Good morning to you all! Fortune needed to go out so I came down and let him out and just decided for the time being to stay up. I may go back to bed and snooze for an hour after Jack goes to work, who knows?

Susan: Boy, honey, that old adage, "That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger" certainly has to apply to you two. I don't even have words to express how sorry I am you have taken another step backwards. I am sending up prayers that the surgery goes ok and they can get him straightened out once and for all.

Jean: It is gorgeous here. It is only dipping into the 60's at night and walking is so nice now. I only wear a lightweight jacket. Hope the move is coming along fine. It is always hard to move when you have little ones around. Is Ian anxious to start school this fall? I can't believe Thomas will be in second grade. They grow up so fast. We have only about 2 1/2 months until the new baby gets here and it seemed they had just called and told us she was pregnant.

I finally finished the left front of my cardigan so will start the right front this morning, then just the sleeves and I can sew it all up. It is coming along well since I fixed my goof! I will be glad when it is done though and I can go ahead and get to the other ribbon top and finish it up. I am part of my knitting forums yarn swap so that will be interesting to see what eventually get. You fill out a questionaire and email it to the coordinator. On it you have information about the price range you picked (anywhere from $10 up to $20+) the fibers you like, colors, etc. I just asked for the $20+ and machine washable yarn. They then give you someone who has the same $$ amount and then you get that person's yarn info to purchase yarn for them then you ship it to them. It is sort of a Secret Santa thing as you only know who you ship to, not who has your name. I thought it would be fun. Just hope someone doesn't have horrible taste in colors!

I hope everyone has a good Wednesday!

Faye

Good morning! Looks like this is going to have to be a "the B... called day" calling doctors. The surgeon's office called (replace access port) and gave Stan an appointment for April 17 to do the vein mapping....that's what I call STUPID since his access port is defective. We can't take 2 months to get this replaced. They told me if he chose to go off dialysis, he'd be dead in 2 weeks! So how is he supposed to do well with only partial treatment? I have lots of words for them, and they aren't going to be kind. Stan's appetite is improving but his memory is still not 100%. He's very weak and will continue to be until they get all the toxins out with the dialysis.

On a positive note, I made it to Curves yesterday and am now down 14 pounds since I started. I actually had 2 people comment that I look thinner.

Good morning gals! Boy, it is warm here again this morning. It is 75! We are going to have a big warm up this weekend and go over 80. It will be nice for the tournament.

Susan: I hope you ripped off someone's head and stuffed something down it for good measure. What is WRONG with those people? That poor man. I just hope you can keep his strength up for him to even have the operation with what is going on.

Jean: It is not likely I will not have projects. I got an email from Kelly yesterday saying they wanted to tone down his birthday (June 25) since he got so much stuff for Christmas and would I be interested in knitting him some scout things for his birthday. So, I am going to get him a little canteen, make a holder for it, make him a camping blanket, and make him an ear flap hat all in blue and gold for his birthday. She also sent me a couple pics of sweaters she is lusting after as she calls it. I would love to knit the one for her birthday, but with all the other stuff, I don't know if I am going to have time. Her birthday isn't until the middle of November though so we shall see. Hope you "catch" your student and he doesn't put up a fight.

Tomorrow is weigh in and I imagine I either stayed the same or gained a bit. That's ok, it happens and it won't be a lot anyway if I did gain. I still haven't decided what I am going to do about weigh in for next week. I really don't want to go early, which would be Wed, but I don't know if I can make it to the weigh in at the Indiana center on Friday morning. Maybe I will just go ahead and go on Wed and weigh in here.

Everyone have a great day and don't work too hard. Prayers for Stan, Susan.

Faye

We had another miserable dialysis treatment last night - got about 3/4 this time. She said they will call the doctor's office and get the mess with changing the port straightened out or they will schedule him at the hospital in Norfolk (which the center prefers). Even with this, he is doing so much better already - eating a lot better and getting stronger. And the puffiness is gone from his face. They are also going to rearrange his schedule to get him in earlier in the day when he is stronger.

This weekend I'll cleanout the pantry...his aide has 6 kids so I'm sure they'll welcome most of it. I'm going to tell him to take what he wants and then take the rest to the food pantry our church runs. Now I have to find stuff he can actually eat.

Faye, I've been working on my socks. I have to say, it's slow going with such fine yarn. I wish I had smaller feet!

Jean, we get those pea soup fogs around here. I hate it when there are so many bad drivers on a good day!

Good morning girls! It is a balmy 69 here right now. We will get up to around 80 again today and lots of sun. I will surely take that!

I cleaned my downstairs and shampooed the rugs last night before my niece gets here this evening. Carpets sure can get dirty fast. Looked like I hadn't done them in years instead of about 3 months!

Susan: I am glad Stan is at least feeling a bit better. Hope they can get that mess with his surgery cleared up and fast. I have yet to try socks. I have a friend who says they are easy, yeah right! Do you do the both at the same time method or are you doing one sock at a time? My friend knits both her socks at the same time.

Jean: At first, I thought you had a new pet until I looked at the former post to see what you were talking about! Teenagers all think we are incredibly stupid! Of course, after watching that "Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader?" I am not so sure they aren't right. If it hadn't been for the kids the lady wouldn't have won the money she did. Ok, she had trouble spelling YAK! I mean, come on it was first grade spelling! Jack was watching Memphis play in the NCAA tourney last night so I went upstairs and watched that. It is a cute show, but I do embarrass myself sometimes. I missed a physical science ? because I just couldn't remember the answer, but did ok overall. I will say one thing about the lady, she was gutsy and took the harder questions first. She quit when she didn't know what continent was also a country. She said they all were! Oh, DUH! I am terrible at math, but got the 5th grade math ? right. "If the diameter of a circle is 4 inches, what is it's radius?"

Well, ladies, I need to go. I just woke up and couldn't go back to sleep so thought I would come downstairs for an hour and listen to my audio book and knit.

Have a great Friday and a fun weekend!

Faye

Faye, I'm just working on one sock now - since that is all Stan needs. I'll do mine both at the same time so I get them the same length. As much as you knit, you'd have no problem with socks.

Jean, glad the fog has retreated. I'll bet you are counting the days until spring break.

I'm going to try rearranging the furniture and getting some spring cleaning done tomorrow. Sunday will have to be errands and getting stuff ready for the week.

Godd morning ladies! We had a great time with everyone last night, but it was a lot of fatty food so I have to buckle down for this week. As soon as it gets light I am going to go out and get in a good walk.

Susan: My friend keeps telling me what a whiz socks are but I have so many things always ready to be knit, I never get around to them. Maybe I will be able to this fall or winter.

Jean: Maybe I am passing all those early morning vibes to you! I seem to get up early every morning now. I am crossing my fingers all goes well with the move today.

We are going to go to Alycia's soccer tournament this afternoon, but hang around the house this morning. I have all the baby stuff in its gift bags and ready to put in the car next week. Tomorrow is grocery shopping day and I want to start getting things together to pack for the trip.

WW was 3.5 lbs down yesterday so that is a total of 21.5 for 8 weeks. I went ahead and made my April ticker since I have already fulfilled Marches goal. I got a half price coupon for a meeting for losing 20 lbs.

Well, gals, I need to do some chores and get out and walk in about 2 hours when it gets light out. Everyone have a good weekend.

Faye

Good morning to you all! It is going to be a glorious day here, 86 degrees! It was beautiful yesterday and got up to 85 I think. I have a lovely sunburn to prove it from sitting out at the soccer game. Before I get reproved for not putting on sun block here is why:

Jack and I got ready to go to the commissary yesterday morning. I had warned him on Friday night that we needed to drive through town instead of taking the interstate because at the Walnut Grove exit, where they have a huge construction going on widening that road, they would be working on the bridge and closing the interstate in both directions for 30 minute intervals. Well, being a stupid man, when it came time to go, he took the interstate, even though I warned him again what would happen. He was sure he had it timed so that we would only have to sit for about 10 minutes, which irked me anyway. (He hates driving in town) So we get up there, dead stop and sat for an HOUR!!!!! With that being said, we were rushed to get the shopping through, then coming back he did go through town complaining all the way and there was a huge traffic snarl right at the first light where we got off the interstate because everyone was doing the same thing as we were. So we were even more rushed to get it home and into the house and at least get the cold stuff put away so we could make it to the soccer game on time. He had the audacity to be mad at me because we were running late because I had insisted we go through town on the way back home and though I was able to grab a hat, he was grousing at me so, I forgot my sunscreen. So now I have both arms sunburned, my face, and my whole neck area as I was wearing my new ribbon top, (which btw, I got more compliments on.) I put aloe vera gel on it last night so at least I could sleep, but it woke me up about half an hour ago and I couldn't get into a position where it didn't hurt. On top of that, I got up and when I went to the bathroom I notice my bad knee is really hurting and I am gimping around so no walking for me unless it gets to feeling better in the next couple hours. I had to walk a long ways on heavy grass for the soccer tournament and maybe I twisted it a bit, who knows? In other words, I am a mess!

Jean: Hope the move went a-ok and you guys didn't get too tired out.

Susan: Hope Stan is coming along with his eating, treatments etc and feeling a bit better.

Everyone have a good Sunday!

Faye

Good morning! Just checking in this morning. It has been quiet with the Magnolia girls this weekend. We are cooking here in Memphis. It has been so hot this weekend. We stayed indoors except to go out early yesterday to try and get Jack's haircut before we go to Indiana on Thursday, but they didn't open until noon. I did get yarn to start Thomas's Cub Scout blanket though and have one square done and the next one started.

I got a surprise email this morning. I have a friend that I met when we were in junior high music class together. She and I even learned to knit together for 4H! We clicked and have been friends ever since. She lives in Indiana and though I rarely get to see her and sometimes lose touch, we never completely lose touch. I sent her a letter and got an email this morning from her. She is coming to the baby shower so I am thrilled. We hope we can get together on Sunday after church and catch up. I have only met her husband once and that was at their wedding several years ago!

We are getting all ready for the trip. My living room looks like Baby's R Us though! lol We went to dinner with my niece and her family on Friday night and they came to the house first. She said she thinks I ought to make the sweaters, hats and booties and sell them. She really loved them. I told her I have too many things I want to knit for family and stuff, besides, the pattern is probably coyrighted and you can use it, but can't sell stuff made from the pattern.

Hope everyone is doing well. I am a bit under the weather, but it is my own fault so I will suffer in silence until it clears up.

Have a good Monday and no one work too hard today!

Faye

Hello, ladies - cold and cloudy Monday here. Stan is a little better - eating a lot more and not sleeping all the time. After I go in Friday and tell them about not getting an appointment to get the access port changed, it worked perfectly! An older nurse who had more experience...

I tore apart the living room Saturday and cleaned, polished, and rearranged everything in there. I have Stan's hospital bed there since we use the family room and hardly ever used the living room.

Had to do a little shopping yesterday - Stan needs clothes so I got him 2 shirts and 2 pants. Then I found 3 tops on the clearance rack at Kmart so for less than $15 I finally have some tops in medium that actually fit. I was down another pound at Curves on Thursday.

Faye, you are really going to town on the weight loss - keep up the good work!

Jean, hang in there - spring break is just around the corner!

Good morning ladies! I hope all is well with you this morning. We are going to have another hot day here today! I don't think we are supposed to get any rain. We do need it though. I notice when I go for walks the grass is all so straw looking. Our big tree in back is finally starting to bud, but there is sap everywhere and you go out the door and you feel it drip on you. The other day when I was walking, it felt like I was walking in a light rain because of the trees dripping sap.

Jean: Glad the move went ok and it is done for the most part. Hope the kids enjoy their new home too. We had a bad eating weekend also and I may have gained a bit. I am working to get that back off.

Susan: Glad Stan is eating and getting stronger so they can get him fixed up properly.

Here is a picture of Thomas with his 5K medal and his mom. He looks a little tuckered out I think! I would imagine there weren't a lot of 6 year olds running that race.

Jack put the aerobed and the jogging stroller box in the trunk and tonight he is dragging down the bags from the attic so we can start packing. I have so much to do to get ready. I took everything out of the gift bags I bought and put it in white kitchen trash bags to transport, then will redo the bags when we get to Indiana. It will be easy to pack the stuff and the gift bags won't have the possibility of getting torn etc. Tomorrow I will keep the car and get it all washed and vacuumed out and do the last few errands. I will take Jack to work on Thur, rush home and shower and dress, take out the bag with all our hygiene stuff in it, turn off the computer, get the cat all set up (Kelly is going to check on him) take Fortune to the kennel and pick up ice and fill car with gas, then back to the plant to pick Jack up at 9 and away we go!

Well, gals, I need to get my morning chores done and I had one contact come out in my sleep so I need to replace it.

have a great day!

Faye