It's been an interesting few weeks....

Well, guess who just got out of the hospital last Friday?  Remember I was telling you that my back went "out"?  Well, apparently it went out more than I thought.  By a week ago Sunday I was only able to walk with a walker (thanks to the inheritance of dead relatives).  My daughter suggested that I contact a chiropractor, so on Monday I called a guy my husband used a few years ago and made two appointments.  One for Monday afternoon and one for Tuesday afternoon.  My husband had to drive me.  By the time the second one was over, I thought I was going to die from pain, so called my "real" doctor upon getting home and made an appointment for 6:45 that night.  He put me directly in the hospital to control the pain and hopefully get to the bottom of things.  I was immediately put on IV painkillers and oxygen because my levels were so low and had an MRI scheduled for the next day...(Wednesday).  My doctor told me on Wednesday morning (yes, he still does hospital visits...rare these days, I understand), that we'd see what happens there before going on.  Wednesday evening the back surgeon for the whole hospital comes in to see me, tells me there is no bulging disk, or pinched nerve and that he wished more 69 year old ladies would have the spines I have.  (Wonderful!!!  I thought that was going to be the answer).  My doctor immediately ordered a chest x-ray because my oxygen levels were playing such tricks.........(even though I have had COPD for the past 10 years, I've not needed oxygen until that point, and not especially since I lost over 45 lbs. since April 6th.)  He thought maybe a tumor developed and was moving......but, NO!  The next day I had an ultrasound to check for PAD........an artery disease, but nothing conclusive came from that either, but it still might be the answer, who knows?  My fanny is completely numb, my legs hurt, my feet are swollen and I came home with oxygen, and painkillers....UGH!  I DO have physical therapy scheduled....my first appointment is Friday, and was told NOT to go back to the chiropractor.  In the meantime, my doctor will give me an ECHO and EKG tomorrow because it could be my heart............holy cow!  I guess time will tell, but what a crummy time of year to have this happen.  Thankfully, my cookies are all baked and sorted, my house is decorated, the presents have all been wrapped, and I am now in a stupor trying to teach my husband to grocery shop and cook on a gas stove.......double ugh!

Anyway, that's my news of woe!  I did send out these envelopes to my sweet niece:

The 12 different kinds of cookies for 2015:

And, (up until last Monday night) the socks I have finished:

Those red ones are for ME!  All the gift socks have been made.....thank God!

So, that's my news.......Not fun by any stretch of the imagination, believe me!  I can't use a little portable oxygen tank yet because of the amount of "air" I need when moving around......and those big ones are close to 50 lbs.  Try puling one of those while walking with a walker and trying not to trip on the tubing......it's almost laughable, believe me!

I sure hope your past few weeks have been better than mine.  One of these days, I hope to knit again, which is more than my neighbor can say.  She is my knitting buddy, but fell on Friday and broke her wrist!  On top of that her blood pressure is off the charts......always something, I guess, huh?

Happy Thanksgiving

Boy oh boy!  I just about get over the coughing bit, and then my back goes out.....!!  I'm still in pain, but at least I can walk now, although not like before, yet.  Taking Tylenol like crazy and doing exercises suggested by my doctor.  Then, today, when I should be spending the holiday with my family at my sister's house, I come down with either food poisoning, or the flu.  Who knows which?  Needless to say, I sent my husband to spend Thanksgiving with the family with the 3 pies I made, and I am here alone waiting for him to bring home a bun and slice of turkey for me.  I think this is the first Thanksgiving I've ever missed, so that, in itself, is something to be grateful for......that, plus I am feeling a lot better than this morning.  Needless to mention that I haven't been doing much!

I continure to send my little niece fun envelopes with books.  My granddaughter's envelopes are on hold until she decides to like "easy chapter books".

I'm still knitting socks and continue to love it although I wish I could knit faster.  I'm not a very patient person!  Here is a pair that my daughter-in-law will be getting for Christmas:

And then, amazingly enough, I even started a pair for myself:

So, that's about it!  I hope you are having a marvelous Thanksgiving and sharing it with those you love!  Until later..........

It's been awhile........

How is everybody?  Did you get the "crud" yet that's going around?  Where you cough your brains out and can't stop?  (Hand goes up here, folks!!)  Well, I hope you don't get it.  It's bad.....ask me how I know.  I'm recovering....finally....after almost two whole weeks and a prescription of antibiotic!  Needless to say, I haven't been doing much...except knitting.  Thank God for that!  It took my mind off of how miserable I was!

I did send out some envelopes since visiting with you last time:

And, like I said, I did do some knitting.  Those hot pink ones are mine!  They match a t-shirt that I have and I'm really excited to wear them.......(just as soon as I show my sister).  She is a knitter too and has been knitting socks a ton longer than me.

Then, I made another two, nice, warm, worsted pair for gifts:

Next, I have to start/finish a sock that matches one I made several weeks ago......and after that, I will start on my Christmas cookie baking.  I'm telling you, never a dull moment around here.  Are you feeling the pressure already too?  Eikes!

It's always something.....

I must tell you.......IF you decide to buy new carpeting, be prepared to also buy yourself a new vacuum cleaner.  YES, you read that right!!  When we built this house 27 years ago, we had a central vacuum system installed and all these years it has been wonderful for both our hard surface floors and carpeting.........EXCEPT NOW!  Now, using the power head we've used for years, it shuts off immediately when (if) you can push it on the new carpeting.  I called my carpet store and they told me that the carpeting of today is so much softer and thicker than in years past, that each carpet manufacturer has it's favorite vacuum to use on their carpeting.  How do you like that??  Ours likes Oreck.....so I go on Amazon and find the model they suggested and it's not too bad at $199.99 so I told hubby and he told me not to buy it until he checked with the central vac people......so eventually that happens and guess what?  Now the price is $399.99 for the Oreck.  This keeps getting better and better, huh???!!  So, hubs goes to the local Oreck dealership and ta-da....they have a deal going on for a measly $299.99........so he bought it.  Now, that's not the only problem.  Hubs thought he was in the $$$, I think, because he also bought himself a new Apple computer this week.  Now, I've been using a Mac laptop for years, but he was a Microsoft guy from way back......NOW though he thinks he's an Apple genius or something so he decides (out of the blue) to install a new system on my laptop last night without my knowledge and now I can't get e-mail, my bookmarks are gone, I don't know how to put the dumb thing to sleep anymore.......and I could go on!!!!  MEN!!! Needless to say, I'm not happy!!  

Here are the envelopes from the past two weeks.  I've put the envelopes for my granddaughter on hold for now since she informed me that she doesn't like easy chapter books yet.  I figure I can resume when she decides she likes them.  Why waste my $$ when she can't appreciate them yet anyway.

I'm still knitting.  Finished this pair this week and they're still drying after a nice soak.

And started this pair:

Enjoy your week and your weather!  It's getting really chilly here.  We're supposed to have frost tonight.  I went to Kohl's this morning and bought a pair of cuddle duds for myself.  I've never used them before, but lately I've been cold already so I figure they can't hurt.  Until next week......

Winter is coming

It's really getting chilly here.  All day the high has only been 50 degrees.  I've been in the house with long sleeves, socks, jeans and a hoodie.  I refuse to turn on the furnace yet.  Crazy, I know!  Believe me, it will happen soon enough!

Here are the envelopes I sent out this week to my sweeties.  

And then, I started a new pair of socks almost two weeks ago and thankfully, they're done now.  I used the pattern, "Hermione's Everyday Socks" with Manos Del Uruguay yarn - Alegria in the "Pindo 8855" color way with size #1 needles.  My daughter will be thrilled!  She claimed the yarn for herself right after I bought it.

Then, my sister visited on Tuesday and brought me a lovely present that she got at a fiber show…..isn't it so pretty?  Now, to decide what to make with it…..

And that's the news……not much, but boring is good!  I hope you all have a pleasant and fun week.  Until next time……….

Love Autumn...

I'm thrilled with this weather!  We've had a warmer September than all of August, if you can believe it. The grass is still green, the leaves continue to hang on the trees, the tomatoes are still ripening on the vines, and unless you look at the calendar, it seems like summer.  I really wish it would last all year!

My carpeting is all in, and believe it or not, everything works including the TV even with that mass of wires that I showed you last week.  My husband must be some sort of genius.  I seriously thought TV shopping would be in our future before this….but all is well (for now).  Although he still is hell bent on getting a stainless refrigerator……lol!

Here are the envelopes I sent out this week:

And, I finished another pair of socks.  These will be added to the Christmas gift bag…..it is another Laule'a pattern using Dream in Color - Classy worsted yarn in the Kettle-dyed Magic Orchid color way.  I used size #6 needles and these knit up super fast!

After making four pair of those, I got a bit tired of them so decided to go a different route.  I am using Manos Del Uruguay - Alegria yarn in the "Pindo (8855)" color way next.  I'm making the Hermione's Everyday sock pattern.  Here's the beginning of the first sock:

So, that's about the news here.  Nothing too exciting, that's for sure!  Hope you are boring too….boring is good! Have a good week, my friends and do something fun for yourself.  You deserve it!

One down - one to go

That's right!  My carpet installers were here last Tuesday to change over the master bedroom carpeting and the loft and will be back this coming Tuesday for the living center, dining room and staircase.  They not only took up all the old carpeting and pad, but also moved all the furniture back and forth.  I was worried that we wouldn't be able to sleep in our "Sleep Number" bed that night, but my guys knew all about them and we had no trouble.  Whew!

Hopefully, I can tell you that this coming Tuesday will be as uneventful, but when you look at the mess behind our TV, I shutter!!  AND please don't blame this mess on me!  Believe it or not, our TV and surround sound was professionally installed……..which, of course, makes it even worse when it all gets moved to replace the carpeting underneath it.  UGH!  Two bits we won't be watching TV Tuesday night……double ugh!

I sent out envelopes to my girls, naturally……and even lost one in the transfer to my blog so you're missing one…..oh well!

And then there is the knitting.  Believe it or not, I finished two pair this week.  Yes, they were done with worsted yarn on size #6 needles, but still…..!!  I have three pair of these to go for Christmas gifts but after four pair already, I'm taking a break and will knit something else first.

So, that's the news!  Nothing very exciting, and I'm kind of happy for that.  At my age, boring is good!

Have a fun week, my friends!

It's official - summer is over!

Last Sunday, we hosted our annual family pool party.  The weather was perfect, the food was yummy and everyone had a good time.  Next Thursday the pool gets closed up for winter and another summer will be over.  Sometimes it goes too fast for me……I relish the warmer weather…..but live in a cold state.  Crazy! (Incidentally, don't go looking for me in the pool…..I didn't go in that day.  lol)

After supper the little ones used their drawing skills to decorate our walkway.  Stupid me didn't take a picture of it until the next day after it rained.  Where was my brain?

 
Of course, I sent out envelopes this week.  Just because school started, doesn't mean my sweeties don't like mail with good books inside.

AND….whooppee, I finished another pair of socks this week.  These were made with worsted weight yarn and are quite thick.  They also were knit with bigger needles which made them go fast…right up my alley!  This is the same pattern that I used on the purple ones I showed you recently.

So, that's it for this week.  Tuesday starts the carpet installation and I'm not looking forward to it…..although I can't wait until it's all done and my stuff is all back where it belongs.  Just moving the little things is a pain, believe me.  I'm finding things I didn't even remember I had.  lol

Have a great week, my friends and PLEASE do something you love…it's so important for your mental health.