'Home' in Houston

Yesterday we left the hospital, but we have not yet left Houston. My folks live 9 1/2 hours away in Amarillo, and sitting for that long is not yet an option. Understandably, my dad feels like he has been hit by a Mack truck, and has been resting most of the time since his discharge. I don't think anyone gets much rest in a hospital!

We are staying in Faith House 2. I encourage you to click on the linked name and read about it. What an incredible ministry this is, and a wonderful blessing to be staying here! I happen to be sitting with my back to that window in the upper right corner of the building, the muffled sounds of birds outside and washers and dryers inside providing pleasant white noise.

The bird I've spotted most often here is a new one for me, the white-winged dove. They sound similar to the Eurasian collared-dove that has moved into our area. I took this photo this morning while on a walk about the neighborhood. There are many big, lovely homes near Faith House – some with even bigger, lovelier trees!

Since childhood I've loved 'sightseeing' in nice residential areas, taking in all the different architectural and landscaping styles. It's always interesting to see how things vary from region to region. You see much more brick in Texas than you do in NW Oregon, and we don't have these amazing live oak trees. Of course, we have other amazing trees....

Tomorrow I may get my first look at the Gulf Coast; we'll see!

Raindrops on roses

We very seldom get thunderstorms in the Willamette Valley, so waking up to one this morning in Houston was a treat – especially since the rain stopped before Mom and I headed to the hospital! I had to stop and “smell the roses” on the grounds....

MD Anderson Cancer Center, where my dad had his surgery and recovery, is part of the Texas Medical Center, an unbelievably huge complex of hospitals and health science educational institutions. Great as its reputation is, this is the best part of being a patient there –

LEAVING!

To be continued....

Trip knitting

Another pair of fingerless mitts, my slooow socks, and the start of a hat

Can I finish all three? We'll see!

By the time this posts I'll be on my way to the airport, leaving our spring for what will feel like summer. Heat+humidity+hormones=hot flashes from you-know-where. But I'm so looking forward to spending this time with my folks. Besides knitting and my laptop, I'm taking homemade bread and fruit butters. Comfort food is healing food, right? ;-)

That's it for now from . . .

A mischievous leprechaun

That's what yesterday felt like! When I let the dogs out first thing, there was ice on the deck; I was glad for the fire in the woodstove we'd built the night before. But the sun was shining on a technicolor world – green, green grass, budding trees and shrubs, various bright blooms, blue, blue sky. Then dark, angry clouds appeared, and it hailed for awhile. The rest of the day played out like an atmospheric battle between spring and winter, although if the score was being kept by the rain gauge, spring won.

I did try to roo Cadbury yesterday evening, but getting his neck fleece harvested was about as much as either one of us could take in one sitting. He is definitely in the rise, but the wool does not pull off easily. You can see that he has substantial new growth already by the wool covering his rooed neck.

And this is what came off:

10 ounces of lovely, fine, soft Shetland neck wool – enough to knit a whole collection of lace lovelies like the Smoke Ring Theresa recently completed!

How do you like my St. Patty's Day centerpiece? Saturday night I decided to finally ply my two colors of Gotland together, only to find that the shaft of my spindle wouldn't budge. I tried everything I could think of, and finally freed it last night – perhaps because of the drying effect of the fire in the woodstove. I hope to get it plyed (with the grey) today.

That's it for today from . . .