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i had trouble downloading the pic to this site so visit my ravelry page to get the details.  i am nittingram.

things have been rather chaotic lately and there hasn’t been much time for knittin’ or bloggin’.  today ella and i took a walk to enjoy the lovely day.

 a six word memoir of ella……….

love of my life.  she is.

take a spring walk with someone you love.

last night while driving home from work, i was listening to an npr broadcast about six word memoir.  write your own six word memoir.

mine………………..

timid child.  feisty adult.  ella’s grammy.

we could have some great fun w/ this.

the unknown

 

there have been times

when, without knowing

the destination

a journey was essential for life.

 

the home had become

a place to leave,

too small or too stale

or too painful,

and so, stepping

to the threshold,

trusting only in the yearning

to choose life,

i cross over.

madixonop 

 

 

 

signed up for ravelry that is.  i kept saying i didn’t need another time-sucking website but yesterday at my modeling debut, whilst talking w/ some good buds, i decided to bite the bullet.  this morning i put my name on the waiting list and i will see what happens.

no pictures of the great photo shoot, but, lordy, did we have a good time.  franklin is a sweetheart and made me feel at ease.  i am not the most photogenic chic in the world so it will be fun to see how these turn out.

and the contest winner is………………………………kristen.  we’ll talk, punkin.

now i am off to finish the laundry and get ready for work.

holy moley, what a week.  so it turns out we are NOT losing our jobs.  i don’t know the whole inside story, and probably never will, but decisions made without the proper input can be reversed. 

grammy gets her ella back!

thanks to everyone for their kind support. 

all good things must come to an end. 

for the past year and a half i have had a great nurse job.   i have worked w/ two of the best doctors i have ever had the pleasure to meet and have one of the best stories about people putting things where things aren’t ever supposed to go.  the job has not been without it’s trials and tribulations but all in all, it was a good gig.  the hours have been such as to allow me to care for ella full time and thoroughly enjoy her first year.  last thursday we got the news that we are closing as of january 31.  i don’t know yet what the next adventure will be, i won’t be jobless, after all there are way more nurse jobs than nurses to fill them but it won’t be like this one.   the worst of it is that i will most likely have to give up caring for ella as much as i have.  she’s been going to daycare two days a week for two months and seems to love it so that is some consolation.  she has been the light of my life for the past 14 months and while she will always remain my light, i just won’t be able to spend the time with her that i have in the past.  and that, of course, is the perfect lead-in to ella pix.

the blur that is ella

i am innocent.  (wearing the latest sweater from grammy’s needles.  knitting matters rose baby cardigan.  i used cascade 220, a little over 2 skeins, i think, for size 24 months.)

modeling grammy’s summer shawlette in manos new silk blend wool.  this yarn is a joy to work with and is available at threadbear.   it appears manos del uruguay does not have it’s own website.

the forbidden drawer. she looks at me and giggles when she runs to open and remove it’s contents.

looking pensive on a 60 degree january day.

the ASCCPHTSYSPPLD weekend.

so what with all the job drama and the fact the realtor called to say he wanted to show the house on saturday and it was in no condition to be shown, i was reluctant to go on the long planned weekend getaway to sunny grand rapids.  after a plethora of phone calls and emails from my good buds, i decided to go after all and i am soooooo glad i did. 

i haven’t laughed so hard and so much in a long time.  it was a 6 poise-pad night. 

it pays to have social worker friends!  when you’re feeling down and out they can offer unequaled validation.  something i am not so good at, at least to hear someone tell it. 

“my throat is sore.” 

“if you shut the hell up, it might not hurt so bad.”

my poor attempt at still life at the spinning dog.  at least i think that was the name of the coffee/tea shop.

 

 

the many faces of marcy

the “quiet” one, yessiree, the one you have to look out for!!

before all the horse manure.

how does this damn thing work?

art in grand rapids.  the best shot i could get from the car as our fearless driver was anxious to do something else.

i can’t wait to travel with these chicas again.  i’m stocking up on poise.

the mm

there’s been a change in my living situation.  mystery man, henceforth known as mm, and i dated for about a year, things happened but we remained friends.  to make a long story short we are now together again and it sure is nice to have someone to share life with.  not to mention he makes a mean chicken sandwich.

he even shraked my backyard.   what with late-falling leaves, ella care and the job, i never had a chance to rake the leaves this fall.  i had a brown carpet in the backyard.  so with a rake, a shovel, a warm january day and a willing yardman, it is done.

and that my friends is the way it is, january 23, 2008.

my oldest fo.  i did this sometime in the mid 80’s, can’t remember the yarn or the pattern, i think it came in a kit.  i do remember having a great time making it and it could have been my first ever real adult sweater.  it is wool and there is a small moth hole to prove it.  i have the yarn to mend it.

a close-up of the details.

my oldest ufo, again made sometime in the early to mid 80’s.  a child’s sweater that only needs to have the underarm seam done.  why didn’t i finish???  probably bored w/ it.  will i finish it???  don’t know.  tell me about your oldest ufo and i have a prize to give away.   anyone who sends an entry will have their name put in a hat and ella will pull out the winner.

from my secret pal who revealed herself this month.  janet  is in fact the one who started the exchange as a way for nurses to nurture one another.  she really outdid herself w/ this, a gift cert to a yarn website where i have my eye on some cashmere!, a box of chocolates, christmas angel earrings, a christmas light necklace, (ella’s favorite as the lights blink) and a cute cartoon book about women of substance.  thank you, janet, for not only “hosting” the exchange, but for being such a good gifter.

now then, speaking of women of substance, which i consider myself to be, i need to hear from those of you who have experienced menopause.  tell me how you dealt or deal w/ insomnia and the dreaded hot flashes.  i sometimes feel like i want to crawl outta my skin.  who is this creature who inhabits me now?????  this is a little tongue-in-cheek, i haven’t gone off the deep end.  just need a little internet girl talk.

the princess just a few minutes ago before she sat down to her dinner of carrots and kidney beans.  she loves, loves kidney beans.  an amazing child for that fact alone.  she eats them like i eat chocolate!

and with that, the princess and her lady-in-waiting are off on another adventure.

what did the momma tomato say to the baby tomato who was lagging behind as they walked along?

here are some cool ‘nittin’ toys i acquired since we last chatted.

this is from hideandsheep, an etsy site.  it’s a row counting bracelet and i love it.  it is well made and i ordered it thanksgiving night and had it the following tuesday morning.  

these are stitch markers from hide and sheep.  very well made, nothing to snag even the finest yarn.  the ring w/ several smaller silver and blue rings is to  mark increases and decreases.

everything comes in a cute little tin.

they are having a special right now w/ any $20.00 purchase.  check it out.

a plastic container i found at meijer to carry my sock projects.  there is a smooth hole in the top to pull the yarn through so no more rolling  balls.

 here are the knitting projects since last we met.

jitterbug sox in monet colorway.

jitterbug sox in bright charcoal.

hunters sox in aurora 8.  for these i used 2+ skeins.  they are a man’s medium.

an ella sweater.  i’ve left the deats at home so i will have to fill those in later.  i did buy the pattern at threadbear.