I’ve been reading on the CK Boards, and trying to be a part of the community.  It’s hard, these women have know each other for a long time.  But I did try a purge swap.  Simply because I had doubles of things that I had no idea what to do with.  So, I’m posting the images of what I was sent, what I sent, and the two layouts I created.  I’m really bad at the brands of things, and I guess I’m going to have to get better at it… Or just not care and hope people can guess, if they like what I did.

So here is what I got and did with it....

Here is what I sent and did with it…

I had fun!  I liked what I got, but I had to go looking for the right photos.  Lucky for me, Mothers Day was in the same group of pictures that I’m currently working with.  I do enjoy a challenge, and I was able to work with my kit (after I saw with the other person did) and come up with something that I like.  I’m not much of a talker when it comes to my scrapping, but here you go.  My creativity today. 

One of the people I’ve met since I started scrapping is Lori.  She has started the Weekly Gratitude Project.  I’ve decided to give it a try.  It’s a weekly thing, and I think it might get me back to blogging.  You never know.

This months theme is “Work.” Hmm.  Grateful for work.  Hmm… “The theme for January is work. This applies to work of any kind. It can be a job you have. It can be all the work you do at home. Or raising your kids. Or a volunteer job. Or school. And if you don’t work at all, you can make it about how grateful you are for that.” I can do that.  Four weeks of being grateful for my work, and making four pages that say as much. 

So… Let’s be grateful for work this month, shall we? 

So, Sean has been sick.  He had this fever that spiked at 104, but stayed around 102 for most of the week.  Last night the fever broke about 9:00 pm.  At 3:00 am, Sean awoke, and wanted mommy to hold him and help him sleep.  John tried to do this for him, but no avail.  I got up, rocked him back to sleep, and then went to put him back in his crib.  Yeah right.  He cried some more, and then I said to myself, the fever is gone, why are John and I playing these night-night games? 

Back in the crib he went, screaming.  I told him it was time to sleep, and that I loved him and said “Good Night.” Five minutes later I went back in, and told him that it was time to sleep and that I loved him… To which he said “I have poo-poo.” I started to laugh.  He is a bit poo-poo obsessed right now.  There was no smell, no indication that he had poo-poo.  I went over to him, gave him a hug and felt his diaper… No poo-poo.  I told him, “you don’t have poo-poo, night-night Sean.” Within 2 minutes he was back asleep, and John and I were in the bed laughing.  He is smart that little man.  He knew that I would pull him out of the crib if he had a dirty diaper, and that I would have to check it, so he would get a hug.  Cheeky baby!  I do love him! 

It’s been almost a week since Daisy’s passing.  You know, life has just gone on.  It’s really weird.  John and I take care of Sean and then we go to bed. 

I miss her clicking nails on the hard wood floor, waking me up at 2 am because she needed a drink.  I miss her prancing around at 7 because she needed her insulin.  I miss her coming into the bathroom after my shower, licking the water off my legs.  I miss her greeting me at the door when I come home, and jumping on me.  I miss her needing to sit near me, but no where on me, just far away so that I can’t touch her.

Thursday night at dinner Sean screamed “Dais, Dais” wanting her to come so that he could feed her his dinner.  We told him that she went “bye bye.” He seemed a bit frustrated with this, but he seemed to understand, and went with it.  Tonight he threw all his food on the floor, and when I let him out of his chair, he ate off the floor, as if to take her place.

Mom said that she saw Daisy yesterday… I’ve not seen her yet.  I dreamed about her last night, she was under an end table, alive and well.  I was so happy to see her.

Today was hard.  I cried a lot.  I just keep thinking that maybe if I had let the vet try and fix her, she would still be here.  Instead, I just let her go.  I just miss her so much.  Carey at work reminded me that for a long time we were so integrated.  Daisy and I were a pair.  While John and Sean are my life, there is just this hole in my heart.  And it really hurts.

Big hug and kiss for Daisy, where ever you are.

It’s really hard to watch your baby get old.  For Daisy, it started with going blind.  I think she had some vision, but what she had left didn’t even allow her to go for walks.  She would get spooked by bushes and trees.  My runner stopped running.  She would come out to the front yard, and where last summer she would run down the street looking for cat poop in the neighbours yard, this weekend she just went to the driveway, and turned around and went back in.

We were sure that she had doggy Alzheimers.  She would just pace up and down the halls, as if she was confused as to were she was.  Last night when I got home from work, she was walking into corners and just stopping there, as if she was unsure how to get out of that corner.  She even stopped greeting me at the door when I got home from work.  Last night, she came to me about 5 minutes after I walked in.  I bent down to say hello and she kissed me.  Just a little one, but she hadn’t kissed me in a long time.

I told my mom that tonight was the night.  I was sure that it was her time.  By the time John got home, she was panting weirdly, and I was really concerned that she was fading fast.  We sat down on the couch to decide what to do, and Daisy started to have a seizure.  It was so scary, poor Daisy.  Funny thing is, when it was over, she went right back to the pacing, almost toppling over.

John and I took her to the emergency vet at about 6:30, and she had another seizure in the waiting room.  Poor Daisy.  She didn’t even care that we took her in the car.  She used to shiver every time she got in the car.  She didn’t even know that we took her in the car.  When the administered the drug, I’m sure that my Daisy felt no pain.  Her breath was so labored, and it just slowly stopped.  I’m not even sure that she knew it was me holding her.  I kissed her forehead and told her I loved her.

The house is so empty.  While I know that it was her time, and it wasn’t fair to keep her around in her confused state, I really miss her.  She has been such a huge part of my life for the past 12 years.  I’m just so sad.

Good-bye Daisy Do.  You will be missed.

If you were told you could never again buy yarn, would would your last yarn purchase be?
I think it would be Cascade 220.  I really do.  It’s versatile, there are a TON of colors, and it felts so well!

If you were told you could never knit again, what would be the last thing you’d knit??
I’d make a felted bag.  I really would.  I’d think about a sweater, but I’m pretty sure it would be a purse.

In a given year, how many times do you buy yarn? And what is your favorite place to buy yarn from? A festival? A shop? Online? Dish your favorite places!!
I used to buy yarn more often, and my favorite place was Knitting Arts.  They are closed now.  I love Stitches West… But it’s very dangerous.  Very.

Lastly, with Fall in full swing in many areas, what is the one thing you look forward to most?
I’m looking forward to the cooler weather, and wearing sweaters!

I will say, that I am remiss on this.  It happened on Friday, but things are so busy that today is the first day that I had to post… More on my busy weekend later.

I have been spoiling the most wonderful person for Secret Pal 12.  Her name is Sherri, and she blogs at Sherriknits.com.  I’ve been having a great time spoiling her, and I’m pretty sure that she has been enjoying her boxes.  Anyway, I sent her a reveal box last week, with some things I purchased in Prague, some Rowan Denim, and some yummy chocolate truffles from our local artsy chocolate store.  It was kind of a disjointed package, but she seemed to like it just the same.

On Friday, mom and I came back from the mall, where we picked up my shoes that had broken and were being fixed, there were two boxes on the front porch.  The first box was from AllClad for my mom.  It was some gift with purchase that she got when she bought pots and pans around her birthday.

The second box was addressed to me!  At first I thought it was from the person spoiling me… Then I looked at the return address… Nope, it was from Sherri!

Isn’t it exciting?!?

When I opened the box, I found 4 skeins of Wisdom Yarns Poems (100% wool) in beautiful pinks and greens and yellows!  I’ve never heard of this brand, but I think it’s lovely.  It’s all pastel-ey and looks like it would felt into a beautiful fabric!

See, isn’t it pretty!

Then there were 5 skeins of Cascade 220 in a baby pink and fuchsia!  I don’t have either of these colors, and I can already see a really cute purse!

Finally at the bottom of the box was the book 220 Projects for Cascade 200!  It’s been on my wishlist FOREVER!  I even went to purchase it, and it was super pricey on eBay, so I decided not to buy it!  And here it is, in my hands!  And I have a BOATLOAD of Cascade 220!  So very, very exciting!

Sherri is one of the kindest people that I know!  I can’t believe that she sent a box, let alone a box overflowing with things that I love.  I feel so inspired to knit a new project!  I think I’d better start going to knitting meetup again so that I have time to knit!

Thank you Sherri, it was totally unexpected, and it really did make my day!  You Rawk!