5 And A Beagle

It's been a busy month around here, what with a high school graduation, a 77th birthday, a 25th anniversary, end of year exams, a new job.... a little bit of old, a little bit of new.


#4 has bid a fond farewell to her high school, gramma celebrated her birthday, a little happy, a little sad because this is the first one in a many years without dad. #2 and I hit the silver anniversary milestone, the girls have finished all of their exams and in 3 more days, I will be saying goodbye to a company I've been with for 26 years. While I'll miss the people, some of whom I've known for 20 plus years, I will definitely not miss the commute. I'll be moving to a job a scant 2 miles from home.

Projects on the go or completed......

The first in a pair of socks for il piccola cugina in Italy.
Crenellated Toe-up Socks from Lucy Neatby's Cool Socks, Warm Feet

A neat little pattern with a Serbian toe and Turkish heel.



And completed before the heatwave that is the start of summer in the Pacific Northwest, my very first Clapotis. Am I the last to make one? Is there a knitting soul who has yet to catch the addiction?

Celebration abounded here at 5 and A Beagle this past weekend. #4 and her friends are bidding farewell to high school and are preparing to embark on the next leg of the journey. Just a few provincial exams remain, a summer of everything they can pack into it, and then it's off to college, university, work, travels.... wherever life takes them.

Labels: family celebrations

This past Sunday I went for a long overdue haircut. I sat in the chair as the stylist proceeded to pin up the sections of hair she wanted out of the way – a clump clipped up from the back, another from the left side and another from the right. I glanced into the mirror, chin down, as she prepared to start snipping on a thin layer at the back and who did I see looking back at me...?





My God! When did I turn into Aunt Bee?

Gray hair, lovely 1950’s style granny updo, double chin….

"Flibbertigibbet!" When did this happen? I felt like I should be scolding someone for not finishing their drink “Opie, you haven't finished your milk. We can't put it back in the cow, you know.” Now, I loved Aunt Bee - she was loving, nurturing, baked a great apple pie ... but I don't want to look like her... not yet!

I didn’t have time on Sunday for anything other than the cut but I made an appointment for later this week to have my hair coloured. That will take care of the gray, but what do I do about the double chin? I guess I’ll have to refrain from looking down – only straight ahead or up from now on.

Labels: aging

#4 headed off this morning on a retreat with her grade 12 class. The last one for them as a group before they graduate and move on in June. As it was when her brother went on the same retreat 3 years ago, the school had asked for family and friends to send letters of love and encouragement called Palankas for the students to read while they're at the retreat. Although we'd been down this road before and the school sent out a reminder about a month ago, there we were in the last week, putting out the request to all and sundry. Thank goodness ours is not a large family, so there weren't too many people to contact, but just like last time, we missed the deadline and had to scramble getting the letters in with only a few days to spare. I suspect the staff will heave a collective sigh of relief and wipe their brows when the last of the Parolini's leave the school's hallowed halls in three years time. But I also suspect there will be another family, equally famous for its procrastination, that will take our place.


We sat at the table on Sunday night, #2 and I, and put together our thoughts and wishes for darling #4. Compressing 18 years into a card isn't easy.


Although the Palankas are to be kept a secret from the students, the majority seem to know of their existance and #4 was no exception. I wonder if it had something to do with me talking about them at a family dinner a year or so ago and realizing once it was too late, that she was at the table. Not one for open displays of emotion, unless you count frustration with parents and siblings as an open display of emotion, #4 has informed me that she will not get teary eyed when she reads the letters.


I have to wonder.


I hope they all take the time to read carefully through their letters to know their family and friends love them, to know what their fondest memories are, to know the accomplishments they're most proud of and the things they desire for their future.



And if they feel a sniffle or two, well, that's a good thing.

Labels: Palankas

What's this... a sign that I may be a little narcissistic?



I just received this yarn that I'd ordered awhile back from the Three Irish Girls. The colourway....look closely, yes, it's called Maureen.

Now I might be a little concerned that I'd become somewhat self absorbed if I were also listening to this.

I think I'll just rename this blog - 5 And A Skunk!

Damn dog! ****ing Skunk!
At least this time we got Miles before he ran into the house. The poor boy must have gotten it right in the snout. I was unlucky to have been outside when he got skunked, and had the pleasure of picking up a little residual. We ended up going for an unplanned walk around the block to clear our airways and Miles rolled on every grassy boulevard we went by. I almost felt like joining him but thought if any of the neighbours were up at 11:00pm, that might give them further proof of my craziness.

A midnight de-skunking on the back deck with two rounds with dish detergent/baking soda and another with mouthwash took care of some of the odor but needless to say we were the first ones outside the groomer's door this morning.

I'm trying to keep a healthy distance from my co-workers this morning.

Labels: Skunk encounters of the annoying kind

Big HAPPY BIRTHDAY wishes are being sent out to this young gal. She turns 18 today - Here's to lot's of fun ahead.








It seems that through the last decade, these two have been joined at the hip. Sometimes 'D' is okay with that .......sometimes it appears, she's not

It's been a while since my last post - a month to be precise. Either I just can't get my act together to write something interesting or entertaining (assuming that some of my past posts fit either of those categories), or I truly don't have anything to say. I think it's the former.

I'm taking the easy way out again and linking to an article I just saw. This serves a dual purpose, actually. I'm posting on the blog with minimal effort AND I'm showing my kids (and their friends) that I'm not as obsessed as some people.

http://www.mytelus.com/ncp_news/article.en.do?pn=oddities&articleID=2885187

A week ago Friday was #2's birthday and dear #4 made him a cake. Unfortunately it was a few days later before #2 was up to trying a piece.

There we were a family with 2 birthdays in the span of 4 days, 2 birthday cakes in the house with all of us (except #4) too sick to really want any.

While the coughing, the sneezing, the fevers, the abscessed tooth, the tonsilitis, and the strep throat kept the cakes at bay for a few days for all of us, once he had a slice #2 declared the cake better than the store bought one from Maxims.

Must be her teacher. #4 and her friend, the Martha Stewart of the North Shore slaved over this masterpiece well into the evening as evidenced by the exhausted look on #4's face as well as by the fact that it had to be late, the brain cells had to be sleeping....why else would she decorate a cake for her DAD with.......

Labels: birthdays

Another month, another finished object or two ...... two toques
One in basic 3 x 3 ribbing in the Canucks colours for #3