The Fairy GodKnitter

Hallo

Mrs. Host Mom starts every email with "Hallo".  We loves her. 

I spoke with #1 Son this morning.  Gone is that high tone in his voice, the forced "I'm fine".  Instead, it's "I'm doing better."

We talked for over ten minutes, that may be a (telephone) record for us.  He frequently calls me from school on a late Jazz Band day and I realize that I'm still talking and he has returned his phone to his pocket.

He reports that the pain is less, the rain was coming down and he needed not a thing.  The only American TV channel is CNN and at least it's not Fox.  Host Girl was quiet for the first few days, but now that they've been in the trenches together, they are talking a lot.  Her friends are coming by to cheer him up and to watch The Simpsons in German.

I celebrated the lovely phone call by tearing apart the boy's bathroom and cleaning it to better than new.  And then I rested. Later, The Mr. came home having survived a very bizarre first week on Summer School (he was scolded for not "pushing in", what does that mean?) and we celebrated with an early dinner.  And then I rested again before going out to water a few things that can't wait for tomorrow's rain.  It is hot out there, but pretty:

 

And it's getting more interesting across the pond:

 

That size/style tent goes for $1200 a day.  We're nearing day 4. 

But what am I doing just sitting here?  My little friend says "Get knitting."

Just keep knitting

The emotional roller coaster ride continues.  While I know that #1 Son is/will be fine, I have been unable to keep the worry from driving my day.  That means that I have been sort of bouncing off the walls, overtired and hyper alert.

I've tried gardening, just on the day that it's become seasonally hot.  I cut back the Salvia and now there is a (temporary) hole in the garden.

I tried cooking and found that a week without boys means a week without groceries and we have no eggs, we never run out of eggs.

I tried knitting and ten minutes in I was embroiled in one of those yarn skein/ball tangles of epic proportion that had me picking apart a knot, squinting, ditching my glasses, using a tiny crochet hook and then finally just cutting the knot out and splicing everything back together.

And then I could breathe again and knit again and relax a little.  The wounded boy is 4100 miles away, sleeping I hope, and counting on me to splice things back together, to salvage as much of his summer (without telling him that my 16th summer included heartache and loss too) as possible.

Bluebird (about 5 repeats ago):

 

The repeats are only 8 rows long and easily memorized, at this point, I am more or less in the middle of the stole, but I may just knit on until I reach the end of this skein before switching back to the other (slightly lighter in color) skein for the second border. 

This morning I could only handle one or two rows at a time, but now I can sit still for a full repeat before the fretting has me checking for an email from the boy or asking The Mr. to drive 300 miles to check on the other boy for me (to his credit, he has picked up his keys more than once, although I think his motives are more about ditching work). 

Slowly, I'm getting back on track, although the next few days are promising to be "interesting":

 

When the tent is as big as the house, anything could happen.

Update II

#1 Son has been seen again (twice again) and they have discovered a wrist fracture, determined that his elbow fracture was just a breath away from needing surgery and put him in a cast from hand to bicep. 

I have spoken to Mr. S., had emails from the Host Mom and #1 and have talked to my own ortho doc.  The important things at this point are that the boy rests for a few days before trying to resume the group activities and that his pity party winds down and he starts to enjoy himself again. 

On Sunday his Host Family will take him to Cologne since he will miss tomorrow's trip and on Monday, instead of biking/busing into Dortmund, the Program Coordinator will pick the boy and Host Girl up before the group heads off to Amsterdam for the day.

He will see the German doctor again next Thursday before flying back on the 20th.

So far, the medical bills total, are you sitting down, 50 euros.  I think that I will retire to Germany some day.  When #2 Son broke his wrist, the bills totaled $900.

I have emailed back to the boy and reminded him that the doctors always talk worst case and that he may heal quickly.  By tomorrow, he should be getting past the initial discomfort of the cast and the new meds should be doing their thing. 

I'm feeling more emotional today than yesterday.  The boy's emotions must be all over the place too, but I've been told that he has been instructed to sleep so I'll hold off on calling him until tomorrow.

It's a good thing that I sent that stole to the Host Mom.

Update

#1 Son is fine.  The phone rang and it was one teacher, the phone rand again and it was the other teacher.  I tried to call the host family's line but had trouble with an extra digit.  I finally got through.  Mrs. Host Family answered and told me the whole story:

Boy and girl ride 800km to train station, boy wipes out at 780km.  Girl sees that they are just steps away from the family doctor and takes boy there.  Dr. sends them to hospital across the street, Mrs. Host family joins them.  Boy receives "English Radiograph" or xray and also is bandaged and given three pain pills.  Boy is back at host family's home and is "crocked" from the pain pill.

I speak to boy and all he wants to talk about is his report card (all good).

I speak with insurance company.  They mess up the phone number for World Wide Service and I dial a sexline.  Really.  The next three phone call are not so much fun.  I finally speak to the WW people and to our lovely pediatrician people and then again to the German teacher.  #1 will be seen tomorrow and possibly need a cast, the break is in his elbow.

I need to transfer more cash into the boy's account and the teacher will collect the paperwork and bills. 

While on hold with various people, I washed the windows. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

And: In my post about the 10 turn offs, I wrote:

1) Over talkers - People who interrupt as their only means of communication.  Also known as "people in love with the sound of their own voice" or three year olds.

I was not speaking about people with developmental disabilities.  I was talking about people who are blowhards.  I may actually be one.

Oh my

Via email from #1 Son:

In a biking accident this morning I fell and fractured my left arm. I went to the hospital and got a brace on it and xrays they told me to go in tomorrow. earinfections are worse though and there isnt much pain. I might get a cast tommorow. dont worry, and I might call you later.

Ten on Tuesday - 10 things that turn me off about people:

1) Over talkers - People who interrupt as their only means of communication.  Also known as "people in love with the sound of their own voice" or three year olds.

2) Men over the age of 25 (and sometimes younger) who go about in public shirtless or sleeveless. 

3) People who bite off more than they can chew, usually mothers pushing a stroller, pulling a wagon, walking a dog, talking on a cell phone and smoking a cigarette - all at the same time and with lots of visible frustration.

4) Grocery clerks who comment on every single item I buy.

5) Drivers, seeing signs indicating that their lane is about to end, who think that it doesn't really apply to them.

6) People who continually misdial a phone number and get mad when you tell them to dial an 8 instead of a 5. 

7) People for whom recycling is too much trouble.

8) Parents who don't enforce helmet wearing or life jacket wearing or other basic safety rules for their children.  Especially parents who choose not to wear helmets when biking with their kids.

9) People who trespass onto others property or create enough noise to disturb others on an ongoing basis. 

10) People who expect that you will curtail all normal household noise in the middle of the day because "the baby is sleeping".

Can you tell that I'm still hating my neighbors? 

Of course I am.  And they made it easier today by sticking yet another flier in my mailbox.  This one advertises a communal movie night (with fireworks), a bus trip/pub crawl thingy and a block party. 

Said block party is catered, costs $15 per person over age 12 ($10 for under 12), includes booze and still asks for desserts and appetizers.  I draw the line at a 13 year old being charged for alcohol and I will not cook for a catered event.  The $90 it would cost my household is enough for a nice dinner someplace away from these fools.  There is a list of 8 people who make up the block party committee, I only recognize one name because she has her name written in the concrete of her driveway - as in "Mary hearts Dan".  Mary is about my age, not 11.

Believe it or not, I was having a fabulous day before I found that flier. 

This morning I finished up all my cleaning/sorting/yardwork chores.  I also spent a few hours hanging out at my LYS and then it was a quiet dinner with The Mr.  The weather, while not exactly warm, was thunderstorm free today. 

Lilly is feeling better:

 

The lilies have started to bloom:

 

And even if it will take more than four days to knit, Bluebird is progessing:

 

Tomorrow, a friend is coming by for lunch and knitting on the porch, I hope we don't laugh too loud and wake that baby.

Mark my words

Bluebird is the new Swallowtail.

I predict that this one will be lovingly knit by knitters everywhere.

And that I will knit it more than once.

Today's progress (so far):

 

Next I will undo the provisional cast on and knit the main body of the stole before knitting another border like the one above. 

I must come clean and admit that until I stumbled on this pattern, I was worried that my knitting mojo was packing it's bags (and leaving just like my boy's did), but I now know that it's not going anywhere for the duration. 

In other bird watch news, the lady ducks are remarkably tame and approachable:

 

I was about four feet away and had a barking dog at my side when I took this picture.

But that dog didn't bark for long, once we went inside, the clouds rolled in and she started to quiver:

 

The lady ducks got wet:

 

And the dog went from quivering to this:

 

Lilly would like the thunderstorms to stop so that happy lace knitting can continue.

 

I promise to be true

This morning, at the unholy hour of 6AM, I got up to make breakfast for #2 Son before he headed off to Scout camp for the week.  #2 has been looking forward to this week for ages, he loves this type of camp in the mountains where he can work on a few merit badges, swim in the lake and unplug for awhile.

He has been texting back and forth with a girl from school.  Last night she said, "I will die w/o U".  He said, "Sweet, but U won't". 

To me (who is hoping that she'll move on while he's gone) he said I will have plenty to do with no boys in the house and The Mr. to take care of.  He knows that I plan to clean both his and his brother's rooms - flip the mattresses, polish the furniture, sort clothes, shampoo the rugs. 

But he did ask what I planned to knit this week and I told him that I'd likely work on two or three or six things.  To that he suggested that I just stick to one project and try to finish that project in the week that he is gone.  He said I should treat it like a merit badge and asked that I concentrate on Bluebird since it is a project he likes.

Instead of heading back to bed like I thought I would, I knit:

 

And as the day has past, it has grown and I should finish the first border sometime before bedtime.

I might be able to earn two badges this week.

Holy Tiki Torch

Two weeks ago, this "invitation" was placed in our mailbox:

 

I have never met said Rick and Becky and I have no idea what goes in an Alabama Slammer.  The Mr. did ask around about Beer Pong, only to find out from #2 Son that he completely got the rules of play wrong.

Needless to say, we did not RSVP in the affirmative and pack up our tent.  In fact, since this party started across the pond 5 hours ago, I've called the sheriff about the fireworks that have been landing in the woods and the water and our yard. 

A Deputy stopped by to completely out me on my crankiness, but the people who live over here have my back.  And since the hillbillies have started lighting things up again, I may have to make another call.  It will be a long night for me and my doggies.

We hates people.

(Please bear in mind that fireworks are illegal in New York State and that there are countless parks and venues that put on an impressive display for the masses.  Grand Island does a very nice job here at the amusement park, as does Tonawanda, Riverside Park in Buffalo and the Friendship Festival near the Peace Bridge.  All these are visible from my driveway but safely away from my roof.)

Anyway, so goes the holiday.

But I did get to hold a week old baby (babies are not people so we loves them) and today was blessedly free from chores.  #2 Son is heading off to camp in the morning and when it was time to pack his gear, he said he could handle it and he did, even down to initialing his socks.

I've been knitting.  It was a little bit here, a little bit there, but nothing was holding my attention today.  And then I saw this patternand read Romi's comments about it. 

I'm sure that you all know that I have a thing for birds, not exactly bluebirds, more the birds that frequent my yard and especially my robins:

 

There are at least three of them who seem to live here, they are the first birds I see every morning and they are a constant in my day.  So it seems fitting to knit this lovely design in a color that compliments my robins:

 

Dream in Color Baby in Cinnamon Girl (the color is more brown IRL)and I have just enough copper lined beads for the edges. 

Gotta go now, it seems to be time to hose down the roof.

PS - if anyone wants Rick or Becky's phone number- email me.

Must share this with you

From #1 Son-

"Today we met Pia's friend Lara and went to a the most popular candy shop in Germany, Haribo, and then saw a castle in Solingen, which is the fourth castle I've been to on this trip, and there we ate really good sugary waffels with cherries, and then we wnt to Lara's house by bus for lunch, and then we took the schreibahn (magical skytrain) to the main part of Wuppertal where we bought Ice Cream, and I also bought some chocalates for you and the family which may or may not contain traces of alcohol. The sky train is different from a monorail in that it is not magnetic but is an actual train upside down in the train tracks suspended in the sky and it is one of the safest things in the world. Then we went home and ate Pizza with Tuna on it that was quite good. I have also been learning how to ride a bike there because it is important to be able to do that in Europe. It has been tough but I am getting better. Pia loves strategy games such as chess and she is a really worthy oponent! My German is improving but I still cannot handle the rapid-fire german, but fortunately everyone speaks english near fluently. Send my Love to the Family!"

Proper post later when I stop laughing and crying.