Long Overdue!

It’s been so long since I’ve updated this blog, I feel so bad about it. Life has been so hectic.

First there was the ankle surgery. I’d like to say it went great and my ankle is so much better, but it’s not. Well it is, but it’s not like a normal ankle. I still can’t go up and down stairs very well (down is the worst), no running or jumping on it, still no walking with out pain on uneven ground. But the pain is less than it was before. I’m not in pain all the time. I’m hoping it’s just a very slow healing and it will continue to get better as time goes on. I’m hoping by next spring it to be having enough well time to start walking daily on it around the neighborhood. I need the exercise!

So that was the beginning of July. At mid\end July marching band season starts. That’s two to three practices a week, plus a game each Friday and a couple of Saturday competitions. I volunteer as much as I can with the kids. My favorite is to be a chaperone on the bus to the away games and the competitions. The kids are very entertaining and most of them seem to like me. I get called “mom” by an awful lot of them! In October we hold our own competition, the LaFayette Marching Classic, in which much planning, meetings and fun is involved.

After the first week in November, we finish with marching band and head in to the holidays. First Thanksgiving, at which I took a weeks vacation. It was great to be home but there was so much to be done. Then came Christmas and even more to do! I made a good bit of this years Christmas presents for the kids. They seemed to like them and it took a good dent out of my yarn stash!

In mid-December the kid decided she wanted to try Winter Guard this year. Winter Guard is the similar to the flags that perform with the marching band except in now they perform alone to recorded music and the do it inside! So that means more practices and a competition almost every Saturday. This continues on until the end of March. (Yep, we get April, May, and June until it all starts over again! And she wants to audition for Drum Major this year, so that may mean we start even sooner!!!)

So big accomplishments over the past few months –
* The new wood flooring is done! I love it and it looks beautiful. I’m so thankful to my family for all their help!!!
* A wonderful Thanksgiving with Jay’s family (mine were out of town on a cruise!)
* A great Christmas with my family
* A calm and peaceful New Year with just me and Jay (our first New Year’s Eve together! Finally!!!)
* Took out my old knitting needles and have been knitting up a storm. I’m in love with Fair Isle knitting and am having a ball!

I guess that’s about it for now. I’m looking forward to spring and the warmer weather. Also looking forward to playing in the dirt some soon, sure have missed that!

Hope you all are well! I promise not to be gone again so long! I’ll bring pictures next time.

See ya,
Cat

More fun than you can shake a stick at...

So much fun. I went and had the surgery on my ankle Monday morning. I'm so very glad I did. currently I'm not feeling great but am on the mend. Finally. I'm on crutches until next Monday and then I'm in to a walking cast for a few weeks. Turns out it was arthritis but he was able to remove it. I'm not sure how but hopefully it won't be back anytime soon.



This is my interesting contraption that I get to use every two hours every day for the next week. It bends and moves my ankle for me. Thankfully it doesn't hurt, it just feels odd.



Slowly we go...have a good one.

See ya!
Cat

Ch...ch...ch...changes

Goodness. First Ed, then Farrah, followed by Michael and then Billy Mayes. So very sad.

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Jay and I helped my parents with yard work on Saturday. Due to a misstep on uneven ground, my ankle is in bad shape again. Instead of going back to the doctor on the 15th, I'm going back Wednesday morning. I'm so frustrated. Thankfully my boss is working with me and letting me work from home more than normal.

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Speaking of Jay, he left yesterday for ten days in Ireland with his parents and grandmother. I'm very excited for him and can't wait for him to get back. Hopefully he'll have tons of pictures and stories to share.

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I finally mapped out what projects I need to get done. Turns out I have over 20 of them. Five I'm actually getting paid for. The others are gifts. I'll post pictures as I have more done.

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That's about it. I'm laid up and trying to use up a bunch of extra yarn. What an interesting story, huh?

See ya!
Cat

RIP - Two Icons Are Gone

Wow, what a day of lose. This morning Farrah Fawcett and then this afternoon Michael Jackson. I was never a huge Farrah fan, she was a bit before my time. Michael on the other hand, was a huge part of my childhood. His "Thriller' album was one of my first albums and the video for that song was a favorite of me and my friends to act out and skate to at the rink.

I've not been a MJ fan in many years. He just got too strange for me, and of course all those things with the little boys. I don't know. I am however very sad for his children and loved ones.

Go hug your family.

See ya,
Cat

Summer Time Fun

Things have been busy around here lately. Let’s see, first my step-daughter came for a two week visit. She’s 13 and lives one state away. Thankfully we get to see her fairly often (her dad was my second husband, but I helped raise her from the time she was 3 until she was 10 when they moved away). We had a great visit. Here’s a picture of her and Shan at our local amusement part.

While she was here I made her two shrugs and a hat.

We’ve had a nice a tomato and onion crop here. We had some of the tomatoes tonight in a salad. They were so good. I may never be able to eat ones from the store again!

Thankfully the doctor has decided that my ankle isn’t as bad as it could have been. The MRI showed what the doctor expected. Now we wait. I go back in a month and we see from there. Next step would be a steroid shot. If that doesn’t do it, I’ll have arthroscopic surgery done. That will make it the third surgery I’ve had on that ankle so it’s no big deal. I’m just glad to know what’s wrong. :)

Real life seems to be taking up more and more of my time and I seem to have less time to be online and do things such as update this blog. So I apologize for being away so often and not keeping up with everyone else. Summer is very active here with a teenager!

Hope everyone is well!

See ya!

Cat

An Update in Pictures

So let's start with a tractor trailer fire. It was full of cooking oil. I got to it right as they got the fire out. What you don't see is the traffic that's backed up in three directions.



Char and Pat have baby chickens, so we went over to play. Here is Momma #1. She has six babies that are about 2 weeks old.





This is Momma #2. She has one baby that's about 2 days old. Click on the picture and you'll see the baby. It's sitting on her back.



Here's Shan holding one of the babies.



This is my step-daughter Jules with a baby too.



While we were there Momma #3 had two babies. You can see one peeking out from under her.



And what trip to the farm would be complete without a picture of my "boyfriend", Lucifer.



Our patio garden is doing good. The little Roma tomatoes have started growing and we have the first of our crop of sweet onions.





Hope every one is well!

See ya,
Cat

Drunken Goats and Ripples

One of Shan's friends brought me this wonderful present this morning! Drunken Goat Cheese!!! How awesome is that??? (click on it to make it bigger)




This is my latest gift I'm working on. A Pink and Beige Ripple Baby Blanket. I have no idea why I went with this shade of pink but I like it with the beige.



So allergies are still killing me but I'm alive. I'm slowly getting things done around the house. Yesterday I replanted most of the plants that needed to be moved in to larger pots. Got errands ran too. Today other than picking up, the kitties and I are just chillin out, being lazy.

My step daughter (from a previous marriage) is coming in to town sometime this afternoon to spend a couple of days with us. We haven't seen her for a while so it will be nice. We're all looking forward to seeing her.

See ya!
Cat