Hello again

I finally got a few minutes to myself on Easter Sunday to catch up. When I last wrote Hubby was waiting for surgery again. They did not end up doing the surgery in January. When he got to SJ they did all of the tests, got him prepped for surgery and just minutes before they began the surgeon decided to run the diagnostics again. He thought that it may just be a matter of time before the lead settled into place and decided not to do the surgery.

A few weeks later with a change is meds Hubby is feeling much better and is back to work (promoted even!). Unfortunately, the wire did not settle into place and we are once again waiting for surgery. They are consulting with other surgeons to see if they should proceed. At least this time he will not have to be in hospital waiting.

In the meantime, I have been working my butt off to get all of my work projects wrapped up by March 31st. Once the projects are done I have to pack up my office for a move to the 4th floor. This is a pain in the neck but good news. It means I will be able to open my curtains and enjoy the sunshine. Being on the ground floor, I had a view of the loading bay and lots or delivery guys staring in. I kept my curtains closed so I didn’t always feel like I was in the zoo.

In the crafty end of things my last project turned out great! My friends Wordnerd and MD just had a beautiful baby boy and I made a pillow for the nursery. The new Papa produces his own comics including one that features their very handsome beagle, Genghis. I took one of his drawings and turned it into a knitting pattern for the pillow. The back is a very soft plush. It was a hit! You can a few shots of the pillow in a fantastic short video Papa MD made of baby’s trip home. (Love, love, love the video.) I am so glad they are finally all home safe and sound. I also got signed up for Ravelry. I think it will be great when I have more time to play around with it. If you are on you can look me up as TheCraftyCanadian.

I’m looking forward to catching up more with everyone when March is over.
C.C.

Slowly crawling out of my hole.

So you may be thinking that I've been spending the last few weeks crying in my bed. While I did spend a few full days there I have been slowly but surely crawling out of the hole and back to life. Instead, I've been crying at work, at restuants, in my car, when anyone looks at me,(mostly kidding) but I've done a pretty good job at avoiding the temptation to spend the next month in bed.


I find that anytime I am not busy I'm in trouble. I've been running myself ragged so that I don't think about baby stuff and so at night I am exhausted and can sleep. I'm not prone to depression, like everyone I've had my moments, but I am generally a take charge and move on kind of person and it is really unnatural to me to wake up crying and feel on the verge of tears all day.


It is hit or miss these days, I did have a minor meltdown earlier this week when my pregnant cousin sent me two separate invitations to her baby shower and then a link to a webpage they have created for their unborn child. To my credit, I did not melt down at her, I did however ask my sister (who got the brunt of it) to intervene and politely ask her to stop sending me baby related stuff.

Yesterday, I managed to buy sleepers for my cousin who just had a baby girl and my cousin who is expecting - with out tears. I gave myself a "Suck it up" speech and put them in the cart, only to cry all the way home from Moncton.

I think at this moment I am my own worst enemy. I am beating myself up for not "getting over this already" and I feel the need to bottle it all up because people are probably sick to death of my self-pity party- I know I am.

So part of keeping myself busy was finalizing and sending my Knitter's Virtual Vacation Swap package and doing my part for Team Canada for Dish Rag Tag. (By the way thanks to Ruby for the great stitch markers and beautiful rainbow dish rag.) Done and Done! I can't wait to get my package from my pal.

Here is my new favourite dish rag pattern, it is textured and great for scrubbing. It is a great first project for a beginner. If you don't know how to crochet there are lots of great sites and even some YouTube videos that can show you these basic stitches. Chain, Single Crochet, Double Crochet

Chain 29-33 sts depending on your tension and desired size. Turn.

Beginning with a single crochet in the third chain from the hook work each stitch across alternating between single crochet (sc) and double crochet (dc). Turn

Continue to work the pattern, alternating sc and dc stitches. If the stitch below is a sc you should dc into the top, if the stitch below is a dc you should sc into the top. Once you have reached your desired length you can tie off and you're done.

Depending on how fancy you like your dish rags you could work around the dishrag with a single crochet or a more elaborate edging.

Did I mention it is fast too. I did mine in approximately 45 minutes. Too bad I was not home early enough to get it back in the mail the same day. I did my best to reinforce the box a little as it was pretty squished when I got it.

I should also mention that Monkey and I were featured on the front page of a local paper for our summer reading and we more than met our goal of another 100 books. As a reward I gave him a beautiful book and cd of Puff the Magic Dragon. Poor little monkey had an eye infection and has to stay home from daycare today so I will be closing the office early and sending all my staff home for an extra long weekend. It's good to be the queen.

I want to say thank you again to everyone online and off for the wonderful support. It is greatly appreciated. I hope everyone has a good long weekend.

First bike ride of the year.

Friday I got to meet with my swapee, for the Spring Felted Bag Exchange. We had a lovely lunch and I think the bag I made suited her! Thanks again for a great lunch date Miss Me. Here is a poor photo of the bag, the colours are actually much brighter.

Friday evening was a girl’s night and Saturday evening was a deck party at my house. Hubby brought home some monstrosity of a bar from a yard sale and we had to host a party to “celebrate”. The role of Isaac was played by Hubby (making me Captain Stubing I think). We had a great turn out for such short notice and a good time was had by all!

On Sunday I went for a bike ride with RB and Canknitian, our afternoon trip was about 29kms out and back. I knew on Sunday that Monday would be rough. I have no idea how I managed to sit at my desk all day. I don’t remember as a kid having to ease into biking each summer. It doesn’t make any sense – I have MUCH more all-natural padding built in these days than I did as a kid and I’ve got a nice bike with a wide-ass seat and yet I felt like I may never sit again after just one afternoon out on the trail! It is one of the great mysteries of the universe why they haven’t been able to design a comfortable bike seat in the last 150 years!

I spent Monday mostly whining about my behind and had to soothe myself with a little retail therapy. A fabulous little black dress, a new brown suit and two pairs of sunglasses I was feeling no pain!

Today, dare I say it, I may actually be able to get back on the bike for a little more torture. There will not be any 27kms but a little tour around town may be in order. I’ll have to see how my fellow travelers are making out and if the rain will hold off.

Crafty Goodness

Okay, enough with the doom and gloom and poor barren me. We now return you to our regular crafty goodness.

Meet "Jacques the Monkey"!

My Hubby spotted this as I was flipping through a friend's Happy Hooker book and insisted that I make him one for his new toy, a MP3 and video player. Only he wanted it in "monkey colours" and not the purple it was shown in. I got the idea from the book but just winged it rather than following the pattern.

The back is clear vinyl and will protect the screen while still allowing him to use the MP3 player and watch his videos.

Apparently Jacques is quite a hit at his work and he suspects I'll have some requests to make different animals for some of his co-workers.

Today is suppose to be 33 degrees and Hubby and I put together a swing for the deck that flops out like a futon. I just hope the rain clears up early enough for me to sit out this afternoon.

I almost forgot (okay I did forget and came back to edit the post) I owe Miss Me a list of 7 random things about me.

1. I have created the perfect PMS snack - a peanutbutter, chocolate spread and raspberry jam sandwich. It is both salty and sweet and filling. I swear, by the time you've finished your fifth sandwich you'll have no room for other junk food.

2. I have never made a penny on a my wedding cakes. I don't do very many and I consider the work that goes into them to be a gift to the bride and groom. My first wedding cake was 7 cakes with hundreds of icing daisies. It took 10 hours just to decorate it.

3. I have been with my Francophone Hubby for 13 years and still can not speak French

4. I spent an obscene amount of money on legal robes, tabs, vest, skirt etc. and wore it only once - to my Bar admission ceremony.

5. I would like to visit every province and territory in Canada. Still have British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut left to see.

6. I am seriously afraid of Dentists and need medication to get me in the door.

7. I am an unabashed car singer. I love to sing but couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, only those who are brave enough to travel with me are subjected to my crooning.

(I'll have to check to see who has not been tagged)

Retraction

I would like to retract my last post. While the things I listed certainly are signs of spring in NB. Spring has decidedly NOT sprung. It had sprung but has since unsprung. (Although possibly springing again in the near future.)

To clear up any confusion, I would like to share the images that greeted me yesterday morning as I stepped outside.

Yup, that's snow.

We apparently received 10-15 cms last night although very little of it actually accumulated and the rain had washed it all away by noon. Still, no one south of Nunavut should have to brush off their car on May 17th.
One angry little snowman.

On a positive note the cold and rainy weather gave me time to finish up my Monica for Mouse. It is about a size three using the size two pattern and Lion Brand Cotton-Ease. This size used less than one ball of each with enough left over to make a cloche style hat. (I hope it fits, I didn't think to measure her noggin when she was here.) I can't wait to see her try it on!


Last night was Library night for Monkey and I. We read a story about a school that was doing a book challenge where the students had to read 1000 books over the school year. Monkey and I have decided to do our own challenge and have decided to read 100 books! We counted up the ones we read at the library yesterday and we are already up to 12. We counted each book only once even though we had read some of them several times.

On the drive home we decided that we should have a prize when we get to 100 books. I was trying to think of something big to motivate him and his four-year old brain suggested "A chocolate bar or an ice cream". While it is tempting to take advantage of his inexpensive recommendation I would like to think of something a little more exciting. Any suggestions? Maybe a chocolate bar AND an ice cream!

It is not a tumour!

Good news! I do not have terminal toe cancer! My biopsy has come back clean and it turns out it is nothing more than a beauty mark on my big toe. I wasn't worried, I've had a few of these done, but the family has been quite concerned. It looks like I will live to craft another day!

Speaking of crafting goodness, check out this Spidey-ghan done by a fellow Spring Bag Exchanger,Shawnee. (Scroll down the page to March 27th) I know a certain 4 year old Monkey and a Canknitian of undisclosed age who would loose their minds over this one.

Currently OTN is a Monica in pink with a green ruffle for the Mouse. The Mouse is my two year old niece whom I have just met! Big Bro has moved back to NB after living in BC and Alberta for more than 10 years, and he has brought his girlfriend and their little Mouse too. She is sweet but shy. I can't wait to finish it for her next trip to see me. It will be great to have her just an hour away.

Sis has just brought home 5 foster kittens for the SPCA they are very cute. Monkey was beside himself with 5 kittens running around him. I can easily see one of these cuties landing at my house, that is if the Queen of the Castle (my cat) will allow it.

How many nerve endings are there in a big toe?

I've got an "owie". I had a biopsy done on a mole that magically appeared on the inside of my big toe. The proceedure itself was quick and (aside from the freezing)very painless. I am certain that the doctor was laughing to herself when I left saying -"That wasn't so bad!" I somehow forgot that the toe was still frozen.

Every little bump sends a sharp pain down my foot. The other night Hubby accidentally sat on it and I screamed like I was being stabbed. (Should I be concerned that none of the neighbours came to see if I was okay?) I generally don't take as much as an asprin but I've been popping Motrin like Pez.

My biggest problem is footwear. My bandaged foot will not fit into any of my shoes! Even my Crocs are a stretch and I can only get my foot in without a sock on it. While we did have a nice day yesterday, it has generally been cold and wet - simply not the weather for barefeet in holey shoes.

Facebook is evil. Okay, its not really evil it is just very, very addictive. There is a certain satisfaction in finding someone that you have not seen in years. I started a group for my law school grad class and nearly 20 of the 70-some grads have signed up.

Touching base with my classmates has confirmed that not a lot of us have stayed in private practice. A few have moved into in-house positions with companies, others are working for government and there are a few like me who have gone to work at non-profit organizations. The number of people who are actually practicing law in a law firm is surprising low.

On the crafty front, I have crocheted a cute little purse with a seed stitch and cute little puffs. I will post a pic once I have found a buckle for it.