Well, another year has come and nearly gone, and just around the corner waits 2009. It seems like everyone I talk to says they'll be glad for this year to be over so that they can have a fresh start next year; clean slate. This statement confuses me. When you realize you need to make a change why not start it right then? Why wait until the New Year? It makes no sense. The whole dieting resolution-I can sort of see the point in waiting until January with all the rich and fattening foods here around the holidays, but everything else...I just don't know.
A lot of people make resolutions but I never really have. After years of being asked "What's your New Years Resolution?" I finally caved and made one around March of this year and for the most part have stuck with it. My time does not expire until March of 09 so I still have a few months to complete my resolution. However, the world will not fall apart if my resolution is not finished. I will not be utterly disappointed in myself and need counseling if it's not completed. It's a resolution-it's something I'm working on.
So, this coming year I'm not going to make an 'official' resolution but there are several things within myself that I'd like to make an effort to work on.
* I'd love to get my hair cut. I guess that's the easiest to remedy. It's like my hair has just completely taken over my head and now it's branching out and trying to take over the rest of my body. So, a couple 2 or 3 inches would be grand! Of course, once I get it cut I'll hate it until it grows back out again. I always do. It's just the way the world turns.
* I'd like to start eating healthier and drinking more water. I'm not doing this to lose weight. I'd really just like to start eating more nutritious food rather than surviving on sugar, fats, and carbs. I imagine it would make a HUGE difference in the way I feel.
* With all of my being, I would love to finally let go of my greatest fear!
* I'd like to learn something new or try something different. Take a class of some sort or something. If you're not learning-you're not growing. An idle mind is the devil's workshop.
* I'd like to read my Bible and pray more. I've never read the Bible entirely through. That was my resolution last year for this year. As I said, I'm almost there. So, this coming year I would like to take a more in depth look at the Bible. God has been really amazing this year! I've really seen His presence in my life. I've prayed and prayed and prayed until it hurt about certain situations...and I may not have always gotten the answer I wanted, but God did answer, and that alone was worth the wait and worth my time.
* I want a personality make over. It seems that over the past month or two some people have seen me as opinionated. For some that may sound like a bad thing. For me though, I think it's great. For too long I've kept my mouth shut and sat at the wayside. I want to work towards being BOLD and unrelenting. I want to be honest with people and speak my mind even if sometimes it's hard for people to hear. I want to stand for what I believe in even if it means standing alone-unashamed. On the other hand, I want to always be compassionate and supportive of other people. I want to work toward being more outgoing and more outspoken. I want to be more optimistic. Over the years I've learned that anyone can have a negative outlook, but it really takes an effort to stay positive.
* (Crochet wise) I'd like to complete a Football Field afghan, a wearable for myself, and several prayer shawls to keep in stock.
So, 2009 I welcome you with open arms as I strive to make the necessary changes in my life and keep a postive outlook while doing it.
Now, let's party like it's 1999, in 2009!
12.30.2008
12.29.2008
Finished Christmas Presents
I just wanted to drop in and post a few pictures of my finished Christmas Presents.
Here are some pictures of Ruby the Strawberry Girl I made for my Mother-In-Law.
and here are some pictures of Georgie the Grape Boy that I made for my Mother. She insist that it's a little girl though, so maybe we'll call her Georgina the Grape Girl.
I guess with Christmas over now I can focus my attention on other crochet projects...like the massive undertaking of a football field afghan! I bought the yarn for it this past weekend. I guess that means I'm commited...
...MORE ON THAT AT A LATER DATE...much later!
Here are some pictures of Ruby the Strawberry Girl I made for my Mother-In-Law.
and here are some pictures of Georgie the Grape Boy that I made for my Mother. She insist that it's a little girl though, so maybe we'll call her Georgina the Grape Girl.
I guess with Christmas over now I can focus my attention on other crochet projects...like the massive undertaking of a football field afghan! I bought the yarn for it this past weekend. I guess that means I'm commited...
...MORE ON THAT AT A LATER DATE...much later!
12.18.2008
One Down-Two to Go
Well, I managed to finish the baby blanket. The shower was at 2:00 on Saturday and I finished at 1:00. Never in my life have I ever...and never in my life will I ever again. Write that down. I didn't even go to the shower after I busted my rear to finish it. I just dropped it off at my MIL's and got her to take it for me. I had already used up half of my day finishing it and I still had cleaning and wrapping to do...so I just skipped it. Not to mention that I was totally embarrassed by the blanket. It's got to be the ugliest thing I've ever made. I dropped a stitch here and there, and my color sequence was off because of bad math on my part. It's just embarrassing. I really like Danielle too, so I hate to give her something that wasn't my best. My MIL said that she loved it though so I'm glad of that. She also said that everyone wanted to see it so it was passed around. Too bad that doesn't make me feel better. Here are some pics:
When I first started the blanket awhile back-I loved the colors. Not so much though when I finished. The blanket sort of reminds me of a Fair Ground. Imagine lots of kids eating lots of cotton candy and bubble gum and then getting on the Merry-Go-Round or the Swings...UUUUHHHH HHHUUUUUUUUHH. You know what I'm thinking right? It looks like puke, but whatever. As long as she likes it, that's all that matters.
So anyway, that's one thing down and crossed off my list. Two more Christmas gifts to finish and about 6 days to finish them in. Off I go....
When I first started the blanket awhile back-I loved the colors. Not so much though when I finished. The blanket sort of reminds me of a Fair Ground. Imagine lots of kids eating lots of cotton candy and bubble gum and then getting on the Merry-Go-Round or the Swings...UUUUHHHH HHHUUUUUUUUHH. You know what I'm thinking right? It looks like puke, but whatever. As long as she likes it, that's all that matters.
So anyway, that's one thing down and crossed off my list. Two more Christmas gifts to finish and about 6 days to finish them in. Off I go....
12.11.2008
Crocheters' Night Before Christmas
I saw this nice little poem in one of my Ravelry groups this afternoon and loved it and thought you all might appreciate it as well. :D
CROCHETERS’ NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
~ Author Unknown ~
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all around me
There was unfinished crocheting not under the tree,
The stockings weren’t hung by the chimney with care
‘Cause the heels and the toes had not a stitch there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
But I had not finished the caps for their heads.
Dad was asleep-he was no help at all.
And the sweater for him was 6inches too small.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I put down my hook to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash.
Tripped over my yarn and fell down in my stash.
The tangle of yarn that lay deep as the snow
Reminded me how far I still had to go.
When out on the lawn I heard such a noise,
I was sure it would wake up both Dad and the boys.
And although I was tired-my brain a bit thick,
I knew in a moment that it must be St Nick.
Yet what I heard left me very perplex-ed
For nothing I heard was what I expect-ed.
“Move Rowan! Move Patons! Move Koigu and Clover!
Move Shelridge! Move Starmore! Move Spinrite! Move over!
Lopi, don’t circle around, just stand there in line.
Pay attention you sheep and you’ll work out just fine!
I know this is hard as it’s just your first year
But I’d hate to go back to 8 tiny reindeer.”
I peered over the sill. What I saw was amazing:
Eight wooly sheep on my lawn all a-grazing!
And then in a twinkle, I heard at the door
Santa’s big boots stomping on the porch floor.
I rose from my knees and got back on my feet.
As I turned around, St Nick I did meet.
He was dressed all in wool from his head to his toe
And his clothes were hand crochet from above to below.
A bright Fair Isle sweater he wore on his back.
And his toys were all stuffed in an Aran crochet sack.
His hat was a wonder of bobbles and lace
A beautiful frame for his rosy red face.
The scarf on his neck could have stretched for a mile,
And the socks peeking over his boots were Argyle.
On the back of his mitts was an intricate cable.
And suddenly on one I spotted a small label:
“S.C.” in duplicate on the cuff.
So I asked, “Hey, Nick, did YOU crochet all this stuff?”
He proudly replied, “Ho, ho, ho, yes I did.
I learned how to crochet when I was just a kid.”
He was chubby and plump, a well dressed old man,
And I laughed to myself, for I’d thought up a plan.
I flashed him a grin and jumped up in the air,
And the next thing he knew, he was tied to a chair.
He spoke not a word, but looked down in his lap
Where I had laid my crochet hook and yarn for a cap.
He began then to crochet, first one cap then 2-
For the first time I thought I might really get through.
He put heels in the stockings and toes in some socks,
While I sat back drinking a scotch on the rocks.
Quickly like magic his hooks they flew,
Good Grief! He was finished by two!
He sprang for his sleigh when I let him go free,
And over his shoulder he looked back at me.
I heard him explain as he sailed past the moon,
“Next year, start your crocheting sometime around JUNE!”
CROCHETERS’ NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
~ Author Unknown ~
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all around me
There was unfinished crocheting not under the tree,
The stockings weren’t hung by the chimney with care
‘Cause the heels and the toes had not a stitch there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
But I had not finished the caps for their heads.
Dad was asleep-he was no help at all.
And the sweater for him was 6inches too small.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I put down my hook to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash.
Tripped over my yarn and fell down in my stash.
The tangle of yarn that lay deep as the snow
Reminded me how far I still had to go.
When out on the lawn I heard such a noise,
I was sure it would wake up both Dad and the boys.
And although I was tired-my brain a bit thick,
I knew in a moment that it must be St Nick.
Yet what I heard left me very perplex-ed
For nothing I heard was what I expect-ed.
“Move Rowan! Move Patons! Move Koigu and Clover!
Move Shelridge! Move Starmore! Move Spinrite! Move over!
Lopi, don’t circle around, just stand there in line.
Pay attention you sheep and you’ll work out just fine!
I know this is hard as it’s just your first year
But I’d hate to go back to 8 tiny reindeer.”
I peered over the sill. What I saw was amazing:
Eight wooly sheep on my lawn all a-grazing!
And then in a twinkle, I heard at the door
Santa’s big boots stomping on the porch floor.
I rose from my knees and got back on my feet.
As I turned around, St Nick I did meet.
He was dressed all in wool from his head to his toe
And his clothes were hand crochet from above to below.
A bright Fair Isle sweater he wore on his back.
And his toys were all stuffed in an Aran crochet sack.
His hat was a wonder of bobbles and lace
A beautiful frame for his rosy red face.
The scarf on his neck could have stretched for a mile,
And the socks peeking over his boots were Argyle.
On the back of his mitts was an intricate cable.
And suddenly on one I spotted a small label:
“S.C.” in duplicate on the cuff.
So I asked, “Hey, Nick, did YOU crochet all this stuff?”
He proudly replied, “Ho, ho, ho, yes I did.
I learned how to crochet when I was just a kid.”
He was chubby and plump, a well dressed old man,
And I laughed to myself, for I’d thought up a plan.
I flashed him a grin and jumped up in the air,
And the next thing he knew, he was tied to a chair.
He spoke not a word, but looked down in his lap
Where I had laid my crochet hook and yarn for a cap.
He began then to crochet, first one cap then 2-
For the first time I thought I might really get through.
He put heels in the stockings and toes in some socks,
While I sat back drinking a scotch on the rocks.
Quickly like magic his hooks they flew,
Good Grief! He was finished by two!
He sprang for his sleigh when I let him go free,
And over his shoulder he looked back at me.
I heard him explain as he sailed past the moon,
“Next year, start your crocheting sometime around JUNE!”
12.10.2008
Countdown to Christmas Freak Out
Can you believe it's almost Christmas? I'm talking like 14-15 days away...I just can't seem to wrap my head around it. Usually by now all my gifts would be bought and wrapped under the tree. Not this year...I've still got 3 gifts left to buy and still have all my wrapping left to do. I'm feeling the crunch.
I started a baby blanket about a month or so ago for my husbands cousin that is due in February. I have had absolutely NO luck with this blanket whatsoever. I started a star blanket first and couldn't get the pattern to work out. It was written in mostly crochet symbols and I'm just not that good at symbols yet. I frogged that and started over. This time I decided I would do a blanket of granny squares. Sounded easy enough, quick enough. Wrong, it was a blanket of 3 inch granny squares. I got about 30 finished and I had, had all that I could take of weaving in ends and whipstitches. So I decided I would use the squares as the border of the blanket. I had that much accomplished and had my mind made up. I tried a couple of stitch patterns to fit within my borders, my alloted space, and I couldn't get a darn thing to work. Frogged, frogged, and frogged again. I decided that since the baby wasn't due until February that I would put the blanket down, do my Christmas crochet, and then pick the blanket back up at the beginning of the year.
Things were going smoothly. I got about 90% of one gift finished. Then out of the blue I get an invite to the freakin' baby shower for this Saturday. What?!? Who throws a baby shower right before Christmas? Apparently, they do. So, I picked the blanket back up and tried a couple of things-all to no avail. WHY IS THIS BLANKET GIVING ME SUCH FITS!?! So, I'm starting to panic a bit now. I have 3 days left to finish this thing. After this weekend that will only leave me around 10-11 days to finish my Christmas presents...OH and wrap all my existing presents. FREAK OUT!
So, I guess I'll keep winging this blanket. I would hate to waste some 30 3inch granny squares. I know, I know, I could save them until later, but that would never happen. They'd end up in the trash. Pray for me y'all. I'll post pics when I'm done. If I ever finish....
I started a baby blanket about a month or so ago for my husbands cousin that is due in February. I have had absolutely NO luck with this blanket whatsoever. I started a star blanket first and couldn't get the pattern to work out. It was written in mostly crochet symbols and I'm just not that good at symbols yet. I frogged that and started over. This time I decided I would do a blanket of granny squares. Sounded easy enough, quick enough. Wrong, it was a blanket of 3 inch granny squares. I got about 30 finished and I had, had all that I could take of weaving in ends and whipstitches. So I decided I would use the squares as the border of the blanket. I had that much accomplished and had my mind made up. I tried a couple of stitch patterns to fit within my borders, my alloted space, and I couldn't get a darn thing to work. Frogged, frogged, and frogged again. I decided that since the baby wasn't due until February that I would put the blanket down, do my Christmas crochet, and then pick the blanket back up at the beginning of the year.
Things were going smoothly. I got about 90% of one gift finished. Then out of the blue I get an invite to the freakin' baby shower for this Saturday. What?!? Who throws a baby shower right before Christmas? Apparently, they do. So, I picked the blanket back up and tried a couple of things-all to no avail. WHY IS THIS BLANKET GIVING ME SUCH FITS!?! So, I'm starting to panic a bit now. I have 3 days left to finish this thing. After this weekend that will only leave me around 10-11 days to finish my Christmas presents...OH and wrap all my existing presents. FREAK OUT!
So, I guess I'll keep winging this blanket. I would hate to waste some 30 3inch granny squares. I know, I know, I could save them until later, but that would never happen. They'd end up in the trash. Pray for me y'all. I'll post pics when I'm done. If I ever finish....
12.08.2008
Weekend Drama
I've had the same car for a little over 5 1/2 years now. It never seems to fail that once it's paid off and you actually OWN it, things start to break or quit working. This car was no different. Once I got it paid off I started having to fork the money over left and right to keep the darn thing operating. Over the past couple of weeks I had been noticing that the car would jerk when I'd shift it into drive. I thought that maybe it was just the cold weather, but after a week or two of that I decided I should take it in to the mechanic. The mechanic looked at it, cleaned it up, and decided that I would be best served if I traded the thing in. Of course, he said I could put a new transmission in it, but his best guess is that it would cost me around $3,000 for that...more than what the actual car was worth. Needless to say, my husband and I began car shopping last week. I hate car shopping!
I knew exactly what I wanted or at least had it narrowed down to a couple of different vehicles. I searched high and low on every car dealership website I could find. I rode up and down 123 and hit every car lot around. I just couldn't find what I wanted and started to get frustrated, but FINALLY, at my very last stop, Hendrick Honda, they said I could check out their website www.hendrickcars.com and search for the vehicle I wanted there. It is a compilation of all the Hendrick owned Honda dealerships and if I found a car I wanted off that website within a couple of hundred miles they would bring it in for me, free of charge, with no pressure to buy. I went home that night tired and frozen solid, and checked the website. Within minutes I found the exact vehicle I wanted. Within a day the car was brought in for me. After test driving it we agreed to buy it. OH MY GOODNESS! I LOVE THIS CAR!! It's a 2006 Pontiac Torrent.
BUT, unfortunately, the story doesn't end there. I brought the car home with me Friday night around 11:00 or so. The next day around lunch time I left the house prepared to run my errands and show my new ride to some friends and family. I remembered that I had left something in the back of the vehicle that I needed so I headed to the back. When I got to the rear of my vehicle I noticed red spray paint covering my back glass, covering my tag, and well, basically, all over the back of my vehicle including my bumper. I called my husband at work and asked him if he saw it when he left and he said he hadn't, but that he didn't really look because he was in a hurry. I asked him to get someone to check his vehicle and to call me back and let me know if they had gotten his vehicle too. It wasn't much later he called back and said that they had. He had red spray paint coloring in his back rim and a red streak all down the drivers side of his truck. Soooooo, I called the police and filed a report. I notified several of my neighbors and told them to be on the look out. Much to my surprise they said that on Halloween night a couple of mailboxes were sprayed, one ladies drive way was sprayed, and vulgarities were spray painted in the road, but no one filed a police report. We all believe it to be some rotten, punk kids in the neighborhood, but we can't prove it. I called the insurance company and they wanted $500 deductible on each vehicle -IF- mine is even covered since I had just purchased it and hadn't changed my insurance information over yet. WHAT A CROCK! INSURANCE IS A WASTE!
Anyway, the good news is that we worked away all weekend and were able to get the paint off of my back glass and all the paint off of my husbands truck. We're taking my car to a body shop next week to have the paint removed from my car. Lucky for me it was red spray paint on a black car so it's not that noticeable. Still makes me mad as hell fire though. PEOPLE HAVE NO RESPECT!!
I figured the police wouldn't take my report seriously. I imagine finding a random spray painter might seem like a waste of time to many of them. But we received a phone call from a detective yesterday saying that he had been up in the neighborhood looking through the woods and stuff for empty spray paint cans. He asked if we had any leads or suspicions. We mentioned the addresses of some of the kids in the neighborhood. He was a juvenile detective so he suspected kids as well. I guess we'll see from here.
It really sucks that it happened but I guess the silver lining is that it could have been A LOT worse!
I knew exactly what I wanted or at least had it narrowed down to a couple of different vehicles. I searched high and low on every car dealership website I could find. I rode up and down 123 and hit every car lot around. I just couldn't find what I wanted and started to get frustrated, but FINALLY, at my very last stop, Hendrick Honda, they said I could check out their website www.hendrickcars.com and search for the vehicle I wanted there. It is a compilation of all the Hendrick owned Honda dealerships and if I found a car I wanted off that website within a couple of hundred miles they would bring it in for me, free of charge, with no pressure to buy. I went home that night tired and frozen solid, and checked the website. Within minutes I found the exact vehicle I wanted. Within a day the car was brought in for me. After test driving it we agreed to buy it. OH MY GOODNESS! I LOVE THIS CAR!! It's a 2006 Pontiac Torrent.
BUT, unfortunately, the story doesn't end there. I brought the car home with me Friday night around 11:00 or so. The next day around lunch time I left the house prepared to run my errands and show my new ride to some friends and family. I remembered that I had left something in the back of the vehicle that I needed so I headed to the back. When I got to the rear of my vehicle I noticed red spray paint covering my back glass, covering my tag, and well, basically, all over the back of my vehicle including my bumper. I called my husband at work and asked him if he saw it when he left and he said he hadn't, but that he didn't really look because he was in a hurry. I asked him to get someone to check his vehicle and to call me back and let me know if they had gotten his vehicle too. It wasn't much later he called back and said that they had. He had red spray paint coloring in his back rim and a red streak all down the drivers side of his truck. Soooooo, I called the police and filed a report. I notified several of my neighbors and told them to be on the look out. Much to my surprise they said that on Halloween night a couple of mailboxes were sprayed, one ladies drive way was sprayed, and vulgarities were spray painted in the road, but no one filed a police report. We all believe it to be some rotten, punk kids in the neighborhood, but we can't prove it. I called the insurance company and they wanted $500 deductible on each vehicle -IF- mine is even covered since I had just purchased it and hadn't changed my insurance information over yet. WHAT A CROCK! INSURANCE IS A WASTE!
Anyway, the good news is that we worked away all weekend and were able to get the paint off of my back glass and all the paint off of my husbands truck. We're taking my car to a body shop next week to have the paint removed from my car. Lucky for me it was red spray paint on a black car so it's not that noticeable. Still makes me mad as hell fire though. PEOPLE HAVE NO RESPECT!!
I figured the police wouldn't take my report seriously. I imagine finding a random spray painter might seem like a waste of time to many of them. But we received a phone call from a detective yesterday saying that he had been up in the neighborhood looking through the woods and stuff for empty spray paint cans. He asked if we had any leads or suspicions. We mentioned the addresses of some of the kids in the neighborhood. He was a juvenile detective so he suspected kids as well. I guess we'll see from here.
It really sucks that it happened but I guess the silver lining is that it could have been A LOT worse!
12.01.2008
Distant Memory
So, today was my first day back to work after a long 4 day weekend. I really hate Mondays, but I especially hate them after a 4 day weekend. I can't even begin to explain how bad a 4 day weekend backs me up at work. I had 6 days of money worth to count and enough mail to start my own post office. I'm just glad the day is over. 5:00 couldn't come fast enough today. Thanksgiving seems like a distant memory to me now. Speaking of Thanksgiving...I did have a good Thanksgiving. We just did the usual family tradition. I woke up fairly early and made a large breakfast. My husband and I ate breakfast and watched the dog show then we put up Christmas decorations. After decorating I baked some rolls and a honey bun cake to take to a family get together later that evening. Good times...Distant Memories. That honey bun cake was off the chain for shizzy though! I ain't even playin!!!
I went to the doctor last Tuesday to have another small test done and to get the results of my CT scan that I had done a couple of weeks ago. Much to my surprise, I have kidney stones! In both of my kidneys. The doctor said they range in size from 2-3mm. He said they were too small to operate on but large enough to cause me pain if I passed them. GEE THANKS! He didn't even give me pain meds-in case! What's up, Doc?! Give me some stinkin' pain meds. Anywho, now I have to do a 24 hour urine collection and have blood work done to determine why I'm mass producing these things. Yippie! However, a 24 hour urine sample is probably the easiest thing I've been asked to do so far. Just wanted to let everyone know that I've probably got some fun times ahead of me.
Here is another interesting quiz I took. Pretty accurate...and Green is my favorite color! Yea!
I went to the doctor last Tuesday to have another small test done and to get the results of my CT scan that I had done a couple of weeks ago. Much to my surprise, I have kidney stones! In both of my kidneys. The doctor said they range in size from 2-3mm. He said they were too small to operate on but large enough to cause me pain if I passed them. GEE THANKS! He didn't even give me pain meds-in case! What's up, Doc?! Give me some stinkin' pain meds. Anywho, now I have to do a 24 hour urine collection and have blood work done to determine why I'm mass producing these things. Yippie! However, a 24 hour urine sample is probably the easiest thing I've been asked to do so far. Just wanted to let everyone know that I've probably got some fun times ahead of me.
Here is another interesting quiz I took. Pretty accurate...and Green is my favorite color! Yea!
Your rainbow is intensely shaded green, yellow, and white.
What is says about you: You are a contemplative person. You feel strong ties to nature and your mood changes with its cycles. Those around you admire your fresh outlook and vitality. You're good at getting people to like you.
Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.
What is says about you: You are a contemplative person. You feel strong ties to nature and your mood changes with its cycles. Those around you admire your fresh outlook and vitality. You're good at getting people to like you.
Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.
11.17.2008
What does your birth month reveal about you?
 |
I have to say this is pretty accurate for me.
11.14.2008
I'm older than I've ever been
So, today is my birthday. I don't say that to get a down pouring of birthday wishes. I just say it to vent. I'm never really been big on birthdays but I've never really been anti-birthday either. This year has been different though. I turned 27 today. Not really a milestone year yet I haven't been in the mood for celebrating at all. All I've really wanted to do today is stay in my pj's covered up in bed. You see, I'm older than I've ever been in my whole life. I saw a recent picture of me just the other day and I couldn't believe how much older I look than I used to. I know it's natural but I guess I'm going through an early mid-life crisis. Maybe you could call it a 1/3 life crisis...
It seems like I have a ton of decisions to make and the harder I try to make a decision the more indecisive I become. I guess I've been in a funk lately because I haven't really felt good. I'm just sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. Sooooooo, I have to decide if I want to continue to feel bad and continue to be all mopey, or if I'm going to do everything that I can possibly do to help myself feel better. Maybe I should find a new GI doctor, maybe I should see a wellness doctor, maybe I should put myself on a freakin' diet! (No, not to lose weight-to become healthier and feel better). Decisions, Decisions. Where does one start?
I guess this year is no different than the rest, really. Tackle one problem at a time, face one fear at a time, pray one prayer at a time, put one foot in front of the other...everything will work out. I imagine growing old comes as a shock to everyone at some point. I guess my point just came a littler earlier than most.
So, starting today and for another 364 days I'll be 27. Imagine the havoc when I turn 28....When told by a waitor in a restuarant today that he just turned 21 I replied...
"That was a good age..."
It seems like I have a ton of decisions to make and the harder I try to make a decision the more indecisive I become. I guess I've been in a funk lately because I haven't really felt good. I'm just sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. Sooooooo, I have to decide if I want to continue to feel bad and continue to be all mopey, or if I'm going to do everything that I can possibly do to help myself feel better. Maybe I should find a new GI doctor, maybe I should see a wellness doctor, maybe I should put myself on a freakin' diet! (No, not to lose weight-to become healthier and feel better). Decisions, Decisions. Where does one start?
I guess this year is no different than the rest, really. Tackle one problem at a time, face one fear at a time, pray one prayer at a time, put one foot in front of the other...everything will work out. I imagine growing old comes as a shock to everyone at some point. I guess my point just came a littler earlier than most.
So, starting today and for another 364 days I'll be 27. Imagine the havoc when I turn 28....When told by a waitor in a restuarant today that he just turned 21 I replied...
"That was a good age..."
11.11.2008
Another Day, Another....
Another day, another doctors visit. Another doctors visit, another fried sweet potato pie from Bojangles! Woot Woot! Okay, NO, it's not worth it but you've got to make the best out of a bad situation, right?
I also treated myself to a visit to the NeedleTree. The NeedleTree is a local speciality yarn store in my area. I say 'speciality' because it's not like a chain store or anything. And because in my case it almost takes a 'special' occasion to be able to purchase any of their yarn. I touched a lot of yarn, fell in love with even more, but left with nothing. The yarn I wanted was over $20.00 a skein. I'm talking $20.00 for like 116 yards. It was Dazzle by Prism in Copper Penny. That's my new dream yarn. It would make a perfect little dainty scarf! Ahhhhhhh, oh well. It's a scarf that would cost $40.00+. I just couldn't do it. I have a birthday coming up this week. I mentioned the yarn to my husband-he nearly stroked on the floor. I guess I can't expect him to understand. He'd have me buying Red Heart Super Saver all the time!
One doctors visit down....hopefully, no more for awhile....at least until my other appointment on the 25th.
Ain't life grand....
(at least I'll get another sweet potato pie...and if I save my money maybe a new shiny, sparkly, dazzle skein of yarn)
I also treated myself to a visit to the NeedleTree. The NeedleTree is a local speciality yarn store in my area. I say 'speciality' because it's not like a chain store or anything. And because in my case it almost takes a 'special' occasion to be able to purchase any of their yarn. I touched a lot of yarn, fell in love with even more, but left with nothing. The yarn I wanted was over $20.00 a skein. I'm talking $20.00 for like 116 yards. It was Dazzle by Prism in Copper Penny. That's my new dream yarn. It would make a perfect little dainty scarf! Ahhhhhhh, oh well. It's a scarf that would cost $40.00+. I just couldn't do it. I have a birthday coming up this week. I mentioned the yarn to my husband-he nearly stroked on the floor. I guess I can't expect him to understand. He'd have me buying Red Heart Super Saver all the time!
One doctors visit down....hopefully, no more for awhile....at least until my other appointment on the 25th.
Ain't life grand....
(at least I'll get another sweet potato pie...and if I save my money maybe a new shiny, sparkly, dazzle skein of yarn)
11.07.2008
Self Discovery
So, I finally realized something about myself the other day. It's strange, really, how we're always learning new things about ourselves. It's odd that it has taken me so long to realize this...
I'm an emotional eater and an emotional shopper!
How can it be? It seems that I've always sort of turned my nose up when I hear someone say that they are an emotional eater. Not because I think I'm better than they are because I'm not and I don't. It's just a strange thing...to be an emotional eater. I've always wondered how anyone felt like eating when they're all depressed or upset. Obviously, I've been doing it all along and never really realizing it.
I had started to recognize a trend lately - that when I didn't feel good or was upset that I always reached for a candy bar or something...or wanted to go shopping because I deserved something nice because "I don't feel good". But it was all confirmed yesterday and then again today.
I haven't felt especially good this week. It's not really unusual for me to feel bad but I just felt really bad yesterday. On my way home from work yesterday I decided to stop into Hobby Lobby because I needed a 10" embroidery hoop. I didn't really feel like it, but I figured it would be a quick trip and it was best to just get it over with. I looked all over for a plastic 10" but couldn't seem to find one so I settled for a wooden one. I had a 40% off coupon I was going to use towards my purchase but when I realized that the hoop was only a $1.29 I felt pretty ridiculous using the coupon so I decided to shop the aisles for something "I just had to have" to use my coupon on. Silly me, who wants to waste a 40% of coupon on a $1.29 hoop...(Like it was the last 40% off coupon in the whole world). So, I looked around until I found a book I really wanted "The Color Book of Felted Crochet". I walked around the store with the book in my hand for about 30 minutes trying to decide if it was really worth it. I already have a list a mile long of projects that I hope to get to soon and then to add all these super cool felted patterns!!! Come on...I eventually decided to get it because 'I didn't feel good' and this book, this very book I held in my hand, was going to have the answers to all of my physical aliments.....right! But I bought it anyway. It was a good buy and I couldn't pass it up. Originally, it was $19.99 but I ended up getting the book and my hoop for about $14.00. I guess in a way it did help me feel better at least for a little while. It got my mind off things.
Then this morning I had a doctors appointment. I've never been to this doctor before, nor have I had this particular procedure done so I was stressing out just a bit. Immediately following my doctors appointment and against my very best judgement I stopped by Bojangles and got one of their fried sweet potato pies. OH- MY- GOODNESS!! Those things are ridiculously good. I did stop myself after about 3 bites because I wanted to share the rest with hubby. He's never had one before. If I would have stopped there I would have done really good, but as you guessed...I didn't stop there. I then drove to Starbucks. I pretended for awhile to be interested in their herbal teas, but all along knew that one of their signature hot chocolates would win out. I bought a Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate. OH- MY- GOODNESS!!! I swear those things are so good it'll make you smack your momma. Anyway, I drank it all...hubby's tried it before and this one was all mine.
Anyway, I felt like crap all day after starting out my morning with so much fat, caffeine, grease, and chocolate, but at least for that moment in time...I was comforted.
I'm an emotional eater and an emotional shopper!
How can it be? It seems that I've always sort of turned my nose up when I hear someone say that they are an emotional eater. Not because I think I'm better than they are because I'm not and I don't. It's just a strange thing...to be an emotional eater. I've always wondered how anyone felt like eating when they're all depressed or upset. Obviously, I've been doing it all along and never really realizing it.
I had started to recognize a trend lately - that when I didn't feel good or was upset that I always reached for a candy bar or something...or wanted to go shopping because I deserved something nice because "I don't feel good". But it was all confirmed yesterday and then again today.
I haven't felt especially good this week. It's not really unusual for me to feel bad but I just felt really bad yesterday. On my way home from work yesterday I decided to stop into Hobby Lobby because I needed a 10" embroidery hoop. I didn't really feel like it, but I figured it would be a quick trip and it was best to just get it over with. I looked all over for a plastic 10" but couldn't seem to find one so I settled for a wooden one. I had a 40% off coupon I was going to use towards my purchase but when I realized that the hoop was only a $1.29 I felt pretty ridiculous using the coupon so I decided to shop the aisles for something "I just had to have" to use my coupon on. Silly me, who wants to waste a 40% of coupon on a $1.29 hoop...(Like it was the last 40% off coupon in the whole world). So, I looked around until I found a book I really wanted "The Color Book of Felted Crochet". I walked around the store with the book in my hand for about 30 minutes trying to decide if it was really worth it. I already have a list a mile long of projects that I hope to get to soon and then to add all these super cool felted patterns!!! Come on...I eventually decided to get it because 'I didn't feel good' and this book, this very book I held in my hand, was going to have the answers to all of my physical aliments.....right! But I bought it anyway. It was a good buy and I couldn't pass it up. Originally, it was $19.99 but I ended up getting the book and my hoop for about $14.00. I guess in a way it did help me feel better at least for a little while. It got my mind off things.
Then this morning I had a doctors appointment. I've never been to this doctor before, nor have I had this particular procedure done so I was stressing out just a bit. Immediately following my doctors appointment and against my very best judgement I stopped by Bojangles and got one of their fried sweet potato pies. OH- MY- GOODNESS!! Those things are ridiculously good. I did stop myself after about 3 bites because I wanted to share the rest with hubby. He's never had one before. If I would have stopped there I would have done really good, but as you guessed...I didn't stop there. I then drove to Starbucks. I pretended for awhile to be interested in their herbal teas, but all along knew that one of their signature hot chocolates would win out. I bought a Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate. OH- MY- GOODNESS!!! I swear those things are so good it'll make you smack your momma. Anyway, I drank it all...hubby's tried it before and this one was all mine.
Anyway, I felt like crap all day after starting out my morning with so much fat, caffeine, grease, and chocolate, but at least for that moment in time...I was comforted.
11.04.2008
Not Forgotten....
Hi All!
I just wanted to let everyone know that I haven't forgotten about you. My computer has been deathly ill for the past month or so...In and out of the Computer ER...ie, repair shop. So, I've been out of commission. My computer finally come home with me this past weekend but unfortunately we had to do a complete purge of all our files and programs so we're still loading everything on it...all over again. I guess I'm most concerned with my pictures and iTunes. I can't even tell you how bad it would suck to lose all the stinkin' mp3's, games, and videos that I've bought on iTunes. NO! I'm an idiot I don't back them up on CD. I will from now on though...that's for sure. So, that's where I'm at right now.
I've got several projects I'd like to post pictures of, on here and Ravelry. I've finished an amigurumi goldfish, an amigurumi gnome couple, another amigurumi gnome, a shawl, and a couple of finger puppets. It seems like there was something else but I can't remember. That's no surprise though. How on earth did I ever keep up with all my FO's before Ravelry? Life before Ravelry???? I hardly remember...
SO, today is election day. I'm glad it's finally here. I'll be even more glad when it's over (if my candidate wins). I'm tired of all the political talk. I'm not against politics. In fact I try to keep up. After all, it effects me - so I should be interested. It's just such a huge election this year and it seems that so many people are taking it soooooo personally. I dare not ask someone who they're voting for. It's almost more touchy than religion these days. I tried to vote this morning when the polls opened but the line was entirely too long. It would have taken me all day to get through. So, unfortunately for me, I won't be getting a FREE Starbucks coffee, nor will be be getting a FREE scoop of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, nor will I be getting a FREE donut from Krispy Kreme. Sure sucks to be me!! I'll go by this evening when I get off work to vote...but no freebies for me as it'll be too late.
Hopefully soon I'll be able to flood my blog with lots of pics and post of finished projects. Pray for my computer to have a speedy recovery. I'm almost going into withdrawal myself....
I just wanted to let everyone know that I haven't forgotten about you. My computer has been deathly ill for the past month or so...In and out of the Computer ER...ie, repair shop. So, I've been out of commission. My computer finally come home with me this past weekend but unfortunately we had to do a complete purge of all our files and programs so we're still loading everything on it...all over again. I guess I'm most concerned with my pictures and iTunes. I can't even tell you how bad it would suck to lose all the stinkin' mp3's, games, and videos that I've bought on iTunes. NO! I'm an idiot I don't back them up on CD. I will from now on though...that's for sure. So, that's where I'm at right now.
I've got several projects I'd like to post pictures of, on here and Ravelry. I've finished an amigurumi goldfish, an amigurumi gnome couple, another amigurumi gnome, a shawl, and a couple of finger puppets. It seems like there was something else but I can't remember. That's no surprise though. How on earth did I ever keep up with all my FO's before Ravelry? Life before Ravelry???? I hardly remember...
SO, today is election day. I'm glad it's finally here. I'll be even more glad when it's over (if my candidate wins). I'm tired of all the political talk. I'm not against politics. In fact I try to keep up. After all, it effects me - so I should be interested. It's just such a huge election this year and it seems that so many people are taking it soooooo personally. I dare not ask someone who they're voting for. It's almost more touchy than religion these days. I tried to vote this morning when the polls opened but the line was entirely too long. It would have taken me all day to get through. So, unfortunately for me, I won't be getting a FREE Starbucks coffee, nor will be be getting a FREE scoop of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, nor will I be getting a FREE donut from Krispy Kreme. Sure sucks to be me!! I'll go by this evening when I get off work to vote...but no freebies for me as it'll be too late.
Hopefully soon I'll be able to flood my blog with lots of pics and post of finished projects. Pray for my computer to have a speedy recovery. I'm almost going into withdrawal myself....
10.13.2008
I am in SUCH a moooooooood!!
Man, I am in such a mood today! I don't even know what my issue is! It's not just today either. I was in a foul mood all day Friday and most of the afternoon on Saturday. I'm just in no mood to work at all! It's one of those days where I desire soooooo much NOT to be at work that my skin is crawling at the thought of being stuck at work until 5! I had to work 5 hours on Saturday-something I'm not used to at all! I didn't get to sleep in this weekend...had to wake up at the buttcrack of dawn...and come to work. Don't get me wrong. I like my job. I've got a great job. It's just one of those moods and one of those days.
Maybe it's the fact that it's finally FALL! My absolute favorite season! The weather has been so stinkin' nice outside and I'm trapped inside and lucky to see a single ray of sunshine peep through the window. It's cool and crisp outside, the leaves are changing! I want to go to a pumpkin patch and apple orchard so bad I can't stand it. Here it is October 13th...my favorite month is halfway through. I should be outside enjoying the life and the vast creation that God has blessed me with...but NO! Not today, not tomorrow, not even Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. I'll be stuck between the 4 walls of my office.
The system is so screwed up! Honest to goodness! How much sense does it make that we start working between the ages of 16-21 and then work until we're in our late 50's early 60's? Then, if we're lucky-we'll draw Social Security until we die. Seriously! I propose that instead we go to work between the ages of 40-50 and work until we're in our late 70's early 80's. I propose that we draw Social Security once we get out of high school up until we join the work force in our 40's. Social Security could help pay for our college and our travels as we enjoy our youth and gain valuable life experience! Life experience we could then apply to the work force! It doesn't make sense to me that we waste away our youth working 40+ hours a week. By the time we're old enough to retire...we're too old to enjoy retirement. Am I right or am I right? It would make so much more sense if we got to enjoy retirement while we're young and able. I know some of the older folks that are reading this right now may be getting a little ticked off. Don't get mad at me because I'm speaking the truth. Get mad at the system!
I mean, I understand that the Bible says we have to work to eat and that makes sense. Seriously though, I don't eat enough to validate me working 40 hours a week. If it were at all possible I would give up eating all together if it meant not working. I'm just saying...based on what I eat I should only be working part-time....I mean, like part-time, part-time.
It just doesn't make sense to me. Maybe I should run for President! Or maybe I should just take a CHILL PILL!
Maybe it's the fact that it's finally FALL! My absolute favorite season! The weather has been so stinkin' nice outside and I'm trapped inside and lucky to see a single ray of sunshine peep through the window. It's cool and crisp outside, the leaves are changing! I want to go to a pumpkin patch and apple orchard so bad I can't stand it. Here it is October 13th...my favorite month is halfway through. I should be outside enjoying the life and the vast creation that God has blessed me with...but NO! Not today, not tomorrow, not even Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. I'll be stuck between the 4 walls of my office.
The system is so screwed up! Honest to goodness! How much sense does it make that we start working between the ages of 16-21 and then work until we're in our late 50's early 60's? Then, if we're lucky-we'll draw Social Security until we die. Seriously! I propose that instead we go to work between the ages of 40-50 and work until we're in our late 70's early 80's. I propose that we draw Social Security once we get out of high school up until we join the work force in our 40's. Social Security could help pay for our college and our travels as we enjoy our youth and gain valuable life experience! Life experience we could then apply to the work force! It doesn't make sense to me that we waste away our youth working 40+ hours a week. By the time we're old enough to retire...we're too old to enjoy retirement. Am I right or am I right? It would make so much more sense if we got to enjoy retirement while we're young and able. I know some of the older folks that are reading this right now may be getting a little ticked off. Don't get mad at me because I'm speaking the truth. Get mad at the system!
I mean, I understand that the Bible says we have to work to eat and that makes sense. Seriously though, I don't eat enough to validate me working 40 hours a week. If it were at all possible I would give up eating all together if it meant not working. I'm just saying...based on what I eat I should only be working part-time....I mean, like part-time, part-time.
It just doesn't make sense to me. Maybe I should run for President! Or maybe I should just take a CHILL PILL!
9.30.2008
Traveling Teddy
I joined a group on Ravelry called 'The Traveling Teddy'. For those of you who don't know how it works I'll tell you. Each person in the group gets a teddy bear (or some other sort of stuffed animal) and prepares 'luggage' for them by making a bag for them to carry. You also send with your teddy a small notebook which acts as their passport. Once all of this is assembled you mail it out to your downstream partner. When they receive your teddy they are to 'stamp' its passport by making notes of where your teddy has visited. They are also supposed to take pictures of your teddy out and about visiting their town. Before they ship your teddy off to their downstream partner they are supposed to send along with it a small memento of it's trip. Sounds interesting enough. I've never tried anything like this before so I thought it might be fun.
My favorite bear, Bean is making this trip. I immediately regretted my decision when I handed her over to the clerk at the post office. Poor Bean shoved inside a padded envelope. I've had Bean for probably 8 years, at least. She's scented like Vanilla Bean. That's where she got her name. Amazingly, even after 8 years she still smells. Who knows what she'll smell like when I get her back-IF I get her back and she doesn't get lost somewhere along the way. I guess all I can do is pray for her safe return. She'll be making 9 stops before returning back to me. In those 9 stops she'll be visiting 8 different states....Texas, California, Missouri, Michigan, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. If all goes well I should have her back at home around Christmas time...but HOPEFULLY before. It just won't be Christmas without Bean sitting on the stair rail with garland and lights.
OH! and if you're visiting my blog because you're in my Ravelry group-Please take care of my Teddy!!! and post your location below!!!
My favorite bear, Bean is making this trip. I immediately regretted my decision when I handed her over to the clerk at the post office. Poor Bean shoved inside a padded envelope. I've had Bean for probably 8 years, at least. She's scented like Vanilla Bean. That's where she got her name. Amazingly, even after 8 years she still smells. Who knows what she'll smell like when I get her back-IF I get her back and she doesn't get lost somewhere along the way. I guess all I can do is pray for her safe return. She'll be making 9 stops before returning back to me. In those 9 stops she'll be visiting 8 different states....Texas, California, Missouri, Michigan, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. If all goes well I should have her back at home around Christmas time...but HOPEFULLY before. It just won't be Christmas without Bean sitting on the stair rail with garland and lights.
OH! and if you're visiting my blog because you're in my Ravelry group-Please take care of my Teddy!!! and post your location below!!!
9.26.2008
Monday, Sept. 15th
My husband and I are asleep in the bed when suddenly I am awakened by a ringing phone. I glance over at the clock and it's only 5:00 am. Immediately I think "Uh oh" and sit up in bed. It's one of those things that I think is the exact same for every one out there. You know something is wrong if someone is calling that early. I start thinking of who this call may be concerning. I answer it. When I heard my mother-in-laws voice I knew exactly. She asked to speak to my husband so I wake him up and hand him the phone. I think my heart stopped beating, maybe I stopped breathing. All I heard him say was "Uh huh, uh huh.....Uh huh, uh huh. Okay. Bye" and he hands me the phone and lays back down. I ask him "What???? What is it????" He responded "Annette was rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night because she was having trouble breathing." And just like that we both dozed back off to sleep.
I only slept for 15-20 minutes then got up and started to get ready for work. When I woke my husband up later he asked if we received a phone call about Annette or if he had dreamed it all. I told him that indeed we had received a phone call. Then having his fears validated he says "They said she's not doing well and don't know if she'll make it. The family is going to the hospital." I was so frustrated! How could he forget this vital piece of information?? He apologized and explained that he really thought he was dreaming it all. I decided that I would stop by the hospital on my way in to work. I guess at this point it was about 6:15am.
....Annette. Annette is my husbands aunt and a good friend of mine. She's 37 years old. She has a son that's 16 and has been married to her husband for about 16 years. Do the math and she basically got pregnant on the honeymoon :-) or very soon after. She loves her family. That's for sure. Annette found a lump in breast 5 years ago and was diagnosed with breast cancer. Soon after finding the lump they removed it and she went through a few rounds of radiation. She was a survivor. That is, until she went in for a routine mammogram. She told the technician that she was in a lot of pain but of course the technician said that it was normal. She suggested that Annette just go home and take some Advil. She did but it didn't seem to help so she went to her doctor. Her doctor found that a staple from her previous surgery had come loose and was causing the pain. The doctor removed it and after testing it found cancer cells attached. They scheduled Annette for a masectomy, not a double masectomy, just the one breast. Annette had the breast removed and had once again survived. That is, until she went in for a routine check up. I don't know all the specifics but one test led to another and they found that Annette's cancer had returned. This time it was in her chest cavity and in her lungs....and the doctor seemed to be throwing the word 'terminal' around. She was started on aggressive rounds of chemo and radiation. At one time just radiation. Then just chemo. Then there were times she was on both. Chemo pills...liquid chemo...this and that...experimental...Who knows? She tried it all. In May she was admitted to the hospital for trouble breathing. They found that one lung was entirely filled with tumors, the other lung was partially filled. Her airway was being filled by tumors and they found a small tumor in her heart. Things weren't looking good at all and they planned to put a stint in her airway to help her breath easier. The doctor gave her 1 month to live. After a few days of radiation the tumors began to shrink and the doctors decided that they wouldn't need to put the stint in afterall. Weak and nauseated, but very determined Annette left the hospital and a week or two later went on a Caribbean cruise...something she always wanted to do. Recently though Annette has just seemed to get weaker but has still been fighting like the dickens. The doctor said there was nothing more that they could do because the chemo was no longer shrinking the cancer and she was too weak for anything stronger. He gave her (now) 6 months to live. But still her faith and our faith was in the Lord...
At 6:45 I'm dressed and gathering my things. As I'm about to head out the door the phone rings...I stop and I KNOW. My husband answers and I hear him say "Okay". Then he hangs up. He tells me that Annette had passed away.
Her funeral was last Thursday and honestly, it was probably the nicest funeral I've ever been too. The pastor couldn't have been more right about Annette in everything he said. She lived her life beautifully so only good things could be said about her at her funeral. I think death is always a time of reflection...for everyone. We're reminded about how fragile and uncertain life is. The Bible says "Life is like a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." (James 4:13)
I miss Annette and I imagine I'll miss her more in the months to come. I'll miss her even more at the holidays with all the family get togethers. One thing I've noticed though the older I get and more mature I become in my Christian walk is that God has given me a peace about death. I'll never be entirely okay with death. I don't think anyone will but I've become more accepting of it over the years...less bitter towards it and less fighting with it. When God calls someone home there is nothing that I can do about it...not matter how much fighting or grieving I do, and there is nothing that anyone else can do about it. I know that Annette is in a much better place as cliche' as that sounds. I can grieve for my loss. I can grieve for her sons loss and her husbands loss, but I can't grieve for Annette. One thing that has put a smile on my face is picturing her in heaven. The Bible says we're given a new body in heaven so I can see Annette filled with all her energy again, talkative, inquisitive, bubbly, and full of life. I can imagine her trying to help Jesus plan the menu for the next feast or asking if she can paint the walls in her brand new mansion.
At the funeral the pastor put it wonderfully-he said when friends or family members die we shouldn't see it as a withdrawal from our life but rather a deposit into heaven.
-----------
Thanks for allowing me to share Annette's story with you.
I only slept for 15-20 minutes then got up and started to get ready for work. When I woke my husband up later he asked if we received a phone call about Annette or if he had dreamed it all. I told him that indeed we had received a phone call. Then having his fears validated he says "They said she's not doing well and don't know if she'll make it. The family is going to the hospital." I was so frustrated! How could he forget this vital piece of information?? He apologized and explained that he really thought he was dreaming it all. I decided that I would stop by the hospital on my way in to work. I guess at this point it was about 6:15am.
....Annette. Annette is my husbands aunt and a good friend of mine. She's 37 years old. She has a son that's 16 and has been married to her husband for about 16 years. Do the math and she basically got pregnant on the honeymoon :-) or very soon after. She loves her family. That's for sure. Annette found a lump in breast 5 years ago and was diagnosed with breast cancer. Soon after finding the lump they removed it and she went through a few rounds of radiation. She was a survivor. That is, until she went in for a routine mammogram. She told the technician that she was in a lot of pain but of course the technician said that it was normal. She suggested that Annette just go home and take some Advil. She did but it didn't seem to help so she went to her doctor. Her doctor found that a staple from her previous surgery had come loose and was causing the pain. The doctor removed it and after testing it found cancer cells attached. They scheduled Annette for a masectomy, not a double masectomy, just the one breast. Annette had the breast removed and had once again survived. That is, until she went in for a routine check up. I don't know all the specifics but one test led to another and they found that Annette's cancer had returned. This time it was in her chest cavity and in her lungs....and the doctor seemed to be throwing the word 'terminal' around. She was started on aggressive rounds of chemo and radiation. At one time just radiation. Then just chemo. Then there were times she was on both. Chemo pills...liquid chemo...this and that...experimental...Who knows? She tried it all. In May she was admitted to the hospital for trouble breathing. They found that one lung was entirely filled with tumors, the other lung was partially filled. Her airway was being filled by tumors and they found a small tumor in her heart. Things weren't looking good at all and they planned to put a stint in her airway to help her breath easier. The doctor gave her 1 month to live. After a few days of radiation the tumors began to shrink and the doctors decided that they wouldn't need to put the stint in afterall. Weak and nauseated, but very determined Annette left the hospital and a week or two later went on a Caribbean cruise...something she always wanted to do. Recently though Annette has just seemed to get weaker but has still been fighting like the dickens. The doctor said there was nothing more that they could do because the chemo was no longer shrinking the cancer and she was too weak for anything stronger. He gave her (now) 6 months to live. But still her faith and our faith was in the Lord...
At 6:45 I'm dressed and gathering my things. As I'm about to head out the door the phone rings...I stop and I KNOW. My husband answers and I hear him say "Okay". Then he hangs up. He tells me that Annette had passed away.
Her funeral was last Thursday and honestly, it was probably the nicest funeral I've ever been too. The pastor couldn't have been more right about Annette in everything he said. She lived her life beautifully so only good things could be said about her at her funeral. I think death is always a time of reflection...for everyone. We're reminded about how fragile and uncertain life is. The Bible says "Life is like a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." (James 4:13)
I miss Annette and I imagine I'll miss her more in the months to come. I'll miss her even more at the holidays with all the family get togethers. One thing I've noticed though the older I get and more mature I become in my Christian walk is that God has given me a peace about death. I'll never be entirely okay with death. I don't think anyone will but I've become more accepting of it over the years...less bitter towards it and less fighting with it. When God calls someone home there is nothing that I can do about it...not matter how much fighting or grieving I do, and there is nothing that anyone else can do about it. I know that Annette is in a much better place as cliche' as that sounds. I can grieve for my loss. I can grieve for her sons loss and her husbands loss, but I can't grieve for Annette. One thing that has put a smile on my face is picturing her in heaven. The Bible says we're given a new body in heaven so I can see Annette filled with all her energy again, talkative, inquisitive, bubbly, and full of life. I can imagine her trying to help Jesus plan the menu for the next feast or asking if she can paint the walls in her brand new mansion.
At the funeral the pastor put it wonderfully-he said when friends or family members die we shouldn't see it as a withdrawal from our life but rather a deposit into heaven.
-----------
Thanks for allowing me to share Annette's story with you.
9.25.2008
FO-This is Over Due!
It's been forever since I've posted! I guess you can tell that blogging doesn't exactly come natural to me. It's like you're just putting yourself out there for all the world to see. Maybe someone will read it, maybe they won't. Maybe no one even really cares. I started a blog though cause I thought it would be neat. I guess in a sense I was trying to ' keep up with the Jones' '. I do enjoy reading other peoples blogs. They are so natural and so entertaining. Mine on the other hand? Not so much.
Well, enough of my ranting and rambling and such...
Even though this is over due and old news to many I wanted to include a pic of my Ami doll on my blog since I referred to it in previous posts.
Allow me to introduce....AUTUMN!
Well, enough of my ranting and rambling and such...
Even though this is over due and old news to many I wanted to include a pic of my Ami doll on my blog since I referred to it in previous posts.
Allow me to introduce....AUTUMN!
Autumn is my first amigurumi doll but she definitely won't be the last. I've already got plans for several others. My problem now is just finding the time to start them. It seems my crochet days are being filled with Birthday presents, Christmas presents, and Shawls and Blankets for the Prayer Shawl Ministry. I imagine at the beginning of the year things will start to slow down for me some.
I crocheted Autumn with a 2.75mm hook...much smaller than the hook called for in the pattern but I like to make sure that my amigurumi is extremely tight. I hate for stuffing to show through. Her dress was crocheted with a 3.5mm. She's made up of Caron's Simply Soft, Vanna's Choice, and some random yarn that I found in my grandmother's stash. She took me about 3 1/2-4 weeks to make. She's about 14 inches tall. As you may have guessed - her hair took the most time to make. I think I spent 3-4 days on her hair alone and had I not been so stinkin' impatient I would have added more. However, I do think it turned out fine the way it is. I also gave Autumn a trendy little scarf and headband...because it is extremely important for a girl to accessorize! Now she just needs her very own yarn bag and stash.
If you're interested in the pattern I used for my doll you can find it here:
http://stitch.hellooperator.net/free-patterns/amigurumi-doll/
9.10.2008
Always a Day Late and a Dollar Short
After much consideration my husband and I planted an apple tree in the backyard about 4 years ago. I say after much consideration because we couldn't really agree on what type of fruit tree we wanted to plant. He wanted a cherry tree because he loves cherries. I wanted a plum tree because...well, I love plums, but mainly because my grandmother had a plum tree that I used to pick from when I was a child. I remember running over to my grandmothers house with a large bowl as my mother watched from our back porch. My grandmother would come out and help me pick as many plums as I could fit in my bowl and often times...many more. I would stagger and weave my way back to the house dropping and picking up plums all the way as my grandmother watched from her yard. My mother and I would wash them and start eating them as soon as I got in the door. BUT my husband didn't want a plum tree because plums are a soft fruit and he felt they would make too much of a mess when they fell from the tree. We considered a peach but I made the point that a peach is a soft fruit too.
We decided to go with an apple tree because it's a much harder fruit and it's very versatile. Excitedly, we ordered from http://www.starkbros.com and we planted it as soon as it arrived. We ordered a special apple tree. One that had been grafted to produce 5 different types of apples. I don't remember all 5 types but I do know it has Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Lodi. We were told it wouldn't produce fruit until it was approximately 3 years old. We had crop after the first year. Not much though and the apples we did have were very small but we were happy nonetheless. This year it's 4 years old and we were unprepared for apple season. We picked probably between 35-40 apples and we threw several away that had insect damage.
I went to the store the other night and bought a book that tells you everything you need to know about preserving and of course it had several recipes in it. Now I'm super excited and super sad! I'm super excited because now I actually know what I'm doing and I've got all kind of really great recipes to make apple jelly, apple jam, spiced apple rings, cinnamon apple syrup, apple sauce, apple butter, spiced apple butter, apple with raisin and cranberry compote...SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!! I'm super excited! But I'm super sad because the apple harvest is almost over and it looks like I'll have to wait until next year to exercise my new found knowledge :-( . I guess now I've got time to prepare myself. I still have to buy some of the canning equipment required. Maybe I'll try going to the fresh market and picking up some fresh produce and try my hand at canning to get some practice in. I'd hate to ruin all the wonderful apples we harvest next year after a year full of waiting in anticipation...
It seems like I'm always a day late and a dollar short....
We decided to go with an apple tree because it's a much harder fruit and it's very versatile. Excitedly, we ordered from http://www.starkbros.com and we planted it as soon as it arrived. We ordered a special apple tree. One that had been grafted to produce 5 different types of apples. I don't remember all 5 types but I do know it has Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Lodi. We were told it wouldn't produce fruit until it was approximately 3 years old. We had crop after the first year. Not much though and the apples we did have were very small but we were happy nonetheless. This year it's 4 years old and we were unprepared for apple season. We picked probably between 35-40 apples and we threw several away that had insect damage.
I went to the store the other night and bought a book that tells you everything you need to know about preserving and of course it had several recipes in it. Now I'm super excited and super sad! I'm super excited because now I actually know what I'm doing and I've got all kind of really great recipes to make apple jelly, apple jam, spiced apple rings, cinnamon apple syrup, apple sauce, apple butter, spiced apple butter, apple with raisin and cranberry compote...SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!! I'm super excited! But I'm super sad because the apple harvest is almost over and it looks like I'll have to wait until next year to exercise my new found knowledge :-( . I guess now I've got time to prepare myself. I still have to buy some of the canning equipment required. Maybe I'll try going to the fresh market and picking up some fresh produce and try my hand at canning to get some practice in. I'd hate to ruin all the wonderful apples we harvest next year after a year full of waiting in anticipation...
It seems like I'm always a day late and a dollar short....
8.21.2008
I am SO in love....
Last night on my way to the weekly Yo-C meeting I stopped by A.C. Moore. It's been awhile since I've been in there because it's such a long drive and because we just got a new Hobby Lobby closer to home. While I was browsing over the yarn selection trying to decide what I needed and what I ABSOLUTELY had to have I ran across 'Country' and 'Spa' by Naturally Caron. I've been eyeballing this yarn on their website just waiting for it to come out. They have the most beautiful colors in both lines and the free patterns on their website are very trendy and beautiful. Most of the time seeing something online is no real indication of how it really is in real life (could I use the word real or really anymore in one sentence, I mean really! HA). This was no exception! First I picked up 'Country' because I saw that it came in my favorite color -Olive Green- except they called it Loden Forest. OH MY GOODNESS!!! I am not even playing! It felt absolutely amazing. It's 75% Microdenier Acrylic and 25% Merino Wool. I would have never guessed. I couldn't feel a trace of wool and yet it's so much softer than acrylic. It's machine washable and machine dryable and it has a 12 ply cable. Then after an aisle clean up from all the drool that had accumulated on the floor I picked up 'Spa'. It is 75% Microdenier Acrylic and 25% Bamboo. It was even softer than the 'Country' yarn! I stopped Ms. Maria, the lady working in that department, and asked a hundred questions..."How does it hang?" "Does it stretch?" Most importantly "Does it split?" Ms. Maria says, it hangs very well with very little stretch, and NO the yarn doesn't split. I'm SOLD but I walk away because my stash is already OUT OF CONTROL and I have no idea what I would use it for. I continue on to find what I actually do need. I have SELF CONTROL! I grab a skein of Vanna's Choice in Beige to use as a skin tone for my Amigurumi Doll and I head toward the door. Unfortunately for my stash I pass by the Naturally Caron 'Spa' and 'Country' again and grab a skein of Loden Forest in 'Country'. I'm going to use it to make a swatch to see if it would work appropriately for a cardigan I'm wanting to make. I knew I wouldn't leave until I found what I needed and what I ABSOLUTELY had to have.
(Seriously, check out their website if you haven't already: www.naturallycaron.com)
I headed on to the Yo-C meeting.
The meeting went really well last night. I worked on my doll and got almost a full leg finished. It's going a little slower than I thought it would but I did have to start over on it a couple of times. We talked about charity projects coming up and our super secret Christmas gift. We got some pattern hand-outs that I'll have to get crackin' on and Joanna and I discussed hand carved hooks. I've decided I simply must have a hand carved crochet hook. My collection just will not be complete without one. Maybe this yarn group isn't such a good idea-afterall, they are only encouraging my addictive habit! But I guess that is the point....
(Seriously, check out their website if you haven't already: www.naturallycaron.com)
I headed on to the Yo-C meeting.
The meeting went really well last night. I worked on my doll and got almost a full leg finished. It's going a little slower than I thought it would but I did have to start over on it a couple of times. We talked about charity projects coming up and our super secret Christmas gift. We got some pattern hand-outs that I'll have to get crackin' on and Joanna and I discussed hand carved hooks. I've decided I simply must have a hand carved crochet hook. My collection just will not be complete without one. Maybe this yarn group isn't such a good idea-afterall, they are only encouraging my addictive habit! But I guess that is the point....
8.15.2008
What an unproductive night!!
Have you ever had one of those days/nights where nothing you worked on seemed to turn out right?? Well, last night was one of those nights for me! I admit, I've got so many projects lined up that I was already feeling a little overwhelmed about which to work on, so that probably made matters worse. Plus I have this annoying hang up where I feel like I have to finish something every time I sit down. So, having been working on a stashbuster afghan all week I wanted something else to work on...something where I could see actual progress. I decided to work on a new cap pattern I recently purchased. The pattern is really quite simple. It's starts ... ch3, 12 puff st in second chain from hook...but for the life of me I could never fit 12 puff sts in that tiny chain. I attempted it again-then my chain was too big and I had a big fat whole in the center... "RAIN DROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD...THEY KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD" Okay so that would never work as a cap. After a third try I put it aside and decided to work on something easier.
I started on an amigurumi traffic cone...okay I realize how stupid that sounds but whatever. It's super cute. Plus, I work in the parking industry so it all works out. I could decorate my office with tiny, cute, smiling amigurumi traffic cones.....Awwwwww! Yeah, I know. SO ANYWAY, I start the bottom piece in simple SC...nope. I can't e
ven keep that straight. I start the cone and it's too freaking small for me to get my hook in. I put it down and start back with my wonderful stashbuster afghan because that is something I can handle...something that requires no thought at all. After one motif I'm tired of that and attempt the traffic cone again. At about 10:45 last night I completed him. I still think I missed some rows or something because he's kind of short and stumpy but he's still really cute.
If you're interested in the pattern you can get it for free here: http://www.aliciakachmar.com/blog/craft/safety-cone-to-the-rescue/
I started on an amigurumi traffic cone...okay I realize how stupid that sounds but whatever. It's super cute. Plus, I work in the parking industry so it all works out. I could decorate my office with tiny, cute, smiling amigurumi traffic cones.....Awwwwww! Yeah, I know. SO ANYWAY, I start the bottom piece in simple SC...nope. I can't e
ven keep that straight. I start the cone and it's too freaking small for me to get my hook in. I put it down and start back with my wonderful stashbuster afghan because that is something I can handle...something that requires no thought at all. After one motif I'm tired of that and attempt the traffic cone again. At about 10:45 last night I completed him. I still think I missed some rows or something because he's kind of short and stumpy but he's still really cute. If you're interested in the pattern you can get it for free here: http://www.aliciakachmar.com/blog/craft/safety-cone-to-the-rescue/
8.09.2008
More finished projects
In honor of the 2008 Olympics Ravelry.com started their own Olympics of sorts. A competition of yarnwork if you will-called the Ravelympics. I decided in true Olympic spirit to join the WIP Wrestling event in order to finally complete a Brown and Red Afghan I've been working on FOR-EV-ER! I figured the Ravelympics may be the only thing under the sun that would get me motivated to finish this horrible, horrible project. I started this afghan back at the beginning of the year. My full intentions were to stop at 4 squares and use it as a shawl. After several people looked at my 4 measly squares they thought it would be better suited as an afghan, so I obliged-having never made an afghan before. Bad idea. I'm a real impatient person. I'm in to instant gratification. Everyone that crochets/knits/whatever knows that afghans are far from instant gratification. I started out all GUNG-HO but that eagerness kind of dwindled down after several, several months went on. So, I signed up for the Ravelympics and with a new found excitement I set out on my project....and finished it!!! 
I crocheted this using a 6.00mm hook and Red Heart Soft Yarn in Red and Brown (De-Dah-De). Okay I don't know the technical names, but whatever. Now my only problem is deciding what to do with it. I can't decide if I should give it away, try selling it, or keeping it for myself. I'm not really a fan of how it turned out. I guess with me working on it for so long I just got tired of the colors and the pattern. It turned out to be a whoppin' 63 inches square! What do you think I should do with it???Also, this weekend I finished my first amigurumi project!!! I made an Owl. I named him Hootie McHoot-Hoot. I crocheted him using a 4.00mm hook and Yarn Bee Boulce Traditions yarn. That yarn was a sheer nightmare to work with on amigurumi. Of course I knew it would be that way but being the realist that I am, I wanted to find the most life like colors and textures for an owl and this is what I came up with.
The white and brown part of its eyes, its nose, and its ears are felt then I used screw on safety eyes. I plan on making several 'baby' owls to go with Hootie. I also have a list of other amigurumi projects lined up. I'm super excited about the way this turned out!!Well, I guess I'm off to work on my next project.
8.07.2008
I joined a knitting group-but I don't knit
Last night I went to my first ever knitting group meeting! Okay, so technically it's not a 'knitting' group but rather a yarnworks group because there were a few other hookers there besides myself. This was a pretty big step for me since I'm a little reserved but I've really wanted to join a group for awhile now. I mean, it's nice to just have someone understand your obsession with yarns and crafting. Seriously! My yarn bag goes EVERYWHERE with me. Sometimes I really feel pathetic. If I know ahead of time that I'll have 10 minutes to crochet...a hook and yarn goes with me. I can't help it. I try to, honestly, but it's just what I do. I have so many WONDERFUL projects lined up and so little time to do them all. In 10 minutes you can really accomplish a lot...especially if you have several 10 minute slots through out the day. Besides, you never know when you'll get stuck in a traffic jam, an elevator, a bathroom...Ha! Seriously! Well, not seriously about the bathroom, but you know, it's better to be prepared for these type emergencies.
The meeting went really well last night. Everyone was nice and very welcoming. There were so many talented people there. I really enjoyed looking at their current projects. I started an amigurumi owl. It will be my first amigurumi project ever so it's exciting. They even gave me a gift for being a first time attendee. It's a little tote with a skein of cotton yarn and a bamboo hook. I used the hook today and I love it. It's a 4.00mm. Generally, I use the larger hooks. My fav is 6.00mm but this hook is perfect for the amigurumi project I have going on and the ones I have coming up. So THANKS ! I really appreciate the gift. I certainly hope to attend again soon. They meet once a week.
The afghan in the picture is one that my grandmother made me as a wedding gift 5 years ago. She made it in fall colors because those are my favorite. I keep it on my bed and use it everynight. Recently my grandmother gave up knitting and crochet (except for the occasional knit dishcloth). She was diagnosed with dementia a little while back and she said that crochet and knitting gets on her nerves now. I'm afraid this may be the last afghan and I get from my grandmother so I'm thinking of preserving it or at least hanging it on a quilters rack. My husband's grandmother made an afghan in the exact same colors and I hope to one day inherit that. Then of course, I'd definitely have to make one in the same colors and have a set of 3. I just think that would be really neat thing to do. Crocheted afghans make a wonderful heirloom.
The meeting went really well last night. Everyone was nice and very welcoming. There were so many talented people there. I really enjoyed looking at their current projects. I started an amigurumi owl. It will be my first amigurumi project ever so it's exciting. They even gave me a gift for being a first time attendee. It's a little tote with a skein of cotton yarn and a bamboo hook. I used the hook today and I love it. It's a 4.00mm. Generally, I use the larger hooks. My fav is 6.00mm but this hook is perfect for the amigurumi project I have going on and the ones I have coming up. So THANKS ! I really appreciate the gift. I certainly hope to attend again soon. They meet once a week.The afghan in the picture is one that my grandmother made me as a wedding gift 5 years ago. She made it in fall colors because those are my favorite. I keep it on my bed and use it everynight. Recently my grandmother gave up knitting and crochet (except for the occasional knit dishcloth). She was diagnosed with dementia a little while back and she said that crochet and knitting gets on her nerves now. I'm afraid this may be the last afghan and I get from my grandmother so I'm thinking of preserving it or at least hanging it on a quilters rack. My husband's grandmother made an afghan in the exact same colors and I hope to one day inherit that. Then of course, I'd definitely have to make one in the same colors and have a set of 3. I just think that would be really neat thing to do. Crocheted afghans make a wonderful heirloom.
8.06.2008
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Here is a picture of my most recently completed prayer shawl. This is probably my favorite prayer shawl that I've done. I think the colors worked out really well together. I used LionBrand Homespun in Russett. I also used a novelty yarn in a beige color that I got on sale at Michaels. I can't remember the name but it is absolutely WONDERFUL! It's regularly $5.00 for 50 grams which is a splurge for me. Anyway, I bought a couple of random skeins of this when I saw it on sale with NO IDEA what I was going to do with it. I decided since it wasn't really enough to make a scarf that I would use it to accent my prayer shawls. I love it. I think next time I catch this stuff on sale I'll make a fuzzy trim on a hat or use it to make a neck warmer.
I crocheted this PS with a 16 mm hook using alternating rows of SC and DC so that it's really drapey. I
f you aren't familiar with the Prayer Shawl Ministry I suggest checking out their website at http://www.shawlministry.com/ . I have found this to be the perfect way for me to minister to others in need. I'm very reserved and quiet. I don't like a lot of attention. This ministry allows me to spend time alone in prayer for someone while crocheting. Then, I either deliever the shawl and a card to the recipient myself or have someone else deliever it for me. You can give a PS to anyone for any occasion, really. PS are most commonly given to those who are sick, expecting surgery, in pain, or someone who has experienced a death in the family. They are also given to nursing home residents and taken to hospitals and cancer facilities. You can also use PS for joyous occasions such as the birth of a new baby, adoption, or graduation. Check the ministry out and if you don't have one at your place of worship, why not start one? Or you can be a Prayer Shawl Ministry of One and donate to other prayer shawl ministries or to your local Hospice. The possibilities are endless and so are the blessings that you'll receive.
f you aren't familiar with the Prayer Shawl Ministry I suggest checking out their website at http://www.shawlministry.com/ . I have found this to be the perfect way for me to minister to others in need. I'm very reserved and quiet. I don't like a lot of attention. This ministry allows me to spend time alone in prayer for someone while crocheting. Then, I either deliever the shawl and a card to the recipient myself or have someone else deliever it for me. You can give a PS to anyone for any occasion, really. PS are most commonly given to those who are sick, expecting surgery, in pain, or someone who has experienced a death in the family. They are also given to nursing home residents and taken to hospitals and cancer facilities. You can also use PS for joyous occasions such as the birth of a new baby, adoption, or graduation. Check the ministry out and if you don't have one at your place of worship, why not start one? Or you can be a Prayer Shawl Ministry of One and donate to other prayer shawl ministries or to your local Hospice. The possibilities are endless and so are the blessings that you'll receive.7.26.2008
My 2nd Attempt at the Vivian Cap
Okay, Okay, Okay! Finished my second Vivian Cap today. My gauge was right on this time! Cap fits great! What a HUGE difference gauge can make. And that's such a shame too...cause I really, really, really HATE GAUGE! I crocheted this cap with a 5.5 mm hook and Red Heart Soft Yarn because that is what I had sitting around the house. It's a lot softer and more comfortable on my head than the Vanna's Choice but the yarn was harder to work with because it has the tendency to split. Well, anyway here's the pictures I promised. I'm off to work on my next project....
7.25.2008
The Vivian Cap
I've never crocheted a cap before and I decided that it was way past time. I wanted something funky but most of the cap patterns I've seen have seriously been lacking. I managed to find a pattern called "The Vivian Cap" by Christine Gregory on Ravelry.com that looked pretty cool...so I decided to give it a whirl. I made the cap with Lion Brand's Vanna's Choice. I'm not sure what the exact name of the color is but it's in the purple family. I used a 6.0 mm hook. The pattern consist of puff stitches in the round and a visor is added in SC. The pattern was very easy to follow with a step-by-step set of instructions for beginners and a simplified set of instructions for the more advanced. There is a gauge check on Rnd 8-about half way through the cap. When I reached the gauge point my gauge was off. It was about a half inch wider than the pattern called for. I figured since I have a BIG HONKIN' head that it would probably be fine to continue on and not correct it. I was wrong. The cap ended up more like a beanie with a visor and less like the intended shape. I mean, it's still cute and it's still wearable but it's not exactly what I was going for.
Here is how it is intended to look:
Here is how mine turned out:
Not bad, but not perfect either. I've already started another one-this time my gauge is correct. I'll definitely post pics once it's finished to show the difference that it makes. This pattern from start to finish took about 3-3 1/2 hours to finish. It only took one skein of yarn. Therefore, I consider this to be a perfect pattern...INSTANT GRATIFICATION!!! That's what I'm talking about! I think this would make a super cool gift for someone or just to use up a random skein of yarn you have sitting around the house. Any worsted weight yarn would do. If you're interested in purchasing the pattern it is available here:
http://whitepawcrafts.blogspot.com/2008/06/vivian-cap.html
Check her out! She's got some awesome cap patterns! I plan to buy them all. Hat making might be my new thing!!!
Here is how it is intended to look:
Here is how mine turned out:
Not bad, but not perfect either. I've already started another one-this time my gauge is correct. I'll definitely post pics once it's finished to show the difference that it makes. This pattern from start to finish took about 3-3 1/2 hours to finish. It only took one skein of yarn. Therefore, I consider this to be a perfect pattern...INSTANT GRATIFICATION!!! That's what I'm talking about! I think this would make a super cool gift for someone or just to use up a random skein of yarn you have sitting around the house. Any worsted weight yarn would do. If you're interested in purchasing the pattern it is available here:
http://whitepawcrafts.blogspot.com/2008/06/vivian-cap.html
Check her out! She's got some awesome cap patterns! I plan to buy them all. Hat making might be my new thing!!!
7.24.2008
My Wish List for Crochetoholic Swap
My Wish List
I Crochet!
I love to make.....Amigurumi! Anything Rockstar - Funky Bags, Fingerless gloves, Hip Belts and Hats, Wild and Crazy Scarfs, Nifty Vests and Cardigans, and any other Funkadelic accessories you can think of.
I like to FELT!
Things I do not crochet are......Doilies and Dishrags
I really want to make......The Medallion Cardigan from 'Loop-D-Loop Crochet and way too many other things!
My favorite yarns are.....Caron's Spa and Country, Red Heart Soft Yarn, I Love This Yarn, and just about any novelty yarn you can get your hands on
My favorite hooks or needles are.....Boye or Susan Bates or Clover...I especially love the hooks with the bamboo handles...or again, anything novelty
I really wish I had.....a hand carved crochet hook (most often used sizes 4.5mm-6.00mm) and a Tunisian Hook
My favorite colors are...Olive Greens and Browns with Burnt Oranges, Mustards, and Russetts running in a close second (Think WARM FALL colors)
My hobbies...CROCHET!! I hope soon to learn to knit, Punchneedle, Sleeping, Reading, Baking and Cooking, and Face Painting. I would love to learn Needle Felting! and Calligraphy!
My kitchen theme and colors....Roosters and Sunflowers. I use deep reds and off whites
My bathroom theme and colors...Amazingly, no theme. Tans, Browns, and Off Whites work perfectly
My dislikes....Scratchy yarn such as Red Heart Super Saver!
My crafts....are Crochet and Punchneedle but I would love to learn to knit and needle felt
My allergies....I'm allergic to most trees and to grass (so don't send me any mulch! )
My favorite pets....I love dogs and fish. I have one dog and 2 betta fish
My favorite scents.....Coconut and Pineapple, Warm Fall scents like fresh baked goodies and cinnamon
My favorite novels or magazines...I do not read fiction! I like Crochet Magazines and Cookbooks. I mostly read Christian 'self help' books (Max Lucado, Charles Stanely, Charles Swindoll, Joyce Meyer,etc...)
Other stuff about me...I love things that have trees, leaves, and flowers on them. That goes for jewelry, decorations, pictures...just about anything! I also love to use owls and pineapples in decorations and such.
I Crochet!
I love to make.....Amigurumi! Anything Rockstar - Funky Bags, Fingerless gloves, Hip Belts and Hats, Wild and Crazy Scarfs, Nifty Vests and Cardigans, and any other Funkadelic accessories you can think of.
I like to FELT!
Things I do not crochet are......Doilies and Dishrags
I really want to make......The Medallion Cardigan from 'Loop-D-Loop Crochet and way too many other things!
My favorite yarns are.....Caron's Spa and Country, Red Heart Soft Yarn, I Love This Yarn, and just about any novelty yarn you can get your hands on
My favorite hooks or needles are.....Boye or Susan Bates or Clover...I especially love the hooks with the bamboo handles...or again, anything novelty
I really wish I had.....a hand carved crochet hook (most often used sizes 4.5mm-6.00mm) and a Tunisian Hook
My favorite colors are...Olive Greens and Browns with Burnt Oranges, Mustards, and Russetts running in a close second (Think WARM FALL colors)
My hobbies...CROCHET!! I hope soon to learn to knit, Punchneedle, Sleeping, Reading, Baking and Cooking, and Face Painting. I would love to learn Needle Felting! and Calligraphy!
My kitchen theme and colors....Roosters and Sunflowers. I use deep reds and off whites
My bathroom theme and colors...Amazingly, no theme. Tans, Browns, and Off Whites work perfectly
My dislikes....Scratchy yarn such as Red Heart Super Saver!
My crafts....are Crochet and Punchneedle but I would love to learn to knit and needle felt
My allergies....I'm allergic to most trees and to grass (so don't send me any mulch! )
My favorite pets....I love dogs and fish. I have one dog and 2 betta fish
My favorite scents.....Coconut and Pineapple, Warm Fall scents like fresh baked goodies and cinnamon
My favorite novels or magazines...I do not read fiction! I like Crochet Magazines and Cookbooks. I mostly read Christian 'self help' books (Max Lucado, Charles Stanely, Charles Swindoll, Joyce Meyer,etc...)
Other stuff about me...I love things that have trees, leaves, and flowers on them. That goes for jewelry, decorations, pictures...just about anything! I also love to use owls and pineapples in decorations and such.
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