On the needles at year-end are three shawls, one afghan for my great-nephew, and a pair of socks for Lexi. One of the shawls is taking forever because I keep it in the car to work on in waiting rooms and the treatment room at the cancer center. The other two have been in limbo for a month or more, but I did pick up one of them and worked on it yesterday and today. I will get them all finished sometime.
I have one project started and finished in 2009 already - a pair of legwarmers. Lexi was with me from Tuesday afternoon until this morning. She wanted to make some gifts for Mommy, Trevor (Mommy's boyfriend) and me, and wrap them. She used toothpicks, matchsticks, and marshmallows to make a sheep for me and a heart for Mommy. Here are pictures of them, plus of the package she put the sheep in and one of me holding that package. (I almost always look bad in pictures.)
She also wanted me to knit some things for her to give. She said that Trevor likes stripes. I asked if he wears scarves, and she said that he didn't have one but he sometimes grabs one of Mommy's when he takes the dog out. I had a 5 oz skein of Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn in the blue camo stripe colorway, so I cast on for a scarf like I make for the seamen, with 17 or 18 inches of k4, p4 ribbing for the back of the neck and approximately 14 inches on each end in any stitch pattern that lies flat. I used seed stitch for this one since it doesn't require thinking. I ran out of yarn, so the second end is about six rows shorter that the first one. That's not enough to be too noticeable, so Trevor will just have to live with it. For Alyssa, I knit a pair of legwarmers.
She had told me a couple of weeks ago that she wanted some, but hadn't decided what color; now she has no choice, although I guess I'll make another pair for her if she asks. Lexi said Mommy's favorite color is green, and picked out some Paddy Green and Spring Green from my stash. There was more of the Paddy green, so I used that for k2, p2 ribbing at both ends, and then alternated single stitches of the two shades for the center twelve or so inches. I'm surprised that Lexi didn't take pictures of the scarf and legwarmers.
At first she asked for help to wrap the gifts, but I told her I thought she could do it herself. I said that she couldn't expect her wrapping to be as neat as that of an adult, but that she'd get better at it as she did more of it.
I have enjoyed Lexi's last two visits very much. She is maturing - losing much of the babyish, whiney qualities, and doing more things independently. She decided this time that she wanted to sleep on the couch in the living room. It's actually a futon with a reasonably good mattress. We did not open it out, because I cannot get it back up by myself and I'm not sure she's big enough to help me do it yet. As small as she is, she doesn't need it out. She says it is more comfortable than the camp cot which sags a bit, so I've put the cot away and opened the loom (I won't do any weaving until my ankle is healed though).
I was impressed by her reading ability. She still likes to be read to, but she it very good at sounding out unfamliar words. She even pronounced the name Dougherty the way my high school classmate did. One of my classmates has located all of us (it was a very small school), and emailed a list telling where everyone is - we're going to have a virtual 50-year reunion. Lexi had little trouble reading the names. When she pronounced Louise's last name 'dar-ty,' I was surprised. She said she knew that th 'gh' is usually silent when it is in the middle of a word. I told her that she had said it like Louise did, but that around Philadelphia it is pronounced 'dock-er-ty.' Many years ago one of my favorite diskjockies there was named Chuck Dougherty. He was from KY and pronounced his name the same way my classmate did, so Philadelphians were continually telling him that he said it wrong.
Medical
Last Tuesday I got my first dose of Velcade. It was a weaker dose than I will be getting, but I have had no side-effects from it. My next dose will be tomorrow. Since it is now two years since all the testing that led to the Multiple Myeloma diagnosis and the treatment decisions, they want more x-rays and scans. Appointments are set up for the third and fourth Monday's in January. They also want another 24-hour urine collection. I picked up the jug (I still have the plastic basin to put on the toilet from the last time) for that last Tuesday and did the collection yesterday. I figured I couldn't do it today if I wanted to go to church. I'll take it to the lab tomorrow morning when I go for the Velcade. Yesterday morning I went to the shed and brought in a styrofoam cooler and a flat plastic bottle of ice that goes in another cooler. Lexi asked me why and I explained that during the day, when I am in the 'public' part of the house, it is easy to get the jug out of the refrigerator when I need to go to the bathroom and then to return it after I pee. However, at night, when I'm in my bedroom, that would be difficult. Before I even started to explain further, she told me exactly what I planned to do. I was very favorably impressed by that.
A Nice Surprise
This morning we got to church a few minutes late, so wound up following the procession in. Lexi was starting to ask if she could sit with a friend when she saw Mommy in a pew about three back from my usual spot. Alyssa has been gone all week to the wedding of Trevor's cousin in Tampa. I knew they planned to get back last night, so I was going to take Lexi home after church. Seeing Mommy put all thoughts of sitting with a friend out of her mind.
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