Yarn It: My life as I Live It and Knit It

Turbulence U-Neck

Wow - you all ask some very good questions!  I am going to have to think hard on a many of them.  I better get started on drafting the post - it may take me hours! 

Well, I finally have an FO to show you!  I finished this a couple months ago now and I have only been able to wear it once.  But when I did wear it I received a compliment on it.  That is always nice - especially when people are completely shocked to find out it was hand knit.  Geez, I look terribly tire in this picture.  I started a new weight and cardio class and it is kicking my rear!  Plus I have to get up early and I tend to go to bed much too late.  Anyway - here is the pic.

And the very simple back:

Pattern:  Turbulence U-Neck from Knitting Nature

Yarn:  Sublime Extra Fine Merino DK from Stash - Six Balls

Needle Size:  US 6 for body and US 4 for ribbing

The Turbulence U-Neck was a very satisfying knit.  It was easy but I enjoyed the simplicity of it at the time.  I needed simple because I was finishing up the last few weeks of school when I knit it.  It knit up VERY quickly to my surprise and I enjoyed the cable pattern at the top of the sweater.  Though I don't think this is the most flattering sweater, it is very comfortable and I have no doubt I will get a lot of wear out of it during the winter.  I love the shorter length and the 3/4 sleeves.  After seeing the pictures, I think a shorter cami layered under it would work better with the shorter length of the sweater.  The long cami kind of throws the look off a bit.

Now for the yarn - I don't know how many of you have used this yarn but it is, well, sublime!  It is soooo soft!  I highly recommend using it.  Plus, you can machine wash it which is nice sometimes. I machine washed the sweater before wet blocking and it turned out perfectly.  If anything, it softened the fabric up a little more and made the yarn bloom.  I love this yarn - I can't say enough good things about it but it is one of my favorites now.  I have 5 more balls in beige and 5 more in gray and I can't wait to use them - just need to find a good project!

I can't wait to show you Goddess now!  I need to block it - I have been procrastinating for some reason.  I really loved how it turned out so I think I will block it.....as soon as I am done with this post!  Cherry is almost done also!  I have to finish the last sleeve, assemble the sweater, knit the ribbing and block it.  That doesn't sound almost done - but it feels like it!

I forgot to take pictures of the yarn I am giving away but I will include it in the post that answers all your questions.

Blogiversary - 6 months late - And a Contest!

I didn't even think about my Blogiversary in January.  It was probably because of the storms, power outages, the raging flu!  But, as I was sitting down knitting a bit ago, I was thinking what I could blog about that wouldn't require pictures (since my camera lens still isn't fixed and I it is starting to really irriate me now - they said maybe Thursday.  MAYBE?).  Anyway, I decided that I would blog about my late blogiversary and checked my yarn cabinet to see what yarn I would give away - and realized that I needed my camera! 

So, I have decided to do what Robin did before - leave a comment and ask me a question - I am sure there are some things that I haven't leaked to you guys yet that I would be willing to reveal.  I will give you until Thursday at 12:00 noon pacific time.  I will then make a post and answer the questions either Thursday or Friday and will also post pics of the yarn up for grabs so long as I have my camera lens back.  The drawing for the yarn will be done with a random number generator.  I may even be done with Cherry at that point and then will have 3 FO's to post about!  This is driving me crazy.

Things are actually pretty good right now and I am so relieved.  With my Grandmother in remission and the fact that Exie's infection is getting better and not worse after being off antibiotics I feel much more relaxed.  We are living a cloud of smoke right now - going on week #2 because of the fires but it is better than the other stuff that was going on.  The hard part is that we have to stay in doors because our air quality is deemed to be "hazardous" to all people right now.  The fires are slowing down so hopefully the smoke will be gone soon. 

Camille and Davis did do a race last weekend (just before the thunder storms started that caused the fires!).  It is called Mudskipper and it is a bike and run relay.  So one person starts out on the bike and one person starts out running and then they switch off - so the runner typically finishes last and will have to find the bike of his/her partner and then take off biking.  They make the switch twice and have obstacles in between switches.  However, in order to complete the race, both partners must take a swim in the mud pit at the end.  It was funny and I was so proud of my kids for doing this.  They are good little athletes and I think it so great for them.  Here are some pics (they are from their dad's camera).

Camille starting off on the bike (above).

Davis running.  He is the only little kid running.

A trip through the mud pit.

They loved it!

Happy Racers

Sophie got in on the action and got in a mud fight with Davis.

A token picture of my little girls who were supporting their brother and sister.

I guess that is it for now.  Let the questions roll for the contest!

So Good News Does Come

I know I haven't mentioned my Grandmother for quite some time.  There hasn't been a whole lot to mention as of late.  She has had four rounds of Chemotherapy and has been dealing with the effects of the treatment.  She has been a champ and has gotten through this with determination and so much strength that I can't help but admire her.  She had another PET scan which she knew was going to happen after her fourth treatment.  Her first one was horrible.  Now that I know the deep anatomy of the body, the results of the PET scan became even more scary.  There were tumors in too many places to list. 

Well, yesterday my grandmother went to her Dr. for something that looked suspicious on her arm and he gave her latest PET scan results which she wasn't expecting.  He told her that her results were NORMAL!!!  That means she is tumor free and is now in remission - for the second time in her life!  I can't even describe how wonderful this news is.  It is the best news my entire family has heard in months.  My Grandmother has two more rounds of Chemo but she is remission.  The Dr. said that he can't guarantee that the cancer will not come back but because of her results right now the odds that it won't are very high. 
When my Grandmother beat cancer the first time I was too young to understand that I needed to embrace that relationship.  But now I am not too young.  I think we need to take advantage of the years ahead that she is so fortunate to look forward too.  I hope to plan more visits to Arizona and I hope that my children can spend more time with her.  But for now, I am so very happy that has made it through.  It is truly amazing.

As for Exie, last Friday she went to see an Orthopedic Dr. and he wanted to do an aspiration on her knee joint to find out if the infection was in the joint.  This meant a trip to the hospital because she would need anesthesia for the procedure.  She was able to avoid general anesthesia because he found during the aspiration that her joint was not infected.  This was also wonderful news.  If her joint had been infected then it could also have been in her bones and then we would be dealing a huge problem.  So the infection is in her skin and also in her muscle.  She had a big does of antibiotics in the hospital but she is off all oral antibiotics for now. We are waiting the infection out.  Her Dr. said either it will clear up or it will worsen in the form of an abscess and at that point it would be easier to know exactly how to treat it.  Kind of strange but the oral antibiotics are not working.  She is most likely resistant to them and the last thing we need is for her to get resistant to other one's if we keep switching them.  As of today it seems like her leg and knee are slowly getting better.  We just need to wait it out.  She is however, acting like a normal kid - running, jumping, playing - all the things she should be doing! 

Anything else?  Well, if you live in Northern California you are most likely engulfed in the worst air quality ever because of all the fires.  It is terrible outside!  The poor kids have major cabin fever but at least we are not in danger this time!

As for knitting news, I do have my two FO's to show you and I also completed the back of Cherry (scroll down).  I LOVE this pattern and I think it it will turn out very cute.  I am using Elann Sonata.  Though there have been many knots in the balls it is worth it for the price.  Overall, I really love the yarn and have used it a few times now.  I can't wait to show you all I have going on.  My camera lens is in the shop and has been there two weeks now.  I need to call and find out when I can get it back so I can take some pictures already!

I want to thank you all for continuing to read my blog, for checking up on me when my posts are infrequent, and for all the support.  You are all wonderful cyber friends.  I am always amazed how my love of knitting has also opened up the doors for new friendships.  I never knew, that when I first picked up those needles, that this would be in the future.  I am thankful for it and for all of you.

In The Midst of Fire

For the last four days we have had a major fire in our area.  It has caused evacuations, chaos and much uncertainty.  Thursday was the worst day and much of the lower Paradise area was evacuated.  I live in upper Paradise.  My kids dad helped us pack and we were headed out of town but the traffic was awful.  People were in full panic and the only road out was backed up for miles and miles (the other two main roads were closed due to the fire).  One of my best friends husband is a CHP officer and he informed me that I would be safe at my house and it would be better than being bottle necked up in traffic where the fire was headed.  So I slept at home Thursday and woke up Friday thinking all was safe.  Then the fire jumped to the canyon about 1/2 mile from my house and we had to leave.  We slept at my friends house and got periodic updates from her husband.  Today we are home safe and sound. 

I feel fortunate.  There were many homes that have burned and I have no doubt those families are devastated.  The college I am attending had flames 500 feet away and the firefighters worked for hours to keep the flames away and they were successful.  When you have to pack up a few belongings in a small van you really have to decide what is important to you.  It is almost impossible to make those decisions so we packed up for outfits each, photo albums, the pictures my kids painted for my birthday, the computer, and my kids took their favorite stuffed animals and blankets.  That was about all I could fit in my mini-van.  As I we were leaving our house yesterday, the smoke was rolling in - a huge black and gray cloud.  It happened quickly and it scared me.  I didn't know if I would have a house anymore - but more than the house I just didn't know if I would have all the things that were my life.  I guess those things really aren't important as long as everyone is safe.

I just feel so grateful to be home today.  To be able to clean my house, do laundry, fix lunch in my kitchen, sit on my back deck, and sleep in my bed.  Yesterday it was questionable if I would be able to do those things again.  I feel so much sympathy for those who have lost their homes.  The firemen and officers worked hours without sleep and food to ensure that our town would be safe.  They are amazing and did and outstanding job.  The damage could have been much worse.

I am sure every time you read my blog you are saying "Now What?!?!?".  And when I write I keep wondering when I am going to write about something positive....and especially something about knitting!  Oh well.  On another not so great note, Exie's infection is back.  Well....it never fully went away and over the last week it wasn't looking very good.  She is back on antibiotics and if we don't see improvement by next week then we are going to take her to the hospital to have it taken care of.  She isn't sick, she is walking mostly normal, but her knee is still swollen and her knee and thigh both have heat to them which is an indication of inflammation.   We will have a better idea of what is going on this week....I hope.

In knitting news....I finished Goddess!  I haven't tried it on yet because I finished it right before the fire panic.  I am sure it will fit because it is top down and I tried it on along the way.  Just looking at it, I already love it!  My camera lens in the shop.  The automatic lens is broken and when I tried to take pictures of the Turbulence U-Neck Pullover this week they came out to blurry.  So now I have two FO's to show you. 

I am seriously hoping that life settles down and normalizes.  The last month was much to crazy and besides school being over and getting decent grades in school things have just been stressful.  I am way behind on blog reading but I plan on catching up tonight.  Blog reading sounds relaxing to me right now!  As long as I get my camera lens back this week I will finally have pictures too show you.  It has been too long.

Just An Update

My camera is broken.  It can take pictures but the automatic zoom lens is stuck and isn't working.  So I took the memory card out and put it in a "special place where I won't lose it or forget it"....and guess what?  Yeah, that's right, I forgot where I put it!  I was all prepared to take pictures of the Turbulence U-Neck pull over and Goddess.  But that is just not going to be the case today.  I will keep looking for the darn memory card but I also need to get my camera into the shop to get fixed.  Figures.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers in regards to Exie.  It has been a long road for her, lot's of pain,  "pokes" with needles, and 10 days of antibiotics that taste terrible but she is FINALLY better!  Her knee is still a little swollen but other than that she is out of the woods.  These infections are serious and very scary and we are so thankful that she responded to the antibiotics.  Exie is walking again (though with a small limp still) and is pretty much back to her normal self.  I can't tell you how relieved we are.  here is a pic of my little on in the ER:

You can the cellulitis on her thigh and knee as it is very red.  What you can't really tell is that her knee and thigh are about twice their normal size.  The red area was extremely painful to any sort of touch.  Her arm is wrapped up because she had an IV port put in and they didn't want her to bend her arm.  It was a long couple weeks but it is over!

I got my grades from school and I got an A in Microbiology and a B in Physiology.  I am not happy with the B but given the fact that I had the worst professor ever I am glad I got a B.  After taking the final I thought I might even get a C.  It really bothers  me that it has ruined my 4.0 GPA.  There were several A students in that class who are in the same boat.  We are all going to write letters to the head of the science department.  The teacher was unprepared, dis-organized, was terrible at lecturing (we are all confused all the time), and was even 20 minutes late on one of our exam dates.  It was bad.  I can't tell you how glad I am that the semester is over! 

As far as knitting goes, I am about half way done with Goddess and I am loving it.  I am using the recommended yarn in Gold and it is really pretty.  I will tell you though, when the pattern is followed correctly, the neck does not drape like it does on the model in the picture.  I had to add extra short rows and it still doesn't come close.  I didn't want it to drape so much anyway so i am happy with it.  By the time my camera is fixed I will probably be done.  I also started a beaded dress in Sensual Knits.  It is going to take some time, though.  There are over 300 stitches in the round with cables and the slipping of beads but I think it will be really pretty when it is done.

Hopefully, hopefully, hopefully I will be able to post knitting pictures soon.  It is driving me nuts not being able to do so!

Just Plain Craziness

Nope.  Things are never easy!  It seems like it is one thing after the other.  Tuesday night, as I was taking one of my finals, my youngest daughter (she is 4) was running, fell, and got a rock lodge in her knee.  Her dad tried to get it out to no avail.  I took her to immediate care and they numbed her knee and then spent about 20 minutes digging into her knee with a scalpel to get the rock out.  During the "digging" Exie was screaming and crying in a way that breaks a mother's heart.  I tried to be strong for awhile and then I was sobbing right along with her.  Finally, the rock came out.  She went on antibiotics to fight any possible infection.

Wednesday night comes along and I notice that Exie's thigh is getting red - it is inflammed.  Thursday at about 4:00 am, I call her dad, he comes over and we debate taking her to the hospital.  Since she was sleeping we decided to take her Immediate Care in the morning.  Brad took her while I got the kids off to school.  They took one look at her and said she needed to go to the ER.  Ok - so we spent all morning in the ER - and I am studying as much as I can while I am in there because I had a Microbiology final at 3:30 - and I only had two hours sleep all night!!!!  She was released at 12:30pm.  She has celulitis, which is a very bad infection.  Her leg and knee are swollen, inflammed and extremely painful.  She got IV antibiotics and the port is still in her arm in case she needs another round. She is also on two other antibiotics.  And she can't walk.  The most common cause of celulitis is a Staph infection and I am sure you all know how bad that is.  So we are just keeping a good eye on her and are hoping the infection starts to get better and not worse.  Exie is so brave and is such a trooper.  She has been through hell and back the last few days and the end is not yet in sight.

I did make it to my final and I am ALL DONE with school (for now).  It is such a relief!  But now I have this to worry about.....which kind of took the feeling of relief from school away. 

In knitting news - I finished the Turbulence U-Neck pull over a few weeks ago!  I just need to get pictures taken and will hopefully do that this weekend.  If not, then next week for sure.  I am also knitting Goddess and I am loving it so far.  And I have many other knitting projects planned - many of them stash busters!  I am so excited to be able to knit without guilt - I have nothing hanging over my head!  Besides that, I have a lot of organizing and cleaning to do around the house.  It has been neglected this entire semester.

I hope you are all doing well.  I am looking forward to blog reading again as well as blog posting!  Unfortunately, with school, I have had to put many of the things I love on hold.  But it was worth it.  It was a hard semester but it is over and I made it through.  I don't have my grades yet but most likely I will have an A in Micro and a B in physiology (which really ticks me off and that is a LONG story).  Welcome me back to the land of the living! 

Six Word Memoir

Courage and self love for happiness.

I was tagged by Amanda to write a six word memoir.  Apparently, this meme was inspired by this story.  I think it is a very clever concept but I really had to think about it.  I have sat down and drafted a couple different comments in regard to my memoir but they all seemed too lengthy.  Basically, the memoir boils down to this:

In order to ensure a happy future for myself I had to learn to love myself - to know that I was worthy of something better and that I deserved true happiness in my life.  It took courage to make a very tough and heartbreaking choice that would affect my family forever.  I say it took courage because I stayed for a long time living in the face of fear - fear of what would happen to me, fear that no one would love me because I have four kids and it is a lot of work, fear of having to work full time rather than be a stay at home mom with my kids.  Learning to love myself gave me the strength to find the courage to believe in myself again and know that I was capable of making good things work for my life.  It was about a three and a half year process and it was painful for reasons I will not state on my blog.  Bit by bit I started to do things for myself which helped me with my self confidence that I had somehow lost.  I decided to be true to myself and who I am as a woman and as a mother and that meant finding peace and happiness in my life.  It meant putting myself first for once - which is a very foreign thing for a mom.  But in the end, it was the best thing.  My kids are healthy, happy and thriving.  They are amazing.  I am finding my own happiness and peace and it is the best feeling in the world.  So there is my explanation for my six word memoir for now....maybe in another year or two it would be completely different!

To the left is a picture of some flowers I bought myself a couple weeks ago.  It may seem kind of silly but I love flowers and why not buy them for myself?  So I do sometimes and they are always centered on the kitchen table where we can all enjoy them.  This boquet lasted almost two weeks!

Guidelines for the meme:

*Post it on your blog and include an illustration if you would like
*Link to the person that tagged you in your post and link to this original post.
*Tag five more blogs with links

Soooo....here I go tagging again!
Robin
Kristie
Keana
Emily
Sarah

I realize I have been MIA.  It really is a time issue.  I have an A in Microbiology but I am barely hanging on to a B in physiology and I can't stand that!  So I decided I really needed to buckle down harder than I was already and rather than knitting almost every night I am studying.  I hate to say it but it is short term.  I have three more weeks left of school and after that I will not only have the summer off but I will also have next semester off!  The nursing program forces you to take a semester off so I will be applying for the nursing program and hopefully, if good things still come my way, I will get into the January session.  Cross your fingers!

The Turbulence U-neck pull over is actually almost done.  I am almost done with the sleeves so you just might see an FO pop up on my blog soon.  I am also really behind on blog reading and that is because I am also forcing myself to spend less time on the computer.  Physiology is not only a hard class but I have a TERRIBLE teacher!  That is a long story but it is bad.  So I just need to plug away for the next few weeks and then I will have a nice break. 

I just want you all to know that I appreciate all your thoughts and prayers for my Grandmother.  She is about to start her second round of Chemo and it is very difficult for her.  Not only is it difficult for her but also for all those around her - especially her children.  I know my mom is having a hard time but she has been so strong.  I thought this situation might really depress my her, and I am sure it has to a degree, but she just decided to keep her head up high and be a source of strength for my Grandmother.  And she is doing it.  She is truly amazing.  I love you mom - I am proud of you.

On a good note, my Grandmother's bone marrow test came back NEGATIVE...which was such great news and white blood cell count, after it hit it's low, was 29,000.  Patients are given shots to help boost their white blood cell count and 10,000 is normal - so my Grandmother is doing good going into her next treatment.

I guess that is it for now.  It has been almost a month since I have blogged.  That is a long time.  Hopefully it won't be that long before my next post! 

When it rains....it pours.

Whoever coined that phrase couldn't have put it any better.  I found out last night that that my Grandmothers cancer is in her lymph nodes in her abdomen and pelvis and she has large cell lymphoma.  None of that news is good - it is very bad.  We are not sure what her treatment will be yet because there are several different types of lymphoma and we do not know which one she has yet.  Regardless, any treatment she receives is going to be horrific. 

There is nothing positive about the situation but I just have to try to have a positive attitude.  I can't help but feel in my heart that it is not her time to go.  When my grandmother had breast cancer 22 years ago she used different thinking techniques to help her beat the cancer.  I guess she is doing that again.  Before she does it she has to put herself in a good frame of mind and thinks about things that are positive.  Last night she told my mom that she was thinking about watching me walk down the isle again.  It was weird because I was thinking the same thing - the I would like my grandmother to there when I am finally happy and hopefully someday happily married.  I KNOW that day will come and that she will be there.....I just know it.

I do have some knitting news.  I am currently knitting the Sylph Cardigan (Ravelry link) from the IK Spring 2008.  I am using Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK.  I really love this pattern but you really have to pay attention to those twisted stitches.  I love the texture it creates but if you get off the pattern it doesn't look right.  I have spent lots of time correcting the stitches because I am somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to my knitting.  Not somewhat - I am.  I can't handle mistakes.  I have the back completed and also the left front.  The right front is halfway done and then all I have is sleeves!

I am also the Turbulence U-Neck (Ravelry link) pull over from Knitting Nature.  I am using Sublime Extra Fine Merino Wool DK.  I bought this yarn last summer and it was intended for a different project.  It was a slip stitch cardigan in the Vogue Anniversary issue and I didn't like the way it was knitting up.  So I frogged it and settled on this pattern so I could use the yarn.  I love it's simplicity and the cables add an extra touch without being too much.  I have finished the back and am almost done with the front.  All I will have to do next is the sleeves (as with the cardigan).  This is knitting up very quickly.  Here is a picture of the front cable pattern.

I went to a knit night at my LYS last night and it was a lot of fun.  I didn't know the majority of the people there but it was still fun and nice to get together with other knitters.  The owner had some yummy hors d'oeuvre, pizza and salad for dinner, desert, wine and champagne.  It was relaxing and nice and I got about 8" of knitting done on the Turbulence U-Neck sweater!  I am certainly going to go to that again the next time she puts it one.  I had two major exams this week and looking forward to Friday's knit night is the only thing that got me through the week.

So that is my current update.  There is so much going on in my life right now and somehow I have to plug through the next 7 weeks of school and continue to get good grades because my future depends on it.  Sometimes I wonder how I can do it all....and then I think of my grandmother and the fact that her fate is now in the hands of God....and I realize that I can do it.  My fate is in MY hands and I have complete control over that now.  I have my health, my beautiful children, an amazing "friend", and the best parents in the world.  I have so much despite all the difficulties and I need to do my best to keep that in perspective. 

Thanks, Easter and a 28thirty

Horrible title to this post, I know.  I am certainly not in a creative mood today.  That was the best I could come up with.

First off - thank you to all for your kind words, prayers, and good thoughts for my Grandmother.  I haven't been able to respond personally to each of you - but I sincerely appreciate it so much.  It is easy to feel helpless in such a situation but the prayers of others does seem to bring some hope and comfort. All we know right now is that my grandmother has Lymphoma - we just don't know what type it is.  The type is what can make all the difference.  The lump she found was vascular so they could only take a small sample and it wasn't enough to determine what kind of cancer she has.  She will be getting it removed next week and will have CATscans and MRI's done as well.  We just have to continue to be hopeful.  She is such a strong woman and I admire her strength right now.  I can't begin to imagine what she is going through.

As for Easter, I was planning a big dinner with my mom and dad, my brother and his family, and of course....my "friend".  Saying "boyfriend" when you are 34 years old sounds weird.  Especially after being married.  Anyway, my mom and dad are in Arizona with my Grandparents so they won't be here.  I was going to do something simple instead of an Easter dinner, because of the situation, but then decided that we should be more traditional.  Easter, to me, seems like a time of rebirth.  Spring is "springing" here.  The weather is getting warmer, the flowers are blooming and so are the trees.  I think it seems appropriate to celebrate life - because it really is so precious in all it's different forms.  So that is what we are doing.  We are celebrating on Saturday though because my SIL is going to Mexico on Sunday with her kids. 

On another note, I do have to say that I am so grateful to have my "friend" in my life.  I haven't spilled all the details of my marriage out on my blog because they are just too personal.....so to some it may seem "too soon".  But it isn't - it is long awaited.  I have a wonderful man in my life who is kind, loving, caring and wonderful with my children.  His support in everything I do means the world to me and I feel so lucky.  He took me out to a wonderful dinner last night and it got my mind off everything that was bringing me down.  He can make me happy in even sad situations.  It is a gift.

Ok, now on to what you have all been waiting for....right?  That sounded way too presumptuous!  Anywho here is my 28thirty.  I will post the obligatory pics and then tell you what I think.

Frontal View

Yup....that's a side view!

You guessed it!  That's the back!

Pattern:  28thirty from Zephyr Style

Yarn:  Malabrigo Worsted

Needles:  Size 10

Ok, I do like the sweater....however, I really feel like the cropped style does not suit my body type.  I have a long torso and I think this style of sweater just exaggerates it.  Other than that, I love the yarn and I love the sweater.  I normally like my sleeves longer but because the sweater is shorter I thought it would silly - so I opted for shorter sleeves.  I figure I would be layering with this sweater anyways and my long sleeved tops could peek out from the sleeve cuffs of the sweater. 

Here is my question - should I rip back the ribbing and make this longer?  My guess is YES.  I think it would suit me more properly if this sweater hit my hips.  I have enough yarn to do so and I don't know what to do with the remaining yarn so I think that is what I am going to do.  I am just not compelled to do it right away!  But let me know what you think.  I like the sweater but I am not in love with it.  I am open to your opinions as always!

Besides this I have a couple other things going on in kitting news but I don't have time to post about it right now.  So hopefully next weekend I will be able to do so. 

Some Sad News

Last night I received a call from my mom with some very sad news.  My Grandmother has cancer - it is either Lymphoma or Leukemia and they will find out which one it is either today or tomorrow.  My Grandmother is 78 and is in amazing health.  She goes to the gym, takes vitamins, eats well.....certainly the last person we expected to come down with something like this.  Her and my Grandfather were visiting a couple weekends ago and she seemed so fine.

I love my Grandmother so much and this is very difficult.  I know it is going to be very, very difficult for my mom as well.  In the next day or two we will have a better idea of where things stand but if you would all be so kind as to keep my Grandmother and my family in your prayers, it would be much appreciated. 

28thirty has been done for well over a week and I finally put the buttons on it last night.  I will get a picture of it as soon as I feel fit to smile for a camera.  I just can't do that today.