Here Comes The Berkey! A last!!!

   Jeff bought a Berkey water filter for the house about 5 years ago because he felt it would do a good job.  Nothing we (Jeff & I or my parents) had used had made much difference with our water.  We have a deep well full of black, sulfur-rich water.  Great if you want to take a bath and ease your sore muscles but I wouldn't drink it!!  I remember when we first moved here and the way it smelled outside the house!! We were told the smell would fade as we ran the water. (HA!)  The first time my mom tried to make spaghetti with the well water we ended up with a kettle of paste!!  On and off for over 50 years we hauled water in gallon jugs...free from a pipe coming out of the hillside along Canadarago Lake, from up on the southside in Little Falls, along the road to the college in Herkimer and from camp where we had beautiful, clear, clean spring water.  My father and Wally's dad decided to tap into Beaver Brook, the creek that runs behind/thru most of East Herkimer.  That worked beautifully until MDS decided to harness the creek for use in the factory and the creek bed moved leaving our pump house high and dry.  So it was back to hauling water.  The water machines at Walmart made it somewhat easier since they were inside, and at 35-39 cents a gallons, it wasn't too expensive.  But Jeff thought there had to be a better way and he kept looking and eventually found the Berkey Water Filter System online.  With the Berkey the smell was gone, the taste was gone and we had clean, clear water that we could cook with and drink.  And it was just across the kitchen from the sink so there weren't a couple of dozen gallon jugs waiting to be filled on the porch.  (Yes, we were filling 24 gallon jugs every week!)  After over 5 years of use, cleaning and changing the filters and cleaning the tank, the tank sprung a leak!  It was at the same time we were trying to replace our car so the Berkey had to wait and we were back to hauling water.  I finally managed to accumulate the extra cash and ordered a new Berkey from St. Paul Mercantile in Maryland on January 2nd.  After a quiet Christmas it was our present to ourselves.  I sent them a check for the system the next week and we started waiting.  The check got lost in the mail(!!) and it took until 12/21 before it was delivered.  I got an e-mail notice from them on Thursday that the new Berkey would be delivered this Tuesday.  I can hardly wait!! 

Swapping

   I finally got my Yarn Pals swap package into the mail on Thursday.  I had to order 
most of what I wanted to include because there isn't a yarn shop near by and I wasn't going anywhere to find one.  (Walmart has been good enough for getting Red Heart and Lion Brand yarns but they don't care anything else.) Finally my yarn orders came in and the package was complete.  I had a plastic zipper bag that sheets came in and everything fit perfectly!  I had printed out my Pal's info (address, family, likes, etc) but I never included my contact person at Yarn Pals...a mistake!  I've had some trouble with my PC this winter and Jeff had to step in and correct it and when he does that it means I lose what's not saved properly.  From now on when I print out my swap partner's info if there is a contact person included I'm going to be sure to include that name, too!  On top of that, the print on the receipt from the Post Office was so light that when I took a photo of it to send to the contact person (to prove that I had mailed the package on time) nothing showed! 

I finally got in touch with someone at Yarn Pals and PM-ed the information (date mailed, tracking #, expected date of arrival).  My Pal should receive the package tomorrow.

   I really enjoyed the 3 swaps I did this year.  Two were with Ravelry.com and one with Yarn Pals.  One of the Ravelry swaps was for  Christmas and I got some beautiful yarns, the other was for Advent and I got 24 small gifts and 1 large one.  That was so much fun!  My partner showed so much imagination!!  I got the usual knitting notions but I also got some really unusually things...like a small bottle of Sloe Gin!   I really want to do the Advent swap again next year and I hope I can find some unusual things to include!  

This is the assortment of yarn I received in the 3 swaps. Isn't it great?  Some is even hand-dyed!  That Fair Isle heart is an ornament that came with the directions and enough yarn to make another one!

   This was one that stumped me for awhile.  It's actually a mini-pair of

scissors!  I never saw anything like this

before!  (And the scissors are sharp enough to cut yarn!!)

  The Christmas Swap included the greatest shawlette and Christmas mugs but, unfortunately, one of the mugs didn't quite make the trip.  (I glued it together and will use it as a pen holder.) In the meantime, Jeff and I are fighting over the surviving mug.  It holds almost 2 cups of coffee and he thinks it's HIS.    We'll see about that!!

   

   These swaps have helped to make an otherwise drab Christmas more interesting.  Hopefully, next Christmas things will be back to normal...or at least, more normal but I'm still going to do swaps!

Twelfth Night

    Happy Twelfth Day of Christmas! Anybody got 12 drummers drumming?  Jeff's sister brought us a bag and a half of grain-free dog food (and a bag of assorted grain-free dog treats) that her dogs can no longer eat.  (One is allergic to grain and when you have 2, if 1 can't have it, you can't put it out for either.)  I just gave Fanny and Zoey a couple of heart-shaped turkey and  sweet potato treats and they gobbled them right down.  Well, Zoey did.  Fanny was a little more reserved.  After Zoey ate hers and nothing happened to her, Fanny ate her 2.  They are going to be very spoiled doggies by the time they finish these treats!  (Just hope they don't expect me to buy them more!  Have you seen the prices for fancy dog treats??  $5 and up at Hannaford!!)

   I finally got the heel turned on the 1st sock of MY pair.  I got Jeff's Christmas socks done by New Year's Day and I felt like I was playing yarn chicken!  The yarn was Mary Maxim's Elements, a DK weight blend (just what Jeff prefers!) of acrylic and wool in a green ombre called Forest that

was on sale for $1.99 a skein.  I usually get Patron' s Kroy sock yarn that's usually $5-6 a skein but I decided to give Elements a try.  There is 155 yds to a skein of Elements (to 165 yds of Kroy) so I wasn't sure the legs of the socks would be long enough to make Jeff happy but...I got great yardage out of each skein!  The foot of one of Jeff's sock is 10" long, then the turned heel and then I usually just use up the rest of the skein of yarn for the leg.  Well, the Elements lasted for another 12".  Jeff was pleased with his new socks...and so was I, so much so that I went back to the Mary Maxim site and ordered 4 more skeins!  They should get here today. Now that will be a great Twelfth Day gift!  (My socks are in Elements/Wildfire. It's pretty and bright and I like it.  I should be

able to do a pair for me in a skein and a half or less.  I thought I'd use what's left for baby socks and some Pinwheel flowers for baby and toddler hats for the shop. 

  I did this pullover as a special order just before Christmas and I think I'll do it again...this time for the shop...as soon as I finish my socks (I'm tired of wearing socks with holes in them!) This is a size 2 and it's

done in 100% acrylic. I may do the sweater for the shop in a size 4. I don't think I'll offer it as a set in the shop, either.  The hat will be available as a separate purchase.

   I've been reminded several times by different shop members that this year Induction should be a Biggie (NY Yankee captain Derek Jeter is one of the inductees!) so I want to do some extra baseball sweaters.  Of course,  I'll do my Pin-stripe hoodie and

the Red-White-Blue

Hoodie, and baseball hats but I think I need a baseball cardigan or pullover

without the hood.  But I've got to remember not to get too carried away with baseball because not everyone will want a baseball sweater/hat for their child.  If I really get inspired I can probably do a train hoodie, too.  Or a train instead of the sheep around the yoke of a pullover!  Got to do a sheep cardigan, too!

There is just too much to do before the shop reopens in April.  I guess I can't complain about having nothing to do this winter!!


 

Swaps Are Fun!

    Swaps are fun!  I learned that several years ago when I signed up for my first one with Yarn Pals.  Meeting someone from another country was the first attraction, receiving yarn and goodies from that country was the second.  I've gotten some of the most beautiful yarns from Scotland, Australia and New Zealand!  I just hope I was sending some of equal value!  The only drawback was the increasing cost of international postage.  My last couple of swap packages cost me more in postage than the value of the contents and I was forced to switch to American partners or skip that rotation.  Then this year I missed the deadline for signing up  because of Jeff's many medical procedures...life just got into the way of my swapping!  I was really disappointed because of all the times of the year, I loved the Christmas Swap the best.  By chance I saw on Ravely.com that their Advent and Christmas swaps had later deadlines and I decided to sign up for them--choosing American partners for both.  

   I got a beautiful Christmas Swap package from Shannon in Farmington. NM.  The 

cowl is knit from my favorite yarn (& my favorite color) Malabrigo Rio and I've been wearing it all the time since I opened the package.  (The box is a variety of teabags!!)  Unfortunately, the 2nd mug lost it's handle en route and has become a pencil holder.

    The Advent Swap package came from Kansas City, MO., and held 24 small packages (1 each for Dec 1-24) and 1 larger package (for Dec 25).  It's been almost like being a kid again!  I've gotten more than I ever imagined!  Home-made dog treats (dehydrated liver and green beans) that our dogs loved...and stole the bag off the counter to finish!!  A couple of kits, mini-skeins of yarn, ornaments, the list goes on and on and at the end of the swap I'll post photos but I just want to be sure to post what I got yesterday (Dec 18).

Never guess what it is?  Just the cutest little pair of Scissors!!  

I have either laughed out loud,  run to show Jeff or at least smiled when I opened these little packages. I've already decided that I want to signup for next year's Advent Swap but I've got to use my imagination a lot more choosing my 24-daily gifts.  

  I just received a Yarn Pals' Swap and have my package about ready to go.  I've tried to make it unusual and interesting.  Hope my partner likes it. 

An Interesting Few Days

   It has been an interesting few days.  

   Jeff's latest...and hopefully, last procedure...an endarterectomy artery carotid was scheduled for yesterday, Dec. 9th.  He had to have the usual medical exams, blood work and of course, a covid screening before it.  Then Monday, Dec. 7th's mail brought us 2 letters from his insurance company.  One date 12/1, informed him that they were denying approval for the procedure and the other, dated 12/4, informed him that because of the intervention of the surgeon they had changed their ruling and were approving the procedure.  (They had done the same thing before his last procedure.  I don't understand the attitude of this insurance company but I did decide to change companies because of it.  He hasn't decided yet.)  Jeff learned that the doctor actually telephoned the insurance company and had a chat with someone.  (I would love to hear a recording of that!!)  

   On Tuesday afternoon someone in Admissions at the hospital called and told us that Jeff should check in by 5:45am as his procedure was scheduled to start at 7:30am, and we went over what medications he could take in the morning.  Now we live app 32 miles from the hospital and the only way is over country roads, up and down hills, so for him to be there at 5:45am we'd have to leave by 4:45am.  Neither one of us got a full nights sleep...I never even went to bed but kept napping in my chair while I was reading.  I got Jeff up at 3:30am so he could shower and take what medications he was allowed to.  We headed out the door about 4:30am.  After a quick stop at Stewart's, we were on our way south to the first hill and by the time we were to the top of it it was snowing.  As we kept going further south...and further up hills...it snowed harder.  Well, not exactly harder, just steadier.  The total snowfall was only an inch or 2 but part of the time visibility was near 0!  There was very little traffic and no snowplows.  

   I've driven this road once or twice a month from mid-spring thru November for the past 45 years because the craft co-op I belong to has a gift shop in the same village as where the hospital is located and I go down to work in it.  I know this road.  When I had my cardiac episode and broke my leg I was conscious during the ambulance ride to the hospital over this route and I knew where I was from the duration of the ride and the curves in the road.  Yesterday morning I could not tell where we were several times!  It was scary to be surrounded by walls of white.  We made it to the hospital in about an hour (usual time is 45 mins)...and by then, the snow had started to let up.  I let Jeff off at the entrance, wished him luck, he wished me a safe trip home and told me to get some coffee before I headed for home.  And as he turned and walked into the hospital, I headed for home.  I do not like hospitals that are locked down and visitors not allowed.

   It took another hour to get home.  There was more traffic on the road...but still no plows or sanders.  The part of the trip down that had caused me problems was fine now...the snow had let up and I could see the sides of the road.  The top of the big hill, with wide open farm fields on both sides was now the awful part.  It was snowing steadily, visibility was near 0 and there was plenty of traffic coming at me with their high beams on.  And there were even a few fools who felt I wasn't moving fast enough and had to pass me!  Thank God they made it because I wasn't sure where the edge of the road was so I wasn't moving over for anybody.  By the time I got home and into the house I was shaking.  I was tired and wanted to go to sleep but I was so nervous I drank 2 cups of coffee before I calmed down enough to lay down.  Both dogs crawled onto the bed with me and I finally slept.  It was almost 7am.

   We woke up a couple of hours later.  The dogs wanted to go out and I wanted more coffee.  I realized I had forgotten to bring in the 3 gallons of water from back of the car but I had enough water to make another pot of coffee.  That's all that mattered to me then.  It was too early to call and see how Jeff was doing so I cleaned house a little.  (If you know me, you now realize how nervous I was because I can usually ignore a messy house but yesterday I had to straighten things up!)  Around noon I decided I could call the hospital and see how Jeff had fared but he was still in the operating room!  The nurse said to try again in an hour and I said I didn't want to be a bother.  She laughed and said it would be ok, they had more nurses than patients at the moment.  I waited until 1:30 before calling back and that time was told they were just starting to close. She said that would take an hour or so and I said then he'd probably spend the rest of the day in Recovery and she agreed.  I said I'd call back before 5pm to see how he was but he had a nurse call me around 4pm to make sure I had made it home ok!

   Since I was finally starting to relax, I decided I was hungry and got out a package of frozen meatballs.  I dumped them into a dutch oven and slowly let them brown, then poured in a jar of  marinara sauce and let the whole thing simmer on low for half an hour or so.  I still hadn't brought in any water so I decided a covered meatball sandwich would be good enough for supper instead of pasta.  I mashed up a meatball apiece for the dogs and mixed that up with their dry food and a ladle of sauce.  Everyone cleaned their plates last night!  I washed dishes and had another cup of coffee but was careful to leave at least 1 cup in the pot so I could have coffee in the morning.  After supper I had to clean Fanny's ear and put in her ear drops which she hates  and it took awhile for her to calm down!  Then I spent the rest of the evening online and on the phone updating friends and family on Jeff's condition.  I was still pretty beat and I must have sounded it because my cousin Ed told me to hang up and go to bed around 10pm.  I did and we all slept till morning!

   This morning I brought in the 3 gallons of water when I left the dogs out so I was sure I had enough water to make coffee.  Around 10am I talked to a groggy Jeff and he told me that he was going home today.  The doctor had already been there.  We set up how he'd let me know what time to pick him up and then I called the floor nurse to make sure Jeff had it straight.  He did!  I cleaned the coffee pot and filled it but didn't start it.  I'd do that when we came home.  Jeff called back around 11:30 to say 'come get me!' but I wasn't quite ready so I told him I'd be there within an hour and started to  move!  He called my cell again as I drove into Richfield Springs wanting to know where I was and how long it would be before I got there...about 15-20 mins. He said he'd meet me downstairs.  When I finally got to the hospital there was a line of cars outside of the entrance.  I sat there for a minute, then put the car in park and went towards the door.  Jeff saw me coming and came out before I reached it.  I had to stop at the shop before we left town but didn't stay for long. We headed for home and Walmart where he picked up two Rx's  and then stopped at Burger King to get him a soda so he could take a pill and I got chicken nuggets for the dogs (their favorite treat) and made it home by 2pm.  We had coffee (and I had toast...my lunch) while I let a few people know he was home.  Then it was nap time again and the house was quiet.  I couldn't sleep this time but the house sounded normal again.

  FYI: An endarterectomy artery carotid is basically a router-rooter job done on a carotid artery...in Jeff's case, the left one.  A 2" incision was made below Jeff's left ear and a plastic tube was used to bypass the blockage in his carotid artery.  Then the artery was cut open and the blockage scraped out. An balloon angioplasty can be used to make sure there are no other blockages in the artery.  After the artery is closed, the bypass tube is removed.  The incision is closed on the surface with superglue (no external stitches) and a bandage is applied over the wound.  Jeff says it feels like he was punched in the neck!  Hard, several times!!  He sees the surgeon for a post-op on 12/21.

Christmas Swap

I just opened a Christmas Swap package...yeah, I know it's early but I couldn't wait any longer...and boy, was it worth it!  It had a shawlette made out of Malabrigo Baby Silkpaca Lace yarn...so soft and beautiful!  I think Malabrigo is my favorite label and the color is perfect.  There was also a huge box of assorted teas...everything from Earl Gray to English Breakfast with all the flavors in between (even the ones I'm not suppose to drink...like green teas).  Unfortunately, the 1 of the 2 big mugs didn't make the trip from New Mexico in 1 piece...but all the pieces are there and after I glue it together it will make a fantastic pen & pencil holder.  The other mug will be used for what it was made for...big cuppas!!  Thanks, Shannon (Shooting Star)!
 

Cooper Country Crafts

 

Here's the window display for Cooper Country Crafts (on Main St, Cooperstown between the Bakery and Doubleday Field Parking Lot),  A good representation of what's in the shop!  Never too early to start Christmas shopping!!