Tourette's Syndrome

My eldest son, Luke, was diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome three years ago. Actually the full diagnosis is that he has Tourette's, ADD and he's gifted. Since he was a baby, he was different, and for the most part we coped, but it was when he started school that the real misery started.

I think school was like torture for my bright and active boy. I remember participating in his junior kindergarten class and watching him during the circle time. The teacher was trying to get the children to tell her what number comes after 22. My son had his hand raised high in the air, but since the teacher knew he had the answer, she ignored him and tried to help the other children. I watched my boy's hand slowly get lower and his enthusiasm drain right out of him. By the end of her lesson, he was looking all about the room. Anywhere but the teacher.

We decided to try a French immersion school in order challenge him a bit. He had trouble focusing, his handwriting was atrocious, and after a while, behavior problems developed. At home, he would wake up with night terrors. In grade two we saw a behavioral pediatrician who identified Luke's giftedness, but who told us that there was nothing available to help him. By grade four, we had seen two more specialists, one of whom diagnosed ADD and another who diagnosed Tourette's. It seems like every label has stuck.

But the labels do help. It helps to know what books to read, what support groups to try out and that medication is really a necessity. Luke started taking Risperidone for the Tourette's and Concerta for the ADD. I hated to have to put him on prescription medication. But he really needs it. First of all, he didn't turn into a zombie. Instead, we began to see our boy shine. Luke has a humorous and creative personality. Second of all, he was able to cope with school.

The labels were also necessary for the school board to be able to give us some help. Luke entered the Steps for Success program where he learned how to meet the demands expected from him in the classroom and to improve his social skills. Being on medication made this experience more successful I believe. Luke really didn't enjoy the Steps program, but it made a world of difference.

Finally, we pulled him from French immersion and moved to a new home with a new school. At our new home, he has friends in the area who come over all the time. Before medication and the Steps program, Luke felt that he had no friends and that nobody liked him. Now it is such a joy to have our house filled with six kids on a Saturday morning, all carrying on and making a heck of a noise. The new school has been very supportive and accommodating and we have finally seen a decent report card come home.

Today, we went to see Dr. Duncan McKinlay, who is a very well known psychologist, specializing in Tourette's Syndrome. It's his specialty because Dr. Dunc has Tourette's! Even though things are going well for us at home, I still had a lot to learn from Dr. Dunc.

For one thing, I learned that Luke's tics are pretty mild. Luke picks at fuzz, he says funny words, like "Pie!", he fidgets a lot and sometimes he will lick his lips till they look sore. Dr. Dunc shakes his head, and snorts. Often when we are trying to say something to him. Then I noticed Luke had stopped picking fuzz and was starting to twitch his head! I thought "Rude boy is copying the doctor, and he's going to pretend he's learned a new tic!" I mentioned it, right there in front of Dr. Dunc, and the doctor told us that it is common for people with Tourette's to pick up each others tics. He said that at conferences, you can tell who has been hanging out with each other because Bob will be doing John's tics and vice versa. So that's a second thing I learned.

We also got some validation, that we are doing things right, and that the medication is still necessary and may be for the rest of his life. So I just want to say a big thanks to Dr. Dunc for seeing us today and to encourage everyone to go and see his website: Life's a Twitch!

Perfect is Over Rated

I'm having too much fun with this project to let the little things get to me:



This is the Floral Fair Isle Gloves worked in Knit Picks Pallet. I started it late Sunday night and by the time Monday knit night rolled around I was at the thumb gusset. And that's where I went wrong. I should never have tried to work on this project while gabbing it up with the gals.

But it's okay. I'm having fun working this. The colors are a bit bright, but it's a good use for Pallet. And I bet I will appreciate a colorful pair of gloves on a gray day in February.

If you missed the error I was talking about, it's the fact that the purple triangles on either side of the white and black line aren't lined up. It's because I added 8 stitches to account for my large sized hand. The glove fits, but the mis-match is kind of annoying, though not annoying enough for me to rip it out. I'm no perfectionist!

A Modest Accomplishement

I present to you my first Fair Isle Project:

The pattern is the Man's Fair Isle Waistcoat from Traditional Knitting. I modified the pattern to use steeks at the neck and armholes. For some strange reason, the pattern was written up flat. Not very traditional, eh?

I believe this was a pretty good first time Fair Isle project because the color designs were quite simple. The diamonds were the hardest part, but they were alternated with an extremely easy section. No sleeves also make it a short project.

I had a huge learning curve to surmount with this project. Yes, I've done stranded knitting, but never on this scale. I've done mittens at a fine gauge and I've knit sweaters at a larger gauge. But this was a cat of a different color.

Yes I've cut a steek before, on a medium sized swatch. It didn't prepare me for the shaping that goes along with an actual garment. Or what happens at the tops of the armhole where you cast off. I never tried finishing those swatch steeks either. Obviously, I had to neaten the steeks on this vest. I used button hole stitch around all the edges. Tedious work.

Yes, I've done button bands, but it's been a while. I don't think I'd ever attempted a moss-stitch button band. Thanks to the advice of many, I switched to a pick up of 3 stitches to every 4 rows. Ted's way of doing it sounds like the sanest and most precise method but I just couldn't do it. I think knitting for me is a right-brained activity and I seem to want to make it an intuitive process. To compensate for my lack of precision, I used Mary Jane's tip of using k1, p1 rib for several rows, and then switching. Mary Jane recommended 4 rows, I, in my pigheadedness, choose 3. It works anyway. The stretchiness of the rib compensates for any minor difference between the buttonhole gauge and the sweater's edge.

I sound so formal about this. I don't know why. I'm very tired because I pushed to get this done. I was supposed to do some shopping this afternoon, but I knew I wouldn't be very good at it because the vest was weighing on my mind.

The socks I started last weekend are done:

They gave me the break I needed from the vest. I guess I had to get my feet under me. (get it,? my feet? ha!) The yarn is Austerman Step, and the pattern is my own. Figure 8 cast on for the toes, a flap heel, and then some calf shaping leading into baby cables in the ribbing. I liked working with the Austerman Step but I don't think I'd buy it again. The yarn was a birthday gift and much enjoyed because of it.

I still intend to work on the gray cardigan for myself, but I'm getting to a tricky point where I need to make some decisions as I knit. I'm going to leave it for next weekend, because I don't always think very clearly in the evenings after work.

This means I am now a free agent. I can knit whatever I want this week. I wonder what I'll choose. Maybe I'll go stash diving this evening.

A Shout Out to my Peeps!

I've joined a new knitting group. Here they are sewing up squares for Project Linus. Hi Ladies!

I actually don't remember the official name of this group, but I've got all the pertinent details firmly in mind. I'm in the back on the left there, helping with the sewing.

I don't do charity knitting, yet. I'm sure I will one day. My work place has a very strong community spirit and we do a lot of fund raising and charity work there. I guess I can say "I gave at the office. " But sewing up these squares was a nice treat for me because I had a chance to contribute in a way that ties into my hobby.

Look at what one of the ladies (Hi Rena!) brought for her show and tell:

My heart did a flip when she pulled them out of her bag. I love the long tail fins on these fish. They were knit in the small size using Koigu.

My Own Drummer

Did I say I'd do the button band this weekend? I lied. Here's a sock for me:

Austerman Step, size 2mm needles, figure 8 toe, and a heel flap.

I'm no good as a KAL-er because I seem to be a month behind. I'm sure that by January I'll be deep in my Noro sweater, long after Norovember is gone.

I've also finished my son's alpaca socks:



I love that I've given my sons a gift of the socks of their dreams, but now it's time for me to shift my focus to myself.

Last winter I loved going for walks in the woods. I wish I could describe the peaceful white woods, with only the sound of little brook chortling along to break the quiet. I enjoyed getting dressed for these walks in my hand knits. I had a Celestial merino hat, Shedir,

a Manos neck warmer,
my Rogue (the second, pre-felting), my Koigu Latvian mittens,


and always a pair of wool socks. I felt like I was protecting myself from the cold, I was always comfortably warm on my walks, and it felt good to invest that much effort into taking care of myself.

But this winter, Rogue is felted, the Koigu mittens are wearing thin, and I've always felt like my Shedir was just a little on the small size for my big head. So, I'm going to focus on knitting for myself for a little bit. Because I want that feeling back this winter. Because no one else is going to do it for me. And because if I don't, I will begin to resent the gifts I knit for my loved ones and I think that would be a horrible twisting of what should be a wonderful expression of my love.

Speaking of marching to the beat of your own drummer, just look at what was at my house on Friday night:

Bless 'em. Every one.

Bibbity Bobbity BOO!

I feel like my fairy godmother just turned my pumpkin into a coach. I'll be ready to tackle that button band in no time, thanks to all the support, encouragement and good advice I received from my knitting buddies. Thanks gang.

Last Sunday, after being defeated by Shetland wool, I decided to try my hand with some domestic wool: Patton's Classic Wool.

I'm trying my hand at a top down sweater for myself, using Barbara Walker's Knitting from the Top. This will be a set-in sleeve, zippered cardigan. I will decide on the collar (maybe a hood) and extras (I'm thinking of a nice red zipper and red at the cuffs) when I get there. Right now, I've just begun the sleeve cap.

So far, so good. The design I've chosen requires me to skip back and forth between different sections of the book. Barbara writes things like "Begin as you would for a sleeveless sweater..." and so I flip to the vest section and then back to the set-in sleeve to find out what to do next. I've got a good head, so I'm managing so far. Things will be so very simple once I get past the top part. Really, the most complex shaping of a sweater occurs in the top 1/3, and getting it out of the way right away sounds heavenly.

This sweater is intended to replace my felted Rogue, the second. It is also my practice run at a top down design. While I understand the concept in my head, I need to feel it in my hands. Then maybe I can design something more intricate with more valuable yarn.

Monday night I met the gals a Lynn's house for knitting. Damn! I should have taken a picture of Mary Jane's amazing vest. But I was too deep in my own vest issues and funk and didn't think of it. Mary Jane knit a vest out of left over sock yarn using a slip stitch frame in gray. Mary Jane's button band was perfect. Absolutely. I'm going to borrow a few tricks from her book, I can tell you.

I did snap this picture of Harley though:

I do not look like a sheep!

JoLene Treace mentioned an Australian yarn company, Bendigo Woolen Mills, and how they would ship shade cards for free. I'm not one to pass up an offer like that, so I e-mailed them and in short order I had this:

I'm impressed. I intend to try them out one day and I recommend getting a shade card for yourself, cause who doesn't like getting yarn in the mail?

Yeah, but this is even better than a shade card:


Oh the photo lies, really it's beautifully dark and deep. The green is mysterious, not that nasty pea color you see just on the right. I'll get some better pictures when I start knitting it up. I have an design idea but I want to run through my gray cardi first so I know what I'm getting into with top down designs. One thing that has already occurred to me is that in any design I do, I must always be aware of how the yarn will stripe as I shape the sweater. Otherwise, I may end up disappointed.

So here's hoping that we all get past our disappointments and that a fairy godmother will help us out when we need it.

Oh Drat

I should have known better. In an effort to get the vest done ASAP, I didn't pay close enough attention to what I was doing. I've been working on my Dad's vest for a long time and I really want it to be done for Christmas. Plus, I want to knit some sweaters for me, which I won't let myself do until the vest is done.

Saturday morning I finished knitting the vest and I bound off the shoulders with a three needle bind off.

With a bold hand I cut my steek.

Do you know, I wish I had added a guide line, because I cut it a little close on the one side. To compensate, I tacked down the iffy area so I could knit my button bands with confidence. Next I picked up the stitches for the button band. I ended up picking up one stitch for every row.

I had a little twinge of apprehension while doing so. I know it's a 3:4 stitch vs row gauge proportion, but I had also read that diagonal two colored knitting has a magical 1:1 ratio. Somewhere, my head thought that all two color knitting is the same. It is not. It was only when I got a significant amount of the button band cast off that I saw the error of my ways.

This button band is just not acceptable. I hate admitting to this. I feel stupid and like I should know better. But I also know that finishing is a task that I need to improve at. Ignoring or hiding this problem will not help me to learn better. So I have decided to leave this vest until next weekend and then I will rip the button band and start over.

On the plus side, I tried Elizabeth Zimmerman's one row button hole for the first time and I really like it! It's very clever and neat. And it fits my buttons perfectly.

Drumming Circle

I had a most amazing Friday evening because Darian invited me to a Drumming Circle. Darian is the same lady who invited me to the piano recital where I met Pat Cole who wore the inspirational Spiral Shawl that led me to my Galaxy Shawl.

The Drumming Circle is where a bunch of people get in a circle and beat some drums. It sounds simple, and it is, but what an opportunity for creativity and community!

This is a picture of Darain (on the right) along with the lady who led us for the evening. I'm really sorry I don't remember her name because she was an excellent leader. She started us off with an impromptu drumming. Then our leader taught us three different rhythms that interconnected with each other. She divided up the drummers and we took it in turns to each play a rhythm. It was like doing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" in a round.

We drummers were just awesome! It sounded great and it felt wonderful. At one point I just rested my hands on the head of my drum and I could feel the vibrations from the entire room.

After the round we played a piece that felt like a walk through the rain forest. It was refreshing, and light with a tropical sound. We also switched up our instruments and I played a tambourine. Darian beside me had a thing that looked like it had a lizards tail and sounded like thunder in the distance. Some of the other ladies had a thumb piano, an African xylophone and shakers. The music ended on the notes from a Didgeridoo.

After that, our leader requested we drum in remembrance of our veterans and soldiers who are still fighting. I got my hands on a small silver drum with what was almost a tambourine in the top. It gave me a nice sharp sound and I drummed out a rhythm that reminded me of guns. It felt like I could get it out, that sound, put it into the drum and into the room, where we all gradually morphed it into a softer, gentler, healing rhythm. It was a moving experience.

Next, one lady felt moved to bring out her Sruti box. I'd never heard of such a thing and asked "Who is Trudy?" Not who, what. I thought it sounded like an accordion with an Indian accent. We all used our voices to sound tones along with the Sruti. At some points, I would get a certain note that resonated through my entire chest or head. At other times, it was a discordant sound. I really enjoyed playing with my voice in the group, seeing how low, high, soft, loud or resonant I could be.

To finish the circle and stretch out, some very aquatic music was played on the stereo and we all just moved our bodies into what ever stretch or place that felt right. Then we cleaned up. While putting the drums away, I got to explore the Lotus Centre some and I found it to be a very beautiful space. There were creative and loving touches spread through the entire building such as a hooked rug on the wall of the Madonna of Compassion. Or before another door there was a vase of flowers, with a candle in a glass beside it and a sign that read Love.

Of course, I met a knitter there.

This is Valerie. She's wearing a Fleece Artist shawl that she made. Isn't it funny how our knitting is our calling card? I wasn't wearing any of my knitting that evening, but I did have my new Moo cards with me and I gave her one. Hopefully Valerie will stop by the blog some day.

The Moo cards are from Flickr and for $25 Canadian I got 100 cards with my contact information printed on one side and up to 100 of my Flicker images on the other. I bought some because I am continually writing my knitting contact info onto the back of my work business cards. Now I have my own knitting cards to hand out! And I love having images of my knitting on the front.

What a great start to my weekend. I even have a knitting design all worked out in my head for my Noro Silk Garden that I'm very excited about. I hope some creativity and community works it way into your weekend!

I'm too Good for my Yarn!

I made my husband laugh with this one. Let's see if you find it as funny or just think I'm nuts.

I've been doing a lot of knitting for other folks lately. The last big thing I finished for myself was my Fleece Artist Jacket. Since then I've finished the felted clogs (though not felted), two scarves, four garter stitch dish cloths, and a pair of socks for Luke. (Could this be sung to the tune of "The Twelve Days of Christmas"?) On the needles, I've been working hard on my Dad's vest, I'm about two inches from the end, and I've almost finished one of the socks for Alex.

Yesterday, I had a bit of a realization that I don't show enough commitment to taking care of myself. I've been going to the gym faithfully and one pair of pants was getting comfortably loose. So what did I do? Skip going to the gym the next day. WTF? Then, I found a book that thrilled my soul. It is a diary filled with excellent quotes and the paintings of Susan Seddon Boulet. I nearly didn't buy it. But I did.

Skywatcher

I felt restless after this and really wanted to knit something that was for me. I went poking through my stash and found some lovely yarn in there. Some of it called to me, but I actually grabbed the Dale of Norway with the idea that I could knit Jim a hat. I realized what I was doing and dropped the man yarn like a hot potato. Here's what is really calling to me:


The yarn on the left was an impulse E-Bay Purchase. It is a lovely heathered fingering weight from Times Remembered that is smooth and soft. I still can't figure what I will make from it. Lace gloves? Cabled socks? A small shawl? The yarn on the right is Lavold Angora that is so soft, with just a slight halo. I can't decide if it should be a lacey scarf, or a floppy hat.

These yarns are so luscious, I have to find the perfect pattern for them. And it just won't do to have the finished object be anything less than my best work because I will be the one wearing it. If I knit socks for someone else, and I make a little boo boo, I can rationalize it away, because muggles can't tell the difference. Or if I knit something up, just for the fun of it, and it doesn't fit me, I just stash it away for Christmas knowing that it will fit some one who will likely be grateful to receive it.

So maybe it's not that I'm too good for my yarn, but that my yarn is too good for me. Either way, something has got to give. I'm making a pledge here and now that after the socks and the vest the next project should be for me. Cause I'm worth it.

Any ideas what I should make with just a couple of skiens of luscious yarn?

A Blessing and a Curse

Our family differs from most in that I am the primary bread winner and my husband Jim takes care of the household during the week. He still works, but he is self employed and can choose his own hours. So he's up early, puts in a full workday, and is home before 4:00 to take care of the children and cook supper. His efforts have eased the stress that our whole family was feeling, back when the children were in the after-school program.

Our weekend chores are divided by preference. For instance, he prefers to do the laundry and I prefer to do the shopping. Here's where we get into the mixed blessing aspect of things. Remember this sweater:

Well, Jim washed and dried it for me this weekend. It felted some and is now too tight to be comfortable.

I said nothing. Actions speak louder than words.

To Gift Knit or Not to Gift Knit.....

Thank you all for the birthday wishes. I had a wonderful day because thoughtful people were kind to me.

I've had a bad history with birthdays. I tend to expect things from the people around me, who then resent my expectations, and then I act like they don't measure up to my expectations. This year, I expected nothing. I decided that I was going to give myself a wonderful day by being kind to myself. I wore my favorite shirt, I allowed myself extra sugar and even cream in my morning coffee and every person who said good morning to me at work, I accepted their greetings as if it were a "Happy Birthday", because I knew that that's what they'd say if they knew what day it was. My attitude was so much better, I could graciously accept the generous surprises that the day brought me.

I've also had a shift in my attitude towards gift knitting. My old attitude was that I could give gifts from the stash which would save me money (in the sense that the money's already spent). During the past six months, I've knit up some things for fun and put them aside for gift giving. This is just fine. But as Christmas approaches, I've been planning more and more things I should knit. The list of recipients kept growing but my enthusiasm began to wan. And you know, my knitting began to suffer.

I woke up and decided that I was expecting too much of myself. In the first place, my knitting is a source of happiness for me. As my gift list grew, my knitting ideas got simpler and further away from the kind of creative work that gives me joy. In the second place, I felt obligated and a gift should be freely given.

I've decided to mostly limit my gift knitting to my immediate family. I get a lot of pleasure out of knitting for them because they see and appreciate the work that goes into it, and I get the pleasure of seeing them enjoy my work. I had visions of my knitting for extended family either felted, or tossed aside. The horror!

Notice I said mostly. I still think that my children's teachers deserve mittens or scarves at Christmas. My children have excellent teachers who work hard at what they do and really care about the kids. They deserve to be appreciated. And there are some other people too. But this ties into that freely given thing. Giving a hand made gift should be a joy.

This topic has come up on other blogs now and again. Wiser people than I have said that they don't gift knit. I'm just finally smartening up.

Okay, so after all that. Here are the latest gifty socks:


Luke's socks were knit with Sundara Yarns Antifreeze on size 2mm needles. I started with a figure 8 toe. I didn't want to use a short row heel because this boy has high arches, so I used the heel flap for toe ups described in Charlene Schurch's Sensational socks. They are just like regular heel flaps, except the shaping is on the back of the foot:

My boy loves the feel of these on his feet and the bright green was his express wish.

Alex wanted soft socks in red:

The flash obscured the yarn label, but it is Alpaca Classic Lite from Caradon Farms. The drape on this fabric is wonderful and I'm almost jealous. I keep thinking what a wonderful sweater this stuff would make. Yes, it seems extravagant for socks, No, I don't think it will wear very well. But this my boy's special request and I want him to have his ultimate dream socks. My kids won't let me knit them sweaters, so I'm making them socks exactly as they request. I'm getting bored with stockinette though.

Next to the red, in the picture above, is Jim's STR Lagoon. More plain socks I'm sure.

Dad's vest progresses slowly. I'm making more mistakes so I hesitate to knit it on the evenings. But weekend only knitting means I make little progress. Fortunately there isn't much to do and I have quite some time till Christmas. Plus, I've ditched all that other gift knitting!

Finally, I was out with a lovely lady yesterday who convinced me to realize a dream. I've ordered a whack (13 skiens) of Silk Garden with the intention of making a cardigan for myself. I've wanted some for a long time, but always dismissed the longing as silly, too expensive, blah, blah, blah. I found it on sale at Fuzzy Mabel. In the end, the best gift knitting is for myself, for my pleasure and joy and creative exuberance!

It's all about ME!

It's my birthday tomorrow! This seems like an excellent time to write "100 Things About Me" except I'm only going to do 37, one for each year.

1. I was born on November 3, 1969, at Victoria Hospital in London Ontario Canada. However, my birth certificate says I was born on November 2. Either the government is wrong or my mother is.
   
   
   
   
2. I have lived in London all my life and I have only traveled outside of Canada once.
   
3. If I ever have the time and money, I intend to tour the rest of Canada before I travel abroad.
   
4. I am a very sensitive person.
   
5. I am an artistic person.
6. I am a creative person.
   
7. It's taken me a long time to come to terms with these parts of my personality.
8. I have one brother who is 11 months younger than me.
   
   
9. I loved rollerskating when I was a kid. I used to rollerskate on the street with strap on skates.
   
10. I tried to learn to rollerblade as an adult, but gave it up when I fell and fractured my elbow.
11. I have a wicked sense of humor but I don't always show it. I think it's because I have to feel very comfortable and safe before I can take the risks involved in being that kind of crazy funny.
12. I have played the violin, the flute, the saxophone, the penny whistle and I sang in choirs and plays.
    
    
    
13. I reached Conservatory of Music Grade 6 in flute and was paid to play at weddings.
14. My favorite writers are those who explore the human condition with compassion: Shakespeare, Ursula K. Le Guin, Orson Scott Card, Frank Herbert. I hope to one day attain that level of understanding and compassion.
15. I have a Combined Honours Degree in Sociology and English from the University of Western Ontario, through King's College.
    
16. I was a stay at home mother for 5 years.
17. I taught myself to program computers during the last couple of those stay at home years.
18. I am agnostic, but more than that, I am a humanist and a feminist.
19. I have been poor for almost all of my life. When my children were small, we were extremely poor.
20. It is a big adjustment to learn how to live with a disposable income. You wouldn't think so.
21. The issues I have in my life are often played out in my knitting. Hence the blog title.
22. I often have close contact with wild animals. I rescued a bird from fish line and it chirped its thanks to me as it flew a way.
    
23. At our previous home, I used to walk the neighbor's dog regularly. He was a boxer named Monster and I still miss him very much.
24. Besides knitting, I know how to crochet, embroider, cross stitch, and sew. I just can't be bothered to do the others.
25. When I was sixteen, I knit an entire sweater set for my music teacher's baby. It was the first time I had knit with such fine yarn.
26. I have knit multiple boyfriend sweaters, including one for my husband before we were engaged to be married. I had never heard of the sweater curse at that time.
    
27. One fellow liked the sweater I knit him so much, he wore it on every date we went on. I finally got sick of it and told him he should try wearing something else sometimes. I never saw it on him again and shortly after that, we broke up.
    
    
    
28. My favorite movies are by Hayao Miyazaki
    and Spirited Away tops that list.
29. I am a fantastic cook. My husband says to tell you he says so. Actually, my kids says so too.
30. I'm pretty weird sometimes, especially with my children. I think they like it. I know I do.
31. I have a big loud voice. I have had to work at modulating it at work, but it comes in handy when there's a crowd.
32. I don't like to drink much. I've never been falling down drunk.
    
33. I am a non-smoker. Can't stand the smell.
34. I used to write on a computer bulletin board system (BBS) that was one long, continuous story. This was before the internet, when people would just phone each other's computers.
35. The BBS was where I met my husband.
36. When we got married, I had a male friend stand up for me and my husband had a female friend stand up for him.
37. I have known my husband since I was 17 and he has helped me grow into the woman I am today. I look forward to growing old with him.