Socks, Socks and More Socks

Dad received the black socks I mailed. Mom said his comment was, "You can't buy socks this nice." (blushing) Mailing him another pair of socks today. Here is Mike modeling the new pair.

I suspect it is pretty warm in Florida, but mom also told me dad wore the new socks to his chemo. session yesterday, and also wore them for his afternoon nap.

Here is the start of the next pair of socks that I casted on. Notice the wonderful tin sock holder that can only be purchased at Woolworks, Ltd. in Putnam CT.

Settling In?

Yesterday our church parish had their annual yard sale and plant sale. This year the kids and I all worked at it in some form. It turned out to be a spectacular weather day 90 degrees sunny with a nice breeze. We were all too busy working so we didn't get any photos.

Mike and I have become especially friendly with a few of the older people in the parish as a result of us attending weekday mass on Wednesdays. The couple in the parish that provides the majority of the plants for the annual plant sale are one of those said people. With our lack of landscaping not being a secret, they were kind enough to give us a pre-sale viewing of this years clippings for the plant sale. We came home Wednesday afternoon with quite a variety of perennials. On Thursday morning we placed potted plants all over our yard and each family member, with a shovel in hand, set to work. Everything had been planted within 30 minutes. We stepped back to admire our work and realized we needed more.

We quickly placed a call to our friends and they willingly obliged us. That trip brought us home with double the plants from the day before. Again, each family member was given a shovel and our next round of landscaping took about an hour. Here are a few photos:

There is another couple we've come to be friendly with, they own the little general store we pass on our way into town. We happen to stop in to visit with them on all these trips back and forth this past week. After chatting with them about a vegetable garden, on Wednesday, when I adamantly swore I wouldn't do one this year. By Friday afternoon we have tomatoes, leeks, parsnips, radishes, peas, green beans, broccoli, pumpkins, summer squash and zucchini all planted. (Sounds strangely like a vegetable garden to me.)

I've even hit up our cow owning farmer next door (well okay the cows are next door but his home is 2 miles down the road) for some manure. He told me to go ahead and help ourselves to the field, take all the "poo" we want.

When someone yesterday in the parish asked, "Are you settling in?" I quickly replied, "I think it is starting to feel like home."

Ask and You Shall Receive

Mom and dad live 600 miles away in Florida, and although it is closer than when we lived in CT, now that he is fighting cancer it feels like 6,000 miles away. They are both on my mind day and night and it is difficult because I wish I could be there, but I can't.


When mom called a week ago to tell me one of the things that dad appreciates most, right now, is after his shower he puts on a pair of the socks I made for him. She said she didn't want me to feel any pressure, which I appreciated. However, I set right to work getting the projects I had on needles finished so I could send him some socks. (Must admit I love it when people appreciate my knitting and then ask for something.)


All I had in my stash for "manly" colors was black or gray, of sock yarn. Here is the black all finished being modeled by Mike and they are in the mail to dad. To help make dad feel better I will be working diligently on socks for the next few weeks. They are a great warm weather project anyway.

On Sunday, I called the yarn shop in CT and asked Jen to send me some more "manly" colored sock yarn. The package arrived today. Here is what she sent.
There may be a couple of nice colors there that Meme may appreciate for Mother's Day. Don't you think?

St. Francis Home Schooling Group

Recently some home schooling mothers and I started getting our kids together for "play dates". What makes this home schooling group different from others that I've been involved with, is we are all Catholic. Which has provided us a unique opportunity to include prayer time during our gatherings.

The parent's conversations often center around our faith and raising children in a secular world. We are truly blessed to have found each other and all the kids have been able to find other's of their own age and are beginning to build some wonderful, and God willing, lasting friendships.

Easter in Virginia

Easter Sunday!! Christ has risen, Alleluia Alleluia!

We had a terrific first Easter in Virginia. The day started out a bit chilly, but things quickly heated up to a lovely mid sixties temp. and sunny. Big brother Jacob filled and hid 72 plastic Easter eggs for his sisters. He got up before the light of day to hide them in the yard outside. Good kid!

Our new, homeschooling, Catholic, and good friends, the Furlongs came for Easter dinner. The ham was delicious, dessert was tasty and we wrapped up our afternoon with a stroll down the road. While the 2 littlest ones hunted for more eggs that the 2 big brothers had filled and hid again.

The company has gone home and we are all relaxing in our pjs recovering from such a wonderful day. We are so blessed.

Check out the Green!

It is a good thing we are getting a little rain today. See all that BEAUTIFUL green grass we have growing? It needs to stay watered!

With all the gorgeous grass growing, another pile of soil delivered to make more grass, I just couldn't resist a few strawberry plants and a couple of herbs too, when Mike sent me to the feed store the other day. Him and Haley set up this nice raised bed and planted them all in it.

Slowly but surely things are shaping up in the yard. It hasn't been easy with all the impromptu trips we've had to make out of town. I'm praying we can stay home for a while and get that honey-do list accomplished!

This last road trip did give me the opportunity to make the first in another pair of socks. More green!