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I am a mother, a grandmother, and a teacher. But whatever happens in my life, I keep sewing. I have worked as a political communicator and now as a teacher in my formal life. I have also written extensively on sewing. I have been a frequent contributor and contributing editor of Threads magazine and the Australian magazine Dressmaking with Stitches. My book Sew.. the garment-making book of knowledge was published in May 2018 and is available for pre-order from Amazon
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Thursday, August 20, 2015

This is what out of control looks like

I know it has been a while since I have posted.

Well let me tell you what's been going on.

First off Miss Daisy is recovering, as much as you can tell when someone doesn't talk. She is on light duties, no running, jumping, horsing around and no walks.

Only the last one can we really control, that and keeping her off stairs and things she can jump down from. When she gets too wild she goes back in the Pack and Play where she "moans" to quote my middle granddaughter.

End of the month we go back to see the vet. Hopefully he will think she is sufficiently healed to go slowly back to normal life and we have dodged the surgery bullet for the time being. 

I have to tell you that I am a little stressed about the next month with her. 

Next week my husband goes back up north for his final round of duty and I hope she continues to improve so I don't have to drive two provinces over with a sick dog on my own. And third week in September we are away at the wedding and I am not sure what to do with her. The original plan was a dog sitter friend of my daughter's was going to stay here with her own and our three family dogs but I am thinking that is going to be too chaotic and I need someone who can take fairly careful care of her here until I get back. So far I don't have anyone to do that but am working on it.

Good news though is she is getting better. Trying to keep an energetic dog in pain quiet and still has not been all that easy to date.

Other news is I am winding down the end of my last term, only marking left, and going to be taking the fall off completely, and after that doing only a course or two a term of my favourite classes, and by distance. This is a huge life transition for me and one I am getting my head around, but in a good way, very good.

I will be teaching a few local sewing classes however when I get back from the wedding, and am looking forward to that.

Now to the title of this post and the picture that follows.

Last Saturday my husband and I made 107 eight ounce jars of blueberry jam. I drove to the country and got the berries right off the farm and we moved fast to get them all done when the berries were completely primo.

I have to say that it was quite the operation.

My husband prepped the batches for me, crushing the berries by hand, stirring in the lemon juice, and sugar. Being a systems guy he did several large bowls at a time so I could just move from one to the other.

In theory it was a good approach but right around noon this happened:


For reasons that would take too long to explain that man has a full sized double door fridge in his office in the house. He figures he needs stuff handy. Well at any rate he was using this fridge to store his prepped bowls and, moving at typical top speed, he slammed one into the door when he was putting it on the shelf.

What you don't see here is that this sugar berry mixture went all over the room too, right over his desk and all over his computer monitor. 

For once I was speechless and that hardly ever happens, I can tell you that.

When I heard his yell I left my post, temporarily, at the stove to go see what was up and all I could say was "well I guess you had better clean that up."

He had more or less figured this out.

Many sticky footsteps later he was back at it and about 10:30 that night we had screwed the last lid on the last jar.

Since this jam is destined to be handed out to wedding guests we are going to be sticking little circles of Nova Scotia tartan onto the lids.

But I think we might take a little break first, what do you think?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

so so relieved to hear that Ms. D and her entourage are well if not serene (serene may be over rated.....?). As a person who significantly downsized my work commitment 7 years ago I salute your transition - I loved my life then and I love it much more now, may you be as happy!

Ceci

Paula said...

Oh wow on that picture! I would be stunned for a few seconds too. Good man for cleaning it up.

abailey said...

Omg...that photo looks like my life.

Mary said...

I think your husband will never be able to look at blueberry jam without a slight shudder.

Here's hoping Ms Daisy heals without the need of surgery and that just the right sitter shows up in the nick of time. Good luck!

Ccmel said...

My first thought was 'oh no the jam exploded' . Must be scared from my Dad's attempt at home brew (beer). Fingers crossed that Daisy recovers and does not need surgery..

Anonymous said...

Ms Babs...in re-reading old Threads, I must demand/insist that you write at least one book on sewing!Sorry I don't live closer(Ohio) or I would foster your girl. Amazing sewing. Enjoy the wedding.

Donna W said...

If I lived closer to you , I am in Alberta, I would surely come and take care of Daisy. I do hope she doesn't need surgery. This is likely just as stressful for you as it is for her. When fir babies suffer so do parents.take care!

Jane M said...

No thrill on that blueberry hill, yikes. I am impressed that you soldiered on with the jam project. We are going away this weekend but have shelves and a refrig full of produce that must be put up at the begiinning of the week so I admire your stamina. Bedt of luck finding a new pet sitter. When Lucky the rescue dog showed up in our luves four years ago he had to have heart wormtreatme t which meant the same regimen as Daisy for two months. It was not easy keeping him separate from our other dog and then we left for a bucket list trip and had to trust that the pet sitter would keep him safe and healing. He got well and I know Daisy will also. Best wishes

Teri said...

OMG, I've been there with the jam. Mine was in the pot and my hands betrayed me landing all on the, thankfully, kitchen floor. Cracked tiles and dented pot later I confess to an aversion to blueberry jam. Your husband gets a hero cookie for not only helping but hanging in there to clean up.
So glad to hear Daisy is coming along. We'll all just know that she will be fine and this is just a temporary set back in a life well lived and enjoyed.
Someone on this list must live close enough to step in and do doggie care. So many of us would if we didn't live a continent away.
So happy to get your post, was starting to worry.
Teri, off the Left Coast of Canada

Kyle said...

Wow what a picture, and you are so lucky that it didn't stain the floor!

I'm sure it will work out finding a sitter for your dog.