This and that on a Sunday

Last week, Mom and I took her first non-medical trip in a long time.  We headed down county, across the too-tall bridge to St. Mary's County for a little retail therapy.

Mom had an Estee Lauder offer to redeem and some creams she wanted to buy.  Younger son needed some new khakis and shirts and a tie for his job.  Belk was having a sale and we had an additional 20% off coupon.  So - off to California we went!  California, MD, that is!  :)

The pants I bought were too big.  They were nice pants too.  I was sad.  :(    Anyway, the trip was repeated today.  This time I went solo.

I got a refund for the pants at Belk.  I looked around and found some new pants in the right size.  Of course, the sale was over and the coupon was long gone.  I wasn't paying full price.  So, I left.

Luckily, JC Penney is in the same shopping center and I got a $10 off coupon in the mail yesterday!  Over to JCP I went.  They had pants in the correct waist size, but either too long (34) or too short (32).  B wanted 33x33 close to impossible to find.  I examined the 33x32s and the hem was long enough to lengthen, so I picked up a pair of those, plus a GIFT receipt for him to exchange them next time!!

Score. Khakis, 33x32, on sale for $29.99, less the $10 coupon and bonus 'free tax day at JCP' - new pants were $2 less than the ones I returned! :)

SUPER BONUS!  He tried them on as soon as I got home and ---- They FIT!

On the way back from the Great Pants Exchange, I stopped at Chesapeake's Bounty, where I discovered you can pick your own strawberries!  That's not why I stopped, but I was happy to see that they do that!  The only other place I knew closed a couple of years ago.

Today, I stopped to pick up some new annuals and perennials for the garden.

Older son and two of his friends cleared the weeds last week and it looked so bare.

It will soon be bursting with color!

Planted: Marigolds - big ones (yellow and sweet cream) and smaller one in disco (a multi-orange); begonias - one pink, one red; Astra Blue Balloon flowers; and Astra Osteospermum in yellow and sunset purple.

These lovely plants will join the irises and daisies and cone flowers and whatever else pops up from last year! :)

And - last but not least - I'm knitting myself a gift.  I'm participating in a CPaAG C/KAL.  Everyone is doing some version of the Baktus (link to Ravelry search results for Baktus)  I am doing the Lacy Baktus (my project page on Ravelry; you can click that link and see the project page, even if you don't belong to Ravelry!)

Last, but not least - we are seeing the end of the treatment tunnel for Mom's cancer.  Last infusion should be June 7th.  There have been and will be more doctors for other issues as the cancer treatments wind down.  Important for overall health.  She had her six month mammogram and it was all clear.  She'll have another next Fall.  If that one is clear, she'll be back on the yearly mammo plan

She fell twice in March and fractured her L1 vertebrae.  We are looking into Vertebroplasty.  The compression fracture is significant (50-60% and a backward tilt).  Doctor says she's a candidate and it is more indicated than not for this fracture at this level and severity.  We decide tomorrow.  If it's a go, we'll be heading to Annapolis on Friday -- getting out of the house before 5:30 AM for a 7:30 or 8:00 AM out-patient surgery.

I think that's enough for now!  :)  Hope to see you sooner rather than later next time!

Spring is sproinging!

This winter has been pretty intense.  Our area has had record setting snow falls and low temperatures.  As we've been moving out of the winter weather, we've had rain and fog and cooler temps, with occasional warm bursts.

This weekend, Spring is upon us and she brings the SPRING WEATHER!  Yippee!  I'll be able to go out and clean up debris that has been covered in snow and wet for too long.  I'll be able to till the garden area and cut back the snow-broken branches and get ready for the new season to take it's rightful place.

Let me catch you up on my doings for the past few weeks...

I finished my Olympic Sock event socks:

I took a knitting break and have been crocheting little hats for several causes.  I completed and sent off four for preemies at a NICU hospital.  I have finished three for full-term babies, with a few more days to go before I send them off.  Here's a sample (I keep forgetting to take pictures of things before I mail them off so there are only two in the picture - but the pattern is essentially the same for all.  The size and turned-up brim are all that change!): 

Tomorrow is my Mother's 74th birthday.  She celebrated by falling - again!  Luckily, she is just bruised and stiff - no apparent breaks or tears.  Last year, she celebrated birthday number 73 with a fractured tibia!  I told her she should break this habit of falling for her birthday!

She was supposed to go for her 6th month mammogram check today.  I've rescheduled for April 2nd.  While there are no breaks or tears, sitting in the car for an hour each way AND having a diagnostic mammogram are things that would tax her system too much today.

We are also supposed to go to the club for a dinner event tomorrow night - 150 Club - dinner and a chance for mom to win $1500.  Looks like that will be a no-go for a reason similar to the canceled Mammo - an hour ride each way.   We're playing it by ear.  Mom doesn't get out and socialize much.  She hasn't had the desire for a while, but she was looking forward to this event.

Enjoy your Friday, my friends.  Hope the weather treats you kindly on this first weekend of Spring!

Sooo close, yet no gold medal!

My Toe-Up Socks were my Knitting Olympics piece.  As my previous post indicated, there was a set back. 

After the set back, I recast the socks with fewer beginning stitches and continued with fewer foot stitches on smaller needles.  I finally got going pretty well.  A slow down occurred as I tried to figure out the heel and the wrap and turns and why I needed them and how to do them.  Figured it out on one and quickly finished the second.  By Sunday afternoon I was finishing heel flap number 2 and thought I could move right along on the legs of both.  However, the fingers were tiring and getting sore.  STR on 2.25 mm and 2.0 mm needles make for sore thumb and forefinger pads.  I might even have a hole in my thumb, defintely have a callous! 

Seems my confidence was misplaced.  I got to anklet length on the leg of the sock (two pattern repeats on the leg) and I could have done a fancy bind off and counted them 'DONE' in time to win the Gold.  But I had to be honest with myself and, in the spirit of the games, concede that I would simply unbind them and continue on to a more conventional leg length, as I did not want anklets nor would I wear them.  So, I gave up my dreams of glory and went to bed.

Knitting continues, albeit without the Olympic intensity.  The thumb and forefinger are getting a bit of a rest as I do knit a little at a time.  I believe I'll be able to eke out five pattern repeats and some ribbing before I run out of yarn.  I was afraid that 380 yards would not be enough for my big feet.  It looks like I'll make it to a reasonable leg height before I run out.

I'm sad that I miscalculated and missed out on the Gold Medal.  I learned a great deal, which is a fabulous thing.  BUT -- have you seen what I missed out on?? Franklin designed a fabulous medal!   Waaaahhhh!

Congratulations to all the Knitting Olympians claiming their Gold Medal!

As for me, there is always 2014!  I'll have much to celebrate in 2014

Knitting Olympics

AND

RETIREMENT ! ! ! ! !    :)