Vacation Time!!

Daniel and I are heading to Santa Fe for a couple of weeks! We are taking a much needed break from our lifestyle of winter camping and going to join civilization for a bit. I'm hoping we'll be able to use this time to regroup, and get back to something close to normal. Our good friend JP, who is away in Florida for the winter, offered to let us stay in his very awesome house while he's away. We finally said Yes!! So, tomorrow we head out!! I have my knitting packed!!

Art Update

I'm still working on my Mother piece for the next show. I'm just finishing up the beading on my spider web...and I'll be ready to mount it onto it's background and really begin to build it! Putting all of the pieces together after a year of scrounging, collecting, and making them, is the most exhilirating part for me. So bringing her to life will be the next step, just a few more tiny little beads to sew on with my numb fingers!!

Relapse

I found out on Monday that my ITP (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura) has relapsed, and my wonderful 10 month remission has come to an end. My blood platelet count was down to 70,000...about 50% down from where it had been riding. I had two flares in December and apparently those are the ones that got me. The Rhuemy called me at home to tell me, I don't think I can express in words how bummed out I was to hear the news. It's one of those moments when the air gets thick, time seems to stop for just you...you stop listening properly because you're still stuck on a few words...but the Dr. keeps talking. I looked across the yurt at my husband, and he was watching me. He set down what he was doing.

I made all the necessary phone calls, which I hate doing. My In-laws, my daughters...not my son cuz that's too hard. I let Daniel do that one. Not my brother, I let my daughter do that one. I called the neighbors. And then the worst for last, Twilight. Then I started prepping my bag for the hospital. But I have to take this opportunity to rejoice in my support system...my mother in-law immediately responded with "I'll call my evening prayer chain right away!" My neighbor responded with "I'll feed your dogs if you don't make it back right away." Twilight didn't skip a beat, she said "I'll be there to pick you up and drive you if your car doesn't start." Our good friend in Santa Fe, JP, said "Daniel can stay at my house as long as he needs to" (just a few blocks from the hospital) All the bases immediately covered for me without even having to ask. Plan B was in place.

Tuesday morning we headed to Los Alamos Medical Center, where the specialists are. I got more blood testing, and they said we had to take immediate action. Immediate action means super high doses of Prednisone, for right this minute. We have to make my body produce blood cells faster than my body can kill them. I started to whine and complain...the side effects are still fresh in my mind. I still haven't dropped the weight from the last time we had to do this. I was thinking "bloating, pimples, weight gain, emotional instability, exhaustion, and confusion". The Doctor looked me right in the eye with an expression of compassion and firmly said "this is the only thing we have to save you". I was rocked! We went on discussing a new treatment plan, because the bottom line is that my current regiment isn't working anymore. After we had all agreed upon a plan....The doctor stood up to leave the room, she gripped my husbands shoulder, she looked me in the eye again and said with conviction "We will save you".

There it was again. Save me? Oh yeah, save me from death. Right. That's the issue isn't it? That's what everyone was already thinking except for me. Ahhhhh!! Yes, of course. I'm sure there's a good art piece waiting to be made over these obscure feelings I have.

But the good news is that I'm back at home, and I'm taking the Prednisone, and we have a treatment plan in place. Cellcept. Which thankfully, knowing we were exhausted, Twilight and Thebes sat all last night and thoroughly researched for us.

Daniel and I, being too mentally tired to talk to anymore, cranked up our music as loud as it would go...danced all around our yurt like crazy fools, headbanging and doing the twist....singing corny lyrics at the top of lungs...just feeling our blood pump, and our hearts beat wildly. And because it's the very most life affirming thing a couple has, we made love late into the night until we fell asleep. Life continues!!!! There is art to be made!!!

Featured Artist - Janet Morton

Janet Morton is another one of my favorites! She is a visual artist from Canada, and I like Canadian things in general, but Janet really stands apart!! She is largely, but not exclusively a fiber artist. I have to thank Sarah for introducing me to her work. I feel we are kindred spirits, and I've completely enjoyed the experience of studying her. Other people have written much better articles about her, so I'll just link to more information, and a comprehensive body of her work. So please, when you have time, it is completely worthwhile to spend some time with her art!! Here is just a tiny sampling of my absolute favs. (sorry, I seemed to have listed everything backwards chronologically)

Early Frost - 2004 The scale and scope of this is mind blowing. And this is small compared to the bigger picture of what she does!!

Early Frost details upclose

Tending - 2003 This one does something to my blood. This is my top favorite from Janet, for sure!!!

A more detailed pic. of Tending.

I love the details.

Woolen Tree - 2000 This just makes me crazy giddy with inspiration....I love this.

Cozy - 1999 (made from 800 recycled sweaters) A social commentary on homelessness. Funny, cuz it looks alot like my house!!

Sweater Bike - 1994 Ok, you just have to admit that there is something here tickling every knitters funny bone!!

Knitting for Me

One of my New Year's resolutions for this year is to knit some of the things on my list for ME! I've had patterns and yarn piling up for so long now, and I always tend to put off things for me...while I knit away hours for all the people I love!! Well, certainly I won't stop doing that either, but I knit at least 30 pairs of handwarmers in 2009, and I don't currently have a pair of my own!!! So I just CO on for a pair for me! AND I'm working on a new sweater for me too!!

The Pattern is called the Heather Hoodie Vest from the Fall 2009 issue of Knitscene. I love this issue soooo much!! I've never had one magazine before, that I've set out to make so many of the patterns in. I love Knitscene because it funky, trendy, and stylish. I love Interweave Knits too, but sometimes I just don't feel old enough for the patterns yet!!! The yarn is BOKU from Plymouth Yarns, and I got a bag of it from that great sale in November on my last girl's knit day!! I give the yarn and the pattern Two Thumbs Up so far.

Happy Birthday Twilly!!!

Ok, This is my tribute to Twilight!! Happy 34th Birthday and may life bring you nothing but good health, and prosperity!! (and cake for breakfast) You make me smile!! You make me laugh!!! I love you!!

Happy New Year!!

I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy coming new year! And say a big THANKS for all my blessings in this past one, that includes the wonderful people who read my blog!!

I'm going to start out 2010 with an Art post, praying that it's a good omen!! Beyond the Fringe, 2010, is scheduled for the end of March this year. Realizing that I have 2 1/2 months before the show has been the equivilant of lighting a fire under my butt! Here is my newest piece in progress.

This piece began with a large circle of white felt, 36" across. I'm using numerous types of fibers in this one, including very raw wool not even carded.

The little blue things scattered around my work area are knitted waves, as in ocean waves. I've estimated that I need at least 120 of these little knitted beauties, so far I have 45 of them done!

Each artwork of mine seems to be the sum of parts!! Lots and lots of little pieces! I'm working on needle felting some little faces that will be apart of the finished product. Twilight is really creeped out by them, which makes them twice as fun!! Te he he!

And I had some very special yarn commissioned for this piece. This is a continuation of Merce's Grand Prize winning novelty yarn from this past Wool Fest....I was there when she started experimenting, and immediately knew that I HAD to have some for my art. This is the mix she put together for me. It has a type of Lichen spun into it....it's the moss that covers all of the Pinon trees that surround us. She and I harvested from all around the woods near our houses.