Getting Back In The Game

It is taking me longer than anticipated, but I'm slowing pulling out of the stress and sickness-induced knitting funk I've been in these past 3 weeks. Shopping therapy (books, yarn, shoes and handbags!), vacation planning (Amsterdam for the Queen's Birthday!) and moderately good news from the vet regarding Sylvia is all it took. Thanks for all your good wishes and virtual chicken soup!

I've started knitting the beaded scarf again and sincerely wish to finish it before I start a summer sweater for my Mom and a baby sweater for my friend, Li. I already know that her little girl's sweater will be pink with red seed beads along the border. Li is from China, where it is said that red is a lucky color.

Also, while in the midst of the buying frenzy, it occurred to me that I need to be careful not to buy yarn I already have, which is what I almost did earlier today. That is why I took every skein, ball, bag and hank out of each box and piece of luggage. For the life of me, I could not find the Catalina pima cotton / alpaca blend nor the Twinkletoes I'd traded for. Now, most of the yarn is out in the open. I've even consolidated the WIPs into one of those giant Ziploc bags (love 'em)! I feel so ready to dive back in to the making.

As I said, the news on Sylvia is moderately good. She does not have cancer, which the vet thought may be the case after several X-rays and consultations. And, for the most part, her major organs are in good shape for a feline her age (13). While the kidneys are OK, she does have a touch of glomerulonephritis, a renal disease characterized by inflammation of the glomeruli or tiny filters of the kidneys. She's on anti-inflammatory medication but that's it for now.

She's even perked up a tiny bit, which makes me happy. For the past 2 months, she's been so very lethargic. Today, she even sat in my lap while I knit. I've missed that.