2paw

Objet D'Ahhhhhhhhhh

Today we all went for a walk in the rain, and got very wet. Then we went to the Vet where Harki sat on the scales and was 600g lighter!!!! (a little over a pound) I think her wet fur must have added a little mass. What a good thin girl Harki is!!! She went to wait in the car while Peri cried and tried to pull the built-in seat out the door of the waiting room. "Where is my mother, and Harki?" she cried piteously. The lovely Vet patted her, I was only three steps out the door!! Her little paddy paw was thoroughly checked out and she was pronounced injured, but healing fast. There was a torn pad, but no infection and all the rest of her leg was fine. She has to wear a sock when we go for a walk. There's not much choice in baby socks for girls: pink is the colour. Baby socks are the best, the Vet said, and the very best are the ones with grippy rubber dots. We have skulls and crossbones. Ahhhhhhhhhh

We came home and after much 'encouragement' and bribery Peri wore her sock for a minute. Tomorrow will be a day of many minutes of sock wearing. I tried tonight to take a picture of the second sleeve for the TdFKAL.  Peri helped me, so this is as good as it gets!!! There is no discolouration, it's just a bad night time picture with Peri insisting on wagging her tail and beng cuddled!!! Ahhhhhhhhhh

I read all of Jeffrey Archer's new book last night. It is better than the last one I read and I did enjoy it:  but it's a Boy's Own Adventure. I don't think he has ever recaptured the 'glory days' of  his early novels, but it passed a few hours. I bought Karen Miller's latest book today,  Hammer of God. I am not sure whether this is the third book of a trilogy or a quartet, so I am not getting my hopes up. Read or Knit??? Read or Knit?? Ahhhhhhhhhh

I am wearing The Green Jersey in the Tour de France and I have yet to add the button to my sidebar. Ahhhhhhhhhh

While I am typing this I have had to play with the new and improved lighter Harki and throw the plastic cup endlessly and then pat her on the head and ruffle her ears. Awwwwwwwwww

(You can see her plastic cup in the first picture, it's pretty hard to throw now, not at all aerodynamic!!!)

I Need A Lover With A (Lindsay) S-Lohan

  It's quite chilly in the morning when we walk, I mean zero is cold, right?? I took a picture of a river of mist: very LOTR. I wear my warm jeans, but still, my legs are cold. I am thinking, god help me, of buying some leggin's (I think it is compulsory to omit the 's', so I've used an apostrophe of omission. Like in Scrapbookin') The How What Not To Look Like site has made me wary of Leggin's. Look at Lindsay Lohan. Look some more. The girl spends almost her entire life in leggin's. I just want to reassure the World, that though I make you gaze in awe (pious fear) at my knees and upper arms in Summer, you will never see the leggin's. All legs will be safely concealed under my jeans. I wonder if they make green leggin's?

Yesterday my mum came to visit for the day. We had a lovely day!!! She came on the bus in time for lunch. We bought twelve green buttons for $1-10 in total: what a bargain!!! I bought her the book she wanted, and some delicious Clarnico peppermints and dusted jelly babies. We found a new wallet she really liked and she only nearly lost her old wallet once: it was under her arm. We went to visit MrsDrWho and her kittens with afternoon tea from the french patisserie and then at 5-30pm she was off home again. I am having a little Georgette Heyer decline today. My mum won't visit my house because she doesn't like The Labradors. Kittens are OK. MrsDrWho is very kind to let my mum visit at her house!!! My mum and my aunt are coming to visit again in August. Harki and Peri weren't unhappy, they had a special bone and then we all went to bed early and they had an extra treat or four!!! MrsDrWho ran interference for me this week on the dog front: there were three or four frantic phone calls to stop me watching the NCIS episode with the German Shepherd. I can't bear to watch when a dog is hurt or badly treated on TV. MrsDrWho saved me, and then furnished me a pain-free precis of the episode!!!

Last week I lost my Library Card. This is my fourth card in about 10 years, but I use my card a lot and sometimes I put it in the bag with my books and it is lost forever. Until I ask for a Replacement Card. Then the old card turns up straight away. Yesterday I found the card before last!! So I logged onto TALISPlus and to my horror my carefully chosen and cultivated Wish List had disappeared!! Thank goodness my Holds List seemed OK. I emailed The Library and they replied saying that they had never come across this problem, there was some kind of anomaly that had never arisen before, but they would try and retrieve my Wish List of books and fix the system so no-one else would lose their List when their card was replaced. This morning they found my List and restored it!! Well done State Library. Now, if only they would let me have a card for Harki and Peri...........

Due to the Maternal Visit and the Time Lady's Regeneration I have been quite busy. There are two pictures of the Secret Knitting projects. It's a good thing I am feeling quite pink at the moment. I do like to reply to my comments, and no doubt there will be some witty and amusing (not!!) missives winging their way through the ether soon. I should aim to do this in the night time as tomorrow is the Shortest Day. I think tonight is the Longest Night, at least that's what the astronomer on the ABC was saying this afternoon. Thank you for all your hat advice. I even found a thread on The Ravelry for People Who Do Not Look Good in Hats!!! While we were looking at hats, MrsDrWho found a few she would like, and my mum liked the Laminaira shawl and she'd like it to be green!! I have been knitting for other people lately and not very much for me so there has been a distinct lack of green. Speaking of greem it's twenty years ago today that we said goodbye to the two dollar note. Where did all the time go?? It seems like only yesterday the $2 coin arrived on the monetary scene. I still don't like them as much as notes, but at least our new coins and polymer notes don't disintegrate in the washing machine!!!

Tonight I am going to an MS fundraising evening just a few houses up the road. I can have a glass of wine and then just walk past one house and I will be home!!! This post may be in several shades of green. For reasons known only to those 'improving' Typepad, it insists on highlighting everything and making it Chartreuse, not just my clicky links. And last, but not least, The ABC has started to show promos for the new season of Docotor Who, and they are giving away spoilers. Shame on them, shame, shame, shame!!!

Smoke me a (WW)KIPper, I'll be back for breakfast!

WWKIP Day was ace, not Ace Rimmer, but ace!! There were more than twelve knitters but very few Real People seemed interested. I don't mind that. I like knitting, I don't need to proselytise, and I'm happy to follow my own knitting destiny. Here are some of the feet of the KIPpers. I'm not there, neither is Magdalene or MrsDrWho. Not sure if I have missed anyone else. It was deathly cold to start with and I was scarved, mittened and cardiganed but the Sun soon warmed us all. It was a very happy knitting outing and we all enjoyed ourselves immensely!!

Speaking of cold, it was zero degrees yesterday when we went for our walk at 8-28am. Did this give Peri pause? No, of course it did not. She raced about in the frost and then dove, not once but twice, into the little creek. Then she ran about like a mad thing!!! Harki is much more sensible and didn't want to have cold water shaken on her. She looked at me in askance, hoping that I wasn't expecting her to swim!!

It seems that some children and youths were still on holidays today, and they spent quite a lot of the day yahooing up and down the street. Harki was very cross. They banged the railing on the footpath and shouted. They weren't technically doing anything wrong, but they disturbed the house. Harki kept having to go out onto the veradah and once she was very cross and barked and all her hackles were raised up. What a brave girl she is!!!

There has been knitting: I made Unravelled's Time Thief Watch Cap in Vintage Hues. I call it The Howard Hues Hat, it certainly feels like a million dollars when you wear it. It's so lovely and warm that I decided I need a hat too, but I definitely don't suit a beanie. MrsDrWho, who suits all hats, says that when I wear a beanie you see the outline of my head. This is not a good thing. Usually I have wavy sticky-outy hair, and so I look funny with no hair and a fitted hat. In her venerable opionion I need a sticky-outy hat that mirrors my hair. Any suggestions???

Give a woman a hat and she has, well, a hat. Teach her to knit and before you know it she is saying that she's buying some Vintage Hues of her own and making herself a hat. I had to stop MrsDrWho right there and say I had already bought some extra and I was doing secret beanie knitting. Not so secret anymore, but there is other secret knitting, with a bazillion ends yet to be sewn in!!!!! My aunt loved the SwallowTail Shawl I knitted for her and now my mum would like a small shawl as well. I had another search and I think I will make the small version of Laminaria from Knitty.com.

This morning I had to read The People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks. I stayed in bed till almost 10-30am or when The Labradors were so hungry that they sat on me and the book. It was a quick read, and since it has just won a prize I reckoned that other people would want to borrow it soon.

I have neglected my comment replying, I will catch up over the next day or so. I have also neglected to take a casserole photo. I'll do that too. Meanwhile, I have managed to take a picture of the inside of the little Star Wars trinkets for StarWarsBoy!!! Got to get my priorities right. They are so cute: inside each is a tiny figure in a tiny setting reflecting the outer head. So cool!! I have arranged them in the same configuration as they were in the last post. Darth Vader keeps collapsing, as you do when you are an evil doer!!

I'm  nearly at the end of North by Northwest. Cary Grant is ubercool, though a bit old at 55 to play the youngish romantic lead. He almost has Harry High Pants happening and Eva Marie Saint just can't play 26 at 35. The film is still great and keeps me on the edge of my seat. The dialogue is quite risque, and it's not just me thinking that!! I can't believe it is almost 50 years old.

So next time: recipe for a casserole and maybe even another hat!!!

You're So Rain, You Probably Think This Song Is About You.

It has been raining. Really raining. Raining for 48 hours. It's not that we don't need the rain, but did we have to get a month's worth in two days??? Everything feels wet and soggy and The poor Labradors, who are apparently made from sugar, won't go outside in case they melt. Instead, while I was out, they had a biscuit party. They are organic biscuits and must not be very tasty because there were some left in the box.

They are quite happy to go for a walk in the rain and play in the little creeks and puddles though, as these pictures show.

I have a new cookbook,  the AWW's One Pot. I just made the Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Casserole. It is soooo delicious!! I'll take a picture tomorrow. What is even better is that the chicken was incorrectly priced and it was FREE. I only wanted to pay the correct price and be refunded the difference, but it was FREE. I used thigh cutlets and just stripped the cooked meat from the small bones. 

Now here is a picture for Day to Day's son, StarWarsBoy. It is too dark to take a proper photo, but next time I post, I'll open these up and you can see what's inside!! It is a sad, but true, fact that I chose the colours for my loungeroom based on a Star Wars framed print.

   

I am making a scarf for WWKIP which is at the QVMAG on Saturday. People may, or may not, knit some of the scarf. I have wound up little balls for this Fibonacci scarf and if they don't knit any rows I'll finish it. We are donating the scarves to a charity. I've also, with MrsDrWho's assistance, made some cards to hand out with some handy information for knitters, or would-be knitters.

I am having Picture Insertion issues today. They can only be on the left, not wrapped, and there is a script running. I have no idea what this means. I have also bitten my tongue. It really hurts.

Tomorrow I am helping MrsDrWho cook a birthday cake and then there will be an outing to a Greek restaurant. I went to the BSODL (TM) today because they rang to tell me that a pattern I ordered in Summer had arrived. When I arrived there the pattern had departed, mysterously. They asked me all sorts of questions about it, but I had already abandoned all hope. I bought some Vintage Hues. I bought and opened some short 6.5mm needles and knitted while I waited. I waited so long I had to claim my Golden Parking Token and move the car. I didn't cry though!!!

I've been reading my Doctor Who books, I read three the other day and I have three more to pick up soon. Hope to watch some more of the new season of Doctor Who before school goes back too!!!

People Will See Me And Cry:Flame!

I am in a state of ambivalence. When I was teaching The Olympics was a time for celebration, excitement, lots of interesting research and often our own Olympics with fun events. This year I am not so sure. This year we have the official Chinese pale-blue track-suited flame 'attendants'. This year the flame has more security measures than APEC. This year we have actual violence against spectators and non-violent protesters for Tibet. This year the gloss of the Olympics seems to have been tarnished. This year I am not sure whether I will watch the Olympics, or if I do watch, will I enjoy myself?  In other Flame related pondering: Yesterday was ANZAC Day, and though it is good and proper that we remember the past and honour the people, we apparently don't learn from History. 93 years later and we are involved in an illegal war. Happily the troops will be home soon. And then some Happy Labradors on their way somewhere to cheer you up!!!

There are no such doubts about my knitting. I have finished the Ing Time socks. I actually finished them last night but I grafted the toe this morning. Very happy with them, the fabric of the knitting is very smooth and even though the 'speckly' bits have made different spiral pattern on each sock, I am not too concerned!!! The Ing Time socks on 4mm needles using 2 balls of Buttons wool. They are just a basic 44 stitch top down sock to fit a 30cm foot.

I have started The Pop Tartigan for MrsDrWho. The first sleeve is complete. I am making up the pattern as I go using the Ann Budd Book of Sweaters. I like doing this as I can really personalise the Tartigan. I am using black Jet for the bands and Moda-Dea Vixen in Licorice Whip for the body. It knits up quite quickly, I knitted 40 rows watching Pie in the Sky . My imaginary wool from Bendigo turned up. It took a whole week. Three 200g balls of Classic 8ply in Mid green for The Chappa-ai Cardigan which will feature a Stargate on the back!! I showed such self -restraint (again) by starting The Pop Tartigan first!!!

Yesterday there was a mini Knitting occasion!! Amanda , and Kate and her family, and I met in town for a cup of tea, a few rows of knitting and a good catch up. How lovely to see everyone. Kate gave me a Spring Arbour patterned face cloth which I haven't used yet!! I am looking forward to it though. I saw her Jacobean socks and some other projects too. Amanda had her socks on two circular needles and reminded me that it was 10 years ago that we first met in my classroom. My . how time flies!! Soon they were all gone but there's talk of more catching up soon: Amanda has tasked me with the organisation!!

This morning we went for our walk and saw a rock. Yes, it's the same rock we see every time but today it was imbued with special Rock Powers that needed about 5 minutes of concentrated sniffing!! On the way home we rescued Muffy and his two Humans. Their car was stopped and I saw in my mirror that they were pushing it. I reversed to see if there was anything I could do (Ha!! Like I know anything about cars or could push with any force!!) And so they availed themselves of a jump start. Muffy was a bit grumpy at first, but then had a nice pat and a treat from my pocket. Harki and Peri had extra pats from the Humans and were very excited.

Later Peri went to have her stitches out. Was she apprehensive or tentative?? NO, she was not. She made long noises of excitement and was too overwhelmed to drop and roll over. In the end, I supported her head and the Doctor 'gently' pulled her legs out from under her. Then she kept very still and calm while her stitches were whipped out. What a good girl. I bumped my neck in the process though!!

On a Jennifer Fallon note, I have it on good authority that she is writing a pentalogy. I of course realised this as I got closer and closer to the end, thinking all the time, 'Wow, she's really going to have to wrap this up quickly.'  Well it does mean I have two more books to look forward to!!

Now I'm off to have lunch with MrsDrWho and Mrs House Of.........

The Lady's Not For Turning Straps

How cute it would be, I thought, if Peri could sit outside in the Sun, with a little sign that said 'Thank You' and I could take a photograph and everyone would go 'Awww'. Right, like that was ever going to happen. Peri is feeling almost back to normal: she is playing rowdy games with Harki (who loves her and is very tolerant!!), she is stealing the newspaper and trying to escape out the back gate at every opportunity. She is back to being Peri Naughty. The only reminder apart from her stitches, and I have restrained myself from posting a picture of her belly, is that she tends to sit down a little gingerly. That's it. Everyone's kind wishes, thoughts and virtual pats and kisses passed on with enthusiasm have obviously done the trick!!! We are very lucky.

The enforced sabbatical at home (and here I wonder can you actually have a sabbatical at home if you are always at home anyway??) has led to some more sewing and knitting. I made another Lotta Apron, this time for MrsDrWho, from some vintage (and this sounds so much better than old, I think) fabric given to me by Cathy. I added a pocket and I think I have mastered the strap length. This apron is hot, and I don't mean hot in the 'oh it's the man from Burn Notice, he's really hot' kind of way. No, I mean the added two layers of fabric in the apron make it almost too hot to wear!! It's definitely a Winter Apron. The fact that I am not for turning straps led me to make a Pointy Strap Tutorial. You can find it in the side bar under My Patterns. It is but a small and whimsical thing, yet I like it!! It is my first photo tutorial foray!!!

The next sewing projects will be fixing the zip in MrsDrWho's handbag and sewing myself a Lotta backpack from the lovely Dog fabric LoopyLouey sent in my Bag Swap parcel. It is drying outside now and as soon as I have posted I will make the pattern pieces.

I started the first Ing Time birthday sock for Mr Madcage and you can probably guess his first name!!! It is a quick knit from 8ply Buttons on 4mm needles and 44 stitches. It grew very fast as I knitted away in waiting rooms this past week. No other socks for me as yet, and no Bendy wool has appeared so I'm wondering if I did order some, or I'm just delusional!!!   

I do have a new cooking magazine: the AWW published a Christmas edition last year and that was quite good. This Winter one has a delicious Moroccan soup with chick peas and lamb that I will cook tomorrow. Also Chile Con Carne with Corn Dumplings and Pea and Prosciutto pasta. Y.U.M. And there is a whole chocolate section.

Right now I am reading the final book in Jennifer Fallon's Tide Lord series: The Palace of Impossible Dreams. It has many story lines happening simultaneously, and they get a chapter each, concurrently. It hate it, she leaves you with a cliffhanger ending and then it's off to another character. I am rationing myself to make the pleasure last as long as possible!!!

When You Wish Apron A Star!!!

I borrowed Lotta Jansdotter's book from The Library, and I have made an apron. I am wearing it now. I have barely had it off since yesterday: everyone can thank their lucky stars I didn't wear it to bed as well. It's that good!!! I was originally going to make one for MrsDrWho, but wouldn't you know it, all my fabric is green!!! If you already sew, you can whip this up in just over an hour. It was very quick and easy. I had to make the waist ties longer otherwise I would have expired from constriction!!! I may still add a pocket. Maybe. I hate making ties, with the whole turning them right side out thing, so I always do it my way: I'll take some pictures to show next time.

Last night MrsDrWho and I watched The Ark of Truth, the first Stargate Movie. Wow!! I had assiduously avoided all spoilers and information, and I was thoroughly surprised, amused, frightened, sad and happy. I really enjoyed it. I squealed and hid my eyes and laughed out loud, at various different times I hasten to add, not all at once like a crazed person. It was one of the best sequel movies I have ever seen and now I am impatiently awaiting the next one: Stargate: Continuum.

I joined The Ravelry Wee Small Sock Swap and I received my sock from the lovely Kim yesterday!!! She specially found some green wool and a tiny sheep stitch marker. It is very remiss of me not to have shown my lovely Ravelry Bag Swap either, from the excellent blogless LoopyLouey!! It is green, beaded, lined with green and has a detachable brooch!! Too many extra good things to mention individually, but click to embiggen and play I Spy with the pictures!!! First things to spy? Harki and Peri!!

There are also a lot of books to spy. I snapped up a bargain Nicky Epstein at the Crazy Day sale last Saturday. I don't know what I will ever use it for, but how could I pass it up??? The GardyGardeners gave me some old cook books, which I am reading in bed!! Then last night MrsDrWho lent me some very old books, some older than me, to read.. there's a Biggles, The Secret Garden and a ballet book!!

There has been no knitting, I had a woozy head and a day in bed on Wednesday, but was up and about yesterday and we have been for a brisk walk in the bush today. The weather is dulling up (I know dulling is not correct word usage, but it is exactly what is happening) and rain is forecast soon. Hooray. I am still managing not to kill my lemon tree and I think this is due mainly to the rain we have been having. I will have to have a closer investigation next time I go through The Forbidden Zone to see if it is actually growing. I'm off to wash some more fabric, I'm thinking of making a new bag, and after 3pm I'm having afternoon tea at the trendy cafe on the corner with The MadCages. Oh, and here's a picture of Peri on the left and Harki on the right, wagging their tails furiously as I am taking photos outside. They were hoping for a treat as it was time for Elevenses. Sadly, no luck there!!!!

*After all, to-Marrow is another day!!!

I have made some people worry with all my talk of Labrador Adoption: Sorry about that. I am pretty OK with most aspects of my illness: it is Harki and Peri I worry about. Thank you ever so much for your kind adoption offers: everything is tickety-boo at the moment. For those who came in late, here's a quick precis. For those who were already here: Early Minute for a cup of tea or coffee!!!!!!!!

OK, I have something wrong with my bone marrow and I don't make enough red blood cells, that's why I am obsessed with my Numbers: I like nice, big, fat numbers like 90 or 100 for my haemoglobin, not 62!!!!! We (the medical profession and I) are not sure what is exactly wrong with me so I am hard to treat. I have taken the drugs I am taking now in 2001, and I had almost four years of remission!! Huzzah!! But in 2006 I got sick again and so I have been taking all the drugs again. I have boogelly side effects, but let's face it: it could be worse. There are people sicker than me. It's just every now and then something happens, like the meeting last week where the specialist was all about the bone marrow transplant, and it makes me confront Death just a little bit more than I am usually comfortable with. MrsDrWho has commanded me not to die, as then she will have no-one to do jobs for her: like taking Cleo and Caramello to The Vet!!!! I am frightened of a transplant, and I'd quite like to just keep taking these drugs, and then other different drugs!!! I come under the Leukaemia Umbrella so I'm lucky enough to be able to go along to all the support and information meetings. So I guess though I am statistically more likely than most to shuffle off this mortal coil, I am not particularly planning to do it soon. I still owe Christmas presents and I have The Labradors to think of!!!!

And we're back in the room!!! Harki has kindly modelled the Lemon Tree for me. I have managed to keep the tree alive thus far, so I count this as a win!! Peri has not been so helpful. She ate half a loaf of bread on Monday night while I was out. Thankfully it was excellent Sourdough Rye, but she is a glutton. At least this isn't one of The New Seven Deadly Sins!!! (And apparently Excessive Wealth applies to everyone but The Catholic Church) She has also taken to running away with the newspaper. She is only playing but she does have the beginnings of a stash happening on the wood pile. I think Harki has been secretly reading The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, because here she is, squeezing her eyes tightly shut, and wishing hard: all she needs are some ruby red slippers. All she could find was a ruby red ball!!! We've had a March heatwave and so the poor Labradors have been hot every evening. It is cool and dark every morning and that is a nice time to play. I expect we will really notice the difference when Daylight Saving ends this month.

I have started a new cardigan. Amanda inspired me and I am knitting the Basic Black Cardigan from MagKnits, or as I like to call it: Green is the new Black (GITNeB) The wool is called Dolce (which just makes me song songs from Guys and Dolls!!!) I did the maths and I have enough wool to make the cardigan with long sleeves. It has waist shaping, but I think I have made it a tad too long. I'll live with it. The pattern calls for 4mm needles for the main knitting but I had to go up a size to 4.5mm to hit the stitch count tension. In truth, I still don't have the correct row tension, I'm two rows shy of that, but I was not going to use 5mm needles. It knits up rather quickly and I like the pooling. I like the way it changes and the way it looks like I have primitive computer game icons across the back. I am knitting the fronts together and then there are only the sleeves!!! I think the most difficult thing will be, as always, the buttons.

I'm off to Sewing group tonight, and I've just made some corn fritters that I will top with some sour cream and smoked salmon, and then a twist of black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. These are so easy and so very tasty. I am forced to keep eating them whether I like it or not. I will take a picture tonight and write up the recipe for next time. I am reading a lot at them moment. I have to. All my Library books on Hold are coming at once. I have fourteen books out, and three more are waiting on the shelf. There is something very weird about reading to deadlines. I also have to catch up on replying to comments and reading people's blogs. Ahhh, to have such hard jobs to do. Frankly, my dears, I don't give a damn!!!!

*That would make me Greenlett O'Hara

It is a Par-fait Better Thing That I Do...

Than I have ever done... What the Dickens?, you might ask. Well I made Parfait, Raspberry Parfait, and it was delicious. I took a picture of it pre-freezing and then it was eaten. So simple and so easy: recipe follows at the end of the post!! It is delicious. It was eaten on a balcony overlooking the river with friends, some people I hadn't seen for a while, with a mixed berry cheese cake, bubbly and a cool breeze. What a nice way to spend an afternoon!!!

We have had some cool weather and been for such a long walk: 32 minutes long. Harki and Peri were very puffed out and had a big rest when they got home. Peri has turned Six. Every year it is hard to believe she is so grown up now!! We met a lady and her two dogs on our walk and she thought Peri was One!!! To be fair, Peri was running about like a mad puppy and playing with the other pups, but still!!! For birthday breakfast there was Diet Dry Dog Food, Passionfruit yoghurt, fresh peaches and a sprinkling of diced Schmackos. It was delicious and they both cleaned their bowls up. Well, I don't know that it tasted delicious, but they gobbled it all up, so I reckon it was good.

RoseRed has influenced me with her Plastic Bag Power, and I have fulfilled my wool need by putting it into plastic ziplock bags instead of knitting it. I have done most of my sock wool and some of my Jumper wool and some of the Other. I have quite a lot of 'Other'. I have bought   some more new big clear storage bags so I can divide it up even further. Then I plan to make a wide ranging spreadsheet and make sure I know exactly what I have. Then I might just buy some more!!!

I have some new things too. I am all about the Collage Picture Grid at the moment, so I'll elucidate, left to right, along each row:

1. A doorhanger reminder note pad, that is both Green and has a Dog on it: Bliss
2. New Pernamnet* markers that write on just about everything and there are 2 greens and a tealy colour!! (* I always say it that way deliberately.)
3. Japanese material, mostly green dots but a little section of brown too
4. My new hat, on sale for $11
5. Brown linen and 'Vintage' buttons to make a little bag
6. Fabric that is green and has Labradors to make....
7. A new skirt with this pattern. It was so hard to find a pattern without a waistband, and though I know perfectly well how to draft one, I was too hot to do it myself.
8. My new Knitting Journal. I love it, it has elastic to keep it closed. I must update my projects from about 6 months ago till now...
9. And last, new fabric to make a skirt to replace the faded old Dolphin skirt that is at the bottom on the picture.

I'm thinking of making a little bag out of my skirt so I can keep it as a reminder. I have seen my sock tote pattern out and about a bit. There is a gorgeous Hogwarts tote here, The Purse Project, and even one lined with green here!!! Of course who doesn't have one?? Me, so I think I will have a Dolphin Skirt sock tote!!!

The Madcages gave me such a lovely book for Christmas, it is a Dogs' Cookbook. It has lovely recipe names like Easter Paw-rade and Pupp-eroni Pizza and there's even special food for when your dog is ill, icy poles and even after dinner mints!!!! I reckon there might be a few surprises for Harki and Peri soon!!!

And I forgot to say that cicadas are the sound of the bush, aren't they? This year we are invaded, but it is almost over and the poor, worn-out-from-mating cicadas are being eaten by ants. That, and the smell of the gum trees, sand in your bathers and between your toes and in your sandwiches, the barbie, ice blocks clinking and the screen door slamming: This is Australia!!!

PS I loved my video of Harki and Peri. It was at one stage the 3rd most watched Pets and Animal video on Youtube!!! Thanks for the lovely comments about The Labradors!!

Fruit Parfait

• 180g of good white chocolate
• 500g Greek Yoghurt
• 200-300g of fresh fruit: berries, mango, stone fruit for example.
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup icing sugar, more or less to your taste

Allow the yoghurt to come to room temperature, well not if it is 47*C, but you don't want it refrigerator cold. Melt the white chocolate every so slowly over warm water or in the microwave. In fact it is best to only partially melt it and then stir till it is smooth. Cool on the bench, but it mustn't set again. Meanwhile blend your chosen fruit to a pulp with the icing sugar. Then blend/mix the chocolate, yoghurt and fruit together and freeze overnight and it's done. You need to remove it from the freezer about 15-20 minutes before you want to eat it.

Last Weekend At Bernie's

Yes, we have a new Federal Government, a Ruddslide it is being called. Yes it is a new era, a fresh start, we all have hope again. Hope for a return to a kinder, more caring, honest, inclusive, morally and ethically sound country. But as for me, I am just sad that Bernie Banton died this morning. Together with the Unions he fought a long and ultimately successful battle against the James Hardie company when they refused to accept responsibility for his asbestos related diseases. They allowed Bernie and thousands of others to continue working with asbestos even though they knew it could prove fatal. James Hardie even tried to split their company apart and move it offshore to avoid compensating their workers.  Bernie is a true hero, in every sense of the word.

I love voting, I enjoy the right to vote and I did indeed settle down at 5-30pm on Saturday afternoon and watch the ABC till the end of the count.  Sure, MrsDrWho can poohpooh my love of Democracy, but I have been in a little ecstasy of Election time. I could hardly hope that justice would prevail, but indeed it has. Karma has struck in a big way!!! Earl is right!!

Now, for everyone who believes that butter wouldn't melt in their mouths and that they would never make mud, I present to you Harki and Peri Naughty: Mud Dogs!!! They only have mud on their feet so you don't get the full mud effect, but it is yucky, sticky dark mud.

Here are three of my new books: Nigella Express, Yarnplay and In Stitches. I have already cooked a few things from Nigella's book but it is too hot to be knitting any jumpers right now. Instead, I am knitting some more Fetchings: Smitten. Smitten with mittens. I knitted one and a half last night and I need to have these finished by tomorrow for a birthday present!!!

My lovely friend Michele has a new cafe all of her very own!! It is in The Northern Capital and it is called Full Azza Goog!! I bought her a cute dog eggcup as present for her cafe. She is just starting off really, but the food is delicious, the coffee great and the service fantastic. She already has regulars and bakes all the cakes etc herself. The colour scheme is green, lilac and pink and every table has a fresh posy of flowers. That's the first thing I noticed: very Michele!! I cannot recommend it more   highly!!! Oh, here's a picture of Michele and her daughter, Cara!!!

I have a lump in my neck. It was the source of quite a lot of panic last week, but it is a cyst, albeit a large one: 36cm squared, about as big as half a large lemon. The nurses assured me that compared to what it might have been, a cyst is a good thing!!! It is on my thyroid gland. I did have an appointment to see the surgeon yesterday, but not unexpectedly I have been 'postponed' for at least a fortnight.  Thankfully it seems to have subsided a bit but I am on strict orders to go to Emergency if it swells again, in case I can't breathe. Breathing is an imperative!! Of course now I am obsessed with it, I have to keep touching it all the time, just to check...well I don't know what really, maybe I am hoping it will magically disappear? The Labradors' certificates of vaccination are all in order though, so if I have to stay overnight in Hospital they can go to the Labrador 'Holiday' home!! I haven't told them yet!!!

This afternoon the Tree Man is coming to take away the tree that has been lying across the backyard for half the year. It means I will only have an hour at The Knitting Coven, so I must away right now!!! I have to be home to keep The Labradors inside so they don't get in the way.