Updates and more updates

Jewelweed, an unexpected treasure at the roadside. Life has quite a few of these, one way and another.


Several people have asked how things are with HP, and I have to say, not very good.

He has started to develop the typical problems of paralyzed patients -- pressure sores, allowed to be sitting in the wheelchair only briefly now, not all day as he could before, need to be turned and rearranged in bed frequently. Lucidity fading as the day wears on.

A lot of physical needs, a lot of support from medical people, including the saintly TH, the occupational therapist who knows who she is, and kept my mind in one piece this afternoon, with intelligent and sympathetic listening and advice. Her advice to be careful about throwing money into service that may or may not be helpful was worth anything. As was her demo of how to reposition HP in the bed safely. And her encouragement to, despite all, have a life.

And wonderful HS who showed up last night, after we had a terrible day, with a trip to the wine store for a bottle of white wine, knowing I love one glass a day and had not been able to shop recently! sometimes that little glass of wine is huge, in importance, I mean. Not an outsize glass. And the willingness of an HS who is coming home late after a long day at work, finds a message on his voicemail, turns around and shops for his aged mom! what a prince.

Updates on other fronts: I have succeeded, on the spinning front, in totally chewing up a length of starter yarn, and breaking several pieces of fleece, having got all cocky about spinning about six inches of yarn, then the spindle suddenly took over, spun backwards and got me all confused! this is so fun, though, because IT DOESN'T MATTER! it's just a fun lovely thing to do, to connect with people back through centuries, long before the wheel was invented for spinning.

And I don't need to make a living at it, a blessing in itself, since the original spinsters were unmarried women who paid their room and board in the family with endless work at the wheel or drop spindle, as the case may be.

And sooner or later I will enter their hallowed numbers, of accomplished spinners, that is. Meanwhile the lovely brown fleece (haven't ventured on the snow white fleece yet, since I know it will be dark brown before I finish with it, poor thing), is so good to handle, just lively and friendly and soft. Exactly like a new pet!

My big ambition is to spin the current supply and make a knitted animal from it! talk about an endless circle....

So the mantra remains, a bit ragged and torn itself at the moment: what was good about each day, what can't be helped, what might be better tomorrow, and who are your real friends who come through.