over the next few days, so we will be getting the ice and the air cooler ready to go, and closing the curtains to keep the heat out!!!

Ball's Well That Ends Well

The weather has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous: we had 28*C on Saturday and then today we had a cool, rainy day with extreme winds of up to 120 kph. We all like the cooler weather better. It was Too Hot To Knit, the stitches of my sock wouldn't move along the wooden needle. They stuck. I started knitting a scarf for Mrs Mauritius a while back, but the rib was just too solid, instead of nice and softly draping. So I unravelled it on Sunday when it was cooler and started a simple Feather and Fan pattern and it is perfect. Mrs Mauritius likes to fling her scarf around her neck and over her shoulder, so this will be excellent. I am knitting up two balls separately, and then I will graft the live stitches together in the centre so I have matching cast on edges. Here it is, and you can see the original is almost knitted up now. Oh I am using Zara Extra Fine Merino, I think, I can't find the label. I have put it somewhere safe.

I have been Spring Cleaning and I have a whole lot of fabric to be washed and ironed into submission, newspapers to be recycled and bits and bobs to sort out. I have also scanned some photos onto my computer and for those people who always want to see a picture of me: this is your lucky day!! Here's a picture of me, and Harki and Baby Peri!!! And it is old, about eight years old, because there is a giant stack of videos. Look how tiny Peri is, such a gorgeous baby!!!

 

Yes, there are pink curtains, but they work, so they're staying!!!

And now, the 'Bespoke' skirt Give-away!! This time I decided on The Tennis Ball Option. I had ten entrants, so I used ten of The Labradors' tennis balls. I wrote numbers on the balls.

I would line them up outside, let loose a Labrador and the winner would be the first tennis ball chosen. I tried Harki, but she was only interested in looking for treats interspersed amongst the balls. And there were none. So then I tried Lorelai Gilmore. I was very encouraging and enthusiastic in order to get a result, so beware the volume!! And the winner is...................

Number Eight, and that's Gaby!! Congratulations Gaby, I'll email you to discuss your blue skirt!!!!

And thus begins my effort to blog more frequently with fewer words and pictures so it doesn't seem like an overpowering task.