Handwoven Towel Exchange

My weaving class is having a handwoven towel exchange. We have to weave three towels - two to exchange and one to keep and write up a project page with attached samples. Since this will be our first towel project, we are not expected to be perfect. But I have had problems way above and beyond and I thought I would document them for future struggles...



The above picture shows where one of the threads behind the heddles either broke or loosened from the tie on to the point where I had to attach an "S" hook to weight it otherwise I was constantly fighting loops on the front of the fabric...

The next photo shows the tangled mess behind the heddles that I was ALWAYS getting up and going behind the loom and combing...





This photo shows the list of shots necessary for my Swedish
Rose Twill pattern. There were 78 shots for one pattern
repeat!










The next two pictures show the front of the loom with the towels on it.














Despite the struggles, I love weaving and it was a lot of fun
watching the fabric emerge! I sure would like a new loom
though :) Maybe if I write Santa a nice note...

Saturday, December 13, 2008 I went to the Weaver’s of Orlando luncheon at Antonio’s Italian Restaurant in Maitland, FL. It was a lovely luncheon with great food and even better company. The meal started with a lovely salad of baby greens with a light dressing. You had your choice of two dishes: chicken stuffed with Fontina cheese and prosciutto or a pasta dish. My friend, Joy, told me that the chicken would be the less caloric of the two so I believed her and ordered that. I have now eaten all of my allotted calories until Wednesday of next week… Then we had trays of candy for dessert. The weavers also had a raffle so I bought 6 tickets for $5. I, who never win anything, won TWICE!! I gave away my second win so someone else could have a chance. I did get some lovely yarn – camel in a very pretty warm, natural brown shade and a nubby cotton/linen in an unbleached shade. I’m sure I can use them both. Then we had a gift exchange. It had to be something hand-made. I gave away a flat basket that I had made many moons ago. I got two knitted dishcloths made by Thelma who is in our weaving class. These dishcloths will never see a dish – they are suitable for washing the queen only!

I was very pleased and the recipient of the basket seemed pleased too! I sat across from Gloria and Jim and they were fascinating. Both in their 80s and still going strong. He does blacksmithing at Barberville where there is a craft village of life in olden times. I had gone there many moons ago with my father and I would love to go again. One of these days... Anyway, I had a wonderful time and sure won't miss another one!

Then I went on to Georgia's house. She was having a knitting get together. I picked up some flowers - carnations but they had been dyed a pretty salmon color - and some cookies and off I went. We had a lovely time. Most of the women from the Knit or Knot knitting guild were there and conversation was lively as it always is with those ladies J I got there around 3:00 and we all left around 4:30. Very nice.

I have made a mistake with MS4. Apparently I only moved ONE side of the pattern marker and did not move the other side. No telling when I made this error… So I am going to have to rip or tink. I think if I put in a lifeline about 4 rows down I should be able to rip down to that. I don’t know if I can put in a lifeline after the fact but it seems logical.

I am currently working on the Ann McCauley square on the GAAA. I love those baubles! They are such fun to knit! I finished the Janet Martin square. These squares are certainly challenging but a lot of fun.

Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving was a wonderful holiday filled with family and friends. The drive to Pensacola on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving was very pleasant and traffic was surprisingly not too bad. Ede’s mother and her friend were already there and it was nice getting reacquainted. Poor James had a cold but he was sure being a brave little soldier. Wednesday night we went to church and Eden was an acolyte! She did a wonderful job but putting out the candles was a tough job especially when they were so high!

I played Cranium with Dean and the kids on Thanksgiving. Dean cooked the turkey in the Big Green Egg. It was delicious! I made a salad, dressing and gravy and Dean made the sweet potato casserole. Ede’s mother made Puncit, a Filipino dish akin to lo mein with rice noodles, pork, chicken, shrimp and vegetables. I wrote down the recipe once – I think it took two legal pages – and determined that I was never making that!! James played the piano for us. He really has a lot of talent.

Friday was the day for putting up the Christmas tree and decorating the house. We tried to go to Bellingrath in Alabama to see the gardens and the lights (http://www.bellingrath.org/) but it was raining. So we went to Felix's Restaurant on Mobile bay instead (http://www.felixsfishcamp.com/). Their crab soup is to die for! And I enjoyed the crab cakes too. They were on fried green tomatoes. I had never had those before and am now addicted and make them at home… And we went to Barnes & Noble. The Pensacola store is very nice and bigger than the ones in Orlando.

Dean took me to work out every day… I would get a small – very small – breakfast and then we’d go work out. After working out we’d come back and have a delicious protein shake. YUM!! In other news along this same line, I’ve hired a personal trainer and joined a gym. Little Andrea works my TAIL off! I may have lost two pounds. I am getting stronger – I can actually lift 50 pounds AND run up and down steps!!! I’ve still got a long way to go but it’s a start.

The drive home was horrendous with the FL/FL state football gamers (GO GATORS) AND the Thanksgiving people… It took 10 hours instead of the usual 7. And I never saw an accident...

My Continuing 60th. Birthday Saga

After leaving John C. Campbell Folk School, I headed toward Pensacola, FL where my son, Dean, his lovely wife, Ede, and their two children, James and Eden, live. The drive down the mountain was uncertain since I wasn’t sure I was headed the right way on two lane mountain roads but I soon approached civilization. I took the western beltway around Atlanta which was not as scenic. The AL interstate was very nice and had rest areas timed every 45 minutes. And the landscaping was beautiful. I arrived at my son’s house a few hours early and surprised Ede. She was cleaning Nibbles’ and Cinnamon’s cages. Nibbles and Cinnamon are the family pets. Nibbles is a Lop rabbit. Lops are known for their floppy ears. Cinnamon is a Cinnamon rabbit breed, I think… Both rabbits are females and have been spayed just in case. Dean and James were at James’ soccer game. Eden had already played her soccer game – she’s the only girl on the team... The dining room was decorated for a birthday party… Hmmm. Dean and James came home and we sat down to eat dinner. I had a wonderful salmon that Dean cooked in the Green Egg with rice and a lovely fresh tomato and mozzarella salad. Then came hand-made cards from James and Eden and Dean. Ede bought me a lovely birthday card.






There were tons of presents – 3 blouses and a leather jacket!!! Then Dean gave me a mailing envelope and inside was a picture of a 46” Samsung HDTV!!! It was being delivered Thursday afternoon after I got back to Orlando!! WOW!!! I really had a wonderful birthday!

The next morning I had a light breakfast – a roll and water… Then Dean took me to work out with him. So I biked for a few minutes and lifted weights. All my favorite things :) Then we went back to the house and enjoyed a protein shake! YUM!! We met Ede at a lovely sushi restaurant, Fuji Sushi, for lunch. It was delicious! I picked Eden up at school and we got lost but I managed to find my way home. I played the Pilgrim’s Progress board game with James and Eden. James got to the Celestial City first and I was second. We had many perils along the way – monsters, giants, a cruel judge and hungry lions. It was a fun game! Eden did a wonderful presentation about the family vacation to Cheaha State Park in Alabama.

Tuesday morning was another light breakfast and more working out… Another yummy protein shake. I’ll be a shadow of my former self with all of this activity. . There was an indoor volleyball game later that evening at the school so I drove Eden back there. The acoustics in the gym were very good – I had to sit in the waiting room thanks to my tinnitus. Dean brought me some ear phones with white noise and I had high hopes for them but they were no match for the shouting in the gym. After the game – we lost :( - we went to Pensacola Beach to Crabs Restaurant. This is one of the best seafood restaurants and we always love going there. Dean had a large fruity drink so I could keep the glass to remember my evening. I had the combination platter – Dungeness crabs, Alaskan king crab, and stone crabs. James had to help me eat it all! Dean arranged with the waitress to have the staff sing me “Happy Birthday” and bring me birthday cake – a Key lime pie! We all enjoyed that! Then we went walking on the beach. It was a wonderful night to remember.

The next morning I drove the children to school for the last time. We gave each other lots of hugs. Dean and I went to IHOP for breakfast and I was on my way home, somewhat cheered by thoughts of my new HDTV’s arrival the next day!! This was certainly a birthday to remember!

John C. Campbell Folk School Experience

I left Friday morning, September 19th. at 5:00 AM to journey by myself from Orlando, FL to Brasstown, NC. As I neared the FL turnpike it occurred to me that I had forgotten my purse… My purse with my medications was sitting on the counter in full reach of my Cocker Spaniel. I had visions of Riley getting into it and me having to take him to the Emergency Vet Clinic (major $$$) and missing my class… I turned around and in full panic mode raced back to the house. I was stopped at a traffic light and it occurred to me that there was NO ONE around and so I ran the light. As I pulled through the light I heard the whir of the camera as it took my picture… I’m sure the ticket will arrive soon…The purse was unmolested and I proceeded on my way. I was also panicked about driving through the big metropolis of Atlanta but I continued on. It turned out to be nothing – all six lanes moved through and under Atlanta with ease. Northern GA was beautiful – lovely quaint mountain towns. Gas – another fear – was not plentiful but it was acquirable. The car got a treat of a higher test at one stop – that was all that was available. My AAA triptik guided me to JCC with only two glitches and those were easily corrected by calling the school. I did however have to do a u-turn on two mountain roads! And I passed fields upon fields of goldenrod in full bloom… As this is one of my major allergens I was using my steroid nasal spray like a crack addict. After I completed registration at the school in Keith House,

I journeyed on to my room. I was in Bidstrup House which is located on the side of a mountain. The side next to the mountain was buried in dirt up to the windows which were only a slit near the roof.

However, the room was clean as were the bathrooms and other areas.

Should I return to JCC however I will request an even numbered room – they had beautiful mountain views. My roommate had already arrived but was not in evidence. I unpacked and rested for an hour or so before returning to Keith House for Orientation. Orientation explained meals and other amenities. After orientation we went to the Olive B. Campbell dining hall. Students are to stand behind their chairs and sing or say a blessing before each meal. Announcements are made halfway through the meal. Usually the food was very good. The first meal, dinner, was beef with mushrooms, wild rice and peas and carrots. Fresh baked warm bread was served at every meal. After the meal is finished, plates are taken up to the kitchen and dessert is brought back. The first night was peach cobbler. After dinner, I went to the Putman Fiber Arts Building which houses both weaving and quilting. There I met my instructor, Pam Howard. We picked our yarn, wound our warp and dressed our looms.

At 9:00 PM I had to throw in the towel and go back to my room – it had been a LONG day! I finally met my roommate, Joan. She was taking a weekend of clogging! The first night I was over-tired and didn’t sleep more than 4 hours. I tried not to wake Joan but I was restless and every time I turned the bed squeaked. Saturday we went to morning song which was a banjo player. Very enjoyable! I sat at another table for breakfast and chatted with some ladies who were taking the quilting class next door to my weaving class. Then it was off to weaving class to finish dressing my loom – which was a Schact Wolf Pup.

Once the loom was warped using a pattern of one thread of wool and three threads of cotton, I began weaving. I used two shuttles, each loaded with the same wool/cotton as the warp. We didn’t have to worry about the selvedges or the joinings since we were going to felt the piece. I finished weaving about 4:30 and we put the scarf into the hot washer, agitated for 10 minutes and withdrew it to cool it. If it wasn’t felted enough, back into the washer for another 10 minutes it would go. After the 3rd. time I was able to put it into cool water to stop the felting process and wring out the water by putting it into a towel and stepping on it. Then it was put into the dryer for about 10 minutes and finally hung to dry on a rack. Dinner Saturday evening was meatloaf, mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts. I sat with Dot, a weaver from North Carolina, and her sister, Shirley, and Sheree from Alabama. Shirley and Sheree were taking Chair Seats and caning chairs. After dinner, I went back to my room and read awhile then went to the common room to knit. There I met a lovely lady who was making an appliqué square by hand, turning the edges as she went. I slept much better the second night although I did spend some time in bed with my flashlight reading my book… At least I didn’t disturb Joan. We had to be out of our rooms by 9:00 so I packed and loaded the car. Breakfast was with Dot, Shirley and Sheree and then I went to see how my new scarf looked! We had to comb out the fringe and cut it and trim off the joining ends and the scarf was done and ready for viewing at Show and Tell! I’m glad I didn’t leave early as many did because Show and Tell was wonderful. It took place in Keith House and every class showed what they had learned over the weekend. There was photography, quilting, soap making, woodturning, woodworking, blacksmithing, chair seats, dance, enameling, gardening, jewelry, painting and, of course, weaving. Wonderful, talented people and beautiful results. I left before lunch since it would give me an hour’s head start on darkness and I don’t like to drive at night with these cataracts. As I wound down the mountainside – hoping I was going to get where I should – I kept thinking of what a wonderful time I had and all the new friends I had made. John C. Campbell Folk School is a terrific experience and I heartily recommend it.

My 60th. Birthday

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

Yesterday makes 60 years that I have been on this planet! Anyone who tells you this begins your “golden” years hasn’t been here! I’ve got cataracts – can’t see; I’ve got tinnitus – can’t hear; I’ve got hypothyroidism – can’t lose weight; and I’ve got atrial fibrillation – heart jumps around in my chest like a fish out of water. None of those things remind me of golden anything… But I do have a wonderful son and his super wife and children. And I have very caring friends. Monday night I went over to J’s house for SFFF jello, strawberries and cupcakes. I had a lovely evening. My friend, M, MADE me a quilted bag! WITH a pocket inside of it! And she gave me two skeins of yummy sock yarn; a sock pattern for the specific yarn and a very cute needle sizer.

J and J had gotten me a wonderful basket – it had not arrived so they printed out the picture from the internet. I am looking forward to meeting it in person!

Tuesday night my neighbor, J, came over bearing DINNER – homemade corn chowder, 2 rolls, fruit/marshmallow salad AND birthday cake – and a gift! She made my card and it was really special. She gave me a wonderful nightgown that I will take with me to John Campbell Folk School Friday.

My friend, A, sent me a lovely card and a candle and my friend, V, sent me a wonderful card welcoming me to my 60s.

When I got to work this morning I found that the gang had gone all out for my birthday! My office was swathed in toilet paper (one of the girls had left the crepe paper at home by mistake so they had to “make do”), I had a zillion cards and confetti was all over everything. Framing this wonder were two huge balloon trees!

Later in the day my present from my son arrived – a lovely Edible Arrangement of fruits with yet another mylar balloon! And on the heels of D’s present came a present from my friend, S – five mylar balloons, one appropriately black!

The girls took me out to lunch – we picked up Vietnamese – YUM!! And we had birthday cake at 2:00 – angel food cake with sliced strawberries and whipped cream!

T and B took me to Red Lobster for my birthday dinner and I had 1-1/2 pounds of crab legs!! And T arranged with the waitress to bring me cake and ice cream and sing Happy Birthday to me! They also gave me a wonderful set of slippers and creams for my feet and a cute fall decoration for the house. I have certainly had a very memorable birthday!

Mystery Stole #4 - Clue #1

I have been knitting MS4 Clue #1 all last week. This is my first KAL - knit along - and the first time I have knit with beads.

The choosing of the yarn and the beads was very intense with knitters all over the world chiming in about their selections. I chose a mystery yarn - for my mystery stole - from my stash. The instructions said to use a laceweight yarn but this happens to be a fingering weight. I'm glad I chose to use the thicker yarn - the stole would not be wide enough for my taste if I hadn't.

I contacted Lydia from Beadwrangler and sent her a piece of my yarn and she chose beads for me. I was very impressed with her service and her bead choices. However, once I received the beads, size 8 per the instructions, they proved to be too tiny for my fingering weight yarn... There wasn't time for another order from Lydia so I chose some beads from Michaels. However the store only had two tubes - I used one whole tube on Clue #1 - so I went to another Michaels and bought the entire 5 tubes they had. Hopefully this will be enough! KAL are certainly fun and I'll have a lovely stole when I'm done!

GAAA/Weaving Struggles

I haven't posted to my blog in way too long! But I've not been idle - I've been working steadily on the Great American Aran Afghan! I have completed a few more squares. Here is the Cat from the Great American Afghan (I am combining the two:)

The other two squares that I have completed are the Ann Strong square with its pomegranate display and the Janet Martin square of the fish. I found the Janet Martin square to be quite the challenge and it took me awhile to finish it.

I am currently working on the Julie H. Levy square. I am particularly enjoying it because she is from Stuart, FL. I am getting the hang of doing needle-less cables and this afghan is certainly adding to my knitting knowledge!

In case I didn't have enough to do to keep me busy and off the streets, I signed up for the Secret of the Stole III. I have never done a KAL and am looking forward to the experience. Here is my swatch:

If you look really closely, you can just see the beads... The yarn I am using is from my stash and it may not be a true laceweight. Goodness knows the beads are difficult to get on it using a size 13 crochet hook! I am going to a bead shop shortly to see if a size 6 seed bead would look better.

My weaving teacher, J, came over yesterday and brought me a new warping reel and a new tapestry loom! The warping reel is worth it's weight in gold! It really helps on a large warp:

It is really beautiful with the warp on it. I'll have to take a picture the next time I use it. Apparently the tapestry loom is missing parts - I have no idea which ones - but it is a beautiful piece of furniture. I also received boxes and boxes of tapestry yarn. I told J that I would really like to figure out the table loom before I go gallivanting off in another direction!

We did manage to get a warp on the loom for my kitchen towel exchange with my weaving class. My job was to bring the yarn through the heddles and then through the reed and attach it to the front of the loom. I may have miscounted the heddles and may need to start over from scratch... This is very distressing :( Here is the warp almost on the loom - look at all the work I will have to re-do:

I have signed up for a weaving class at John C. Campbell Folk School in September. It should be a lot of fun!

Convergence in Tampa, FL June 27, 2008

Convergence – a fiber extravaganza put on by the Handweaver’s Guild of America – was not to be missed. We met at J’s apartment in Clermont at 7:00 for a fun trip to Tampa. I left my house at 6:00. I can’t find my way out of a paper bag so I was certainly surprised to find myself at J’s apartment at 6:30!! Two of the girls, K and L, were spending Friday night in Tampa so they could make a two day adventure out of it. I drove the rest of us, D, D, and J, in my car. Since I am a bit of a lead footed driver, I took the point and the caravan moved out! With J’s excellent map skills, we were at the Tampa Convention Center right at 9:00 when the doors opened! Convergence was awesome! Lots of super vendors like WEBS, Yarn Barn, Habu Textiles, Glimarka Looms and Susan’s Fiber. I was like a kid in a candy store! BUT I had a “List” and I was going to be good! No fiber, no yarn, this trip was all about weaving! I fell in love with a red Glimarka loom – it would look perfect in the dining room next to the red kitchen… And the Ashford table loom called to me. You can put it on a stand and presto change-o it becomes a floor loom! We met up at noon for lunch. I was the only one among us who had made it through all the vendors. Remember I was being restrained and sticking to “The List”… We went to Champions Grill at the Marriott Hotel across the street from the Convention Center for lunch. We had show and tell before we ate. One over-zealous show-er almost showered us with ice tea but we quickly protected all fiber purchases and went on. Everyone was grinning ear to ear and having a fabulous time! We were back at it by 1:30. I made one more purchase – a 6-1/2 yard warping board which my teacher, J, chastised me for purchasing saying it was too short. Maybe I can cut it and expand it. Soon we visited the exhibits. Just seeing them was worth the drive over and the $10 admission fee. This was true fiber art at its finest. There were all types of media – fibers, feathers, reed, cloth, metal and even plastic electrical ties. There were wonderful portraits in hooked rugs, super clothes, hats and purses. One fabric was so sheer it was like gossamer lace. Another was sheer with colored triangles floating through it. The exhibits were absolutely awe inspiring. By now, our footsies were giving out and we were ready to head home. The girls who were staying in Tampa were going to have room service dinner in the hotel room. The rest of us elected to eat at a Mongolian BBQ in Lakeland. Delicious and our waiter was memorable too :) Here is a picture of my haul from Convergence, four cones of yarn for my dishtowel exchange, a two pronged fringe twister, a small boat shuttle and a 6-1/2 yard warping board (the only thing I didn’t get was a 22” raddle):

Woven Scarf

I finished my woven scarf! It has been magically transformed into a table runner for the dining room table:

I was baffled and confused about what to do with the fringe. My teacher, J, suggested using a two pronged twirly thing that twists the fringe. Since I don't own one of those - yet - I tried HAND TWISTING the fringe on my sample piece. Not a fun process :) As you can see the fringe has been left loose:

It is 3-1/2" long. I was afraid the hemstitching wasn't tight enough but it seems to hold together just fine.

I will be driving to Convergence - a weaver's convention that is taking place in Tampa this year - on Friday, June 27, 2008. I have a long shopping list: 22" raddle, another boat shuttle, warping board, and yarn. I am really looking forward to attending this weaver's shopping paradise!

In other news, I finished another block of the GAAA:

This is the Dagmara Berztiss block. Once my good friend, J, taught me how to knit cables without a cable needle this block was a lot of fun! I learned how to ptbl - purl through the back loop! The wonderful thing is that both squares are very similar in size.

Great American Aran Afghan

I fell at work yesterday and must have seriously injured myself because I have decided to make the Great American Aran Afghan. This afghan is way above my skill level but it just looks like so much fun that I had to try it. Here is my first square, the Ginette Belanger:

It was a rough start but I think it came out fairly well. And I learned a lot about cables which I hadn't knit many (any) of prior to making the square :) And I knit enough Trinity stitch - k1, p1, k1 into one stitch, p3tog - to last a lifetime! The next square I am going to do is the Dagmara Berztiss. This square will teach me twisted stitches and intricate increases. I think this is a wonderful way to increase my knitting skills and end up with a lovely afghan when I'm finished. I also purchased the "Great American Afghan" and I was thinking of combining squares from both. I will need 20 squares total. The "Great American Aran Afghan" has a lovely border to complete the afghan too.

My first weaving project, a scarf, is almost off the loom! I will post pictures as soon as I have finished weaving the sample. My next weaving project is a dish towel exchange! This is just among the new weaving group so hopefully I will be able to finish and not embarass myself! There is an overshot class in August that I am looking forward to taking as well. I hope I can remember how to dress that loom!

My First Woven Scarf

I'm a little over half finished with my first woven scarf! I think it's looking very good for a first effort! The quilting pin at the left selvedge is to keep track of how long the scarf is. That pin marks 30 inches!

Here is a close up of the weaving itself:

The pattern is 11 rows and you really do start to remember them after awhile. As far as I can tell I haven't made any serious errors regarding the pattern. There are a couple of places where the selvedges have been compromised but I am probably the only person who will notice and that's only because I know they're there :) I am taking my time - it's taken over a month to get this much on the loom - but I want the end product to be as perfect as I can make it.

I can certainly recommend a floor loom as opposed to a table loom! It would be much faster to lift the shafts with your feet than reaching over the loom and doing it by hand. It makes for slower weaving but I think I should really learn this loom before investing in a floor loom. And it is an investment - the one I want, the Baby Wolf by Schacht, is over $1,000. That's a lot of accounting hours ;)

I am going to weaving class today and am looking forward to hearing more about my next project - hand towels for a towel exchange among the new weavers. We have to choose a weave pattern and the colors for the towels. We have been warned against using red and white - dye bleeding is a problem. I will probably stick with a neutral blend that will go with anything. And since I will want some of the towels to keep, I'll have to weave 8 towels! That's a lot of weaving!

Tomorrow is Mother's day! I've already received my gift from my son and his family. So far I've managed not to open it so I can enjoy it tomorrow... I hope all of you mothers and mothers-to-be have a wonderful day!

My New Loom

It's finally here!! My new - to me - Structo Artcraft 4-shaft table loom is here!!

Isn't it beautiful! I went to De Leon Springs, FL yesterday to pick it up and to learn how to warp it. First I learned how to use a warping board where you count out the threads you will be using on your loom. This seems like a monumental task but it really isn't and only takes about an hour. Then I learned how to wind the warp onto the back of the loom - always covering the threads with brown paper bags to protect them. After the warp is wound onto the loom, you have to sley the heddles. This involves putting each thread through a flat, steel heddle that looks like a long needle with an eye in the middle. There are four shafts on my loom and you have a pattern that you have to follow and put the thread into the correct heddle on the correct shaft! This sounds tedious but it really goes fairly rapidly! After sleying the heddle you have to pull the threads through the reed. I have a 15 dent reed. This means that there are 15 slots to the inch on my reed. There are tables that tell you how many threads to pull through a reed that is not the same as the one in your pattern. Then you have to tie the threads to the front of the loom and you're ready to weave! I can't wait to become more proficient at this new craft! I am working on a scarf for my first project and will take pictures as soon as it's completed!

Gallbladder Surgery

I finally - after babying it for 20 years - had my gallbladder removed March 18, 2008. Since I work for an international hospital corporation, I had the surgery at one of our surgery centers. I was so scared that I was afraid I might wet myself so the kind people at the surgery center loaded me up on a myriad of drugs :) This was a good thing before the surgery but not so good after. I went into surgery at 10:45 and came to around 3:30! As soon as you can go number one they send you out into the world. This is usually before you get deathly sick so they don't have to deal with it!! My son, Dean, came down to take care of me. I don't think I could have gotten through this without him. He was certainly a Godsend! Once I could finally toddle into the shower, this is what I found. The surgery center personnel had put a tattoo on my arm while I was an unconscious person!! What a bunch of goofs!!

I get my stitches - very itchy - out today and am certainly looking forward to that! I still can't lift anything heavier than a pair of shoes but at least I'll be me again!! And I am looking forward to eating fried chicken!!

Sea World's Aquatica 3-12-08

I live next door to Sea World in Orlando, FL and they sent me two free tickets to their new attraction, Aquatica. I took advantage of their generosity today and went to the park with my neighbor, J. It was FABULOUS!!!

The picture on the right is me at the entrance of the park. The plantings were gorgeous and very tropical.

The picture on the left is the Lazy River - a man-made river that you ride down in innertubes. The children's play area is very extensive with two large buckets that fill with water and overturn, periodically dumping water on happy little children and unsuspecting parents! There is also a Wave Pool where waves, growing in size and intensity, allow surfers to body surf to the shore. All around the Wave Pool (and the swimming pool next to it) is a man-made beach with beach chairs and chaise lounges all set for relaxing in the sun. The last picture is of me doing just that!! I highly recommend a visit to Aquatica the next time you are in Orlando!