Lost in High School

I realized today when I saw his picture on the front page of the paper that I don't like the way Ben Bernanke looks. I think he looks entirely too smug and condescending. It's a pretty strong gut reaction. Obviously he resembles someone I've had a bad experience with.
Back to school today, and we didn't get off to a good start. Older Son called me at work at ~1:00 PM (college classes start for him next Monday) saying that the high school had called and Younger Son was absent. What?! I sent the kid off there this morning. Immediate panic set in as I frantically called the school to confirm whether he was really there or not. I told them I was ready to call the police. They found him. Turns out they'd just misplaced him. So now the homework wars start again. I hate school. I've been having nightmares about it for a solid week now.
But there has been some knitting. Unfortunately I can't show it to you because my camera and computer are having a failure to communicate. I want a new camera. I'll edit and add pics later if I can (they were cute baby pics, too!) I got pictures!
I finished this cute little romper for BabeE last week. Isn't it cute? (And not pink?) There's sparkly buttons for the butt too, but I didn't have thread to sew them on so her mom will have to. (Hey, it's not a free lunch, you know?) Pattern is "Florence" from Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Collection. Here's the front:

We liked the retro feel of this pattern, and mom's a big fan of the seed stitch. And there's this beauty too:
(I can only take full credit for the sweater. I'll take partial credit for the baby. It was my birthday celebration that put that glimmer in her mother's eye.) April Baby. I subbed out the Gull pattern as I'm wont to do. Can't remember the name of this one, only that it was a six stitch pattern so I had to do some math to make it work out right. And her mom dyed the yarn, so I guess I can give her partial credit on the sweater too.

Coming Back

First off -- thanks everyone for your condolences. It means alot to me. I'm trying to get back to the business of life. I told my sisters that I don't know what to do with myself. I've been taking care of my parents for the past 15 years. My sisters were in town until yesterday morning, so yesterday evening and today have been a little hard since it's the first I've been on my own. I talked to everyone today and none of us are sleeping well. Then there's the issues around any kind of gathering, good or bad. Can you believe that one of the visitors at the viewing for my dad gave a family member grief because she didn't feel that she was paid enough attention while she was there?! Just thinking about it boggles my mind. "I was at this funeral home and the grieving family just didn't pay enough attention to me. They're all snooty and stuck up." Sheesh. (For the record, everyone did talk to her, someone was talking to her the whole time she was there, and she left because she said she had to be somewhere else.) Work has been very good, and it's helpful to keep busy. Unfortunately, though, I now have no excuse for putting off the housework I've been neglecting. Well, I did today because it's eleven thousand degrees out, and I'm not moving from my bed because any movement at all makes me break out in a sweat. Maybe I'll get to it tomorrow...

Goodbye Pap

My dad passed away this morning. He slipped into unconsciousness yesterday morning and didn't wake back up.


I sat with him throughout the night and he never showed any signs of distress or discomfort. The last time I spoke to him was after a visit from Celtic Queen. His face lit up when he saw her and he was happier than I've seen him in weeks. It was a blessing.



We were very grateful that his end was peaceful. I imagine that he's enjoying a long-awaited reunion with his "Honey Bea" (his pet name for my mom) right now.



I was also fortunate that the nurse on call was a neighbor who knows me well, and so I knew he was in good hands.



As he himself said, he "lead a good long life and was really blessed."



He will be greatly missed by my sisters and I, (this is one of my sisters, not me in case you're wondering)



And all of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Everyone who met him liked him, and I've heard over and over "He was a really good man."