So much for resolutions

 Well, I sold the saddle to the farrier after all.  He gave me $150, plus free shoeing ($50) today, and didn't want the girth, so I sent it back for $75 credit (he likes the old style mohair type, and not the neoprene and webbing type).  He also didn't want the saddle blanket, so good on me, it is worth another $65. He wants the silver saddle, but I am not ready to let it go.  I ordered the recommended silver polish and the treatment you brush on to preserve the shine, and I am going to take some photos of it.  If I could figure out how to remove the name plate,   I would keep that piece. I am determined to send it to the consignment place, once it is clean.  I want $500 for it, minimum.  We will see.

I am very sore  today, all the walking I did on Monday, I guess.   And as usual, I can't take pain med or I will use it up before I see the orthopedic surgeon, who won't give me enough to make it worthwhile asking.  Damn these pill poppers who get huge amounts of meds and use it all up in a few days and come back for more, all weepy and pitiful.  Cut them off and help people like me who have a post-op bona fide need that we will take care not to take too many.

Anyway.

I have decided to start over with my cross stitch on a piece of pre-gridded Aida.  I gridded the current one in pencil and then discovered it would not erase.  Better to start over with pre-gridded and treat it to a warm water hand wash when I am done to remove the pink lines.  I'm not that far along yet, better to do it now.  See?  It will be "45 years" etc.

And you can see the grid lines too.  I am not smiling because I am not a happy camper right now.

It is late or I am early, anyway back to bed.  Take care.

Saddle up

I have 3 saddles and one horse, 25 years old.  Two of the saddles are older than the horse, and I decided to sell them all.  I guess I'll start with the trail/pleasure saddle with the equitation seat.  So C cleaned it up (no small task in itself) and it is now in my bedroom, the better to keep it clean and cat-less.  If I can find a photo I will post it here.  I look at the saddle and it is bittersweet to think it will go.  It holds a lot of memories of trail rides with my husband and good friends who are gone now.  I can't justify keeping it, time will have its way as years go by and I don't want to see that happen.  But damn, where did the time go?

This, believe it or not, is the same saddle, "before" and "after" the clean up.

I won't include the "before" photo when I post it on eBay!

My farrier would like to buy this saddle, but I know he won't want to pay the $375 price I want for it. I'll have to figure in shipping too, somewhere between $35 and $50 looks like the going rate for shipping.  I'll just take it to the local UPS store and let them figure out boxing and so forth.  I'll include the saddle blanket, it will be good padding under the saddle, which will be shipped upside down and I don't want it scratched.

I've thought about of this a lot.  With my knee in the shape it is, my riding days are done.  Even if I had a rock-steady horse (which I don't) when I tried to dismount, my right knee would buckle and I would fall under the horse, IF I didn't get my left leg tangled as I fell.  The stuff of nightmares.

Anyway,  C'est la vie.

 

Puzzled

I am scratching my metaphorical head when I see how many pageviews I have gotten this week.  Do I thank Google?  Is there some facet I have overloooked, like the titles of my posts that click with a google search topic?   Dunno.  If you are new to this blog, thank you for visiting.  If you have been one of my long time followers, I'm glad to see you again.

I have been using a lap stand as I cross stitch to hold the hoop of my project.  This frees up my left hand so it can hold a magnifying glass.  I think I have pretty good close vision since the cataract removal, but obviously not good enough.  And I stitch on 14 count fabric (there are 14 stitches per inch) which is baby steps.  I have some 16 count (probably OK) but also 18, 24, and 32, which is out of the question.  I bought them in a lot sale, just to have something to practice on.  The resulting image for the higher count fabric is terrifically detailed, but that won't help me see the stitches.

My physical therapist has signed off on my home health therapy and urged me to find an out-patient therapist to continue, explaining how they have equipment and techniques not do-able at home.  But getting anywhere is a  real chore, as I must use the walker, then (at the doctor or the clinic) transfer to a wheelchair.  Having to do that twice or three times a week would be a pain.  I have compromised by doing my exercises twice a day, to strengthen both legs.  I still have my weak leg buckle on me for no apparent reason, but I don't fall, which is a huge relief.  I am so sorry, as I have said before, that I had the knee replacement done.  I am nowhere near the usability of my knee before the surgery, much less an improvement in use.  I do have this lovely 12-inch scar on my knee to show for all of  my efforts, and the 6 surgeries,  as a memento.

Meanwhile I am trying to lose weight (not just the muscle mass I have lost) to ease the stress on my joints in general.  I am helped by not being able to get to the kitchen (4 months now) to snack, and having my meals brought down by my son.  I can't really tell if I am making progress since all the water retention / swelling skews the numbers on the scale.  It would be nice if some good would come out of this all.

Time to sign off, everybody hang in there and be grateful for all the ordinary things in your life.  I know I am.

Peace.

Spinning wheel of death

I write this mostly on my MacBook Air, 10 or so years old.  Lately as I do very little, like rolling down a Facebook page, I will get that damned colored wheel that is the equivalent of the blue screen of death that windows will give you.  I can only power off and restart, but even that won't always work.  I have downloaded a free version of MacKeeper, and if it proves to help, I will consider getting the full (costly!) version.  So far it looks good, but I haven't challenged it yet with multiple windows open at the same time, etc.  I shall have to wait.

I am missing a package of 4 small tubes of E6000 glue, that is my latest quest.  How I manage to lose something in this room I really can't fathom.  I spend an inordinate amount of time searching for things; sometimes I find whatever it is, and sometimes I have to give up.  The glue is a give up case.  I have a bottle of gorilla glue (it used to be called gorilla snot, years back) and as long I am gluing
non-porous things I'm OK with just that.  Until I lose it too...

I think I will go back to bed, maybe I can lull myself to sleep while I ponder where things are.