Friday, September 27, 2013

my hero



from my daughter's face book page:

My son Travis is a shy kid. A sweet, mild mannered guy. And because of this, he won't ask you to himself to support his fight for a cure of Type 1 Diabetes as we walk with JDRF October 12th at Ledbetter. He won't ask you if you could donate a couple bucks to JDRF in support of the walk. He'll most likely not talk about his diabetes with you because he struggles with being different. He struggles with lows and highs, he cry's when his number drops too much from pain and sickness, and he's silly and weird when he gets too high. He has scar tissue forming under his precious skin from injections and his fingers are raw from pricking 8-10 times a day. But Travis won't tell you any of this. He's brave and frustrated and sad at times, but he's also a really happy kid who wants to play soccer and baseball in college and who wants more than anything to help find a cure for T1D. So, because he won't ask you to come because he's afraid no one will, I'm going to ask you myself, that on October 12th at 10:00 some of you will walk three miles and be one of "Travis's Homies" and support his fight, and so many others. 






















a year ago may, my 11 year old grandson travis, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. chuck and i were in africa at the time we received the call. always the biggest fear while traveling. my daughter cried into the phone 'mom, we're in the hospital, it's travis.'

type 1 diabetes is a life changing disease. it's an every minute of every day disease, it never takes a rest. Type 1 diabetes is a life-threatening autoimmune disease in which a person's pancreas stops producing insulin. It strikes both children and adults suddenly and changes life as they know it forever. It cannot be prevented and there is no cure.
every bit of what is eaten is weighed or measured, counted...several times a day blood is checked with a poke of the finger and then injections are administered. travis has learned to give himself shots in his leg and arm and belly. it is managed, and as yet, there is no cure. twelve months ago i didn't know any of this.

he carries a refrigerated lunch box with him at all times. for his blood testing supplies and insulin. and as far as i know, he never complains. once, he asked his mom if she would hold it, and i heard her reply 'you need to get used to it son'. it's true, she was right, and she's doing an incredible job of helping managing travis's disease. yet i saw his small shoulders shrug down while reaching for that lunch box, and i took it putting it over my arm. i would carry the weight, of the box and i wished of this disease if only for a moment (i would take it forever, why couldn't it have been me?). and i wished so dearly for a little while, my grandson could be just a boy again.

the last photo of this post travis was showing what he was grateful for, last year at thanksgiving, we all, as a family wrote on leaves what we were thankful for, attaching them to a family tree. this year i'll write i'm grateful he's alive, that his type 1 diabetes is being managed (so grateful to my daughter and everyone in our family) and i'll be be forever grateful when a cure is found.

* * *

i've struggled with this, how to write, stopping and starting over again...
if you are in the santa barbara area and would like to walk to support the cure for type 1 diabetes
please join us and our team (half our goal has already been raised), 
this years walk takes place october 12th, 2013
you can learn more by clicking on the link below,
thank you SO VERY MUCH, lori xxxxxxxxx

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

california yarn crawl

our bags were packed, yarn crawl passport printed, maps ready...

welcome to the central coast's first annual yarn crawl! 

When: Saturday September 21 and Sunday September 22 from 10AM to 5PM
Where: The 5 yarn shops in SLO County
Why: To have fun, and get to know your fiber neighbors!
what is a yarn crawl? click here to find out


we started up the coast early saturday morning


look! sheep! the two photos above are the only two i took with my camera, the rest that make up this post were taken with a cell phone. rain was falling when i stopped to say hello to the sheep. can you imagine the earthy smell? the dry grasses and leafy shrubs, the sheep, and the rain falling through
partially foggy, partly sunny skies...heavenly


first stop of the weekend, 
yarns...at the adobe in san luis obispo


enter here, LOVE!


refreshments for yarn revivement 



yarns...at the adobe featured several trunk shows, valkyrie yarn & fibres was my favorite.
this shop is just ninety minutes from home, i am so glad, i can't wait to return.
thank you yarns...at the adobe! love it here so much, the wool, the gardens, the adobe!



next stop: nordic mart
this is the only drops superstore in north america, we wondered how we did not
know this! nordic mart is also in san luis obispo, and we will definitely return.
i've haven't yet tried drops, but now have a bag full for a sweater. i received a free pattern 
book with purchase too. SO excited to have discovered this shop!


scandinavian delight!



further up the coast and a bit inland,




ranch dog knitting is in atascadero. audrey knight was there signing her new book
reversible scarves and never not knitting was having a trunk show. 
i wish ranch dog were closer to home!
time to head back to the coast now and our hotel...


the bluebird inn, in cambria!

the rain followed us to the coast so we watched this first day of fall storm from our room,
while enjoying a lovely picnic dinner my friend karen brought along!
(thank you pat!) ((her husband packed it for us!))

next morning and day two of yarn crawling. we were greeted by central coast sunshine. steam rose from the rooftops as the warmth of the day dried yesterdays rain



breakfast at the redwood cafe sunday morning



and shop number four,


gina wilde of alchemy yarns and manos del uruguay were featured


rowan yarns was one of the many sponsors


hand dyed silks by alchemy and wrap, love!

the happy yarn crawlers!
(wearing my knit cafe lace skirt, so comfy!)


some of my yarn crawl treasures, new manos wool silk, drops alpaca (and cotton for trim), 
lotus mink (did you know they made mink yarn?!)
i bought new needles also, lantern moon straights and a pair of drops to try and of all 
things, a pair of square circulars (funny) by kollage. but am really loving them! 
will try to remember to review them later


and books.  kinfolk, fair isle style and tiny owl knits arrived the day before we left.
i brought them along for reading and inspiration. and because i cannot put them down!


passport on the right, map of slo yarn crawl on the left


thank you so much my sweet friend for coming along with me, you made it one hundred times more fun!
and thank you 
and 
eileen's treasures (in pismo beach. didn't get photos)

we had the most wonderful weekend. everyone we met, at each shop, went out of their way to make us feel welcome and so glad to be there. and even if we didn't take advantage of all the cookies and cake, treats in each shop...we appreciated it (my friend is on atkins and i tried to support her by doing it with her, good for me too!). 
thank you for such wonderful giveaways and raffles, shops and sponsors!
i hope this yarn crawl is the first of many many more.


thank you too sheep!

xxxxx lori