January is Over! Well, Almost!

      I thought I had done well going to the orthopedist earlier this month and having a shot each of pain killer and steroid for the arthritis in my old broken tib and fib but Jeff out did me today.  He went to the pain specialist and got 3 shots of pain killer and 5 of the steroid in his hip for his arthritis! And after taking it easy for the rest of the day, tonight he's walking much better...no limp!  He goes back in 2 weeks and repeats the procedure.  (I don't get to repeat unless the pain comes back in 3-6 months. And his appointment was in Herkimer, mine was in Cooperstown. No long ride for him.)
   Fanny patiently waited all afternoon for Jeff to play with tug-of-war with her and her new tote bag.  It was one of the toys in this months BarkBox and she's been carrying it around for the last week.  They also play Fetch with it.  She won't play games with me.  I guess I'm just good for putting out food and treats and opening the door.  Even then, after supper she walks by me looking for Jeff to be let out.  He'll stand 'guard' over her when she thinks she needs protection...I just open the door and say "GO!"
    I've been busy working on my stock for the shop.  At first I didn't want to and found all kinds of excuses not to knit but then I finished one sweater and the MOJO got going again.  This hoodie has a crab or

heart cable around the
hood and down the right side of the front.  It needs a back zipper sewn in and 3 buttons...would hearts be too much?...on the Henley front.  It's a size 9mo. and the yarn is
Red Heart's Petal Pink.

(Fanny hit the lamp as I snapped the pix, causing the shadow.)
   I went a little crazy with cables in this cardigan.  It's a size 1 and the yarn is Impeccably Impecable , an acrylic, from Michael's in Butterscotch that I received in a Secret Pal package from California.   Another Secret Pal round will be happening in a couple of weeks.  I had refused a pal in Australia because the postage for the package I had made would have been $30.  As it was, it was $10 to send it to South Carolina!  This time I'm waiting to see where my pal lives before I fill a package!  And I'm

A BarkBox  became a YarnBox

 not going to use a box again...even if it means I can't decorate the outside all the way around. (The best part was the dog cartoon printed on the back of the box where I changed the punch line for knitters.)
    After 6 weeks of self-testing and having my INR in range, I couldn't do it right on Friday.  Kept getting  ERROR...and used my last 4 test strips, too!  I had to go to the clinic and have the nurse stick my finger.   She asked me to show her how I did it and then showed me what I was doing wrong.  When I'm cold I don't bleed very fast so Sharon, the nurse, showed me a couple of tricks to use.  I was in range...but at the high end and my doctor wasn't happy about that.  Got to go back tomorrow and have it done again.  If it's not back where he likes it*,  he'll probably change my Warfarin dose...and that means weekly tests until it stays steady. Taking Warfarin 
can be a real pain sometimes.  
   (Woke up to find it had snowed overnight.  Got about 1" or so of snow.  Just enough to cover all the dead leaves on the ground again...and the ice spots on the way to the car.  At least it's nicer to look at!
Want to bet the groundhog sees his shadow on Thursday?)8:10am 1/31/17

*INR right where the MD wants it...3.1!  Don't have to test again until 2/17!  Cabbage (coleslaw works better than Warfarin!!)2:54pm 1/31/17