I'm looking for my heart in San Francisco

Source: www.alwaysnewmistakes.wordpress.com

Mister T, Miss L and I are off to San Francisco for a few days to do some house hunting. I am anxious to find a home for us. I've set up a number of appointments to look at places in Noe Valley and Pacific Heights. Here are my must-haves:

1. Garage since we will start driving our car again

2. Yard for Miss L to run and play

3. Built-in ironing board in the kitchen (this may not be a must-have for Mister T) to block my finished objects

4. Formal dining room

5. Three or four bedrooms to allow a guest room for you mamas to visit and a separate craft room (another one that may not be on Mister T's list of must-haves, not the mamas visiting, but the craft room)

6. Very few steps (not easy in San Francisco)

7. Recently renovated kitchen for my cooking adventures

8. Excellent coffee shop ala Jack's in close walking distance

9. Friendly, helpful knitting store stocked with lovely yarns in the neighborhood

10. Lots of neighborhood playgrounds for Miss L since there won't be any playgroups as fun as our Monday and Thursday playgroups

to be continued...

Spring garden tee for a little girl

Mama N, if you have a girl I am going to knit this lovely little spring garden tee for her! It recently was posted on nevernotknitting. I just love how delicate and dainty it looks!

Source: http://www.nevernotknitting.com/

The Flying/Flu Dilemma

Master D runs away from the Swine Flu.

Greetings from Captiva, Florida! Master D and I have been visiting my parents here for two weeks and we were supposed to hop a plane tomorrow. The plan was to land in New York long enough to pick up a rental car and whisk Mr. E off to Providence to visit his new niece. The presents are purchased, the hotel room reserved, my hair is highlighted, our outfits are ironed.

But Mr. E started mentioning the swine flu, and at first I changed the subject because I hate bad news. Then I watched CNN and thought about my toddler on an airplane, in New York (with many confirmed cases), and all of us near a new baby. And I started to worry. Soon, my head was swimming with images of Master D throwing up, both of us dangerously sick, all alone back in Ohio. Then, of course, I worried that D would meet the same fate as the poor toddler from Mexico who died while visiting relatives in Texas and panicked. I made calls to cancel our trip and made other arrangements to get home by car.


The statistics make me feel like a worrywart, when the numbers are so low and the chance of catching swine flu is so small. But it’s still a chance I can’t afford to take. The trouble is, this kid is the whole world. No matter how small the risk, it is worth avoiding if it means he will be that much safer. Then again, I get in a car with him everyday when I know that car accidents kill more people than the swine flu. So the question is, when should you worry and when do you just have to live?

Knitting supports Indian community

Source: BBC

This is a lovely story in the news today. Hathay Bunano (meaning handmade), a company started by British/Bangladeshi founders has set up workrooms in some of India's poorest areas. The women were taught how to knit and are paid 25% above the minimum wage to make toys and other items for the West. What a beautiful idea? Great for Hathay Bunano too of course as it's still cheap labour, but nice all the same.

This little piggy went to market and this little piggy got the flu

Source: http://todaypictures.blogspot.com/2006/09/kiss-pig-contest.html

Two nights ago I woke up in the middle of the night to Miss L coughing in her crib. I stumbled out of bed half-asleep with one thought in mind - swine flu! I don't know if anyone else is as paranoid as I am about this latest pandemic. Luckily it looks like Miss L has a seasonal cold, just a runny nose and cough. No fever or vomiting. Whew! Isn't funny how things can seem so much worse in the middle of the night?

I was amazed at how little information was posted online about the swine flu. As soon as I heard there were confirmed cases in Queens I went to the CDC's website to find only a reference to an outbreak in Wisconsin in the 1980's. I hope they have updated it since I last looked a week ago.

I need practical information - how it is different from the seasonal flu, how long is one contagious, how to treat children under the age of 2, etc.

After another night of coughing (and my late night hysteria) I checked Tribeca Pediatrics website this morning. I found an informative, thoughtful letter from Dr. Cohen, which eased my fears and made me feel better informed and prepared. I hope you find it helpful too!

I'm feeling purple - or maybe blue?

No posts from me for a while. But there is a good reason - I haven't had internet access! I've managed to run my business and keep in contact with friends on email and facebook all via my black berry. Amazing really.

I spent the day nursing a sick little man. After gloating that Master R never gets sick, he's now been sick three times since we moved back to London in mid-Feb. It's been the same every time - high fever, running nose and grumpy - and has only lasted 48 hours before he's back to his usual self again.

While we were getting some fresh air in our garden I picked these lovely branches with purple flowers. I'm not sure what they're called but they look beautiful against the purple backboard of our Aga. Then I noticed that the pom poms I'm currently making for my new rug are also the same colour. This image lifted my blue mood slightly...

Miss you all xx

RIP The Point is CLOSING!

Source: http://www.yelp.com/; photo courtesy of Joshua G.

I just read an email from The Point announcing that their final day of business is this Wednesday!! I can't believe it. I don't want to believe it. Where will we go to knit and eat cupcakes? Certainly not Seaport Yarn. Heavy sigh...

Everyone who works at The Point is so friendly and helpful. I always enjoyed spending an afternoon picking out yarn and needles for a new project and then treating myself to a sweet magnolia cupcake and rooibos tea. There is no replacement for this wonderful knitting cafe!

On a lighter note, maybe they could not survive without Mama N's business!

They are having a huge sale, everything is 30% off through Wednesday. I think Mama J, Mama V and I need to take one last trip up on the 1 to buy some yarn. I know Mama J has some knitting to do for Baby Boy #2. I need to purchase yarn for Miss L's summer cardigan.

Stay tuned for an update on our final visit to The Point. Sniff, sniff.