My 38th Year

Henry will kill me for telling the world, but I am going to anyway.  I just turned 38 today.  It’s funny, I feel no different than yesterday. 

I had the best day.  Indulge me while I give you a little run down of the day.  We all slept until 7. This is late for me and Henry, but not so late that we can’t get the girls up and fed and out  the door.  The girls got dressed in their new matching dresses that Poppa bought them last night.  They were dressed by the time I was out of the shower and popped out from behind the door to sing Happy Birthday to me.  There is nothing cuter than a 3 and a 6 year old singing at 7:30 in the morning!  Once they were out the door Dad and Cindi called.   I got more well wishes.  Then Momma called….she let me sleep a little late just in case.  She usually calls at dawn…believe me, I count this as a blessing.  She called after 6am!

Then the maintenance man showed up and installed a tiny dishwasher in our apartment.  I am so thankful.  e have been washing dishes for 9 months and I cook, almost every night!  This was a blessing and it was on my birthday, so I count it as a birthday present.  Then Allison called.  Oh, I forgot to mention that Becca put the cutest birthday wish to me on Ravelry…she’s a sweet super cheeseball!  In the middle of all of this Wendy called.

This afternoon I went to Target while Henry got the girls.  I picked up pizza so that I had a night off from cooking.  I got home and we walked to an opening of some beautiful ceramics.  it was stunning.  Here’s a picture of the invitation.  The little leaf on it was a piece that a friend of the artist gave to Grey and Mycah.  It is a steel leaf.  This was prevalent in the artist’s show.  The girls were thrilled! 

 

We got home and had out pizza.  Then Henry busts out the cake!

Then I get a lot of sweet handmade gifts from Grey. 

Then my big gift from Henry……..wait for it…….wait…….a video camera!!!!!!  Oh yeah!  We have not had one and I am so excited.  It is charging now. 

During this time Grey is going back and forth to the mirror in the bathroom worrying about her loose tooth.  Next thing we know, she runs out and said it fell out!!!  This is so cool.  She lost her first non-dentist assisted tooth on my birthday. 

I ask you…how can I get any luckier.  From dawn till dusk I had family and friends wishing me the bast and loving on me.  sigh…life’s pretty damn good

Two Posts, One Day

I have to post this about my friend Erin.  She just started an Etsy shop with the cutest felted clips ever. Grey got to model soem for her today and I wanted to put up a few pics.  Here is her etsy shop, well if I get it to work.    http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5303681

Here are a couple of pics.  These are not on the site yet, but will be in a day or two.

 

Finished Object-Chemo Cap

My mom’s neighbor has had a drastic and sudden bought of leukemia.  That kind of “hmmmmI don’t feel good…hmmmmI feel bad, let’s go to the doctor” and then they don’t let you leave!  Her name is Lisa.  I don’t think I am giving anything away because strangers would have to do a lot of leg work to figure all this out and then why?  Anyway, she’s been very, very ill with the chemo and lost her hair.  Momma said she’s cool about it, but it is getting hot out and the sun is hell in TN, so I knit her a little something that should help with the sun a bit, warm her in the cool evenings and hopefully fill up her heart when she needs it.  I truly tried to think about Lisa with every stitch.  I got most of it done during a four hour wait in an airport on my way home.  I decided to not get upset about the plane or anything and just knit.  I hope that every stitch in that hat points her in the right direction.  Lisa, you go girl! 

Here it is, modeled, by Grey.  It’s a little big on her, but fits me fine and I have close to no hair after the hair was touching my ear episode!

Update

OK everybody,

I owe a post on the TN…since I whined about it in the first place.  After a round of stupid-high-dose steroids, I am on my way to recovery.  I can actually drink something cold and bubbly without dying and the wind is now only causing the intense burning/itching, but no “pain.”  My butt is still dragging, but I can actually work and feed the kids without crumpling into a heap.  I really think I have another week of recovery and I will be back ship-shape!  Thank all of you for the well wishes.  It really helped knowing that people cared how I felt both physically and emotionally.  I love you all!

Guilt

Guilt is a funny thing.  It’s one of those feelings that has it’s place.  It keeps us in line.  It motivates us to follow through when we promise something, to not do something that we know we will regret, to tell the truth.  Unfortunately, it also causes me to work when I’m sick, to feel bad if I can’t get off the couch and to generally beat my self up for not being perfect.  Hubby just explained to me that I am making myself miserable and he does not want the girls learning my bad habits.  Whoa…talk about a “come to Jesus moment.” 

I’m in the middle of the worse exacerbation I have had.  No, I haven’t lost the use of my legs, arms or eyes.  I have excruciating pain reverberating up and down one side of my head.  Apparently it is trigeminal neuralgia.   http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/trigeminal-neuralgia/DS00446/DSECTION=1 It’s not pretty people.  The only way I’m not writhing in (intermintent, but seems pretty frequent) pain is by taking a load of drugs…then I’m stupid.  I can’t wash my hair, bend over, eat anything hot, cold or bubbly.  The girls can only kiss me on one side of my face and unfortunately they know it.  I feel so guilty for not cooking and cleaning and most of all not working.  I had to call in.  It makes me sick.  I have just given my notice and want everything to be perfect before I leave and I can’t stand to hold the phone to work.  Guilt, guilt, guilt.  I feel like I have a big fat looser sign on my forehead. 

Well…that was a big long whine.  On to better news.  I finished the shawl for Grey’s school.  They had a silent auction.  I raised $11,000.  I’m not sure how much the shawl fetched.  I know it was over 60 or so.  Here it is modeled my my friend Anne at Crazy Girl Yarn Shop in Coralville.

  

Swap!

I got my swap package from the Tops and Pots Swap today.  It had a lovely red basket weave stitch hat.  It fits Grey beautifully.  We love it!  I got matching note-cards, recipe cards and ribbon with cherries on them.  Very Cute!  Thanks, AngelSong 76! 

Easter

Yes, the Easter Bunny does come to Iowa.  The girls were so excited about the Easter Bunny last night that I was sure they would find their baskets before we got up to document any of the loot.  However, they apparently suffer from sleep amnesia.  They got up this morning, turned on the TV and vegged out.  I got up and told Henry to get up quick because I was afraid he would miss it.  But, no.  They sat long enough for me to make a pot of coffee, get the camera ready and pour both of us coffee.  I even had a few swallows before Henry finally said, lets get the Halloween baskets down so you can do the egg hunt (grey mentioned that I had failed to get them baskets).  While they were walking to the bedroom Grey spied the loot.  Her squeal caused Mycah to awaken from her TV induced stupor.  Here they are upon first inspection.

They dumped everything in the floor and had a great time. Mycah especially enjoyed the lip gloss.

After a long time and breakfast they started begging to go out front (the yard, so to speak) for the egg hunt.  While they were waiting for us to get dressed they spied a squirrel who had a funny looking nut.  It turns out that the squirrel found on e of the Easter eggs and was working furiously to crack it.  He managed to crack it and scurried up the tree with the miniature candy bar.  I have proof. 

By the way, it was snowing ever so lightly while they hunted eggs and it is terribly muddy, which explains Grey’s snow boots.  They used the big bubble wands from the baskets to blow huge bubbles.  Great fun was had by all. 

 

I hope you and yours had a wonderful and relaxing Easter.  I’m off to pan sear marinated lamb chops. 

MS Awareness Week Round Up

So, I’ve had six comments with six people named.  I know another 4 plus my MS group of about 20….so with just a week’s worth of asking and only six people commenting, we’ve found 30.  So, what was the point?  I think the point was that we all stood still for a minute and thought about it.  I think awareness is the first step.  The next would be activism.  That is one I plan to work on.   I have walked in a 50 mile walk to DC and raised a good deal of money doing it, volunteered for the MS Jack and Back in TN and donated to various other riders or walkers through the last couple of years.  I’m going to figure out how to do more during this next year…but in the meantime:  Shelia, I’m on Rebif and would be more than happy to talk to you about it.  Also, I got to know some great people in the MS community back in Nashville and I would love to hook you up.  Anyone else out there struggling personally or know someone struggling with dealing with the MonSter….email me.  I will be happy to lend an ear, maybe that’s what I can do to help right now.

It is National MS Awareness Week

March 10-17 is National MS Awareness Week.  The call from the National MS Society is …what will you do?  I read another girl’s blog and what she said was freaking genius….”I will have MS.”  Hehehehe…me too!

Seriously, I am copying a blurb from the Society’s website and asking that anyone who knows someone with MS…leave me a comment.  I find it amazing how many people know someone with MS when they think about it.  MS is generally pretty quiet.  It’s the “oh, but you look so good” disease, but think about it.  Do you know someone?  I know 4 in my family or extended family….and another 20 or so form my Nashville group.  My dad meets people all the time.  I think this is one of those seemingly silent diseases and I just want to know…..

Here’s the skinny on MS (and I do mean the skinny).  There’s a lot more to it, but you’ll get the idea:

About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and 2.5 million worldwide.

Elliot’s sweater

Some of you may remember that one of my sisters had her fourth and final baby in early January.  I had not seen Elliot until 2 weeks ago.  I had to fly in to Nashville for my nuero appointment and got to stay with Allison, Sam and all the kids.  We had a great time.   The two oldest, Chance and Emmy are turning out beautifully.  They are sweet and well mannered and quite handsome too!  Chance is 12 and Emmy is 10.  They are both a great help with the two little one.  The next up is Evans.  She is almost 3and a delight. I got several great big, heartbreakingly sweet hugs from Evans….another keeper!  And then there is little Elliot.  I have to say…she’s perfect. 

OK…back to the post, I got a little sidetracked.  So, I had started a Debbie Bliss sweater.  It was cabled and seed stitched.  I love cables, hate seed stitch.  I almost finished the back, but I just did not want to finish it.  So, the Sunday before I left to go to Nashville I bought some pink tweed yarn from Crazy Girl and busted out Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Almanac.  I sis the two-needle baby sweater….some call it the gull lace sweater.  I cast on Sunday evening.  I finished the yoke on Monday evening, started the lace on Tuesday and split for the sleeves before getting to the airport.  I knit like a maniac through two flights and a delay.  By the time I got to Allison’s house, I had knit to about an inch and a half under the arms.  This was Tuesday night. On Wednesday I got to within an inch of the bottom.  On Thursday morning I finished the border, seemed the sleeves weaved in the ends.  As soon as the ends were woven, we left for the airport….talk about the nick of time!  I cannot say enough good things about the pattern.  It was quick and easy once digested.  As with all of Zimmerman’s patterns, there is something of a leap of faith aspect.  I really believe that knitting was so much a part of her that it was intuitive.  I also think that she felt it should be intuitive to all of us and she would just help us hurry and get to that stage.  She is certainly hurrying me right along!

I think Allison likes the sweater and baby Elliot, well she seemed happy!  Here’s the photos Allison took of Elliot and the sweater.