As I was organizing photos for the blog book tour stop, I ran across this photo of Old Buddy. He's my oldest cat, and now starting to fail as time goes on. He came into our lives as a stray, and when we had him neutered, the vet told us he was a very old cat. She also gave us the sad news that he had Feline Aids (FIV) and probably wouldn't live long. That was eight years ago, and he's been healthy as can be thanks to a whole foods diet and a lay-back attitude; that is, until lately. I'm preparing myself to let him go, without the frantic attachments I would have had in my younger day. He's had a long life and given us, as well as dozens of feline friends, all his sweet and gentle personality. Now he's tired, and he can go "over the rainbow bridge" whenever he chooses to give up the ghost. I'll always cherish this magical photo of him as he relaxes in the sun catching some warmth, unwittingly colored by the beams of a bevel in the kitchen window. When I post more pictures of my current knitting, it should be obvious why I've decided to call it The Buddy Project.
I spent a little time going through pattern books looking for fast holiday gifts. I'm always drawn to lace, and wish I could see and count well enough to crank out a nice shawl or scarf. Like the ones in Victorian Lace Today. So Old Buddy, here in his favorite pose, kept me company while I drooled over the pictures and patterns, and then cast aside any crazy ideas of casting on. He just drooled all over my wool scarf, perfectly content to let me have my little fantasies. He's a grand old cat, Buddy is.
