Note: the knitting content here is as of Monday, October 26 to keep with my Year of Projects reporting structure. Life stuff is current (October 30).

It feels very trivial to be thinking about my Year of Projects because knitting has taken a back seat to life. This past Friday, I flew to New Jersey to visit the friends I made on my cruise over the summer, and I had a whole day in NYC planned to do more sightseeing and take in a couple Broadway shows.

Last Friday evening, I got word from home that my son had a seizure and was taken to the hospital by paramedics. That started a series of phone calls with the hospital, but it took time to get information. I kept my plan to take the train to The City, but my “sightseeing” time was spent speaking with doctors and nurses and texting family and friends.

I’ll share more on the trip and my son shortly. But first, a distraction.

Stitched or Still-in-Progress

I managed a great deal of progress on all of my projects last week, though I wasn’t as productive over the weekend for obvious reasons. Still, I managed to get started on the ribbing for the bottom of my sweater. This was my airplane knitting on Friday.

I put the most weekend work into this hat because I wanted it as my NYC project. During the week I was focused on the brim pattern so I could get to the plain stockinette and the larger needle. I actually made the body even longer than the pattern calls for on a slouchy design. But I wanted to simply knit round and round. On the flight home on Sunday, I started the crown decreases. That required a teensy bit more attention, but it doesn’t look like I made any mistakes.

My only other active project for the week remains the Advent scarf which is nearing completion. On Friday I started working with the 22^nd color.

Health Highlights

This has been absolutely the hardest week of my life. My son took me to the airport last Friday morning, and I’m so grateful that he gave me a hug when he dropped me off. I don’t know when (or if) he’ll hug me again. One of our what-if frustrations was due to the sequence of events over the weekend.

I mentioned before that he had a seizure, and the paramedics (doctor firemen, as my grandson says) took him to the hospital. His symptoms suggested an infection along the lines of meningitis, so one of their steps was a lumbar puncture, and I approved an MRI to look for any contributory factors. The LP didn’t go as planned on Saturday, so he was scheduled for one on Sunday. Overnight, he had an MRI. I woke up early on Sunday (after just a few hours of sleep) to wait for news. Nothing could have prepared me for the phone call with the neurologist who sounded almost casual on Saturday when talking about the LP. My son had a severe stroke, and it’s in the part of the brain that controls nearly all his motor functions.

We made it to the hospital Monday morning, and he was awake and alert. I deferred to his partner (my grandson’s mother) to be at his side throughout our visits that first day. This has been utterly devastating to her, but she’s learning to find her own inner strength after relying on him for so long.

I speak with the doctors and nurses and his whole critical care team regularly to stay up to date on his tests and vitals and overall condition. I’ve shared with him a variety of pop culture news, as that’s always been one of our favorite topics. I’ve struggled with further conversation (he’s limited to answering yes/no questions with his eyes) because I know how painful the situation is for him, a man who took great pride in his physical strength, even competing in a body building competition a few years ago, then starting his own business as a fitness coach which ended shortly before my grandson was born.

I’m recruiting an army of prayer warriors. Based on conversations with his doctors, we’re going to need a miracle for his brain to heal enough for him to move beyond his current physical state.

Grandson Glimpses

I have to follow that story with some outright levity, and the kiddo certainly provides that! I forgot to share last week a few of his hilarious comments that had me rolling with laughter and astounded, in some cases, as to his use of them.

First: I don’t know what the context was, but the munchkin just casually asks to no one in particular, “How is that possible?”

Next: something fell over in the back seat of the car. He started to tell me, and I said I realized but it’s no big deal. His reply: “Just making sure.”

Last: I measured his feet so I could get him shoes, then he asked me to measure his height on the basement door (where I track his growth). Later, he told me to stand at the basement door so he could measure me. He made some moves with my sock ruler on the door, then told me: “You are free to go.”

I’ll save the Halloween stuff for next week (Trick-or-Treat was last night), But Halloween-related, I bought him a pair of pajamas when I got his dress shoes for the previous week’s photo session. He spotted them straight away and asked nicely, and they’ve been his absolute favorite. The skeleton bones glow in the dark for bonus fun! When he’s wearing them, he says he IS a Halloween decoration.

Travel Tales

My trip was timed specifically because the Ohio State Buckeyes had a bye week, so I didn’t need to be concerned about missing a game. I’m forever grateful for my new friends, Jenny & Wes, from our cruise in July. They live in New Jersey where it’s just an hour-long train to get into New York City. I was eager to see the entire musical I’d caught only half of in July, and I was super-excited to see a play starring a number of TV/movie actors I love as well.

Jenny picked me up from the airport on Friday morning. We grabbed lunch at a diner, giving me a “true New Jersey experience,” which was outstanding.

Since she had the day off from work, I asked to make a stop at a local yarn store to look for some yarn. I found some gorgeous locally dyed skeins at Do Ewe Knit?

I even joined Jenny at her community choir rehearsal, a program called “Hold Fast to Dreams.” And this was a godsend as singing in that group was pure joy. I knew a few of the songs and sight-read pretty much most of the time. But musical composition helps my spirit to soar, no matter how tired I might be. As rehearsal ended, I didn’t know that chaos had begun at home.

After rehearsal, a number of the chorus went out for drinks and food where needed. It was on our drive over that I received word about my son. It took a while before I confirmed that he was at the hospital and I could provide my contact information. That began the waiting game. Once we were back at their home, I asked Wes to share with me their book documenting their major vacation trip from last year, touring a good number of the National Parks in the western US. The book is incredible, and their tour looks amazing. I felt inspired by their experience, as I really want to take my grandson on a big trip out west to help me toward my goal of visiting all fifty states.

The next morning, I spoke with someone at the hospital for administrative information, then Jenny took me to the train station to begin my big NYC day. I heard from a doctor while on the train, and when I exited Penn Station, I called to get an update on his condition. A diagnosis was not yet available, but he had presented symptoms of meningitis or something similar, so that directed the testing. While standing outside of Madison Square Garden, I answered the questions to authorize an MRI.

I walked and walked for quite a while, heading towards a yarn shop in the West Village and texting friends and family with what little updates I had. To say I was disappointed by the shop would be an understatement, particularly since I could’ve used some fiber therapy right then. But I took consolation in my lovely choices the day before. And I continued to walk. The matinee performance was an hour away at that point, so I ended up heading to the nearest train station to whisk me up to 42^nd Street and Times Square.

I spoke with a neurologist once I was in the theater, giving final approval for a lumbar puncture procedure, and then sank into the story and thoroughly enjoyed it. Granted, I couldn’t really embrace the characters completely given that I was watching Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ed Harris and Allison Janney on stage. But I had no trouble accepting them in their respective roles. The first act was absolutely hilarious. At intermission, I listened to a voicemail from the same neurologist saying that the procedure couldn’t go as planned but they would go again the next day with X-ray imaging to guide the needle. His message was almost casual, conveying no cause for concern. I shared it with my son’s partner to try to ease her anxiety.

The second act of Other Desert Cities was much darker than the first as the actual plot unfolds. The acting was superb, and now I want to see Joe Keery (Stranger Things) and Lily Rabe in other works as they were great though unknown to me before the show.

For my between-show break, I continued to walk around the Theater District and made my way to Don Antonio for dinner. I grabbed a seat at the bar and had a near-repeat of my previous meal there: Neapolitan-style pizza and the same beer I had back in July. I also got to enjoy their adorable Halloween decoration on the bar. I had some time after dinner and before the theater opened for the evening show, so I walked around some more, enjoying more Halloween decorations.

I’m so glad I was able to see the entirety of Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) and that I hadn’t gotten spoiled as to the plot movement in the second act. This show is closing on Broadway in just a few weeks. The two-person cast continues to impress. I should make a point to listen to the soundtrack since it’s so good, and it makes me smile.

After the show, I made my way to Penn Station for the return train to New Jersey. I walked past fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Harry Styles after his concert. But I was just focused on getting where I needed to be so I could rest on the train. Jenny picked me up which was a huge help. Before getting to bed, I checked in with the hospital to see how my son was doing. Not much news, but the nurse did say he was scheduled for an MRI shortly, and I should expect the report around 6AM.

I’ve shared about the outcome of that test already, and that just shattered my world. I texted a couple people just to start the prayers flowing. We had planned to go out for pancakes and then spend a few hours at a sculpture garden, but after weighing my options, I decided to get to the airport to hopefully get on an earlier plane.

It was an expensive decision, but it was an important one. And I was fortunate to be seated next to a lovely woman that I met on my way to the gate. She is part of a small women’s choir traveling to Columbus for a singing competition. I thought about visiting them at their performance on Tuesday, but I just didn’t have the energy. Once I can spare a few minutes, I’ll have to find out who won the competition.

My flight home was uneventful, and my remaining household came to pick me up. I was really glad that I opted to fly with only a carry-on suitcase.

Random Ramblings

My thoughts are sure to continue to be scattered, but I’ll do my best to continue posting regularly. I’ve also set up a CaringBridge site to keep friends and family up to date on my son’s status. This post has taken me over two days to write, so please send me positive vibes.

Knit on. 🧶