Barack Obama's National Democratic Convention @ Unesco Field, Denver, Colorado Aug 25-28, 2008

Barack Obama's historic Democratic nomination for President of the United States of America as the 1st Black American~~~

Aug 27, 2008 Political History!!!

Michelle Obama's speech Monday Aug 25, 2008












Hillary's speech before the Democratic National Convention Tuesday Aug 26, 2008

Bill Clinton listening to Hillary's speech

Senator Ted Kennedy, suffering from brain cancer, addresses the Democratic National Convention Tue, Aug 26, 2008

Bill Clinton's speech before the Democratic National Convention Tue Aug 26, 2008 declares Barack Obama IS ready to be President of the United States!!!

"...in a place called Hope"...

Hillary & Chelsea listening to Bill Clinton's speech Wed Aug 27, 2008

and now, on this historic political day, Wed Aug 27, 2008, Hillary Rodham Clinton, moved to suspend the roll call and nominate Barack Obama by acclamation and the Democratic National Convention erupted!!!

it's finished!!! this was a trial of concentration vs distraction!! an all-over lace design was both challenging and an accomplishment!! w/a crochet picot edging as the final touch! it will be on display at the craft show in Dec...

i'm looking forward to making a 'toasted almond' textured cardigan for my stepdaughter Teresa and a 'Sweetheart' dress for each of my 2 g'daughters, one in pink for Greta, one in red for Charlotte!! i hope to have them finished so they can wear them during the Christmas holiday season and school programs!
i have enjoyed tremendously the friendship of a new knitting friend, Cindy, whom i met on Ravelry and found she lives right here in my city!! we try to get together once/week to knit... just today i received several Ravelry messages from my Maine knitting friend, Berit, whom i was worried about since i hadn't heard from her for several months... her daughter just presented her w/ Baby Bella last friday!!!
now as the football season begins at high school/college level my knitting will accompany me to a lot of football games as it did to baseball/youth baseball games this summer!!! whenever possible i knit on my deck and enjoy the ponds, ducks...

my pic of Angel's Tempe,AZ Diablo Stadium

http://www.schmap.com/phoenix/sights_outandabout/#p=84146&i=84146_5.jpg

this link takes you to a Phoenix,AZ area display of sights of interest...my pic of Tempe Diablo Stadium was chosen to be included!!

this is my 'frog'n' green baby sweater that took me 3 weeks due to my gall bladder deciding it was time to aggravate me greatly!! it's a great little pattern which i will make again soon!

this little top is tied at the shoulders. the colors, of course, are Regina's!!

August 2008

well, August has brought several changes in my schedule...i had a sudden gall bladder attack on Sun July 27, went to ER at 4pm and was admitted at 11pm w/inflamed gall bladder...i had never been in so much pain...fever dictated waiting a day for surgery...Tue July 29, came home Wed, July 30!! my gall bladder was partially dead! my surgeon was the Head of General Surgery at UIHC!!! it's no wonder i haven't really been feeling good this summer...i'm even losing some weight because i'm eating smaller amounts, 6 small meals a day, writing down what/amount i eat and drinking lots of water, which i didn't use to do! also trying to get out and walk everyday...so this was a wake-up call to me!!! GET WITH THE PROGRAM!!!
i also experienced my 1st back spasm Aug 6...my back muscles have been tight since i got home from UIHC...thank goodness for Motrin and a heating pad!

i did get this bobble flower lace sweater finished in july...next time i make this pattern i will lenthen it for a dress/jumper!
have been working on a green lace cardigan, but frogg'd it several times due to mistakes (drugs make for a foggy mind!)... lace section is complete now sans/mistakes--have to finish the sleeves and ties...it will forever be my 'frogg'n baby lace'!!! pic to post soon...
my knitting/nurse girlfriend, Cindy, and my sister, Pat, have been a great inspiration and a wonderful source for medical info...i thank them both!!
i also actually sold 3 outfits to my dental asst who cleans my teeth! i'm going to try to get a table at Regina's Dec craft show and share table space w/my good "hook'r" friend Anne!!! i knit, she crochets...

July Knitting 2008

"The COLLECTION"!!!

Here are a few of my knitted outfits...

pastel bolero

lilac lacey
Brooklyntweed Cobblestone vest

5-hr

BSJ

sage lacey

sundress

mint Baby Fern

Rowan bobble Flower

Happy 4th of JULY!!!

There are so many patriotic pictures to choose from but this one pays tribute to those service men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our freedoms that we enjoy this day...our nation's birthday~July 4th~ and every day.

Oh, my, it's June!!!

the beauty after the storm ................... then the FLOOD!!!!!

rainbow in Iowa City after Condo meeting June 11, 2008

Tuscan Rose in tuscan pot ~
tomatoes in tuscan pot on front porch

i have seriously been neglecting my blog! BUT, i HAVE been knitting obsessively (as my DH would tell you!) ~ i am trying to make a selection of baby sweaters to sell at my g'kids' school's St.Nicholas Mart in December ~ i've been gifting them to susan/teresa's 'mother' friends and received many nice compliments, so i figured 'why not?' ~ i also have 2 close knitting friends now that i socialize with: jackie & cindy ~ so now i will not be a knitter 'alone' ~ i still love my back deck for knitting so i can watch the fountains, birds, ducks, rabbits, etc in the neighborhood ~ this pic is the Knitting Daily post i made yesterday re: using the "it's in the bag" w/2 balls to make 2 baby sweater sleeves on 1 circular...(to prevent one from being too short!) ~ it worked beautifully! ~ & i received a really nice comment back!
my cousin, Mark, is a chaplain in Iraq and received a high honor! my sisters, pat & deb, are going in w/me to send his troop a box of 'requested' jerky! i pray he can come home soon ~ his wife, catherine, is suffering thru cancer treatments... another friend's son, dan, found out he can retire from the military in august as planned ~ & of course, the midwest is reeling from the Great Flood of 2008!!! cedar rapids, iowa city, etc are beginning the cleanup...so much in ruin! the mississippi now is in flood mode...the saga continues...

this is NOT something i really want to include from my past ~ my sister deb sent it because it shows flood damage to 12AveSW bldg (1 block from Cedar River) in Cedar Rapids where my grandfather, Deda, first worked (in curved doorway on right) for Western Fraternal Life Association (insurance) when we were little kids ~ and yrs later i(+my 1st husband) operated a bar in the left side(doorway)... past history i'd like to forget ~ the entire bldg may have to be demolished...???

now back to my knitting.......

my 1st try at 'dreadlocks' on a child size 'rasta' hat from annieModesitt's pattern!
baby shrug in 'bambi' colorway from DebbieBliss pattern 'Baby Picchu' from Berrocco free patterns!
this is my 'one arm longer!' raglan that prompted the KD post on 2 sleeves/1 circ!!!
Preemie Sleeper Sack #1 from Bernat Softee
Preemie Sleeper Sack #2 from Bernat Softee
'Provence' #3 for baby S. (family pic at Cattleyard Regina bb game)
Watercolor Bolero 2T from Caron Simply Soft - i LOVE the colors!!
Evan's (in red) last soccer game in June...his baseball was suspended indefinitely due to the flooded City Park in Iowa City... Ethan still plays at the Cattleyard