Thursday, August 21, 2014

This has proved so very exciting a week, by our geriatric standards, that I couldn't leave you out of it altogether.

Today we should have Archie's and Mungo's GCSE results.

Today, too, my husband and Lizzie and I will go to Strathardle. The weather is glum.

That's nothing. On Tuesday, or some such day, Helen, on the slopes of Mount Pelion, recently returned from a family holiday in the Balkans, was badly bitten by a dog, plunging me, at least, into a maelstrom of worry about rabies. There is some in northern Greece, not much.

...Here are Archie's results: an A* in English Literature, three A's, in his A-Level subjects, History, Spanish and English; the rest B's except for Chemistry which was a C. Everybody is delighted. Mungo's results, from a different board, are unknown as yet.

Anyway, rabies. The dog's owners were somehow located and visited. Its documentation including rabies vaccine looked good, and Helen stopped worrying, or professed to. The owners said it had never behaved like that before, which was distinctly worrying rather than otherwise, as “unprovoked aggression” is often the first symptom of rabies a dog presents. I keep begging her, by email and telephone, to go back and SEE the dog at the weekend. If it was rabid on Tuesday, it's not going to get better any time soon. My husband fears that Helen is being fobbed off by Greek peasants anxious about liability. Helen says they're really nice.

An awful fuss about a very slim possibility of danger. But rabies can be stopped if treated with a series of injections before symptoms develop (=before the virus reaches the central nervous system). After that, there is little or no hope and death is extremely unpleasant.

Knitting: I took the Unst Bridal Shawl along to my husband's dental appt yesterday. I've left it at the end of an edging repeat, so easy to resume, and will now put it away altogether until Rames&Yowes are finished. Lace knitting is infinitely soothing, and I think the reason may be that there is so much of it that you simply can't worry about finishing. You just sit there and knit.

Rams&Yowes progresses well, more or less. But garter stitch is the knitter's absolute test, and I'm not really terribly good at it. More than that, I have never mastered the art of recovering a dropped stitch, or laddering back to a split one. I've got one of those two-headed crochet hooks. I know what the problem is. But I can't do it.


So, off we go into the Scottish gloom. See you on Monday, insh'Allah.

8 comments:

  1. Congratulations to Archie - well done. Thinking of Helen. I believe there is snow forecast for Scotland but trust that Strathardle will be fine and sunny for you all!

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  2. That is awful about Helen and the dog bite. Maybe she should phone a vet and ask if the vaccine is reliable. I think it must be, or there would be a fear of rabies every time someone was bitten. But best to check. And did she actually see the certificate and check the date the dog was last immunized?

    Well done Archie! I remember how concerned all of you were about him when he started at the boarding school. It's wonderful to see him make such a success of it! You must all be very proud, and very relieved. Have a great time at The Games!

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  3. Anonymous3:25 PM

    So very sorry to hear about Helen. Even without the worries about rabies, a dog bite is no fun. Can the local town authorities, and/or the dog's veterinarian confirm the dos's vaccination?

    Great news about Archie! I don't really understand the system over there,but it sounds like he is on his way to success in life, especially since he sounds like such a kind a personable young man as well.

    Beverly in NJ

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  4. A day filled with mixed news! i urge along with the others that helen have another look at the date and contact the vet that did the vaccine. this surely is one of those situations where too much worry is better than none...

    and congrats to Archie ! fingers crossed for Mungo's results!

    have a relaxing time at the house and let your family do the work!

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  5. have to come back just read on Ysolda's blog a post about knitting belts that i though you might like

    http://ysolda.com/blog/2014/8/21/technique-thursday-knitting-belts

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  6. Great news! And my sister was bitten by a bat and had to have the shots, not pleasant but much better than rabies. Helen should recheck for certain. Tell her we all say so.

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  7. How terrible for Helen! I'm not at all surprised that she did not go to look at the dog again.
    Good to hear that Archie had cause for celebration, regardless of his brother's grades.

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  8. Good news/bad news, the good is very, Good for Archie!
    The bad is hopefully not SO bad, hope she heals quickly, I am trying to trust the word of the dog owners.

    Have just started Old Filth, having secured it from the library. I had to wait several weeks

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