Puppy Ratty Scarf

Goodness, it's been a while since I wrote! I've just been writing madly on my next book, a kid's puzzle book for Hinkler Books, and feeling pretty depressed, I must admit - the fires are still getting me down, with flashbacks to what we went through in Canberra 6 years ago, plus various health problems at home (mainly Hubby), an old friend died, and my uncle is still in a worrying situation. I'm overworked, fed up and unwell. It's all too much sometimes.

On the plus side, I've proofread my Wiley book (it's starting to look real, the Graphic Dept have put it together). I printed it out for the first time last weekend (I've been trying to save paper and have worked almost entirely electronically up til now), and goodness, it's quite a pile, even double-sided! Two months til it's out in bookshops :)

We have caved in, and a year after Lily's death, have applied for a new chihuahua puppy, and hang the consequences (in terms of renting and the 'no pets' policy adopted by so many landlords). We miss having a dog too much, and I refuse to let the fact that we rent cripple our lifestyle that much! We need puppy cuddles!!!

She will be from Joviva Chihuahuas, just a few suburbs from us. This is the mummy - Kenya. The dad is of similar colouring, so I'm guessing the pups will also be short-haired and dark. Litter is due on 19 March!

It's been hot again - high fire danger impending this weekend, which is a worry for Victoria. Even the ratties have been needing some relief ... they nabbed Dotter's icy pole, and spent a wonderfully hilarious half hour licking the mangoey goodness!

My uncle has just finished 6 days of chemo for his returned leukaemia ... it's a very stressful and worrying time. The leukaemia has crossed the brain-blood barrier, so is in his brain now. It's not brain cancer, it just means that the blood in his brain now has leukaemia in it. He had an Ommaya Reservoir put in yesterday.

This is the Victorian Sampler Spring Scarf, from Knit Picks (here's the Ravlery link), which I'm making for my aunt, as she's going through a hell of a lot too. It's knit with Coolaroo Alpaca from Berrima, and I'm making it longer than the original pattern says. A quick knit.


Hope you're well, I'm sorry I've been absent online a fair bit - in April I'm taking the whole month off, my first holiday in well over a year, in fact I can't actually remember when I last had time off work .... and I can catch up then! I can't wait!!

ETA : We are allowed pets at our current house - so the new puppy won't be a problem here. We're just concerned about what happens when we have to move house one day ...