Rainbow Chills

Fini

2004-09-17T09:37:00.000-04:00

ssbp finished Originally uploaded by cms519. I've finished the snowdrop shawl. I blocked it last night and am thrilled with the result. Thank you Steph, for a great pattern! I can't believe how different the shawl looks now that it is blocked. The lace is just gorgeous! Cathy has been having contractions over the past 24 hours and I'm so thrilled that I finished this project in time to take

Ten minute row

2004-09-09T09:43:00.000-04:00

ssbp Originally uploaded by cms519. I timed it this morning and it's taking me about 10 minutes per row. I've got 38 rows left. That's 380 minutes. Six hours and twenty minutes. Before bind off. No edging. I can totally do this!The goal for today is to complete 16 rows. Four on my lunch today (40 minutes) and twelve tonight (2 hours). At this point, I've knitted two rows of the latest 16

Moving along

2004-08-31T11:22:00.000-04:00

That's the detail of the shawl. I'm now starting to create the solid triangle in the center of the shawl. At this point, there are 16 snowdrops across with 5 stitches of solid knitting in the center. At this point, each row takes several minutes. While I feel as though I have made great progress in the past few days, there are many more hours of knitting to go into this project. I am

Don't you love photos!

2004-07-22T10:31:00.000-04:00

Update with photo! I've added the 12th and 13th snowdrops. You can see that I did have a little issue with the border on the right side. I'm hoping that the center portion will be so stunning that no one will noticethe blocking will sharpen things up and make this less noticable (I'm realizing that the opposite may happen but I refuse to rip!)I haven't worked on this since Monday but I'm happy

No photo update

2004-07-19T10:22:00.000-04:00

I have not touched this shawl since before vacation. I had it in my mind that it was knitting to be done without distraction and I have just been unable to find distraction-less time to work on it. My anxiety was up this weekend so on Saturday, I shut myself in the bedroom, put on the video of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th Birthday Celebration, and got to work. Guess what? I get it. I

Progress, or not

2004-06-29T09:54:00.000-04:00

I have been knitting the shawl. And then taking it out. And then knitting it again. Here's a picture from last week: I'm not this far anymore. I'm about to add the fourth and fifth snowdrops again. Except that I am not because the left end is wonky and I need to take out at least four rows. I think the issue is that I need full attention on knitting while I work on this. When I was sitting

Yarn acquisition

2004-06-24T10:00:00.000-04:00

I walked to Rosie's Yarn Cellar yesterday after work and picked up 600 yards of Zephyr yarn in Vanilla (it's white, people!). I only got 600 yards because I'm a little nervous about actually being able to handle this. If it seems like it's going to work, I'll go buy the rest next week. So far, so good. I had to tink back a few rows at one point. Things were wonky on the left edge. I think

Yarn Selection

2004-06-23T12:51:00.000-04:00

Jody mentioned on Saturday that she saw some lace weight yarn at Rosie's Yarn Cellar but thought it must have been labeled incorrectly because it was only $8.00. Nope, it was labeled correctly. 600 yards of zephyr yarn for $8.00. I need 1400+ yards so I'll be buying 6 ounces (1800 yards), $24 worth. Can't beat that!! Here's the link if you are interested in ordering it online. Rosie's Yarn

Special Project

2004-06-22T09:47:00.000-04:00

Thanks for stopping over. I'll be blogging here to write about a special project I am going to make for my new niece due to arrive in early October. Updates will be posted here since the momma (my little sister Cathy) reads my blog daily! I'm planning on making Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Snow Drop Shawl. The idea is to give this as a gift on day I meet the baby, hopefully the day that she is born.

A whole new blog

2004-01-14T20:32:00.000-05:00

I have made the jump to Typepad. Thanks to Rachael, Greta, Stella and anyone else who has applauded how great it is. Michelle and I are paying $8.95 a month (after the free trial, that is) for Typepad Plus which allows us both to have a blog, plus photo albums which Michelle is making use of by displaying her knitting projects and her paintings. I am not quite so far along in my design but bear

Eating machine

2004-01-14T12:23:00.000-05:00

I feel like an eating machine. I want to eat everything in sight. I have had a granola bar, a banana, and about 40 ounces of water today. I should not feel like I want to chew off my arm! Less than an hour until lunch- we have set lunch times in my office so that there is always coverage for students in need of an advisor. It is sometimes inconvenient but it does help me structure my day.

Lunch time shopping

2004-01-13T15:18:00.000-05:00

I swore off lunch time trips to the yarn store over the summer. I get sidetracked. I get distracted. I get back to the office late. Not so today! I am feeling kind of blue today- residual sadness and anxiety from Sunday's events and stress about how poorly Michelle has been feeling. My tummy has been feeling the effects of this stress and I just generally don't feel well. I knew if I went home

The Surreal Life

2004-01-11T21:52:00.000-05:00

At 4:30 this morning, my parents' neighbors (we'll call them P and F) got a call that F's 18 year old son, P's step-son was killed in a car accident over night. The boy who was killed was a classmate of my sister Angie's from pre-school through 8th grade. By 8:30 this morning, P was on her way to the hospital, in labor with their new baby boy. He was born this evening, about three weeks early, at

Itching

2004-01-09T15:12:00.000-05:00

I am itching. Why, you ask? Rash? Scatchy sweater? No silly! Not that kind of itching! I am itching to buy yarn! Blame it on the knitting blogs. I want to buy yarn. I want to make myself a multidirectional scarf and a bucket-o-chic. I want to make a whole sweater- for a grown-up. I want to buy lots of sock yarn so that Michelle can wear hand knit socks every day! Have I told you about this

You can stand there and agonize til your agony's your heaviest load

2004-01-08T11:34:00.000-05:00

More Indigo Girls! Today the song of choice is Watershed from Nomads, Indians, and Saints. I am in love! Every few months I go through a renewed love of the Girls. They remind me of my freshman year in college when I rarely listened to anything other than the Indigo Girls. Every time I hear Virginia Woolf I think about sitting on my bed, amid books and notes, classmates lounging on the floor with

Virginia Woolf

2004-01-07T14:42:00.000-05:00

I am listening to the Indigo Girls' Rites of Passage- Virginia Woolf. This is my all time favorite IGs CD, followed closely by Swamp Ophelia and Become You. And Nomads, Indians, and Saints. Oh, forget it. Rites of Passage is my favorite but I can't order the rest! Today is the slowest day of my life. It is positively dragging. Knitting news: I finished the triangular Eros shawl last night.

Back to Business: Take Two

2004-01-06T09:27:00.000-05:00

Michelle is okay. It's possible that the decongestant she was taking was affecting her blood pressure. She's not taking it anymore. Thanks for your thoughts and concerns. Still no definitive answers on this mystery illness. For today, she is at home resting, hoping to feel better soon. I am at work and it feels like a Monday all over again! A few quick thoughts: Britney's wedding and

The best laid plans of mice and men

2004-01-05T12:32:00.000-05:00

This morning started out just how I had planned- not necessarily how I would have chosen- but exactly how I had planned. Alarm went off, snoozed for about 25 minutes, got up, showered, make-up, checked the weather, got dressed, blow dried my hair, kissed Michelle goodbye- she was still in bed, and walked to work. Went to get coffee, caught up with co-workers, checked email and voicemail.

The Last Hurrah!

2004-01-04T18:29:00.000-05:00

14 hours until I am back to work. Back to reality. I have so enjoyed the last (nearly) two weeks. The festivity of it all. The laziness of watching so much tv on DVD that I can hardly sit still anymore! I knew the end was coming yet I am still a bit let down. Michelle and I took down our decorations. I feel sad. My Mom always leaves hers up until after the 6th but we usually take ours down

Change

2004-01-02T12:22:00.000-05:00

I want to do more with the blog. For starters, I guess I should start paying for some bandwith so I am not at the mercy of free services who, from time to time, need to shut down their free service. Does that mean I should be shopping for a new blog host? Typepad perhaps. Let me know if you are happy with your service and who you use. Also, I am in the market for a designer. Theoretically that

Happy FLU Year!

2003-12-31T15:50:00.000-05:00

Michelle is sick. She started feeling badly on the 26th and she has progressively been feeling worse. She is sleeping on the couch, watching The West Wing on DVD. We have watched the entire season 5 of Friends on DVD and are into the second side of the first West Wing disk. It has been a relaxing holiday season! We were planning on staying home tonight so no loss there. I went to DiBruno Bros.

Bandwith issues

2003-12-29T19:17:00.000-05:00

FYI The free image hosting service I use Village Photos is doing maintenance. They have shut down linking for all users of their free service. So, my pictures and buttons are missing but hopefully they will be back up soon. Just wanted to let you know that it is not your browser.

Reada

2003-12-26T11:18:00.000-05:00

This little gal was my gift from my nephew and godson Joshua. Aren't they both adorable! Christmas was really great. Michelle and I had a great morning. I got the KnitOne bag that all the magazines have featured- in vanilla color. I got a few books, knitting and otherwise- Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmerman, Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

After all, it's only one more sleep til Christmas day!

2003-12-24T14:28:00.000-05:00

I need to get in the shower. My Mom will be picking us up for Mass in a little over an hour. This Children's Mass on Christmas Eve is my favorite of the year, followed closely by Mass on Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday. At 4:15 the 3rd and 4th graders will sing carols from the Altar. At 5:00, my Mom will sing while the 1st graders, in costume from their pageant will process up the center aisle

It's Almost Christmas Charlie!

2003-12-23T15:20:00.000-05:00

My sister Cathy and I are inextricably linked in many ways, but most obviously in our holiday memories. Today, my post is titled the same as hers. This line is from the hysterically funny made for tv special, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, based on the book of the same name and featuring Fairuza Balk and Hot Lips from MASH. The local trash family, the Herdman's get cast by Hot Lips as all

Three More Sleeps

2003-12-22T11:38:00.000-05:00

Hey kids! Only three more sleeps til Christmas. Gifts are bought and wrapped. Cards are made and mailed. I have a few stocking stuffers to buy and family cards to sign but other than that, I am just about ready. Michelle and I will begin baking cookies tonight. Yum! Laura and Vinnie's wedding was beautiful and fun. It was great to see the Rosies- Michelle's friends from college and their

Bad mood

2003-12-17T16:09:00.000-05:00

I am in a bad mood today. I know that I am in control of my own attitude. I want to turn my frown upside down but I also am mad and feel like I have a right to stay this way. It is pouring rain here and has been all day. I am wearing a skirt. I hate wet tights and that is what I have been wearing all day! Work has been crazy today and I have gotten annoyed too many times to count. I can

Joshua time!

2003-12-15T23:00:00.000-05:00

I got to spend some time with my nephew Joshua this weekend. Two pictures from our time together: Joshua and my brother Bobby Joshua and my friend Ann's daughter Kyla It was fun to hang out with Joshua but, boy, is he a handful. On a knitting note, I went to Sophie's tonight for Debbie Stoller's signing of Stitch n Bitch. I bought the book- it is a really cute book with some fun

No self control

2003-12-15T17:05:00.000-05:00

I have absolutely zero discipline. I am on weight watchers- but I eat chicken fingers and fries at least twice a week for lunch. Even on days when I am determined not to. Like today. It is 2 weeks before Christmas. I have presents to buy. Michelle and I are not independently wealthy. But I am going to Sophie's tonight for the book signing by Debbie Stoller for her book Stitch 'n Bitch. Mostly

Mittens!

2003-12-14T09:30:00.000-05:00

I adapted the pattern from the froggy mittens I have been making (from the Holiday issue of Family Circle Easy Knits) to make strawberry mittens to match an Ann Norling strawberry hat I made for a coworker's niece. This is the first real adaptation of a pattern I have done. I am a directions kind of girl. I have no problem substituting yarn in a pattern. I knit very tightly so I always use

Friday Five

2003-12-12T10:28:00.000-05:00

1. Do you enjoy the cold weather and snow for the holidays? Yes, I can't imagine living somewhere that had mild weather in the winter. I like it to be cold and, ideally, snowy for Christmas. 2. What is your ideal holiday celebration? How, where, with whom would you celebrate to make things perfect? Christmas Eve- 5:00 Mass with my family. Seafood dinner with Michelle's family. A few hours of

Private Feedback

2003-12-11T14:32:00.000-05:00

From private feedback left to my Immaculate Conception post: God created you and me exactly as we are and loves us as such. Whether we are gay or straight we have a responsibility to use our sexuality within the outlines he's given us - marriage. It's not because God's mean, but because he loves us and wants to protect us from getting hurt. Hmmm. Well. I can't get married. It's not legal. And

Rain, rain, go away

2003-12-11T10:04:00.000-05:00

Hey kids! I SO did not want to get out of bed this morning. When my alarm went off, it was so dark outside, so warm in my bed, and I could hear the rain and wind outside. The first paragraph of my morning pages focused on the weather and how it is the perfect day to stay at home, under the Christmas lights, knitting, and watching Anne of Green Gables. No can do, Mrs. C. So I am here. At work.

Froggy mittens

2003-12-09T21:06:00.000-05:00

I am making 5 pairs of these for Christmas gifts. I have two pairs done...and two unmatching mittens. I got more yarn tonight and have already knitted and frogged one froggy! I can't make a mitten to match one of the odd ones I aready have. Off to watch the West Wing cast on Celebrity Poker!

I made it

2003-12-09T09:18:00.000-05:00

I made it into work today. Anxiety was high as I wrote my morning pages, but I wrote through the anxiety. Not an easy thing to do. I then took my morning routine through baby steps. I didn't feel well, but I got a shower anyway. I still didn't feel well but I brushed my teeth. I did the same thing with each step until I was on my way to work. So here I am. I feel sick to my stomach, fidgity, and

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception

2003-12-08T17:54:00.000-05:00

My morning pages set me on an anxiety nightmare this morning. I woke up, lit the Christmas lights and started in on my morning pages. As I wrote the date, I realized that today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. That realization set me on a three page purge of feelings about the Church. I don't even know where to begin. I'll say this...as a Catholic lesbian, I struggle everyday. I have

Such a good weekend...

2003-12-07T20:09:00.000-05:00

Every Sunday night, I kiss Michelle good night and say "thanks for a good weekend." Even on the not so good ones, I say this because I know that the weekend could have been worse. This weekend, she will be getting a really big kiss. Giggles! Today is Michelle's birthday. I gave her a digital camera- a gift that I will certainly use as well! We went to the Ritz Carlton for afternoon tea today. So

Let It Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

2003-12-05T11:17:00.000-05:00

For the second year in a row, Michelle and I have woken the day after our anniversary to find that it is snowing. Michelle says it is because we are magic. I like thinking that! We had a great dinner last night. We went to DiBruno Brothers in Rittenhouse Square and used a gift certificate Michelle's parents gave me last Christmas- crab ravioli, tomato cream sauce with shrimp, fresh italian bread

2.2 pounds

2003-12-03T09:21:00.000-05:00

That's what I lost this week for a total of 3.4. Not too shabby. The weight loss for this week is a little misleading though. I usually go for my weigh in and meeting at 5:15 on Wednesdays. I have a 5:00 meeting at work tonight so I went to a 7:30 AM weigh in and meeting- before having eaten anything. SO, at least a pound of that weight loss (maybe all of it) is simply a result of getting weighed

Friday Five

2003-11-28T10:14:00.000-05:00

1. Do you like to shop? Why or why not? I like to shop alone. I hate shopping with other people because I always feel bored by their shopping or like I have to rush my own. 2. What was the last thing you purchased? Yarn for a project for a coworker's niece. I am making her the Ann Norling strawberry fruit cap. 3. Do you prefer shopping online or at an actual store? Why? I prefer to shop

1.2 pounds

2003-11-26T18:47:00.000-05:00

That's what I lost this week. Not too shabby considering that I ate about 50 flex points instead of the allotted 35! Imagine what I could lose if I actually followed the program! Just got back from my weigh in and meeting. Michelle and I have a friend who has lost a bunch of weight on WW over the past year but only goes for weigh ins- no meetings. Personally, I like the meetings. I like hearing

The problem with teaching yourself to knit...

2003-11-25T15:35:00.000-05:00

The trouble with teaching yourself to knit is that you make dumb mistakes. I am not saying that people who take classes don't make mistakes too but I think I make more than the average gal. I am working on a present for my nephew- forget the vagueness even though his mother reads this blog- it's a sweater. In fact, it's the ChildHood sweater from Knitty without the hood. (Cathy, don't you dare

Back to our regularly scheduled programming...

2003-11-24T14:31:00.000-05:00

I did have a blogging plan when I signed online earlier today. I just got side tracked by the news about Gene Anthony Ray. Knitting news! I bet you thought I had stopped knitting! I just have been keeping quiet because I am working on lots of holiday gift knitting. I am making mittens galore for all the little ones in my life- 5 pairs of froggy mittens! Two pairs down. Two pairs started. Not

Could we be magic like you?

2003-11-24T09:33:00.000-05:00

Sad news today. Gene Anthony Ray (Leroy) from Fame died this weekend from complications from a stroke. He also had AIDS. When I was a little girl, my sister Cathy and I spent tons of time listening to records. My parents have TONS of records- in alphabetical order ranging from Lenny and the Squigtones to Queen to the soundtrack from Godspell to Bruce Springsteen and Madonna. One of our

Friday Five

2003-11-21T10:42:00.000-05:00

1. List five things you'd like to accomplish by the end of the year. * Lose 10 lbs. * Gain some confidence in my writing. Actually write! * Get my office files in order. * Enjoy the holidays! * Have some fun. 2. List five people you've lost contact with that you'd like to hear from again. * My friend Michelle from high school * Our friend Melissa who we have not seen in 6 months * My friend and

Flex Points

2003-11-20T18:47:00.000-05:00

Last night I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting in nearly two years. I am not at my heaviest ever- I am four lbs lower than I was when I started WW in January 2002. I am 11 lbs heavier than I was when I stopped going to WW in April 2002. I need to lose about 25 lbs. ARGH! I got all the new Flex Points info. I know what my points target is. I am working on my Quick Track (or whatever

Update on no reading week...

2003-11-19T11:21:00.000-05:00

The short version...I quit. The long version...I decided yesterday that no reading week is making me miserable. I see the value of it and recognize why it may work for some people. I certainly am in the population of folks Cameron writes about in the Artist's Way when she says (and I am paraphrasing from memory here) that some people use words as medicine or a drug. Think of it as fast food- if

I cheated...

2003-11-18T12:41:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it was only a little cheating. I visited my own blog just to remember what reading blogs feels like. I checked my stats and realized that someone found me by googling "lesbian agoraphobic blog" so I googled myself. I was on page 2. Not too shabby. I checked my email- I deleted the spam. I read the weekly pep talk from NaNoWriMo- and trust me, I needed it. I did not write much during

Retreat

2003-11-15T18:28:00.000-05:00

Michelle and I are on a retreat weekend. We have not defined exactly what that means but we went out to lunch today and then spent 4 hours on the couch knitting and watching tv shows that Michelle taped this week. I think it mostly means that we won't do anything we don't feel like doing. We'll see. We really should go food shopping tomorrow. Neither of us ever feels like doing that. I want to

Hello from Lake Harmony

2003-11-13T16:29:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post from Lake Harmony, PA. I am at the Conference. Unfortunately, the sessions have been very disappointing. It is a small state conference, less than 100 people, but even as a very young professional, I have been disppointed by the offerings. I can't imagine how the seasoned folks must feel. I am at a pay for service internet kiosk and I have no idea if I will actually be able to

Just a quickie before I go...

2003-11-11T13:31:00.000-05:00

I am leaving for a conference for work until Friday in 30 minutes. I would like to be able to say that it will be a break from work but it won't be. I am taking work with me and may have to work this weekend if there is not enough time to get things done while I am away. What a job! All of this insanity will be over before Thanksgiving so I am just hanging on until then. I requested the Monday

I dropped my basket.

2003-11-07T18:33:00.000-05:00

I dropped my basket last night. For those of you who have read The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, you know this is bad news. For those of you who have not, here's the briefest of explanations. Vivi, the central and terrifically flawed character in Rebecca Wells' two YaYa novels, had a breakdown of sorts when her children were young. She was abusing medication, she was in a cycle of

80.5! Not too shabby!

2003-11-06T21:22:00.000-05:00

Michelle and I would have done better except for some typos and spelling errors!

Work Nightmares

2003-11-04T22:53:00.000-05:00

What a week and it is only Tuesday! Work is so overwhelming. I have no idea how I made it through the past two days without panicking. All I can do is thank God for the strength to get through it and ask for the grace to get through the next three days. Tomorrow our new honor society members will be inducted. On Friday, the first draft of the annaul report for the grant that pays me and funds

Blog thoughts

2003-11-03T09:42:00.000-05:00

I have added a few new links under the Knitting Blogs. Thoughts: I have been reading Lazy River Ramblings for months. I love a good lesbian blog. Check out Maggi's Stitches even if you are not a knitter. Why? Because this woman is mother to one of the most adorable children I have ever seen. Caroline is on the sidebar in her Knitty hat. And if you check it out today, you can see Caroline in

Just a short one...

2003-11-01T22:13:00.000-05:00

Michelle and I went out to dinner tonight and I had a glass of white wine. Not the best idea. I have a headache and my eyes are a little funny. I am not supposed to be drinking on my medicine regularly, but certainly not when I am on low doses of two medicines! Went to the Henri David Halloween Ball last night. Unfortunately my anxiety got the better of me. I panicked after about 2 hours and we

Mischief Night

2003-10-31T11:22:00.000-05:00

I had forgotten that Mischief Night even existed until I was walking to to work this morning and saw that the new Starbucks at Broad and Pine got egged last night. Now, there is nothing out of the ordinary about this Starbucks being targeted. I know there has been at least one incidence of graffiti already. Anyhoo, as soon as I saw the egg remnants I remembered Mischief Night- the night before

This day sucks and it is only 9:15

2003-10-30T09:33:00.000-05:00

Argh. On a good note, one of my favorite bloggers, Dooce, is enjoying one of Michelle's favorite bloggers, Toby from Vivid Blurry. This whole blogging thing is funny- I am interested in connections between bloggers I enjoy. Why- I have no friggin idea. But I got a little giggle this morning when I saw that Dooce listed Toby's Brittany Watch 2003 as what she is currently enjoying on her sidebar.

NaNoWriMo

2003-10-29T20:54:00.000-05:00

I have signed up for the craziest thing- NaNoWriMo- the long version- National Novel Writing Month. During the month of November (read- starting this Saturday) I will be writing 50,000 words. Yep, that's right. 50,000 words in 30 days. Crazy- yep. I have a few ideas in my head. But I don't know if I will do any real outlining tomorrow and Friday. I don't have much time. I will simply be jumping

I want to go home

2003-10-28T14:52:00.000-05:00

I feel crummy today. I am not sure if I am just tired but I suspect that my feeling comes from a combination of two things: 1) I have started the 12 week process of The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. I received the book in the mail yesterday. One of the main tasks of the process is writing morning pages. The idea is to wake up 30 minutes early each day and write out long hand at least three

Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters

2003-10-27T10:37:00.000-05:00

Evidently Mandy Moore has redone Elton John's Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters. I have to hear this. Daylight savings time f*cks me up every friggin year. I am so confused, I don't even know what end is up. Michelle seriously makes fun of me for this but I just can not handle the time change. My mom is the same way. Strange but true. I was away for the weekend with work. Three days in the Poconos

Myers-Briggs

2003-10-24T11:57:00.000-04:00

ISFJ - "Conservator". Desires to be of service and to minister to individual needs - very loyal. 13.8% of total population. Take Free Myers-Briggs Personality Test Introvert, Sensing, Feeling, Judging The introvert/ extrovert breakdown was 51/49. I have always considered myself to be an extrovert though.

Distractability

2003-10-24T10:11:00.000-04:00

I can not focus. I have been a spaz for two days. Work has been brutal. Severe issues with productivity. Read: I have not done a blessed thing. Went to the neurologist with Michelle. Her Orthostatic Hypotension is a valid diagnosis but there does not seem to be a neurological basis for it. Sweet relief. The results of the holter monitor will be ready sometime next week. We'll know then about

Grumpy Smurf

2003-10-22T10:55:00.000-04:00

That's how I feel today. I was sort of excited about the cold front that hit us here in Philadelphia, but it is rainy and gray as well. Yuck. I am in comfortable clothes at work- cords and a sweater- but I can't help wishing I was at home, knitting, and watching Little Women. Michelle is getting her holter monitor today. She will wear it for 48 hours. How wrong is it that I am thinking about

Writing aspirations

2003-10-21T09:06:00.000-04:00

I am an avid reader. I have always been. I remember the day in 3rd grade when I got Kristy's Great Idea, the first book in the Baby Sitter's Club series. I remember my aunts and uncles reading to me from the Nursery Rhyme book at my Gram and Pop's house when I was too young to read myself. I remember one day my Aunt Patty told me that she only knew what I looked like from the nose up because the

May

2003-10-20T20:37:00.000-04:00

May Which month are you? brought to you by Quizilla

Theodor

2003-10-19T21:31:00.000-04:00

A new baby boy

2003-10-19T21:26:00.000-04:00

So excited. Anyone who knows me in the real world knows that there is a special little man in my life. My nephew Joshua will be 2 in January. My sister called me and told me she was pregnant 4 days before she told my parents. I was in the room 30 minutes before Josh was born and held him when he was only 30 minutes old. He is gorgeous and funny and sweet. He is also a little wild but such is

Read this

2003-10-17T15:14:00.000-04:00

Dooce: Drama It is phenomenal.

Dreaming of Ireland, apple fritters, and (as always) kittens

2003-10-16T15:14:00.000-04:00

I am reading The Lilac Bus by Maeve Binchy. I love to read her books. It takes me about 2 pages to get into one of her stories, to feel relaxed, to get invested in the characters. I have read Circle of Friends, Scarlet Feather, Return Journey, Tara Road, and Quentins. I loved each and every one. I am going to the book store today to pick up our book club book for this weekend and I am planning on

Send prayers for my sweet baboo...

2003-10-15T16:02:00.000-04:00

Michelle just called me. Chest CT- done. The results will go to her doctors- primary care and the cardiologist she saw last week. Mich will follow up with the cardiologist on Friday and hopefully they will tell us that the mass behind her heart is indeed her stomach. I spent a little time today online researching the underlying conditions that cause orthostatic hypotension. I shouldn't have done

Your daily dose of bad news...

2003-10-14T15:44:00.000-04:00

Marriage Protection Week has got me down. I hate haters. Michelle is feeling badly. She has a chest ct tomorrow. I can not wrap my head around why they can't tell if the mass behind her heart is her stomach or not. Sounds sketchy to me. Her appointment with the neurologist is next week. There were protesters at OutFest on Sunday. They made me feel- well, sometimes a feeling is too complex to

Sweet relief and pass the salt...

2003-10-10T14:21:00.000-04:00

Michelle has a diagnosis. Orthostatic Hypotension- in lay persons terms- her blood pressure drops when she stands up. Seriously. So she needs to have some additional tests done to make sure they are not missing anything- this does not usually occur in healthy young women. It is usually a side of effect of things such as Parkinsons or Alcoholism. Weird. She has to ADD salt to her diet and take

Craziness

2003-10-09T12:57:00.000-04:00

Hey folks, Anxiety is somewhat managed after a dreadfully panicky weekend. Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday all registered a significant number on the panic scale. Stayed home from work on Monday all together and took a half day on Friday. Yuck, yuck, yuck. I have spent time reading up on coping techniques this week as a refresher. I have not read about anxiety other than on the message

Missing in Action

2003-10-04T23:32:00.000-04:00

Hey kids. I am back safe and sound from San Diego. I had a much better time than I anticipated. San Diego is a great city with beautiful weather, clean streets, and cute restaurants. I would definitely go back, with Michelle, of course! Things have been crazy since I got back. I am doing a good amount of knitting- still working on the Hoover blanket but it has to be finished in the next week.

On a lighter note...

2003-09-24T14:29:00.000-04:00

Just thinking a bunch of things: Pregnant Dooce is even funnier than regular Dooce. Check it out if you have a chance. New knitting blogs on the side bar. Knitting Curmudgeon is crazy. I have been to this blog briefly a few times before but today her humor just agreed with me. Getting into this whole knitting thing has been a really interesting experience. I love that she calls people

Autumn bliss

2003-09-24T10:46:00.000-04:00

It is a gorgeous Fall day in Philadelphia. As I walked to work this morning, it took nearly no effort at all to put myself back in time four years to my junior year at Rosemont. I am in navy blue mesh shorts and a white long-sleeved t-shirt from Founder's Day 1998. Walking across the Green to grab some breakfast at the T before going to Lawrence Hall for my 9:00 English class. 19th Century

Back in Stars Hollow...

2003-09-23T11:25:00.000-04:00

I am so excited to return to my favorite tv small town tonight- Stars Hollow, CT. That's right folks, the Gilmore Girls' Lorelei and Rory are returning from their summer in Europe and little Rory is off to Yale. I can not tell you how excited I am about this premiere. This show is in the running for the wittiest on tv, neck in neck with tomorrow's small town return- back to Stuckeyville on Ed!

Monday Morning musings

2003-09-22T08:52:00.000-04:00

Good morning folks. Emmy thoughts: boring snoring! Not so much excitement going on last night. Funny people: John Stewart and Ellen DeGeneres. That was pretty much it. Well dressed people: Helen Mirren was the most beautiful woman there. I would like to say that I wish to look that good when I am her age, but to be honest, I don't look that good now! Allison Janney looked gorgeous! So

Philly Knit-Out

2003-09-21T18:04:00.000-04:00

Hey kids! Happy Sunday. Went to the Philly Knit-Out and Crochet today in Rittenhouse Square. What an f-ing madhouse. You would never know I have panic disorder with agoraphobia...sane and healthy people would have had anxiety at this place. It was a mob scene with new knitters on the first floor and technique mini-lessons on the second floor. I enjoyed lessons in cables, intarsia, and modular

TGIF

2003-09-19T09:45:00.000-04:00

Knitting: I had to frog back to the border on the Hoover blanket last night. I was planning on doing variation 2 (striping) but did not read the directive under variation 1 that said that when you slip 1 as though to purl, do so with yarn in front. Oh, now I get it. So at that point I had so many issues that I frogged back to the border and moved ahead, only now, I am doing variation 3 because

Hoover madness

2003-09-18T15:22:00.000-04:00

I cast on for the Hoover blanket from Knitty last night. Finished my three inches of border this morning (I am at home sick) and am a few rows into the striping. Very strange! I think I am getting it. This seems to be a pattern where one bad stitch will make a BIG difference. In the first row I striping, I knitted two stitches next to each other, rather than knitting a stitch and slipping the

The new Knitty and other thrills

2003-09-17T11:00:00.000-04:00

So I have waded through most of the new Knitty. I loved looking through it but only feel compelled by two patterns. The one that will not leave me alone is for the Hoover blanket. This blanket was designed and knitted by Lou Henry Hoover, wife of President Herbert Hoover. I am planning on going to a Philadelphia Knitting meetup tonight and am itching to make a yarn run on my lunch so I can cast

Yahoooooooo!

2003-09-16T07:44:00.000-04:00

The new edition of Knitty is up. I have not even looked at it yet. Just wanted to get the word out to the masses. Amy over at IndiGirl posted a few days ago that Knitty would be live very soon. Since then, I have been checking the Knitty site, oh, about 72 times a day! Heeheehee! Enjoy! More about life, love, and the eternal quest to get a kitten later.

2003-09-10T13:06:00.000-04:00

Nearly three hours at the neuro-opthamolgist this morning with Michelle. She does not have psuedo-tumor cerebri. I am shocked. Just like I was shocked that she does not have a tumor. Try as I might, I have been worst case scenario girl throughout this entire experience. All weekend I had plans about going to the hospital on my lunch breaks, knitting chemo caps in case she should lose her hair. I

2003-09-09T09:35:00.000-04:00

Michelle's MRI was clear. Thank you Jesus and my dear Blessed Mother Mary. I am so grateful I have to put it in writing. I know it seems strange and over the top to read that sentence but it is how I feel. When I was a little girl and would have a bad dream, my Mom would give me "a magic kiss" and send me back to bed to say Hail Marys until I fell asleep. When I am scared or sad that's what I do.

2003-09-07T18:56:00.000-04:00

I can hardly believe the weekend is nearly over. I spent a good deal of it knitting, albeit I was knitting at the hospital. Michelle's MRI was yesterday morning. For a full report on the experience: Michelle's blog. We won't have the results for a few days. In the meantime, she is not driving, is trying to take it slow, and just generally trying not to worry. Michelle's mom, aka Tinkles, is

2003-09-05T16:54:00.000-04:00

Knitting news: I was supposed to take a Baby booties class tomorrow at Sophie's but it got cancelled. I am blue. Oh well. The socks are coming along well. I am doing gussett decreases on sock #1 and it is moving along swimmingly! I love to knit!! Family stuff: Michelle's mom is in the hospital. It sucks big time! I hope that she is okay. Michelle has to have a test done tomorrow. A big one.

2003-09-03T12:29:00.000-04:00

These are the first pair of socks I did. I used Therese Inverso's generic pattern- sort of. I made the cuffs shorter mostly because I was bored and wanted to get to the fun part. I also cast on more stitches because Michelle has big feet. Heehee! Okay, they aren't that big, but the girl is 6 feet tall. She needs big feet or she would topple over! Anyway, I think I cast on 84 stitches. The

2003-09-02T11:33:00.000-04:00

Almost a week since I blogged...horrors! Knitting news: Finished the Cleo. It is a bit too saucy. Hopefully blocking it and putting in elastic will help. I have no idea where I am going to be able to wear this thing! So funny! I bought some Regia this weekend for my second pair of socks. This pair I am making for myself in a lovely blue. Blue is totally my favorite color! I broke ANOTHER of my

2003-08-27T13:54:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Stacey George for my five questions! I love this game and Stacey came up with good questions! Interview game: THE RULES 1. Leave a comment, saying you want to be interviewed. 2. I will respond; I'll ask you five questions. 3. You'll update your website with my five questions, and your five answers. 4. You'll include this explanation. 5. You'll ask other people five questions when

2003-08-26T19:12:00.000-04:00

Two knitting related tid-bits: 1: The power of the Grammar Avengers! I am fairly certain that this is responsible for the spike in my hits- 17 more than yesterday which is about 50% more than usual! My thought is this...People are on Wendy Knits, they see the button, they click on LIST SITES, and since there are only about 7 in the ring, they take a minute to surf and find me. If you are here as

2003-08-25T22:17:00.000-04:00

Michelle and I just watched Punch Drunk Love. Bizarre movie...good but bizarre! Adam Sandler looks just like Michelle's brother Johnny's friend Steven. Didn't mean to give a whole Ferris Bueller-like relationship list but such is life! Anyhoo, I think Emily Watson is just adorable. Knitting news: I am rocking the Cleo! It is just flying by! Both triangles are complete, as is the lace band. I am

2003-08-25T09:25:00.000-04:00

New button on the sidebar...Grammar Avengers! Is that perfect for me, or what? I inherited my love of grammar from my Mom. In high school, her friend Patty would pass notes to my Mom who would then correct the spelling in red pen and send them back. After 12 years of Catholic School, you either love grammar or you abhor it. I fall into the first category!

2003-08-24T11:57:00.000-04:00

Fun day yesterday! Michelle and I drove to Ocean City, NJ for the day. We have not been down the shore in two years. Last year we did spend one day on the beach in Vancouver but it has been two years since we sat by the Atlantic Ocean. The best parts of the day...Mack's pizza and Kohr Bros. orange and vanilla ice cream cone. When I bit into the slice of Mack's pizza, I closed my eyes, sat back

2003-08-21T20:59:00.000-04:00

Knitting news: Finished the chicKami! Hooray! I knitted on the train all the way down to DC and all the way back. And then I stayed home from work today- a combination of anxiety and anxiety-related tummy issues- I knitted all the live-long day. The cami fits great. The stripes look super cute and the wet finished product is on the ironing board taking shape as I type away. I started right into

2003-08-20T16:41:00.000-04:00

How is it possible that I can travel to Washington DC overnight with a coworker I do not know well and be fine but then I get home last night and break down in tears in bed because I am overwhelmed by anxiety. How can I sit in two days of training in a different city and be fine but I struggled to get through a two hour meeting today with a room full of people I see everyday? I do not understand

2003-08-16T14:22:00.000-04:00

I finally got to sleep in today! I can't remember the last time I woke up without an alarm. It was so great- sometimes the small pleasures are the best ones. Went bowling last night as a goodbye treat for our friend Suzette who is moving back to Atlanta to start a three year program with the CDC. I still can't believe she and Michael have agreed to live apart for four months until Michael

2003-08-13T22:05:00.000-04:00

Knitting news: The chicKami part deux is moving along nicely and at the correct gauge. Hooray! I only have a few inches done but I have been completely wiped out this week and have not done much knitting. Bought yarn this weekend for the Cleo, one of Knitty's summer surprise patterns. I am really excited about starting this project. Hopefully the chicKami will only take a week or so and then,

2003-08-12T11:50:00.000-04:00

News about the movie based on Jennifer Weiner's In Her Shoes: Cameron Diaz is in talks to play Maggie. I liked this book alot. I dislike Cameron Diaz ALOT. I can imagine that it is very exciting to have a famous person in negotiations to play a character you created, but if I were Jen Weiner, I might cry. In fact, I think when selling the rights to my books (if I ever write any) I will find a