All Quiet on the Home Front

So far this year, I have really done well with at least one resolution- to work down the fabric stash. I've been making pillowcases for the Better Homes and Gardens Million Pillowcase Challenge. The pillowcases are donated to local charities with ours going to the Shriners Hospitals in houston and Galveston. So far, I've made 60 of them. That's 60 yards of fabric that are no longer in my house!!

I haven't been knitting too much this year since I've been sewing so much. But, I am starting a cardigan for next year when teen goes off to high school and I will be sitting in the football stands waiting for the half-time show. Teen is going to be in the marching band.

The princess is doing fine. We went shopping today and had fun. She is definately spoiled.

Other than that, life is just rolling along. February was drama-free and I am hoping it stays that way a little longer.

The Plague, pt. 2

So, it turned out that by Friday, my cold had turned into pneumonia and I was hospitalized overnight. Massive doses of antibiotics and breathing treatments every 4 hours made for a very long night. Thankfully, I got to go home Saturday and hubby made me rest on bed all day Sunday while he took care of the kids.

But then Monday came... Talk about a disaster. Surly teen was supposed to help out by watching his sister so I could rest and recover. He didn't, so I had to get up and do all the mommy things. After getting DD settled and sending her back to the electronic babysitter, aka the TV, I was heading back to bed when the phone rang. It was my mom and she said, "I think (your brother) is dead." After asking all the usual questions- called hospital (no), the police (yes- but no accidents reported), the GF (yes, but got voicemail)- I asked for the GF's number and tried to call her. I left her a message asking her to please call us and let us know, then I proceeded to call the 2 hospitals in Waco. First one called confirmed my mom's fears. My borther had been hit by a car the previous evening and had died from massive head trauma. So, hubby comes home from work, we leave the kids with a neighbor and head to Waco to help out mom. We got home early Thursday afternoon.

Basically- brother was drunk and walking down the middle of a 7 lane busy street in Waco. He was in what they term the suicide lane- the center left turn lane without a median. A 21 yo girl was in that lane, and started to speed up and move over to her right. She, sadly, hit my brother. He was wearing dark clothes and the area was poorly lit. The poor girl didn't see him. ANd despite the fact that she accidentally killed my brother, I am not mad at her. I am mad at him for getting drunk and getting hit and causing this poor child a lifetime of guilt.

The Plague

And, no it's not Swine Flu. I just feel like I have the plague. It's an every day cold, but it feels so much worse. My ears are stuffed, my nose is running like a faucet, and I think it backed up into my eyes because they are watery. I hate being sick. I'd rather go through labor without drugs than be sick.

I Survived December- Barely

And I managed not to have a rant this year! It must be the recession that kept everyone home or at least acting civilized. And, no, I did not brave any store on Black Friday.

So, to start the New Year off right, here are some things I am thankful for, and some things I hope to accomplish this year:

1. I am thankful that my whole family is healthy and has, so far, avoided any serious cold or flu. We did have Strep right before Christmas. Mine was the worst, and I needed a steroid shot to reduce the swelling in my throat. We all recovered and nobody was hospitalized.

2. My family is wonderful and loving and I appreciate my kids every time we go some place and there is some screaming kid ruining it for everybody else. They were never the screaming type, but I was also the mom who removed them if they couldn't behave, not just sit there oblivious to all the angry stares.

3. Despite everything I have said or thought in the past, I do have some truly awesome in-laws. MIL surprised me with not one, but two skeins of Quiviut from Alaska. At over $100 for a small skein, it was... it has left me speechless. She also found a wine glass that I had been looking for, too. It was one of those painted ones. I had been unsuccessfully searching for the Hannukah one and what do I get for Christmas from her? The Hannukah one!!

4. My mom seems to be healing, finally. She's had some trouble, but I think the New Year is already starting to look up for her. She will be 80 this year and is in surprisingly good health for someone her age.

5. Resolution- to try to work down both the fabric and yarn stashes before I but anything new. Or at least to check the stashes before I buy anything new!

6. Resolution- to try to loose some weight. Problem is, every time I loose it, it finds me again and brings along a few extra "friends" for laughs.

7. Resolution- to try to be a better mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend, etc.

Gonna try to take it easy on the resolutions as I don't want to set myself up for too much failure. So, there it is. Happy New Year to all one of my readers!