Back....sort of

I'm back again...sort of. Back as far as actually posting on here and sort of back as far as recovering from shoulder surgery. I had the surgery on Sept. 21. They repaired the rotator cuff tear and had to cut 360 degrees around the shoulder to release the frozen shoulder.

I know in time I'll be glad I had it done but right now it just hasn't been much fun. I can finally knit again....for a little while before the pain forces me to put it down....but boy, does it feel good to be able to do it again! I made jokes about knitting withdrawals before I had the surgery and it turned out to be so true!!! It really did drive me crazy for the 3 weeks that I couldn't do it at all! Still doing physical therapy 3 times a week to regain use of the arm and from what I've been told will be doing that for another 6-8 months....or as long as insurance covers it.

Consequently not much knitting to show off these days...lol! I made a concentrated effort to finish the Gail (Nightsongs) shawl out of the handmaiden sea silk before the surgery.

Pics really washed out the color but I was happy with how it turned out. The pattern was really confusing in the beginning but several people on Ravelry who made it worked up some tips and tricks to share that helped tremendously! Once I got the hang of it it worked up like a dream!

Since the return to knitting following surgery I have managed to finish my "car socks" so will have to start another pair of basic socks to keep in the car for unexpected down times.

I started a clapotis out of some Pingouin I had in the stash for my friend Amy. She was such a sweet heart to come up here and stay with me the second week following the surgery! I still couldn't do much of anything for myself and we appreciated her so, so much for coming up and taking care of me!

Not much in the way of other news except for getting a computer. I had been wanting a laptop so we wouldn't be incommunicado when we head out in the motor home and we decided it was time to go ahead and get one. Mainly because hubby's computer was a total dinosaur...really awful....so he took my old one and we set up the laptop at home with a docking station for me. Not being much of a techie, getting everything set up and transfered was a challenge...lol!

We are both dying to get out in the motorhome but that will have to wait a bit. Our favorite time to go is this time of year. Cold at night, cool/crisp mornings and mild afternoons to sit out under the awning and knit/read or take the dogs for walks. Right now I still can't sleep in a bed without the arm hurting and there isn't a fully reclining chair in the motor home so we will have to wait until I get to the point I don't have to sleep in a recliner. We went ahead and had it winterized but are hoping we can take off in it sometime in the next couple of months.

Tonight we will be heading out to trick or treat with Savy and Dax. This is the first year I wasn't able to make costumes :-(. I know it probably bothered me much more than it did them...lol! I always look forward to going with them and seeing them do their thing. We are hoping Clayton, Carter and Kiley join us this year. It will be fun having 5 of our 7 grandbabies to trick or treat with! What fun would it be to have all 7!!!!

Labor Day Weeknd

Already? Man, where has this year gone? I can't believe it's September already! It's crazy how fast time goes the older I get. Shoot...when I was a kid the few hours between morning service and evening service on Sundays lasted FOORRREEVVER!

We have had a quiet holiday so far. Just me, Hubby and the fur-kids, but David, Amanda, the kids and Dad coming over later for cook-out. They are bringing their new fur-kid...Boomer, to play with our four-legged kiddos.

Last Sunday Ron and Savy went to Petsmart to get a couple of new fish for his tank and came home with a new addition to the household!

Her name is Chenille. She was rescued from a puppy mill along with 38 other little ones. Amanda fell so in love with her that she went back this week and found her little Boomer from the same bunch! She has adapted so well and so fast...it's like she's been here forever and that little face just makes you laugh every time you look at her....I've been calling her Funny Face more than Chenille...lol! She got the doggie door down pat and just barrels through it now! Of course, she uses it mainly to bring various things in to play with more than an access to the yard for going potty! She went in and out last night dozens of times and each time had a new "treasure" that we had to relieve her of....like rocks, kid's toys, bugs, etc.

The boys are adjusting to her and Stoneleigh actually breaks down and plays with her some....not a lot yet...but some. It's funny how they pout for a while when you bring in someone new. I remember Cricket and little Gidget gave Stoneleigh the cold shoulder for quite a while when he was first introduced...now he and Cricket are best buds!

Not much to show on the knitting front. Still have the finishing touches to do on the Master's kit and working on the Nightsongs shawl. One of the issues I mentioned in the last post has to do with pain in my left arm. I hurt it back in March and have traipsed back and forth to doctor after doctor trying to get it taken care of. I can only knit for a few minutes before it really gets painful. Not being able to knit is NOT a good thing for this girl. It's WHO I AM, for heaven's sake! I finally found a doctor who was actually interested in finding out what is wrong...thank the Lord! The last one I went to told me it was bursitis and gave me a cortisone shot in the bursa. When I told him it didn't help he just got defensive and condesending. I tried to get back in to see him when, after 2 weeks, the pain had gotten much worse and was told he didn't want to see me again for another 2 weeks, but they would be happy to give me pain meds!!!??? Excuse me...narcotics is NOT the solution I am looking for.....I want to know why it hurts, why I can't raise my arm even chest level and how it can be fixed! Anyway...turns out he is the idiot...not me! I knew something else was going on the the new doc found it! I have a torn rotator cuff. All these months of hurting could have been avoided if the first doc would have just taken a darn MRI. A little mad? Yep! Sure am! As a result of it going on so long I also now have frozen shoulder from not using the arm! Anyway, going to a shoulder specialist tomorrow. I know I'm looking physical therapy at the very least and possibly surgery to repair the tear....just fix it already so the girl can KNIT!

Yes, I know!

Once again, it has been a loooong time since the last post! I really am going to try to do better...if for no other reason it's kind of fun to look back myself and reflect on past goings on!

In some ways a lot, lot has happened, but in other ways, not much. I have been dealing with 2 really frustrating health issues, both of which include pain. I hate whining....so rather than make blog posts big ole whine-fests I would rather not say much :-)....the main reason I have been so quiet lately. One of the issues has gotten much better so I'm hoping and praying that holds...and have an appointment with a new doc next Monday for the other so am hopeful that I'll be back to normal (or as normal as I ever get anyway..lol) soon!

I have done some knitting but not nearly as much as normal..one of the pain side effects. Have the Master's Level one almost ready to go. Just have to weave in some ends and type up the research. I'll try to post shots of each swatch and the hat at a later date. I found it really helpful when other people did that so I could look at specific swatches in comparison to mine.

I've also finished one sock each of two pair lately. One is just the basic 2x2 rib sock that I haul around in my car to work on. It is out of some indie dyer merino that I won at a Guild meeting ages ago.

I have also got a Horcrux sock done using some Artyarns Merino that Amanda gifted me from a trip to Texas. Was kind of disappointed that the patterning at the cuff didn't show up all that well with this yarn but they do feel good on the feet and the colorway is just plain old fun!

Oh, and I did finish a pair of Jacaranda socks. A Sock of the Month kit from Chameleon Colorworks that I got ages ago.

The other project I started recently is the Gail aka Nightsongs shawl. I saw it on Ravely and thought it was just gorgeous! I'm doing it from a skein of Handmaiden's Seasilk that I got last summer in Austin. I had some issues understanding the pattern at first but several people had put up pointers on Ravelry and once I got it figured out it has been a joy to work on. First thing I have knitted on a quite a while that I can't wait to finish! Here it is so far:

One bit of big news that I'm really excited and PROUD about! My older daughter, Melissa just got a HUGE promotion with Michael's! Those of you who have read my ramblings in the past may remember my post about her designing all the Christmas products in the framing line last year. Well, all of them coming out this year will be her designs too, but as of last week she is no longer in the framing department! Get this....is this too funny or what....she is now the Senior Buyer for.....drumroll, please......Needlework and YARN!!!! She has already started picking my brain about what knitters would like to see in the Michael's stores! I know they will never be able to match the selection that we have at our LYS....and I wouldn't want them to!!! The LYS will always be my preferred shopping spot.....I want them to be around....forever! But it is exciting to think that with her at the helm of purchasing there may be a better selection there too! Anyway....am really proud of my girl and had to brag just a little!

The other thing we are excited about is the new motor home! We sold the old one several months back and didn't intend to get another one quite so soon.....but man, we missed going out in one and just kicking back and relaxing! We made the mistake of "just going to look"...ha ha!

We have been out in it several times....good thing about that kind of trip is you are still kind of "at home" when you feel bad so the health issues didn't get in the way too much...some but not enough to keep us from going!

We took Savy the last trip and had such a wonderful time. We (us, David & Amanda, Savy and Dax) are going out in it again this weekend to meet up with Melissa and Brian. I can't wait! Here are a couple of pics from that last trip.

I can't wait until we take our "fall trip" in it....my favorite time of the year to go, sit outside under the awning with a sweater on and knit, nap, knit, nap....well, you get the idea!

We had a fun visit this summer with our other 5 grandkids too! Valerie and her crew were on their way to Chris's new assignment in San Diego and they came through Oklahoma and stayed for a few days! I don't know how they handle the military thing and moving every couple of years! Brandon and Jen came over with their 3 and Patrick & Misty came up from Lawton while they were here and it was nice having them all here at once.

The uncles about gave me a heart attack when I walked out in the backyard and saw this:

That's uncles for you :-)

That's about it other than I'm still doing the coupon thing and loving it! I went to Homeland yesterday and brought home close to $170 worth of groceries and paid $59! Getting ready to do Walgreen's and CVS today and according to my calculations I should come home with almost $150 worth of stuff, spend around $30 something....and get back $38 in store bucks to use the next time I go! Not bad...not bad at all! Ron and I were doing some figuring last night and think I've probably cut our grocery/toiletry bill way more than half.....probably close to 70 something percent of what I used to spend!

What HAVE I been doing?

Once again it has been ages and ages since a post. I got so far behind it was overwhelming to try and decide what to post about....so I just didn't :-).

I suppose it would be impossible to "catch up" so to speak on the happenings of the past several months so I'll just ramble about what ever comes to mind and not worry about being chronological or anything so mundane!

Needless to say, we have had a multitude of grand kids' birthdays, etc. that I've missed telling about along with several other things.....so on that front we'll just start with today! Dax turned 3 on Monday and his party is this afternoon.

Poppy made his cake again this year and here is a shot of it before we head out to the party.

On my side of things, I'm still knitting. A few other things have wormed their way into my knitting time, but I am still getting a little knitting in almost every day.

I am working on the TKGA Master's Level One with Jo Ellyn and Michelle. We try to meet every week to work on it together. I've missed several sessions from either having health issues or being out of town but I'm plugging along on it! I have done and blocked swatches 1 - 7 and have 8-14 ready to block! The worst part is going to be the research, questions and reports. I only have 2 swatches and the project hat left as far as the knitting part goes.

I have also been doing some cute little dresses that Amanda are working on and are going to try to sell. We have permission to put them in a little shop at Turner Falls.....we just have to get several more made. We'll put them out there and see what happens!

I've also been doing a lot of sewing lately. Savy let me know recently that she and "Hanna" didn't have any matching summer outfits!! I have done 3 matching outfits for them and messed around and did not get a single pic of them! Hopefully I can catch them dressed up in their matching duds soon and post them. It was a challenge to be sure! I have discovered that the only patterns out there for sale are for 18" dolls like American Girl, etc. Well, the My Twinn dolls are 23" dolls!! So.....I have been finding patterns for Savy then "creating" a matching pattern for Hanna. Guess it's good for keeping the old brain cells working....lol!

Since I had made several outfits for Savannah and Hanna I felt like I should do some for Dax too! I missed a pic of the pj's I did but got a shot of his "cool dude" outfit that I did.

The other "thing" that has been cutting into knitting time is my couponing. I have gotten serious about doing the coupon thing. It does take time and effort, but it is really starting to pay off! Most of the time I'm happy if I save from 40-60% off my bill, but occasionally I hit that week where I really do awesome!! I've only managed to pull of walking out of a store with several bags of stuff without giving them one penny twice......but I HAVE done it, know it can be done and man, is it a high!!! Did it yesterday at CVS. I got 2 big cans of Folgers Coffee, 5 snack bars, a Loreal Revitilizing cream and a vitamin water.....after coupons and the Extra Care Bucks I'd gotten in weeks past I owed nothing....not one penny....and got $4 in Extra Care Bucks to spend on the next trip!

The other time I had the $0 balance happen was at Walgreens. Got 5 12 packs of pepsi, a 42 count Prilosec, 3 boxes of Special K Cereal, a chapstick and an eyeshadow....all for zero money!! Like I said...it doesn't happen often.....and I'm happy enough when I can go to Homeland and save 57% off my bill like I did this week.....but the "free" weeks are really a natural high! It sort of becomes a game to see how well I can do!

Well, time to head out for that Birthday party! Will try to post on a more regular basis...not that anyone out there will think to check in since it's been so long!

Uhhhh.....Wow....

Uhhh, wow is right.....I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted anything so all I can say is just...wow.

I doubt that there is even anyone out there who still checks in and reads it after this length of activity. Oh, well..guess I can still ramble on whether anyone reads it or not...lol!

Obviously, I haven't shared any pics of kids at Christmas....or anything else for that matter!

Here is Savy with her "twinn" that she got for Christmas. It is actually designed to look like her! When it is ordered you can chose hair, eye and skin color...hair length and style.....and even....get this.....you can send pictures and draw in where they have freckles, moles, etc!

Pretty cool, huh! She loves her and takes her everywhere!

Dax's main Christmas was a train table. That little boy is obsessed with trains! He got the biggest old smile on his little face when he saw it!

Lots of fun and family over the holidays, but feels kind of weird telling about all the holiday festivities at this late date!

I have a confession to make too...I've fallen and I can't get out....lol.....of the video game black hole! I have never.....ever....honestly....been remotely interested in video games, computer games...nothing of that sort. In fact, I used to tell all my sons-in-law that play them constantly that they were just big ole kids and needed to grow up....(in a loving way, of course :-)....but I did feel that way....that it is just a collosal waste of time!

Well....we were convinced by said kids and spouses that we needed to get a Wii system....specifically to obtain the Wii Fit game.....for our health, you know...!!! I am not an exercise type of girl....at all....I know, I know....we need to exercise for our health....but I hate it! We all figured that making the effort into a game, so to speak, that I might enjoy it more....so we did it. Well, they were right.....I do enjoy the Wii Fit and actually use it....and we really like the Dancing with the Stars game....actually gets our heart rate up and everything! So far, so good, right? Well.....That was all well and good....until I got this for Christmas

It's insane, it's ridiculous, it's addicting.....and I can't quit playing the stupid thing! Then I got another one called Harvest Moon Tree of Tranquility....OMG....between the two I never get anything done....it's EVIL....lol! I only knit a couple of hours during prime time watching tv with DH.....and I have managed (barely) to keep him fed and the laundry done....but these horrible games have taken over my life...lol!!! I have managed to finish a couple of knitting projects, believe it or not....but haven't gotten around to taking pics yet. Anyway...hoping when the new wears off of these silly things......

Lots more to tell - talk about but kids are on the way over so I need to scoot!

Fun

It's just been fun the past couple of weeks! Getting all the holiday decorations up and all the other stuff that goes along with! I think having most all the gift shopping part done well before Thanksgiving had a little to do with it...much less stress with that part of the equation all done!

Went to two holiday parties with dirty Santa gift exchanges this month. Those are always so much fun! Sometimes you come home with gifts that aren't really your cup of tea but it's still fun. This year I loved both my dirty Santa gifts!!

The first one I snagged at Gourmet Yarn Co. Knit-In. Sock yarn!! Yoo hoo! A girl can't have enough sock yarn!

Pretty shades of purple in Jojoland Melody! Photo turned out really dark and doesn't do it justice....it's yummy!

The second haul was from the Holiday party at the OKC Metro Knitting Guild this afternoon. I snagged a copy of Sally Melville's Book 1: The Knit Stitch.

I have been wanting to get that one. Even though I consider myself to be a fairly experienced knitter....and this is a beginner kind of book.... there are a few patterns in it that I really would like to do. I've also learned that sometimes going back to the beginning and looking at something from another person's point of view, I often learn better ways to do things! So I am supremely happy with my new acquisitions!

We also had fun with Savy & Dax this weekend. Due to being out of town and being sick we haven't had them for an overnight in a while and I was really missing those little stinkers! I started a little tradition with Savy when she was around 2 making tree ornaments for family members as gifts from her. We worked on those this weekend, and of course, now everyone will start getting one from Dax too!

We also did a gingerbread house! Savy worked hard getting it all decorated....and Dax worked hard at picking the candies off and eating them...lol!

At 2, Dax quickly lost interest in the ornaments and gingerbread house and spent a big part of the afternoon playing with an old pair of reading glasses he found in a drawer!

Kids are so funny that way! I love telling the story about my older daughter's first Christmas. First baby, first grandbaby in many, many years and that baby girl had one huge pile of toys, let me tell you! Well.....you probably know what is coming next....the thing she dragged around and played with the entire day was a bag of uncooked macaroni! Go figure!

I have managed to get the wip pile a lot smaller! I've got it to the point that I'm almost ready to cast on something new!!! I have recently finished the Lady Eleanor shawl out of the Paton's Soy Wool.

Dh's hat and scarf out of Elsebeth Lavold Baby Alpaca.

The Forest Canopy Shawl out of Lana Grossa Chiara. I love how this yarn worked up on this project. I cast it on out of 3 other yarns and didn't like it before I tried this one!

Also got the Central Park Hoodie out of Jo Sharp....love, love this sweater!!

And last but not least finally got another pair of socks almost done. I didn't realize I had been neglecting sock duty until it started getting cold and I don't have enough socks! These are the Slippery Sock out of Naked Sheep. Have about 3 inches done on the second one.

After feeling like I knit like a fool with nothing to show for it I finally got some stuff finished!!! Yay!!

One and a half cats and Bragging Rights

For years we had 3 dogs and one cat. As most of you know, we lost our little Gidget this summer and still miss her so very much! Doing the math you would think we were down to 2 dogs and one cat....right?

Ummmm...apparently not! Over the past few months both DH and I, either suffering from insomnia or, in his case, getting up in the middle of the night for work....have "surprised" a sneaky nocturnal visitor making himself at home at Akira's food bowl!

I have to say....he/she is a pretty thing...big beautiful grey tabby.....quite well-fed it appears!!! I don't know if the bulk of his/her meals are from us or not, but it hasn't missed many meals if any.

We got a big laugh out of it once the shock of knowing that "visitors" were accessing the doggie door in the middle of the night.......and that Akira was throwing parties when we weren't looking!

Up until a couple of nights ago.....as far as we knew anyway.....the food bowl was the only interesting spot our visitor frequented....however, Ron got up early for work day before yesterday and went into one of the guest bedrooms to get something....flipped on the light....and guess who was curled up sleeping away on the guest bed!!!???

So...at this point it looks like we are the "proud owners" of half a cat! It still scoots away and out the doggie door as soon as we see it...... Haven't been able to pet it yet, but obviously it feels at home here so who knows! Haven't been able to get any pics of it so far but if I can catch any, I'll post them.

Now on to the Bragging Rights! I, as a parent, have always been, and still am....proud of my children. From the silly, sweet things they did as little girls up to now and the wonderful, smart, caring women they have grown up to be. In the kid department I have been abundantly blessed, no doubt about it!

A little about the older of the two: She works in the corporate offices of Micheal's in Irving, Tx. She is a senior buyer/designer for the table top framing department. She has only been with Michael's for a little over a year and has already been promoted and received a company award that some employees have never received....and the ones who have gotten it normally have been there for 5 years or more! I'm so proud of her and her accomplishments! Now for the really cool part......she has designed the entire Christmas framing lines of products! (Other lines as well!) It blows me away to know that literally thousands of people across the nation have something in their home that my girl designed/created!!!

Of course, Mom had to have some of them...lol! I couldn't afford to get one of everything she did, but I did get a few!

She did all the snow-globe frames and all of the frames in the store that are a Christmas design.
The snow globes are all music boxes as well....how cool is that?

I haven't gone through and found the pics to put in them yet, but here are the mini-frames and tree. She designed the tree they are displayed on too!
Pretty much anything that sits on a surface and holds pics....like these cute little placecard/picture holders and traditional frames, she designed!
So, if you get a chance to check out the framing department at Michael's you'll be looking at the work of my kid!!! One proud Mama....you betcha!