Excuses, Excuses

Yeah, I did it! I figured it out on my own! Yay, me! Here ya go, my excuse for the month of December.

Hey Dana, sorry I just now am managing to write you back.   When I stopped commenting around the blogosphere was because my husband had some health problems.  Since I really don't feel like writing it all out again and I would probably never get you emailed, I'll just copy and paste what I wrote to another friend.
I want to tell you more about the week we have had dealing with DH's crazy lymph node.  He started feeling bad two Thursdays ago, went to the dr.  the next Monday.  He gave us a good antibiotic and told us to come back if he wasn't feeling better by Wed.  Well, he wasn't, so he had DH get a cat-scan.   Couldn't tell what it was from that so we got sent to a ear, nose and throat surgeon in Hutch that same day.   That dr. threw a bomb on us when he said it might be cancer, lymphoma.  To find out he had a biopsy done, just went in with a needle to take a piece out.  Then we had to wait till Friday to get the results, which were inconclusive anyway!  So Friday(same day) he had surgery, the dr. cut a piece out and sent it off to be tested while DH was still on the table.  All they could tell was that it wasn't an aggressive cancer.  So they did rule out the worst case scenario but still didn't know what it was.  The dr. went ahead and pulled the whole thing out and sent it off to be tested.  Went back today and the dr. walked in and told us it wasn't cancer and he was very surprised about it, he was pretty sure he would be sending us off for chemo.  But they tested it all kinds of ways and did not find any malignancies, still don't know WHAT it is, some kind of infection, so they took some more blood for another round of tests.  He is on the mend though, he has felt MUCH better since they took it out.

Since then we managed to handle Christmas, it was nice but more stress.  We have a hearing for my disability on Jan. 24th, so had a meeting with our lawyer about it.  He kinda pissed me off and depressed me at the same time.  Told us we weren't doing what we should have been (why didn't he say something two years ago when we first hired him?), and that chiropractors won't count at all, and they have done the most to help me! Anyway, since then I have been slightly depressed and when that happens I tend to isolate myself without really thinking about it, such as respoding to email or even reading blogs.   My bloglines are really up there.  Things are ok and will get better.  

Zoe just had surgery for her hernia and got fixed at the same time.  So, she was abandoned and has two big incisions!  she made us feel really guilty for about two days.  The stitches on her belly she left alone so that scar is healed.  But she just couldn't leave the hernia one alone until I put Fuller Farms Tea Tree Salve on her.  I knew it wouldn't hurt her, but she sure didn't like the taste!  That incision is getting better now too.  

Thanks for checking up on me, hopefully before too long I'll feel like posting something.  Hell, I might copy and paste this up to the blog just to throw something up there! 
Faren

Both Techpriest and Zoey are doing great, though you can still see both of their scars. We actually just mailed out the last two Christmas presents to family in New Jersey, they had been finished for awhile, but I couldn't seem to get them boxed up and mailed.  And no, I didn't take pictures of any of the Christmas presents I made. Or the birthday gifts I made in January.    To distract you from those non photos how about more photos of Nathan from my birthday party?

Karla and Nathan, and below, her son and the little tike!  February 18th is his 1st birthday! Already!  You guys are right, he has gotten big!

My excuse for January??   My disability hearing and the depression caused by anticipating it.  It turns out that since they can find no cause for my headaches, I can't get disability  because of it. Might be able to get disability because of the depression caused by constantly being in pain, but not for the pain itself.   Makes sense, don't it?  

Anyway, I decided to finally mark all my bloglines as "mark as read", cause I figured it would take forever to get caught up on over 800 of them.  Of course, I have read most of your guys blogs, plus the Yarn Harlot's and Crazy Aunt Purl's, but that is all the knitting blogs I've read.  I think I'll start weeding out some of the 150 feeds I have, so it isn't so overwhelming.  

later, gater

Is Anybody Out There?

Hey, everyone, sorry I dropped off the face of the earth for so long.  Thanks to everyone who emailed or left a comment wondering where I was.  It means a lot.  Since I want to finish this post while I still feel like it I'm going to copy an email I sent to Dana.

Ok, apparently I can't paste it, smeggin' thing!  I switched over to a mac so blogger probably doesn't like it.   I'll try to post again soon with a pretty good excuse as to why I've been gone.  Well,  it at least is good for the month of December! 

Till then here are some Nathan pictures from my birthday in November.  

Nathan and his daddy, my big brother.

And Nathan and Grandma, my mom.

Cheers!

I've had pictures uploaded for about a week for a big long post, but I just haven't managed anything more. I keep coming up with other stuff I want to talk about though, so I finally gave up on getting that other post done first. Here is a bunch of random junk.


1. NAIS
National Animal Identification System Plenty of bloggers(at least on my bloglines) have already talked about this and if I try I know I'll never get this post finished either. So, short and sweet, the government is trying to pass a law that will require every farm animal(down to pet rabbits) to have a id tag(which is cost prohibitive). The cost of tags and other equipment will probably put most small farms out of business. If the neighbors animals get sick they can not only seize your neighbors animals, but yours too. That is the basics, if you are interested here are some sites. Hopefully it is enough to get you started.
Small Meadow Farm
Homesteading Neophyte In her sidebar she has a list of NAIS sites.
NONAIS A very big site
Prairie Dreams

2. Oliver's Fund
Oliver is a handicapped child that needs a new wheelchair. They are asking for afghan squares(yes, I plan on knitting some) then they will raffle off the afghan. I have read Emma's(his mom) blog for a while now and really enjoy. I can't link directly to the post so here is her blog and it is the Nov 1 post. This just in, Kay from Mason-Dixon Knitting is going to be a clearing house for all of the squares in the USA. Nov 7 post

3. Fuller Family Farms
I don't think I've mentioned the Fullers yet. They are a single mom with 6 kids providing wonderful milk, butter, eggs, bread, soap, lip balm and all kinds of great stuff. All farm fresh and free range! I love all of their products I've tried. We have eaten much better since I met Chris.
Here is her online store and blog.

4. You Make Me Smile Award
Holly gave me this award, wasn't that nice of her?

The designer of this award gave it out to 10 people with this in mind: “I wanted to create something special for the top ten people who have inspired me through their blogging; the stories they tell, and the lives that they lead with grace and dignity. I visit their blogs for inspiration and encouragement.”

Ok, now I'm supposed to pick ten people huh?

• Florence Knitingale
• Marianne's Knotminding
• Celtic Memory Yarns I love her stories and her pictures of Ireland
• Sugar Bunny Boulevard
• Prairie Gumbo
• Prairie Dreams
• Blue Ridge Knittery
• Knitting in the North
• Stumbling Over Chaos
  
• Sheepish Annie
  

Sorry no descriptions, it just isn't gonna happen.


5. Any Firefly fans out there? Check out this wonderful fan video!
Alright just go check out this guy's whole site, if you like sci fi stuff. Great song about Heroes and Dr. Who and Star Wars and, and all kinds of great stuff! Here is his list of videos.

6. While Techpriest's Dad and nephew from New Jersey were here the whole family went down to Wichita and ate at Kobe's a Japanese steakhouse, you know, where they cook the food right at the table and make a show out of it? Great food. Most of us stayed outside during the wait and found a place the kids could play ball. Techpriest finally comes outside and we all get excited 'cause it is time to eat, right? Nope, he came outside to tell us Kirstie Alley is in the waiting area!
Yeah, that Kirstie Alley! He had seen her come in and thought it looked like her but couldn't be sure. Then he heard her talking and thought it really sounded like her. Finally, someone brought their kids up to meet her and he knew it actually was her. She did grow up in Wichita, so it isn't totally unbelievable. We didn't disturb her in anyway, well, 'cept for staring at her out of the corner of our eyes. Though it was really close with DH's mom. She hauled the kids over to look at the fishes which was real close to Kirstie Alley. "No, really, you want to see the fishes!" I did think about hauling out the camera to prove to you all that I did actually see her, but we all figured she wanted a quite night out with family.

I think that is it, since Techpriest can't remember where he put the camera. When he does, I have something to show you!

Pumpkin Patch

Alright, here is the promised pictures of the pumpkin patch we went to on Saturday before heading on to Greensburg.
The Punkinator: an air pressured cannon on a decommissioned fire truck, will launch a 10 lb. pumpkin a 1/2 mile. Very impressive, you can barely see the pumpkins, just little black dots in the sky.

Mini version, Corn Cannon. DH's Dad and youngest nephew getting ready to shoot. The 4 yr old hit two targets while the 12 yr old missed totally, I find it funny and tease the 12 yr old about it!

See the scarecrow on the windmill and hanging out of the barn window?

Different barn, more scarecrows.

The 4 yr old couldn't reach the pedals, so Techpriest helped. Can't really see it, but these trike bikes have a third wheel in back. You steer by one person pedaling more than the other. As you can imagine, these things are dangerous. You never knew when you would have to jump out of the way of them! I took my life in my hands being this close to them, though I was safer directly in front of them than off to the side!

Even a scarecrow needs to get her hair done. In the building behind her they actually had scarecrow kits, make your own scarecrow!

Barrel ride, you had to watch out for this one too.

The actual pumpkin patch, fairly depopulated.

Techpriest's Mom, Dad, youngest nephew hiding behind him, 12 yr old, and Techpriest on the hay wagon ride.

Aren't we a cute couple? :)


They had some many other things too. I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of the animals though, guess I was to busy petting them! Pigs, bunnies(so soft!!), cows, I actually forget what else! We all had a good time, about froze for while though!