MacTavish is proud to announce that he has been referenced on Jaya's Blog! He wants everyone to know he'd be quite willing to take part in a beer tasting, but would prefer european beers. His recent research into his family history* has uncovered the interesting fact that one of his ancestors was a favorite of the Empress Josephine in France. He was the only pug (or only dog, for that matter,) ever known to have bitten Napoleon and lived to tell about it.


*from wikipedia: Trivia
Joséphine Bonaparte had a pug named Fortune, and he was used by Joséphine to send Napoleon secret messages. It is also said that on their wedding night Napoleon refused to allow Fortune to sleep with them in the bed, and Fortune then bit him. Joséphine said, "If the pug doesn't sleep in our bed, neither do I!" From then on, Napoleon shared his bed with Joséphine and her pug.

**more pug history at Pugspot

New Red Sock project

This pattern is from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road. page 26-29. Nancy tells us that Dalarna, Sweden was the inspiration for these socks, that Dalarna is a very traditional area of Sweden where old ways are carried on. She went to weaving school there. The pattern says that "red is the traditional color of ladies' stockings."

I don't understand what she means by Tvaandstickning (or twining). The little pattern running down each side is called a "clock pattern."

I'm using size 1 needles and the yarn is Rowan 4 ply soft (100% merino wool) Machine washable on warm - but minimum machine action.

Hempathy swatch

Not a regular swatch. Just trying different sized needles and stitches. Hempathy is 41% cotton and 34% hemp. Would be good for a summer sweater. Maybe for next year.

Figure Painting

Virginia Tech mourning

Since Monday morning’s senseless killing of so many young and promising students on the campus of Virginia Tech, the television has reported non-stop and I have listened and watched one seemingly unbelievable fact after another. It is not possible to say anything that has not been said hundreds of times, but I do want to say how grieved I am for the parents and friends of the victims. And also for the parents and family of the shooter, who were also helpless in the face of this mentally deranged person.

The television asks many questions that seem to have no answers. Television people even question their own coverage – and well they should. I question the fact that I have left it on and have watched it, also wanting to know “answers” when there are no sensible or reasonable answers. I don’t know any answers. I don’t know whether they should be showing these pictures of the shooter or not. But I do know that it is not easy to “get help” for people like this. It is easy to say “get help” but it is not easy to get it, especially for someone who does not think they need it, and not all “help” is really helpful for them.

One voice of clarity I heard last night was Pete Early – on one of the news channels. He was being interviewed because of a book he’d written. But his message was of how frustrating it is to try to get help, and of the difficulty he had even with all his connections and all his resources and money. How he was told to come back when his son had killed or threatened to kill someone. That there was nothing they could do unless something that drastic had happened. When he did finally get him into a hospital, the insurance company rejected him after a few days and put pressure on the hospital to release him.

Our laws – on mental health and on guns – seem to allow no exceptions – not even for common sense.

Cold but good cable weather

I didn't get the photo of the dogwood blooming -- the temperature dropped drastically that night and for several nights was down in the 20s, destroying the iris buds, the dogwood blooms, and the early efforts of the crepe myrtle.

The days have been cold too. In the 50's. Cold and rainy too. Perfect days for staying in and reading or watching movies.

My cable company has given us a free week of HBO and MAX channels, and it came at a perfect time, even though it does contribute to insomnia.

Last week I watched four movies. The Skeleton key, Match Point, Woman Wanted, and last night The Keys to the House.

The Skeleton Key (with Kate Hudson) is a ghosty movie, set in Louisiana bayou country.
Woman Wanted is a triangle story with Holly Hunter (magnificent red hair), and Kiefer Sutherland. Father and son both fall in love with their housekeeper (Holly) while still unable to talk to each other about the death of their wife and mother.
Match Point is another triangle story - a man, his wife and his mistress. It is an intriguing drama, an unlikely murder, chance happenings, hidden feelings. This story was written by Woody Allen.
The Keys to the House:
Amazon's Plot Synopsis: "Prepare yourself for suffering if you intend to be close to him." So speaks the mother of a young woman with severe disabilities, speaking to Gianni, the father of 16-year-old Paolo, himself developmentally disabled. Gianni abandoned the boy at birth, when the child's mother died, and Paulo's aunt and uncle have raised him. They have contacted Gianni and asked him to take Paulo to Berlin for a battery of medical tests. Images of people walking, running, skating, and dancing dot the screen as Gianni and Paulo get to know each other. Over a few days, Gianni tries to sort out his obligations and his desires. Will he accept his role as father to this engaging, mercurial, disabled youth?