Back On The Track

   We got back on the track on Wednesday with the return of our Forester from the mechanics.  It had a new starter installed and all the joints in the cooling system tightened...and more antifreeze added!  All for the low price of $225.79 and that included the tow from Stewart's in Herkimer to Hillslide's shop in Little Falls and my ride (in another tow truck) from Stewart's to our house.  Can't beat Hillslide!
   Thursday was Fran Fiorentino Davey's internment in Calvary Cemetery in Herkimer.  Since we weren't sure of the Forester's return, Theresa Olsen, the celebrant, offered to pick me up.  Theresa is a friend from the shop (Cooper Country Crafts) in Cooperstown.  Her husband, George, is a woodworker, turning pieces of wood into beautiful objects of art that are also useful.  Herkimer is not unique in the situation of having a fairly large Catholic population (in this case a combined parish and an independent parish) and having only 1 full-time priest.  The combined parish(St Anthony's and the former St Joseph's) shares it's priest with 2 other parishes about 14 miles away.  The full-time priest from St Francis de Sales is rather elderly and not well.  The undertaker was willing to do the internment service but it seemed like something more was needed.  I complained about it and Theresa, a friend from the shop, offered to step-in.  Fran's daughter, Nicole, made some suggestions that Theresa was able to work into the service.  She provided a printed program using Fran's photo and obit (see this blog's entry for Thrus., 2/28/19) as it appeared in the newspaper, and a read-along service that enabled everyone to participate in the service.  Theresa also used a recording of one of Fran's favorite song, On Eagles Wings, to end the service.  It was perfect!  Even the weather cooperated and we enjoyed a beautiful summer day.  We went to the reception after at the Polish National Home in Herkimer and I called Jeff to come down and join us...so I could introduce him and so that Theresa didn't have to make the trip back to our little house in the little woods.  (She does live about 50 miles south east of Herkimer!)
     This morning I did a quick trip to Cooperstown to finally stock my display.  (Remember, I was on my way to the shop Sunday morning when I stopped for gas at Stewart's in Herkimer and the car wouldn't start again.) I didn't want to miss a 2nd weekend so I went down today eventho I'm scheduled to work on Monday.  Good thing I did, too, my display looked awfully poor!  Now all I can hope for is some eager customers to stop in and buy some baby hats and sweaters (How about $225 worth so I can pay my mechanic??  Wouldn't that be nice?)  On the way home I stopped at Massaro's (just before turning on to our road) and got flowers for the cemeteries.  I even got enough to plant some on Fran's grave.  Now all I need is for this good weather to continue a few more days....
    I got home just in time to rouse Jeff and the dogs from their slumber.  We had 1pm appointments at the optometrist's in Ilion and it was already a little after noon.  Of course, the dogs wanted to come with us but it was too hot to leave them in the car so Jeff had to fight his way out of the house.   We made it in time and both had good exams.  I have 'secondary cataracts' but they haven't changed any in a year so we'll just 'keep an eye on them'.  Jeff is doing well, too.  We'll go back in a year.  Neither of us need new glasses now, either.  On the way home we stopped at the fishing site in Herkimer to check the water height/current speed in the canal but Jeff didn't announce any plans to go fishing tonight.  Supper tonight is Italian goulash...to be eaten when hungry!  Maybe I'll get some more knitting done on my navy and white pin-stripe hoodie tonight.  I've got about half the hood finished.  I would like to have it finished in time to leave in the shop on Monday.  Remember, 4th of July is only a week away.  (And Christmas is 6 months from last Tuesday, if you're interested!!)

Another Automotive Experience

     I was suppose to work in the shop today and was all set with a tote bag full of stock:  a size 4 v-neck 

Navy BB sweater

Pink Fair Isle Buntng

sweater , a baby bunting set, several hats and a pair of little girls' leg warmers. My display would be filled in very nicely, but as they say

Little Girls'Leg Warmers

the all good plans can go astray.  I had to stop for gas at Stewart's in Herkimer because yesterday Jeff went fishing in Little Falls.  First he went to the Lock where we fished in the past but fishing access is no more.  The bike path has been expanded from Mohawk to Little Falls along the canal and all the shady fishing spots are gone. Then he went to the boat launch in Little Falls just in time to get settled with his poles in the water when a family party invaded his peaceful fishing spot. Add high water and swift current due to the heavy rain we've been having to the number of kids running around the boat launch site and fishing was not very good.
   When Jeff got home around 7:30, he was tired and disappointed but he handed over $$ for me to fill the gas tank today.  I had hoped there would be enough gas left to get to Richfield Springs because gas at Stewart's there is .05 cheaper than in Herkimer but the red light came on while I was going thru town and I didn't want to chance it.  Good thing I didn't because after I got gas at Stewart's in Herkimer I couldn't get my car to start again.  I called Jeff who said to call Dave and have him come and jump it.  I did but had to wait 3 hours for Dave to get there because he was on a call in Syracuse.  
   While I waited for Dave and the tow truck I finished the book I was reading, Light Over London, a novel about a WW-II era diary, the young woman who wrote it and the young woman who found it 50 yrs later, called Judy so the shop would still be open, called Jeff several times for moral support and finally did some knitting on my Pin-stripe Hoodie, a navy and white hooded sweater in Red Heart's Soft Navy and White with baseball buttons.  The hood, sleeves and ribbing around the neck will be navy and while the fronts and back of the sweater will be white with navy pin-stripes.  I haven't decided yet if it will be a cardigan or a pullover with a Henley neck opening or if it will be a size 4 or 6.  I make 2 or 3 of these pin-stripe sweaters every year and they always sell.  Go, Yankees!! 
   Dave finally got there around 11:30 and decided to tow the car back to the shop.  I got to ride in the tow truck and after I got home I called Ward in the shop to thank him for working today.  Now I think I'm going to find something for lunch and maybe take a nap.  Can't wait til Dave calls with the explanation.  I'm exhausted and I didn't do anything.

Mon., 6/24/19:  Dave just called.  The Forester needs a new starter and there's a leak in the cooling system.  Price to fix starting at $214 and where it ends depends on where the leak is.  That's the way Subaru's age...part by part.  This one has 230,000 miles on it (making it middle aged).  It should last another 100,000 miles--all my other Subaru's lasted over 300,000 miles!  Time to start praying to St Christopher!?!?!?
Wed., 6/26/19:  No leak in the cooling system of the Forester...just some loose joints!  Total price for the new starter and some antifreeze...$225.45.  Hillslide Auto Repair on West Main St in Little Falls...can't be beat!!!)  

A Nice Day for a Picnic

   We decided to treat ourselves to a day at the canal today...a picnic, a good book for me, chicken nuggets for the girls and yes, fishing for Jeff.  I  made a fast trip to the library in Ilion to pick up 'Mama Mia 2'  and put some gas in the car at Stewart's in Ilion.  Then we loaded up Jeff's gear and the dogs water bottle/dish and headed to Little Falls.  We made a couple more quick stops...first at Hillslide Auto Repair to pay the bill on last week's muffler repair and then at Smokers' Friendly in the mall for Jeff.  While we were there I noticed that Subway was just a couple of doors away so we added that to our list of stops and treated ourselves to Italian subs.  Of course, then we had to stop at McD's for chicken nuggets for the girls, too.  I should have gotten them at Burger King on my way back from Ilion.  (They would have been cheaper and there would have been more in the order.)  Then we headed for the boat launch in Little Falls, a very well-kept secret.  You take the right turn just past McD's and go over the tracks, keep right and go down towards the canal instead turning left and going to Canal Place.  The area is rather industrial and the road isn't the greatest but eventually you get to the boat launch and picnic pavilion.  We spent a nice afternoon...well, the humans did.  Zoey didn't like being staked out in a grassy area eventho she had a bowl of water (shared with Fanny) and half the order of chicken nuggets.  She whined and cried most of the afternoon.  Eventually, I took them for a walk...connecting the leashes so I just had to hold on to one...and after seeing Jeff, Zoey calmed down for awhile.  They managed to pull me over as we walked back up the launch path from the canal to the picnic area and Jeff had to come and take the dogs while I got to my feet. (So graceful!)  We went back to the picnic table and I read some more, Fanny stretched out and Zoey whined.  Suddenly Jeff gave a shout!  He had hooked a fish!  A big one, too!  The girls and I walked over to the edge of the picnic area in time to see him net a large carp.  Two kayakers had just come out of the canal and were there to help him...and take photos.  (Guess who forgot her camera at home??)   After the excitement was over I gave up and packed us back into the car...it was much more comfortable.  Fanny was soon asleep and Zoey, sitting on my lap under my book, was at last quiet.  About an hour later, Jeff called out again, but this time it was for me to back the car down to the water so he could load up his stuff. We stopped at McD's again on the way out of Little Falls for cold drinks ($1/any size) and an ice cream cone which I shared with the dogs.    One of the kayakers had taken a photo of Jeff and his fish with his cell phone and when we got home I tried to send it email to me.  Still waiting for it.  If it ever arrives I'll post it here.  All in all, it was a nice day for a picnic at the canal.

Almost Summer

   We had several days of summer-like weather...sunshine, blue skies, warm weather...and then Mother Nature decided we had had enough and we're back to spring-like weather...cool and wet.  Jeff

got most of the yard mowed with the Cub Cadet.  (You can understand how he got the mower stuck when he was looking for Zoey back there.)    I keep  offering to do the edging with the walk-behind mower but he hasn't got it started yet.  Probably needs clean oil, new oil filter,  new spark plug and some gas.  I'll just keep reminding him and he'll get to it...before he goes fishing, I hope.  This is the

old horse pasture between our house and Wally's.   No wonder no one could see if Zoey was hiding in there!
   I worked in the shop on Sunday and it was a

very slow day.  The weather was beautiful and most everyone who came in bought something but not that many people came in...and their purchases weren't that big, either.  Towards the end of the day a teenage boy (not part of our normal age/sex group of customers)  came in and walked around the shop.  After a few minutes deep in thought he brought a small primitive doll up to the counter.  He had played at Doubleday Field earlier and decided to buy a souvenir to take home to someone (...mom?).  There had been only 1 good sale all day.  Two ladies who were traveling via motorcycle came in and one...a young grandmother...fell in love with Sharon's sundresses.  I assured her a quick spin in the dryer would get rid of any wrinkles in the dress from being squashed in a saddlebag.  Her friend kept saying 'he told you to go buy some gifts'.  So she did.  The friend took my card.  She was looking at baby sweaters but wants to wait for the baby to be born.
   I had brought knitting with me but had to stop because my left thumb was very sore and the pain  kept running down into my wrist.  I thought I had put my wrist brace in my bag but I couldn't find it.  Good thing I had grabbed a book or it would have been a long, long day.
  My hat display is about empty!  The back row...with baseball, pumpkin and winter hats is full but most of the girly, flower-trimmed hats have sold.  I'm suppose to work again on June 23rd so I should have enough time to make a dozen hats to fill up the space.  At least something of mine is selling!
  I stopped in Richfield and put some gas in the car on the way home.  I don't understand why gas there and in Ilion...both Stewart's...are .06 less a gallon than in Herkimer.  Jeff thought it was because they're both south of the Thruway and Herkimer is north of it but we were in Frankfort yesterday...also south of the Thruway...and gas at Stewart's was not as low as in Ilion or Richfield.  Oh, well, we're always going to Ilion to Aldi's or the Library so I'll just keep getting gas there...or in Richfield on my way to the shop.  It just seems strange to me.
  I found the end of a skein of Mary Maxim's Baby Blankie, a self-pattern acrylic yarn, and decided to make 1 more bunting/sleep sack.  I always end up with a lot of ends when I use a self-patterning yarn because I don't like it when the pattern shifts in the middle of a row.  And I'm having trouble with one of the repeats.  It's suppose to be a checkerboard

but it's not quiet working out so I'm going to end it and go back to the Fair Isle repeat.  I think there is enough of that one left to finish the length of the bunting (19").  Then it will have a white ribbing on the bottom and an apple

green cord.  The buttons are apple green, too.  The green breaks up the pink nicely and the bunting looks pretty cool...if I say so myself! It need a hat...there isn't any pink left so it will have to be white.  I'll come back and post a photo of the set when it's completed...which is my signal to get busy knitting!
(And the finished project: 

It should fit a newborn up to 3 months old.  The checkerboard didn't repeat quite like I expected but it still looks good.  And it's finished!  

And here's the hat, too.  Finished and all in the bag...my Stock bag...ready for the trip to the shop!  6/13/19)

A Couple of Interesting Experiences

   This has been an interesting week.  Tuesday was my annual appointment with the cardiologist at Bassett in Cooperstown.  He listened to my heart, smiled and said 'very good'.  Then he thought about it for a few minutes and decided to order an EKG to make sure he heard the St Jude Mechanical heart valve and my heart correctly.  He did.  He also told me that there is some research being done to replace Warfarin as a blood thinner but it will be a few years yet before it's on the market.  Swell.  I guess I don't have much choice, do I?  My next appointment is next June BUT it will be in Herkimer!
  My knees and right ankle are still bothering me, keeping me awake at night and making it a little difficult to walk so I dug my Mom's 1st cane, a wooden one, out of the closet and started using it around the house and from the car to a shopping cart.  I feel rather foolish but it helps...I can walk faster and I'm not afraid of falling!  It really came in handy today when we had some excitement with Zoey.  Jeff likes to take her with him when he gets the mail and she loves riding in the wagon behind the Cub Cadet.  Today when they came back and parked the machine in the yard, he started playing training games with her, stressing 'stay in the yard'.  Now Fanny learned this command rather quickly but Zoey's nose gets in her way and she tends to roam. I heard him yell the command several times and then I noticed him running to the Cub Cadet.  Zoey had found a trail to track!  By the time Fanny and I got outside, Zoey was out of sight, Jeff and the Cub Cadet were stuck in the tall grass.  I tried calling her but no response.  Fanny went into the old horse pasture between our house and Wally's garage and since I had grabbed my cane, I was able to walk down to the road and up to the cemetery.  No sign or sound of Zoey.  By the time I got back to the house Jeff and Fanny were ready to get into the car so I joined them and we did a quick run thru the 1st cemetery, then onto the highway and into the 1st parking lot that runs back to our little woods.  Still no Zoey.  We went back onto the highway and down to the dead end street that runs back to the old trolley right-of-way that use to run from Arthur St in E. Herkimer past our house.  No sign of Zoey.  When we got back home Jeff started back thru the high weeds with the Cub Cadet but I just stood in the backyard and called Zoey a couple of times and there she was!  I think she must have been around the house...in the high weeds or in the horse pasture...the entire time.  After we left in the car, she might have come home, went into the house...the doors were open...and discovered we all were gone!  I think she looked a little scared and happy at the same time!  She was thirsty and tired, that's for sure!  The scariest part was that she had 10 ft of leash trailing along from her collar. I was afraid she'd get tangled in something and be stuck for who-knows how long.  Jeff was so upset/mad that he couldn't talk to her or pet her.  All he could say was 'I told you to stay in the yard' over and over.  I think Fanny

might have been trying to tell us Zoey was in the horse pasture, too, coz she went into it 2 or 3 times.  She also found something foul to roll in 

requiring a wipe down with baby wipes...something Fanny doesn't exactly cares for. (Her other side was even worse looking...and smelling!)

   This week I also finally managed to get a sweater order finished and in the mail.  It was for a hoodie with a train going around the body just above the ribbing.  The sweater, a size 2,  was the easy part,

getting a separating 14"zipper in a color that wouldn't clash was the difficult part!  Our local Walmart doesn't even carry separating zippers and the online sewing distributor I ordered one 

from had a lousy choice of colors.  I got a beige zipper but it didn't work well with the green sweater.  Ended up taking a ride to JoAnn Fabrics last weekend and while I was able to get a 14" zipper, it had to be black.  (The shortest green one was 18".)  After our stop at JoAnn's...in New Hartford Shopping Center...we went took the arterial to Riverside Mall...in North Utica...so Jeff could go to ProBass Shop.  He got a bunch of fishing lures, etc. and a free hat that was too small for him but fits me fine!  I hate driving on that road!!

   While at Riverside we went to Five Guys for lunch.  Their burgers are good and we're able to get 1 order of french fries and split it.  We haven't been to Five Guys in awhile and I don't think we'll be going back again anytime soon.  While the food was good, it cost $25...for 2 burgers, 1 FF and 2 drinks!  The night before we had gone to Fat Cats in Herkimer for fish fries and it didn't cost us that much for 2 dinners!