Sherrie's Gift

This was my largest project yet and also the one that's taken the longest. I made this shawl for my former boss, Sherrie. She is a fantastic lady and I loved working with her. I found this yarn and immediately fell in love with the pattern and texture. I made up my own pattern for this project which is basically alternating rows of single stitches then spaced double stitches. One of the things that happened is that the shape of this shawl ended up in sort of a parallelogram instead of a rectangle or even a trapezoid. I also had such a great learning experience making it.

Post-Op follow up (Partial cross-post)

I went to my my post-op follow up appointment today. The doctor said that the cyst was benign and that is not malignant which is good. He also said that it could take another week before I feel like all of my energy is back.

Post-Op update (late)

I'm doing OK. I'm sore and tired but moving around a bit more today than yesterday. I'm starting to get an appetite but food still causes some queasiness so I had cream of wheat for dinner tonight. Yay. I hope I can eat ribs before the weekend is through. I have my follow up appointment next Thursday.

Nerves

I'm trying not to be nervous about my little surgery tomorrow morning, but it's hard not to be. I know that doctors these days are such experts at what they do and I'm supposed to be able to go home tomorrow afternoon. They said it should only take about a week to recover. It's just that they are still going to cut open my body to remove something and then sew me back up. It's a little unnerving. I'm cool, though. I'll be fine.

It's a strange turn of events that makes me a little grateful for the technology that we have in this day and age. It's a little bit of looking on the bright side of things as well. Last year, I had a miscarriage. I had another one last month and that's when they found the cyst. Since there wasn't a cyst on my ovary last year when they took the ultrasound pictures at the hospital, it's a probability that I've developed this thing in the last year. It's fairly large. The doctor made a circle shape with his index finger and thumb but didn't close the circle. That's larger than a golf ball, if you ask me. Because I can't feel this thing (no nerve endings on the ovaries, don't you know) it could have continued to grow and become problematic. But because I was pregnant they did early ultrasounds and found it. It doesn't look malignant on the ultrasounds and I'm sure they'll take a look at it to make sure, but it could have been and I wouldn't have known.

I'll try to post later tomorrow or Thursday to let you all know how it went. In the meantime, my husband may tweet about it: http://twitter.com/indeeart.

Serendipity and salutations.

A Little List

My first year as a stay-home-mother/housewife has passed and I've felt a little lost lately. I used to be a professional working woman. I used to use problem solving skills and software programs to fill my day. Now, I struggle to figure out what, besides dino nuggets, we can have for lunch today. I sometimes feel like some helpless version of June Cleaver, but the Bizarro World version. You remember Bizarro World, right? I'm rough edged and not quite right? But waking up this morning and coming out of that little dream reminded me: I'm not helpless and I'm more well rounded than I tend to remember.

This list is mostly for my benefit, but maybe you will be able to take something from it. Maybe you didn't know me as well as you thought or maybe you'll make your own list. Some of the things in this list may seem elementary and simple, but you wouldn't believe how many people don't know how to do these things or just don't even try.

These things are just in the order that I've thought of them and no other particular sequence has been given to them (*OK, I went back and grouped a little bit*):

• I know how to check my tire pressure and put air in my tire.
  
• I know how to change a tire on my car. I may have trouble lifting a tire without killing whatever outfit I have on, but I can get it done.
• I know how to put snow chains/cables on my tires and which tires they go on.
  
• I know how to check my car's oil and refill it.
• I know that I don't need to have my air filter changed every time I go to Jiffy Lube, no matter what they tell me.
• I know how to use a level, screw driver, and hammer.
• I know how to find a wall stud.
• I know how to read directions/instructions.
• I know how to assemble furniture.
• I know how to put up a tent.
• I know how to build a proper fire.
• I know how to put out a fire.
• I know how to build an emergency outdoor shelter.
• I know how to tie that "rabbit goes around the tree and down the hole" knot. I don't know the name of it though.
• I know how to paddle a canoe.
  
• I know how to read a (paper and online) map.
• I know how to use a compass.
• I know how to read a topographical map.
  
• I know basic first aid and CPR.
• I know how to fix a leaky faucet.
• I know how to remove a shower head and (gasp) remove that stupid little water saving device. Forgive me, my eco-friends, I'll save water elsewhere. I don't believe it's really saving that much water if it takes twice as long to rinse shampoo out of my hair.
• I know how to repair a hole in a wall.
  
• I know how to wash my own dog.
• I know how to wash my own car.
• I know how to install a hard drive in a PC.
• I know how to connect peripherals (mouse, speakers, keyboard, lcd, monitor, etc.) to a computer.
• I know how to connect entertainment/electronic equipment. For example, the TV is hooked up to the DVR, DVD, VCR (yes, we still have one), CD player, and game console. All of these are routed so that I can turn on the amlifier and listen to anything we play in stereo (surround sound if we had more speakers set up.)
• I know how to balance a checkbook register.
• I know how to perform inventory and calculate cost.
• I know how to calculate change from a transaction without a calculator or cash register.
• I know how to cook rice. (Again, this is one of those things some people don't even try.)

Before you judge my pathetic little list, remember that I know more than this, but this is the stuff I forget about knowing. I'm not helpless and it makes me feel better knowing that.