Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Anne Powell on May 14, 2010 at 1:29pm

Hi Susie - Welcome to KAS. You will notice I have moved your discussion to the category "Meeting You" which is an area of the forum for members to introduce themselves and make new friends. Your discussion will get more attention in this section and soon you will no doubt hear from lots of us.

Your life sounds like so many of ours - lots of stress and the wonderful escape of knitting/crocheting to change the life a little person we may never get to know. who really needs someone to care. Thank you for joining us. Have you discovered the e-zine yet. Sandy produces a wonderful newletter every few weeks, chick full of news about our work in South Africa and wonderful pictures of "our kids" there.

You might also enjoy Sandy's blog - just click on KasBlog in the menu bar at the top of this page for more news and photos.

Permalink Reply by Anne Powell on May 14, 2010 at 1:31pm

Susie here's the link to the back issues of the ezine

http://www.knit-a-square.com/Square_Circle-backissues.html

There you will find a list of all of them - just click on the one you want to read

Permalink Reply by Susanne Shumate on May 20, 2010 at 11:41am

Thank you. This all sounds great.

Permalink Reply by Jan Wilcox on May 14, 2010 at 6:43pm

Welcome Susie, I also have a daughter with Autism that is 37 yrs. old now. I quit knitting years ago because she would take my needles out of my work and lay them side by side so I crocheted. Now she leaves my needles alone but takes my crochet hooks and lines them all up accordinding to their number in the sewing kit I keep them in. If I can't find it in my project I have to go dig it back out and try to remember what size hook I was using. My daughter is in Supported living now 5 days a week and home for 2 days. I would have her home more but it messes up her room-mates funding for caregivers. She will be home 3 days next week as we are taking her to Cedar Point at Sundusky,OH which is a big amusement park. She gets along there pretty good as she doesn't have to be quiet and enjoys some of the rides which I go on with her. We had a Jack that died that was so smart and we still miss her. We have a Cairen Terrier now who is presently having a fit because it is storming!! Jan from OH

Permalink Reply by Susanne Shumate on May 20, 2010 at 11:40am

Hi Jan< finally got to my computer. What is your daughter's functionling level? Our son isa
severe with aggression. We are waiting state approval for a house for him> The agency evidently deals with severe behavior cases and is skilled, not taken aback by the behaviors we deal with. It has been a while since we got county approval. We really need this placement> Hed is too big now and we are worn out> His dad is real stressed dealing wih him and our girl who has bi-polar. Patrick doesn't care a lick about my needles, but we have to keep everything locked up. Hedumps all kinds of stuff on the flor of his room, ketchup, juice, his sister's hand cream. He cut himself once, bad on a pop top soup can but still gets them every chance he gets. I never thought I'd be ready for them to move out, but at this point, it is time and I think I can deal with it. Maddie our little Jack is a hoot. She is about 2 years old and can be very loud and active, or very sweet and cuddly, loving to snuggle under a blanket.We ave3 cats too, 2 who try to bully the dog. The smallest one Mia loves everybody, including Maddie and nuzzles her, even kisses her. Maddie tries to get her to play but kitty just doesn't understand doggie play. They make us laugh and keep us sane. Hope you are well> Nice to hear from you.

Permalink Reply by P. Jeanne Haessler on May 15, 2010 at 3:06am

Welcome Susie! :) I'm 59, 4 grown and flown kids though the oldest one recently flew back and is great company. She and I both have back problems so support each other, literally and emotionally. My nephew has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and my brother has MS, I've got M.E./Arthritis/Hypoglycemia/Asthma and so forth, so I understand about finding bits of time to relax in--how important it is and how soothing and how it has to be planned. My brother and I discuss energy limits all the time too. I agree, it feels great to do something really appreciated for others. I've FINALLY learnt how to do square squares. I crochet. My mom was the whiz knitter. We've got a Silky Terrier/Poodle cross dog (think Toto) and 2 cats though my daughter would adopt another in a heartbeat. The big plan this year is to build a solar panel for the roof...that'll keep my daughter and my hubby out of mischief for sure.

Greetings from NW Ontario, Canada!

Jeanne xoxoxo

Permalink Reply by Susanne Shumate on May 20, 2010 at 11:54am

Hi Jeanne, nice to meet you. It sounds likeyou have your callenges too. It is good to have something relaxing to do that can help others in the midst of our own challenges. I'm no super knitter, but I can do the squares. I lso know howto crochet and will have to try that too. Right now I'm enjoying the knitting. Your dog sounds cute. Oue little Jack Russel Maddie gives us lots of laughs. The kids make things so stressed that her antics are a welcome reprieve> We have 3 cats too. My hubby loves animals, especially cats. He had 3 wen I met him> We are on our second family of cats as the others got old and died. Sad at the time but we have some sweeties again now. I think we have enough pets for a while now though. Mia kitty loves everbody, incuding the dog. Franny cat loves to cuddle in our bed, but hates the dog andhisses real nasty every chance she gets. Tiggs looks like Garfield. Fat as he is, he tries to chase Maddie and get nast with her. Maddie, ever submissive just rolls over belly up and waits for me to "save" her. Our daughter is real riled up again, maybe a little bit manic. Appointments tomorrow with the counselor and psychiatrist to get their view on this. She is blind so it makes things even harder. Both kids are adopted from Korea. We got some problems we didn't expect, but that is life. No guarantees. Nice to meet you. Good luck with the health problems. Hope we talk again. Ssuie

Permalink Reply by kyla on May 15, 2010 at 3:42am

Welcome!

I think you may find that over your time here with us at KAS, you will get more friendship and support than you realized, as there are many people here who are in similar, very hectic households and we make up for one large, constantly changing online community. I would like to thank you in advance for choosing KAS to be the recipient of your spare time.

Permalink Reply by Sandy McDonald on May 16, 2010 at 3:40pm

I second this Kyla. Welcome Susie. I hope that over the months, you will get a great deal of comfort in what must be a very stressful day to day life from your knitting for KAS. There are so many caring people in this community, we are all lucky to belong.

Would either of your children be able to, or benefit from, the learning to knit a plain square. Or perhaps making a scrap book? I know that the disabilities of severe autism and bi-polar may make these activities impossible, but it is a thought and perhaps if it worked in anyway, you could let us know. We have heard from a variety of people with a range of illnesses and disabilities that knitting is therapeutic. Recently we heard from a woman whose mother had alzheimers but remembered how to knit and had taken back to it with a passion resulting in finding a great deal of peace.

It seems wonderful to me that knitting a square can have a double benefit, for their children when they get their blankets but also for all kinds of reasons for the maker.

Permalink Reply by jen phillips on May 16, 2010 at 8:22pm

Hi Susie, nice to met you.
Sounds as if you really have a busy life and lots to contend with. Yet you still find time to think of others outside your own space, that's really wonderful. I think a lot of us here find that knitting and crocheting help us to unwind and relax.
Do hope your Dad is on the mend - and that the worries over him have eased a bit.
I live with my husband in a retirement village (not to be called an old age home - some of the residents can get really ticked off when it's called that Ha! Ha! a rose by any other name is just as sweet.
We have one cat who has had a complete personality change since her mother died just before Christmas. I think she is relishing being the only cat in the house ................ but I have news for her! I am trying to tame down a little cat whose owner has been hospitalised and is not likely to return.
Hope you have a good Sunday ............. Jen

Permalink Reply by Susanne Shumate on May 20, 2010 at 11:56am

Thank you. I can see from the replies there are a lot of very nice people involved here. I do thinkI'll enjoy this.

Permalink Reply by Jan Wilcox on May 17, 2010 at 5:57am

Hi Susie, Do either one of your children go to a sheltered workshop during the day? My dtr, Beth, with Autism goes to a county program for developmental disabilities. She is in the workshop part as she prefers that as the recreational part isn't structured enough for her. She can't carry on a conversation like you and I but uses commercial and mostly phrases she has learned that fit the situation. She understands more than she can express. She is not agressive and in fact she has been picked on by people on the bus and former room-mates. She is in supported living as we were able to get a waiver to pay for caregivers and she pays her rent, utilities out of her social security. As we get older (we are in late 60's) we worry about what would happen to her if we couldn't take care of her so this is in place now and my husband and I can spend time together and do things without worring about Beth. Of course I still worry about her as all Mothers with disabled children do. We have to speak up for them. Just last week the local Hobby Lobby store wasn't going to let her buy a skein of yarn with a % off cpn. as I also used one . She has her own money and goes with me most weeks to that store. I complained as if my husband had been with me and bought a skein of yarn nothing would have been said to him. She was singled out because of her Autism. She finally gave Beth the % off. I wrote the co. and got a nice letter back that said that a customer is one with their own money and if this happened again to talk to the mananger and he was going to tell the store about it. I don't like to argue with them in front of Beth as she thinks she is in trouble which she isn't. Have you had any of these problems? Jan

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