My Son's Divorce

My son, Dylan, has decided to cut off all ties with me and anyone who is close to me ... my husband (his step-father), his brother, my parents (his grandparents), etc. This estrangement occurred immediately after he was no longer welcome in our home ... why is beyond this post.

After his departure, he spent about two weeks with friends and paternal family. Afterwards, he moved to an apartment quite a bit away. It has been about two months.

My behavior ever since is not one of remorse or sadness, but of anger, resentment and vengefulness which I realize just today is, simply put, wrong and has probably led to further alienation.

I've spent most of the morning reading, reading, reading on the subject of adult children "divorcing" their parents. Many of them, the first question is whether I want a relationship? Quite frankly, I do not at this point and my behavior was only my need for him to know it is wrong to reject me ... which is not under my control.

So, what do I do now? I guess I have to figure out how to grieve for the loss of my son in my life. I will survive. It hurts and I have to move on.

Caterpillar with White Things on its Back ... aka Tomato Hornworm with Braconid Wasps

First thought: aw ... it's gonna be a pretty butterfly ... then I Google'd it.
Second thought: Get it outta the garden!! Wasps ... um, no ... then I read more.
Third thought: Keep it in the garden!

Lesson learned  this is an unfortunate tomato hornworm with parasitic braconid wasp larva. Tomato hornworms by themselves eat, eat, eat and can destroy gardens in no time. But ... nature came to the rescue and the braconid wasp laid its eggs inside to mature. 

Sadly (for the hornworm), this process paralyzes the hornworm while providing nutrients for the tiny, harmless wasps to mature to then start the cycle on another hornworm. Hence, the hornworm destroys plants in my garden no more! And, the wasps pose no harm to us humans aside from the first scare of hearing the word "wasp".

Best natural way to rid them from my garden!

Beady Eye Owl

mulitiple of 12 sts, 8 rows, worked in the round

abbreviations

k: knit; p: purl; ktbl: knit through the back loop

pb: place bead - crochet hook bead and place on st, ktbl

c4f: cable 4 front - place 2 sts on cable ndl and hold to front, k2 sts from working ndl, k2 from cable ndl

c4b: cable 4 back - place 2 sts on cable ndl and hold to back, k2 sts from working ndl, k2 from cable ndl

feet first

• r1: k
• r2: *p4, k4, p4; rpt from * to end
• r3: *p2, c4b, c4f, p2; rpt from * to end
• r4-r10: *p2, k8, p2; rpt from * to end
• r11: same as r3
• r12-r16 except r14 (see next): same as r1
• r14: *p2, k2, pb, k2, pb, p2; rpt from * to end
• r17: same as r3
• r18: *p2, k8, p2; rpt from * to end

head first

• r1: *p2, k8, p2; rpt from * to end
• r2: *p2, c4f, c4b, p2; rpt from * to end
• r3-r7 except r5 (see next): same as r1
• r5: *p2, k2, pb, k2, pb, p2; rpt from * to end
• r8: same as r2
• r9-r15: same as r1
• r16: same as r2
• r17: *p4, k4, p4; rpt from * to end
• r18: k

note: for a multiple of 10, simply decrease the p's between the owls in half
         for just the owls, simply remove p's between the owls