Saying Goodbye

This morning we travelled to Abingdon to say a final goodbye to our friend Joe. I was glad that we were able to spend time with him just 1 week before he died. As always, I resisted the "obligation" to walk up to the open casket, preferring to remember him as I saw him last - tired and weak, but still full of piss and vinegar. Jeanette was amazing to be so strong as to write and read the eulogy herself. She started us laughing from the beginning by saying that as she wrote the words of the eulogy, she kept thinking "urology." She pointed out to family and close friends what they meant to Joe, who maybe was not so at ease with saying how he felt. She talked about all the goofy nicknames that he gave to his work buddies, and how he and he best Buddy got sauced and then had her take them to Boca Raton mall to get their ears pierced -- one each, so that they could share pairs of earrings. It was an extremely personal remembrance and I admire her courage to take on this project as yet another show of her total love for Joe. It was not until the Marine guards marched in, removed and then folded the flag for presentation, that she lost it. So did the rest of us. I am sorry that I did not meet Joe sooner. He was an anomaly that won't be repeated again.

On the Home Front
We came back home to find the bricklayer just pulling in and hoping to set scaffolding in preparation for rebuilding our chimney on Monday. This one guy set this whole scaffolding structure by himself. I have helped Darling Husband set scaffolding 3 or 4 times and it was monstrously hard work. We didn't actually watch him do it, so I'm thinking he might have used a magic wand or something.

During the yearly clean, we learned from the furnace technician that the old chimney was crumbling so much that it was fouling the furnace and suggested we have it relined. The relining company said the outer structure was about to fall off the house and would need to be rebuilt before the liner could be added. So, there you are, 6 weeks later, the bricklayer is here and once he finishes, the liner work can start. It has been chilly today so I'm thinking we might be done just in time to start up the furnace.

New Landlords in Town?
We left Bricklayer Greg in order to meet the owner of a little house that we are now officially under contract to purchase! The papers were signed at about 3:00 and if all goes according to plan, we will settle by the end of October AND have a new tenant ready to move in. Anyone out there looking for a darling little house in a historic neighborhood with superb landlords? I won't say too much more now in case I might jinx the process -- but a photo will come soon.

Knitting
I received an eBay purchase yesterday -- last Spring'sl issue of Interweave Knits which includes the pattern for this cool top -- the "Cable-Eight" -- to be worked in Pakucho Organic Cotton which I happen to have in my stash. In fact, I have enough to make two! I have the top in mind as a gift for a secret someone and if it turns out as well as I hope, perhaps I'll make a second as a nice gift for -- ME!

I have worked on the "Elegant Cardigan" only briefly as my schedule has been so whacked, but I'm hoping that tomorrow will be filled with lots of knitting time.