I went to see my nephyrologist this morning....

I got news I wish I hadn't got...my creatine levels (measures protein taht is uses to develop muscle mass, the by-product creatincine is what is measured) are up again, which means kidney function is down. Back in march I was at 16%, when i went in to get a special x-ray done I was at 15 % and now I am at 14 %. What does this mean? It means that I am looking at dialysis and/or transplant almost immediately. I have already gone to the PD (Peritoneal Dialysis) Clinic at the U of A Hospital. Now I am being referred to the transplant unit.

So I have two types of transplants to look at: cadaver and live. Cadaver is an organ from someone who has already passed away and we are most aware of this one as most organ transplants depend on this. However with a kidney, peopel can survive with one all their lives. In fact I have done quite well with only one and it was only in the year that it went downhill.

My hope is that friends would be interested in looking at organ donation.  This is a scary time for me as I look forward to celebrating my 3rd wedding anniversary, I am pretty sure this is not what DH signed up for you know. He knew I had kidney issues but they were stable at the time...now they are not.

Wow I was not prepared for this at all.

Cora

Well you know how I spoke of Leo earlier in the week....(picture heavy for those on phone modem)

I am going to share some great pics of him here. Unfortunately there are not any of me with him as I am the one usually taking the pictures. DH and Leo are inseparable when he is home. I have some of the cutest pictures of them.

So here goes....

When we first met Leo on June 12th at Avenue Goes to the Dogs

 

DH taking Leo on a short walk on June 22, 2010

In front of our House June 22, 2010

Still on the short walk June 22, 2010

Swapped it out for this one, much better!

This was the original kennel (now outside) that we got him....

As you can see they are inseparable when DH is home. Aren't they cute!

We went on the Back Alley Walkabout on Tuesday stopped in at the Carrot for a drink.

 

 

 

 I hope you enjoyed the pictures.

Cora

This work by Cora Shaw is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License.

Some great ideas form Favecrafts.com....

Good  Morning Crafter,

In this issue, you will find the five most popular craft projects from each of last week's newsletters, as voted on by readers. This issue is a great way to review your favorite craft projects and never miss a great craft idea!
To see who's on FaveCrafts radio this Sunday,  scroll down to the bottom.

Sunday: Summer Knits

1. Easy Dishcloth Knitting Pattern (shown)
2. Punnet of Strawberries Knitting Pattern
3. V-Neck Knit Top
4. Knitted Knotty Necklace
   
5. Felted 2-Color Knit Bag

Tuesday: Floral Home Decor

1. Country Flowers Crochet Throw (shown)
2. Floral Pattern Crochet Square
3. Ladybug Plant Holder
4. No-Sew Fabric Flowers
5. Foam Flower Bouquet
   

Thursday: Bees & Butterflies

1. Cute Bee Crochet Pattern (shown)
2. Brass Flowers Bracelet
   
3. Butterfly Baby Mobile
4. Bee & Hive Outdoor Decor
   
5. 10 Best Victory Garden Crafts
   

Friday: Gifts for Dad + Garden Crafts

1. Father's Day Spice Rubs (shown)
2. Recycled Starbucks Treat Can
   
3. Manly Coffee Jacket
   
4. Clothespin Key Holder
   
5. Hammer Designed Tie

* If you missed last week's Weekend Wrap-up, check out these favorite projects: 32 Pillow Making Crafts and 21 Free Sewing Patterns *

Happy Crafting,

FaveCrafts.com Editor

 

One of my favorite knit toy designers...next to Alan Dart and Jean Greenhowe.

I am in love with this knit toy designer: Anna Hrachovec aka Mochimcohi Land. Check it out: Stitch and Bitch-London. There is an article on her new book and her trip to London. You can find her on her blog, Facebook and Twitter. Knit Picks is having a contest for people to win a copy for her new book, Knitting Mochimochi Land.  Below is an excerpt for the Baby Gators patterns from the book.

Knitting Mochimochi by Anna Hrachovec -- Excerpt




I am working on a couple of her designs right now. One is called Hugs + Squoze and Baby Pundits.  They are very adorable. (I am using the pictures from Anna's site until I get mine knit, just need to show just how adorable they are)

Hugs + Squoze








Baby Pundits

Aren't they adorable?



This work by Cora Shaw is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License.

So it has been a very interesting and sad week...

Last Saturday, DH and I were at Avenue goes to the Dogs. it is a yearly event and one that started as a germ of an idea by members of a working group for the Alberta Avenue Revitalization.  One of the the things I love about the day is you get to meet the many dogs that are staying with rescue groups. H.A.R.T. - Humane Animal Rescue Team and PAWS for Life were there along with many other groups that are interested in dog safety and care.

So DH, he is the "booming voice" the report speaks about in the above article, was hired to sound and some MC'ing as that is what he does when he is not doing his day jobs as Systems Analyst. All was going well. I was looking at dogs and petting them, running errands, etc. I bumped into a lady that I know from the community, from volunteering on the events and from the revitalization. I saw this adorable puppy, well not really a puppy...lol.  His name is Leo and he is actually a senior-9 years old. I petted him while Joanne and I spoke and then I headed back to where hubby was sitting. I was telling him about the dog, there was just something about him...you know? What I didn't know was that DH had been looking at the same dog, talk about a connection between us, eh?

So Joanne stopped by where we were at the other end of the park. Well Leo plopped himself by me and after a couple of minutes, laid down and showed me his belly, he wanted a belly rub. Which I realized was very important..it is a trust thing after all. DH was busy trying to dunk his "boss" in the water tank that Joanne took Leo for a bit of walk as he had had enough. It was 3 in the afternoon and he was tired, overstimulated and over socialized. So he was getting a bit snappy. So DH fianlly got Nicole dunked and he was happy. So he came back to sit, Joanne came back with Leo and he did the same thing to DH. He just loved us, sat with us even as Joanne walked away, not too far though.  He did well!

So the jist of this is that we are looking at adopting him.  He has been at PAWS for a year now and really needs a forever home. I was surprised when I heard that! We have an appointment on Friday at 6 to do the meet and greet. One of the things that we will be discussing is how to integrate him in our primarily feline home.

So these are our feline babies, Tyger, Smokey, Snowball and Patches.

Can't you see Leo fitting in with this household? I know I can...

As for the sad part, DH's mother passed away on Monday night, we found out yesterday. It was only recently we found out that she had not one but two heart attacks. Now Faye was 90 however it still was a shock. So we are off to Ontario to attend the service this weekend. The service is Monday. So it has been a tough time for all.  I will try to keep you all posted as things happen.

Cora



This work by Cora Shaw is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License.

A Year in Review....

Okay need to write this post, again Arg! Stupid Blogger went down in the middle of my post.

Okay so yesterday was my birthday and I turned 45 and what a year it has been! It has been full of ups and downs and in betweens. I saw my hubby go through a job loss and 3 months of struggles surrounding that loss. I am happy to say he started a new job and is doing well.  So things are back on track with that.

I am struggling with some pretty major health issues as regular readers of my blog are well aware.  I have been trying to figure out why I was constantly tired and it was particularly difficult as I had mad a number of commitments and I was concerned that I was unable to fulfill them.  For the most part I have been okay and people have jumped in when I have spoken about the time commitments and my energy.  Remember lack does not mean lack of commitment. I must say all has been going not to bad overall in this department. I am still waiting for the go ahead on the dialysis, the one thing we are waiting on is the cystoscopy to rule out some issues with my bladder.

I have also had same major life changes as well. My daughter and step-daughter both had boys this year.  The first one was born in February and the second in May. What a great milestone to enter into!  You should hear my mom, for the first couple of weeks I would answer the phone and she would say "It is the great-grandmother calling." She is so proud as this is her first great grandson. Sorry for privacy issues no pictures.

I have also been knitting and crocheting as you all know.  I hop to get more of the projects that I have been working on done. Here are a few of the ones I have done...









Groundhog (planet june design)











Mitered Tunic

These are just a few with many more to list.

I guess you could the biggest thing is that I stayed sober throughout this which is awesome.  All in all it actually has been a good year even with all the things tht have happend.

I am a very contented and happy woman today.

Cora

Off to fight City Hall and I am pissed!

Monday night I discovered that a report was going in around liquor store usages, specifically surrounding the 500 M issue. Right now as the bylaw works, liquor store cannot be within 500 m of a school, active park, etc, or even another liquor store. This is great especially in a area that is facing issues such as poverty, alcoholism, drug addiction and other issues.

However after seeing this report, Amendments to the Zoning Bylaw and Business Licence Bylaw and this report, Potential Amendments Affecting Alcohol Sales Uses, I got angry! I am on my way to talk to the Executive Committee about this. I am still spitting nails...here is my response:

June 2nd Rebuttal Letter

I am here to say Yes You Can Fight City Hall! Hear me ROAR!


Cora


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