Sweater Progress

I know I haven't posted much about my knitting or crocheting, but I actually have been working on my sweater and I cannot begin to say how proud I am of myself (so far) of it's progress. I've got the front & back done and the first sleeve. I started the second sleeve last night. It was suggested to me that I should do the sleeves at the same time, but since I still cannot find that dang knitting needle, I am doing one at a time. I really don't want to buy yet another set of 13's.

I'd love to post a pic, but Blogger, of course, is not allowing me to do so. I've been trying for two days!!

Update on crisis.....My one brother in law had his prostate surgery and all went well. They think they got all the cancer out but he may have to go for radiation treatments. This poor guy.....he had quadruple bypass surgery 5 years ago and now this.

My husband's step-mom is still the same. They are still hoping to get her into Kessler by the end of the week, but the way things are going, who knows. They still need to put another drain in her abdomen so that they can drain all the fluid out. They were supposed to do it yesterday, but as we all know how hospitals are....it didn't happen. She's having panic attacks now.

Funny thing though....she is starting to call my husband and her husband "stupid". Guess they've been there long enough that she's getting sick of them. I put together a little care-package for her the other day. Some dry-mouth toothpaste, Starlight mints and Life Savers hard candy, Chapstick & a little notebook & pen. Now apparently, my husband had brought her a little notebook, but just the little plain one. The one I got her had a nice plastic cover with very colorful flowers all over it. So she sends me a note home with my husband thanking me for it and this little line:
"Your husband and my husband thought that poor excuse of the notebook I was using was good enough - thanks for providing the woman's touch"
I get a kick out of it every time I read it. So now, I took a regular Bic pen and drilled a hole in the top. I put some beading wire thru it and beaded the crap out of it. I'm going to pick up some stick-on rhinestones for the pen itself.

And my cat Gregory - His jaundice is getting worse. I still have to force feed him babyfood, which he HATES with a capital H. I have to do it in the bathroom because he gets more on the floor and walls than in his mouth. Even with an oral syringe. He fights me so much. At least he has that fight still in him, so I don't mind too much. He is good with his IV fluid treatments....he will sit still and purr until its done. He must feel so much better with them. I feel bad for him...when I feed the other cats, he comes and cries like he's hungry, but when I put food in front of him, he sniffs it and walks away. He's probably sick to his stomach. Interestingly enough, my dad had liver disease and he never felt like eating either.

Gregory is Home!

Well, Gregory Peckory, my cat, is home today. Unfortunately, he's not better. In fact, he's worse. When I took him to the vet last Friday and saw he was jaundiced, we did blood work. We had hoped it was cholangial hepatits, which is fairly easy to treat and he would hopefully recover (somewhat). The vet did another blood panel yesterday and this morning we got the news that he is actually getting worse. So our worst fears have been confirmed....he has hepatic lipidosis, which means he has a fatty liver. The fact that he is somewhat overweight doesn't help matters, but it didn't cause it. But...it is contributing to it. With him losing weight, the fat he is burning needs to be filtered through the liver....and already with "fatty liver syndrome" the extra fat is just clogging things up.

So, he's still not eating on his own. I'm force-feeding him baby food and tomorrow I'll try something more substantial for him. He's on IV fluids infused with antibiotics. 300 units a day, which I can do at home. (I did this for another cat who just recently died of kidney disease). We are hopeful that with the treatment he will start showing signs of improvement. Now that he's home, maybe he'll be less stressed and start eating himself. At the very least, at least he is here enjoying his friends (the other cats), sleeping on the bed and just being loved to pieces. We will make sure he is comfortable and knows he is greatly loved....by us and his kitty buddies.

On the knitting front...well....yesterday I was working on the sweater and one of my knitting needles just disappeared into thin air!!! Seriously!!! I cannot find it anywhere and all I did was sit in the chair in the living room!!! I looked EVERYWHERE. Retraced my steps in case I had it in my hand when I went for a water or something. The only explanation is that one of my cats took it, but I find it hard to imagine that a cat walked away with a 14 inch, size 13 needle without me seeing him. So, I had to buy another set of needles today so I can finish the sweater. I am now on the first sleeve. The front & back are done. I'd post pics, but I don't feel like getting the camera ready right now....I'll do it tomorrow.

As for all the other crisis going on...my sister did have her defibrillator put in and all is well with that. My husband's step-mom is going to start chemo again by the weekend. They'd like to get her into Kessler Rehab in about a week and then home. She's been in the hospital for about 3 weeks now so she'll need to exercise her muscles before she can return home, hence the rehab.

Bad News All Around

Geez....we've been hit by so much bad stuff lately. Three weeks ago one of my cats passed away from kidney failure. He was only 6 years old and the vet thinks he had bad kidneys from birth.
Now I have an 11 year old cat in the hospital for liver disease. He's still not eating on his own and the vet had to force feed him this morning. I'm just praying that he will get his appetite recharged and start to eat by himself. And as long as he can keep it down, he should be okay for the time being. I know liver disease in cats isn't really reversible, but if I can have him home for a while and let him be happy, that's all I can ask for.

My husband's step-mother is very, very sick. She has been in the hospital now for three weeks and is being transferred to Mt. Sinai in NYC today. She was told she has inoperable cancer in most of her vital organs, but her own oncologist says he can still help her. She was diagnosed with ovarian & cervical cancer about two or three years ago and has been on monthly chemo ever since. The poor woman has been through so much. And yet, through it all she still is fighting. My husband has been staying with her every night, sometimes over night in the hospital. And she called this morning to tell him that she wants him in the ambulance with her when they transfer her. She said she feels calm & safe when he's with her. Funny.....they never got along when he was younger. Isn't it funny how things change as we get older?

One of my sisters had a stroke a few months ago. Now she needs a defibrillator put in and she's doing that next week. Her husband had mouth cancer a few years ago and now they found more cancer in his jaw. He's scheduled for surgery to remove part of his jaw and reconstruction of it....a 21 hour procedure. I was told his condition is "very serious", as I imagine it would be.

Another brother in law has level 5 cancer cells in his prostate and is having surgery next week.

Oh, and my mother in law's sister is dying.

As for me, I was diagnosed with Bipolar 2 a month ago. I'm on new meds, but honestly, I think they are making me more compulsive and edgy. Then again, with all that is going on, it may just be that and not the meds at all.

Pray for us. I hope things start getting better.

Well, I caved. I went to Michaels and bought Lion Brand Thick & Quick to try my hand at a knit sweater. I found the pattern on the Lion Brand site and didn't want to mess with the gauge so I bought the yarn that it calls for. Its not too bad, although 90% acrylic and 10% wool. It looks easy enough and I think the colors I got are pretty nice. It's not the nicest sweater pattern, but good for a beginner I hope.
I probably should have used circulars, but truth be told, I really don't like them that much. I may have to change over though...we'll see.

Other than that I'm really pissed at myself. I went to motor vehicle a few weeks ago to renew my license. Long story short, even though I had my photo license that was expiring they wouldn't accept my birth certificate because it had my maiden name on it...they needed my marriage license. So I contacted the town where I got married and they sent me a form to fill out and send a copy of my birth certificate. And now I can't find it!!!! I have torn my house apart seven times over and still can't find it. So I went online and ordered a copy from Vital Records and it cost me $45!!!! Plus...now I can't find my social security card either!! I hope it didn't get mixed up with the recycleables and get tossed. I'm so afraid of that. I'm hoping these documents show up. I looked everywhere, even my car. And the stupid thing is, I found all the other documents I had with me that day, except for those two things. I'm such an idiot. So careless. I could kick myself. If someone finds it, I'm so screwed. How do you protect yourself from identity theft if they have your SS card & birth certificate??? I truly hope they turn up somewhere. Isn't St. Anthony the one to pray to for lost items?

150 Answers

I saw this on Arleta's Motley Wool blog and decided to play along....

Bold the ones you've done..
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg - Iceberg lettuce all the time though!
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper - I used to babysit my nieces & nephews
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly could
32. Held a lamb - I fed one, but never held one
33. Seen a total eclipse - it was a total lunar eclipse though
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day - I do this more often than you’d think!
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites - Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings, Colorado
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie - no but I was on TV once
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice - but I’ve ridden in a mountain gondola in Telluride Colorado!
80. Gotten a tattoo - I have one
81. Gone white water rafting - I always wanted to, but I can’t swim, so thats out
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents - yes unfortunately
93. Been on a cruise ship - the Circle Line in NYC...does that count? I think it was a 3 hour tour
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children.
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over - No, but totally wanted to a few years ago
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery - and it was the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced (physical anyway)
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived.
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone - I broke my nose when I was 12, but technically didn't break the bone as much as damaged the cartilidge
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery - Myomectomy in 2001
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon - No, but hiked almost to the summit of The Maroon Bells in Aspen/Snowmass, CO
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper - No, but had an editorial published
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school - not in person but I'm starting an internet class this Monday
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach - Now why on God's green earth would you do this???
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions - I hated those people when I was there, why would I want to hang out with them now??
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office - I was elected VP of a municipal animal shelter...does that count?
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved your head
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone's life

Ok, As usual Blogger wouldn't let me place the photos in the previous post, so here they are.

Went to the Yarn Show in PA

I went to the Knit & Crochet Show in King of Prussia, PA yesterday. I only went to the market, did not take any classes. I was supposed to go for the weekend but personal problems changed those plans and I only went for the day with my friend Jan. We had a wonderful time together and although the market was nice, it wasn't as big as I expected and I couldn't imagine why I would spend two days there. However, I wish we had spent one more hour going around again and I wish I had bought more yarn. Oh well....live and learn. I have asked my friend Lisa, who went today, to maybe see if she can get me the yarn I wanted.
Here is some yarn I bought from Buckwheat Bridge Angoras. The Brown & Pink-100% Mohair, are for an afghan, but I may change my mind. Lisa was able to get me three more skeins, so we will see. The multi-colored is so gorgeous I can't even begin to describe the colors. I am so pissed that I didn't buy more. It is 80% Kid Mohair & 20% Wool. I guess if I can't get any more, I will either make socks with it or a skinny scarf.

The blue yarn on the bottom of the picture is Brooks Farm Yarn out of Texas. They had the most wonderful colorways! Every color of the rainbow! The one I bought is 100% Mohair and soft as a cloud! I wish I could have bought a hank in every colorway. Thats how beautiful it is.
The yarn at the top of the pic is Cherry Tree Hill Glitter Thick & Thin. These two are for an afghan but I plan to get all different types of yarns and make it kind of funky. And, I am planning on keeping both afghans! I rarely keep anything I make, so this will be a nice treat for me. And both will match my new couch, so thats a plus.

Anyway, the ride to the show was beautiful. Lots of little towns with antique shops and cafes. I'm going to try to talk my husband into a day trip sometime soon to check out the antiques.
Jan & I had some wonderful conversations about everything...including stories of her days as a private investigator and a narc. Nothing more interesting than hearing dirty little details!!! :)

New Living Room Set

Well, we bought the new set today. Sofa, oversized chair, which is known in the furniture world as "a chair and a half" and an ottoman. Blue Denim fabric - exactly like what I have now. We were able to pick out of several hundred fabrics for the main upholstery and the toss pillows. I ended up getting a really pretty red tapestry with a fringy trim for the pillows. Almost looking like a persian rug. I think it will look really nice in my living room. I have an amoir that I bought in Durango, Colorado a few years back that my TV sits in and I have a wall of crosses - its kindof southwesty meets mexican I think. I also have a hand made & hand painted & stamped tin & tile mirror that I bought custom from Mexico a few years ago too.

We did go look at kitchen cabinets but WOW...too many to choose from! We pretty much have the color of what we want down, but the styles and different companies to choose from is just mind boggling. We looked in Home Depot & Lowes today but will go to a few cabinet makers just to see what they have to offer. I think it was about two years ago that we got an estimate on the cabinets we fell in love with & the Silestone countertops and it came to something like $15,000. But that was also adding on to the kitchen, which we are no longer doing. Right now I'm missing one door to the cabinet under the sink because one of my dogs decided to eat it for dinner one night. I'm sick of looking at it. Its been that way for a while now because my husband and I can never agree on anything....especially when it comes to decorating the house. I think we are finally going to pull the trigger on it this time though because its just a drag going into the kitchen. Its depressing.

Something to Look Forward To

Even though I've been extremely down lately, I am actually looking forward to tomorrow. DH and I are going to go look at new cabinets for our kitchen, and of course the countertops, flooring, etc. Plus we want to look at a new living room set. The living room set is easy - I want exactly what I already have, just new! Its a big denim couch with over-stuffed cushions. The chair is huge...can be used for two people who like eachother :) and ottoman. I love my set so much but it's pretty worn. I fought with DH about this but I finally won and will get the set that I love so much. And it's totally comfortable. A friend of ours stays over once in a while and when you take the back cushions off, its almost as big as a twin bed and super cushy. And we pretty much know what kitchen cabinets we want....but I'm sure we'll disagree about a backsplash & floor. Thats a given as mine and hubby's tastes are completely different. Other than that, nothing new going on. Same old, same old.

The Kittens Strike Again

I was working on the crocheted shawl that I started back in October. Had a whole new ball of yarn, the label not even removed yet. I left my work on the ottoman in the living room to go to the bathroom. When I got back, not a minute or two later, my entire ball of yarn was unraveled and tangled....my little kitten Peeps decided to make it her own. This, by the way, is the same yarn that I have the pics of my kittens happily playing with in a previous post. All I could yell was "No, No, No, No, No"!!!! I even gave them about a fifth of a skein of that same yarn so they would leave the stuff I was working with alone, but they wanted the NEW yarn! So, right now I'm very close to just trashing the whole thing. I'm sick and tired of un-tangling the yarn. I'm not entirely happy with the way it is turning out, so I think I may just throw it away and maybe start it again, with a different yarn, some other time. And....hopefully, I will FINALLY learn to not leave my yarn anywhere my kittens can get it, if even for a second. I don't know.....now that I look at the photo, it doesn't look all that bad.
I'd almost like to take the squares apart and make it into something smaller, but they are crocheted together as you go, not pieced - so there goes that idea.

And here is the wrap I finished yesterday. Its only my second completed knitting project so I'm pretty excited about it, even though it is very, very easy & uncomplicated.

Happy 4th!!!

Well, I'm happy to report that I finished one of my knitted wraps this morning! So thats two FO's in a couple of days....I'm on a roll! And both just happen to be for the same person....I'm sensing some sort of vibe coming from that direction I think.

Other than that, just a slow, lazy day here. Hubby is working outside and I've been inside crocheting - hoping to get yet another project finished. But then I started watching "For The Boys" with Bette Midler and the crocheting stopped. Its not a project I can do while watching tv. I need to concentrate on it, so watching a movie I've never seen before wasn't the best move. I asked DH to put my XM Radio in my car (that I got for Christmas and STILL isn't installed) and he said he had 1000 other things to do. Oh well. Guess I'm 1001, which isn't new. My b-i-l offered to install it so I guess I'll have to take him up on it or do it myself.

Its starting to thunder so I'm guessing our little BBQ won't be for a while yet.

I am an Animal Rescuer (Author Unknown)
My job is to assist God's creatures
I was born with the drive to fulfill their needs
I take in helpless, unwanted, homeless creatures without planning or selection
I have bought dog food with my last dime
I have patted a mangy head with a bare hand
I have hugged someone vicious and afraid
I have fallen in love a thousand times
And I have cried into the fur of a lifeless body too many times to count
I have Animal Friends and friends who have animal friends
I don't often use the word "pet"
I notice those lost at the road side And my heart aches
I will hand raise a field mouse
And make friends with a vulture
I know of no creature unworthy of my time
I want to live forever if there aren't animals in Heaven, But I believe there are
Why would God make something so perfect and leave it behind?
Some may think we are master of the animals
But the animals have mastered themselves.
Something people still haven't learned
War and Abuse make me hurt for the world
But a rescue that makes the news gives me hope for mankind
We are a quiet but determined army
And we are making a difference every day
There is nothing more necessary than warming an orphan
nothing more rewarding than saving a life
No higher recognition than watching them thrive
There is no greater joy than seeing a baby play who only days ago, was too weak to eat
By the love of those who I've been privileged to rescue I have been rescued
I know what true unconditional love really is; for I've seen it shining in the eyes of so many
Grateful for so little
I am an Animal Rescuer
My work is never done
My home is never quiet
My wallet is always empty
But my heart is always full

About 14 months ago, I got an e-mail from a fellow chat room roomie. Seems she had found a couple of kittens on her back porch and didn't know what to do with them. Since she knew I did cat rescue, I was the first person who came to mind. So, I told her to bring them by - luckily, she only lives about 15 minutes away from me. Now, when she said kittens, I figured "ok, kittens" - about 2 months old or so. When she showed up, she had these two little balls of fur that were smaller than a golf ball in a hermit crab cage. Upon inspection, I realized they were about a day old. I started feeding them immediately and put them in a bed with a heating pad. I told her that I couldn't guarantee anything, with them being so tiny and without a mom.
Well, as the days and weeks went on, these two kitties flourished. We named them Peaches (the female orange & white) and Willie (the brown tiger) after a couple of cats I used to pet-sit for and who were two of our favorites.
I finally get them weaned & going potty by themselves thinking, "great, no more midnight feedings" when I get a call from my sister.....uh oh.....three more kittens. She heard something making noise outside and thought she saw a little black mouse. When she got closer, she realized it was a small kitten and found two more in a corner by her apartment building. *I will elaborate more on the three in another post.* So now we had 5 little kittens!!! Plus the menagerie of the rest of our gang! (I'm not even telling you how many cats I have :) ) **And by the way, I did not pose the picture of the two cats laying together...they were already like that when I took the photo!** We had a wonderful 5 months of kitten-hood. They were all so adorable & funny!

Fast forward to October 2005....Peaches doesn't seem quite right. We needed to have an echo-cardiogram done which showed an enlarged heart. She wasn't given a good prognosis. It could be 6 months or 6 years, but it wasn't going to be good. That same week, my vet went on vacation and I was given the information that she should be okay for some time before she starts showing any signs of getting worse. Of course, as it always happens, she gets sick while the vet is away. Now, being a cat-mom for so many years and working with cats, it looked very much like an upper-respiratory infection. So I just kept an eye on her for a couple of days. Then she stopped eating & started to hide. This was not a good sign.

We rushed her one rainy October night to a different vet thinking they'd give her some fluids and send her home with some antibiotics. That was not to be. The look on his face when he saw this little 6 month old baby told me all I needed to know. He took a blood sample to make sure it wasn't leukemia, feline AIDs or FIP, that could be transferred to my other cats. (Even though we had already had her tested for FELV & FIV a few months earlier, we had to be sure the tests were correct). Her blood looked like pink-tinted water. He ran a test in the office and determined that her body had stopped producing new red blood cells. He didn't expect her to make it through the night.

My husband and I decided to take her home so her brother could see her, along with the other cats. We got in the car where we both started just sobbing. At that point, Peaches started screaming! Screaming like I've never heard a cat scream in my life! So we ran back in the vet's office and had to have her euthanized right there and then. I held her in my arms and softly spoke to her while her little spirit passed away.

I felt so guilty. Why didn't I see this coming? With all my years experience why didn't I notice it sooner??? Of course, all the vets involved said there was nothing anyone could have done anyway. It was a very rare, genetic disease that could not ever be fixed. We could have done blood transfusions, but it would have only been a band-aid. Made her better for a little while then she would have failed again.

That night, I held her limp little body in my lap on the ride home. Still, I wept into her soft kitten fur, still talking to her. We brought her inside and let the other cats see her. They all came up to her, almost as if to say goodbye. Her brother seemed afraid. The other smaller kittens seemed to even understand that she was gone. The next morning, we took her over to the pet cemetery and had a private cremation and got her ashes back. I still miss my little angel. I think about her every single day. I pray that her brother never gets sick. I tell him and the other kittens not to forget her. She is our little guardian angel. She lives in our hearts forever.

Blah Blah Blah

Here is the finished (well, except for the ribbon trim) afghan. For some stupid reason, Blogger wouldn't let me post this picture in my last entry.

I made this with 27 skeins of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in a crown stitch.

Other than this....I am so "BLAH" today. Can't seem to get anything done. And I'm PMSing, which doesn't help. DH is smart and is working outside - staying out of my way. Plus he's being extraordinarily nice to me. I guess after 18 years of marriage he knows better than to hang around inside when I'm in one of these funks.

Finished!

FINALLY finished the afghan! Yay me! I think I started it two or three months ago, I don't remember. Probably closer to three. I gave it to my sister & her hubby for their last year & this year anniversary. Everyone loved it which made me feel really good. The only thing I didn't finish on it is the ribbon that is supposed to be weaved into the trim. The ribbon I originally bought didn't look quite right, so I'll have to get something else. I found a hand painted silk ribbon online, but at $12 a yard, well, I don't think so.

And...I received stitch markers from Jenn from the stitch marker exchange with Robyn. They are soooo adorable!!! Little stars with smiley faces! She writes in her note that they are to "cheer you up on bad knitting days" hee hee.....she has no idea how many of those days I have! Since I'm kinda new at it, I do get frustrated quite a bit.

A seasoned knitter said to me recently "Oh you throw your yarn". I said, yeah, I throw it across the room when I can't do it! Obviously, thats not what she meant, but I had no idea.

Anyway....we had a great time at my sister's house yesterday celebrating her and her hubby's birthdays. Good food, good company & glad she didn't mind that DH & me watched her present before we gave it to her. See, I bought her three DVD's of the Dean Martin Roasts. DH saw them on the kitchen table and wanted to watch one. I said No Way! that's my sister's BD present! Well, since nothing good was on TV that night, I caved & we watched it. Hilarious!
So the next two nights we proceeded to watch the other two. So we approved them before we gave them. And my sister didn't mind one bit. Well, that and I gave her other presents to compensate for the "used" status of the DVD's. I made her a pink austrian crystal bracelet and also gave her a Joan Rivers bracelet from QVC. Happy Birthday Nancy! & Steve too!!!