Finally, Malware Warning Free

Well, I'm back in business - no more stinky malware warnings.  Wahoo!

So, here's what hubby & I believe happened.  A blog I followed seems to have been infected by some nasty bug.  And any blog that linked to it (and was recently scanned by Google's bug detectors) was also flagged as containing or distributing malware.  When I removed this blog from my blog roll, I thought I was in the clear.  But, Google still said I had malware issues.  Then hubby realized that I may have had comments that linked back to this blog.  So, I had to go through my almost 7000 comments to delete any links.  Now, I have the all clear from Google.

Unfortunately, in trying to track down the issue, I lost all my blog formatting - all the custom colours and fonts that I had put together to make my blog look the way it did.  So, for now, I have a different look (not that anyone  that reads in a blog reader would notice :)  ), but at least I'm back up and running.  Halleluiah!

I Spoke too Soon

Hubby still can't figure out why I have this malware warning.  He's still working on it...

Malware

Thank you to the folks that gave me the heads up about the malware message that comes up when trying to enter my blog.  My hubby believes that he has tracked down the issue and now I'm just waiting for the all clear.  What a PITA!

Exams - Blech!

It's the end of semester one.  Which means it's time for final exams.  I do believe the only thing worse than writing final exams is creating final exams, proctoring final exams and marking final exams.  Oh and then I get to compute final marks and write report cards.  This time of year is always so crazy hectic that I barely have time to breath.

So, needless to say, I am dying to get back into the sewing room.  I have so many projects swirling around in my head and I have no time to make them come to fruition.  It's torture, I tells ya.  Torture!

The only good thing about the end of this semester is bidding adieu to a particularly difficult student.  Every once in a blue moon, I run across a kid that stretches my considerable patience to the limit.  That.Was.This.Kid.  However, to put it in perspective, I had 73 other students that were wonderful to be around.  So, the odds are still considerably in my favour.

Any other teachers out there with a student (or twelve) that just drives you batty?   Tell me about it, so I don't feel like I'm alone in my misery.  *sob*

One/One/One One

I'm gonna be honest.  I can't bring myself to do a recap of 2010.  The first six months of the year were some of the most grief stricken times that I have ever lived through and the final six months were some of the most joyous.  Either way, it's just too exhausting to think about.

Did I keep my New Year's Resolutions from last year?  I'm guessing probably not.  I refuse to look them up and find out.

Do I have any resolutions for the year going forward?  Not really.  I'd like to sew an outfit a month and I'd like to start exercising more.  But, other than that, I'm pretty flexible.

I finally feel like I have myself in a positive place and I won't dwell on the past.  My sewing mojo has returned, my fabric buying habit is back in full gear, we're prepping to build our dream house and Hartley keeps me laughing everyday.

Things are good.

Cylon Night

I made this fabulous snowflake* for Angie.  Because nothing says 'holiday spirit' like six murderous robots.

* I wish I could take credit for this awesome idea, but I have to tip my hat to Pixels Review.

Summer Begins

My marks are done, my room is clean and my photocopying for next September is done.  Today is the first day of my summer vacation - I am officially a woman of leisure.  The next nine weeks are mine to do with as I will.  I hope to get some sewing, gardening and painting (home dec) done.

I just wish I could feel more upbeat.  Although Simon is still eating well and relishing his morning walks, he is showing the effects of the lymphoma.  He sleeps most of the day now and the lumps in his throat are quite large (making it a bit difficult for him to breathe).  Most days I am able to remain positive and thankful that I get this chance to say goodbye to him.  Other days I am in a rage at the injustice of it all.  And on even other days, I am melancholy and sad. 

Thank you to everyone that has left a message (either on my last post or via email).  I cannot tell you how comforting it is to know that other people understand my sorrow.  Every word has meant more to me than you'll ever know.


In closing, I want to send out a huge Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canucks (both real and honourary).  And to end with a chuckle, check out The Canada Song, as sung by my favourite MST3K* trio, Servo, Crow and Mike:




* MST3K = Mystery Science Theatre 3000; one of my all time favourite shows!

The BIG 4-0

Today I am 40 years old.

I'm am officially middle aged.

Huh, I guess it's time for a mid-life crisis.

I'll start with a 2010 Dodge Challenger please...

Vroom!

Video Games

My new toy (squeal!):

It's the Creative Vado HD Pocket Video Cam.  I have been wanting a small video camera for a while now (the camcorder we currently own was considered tiny at the time of purchase several years ago, but now seems like a lumbering giant - ahh, technological progress!).  I was looking for something tiny enough to fit into a pocket or purse, yet powerful enough to take great video.  It also had to be idiot proof and easy to figure out.  Then one day last week, I saw the Vado HD for sale online.  I mentioned it to my husband, gushing about how cool it was.  Unbeknown to me, he already had one on the way to me for my upcoming birthday*.  How does that man read my mind?  It got here on Friday and I have been playing with it ever since.

Well, let me tell you, this thing is great!  It's small (only 100g and smaller than a deck of cards), has a good amount of memory (8 GB) and it is so easy to use (I figured out how to use the camera and the software in no time flat).

Simon has already been the star of many an impromptu video shoot, with many more to come.  The poor dog won't be able to hiccup without me capturing it for posterity!!

*ETA:  Since I was asked in the comments, my birthday is May 5th.

Who's...

...your daddy?*

*Please do not take this to mean that I am all that hung up on hockey (or any other sporting event for that matter), but I do enjoy a good "in your face" moment.  So, my fabulous American friends, I invite you to suck it. I mean this in the nicest way possible  :) 

We are the champions.  We are the champions.  No time for losers.  'Cause we are the champions - of the world!

Neener, neener, neener!

I'm Not Your Sugar Mama

Lately, I have had a rash of comments that, aside from the actual comment, include an embedded link to a commercial website or web-based business. Please be aware that I will always delete these comments.

Please, don't get me wrong, I love (!) comments. I partially base my self-worth on the comments that my posts generate (there's nothing like a good ego stroking). However, I have consciously decided that this blog will not be a commercial zone. So, if you want to advertise or make money, more power to you. Just don't use my blog as a platform for your personal venture.

I don't make money from my blog, so why the hell would I let you make money from my blog?

Uncaged

I AM FREE! Yesterday was my last day of work until September 2nd. Now I have weeks and weeks to sew and garden and lay around like a lump of goo. Wahoo!

I have already started going through my pattern and fabric stashes to figure out what is first up on the summer sewing frenzy list. Right now, a bunch of vintage patterns are calling my name, especially this cute little reversible wrap-around dress, Simplicity 8125. Please note that I scammed this image from the Vintage Sewing Patterns Wiki. If you are a vintage pattern lover, you have to check out this site - it is a treasure trove of vintage goodness!

I just have to find two lightweight wovens to pair together for this dress. The patterns calls for approximately 2.5 yards of 54" fabric for each side of the dress. Surprisingly, I don't have much in my stash that fits this criteria, so I may have to go fabric shopping. O-darn-it-all!

What's Your Colour?

I have always loved taking quizzes - especially the ones that offer some insight into my personality. In that vein, I recently attended a professional development meeting where we were to determine our colour (either blue, gold, orange or green). I am a gold (with green my next strongest colour). The characteristics* for a gold person are spot on:

GOLD:

Golds are the backbone of society. "Good as gold," they are loyal, hard working, responsible, and dependable. They are clean, neat, well organized, and punctual. They take pride in their families, their homes, civic duties, work, and upholding traditions. They keep good records, pay their bills on time, and are financially prudent ("A penny saved is a penny earned."). Golds are natural leaders. Because they are so conventional, Golds may become rigid, habit-bound, and set in their ways. They don’t like sudden change, mess, or confusion, and become agitated with other people’s tardiness or sloppiness. Golds may find it difficult not to judge others harshly and they sometimes take life, and themselves, too seriously.

People who don’t accommodate Golds very well may accuse them of being boring, stuck in a rut, uncompromising, critical, or "control freaks."

You will likely find bright Golds in professions which require responsibility, precision, and order (military, law, accounting, engineering, record keeping), or volunteering in traditional organizations such as scouting or youth sports. They enjoy running things and often take management roles, where they will give their utmost and tend to every detail.

Famous Golds: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Colin Powell, country singer Clint Black, the fictional Mr. Banks in "Mary Poppins," TV’s Judge Judy.


Okay, so what if I'm an inflexible, controlling neat freak - you got a problem with that??? :)


What colour are you?



* for more info on the color characteristics, see here, here and here.

Just call me Thyphoid Mary

Two weeks ago, I said that I was going to start posting again, didn't I? That was before all hell broke loose in my little corner of the world.

Consider the following...

Two weeks ago my Mom was in a car accident. I'll spare you all the gory details. Suffice it to say that a woman (stopped at a stop sign) pulled out in front of my Mom (who was traveling down a through street) and my Mom was unable to avoid her. Several blown air bags and one totaled Chrysler 300M (my Mom's retirement gift to herself a few years back) later and my Mom was in the market for a new car. Other than some stiffness and bruising, she is fine - no broken bones and no death (which is always a good thing). She now has a brand new, bright red, Chrysler Sebring and is doing well. So, one disaster averted.

One week ago, I started with cold-like complaints and fatigue. In short order, I started to get itchy and noticed small, raised welts on my torso. The itching quickly became unbearable and the rash started to spread outward toward my extremities. At first, I couldn't figure out what was happening to me. Do I have hives? Is it an allergic reaction? Then I remembered the young lady in my class the had similar symptoms. I also remember the local grade schools have had an epidemic of Fifth disease. So I start to google like mad trying to find out more. Hmm, Fifth disease is most common in 5 to 15 year olds. By adulthood only 50% of people are susceptible and I apparently am in that 50%. Yeehaw. The good news is that my immune system seems to have made quick work of the virus (although I have been sleeping a ton this weekend) and I seem to have avoided the swollen and stiff joints that can sometimes accompany the adult version of the disease. So now, of the five classic childhood exanthems, I have had two - I guess I can look forward to measles, rubella and scarlet fever at a later date. Sigh.



On the sewing front, not much has happened at Chez Shannon. Although I'm, itchin' (pun intended) to get back in front of the machine.

In other related news, I haven't bought any fabric in over two months - could it be that I have reached stash saturation? Only time will tell...

So Far, So Good

I went to see my Mom today and when we got there she was wide awake, completely alert and most of the tubes and IVs had been removed. She was doing so well, as a matter of fact, that they were in the process of transferring her out of ICU into a regular room. We were told that she would likely be in ICU for 3 to 4 days, so I was quite surprised that 1.5 days after her surgery she was well enough to go to the regular neurology floor. She is talking and smiling and all I can say is whew! I know the next few days may offer up some setbacks, but right now, things are definitely looking good. I only hope that she continues to improve like this.

Again, I am so grateful to all of you for such amazing support. I just wish I could hug you all in person because you have made me feel so much less alone during this whole ordeal. Thank you all.

Hopefully, over the next few days, I can get back to some regular blogging as I have a bunch of stuff I wanted to share with you that was finished prior to all the hoopla.

Another Update

Although I was told that my Mom would be in surgery for approximately 4-5 hours, in the end her surgery took almost 10 hours. We arrived at the hospital yesterday at around 3:00 pm (which was near the time her surgery was supposed to end), but didn't see the doctor until 9:15 pm. He said the surgery went well, it just took longer than expected because the tumour was so large and bloody (sorry for the graphic details). The tumour was approximately the size of a billiard ball and during the surgery she lost around 7.5 L of blood (which is a ton when you consider the average adult only has 5 L of blood), so she had to be transfused several times.

This morning we arrived at the hospital hoping to see my Mom in the ICU and talk to her doctor. She was sent for a CT scan to ensure that there were no blood clots (or other complications) developing after surgery and we were supposed to speak to the doctor after he saw the scan. Unfortunately, the doctor was called away on an emergency surgery so we couldn't talk to him, but we did get to see my Mom.

I have never seen so many machines and tubes and wires and blinking lights in my whole life. When my Dad was dying of lung cancer three years ago, I thought he was hooked up to a lot of equipment, but this was a whole other level. When I went in to her room, she was awake. She couldn't talk to me because of the tube down her throat, but she did write on a tablet. She was lucid and there appears to be no sign of paralysis or loss of mental capability - boy, did I breathe huge sigh of relief when she knew who I was and began asking questions and giving intelligent answers! Prior to the surgery, she had almost no power in her left hand and it shook horribly (the tumour was located on the right side of the brain and was adversely affecting her left side). Today, she was able to squeeze with her formerly feeble hand, which is an excellent sign. After two short visits, we decided to come home, as she needs her rest. I just pray that her recovery continues to go smoothly. I guess the next several days will begin to tell the tale.

Once again, thank you to everyone that has left such kind messages of hope. I feel like I have love pouring in from all over the world. You all cannot know how much I needed your support the last few days.

Update

Thank you all so much for the well wishes. Your outpouring of care and good thoughts has helped to make an unbearable time easier.

My Mom's surgery was postponed. The doctor had a patient scheduled before her that had some unforeseen complications while in the OR, so my Mom's surgery was pushed back. Hopefully, it will be today. It is terrifying enough knowing that there will be surgery on her brain, but it is extra difficult when we get all psyched up and then it doesn't happen. So, the nerve-wracking vigil continues...

ETA: Hallelujah! My Mom just called. They are taking her down to the OR for surgery right now (Saturday, 9:00 am). I am so nervous and antsy that I think I could bend a steel bar with my bare hands! But, I know everything will go smoothly.

I'll post when I have more info.

ETA: We went to the hospital this morning and the nurse told us that my Mom went into surgery at 11:00 am and that she is expected to be in surgery until 3 or 4:00 this afternoon. Then she goes into the ICU. We are heading back to the hospital now (2:30 pm) and I hope to speak to the doctor to make sure it all went well.

Needing Well Wishes

I may be spotty with the blogging for a while. My Mom goes in for neurosurgery tomorrow to have a benign mass removed from her brain. After surgery she will remain in the ICU for 3 or 4 days, followed by a 6 week recovery. I know in my heart that everything will go smoothly, but if you could spare a thought for my family over the next while, I would appreciate it.

Questions

I want to respond to a few questions, so let's get answerin'!

Anwen asked, "How long have you been sewing?"
I first started sewing when I was sixteen years old - so just over 20 years now. I sewed throughout the end of high school and most of undergrad university. However, during graduate school I got too busy to sew and didn't really get back into it full force until about 3 years ago. Since then I have been an unstoppable fabric and pattern buying machine and I sew at least one garment every week.

Catherine said, "Thanks for showing how you do your SBA. I have seen techniques that remove length from the center front panel, as well - have you tried that? Do you walk your seams after doing this?"
I usually remove length from the front panel as well (about 0.25"), however since I was working with a soft wool (wool crepe), I knew I could steam out any excess fabric if it became a problem. I do tend to walk my seams if I am going to use the altered pattern with an unforgiving fabric - I don't want any nasty "surprises" after the fabric is cut out.

Vicki said, "Will the new shoes (no 1 and no 4 from prior post) match? They look like they might."
Good eye, Vicki. The fourth shoe actually looks really great with the chocolate wool crepe!

Tara said, "I adore Jackie's style, particularly her "Lily Pulitzer" Palm Beach style. Any of that in the works...that's some pricey fabric!"
I was only slightly aware of Lily Pulitzer - I don't think these stores exist in Canada - so I did a bit of snooping around the internet. It's pretty nifty that the fabric is for sale. Unfortunately, the colours don't really work for me, but the prints sure are cute!

Johanna said, "I was born on that Easter Sunday- so fun to see your post about Jackie's special outfit for that day."
Well then, let me wish you an early happy birthday (just in case I forget on April 14th)!!

No Time to Chat - I Gotta Sew!!

Yowza, sometimes life can be hectic!! I have finished a couple of garments lately, but I haven't had time to blog about them. When things slow down at work I will be updating on my progress. This weekend has been "wearable muslin weekend", as I have been working on tweaking the fit of my wardrobe pattern for SWAP. So far, so good.

I was reading the Fabric Fast thread at PR and it started me thinking. Don't worry I'm not joining them - that's way more willpower than I'll ever have!! However, it did make me wonder how many garments I have in flat fabric form, in my stash, just waiting to spring to life. So I did a little math. Over the last two years I have sewn up 471.40 m of fabric into 267 garments. This means that, on average, I use around 1.75 m of fabric per garment. As of today, my fabric stash contains 963.10 m - so I have enough fabric to make 550 garments (963.10/1.75). Holy crap!! Ahem, pardon my language, but dang, I'm gonna need a bigger closet!!