Ah how the days slip by – like when we were children and something that would make one shudder now – hold mercury in your hand. Before you could comprehend it was sitting in your hand it would shift and spill off, shattered into so many tiny bits you could never get it all back. So much has happened since my last post – its set me back in my chair trying to comprehend it all. And as my friend Gina once told me, only something like 10% ever gets blogged. Well, without further ado, here is my 10%. D & E on a visit here 2008 (Click on photo to visit Cicero’s blog) Firstly – Just three weeks ago my friend E. of Cicero Sings blog finds herself alone, losing her husband, best friend D. in an instant – taken by a massive heart attack. He was only 60. They were SO happy – the sort of couple who ooze completeness. It just does not make sense. I’ve been completely broken for E as I feel my Mr. and I are the same sort of happiness and I can’t fathom what it is like. I won’t share any details – thats for E. to do, if you find time to visit her blog and leave a few words of comfort. Three weeks and later, well thats when all the “things” are done and real life hits hard I am sure. Perhaps some encouragement will be a balm for our sister as she walks this hard, hard road. I am truly GLAD that E. is a believer and KNOWS that this, this difficult time was written, that one day she and D will meet in heaven when the Lord appoints her time to be there with him. Its this in between time we need to be here for each other – help one another over the bumps in the road. And the week before this I lost my lovely friend Eileen – she was 90 and had a full and long life, but it still stung. Life downright smarts sometimes. So, this has caused me to not blog a bit – I admit that every time I went to write something it all seemed so trivial in light of what my friend is suffering. But time is moving on and if I don’t kick myself in the pants right now then I may leave this blog to fall into decay. So, I’ve whipped up a little post to share. Its year end for the Learning Centre – which will now be known as youlearn.ca where my sweetie works. It too is a bittersweet time watching the grads. I am completely grateful that I am welcomed to help. This year I assisted as we “gowned” the grads. In speaking with them their stories were all so encouraging. There was a range from ages 17 to into the 40’s. Being as I graduated in my 40’s it recalled a turmoil and I’m afraid I was a bit weepy while helping. There was a funny moment when a secretary asked to borrow my iphone to call a grad who had not showed up. Earlier in the day while we were setting up and decorating and had a couple of quiet moments I was showing her my iphone and all the apps and the power of it. One of the apps I showed her was the Yellow Pages app – how you can search the yellow pages from the palm of your hand, hit a number and make it call within seconds. Well, it certainly turned out to be useful for the grad ceremony was held in the Mini Theatre and there is no phone there. So the secretary, remembering that I had that app asked me (during the gowning, so LAST MINUTE) if we might look up this particular student’s phone number and call, which we did. She got the grad on the phone and asked him what he was up to… he replied “Just sitting here watching tv.” She then clued him in that it was grad (even though she said she had phoned, sent letters home etc for the previous weeks) So, she said he better move it down the highway and bring his family for this milestone event. He was in the neighbouring community so he was there within 1/2 hour but at least he made it! There are some useful apps on that there phone! Also, you most likely might have seen there was a HUGE mudslide in our area just a week or so ago! You can read more about this HERE – this is not far from where we are! How unfortunate for those affected – especially in light that authorities had been warned by a hiker just a few days before as he had seen the dam above was overflowing with all the recent rains. Ok, so those are just a few things that have been pulling at me – now I’ll dwell on something almost mindless – my tatting. In between things I’ve continued to tat and have come up with my very first pattern all of my own and I’d like to share it! You are welcome to use it and copy but I will ask you to credit me with the design if you republish please! Its my own take on a dragonfly – I saw a few lovely patterns online but I wanted something a bit more delicate and yet sturdy in the body too. I used Size 50 Mercer Crochet JP Coats thread. I worked the wings in a different colour than the body. I’ll walk you through with photos first – explaining as I go along, then will post the actual pattern (illustration") I am not real sure how to write the pattern out like I see it in books yet but if anyone could do that for me I would put it all together with my illustrations and offer it as a pdf document later? Tat the body first – it is seperate Body done – tying ends off to make bumps on the end of the “feelers” Next, (step A) hook your shuttle tip through the second to top ring and draw it through. Pull shuttle through the loop and anchor for the first (bottom) wing. First wing done, repeat (step A) then anchor OPPOSITE side for bottom wing left side. Tat second wing. And third wing, then fourth. All done! Each of the little lines on the tips of the wings are, of course, picots. Happy Tatting!