And The Beat Goes On...

...so did you think of Sonny and Cher there? See, here's what happens with a sweater that's "big person" sized and not baby-sized. 

It can, in certain circumstances, take forever and show nothing that looks like progress, even when progress has indeed been had. 

Ah well. Suffice to say that I am actually progressing on the February Lady Sweater. 

However, I did take some time to put in 4 or 5 rows on the Sole to Sole sock, #2 of the pair. It was about time. 

Orthodontist...

So here's the sock. Or at least the top few inches. I had taken this picture (sans sock) a few months ago, but I hadn't done anything with it. 

When I took the picture yesterday, the woman sitting next to me, who I thought was glued to her cell phone, looked up and just gave me "that" look... "what a kook" - you know the look. 

Or if you're not a knitter, who likes to KIP (Knit In Public), perhaps you're not familiar with it. It's a "whoa - is that knitting??" or "what is this thing with all those sharp sticks bristling out of it?" look. I think the woman was just amazed that I'd put the sock on top of the model of braces. 

By the way, the "ancient braces" on the right side of the top (as you look at it) - those were what I had when I was a kid... 


And...

I've got some new toys to play with. 

Rubber bands. 

Orthodontic rubber bands. That I have to wear 24/7. For at least the next 6 weeks. 

I am not jazzed. 

I spent last night wanting to vomit because my mouth felt like I'd been whomped on with a 16" softball (which, in my youth, actually did happen when my sister threw a wild pitch).

I don't know if you can see it, but in the one "brick" colored package, there's this little hooky-thing. Since I have limited movement in both hands, I asked my tech "how in the name of God am I getting these things on??" 

She gave me hooks to use. Thankfully, they work, but I still feel "all thumbs." And I spent last night sitting up on the couch trying to sleep. 

That being said, I do feel better today. And I think I might be able to sing on Sunday, which was a concern for me yesterday, I have to tell you! I thought, 'Ok, here goes another 30 lbs.' because it seriously hurt so bad that I really didn't think I'd ever adjust. 

But it's ok. I'm not thrilled; I'd love to yawn! But apparently, it was in the plan. Somehow, I didn't recall that part of the conversation. 

They want you to eat with these, so "when your jaws move, you get the pull that makes the bands work better." They're (a) assuming you can open your mouth; and (b) you can chew! But I wear a bite splint during sleep. I'm a chomper.

That's different than a "grinder." I don't grind. I clamp down. My dentist says that "in another life" I was probably a wolf! Anyway, 4 cracked molars, TMJ and migraines later, I got a bite splint. So, my point is, I've continued to use one, even with braces. My jaw, after the past decade or so, is now mostly "trained" to open. 

So picture the bands, already being held open, all night, by my pre-trained jaws... I'm doing the work, believe me! 

It's to correct an overbite - which I never realized I had. And remember, this is Round Two of braces. Of course, my old orthodontist wasn't the "latest and greatest," so I'm not surprised. 

Bats in the Belfry...

Well, we don't have a belfry in the church. But we do have a bat. He's a young one and he was in church this past Sunday. Threw everyone into a tizzy, but aside from crapping on the wall (which was there, thank you, BEFORE the choir started to sing!), he just kinda hung out through the whole service. 

The church is in a very old neighborhood, so it's not surprising that he made his way into the building. 

I didn't think I'd have to bring the "big camera" to church! Obviously, taken with cell phone... and he created quite a buzz during the passing of the peace. 

Hopefully, he got himself out of there. I suppose we'll see this Sunday. 

We are still in the "search mode" for our permanent vicar. I'm hoping that the search committee comes up with some good candidates. I think that we'd like to have some closure on this. On the other hand, I don't want them to rush the process. 

This is all unique to me - as a Catholic, we took whoever showed up. We got no choices. And yeah, you can argue till the cows come home that that's a good system. Or not. Given that our bishop was one of the "movers" in the whole pedophile scandal. 

We'll see how this goes. I'm not used to getting a choice. It's an interesting process. 

This is Why it's Raining...

I washed the car. Or more correctly, had the car washed. After I went to get myself "wired up" (oh, yeah - got new wires, too! double the fun), I went to the local Meijer to pick a few things up, and I needed to get the car washed. 

In the parking lot where I work, it seems like every bird in town loves my car.

And I knew this was going to happen. The rain, I mean. I probably should've just let Mother Nature wash off the bird crap, but I couldn't. It's nice to see the car in its original color - for a while at least! 


Random Picture...

It's actually a video. I got my new Dessert Mist diffuser. It's interesting. It has 3 modes: High, Low, and Intermittent. The "low" setting goes for a full 8 hours. The light function is kind of amusing. It cycles through colors, or you can hit the "light" button a certain number of times for holding on a specific color. Or you can shut the light off and the diffuser can stay on. Thankfully!

The Rose diffuser, the "entry level" one that so many of us have, doesn't have the "lights off" feature, that I can find. I even read the instruction manual! So this kind of replaces the one of mine that died on me. I have to try to get it fixed, but otherwise, I have this one. Kid #2 took my one spare. 

I use the Dewdrop in my bedroom. That one goes for about 6 hours, and you can also turn the light off. It's easy to use, too. I'm using distilled water. My friend G uses tap water, but I figured that, since our city water isn't fantastic, I could spring for distilled. I wish those water dispenser things in some grocery stores did distilled, though. I feel guilty using up all the plastic, even though we recycle. 

I haven't opened up the insect repellent yet. And I have a new blend from the Convention, "Fulfill Your Destiny." That's an interesting one. I have to see how it smells both diffused and on the skin. 

I'm enjoying learning more and more about the oils. Young Living Essential Oils provides us with a great deal of learning opportunities and there's so much support. They're the real deal. If you want to learn more, leave a comment. Seriously, go for the best. Those oils you see popping up everywhere? Just people climbing on the bandwagon -- kind of like the "lately" Cub fans! 

As a Young Living distributor, I can help you with your knowledge and with wonderful products. Don't settle for less. You deserve the best.