Looking up

I am happy to report that things are looking up here at chez Englant. We have absolutely reached a turning point in our most recent crisis. I feel a great amount of relief. As noticed, I have been a slacking poster. I just couldn't focus enough to post. Too many balls in the air and not enough "me" to go around so something had to be dropped. Now that my stress levels have calmed down, I hope to be able to write more. I wasn't in a good frame of mind to write before.

Alot has happened that is noteworthy. Greg, a very good friend of ours is still in intensive care after a riding accident. The horse he was riding fell with him aboard. When that happened, Greg hit his head on the side of the horse trailer. His head injury is severe and very critical but now he is making progress. They already have done one operation to repair his shattered eye socket. Unfortunately, while they were doing the surgery they found some additional actual brain injury and they had to remove a small portion of his brain because it was dead. So far he is doing ok after the surgery. We are not sure how much longer he'll be in the hospital. His recovery after he is released is going to be long and slow. They are talking about transferring him to some type of rehab facility when he ever IS release but knowing Greg, that won't fly. He wants to go home. NOW. I can't blame him but we all know he can't take care of himself just yet. He still has a long road ahead of surgeries to repair his crushed facial bones etc. Please add Greg to your prayers.

Tony is off work again. His own injury from the train vs. train accident has flaired up again. Neurosurgeon and his orthopedic back doc feel that he'll have to undergo a surgery similar to mine. Needless to say, daddy isn't real happy with that idea. He has too much experience with how awful it can possibly be because of my multiple surgeries. The next test for him to endure is going to be a diskogram which really stinks. It's a painful test and there can be no anesthesia given. uuggghhhh! I wish it were me instead of him.

On the needles is a two colored wool/silk blend sweater. It's coming along nicely.
The felted bag I made for my upstream partner turned out FANTASTIC. I used my Noni pattern for a carpetbag. I'll definately do one for myself! I even lined the thing! I'm just too impressed with it. I'll stick a pic here when I take one so you can see.

Remember us in your prayers please. We aren't out of the woods completely, but we are definately working on it.

Where have I gone?

Well I knew it had been along time since I'd written, but I sure didn't know it had been SO long! How time flies when you have so much fun!! I can't even begin to catch up so I'll not even try.

I've not been knitting much these recent days. I just can't right now. I'm too antsy to sit still. I think it would be a better time to spin. That would give my jittery feet something to do besides just waggle all day. I've got nice fibers to spin so perhaps that is what I need to be doing right now.

I did start work on a new tote for my upstream person but I'm not happy with it at all. I think I'll do something else. I just don't like the pattern as much as I thought I would. No worries though, I'll make nice scarves from the yarn instead. So for that project it is back to the drawing board.

Keep the prayers coming please! We're doing ok but still need them.

From More Than Many Sparrows

Because I'm never tagged.....

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.
5. Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.
6. Tag three people.


Men are "wired" differently hormonally and neurologically, and have been socialized differently from birth. Men have been designed and socially trained to be less sensitive and emotional because they were expected to do jobs that necessitated less emotional reactivity. Now, that doesn't make them better or worse than women; it just makes them different. --That is from Dr. Phil's latest book entitled "Love Smart". I have only read a couple of chapters so far, and as usual he makes so much sense that I wonder why everyone doesn't own a copy of this book yet.

I tag TWIG, ENJAY and my SECRET PAL~!!

New Baby Girl

Meet "Jade". She is my new baby. 5 month old full blooded German Shepherd. Her parents were imported from Belgium by Rohaus Kennels in New Jersey. They are a line of working GSD's. Shutzhund, companion, search and rescue, tracking etc. We also got a full brother to Jade but we won't be keeping him. We didn't intend to come home with TWO pups, but the woman who we bought Jade from insisted that we take another for no charge as she and I have known each other for about 20 years and she knew that if I kept him I would give him a good home or that if I sold him I would be sure he went to a good home. He is a fantastic male and will make a great dog for someone. I would LOVE to keep him. I'm half tempted to about half the time. IF I kept him, he would be neutered so he couldn't breed his sister...that would not be a good thing.

Isn't she a beauty??!!??

It has been too long!

This is a bath scrubbie. It is knit from cotton and hemp yarn. I was to make a project from the book One Skein Knits for my swap pal. There was so many different things to choose from, but not really knowing any of her likes or dislikes or her sizes, I really couldn't make her anything too personal. This little thing didn't take but a few hours to make and it is really soft. I'm going to make another for myself. I always use a scrubbie in the shower. What could be better?


And this? Is this not just too cute? It's the tote my bag made for me by my exchange partner in the Tote Exchange. I've never tried to do entrelac knitting, so this totally rocks in my book.

I've also got about 10" done on the tank I'm working on. A photo would be boring because it's just a rectangle on circular needles right now. I've got about 4 more inches before it will look like anything else.

I updated my book page. I've not added any new books that I'd read since June to that page. I was surprised how many I'd read. There is some good stuff there if you like mystery type novels.