30 October 2009

Yuletide Creations


Mini Hats and Socks
Currently on the needle is a collection of miniaturized clothing and accessory pieces. My Yule tree this year will be donned with all handmade ornaments. My nieces will be doing a finger-knit strand to be the garland. I'll also be making yarn balls. I'm thinking the topper will be a large yarn ball lit from within.

I'm asking all of my friends and family to contribute to the tree with their own creations. Everyone that shares an ornament will get a mini sock in return. Seems fair, right?

21 October 2009

Getting There

I have finally found the motivation. I'm not sure what exactly finally kicked me into gear, but I'm glad it did. I'm back on track for getting fit. I've been tracking my calorie intake down to the single vegetable. I've also set my iPhone alarm to go off at two hour intervals during the time I'm home alone... each of the four alarms is set to correspond with a certain level of exercise on the elliptical or a session with the Wii. The past several days, I have been actually burning more calories than I consume... and I've lost 3 pounds already. I feel great!

18 October 2009

Rebate Debate: Mattress or Appliances

Up late... again. I was up late last night and slept in, plus that mattress is horrible and I really don't want to go to bed. I always wake up sore. It's pretty bad when I would rather sleep on our sectional; where the connections between each section dig into your hip. We really need a new mattress.

Ross and I are still debating on how we should spend the tax rebate. We both know a mattress is reaching the point of essential. We also know that the appliances that were in this house when we bought it needed to be replaced very quickly, because they were old and on their last leg. That was over two years ago.

The debate is furthered if we decide on appliances. Within the next five years, we intend to completely gut the main level of the house... creating a "great room" with a larger kitchen, dining and living area. We will then convert the existing family room into a master suite. The project will leave us with the great room, a powder room and an office/ bedroom on the main floor. The master suite with bathroom, other two bedrooms, second bathroom, and laundry room would all be on the other floor. Our kitchen will essentially end up where our bedroom is now. With the way the project is designed we can do it in phases, starting with the master suite, and have a functional kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms at all times. The debate is... do we buy the appliances we want in the new kitchen right now or just buy cheap appliances for now and get the good ones when the kitchen project is done?

16 October 2009

Frog Ponds & Due Dates

I haven't been getting much done in the way of knitting the last week or so. About all I've accomplished is tearing projects apart. I wasn't enjoying the look of my Hugs and Kisses socks, so I frogged them. I have a few ideas to rework them and plan to get started again soon. The neutral socks proved too boring... and also went to the frog pond. The hugs and kisses mitts fell off the needle when one of the needles snapped on transport to and from the hospital to visit mom.

A few projects survived the massacre. There is the second half of Angel's Exploded Rib socks that I set aside for a year and just picked back up today. I also have the foot and second sock of the Lacy Spring socks I'm gifting to Ross' mom. I began a miniature version of Exploded Rib socks for one or the other of my nieces. And, finally, the baby blanket for Gretchen's bun in the oven.

As my due date gets closer, that last project has been hard to face. I still stand firm to never wanting kids... and I was only 10 weeks along... but that doesn't mean the loss hasn't hurt some. There have been moments when Ross and I were curled up watching TV or playing with the dog and cats that I would find myself thinking, "How different would this all have been if I hadn't miscarried? Would our relationship be different if we were parents or about to be parents right now?" I mentioned something to Ross about the due date coming up, kind of an out-of-the-blue comment that it was bothering me a bit, and he looked confused and asked what I meant. Funny, the fact that he didn't know or remember pissed me off a little. I wanted to say, "Well, maybe if you'd been in excruciating pain and bled for six weeks, you'd know what I was talking about!" Sometimes I wish I had that trait, one that seems to run heavy in males, that lets them just forget and move on.

07 October 2009

Home

Mom came home from the hospital today... well, actually it's now after midnight... yesterday. Her surgeon said she was ready to go. Her pulmonary doctor(?) wasn't as comfortable with letting her go. Apparently there were a few complications with the recent bronchoscopy and he didn't get as much "stuff" as he wanted to out of her lungs.

Mom was only home for about an hour on her own when she called to ask if I minded coming to stay with her. Apparently my dear hubby couldn't live without me for a few days... he suggested she come stay with us until she's ready to be on her own. The decision was probably easier to make now that she's a non-smoker.

So, now she's downstairs in the family room which has been converted into a bit of a guest room/ hospital room. She seems much more at ease and is actually getting some much needed rest. It will be nice to have the company for a little while.

05 October 2009

At the Hospital

I'm at the hospital with Mom right now. She asked me to come up and sit with her for the day, because she gets much better care when someone is here and she likes the company. She's trying to sneak in some sleep right now, but she's not being given much chance. Her status is pretty much the same... drainage tube is in place, in a lot of pain, and waiting for the doctor.

02 October 2009

Collapse

It was a very productive morning... and then a very nonproductive afternoon and evening. I went on a cleaning spree first thing this morning. Cupboards were cleared out, closets were organized, floors were mopped and steamed and all the basic cleaning was done. I even worked in a call to Mom as I cleaned. After supper, I sat down to watch some TV with Ross and woke with a start three hours later. Guess I wore myself out!

Not even a minute after I woke, my phone beeped with a text from Angel to let me know Mom was worried I hadn't called again. I called up Mom. She told me she had a rough day. Apparently they had to leave the tubes in and restart suction because one of her lungs had started to collapse. As of the time I talked to her, she was doing better but still hadn't gotten much sleep. She is getting quite cranky with the nurses, therapists and doctors.

Angel and I are both going up to visit tomorrow and then going over to her apartment to clean. Mom is quitting smoking and has asked us to help rid the house, as much as possible, of the odors and ashtrays.

Visit With Mom

I had just picked up my phone and tapped to the contacts list to look up the hospital's number when my phone switched to the incoming call screen. Grandma was calling to give me Mom's direct line. I called up right after I hung up with Grandma.

Mom is feeling considerably better, although getting annoyed with some of her family... they are less-than-genuine about their concern and/or needlessly angry over her ex-boyfriend's reappearance. She asked me to come up and sit with her, which I had planned to do anyway last night. She needed some time with someone she felt was there out of genuine concern... not out of obligation as family or because it impresses their friends that they are so involved.

When I walked in her room later, she looked considerably better and happy to see I brought more flowers and candy. Mom's long-time friend Karen arrived and Grandma left shortly after I arrived. Karen and I kept her laughing for a few hours. She kind of paid for all that laughter later on, but didn't seem to mind too much. It felt good to laugh after all the seriousness of the last months.

The tubes for drainage, the epidural catheter and most of the other tubes and wires should be gone today. She can't wait, because then she can sit more comfortably and be able to walk around without the entire entourage of nurses hauling machinery.

I'll probably go up to visit her again tonight after Ross gets off work. She really seemed to need the company, but more the kind that is just there... not the ones she has to feel obligated to visit with.