there has been a time when I wanted to crawl up into God’s lap, weep on His shoulder and ask Him “why are you allowing this?”, it is now. We got the results back on [tag]Grandmother[/tag]’s scan. No stroke. Instead, she has [tag]Organic Brain Syndrome[/tag]. As I look down the list of causes, she has several of the contributing factors, none of which are reversible or treatable.

Have I mentioned that she has been refusing her meds lately? Well, she has. And she has high blood pressure, has had TIAs, had a severe bladder infection not long ago (during which she was disoriented and distressed) and depression.

I can’t send you email, so I am answering you here. I haven’t been able to pull HSY mail for more than a day, nor can I get to the site. Your blog will not load either. I think it’s time to jump ship.

Other readers, please forgive this little interlude

20 balls of [tag]Furlana[/tag], gifted by a friend, 2920 yards, 18.5-21.5 stitches/4 inches on 4-5mm needles. I still am undecided what to make with this. It may become a cloak for me.[tags]stash, wool, yarn[/tags]

I remember my shock and sadness when I found out that the Popemobile has bulletproof glass. And I remember the shock and awe of people the world over when John Paul II left those safe confines to wave to the people without the protection of the bullet proof glass. Of course, I found out about the first thing while watching the second. I just remember thinking how sad it was that a religious leader would need such a thing. I mean, who would want to kill the Pope?

I was younger then, and a great deal more naive. Now I realize that there are many wackos out there, and even normal people sometimes need to hide behind bulletproof fiberglass.

Here is DD#5’s [tag]stocking[/tag]. I assure you that it is normal size, in spite of the camera trickery that makes it look roughly the same size as my house (which you can see in the background). It was crocheted with doubled Plymouth Encore with a K hook. The cuff is white Jiffy. [tags]crocheted stocking[/tags]

I guess it’s time to lift the lid on a new project. I’ve started [tag]photography blog[/tag], and plan to work on my photography skills next year. I’d like to get good enough to sell some images on a stock photo site, like www.shutterpoint.com.

How do stock photos work, you say? “photographers can share their photos with others, get ratings and comments on their photos from other members, and sell them to photo buyers on royalty-free basis” What sets [tag]Shutterpoint[/tag] apart is the payout rate. Unlike other sites, you get 85% of the revenue. You can compare other features with this Comparison Chart.

The set-up for photo buyers is worth a look too. The royalty-free purchasing is a nice feature. “Royalty-free pricing means that the price of the photo is based on its artistic and technical qualities, not the specific use. You will not have to buy any additional rights for any subsequent usage of the photos you purchase via ShutterPoint and can use the photos you bought for any projects.”

So, with the Christmas knitting finished, and some time to watch a movie with the fam, I picked up Grandmother’s socks last night and put the heels in. Now it’s just round and round for a few dozen rounds.

I have decided on a very simple goal for 2007, as far as knitting goes. Much simpler than last years long list, which was….not accomplished for the most part. I’d like to finish all my current WIPs, make my swallowtail shawl, and make one other shawl for a Christmas gift, and continue my gratitude knitting. There will also be knitted ornaments for next year, of course. I’ll use the same yarns I used for this year’s toboggans.

No, I haven’t forgotten the stash page, I’m working on it :)[tags]knitted socks[/tags]

Love music?? Know someone who loves music? My 18 year old got an MP3 player from Santa, and I do believe it was the hit of the holiday. She may never let me sit in this chair again! I already have to take a number to sit at my own desk, but she is sure having fun loading that thing up!

I didn’t use any promo codes to get it, since my mom picked it up for me at work. I paid less than $40, and you can check out these Kmart coupons to see if you can beat my deal.