In case you've ever wondered how much knitting you can get done if you are ever faced with sitting around for 10 hours in a waiting room, I'll show you. I'm a slow knitter but I managed to finish a sock (that's the Zap sock yarn from Samurai Knitter) ((sorry for the photo. It's very still and dark here. It feels like the heavens are going to open up any minute)) and start a new shawl. It's the Heartland shawl (ravelry link) and I used some merino laceweight I bought on etsy about a year ago. The color is Mahogany or Chestnut, I forget and there was no ball band. I bought about 2400 yds of it. It's a single ply and very thin. I wanted a more substantial feeling shawl so I'm holding it double. The pattern calls for a dk weight so it should work out. I may have to rip it and start over. I chose a smaller needle size because I had laceweight yarn. Then I chose to hold the yarn double but didn't go up a needle size so it's a little dense. I'd hate to waste all that effort but I figure it served its purpose. It kept me entertained for a day when I really needed to be entertained. The pattern is fairly easy to follow so it won't take too long to recoup.



We got to the hospital at 10 yesterday. Em had to be there at 8 and was scheduled for surgery between 10 and 11:30. They sent Jim away at 10 so they could start the prep. We all sat in the waiting room and watched a large screen to see what was happening. Jim and Peter Kevin had laptops and games. We found an outlet and they were set. One of the good things about knitting is that you don't need an outlet. I plopped down in a chair and put on some headphones with a Stephanie Plum novel on my head and I was good to go.



It wasn't until 11:33 that they took Em into the operating room. And we anxiously watched the screen until 12:33 when they started the surgery. About 1:00 a nurse came down with updates and all she had for us was "she went to sleep well". So, we sat and kept ourselves occupied until 3:00 when she came down again and said they had just gotten to the tumor and were starting to remove it. ( We were surprised it took that long but when we looked at the pictures, we could see why. The tumor was buried against Em's spine and was touching her esophagus and lungs and chest wall. It's about 10 cm across and looks dense and heavy. ) About 5:00 or so, she came down and said they were closing. It went quicker than they thought. The tumor came out pretty much in one piece and they got it all. Em's lungs were reinflated and they had to remove only a small piece of lung to get the tumor off. The surgeon told us he was surprised at the size of the thing. If you can picture a softball, it's a little bigger than that. He was thrilled with the outcome. There were no repairs needed (thus the shortened time). Em's insides are back to normal and she only needs to heal from the violence of the surgery.



We got to see our brave girl at 8:00. She was surprisingly alert and fiesty. And she looked good. Better and less fragile than last time. The surgeon told us it's unlikely this kind of thing will grow back so this should be the last time.



Pk and I left around 8:30 and headed for our favorite diner where we had comfort food. A grilled cheese sandwich with tomato and onion for me (it was perfectly made) and soup and chicken fingers for him. We got home at 10:00 and there was a package from Jejune. She sent me a Violet Crumble and some silky merino roving. It was a lovely surprise. And the chocolate (which was delicious!) made for some satisfying desert.

So, the saga of Laslow-Mitford is coming to an end (good riddance). It's made us aware of our fragility and our strength. It's also been made easier by the love and good wishes surrounding our family. For that, we thank you all.





Here's my favorite photo from Sunday. Em and Kate petting an alpaca. You can just see El in there,too. It was a nice day. The owner of one of the farms was friendly and willing to answer Pk's questions. Now, he and Kate are planning how we can raise some alpacas. I bought some bags of fiber in beige and carmel colored brown. I gave the brown to Kate who just bought her own spinning wheel. A stash has to start with something.

The thunder in the distance tells me the storm is coming (I am so perceptive that way). We're going over to the hospital to spend the day with Em until Jim gets off from work. We know she won't be up for much but we just need to be there. I'll find the larger needle and re-start the shawl. And I downloaded another book to the mp3 player so I'm ready.

Have a good day.