New opinion piece on Canadian Lyme disease research/funding

Here's my latest piece on the CBC:
(Along with a pretty big tick photo!)

Lyme disease research, funding falling behind in Canada

fishtail scarf now available

 Back in 2009, Yarn Forward magazine published this design.  It's a simple scarf with a twist--you can use all the buttonholes to wear the scarf any way you might like, or you can twist a silk scarf through those holes.  Either way, it's a fun, carry-along summer project.

That magazine has unfortunately gone out of print (as many have, these days) so I've released the pattern as a pdf download.  It's available here on Ravelry:

Fishtail Scarf

It should also be available on Loveknitting soon, as well.

 I've also been playing a bit with an app that enables you to create a sketch from a photo.  I took a photo I'd posted here, and gave it try.  Here's the result...and it still looks like the warm weather we've been having here.  Lots of sunshine, a bit of rain, and some warm days.

Now we are six

It's been a busy few days here, as our twins have just turned six.  Conveniently, we had a school holiday on their birthday, so we had plenty of time to have fun.  (Aside from the actual holiday observance, we went to the zoo, which was great, as usual.)  We've had hot sunny weather, which is a real surprise at this time of year.  It is usually still a bit unpredictable...yes, frost is still technically possible.

One of the boys' presents was to get this poster framed.  One of their kind aunts picked this up at the 2014 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.  I think maybe she took a couple of my nephews there.  Then, somehow this extra poster migrated to Winnipeg, and in a fit of tidiness, I cleaned off our breakfront.  (where all mail and other flotsam and jetsam goes to die.)

Along with an old utility bill (gosh, our rates have really gone up!) I discovered the poster.  It matches the boys' bedroom perfectly and they fell in love.  We sang together about "The man in the moon" (He's smiling, cause he's in love with the girl in the world) and they decided it reminded them of the book Goodnight Moon, which they can recite.  So, it had to go on the wall...because it also reminds me of when the Obamas hosted such things, and celebrated books...learning, and knowledge.
  We walked to the local art gallery and framers and got it done.

Tomorrow, assuming the weather holds, we will plant our garden and celebrate two six year olds in style with a small party and a lot of gelati.  I took 10 minutes this past week to sit outside with our plants, admire the weather, and drink some iced tea.  (real brewed iced tea is an oddity in Winnipeg; no one seems to have heard of it, so I just make it at home when it is hot.)

I have been trying to finish this really long biography about Abraham Joshua Heschel in these rare free moments.  It goes slowly, but I am 1/3rd of the way through the second book...it's due back to the library soon!

Harry the dog enjoys the dirt and shade here.  It was a hazy day.
I hope you're also getting some small breaks in the sunshine, wherever you are...

(And yes, everyone has recited A.A. Milne's poem to the boys, and they are definitely "clever as clever, and I think I'll stay six now for ever and ever.")