Hey Y'all!

It's 2012 now and I thought it was time to bring you up to date on what's been going on these past few months.

Fall semester was a challenge for me to get through.

The fun started two weeks into the term.  I went to Urgent Care on Labor Day, where they confirmed the painful lumps under my right arm were caused by a staph infection.  I was given a prescription to fight it, but that didn't work.  A week later, three of the bumps had gone away but two others had combined forces into a 'mega-bump.'

When I saw my PCP's NP, I was directed to go to the ER for an incision and drainage (I & D) of the lump. Gail was concerned that the staph could interfere with my dialysis graft, so she made me promise to go to the ER that day, but she also said it was okay if I went to my ASL class beforehand.  Unfortunately, Carol missed that part of my text, so she headed out to the ER.  Imagine my surprise when I was signing in at the ER desk to hear my name spoken behind me.  She'd been camping out for an hour waiting for me to get there.  It was awesome to have her there with me because my niece, Anna, was at Children's Hospital in Wilmington, DE, that night, so my mom couldn't make it down to Annapolis.  Anyway, Carol was with me through the whole thing; the sick-o likes watching medical procedures because she's an EMT.  I spent two days in the hospital on IV antibiotics and a culture confirmed that the infection was MRSA.  That's the 3rd time I've had it.  Consequently, I had to drop my Entrepreneurial Thinking course because the due dates couldn't be extended; part of the class is to compete in the Best of Business contest. I knew I needed to  have less stress in order to heal, so it was an easy choice to make.

Then October rolled around... I purchased a ticket to the Multiple Sclerosis Fantasy Ball over the summer, although the ball wasn't until Halloween weekend. On the way to the Ball, my cell phone rang.  It was Carol calling from West Virginia.  She and her brother were camping with their families when she fell coming out of her RV. She landed with her foot between the metal stair risers and snapped her leg and ankle. It was snowing heavily out there, otherwise I'd have

Waiting for the doors to open

just turned to head west.  I had a great time at the Ball, but was worried about Carol throughout.  The theme was "Goblins & Gears" which translated to Faeries & Steampunks.  Kasey and I were Fae trying to act Steampunk, but we got it a little bit wrong.  I was sparkly but had reading glasses rather than goggles. Kasey had a lace Elizabethan collar with her satyr horns and sparkly cape (that I made myself!).  

The Faery Queen & her faithful servant

Kasey was, of course, the belle of the ball.  I heard numerous compliments on how well-behaved she was and how friendly, too.  She was a hit with the children who were present, for sure.

And she won a door prize! ...which she gave to me since it was the "Pamper Yourself Bath Basket." Candles, hand-made soaps, fused glass soap dish & candle holder! She's a lucky little sod! She won a Grand Prize at the LYS opening in September, too.

The day after the Ball I started running a fever that lasted for five weeks.  Five tests later, there were no answers as to the cause and the fever just suddenly went away.  The doctors still don't know what was going on.  Unfortunately, the resultant "fever brain" meant I couldn't concentrate on school or anything else; my memory was non-existent.  When I talked to the doctor about it, there were at least six different times where I knew there was a specific word I wanted, but I couldn't think of it; I could only explain the definition or say "painkiller that starts with F" and she would have to start guessing until she got it for me.  I wanted to scream in frustration every time it happened! It also meant I couldn't remember ASL signs or how to finger-spell words...which meant I had to withdraw from ASL before I failed the class.  My remaining class of the semester was Introduction to Fine Arts, which I arranged to receive an Incomplete in; I have until February to finish the coursework.

Also in November, two pieces of my needlework were featured in the Textile as Art exhibit at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts.  My work was in a gallery, y'all!  How freakin' cool is that?!  The pieces that were on exhibit were my counted tread book, A Stitcher's Companion, and Ocean Star, a needlepoint piece in which I changed the colors to suit my fancy (tagged as 2009 finishes). I also demonstrated needlepoint, stitching for the first time in over two years, during the First Sunday sale on November 6th.  I worked on another Nancy Buhl piece called Iris and Fans Quilt. This is the progress I made in the five days around the First Sunday demo. Of course, I haven't touched it since then.  Not because I didn't want to, but because my eyes were so strained I had to get prescription reading glasses after dealing with severe pain for two and a half weeks.  When an ophthalmologist tells you that OTC readers are good enough and that your eyes will "even out" please don't believe him. Eyes don't work that way, and I found that out from a friend who stepped in and asked me to come see her at her work, Lens Crafters.  Amazingly the pain that I was taking hydrocodone for immediately went away when I put on my new prescription readers.

To sum it up, Fall 2011 was just not my semester.  My friends, and even some of my professors, say that it's because I was doing so much: school, work study, Relay For Life, the Fantasy Ball, dialysis, and dealing with the health issues that arose.  And I hadn't had a break since before my cancer fight and resultant two surgeries during the Spring term.  Maybe they're right; I don't know.  But I'm trying to slow down.  Really!  Besides the two courses, I dropped all my extracurricular activities, including History Club.  I couldn't completely withdraw from school and I couldn't not work my work study job, although I did lose my eligibility when I withdrew from the second course.  I've been reinstated and begin work again on Tuesday, so that's been resolved. The one thing I was not willing to give up was my seat on the Planning Committee for the Arnold/Annapolis Relay for Life event. I figured it was only a once-per-month commitment, so I could handle that.

Dishcloth Angel

Acrylic Scrubbles

Speaking of Relay, I've raised $106 through the sale of my knitted items.  My team, Make Cancer History!, is selling dishcloth angels and acrylic scrubbles.  Angels are $7 each, with $6 going to Relay and $1 set aside to buy more yarn; scrubbies are $3 each or two for $5.  Because the yarn for the scrubbles was donated to us, we are not holding money back to buy more; there's more than we can knit this year!  If you're interested in participating in a Relay event, supporting Make Cancer History! by purchasing items, or helping us make them, please send me an email.  There are many color choices available for both angels and scrubbles.  To make a donation, join my team, or honor a friend or loved one who has/had cancer with Luminaria, please choose the appropriate link on my personal page. My goal is $2500.00 and I've already raised over $300.  In total, we've raised $197 just from the sales of angels and scrubbles, thanks to the volunteers who are knitting and crocheting away on them! 

Unfortunately no one in my family was on camera duty this Christmas, so no one took pictures.  My nieces and nephew loved their gifts.  I was particularly surprised how attached Caleb was to his belts; he wore both of them as bandoleers and used the iGun app on my iPod to "shoot" everyone in the house.  Within 20 minutes he was re-loading and switching guns all by himself.  Not bad for a 4-year-old.  He doesn't have any toy guns, so the virtual gun on the iPod is as close as he gets.  He'd completely forgotten about it by Wednesday when he and his mom, cousin, and sister came to visit me, in any case.  He was wearing his belt, though!

As for knitting, I ended 2011 with 44 knitting finishes.  They included:

6 pr. Felted Duffers (slippers) - 4 were gifts
7 dishcloths (assorted patterns)
16 dishcloth angels (Relay Fundraiser)
6 scrubbies (3 for Relay)
3 cowls
3 scarves
1 pr. wristlets
1 mini fascinator, felted
1 tunic-length cardigan

All in all, I'm happy to have 2011 behind me and I'm looking forward to 2012.  I hope you and yours have a happy, healthy, and safe 2012 as well!  ...and I will endeavor to update here more often.

Love,
Beth
with Kasey Kay

I think my crafting friends will appreciate this story:

When I found out about the First Sunday demonstrations, I had to find the thread pack, chart, and canvas for the project.  The canvas was easy; it was in my 5-drawer lateral file cabinet, where I keep "all" my needlepoint (NP) and cross stitch (XS) stash.  I say "all" because that's what I believed.  Until I tore apart every drawer of the file cabinet, going through hundreds of charts, looking for the one that went with the canvas that was already on stretcher bars.  Then I went through the sweater organizer that holds all my fabric.  Still no NP chart or thread pack.  The only NP charts I could find were the ones I'd already completed. So where were the rest of the charts I hadn't stitched but kitted up?  They weren't in the rolling craft tote in my closet; that was empty.  But no. My Stitch Bow binders with the full set of DMC were in it, so it wasn't empty. The two rolling craft totes beside the dining table were empty; no need to look there.  So back to the lateral files. I went through the three 12-inch-high stacks of charts again...Checked inside every file that looked like it was stash-related...Pulled out all the picture frames and assorted board games that were hiding out of sight within the drawers...Still no thread packs.  Then the two rolling craft totes caught my eye again and I decided to open them...You know where this is going, right? 

AAK!!  My stash multiplied!  Beads, XS kits, fabric, NP canvas, thread packs, charms, sequins...I thought they were empty! I thought one 1'x1'x3' drawer of nothing but charts, a sweater organizer of fabric, and some miscellaneous other hiding places was it.  I had no idea both the rolling craft totes--that I was planning to sell, mind you--were chock-full of even more stitching stash!

Holy productivity, Batman! ...and then there's more homework!

 I’ve done all.the.things. for my Instructional Strategies (IS) course.

I don’t know how I got through last week! I started my work study job on Tuesday, which is jammed in between dialysis, IS, and Water Aerobics classes.

"Work Study?" you ask.  Why yes! I was approved for WS last year, but decided not to add any more to my plate.  Somehow that reasoning left me and I interviewed for one position and received an offer less than 24 hours later.  After a 5-year medical retirement, I'm finally back in the work force and I'm excited.  Details are private, but I'm having a blast assisting with internships and service-learning projects.

I went rowing with the Strokes4Survivors cancer survivor group on Tuesday night, and when I got home there was a notice that I had an apartment inspection on Thursday or Friday.

I was gone from 10am until 6pm on Weds, then did homework until 2am. I blew off reading 3 chapters for Instructional Strategies and doing the study guide so I could have a chance to clean.

I had to clean the apt because it looked like a tornado went through, papers & notebooks were everywhere & my kitchen was a disaster area.

I finished at 7am and had to be awake for IS class by noon. Needless to say, it was an early night Thursday, and building management had been here to inspect while I was gone. sigh of relief

So yesterday...

• Week 7 Weather lab completed & submitted
• Choice Project #2 for IS completed & submitted
• Extra Credit Choice Project (10 pts, so I made up for not doing the 4pt study guide on Thursday) completed & submitted
• Started Module 1 of Teaching the Adult Learner (Online class starts Monday, runs 2 weeks)
• Printed syllabus, course calendar, all slide presentations for note-taking
• Began Mod 1 slide presentation.

Imagine my shock when I looked at the clock and it was 4am! I slept til 1:30 this afternoon, when Kasey finally woke me up to go outside.

My IS Final Exam was submitted online this afternoon, so everything is done for the course.

This week is just as crazy as last week. On top of two online classes and my regular dialysis schedule, work study is Tues-Thurs afternoons and Water Aerobics meets 3 evenings a week.

I get to breathe on Friday when all I have to do is go to dialysis and sit my ass in the chair for my treatment. I’m also taking a break Sunday afternoon to participate in a Knitting & Meditation class taught by Sarah of The Sanguine Gryphon. She’s doing a free class to get her Yoga certification.

Sooo….this week’s work includes:
Weather:

• Answer discussion question by Weds
• Discussion response by Saturday
• Ch 8 Study Questions by Sunday
• Ch 8 Weather lab by Sunday

Instructional Strategies:  DONE!

Meets for the final time on Tuesday, when I present my last two Choice Projects. They are activities I am going to use when I discuss the laws pertaining to service dogs and medical personnel with my school’s EMT students. They will liven up the discussion and keep everyone engaged. I’m very excited about them, can you tell?

Teaching the Adult Learner:
Due Weds:

• Post introduction to the discussion forum DONE
• View Mod 1 PowerPoint 1/2 done
• Discussion Board (DB) response

Due Fri:

• DB reaction to one response someone made on my post
• Read 2 chapters
• View Mod 2 PP
• DB Post
• DB Response

Due Sunday:

• DB reaction
• First Class Checklist project
• Read 2 Chapters
• View Mod 3 PP
• DB Post
• DB Response

Water Aerobics:

• Complete Resting Heart Rate computation (need 3 morning readings) 1/3 complete

Rowing Rehabilitation for Cancer Surivors

Annapolis-Area Cancer Survivors, please join me! 

I've been wanting to get involved with an activity that would get me moving again but couldn't find something that appealed to me. I saw this & have already filled out the forms. I'm doing it and I hope you will, too!

Here's the direct link to the Rowing Club's page for the Strokes4Survivors Program.

Summer Semester is Here (Ugh!)

So Summer term started today.  I've been working on my online Fundamentals of Weather coursework since Friday night when the online classes became available. I only have one more assignment to do for Week 1.  My Water Aerobics course started today.  It was definitely a workout, which I seriously need.  Classes are Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons, so I'll be in the pool three days a week.  I'm hoping for some muscle tone in a body that has been mostly sedentary for far too long.  Part of that I had no control over, but I should have gotten moving before now. Speaking of moving, my Golden Girl was in a down-stay for over 30 minutes!  She was awesome and didn't come to the side of the pool to bark at me or come in the water to rescue me.  I'd had visions of both, as she's done both before, so I was very proud of her. The lifeguard, who happens to be the head of the Health & Physical Education Department at my school was also impressed with Kasey Kay.

Tonight was also the induction ceremony for Chi Alpha Epsilon National Honor Society.  Here's me, corded & pinned:

Of course Kasey was with me.  She enjoyed the reception food after the ceremony. She indulged in several cheese cubes, a cream puff, some meatballs, and a bowl of ice water to wash it all down. I'm pretty sure she had a good time because she's been sleeping since 8 o'clock when we got home.


We had a pretty quiet weekend last weekend and I was glad to be free of the thunderstorms that have been occurring on an almost-daily basis for the past week. I tried taking a nap the previous Sunday and was rudely awakened by a panicking Golden Girl.  She does not like the boomers.


As for my knitting, I'm progressing on my cowl because it's the easiest to knit.  I haven't touched the Trellis Shawl since my last progress picture, and progress on the tank top is quite slow as it's a 6-stitch repeat.  I'm going to try to resist the temptation to start something else when I finish the cowl, though.  I want the shawl and the tank to be finished by September so they can be entered in the county fair.  If it's done early enough, I will also enter the Trellis in the State Fair.  We'll see what happens.

Summer is coming!

I know the calendar says that summer doesn't start for over a month, but Summer Term starts on Monday.  I've had this week off from school and have thoroughly enjoyed doing nothing.  Well, nothing isn't exactly true, because I've been knitting.  Alot.  

The Buttons for my FLS

Last Friday I put the finishing touches on the sweater that made me want to learn to knit.  It's called the February Lady Sweater. Don't ask me why.  But the lace bottom and sleeves appealed to me and I wanted one, especially when I saw a friend's version made from a gorgeous variegated blue/purple cotton.  I had to have one.  She generously gave her blessing for me to make my own "one day."  Well, "one day" is here!

May 13, 2011 February Lady Completed

Trellis Shawl in Plum

I've also started some new projects because the knitting fever is upon me.  I pulled a UFO out of hibernation but found mistakes and re-started it.  It's a huge square shawl and I can't wait to see it completed.  The Trellis Shawl will be stunning!  Are you ready for this?  I'm using a yarn suggested by the designer! There's a first time for everything, I guess.  It's JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk in this gorgeous purple colorway.  I think it's the first time I'm knitting with a solid color all by itself.  I hate plain needlework, and to me, solid colors equal plain.  I think that's why I tended towards overdyed threads when I was stitching. I much prefer semi-solids to solids, which the overdyes provide.  This yarn, however, is irresistible to me.

Ocean Wave in Chung King Mansion

I even found a tank top that I couldn't resist.  It was in one of my One-Skein Wonders books, the Luxury Yarn edition.  I'm using a skein of Sanguine Gryphon Little Traveller in a blue/purple/black colorway called Chung King Mansion.  I have another skein of this yarn, but haven't found the right project for it yet.  I'm excited to wear my Ocean Wave Vest. 

Billie Holiday Feathered Cowl

I used more stash yarn to start a cowl.  I'm using the remainder of my Schaefer Laurel in the Billie Holiday colorway to make another Cabled Feather Cowl.  I've made this cowl twice before and absolutely love the pattern and the finished garment. My niece Breanna has one in a wool/silk blend and I have one in a bamboo/silk blend.  Since this one will match my FLS, I'm excited.  I plan to make it long enough to be a hood, so I can pull it over my head if need be.  

All these progress pictures were taken last night, and all three projects were started since last Friday. 

Also since last Friday, I've completed two pairs of Duffers, felted slippers.  They're not felted yet, but I'm hoping to do that this coming weekend when I'm at my brother's.  This is an uber-easy 19-row pattern that results in awesome wear-around-the-house slippers.  The ribbed bottom ensures they don't slide on smooth floors.  To date I've made seven pairs of them.  I have plans to make two more pairs.  When complete, Mom, Ian's girlfriend (Brigitte), my aunt, her daughter, my oldest niece, and Ian's girlfriend's daughters (also my nieces-Sierra & Micaela) will all have a pair.  Of course I kept a pair of purple ones for myself. I wear them all the time.

Some things have changed from my last post.  First, I switched around my classes for Summer Term because I found out there's a lab science that is all online!  I don't have to worry about spilling chemicals or scaring Kasey with Bunsen burners anymore.  It's a meteorology course, so we just use the instruments the bookstore provides to measure rain, temperature, etc. for the lab assignments.  Also, I decided not to take ASL in an accelerated format; I'm taking it in the Fall.  Instead, I've signed up for a Digital Design course.  I've registered for 10 credits but I will only take 9 at the most.  I'm waiting to hear from the school whether any classes are cancelled for low enrollment before I decide which class I'm going to drop.  Right now, the top on my list to go is the Digital Design.  It won't transfer to my 4-year school, anyway.  Unfortunately, one of the education courses is the one that looks like it'll be cancelled.  School should be making the call today. 

This is what a chronic illness looks like...

I've only talked about it once here before, but this is the run-down of the progress (deterioration) of my health since I was diagnosed on June 6, 1993. I hear comments all the time from stupid people who say things like, "It must be nice to take your dog everywhere," and "Why does she need the dog?"  To them: It'd be really nice if I didn't have to take the dog everywhere, but she can tell before anyone else when I'm going to have an issue.  And just because I don't look sick doesn't mean everything is okay.  I worked for years with a blood count considered too low to do the things I was doing.

For those of you who are lucky enough not to live with a chronic illness, the best explanation I can show you is this: The Spoon Theory.

6/93   Familial polyposis. 3,000-5,000 polyps in the colon, each with a 1-in-20 chance of being cancerous, with a 100% conversion rate to cancer by age 40. I was 18, the doc said “you’ll be lucky to see 21 without radical surgery.” Stage 0 Cancer

7/93   Colon removed, the shit started. Adhesions, pain, other side effects from the surgery

1/94   Flown from college in Tennessee to Boston, MA, for emergency surgery-small intestine was shutting down; 21 days in TN & MA hospitals ended my college career

8/95   Left ureter blocked by scar tissue, stent inserted

7/98   Same thing happened to the right ureter

1998-2011   80+ stent changes; MRSA (2 years), Strep, e. coli (twice), various infections (hundreds) in both kidneys; Less than 5% function

1/01   Emergency surgery to correct intestinal blockage; MRSA finally eradicated after 2 years; kidney function went from 40% to 15%; Docs told my family I wasn’t going to make it right after the surgery when both kidneys crashed for a week

7/03   Septic infection of both kidneys; Nurse told my sister I wasn’t going to make it

6/05   Severe anemia; blood count 22; Procrit didn’t help, still going to work full time

1/06   Resigned from my position as office manager-didn’t have enough energy to get up any more

2/06   Started hemodialysis on my 31st birthday with a blood count of 18; dialysis 3 days a week for 3 hours at a time; transplant is not an option because of intra- and retro-peritoneal fibrosis

1/08   Parathyroidectomy, 35 days in hospital and rehabilitation facility

8/08   Another infection, 16 days in hospital and rehabilitation facility

7/09   Another bout of MRSA, this time external and easily eradicated

8/09   COLLEGE! For the first time since 1994 I felt well enough to go to college & I have a 3.916 GPA; I will get my AA in 2012 & transfer to work on my Bachelors Degree

2/11   God didn’t think I had enough to deal with, so I have Melanoma. 2 surgeries during my Spring semester. Stage 1 Cancer removed & 3/11 biopsy of lymph node showed it didn’t spread. Checkups with dermatologist every 3 months, oncologist every 6

5/13/11   Relay for Life Survivors’ Dinner & Victory Lap. Because I’ve made cancer my bitch TWICE!

Still have to deal with intermittent fainting spells, migraines, anemia, low blood pressure, stent changes (down to once a year from every 6 weeks in ‘98), graft surgeries (18 so far since ‘05), electrolyte crashes, and sudden dehydration, but that’s just life for me. At least I’m here-15 years after I wasn’t supposed to be.

Spring Update

I know it has been a long time since my last post.  I'm sure you're shocked that I am posting  now, even.  Right?  I kept meaning to write a short something but events have conspired against me and other things took priority.

It's 3:24am EDT and I'm wide awake.  And I'm at Uncle Wes's house.  That's the real reason I need to write this post.  Those of you not connected to me via Facebook, Twitter, or Plurk don't know what's been going on recently. So here goes...

On Friday, February 4, 2011, I was diagnosed with a "probable melanoma" on the middle of my back.  I had a suspicious mole that started itching last fall and I finally dragged my ass to the dermatologist to have it checked out.  Two weeks later, on the 16th, the spot was removed and sent for biopsy.  It was cancerous.  

If you have any moles or freckles that have changed color, shape, or started itching, GET THEM CHECKED! NOW! Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer, yet it's the easiest to treat if caught early.  And if you don't have any suspicious spots, keep it that way by always using sunblock.  This stuff kills, so take it seriously.

I was referred to a surgical oncologist and we met on February 24.  He explained that the melanoma was just over the "safe" depth of 1mm, so biopsy of my lymph nodes was standard protocol.  A sentinel node biopsy was performed on Monday, March 21.  Radioactive dye was injected into the former melanoma site and then followed to the sentinel node.  Basically, I was told the surgeon would remove whichever lymph node set off his Geiger counter, so I had no idea where the incision was until I woke up.  Dr. G told me he'd have the biopsy results by Friday.  He doesn't expect to find anything and said the chances were slim, so I am keeping that in mind.

For those who are unfamiliar with the lymphatic system please click here for a brief description.

So it is this surgery that is the reason I'm at Uncle Wes's house.  The sentinel node, which is the lymph node to which fluid (and, theoretically, any cancer cells) from the area of the melanoma would have traveled, was under my left arm.  Since I can't drive myself to and from dialysis, Kasey and I are staying with Uncle Wes until the pain subsides.  

It's been a pretty rough month or so, but I've tried to keep my spirits up.  Until a couple weekends ago I had only knit two or three times since before Christmas.  School has been keeping me super-busy, so my knitting had to take a back seat to academics.  

As for school, Kasey and I are still enjoying ourselves and I'm enjoying my courses.  I took a two-week Winter semester class on Victorian England as Reflected Through the Stories of Sherlock Holmes.  It was a fun class where we had lectures on the society of the Victorian era, watched a Sherlock-based movie each night, and visited a re-creation of 221B Baker St. in a private home in Reading, Pennsylvania.  The professor belongs to a local Scion, which is a group who meet to discuss the books of Sherlock Holmes.  In fact, there is a CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode in Season 5 about a Sherlockian scion.  It was an absolutely fascinating course.  I've talked the professor into teaching it in a 15-week format because so many people expressed interest in taking it; however, too many were either put off by the two-week time frame or had other obligations the first two weeks of the year.  I think it will do very well in the Fall.

For this Spring, I am taking Physical Geography and both US History I and US History II because none of the English classes I wanted were being offered.  I really like US1 even though I've never had to work so hard in a class in my entire college career.  I have already written three essays for the class and there is an essay question on every quiz, too.  But my writing background is serving me well and I've not received less than an A for any of my assignments.  Mid-term exams were last week and I studied for days prior.  I was completely wiped out and so frazzled I forgot two different appointments in the past couple weeks. My US2 class is on Wednesday evening, but I was too tired to go.  When I told Prof. L on the phone that I was too tired to come to class, he happily agreed to let me take the exam in the Testing Center the next day while I was on campus for Geography.  Geography has been a challenge for me, but last semester's Oceanography is helping alot.  Much of the information overlaps so Oceanography gave me a good head start on Geography.  I'm not a science person and need all the help I can get anyway.  

As I said before, I've not been doing alot of knitting.  I thought having two History courses would afford me more free time for leisure activities, but that is not the case this semester.  As a matter of fact, I have another essay to write before the end of Spring Break for US1 and a verbal presentation with a slide show to put together for US2.  Even though I'm taking painkillers I've been able to start my research on President Dwight Eisenhower. I must be a genuine history nerd because I'm enjoying the book I'm reading (Ike by Piers Brendon) for the project.  I still haven't decided whether I'm going to focus on his military service or his personal life and presidency.  He was an interesting figure.  I'll have a better idea after I finish reading this book, though.  I certainly have enough time for reading, considering I have to keep a pillow between my arm and torso to keep the pain from shooting across my body.  I'm certainly not going to be out and about, that's for sure.  

I've already got my summer classes planned, though.  Unlike last summer where I tried to knock out a lab science and became too ill to continue, this summer's classes are planned around my interests and health.  First, I'm taking Water Aerobics with my doctors' permission.  My resting heart rate is very high and I'm hoping this type of exercise will help me stay fit without my body rebelling.  I'm also taking a 7-week American Sign Language course.  Once that is complete I am taking a one-credit, two-week course on Instructional Strategies followed by another two-week session of Teaching the Adult Learner.  I'm not necessarily planning to teach, but I have classes with many adults and think the added perspective will help me be a better student.  Additionally, an English and History major is bound to end up teaching at some point.  This will give me a foundation for that as well.  I'll have a total of six credits for the Summer term, which will earn some additional financial aid money.

For now, I think I ought to call it a night.  I hope you and your family are well.  Maybe by the next post I'll have completed one of my knitting WIPs so I can show you some pictures.  And if you're having warm weather, would you please send some to Maryland?  Pretty please?? Mother Nature didn't seem to get the message that Spring has sprung.

AnnapolisKnits Paints the AA County Fair BLUE!

Between Lori, Marseille, Genia, and I, I counted 15 blue ribbons. Our Borders knitting group, AnnapolisKnits on Ravelry, certainly cleaned up!

Here's how I did at the County Fair.  Keep in mind that I learned to knit on December 30, 2009.

3rd Place: Knit Dishcloth

Lily Sugar’n Cream Stripes in colorway 1008, a self-striping cotton yarn, was used to make this Scallops Dishcloth #009 by Love 2 Knit. The striping helps to define the waves in the cloth, created by the use of yarn-overs and knitting stitches together. These hand-knit dishcloths are workhorses in the kitchen and bathroom; they don’t wear out easily.
100% Cotton in Worsted weight

1st Place: Knit Sweater
 
This Completely Reversible Shrug is an original design. The stitch pattern was created by GeniaP for a yarn I wanted to use. She told me how many stitches to cast on and how many rows to knit before beginning the 4-row lace pattern. I knit the stitch pattern, increasing and decreasing to fit me, folded it in half and ran a seam up to about the elbow.  This is the result. There is NO wrong way to wear this shrug.Wrong-side, right-side, top, or bottom, it fits the same whichever way you put it on! This particular shrug is my silk version, the original having been knit with a wool/bamboo blend. The yarn is HipKnits Silk Aran in the Seaweed colorway. 100% Silk in Aran weight

1st Place: Miscellaneous Knit Item
 
This Basket Whip Cowl is a modified version of the Fresco Basket Whip Cowl pattern by Laura Patterson. To create enough length to cover from the top of thehead past the nape of the neck, I knit 4 repeats of the 28-row lace pattern, instead of the 3½ repeats the designer calls for. I further modified the pattern by using Schaefer Yarn Company Heather, which was not the yarn the designer used. The Cowl can be worn either as a simple neck-warmer, or it can be pulled over the head as a hood and still cover the neck in cold weather.
55% Merino, 30% Silk, 15% Nylon in Fingering weight

No ribbon, but 3 of my friends placed in the Adult Shawl class.
 
This One-Skein Shawl by Clara Parkes was the very first shawl I ever knit. I used a gorgeous skein of Tess’ Designer Yarns Super Socks & Baby to create it. The yarn was just too pretty to make socks with it. The shawl is knit from the neck down. I increased to 120 stitches per side before starting the border. Because I was nowhere close to running out of yarn, I also did 5 repeats of the border. It’s a great shawl for summer evenings.
80% Wool, 20% Nylon in Fingering weight

1st Place: Knit Hat (Adult)

The Shepherd Bulky Rainbow Hat by Bobbe Morris was knit with Cascade Yarns Lana Bambu in colorway 07. This was a fun design to knit and used yarn left over from another project. This hat is knit flat and then seamed.
79% Wool, 21% Bamboo in Worsted weight

1st Place: Felted Accessory
 
The Fuchsia Felted Bowl is a cute little accessory that can decorate any home. This Bowl was knitted using Cascade Yarns 220 Heathers in the Teal Heather colorway, No. 2434. The completed project was then washed in hot water to create the felted effect. The holes around the rim were made simply by twisting the cast-on stitches before continuing to knit.
100% Merino in Worsted Weight

2nd Place: Adult Scarf

Linda O'Leary’s Waterfall Scarf was knit using Neighborhood Fiber Co. Penthouse Spun Silk in the Cleveland Park colorway. The “waterfall” effect is achieved by knitting every 4th stitch in the bind-off process so that the knit stitches drop once the project is removed from the needles.
100% Silk yarn in Aran weight

2nd Place: Knit Tote Bag

I modified the Sunshine String Bag pattern by Elizabeth Moreno to create straps rather than handles, so the bag can be carried over a shoulder. The yarn is Aslan Trends Pima Clasico Cotton in natural and pink colorways. The bag is knitted from the top down, and a cable cast-on is used to “fill in” the gap between the handle ends once those stitches are cast off to create the handles themselves.
100% Cotton in Worsted weight

De-stressing With Music and the Sounds of Nature

I live with stress every day of my life.  Not only is it a daily struggle to keep my electrolytes and blood chemistry at acceptable levels, but also I live with the knowledge that my genetic condition, Gardner’s Syndrome, could put me in the hospital, or even kill me, in an instant.  I have to consciously keep myself motivated to go to dialysis treatments every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday no matter whether I want to or not; and to top things off, I will have surgery within the month to treat a side effect of the Gardner’s Syndrome.  I choose to live positively and not dwell on the negatives, but sometimes stress can affect my mood, and even my health.  I employ different methods to deal with that stress as the need arises.  Sometimes I use Young Living’s Peace & Calming Essential Oil as aromatherapy to help me stop worrying and fall asleep faster.  On other occasions, I soak in the bathtub for hours while reading a mindless romance novel to clear my head of worries.  Other coping mechanisms I have cultivated over the years include writing; cuddling with Kasey Kay or Chet, my Himalayan who died in June, while telling them about my troubles; cross-stitching and needle pointing; and, most recently, knitting.

I planned to write this paper on my writing, specifically about my blog titled Crossed Purposes.  Unfortunately, my health took a nose-dive two weeks ago when I became severely dehydrated.  I was too tired to stay up to write blog posts and started stressing about not writing.  I managed to write three posts before I started to wear down.  All the other stories have remained works in my head because I went to sleep so early.  I will get back to my writing, but I cannot allow myself to have so much stress when many other things are going on in my life.

Since the writing project has fallen through, I was able to find a de-stressing mechanism in my own apartment.  For years, I have picked up compact discs of classical music at thrift stores and yard sales; however, I never listen to them.  I love silence, so many are the nights when I sit at home reading, knitting, or doing other tasks without any background noise at all.  I do not listen to the television unless I am actually watching it, and I never turn on the radio.  I did not even connect my stereo when I moved in; it is still on the top shelf of my bedroom closet.  Instead of sitting in silence, I have started listening to the CDs on my laptop; turning on the Classical Masterpieces Music Choice channel, channel 440 on Comcast; and listening to Classical WETA 90.9FM on the radio in my truck.  I find talking of any kind a distraction when I try to concentrate on reading, homework, or knitting, so the classical music with no words is perfect.My favorite composers are Tchaikovsky, Handel, Chopin, Haydn, Schumann, and Rachmaninoff, to name a few.

In addition, I have collected CDs of nature sounds such as thunderstorms, running streams, waves striking the shores of a lake, loons, wolves, night time "peepers," and more, all accompanied by light music. Some are accompanied by flute, some piano, and some guitar or other instruments.  I find these especially relaxing when I lie down at night to go to sleep.  I loaded some nature sounds CDs onto my iPod years ago but have not even used the iPod for over two years.  My alarm clock is an iHome radio, which allows an iPod to play through its speakers, so I found the iPod and used the Sleep feature on the iHome to play nature sounds as I drifted off to sleep these past couple weeks.  With the addition of a sleep mask, I began sleeping later and getting more restorative sleep.  I would hate to think how stressed and tired I would be without the help of classical music, sounds of nature recordings, and the sleep mask.

Since I started listening to classical music and the Ssounds of nature, I have noticed that I am in a better mood. Even when I have a million things to do in a day, I do not feel the pressure I used to feel to complete everything. The music calms me and makes me a happier person. The most noticeable difference is when I am driving; instead of yelling obscenities at the driver who cut me off, I usually ignore him and go along on my merry way. When my sister and her kids were visiting last weekend, we put the Sounds of Nature on after the kids fell asleep and even Sarah commented on how calming it was. She was surprised that we could turn the radio up so loud without waking Caleb and Anna. Friday night while we were talking on the telephone, Sarah set up a Pandora Radio station on her iPod so that she can also listen to classical music at home, since she does not get the Music Choice channels on her television. Because I enjoy it much, listening to classical music and nature sounds is something I will definitely continue to do, even after the Women’s Health Issues course is complete.

It's Been a Long Day

I didn't realize how tired I was until I found myself trying to change the channel on the television with my cell phone.  That means this is going to be a shorter post! Aren't you happy?

For some reason, I was up before 8am, so Kasey and I had time to enjoy an open-faced mini bagel with cream cheese, ham, and Swiss.  I even made it to campus two hours before my first class.  I had a bunch of History Club and personal errands to complete on campus.  Unfortunately, I spent a futile hour at the Technical Call Center office.  It wasn't their fault, though.  What I was trying to accomplish isn't allowed by the school's  network, but someone is working on the solution for me. After running my errands in the Careers, Student Services, and Student Union buildings, I barely had time to make it to my 11am class.

We had a mini kick-off meeting for History Club that lasted until 4:30 this afternoon.  I am relieved that History Club won't be a one-woman show this semester. I don't think I have the stamina to do it all by myself again.  Now I just have to learn to trust enough to relinquish and delegate some of the power.  I've worked really hard the past five months to build the History Club's campus presence and membership and I'm very excited to see the results.  Oops, I forgot to mention: I'm the History Club President this semester!

And...my GPA was high enough that I received an invitation to join the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, which I did.

So I'm even busier this semester.  I have my three classes, plus meetings for History Club, Student Activities, and Phi Theta Kappa.  I promise to make time to keep you updated on everything that's going on, despite my busy schedule.

Next time, I'll respond to some of the comments from last night's post.  For now, though, Sweet Dreams & Goodnight!

More Wandering Thoughts

Two days in a row, are you surprised?

Thank you for the lovely comments on my knitting, ladies. I'm looking forward to this year's County Fair, but don't have a "wow" project like my book that won Champion of the Cross Stitch department last year. I'm entering as many projects as possible to boost the Fair entries; they've been quite low the past few years from what I understand.

Lisa commented that while she reads my Facebook updates, she feels my blog entries are more personal. I never looked at it like that, as I saw Facebook & Twitter as a tool to keep in touch when I don't have enough time to write blog posts. Then again, writing blog posts is just a matter of making time for it.

I don't feel like I had much "free" time this summer.  I went to North Carolina in June, where I had the Vacation From Hell. Not only did I get sick while there, but the management company, in retaliation (IMHO) for bringing Kasey, who is a service dog-NOT A PET (they have a strict "No Pets" policy), charged my friend $288 to vacuum the carpet in the unit. We've been trying to fight the excessive charge to no avail as of yet.  To top off the wonderful (that's sarcasm, folks) trip, 30 minutes into our drive home, I get pulled over doing 70 in a 55pmh zone and get a $160 ticket. Honestly, no lie, I'd looked down at the speedometer a minute before and saw it was at "12 o'clock" and said to myself, You're only doing 60.  Not!  I still wasn't completely with it and saw that 60 was to the left of the needle without realizing the needle was on 70. I'd already spent the weekend with a person I can't stand (not my friend who owned the timeshare), puked my guts up, hardly eaten, and spent 3 days of a 4-day trip in bed, and then I get a friggin' ticket trying to get the hell home.  OH! And I had so much fluid retention, I couldn't even drive all the way home. I had to sit in the passenger seat of my own truck with my feet resting on the dash to try to relieve some of the pain.  I was miserable for the next few days, and Chet died four days after I returned home.  Altogether, it was the Week From Hell.

That vacation was the end of my summer course, too.  Because Geology and the accompanying lab were four hours long, three nights in a row per week, my feet began to swell and the fluid retention gradually got worse, to the point it was painful to walk or stand. By the time we left for NC, I'd been to three weeks of classes.  My dialysis docs were at a loss as to why I'd gained so much fluid so quickly (4 kg/8.8 lbs) and had solution other than to keep my feet elevated.  My overall well-being was suffering by that time. It became apparent that I had to drop the class, so I did.

Within a week of dropping the class,  I lost 3 kg (6.6 lbs).  Since then, I've lost even more because I've cut back on my Wawa Lemonade Tea.  Shocker! I know.  Not only am I saving money, but also I'm hoping to be able to fit into my trousers again.  Everything except two pairs of khakis, which are cut large, is too tight. I got fed up when I realized I had over a dozen pairs of capris that I couldn't wear during the end of the summer.  Just by cutting back on my Tea addiction, I've managed to lose almost 2 kg (4.4 lbs) more.  I'm drinking water instead, but I've had two dehydration episodes since then.

The worst bout was last night, when I lost about a liter of fluid in less than two hours. I couldn't drink enough, fast enough, to keep up with the fluid loss and was awake most of the night with severe cramps in my legs, hands, and feet. Potassium didn't help; I tried that.  I even grabbed my tin of grey salt and ate some of that to try to help.  When I got to dialysis this morning, I asked for a bolus dose of saline to replenish the 0.8 kg of body weight I'd lost, as I knew that was about how much fluid I lost the night before.  I received 1.1L of fluid during my treatment, all to no avail as it turns out.  By the time I left, I weighed the same as when I got there.  I'd already lost the entire 1.1kg of fluid.  It's frustrating, but that's how my body works.  I'm trying to balance my need for tea to keep up my electrolytes and my desire to lose a few more pounds in order to fit into the rest of my wardrobe.  It's going slowly, but it's going.

Marilyn asked a couple of questions in her comment, and I'd like to address them now.  First, she wanted to know if my cross-stitch stash was packed safely away.  The answer to that is yes and no.  My FSOT stash is in a box because I don't have room to unpack it.  My personal stash is in my 5-drawer lateral file cabinet.  It's not sorted in any way, shape, or form; I simply grabbed stacks of charts & kits and put them into hanging file folders as they'd fit.  Since I know I'm not going to stitch for quite some time, I sold all my Weeks Dye Works and Gentle Arts Sampler Threads to a friend of mine.  I couldn't justify hanging on to them for the next four or more years when I knew I could get over $200 by selling them for $1.50 per skein. I was shocked when I told Carol they were going up for sale and she said she wanted them all.  It did save me the trouble of having to list them by color on CraigsList or having to ship them, though.  I have some kits and charts that I will never part with, as I am clinging to the belief that I'll get back to stitching one day.  Marilyn's second question was about my health.  Overall, I'm doing well, despite the dehydration scare last night.  I did have to have a stent placed in my dialysis graft two weeks ago.  The graft wasn't clotted, but the flow was severely restricted and it was affecting my treatment efficiency. I felt well enough after dialysis to take Kasey for a walk.  We even made it to class tonight.

As I was driving somewhere around Annapolis last week, I started thinking about the underlying reason for me no longer stitching. I can't remember what got me onto that thought path, but I was startled by my conclusion. I remembered looking at my Ravelry project page, where I have all my projects from 2009 listed, and I saw my stitching and needlepoint UFO's.  Reflecting back on looking at them, I realized that I had absolutely no enthusiasm to see any of them completed.  Seeing them made me want to look elsewhere.  Then it hit me: I've simply stopped enjoying the process.  Making x's or pulling the needle back and forth through the canvas is not fun and relaxing for me any more; now it stresses me out.  I remember a friend saying that knitting garter stitch drives her bananas.  No matter how a knit project is constructed, I enjoy the process of creating it.  Maybe once I stop enjoying that process I'll go back to my other needlework. Who knows?

I had my Women's Health Issues class tonight and told my professor that getting back to blogging on a regular basis was my De-Stress Project activity.  While I love reading Facebook status updates and comments from my friends and family, I think Lisa is right: blogging is more in depth, and therefore more personal.  I have more than a 500-character box I can fill. *evil grin*

I was driving to Uncle Wes's house on Saturday and saw this guy in the truck in front of me.  I couldn't resist taking a picture (while I was stopped). Newfies are such gentle giants, and this guy is chocolate-colored, which I haven't seen much.  I was a little disturbed that he was riding without restraint or a harness, but I won't get on my soapbox on that subject. Only consider this: how far is an unrestrained 150+/- pound dog going to fly if you're in an accident? I rest my case.

Thank you all for taking the time to visit Crossed Purposes. I hope you'll be back soon.  Please feel free to leave comments and/or ask questions.  I'm going to make an effort to answer more of them in my posts rather than by private emails from now on.  If you don't want me to answer a question publicly, please be so kind as to indicate that. I'm not going to publicly call someone out for their view. I simply don't publish comments I find offensive or disturbing.  It's my blog; that's my prerogative.

I also have some house-keeping to do with links, blinkies, and other pages, but that will have to come later. I'm planning on using my winter break to re-vamp Crossed Purposes to reflect the shift in focus from XS to knitting.  I've been fighting with myself about whether or not to remove Chet's name from the header of CP and replace the picture of Kasey & Chet with one of Kasey alone (My Guardians, in the sidebar). It feels like a betrayal in some way; like the 12 years he spent with me have no meaning or value, when that couldn't be farther from the truth.  Any thoughts from other furbaby parents?

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to Crossed Purposes.  Not only to my readers, but also to me. Since I've been gone so long, I'm going to write shortly about lots of different things.  I will be writing on a more regular basis, though, as I have a De-Stress assignment for one of my classes and I've chosen to write as my new de-stressing activity.  Blogging has the added bonus of getting back in touch with you, my neglected readers.

College
I can't believe summer is unofficially over. I started my third semester of college courses this past Monday.  Unlike the Spring semester, where I masochistically took College Algebra and English Composition & Literature at the same time, the Fall semester will have a much slower pace.  Women's Health Issues and US Women's History are both courses with minimal homework and fun class time.  Oceanography will take more studying and homework time, but it's a physical science course that I need to get my Associates degree.

Chet's Protege
As those who read my previous post know, Chet passed away on June 19. I still miss him, but he remains with me in the most important way. Kasey and I went to visit a fun pet boutique in West Annapolis shortly after Chet died, only to find Woofs & Whiskers was closing its doors to allow the owner to pursue other opportunities.  Everything was 60% off and I picked up this little guy.

I've named him Beetle-Bug, after You-Know-Who, and he sits on the bookcase in my bedroom keeping watch over me and Kasey. He's a Webkinz, but I haven't bothered to go to the website to register him.  I always think of my Chetter-Bug when I see Beetle; he makes me smile. 

 Ravelry & Knitting
To my cross-stitch and needlepoint friends, no, I have not picked up my needles since last October.  Or, rather, I have a new type of needles! I learned to knit on December 30th of last year and have been going gangbusters with my new yarn addiction.  The County Fair is two weeks away and I've been knitting up a storm.  I finished two small projects this weekend and have a shawl on my knitting needles.

< If you knit or crochet and don't know about Ravelry.com, you need to go there! I'm warning you, though: It's ADDICTIVE.  I take no responsibility if you stop playing FarmVille or Mafia Wars and hang out on Ravelry all day. There are thousands of free patterns, discussion forums, and groups that cover every topic (Proof: I belong to Grammar Nerds, NCIS, Golden Lovers, and Child-Free by Choice, just to name a few).  All of my knitting projects are listed there, with project details and pictures.  It's a very helpful tool for tracking my stash and noting what I like/don't like about patterns and yarns.

This is what I've been up to with my new needles:

 These are my first two knitting projects, scarves for Anna & Caleb

I used the leftover yarn from my 4th project, a shrug, to make this hat. It's my 2nd project that has cables.


This cute little bowl was a quick knit. I started it Friday night and finished it in a few hours. I only made it, though, because there's a Felted Basket category at the County Fair.


This is my silk shrug. A friend wrote an easy pattern for me to make a warm shrug from some gorgeous yarn I purchased. The wool/bamboo blend is very warm, so this version, done in silk was supposed to be my warm-weather shrug. Who knew an open weave done with silk would be just as warm as the wool blend? I still love wearing it, although it's now put away until Fair entry drop-off. I don't want anything happening to it between now and then.


My youngest brother, Ben, is modeling my Basket Whip Cowl and making faces at me. Anna and Bre saw this and now they both want one. I have to find the right pink yarn for Anna's. Bre is a bit easier; I have her favorite colors in my stash already.


I'm entering my Summer Shawl in the Child's Shawl category only because it turned out smaller than I'd hoped. I later found out that it has a tighter weave because I twisted the purled stitches. It gives the fabric a very pleasing texture, but doesn't stretch as much. It's made with sock-weight yarn, so maybe that's a good thing.


The Lucy Bag was my 3rd knitting project. This was the reason I wanted to learn to knit in the first place. Several ladies in the knitting groups I stitched with had these bags and I wanted one. After knitting it, the bag is washed in hot water to felt the wool. I'm also in the process of making a felted backpack.


I can't wait to see Grandma's face when she gets this scarf. The yarn it's made from, Penthouse Spun Silk by Neighborhood Fiber Co. is my favorite yarn. See? My fiber addiction hasn't changed much. I'm still a sucker for hand-dyed silk! The scarf is about 6' long and the close-up shows the stitch definition.


This last picture is my Cinderella Cotton Slipper. I call it that because it has thwarted all my efforts to knit a mate for it. I have tried about 8 times and end up with too many stitches on my needles every time. I don't know why I'm having such difficulty when the first one was so easy, but I will get back to it at some point.



Life in General
Kasey and I are adapting to apartment life. Believe it or not, we're still not settled in 100%. I'm contemplating another rearrangement of the living room furniture.  Most importantly, though, Uncle Wes & Mom put the house on the market this week.  It saddens me that property taxes are forcing the sale of a home that's been in our family for over 60 years. Nana & PopPop paid $1,250 for 2 acres on the water in 1946, when only "river rats" lived on the water. Today, now that every yuppie in Anne Arundel County wants waterfront property, its assessed value is $1.6 million, but it is on the market for $685,000.  Talk about over-inflation!  Sooner or later, I have to get the rest of my belongings out of the house. Right now, though, I have nowhere to put them. I'm still looking for an affordable storage unit in the area.

Oh, yes, Kasey Kay.  You all want to hear what my Punkin' Head has been up to, don't you?   Well, on May 1st she proved what an awesome Golden girl she is by earning her AKC Canine Good Citizen title on her first try! She's now, officially, "Kasey Kay, CGC."

She still only gets groomed by Mike at the Muddy Paw Wash (Bark 'n Bean). We go the first week of every month, since she's out and about with me all the time.  I have to call ahead to make sure he'll be there because Kasey misbehaves for everyone else.  Don't believe me?  Well, she sits down at every opportunity, turns around when they don't want her to, and spooks at the drier.  She's not bad, but it's very irritating.  She's hilarious when Mike grooms her, though.  She stands like a pro and stays on the grooming table to be dried, but, if he walks away for a split second or doesn't pet her enough while she's being dried, she barks at him!  She's a demanding little wench, I tell ya!

It's time for bed here, as tomorrow is an early day. Not only do I have to be at dialysis before my usual time, but I have another appointment in the morning.

Sweet dreams & I'll be writing again soon.

My Bug is gone and I'm heartbroken

I suppose I should apologize for being MIA for so long. I've even been slacking with Twitter updates. Honestly, I've been putting off writing this post.

If you have not already seen my last tweet, Chetter-Bug, my 16-year-old Himalayan, passed away on June 19. I'm still heartbroken over his death, but I had no choice. The vet believes he had a massive stroke. By the time we got him to the vet, both his retinas had detached. This is usually caused by high blood pressure due to kidney disease. Kidney disease was ruled out after Chet's bloodwork came back normal. His other chemistry, however, showed that his platelets were extremely low and his lymphocytes were high, which indicated there was some kind of cancer. Unfortunately, that was only secondary to the major neurological event that was affecting him. He could not move, purr, or even talk to me. His legs were held stiffly out with one back foot curled up, his front legs moving back and forth reflexively. There was no blood pressure in his back legs, indicating a clot somewhere. He had no awareness of his surroundings. I couldn't let him suffer like that because he was already gone, really. Uncle Wes found him behind, and almost under, his night stand-a place Chet has never slept in. We believe he went there to die, so I simply complied with his last wish. Signing the paper authorizing the euthanasia was very hard, but it was the right thing to do for Bug.

I'm sure you can guess that tears are flowing as I write this.

My Bug came to live with me in 1998, about two months after my Nana died. I needed someone to come home to because the house was empty for the first time in 15 years. Nana was home-bound, so she was always sitting on the couch when Uncle Wes and I got home from work. It was very disturbing to come home and see her seat empty. A co-worker walked into the office one day, saying he needed to find a home for his wife's Himalayan. My old girl, Sass, had passed away 10 months previously. At the time, I told friends I was going to wait for the right time to get another cat. It was perfect timing to get Chet. I was over feeling like I was replacing Sass, and at a place in my life where I needed the companionship of a pet. Chet provided that companionship for 12 years.

He had so much personality, even friends who did not like cats told me, "Chet is cool!" He would always meet me either at the door or just inside the kitchen when I got home, meowing as if to tell me about his day, and then follow me everywhere. I couldn't take a bath without his chocolate-colored front feet perched on the side of the tub, his chin resting on them, so that he could check on me. When he thought I'd been soaking long enough, he would meow at me to let me know. There was no shutting doors to keep him out; he'd simply sit outside and caterwaul until I cracked the door open to let him in. He could even tell before Kasey was alerted when I got sick. If I was too sick to get out of bed, Chet would stay with me the entire time. The only times he would leave was in the morning when Uncle Wes got up to get ready for work and at 8pm when he got fed. For some reason, Chet always followed Wessy to the basement in the mornings, but he would come right back to bed with me as soon as Wes left.

You may be asking why I call him "Bug" if I loved him so much. The answer is that Chet was a Himalayan, so he "talked." Alot. I couldn't open a can, or even an applesauce cup, without him thinking it was for him. He would start meowing until he either got some of the contents, or got to smell the lid and determined it wasn't anything that interested him. When I stood in front of the stove or sink in the kitchen, I couldn't step back without stepping on him. He used to bug me, so I started calling him Bug. It eventually combined with his actual name, Chet, to become "Chetter-Bug." I loved that damn cat. He may have taken 10 years off mine and Uncle Wes's lives with all the times we almost did facers onto the floor tripping over him, but he was a character and brightened our lives while he was with us.

This is where Chet always slept while I stitched. Luckily, and thankfully, he was never interested in playing with my floss. He did have a ribbon fetish, though. Ribbons were never safe from Chetter-Bug's teeth. My mom still laughs about the first Christmas after Nana died. It was also Chet's first Christmas with us. He didn't touch the tree, or Nana's doves that adorned it. He ignored the garland and ornaments on all the door frames in the living- and dining-rooms. But when I passed out all the presents that had curling ribbon decorating them, there were holes down their entire lengths. Mom had sent down all the presents for me to put under the tree and Chet had gone and chewed the ribbons on every single one of them. No paper was torn, but every present had Chet's little signature on it.

Someone said to me, after they heard the news, "Now it's time for another one." No. It's not. It never will be, because there was only one Chet.

I will always love you, Bug-a-Boo, and I will see you when I arrive at the Rainbow Bridge...

Chetter-Bug
March 3, 1994-June 19, 2010