Home for a Whole Week

 
It's been a whole week today since I got released from hospital! Not much has happened but a whole lot of changes have occurred. I'm steadier on my feet. I cooked chicken yesterday - a whole lot of chicken - but I'll get several meals from it. Mike is off this weekend with his camper & girlfriend to a mud crawl something, which is the last of the season. My friend Ron is down with some scourge that has him laid right out. My niece is moving so I'm on my own. I haven't told anyone but I have the sorest throat this morning & I'm sneezing up a storm. I figure it's allergies once more - at least I hope so - I do NOT want to get sick & wind up in the hospital again!!!

The doctors have sort of decided on my medication routine. No one has booked the mobile lab yet for my weekly blood test but I'm sure that's next. I've talked to three Pharmacists, two Doctors, a Nurse, the Oxygen Therapist & Oxygen Tech. I have an appointment with a Cardiologist in September & my Doctor is doing a house call in September. Whoopie, I am popular.

Meanwhile, I've finally sorted most of my email. What a ton of crap with a few nuggets of information. One of my friends sent me an email - he spends half the year in Cuba & has just returned. He has a lot of really good friends there & sponsors a baseball team! Last year he bought a little house because he loves Cuba so much. He spends 3 months at a time there & then comes home to work for three or four months. I don't think I've ever seen him happier in all the years I've known him. 

Craig Johnston sent me a message about the annual gathering to celebrate Walt Longmire. I'd love to go but it's too dry & dusty & I'd have to take an O2 truck with me .  .  .  In case you don't know, Walt Longmire is the Sheriff of Absaroka county in Wyoming. He's rough, tough, sensitive, & has his problems with alcohol & women. But he's well liked & admired by most people in the County, but not all of them. If you've ever seen the old  Rockford Files, put boots, jeans, guns, a Sheriff's badge, a ratty old  cowboy hat & a day's growth on James Garner & you'd have Walt Longmire. I've read all the books!

Spin Off & Ply magazine have been sending interesting messages about Gatherings. I never had the money to go when I was healthy & now that I can afford to go .  .  .  well, I'm not able, sigh. Do it when you're healthy folks, don't wait until you retire. 

Finally got my summer haircut the other day!!! After being in the hospital with ratty, dirty hair, I just had to get it cut. Dona will visit & cut it because I do her household's taxes. I now have a crew cut with a little extra on top. I can wash it in the sink with a face cloth. I can put a little gel in the top & spike it if I want. I love it.

Now if I can just get back to knitting & spinning.

One Day at a Time

Gad, here it is, several days later! I admit I struggled a lot the first couple of days - you don't lay on your back for a month & then pop back into your life without some problems!! I did not miss waking up at 5:30 in the morning or trying to sleep in an overheated room. I still miss someone else deciding which pills I take & which time I take them. I also miss the meal service & the ice chips. There's none of that here. Mike dropped in & brought me a Timmie's coffee, the first coffee I've had in a month! Tasted soooo good!

Not much in the old fridge. Some ham in a vacuum pack, a large Cottage Cheese, a couple of stir fry meals & a big container of cleaned, halved Brussels Sprouts. There was a big hunk of cheese & a bag of baby potatoes hidden away too. Luckily, I ordered a box of Indian mini-meals in pouches from Amazon!! I had all kinds of Butter Chickpeas, Mild Curried Sweet Potatoes & Peas & Cheese in microwavable packets. They all taste great over baby spuds, rice, pasta or on their own with tortillas to dip into them. I wish there were more types of food in a pouch to microwave but I make do with what I have.

I discovered last night that the freezer is stuffed with chicken in small zip lock bags! Where did that come from?? I do have lots of cream of Chicken or Mushroom soup. Before I went into hospital, I ordered a lot of low sodium broth in litre packs. So I have the makings of many Meal-in-one-Skillet or quick soups. I think I might be up to it now that I can breathe a lot better.

The Vital Air folks - they supply my mobile air & cannisters of O2 as well as my home Compressor - came by & changed the valve on my mobile tank. I now must have direct flow O2 all the time I am moving outside the home instead of giving me O2 only when I breathe in. This means the tank will only give me 66 minutes of O2 instead of 4.5 hours at the old rate. I'll need two tanks just to go to the doctor!! Not a happy thing since Frank, my walker, only has one holder. Maybe Mike can put another one on. What a pain. Maybe my days of going out for a coffee are over .  .  .

Return to Civilization

I'm back from what I thought was to be a brief visit to the emergency because I couldn't breathe in the heat. I thought they'd put me on a nose cone of meds to open everything up. Instead, they called me an emergency & hiked me into critical care & hooked me up!! Apparently, I was in heart failure. Ooops. I've never really understood 'crisis' but I sure do now!! My CO2 levels were really high & O2 levels low. You can't do that for very long & live - especially when you're filling up with fluid & the old ticker is skipping a beat now & then.

To make a long story short, I blew up like a great white whale, couldn't breathe & spent another month in the hospital while they got the fluid, heart, blood & gases adjusted back to normal. I'm still full of fluid but my O2 levels are so good, 96%, that even I can't believe it. I can stand longer, walk further & do more than I have in ages! But I'm tied to a BiPAP machine every night. It forces me to breathe deeply & consistently so I clear the CO2 out of my lungs & brings my O2 up. What a life!!

My buddy Mike kept my house plants alive while I was gone which is extraordinary!!! He is NOT a plant person at all. My niece cleaned out my house & washed everything - including the dusty drapes which shouldn't be washed in the machine!!! hahahaha  She wanted no dust in the house for aunty. I am so grateful to them both.

I wish I had more to report but I lost another month in the Surrey Hospital. It was harder to get out of that place than it was to get admitted!! I thought I'd be there forever. But, I'm back home with my stash & more energy. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to spin again soon.

 

Back Again

It's been just like summer this past few days & I haven't felt steady enough on my legs to get into my car & go for a coffee. I used to go out almost every day before 'Lock Down' even if it was nothing more than a coffee from the drive-thru & an hour's read under the trees. Then 'Lock Down', a major fall with knee damage & now I'm almost house bound. Oh, I can get out with great effort, to the doctor or dentist but it puts me in my recliner for two days after! 

I decided this has to change this summer. I must start going out again before I'm no longer able. I'm wobbling at the edge right now. I might as well be in a home if I can't look after myself! Very unsteady on my feet & no longer able to stand & cook after about 5 in the afternoon. If I don't cook it before then, I'm ordering Chinese or making open faced sandwiches. Mind you, I could eat Chicken & Broccoli every night!!! Mike keeps me in bagged salads, bagged cut veggies, deli meats, sliced cheese & good bread. Amazon keeps me in canned goods, German health bread, Mexican Hot Chocolate & Gummy Bears. LOL

Last year, Mike made me a huge planter box on my porch & brought me some herbs & a strawberry plant. I got one strawberry. This year, the strawberry is loaded with flowers & 10 times bigger! I hope to get a bumper crop. The Rosemary & Thyme are doing almost as well since they self seed & spread everywhere but I'd like some Nasturtiums to plant between them. Going to try Snow Peas & Scarlet Runner Beans out there too. Everyone should have something Green to look after. 

Knitting - I continue working on my Top-down cardi in Briggs & Little singles yarn. I really like the tough B&L for it's 'stickiness' - it's almost impossible to drop a stitch so it makes it so much easier to do colorwork or textured stitches. But I'm doing neither - just a simple garter stitch to keep me warm in the fall. I love a simple garter piece & it's getting my shoulders & elbows back in shape. Bought a new book from Amazon - Modular Patterns. Other than crochet squares, I've never made any modular items so I thought it might be a good idea for coffee knitting when I'm out this summer.

 

Prodigal Knitter Returns

 I have no real excuse for the long absence other than simply plain laziness. At least that's what I'm ticking off as the reason. I just can't get my ass up & at 'em in the mornings when it's dark & cold. I've become positively Reptilian in my old age. By the time I do get moving; dressed, scrubbed & accessorized, it's time to check the email, read my daily blogs, order groceries, pay the latest bill, check in with Mike & Ron, feed the cat & make a coffee. It's almost supper time & I haven't had breakfast yet! And the day goes down hill from there .  .  .  .  

I am looking forward to summer where the sun comes in early & warms the bones so things get done in a timely manner. Maybe I'll even get my wheel out on the porch this summer!!!

The Cat has died. And I do miss her. She'd been refusing to go outside since Christmas. Surprisingly, she actually did go out the day before she died. It was warm & sunny & she even crossed the road to visit the neighbor with all the cats before coming home, eating a little & disappearing as usual. When she didn't come looking for a treat before I went to bed, I was surprised & left a few nibbles out for her. When she didn't appear after another day, I thought the worst. I finally found her tucked in under my desk between the leg & the wall . . . .  

Not a lot happening in my life but I celebrated another birthday this month - 72 big ones!! I got myself a new phone & a box of Purdy's "Seconds" chocolates to celebrate. Other than one bout of the Sore Throat Flu, I've been well while everyone around me has had Covid again or weeks of the Sore Throat. I don't know if it's clean living or not.

Tax season went well - I did all my friends & a couple of my ancient customers who've been seeing me for 50 years or more. I'm a cheap date since it only takes a rotisserie chicken & a bag of salad to pay me!!

Knitting - I have been knitting!! I'm still working on my knitting muscles especially in my right hand. It's amazing how many you need in shoulders, chest & arms .  .  .  .  I keep losing my thread in my right hand because the little finger doesn't feel or work like it did before the damn cat bit me. It is getting better but I don't quite feel it. Not able to knit socks yet.

I'm knitting a top-down cardigan in Briggs & Little Sport. I want a cardi that I can wear year-round when I'm watching TV or reading in my chair. I prefer a cardi so I don't have to worry about where the O2 hose is & I can take it off or put it on easily. I also wanted a lighter option which is why I'm using the one ply although it seems to take twice as long to knit. I like Briggs & Little. I knit a couple of Hoodies in the Heritage & it was tough & scratchy in the beginning but softened with handling & wore like iron. The guys really loved them & wore them to death. When I figure out the new phone, I will post pictures.

Happy Holidays Everyone

Everything was frozen out there. The Weather Channel said -7, which is very cold for Surrey. I looked outside through bars of icicle - I can tell which window is old & single glazed - with not a crow in sight. My car was a white hill of snow. And my feral cat would NOT go outside. I have to admit that I won't go either but at least I'm taller than the snow! I ended up with a teeny bit more than 17" when Mike measured it the other day as he shoveled a path down my ramp. And I've had snow since .  .  .  .

So the cat & I stayed inside where it was safe & warm & woke up this morning to a mostly melted world out there. Santa brought bare roads & almost cleared cars & yards! All of my icicles are gone & an avalanche cleared the roof with a big bang around 5 AM. Hopefully my skunk was asleep under the stairs.

I am making soup for dinner tonight. A big pot of Italian Soup with Tortellini in it. I might even open a bottle of wine to celebrate another year of survival. Hopefully, you're all having a safe & warm holiday with your favorite people, animals & things. A good meal & warm toque to you all .  .  .

Let it Snow

 Another snow day! Looks like we might have a White Christmas this year! All I know is I'll be canceling my Doctor's appointment at the Clinic tomorrow since there's no way I'll be out in the snow we have right now, nevermind the next dump expected on Thursday. I think I have at least 10 inches on the porch right now & it's still snowing. Mike was here with a bag of groceries on Sunday & dug a path down my ramp, around my car & behind to the road so I could get out if I wanted. But we've got more snow on top of the old snow which should warn people who drag oxygen tanks behind them to stay home. So I shall do so. Even the feral cat prefers to stay inside. It's so quiet out there .  .  . 

As long as I have power, I have lots to cook & tea to drink. I don't have candy, cookies, cake or turkey but I do have Triscuts, cheese, canned meat & fish to party with. I can download a couple of Audiobooks - Murders? Mystery? Sex?? or SciFi? or curl up with a couple of new e-books.

Knitting - yes! I've started a new winter cardi for myself!! Just a plain top-down so far with a little fanciness around the raglan increases. Haven't decided if I want a little more of it up the fronts & around the cuffs. Too soon to decide. But, I'm on my way.

New books - Saltwater Classics & Saltwater Gifts by C Legrow & S Scott. I'm a real sucker for books with patterns & stories about the patterns. I think I enjoyed the history & stories of Newfoundland even more than the patterns! Good books. I recommend them both.

A Foggy Night

It was a dark & foggy night when my cat howled at the door. I didn't want to get out of my nice, warm nest to let her in, but I did anyway because she was making a horrible noise. And went back to bed. Her dish was full of crunchies & I was still tired. Must've gone back to sleep but it was still dark when there was a hellova lot of noise in the back of the kitchen! I heard actual squeeks. No way was I getting in the middle of that! And pulled the blankie over my head & went back to sleep .  .  .  .

This morning I found TWO mice laying by the back door. Fat, grey mice, too. They should be since they've been living off my Gourmet Popcorn which came in a heavy duty, ziplocked, plastic bag - one more crappy use of plastic!! The new Gourmet Popcorn lives in a glass canning jar. And that's why I get out of bed for the feral cat.

Another Appointment

 Two medical appointments down & one to go. Had an early Dental one this A.M. Not happy about the time! 11:00 is a bit early for me in the winter & it takes longer to get up & out. Today was a mess from the beginning .  .  .  too cold for light sweater, too warm for heavy sweatshirt. Couldn't get my socks on - the right knee wouldn't cooperate so I had to go in my slide-on slippers after trying to get shoes on the same foot without socks. I forgot to comb my hair. Decided at the last minute I needed to change the O2 cylinder to make sure I had enough air if the appointment ran over. The inside of my windows AND the outsides were frosted. And the Dentist's office called just one more time to see if I was coming. I yelled. By the time I left, my breathing was not good & I was mad as hell. I almost went back home. But, I went the back roads & pulled up just 3 minutes before my appointment. And I survived the session, came away with a new temporary molar & apologized for my bad behavior. Got myself a lovely hot chicken Caesar salad on the way home as a reward for the struggle.

Sat outside in the sunshine for a half hour before picking up my brunch & enjoyed it. I don't get out into sunshine much these days & that's a pity. Must do it more often. 

So after my awful morning, I managed to get out of the car, up the ramp, into the house with my lunch & into my recliner with a huge glass of cold cold water - we have the best water in the world here in the burbs - & promptly fell asleep. I had exhausted myself with my trip out - again. I don't have a lot of stamina after spending the last couple of years at home. So, now, I'm just a blob of goo. But I intend to go out as much as I can until I can't anymore. Maybe I'll try for a coffee tomorrow .  .  . 

I'll take a Snow Day

Vancouver & the Lower Mainland had the first snow of the season this past week. What a Zoo!! We don't get snow often enough to give most people much experience with the stuff - especially our immigrant population. Living in the Canadian Riviera doesn't give the native gang much experience either, but at least we know enough to prepare for the worst! I've been caught in it when I had to commute & it was a bugger back in the days before cell phones. I remember fighting my way across town to get home & finding the last bridge closed. I could almost see my home across the river but I was stuck in line on the other side .  .  .  .  

Now, of course, I can't go out when it snows. I'm too wobbly & my oxygen equipment doesn't come with Tundra Tires. I just stay in, make soup or mac & cheese & listen to an audiobook with the Burning Log on the TV. That log is wonderful! I swear I can just get a whiff of wood smoke every now & then but I wish it gave off a little heat as well. Too bad we can't just get a lovely evening of snowflakes like that log, snow that sticks to grass & trees but not roads. 

Needless to say, I haven't been out since the snow started & I wasn't out much before that - too much rain for me. My buddies brought coffee to me! So, the two weeks before Christmas should be fun. I now have three medical appointments & a Dentist just before. The Clinic Doc insisted I come in before Christmas & they're now so busy I can't get in till the 23rd! At least they're not in a mall .  .  .  .

Knitting - I miss my grubby old purple cardi that got tossed to the cat a couple of years ago! I'm still winding good old Briggs & Little into balls. I bought two boxes of the singles yarn at a big sale but the stuff sticks to itself & doesn't wind easily. It DOES wear like iron & if not moth proof it doesn't run & make big holes if something takes a bite. I have my pattern & my yarn. I just wanted the lighter version . . .

Lost in Time

Well, wasn't that a party??? Must've been a hellova party because I don't remember it! I'm not sure what happened to the last couple of weeks but I survived. My day-in-the-chair turned into more than one. Got this terribly sore throat, nagging cough, general weakness, sore knees & hands & stickiness. I felt like I was a balloon full of goo. Problems breathing. Problems swallowing. Problems keeping my eyes dry. Drank & drank & drank. Coughed up half a lung of sticky something or other too. My buddy little Ron woke up with a version of it the day after he brought me coffee. He tested Positive for Covid while I did not. We both isolated anyway.

I managed TWO Dental appointments in the last two weeks. One before I got sick & one last Saturday. Since I was still negative, feeling better & had no fever, they took me in. First cleaning in two years!! And I'm getting that broken molar fixed. I broke it when I fell in March but couldn't/didn't get it fixed because it didn't hurt. And I wasn't driving. Sold my husband's old motorcycles to pay for a gold tooth!! Wouldn't he be pissed .  .  .  .

The Cat & my hand are both progressing nicely. I am not petting the cat. I look for her in the mornings & evenings, most of the time she's around looking for canned food, occasionally she stays in at the back of the kitchen but mostly she heads out the door when she's full. This last week she's taken to sitting next to my legs while I'm on the computer but I'm not petting her. I have permanent nerve damage in the finger - it tingles like it's going to sleep, it's painful & it doesn't bend all the way. Good thing it's a little finger!  I feed her & let her come in because I have mice again. One furry devil has been quietly eating my gourmet popcorn through it's heavy-duty, resealable bag!!! 

Meanwhile, I have been out. I got a couple of lunches, a couple of coffees, missed the Starbucks Christmas Cup again - I don't know why I even bother anymore!! But, I don't have a lot of stamina yet. An outting today costs me tomorrow. I can't go two days in a row yet. Hopefully, by the end of the year, I'll be able to go every day if I want!

Knitting - no knitting but lots of winding. I think making balls out of skeins is the job I hate most in the world except for washing dishes. Yes, I know there are skein winders & I even bought one once .  .  .  .  but it's difficult to do when you're sitting for most of it. I have dreams of pulleys & fixed links feeding across the room & back to my ball winder but Mike is too busy to build it right now .  .  .  . 

Sunday in the Sunshine

Another beautiful, sunny day on the Wet Coast. I didn't go out yesterday because I just felt crappy with a horrible sore throat & headache. So, I stayed home in my jammies wrapped in old blanket with my book. My friend little Ron dropped in mid-afternoon, to my delight, with an XLcoffee from Mcdonald's. I'd been too shaky to carry the large pot to my stove to heat so I hadn't had a hot drink all day. I was really happy to sip hot, milky coffee from my cocoon! 

Today I feel a lot better, not so shaky & my throat is not as sore. So, I dressed early - for me that is - went out & got my own coffee at Mcdonald's. I sat in the sunshine at the back of the lot in my car & read my book for an hour or so before heading for home. I'm trying to get out every second day at the very least to build up my strength & endurance. My goal is to be able to shop at my local Chinese grocery once again. To buy roast pork, Udon noodles, baby bok choy & fish balls when I want! I'm looking forward to shopping for myself once more.

The cat was waiting for me when I came home today. She's back sleeping in the chair on the porch or on the ramp in the sunshine waiting for me to open the door & feed her. I'm actually glad to see her hanging around again because I think I've acquired a furry houseguest in her absence. Last night I distinctly heard it at the back of the kitchen! Where's a cat when you need one???

Knitting - not much knitting going on but lots of reading about knitting. I checked in on a blog I've followed for years which gets updated now & then. Funny how all the old bloggers have disappeared .  .  .  Anyway, this old time blogger made the Mr GreenJeans sweater from Knitty, I believe it was 2007ish. She made a couple of hacks to it waay back & has decided to make it once again. I love the extra buttons & the cinched in waist. I just wish I had the shape to wear it like she does!

Remembering

 

Bright, Sunshine & Cold

 Woke up to a beautiful day outside. I wanted to hop in the car & go for a Big Breakfast somewhere with fried real potatoes, poached eggs & rye toast dripping with butter .  .  .  .  somewhere with good coffee in big mugs too. It was only a dream of course, @ 5AM, those places aren't accessible for me or have no handicapped parking. Or they're just too far away for me to drive to right now! 

I do have several drive thru options & a little work cafe which delivers to my car. Mcdonald's isn't too bad since I just go thru the drive-thru & back in under the trees to read & munch. The coffee is really good & comes in BIG cups. The Wifi is excellent so I can download the latest ebooks from my collection - right now I'm rereading all the Ava Lee series from Ian Hamilton - & I really DO like the Sausage Mcmuffin. But even they don't make up for the lack of fried real potatoes & poached eggs! LOL

Yesterday I made a huge pot of Italian Soup & tossed in a whole family style package of baby spinach at the end! I do Love a good thick soup when it's cold outside & nothing's easier than home made soup that cooks itself on the back burner all day. I keep a good stock of canned things like diced tomatoes, beans & fish & always have sweet potatoes, cabbage, onions, carrots as well as jars & jars of dried grains, pastas, legumes & flakes. Yes, everyone, my depression era mother lives in me. As long as I have power, I can eat & drink hot food. I do miss the old wood stove though, you didn't need power to stay warm, fed & comfortable. But I'm too handicapped to haul in wood these days. Still, Italian soup will be very tasty tonight!!

Knitting - it was a little cool outside today for any clothes I have so it's time to break out the Briggs & Little Heritage yarn - the worsted weight - and make an real outdoor cardigan. It's too cold out there today for my heavy cotton hoodie! I've been working with the singles boot sock weight - more than a sock yarn but not a sport weight - to make a hat, gauntlets & a capelet that covers the shoulders & upper arms. Working slowly I might add because my damned right little finger is incredibly sore!!

It was a Dark & Stormy Night

 Wasn't that a weekend?? My power went out before midnight on Friday & didn't come back until Sunday morning, just in time for brunch. Not a big thing in the scope of things unless you're attached to a compressor that supplies most of the oxygen you breathe. I do have portable oxygen in tanks so I can leave the house but my house oxygen supplies most of what I use, especially at night. Tanks, when set for my use, last about 4.5 hours & we normally have 10, less any used ones. I was lucky this time, I had 8 unused tanks or about 36 hours when the power went off. I was prepared to load myself into my car & go to the hospital when I hooked up the last tank since they'd hook me into the house oxygen & give me a nice, warm blanket to boot. But the power came back on while I was still using tank number 8. 

And why didn't I call for help?? Cell phone died. And I really didn't need help until my oxygen reserve got really low. I had my eBook with the backlight & my audiobook player to keep me company. I could go into my car & charge my phone if I got desperate. I had a couple of  Berkshire blankets from the Shopping Channel so I was cozy in my chair & bed. Mike came over on Saturday because he couldn't get hold of me, brought me coffee & a Mcmuffin, hooked up his generator & plugged my phone into his truck for a charge. Unluckily for me, my compressor pulled too much power & killed the generator. But, of course, we thought the power would be back on any time! His mom, not two blocks away, had power on Saturday morning! 

I survived it all. Secretly, if I had the oxygen machine, the TV & a pot of tea hooked up to the generator, I'd be more than happy if it happens again!

When it Rains it Pours

 Sunday morning .  .  .  did intend to go off to Mcdonald's & sit under the trees with my ebook & eat sausage Mcmuffins today but it's pouring out there. Not only is it pouring but it's really pouring! Not many people are aware of how long it takes to back down a ramp with an O2 tank on wheels, pack it into the back seat of the car, tie it securely & then get into the front seat of the car with a bag & keys. I wear hoodies a lot so I have a pocket for keys & wallet for easier access but it still takes time getting in & out. In the pouring rain I get soaked, since I can't move fast enough to dodge many raindrops. I missed the whole dry summer reading under the trees while my knees healed, sigh. The knees are better but the right little finger is disgustingly painful .  .  .  do you know how often you NEED that finger??? But, I don't care, gonna drive to it anyway, unless it's raining buckets.

I hope it is NOT raining buckets tomorrow since I have booked a time for my Covid booster - #4 - & a flu shot. I took the chance of getting one of TWO only handicapped parking spots in front of the Injection Centre since I don't have to walk too far. A lot of the other sites have a long walk in & out which is just too much for me right now. I have only been back on the road for a week!! Hopefully, I will get one of the parking spots. Hell, I'll just sit there blocking the road until I do!! Why did they stop the drive thru injections???

I've been a lot more ready to fight since the Respiratory Therapist came & increased my in-house oxygen. My new little compressor is now pumping twice the air I breathe as I move around the house & it has made a big difference to me. I can actually stand at the stove long enough to fry an egg! I can go to the bathroom from the livingroom & get a hot drink in the kitchen on my way back without having to sit down. And that damned laryngitis I had for a month is now gone. I am shocked. Apparently one of the indicators of low O2 is laryngitis!! Who knew??

There's a lot more kids on the block than we used to have so this year, I prepared for Hallowe'en & ordered yard-long fruity rollups! I figured it was the least offensive treat for kids. I am not decorating or carving a pumpkin. There's only a half dozen kids more or less which is 6 more than I've ever seen before but  I'm prepared. Someone, a block closer to the school, has the whole house & fence covered in black with filmy cobwebby stuff stuck to it. THINGS hang from trees & peek out of the hedge. I've seen a boney hand sticking through the bushes as I drove by. There's even something making weird noises. It must be terrifying to go there after dark!!

Knitting - started a cap in Trinity stitch - popcorn stitch - but my sore little finger keeps getting in the way .  .  .  not sure if I can knit until this is a little less painful but I intend to keep trying. Might attempt the top-down simple cardigan instead since there's no fancy stitch to bother my finger. 

 

On The Road Again

I sure surprised the gang at my favorite little cafe on Wednesday!! I got myself into my car, drove down & parked in front to order lunch to go! I didn't go in because  that damn Mike left the driver's window down an inch or so & the seat was soaking wet. I found out when I sat down & got MY seat wet. But I was in & ready for a nice chicken wrap & coffee, so I went. 

I took my lunch to the park & ate it in the car while parked under the trees - it was wonderful. I think the sun even came out & shone down on me for an hour. Woohoo, back in the saddle again! Good thing because I have a Dentist appointment tomorrow .  .  .  .  

And then, I have to make another appointment to see my doctor & arrange to get my flu shot & my next Covid vax. 

Mike has filled my fridge with goodies before he goes off for the weekend & I intend to get the soup pot going once more. Made Chicken Corn Chowder last week which was excellent but this weekend, I want a tomato based soup with root veggies & Tortellini for a change. Soup is so much fun this time of year!

Knitting - no knitting but lots of crochet for the past couple of days. My favorite old Log Cabin wool blanket was attacked by moths. I used it as is & made the holes bigger last winter. When I got it out for this winter - I cover my sore knees when I sit in the recliner - the holes bugged me. So, I've been crocheting patches for the holes. I couldn't find a big needle to sew them so I got out a medium crochet hook instead. They aren't pretty but they work.

The Cat Did It!

 My feral cat bit me rather badly two weeks ago. Dunno what upset her or why but it was like someone touched her with an electric wire, she suddenly puffed up, growled and grabbed my little finger at it's base and tried to take all the meat off in one bite. I think she ground her teeth on the bone as I lifted her off the ground and shook her with her firmly attached at the finger. I have never felt anything more painful! I didn't realize at the time that she had dug a couple of holes in my leg as she took off - I was too busy staunching the blood shooting out of my hand. I knew I needed a tetanus shot & antibiotics right away but decided to go to the clinic in the morning. Stupid of me, of course, but I wasn't really thinking at that point, covered in blood, hurting like hell in my ratty old shorts & tee with no bra on at 2:30AM. 

By the time Mike got here in the morning, my hand was really swollen and my leg was weeping into my slipper. My clinic squeezed me in, cleaned me up, gave me a shot & prescription and ratted me out to my Respirology Therapist, Respirologist & regular Doctor. Within two days, I was on new medication - the Nurse Practitioner was concerned about me!!, I had a new compressor - goes to higher levels of O2 AND two prescriptions for antibiotics - they wanted me to go to the Emerg for IV delivery but there was no room at the Inn. I promised to get it filled immediately and take every last pill. I may be careless about my pets but I am not stupid!

Other than a sore and still healing little finger - it's amazing how often you NEED that finger too - there is Ulnar nerve damage for sure & it may never bend all the way again. BUT overall, I feel better. I have more OOMPH in the house because my O2 levels are higher! My new compressor is much quieter and of course, it delivers a lot more compressed air. I can stand up to cook much longer. I can do more chores in the house like unloading my own washer & some of the dryer! 

And the cat??? Well, I have never seen such behavior in any cat before. She has always been such a quiet, shy animal. She showed up a few days later sitting next to the food bowl. She won't come near me & I don't try to touch her. I do keep crunchies in the bowl and will put wet food in morning and night. She does keep the mice away and feral cats keep the raccoons away too. Much rather have cats than raccoons!! 

Knitting - well, not much knitting going on right now with my sore little finger .  .  .  .  but I have two projects on the go. One is a cap from the Salt Water gang in Newfoundland and the other is a plain, vanilla, top-down cardi from Deb Gemmell from the Need a Plus Cardigan book. Knitting both of them in Briggs & Little yarns. Yeah Canada!!

A Smokey Fall

I ended up spending the whole spring & summer on my porch instead of out in my car. My knees are better but the left one is still a little swollen & not quite normal. You know how your fingers feel when your hand goes to sleep??? Well, my left knee feels like it's partially asleep. The right knee is often quite painful & occasionally unstable but I think I can drive since there will be no weight on it. This week, I'm going up & down my ramp & to & from the car just to get back in some sort of shape to drive because I have a Dentist appointment in 10 days. First one since Covid! Whoopie

And I still need Covid vax number 4 so once I'm out again, I have to plan for that! Oh, and a flu shot & my doctor as well .  .  .  .  being housebound is soooo inconvenient!!  My shopper Mike will be so happy to see me out & about again too - he's been unhappy about me staying home all the time. I told him I am not psychologically impaired & too scared to go out, just sore. The poor old knees don't like to bend a lot any more. It's always wise to say these things in public just to remind yourself that you HAVE to get your ass out or people will know you're broken.

Back Again

 

The problem with a blog is that the longer you don't tend to it, the faster time flies since it was tended to. It's hard to believe that over a month has passed. Not that my life is very interesting these days but hopefully it will improve somewhat in the months to come. I haven't been out of the house except to knit on the porch since my birthday in April.

And why haven't I been out??? Well, the still swollen knees haven't cooperated to drive the car - even the two blocks to Mcdonald's. And then the government went back to pounding pilings for the new bridge about a block away - adding great amounts of dust to the air & the damn Cottonwood fluff started blowing everywhere .  .  . I had problems breathing outside so it seemed safer to stay home. Behind screens.

So, what have I been doing??? Well, I loved my old Petunia baskets at my former place so I got two of them for the porch. They aren't quite the same size as the one above yet but they are the very same color.

I planted my big hanging box on the porch with herbs - the basil has grown so fast I'll have to freeze some of it! I wish I could say the same for the Rosemary. 

I've also been knitting more cotton washcloths & one large afghan in rainbow spring colors. Most of my close male friends now have a half dozen cloths each in yellow or variegated greens. I have 6 to go in a variegated blue & 6 more in orange. My knitting muscles are almost back in shape  - at least I can actually knit for an hour or two. When I started knitting again, I could barely move my arms the next day! Even my armpits & shoulders hurt. I found the secret to decreasing the 'flappers' - you know, the saggy muscles on the bottom sides of your upper arms - knitting, without letting your elbows touch the chair .  .  .