SWEET SATURDAY

The socks are finished;  I certainly enjoyed knitting them.  We all know the pleasure of a striped sock! 

(Ice Yarns, 64 sts, 2.5mm needles, toe-up.)

After I gave blood a few days ago, we bought a new rug for the tv room.  A friend helped Bill move furniture and remove the old one and lay out the new.  I supervised but wasn't much use for anything else!  The new rug is soft and a real pretty perk for my home!

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

 I have so much to be grateful for, even through the pain of the last few months;  family, friends near and far and those I know only through your blogs!  No matter how you spend the day, 

with many or a chosen few, 

may you be a blessing to all who share the day with today!

SIGNS OF DECEMBER

I know it isn't December yet but there are signs in the yard that it is next week!  My first Satsuma orange was enjoyed along with a slice of toast.  A friend ground the wheat and baked a loaf just for me!  What a delicious combination!

The Christmas cactuses are all in bloom.  

What a beautiful pop of color all around my front porch and yard!

And my Calliandra bush is exploding with flowers!

The bush is 15' tall and very tropical looking!

Bill is taking me in for my second blood-letting today and when I get home, I am hoping for enough energy to start a few early chores to get ready for a Thanksgiving day gathering!

 

ST. AUGUSTINE VISIT

See me smile?  That hasn't happened much  in the last few months but after yesterday's doctor appointment, I was feeling much better albeit temporarily!  The Dr gave me some new meds and a cortisone/steroid shot which lasts for a few days. (he said it will make me feel like SuperWoman and I am ready to fly!)

I used my walker but we slowly made our walk down the pier and sat for a long time and then headed back.  I was right to the end of my tolerance but I was still smiling all the way!  It felt so good to be surrounded by so much natural beauty!

(Bill is the guy on the left in the blue shirt.)

Look at the color in the water!

The pier used to be over water its whole length but since the Spring, it has had tons of sand brought in to extend the beach.  The two hurricanes, Helene and Milton, sucked away about 200 feet already!  Even so, it is now protecting the building all along this stretch of the beach!  What a great visit!

 

STILL BREATHING

I managed to finish one new sock--haven't cast on for the second one but will soon, I hope.

The Roselle plant has begun to bloom and there are lots more to follow. if you see the buds to the right of the flower. 

(if you go to the link, scroll down to the Americas 

to see the kind that grows here in Florida)

Off now to another doctor appointment. Sigh.

 

WEEK 10 POST-SEPTIC SHOCK IS STILL GIVING GIFTS

The results of Friday's lab test showed I have too much iron in my blood which accounts for the excruciating headache, breathlessness and overall fatigue. 

 I thought I was a goner yesterday from the pain.  

Today, I went in and had blood drawn--like an old-fashioned 

blood-letting;  it will bring the iron down and it started to relieve the pressure in my head even before we were finished!  

I will be repeating this for a few weeks to see how I respond to it.  I am also admonished to drink a LOT more water

 because my blood was too thick.  

Bill treated me to a lunch out after the blood draw; 

it sure was a good way to end the adventure.  

Good bye blood!

 

AHHH, SOCKS ON THE NEEDLES!

 The new yarn is pleasant to work with--enjoy as soft as KnitPicks Stroll but not as rough as LionBrand's sock yarn.  I do love the colors!  As with all striped yarn, you just want to watch the next color happen so it knits up very quickly!

JUST MORE KNITTING

I used up the last of two balls by using the Helix way to stripe them.  Both hats are made with the same number of stitches but I used a smaller needle for the hat on the right.  Fun to experiment.  The ball of yarn on the top I ordered from Amazon;  it is an interesting colorway and I will dig in today for a new pair of socks.  The baby hats will continue to grow--I did turn in the first dozen and will now start another.

 

BAKER'S DOZEN

I will be turning in the baby hats today.  It has been a nice way to use up scraps and keep me from going crazy!

This was moonrise last night just as I was getting into bed.

 

UPDATE

I'm here;  just not much happening.  

The bike is working out well and is becoming very enjoyable!  

I knit and nap still but I have banished myself from my bed until after dinner and a final bike spin.  

I had an encouraging doctor visit with my neurologist, who has ordered more blood work which I am doing this morning, 

bright and early.  He also added some new meds to squash the headaches and increased one I am already on to improve the brain power.  He also said that he doesn't look for recovery from septic shock until around the 12 week mark and I am only at 9 weeks. 

 A doctor who listens and knows how to help 

is worth his weight in gold!

GO, LEGS, GO!

I need to be able to grow stronger but it isn't going well with walking at all--so a friend loaned me her stationary bike so my legs don't have to bear my weight but can grow stronger first by this exercise!  I went a whole mile yesterday and I wasn't shaky at all.  Slow and steady on this just might work!!!!

 

THINK OF OTHERS

I made these holographic vinyls for my friend's drink cup.  Yes, it's her name and her super power!

She put it right on and see how the color changes in different light and angles?!  Pretty cool.
 

CHEERING ME UP

Youngest son and his family came for a visit Friday/Saturday!  It was wonderful to be able to sit and enjoy them!  

Cassandra, my dil, has learned how to crochet and is enjoying making many amigurumi critters.

Ella wanted to know what that new machine in my room was--needless to say, she caught right on to working with the Cricut.  She made a new decal for her phone,

and some dolphin wall art!  She is so much fun!  The guys were fishing so I didn't get any pics of them!

But Caleb did send us a pic of this guy, a wolf spider, that is quite large and though not venomous, they sure do startle you because did I mention they are large?!  (2=3" including their legs)
 

A WALK OUTSIDE

Getting ready for December already!

This bush is as tall as I am so I am looking this flower right at eye level!

Nyki photo bombed my mandavilla!

The flowers are sighing with relief that they survived a very brutal Summer!

I threw these seeds around this tree back in the Spring--they are finally in bloom!

Isn't this amazing?!  It's doubled in size in just a week.

About a dozen night blooming cereus are ready to bloom!  Maybe I can actually see one this time!

The first Camellia is out
 

SOME MORE BABY HATS

I added to the baby hat pile and even changed up the pattern with the finer yarn.  The one on the far left is really a pink;  I worked on it in the sunshine for my dedicated 1-hour-outside-time yesterday. 

I have to go for blood work today so will bring some more yarn, 

the red in the foreground, to work on while I wait 

which I hope won't be too long!

BABY HATS BY HANDD

Taking advantage of scrap yarn and idle hands, 

I am knitting up some newborn hats for the local women's pregnancy center. I am knitting these by hand not on the knitting machine so I can do it laying down.  Knitting is a very calming outlet.

 

JUST STITCHING FROM MEMORY!

I asked Bill to pick me up some dishcloth cotton and he bought me 6 skeins to keep me busy!  I keep thinking I should make some different ones but then I remember that learning something new right now is a bit of a slog so I make what my hands remember and can disengage the brain! lol  I make 2 dishcloths from a skein so they make a lovely thank you gift for those who brought meals!

Thank you for your kind words from yesterday's post;  and for sticking with me even though my posts have been sporadic of late!  

 

CONTEMPLATION

 Facing death does something to you physically, mentally and spiritually, to say the least.  For most of the time, eternity is way out there and so we can push it out of our mind.  

Twice now I have been 'gone' and brought 'back' and I think about the fact I don't want to leave my family, yet I do know where I will spend eternity so I am sad about still being alive but happy, too.  See what I mean, it is hard.  And being alive means a lot of pain and pushing yourself to look ahead to see a reason for all of this.  

This is where my faith comes in;  the anchor for me, 

the person of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures. Who provides the prolonging for my days and I trust him for the reason I am still here and also provides my hope for the future

 even through these hard days.

  

 In my prone state, I came across a woman who clearly shares the Scriptures and adds a bit of artwork to her journal pages. 

 I was intrigued.  I could work on my writing , which has suffered greatly these last few months, and my watercolor, which has been all but forgotten, while immersing my soul in sound truth.  

 

 Since Sept 9, I have shared my physical challenges, my mental struggles and I wanted to voice my spiritual beliefs with you also.  Thanks for listening and cheering me on, it means a lot.

WARPING ANEW

 I ordered a new warping board-it is smaller and lighter -which is a benefit for storage and lifting!  I am going to make a table runner.  Only 300 more wraps to go!!!  I'm going to be trying some overshot weaving and hope to be weaving by next week.