Slack Bloggers

I'm reassured as I catch up on the updates from Mads and Erica that I'm not the only slack blogger around. In fact, perhaps there was something in the apartment we shared in Kingston that causes slack blogging? If only C had a blog, we could confirm it ^_^

Yesterday, as I was rushing to finish a quilt for the Christmas Tea and Bazaar, I suffered my first major quilting injury. Now, over the years, I have been pricked by many a needle/pin, but I have never done anything that required more than a bandage. But yesterday, somehow (and I can't really remember how I did it, I think I was in shock) I managed to stab right through my left index finger with a machine needle and break the needle off in my finger.

Yeah, I'll let you think about that for a minute.

There I was, all alone, in my pyjamas, with half a needle impaling my finger. My first thought was, "Okay, better move my hand away from the quilt so I don' get any blood on it." My second thought was, "Is that the pointy end of the needle? My tweezers are too far away for me to deal with this." So I wound up using my embroidering scissors as tweezers to remove the offending piece of shrapnel.

Then I had to use many bandages to secure my finger, prevent bloodstains, and keep from freaking out every time I looked at it. I may require a tetanus shot.

Needless to say, the binding on the quilt didn't get finished. I brought it to the bazaar anyway, though, just so people could see what kind of stuff I can make.

I sold three items at the bazaar, which was pretty good for my first time. One of the items was the wallhanging that was a miniature version of Mark and Beth's wedding quilt. It hurt to part with it, but I think I will be allowed to go and visit it if I get really sad.

Now that the throbbing in my finger is down to a dull ache, perhaps today I will finish the binding on the Quilt o' Doom and start sketching new things to make with my stash ^_^

Where I've been...sort of

So, I've been informed by Kara that I've been fairly slack in the blogging department. She's right, of course. And Harold commented on my lack of updates, too, which gets me thinking it's time to get busy and get blogging.

I could blame work, or my inherent laziness, or the fact that if I can't think of a totally awesome topic to blog about then I don't feel like blogging, but those are all excuses. I just haven't been feeling it, you dig?

My latest excuse is the newest addition to my family...this guy.



This is Aki (or 秋, if you want to get technical), and he joined the family on November 6th.

Here's a little backstory on this guy. He is five months old, and has been running wild pretty much that whole time. The other puppies in his litter found new homes almost right away, and Harold tried to convince me when he took Aki's sister that I really needed a dog. To which I replied, "No way, I am not cut out for dog ownership."*

Aki would wander over to the town office and sit on the porch, looking in the doors and windows with a sad face. Eventually, one of his neighbours started putting food out for him, because he was losing all his puppy fat and it was starting to get cold. As the temperature dropped, my tiny shrivelled heart shrivelled up even more. "He's just a puppy!" my heart would shriek. "He needs to be looked after!"

Eventually, I couldn't stand it anymore. Michel had offered me a doghouse. Heather had offered me dishes and toys and anything I needed. Kara offered me dire warnings about how I really didn't want a dog, did I really want to be going for walks at -40, what was I going to do with him when I had to go to town? Thanks, Kara ^_^

At any rate, Aki came home with me a week ago, and we've been motoring along fairly well. I'm definitely not energetic enough for a 5-month old puppy, but I'm doing my best. We walk three or four times a day, he stays outside while I'm at work, and the cats are teaching him who's the boss around the house.**

I'm trying to teach him to be a good canine citizen. Poop is scooped. Jumping up is discouraged. Dog friends are being made (every time we walk by Copper's house, Aki pulls on the leash because he wants to go play). I'm trying to forget that I've been afraid of dogs ever since a friend's Boston Terrier bit me back in high school. And I'm dreaming of the day when I'll have the energy to take Aki to the park and actually play with him, instead of passing out at the end of the day.

It's coming, right?



* Famous last words.
** Rodney is the boss. If the dog sasses me, the dog gets a smack from Rodney.