Life, Knitting and the Pursuit of Roller Coasters

Thank you all for the messages of sympathy on the loss of my cousin. She had a rough life  with more than her fair share of medical issues and it was a rough couple of weeks that lead up to her death. In lieu of a memorial service, there will be a celebration of life get together for family and friends towards the end of next week. As part of my grieving process, that creative spark in my head shot off and I’m working on a sock design in her memory. The initial pair from the pattern will go to my aunt as a belated mother’s day gift. And once I have it written up, the proceeds from the pattern sales will be donated to the American Diabetes Association in Chandra’s memory.

I am still moving through life as usual this week though. I’ve decided this year that in addition to my CSA, I’m also going to grow a few extra veggies on the porch. I’m also going to use some of my economic stimulus check to get a chest freezer so I don’t waste as much food when I have the CSA and veggie garden providing.

Since I’m in an apartment, the veggie garden is a few plants in a couple planters. And I picked out plants and supplies this weekend. I need to get some more soil and redistribute the plants a little bit since I only had enough soil to fill 2 of the planters, but it’s a start.

If all survive, I should have tomatoes, squash, eggplants, green and jalapeno peppers, cilantro, thyme and basil on the patio.

My kitties are indoor only cats, but since I was outside planting, I left the door open and they did a little exploring of their own.

What’s funny about that is that generally Gromit is my timid cat. He’ll warm up to people when he’s good and ready and not a second before and while he’s curious, he’ll usually let Lily explore something first before he indulges. Lily is typically far more curious and more social. But Gromit is also my window cat, so he’s more familiar with the outdoors at least in appearance. So, when given the rare opportunity to explore, he was far more comfortable and curious outside than she was. She didn’t leave the patio and jumped inside the door over every little thing.

He kept trying to leave the patio and go explore.

But once he started looking a little too comfortable and repeatedly wandered off the patio, we quickly got inside so there wouldn’t be any disappearing acts. I think if he’d seen a bird or a chipmunk or a squirrel while he was out there, he would have been on it in a heartbeat and I’d have never gotten him back inside.