Thank You Delynne!!!!

The Thank You Monkey Socks are done.   I didn't get them finished as quickly as I had hoped.  Too much interference from work.  But they are now done and on their way to Delynne.  I hope she enjoys them and knows how much I appreciate the sacrefices she made.  Even though Dean is her brother, her selflessness isn't diminished. 

The yarn was Footnotes from Fiber Optic.  It was fantastic to work with.  The color in the above photo is a little washed out.  The brown is a rich, woody brown.  This was my first pair of Monkey socks.  I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the pattern works up.  I think I'll make a couple more pairs of socks for my girls as Christmas presents.

I have another project in the works.  It is a tag-team effort with my friend Cindy.  She and I have another friend who just found out she has breast cancer.  Cindy and I are making a wrap for her.  It will lightweight so that it can be carried along to treatments.  This yarn is a laceweight merino/silk blend which should help take the chill off if needed.  Cindy found the pattern, but I can't remember the name.  It is a simple knit one, knit one below on an odd number of stitches.  When it is blocked it will have a matrix of hexagons throughout.  I have custody this weekend.  Cindy is travelling next week so she will get it to work on during her long flights to/from the west coast.

Gotta Get My Monkey On

Since my last post 3 WEEKS AGO, I have finished the first Thank You Monkey sock and got to the gusset of sock #2.  I really, really, really want to get these done this weekend, but not sure how to do that.  You see, Ed is out of town until Tuesday evening, Kristin has a volleyball match today, I have a very dusty house that needs my attention, and I have to work all day tomorrow.   Maybe the dust can wait.  Heck, it's been here longer than the sock.  It can hang around a little longer.

My friend with leukemia is doing well.  He is still showing no sign of disease.  His strength is slowly returning.  The doctor has given him the OK to drive if he feels up to it.  That has been a HUGE relief for his wife.  Since she doesn't have to escort him to his daily outpatient treatments, she has 3-5 hours of each day back. 

On a sad note, one of my friends from work found out she has breast cancer.  Her lumpectomy is next week.  Another friend and I are going to make her a shawl to carry around with her.  Seeing how cold Dean always was in the hospital, I thought something like that would be useful for our friend.  Since the second friend and I share a cubicle, we are going to tag-team.  We'll leave the shawl on the counter between us and whenever we have a couple minutes for a break, we'll pick it up and work it.

As I mentioned above, Ed is away.  He and his brother are in Penticton, British Columbia for Ironman Canada.  The race it tomorrow.  Physically he is ready.  As usual, he is getting nervous and anxious for the race to start.  I worry most about the swim portion of the race.  Once I know he is safely out of the water, my anxiety level drops significantly.

Monkey Business

Not getting as much time as I had hoped to work on the Monkey socks, but I'm coming to the home stretch of the first one.  Here's my progress as of last night.

I am finding this pattern very fun to knit.  I understand now why it is so popular.

I'm working these on size 3 needles, which is one up from the size suggested in the pattern.  I was worried they be too big, but I slipped them on and they felt wonderful.  The recipient wears US size 9 shoes and I wear size 7, so I'm sure they won't be too loose on her.

Did I mention who the recipient is?  It is the lady who saved my friend's life by donating her bone marrow stem cells.  DeLynne is Dean's sister and she was doing what any sibling would do for another member of the family.  But that fact does not diminish the risks she took.  Without her Dean's chances were bleak.  Now, her blood has taken over his body and he is slowing gaining strength. 

Now, it is a beautiful Saturday and I'm not going to waste any more time on this blog.  Enjoy your day!!!

My friend who has been battling leukemia finally got to go home from the hospital.  His release on Tuesday ended a 122 day stay.  June and July were very rough.  After his stem cell transplant at the beginning of June, he developed a host of complications.  Every time he seemed to make an improvement, something would happen to backtrack his progress.  Nothing was simple for him.  Even a common side effect turned into a major complication.  Mid-July he was placed in ICU because of liver, stomach, and kidney failure.  After several days of dialysis, things started to turn around for him.  But through all of the struggle, evidence that the transplant worked mounted.  He is now finally home and trying to regain his strength.  Prior to his hospital stay he was exercising every day and playing racquetball 3 days a week.  Now, walking up one flight of stairs takes his breath away.  I'm confident he'll rapidly regain his strength now that he is home disconnected from all the IV lines and sleeping in his own bed.

The donor for my friend's stem cell transplant was his sister.  She accepted a lot of risk for her brother and will forever be a part of him.  Her blood literally runs through his veins now.  Everyone who has helped with tangible and intangible support has been asked to thank her in some way, even as simply as a 'Thank You' note.  I'm making her a pair of monkey socks out of some of the yummy yarn I got from Fiber Optic during Knitters Connection. I'm not as far along on these as I had hoped to be.  Tonight will be movie night at home, so I'll make progress then.

Last weekend I went on a roadtrip with one of my sisters, a sister-in-law, and two nieces to Myrtle Beach.  Here is a view of the resort from the beach.  The building we stayed in was behind these buildings and not visible in this picture.

We only actually hung out on the beach one day.  The resort had several very nice pools and we decided that it was more fun being there. I've come to the conclusion that sand and surf are not as much fun if there aren't kids to play with.

Several recent events in my life have taught me some things.  First, don't hesitate to show your love and appreciation.  You never know how long you will get the opportunity.  Second, prayer works.  It may not seem like it for a while, but God has a plan and if you open yourself up to it, things work out.  The ending may not be what you hoped for, but in the end you get what you need.  Third, don't dwell on negatives from your past.  Always look forward with hope instead of backwards with anger.  Fourth, strive to repair damaged relationships.  Life is constantly evolving and we need to continually try to make it the best it can be for ourselves and those around us.  Sometimes someone just needs you to reach out to them.  And finally, know when it is time to let go, whether it is a person or an object or an emotion.  Children grow into adults.  Anger and frustration are not productive and will fester if held inside.

Here is one of my favorite Bible quotes:

The LORD bless you and keep you!

The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!

The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!

- Numbers 6:24-26