Yeah! Pictures!

He said "Mom, you have to make a wish before you blow." So, I did.















Yeah for me! I got all the candles in a single shot! Woo hoo!
















Here is the FABULOUS shirt I got for my birthday! Isn't it the coolest ever???

Folks, we have a winner!

Well, I gave you all an extra day to participate in the contest (I thought we could all celebrate my birthday that way). So, I am just now finished with the drawing and will post the winner and answers.

Annie was the name drawn from the basket by my DS. He was playing on his new Nintendo DS and just stuck his hand out to draw a winner so you KNOW that there was no favoritism involved! >wink<

For those who may be interested here come the answers

1. "Bleached Yule" = White Christmas
2. "Only yearning for the double anterior incisors" - All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth
3. "Righteous Darkness" - O Holy Night
4. "Arrival time 24 hundred hours - Weather cloudless" - It came upon a midnight clear
5. "Loyal followers advance" = O come all ye faithful
6. "Far off in a feeder" - Away in a manger
7. "Array the corridor" - Deck the halls
8. "Small male percussionist" - Little Drummer Boy
9. "Monarchial Triad" - We three Kings
10. "Nocturnal Noiselessness" - Silent Night
11. "Red Man en route to city" - Santa Claus is coming to town
12. "Frozen precipitation begin" - Let it snow
13. "Proceed and enlighten on the pinnacle" - Go tell it on the mountain
14. "The four-legged animal with the vermilion proboscis" - Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
15. "Question regarding the identity of an infant" - What child is this?
16. "Delight for the planet" - Joy to the world
17. "Give attention to the melodious celestial beings" Hark the Herald Angels sing
18. "The dozen festive 24 hour intervals" - The 12 days of Christmas

and of course

19. "Icy the frozen rain guy" - Frosty the Snowman

I thought that was kind of fun. I hope you all enjoyed it as well.

Off to get dressed and ready for my Birthday dinner. Oooh, Oooh, I got a $100 gift certificate to a local yarn store from my boys! Yeah! I hadn't been to that particular one yet so we drove to it today. They had koigu and Debbie Bliss and Rowan and sock yarns and Manos del Uruguay and all sorts of merinos, alpacas and wools. As Rachael Ray would say "Yum - O". I didn't end up spending any of it because: A) I wanted to come back with a pattern in mind and get enough yarn for that project and B) I thought that I could do that when I was absolutely crazed with not buying yarn and need a "fix" in the coming year.

That MAY help me keep on track with the KFYS group (maybe. . . . .)

UPDATE AS OF 10:51 PM

Got back from dinner a little bit ago. FABULOUS restaurant (Vin located in Raleigh). Had a great time and meal with the boys. I had to update because looky at what else I got (this is besides the gift certificate AND the outfit I wore to dinner tonight). . . . .

AACK - blogger won't upload AGAIN!!!!! UGH! Ok so what I got was a baseball style long sleeved t-shirt (white body with pink sleeves). Across the front there is a ball of yarn with 2 knitting needles stuck in it and underneath it reads. . . . .

The princess is knitting

LOVE IT!

Oh yeah, it's my birthday, it's my birthday . . . . .

(hmmmm, somehow that title doesn't evoke the whole rap song birthday tune, oh well. . . )

Your Birthdate: December 26

You lucked out the the skills to succeed in almost any arena. Put you in almost any business or classroom, and you'll rise to the top. You're driven and intense, but you also know when to kick back and cooperate. Your ability to adapt to almost any situation is part of what's going to make you a success. Your strength: Your attention to detail Your weakness: You can be a little too proud of your successes Your power color: Turquoise Your power symbol: Arrow pointing up Your power month: August

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Woo hoo! I'm 41 (how DID that happen?)

I hope everyone had a joyous Christmas. Our Christmas was great. I think both Christmas eve and Christmas day dinners went well (I'll tell more later) and I hope that I have a nice relaxing day today. DS is staying home with me so hopefully we will have some great fun together (if I can get him off his Nintendo DS lite long enough . . . .)

So, onto the important stuff. . . .

As you can all see I did NOT post the christmas carol answers yesterday. I got so busy and I thought it would be better to have it as a birthday celebration. . . .

SO. . . .

you can still enter until I post the answers and do the actual drawing later today. I currently have just 4 entries (all with a complete set of correct song titles).

Don't know what I'm talking about? Check it out on the earlier posts. . . . .

Isn't this a cool idea?

So, I am intrigued by the project "knitnowar: 1000" especially since:
a) I found this thing as a complete fluke (result of random surfing of the 'net)
b) DS read/analyzed the book for his class this year and was obsessed with the whole idea
c) I got my very first RAOK which was a paper crane in the mail this year.

All in all, I guess I should felt some cranes. It's a cool project don't you all think?

BTW, I've only gotten 2 entries for the contest . . . . . and just 1 with ALL the correct answers. . . . .

Just sayin'

I guess it was bound to happen. . . .

Jennifer tagged me for the "Weirdness Meme". So, here I am, fulfilling my tag responsibilities:

"How Weird Are You?"!

"The Rules: Each player of this game starts with the "6 weird things about you." People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says "you have been tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog."

Six weird things about me:

1 - I will not drink milk unless I have thoroughly shaken the container. Period. I know, I know, milk is now pasteurized and, even then, I drink Skim milk. Doesn't matter people. I MUST shake milk prior to drinking. It tastes better to me. I have NO IDEA where this came from but, it is a must and I will not drink milk otherwise. This dismays my DH to no end.

2 - I like to put cut up bananas in my tomato soup. Ok, Ok, I do NOT do this when outside of the house and, yes, I can drink tomato soup without the bananas but . . . . if I am home and there are some 'nanas around. . .YUUUUUMMMMMMY!

3 - I am obsessed with new crayons. I have probably about 4-6 boxes of crayons throughout the house. And not just 16 or 24 count. Nope. I go for 64 and up BABY! I love the smell, look and feel of new crayons. There is nothing like opening up a brand new box of crayons. . . . .tee hee.

4 - I love to go to the grocery store. I am sure that there are others out there that feel the same way BUT. . . . I will spend up to 3 hours in a grocery store and not think twice about it. I go and look up and down every single aisle whether or not there is something in that aisle on my list. Doesn't matter. I get lost while I am there and before I know it. . . it's been 3 hours. It's so bad that I can NOT put any refrigerated or such items in the cart until the end because of it.

5 - I have to have a can of coca cola in bed every night just before going to sleep. I have a hard time falling asleep without it. Not caffeine-free either. Nope. Regular, caffeinated coke. I can be totally not sleepy and wide-awake and as soon as I near the end of the can I start to nod off. Not sure why, where or when that started either.

6 - If I come into to watch a sports event after it's begun, whether live or on TV, and the team I am rooting for goes from winning to losing. . .I will stop watching b/c I am convinced that I am a jinx and that my presence has changed their luck and they will turn it around once I am gone. This doesn't apply if I have been there from the beginning of the game (b/c I was there while they were winning and clearly was not the cause for the change in their luck) BUT if I come in later. Forget it. It's me and I stop watching (this of course drives DH absolutely INSANE!)


OK, so now I will Tag: Esther from Knitting RN, Amy from Nuttin' but knittin', Cathi from In the Pink, Jen from Tales from a Knitting NICU nurse, Shar from Nurse Shar Knits and last but not least Stacy from Empty Nest Knitter.

Ladies???????

Here is a little Holiday fun!

OK, so my DS got this at school and it was so fun to do that I thought I would share. The following is a list of "alternate" wordings for the titles of very common Christmas songs/carols. See if you can figure out what their "true" titles are. Hey,how about if any of you get all the answers (or whoever gets the most) before I post the answers on the 25th will get a prize! (prize yet to be determined. . if there is a tie, I will enter all those names into a drawing. .)

To make it fair, do NOT post any answers in the comments. Send your answers to me at jdammons AT yahoo DOT com. Feel free to comment otherwise here as you see fit. I am trusting that any other parents who did this exercise and already KNOW the answers will quietly exempt themselves from the contest (I trust you all. . .) Here goes:

1. "Bleached Yule"
2. "Only yearning for the double anterior incisors"
3. "Righteous Darkness"
4. "Arrival time 24 hundred hours - Weather cloudless"
5. "Loyal followers advance"
6. "Far off in a feeder"
7. "Array the corridor"
8. "Small male percussionist"
9. "Monarchial Triad"
10. "Nocturnal Noiselessness"
11. "Red Man en route to city"
12. "Frozen precipitation begin"
13. "Proceed and enlighten on the pinnacle"
14. "The four-legged animal with the vermilion proboscis"
15. "Question regarding the identity of an infant"
16. "Delight for the planet"
17. "Give attention to the melodious celestial beings"
18. "The dozen festive 24 hour intervals"

and last but not least

19. "Icy the frozen rain guy"

Have fun, Merry Christmas and Good luck!

Have a Very Elfy Christmas!

Thanks so much to Cara for the link.

I hope you all have a FABULOUS Holiday Season and a very Happy New Year!

Now for the fun, click HERE

Here's wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

You all need to check this out.

Hope you all have a bright and Merry Christmas!

Oh and, btw, I think that EVERYONE should have a party and make some of these b/c they are too damned adorable.

I am going out tomorrow to buy paper and the metal thingys to make, like, a TON!

Oooh, speaking of making stuff, looky what I made this past weekend:



Aren't they all so pretty? I made them all with my own two little hands. I made 5 of each type of card. What is that I hear from you? Why am I making cards instead of working on Arwen??? Well, as a matter of fact, I HAVE started on Arwen:



The color is beautiful and malabrigo is just a dream to work with. One thing I always wonder when working with this yarn though is, why did they name it Malabrigo. Literally translated, malabrigo means "bad coat". I can't imagine how anyone could every get that from this fiber. . . . .

So now we'll see

Well, I have the yarn:




Malabrigo Kettle Dyed Pure Merino Wool Worsted in "Glazed Carrot". The color is a mix of the colors shown here. The centered is slightly too brownish and the home pix of the yarn are a little too bright. You'll have to trust me on the color, kay?

And I have chosen the pattern:














I even got gauge on a swatch (although I had to switch from size 8 to size 9) - (I need to learn to loosen up)


Now I need to find the TIME!!!!!!!


Should I just join in on this???

So, the birthday celebration was a success. He's old and tall enough to drive a go kart (real gas powered, no tethered track go kart) all on his own. It was pretty cool to watch him go although DH and I had to slow down our go karts and egg him on to "floor it" - wait a few years and we will be reversing that I am SURE! ;->

We played a game of putt putt. The waterfalls, ships, and other sculptures, etc were very cool and it was a well kept course.

DS got to play a few arcade games - here's he's trying to skateboard on a virtual skateboarding game. Very complicated!

We took him to eat at his favorite restaurant for Dinner - Carrabas! Here we are waiting to place our order.
And here we are at home with his cake. I baked the cake. I never bake cakes on birthdays. It's kind of pitiful looking but tasted damn good!


Oh, and, why yes, that IS the top that I knit on vacation this year. Thank you so much for noticing!

;-}

Something to smile about on a yucky Sunday

My cousin sent me this link.

Thought you all might enjoy it as well.

BTW, I really do STILL knit. I have done 2 1/2 dishcloths for the new house. That's about all I have the attention span to do right now but, it's nice.

When did a Decade become so short????

My baby is 10 today. TEN people. As in Double Digits. A whole decade old. How did this happen????

I spent yesterday thinking about it all day. I remembered bringing him home. I remembered the labor and the birth. I remembered everything I did the day I went into labor. I remembered everything that happened throughout the pregnancy. I remembered the 2 miscarriages, the feeling that I would NEVER have a baby of my own, the endometrial biopsy, the hormone replacements, the spotting, the "miscarriage" scare, the borderline placenta previa, the uterine growth deficit (it just stopped growing at 36 weeks), all of it.

And I wouldn't change one bit of it.

I love my son. I love him more than I ever thought I could love anything. I hate how I have to be the disciplinarian. I hate how I lose my patience at times because in my heart of hearts I KNOW that should be a better mom. I hate that he's not a baby anymore. . . . . .

He is my joy, my heart and my life. I can't imagine what I would be if I did not have him in my life.

I've loved every moment, every laugh, every tear, every fear, every hug and every kiss.

I don't deserve to be his mom and I am thankful every day that I was blessed to have him.

Happy Birthday Sweetie.

May you have many, many more decades of joy and laughter.

Thank you for YOU!

Thanks Jennifer

Make your own here

Got slapped hard today

So, I was minding my own business today living my little suburban life not bothering a soul. Then I got SLAPPED down to reality and it stung. HARD. Let me explain.

First, I do not read the newspaper and I do not watch the news. I like to live in ignorant bliss. I lived in New Orleans for 3 years and had a nightly bet with DH on the number of murders in the city for that day (and we NEVER guessed "0"). Then we had a child and I came to the realization that we live in a somewhat sad, sad world. Having to deal with depression at times when things are going OK is hard enough let alone having to read or hear all of the horrors surrounding me daily. I just stopped reading the paper or watching the news. It's easier that way. DH fills me in on all the BIG stuff and I go on my day blissfully ignorant but functioning in my pseudo world.

So, what happened today you might ask? Well, like I said, I was busy being a regular suburban wife cleaning my really too big for a family of three house and then got into my gas guzzling really too big for ANYBODY to drive SUV to run a few errands. I stopped for lunch at a really too expensive for a FREAKIN' individual-sized pizza place and decided to grab a couple of (what I thought were entertainment news or community-based) papers to read while I ate my lunch alone. I happened to pick up a copy of Epoch Times which, it turns out, is a weekly paper on the happenings of the world. Their tag line is 'A fresh look at our changing world'. YIKES.

I thought to myself "this is a newspaper" but curiosity about Canada and China meeting got to me and I read the story. BRAKE FOR REALITY CHECK HERE.

"Organ Harvesting" is apparently going to be a hot topic of discussion when Prime Minister Harper meets with the Chinese. Idiotically, ignorant and naive lil' old me thought that this was about organ donation. UH - NO! Apparently, the Chinese have been rumored, reported to or just plain out right KNOWN to be executing prisoners to take organs for foreigners who pay a pretty penny for said organs. WHAT?!???!!!?!

HOLY CRAP Batman, is this for real??????!!!?!?!?!!!! Apparently so, to quote one of the articles

The recent acknowledgement by China's Deputy Minister of Health, Huang Jiefu, that the country has an organ harvesting "problem" has provoked differing reactions among the international community.

No Shit, really? Reactions? HECK yeah. Dude, they are 'harvesting' organs and not from brain dead patients who had previously declared their wishes or with permission from said brain dead patients' families. Oh no, the Chinese have been (it's almost to horrific to even type) executing prisoners and taking their organs regardless of their wishes for the transplant business that they have started there.

This IS 2006 right? We are not back in barbaric times where a human life means nothing except for what it can bring to you, right? Now, I'm not going to get into my or anyone else's opinion on Capital Punishment and/or Organ Donation. Suffice it to say that I am not one who would be standing outside the penitentiary with a candle in my hand, ok? Please let's not get into these topics in the comments as that is not the intention of this post and I will not be allowing them there.

What this post IS about is the ignorant, idiotic, naive bliss that I have been living in. How could I be so stupid as to allow myself to live my pampered, overly indulgent and yes 'princess' life so unaware of these horrors that are occuring throughout the world. How dare I complain about anything when I don't have to worry about where I'll sleep, if I'll eat, what to wear, or fear any sort of horrific acts on myself/family such as organ harvesting, bombings, police raids/murders/kidnappings, religious persecutions, etc., etc.

OH, yeah, THAT'S why I stopped reading the paper and watching the news. Because the horrors that mankind inflict on each other are way too much for me to bear. I just can't do it. I am weak. I am cowardly. I don't want to know because I can't know because I can't deal with thinking about these things without empathising with those poor souls sentenced to a life filled with all these horrors and more.

I wish I were stronger. I wish I were braver. I wish I were powerful. But I am not.

So, I can't know. I need to be ignorant for my own self-preservation.

To those in the world that are imprisoned by these ghastly acts. . . . .I am so sorry. I really am.

So, THIS is why making me angry is bad! tee hee

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents,
beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home
decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

BTW, do I misspell words often? I want to know because when I see words that are misspelled, it bugs me. Now, I don't ever claim to be a perfect speller but, I really don't want to be guilty of misspelling words often. Hmmmmmm, I need to get the wordcheck on blogger to work for me. How do you do it? I click on the "ABC checkmark" but nothing ever happens?????

I am Thankful . . . . .

1. For my DH and wonderful DS! How did I get to be so lucky?
2. For my wonderful puppy, Sunny. And all 5 (yep, they all made it) fish.
3. For being blessed with our new home
4. For DH's new job (he's so happy now)
5. For my family (immediate and in-laws) and all the support they provide us (Gracias Mami por TODO!)
6. For the health of all those that I love
7. For all my friends whom I dearly love, who held me (and HOLD me) together through out this recent change in our lives (you guys all ROCK!)
8. For all my online friends who keep reading this incredibly boring (and lately sporadic) blog of mine. I appreciate each and every one of you.
9. For the blessing of being able to move and still be employed (being a nurse is gratifying in SO many ways)
10. For everything that God has blessed me with, both spiritually and materially. It humbles me when I think of all that I have and how incredibly lucky I am.



HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I haven't done one in a while so here goes

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
Boston
The West
North Central
Philadelphia
The Northeast
The Inland North
The South
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

I think that's about right.

The painting is DONE!

I love all the colors. The living room is much nicer than I had anticipated. Let me explain: We picked the colors off the top of our heads during our last visit prior to the move and had no way of comparing to our furniture. Also, we had a bit of a difficult time deciding which way to go with it and went through 3 different color schemes. We finally decided on a navy from the chair rail down with a creamy yellow from the rail up. The baseboards, chair rails and crown moldings throughout the house are with with accent wood in a medium-light wood tone. Kind of golden honey??? So, the white really shows off the colors very well. Anyhow, the living room had valance type draperies that where a large paisley-type flowery print that we thought for SURE would have to go (we aren't flowery paisley people). The fabric was cream with burgundy and blues for the print and the back is a solid burgundy which shows slightly where the drapes folded back. Our furniture is a burgundy and blue large plaid with a cream base. Well, it all went beautifully together. The yellow and navy walls with the burgundy, navy and cream couches and the burgundy, blue and beige drapes. The painting contractor came out to check the work when the painters where done and commented "you would think that you had planned that all together". It really does look very nice and I was extremely pleased with how the room came together.

My kitchen is a wonderfully warm orangey-red color. It's awesome and warm and rich and I love it. LOVE IT! I need to find some Tuscan inspired pieces to give it that 'finished' look. I am thinking of getting this from my Southern Living at home consultant. Isn't it beautiful?



There are a couple of other pieces that they have that are the perfect colors. I'll have to slowly add here and there as I can but if anyone knows of any other places that have pieces in burnt reds, golds, greens, etc. please let me know!

Our masterbath is a soothing brown tone. It's the color of a really dark roast coffee with just a bit of cream in it. . . rich and soothing. All the tile, counter and the tub are in white so the feeling is very serene. Gotta go get some chocolate towels and accent pieces for there as well . . . .

Hummmmm, I guess I should get off this thing and go unpack some more. So much to do.

And I STILL have to call agencies for interviews so that I can begin to take some shifts. Although I am working harder here than I ever do at the hospital.

Or at least it feels like that when I hit the bed at night.

Will take pix and post when: a) I find the camera cord to upload pix and b) some more boxes are out of the way so that you can SEE what things look like.

C ya!

We're finally here

We made it into Cary last night about 10:30 pm. DS went straight into the shower and to bed. DH and I unloaded the truck including the fish. We wanted to set up the tank straight away in the new house but it was so late when we got here and the prior owners were still in until this am. Had we gotten in earlier we would have come over but it was a bit late to expect them to stay up. SO, we set the tank up in DH's corporate apartment and crossed our fingers.

We woke up this morning to 5 healthy and alive fish. Yeah! I'm still hesitant to call it completely OK since we still have to move them once again to the house either tomorrow or Monday.

We just got back from doing the final walk-through at the house with our realtor. Unfortunately, the painters are still there stripping paper and painting. OOPS. So, Monday is going to be extremely busy and hectic. We need to drop off the little guy at his new school. The movers are coming in with all our stuff (WAY too much stuff BTW) AND the painters are still going to be there stripping and painting. It's going to be madness I tell you. Sheer madness.

But this is all good. This is a good move for us, I know it. I am stressed and unsettled with all that there is to do but I feel in my bones that this is going to be good for us. Everyone here seems to be so nice. I know DH has been so much happier here so, hopefully DS and I will feel the same.


I am sad though. I miss my friends and the safety of the "known" back in OH. I still today was driving around thinking to myself, "well, I want to go to that restaurant before I go back to Cleveland" and then I remember, "huh, I am not going back to Cleveland anymore. THIS is home now." It's so weird, y'know?

Speaking of weird, y'know what else is weird? Walking around in 80 degree sunny weather a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving. Really. The high today was 80 degrees with blue, sunny skies. We spent the morning at the State Farmer's Market (how cool is that? It's just a 15 minute drive) and there was a craft fair this weekend. It was so odd to see the crafters selling all sorts of Xmas stuff with it being as hot and sunny as it was. I will definitely have to get used to the difference in the climate although tomorrow it is supposed to be cooler and overcast.

I took some pictures at the market but I can't find the camera cable to upload the pictures. I will post as soon as I can, kay?

Knitting wise I haven't picked anything up today but I plan on working on my pumpkin tonight and tomorrow. We'll see how much I actually get to work on it.

It's HERE!

Chez Knittingnurse is packed up and being loaded onto the moving truck as I type. I have asked (ok, begged) for the computer and TV to be done last (tomorrow am). My blogs/email and Grey's anatomy must continue until the very last possible moment. Hey, a girl's gotta have her priorities. With the move has come a resurgence (word?) in my desire to knit. I think I need the relaxation amongst all this change. So, I have taken up the size 11 socks again as well as the little leaf scarf. I've also started this. I know what you are all thinking "What the F***! Doesn't she have enough WIPs already??" Yes, you are all correct HOWEVER, I WANT to knit the pumpkin. I think it would be nice for my first Thanksgiving at my new house. So there.

Has anyone made it though? Do all the stitches look a bit "odd" pre-felting? I've ripped a good amount of it out and started again and it still looks "odd" at the increases. Will it matter? Is that right?? Let me know if you know, kay?

OK, so back to getting things straight (I have to have everything going in the truck with us ready to be loaded tomorrow). BTW, did I mention that we have to move a fish tank with 5 fish???

Sigh. Thank goodness for the internet. I did all the research yesterday on that. Wish me luck with the fish.

I'm going to miss every single one of them

My friends from my hospital took me out to dinner tonight. There were a total of 19 coworkers there in all. WOW! I was taken aback by the number of people that came to wish me well and good-bye. With each person's arrival, my heart was touched way beyond I can ever express in mere words. Thank you all for all the love, kindness and support that you have shown me throughout my time spent with you. Each of you hold a very special place in my heart that will never be taken by anyone else.

They showered me with gifts that were so absolutely wonderful and extremely generous of them. I'll need to photograph all of them but I got the knitting pattern a day calendar, silver and garnet (?) heart shaped earrings, a beatiful handmade afghan, a precious moments figurine and MORE!!!!! Like I said, I'll have to take pictures of it all. Thank you all so much for everything. Every single gift touched me and it was obvious how much thought and care went into picking each one.

The best though was that they put together a beautiful scrapbook for me. Pictures of all my friends, some absolutely lovely sayings and everyone wrote in beautiful words of friendship and encouragement. You all are such an extremely special group of people and it has been a pleasure and honor to work with each and every one of you.

Here are just a few pictures of the evening:







I am really gonna miss you all.

This feels so much better.

So, I was feeling pretty down after my last post but then Amy sent me a link to

The great thing about this is I truly think that many people live so unaware of how very little human contact they have in their lives. You see, I am a hugger. I hug everybody. Really. I hug my family, I hug my friends, I hug my coworkers, I hug my patients, I hug my patient's families. I hug everybody.

I hug everybody because it feels good. It feels good to hug someone and feel that moment when they relax against you and take it in. It feels good to have someone hug me and feel like "I matter" and this person is acknowledging that.

So, good for this young man. I know that he is 24 years old and from Australia. He was featured on Oprah and on local newscasts in Australia. He has been the inspiration for "Free Hugs" campaigns all over the world (LA, Tel Aviv, South America, Korea, etc.).

How long has it been since you have hugged someone other than your family? Would you take a moment to hug someone you have never hugged before? OK, not comfortable with a stranger, then how about a coworker, a neighbor, a fellow parent from your child's school?

Give out a hug today to someone who may not have expected it. See what happens. You might be surprised.

Once again, WHY?????

I know that I have written about this before but I can't help it, here we go again!

I got a message from a friend about a site that tears people's blogs apart. I am not even going to give them any traffic by disclosing the URL but, trust me, it's out there and it is horrible.

Here is a group of people that sit back and judge, criticize and ridicule others for their blogs and their LIVES. Their LIVES people! This group of individuals relish in pulling bloggers lives apart and mocking them over what they have posted ON THEIR PERSONAL BLOGS.

WHAT's WITH THAT???

I just don't understand how anyone can justify themselves when ridiculing and tearing others apart. They all comment on how sanctimonious and self-serving "these bloggers" are and yet, I ask, and that makes them different how????

Here's the difference: the difference is that anyone that posts on their personal blog about their own life and their life experiences are expressing themselves and are making themselves vulnerable in doing so. They are exercising their right to speak their minds. The BOZOs on this other site are cruel and horrific. They are actively choosing to be uncaring and callous. And mostly are a bunch of cowards since many use pseudonyms or post as "anonymous".


If you don't like someone's blog, what they are writing in their blogs or who they are (judged by what they are writing) then just DON'T READ THE FREAKIN' BLOG!

Let people be for heaven's sake.

It's horrible when I know bloggers who are thinking of or actually HAVE created 'anonymous' blogs because of the viscious commentary and personal attacks that result from their posts on their PERSONAL BLOGS!

What in the world have we all come to when we feel a need to attack someone because we don't agree with their lifestyle, their personal experiences or beliefs?

It is all so horribly sad.

Knitting on the big screen

How cool is this???


Yeah, I can't wait until it comes out.

Happy Halloween!

OK, so I tried to upload this picture on Halloween night but the witches and goulies must have been messing with blogger b/c it wouldn't let me do it. So, here it is now.

Pretty creepy huh? Not too shabby considering that as of 0700 on Halloween morning I had NO COSTUME and no intention of dressing up at all. Then the following conversation ensued:

DS: "So Mom, what are you going to dress up like tonight?"
Me: "I wasn't going to dress up."
DS: "But you ALWAYS dress up to pass out candy." (A true statement)
Me: "But I am not passing out candy this year remember? I'm going trick or treating with you since your Dad is in NC"
DS: "Oh, OK" (said with the saddest voice and look in his eyes EVER!)

So, off he went to the neighbors to go to school and I got in my car and drove to work. Now, the whole trip to work I was seeing his dejected little face and thought to myself "how many more halloweens do I have before dressing up TOTALLY embarrasses him and he acts as if I'm from outer space?"

So, what did I do? What any respectable mother would. I racked my brain on what last minute (and yet 9 year old 'cool') costume I could put together at the last minute.

Result?

ZOMBIE NURSE!

Funny thing was that when I picked him up from school I told him that I had figured out a costume so that I could dress up and that it would be a surprise for him. We went home, had dinner and started getting ready. I got dressed and did the whole she-bang in my bathroom, away from him. When I was done I called him to my room and walked out of the bathroom. His reaction? That nervous little hesistant laugh that kids get when they are scared but are trying to play it off. It was so cute and so sweet at the same time. I said "you know this is all just make-up and fake blood, right?" He said "MOOOOM, I KNOW that. Geez." and walked away.

Yeah, OK honey.


Tee hee.

We are getting close to the home stretch. . .

No pun intended with the title of this post but we are down to just 5 days until the closing! Woo hoo! Then, we will have just 7 days until the house here is packed up and taken away and we all (2 adults, 1 child, 1 dog and 5 fish) climb into the SUV and head on down to our new hometown. Speaking of SUV, have any of you heard this song? OK, deep down inside I KNOW that I should think of getting something other than an SUV however, who else is going to haul all my mulch, plants, appliances, furniture, etc. that we buy???? Do you know how often we haul stuff for other people as well??? I actually USE the SUV as a truck. Truly. (I must say though that I still feel guilty about it whenever I go to the gas pumps). Oh and by the way, I do NOT weigh 90 pounds. (Don't I wish I did though!) >wink<

So, back to my topic. 5 days people! Yeah! Of course, our house here has yet to sell (rats). I'm still prayin' that it will. We are blessed that DHs relocation package allows for our house to be "assumed" by the relo company but we will get a better deal if we sell it ourselves so, that's what we are still trying to do. My new mantra is "the buyer is coming this week", "the buyer is coming this week". Repeat with me as you see fit.

I actually HAVE been knitting (believe it or not). I've done a little on the little leaf scarf, a little on the twinsie socks (twins of my good friend Caroline) and a little on the Dave from Chub Creek size 11 (crapola) socks. I just haven't focused enough on any single project to finish one up. Too much distraction going on.

Speaking of which: y'know how you make choices and changes in your life and often times you wonder "Was that the right thing to do?" Sometimes, well, most of the time, that question is never answered and you just go on with your gut feeling that it was right (or at least with the thought - "hell, it's too late to turn back now") but. . . . . .everyone once in a great while, God, the cosmos, kismut, karma or whatever else you believe in jumps in and let's you know that YES this is the right thing to do. Well, we are having these moments about our relocation.

First, and most important, DH is SOOO much happier with this job. He is finally able to do his job and see the appreciation and get the accolades that he is deserving of. His boss and coworkers are great people and are truly interested in DH as a person and not just a body there to do their bidding. He has quite a bit of responsibility but he is being given his due respect and everyone is truly appreciative of the hard work that he is doing. That was the first true "sign" that we are making the right move.

Next, we found a house that meets pretty much all of our 'wants'. We wanted a certain square footage, number of rooms and layout/look to the home. Check. We wanted a home in a community with a pool. Check. We wanted a flat, fenced in usable back yard. Check. We wanted to be close to the schools. Check. I wanted to be close to the church. Check. So, that was our next sign.

NOW, I had a huge sign from God as well. This past Thursday, my hospital did some restructuring. 42 open positions were frozen and aren't being filled. 37 people were either let go or displaced to other positions in the hospital. Out of 9 hospital based Nurse Educators, they shaved that down to 5. Seniority-wise I would have been out of that group. Had I not been leaving already, I would have probably had to take the severance package and find another job. Whew. Now, it was kind of awkward on Friday b/c I know that had it not been for the fact that I was leaving on 11/7 anyway, I would not have had a job but, MAN was I ever glad that I was leaving. I would have been offered options on some of the open positions but the shifts would not have worked for us and I would have had to take severance and look for other work. I am so blessed to be going to NC right now. And God is making sure that I know it. Isn't it awesome when you DO get the answers to the doubts?

Thanks again for the reassurance God. You always let me know that things will be OK.

Where DOES the time go???

Sigh. More and more it seems like I have no time to do the things that I WANT to be doing right now.

I WANT to knit.

I WANT to plan decorating ideas for the new house.

I WANT to go out to dinner with friends before the move.

I WANT to be able to take a nice long bath.

I WANT to visit the chiropracter.

I WANT to catch up on all my CSI shows (haven't seen all of my Horatio's this season).


Sigh.

DS and I just got back from a longer weekend (Thursday night through Monday - today - morning). Since we have already found our new house, we didn't have to go househunting which left the weekend open for us to enjoy eachother. We did just that.

Friday morning we spent about 1 hour at the new house picking out paint colors and talking to a painting company. We are having them take down wall paper and painting quite a few of the rooms. After we purchased the house here in Ohio we told eachother that we would systematically go through it, taking down wallpaper and repainting it as we went through.

Well, after 5 years here there were still things that we hadn't even started to do when it came time to put this house on the market. . . . So, we decided that perhaps it would be better to just have what we wanted to do completed upfront and then move in.

Much better idea for both getting things done and avoiding "issues" between DH and myself! >wink<

We spent Friday exploring our new hometown and the surrounding areas. School registration for DS was completed and is now official. We had a great lunch at a locally owned cafe and then went to a couple of knit shops. One was a GREAT find. Lots of yarn - some that I had never seen in person in a shop before - spinning wheels (uh oh) and roving/fleece as well! The next shop (which took us about 2 hours to get too between horrible traffic and bad directions) was a BUST. Bleck! Limited yarn, very "cold" atmosphere and not so friendly staff. Needless to say, I won't be going back there anytime soon.

Sadly, the first shop I went to was great for yarns, needles, supplies, etc. . . but didn't have any room for any type of "sit 'n knit" group. Sooooo, I am STILL on the lookout for a local sit 'n knit group in Raleigh (specifically Cary) NC.

Anybody got any good leads? Let me know, kay?

We went to see the UM vs. Duke game on Saturday. We won but let's just say that it wasn't Miami's finest hour and we were EXTREMELY lucky to have won that game. 'nuf said - I'm moving on.

We had a FABULOUS Sweetest Day dinner that night at a new restaurant in Cary (Ah) - new world asian fusion cuisine. YUMMMYY!

Sunday was a lounging around kind of day. We drove around a little bit and checked out the Cary Skate park, dog park and one of it's many metroparks - Bond Park as well as one of the local branches of the Library system. All A++++ facilities.

We ate dinner at Carmen's Cuban Cafe and Lounge once more (we went there on our last visit) and actually met the owner this time. What a great guy! He and I spoke a little bit of spanish and talked about how each of us got to Cary, NC. He was kind enough to send over some of his freshly made chicken soup (awesome) and dessert (pudin de pan - bread pudding - for the boys and arroz con leche - rice pudding - for me). Both of them AMAZING!
If you are ever in the area, besides contacting me for a get together, try them. The food is fabulous and authentic. The atmosphere warm and inviting AND they have a dance club attached to it for the weekend nights. Woo hoo!

I'm looking forward to living in Cary. I am just not happy with all the prep to get there in the meantime, y'know? For example, I got in to Cleveland Hopkins Airport at 12:15 today (flight was delayed), I had to pick Sunny up on the way home and be home by 1:30. Luckily, picking her up was quick and there wasn't much traffic on the way home. This is the rest of my evening:

1:30 pm - Home inspector arrives (for the relocation company)
2:30 pm - Home pest inspector arrives (same reason)
3:50 pm - Home appraiser #2 (#1 came Thursday prior to use having to go to the airport) arrives
4:30 pm - Appliance repairman expected (broken microwave handle - built-in microwave)

At some point tonight I need to go out to get bread, lunchmeat and milk for the week.

Sigh.

Now you all can see why I don't have any spare time these days.

Thankfully we have a date for the move. Tee hee! My last day at work will be on election day, Tuesday, November 7th. Wednesday the 8th and Thursday the 9th the moving company will be here to pack everything up. The truck will be loaded on Friday the 10th. DH arrives late afternoon - early evening on the 10th. We all (DH, DS, the dog, 5 FISH and myself) pile into the Trailblazer for the 8-9 hour drive down (which will probably be longer b/c of the dog - more stops to make) on Saturday the 11th.

Sunday the 12th should (notice I say SHOULD) be a day of rest. Monday the 13th, the movers will be arriving and unloading everything into the house. BTW, Monday the 13th will be DS first day at his new school and DH will be back at work. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, DH will be unavailable all day/evening due to his company's annual employee 'retreat' and meeting (Thankfully it is at least held in Cary). So,

that leaves little ole' ME to unpack and sort out the new house as well as help the little guy with all his new school 'stuff' and homework as well as trying to get some calls in to some Nursing agencies to line up interviews, etc. . .

Whew, I'm tired just typing it out let alone living it. Boy, I can't wait until Thanksgiving. While I certainly have much to be thankful for and will be doing so all day long, I am equally looking forward to that day b/c we SHOULD be somewhat settled in by then. Should be. That would be the operative section of the sentence.

Sigh.

Sorry about the whining. I'm a little tired and stressed. It'll all be better in a few weeks, . . . . .


right??????

My Knitters Teaswap Pal was AMAZING!

So, I participated once again in the Knitters Tea Swap and WOW was I ever the luckiest participant. Just wait until you see what I got!












Ok, so I got carried away with the pictures and now blogger won't let me add anymore. As you can see, I was EXTREMELY spoiled. I had individual shots of everything I got but it was SO MUCH that I overloaded poor blogger. The picture on the bottom shows the whole loot all together. Individual shots missing were of 2 skeins of cottons for dishcloths for my new house (yeah); a box of shortbread (yummy)and the most precious tea cup ornament ever. BTW, can you BELIEVE how beautiful that teacup I got is???? All I kept saying as I opened it was, Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God! It truly is the most stunning tea cup I have ever seen and I OWN IT now!!!! I made myself a wonderful cup of Scottish Breakfast tea and just enjoyed every bit of the process: the brewing, the mixing (cream and sugar), the warmth in my hands, the smell of the tea and the tasting. Aaaah. Heaven. Absolutely heaven.

Thank you so much Sharon! You made me feel like a Queen!

Keep your fingers crossed!

So, unless hubby finds something really wrong in the contract or something goes bad on inspection, etc..... this is going to be our new home:



He's reading the contract right now after the buyer came back with a counter that we can live with.



BTW, does anyone know anyone who is looking to buy a house in a GREAT suburb of Cleveland, OH? Just aking.

A comma?

OK, I don't normally get all political and stuff but boy was this right on. I wish Jon would run for some sort of political office.

Anything would be good!

BTW, how many days left until we can finally be rid of "W"?

I am such a bad blogger. . . .

there is just so much going on over here. Let's see if I can even begin to catch you all up. So, last week's Grey's? WOWZA. I love, love, love this show and it gets harder and harder to wait the 7 days until the next episode with each passing week. I have worked on my malabrigo Grey's KAL scarf and it's coming along nicely (sorry no pix this time, maybe next?).

Speaking of Malabrigo, have you all tried this stuff???? OMG! It's like knitting with butter. It is so lusciously soft, I can't even begin to describe it. Truly. You all MUST get your hands on this stuff. And the colorways???? AMAZING!

So, with Malabrigo in mind, I started (yep, I did but this was for a good cause) ANOTHER project. This one has taken top priority and should be a quickie. Unfortunately the reason for this project is so almost unbearably sad. A little girl (10 years old) from DS grade was diagnosed with Cancer (forget the type - I'm blocking it out I think) close to the beginning of the year. She is finally up to coming back to school at times now. It's so hard though. First off, DS was talking about her being at the hospital a few weeks into the school year. Then he said she was STILL there. Finally a couple of weeks ago he came home and said that they had had an assembly for the 4th graders to talk about her coming back and the implications of it all. They were instructed that they would have to be extremely good about washing their hands, using kleenex, avoiding her if they had a cough, etc. b/c her immune system will be weakened by her chemotherapy.

They explained that she would be allowed to wear hats and bandanas b/c her hair might fall out (it's against dress code to wear them inside the building). They talked about having a "Wear a hat for *** day" at school. They talked about her tumor and they had 2 nurses from the pediatric ward of the local children's hospital there to answer questions and show them the infusaport. Now, mind you, remember what I do??? I am a nurse. So, DS is going on about all this and asks why the chemo makes you so sick and weak and affects the immune system. So I say "Well, the chemo is really strong and toxic so that it can kill the cancer as much as possible" to which DS said "***** has CANCER?!?"

It never dawned on me that the full implications of a "tumor" hadn't been processed by my sweet 9, almost 10 year old little boy. Everyone kept talking about her tumor but I guess the word "cancer" had never been used. I had to make it alright for him. It was so hard. I know this girl. She has been a close pal to my son since 2nd grade when he transferred into this school. I sat across a cafeteria table from her last year at the ice cream social while the 2 of them yakked away and were silly and acted the way 8 1/2 year olds should act. She is IN HIS GRADE (not in his class this year but she was in 2nd and 3rd grades).

So, after I got him settled, he started talking about how the school was putting together a tote bag full of stuff for her to keep busy during her treatments or at home if she is not up to coming to school. A letter was sent home encouraging anyone so inclined to donate whatever they thought she might like. . . .

I spoke with the counselor at open house. I asked her what **** fave colors are and asked her if she thought ***'s parents would mind me knitting her a cap. Her fave colors are pink and purple and YES she thought the cap was a grand idea. I also told her that DS and I had discussed me knitting her a cap AND including needles, yarn and instructions for learning how to knit. She loved the idea and thought *** and her parents would appreciate it. SO, I picked out Malabrigo in the Cuarzo colorway which is a purpley pink variegated to a dark purple. It's perfect.

So, I started a new project. A cap. A chemo cap. A chemo cap for a 10 year old little girl. A chemo cap for a 10 year old little girl from my son's school. A chemo cap for a 10 year old little girl from my son's school who I have met. . . . and had ice cream with.

I HAD to start it. How could I not?

Anywhooo, so, where can I find the most concise and easy to follow learn to knit instructions? Anyone?

Lastly, and on a much more upbeat note, I got this book recently and I LOVE IT. The patterns are very neat and 'doable'. The writing is charming and yet informative. It is a great addition to my evergrowing knitting library collection and I suggest you all check it out!

OK, gotta go shower and then work on the cap!

C ya! (with pix next time, kay?)

HOLY CRAP!!!!!

OMG! Can you believe who came out of the bathroom in Addison's hotel room????


AACK!

Just two more days. . . . .

until it begins. Yeah!