It looks like Super Eggplant Mariko has kicked off a spontaneous Ugly Slippers Festival. I immediately recognized the style, it's the same one I used for my husband while he was sick (sans girly pom-pons on the toes): Aunt Maggie's Slippers There are several variations floating around, apparently grandmas all over the world have been turning them out for decades. It's a great pattern for the elderly or those with mobility problems or swollen feet - my husband lived in these, as well as a low-cut sock pattern I modified from Joan Hamer's sock pattern. I made the cuff considerably lower, like a sport sock - that also worked well. Both designs are excellent for people going through cancer treatments or other "lots of time off your feet" lousy times. Based on my very unscientific feedback (conversations with patients and oncology nurses) socks and slippers like these may be preferable to the ubiquitous "chemo caps."

I'm still working on critter blankets, but ready to move on soon.

The Knitters' Review forums mentioned the Trinity Stitch Shawl recently - another one of those brilliantly simple and classic patterns that has been floating around the Internet for years. I'm thinking Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece would make a nice casual shawl, and I have a stash of it from my Ebay yarn-buying therapy binges from this time last year.

Looking back in the archives of the blog (the only journal I've ever kept for more than a week) I noticed that a year ago this week my husband went into hospice and the most hellish time of my life began. I knew he was dying, I knew that nothing could change that, but I didn't know what the future would hold for me or the kids on the roller-coaster ride from hell. A year later we're still bouncing around a bit but getting our legs under us again. The house is refinanced and the line of credit package is sitting on my desk even as I type. Changing jobs was the smartest thing I ever could have done (the old office is in a meltdown of truly staggering magnitude, and I'm so glad I'm not there). Girl is entering her last year of college, Boy is still bouncing around trying to figure out what he really wants to do with himself, (but who isn't?) and he's self-sufficient and the best son ever. I'm proud of all of us.

Girlchild and I will be two ships crossing in the night at the end of this week - she's coming home either Thursday night or Friday during the day, and I'm leaving for Miami Thursday afternoon and probably returning Saturday afternoon. She'll be around for the week between spring and summer session and we have a marathon of shopping, dining out and chick flicks on the agenda.

The blog is due for a new look - way overdue, actually - but I'm not sure when I'll get to it. Perhaps during my time off in June - right now I'm taking off the first week for the kitchen remodeling and probably the last week for my birthday, just because. Maybe during that time I will remodel the Bossy Doghouse as well. Or maybe I'll sit by the pool with headphones on all day.