Thank You

(And hey-- guess what!!! I finally figured out how to do pictures!!!)

A bunch of you have sent emails with well-wishes for my Mom.  I appreciate it so very much.  I talked with Dad this morning.  The surgery was a bit more complicated and the post-op course a bit more involved than we would like, but Dad insists that her spirits are great, and that she should be home by the end of the week.  

I've been (of course) working, and during my after-work-for-a-few-minutes-before-sleep time have made great progress on The Newsboy Cap from Stitch’n’Bitch Nation (aka the chemo hat).  I started it on Saturday at Knit Happens where I got hugs and support from some of the Irregulars. Stephanie and Carol and Holly and Kelly and Courtney and Brittany; and Shelley were there.  It was just what I needed.  I'm in the last few rows of the main part of the hat, and then will work on the brim.  I'm doing it in coral CashMarino Chunky, and it's very soft and cheery looking.

Wanna see what the finished cap looks like in green?  Go visit Lara


Mom's also getting this:


In other news, I got an email from the publisher, and the article is in peer review. I'll have some tightening to do, but it's minimally invasive and very manageable.  The next hurdle is the book chapter,  but it should be pretty straightforward and relatively painless.

Other than that, I plan to sort through mail, tidy the family room, and of course knit.  And maybe start the slipcover for The Daughter’s living room chair. Or maybe I'll take a nap.

Such will be my day off.

A Do-Nothing Day, Finally!

The Nurse has had a very busy couple of weeks. Every breathing moment not devoted to work or sleep has been spent on "the article" that finally made its way to Kinko's for shipping at 9:30 Wednesday night. Dumb thing wouldn't come together, and as I was doing the legends for the pictures, I realized that I totally had to reorganize the article. That's not too bad with cut & paste on the computer, but the dumb references... and Word tries to "help" with automatic renumbering. It gave me a headache.

The worst part was that I had been SO looking forward to Late Night at The Shop. And I couldn't go.

Then full, busy busy days of work on Thursday and Friday.

This has all been overshadowed by news that my Mom needed surgery for a recurrance of an old problem. A serious one. She was operated on Thursday, and is doing ok. But things are a bit more complicated. I haven't allowed myself time for a breakdown yet. I had a minor one on Sunday night when Mom & Dad called to tell me about it.

But I'm sure it's coming.

One thing's for sure. I AM going to Knit Happens today to pick up some soft yarn (probably Debbie Bliss Cashmarino) and spend time with my friends. I'm going to knit the Newsboy Hat from Stitch'n'Bitch Nation for mom. I think it's perfect chemo hat. All other projects are on hold til it is done and sent off.

Or maybe I'll take it to her. Next weekend.

What Good is a Day Full of Doctor Appointments?

Why it’s good for KNITTING, of course.  All that time in the waiting rooms, very good for knitting.  I got most of the back of the Debbie Bliss Bolero Jacket done, almost at the point of casting off for the armholes.  (By the way—they were a bunch of routine follow-ups to my annual physical.  I’m fine.)

I left from the hospital to go to Winchester for the annual Dessert Extravaganza, which I’ve helped to run for the past 5 years.  Hopefully this was my last hurrah, because hopefully, The Son will do the graduation thing sometime in the next year.  I met him for some shopping and the obligatory Buffalo Wild Wings run.  I then entrenched myself in the Hampton Inn to put together raffle baskets (about 25 of them) and cut polarfleece scarves with the rotary cutter on the cutting mat.  I watched the Olympic opening ceremony—loved the floating acrobats and the torch lighting.  And of course the fireworks.  I always love fireworks.  AND I discovered a new treat—the newly introduced Michelob Ultra Amber.

Drove back in the beginnings of the snowstorm, and when I went to bed last night I figured that the weather dudes got it wrong again—we only had a couple of inches.  But when I woke up this morning, it had REALLY, REALLY SNOWED!!!!  And then I discovered that the electricity was REALLY, REALLY OFF!!!!.  It apparently went off about 5:30 this morning, and stayed that way until about 2 in the afternoon.  But hey—I got most of my article written.  Pencils and paper, and luckily we have one of those old fashioned rotary pencil sharpeners.  Guess I need to do that more often—back to the basics.

And then, because I was such a good girl, I allowed myself some knitting time tonight. Finished the back and cast on the left side. Gotta love it!!!!

It Will Be OK

Today's my first day not-at-work since last Thursday, but some friends decided to have dinner tonight, so back to The City I go this evening, and then a bunch of doctor appointments in the same place tomorrow. (nothing serious-- just followups from my annual physical.)I'm a bit drained, because we've been really busy at work, and those 12-hour days... Well, I'm older than I used to be.

And so today I need to take another major chunk out of the project that is due to the publisher NEXT WEDNESDAY-- NEXT WEDNESDAY, I TELL YOU!!!! But I have commitments over the weekend. Deep breath-- it will be ok. It will be ok. It will be ok. Sleep is overrated.

The writing's not a problem. I'll whip that out today. The reference list is huge and is a big pain. Everyone has different formatting, and although I know the editors will help out with it after it's submitted, I really don't want to look like a dodo and turn in hash that they have to manipulate a lot. And I've only done ONE of the pictures. It will be ok. It will be ok.

Needless to say, I haven't done any knitting. I seriously need to.