February!!

A new month, a new beginning, right? Phil did not see his shadow, however, the hedgehogs here in Oregon did!! AND hedgehogs were the original animals used centuries ago in Europe when this superstition came about.

I missed the first day of February and Project Spectrum, but I have a really good excuse, I just can't tell you. I can tell you I was working at BMFA, and it has to do with the 2007 sock club, but not for the actual shipment. In a few weeks I'll be able to tell you more about it. I am thrilled to say the least!! Getting paid to......, okay enough. I've got some pictures to share and a little more information on my biopsy. I guess I can start with that and get it out of the way.

Yesterday the nurse called and said the final report said the same thing as the preliminary report. So today I needed to call them and follow up with what we are going to do about this lump. I figured we had a couple of options, do another biopsy to take the whole thing out, like aspiration; or we could leave it there and it would 1)show up on future mammograms and freak us all out again, 2)show up on future mammograms, but we know it's there and just watch that it doesn't get bigger, or 3)take it out and not have to worry about it at all. So, the 4th option that we are going to do at this point, come back in 6 months for another ultrasound to make sure it isn't growing or doing anything strange. I told them that if my doctor wanted to have a consultation with Robert and myself we were fine with that and could come in anytime. But nope, it looks like I have 6 months then a recheck. I think I'm ok with that, though I don't know now. A friend I talked to tonight told me that I could call and talk to the Dr. and ask my questions, then I realized that I also have the option to email him. It's on all of his business cards and I've actually done it before. So, now it's in the back of my mind to do this and I am trying to process the questions that I want to have answered. Robert also said I could call the nurse at the radiologist office and ask her.

Ok, I finished my socks last night, tried to take a picture and they turned out YUCKY, so I waited until today, so I would have the natural light from out south-facing sunroom. I have the buttons and you can see them on one of the socks, but I have had a time sewing them on, I don't like it and will be fiddling with them to get it right. They are the Rock and Weave pattern from BMFA Rockin' Sock Club 2006, in the colorway Fairgrounds. (Hey, does anyone know how to do the TM for a trademark sign) I know that the term Rockin'.......is trademarked. So is there a little keystroke that makes it?



Kim's violet opened it's third bloom, it is so pretty now. It opened sooner than I thought it would, about mid week, but I didn't take a picture until today.



Hmm, what else. I don't have my yarn yet for my grey project, though I do need to re-do John's cable hat. It really was too big, even though he said it wasn't. He wasn't warm enough in it, so I took out one of the cable repeats in the hopes that it won't be too small and it will keep his head warm.

I finished my quilt blocks for the Quilt Block Swap and sent them out yesterday. I won't post pictures of them until I know Jenny received them so I don't spoil the surprise. I did have a break through though on the swap. Now, why I didn't think about this before, I don't know. In fact, Robert thought of it for me as I was struggling Monday afternoon/evening to come up with a pattern to use for the swap. I do this every month. I get the name of my swappee and their colors/themes. Then I think about it for at least half the month, what do I want to do? I agonize over it, then as the last week approaches I plunge in and get it done. It's hard on me!! I have tried to make every single block different than the last block. I can't do that anymore. I don't know enough or have enough experience to keep going at that rate. So, my blocks will be the same ones each month, with different colors, or whatever theme they have going. I also decide to email Kristin a while back, we have an ongoing conversation. She is a young 20-something, finishing up college in IL. She was homeschooled!! I am swapping months with her, because, even though she started this swap, she hasn't been able to do a single month yet, due to an odd number of participants. So, I told her she should take the month of February and I will take a break, I need it anyways. I am also going to help her out with moderating the group as I can.
Project Spectrum: I was over at the Flickr site for it where Lolly and others have posted questions. I saw the one about the read-along. That would be kind of cool. They were posting some of their suggestions of books. I have one of the books for this month. Blue Latitudes, it is about Captain Cook's exploration of the South Pacific, I think. It was given to us as a gift several years ago and non of us have read it. Then I also picked up The Red Tent at the library this week. I am thinking I should save that for the red month.

I also saw on another blog that someone has presented the idea of a Harry Potter read-along for the 6 weeks before HP7 is released. Right, like I can read one of those in a week? Sure, if that's all I am doing, instead of knitting, or computering. But, I had considered listening to the audio versions while I am knitting, and starting on them now. That way I can actually get through them.

YEAH!!

The wait is over. The preliminary report is Fibroadenoma Duct Hyperplasia. Non-cancerous. From what little I can find on a search through my favorite search engine, it is fairly common in the 20's and 30's, usually under 35 though, and you can have it as you age as well. It looks like it has to do with the normal hormones of the female body. There is the risk of reoccurence and it becoming cancerous later, though I will also ask my doctor about that. There is no breast cancer in my family. I don't know yet if they will want to just take it out so it doesn't show up on future mammograms or not. I will check with my doctor when they get the final report. I am relieved to say the least. Now I won't be jumping everytime the phone rings. I have to say though that my husband has been a rock behind me this whole time. He has taken days off of work and working from home, to go through all of this with me. Even the technicians with the biopsy noticed how attentive he is. I think I am a lucky woman!! No, I know I am a lucky woman!!

Thank YOU!!

Thank you everyone for the comments and the thoughts and prayers. I really appreciate them. I briefly spoke with my personal doctor today and he was willing to give me a relaxant of some kind. I think I'll be fine. They (the radiologist and nurse) said the results would be to my doctor in two days, but he isn't expecting them that quickly. It would be great if they were!! Then I could relax a bit.



I had an enjoyable day today. Kim and I volunteered at the library for an hour. We did one cart that was full of non-fiction books. Those are the hardest for Kim to do. The numbers can be really confusing, compared to the fiction, where it's all alphabetical order. The cart of non-fiction had, two shelves. It took us 35 minutes. The second cart was also 2 shelves of books, but it was new fiction and much easier to put away.



Later I took John to his piano lesson then he accompanied me to my doctor for a quick blood test for a life insurance policy we are working on for myself. We tried yesterday after having spent the afternoon at the hospital and it didn't work, I was too dehydrated. It almost didn't work this time even though I had been drinking my normal amounts of water. Then the two of us went to a late lunch at P.F. Changs. The place was almost empty at 3:00. That was really nice!!



My dad sent me these pictures of his orchids. They are just lovely. I sent him his first orchid maybe 2 years ago for his birthday. He had mentioned the previous year that he was interested in growing them. He has really gotten into it and has probably half a dozen plants now.

The Day to Day Grind

Usually we are pretty laid back at home, whether it is in homeschooling, keeping up with the house, whatever. Today however was a different story. My lovely, talented, and somewhat stubborn daughter came to me today asking for schoolwork. Right now. Not when you are done with what you are doing, but right now, at 9:30 in the morning. Do I have a lesson plan? Nope. Am I even in the right mind for this? Nope. So, I was flying by the backseat of my pants. For 30 minutes she read the instructions herself for one page of handwriting, and did two other pages of phonics. I don't know what came over her, but can it happen again tomorrow? The next question is, will I be ready?

I found this as I was passing her room yesterday.

Take note of the eyeglasses, which she is supposed to wear for reading and doesn't. She is using an easel that she received for Christmas. She has wanted one for years, so when I saw one in early November, I bought it. She loves it!!

Prayer and thought request please. I had a mammogram today, the second in less than a month. I also had an ultrasound of same area. Wednesday morning I go in for an ultrasound breast needle biopsy. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I am hoping that the kids can keep busy and keep it out of their minds for now. Wednesdays are John's busiest days in class. He seemed worried this morning as he left for school, I had to pull him back and give him a big hug as he went out the door. He's my silent one that has the biggest puppy dog eyes when he is worried.

I am knitting. I am doing the Rock and Weave socks from the STR Rockin' Sock Club. I think it was the first or second pair to be sent out last year. I am about 3/4 done with the first one, and about 1/4-1/2 done with the second one. Maybe by the weekend, but don't count on it. I am going to rip out the purple sweater. It is bigger than I want it to be. First I need to count how many stitches I have on it, and do the gauge measurement so I can be sure to come up with the right size.