In Memoriam...

Sunday June 20th, Father's Day 2010, was the day in which I gathered my family to honor have pay respects to my father who passed away over Easter, April 14th, 2009. We gathered at the old Maronay Family plot in Sandy, OR to pay our final homage and say goodbye. The event was very solemn but very comforting too, we even had a change to spend time at the Tollgate Inn which had pictures of my ancestors on its rustic walls.The day was cold and misty but when we finally gathered, the wetness stopped and the wind stilled, seeming somehow appropriate for the activity we were commencing. My son actually behaved quite well for not knowing really what we were all doing there. My father's sisters read poems, while his wife and his son held her stoically and near the ended I provided glasses of bubble water all around for a final toast while singing an old Irish favorite...

The Parting Glass

All the money that e'er I had

I spent it in good company

And all the harm I've ever done

Alas,It was to none but me

And all I've done for want of wit

To memory now,I can't recall

So fill to me the parting glass

Goodnight and joy be to you all!

Fill to me the parting glass

And drink a health whate'er befalls

Then gently rise and softly call

Goodnight and joy be to you all!

Of all the comrades that e'er I had

They're sorry for my going away

And all the sweethearts that e'er I had

They'd wish me one more day to stay.

Since it fell into my lot

that I should rise,and you should not

I'll gently rise and softly call

Goodnight and joy be to you all!

But since it fell into my lot 

That I should rise and you should not

I'll gently rise and softly call

Goodnight and joy be to you all!

So fill to me the parting glass

And drink a health whate'er befalls

Then gently rise and softly call

Goodnight and joy be to you all!

Here's to you Pops, i love you.......

TTFN

To All The Lovely Ladies....

   The Ladies of my knitting group are outstanding. They are phenomenal! And I think they really like me. First the lovely Trish brought me her unwanted sock yarn which found a very good home on my dpns, one shining example is the pair of Firestarters. Such beautiful things those skeins of sock yarn. Then the lovely Mary Ann and Susan donated a very large amount of yarn (from which I am still reeling). Lots of sock yarn and lace-weight and purple!!! So very happy am I! These wonderful works of fiber arts were given to me on Wednesday the 2nd of June and when I got home that night I took out a skein of autumn colored alpaca and cast on another set of the Nicholas Fingerless Gloves...

 
The colorway reminds me of autumn leaves and I love this pattern. Course so do many of the female members of my family.... I finished the second glove the night of June 4th. So very happy with the way they turned out. I am trying to take the left over yarn and duplicate the 5 stitch pattern and make a matching hat. They fit so very well, the first thing that I have made that fits me like a...well...a glove. I will indeed be hard pressed to part with this pair.
   I have been spending a lot of time (when not at work) digging through the newest and most welcome additions to my meager stash, winding and planning. I can't decide what to do next....


   I ordered and received 1200 yards of Catherine Lowe #1 merino in Chianti and despite the misleading line "Total purchase will be wound into large balls, not into individual balls of 100 yds/91 m." leading me to belive that I would get one ball totaling 1200 yards not 2 balls 'slightly over' 600 yards and despite the rather snippy email 'explaining' this to me, I do like the yarn. It is soft and yummy and I can't wait to really get to work with hit. I waited so long to get this yarn, I am planning on making the Icarus Shawl for my cousin's bride to be, who's wedding is Labor Day weekend. I feel I may have bitten off more then I can chew however as I have never worked with this fine of lace-weight nor made a shawl of this caliber before. I am hoping I can get it figured out soon since I have only 3 months to work with it. I do get to take the unused sample purchase of a 400 yard ball back to Knit Purl and exchange it for something else..... maybe something purple....

TTFN