Lazy Meme Post...

Taken from Michelle, who took it from Mim.

Bold for stuff you’ve done, italics for stuff you plan to do one day, and normal for stuff you’re not planning on doing.

Afghan/Blanket (baby)
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting (is this)
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

RIP Cumula....

It is with great sadness that I announce our sweet Cumula's passing this past Sunday evening. We believe she died in her sleep, with her sisters Pilea and Strata piled up close.

Cumula will be very much missed.

Also, Oslo Rocked

But more on that later. I am working on photographs, but today belongs to Cumula and Pilea.

Today's Earworm is still Andvari by Sigur Rós.

Kisses and gentle pats to Cumula and Pilea.

Trouble in Mouse Paradise

As some of you know, and especially if you have viewed my photos, I have several pet mice; one colony of PEW (pink-eyed white) sisters and one lone wild mouse.

Pink-eyed white mice (also known as lab mice) are prone to disease, having been bred to be especially susceptible to it for the purposes of medical study. Respiratory disease and cancer are the predominant ailments, in my experience. It has been many years since I chose a mouse as a pet; they tend to choose me through various avenues, and when I do chose a mouse, I tend to stay away from PEWs as the heartbreak of losing them only comes sooner. That said, this little colony of sisters has been, for the most part, with me for nearly three years (quite good for mice). We lost one of the sisters, Nimba, to respiratory trouble last summer.

Now it seems I am about to lose both Pilea and Cumula.

Pilea has had two bouts of respiratory trouble in the past four months. Both have cleared up, but often a bout of this kind of trouble means a weakened immune system. I had noticed before leaving for Oslo that she looked and moved "differently" -- hard to explain, but if you've ever had a relative or pet fall ill but not tell you, sometimes you just know because they are different in minute ways.
After arriving home, and being greeted by the mice, I could suddenly see that Pilea had lost weight, and there is now a large lump visible on her left flank/belly. She is in good spirits, but it is only a matter of time.

This being bad enough, while spending time with the Cloud Mice (as we collectively call them) yesterday evening, my husband noticed that Pilea, Strata and Cirra were missing their whiskers and eyebrows! Cumula has barbered them in the past, but usually their regular fur between their eyes (so they look like they are wearing spectacles) or on their cheeks; this is the first time she's trimmed whiskers. Nibbling off whiskers is a common trick a mother cat or mouse will do to her litter to keep them from wandering off when they are too young. Obviously, Cumula for some reason didn't want to be left alone... But why?

This morning, I went downstairs to say good morning and give Pilea her medicine. None of the mice came out of the nest right away, and one of the mice seemed to be having trouble rolling over to walk. She became more distressed, as did I, so I detached their nest pod and opened it up (the other mice had run down for breakfast already).
Sure enough, Cumula is paralysed from her hips down. We thought she was just kind of fat (well, she was), but I believe she also has a tumour pressing on her spine, and last night or the day before it finally pressed down enough to paralyse her. I feel just terrible having thought she was merely a pudgy mouse, and a lazybones yesterday in not getting out of the nest. I have done what I can to make her comfortable today in moving the main nest down to the ground floor, and putting food and water within reach, but she is quite upset and dragging herself about trying to hide. I can only hope that her sisters pile up around her today (as they did with Nimba last year) and groom her frequently (this is how mice show they care about you). We have an appointment this evening with our favourite mouse vet, but there won't be anything he can do of course.

The coming days and weeks will be very difficult. I had hoped this year we would not lose any of our beloved pets.

Today's Earworm: Andvari, by Sigur Rós