Sorry I have been incommunicado

I've been ultra-busy with my graduate classes and work and a new baby in the house and physical therapy for my foot so I haven't had much time to write.
I've been going to physical therpay for my foot, which after a session feels great for about a day before it begins to ache again...and I'm back to wearing the Franken-boot for a day or two until the swelling subsides.
I've made two versions of the Textile Studio Brussels skirt in the past week because it is the easiest skirt I've ever made. I'll post pictures soon, but I don't feel like limping around trying to get my friend to take pictures of me tonight.
For the first skirt, I used Textile Studio's
Renfrew Charcoal Corded Knit and a lovely poly? wool? huh? grey plaid with lime highlights for the second. I wore the charcoal skirt 3 days in a row because it is so comfy.
I've had this Mad Hatter's Hat pattern for about a thousand years, oh, okay, maybe only two or three, but until today, I couldn't find an adequate source for straw braid...I was thinking of doing it up in a darkish purply-navy dupioni silk for Marcus, or perhaps dark purple straw braid...hmmm...what do you think?
I'm so looking forward to PR's LA Weekend in March. My tickets are bought and the hotel reservations are made and I am good to go!I'll also be spending two days at the Sew Expo in Puyallup at the end of February; March is the month for fabric fun!
So I leave with a picture from the Japanese Garden in the Arboretum I took for a plein-air watercolor class a few autumns ago...

Rhiannon is Here!

This morning at 9:06 a.m., weighing in at 8 pounds, 5 ounces, and measuring 21 and 1/4 inches, Rhiannon finally made her appearance!

If the shoe fits...

Today is the first day I have been able to wear a pair of shoes since the middle of November when I had foot surgery. I am limited to a pair of tweed sneakers that are a little too large because nothing else fits my swollen left footsie. I was getting SO TIRED of wearing the Franken-boot and tripping over everything! I saw my foot doctor yesterday and had some xrays taken. Everything looks good according to him, but I am still freaked out by seeing the two metal screws in my metatarsal in the xrays! I actually took several pix of my foot progressing after surgery, some with bandaging, some without, but decided against grossing everyone out by posting them to this blog; I value my friends!
I had to take Gato to the vet's this morning for a check up. Gato was thoroughly unamused by the trip, and gave me an earful of hisses and yowls, but he had been losing weight and yesterday he had blood in his stool, which is quite worrisome. The vet gave him a shot of anti-imflammatory and said the problem wasn't all that uncommon, especially in cats that were under alot of stress..."Hmmm...you mean stress like a woman in the house about to have a baby any minute?" I asked. "And a rambunctious six year old running hither and thither, poking at cats?" Yup. Poor Gato is in love with Jennifer (pictures to follow) and must be worried about the impending birth of her baby.