Since becoming in-valid…. I am really excited by every little thing that I can get done. No dishes yet, but I can stack the dishwasher!
I’ve been responding to comments via email, but I have noticed that most bloggers tend to respond in the comments. While this seems to be a little impersonal, it does add to a sense of narrative on the blog. Questions get answered, fish puns are made, and the dialogue may be interesting to more than just the participants.
What do you think? Is it better to keep these responses offline, or do you like to read comments?
Would you subscribe to comments if there was a feed?
Anna is going to be there to help me negotiate the minefield, and also be a support person for Mark if he needs it. Here’s a link to the Wikipedia page if you’d like more information about what a doula does.
I’ve just spoken to Sandra (sadly blogless, but a regular at SSK) who kindly talked me through the choices of care available, and explained some jargon – like the difference between team care and caseload care in a birthing unit. Sandra was very reassuring, and I now feel a lot less panicked about the whole situation. She validated my choices, and made me feel like I’m not crazy. I wish I had spoken to her much earlier!
I am thinking that Hornsby Hospital is looking good, but since they don’t accept bookings until 14 weeks, I have a while to make up my mind. Anna is coming over to meet us on sunday morning, and once we’ve sorted things out with her, hopefully she can help me make the right choices. And since she is neither a midwife nor an obstetrician, she has nothing invested in the outcomes that I choose.
I even managed to get some washing and some shopping done today. But now I am taking to my bed.
I’m still feeling under the weather, and generally sarcastic and pissed off with the world, but I think there is a lesson here for all of us. Don’t throw rocks at anyone with teeth bigger than your forearm.
THe lovely panel beater up the street will have to take the entire door trim off to get the needle out. Which will cost about $20, which I am prepared to pay in order to do the green thing, and boost the economy, etc.. But. It’s a work car, and I feel a bit strange about pulling someone else’s car apart to get a single knitting needle.
I’ve tried knitting with 4, but it isn’t fun, and I’m only here for the fun. So for now, I’ll knit with one of the 2.5’s and I’ll bet no-one will ever know the difference.
And maybe I’ll order another set of 2.25’s. So I can futureproof myself a little.
Loving my new Knitpicks DPN’s. Commiserated with Paisley Womble about her Terrible Incident&trade, but never thought that something like that could happen to me.
Until yesterday, driving to work with the Valentines Day sock on the passenger seat so I could get in a few stitches at the traffic lights, and I rounded a corner with a little too much enthusiasm. One needle went flying – and when I got to work, it couldn’t be found.
I drove around quite a bit yesterday, and could hear it slipping and sliding. Eventually, I located it in the map pocket of the passenger door. Wedged in the seam between the bit of plastic forming the pocket, and the bit of plastic lining the door. But it had slipped backwards, and there was a shiny half inch poking out cheekily.
I went to the chemist and bought needle point tweezers. No luck. I tried needle nosed pliers to no avail. I even found a heavy duty magnet and tried to coax the little sucker out if its hiding place, but no. It’s staying put.
As I see it, there are two options. Knit with one 2mm and four 2.25’s (after I see Sally one the weekend – I left the 2mm’s at hers last week). Or dismantle the work Magna.
Anyone have an owners manual?
And in Melon Shawl news, I have turned the corner. It looks like cat vomit (and I’ve seen far too much of that lately), but in blocking we trust.
She rang me this afternoon in a bit of a panic, she was trying to find mum, and rang my phone number because it was listed under mums in her phone book. She didn’t know who I was, so I reminded her, and told her that mum is on holidays. She didn’t sound too good on the phone, so I offered to come over. She must have rung me six times in the time it took me to get there. A few times to try to convince me not to come (worried that the drive is too dangerous), once to ask me to get some corn on the cob for Cocky (which I couldn’t find for love nor money), once to ask me if I needed her to unlock the gate so I could park in the front yard (which she then forgot to do, so I parked around the corner outside the cemetery), and once more to tell me not to come.
I found out some interesting things. Apparently she now acknowledges that she used to model with Rita, that she went to parties, that she existed before she found the church. And apparently, she had musical talent. She had a lovely soprano voice, and took violin and piano lessons.
So there is musical talent in my family after all. It began and ended with Emily, but it is there.
Emily is coming to terms with the fact that she will have to leave her home, and live with her other son, Peter. There isn’t room for Cocky at Peter’s place, and she has asked me if I will take care of her. So sooner or later, we’ll be adding another member to the family.
The funeral is on Thursday.
Today, I heard a story of hope that made me cry. One person, who is trying to make a difference in the world, by doing the sort of thing we read about in the newspaper, but rarely consider doing ourselves. I hope to be able to share this story at a later date, but in the meantime, read this. Link from Obsidian Wings, via Jonathan Shaw, via Mary-Helen.
(am I taking the attribution thing a bit too far there?)
From The Knitting Zone, via the Yarn Harlot. She went to sock camp, and in her post about it, you will see this cardi in the wild, and you will understand why I must possess it.
Good weekend (apart from taking the parental units to the airport, for Burma, Take 2), knitting saturday (with bonus Emma!), dinner saturday night (more Emma), Brunch with knitters on sunday morning (extremely good hot chocolate, but the food was forgettable), more knitters on sunday arvo at the Courthouse, a knit in at Simone’s house, and then home to a whinging but affectionate feline. He loves us more and more as the temperature drops….
Place eggs in cold water – straight from the fridge is ok, as long as you bring the water temperature up slowly.
Stir to centre yolks as the water heats up. Boil for a few minutes – you need them to be hard boiled when you crack the shells.
Crack the shells – wrap in a doubled up tea towel and bash with the back of the spoon. The idea is to crack the shells all over, but keep the shell on the egg. The cracks allow flavour and colour to seep in, and makes the pretty patterns on the egg. Don’t panic if bits come off, it adds to the effect.
Put back in cold water with a few tablespoons of black tea, 2 star anise pods, a tablespoon of soy sauce, a cinnamon stick, a teaspoon of cooking salt, and a teaspoon or two of 5 spice.
Simmer for a few hours – making sure there is enough liquid to cover the eggs. If possible, leave in liquid overnight – flavour and colour will intensify the longer it steeps, but some might prefer a milder taste.
Cut into halves or quarters, serve with your favourite Chinese tea, and a game of Mah Jong.
PS. Let me know if you’re interested in finding a set – Mark found a place last week that has sets for less than $50. Possibly without English numbers – but you wanted to learn to read Chinese, didn’t you?
TBA, being entertained by uncle Mark. I think the song was “Rubber Ducky”.
Adam and Sarah came over for a few hours today to start to tackle the disaster that is our home. Sarah is one of those people that can throw things out. Unlike Mark and I. We have the hoarding gene, and need professional help to throw out old milo tins. Seriously.
We were going to pay a team of experts to help out, but then I remembered Sarah and her talents – so we had a family day of it.
Adam took care of the small person.
And here he is, doing his best Dr Evil impression.
We got one whole room on the road to recovery. One down, about 5 more to go….
Thanks Sarah!
Disco Knitter 