Oh, the leftovers!
We had an okay Thanksgiving--me, Norm, Melissa (aka Primula) and my mother. Based on past experience, we avoided a few pitfalls, such as leaving my husband to entertain my mother on his own. He felt uncomfortable about having to initiate all the conversation, and how she just sits with a blank look on her face much of the time. (Welcome to my world, dear!) Mel was in the family room, folding laundry and watching football, while I was in the adjacent kitchen--so we parked Mom in there this year. Melissa could keep up a conversation with a stone statue, and that attribute came in handy. Also, no attacks of IBS, and there were no problematic foods on the menu that she'd decided she was allergic to. I suspect these allergies are in her own mind, because the nursing staff knows nothing about it when I ask, and there's nothing actually documented in her chart! Milk, for example, which she's drunk her entire life without problem, and pumpkin pie. And horrors--last year I had no vanilla ice cream in stock, as a fallback dessert. Not that she makes a fuss about it, but I feel as though I've dropped the ball anyway. In any event, I'm thankful it's over with no major awkwardness.
After time and thought, I've decided it would be best to take the path of least resistance regarding Shayne--although it's infuriating to know that someone has sabotaged the adoption out of ignorance. There is at least one breeder of GSDs in our area who says on her website that she won't sell puppies to people that use Invisible Fence. So I am writing up a short description of the training involved and the particular layout of our fence--which keeps the dog in the backyard, and has various barriers (natural and created, such as short sections of fence) to keep people from wandering in unaware. If the question comes up when we are looking for a puppy this spring, I'll be better prepared. Just...groan...a puppy is sooooooo much work. Getting an already trained, mellow dog would have been so nice. But--that's the way it is.
I finished the body of Mel's Christmas-present-sweater, and am knitting the first sleeve. You have to keep following the design pattern, whilst simultaneously counting rows to increase the number of working stitches, which has its own little mini-pattern. However, since that area is only 8 stitches wide after an increase, and is on the underside of the sleeve, minor mistakes aren't a biggie. Progress is faster, too, since one "round" is only 90 stitches (vs 200 or so on the body).
Only--I now realize I also intended to make up a couple of doll kits for Christmas presents--one to make a type of big pincushion, and one to be a treetop angel. And I've promised a "Mammy" folk doll to a co-worker by Christmas. Time to get really, really busy...
After time and thought, I've decided it would be best to take the path of least resistance regarding Shayne--although it's infuriating to know that someone has sabotaged the adoption out of ignorance. There is at least one breeder of GSDs in our area who says on her website that she won't sell puppies to people that use Invisible Fence. So I am writing up a short description of the training involved and the particular layout of our fence--which keeps the dog in the backyard, and has various barriers (natural and created, such as short sections of fence) to keep people from wandering in unaware. If the question comes up when we are looking for a puppy this spring, I'll be better prepared. Just...groan...a puppy is sooooooo much work. Getting an already trained, mellow dog would have been so nice. But--that's the way it is.
I finished the body of Mel's Christmas-present-sweater, and am knitting the first sleeve. You have to keep following the design pattern, whilst simultaneously counting rows to increase the number of working stitches, which has its own little mini-pattern. However, since that area is only 8 stitches wide after an increase, and is on the underside of the sleeve, minor mistakes aren't a biggie. Progress is faster, too, since one "round" is only 90 stitches (vs 200 or so on the body).
Only--I now realize I also intended to make up a couple of doll kits for Christmas presents--one to make a type of big pincushion, and one to be a treetop angel. And I've promised a "Mammy" folk doll to a co-worker by Christmas. Time to get really, really busy...