Strings 'n Things

With everything that's been going on around here, I've finally managed to finish the first of the La Joie du Printemps mittens. This is a really pretty pattern. The finished mitten is a little large on me, so would equate to a woman's large or man's medium (it fits John perfectly). My gauge was 10 sts/inch, which is what the pattern called for and the finished mitten is about 4" across, or 8" circumference.

As you can see, I have the second mitten on the needles and managed to finish the cuff yesterday.


This past weekend has been a strange one, not unexpected, I suppose. John's been busy trying to make arrangements from here, having forms faxed to me at work, faxing them back from the post office across the street, phone calls to relatives he hasn't spoken to in a long time, company... yes, it's been a strange weekend.

On Saturday, which was Sit & Stitch day; I chose to stay home with John. He really needed a sounding board that day. As well, that afternoon, his stepsister (both were adults when Tony and Yvonne's mother married) and her son stopped by for a very nice visit; I baked a spice loaf just so we'd have something to serve them. At the end of their visit, I ended up giving Gabe a copy of my cookbook; apparently he loves to cook, and has been on the hunt for tried and true recipes. He was very happy to add my humble book to his collection of recipes. Incidentally, he's 17. Nice!

Then yesterday, Sunday, John's cousin stopped by for a couple of hours and treated us to dinner at a recently opened burger joint nearby. He's a long haul trucker from Nevada, and was bringing a truckload of oranges to the Okanagan. I'd never met him before, so it was nice to meet him, to get to know the other side of John's family (his father and John's mother were brother and sister).

I have to tell you, though, this onslaught of visitors is the most we've had yet in this apartment. I mean, we've had company; we don't do a lot of entertaining, but this was more company than we've had in the last two years! I'm not complaining; it was an excuse to bake!

As far as arrangements go, Tony will be cremated this week; his niece, John's cousin will be picking up the remains, and we'll likely head out to Vancouver the weekend of the 20th for some kind of memorial and to spread his ashes in an area Tony knew well. For those of you who have asked, John's doing well. He and his father did not have the best of relationships, so there are some issues for him to work through but, all in all, I think he's doing well. It's never easy to lose someone who's been there all your life, but he recognizes that no one lives forever and even death is a part of life.

In closing, I just want to say thank you to all of you who have offered your condolences. You have no idea how much that has meant to both of us. Thank you!

John & Tony, summer 2009