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Kathleen Bruce

July 19, Sat. Well, we've just returned from a week on Lake Caspian. It was marvelous ....Jamie and I spent the week alone, on a beautiful lake, with no one around except for us, and the Scrabble board. Now we are back, and our daughter Emily is here, harvesting our bumper crop of raspberries to make jelly. She is just beginning medical school in the Bronx (Albert Einstein) and is in the midst of a histology class, her first there. Going well, thankfully.

July 11, 2008. Thank you all for reading, and keeping up with me. Summer is rolling along at a slightly slower pace than normal, though it can be really busy at times... especially on days where I work at the hospital as a staff nurse on postpartum. that has been VERY busy lately. Too crazy for me some days...but I like the work. How are you all doing on the Tour de Fleece? Anyone make any cool goals of working with yarn or fleece?

July 2 I saw this today on Stephanie Pearl McPhee's pages.... and thought I would mention it...
There is a Tour de Fleece. 2008. It's a wonderful challenge.... see this

July 2. Hi all. Just returned from Moving Emily into her first real apartment in the Bronx, at Albert Einstein Medical school, where she will live for 8 years getting her MD PhD. We painted, and scraped, and polished, and nailed things up, and made it PRETTY, and like home, painting it in the colors of her room at home, to help her feel like she is indeed in her own home. The movers showed up at 7 pm, YIPES, and we are all exhausted, but there is food in her fridge, and clothes in her closet (clean), and her bathtub is clean, and her bed is made with fresh sheets. Life is good.

Hi all. June 25, and I am still missing my Ollie dog. Thinking of getting one, thinking of the work involved, and not being at all sensible about it. It gets COLD here in winter, and here I am thinking of getting another dog, who has to go OUT at night. Am I nuts?

And the vet bills, And the barking... And the pet sitter needs.... because dogs are nearly people.

Oh dear.

June 5. In my work as a lactation consultant, I am always going into mothers' homes and I always like to bring a little something for them when I go. I am looking to a source of handmade newborn hats. If anyone feels that they would like to make some hats, at a negotiated price with me, I would provide the wool, and the pattern, if you like, and you can provide me with the hats. I don't have time to knit that many baby hats, though I wish I did.... I am knitting for my girls now, and this is more of a business proposition.....

Good morning all. It is with great sadness that I have to tell you that Ollie the wonder corgi has passed into heaven. He was in profound kidney failure, and this morning, there was just nothing else we could do for him except for give him an ice cream cone, and some water, and a last bit of a walk in the sunshine, then lay down in the sun and go to sleep. It was incredibly painful for us all, and for my children who are away at school. I hope this feeling I have goes away or softens sometimes soon, as it is really hard.

Love, Kathleen

April 29,2008. We are back from visiting our oldest daughter Emily, who is studying at Cambridge for her Masters Degree on a Gates Fellowship. (Thanks Bill). We took some great shots of the lovely Botanical garden there, and of me knitting a sock for Martha, who was home sick as a dog, and the only one not with us on the trip. Poor Martha. Here is a photo of me knitting the sock, as well as the sock communing with some lovely purple flowers, (not sure of the name). England is glorious at this time of year.

Good morning from wonderful and springy Cambridge England. Jamie, Sally, and I are visiting our daughter Emily, who is studying on a fellowship here at Cambridge. She will finish her masters' degree in June, and will then return to New York to begin MD Grad school at the Albert Einstein Medical School in the Bronx, where she also has a full scholarship, thankfully. Life is blessed.

4/6. I have been doing some crewel embroidery, with Appleton wool that I have gottten. I am embroidering old linen hankies with little flowers, but also, I am looking for some extra colors of wool in either Appleton or Paternayan. Let me know if you have either that you'd like to sell ....maybe you have some extra skeins that you don't need?

4/3 I have not been sleeping or feeling very well lately, as the late winter cold rains have been aggravating my arthritis. I lately have been cheered by the sounds of birds in the early morning, ..the robins have returned, thank God, and this morning, as I woke early, I read Christine's website, and am encouraged to produce my own breadmaking workspace, and natural leaven supply to continue to bake our bread here in our home. I found a natural peace in reading her website and I highly recommend that you take a look at her work on bread making, and on yarn production.

3/21 Happy Spring! Waiting to see Robins here.. in N. Vermont. It's been snowing here on and off and it's a nuisance. I have a question.... for those of you with specific wool stashes.... how do you organize your wool. and yarn stashes? I have a few plastic boxes, and some plastic bags, but I would like to know how you all organize your stuff so that you know what you have, and keep it clear what you have.

Any and all suggestions appreciated....

Kindly, Kathleen

From a reader who knows a lot about seeds.... some words about seed safety.

Seed Analysis and Seed Testing

Seed analysis pertains to the testing of seed that is to be sold through commercial channels to farmers, gardeners, and other seed growers. Every bag of seed that is sold has to have a "seed label" attached to it.

Because of this, each seed lot being sold has to be analyzed for certain physical and quality aspects. Each seed company has their own seed lab that does these tests and most states have a state seed laboratory that does these tests for regulatory purposes.

3/15. Good morning from Bennington Vermont. Today we are in Bennington, awaiting the performance for the New England Music Festival orchestra, which Sally is playing in...as a violinist. They are going to be playing at the Mount Anthony school, and it should be a lovely time. I have been here at a local hotel, relaxing, and taking it easy...and getting some work done as well. I've been knitting, and finally figured out HOW TO KNIT A SOCK ON TWO CIRCULAR NEEDLES!!!!