It's Wednesday again and that means it's time for the weekly yarn along.  I'm joining with Ginny and everyone to share yarn and books.  So.  I didn't knit much this week and I feel that my self imposed deadline of finishing my Hitofude is rapidly approaching and I'll not get finished in time to pack it in my suitcase to wear at Rhinebeck.  Ack.  I tried it on last night and was a little shocked at how it felt. It was a little tight in the armpits and short.  OK, I know I'm not finished with it yet, but I'm wondering if I should add an extra repeat section.  Or will it work out in those two areas if I block it very aggressively?  Oh, the decisions.  

I know you've seen the commercials on TV for law firms that say "if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma please contact..." The picture in my head of such clients is older, gruff, blue collar working men.  That is so not true!

Let's start at the beginning.  What is mesothelioma?  It is a cancer that affects the membrane lining of the lungs and abdomen.  There are three types of mesothelioma and they are differentiated by the affected organs.  Pleural mesothelioma affects the lining of the lungs and is the most common of all diagnoses.  Peritoneal affects the abdominal cavity and pericardial affects the cardiac cavity.

What causes mesothelioma?  Asbestos.  Asbestos fibers are extremely durable and is resistant to fire and chemical breakdown.  The strength of asbestos and its heat resistant made it a material of choice is a large number of products such as roofing materials, insulation, floor and ceiling tiles.
The mesothelioma website has a list of products and so much information on this deadly disease.

Back to my mental image of a mesothelioma sufferer.  The list of occupations on the website is predominately blue collar workers.  For example, shipyard workers, aircraft mechanics, plumbers, electricians, and drywallers.

Heather was just 36 when she was diagnosed with mesothelioma.  Her baby girl was only three months old when she was diagnosed.  Her father worked in drywall construction and as a little girl she used to wear his work jacket that was covered in drywall dust.  Read her amazing story here.  Heather is now a ten year survivor!

Mesothelioma Awareness Day is Saturday September 26, 2015.   Please, pass it along.

* I signed up for an online blogging class called Blogging on Your Own Terms.  One of the assignments last week was about color.  I updated the colors on my blog and liked how it looked.  I have been thinking about downloading a new template to use and thought I found one I like.  Yesterday I downloaded it and did not, in fact, like it.  At all.  But then my layout was all messed up and I couldn't remember what my template and colors looked like.  Be patient.  I'm still playing with it and I'm a little on the frustrated side.

* We have a type of garden spider on the motion lights on our garage.  I've tried to take pictures of it, because it is really cool, but so far have been unsuccessful.  I googled garden spiders and very quickly got the heeby jeepies.  I am unable to identify the type of spider.  Last Friday night we watched as a moth got stuck in the web and the spider raced across the web to get it.  Miss C was fascinated by it.  And while I give it a healthy respect I do like watching it!  He has had to rebuild his web almost daily and we've enjoyed seeing a new web every morning!

Happy Thursday my friends.

Last week was the first day of C's last year of preschool.  In 2013 she was a Tadpole, 2014 she was a Polliwog and this year she is a Frog!  She will go to school three days a week.  It's a small class this year with just eleven kiddos.

This will be an interesting and historical year for Steele.  Steele Cooperative Preschool has been at it's current location for 33 years.  In July we lost our lease.  The company that owns the house we use as our preschool has decided to sell.  If you have heard anything about the Denver Front Range real estate market you know how crazy it is right now.  It's not unheard of for houses to sell in a day with multiple offers (and that's if it even makes it to the market).  The availability of houses on the rental market for the month of August was 0.04%!

The parent board made a separate Development Committee in order to explore options on how to continue with this amazing preschool.  We got lucky in that one parent on the committee is a realtor and was able to find another house just seven blocks away.  And it was zoned for both residential and commercial!  And thanks to some financial responsibility of previous parent board members we had a down payment!

So we bought a house!  In September, renovations will begin to make it a one room school house.  The wall between the living room and one of the bedrooms will be removed to make a large room.  The back yard will also be transformed into a playground that is suitable for the 3-5 age group.  It's a lot of work and a lot of money!  We are hoping to have these renovations completed by the end of October and be moved into our new school by November 1.

Steele parents are hosting A TON of fundraisers this year to raise money for the stage one renovations.  (Stage two involves some kitchen and bathroom work).  Stage one renovations are what we need to do in order to have school in this location.  One of the fundraisers we have going is a CrowdRise page.  CrowdRise is like gofundme, except we have it set up as a charity.  Steele Cooperative Preschool is a 501(c)3 charity which makes all donations tax deductible.  If you are looking for a great non-profit to donate to, please think of Steele.

Happy Monday Friends!

*  I want to introduce you to a new blogger.  About a month ago, Lauretta, my good friend from work decided to start a blog.  Please drop on by Bless Your Heart to read her first post about a trip to Jordan and the good samaritan she met there.

It's Wednesday again and that means it is time for the weekly yarn along.  I am joining with Ginny and everyone to share yarn and books!  Slow and steady.  That is how my Hitofude is coming along.  I am on chart C.  There is also a chart D and a chart E.  My goal now is to finish and block this lovely sweater and take it with me to Rhinebeck.  Yesterday one of the mamas at crafting asked me if I had a warm shirt to wear it with since she thought it might be cold.  I told her "no" as I was thinking it was going to be a lovely autumn weekend.  Believe me I'll be watching the weather closely as departure time approaches!