Things for Which I'm Thankful

It's been over a month since my last update. It's been a very busy time; Daddy has really had a rough time in the past few weeks.

On October 28 he had a radiofrequency ablation performed. It seemed to take care of the extreme nerve pain he'd been suffering in his lower back, but the injection sites were very painful and didn't seem to be improving.

On November 7 I took him to the doctor who treats his rheumatoid arthritis (a regular follow-up for his RA). When Daddy told the doctor that he was still having injection site pain, he asked if Dad was still taking his pain meds as prescribed for his RA. Actually, it had been having such a bad effect on him (drowsy, weak, apathetic) that Mom had weaned him down to half his regular dose. The doctor insisted that he be given the full dose as prescribed.

So, Mom gave him the full dose that day; the following morning he couldn't even transfer himself from the couch to a wheelchair. He fell in the floor, and Mom and I couldn't lift him; he was dead weight. We had to call in friends to help us get him back on the couch. What a nightmare!

On the following Friday (November 15), he and Mom had a lab appointment to have their blood work done for an upcoming regular checkup with their primary care physicians. I took them to the lab (and then to another doctor's appointment for a small skin cancer on Daddy's nose), then we took him back home. He got back on the couch, exhausted, and said he'd take a nap while Mom and I went to run a few quick errands.

When we returned from our rounds, we ate a Chinese take-out lunch and rested a few moments. I planned to come back the next morning to help Mom with cleaning their dog's enclosure and such, so I said I'd go on home and do a bit of household drudgery.

As I reached the end of their driveway, I heard Mom shout my name. I stopped the car and she ran up to the window. Dad's primary care physician had called and said that his lab work showed that he was extremely anemic and to get him to the ER as quickly as possible.

The next three days were a blur of tests and transfusions. We learned that his hemoglobin was down to 7.1 (should be 12). They gave him a total of 3 pints of blood over that weekend. He went through periods of confusion which was really frightening for us all.

Mom stayed at the hospital with him at night; I came home and fell into bed each night then was up and out the door early each morning to go back to the hospital

An EGD revealed that his stomach lining was very irritated (probably from pain meds he's been taking for the past year), he had a hiatal hernia (which we already knew about), he had a small polyp in the top of his small intestine (which didn't seem to be an item for concern), and a couple of spider veins in the small intestine that were probably the source of the blood loss. The gastroenterologist said that he wanted to do a colonoscopy as soon as Daddy's stronger, but that he didn't want to do it while he was so weak.

On Monday afternoon (November 18), they moved him from the hospital to a rehabilitation center. Because of all the inactivity in the past year due to the back pain, his back, arms, and legs had become so weak that he couldn't walk properly any more.

For several days he didn't seem to be making much progress; I feared that he'd simply given up. Then suddenly yesterday was a better day. He'd done well in his physical therapy session and his appetite finally perked up. I'm hopeful that this is the turnaround we've been anticipating.

So Thanksgiving is going to be different in my little world this year. Instead of the usual overabundance of home-cooked goodies, Mom and I will go to the rehabilitation center to have turkey and dressing with Daddy there. Even so, there are many things for which I'm thankful. I have a loving family, good friends, good health, and a sometimes-slightly-insane cat to keep me company. I have a comfortable apartment where I feel cozy and safe. I have my knitting to keep me centered and sane. I have a gorgeous grandson in Australia who likes to laugh with me on Skype.

And Daddy's slowly getting better. Yes, I'm thankful for all these things and a host of other things too numerous to list.

Sometimes life is tough, but there's always something in our lives that deserves a little gratitude. I hope that you all have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving, and take a moment from the turkey and football to give a bit of thanks!

An Uninterrupted Lunch, Please

It's been pretty busy in my little corner of the world lately.  So, I decided that instead of waiting until I get home and try to find a few minutes for a quick blog post that I'd take my lunch break at the office to make an entry.  My office door is closed (and locked), my lunch is spread out on the desk (wheat crackers and hummus), and Pandora is quietly playing in the background (James Horner radio, one of my favorites).  Now let's just hope that no one taps on the door or rings my phone for the next few minutes.  I can ignore both, but I just hope I have an uninterrupted lunch break today. 

My Dad's back is still giving him grief, and now we're dealing with a pain management center to try to get him back on his feet again. He's just worn out with feeling so much pain all the time, and I can't blame him a bit.  Been there, done that, y'know?  I was very fortunate that back surgery helped my problem.  Dad's not been so lucky, I'm afraid.  We're hopeful that the procedure he's going through next will be the answer.  Keep your fingers crossed!

Lately I've spent any free time with Tilly TabbyCat and my knitting....and trying to keep Tilly out of my knitting.  *LOL*  For those of you interested in knitting, I'll post more about that on my knitting blog (see link to the right) after I get home tonight, hopefully.

Amazingly, I still don't miss having TV cable service.  Sometimes I still miss TiVo, though.  I really need to look into some way to have DVR capability without subscribing to a service.  All I need is a way to set up to record at a certain time on a certain date.  I don't need the search and TV listing service.  I don't get enough channels now for that to be a big deal to me.  If anyone has any suggestions, drop me an e-mail, okay?  And keep in mind that although I've been computing forever, I'm still a novice in a lot of areas.  *LOL*

Well, I'd better get back to work now.  Isn't it amazing how quickly a 30-minute lunch break can zip by?

Have a great evening, everyone.

I Love A Rainy Night

This afternoon when I heard rain on the roof shortly before leaving the office, I couldn't help but smile.  I love gray, rainy days.

I love to be at home during a thunderstorm, curled up in the recliner, knitting in my lap, Tilly TabbyCat beside me, remote control and a hot cup of tea at my side.  I know I'm in the minority on this one; most folks prefer bright sunshine.  Not me.  Give me a good drizzly day any ol' time.  :-)

I should have known it would be rainy this week.  Actually it started a little later than usual, since this is the week of the Virginia Highlands Festival.  It's normally really hot and really rainy during that week each year.

Sorry, visitors and vendors.....I still prefer the rain!

Just Another Day in Paradise

I wish I had something wonderful to write about today, but it was just another Tuesday.  I awoke with the knowledge that my sore back (I injured it slightly on Saturday; nothing serious, I'll just be uncomfortable for a few days) had not improved.

I also knew that it was going to be a particularly busy, unpleasant day at the office.  My appetite wasn't very good, so I didn't have a good breakfast.  I had a bright spot at lunchtime, watching part of "Endeavour" on my Kindle Fire during my break.

The afternoon was long and relatively stressful, so I was relieved when quitting time finally rolled around.

The best part of my day was the enthusiastic greeting I received from Tilly TabbyCat when I unlocked the door.  After I had dinner, she and I settled into the recliner while I knit for a bit while watching "Chasing Amy" on Amazon Prime.  (I'd never seen it, even though Kevin Smith is one of my guilty pleasures.)

Exhaustion finally got the best of me, and now I'm in bed checking out a few things online before settling in with another episode of "Endeavour".  I'm behind and want to get caught up before PBS takes the videos off their website.  (I *heart* you, PBS, and am very sorry I can't see one of your affliates with my antenna.  *sniffle*)

So, my less-than-stellar Tuesday comes to an end.  Tomorrow will be better.  Right?

Things I Wonder About

Such a busy, busy month it's been!  My Aussie family arrived on March 28, which also happened to be my parents' 60th wedding anniversary.

My visitors were able to stay until April 19, and we had a perfectly wonderful time!  My sweet six-month-old grandson, Nio, seemed to grow daily while they were here.  In three short weeks, he cut a tooth (his second), learned to sit up unsupported, learned to scoot backward, learned that standing up is more fun than sitting down, and began to call me "Nan-Nan".  *sigh*  I sure miss them!!

I was able to take some time off and worked only 5 days during the time they were here.  Of course, I've paid dearly for that since I returned to work Monday but I'll try not to whine too much about that.  *LOL*

I'm awfully tired this evening, so this long-overdue blog entry will be regrettably brief.  Before I close, though, I find myself wondering about a few things:

1. Will Nio recognize my voice the next time I speak to him on the phone?  (maybe)
2. Will I cry if he doesn't?  (probably)
3. Is my Aussie family having fun on their trip to Fiji?  (I hope so)
4. Does every owner of a Kindle Fire love theirs as much as I do mine?  (probably)
5. Will I regret my recent decision to order a set of plum-colored luggage?  (I hope not)
6. Will I have enough hand-dyed yarn to complete the entrelec beret I'm knitting?  (I really, REALLY hope so)

Okay, enough wondering for tonight.  :-)

It's only TUESDAY??

This has been a long week.  A long, ugly week.  And this is only Tuesday.  *sigh*

Okay, so what's been wrong with this week?

1. Work stuff that I'll refrain from discussing on the internet, since Big Brother may be watching (for those of you who do not understand that reference, please read the excellent book "1984" by George Orwell).
2. Sinus problems that have been dragging on for weeks.
3. Exhaustion caused by items 1 and 2 above.
4. Nothing tastes right; probably caused by item 2 above.
5. I've had a sudden attack of "I hate my hair" syndrome.  Not unusual.  This happens from time to time.
6. I need a snow day.....really, really, REALLY need a snow day.  And the best we're going to get are a few snow showers Thursday.  Phooey.

Now, what's been right with this week?

1. Louise has been in the hospital, but is improving and will hopefully be home very soon.
2. Daddy's improving a little more each day.
3. I finished knitting a scarf for Mom on Sunday.
4. I learned how to crochet one of those Sashay scarves last night from a YouTube video (I've already knitted several, but hadn't learned to crochet one).
5. It's been a gray, rainy day.  I love gray, rainy days.
6. Dessert tonight will be a pear.
7. I'm close to finishing another pair of socks.  I've nearly finished the heel, and the rest of it is just knitting my way up the leg until I run out of yarn.  Good television knitting.

Okay, good outweighs bad, as it usually does.  Sometimes it's just a little difficult to see until you actually make a list.

Maybe it won't be such a bad week after all.  Keep your fingers crossed.

A Busy Morning

I've been a slug all week. I'm still recovering from a vile sinus infection, so I've been really tired.  The stress level at the office was even higher than usual this week, so that added to the fatigue.  Last night I actually fell asleep in my recliner and woke just after 4:00 a.m. with a vile migraine and a fever blister.  Happy Saturday.  *bleah*

I had a lot of housework to do since I was too tired to do much of anything in the evenings after work this week, so I'd made myself a "To-Do" list for today.  It was so long it made me tired just to READ it. So, I decided to just take each task on the list one at a time and work in 20/10 increments (20 minutes working/10 minute break).  I'd just work until I ran out of steam and quit, no matter where I was on the list.

I did pretty well for about 3 hours, then just ran down. That's okay, though. I checked off several tasks, and maybe after lunch and a little nap I can check off a few more.

For now, though, a bit of knitting and Netflix sounds pretty good.  :-)

My Dad finally got a surgery scheduled to repair the compression fracture in his back.  He'll have surgery next Tuesday; we're very hopeful that it will help alleviate the pain he's been suffering for the past several months.  Keep a good thought!  The procedure is interesting, and minimally invasive, so his recovery time should be relatively short.  Mom asked the PA how long it would be before Daddy could get on a treadmill, and he said probably a week or so after surgery.  I asked Mom if she'd checked to see how long it would be before he could drive, but she'd forgotten that. I suspect Daddy'll be much more anxious to drive than to get on the treadmill.  *LOL*

3 Days of Work, 5 Days Off

Monday through Wednesday of this week was a mixed bag of assorted frustrating nonsense at the office, and I was exceedingly happy to see the end of it!  Yesterday I did some much-needed housework (the dustbunnies had taken over!) and was pretty worn down at the end of the day.  This morning I did a bit more household drudgery but let the gadgetry do most of the work this time.

I tossed a load of laundry in the washer, then started the dishwasher, then turned Roomba loose to do the vacuuming.  While the gadgets worked away, I treated myself to a half-hour on the deck with a cup of coffee and my knitting.  Such a treat!

I'd been knitting a scarf based on a stitch I found in my stitch dictionary ("Cells", it was called) which was working up into a lovely, honeycomb-like pattern.  Unfortunately, it was working up in a double-thick fabric which was lovely but probably too thick to be comfortable as a scarf.  So, I ripped it out and have now started a different stitch called Diamond Brocade.  We'll see if that works out better.  I hope.

Currently, I'm waiting for a call from the Salvation Army.  They're sending a truck sometime today to pick up a large (27") portable television set I'm donating.  It's still a good set, but I've replaced it with a much lighter flatscreen.

I'm actually more excited about the flatscreen than I expected.  I love having all my usual stuff (DVD/VCR combo, TiVo, and Nintendo Wii) PLUS my computer hooked up to the television set.  Very convenient!

I hope the Salvation Army calls soon....I had a very filling lunch (red beans and rice) and I find that I'm getting unbelievably sleepy.  I'm sure if I doze off for a nap, they'll call just about the time I fall asleep.  Or maybe not.  The phone will wake me, so maybe I'll just give up and snooze a bit.  :-)

Have a safe and restful Labor Day Weekend, everyone!

Hooray!

This morning I finally finished a sweater/jacket I've been knitting off and on for nearly a year!  *happy dance*  Now I can start my Christmas knitting....*LOL*

(If any of you are interested in my knitting projects, I keep a separate blog for those.  You'll find a link over on the right side of the page for it.  If you're not interested in knitting, feel free to skip it.  I promise I won't be offended.)

Once more it's race weekend in my little corner of the world.  Our city is filled to the brim with NASCAR fans.  While I am grateful to the monetary contributions they make to our fair city, I'll be more grateful when they go back home.  I handling the race crowds the way I usually do:  I'm staying home and out of their way!  I always make sure I have all necessary supplies (aka Diet Coke and coffee), then just plan to hole up for the weekend.

I had a week at the office that can only be described as "crappy", so I felt the need for comfort food today.  My solution was to cook a big pot of bean soup.  I love the smell of bean soup cooked slowly on top of the stove!  It's done, but I've not sampled it yet.  I'll have dinner out of it today and tomorrow, then I'll freeze the leftovers to enjoy later.  *yum*

I won't describe my work week, because it'll just make me mad all over again to talk about it.  Take my word for it, it was crappy.  The good news is that I don't have to deal with any of the things that irritated me again until Monday.

I've been reading a lot lately (I ADORE my Kindle); in the wee hours this morning I finished a Kurt Wallander mystery, "Dogs of Riga", which was very good.  Next on the reading list is the 9th installment of James Patterson's "Women's Murder Club" series.  After that is another Wallander mystery, then a reread of "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe".  It's so great to be able to check out books electronically from my local library and download them to my Kindle.  I can keep new reading material available at all times and never have to go to the library.  I'm a woman of simple pleasures.  *LOL*

On that happy note, I will now peruse my yarn stash and cast on some Christmas gift knitting.  That always makes me happy!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

I've Had Better Summers

I hate to sound like a whiner, but the truth is that I've had better summers.  It seems like every effort I make to take a little time off and get some rest gets thwarted.

As detailed earlier, my "week off" back in May turned into a mess due to a broken leg.  Since then, it seems that most of my days off have been spent recovering from horrible weeks at the office.  *sigh*

My leg seems to be healing well....still a little swelling if I'm on it much, but otherwise okay.  My next doctor's appointment is on August 13, and I'm hoping he'll see some real improvement in my x-rays by then.

The good news is that I'm taking Monday off, so this will be a 3-day weekend for me.  I had a migraine on Thursday and had to stay in bed all day, so maybe I have my migraine out of the way for a few days and can actually ENJOY this brief break!!  Keep your fingers crossed.

I'm hoping to spend tomorrow catching up some housework and laundry, then I'll try to spend some time with Mom and Dad on Sunday.  I'm really, REALLY hoping that Monday can be spent in the recliner with knitting.  I think that would do me a world of good!

As for this evening, I stopped at Alfredo's on my way home for a Greek pizza.  Mmmmmmmmmmmmm......If you live in my neck of the woods and haven't tried Alfredo's yet, you should!  Everything I've tried there has been just delicious, and the prices are very reasonable, too.

Hope everyone has a great weekend....I'm READY for it!

A Puddle of Waiting Yarn

I'm off work today; those may be the four most beautiful words in the English language.  I was off work yesterday, too, but that day was a busy day involving shopping, having tires put on the car, and a trip to have my eyes examined.  It was a good day (highlighted by a delicious salad from Mellow Mushroom), but a busy one.

At 5:00 this morning I decided that today would be different.  Yes, there's a long list of things I SHOULD be doing today, but the list will hold until tomorrow.  Relocating my printer to a more convenient location and dressing myself have been then only two things I've done today that could remotely be considered "work".  And when I say "dressing myself", that's a debatable phrase.  I'm in sweats and a t-shirt.  Dressed, but not really presentable, y'know?  What's worse is that I don't even care.

I'm in the recliner, having now switched from coffee to Diet Coke.  I've downloaded three library books to my Kindle in case I want to read.  I've downloaded "Angela's Ashes" on audiobook so that I can listen to something while knitting.

As soon as I finish this blog entry I'm going to reach into the untidy puddle of yarn waiting beside my recliner and pull out the sweater jacket I'm knitting.  Rows and rows of lovely mindless garter stitch.  I can knit and knit and lose myself in the glorious Irish brogue of Frank McCourt.

Have you ever used audiobooks?  I began using them initially so that I could "read" while knitting.  Don't misunderstand, I still love to read, and I read a lot.  But sometimes I enjoy having someone read to me.  On occasion you run across a book that is read by a gifted reader.  Some readers are, unfortunately, dreadful.  But some are born with the necessary talents to read aloud.  Frank McCourt is a gifted reader.

Today I am a very happy person.  :-)

A Peaceful Saturday Morning

I am an early riser by nature; even without an alarm clock set I normally wake up around 5:15 each morning. This, of course, serves me well on workdays. I can ease into my morning without the blaring racket of an alarm shocking me awake.

On Saturdays, however, this leaves me with a small issue (not a BAD issue, mind you, but an issue).  I'm an apartment dweller, and I try to be a considerate neighbor.  This means I don't want to do laundry or run the vacuum or do anything particularly noisy very early in the morning because I'm sure that either the neighbors below me or above me could be disturbed by this.  (Holy cow, how many words ARE there in that last sentence?  *LOL*)

So, I usually find myself in my recliner with a cup of coffee, the netbook, and some knitting in the early hours on Saturday.  Today is a particularly peaceful morning for me because I chose not to turn on the television set as yet.  I have my beloved Zune hanging around my neck in its little handknit pouch listening to James Horner tunes (currently playing is "Coming Home" from "The Perfect Storm"). I adore James Horner. You might think you don't know who I'm talking about, but if you've seen "The Perfect Storm", "Legends of the Fall", "Braveheart", "Field of Dreams", "Glory", "Apollo 13", "Titanic", or one of several other high-grossing films, you've heard his brilliant work.

I have many things to accomplish today and will be starting what I not-so-lovingly refer to as "household drudgery" very soon.  But for the moment I'm listening to "The Ludlows" from "Legends of the Fall", sipping French roast coffee, and finishing this blog post with a slight contended smile on my face.

Happy Saturday, everyone!

Vacation....AT LAST!!

A week.....I have a WHOLE WEEK away from the office!!  If it didn't involve breaking a sweat, I'd do a happy dance!  Those of you who read this blog on a fairly regular basis know that this has been an unusually difficult year at work for me because of a disasterous computer system conversion.  Because of the extreme workload this year, I wasn't able to take any time off until September.  During that month I managed to take three days off.  That was wonderful, but still not as great as having an entire week that I don't have to worry about the office.

So what am I going to do with this long-awaited week?  As little as humanly possible!!

Yesterday I did so little it was nearly (but not quite) embarrassing.  I'm not a big breakfast eater, so my breakfast is normally coffee with a breakfast bar or instant oatmeal.  But since I'm ON VACATION I treated myself to a cheese omelet.  Which upset my stomach, because I'm not used to something that rich in the morning.  Dunce.  *LOL*

After I'd showered and dressed I settled into my recliner with my trusty netbook on one side of me and my knitting basket on the other side.  Armed with my remote control and a TiVo full of stuff I hadn't had time to watch, I kicked back and made myself ridiculously comfortable.  My motto for the day was:  "The dustbunnies have waiting this long, they can wait awhile longer!"

Because I was still a little unwell at lunch time, I just had a baked sweet potato for lunch.  Hot, delicious, filling, soothing.  I actually intended to take an afternoon nap after lunch, but was never quite able to fall asleep.  All the same, it proved to be a very restful day.....which was much needed and very much appreciated!

Plans for the rest of the week?  No real plans.  I do want to take my car to be serviced one day, and I want to go visit Aunt Orpha one day (she'll be 101 next month!!).  I'm having lunch with Mom and Dad today and hope to go to a nearby park for awhile tomorrow to sit in the sun and knit.  (There's a possibility of rain Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, so I figured I should try to get to the park before that starts.)

Otherwise, I just want to get some rest and recharge my batteries.  I've waited for this time off for a long time, and I'm going to try to enjoy it!

Have a great Sunday, everyone!

The Past Month

A month since I've posted?  Sheesh.  I've been busy, I know, but somehow the past month just got away from me!

So, what's been happening?  High on the list of things that have happened is that my long-time friend and supervisor at work retired.  We'd worked together for 24 years, so that was hard.  I'm very happy for her, of course, and that helps keep me from feeling too sorry for myself.  :-)

So for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century I have a new supervisor.  Luckily, she seems very capable and very nice.

I've also been knitting (no surprise there) and for the first time this year have been able to take off a couple of days.  I took the Friday before Labor Day, then took Monday of last week.  I'm also going to be off tomorrow and Tuesday.  It's a really nice change, and I'm beginning to catch up on my rest finally.

The computer conversion at work isn't improving at all, unfortunately.  The new system is broken, and the powers-that-be are apparently unable or unwilling to admit that it's broken.  It's quite discouraging....in fact, so much so that I'm going to try to just not think about it for the next couple of days.

So what do I plan to do with the rest of this glorious Sunday?  I'm currently watching the Sopranos and as soon as I finish this post, I'll pick up the sweater I'm knitting and add a few rows to it.

Then I'll do a few household chores I didn't finish yesterday, knit a bit more, and get ready for a little trip to Pigeon Forge with Mom and Dad tomorrow.  Fun!

Have a great Sunday, everyone!

A Family Reunion and A New Toy

To quote Al Pacino's Tony Montana in "Scarface": "Say hello to my little friend!" Yup, I bought myself a Roomba. I've been thinking about it for awhile and finally decided to buy one. This is something I should have done for myself way back when my back was giving me so much trouble! If you'd like to see an admittedly terrible video of Roomba in action, take a peek on YouTube by clicking here.

If you're not familiar with the Roomba, it's a robotic vacuum cleaner. Yes, there is a household appliance that not only vacuums my carpets and sweeps the vinyl flooring in the kitchen and bathrooms, but also goes and parks itself on its charger when it's finished! I think I'm in love! *LOL*

There's a VERY wide price range on robotic vacuums; like a lot of electronics these days, you can pay just about anything you want for one, depending on how many bells and whistles you want.

My wants and needs are definitely middle-of-the-line:

1. I needed a vacuum that could go under furniture. This is the number one requirement. Since my back surgery in 2009 I've been unable to move my unspeakably heavy bedroom furniture, and I suspected that killer dust bunnies lurk in the areas out of reach under my queen-sized bed.
2. I wanted a vacuum that would return to its charger when it finishes its work. I didn't particularly want to have to worry that the little guy would run out of power while chasing the above-mentioned dust bunnies under my bed.
3. I didn't particularly need the "program to run while I'm at work" feature, because I want to be at home when it runs in case there's a problem.

Considering my list of requirements I did some reading online and decided that the iRobot Roomba 540 suited my needs and my budget. Even after making this decision, I hesitated for a bit, just to give myself plenty of time to change my mind.

Last Saturday I dragged out my good ol' Kirby and vacuumed the apartment. After pushing the very efficient but very HEAVY machine back and forth for what seemed an eternity (it wasn't really), I settled into my recliner with my netbook and ordered my Roomba.

It arrived very quickly (on Wednesday!) and was exactly as advertised. I charged it overnight and could hardly wait to get home Thursday to see how it worked. Thursday I had it clean the living room kitchen, hallway and guest bathroom. Keep in mind that I had vacuumed with the Kirby the Saturday before. I was amazed (and a little horrified) at the amount of stuff the Roomba found! On Friday evening I had it clean my bedroom and bathroom. I'd been correct: there WERE killer dust bunnies under my bed!! *LOL* Roomba killed 'em though, bless its little electronic heart!

So, if you're like me and have developed a back problem, or if you're like me and a total geek, consider a Roomba. Robots are cool. :-)

Yesterday I went with Mom and Dad to the 30th Lucas-Sweeney reunion. They had a good crowd this year, and TONS of food! There are a lot of wonderful cooks in the family, so tables were piled with platters of chicken, barbecue, casseroles, fresh garden veggies, pies, cakes, candies, homemade breads....makes me full just to remember it!! I took a couple of Tang pies; I got the recipe from a friend at the office, and several folks commented to me that they really liked them. It was good to see such a good crowd. It was awfully hot, but the building we were in (Copper Creek Ruritan building) was air conditioned, so we were able to go in to cool down if we got too warm.

I (of course) took my knitting along and made good progress on some Christmas gifts I was working on. Today I've spent the day doing a little laundry and resting up from the busy day yesterday. I've also managed to make good progress on a pair of socks I've been working on off and on for awhile. In fact, I've turned the heels and I started on the gussets just before I stopped to write this blog post. I'll get a little more done on them before bedtime, I think.

Well, back to the knitting needles. Have a good week, everyone!

A "Normal" Weekend

Who would ever think that I'd be grateful for a Saturday spent chasing dust bunnies? I have to admit it was nice to have a more normal day than I've had for awhile.

I won't say I finished my housework (is it EVER really finished??), but I did put a pretty good dent in it before my energy ran out. :-) I went about my work at a steady pace, taking a brief break from time to time, listening to The Green Mile on my Zune to ward off boredom. Is it weird that I find rereading Stephen King novels relaxing? Speaking of which, I'm rereading The Stand in hardcover as part of an online book club at Crazy Aunt Purl's website. (If you've never read her blog, you might find it fun.)

I love listening to audiobooks while performing tasks that don't require me to think. And let's face it, housework doesn't require much thinking. Had I ever told you that I never buy audiobooks? I check them out from the local library via the internet. For free. I don't even have to leave the apartment to do it! If you've never looked into this, check the website of your local library to see if they participate in the R.E.A.D.S. program. If you happen to live in my little corner of the world, here's a link to the Bristol Public Library's webpage for this wonderful program: http://www.bristol-library.org/resources/ebooks-audiobooks.

I use it only for audiobooks because the ebooks offered are not compatible with my Kindle. My guess is that there's probably a way to convert them to make them compatible, but I already have tons of reading material on my Kindle so I've not looked into that. As for the audiobooks, there's a large selection. If the particular book you want is currently checked out, you can reserve it, and the program will send you an e-mail to let you know when the book is available. You can check them out for up to 14 days, and can check out several at one time. I usually check out only two at a time, just so that I can be sure I'll finish them up before the end of my checkout period.

If you've never listened to audiobooks before, you'll find that some readers are better than others. On occasion I've given up on a book because I didn't care for the reader. That's rare, though. They're usually quite talented and make the book an interesting experience.

Audiobooks will never replace reading for me; I've read as long as I can remember and it's always a relaxing experience for me. And as much as I love my Kindle, I still love holding a hardcover book in my hands, the smell of the paper, the calming effect of turning the pages. That was always my favorite thing about the beginning of the school year as a child: getting our new textbooks, hearing the slight crackle of the glue in the bindings as the fresh pages were turned for the first time.

But I digress. As usual. *LOL*

Back to my "normal" weekend. On the agenda for today: not a lot. I have just a couple of small tasks to finish up, then I'm going to go spend what I hope will be a restful afternoon with Mom and Dad. I'll take along some knitting (I'm finishing up a few Christmas projects) and Mom will have a pot of her delicious coffee waiting, as always. As I'm finishing this post, I hear a gentle rain beginning to fall outside. A restful, rainy Sunday....sounds like a great afternoon to me! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Heat and Humidity Make Me Tired

Two weeks since my last blog entry....where is this summer GOING??? It's hot and humid in my little corner of the world. A bit miserable, to tell the truth. I've worked in air conditioned offices for so much of my life that I've lost any ability I ever had to withstand temperatures in the 90's. With heat indexes over 100. "I'm melting, I'm melting!"

So, since the last time I checked in with you, what have I been up to? The usual workweek, of course. Frustrating, but necessary because I've become accustomed to regular meals and a roof over my head. But after work is MY time. I've been spending some of my time knitting a retirement gift for a friend (see my knitting blog for more about that...the link is on the right side of this page). My latest Netflix disk was "Black Swan", which I really liked. It was definitely different!

Last Saturday I had lunch with a friend from high school days...such fun! We'd reconnected on Facebook and hadn't seen each other since our 20th high school reunion, which was TWENTY YEARS AGO. I still can't believe it's been 40 years since I graduated from high school. We had a lovely time, catching up on what's been going on in our lives over all those years. She was a bright, vivacious girl in high school, always fun to be around. I'm happy to say that she hasn't changed at all. We promised each other that we wouldn't wait another 20 years to get together again.

After our lunch, I stopped by Hobby Lobby to check out their supply of yarn. I already have plenty of yarn, mind you, but there's no such thing as too much yarn. I was terribly disappointed to find that their yarn stock was down to about half of what it was the last time I was there. I guess not everyone is quite as obsessed as I am about sticks and string! Their depleted stock didn't keep me from spending some money, though. I managed to find some sock yarn and a bit of baby yarn I needed for a toy I wanted to knit for my great-niece, Emmie.

On the way home I stopped by the hospital to visit my 100-year-old great aunt. Happily, she'd just been notified that she was being released to go home. She'd been hospitalized for a couple of days for diverticulitis. Like most of us, she doesn't particularly enjoy hospital stays and was really looking forward to getting home! She's an amazing lady, and I'm always glad to get to spend a little time with her.

And that just about catches you up on the goings on in my little world. Have a great week, everyone!

Another Thrilling Week

First of all, last weekend's Netflix disk wasn't "Black Swan", it was "Winter's Bone". Good movie, great performances, but nearly painful to watch. Such strength in a young woman, such a terrible thing that such strength was needed!

This week has thus far proven to be another very trying one at the office. And this is only Tuesday. *ick* So much to do, so little time! I'm writing this during my lunch break, and as soon as I finish here I'm going to escape to the world of knitting for a few rows.

Thank goodness for sticks and string!

Life Is Good

Friday....oh, how I adore Friday evening! The work week is finished, and it's TWO WHOLE DAYS before I have to think about work again! *happy dance*

Tired? Oh yeah. But I'm kicked back in the recliner, netbook in my lap, knitting nearby, and an unopened Netflix envelope on top of the entertainment center. "Black Swan", I think. I've kind of forgotten what was next in my queue! *LOL*

Have I mentioned lately how much I appreciate what knitting does for me? For awhile I was so exhausted from the horrific workload at the office that I was too tired to knit when I got home. I missed it so much. I've found that knitting centers me. Since I've been able to spend a little time with my needles and wool, I find that I sleep better and am much more rested in the morning. Busy hands, calmer mind.

Of course, Mom says it wouldn't have that effect on her....*LOL* She's never been interested in crochet or knitting. She can sew, but only does it when necessary. It's not something she's ever really enjoyed. She has other interests, but needlework just isn't on her list.

As for me, I think I'll wrap up this blog entry, pop in the Netflix disk, and knit until I'm sleepy. Have a great Friday night, everyone!

Bliss

Folks who read my blog pretty regularly know a couple of things about me: 1) I've been working a lot of hours at the office lately, and 2) I love rainy Sunday afternoons. So here's what makes those two facts relevant to this blog entry....I'm actually NOT WORKING today, and it's been a lovely, rainy, quiet, restful afternoon.

So what have I done with this blissful day off? Happily, not much. I've watched some things I'd TiVo'd during the week and have been knitting a bit while watching. I have a Netflix DVD, "The King's Speech", which I finally got to watch this afternoon. Wonderful movie. Have I mentioned that I adore Colin Firth?

Another movie I've watched since I blogged last is "Hereafter". I liked it, too. It's not what I expected, but that happens to me often with Clint Eastwood's movies. Unexpected, but good.

Now, what shall I do with the rest of this lovely, restful Sunday? I have the first two episodes of a PBS Masterpiece Classic series, "South Riding" TiVo'd that I've not watched yet. I think I'll watch that, knit a bit more, and go to bed early.

Sometimes life is just good.