Sheep Shots

It has really been a month!

I promise to do better with knit blogging, but first, I must update my loyal fan.

The surgery on April 8 (2" approximate incision) was a rousing success. I was scheduled for 7:30 a.m.which meant being at the hospital at 5. Probably could have skipped trying to sleep, since that didn't happen. Hooray for early starts (no food after midnight until it's all over)! By 10, I was in the recovery room, completely alert (what a change from the last surgery experience 2 years ago) and my legs were pain free. Talk about relief!

I spent the next several hours in "holding" while waiting for a room. But that was okay. No pain. Books (Kindle) and knitting to keep me company. I sent the Other Half home to sleep.

I must say that both roommate experiences were challenging. But they are over and I have moved on.

I spent a couple weeks using a walker or a cane but have (mostly) abandoned both. Physical Therapy starts next week. I will see the cardiologist regularly and the spine surgeon a couple more times.

Life is good!

Labels: current events, serious stuff

Wow! Has it actually been nearly a year since I posted last?

So much for being more regular!

It's a new year and new resolutions to Be a Better Poster may or may not come to pass. In the meantime, I will post my list of 2013 FOs just to keep me honest.

adult sweater	1
afghan squares	1
bibs	8
booties	24
bowl to felt	1
cat toys	6
child sweater	10
christmas stocking	2
coasters	1
cowl	2
dishcloth/facecloth	4
dishtowel	8
hat	16
laprobe/baby blanket	6
mittens	2
napkin
pillow	1
place mats
potholder	1
preemie/baby caps	7
purse	1
runner	1
scarf	8
shawl	2
soap sack	2
socks	1
tea toter	1
teddy sweaters	1
toys/ornament	6
wristers
total	124

Not so shabby until I consider previous years. I have been tracking since 2002. This is the 10th best year (of 12). I will take into account that there are two "go to" afghans on the needles. One grows as I gain more odd balls of wool. Likely, it will never really be finished unless I declare it so. The other is a sock yarn mitered square-ghan that grows ever so slowly when I don't have anything else on the needles.

The year in reflection was a mixed one. We added the Purple Warrior Princess (Fiona Grace) to the tribe in May. Tiny Prince Original (Rowan) started school. Tiny Prince Two/Too (Conor) remains a joy to all who know him.

Retirement is looking very good and getting closer, as health issues (for the Other Half) reared their collective heads in December.At work, we are looking to make a major geographic move which I would like to see through to completion, but if it drags on. . .

Promising to be more regular on the posting! (Yes, I know I said that last year.)

Labels: current events, serious stuff, yarn diet

You know how every once in a while the clutter, trash, and just plain dirt get to you?

Well, that happened to me this week.

Over the past couple of days, the building pressures at work (nothing I can talk about here) and the realization that 4 (that's one more than 3) of the people that I respect, rely on, and yes, even love, have recently revealed serious illness and let's just say that I am overwhelmed.

Couple that with the absolute dump that my house has devolved to since, oh, January or so, and I threw myself into a frenzy of cleaning and organizing that just won't quit. Normally, I would just lie down until the sensation passed, but not this time.

I'll spare you photos of the more mundane parts of the house. (I am assuming that all of my readers have toilets and kitchen floors. Please correct me if I am wrong on that score.)

Instead, let's turn to the organization of the stash.
I have not updated the sidebar yarn countdown for a couple months, because the yarn stash has ceased its downward spiral.

I have been in a acquition mode (I know I mentioned the stuff Mary sent me) and have not logged the new stuff in.

I also discovered that there's a lot of older stuff (something like nearly 2 bags of sock-weight that I am using on Bear Claw) that was never logged in either.

What that boils down to is the knitting of vast quantities of yarn with nary a dent in the stash sheet ::sob:: (and I started buying sweatersworths of yarn for Christmas knitting that won't be logged in either).

Ignoring the stash shelves went along with ignoring the sheet and there was much spillage onto the floor to the point that I could neither identify, nor even find, some of the yarn I sought, and indeed, it was becoming more and more difficult to approach the shelves with several square feet of yarn mess spread hither and yon, mostly hither.

Add to that, the guilt. Someone on the NAS group mentioned that there comes a time when we all need to say (or even shout) "enough!" and start divesting ourselves of some of the "stuff" we've acquired but will never use. (Did I mention the Rowan Magpie that I just bought from a friend?) so I packed up a bunch of straight needles and mailed them to the Reservation, because lord knows, it's been years since I've touched a 14" straight needle. (I'm inclined toward circs, and I have some 10"ers that I use all the time!)


As I was cleaning, I gave a moment's thought to culling as well. I found two balls that I can feel okay about sending on to someone else. Come on! Only two?

I looked at the odds and ends in these bins and could not bring myself to part with even the crappy ribbon yarn or the pink variegated crochet cotton!

It's a sickeness and I don't wanna get well!

Labels: current events, serious stuff, silliness