I've been a bit of a social butterfly this week. After being confined to a recliner for the past month, it feels sooooooooooo good to be mobile! And yes, I may have overdone it a time or two, but I am still resting lots, too.

On Thursday, several members of my old 'Fibre Friends' Thursday spinning group came over from Victoria! (That's the group that I've been the 'spinning imposter' in for the last two years or so...). First we visited Jane's studio/store, and then had lunch at the Rock Salt and knitted -- it was a wonderful afternoon! Here's (from left) Rosalie, Alice, Pat, Sue, Wendy and Sue:
To top it off, they presented me with a gift. Back in April, when we lost our job in Victoria, this group started putting together a parcel for me ... they each spun a skein of yarn, and labeled it, and yesterday was the first time we'd gotten together since then. Look at this!
I was almost in tears when I opened it, and now I want to figure out some one thing I can make with it all -- what a sweet, thoughtful thing for them to do! Here they are waving goodbye from the ferry...
Then, yesterday, on the 'spur of the moment', I decided to go to Victoria -- I had mail to pick up and we needed a few other things, so I managed to make it to my old Knit'n'Cafe for an hour or so. Left here in the pouring rain at 11 a.m., and came back on the 5 p.m. ferry in the sunshine!

Today I'm driving in to Ganges for the final market of the year, and to have coffee with our old buddy Mike. :)

SURPRISE!

I had two nice surprises yesterday!

First of all, Esther called from Victoria on Wednesday and said she'd come over to knit at the Rock Salt Cafe with me, so she was on the 1:30 ferry, and we had a really nice visit. Her version of it is here. :)

But I had an even better surprise than that before Esther got here. It was my regular every-other-day clinic visit in the morning, and guess what?
Those are my feet. In cotton socks. Guess what else?
Those are my feet in cotton socks and SHOES. More specifically, my red crocs! WHICH I was able to wear yesterday, for the first time. And walk in. Can you imagine how excited this makes me?? It's been 3-1/2 weeks, only, since my accident, and the healing had escalated so much since my last clinic visit that this is the result.

I will still have to keep my feet up, lots, and I still have pain when I'm on them for any length of time, and I'm walking like I have a two-by-four you-know-where (slow and methodic and lifting each foot carefully so nothing rubs anywhere!) .... and apparently it may be as long as a *year* before I can wear handknit wool socks again (because the new skin is apparently ultra-sensitive for a long time) but hey, I'll take cotton socks and crocs ANY day over swaths of bandages and gauze and white terry-cloth hospital issue slippers. I'm so tickled to see the progress on these feet ... honestly, when I first saw how badly they'd been burned, I was skeptical they'd *ever* heal. Doing the happy dance here! (Well, ok, I'm not really able to dance just yet, except mentally). :-)

Started my first commission piece day before yesterday ... it's actually a large cowl rather than a shawl, but it's going to be stunning.
That's a provisional cast-on (not one of my favorite things, I can tell ya!); the pattern is the Imogen Cowl ('frost flowers') and I'm using a skein of Madeline Tosh 'Prairie' lace in the "Ink" colorway. It's lace knitting on both sides (no straight purl rows, in other words) so it's a bit of a challenge in concentration, but otherwise a fun project.

Rainy day today, so even though I could 'step out' .... I probably won't. :)

MUCH ADO ABOUT ... LOTS OF STUFF

But before I get into that ...

I want to thank all of you, once again, for all the thoughts and prayers and comments and positive energy sent this way. I think you're all WONDERFUL; you've sustained me (yes, even if I don't know you!) through so much this last 6 months, and I just want you to know how much I appreciate that. Blogs are a great thing, in the sense that I can 'journal' (which helps me, especially when things are tough), but then I also know that there's real live human beings 'out there' who care about me, some 'known', some not - and that means a lot to me.

It also means a lot to me to have such a supportive family ... they all are, but especially Michael! A few of you have commented on how 'strong' I am ... and I sure don't feel strong. I feel whiny and negative and needy a lot of the time since this accident. What many of you don't know about me (because I don't talk about this) is that needing help in my daily life is something that makes me crazy -- I'm extremely independent, usually, and having to adjust to having Michael (or anyone) 'do' for me is almost a harder struggle than just the pain and discomfort of the burn itself.
Anyone who's met Michael already knows what a sweetie he is .... he's had to put up with me being incapacitated for the past 3 weeks (which has required a LOT of 'doing' for me, AND dealing with my aversion to that at the same time), and I just wanted to publicly acknowledge him here! He gets the big gold star in my books. :-)

On a completely different subject, we get our eggs from a local organic farmer named Carol (who is also a real sweetie, and if you live on SSI, you can support the project she's part of here). I just have to show you the welcoming committee when you pull into their farm (how many goats can *you* count)?
Just as if they're posing for us ... how adorable is that?

Much knitting continues ... socks for Gibson for Christmas:
... and I have yet another pair on the needles for him. And some for me, too, looking forward to the day when I can actually put socks on again!
And the REALLY good news is that I've just landed a pretty nice commission ... to hand knit up to EIGHT shawls and/or cowls between now and 'spring', for a professional woman who is providing all the yarn (and willing to cover any other expenses) and paying me, too -- in real money, and in gorgeous Australian merino yarns! Guess it's a good thing I still have a lot of down-time ahead, huh?

NUTTIN BUT KNITTIN

Same old, same old, here on the Wind Walker. Can't have my feet on the floor (that includes standing, walking, and even just sitting up) for more than about seven minutes at a time, still -- so I am spending a LOT of time in the recliner, pretty much prone. They told me to keep them elevated and get lots of rest, but this is ridiculous! Like I predicted several days ago, even knitting's getting *old.* No shawls on the needles at the moment, because I'm attempting to get started on Christmas stuff now ... either for sale at a craft show here, or for gifts. First up, a lovely wool hat and cuffs (or fingerless whatevers):

Yes, that is a flower a la Nicky Epstein you see on the brim of the hat (thank-you, Esther, for the inspiration!) ....
Once I'd finished that flower, it was easy to knit another .... I've been wanting to cover some machine embroidery on my favorite fleece jacket for a long time:
I've also finished another Gulf Islands Scarf in the leftover silk from the stole I made for Julie for the wedding:
I'm hoping to get the pattern written up sooooooooooooooon -- it's a great beginner lace pattern, reversible, and a quick knit.

Speaking of Julie and the stole (and the wedding), here she is:
And here's Doneen and her hubby Curtis, with Julie and her ex (Doneen's dad), Gord:
Instead of walking his daughter down the 'aisle', Gord and Doneen two-stepped from the Lodge out to the lawn! How fun is that?
And here's my other favorite picture from the wedding (of the ones I've seen so far) - Jordon (Julie's son, 'Neen's bro, and our globe-trotting nephew whom we haven't seen in about 10 years) ...and our Jason:
It's not obvious in this picture, but Jason (37) is 6'3" and Jordon (30?) is 6'7" -- so I get a chuckle out of knowing that Jason had to 'look up' to his cousin, who looked up to him all the years they were growing up. :)

According to all reports the wedding was lovely and everyone had fun!

There was a little drama here in the bay yesterday. You might recall this photo I posted when we first moved here, of the 'alternative community' in the bay behind us.
See the little yellow boat anchored on the right? It's an old junker that's used occasionally by a young woman who comes and goes. But yesterday, after several days of torrential rains, this is what happened to it. Michael went over to see if he could right it:
There wasn't anything he could do, but we think we got a message to the young woman, anyway. On a really low tide they may be able to get it upright again and see if the bottom can be repaired -- for now, I think it'll just be an 'eyesore'.

Today is 'clinic day' as we've come to call it around here ... that means I get an extra dose of discomfort and tiredness because getting me there and back is no picnic, and by the time they're done taking care of me, it usually hurts worse for a few hours. There, I've got my whining out of the way for the day.....

THANKSGIVING SUNDAY

In case you can't think of anything to be grateful for this morning, check out this video (it's YouTube, virus-free, and absolutely delightful)!

It's days like today that remind me that there are folks all over the world with *actual* problems. Me, I have everything.... I'm warm and dry and fed and loved, and in every one of those categories, I'd rank my life a 10 out of 10. I have meaningful work, I get to live in an amazing place, I have pastimes I'm passionate about and have the means to pursue, an amazing family, and equally amazing friends. (Including Penny and Robin, who "just happened" to be on Salt Spring yesterday and stopped in for a way-too-quick visit)!

Yes, I'm still in some pain, and no, I can't stand on my feet for more than about 7 minutes, and no, I won't be able to don socks and shoes for several more weeks, apparently. But .... my husband has a favorite line when someone asks him how he's doing; he always says, "Well enough." And that's how I am today .... well enough. To live, love and laugh, and to count my blessings. And there's a long list!

My children all made it safe and sound to Alberta for my niece's (their cousin's) wedding, and between that and my lack of mobility, we won't be doing a turkey dinner this year. It'll be a quiet at-home day today, and tomorrow I have to go to the clinic -- that's an every-other-day activity since I got burned, and will be for awhile yet.

It's definitely becoming autumn here ... this is our view up the marina ramp:
... and our view across the harbour:
Michael is spending every spare non-raining moment getting the boat 'ready' for winter, which this year, includes some repairs to the cabin roof. So my view from the recliner yesterday was like this...
(See that nasty overhang? It's getting fibreglassed, and should be all pretty again in no time).
I've been playing with some lace 'doily' patterns and making coffee coasters for Christmas -- some for gifts, some to sell at the local craft fair in November. These are all fun and fast knits...
I've done about a dozen now, in Christmas colours and various patterns -- they're all about 5" wide, blocked. I got the patterns here and she has at least one free one on her website here.

I hope you all have a beautiful THANKS-giving day -- I know I will!

OK I LIED

Well, I didn't actually lie ... but I *was* being unrealistically optimistic in my last post, and trying really hard to find the silver lining in an otherwise pretty dismal cloud.

The truth is that it will be weeks before these feet are healed. I'm only able to get up out of the recliner long enough for bathroom breaks and a quick check of email before the pain is overwhelming. My feet have to be elevated 24/7. Even knitting is going to get old really soon. In the past 24 hours I've finished the lavendar socks (they were just past the heel turn day before yesterday), and another cowl, and started a new silk scarf (from the wedding stole leftover yarn) ....
I had also decided to knit my niece and her hubby an aran sampler afghan for a wedding present but it isn't even started yet. So I did this 'sampler of the sampler' to send along for their gift-opening:
And I said 'send along' because I won't be going to the wedding now. :-(

Jason, Hailey and I had planned to leave this Friday and drive together (about a thousand miles to just outside Calgary, Alberta), and then Mischa (who is in New York right now) would fly in to meet us there for the wedding, and then drive back with us. I was SO looking forward to having all this time with my children (who are no longer children, and trying to get us all together anymore is like herding cats!) and to being there for Doneen's wedding ... but there's no way I can do it. Or much else. Except knit.

Not having fun. Maybe if I get a better sleep tonight I'll see the humor in this situation again tomorrow. Cross your fingers for me!

A SMALL DISASTER

Note: The story I'm about to tell you is true. And it is ultimately knitting-related. And it's intended to make you LAUGH.

Night before last we invited Mike over for dinner to celebrate his retirement, at 78! (He's been the wharfinger at Whaler Bay for 5 years, and has now gotten all settled on a new dock in Ganges where he has NO responsibilities!)

I haven't cooked a roast of beef for years, partly because we're not big meat-eaters, and also because of the price of those things. But this was a special occasion, and so I shelled out for a (cheap cut) pot roast. Then I went to the farmer's market and bought a bunch of fresh-out-of-the-garden organic carrots, and fresh this year's baby potatoes. It took me two hours to prepare the veggies and dress the roast with onion and garlic and beef broth. Into the oven it went while I prepared an equally delectable fresh-organic-greens salad. Michael drove in to town to pick up Mike, and at 5:30 the table was set and they'd arrived back.

When I lifted the glass roasting pan out of the oven, the heat (it had been on at 400 degrees because it wasn't cooking fast enough), for some reason, went right through my oven mitt. I tried to get it set down quickly on the counter because it was going to burn my hand, but couldn't do it -- upside down it went, and all that lovely 400 degree fluid spilled over both of my feet! I happened to be wearing a pair of my handknit wool socks, of course, so as I was screaming in pain I also reached down and ripped off the socks so the burning would stop. With dinner now all over the floor and our poor friend staring with that I'm-absolutely-shocked-and-completely-helpless-deer-in-the-headlights look, my hubby had the presence of mind to get a basin filled with ice water for my feet until we could figure out getting me to Emergency.

The short story is that I have second-degree burns on my left foot, and first degree on the right foot. Yes, it was painful then, but somewhat better yesterday and today already, and they tell me by tomorrow it *shouldn't* be painful at all. However, I'm bandaged from ankles to toes, and I'm under doctor's orders to sit in my recliner for at least the next 48 hours with my feet up and doing NOTHING. A home nurse will visit later today. And then it may take as long as 3 weeks to heal completely, during which time I will have to be in bare feet, and in the recliner as much as possible (after all, it is nearly October, and one can't be out running errands, etc., in bare feet). Besides, I have a husband who loves taking care of me, mostly because I'm so cussedly independent most of the time that he doesn't get the chance.
So guess what? It's my feet that are burned, not my hands. I'll be having A LOT of guilt-free knitting time. Not exactly the ideal way to get it, but, hey, I'll take what I can get! Mwah ha ha.

I already finished the 'mystery object' which turned out to be a lovely cowl...
And yes, I'll behave myself, and do whatever those medical people tell me to do. I promise. :-)