SMS?

Nope. Not a blog about secure text messages... more about mittens. You see, when one knits mittens, it's a mixed bag of sorts. Mittens are quick, but there are two...just like socks...which means that even after a successful cast on and cuff, 

followed by fun colorwork, 

hand and thumb closing, 

you still have a second mitten to knit. If the knitter does not cast on that second mitten immediately, 

Life can take over and new, shiny projects may beg for their chance on the needles...leading to Second Mitten Syndrome. 

Second Mitten Syndrome may be defined as the lack of motivation to start a second, identical item...which does not feel anything like a new project, because it is actually the second half of an unfinished pair. 

One more? Just like that one? Hmmmm... boring. 

Well, for some knitters it's boring. But for the knitter that has knit multiple multiples on many fronts (human beans, tiny t-rexes, gnomes, and countless hats and socks and other things through the years)... well, that knitter is Pretty, and she is not at all daunted by SMS. As a matter of fact, that second mitten is already cast on...

And there are plans for a second pair of these when this pair transitions from a HO to a FO! (Half-finished Object to Finished Object - not sure what you were thinking...)

In the meantime, I'm also looking at shiny, new projects to cast on. What did Willy Wonka say? "So much time, so little to do... scratch that, reverse it..." So I'm off, but I'm glad you stopped by, and I hope I'll see you again next week! 

Knit in Good Health! 

A Little of This, A Little of That

What has Pretty been up to this week? 

Well, I'll tell ya...it's been a little bit of this, 

and a little bit of that, 

and a little bit of these things too.

Yep. Toilet and Sink (with mat and tiny soap), in miniature knitting. They now live in my powder room, and I may or may not also be knitting a matching Bathtub...

I really don't know what else to say, except that Anna Hrachovec, creator of Mochimochi Land and so many tiny knits, is an absolute genius! 

I have no defense...and I couldn't stop at 1 pig either, there had to be three. They live in my kitchen.

My friends may or may not be staging an intervention, but I am having so much fun! The patterns are on Ravelry, on the Mochimochi website, and there are even a couple of whole books of patterns you can get! 

(Not sponsored, I promise, but I do have three books, 2 in print and one on my Kindle, plus a couple of individual pattern bundles. Slightly obsessed am I! And now I also have many, tiny, knitted things! Lol...)

Of course, this is not a surprise to those of you who know me IRL, and I am sure that I am not finished yet. After all, without the cats, I can leave tiny things everywhere! (I wonder if the Human Beans have ever blogged...?)

So, I suppose that's what I've been up to...at least since the bunnies! What have you been up to? Whatever it is, whether tiny or humongous, I hope that you're finding your fun in it!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

(I did knit the tubby!)

What Happened? I wasn't looking...

What happened? I wasn't looking...

This is a common phrase for me. Usually it is because I am knitting and not looking at the television. Yes, I think that is the most common time I use that phrase, as written above.

Another common usage is when I was looking at the television (and not at my knitting) and I discover a mistake or split yarn 12 rows back...or more! I say it over and over again as I drop down, rip back or "tink" to the problem area and rework the offending stitch(es)...the "punctuation" may be slightly different:

What...happened...? Gah! I wasn't looking! 

This week, I have had one of these moments as well. A few weeks back I noticed that I was nearing my 1,000th blog post. I took note, and planned to say something profound*...yes, that was most certainly the plan. 

Then I published the May 23 post, and looked up to see that it was post number nine-hundred ninety-nine! So, what happened?!? Because I clearly wasn't looking! 

I started this blog in 2009, never planning to post for 10 years. Yet I have posted weekly (or nearly weekly, even twice weekly very regularly for a time) and now it has been 11 years!

I would like to think that I have had something of substance to say, and I know that has occasionally been true. Other times, I have posted about yarn and knitting, row counters, selling things, and general silliness. I have even let the cats try their hand...err paws at blogging in that time. (They are pretty good. They could maybe have their own blog.) 

So, what now? I mean really, what happened? When did I come up with something to say for 1,000 blog posts? And will I ever run out of words?

Rest assured, friends. I am not likely to run out of words! Bonus! I have learned some things about those words along the way. 

I have learned that some of you want to read about the knitting and all the craft fun. Even more want to read about the Pretty Knitty Family. But the posts that get the most attention are the ones where I have shared my heart and soul. Perhaps you have noticed that those posts are not as few and far between as they once were, and I anticipate that will continue.  

I have found no shortage of words to share these past 11 years, though I am trying to keep it to 500-700 words** at a time these days.  So rest assured that you have not seen the last of Pretty around the blog. How long do you suppose it will take to reach 2,000 posts? 

I am not sure either, but I plan to go for it! I hope that you will stick around and keep reading and knitting along with me, every Saturday at approximately 3:33pm, and I look forward to seeing you here!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

*While I do have lots to say, most of it is NOT profound

**Word count = 498, before these footnotes

A Little Selfish Knitting...

I knit. I knit a LOT. Ask anyone. 

Some of my knitting friends are surprised by how much of my knitting I give away. Some have known me long enough that they are no longer surprised. However, there is a kind of tradition in the knitting community for January, as the holiday-and-gift-giving-season retreats...Self-Indulgent Knitting! Last January, I eagerly complied, casting on a color-work sweater that was intended as a KAL for my local knitting group. (At least two of us actually finished our sweaters, too!)

This year, there were two babies born between Dec 20-Jan 8, and two trips to see our granddaughter (then our granddaughters) a few states away, so my selfish knitting ended up taking a bit of a back seat to the baby stuff! lol! Still, I have managed to cast on a little something for myself, and here it is:

I've been drooling over cuff-to-cuff cardigans for a couple years, and I've had this yarn tucked away for a red cardigan for a few years...so, thought I, it was time! So far, I'm not very far, but I think I am pleased with how it's coming out! I won't really know for sure until I get past the first front and can try on the half-sweater to check for length, fit, etc. Whether it fits me well or not, I am enjoying the knit - there are 4x4 cables every 10 rows, but the rest is just plain knitting...it is a balm to my knitting soul.

You know what I think I deserve for finally casting on my 2015 selfish knitting? Even though I've started a month late, I think I deserve a gold star, so...BAM! I knit one...

(I'm hoping to write up that pattern. It's a combo of some knit-flat-and-seam-together patterns that I saw, then converted to knit in the round...kinda cool, if I do say so myself!)

How has your selfish knitting/crafting gone in 2015? Or are you already knitting for next Christmas? lol! Whether you are knitting for gifts, or for yourself, thanks for taking a break to stop by the blog today. I think you should get a gold star for that...BAM!

Oh, and Knit in Good Health!

Patronizing Pants

I wish that my pants would stop patronizing me.

::Wait. What? Your pants?::

Yes. My pants are very patronizing. Allow me to explain...

Back when I broke my fingers (trying to get fit, I fell while jogging) I was at a decent weight. Not an ideal weight, but I was down several pounds from where I had started a year before. I had even bought smaller pants, and ditched many of my "fat clothes." Since the fall, however, I have not run. Actually, I haven't done much since then...well, except knit. (Side note: knitting with broken fingers is possible, but difficult...and really, the calories should have continued to burn themselves just out of respect for my determination to knit! But they did not.) Because I have spent more time sitting these past few months, the weight I had lost has come back, and I think every pound has invited a friend. Eventually, I knew I would have to shop for new pants...and I did.

At the store, I had trouble. I don't know why it is so difficult to buy pants that fit, but I've talked to lots of women (of ALL sizes) and this is a fairly common occurrence. After trying on about a gazillion pair of jeans in a variety of sizes, I picked up a pair that had no zipper...that is to say pull-up jeans, with an elastic waist. In my head, these are also known as gramma pants, fat pants, and/or lazy pants... But I needed pants, and they fit, so I bought them.

Then, as I was getting dressed about a week later, I thought I was holding the pants backwards. There was writing on the waistband...wait. What does that say there?

It says, "You are GORGEOUS." My pants have just told me, in a moment of weakness, while I was having trouble distinguishing the front from the back of a pair of pants...my pants have just told me that I am pretty. Now, every time I get dressed or go to the ladies room, they continue to patronize me! If they weren't so darn comfortable, I'd have to burn them.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think that I am not gorgeous. Obviously I am pretty, because I am Pretty! But do my pants really have to pander to me that way? It's like they are saying, "You're not fat, you're fluffy!" Or perhaps they are proclaiming, "You have such a pretty face!" I know that I have a pretty face, and I know that I am fluffy...and despite the latter, I actually have a pretty good self-esteem these days. However, I'm always a little offended when I feel patronized...

What do you think? Are my pants patronizing? Are yours?
Are all pants involved in a conspiracy against women finding jeans to fit?
Are there curve-less, straight-and-narrow, toothpick designers out there just laughing at women who NEED their pants to tell them they are pretty?
Should I just stop all this madness and get back to the knitting?

Let me know your thoughts, and let me know what is the very best thing about YOU in the comments! My very best thing is that I am finally learning to have a sense of humor. It is a weird sense of humor, to be sure, but at least I have started to loosen up before this lifetime is over!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit (and Laugh) in Good Health!

Crickets

Recently, I attended a ladies' brunch at our church, and there was a "stand up and tell us about you" moment. These moments always make me a little bit nervous, for several reasons: 

1. I like to talk. Some would say that I like to talk too much. So much so that I know the average listener tunes me out after the first half-hour or so, maybe sooner. 
2. Most everyone at church knows me, and they know a LOT about me. I'm a really bad secret keeper when it comes to all things Pretty, and I have occasionally been handed an actual microphone at church...so, yeah. There's no mystery here.
3. I like to think that I am funny. I like to think that right up until that moment I say something out loud, something that sounded really funny in my head...and even the crickets are silent. 

Anyway, while I was sitting at my table, waiting my turn to stand up and tell them about me, all kinds of things went through my head. Funny things. Seriously funny things. Imagine my horror, then, when I stood up and said simply, "Hi, I'm Pretty. (nervous smile) I've been going to this church since 1995. Sometimes I'm funny (silent pause, nobody laughed, not even the crickets. should I go on? what choice do I have?), and sometimes I'm not." Some of the polite, church ladies offered polite, church lady laughs, but the truth is that I bombed. Even the crickets were embarrassed for me.

Perhaps I should knit myself a cricket.
My cricket will validate me.
Always.

Goodbye, Old Musical Friend

I've got the music in me...I think I always have. But the fourth grade gave me my first real opportunity to learn music. I had plunked out a tune or two on assorted keyboards, here and there, but my family did not own a piano (or any other musical instruments). When I learned that I could be in the fourth-and-fifth-grade band, I think I may have been a little bit excited! When I found out that the pretty, pretty flute was an option, I was ecstatic!!! So my parents rented a flute from the local music store, and I proceeded to torture the dogs with my attempts at making beautiful music with that lovely, sideways, silver woodwind...but playing the flute made me dizzy.

When fifth grade rolled around, the band director gently suggested that I try a new instrument...we needed more clarinets in our little group. Eager to please, and oblivious to the fact that he was probably telling me gently that the flute was not my forte, I proudly brought home that clarinet, and I practiced at every opportunity. I was oblivious to the fact that the dogs had a strong disdain for my new "music-maker," and I put those pooches out when they nuzzled the bell and cried. In retrospect (and having heard beginners on the clarinet within the context of my adult years) I now wish I could somehow go back and apologize to them...I didn't even offer ear plugs!

Well, I played that clarinet for two years, and I think I eventually did ok. We rented it long enough that we owned the instrument, and I know that the dogs complained less (in general) over time, so I have to assume that I got better. Still, I never achieved anything remotely close to the coveted "first chair" in the band...but I really liked music, and I loved to play my clarinet. :)

By the end of 6th grade, I noticed that there were a LOT of clarinets and flutes in the band! In response, I abandoned the woodwind family altogether, and taught myself to play the trumpet during the summer before 7th grade. I also played the trombone briefly in high school, and the french horn my senior year, but it was mostly trumpet. My elementary school band director was distressed rather than proud of my achievement in the brass family, and he kept saying, "No! Sax-o-phone comes next...!," as though loudly over-articulating would bring me to me senses (and back to the woodwinds)! But, I sat 3rd-chair (only two away from first-chair) in the 7th-grade trumpet section...there was no going back!

All these years, I've kept that clarinet. I've taken it out, from time to time, and I've even blown a note or two here and there. Mostly, though, it sits on a shelf, lonely and unused...until this past week. I learned that a friend's son is having his fourth-grade band opportunity, and he's decided on the clarinet. I haven't heard him play, but this kid's personality strikes me as having Benny Goodman potential, so I've offered up the instrument to him and his family, and they have accepted. :)

Goodbye, old friend. May you Sing, Sing, Sing (Clarinet solo at 1:01 in the video), and find new life with a Bloke and a Bird's Boy!

I know...there was no knitting today, but I am making knitting progress...you'll see proof on Wednesday! Until then, I hope that you are finding the joy in your life, music and crafting.

Knit in Good Health!

Things I CAN do...

Things I can do with two hands:

Knit, Crochet, Spin, Type, File, wash both armpits well, Cook, Drive, lift a small child and hold her securely, Cut, Paint, Glue, hold hands in church, Bead, Count, eat any sandwich you put in front of me, wash, brush and style my hair.

Things I can do with one hand and a cast (or brace):

Type (slowly, and with many mistakes), Drive (while accidentally hitting the turn signal with the cast/brace); Eat a sandwich (with the exception of any sandwich that has peanut butter, mayonnaise, or any other sauce or condiment that might make it even slightly messy), Knit (slowly and painfully for a few stitches, then cry afterwards...but it was probably worth it), wash one armpit, and make an attempt at washing my hair.

Things I can do with the brace off, 

even though my fingers are not healed:

Take a two-handed shower (yay!), type (slowly and with much pain), sleep with both arms comfortable (although I wake often, thinking, "where's my hand?!?"), Knit (for short periods of time with less pain, like 8 rows or so on a dishcloth), walk from the couch to the bathroom and back, worry about hurting the fingers, and put the brace back on before that happens. 

Things I can do, but don't plan to do ever again,

even after my fingers are healed:

Run. 

This has been a long 4 weeks...but I do see progress. My "bad-word finger" feels just about as good as the pointer finger (which is also still sore, and not as bendy as it should be, although it was never actually broken). The other two are still hurting, and they are also the ones telling me that this post is just about over...

Thanks for stopping by and Knit in Good Health!

What Cats Do?

A couple weekends ago, The Pretties went downtown for an adventure.

In general, I can't help but wonder what the cats do when the Pretties are not in the house, so I set up some surveillance this day...and here's what I found. First, there seems to actually be a lot of this:

No photo evidence of the other one napping on this particular day, but they are lazy kitties, to be sure. I am sure they both napped! But, I also found some of this:

White Cat: What are you doing NAPPING?!?

Black Cat: ZOMGosh, White Cat! You did NOT just wake me up!

White Cat: So what if I did?!?

Black Cat: So what if you DID?!? You did NOT just say that! I'll show you "So what?!?"...

Seriously? Napping and wrestling, that's all they did? How lame...and how is it that I don't notice this behavior at all when we're home??? 

Ohhhhh...that's right...the knitting. Always with the knitting, and taking pictures of the knitting. I probably miss a LOT of things around the house when I'm knitting. Hmmmmm, I suppose it has to be the knitting.

Well, it's either that or the mind control...

White Cat (quietly): Are your eyes on?

Black Cat (less quietly): Mine are on...are YOURS?!?

Pretty: What are you two up to???

Both cats (in unison): You see nothing...nothing out of the ordinary heeere. Hummmmm...

Pretty (in a monotone drone): Yeahhhhh...nothing... Nothing out of the ordinaryyy....

(Pretty exits, stage right, in a daze...shakes head a little)

What was I talking about again? Nevermind. I'm sure it doesn't really matter anyway.

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Once Upon a Time...

Bogged down with the stuff of summer this week, but here's an old family photo...

Back row: Pretty, Pop Pop, and Pretty's Sister

Front row: Dollface, Pretty's Mom, Mork

Wow! We are all so YOUNG!!!

Taken at Cedar Point (in 1990-something) I noticed this on display at my mom's house the other day, so I thought I'd share it with you! Don't we look like a happy (and hot, sweaty, and tired) bunch of amusement-park-goers? We've always had fun at Cedar Point, and I went with my family every summer, up until just a few years ago. When I was a little girl, I wanted to live there, and some of my favorite summer memories are in that park! I think I'm feeling the itch again this year, but even if we don't get to go, it's fun to remember all the years we spent running from ride to ride, and then teaching the next generation to love those rides AND plenty of new ones, too!!! If you haven't been to Cedar Point, it is a worthy destination...even if you are a state or two away!

While I'm thinking about how to fit in a trip to Cedar Point, I guess I'll get back to the grind...maybe there will be time to knit today, and maybe not. Either way, it's going to be a busy summer!

What is your favorite summer memory?

Long ago and far away

So, you all know what's going on in the here and now of our lives. You  know that Pretty and Mr. Pretty are currently living their Happily-Ever-After. But who are these fuzzy people?!?

She's 18, just graduated high school.  She's smart, and her parents and teachers think she should go to college and educate herself for a good career, but she's in love with a boy, and he quite obviously loves her, too. She likes music and children, and this is the first serious boyfriend she has ever had.  All she wants in this life is to marry this boy and spend many happy years with the love of her life.  

He's 19, and graduated high school last year. He's smart, but shy, and he recently joined the Navy. He was accepted to the "Nuke" program, and he'll be leaving for boot camp in a couple of months, and then he'll work on nuclear submarines. Today he is marrying his high school sweetheart, and looking forward to many happy years together with the love of his life.

Wow. They have no idea. They have everything going for them, and nothing at all. Life is going to be hard sometimes, but today they don't care. Today is the happiest day of their young lives. Awwww, isn't that sweet? But that was long ago and far away.

Fast forward, two-and-a-half decades:

She's 40-something, plays with yarn, and she loves the Internet and her electronic gadgets. Her children  are grown, and she has been married for more than half her life. She works full-time as secretary in their church, knits once a week with her friends, and she is thrilled to be a gramma.

He's in his 40s and likes sports and being outdoors, and he also enjoys reading. His children are grown, and he has been married for more than half his life. He is a service technician by trade, loves his Kindle, and he can fix just about anything.  Pop-Pop is how he's known by their darling Peanut.

Wait, can these really be the same people? Yes, and no. They are the same, yet completely different, and there were times they thought they might not make it. They have thought, "This isn't what I bargained for," and, "You're not the person I married..." Still, they stuck it out, "grew up" and grew together.  Although they still have their differences, they are livin' the dream, baby!...happily ever after (most of the time).

I'm glad that we did it the way we did. It wasn't usually easy, and there were lots of times it wasn't much fun, but we have such a rich history together. Who I am is so deeply entwined with who he is and who we are to each other...you don't get that until you've spent serious time together, and we've been writing our story for over 25 years now. "For richer, for poorer," "in sickness and in health"...those phrases mean so much more after some time has passed, and it's a sweeter joy that we share because of the hardships we've endured together. 

So, Meatloaf, you've got it half right...it was definitely "long ago, and it was far away," but I don't think it gets it any better for us than it is today!

What's your story?

PS - Happy Anniversary, Pop Pop! I love you more today than ever!

Where'd Pretty GO?

So, I finished an Amazing Sweater and a couple Kitty Cat Hats, and then I disappeared in the middle of a pair of socks...what happened?  Well, the short story is that I had a little operation, and I'm still working on the recovery.  (If you want the longer story, it's HERE.)  But after just a little more than a month, Pretty's back!

Insert applause here.  Please.  

After 5 weeks with no blog comments, I need the validation. 

You might think that I must have gotten mucho knitting done during 5 weeks of recovery time, and I did get quite a few small things done.  Not as much as I had hoped, but I forgot to figure in the heavy pain meds, and a visit from Peanut (and her parents) in weeks 4 and 5...

Oh, and the naps...I didn't figure in the naps! I needed (and I took) quite a few of those along the way. I wanted to knit, to knit like the wind...but try as I might, I fell asleep with needles in my hands more often than I care to admit. I wanted to do other things, too..after all, my recovery included more down time in my own house than I've had in over a decade. But Sweetie took good care of me, and kept me from overdoing it. As a matter of fact, I spent a LOT of time looking at this guy:

Ain't he just dreamy? Well, he's definitely my dream guy, and he was a big help so I could rest and recover. And even with two or three naps a day, I did start and finish a few things! For starters, there were new toys for Peanut, like these Stackable Cats from Anna Hrachovec:

Oh, and I eventually finished those socks, plus another pair in the same yarn:

There was more, but I'm still recovering, and all this blogging has really worn me out this morning! I think I am going to go grab a teensy nap, and dream sweet dreams of the "Farewell Tonsils and Uterus" cake one of my local knitters brought to knit night for me (and a friend who had a tonsillectomy scheduled the same day as my hysterectomy) the week before surgery:

Friends who will have a tonsillectomy in support, and
or decorate a cake to mark the occasion,
are very good friends indeed!

I promise I'll tell you all about all of the other knitting that has happened in the next blog post or two.  For now, I hope that you are well, and that you are finding time to get in all the knitting (and napping) that your heart desires!  

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

If there was a Napping Contest, I'd win.

I tend to overshare.  It's just a fact of life that my family has learned to live with.  I try not to overshare all the time, but eventually it all comes out...so here's your warning:

This post will have a little bit of the TMI factor,  and if you are squeamish, there may be moments that you will want to look away (or skim read really fast past the gross stuff).  This is an oversharing post, and also a bit of an explanation for my recent absence from the blog world.

Two weeks ago, I had a hysterectomy.  The news that I was going to have an operation came as a bit of a shock to me...I mean, I knew that some things were a bit "off" in my system, but I did not expect to lose my uterus this year.  Backing up the train a bit, back in March, I found out that I had fibroids...four of them.  The family doc said my uterus was "slightly enlarged" but nothing to really worry about.  

I did some research online, and found out that fibroids could be the cause of my recent...ahem...female troubles surrounding my cycles.  Troubles like having to carry an extra set of clothes with me one week out of every five, and actually having to use them (or go home to change) quite a few times over the past few months.  Troubles like severe cramping, the kind that made me curl up in a ball, rocking and quietly weeping, until it was time to change my clothes.  Troubles that eventually had me seek out a specialist, to just ask, "How much longer until I eventually get through this menopause thing?"  If I just knew how much longer, maybe it would be easier to endure. 

Ready to find out how long this might last, I sat in the Gyn's office, and waited to ask her what tools were available (that I hadn't already employed) to make the best of it.  I was surprised when she did a quick exam, and then scheduled me for surgery in a month, because my uterus was (in her professional, medical opinion) "HUGE."  She said that it should be the size of a lemon, and mine was the size of a cantaloupe!  "Huge" must be the technical term for a cantaloupe-sized uterus, because she used it over and over.  It would be an abdominal surgery, because my uterus was too "huge" to take out vaginally.  Yes, that was my uterus that I felt from the outside of my lower abdomen, because it was "huge."

I won't tell you that I didn't worry in the weeks leading up to the operation.  It was major abdominal surgery, and I have had more than my share of breakdowns between then and now...there was worry and crying right up until I went under the knife.  I stopped crying and worrying when they started the anesthetic on Monday morning (I hear that's pretty normal),...

...and I started again once I was off the Demerol drip on Tuesday.  (I worry. It's what I do...especially when dealing with major unknowns.)  I was in the hospital two nights, home that Wednesday, and I've been told to expect a six-week recovery.  So far, it's been two weeks, and I am feeling pretty good...my pain is almost gone, but I'm still napping once or twice a day.  It's hard to believe how tired I am!

So far, here's what I've learned from my first major surgery:

Your hair falls out more than usual after surgery.  I think this is a stress reaction, but I really was not ready for it.  

Staples in your stomach (I had 12) are really uncomfortable.  This should be expected, as your tummy is now pierced with OFFICE SUPPLIES!  C-sections were not part of my birth experiences, this was new to me.

Having the staples removed from your tummy is a bit uncomfortable.  Again, think office supplies, staple remover.  However, it's totally worth it to have those things out!

Stomach muscles are used for absolutely EVERYTHING!  Not just sitting up (ouch!), but also rolling over in bed (ouch!), breathing (ouch!), standing or sitting in the same position too long (ouch!).  Besides the new knowledge, I also lived in fear of sneezing or laughing or burping for over 10 days.  By the way, ouch!
Crying is just what I do when I am overtired, especially if I am too uncomfortable to nap.  Luckily, with the staples out, being too uncomfortable to nap is now the exception, rather than the rule.

One more thing I learned through this experience is that hysterectomy is a fairly common procedure in my family...at least among the women...  With all that girls talk openly about in this day and age, I guess I'm surprised that I didn't know/realize/remember until now how many women in my family are uterus-less...my mom, her mom, Sweetie's mom and sister, my sister and a cousin have all had hysterectomies for one reason or another.  As far as I know, I am the only fibroid case.  And not just family, many of my friends are walking around sans uterus as well.  I guess it's just not small talk that comes up.

Anyway, there you have it.  I hope to go back to work gradually, maybe a couple of half-days over the course of the next couple weeks, so I can still take the naps.  I have to say, with all of the unpleasantness of surgery and recovery, I do rather like the naps.  :)  As a matter of fact, I don't know what I would do without the naps!  There has been knitting...down time is so good for knitting, but mostly there has been napping and napping.

Thank you to my family for taking such good care of me.  Thank you to those who sent cards, called, and brought food and smiles during my immediate recovery.  And, if you've made it to the end of this post, thank YOU for reading!  All is well in Pretty-ville, and we should be back to our regularly scheduled blog posts toot-sweet!  (Just another nap or two, ok?)

What's your favorite place to take a nap?

1200 Miles Away From Home

Last August, Pop Pop and I witnessed heartbreak...

This photo STILL makes me cry!

In March, it was pure joy for a mid-tour leave...

Wait, you're the "Daddy" from the pictures!  That's you, right? 

And for the whole year that her daddy has been in Afghanistan, we have been blessed with so much of the muchness that is so good for Grammas and Grampas...

Look at that face!  We can't get enough...

But this last week was bittersweet, to say the least.  As soon as we left our driveway for the 600 mile journey to the Army base Mork will soon return home to, we knew that we were 1200 miles away from home.  He was farther, and his journey will likely take longer than the approximately 20 hours we spent driving to and from the place Mork, Mindy and Peanut will now call home.

On the one hand, if he had not been deployed, we would not have had this amazing year with Peanut and Mindy living locally.  On the other hand, who wants their kid to go to Afghanistan and carry big guns?  I mean, maybe there are parents out there that would be excited at the prospect...not me.  Don't get me wrong, this has been a GREAT YEAR (just look at the pictures!), but I wish Mork could have also shared personally in the many joys we were so privileged to witness firsthand.

Now that the time has come for him to be home with his wife and daughter on a permanent basis, we are thrilled!  We are also heartbroken that "home" for them is a 10 hour drive that we cannot make 3-4 times each week.  But the better thing is (and has ALWAYS been) that this little family will be together...

Last week, we loaded up the cars with their stuff (5 cars in total, traveling in 3 different "waves" to the new apartment), and we drove them down and helped Mindy turn an empty apartment into a beautiful homecoming for her one true love.  Pop Pop and I helped to move boxes, assemble furniture, unpack boxes, wipe down and wash things that had been in storage for the past year, and grab all the Peanut snuggles we possibly could.

Pop Pop's little flower.

It was pretty tough to leave, but we know that they will be fine...better than fine...Daddy is coming home VERY SOON!  :)  And, at the end of our 1200 miles we realized that we have made that same 1200 mile journey before, and we can (and definitely WILL) make it again.  We won't see them as often as we are accustomed to, but we will see them.  

So we say a prayer of thanks for the time we've had, and a prayer of thanks that Mork is coming HOME.  We say a prayer of protection over them as they wait for Mork, and as they all get reacquainted.  We say a prayer of thanks that there will be a leave after his return, and we pray that their plan to come back to us during that leave goes off without a hitch.  And, at the end of our prayers, we are already planning our first visit.  :)

What are you thankful for today?

Let me introduce myself!

"I'm Pretty, and I am the bride's brother's wife's mom."  
This was the absolute BEST introduction I have had the privilege to make at a bridal (or any) shower!

Oh, and I got to make this for a gift:

Yes, I know this is not the knitting blog, but this is
technically NOT knitting, it's crocheted!

Thanks, Snake, for having a sister who is getting married, and thanks to the girls for inviting me to join in the fun!

What is your favorite shower game?

Too young?

Back in the day, "they" all said we were too young. 

Too young to fall in love...

True love's kiss...

Too young to know what we wanted...

Too young to get married...

At this point, we could barely believe we did it!

Too young to move so far away from family and friends...

Too young to have kids...

Two kids in  a little under two years.
Wow! We look young...and tired.

Too young is what we've always been, so we'll keep going, and our own kids have followed our lead.  Both chose wonderful mates, and married in their early twenties (we were 18 & 19), and last year our oldest and his wife made us grandparents!  Just in case you think we are too young to be grandparents, here's a video of our Peanut with her Pop-Pop (from July 2011)...

And if you need a little extra dose of cuteness, here's a little video from just last week, too!:

We are totally rockin' this "too young" thing, don'tcha think?

Have you ever been too young?  What did you do?

You want a cookie?

Welcome to the new blog! (Edited to add that Pretty has decided that two blogs were silly. She merged the two in December, 2012.) If you have come from a link I've posted, you probably already know that I am Pretty.  If not, Hi!  I'm Pretty, and this is my new blog!  If you want to know a little bit more about me, please check out the "About" page, and maybe the "Meet the Family" page.  There will be more detail as we get to know each other.  :)

Since there's lots of time for us to get acquainted, I thought I'd start with a cookie recipe.  Everyone loves cookies, right?  Right.  So, check out this link for Grandpa Joe's Anise Cookies.  I'll wait while you go and have a look...

Here's a picture, too!

Now, looking at these cookies, you might have guessed that they don't have chocolate, or creme centers, or oatmeal in them.  This is a cookie that my very Italian grandparents kept on the kitchen table at all times.  As kids, we would come in, sit down and open the round, white, cardboard cookie container (the kind that comes filled with sugar-sprinkled Christmas cookies in December) and have a cookie. They were always dry, not too sweet, and tasted faintly of black licorice...that's the anise.

Sometimes, if you timed it just right, Grandpa Joe would come into the kitchen to refill his coffee cup while you sat there with your cookie.  He would add milk from the quart in the fridge,   filling his cup to the very top, and then he would bend down to the counter to take the first, slurpy sip without lifting it.  Then, he would take a cookie and there you were, eating cookies in the kitchen with Grandpa.

Of course, it was usually about this time that Grandma came in to shoo Grandpa out, and rush around the kitchen to cook the pasta and toss the salad so that we could all eat!  I don't remember her ever shooing me out of that kitchen, tho.  And I don't remember her ever telling me that I couldn't have a second cookie...or a third, or a fourth.  

I love the memory of my grandparents' kitchen, and these cookies are only a part of the magic.  I love knowing that my Grandfather baked ridiculously large batches of these cookies, and stored them in a box in the pantry, covered with a towel.  Most of all, I love the way being in that kitchen with my grandparents made me feel loved. 

What's your favorite cookie?