Thus far, I have not written about our battle with infertility. It was just not something I wanted to be part of this fun and happy blog. But today is different. So we went to this Presentation Sunday service dedicated to infertile couples (http://www.cedarpark.org/infertile/) and it was actually quite moving. I guess the church has been doing it for about 17 years and they have had at least 285 births from this service. We sat in front of a couple who went to the service two years ago. They came all the to WA from NY after seeing the chuch featured on TV. Anyway after 12 years of trying to conceive, they had a baby that first year after they came for prayer so they returned to present their baby and ask for prayer for a second. The service was just a whole lot of couples presenting their babies that were the result of prayer. Some adopted, some got pregnant after being told they could never bare children, some got pregnant after many IUIs or IVF cycles. I was especially amazed by one woman who tried everything, several IUI and IVF cycles, then went to egg doners and had those eggs implanted w/o success, then used donated eggs on a surrogate, and in the end she became pregnant. Whether you are religious, spiritual, believe in one God and Christ as your savior or not, please pray for us. We have a sense of peace and believe that God will bless us with a pregnancy that results in a live birth if we are more faithful in prayer.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Thursday, January 27, 2005
sEcREt PaLs 4: wHo aM i?
Dear Secret Pal,
I want to say before we even start: THANK YOU! I look forward to getting to know you and guessing at who you might be. I'm new to blogging as you can see. I will try my best to learn how to make my sidebar look better and hold more stuff. Let me know if you have specific questions for me. :)
1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high-end/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you? I wouldn’t say it’s all the same to me. I prefer to buy good quality yarn, but I also don’t like to pay an arm & a leg. I usually buy from elann.com or look out for sales at my LYS. I have purchased from Michaels/JoAnns for mass producing scarves around the holidays. I usually double strand a nice high quality novelty yarn with a decent quality wool or wool blend that isn’t quite as pricey or vice versa depending. If it’s a really special present that won’t take much yarn (i.e. a baby sweater), I’ll pay for the good stuff. 2. Do you spin? Crochet? I’m a crochet beginner. Would love to learn more as time permits.
3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.) No, to all, but I hate the smell of cigarettes.
4. How long have you been knitting? My paternal grandmother taught me when I was around 11 or 12, but I didn’t get really into it until three or so years ago. I consider myself an intermediate beginner. I still shy away from really complicated patterns, but am making my first cardigan for me.
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes to Amazon, but have not updated it in ages. Will do it after this…
6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) I have many: lavender, citrus, jasmine, and lemon verbena.
7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Yes, love sour candies covered in that sour powder, but I’m trying to cut down on sugar, especially refined sugar. Not good for trying to conceive, so they say…
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I like to bead with semi-precious/czech glass. I have dabbled in stamping, sewing, and would like to start scrapbook making, but gotta focus on the outstanding knitting projects lying around the house. My husband and I painted the most of the rooms in our little house together and I might paint my kitchen a deep purple in the spring. We just bought our house last spring and moved here in the summer, so I need to get into gardening. So far all I’ve done is weed.
9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I like cheesy love songs. Air Supply, Whitney, Celine… I also listen to Christian music. No MP3, but can play CDs no problem.
10. What's your favorite color? I’m Asian, so black works well on me, but I love light greens and all shades of purple. I’m also a fan of deep reds like cranberry. Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?
11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I will be married for 5 years on 5/21! We have no children yet, but have been trying for the last 2.5 years. We hope to be blessed soon. On the bright side we have a darling 8 month old puppy named Kona. She’s been such a joy to me.
12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know) Hmm…it’s to have a content & humble life without regrets…to hold a baby that’s mine regardless of whether I adopt or give birth…to travel to as many countries and experience as many cultures as I can…
13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? I like knitting with wool, esp. merino wool. I especially like Cashmerino by Debbie Bliss, but it’s expensive. I like Cascade 220 too. But I’m not terribly picky right now… I have a huge box of yarn that I’ve collected over the years. I need to use those up before I buy more.
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? Can’t think of any now.
15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Well if I were truly obsessed, I suppose I’d be done with my shawl collered sweater. I have lots of little things going on, but my freelance work has kept me from knitting as much as I did before.
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I love knitting baby sweaters though I’ve only made three so far.
17. What are you knitting right now? I have the following projects going: a baby sweater, a shawl, a scarf, a lacey scarf (those are hard to undo), and my sweater.
18. What do you think about ponchos? I don’t own one, almost bought one recently, but thought I could knit one so didn’t. In short, I like ‘em.
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? I use both.
20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I much prefer bamboo. When my grandmother (who came from China to live with us) taught me she used needles she whittled from chopsticks b/c she wasn’t used to the aluminum ones we bought her. So I started on bamboo chopsticks whittled down my my NaiNai. Gosh I wish I still had a pair.
21. Are you a sock knitter? No, but it’s on my list of things to learn b/c my friend gave me sock yarn 2 years ago that I’ve started and ripped apart more than a couple of times. It’s the cool kind that knits up into a pattern.
22. How did you learn to knit? From my grandmother at first. Then about three years ago, I was visiting a friend and she was making baby hats. I just had to learn how to make hats. I was intrigued by the double pointed needles.
23. How old is your oldest UFO? A shawl with kidmohair for my mom. I started it X’mas 2002. 24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? Can’t say I have one. I like Disney characters. Snow White I guess b/c I was engaged at Snow White’s Grotto in Disneyland.
25. What is your favorite holiday? I love Thanksgiving and Christmas.
26. Is there anything that you collect? Tea pots (usuable ones, not decorative ones) and sea glass.
I want to say before we even start: THANK YOU! I look forward to getting to know you and guessing at who you might be. I'm new to blogging as you can see. I will try my best to learn how to make my sidebar look better and hold more stuff. Let me know if you have specific questions for me. :)
1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high-end/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you? I wouldn’t say it’s all the same to me. I prefer to buy good quality yarn, but I also don’t like to pay an arm & a leg. I usually buy from elann.com or look out for sales at my LYS. I have purchased from Michaels/JoAnns for mass producing scarves around the holidays. I usually double strand a nice high quality novelty yarn with a decent quality wool or wool blend that isn’t quite as pricey or vice versa depending. If it’s a really special present that won’t take much yarn (i.e. a baby sweater), I’ll pay for the good stuff. 2. Do you spin? Crochet? I’m a crochet beginner. Would love to learn more as time permits.
3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.) No, to all, but I hate the smell of cigarettes.
4. How long have you been knitting? My paternal grandmother taught me when I was around 11 or 12, but I didn’t get really into it until three or so years ago. I consider myself an intermediate beginner. I still shy away from really complicated patterns, but am making my first cardigan for me.
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes to Amazon, but have not updated it in ages. Will do it after this…
6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) I have many: lavender, citrus, jasmine, and lemon verbena.
7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Yes, love sour candies covered in that sour powder, but I’m trying to cut down on sugar, especially refined sugar. Not good for trying to conceive, so they say…
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I like to bead with semi-precious/czech glass. I have dabbled in stamping, sewing, and would like to start scrapbook making, but gotta focus on the outstanding knitting projects lying around the house. My husband and I painted the most of the rooms in our little house together and I might paint my kitchen a deep purple in the spring. We just bought our house last spring and moved here in the summer, so I need to get into gardening. So far all I’ve done is weed.
9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I like cheesy love songs. Air Supply, Whitney, Celine… I also listen to Christian music. No MP3, but can play CDs no problem.
10. What's your favorite color? I’m Asian, so black works well on me, but I love light greens and all shades of purple. I’m also a fan of deep reds like cranberry. Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?
11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I will be married for 5 years on 5/21! We have no children yet, but have been trying for the last 2.5 years. We hope to be blessed soon. On the bright side we have a darling 8 month old puppy named Kona. She’s been such a joy to me.
12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know) Hmm…it’s to have a content & humble life without regrets…to hold a baby that’s mine regardless of whether I adopt or give birth…to travel to as many countries and experience as many cultures as I can…
13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? I like knitting with wool, esp. merino wool. I especially like Cashmerino by Debbie Bliss, but it’s expensive. I like Cascade 220 too. But I’m not terribly picky right now… I have a huge box of yarn that I’ve collected over the years. I need to use those up before I buy more.
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? Can’t think of any now.
15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Well if I were truly obsessed, I suppose I’d be done with my shawl collered sweater. I have lots of little things going on, but my freelance work has kept me from knitting as much as I did before.
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I love knitting baby sweaters though I’ve only made three so far.
17. What are you knitting right now? I have the following projects going: a baby sweater, a shawl, a scarf, a lacey scarf (those are hard to undo), and my sweater.
18. What do you think about ponchos? I don’t own one, almost bought one recently, but thought I could knit one so didn’t. In short, I like ‘em.
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? I use both.
20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I much prefer bamboo. When my grandmother (who came from China to live with us) taught me she used needles she whittled from chopsticks b/c she wasn’t used to the aluminum ones we bought her. So I started on bamboo chopsticks whittled down my my NaiNai. Gosh I wish I still had a pair.
21. Are you a sock knitter? No, but it’s on my list of things to learn b/c my friend gave me sock yarn 2 years ago that I’ve started and ripped apart more than a couple of times. It’s the cool kind that knits up into a pattern.
22. How did you learn to knit? From my grandmother at first. Then about three years ago, I was visiting a friend and she was making baby hats. I just had to learn how to make hats. I was intrigued by the double pointed needles.
23. How old is your oldest UFO? A shawl with kidmohair for my mom. I started it X’mas 2002. 24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? Can’t say I have one. I like Disney characters. Snow White I guess b/c I was engaged at Snow White’s Grotto in Disneyland.
25. What is your favorite holiday? I love Thanksgiving and Christmas.
26. Is there anything that you collect? Tea pots (usuable ones, not decorative ones) and sea glass.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Back Home & Back to Routines
After being away for nearly three weeks, we made it home safely last Wednesday night, but not without a speeding ticket! Ken was just thinking that it was amazing that we drove over 3000 miles without a ticket and then just as we crossed the border from OR to WA, the patrol car spun around and stopped us. The officer logged 68 mph in a 55 mph zone. I was thinking that in parts of CA the speed limit is 70 mph and when we were in NM visiting my in-laws the speed limit was 75 mph! What's 68 mph? Guess it does not make it okay. The officer felt sorry for us or something so he knocked the speed to 65 so it did not fall in the more than 10 miles above limit category.
I did do some knitting while away, but not as much as I had planned. The front left panel of my cardigan gave me some stress, so I just put it down and didn't pick it up until last night's knitting group. The pattern did NOT spell out the directions for the left. Simply said to reverse directions for the right and add buttonholes. Makes it harder for this beginner of cardigans. Last night at my knitting group I did manage to figure out what I was doing wrong, so I'm back on track. While away I did manage to start a scarf for my mother-in-law, but ran out of one of the yarns. I was doublestranding and miscalculated. So I have to go pick up some more Mission Falls 1824 wool. Hopefully I'll just walk past other stuff when I go to the store...
I did do some knitting while away, but not as much as I had planned. The front left panel of my cardigan gave me some stress, so I just put it down and didn't pick it up until last night's knitting group. The pattern did NOT spell out the directions for the left. Simply said to reverse directions for the right and add buttonholes. Makes it harder for this beginner of cardigans. Last night at my knitting group I did manage to figure out what I was doing wrong, so I'm back on track. While away I did manage to start a scarf for my mother-in-law, but ran out of one of the yarns. I was doublestranding and miscalculated. So I have to go pick up some more Mission Falls 1824 wool. Hopefully I'll just walk past other stuff when I go to the store...
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Long Road Trip
We left for our old home last Thursday with our pup Kona in tow. Despite our late start (we left around 8:20 a.m. and arrived in SF at 10 p.m) we made good time. There was a scary patch in near Shasta, but we weathered it. Kona did great on the trip, she slept for most of it. I meant to knit during the ride, but never got to it. I ended up snoozing and enjoying the scenery. SF was rushed so I didn't get to go to any yarn shops. On Monday, we drove on down to LA to visit my mother and brothers. The ride down was an adventure too. Again no knitting. The Grapevine (I-5 between Bakersfield and northern LA county) was shut down due to ice and snow. Our detour took us about 2 hours out of the way, but again we made it. Kona did fine. She went potty on the grounds of the famous Madonna Inn. They were featured on the Travel Channel's episode on Top 10 bathrooms. Don't remember which number they were but we thought we'd stop by. The Men's Room contains a huge fountain for a urinal. Water flows as men pee. Pretty funny. Funnier is that I went in to see it when my husband gave me the all clear. We leave for NM tomorrow to visit the in-laws and I will for sure get knitting done there, so more from the road later.
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