Limping along

I see the ortho doctor Thursday, and I will just barely be able to walk into his office by then.  It is funny how fast the injection dulls the pain, partly because of the lidocaine that is in the same syringe as the cortisone.  None of the pain easing changes the fact that my knee will not be able to actually hold me upright in a pinch.  I will ask about the knee replacement when I see him.  At least the shoulder is pretty much back to normal, as long as I don't try to carry anything heavy with my right arm, like a basket of laundry.  And although my other knee creaks and groans when it moves, at least it doesn't hurt (much).

I see from my view counter to the right, that I have passed 33,333 views.  It is not accurate, since I have used at least 3 other counters over the years since this began, and this Google one didn't track those views.  Still, I guess it is accurate enough for government work.  I mainly check out the little graph, and it is discouraging that most of the time it is flat lined at zero.  Oh well, this is actually written for me to read and not the greater public arena.  And I seldom read other people's posts, they are often religious, or political, or have some very specific niche they write for.  I like to think mine is pretty general, since I have no religion, not much political views (except for that damned Trump guy), and no one relating what their cute little offspring are up to.  And I try not to assume that readers know the stories behind a given post, and give a short brief update as I go.  My family doesn't even read mine, so I am free to vent if necessary, without ticking them off.  Not that I vent much.

I have been going through the dressers and cabinets and purging all of the useless stuff.  I will surely toss something I will need in the future, but I know people who never accumulate anything (my sister comes to mind) and they manage to float their boats just fine.  For instance, when I have my yearly mammogram, the office schedules the one for the next year and gives me a green sheet of paper with all the pertinent information on it.  It makes that visit so simple when checking in, but it means keeping the magic green sheet for an entire year.  I have never lost one, in all the many years that I have been going there.  I keep it in my organizer, which I carry always, simple enough.

 I haven't found much to do with my Alexa Echo since I got it.  It is dynamite for an alarm clock, and to tell me the time when I can't see the clock or there has been a power failure.  It plays pretty much any piece of music I can think of, and a lot I have never heard.  Still, I should poke around on the web page at Amazon and pick up a trick or two.  It was pretty expensive for an alarm clock.

Today's cartoon:

Out!

I wrote down below that I was posting Cross stitch projects I did several years ago, because I was seeking to join several YouTube groups that are closed groups, that require evidence that you are bonafide stitchers.  I ultimately joined 4 cross stitch groups and at first all was well.  Then one of the groups had significant problems with their feed, and every time I tried to log in, I would get a "no posts to show" message.  The admins wrote that we who were effected should complain to Facebook, like they were going to jump on an intermittent problem for a few hundred users.  Only if the board caught fire, I guess.  So I daringly posted (that feature remained) a message that I was once more unable to see the posts, and that I was surprised that the admin people weren't jumping on the problem.  It was particularly aggravating that the group was a buy and sell one, and if a deal was halfway completed, there was no way to get on the group to finalize it.  I was trying to sell a set of patterns, and couldn't find out if anyone was interested or had questions.  Well I got a lot of comments from people who were having the same problem; and then I got a message from one of the admins. saying "how could you?" and that they were working (how?) on a solution (for weeks?) and that I should go on ignoring their group.  That is a solution?  And I no more read their message when they struck me off the group and erased all comments and messages that I was even slightly involved in. So don't give your members a chance to reply if they could.  Fortunately there is another group for buying/selling that works just fine.  I posted my "for sale" items there and all is well.  Apparently booting people off the other group is pretty common for that group, and my alternative group reciprocated by blocking that admin from"their" group.  Such a lot of hoopla over a simple thing.

It is 4 am here now and my eyelids are sagging, so I am back to bed.  More tomorrow on better topics. 

We have been having a plumbing problem (wouldn't you know it?) in the kitchen.  The sprayer was leaking all down into the cabinet below whenever the water was turned on.  When we traced it down there is a leak in the handle of the sprayer, and my first thought was "plumber".  But C said he could fix it, and off to Lowes he went.  Turned out the hook-up for the sprayer is a proprietary one, and we ordered one from (who else?) Amazon.  It is supposed to be delivered today (Sunday) by the USPS. Meanwhile, the water in the kitchen is only from the sprayer hose, laying in the sink.  Better than nothing.  I am beginning to feel snake-bit with all these little calamities.  The current weather for today is flash flood warnings and torrential rainfall from now until 10 pm.  C went down and put the sand bags back inside the garage door (where the floor is not level enough for the door to seal) and around the back door, just in case.  No sign of a storm yet.  Hope we don't lose any trees.  Or if they fall, please let them fall away from the house.

The cat we call Stripey is not doing well, despite a brief rally when we started giving him his own plate.  He is ferociously eating but getting thinner and thinner, and I am afraid he is hyperthyroid, due to a tumor on his pituitary or on his hypothalamus.  But if so, there is little we can do for a semi-feral cat who would need surgery and medication daily for the rest of his life.  When we first lured him into a cat carrier would be the last time we would see him, I fear.  And the expense...  always have to think about that.  It is sad.

Geez, this post is full of bad tidings, guess I had best stop now.  Today's cartoon:

Peace!

Spring ? Cleaning

Well, it isn't exactly spring any more, or just barely.  Still, I got someone to come in June to clean my carpets.  There isn't a lot of people to do this right now, as the university is out, and all the students are moving out of their apartments, which need to have carpets done before renting them out again, summer or fall.  Plus, all I have to do is LR, two hallways, and the stairs that connect them.  The carpet that is in the LR is really worn, but I am hoping we can get another year or so out of it.  Recarpeting is going to be a nightmare, because of all the big pieces of furniture on it.

The next project for the house is to get the gutters replaced.  I finally found the names of two guys that do this; I specifically did not want someone who does roofing as well, because they are sure to recommend a new roof once they get going on the gutters.  If I get the same opinion from someone who doesn't do roofing, I can at least assume they have no vested interest in recommending a new roof.  Always something.

I went to see the financial advisor yesterday, and my retirement money is doing pretty good so far.  I have been crossing my fingers when reading about the stock market, etc., but so far Trumpster has been unable to bankrupt the country from the cuts to poor people.  As someone who collects Social Security and uses medicare (as well as BC/BS ), I myself have a vested interest in cuts to either program.  I don't feel like I am taking advantage of the federal programs;  I worked 35+ years, starting out at minimum wage, and paid SS and federal income taxes for all that time, sometimes for two jobs at once, so I feel like I have earned my share of benefits.  

Anyway, I have been cross-stitching a fair amount this last week.  My new swan light, LED, has made an enormous difference in what I can see as I stitch.  I am still working on Kitty Trio (a photo down below somewhere) and still on the first cat, a black and white one.  I opted to use DMC 310, black, instead of the kit floss of black, since a large amount of the entire pattern is black, and I didn't want to run out with only a portion of the pattern done.  I went to Hobby Lobby last weekend and filled floss colors for the snowy owl project (also down below somewhere) I now have only 3 flosses I couldn't find.  One is a blue (the background) for which the stated 8 skeins is necessary, and HL only had 7.  And two others that they were completely out of.  I am keen to get started, but first I have to see how to grid the project.  I haven't gotten the fabric yet, I am leaning toward an ecru fabric that is pre-gridded, but it is pricey, so I am waiting.

I have a Lenox Village spice rack (above) that I bought, one jar at a time, many years ago, and I would like to sell it.  I went to Replacements.com to see what their sell/ buy prices are.  Turns out they are selling them, complete in the rack, for $359.  But the quote for buying is for only 8 spice jars, for a grand total of $8.  I don't think so.  Maybe I will advertise them in the local Bulletin Board, ads are free, and see if I can get $150 or so.  Or maybe eBay.  I need the space where it is hanging for a cross-stitch project, which is not yet done, so no rush.  Replacements.com is a great site for filling in missing or broken pieces of a flatware or china set.  When I received the china for R, it was a set from Noritake called Ramona, a nice white dish with a spray of violets in the center.  It was missing one teacup in a set of 12, and I replaced it for about $15 plus shipping, and felt lucky to find it at all.  And Mom's flatware needed spoons, and that was available too.

Migraine

Feeling crummy today, I am going back to bed as soon as the headache settles down.  Meanwhile I will write here.

At least I don't have night terrors/hallucinations since I discontinued Wellbutrin.  It was the only new drug, and so I slowly reduced the amount that I was taking, and whoa Nellie!  the nightmares, etc., disappeared.  I have been taking one in the morning instead of 3, and that seems OK.  I am losing weight too, which makes my crappy knee feel better, too.

I have Kindles in great number, 5 to be precise.  Two are mine, the original white one, and a paperwhite kindle.  Then I have two from husband, an old large screen one and a color one.  Then there is the Kindle Fire from R who has a tablet she likes better.  When I get a new book, the check-out screen lets me choose Kindle one thru five, although all my books are available on the other ones too.  The logical thing to do is to sell these, but that would take effort on my part, and I don't care that much.  The large screen one is the best to read, but the "next page" button doesn't click when it is used, and so I am considering getting it repaired.  Does Amazon even do that ?  I will check soon.  When my head doesn't feel like my left eye will pop out boink!   I haven't had a migraine in a long time, and my med for one has passed its use-by date by several years.  I won't drink milk that is out of date, I sure won't take a med that effects my brain.  Effects or affects?  Dunno.

There is a lot of good stuff for sale on Stash Unload on facebook, but I am determined to not buy anything more this month.  I have enough projects to last me longer than I will be alive, so I ought to sell some of them too, see above rationale.  The owl one below alone is enough to take me months if not years.  But I am determined to give it a go, once I go to Office Depot to see if they can blow up the pattern for me, on the 18 pages, because the pattern as of now will take a magnifying glass to read.  Talk about migraines...

Headache is easing, so I am going to try to lay down again.  I don't know why sitting up feels better, but it beats warm compresses any time.

Cartoon:

  Bye...

Mother's Day

It is Mother's Day.  Yipee.

Here is the next project in line to cross-stitch.  The tiny image above doesn't show how grand it looks.  The pattern is 18 pages long, and uses 47 colors of floss, mostly blue.  It will be the biggest project for me ever,  but I plan to work on it in rotation with other, simpler, patterns, so it doesn't feel so daunting.  I have already selected the called-for floss, all but 3 that I don't have.  The fabric, however, is another story.  I  want to use the 16 count fabric, pre-gridded, and I have had trouble finding it.  Finally I found a vendor who sells this very thing, HAED, but I have to buy about twice as much fabric as I need, at twice the price, of course.  I think I will wait for a while.

I have had breakfast, but everyone else is still in bed, and I think I will go back to bed myself, although it is 10 am.  There is laundry to be done, but a few hours one way or the other won't matter.  I don't mind any part of the task, except the putting away of the clean clothes, I don't know why.

I would like to go to the mall today, I haven't been there for months, just to browse.  I can't drive these days, and so I have to get R or C to drive me. I would like to think they would gladly take me if I ask, but I know they would not do it cheerfully, and I would feel like I am imposing.  So I am in the house unless I have an appointment, and I am cabin fevered.

Speaking of appointments, I am only 2 weeks and 3 days away from my ortho appt. to get cortisone in my knee again.  And to talk/ start to prepare for knee replacement surgery.  I need to know how mobile I will be, how soon can I climb stairs, when and for how long PT will take.  I put off doing it in the winter time, for fear of falling in snow/ice, but I need to get it done now, if at all feasible.  God my knee hurts, it wakes me up at night when I try to turn over.  I fell on the top stair just a little while ago.

Mother's day.  One of the last ones when Mom was alive, we had a nice dinner at her house, but guess who prepared it?  Me and Mom of course.  I pointed out that we were the only "moms" and everyone else sat in the LR watching TV while we did the heavy lifting.  (It is just that there isn't a good place to go out to dinner, the restaurants are full to overflowing, and many of them have buffets only.  One year our reservations were for 3 pm, that was such a hard time to have dinner, too early for dinner and too late for lunch.)  I still resent the way chores fall to the women-folk it when I think about it.  And of course Dad's dog (a poodle, can you believe it?) got fed first, right at the table.  When Mom passed Dad moved to an assisted-living place, no pets, and I found someone who miraculously needed a house poodle as the lady was bed-ridden and their dog had died, also a poodle.  And so Nipper smoothly transitioned to a new family in Ohio.  When the lady died, the man spoiled him rotten, and sent me photos of him in a santa hat, and so forth.  It was a amazing solution for Nipper.  Oh, they renamed him Chipper, because they thought Nipper sounded like he bites.  I explained that he was named after the RCA logo of a dog listening to his master's voice, but they looked at me like I was nuts.

  I won at Trivial Pursuits once because I knew the dog's name.  But I lost out once because I didn't know who was the star basketball player in the 70s, and of course that was Wilt Chamberlain, Wilt the stilt.  I don't think anyone plays Trivial Pursuits any more.

Have a good day!

One Year

Today marks one year since N died.  I can't remember what I posted back then, I was so shell shocked. He was a young 72, and in April he found out that he had lung cancer that had metastasized to bone and brain, based on a MRI  that he had done because he had a nagging pain in his neck, and a weak grip in his left hand.  We thought he had a pinched nerve in his neck, so the diagnosis was a shock.  When the radiologist looked at his MRI, he said that the two lesions in his brain were due to a stroke and not the cancer, so they worked on him in the hospital to get his blood clotting ability in the safe zone, before starting chemo.  It was decided that he should have radiation on the two lesions in his breast bone, and that would have been 10 sessions.  He was on his way to session 7 when he said he felt dizzy, and collapsed in our driveway, our son caught him as he was falling, I ran to help hold him, it was raining (of course) and daughter called 911.  The final diagnosis was that he had a stroke.  The EMTs worked on him about 15 minutes in the garage, but no heart beat and no breathing, although they bagged him with O2 and did cardio for all that time.  Our neighbors came and hugged me, the kids say, although I don't remember.  They transported him to the funeral home, and later cremated him.  We had an informal gathering there a few days later, and I came home with the ashes.    From the original diagnosis he only lived a few weeks.  Those weeks were awful, he wasn't himself, and at home the two times he was here he was unable to do anything to take care of himself.  I brought him consumer reports in the hospital and told him we needed to buy another car, and he happily compared various models for several days, and then we discussed pros and cons, it helped enormously to distract him from morbid speculations.  I would not wish those weeks on my worst enemy.  I still miss him so much.

Never did buy another car.

Raven

I was correct about losing our old Newfoundland dog.  She was not interested in breakfast this morning and when my son went out to check on her at noon, she was gone.  We found someone to take her for burial (easier than it was to get someone to handle Willie, my horse, last year) and I didn't go to the barn, I want to remember her as when she looked beautiful.  She was, as I mentioned earlier, missing her Landseer buddy Maggie, and was withdrawn and sad, if you can attribute sadness to a dog.   They had been together since we brought them home a few months apart.  It is strange to have no dogs.  Soon it will be no horses, she is 24 I think.  I hope to god she just lies down and dies, and not be in horrible pain from a torsion when she colics.  There isn't a lot that we can do, the barn isn't on closed circuit TV,  and we can't camp out there for months.  I hate this.  We still have 4 indoor cats and 2 - 3 outdoor ones, and one of the outdoor ones is in her teens, and one of the indoor ones is 10.

From younger days.

No cartoon for today.

New furnace

The guys are due here momentarily to install the new furnace/AC unit, so I got up 3 hours early to be out of the shower and dressed before they arrive.  I just know they will need my expert advice 💩when they work.  Ho ho ho. 

Here is the project that I have added to my roster of patterns to stitch.  I generally don't look twice at "cute" patterns, but this one doesn't seem TOO cute; not like ones with bears, angels, fairies, big-eyed children, butterflies, cartoons, samplers and so on.  I plan on doing a bunch of felines and then hang them all together, somewhere.  I still have to finish "Trio", but it is coming along nicely.  In between trio and this pattern is the 45th anniversary remembrance that will say"Cherish the Memories" instead of "the best is yet to come".  There isn't any "yet to come" for me.  Our 46th anniversary came one month after N died.  We were definitely a rare item.

Here they are, time to adjourn to the dining room with my projects.  Hope all of you are well and happy.  Today's cartoon: