Well gang, it's official!  I notified my boss and his wife that I will be retiring at the end of the year.  I had told my old boss, but he didn't tell the new ones when the practice was sold.  Since there was so much stress during the transition, I decided to wait until things had calmed down a little.  I also made sure the staff was notified.  As expected, there was general wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Everyone thinks I am indispensable, but I believe they just have gotten used to depending on me.  They really need to start thinking for themselves.  For instance, I have the reputation as the resident computer genius.  But half the time I find out that all that's needed is to turn something on, turn something off and then on again or call tech support.  Thursday after work hubby and I went to the local Farmer's Market.  I must not have heard my cell phone go off because apparently phone calls were flying fast and furious.  Our part time doc had called in to leave a message and discovered that there was no outgoing message leaving emergency contact numbers.  He tried to call me, he called several employees who tried to call me, he called the owner doc who tried to call me.  No one could seem to figure out what to do!  When I finally got the message, I calmly (or not so calmly) went into the office and turned the answering machine on.  Sigh.

So this has been a blissfully calm weekend.  Hubby is gone to a car show today and I've spent most of the day sewing on Isobel's quilt.  It's starting to take shape:

I'm debating on the size.  Should I make it a twin size, which is seeming to look quite large, or should I make it a throw that they can drag around with them?  Any opinion Abby?

And, speaking of Abby – this kind of flew in under the radar, but Abby was sworn in as an American citizen on the 10th of July.  We were a little disappointed that it couldn't happen while we were there.  But we're just grateful that a very long, involved process is at last completed.  Congratulations Abby:

On the knitting front, I finished the Heart to Heart scarf:

It's hard to get a good photo because it's so long.  This was a lovely pattern, and I will probably make it again.  That's supposing that I'm able to figure out how to wear it gracefully.  I love scarves on other people, but I just don't seem to have the knack of draping them so they don't look goofy.  I do know that this will not be my last project utilizing the crochet method for adding beads.  Although it does slow you down a bit, it's so much easier than stringing them on the yarn.

This week promises to be a very exciting one.  Ben and Isobel should arrive on Wednesday for a family reunion.  We're disappointed that Abby and Ivy will not be coming, but we do understand the difficulties of flying with a not-quite-two-year-old.  Hubby's siblings should be arriving by Thursday.  Friday night is a buffet and all day Saturday is a picnic.  Hubby's mom is not in the best of health and this will probably be the last time we'll be able to get all of her children together.  I'm hoping she's up for all of the activity.  I'll be sure to post pictures, but with a full house of company (my sister's coming too), it won't be next weekend!