APOLOGIES

To anyone who reads this blog I offer an apology.  I have been remiss in posting. Due to some unfortunate family dynamics I must take a break from posting. I’m not sure when I shall be back to talking about our lives out here on the Palouse. But perhaps one could check back occasionally to see if I have been able to overcome the stress & anxiety in my life.

July 10

 HOT, HOT, HOTTER

OUR part of the earth is experiencing terrible heat and everything is suffering.  The hubs & I are up camping; yes, indeedy! but one can’t predict the weather when one makes reservations in February.

We had to go home one day to make sure gardens & chickens were OK.  The #2 GS & my DD also helped us keep things going, but the heat is so bad I’m not sure there’ll be any crops.  The most to be thankful for is no chickens will expire (hopefully).

I must apologize for no recent entries; health & other issues have been taking up my time & energies.  When one has too many items on one’s plate it can be overwhelming.  But, I’m trying to be positive & get back to my old routines.

That’s all for now; more after camping & hopefully better news.

May 4, 2024

 

("May the fourth be with you!")  I couldn't pass it up.

Just working to get back to "normal"; doing a bit of gardening, a bit of crafting and a bit of surviving.  Oh to have the energy of youth again, but since that is not going to happen, one just has to keep on keeping on!

April 11, 2024

I've been absent for a bit - total knee replacement - NOT a good time at all !!!!!  But, I'm finally on the road to recovery.  Unfortunately, my heart condition and the meds I take for it slow down the healing process.  I'm doing my best to get the PT done at home and away so I can get back to normal as soon as is possible.  I found out today from my PT guy that I'd been pushing too hard and that is why my knee keeps swelling and why I have some pain behind it, too.  OK, so ease off a bit, but don't give up.  it is hard.

 

February 22, 2024

 

And we're into another false spring, lol.  Yesterday it was 56 and today the sun is shining so beautifully.  But I'm not lulled into thinking it'll stay; in fact the weather forecast for next week is down to freezing and below again, plus perhaps a bit more snow.  

I am, however, getting my order in for a bit more seed-specifically onions as I'm out-for the garden.  I've ordered potatoes for myself and the DD, too.  Otherwise it looks like there'll be plenty of seed.  I also noted that we need more green beans this year, so there'll be more planted than last year.  I'm going to have to size down a bit as I'm not sure how well I'll be doing by gardening time.  

The new knee is a GO!  It'll be March 1, 2024.  I've one week to get things ready for the mister to be able to handle things by himself - egad! I'll have to eat his cooking, so I'd better have some things that are relatively easy to fix, LOL.

I finished one more Comfort Quilt (aka the old CASA quilts).  I've no more tops put together so I'll be working on them as soon as I can sew again.  It's going to be naught but handwork for a bit, though.

February 1, 2024

 One false spring down, who knows how many to go.  I hope not too many living things get fooled.  

Well, I'm in the pipeline to get the new knee; just "jumping through all the hoops".  I've to get clearance from primary care provider, from cardiologist and from dentist; it's quite a list of things one needs to do before one goes in for "torture".  I've been told knees are a lot more painful than hips, but I think I'm "up for it" as I am getting really tired of not being able to walk.

Looking longingly at garden catalogues, whether digital or analogue; but not sure how the knee situation will affect the gardening this year. The not-so-cold (at times) winter has fooled some of my stored potatoes into starting to sprout, so we're eating lots of potato dishes.  In addition I've had to cook most of my squashes as they have developed mold spots-and that's a lot of squash as these are 'big boys'.  Well, for certain, our diet may be somewhat boring, but it's healthy!

'Craftually' I've been working on a hoodie for msH, some socks, a knitted throw, some quilts, and some spinning.  I spread it out over the week so I've time to work on all my loves and get the house in order, too.  As one ages, it takes longer to do the necessary homemaking, simply because one gets tired more easily and must rest between jobs.

January 25, 2024

 

IT'S MELTING - HALLELUJAH!

Thank heavens we're getting unlocked from the snow and that awful cold.  I'm just getting too old for really cold weather anymore - but still, I'm NOT going to advocate for "snowbirding".  One lives where one lives and does not go gallivanting all over the country.  

Busy around here just living right now; BUT the mister is back to work and doing so much better after his life altering experience, lol.  Learned a lesson he did and is just a bit more judicious about how he does things.

Well, I'm up for a knee replacement as soon as all of the medical things are worked out.  I have to get passes from the cardiologist, from my primary care physician and from the anesthesiologist who will assist the orthopedic surgeon.  We're working on all of that now and will see when we get to have this excitement in our lives.  I know that this is way different from the hip replacement; for one thing it is WAY MORE painful and takes longer time to get back to one's "normal" activities.  But, I'm more than willing to work on it as the pain & discomfort that it causes to my life now is too overwhelming to let it continue.

The grands bought a house; msH likes her new home and her folks are over the moon to have their own place.  I hope they are able to handle the high cost of owning a home now-a-days and have all success with this stage of their lives.

The #2 grand is continuing his education via on-line college courses.  We encourage him to gain as much as he can for his future.  

Other than that things are just going along as one might expect; wake up, "do" the day and try to enjoy all of it.

January 3, 2024

                                                    (picture just for art)             

The new year is on its way.  

I'm attempting to go with the flow and do that which needs to be done, but not over-do myself.  

I find that "oldness" and the rotten heart are slowing me down, but I'll be dam*** if I'm going to stop doing that which I want.  

It'll just have to be slower, LOL.

December 29, 2023

 

Almost the new year of 2024; am hoping it's an improvement on this one!

We had a nice holiday with our family and are now just getting ready for the mister to go back to work after the school holiday break.  More planning and such in the que, too.

I'm busy trying to work out schedules that take into account my health issues, but do not interfere with that which I wish to accomplish.  I'm determined to use my stash of crafting supplies and save the money that will generate to pay off the bills from the accident that insurance will not pay.

We're upbeat and determined to progress with our lives in our new paradigm!

DECEMBER 12, 2023

 

It's taking me some time to be able to get my life back on some kind of "normal" track-of course I don't think it'll be anything but a new 'normal', LOL.

The mister is now graduated to a cane at most times and even some walking around the house on his own power.  But there's going to be a long road back to his strength.  He's working hard at getting back to his 'normal'.  But as you are already asking "will he be going back to motorcycles?"  And the answer is a resounding NO!  He still wanted to, make no mistake, I told him that it'd be 'a cold day in Hell' before that was going to happen! 'You can get yourself a new side-by-side so you'll have a toy to go out with your buddies, but no more motorcycles".  And finally, after he found how hard it's getting back to his own strength and agility, he has reluctantly agreed that it will be that way.

So, he took the money that the insurance paid for the motorcycle and bought himself a 2024 Polaris Ranger 1000-with all the 'bells and whistles'.  He'll have a good time with the boys-once he's able to go out again.  

Well, the weather here has been all over the place; climate change is throwing us all for a loop.  And there's not much we can do but roll with the punches.  It's hard for us short-lived human 'bumbles' to get used to the fact that our earth has no need for out timetable and will do that which she'll do whether we like it or not.  I just tried to ready the gardens & orchard as best I could for the winter season-we shall see what success I had when spring comes 'round.

Now we're getting ready for our little family Christmas season.  It's just not the same since we can no longer go to the folks for a celebration (not that we were able to go very often in the past), but I do miss being able to see them and have such fond memories of the old family holidays. And I've not had much time to get the traditional holiday treats & such this year.  I DID get my version of mom's fruitcake made in time for it to age with the brandy until Christmas.  I exchange all that icky candied fruitcake nonsense for actual dried fruit that I've dried myself, but for the raisins-I have to but those. Everyone who has ever had it says it's the best and they can actually eat it and like it.

We do have a few decorations up and the DD got us a real tree-I actually considered getting an artificial tree (horrors) this year as I just did not have the energy to go and cut one at one of the local nurseries.  She just told me 'mom, you can't have a fake tree!', so brought us one that she got at a local fundraiser site here in our communities.  They always have very nice trees and it was not bank breaking either, I guess.  So I put it up and got lights on it, am now putting on some ornaments a bit at a time.  I also go out my Christmas teapot collection and put up the Nativity scene-it's the way I was reared and I like the one I have as my daughter got the figures and painted them when she was much younger.

I've also been doing a bit of crafting; getting in some knitting, crochet, quilting and a bit of spinning.  I'm also adding a bit of embroidery as I found in the "stash" some nice stitching patterns that are simple, but look very nice.  I'm making some tea towels.  Old fashion, I know, but then that's me: OLD FASHION.

Ok, enough for now: I must finish the supper prep as tonight is a dancing night for the Great-grand and I like to have supper ready to go when I get home from that adventure.

Have a wonderful holiday for whatever reason that there is to celebrate!