Monday Monday

Monday was one of those days that seem funny later. Here's the story.

Appointment early afternoon with primary care doctor to get clearance for surgery. It was raining heavily when I left home, and I was halfway there, at a busy intersection, about to cross on a green light when a rusty old sedan screeched right across me, through his red light, then made a sudden corner, cutting another car off, and barreled away, missing me by maybe a couple of feet.

So far so good, and I proceeded, once I got breathing again, heading for the medical arts building. And found the regular entrance was suddenly closed for construction. So I found another entrance, no helpful signs or anything, usually used by people who work there, and wambled around finding a reasonably close parking spot. 

Got in, a bit early, and was shown into an examining room, was measured, and was sitting peacefully reading the Ladies Motorcycle Club when a shrieking beeping started up. While I was establishing it wasn't coming from my phone, two nurses rushed in: we had to evacuate, fire department, second floor smoke,  something.

So we were all herded out, at least I was dressed, some patients in gowns and funny hats, to wait in the pouring rain while fire trucks tried to get in by the narrow back way. Evidently smoke happened, possibly wiring. 

Helen hip wasn't too happy, what with cold wet weather and standing.  After quite a while, and two nice nurses trying to fit me under their umbrella designed for one, a fireman offered to let me wait nearer  the building, out of direct rain, and, noticing I was flagging, he and a techie brought out a couple of wheelchairs and set them up for another lady and me.

Eventually they let patients needing to get warm into one part of the building, where I dried out and warmed up a bit. After the fire folk had told us yet again  that they were still trying to find the source, maybe yet another half hour, I left a note for my doctor and went home. Driving through torrential rain all the way, a bit of planing might have happened.   And when I got home I dropped my keys in a puddle, gah.

Once in the house, in dry clothes and with a pot of tea I began to feel better. I'm now rescheduled for Thursday to my amazement, they must have done some juggling,  usually it's weeks, but this has to happen asap.   Checked the weather, no rain Thursday. No word about locusts, though .

It was too cold and wet and dispirited for taking pictures, but there were plenty of fire trucks and miscellaneous other vehicles all flashing and beeping along with the fire alarm, accompanied by flashing strobe lights all over the building. It was a dramatic scene, if you felt like it. Except for all the glum medics and patients standing around under little folding umbrellas, getting wet and cold.

So that was Monday. This evening is about reading under an afghan with chocolate cherries. That's the height of my current ambition.

Freecycle again, learning to dress, Knitting Ministry, and reading

 For people who missed my last explainer about free cycle

To start, you do a search on Freecycle.org to find your town to sign up. Choose a screen name, password, and you're in action. You can browse on the offers and want requests, and get the hang of how your own community does this. It's good to check what's been taken, too, for an idea of what's likely to go. Sometimes you can be surprised, too.

In other news, as part of my pre Helen-replacement prep, I started this morning learning to dress myself using the grabber. Because I don't want to ask handsome son for very personal assistance, this is a good thing to learn now. I will need his help with compression stockings, but that's not too personal.

And I'm currently listening to yet another Andy carpenter mystery while finally getting to the second glove, yarn courtesy of C. thank you.

His titles are great. The reader, Grover Gardner, does a nice job of sounding exactly the way I think Andy should, complete with timing on his jokes. 

And when I have to switch from knitting, I've started this on Kindle

I've liked other novels she's written, in the early quarter of the nineteen hundreds, around World War One and the aftermath. The characters, not visualizing there could ever be another world war, usually refer to it as the Great War.

She has quirky, daring women characters and is definitely worth a look.

Happy day everyone, try a new skill, or not, if you can't bear to learn one more thing.

Spring is starting to happen, weaving and Freecycle

Here's a wonderful spring happening, permission granted from photographer Kizzia Mildmay 

And after mentioning paper weaving using shredder strips, here are a few pieces I made using my shredded photographs 

Bathroom art!

Artist book covers awaiting assembly and pages.

And while I looked for the weavings, I came across paper to Freecycle 

Materials usually go over well. The tan papers are mulberry, and there are various tissues, tracing paper, nice card stock, index cards, drawings on artist made paper, a grab bag.

And there's quite a bit of artwork, drawing, embroideries, photo and fabric transfer, ink and wash, ink drawings, so we'll see if there's a taker 

Weekends are good for Freecycling because people are free and out and about.

So that's a change from medical bulletins and miserable billionaires.

Happy day everyone, even if you're just a hundredaire!

Tests, risers, and art

Friday was about the pre-admission testing, and Gary gave me a ride, figuring even though the hospital's just down the road, I'd be worn out. Which I was, and so happy not to have to drive home. Also he was right at the door, no need for me to hobble across the parking lot.

All the tests over two hours(!) showed I'm fine, good to know.

While I was there, Mike the contractor texted to say he wanted to do a test drive of the risers he created for the sofa. It has huge fat legs, nothing on the market would fit. 

So when I got home he tried them out, and had me test for height, much better, and will do the finish work then install them. 

So I had a pot of tea and some choc cherries, this is why I ordered them, pre-planning. And I'm so grateful I have a team.

And today I made this lovely discovery which I recommend you check out, if you love textiles, embroidery, protest, international collaboration, and determination. 

It's the Red Dress Project, brought to us by Marion of Marion's World.

Here's Kirstie MacLeod who created and directed the project over many years till its completion in 2023. 

Marion, herself a brilliant textile artist, interviewed Kirstie at a recent stitching show, for her YouTube channel. 

Some details of the stitching, from hundreds of stitchers of many nations, as it traveled the world to be worked on. Kirstie got funding to pay the stitchers, as well as the other expenses of shipping and travel -- courier shipped.

This is a great story of art and initiative and cooperation.  If you go to Marion's YouTube channel you'll also see links to the Red Dress website and Kirstie's website. 

It's just started the exhibiting phase, immediately in the UK -- Wales and Yorkshire, then other locations before going abroad. So look out for it.

It's worth following, so valuable.  It's made me remember my own embroidery on hold because of Helen, and I think I'm getting back the mojo to continue. 

Happy day everyone, find your mojo if it's hiding under the bed. 

And today's resistance, always resisting, no matter what, was a letter to the billionaire Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick. 

I demanded that he walk back his recent assertion that his 90+ year old mother wouldn't worry if her social security didn't arrive. He claimed anyone who did must be operating a fraud. I pointed out that I wouldn't worry either if my son were a billionaire! 

Anyway it landed and got an acknowledgement of sorts 

Phooey, Ted sez 

Shredding and Misfits

When Handsome Son took my car through inspection yesterday, he had to find the documents in the glove compartment. Insurance certificate and registration.

This is not one of the neater parts of my life. Each time I get an updated document I toss it into the bag of them in the glove c. So you have to sift through, squinting at the tiny dates to find the most recent, while the police officer who just stopped you sighs and shifts from foot to foot.

Anyway when HS son got home, he said oh, I did a bit of clearing up. And dumped a lot of old documents in the table. Not that his own car is a model of clean and neat, but I digress. What a reversal -- a son tidying up after a mom.

So a lengthy search for the shredder ensued, and I eventually realized that the thing I kept moving out of the way while I searched for it was um, the shredder.  Not too sharp right now.

My inner artist immediately went to oh, I can use these strips to weave something, while my inner tired person went to no, I don't think so.

Haleem arrived early today, so I missed the official arrival of the Misfits pink van.

You'll note the chocolate covered cherries hiding on the left,  vital nutrition. And tuna will feature in tuna salad,  also some pasta idea, beautiful brown eggs, shrimp which I haven't decided how to use yet. 

Cheese because it's a staple around here, strawberries and yogurt desserts, sliced bread to save energy just now and make good sandwiches. Coffee supplies just in time, and this time I ordered ground, not beans. Avocado oil which I seem to get through fast.

And I'm all set for some easy cooking. I can't remember the last time I shopped at a grocery store. That seems too strenuous.

And the last stage, as the fruit is resting in water a while 

Box broken down and tied with string, ready to recycle.

Happy day everyone, back to my exercises today, using hand weights and trying to remember what my scribbled exercise notes mean. 

Try to read your notes on life, it helps. As does a call like one I got from the doctor who ordered the parathyroid test telling me one reading is high but not after all an issue. Yay.

A day of rest, phew

Wednesday was another doctor, another bone density injection, another blood test, this time because of possible parathyroid issues.  Not urgent, I hear. Better not be I don't have the bandwidth right now.

Home to rest, and Handsome Son visited. I made a batch of okay not great sugar cookies in his honor. Not quite up to it, but HS had no trouble with them.

He certainly acted handsome -- took my car through State inspection, checked and fixed the tire pressures, recalibrated to stop the tire alert showing. Then he attached the walker tray, newly arrived, agreed to various future tasks around my recovery, and generally made me proud. What a guy. Really stepping up.

Happy day everyone, I feel lucky today.

Ted sez

PT, Textiles and Tea, questions

This morning Gary rushed in with an orchid he rescued from his daughter, ready to toss it, would I take it? Not a big fan of orchids, but I didn't want it tossed.

A morning tracery of shadows on the fence, and inside, here she is, with her friends and, outside, the first daffodil in bloom, always that one.

 This afternoon brought a physical therapy session, very helpful, though not easy, and more useful suggestions about prep for the house and me for after the surgery. And how to resume post surgery therapy with Emil, which I would like to do rather than any other PT.

The exertion is the reason I fell asleep during Textiles and Tea, with Jon Riis, a wonderful tapestry artist who uses metallic threads and Swarovski crystals in his enormous works, some 5x10 feet.

He has spent time in India and China, and some of his slides are of Indian woven old and modern textiles, largely sari lengths.

The slide showing links is for cut and paste, because it's a picture of links rather than actual live links.

This was a great presentation, and the links are about works of his in museums.

I was interrupted in the middle, aside from falling asleep, by a questionnaire from the surgeon about how I'm doing.  Everything from mood to self care and movement ability.  No stone unturned.

Happy day, everyone, from a tired Boud doing all sorts of arrangements at once, it seems. Now I know why I'm tired -- turns out it's a symptom of my current situation. Doh!

Try to be wiser than your humble scribe. I don't think it will be hard!