Michigan Recap

So I am back in Virginia! I never to really know if I went 'home' to Michigan, or came 'home' to Virginia. Can you have two homes? Is your home where you live, or where your family is or where you grew up? Neither here nor there, I suppose. My trip was absolutely fantastic. Normally my visits to Michigan are fully packed and somewhat stressful, trying to schedule in time with everyone I want to visit with. For some reason, I was able to see more people, for more time this visit and I totally loved it.

Firstly, the bag was a big hit with mom. On some level, she is still just a proud momma showing off her kids art project, but she really did like the bag and started using it right away. Proof: Her only request for improvement was if it had a pocket inside. I totally could have done that, it just never occurred to me. And thanks to you all for such nice compliments on the bag on my last post. You really know how to make a girl feel special :)

Secondly, I got to meet my downstream SP11 pal Tracey!! She lives close to my mom's, so we met Saturday morning. We had such a nice time knitting and chatting. She even got me a thank you present, which was so nice. Check it out! Handknit washcloths, a lush bath bomb, tea, cookies for Zosia & Jimmy Ray (those are from Sami!) AND a skein of Dream in Color Classy! How gorgeous is that color?!?!?

In other visiting news, I got to see Tricia and baby Addi (who I still owe a knit sweater to, but have not yet finished - - ok started, since I gave up on the Kimono). She's HUGE (24 lbs!) but so freakin' adorable!! Laura Beth and I also had a great lunch with lots of catching up. I visited with my Godfather and cousins and their super cute beagle Bella, and my Auntie Penny who has FOUR beagles!! Finally, my Grandpa and Aunt Marge came over for dinner on Sunday - I made Chicken White Bean Chili. It was a big hit!



I visited my grandma, too, but it was kind of sad. She has severe dementia and had lived with my mom for 4 years and finally had to go to a nursing home. It wasn't so sad just seeing how she's regressed, but the nursing home was awful. She's in a lock down unit with others who are at risk of wandering away. They all sit in wheelchairs and sit by windows and stare outside. It was hard to see. Grandma seems happy - she has a host of stuffed toys and dolls that occupy her, so that is good.

And the Christmas presents!! There was my much coveted Harmony DPN set under the tree, and they were immediately used to cast on for my cowboy socks.
My first toe-ups. That part was not so bad, but the short row heel leaves a little to be desired. My mom also got me the magnetic chart keeper from KnitPicks and some pattern books and a random ball of CotLin (purchased to meet the free shipping minimum, he he - I guess I get it from my mom!). The rest of the gifts are non-knitting related, but my favorite was a picture my mom framed of my grandpa and I from my kindergarten graduation. He passed away when I was 11 so I don't have a lot of mementos of him, so it was special.

Finally, I got to spend lots of time with my doggie. Sadie is a VERY old gal. . . she'll be 14 in April. She's deaf now, and her hips give her trouble every now and again going up the stairs, but overall she's pretty good for that age. She pepped up for the first day I was home I guess out of excitement to see me and wanted to play with toys and run around. I think she regretted it the next day, though, her hips seemed more sore than usual, so she got a lot of extra loving!

The only bad parts of my trip were 1) there was no snow and 2) where snow was lacking, political ads were not! I really love snow and miss it living here in VA (don't get me wrong, I don't miss it in April, but I miss waking up to fresh snow). I thought for sure there would be snow but it rained a few days before I came home and washed it all away, so all I got to see was brown frozen ugly ground :( In politics, luckily, no one cares about the Virginia primary. It's after 'Super Tuesday' and so it probably won't matter (though the way things are going, maybe that will change). Michigan, however, does matter and so the airwaves were FILLED with ad after ad for all the Republicans. Got old. . . . QUICK. No Democrats, though, because they were 'punishing' Michigan for moving the primary. Umm, so much for freedom of choice, I guess!