This and that.............

How can it be Friday already? This week has gone way too fast, but some wonderful things have happened.

The biggest and best event was the birth of grand-baby #8 yesterday afternoon. He had a bit of a rough go of it in the beginning, but is doing just fine now. Mom and baby Parker will be spending some extra time in the hospital because of a last minute C-section delivery, but should get to go home on Sunday. I didn't get to hold him yesterday, but am going back this afternoon for a cuddle. There is nothing sweeter than that little baby head up against your cheek. (That's his big brother, Preston, watching through the nursery window while the nurse is helping Parker to stabilize.)

It is cold with bright sunshine here today, which is great because that means the mud resulting from all the rain and snow is frozen and not sloppy. I have a little routine when I go to the barn for morning feeding chores. First, feed the barn cats and then put out hay for all the different groups of sheep, lamas and alpacas, feed the chickens and then carry hay out to the donkeys. Sadie, our barn kitten, zips around in front of me to each different field and group of animals, as if she taking inventory. She is fearless around the other animals, even though all of them could crush her in an instant. She runs underneath them and then climbs up on the nearest fence post and tries to touch their heads if they come close enough. It really seems as though she is trying to communicate with them.

Finally, just a wee bit of knitting for the new baby. I knit these handspun, alpaca booties some time ago and am taking them to the hospital today. They seem impossibly tiny and will be outgrown in a flash, but I think they are so cute. I just couldn't resist knitting them. I used the pattern I came up with for my beginning sock knitting classes. I always had the class knit up a mini-sock, so they could get through all the steps and understand the anatomy of a sock. Talk about instant gratification--these little things are just perfect!

Hope all have a good weekend and that you can fit in some quality knitting time. I'm sure planning on that.