Hello again Heather!I'm sorry I've not had tiem to visit 'round here, what with having a new kid in the house (My husband's son from 1st marriage ..it was a miracle we found him when we did; before that he'd just been a name on a paternity suit filed by the stepfather showing my Frank as the father... So to talk to him on the 24th, find out he had no place to live as of 9/1 and then have him arrive here by bus on 9/1. He's in school, Sr. in HS,18, and it's great having him here. Ouchy-wa-wa, do I know what the broken tailbone feels like! It hurts to even move from sitting to standing & vice versa and it hurts all the time and there's just no cast that's appropriate for tailbones!! (Rollerskating with my daughter when she was 5, I flew into the air and landed on my tailbone less than 1/2 hour after going outside!)I'm so happy for you that you'll be with your family for the holidays. You are right, we all have nuts in our family trees and during the holidays we just try not to crack them/or let them crack us?!!Glanced at your knitting site. My mom-in-law taught me to chrochet after 9/11 so I had something to do while I was watching the reports coming in for days, weeks. That year, I made 'throw blankets' for my daughter, mom, dad, sister, aunt, cousins, & the wife of the older cousin. Other than my Jen knowing about hers (daughter)...though not knowing which color was hers...it was a complete surprise to everyone that I made these. I like your word 'lap-ghan', that fits well. I tied little 'made especially by' tags for them and it was a hoot. I was afraid that they might not appreciate the finished product or effort that went into it, but they LOVED them. That was the main gift for everyone that year. Somehow it was a dry year financially too, so that all worked out.I read you don't have dental coverage.....have you had an exam to see what's causing the pain?? My Frank lost most all of his teeth to decay from the inside out due to the sugars in the blood. I don't know if pain was a key factor in that process, we really never talked about it. He's got dentures and a straighter, more white, smile than mine!! I hope you get relief soon.And bless your good ear. May God rid you of infection and keep you in His constant care.Hugs and Blessings, Judy