Monday, September 22, 2008

The Season of Libra


Libra: September 23-October 23

Libra, the only inanimate sign of the Zodiac, is ruled by Venus. Modern-day astrologers often view Libra as the most generous of the Zodiac because it represents the "Zenith of the Year," when the harvest of the spring's hard work is reaped. Because Venus is the goddess of love and beauty, Librans admire beauty in many forms, such as art, music, and even people. Librans are very likeable due to their captivating charm. Being an air sign, Librans are intellectual and continuously seek out knowledge and new ideas. Born under the sign of the Scales, their spirits thrive on balance and harmony and are most at peace when the world around them is orderly and serene.


So much has happend around our house in the last couple of weeks, it's been pretty hard to put it all together here. We've been suffering from another bout of bad luck, but now that we have entered the season of Libra, (and my 49th birthday is only days away) the scales seem an appropriate theme for this post. The universe has a great way of bringing things back to level; for every action there is a reaction, for every death a birth, and for every bad; a good. When the days get tough, you have to concentrate on finding that good and being thankful for it.


Ruby, Quincy and Forrest (the 3 stooges) at the courtyard gate

For starters, we nearly lost Quincy again. He came down with an infection of the pancreas and intestine, a virus that has been cropping up all over Colorado. We know lots of dogs that have come down with it, and even a couple that didn't make it. Quincy has a strong heart, and a good vet. Despite how desperately sick he was by the time I got him to the vet, he responded quickly to medication, and after an overnight stay with Dr. Geisellhardt, was able to come home to recuperate with his loved ones around him. While the vet bill was 356.00, the GOOD NEWS is Quincy is well and still with us. He has one strong will to live. How many lives to dogs have?

The water department red tagged our account for excessive water use and after an inspection it turned out one of our sprinkler system valve boxes was leaking. One 1/2 gallon of water every hour. Ouch! $250.00 repair. The GOOD NEWS is the water company gave us a one time water credit of $569.00 (yeah, that's really what the bill was) after the repair, so we won't be paying for water for a few months.

Sarah was in a car accident. In trying to avoid a careless driver, Sarah jerked her car to the curb, but hit so hard she completely snapped the right front wheel in half and drove the break into the wheel. The left rear wheel drum was also crumpled into the left rear tire. The GOOD NEWS is was Sarah wasn't hurt. After the necessary repairs of nearly $1,000 to get the PT Cruiser drivable again, it still was having problems and the mechanics felt the frame itself was damaged. In the end, it was necessary for Sarah to buy a new car. She got a great deal and the dealership gave us a great trade in price for the PT Cruiser. I cried pretty hard to see my PT Cruiser go, I loved that car....Yesterday Sarah brought her new baby home, a 2008 Toyota Yaris. It really does look like the Prius has given birth as the two sit side by side in the garage. The same color, the same headlights, the same sloping roof, and yet everything is shorter, stubbier, and rounder, making the car look like an infant. If you've ever seen the television show Chuck, he drives a Yaris as a member of the Nerd Herd at the Buy More. (Think Best Buy and Geek Squad)




In between disasters I started scrapbooking Beth's photos from her trip to England last year. There were so many photos Scotland has an album of its own. 80 pages and over 200 photos later, I'm taking a short break before starting on England. I've got to get it done before Thanksgiving or I won't have a dining room table to eat on...

The Wallace Monument, Stirling Scotland

I'm afraid there really isn't a way to photograph it to do it justice, and the glare on the pages means you really can't see much. There is a whole page devoted just to kilts, and we didn't forget to showcase Beth's New Rock boots that did all that walking.


I've also managed to finish 4 pairs of socks. The first one is called Rivendell, designed with the that lovely land of the Elves in mind. It's from Eclectic Sole by Janel Laidman.



Rivendell Knit in Socks That Rock, lightweight, colorway Gaia



Then I turned out 3 quick pair of my plain vanilla socks. It's getting really difficult (and boring) to keep trying to photograph all these socks on my own feet. Why can't I get a cute foot model like all the other sock knitters have?


Dear Frankie Socks


Tropical Socks


Pick-a-Mix Socks

Since this is the season of the harvest, I'm preparing for the winter ahead by building up my stash of yarn. While I won't ruin the surprise of telling what is going to be made from all this yarn, I will tell you that while there are a few pairs of socks tucked in there, I've decided I need to take a break from footwear. There will be several fun things coming from the stash, like tea cozies, and some extra special pieces that will be tucked away in hope chests.



This is only about 1/2 my actual stash BTW. As yarn stashes go, is that bad? Yesterday I went to pick up some size 4 double pointed needles and came home with more sock yarn. It was on sale and I couldn't resist. More crack for the addict. And what would I do without my wonderful swift and ball winder? Without it I would have no joints left in my arms at all. I guess I'm ready for the snow to fly and lots of hours watching CNN and election coverage. Beth, Sarah and I are completely smitten with Anderson Cooper. If things don't turn out well with the election, we'll be leaving the U.S. I've chosen Canada so I get Universal Health care and enough cold weather that I can keep knitting. Beth is setting her sights on England, but then she has a whole lot less furniture to move....

May peace, balance and harmony be in store for the remainder of 2008.

-Tigerlily