Creative Writing Essay "According to Plan"

Posted by Cassandra

According to Plan

She went into labor at 10 a.m.
I got the call on my private extension, a number known only by my wife and secretary, and when I picked up, I heard her. She was holding her breath in between breathy groans, and I could tell she was moving around a lot by the feedback through the phone.
“Baby,” she panted. “It’s time.”
I told her I would be there to pick her up as soon as possible, and was in the middle of telling her ‘I love you’ when she hung up. I gathered my briefcase, stuffed a packet of gum inside, grabbed my coat from the closet beside my desk, and hurried out of my office. As I was pushing the door open to the private garage, I turned and said to my assistant, who was hovering around me uselessly, “Two dozen snow-white lilies. They go to my wife in the hospital.” She nodded anxiously, and jotted my message down in the leather notepad I had gotten her for Christmas.
When I got to our house, a two-story building with a three-car garage attached that we had designed when we got married, I found her waiting for me outside, her hospital bag clutched tightly in her hand and a grimace on her face.
The front door was hanging wide open.
I helped her climb into the passenger seat, and was a bit worried at her white complexion. I rubbed my thumb across her cheek, and planted a gentle kiss on her chapped lips. I shut the car door, with more force than necessary, and went and closed the front door calmly.
The ride to the hospital was nerve-wracking; my normally calm wife was screaming obscenities with shattering intensity while gripping my free-hand with white knuckles. I squeezed back, not at all afraid she would break my fingers.
Finally, she was situated in a hospital bed screaming her head off because she was too far along in labor for medication like she had originally wanted. I felt terrible for not picking her up sooner, for not staying home so I could bring her to the hospital as soon as possible.
The birth went fast.
She was lying there dying as I welcomed my beautiful daughter to the world. I don’t think I could ever forgive myself for not knowing that she was fading so fast. The chaos that surrounded me, I assumed was normal.
After one long look at my beloved wife’s haggard face, I felt my daughter take a huge breath of air and let it out shakily.
It was her last.
I stood there, holding my beautiful daughter’s limp body, staring at my gorgeous wife’s face, tears slipping down my cheeks when the flowers were brought in. They were beautiful, of course, the best that money could possibly buy.
And they were the only thing that went according to plan.

What Is It?

Posted by Cassandra

Ever since I've started knitting, I've heard "What is it?" more than I want to. It looks like a scarf, but it's too wide. And it looks like a blanket, but its not wide enough. Maybe a skirt? Or foot warmer? (This suggestion makes my dad laugh.) I have no idea.

This is what it looked like last night, when I brought it out to work on it after an explosive fight with boyfriend. Knitting calms me. If I'm frustrated or upset, or a little bit anxious (as I have been for awhile, waiting for the trip to Chicago), all I have to do is pull out my yarn and needles and knit for a little bit, and then I'm completely content.

It takes hours to actually change the appearence of the pattern (ha!), because it's so wide, but after about 2 hours, this (>) is what it turned into. It's so soft and squishy and I love just cuddling against it! I'm running out of this purple yarn, but I dug around and found an old GIANT (and I mean giant! its more than a normal skein) skein of a pretty blue that is the same weight and is almost the same color as the yarn shown. I can't wait to attach it to the yarn and keep going!

I love the simple monotony of just knitting a simple stitch, row after row after row. It's so calming. Not so calming when my fingers cramp though. And it's hard to bend one finger, my left pointer because my cat attcked me (you can see it in the pictures, all bandaged up; I ran out of bandaids.).

And, after all of the questions and suggestions, my brother told me that I have a knitting face. I wondered what it looked like, and took a picture to see. It's actually just a really focused/happy/relaxed look. (Don't mind the no-makeup/really pale complexion, I'm just getting over my sickness. Well, not getting over, just starting to get used to having it.) And notice the finger as well.

Maybe this will turn into a carseat blanket. Something to wrap around a baby when they're in their carseat, without the fuss of tucking all the extra fabric of a regular size blanket and folding to make it smaller. Afterall, this project is very cozy.


Still Not Feeling The Best...

Posted by Cassandra

But I thought I would show you what I've been up to while I've been sick (which I still am, unfortunately :( ).


This is just a simple scarf, no design, nothing fancy, just something to practice on until I'm able to knit with my eyes closed :)
My camera distorted the color, because the actual color is a not-very subtle lavender.
It's about 90 stitches wide, and I've been working on it for about a week, on and off. That much is the result of about 3 hours sitting in front of the T.V. (watching Titanic :) )
It takes forever to knit one row, even going fast like I've been doing.
I'm off, to drink some tea and try to drag myself through the rest of the school day. Wish me luck.

Until Further Notice....

Posted by Cassandra

I won't be updating anytime soon, due to the fact H1N1 has made an appearance.

I did order some yarn from knitpicks, and hopefully, it'll get here when I'm feeling better. :)

Dang You Knitpicks!

Posted by Cassandra

I've spent almost 2 hours on knitpicks, deciding what yarn to buy, what would be perfect for my beret, and for socks, and maybe a scarf, or a blanket, or maybe even a sweater!

I CAN'T EVEN KNIT THAT WELL!

sigh.

I've Made Up My Mind...

Posted by Cassandra

I've decided to make a beret, intead of a scarf!
Sure, it'll be difficult because I'm just getting into knitting, but I think it will be well worth it.

The pattern I'm following: Butterfly Beret. It's adorable.

(I hope I look good in it, because I have trouble pulling off hats...)

To Knit, or Not to Knit.

Posted by Cassandra

As I am a senior in art this year, I get to decide what projects to work on, and I have decided, after reading Debbie Macomber’s books, to knit! I’m excited to start! I used to knit, but then decided it wasn’t cool.

I’m not concerned with being cool anymore.

My first project is probably going to be a scarf or a hat, something simple. And then, when I get closer and closer to Symposium, and better at knitting, maybe a gorgeous chenille throw.

p.s. that throw is completely gorgeous.

The Power of Hypnotization.

Posted by Cassandra

After being hypnotized during school, and making a bunch of faces (so I'm told), I now have gum in my pocket.

I'll have to add some pictures sometime.

Oh, and my nail broke off. I'm pretty sure I could seriously hurt someone with this thing.

Ah; Procrastination! The Breakfast of Champions!

Posted by Cassandra

I am procrastinating again.

I have a paper due tomorrow, and I have about two sentences down. I know better than to leave it until the last second, but I find myself doing that anyway. It feels wonderful to be writing again, even though I’m not writing what I need to be writing.

Everything I’ve felt the past week, I kept it in, and I’m starting to feel it deep in my gut. Or maybe what I’m feeling is my stomach digesting itself, because the events have left me physically sick, and unable to eat.

I’m off to finish a Machu Picchu expository essay.