Bits and pieces, more to come..

I am back from my week up north.
Many wonderful things happened:
Discovery of a wonderful yarn shop, a beautiful Midsummer's Day, and finishing up with a tortuously long trip home, leavened by a magical serendipitous blues concert.
I will write more, as I heal, but for now, here is an image of one of the big pines on my father's land, being celebrated by Oscar and Amanda (and the dear one I call 'Amanda's Bump')..

Chippy Socks Ahoy!!

I had the pleasure of knitting up some sock samples from Lynn H of Colorjoy's new pattern, Chippy Socks For Kids.
Mine used Cascade Fixation, but I have also knit these in a heavier weight yarn, with appropriate needles and they were great for a toddler. I plan to knit at least two new sets in different yarns for a Mom-To-Be who is close to my heart. Besides, I really love knitting these!

I even vastly expanded the pattern beyond it's bounds and knit a pair for Oscar last year. :-}

Lynn writes:
"These socks were inspired by a color-loving toddler friend who loved her socks so much she would not take them off! I aspired to make her a pile of fun but unmatching socks, and these were the result.

These are a quick knit in DK-weight yarn, and the colorwork keeps you fascinated. The patterns are easily memorized, and the knitting just speeds right on by. Three colors of yarn can be combined in infinite ways with six leg charts and four foot charts. Much fun, more color!"

I've attached a few photos, the one on top was taken by Lynn, the other badly messed with one by me. (I REALLY need to get my Adobe photoshop installed on this laptop)

Unusual Foods - say it ain't so...

I have a habit of reading constantly. If I'm in the grocery store waiting for some reason, I pick up packets nearby and read the ingredients.



I found out Jujubes contain white mineral oil.
It's ok, they also say it only "adds a trivial amount of fat"

Yuck.

Exciting action-packed day

I am headed up to Lansing to visit my all time favorite yarn store's new venue. Rae's Yarn Boutique. This is a shopping trip that I've been planning for months and at last health (physical and monetary) has reached a conjunction and I can GO!

First though, I have a visit to Doc Farmer (we have a terrific doctor). I have a slightly worrisome lump thing just in front of my left ear. Kind of on the bone, not sore, just a little tender. I don't like to worry about such things so I go and get them checked out as soon as I notice anything odd.

As it happens, I have another weird lumpy thing on that side of my face. I think something bit my eyebrow a few days ago, and I have a localized allergic reaction. The swelling has now fallen down around my inner upper eyelid, giving me the same gaze as a manatee LOL :-}
I'm pretty sure the nurse will think that's why I'm there, as it is somewhat visually striking, but really it's the less visible lump that needs checking out.

After the lovely orgy of yarn shopping, we will have an even lovelier sushi lunch with Liz, Oscar's mom. Then home to rest up for next week's adventure. A spring visit up north in Gaylord to visit my parents. I am ecstatic about long rides in the adapted four-wheeler (my dad is a genius) into the deep piney woods to find wild flowers and such to photograph. I am looking forward to it so very much!
I plan to take the rest of June off for recovery, but it will be very much worth it.
Here are a few photos from an early spring visit to Gaylord a few years back.

On Optimism and Realism

Optimism is mostly a good thing, but for people with my own stubborn mind bent, it can also hold it's own dangers.
One of the hardest lessons for me to learn on this path
was that optimism coming AFTER dealing with the reality of my changed life was and is a good and positive thing, but when the optimism occurred BEFORE dealing with the reality, it was harmful more often than not.

I used to wince at the word disabled. Now I accept it as a fair evaluation of what I deal with on a daily basis. Accepting what I cannot do without risking health or survival was key to moving on and finding things I CAN do, instead of wasting my emotional and physical resources struggling to achieve the things I used to do easily.

It became clear to me that the cost of, say, keeping a flower bed free of weeds was very very high (pain, recovery time, permanent damage), especially when weighed against the results. The outcome was the flower bed got clean, and I had a false sense of accomplishment in doing what I used to do. I say false, because I used to gain joy and contentment from the act of weeding. Now if I were to weed a flower bed that joy and contentment would be swallowed by the pain. Even worse, the cost in recovery time would mean two days lost. Two days I could have been spending on pursuits that do not risk my health and life.

Optimism is an important tool in life, whether someone is disabled, or not, but when dealing with new physical paradigms, it also can hide denial like tall grass hides a trap.

One reason I feel safe and welcome in one of my favorite yahoo groups is the people there are
real. They are learning how to deal with what life has handed them, and adjust their dreams to a new reality. Some of us have trouble walking when we used to hike, some of us have trouble wiping our own bottoms when we've raised several kids, some of us were diagnosed or became disabled just a short time ago, some of us have been traveling this path for decades, having to readjust life every time some new physical or mental complication was added to the mix. I have much to learn, and much I can share.

I find the posts there pretty well balanced between sorrow and joy, despair and humor, and am very glad the word disabled is in the group's name. It helps me know the people already there and those who will find us in the future understand my challenges in ways fully healthy people sometimes cannot.

Catching up

I've been enjoying Spring now that she's arrived.
Until today, we've had lovely 70 degree breezy scented weather. Today and the rest of the week look to be grey and damp.
The phlox are full blown and the peonies are almost ready to burst open. The rose buds are still pretty tight, but plentiful.
The Valerian from Sherri is showing buds, and the Wolfsbane I transplanted all made it.
When Amanda (Thank you !) weeded in the Gooseberry/Currant patch, we found that my Lady's Mantle has returned, a lovely surprise :-} The bee balm (Monarda Didyma) is thriving also.
I've included some photos from years past (no pics of the valerian, yet)