Sis This is For You.....

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The Great Flying Nemo (in socks)

ATTN TO ALL CLOTHES ON ANIMALS HATERS:

THIS IS NOT ANIMAL CRUELTY!! OUR VETERINARIAN ORDERED THAT NEMO (OUR YORKIE) WEAR SOCKS TO KEEP HIM FROM CHEWING ON HIS FEET DUE TO HIS SEVERE ALLERGIES. THE AFOREMENTIONED VET SAYS THIS WILL KEEP HIS ALLERGIES DOWN AND ALSO KEEP HIM FROM HAVING SEVERE STOMACH TROUBLES IN THE FUTURE. ( so blame the vet)

That said... our vet has urged us for years to get shoes and socks for our little guy. Even with his customized allergy shots little guy had stomach troubles due to licking feet very badly early this Spring. The shoes & socks are now in house and we are trying. Socks first! We followed the following process:

First must find dog in playful mood. Second put socks on all FOUR feet of squirming dog. Third, place dog on floor and watch him stand oddly, while staring at you like "what did I do to you?" A little sock adjustment (see image A.) Finally, throw toy and pray dog will begin to move.

SUCCESS!!! (see image B)

Repeat process, including periodical sock adjustments and then............

VOILA.........Jumping, leaping and fetching will commence :) Dog is happy and humans are shocked!! (see image C)

The only hitch to the process is dog will not sit on butt, seems to be some weird things on feet and dog will not sit on foreign objects. This results in a very odd sitting position where front end sits and back end attempts to go down like a slow, unsteady elderly person with a broken hip.

He's still adjusting. He'll walk around and play but won't sit on your lap or lay down without a great deal of encouragement. Wish us luck with the shoes, we've got to start sometime. Ugh

The Great Flying Nemo and his Squeaky Duck !!

Get Well Yarn Bouquet

I made this with yarn donated by my friends for another friend who just had surgery yesterday. When you knit, there is no better gift than yarn. The container is also full of yarn, it's just hidden. Let's hope she likes it.

Happy Memorial Day

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Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

My sister and I had a flour fight making Christmas cookies and we decided Mom looked too nice and neat.  We attacked her because we didn't want her to feel left out.  Aren't we great daughters? 

So to the best Mom in the World, with the best sense of humor, we wish you a Happy and FUN Mother's Day!  

  Your Loving Daughters!

Help Pick My New Hair!!!

I'm being indecisive today!!    Please help by giving your opinion.  Leave me your preference in the comments or by email or Ravelry.  I'm aiming to get it cut very soon.  PLEASE help me out.

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Cake Making Day!

I spent all day making a cake for a friend of mine today.  I had a blast.  Took me all day though.  I started at noon and just finished up about 10pm.  I still need a lot more experience with cake making.  I didn't aim to be perfect, but I still obsessed over it.  I do have say that the chocolate buttercream I put underneath was really good.  I was sooo tempted to keep eating it, but figured licking the bowl would be enough.  So, without further ado, here it is in all it's glory (or not).....

One day I'll buy a real square pan so my edges won't be all rounded.    

I haven't been able to knit all day between the cake and the tree trimmers being here.   That's just really cool to watch.  They've made a mess but the tree is gettin' there.  They will finish up tomorrow morning.  I'm off to knit, later!

Ice Storm Damage 2009

Ice Storm 2009 - Jonesboro Arkansas

I thought I'd share some pictures of the Ice Storm that demolished our area. We were without power for

6 days. We ended up with one hole in the roof and barely any fence standing. Poor Nemo can barely

walk around the yard. It's covered in sticks and limbs. Hopefully our insurance man will return our calls 

soon and we can get back to normal around here. Hope everyone else survived the storm and has their 

power back by now. I know some in our area are not getting power back for about a month. This was 

one scary storm.

Good Morning World!

I hate mornings and usually only come by them because I haven't slept all night.  ugh ...I did try.  I really did.  But, I had to make a choice:  pain medicine to knock down the migraine or sleep.  guess which one I chose.......duh.  What do they put in that stuff!?!  Ok, I don't really care what's in it as long as it works.  I have, however,  been watching the ice accumulate outside.  Oddly enough the roads are still passable just slippery on the bridges and the grass.  Seriously, didn't know that grass could be so slippery.  Poor Nemo had issues getting his morning business finished.  I do have to say that walking bow legged like a duck was rather funny though.  Ice is so pretty.  I just want the big oak hanging over my house to please hang on to all of his branches this time.  The big oak is already gently hugging the house with his giant droopy arms.  

Let's hope he doesn't make a move for third base! 

I love my new "Let it Snow" flag.  Who knew it could freeze absolutely solid.  It looks hilarious when the wind blows.  It kinda Tilts instead of Flapping in the Wind because it has a nice coating of shiny new fallen, freezing rain.  Still wishin' for snow, tho'.  I guess ice will have to do for now.  I even prefer sleet to freezing rain, it doesn't get Mr. Oak Tree all weepy and affectionate toward my house.  Or I guess I should say:  Mr. Oak doesn't feel the weight of the World on his shoulders when it sleets.  

I'll keep ya updated on the crazy weather.  We're due for almost 2" of ice before this is all over.  At least Wednesday we're getting a dusting of snow to top of all the ice.  So would we call that the "Cake on the Icing"?  huh?

Why Grow Up!?!

I don't wanna grow up, I'm a Toys-R-Us kid!!

Okay, maybe not Toys-R-Us, but I still don't wanna grow up.  A couple of months ago I added a little pink on the underside of my hair.  I swore to my mother I was done with crazy colors!  Therefore I got MORE PINK!!  I'm lovin' it!  So here are some lovely examples of my rebellious side.  It hides decently, I just parted it to show the  wildest parts ;)  Could you just ignore that extra chin I've grown in the pictures!  Please!  Gotta learn more about Photoshop, and Soon!  

Just HAD to share this one

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Even if you don't knit, you at least have to admire that elaborate sweater the pooch is wearing. This makes me not look so obsessed! Of course, dog clothes haters will not be impressed. So for the haters just try to sit there and do nothing when your little dog is shivering from head to toe staring at you "Helpz me! I freezin" Just try to ignore that. If you can ignore it, you must NOW leave my blog and never return. lol

As for me, I'm still working on Christmas projects. I know it's over, but in my family they all accept that Cara always underestimates how many days the project will take. She also forgets that she can't knit at super-speed. Gotta work on that. And finally: I wouldn't be Cara if I am I not always late. Acceptance of these rules is essential in my family. Pretty poor excuses, huh. Pitiful, but nonetheless true. I shall finish them next week (read: next, next, next week) and be on to a new hat order. If I was having a better day, I'd post some recent project pictures. Alas, not a good headache day. I guess from the headache's point of view it's a roaring success. I must go now, my visions getting all funky and I seem to be best friends with the 'delete' key. Brain has taken the day off and I think I'll join it. Besides, if you think about it I must go where my brain does or I would have become the medical miracle case who solved what all doctors couldn't: sending my brain to detention so it can deal with the migraines and I don't have to suffer from that punishment too. Oh, wishful thinking. Lost all coherent thought, doubt anyone followed along with that thought process. Leaving now.

Have a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas to All

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I have been busy knitting like a mad woman. Why I do this to myself every year I will never know. Actually I know....I am the Queen of Procrastination!! Queen of all Queens! The bonus to making my own gift is that I only have to purchase 3 gifts that I'm not making. This definitely saves moolah. Yea! I even used my own stash yarn so I didn't even have to buy yarn. I do have enough stash yarn to outlast me even if I knitted every minute of every day for the next 60 years. I have issues, but I guess you already knew that one. I thought I'd take just a few minutes and wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Here's a couple of projects I have finished lately:
Scarf & hat for my chilly nephew who recently moved to Duluth, MN. I'm jealous. Knitting makes much more sense living in cold climates.
Binary Hat for a friend of hubby. He requested I design it and make one for him. Can I just say, I COMPLETELY undersold myself on this one. It took hours and hours of designing and reworking to get it right. It actually says "J***** N*********, King of the Pirates" That was worth so much more than the $20 I quoted him. He loves it though. I'll get a handle on this pricing thing eventually. But I seriously cheated myself on this one.
One for me!!! I think I deserve it. One of my knitting peeps made this yarn and dyed it for me. Yes, people, she spun the yarn and dyed it. Funny how so many people's jaws drop when I tell them she MADE the yarn. The first word out of every one's mouth is, "how????" I think images of ancient spinning wheels come into their minds with little old ladies slaving away like Rapunzel spinning her hair into gold. Yes, my friends, young and not geeky people knit. Believe it or not. Here's a close-up of the cable work on the hat.
I think it turned out beautifully. Great for those, "I don't wanna do my hair days." She gave this to me in exchange for a hat I'm making from some more of her hand-dyed yarn. I should probably get on that soon. AFTER the Holidays!!
Last, but certainly not least, a Gryffindor house hat from Harry Potter for my favorite sis (you know who you are) This is to match her house scarf she's had for a number of years now. Finally a complete set! Whoo hoo!! It's so warm, soft, and toasty I think I'm gonna need one too. It looks good on me.

Back to knitting now! Next post I shall share my new additions to the ever encompassing stash and my birthday gifts (think sparklies!!!)

And now Nemo will sing a special song just for YOU!!

Nemo's Related to a Wookie

chewbacca, star wars, yorkshire terrier, yorkie">
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Hee Hee! Nemo's related to Chewbacca!  I knew he had some famous relatives.  

I'll try to post pictures of my latest projects.   I've been knitting like crazy.  Wish me luck on getting Christmas presents done by Christmas (usually I finish by February)

Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving.  Eat, Sleep, and Be Miserable (and you thought I was going to say Be Merry)

Life

And this is why I love Yorkies!!!

I'm a woman of few words lately.  Been too tired.  Seems like hubby and I are tramping all around the country.  In the last 4 weeks we've been to Little Rock 3 times and Nashville twice.  Hubby had a big interview week before last in Gallatin.  He should find out next week if he got it or not.  I don't want to admit to how disappointed we will both be if he doesn't get it.  The prospects of moving and changing our daily life is very encouraging.  We could both use a change of pace.  Plus, it puts me close to my sis and mom.  That'd be really cool.  Of course, if we don't move it would be a lot less stressful.  How does one sell a house in this market??  ack!  

I've finally found a friend like me that doesn't work and needs company during the day.  I love her!  She's awesome.  I spent the day with her Tuesday and am going back over on Friday, plus I'll see her tonight at our weekly knitting group.  It's so great to have someone to be crafty with.  She lives very close to my hubby's work, so he just drops me off and picks me up after work.  It's a great arrangement especially since we only have one car.  Who needs two cars when only one of us works?  Made sense to me!  Well, I'm shutting up now.  

NAP TIME ;)

This is why I DON'T have a cat!!

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Pain Management????

Yet again I went to a new pain management doctor, and yet again, I get no help!! I want SOMEONE to explain to these doctors that they are involved in false advertisement. I mean, really, how can you advertise that your Pain Management and then refuse to help the pain. This is my third attempt at a pain management doc. Numero Uno at least tried to work on me for awhile. He tried numerous nerve blocks in my neck and none of them cured the pain. He did put me on narcotics for a few months, then suddenly said "you have failed treatment." Me, FAIL???? If you ask me HE FAILED!! or at least my BODY failed, but I, personally, did not FAIL! How dare he blame me for my migraines. Jerk! I want to get better and the audacity of a doctor to accuse me of not wanting to get better is asinine!

The biggest problem with migraines is they are not a visible illness. You can't see them. Migraines don't show up on CT Scans or MRIs. My brain looks normal the problem is it doesn't feel normal. And, yes, my brain is in there; I've seen it! Vanderbilt did an MRA and it was very cool to actually SEE my brain. It's picture perfect. I wish it showed something. Even a tiny sign on my brain that says: Pain starts here would be fantastic. Then the doctors could see it and have proof that I'm not lying to them or creating the pain myself. Trust me, I want a life and this wasn't the life I had in mind.

After so many difficulties with previous pain management docs I have come up with three criteria that one must meet:

1. You must believe my pain is REAL. I will be honest with you, but you must understand that migraines are real and extremely painful.

2. You must not give up on me. I can't give up on myself and I need a doctor that won't give up on me either. When a treatment fails, keep trying and trying. Never quit.

3. When I have a migraine that I cannot control with my home medications you must be willing to help me. I want to quit going to the ER. They're getting sick of me, and the ER is the last place you want to be with a migraine (screaming babies and crazy people).

Let me just say that I don't think my 3 criteria should be that hard to meet. Boy was I wrong. The new doc, we'll call him jerk #3, was shockingly rude. I've always heard about those doctors who are rude and don't want to hear anything you say. I'd never met one until yesterday. My neuro had sent me the paperwork to fill out in the mail, and I'd noticed that no where in the documentation did it ask about my previous treatments or places where I'd attempted treatment. It barely asked any questions at all. The other 2 pain management doctors that I'd gone to had extensive questionnaires. They wanted to know everything I'd ever done since birth. This was warning sign number 1.

He had a lovely Indian accent. I love those. His English was good, but his manners were atrocious!! He asked me what I had and I told him I have chronic migraines. That's where he cut me off. He started poking around on my neck and I expected that. He discovered I have a lot of pain in my neck (already knew that). Then he went right in to explaining what nerve blocks he was going to do. I spoke up to inform him I'd already had numerous nerve blocks in my neck. He didn't care. "No questions, I'm explaining!" Nice. Not! He started explaining my problem was in the area of my Greater Occipital Nerve (duh, that's where all migraines originate.) No matter how I tried to explain that we'd been through treatment from many, many different doctors and clinics over the years, he just kept cutting me off.

He asked, "Do you work?" I told him I'd had to quit working 4 years ago due to the migraines. You should have seen the ugly look I got for that one, and he said, "Other people work with headaches." Great, this is getting ugly. He then asked me what I did when I used to work, and I told him I used to be a Kindergarten teacher. "You're an intelligent woman, if you were a teacher. I will give injections in your neck here (pointing to neck on poster). I don't want to hear block isn't working because I put a steroid in with the block and your neck will swell here (on the outside). Don't tell me it made it worse because the swelling is on the outside and your pain is here (in spine). Many people say it hurt and I don't want you telling me about pain because it's swelling. There will be a bump".......blah......blah.......blah. I won't even tell you what was going through my head at this point. After he had talked AT me for 2 minutes. He finally took a breath and I attempted to get words out. I ATTEMPTED to explain that I'd have all those nerve blocks before, I'd been to one of the best migraine clinics in the country, and to Vanderbilt for treatment. I think I got out three or four words out before he returned to talking AT me. He simply didn't care what I'd tried. THIS was what HE was going to do. "I must use scientific approach." "I don't do narcotics." Fine, but will you help me with the pain I have and help to ease it, something, because I have excruciating migraines at least 2 or 3 times a week and my pain NEVER goes away. My neurologist sends me to the Cancer Treatment Center about once a week for a Stadol injection.....And I kid you not, "NO ONE HAS EVER DIED FROM A HEADACHE! YOU CAN'T DIE. Lay down in dark quiet room ,take aspirin or ibuprofen'"... This was the point at which I imploded. I kept my mouth shut and Phillip was sitting open mouthed in shock. We were both in shock. How dare he? I explained that my neurologist expects him to treat the pain when I have a migraine that is beyond my control. He reiterated that I can't die and told me, "okay, I give you few more minutes to explain why no narcotics. I must use scientific approach. Americans think they going to die from pain. They won't. No one needs narcotics." I told him, "I'm not asking for narcotics, just help with severe migraines." He said...........blah............blah............blah............I'm an inconsiderate a-hole.............blah........blah.........I don't care about your pain.........................you won't die...................... At least that is what I heard. I had completely tuned him out at this point and my eyes had welled up with tears. I did NOT want to cry in front of this jerk. "Go back out front." Great! Now I had to go back into the packed waiting room and sit there and try desperately not to cry. I couldn't do it. I headed to the bathroom as quickly as I could. I was in there for a very long time trying to recover, but I just couldn't stop crying. I finally got back to the waiting room and told Phillip to talk about anything just not what had just happened. He was still stunned so he handed me a magazine to read. I couldn't keep it all in, but I was trying really hard. The appointment secretary finally called me and started to set up a date for my MRI, then 2 dates for nerve blocks in my neck. Eventually we exited the building and I burst out sobbing.

This man didn't meet any of the 3 criteria I'd set for a good pain management doc. NOT ONE!!! After a few hours of pondering over things I decided I'm not giving this jerk any of my money or waste my insurance company's money on this man. He didn't deserve it. Pain management doctors #1 and #2 had already done the nerve blocks. We knew they didn't work. I called jerk #3's office and asked him to release me back to my neurologist because I cannot see a doctor who is so uncaring and tells me I can't die from this. The receptionist asked me if he'd really said that. Oh yes he did! She told me, "Well, get this message to Dr. G*** and we'll get back to you." As far as I'm concerned there's no need to contact me again. I have enough trouble being me, I'm not going to tolerate a jerk-wad doctor talking down to me like some wimpy, whiny baby. I never wish migraines on my worst enemy, but this man needs to have a severe, month long migraine that never lets up. Then he might understand the difference between a migraine and a headache. They are WORLDS apart. Solar systems apart.

Once my composure had returned I spent the remainder of the day searching the Internet and making phone calls to migraine clinics in the vicinity trying to find an understanding doctor. I'm not going blind into any more pain management offices. NEVER AGAIN!

Hour after hour I came across articles about how American pain management doctors do not treat pain for many of their patients. I had no idea so many were sharing the same struggle of finding a HELPFUL doctor. There are whole websites dedicated to advocating for those suffering from chronic pain and cannot find relief. I will keep looking until I find one. Wish me luck :)

Damn Thieves!!

This is what we arrived home to two weeks ago.  Nice.

This is the office where they stole my hubby's camera fund, tossed the whole place.  They ransacked the house like in the movies.  Why?!?  Couldn't they make neat criminals?  

This is the bedroom where they took almost every single piece of my best jewelry.  Hope they liked looking at my dirty undies on the floor.  Oh yea, they took some of those too!
This is the living room.  I must say how glad I am they had no appreciation for my scrapbook supplies.  Did they have to toss them on the floor?  I had them so nicely organized.  Bastards!  Note the Oatmeal Creme Pies on the back of the chair.  When we left the house they were in the pantry.  Figure that one out.  Munchies????
This was the former location of a laptop, computer chargers, my huge knitting bag, and who knows what else.  Now I know the importance of backing up my computer.  It never left the house so we never worried much about it.  Goodbye all my invitations, business cards, and tons (and I mean TONS!!!) of downloaded knitting patterns.  Some I paid for and are now el-gonno!  My i-tunes library-Gone!  My bookmarks-Gone!  My privacy-Gone!!  Turd-buckets!!  Why take the charger to the laptop that wasn't home?  How's that useful??!!
The door, of course, was the first thing we noticed.  It didn't dawn on either one of us that the glass was shattered, we only seemed to notice the door was open.  Then the panic set in.  First up was "WHERE'S  NEMO!!!!!!????!!!!  Poor little guy was huddled under a tiny corner under the craft room bed (there's a trundle bed under there, too).  He wouldn't come out.  We were so relieved to see he was okay.  Mostly okay, anyway!!  He's still having trouble getting over things.  I don't even want to imagine what that must have been like for my tiny pup.  He did what I'd want him to--HIDE!!  The bed was moved out and the mattress was out of whack.  We're still not too sure if they were trying to get to him or not.  I hope he bit them hard!  Actually, I just hope they never touched him.  We weren't able to leave him home for about a week.  He'd freak out and try to climb our legs when we tried to leave.  Brinks came and installed a security system, but we never left him home until we could get the security set.  Especially since we didn't have a real back door.  We had a shell of a door with plywood and visqueen (sp?) .  We took Nemo to the vet Friday (over a week later) and they said he might not be as sick as we thought, it might still be him feeling traumatized.  Scary, that things have stuck with him so long.  We know he was having nightmares the first two or three days.  He would jerk in his sleep and wake himself up.  It was really awfull to just sit there and not be able to help him.  After two weeks he's finally eating regularly and just about back to himself.  Thank God.
That would be my eyeshadow laying in the doorway.
I still don't know why they had to toss my makeup all over the room.  For fun?  Crazy psychos!

Buttholes!!

I'm not the best housekeeper, but I'm not this bad.  When it was all summed up they made off with quite a bit.  Originally we were thinking just a few things about $1500.  Now, we're closer to $6000.  Nice, huh.  They take some of the dumbest things.  Like the oatmeal creme pies.  At least they thought about taking them.  In the end we were missing a laptop, computer chargers, bluetooth phone, small camera fund stash, 2 gold necklaces, 1 ruby & diamond pendant, 2 hefty gold rings, lots of earrings, one nice, big fake ring, 3 jackets, 1 laundry basket, 2 bras, 1 knitting bag, 1 almost finished knitted sweater (if they only knew how much that yarn was worth-they left the sleeves, gee thanks), 1 video camera, non-replaceable home movies from the last 3 years, 1 bottle of pain medication, and the list keeps growing and growing and GROWING!! Bastards!

The upside to the whole thing is we have nice new french doors with enclosed blinds and a brand spankin' new security system.  We're armed and ready now.  I dare them to come back and try again.  Okay, not really!  We're installing spot lights this weekend.  It's gonna look like Fort Knox around here.  They could have taken the whole house as long as Nemo was still here we're going to make it.  The door was open and the back gate was open.  We're very glad he was too scared to move.  We got burgled.  Boogers!  I'm tellin' ya the first fat girl I see wearing my sweater is getting tackled and I'm sitting on her ass until the police come.  You have no idea how insulting it is to a knitter to steal her first sweater made from gift yarn from the hubby.  That's a biggy for him to buy me yarn, because we all know I'm a yarn ho! 

So, I've got two needles.  You've got two eyes!  Don't mess with a chick that knits!!  I'm armed with Brinks and pointy needles.  Watch out world!!!