I’ve joined my first mystery knit-along. I’m really kind of excited about it. I wish it was already January so I could start. I’ve been reading people blogging about the mystery knits that they are involved in for over a year now and I’ve always found out too late. BAH!! This time, though, I found it early on – the supplies aren’t even up yet – and I’m going to find a way to stay on top of the clues! It’s Secret of the Stole 2 and I’ve heard really good things about the first KAL so I’m looking very much forward to this one. I’ve been obsessed with lace knitting for about a year now and I’m finally getting the hang of it, I think. I’m about 1/5 of the way through the Blue Jean Lacy Leaf shawl already and no major boo-boos so far. I can’t wait to see how many other people, especially bloggers that I read, join this KAL.
Turkey Day recap…
Thanksgiving is over and we’re back home. It seems like the holidays go by faster and faster every year. This year’s trip to Detroit, which I have to admit I was rather dreading, turned out to be one of the best that we’ve had in years.
Weds: We left Kalamazoo around 4:30 (later than planned) b/c I was in bed much of the day with a splitting headache and some back pain. The ride down was uneventful if long and tedious. There were at least 3 accidents/slow downs on I-94 between Kalamazoo and the exit for I-69 which is basically Lansing (I think). TJ made the executive decision to get off there and take I-96 instead. 2 more accidents were found. People had apparently completely forgotten how to drive in the rain. What should have been a 2 hour ride turned out to be about 3 and a half. We got to Dad’s and unloaded then got ready to go to the bar. Little did I realize that the night before Thanksgiving is the biggest bar night of the year. I guess I really am very much out of touch. The bar, Shots, used to be a little hole in the wall where Bubba and friends were the only people who were there regularly. I was expecting a quiet night of drinking, playing pool and/or darts and catching up with old friends. What I got was a VERY crowded bar (well over capacity) and not being able to spend any time at all with friends b/c of the crowds. Andrea and I spent most of the evening sitting at a table in the back of the bar; it was less smoky and, more importantly, if we had gotten up we’d have lost the table. TJ ran into Eds Sr. and Jr. so he was all set. I did see Robin Young (who is pregnant with baby #4) and Jackie Poulette (who I haven’t seen in at least 7 or 8 years) so that was kind of cool. Sean and I didn’t say two words to each other all night, how odd. I suppose, though, that I was the one who was being cold. He hasn’t returned phone calls, though, so why would I think he’d want to talk in person? I don’t regret it, but I hope that he doesn’t think that I don’t want anything to do with him. Friendships become so complicated when there is a jealous significant other in the picture. It was really much too late a night for me, I’m not used to closing down bars anymore…LOL
Thursday: Woke up hungover (I only had a drink and a half for Pete’s sake) but it didn’t last long. We spent part of the day just sitting around Dad’s house. It was a nice little relaxing day. Went to Mom’s house for a pre-dinner drink and to visit. Jake didn’t want to leave for dinner b/c his Thomas the Tank Engine set was there, but we got around that fit by taking it with us to Aunt Nancy’s. Dinner at Aunt Nancy’s was divine!! Small group of people, delectable food, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. We were back at Dad’s early and stuffed and in bed by 10:30 with Jacob.
Friday: A day for relaxing. Got up and lolled around Dad’s house through early afternoon. Got some work done on my Circular Shrug – I really think I’m going to like this pattern (or at least the yarn; it’s my first time using the Silver Thaw). It really is such a simple shawl. I wanted to get work done on the Blue Jean Leaf Lace Shawl, but it’s the kind of pattern that you need to concentrate on and can’t sit and have conversation and watch Jacob while working on. In the afternoon we went back to TJ’s mother’s house and had a second turkey dinner and just hung out for awhile. Jake loves going there; there are so many toys for him and he knows exactly where that toy box is. After leaving Mom’s, we went to Rusty and Shannon’s house. Their daughter Alexandria is 16 months and she’s just the cutest thing. I want to make her something, I just haven’t decided what yet. Suggestions are welcome. She’s a bit of a tom boy and she’s definitely a bigger toddler. She’s already almost 25 lbs while Jake (who is admittedly smaller) is only 30 lbs. Rusty’s brother Ed and sister Renee came over as well. She brought her five year old, Jason, who Jake loved playing with. I really do wish that he had the chance to grow up with his “cousins” as it were. Finally Jimmy and Stacy Jean showed up with their son, Griffin who is an adorable, if somewhat timid two year old. Stacy is also about 4 months pregnant with number 2 and she looks so damn cute with that little belly. I can’t wait to be pregnant again. Maybe soon…fingers crossed. We stayed out there for a few hours, went back to Dad’s house and watched National Treasure (great movie, btw) and went to bed.
Saturday: Got up at 8:30 and sat around for about an hour. We packed up, got on the road and both Jake and I promptly fell asleep for the entire ride home. We went shopping and spent the evening at home. Nothing overly exciting, but it’s my life and I like it that way.
Now I’m just getting back into the swing of things…like I’ve been gone for months…lol. It’s going to take Jake a few days to adjust, it always does when his schedule gets turned around. I’m just waiting for Zombie Prom Date day…:)
He’s gone…
Just a quick post to let everyone know that as of about 5 pm. Corky is no more. The vet found a baseball sized tumor/growth in his abdomen which explained why he wasn’t eating much or able to poop. He also had a serious heart murmer. She was very kind and offered us choices, but in the end, she told us he was dying and maybe had a week left. He was so weak and so unable to do anything that he loved doing, like eating everybody else’s food, that we made the decision that was most difficult for us, but best for him. We couldn’t stay for the whole thing, I just didn’t have it in me, so they gave him a shot that basically anesthetized him and we stayed with him until he was sleepy and dopey and generally very calm. We talked to him gently and gave him kisses and then quietly walked out the door for the last time. We bawled like babies in those last moments and though I’m feeling very calm now, not at all hysterical like I thought I would, I also feel this huge empty place inside.
Corky Dwire
RIP
Man’s best friend
Or in my case, woman’s. I’ve had Corky for the last 11 years.
Here he is right before Jacob was born in the summer of 2004. Cute, huh?
I’ve had him for just over 11 years and he’s as much a part of this family as anyone else is. I’ve really never thought of him as old and I haven’t allowed myself to think about a time when he might not be here anymore, but now I don’t have any choice, it seems. In the last month he’s lost at least 15 lbs, maybe closer to 20. He’s not eating much at all, no dog food and very little in the way of table scraps. He’s been very lethargic and had only diarrhea for the last few weeks. It really hit me the other night when I was giving him a haircut so that I could save his fur (which has grown really long) to spin with some wool for yarn to make a “Corky scarf” and I realized just how thin he has gotten. His spine seems to be sticking up and his ribs can be clearly felt/seen. Not a good sign.
We’re taking him to the vet tomorrow where I’m sure they’ll do blood work and give us the prognosis. I’m not expecting it to be good; I wish we could have gotten him in last Thrusday like we planned. I chickened out at the last minute, though, b/c I didn’t want to know. I know, now, though, that I have to stop thinking about myself and what’s easiest, least painful for me and start thinking about what’s best for him. I honestly don’t expect to be bringing him home on Monday. I’ve been spending all the time I can with him, just sitting around cuddling and feeding him every meat product that I can get my hands on. I even gave him a can of beer to drink last night (he used to steal long neck bottles when he was younger and tip them over to drink the beer as it spilled out).
He’s been a really good dog; the best friend and companion that I could have asked for. I’m going to miss him dearly and there will never be another dog like him for me. We’ve decided to wait a bit before getting a new dog. I know that it’s important for Jake to have a dog, well, maybe not important in the traditional sense, but he’s had dogs since he was born and I think it would be confusing to him to have none suddenly, but I think I want to wait at least a few months in honor of Corky’s memory.
So, if you have a few minutes today, please stop and send some good thoughts/vibes his way.
Death of a Great Man and Zombie Knitting
originally written on 11/12/07
First off, I want to take a moment to remember my surrogate father, Wynne Fidler. Jacob called him Papa Wynne and thus so did I. He was my “little sister” Brooke’s father and as our friendship grew, I quickly adopted him as my very own. The way this man opened his heart to me and even more importantly to Jacob without really knowing either of us was nothing short of miraculous. It was just one example of the big heart and amazing capacity for love that made him who he was. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer almost 6 years ago (correct me if I’m off on the length of time, Brooke) and he was so strong and so brave and so determined not to let this beat him. He fought the good fight for as long as he could and this evening it finally got to be too much and he let go. It was peaceful, Brooke tells me, and there wasn’t much suffering at the end. If there is a blessing in all of this, that would be it. I will make sure that Jake remembers that he had a Papa Wynne and that he loved him very much. Good bye P.W. you will be missed and you were loved. You already know this Brooke, but my heart is there with you and I just wish my body could be as well. I love you!!
Okay, lets try to lighten the mood a little bit… Last Thursday I went to the Zombie Prom Date Knitters group and it ROCKED MY SOCKS!!! What a great group of women (didn’t hurt that Shannon, my first local knitting buddy was there as well). I was a little nervous walking in, as I always am in new situations, but had Nan with me, Shannon was going to be there and I have to get over this shy thing. Turns out that everybody was really friendly, especially Holly, who is the brains behind the group. We had so much fun and I wish that I had been able to go this week as well, but Corky is sick. I’m going to have some serious withdrawal since it will be over a week before another knitting group.
ETA: Today (11/17) is Wynne’s memorial service. It should be starting right now. Brooke, know that my heart and my thoughts are with you. I wish I was with you right now. I’m going to take a moment when I’m done here to be still and silent and remember him.
Pay it Forward…
“I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.”
I saw this on Stitchy Fingers and thought, what a great idea this is. So I’m pledging that I will make something in the next 365 days for the first three people that comment asking for it. The only caveat is that each of these three people have to make the same pledge on their blogs.
A little of this and that (NaBloWriMo #2)
Here I am on day 2 of NaBloWriMo and I’m still at it…LOL I’m good at this. Right now I’m sitting here with Jake watching Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie (for the10th time in 2 days). It’s not Beetlejuice, though, which is his current favorite, so I’m grateful for that. It’s almost bedtime and there’s nothing like a movie in the dark to get him ready. Of course we’ll have to watch a little Tom and Jerry before he actually goes up or there will be no sleeping in the House of Dwire.
I’ve spent a good part of today sitting on my butt (per doctor’s orders) and reading foster parenting and adoption blogs. I finally went to the doctor yesterday for the coughing and wheezing and the bladder infection. She said I was “full of gunk” in my lungs and the nitrites in my urine are off the charts. Fun. So I’m on two antibiotics and I’m supposed to rest as much as possible until my chest clears out. This is at least the 4th time I’ve had pneumonia; I’ve been prone to it ever since I got it from my mother in 2003. I’ve been trying to stay away from the infertility blogs b/c I’m terrified that I’m going to end up being a secondary infertility blogger before long. I can’t remember the last time I ovulated or had a period without using Provera. I have an appointment with Dr. M in a few weeks to discuss this. Last time we talked about it, she said that if I didn’t start ovulating soon we’d send me to the fertility specialist in the practice to see what’s going on. I’m nervous, but I really do want another child and it seems this is the way to go. I’ll write more about it as I know something. I really think it would be good for Jacob to have a sibling.
His surgery is in 6 days and I’m already wigging out about it. I want it to be over, I don’t want him to have it at all…I’m a wreck. I know that tonsil surgery isn’t a big deal, really, but this is my baby we’re talking about and I hate to think of him being scared and in pain. ARGH!!!
On a happy note, I’m almost finished with the first moebius scarf for Christmas. I think I’ll be starting number 2 tonight. I can’t wait until they are both done!!
National Blog Posting Month #1
I almost completely forgot about National Blog Posting Month. Thanks for posting about it, Emily. Not much to say tonight. Just getting ready for bed, but I had to get the first post in or I would have blown it right at day one. So welcome to the first of my November posts. 
Spooky Little Pirates and First Yarns
Last night was so much fun! I was worried that Jake wouldn’t get into the spirit of Halloween, but boy was I wrong. We went costume shopping and he chose an adorable pirate costume. We went out to lunch (which he ate all of, for a change) and came home and carved pumpkins. That was an adventure, too. Jake kept grabbing the carving tools and stabbing the back of the pumpkin with them. LOL After we finished carving, we got Jake into his costume and took off early to trick or treat. It was supposed to rain later in the evening, but the sky was looking darker and darker, so we chose to take him early. We left about 5 pm and it was still light out, but there were already a few of the littler kids out. We didn’t go out for long, only about 45 minutes, but it was great fun. Jake rang all the doorbells (that he could reach) by himself and he remembered to say Trick or Treat at almost every house. He was also very polite, saying thank you and Happy Halloween to everyone. After we came home was when the real fun started for him, though. His favorite part of Halloween wasn’t the dressing up, or even the candy, it was helping answer the door and give out candy when other kids came. He got such a big kick out of the costumes and seeing all the kids. Once he even tried to leave with a group of kids; it was adorable. He was really upset when it was time to call it a night and go to bed.
After Jake went to bed I had my own little Halloween treat. Not a candy treat, but a fibery one. First I got three packages in the mail: my hand dyed silk hankies (gorgeous), some Wesleyndale (I think I spelled that right) fiber that’s undyed for a fun Kool-aide project and a gorgeous package of merino top in shades of spring green. YUMMY. The best part was that the “aha” moment of spinning hit me. I realized that my drafting had improved tremendously and that my singles were more consistent than they have ever been. I took the singles I’d been spinning off my spindle and I grabbed some singles that I spun a few weeks ago. It was time for a plying experiment. I tried the “handy plying” method and it worked fairly well. It’s not the prettiest yarn in the world, but the singles weren’t very pretty to begin with. It’s still drying with weight on it as it’s a bit overspun even in its plied state, but I’m still proud of it. Pictures to follow when we finally find the digital camera. It can only get better from here.
