Wednesday, January 02, 2019


I’m sorry for the protracted silence. Happy New Year, all round. Mine was a good holiday, but I'm not sorry it’s all over.

I spent Christmas day with Greek Helen and her family -- they live very near here. David did the cooking, and did it very well. The next day Alexander and Ketki came to get me and the cats, and we all went to Loch Fyne. He was wearing his new Calcutta Cup vest and while he was carrying bags and cats out to the car – they travel with a fair amount of paraphernalia – someone stopped him to admire it. He explained about the Calcutta Cup and said that his mother had knit it.

“Is your mother from Shetland?” the stranger asked.

Paradox was in heat when we left. This was her big chance to meet her furry Lochinvar. Not a bit of it. The horror of the experience drove all thoughts of sex from her head. She spent the entire time under the duvet, not eating or drinking. The first evening she was even hyperventilating – at least, breathing very fast. Perdita was somewhat bolder. She joined the party in the kitchen, watched the birds and the red squirrels on the feeder just outside the window, even ate a bit.

On Friday I had an unfortunate encounter with a scallop during a pub lunch. I should have known better. I have had trouble with frozen seafood before, and could expect nothing else for a pub lunch in the “back end” of the year, even on the shore of Loch Fyne. The result was a very uncomfortable night, followed by a day of total prostration, under the duvet with Paradox.

This made our homeward journey difficult, as the party was dispersing and everyone had somewhere to be before the New Year. In the end, Rachel and Ed made a detour to drive us here on their way to London.  That drive is enough of an ordeal, done directly. But all went well. Rachel and Ed got home in good time. The cats lept out of their carriers and reverted at once to their everyday selves, appetite and all.

I have recovered nearly all of my former strength, such as it was.

I have knitting news, including good progress with the Stronachlachar – and a wonderful picture. I’ll leave that until tomorrow. It’s good to be back.

14 comments:

  1. Glad to hear you & the cats survived the holiday with only a few problems. Too bad about that scallop though. Sometimes it's just better to stay home & do one's own thing!!

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  2. And it's good to have you back Jean. Glad you're feeling a bit better. Seafood poisoning is grim.

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  3. Good to have you back. Here's to an excellent year of knitting!

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  4. Anonymous9:04 PM

    Agree with everybody else - glad to have you back, & sorry about the scallop.

    & wow! They thought you might be from Shetland! In a place where people know what that means! What a compliment!

    I'm anxious to see the Stronachlachar.

    Beverly in NJ.

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  5. Oh, Jean - how lovely to hear from you! How wonderful to have your vest noticed; so often people are oblivious. Looking forward to seeing some progress on the knitting front.

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  6. Oh, Happy New Year!
    I’ve missed you, and am so sorry about the scallops!

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  7. I'm glad you're well now, Jean. Too bad that no cat love occurred. Kittens would be so lovely.
    My daughter in law and I are doing a knit along together, so I had to stop my color work jumper and begin work on Tin Can Knits Flax with her.

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  8. Welcome back and happy 2019 to you and your cats!

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  9. Lovely to see a new post pop up! It sounds as though the holidays provided a bit more adventure than wanted. Our adventures continue as weare still in the middle of visits to children, having mini-Christmases with each. I will be so very happy to get home at the end of it all, although long drives make for lots of good knitting time.
    I look forward to news of your Stronachlachar.

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  10. Happy New Year.
    Family and holidays are good, but more and more I find myself incanting 'East, West, home's best' when I cross the threshold on my return!

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  11. Happy New Year. I was in London before Christmas for a few days and we had a fun touristy time. But nothing beats your own home!

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  12. Anonymous3:04 PM

    Sounds as if you had a good time other than the sick time. So glad you sluffed it off and made it home to use your own facilities. Missed you! But very glad your tribe is a nice bunch to be with. am looking forward to your pictures. pgnitter

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  13. Happy New Year! Glad you and the cats survived the holidays. And such a splendid, much deserved compliment on the Calcutta Cup vest.

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  14. =Tamar7:07 PM

    Torn between sympathy for the food issue and vicarious pleasure at the well-deserved compliment to your knitting. Also, awwww for the cats. Here's wishes for a happy and healthy New Year!

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