I have about 5 minutes. This is Jasmine. She's the most recent addition to saltnlt552's family.

Jen & I went to an alpaca show on Saturday. I always have fun hanging around with her, but personally had more fun later, at her house, with her kitties and goats. I took a few pics until my card got full -- if you click on the picture, it will take you to the image in Flickr, and you can backtrack to my photostream.

I can't type much more -- in a big meeting and will be called on any minute. Plus, I took a fall yesterday and my entire right arm is killing me. But I have to share this picture of Hubcap, who - based on the force he used - thought my foot was another male goat.

I want a "do-over" for Halloween. It's my most favorite holiday and I did't get to do some of my regular activities. It wasn't a complete waste -- We got to pass out candy together for the first time*; J-dub & family "Spooked" us over the weekend, leaving a bag of sugar-free chocolates; whittlnwithbear sent an adorable package with Halloween and Fall-themed fabrics and polka-dot ribbons; and, finally, we got a cute Halloween card yesterday from fullfaun .

However, the season did not go as planned. The last few weeks have been so stressful that I didn't get my traditional goodie packages together for the bio and honorary nieces and nephews. I had most of the stuff, but never got organized enough to make the items or send them out.

That, I can remedy. I hereby declare an extension for Halloween 07 -- until Thanksgiving. Things may be late, but they will go out! NEXT year, I've decided, I will use a couple of vacation days in mid-October, so I can focus more. I may not get my music mix done, or CDs made, but I will try.

The one thing I can't take back? Slicing open my right index finger last night, 10 min. before trick or treat started. (Carving last-minute jack-o-lanterns.) It was dumb, so dumb that I cringe at the stupidity more than the pain. I'm tempted to leave in all the typos that come from using only 9 fingers, but I don't know if anyone could make it out. John cleaned and bandaged it last night, declaring it a bad cut, but not requiring stitches, so I'm just being careful. Or, I was, until this morning, when my purse strap snagged the bandage and pulled it forward about an inch. Now, my finger and part of my hand is throbbing. Typing is oh, so fun, and so is using the mouse. (I'm a web analyst/designer so you can imagine how much fun I'm having today.)

It's quite festive, though: To help keep everything clean, and make sure I don't bend the finger, I added a layer of bright purple "vet wrap" (sticks-to-itself wrap -- the veterinary stuff is the exact same, but half the price). I wrapped my hand in plastic wrap to take a shower -- what an adventure!

On to more interesting news...
I'm making strides in getting my diabetes under control. John and I saw a dietician on Saturday, and we are trying very hard to follow her recommendations. We're limited in what we should eat, but are allowed way more of certain foods than I would have expected. Plus, we're supposed to eat SIX times a day: three meals and three snacks. This is supposed to keep your metabolism working. John is having a rough time, but he's sticking it out, and has already noticed an appetite change. He can eat more in volume than I can (men just get to), plus he's less picky, so he has more options.

Our hardest part is variety, which I guess a lot of people who start completely new eating styles discover. We can have all the fish we want (ooooh) but beef or chicken just once or twice a week. That's OR chicken. We're already bored.

Turns out, low-fat cottage cheese is VERY good for you. She recommended some items which I'll pick up this week. One thing we did get right away is the bread she recommended: Aunt Millie's Fiber for Life 5 Grain Bread. Two slices = 1 carb exchange, but it's not like eating cardboard. I can have a pbj sandwich for breakfast every day (sugarfree or 100% fruit spread, 1/2 T peanut butter).

I'm now taking a multi-vitamin, a magnesium supplement and a fish-oil capsule every morning, since I don't eat fish (except tuna). A lot of diabetics, they figure, have magnesium deficiencies, plus it seems to help w/ my eye twitches. The dietician thinks I might have a vit. D deficiency, but since it's toxic if you get too much, doesn't want me doing anything about it until I can get tested. I don't drink a lot of (oops -- half-finished sentence hanging out there) milk or get a lot of sun.

Yesterday, I started using one of these. It's brand-new -- I'm a guinea pig for my endocrinology center (which got these *yesterday*), so I got the first few for free (hope my insurance covers them -- they rock!). It's great for people who take injectable meds. Instead of poking myself 5x a day (3 diff. drugs), I do it once every 3 days, and inject the med into the little plastic bubble that now resides on my belly.

It looks way scarier than it is -- I didn't feel the needle go in, and can't feel the tiny catheter now. If the med hurt before, it still will (mine mostly just sting a little), but I'm at least spared the bruising and rare needle pain.


*The one year that John didn't have to work, I spent getting Dad discharged from the hospital and settled in at home.

John and I just got back from an overnight trip to Frankenmuth. Did you know that that small city has more ordinances than any other city in the US? I didn't either. So, it's an interesting place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. Imagine having everything about your home and property regulated to the point where you may as well live in a cookie cutter suburb. Anyway, it's a nice destination for us because we need to be able to give Sheldon his meds fairly on time. We stayed at the Bavarian Inn Lodge, in a honeymoon suite. The room was easily 3x larger than the room we stayed in on our actual honeymoon!

This is the first overnight away since then that was just the 2 of us and not for family business or a funeral. Note to self: the packages aren't really worth the $, especially if they include the breakfast buffet (which kind of blows). What I love about the hotel, which will bring me back, is the no-kids pool. There are four others for the kids to swim in and scream and do cannonballs while their parents sit as far away as possible and chat while completely ignoring them. If we were traveling with people that had kids, it would be a different story.  We didn't actually check out the adult pool, since I wanted to see the waterfall pool (eh) and we ran out of energy to track down another. 

Still catching up! First, it's been well over a week since I got to meet celticsuncat in person, along with her adorable daughter. We've known each other online for close to three years, via a site we both frequented while planning our respective weddings. For the time being, she's living close enough that we could arrange a central place to meet and chat. She brought me some sock yarn to play with, and when I'm finally ready to start a pair, that will be the yarn I use. It was a real treat to see & meet baby P, who slept almost completely through our visit, but woke up long enough for me to hold her and coo. I started on a present for her yesterday (some legwarmers), but after 3 false starts (splitty yarn, too-short cables, changing the cast on amount), I realized that those legwarmers did not want to be knit on my car ride and put them away. I didn't knit another stitch the rest of our trip. Once I'm all unpacked and recovered, I will get them out again.

The next night, John and I went to jennifred40's house to have dinner with her and her husband. Jennifer and I met at summer Bible camp mumblemumble years ago, and have recently gotten back in touch. It was a fun evening! We had some yummy food, then sat and talked movies while Jennifer and I did some knitting. She's starting a new job, but hopefully we'll be able to find some time to do it again soon.

Wow, I'm tired. I have to leave for a couple of errands, and then I think a nap is calling!

Lessee... In no particular order:

• I got a package from my Fiber Godmother already! I hope to photograph tomorrow. 
  
• I finished my faboo wrist warmers. It's hard to believe that they're wool; they are so squishy and soft (merino is like that). I tried a modified Calorimetry, using the same yarn, but it was tragically too big before the halfway point. I'm glad that I checked and didn't waste any more time. I'm giving it one more chance -- reducing the cast on by another 16 stitches, maybe 20.
• I won a drawing, can you believe it? The Felt Mouse is destashing her fabric collection and is sending me a big 'ole box of fabric. I cannot wait!!
• I'm sick. As in "Nyquil is my new best friend" kind of sick. Since Sunday, but the coughing really didn't start in earnest until today. Luckily, I get to work from home tomorrow, so my cubicle neighbors won't feel the need to stuff me in a closet.
  
• I am 100% caught up on all swaps! Except for the one I'm hosting that is still missing an item from a participant. However, I've been assured that it is in the mail. So, I'm 100% caught up on everything it is within my power to do.
• One of my friend's boss quit, very dramatically, this week. Again. (I guess he does it annually.) But this time, they've all agreed that he's staying gone. He was like an abusive parent/spouse, always calling them terrible names and just going off. This is not how grown-ups behave. It was very hard for the team members who really did come from abusive backgrounds. They believed in what they were doing, but had to endure so much crap that it had morale in the toilet. It's going to be tough for their team, but in the long run, I think it will be a good thing. I had a boss once that was kind of like that, although he was more paranoid and passive-aggressive than outright abusive, and it was HARD. I was the 4th or 5th person in a row to quit and say "I quit and it's 100% because of X." Of course, he got promoted. (Okay, I don't know that. I do know that he was a cousin-by-marriage to our VP and he did not lose his job.)
• Oh! Check out this fabric! I want it ALL. Of course, not one quilt shop around here carries it (I'd like to get a yard or so per paycheck instead of ordering and paying for a bunch all at once), but I did find an online supplier that has it. There are knitter's skulls and quilter's skulls, plus so many other cool prints. Brilliant. Just freaking brilliant.
• Finally, Heather made me join Twitter.

Tomorrow is Friday. Happy Friday! There will be a CFF entry, at some point.

I have some sad news to report. Zoe didn't make it. He took a turn for the worst and to spare him more pain, J-dub and her husband had him put to sleep. (They have a visiting vet, so I'm guessing he came to the house to do it.) He was buried in the little bag I made him (in pic from previous post).

I'm sure it's only a small comfort to them, but Zoe was never supposed to make it. They worked so hard with that poor little, crippled runt. They bottle-fed him, gave him physical therapy, massage, etc., and he became a sturdy cat who only walked a little funny. He had a wonderful 14 months with them.

This is an old pic of J-dub's oldest cat, Zoe, taken late last August. Zoe was such a miracle baby, and has come such a long way (link to pics of him taken in March), that thinking of him being ill is very difficult. Sadly, however, he is very ill. As of the last update I received, he is improved slightly, but is still a very sick kitty. I stayed with Jen on Friday night and drove her and Zoe to the veterinarian hospital. Honestly, no one really knows what made the little guy start having seizures. It's very likely some kind of toxin, but nothing has changed in the house. There are no plants for him to chew, neither he nor is brother have been treated for fleas,* etc. The results for the FIP test should be back shortly, but in the meantime, all they can do is give him anti-seizure meds and wait.

I already mentioned staying with Jen on Friday. We had to leave Zoe at the hospital overnight, and returned on Saturday morning to bring him home. The hospital was excellent, but they really couldn't do anything besides what Jen could do at home (unless she wanted to spend several thousand dollars on tests the doctor agreed weren't likely to help). I was initially supposed to leave home around 8:45 in order to meet Heather in Lansing, but had to keep calling to push back the time. First because the hospital was just too far away (about an hour each way) to the trip done in time; then, because we had a tire blow out.

As it turns out, we weren't even on the right highway. I was holding Zoe and not paying a lot of attention to the road, but don't remember Jen doing anything different than what I had done the night before. It turned to be a good thing -- Jen pulled into one of those "Authorized Vehicles Only" spots, and it was only a couple of minutes before a car heading the other direction stopped. The couple in that car was heaven-sent. Jen asked me to stay in the car and not disturb Zoe, and she and the wife chatted while the husband changed the tire. Afterwards, they followed us to a gas station and he filled the tire with air, too -- even paying for it (why can't air be free?).

The first time I called Heather to postpone our meeting, she told me about a cat she'd had years ago who had the exact same symptoms. He'd chewed into a garbage bag which, at the time anyway (don't know about now), were treated with chemicals like insect-repellant and odor-control. It took several days for it all to work out of his system, but he was eventually okay (and then no more garbage bags in the house). We're hoping for a similar outcome for Zoe!

Jen called last night to tell me that Zoe was taking some kitten formula (he'd lost some weight, too, and isn't very coordinated) and seems to be a little more responsive.


Sometime on Friday, John went out for provisions and brought me some beef jerky from an outlet he'd been meaning to check out. I threw it into my overnight bag on my way out and I tell you, that beef jerky saved my bacon a couple of times! Both days, my eating (and therefore my blood sugar) were seriously messed up. I tried to get to real food as soon as I could, but the timing was tough. Luckily, I had this bag of beef jerky.

I had a hard time sleeping without a couple of cats right next to me and John somewhere in the house (and no gun at hand), and I guess my household fared about the same. Turns out Sheldon and Charlie can't sleep without me there. (I knew John would probably not be able to.)

After I had Jen and Zoe all settled in at home for their respective naps, I headed to Lansing to meet up with Heather. There was an event -- Knitterpalooza 2007 -- that we were going to attend, but mostly it was an excuse to get together (Lansing is just about exactly midway between us). We wandered all over one of the shops there - Threadbear (lovely, if a little insular)** - and bought some goodies. One of the things I bought was a new pattern for wristwarmers. I have one of my own that I wrote, but wasn't up to recalculating for thicker yarn. I had the yarn in my bag (Malabrigo Chunky in "Snowbird" -- a gift from SIL T). I've been casting on for projects and ripping back out for as long as I've had the yarn! I cast on for a pair of mittens during the BBQ, but the colors screamed for a fall project. Later that night, at home, I cast on for these. Finally, the yarn met the right pattern (fourth time's a charm, I guess)! I'll have enough left for a hat or headband. Perfect for fall, don't you think?

The Knitterpalooza BBQ was a lot of fun. I hope it becomes an annual event! It was hosted at one knitter's home. Everyone chipped in funds and side dishes, etc. and we all sat around and chatted while we knit. I gathered the courage to pass out the little "party favors" that I put together. I wasn't the only one, either! I gave the card to Heather, but one attendee was passing out samples of the soap she makes (along with a card), and another was passing out business/calling cards.


*Many flea products can be quite toxic - if not deadly - to cats. They are always meant to be used on the skin (usually at the back of the head), but sometimes cats accidentally ingest them. Also, some easily available products (like Hartz) have a high rate of toxin poisoning (best to avoid Hartz in general - they have a poor history of safety)

**There seemed to be a ton of staff, but no one greeted us. I was able to find someone to help me when I needed it, though, so it was okay. I'd rather have that than be followed around the entire time, but a "Hi!" is nice too.

I haven't made a needle case in months, but in the last week or so I found myself needing a couple. I forgot how satisfying it is to finish up one of these! Sometimes, picking out the fabrics is a pain; if I don't have enough to make it with just two, finding a third coordinating fabric in my stash can be frustrating. Most of the time, however, it's a fun experience. The bottom set of pictures is for a swap I arranged on Ravelry, for a book I really want.

My friend, Anita (fullfaun), kind of inherited a huge stash of knitting needles from her SIL's mother (SIL had no use for them). She got them all even before she learned how to knit, because she planned on learning (and that was close enough for SIL). She is one of those natural knitters who picked it up pretty quickly -- the first time she held needles was last fall at a dinner/music thing we went to (her grandmother knits and crochets, so she understood the concept and wasn't afraid of yarn). She took my knitting from me and just started knitting. Sigh. (I'm so NOT a natural knitter -- it took me an hour just to grasp the basic stitch, and a week to learn how to cast on.) She's been carrying this pile of knitting needles around ever since, "hinting" that she needed a case for them all.*

Finally, I got one done for her. It had to be very long, because the majority of the needles are 14" or longer aluminum. (Aside: Like me, she prefers working with the wooden needles, but when you have a BAG of free needles and can't afford to replace them all with wood, you take what you get.)

The top picture is the case I made for her, taken before I left the house for our meet-up yesterday (only a week after her birthday). We usually meet in Rochester, which is mid-way between our homes, but this was the first time we met at a yarn store. I'm pretty sure this was her first time in this particular store, and I wish it had been a better experience for her, but it was par for the course: beautiful setting/decor, scrumptious yarns from floor-to-ceiling - including some sale yarn - plus rude as all get-out customers and, finally, staff that *really* didn't like us sitting in one of their seating areas so I could show Anita how to knit in the round on DPNs. Things improved slightly once I pointed out that I was showing her a new technique with (non-sale) yarn she'd just purchased, but we finally gave up and went to Starbucks.

We did take advantage of the big table in the shop for Anita to stuff her new case almost to the bursting point, which is the second set of pictures. Since I had totally guessed at the length needed, I had to let out a big sigh of relief when the top flap folded over exactly to the bottom. Those needles aren't going anywhere!

Back to the store situation: It's not like we were loitering. I did take pretty much forever to decide on what yarn to buy, but I did buy 3 units (including a skein of Malabrigo for the Red Scarf Project) and a bottle of Soak. The non-Malabrigo yarn was on sale, but hey - two less things they have to keep neat or inventory. Up until that point the only problem we had was with other customers. The regulars frequently seem put-out by anyone invading their space. And by "space," I mean the entire store, not "personal space." The lady who rang up my order offered to wind the Malabrigo into a ball (I let her, in case I felt the urge to cast on before I got home), but once that was done, we were no longer welcome. I know a lot of people go into these places and drop hundreds of dollars, but between us we spent over $60, and I don't think that's anything to sneeze at. The first 3 pics below (left to right) show the yarn I bought there. The last pic was a super find at Tuesday Morning, visited on my way home while I waited for dinner (can't go to Rochester and not pick up carry-out at Thai Inn).



We were both very well-behaved. We sat down at the big table in the front of the store, so I could show Anita how to use the DPNs that had been giving her fits. I made her fill her needle case first, and we took a couple of pictures, then got to work. I did not pull out my knitting and start on that, since the yarn wasn't purchased there and it would have felt weird. I just had her cast on, then showed her how to divide the stitches around, and did the first row for her. We were interrupted by staff more times in that 20 minutes than we'd been offered help the entire 40 prior to that, when we were actually shopping. Anita knit a row, and then we were out of there.

Things did improve once I pointed out that she was using yarn she'd JUST purchased (at full price) and Anita asked about an event they were advertising. That associate warmed to us, but really, the damage was done. In my case, the lecture on how their yarns were comparable to the hobby shops (JoAnn, Michaels) was patronizing, since we were THERE, buying their yarn. (She's right, though -- If you compare unit-to-unit for the same kind of yarn, the prices seem higher at a yarn store, but the yardage is usually MUCH higher; plus, they have better colors.) They need a little sign on the table that says "for classes only." We had a good time, regardless, and things improved to a great extent once we got across the street to Starbucks and took over a couch (after buying beverages, of course!).

*Hinting is pretty mild. I have a couple of friends that have no problem with placing orders with me for upcoming gifts. She's one of them, and I don't mind a bit -- I'd rather make them something they want, if I can. Now she needs a smaller project bag so she doesn't have to carry her entire stash of equipment along w/ every project.




1. needle case anita empty, 2. needle case anita empty closed, 3. needle case anita full, 4. needle case anita full closed, 5. needle case ravelryswap, 6. needle case ravelryswap closed

It's finally here! Cass (left) says "Hi." Earlier this week, John gave me a combined birthday and anniversary present of a new camera. I can't get over how this camera has 8 Megapixels and a microprocessor (shoots DVD-quality video), yet is 2/3 the size of our old (now John's) camera. Cass very much liked the box. I haven't figured it all out yet, but this pic was taken in very low light with the macro setting on.

Speaking of birthdays, I can't say "Thank you" enough! My MIL, goddaughter,* and friend morgaine723 sent birthday cards that all arrived on or just prior to the big day. lilfish sent an ecard that had me laughing out loud. I also got packages from a couple of Fabric Addicts Anonymous ladies - one all the way from Portugal! fullfaun, in addition to giving up her Sunday to help me paint last week, brought me a sewing-themed set of nesting boxes, each stuffed with a little goodie. That plus the IH Contest made for a way-better-than-expected celebration.

*She's really becoming an adult. I think this was the first event-specific thing she's sent me on her own. And, she made it herself.


Oh, and speaking of birthdays again: Happy Birthday to fullfaun!

This set of booties isn't as wee as the preemie sets. In fact, they almost look like toddler slippers instead of booties. The trick with knitting baby things - a trick I know but apparently ignored - is (unless the pattern is written for chunky yarn) bigger yarn/needles = bigger booties. I really wanted to knit with this yarn, so I used the smallest needle size I could get away with. I could be wrong -- some babies have bigger feet, and feet grow pretty quickly, right?

Yarn: Paton's SWS (Soy Wool Stripes)*
Needles: US5 (not shown)
Pattern: Saartje's Booties (link to PDF in sidebar)

Seriously, if I'm going to keep knitting for peoples' babies, I might need to get a couple of appropriately-sized dolls.

I mentioned earlier that I'd been knitting baby booties. Here are two teeny, tiny pairs of booties, which will soon - I hope - be winging their way to a pair of teeny tiny twin boys.

The pattern (link below) has directions for larger sizes, too. Difficulty: low. You need to know how to knit and purl on alternating rows (stockinette) and on the same row (1x1 rib). They're knit flat, then seamed (they are for babies, after all, so they won't be walking on the seam).

Specs
Pattern: (redacted)
Yarn: Madil Eden Print, 100% Bamboo. A gift/souvenir from fullfaun's trip to NYC.



In other news...

I have to give a great, big public thank you to J-dub and Anita, who gave up their Sunday (and skipped church!) to help me finish painting my Dad's kitchen. John had been working on it steadily for ages, but he's not been feeling well. Now, it's crunch time and it had to be done before the new flooring was laid (today). I worked all day Saturday, and John did what he could, but there was so much to do, and I was not 100% (I don't think I was 50%). I did something I don't do well: I asked for help. It turned out to be a very good thing, because John was very sick and wasn't able to do much of anything on Sunday. Not only did these lovely ladies help me get it all done, but they kept me GOING. I was in SO much pain (and still a little down), but having people there made it bearable. We talked, and laughed and ruined our clothes, but we got every cupboard door, drawer front and baseboard painted, plus finished the one section of wall John hadn't been able to do.

I can't begin to express how sore and tired I am. But I'm grateful, too.

I had to go to the grocery store to get food for the sick hubby at home, then the drugstore to get EVERYTHING for me. I don't usually buy all my hair & skin care products at once, but had to, because I ran out of EVERYTHING at once! Cleanser, moisturizer, shampoo & mousse, plus I'd lost my eye cream (so very desperately needed). Yikes. I had to buy some less expensive form of it all, because well, buying it all at once was still $50. But my usual moisturizer? $40 on it's own. I got either Oil of Olay or the CVS version for my skin and eye cream, the usual CVS version of Cetaphil for my cleanser (Why mess with a good thing? It works great and is darn cheap.) No more Philosophy or LUSH shampoo. I got Pantene (it was on sale, and they didn't have much in the way of Suave).

After crashing with John for a bit, and watching the DVD extras of 300, I took a long, hot bath in epsom salts and Melissa perfume oil (I have 2 drops left) to soak away the aches and the paint.

Speaking of movies, in addition to 300, in the last few days we also watched Hot Fuzz. That's it for the new movies. We watched Halloween H2O one evening, and part of Them! last night before we both passed out. Hot Fuzz is excellent, but not for everyone. If you liked Shaun of the Dead, then this will crack you up (no zombies, though). It is unexpectedly graphic, though. Gore is to be expected, it's just HOW it happens. The best example I could share would just give away the whole scene, so I can't use it.

My Moo Sticker Book arrived over the weekend. I'm sure it came on Saturday, but I didn't check the mail until last night. I'm really satisfied with the quality. At a little over a dime a piece, not counting shipping, it's not a terribly expensive way to get high-quality stickers of your own photos, in a little booklet that keeps them safe.

Along with the Moo envelope was a birthday card from my employer. I have never received anything from an employer for my birthday. Heck, it's been years since I've gotten anything for Christmas (in the last 6 years, I have received one candy cane). I work AT a large, global company, but I work FOR a small, fairly* excellent consulting placement firm. There are less than 100 employees, and they have 2 people whose full-time job is making sure we're all okay. I've been with them for 4 months, and have already been taken out to lunch 3 times, had someone stop in just to check in, and gotten a couple of cool gifts** (along with everyone else). Still, I did NOT expect a birthday card, signed by everyone at the office, or a $25 gift card.

*Seriously, it's great. Because only 1 of my meds has been around long enough to have generics available, the difference between generic ($10) and non ($40) is painful. If it were written as $40 for non-generic when generic is available. I'd be okay with that. Still, it could be worse.

**First week, a big jar of Jelly Bellies, then at the biannual employee dinner, a really nice long sleeved windbreaker/shell thing (that actually fit). In a couple of weeks, they're having Family Day at the Detroit Zoo (it's not in Detroit, it's in Royal Oak).

In brief: tvini sent me some adorable fabric in trade for one of my kids t-shirts. I especially love the stripes, but the farm kids is making me swoon a little. There is also a sweet pink & brown polka dot and a paper doll chain. In the same mail delivery: my new Moo cards. I've wanted them for so long, but really didn't have good enough pictures. Well, I'm not sure I did this time, either, but I'm pretty happy with them.

In other news, John has recorded his first podcast. Since we don't have anywhere to host such a thing, he added a single graphic and uploaded it to YouTube. It's called "Tea Party," and is mostly about politics and current events. We have similar political views, he and I (we're for-real Libertarians), although he is more outspoken than I am, so be forwarned.

I think it's safe to post this, since J should have headed home from work and won't be online tomorrow.

My friend J-dub (Sprocket's mom) is having me over for lunch on Saturday, to meet her new goat, Hubcap, and to give each other pedicures. I'm surprising her with this. She didn't participate in the Jar o' Joy group/project, and I'm not mailing this, so I used a big glass jar. See notes on Flickr for more details (like, why is there so much ribbon?).

Sadly the wooden "J" didn't survive five minutes on my desk. Cass knocked the jar over twice and snap! the letter is no more. It only fell over onto the table - not the floor - so nothing else was damaged.

Inside:
Cupcake flags that I made for her (ribbon and toothpicks)
Pink & brown twine from the Martha Stewart Crafts (MS) set
Sugar-free Hawaiian Punch mix (individual "tubes")
Pink & orange rubber gloves
Ladybug mini clothespins
Dorky yo-yo that makes a great cat toy
Business card case
Spare tag
Turtle charms
a Top
Ring Pop
10.5 DPNs
Some cupcake liners from MS set (pink & brown)
Button Magnets

There might be more, but I'm not taking it apart.

This weekend was a long time coming!

Working on: knitting tiny washcloths, using Paton's Grace on size US2 needles. I plan to make a dozen or so, and affix them to tags to send to Interim House. They put washcloth kits together but don't have the time or manpower to knit mini examples.

Today, I got off work a little early (because of OT worked earlier in the week), so John and I went to see Spiderman 3. It was pretty good, but #2 is still my fave.

Tomorrow, I'll be driving a little north to visit J-dub and Sprocket, and the new baby goat, Hubcap. If I remember to take the camera, there will be pictures. J & I will also be giving ourselves (or each other) pedicures.

Now, it's time for me to hit the hay! I'm up way later than usual tonight. Hope everyone is well!

The mystery of the anonymous book gift has been solved! I'm glad that whittlnwithbear 'fessed up, and am so grateful for the gift of her friendship (book or not). I have a box of books ready to go to her: tomorrow is my first real paycheck (it's been a long month!), and I'll be able to ship it. Thanks so very much, Cate!

I think the package from whittlnwithbear arrived yesterday, but John forgot to tell me about it. She sent an envelope full of craft goodies (ribbons, etc.), wooden acorns, tea and a picture frame magnet with my all time favorite Bible verse (Jer. 29:11). Thank you SO much!!!

Plus, a couple of weeks ago, a box arrived from jadelynx. I did manage to thank her for it, but hadn't posted about it (since I'm off my rythym with the posting). John called me at work to tell me it was there, and I had him open it and tell me what was inside. Wow! Lots of squishy, brown yarn, aromatherapy oils and a burner, metal stickers, and more. I've been quite the pampered gal lately!

This is why it's good to put your wishes to the internet fairies out there...

I'll get them boxed up over the weekend.

ETA: In case any internet fairies are reading my blog, I'm missing #'s 30 & 33 from this series - The Happy Hollisters:
#30 The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Golden Witch
#33 The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Midnight Trolls.

(Cate is getting my duplicates, which I've had for at least 15 years, probably longer. Some of the books (in my collection), I've had since childhood.)

I took a picture of my finished chartreuse & gray scarf (ends woven in on little road trip yesterday). I'll post that from home later. It went perfectly with my gray sweater, and since winter has decided to not leave us anytime soon, a little extra warmth around the neck was welcome.

During the movie night on Saturday, I cast on and started knitting a cowl using the cashmere blend that SIL T gave me. I got a lot of knitting done during the long movie yesterday (Grindhouse is well over 3 hours)... once you get past the few rows of ribbing, it's just mindless stockinet. It's been such a treat to knit with this yarn (Lion's Brand, believe it or not), and the cowl is turning out really pretty. (I'm not sure what else to call it - it's a tube that you pull down around your neck and then can pull up over your mouth when it's very cold.) It may become a Christmas gift, or it may not. Since SIL T also gave me some scrumptious Malabrigo, and I'd planned a cowl for it, I'm thinking I don't need two. If I do give it away, the recipient is already tagged.

One thing we did for the movie night that I liked was telling folks to dress comfortably and for the women to bring their knitting. I don't think any of us got much knitting done - it was dark, and I know I couldn't keep the ribbing straight - but whenever the lights were on, we grabbed for the needles. J-dub took the "comfortable" bit quite seriously, and wore PJs and slippers. PJs are always an option at our house, or any place we're hosting. I may need to get/make a pair of PJ pants for just that purpose.

I gave out knitting party favors Saturday. I went through my stash, and pulled out some treasures I thought each woman would enjoy. I also had books and DVDs to loan or give. If we do end up moving, I'm envisioning movie nights where the knitters bring stuff to swap. The muggles could exchange stuff too, of course.

This is for J-dub, who is begging me to return to blogging. (Okay, begging is putting it a bit strongly.) It was a 4-day weekend (love those, so early in a new job, with one of the days off paid, even).

Friday: Migraine. Really nothing else to add. I have an Rx from my doc for a steroid dose pack that should help with this little "run" of headaches. Unfortunately, while my new insurance kicked in on day 1, the cards haven't shown up yet. As soon as they do, I have some drugs to get.

Saturday: A truly odd day. I've been feeling a need to be around people, probably since that Sunday in Ann Arbor. One thing I wanted to do was have J-Dub and her husband over for dinner, to make up for all the meals we've been invited to, and just to spend time with them, but our house is just too small (and still too messy, although better). I got this bright idea to use my dad's house, invite fullfaun too, and watch a some cheesy horror or sci-fi pic on the huge TV. John made lasagna from scratch, I made brocolli slaw, Jen brought brownies, and we all made complete pigs of ourselves while we watched House of the Long Shadows and The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (highly recommended for a group!).

It was nice to be with people again, but it's not an experiment I plan to repeat. While we were preparing for the evening, it struck me that, while I've spent several hours (all together) in Dad's house since he's been gone, I probably hadn't sat still for more than five minutes at a time. We'll entertain again, but in our own home. That means some serious cleaning up and rearranging, but it was too much work - emotionally - to keep from thinking about who was missing from the evening.

Speaking of emotional work, and the afore-mentioned drugs, my neurologist went a little insane with the script-writing. A couple of days before my job started, I had almost the most severe migraine ever. I woke up with a bad headache, and couldn't find the sample drugs the doc had given me to try first, so I went straight for the Lor-tab. Which worked... for a couple of hours. You're only supposed to take one of those w/in a 24-hour period, so I called the doctor. They wanted me to come in, and John was able to drive me. Because I take an anti-depressant, they always ask if I'm depressed. They do just seem to follow a script, because I mentioned that my father had just passed away, and the perky little note-taker asks if I'm depressed. "Not so much, but I am SAD." Then the doctor asks a couple of questions, decides I'm under a lot of stress (you think?) and proceeds to dope me into oblivion: he doubled my anti-depressant (not filling it), wanted me to take 3 Xanax a day (filling it, b/c they can come in handy), plus a slew of other drugs. I need to function, sir doctor. My grief counselor* concurred with my decisions. I can't remember her wording, but essentially, all of my stressors were situational, not long-term, and messing with a working dosage of anti-depressants doesn't make a lot of sense unless I'm not coping. She said if it had been several months and I was still not getting out of my pajamas, then it would be worth looking into.

Sunday: Easter, so of course I spent the morning cleaning up my Halloween Links site - checking links, fixing/removing/adding links. (I don't do church on Easter. Long story.) I got the time wrong for dinner at bro's, so we were half an hour early. Oops. Seriously yummy ham, family recipe mashed potatos, croissants (my contribution), and the company of loved ones. I brought the kids bags stuffed with goodies, plus Easter tree decorations for J (the holiday fiend) and a scarf kit for K (using cotton potholder loops). Later, the kids and I cuddled up with one of my favorite Halloween books: Halloween Crafts - Eerily Elegant Decor by Kasey Rogers.**

J had some serious demands about my '07 decorations, some suggested by the book, others pulled out of thin air. I don't know how he knew that we had a fog machine, since I bought it on sale after the holiday one year and put it in the basement, but he knew. And he insisted that we have fog this year. As well as a few projects from the book: "You should make that!" I'm forbidden to make one project... of course, the one I had actually planned on: the butler. We'll see. The kids agreed that I could make it if I kept it hidden.

Monday: John and I went on a little road trip to look at some property. We're pretty sure that we are going to move, possibly to the Belleville area (not written in stone yet). The first property was almost perfect. Pricey, but we could make a lower offer. 3.5 acres, butting up against state land. Besides the price, the only other real problem was that the lot next to it had been used as a dump for old tires for years. If we decide to make an offer, clearing up what is on the purchased land, plus testing the ground water would be conditions of the sale. The second piece would have a slightly easier commute (country, but not quite so removed), but no trees - old farmland. The lack of city water AND very high sulfer content in the ground water ruled that one out immediately. We will continue to look. #1 is still a favorite, but we can't plan on it, because it will still be some time before we can buy.

Then, we went to see Grindhouse. Not for everyone, but if you liked Kill Bill or some of Tarantino's other movies, you'd probably enjoy it. The idea is that you're going to a drive-in double feature, complete with trailers. So, for the price of one movie, you're really seeing two, plus what are essentially short films. It's funny how things work... I went b/c John wanted to go, really, expecting to probably like the first feature, a zombie flick titled "Planet Terror," written/directed by Rodriguez, and ended up not liking that one SO much (really gory), but LOVING the second feature, "Death Proof," written and directed by Tarantino. I don't want to give anything away, but I was laughing and yahoo-ing very inappropriately.

I was excited to hear that there is going to be a local (Detroit) movie show coming up in the next couple of months, a la Sir Graves Ghastly, Elvira, or one of the others with a character introducing the movies, and interacting with others. I've already volunteered to be involved. I would like to be dressed in any costume or makeup, knitting (since I really can't act). I'll keep you all posted, as I know more. I don't know that John or I will actually be involved (offering doesn't make it so), but I'll be watching!

Now, it's Tuesday, and I'm back at work. I got to come in a little later, to a site a little closer to home. Even though I got a little extra rest this weekend, it wasn't great rest (weird dreams, really restless), so an extra 30 minutes was very nice.

*SIL T, who has worked as a grief counselor.
**Kasey Rogers played Louise Tate on "Bewitched".

It's been ages since I've had some "new" music (to me anyway) to listen to. Olivia, my little Nano, has been refreshed with a few new tunes, in my usual eclectic style: I finally got the MP3 from the "Free Hugs" video (Skinny Puppies, All the Same) and "Skinny" (Lo-Rider) (not work safe). I also was able to borrow Daughtry, which I really like, and will definitely buy. While I was at it, I ripped my Return to Me soundtrack. Later this week, que_sara_sara is going to get me some Scottish Rogues, so I'll be adding bagpipes to the mix. I'm sure it's not the most eclectic mix ever, but it's up there!

Lesse... what else? I've been doing pretty well. I danced in the shower yesterday. Just in a good mood. Unrelated to the dancing, but related to the shower: I tried Big shampoo from Lush, thanks to mercy mail from tvini, who sent enough for a few shampoos and for me to know that I'm going to have to get some of that stuff! Breakfast this AM with fullfaun (Anita) and lunch today with jennifred40. Anita and I just needed to our semi-regular catchup, and it was a blast! Jen is my old friend from summer camp that I talked about awhile ago. We haven't seen each other in years & years, but have been talking via email & LJ for awhile now. SO good to see each other in person!! We will definitely repeat.

Tomorrow I report to the neurologist at 3 PM and get electrodes glued to my scalp for a 24-hour EEG. Then it's home & bed for 24 hours. No phone, no talking, no real physical activity. Doing nothing is not possible, but I think I can manage keeping fairly still, reading, watching DVDs and maybe doing crossword puzzles.

Outfits for my first 2 days at work are all together and hanging in the closet. I meet the rep at 8:30 on Thursday.

I have gotten two calls from my old job, but have ignored them.

On the dad front. Yikes. The wing he's on is pretty nasty. I met with the director of nursing today and flat out told her that I was unimpressed. I told her that I had some experience as an aide and that nothing I'd seen had been comforting or reassuring. She told me that she had sufficient staff, and I said, "again, nothing I've seen here convinces me of that." (Oh, yeah, let's not forget the staff insisting that their numbers have been slashed.)

My old Dad made an appearance today. The Director of Nursing got my letter, and went to visit Dad. He let her have it. He told her that he wanted back in his old wing or he was going home. And he seriously meant it. They hope to move him tomorrow. I pushed him around for a bit and he wanted to visit his old wing. Two different staff stopped us and asked if he was coming back.

I got a call while I was at lunch today, from Dad's ex-GF, who'd dropped in at 12:30, and found him soaked (in sweat, I think). She could NOT get anyone to come to the room to change him and the bed, OR help. She finally did it herself, and then couldn't get anyone to bring her a fitted sheet. Turns out they were out of them, but could they SAY that? No. They just disappeared. THREE HOURS later, while I was there, a staff member showed up with a fitted sheet.

Yesterday, it took him an hour to get a bed pan. They ignore the lights, and of course ignore the shouts (all the old folks shout).

We had a little talk, he and I, about how when I said that I couldn't be the only one he called, that didn't mean he couldn't ever call me. It just meant that he needed to work other family members into the mix. That's all. Call SOMEONE, for sure.

This is Spokes Sprocket, the first of 3 baby Pygmy goats that my friend J-dub and her husband are adopting. This pic was taken a few days ago; he went home w/ them today. John and I are going to visit on Saturday. Since Spoke Sprocket is being bottle-fed, I'm hoping to have a turn.

Jen has wanted Pygmy goats forever, and since they moved to the country, it's been inevitable. She's not the only one: Heather and I also want pet goats.