I am blocking for the first time ever. The “grannie squares” you see pictured are one of my Scotland 2010 souvenirs. I bought all the wool from Shilasdair on the Isle of Skye.

I finished crocheting the 48 squares quite some time ago… I crocheted 80 additional squares for another afghan while I let myself be intimidated by blocking. I’d never done it before and it looked scary.

After purchasing a Block ‘n Roll, about 800 blocking pins, and trying it out, I can tell you blocking is simple and I’m pleased with the result. The basic idea is that you get your piece wet,  pin it into shape, and let it dry. (The exact technique depends on the material and personal preferences. You can do that Google search.) It almost feels like cheating as you take all your squares that are close to the same, but nevertheless contain human variances, and produce a more uniform square. The more uniform squares lead to a finer finished afghan that will also lay better than it otherwise would.

I’ll post a photo of the finished afghan. Now that the above squares are dry, I’m piecing it all together.

My Rainfall Measurer

I looked out on my deck at my personal rainfall measurer. It’s a cheap glass vase I leave outside that helps me decide whether or not to water my lawn and trees. So I looked at it and I thought, “Well, that sums up the week!”.

People might take that as a bad thing. Some folks had to deal with some major flooding because of all the rain we got. Others had to deal with even more profound consequences. The news anchors complained every day, every time the weather man was introduced.

In fact, I did hit some personal lows this week. I failed to meet some goals I’d set for myself. I failed miserably. I worried all week about an upcoming meeting. I didn’t feel needed at work. I remembered the sadness of 9/11. And the list could go on.

But, as I drove home from church today, I admired all the green trees and the green lawns and the late summer blooms. That’s the way I like to see my Virginia. I relived the victory of having done something that was extremely hard for me on Saturday. I felt thankful for a church service that focused on hope. I looked forward to receiving a piece of furniture I ordered for my kitchen. And the list could go on.

I got home, took a picture of my rainfall measurer, and dumped out the water. Let the new week begin.

I have misled you. I didn’t mean to. Now I will try to make things right.

This is not a Kwanzan Cherry Tree. I’m pretty sure it’s some kind of Cherry Tree. Maybe Yoshino?

Not a Kwanzan Cherry Tree

THIS is a Kwanzan Cherry Tree.

A Kwanzan Cherry Tree

This is Willa! She bloomed! Isn’t she lovely?

Willa blooms

Willa on March 30

Neighboring Kwanzan Cherry Tree on Mar 31

I can’t help comparing Willa to the other Kwanzan Cherry trees in the neighborhood. I think she’s still alive. I hope she’s still alive. I have three reasons to try not to worry:

1. Dave tells me this isn’t unusual (See my question in the comments)

2. Another witness

3. Yet another witness

So, I wait and watch.

daffofils

I don’t remember when or why I bought these major snow boots. I only know they were perfect for taking a walk after the “Blizzard of 2010″ had blown itself out. My coat kept the top part of me dry and warm. These boots kept my feet dry and warm. I was soaked everywhere in between by the time I got home. Maybe I’ll buy snow pants someday.

Here’s a little bit of what I saw when I ventured outside.

(And if you’ve never heard Nancy Sinatra’s signature hit of 1966, you should check it out. It’s on my “catharsis” play list.)

I didn't write this.

Willa in Winter

This pile is taller than my 5' 4"

I love snow

out back

It’s just plain knit stitches, super loose.

I decided I didn’t like it.

So I unraveled the entire afghan.

This time I’m keeping my stitches neat and I’m going to throw in a little stocking stitch. Stay tuned (for about two years).

This is one thing I love about knitting and crocheting. You get do overs.

I am thrilled to now know my Medical Flex Benefit credit card really works (at least I can use untaxed money to pay out the $3,200) and that I don’t have to have another hearing appointment until July.

And I like hearing, too.

My Mom instructed me to make the crust under her supervision rather than just show me. We used our family recipe that Mom says she got from Aunt Colleen. And the crust turned out perfectly! I made a good pie crust! I need to do it again soon to see if I can replicate the feat without Mom’s supervision.

I sent out the email note below to all the northern Virginia dispensers on the list my Kaiser Audiologist gave me. I wondered what the response would be given that pricing seems to be a sensitive issue in the hearing aid world. Most responses were forthcoming. Two dispensers wanted me to call to get a quote rather than send a quote via email (Isn’t that interesting? I bet a log of hard-of-hearing folks prefer email over the phone…) I got long, warm answers and short, to-the-point answers. Overall, there doesn’t seem to be a significant difference in price. I summarize the responses in the table below.

This past July I was diagnosed with mild-to-moderate hearing loss that is permanent. My Audiologist recommended I get hearing aids. My health care provider, Kaiser Permanente, does not dispense hearing aids but I was given a list of hearing aid dispensers in the DC Area that included you. I am checking with various dispensers to decide what might work best for me. I’m using two questions to help me:

1. What brands of hearing aids do you sell?

If you sell the Oticon Dual Mini-5, what is your price for it? What does that price include in terms of batteries, cleanings, follow-up visits, warranty, etc? What doesn’t it include?

Obviously, there is much more to buying hearing aids than brand and price. I feel a little overwhelmed by all there is to learn as a first time hearing aid buyer. I’ll appreciate your taking the time to answer my questions.