Well, the house wasn't as clean as I wanted but it wasn't as bad as it's been. Yesterday Jeff and I moved furniture in the living room and the TV room, switching chairs. I dusted and swept both rooms (a never ending chore)and he moved canning jars from the laundry room to the shelves in the hall closet. Two more of those heavy duty contractor bags were filled in the process. I will be glad when the stove is out for the summer...it creates unbelievable dust.
Jeff sister, Sherry, and my cousin, Ed, joined us for dinner today. I did a pretty good pork roast in the Ronco rotisserie. It does such a great job, don't know how I ever cooked meat without it! The rest of the meal included mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans. For Easter I baked a traditional Italian Easter bread...braided with whole eggs set in the braid. I found out that I did not have any colored sprinkles so the bread did not get trimmed out, just painted with egg yolk. Still OK. And I made deviled eggs. Sherry stopped at Holland Farm and got some half-moon cookies (always good) and Ed brought a bottle of wine...white Zinfandel, my favorite but I couldn't have any. I'd say we had a rather good feast. The dogs (Max and Fanny) patiently waited under the table for meat scraps. Oh, and Jeff gave me a chocolate rabbit...which is sitting on the counter begging to be eaten! Hope everyone had as enjoyable day was we did.
Friday I saw my doctor...a follow-up to my visit 6 weeks ago. My blood pressure is great (118/72) but my back pain is worse. I have degenerative disc disease...like Mom...and my falls this winter haven't helped matters any. Got 'scripts for a pain pill and ointment...and my regular rat poison and beta blocker...a total of $91 after the insurance kicked in! And for a handicapped parking permit. The doctor also wants me to try PT for the back. PT worked beautiful for my ankle so I'm willing to try. As it is I can barely walk half a block...or stand and do half a sink of dishes...with out pain. I took a pill last night (that's why the wine was a no-no) and it helped the pain a lot. Made me sick, too, I felt like I had a hangover this morning! The nurse who does my finger pricks warned me to be sure to take the pill with food and I did, but I guess 2 crackers wasn't enough. I'll try a slice of bread tonight.
Got the Tanked hoodie almost finished. I'm down to the waist ribbing and then there's the fun job of working in all the ends. Got just about 10 days before the shop opens for the season to sew the buttons and zippers...and maybe get another couple of hats done.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
WANTED: PROJECT MANAGER
I'm great at starting projects but usually need a 'project manager' to finish anything.
I worked on my 'Tanked' hoodie this morning, working in a blue and yellow fish. I realized I had made a mistake and tried to correct it without ripping the whole thing out. No luck, that only made it worse. Then I tried ripping out only the fish...worse still! So I finally gave in, admitted defeat, and ripped out about 2" of my sweater. Worked the fish back in...after I adjusted the chart...and worked in most of the yarn I had ripped out. Still doesn't look perfect to me, but....
In-between ripping and knitting, I emptied the wheelbarrow in the garage and brought the wood into the house. There's still a pile of cut wood that has to be stacked somewhere but I think I'll throw as much as I can into the wheelbarrow to be stacked at a later time and bring what I can into the house.
My real task for today was to finish cleaning the closets Jeff and I emptied yesterday and move the last batch of what we had canned from the kitchen counters to old linen closet. Instead, I started emptying out the laundry room. Actually, clearing the counter in there and picking up piles from the floor. Got another of the giant heavy-duty garbage bags nearly full! After lunch I'll wipe down the shelves in the linen closet and move those jars. I really have to dust/clean the TV room before Friday so Jeff can help me move furniture, too.
I worked on my 'Tanked' hoodie this morning, working in a blue and yellow fish. I realized I had made a mistake and tried to correct it without ripping the whole thing out. No luck, that only made it worse. Then I tried ripping out only the fish...worse still! So I finally gave in, admitted defeat, and ripped out about 2" of my sweater. Worked the fish back in...after I adjusted the chart...and worked in most of the yarn I had ripped out. Still doesn't look perfect to me, but....
In-between ripping and knitting, I emptied the wheelbarrow in the garage and brought the wood into the house. There's still a pile of cut wood that has to be stacked somewhere but I think I'll throw as much as I can into the wheelbarrow to be stacked at a later time and bring what I can into the house.
My real task for today was to finish cleaning the closets Jeff and I emptied yesterday and move the last batch of what we had canned from the kitchen counters to old linen closet. Instead, I started emptying out the laundry room. Actually, clearing the counter in there and picking up piles from the floor. Got another of the giant heavy-duty garbage bags nearly full! After lunch I'll wipe down the shelves in the linen closet and move those jars. I really have to dust/clean the TV room before Friday so Jeff can help me move furniture, too.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Oh, What a Week It's Been...and It's Only Wednesday!
Last week Jeff and I went up to his sister's house coz she was having trouble with her garage door opener. It kept tripping the circuit breaker. Jeff wanted to check things out but found that the circuit was dead! He told Sherry what she needed to buy (electric wire) and how much and to call when she got it. We went up on Sunday coz she needed help getting the right wattage or whatever wire. We went to Home Depot (expensive!) and Lowe's and she got wire and a snake to thread it thru the conduit. Jeff disconnected the wire at both ends and tried to pull it thru...no deal. So he went outside and dug up the conduit by the garage and found that it only went 2 ft before there was only wire..no conduit. He dug up the conduit by the house and found the same thing. Most of the wire was just buried in the ground...and not very deep, either. He pulled the wire out and discovered the problem: it had shorted out, burning about 8" of insulation and splitting the wire. Back to Lowe's we went and got some new conduit. Jeff started digging a ditch to bury it in but the day was over and after dinner we came home.
Monday morning I had an appointment to take my car in for a 'smoke test' since it had failed inspection the week before. I had to leave it at the mechanics and walk 4 blocks to Jeff's apartment. Now 4 blocks doesn't sound far but my lower back started sending SOS signals about halfway. By the time I got to Jeff's I was in such pain all I could do was cry. So I did. After the allotted time Jeff called the mechanic's and got the diagnosis: the car needed a new fuel filler neck. That made me cry even more. The mechanic didn't know how much it would cost...$150 to $300...coz he had to get it from a Subaru dealer. We arranged to have the work done on Wednesday...today. I walked very slowly back to the mechanics and got the car and Jeff and I went to Sherry's. He finished digging the ditch and we girls 'helped'...not a good thing as my back kept reminding me. After he glued the conduit together, we got the new wire threaded thru and when both ends were connected Sherry and I filled in the ditch as best we could. Everything was going well until Jeff wired in the outlet in the garage and the breaker tripped. He tested the outlet and found out that it was part of the problem so he took it out. Everything worked fine without it...the outside light turned on and the garage door opened. When she gets the new outlet we'll have to go up again so Jeff can install it.
In the meantime, Wednesday rolled around and it was time to take the car back to the mechanics. By luck I checked my calendar and realized I had never had the blood work my doctor ordered...and my next appointment with her is Friday! So I stopped at the health center on the way to the mechanics and had the blood drawn. (The tech was so good I honestly never felt anything and was surprised to see her changing vials. I was waiting for her to stick me!) Then, since it had been a 'fasting' test I stopped at Burger King and got a vanilla latte...to be my breakfast along with some of the sugar cookies I had brought with me. I also had my mom's quad cane to help me walk...not that it did much good. I stopped every half block or so and sipped my latte but the pain from my lower back was traveling up and down my right leg by the time I got to Jeff's. This time instead of sitting down and crying, I sat down and fell asleep in his favorite chair in the living room. After my nap, Jeff and I watched a video online about a novel way to garden with mulch. He wants to try doing it in a portion of the garden this year. Sounded good to me...but I was more interested in how much the filler neck was going to cost. Eventually it was time to call the mechanic for the 'bad' news...the bill came to $341 and that included labor and inspection! I was surprised...he had said the car might need time to 'reset' it's computer and I would have to bring it back again but when I got there the sticker was on the window!! (I would recommend Spisak Auto on W. Albany St in Herkimer to anyone!!) The walk back had been the longest of all but I made it. When I see the doctor on Friday I'm going to ask some questions (and get a 'scrip for a handicapped parking sticker.) There has got to be something that can be done for the pain.
Sherry's miniature Schnauzer, Max, and our Fanny had a blast for 2 afternoons. Both dogs were well covered with mud and totally exhausted!
Jeff came home with me today and we cleaned out 2 closets. He's going to paint them and then we'll do the other 2. By then we'll have more than enough 'stuff' to take up to the dump in Utica.
I've been carrying a blue hoodie OTN with me. I'm ready to start working in some fish down the front and maybe one on the back. I'll put some seaweed on the bottom...maybe some sand, too, oh, how about making the ribbing dark like a base? I'm thinking of calling the design 'Tanked' and will post a photo asap.
Monday morning I had an appointment to take my car in for a 'smoke test' since it had failed inspection the week before. I had to leave it at the mechanics and walk 4 blocks to Jeff's apartment. Now 4 blocks doesn't sound far but my lower back started sending SOS signals about halfway. By the time I got to Jeff's I was in such pain all I could do was cry. So I did. After the allotted time Jeff called the mechanic's and got the diagnosis: the car needed a new fuel filler neck. That made me cry even more. The mechanic didn't know how much it would cost...$150 to $300...coz he had to get it from a Subaru dealer. We arranged to have the work done on Wednesday...today. I walked very slowly back to the mechanics and got the car and Jeff and I went to Sherry's. He finished digging the ditch and we girls 'helped'...not a good thing as my back kept reminding me. After he glued the conduit together, we got the new wire threaded thru and when both ends were connected Sherry and I filled in the ditch as best we could. Everything was going well until Jeff wired in the outlet in the garage and the breaker tripped. He tested the outlet and found out that it was part of the problem so he took it out. Everything worked fine without it...the outside light turned on and the garage door opened. When she gets the new outlet we'll have to go up again so Jeff can install it.
In the meantime, Wednesday rolled around and it was time to take the car back to the mechanics. By luck I checked my calendar and realized I had never had the blood work my doctor ordered...and my next appointment with her is Friday! So I stopped at the health center on the way to the mechanics and had the blood drawn. (The tech was so good I honestly never felt anything and was surprised to see her changing vials. I was waiting for her to stick me!) Then, since it had been a 'fasting' test I stopped at Burger King and got a vanilla latte...to be my breakfast along with some of the sugar cookies I had brought with me. I also had my mom's quad cane to help me walk...not that it did much good. I stopped every half block or so and sipped my latte but the pain from my lower back was traveling up and down my right leg by the time I got to Jeff's. This time instead of sitting down and crying, I sat down and fell asleep in his favorite chair in the living room. After my nap, Jeff and I watched a video online about a novel way to garden with mulch. He wants to try doing it in a portion of the garden this year. Sounded good to me...but I was more interested in how much the filler neck was going to cost. Eventually it was time to call the mechanic for the 'bad' news...the bill came to $341 and that included labor and inspection! I was surprised...he had said the car might need time to 'reset' it's computer and I would have to bring it back again but when I got there the sticker was on the window!! (I would recommend Spisak Auto on W. Albany St in Herkimer to anyone!!) The walk back had been the longest of all but I made it. When I see the doctor on Friday I'm going to ask some questions (and get a 'scrip for a handicapped parking sticker.) There has got to be something that can be done for the pain.
Sherry's miniature Schnauzer, Max, and our Fanny had a blast for 2 afternoons. Both dogs were well covered with mud and totally exhausted!
Jeff came home with me today and we cleaned out 2 closets. He's going to paint them and then we'll do the other 2. By then we'll have more than enough 'stuff' to take up to the dump in Utica.
I've been carrying a blue hoodie OTN with me. I'm ready to start working in some fish down the front and maybe one on the back. I'll put some seaweed on the bottom...maybe some sand, too, oh, how about making the ribbing dark like a base? I'm thinking of calling the design 'Tanked' and will post a photo asap.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Another Snowy Day
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| Looks like the wilderness, doesn't it |
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| Pretty...if it wasn't the 3rd day of Spring! |
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Screwed Up Again
Had my INR factor checked again today and it was 4.32... a little high...meaning my blood was thin. (Should be happy something about me is thin!?!) Had to go to the lab and have a vial drawn after the finger prick showed the high reading. This time the lab guy had a little trouble finding a vein to use (something else about me that tends to be thin) but it didn't hurt too much and he got the blood. Now I have to wait and see if the doctor will order a change in meds. April, my nurse, said I might have to take a smaller dose. Will have to go back to her next week and have another INR done. After the vampire experience I had to have a mammography. All I can say about that is if it was a sensitive part of the male anatomy a tech wouldn't be sticking it in a vise-like machine and squeezing....
I was sure Fanny would have snacked on the comforter while I was out but she didn't! I praised and petted her, calling her a 'good dog' and giving her an extra treat. I swear she smiled at me. As a reward for this morning's torture in the name of medicine on the way home I treated myself to a vanilla latte at Burger King...not bad for a $1....and made myself Kraft's Macaroni & Cheese for lunch (which I shared with Fanny the good dog). Now I think I'll go build a fire in the stove and get comfortable...maybe even knit.
I was sure Fanny would have snacked on the comforter while I was out but she didn't! I praised and petted her, calling her a 'good dog' and giving her an extra treat. I swear she smiled at me. As a reward for this morning's torture in the name of medicine on the way home I treated myself to a vanilla latte at Burger King...not bad for a $1....and made myself Kraft's Macaroni & Cheese for lunch (which I shared with Fanny the good dog). Now I think I'll go build a fire in the stove and get comfortable...maybe even knit.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Up-Date
Mom was moved to the permanent side of Valley Health after lunch yesterday and was not a happy camper. The social worker had told her she'd be moving but Mom said they did not give her enough time to get ready to move (she didn't have to do anything) and made her feel like a poor relation/in the poor house. She said they made her wish she were dead(said that a couple of times). Some of this venom was directed to me, I think, because yesterday we had that winter storm and I stayed home and was not there when she was moved. We had talked about her being moved when a bed became available but she didn't understand it would be at such short notice. The social worker and I tried to explain to her that if she did not move when the bed became available someone else would have taken it. Didn't help. She was sure the new staff did not want to take her to supper or bring her back to her new room. We tried to explain that because there were more residents in the permanent section it took longer to get everyone into/out of the dining room. She wasn't buying it. 'We just didn't understand'. Oh, well. I hope she accepts things and makes the most of it but she is a 'Josephine'....not noted for accepting things that were not her idea. She refused a phone hook-up and a chance to go shopping...Shopper's Service is scheduled for Thursday and she use to like their merchandise when I worked at the Homestead. I try to visit every 3 or 4 days and I hope things will be better when I go back over the weekend.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Enough is Enough!
Another snowstorm...snow episode...snow-ed in...snow day...what ever! Today is the last the official day of winter and we got 4-6" of snow. The schools around here are closed, the garbage truck got bogged down in the driveway and I got $650 worth of #2 heating oil...or 170 gals. But Enough is Enough!! Weren't we suppose to have an early spring this year? Call this an early spring?? That little fink, the groundhog, lied. Can't trust anybody anymore.
Spent today knitting hats and playing tug-of-war with the dog. Got 2 sport caps done and another started. Then it will be baseball hats. Maybe I'll even do some flower caps, too. Jeff says I don't play with Fanny enough...that's why she's eating the comforter on my bed...so I rolled up an old thin towel and tied it into a big knot. I think she enjoyed it...tired her out for awhile anyway and she left the comforter alone...until after supper when she pulled another clump of polyfil out of it. Ahgg!
My mom got moved to a permanent room this afternoon. Not sure how that went but I'll find out tomorrow...or whenever I can get out thru the snow. Think we could get 4 more inches tonight???
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| A baseball hat and the sports caps |
Spent today knitting hats and playing tug-of-war with the dog. Got 2 sport caps done and another started. Then it will be baseball hats. Maybe I'll even do some flower caps, too. Jeff says I don't play with Fanny enough...that's why she's eating the comforter on my bed...so I rolled up an old thin towel and tied it into a big knot. I think she enjoyed it...tired her out for awhile anyway and she left the comforter alone...until after supper when she pulled another clump of polyfil out of it. Ahgg!
My mom got moved to a permanent room this afternoon. Not sure how that went but I'll find out tomorrow...or whenever I can get out thru the snow. Think we could get 4 more inches tonight???
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Our Peaceful Valley pt 2
Well, it was not a one day event. One of the girls at the library send this the next day:
On Thu, Mar 14, 2013 at 8:01 AM, <bocalinda222@aol.com> wrote:
Nancy's truck was taped off as part of the crime scene and it stayed that way until late Friday. It must have been hard to believe it was happening!
Friday morning as the swat cops and dogs went into the old bar, the gunman shot and killed a 2-yr old dog and the swat cops shot & killed him. It 's been determined that the gunman had set a fire in his apartment in an attempt to kill the people in the other 2 apartments before he went shooting. No one will ever know for sure why he did it but it was over. That block of Main St was still taped off Saturday afternoon.
This incident is not causing a wave... or even a ripple... of anti-gun sentiment in the area. Sales of guns continue to go up and the family of one of the men shot and injured included a pro-gun sentiment as part of their statement thanking the community for it's help after the event.
On Thu, Mar 14, 2013 at 8:01 AM, <bocalinda222@aol.com> wrote:
Mary- you have no idea what yesterday was like. I was walking in the parking lot about9:40 and this red jeep came from the other parking lot going about 50 mph. I thought he was going to go out the other entrance to our parking lot but instead he went down the sidewalk and stopped right in front of the library door for about 15-20 seconds opened his jeep door and then just flew across main street and down the ally way. He was right in front of me and I thought that was really strange and told Lesley as soon as I got into the library. We knew nothing at this point. When I went to unlock the doors at 10:00 a lot of trooper cars and police were on the street with their guns drawn. I again went in to tell Lesley and at that time she saw on the computer what was beginning to happen.We locked the doors and only let the people who were evacuated from the apts. in. We watched the SWAT teams come, the hound dogs, the sharpshooters on the buildings etc. It was happening right in front of us just like a CSI program. About noon we got a phone call to leave the building and we did. We stood at the end of the sidewalk along with other people but about 1:30 Lesley said she was going home because this could be a while and we could also leave if we wanted to. Because the village had pushed all the snow in Lesley's parking spot she parked next to but on the street side of Nancy's truck. Lesley had just gotten to her car but not into it yet when gunshots started. A lot of people hit the ground but Nancy, Debra and I ran to the corner of the building by Curves door. Soon after that several sherrifs etc. came and told us to get out of there but it was then we realized Nancy's window in the back cab part of her truck had been shot out. There was a lady comforting Lesley because the bullets went right over her head. She was WHITE. Nancy couldn't get to her truck so I brought her home with me. We had to go to Ilion and get to my house that way. She did a lot of phone calling to her insurance company and they told her not to move her truck. It's considered part of a crime scene. So Dave and I took her home last night. That's about it. Lesley said I was lucky because that man could have easily turned the gun on me as I was walking. It's still going on this morning. Take care, Linda
Nancy's truck was taped off as part of the crime scene and it stayed that way until late Friday. It must have been hard to believe it was happening!
Friday morning as the swat cops and dogs went into the old bar, the gunman shot and killed a 2-yr old dog and the swat cops shot & killed him. It 's been determined that the gunman had set a fire in his apartment in an attempt to kill the people in the other 2 apartments before he went shooting. No one will ever know for sure why he did it but it was over. That block of Main St was still taped off Saturday afternoon.
This incident is not causing a wave... or even a ripple... of anti-gun sentiment in the area. Sales of guns continue to go up and the family of one of the men shot and injured included a pro-gun sentiment as part of their statement thanking the community for it's help after the event.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Our Peaceful Valley....
It looks like the rest of the world is finally invading our peaceful valley. This morning an armed gunman shot and killed 4 people, 2 in Mohawk on Washington St and 2 in Herkimer at Gaffey's Car Wash on Mohawk St and sent 2 more to the hospital. There are police helicopters flying over head...low enough to see the decals!..., Route 5 was blocked at the Frankfort Bridge and part of Main St in Herkimer around Green St but, although there are checkpoints, traffic is still moving up Main St. All the schools in the valley are in lockdown. There were police from all the Valley towns (Frankfort, Ilion, Herkimer, Mohawk, Little Falls) along with the sheriff's department and US Marshalls, ATF, Homeland Security, FBI and State Police from Herkimer & Richfield Springs looking for a red jeep with a black top...that they found in Herkimer... and an older man with white or gray hair and beard that they id-ed but haven't found yet.
Jeff's in town at his apartment and is probably going to have to stay there for awhile but I wish he was here. (Sorry cousin Mike M but I think a gun just went to the top of my wish list.) The police seem to have the gunman, id'ed as Kurt Meyer, 50-60 yrs old, cornered in an apartment near Green St...sounds like a building across from the police station that had been a barber shop years ago. There's even been a swat cop in a news video walking up Main St carrying a long auto gun! From his kitchen window Jeff's been watching swat cops suiting up in the police station parking lot, big cell dishes being hooked up and bomb squad trucks pulling in, but nothing happening that he can see. There are a couple of empty building in the area...an old school (Bills) and an old bar (the GH/Glory Days) ...that would make interesting hideouts. Troopers have been working the area with their dogs, too, and a swat cop was seen going thru a window at Bills....
My friend, Fred, who is still teaching in China, is from Mohawk. He emailed me this morning asking me to check on his parents, so I just called Marilyn, his stepmother. They don't know who was shot, but Fred's father has his shotgun loaded and ready, the cars and house are locked up and they're staying inside...which they should do cos this morning Marilyn went to the dentist on Mohawk St in Herkimer near Stewart's and had a bit of trouble getting back home...a lot of flashing lights slowed her down (Gaffey's is in the same block just the other side of the street). Then they went back to Herkimer to Denny's and saw the lights again down the block but didn't go close enough to find out anything.
TV is saying that Meyers, the suspect, set fire to his apartment in Mohawk before the shootings this morning. No victim names have been released but it's been said the owner of the barber shop in Mohawk is one. The governor was suppose to have a press conference at the East Herkimer state police barracks but most of the cops just left the building in a rush...Andy C, too, and headed back down town. Said there were shots fired in Herkimer.. but Jeff didn't hear any.
Jeff's in town at his apartment and is probably going to have to stay there for awhile but I wish he was here. (Sorry cousin Mike M but I think a gun just went to the top of my wish list.) The police seem to have the gunman, id'ed as Kurt Meyer, 50-60 yrs old, cornered in an apartment near Green St...sounds like a building across from the police station that had been a barber shop years ago. There's even been a swat cop in a news video walking up Main St carrying a long auto gun! From his kitchen window Jeff's been watching swat cops suiting up in the police station parking lot, big cell dishes being hooked up and bomb squad trucks pulling in, but nothing happening that he can see. There are a couple of empty building in the area...an old school (Bills) and an old bar (the GH/Glory Days) ...that would make interesting hideouts. Troopers have been working the area with their dogs, too, and a swat cop was seen going thru a window at Bills....
My friend, Fred, who is still teaching in China, is from Mohawk. He emailed me this morning asking me to check on his parents, so I just called Marilyn, his stepmother. They don't know who was shot, but Fred's father has his shotgun loaded and ready, the cars and house are locked up and they're staying inside...which they should do cos this morning Marilyn went to the dentist on Mohawk St in Herkimer near Stewart's and had a bit of trouble getting back home...a lot of flashing lights slowed her down (Gaffey's is in the same block just the other side of the street). Then they went back to Herkimer to Denny's and saw the lights again down the block but didn't go close enough to find out anything.
TV is saying that Meyers, the suspect, set fire to his apartment in Mohawk before the shootings this morning. No victim names have been released but it's been said the owner of the barber shop in Mohawk is one. The governor was suppose to have a press conference at the East Herkimer state police barracks but most of the cops just left the building in a rush...Andy C, too, and headed back down town. Said there were shots fired in Herkimer.. but Jeff didn't hear any.
Every time a helicopter goes by overhead, my dog hides under the bed. Here comes another...there she goes!
Oh, TV just said there is a new pope!
Oh, TV just said there is a new pope!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Ah, Late Winter...
Oh, how I just love late winter/early spring days. The temperature the last couple of days has been in the mid to high 40's but hasn't felt any thing close to that! And today it's raining...good for melting snow and washing away sand but the yard is a bog dotted with piles of 'doggie do'. Yesterday I finally got my car inspected (only 11 days overdue) and Jeff asked them to check the rear suspension. It was pretty shot...rusted away...holding together by grime and luck. $400 later I had new rear struts, the oil changed and the car inspected...but no 2013 sticker coz the computer is screwed up again. Got to wait 50-60 miles and they'll run it again. This happens every time the car visits the mechanic. Modern Marvels!
Went to the anti-coagulation clinic today for my monthly finger stick. Haven't scored this bad (INR 5.0) in a long time. Get to skip the rat poison (warfarin) for 2 days and then go back again for another prick. And with my cold this time I haven't taken anything except tylenol...which is not suppose to screw up the INR! Don't know what caused the numbers to go so high (normal is 2.5-3.5). More Modern Marvels!
The shop in Cooperstown is scheduled to open for the 40th season in just about a month (April 11th). I am really looking forward to it. Hope Jeff'll babysit the dog the first couple of days I work down there or I'm not going to have much of my comforter left. Fanny loves pulling the polyfill out and chewing on the fabric! Wonder what it tastes like? Also wonder what the waistband of my sweatpants taste like...that was yesterday's snack. Still more Modern Marvels??
Went to the anti-coagulation clinic today for my monthly finger stick. Haven't scored this bad (INR 5.0) in a long time. Get to skip the rat poison (warfarin) for 2 days and then go back again for another prick. And with my cold this time I haven't taken anything except tylenol...which is not suppose to screw up the INR! Don't know what caused the numbers to go so high (normal is 2.5-3.5). More Modern Marvels!
The shop in Cooperstown is scheduled to open for the 40th season in just about a month (April 11th). I am really looking forward to it. Hope Jeff'll babysit the dog the first couple of days I work down there or I'm not going to have much of my comforter left. Fanny loves pulling the polyfill out and chewing on the fabric! Wonder what it tastes like? Also wonder what the waistband of my sweatpants taste like...that was yesterday's snack. Still more Modern Marvels??
Friday, March 8, 2013
Oh, What a Beautiful Day!
Today was a beautiful day. The sky was so blue...with just wispy clouds...at 6am. I saw it coz I didn't sleep well last night. My cold has gotten to the 'nasal drip' stage and if I laid down I would start to cough, sneeze and need to blow my nose before I could fall asleep so I spent the night..from around 2am... in the chair by the wood stove. The fire went out sometime before 6am but I was comfortable enough to get some sleep. A long hot shower helped, too and by noon I was ready to meet the day (better late than never??). Jeff and I had talked about going to Utica shopping today so off we went. First stop was Chanatry's on French Road... for meat. Jeff got some London Broil at $3.59 a pound and we both got Italian sausage($2.99) and boneless/skinless chicken breasts ($1.69)...enough to cook in the next week with some to freeze for later. I revisited my childhood by buying some pizzella's and Italian fennel pretzls and stocking up on pasta. Most people say marcroni and cheese is their comfort food but for me it's acine di pepe (pastine) with butter. It's easier and quicker than mac & cheese and you can dress it up with chicken broth! Stop Two was Aldi's on Seneca Turnpike. That location opened this summer and since Aldi's in Ilion is our regular store, we both wanted to see if anything was different there. Baby carrots were only $.59/lb so I got a bag. I also got some of the greenest bananas I've ever seen. I'd like to say a quick stop at Hobby Lobby was next but it's never a quick stop there. I just don't like that store...it's big and spread out, yarn is nothing to write home about, there's very poor needle selection and when I went over into the candle/wax section I couldn't stop sneezing and coughing! I needed some grippy cloth for slippers but they didn't have any...and while their pottery and ceramics were on sale, they didn't have any teapots. A complete washout for me. Jeff took me to lunch at Five Guys and then we got lost trying to get to Gander Mountain. Not lost really, we knew where we were, we could see the store but we just couldn't make the right turn to get there. Happens nearly every time we try to go there. You think we'd learn, huh? We came home to find that Fanny had eaten a potholder, pulled more polyfill out of my comforter, tried to open my notion box (a metal Zingo's box) but couldn't and bit part of the fringe off my plastic canvas/needlepoint mugrug while we were out. That dog knows she's done something wrong afterwards but .... Right now she's laying next to me shredding kindling wood. Helpful, huh? I hope tomorrow is as nice as today was...there's plenty of cut wood to stack and more pallets to cut.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
March Madness??
Jeff's birthday was last Friday. I had knitted him a pair of slippers that he likes (it was the 3rd or 4th pair I've done for him), my mom said to buy him a bag of tobacco (yes, we contribute to his delinquency but he is 60 years old and if he wants to smoke there's not much I can do, is there?) and I did a London broil for supper with mash potatoes and gravy and bell peppers-mushrooms-and-onions and got a small cheesecake for dessert. There wasn't much left over...except the cheesecake, we were both good and ate just one pre-cut piece. I put the left over London broil along with a leftover pork chop and a piece of hot sausage in the crock pot with a can of tomato sauce and we had cheese ravioli on Sunday night. The meat all fell apart adding to the flavor of the sauce. There was enough sauce left to freeze but the pasta and meat pieces were gone! Another piece of cheesecake each....
I haven't been knitting very much this week. My hands really hurt from my recent falls...and my right arm has developed a nice black and blue mark...but when I took out the slipper I had found in the stash and tried it on it was too big. I measured it and found out it's Jeff's size so I made the mate. He had given back 2 pairs of very worn out slippers with a request to mend them if possible. (Mission Impossible! He even wore off the plastic nobs and put holes in the grippy cloth!!) I just have to sew the grippy cloth on to the new ones and he's got another pair. It is so nice to knit for someone who appreciates the effort...he actually asks for socks and slippers! Like a lot of my knitting friends, I rarely give handknits as gifts any more after never seeing hats/mittens being worn.
Jeff cut wood Saturday and Sunday but I haven't felt like stacking it so I've been bringing in just enough in to fill the copper wood kettle and have a small stack on the porch. The wheelbarrow is full...in the garage...but it's too heavy for me to move. If it gets up the ramp to the porch I'll empty it and stack wood. There's enough cut in the garage for a couple of loads in the wheelbarrow and there are a few more pallets waiting to be cut. Jeff said something about going to pick more pallets today but I hope he forgot about it. He's used some of the longer pieces to build a 3-tier seed station complete with grow lights (photo to follow). It is time to start seeds eventho the March wind is blowing and there is snow on the ground.
I guess winter is almost over. The shop's scheduled to open for our 39th season in just about a month! I've got some more knitting to do before then but my shelf should be colorful and full! I found a pattern for baby booties that uses only 70 yds of sock yarn for a pair. I don't have good luck with booties...mine usually will fit Paul Bunyan's baby....but these are on US1's so they may work up ok. And that will use up all the little balls of sock yarn!!
I haven't been knitting very much this week. My hands really hurt from my recent falls...and my right arm has developed a nice black and blue mark...but when I took out the slipper I had found in the stash and tried it on it was too big. I measured it and found out it's Jeff's size so I made the mate. He had given back 2 pairs of very worn out slippers with a request to mend them if possible. (Mission Impossible! He even wore off the plastic nobs and put holes in the grippy cloth!!) I just have to sew the grippy cloth on to the new ones and he's got another pair. It is so nice to knit for someone who appreciates the effort...he actually asks for socks and slippers! Like a lot of my knitting friends, I rarely give handknits as gifts any more after never seeing hats/mittens being worn.
Jeff cut wood Saturday and Sunday but I haven't felt like stacking it so I've been bringing in just enough in to fill the copper wood kettle and have a small stack on the porch. The wheelbarrow is full...in the garage...but it's too heavy for me to move. If it gets up the ramp to the porch I'll empty it and stack wood. There's enough cut in the garage for a couple of loads in the wheelbarrow and there are a few more pallets waiting to be cut. Jeff said something about going to pick more pallets today but I hope he forgot about it. He's used some of the longer pieces to build a 3-tier seed station complete with grow lights (photo to follow). It is time to start seeds eventho the March wind is blowing and there is snow on the ground.
I guess winter is almost over. The shop's scheduled to open for our 39th season in just about a month! I've got some more knitting to do before then but my shelf should be colorful and full! I found a pattern for baby booties that uses only 70 yds of sock yarn for a pair. I don't have good luck with booties...mine usually will fit Paul Bunyan's baby....but these are on US1's so they may work up ok. And that will use up all the little balls of sock yarn!!
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