I know how to end the drought!

Everyone .... go get a car wash!

The Mother of Fun Fur

If you knit or crochet, you know about fun fur. Perhaps it may be possible to make something attractive with it, but usually you get items like the ones found in this blog:

He!He!He! That Tickles! - What Not to Crochet

I believe I have found the origins of fun fur. (Click on the picture for a better view.)



I was browsing the local Half Price Bookstore's craft section when I stumbled upon this monstrosity. The book, Better Homes and Gardens Complete Book of Knitting Crochet & Embroidery, was published in 1977, but that's no excuse! It looks like it's going to eat the baby. The pattern is even worse. Part of it reads as follows:

Cut rem balls, of all colors, into 5in lengths. Following chart knot 2 strands together around every dc on the piece. Trim strands to desired length or leave shaggy.

There are 2,448 double crochet stitches. In other words, you would have to tie 2 short pieces of yarn around a part of the blanket 2,248 times. I'd rather be disemboweled, stuck with hot pokers, skinned alive, and quartered! In a sick way, it makes you grateful for today's "fun fur". A very, very sick and twisted way.

Yotsuba &!

Yotsuba &! is a very cute and random manga that I really loved reading! Yotsuba is an irresistible character. She reminds me of myself, but maybe a bit more dense.

I purchased volumes 1 - 5, but 6 was never released when the publishers said it would be. I found out that they basically abandoned the project in favor of subbing/dubbing anime. Luckily, there are some lovely folks out there who scan manga and translate it for us poor American folk who don't have access to it. I would gladly pay for the service, but perhaps it just isn't worth the media companies' time. Oh well. At least I got to read the rest of it!

Happy Easter

Spring Break

It's almost over ... :(
Sarah and I have cleaned up the house a bit. I did laundry. We spent time with family and friends. Overall, it's been rather productive and very nice. I was disappointed when we all realized that it wasn't the best time for a trip to Dallas, but our visit has been rescheduled for the first weekend of April.

I can't think of anything very interesting that has happened, so I think I'll leave it at that. See ya!

A Little Explanation ...

I haven't posted anything in a long time. Most of you are family, so you already know what's up. When Baxter died on December 11, it hit me really hard. It was so unexpected. He was getting a treatment that was supposed to cure his hyperthyroidism, but they think that his body just couldn't handle the rapid change. It was the first time in the 10 years that the vet had been performing this procedure that a cat had died. The treatment involves radioactive iodine, so it took a little while to get his body so we could bury him. Thanks to Mom and Dad for letting me bury him in their backyard next to Sam.

To say that I miss him is an understatement. Just writing this out is really hard for me. I know that many people don't understand how I can be so upset about a cat. Simply put, Baxter was my best bud. I don't think I can adequately describe how much of a comfort he was to me. He literally saved my life. He was always there for me.

Maybe I'm strong enough to go on without that help now. Maybe that's why the Lord saw fit to take him. I am no longer in an emotionally abusive relationship. My bipolar disorder is under control. I have been able to buy a car, I'm paying down my debt, and I'm looking into the possibility of buying a house sometime in the next year or so. Maybe there's some other reason altogether.

I couldn't blog about my life without talking about Baxter's death, because it had a large impact on me. Now that it's out there, I think I may be able to post some more.





Forgive the crappy photography, but this is the best picture I have of him sleeping on his back.

How I Feel About Blogging

Click on the image below.