So Nice, I'm Doing It Twice...

That actually covers a couple of things... 

First off, after my little fling in the ER, I was told that eventually, I'd have to re-do my PVI procedure (Pulmonary Vein Isolation) (a/k/a cardiac ablation). So I asked, just as a general question, if I could get it done within this calendar year -- insurance and all that. 

They said, "Well, we can try, but we can't guarantee" and a tentative time-frame of February-ish was decided. (FYI, Raisa is only there because she's cute...)

Well. I got a phone call last Friday. "We have an opening." Tuesday. Pearl Harbor Day, as it happens. Easy to remember, for sure. 

So Monday, I'm having a TEE (Trans-Esophageal Echo) to see if there are any clots in my heart; if there are, I'm not having the PVI. And then Tuesday morning, the PVI will happen. 

My biggest worry? That I'll be 2 days without morning tea and that could be a migraine on top of everything else. I'm off my cardiac meds for a few days, and I'm a tad nervous that my heart will go back into A-fib - which in this case would be a good thing. But they kind of know the wonky area. And they think that some of the cells grew back. 

Talk about regeneration! If I wanted to be Dr. Who, I'd have asked to be taller. And maybe a ginger (that's a Dr. Who joke, folks). 

And the Thursday before The Phone Call? Well, my right knee swelled for some odd reason. Probably because of my left hip injury (I'm falling apart, I'm tellin ya!). I've been compensating a lot, not putting weight evenly on both legs. 

It's getting better, thanks to a brace that makes Scarlett O'Hara's corset look comfy. But anyway, the ortho guy took a couple syringes of fluid off the knee and shot in some cortisone. Not my fave, but it does feel better. I'll be talking to them about gel injection to help with the knee arthritis. 

I'm happy to be above-ground. But getting old? Not for sissies!

The Knitting...

I'm rediscovering the joy of bulky-ish yarn! I got the Purl Soho Bandana Cowl pattern (free here) and didn't have access to the yarn they suggested. I went to my LYS and found this Riflessi Adriafil aran-weight yarn. Not too bulky, a bit of wool, a bit of nylon, some silver. So I wasn't confident in my ability to do the switching from metric to US, even with my phone app -- I bought two of each in a beautiful cream (L) and a stunning steel-grey (R). Unfortunately, the colorways are discontinued.

Of course, the cowl only takes 1 ball. In my defense, the pattern said that for some yarns, it would be 2 skeins. (Go ahead. Laugh.)

I learned short rows - or at least a different variation of them. I played the video about a jillion times. I mean, I know short rows from knitting so many socks. But somehow, the idea of "wrap and turn" became foreign in my mind. Which it's not. We do that with socks. 

Maybe I was just having a mental-pause. 

So, the upshot is, I really love the cowl. And I had the yarn. So I'm doing THAT twice as well. Now I've definitely got those short rows in my head. And wowza, the cowl takes literally a week for me. Which means for knitters who go at normal speed, maybe 2 days? A weekend? A great quickie gift or stash buster. 

I will likely keep the cream one, because I did something wonky on the short rows, and there's a hole where it shouldn't be. 

I bet that pattern would be great done holding thinner yarns together. What a lovely tweed effect that would be. Maybe there's a third cowl in my future? 

Seriously, when you look at it, it seems like it'll never fit, but it actually is quite nice. Just enough. 

Prayer Shawls...

I belong to a women's group at church, and our main mission is to pray. I also occasionally do "prayer squares" for the shawl-knitting group; I don't have a ton of time to do a whole lap blanket or afghan, but these little squares are kind of cute, and can be used as a meditation device, or a marker for your suitcase, for all we care! Anyway, as you can imagine, the "underground communication network" at church knows about the PVI (and I'm fine with that... see below), and all of my prayer group picked a shawl for me. It's lovely. And warm. A gorgeous shell stitch. I'm totally unsure what the yarn is, but it's unique, that's for sure. It's a combo of a bunch of different colors; I don't think it's "scrappy," but the colors are an odd blend. Odd but they work, you know? I love the splashes of purple showing up and the green. Unexpectedly colorful and wonderfully warm. 

A-Fib...

So here's why I don't care if people know. It took me a full FOUR YEARS to get diagnosed. I spent several of those years arguing with the doctors about the fact that I'd have these episodes. And the standard answer? "You're AT THAT AGE." 

Excuse me? You wouldn't tell a MAN that if he complained of heart troubles. You'd whisk him into testing, get him diagnosed and treated before he even realized he was at the doctor's office. 

But women? "Of a certain age"? We're "imagining it" or it's "in our head" or "it's part of growing older." 

Pardon me, but screw that. Yes, A-fib (atrial fibrillation) is more common in men till about abe 75. But according to studies, it IS enough of a concern for women, with a higher stroke risk. In my family, we have a history of heart disease. We also have a history of the women living forever, considering...but still. 

The fact that I was dismissed continually, doctor after doctor, and given the "menopause" excuse? Forget that. Doctors still tend to be dismissive of health concerns of women. We're still tagged with that "hysterical" thing from the Victorian Age. 

Check out the Stroke Risks for women. And talk to your doctor. If your doctor doesn't listen? Then find another one. I actually dumped a doctor for one whose practice is solely focused on women, which makes me feel like I've been able to discuss things on a deeper level. I feel heard and I feel like my concerns are documented properly and taken seriously. 

That's gold, friends. 

Christmas Baking...

It's that time of the year. And yes, even with a medical problem, I'm going to try to get some baking done. Not as much as usual, though. This year, it was Potica Year...so we generally don't have a huge cookie list when we do those. 

Here's the list...Like I said, a bit shorter than usual, but we are having a smaller holiday this year (some families are traveling) and it just seems like one batch of everything here will be fine. Some - the M & M and Crescents - I have to do. I mean HAVE TO DO or else I may as well not show up... Siblings, you know.

The Potica went nuts. I mean, I do not know what happened to the dough. It's always been finicky. It's a tradition: we get spooked when it's rolling out exceptionally well. We get angry when it's a pain in the butt. There are days the rises are great, and there are days when you're praying over it and reciting positive affirmations: "You can DO IT, dough! You CAN DO IT!" 

Yesterday? I have no freakin idea. I'm usually the configurator - I put the pieces together. Hubby does the grinding and rolling. So whatever went wrong, I think it's on me. We were doubling the recipe, which is where it may have gotten off track. The dough was ok, but I think maybe I did something weird with the warm milk. Maybe. 

The yeast grew phenomenally. The dough was totally "puffy." Which is really not right. There are 4 loaves, plus a pan of ends. And everything kind of exploded. The ends pan burst like a volcano. The loaves are nearly THREE POUNDS EACH and the tops split really badly. That's. Not. Right. At that point, they become unstable and collapse on themselves. They don't look pretty. Lord knows what they're going to slice like. And it's hard to be sure they're cooked through. Last thing you want is to have raw insides. We did our best, and I believe they're all cooked, but I'm not happy with this year's batch. 

We figure we can do the cookies the week before Xmas. First off, lots less temptation to "snick" a few here and there. Don't believe me? Yeah. We're "snick" people and then all of a sudden, (a) you've put on 5 pounds; and (b) there are no cookies left! 

So unless there's something that turns up unexpectedly, that'll be it for Xmas Baking 2021. 

Random Picture...

Ever since I got the One Plus phone, my pictures have gone...somewhere. Not sure where. Not always in a consistent manner. Not always where I thought I put them. It frustrated me and drove Hubby nuts. 

Turns out I then had a bunch of pics automatically duplicate, which ate up my OneDrive storage space, which locked down my OneDrive. And then, (thanks Blogger), Blogger changed their format which made it slightly less user-friendly to actually PUT pictures here. 

(sigh)

But anyway. I did another thing. I wrote another chapter in a collaborative book. Here she is, and she'll be released in December. Interested in this one, and my other 2 books? Drop me a comment here. Email me at the studio (info below). I'll sign and send you a copy, in the US only, and postage is on me... They make great holiday gifts, raffle or gift basket items. Girlfriend gifts. Full of great information by some wonderful authors. There's The Ultimate Guide to Self-Healing, Vol. 2, Wonder Women 50+, and The Ultimate Guide to Self-Healing, Vol. 5. They're also available on Amazon (of course...). 

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