It's Friday!

And it is stupid hot. Stupid, stupid hot.

Therefore I'm giving you my latest favorite video from YouTube that just makes me smile.  Happy Friday!

WIP Wednesday

I need to type fast because we are having a humdinger of a thunder/lighting storm outside. Normally, I'd be out watching it but this is my only time today to post.

I've got several projects on the go and summer unemployment on the horizon, so I though a weekly check-in would shame me into getting things done. So here we go

1. Double Heelix Socks- I finally got to try this baby on and I think the cuff is long enough. Now I just need to bind off and seam the toe. I suck at Kitchner stitch so I need to spend some time and find a good video. Oh and do the second sock.
   
2. At knitting tonight I cast on Boys Can Wear Pink sweater, and then realized I needed a shorter cable, which I didn't have with me. 
   
3.  Because it is in Little Miss's Batgirl tunic. I should probably finish this soon.
   
4. Dude and Little Dude shirts- I've got the pattern pieces ironed and cut out. The fabric has been washed and is waiting to be ironed and cut.  
5. Boy Scout quilt- I'm a good chunk of the way through the quilting. We see my FIL at the end of June and I'm hoping to get this done before we go. I need to cut the binding, which means I need to find time when the minions are not around. It's probably best to keep them away from the rotary cutter. 

There it is. I better go before this storm does bad things. 

Ten on Tuesday

I had forgotten it was Tuesday until I saw the topic in my inbox. Three day weekends always screw me up. The weather this weekend was horrible. Rain, wind, chilly + long weekend + 2 kids under the age of 5 = cabin fever. At one point I sent Little Dude to run around the trees in the back yard to burn off a little steam. 

10 Things You Did This Weekend.

1. Weeded the kids' books. Outside of their daycare is a Little Free Library, a little house structure filled with kids books with the idea of "take a book, leave a book." I filled half the box this morning with books they have outgrown (and a few Mommy and Daddy couldn't stand to read anymore)
2. Swatched for Little Dude's latest sweater request, well one of his many sweater requests. I've agreed to make him Boys Can Wear Pink by Kate Oates. I'm making this out of the yarn from my frogged Kyoto sweater. The main body will be gray and I'll let him pick the tie color out of the yarn I have. 
3. Bought fabric for Dude and Little Dude matching shirts. I'll be sewing them with this: Simplicity Pattern 5581. We found a great pirate map fabric that both the boys agreed upon. I even have enough to make Little Dude the hat. (He's very excited)
4. Bought a new mattress. This should make a big difference in the amount of sleep I get. My mum is paying for it so even better. Our current mattress is at least 12 years old and wasn't fabulous to begin with. But it was what we could afford at the time. It has acquired over the years a horrendous sag in the middle, fondly referred to as "the pit". Now we'll be drifting off to dreamland on a gel memory foam cloud of heaven. But this means I must paint the room before it is brought in. It will be a while before we get to gutting our room so I'm throwing up a coat of paint in the meantime to class it up a little. Plus I need to paint over the spot in the ceiling that the former owners missed for the sake of my OCD.
5. Further cleaning of the garage. I did a bunch of this a few weeks ago but reached the point where I needed a hand. The husband and I (finally) moved all the weights down to the basement (where they can get used), sorted what was trash and what was to keep, rearranged and organized some. This gives me space to start staging for our tag sale in a few weeks.
6. Ate a s'more. Or a modified version of one; we had no chocolate. Last night it was finally warm enough and nice enough to light the fire pit and introduce the kids to the art and science of toasting marshmallows. Little Dude liked making them, would eat a few bites, then hand it to me and make another. Ah, 4 year olds. I'm determined to get more use of the fire pit this year. 
7. Accomplished several steps in the great furniture rearranging. Normally this is a task I'd tackle in one day, but with minions underfoot I've been having to break it up. I've got two of the big units cleaned out, moved and refilled. I managed to cull at least a box of stuff to sell, inventory my everyday dishes and pack up the set we're not currently using to sell. 
8. Researched and found our glassware. In the paring down of our belongings, one of the things to go are the extrainious glasses. We're going to get rid of our everyday glasses and use the barware we registered for when we got married. It's just missing a few basics and I managed to find the pattern. At Bed, Bath, and Beyond. You know, the people who send you coupons every other day. This is a sign from the universe that I am doing the right thing. 
9. Rescued a friend from a knitting disaster. My lovely friend Suzanne reached out to me with an issue with a wedding shawl she is knitting. The pattern is Bleeding Hearts Stole by Anne Hanson and the yarn is Zephyr Wool-Silk. She's doing a beautiful job on some tricky lace but had been thwarted by some dropped stitches. Dropped stitches in a very open part of the lace. How she even found them is beyond me. How could I not help? For one, we've all been there and two, I can always depend on her to watch the kids for me, whether it's so I can work late or spend some time with another BFF on my birthday.  Plus she's just awesome and one of my dearest friends. So I squared off with a familiar yarn and got to work. Sad to say, I was not able to pick up the dropped stitches but I did tink it back to a workable row for her. Good news, it's back on track.
10. Taught Little Dude what a diorama is and then we built one. He did a crafting project with these little animal things that you color and assemble while I was doing shawl diagnosis. He assembled the first one by himself without any help before I even knew what he was doing and then he charmed Suzanne into helping him color. So what is one to do with a bunch of jungle/safari animals with no place to go? Make them a home. With some paper, markers, an inspirational viewing of The Lion King and a box we made a lovely little home for them. Look at that face. He's so proud.

 

I had to add the picture of the silly face because it's just too cute not to. Little Dude is a ham.

Well that was my weekend. What did you do?

I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.

I think I'm starting to understand how Dorothy felt. I feel like normal has been ripped away from me and I've been trying to get my new footing. But it seems like every time I do the landscape shifts.

But now the work season is done and I have a little time to regroup. I can't tell you how many posts I've started and then not posted because by the time I could finish them their relevance was a bit dated. One of the hardest things I am struggling with is the fatigue. I get so frustrated that by 5pm I am wiped out and many of those days the hubby is working late and I still have 3 hours to go before the kids are in bed. I'm often in bed right after them. It's hard enough to accomplish things with how distractible I am, without losing hours of productive time. It's even more frustrating when a task wears you out so that even if you have the time, you are too exhausted to accomplish anything. I remember sitting there one night with my crochet in my hands and the hook was too damn heavy for me. A stupid crochet hook (size G for those wondering).

I was discussing this with a friend's husband. She's in a similar field (theatrical carpenter) and pregnant. I was explaining how that as women we have to work so much harder to be regarded as competent, let alone respected. It's very, very difficult for us to admit to any limitations. It feels as if we admit we need to step back a little, whether it is from illness or pregnancy or injury, we will lose all that we have struggled to earn and be immediately labelled as weak and helpless...and useless. It's frustrating and has been one of my biggest struggles of late. With pregnancy it is one thing...after you start to show it becomes a little more acceptable (sometimes). The problem is that MS is an 'invsible' disease. Yeah I look fine, but I'm not. Sometimes when people comment on how good I look it feels as if they are accusing me of not really being sick. It's a weird place to be in.

I'm trying to find the new normal. And I'm frustrated that I get so little done each day. I've got big plans (I always do) and they seem so much farther now.

So anywho....I guess I needed to get that off my chest. I'm planning a redesign of the blog but is seems you need to be awake for that to happen. I'll be off contract soon and it looks like the summer gig fell through. But that's what happens when the company wants the project done for less than half of the bid. They are falling into the category of "Bat-shit Crazy" if they think it can be done for that little. It's not a project I really wanted to work on but I really wanted the paycheck. I'm currently picking up odd jobs here and there.
I'm hoping to make some headway in the home projects. We promised Little Dude a room re-do for his 5th birthday.  He want's a superhero room and how could I deny him that? We've found him a new bed, and he's picked a wall color. Before I can start painting, the husband needs to add a smoke detector to his room and we're pondering a ceiling light. We did that in his sister's room and I'm leaning towards it. Once that is done, I can paint and then go to town. I'll be doing a new bed quilt and I think instead of painting directly on his walls I'll paint a bunch of small canvases to look like comic book panels and then we can shift them around as desired.
On of the most important and desired projects is a tag sale. My step mother has offered to come out and organized it for me, which is totally her bag. So, over the next few weeks I will be going through everything in the house, and I mean EVERYTHING. I'm really looking to pare down to mostly essentials (crafting stuff excluded, of course). I'm not going to let sentiment make me hold onto things I really don't want. My esthetic has changed (and people who have no concept of me or my esthetic have bought me lots of crap) and it's time to let go. We just purged a ton of baby stuff and it feels so good. I'm looking to continue the trend.
I've a ton of pictures to upload and sort through. And a bunch of fun smaller projects in various stages.
So that's what's coming down the pipeline...a redesign, some fun projects and with luck more and more blogging.

Ten on Tuesday

10 Things You Would Bring on a Picnic

A picnic can mean many things, but in my mind I see a lovely outing for my husband and myself, sans minions, on a beautiful day, out in nature where we can remind ourselves why we fell in love all those years ago. (Can you tell we've not had much alone time? or that our 11th anniversary approaches?)

1. Our picnic basket. I just showed this thing to Little Dude and he was very excited about it. This basket is truly awesome. It comes fully stocked with all that you need, even the often forgotten corkscrew (You can open a bottle of wine with a screwdriver...it's just not pretty). Sad to say, we don't use this as often as we should. I'm vowing here and now to change that.
2. Wine. White. Probably a Pinot Grigio or one of my old favorites: Arctic Fox or Goose Watch Bartlett Pear wine. 
3. Cheese. A must. Soft cheeses, hard cheeses, and at least one really good stinky one. 
4. Bread. Fresh...probably a nice crusty baguette. 
5. Sopressatta. Or something of the like.
6. Fresh fruit. Peaches, strawberries, grapes are the top three that come to mind.
7. Tomato/Basil/Fresh Mozzarella. Add a little extra virgin olive oil and what more is there to say?
8. Something spreadable. Along the lines of a sun-dried tomato & olive tapenade, or a white bean/spiniach/artichoke sort of thing.
9. Something sweet. Mini tarts or chocolates.
10. A book to read to each other.

Fabulous news!

The FDA approved the drug I've been waiting for!!!!! Biogen says they will have Tecfidera available in a matter of days. I already have my appointment for next week.

I was so happy I actually started crying. I had been hopping to my laptop all day constantly refreshing the news pages (it was almost like the last moments of a ebay item you really really want and constantly refresh to make sure you aren't out bid the last moment).

This means good things. With luck I will soon have my life back. I'm in the frenzy rush of trying to finish my show. After the 15th of April my life will be mine again. And perhaps by then I'll be seeing some results from the meds and stay up past 7:30pm.

Ten on Tuesday

10 Things You'd Do If You Won the Big Powerball Jackpot.

$338 Million dollars. What wouldn't I do? But I suppose I could narrow it down to the top ten.

1. Pay off our debt- mainly the credit card debt that three summers of unemployment has put us into. There's probably enough there to knock out the mortgage as well. 
2. New car for the husband- he has my old car and the thing is falling apart. It's on the verge of being a death trap. I'd really like to get him a pickup that has a full back seat (for car seats). I really like the one that has in floor storage too...I don't remember the truck. My car I love and I'd just do all the work to it that we've been putting off and a new set of tires.
3. Daycare/Kindergarten tuition- This is our biggest money suck right now. We pay more to our daycare each month than we do to our mortgage. And frankly the kindergarten program there would probably better for Little Dude, but the costs are killing us. I'd set aside the funds for these in a separate account and just pay them from there and not have to worry about it. 
4. The house- I would get This Old House to come on board and help us redo the house. Make the basement not leak. Give me enough hot water to fill the tub all the way. Finished walls, finished stair cases, finished floors. No plywood to be seen anywhere, except in the workshop. I'd have my studio/office. The kids would have their playroom. And we'd make it all adaptable and ADA compliant, so should my MS take me along the path of greater disability, the house would still be able to be home.
5. Set aside money for schooling- for the kids, for myself and my husband. Learning should never end. I'd probably start a scholarship or two.
6. Invest in the CNC machine- It's a project my husband has been dreaming of and planning for years. I'd like to make it happen. Maybe then he'd quit and do that for a living. Personally I think I'd push him to quit and then start a local MakerSpace. He's the kind of guy that has to be doing something.
7. Donate to MS research and assistance programs- no brainer on that one.
8. Make a large donation to the Hartt school- specifically in regards to the scene shop. Helping us along to a new space that is proper and safe (and has heat and a/c!) I'm terrified that we're going to get stuck building sets in a closet somewhere when they are tired of paying for this place. 
9.  Payback my parents for all the money they spent on my college, braces, etc...- it's the least I could do.
10. Buy yarn/fabric/craft supplies- with my studio done, and the bills paid, I think I could finally indulge in some artistic lovelies. I'd get my Kromski and buy all the sock yarn that I want. Get a good serger and proper dress form. Have a sewing cabinet made. Get some new brushes and paints. Buy a stock of some acid dyes and see where that leads. Oh if only.

I noticed after reading what others wrote...I never thought about quitting my job. I love my job. It keeps me sane (which is a very scary though). I'd just make it easier for me to do my job. I guess it's hard to shake off the practical Capricorn in me. 

Ten on Tuesday

10 Random Things On Your Mind

1.  How am I going to glue the new feathers on the parrots for my show. Hot glue dries fast but has too much dimension. White glue will take a while to dry. Hrm....must ponder.
2. Where am I going to scrounge up two more dollars for lunch?
3. My legs hurt. 
4. Pondering the best way to color glaze these flats. (can you tell that I'm at work?).
5. How to drill the slots in the balls for the ball joints without mangling my fingers as well.
6. We should be teaching boys not to rape instead of blaming the girls 'for getting themselves into those situations'. Yes taking pictures and videos was wrong, insensitive and stupid, BUT YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN RAPING ANYONE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!!!!
7. I'm craving Starburst.
8. If I mailed in my prescription over a week ago, they really should have it by now. Shouldn't they? I'm going to have to call and yell, aren't I? Ugh....I hate this.
9. Is it really only Tuesday?
10. That was the sorriest excuse for a bacon cheeseburger that I've ever had.

Ten on Tuesday

10 Favorite Things That Are Green

This was a tougher task than I thought it would be. I had pondered money as an answer but it truly doesn't qualify as one of my favorite things. I love having money but I hate the necessity of it. Money can do horrible things to people and make people do horrible things. I just couldn't rightly call it one of my favorite things. But here are the things that are my favorites amongst the greener hues.

Granny Smith Apples- my preferred apple. Not just for baking, and the smaller and more 'monster blood' the green the better the eating.

Green Grapes- My favorite snack when I was kid (perhaps explains my preference for white wines). I've expanded my grape repertoire since then but if I remember correctly, these are the only type of grapes I would eat as a kid.

Mint- I love mint. I still balk at mint tea but only because I now associate it with morning sickness. I love the smell and the taste and the tingle of it. And it pairs perfectly with dark chocolate, so what's not to love.

 Lime- And not just in gin and tonic. When out to eat I often request lime in my water rather than lemon.

Forest ferns- there is just something so beautiful about a deep lush forest blanketed with green ferns. *sigh* Now I want to go camping.

Emeralds- The deeper, the darker the better. I have no occasion to wear it, but I love my sparkle.

Leafy Greens- as in the kind you eat. I love salads full of exotic and rich dark greens. No iceberg lettuce for me. My favorite soup is seasoned perfectly with turnip greens. They are so good and so versatile.

Peacocks- varying shades of iridescent greens. Simply beautiful.

 Green Hornet- I love this movie. Stupid fun but it's one I turn to when I'm having a bad day.

 

 Green Day- Love the music and oh, Billie Joe...you may be an idiot but I love looking at you.

Happy Birthday to my Little Miss

(oops posting this a day late...her birthday was Friday the 8th)

My little girl two today, which I guess in some respects makes her a Big Girl.

 I'm still amazed at how big she has gotten. What a difference two years makes.

 

 Little Miss has a strong personality. She's a girl who when she knows what she wants, she's determined to get it. She's also a girl who understands the power of cute and isn't afraid to use it. (Unfortunately for her, Mommy is immune. I often tell her, "That look doesn't work on me. Mommy invented that look.") Little Miss loves books and being read to.

Likes: Kitties, Hello Kitty, Elmo, Muppets (knows Miss Piggy by name. Calls Beaker 'MeMe' and Animal "LALALA" because of this video), Mommy, Daddy, her brother, climbing, doing whatever her brother is doing, books and reading, her monkeys, her binky, Batman (her third word), babies.

Dislikes: Being told 'No', waiting, having her face wiped, loud noises (vacuum, screw gun, compressor), eating vegetables (unless they are pureed and come in a pouch), and missing out on what is going on.

I gave her a choice between cookies and cupcakes to take to school (daycare) and share with her friends. Little Miss requested cookies. And because I am insane I decided to take it to the next level. Hello Kitty cookies with flooded icing. It's a project I've been wanting to try for a while and this was a perfect opportunity (well it would have been more perfect if her birthday had been earlier in the week and I had the weekend to try this). 

No one had the Hello Kitty cookie cutter in stock, and not having time to order one online I improvised. I drew the face on an index card and cut it out. I cut around that pattern to cut the dough. Slightly more time consuming but effective nonetheless.

I will confess to using a sugar cookie mix. In a pinch it will do, and they really weren't too bad.
Once baked I piped the black out line with the stiff frosting.

Cute, no?

Then with the thinner frosting I 'flooded' the area of the face and the bow. After that I repiped the eyes and added the whiskers. I didn't get pictures of myself doing it because it is hard to do that and take a picture at the same time. I'll do more in depth instructions/pictures the next batch. I really like these and will be doing them again.

The room full of two year olds and their teachers thought they were fabulous. I'm rather proud of myself. Up close they're not fantastic looking but considering it was around midnight and it was my first attempt, I think I did a pretty damn good job.

The only problem is that I didn't get them packaged up before she saw them and the whole morning it was "Cookie. Cookie." I love ya kid, but no cookies for breakfast. Not even on your birthday.

Orange Update

As we come upon the one year anniversary of my MS diagnosis, I thought I'd do a little update on how things stand.

After being diagnosed we (my doctor, my husband, and myself) decided that the course of treatment I would take is a drug called Tysabri. Tysabri is given as an once every 28 days infusion. I loved the treatment. I had little to no side effects, noticeable improvement and I got to sit down for 3 hours at least once a month. Like most things, there are risks with the drug, but my team of heath care professionals have a system in place to monitor for them. The main risk with Tysabri is the potential to develop PML, The people who develop PML while on Tysabri have been exposed to a virus called the JC virus. Half the population have been exposed to the virus and don't even know it. It's not a problem unless you have issues with your immune system or are on immunosuppressents. While on Tysabri you are routinely checked for the JC antibody to see if you have been exposed to the virus.

Well, in the fall my test came back positive. The positive test combined with the number of infusions I had (risks of PML grow with the number of infusions to a certain point and then drop off) and the results of my MRI, led to the decision to take me off the Tysabri. Mid January was my last infusion. While I continue to take medications and supplements to treat my symptoms (I take 8 pills in a normal day), I am not currently on a disease modifying treatment. This is in part because I must wait for the Tysabri to leave my system, and partly because we are waiting for the release of a new drug.

That drug is BG-12...currently named Techfidera . (I think this is the 8th name for it). This drug is a pill. That right there makes it big news. Pills over self injectables and infusions. Studies showed that it reduces the relapse rate 53% and the risk of disability progression by 38% when taken twice a day. (For those who are counting, that would put my pill count up to 10 a day) The biggest problem right now is that another drug company, the maker of the widely used injection Copaxone, is trying to block it. Read about it here and here.  'Citizen's petition' my arse. They're scared because they know people will leave the needle for a pill. Who cares that when the two were compared BG-12 reduced annual relapse rate by 44% for the twice-daily dose in contrast to Copaxone's 29%. Nope. They're worried about their bottom line, while I'm worried about trying to live a 'normal' life.

So I'm waiting and hoping. And how am I feeling through all of this? What does all this mean for me on a day to day basis. Well, it depends on the day. It also depends on if I've remembered to take my pills that day. (I know, I know, but with two kids under 5 things happen) I'd say the toughest thing is the fatigue. There are many days I wake up tired. Not I-stayed-up-too-late-I-need-more-coffee-tired, but taking-a-shower-and-getting-dressed-are-olympic-feats-tired. And caffeine doesn't help the fatigue. Nor does the fact that my 20 lb two year old insist I carry her every where. (And once you pick her up she points and says "dat way!") On good days the spasticity in my arms and legs are a minor annoyance. On the bad days it's so painful I want to cry. When in a relaxed state (just walking around or sitting down) I find that I revert to holding myself in a tensed position...my hands are clenched and my legs/feet held in a position that stresses the muscle. I have to consciously relax my hands and feet all the time. On good days I barely limp...on bad days it's more noticeable. I'm not Quasimodo quite yet, thankfully. My balance is poor. It doesn't take much to send me reeling. The best way to describe it is that it feels like my inner gyroscope is broken. I have a cane that I use occasionally. Typically when I am out and don't want to look like I'm drunk. It also comes in handy at fiber festivals with the uneven ground and crowds, (nothing like a stick to beat them back from the last two skeins of sock yarn in your favorite color way.)

Since stopping the infusions my immune system has been haywire. Since the new year I've had two UTI's, chronic sinus problems, a day or two of vomiting, two bouts of pink eye, a severe sore throat and a 'cold' that had me bedridden for a full day. I'm often asleep shortly after the kids go to bed (hence the complete lack of blogging and crafting). There have been nights I've been out before they have. I know one night I fell asleep during the dinner hour. Another night when the Husband was working late I was so exhausted I was letting the kids watch a movie in my bed. I put Little Miss down and then laid down with Little Dude to watch the rest of the movie. Next thing I know he's asking me how to turn off the TV, which he does, then he goes potty, turns off the light and crawls in next to me. (Is this kid awesome or what?)

Brain wise, I've been having trouble focusing and finding the right words. I could always tell I was due for my next infusion when I started struggling for nouns. My husband tends to get impatient while I am mentally searching for words and tries to fill in, which just screws me up. I know I'm bad about interrupting people when talking but I know if I don't get the thought out in that moment, it will just be gone. (so please be patient with me. I'm not trying to be annoying. I just have holes in my brain). And there are other things I have to deal with because of the MS...insurance stuff, trying to wrangle my medications (8 pills a day....that reminds me. I gotta call that refill in), finding shoes that won't trip me, catheters, doctor's appointments, needles, insomnia, trying not to trip while carrying a child, trying not to trip while carrying a bucket of paint (did that on the drop the other day....thankfully it was on a part I had not painted yet.)

Wow this is a long post. It's not meant to be whiny, or please-pity-me. I just wanted to give a small slice of what it is like and what is going on. And why I've not been here.And now that you're up to date with all of that, we can get on with the crafty stuff (and the cuteness. Oh wait till you see the cuteness)

ok. off to bed.

Ten on Tuesday

10 Reasons You're Happy it's March

I have many, many reasons I'm happy that it is March.

1. What is that big, bright, shiny thing?!?!? OMG!! IT'S THE SUN!!!! I am far more productive when it is sunny out. One wonders if I would have been half as depressed as I was in my formative years if I didn't grow up in a place where the sun is lacking for weeks at a time. Along the same vein, would I have MS as well?
2. The new MS therapy I am waiting for is *suppose* to be released this month. (more on that later)
3. My Little Miss turns TWO!!  o_O
4. We are finally working on my set design and the stress and angst are coming to head and becoming something. I'm not sure if it will completely fail or be a success but the waiting is over.
5. I will finally be getting paid for the above.
6. I am only wearing about 5 layers of clothing to work, instead of 17. 
7. The potential to open the windows. Oh how I'm aching to open the windows and clean out the house.
8. We can start taking walks around the block again. The kids need to get out and burn off some energy and the exercise wouldn't hurt us either.
9. Flowers. (perhaps not but there is always the hope of). I try to remember where the crocus are in my yard and keep an eye out for them.
10. Girl Scout cookies. (come to me my Thin Mints)

This means war...

March is named after Mars (Ares) the Greek god of War and it seems very fitting to me. I'm feeling beat down, worn out and dammit I'm ready to fight back. 2013 was suppose to be better. I gave the year January to shake off 2012. February just ended up being a horrible month...we had a blizzard, I was sick (in bed all day sick), my husband worked crazy long hours, deadlines came up harder and faster after the shut down from the snow, both my kids got sick while my husband was 3000 miles away for work, and I didn't make it to knit-nite once the whole month. And to top all of this off, I am between treatments for the MS and feel like complete shit rather ailing.

All that being what it was, my plans for Finishuary were a failure. I was either too tired, too sick or in too much pain to get much crafting done. I did finish one of my father's potholders and almost finished another...until I discovered that the second one was too small. Frogged that and I have now nearly completed the second 'corrected' potholder. There is a rush on these since Dad so graciously pointed out that he burned himself the other day because he only had one of the good potholders (and it was all my fault). I told him that it was his fault for being a dumbass who touches hot things. Can you feel the love? I have enough yarn to make him one more, which will give him four in total. Though I ran into a minor snag yesterday with one of them. I've been trying to work on these everywhere and brought the project to the library on our family excursion. It gives me something to do while I keep eyes on two kids on opposite sides of the room. When I returned, it seems that some of the yarn was hanging out of the diaper bag when it was unceremoniously dumped on a chair in the living room. When I went to gather said project back up during nap time I thought it was odd that there seemed to be an end hanging out of the bag. I was working directly from the too small potholder to the correct one....there should have been no yarn end.
Then I looked closer....
and noticed the frayed nature of the end....
and the dampness of it...
and the compete absence of my fat black cat. The one that is the Brain in my Pinky and the Brain duo of pets. Yeah. That one.
It was fixable but rest ye sure that I am plotting my revenge.

I did manage to get some quilting done over the last month as well. The T-shirt quilt from hell has all it's machine quilting done. I just need to do the hand quilting in the squares and then the binding. Why, oh why am I hand quilting the squares? do you ask. Because I don't have a long arm sewing machine and it will be much, much easier to do the quilting pattern in there by hand then on my machine.

With spring on it's way, things are starting to look up. My husband's schedule is looking better for a while. Next month I (hopefully) will be starting a new treatment, and my design will be going up and not consuming all of my life. I have lots to write about and lots of ideas for changes. I hope you will all forgive the lack of writing and the many unfulfilled promises of regular blogging. I want to keep blogging, I just need to figure out how to fit it into the new 'normal', especially when that 'normal' keeps changing. 

So get your battle dress on...we're gonna kick some arse!

Ten on Tuesday

Today's ten is an interesting one...10 Things You Miss From Your Childhood. Having a 4 year old and a (nearly) 2 year old, I get to indulge in many of the pleasures of my childhood once again. My husband and I seek out and introduce many of the things we enjoyed as kids to share with our minions. Some they aren't ready for yet but are on the to do list. Though I urge everyone to indulge as well, even if you don't have children.

1. A fresh box of crayons- is there anything more beautiful then a brand new box of crayons. The neat rows of perfect tips in a rainbow of colors waiting to become anything and everything. I confess that I have a box of 96 that I have tucked away for all my own. 
2. Singing. Out loud. Everywhere- and not caring a damn if I was any good or not. Singing just for the joy of singing without an ounce of self-consciousness. I miss how good that use to feel. My son will spend days at a time narrating everything in song. I hope he never loses that.
3. Sunday dinners at my Grandmother's house- Every Sunday after church (when we did church) that is where we would be. On 'Special Occasions' we would eat upstairs but mostly we were in the basement. Of course if you listened to my mother we always ate upstairs if my uncle came because "Ma loves (him) best". Pasta was always on the menu. Only homemade sauce. Sometimes roast beef or chicken or even ribs. Plenty of bread and butter. And Soda...ah that was a treat. And either my mother or myself would knock over a glass....clumsiness is genetic.
4. Walking to the bakery across the street from Grandma's- Hand in hand with Sunday dinner was the bread and dessert of donuts and cookies from the Italian bakery across the street from my Grandparent's house. I always loved walking over with my Grandfather to pick up the fresh goodies and getting to pick what donuts and cookies I specifically wanted. (Peanut donut being my favorite). It's a restaurant now that is probably just as often frequented by the family. They actually keep an eye out on my Grandfather for us and keep my Mom informed on him. I have to say we were very spoiled by having a fabulous bakery so close and I often bemoan the lack of one my neighborhood.
5. Dancing around the living room like an maniac- I'm happy to say my son takes after me in this and my daughter is showing signs of following suit. My lack of balance and the death trap of toys that the minions leave all over prevent this from happening now. *sigh* I really need to go dancing. 
6. Good cartoons- The cartoons today suck. Especially if you don't have cable. I grew up watching Scooby Doo, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, He-man, She-ra-Princess of Power, GI Joe, Transformers and such. The only cartoon I'll let my kids watch that isn't on PBS is Busy Town Mysteries. Actually my son LOVES Scooby Doo. He's ripe for He-man and She-ra. heheheheh May the influencing begin.
7. Staying up late to watch a special show- When I was really little it was The Muppet Show. I remember being allowed to stay up and watch The Carol Burnett Show. There was something about not having all your shows on demand and having to wait for them and schedule your time around them. Especially the holiday specials. 
8. Camping- I loved camping. And we would do real camping. You know...with tents and sleeping on the ground and cooking on the fire and stuff. But there's something so wonderful about sitting around the fire and looking up and seeing so many stars. (now I'm getting itchy to go out into the woods....when it warms up)
9. Playing dress up- personally I never really outgrew this. We just call it cosplay now. You have to consider I work in a business where people are actually paid to get dressed up and play pretend.
10. Reading all day long- oh how I miss that. And on that note it's back to work (and listening to audiobooks)  ;)

Ten on Tuesday

10 Things You Always Have In Your Car

Ah my car. My poor, poor car. I love my Saturn but it's state, like the house, is at the mercy of the Desctructive Duo.

1. First aid kit- a must. I found a great one at Target years ago and it tucks nicely under the back seat.
2. Carseats- Obviously. The kids are far enough apart in age and size that as Little Dude outgrows his seat, Little Miss is ready for it. That has helped alot. The seats, however, have rendered my car unable to take on extra passengers...unless you are willing to get squished between the two seats. I will usually render up shotgun and sit between the kids. Being of petite stature, it is eaisiest for me. 
3. Tissues- For at all times someone has a runny nose due to cold and/or allergies. 
4. Bluetooth earpiece- it's the law. 
5. A mini flashlight- you never know when you may need a little light on the situation. Usually it spends it's time occupying Little Dude on the ride home. 
6. Mints-because, well, sometimes you need a little freshing up. Especially after a garlic laden meal.
7. Reusable grocery bags- unless we've fogotten to bring them back out to the car. They come in handy for a lot of other things as well. 
8. Stroller- we love our umbrella stroller. It's a Maclaren Volo and has held up beautifully through two kids.
9. Work stuff- either my tool box, tool bag, or just a roller tray and some brushes. I tend to always have some tools of my trade in my car. You never know when your scenic skills will save the day. 
10. Sharpies- because you never know when you may need one. Just hide them from the kids. 

I'm home sick today. Friday I had the rug pulled out from under me medically and I'm still processesing. And I'm in the throws of wrapping up this project. Excepting one night when I fell asleep with the kids, I've not been to bed before midnight for almost a month now. Soon...soon I can breathe again. And knit again. And sleep.
And speaking of sleep, I think it's time for another nap.

Ten on Tuesday

Today's Ten on Tueday...I can sum it up rather quickly

10 Tips for Sticking With Your Fitness Routine

Yeah. He said it perfectly.

Onto other things...I am on the verge of having my design done. Or needing to have it done. I'll write more about it as things progress but this process that I thought would be fun has been stressful and forcing me to call into question all of my supposed talents. But the director is apparently returning to the country today and therefore I can meet with her and get everything finalized. And then I can spend the next 4 months being heckled and tormented by my coworkers. So the blogging will resume shortly, until then I need to pull some brilliant solutions out of my arse. Too bad doing that won't make it smaller or firmer.

Happy Birthday to Me & Ten on Tuesday

Sorry this is being posted a day late. Yesterday was my birthday after all.

Today's Ten on Tuesday topic is very appropriate for the day. If you've been reading for a while you know that since my birthday is a week after New Years, I consider this date the start of my new year.

10 Goals for 2013

1. Knit more socks. I've deemed 2013 the year of the sock in my world. My boot socks are disintegrating.  I have one pair left without holes. Even my collection of store bought knee socks is starting  to shuffle off it's mortal coil. I need socks. And I want hand knit ones. 
2. Medical maintenance. This is what I am calling getting my treatment in order. Starting up my mail order account for my medications. Getting my files in order and having a system for keeping track of meds and doctor's appointments. I want to get this to store my medicines in my bedroom. I should order my medical alert pendent. And working my therapy exercises into my daily routine.
3. Cook more and with more abandon. I love to cook and once again we've fallen into a rut with meals in our house. I don't know why but it seems we can never think of things to have for dinner. I know we used to have a wide variety of meals and now it seems we have the same 4 or 5 meals. It's time to experiment again. Time to dig out the recipe books and just start making stuff.
4. More homemade food. This ties in with the above goal. I want to start making my own pasta again. We did make some breakfast sausage this year and it didn't turn out so bad. My father is really blazing the trail with this and inspiring me. I used to make soup all the time. I did make some blueberry jelly this summer and that made me realize I want to start home canning again. With the price of food and all the crap they put in things these days, I feel this is the direction I want to move out household in. Plus it's a great thing to teach the kids. 
5. More sewing. Setting up the sewing machine in my bedroom has really made this possible. I don't have to waste time setting up and tearing down and can grab some stolen moments here and there. I thoroughly enjoyed sewing their Halloween costumes and I've been working on the quilt for my FIL. I've got a quilt in the planning phase for Little Dude. 
6. Find new shoes. This sounds stupid but it's actually rather important. My go to shoes for years have been the Dansko Professional clogs. I love these shoes. But with the MS, they are a bit of a liability. There is a tendency for my ankles to roll while walking in them. It apparently is a common issue. What it means that I'll be walking along just fine and then suddenly flail around trying to keep myself from falling. With the MS, not falling becomes more difficult. The other issue with them is that though they wonderful insole support they are very heavy shoes. Which, again because of the MS, fatigues me much quicker. So I need to find a replacement everyday shoe, and I've not had any luck so far. I need something comfortable, that isn't going to trip me, works in most weather situations (the problem with Converse) and won't break the budget. If they make me a few inches taller that doesn't hurt either, another reason I love the Dansko clogs.
7. Less TV, more playing. I'm really trying to limit the TV watching in the house and doing more activities with the kids. Both kids are artistically inclined but Little Miss is still young enough that projects don't hold her attention too long and she still needs a lot of help with them. Little Dude will sit and color or paint for hours. I have pages and pages of colored pictures all over the house. This might be the year I teach him to knit. 
8. Work on the house. Need I say more. We have to sit and prioritize the to-do list and then get started. I'm starting to organize my ideas by room and I think it's time to start getting some actually design ideas down on paper.
9. Organize the photos. I've already started working on this project. I've started shifting all the photos to the server and separating them into folders by year and then month. I'm stumped on a system of renaming the actual photos. If anyone has suggestions, please share. I've started organizing my painting portfolio photos as well. It's a daunting project but it needs to be done. The next big step will be scanning in all the old photos.
10. More dates with my husband...without kids. We've had a few of these the last several months and are attempting to make this a regular thing. Now that the kids are getting bigger and able to amuse themselves it's time to focus back on our relationship. 

I'm sure there's a bunch of other things but this is a fairly decent overview of my goals. I like the Knitmore Girls idea of having a theme for the year as opposed to specific resolutions. I'm not quite sure what my theme for this year would be, but I'll keep you updated. 

Going forward....

Now that the weekend is here I have a moment. Jumping back into work full throttle without my meds that control the spasticity completely kicked my arse the last few days. I didn't realize how little I thought of the opera until I walked back into the shop and was reminded of what I was working on. It took a few hours to figure out where I had left off and see what was left to finish. But I've got more meds (yea!) and the opera is on track to be done (not soon enough), now it's time to look at all my crafting projects.

I'm currently trying to an inventory of my works in progress. My plan for the year is to spend the first few months finishing up what I've already started. That includes knitting, crochet, sewing and 'other' crafting projects. Last year I reassessed and ended up frogging several pieces. I couldn't believe how wonderful that felt. Sometimes you just have to accept that something isn't working and move on. Some of the projects I will resurrect and others are gone forever. One project, my red vest, I had started pre-babies, and it didn't work on what my body has become. And now that I am done having babies....(yes. done and done. The household can't handle anymore destructive cuteness) I can start knitting and sewing for my own body once again. When I'm not creating for the minions. Though Little Dude is on the cusp of learning how to knit, and my husband *gasp* even began to learn some crochet to help with the holiday gifting.

So this is where the work in progress list stands:
(though I must admit I like the label of Jasmin of the Knitmore Girls- PHD's Project's Half Done. It sounds so distinguished. Much better than the old label of PIGS- Projects In Grocery Sacks. I most often use WIP or the occasional UFO - UnFinished Object)

 Knitting:

• Hulk Smash socks- Double Heelix socks out of Skinny Bugga. First sock nearly done

• Batgirl Tunic- Anouk out of Cotton Classic. Back is almost done  

• Second Pillow- Made a pillow for my stepmother out of yarn recycled from her father's sweater. She loved it and I have enough yarn left over to make a second.

• Tilted Duster- now this is pretty much complete and I've worn it. All it lacks is the fabulous buttons I had picked out for it and promptly lost. Well, now they are found and want attaching.

Crochet:

• Double thick potholders- These were a Christmas gift for my Dad. Completed one and ran out of yarn while frantically crocheting on Christmas Eve. I had a friend pick up some more yarn for my while at the After Christmas sale at Webs. Dad has a very, very old set of these made by one of my Grandmothers out of 70's nasty acrylic...mainly because I think they were made in the 70's. They need to die, but he loves them. His new ones are made out of Cascade 220 superwash. I went with wool because of the fact that it is self extinguishing. 

Sewing/Quilting:

• Boy Scout T-shirt quilt-This project has been such a struggle. But I am at the quilting phase of it. I probably would have had it done if I didn't have a show to design.

Mending:

• Lots of things in the mending pile- several shirts including my son's favorite T-rex shirt, a few purse straps that need fixing, reattaching some velcro to a bib, repairing stitching on some cloth diapers, and several holey work shirts. I just need to sit down one day and hit the pile.

Other:

• Key chain boondoggle- remember these things from camp made out of plastic lacing. I made one of these for my Mom eons ago. It was probably about 10" long and she loved it because she could easily get her keys when they fall to the bottom of her immense purse. It died many, many years ago. I started a new one a few years ago. I bought two spools and started the cord halfway down each spool. I plan on making it as long as the lacing will last. The length was making it slightly cumbersome until I dug out some bobbins. Now I just need to sit and do it.

So that's what I've found in progress around my house. There's a few false starts  that could be included but I'll add those to the later list. The next few weeks my focus will be on finishing my set design, (oh by the way, I'm designing a show this semester) but once those plans are turned in, January and February are dedicated to wiping out this list.

Happy New Year!

It's a fresh new year and a fresh new baktun. I can't say that I will miss the last year. 2012 was not a fabulous year in our world, and not just because of all the morons who thought that the world was going to end. The year started out symptoms that lead to my MS diagnosis in March. It has been a whirlwind year of doctors, tests, drugs and therapy. Tweaking meds until we find the right dose. Needles and more needles. (I don't like needles). Just when I feel like I'm reaching some sort of new normal, the rug gets pulled out from under me. I became JC positive, which means my treatment could have fatal complications. So now more MRI's, because who doesn't want more MRI's. And my last MRI shows that it's working, sortof. Most lesions have halted, but one hasn't. Not quite sure what it means. My treatment also meant that I had to wean Little Miss at short notice. At work, the end of last season could only be described as a clusterfuck, and this year didn't start out much better. They changed our insurance plans, which they announced that same week as the recommendations for major cuts across the University came out. Once again, for the third year running, I was unemployed all summer. Little Dude's lottery number for the magnet school meant that he didn't get in and we continued to pay daycare costs that are more than our mortgage. The roof still didn't get replaced and the upstairs didn't get completed. My laptop died, we had it repaired and it died again. The cars have crapped out on us numerous times. Any extra money we've managed to accrue, has been eaten away by surprise expenses, often within a day's time. Newtown. Numerous hardships in our circle of friends and families. And to end the year on a high note, we discovered on Saturday that the kids picked up head-lice at school.  

Yeah, it was one of those kind of years. But it's time to shake that off, take a deep breathe and move on forward. And part of that is going to be this blog. It's gone through a bit of an identity crisis lately and I think I know where I'd like it to go. There's a lot coming in the new year that I want to talk about. So expect more posts and some visual changes as well.

I hope you all have wonderful year this year.

Our hearts are broken

There are no words for what happened yesterday. We are blessed in that it was not our town, our school, or our children, but this is an incredible blow to the state. I've not stopped crying over it, and keep scooping up my children to hug them tight. I cannot soapbox right now about guns and mental health care. Now is the time to grieve and show our support to the families who were ripped apart.