July 18, 2009 - Clever Girl!

Four hours' sleep. Why am I having so much trouble sleeping over the last few days? Since I was wide awake, I got myself out of bed before the alarm went off and headed out the door with Kasey to go back to AACC.

Lucky for me, the lady at the Records & Registration window was much more helpful than the girl yesterday. When I explained that I was stuck with the four-day class and that I was a dialysis patient, she went to work looking through the sections for another availability. I had highlighted all the sections I was interested in and told her that I asked about online classes when I was there yesterday. She asked me what I was told and I said "I got a shake of the head. She didn't say anything." I wasn't sure if the online and hybrid (one day a week at campus, everything else online) were full, or just the online.

She was able to find me an opening in a hybrid class that meets from 5:10 to 6:55pm on Thursdays. That is perfect because I'll be able to continue attending Barnes & Noble stitching group on Thursday afternoons! My entire first semester, there is only one day a week I have to be at campus. I love it!

I ran a couple errands and then picked up Anna for our library date. I wanted to take a picture, but I left my purse in the truck because I had my hands full with backpacks, books, little girl, and Kasey. Anna prefers going to the Eastport branch of the library because they have a play area for little ones. There are puzzles she plays with whenever we're there. She especially likes the two puzzles with different kinds of latches. I will be sure to take pictures next week when we go!

I popped around the corner to my other niece's house so that I could drop off the birthday card she forgot at Mom's. Aime, my ex-SIL and I chatted for a bit but I had to go because I left the truck running with Anna and Kasey inside (we were on the front porch, but still) and Aime was packing Bre's things in preparation for her week-long stay at Ian's.

We dropped Anna off at Sarah's and came home and I putzed online all day. I didn't do any stitching at all.

I did, however, do something crafty today! When we were at the college, we went into the bookstore because I was told the school nurse's office was on the other side. When I asked one of the girls in the bookstore if I was heading in the correct direction she informed me that the nurse wasn't there on weekends. The reason I wanted to see her was that my advisor suggested I talk to the nurse about my condition. They thought it was a good idea, should I have a fainting spell, for someone to know exactly what to do, especially since Kasey is usually with me. I have no problem with that, because it'd make me feel safer, anyway.

Well, once I found out the nurse wasn't there I decided to wander around the bookstore. When I read the school's website last night, one of the tips I saw was to have an at-a-glance calendar with due dates and reminders. I found an organizer that had a yearly at-a-glance page, monthly pages, and weekly pages with individual blocks for each day. I thought it was great. They just didn't have purple. They had a lavender, but it was a display copy with a large sticker on the cover which read "Do Not Remove." A search of the stock room revealed two other styles of organizers in purple, but neither had the large daily blocks of the first and only one had a page for each month. I chose the second style but they weren't bar coded yet and therefore couldn't be sold.

I asked if I could buy the lavender display copy anyway and said I'd find something to cover the eyesore sticker. So they sold it to me!

After running errands and taking Anna to the library, I came home and devised a way to hide the offending sticker.

I started with this:

















And ended with this:
















It took some finagling, but I covered the organizer in a piece of fabric from my stash. I used Fray Check on the edges of the fabric after the glue dried and tied a length of ribbon to the top of the spiral to be used to mark my place in the calendar. Since the ribbon is tied at the top, it will always stick out of the bottom and thus show me which side is the front/top of the book. I only used glue to adhere the fabric to the covers so the spiral is loosely covered and the book easily opens.

How clever and crafty is that? No one will have one like it!

July 16-17, 2009

Thursday

Today was the day Kasey and I headed home. I had an extra hour before Barnes & Noble stitching group so we stopped at Grandma's to spend some time with her. I cleaned off her storm door window while I was there. She had put some gel letters on it so the birds wouldn't fly into it and the sun melted them over the past several months. Talk about goo! UGH!

We made it back to Annap-olis just before 1pm and went straight to B & N to stitch. Several of us stayed late so I had three hours of stitching time. I was working on the borders of Ocean Star because I didn't feel like doing all the small areas inside the diamonds and squares yet. I'll get back to them, I promise!

When we finally arrived home I went straight to bed. I was completely exhausted and wound up sleeping until 7:30pm. Man, did I need that rest!

Friday

Another early day for me! I had to go to the college to meet with an academic advisor before the lobby filled up. Lucky for us, no one was waiting so Lisa ushered Kasey and I to her office. We talked about my goal for school, majoring in English. Because AACC doesn't have an English course of study, my major is Transfer Studies with a concentration in English. I have to take an additional twelve credits in English to meet the concentration requirements.

My first semester is going to be the two classes determined by the placement tests I took on Monday, Math 012-Intermediate Algebra, and English 121-Composition & Literature. The math class is four credits, but they don't count towards my degree.

I went to the Records & Registration desk next so that I could register for my classes. Unfortunately, the MWF math class I wanted was already full, all of them were. So then I asked about internet classes. The girl behind the counter shook her head "no." I got stuck with a four-day-a-week class that meets from noon to 12:50pm. M/Tu/Th/F. I thought to myself, "If that's all they have, what can I do?" I can't take any science or labs until I am elegible for the college math.

Next, we were sent to the Cashier which was just the next bank of windows in the Student Services Building lobby. The cashier, Jackie, was very nice. When I told her I was working with DoRS, she put a one-week hold on my classes to give DoRS time to send my paperwork over.

I headed back to Annapolis after getting the bill for my two classes. Any guess as to how much tuition and fees were? Try $692 for seven credits! I called my DoRS counselor from the truck to let her know what I was told. I didn't want to show up at my appointment on Thursday and say, "Oh! By the way, AACC needs my paperwork tomorrow!" That would go over like a lead balloon! I told Sue that I would drop off the bill because I was only about five minutes away.

When I arrived, she asked me if I filled out the form for a tuition waiver since I'm on SSDI. I just looked at her blankly. I'd forgotten all about that! She called Jackie at the Cashier office and Jackie extended the hold on my classes by another week, giving DoRS enough time to get my paperwork sent over. She also asked about the tuition waiver form. Jackie informed her it was on the school's website, so Sue printed it and gave it to me.

The waiver had to be signed and stamped by the Social Security Administration, so that is where our travels next took us. My ticket said that I had approximately 63 minutes to wait. Thank goodness I took my stitching bag! Kasey spread herself out on the nice slate-tiled floor and prompt-ly went to sleep. She's had a rough few days, remember? I pulled Ocean Star out and went to work to pass the time. This is my progress from today.

Warning: Rant Ahead

An hour and a half later (the wait is not what I'm ranting about) I handed the lady at the window my Medicare card, my driver's license, and the form. The Medicare ID number is my Social Security Number. Guess what she asks me for? So I tell her my SSN. Then she wants to know what I need. It's on the form. I tell her I need a signature stating that I get SSDI because of my own work record, which I do. She asks me if they need to know how much I get. There are four lines on the form to be filled out: Name, Title, Signature, Date. Does she bother even perusing the form? Hell no!

So I tell her, no, it's for college; they don't need to know how much my monthly benefit is. She fills in the four lines of the form and starts handing it back to me. I tell her they require a stamp with the office's address. She does that. Finally, I'm out of that place and back on the road to return to the college to give them the tuition waiver.

WHY can't people read things?! Anything, it seems! And if they do read it, they don't think about the meaning. I see this all the time: someone is going on vacation and they send an email to their Yahoo group saying they're going "no mail." That means they won't receive any group messages until they return and change their email settings. Do you know how many "have a great time!" "we'll miss you!" and other messages get sent to the group?! The person who went no mail can't see them, so why weren't they sent to their direct email address?! I get sooo frustrated with things like that, as they just add to the inundation of messages I receive each day.

So, please, Mr Joe Public, read and comprehend signs, correspondence, and any forms before you!

End of rant. Thank you for staying with me if you've made it this far.

I turned in the tuition waiver and Jackie was surprised to see me back so soon. She told me that she spoke with Sue at DoRS and my classes are now on a two-week hold. At least that's all settled!

Then I stopped by the Financial Aid counter which is also in the lobby. The lady there was very nice and explained that AACC determines all financial need for grants and institutional scholarships through the FASFA (Federal financial aid form). I already knew it was online so I told her I'd get it submitted tonight. She let me know, too, that it takes one to five weeks to fully process the form once it is submitted, but I would receive notice of any financial aid for which I qualify.

By that time Kasey and I were both wiped out and just wanted to get home and rest. I still had to go to dialysis, so my period of rest wasn't as long as hers. I spent my time in my recliner perusing the class schedule and started thinking about having to drive all the way to the college four days a week.

The more I contemplated the matter, the more I worried. That's sixteen trips back and forth to Arnold that I don't already make each month. Several things bothered me about it. First, gas money. I don't have enough to cover that. Second, that's almost every day. That's going to tire me out even worse than I already am and what if I'm sick for a few days? Third, the Fall Schedule indicates there are several one-day-a-week classes and some 13-week classes that meet fewer days at the campus. I knew I'd probably get more accomplished in person, so I'll be getting up early tomorrow to go back to AACC to see if I can get into a different section of the math class. Wish me luck!

Dialysis went off without a hitch and I returned home to chat with Debi online and look through the college's website. It's insulting, the number of typos, grammatical errors, and misused words I found in the study tips section! I will be notifying someone at the college!

I'm talking about things like "take a bread between study sessions." Quotes left "hanging. Outline topics marked A, B, D. Is C on vacation? Using "of" instead of "for." "There" instead of "their." OMG, I almost went through the roof when I saw that one! These are all things that should have been noticed; I saw them my first time reading it! I hope an English professor isn't the one who created the documents! If so, I'm either going to be a royal pain in the ass or the star student. I certainly hope it's the latter.

Yes, I know! Further proof of my compulsion for perfect grammar and spelling in everything I read! Why, oh why won't everyone cooperate?!

And yes, I did fill out my FASFA online. It is all submitted and being sent to the school. I laughed when I saw the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). ZERO! Unlike when Social Services determines your need for help, the FASFA does not include untaxed SSDI benefits. Therefore, my income was zero. I'll hear whether or not I receive any financial aid to use towards books and other necessities hopefully in the next couple weeks.

Books! I don't have to tell you parents of college-age students, but for everyone else: books are expensive! I have a math book and an online kit and four books and an e-book for English. Guess how much? $407.30 new and $258.30 used! I found four of my books on Amazon, new. I won't buy used books online because I can't see the markings, if any. The used books in the bookstore are markings-free.

I will be asking Sue at DoRS exactly how to go about getting my books and other needed supplies (graphing calculator, notebooks, pens, etc) before school starts. Unfortunately, neither of my professors lists any supplies. I have no idea about how they want notebooks organized, or if they don't care. I know some professors are huge fans of notebook tests/quizzes. I just like having everything ready and not waiting until the last minute. But the syllabuses (not misspelled-I checked!) aren't given to students until a week before classes start. That is aggravating!

July 9, 2009 - Loooong Day!

I knew it would be, but still...

Kasey and I left for Barnes & Noble at 12:45, stopping at my doctor's office along the way to get a referral for an appointment I have tomorrow morning. We arrived at B&N shortly after 1pm and stitched until 3:52. I made decent progress on Ocean Star despite chatting with a new member, Kathy, about online jobs, school, and networking. I'm so glad I was there today! Kathy is going to be a huge help in getting my resume, Visual CV, and job search kick-started.

I was supposed to be at DoRS at 4:00. I kept checking the time and somehow that last 40 minutes got away from me. I looked at my phone at 3:08 and the next thing I knew it was 3:52! Why does that always happen?

I made it across town in record time, but I was five minutes late for my appointment. Since Sue was 20 minutes late for our last one, I knew she wouldn't mind. She and I discussed my findings regarding the Medical Coding Certificate at AACC and when she heard how long it takes and the courses required, even she didn't want me going that route. She agreed it was too much medicalese.

I told her that my heart was still with proofreading/writing/editing and she checked my career assessment, her notes, and the DoRS rules and I now have the go-ahead to get my four-year degree! The community college doesn't offer a Journalism or English course of study, so I will have to create my own. After looking at the University of Maryland's course requirements for Journalism, that's not really the route I want to take, either. I'm pretty sure I'll wind up being an English major once I transfer to a four-year university. I don't want to be a reporter, I want to be a writer and or editor.

My next step is to apply to Anne Arundel Community College and meet with the Disability Services and Academic Advisors. I have to have an appointment for the DSS office, but Academic Advising is on a walk-in basis.

After my appointment with Sue, Kasey and I went home to wait for Sarah to call. Once she got home I went over to pick her up and we headed to our first stop. We went to Food Lion, Trader Joe's, and Shoppers Food. We got back to my house and brought all my groceries in. Sarah helped me by taking some of the meats down to the chest freezer in the basement. We left all the non-perishables in the kitchen while I took her home. Tyler helped unload all their groceries and I headed back home. It was 11:30 by the time I arrived back home. Then I had to finish putting all my groceries away.

Kasey helped though! When I stepped into the kitchen I found an empty bag. It had been 24 Martin's Party Rolls. She ate every single one. I let her live, but only because I had six more packages of them. I eat them for snacks all the time. Anna and Caleb love them, too. So I bought every one that Food Lion had. Sarah bought the one pack that Shoppers had because she had to try them after I told her how good they were.

July 7, 2009 - No Stitching

Yep, that's right. No stitching today. I proved the other side of my stitching/computer hypothesis. I worked on my blog today because Blogger was giving me fits last night. First it wouldn't upload a picture I wanted and then it wouldn't auto-save. It was quite frustrating so I shut it down and went to sleep.

I played around on FaceBook and Ravelry after waking up this afternoon and then had to leave to get Caleb and Anna from Sarah's apartment. She was heading off to take a test for a dispatch job and the kids were staying with me.

After stopping at the pharmacy we went to the library. Caleb and Anna both got a backpack that contained a book and accompanying DVD. I got a book with paperboard pages for Caleb to read at home, too. Anna chose three books, as usual. I also checked out a copy of Shel Silverstein's A Light in the Attic. I know the kids love having books read to them, especially Anna. She will have you read the same book to her over and over. All she says when you're done is "Again! Again!" It gets old. I figure Sarah won't get to the end of that one quickly! The librarian also highly recommended another book of children's poetry. She said it was "silly" poetry, so I know they kids will love it. I'd tell you what it is, but the library's website is doing its nightly updating and is unavailable.

We came back to my house because both Anna and Caleb told me they wanted to see Kasey and Chet. I fixed them some Bagel Bites and they played with stickers, coloring, books, and dominoes, while watching "Ariel Movie!"

Lisa in CA graciously sent a box full of movies for the kids and included some goodies for me, too! The box contained Stuart Little, Tarzan, Pooh's Grand Adventure, All Dogs Go to Heaven, The Jungle Book, and all the Land Before Time movies up to VII except V in VHS. The DVD's are The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Land Before Time V. Anna wasn't interested in the dinosaur movies, but she was very happy to see Belle and Winnie the Pooh. It goes without saying that she was ecstatic to see Ariel! Caleb, on the other hand, thought the dinosaurs were neat. I'll have to bring him over by himself one day and he'll be able to watch The Land Before Time.

For me, Lisa sent three lemons from her own tree, an assortment of Tazo tea, a butterfly mug with wing-shaped handle, and this wonderful stitched pillow. I love the patriotic design she stitched. It's not one I've seen before this. I'm also looking forward to a chilly morning or evening when I can curl up with a hot mug of tea.

Lisa, Anna loved the movies! Thank you very much. She's in a "what are you doing?" stage and asks all the time. Today she wanted to know what you and your mother were doing. She also asked if she was going to meet you. I exlained that you live "a long, long way away."

July 4 - Independence Day!

Notice how I wrote that? It's a pet peeve of mine. The DATE is July 4th, or 4th of July. Today is a HOLIDAY: INDEPENDENCE DAY! Everyone has a 4th of July. Only the United States of America has INDEPENDENCE DAY on July 4th! To understand a little better why I feel this way, please read this post.

I finally slept last night! After waking up around 1am to feed Kasey and eat something, I went back to bed and read for about an hour and zonked out again. I'm still tired because we did so much walking around yesterday, but nothing like last night. Wow! I was exhausted when we got home.

I went downstairs around 10:30 and started getting my clothes folded and put away because I'm heading home today. No way am I waiting til Sunday when everyone else will be heading home! If I'm lucky, Uncle Jay and Trish will be having their usual cookout and I can stop there to enjoy some time with that side of the family and some great food, too.

Mom had me take this picture of Ricco because she couldn't believe he fit himself onto one step. He's as tall or taller than Kasey! Of course Mom is standing just out of the camera's view, but he's laying on a single step nonetheless. Silly puppy! He wanted Mom's attention and he got it!

Dad has to play music this afternoon and Mom is going with him, so she asked me to stay til around 4pm so that she didn't have to drive separately. I didn't have a problem with that since there were still some of my clothes in the washer and I want to finish my Needlepoint Spring Quilt by Handblessings before I leave.

So that's what I did! It took a few hours of stitching, but around 3:15 I completed NSQ!

I packed up the truck and left Mom's around 3:45 to head home. I called Grandma when I was just outside Chesapeake City to see if she'd be home. I was livid to find out that she was not only not home, but also she was in Corsica Hills Rehabilitation Center! She had her knee replaced for the second time on June 4th and had been in CHRC for three weeks already! I think the steam was coming out of the top of my head, I was so angry at my father's side of the family for not calling me! I didn't even know she had the surgery because it wasn't scheduled the last time I saw Grandma! She didn't even mention it the last time we talked on the phone. What makes it worse, is that she had the surgery at the hospital five minutes from my house! She was there for a few days; I could have gone to see her if I'd known she was there!

I didn't take many pictures as I was busy playing with Kasey and talking to my father, stepmother, and other family members. Oh! Eating! Yeah, the food was excellent, Trish! It was nice to see my aunt's father and ex-FIL both able to attend. I know it probably sounds weird, but in this side of the family, half the "grand kids" are actually step-grandkids. Everyone's treated the same and Trish's problems were with her ex-husband, not his parents, who are still her daughter's grandparents. So Mr Gayle comes over for most holiday dinners, including Christmas and Easter. I wish everyone remembered that where the kids are concerned!

Sure, you split up, but the kids still have two sides of the family! That's how my brother and I were raised, too. Mom used to take us to Grandma's for Christmas because my father didn't come up from Virginia but two or three times a year.

I had to stop what I was doing in order to snap this shot, though! Billy floating in the pool with the noodle protruding. He wanted to know why we didn't warn him earlier when he was floating with his eyes closed. The answer is: Because we were too busy laughing at you!

Kasey was acting very strange today and I have no idea what started it. She walked over to Uncle Jay's back deck, about 50 feet from the pool deck, and sat there waiting for me. I told my father and stepmother that she was ready to go. They didn't believe me.back door being open. I grabbed Kasey's collar and had to pull with all my might to get her out of the truck. I also had to slam the door quickly so that she didn't get back in. She came over to the pool deck with me and laid down in the grass for a while. I opened the back door when Uncle Jay shot off some hand-held fireworks that scared her, though. He was only standing about ten feet away when they went off.

About five minutes later I noticed there was no Kasey Kay in the back of my truck! The boys had just started setting off firecrackers, too. We had to get them to stop all the fireworks and my father and I went looking for Kasey. I found her in the house sitting in the hallway, trying to get into the bathroom. I called her out to the kitchen and she came to me, but I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was worried/scared. When I heard more fireworks going off and she ran down the hallway, almost knocking over my Aunt Trish's dad, Mr Dwight, I knew it was time to take my baby home.

We crossed the Bay Bridge almost exactly at 9:30pm so I was treated to about a dozen different fireworks displays from that vantage point. After making a quick pit-stop at Wawa on Rt 50 to load up on tea for the remainder of the weekend, we went home. We had a wonderfully relaxing evening by ourselves and Uncle Wes returned from the Yacht Club close to midnight.

July 2-3, From Annapolis to Elkton to Blue Ball

Sorry! I just couldn't resist. My brothers are pervs when they get together and they always thought the names of Pennsylvania towns like Intercourse, Virginsville, and Blue Ball were hilarious. When Mom moved to Elkton we found Blue Ball Road nearby and of course Ian and Ben had to say something. Now Ian lives 15 minutes outside a town called Blue Ball, so I'm sure the novelty has worn off. But I still couldn't resist. We were there, Mom and I. Several times on Friday, in fact. Mom didn't realize we'd already been through there a few times when we headed back to make our fifth and last stop...but that's for later.

First, I need to back-track to Thursday. After stitching most of the night, blogging, and reading email, I finally decided just to stay up so that I could take Kasey to the dog wash as soon as it opened. I made it, but I was a half-hour early as I thought they opened at 8am rather than 9am. Kasey didn't look at the toys so I didn't bother buying her a new one. It's not like she needs more toys, anyway. Her toy basket already overflows when I try to put them all away.

While she was being bathed I headed back down to the Eastport Post Office to mail some RAK's and other things. If I have your address, start stalking your mailman. I sent stuff all over the country, and to at least one other country for that matter! I have three more packages that need to go out but they weigh over 13oz and have to be sent Priority. They will have to wait.

I came home and goofed around on Facebook some more, read more email, and then Mr. Exhaustion caught up to me around noon. That was it! I was out! I missed stitching at Barnes & Noble because I slept through it. And then I could only sleep until 4pm.

Mom called around 6pm to ask me to come up tonight so that we could go to some stores near Lancaster tomorrow. She said she had everything mapped out and directions printed, but there were some things she wanted to get and a smorgasboard someone told her about that she wanted to eat at.

I left around 8:30 because traffic was horrendous today. I stopped at Wendy's to get a Double Stack for me and a plain hamburger for Kasey for dinner. I figured the burgers would tide us both over until we got to Mom's to have a real dinner. Other than a short delay at the Bay Bridge tolls our trip to Elkton was uneventful and we arrived shortly before 10pm.

As a sign of how comfortable Kasey has gotten with Jake and Ricco, she ate her dinner while they were in the room with her. Usually I have to feed her in my bedroom after we go to bed because she will not eat around any other dogs (a result of my old Saluki attacking over food). Apparently she's figured out that the boys are completely safe and won't jump her while she's eating.

Mom said she wanted to get an early start so everyone went to bed early. Sleep didn't cooperate with me, even though I only slept for four hours this afternoon. I was completely frustrated, but I was able to read half a book. After getting only four hours of sleep, AGAIN, I woke up at 8am and dragged myself out of bed and downstairs.

Mom and I left for Pennsylvania at 9:30. She had four stores she wanted to visit, plus stopping by my brother's apartment to see Ian and Sara. Our first destination (after passing through Blue Ball) was Weaver's Store Incorporated where Mom was looking for curtains. We didn't find any there, but many of the store employees stopped us to ask about Kasey. One of the ladies told me that service dog puppy raisers like to bring their puppies in there to expose them to all the different sights and sounds. I thought it was wonderful that they were all so welcoming. I picked up two chew bones for Kasey. I thought $2 a piece was great, considering the last one I gave her was $7. Granted, the other one was bigger, but these should last her a while, at least.

My search of Weaver's shoe department didn't turn up any prospects to join my collection. I'm tired of plastic shoes or shoes whose soles make me fell as if I'm walking in bare feet. I need some cushion, but I can't stand tennis shoes. I only wear slip-on shoes in the summer. And absolutely no socks! My feet need air in nice weather, daggummit!

Next was Shady Maple (going through Blue Ball to get there). Mom kept telling me about this huge smorgasboard she heard about. She wanted to try it out. Apparenly everyone else in the Northeast heard about it, too, because it was packed! I opened the door and the man in front of me turned around and walked back out. The cachophany of noise hit Kasey's ears and she backed up as if to say "Not me!" I saw the line that I couldn't find the beginning of and said "Absolutely NOT!" Thank Goodness for cell phones, because Mom hadn't even returned from parking the car yet. I knew she wouldn't be able to find us in the crush. I called her and told her about the long line and Kasey's reaction to the noise and suggested we go downstairs to the Dutchette Restaurant.

That's where we wound up eating. It was cafeteria/salad bar style, but the food was good. Mom had a turkey club that she enjoyed. She was pleased that it was real sliced turkey and not "slimey" lunchmeat. I had the potato bar and Kasey enjoyed a bowl of ice water. They even had the tiny ice cubes that she likes. For under $12 for the two meals, with drinks, it was a nice lunch.

After eating we went to the attached Gift Shop, which is a misnomer. The place takes up the entire downstairs of the building, with the restaurant to one side. The website says it's 40,000 square feet. The building itself is ginormous! They had toys, a quilt shop, candles, wind chimes, home decor, souveniers, collectibles, you name it! Mom found some gifts and some textiles for her mantle and end tables but nothing really caught my eye.

The Gift Shop building was behind the Shady Maple Farm Market and Good's Store so Good's was our next stop. There Mom found her curtains and I found a pair of shoes. She also found a lighter-weight fleece jacket for only $13. After all the walking around and the lack of sleep I was starting to feel worn out.

Mom decided not to go to the Farm Market so we headed to Leola, PA (passing through Blue ball once again), to see Ian and Sara. We were behind this buggy for a short while on the way there. After sitting down and chatting for a while, Mom wanted to go to Intercourse to a candle shop she previously visited. I was comfortable on the couch talking to my brother. Kasey was contentedly laying on the floor. So Mom and Sara went to the candle store while Ian and I talked and then watched part of Episode 1 of Band of Brothers. He also gave me my "late birthday present," his DVD set of Band of Brothers. I'd been asking to borrow it for a while but he gave it to me because he bought the Blue-Ray edition.

When Mom and Sara returned it was time to go. The last stop of the day was in Blue ball, the Flower and Craft Warehouse. On the way to the F&CWh, we were gifted with this beautiful sight. I took other pictures of the rainbow, but this one shows it best. Just my luck: every "store" mom wanted to go to today was the size of a damn warehouse! Jewelry Store, Candle Shop, Scrapbook & Bead Shop, Gift Shop...it didn't end! I looked through the cross stitch section and didn't find much. I picked up two Lemon Lavender Yankee Candle votives because that's my favorite scent. I wanted the tiny jar candle but they didn't have any.

I finally caught up with Mom in the fake flower store where she was looking for something to put in the watering can she recently bought for the hearth. By that time I'd also been upstairs to the Gift Shop. I was absolutely done in. I told Mom I'd wait for her out front because I was going to sit on one of the benches. The two padded benches were taken by husbands who obviously didn't want to follow their wives around the stores, so Kasey and I went into the elevator lobby (Now why couldn't I see that darn elevator when I was going upstairs? Kasey and I took the steps.) and sat on one of the wooden benches.

After sitting there for a little while, I got tired and laid myself down on the wooden slats. Kasey plopped down right in front of me, almost under the bench. And I fell asleep! I woke up with a group of ladies asking me if I was okay. I told them I was just tired. The next time I awoke, it was to one of the employees in the office asking if I needed help. She asked me if I drove myself and was relieved to hear I had someone with me. I told her, too, that I was tired out from a long day of shopping.

Mom finally came out after about a half hour and we headed back towards Elkton. Since it was almost 7pm and we hadn't eaten since lunch at 1:00, I was hungry. I told Mom to stop at the first Wawa she could find. Both of us had an Italian sub and then we were back on the road.

We arrived home at 9:00pm and I went straight up to my room and fell asleep. I even forgot to feed Kasey. I'm sorry, Kay-Kay!

June 25, 2009

Last night was Borders' stitching group and this afternoon was Barnes & Noble! I love stitching with a group of needleworkers! Not only do they motivate me to stitch, but it also gets me out of the house.

I couldn't resist! I started stitching the background on the purple suede bag Myrl sent me. I know I'm probably supposed to do this entirely in tent/basketweave stitch, but that's just so boring to me! I thought an alternating Scotch stitch would add some texture to the background. I think I made a mistake, however, because I couldn't get the curve of the flower petals to look correct.

All you needlepointers who read this, what would you do? I have never even contemplated doing a painted canvas before and there's no stitch guide for this. What stitches are typically used for flower leaves and petals? How can I show the curve of the leaves and flower petals? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

So I frogged everything I'd done. I hate negative progress!

I didn't get anywhere on re-stitching because Anna and I had our weekly Library date this afternoon, too.

We went to the main branch instead of the Eastport/Annapolis Neck branch today. Big mistake! Anna wanted to do puzzles and there aren't any at West Street. Bad Aunt Beth!

She finally chose three books to take home and I signed her up for the Summer Reading Club. We have to write in a little SRC journal all the books Anna reads this summer and she will receive a stamp each week. She will also get a prize at the end of the summer. All she wanted, though, was the sticker!

When I told Sarah about the journal said said, " But that's like 20 a week!"

I told her, "Write small!"

As I promised, Anna finished watching Lady and the Tramp. She chose to see Cinderella again, too. After the movies were over we walked down to the end of the driveway and back so that Kasey could go outside. Of course, the mosquitoes swarmed us!

When we got back, Anna started playing with her stickers. These were actually the stickers that Amy sent me in the Valentine's Day package, but I knew Anna would love them. I found a little pink spiral notebook for her to put them in. There are also three on my laptop (they were originally on my forehead, arm, and leg, respectively).

Uncle Wes found a little step stool he made in high school when he was cleaning part of the carport. He cleaned it up and gave it to Anna as her new "table." It's been sticker-fied, too!

Sarah and Ty arrived around 8:00pm to pick up Anna. Tyler also helped Uncle Wes take the old A/C unit out of the livingroom window and replace it with Sarah's newer unit that was in her house in Elkton. It's amazing how much light can actually come through that window now that the behemoth A/C unit isn't there, even though it's inside the carport!

Anna got very playful (she wouldn't take a nap for either Sarah or me today)and started using her Uncle as a play-gym. She thought it was hilarious to put her hand over Wes's mouth while he was talking.

While Anna was playing with her stickers, I started browsing the 100+ emails in my Yahoo inbox. Once again, I was stunned by the generosity of my fellow stitchers. Lisa has graciously offered to send some movies that her boys have outgrown, including Anna's favorite, The Little Mermaid. Or, as she says "Ar'el."

Your timing couldn't have been better, Lisa! Anna brought me the insert from Lady and the Tramp, opened to a page in the middle. She pointed at the picture of TLM and said "You need buy DAT ONE, Aunt Beppy!"

Later, she walked up to Uncle Wes, poked him in the belly, and said "You need to buy Ar'el movie!"

When I told her that a very nice lady will be sending movies for her to keep and watch here, she smiled and her eyes lit up. I'm going to TRY not to open the box myself and let her do it. I will also attempt to get some pictures. Anna and I are very thankful to you!

June 23, 2009

I've been waiting for today since September. I'm finally off the waiting list at the Department of Rehabilitation Services and I had my appointment with my DoRS counselor, Sue C. While we didn't get as much accomplished as she wanted to, Sue and I were able to completely go through the report on the career assessment I took last fall. I will be meeting with her again in July and we will write out specific goals and a plan to set me on a path to attaining them. In the meantime, I will be contacting the community college so that I can meet with a disability coordinator and an admissions advisor. I'm really excited to get on the road to higher education after all these years.

I was enrolled in college in the winter of 1994 but only spent a week in classes before I was admitted to the hospital for "23 hours of observation." I was released twelve days later to be flown from Atlanta to Boston for emergency surgery at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Massachussetts. After spending another nine days in the hospital there, and by the time I returned to Chattanooga and was able to attend classes, I was too far behind to catch up. That was my college experience. This time around, I have the help of DoRS and will be working closely with a disability coordinator so that I can have extended deadlines if something happens with my health during the course of my studies. I will be sure to keep you updated as this new chapter in my life unfolds...I hope I don't bore you to death!

Following the DoRS appointment I mailed a trade (Look out, Lynn!) and then came home to relax and stitch a little. I wound up reading emails, chatting, and uploading pictures so only got a little bit done on my WIP. That's right-I have a WIP to report on, not another finish. I can't keep up that pace forever, yanno!

I pulled all the charts out of my "Favorites" drawer and spread them out across the floor around me and chose as my next project "Good to be Home" by Heart in Hand (HIH). This chart came to me kitted up as my prize for winning the January 2008 Monthly Goals drawing in StitchNSwap2. Karen included the linen and over-dyed threads with the chart and buttons. Since I'd just returned home from being in the hospital and rehab for 35 days, this was a very appropriate sentiment at the time, and still is! Now I'm finally going to stitch it!

I've also decided that I'm going to flip between two larger projects once IGTBH is done. First, I have Mom's sampler "Heart of America," a limited release by Little House Needleworks (LHN). She saw the model in the shop at the retreat and fell in love. She's asked me to stitch it and give it to her for Christmas, so I have a deadline (OMG!). Second is Patriotic Wishes I & II. These are shown as twelve individual pillow ornaments, but I will be doing them on one piece of fabric, in four rows of three.

I have a story for you. And before I even begin, Yes! I know I'm going to Hell for laughing until I cried, but I just couldn't stop myself. If it makes it any better, Mom laughed just as hard.

So here it is: Sarah sent me an instant message on the computer this evening telling me how she was getting ready to pull her hair out. It went something like, "Anna woke up before me this morning and didn't wake me up like she usually does. Instead of getting one of her snacks, she ate the cookies we made for Tyler on Sunday. She had crumbs all over the couch, loveseat, livingroom floor, her bed, her bedroom floor....everywhere!

Now Caleb is crying and whining about everything Anna does. Anna is crying and whining about everything Caleb does. And Caleb is walking around the apartment saying 'God damnit.' They're being absolutely ridiculous today!"

Jameson Caleb turned two in March. The mental picture and hearing that little voice in my head saying "Ga dimit" was just too freakin' funny! Lord, please forgive me!

I called Sarah about something else and heard her ask Anna to go play in her room for a little while because she was doing homework. Anna started bawling and said that she didn't want to play in her room. I asked Sarah if it would help if I picked up Anna and did something with her for a little while, because Caleb was happily playing by himself in his bedroom. As the words were coming out of my mouth, I was mentally going through a list of things I have here at the house that Anna would like to do. By the time I picked her up and brought her back here I had a plan.

The plan was to spread an old sheet out on the livingroom floor (the clean half) and give her stickers, coloring books, twist-up crayons (so she can't break them), and to put a Disney movie in the DVD player. I also set out my double-twelve dominoe set for her to build stuff with. She chose to watch Cinderella because Aunt Beth didn't have her favorite, Ariel. She took all the other "kids' movies" and spread them out on her sheet in front of her. When she asked for some of my tea, I gave her a cup with a lid, but I was nervous about her tipping it over because the lid didn't seal. So I took a box and flipped it over; it became Anna's impromptu table. She also put her plate of chicken on it when she ate her dinner.

Once Cinderella got started, though, there was nothing else for Anna Lynn. She was completely engrossed in the movie, as she usually is.

We went for a walk with Kasey around 8:00pm and Anna asked if she could play in the playground. I live next door to a private nursery school and kindergarten so the playground is always a big hit with the little ones. We went in and Anna played with the sand digger and then swung on one of the swings while I pushed her.

When she got down, she walked over to Kasey to pet her. She asked, "what's those?" pointing to the swarm of mosquitoes on and around Kasey's head. When I realized how bad they were, I told her we had to leave. Anna and I both were bitten several times on the way back up to the house. We will not be going back to the playground until things dry out more. The mosquitoes are AWFUL around here right now!

I put Lady and the Tramp in the DVD player for Anna when we got back home and she sat on her blanket to watch it. Sarah arrived shortly after it began. Of course Anna wanted to stay to watch the movie but she stopped protesting when I told her she could come back and watch it another time. I was very proud of how well she behaved herself. Mr. Chet, who has a strong dislike of small children, even deigned to let Anna touch him. I was shocked!

On the way from Sarah's to my house, I'd told Anna that I had some stickers for her. I asked her if she knew where stickers went and she said, "yes."

"So where are you going to put them, Anna?" I asked.

"On my doorhead," she said.

That made me chuckle. "On your forehead?" I said.

"Yes!" was the reply. And she did! I was also sticker-fied on my forearm and the back of my hand. I'm thankful that she didn't think to try putting any on Kasey and/or Chet! Kasey was Anna's pillow for a little while. She loves the attention.

That was our excitement for the day. I read email and did some other online stuff after Anna left. I stitched a little, too, but as you can see from the picture, I didn't get much done.

June 14-19, 2009

First off, I would like to apologize for taking so long to post an update. Apparently Blogger and Internet Explorer weren't getting along this week, as I was repeatedly told that IE couldn't open Crossed Purposes; hence, no updates. But it's working now, so here goes...

Sunday
I still didn't feel well so no stitching was done. I finally made myself eat real food but unfortunately it didn't help the situation any. This usually only lasts 3-4 days, so Monday night I should be okay. I spent the day watching movies on Turner Classics and reading emails.

Monday
Shortly after midnight I picked up LCKQ and continued with the fill-in of the Celtic band. I usually get bored with so much repetitive stitching but am not having any trouble with this project.

Tuesday
I went to Provinces library for the Heirloom Stitchers' meeting but Kathy Y and I were the only ones there. While Kathy did a little stitching, I did none at all. We had a nice chat for an hour and a half and then decided to head on home.

Sarah called me while I was driving and we decided to meet up at the Super WalMart. I bought Anna a pair of D-D-Dora (that's how she says it) tennis shoes for her to play in. She always wears Crocs whenever I see her and they just make me nervous on one so young as she.

Do you mind if I ask why the uncouth morons seem to congregate in WalMart stores? I had Kasey on one side of me, Anna holding my hand on the other as we walked into the pet supply aisle. Four adult women were in the aisle, squirting each other with dog shampoo bottles. Two of them came running right at us. I had to pull Kasey out of their way. Meanwhile, I shot a dagger-filled look at all of them. They had shampoo all over the floor, and of course Kasey couldn't help stepping in some of it. I was very worried that she'd slip.

I found a store employee and told him "four blonde women" squirted shampoo all over the floor so that someone could come clean it up. I was completely disgusted and I think that will be my last foray into Super WalMart. I guess manners aren't taught or adhered to in public anymore?

Wednesday
I woke up with a sore throat so I called my clinic and told them I'd be staying home. I felt better a couple hours later, but I still didn't feel like going to dialysis. Instead, I went to the post office to mail some trades and RAKs. I came home and the sight of the livingroom just depressed me. I couldn't handle the mess anymore. This is what it looked like as I got started cleaning the hearth in front of the fireplace. Here is the view from the hallway. I apologize for the spots on the one picture; I'm not sure what happened.



I'm embarrassed to show you but I'm also very proud of how much I accomplished in just one day. Of course I had to take breaks to rest and that weak muscle in my lower back gave out before I even finished moving things off the hearth, but I persevered!

By midnight I'd cleaned the majority of the room. All I had left was the area between the couch and my stitching chair in front of the door. I'm still working on that, and vacuuming the rest of the carpet. I'm hoping to cover the stains that my Saluki left with an area rug. I'll have to look around for a sale when I get paid next month, if I can fit that into my budget.

Thursday
I was awakened by a bad thunderstorm and a deluge of rain before 8:00am. I tried getting back to sleep for an hour and just couldn't so I came out and stitched for an hour and a half. By 10:30 I was exhausted again and went back to bed to sleep until my alarm woke me at 12:30.

As usual, it was the AnnapolisKnits stitch-in at Barnes & Noble in the afternoon. Kasey and I arrived shortly after 1:00pm and stayed with Judy and Linda until after 5:00. I completed the fill-in of the Celtic band on LCKQ this morning, as well as one side of the last purple border, so I went to work on completing the last two borders. Before I left I'd done the entire purple border and one side of the Abelone border.

I was determined to finish LCKQ that night and went home to keep stitching away. At 9:00pm, the wall of exhaustion slammed into me once again and I could not keep my eyes open. I told Debi, who I was IM'ing with, that I was going to take a nap and would be back "in a couple hours."

Friday
HA! That "couple hour" nap turned into five hours! I woke at 2am. Luckily Debi was still online. We resumed our chat and I started reading emails instead of stitching, but did finally pick it up around 3:30am. And then the frogs attacked LCKQ! There was an error in the Abelone border all the way at the first corner. I had to frog two of the three sides and then started re-stitching them.

I finally went back to sleep at 9:00am and woke up in time for dialysis. I still can't stitch during my treatments, so I read a book for an hour and then slept for the last two hours. Gloria woke me up shortly before 6pm to tell me that I was done and needed to hold my needle sites.

Carol B-C, Carol B (Knitter Carol), and I had arranged to meet at Border's tonight, so I went home to pick up Kasey and headed straight for the mall. Knitter Carol was already there, as she'd been doing some shopping earlier, but Carol B-C came in just after I sat down.

We stitched until around 8:30 and then went to the food court to get dinner. Since it was so loud that Kasey was nervous, we returned to the Borders cafe with our meals and ate in a much quieter environment. We picked up our stitching after all the food was gone and I put the last stitch into LCKQ five minutes before the store closed! Lavenderblue Celtic Knot Quilt is my 14th finish of 2009, the Year of the Sampler! I'm sure you could hear Carol B-C's "Wooo Hoo" where ever you were!

I took LCKQ off the stretcher bars and put a new canvas on them at home. I want to start Desert Star by From Nancy's Needle next.

June 10-13, 2009

Wednesday
Not much happened. Kasey and I returned home from Mom's, I went to the library to get more books to read, and to dialysis for my treatment in the afternoon. I went straight to the grocery store after dialysis to meet up with Sarah and the kids so we could do our shopping together. Caleb and Anna both wanted to know why Kasey wasn't with me, but there was no time to pick her up. I came home to watch television and read email after getting all the groceries put away.

Thursday
After playing another addictive FaceBook game all night, I slept until 2:00pm so it was too late to go to stitching group. Instead, I picked up Anna and took her to the library branch in Hillsmere. Anna thought it was great that the library is straight down the street from her house. She was very excited to visit a different library than the one we usually frequent. I took her back home after about an hour and then helped Sarah do more cleaning at the apartment. We also rearranged Anna's room. I cooked dinner for everyone while Sarah took her friend home. I returned home around 9pm, totally exhausted. It was a good exhausted, as I really need to start getting out and doing more things to get my strength back.

Friday
Ugh! I did not feel well! I went to dialysis anyway but only did a 90-minute treatment. My stomach was really acting up and I couldn't last any longer than that. I came home and left my computer off, trying to force myself to stitch.

It worked! I stitched on Lavenderblue Celtic Knot Quilt and almost completed the twisty bands that have taken so much time. I can't wait until they're done and I can start on all the fill-in.

Saturday
Once again I woke up not feeling great. It wasn't anything I could put my finger on, just an overall tiredness and discomfort. I really wanted to go to Pennsylvania to The Mannings' Spinning Seminar to see all the demonstrations that were being put on today. The weather didn't look like it was going to cooperate, anyway, so it's just as well I stayed home.

I also didn't go to Quiet Waters Park for World Wide Knit in Public Day. All I felt like doing was sitting in my recliner so I did more work on LCKQ. Those pesky twisted bands are done! Now I have to do the fill-in and complete two more bands around the entire piece. I love the look of it. I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do with it when it's complete, though. I think it will eventually get framed and hung on the wall.

June 9, 2009

9:30am...that's what time Miss Kasey Kay got me out of bed. I went to sleep after 3am. Doesn't she know by now that her Mom needs to sleep?! She has got to stop doing this to me! She's supposed to adjust to my schedule, not the other way around, darnit!

Well, I was up and bored, so I decided to go to Bath & Body Works in Elkton to take advantage of their Big Sale: Antibacterial soaps are 4/$10! I needed more Kitchen Lemon but they were out. Instead, I picked up some White Citrus and some Pineapple to try. I've never seen these scents before. I also purchased two bottles of the foaming antibacterial hand cleaner. Since I can't use the hand sanitizers made from alcohol because they burn my hands, these B&BW foaming hand cleaners are my best alternative. I love the Peppermint, but they only have it at Christmas. They should carry it year-round and change the packaging so it doesn't have candy canes on it. JMHO.

I had Mom's Garmin GPS unit and also went to Michael's at Christiana Mall. There, I found some goodies for "Thinking of You" gifts and possible exchanges, as well as some knitting needle point protectors that were on clearance, along with these leather and plastic "thimbles." As you can see, they're not the traditional thimbles we think of, but are worn as a ring between the first and second knuckles from the fingertip. I'm going to try them out and will let you know what I think. I use the point protectors for the tips of my embroidery scissors. One of my green ones has walked off, so these will be a perfect back-up supply.

Mom called as I was driving to Michaels to tell me that she'd be home at noon and would be able go to the LNS in Pennsylvania. I went back to the house and cleaned out the truck, which it needed anyway, and waited about an hour for Mom to get home. On our way through Newark, we stopped at Wawa so I could get my sub for lunch. Mom had already eaten, so I was on my own. I also picked up a salad for dinner and placed it in the little cooler I'd brought along.

So...Fireside Stitchery...sensory overload. OMG, it is amazing! They have so many different lines of fibers, all sorted by content. Silks in one section, cottons in another, wool on the other side, Wool/silk blends together. And wide aisles. It was so refreshing to walk into a shop in which you didn't have to worry about knocking over merchandise! (I apologize for not getting pictures...look HERE)

Of course the first thing that was said after, "Hello, welcome!" was, "Am I allowed to pet her?" I couldn't resist either of the pleading looks I received, so I had Kasey sit to be adored. The next question was, "May I get her a cup of water?" So I pulled out her collapsable bowl to which they exclaimed, "Mom comes prepared!" Judy plopped it down in the middle of an aisle for Kasey. I was surprised it wasn't put in an out-of-the-way place, but these were obviously doggy people.

I moved the water over to the Caron Watercolours section and Kasey flopped onto her side and took a nap. After pulling the Antique Jewel Tone colors for From Nancy's Needle's Amish Trip Around the World Quilt, I went to work increasing the purple-y-ness. I gathered the colors, after about an hour of switching out this fiber for that fiber, took a step back, and wasn't satisfied. I decided to pull the "Jewel Tones" Nancy gave as a selection and was much happier with them. I made one switch, from #5 Perle DMC 996 to Watercolours Ocean Breeze. We all agreed that the 996 stood out too much for us. This is the final selection in the order they appear, top to bottom, from the center out. I've substituted three regular DMC skeins for the #5 Perle cottons that are on order so that you can at least see the colors.














The colors are:
DMC #5 Perle 602-Cranberry
Watercolours 037-Fuchsia
DMC #5 Perle 915-Plum
Watercolours 209-Iris
DMC #5 Perle 333-Violet Blue
Watercolours 181-Ocean Breeze
Watercolours 068-Mediterranean
DMC #5 Perle 3814-Aquamarine
Watercolours 041-Blueberry

Oh, yeah...I was just supposed to make a shopping list, right? HaHaHaHaHaHaHa! Puh-LEEZE! I was in so much denial! I couldn't walk out without buying anything after all the help I received. There was no way I'd do that!

After more than an hour working on ATATWQ, during which time Mom did her own browsing and kitting up, I might add, I started on chart number two, Desert Star by From Nancy's Needle. Of course, it's another quilt square. I purchased both of these for $2.00 at the EGA stash swap last fall.

The purple-y-ness continues! I am very excited to see this one completed. It may be my next WIP, but we will have to see. This picture also shows the colors in the order they'll appear in the center motif, from the middle out.













They are:
DMC #5 Perle 327-Dark Violet
Gold Rush 14 286C-Purple Metallic
Watercolours 233-Glacier
Watercolours 209-Iris
DMC #5 Perle 209-Light Violet
Gold Rush 14 286C-Purple Metallic
Watercolours 146 Moonglow

Believe it or not, Mom spent almost twice as much as I did! I thought I would break the bank but only spent $60. My LCKQ costed almost $40 just for the fibers, so I was very pleased to kit up two charts for an average of $30 each.

I'll have to get Mom to send a pic of her stash, but she purchased a series also by From Nancy's Needle. She took home Spring and Summer, kitted up Spring, and ordered Autumn and Winter. She would like to have them all displayed together in frames when she (I'm on standby, though) completes the stitching.

I cannot say enough about the wonderful service we received! We had so much help kitting up our projects. Mom and I both want to go back already. I never even looked at fabric because I was so engrossed in all the fibers arrayed before my eyes. Not only that, but we were there half an hour after they closed but not a word was said to rush us on our way. I'll also be sure to take pictures next time! Fireside Stitchery is definitely at the top of my list for Favorite LNS!

The drive home was interesting, to say the least! Instead of getting stuck on south-bound I-95 in rush hour around Wilmington, DE, we drove East on Rt 30 in Pennsylvania to meet up with Rt 10 south. The entire way we were behind storms. The lightning shot across the sky in front of us. We saw several strikes that looked like they hit the ground. The light show was amazing. Somehow we managed to stay on the outer bands of it, never getting into the severe part of the storm.

Upon arriving back at the house, I opened the door from the garage into the kitchen to the mass destruction of Hurricane Ricco. Mom and Dad were told that Ricco was afraid of storms, but someone has always been home when one hit. This time Ben was at work and were were up in Pennsylvania. The poor guy was panting like he'd run a hundred-mile race so it was obvious he was very upset.

Directly inside the door, the paper shredder was on its side, confetti-sized pieces of paper strewn across the kitchen floor.

I took two steps forward and looked into the living room. I covered my mouth and said, "OhMyGod!" All I could think was that Dad would have a conniption fit-good thing he was out of town. The carpet padding (the rug is out being cleaned) was in a huge pile with small chunks all over the place. This is what it looked like after Mom straightened it out.

Jake's bed and pillow were both pulled into the kitchen from the laundry room, and the baby gate was knocked over.

Somehow Ricco managed to eat Kasey's dinner without ripping the Ziploc bag is was in. We think the force of it falling off the counter popped it open. Still, he ate Kasey's dinner and I didn't have any extra. Ben picked up a small bag, for which I paid a king's ransom, on his way home from work.

I went upstairs to discover the mess he made there. Thank goodness the basement door was closed! He would've gotten all three floors if that were the case. Anyway, Ricco dumped out the trash can beside my bed (there was alot more trash under the pillow),

pulled the pillow off the bed, pulled the blankets down, flipped my overnight bag, pulled the pillow and blanket off the quilt rack, and pulled the clothes out of my bag.



In my bathroom, Ricco rearranged the rugs. The rug in front of the door should have been covering the middle of the area of open floor and the rug beside it was carried from the spot from which I took the picture. The yellow bath mat also should have been behind where I was standing when I took the picture.

I think that's all. Needless to say, the next time a storm is forcasted and no one will be home with him, Hurricane Ricco will be crated to forestall his devistation. I told Mom she was lucky becuase he could have shredded the furniture instead. I wouldn't want to be around for that!

Ricco calmed down shortly after Mom and I returned home. He stayed in the kitchen/dining room with us but averted his eyes and put his ears down whenever someone talked to or looked at him. He knew he had been a bad boy!

Mom wanted to give the dogs a treat and see if she could get all three to sit at once. I told her that all she had to do in order for Kasey to sit was to have a treat in her hand. Sure enough, as soon as Kasey saw treats, her butt hit the floor. She started out sitting beside Ricco but kept scooching forward while Mom got Ricco and Jake to sit. She's a super scoocher, too, as is evident by her final position. She wasn't getting left out of Treat Time! Talk about food motivated!

June 3, 2009

UGH! My sleep schedule is completely out of whack! After being awakened yesterday by my ringing phone at 11am (after only four hours' sleep), I couldn't get back to sleep. I helped Sarah get her livingroom organized and then came home to take a nap, played on the computer for a few hours, and then went back to bed at 4am.

For some reason, I was awake at 9:00 this morning, again, after only four hours' sleep. I went and ran some errands and picked Anna up to go to the library. She returned the two books we checked out last week and I let her pick out two more to take home. She had her Dora backpack with her and stuck her books, and mine, right into it to walk out to the truck.

After stopping at Wawa to get Anna some carrots for her snack, I took her to Barnes and Noble where Sarah and Caleb were attending Childrens' Storytime. That was the end of my hour with Anna. I was dehydrated, overheated, and feeling very poorly.

Back to bed I went! I turned on my ceiling fan and laid in bed reading for about three hours. Then I woke up and saw that the time was 3:00. I was supposed to be at dialysis at 3:00! I didn't even take my stitching with me. I really bruised my arm on Monday by moving it too much. My graft was still sore today. I'm going to have to be more careful if I try to stitch during future treatments. Instead of stitching, I read one of my new library books, the second in a trilogy by Christina Dodd.

We had some more severe storms move through the area tonight. I've come to realize God has a sense of humor. I went to get my hair cut short for the summer and then walked to the other end of the shopping center to have dinner at TGI Fridays. I watched the lightning flash for almost an hour before going to the restroom. As I was walking toward it, I thought to myself, "The power hasn't gone out yet, but if it does, it'll be while I'm in the bathroom." And it did!

I was walking to my truck and thought "it could be raining harder." Two steps before I reached my truck door the skies opened up. The worst part of the storm was overhead as I arrived home. I parked at an angle in front of the carport so that I could open my door and run straight into the carport. I really have to stop thinking thoughts like these!

I know it's been two days in a row with no stitching, but tomorrow is Thursday and I'll be going to Barnes & Noble to stitch with the Annapolis Knitters group.

Oh! I forgot! I joined Ravelry, an online community for knitters and crocheters. My username is IDontKnit. If you're also a member, feel free to add me to your friends list! Since alot of the conversations between members of my bookstore stitching groups occur on Ravelry, I was encouraged to join in order to participate. We came up with the name to put it right out there that I'm not a knitter (KnotAKnitter was taken). I've learned alot from the forums and there are de-stashing and organizing groups there, too. It's been fun!

June 2, 2009

I know I'm posting this late and I apologize.

After spending the day at my sister's to help organize and unpack her livingroom, I came home and collapsed in bed. I didn't have a chance to do any stitching, as Sarah and I worked all afternoon uncovering the couch and loveseat so that people will have a place to sit when they come to visit.

Lucky for us, Anna and Caleb cooperated by staying in their rooms before and after their naps. That gave Sarah and I alot of uninterrupted time to slide furniture around, take things to the storage unit across the hall, and unpack boxes.

When Anna woke up, Medusa rose in her place! Would you take a look at that hair? The back looked even worse. It took me ten minutes to brush it out, vanquishing Medusa at least until tomorrow morning.

New Photos!

To save time, I've uploaded all the pictures I've taken this month into Webshots Albums. If you would like to read the picture captions, just click on the link below the slideshow to go to the album.

Anna & Caleb (including the night Caleb stripped in the grocery store checkout line), May 5 & 7
Anna & Caleb

Retreat Stash Pictures (I did not buy all the charts! They were already in my stash)
Retreat Stash

May Daily Stitching Progress
May Daily Progress

Aunt Lisa's Wedding, May 24, 2009
Aunt Lisa & Chris’s Wedding