COMING OUT OF THE FREEZE

We have been shrouded for days now but last night was the last freeze for the winter, I think! Bill is outside taking all of the blankets down and folding them up until next year!

We lost several of the flowering bushes (flame bush) and the Turk's Cap but they will come back in the Spring!

The hibiscus might or might not come back-it is a waiting game that I usually cave and buy new ones so they will flower this year and not have to wait a year or two with the old ones before they bloom. 

The frost killed all of the camellias--they all look toasted-brown!

I am emerging from a deep freeze-one of my pain meds were changed and it has been a painful interlude waiting for the new meds to kick in.

 I think many of you would be like me and hate to have help but when a friend asked if she could come and help me by doing some housecleaning, I automatically said no but thanks.  After I swallowed my pride, I told her, yes, I need help!  What a gift to have a friend willing to come in and spiff things up for you! 

  

 

ROW BY ROW...

See how little there is left to do? 

 I have been doing only one row every day or so

 and it should be done by Monday. 

 The frame won't be empty long; 

 there is another donation quilt to load on the frame

 and then the lap quilt will be pieced today

 so it will be a slow Saturday for me! 

 What are you up to?

 

LEARNING TO PLAY AGAIN

I decided to try a simple  hat with very little manipulation required so I could go easy on my left hand!  In no time, 

I had the hat made 

and only had to slap my right hand down to my lap a few times!

I sewed up the back seam and added a puff ball later in the day.  I found that if I apply my Aunt's technique of holding the needle or hook anchored in my right hand, I can make the left hand dance around it to accomplish the job!  In this way, I can play with yarn and still be mindful of the broken radius!

I also pieced another placemat

 in the red/white/blue fabric combination.

And finished placing the squares up on the design wall 

for a lap-sized quilt. 

 It was fun to play around with the limited color palette!

 

LEFT-HANDED SEWING?!

A friend had given me a bunch of 5" squares for piecing; 

 I've permission to use my fingers more but not my hand yet,

 so I thought of those blocks just waiting

 for someone to piece them together!

I am going to make a few placemats to get me into the swing of things-I can't do any rotary cutting but I can use these blocks already cut.  I sewed them together easily enough.  The iron was interesting because my right hand kept trying to barge in

 but I got it eventually! 

 It might not be much, but it was sewing!

 

LONG DAY!

Bill dropped me off for my annual series of MRI's of brain, neck and mid-back.  I have to do all three without contrast and then repeat it all with contrast.  I'm glad I have two arms because the first IV blew out within seconds!  The second arm held for the rest of the scans!  Two hours later, my brain was on overload from the noise alone!

These roses were outside the imaging center-very beautiful but they must've been a hybrid because they had no aroma!  

This is where I spent two hours!  I close my eyes before I go into the tube and that works for me so I don't feel claustrophobic!

After the imaging, we went to St. Augustine to the orthopedic doctor to get the report on my wrist!  It was a very good report, I am pleased to say;  I don't have to have a hard cast but I was surprised by the restrictions still in place!  I asked him for treatment for crafting withdrawals and he laughed! 

I was only half joking!

 I don't go back for another 4 weeks.

Just down the road was the ocean;  this used to be 100' of beach!  Hurricane Matthew changed so much of the beach front!

At the end of the cement break wall was this slip of beach in front of a big hotel.  There were birds and one lone surfer out--it was very blustery and cold in the 50's!

We went to have an ice cream to end out day out but the shop was closed.  We turned around in this little strip mall and there was this little shop!  It was delicious homemade ice cream and a nice artsy place-we sat down inside because there were only Bill and I and one other man.  After the hour drive home, I promptly took a nap in front of the fire for 3 1/2 hours!  

 

SMALL DOINGS

I noticed that the pile of blocks on the right had only two groups of two triple crochets in each corner while the bulk of this basket has the proper two groups of three so I ripped out the 10 done in error and throughout the day, I crocheted the last round again to make them all correct!  I like the way this pile is growing!

I also made bubbles on the second canvas and liked this one much better.  I am too critical of my left hand's work to do any more of them;  I will have to try an abstract with my left hand next ,so there does not have to have the precision these bubbles need.  Though I must admit, there is improvement from the first one on the left to the second on on the right.

Busy day today;  I'm heading in for the annual MRI of brain, neck and spine with and without contrast-Bill drops me off because it will take and hour and a half to get through it all.  After I finish up there, we will grab a quick lunch and head to the orthopedic hand doctor for x-rays and his assessment of the wrist's healing.  .
 

UNDER WRAPS

Yesterday Bill covered several of our sensitive plants to protect them from the frost that was coming!

And it hit us hard with 29*.

My front porch plants were pulled from the edge 

and huddled near the house for protection.

It's a bit cramped but it did protect them.  The plants we didn't cover were all hit pretty hard but most of them come back in the warmer temps without being killed.  We have mild temps now until Sun morning so we will be doing this again on Saturday!

 

BUBBLES!

I used a  drinking glass to draw some circles, painted the outline, shading and highlights-with my left hand!  It was very tiring to use the 'wrong' hand!  The lines are a bit shaky but I did it!  I liked it enough to do the other one in a similar style!

 I thought I would share this window vase--it's pretty in my kitchen window!

OUTDOOR TOUR

These are the tangerines--I will gladly sample one for you!  Since we have had chilly night several times, they are extra sweet!

The pig plum tree is in full bloom-they smell sweet

 and the bees are very busy, too! 

 You have to be very careful not to disturb them!

While there is lots of fruit and color closer to the house, the pond are is definitely showing evidence of the few frosts.  You can see the tops of the banana tree are burned.

Back to the house, the Mother of Thousands are all in bloom-very pretty but a pain in the neck plant because it spreads so quickly!

I have several of the fuschia blooming cacti that are still in bloom.

And our own (not from a store) poinsettia is in full bloom==

a bit late but I don't complain!

And this is what Bill has been doing--

he is insulating the ceiling of the garage.  

Just in time for our winter.

 

THWARTED!

I thought I would try  and use my right arm and not my hand to hand onto the handlebars on the quilting machine but all of a sudden the machine made a noise that wasn't normal so I stopped to check it out!  What a strange event--the broken thread got 'sucked' into the gears and wound around a billion times until it came to a halt!  I had to have help from Bill to take the cover off the side of the machine and then I used an Exacto knife to cut the layers and layers of thread!!!!  

But I did it left-handed the whole time!

I can't believe how much thread I cut out of there.

  I was glad to see how clean the area was as long as I had a view of the insides--I oiled and then closed it up!

The machine worked just fine afterwards, I am glad to say!

Though I will have to remember next time I use this panto,

 to load the quilt upside down

 so I can 'write' the words right side up! lol

 

MESSY FUN

After a slow morning, I decided to try my hand 

at acrylic paint pouring!  I mixed and measured several colors 

that are some favorites.

I tapped in push pins to the back of my canvas

 to raise it off the surface of the table,

 then leveled it by adjusting the pins.

I forgot to take a pic of the first one's start; but basically you pour on paint and tip the canvas this way and that to cover the top and side--- this is super messy but lots of fun!

   I made the usual rookie errors in mixing--too much water

 but I will be picking up some more paint and trying again!

It reminds me of the paper dipping I used to do

 with acrylic paint on the water's surface.

Did any of you try that in your youth?!

I did look at a very interesting artist who uses these paint pours as a  background for her 'real' paintings after it dries. 

 I am going to do that but it does require up to a week 

to let the canvas to dry. 

I had to have help from Bill to put the rubber glove over my brace! But even so, I had paint everywhere!  I do not like being sticky so it was a bit of a trial but I can see why people love doing this!

 

CHOICES

Well, it's official, my radius is broken in a textbook compression fracture.  (The radius is the one on the thumb side of the wrist)  I don't know how to add an arrow to the picture or I would point to the line of the break but trust me, it is a thorough job! lol 

 The doctor has allowed me to stay in the velcro/metal brace as long as I absolutely DO NOT use my right hand. 

 I have the okay to hunt and peck

 with my thumb and forefinger only, allowing no rotation.

  He's sneaky because I have an appointment next week to check how it is healing and to be sure of no displacement!

  Any variation and it is a hard cast for me! 

 I can follow the rules explicitly when the stakes are this high! 

 I did confess to using my adjusted style of knitting 

but it is off the table now, too, because it is repetitive

 and has a rotating rhythm.  Sigh.

I now have a choice-sit and stew

 or see this as a new creative opportunity.

So my daughter, Marsel, had a genius and very encouraging idea for me;  "Take up abstract art with your left hand! 

 Paint backgrounds for cards....

try something you wouldn't have done without this happening!"  Just what I needed to hear!  

This is a 5 x 7" card that I painted with said left hand...I

 am going to run it through the printer and add words--

my handwriting is not legible yet

 but I have a lot of time to practice!!!

 

A FULL DAY AHEAD

I couldn't bear it anymore-it's hard enough not to use my hand but not being able to swipe a screen was too much! lol  It works now!

  I did a little bit of knitting yesterday-only for minutes at at time.  Another corner to corner dishcloth is completed.  It's nice to have some new ones to start out the year.

And with the little bit of yarn left, 

I am knitting a Linen stitch coaster

 and mostly remembering what to do!  

PLANS

I had fun planning the next quilt....

I did a lot of knitting; in all honesty, 

I probably did it a bit too long for the aching ramped up a lot. 

I took the hint and rested my arm again.

We had bouts of wind and rain throughout the day--when there was calm, the birds were busy filling up since our temps are due to drop from the 60's to the 30's! 

 I'm hoping for no frost!

 

WILLING TO TRY

When talking to my Mom the other day, she reminded me how her sister retaught herself to hold the crochet hook with her right hand (it was a stroke that had removed her ability to use it) 

and she learned how to manipulate the yarn with her left hand

 to move it around the stable hook !

  It sparked an idea and I began to play around with my style

 and sure enough, I could knit by holding the yarn in place

 with my right hand and let the left hand to all of the work! 

 It was so good to knit again!

My hand is hurting less but the bruises are appearing on the top and new ones on the underside, blooming from my thumb! 

 I'm figuring out how to do a lot of things with my left hand 

but any two-handed jobs still stump me! 

 Give me some time and I hope to conquer even more !

  Church is a virtual gathering tomorrow as we still have many sick;  most are well after a week as I was. 

 A mild flu I would say except many are testing positive for Covid but they are not losing taste or smell like the first round.

Interesting to note the changes.