Enter the French Canadian house elf or she who keeps to the shadows.

For a week now I have been in Mankato. My sister Heidi's Day care provider had surgery for ovarian cancer and is starting chemo therapy and this created a need for someone to help out providing care for Connor. Here I am and if you know me, you know I do not do housework. When I come to Mankato I am followed by a French Canadian house elf who takes care of those undesirable house hold duties from the shadows, I may admit to the occasional load of laundry or floor sweeping but the little French Canadian creature is quite busy.

I tried to be organized when preparing for my trip here, however the best laid plans can fail; I forgot my KNITTING! No one, not even I could believe it, thank God for Mary Lues. I picked up some needles and a small bit of yarn. Saturday Heidi, Connor and a couple of the boys made a trip to run a few errands in the cities and pick up my knitting.

The house elf has been busy, while I share Connor duties, he likes to be chased, starting to work on potty training, uses his finger to shoot people and does a very dramatic death scene at times. He was introduced to the fun of squirt guns yesterday and got a bit wet. Connor is not so gentle with dogs, we need to help Bella stay out of his grasp so she is not crushed. The other day I went up stairs, the dogs normally follow me everywhere but failed to follow me up that time, Connor grabbed Bella, Heidi heard the jingling of Sadie's tags on her collar, she went into the hall to see Sadie dancing around Connor who had a tight grasp on Bella and she told him to put her down. Needless to say Connor dropped Bella and both dogs ran for all they were worth up the stairs to find me.

The house elf has been washing dishes, doing some laundry and sweeping floors. Heidi loves the little
French Canadian elf and hopes it sticks around, I am sure she will stay around as long as I am here. Heidi's glasses were getting a lime build up and the house elf went off the deep end this morning, pulled all the glasses out of the cupboard to soak them in lemon juice dishwater, most of the lime build up came off, another soaking should do it, the little elf is quite happy with herself.

I got a dose of nature yesterday and was brutally reminded that outside cats hunt and not just mice; poor little birdie soldiers are now in heaven. He is not my cat so I will no get away with putting a collar with a bell on him.

I am working on a top down raglan sweater for Connor, a pair of socks and my lace sweater. Tia finished a narrow scarf that I seamed into a mobius for her today, and she is working on a lace scarf as well. Heidi is finishing her mohair sweater.

May all your stitching trails be happy ones.

Stitchinghermit