Updates, Gratitude, and Answers

I'm still packed for the most part. I started taking out the knitting. The latest updates are in my opinion, testaments to the power of prayer, good wishes and thoughts held for another person. Yesterday, Mom's phone call came with news I never expected. First of all, she had an appointment in her Doctor's office. After reading her x-rays he's decided that she doesn't have a broken rib, rather it's a muscle spasm. She's had those in the past along with a couple of lower back surgeries. So, while it's fabulous news that the rib is not broken, she's still got a bit of healing to go through.

Dad is also waiting to hear from his surgeon. As of last night he'd still not been into talk to my Dad. They did go drain a cyst, but nothing has been decided about his surgery. They are now thinking it's some scar tissue that needs to be removed from his intestines/stomach area. Back in 2004 he fell from his step ladder, broke one rib, displaced another, and caused a heital hernia. It was while correcting the heital hernia that his surgeon slipped and Dad ended up with Peritonitis. That's the beginning of his road of bladder cancer, two rounds of chemo and radiation. He's since lost one kidney from the chemo and has been dealing with the collapse of a portion of his intestines as a side effect of the radiation. All these things we're learning about as he goes through this journey.

My brother says for now to hold tight and wait, not to run up there just yet. He got a huge laugh when I told him...I guess it's kinda nice not being needed up there. He works across the parking lot of the hospital where Dad is right now. Mom and Dad's apartment is a couple of blocks away from the hospital. So, after going to work early in the morning, he runs over to Mom's to take out her trash, and anything else she needs before going up to the hospital to hear that Dad's grumpy because he's taken so long to get up there. Then he still has his own daughter to take care of and his own household things to do. I'm guessing he'd like to 'not be so needed' up there. However, he told me that if things get bad again, to get there asap. So, here I sit.

Now, I have been reading the emails and the comments to my Mom who then tells Dad about them all when he calls a gazillion times a day from his hospital bed. They are both very grateful for the prayers and good wishes. My Mom remembers a time when her Mom needed some surgery and was amazed that someone around the country had been praying for her and mailed her a letter telling of prayers during Sunday services. She was amazed by that. I told her...Mom...I've had messages from people in Australia and Great Britain for you and Dad. She was speechless. And if you know my Mom....you'll know how hard that is to do! We are all grateful beyond words for the support you guys have given us. Yes. We do believe. Big time.

Now, in between the phone calls and pacing around the place waiting to see if I'm flying to Michigan in a hurry, I went back and started knitting and reading through the messages.

These slippers are from a pattern you can find from Bev's Country Cottage called Aunt Maggie's Slippers. http://bevscountrycottage.com/maggieslippers.html is the link. (someday I'm going to have to learn to link properly here, but for now...this will have to do).

All of the felted mitts and hot pads are from the book, "Felted Knitts'. They are the Felted Mitts and Trivet patterns. I've made them 7+ times using Lopi, Cascade 220, and this time Paton's Classic Wool, double stranded. LOVE that pattern and have plans to make a lot more.

I ended up making two beanies out of the one skein of Paton's Classic Wool, black for the Ship's Project. I made both the adult large and the adult medium sizes of my Cathy's Beanies pattern you can find in my pattern list on the left side of the web page.

The baby blanket for my cousin's baby is now at roughly 66% complete. I really need to finish this and get the BSJ finished before she out grows these. Afterall, she was born in November. YIKES! Think she could stay a petite little girl so I can knit faster? Ya...I need to knit faster.

I finished the knitting of the Valentine's set here yesterday and got the pictures I wanted today. I'm calling it "Two Hearts as One" and as soon as I get the directions all typed up, I'll post them for you to all have with the story behind it. Don't forget to make a tribble to complete the set! I used Sugar 'n Cream's Hot Pink! but you could pick a red or a purple for your set. Sugar 'n Cream comes in 4 oz balls and I had to use 2 of them. Lion's cotton comes in 5 ozs balls and you could get all these pieces made out of one. Don't forget your buttons! I bought a card of 3 silver hearts for this and can't figure out where in tarnation I've put them. Must have been a really safe place so they wouldn't get lost. *sigh* not the first time, won't be the last, either.

Blogger isn't letting me use spell check today, so hopefully I've not butchered this too much. I"ll use it as soon as their finished updating blogger. And again. Thank you all so very much for your support for my parents. We're all very grateful! But the waiting for the surgeon to talk to my Dad...might be what gets me up there! I hate waiting. (ok so patience isn't one of my strong suits) so I'll attempt to type up those patterns.