There is some sadness in my life.

I am sorry to say there is some sadness in my life.  A few weeks ago my Dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  The Drs. should have caught this a long time ago and now I'm afraid it is pretty far advanced. A PET Scan on Monday shows cancer has spread to my Dad's spine.   I had to take an emergency trip up to northwestern NJ two Mondays ago.  I was at work and my Mom called and said my Dad was in the hospital and she didn't know if he would make it.  I rushed home, my husband, John rushed home, I packed our thing (I got home before John) and when he got home we took off.  Yes, we drove the 10.5 hours.  My Mom said she thought it would be better to drive and that Dad would probably be all right until we got there.  We arrived at 10:08 p.m. and much to our surprise my Dad was back home and sleeping in his bed.  He made my Mom promise as soon as we got there, she would bring us up stairs to see him.  He woke up when we went into the room and was greeted by a hug, a weak hug but a hug it was.  Now most of you don't know my Dad, but he is not a hugger or a person who shows affection.  This was totally out of character for him and made me even more anxious.  Then my Mom explained that he was on morphine.  That explained it all!  I am happy to say my Dad is still with us as I compose this post but my Dad is getting weaker and weaker.  He hardly eats or drinks and is now taking morphine and synthetic marijuana.  My poor Mom is tired all the time because she is taking care of everything and she has to wake Dad up at 1:00 a.m. to give him his morphine.  If she doesn't give it to him then, he is in pain later. 

My Dad and I have had a relationship that is up and down.  For a good many years we didn't even speak, but I have forgiven him for some horrible things he said and did.  My Dad is of German and Dutch descent and has a really bad temper, wants things his own way, doesn't believe in progressive into this century but he is still my Dad and I love him.  The last few years have been the best years we have had and now this happens.  Now that I have listed some of Dad's not so pretty traits, here are some of the things that is awesome about him: 

He is an accomplished woodworker.
He has restored many antique tractors and farm implements (this makes him the happiest man on earth).
He loves to read about things that happened years ago and that makes him really happy too.
He was an accomplished residential builder for over 50 years.
While he was building, he never wrote anything down, even when he was framing a house, he just knew the angles to cut and everything worked out wonderfully until he got sick with medicine induced Lupus and was forced to retire.
He always had a roof over our head, clothes on our back and food in our tummys!

What I guess I am saying is whenever my Dad's time on this Earth is over, I will miss him greatly!  Love you Dad!!

Dad and I when I was a baby (1959) with our dog, Lassie.

Labor Day Weekend

It is Labor Day Weekend :)!!  I am so glad it is Friday and I have a 3-day weekend ahead.  I have a few things planned but nothing that is very strenuous for sure-LOL!!  Saturday I'm going to get the attic more organized.  I have some things up there that probably needs to go Goodwill.  Then I am planning on putting up my family photo wall in the hall upstairs.  Probably some reading and knitting (and of course, tea drinking) will happen.  Sunday the grandboys and Jenny are coming for dinner.  So during the day on Sunday there will be knitting and reading happening again!  Monday will also be a chilling out day and I think a visit to Jenny's to help her move the chicken coop.  She wants to move it further away from her house and up by her greenhouse.  So overall it will be a great weekend!

I mentioned knitting.  I finished the gauntlets I was working on and if I say so myself they turned out really nice! She really loved them!!

I have also been knitting a Cascade Topper 2 for myself.  This is the photo of the Topper from Ravelry:

Photo Courtesy of Ravelry

I am knitting my Topper in 3 colors different from the Ravelry one.  I am knitting with cream, a rich purple and a tweedy green.  I am working on the first oblong.  In the picture it is white, but that is where I am using the cream yarn.  See below:

I really love this yarn!  It is so soft.  I hope the topper comes out just the way I have planned in my mind!

The book I'm reading is Devonshire Scream by Laura Childs.  I love these tea cozy mysteries!  I have read all of Laura Childs Tea Mystery Books, this is the latest one.  I am also listening the America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie.  This is a very interesting book.  

I hope everyone has a really enjoyable Labor Day Weekend!  Remember: