Saturday, November 23, 2013

The End of Wovember Is Near!

Yes, it has been a while since I last wrote.  My days have been not my own, and my routine is fouled up.  The cat and the dog are confused.

I finally had to call in some help to move my friend on to his next stop.  I need my space.  I need to settle into my winter routine. 

My friend is so much better, but his memory is gone.  He cannot remember where he puts things or where things are.  Occasionally I see agnosia, but it is infrequent.

I noticed this morning that I do not have any salt to put on my steps.  Poor little Patty slid down the steps in a thump.  Climbing back up the steps took at least two tries.  If it wasn't mean, I would have laughed out loud.  With the cold north winds, she does pee quickly.

I have got to quit whining about everything.  I know that my friend is scared, I know how hard this whole process is for a someone who is totally left-brained and the left brain side is damaged, and I know he is anxious.

Luckily I have long-termed knitting commitments.  My color work sweater is moving along, but I could not figure out some directions this afternoon.  So I set it aside until I can focus on thinking about that next part.  I had a teeny mistake on my red sweater, and I thought last night I would have to unknit a coupla rows.  But today I was able to salvage the mistake with a crochet hook, and I think it is undetectable.  Last night I finished one purple sock, and I cast on the second one.  That's a portable and quick knit. 

Today I had a chunk of time to myself, and I FINALLY finished my last purple blend skein of BFL.  It should never, ever take three weeks to finish one skein of yarn.

We are having our first bit of real wintry weather. We have bitter North winds that have dropped the temps to miserable levels.  We had some freezing drizzle last night that left ice on the steps and porch.  Tomorrow afternoon snow is supposed to come, and something yucky on Monday, I think.  Then our usual warm up stage through Thanksgiving. 

My plan is to stock up on Wednesday.  I need more bird seed, dog food, cat food, and I better get a coupla gallons of water to put back in the closet.  I need a few things for the fridge.  Oh, yeah, I better get some salt, too, for the steps.  Then whatever happens next, I am READY!

I am going to demonstrate spinning with our guild next Saturday at the regional alpaca show.  And I am pretty sure that is all I am committed to for the rest of the year.

So Happy Thanksgiving.  Give thanks for all of our many, many blessings, and for all our friends and family. 

Saturday, November 9, 2013

A Simple Twist of Fate

Last weekend was so nice.  It was fairly nice weather, and my son and his wife visited the whole weekend.  Usually it is a quick in by bedtime, and out the next day.  This was a whole weekend!

R had told me they had tickets for the Razorback game, so we drove to War Eagle Mill and viewed the Fall foliage.  We ate a late supper, but left room for a hot dog and a pretzel at the game.  The essential foods of choice.

When they had left to go to the game and I had putzed around some, I decided to check my emails and to check my phone.  I had a voicemail from a friend that he was in the E.R. and thinks he had a stroke. 

After running Patty out to pee and grabbing my portable knitting, I rushed to the hospital.  I stayed until he was admitted and settled.  He did have a stroke, but miraculously he did not have any motor residual effects.  Unfortunately he did have cognitive effects on the Broca's area of the brain.  He was d/c'd on Monday-after only 2.5 days of non-treatment.  He just got a diagnosis, given follow-up info, and a prescription. 

Consequently he is staying at my house to get his meds regulated and to monitor his status until he is able to go somewhere.  He cannot go to his own home.  It is really far out in the boonies, and he uses wood heat.  It would not be safe for him with his visual deficits.

So not a lot of knitting is getting done.  I am behind in my spinning.  And I am frustrated.  Luckily it is short-lived and I will be back to normal again soon.

Gotta go clean out gutters.