Sugar Bunny Boulevard

Wrapping Up February

Gracious.  Time flies.  And I'm not sure I've done a thing but it seems like I've been very very busy when you put it all down on paper (or the computer screen).

So let's see.  February was filled with quite a bit of craziness.  All of us had a mild case of the flu except the babies - they had flu shots so we were hopefully spared that misery.  The last one to get sick was Katie and she stayed home from school with a headache one day.... I assumed because she was feeling left out from the real flu that makes you miss school.  It took about a week before everyone had it that was going to get it.

In early February I got to enjoy practicing for Special Music at church with two of my favorite grrlfriends from the choir.  I picked a song that they didn't know and we were singing acapella so it took a few good practice sessions to get it down - and wow - we had a lot of fun.  Our day to sing was February 15th.  We sang at both services and it turned out so nicely but at the end of the chorus for the last verse - about two measures from the end - I started thinking "oh no - this is the last time we'll sing this together" and I started to cry.  I'm so silly that way - I never want it to be over.  But that's okay - we're doing it again in June and I've already started picking the music - this time it will be a quartette.  I'm going to see if I can get a friend of mine to video record it and maybe the others won't mind if I put it on youtube.

The big kids' dad came up from Texas for Valentine's weekend.  Sunday morning I was surprised to see Benny and Suzannah come in for 2nd service at church and said they were getting away from Katie since she had been sick with the flu all weekend since Friday with fever and throwing up, etc.  Her daddy had been with her thru the worst of it at their hotel (right down the street - don't ya know that makes a mama hurt hearing how uncomfortable they all must have been) and once I got home from church (after all the singing and crying) he was insisting that she go to the ER.  I talked him out of it - it was just a relapse of the flu after all.  She came home to my house Sunday and the other two stayed with their dad because they weren't due to come back until Monday.  He called Monday saying we should take her to the doctor but her fever was down and she had started eating again - I didn't see a reason for her to see the doctor so he dropped off Benny and Suzannah and started for home.  Finally around 3:00 Katie's fever started going up again and she complained of her ear hurting and one side of her stomach hurt.  We called and had her at the doctor by 3:45.  She was really miserable and seemed like the flu was hitting her HARD.  The doctor poked around on her belly and ruled out appendix, then ruled out ear infection.  He said it's probably just an awful case of the flu, so he did a flu test (who knew? must be a new thing).  He came back five minutes later with a worried look.  She didn't have the flu and we needed to figure out why she had a 103+ fever for three days.  A urine test told it all:  kidney infection.  It was a sobering moment when he said "I can't let her go home."

So we spent three more days in the hospital with Katie on IV antibiotics and she was quite miserable most of that time and didn't want me to leave her side.  She had an early introduction to things like IVs, having your blood drawn at 6am by someone who can't find your vein, peeing in a "hat", and various other joys of staying in the hospital.

Katie at the hostpital with a crew of kids that came to visit after school - that really wore her out WAY more than she expected. 

That's kind of taken over our month, really.  Recovering from those few days away from the house is always harder than you expect.  While at the hospital I finished the body and sleeves of a youth size EPS cardigan.  Just need to sit down and steek the front so I can knit on the button band.  I started the 2nd mitten of a pair for Katie, but didn't get it finished - about to put in the waste yarn for the thumb on that one.

While at the hospital I got an email from my friend Shelly at Twist Yarn Shop revealing a plan for a series of lace knitting classes this summer.  I responded with some ideas and by golly I've got a new series of classes that I'm preparing for!  Lace I, II, and III!  I guess everyone around is pretty excited about it because the first round of classes for all three are full!  I've been busily knitting up store samples for the classes and am nearly half way through with the sample for Lace II - Branching Out in a lovely fingering weight alpaca.  Lace III will be another Susan Lawrence pattern - a triangle lace shawl called "Spring Things" knit with a lovely colorway of Cascade Alpaca Lace called "Flax Heather".  It's a honeybutter color with pink undertones.  Gorgeous.  And I'm choosing to knit the beaded pattern using peridot colored beads.  After looking through the Ravelry projects for this pattern I think I want to make the next one (listen to me, ha) in white with yellow beads.  I'm still on the hunt for just the most perfect beads - I need to check those projects pages again for bead suggestions.

So I'm knitting.  The kids are well now, and growing like crazy crazy crazy.  Jeff is working slightly less overtime right now which is a very happy thing.  It still seems like we have less opportunity than ever for family meals with all of us together but I know that's what happens when a family grows and gets older and kids have so many activities.

Benny and Adam - the Arby's Boys 

Benny is still working at Arby's.  He joined a men's league basketball team and will have his last game next week.  I'll be glad for that - he doesn't do much with it but he's been missing Wednesday night church which I think of as family time.  He's working harder than ever at some of his classes in school this year.  The sort of student that has never had to try very hard to get A's and has generally been an overachiever just to feel like he's doing something.... suddenly he has a few classes this year that don't just come naturally.  He's growing and learning with this difficult situation and seems to be taking the challenge responsibly to turn his grade around without me having to get onto him TOO bad.  We've had some serious discussions about expectations but if he's going to succeed in college away from home it has to be something he can do on his own.  It's better to start with baby steps now than to breeze through high school and get hit between the eyes with it (hard work and difficult classes) in college. 

Katie's blue glasses are a dead giveaway for which one is her in this picture.  :) 

Katie has gotten over the kidney infection with flying colors and started softball practice this week.  She waffled a bit over what sport to participate in this spring and finally landed back with her old standby - softball.  She played for many years in Texas and is really excited now to be back with the glove and ball and daily practices.  She's about to die from the practices at this point, and told me today that I was not to allow her to quit for any reason, no matter how much she argues that she wants to quit.  She said "I'm so worn out from practices right now that I would probably have already quit if it wasn't that you bought a nice glove and new cleats for me."  ha  Don't worry Katie, I won't let you quit.

Suzannah is the 3rd from the right in this picture.  Hard for me to tell sometimes who is who when they're in full makeup. 

Suzannah is enjoying a variety of activities and some of the privileges that come with "getting a little older than she was before".  She has started spending more time with friends after school and on weekends and is a member of the church Mime Team which is a really awesome ministry.  It's hard to explain but it's a great experience and I love watching their performances - generally a choreographed routine that uses a lot of sign language and mime moves to portray the message in Christian Praise Music.  She's also proud to say that she has the best GPA of our three school kids so far this year!

Emeline practices self portraits every time she can get her hands on our camera! 

Emeline should be heading up my ABC-along.  They have covered one letter per week in preschool this year and she's on T this week!  It's been fun for everyone in the family to help her think of what object to take for the "sharing box" at school based on the letter theme of the week.  They also have a color, shape, and Bible story for each week.  She is in "Cubbies" in the AWANA program on Wednesday nights at church and does a good job of memorizing her Bible verse every week if we do what we should as parents and help her out with it.  She loves memorization and is such a sponge for all things Learning and School right now.  She's excited to be turning 5 this summer - excited that she starts Kindergarten this fall - and is about to explode with happiness because she has a dentist appointment in 19 days!!!  hehe  She's crazy about going to the dentist!

Lila Pearl is hot on Emeline's heels for all things Learning!  Yesterday she wrote her name.  I nearly fell out of my chair.  She wrote her name.  She's three years old and hasn't even started preschool!!  I know it's not like she's some genius but it's still amazing.  And she's a potty trained Big Girl.  That's kind of old news now but she still likes to demand a reward of chocolate when she poops in the potty.  We should all get chocolate rewards for something, right?!  heh

I went to my first Diabetes Education Class last Monday night.  Whew.  There's a lot to know.  There's a lot to learn and it seems like everything is soooo serious.  I think I've mostly been in denial about my diabetic diagnosis ever since I was told.  But some of the facts and information I've been learning really put the seriousness in my face.  I am still trying to lose weight.  I haven't lost any in about a month, really - but I started yet another new weight loss plan this week.  I'll let you know how it goes.  It's hard to learn what you can't have - or can't have much of.  It will get easier when I have lost some weight.  And easier when I'm exercising more.  I'm still going to the Y as often as I can but it was hard to get started again after Katie was in the hospital.  The main thing that is hard to do is "take care of it NOW before it gets WORSE or you'll regret it LATER."  That's like telling someone who is 5 lbs overweight that they should lose it now or they'll have 50 lbs to lose later.  Hard concept to grasp, really, when you haven't been down the road yet.  As much as I hate doing it, I'm listening to the doctors and doing what they tell me.  Taking meds - but still exercising, trying to lose weight, and continuing to make a gradual lifestyle change for my family in the direction of eating healthier.  I really do love whole wheat pasta.  :)

Amid all of this, I'm working on a yarn order!  And I got a note this week from a dear sweet lady in Sweden named Annelis who owns a yarn shop in Geneve, a French speaking part of Sweden, she says - and she has asked my permission to translate my Grrlfriend Market Bag pattern into French for her customers who aren't so familiar or comfortable with English knitting terms.  I'm still amazed by that.  The Grrlfriend Market Bag is a pattern I haven't mentioned much here on the blog but it was published last year in July if I remember correctly and was an instant hit on Ravelry.  As of this writing it has been downloaded 2982 times and there are 233 projects listed on Ravelry (including my two).

I've recently updated my web site with class info and pattern links (tho failed to include a "contact me" link this time - what was I thinking?).  Any of my patterns can be found there.

For now I'm going to Knit (and dye!) On!  Take Good Care of Every Little Thing!  XOXOXOXOX

100 Things About Me

All right.  So I don't really do memes.  And I pretty much never respond to whatever people send around and want you to reply back if you're their friend, etc.  But I've had a sudden blast from the past with all the high school classmates showing up on FaceBook since I joined about two months ago.  It's like an internet game of telephone and friends are telling friends to get a FaceBook page cause they're missing out.  I really like it way more than I expected to.

A friend of mine posted a "25 Things About Me" list a few days ago and explained that since so many people are reading her page that she hasn't seen since high school she would do the list.  That prompted me to do it as well but my list turned into 100 things, which I never never been inclined to do on my blog because I didn't think there could possibly be 100 things about me that I would be willing to make public record of.  It worked out okay, so here's my list - mostly made for the non-knitters that I know so there's probably some "duh" stuff here for my knitting friends.  :)

100 Things About Me

1. I often forget to introduce myself as Myself - I generally say "I'm ____'s Mom.... uhh... er, oh, and my name is...." and if it's a non-kid related occasion I don't introduce myself at all if I can avoid it and I think that makes me seem unfriendly.
2. I never think anyone is looking at me.
3. The main rooms of my house have no window coverings.
4. I'm the loudest shy person you'll ever meet.
5. I've been married twice.
6. I have five kids and they're finally all out of diapers.
7. I knit so much that it's not just a hobby - it's a lifestyle.
8. I have a crazy amount of yarn in my house but I don't feel like I have any stash at all and when I go looking for something am always surprised to see yarn I had forgotten about.
9. I never get rid of books of any kind including ones I don't want.
10. I got married the first time when I was 17.
11. All of our wedding presents and every personal thing I owned were stolen during our honeymoon and never recovered.
12. I took piano lessons from 4th - 12th grade and still play for pleasure.
13. I played flute in band from 6th - 8th grade and have recently played my daughter's flute with the choir at church (my flute was stolen with the wedding gifts).
14. I lived in Crawford, Texas before President Bush bought property there.
15. I love to spin yarn from any fiber but especially from sheep wool that I have processed myself.
16. I am a born again Christian but am still having a hard time learning how to tell others about Jesus.
17. I think this is a self esteem or confidence issue so I keep praying that living by example and in service to others is what my role as a Christian is supposed to be right now.
18. I have wanted to spin yarn since seeing someone doing it at Greenfield Villiage when I was in high school.
19. Since I left home after graduation and was only around older people I couldn't picture what anyone my own age was doing with their life so in my mind my classmates have never aged, had kids or got married, and are all still in college.
20. I didn't go to college because I was convinced that my grades were too bad so I don't have a clue about the process and am learning about it now that my son is getting ready for that stage of life.
21. Marching bands always make me cry.
22. I used to promise my brother Jason that I would kill him someday for taking such joy from annoying me, so I tell people that's why he lives in El Salvador.
23. I believe beyond question that God answers prayers.
24. I once prayed for a friend and her daughter's safety at the same moment that she had a car accident.
25. The other two people in her car died.
26. Spiders and snakes and giant flying roaches and tarantulas startle me, but I can't think of anything I'm truly afraid of.
27. Some of the nicest people I know are ones I have met through my blog and Ravelry and I might never meet them but feel like I know them better than my neighbors and many personal acquaintances.
28. I was recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.
29. A goal of mine is to reverse my diabetes and high blood pressure with lifestyle changes - specifically exercise, diet, and weight loss.
30. A goal of mine is to have a yarn shop in El Dorado.
31. A goal of mine is to have a fiber farm with sheep and host retreats.
32. A goal of mine is to live debt free.
33. I read about ADD several years ago and decided that I have ADD which explains a lot about my school years academically.
34. Knowing about the ADD still doesn't help with my prioritizing issues.
35. I obsess over making sure things always go in the same spot - everything has a home.
36. If something isn't put away exactly where it goes I think it's missing - even if it's just somewhere nearby to its "proper place".
37. My family gets very irritated with me about this obsession and I get irritated with them about it.
38. Anyone that's been in my house lately probably doesn't believe me that everything has a place.
39. I prefer vintage over new if the vintage object/appliance/tool still functions properly.
40. I wear my shoes socks underwear and bras until they wear out.
41. Bras wear out first, underwear last.
42. I prefer to wear hand knit wool socks in the winter.
43. I have never had a passport.
44. The only time I've left the United States was when we would vacation on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls when I was a kid.
45. I would like to visit my brother in El Salvador, but not to kill him.
46. I never went into a bar or had an alcoholic drink until I was 29.
47. I don't recommend divorce to anyone.
48. I didn't begin feeling like an adult until after I was divorced.
49. I would rather die than ever divorce again.
50. I had five kids before one finally looked like me.
51. My shortest labor was 1 hour.
52. My last delivery ended in c-section because I wanted to be induced so I could travel and see my sister for Thanksgiving.
53. I'm more proud of my children than I could ever express and wonder very often how it's possible that they have such good grades, are so self-confident and independent and are so much wiser than I was at their ages.
54. I'm always surprised at how much our dog seems to love me.
55. I've only had one speeding ticket in my life though I also got a ticket once for running a red light.
56. I was taken to jail on my son's birthday for not paying the red light ticket.
57. Jail was a nasty disgusting place to be even for just a few hours.
58. Even though I'm a stay at home mom now, I used to enjoy going to interviews and was sometimes disappointed when I got a job because I didn't get to interview any more.
59. It has never bothered me or made me sad when my children started school but the thought of my son going to college and moving out of the house makes me very sad.
60. I hope that he will go to college somewhere close enough that we can see him on long weekends.
61. I grew up in a house decorated with bold colors and it was sensory shock to visit that house again after moving away to a place with white walls and tan carpet.
62. I love to be surrounded by bold colors in my house now.
63. My parents didn't seem to age until I left home.
64. My parents divorced when I was 29.
65. I recently (stupidly) threw away the first thing I ever knit from a pattern.
66. I lived in the Waco, TX area (Crawford) when the Branch Davidian/David Koresh standoff was happening.
67. I lived in the Wichita, KS (El Dorado) area when the BTK killer was found.
68. I now live in the town where the BTK killer is in prison.
69. I never suspect any woman is a lesbian.
70. I sometimes suspect men living straight lifestyles are secretly gay.
71. I can't count the number of times I have read Gone With The Wind or how many times I've watched the movie.
72. I always thought Rhett should have given Scarlette another chance.
73. My last boyfriend in high school said he always thought I would marry him and asked for another chance when I told him of my engagement.
74. For over twenty years I wondered if I did the right thing by getting married to someone else.
75. I was profoundly grieved when I learned of his recent death.
76. I finally knew that I had made the right choice.
77. I lived in Kansas when the tornado struck Greensburg in May 2007 and tore up the whole town.
78. I hosted a knitting project to make afghans for families in Greensburg and delivered 50 afghans there in March 2008.
79. I still have enough squares to make about 50 more afghans for Greensburg families.
80. Squares for 50 afghans takes up a lot of space.
81. I love fishing camping and hiking.
82. I have never taken my children fishing camping or hiking.
83. I love taking lots of candid photos of my family and friends.
84. I refuse to hang pictures in a room until I have acquired the furniture items that I feel will make the room complete.
85. I have a lot of framed prints and photos in boxes waiting to be hung even though I have lived here 3 1/2 years.
86. I collect vintage floral hooked rugs, wind-up clocks, and things decorated with morning glories.
87. I have the world's largest collection of music boxes that play Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
88. I prefer Dana Girl Mysteries to Nancy Drew.
89. I have never served beets to my family so I have no idea whether they would like them or not.
90. I prefer to live where there are well defined seasons and there's enough snow and cold for winter sports.
91. I can't keep up with all of my good intentions.
92. I have a growing number of single socks and mittens waiting for the match to be knit.
93. Some will never get a match and I'm okay with that.
94. I love teaching people to knit and spin and seeing how much happiness it brings to their life.
95. When I started dyeing yarn I didn't think anyone would want to buy it.
96. I am still surprised when people buy my yarn.
97. I love giving things away on FreeCycle.
98. Estate sale and auction bargains make me ridiculously happy.
99. I feel close and bonded with my husband's long-time friends even though I really don't know them.
100. I can't believe I thought of this many things to write about - bless your heart if you read this far.

And today's my husband Jeff's Birthday!  Happy Birthday Sweetie.  I hope you like the somewhat healthy whole wheat chocolate cake that I'm making you.  :D

Everybody take good care of every little thing and maybe I'll post again in the reasonably near future!  XOXOXOXOXOX

One Girl

We have a family full of Girls.

Yesterday Girl One graduated from Diapers to Panties.

Today Girl Two made the number 11 at preschool and took a Magnifying Glass for the "M" week sharing box.

Yesterday Girl Three started needing to use sanitary supplies.

Yesterday Girl Four went to auditions for the spring production of "Our Town" at the high school.

Yesterday Girl Five had her yearly check-up to renew her blood pressure medications.  They did blood tests.

Today Girl Five's doctor office called and said "You are Diabetic.  When can you come in to talk about it?"  Blah.  Maybe it's only temporary.

Busy Bee

Mommy has been a busy busy bee!  I took pictures of this bee in the flowers when we visited the William Allen White house in Emporia, Kansas a few weekends ago.  He was probably the biggest bee I have ever seen in my life - this picture is close to life size if you can believe it.  I did zoom a bit but he was giant!

• Yarn for The Loopy Ewe is finished and mailed
• I don't know how long it takes for it to be listed in the Loopy Shop once it arrives but I do know picture taking has to happen.  And various other things.
• Very important package of pink dye for Pink Ribbon Sock Yarn has arrived just in time for me to leave on the trip to my sister's wedding in Michigan
• I can't prepare the kits when I'm not home
• Probably not a good plan to ask my sister if she'll consider rescheduling her wedding because I haven't gotten the kits out yet
• Pink Ribbon Sock Kits will begin shipping July 7
• It will be nice to move all of this yarn out of my house and into someone else's house
• Packing for the Michigan trip is interesting - it's the first long road trip I've taken with knitting included (Estes Park last summer didn't count because I was doing the driving!)
• I strangely believe I can knit at least two sweaters on the trip
• And a dozen pair of socks
• I'm only taking the yarn for one sweater
• And 1.5 pair of socks (one pair of socks is already 1/2 finished)
• I'll be visiting this lady
• And this lady
• And this lady
• I strangely believe I can visit at least a dozen yarn shops on the trip and that my husband and two small children will be thrilled to do so
• I only plan to visit this one though I just might have to visit this one as well since I'll be in the neighborhood  :)

Everyone take good care of every little thing and have a super wonderful and fun and Safe 4th of July - even if you don't celebrate the US Holiday!  XOXOXOXOX

Beautiful Things and Surprises Revealed

Happy Spring Wednesday Everyone!

Sunday afternoon there was an estate auction two houses down on our street.  The neighborhood was a bustle of cars, people walking, a din of chatter and auctioneer sounds.  We picked up a few goodies and Jeff shuttled back and forth between the auction and our house depending on what they were selling at the moment.  For a while I sat on the porch swing knitting while Emeline and Lila Pearl played on the porch and ran about in the grass.  It was a beautiful sunny day - perfect for the auction.

Emeline was down in the grass picking dandelions and wandered over to the driveway.  She stopped in the middle of the driveway and stared for a moment at the garage.  Then she said, "Mommy..... Mommy!  Come see this!  Mommy.  You have to see this beautiful thing."

For a few days every spring our driveway is covered with a halo of bring pink blossoms - the red bud trees are stunning.  I actually hate those trees the rest of the year because every single tiny pink blossom produces what seems like approximately one hundred wafer thin seed pods that litter our driveway and patio later in the year then crack open and release four or five small disc-like seeds which get stuck on your shoes, feet, etc, and get tracked through the house.  Think cat hair.  These seeds and pods haunt you like cat hair.  The cat can be dead and gone for twenty five years but you still find their hairs around the house - even when you move to a different house.  Yes - the seed pods are like that.  The only thing that keeps me from cutting our red bud trees down is the picture above.  When they are in bloom I would like to set up a tent at the end of our driveway and stay out there until they're gone because it is a beautiful sight to see.  And I'd still be nearby to a bathroom.  I was happy to know Emeline notices these beautiful things in our world without being prompted.

It's always a fun and unexpected surprise when someone who I don't know ads me to their "Friends" on Ravelry.  I always wonder why in the world they want me for a Friend if they don't know me.  A few days ago I received a notice that Cedric added me to his Friends.  When I get a new request I always add that person to my Friends, then click on their picture to read their profile so I can learn more about them.  Cedric is a 74yo man.  He has been knitting for over 70 years.  And lives in the Shetland Islands.  This is all very interesting to me.  Even more, he's all of this - lives in this place - and has a computer and is using Ravelry.  And he has less than 40 people (at the time of this writing) on his list of Friends.  I am so honored that Cedric added me to his Friends.  Hmm.  His birthday is November 9th.  Maybe he wants to participate in the Ravelry Scorpio Birthday Swap this year!?  You never know.  I could ask him. 

Although I haven't been posting a whole lot, I am getting caught up on Bloglines.  Why oh why do I love to read so many blogs?  I'm keeping the number down - less than 200 unread posts now when it was over 2000!  And I'm happy to say I did read - a bit of skimming might have happened - but I didn't just wipe it all out and start anew.  I'm not commenting much (who has time? actually I would have time but my ancient computer doesn't like to leave comments - that will all change when we get our Economic Stimulus Check next month!) but I'm reading reading reading!  :)

SURPRISE TIME!

So the surprises.  I have three surprises right now.  I'm keeping one as secret a while longer.  The other two are ready for a Reveal!  Yay!

Surprise #1:  I told you I've been writing a sock pattern to be released with a kit.  Here's a little more information about it.  I've got my fingers crossed that you'll LOVE this!

Introducing Pink Ribbon Socks!

These are not the final pattern photos - I'll probably try to get the giant sack of yarn stash out of the way for the final photo shoot.  heh

The kit concept began with this colorway - called Pink Ribbon.  After I dyed it and I saw this yarn I was instantly inspired.  The pattern came together quickly in my head and with some research, lots of swatching, and diligent knitting, my idea became an actual knitted item (even a pair!).  Now the pattern is on paper, has been charted and is on its way to my test knitters!  Wow!  The original pair of Pink Ribbon Socks fit my daughter Katie perfectly (and it was her turn in the family sock knitting queue).  She wore them for the first time to school yesterday.  For some reason that made me nervous.  hehe

The Pink Ribbon Sock Kit is a limited edition and will soon have a web page with instructions for preordering.  The kit will cost $40 plus shipping, international orders will be accepted, and $20 of every purchase will be donated to the national Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation!

The Pink Ribbon Lace pattern begins at the top with a cable twist and goes down each side of the leg, seperating at the gusset, carrying the ribbons to meet in the front and back.  The Pink Ribbon Lace pattern continues down the front of the foot and at the heel concludes with a cable twist.  The foot and leg can be adjusted in length by adding or subtracting repeats from the pattern, or adding stockinette at the end of the foot.

Complete instructions are given in the pattern for heel flap construction, turning the heel, and completing the toe.  Alternate toe construction can be substituted for what is given in the pattern.

There will be 100 kits available, and each will come with the pattern, hand numbered, in a sheet protector along with 100g of the exclusive Sugar Bunny Boulevard Pink Ribbon colorway and the receipt confirming your donation to the Susan G. Komen foundation. 

If there is an overwhelming response to the kits there may be a second limited edition release later this summer in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.  At this time I haven't found a way to release the pattern for sale on its own so that the money can bypass me and be donated directly to Susan G Komen with an automatic download.  If anyone has ideas for this please let me know.

Surprise #2:

If you can stand it, I do have one more surprise.

Sugar Bunny Boulevard yarn and stich markers will soon be for sale at The Loopy Ewe.

I think that sentence stands alone.  If you're reading this you probably have a clue.

Had enough surprises?  Okay, then I think I'm done for now.  And next time I promise to show and tell about my Wee Tiny Sock Swap experience of 2008!  Yay!  I really love WTS.

Have a super wonderful rest of your week - enjoy the beauty of spring all around you - unless you're cussing about snow still falling - but still there must be some beautiful things to be appreciating, right?  Like you could pretend that you live in Australia and it's supposed to be getting cold and starting winter now?  :D

Take care of every little thing and I'll see you back here next time or maybe in your blog comments!

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

Where Is Spring?

Happy Friday Everyone!  :)

So it's supposed to be Spring.  The season of renewal.  All over blogland people are suffering from the fact that Winter doesn't want to let go.  Spring is trying to come forth and it's having a hard time pushing past the bully that Winter seems to be this year.

Spring appears to be the season when kids who play spring sports (track and baseball and tennis anyone?) are constantly cancelling practices games and meets because of rain - in some cases, snow.  Sheesh.  C'mon already, Spring!  Let's have a bit of tweeting birds and sunshine!  Where can we rustle up some flowers and butterflies?

Actually, just across the street Mr. W's pear tree is blooming - not quite all the way yet but looking oh so pretty and his yard is FULL of daffodils.  My favorite bulb.  I really need to be thinking Spring Flowers when the weather gets chilly this fall!

I nearly froze to death this morning getting a picture of the pear blossoms.

I've been dyeing and spinning a bit of Spring too.  Wanna see?

Sunshine.  This is the first time I've spun sock yarn that I felt really satisfied with.  How long did it take me to get to this point?  Thank goodness I didn't know how long it would take when I started spinning.  I feel like I've been spinning a looooong time and it's been what.... less than two years?  lol  Finally sock yarn that isn't too thick, isn't overtwisted - it's Just Right.  And beautiful.  Sunny and happy.  88 grams.  395 yards.  Not for sale.

New Leaf.  Dyed to sell but couldn't.  I'm keeping this one and dyeing more.  :)

Apple Blossom

I was trying to do a shop update today but the week got away from me and we've been sick, the rain is getting us all down, and really all I've wanted to do is knit.

Emeline loves to use my camera.  Yes, it horrifies me to see her walking around the house with it but she just begs so sweetly and promises not to break or drop it.  She usually sneaks it out of the kitchen but this morning I allowed her to take some pictures.

She actually takes very interesting and Good pictures!  Here's one this morning of me... what else?  Knitting.

I've been doing some secret knitting and guess what.... you won't believe it.  Pattern writing.  I'm writing a sock pattern that will be available as a kit very soon (I'm really hoping first week of May?).  Very exciting.  I have some other secrets - one that I know you'll find out about... another I'm patiently waiting to hear about.  Fun fun fun and it's all about yarn and knitting and fiber.  Yay!

Having the babies around keeps life interesting.  Emeline is, once again, working on potty training.  No diaper now for about three days.  Several accidents and some long awaited successes as well.  Hopefully Lila Pearl won't be far behind!

Everybody have a wonderful Springy weekend - whether you have rain or the coveted Sunshine!

And take good care of every little thing.  :)       XOXOXOXOXOXOX

A Gathering of Ducks

Surely you have realized by now that when my blog is quiet I am busy.  I've tried keeping the blog out of my mind for at least a week because if I tried adding it to the juggling act I'm trying to put on I'm sure everything would crash.  ha  Blogging sounds and seems so simple but it takes a lot of thought and planning!

So I've been trying to get my ducks in a row and you know how that works.  They don't want to fall into line easily.  And I'm often distracted by things like.....

and

Thank you everyone for your concern about the fate of Lila Pearl and the sweater.  I think I replied to most of the commenters and will assure all lurkers:  No Childen Were Injured During The Repair Of This Sweater.  Jeff did read about "the incident" on the blog and called home right away inquiring about Lila Peal's well being.  She really never knew anything was going on.  A quick "LILA PEARL!!" and she immediately surrendered the scissors.  After I started breathing again I inspected the damage to find only one cut of one stitch so it was a classic text book kind of repair - thank Heaven.  It delayed completion of the sweater by maybe 20 minutes and the whole thing was fixed and finished that night.  More details and photos on my Project page in Ravelry.

The biggest thing I've been working on since completing this sweater has been setting up a web site and shopping cart for Sugar Bunny Boulevard!  The blog address will not change, and there is a link to the new shop in the sidebar so if you've been a regular reader here at the blog you probably won't notice anything different except that I will hopefully be mentioning shop updates more often!  For new people who are looking for yarn, they'll be directed either to my web site home page (www.sugarbunnyblvd.com) or directly to the yarn shop at http://shop.sugarbunnyblvd.com.  I've begun advertising in specialty forums on Ravelry and will eventually get in line with Google searching so at the moment I'm hoping to focus on spinning and dyeing for the shop.  Whew.  Picking a shopping cart was Not Easy.  What I'm using was my third stab at choosing a shopping cart and it's STILL not exactly what I wanted.  I think Zen Cart would have been an excellent choice but all the CSS necessary to customize it the way I wanted was liquifying my brain.  I ended up using the shopping cart option available through GoDaddy.

I know there are probably people out there thinking I've abandoned the afghan project.  But no - we have not!  We are planning a trip to Greensburg on Saturday, March 8, and from what I've been told, they NEED THESE AFGHANS!!!  Apparently there are a LOT of FEMA trailer homes in "FEMA Villiage" as they call it, and they are not well insulated.  It's cold out there!  So I'm updating my admin info and getting everything together for the book I intend to include with each afghan.  The final step is to decide how to make a care label.

If anyone out there still has an afghan for seaming that needs to come back to me, please try to get it finished up and sent out ASAP.  I haven't cross-checked my list yet with what has come back but I know there are still a few out there.

Whew!  Okay.... is there anything else??  OH!  YES!  My WLC'08 is going GREAT!  I've lost 2.5 more pounds making a total weight loss of 12.5 lbs in 5-6 wks - I don't know exactly how long it's been.  I haven't been going to the Y for the past week because I've been working on getting the store/shopping cart thing set up but hopefully most of that is on autopilot now and I can start going to bed a little earlier now.

Everybody take good care of every little thing!  More this week with a belated "B" post!  XOXOXOXOX

Cozy Things

When your pumpkins start looking like this.....

.... it's time to start doing things like this.....

Drinking warm things.  :)

Making yummy treats.  This is a totally made-up recipe but I'm calling it chocolate hazelnut cheesecake bites (surely there's a shorter name out there).  Benny and Katie are taking them to their church Christmas party tonight.

Knit with Yummy Yarn!  This is a somewhat made-up scarf pattern for Katie's band director made with black Lion Brand Cashmere Blend.  Think it looks manly?  I did a lot of swatching to come up with something interesting that would use the yarn I have (3 skeins) and not be too girly.

I hope you're doing Cozy Things inside and having a very nice week before Christmas!  We're nearly through with our shopping and Emeline visited Santa last night.  She's been assigned to make him some cookies in exchange for a play Kitchen.  Hope we can satisfy his request!  :)

Take care of every little thing, stay safe and warm, and if I don't see you before then, have a wonderful Christmas!  XOXOXOX

Think, Worry. Knit, Breathe.

Monday, 1:30pm mammogram

Room is pleasant, tech is a lady I know from church.  Plenty of chit chat.  She explains the procedure, how they compare the films with a database of other mammograms that have shown signs of cancer.  That's cool, I think to myself.  She says "wait here while I get these cleared by the radiologist."  She comes back and states he needs "another press" of one angle.  She takes three or four more pictures then takes those heavy square x-ray plate things back to their little processing room to the side of the exam area.  It's then that I notice that she had put the film in question - the one he wanted another "press" of - on the light box on the wall.  I started to gather my things and the next time I turned around the film was gone and the light box was dark.

This film looked, to my untrained eyes, like any picture you've ever seen of a mammogram with some kind of white spot in the middle.  Slight panic.

I go across the hall, have the sonogram, and she says "wait here while I get this cleared by the radiologist and make sure he doesn't want to talk with you about anything."  I questioned, "he would talk to me if there was a problem?"  She said she thought he would if there was a problem.

She came back and said "go ahead and get dressed, he doesn't need to talk to you.  That sounds like good news!"  I just look at her thinking she is telling me a complete bold faced lie but I didn't ask about the film I saw - I just left and went home slightly concerned wondering what in the world I had seen.

Tuesday Morning I phoned my doctor's office and talked to Jill (I think she's the office manager but I don't really know).  I asked when we'd get some kind of word back and she said they NEVER get the report back the next day - it would be at least Wednesday or Thursday.  I told her the story of seeing the film with the white spot that looks just like all the descriptions on the breast cancer web sites.

Wednesday I think and stress and worry.  All.  Day.  Knit knit knit knit knit knit knit.  I knit half a sweater on Wednesday and nearly finished a sock.  Almost time to get the second sock started - I'm so rockin' on Christmas knitting.

Thursday morning (today) 7:30am, I take Emeline to the doctor for another x-ray on her arm - knit knit knit knit knit knit knit.  Only a few more rows to go on that sock toe.  Get home and start back on the sweater.  Need more yarn.  "How much?", I think to myself.  "Mmm... one skein?  Better make it two." 

10:30am  Phone rings.  Jill says "There is a benign cyst in your right breast.  Benign.  It's okay.  Does that help to ease your mind?"

I phone Jeff.  "Looks like I'll live until Christmas... there's a benign cyst and they want me to come back for another ultrasound in three months.  Can you pick up two skeins of yarn for me?"

I'm finally winding down from the worry.  It's time to breathe.

A Time For Everything

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven.  Eccl. 3:1

I have mentioned in my recent posts that I've been in a house cleaning mode lately.  I've tidied many things.  Put things away.  Thrown things out.  But I have left the afghan stuff in my dining room in a slight disarray.  Bags and boxes of finished afghans.  Bags of squares to be put away for now.  And a few remaining unopened packages that came in the mail the week prior to the afghan seaming event (Sept 15th) and any that came after that.  There aren't many - six, to be exact.  Not many at all.  A few large boxes - some I expect have a completed afghan, some I anticipate squares.  A few small envelopes.  I have anticipated squares in each of these.  Just last week I received yet another small'ish box - the very last straggler I expect to see.

Unlike the other packages that have arrived I opened that late arriving box wondering if there was something unusual.  Nothing at all unusual but there was a lovely note from the sender thanking me for the opportunity to knit something for others which helps take her mind off the recent stressors of caring for her husband since he has developed alzheimers.  It hit close to home since my grandfather has suffered with alzheimers these past few years and my grandmother sent squares for the project.  It was a nice refresher for me to read that note from the woman and I realized it's not just squares.  Or afghans.  Or people in Greensburg.  I'm glad for the happiness it brought her to knit for this project.

So I opened another of the envelopes.  The name was familiar.  I got a lot of packages during the project but some names came over and over and some others just stuck in my mind for unknown reasons.  This package was like any other - I expected squares.  But there were not squares.  This package from Vicki in Kentucky contained a scarf.  So nice.  Pretty and colorful and nicely knit.  And stickers.  Awww.  For my two little helpers.  :)

And a precious hand written letter.  My favorite part of this project so far - the notes cards and letters.  On the day I opened this letter I had been struggling with the afghan project.  Mentally thinking things through - weighing various advice from others and trying to decide if we should push to get afghans delivered in December or wait until after the holidays.  All things were telling me to wait including recommendations from people with direct contacts in Greensburg.  At the top of Vicki's letter it said:  There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under Heaven.  Ecclesiastes 3:1.  A direct message to my heart and mind that waiting was the right thing to do.  Oh what a relief to read those words.

Vicki went on to explain that the scarf in this package was for me.  Me.  And she told various reasons why.  It was a dear sweet letter and I read over it several times.  She wrote a precious prayer which I will share in another post.  She sent this package just before the seaming event but I didn't open it until more than two months later.  At first I felt a little badly for that but I realized that her opening message to me was A Time For All Things.  Oh thank you Vicki.  Again, I so needed those words.  And I'm wearing this dear scarf with a smile.  Thank you so much.  :)

I'm holding the letter again today reminding myself of the verses.

A time to be born....  Eccl. 3:2

Yesterday afternoon we got a phone call announcing that my brother Jason and his wife Zoila (pronounced Soy-la) who live in El Salvador had a new baby boy, Henry. Such a sweet time for anyone.  Baby is big, Mama is small, but it all worked out naturally and they're both home and fine.  And apparently neither my brother or his wife know anything about babies.  ha  Thankfully infants are resiliant and Zoila is young.  They'll survive and adjust to the new changes in life. 

... and a time to die.  Eccl. 3:2

Last night we received a phone call from my dad telling that my grandfather passed away quietly and suddenly.  It's never easy to let someone go.  I wasn't really close to him but I have fond memories of him as a grandparent. 

• He took me fishing several times and kindly put those white crickets on the hook for me and never once teased me about being squeamish about it. 
• He grew popcorn in his garden. 
• He made venison summer sausage (I think he made it!).
• He was a milk man in his younger years then managed the dairy department of their local grocery store until he retired. 
• He was blind in one eye but you'd never know it.  I couldn't tell.
• He always had a flat-top and it seemed mysterious and amazing to me that someone's hair could stick straight up like that.

I'm sure there are many things about his life and his past that he probably never thought were even slightly interesting that I would love to know.  And I didn't know him well.  Today he's in a better place and I'm sure there are many who are happy to see him now. 

A time to be silent... Eccl. 3:7

So my mammogram went fine on Monday.  I am quietly waiting to hear back from my doctor.  I phoned her office this morning and the girl told me it will be Wednesday or Thursday before they get the radiologist report with the results.  When I was having the mammogram it went quickly and wasn't painful at all.  I think the process and equipment have both come a long way since the horror stories of 15-20 years ago. 

I'll let ya know when I hear from them.  In the mean time take good care of every little thing.  :)