Thursday, December 15, 2011

Happy Birthday to me!

Another year older!  Boy, where did the year go?  I had some firsts this year.  I had the garden in the open space and enjoyed the fruits of my labors.  I learned that 9 tomato plants are too many and that I needed more time to harvest corn.  I also learned that acorn squash and I just don't have a good relationship!  My best crops were the squash, tomatoes and cucumbers.  Next year I will also plant zucchini and maybe try some greens.

Reading, well only 38 books since my last birthday, compared to 48 the year before.  I really enjoy reading, but I don't read as much as I used to because I watch and listen to many podcasts and television shows.  So, starting the annual list, books read since December 15, 2011 - none.  I will finish the Bible again this year as I listen to the Daily Audio Bible.

Knee update, well, another set back.  The knee had to be drained again this morning for the 4th time and I am back on crutches.  Sigh, Happy Birthday to me!  But hey!  It sure could be a lot worse!  I start physical therapy on Friday and if they can't get the knee to fully straighten or bend beyond 110 degrees, I get to have the surgeon do it while I am "sleeping."  So either way it's going to hurt like blue blazes.  Here's to finally getting a working knee back.

Christmas, well, I haven't done any shopping, we don't have a tree up yet.  My goodness.  See what happens when a surgery issue occupies your time for the past 35 days?  I think the internet is going to be my friend and there are going to be some late gifts this year.  I don't even want to think about Christmas cards.  Maybe we will do New Years cards this year.

Knitting, well, slow is the name of the game.  There are lovely things that I want to finish and two KALS that I am participating in, one that is starting December 26, 2011 and one that I am moderating and starts January 1, 2012.  The first one is the Takoma Cardigan http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/takoma which is a lovely stranded cardigan from Knitty Deep Fall 2011.  Mine is going to be in shades of grey, natural and turquoise.  I really am looking forward to wearing this cardigan and as it is knitted in Cascade Eco Wool and Eco + it should be a quick knit.  The KAL is one I am hosting in the Black Water Abbey group on Ravelry.  We are having a cardigan knit along, but if you want to knit a pullover, that's okay too.  I will be knitting Trillium http://www.ravelry.com/projects/mountainpurl/trillium in the colors of Bracken and Ecru and I think it is going to look very nice.  You have four months to finish your cardigan in this group.

My goal this year is to Finish what I start.  Now I know I have numerous projects on the needles, and I want to finish many this year.  There are just too many pretty things that I want to wear before they are out of style.

My birthday knitting this year will be the Sheep Heid hat/tam. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sheep-heid.  As a knitter and a spinner, how could I not knit this hat?  The stranded work will keep me interested, plus it's just too cute not to knit.

Crochet.  I had started on my Rowan jacket, but it is slow going as I need to ensure that the squares are uniform.  There are 4 different square patterns for a total of 96 squares.  When I did the original 4, 2 came out a little bit larger than the first two.  So, I am going to crochet patterns 3 and 4 first and then make sure the other two patterns come out the correct size.

Well, that's about all.  I start my new job ob December 27, 2011 and I am looking forward to learning something new.

Happy Birthday!


Sunday, December 04, 2011

Christmas Cactus

2011-12-04 07.12.42.jpg by Mountain Purl
2011-12-04 07.12.42.jpg, a photo by Mountain Purl on Flickr.
Aren't they pretty? I don't know how they know to bloom in December, but my Christmas Cactus always seem to know.

Update on the knee - after a long three and a half weeks, I think I might have had a turning point this weekend. I have had to have the knee drained three times since the surgery, and the last time was Wednesday morning. The knee kept swelling above the knee cap, which in turn shut down my quad muscles, so basically all I had was dead weight.  For a week I had a splint from upper thigh to ankle to immobolize the knee and control the swelling.  I have kept off of it (yes, I am SO sick of crutches, been on them for 3 weeks now) and it doesn't appear to have filled up. Yeah! I am walking on it a wee bit around the house and I am hoping that this is the end of this ordeal - except for the Coumadin for 3 months, and I can work on strengthening my leg.

Knitting - working on a baby blanket, a cowl, and a sweater. I hope to soon have some FOs to share. My knitting mojo had left during most of the knee ordeal, and now I finally feel like knitting again.  Looking forward to knitting during the Bronco game later today.


I applied for a new job and was given a job offer.  I am going through the background check process now, so when that is done and everything is finalized I will be happy.

Reading, well it's almost my birthday, so I need to update the list:

Books read since December 15, 2010

37.  Finger Lickin 15 by Janet Evanovich
38.  Cat Sitter Among the Pigeons by Blaize Clement