The patio Sunday morning after days of rain and cold.
Whatever is in the hanging pot planted itself, probably an exciting weed, but I'll wait before I pull it in case it's left over from last year's flowers.
K and I visited Gary, and found he's doing better, few more days to be sure before they let him leave. He was no longer on oxygen, and he's being cared for very well. So that feels better to everyone.
I'm happy I made myself go, pushing through fear of hospitals, anxiety about visiting, reminding myself visiting the sick is one of the corporal works of mercy I'm supposed to live by. And it was fine.
While we were there, he needed a blood draw, so I left briefly, can't deal. When the technician left he said, okay, safe to go in now!
And the email newsletter from the convent of whose knitting ministry I'm a member at large came out today. The gloves and socks are what you saw here first.
Happy day, everyone! Push through, it's often okay.
Good job on the visiting. and I did not know the sisters had the knitting ministry, that's wonderful!
ReplyDeleteYes, they hand over all the output to the county group who take a care van regularly out to street people, with medical supplies, food, clothing.
DeleteWhew! So glad that Gary has a good prognosis, and glad the docs/nurses are keeping a close eye on him. Also glad that Billie-the-Pup is in good hands during his absence.
ReplyDeleteThanks (Not!) for introducing me to We Rate Dogs. Too much on my plate at the moment (spring, garden, senior dog, three baby screech owls - hatched the last couple of days) but the WRD videos sucked me in.
Those gloves and socks do look awfully familiar. Good work - and good work pushing yourself out of your comfort zone to visit Gary.
Chris from Boise
The WeRateDogs guy is the best! One of the few accounts I follow on Twitter.
DeleteI hope your visit to said Gary made him feel good. If you are in longer term care, visits would be very welcome to break up your normal day. To have nuns there is interesting. Our Catholic based hospitals had many nuns as staff but as far as I know, they have all gone. I doubt we even have many nuns nowadays.
ReplyDeleteThere aren't any nuns at the hospital. The ones I referred to are far north of here in their convent. Different topic! But I can see how you could have joined them as you read.
DeleteI am glad to hear Gary is on the mend. I don't blame you for leaving the room. I can take blood, dress a wound, give an injection and the myriad of other things nurses do but if I am not doing it I can't watch!
ReplyDeleteStitching is such a mindful craft I am not surprised it is being used to enhance mental health awareness. Walking, handcrafts and gardening. I need to take a dose of my own medicine.
It's encouraging to hear a former nurse not being surprised at my squeamishness. I have to look away for my own bloodwork. I don't get faint, but I can't watch.
DeleteYes, do your pinloom! I made a square last night, to get calm, and it worked.
I look forward to seeing what that is in the hanging pot. You do good works (and work, too) but I’m focused on the kindnesses today. I love your final words “it’s often okay.” That goes down much easier than “It will all be OK.”
ReplyDeleteYes, I don't think everything will be okay is realistic. Most of us have experienced stuff that isn't. Nice words from you, thank you.
DeleteLovely work with the Knitting Ministry - what a splendid idea.
ReplyDeleteIt saved my sanity during the isolation of covid, when my life shut down. I was able to be connected and useful, and I was so grateful that sister M. welcomed me, as their lone sock knitter.
DeleteVisiting the sick, unfortunately, often means getting sick.
ReplyDeleteI hope not! I have medical appointments of my own this week, long awaited.
DeleteI hate hospitals and when our daughter was admitted recently, it was tough to handle. Mission accomplished though. I hope it’s easier next time. You did well, Boud!
ReplyDeleteThey're not my environment of choice, largely because most of my experience has been emergencies with handsome partner.
DeleteThat was a mission of mercy to go see Gary and I'm sure he appreciated it.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing your needlework in that photo. Such a good and simple way to get people involved in helping others and such a direct way to do it.
My plant snap app says that your plant is Persicaria which is indeed a weed. It could be wrong.
I bet your plant app is right! It's looking more and more like a weed.
DeletePhew! Looks like Gary will be ok.
ReplyDeleteYes, as long as we can dissuade him from continuing to paint the ceiling, which he's in the middle of.
DeleteGlad Gary's doing better! I'm sure he enjoyed your visit!
ReplyDeleteHe looked pretty good when we left.
DeleteVery glad to hear that Gary is doing well. Now to just keep him still long enough to recover, which from what I've heard about him could be a huge undertaking.
ReplyDeleteYes to that! It would be a first.
DeleteThe gloves, socks and hat look fun.
ReplyDeletePeople do make interesting items. May as well.
DeleteHurrah for Gary! They need to keep him just to make him slow down for a minute. I have seen those socks and gloves somewhere......and everything may be ok.
ReplyDeleteWe should drop a note to his thoracic specialist to thank him from all of us, for keeping him attached to various equipment for a few days.
DeleteVisiting a sick person at the hospital is a great act of kindness. Well done, about Gary, Boud!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I do think it's a basic human act though.
DeleteGood to know Gary is stable and getting better. You are kind to visit. I'm very interested in the embroidery for mental health project. I wonder if any boys/men have taken part.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they said. The quotations I saw seemed to be from girls.
DeleteI don’t like hospitals either and always have a mini panic attack. But like you I push through and visit.
ReplyDeleteGlad Gary is doing well.
Any crafting is good for mental health. I think it should be taught in schools as a way of coping with anxiety and depression. I’m sure there would be lots of people who would happily volunteer to teach different crafts to the students. So it wouldn’t even cost the school any money at all
There's a reason they teach simple weaving in rehab hospital!
DeleteHooray for Gary, getting better, and how nice you are in the newsletter.
ReplyDeleteThey're very good at keeping people encouraged! I also got emails from two sisters.
DeleteWe have lots of pots like that and indeed in the garden beds where something grows and I ask myself: did I plant that last year or is it an unwelcome visitor?
ReplyDeleteJust catching up on Gary news. Hope he's soon back up and about. well done you for facing the fear. And I would have left for the blood-taking. I would prefer not to be in the room for my own blood-taking, let alone someone else's!
That cake looks really good too.
I pulled the plant or weed, because Mary's plant id app is good. It did look like a lot of plants in the trees out there. I'll pass on the good wishes when I see Gary.
Delete