Classic Lines Cardigan, part deux

I loved the original CLC so much that I'm going to knit another one, except it will be a sweater, not a cardigan, and without the contrast stripe. It's also going to be 3/4 sleeves with a slight bell effect to the sleeves. So it's a modified part deux.

I'm using KnitPicks Shadow Lace yarn in the Oregon Coast Heather colorway.

Family heirlooms

Last weekend Hubby and I went to OKC to help my brother finish cleaning out my father's storage unit. My brother took some things, and these are some of the items we brought back.

A family Bible written in German in the old font, kinda hard to read in places. It weighs next to nothing, even though it's very thick. It's almost like the pages have lost all moisture.





1826. 1826!!!! Wow. I can read a few of the words, "geboren" (born on), and some names, although I don't know who they are.

Looks like it was published in Hamburg, 1824. I lived in Hamburg for a year as an exchange student -- not in 1824, though. ;)




A family photo album, I don't know these people, but I know they are kin. The ancestry written in the front is my Mamaw's hand, my mom's mom.



The turning lock still works.

The last names are my mom and dad, and I am Corinna.

The poses, clothing, and facial expressions are fairly creepy.

They all look so solemn.


A shoebox full of coins and paper money, from all over the world.

How about the rare Wooden Nickle there in the middle? :)

I believe this is military script.... front

and back.

And......it's done

I finally made myself sit down and darn these five pairs of socks. I do not like darning, but too much effort had been put into knitting these beasties, so a little bit of effort to keep them in shape is not amiss. Now I have a full complement in my sock drawer again.

A tangle of darned socks.

Happy Birthday Roger!

Our son turned 24 on Saturday, April 23. He's such a fine young man, we are very proud of him and love him so much!! He spent the day as a groomsman in his friend's wedding and danced the evening away at the reception. He teased them a little about not needing to throw him such a big birthday party, but what a nice gesture. lol

Happy Birthday, Son!

It's been quite a week

My poor hubby has been sick since last Sunday, coughing and unable to draw a deep breath. On Monday I took him to the doctor, who said he had bronchitis. Thankfully he said the lungs didn't sound like pneumonia, which Hubby has been hospitalized for before. Anyhoo, got the meds and took the lad home.

Tuesday, no better. Wednesday, no better. In fact, my daughter texts me and says that dad can't breath. As soon as I get home from work, I take him to the Urgent Care for an x-ray and breathing treatment. His blood pressure was very high, the machine starting beeping because the levels were dangerous. The x-ray showed no pneumonia still, thank goodness, and the breathing treatment did seem to help. He is miserable though, and even the nurses were popping in more than normal just to make sure he was okay. They give him two shots in the keester, and send us home with more prescriptions, this time for a cough medicine that means business.

So Thursday and Friday go by, and at least he is beginning to look like a human again. He can go without coughing now and is able to get up and move around the house without getting winded. Saturday we go to OKC to help my brother finish clearing out out dad's storage unit. (That was kinda tough, going through all the travel pics and memorabilia from a life lived 88 years.) Hubby is a lot better and makes this trip fine, but he's tired when we get home. Still, it's good to see him looking more normal and not so pale and wan.

Today is Sunday again, one week from when it all started, and he's getting better, but having lots of trouble sleeping at night because of being all stuffed up. Here's to hoping that the improvements continue and he can get back to his normal life.

Fiddly pieces

The stairsteps are all in, now Hubby is adding the finish piece to each side of each step. Very labor intensive, but it's looking beautiful.

To honor the flag

My nephew Tony received the flag off my father's casket. He did a beautiful job of getting it displayed.

Add another candle to the cake!

Happy Birthday, Hubby! I love you!

Stairway to Heaven....?

Well, not quite, but Richard is getting there! More stair treads done, and the first upper newel post set.

Daddy's Funeral

What a beautiful funeral! My hubby Richard rented us a minivan so that we could all ride comfortably from Tulsa to Oklahoma City, and he did a great job driving us, as he always does. The day was nicely warm and very very windy, in only the way an Oklahoma day can be. The tent that was set up sheltered us from the wind quite nicely, though.

There were friends of Daddy's from the independent living center who came, and other old acquaintances, and family who could make it in. We had my Cousin Robert and his lady friend, Kathy, from Dallas, TX. There was my "Aunty" Marilyn and her three adult girls, "Cousins" Jackie, Susie, and Carolyn. They aren't exactly my aunt and cousins, but Marilyn is my Dad's cousin and we grew up around them all, so we call them Aunty and Cousins because we're all so close. My best friend and her husband came to support us, Dana and Roger Price, from Tulsa. My brother's two sons were there, Tony and his wife, Sam, from Byers, TX, and their two kiddos, Hailey and Bryson (the great grand kids!), and younger son Steven. Tony wore his Army uniform. Our two children were there, Roger and his girlfriend Chelsea, and our daughter Katie. Roger also wore his uniform. The two young men looked so dashing! It just happened to turn out that my in-laws from England, Pat and Reg Sawkins, are here visiting for two weeks, and so they of course attended.

We all stood while the six-man Air Force Honor Guard team removed the flag draped casket from the hearse. They very slowly and deliberately walked it across the ground to under the tent, setting it in place. They removed the flag from the top and folded it according to tradition. There were so many different and precise movements of hand and arm that they did, very beautiful! Once the flag was folded and the end tucked in, all but one of the Honor Guard stepped back and moved away. (My brother and I had already decided that his son, Tony, would receive the flag. This is because Tony has served active duty in the Army and has seen action overseas. While he is now retired, he was the first to follow his Grampa's footsteps into the military.) The young man holding the flag turned and walked very deliberately towards Tony. He bent down on one knee and presented the flag to him. We were all choked up at this time, and Tony was obviously moved. Tony took the flag very gently and carefully and cradled it to him. The Honor Guard member walked away.

Over some way from the tent, the Honor Guard was now in place to give rifle honors. Daddy was a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force, and as such was entitled to 9 guns, or three rifle volleys. Again, the precision of motion of the Honor Guard team was beautiful to see. Then taps was played.

This is where I lost it. While I had been tearing up and sniffling, it wasn't until taps that I actively began to cry. As the notes lingered in the air, we all sat down. Cousin Robert played the guitar and sang a hymn. Then the minister gave a lovely synopsis of Daddy's life, and a very short sermon. He did a very nice job and kept to our wishes that this not be a dirge or doom and gloom sermon, but rather a celebration of Daddy's life and accomplishments. After he was finished, Cousin Robert played one more song on the guitar. The service was concluded.

A very nice touch came next. The Honor Guard had picked up the spent cartridges and given them to the funeral director. He approached both my son, Roger, and my nephew Tony, and gave each of them three cartridges. Both young men were obviously touched by this gesture, and so was I.

After talking a bit at the graveside, the family went to Mamasita's Mexican Restaurant to relive old times and to reconnect. I am so thankful for all the love and support my family and my brother's family received today. We were able to say goodbye to our Father surrounded by love, and to honor him as he deserved. We miss you Daddy, but we know you're with Mama and Kenny now, so we'll be okay.

I love you, Ole Bes' Friend, from Daddy's Little Dolly.

********

Here is a link to the Memory Book for my Daddy that the funeral director put up. It's got the actual obituary in it and some other neat stuff.

My nephew Tony holding the flag, and his wife, Samantha.

More stairs

A good piece of work was accomplished: the main newel post was put into place.



Remember how the newel used to look?

It was a nice square piece of wood.

Look how complicated the cuts were to get it to fit into the staircase...







I am really proud of my Hubby! How in the world he could figure out how to make the cuts and at what angles, I'll never know. He just has the brain for it.

Daddy, may your journey be peaceful

On Sunday, April 3rd, late in the afternoon, my Daddy went to join my Mama and my oldest brother. He was in the hospital battling pneumonia, but he passed away peacefully with my brother and me, and my husband, at his side. He was 88. Today we finished the arrangements for the funeral for our Dad. It will be a graveside service at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 9th.

He was a pilot in WWII, and also served in the reserves, then was stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany, where I was born. After he retired from a lifetime of service to our country, we all located to Norman, Oklahoma, where I grew up.

Daddy was a great dad. There aren't words enough to express how wonderful, except that he loved everyone, and he never met a stranger.

But it's all okay. I know my dad was greeted by my mom and brother, and guided onwards. I see them all in their prime, happy and vibrant, and I know that all is good.