From The Beginning

What you are about to read is not for sympathy, because I don't need or want it.  It's a way for me to put into words, the things people might like to know about that is going on in my life.

It all started on a Friday in March, 2007. I was at work so I don't really know exactly what happened.  I can only go by what Chuck told me.  When I got home from work that afternoon, Chuck was sitting on the sofa in his usual place, but I could tell something wasn't quite right.  He said he had fallen in the living room and hit his left hip on the edge of the coffee table. (note to self:  never have another coffee table)  He said he hit his head on the laminate wood floor and really hurt his lower back.  He actually couldn't walk without me helping him.  He wouldn't agree to go to the hospital and I knew we couldn't get into our chiropractor till Monday.  So, I helped him walk in the house by having his hands on my shoulders, my hands on his waste, while I walked backwards.  We did that all weekend going to the bathroom and to bed and back to the sofa.

On Sunday morning before we got out of bed, I noticed he was slurring his words just slightly and using words that didn't fit the sentence.  I didn't think that much of it, just racked it up to not being fully awake yet.  But, when I helped him walk to the sofa in the living room and sat him down, I noticed the droop on the left side of his face.  Oh no!  I told him I thought he had had a stroke.  Of course, and no offense to all the men out there but, men are the world's worst about being in denial.  Chuck asked for a mirror and could see the droop but still didn't want to admit it.  I really didn't blame him.  I went to take a shower because I knew that we were going to have to go to the hospital and I didn't know how long we would be there.  Once I was dressed, he had decided that he was ok with going to the hospital.  I drove him myself instead of an ambulance.

Of course, the hospital ran all the test and sure enough he had had a mild stroke on the right side of his brain.  But, the issue was the staff at the hospital didn't get him up much because of the lower back injury.  He was there a few days and the doc came in and tried to get Chuck up out of bed and couldn't.  But he had no idea how to properly get him out of bed either.  His suggestion was to put him in a nursing home because he thought if I took him home, he would just lay in bed and die.  Well, I knew my sweet hubby better than anyone.  I knew that after a stroke you are in what's called a stroke fog, where you don't think just right.  Sometimes it takes a little while to come out of it.  So, I said no, I'll take him home with me.  I knew that if he came out of that fog and realized he was in a nursing home, he would curl up and die.  If I could get him in his recliner, with his puppy dogs with him and the remote control in his hand he would be just fine.  He did stay in bed and shut the world out for a couple of weeks, then ventured out to get back into the real world.  He just about fully recovered from that stroke.  The only issue was short term memory loss.  With a lot of help from our physicians, we were able to get enough test done and documentation to get his disability.  A God send.

We went along fine until December of 2014, when he had another stroke.  This one was worse.  He had to go through rehab and was able to come home walking with a walker but not comfortable enough to be by his self while I worked.  So, I quit my job and stayed home with him. He did pretty good with getting around and we went to Church and out to dinner some.

Then, October 2015 came around and another stroke, again on the right side of his brain.  He again went through rehab and came home able to walk with a walker and get around pretty good.

And, we move to January 12, 2016.  A red spot showed up on the left side of his abdomen with a little spot that looked like a spider bite.  So, I cleaned it and applied antibiotic ointment.  The next day he was a little weak and the red spot was bigger.  I suggested the hospital, but he said no.  The next day, January 14, 2016 was our 38th anniversary and he was a little weaker.  I needed to run to walmart to get something for him and when I came back in the door, Chuck said I think we need to go to the hospital.  So we did by ambulance this time.

He hadn't had a stroke or a heart attack, but was in renal failure and they weren't sure what the red spot was.  Upon admission, his kidney function was 13%  At 15% they put you on dialysis for life.  But the doctor said let's not go that way just yet because all of his electrolytes were in the perfect range.  So they put him on some super strong antibiotics and flushed his kidneys with mega IV fluids.  It worked, in four days he was at 69% functioning.  They were thrilled. They had also done two CT's two different days, to see if there was an abscess under the skin that was causing the red area.  Nothing showed up either time.  So, they wanted to send him to a nursing home just to do rehab as they are a little less strenuous and it would be better for him.  He was transferred to New Horizons on a Wednesday evening.  He did ok, but not as good as I thought they would do with him.  On Tuesday, three small white dots showed up in the middle of the red area on his abdomen.  The nurse took a pic and sent it to the doc so he would know what it looked like.  He was due in the next day to visit.  I got there Wednesday morning and the area had come open and was draining.  When the doc came in right after me, he told his nurse, to transfer to the hospital as Chuck needed emergency surgery.  So off we went flying.  They did surgery in the middle of the night and I did get to see him afterward to make sure he was ok.  His bandage was huge, which meant the surgeon had to cut a very large incision.

Once I got to see the surgeon the next day, I found out they did a 13" incision and took out a quart of stuff from the cavity. He left the incision open because of Chuck being a diabetic and diabetics don't always heal that great.  His thought was if he left it open, it would heal from the inside out and just in case more infection showed up inside, they wouldn't have to operate again.  And infection did show up again, so it's a good thing he made the choice he did.  On Thursday and Friday, they had to unpack and repack the incision three times a day.  On Saturday and Sunday, only twice a day.  Monday came and they packed the incision with a sponge material and attached a wound vac.  It was awesome!  That meant, it only had to be changed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  Much less pain for Chuck. But on Sunday morning before the wound vac was put on, I got a call from the hospital needing permission to do some test on Chuck because they believed he had had a stroke.  Once all the results were in, it was determined that he had had two small ones on the left side of his brain that affected his speech and a major one on the right side of his brain.  Oh no, here we go again.

But, the hardest day was on Thursday of the same week when the docs came in and said there was nothing else they could do for Chuck.  I had the option of putting him in a nursing home or taking him home with hospice.  But, I said he's not dying, they said technically he is.  Every vessel from the neck up was just about 100% blocked and his heart was only functioning at 25%.  Talk about shock!  I still can't get my mind totally around all of it.  My decision was of course to bring him home.  My youngest son and I talked to Chuck and gave him a say in the decision.  He wanted nothing more than to come home, so home it was.

A hospital bed and accessories were delivered on Friday night and Chuck was delivered by ambulance on Saturday afternoon.  It was so nice to have him home after being in the hospital for a solid month.  Even with the circumstances, it was nice.  I didn't have to be at the hospital before daylight and then not get home till after dark every night.  The hospice admission nurse came in and got every thing set up with meds and supplies to change his bandage dressings twice a day.  Yes, I am doing that, no big deal, nothing grosses me out. lol

I told everyone that if they wanted to see Chuck, they needed to do it now, because with the vessel blockages and his heart not working properly, he could have a massive stroke or a massive heart attack at any time.  So, we have had lots of visits from old friends and lots of family.  It has been really nice to see everyone.  Our Church friends come by too, they are super.

Everyday is a regression for him, which is to be expected.  He has stopped eating, but still drinks liquids.  All his meds have to be crushed and given with a bite of pudding.  He has a foley cath, so it's easier to keep his bed linens clean.  I do have a home aide that comes in three times a week to bathe him and to change the sheets for me.  She is an angel!  The nurse, social worker and chaplain come by too, which is nice.

I get to spend all day with Chuck but when I need to go outside for some fresh air, I have a baby monitor so I can hear if he calls my name.  He really doesn't need a lot of hands on care, but trust me, I keep my hands on him.

With him home, it gives me time to do my freelance writing work, which I will continue even after Chuck passes on.  I really don't want to go back into the corporate world to work.  I have other options here in my neighborhood that will be work related too.  Part time of course.

So, for now, I just live day by day and watch my sweet hubby drift farther and farther away from me.  I have had a hole in my heart since that Thursday in the hospital, knowing that his life would end sooner than either of us thought it would.  We all know that everyone will die at some time, but you are never prepared for it to be your spouse, especially at such a young age.  How do you say goodbye?  Will I remember how his touch and kisses felt?  What will I do with myself?  I know I have my puppies, cats and other pets that will need my attention, but it's just not the same, as you can well imagine.

This journey has been 9 long years and still going.  Today is six weeks from the time he went into the hospital on our anniversary.  He has been home from the hospital now 12 days.  We keep counting and enjoying each day, no matter how hard it is.  Most nights I don't sleep because he don't sleep, but I can't really sleep during the day, as I want every moment I can get with him.  He sleeps a lot but that's ok, He's still here with me for now.  I cry at the drop of a hat, shoot, you don't even have to drop a hat, I just cry most of the day and night.  I know when the day comes, I'll crash and burn and hopefully get some much needed sleep.  I think my ADD keeps me going most of all. My brain never stops thinking of things to do and keeps me awake.  I never thought that would be a blessing.

So, cherish every moment God gives you with your loved one.  You never know when that time will come to an end.

Hard Times

No one knows how hard life and death can be until they are facing the death of their spouse.  I lost my mom years ago and that hurt pretty bad, but there is such a difference when it comes time to say goodbye to your best friend that you have been married to for 38 years. 

I'm facing that now and I guess I just need to vent some everyday to get through the hardship of it all.

My first thoughts are what am I going to do with myself once God does call Chuck home for good.  I just don't know........

The last day of 2011! How has your year been? Me? I'm looking forward to another great year with the Lord!

Happy Memorial Day!

It's Memorial Day weekend, thank you God for a three day weekend. Yesterday, I had a mixed day. It started out wonderful, Chuck and I went over to Janet's house to feed the cats and then went to breakfast at Ihop. Chuck wanted to go for a ride, so we headed to Gainesville to see Jason and the boys. They weren't home, but we caught up to them and spent most to the day with them. It was really neat to see the three of them. I started getting out of sorts a little while we were there and it just went downhill from there. I really don't know what was going on in my head. After we got home, we watched part of a really good cowboy movie. Chuck wanted to go to the Chinese buffet for supper, so we did. It was good. Chuck actually ate some crab legs....lol. He cracked them and ate every bite he could get out of the shell. I was tickled to see him eating them. That is something he has not ever done before.

Today, I woke up in a great mood and Chuck was not feeling well. Yesterday was my day and today is his. I went to Church by myself, came home, got Chuck and we went to Captain D's for lunch. I enjoyed to fish for a change. We sat and talked for quite awhile. We both really missed having lunch with Bob, Becky and Rachel, but we lived...lol. They had a chance to spend some time with one of their son's that lives out of state. I hope they all had a great time together.

Bob, Becky and Rachel just got back from Destin, FL. We really missed them and was jealous that they were at the beach. Becky brought me some really neat sock yarn from one of the yarn shops that they visited. It is so beautiful! I am working on sock warmers for a coworker. I am almost finished with them and need to make a pair for her very beautiful baby daughter. They will have matching leg warmers.....how cute will that be! As soon as they are done, I am going to make a pair of socks for Chuck, then I will make me a pair using the new sock yarn. The yarn is very soft, it is made of alpacha and merino wool, silk and nylon. It is self striping, hand painted yarn. The socks are going to be beautiful.

That's another cool thing, now that I think about it. Chuck is really looking forward to his next pair of hand knit socks. He has always said that he didn't want me to make him some socks. But, now that I made him a pair and he has felt how good they feel on his feet, he loves them. I will probably make him four or five pairs at least. He is not a big sock wearer, but I know this winter he will be wearing them all the time. His next pair is going to be a slightly variegated red, kind of on the dark side.

Tonight, we are going to Church for a memorial service for Carl. His wife Helen goes to our Church. Carl went to be with the Lord last weekend and we are going to celebrate his home coming tonight. We are going to serve dinner for the family right after the service. I made a huge salad, with all the trimmings. It will be a sad time, but a good time all in one. Carl is where a lot of us really would like to be, sitting at the right hand side of our Father.

Tomorrow, I am going to cook us breakfast and have some hot dogs and chips later on for lunch/dinner. I plan on washing the dog bedding in all the dog crates and them work on more laundry, knit and might even take a nap.

I took a crazy sleep apnea test the other night, as a demo for a new piece of equipment at work. It showed that I stopped breathing 3 times during the night and snored 500 times in an hour. Chuck says I snore, but it sounds like a cat purring. So, I guess I have sleep apnea, but only mildly. The consulting doc reported that I could benefit from a cpap machine at night and that my snoring could be corrected by seeing an ENT for an in office procedure. That scares me to death. I don't think I want anything done to my nose. I already have a fear of suffocating and almost have panic attacks when I get a sinus infection and my nose is stopped up. So, I guess I won't be seeing an ENT any time soon. I might look into getting a cpap machine tho, I'll have to see how much my insurance company will pay. I haven't met my deductible yet, but I do still have flex spending money that could be used to pay for what they don't cover. We'll see.

I hope everyone has a blessed weekend!

Kilt hose

Well here are the kilt hose that I finally finished! As you can see Mike is tickled to death with them. They were custom made to match the kilt he is wearing here in this photo with me. The cuffs are entrelac - blue and yellow, with a darker blue picot at the top and bottom of the cuff. The leg is the darker blue in a pattern called "Links of Love". There is no pattern for these kilt hose--I winged it! We did complete measurements of Mike's leg and guessed the number of stitches needed to fit his leg and foot. We did it! I had him try them on very often to make sure that they fit. I really love the colors.

My writing career is growing with leaps and bounds. I have several clients that I do SEO writing for. I am working with a very sweet lady that lives in CA. She was a beauty queen a few years ago and a very beautiful one, I might add. She wants to write a book about finding the true beauty. I have started on it and will have lots of fun with it. I have started my first book, also. It is called, "Are you sure, God?" You will have to wait to see it in print to find out what it is about. I will tell you that it is mostly about my life, from beginning to death. I know, I'm still alive, but you will just have to read the book to see the ending, you'll love it.

Chuck has good days and bad days. We think he had another small stroke last week. His face is drooping worse and he slept for about three straight days, just like when the first one happened. Of course he didn't want to go to the hospital, as they really can't do anything for him. He takes Plavix to thin down his platlets. They are not able to do much for stroke patients that take Plavix. So, we just keep going and trusting God to take care of both of us.

Where in the world have you been?

In case you haven't noticed, it's been a year since I've posted anything on this wonderful blog. Maybe you haven't noticed or don't even care....lol.

Well, I think I'm back. It's been a very hard two years, but I think life is getting a little better.

For those that don't know, my mom passed away last April. She had cancer in several places, both lungs, her liver, hip, spine, and small intestine. The bad part is she didn't want my brother and I to know, so she kept it quiet for several years. The only way we found out was after we got the results of a CT, which showed in a couple of the places. We had her admitted to the hospital the next day and they ran more test and found the other four places. The cancer was too far gone to do anything. She even decided she didn't even want to know what kind of cancer it was. We brought her home to my house. The said she might have about two months, but died two weeks later.

I know God has his hands all in it, because, I had just had minor surgery the day before we got her first results. I had two weeks off work, so I could stay home and take care of her. I cherished every minute I had with her. We were able to clear the air on some personal issues and got pretty close before she died. She was able to see all her family and friends before she died, as well. The only thing I hated was that the day she died, I chose to go back to work. I thought she had more time and it would be ok. Chuck was home with her when God decided to take her home.

We still have not been able to sell her house, but we are still trying. My garage is full of junk that I brought from her house and I still have to bring home a china cabinet, the china and crystal, and a daybed. Lord only knows where I'm going to put it all.

But, as life goes on, things get better and better. I'm not knitting as much, but have gone back to the old love of writing. I'm working as a freelance writer....part time. I found a really cool site that lets you bid on jobs and I have actually been doing a lot of writing. It is really good therapy and lots of fun. Most of the work I do, I can pull from my head....others I have to do some research on and that's fun, since I get to learn something new and I have always said, you should never stop learning. If you do, your life is over and I'm not ready for it to be over yet.....lol.

I am in the middle of a knitting project that is a slow mover. I'm knitting kilt hose for a friend at Church. The pattern is called 'links of love' with entrelac cuffs. The colors are dark blue, yellow and medium blue......loud, but nice! I am about a half inch away from starting the heel flap. The reason it is taking so long to finish these, is Mike has such a large leg. I can usually knit a pair of sock in about two weeks, but these are taking forever. I'll post a photo when they are done. They match Mike's new custom made kilt. We took a swatch of the fabric to the Yarn Garden and matched the colors perfectly. Hopefully he will let me take a photo with him wearing the kilt and the hose, that will be awesome.

I tried sock knitting on a loom, but hated it, so that's an art that will not be kept up in the Brown house. I still like 2 sox on 2 circs....thanks to Cathy! I have about six pair of socks to knit once these kilt hose are finished. I have been collecting sock yarn, I have some gorgeous colors just waiting to be knit into socks. Well I guess I'm off to finish my article on starting a pet business. It pays enough for a meal out for Chuck and I....lol.

Puzzeled

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

Today, I found out.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish."

Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone!

Redecorating 101: How not to do it!

Well, we decided to redecorate our house, except that God was ready to start before we were!

On Monday, 12/3/2007 at 5:30am, we were awoken by this super load crashing noise. I jumped out of bed and flipped on the bathroom light. There was a limb from a tree laying at the foot of our bed. We ventured into the living room with a flashlight and a 40 caliber handgun. What did we see, well take a look.......

Yep, hanging through my roof was 30' of a 100' hardwood tree. The top of the tree broke off in the wind and decided it wanted to live in my house. The right end of that tree ended up in Morgan's cage. Thankfully, no one was injured, just tons and tons of damage to the house.

In case you couldn't tell, this is my sectional sofa under all that sheet rock, roof shingles, insulation and limbs.

Yep you guessed it, it's ruined.

We have a great contractor! They are going to replace everything structural that is damaged, including the floor and the ceiling fan.

Then, we get to pick out new furniture, which we have already been looking at. We decided that we are going to go with a sofa and two nice over sized recliners instead of a sectional this time around. We picked out black tables this time, which is so against what we normally do. I think we are even considering putting ceramic flooring down in that room instead of laminate flooring. Never can tell what we may do...lol.

Right now, we are staying in the Best Western Motel with four dogs in one room. It's slightly crowded in here...lol. We may be here for 4 - 8 more weeks depending on when inspectors can be arranged to sign off on the work as it is done. They are having to work on the gas line that ran through the attic and the electric wires that were going through the truss in the attic. Two of the trusses have to be replaced up there. We get to pick out new colors for the walls and ceiling and get the boards on the outside of the house replaced that were rotted. We also get a new chimney too.

So, think about us when you look out in the yard when the wind is blowing and those tall trees start swaying back and forth.....lol!

Sock Blockers

If you are interested in ordering a pair for yourself or as a gift, please follow the PayPal link in the sidebar. They come in three sizes, small fits size 5 - 7, medium fits size 7.5 - 10, and large fits size 10.5 & up for women and all men's sizes. The cost per pair is $25.00 which includes shipping within the US. If you live outside of the US, please email me at gallerybydeborah@gmail.com before you place your order and I will give you the shipping cost per pair. If you are interested in ordering more than one pair, I will give a discount on shipping. There will be a variety of cutout designs available, like a sheep, a sock, a heart, a ball of yarn with needles, and just about anything you could want on a pair. For all of you knitters that are in swaps, these make great gifts for your partners that knit socks.

Contest, Contest, Contest

Here are two contest on other peoples blogs. Go visit and enter, I did!

Dandy's Blog

Jane's Blog

There's always fun on blogs!

New Socks on thier way to the Czech Republic

Here is the very first pair of socks designed by Moi! They are a gift for the daughter-n-law of a very close friend. Jan saw me knitting in Church, yes I knit everywhere I go...lol, and asked if I would knit a pair for her daughter-n-law, Adrianne. Do you think I would turn down an opportunity like that? Nope! The pattern is called Adrianne's Life and is knitted in Louet's Gems yarn in French Blue on size 1 circ needles. They are 100% wool, but machine washable an dryable. Adrianne and Billy Crossan are missionaries in the Czech Republic, where it is extremely cold. They just moved into a new home and have made the choice not to wear shoes inside the house, so these socks will be perfect for her to wear inside or out.

I ran the pattern down the front only, leaving the back in stockinette stitch to blend from cuff through the heel and down. I also ran the pattern down into the toe decreases. I love the look of it.

There is a new pattern in the works for one of the sock groups I belong to. It is for the month of December and will be called "Blue Snow." I already have the chart made and the pattern written. I should get the yarn tomorrow, have my needles in my bag and will be anxious to get them started.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Today at work everyone dressed up except the docs! We had a blast! Both of the docs contributed $25.00 each to the person chosen with the best costume. We brought in an outside judge - Bob from the pharmacy next door - to do the judging. And who did he pick? Yep, you got it right, ME! I won $50.00 extra dollars just dressing up and trying to bite the judge on the neck.....lol. I was dressed as a vampireress. I'm on the right side of the group photo. We are already planning what our costumes will be for next year.....we just had too much fun!

Sock Blockers Are A Hit!

WOW! When I went into the yarn shop on Tuesday, everyone ewwwwed and ahhhhed over the sock blockers. They are a big hit! I am so excited! Now, off to the garage to cut out more for the next order!

On the crafting note!

Still in the middle of sock wars.....waiting for my next set of unfinished socks to arrive to forward on to the next target! Lots of fun. I have knitted so fast in my life!

I just finished one scarf for a coworker and started another one for someone else. While eating in a restaurant on Friday night someone else wanted one just like it, but in bright red. I think I am going to make one just like it for my scarf swap partner. I'll have to go to the yarn shop to get a special color for her. The scarf knits up really fast, so it won't take long to get it done.

I made 6 pairs of wooden sock blockers today, that will be sold in a yarn shop. I will deliver them next Saturday, if not sooner. It is a neat way to make a little extra money to support my knitting habit.......lol. I might even take a day off and go around to all the yarn shops around the Atlanta area to see who else might want to carry them. I am customizing them with the shop's logo. I am also going to sell them here on my blog.

I have also been encouraged to make a pattern calendar to sell. I will design 12 patterns, one for each month, print the photo of the item on the front of the page with the calendar month and then put the pattern on the back of the page. The printer is going to put them on card stock and bind them. The calendar won't be ready until next fall for 2009. It will be an awesome thing to work on. I already have three yarn shops that will carry the calendar. I already have three patterns ready and have started knitting the items to be photographed. This calendar will also be available on my blog as well. I am going to use yarns from several different companies to give some variety and show how the yarns knit up in patterns.

I took Ripley, Dottie and Emmie to Howloweenie on Saturday, we all had a blast and the dogs were so exhausted that they slept all the way home, ate their dinner and slept right on through the night. I entered Ripley in the Hunt in the Hay contest and he came in second. I also had all three doxies IQ tested. Ripley and Dottie scored 19 out of 20 points, but Emmie, being a baby only scored 14 out of 20. She couldn't quite get the idea that she had to turn the empty can over to get the treat out. It was a hoot. The even had doxie races for doxies in wheel chairs! They were so precious. It made me sad seeing these puppies that were paralyzed in their back legs. The owners said that the dogs lived as good a life and any other doxie did and made me wish that I hadn't put Rosie down. I know now that I could have learned to care for her and keep her with me even longer. I'm sitting her crying now, hoping that God will forgive me for not letting her keep on living. She was just the sweetest puppy in the world and had such a bad beginning in life. In the 18 months that we had her, we watched her blossom into a beautiful Rose (my Rosie). I'll always love her!

Changes in Life!

Change is eminent and good, they say! Life in my house is full of changes day by day.

In case you don't know, Cathy has moved out. We told her she needed to move by 11/9/07, but she decided to move out last Monday while I was at work. With the help of God, I made the decision, the week before that she needed to go. Things were way too stressful for Chuck and I, having someone else living in the house.

Chuck was very stressed with everything that was going on, especially with the state of mind he was in since his stroke, and I have to put his health and well being first. He has been my best friend for 30 years now and I'm not going to let anyone on this earth come between us or cause any problems for him if I can help it.

I wish Cathy all the best and hope that she finds someone to settle down with, that will meet her needs.

THE War has begun!

In case you haven't been watching the news, I thought I would update you on the latest war that began on Friday 10/12/2007. Yes, you heard me right a war broke all over the world. There is 167 people involved in this war, but the number of casualties have already begun to add up. The war I'm speaking of is Sockwars, of course! We got our dossier on friday evening. So, 167 of us already armed with weapons (knitting needles) and ammo (yarn) started and went as fast as we could to get a very beautiful pair of socks knitted. On sunday we had our first casualty, but the war kept going.

I knitted as fast as I have every done with my addie turbos - the best weapon for socks - even knitting in restaurants, in church, and in bed to all hours of the night to get my pair finished. I got them done at 11:00pm last night, turned out the lights, slide under the covers and tried to sleep knowing I had to go to work this morning. At 6:00 when the clock went off, I ran to the living room to turn the computer on, to print my express mail label with postage, put the socks and yarn label in an envelope and rushed to get dressed for work. On the way to work I dropped my envelope into the express mail box. My target (Stephane in NH) will be dead (only in the sense of sockwars) no later than 3:00pm on tuesday. Now I have to hide in my fox hole hoping that my assassin has not been as speedy as I. Rumor has it that she out to do me in very soon. Maybe I could just not be around when the mailman delivers the mail.....no I guess that won't work, I'll have to come up with another idea, maybe leave the country in disquise with a false passport.

None the less, the battle continues. I'll keep you posted on my life and death adventure through this war - SOCKWARS - that is!!

Designing my first sock pattern

Well, I sat down last night and typed out a pattern for a pair of socks for a friend that lives in the Czech Republic. It gets pretty cold over there, so Cathy talked me into doing them in Louet - Fine/Sport Weight yarn in French Blue. I started them in church this morning and they look great. The pattern will be called Adrianne's Tree of Life. I'll post a photo as I get more of the pattern done to show what it looks like. Cathy and I even sat at Fuddruckers today for lunch knitting socks. We knit everywhere....lol.

A super great weekend

This has been a great weekend for everyone in the house almost! Yesterday Cathy and I got our nails done, then off to the yarn shop. She needed yarn for a purse for a felted bag swap and I needed yarn for some socks that I am designing. While at the yarn shop a customer was asking questions about sock knitting and got around to discussing doing two on two needles. So, in the end Cathy agreed to teach a class in two weeks and I get to help her. We both will get paid for the class and I hope I can get some yarn to do the purse I want to design for next summer.

Then it was off to meet Chuck, Jason and the two youngest grandsons at Discover Mills Mall. We met them in the food court for lunch. Chuck had gyros, Cathy and I had Popeyes Chicken----very good-----we thought...lol.

Today, we went to Church and then out to lunch at Red Lobster for all you can eat shrimp----now that was very good! Before we could even get out of the resturant, Cathy and I both were in the bathroom and then again after getting home. We came in the house, Cathy went to her room, Chuck sat on the sofa and I layed down on the sofa with a wet wash clothe. Chuck felt fine, but I finally went and layed down in the bed to nurse my wash clothe and did go to sleep. After getting up, I found out that Cathy was feeling the same way I was. We thought about what we had eaten and figured that it had to be the chicken from the day before. We won't be eating at Popeyes any time soon...lol.

Tomorrow, Chuck has his indeepth memory testing, an all day test. If he makes it through the entire test, we will be there from 9 - 5. I get to go back with him for the beginning to answer some questions, then I'll be banned from the testing area. I am taking a project that I am test kniting for a designer and some socks just in case I finish with the first project. I am going to surf the library site tonight to download a really good book, to listen to while knitting.

Keep Chuck in your prayers tomorrow as he is nervous about this testing. He still has it in the back of his head that they might find something terrible and put him away somewhere away from me. I keep telling him that won't happen, but in his state of confusion he still forgets.

Cathy flies tomorrow, so she will be missed greatly. We have become a little family here.

Then, next saturday, Chuck's brother will be coming down from Indy with his youngest daughter Shelly. I have taken the week off---much needed time---and we are going to Stone Mountain, The Coca Cola Museum and The Georgia Aquarium. Cathy leaves on Saturday, but will be home in time to go to the Aquarium with us. She still wants to go to Stone Mountain and the Coke Museum, but we will just have to schedule them for another time when she is home.

I am going to show Shelly how to make Mama Dot's Hot Gravey while she is here. Chuck's mom made this awesome gravey. I am the only one that has the recipe and knows how to make it. So, I am going to teach Shelly how to make it so that the recipe will keep going strong. It is so simple, but it's one of those that you have to smell of it to know that it is ready to eat. So, on sunday we will have roast beef, hot gravey, potato salad, homemade biscuits and some fresh green beans, maybe even some deviled eggs. So, come on over, there will be plenty, as I don't know how to cook for a small group, only for armys of people.

Miracles do happen!

I finally finished my first pair of socks done on circular needles. I knitted one peach and one pink. The peach ones are for me and the pink ones are for Cathy. She also knit one pink and one peach. When she gets home Thursday night, we will swap socks. The main reason for doing two different colors of socks was to make it easier to learn to do 2 socks on 2 circs. Cathy is an excellent teacher and I'm not a bad learner....lol.

I tried another tutorial that KyleAnn wrote. She put it on one of my WhoDuKnit group and I just couldn't get it. I thought it was just me, but then I heard that several people had the same problems I did, so I felt better and decided I would wait until Cathy moved down here, to try to get it again. KyleAnn has her tutorial posted all over the internet on several groups and blogs and am hearing from others that they are having problems learning it too. Cathy made it so easy to learn and finished my first pair within a week and a half.

And I must say they are beautiful! Now, I have lots of sock yarn to make all kinds of designs and colors to wear.

I am going to create some of my own designs, so be on the lookout for them!

Look What I Brought Home Today!!!!

Today Cathy and I struck out this morning to pick up a sweet puppy named Pete, a doxie rescue, to help him get to a different part of the country with hopes if finding a new forever home. It works like this - dogs are rescued through owner relinquish, abandonment, picking up from puppy mills or shelters, or by getting a call from someone saying there are animals in need. They are fostered and vetted until they are ready to be adopted. All animals are spayed and neutered before going to their forever home. Sometimes they need to get from one city to another or from one state to another to be adopted. Some are adopted before being transported, some just go from one foster to another. Either way they need to get from one place to another and there are no funds to put them on a plane to travel, so a lot of us volunteer our time and gas to pick up a sweet puppy and go part of the journey.

Today, a very sweet lady by the name of Sandra, drove from Hayden, AL to Breman, GA with Pete and a couple of other surprises. Cathy and I drove to Breman, GA to pick up Pete and complete the second leg of his transport. We then drove from Breman, Ga to Buford, GA and dropped Pete off with Katie. She then drove the next leg of the transport. And it went on from there. The transport will take two days and Pete will end up in Baltimore, MD to another foster mom to await adoption. It takes a lot of time out of your day and a lot of gas out of your car, but believe me, it is well worth the time and expense to help save a baby. Two of my three doxies are rescues and I probably will never go to a breeder again for a baby, they will all be rescues from now on.

Well the surprise today was that Sandy had two 3 1/2 week old kittens in her suv that were being bottle fed. I was in hog heaven when I saw them. They are both calico's and beautiful. One is the normal looking calico and one has some tiger striping on her.

Cathy and I had originally planned on stopping at walmart to get our nails done after dropping off Pete, but I decided that I would just let Cathy get her nails done and I would just run into walmart to get some kitten milk and some canned food for the baby's and just sit in the air conditioned car with them. By the time Cathy was finished I had the babies fed and pottied, yes you have to help them go potty when they are so young. Now these babies are 3 1/2 weeks old but look like they are only about 2 maybe 2 1/2 weeks because of the hard start they had. Sandy got a call about a week ago and responded knowing that some animals needed help. When she got there, there were 16 dogs and 16 cats that needed to be rescued, along with these little girls. Their mom didn't have milk to feed them, as she wasn't being fed enough to produce milk for her kittens, so Sandy started bottle feeding them. There were three to begin with, but one, the smallest, did not make it. These two did and now I have them. I get to do what I love to do best and that's being mom and caretaker and it helps Sandy, as she is picking up the rest of the cats from the vet this next week and will have a house full, with her other animals and the 32 new additions. She was excited that she would be able to stop at a real restaurant on the way home to eat instead of having to drive thru a fast food place, as the kittens can't be left in the car very long with the heat.

When we got home and picked up Chuck, we went out to eat at Zaxbys. Then back home to feed the kittens again. After they ate and pottied, they were introduced to the dogs. Star and Emmie were ok, Ripley and Dottie wanted to eat them.....lol. After Ripley and Dottie realized that they weren't stuffed toys, they calmed down. They found out that if they wanted to sit with me when I was holding the kittens, they had to be nice and kind....a little hard for Dottie to do, but she managed. Star even barked when the kittens were crying, she has never had puppies, since she is a rescue, but still had the motherly concerns and wanted me to know that they were crying and to do something about it. The doxies decided that the kittens tasted good after eating, since they had kitten milk and cat food all over their faces. They all three wanted to lick them clean.

The kittens will go to work with me everyday until they are old enough to stay alone and eat on their own. Once they are older, I can come home at lunch and feed them, until they are ready to go to two feedings a day. I can't wait for them to get old enough to run around on the floor to play with the doxies.




Cathy finished her half of the friendship socks while riding, now I just have to finish mine.

Now to the really good part - these little girls need names! So post your suggestions in the comments section of this post and Chuck and I will pick the two we like the best. The winner or winners will receive a neat prize!