Keeping Busy

     I've been keeping busy knitting, reading and going to doctor's appointments lately.  I got my 3 Christmas sweaters finished and Marion took them to the shop last Saturday. Haven't heard if any of them have sold yet but that would have been too good to

be true!  After I cleared up all the mess left over from those sweaters I decided to take a mini-vacation and read a book, one of Tasha Alexander's mysteries.  Her storyline is usually pretty snappy and eventho her books are written in 2 voices...alternating chapters...if I don't care for one of them I skim those chapters.  (They're mainly background to the main story.)  Then a college friend, Tim, sent me a copy of David McCullough's TRUMAN.  It's very interesting and I'm trying to read a chapter every day.  I never knew that much about Harry and now I think if I had been old enough to vote, I'd have voted for him. He was basically a good guy who tried to do the right thing.  Tim recommended another author, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and I got 2 of her books from Midyork.  I'm half-way thru her autobiography, WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR, and I like her style.  He's reading her bio of Lincoln.  I've got that, too, but I want to finish TRUMAN first.  As an old History major, I've read a lot of bios of Lincoln and really haven't found any that I'd want to read again.  Tim thinks this one, TEAM OF RIVALS, is different.  We'll see.  In the meantime I've been working on hat and mitten sets.  
    I know it's only October but I'm cold (as usual, thanks to the Warfarin) so I'm starting early.  I got 1 1/2 sets finished.  The first has a tam and is done

with Premier's Sweet Roll in Gelatio Pop,

the 2nd one, the one I'm working on now, has a watch cap and is done with Red Heart in Fair Isle Derby. 
The mittens aren't finished yet...hopefully, I'll get them done tonight.  Both sets will fit 2-3 year old's.  I think the watch cap needs a pom pom.  What do you say? They are both are 100% acrylic yarns, machine wash and dryable and self-patterning.  The Fair Isle Derby

was a little more difficult to use because the
color runs are not the proper length for toddler-size items so I had to do a lot of 'cut and paste'...leaving a lot of ends to work in...and the yarn split a lot, something Red Heart usually doesn't do.

The Sweet Roll worked up beautifully...so well I went to the Herrschner's  site and ordered 4 more balls of different colors!  They were on sale for $3.99 each and even with sales tax and shipping they were cheaper than going to Walmart and buying the Fair Isle off the shelf!! Maggie, another college friend who lives near Cooperstown, is going to stop here Friday and get them to take to the shop. 
    I have a Black Sheep sweater finished ready to go,too, it's a size 2.  

I guess I better do some more pumpkin hats.  I just called the shop and there are only 2 left!  It's too early in October to stop doing them! 

   Last week Jeff had an appointment with a regular doctor arranged by his Diabetic nurse because his blood sugar was so far out of control.  (His attending was away for 2 weeks so we got to see a Dr Rule who was very nice and thorough.)  He said Jeff was doing quite good and his blood sugar was going down slowly.  He even laughed when we told him about Jeff walking out of the hospital!  Jeff gets to see the cardiologist next Wednesday and his regular attending doctor next Friday.  Then I had an appointment for my yearly mammogram and was pleasantly surprised.  The machine was new and did not squeeze as much as the old type did, the office was holding a month-long raffle for a nifty tote bag that all mammography patients were automatically entered in (and what knitter doesn't want/need another tote?), and at the end of the visit they gave me a gift bag as I left the office.  It had a pair of black and pink stripe socks, a pink fluzzy throw...perfect to use when I'm sitting by the window reading or knitting...and a black and white hat and glove set (and the gloves fit!).  It was a very nice visit and I'm glad I went...I really want that tote bag!!  Today I got to go for an INR (finger stick/blood test).  I've been trying to lower my cholesterol...eating Cheerios or oatmeal for breakfast and Cheerios for snacks...and I just learned by reading the package they are rich in Vit K...something I'm suppose to avoid.  I was surprised to be in range so I get to go back in 2 weeks and if I'm still in range, I get to go back in a month.  (One of the joy of taking Warfarin...blood testing for clotting ability.  That's something Jeff doesn't have to do with Pravix.)
   Fanny, our older, white dog, brought something in on her early yesterday morning that she didn't like.  She kept rubbing her head on the furniture and running from room to room barking and crying.  She jumped in bed with Jeff and tried to rub off whatever was on her head.  Then she tried it again on my bed but I got her out of there and shut the door on the bedroom so she couldn't get back in.  I gave her a couple of Benadryl and cleaned her ears and she slowly calmed down.  I eventually went back to bed.  When I got up a couple of hours later I felt something on my breast.  At first I thought Zoey had walked on me getting back into her 'spot' but the pain got worse and started to itch.  I checked it out and found a small tick!  I remembered reading on Facebook how to remove ticks from dogs with liquid soap so I tried it and the thing came out.  It was a deer tick.  I told my nurse about it today and she checked it out.  The site isn't infected...just sore...and she told me to keep an eye on it.  If I start feeling sick (flu-like symptoms) to go to Urgent Care and let them do a blood test.  This is the first time in the nearly 50 years I've lived here...with dogs...that I've ever gotten a tick from one of them!  If this is what was bothering Fanny I totally sympathize with her.  It hurts...still!!
   Jeff found a pork butt at Hannaford's on sale last week that he put it in the crock pot Sunday night, filled the pot with veggies and we had a delicious pork stew.  We invited Ed to come over for supper on Monday (he brought some crusty Italian bread) and I even made a coconut cream pie!  We sat around and visited for quite awhile.  I sent Ed home with enough stew for supper the next day and we still had enough leftover for our supper last night...and some to freeze.  Ed's finally settled in his apartment with his house cleaned out/empty and on the market.  Hope it sells before winter!   
   Well, I guess I've put off long enough working on a pumpkin hat.  I'll never get 2 finished tomorrow if I don't start now!!

Almost Back To Normal

   Jeff's blood sugar is coming down slowly...too slowly for him! Thursday he had another blood test and got the OK to restart the last oral diabetic med he was on before his hospital stay.  He's taken it 2 days/4 times and his blood sugar came down another couple of points.  His Diabetic Educator/nurse, Dora, said she'd give him until Tues or Wed to get the blood sugar down to where it was before his hospital stay.  If it doesn't fall that low, she's going to start changing med dosages.  My cousin Ed came over yesterday afternoon with a sugar-free apple pie but Jeff decided not to have any...yet.  (He really wants his blood sugar back where it was before!)  
   I turned the furnace on yesterday...it was just too cold in the house not to!  I even had the oven on...tried to bake a sugar-free/flour-free dessert...at least it helped warm up the kitchen.  The furnace ran off and on overnight.  It's about 68-70 inside right now but it feels colder to me.  (Thanks to Warfarin, no doubt.) I'm tired, too.  Went to bed around 8pm last night but was up at midnight...Jeff got up to cook his midnight snack!  I woke up this morning around 9am but went back to bed and slept til almost 11am.  I still want to sleep!!  Tension and Warfarin do that to you, too. 
    I sat by the sunny window in my room (after I cleaned off Zoey's nose prints) and finished a book I had been reading while I ate lunch.  Then I started a Black Sheep sweater because the one in the shop had sold.  I've got 3 Christmas sweaters just about

ready to go down to the
shop with Marion this week.  This Baseball Snowman just needs some snowflakes around him and he'll be finished.

The SnowLady is finished!  All 3 sweaters are size 4, raglan pullovers, hand-knit with 100% acyrlic Red Heart worsted on circular US 5 & 7's.  The BB Snowman has a baseball mitt

button at the end of one stick arm and a baseball button at the other.  The SnowLady had knit mittens on her stick arms.  The 3rd snowman needs his arms and mittens, yet, and some decorations on the tree.  All 3 of them have knit carrot noses and french knot eyes.  Their scarves tie around their necks, too!
  Then it will be time to do a few more pumpkin hats before I start some winter hat and  mitten sets.  As long as I'm cold I'm hoping other folks will feel the change in the weather, too, and start buying winter things!  Maybe some booties?!?  A fancy scarf or two?!?  We'll see how ambitious I get.

And Today...

   Today Jeff's blood sugar was really high this morning...just over 400!  I called the Diabetic Educator at Herkimer and left a message for her and for our PA's nurse.  The nurse called me back about an hour later and Dora called back this afternoon. I explained the situation to them and they both had ideas on how to help Jeff.   Hopefully, we'll get in to see our PA in a week or so (before the visit with the cardio/PA in Little Falls.)  Dora's going to talk with the nurse and have her call us back tomorrow and go over his meds.  Jeff's blood sugar came down a few points during the day today...he's back on his oral diabetic meds.  Tonight he took some CBD oil because his arthritis pain is increasing again.  That helped to lower his blood sugar before so it may help again.
  I had an appointment to have an INR done this afternoon.  Actually, I was suppose to have it done yesterday but we weren't home in time for me to keep that appointment.  My INR was back in range and I'll have to have it checked again in 2 weeks. With a little luck it will stay in range and I'll be back to having it checked once a month. (That's one of the drawbacks of taking Warfarin...frequent blood tests.)
  Just before we went to town Maggie and Horst stopped on their way to their PT appointments at Little Falls.  Maggie brought a bag of goodies!  Home made jams and chili, tomatoes from her garden!  Even a skein of Red Heart Soft Baby yarn and some cute buttons!  (There's yarn to make a size 1 sweater & hat!)  And her jams are so good!!! I'd be happy with tea and toast...with her jams...for supper!! 
  Jeff and I ended up having lunch at Burger King (the dogs shared chicken nuggets) between my INR and going to Walmart.  Then it was home.  He sat in front of his PC all afternoon and the dogs slept next to me near by mine.  I still think it will be an early night.

And Then??

   Monday morning Sherry and I went back to the hospital in Cooperstown but we had a hard time finding a parking place in the lot closest to the hospital and we were too late to see Jeff's doctor or be there for his echo cardiogram.  The doctor decided on the results of the echo cardiogram that Jeff needed a cardiac catherization and possible have some stents inserted.  Jeff was not happy with the prognosis.  At first he refused to sign the release and although he finally signed it, he insisted on keeping his DNR order in place.  (Most doctors...especially cardiologists do not like DNR orders!)  The procedure was scheduled for that afternoon and Jeff continued on IV/Heparin and fasting.  

   Just before 2pm the cardio nurses came up for Jeff and allowed us to go down to the catherization with him.  While the procedure was being preformed on him, Sherry and I went to the cafeteria and ate cold fish sandwiches.  (UCK!)  I had a cup of cappuccino, too.  We didn't have long to wait for Jeff to be brought back into the recovery room after we got back to the cath waiting room. He wasn't too worse for wear except his left arm was a little numb and he had trouble raising/moving it.  He managed to hold on to a cup of coffee and we left him sitting up waiting for his promised roast beef sandwich.  I talked to him later that night and he said he felt better.  His arm was working ok and he didn't have any pain.  I was exhausted by 9pm and gave up and went to bed.  I tried to read some more of McCullough's Truman but didn't get far.  The dogs woke me up to go outside around midnight and then we all went back to sleep. 

   I overslept a little this morning and was just barely ready when Sherry got here just before 9am.  I was sure we'd get to see the cardiologist this morning but he beat us there again and when we walked into Jeff's room he had started getting ready to go home.  The cardiologist had OK-ed him for discharge! The RN came in and told him he could remove all the stickers and bandaids...except the IV...and get dressed.  She came back in a few minutes and took out the IV and told him he was first on the discharge list!  A lady from dietary came in then and took his lunch order and then a tech from cardiology to explained how his blood thinner Rx  (Plavix) worked, to schedule a couple of appointments (1 in Little Falls and 1 in Herkimer) and to change his  cardiologist.  (He also explained what stents were made of and how they were inserted...Jeff had 4 done yesterday!)  Jeff stripped the sheets from his bed and put all the dirty laundry in the laundry bin.  Then he walked around the halls for awhile and talked with the guy in the next bed. 

   Around 11:30, Jeff put on his hat, grabbed his bag and headed towards the elevator.  (That's enough waiting!)  Sherry went after him and I headed to the nurse's station.  Jeff made it onto an elevator and was gone before Sherry caught up to him.  When I told the RN that Jeff had left she said 'But he can't!'

I just turned around and headed towards the elevator...so did an aide but he didn't try to follow him down.  
   I caught up with Jeff outside and when Sherry caught up with us we just walked to the car and drove away.  On the way home I called our PA's nurse and told her what happened, asking if she could find out where the Rx would be waiting.  I also called my lab nurse to reschedule the INR I was suppose to have today and when she called me back she was able to help me locate the Rx...at WalGreen's.

   The dogs were definitely happy to see Jeff home again.  There was a lot of jumping and barking!  Fanny had stolen a bag of cheese curls from the kitchen table and left it on Jeff's bed and someone had pulled the window curtain down, bending the curtain rod in my room.  Everyone is happy he's home.  I guess there is never a dull moment around here but I could do with a few less. 

Now What!?!?

   You never know what going to happen next, do you?  Jeff has been using CBD oil (hemp) to help curb the pain in his lower back, hips and legs for a couple of weeks and it seems to be making a difference.  It's been allowing him to sleep longer but he doesn't seem to have any energy.  He's been slowing lowering the dosage, trying to keep the pain under control.  I've been asking if he's using too much because he doesn't seem to have much energy...just sits and reads or sleeps.  It also has been slowing lowering his blood sugar.  This past week his night-time test was around 100...a low for him but definitely a good thing!  Then Friday after supper he came into the kitchen and said 'take me to the ER'.  He was having chest pains!  He had been having chest pains for about a month!!  But Friday afternoon the pains started to move up his arm and jaw!  So we went to Little Falls Hospital'
   They hooked him up to the heart monitor, did an X-ray, took some blood and started a saline drip.  The blood test came back quickly showing an abnormal enzyme present usually associated with a heart attack.  Next came a C-scan...with dye markers.  He had another bout of chest pain...again in his arm and moving to his jaw, so he got a digitalis pill.  That didn't stop the pain so they gave him another!  Blood was drawn again and the enzyme was still present so they put in a heparin drip and started talking about moving him to the cardiac unit in Cooperstown.  It took some time for them to find the cardiologist in Cooperstown to OK the move and finally, at 1am, Jeff was bundled up and sent in an ambulance.  He told me to go home...the car could not go up the hill to Richfield so I had to listen.  When they had first started talking about moving to Cooperstown I called Jeff's sister, Sherry, to let her know what was happening.  He was insisting then that I go home and not try following him  (Sherry and I agreed to go down in the morning.) so when they took him away, I headed for home.  Jeff had given me some money and told me to put gas in the car so I looked for a station that was open. It was past 1am!!  Stewart's in Little Falls is open 24 hrs so I went there and got gas without any trouble and then headed out of town.  
   The last car I passed was a police car near the western city line and then it was just empty road all the way to St Mary's Cemetery.  Weird.  I had all the doors and windows locked and my highbeams on.  I kept hoping the local deer herd was not heading to or from the river so I wouldn't run into any.  I made it home without even realizing I had covered that much ground!  A chorus of dog barks and wails greeted me when I pulled into the driveway.  Zoey sounded hysterical and Fanny sounded pissed...or she had to piss! I let them out right away and Zoey ran as far as the lead would let her and just stood there and bayed and howled!  She wanted Jeff and didn't know where he was.  After several minutes I got them both inside but we repeated this 'out and bay' routine several times.  Fanny finished a bowl of dog food and then had to go out again but since it was going on 2am I didn't let her loose but hooked her up to Zoey's lead. 
   By 2:30am they both were back inside and starting to quiet down.  Zoey kept whimpering and climbing into my lap.  Fanny kept jumping on Jeff's bed but didn't stay there long each time.  I spent some time on Facebook sending messages to family and then around 3am realized I was exhausted and very cold so I crawled into bed with both dogs curling up beside me.  I couldn't get warm and just lay there shivering until 4:30am when I realized it wasn't worth it, got up and dressed and started knitting.
   I finished this sweater I was working on and cast on for a pumpkin hat.  My bag was ready to take with me when Sherry came for me later.  This sweater is a size 2T and is done with KnitPicks acrylic yarn in Mint on circular US 4 and 7's.  The flowers are embroidered after.  Those buttons match perfectly, too!  I put that in my bag and figured we could stop at the shop before we left Cooperstown after visiting Jeff.  I managed to knit almost an entire pumpkin hat on the ride down, finishing it at the hospital, and did a 2nd hat while visiting with Jeff.  Sherry and I did stop at the shop before going home and that was a good thing...I was low on sweaters and hats!  
   While I've gotten yarn from KnitPicks before, it's been mostly sock yarn.   This yarn is worsted and came in a squishy package from my Yarn Pal, Julie O'Dea, in Warragul, Victoria,Australia! There's enough of a couple of other colors that I can make some other sweaters, too.  But today I think I'm going to try and finish my Christmas sweaters so I can leave them at the shop tomorrow after we visit Jeff.  (He told us to stay home today...the cardiologist told him...and us...nothing would happen today because it's Sunday.)
   Jeff called me a few minutes ago with a list of what I should bring with me tomorrow.  He's going to get a shower today so that takes care of the clean clothes I brought yesterday and he wants more.  He also asked for his CBD oil.  He wants to see if they'll allow him to take some.  I doubt it but....
   And now I think I'll get dressed and go down to Hanniford's.  We need bread and a few other things and I think the girls would enjoy a ride.  Later this afternoon I may go down to the laundromat and wash clothes.  I was invited to a surprise Welcome Home party for Judy Demars this afternoon but I'm not in a party mood.  I think shopping and then back home to knit may be just what I'd enjoy this afternoon.  I told Jeff I'd call him around supper time just to check up on him.   Maybe I'll even watch  football on TV.  Wonder if I should get some snack to have at half-time?
7pm,9/29/19-I went to the laundromat after I talked to Jeff around 4pm.  (He couldn't find the jeans I brought down yesterday so he wants me to bring another pair.  I bet I'll find them in the closet where I put them.) Instead of taking knitting with me I brought the bio of Harry Truman (Truman by David McCullough) that my old college friend, Tim, had sent me.  I managed to read part of the 1st chapter but my wash was finished before I was ready to stop reading!  It's a very well-written book and I'm enjoying it very much.  I'd really like to spend the evening tonight reading it but I'm going to force myself to keep working on those Christmas sweaters.  I'll keep the book as a treat to read every day...it will probably take a month at that rate to finish it but it will be worth it!!  I have another inch of pattern to finish on this snowman and hopefully I'll get him finished tonight!)

The Christmas Sweaters

     Here's my 1st Christmas sweater.  It's a size 4 pullover with a rolled collar and rolled cuffs.  It's 
hand knit with Red Heart's worsted weight, 100% acrylic  machine wash and dryable yarn in turquoise, 

on circular US 6 & 8's.  The snowlady is wearing a straw hat with a pink hat band and bow.  Her scarf is knit on US 4's
with a pink ombre sock-weight yarn and goes around her neck and is tied in front.  Her mittens...on her stick arms...match her scarf.  Her eyes are French knots done in black worsted yarn and her nose is a carrot...knit in orange sock-weight yarn  on US 4 's and sewed in place.  Plastic snowflake buttons surround her on the sweater front.  She will be available later this month at both Cooper Country Crafts in Cooperstown, NY and on my Esty Shop, knittingfoolbymary for $45.  
   The 2nd Christmas sweater will also be a size 4 pullover, this one done in Red Heart's worsted weight yarn in burgundy, with a rolled collar and rolled sleeves.  The snowman will be wearing a black top hat...and that's as far as I've got!  Photo and a complete description to follow! 
9/22/19-  The 2nd Christmas sweater is almost finished.  The snowman has a couple of knit holly leaves with berries on his hat, a multi-colored scarf and mittens.  The 3rd(!!!) Christmas sweater has a snowman wearing a navy blue baseball hat and a navy scarf with white pin-stripes.  Instead of mittens, he has a baseball button at the end of one of his stick arms and a baseball mitt button at the other.  Both of those snowmen have carrot noses and French Knot eyes.  There may be a few snowflakes around them...depends on how many snowflake buttons I have left!  I want them to get to the shop around the first of the month so I'm going back and forth trying to finish both of them (and work in all the yarn ends, etc.)  As soon as I get them finished I'll take photos and post them here!  

Happy Anniversary, Cooper Country Crafts!

  

   Happy Anniversary to Cooper Country Crafts!   

   The shop celebrated it's 45th anniversary this past Thursday night with an After-hours Party with the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend but by the looks of these photos those who were had a good time   with plenty of good food and drink and sparkling conversation!  I can't believe the shop has actually been open that long...I think I've been involved for over 30 years!!(It's actually been 41 years but don't tell anyone!9/17/19) Members have come and gone but we still go on. 

  There's not enough room to post...or list...all the crafts that are available!  A trip to the shop is worth the drive!  (And be sure to leave plenty of time for a pizza at Sal's or coffee at Stagecoach or a stop at the Fly Creek Cider Mill on the way home!)




    I am looking forward to next year when I can be active in the shop again.  Right now, without a reliable car, a trip to Cooperstown is out of the question for me.  I'm lucky enough to have a couple of friends who are willing to take my knitting down when they can.  At least my display is still full!  I hope everyone understands my situation.  I don't want to be stuck on Rte 28 with a blown engine so I'm not making the trip.  Hopefully, we'll have a better car by spring.