Sorry for the lack of real life on this blog in the last few days.   There have been a few distractions:

The most recent distraction was yesterday – and unless you don't watch tv or listen to the radio or read any newspapers or the Internet, you know what happened.

It was close! but She and We Did It! 

I was so nervous during the evening I couldn't even knit!

These last two weeks leading up to yesterday were nail biting to say the least – read my main blog (its the first one over on the right) if you are interested.   There has been so much on the 'nets about what's going on – let me just recommend ONE website – REAL CLEAR POLITICS.  Try em, you'll like em.

And so continuing on.

The other recent distraction was my sudden surrender to the stomach flu that has passed around here – I must have received it from my nephews who adorable as they are had it two weekends ago.  Wed when I was there some little bug obviously jumped on board my ship and by Thursday afternoon I was in quite a sad state.

That meant missing weekly knitting group – and moaning on the sofa all achy all night.  

By Friday evening I was able to eat some toast and drink tea (don't lecture me on tea, if I don't have at least one big cup at the first of the day I am not to be reckoned with – and yes even when sick I drink it).  Although I must have still looked bad as my upstairs neighbor asked how sick was I.  (um, not too much thanks).

Saturday morning was the monthly knitting group meeting for which I took up a kind friend's offer of a ride and put myself together as best I could.  Wobbly legged and fuzzy brained as I was, it was still good to be there with others… the 2+ hours always FLIES by – we have such a good group – varied and full of lively members with lots of interested projects and always good stories and laughs.

Feeling emboldened by my success at sitting up in a chair for a few hours, I decided to try some food – accompanying two knitters to the local diner where I was able to eat a grilled cheese sandwich.  Actually I was hungry – it had been two days since I had eaten.

By the time I returned home, I needed a little nap and was able to listen to the end of the MET Radio Broadcast of OTELLO – the last act wherein Desdemona is killed by Otello.  Renee Fleming sounded exquisite – the best I have heard her in years (although her Traviata at the MET of recent time was superb too ). None of the swooping and excessive portamento that she has exhibited often in the past. 

Then for the first time in days I was able to sit and read my email and catch up on blogs – and to one of the best PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION shows this year certainly.  The Wailin Jennys and The Boys from the Lough were both on – two of my favorite groups and the skits were of high order as well as the monologue.  ( I have tickets to two of the three PHC NYC Live April broadcast shows and can't wait – it's amazing to be a part of the audience during the live broadcasts).   You can listen on line to any of the shows from several years past.  They are usually up by the Monday after the live show.

And yes, I am a huge GK fan – I would love to meet him – but so would everyone else in the audience I am sure.

The yarn I needed to complete the Red Tomten Jacket arrived on Saturday – Oregon Trail Yarns on eBay.  She is great and always gets me what I need very quickly.

However it seems that I have TWO major projects on SLEEVE ISLAND and I am SO NOT inspired to finish them.  Its much more fun to read blogs and play on Ravelry you know?

UGH – so tonight I am going to buckle down and work on one of them – the other is the CPH Variation – its done EXCEPT for the sleeves.

The other distraction in this household is my pregnant cat: yes, Cordelia is pregnant. 

She is about 4-5 weeks I think judging from all the information on the websites that I read recently. 

Certainly she is much more loving . Thank goodness she is showing less interest in going out cause all the research says to keep queens in during the last three weeks which we are very close to being at if not already in.

Basically she wants to be near me no matter where I am. 

Tonight after about a half hour, she got up off the wool blanket on the sofa where she spends most of her days now, came to find me at the computer; jumped up on the desk and promptly fell asleep right in the middle of everything on the desk.

It's going to be an interesting experience – my nephew is excited about the little kitties that will be coming – and so am I. 

So today I did one of those marathon grocery expeditions – I managed to be out of a bunch of those big items – Olive Oil (I buy the big cans), cat litter and cat food.  My research says that queens need to be feed kitten food during the last few weeks – so I got that instead of the usual Iams cat food.  And then I need to find or buy a laundry basket (one site suggested that instead of a box) and some cheap blankets to line so C can start getting her nest ready. 

Knitting wise I am having startitis in the worst way – and crave some lace knitting .  Luckily two gifting projects are looming and both will be good for lace knitting. 

For one of them (the earliest) after a long look around on Ravelry- want to have a go at the Shetland Triangle Shawl by Evelyn Clark – from Wrap Style.  But in looking at the book, see that's the only pattern I am interested in. 

At several friends' suggestions found a copy in the County Library system online and am now waiting for it be sent to my local library.  Upon asking them how long it would take, there was no idea so if its not here by Monday I may have to go with a back up pattern. 

Flowerbasket and Swallowtail are nice and have made both and they both knit up fairly quickly.

The last distraction has been my computer – which is dying a slow death.  ARGH!  

Today spent an hour just getting it to boot up.  Am currently researching replacement CPUs and hopefully will order something soon.  FINGERS CROSSED that it lasts.  (I have almost all of my important files on two external hard drives so only need to copy over a few).