Facing Vincent's Our Fears

Knitting blog purists, I know you've all but given up on this being an actual knitting blog. Sorry. I should change the name of the blog, since it makes a promise I just can't seem to keep.

And:

I should just accept the headaches as a fact of life. I am going to get them and they are going to shut me down, for all intents and purposes, for 24 hours every 28 or 30 days. Period. Because true to form, exactly 24 hours after the headache started, it stopped again. This time (it doesn't always happen this way) being outside in the fresh air helped. I dragged poor Vincent back up to the hill. And I do mean dragged. He dug his heels in and tried to run back home as soon as we hit the entrance to the trail. But I'm bigger than he is. I picked him up and carried him past the place where the Big Bad Wolf was last time. He still wasn't too convinced. He kept dawdling and looking behind him worriedly, making like if I gave him even a hint that we'd turn back, he was all ready to run back to the safety of home. Then again, he did not want to be too far from me, either.

I don't think so! Monsters are in there.

Mommy, please, home?! 

Come on, Vincent. It'll be ok.  Let's walk. Now modeling the L.L.Bean hiking boots that I adore. I wear these for gardening, too. Well worth the dear price.

Our side of the bump. The city, the lake, and the Adirondack bumps in the distance.

And we're walking......

Look, Vincent! The great beast has been taken care of! No more ravaging of Northern Franklin County!

The monument says: In this spot (note the arrow near the top, presumably pointing to the exact spot) in the year 1839 Lawrence Brainerd shot a grey wolf which had been ravaging the northeast part of Franklin Co. The great beast measured six feet in length.

Lawrence Brainerd: Hero. Either that, or rich. I'm guessing rich.

A tree doing yoga. Leg up, flat back, stretch to your toes!

The other side of the bump: More bumps!

Let's go home now and look at the penises we are growing in our garden. See? Nothing to be afraid of.

Ah! Headache all better. But no knitting.

Comments

[Kirsten]

Thank you, Norma. I just spewed cottage cheese on my monitor.

[margene]

As long as you take walks like that you can skip the knitting. It looks fabulous around you...no wonder the headache is gone! If you had mountains they would still be full of snow so NO walks.

[Vicki]

What's the variety? And is there a botanical name for that?

[carla]

Your a nut ball! ( that is a good thing)

[Wendy]

Awwwww, Vincent is such a cute l'il guy.

What fabulous surroundings for your walk!

[Jan]

Obviously, you're back to your old self! lol

[Annette]

Thanks for showing the pics of Franklin County. I haven't been home since August and I miss the green, the bumps, and the lake!

[Manise]

Poor Vincent- he looks like he's seen the boogie- dog. What's the name of the bump you climb? Have you climbed Mt. Filo in Charlotte before? A great work out.

Lovely asparagus! I have 7 inch penis shaped mushrooms that grow in my coarse bark mulch out back starting in the summer and into the fall. Rather amusing to behold.

[kate]

You just wanted to say penis so you can move up on the google hits for penis growing. I know your tricks Norma :-)

[Carole]

I love all the pictures but especially the one of Vincent by the fallen tree. So adorable! Glad the headache is gone, honey bun.

[Marty52]

I am soooo glad I read this at home... my cackles would have drawn stares at work!!! Your Google hits should be interesting.

[Jane]

I only slept for an hour and a half last night, so the sight of those garden penises (peni?) really did me in. Thanks for the wakeup!

[Lynette]

Sometime you just need to go outside turn your face up and let the glow of sunshine fill your soul. Your forgiven!

[Chris]

Love the commemorative plaque and the garden growth. Hee hee.

[Michelle]

Am I hopped up on the cold meds, or did you really just write about growing penises, right after writing about shooting wolves and yoga trees? Holy crap, Freud would have a freakin' FIELD DAY with you, lady.

[Judy]

Nothing like a walk in some good fresh air for what ails you. Your woods look dry too.

[Jenn]

You're growing penises in your backyard?

Cousin, you must be medicated to the hilt.

That cute little Vincent Bichon. Give him a big squeeze for me.

[Dave Daniels]

That is one beautiful walk. We'll do that when I come up for a visit.
Uh, be careful of doing any deep knee bends in the asparasus patch. You DID hear that story of the elderly lady doing deep knee bends in the asparagus patch when you were a child, didn't you? I mean, there IS a limit to your "outdoor activities" you know.

[--Deb]

Aw, poor Vincent! Didn't you know the world is scary when you're that cute and fluffy? It sounds like he enjoyed himself, though, eventually.

As our old mini-dachshund, Jilly, got older, she lost interest in long walks . . . well, she'd get excited about the leash and getting out the front door, but once there, she wasn't interested in going any further than the sidewalk. To get her to actually walk, I would need to carry her to the halfway point around the block--otherwise, she'd keep giving yearning looks backward toward the house. Once we got to this one, magical house on the next street, though, she'd face forward and walk. "Let's get this over with!"

Gosh, I hope this never happens to Chappy--At 35 lbs, he's too heavy to carry that far.

And, the tree doing yoga? Wow, nature really IS calming! Question is, is it doing yoga because it's such a calm, happy tree, or because it, unlike its neighbors, is a stressed tree and is trying to relax?

[Lee Ann]

And I thought all that stuff about penis growth was just spam...

Well, hot damn. You really can grow a penis.

[Sue]

Glad your headache is better, Norma! Vincent is too adorable. I can’t say I blame him for being afraid of the Big Bad Wolf. Poor fellow. But, as you know, we must soldier on. Nice job, Vincent! :-) (going back now to read about the whole penis thing – somehow I missed that? Oy vey …)

[Kat]

The headache got better, after you got home to the penises? You should put a child lock on this blog. ;)

[Carrie]

Your garden freaks me out more than any 6 foot wolf could.

[Cookie]

Is Vincent feeling better or will he need even more therapy after that walk? I bet he'll have something to say about mommy growing penises, too.

I'm so glad you're feeling better. Don't worry about the knitting. It's spring. We're supposed to be playing outside.

[moiraeknits]

Awww, look at that *face*! I don't usually find small dogs all that cute, but Vincent is definitely an exception to that rule. What a cutie!

As someone who has suffered a headache every single day since she was 12, I can empathize. In recent years they've been a lot better, but there were times when I'd get a migraine 3-4 times a week. Not much with the fun, that. I hope you can find a solution to help ease the agony!

In the meantime, Vincent, take care of your Mommy, eh?

[Norah]

Glad your headache is gone! Dang, you have some cool stuff there! I love that monument. And the growing penises--what a hoot!! And the yoga tree. LMAO. I love your non-knitting posts!

[Imbrium]

*sigh* You're making me miss living in the mountains.

[sandy]

Is it not Penii? :)
Vincent is the cutest. And with those boots, surely another marker will be erected:
Here lies the spot that Norma kicked the stuffing out of the pesty wolf that bothered Vincent. He deserved it.
xo

[Dusa]

Norma - I don't think the Notch opens up until Mother's Day weekend. Usually. (And closes around Halloween. Usually.) I haven't heard the opening announced on 101.7 as it *usually* is. Ok, enough of the usual stuff. Glad you are feeling better.

[AnnP]

What a riot! Did you take some of that magic mushroom headache remedy?

[Kristen]

Glad the headache is gone! Love the genitalia in your garden! ;)

[rie]

I can't remember if this has been mentioned or not. I've been told that magnesium helps some types of migraines, especially homone related ones. You take it on a regular basis like any vitamin or mineral.

I've been told by at least two women that it worked for them. I can't speak from personal experience myself; my migraines come whenever they feel it's time.

Thanks for the pictures-everything looks so nice and cool. And no pollen to speak of. Here in North Florida we are in training for our Summer Whining about the heat and humidity.the trail looks especially inviting!

[Dee]

HIya, glad your headache is better. Is that St. Albans in your picture? I used to live in Burlington. My late husband's family are all native Vermonters. Your Vincent is precious.

[Laura]

I wonder if you can transplant those penis plants to Kansas? Probably not legal to send tissue-wrapped baby panises though the mail, huh? heh

[Helen]

I share your pain.
All day, every 23-29 days depending on my whacked out system.
If I nuke it with Aleve FIRST THING, I can usually function fairly well.
It sucks.
But they say that they'll go away when the rest of the cycling stops.... here's hoping.

[hornblower]

I don't think I've seen Norman since he had that emergency haircut on his butt. He looks fabulous!!!

The headache thing sucks big time. I think you may be onto something with the acceptance premise. Just accept it & move on & one day, it will change all on its own.... (I am such a hypocrite).

[jackie]

Vincent should really trade places with Ty. I remember bringing Ty to the woods near my cousins and he was like a kid in a candy store, SO excited, so happy to run loose among the trees. Now all he gets to do here is walk on concrete and sit on a bench in the dog park for hours, because he hates the rock surface.

[Kim]

Oh, Vincent is a doll. And a garden full 'o penises....ahhhhhh. I'm not going to say it. Nope.
xoxoxoxo

[christine]

Dear Norma - please warn me the next time you save the provocative picture and words for the very end of your post. The coffee that came out of my nose is now all over my laptop, and Bella, who was perched next to me. Now, I must go clean up.

[Cindy]

Hello. I just wandered across your blog while following threads of knitting blogs, & I say that any "purists" who object to a knitter taking a hike every once in a while should perhaps go take a hike themselves.

There's nothing like an early spring hike, especially when you've got lovely places to hike.

Nice boots, by the way.