I did some gardening yesterday. I moved a few rosebushes that were in very bad spots, and I have several others to move as well. The soil in my yard ranges from sandy at the bottom of the slope (far away from the hose and house) to very badly compacted clay pan in certain areas of the yard in front of the house.

Most of the garden is in the front of the house and around it’s edges. The problem is that some of the roses are up into the eaves adn it’s basically your typical fire ramp. If there were a grassfire, it would come up the lawn, up the roses, and onto the roof. I want to move the large shrubs away from the house itself. That would also enable us to see the roses better from inside the house. Some windows are blocked by rosebushes.

Yes, they are that big! Think Sleeping Beauty… that reminds me of a funny story. I was a member of the old Rec.gardens.roses usenet group and one day a new person to the group actually asked the question, “Which rose was it that grew up Sleeping Beauty’s castle.” We answered, “Um. Well. We don’t know. It’s a fairy tale…!?”

I also cleaned up the herb garden a bit more. I found some wild gladiolus bulbs which I’d naturalized years ago. I transplanted them to a better area. They bloom magenta on a tall spike but look more like a wildflower than the showy glad bulbs everyone is familiar with.

Our Box Elder tree in the front yard has grown into a beautiful, large shade tree. I need to move more plants out of it’s shade and into the sunlight.

I feel like I got a lot done yesterday. My legs are killing me…

It’s been nineteen years ago today that my mother died of cancer. In some ways it feels like yesterday because in my head I don’t feel any older, and in some ways that seems like a lifetime ago.

I wonder how much I really knew her or remember her with any accuracy at all. I was 25 when she died and my brother was only 20. Since our father had died 8 years prior to that, we were left to fend for ourselves.

I think John and I have done a pretty good job of it, all things considered. We both own homes, we are steadily employed, we’re married. He’s working on a family, I opted out of all that, and we both have a college education. Pretty good for two orphans in their 20s.

My experiences with mom going through cancer treatments and the aftermath of her dying has prepared me for what’s coming up with Michael and I. I don’t want to think what this year’s experience is preparing me for. My goal is to just get through it. But I survived May of 1989, so I can survive spring and summer of 2008. I know I can, and I will. And, knock on wood, so will Michael.

Buster 2.0 is settling into the household. He spent the first two nights sleeping under our bed but he’s now out and about and mingling with the other kitties and rubbing up against the dog. He’ll fit in very well. He’s also looking better, believe it or not. His coat has improved some and his cold is mostly gone. He gets his nuts chopped off on Monday and then he’ll be good to go.

Craft-wise I have not been doing anything much. It’s all World of Warcraft’s fault! I’ve been playing WoW for the past month and having fun with that. It’s a great way to distract myself from what’s coming up.

Michael is undergoing the pre-transplant evaluation process. He’s had lots of tests already, and more to come. So far he’s a healthy guy except for his liver.

Going to stay in town after work this evening and say hi to the knitting group. I have not been around in a while and I should prove to them all I still exist! I even brought my current sock to knit on.

Here he is! I had a very nice drive on Friday afternoon to go get him in Sulphur. He was at the Great Pyranese Rescue, which also has lots of cats, small dogs, goats and sheep. They even had sheep that didn’t make wool! Makes sense, it would just get in the way if you were using the animal for meat. They looked a lot like goats.

They had elfin goats! Goats with tiny curled up ears. Very cute.

Ok back to Buster. Here he is, at long last:

Closeup:

He’s got that long Maine Coon face and a real Roman nose. We should call him Schnozzicus maximus… He’s also very long and lean. I think once he grows into his length, he’ll be full Maine Coon sized. He’s 8-9 months old. And CURIOUS! He pokes his nose into everything.

He’s very affectionate. He was squriming in place as I tried to take his picture. He wanted pettings. He got them. So far he’s getting along with the other two cats and is wary about Sophie, but not overly frightened. He thinks his place is on my bed. We’ll see about that…

I should have a new kitty tomorrow evening. I found a Buster-like kitty on Petfinder.com. He’s down in Sulphur at the Great Pyrenese Rescue. Tomorrow I drive down and adopt him if he’s as cool as he sounds. Pictures will be posted tomorrow. They already took his entry down from Petfinder, so he’s going to be mine. His name is Scruffy, but we’ll figure out a new name for him, or Michael will name him Buster v.2.0.

Looks like Bailey found a home, too! He’s no longer up on Petfinder, either. That is good. He would not have worked out for us at this time, but someday I’ll get my mini Chihuahua or another Dachshund.

I didn’t have my camera, so there aren’t any pictures, but Sophie, my black lab, and I went out on the town yesterday. First stop was the Vet’s office for shots and to look at her ears.

When we got there the waiting room was full and there were people outside. I signed in and we waited. It was cold and windy outside, so after walking around a bit we went inside to stand in the corner. I was handed a puppy and resisted taking it home. Sophie took the entire thing with equinaminity. (sp?) She had been battling ear mites for a whlie and I had no luck in getting rid of them. Turns out it wasn’t mites at all but a yeast and bacteria infection. Armed with the proper tools, we went on our way two hours later. Clean bill of health otherwise.

Next stop was Medieval Faire. I’ve never taken my dog before, but many do. I did not know how Sophie would handle the crowds, but she bore it with good grace and seemed to enjoy herself. Many people commented on her and reached down to pet her. Some just petted her on their way by, it was odd. They’d be in conversation with each other, walk by, pet the dog, and move on. Didn’t even make eye contact with me or ask if it was ok or anything. Sophie loved it.

I stopped by Glassgrrl Studios booth were my friend Clarissa paints faces and has glass art and jewelry for sale. Sophie took a nap while I chatted and fed Clarissa lunch and helped out a bit. I pulled out my checkbook to pay for the pendant I’d been eyeing since she first showed it to me a few weeks ago, and she gave it to me. Here it is:

To see her work, go to her Etsy shop and to her website. Her business is Glassgrrl Studios. She will also be at the Paseo Art Festival on Memorial Day Weekend. I missed that last year due to Michael’s stroke, but I hope to make it again this year. It’s my favorite of the arts and crafts festivals in the area.

After hanging in the booth for a couple of hourss, Sophie and I headed to the new Norman Dog Park. I had never been there. Well, I do not think Sophie grasped the concept of the dog park. She totally ignored the other dogs and went from person to person to get petted. So after a brief visit we went home. Sophie got a bath and her ear treatment, which seemed to help her immediately, and she slept the rest of the day.

We both had an excellent adventure, and I realized what a terrific dog I have. The vet complimented me on my dog raising skills, because I commented that she’s always calm, and the vet said then it must be me because these dogs are usually not calm. He knew our calm Great Dane, too.

I was asked about Radar whom I mentioned a few posts back. Well I went to visit the little doggie and he is tiny and a climber/digger. Our fence would not keep him in, and with things coming up with Michael, I’m going to need a dog I can just put outside and have my neighbor and friends look in on without worrying about escapes. So Radar/Bailey is out, cute and sweet as he is.

Today I’m relaxing and doing some sewing. But mostly relaxing.

I haven’t had much to say lately. I haven’t sewn anything since the last pair of pants I posted, but I did get all of the materials I need for that Trenchcoat. I bought four yards of cotton sateen in the perfect shade of red, and found some nice black with red polka-dot slinky for the lining. I’m ready to get started on it.

I found some more microfiber for pants. I wore my green pants to work and they were so comfortable and stylish, so I’m on a mission to find more of that fabric, especially in black, to make more pants for work.

I also just ordered some orange textured-stripe cotton for a shirtdress. I only have two dresses for work, and both of them are green. Time to mix things up a bit, and I need more dresses in general. They are so easy to slip on and go and look put-together.

On the knitting front, I’m working on a sock, and am about 4/5ths of the way to the heel. I’m using the Madelinetosh Damp colorway, which is turquoise, lime, brown, and a bit of navy. It is wonderful yarn that will feel great on the feet. The colors are great, too. I’ll upload a pic this weekend.

On the Michael front, things have begun to happen. He is getting a lot of appointments for testing. They are going to know every bit of him. They need to make sure that he is healthy enough to survive the transplant. Yesterday he had a detailed heart examination and stress test. They said he looked in really good shape there. Not a hint of blockages or other problem areas. That’s awesome! Of course, Michael would be a really healthy guy if it weren’t for his destroyed liver.

I’m not as freaked out as I was earlier in the year. I guess I just had to have some time to get used to the idea. Plus we have had some encouraging news about our insurance and just how much it will cover this whole thing. The drug costs will be scary but they also will lessen over time. The first year will be the most expensive, drug-wise.

I think I’ve found a kitty to replace Buster. There is a lil Maine Coon kitty at a Great Pyranese Rescue down in Sulpher. I’ve filled out the adoption paperwork and will arrange to see him soon. He’s about 5 months old. The perfect age and size to fit in with my crew. About the age Buster was… slighly older. Wish me luck!

I was browsing the expensive, could never afford it, clothing websites when it dawned on me the other day. I want a new trenchcoat! I have two. One is lime green and one is magenta. They get worn often in spring and I really love them.

However, Mom had a safari style trench jacket that I “stole” from her and it was only about mid-thigh length. That jacket was awesome and I wore it forever. So I want to make a short tenchcoat with epaulettes, large lapel, double-breasted, and all of the trench coat bells and whistles on it.

And I want my trench coat to be RED! Like THIS one from Net-a-porter.com:

So I just found some fabric online and I will get the pattern from Hancocks. This sucker will take a while to sew, but I plan to make it my project for the next little while.

Still have a cold. Grrr!

Well I’m sitting here at work with 15 minutes to go and then I head out into the rain (Yay, rain is good!) to make a few stops on the way home.

It’s not particularly cold outside, but I have a head cold. So does Michael. I’m feeling totally loggy. Despite my misgivings I took a non-drowsy formula cold and sinus pill and as usual the uppers in those pills have knocked me for a loop. Why can’t they make just plain ole anithisitmines without the extra bells and whistles?

Oh well enough griping.

Our appointment to go over the financial obligations of the (possibly) upcomming liver transplant was cancelled today. I was so very nervous about it this morning and now I feel deflated. I sure would like to know what we will be getting ourselves into. I have not recieved a call for a re-schedule yet. Didn’t I say enough griping?

A friend of mine’s daughter dreamed that they found a long-haired grey kitten and saved it for me to replace Buster. Isn’t that sweet!

I just got caught up on Yarn Harlot’s blog. Boy sitting in a cabin in the woods in the snow sure does sound good. Must be the cold medicine.

I didn’t mean to leave anyone hanging. Michael does not have pneumonia and his cough and cold are getting better. I, however, have a scratchy throat. Hopefully that’s as bad as it gets.

My shirt pattern is printed and taped and cut out, waiting for me to vacuum the floor before I dig out my ivory fabric to IT out. If I don’t vacuum first I’ll have cat and dog hairs all over it.

I have not had time to take Buster in. I may be able to get to it today. Not a great way to spend an evening, and I’m not looking forward to it. However watching him flop around the crate and have no bowel control upsets all three of us (me, Michael, and Buster).

I’ll stay home this evening rather than go to knitting. I do not want to spread the joy that is this cough around, if indeed I’m coming down with it.