I have been away from here due to sheep & wool festivals, spinning, ravelry and a whole lot of other things.  Today I was still on the fast track, winding yarn for a new design, when I looked up and saw my two furbabies napping.  Now, if I could only learn to relax like that!

Enjoy the weekend everybody!  BB - Di 

Merry Meet All!

Yesterday we heard that our furbaby, RhiRhi, is free of the heartworms.  Now she can go back to being a black lab - swimming, running, etc.  It has been a long haul and she has been a real trooper.

As to the release, my father-in-law, who has been suffering in a nursing home for the past 2.5 years, passed  just prior to the full moon.  This evening friends and family will gather to say goodbye to him.  His was a tough road the last few years with the onset of dimentia and Parkinson's.  But, his pain and suffering are over.

May we all remember to tell those in our lives how much we love them!  Blessed be.

I have been away so long due to two reasons - my love of my dog RhiRhi and my fiber addiction.

The first - my dog RhiRhi has been battling heart worm for a couple of months now and we are taking special care of her.  She is doing very well with the treatments.  But, trying to keep a 6 year old black lab quiet for three months is a job and half on its own!

As to the fiber addiction - I have joined the 6700 worldwide members of the Mystery Stole 3 mailing list on the web that is working on this incredible beaded lace stole.  This is my first attempt at lace and beaded knitting.  As a result of it, I have also started another blog out in the mundane world at http://www.dkinitting.blogspot.com.  Below is an image of it thus far.  A number of the mailing list members are trying to figure out the theme of the stole.  Myself - I am very happy with the fact that I can knit this beautiful stole.  Everyone have a wonderful evening.

Solstice Blessings Everybody!

Today in New England the day was absolutely beautiful!  Now a summer thunderstorm is working it's way through the Berkshire and Pioneer Valley.  What a fitting end for the first day of summer!

The main reason for my long absence is that I have been diverted by my furbaby RhiRhi and her battle with heartworm.  We discovered her infestation by the beasites about 3 weeks ago.  She is being a real trooper.  The most difficult part of this is that she has to be kept quiet during the three months of treatment.  She knows that something is going on and she has learned what the command slow means during a walk.  One unusual thing is that she evidently vomited this afternoon very near the time of the actual Solstice.  She was at my sister's house at the time and I think the actual cause was her ingestion of water from the in ground pool.  As I travel around in my job I find that she is proving to be an ambassador and reminder for other dog owners about heartworm prevention.  Now I have one more reason to believe that there is no really good reason for misquitos to exist. 

 Blessed Be and Litha  Blessings to All!

Merry Meet and Merry Beltaine Everyone!

For the past six years I have spent Beltaine driving south from MA to MD in preparedness for the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival.  Along the way, I also find myself coming upon the delicate strength of Spring as it manifests itself along the way.  I drive through PA so that I can enjoy the beautiful softness of the greens and lavenders of the countryside which whizzes past the window of the car, keeping to the speed limit of course!  Through all the windy, rainy days of April, the tender buds and leaflets of spring hang on and persevere to bring forth the wonderous shade and aromas that we all look for in summer.

Beltaine is now for me a six day celebration.  It starts with my travels down to MD and then finishes with my participation in the Festival and celebration of Spring with fiber and joy of seeing the youngsters travelling through the show - human and animal alike.  My favourite part of the festival is seeing the looks on the faces of the children when they first pet an alpaca or feel the softness of the new horns on the cashmere goat kids.

In many ways, every child is like those buds and leaves.  Today, every child faces an onslaught from the media, school and families to be perfect and to prepare for what is coming. It is my wish this Beltaine that every person meeting a child for the first time will do so with a loving smile that can be used as a building block for that child's own delicate strength.

Blessed Be.