And nearly unpacked. Just a few more boxes to go in the bedrooms.

Can I say that we already feel so much better here than we did at the other place. Dealing with someone else’s ugly yellow walls and 80’s wallpaper really made us feel like our stuff was in someone else’s house (which is what happened) and we never got a chance to relax (I saw that yellow wall made it impossible, just like in the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Giman, a few more months and I would have sworn that wallpaper was talking to me).

Anyhow, I’ll post pictures when I get a chance. It’s really lovely.

I started decorating for Christmas tonight, but the wind got blown out of my sails early. I’ve decided to just leave things as they are and finish up tomorrow morning. I have garland to weave lights into and three trees to light and decorate and I’m just not in the spirit. Hopefully things will look brighter tomorrow morning.

I’m also feeling the Christmas crafting crunch.

Let’s tally it up, shall we

1) Finish making 20 Christmas cards
2) Take CHristmas portraits of child for aforementioned CHristmas cards
3) Alter 7 or 8 paint cans for gifts
4) Create four more mini albums for gifts
5) Put together a secret sister gift for a swap I’m in
6) Knit poor dh his fuzzy feet
7) Consider making 11 puppy puppets for dd’s class make 6 more candles for Christmas gifts
9) Knit Christmas gift for mom
10) Knit CHristmas gift for sister
11) Knit Emily’s mittens

I’m afraid to add anymore. It seems so huge. I know that ERic’s slippers could probably wait and I could forgo the puppy puppets. My Marthaitis is starting early this year….

We’re two days away from moving. My scrapbook stuff is nearly all packed. My material, patterns and sewing goodies are packed away. My books, also out of reach. What else was there to do?

Find a half a ball of cotton tots under the bed while I was cleaning, find my needles and whip out this

I will be adding a pompom after this entry and before I get back to packing.

As I haven’t shared much knitting wise lately, I would like to offer up the flower washcloth…

Isn’t THAT thing wild? Actually, it looks a lot brighter in that picture than it is IRL.

And, just for fun, my sassy sock….the other one is shoved in a box…

Knititng wise, would it be insane to knit 11 puppy puppets for dd’s preschool class? I’m thinking of trying to whip up one just to see how long it takes. I think they’d be such cute gifts and fairly quick, though I’m not totally sure. I was going to try it with the brown light and lofty I bought this time last year, but that crap sucks to knit with. I might give it another try, though. It might come together.

I can’t wait until we’re done moving. We pick up the keys tonight. I think we’re going to carry over and unpack a few boxes then. I think we’re going to end up a few boxes shy, but unpacking a few things should help us out quite a bit.

Of course, finally moving means i can finally put my Christmas stuff up. I am starting to get antsy that nothing is decorated! I’ve usually started by now (which seems to be my mantra this year.)

In Emily speak, we move to our new place in five sleeps.

So, we’re packing.

And packing.

And cleaning and I’m trying to squeeze in some Christmas stuff, but that part’s getting less and less easy as time passes. Thankfully, in a week from now we’ll be in our new place and working on settling in again. Packing up seems so much easier this time. I don’t know if it is because we purged so much stuff before the last move or if having done it in the not so distant past, we’re prepared for it and it seems to be going quickly.

This evening, we’ll wash up the dishes and get them packed up. My parents have decided to hold thanksgiving dinner and so we won’t need our nice stuff. We’ll buy some Solo cups and paper bowls and deal with that for a few days. The living room, coat closet, linen closet and bathroom are all packed at this point. Just the bedrooms (we’ve started Em’s–a box of books and two bags of stuffed animals have been packed), ktichen and den to go.

We’re only moving about five miles, so it’s going to be pretty easy, in comparison. I think we will ask to borrow my Dad for an hour or two and maybe the ‘rents can keep Emily for the day so we can carry and unpack.

Overall, I am excited though. I’ve made no bones about the fact that I don’t much care for this condo, so moving into this nice, new, cute little place (with a fire place AND vaulted ceilings) makes my heart happy.

I have been doing a little crafting for Christmas. Mostly making heat treated candles. I’ll share when I have more time, but they are super cute and I love them. :o)

It’s been a frustrating couple of days.

First off, we are moving.

In a week.

Thanksgiving weekend.

Yikes!!

I don’t have much to say except….wish me luck.

I broke one of my dpn this week in the middle of sock knitting. I suppose I could finish up the heel and then wait to finish, but it sort of deflated me. I probably will run to Joann’s soon. I want to buy a gift, get a new set of needles and buy a mirror to go over the fireplace in our new place. :O)

Also, some Jackass has been spamming my comments. I’ve turned them off on our main page and may do the same here. Just irritating, I suppose.

I am now convinced that any person faced with a crisis should learn how to knit. It is soothing and useful for long afternoons spent in the hospital.

And, it impresses all the nurses, who were surprised to see knititng on DPN working out.

I’ve said before that knitting is very zen for me, and it’s coming through in fine fashion right now.

I mentioned that I finished my flower wash cloth. It does need to have it’s ends woven in, but that will wait. I don’t find much pleasure in that and the school Christmas party is nearly a month away.

I started work on my second sassy stripe sock. However, as work progressed on the second sock, I found the first sock to be lacking and ripped it nearly all the way out. It pained me to do so, but I didn’t realize the error in fit until I got it right.

How long does it take to get the fit right on the first sock on the first try? My regia socks took several tries and are still a SMIDGE too loose around the cuff (but, thankfully, comfortable at the toe). The sassy stripe sock was knit, had the cuff ripped out, had the cuff re knit and then was totally sacrificed (or nearly so).

I know I won’t wear a poorly knit sock and so the ripping is necessary, but I hope at some point I won’t have to correct so many mistakes.

I also think I used too many stitches on the first sock as well, making it far too loose to be of any use at all.

I think the second, er….first sock should be done soon. The length is getting close to being good. Then I can reknit the first (or is it now the second or even third ;o) sock and be finished with this pair.

She is out of surgery and we’ve got some good news.

It may STILL be cancer, which means she may still need radiation to battle any left over cells, but she made it throught he surgery and she’s not paralyzed and I am so thankful.

We will know more over the course of the next few days. She will likely need physical therapy to compensate for the muscle loss to her lower hip/upper butt, but in retrospect, it’s still a blessing.

Thanks to everyone sending out thoughts and well wishes. I know it helped

My mom checks into the hosptial tomorrow morning. Her first procedure for the removal of her tumor is at noon. They will clamp off the blood flow to the offender so it will be easier to remove on Wednesday.

To quote my Dad, “I’m ready to jump out my asshole”, but I’m trying to think positive and focus on helping my parents through the upcoming weeks.

If all of this wasn’t enough, we got a call from our landlord today. Seems he’s ready to sell the condo , OUr options are 1) buy the condo (ummmm…..noooooo) or 2) live here while it’s on the market. I don’t think those are very good options so we’re back out looking for someplace else to live.

Le sigh.

I told Eric that was my one fear about this place upon taking it. The uncertain nature of our length of stay.

So, let’s recap our current situation

1) Eric started a new job last week
2) My mom is having an operation to remove a mutant tumor from her back
3) SOmeone is living in our house in Lakemoor, but no one knows how long it’s going to be before she finances the house in her name (don’t EVEN get me started on this one)
4) OUr landlord is selling the condo
5) We have to find a new place to live.

Yup.

That about sums it all up. Add to the fact that we have a 90lb dog and three cats and you’ll see why we’re having so much fun today.

Sigh

Sigh, sigh, sigh.

In knitting news, I finished off the flower wash cloth. Very simple. I used the rest of the chenille to make a very cute, very pink, very soft scarf. Whether or not I will keep it for myself will remain to be seen.

I attempted to cast on for my second sassy stripe sock last night, but after two failed toes, I gave up. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I would like to figure out the toe so it will be portable knitting for me over the next couple of days. I think I may need it.

is doing a holiday music weekend. They’ll start playing all Chrsitmas music in a few weeks.

Christmas planning is moving into full swing. When the pumpkins land in the trash, the planning begins in earnest. Eric came home last night and asked “Is that a Christmas tree already?”

Yes. I had to test it. ;o)

Naturally.

I notice that I have about ten more skeins of yarn to add to my yarn list. I have decided that I will be removing used yarn at the beginning of the year, but that bar over there is getting AWFULLY long. But, what’s a girl to do.

I am working through the center of my flower wash cloth. Afterwards, Iw ill need to decide what to do what the lovely, soft, chenille yarn I’m using. It’s not cotton, but it’s nylon, which I thought was a reasonable choice for a wash cloth/bath item as it should take a lot of abuse. I am thinking either 1) finishing the ball making flower wash clothes or 2) knitting it into a fabulous scarf. I’m not sure it would work into a scarf, and I would hate to have to buy another ball halfway through, but it is just so nice and soft and PINK (which I swear isn’t something I’d usually say, so enjoy it).

I’ve been making cards this weekend. Christmas cards,w hich I have shared and some cards for upcoming occassions…

I have been trying to keep busy as whenever I think too much upon my mom’s upcoming surgery, I get a little panicky and all worked up. I’m trying to maintain as much as possible right now. I’m looking at the surgery with a mix of worry and relief. I am worried about the surgery, for sure, but the pain from the tumor and the pain killers are making my poor Mom seem like she’s 80. :o( And that’s just not like her at all.

So, in short, I’m looking forward to the surgery because at least I know (well, I’m praying) that it will be the end of this and the beginning of the next part, for her.

On Tuesday, Mom will have a procedure to shut off the blood flow to the tumor and on Wednesday evening it will be removed. I’ve been praying (which is probably some of you may be surprised to hear) every day for her health and well being and the strength of mind to get through all of this with my sanity intact.

I am so very thankful that I started making the move back towards religion and faith prior to this. It’s been a big help.

To say that we have been unsettled here over the past few weeks would be an understatement.

For those of you who don’t know, my Mom is dealing with an illness. I’m not sure WHAT to call it as it seems as though they don’t know WHAT,f or sure, it is yet. First reports seemed to indicate a cancerous tumor, but it has a dead core, like a cyst. Her surgery is in less than week (on the 10th to be exact) so we’re hoping we get all the answers we need then.

Prayers always accepted.

Eric is spending his first full week at home as a self-employed person. Needless to say, that has thrown off the ebb and flow of things around here. I love having him home, but i don’t like having my ebb and flow upset. ;o) I’m sure we will get things on order soon.

I am disappointed in the outcome of the election and it has left me in a funk. I know I’m not the only person who feels this way and plenty of other people have expressed my ideas far better than I will. It is indeed sad times for this country. I believe that fully and I am very sorry for our Gay friends who have been so defeated by the proposals put up to vote in this last election.

Sad times, my friends, sad times.

I think people seem to forget that nearly half this country doesn’t want GWB as president and yet they act so surprised that so many people are unhappy.

Oy.

Just oy.

I haven’t been knitting. I have been reading. Most recently Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I can tell you, it is different reading this book as an adult.

Very, very different. But, I love it still.

Knitting news. None to report. Though I did participate in some S-E-X yesterday. ;o) Poor Eric has been complaining of cold tootsies when he’s up in the morning. What better than a nice, dark green pair of fuzzy feet to keep his tootsies nice and warm. Also, bought a skein of yarn to make Em’s teacher’s flower washcloth and two skeins of baby alpaca yarn for Em’s hat and mittens. The stuff feels incredible!

So, here’s my knitting to-do list:
1) Finish second sassy stripe sock (I hate having an unfinished project sitting around)
2) Knit Eric’s fuzzy feet
3) Knit Em’s mittens (hat can wait. She does have a hood)
4) Knit flower washcloth for Miss Lori
5) Knit Jolene’s Christmas gift
6) Knit Mom’s christmas gift
7) Knit Em’s hat

In sewing plans, I have one nightgown and a Christmas dress to sew. Then the rest of my projects are more at my leisure than those. I also bought a baby clothes pattern to help finish up some of my left over fabrics. Baby DOLL clothes that is. No babies here yet.

As noted, I was trying to read 100 books this year. I’m 57 away from making that goal. I guess life happened here and I jsut didn’t get around to it. However, I have done two books in the last three days. If I read one book every day between now and the end of the year I might be able to make my goal, but that’s asking a bit much. :o)

Maybe if I could count picture books……

Since I can’t knit and read, I’ve not been knitting. I’d like to finish my second sassy stripe sock, but I feel unmotivated. Perhaps more second sock syndrome? I wouldn’t put it past me.

Anyone else joining up to do the NaNoWriMO. I’m trying to work on a few pages today. I think it’s an interesting concept. Check it out at www.nanowrimo.org.