I wanted to be sure I got a post in today since I sit here waiting for Time Warner to come and switch us from DSL to cable (and cable telephone and tv.. yay!) I busted my butt this summer. I made a deal with myself.. pay off huuuge credit card debt, reward self with cable tv, and not a moment before that bill was paid off. Bill paid off.. cable guy arrives somewhere between noon and five.
But last time Time Warner hooked us up in Homer, we had connectivity issues for a few days. So, post today, just in case I'm not around for a few days.
Now on to the rambling..

• Flower Basket shawl, DONE. I tried to block last night but I ran out of pins (and again, my pin cushion is MIA) Going to iron the heck out of it today, OR locate pin cushion. Cassidy has asked for it for her birthday (she'll turn 8 this coming Saturday), which touches me in that mama sort of soft spot. I had planned to gift it to my mom for Christmas, but I can always make another one for mom. How can I not give it to her now?
• Wing Of The Moth Shawl, started (several repeats into the fir cone section)
• Lots of yogurt has been consumed. Seriously. I made a batch a day for a few days. Obviously, my little tribe loves them some mama made yogurt!
• I canned. For.the.first.time.ever. Cassidy and I stopped by a farm stand over the weekend for some green tomato (I had a craving) and lots of blueberries.  I was lucky enough to get a ton of canning jars, and a canning pot on my local freecycle list last week (I kid you not, I have more quart sized mason jars than I will ever use.. though some are pegged to go to Mia)  So Cassidy and I made blueberry jam! The fruits of our labor, yielded 6 jars of jam.. in other words, enough for my kids to use in their home-made yogurt for a few weeks. Next up.. apple butter. Possibly some fruit salsas.
• Secret Pal 8, for me, is complete. My pal's package was sent out on Saturday and she received it yesterday. Since shes blogged it, I can lift my veil of secrecy. The hand spun corrie from last week, was for her (Emily@ SayWhat?)  I'm delighted with this round of Secret Pal. I had a great spoiler and a fabulous spoilee, not to mention Heatherly, our great "organizer" who kept us on the ball with friendly emails and advice.
• Jill update.. Every time I talked to she, mom or Tracy I'd get news that they found a new fracture. All in all, both hips fractured, both shoulders fractured (one in two spots), forearm, thigh, ribs and lower lumbar (L1). They were to transfer her to a local rehab facility, however I got a call from Jill last week letting me know they sent her home (!!) It was going to take another week at least for them to straighten out the insurance mess (long story, but it involves very limited coverage). So home she was sent. For now she is staying at Tracy's, and the kids are staying with my mom. What makes this very difficult is that she still does require lots of care, but everyone has to work. They have worked out a bit of a system but there are a few mornings a week where Jill has to be left alone (my grandmother cares for her kids), but her being alone for any amount of time, scares me.  They say, they expect Jill to be walking by Christmas, but she may always require a cane or crutch. Of course in my mind, I think she would have a much better prognosis if she were getting that rehab care.  Let me elaborate: The car insurance coverage for the accident is very limited. Her family insurance, through Virgil's employer was cancelled at midnight the night he died (with no warning to Jill, only a COBRA notice a month later with a hefty price tag she wasn't able to afford) So after the accident she was forced to apply for medical assistance. Unfortunately they will not pay for rehab. She was to return to work the day after the accident happened, and she would have been able to get her employer's health plan for she and the kids. Since she will not be returning to work in the foreseeable future, if ever.. that plan is shot.

In a nutshell, our country's health care system, including insurance companies, are fucked up. Call it socialism if you want, but everyone deserves quality care.

Pictures later, tomorrow, or whenever I'm able to get online again.

Around a year ago on this day..

• Gifted - 2007
• playing catch up - 2004