Today I went a visitin'

I went to visit a dear friend of mine today. I don't get out often, and when I do I have to really pace myself because of the back injury. A few hours of driving, walking, and such and I'm wiped out; totally. My friend lives across town and so we don't get to visit one another much anymore and today I made plans to just go sit out at her house with her and spend some time catching up. It was great, I took pictures of her plants and her dog, Heidi, a Schnauzer, who is getting to be an old lady. Heidi is a wonderful, rotten, sweetheart and my friend is just a wonderful sweetheart, no rottenness about her. So we caught up on where our lives were at, talked about our kids and what they're up to, ate a spot of lunch and just hung out. It was grand fun and I tell myself I need to do more of that, but trying to visit all the wonderful friends I have would keep me hopping, and in constant pain so I have to settle for taking a day here and there, preparing myself and then going and spending some quality time. The times in between we catch up with one another via telephone, but there's something inherently satisfying about seeing one another in person that you don't really get from phone conversations.

When I finally got back home I was indeed wiped out, and am very nearly ready to put myself to bed early this evening. Hehe, I'm hurting from standing and moving more than I normally do in a days time, but I'm really warmed in the heart from having had time with my friend. I did manage to get a picture of her and the dog. I keep telling myself I am going to take one of her and I together but I keep not doing it. It's funny how you're always the one taking pictures so you never seem to end up with pictures of yourself with your friends and that's something I miss having in my photo albums.

George & Heidi

On a crochet note-
I received the 3rd audio tape for the CAL tonight and have managed to get that completed. Here's the latest image...


I also have on my hook a shawl project designed by Doris Chan. I just love her work, it's so lacy and delicate, and yet simple. I can usually whip out one of her shawls in an evening. I happened to order some books from a book site online, saw this book entitled Crocheted Shawls on the Go and without even having had the opportunity to look it over first, I ordered it. Well, let me tell you, it's the best thing I've done for a very, very long time. There are 21 patterns in the book, all crochet, and I at least like every single one of them. In fact, I love at least 17 of them and have plans on keeping my little fingers busy for a while with this book. I took a picture of the pattern and of the progress I've made on my own project up till now and so I'm sharing both with you this evening. Can't wait to see this completed. I think I'm actually going stash diving and going to come up with at least two other yarns to make this pattern twice more...with a bit of a twist to each.

Here's the picture of the pattern in the book. Yummy!




This is my project, 6 rows in. It has the sc foundation chain and I'm beginning to love this more and more.



Here is a close-up of the yarn. I'm using Caron's Simply Soft in their sage color. Simple yarn, and even though it's not anything like the yarn called for in the pattern (texturally at least) I think it's going to turn out stunning.