can't sleep, flowers will eat me

I've got the mom corsages done. my bouquet is half done. i have tons of pearls & ribbons and floral tape, though! hmm, thank goodness i'll have 9 glorious free days before. i'm not getting anywhere, i swear.

and a gracious thank you to both miss lime & miss violet. miss lime had done some hand-painting, and brought the results 3 weeks ago. i must have overly oohed & aahed (not on purpose, no not sweetl lil' ole me!), because she decided to gift it to me as abridal shower gift. and mis violet traded me the berry mash i got from marie
for some halloween sock yarn i saw that she'd dyed months ago.

also, a great big thankyou to my secreat pal angel. she stepped up to the plate when my pal couldn't finish. go see patty and convince her that i love the sock yarn! it's trekking, for goodness, sake! i just happened to be in a get it out kind of mod that night, lol.

it doesn't help that i love my child very very very much. otherwise, why else would i be digging through the basement at 1030 looking for baby pictures? a buggy, spidery basement. with cobwebs. and sean has been digging (i.e. throwing shit everywhere) through stuff. i did hit the mother lode though. i found a box marked books & pics, and it had a TON. i think i deserve a reward after this, dont' you? i get to pic the picture. no matter how embarassing. don't worry, no naked baby pics, lol. i'm not that heartless.

liam is going out for football, and the first day of practice he yakked. mark & i told him & told him, but would he listen and get off his ass? too funny. he's fine, he just pushed himself too hard. a good night's sleep and he's back to his perpetual mouth motion, bubbly, perky, annoying self.

and i found my camera! it was on the. . . computer desk. in front of me. sigh. i promise i will post pics soon.

and now, darling readers, i must flee. i have to fetch the ritual brown paper bags for wrapping the precious textbooks. my precioussssssssssss.

damn

you know, blogger's habit of publishing your post when you hit enter in the title field is REALLY ANNOYING! i think i may have to file a complaint on this one. so if you've clicked and i have a blank post, i'm working on a real post, but blogger hiccuped on me again.

it's hot. it's DAMN HOT. it's STANKY HOT. just ask deawn. at least i'm not allergic to my deodorant. and a great big thank you for the gifts she gave me at the world's rockingest bridal shower tonight! she gave me 2 different sleep masks, excedrin migraine, and HEAD ON! god, that commercial is so FUCKING ANNOYING! and the stuff is strictly homeopathic. we'll see, lol. oh, and the certificate for stuff when i DON'T have a headache. just too magnificent.

oh, you wanna hear about the world's rockingest bridal shower? for all you fiber-o-philes out there, it was at SoP. a yarn store. and the theme? yarn swap. bride gets first pick. and the funny part? i gave away more yarn than i took home. if anyone recalls, i had a big box of sock yarn, and i'd never touched it. well, it ALL has a home now. however, since one spinner arrived with roving, i did take some home. i will show pics as soon as i can find my fucking camera. it's awol in my kitchen, and since i'm not living here right now, it could damned well be ANYWHERE. and liam's birthday is tomorrow. damn. and the way we did the swap? i would hold up a yarn, tell what it was, then either confiscate it, or offer it up. it got thrown at the first person who spoke up for it. there were a few that didn't take any. or maybe not. actually, i think the only one who didn't take any was carin, and she didn't bring anything except some gorgeous roving from blue moon fibers (home of socks that rock!) that she didn't care for, but that i had drooled over when it arrived, named persimmon. however, it was NOT orange. it was orange & purple & chartreuse, and oh my goodness, so yummy! and food. i think i had enough sugar to power an adhd child for weeks! no wonder i was so frantic at the end, lol. erin made the most amazing, gooey, chocolatey brownies i've ever had. jen went to whole foods (oh my god, i could LIVE there!) and brought mini tartlets and chocolate flourless torte (i.e. chocolate fudge with eggs, drool!). miriam brought cream cheese mints (about the only mint i'll eat, how she knew, i'll never guess). linda brought these little phyllo dough packets filled with raspberry jam & cream cheese. alicia, of limenviolet fame brought banana bread, which i'm told was very good. i stayed at the other end of the room (i'm allergic to bananas, which alicia did not know. it's ok, hon, everybody else enjoyed it, which is what counts!). while none of it was good for the body, it was most definitely food for the soul. i'll take a page from liz, also of limenviolet fame, and say i could have rolled around in it.

and i think tonya gave me the most precious gift of all. she gave me the skein of yarn that she had handspun that took a first at the nebraska state fair last year. i am truly honored with such a precious gift, and will try to find something appropriately stunning to make with it. thank you so very very much.

on to other bits.

i'm still working on the socks i'm making for steph, except i had a needle go awol. i had it in my hair when i went to my doctor appointment, and i think it fell out when i took my hair down. who knows where it is now. so i had to improvise, and snag one of the susan bates i bought 2 weeks ago when i had forgotten my knitting for knit night. thank god they were in the car.

not much else knitting is happening right now. see paragraph one.

sean is not going out for football. i'm sorry, but when he gets in trouble on the SECOND day of school, when they tried to test him out in a regular classroom (and it was his rude behavior, not just some innocent mistake), i think he needs to work on the academic before we reward him with sports. we'll try for basketball this winter.

wedding plans continue apace. i got more bubbles done up this afternoon, and had to start cutting squares again. i also bought more flowers & stuff to make the ring-bearer pillow at hobby lobby this afternoon, since my job decided they didnt' need my services today, and gave me R(required) T(time) O(off) at 10 am! mark asked mom if she could shorten my dress, so tomorrow's assignment is to find shoes with the appropriate heel height (i called sherril and asked how high the heels were, so i could find some in my shoe stash) and get the dress over there this weekend. thank god it's supposed to be cooler! i dont' know if i can stand this icky humid crap anymore.

i promise, as soon as i find my camera, there will be pics.

mama said there'd be days like this. . .

holy craptastic! what a day.

let's preface it with the fact that, in the end everything turned out well. but man o man!

i took the day off, but didn't accomplish anything i really wanted to do. wedding stuff? well, one thing. i found a dress. yes, that fast. it fits like a dream (except it's long, so it will go over to mom's for shortening, but that's the ONLY thing it needs), and it was the first one we picked out. it actually makes me look skinny!

while i was at therapy, my cell phone rang, and it was sean's foster mom. has the school called? no. sean's missing. he's WHAT??!?!?!?!??! so i left early, and called hte school. they said they'd given the FM all the info,a nd to talk to her. oy. this is my child folks, i need info! so i got to the school, and they hadn't heard anything. they thought he'd gotten on the wrong bus. after waiting at the school for 45 minutes, and the bus people calling back & saying he wasn't on the special ed busses, i was ready to panic. then, the FM called back & said that sean had walked up to his former foster mom's house when he'd missed his bus, and waited for her to get home from work. oy! he didnt know that only the doors he was near were locked, so he assumed they were all locked, and started walking. while it was not the best choice to make (he's been told he should have stayed at the school, at least we would have known where he was), at least he thought to try to find an adult to help him. believe it or not, i do believe this is a step in the right direction.

and by the way, did no one appreciate my attempt at celebratory humor for the last day before school started? hmmm? gimme some love, folks!

ttfn

now for something completely different

i was honestly going to post pics, but i can't find my camera, and i think a certain blonde who is no longer blonde has it. she was here sunday night, and i think she absconded with it without asking. sigh. i think i will get her one for christmas, as she's asked, just so she leaves my freaking camera alone!

hmmm, waht's up?

i don't have a dress. Mom can't get it to let out enough, so i get to go dress shopping at the last minute. joy.

i don't have shoes either. apparently the us postal service has decided that 2-3 day priority actually means whenever they damned well feel like it! so sherril ordered another pair of shoes. however, the sneakers that she dressed up for the reception may be a loss. payless has moved on to fall shoes, and these were backless sneakers. oy.

and everything else is going ok, wedding wise, except that the rsvp's are coming in S L O W L Y. doesn't anyone know that RSVP means responez sil vous plait? in english, send the frigging card back so i can give the caterer an accurate count! oy. of the 60 some invitations i've actually mailed with rsvps, i've got maybe 15 back. hello, they're not free stamps, people! damn. this is turning into a major pet peeve.

I also got a line on an interpreter for my mother for the wedding. Mark thought it would be cool if my brother bob interpreted for her, but i told him it would never work. I don't kid when i say i'm the family interpreter. i'm the only one who truly signs. my brothers fingerspell, as do my kids. i'm it.

and in case you couldn't tell by the previous post, school starts tomorrow. yippee! there is some trepidation though. sean is going to be rotating classes. this may or may not be a good thing. at least he won't be bored, like last year. his teacher was so upset with him, that she took away his specials, and he NEVER LEFT THE CLASSROOM. he even didn't get PE or art. sigh. and i get the distinct impression that his art teacher didn't agree with it, because she has transferred to this middle school, and is doing 7th grade art. she said she was looking forward to seeing a lot more of sean this year, than last.

both boys are going out for football. this ought to be good. liam will do well, he'll just be worn out, because he's out of shape. sean will be a different story. he has issues with following rules, and doing as he's asked the first time. we'll see how well it works. he says he really wants to go out, so we'll try it. however, if he ends up off the team for behavior, i'm seriously thinking about making him pay for his cleats. what do you guys think? And this is an every body plays team. no matter how good or bad. i like that. i really think they should find a space for all kids at this age.

and they have a KNITING CLUB at the middle school! liam's language arts teacher is the sponsor, and when i told her i knit & spin, she just about spun herself. she was ecstatic, lol.

speaking of knitting, there has been a wee bit of progress. i started & frogged a socklet that i'm doing for steph for christmas. she keeps telling me she doesn't like fancy colored socks, so i'm making her white socks! brown sheep wildfoote comes in off white, and since it's machine washable, that's definitely doable for her. i also frogged the carnival yarn. the toe was coming out too elvish, and i definitely have hobbit feet (guess what i've been listening to on booktape!)


how's about a little redneck? i havne't done any since (gasp) june!

you might be a redneck if you have 16 cats living in your yard, but can't get close enough to pet any of them.
. . .you practice shooting your bow at work.
. . . you've ever been promoted to dishwasher.
. . . you have something on layaway at the 99-cent store (or walmart, lol)
. . . people driving directly behind you become faint & dizzy (like the car behind me on the interstate today, you couldn't see behind him!)
. . . you & your wife have the same measurements (does that include body hair?)
. . . your biggest business worry is law enforcement.
. . . the only time you traveled out of state was an alien abduction.
. . . you use speed bumps to try to get your truck airborne.
. . . your landscaping includes corn & squash (except that is the new "in" thing, according to abc news tonight. does that make them rednecks or hippies?)
. . . the drugstore calls the police after developing your pictures (ewwwwww)
. . . you buy groceries, bait, and lottery tickets at the same place (walmart!)
. . . your favorite sex position is "awake." (i'm not EVEN going there!)
. . . you carry a case of beer to your tax audit. (bribe?)
. . . you think AOL is how your uncle got out of the army.
. . . your cell phone plays "sweet home alabama." (and what's wrong with that? that just makes you a high tech red neck (i hear george jones!))
. . . your cb antenna slaps the stoplights when you go through town.
. . . every car you own has a "papa John's" sign on the roof.
. . .you use a screwdriver to start your pickup (or a pair of pliers, lol, been there done that)
. . . your front yard is on more than one prayer list. (hmmmm)
. . . the most romantic moment of your life was interrupted by a police officer.
. . . the only pool you've owned is a cesspool.
. . . you think algebra is something you buy at Victoria's Secret. (now that's funny!)

and i'll leave you with this thought: if you can't be good, be good at it (dont' ask where i got that, i don't know!)

twas the night before school

Twas the night before school
And all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even my spouse.

All the backpacks were lined up
By the back door with care,
With the hopes that the principal
Would really be fair.

I in my t-shirt and Pa in our bed,
had just settle down for the rules to be read.
No flip flops, no tank tops, no gangbanger jeans.
No hats, no hoodies, and clothes must be clean.

When out from the alley there arose such a clatter,
I ran to the back door to see what was the matter.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a loud jalopy with ear-busting gear.

With a teeth-rattling bass, and ear-drum piercing treble,
I knew this annoying kid was really into metal.
I knew in a moment that it was that annoying little prick.
The one down the street who knew all the tricks.

He drove slowly down my alley shouting with great wherewithall,
"School's starting! School's starting! Woe to us all!"
I grabbed my shotgun, and gave it a blast,
And blew that little sucker's ghetto box right into the past.

As the smoke cleared away
and the prick rolled out of sight,
I whispered "Happy school to all parents, and to all a good night!"

because we're goin' to the chapel . . .

well, we most definitely have a minister! we met with him last night, paid him, and discovered he has a lovely sense of humor. thank goodness. i was really hoping for a non-plodding, unstodgy one.

we bought the rings yesterday. we had to order mark's, because he got a "fancy" band with an edge (he's only going to wear it once in a while, you can't wear those things when you work with machinery all day), and it may be tight to get it in. the lady did say that if it got close, we'd get one sized, then do an exchange for the correct, unaltered size. my band actually has stones in it. i hadn't originally wanted anything beyond a plain band, but it went so well with my engagement ring, that i couldn't resist. chaching & bling bling, doncha know!

i got the invitations out, for the most part. i'm passing them out at work (hush, don't tell anyone, i'm not supposed to, lol (ala dooce, apparently!)), and all the ones that need mailed have been so. it's looking like the west coast contingient is probably not going to make it. from either side, lol, because my second cousin is getting married the same day, lol. apparently that's a popular date!

I started my bouquet last night, and it's gonna be a whopper! i'll post a pic when i finish it (i'm at the library, killing a little time before sean's school physical). that leaves 3 more bouquets, and 4 corsages, and all the boutineeres.

Sean is doing so-so. he's been having difficulties likes he's always had, although he's not actively defiant with the fosterfamily. he just does things on his timetable, and no one elses. therapy tuesday stunk, because he absolutely did not want to participate. i'm sure a ton of this is the fact that liam got to spend a week with his grandma, while sean had to stay behind, and that school is starting next week, and he's dreading it. so far, not so hot. he's been informed that if he doesn't start behaving properly, he will not be allowed to participate in the wedding. while i would dearly love to have him there, he has to realize that this is MY day, and that what I say goes.

Alyse is actually going to come to the wedding! i sent her an email asking about the bridal shower, and she said she couldn't make that, but that her mom didn't get married every day (just every few years (the smart ass, gee, wonder where she gets it from?)) and that she'd be there

knitting? yeah, a little. mostly bag knitting, as i'm working on getting an inventory up. however, not much. my ac is out of commision because my sump pump broke, and it drains into that, so we've been at mark's. oy.

gotta dash i'm out of time!

TTFN

uncle

it's 87F outside, and 88F in here. and the humidity is high. i can smell the dew getting ready to fall. i give in. i turned on the AC and now i'm going to bed. see ya later

random saturday

ok, i've dubbed this one random saturday.

first there's this. for those of you who watch good eats, and havent seen feasting on asphalt, you are missing a HUGE treat. apparently watching people eat on the road is a big deal this summer. there's paula dean's boys, and right now unwrapped is doing a "road trip" show. then there's food finds, and that one show that i can't recall, that ate around cities or themes. while paula's boys do a fine job, y'all need to step back. alton has it in the bag. i LOVE alton brown. granted, i wouldn't want to do like the misses lime & violet with their yarn (listen to their latest podcast. oh dear!), but his wit is fantastic, as well as his insight. it's been on once tonight, so it should be on again at midnight central time. go check it out!

Edit: Alton is acutally on right now, at 11 pm. no schmuck boy tonight.

then there's my crazy kid. Liam. have i ever told you how cool he can be? he was raised a head-banging baby, and to this day, hasn't gotten into that hiphop bitch ho slap around the bitch crap that alot of kids like. he flipped when he found out i'd bought him an ac/dc notebook for school. what he doesn't know about is the ac/dc sleep pants i found him for his birthday. yes, he's getting other stuff (god, i couldn't inflict just clothes on him, let's get real). he'll flip.

and he listens to mandatory metallica on Z92 (local station that plays classic metal & new stuff too. my only issue is their disgusting morning show. no music, just these two assholes who feel the need to denigrate any and every one they think will be funny. sigh) there's another station here in town 89.7 the River. they play a lot of alternative rock (ska, death metal, punk, indie, and on sunday mornings, Pacific Street Blues). they also play local bands (although they've only played mark's band, centerfuze, a few times, just not up their alley). and they also play older metal that doesn't get regular air play. they played "When It Comes To Me" by Metallica, which is an older song, in the good old days before they decided that they needed a bigger slice of the pie and lars decided to be a wimpy baby. (sorry, some bitter issues there). He'd never heard it before. He was in AWE. and the best part is this is one song where i can just belt it out, and sound absolutely amazing(i know, lorna, i should sing some wehre else other than my car or SoP). my normal range is second soprano (i can't break glass, i spose i'm a lot like sheena easton (shout out if you don't know who she is, and i'll see if i can find some links)). it helps to know the song, lol. now, i know, there were a few people at SoP a couple of weeks ago that feeled slightly betrayed with the "regularization" of groups like ac/dc and metallica, but i say more power to them. if it causes them to tour again, i'll pay the money, and take my son! hey, i took steph to Red, White & Rock (spondered by 93.3 the Dam, before they became a shit kicker station (at least they play classic country!)) three years ago, and Linkin Park not long after that. Liam wanted to go see Rob Zombie when he was here, but the opener (i can't place it right now ) was notorious for graphic lyrics, so that was a no go. Hell, Staind is back out, and playing next weekend. God, i wish i could go! anyway, this is a knitting blog, right?

Jennifer had her baby yesterday morning. the one day she came to work (on friday after the shower) i had left the damned thing at home. so i' going to wait a few days to let baby & momma settle, then i'll call her & find out wehre she lives, and deliver the sweater.

for charity, i've just stuck to making sqares at work. it's easier that way, i don't have to think.

I've started making my felted purses again, and i'm disgusted with the first one. it ended up short & wide, which is fine. the big problem is that the edge rippled on me. i'm using a really big book wrapped in press & seal wrap (it's a hard cover, those survive that stuff well), and have it blocking in my dish drainer. we eat at mark's mostly, so there are few dishes here. the flap turned out relatively well, although it did cup a bit. i wanted a pointed flap that wasn't too deep, so did an extra decrease in the middle. it's doable. just that damned ripple maybe i can fold that bit in & stitch the lining to it. i'm almost done with an all red one, and will wash it probably monday or tuesday.

however, tonight, i don't even WANT to look at needles & wool. it was 99 again today, and since it stormed over night, and we got a brief shower around 11, the humidity is through the roof.

today was tax day in iowa (no sales tax on clothing & shoes, up to $100 per item) so i took sean & my mom to walmart in Council Bluffs. we had to wait til afternoon, because i had a last minute doctor appointment (i'll explain) in the morning, and Sean's music lesson was at noon. first off, we had to park in the north 40. if i had been thinking, i would have dropped sean & my mom @ the door, and just made myself walk, but iw as being blonde, sigh. i was already starting to overheat. we were there for 2 frigging hours. fifteen minutes of that was spent looking for sean. it wans't really his fault. he's got a cold, and has been eternally thirsty, so asked if he could go hunt for a drinking fountain. i told him i'd stay in the men's department (liam's into everything men's except t-shirts). after waiting 10 minutes, i got concerned. i went to the restroom, looking for him the entire way, and no sean. sigh. so i had him paged twice, while waiting by the restrooms. no luck. so i described him to the cashier (she was manning the self checkouts, so she woulnd't be too distracted, and told her to nab him & page me. he'd know my name, lol. i thought i heard my name, and rest room, so i checked again. no luck. went to the video games & the toys. no luck. finally, i hit up one of the ladies at the stands they have with red vests, and asked her to page him again. apparently, he heard it, he paged me again, to the fitting rooms. he did what i'd taught him! we had had issues with him wandering off while we were shopping, so i taught him to go to customer service (fitting rooms worked, too) and have me paged. YIPPEE! while i was upset about not finding him, and was about to call a code adam, the fact that he used his head, and thought about what to do, thrills me to death. maybe we're working closer to him coming home.

Liam wasn't with us, because he had chosen to pick a fight with sean over a lego's magazine, and then wanted to argue with me about it. they both had lost the priviledge of playing video games at walmart (an easy way to keep track of them, lol) because of the fight. liam kept trying to tell me that sean started it, and i told him that it takes two to fight, so they'd both get a consequence. he started to argue about that, and since i was already hot & cranky, i told him, fine you don't get to pick out your clothes, you can stay home. i can still get away with that, one, he's a boy, and two, he's almost 14. he doesn't totally doubt my taste in clothes, yet.

anyway, having learned my lesson about finding my mother in walmart (for those who don't know, she's deaf so i can't have her paged if she goes somewhere else other than where i'm expecting. the last time this happened, i had to call a code adam, and have them hunt her down. it took an hour to find her!), i had established a meeting point with her. sean had been very good, so i told him he could go pick out a toy, then meet me & grandma in the produce section (much easier to find than "the men's department, lol). i found her, told her to wait there for sean, and i'd go pay for my stuff. that took 20 minutes. then i found her & sean, debated about the price of the toy (he'd been told $5 or less, but since he'd been so good about getting himself found, i cut him a little slack), then took everyone to find another check out & checked my mother out. of course, i'd forgotten socks for liam & mark, so i grabbed some of those, quickly (thank god there was a rep in the sock aisle, i couldn't find mark's socks (he wears the super huge mega socks, he wears a size 14 shoe)), and we checked out my stuff & hers. then came the fun of finding the van. i think the battery is dying in my key fob, because i have to be really close to make it work, so i couldn't even hit the panic button to find it. fortunately, it was only 2 rows over, and just as far out as we had gone.

then there was the mad dash to the hall the reception is going to be. we left walmart at 4:40, and i was supposed to meet the lady there at 5. i made it, but just by the skin of my teeth!

now, to the doctor's appointment. no, I'M NOT PREGNANT! let's keep that straight. this baby factory is closed for business. however, i got my old summer favorite back. the city decided i needed to clean up my yard, which is mowed, at lest, unlike the neighbors down the street who have weeds all over their yard that stand as tall as 4 feet. i think they've mowed twice this summer. needless to say, i finally got the phone # i needed to call their asses in. sauce for the goose, don't ya know. so guess what happened. i got poison ivy AGAIN! that's it, i'm getting my doctor to recommend a dermatologist early next spring, and i'm getting desensitization shots. the big problem with poison ivy & me is this: i'm hyperallergic to it. while most people get a rashy spot from contact with the oils, unles they get more contact, it stays where the oil has gone. (by the way, the oils can stay active for DAYS after clothing has been changed. if someone has poison ivy, be very careful about doing their laundry.) not me. i get one spot, and my antibodies freak out, and i start to break out EVERYWHERE. i worked on my yard thursday, and was very careful not to touch anything if i could help it. (i used my clippers, and liam used gloves to transport the crap to the compost heap. does he have poison ivy? HELL NO. it started with a faintly itch y patch on my waist (yes, i was dressed, fucked if i know how it got there) yesterday afternoon. by last night, it was a very itchy patch, and i had to change my shorts to keep from rubbing it. this morning, it had spread to my left arm, my left jaw(yes, i have two, don't you? how else do you think i'm so chatty!), and my scalp. in my hair. and i have chronic itchy scalp on top of that. yes, i'm just thrilled! so i went to the doctor. the funny part is this: while i use a different doctor for most of my regular "maintenance" appointments, the last minute ones get to be who ever has an open slot. in the 2 years i've owned this house, i've had to go to the doctor THREE times for poison ivy. and this fill in doctor has had me every time. and he remembered, lol. so he asked me what i wanted to do. now, that is a comfortable physician. the usual steroid pill packs that they give most people don't work on me. i've tried before. this PI thing has been going on for 5 years. i got it 3 times in one year, and the pill pack worekd the first two times. the third time, they gave me two (the rash came back as soon as i stopped after the first one), and after the second one ws done, i immediately broke out again. that's when they brought in the big guns. prednisone. god, i hate that crap! it upsets my stomach (even with food) forever. that time, they started me with 60 mg for 3days, and then dropped it like the pill packs, every 3 days. i was so sick. so, when i got it the first time 2 years ago, here, they suggested a shot of steroids first, and then a smaller dose to start (50 mg for 3 days, which means being on them for 3 days less!), and it worked well. so it old the doctor this, and he said, ok, we'll do that. i LOVE that doctor's office. they are all no-nonsense, (i've seen 3 others besides my own doctor, plus the PA), and will listen to you. and my doctor actually had the "safe sex" discussion with liam last year, while i was in the room. i thought he was going to fall through the floor. too funny. and they all have senses of humor, too! i've had a few popous asses (the doctor i transferred to when i was pregnant with stephanie, & moved), and this office is refreshing. and the office staff is friendly, and sociable, whle still being professional. and they even ask after my mother! (since she started going to the hematologist for her monthly blood thinner checks (she had a heart valve replacement in '86)) she doens't get in there as often as she did).

anybody interested in wedding news? if not, too bad, i'm going on! WE MAY HAVE A MINISTER! sean's foster parents are heavily involved in their church (hes' a lay minister), so we asked them if they could recommend anyone. he couldn't find anyone. however, her mom lives up by us, and she asked her if she could think of anybody. her neighbor is a retired minister at a church that is just upt he street from mark's house! we talked to him, and he wants to meet in the next few days, but it's looking good!

i got the last few addresses i needed (the west coast cousins were tough, i had to hunt them down via an older cousin that was a long distance call (and you know, they all want to chitchat because i havne't talked to them in a while (how's your mother, how's life, how old are the kids, i cna't believe they're so grown) and then i get to hear their news). i called my cousin shirley, who i always liked (she was different, if only because she was a thorazine baby, and has one arm that ends in two fingers at the elbow (i could relate to the differentness, even in my young days (most of my first cousins are 20 years or more older than i), just because mine wasn't a physical difference)), and she told me her older brother now lives in indonesia most of the year (comes back for holidays & tax time) (he won't be coming, lol), that her sister had divorced & sold her house, so she needed to call her aobut the addy, and that her daughter (2 years my junior) is getting married on the same day! too fucking funny! (in case y'all havne't noticed, i've not stated my wedding date here, because i know a certain personage reads my blog, and i really don't think he needs to know this information. if you wanna know, and i know who you are, email me. i'll tell ya). so the west coast cousins won't be coming. oh well. however, shirley is a traveler (rv& bikes) and may be through this way some time next spring. i've told her that now i have all these addresses, i might just organize a get together, so we can all see each other again. some of them i havent' seen since the last time she was here with her husband, daugher, and grandson, and that was well before daddy died.

tuxes have been measured for.
caterer has been met, & seen the hall (the outside, at least, she's suitably impressed.)
more floral tape was bought today, and i'll be starting flowers, soon.
and erin is contemplating throwing a shower for me @ SoP. a yarn shower! I LOVE IT! no bachlorette for me, i'm not interested. mark's not having a bachelor party either.


ok, i can't think of anything else, and i feel that my computer may take a dump on me, so i better hit publish post, and skeedaddle.

ONE MORE EDIT: I just saw a commerical for a new body wash by Softsoap. It has protien extracts from CASHMERE. is that possible? they'd definitely have a market with fiberistas!

TTFN!

i'd post a pic

except i'm too frigging hot & lazy. i finally broke down & turned on the ac, so liam & i could sleep, but i'll have to check the sump in the morning. the frigging float sticks & then i end up with a flooded basement. mark promises that he'll replace it soon, but it won't be this weekend, fer sure. mark & gang will be going to get fitted for tuxes (the boys will have their final fitting the week of, if i have any say about it, they all grow like weeds, and liam is changing minute by minute!) saturday morning, mark has rehearsal saturday afternoon, and we're going to move a fridge, and take my wedding dress over to Mom's sunday morning, so we can start working on the alterations. sigh. i need to dig out my corset. ugh. i'll just have to remember not to belly breathe.

wedding:

we have chairs rented.
i have invitations printed.
stamps are bought for said invitations & rsvp's.
i've got a good beginning on the rsvp's. i've had to hand stamp them, because the printer ink smears on the glossy cards. oy.
flowers are bought, some returned and others purchased, and sorted by type. i can't do a lot more, because i can't find the floral tape i bought, so i gotta go buy more.
cake is ordered, and flowers & other accessories are bought and given to mark to give to his coworker to give to his wife (god, i hope they make it!).


i need to work on addresses for my list.
we need a minister. oy. mark has been trying to get ahold of the unitarians for MONTHS (the main minister in town has had several family emergencies, poor guy) and the church secretary said she'd try to email him one more time. i do have 2 back ups. sean's foster father is a pentacostal minister. while i don't want to put him in any kind of ethical or legal quandary by asking him, i have asked if he can recommend any one. if all else fails, we call the court house and get a JOP. not what mark wanted (he wanted a christian wedding), but at this point, beggers will NOT be choosers.
i need to coordinate between erin & sherril for jackets for the wedding.
i need to work on jewelry to coordinate (i may just say wear what you want, just let me see it first).
i need a ringbearer's pillow (that will come with altering the dress, it has a train, and i'm cutting that thing off, and will use the excess fabric for the pillow).
which brings me to altering the dress (and test driving the corset, i was a bit smaller when i bought it, thank god it laces up).


GOOD GOD, WHAT AM I FORGETTING?

Sean:
he's having a rough week. i don't think he likes his new day care (they don't do near as much stuff as his old one did), and he's been in trouble every day this week. and yesterday, he had to try me on again. he got several consequences. i was verging on a migraine by the time i dropped him off with the foster mom. visitation did finally get authorized, so now the foster mom & i dont' have to coordinate with the foster care specialist to do what we need/want to do.

cross your fingers he behaves for the tux fitting saturday.

knitting? well, a little bit. i'm working on bags again. i dug out both the bags i had felted, and found the fabric for the lining and the findings for the handles. now i gotta get to cutting & sewing (ugh, this part i hate). and i cast on for a new one.

ok, i'm whipped. i'll catch y'all later.

i made it, sort of

I finished the sweater! saturday night. sigh. i wasn't done by the time i needed to leave, so i wrapped the whole shooting match in pink tissue (thanks for that, rabbitch! (my stitch markers came wrapped in it (oh, didn't i tell you about those, i will))) (ok i'm at it with the parentheses again) and stuffed it in a pink gift bag, needles & all.

when i got there, i asked that she open it first thing. then i sat & worked on it during the shower. everybody thought it was cute. here it is up to friday night.

this was about 830 friday night. i screwed up & picked up the stitches for the hood on the wrong side, and discovered it 8 rows in, so had to frog it. i think i would have made it otherwise. i did get to the bind off for the hood, but had to scram at that point because mark & i had to go to fremont to look at wedding cakes. the wife of one of mark's coworkers does cakes, so we decided to go with her, thinking that we'd get a break. boy, howdy, did we! they decided to do the cake for us for material costs only, as a wedding present. my wedding cake is going to cost us. . . . now, sit down, ok, i don't want to be responsible for any head trauma. . . . $40. no, i'm not missing any 0's, or any important bits of my sanity (that i haven't already lost). you're reading it right. lovely wedding gift, i'd say!

Sean news:

he seems to be doing well at the foster family, although by thursday morning, he'd already earned a consequence. he had a hard time getting up, and just lay there, so she took his video games for the day. go, foster mom! he was a bit difficult for me thursday afternoon, but i'm sure alot of it was that he was gonna try mom on because he'd not had to "mind" me for a month. he found out the hard way, for sure.

unfortunately, we were unable to see him over the weekend because my(ahem) "caseworker" couldn't get her head out of you-know-where, and call the agency foster care specialist back, and get him the paperwork necessary to do so. well, she'd better get it in gear, because mark is taking everybody down to the tux shop next saturday!

wedding news:
i'm working on invitations. we're printing them up ourselves, using some pretty paper i got at office depot. i think it's a lot cheaper to do it this way, and will look just as nice. i'm all about saving money!

now i gotta scram, i gotta get to work!

wellllllllll, maybe not!

dammit. i was gonna post a pic of the baby sweater in progress (yes, it's a sweater) and here's the pattern. my other intention, was to show progress pictures every hour either until i got it done, or died and went to bed. anyway, it is one where you start on the back, cast on more for the sleeves, work over the shoulder (no shoulder seams!), then down each front (it's a cardigan), and then seam and pick up stitches for the hood, and icord for the ties. i've got the back, one sleeve, and one front done. i'm working on the second sleeve as we speak. it progresseth apace (verily, i say!).

i do have a question for y'all. i have discovered that a lot of the knitting i do is intuitive. a lady was having trouble with doing attached icord last night. now for any of you who have been here from the beginning, i had the PFH. aka the Poncho From Hell. it was made with lion brand homespun and red heart clouds (yeah, different gauges, they do work ok together though), knit top down, with a slit for a zipper. the intent was to wear this at work when the air conditioning decided that it was in meat locker mode (this was a meat packing plant in one reincarnation). any way, because this was in stocking stitch, and i didn't want it to curl, i decided applied icord was the way to go. however, this poncho ended up hanging to my knees. and yes, i think i had a half a mile of icord to apply. ouch.

anyway, back to the story. she was having trouble with a purse she was making, to felt. what i didn't realize until she sat down when i told her i knew how to do applied icord, is that she was using the applied icord to seam two pieces together. i've never done that before. so, i took it from her, turned it inside out, and figured out what becky, our knitting doctor at sit & knit, had been showing her, and proceeded to show her again. and i showed her enough that she actually got half the bag seamed!

what amazes me, is that it only took a few minutes to figure it out. my question is this:

are you an intuitive knitter, or not? do you just jump in, or do you have to have it all laid out for you?

i am insane

ok, gang, call the guys in the white coats.

i'm knitting this:
i started this last night. for a baby shower for a coworker. saturday afternoon. fortunately, it's on 10's, and it's bulky weight yarn, so i may actually make it. i've already switched to another color (white, duh!), so it continues apace. wish me luck!


also, before i forget, my wonderful, generous friend jen gave me the most darling stamp, of a dragon knitting. imagine that! i forgot to take a pic, but i will try to get one on here in the next few days. too darling!

and now, i must scram, because i'm going in to work late, and i still need lunch!

damn it's hot

you know it's hot when you buy ice cream bars and frozen fruit cups, and the 3 minute ride from the store to your house results in needing to eat the bar in a bowl, and your spoon sinks to the bottom of the fruit cup. i kid you not, i went to the store earlier at 5, and it was 106. that's just too fucking hot. as it is, right now at 830, with the sun having just gone behind the big hill to the west of me, it's 97. oy

dear anonymous, i'm not flashing my tattoo. if you wanna post your real identity, or send me an email, i'll think about it. there are certain "people" who read my blog that i'd rather not do that for.

for anybody else who wants to know what it is, pipe up. same conditions, though.

and now, for the pictures i promised you, of my knitting bag. i warn you, it's a bit frightening to realize i get THAT much stuff in one small canvas (well, it's not suitcase big) bag.

Ok, here's where it starts. this is my knitting bag. now, for a fair warning, this is also my work bag, that i tote my necessities in.


yeah, that's a lot of crap. the amazing part is i haul this stuff back & forth to work EVERY day. I thought you might like a little relief from the baggy madness, so here's mark's cat, joplin. she decided to be cute, so i had to take a picture. she doesnt do this very often, as she's relatively shy. she's also 11.

And here's the stuff in a slightly more organized way. ok, some is obvious, lol. however, that pile of paper in the lower lefthand corner, is pay stubs, time off sheets, and merit awards. work papers. in the lower right, stuff totally unrelated to work, but i think i made phone calls on it. i think. upper right is knitting related, with the two yellow blobs next to the gold box (my kit with stitch markers, needles, tape measure, etc) being yarn labels for the katia ingenua i've been using for cloud hats. middle of the pile is my hair brush, hair ties, and the fingerless mitts erin made me for christmas (it can get damned cold when the air conditioning actually works, and my hands are getting more & more sensitive to the cold). upper middle are my water bottle, lotions, vitamins, etc, with that black thing with the yellow end being the miniature extension cord we made since i can't lock my tv. the white end has a receptacle that will not allow a normal plug. the other end is at the end of my tv cord, and when liam doesn't have this little extension cord, he can't plug the tv in. sheer genius. thank you, honey. upper left is an avon catalog, and next to them are toys. i work in mail order, for a company that sells novelties, toys, and other stuff that you'd find in a dentist's treasure chest, or a kid's goodie bag. the green thing actually glows in the dark (liam had to show me). the little ziplocks in the middle hold cancelled stamps (i collect them for online angels, they can turn them into cash to buy bibles for missionaries), my white out pen, cough drops, and werther's original toffees (these keep me awake at work!) also, you will note some candy at the bottom, and i believe a half a bag of cornnuts as well.

i admit it, i'm a pack rat. things tend to get tossed in my bag, and forgotten until days/weeks/months later. sigh.

so, yarn yenta, ya happy? this is my entry!

TTFN

have you done this?

thanks to momcast for this. it's kinda interesting!

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
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
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 can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
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 drunk
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
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
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married (and going for #3!)
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days (during the divorce)
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest (igot 2nd though!)
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
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 of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
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 country1
00. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
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
104. Survived an illness 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
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
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
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(and alligator & buffalo & elk & venison and....)
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
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
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
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, that was 72 out of 150. not too bad. how about you? lemme know if you do this in comments, i wanna see!

a $3 splitter later . . .

can you believe it! the only thing that was wrong was my cable splitter had gone bad! oy!

well, i WAS gonna show you the latest sp8 contest, by our darling yarn yenta, but my camera batteries are dead, dead, dead. i think i'm gonna have to buy a new set of rechargeables, though. they don't hold their charge very long any more. what's that, you say? enough about batteries? you wanna hear about the contest? ok, ok. here's the gist. you know we all store all kinds of odd stuff in our knitting bags, right? (unless you're totally anal (and for those who are anally impaired, i apologize (about your impairedness, did you really think i was gonna say sorry?!?!?!?))) (ooo, feel the parenthetical goodness! (i'm working on a heat overload and sleep deficit, ok?)) (and yes, my ac is fine, i'm just cheap). ANNNNNNNNNNYWAY, before i was so rudely & crudely interrupted by her (i'm schizophrenic (and so am i)), she asked us to dump our bags, and show them off in all their messy, kitschey, chatchkey (sp?)-loaded glory. and i got a doozy. so you'll just have to wait.

sean news: he's back to his regular hospital, they effected all the necessary repairs to get the kids back, and we met with a potential foster family tonight. they sound like they'd be a good match, as they do much of what we do at home, so there wouldn't be a large problem with transition when he comes home. and here's a good one for you: the father is a drug rep. and he has the same problems with some of the drugs that i have. will have to talk to the doc about that. i'm getting way too many confirmations about my suspicions on the drugs he's on. and they're having the same problem we've been having: contacting the caseworker. that's why he's been in the hospital so long, she was on vacation last week, and didn't put it in her voice mail, so no one knew. i gave them her supervisor's name, so they know who to go to if she drags her feet again.

and in other news, we've replaced my ring. we found the identical thing online, and snapped it up as soon as we saw it (except it's a half size bigger, my knuckles are starting to show some arthritic damage, and i don't want to have to get it cut off).

and a HUGE thankyou to chicken lips, my darling sp8 pal. i got a small "take care of yourself" package about a week ago, full of candy bars (die, diet, die!) and purse sized lotions, plus a tiny mug ornament and a heart shaped digital clock. i still have 4 candy bars left (it's warm enough in here, i'm gonna have to refrigerate them again!) and i'm having to beat liam off with a stick!

i'm contemplating another package for my pal, but am running out of inspiration. i think i'll need to consult the cards/crystal ball/palm/knots on my head and do some figgering.

i've missed you guys, so whoop it up in the comments. i wanna see a party in there!

TTFN

ok, that's it!

i know i've reached rock bottom with my puter! i'm at the LIBRARY typing this, as we speak. how frustrating! i'm in the process of saving everything that i can't replace data/program wise on my puter, and then i'm dumping the whole bloody mess. i can't take it any more. one of my coping skills has been reading blogs, and posting here, and i haven't read most of my blogs for so long it will take me weeks to catch up! growl.

and so, no pics, since i'm at the library.

a few updates, though.

mark is going to the doctor wednesday to see what the doctor thinks. he went to see the shoe guy last wednesday, and he told mark that he didn't think mark was ready to go back to shoes yet, and that when he does, it will be with a plate attached to the bottom of his shoe, so he can get the support he needs (i was under the impression it was going to be an insert IN his shoe). mark is threatening to wear redwings to the wedding. NO WAY IN HELL! he even said the whole wedding party should wear redwings. i don't think so. i'm thinking of calling the shoe guy myself and seeing what he says about teh wedding. i think i would even prefer the cami boot to redwings! argh!

wedding plans run apace. got some key stuff in place, now if only we could find a minister! ack! and at this point, i've given up on having the shawl done in time. there's no way. i can't work on it when i'm tired, and the only time i have to work on it is when i'm tired! gah!

sean is still in the hospital. however, there was a sprinkler system incident on his floor, and they had to close down the unit. he's been transferred to a different hospital, which is twice as far away, and has screwy visiting hours. don't they know parents have to eat, too? oy. don't know if he'll go back to where he was or not, depends on the timeframe for the repairs they need to make, and if they find a home for him or not. at least he was finally approved for the foster care. that was a concern.

and, again, thanks to all of you who have been so supportive, and helpful. your comments have at least eased some of the pain and frustration of what i've been dealing with.

TTFN!

thank you

you guys are fantastic. i've had more emails with comments telling me to hang on, it will get better, or that i will get better, and i think i've had more cyber hugs than i believed possible.

i promise more knitting stuff soon. however, my puter is still acting up (amazing it came up tonight!) so i'm working on backing all my stuff up, and then the axe will fall, and i'm wiping this sucker & starting over.

as for sean, he's doing well at the hospital. we had a meeting on friday, and determined the best path for him at this point is theraputic foster care. so he won't be home for a while. sigh. he was not happy about it, and still isn't, but understands that this is the best choice for & by him. and the nursing staff has promised that i will be involved in every step of his care & transfer, when the time comes. it's still hard to leave him there every evening, but i know it's for the best. i'd much rather do this now, than bail him out of juvie when he's 16.

liam is handling this well. in fact, i think he's enjoying the one on one time he's had with mark & me, since the focus has been on sean for so long. it' s never intentional to ignore the well-behaving child, but when so much of your energy is focused on the "bad" child, the "good" one falls by the wayside. and i've learned something very interesting about liam, as well. he's always been a talker, but now i think he talks more when he's nervous or upset. he's been talking ALOT the last week. i'm ready to ask him to write down what he's thinking, for 2 reasons. reason 1: it's a good exercise for him, makes him think about what he's feeling & thinking about all this. reason 2: it's hard to write & talk at the same time!

mark's foot is doing very well. doctor is very happy with the progress, but still won't let him go back to work until next week at least. poor mark is bored out of his mind. at least he can drive now. and yes, jen, with dr. approval.

well, i must dash, i gotta get my box together for dulaan (it ahs to mail wednesday!)

TTFN

sigh

i know, i know, the last y'all knew, sean had busted my ring, mark's foot was slowly healing, and i'd been knitting.

well, there are a few changes.

Sean went beyond ring bashing. We had to admit him to a local hospital, and he's there now. and yes, it's that kind of hospitalization. It's very, very hard to take your baby to the hospital, and even harder to leave him there, and beyond bearable to know that he's not coming home. we had the care consultation today, and it's been determined that the best course for him is to put him in theraputic foster care. i worked so damned hard to bring him home, and now he's gone again. i know it's not my fault, i've been told over & over & over by every professional involved in sean's & our lives that mark & i had done everything that parents should do, and that he's just beyond our level of care. tell that to my heart. tell my heart that the screaming and crying & stomping on the top of vans, and calling me nasty names (it wasn't the words that bothered me so much (i've been called worse by bigger & badder, and wasn't intimidated then) as the attitude behind them) isn't my fault. that i couldn't do more, and not sacrifice everything else. i just want my baby home.


ok, here's the tissue box. i know i need it.

mark's foot is doing very well. he's in a cami-boot (those big black ugly things that are a velcro lover's wet dream), but still has to keep much weight off of it. he has driven, but only if he's the only adult available. otherwise, he rides.

knitting has been at a minimum. i can't take my knitting in to the hospital, for obvious reasons. i haven't tried crochet yet, as it's not as soothing, and i can't lug my wheel EVERYWHERE, which would be ideal. i've finished a few hats for dulaan (go wish ryan godspeed in her healing. at least chocolate is looking attractive).

i'm just tired. i don't think i've slept a restful night's sleep in 2 or 3 weeks, and it's starting to tell. the only reason why i'm up so late tonight is the fact that my computer has been a total ass, and i've not been able to maintain connectivity for more than 10 minutes at a time, and that is spent doing valuable things like check my bank statement, and email sean's GAL (thank god for that woman, she's been our hero!). so if i don't respond to comments, that is why.

i don't do this very often, as i'm not terribly open about my spirituality, but pray for us. to whomever it is you worship. we need the help, and i don't care if it's buddah, or allah, god, yahweh, the triune goddess. please.

title

i know, really original, but i'm lacking. i'm tired. we've been staying at mark's since thursday night, to help out while he's laid up with his foot. the surgery went fine, and we've been getting through the dressings (once we discovered we could use non-stick pads, life got MUCH easier). however, i'm tired. i've been on full mom-alert since thursday, so don't sleep much while mark tosses & turns. he says he's sleeping well, but he moves alot (more than usual) and kicks that foot, like he's trying to get the bandages off in his sleep, which is kinda funny, since he usually sleeps with his socks on anyway (was that TMI?).

i do sit here with heavy heart, though. sean has been having trouble, ever since the med change in late may, and today was damned close to the last straw. i've been taking my rings off to wash my hands so i can help mark with the dressing changes (he insists on taking the final pad off himself, as he can handle hurting himself much better than letting someone else do it for him), and had forgotten to put them back on last night. this morning, when i went to put them on, my engagement ring was missing. as i've been so tired lately, i started to cry. mark got up (which he's not supposed to do) to help me look, when sean finally confessed that he'd taken it. when we told him to fetch it, he told me he'd accidentally stepped on it, and broken it. he brought down 2 pieces. there's still 2/3 of the ring missing, and all the stones. it had 3 sapphires. one of the pieces he'd brought down still had the prongs, but no stone. he said he knew where 1 stone was, but when he came back down, he said he couldn't find any of them. i'm crushed. devastated. needless to say, such wanton destruction has garnered this child absolutely no privileges. but it doesn't bring my ring back. i tried to explain to sean how much it hurt me to have him break my ring. i told him it was like tearing up a picture of great-grandma ruth, or taking scissors to great-grandma mac's quilt. i don't think he ever got it. he apologized a couple of times, but so many times before it's been completely empty. i don't know waht to do.

ok, enough depression, how's about some pics?

this keyhole scarf is made with some unidentified yarn that i got in the yarn swap last january. i got this yarn from jen. it's a nice, soft, superbulky weight. very nice to work with. in fact, i'm casting on for a hat in this stuff as we sit here. this & the hat are destined for Dulaan. i gotta hurry, though, everything has to be there by july 1.

This vest is made with my own handspun. now, when i swatched it, for sweater wizard, it came up using size 7 needles. however, i am notorious for being slightly inconsistent with my bulky handspun, and this came out a bit stiff. not too bad (it's made with merino, how stiff can that be?) but still, it would be best suited for wear over something else. this should fit a toddler (2 or 3?)
This is the handspun i got from the roving i'd bought from spunky eclectic (i'll link later, i promise) this is 2-ply, and i think maybe dk weight. i've got 2 more "skeins" of roving in this colorway, so i've got plenty for SOMETHING. god knows what.
this stuff is actually quite pretty, and i just found out it's got silk noil in it. it was a bugger to spin; just ask spinnerella. she's the one who gave it to me, lol. it came with my plying box (no, dear, it's not done yet, i have to sand it again after the last coat of polyurethane (don't buy the spray stuff, sheesh)). it is nice though. i'm still deciding what to do with it. this is navajo plied.

and now i must be off. we're spending the night at mark's again, and i just stopped long enough to grab another week's worth of meds for sean, his boots, and some shorts for me to wear to work

and yes, i did wear my tank top for WWKIP on saturday. even though it didn't get any warmer than 68 (brrrrrrrrrrrrrr)

just a note

to let y'all know i'm going to be semi-out of touch for a week or so. mark is having foot surgery tomorrow morning, and we're moving in for a while to help him out. i would access from his puter, but for some odd reason, my screenname freezes all the time. go figger.

TTFN!