One not so crafty bitch

The past few weeks have been very un-creative for me. I no longer have the time to devote to what I really love to do, create things. My work has become all I think about from the time I rise to the time I got to sleep. It has even made its way into my dreams...nightmares actually. I feel I am doing my best to learn everything they are throwing my way, but it is just so much. When did I start college again???!!!

I started a new doily earlier in the week and made it through several rounds but as I started another round, I found a boo-boo at the beginning of the previous round so I ripped it all out to start that round again. I haven't started back. Maybe I will work on it this weekend.

I now think that the toe is really broken. After two weeks, it is still swollen and tender. I can move it, but the motion is very limited and painful. I feel at times that it is a "ghost toe". It seems to not want to follow the movement of the rest of the toes. When I take my work shoes off, I find it kind of overlapping the toe next to it. Very odd. I have tried to spend any "free" time I have with the foot up but that hasn't helped one iota. About 97% of my workday is spent standing and running around, and I know that doesn't help. I have never had a broken bone, let alone a bad sprain, so all this discomfort, pain and immobility is new to me.

I even think I am developing some kind of arthritis or tendon issue in my right hand. This morning I had trouble grasping things. Mainly with my thumb and forefinger. When I tried to pick up something or turn my wrist, a dull pain would radiate through those fingers towards the wrist. Simple things such as picking up the Brita filter or turnng on a faucet makes it hurt. I am going to do my best to not over-exert and over-use the hand but that going to be a difficult task for me. I guess I will does up on ibuprofins. That should help both the toe and the wrist.

I got some sad news Monday evening. I knew it was coming and it was only a matter of time before it happened. My Oma died Monday morning. She has been in hospice for a few months and her health has been declining over the last 4 years. She has had several other problems over the past few months that actually should have killed her. She developed sepsis following a UTI and bladder infection that went unnoticed for a while. Somehow they got those problems under control with some hella-high dose antibiotic and she made it through. I think she just didn't wake up this time. I take comfort knowing that she isn't in pain anymore and is now with her beloved husband, my Opa, who died in 2002. SH and I are leaving for North Carolina tomorrow for the funeral.

*Oma is the german word for Grandmother. Opa is the german word for Grandfather. My brother and I started calling our grandparents this since we lived in Germany as children.

My hook is a smokin'!!!

I have finally finished the charity rectangles! I have 4 done in each color in a shell pattern, 2 granny rectangles and 2 done in a tunisian stitch. Twelve 'tangles total. The newest ones are getting blocked right now and I will post pics when they are finished. I used up all my leftovers in three shades of blue! Sweet.


Mother of purl has kindly offered to take all the other leftovers off my hands too. I will now have room to make a NEW YARN PURCHASE to get Mom's shawl started. I am still unsure and debating colors. I am leaning heavily towards a variagated blue or purple or green. I guess once I see them in person I will have an easier time choosing. I know that she cannot wear certain olivey-yellows or else she looks like death warned (warmed?) over. I will opt for something bright and cheery. I just know she will love this shawl.

A very merry unbirthday to the SH

The SH's birthday is coming up in 2 weeks. I ordered his gift online wednesday. I was expecting it to arrive next week, plenty of time before his day. I got the email shipping confirmation at 10 this morning.
At around 2 SH answered the door. The UPS man had come a callin'. The gift had been delivered early! Cool! Wrapped in the manufacturers box. Not cool. Labeled with exactly what was inside. Also not cool. I think the labeling even went so far to tell him the person who put the monitor in the box. I was the dumbass that did not check the "this item is a gift" option during the checkout pro-cess. I was under the ASSUMPTION that if I checked that box, I would be charged another 5 Simoleons for gift wrap. I didn't realize that it meant that the gift would ship discreetly. Double DOH!

SupaHubby is currently at CrapMart buying new speakers to go with his early birthday present. A 19 inch widescreen LCD monitor.

Market bag & Fathers Day....complete.

It fascinates me how crochet is basically one giant "knot" that will unravel if you pull the right thread. Whenever I rip out previous work, I love to watch the pattern disappear as if it were some kind of magic trick. Mesmerizing.

So, my father's birthday is the day after Father's day. I baked him a cake for this occassion as opposed to buying a gift. He already has everything he could want or need and everyone loves food!! This was the cake. In my haste, I decided to go ahead and bake the cake rounds,then get the rest of the recipe together. Big mistake. I re-read the instructions after putting the rounds in the oven and realized that I was supposed to add other ingredients to the cake mix BEFORE baking!! DOH!! After a few expletives and a bit of huffing and puffing around the kitchen, I decided to make do with what I had and make a version of this. I used the mandarin oranges from the Citrus Cake in place of the pineapples in the Lush Cake.

We took the cake and the dogs to Enterprise for the visit with the family. It just so happens that my nephews were there for a visit! After Disco was introduced to everyone, I decided we all needed to sample the cake. It actually was quite tasty!! After our little cakey snack, we visited and my two nephews rolled around in the floor with Disco. The boys LOVED her.
Disco and her wicked stepsister, Fatty-Boombalattie.


Now, back to crochetland....
I finished the bag Sunday afternoon. I only used 1 3/4 of my 4 skeins so I am making ANOTHER bag. This one will most likely be given to a friend. Like most new patterns, it takes me a few tries to get the instructions down pat. I think I got through row 8 before I had to rip it all out and start over. I hate to do that, but due to my OCD-ness, I want the piece to be as perfect as possible. I think the second bag is gonna turn out even better than the first.

before:



after: