Old Habits are Hard to Break

Here it is, 6:35 AM and I am postponing going to bed. It's crazy, because I am tired. But I just finished crocheting my second hat, a beret this time, and then started playing online Solitaire. I am just like my Mother in that regard. She would stay up really late at night, playing Solitaire at the dining room table.

Yesterday, I started reading The Case of he Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall. It takes place in modern Delhi, India. The first chapter was good, and I hope the rest is as well.

Just so you know, I'm not ignoring you, I read your blogs faithfully, but I am trying to do some other things as well. This is the week for that, it's rainy, windy and cold; typical November weather.

Thanks Herrad for the award. I'll put it up after I'm done writing, which is now.

Good night, TTYL, and Be Well

Bits of Nothing

I realize I haven't written for awhile, like not since before Halloween, which is only a week ago but seems like longer. It's just that I haven't had anything to say.

My brother brought over a homemade pumpkin pie on Halloween. I told him if he would do that I would give him some Johnsonville Brats that I had frozen, only to discover that they have MSG in them and so Lynn can't eat them. I was counting on her to cook them in a frittata for us, but finding that that wasn't going to happen I offered them to my brother in exchange for a pie. He makes a good pumpkin pie.

So we were a little dessert heavy last week with the apple crisp and a pie to eat. They were both quite good, and now I'm wishing we had something else homemade and tasty to nosh on. Alas, there's nothing made, and nothing in the house to make anything with. We definitely need to go grocery shopping.

I got a couple Land's End things I ordered: a mock turtleneck and a cotton cable knit cardigan. And I also received a Pay It Forward that I won from JC. Gosh, I haven't even thanked her for it yet, I've been such a slacker! Hey JC! My favorite: the toys; The kitties really liked the toys. Each of them has killed the mousebird several times now, once by drowning (in the water bowl) and the rest the usual way cats dispatch of their prey. I will start gathering things to put in a Pay It Forward and then I will advertise it in future entries when it is ready. Stay tuned, but don't hold your breath.

The girls and I were going to have lunch at Friesenburger, down by the Tacoma Dome, but someone cancelled so we opted to meet at Panera Bread instead. One of the ladies I have lunch with is pretty snobbish about her preferences. A burger joint wasn't "up to her standards." I find that attitude a little annoying. This same person insulted me at lunch too! She told me that it "wasn't right" for older women to have long hair because "it just makes them look older." Well, she's entitled to her opinion. It's the opinion of your average fashion-conscious person. But, know what? I don't give a good God Damn what the masses think. I have long hair, I like my long hair, I love the way the gray is coming in, and I will cut it when I am good and ready. I figure this is my last chance to grow it out because as I become more disabled, shorter hair will become a necessity because it takes less time to care for, even as it requires more frequent haircuts. Okay. I'll leave it. Let it go. Can you tell it pushed my buttons? Such rudeness!

Lessee, what else to talk about? We had a pretty decent turnout of trick-or-treaters this year compared to last when we had only one! Still, there's lots of leftover candy for us to finish -- slowly, but no PayDays or Peanut Butter Cups this year as the store was out and we didn't offer any.

Oh, I crocheted a hat by watching a video on YouTube. I was going to give it away, but I tugged at the last row and the damned thing started to unravel on me! I don't know what I did wrong, and I haven't figured out how to fix it. I guess I will have to start over from the beginning and try again, this time with new yarn and a smaller hook.

Well, that's it for me tonight. I told you I didn't have much to say.

Good Night, TTYL and Be Well

This is It

I am going to do it. Right now I am going into the damned kitchen and start peeling those apples and make that apple crisp. Right. Now.

Later, gaters.









NO PEEKING! I'm Working here!

It's taken me just under two hours and the apple crisp is in the oven. I'll let you know... how it turns out after I get to eat some.




I have had a bowl, with a scoop of vanilla Ice cream, and it was........






delicious!

Next time (probably after hell freezes over and melts again), I will add some craisins and perhaps a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts. Get some antioxidants in there to balance the sweet.

Good Night, TTYL and Be Well

Some Days ... I just don't know about me

I can be such a dimwit. I do things to my computer that I KNOW I shouldn't do, but I see something and recognize the intrinsic cuteness of it, and then I remember that the Borg were right: Resistance is futile. Which was why, after I got a really cute E-mail from JC today telling me that I had won her "pay it forward" that I went on automatic pilot and said Gee, this is really cute! I want me some pretty e-mails like this, Here I'll just click this little ole "install" button and get me some. So I did. Then I remembered that I am no longer the brightest bulb on the tree and that when it comes to all things computer: Simple is Best.

So, I decided to "uninstall" the cutest little e-mail program, and reverted to dimwit status. DH, however, came to my rescue, and I am happily back to my Mozilla Thunderbird program which works just fine, indeed. K.I.S.S.

I have been working on re-learning to crochet, so I got out some old acrylic yarn to practice with, and lo and behold, I have half a hat completed. I'm going to finish it with an ugly clashing color just to see how big I have to make it, and to make sure it looks okay on me style-wise. Go Webster. Go Webster. It's a fun project. Now let me testify: crocheting goes SO MUCH FASTER than knitting! - But then, I have MS and numb fingers, so using one implement is bound to be better than two. (Thinking chopsticks -- I used to be able to eat with those, but no more.)

Still no apple crisp, alas. Will tomorrow be the day? Stay tuned.

And I am so looking forward to my Pay It Forward from JC. I'm sure it will be lovely, whatever it is.

Good Night, TTYL and Be Well

Thanks everyone

Today was a much better day. I think the Soly did the best it could; I'm up and about a little better, and my left leg is staying, well, up when I need it. I didn't get much done today, even after getting a comfortable night's sleep. I did wake up at 9:30 AM when the phone rang, then DH's alarm went off, then I was awake so I thought I might as well just get out of bed.

I didn't get so far as the apple crisp yet, though. Tomorrow has to be a major laundry day, so if I can get DH to work on that, I can get to work on peeling some apples.

Friend Lynn returned after a week spent up the coast for a funeral, and visiting family. She came in and made us some veggie spaghetti, took a nap, watched a movie, and went over to another friend's house where she hopes to get a better night's sleep [her bed is over there, and the one we have upstairs is too soft]. Plus, now that she has her Passport and Visa back from San Francisco, she's got to get ready and packed and organized for a three-week trip to Ghana, Africa where she is going to attend a wedding. She'll be gone from Nov 11 - Dec 1.

I urged DH to take advantage of a dry afternoon to mow the lawn. I'm urging him (and me, too) to "Do One Thing" each day to help us out of our ruts. Tonight I am working on re- learning how to crochet. I'm trying to make a cloche hat that will cover my long hair in the Winter. I've gotten a lovely hand dyed skein of spun cotton boucle yarn on Etsy, but I'm not going to start with that until I manage to figure out this "simple" pattern. Crochet, examine, scowl, rip, start over has been the mantra of the day. But it is getting better.

I think the MS is making my brain fuzzy; I lose count really easily, and it's frustrating, so tomorrow I'm going to try something different to use as markers to help with that. Like how do you mark the end of a row when you're going in circles and adding stitches along the way? A small safety pin comes to mind.

I received another Etsy.com order from my neice, Leica today. I asked her to get me a sample of thin necklace chains that I can use with several pendants I recently ordered. All of mine were too thick, and just inappropriate. This dainty silver chain works lovely with the baby moss pendant, and I can just slip it over my head - no fumbling with clasps. That's a good thing.

Okay, that's all I have for now. It's just after One AM and I'm actually getting tired. Let's go with that, shall we?

Well, Blogger won't let me add my siggy, so
Good night, TTYL, and Be Well

And thanks for all your nice comments. I think I am doing well.

Day Four (and last) of SoluMedrol - ?s for you

It was very different this time around. Day one I came home tired; Day two, I napped and then woke up, but was moving better - especially my draggy left leg; day three, not too bad as I was able to stay awake all evening reading blog stuff and watching some TV; day four, today, I woke up at 11:30, took a shower and dried my hair, and it was time to get to my appointment. I'm always wiped out for awhile after a shower - (I probably keep the water on too warm just because it feels good, and we all know what that can do) - then went in and was able to use the same vein for four days consecutively. In my left hand! I don't think I've ever done that before.

At first it was a little uncomfortable, but my DH asked for a warm pack and that did the trick. The extra heat must've dilated my vein just enough to make things flow better. BUT, so far today I still feel tired. I'm not so much sleepy as I just don't feel like I've just finished four days of the "good stuff." Also, I'm not having any of my usual zany, crazy energy with the warm flashing. Could this be some weird combination of getting the regular flu vaccine two days before I started the IVs? Also they say it takes 2-3 weeks to build immunity to the flu from the shot -- will being on immuno suppressant therapy affect that? AND how long should I wait before getting the H1N1 shot, assuming it becomes available soon?

Since I was infused in the infectious disease center at Franciscan Medical Group, I was very careful to use the hand sanitizer as I left each day. I don't usually worry about that kind of thing. But better safe than feverish, you know what I mean?

So tonight, I'm not feeling bad, exactly, it's just that I'm not feeling as I had expected to. I'm not alert, and I will just have to give it some time to see if it was all worthwhile. It was a comfort to have my DH come with me to each appointment. In tha past he has sort of avoided that part of my MS. These days he has almost been doting on me, without spoiling me, or, dare I say it?, smothering me. I think this is good for both of us.

Needless to say, the apple crisp did not get made today. There's always tomorrow!

Good night, TTYL and Be Well,

No Apple Crisp - At Least Not Yet

I've been having fun going in for SoluMedrol treatments. I was starting to drag my left leg, my balance was off, I felt weaker -- you know the drill. So I started Friday on a four day course of a gram a day. I felt stronger last night, after sleeping most of the evening away. I usually get wired, but not this time. I usually get all hot and flushed, but not this time. I usually can't sleep at night, but I've been sleeping okay, considering all the napping I've been doing.

But the best thing is is that it seems to be giving me a little bit more energy, and my left leg is not dragging. That's what I wanted, and so far, that's what I have gotten. Let's hope it just keeps building, as it should, for awhile. ~And now for that apple crisp.

Be Well,




P.S. I am falling behind on the ole hug meter. Try not to forget, mm'kay? Thanks loads.