Meet My Little Friends...

No, not dogs. Unfortunately. I keep thinking it's time, but Hubby thinks not. And to be honest, he'd be doing most of the work, since I still have an outside-the-home job and teach 3 nights a week. One day, the right circumstance will come. It will all fall in place. 

In the meantime...meet my little friends, the Swallowtail caterpillars. They've invaded what has to be my most glorious crop of parsley ever. I have 6 on there right now, and I've had a steady stream of the little munchkins since I planted it. 

I honestly think that our crazy 'what season are we in?' weather has helped, because the pot of parsley is just about the prettiest thing in my garden. 

I will admit to obsessively checking the parsley and shooing birds away. But they've actually been more interested in the cicaidas, and have been leaving my little buddies alone. The pot is right alongside some very tall lavender, too, which is partially blocking them from the birds' view. 

Next year, I have to get my dill going again. They prefer that, but I haven't seen mine in a few years. 

The Garden...

Speaking of -- I think we're in good shape right now. I have several hanging pots that are going along nicely, the wildflowers are coming up like crazy and the pots of lantana are adding big spots of color. Two pots with some good-sized purple salvia, tomato plants with blooms starting, and the HUGE bags of potatoes...looks like we might have a garden here. Along with the pink flamingo decor all over the front yard. So sue me -- I like a bit of kitsch. I added some more solar lights, along with the fairy lights in the mason jars. 

I did a little magic with spray paint. My mom gave me a trellis for the church's rummage sale and it was kind of rusty. I figured it would end up tossed, and on a whim, I got some spray paint and sandpaper. I also had the well-worn glass bird bath (along with 2 new solar fountains) that needed some TLC. 

After sanding the yellow + rust trellis, I also grabbed the gazing ball stand and gave that a lick of sandpaper. And I up-ended the glass bowl of the bird bath and whipped that up with some fine grit. All the sanded things got a good wipe-off.  

I got matte black, hammered copper, and a kind of paint called "Illusion." So I sprayed the black matte on the trellis, the gazing ball stand and the metal legs that hold up the glass bowl of the bird bath. Let that dry, and then I sprayed SEVERAL coats of the "Illusion" on the trellis and gazing ball stand. When you look at it, it's like a purple/green/blue irridescent. Really pretty. I left the bird bath stand black, but I probably should have done it as well. 

I turned the glass bowl over, with newspaper under it, and gave it several coats of the "hammered copper" spray paint. I didn't quite get the "hammered" look, but I'm ok with it because the bowl itself has a lot of texture on the underside. If I had had my wits about me, I'd have done a light coat of the irridescent FIRST, and then the hammered copper. That would've been kind of cool! 

Anyway, for about $28, I refurbished THREE items that were showing their age. And I decided to keep the trellis. It's sitting right behind a pot of lantana. 

Potatoes Everywhere...

The potatos are huge. Bigger than I thought they'd be! The plants are top-heavy, so we're tying them up. I thought, "Put stakes in there" and then realized that I'd probably skewer some spuds. So we're just hoping they don't topple over in the next big wind. We're set for a tumultuous summer, if you believe the weather folks. Bigger tornadoes, more derecho-type winds, noisier thunderstorms. Yikes. 

I'm hoping that big plants mean a delicious harvest. My dear MIL (and I mean that - the woman was a saint) grew them in her garden. But that was in MT, where dirt is dirt... Here, dirt is the 2" or so of black dirt they put on top of the clay. And Illinois actually has some of the best growing soil in the Midwest. My town, however, has a streak of clay running through it a mile down! 

Meet My Tumbler...

Not THAT "Tumblr" -- My net compost bin lasted for several years. Likely, because it was protected somewhat by our shed, it lasted a bit longer than it would've otherwise, but it went to "Compost Bin Heaven," wherever that is. I got a tumbler, and when we were transferring the compost from the bin to the tumbler, I saw WORMS!!! Yippeeeeee!!! That means that, hopefully by the end of this season, I should have compost. Hubby can dress the beds for winter and it'll season even more. 

It's a small one, but it's still heavy to tumble - no crank. Just Me-power. So it's an additional source of exercise, as far as I'm concerned! 

Even though you fill the thing, by the time everything decomposes down to its final stage, you get about a third of the capacity of the bin. Which is fine for us - we don't have a huge garden. In fact, I'd even take it down to one or two raised beds (we have 3 currently, and we didn't bother to plant them this year either). 

I still want to take the back yard to red clover instead of grass. It's more environmentally friendly, the huge maple in the back kills off most of the grass anyway, and the patio, parking pad, shed and dog pen kind of take up the rest of it. May as well make it one less thing to mow. I think if I can do that in the back, eventually, we can do it for the front as well. It's barely discernable from grass, and it'll kill off the neighbor's creeping Charlie. 

The Great Cicada Invasion...

It's just about done. At least here. In my town, we only got one of the two species, and not a lot of them - which is weird because my neighborhood is old and there are some older trees, which the critters prefer. In spots, they seemed pretty thick, but it was nowhere near as bad as where I work. There, the robins were lining up in front of the tree in front of my office and one-by-one were flying at the tree to pick off their breakfast. It was pretty funny to watch, if you think about it. Robins aren't always known for their manners. 

Where I work is just across the river, and they had BOTH species. It was so loud that, even on days when I was running the AC, I could hear them. One of the little buggers got into the house. Hubby grabbed it and tossed it back outside. Ugh. I know - they're harmless. But they're gross. 

And I realized that the range of tones I hear in my head (tinnitus) is the same as the noise they make. Wonderful. A symphony all year round!

It's done for now, and I think we're just about back to normal. 

The Felon...

Speaking of bugs...I was relieved that TFG has been convicted. Jurors unanimously convicted him of 34 felonies. And then, to top off the jubilee, Steve Bannon has to report to prison on July 1. So. Much. Winning. 

What does frighten me is Project 2025. That cannot be allowed to stand. My great-grandparents left Poland to come here because they were tired of being invaded by Russia (which Putin wants to do again...which the Poles are NOT jazzed about). TFG would have us withdraw from NATO. He will bury our rights as women to our own healthcare decisions and there's speculation that he would consider taking more rights away from women. 

I want to know how many abortions he's paid for. 

I want to know why women would even CONSIDER voting for him or anyone of his ilk. 

I want to know when we will have a balanced Supreme Court that we can trust again. 

What I do know is that, in spite of the odds, TFG is finally getting the comeuppance he's needed for his entire life. 

What I do know is that his own LAWYERS approved of the jury. So there's no blame there. No "rigged" jury. They all saw the same evidence, and they all came to the same conclusion. 

He's getting interviewed by his parole officer prior to the sentencing on July 11. And I hope that he gets some time behind bars. Martha Stewart got time behind bars, as a first offender, for insider trading. And she's actually a millionaire in fact. TFG is a billionaire only in his twisted mind and that of his followers. It's a cult as much as Martha was. But Martha didn't have the nuclear codes. And Martha doesn't have dementia, which is looking more and more likely with TFG. 

July 11 will be the day we know if the justice system will follow through. It seems as though the MAGAts are melting down, but lo and behold, HUNTER BIDEN. That poor soul got convicted of gun charges that one in a THOUSAND people wouldn't be convicted on. But you know, ya gotta "own the libs," so you want to humiliate the sitting president because Diaper Donnie and his Delulu Disciples are ... nuts. With Hunter getting convicted, the MAGAts are kinda caught up short because their Farting Leader can't be portrayed as a "victim of a witch hunt" because....well, THEY are the perpetrators of their own witch hunt. President Biden isn't going to pardon Hunter. He said he believes in the rule of law, and it is what it is. His son did indeed do what he was convicted of, and even though most of those types of things are pled to a lower crime or just fined, Hunter may well have to serve prison time. There was a plea deal and (I know, you're as shocked as I am) that fell apart when the judge appointed by TFG said she wasn't ready to approve the plea deal because of how it could affect "other crimes he had committed or could have committed." So when do we have "justice" meted out for what we "might" do? Talk about witch hunts... Here's a link to the NPR article discussing it. 

With any luck, so will Cadet Poopypants. If a judge can jail Martha Stewart for insider trading (first offense, I might add, so do not come at me with that pathetic excuse), then TFG (as a CONVICTED first offender -- this is not his "first offense" by a long shot) should get some time for trying to rig a federal election. 

Hip-A-Versary...

I'm coming up on one year for the hip replacement. Happy anniversary to me! I still haven't gotten on a bike yet, but I'm hoping to do so this summer. And I'm not back to the stables yet. But otherwise, I'm doing well in terms of moving around, doing about 90% of my yoga practice -- I knew I'd have to break up with some poses, but that's ok -- and being able to stand for longer periods of time without feeling like I need a nap afterwards!

Random Picture...

I made a butterfly bath...or maybe a butterfly watering station. I guess butterflies don't take baths. On advice of a friend who's involved in prairie restoration, I took my bird bath at work and created a little place for the butterflies. 

I had seen them in gardening sites, but I wasn't sure whether I wanted to do that or put a solar fountain in there. She brought me some rocks, and told me the best way to arrange them, and after playing with it, this is what I came up with. 

By putting a pile of rocks near the larger piece of flagstone, you give the butterflies a place to perch where they can stick their little noses in the water to take a sip. It's a nice idea, and I'm looking forward to seeing them figure it all out. 

We're Having a Heat Wave...

...and it's going to be obnoxious by Thursday. August has decided to just be itself all in one week, seeing as last week, it was 67 degrees at night.  What's a girl to do, except hunker down in front of the fan and knit. Small stuff, of course. By Thursday, the temps will be 105-ish. Not the "feels like," but the actual temperature of the area. 

The Knitting...

I needed a break from the sock. I was knitting along on it and just finding myself dreading it. I mean, it's not like I haven't been knocking out socks like crazy - at least for me. I figured I needed a break, so I figured I'd whack out a wash cloth. 

It just seems like that 5 1/2" leg is taking FOR. EVER. I knit a bunch of rows, and measure. And it's still not there. So I do it again. And it's still not there! 

That's when I knew that I had to do something, because otherwise, that sock would go into Time-Out, and I'd be left with a finished singleton that I whacked out and a partial of its mate, ruining my streak. 

I have at least 2 singletons left, at my count. I just have to figure out where I stashed them. 

My friend K is trying to quit smoking, so I toddled off to Michael's and got some cotton yarn, knitting needles, and a little bag for her. If you're going to set someone up to knit, do it up right, I think. I have a project bag, her needles, a little workbag, and I'll find one of my 16 tape measures and give it to her, along with folding scissors and a tapestry needle, and crochet hook. 

I find that what discourages me from knitting or any other craft is not having tools to hand when I need them. So starting something then finding that I need X -- and having to go hunt for it, or realizing that I actually need to go buy it? That's a pain in the rear, and it's frustrating. 

I would imagine that quitting smoking is equally as frustrating. I saw my dad try at least 8 times, and I'm not exaggerating. He tried everything. He tried the tools available to him, because it was so long ago, there were no nicotine patches or pills. He tried a rubber band which he snapped at his wrist. He tried a staple in his ear (acupuncture-ish). He tried crocheting - seriously, he was pretty good at it. He tried cold turkey - which was the thing that eventually worked. 

But once he got cancer, 8 years after he quit, he found that smoking was somethign that actually helped the nausea from the chemo. Drove my mom nuts, but as the doctor said, "That's not what's going to kill him."

So for K, I want to set her up for success. If nothing else, maybe she'll knit up a few wash cloths. 

As you know, I use them on my face. The knitted ones are really nice for exfoliation. The crocheted ones, in my opinion, are better for dishes, but Hubby likes those for after he shaves. 

What I did was a diagonal pattern, sometimes called "Grandma's Dish Cloth," though in my mind, it's "Sister Albert Marie's Dish Cloth" because that was one that this nun could whip out in a day. Technically, I probably could too, but I'd have to have been knitting with larger needles. 

It's hard for me to transition from size 1 to size 8. Technically, the Sugar & Cream yarn calls for size 7 needles, but I had a set of 8s handy, and I knew I was going to knit tighter, having just been knitting socks. So that's what I used. The yarn was what I had in stash, sothat's what we have. And I have at least 4 cloths that are beyond repair now, so this is just a replenishing mission here. 

My top and bottom finishing isn't great, but it's a wash cloth. I did go to Betsy's to pick up some Butterfly Pea Flower tea, and I bought out their stash of light blue. My mission is going to be to do cloths for my yoga teachers, and I've got some lovely charcoal soap, and that's what they're getting for Christmas. It took me a weekend to do this cloth, and even if I do a different pattern for each one, they do go quickly. 

I prefer to do a wash cloth for new knitters. Even though cotton yarn is pretty unforgiving in terms of its stretch (it doesn't), I think it can take a beating if you need to frog it a couple times. I know a scarf is the thing most of us learned to knit, but to me, that can be mind-numbing. This diagonal pattern teaches useful techniques, and it's far enough apart for you to get the hang of just straight knitting for a bit. 

End of An Era...

Well, I couldn't put it off any longer. I had to finally ditch my old Birkenstocks. The footbeds were just done. The one pair was so old that they're not made anymore. And the other pair was quickly following. And the soles were getting too slippery for me. New hip, can't afford any mis-steps or slips. So out they went. 

I ended up buying a pair of the Arizona style (which is what I usually wear, and that's how I show off my socks), and then I got a pair of clogs, which would look like a loafter with long pants. Works for me. 

The Arizona (yes, I have weird feet) are unoiled leather, so they'll end up with a nice patina on them. It's different to feel these "new" ones, as opposed to ones that just literally molded themselves to my feet. The break-in is annoying but you do have to take it slowly. Blisters are no fun. 

The clogs are really comfortable, and I can wear them around the house since it's too stinking hot to wear regular house slippers, and I don't want to go barefoot (!) because it's Shed-mageddon here in the house. Doggo floof the size of bunnies coming from both dogs. It's everywhere. 

The clogs are a light lilac, you almost don't notice the color. I went by shoe size. Back in the day, I was European 39 which is 8-8.5... My feet have grown a bit, as they are wont to do as you get older. I'm a size 9 now, so they sent me European size 40. A little room at the back of the heel, but when I wear them with socks, it'll be fine. 

I'll wear these sandals clear through till the snow flies. They're really comfortable and supportive, and as you can tell - they do last. My brown ones were at least 30 years old, and the black ones nearly 25. Not too bad - I really got my money out of them. 

I wore my Boston clogs for the hip replacement and the nurse refused to let me wear them home - she was afraid I'd trip. I get it, but those things are molded to my feet. I wore them at home just fine. 

Pedicure Time...

So the other problem with the hip is that for now, I can't externally rotate my hip, which means I can't take care of my left foot. I use a long scrubby brush to wash the foot, but otherwise, I am just getting to where SOMETIMES I can put a sock on. 

Once I got more mobile and felt comfortable, I got out to Diva's, my usual spot for a pedicure. I had the tech use my color; I feel better just bringing my own, though the summer colors (aside from a crap-ton of Barbie pink...) were cute. I had a "Metallic Blend," which is a nice neutral. And sparkly. 

I wore my "remedial flip flops," a pair of Sanuk sandals. As you can see, there's a strap around the back, which actually helps me walk in the things! So after a pedicure, your feet are usually really, really smooth with lotion, and I had regular Sanuk flip flops, and they just didn't work. Especially with that left foot, with the wonky toe that wants to cross over the big toe? I was a mess walking to the parking lot. No way I was doing it with a healing hip. 

The part of the sandal that goes thru the toes is the part that goes round the back of the foot. At Diva's, once they get you to the polish point, you get your sandals back on, so you're already set and your toes don't smudge. The fabric that wraps around the instep is lovely, too. These are just a tiny wedge, and they're very easy to wear. I feel stable in them, which is a huge deal. At that point, I was still using a cane. 

The hardest thing, once I got in there, was putting my left leg up and into the tub, and then lifting it on to the shelf where the tech can work on my foot. Of course I told her the issue, and she was more than careful, which made me feel comfortable. And it felt soooooooo good. Not only the pampering, but just knowing that I was able to do this bit of care for my feet. 

I asked her about those "foot masks" that you see at the drug store and she emphatically told me NOPE. She said that my feet were really soft (I thought I had calluses, but apparently, not as bad as some folks), and that the masks had the potential to burn softer tissue. Thanks, but I really don't need that, right? My feet were dry, however, and so are my legs. I still have to work on folding over to get to my ankles. 

I'm looking forward to the next trip to Diva's and picking out which color I want next. Maybe a lovely blue? I'll have to go shopping in my bathroom cabinet. See what hasn't been used in a while. 

Otherwise, the hip is doing quite nicely, almost as if things are slotting into place in the correct order. I can do a few yoga poses (VERY few), and I am forgetting my cane every so often in the house. I'm set to come back to the office full time in September, and today at PT, I was told that while I still had some ways to go, my stride is more fluid than it was and my strength is building in the way it should. Yay!

Random Picture...

Monday was my first trip to the grocery store. In almost 18 months. Seriously, I had stopped going because it was so hard to get around. I went to the Fresh Thyme, and I stuck to my list. Crap, though - they moved a lot of stuff around! I couldn't find things! And you can tell there are shortages in some things. But it was nice to get out and do my own shopping. 

I haven't gone to a bigger store yet. And seriously, the first few times that I went even to a CVS, I needed a nap!

But it was good to see the progress; the fact that I could go shopping (sorry, dear!). The fact that I could walk a ways longer than I could the week before. I'm trying to not compare with anyone else. My journey to being whole again is my own. Nobody else's.

I anticipate further progress. I anticipate that someone, somewhere, may say that I'm "babying" my leg. And I anticipate that, if that's said to my face, the person saying it will probably regret that they said it. I'm a big girl and not afraid to tell someone to buzz off.  

Moving Right Along...

Well, the groin/hip flexors still hurt. And I'm getting more challenges with the PT (which is good, and to be expected). I'm betting that this week is The Big Dangle... Where I skooch my butt to the very edge of the long side of the PT table and my therapist guides my left leg down....as far as it will go before I think I'm back in labor, I guess, and we stretch the hip flexors as well as increase my range of motion. He'll be holding on to the leg. It's just creepy, because I actually hang on to the side of the table - it feels that close to falling off.  

Am I looking forward to that? About as much as I look forward to a nice case of constipation. At least with labor, I got a baby in the end... but it is necessary, so I'll suck it up and deal with it. He's lucky I don't cuss. 

The Knitting...

One more pair down! I've finished the Petty Harbour socks. I didn't put a link here because you can get this pattern on several different sites. It's free, as far as I know. 

So to recap: The yarn is Cascade Heritage Sock, and it's like knitting with spun butter. I moved to my next project, in Opal, and what a difference! Heritage Sock is a bit finer, too. 

These were done cuff-down on 5 DPNs, size 2.5 mm. The second sock actually took about a month of pretty consistent knitting. I'm not fast, but I am a good plugger-alonger. 

This may be my best Kitchener Toe yet. From me to you? SKIP THE SET-UP ROW. Just go right to it. No ears. Seriously, look at that toe!

And again, my hint on SSK: Slip the 1st stitch KW and the 2nd stitch PW...to me, that matches the K2tog the best. 

This pattern was easy to memorize. It's a nice 4-row repeat and two of the rows are knit around. I'm not sure how I'm going to like the pattern on the instep - that's not normally my thing. But I figured I'd do this one as written, except for my patented* 6 rows of knitting at the top to slightly roll the cuff so it goes over my high instep and sits comfortably on my biker's calves.  *It's really not patented. Go ahead and try it if you want. Enjoy!

I'd do this again, make the leg longer (it's written as 5 1/2" and I like 7" better), and not do the pattern on the instep. 

Qualms: It is sooooooooo soft. I'm hoping it wears well. On a FB group, I contemplated frogging both socks, and making this into a shawl. But I read more reviews and people said that the wear was good. Mind you, I'm used to Opal, which wears like iron. We shall see on these. 

These socks have been sitting in time-out since 2015 at least. I had one cuff partially done. And they just sat there. They may have been set aside for baby knitting; that was about the time that the family was in baby-making mode and it felt like all I was doing was baby garments.

I will probably buy more of this yarn, to do a shawl. It's just fluffy, soft and looks like it's going to be nicely warm, and not too heavy to wear. 

As for the next project, The Mystery Sock... I think I may have figured out that this is the NSEW project I created in my head -- which would be my second "design" if you will. This is done on 68 stitches. I needed a midpoint between 64 and 72, which is where most patterns jump. This gives you 17 stitches per inch. The NSEW stands for North South East West - which is how those big swaths of knitting sit on the sock, with the purls bisecting it. So north and south on your calf, and east and west is where you'll see the knitting, if that makes sense. 

I want to say that my 8x8 Rib Sock design was also 68, but I'd have to go look that up and I'm not inclined to do that right now. I mean, honestly, I don't like my 8x8 pattern. But I'd do the NSEW pattern again. I bet it would look great in a gradient yarn. 

Anyhow, on each of 4 needles, you K7, P3, K 7. I think that's what this second sock is - or was intended to be. And even if it's not, it's close enough. It has a Strong Heel, and a regular toe, and for some odd reason, I carried this pattern down the instep as well. What was I thinking? Well, since this has been sitting here since 2021, I can't remember. But at least this WIP isn't as "vintage" as the Petty Harbour!

It's an easy TV knit, and I guess my only qualm with this is that for the first few inches of the leg, you can't really see the pattern - it's not looking like the one on the blocker. But then again, that's the problem. I may have created a new way of doing "fraternal" socks where you use the same yarn but two complimentary patterns! Always fashion-forward, kids - that's me! (ha!)

I volunteered for a group called "Loose Ends Project" where you can offer to finish projects for families. Like, if Granny passes and an afghan is half-done, someone might volunteer to finish it for the family. 

We'll see how that goes. It encompasses a lot of different techniques, so we'll have to see what shows up. It could be very rewarding to finish off projects like this, but I don't want it to become "another job."

The Floof...

"Do they shed?" 

Um. Yeah. 

Raisa is one of those huskies who doesn't like to be brushed. She's a weirdo, let's face it. Cute, but weird. And we have been pushing her to be combed at least. Her guard hairs are very long; longer than other Huskies I've had. So it'll mat up nicely with the undercoat if it's not taken care of. 

And if she dislikes brushing, she HATES mats in her fur. But she doesn't quite get the logic of "if we brush you, your fur won't mat." Dogs... 

This picture is one-half of her tail. One. Half. Of. Her. Tail. And we're still working on finishing the tail and her "pants." 

I can sit there at night and literally pull out blobs of hair. She gets aggravated after a while, but I tell her to hush. Or she moves away. 

Double-coated dogs...you gotta love 'em and you gotta be willing to roll with the tumbleweeds you're gonna get 2 times a year, 6 months at a time. 

We call it "doggie glitter." 

Random Picture...

Quinn loves to sniff. Well, she is, after all, a hunting dog. So we have this game we play called "Snurffling." 

When the mail comes, she gets to 'snurfle' it. When a package comes, same thing. When I get home from visiting my mom or someone else who has a dog or cat -- or when I come home from the stables, she gets to sniff me from stem to stern.

So when I finished the last sock, I set them down to photograph, and her nose went to work. 

She sniffed so hard that my socks and my blockers were wet! She even stepped on my socks!

In my memory, these socks haven't ever been anywhere except for my knitting bag, here in the house. I wonder what the heck she was smelling. 

She had a good time. She approved of the socks. So says the Queen... 

Into the Out and Over-Doing...

So I'm getting more out-and-about and of course I over-did it. 

It started Friday, after PT. It was a later session than I'm used to, but it is what it is. I was feeling pretty good and I said to Hubby, "Let's take a walk; just a short one, about half a block." The new neighbors were having a party and we figured we'd walk by and wave. Well, a half block walk is actually a block if you consider there and back. 

Saturday, we went to the Sketcher's store and I took advantage of their Before School Sale, and got 2 pairs of shoes, with the 2nd one 50% off. One of them was the step-ins, which need a little more wear before they're easier to slip into. I wanted to get shoes which I could slip into myself without Hubby having to help tie them (it's bad enough that I still can't put my own sock onto the left foot yet), and without me having to bend too much to use a shoehorn. And another pair we picked up are these purple shoes that Hubby picked out. Hey, if he's going to pick out shoes, I'm all in! I wanted colorful shoes, and he knows me well. 

The slip-in shoes are a taupe color. I can get those on by myself, but for now, he has to tie these purple ones for me - at least the left foot. I still am not supposed to turn out my hip, nor bend fully forward. I mean, I do bend to pick up something once in a while, but it's not recommended. 

I love the purple because it's a pretty ombre colorway and they're also very comfy. 

So that's what I wore to church on Sunday (this is all part of the over-doing). It was great to be back; and we're Episcopalian, so there's "pew gymnastics" (thanks, Robin Williams) - stand, sit, kneel, repeat. Sat for a while in Coffee Hour, and visited. Lots of hugs, a very warm welcome. 

Then we went to return a walker we'd borrowed, and then home. 

I woke up Monday sore as heck. But I pushed through and did some cooking. Mind you, I haven't been able to stand long enough to do more than maybe fill a water bottle. But see below for what I made. On none of these occasions (aside from PT) did I bother using my ice pack. Dumb idea, I know, but we got busy. 

Tuesday's therapy was a little rough, though I did use the ice pack again. 

The Knitting...

The sock is moving right along. I'm finished with the gusset decreases, and I'm on the first few rows of the instep. It currently measures 4" from the heel to the needles, and I'm aiming for a 7.5" foot. 

The only problem I have is that I've been hearing some bad things about the Cascade Heritage Sock yarn -- when you knit socks with it. There are rumors that it pills and doesn't wear well, which is what I was sort of worried about, because it is so soft. I probably should have frogged the first sock and done what I believe might have been a better use: made a shawlette. 

I don't know if I've shared this before, but I've been writing it on every sock pattern I have, for the SSK decreases. Normally, a K2tog looks really neat, and the SSK side looks more sloppy. There are several theories and methods to make it neater, but the one I like, and which to me sort of matches the K2tog is where I take the first stitch of the SSK knitwise, and the second stitch purlwise. 

Now I just have to remember that for the heel turns. I can't quite get them to look smooth on the SSK side. At any rate, the sides of the gussets now look really neat and I like how it feels on my foot. 

I think that I've decided to do a 4x2 rib on the Other Blue Sock, and that's what I'll be working on once this is done. 

That will make a total of 3 pairs finished (singletons + mates) for this summer, and I'll take that as a win/win. 

After that, I may start the Long Sands again or I might work on a baby sweater for the little one, before she grows out of the size kit I have! Of course, I have to see if I can do the sweater; it seems odd, since I can knit socks, and I can follow a pattern, but sometimes, it also depends on how the pattern is written. 

We shall see. It's a beautiful rose colored boucle yarn, so I think it's going to be lovely. I just have to knit it up. 

Cooking...

I spent some time in the kitchen, also walking without the cane for a bit, as long as I had a counter to grab if I felt wobbly. 

I made Lentil Potato Carrot Patties. I used green lentils, because that's what I had. I figured I could use them for lunch, and I could use a little more plant-based protein in my diet anyway. 

It felt good to get back to cooking. I subbed shallots out for the yellow onion (had those in the freezer) and used 2 medium carrots and 2 medium potatoes. 

I feel like I could've used more flour to make it more "batter"-ish. The first few cakes fell apart. 

I ended up using a scoop, because when I tried to form them by hand, everything stuck to my hands. I'm not moving fast enough to make a pattie, plop it in a frying pan, wash my hands and then flip the thing. The scoop worked well, and I gently flattened the scooped batter and made them about 1/2" thick. 

The oil was an avocado-safflower blend I had, and I should have had it get a smidge hotter. And I'd like to play with adding more herbs, like maybe some chopped parsley. 

I will admit I got frustrated at the first 3-4 cakes. I was almost going to just plop the whole thing into the pan like a ginormous potato latke but then I realized I would be unable to flip it over... So I ended up, once I got my frying groove on, putting 4 cakes in the pan at a time. They only took 3-4 minutes per side - enough to soften the shallots and carrots a bit, and the potatoes and lentils were already cooked, so they have a nice al dente feel. 

Maybe next time I'll use sweet potato instead of white potato - it's mashed in my version, so while it's a rough mash, there's the fact that the spud and the flour are the "glue" that hold this vegan dish together. I guess if I wanted to un-vegan it, I'd add an egg as a binder, which would also work. 

Or I could make a flax egg and add that for even MORE fiber. I use flax eggs for my black bean brownies. 

I tried a couple of the patties - they're best warm, after you drain the excess oil off, and yeah, I broke "vegan code," because I used ranch dressing as my "sauce." You can use whatever condiment you want; that was just handy and I was hungry. 

Looking at this, I can tell you that I'm not a professional stager of photos... you can see my essential oils bottles just lying there. Oh well. Focus on the food, kids!

If you were to make a meal of these, you'd probably want to add a green salad and maybe some fruit. 

They're going to be easy to transport once I get back to work, and I can do that for lunch with an apple and be pretty happy. 

Update on Hip...

Well, today, I did remember to use the ice pack again after PT. And today, I did a solo flight... I walked the length of the clinic back and forth without the cane. That was a little weird. I felt a bit wobbly, but I did it. He said I could take "short trips" around the house, as long as I wasn't trying to dodge the dogs. So I'll probably walk solo in the bathroom and bedroom, for now. Though I'll still have a cane handy for after I shower, for a little bit. Not that I'm unsteady - just for safety's sake. 

The PT will continue to build my muscle, regain my balance and keep me walking without the cane (at least inside). We're also going to work on stairs. Still no walking outside on uneven ground without a cane. Or actually, ANY walking around outside without a cane, for now. 

And I'm waiting on a step stool so that I can get in and out of my car on the driver's side more safely. It's just a tad too high. 

Otherwise, I'm also hoping that a good night's sleep will soon be my reward for...something. 

Random Picture...

I dug into the archives for this one, kids.... It's a church (I don't know which one, because there wasn't a sign on it) in Lugano. There were so many magnificent pieces of artwork but I thought I'd focus on the altar. 

I think that of all the places we visited in 2021, Lugano is possibly the place where I feel like I could live, if ever I was going to move out of this country. 

A friend of mine and her husband lived their dream by moving out of the US to New Zealand.  On a recent visit "home" (back here), they said the difference is palpable. Which is sad. 

While we were in Lugano, we found that it was all walkable, and seemed like they would welcome visitors whether long- or short-term. But then, maybe since it's in Switzerland, they wouldn't take us!

We in the US are at the cusp of some sort of immense shift. The climate crisis is catching up with us. We are more polarized than ever politically, our Supreme Court is a blasted mess, and there's a larger percentage of people than you'd think (though not mathematically significant if every Democrat votes in the upcoming presidential election) who would willingly install a dictator-for-life who's a criminal and a con man. If the DOJ can't put him in prison first. Which we can only hope for, at this point. Hopefully, his teflon coating is wearing thin. 

Perhaps in the next few editions of this blog, I'll go into the archives more. Who knows what kinds of pictures I'll come up with!

 

More Than I Expected...

Well. That didn't go as expected. I thought I had about 6-7" on that Long Sands Tee. Seems like I was wrong. I had most of the front done. 

I frogged it anyway.  Took me most of the afternoon. I cut out a join that I had used; untangled a bunch of knots (I have got to get better about either ending the ball at the seam or weaving in my ends, since this is in the round...), and generally picked my way through it till it was all nicely set back into the raw material that I started with. 

I was working away at my sock (more on that below), and I thought, "I have to grab that thing; I need to frog it today." Call it an irresistable impulse. I thought I knew where it was, but it took me a couple times to find it in the office - slash - junk room (#goals will be to clean that thing out once my hip is rehabbed...It's making me nuts). 

I found the bag, and sat down with "Star Trek: Enterprise" on the TV and started ripping. And ripping. And ripping. 

As you can see, that's a whack of knitting to rip out. I don't know why I thought I had less done. 

Luckily, it's linen, so it can kind of take a pounding. I unwound four balls. Four. As you can see, I have a total of seven hanks. And that dinky little ball is the "two ball cast on" technique that I have to revisit so that I can get the thing cast on in one go rather than try to estimate a couple hundred stitches and have to do it over a couple of times. I had found that on YouTube, and I really liked it. I don't know why I didn't do it this time, but I'm going to give it a go this next cast on. Since it's smaller than the size I initially knitted, it should be enough on that dinky ball. I know it's a risk; I may be in the same trouble of having to rip the thing out if it doesn't work. But again -- linen yarn can take it. 

I'm "getting a leg on" with the Petty Harbour sock. I think the reason I wanted to frog the Long Sands is just that I wanted a break from the leg of the sock. It's not like it's a forever-long leg, either, but I have to say I've been very faithful to this project, and I just needed to do something a little different. 

Ripping things apart usually does that for me. I've got a little over 3" on the leg, and it's a 5" length, so by tomorrow, I should be able to start the heel flap. 

I'm already imagining the rest of this yarn as the tops of a pair of scrappy socks. I'd have to knit those 2 at a time, just to make sure I got all my colors in a row. I need to investigate the "leftovers" bag to see what I've got there. I know it'll be colorful, if nothing else. 

I will have to wait to re-start the Long Sands; probably a month, so the yarn gets a chance to relax. So I could pick up a shawl I have sitting around; I'm not about to frog that puppy - it's about 2/3 done and it would be nice to have it ready for the holidays. I know - thinking ahead for once! 

Monarchs...

So we're trying to control our milkweed population. We really went nuts the first year and had far too many plants; they almost took over the whole wildflower bed, which wasn't my intention. Gradually, over the last few years, we've pulled them out and kind of tried to have order among chaos. This year, what with my hip and all, we really have done nothing with the garden and it's looking rather pathetic. 

A drought doesn't help, just so you know. 

Anyway, I was sitting on the porch the other day and noticed a Monarch butterfly dancing among the few milkweeds we had. 

And we always have some stragglers in the yard; Hubby tries to pull them up or mow them down - and it's a constant battle. Well, Mama Monarch decides to lay her ONE EGG on the one plant in the lawn. 

Seriously. You can see the tiny speck she laid there. Hubby is NOT amused that I want to put a cage over the plant. I have been trying to establish a Monarch garden for a while, and we just haven't had any luck. This time, of course, she picks the worst place. 

You can't mess with Mother Nature, that's for sure. 

The Hip...

I don't know if this is true for others, but over the past two days, it's like a switch has flipped. I'm walking better with the cane, my appetite is back (which is a blessing and a curse...), and most all systems are back to normal. Except my bowels (yeah, TMI) have been a bit slow to recover. 

I'm being a renegade and stopping the iron pill. Those things always give me tummy trouble, and I don't need any help there. 

The PT is amazed at the change in my gait. We start to do the hard work on Monday; I had the evaluation and it was a lot of walking up and down so he could see how I did, and some measurements were taken. 

I'm still doing some of the home PT that I was given, as well as trying to walk more each day. 

Random Picture...

Memorializing my first post-surgery meal in the hospital, it was an egg salad sandwich, small salad and tea. Now mind you, I'd been having IV fluids, and at least 2 of those large styrofoam glasses of water. 

And yet I had to gag that sandwich down. I was hungry, but I honestly thought I'd choke on it because my throat was so dry. Perhaps I should've stuck to soup...

The hospital has an interesting set-up - you can call and order your meals anytime from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. - kind of like a concierge kitchen. My favorite sandwich is egg salad, though mine is more wet than they make theirs. 

At that point, beggars couldn't be choosers, I suppose. Anyway, it was food, it was tea and I was both hungry and under-caffeinated. So it worked. 

Not Ribbed For My Pleasure...

I really hate ribbing. I mean HATE it. Those 12 rows may as well be 1200 as far as I'm concerned. 

I hate ribbing as much as I hate the 4th of July weekend. As I type, there are boomers going off. One dog is in the kitchen, relatively clueless. The other is in the bathroom, somewhat heavily medicated, and will be even more medicated in about 2 hours or so, when it really gets nuts. 

Anyone blowing off illegal fireworks (I'm in Illinois - if you're not a professional and it's down the block from me, it's illegal) needs to be fined. Not only for blatantly breaking the law, but for being a bass-pole and a dirtbag who doesn't care about their fellow neighbors. 

It's not only the pets. It's the folks with PTSD. The people with sensory disorders. The veterans. The livestock (where I'm at, there's a fair bit of livestock). Go visit any of the 4 or 5 towns which are having lovely, FREE displays of fireworks. It's safer, you don't have to worry about drunks, and you get to keep your digits. And those are over by 9:45 or 10 p.m. 

Last night it was 1:30 or so and tonight it'll be even later. I expect these shenanigans to go on all week. 

I get upset because these are the same people who complain that their water bill is going higher, their garbage bill goes up, or whatever. I have no sympathy. None. You blew your wad on pyrotechnics that you shouldn't have had, and now you have no money? Tough bananas.

And the other thing? It's always the same people. It's always the house one block over and up, and one on the end of our block. The town knows this. They choose to do nothing. 

And -- we're in a drought. Yeah, it rained the other day. Not enough. So maybe we wait till the houses catch on fire? Sounds like a solid plan. 

The Knitting...

So the detested ribbing is done and I've completed the first row of the leg. This is the second sock of the Petty Harbour pair. My hand hurts, and I have learned to stop when it gets cranky. Otherwise, I'm off knitting for a while. 

This weekend (I'm already thinking of the weekend), I think I'll go ahead and frog the Long Sands Tee. I will have had my first outpatient PT appointment on Friday, so Lord knows how sore I'll be Saturday and Sunday. 

As far as I'm concerned, I'm going to try to stay monagamous to the socks till I have the pair done. I feel like I want to finish stuff. So Long Sands is going to have to be in time-out for a bit anyway till the knitted yarn relaxes, and till I can wind up a few of the hanks that haven't been caked yet. 

That gives me time to make a mis-matched pair of the blue striped socks, since I don't think I can lay my hands on the pattern of the one sock that's finished. I may (go ahead, get ready to laugh) do a 4x2 rib on the second one. I think the first sock is something like an 8x2 rib, but I can't find the notes, so I figure if I get it "close enough," nobody's going to mind. 

And I might start a trend. Not only of fraternal twins, but of "almost" the same patterns. Who says it might not be a new thing? 

The Hip...

Things are progressing. I am FREE of the TED hose! One week post-op, I showed the nurse the marks on my left thigh, just above the knee. She was not happy, because the skin was being compromised. We didn't want to risk an infection so she determined I was very low risk for blood clots and off they came!! 

My skin is lizard-like, and I can't get around to my left foot yet, so that's been interesting. I've also started to sleep on the incision side. I checked with the PT and the nurse and they said it wasn't going to hurt. The hip is in there; it ain't goin nowhere... It's more building up your mind that it's ok. And I'm a left-side sleeper, so there's that. Even if I stay there for 3-4 minutes, my MIND says, "OK, we can move to the other side now." It's all a game. 

Physical therapy is doing well, except I'm not having fun with the hip flexor stretches. Your hip flexors are the muscles right in the crease of your hip, so if you sit down and place your thumbs at the very top of your thighs, you're close. My left side got really jacked up with the hip injury, and I was walking very bent over. Well, that's gotta be stretched out. And it's not happy about that. 

I have my last day of in-home PT on Wednesday, and then I go to outpatient. I'm off all the pain meds, and I have been "let outside" on my walker, with a companion and a gait belt. I'm also using a cane in the house.

So that using a cane thing... Wowza. I was using TWO canes pre-surgery, just so I could take the weight off the bum leg. Now, though, I have to use ONE cane to just lightly support the now "remodeled" hip, and bear more weight on the left hip. It's a real mind-trick, and has been an interesting adjustment. 

The other exercises, I can do pretty easily, thanks to some pre-hab work I did and just an overwhelming urge to get this therapy behind me. 

But that walking with a cane does have me slightly wobbly. I can tell how far my balance has been affected, and how much work I have to do. 

I have been practicing my Tadasana (Mountain Pose), just to straighten up my posture and get that balance back. 

I have a helper. We have a massage table, which has been a blessing for the PT, as it's firmer than a bed, and easy to adjust. And recently, when Hubby was helping me do the exercises, Quinn hopped up on the couch next to me to help. I have to tell you, it was a nice relaxing treat. I didn't think she had it in her. She's always been a snuggler, but this was deliberate - she  came up to where I could reach her, put a paw on the table and moved so that I didn't have to reach too far. Hubby said that I actually relaxed my leg more as I was petting her, so I guess she's hired for my in-house therapy dog for as long as it takes me to get this hip back in order. 

The Reading...

So aside from having a problem with my Kindle, which I will explain, I am reading Evelyn Waugh's "The Loved One." It's the book upon which the movie was based, and the movie is as camp as it gets. 

I'm enjoying the book, which is a skinny little thing considering how long the movie is. 

The book is enough like the movie that I can follow it. I love the skewering that Waugh gives the whole Hollywood scene, and he does it so lightly and completely. 

I was able to borrow this book from Kid #1, and I have to admit, I'm getting the vibe I had when I took "As I Lay Dying" on a plane trip... this might not be a book which you'd want to take as a travel book, but then again -- maybe you would. It would certainly start a conversation. Or stop one. 

So, the Kindle problem. I love Agatha Christie. I have a bunch of her mysteries on my Kindle and I noticed that the last 3 of them which I purchased had a problem with the downloads. It wasn't just me, because looking at the reviews/comments, this problem seems to be pretty consistent. It's as if all the "Alt" characters: *%&$^#@)>< -- all of that stuff just appears randomly in the text, making the books impossible to read. 

I complained to Amazon, which may or may not accomplish anything, but it's annoying because I paid for the books, and I cannot read the books. 

I'm not sure if it's an off-shore place which is digitizing the books. But I can tell you that when I was working in publishing, I had several projects in which I had to clean up stuff like this. 

I'm hoping that there's some resolution. But I'm not holding my breath.

The Shed...

So everyone always asks, "how much do your dogs shed?"

Here's a PART of ONE side of Raisa. 

As you can see, she is NOT amused. She is one of the few dogs I have had who doesn't like to be brushed. She grumbles, but tolerates it. 

Even Quinn is shedding more this year. 

When I'm asked, I always say, "Twice a year, six months at a time." My mom grumbles about her dog's hair (a puggle) and I just laugh. 

As long as you keep on top of it, it's not all that horrible. I did have one husky who liked to be vacuumed, which isn't all that common, I can tell you. 

So this is the "summer shed." There'll be another in the fall when their winter coats come in. Don't even try to figure it out - it's just how it works. 

Random Picture...

Talk about a throw-back. This is River. She's my first red husky. She's long across the Rainbow Bridge, and this was when we had the "perfect pack" of River, Tippi & Quinn. Quinn was so attached to River. 

She came to us just after Topaz (my black & silver husky) died, and was a boon to our then-first elkhound Gracie, who went into extreme mourning after Topaz died - so much so that my neighbor thought that BOTH dogs had passed. 

River was a retired show dog. She would have been the dog I trained to be a therapy dog if I had the job flexibility. This was after she was diagnosed with glaucoma, and before she had Cushing's Disease. 

She was definitely the queen. She had a presence; even people who were afraid of big dogs were drawn to her. I miss her. 

Warrior's Drink...

I don't care how many stool softeners they give you. Warm prune juice. That is all. And as to the image, IYKYK...

This is wayyyyyyyyyyy too much TMI, but if you've ever been under general anaesthesia, you know it can wreak havoc with your stomach and your other systems. So not only are you foggy-brained, but you can't pee or poop for a while. 

So I had my hip replaced on Friday, June 23. I was truly pain-free for the first 24 hours post-surgery. There was no 16-penny nail hammering into my hip, there was no knee pain, nothing. Except my back hurt because I don't sleep on my back and I had to. The hospital bed allowed me to tilt my head up and I was able to bend my knees a bit by raising the base of the bed, so it wasn't miserable. And they were in and out all night checking on me, so there was that. 

I really liked the "leg massage devices" they used on my legs, and I wish I'd have had the option to take them home. The nurses said a lot of people object, but it's like -- it's to prevent a life-threatening clot. What's to object? 

I also came home with a "wound vac" which I wasn't expecting. It occasionally growls at me. But nothing is coming out, which is apparently a good thing. 

Thankfully, I had pooped (see, TMI) the morning before my surgery - one of the blessings of not having to be up at "rooster o'clock" for the procedure. Because I knew I would have all kinds of meds, I knew there would be some stool softeners. And - pain meds kill my appetite. They honestly don't do much for pain, and they make me want to vomit, which seems beside the point - so while I'm doing the minimum so I don't get caught up in the pain, I have been having the "I really don't want to eat" thing. And of course: nothing in, nothing out. 

Funny story: Part 1 -- I was up and walking with assistance 2 hours after I was out of recovery. They do not mess around. 

Part 2 -- I hadn't had any pain meds, and the nurse said "just take it, you will wish you had" and so I did. Anyway, I was up and going to the bathroom. They turned the sink on - that trick apparently works for potty-training kids, and adults with sleepy bladders. I peed, they said, "nope, there's more. Try again." So I did. And there was. I've never had my bladder take this long to wake up. 

Part 3 -- I was getting ready to be discharged (which did take forever, the only bad part) and not only did ALL MY PAIN RECEPTORS WAKE UP but so did my bladder. So it's "ouch, pee, ouch, pee, ouch, pee..." Luckily, I made it to the toilet in good time. 

Still no poop. I'd been faithfully taking my stool softeners, but like I said, not eating too much. I was feeling really queasy and was about to send Hubby out to get a laxative (which is what the home health nurse recommended, because you have to wake up your system). Instead, I had him warm up about 1 cup of prune juice. I prefer it warmed for the purpose I was planning. 

And...in the middle of his conference call, I stood up, and I said, "You need to help me" because we have a dog gate and he lifts the walker over it. He looked at me and said, "You're moving with a purpose." Yep. I was. 

Success. That is all. 

The Knitting...

Petty Harbour #1 is done. I finished it Thursday night and started #2. I'm at the ribbing already. I want to plow through, then frog Long Sands. And then start that one. And finish the other blue singleton. 

I'm still very much loving the yarn and I think that, while I've seen this pattern done in a variegated yarn, for me - a solid is the way to go. But also - nothing too dark. I find that the older I get, the less I like knitting with black or dark navy. Hard to see the stitches. 

This sock fits really well. I was a bit worried because it's smaller than I would usually knit. But when I tried it on, it was not too snug, and it had plenty of room in both the toes and the heel. 

I'm not even too bummed about the short leg. I think it's definitely the softness of the yarn, so I'm also hoping that it wears as well as it feels. 

It's always nice to see that your initial instinct for a colorway and pattern work out so well. I wasn't quite sure about this khaki color, but it has worked out just fine and I could see this in maybe a medium blue, or -- finally -- a purple, seeing as it's my favorite color and I have ZERO socks in that color. 

And I have a life-hack for you, my knitterly friends! You know Kitchener Stitch and that set-up row? Well. Eliminate the set-up row. Start right in with Row #1 and you won't get "ears" on your sock. Who knew?? 

I like Kitchener, though I know some folks don't. I prefer a star toe, though, because it does fit my feet better. I just massively dislike the ears I used to get on the Kitchener bind off. And I think a 3-needle bindoff for a sock is one step too fiddly. And for a sock knitter to worry about "fiddly" is saying something!

I think that #2 will work up pretty quickly. The pattern repeats on the leg are easily memorized and once you get the hang of it, the whole sock just kind of flows. And of course, it's the shorter leg. 

One of the other things I want to do is to try to do an "arch support" on the bottom of the instep. That's a pattern for another day, though. 

Random Picture...

This is Prairie Blazing Star. It should be blooming in my garden right about now, but since we had what we can kindly call a weird spring, and we're in a drought, I've got greens but no blossoms. Soon enough, I expect. Hubby said he saw a Monarch Butterfly on the milkweed, so I know that the native plants are making an impact. 

My Brown-Eyed Susans are also behind, as is the Bee Balm. I think Mother Nature is just taking her own time, as she should. I will have flowers eventually. 

What's growing in your garden this summer? Inquiring minds want to know!