2 Beds done - so much more to go

What’s going on around here?
Thursday: has been my ‘day of rest’ for some time. The normal goal for the day is to rest and knit in that order. This Thursday I opened my eyes a few times but when I knew I was awake and looked at the clock it was exactly 10AM. I know I was asleep by 9:30 PM so that was a really good rest. I got up, refreshed all my cut flower bouquets, and took a shower, changed out the part of the ostomy system that is glued to me. It was the very first time to do it all by myself and it is awkward and the whole mess is really sticky (which it should be) because I don’t want any leaks but I did it and all is well. I went to my Grandma Knitting Group at lunch and left there to go into Seattle to my LYS – local yarn shop to meet friends and knit the afternoon away. It was so nice to be greeted with hugs and smiles and good will wishes everywhere I went. It made me feel special and right now I am just soaking that up.

Friday: I am in a Book Club Group that meets once a month, usually we meet at my house because I am centrally located for all the women in the group. We usually read one half of a book a month and we take turns choosing books. This month we discussed the first half of Sarah Palin’s ‘Going Rogue, and American Life.’ I choose the book before this and it as Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point. Other books we have read in the last few months were ‘Half the Sky’ and The Chosen. The group has been friends for years, originally through church. Today they came to my house, two had food for our freezer and another offered to mail a package for me that I just ran out of steam before I got it done this morning. One of these dear friends has spent hours pruning our apple trees and another has all ready spent hours cleaning up the two front flower beds. I can’t begin to say how blessed I feel as I recover. It is awesome to have friends like this.

My bruises are healing which is a good thing. Bill has named them. Not really, he has just discovered that the shapes look like something: one is a heart and there is another one that he thought looked like T-rex but the nieces said that when you looked at it from another direction it was a parrot. I really do plan on talking to the surgeon before my reversal surgery and asking for some kind of IV line that I am less likely to blow through, these bruises are not a good thing. Having bruises for so long that they take on shape and names in my world is also not a good thing.

What's on my needles:
I bought some yarn. My New Year’s resolution was to knit as much as I can from my stash this year and I have been, really I have. My excuse is I didn’t have anything in my stash to make what I am thinking I need….. I am going to be a vest person for a while. It just helps to cover up the extra lumps and bumps right now and I am way too hot for sweaters. Several times in the last week as I was getting dressed I was wishing I had a red vest. One of the things about hanging out at the yarn shop is that you just see the yarns and the wheels start turning. I wear Chico’s. I wear Chico’s a lot. I have black, dark brown and red slacks and jackets in their sports line called Zenergy. I have the vest in the black and the brown but not the red. Today I found some ribbon yarn that is slightly variegated in shades of red but it will go great with the red slacks. I knew this because I was wearing them. It is going to be a fun knit. The ribbon gets 2 stitches per inch and I am knitting this vest on a size 17 needle. I should be wearing this vest very soon.

What's Cooking?  I am still not ready to cook much.   Thank goodness for the freezer.   I even bought 8 lean cuisine's today because I don't feel a 'cooking spell' coming on at all yet. 

Friday: date night -  We met or 'Friday Night Friends' minus one of the couples, at California Pizza Kitchen.   Dinner @ 5PM and home by 7:30 now there is a recouperating and healing schedule for sure.   We watched a little tv and went to bed at a resonable time.

Grannies Diary (Bobbie Ann Maxwell) 1945 : for a few years now my grandmother’s (my mom’s mother) diaries have been sitting on a bookshelf above my desk. Now that others are reading this, I think I will take things from her diary and tell you what was happening at her farmhouse also. I have started with the first complete looking diary and the year is 1945. I am telling her story, in her words as best I can.

April 29, Sunday – Well a very pretty day and I have two more turkey hens to hatch. Lovie’s hen hatched 16 little fellows and the other one about 18 babies. Well Chy got on me this morning, said I was spoiling Ann. Well I won’t bath Ann any more but I love her so much. Will be hard for me not to pick her up for I sure don’t want to spoil her. I see Bill has a stormy road ahead of him, if he is lucky enough to come home. Well my sunshine came today. Hill, Love and Nan don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have them. They brought steak for dinner. The ‘fuzz’ is still in disgrace since he stole the ham, “little cuss”. Chy has gone home with Lovie, she sure just ought not to have got on to me. Will be a cold day in August when I get over it, don’t guess I ever will. She is a pussy cat with claws. Lovie had a letter from son.

April 30, Monday - Last day of this month and I have enjoyed it for I have had the Chy and Chipper for almost all of this month, I know Bill is so happy to know they are here with us. It sure gets on my nerves to see old RH put on his Sunday face while Chy is here. Oh, yes he is eager to go any place if she wants to go, but if I want to go everything is wrong. I have not gotten over the way he did me up in Cherokee when I wanted to go to the open house party, he fairly threw my books that I took at me and I am human and I have always treated him good when he is sick or at anytime, and if he treated me with any respect I would be a lot different, but as it is I am going to get a way from him, and the children will see a different Mom. Well, we went to Cherokee. I paid my phone bill. Lovie and I, Chy was to tired to go, Chip was tired, Nancy is going to Llano she and Francis Ann to spend the weekend with Mrs Gray Francis grandmother.

Back @ Work

What’s going on around here?  Tuesday was good to be back at work.   I love being a dental hygienist.   I enjoy my coworkers.   I am happy to be helping my patients.   I love the 'art and craft' of what I do.   I had a really good nights rest Monday night so I was all ready for Tuesday and the day went well.   They had given me two and a half hours off in the middle of the day instead of just one hour for lunch so I took a 45 minute walk around the local neighborhood.  Some of my worries about going back to work were that I might make noises that would embarrass myself. When 'bubbles' move through my system and out sometimes others can hear a little bubbling sound. This did not happen at all on Tuesday and once Wednesday it did but there are lots of other noises in the dentist office and no one heard my personal noises.   Did I mention that I am ticklish.  You know how you blow bubbles on a babies belly and the baby giggles,  well when those bubbles happen it tickles and sometimes it make me giggle.   How weird is that.

My Dr. had left a message mid morning Tuesday about my blood test from Monday and although my liver numbers are improving she said the sugar numbers were not as good as she wanted.   I am to go for another blood draw on Monday next week and she suggested that I stay away from sugars and simple carbs until after that test.   I had planned on Mexican beans and Mexican rice for lunch yesterday with some of the corn salad on a bed of romaine and cilantro.   I decided not to do the beans and rice.   There is a Mexican restaurant next door to my office , so I called them up and they grilled me a piece of chicken to put on that salad,  that was a good choice and delicious too.

The nieces came for family dinner Tuesday night just like 'normal' and they were both surprised I was cooking and it wasn't Thai takeout, my favorite back up plan.    The final menu was salmon patties,   sliced ham,    roasted potatoes, and a big spinach and veggie salad with fresh pineapple and chocolate for dessert.     When I was in Texas in January I went to dinner with my Houston sister and niece and the husbands to a cute little French restaurant.   Dinner was so good. My nephew had an appetizer of salmon cakes and I had tasted it .   It was delicious and I have been trying to remake that since.   I think I did it last night.   In the past, mine have been too dry.   So this time I used 3 cans of salmon and eggs and less bread crumbs.   What ever I got it right the salmon was just a little sweet and the 'cakes' were moist and delicious.    I always try to make extra.  First the nieces like to take home leftovers and also I love salmon cake sandwiches later.

When Bill got home last night there was a big beautiful bouquet of flowers waiting for us from some dear friends that live in Florida.    FTD had these packaged with vase and plant food and the flowers along with instructions for how to put them all together.    Bill did the putting together and they looked so pretty by the time I got there.     Also I have really enjoyed the cards and letters from so many friends and family.   Better than Christmas because they all have little notes inside.     I am just so happy they are not sympathy cards and funeral sprays.   For me this is so much better.   So thank you all again for being so wonderful to me.

The nieces were gone by 8PM and I was in bed before 9 PM.  Wednesday morning I moved a little slower than Tuesday and I had a full day of patients.  It was great to be working and active and back in the swing of things.  

Grannies’ Diary: Bobbie Ann Maxwell 1945        


Grannies Diary (Bobbie Ann Maxwell): for a few years now my grandmother’s (my mom’s mother) diaries have been sitting on a bookshelf above my desk. Now that others are reading this, I think I will take things from her diary and tell you what was happening at her farmhouse also. I have started with the first complete looking diary and the year is 1945. I am telling her story, in her words as best I can.

April 27, Friday – Well a cloudy day and we went to town this morning. Hilly and Lovie and I ran down to Mrs Astops. They were ok. Talked to Elsie and Tom A had been in some scrape, suspended from school for 3 days. I paid son’s bill which was $5.50. Mr Bowden called last night about 11:30 to get dad to come help with a calving cow. The calf came dead. Lovie and Chy have gone to Cherokee to decorate the car for the parade. Hilly got us a beef roast and a steak. He is sure nice. I got two sacks of turkey starter, $2.20.

April 28, Saturday – Well we all went to the Cherokee fair. The parade was really the best I ever saw. Donnie Yates on his little pony was a regular superman. Mrs Burk held our mail for us and Chy had 5 letters from the Bill and he is back in combat. Chy called Dad and I late after sundown and said Germany had surrendered but it was a false rumor. I helped in the dinner serving today, and cut my thumb. Mrs Burke cut her finger. I fixed Dads plate today, put some good roast on it, the kind he liked, saw Travis D. Elsie, Tom and the kids came but they didn’t see the parade. Louise Estep was sure cute, she rode a side saddle, saw Cora Bell, she sure has a nice car. Mr B and dad has gone back to the fair tonight as Hart Donahue and his boys were going to play music, and they had some nome stuff to Auction off. Bob Estep and his sister Mrs Lewis were dressed as Indians, sure were cute, I say, very cute. Mrs Lewis had a doll on her back for a papoose. Bill was sending Chy a lot of stuff, some silver. Be glad when it gets here. I want to see it. The Chipper was so sweet today, everyone loved her so but she is tired tonite.

On the Mend and it's Monday

What’s going on around here? This participating in the healing process is a full time job.    Sorry no photos today.


I know I need sleep and rest, but it is eluding me. I think part of it is the prednisone and antibiotics but I just don’t get sleepy when I should. Last night at close to midnight I just went to bed and lay there. I did fall asleep but I woke up at 3:45 and never went back to sleep.

Today I was at the blood lab @ 9 for a blood draw and I had an appointment for a manicure, pedicure, facial and to get my eyebrows waxed. The manicure and pedicure were a gift. (Thank you again Mark & Donna, I am glad I saved it for a special occasion) That pedicure chair had a little man inside that massaged up and down my back and he knew where every sore spot was and I am so sore. My guts are sore and I am counting my blessing the Drs were able to do my surgery laproscopicly but I am still sore. My skin is sore, the veins in my arms are itching which I suppose means they are healing too. I have very small and thin veins and I blew out 7 different IV lines in a week. Not fun at all. Also if you’re curious many of the meds that go into an IV taste in your mouth within a few seconds. Some meds just taste funny, some taste downright bad.

It is 1PM and I am waiting for someone to come and clean our fireplace jets. Two of my sweet friends are helping with our gardening this year. Vickie is here now pruning the apple trees and Cindy has all ready spent hours in the flower beds. What a big deal help that is to me.

So here is where “True Confessions” comes in. Bill is pretty much and antichemical guy when it comes to the lawn. I think it was 3 years ago that our neighbors daughter got married and the wedding was in their yard between us and them. So I wanted our yard to look nice and so did they. I think I spent 50 plus hours in the yard with a weed popping tool, popping dandelions then we had to reseed all the bald spots. It was worth it but I said to myself, never again. Last year I got a bag of weed and feed at Costco, stored it in the shed under a pile of blue tarps, and 4 or 5 times through the summer when it looked like rain I got out the whirrlygig thing and did the yard with weed and feed. Well it was awesome. I could manage the weeds that did come up but the grass grew like crazy. Bill would mow and 4 or 5 days later he would say something like ‘I cannot believe how fast that grass is growing, I need to mow again.’ My master gardener neighbor would laugh all the way back to her house. Since I had such success with my plan last year I decided to do the same thing this year. The week before I got my cold I was at Costco and bought a fresh bag of weed and feed. I put it in the back seat of my car and covered it up with my coat until I could take care of it. (Sneaky me.) Then I got sick. So while I am lying in the hospital bed after surgery thinking I start worrying about this bag of weed and feed. I had to fess up. Bill came to visit one day at lunch and I told him my story. I said if I had ‘kicked the bucket’ he would have found this bag of chemicals in the back seat of my car and been upset with me. I guess in my current position he was more tolerant because he didn’t fuss at me at all.

I also spent time this afternoon trying to put a medical hold on my health club/Curves membership.  I am only allowed to walk for some time.   No lifting, no jumping up and down,  no abdominal or core exercises,  only walking.    So walking it will be but since I had paid by the year I wanted to get that on hold until I can get back into activity again.  Then I got Delta to reissue and open airline ticket for the one I had to give up since I missed my trip to the Southeast.   I called the good folks at Stitches (I was going to be taking a lot of knitting classes.)   and they asked me to call back again at the end of the week.  They are just barely recovering from the event themselves,  so I will try again on Friday.

What's Cooking?
Sunday: at lunch I wasn’t hungry and too tired from our walk so Bill made himself a PB&J. I did pull off a great Mexican dinner: tacos, corn salad and Mexican rice.

Monday: my lunch: I was going to come home and cook the bacon for the sandwiches that I didn’t do yesterday, Then I decided I was too tired for that so I would eat left over Mexican, but when I was finished with my appointments I stopped at the local Thai restaurant and got a lunch combo to go. (Spinach and chicken salad and Phad Thai noodles) For Dinner: at first I thought I would pull a piece of salmon from the freezer then I decided I was too tired for a full blown meal so I would make some salmon patties and have extra for lunch tomorrow. Now I am thinking of baking some breaded fish from the freezer and calling it good.

Tuesday: family dinner, I made the salmon patties this afternoon and I think I can manage some roasted potatoes and veggies tomorrow. I am really looking forward to work.


Grannies’ Diary: Bobbie Ann Maxwell 1945:   for a few years now my grandmother’s (my mom’s mother) diaries have been sitting on a bookshelf above my desk. Now that others are reading this, I think I will take things from her diary and tell you what was happening at her farmhouse also. I have started with the first complete looking diary and the year is 1945. I am telling her story, in her words as best I can.


April 26, Thursday – Well I hope we get letters today from the sons. Lovie is here ironing. Dad has come into dinner says he has his hegri all planted. The Chipper is sure a precious baby grows sweeter by the day. Well we had a letter from the Bill, Chy had two and we had one, “ole” Bill Boy is O.K. Says he is guarding prisoners of war, Chy and Lovie went to Cherokee to make paper flowers and the chipper and I stayed home. Chy brought in some steak and she cooked it for supper and it was delicious she is a wonderful little cook, Bill sure has a jewel in her, we all love her as our very own . The Chipper is sure having a good time I can hear her, she is such a darling baby. Kathleen sent us the picture of Mary Ann it is so good of her, just like her Daddy. Gee I heard the whippoorwill calling last night I love to hear them. We had the weather radio charged last week, my domino hen is hatching her turkey eggs tonight.

Sunny Sunday

What’s going on around here? Sunday April 25, 2010 I am in the ‘night owl’ routine, enjoying the quiet until close to midnight and then sleeping until 7:30 or 8 AM. That won’t work when I am back at work on Tuesday so I am going to try to get back into a better routine, starting tonight.

Today was awesome and beautiful. It got to about 65 degrees and the sky was clear. Bill and I went on a really good walk on the Kirkland waterfront. I knitted on the back porch while he mowed the lawn. See how northwest guys dress when the temperature gets above 60 degrees.

“I am back in the saddle again or at least the kitchen.” Today was the first time I have felt like spending any time in the kitchen at all and tonight we had: turkey and bean tacos, Mexican rice, corn salad and fresh salsa for dinner. Wow it was fun to chop and cook.   I think I have lost about 10 pounds through this and that is a good thing,  especially for my back so I am trying to keep making good choices and maybe loose 10 more pounds,  then I will be back at a good healthy weight.

What's on my needles: My Sasha skirt, I thought this thing would take forever but look at it today. I had just started the waistband when I got sick. The waistband is at the bottom of what I am holding up and I am working on the bottom of the skirt now which is a ruffle.

Have I seen any good movies lately:
Bill and I rewatched “You’ve Got Mail” this afternoon on tv. What a cute movie. It had been years since I had seen it so I had forgotten enough that it made me smile again.

Grannies Diary: (Bobbie Ann Maxwell): for a few years now my grandmother’s (my mom’s mother) diaries have been sitting on a bookshelf above my desk. Now that others are reading this, I think I will take things from her diary and tell you what was happening at her farmhouse also. I have started with the first complete looking diary and the year is 1945. I am telling her story, in her words as best I can.

April 25, Wed – Well Chy got the lovely flowers that Bill had Lovie to order for Chy on their anniversary. God, keep him safe so he will be back to enjoy lots of anniversaries together. Well we got a letter from Gordie. Chy is finishing up her signs they are sure nice. Hill is trying to get Cecil to take his place over here a Mrs Y. Flora and Cecil Carolyn Tom O all came late this eve. Bonnie, Cordell, Lovie, Nan all made paper flowers here this eve. Bonnie had a sore foot. Hilly came by with my ice.

Super Saturday

What’s going on around here?

• Bill and I went on three different nice walks today. I am moving and feeling well.

• We had guests in and out but I took it easy and just enjoyed my friendships. I had a puzzle for people to play with. Hannah, my goddaughter is amazing.  Of course I am knitting all the time I am sitting around and tomorrow I will take a photo of what I am working on.  

• Bill bought me a gorgeous new ring for ‘staying alive’. It is soooooo pretty. I’m not usually so material but today I was. 

*  I am still planning on going back to work on Tuesday.  I am great,   really great just a little low on the energy level. 

*  Oh and we haven't seen any mice in the traps for days.   Maybe we have gotten them all taken care of?????

What's Cooking? (Me – I am back in the kitchen again, barely)

Sunday: Lunch or Dinner: BLTA’s , We both love a good BLT

    Mexican – tacos, rice and beans with corn salad maybe.

Monday: Salmon, sweet potatoes and broccoli

Tuesday: family dinner and first day back at work: Santa Fe chicken (from Costco) Mexican Rice from the freezer and a Southwest green salad.

Wednesday: Lyn’s Soup and bread. (she brought it today and it was delicious)

Thursday: Bill’s night out and maybe me, we will see.

Friday:  date night

Saturday: I just can’t think or plan that far ahead this week

Grannies Diary (Bobbie Ann Maxwell) 1945:

April 24, Tue – Well another day no letter from Bill. Chy got her signs painted. Lovie came to go to Cherokee to help with lunch. We had a letter from Em.

What I am reading: My Book club is coming to the house next Friday and we are supposed to be halfway through Sarah Palin’s – Going Rogue – an American Life and that is what it is so far, her story, her life. She just ends up in politics. It reminds me some of when I read “Eat, Love, Pray”. I just like other people’s stories sometimes. I guess that why I am bothering with this blog. I am really boring but I’m me.

Have I seen any good movies lately: We watched Angels and Demons tonight and I was surprised that Bill liked it so much. It was fast paced and interesting. I had read the book and found it hard to put down then.

Day 10 and all is well

Today:
7:45 AM – woke up. Wow that was late, and that was because I had set my alarm as a back up. Bill said I looked so snuggy he just let me sleep on when he left.

8:30 AM – a girlfriend arrived to visit and had a breakfast wrap for me from Starbucks. Yummy.

10:00 AM – headed to local hospital for blood draw. I am having some liver issues my awesome Dr is trying to figure out, then headed to Costco to get a new prescription. Again this is because of my liver my Dr wanted me on a different antibiotic. The antibiotics are really important because of the toxins I was exposed to because of the perforation. I am lucky it wasn’t as bad as it could have been but no one is ignoring what was there.

12 noon – ostomy nurse arrived and she watched me change things out. What I have is a two part system. One part is glued to my body over the stoma. That is the part of my intestines that are now open to the outside. It is pretty weird looking, but there you have it. There is a round ring on that ‘barrier’. Then the bag that catches the goodies has a round ring on it and you just snap it on like a plastic glad lid. I am very careful to check to see that it has snapped all the way around.

1:45 PM started organizing and sorting all my new supplies, now that I know what to do with them. I want the house to look back to normal. Not lots of extra boxes and stuff around. So I redid a couple of drawers in the back bathroom for space and put everything away and fixed up my little travel bag and I am good to go.

3 PM I am slow getting things done but somewhere in there I folded two of the three loads of laundry Bill did before he went to work today. Then I took the stack (probable 12 inches high) of magazines that people had given me and sorted them into subject piles, narrowed them down to more I want to read and I have have about 7 – 8 inches I still want to look at. Which is good because after all that I was just too tired to knit so I read a couple of dental hygiene magazines and a travel magazine and a couple of my NRA Freedom magazines. I am going to put together a notebook of interesting dental articles for my patients to look at, like the dangers of biofilm and stuff like that.

Sometime during the afternoon I got a call from my Dr that my blood tests today were awesome.   My liver numbers had improved by 50% and my pancreas is doing well too.   So that is just Great news.  

6:30 PM the Friday night dessert group of friends arrived with dinner. Colleen had made a delicious smoked salmon casserole with asparagus and an awesome salad. Karen had been working at her church all day getting ready for a big garage sale and so she picked up bread and a German Chocolate cake. We celebrated Bob’s birthday and me still being here. They all left about 9 and Bill and I watched a little TV before we went to bed. That was a full day but I am feeling better every day.


Grannies’ Diary (Bobbie Ann Maxwell, 1945)


April 23, Mon – Well old RH got on to me again this morning. I must get away from here if I am to live for I can’t take his abuse like I used to he has broken my health and I won’t live much longer if I don’t get away where he can’t be around.

9 days out

What’s going on around here? I was getting phone calls from my east coast friends this morning. I really love hearing from friends and family and it isn’t even Christmas. Today I went to my Grandma’s knitting lunch group. It was my first outing and I enjoyed it. It was the first time for me to eat a real normal size meal. From there I came home to await the visiting home nurse.


We are still hunting mice. The count is 13 now and none for 3 days in a row.

Looking back at my hospital stay: This hospital is new and high tech but I want you to look at the photo of the bathroom. The bath room has a shower in it much like one on some boats, but do you see right where the shower head is pointing? Pre wet toilet paper is not such a good thing.

Healing Process and what you may not want to know: (Reader Warning)

*   My throat is still sore where it got scratched when I was intubated from the surgery.

*   Today I had the urge to go to the bathroom, which is odd since that section of my body is supposedly not working now. Low and behold it was and I did. So I called the Dr and she said it was just the last of what was in there working its way out.

*   If you know ahead you are going to have surgery I suggest getting your arms waxed. All that pulling tape on and off would be so much better hairless.

*   For years I have had some form of diarrhea. It has always been my assumption that it was just part of my Addison’s disease. Well I no longer have that and things are moving through just fine. The saying: quantity in quantity out has taken on new meaning. But a silver thread in all of this is that it is awesome not to be running to the bathroom thirty to forty five minutes after every meal.

*   The home visiting nurse came this afternoon: I am not a candidate for her services because I am not home bound. (Nor do I plan to be.) What I want, and need is someone to teach me what to and how to change the part of this ‘system’ that is glued to my body. If you don’t do things correctly bad things can happen. Nurse Jean was very nice she did answer a couple of questions I had and suggested some other possibilities. Hopefully I will work that out tomorrow.

Grannies Diary (Bobbie Ann Maxwell):

April 22, 1945 Sunday – We had what children I have here today and I enjoyed them so very much. Elsie and Tom and the kids got here by10:30 I was surprised that they came so soon. Hill Love and Nan came on over we had a good dinner, sure miss the sons, Ann sure did entertain the folks they loved her all day.

Greetings from Rose Hill

What’s going on around here? Hi there, Greetings from Rose Hill in Redmond Washington. If you are reading this you all ready know what’s been going on around here. I had been playing with this ‘blog’ since about the first of the year and had two followers now there are about 20. I am home from the hospital and doing well. I am sore, some from surgery and some from the cough I had last week which is much better now. My arms are a mess, I blew out 7 IV's because my veins are so small.   I am using a vitamin k cream to speed up the bruise recovery.  I am not working at full speed but today is Tuesday and my Monday chores are done: the laundry is caught up, the bills are paid, and the house is pretty clean, thanks to Emily.  We have been eating from the freezer, each time I had cooked a good meal for a while I had been freezing extras for Bill to have while I was on vacation, so the freezer was stocked and we are taking advantage of it. I am not supposed to lift over ten pounds but that is not a hard rule to follow, eight pounds is about the limit for now.


Things that made my hospital stay so much better: My iphone! That kept me connected to Bill and all my friends and family. I did email, texted and took my calls the whole time, even the 3 days in critical care. My satin pillowcase, I always sleep on a satin pillow case and it just gave me comfort. The first few days it was my ‘hugging pillow’ to comfort my abdomen after that it was just a comfort. Did I mention my iphone? I had down loaded a bunch of podcasts and 2 books for my vacation so I listened to stuff and did mindless knitting. Also I loved the baseball cap Bill’s sister gave him for Christmas, it has 3 levels of head lamp in the bill and I used it to knit and read when I didn’t want to bother my roommate. It was great. Oh and my satin eye mask and earplugs really did help me get the rest I needed with all the activities going on around me.

What's Cooking?
Sunday: in hospital
Monday: home from hospital; turkey meatloaf, scalloped potatoes and steamed broccoli These were frozen dinners I had made for Bill to eat while I was on vacation.
Tuesday: Family Dinner off for tonight; Chicken Masala, curried peas and potatoes, steamed green beans with peanut sauce, These were also frozen dinners I had made for Bill to eat while I was on vacation. I had done a full on Indian dinner a while back.
Wednesday: Turkey enchilada casserole with Mexican Rice and beans (also from the freezer)
Thursday: Bill’s night out and I will find something
Friday: date night we are staying in and our Friday Night Dessert Group is coming over
Saturday: Salmon, asparagus & pea risotto, Caesar salad  (from the freezer and fridge)

Grannies Diary (Bobbie Ann Maxwell): for a few years now my grandmother’s (my mom’s mother) diaries have been sitting on a bookshelf above my desk. Now that others are reading this, I think I will take things from her diary and tell you what was happening at her farmhouse also. I have started with the first complete looking diary and the year is 1945.
April 19: had a letter from Bill or Chy had two, Chy and I washed had to rub it out as we could not stop the Maytag. Lovie and Nan came late this eve. And Chy and Ann went home with them. Gee but I miss them so much. Had 3 old turk hens to hutch and they have killed all the turks but 42. Dad went to town today to get his plough fixed.
April 20: It rained all day today, we sure needed it. I now have 100 baby turks. I was sure glad to see Chy and Ann today. Chy got her order and she gave me a lovely pair of hose. I am sure proud of them. She got Dad 3 pair of nice socks, he can sure use them. Hill and Lovie went house hunting in Cherokee today and then went back this eve to a party. Chy sure made a good pie foe supper tonite. Isn’t this footprint nuts its Ann’s big foot.

Here in the diary she has copied the footprint of Ann, age 7 months, 18 days. Drawn on April 18, 1945

I am so crazy about Ann, she is so precious to all of us. Bill said in his letter he was dodging 88mm German guns. Please God keep him safe. Said he had a good bath as they had run the German’s out. Sprayed goats and turned them out in pasture.
April 21: Sat, raining today Hill, Love and Nan came at 11. Hill went on to clerk in store so as to learn how to work it. Lovie, Chy, Nan all went with RH to Cherokee this eve and they went on to SS. I had Lovie to bring me $3 of Udgar tablets and $2.50 worth of bile capsules. Must go in and pay soon as I had Lovie charge them. The Chipper and I sure do have a time, she went to sleep while I was talking to Mrs. Gay. I am so crazy over Ann, she is so sweet. I have two people that really love me, Lovie and Chy make my life bearable. And of course Nan and Em


What's on my needles: I was just flying on my 'Sasha' skirt in the hospital. It was the perfect project. Just knitting around and around. I don't think there were any mistakes but even if there were mistakes they won't show because it is the under slip that you knit first.

What's off my needles: All the homework I did for my classes at 'Stitches' in Atlanta. It is all packed up nicely in a bag ready to go to Atlanta. Soon I will sort it all out and decide what to do with it all.


What I am reading: magazines. I am taking an enormous amount of medication that has the side effect of keeping me awake, so I have a little extra time on my hands. My TN sister had reminded me the first day out of surgery that it is really hard to get home from the hospital with all the stuff you have and flowers too. With that in mind, I ask Bill to spread the word that instead of flowers I wanted people to go to their nightstand and bring magazines that they were planning on recycling. Turns out it was an awesome idea and suggestion. I have read about places to travel to, restaurants to eat at, recipes, recipes, recipes, home decorating, and I still have lots more to read. Also I had downloaded a new book called ‘Respectable Sins’ by Jerry Bridges. A couple of special young women and I have been doing a blog Bible study, just open to us. We each will read a section and then get on the blog and discuss it. Yikes, this modern world, so many ways to keep in touch.


What's up at the office? Nothing much from my perspective, since I am on vacation. What a vacation.


I love my iphone, my favorite app this week is: the extension cord that I wrapped around the hospital to keep my charger near and my phone even closer. It was my lifeline to Bill and we talked and texted soooooo much. It was so great to have my friend’s just dial into ‘me.’ If I was preoccupied they left messages, I texted a lot, and several people sent photos to make me smile.


Have I seen any good movies lately: no, odd as it may seem I have not been in the mood to watch much television much at all. I still have the same 3 Netflix sitting in the basket on my desk.

Wild and crazy weather

What is going on around here: Hunting: Since I started setting the mouse traps a week ago I have trapped 7 mice in our garage. That is a lot, a whole colony. One mouse trap has completely disappeared and I think it is under Bill's workbench. I told him this morning that I think he should be more concerned about this. 7 mice is a lot. Wild and crazy weather wind and rain, snowflakes and slush. It is beating the spring flowers to death. Not that my yard has noticed. I need a gardener bad. Also, I am sick! I have been denying it but can't any longer and therefore I started antibiotics Friday. It is a cold and sinus infection. I feel terrible and sound worse, too tired to do anything but can't really sleep. Please feel sorry for me. :-) I am taking antibiotics for the sinus infection and packing up my 'misery bag'. That is what Bill and I call the bag of extra things you need: saline nasal spray, advil, kleenix, cough drops, etc....) Husbands: Bill did a lot of work around the house today. I was a complete slug.... I'm sick, but this afternoon I swear he watched a 'Stargate marathon' on TV, one show right after the next. Then he gave me a ten minute heads up that my new favorite program was coming on. I love 'Undercover Boss'. Each show has been really good. But just when I come in to settle down and watch..... he disappears to the computer room and misses 45 minutes of the best program on Sunday nights. Then he wants to know what happened.... Go Figure.

What's Cooking:
Sunday: Lunch: Tuna Sandwiches and Chicken Tortilla Soup and Cornbread
     Dinner: Penne Pasta Puttanesca and steamed broccoli
Monday: King Ranch Chicken Casserole, Mexican coleslaw, mexican hashbrowns
Tuesday: Family Dinner: Greek chopped Salad w/ chicken & or gyro meat
     Greek 'smashed' potatoes,
Wednesday: salmon and sweet potato salad
Thursday: special date night since I am leaving town tomorrow (how sweet is that)
Friday: BK on his own and I am off to Atlanta
Saturday: BK on his own (till the 26th)

We have been eating so much better since I have been doing real meal planning and I am still trying to use from the freezer and the pantry

What's new on my needles: I needed a new mindless scarf to work on and I had the yarn for one more Sabori Ruffled Scarf. I am working on the center I-cord now.

What's off my needles: I finished the black and white novelty scarf knitted on the diagonal. I pulled through all the loose ends from changing yarns now and then. Then I threaded the thing with blocking wires and steamed it to heck. Also I have finished all my homework for my Stitches classes in Atlanta and have them packed in one bag. That is one big accomplishment behind me.
What I am reading: I finished reading "The Help" this week. I have actually fallen asleep two nights this week reading it. Then I have to figure out where I left off from what I can remember. I loved the book but parts of the story hit a little too close to home. My grandmother's maid was Velma and I loved her and appreciated her and never realized the conflicts that were going on at the time. I was blind but now I see a lot more. I appreciate Katherine Stockett for writing this novel, based in her own personal experiences.

What's up at the office: The really big news this week is that Dr V's office got our official invite to the local oral surgeons Cinco de Mayo party. The invite came with a bag of chips and salsa. The oral surgeon treats a lot of offices that refer to him, dinner and drinks. We all look forward to it ahead of time. We start talking about it 6 weeks ahead of time and don't stop talking about it afterward for two months. It is at Desert Fire a Southwest theme restaurant and there is lots of food and margaritas and beer for the group. It is like a terrific staff party for us, and we get to see other offices having a good time too. It is a great team bonding; let your hair down kind of party.

I love my iphone, my favorite app this week is: again not and app but a new Bluetooth to use. It only works with the phone, not for any mp3 type files but it is an awesome Bluetooth. I added some 'bling' myself and I think it is a pretty snazzy piece of jewelry.

April 5th, 2010

What's Cooking:

Sunday: lunch: tomato & rice soup supper: shepherd’s pie & chopped green salad
Monday: salmon, sweet potatoes, peas and peapods
Tuesday: Family Dinner
   turkey and broccoli braid
   turkey penne in pasta sauce
   spinach and cabbage salad w/ sesame dressing
   fresh fruit and chocolate
Wednesday: leftovers
Thursday: both of us are out
Friday: date night
Saturday: Breakfast out w/ friends and errands

What's on my needles: This is an official list of everything I have on needles at this time, well the one’s in the yarn room anyway.

  1. Phyllis mittens: one is finished and the cuff of the other one is also done.

  2. Turquoise tee: I need to put the shoulder seams together and make two sleeves, I am taking this one to stitches and it is packed and ready to go.

  3. Red silk top with golden streak through front. I have part of each the front and back done. I just need to spend so time on this one and no I am not taking it to stitches.

  4. Brown Rayon Metallica yarn I am calling “diamonds to gold” I think it is going to be a tee. The body is a diamond pattern in stockinet with a purl bump pattern. I want the sleeve to be a diamond lace pattern. I will take this to stitches also

  5. Blue Pixel I am calling Seaside Cover-up. I am taking this one to stitches as well. I think the idea is good but it seems really large.
  6. Sunflower yellow Brilla yarn top I am calling Sunburst tank. It is a design of my own and I am taking this one to stitches. This really isn’t on the needles yet but it will be, hopefully tomorrow but I need several hours to get a good start.
  7. Two scarves: a black and white novelty yarn assortment stitched on the diagonal
  8. And a burgundy lace thing done with ‘kidsilk haze’ a silk and mohair blend about the consistency of eyelashes.
  9. Apple hat: I am trying to have a couple of these finished all the time to send off when I hear that someone else is pregnant. An apple from Washington.
  10. Sasha: a skirt pattern by Louet done with a 100% linen yarn in black, dark brown, medium brown and light grey. The yarn is a little rough to work with but when you wash it the fabric becomes soft and drapey. The goal for this, set by my coworkers, is to wear it to the office Christmas party this year.
Looks like that is an even 10 projects, way too many to have on the needles at one time. Hopefully I can move some to the off the needles column before too long.


What's off my needles: I have absolutely nothing to say here at the moment


What I am reading:
My book club group members each take turns choosing a book. This month we are starting ‘Going Rouge’ by Sarah Palin. We usually take two months to finish a book. I probably never would have chosen to read this but I am.

I also have started ‘The Help’ by Kathryn Stockett because so many people are talking about it.

What's up at the office: There are always interesting patients and this week was no different: there was the 30 something guy whose wife kept calling. She knew he was at the dentist office, with tools in his mouth, so after the fourth time he decided he needed to pick up. She is hysterical and crying...... the 5 yr old son has feed the new 6 baby chicks to the Labrador retriever. They are all dead. ** Then there was the patient whose car wheel fell off as he was taking a downhill curve and his car went over an embankment and rolled and ended up upside down and yards off the road. Turned out someone had loosened all the lug nuts on all his wheels. He said he stiffened up when he saw his demise coming and managed to pull off the steering column of his Infinity SUV with his bare hands, and elbows, shoulders, and back according to the pain and the damage done. ** I had a patient in a couple of months ago and she was pretty stressed with taking care of her dying husband, he was in late stage cancer. Sometimes when I talk to patients like this I follow up later and see how they are doing. So this week I called her to check in and a very weak male voice answered the phone. I ask to speak with R and he said she was not there, so I said okay I will try again later, not wanting to bother him. He says to me, hold on, Ruth passed away. The rest of the story is she had a stroke and died five weeks ago. He is very sick and just wants to go and be with his sweetie again and he is waiting for Mother Nature (or Father God) to decide when that will be. ** I saw a lady yesterday who was thrilled to tell me her son is a pirate. He has always wanted to be a pirate and now he has been accepted to be a Seafair Pirate. ** And there was the 50+ man who plays cowboy for fun, dresses up like and has gun fights and stuff like that. All these special folks were just in this past week.

I love my iphone, my favorite app this week is: not really an app at all it is this cool thing that clips into the air vent in the car and holds your phone. That way you can talk using the speaker phone and be hands free but even better it hold the phone so you can use the GPS easily. It is awesome and was not even very expensive.

Seen any good movies lately: I have two sitting on the desk; one from 1956 called ‘The King and I’ and the other is ‘Office Space’ made in 1999 and Jennifer Aniston is in it. It is R rated. Maybe I will get to one of these soon.

What else is going on around here:
Amanda and I met and went to church together today. We both liked the church (Holy Spirit Lutheran), the music and the service and it was easy for both of us to get there. That was good. It felt right to celebrate the risen Lord.
Saturday I went out into the garage to get something and over by Bill’s workbench I saw some movement. So I went to my little storage place and pulled out two mouse traps and smeared them with peanut butter. Today I have two dead mice. I wonder how many more I am going to get. (PS – I got one more Sunday night.)

We have had a lot of wind and rain the past few days. There are lots of branches in the yard. I am going to have to hire a real gardener I think. I’m not sure my girlfriend is going to get my yard in her schedule (I was offering to pay) and I really don’t like yard work….

That is enough for now. I am going to go knit a while. I think I will work on more swatches for my stitches classes. I am really getting organized for that.

Yarn Inventory and Stash Recognition

Originally Written August 30, 2009

Okay , here is just a little hint into my personality. I am a little OCD. Actually my Houston sister says it is so bad in our family that they have a different name for it: CDO – to keep the letters in alphabetical order. So for the last couple of weeks I have been doing and inventory on my yarn stash. I have only been knitting for 8 years and I have collected a lot of yarn. There is a web site called ‘Ralverly’ that is a knitting community of sorts but they also have a place to put the projects you are working on or have completed. There is a page for all your books, a page to inventory all your needles, and a place to inventory your yarn.


So the process goes something like this: I take a photo of the yarn with my phone and upload that to the computer. Then I go to the web site and list the important information like: name of the yarn, manufacturer, closest color, dye lot and the number of skeins I own and where I am storing it. Most of my yarn is in the attic in see through plastic packing crates. I have labeled each box. (Blue, white, yellow, orange, baby, sock etc.) Turns out I have 178 different types of yarn and most of them I have way more than 1 ball or skein. Usually when I am buying for a project I get about 10 balls at a time, not so much if it is a child’s project.

Number one, this has made me painfully aware of how much yarn I do have, and should be using. Number two, I can actually find the yarn I am looking for when I need it. This is all a good thing. My Nashville sister took a class in stashology. The teacher said your yarn stash should be like a retirement plan, well diversified, lots of colors, weights, fibers, etc., so if the time comes and you can’t buy yarn or can’t get to the store you have a better chance of having what you need. Do you think that is rationalizing or just good planning?

I remember when I was catering I had over a thousand cookbooks. I had collected cookbooks since the eighth grade. I have thinned them out to my real favorites now and have around 300.