Beauty

For most of my life I have been told I am beautiful. Other comments have included "I don't seem american" "not a regular white person" and "exotic for a white girl." I always laugh it off, but this is good, beauty is very valued in our society, its unfair, but it can be helpful. I've used it to my advantage many times. Would I rather people think I am smart, clever or creative? Certainly, but society doesn't require depth like that day to day.

I've never felt extremely beautiful, certainly not a model, I've struggle with confidence just like anyone else. However at 25 I was finely starting to feel.... okay. I have a master's degree under my belt and the world was seemingly my oyster.

 So let's back up. Two years ago I got in car crash. After the crash, I couldn't move my right arm, it hurt constantly, my neck and back and shoulder were fucked up. I went about life. I did what I was supposed to do and more, physical therapy, acupuncture, personal training. It helped but it wasn't "fixed." Finally I went to a neurologist, they found that the nerves were inflamed in my neck. And then to pain management, and with time, drugs and traction, they would eventually heal. At this time I had a MRI done of my neck and brain, the results came back good. I would not need surgery for my neck.

However the MRI revealed something else, a few cysts. The neurologist did not seem to think it was a big deal and said if I wanted to I could go to and ENT and have them assessed further. So I made the appointment, and a month later I finally got in to the the ENT. It wasn't going to be a big deal.

We talked, the sinus cyst was not a problem, my allergies could get under control, and no I did not get my tonsils out. But there is a mass on my parotid gland. She examined me and said she didn't feel anything and to come back in six months, then another MRI might be ordered. But her last words are ringing in my ear, "Most of the time this things are benign, but I don't want to tell you it is if it might not be, occasionally they are cancerous, we need to monitor it."

I left in a haze. Possibly cancerous? Your parotid gland is where salvia comes from, didn't one of the beastie boys JUST die from that. And what the hell? I wouldn't have even known unless I had been in that damn car accident. I'm 25, in relatively good health, my stress has been off the charts, my cholesterol is slightly high, but other than that, I'm okay. And this is weird.... really weird.

So I called my friend, and I could hear his voice was concerned, and I needed a second opinion.
So I called my dad... my dad was obviously shaken. Mass + neck + 25 + the C word, even if its a possibility... not words a parent wants to hear. 

I started researching when I got home, what the fuck this meant, and I wish I hadn't. 80% of the time these things are benign, and 20% of the time they are not. The parotid gland is the largest of your saliva producing glands. Risk factors for developing a mass is that you are caucasian and female and over 50. Buy you see, even if it is benign they will still eventually take it out, because of the possibility it turns malignant (unlikely) or more likely it grows and starts to effect "the surrounding structures". But the operation is tricky, the parotid gland is wrapped up with the facial nerve. If the operation goes wrong your face will be affected in your ability to control your facial muscles. The recommendation is you seek out a "very experienced surgeon specializing in parotid gland surgery". Does that even exist???????? Thank god I live next to stanford and UCSF. Lastly they will cut you open from ear to neck, leaving a lovely scar.

So, life is funny that way. I prayed and ask God to save me from having cancer. He spoke to me and told me I needed to take better care of my body and get rid of the things in my life that are causing me stress. To quit playing games and move forward with my life and work with helping people. He told me that I was needed in this life, I was meant to help others and to follow the path, and this was a wake up call. He told me to seek guidance, and I will.

The pictures were really horrible, some of them looked like botched face lifts. Certainly they can do better, I mean sharron osbourne doesn't look like that, but what if they can't... what if it is the worst case scenario, what then. What about my oyster? Didn't I finally deserve some, didn't I work hard enough? 

All you can do is be here now. I will try and enjoy my youth and beauty while I still have it. I traded my sunday shift out with someone else and decided to go to the beach with all the girls from school. You never know what can happen.

Fab Raspberry Ribbed Scarf

I don't know about you, but I say Rasp-berry. Not razzzz-berry. Everyone always makes fun of me for it but how does "sp" = a "z" sound?

Anyway, here is a scarf that I have recently started reworking. Intially I started it with a basketweave pattern, but that just seemed to be too bluky for such a bright color. The yarn I am using is vanna's choice, by lion brand yarn the color is berry. Its a mangenta color that looks more wine in certain lights. I am doing k4, p3 on the right side, p4, k3 on the wrong side for a thick ribbed look. Pretty easy. I'm planning to add fringe on the ends.

Anyways, recently I went to see a psychic for the first time, and I had my palm read. Besides her telling me all sorts of things about my relationship, how I am hyper-crytical of myself and how I over-analyze everything, she picked up on how I wasn't eating well this past week and I am making myself sick. The next day I woke up with a terrible head-ache and a cold! She also told me I start a lot of projects but hardly ever totally finish anything, which is SO TRUE. So hopefully this blog will help force me to finish things.

Also I recently visited a speciality yarn shop in Oakland on telegraph called Article Pract. Its a small store, but with a lot of different yarns. Organic cotton, baby alpaca. Definately no value brands, but definately a place to pick up something for a special project. They also have a lot of needles. I was a little let down that they didn't many super chunky yarns, at least not in colors that I wanted. SO I resisted buying anything for now, but there might be a trip AFTER I finish the scarves in my line-up. It might be paired with another trip to ici ice cream in Berkley which changed my life. : )

Knitting neckwarms for... aliens?

okay so, looking for a cute neckwarmer pattern to re-create the chunky look that is from Circa by Spratters and Jayne and available at Modcloth,

http://www.modcloth.com/store/ModCloth/Womens/Accessories/Hats+Scarves/Oatmeal+Cookie+Neckwarmer

which is cute and pretty sophisticated for such a chunky look. I am planning to use Lion Brand wool ease in Fig. Its a thick, soft, acrylic-wool blend. Size 13 needles means you can knit it up quick!

So in my search for a cute pattern. I came across this post, which was I saw this picture (above) which is from http://www.needlebeetle.com/free/nw.htm

I can't help but wonder, who is this man? Is he choking? Has the kid already gone semi-conscious? Why would you make something that looks like you cut off the top of a turtle neck. In the words of Mitch Hedberg, a turtleneck and a backpack makes me feel like a weak midget is trying to bring me down, all day long.

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Craft Blog!

I have been thinking about doing a craft blog for awhile to share and keep track of the various craft and art projects that I do. Knitting, painting, photography, collage, whatever I can think of, and now I have the opportunity to do so!

Currently I am in my first year at NDNU graduate art therapy program and I am pretty much loving it.

Remember: Art heals!