Shake those pots & pans

Tonight I cooked dinner. Marinated chicken thighs and tomato/zucchini skillet dish.
My DSiL had 2nds.

Berry, berry, nice

Fresh baked blueberry muffins. My dear sister is a marvel.
The sweet summer berries came from Dad.

Breakfast in the garden

With the weather actually livable I am taking breakfast out to the deck. A nice way to enjoy my DS's garden before hitting the Internet for possible job openings.

Lunch downtown

Currently I am volunteering twice a week at HPL's central library. It is very chilly inside so I take my sack lunch outside to warm up. 
I have been dining either at the small pocket courtyard by the Ivenson 

or by the Sam Houston park, just across the street.

There is also a nice planting at the corner of Bagby and Lamar.

Of course when a Houston summer shower shows up at lunch time, it means just wrapping up a little tighter in my sweater. 

On the needles

Currently I have 2 knitting projects in the works.
The first is a pair of socks out of Lion Brand Sock-Ease in the Sour Ball colorway. I am using the magic loop technique with square Kollage circular needles(US 1 - 2.25 mm). The cuff is a 2x2 rib and straight knitting for the body. I choose the round heel and star toe option. Unfortunately I believe I will have to finish the second sock with the Green Apple colorway. This is because the first sock grew a bit too long in the leg. I have finished the first sock but am taking a break on starting the second sock.

The second project is my warm up for the lace shawl I want to do this year. It is the Boneyard shawl by Stephen West. I am using US 6 circular needles. The yarn is Baby Bee Sweet Delight Baby in the pink Princess colorway. It is basically straight knit & purl with 4 yarn overs (YO) every other row.

So far it has been an easy project although I have messed up a few times on edges. Ah well, it now has character.

Sheet music and knitting stiches

 I have been volunteering at Houston Public Library. I am helping to convert the sheet music collection from the card catalog records to a digitized format. This means first entering the card catalog record to a spread sheet and then checking the actual sheet music to see if the records & the sheet music matches and to discover what is missing or not currently in the catalog. It has been very interesting in the range of music. Classics to disco, dating from the 1880s to the 1990s. Since I have to check each item physically I get to see the cover illustrations.
One that really got my attention was "The Knitting Song" It is all about knitting to help soldiers in WWI.

New year month 2

CURRENT GOOD NEWS
Well at least the general state of health is improving.

CURRENT BAD NEWS
 Last month I lost my dear car due to flooding streets. So a lot of dealing with the insurance company.

In medical insurance I am now dealing with a very $$$ plan, I owe my family so much in the ways they have helped out.

Job hunting is not very promising. This week while volunteering with a library system I sent in a resume to, I was told by one of the librarians told me the position I had applied for was being re-posted "because the administration was not happy with any of the applicants." It is hard to hear this second hand and in a rather tossed off manner. Topping off the job searching effort was getting an email from a different library informing me I was not being considered for a part time reference job. I just wish I could have been good enough to have been asked for at least one interview.

All in all not a cheerful start to 2012.

A time for graditude

During this week I plan to focus on being thankful for family, friends, and yes returning back to a healthier life. I have been alert & pain free enough to start sending out resumes & cover letters. I am using all the tools I can, Linkedin, Monster.com, WorkinTexas, and the TLA Jobline. Given the current financial times librarian jobs are not very plentiful. But I am still putting my name out where ever possible.
After this week it is time to climb back on the medical merry-go-round. Scheduled for my amusement are a CTscan, a MRI, & a MRA(what ever that is). At least I will have time in various waiting rooms for knitting up some yuletide gifts.
Wishing one & all a joyful Thanksgiving.

Still bogged down in the medical swamp

    This week was not very fun. Had to have another colonoscopy on Thursday. This of course made Wednesday a real challenge. You would think someone could figure out how to make the preparation fluid more palatable. It is currently like drinking from a toxic waste site. Although I REALLY like the medication that puts me in dreamland during the procedure, I always come out of it weeping and confused. Today I went to my oncologist at 10:30 & because my potassium was so low he needed me to have an immediate intravenous drip of the stuff. This had me finally leaving for home at 4 pm. During the visit with him he did state that I am in remission but because of the on-going problems with my liver & spleen I will need to be checked over on a regular basis for sometime to come. I have this sinking feeling that I will never be free and clear of the medical profession again.
     I am knitting again on a more regular basis. I've finish 2 scarfs and just about done with a pair of socks. Besides Xmas gifts, a friend recently told me she is expecting twins so soft baby yarns are in my future.

Still moving forward

Lots of changes since February:

• There have been a few more stays in the hospital due to fevers and infections.
• The removal of my direct port and the end of the liquid feedings that went with it.
• My weight is now fairly stable.
•  I can now go up and down stairs on my own as well as walk without my legs shaking.
• The latest twist was dealing with kidney stones. One large stone was in a very bad position that required me to undergo a hospital procedure to have it pulled out of me.

I am hoping that I will soon be strong enough to focus on getting a new job. Currently I am not really up to facing an all out effort of job searching and interviewing. I just don't have the energy level needed for these activities.

Day by day

The title of this entry has become my life motto.

   Since last June life has been piling up a wide selection of challenges. One of the saddest is that the job in Laredo slipped away.  I had been approved by the city and even passed the pre-employment tests. But I did not count on dealing with a real nasty challenge.
   Before heading for the lower part of Texas I had decided to take advantage of the medical coverage I currently had and went in for all my yearly checkups. This went from top to bottom literally.  When one of the test showed I was very anemic I then got to have "scopes" go down my throat and up the colon. This is when life changed. A very nasty cancer was found just below my stomach. Very quickly I was scheduled for surgery. So quickly that I was actually between jobs when the surgery took place.  No need for a blow by blow account but due to  3 different infections and problems with chemo, my job in Laredo could not be held. This is something I completely understood.
   Life just keep happening. I had to give up my apartment, and store most of my things. I have been very lucky as well. My dear sister has taken me into her home and has been my source of strength when dealing with all things medical.  My father has helped me through some unplanned for expenses and my brother and sister-in-law turned out to be wonderful cheerleaders
    Next week I go for another scan and I am hoping for good news, although the last visit with a doctor was not a source of happy news. 
     I was very happy to see the end of 2010, and I still hold on to the hope that 2011 will be better. 

Busy, busy, busy

The time for leaving my current job is almost here. I am trying to add vacation days to my cut off date so that I can get a follow-up visit to the doctor covered by BCBS. Also I still have to find a new place in Laredo, get a moving company lined up, pack, get background check sent to new employer, change mailing address, notify utilities, and get sleepy time pills for the Cat of cats. 

This morning I took a break & watched the opening ceremonies for the World Cup on Spanish language TV.

Very impressive. Lots of music and dancing. I am hoping this gets the day off to a good start. At least no medical tests today.

Wordless Wednesday

Milestone time

It seems this poor old blog only gets an update when big events or major holidays occur. This time it is time for change. I am leaving AiH and will (I hope) by the end of June be hard at work at the Laredo Public Library.The up coming challenges will be finding a new apartment and moving me and the Cat of cats five hours south of Houston. I am very happy and a bit nervous. Laredo PL seems like a very exciting place to work and the staff are very welcoming and friendly.

Blue moon blues

Christmas was very different this year. I came down with a wicked head cold 2 days before Christmas. Stuffed head, running nose, slight fever the whole package. Because of this I bowed out of the family gathering. I really did not want to give my cold as a Yuletide gift. At least now I can breathe out of both sides of my nose & can now focus enough to both knit and read.
One of the nicest gifts of the season was from a very dear old friend. It was a marvalous rocker and foot rest. What was really niffty was that my Dad had just given me a new floor lamp. The only downside is that a certain cat has now claimed it as her own.

It sort of fits in that the year & the decade is ending in a blue moon. I will be very glad to see the end of 2009.
I am also very happy to get rid of this decade. All in all the turning of the new century was not a success. It brought life changes that were on the whole most unwelcomed. I am continually doubting several choices I made over the last 10 years. I do not seem to be better off in any aspect of my life that truely matters. Day to day survival is my only goal most of the time.
No the last decade will not be missed.

A smile for the day - "The Last Knit"

Snowfall & sneaks

Well a few surprises yesterday.

The first was a snowfall in Houston. It turned out an very nice early Christmas surprise. I managed to actually snapped a bit of proof. Snow on the banana tree. It is a bit hard to see but it happened.

My second surprise was not a nice one . Some one without much holiday spirit walked off with my Christmas catus. The plant, the pot and the water dish were all taken. I ask the apartment management promised that they would keep an eye open but there is little hope of it turning up. All that is left is a few broken of stems and old pictures.

After 8 plus years I will really miss that plant.

I finish off the multi colored Donatella wrap. What's really nice is that I have a lavender shirt that just matches the part of the yarn.
Now I just have to finish off some more scarves for the garden fund.

Here And There

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Originally uploaded by libraryminion

Actually it is just plain catching up.

Main event over the last 2 months was heading off to Ft. Lauderdale to attend a week long training workshop. It was all about the new circulation/cataloging system the library is changing to by the end of November. It has taken over 2 years of delays to get this far. The training was held at our sister school. It was both an exciting & frighting experience. It will take all of re-grouping to make this switch work.

At least the location was great. On my last day I had breakfast by the beach. This was the view as I ate a wonderful shrimp omelet.

I topped off the morning by tip toeing through the surf & sand.
It was difficult to get back to the daily routine after that taste of vacation. I am not sure when I can take the trip, but I am thinking that sun should be in the mix.

As to knitting, I have at least 2 pairs of socks in progress. I did finish the multi colored vest and one garter stitch scarf. I really have to set up scarf production if I am to earn any money for the garden next month.

Working days start again

Well the long weekend kept me busy. Took Dad to the airport & relived Mr. Toad's wild ride.

Did laundry as well as cleaned up a few surfaces in the apartment. Yet it is still a mess.

Downloaded pictures from my camera, & wrote up some projects on Ravelry.

Here are the projects currently on the needles. Neither really impress the cat.

Same song as ever

Well I took my own sweet time again in keeping up with this blog.

But I am here now.

I would like to share a few pics of the items I made for the school's Alumni Auction.

In all there were 3 hats, a scarf, one bib, an Alpaca vest, & a ribbon wrap.

The auction went well and all my items received bids!Currently on the needles is another version the vest. This time in a multi-color yarn I found a few years back at a Big Lots store. I am also starting a pair of yellow socks for the KAL Sock Anonymous group in Ravelry.