Do I Have any Blog Friends Left?

I can't believe how the summer has flown.  We have worked really hard to get the yard improved from years of not having the time or strength to keep up with it. (I'm talking about a couple of acres of yard).  The garden has been fairly good.  We've had tons of tomatoes and cucumbers.  Now it's almost time to clean it up.  This week, weather permitting I will have to do some "Round-up".  I can worry about going green when the weeds are under control.  And I still have to plant about 10-12 trees--a black birch, a linden, a Schubert chokecherry and several Tower Poplars.
The wedding shawl is finished--the wedding is over (my friend from the Theatre).  Here it is all blocked out.

Can you see the Swarovski crystals in the eyelet row next to the border?

Are the crystals more obvious here?

Some time ago, I made an Aran pullover for Kubota Man Jr.  It was made with Patons Canadiana, which, years ago, you could machine wash/dry with your regular laundry.  I guess they "improved "  it, because when he washed it , it doubled in width of body and length of sleeve.  The company replaced the yarn (which I will use for an afghan)

This is its replacement.  I am using the good-quality, and reliably machine wash/dryable "Sayelle" yarn which I bought at Eaton's Department Store.

My sister had another cancer scare, but the tests came back favorably.  I had been working on a Mary Maxim kit for her (which she requested).  I did not enjoy working with that yarn, but she will enjoy the sweater.

And, of course, I've been spending time with Mom.  Behind the Nursing home is a lovely park with a man-made hill and a beautiful pond.  It is about a  1 hour walk around the park.   Mom loves to sit  by the pond, look at the birds, the insects, we pick a boquet of wildflowers (like we used to do when I was  a little girl), and sometimes we burst into spontaneous song--old German favorites:  Lieserl Komm Her, Sah Ein Knab ein Röslein Stehn; Ich Hatt Einen Kamaraden, Das Wandern ist des Müller's Lust, etc.(ovbiously, this list is for my German Blog Friends).

Off to the city tomorrow to get new orthotics, and see the Dr. because my legs are being very painful--I suspect I have bursitis on the hip.  Then a prayer service in the evening for a friend's son-in-law, who died at age 53 of a massive heart attach, in the presence of his 12-year old son.

Below is a glimpse of my next challenge.  On one of my Ravelry Groups there is a Fair Isle Design Challenge.  So I ordered one skein of each color from Alice Starmore's Virtual Yarns website (must use that yarn) at the cost of about $145.  That's so I can design and play with the colors.  Once the design is done, I have to  order the yarn for the sweater.  I'm still charting and playing with the colors--it is a limited palette of 31 shades.    Also, I  have been test knitting for a designer in Washington.  She had a design published in the new fall edition of Vogue magazine.  I'm expecting a parcel for one more knit this week.

Life is good.

(By the way--I have been visiting all my favorite blogs, and some new ones, but I am having trouble leaving comments.  My internet line is so slow, that waiting for the comment box to open it interminable, then waiting for it to post so I can close down also.)

Till next time:  Tell someone you love: I ask myself why I have been blessed with someone so understanding and so caring...

Perhaps it's because I can truly appreciate you or maybe it's because God knew I needed you so much.