This morning when I saw Prissy, I realized that it had been a couple of days since I had seen her around. She didn’t look good and felt like she had lost a lot of weight. I called the vet and took her in to find out that she had lost 2 pounds~~a lot for a kitty her size~~and was severely anemic. I just didn’t know how anemic.

I left her at the vet’s office for IV fluids and antibiotics, hoping to treat her symptoms and that she would be okay. While starting Prissy’s IV, the vet took a small blood sample and ran a test to see how anemic Prissy really was. Normal is 35, and Prissy was at 10. Her lips, gums, tongue, and nose were completely drained of color. How could I miss all this? Like I said, it’s been a couple of days since I’d seen her around. She wasn’t feeling good and was hiding.

As bad as Prissy was, the doctor said that fluids and antibiotics weren’t the answer that there was something much more serious going on that was making her feel bad. I held my kitty close as the vet administered the drug, and Prissy slipped out of consciousness and out of her pain. This was not an easy decision, but the most humane for my sweet girl.

Rest in peace, Prissy, and may we one day meet again.

Yay! I heard from my Secret Pal today! She/he sent me a very nice sunshiny e-card and let me know that a package is in the works. I’ll be watching for it….I’ve also got another package in the works for my spoilt person. Hope she enjoys the little gifties I’m sending her way!

Blue Squares Too is going well, even though a few people had to pull out for various reasons. You guys are missed! I’ve already had one person e-mail me to let me know that she already sent her package out. The boxes and envelopes are going to start rolling in soon, and I already have my system set up for distributing the squares.

I’ve joined another dishcloth swap~~it’s called In Hot Water. I’m making 10 dishcloths for this one. Most of them will probably be in Shaded Denim because that’s what I have the most of! This swap is being handled like the bookmark swap and squares swap~~everyone sends their puffies to the coordinator and he/she sorts and remails.

The Stitch Marker Swap starts September 1, and I’m all ready for that one as well. For that one, we’re each making a set of stitch markers for 3 other people. The minimum for each set is 4, so that shouldn’t be too hard to do quickly. I have plenty of beads and flexwire around from my rosary supplies and lots of earring wires so I don’t even have to buy supplies!

Ornament swap~~I’ve covered this one already, but I’m making 6 ornaments each for 6 people. I’ve already started hunting down patterns! I have a Fridgies book that I could probably use to make some ornaments. I’ve also printed some really neat ones off from the internet that I’m at least going to attempt.

The Winter Scarf Swap teased and tantilized me for several weeks. I had first thought about sitting it out, but I gave in and signed up. Since I know a breast cancer survivor and the swap is an October swap, I opted for a pink remembrance scarf. I’m not picky about pattern or width, but I prefer a longer scarf. I hope I get to do something interesting for my scarf partner!

Swaps are keeping me busy, but I’m enjoying every minute of it. Now, I’ve got to go finish my doilies so they’re ready to mail by Saturday!

Au revoir!

I’ve abandoned the doily I was doing for the Crochetville Doily Swap in favor of a sweeter-looking and more fun pattern. Now, instead of doing a navy Crystal Fan (from The Ultimate Doily Book), I’m working on a placemat doily from the Butterfly’s Fancy Table Set. If you’re interested, the pattern is in a new Annie’s Attic book called Year-Round Scraps Aplenty. I’ve already got the body and the first wing finished. It’s going pretty fast, and I think it’s prettier than what I was working before. The body is navy, and the wings are white, burgandy, yellow, and lt. blue. I hope Trish is happy with her butterfly!

Looks like my Travel-Ghan and Pillow Duffel pattern isn’t going to be in Crochet me, so I’ll get it posted as soon I as finish writing it. Apparently, they didn’t like my color choice or the ripple pattern because “it’s been done to death.” Oh, well. I like it, and that’s what matters.

I wrote a pattern on the fly tonight! Very unusual for me; I usually write a pattern as I’m crocheting the model. Someone on Crochetville was looking for a crocheted steering wheel cover, so I checked around and couldn’t find a pattern. What did I do? I whipped one out from the top of my head! It has been tested, and it’s posted at Crochetville here, and also on my patterns blog here. Thanks to kazily at Crochetville for testing this pattern and letting me know that it’s a bit loose around her steering wheel, so she tied the edges together in places where it’s loose.

Ciao!

Yep; we started the new school year today. This year, I have 3 in school. William is in 3rd grade, Tracey in 1st, and Delbert is in Pre-K3. Lots of fun and lots of variety in what I get to teach this year.

I’ve started using the computer more and having the boys post on a blog just for school work~~theirs and mine. They post their assignments, I post my daily reports and any necessary comments. It’s nice and convenient for everyone.

Crochet:
I’ve started another doily for my swap partner. I’m going to finish the butterfly and send it with the June doily from A Year of Doilies (Book Three). I’m also including some tummy yummies (I watch Clifford with the kids) in exchange for an American Flag doily kit.

While at my in-laws’ house, I started working on an off-set mesh piece in TLC Amore’. I had no idea what I wanted to do with it for a while, then I started seeing visions of the finished project. Shhh! It’s a secret until I get it finished…and get the pattern written out.

More swaps! I’ve signed up for a couple more swaps at Crochetville in addition to the Autumn Secret Pals. I’m participating in another Dish Cloth swap, where I’m making 10 cotton dishcloths, and a Stitch Marker swap where we’re swapping sets of four stitch markers with 3 others in a group. Can’t forget the Ornament Swap! I’m making a total of 36 ornaments~~6 ornaments each for 6 people. I’m also coordinating the Random Square swap~~squares should start arriving here at the house fairly soon as there are a couple of people who are done already. Then there are those of us who haven’t started….

One more little tidbit~~I’m now on the Village Council at Crochetville. I’m a forum moderator with Lynlee, who was my summer Secret Pal! We’ve just recently taken over the Wishing Well forum and I felt really bad because just after we became Moderators, I left for my family up North and had to shuffle a lot of requests to Lynlee. I’m back now and promise to pull my weight!!!

Due to a recent accusation that I’ve modified another author’s pattern, I feel that this post is now necessary. Whomever posted an anonymous comment pertaining to one of my original patterns is sadly mistaken that I modified someone else’s work. I wouldn’t steal someone’s work, modify it and call the result my own. I’m sorry if that is the way things appear. I don’t know what pattern the comment author is speaking of, and it’s impossible to modify a pattern I’ve never seen.

Because of this false accusation, only registered users can post comments on my posts. I’m sorry it’s come to this, but I don’t want problems created because of people who want to stir up trouble.

For me, anyway. I start a new school year homeschooling William, Tracey, and Delbert in 3rd, 1st, and Pre-K respectively after we return home from a visit with Del’s parents and siblings.

We’ll be attending a baptism next week while we’re in New York; my niece Brielle Suzanne was born on Thursday, July 28!! Congrats to Chris & Amy on a new daughter, and to Monique on a new sister. Brie was 8 lbs 1 oz and 19 in for all you wondering.

Sami has made a lot of progress toward walking lately. She’s pulling up and cruising on a regular basis. I’ve also noticed Sami letting go with one hand and inching out as far as she can, so I’m fairly confident she’s going to be walking within a couple of months. She’s 8 months now, and very headstrong about everything. Words: hi, Momma, no, good

Delbert is in the process of potty-training, and I couldn’t be happier. The sooner we get him into undies, the better. He’ll be 3 at the end of August, and his speech is rapidly improving. His new obsession is trains~~particularly the Thomas & Friends engines. Whenever he watches Thomas on TiVo, Delbert has to have Thomas, Annie & Claribel right beside him.

William and Tracey came home from their vacation Saturday. I’m SO glad they’re back!! William is talking about staying here “forever” and not going back to Florida, but I’m going to let him think about it a while before taking his decision too seriously. Tracey seems to be right there with William, though, about staying here with us. Tracey’s reading skills have really improved over the summer. He helped me read a book to Delbert before bed the other night, and he did really really well. I’m a very proud Momma and teacher! William will be doing several book reports and a couple of history reports this year. Of course, the boys’ reports will be posted on their School blog.

Crochet Shtuff
I’m working on two comfortghans right now. Don’t know what a comfortghan is? Put simply, it’s an afghan made for someone who could use some cheering up. Generally, a bunch of people agree to make squares, then everyone involved sends the squares to one person. This person then assembles the afghan, writes the recipient a nice letter with a list of the participants, then sends the whole thing off.

One comfortghan I’m working on falls into this category. I’m in the process of edging my squares, then I’ll work on the lattice needed to join the squares together. Thanks, Drew, for your help on the joining technique!

The second ‘ghan I’m doing is for a gentleman I’m in choir with at church. He’s been through quite a lot in life, but he keeps going. Tinh is such a trooper and a very good friend to everyone he meets. This ‘ghan is done in Sensations Spectrum in a blue ombre; very simple~~all dc and with an S hook. The big hook makes for a really quick project. Bad news: I’ve run out of yarn before finishing the blanket, so I called Joann’s today and ordered more~~12 more balls, in fact!! Cleaned them out of the Blue Spectrum! mwa ha ha…No Blue Spectrum for the Joann’s shoppers in Franklin, TN!

Anyone have any patterns for Patons Bella? I have 20 balls of it (it’s SO SO soft!), but I don’t know what to do with it! It’s a bulky wool blend, and I’m thinking I might just make a simple shawl from it if I can’t find anything I like. Ah, life. Full of so many choices!