Thankfully relaxed.

 1. This was my very first day off, that the caregiver was there. I didn't call, I didn't check in. I left a note about some things, and reminded my parents that in a pinch they could call. I slept in, and took it easy today. 

2. In fact, Husband and I went to visit a friend. Since I hadn't had time to go, we had not visited him in a few months. Phone calls, but no personal visit. He can no longer drive, and is slowing down, so we wanted to make sure and let him know we were still about. A nice visit, and Husband and I snuck over to a restaurant for lunch/dinner. 

3. I am getting a few tomatoes, and so I take them to Mom. A little kid with candy isn't as tickled as she is! 

4. I lost my flock rooster recently. I was saddened to not hear him crow... But one of the girls has taken it upon herself to step in. She flaps her wings rapidly, then I hear "cockle-dooo!" I guess she speaks rooster with an accent.  ;)

5. Except for my silly knee, I have felt much better. Some changes, physical and a little mental. The last doctor visit told me I was generally on the right track. Now if I can just convince the knee to get with the program...

6. Husband has removed the fence from our backyard, and mowed so it's even up to the tree line. The wildlife loves it! Deer and turkeys are around a lot, kitty type cats, and surprisingly, lots of small birds are showing up. 

7. He also took and removed the fence and some equipment by my pod, which has big windows. I have a wonderful clear view up our hill. 

8. We have had bad smoke levels here, but I found my N95 mask, so watering isn't clogging me up. I don't have a great lot to do outside, otherwise, so I have faired pretty well so far. 

9. I made some bread the other day. I use a bread machine, and hit the wrong button. I realized I had, and re-started it. I meant for it to continue from where it was, but it went to the beginning. I was very worried I would have bread the consistency of a wood slab, but it came out great. I have no clue why, but am very happy it did! 

10. I didn't get a chance to try the crisp recipe. (I think I would call it a crumble, myself, but that's the name on the recipe.) I did make my minestrone, and it was highly approved! 

You enjoy your Thankfuls, please!! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Aaaaaahhhh... Thankfuls.

 1. I was able to have my first day off in several months. We finally have a caregiver, she comes in on Friday to care for my Mom. My parents think she's wonderful, and she has the skills to work with my Mom's problems. And the company she works for, after a bumpy start, figured out what I need, and DID IT!! Yaaay!!!

2. And now, with at least one day a week available, I will be able to catch up on some medical "stuff" of my own. Nothing serious, but I want to KEEP it that way!

3. It might sound silly, but I enjoyed my day off... By dusting, and a load of laundry. Laundry because I was out of towels, and dusting because I could grow crops in the ding-dong dust on the furniture. Ick. When you have dust allergies, this is important. So after cleaning and a bit of sneezing, I have a pretty well dusted place.  :)

4. I have been getting some tomatoes, Mom is adoring snack time! 

5. I will be getting zucchini, and crookneck. Along with some other things from the cupboard, I want to make some minestrone soup. I love making dinner from the garden. :)

6. My husband is getting pretty good at cooking. I have to check my recipes, however. I wrote them for myself. The poor guy kept having problems with one of the dishes being dry. Turns out I wrote "one large can of tomatoes". Um. The large can was a 28 ounce one that is no longer made, so I use two of a standard 16 ounce can. When I realized the problem, we were both happy with the result! 

7. We had saved for some time, and this was our season of house updates. I was happy Husband didn't need to do a bunch of climbing and roof work, he did do a little digging for one job. But the lion's share was taken care of, and Husband was the eagle eye on everything, rather than needing to do all the work. 

8. Ding has been wanting to sleep on my leg, which turned out to be good, her warmth eases the soreness in my knee. Good kitty!!! 

9. Blackberries are coming on, and I want to try a dessert, a "crisp" is what the name is, basically berries in a bit of cornstarch and sugar, with a cap of oats, sugar and butter, etc., and baked something like a pie. I look forward to seeing the results! 

10. My friend surprised me the other day with cookies as a belated birthday present. :)

Enjoy your thankfuls, one and all! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Happy Thankfuls to me!🎶🎵

 1. Lots of spins around the sun, just finished my latest one! Considering the past, happy to be what it is...

2. I finally remembered where my sickle was, Husband sharpened it, and I have been cleaning my garden out bit by bit. There was lawn grass higher than some of the tomatoes, so it was in desperate need!

3. Caregiver was by, and will be the long term one with any luck. She is a go getter, has a background with disability, and most importantly, Mom and Dad LIKE her. Now if I can just convince the company how much time I need her there. Sigh. But, it's getting closer. 

4. 

Can't say getting up way early is my favorite, but it's worth it when I get to see this. 

5. I also see deer, little birds, turkeys, and the kitty we refer to as Traveling Cat. He is the neighbors, but we see him checking out our barn regularly. All generally in the early morning. 

6. There has been some smoke from the wildfires around, but not terrible, I sneeze and get drippy nose a lot, but much better than sometimes. 

7.  Ding has been happy when I am home. I sit down, put a throw on my lap, and bingo, one kitty appears, ready to curl up and take a nap.  Why, look, here she is now!  :)

8. Having given myself a limit on news, I am feeling a lot less stressed. I read the paper, and ONE nightly news. Haven't been doing much online, except when I want a little more information, but that's been only about twice. I am not feeling deprived of info, or like I playing ostrich. I just needed to tone it down a bit... 

9. Husband procured the bits and pieces to make my favorite birthday dinner. I told him is was the best he'd done since last year! Hee hee!!! 

10. I have been able to write some in my journal. This has been an easier, and less painful week for me. While I wish I could fix things to be all perfect... I am learning how to work with what I have, mostly, and am trying to improve what I can. 

What, ho! The new week approacheth! We are thankful!! 

(Yeah, I know, I am NOT a Shakespeare. Meh.)

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Scattered, but still here thankfuls.

 1. Have finally gotten my brain around *most* of the quirks of the phone. Still mess up deleting things, habits... The old phone had the delete on the top. This one is on the bottom. Meh. And I finally found "dark mode", where I can read things with a black background and white letters. Much nicer in the evening! 

2. My garden is still a mess, but I'm slowly getting things cleaned out, mowed, chopped, or whatever. And Husband is making my mini beds, and repairing the big ones, as my birthday present!   :D

3. Had my first 3 tomatoes. (Red pear type). Mom loved them! 

4. Heard from my friend. Was very concerned, she's...  Well, I sent her a birthday card, and she told me her 97th was very nice!!  (Wow!)

5. Much grumbling from me, but after encouragement from Husband and Doctor, I am doing PT exercises again. I do NOT understand why doing more work with my legs and knees makes them feel better. But, it does. Dang, it's annoying when they are right.   ;)

6. We needed to get our air for the house replaced. According to Husband, not a moment too soon, the machine was starting to leak and break down. So very thankful we had the funds specifically put back for that, and friends that had expertise in the area, to direct us to a good company. 

7. Most of the hay is up and put away, so my hay fever is receding, slowly... Blurble. Snif. 

8. Ding is really happy with her water fountain. Yay! Not so much the crochet mouse I made her, but you can't win 'em all, I guess. 

9. We have lots of birds showing up at the feeder, and at 4:30-5 am, I go out to water, they make LOTS of noise! Neat to hear. 

10. Things, while still hard, are a bit less chaotic, and we are getting a handle on, well... Most of it, anyway. 

Enjoy your week, go forth and be thankful! :)

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Testing, testing, thankfuls.

1. Intensely thankful that I am getting the hang of the new phone. Only accidentally hung up on one person so far. I was able to print a file from the phone, too. There's hope yet!

2. Didn't realize how bad my other phone was getting. I would charge it to full, and needed to charge again more than once during the day. So far, I can go pretty much the whole day with out needing to charge.

3. Had my doctor's appointment, all is well (!!!), except one knee that doesn't like me very much. Ah, that good old physical therapy paperwork will come in handy, that way I can work on it, but not have to go somewhere, thereby throwing in one more "to do" on the list... Erk.

4. There was a irksome, noisy, and vocal "bird" out by my garden. Could NOT figure out where it was, or why it was such a grating sound. I finally narrowed it down to our pole barn. Told Husband. He went out and checked. The "bird" was an alarm on one of his pieces of work equipment, with a battery going out. It is now quiet, and I now know it's not a bird! 

5. I knew I was going to be busy, so I took some extra time to water, and I checked a few of my trees. Ended up watering them as well. I relaxed in the garden, and read a little, and was able to just wind down some, for a change, all too rare of late.

6. Our overhead fan died. The weather is turning hot (for here), so Husband decided that repair was vital. But neither of us really cared about the lights on the bottom, which we jokingly heard called a Fandolier. The lights were foo-foo stick out dust collecters, and really didn't light the area well. (Other than that, they were fine, tee hee...) We had a lovely glass fixture, and pretty soon, the wheels in Husband's brain engaged his fingers, and he repaired the fan, and now we have a bright new to us light, that even in the sunlight was lighting the area. And! It's easy to dust!!

7. There's been a hiccup or two, but I think the caregivers will work out. There is one that Mom and Dad especially liked, and she had care training for the problems Mom has, so I am crossing my fingers that we can have her as our regular caregiver! 

8. I have been trying to really stop... I think the term is "doom scrolling" on the internet, but I am including tv, as well. With ditching almost all the more aggressive apps I had on my old phone, dropping my news watching to maybe once a night, on one channel... I have been feeling better. Not so wound up. I still get news, and absolutely get weather info, but it's not a fire hose at my face all the time! I haven't even been checking my phone much, except for new books on my Kindle... 

9. I mowed all of my garden, except for an area in the back that has become too tall. That area is small and hidden, so, right now, my garden is okay. Desperately need to remove more blasted grass from the raised beds, but I am making a slow but sure dent in things. The plants appreciate the sun, having weeded some and mowed! 

10. And I am most thankful for my blog friends, IRL friends, and family, who reach out and say hi, or check on me, I appreciate all of you!!!

Have a great and thankful week! :)

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Uh, Hi! Yes, I am still thankful...

 Er. Yeah. Fair amount going on, and I flat out didn't get my thankfuls up.

So. With out further ado:

1. I was having BIG problems with my phone. Like, it would ring, I would answer, and the phone would shut completely off. This is not good when I am taking care of my parent's calls as well as my own. 

Husband said, wait a minute. He went in the back, dug around, and came up with a replacement. His Dad had a phone that was nearly new, before he died. We cleared it to factory settings, and now I have a phone that works!!

2. I also found that having a "new" phone, I am getting a lot more choosey on what is migrating from the old phone to the new one. I moved my book app, one to listen to my music, and podcasts. But not much else. I found I am not checking it as often, and I don't really have time for a lot, so, meh. I can find it if I need it, but I am finding I am enjoying NOT having the extra. 

3. I finally have a caregiver for Friday, through a company. They are okay so far. In fact, one of the caregivers really clicked with my parents, and she liked them, too, and sounded like she would like to be there for the shift. Yay, I hope! 

4. Husband decided to take down our back field fence. We no longer have animals, and it was getting weeds and invasives on the fence line. So, out came the fence, heavy mowing and cleaning. Now we have a looong backyard, and the deer and turkeys are enjoying the long straight stretch with no obstacles.

5. I will be going to the doctor this week... After a delay of several months. I don't want to lose this doctor, and I want to make sure all the "me" is okay!

6. My tomatoes are getting big and fruit is starting to come on.  :)

7. Two deer are hanging out at our place,but I have seen no evidence of them trying to get in my garden! Yaaay!!

8. I went out to water the garden, and one of the deer was eating leaves off our apple tree. I was still, it was still. Just a nice, quiet moment. I must not have been too scary, I started walking again, and it decided to grab another big mouth full before taking off up the hill...

9. I am starting to write in my journal again. I use it to blow off steam, occasionally plan, think about things... A much more private item than my blog, I guess. But the writing helps. 

10. Ding is in love! ;)  I bought her a fountain, and now that's all she wants to drink from. In fact, we have to keep an eye on it, she will drink it down quick! 

Enjoy your week, keep being thankful! 

:)

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Thankful everyone even in hot weather.

 1. I am getting up early to take care of the garden. (5 to 5:30). I am enjoying the quiet and the COOL. Today was 92*f/33*c last check, and I would not have lasted long in the afternoon, after helping Mom and Dad! I am planning on getting up a bit earlier, to get chores finished, since I have a limited time in the morning. Sleep can happen in the afternoon... Heh.

2. Being awakened is not normally a thankful. But this sort of was... We have a beeper to let us know if someone drives up. Beep, that's it. 

Until last night.

Husband was setting up the outside light, and we unplugged the beeper. That evening, plugged it back in, went to bed, thought nothing more about it. 

11:34 at night, I started hearing Jingle Bells! Not just once, but over and over, so much it was harmonizing with itself. I woke Husband, and we sprinted to the living room. 

Our beeper had managed to reprogram itself, hence Jingle Bells. But what was making it go off? 

A young deer walking in front of the sensor. No red nose, though. We turned off the beeper for the night, as said deer looked very happy to lunch on leaves by the sensor. 

So why is it a thankful?

I actually started laughing at the ridiculous situation, and what had triggered Christmas music... And I have a funny story to share!

(We are however, going to reset it tonight!)

3. Dad is learning how to help Mom. I have been trying to give him pointers, but let him actually DO the work. He was feeling like a useless bit, and I think it's helping them both. Helps me some because I don't have to do quite as much. He's still learning, but I didn't learn it in a day, either.

4. I found two items that I had misplaced, and while they were not irreplaceable, (a feather duster and a pair of gardening gloves), they were items I use a lot and didn't want to lose!

5. My garden is starting to have blossoms! Not everything, but enough to have hope... 

6. I am almost finished knitting a square for a prototype. It even came out the right size, so I don't have to re-knit it! 2 more to go. 

7. It was beastly hot when I came home for lunch, so I decided to do some decluttering.

 It's nice to see the table again... 

8. Husband cut down a huge patch of Teasels that  had cropped up by the garden. I was trying to work out how to get them down. He chopped them down zip zip. Believe me, that one is a BIG thankful, Teasels are obnoxious! 

9. I found a few of Ding's favorite toy mice. I am glad I figured out where she batted them, and I am sure SHE was thankful! 

10. The neighbors are haying. Surprisingly, the noise they make is relaxing to me, which is good, because they tend to go late into the night! So I can be thankful for that.

Okay, all of you enjoy your week, stay thankful and enjoy!! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Little thankfuls, anyway...

1. Our trees are all leafed out and beautiful.

2. I think all of my garden is in, and Husband is not going to need to help me with much, except an adjustment on the bean poles. 

3. Started the work on respite care. It's been very... Um. Unique, working on getting both parents on board, getting a company that covers what's needed, and finally THEN we will see a real person, and see how my parents click with them. 

4. Husband made a lamp mostly from parts he already had, or traded into. Some machine work, and we have a light in front of our house that has attracted the (good) attention of the neighbors. And we can now see at night if it's a dog, a deer, a whatever, when we look out on our driveway. 

5. I have a new rose bush, it doesn't have a lot of odor, but it has stunning red, almost burgundy color roses.

6. Several of my friends are checking on me. I have been sort of tied up in my own "stuff", they've reminded me that life is still going on. 

7. I bought myself some bracelets, and a ring. Unfortunately, the ring is not the size I ordered. But I decided I don't care, it still fits a larger finger. And I am lazy. I think it looks lovely, so... It's mine. 

8. We aren't keeping the place Martha Stewart spiffy, but between Husband and my efforts, things aren't falling apart at either house. 

9. I am still okay, for the most part. Not 100%, but acceptable. 

10. Husband and Ding seem to be doing well, too.

So, that's 10, folks! Enjoy your week, and keep it thankful!  :)

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Yarny thankfuls, with some pics.

 1. A friend gave me some yarn, cotton, which I rarely use. And it's day glow orange, and safety yellow. I am not a yarn snob, especially if it is free, so, meh, I'll take it.

Hmm. But what am I going to DO with this stuff? 

Then I learned to basically espalier my tomatoes. Most of the people were using plastic ties. I didn't want to do that for a couple reasons. Wind here tends to be pretty hard on the plants, and I could just see the plastic edge cutting through the branches. Also, I am enough hippie that I really try to avoid plastic if I can. Again, hmm. 

Then I dug out the cotton yarn and made ties with that. I even used some for bean string. Wow! It works fine! It didn't cut into anything, and just sort of dissolves after a season or two.  And it certainly adds color early in the season!

2. I found a bag I want to make out of three bandanas, but I think it's a bit on the thin side. So I am knitting a "bandana backing", to sew to it, reinforcing and possibly making it reversible. 

It's a prototype for now, but it gives me mindless knitting of an evening, so I can relax, and not worry about mistakes.

3. A friend wanted what amounts to a dust mop for her floors. She wanted to know how much I was asking to do it for her. Basically I told her, if I can use yarn I already have, and no hard deadline, a plate of cookies. If I have to go buy yarn, and have a deadline, $20, and a plate of cookies. (I like her cookies.) She brought over yarn she had, and the cookies, and this is what I made her.

She very much likes it, and I am very much enjoying the cookies! 

4. I didn't realize how many socks I've knit. Husband was concerned that I didn't have any socks, because my dirty sock bin was filled. (I wash the socks by themselves, because they are generally wool, and need to have a bit more care than say, a pair of jeans.) Anyway, I realized, I could have gone another 2 to 3 weeks and not run out of socks! If I include socks that I have knit for others... Maybe, 50 or 60 more on top of that? 

5. I mentioned having hippie tendencies. I found a door cover that is hanging strings, decided to get one. I like it so well, I plan to get another for a different room. Add some beads and bells, it will be good to go!

6. I am working on a shawl/wrap. It's a portable project, I was sort of tired of socks, and wanted to do something different. I think the colors are pretty, I decided I am going to call my wrap, Evening at the Coast, because that's it reminds me of. 

7. I am thankful for yarn and knitting (and crochet, too, actually.) It keeps me from figiting and keeps me a bit more patient than I would otherwise be. 

8. I am thankful for spinning yarn, because that is another skill... And it gives me more yarn! 

9. I am happy I can share my knitting with others, I have made baby clothes, blankets. I have knit hats for chemo patients. 

It's nice to share.

10. I have a knitting journal my mom gave me. It's meant for finished projects, and I do record some larger ones, but I use it for ideas on future knit projects. I have more ideas than time! :)

Okay, all of you be thankful, and have a wonderful week!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Aiiiiigh! It's not Sunday thankfuls!

 Forgot about the holiday, and almost didn't get this written! Eeeeeek! 

1. Had a nice Indy 500 watching day with Mom and Dad. Husband even joined us for lunch. 

2. Had a minor panic attack... Thought I had a VIRTUAL appointment for Mom.  Turned out to be ACTUAL LIVE appointment. After some frantic calls to get a ride for her, we were able to do pretty well. 

3. All of the plants and seeds I am doing for my garden are in. I really scaled back my garden this year, but it will still have good stuff... 

4. Especially tomatoes. I had planned on two plants. My gardening teacher texted knowing that I couldn't get to the tomato giveaway.  She offered me a "few". I really have to start clarifying "a few". I now have 12 tomato plants! 

5. A nearby neighbor I am friends with, who also knows about what is going on, told me if I need help, she is more than happy to water the garden.  :)

6. Found my heating pad. Eases sore muscles on busy days, and hmmm, seems to attract my kitty to the spot, too! 

7. Getting eggs regularly. Decided to make an egg dish for Mom and Dad, to see if they like it. They do, and it uses several eggs, so omelette muffins will now be in rotation on the menu! 

8. It's raining now. We need rain. I didn't need to water today. All good. 

9. Husband is keeping busy at home with smallish projects he's usually too busy for. Right now, he's able to do 'fun' things, for himself, and some ham radio in the mornings... Nice change of pace for him.

10. I still holding up, friends are checking on me, and I am so far staying healthy and physically okay.

Good thankfuls to you all!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Thankfulzzz...

1. I was up and getting ready to go take care of my garden. It had rained, it was cold, and I had not slept as well as I could have. While getting dressed, I kept hearing clunks and thumps. 

When I came out to the front door to get my shoes, Husband said I just made a fire, it will be a lot nicer than weeding the raised bed. And I can get you some tea and a bagel, if you want. The beds will still be there this afternoon, and probably warmer and drier!

I say down by the fire, had breakfast, then dozed until time to go. I needed that! I am thankful for Husband thinking of that!

2. I am thankful it rained. 

3. Because I am thankful I was able to get 2 tomato plants, and an acorn squash planted. The garden will have to be smaller this year, but I still want one! 

4. I have been reading more. I catch a page or two at random times during the day. (Mom likes lots of TV. Meh. I can take or leave a lot of it anymore.)

5. I am thankful for the tech guy that came out and fixed Mom and Dad's tv (cable). I asked questions, as I have to help my parents with it from time to time. He was nice as could be, and helped me with some information I didn't know how to get. 

I also was embarrassed about the drifts of dust in the back area where he was working, and apologized. He looked at me. Ma'am, I just finished working at a hoarders house. This is wonderful! 

So Mom is happily ensconced in her shows, I know what to do if the closed captions go off, and all is good in TV land.

6. My avacado tree has 2 baby trees coming up. I have it by the window, so it will get a bit of sun. Also turning it, so it grows UP, not DIAGONALLY. 

7. I am thankful for knitting projects that keep me occupied when I am too tired to do much, but not tired enough to sleep. 

8. I am thankful the renter has put cows back across from us. Fun to watch. 

9. I am thankful I found my everyday watch. I don't like digging out my phone to see the time continually, and Mom and Dad collect clocks. This is fine, except a lot don't work, so all the clocks in the room will have random times on them! My watch is on my wrist, solving my problem!

10. And I am thankful I am getting some items figured out, so by June, I should possibly (fingers crossed), get some respite care. I don't necessarily want to run off, never to be seen again, but a break would be nice.

Enjoy the week, and stay thankful! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

A time for thankfuls...

 1. I had to frog* a wrap I have been knitting. I made it too large, and wouldn't have enough yarn to make it work. Plus, I didn't care for the pattern I made.  

Why is this a thankful?  

I figured out this before I finished and had to pull it ALL out. I figured out the pattern would be good for a scarf, rather than the wrap (you can see the pattern better). And, I started a different pattern that I think will work much better. 

2. Heard from a friend, hadn't heard from for a bit, she's doing well (as is her cat, who is an adopted rescue). 

3. Just by chance, I turned on the TV, and a movie I had heard of for years (literally, it's a movie from the 70's), was on. I wanted to see it, sat down and watched. Not bad!! 

4. Husband is getting quite good at cooking. I am gone during the day, and he took it upon himself to make dinner for me, since I am doing all the "stuff" at my parents. 

5. I am getting somewhat more comfortable in my caregiver role... In fact, I had to put down that I am the caregiver, to go in and help at a doctor's appointment. 

6. Which was for Dad. He had a large lump, needed to know what it was. Turns out it's a cyst, that got a bit grumpy. So, nothing serious. 

7. I made the nurse crack up. They were say if it remains a problem, he could have it excised. I was being silly, and said, oh, we can have an exorcism right in the office! She nearly dropped her notes!

8. Re-jiggering my schedule, so I go to help Mom and Dad in the morning and mid afternoon, but I have time at home, or for tasks in town, during the day. It still has some bugs in it, but we're working it out.

9. The weather is good, so if I can get myself out there, I'll have garden beds to do...

10. Because Husband managed to get the grass around the beds mowed. It was either that, or rent sheep!!

* Frog. That is where you take the knitting and rip-it, rip-it! 

So, have yourself a great week, and stay thankful!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Hey, everyone, it's thankfuls!

 1. We have had rain, to keep the pollen down some, but the days have been sunny for the most part.

2. We have room in our milk house again, and more as time progresses. Husband had barely enough room to have a narrow aisle, he now has maybe about a third of it cleaned out and sorted. And more to go! :)

3. And, bless him Husband is mowing my garden area. The raised beds are okay, but the paths around them are lawn grass. But they will soon become hay, if something isn't done. And... He's doing it. I am still debating on what/if I am doing with my garden (it will be small, or not at all), but I want to be able to find the garden area, either way!!

4. I finally am making a bit of time to write in my journal. Mostly a general catching up on the last few months, highly condensed. I hope to get where I can write more day to day things soon. But! It's a start...

5. The apple trees are smothered in blossoms. I think it's probably the most since we've lived here! Wondering how that will do for fruit.

6. The oaks are getting leaves again, it almost looks like green lace at the moment.

7. Ding has decided to "hunt" for me again. I have found 2 yarn balls she fetched, and one from a project she TRIED to fetch, but... It was still attached. I just adore when she does it, because she sings, and it's the only time she raises her voice. 

8. I have much seed to look through for my garden, and access to more if I need it. This is riches to me! 

9. Husband made me hangers for my circular needles, and I now have a majority of them up where they are readily available, and more easily accessible without my making a big tangle.

10. My avacado has 2 shoots coming up. I might have a tree yet! (In a few years, give or take). 

Good week, stay thankful!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Thankful here, thankful there...

 1. With all the weather changes, I have been a bit achy, but I am still doing pretty well.  Wish I was 100%, but at least I am not sick. 

2. I wanted to get my journal going again, and work on my commonplace book. As of today, I actually have written in both!

3. I also figured out how to make a ribbon bookmark for each one, I put double face tape on the back, then ribbon, then regular tape to keep it from sticking to everything. Looks nice, if I say so myself... ;)

4. I see several of my plants made it through the winter, and are budding out, blooming, or just putting on new leaves. 

5. While I still don't have respite care, I am getting to take some time off on the weekend, in the morning hours, so I have a little time to do things at my house. Or just sleep in!!

6. Husband has been sorting through the milk house, which became the family storage unit. With several of them gone, he decided it was okay to sort, and donate. We will have space, some people will have good clothes and such, win win. 

7. Ding is getting nap time in the afternoon when I come home, I put my blanket over my legs, and she naps. And, more often than not, I do too. She's an influencer! 

8. I am getting the hang of using my phone for virtual visits. Saves trying to move Mom via van or bus. Except for my not quite having the knack on pointing the phone at the area the doctor wants to see sometimes, I am normally getting it to work, sound, light, color, action! 

9. Dad has a barber that he likes. 

Why is this a thankful? 

He probably went to 10 or so before he found one that would cut a flattop haircut! This is a surprisingly hard cut to get around here. Either they don't seem to know what it is, or they just buzzed it all off the same length all over. Not a good look on him. He likes this barber, the barber likes him, and his hair (and beard and eyebrows) look great. Whew!

10. My lava lamp is still working, so I have something to mindlessly stare at that is not a TV station. Much less stressful! Especially since Mom loves TV. A lot...  :/ 

Enjoy your week, keep it thankful!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Easter dinner thankfuls.

 1. Was able to get a dinner together... I made one item a night, bread, deviled eggs, and was not swamped, trying to do the day of.

2. I figured we'd have mashed potatoes, I had not made our traditional scalloped potatoes. Mom makes those. Husband piped up, said he was willing to try. I found several recipes, let him have at it. One less thing for me to deal with!

3. Mom had a ham in the freezer. Didn't have to shop for much!

4. Was able to convince Mom's stove to work for me, cooked up the ham nicely.

5. Worked on a knitted wrap I have been trying to design in my head. Starting to get there!

6. Found the perfect crochet hook for little oops in the stitches. Very fine, fuzzy, hairy yarn, and I have missed a few stitches.

7. Dinner came out well, and we all ate heartily. Husband got a big compliment from Mom, she is retiring from Scalloped potatoes, he is doing it now!  ;)

8. Husband was also able to fix a problem with the heater. Annoying, but not a disaster. 

9. Clean up goes fast with several people! :)

10. Weather was nice, so taking things from one house to another was no problem!

May you have a thankful week with way more than ten things to be thankful for!!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Squeaker of thankfuls!

 Didn't realize how late it was getting, my days were off! So, hopefully it will be okay for this week.

1. Had some terrible cramps and pain in my legs. Turns out, it was the shoes I was wearing! Changed to a different pair, and I am wearing moccasins in the house, and the pain is gone! (Whew!)

2. Chickens are laying. My Mom loves eggs from my hens, so this was a pleasant addition to her diet. 

3. Husband and I seem to have things down to a science, for the most part, taking care of the two places. Isn't what anyone planned, but we're getting through it. 

4. Don't know what has changed (endurance?), but while I am still tired at the end of the day, I am not exhausted and collapsed in sleep by the end of dinner. 

5. Knit another chemo cap, forgot the pic, but it's a blueish shade of grey. 

6. I found a journal I have been looking for, I guess I will make a note that it was misplaced, hence the gap in the entries... Meh.

7. I have a few pages filled in my commonplace journal, I like that if I see a comment or something I want to save, I can put it in. Thinking about possibly recipes, but haven't decided on that. At least they would be easier to find!

8. Things are greening up here. Dad got a few chances to get out and mow, which is good, he gets to DO something, get some fresh air, and move around. 

9. I have been reading in the morning, and a bit occasionally in the evening. Trying to make sure the brain still works...  :)

10. And in the tiny thankfuls... I thought I had lost a pair of stitch stoppers, (rubber bits that keep the knitting from coming off the yarn when not in use), and I don't have any more of them at the moment, unless I want to use big wine corks. No, I don't drink, but family does, and shared them. But they are not always reliable, and are big. BUT! Came home, and was looking for something else, and moved the box by where I sit, taa daa, they had fallen, or were pushed onto the shelf below. 

I blame my kitty...  ;)

Enjoy your week, and stay thankful!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

***

Hi, ten, I remember you!

 1. My night cap works well, and I enjoy the colors! 

2. We had rain, and we are supposed to get more rain. We need it! 

3. The therapists, it turns out, are watching me as much as Mom. They have suggested different ways to move Mom, or lift, etc., without wrecking my back! 

4. I was digging through my yarn stash, and found several nice ones that I can use for chemo caps. 

5. I am finally getting caught up with some things I have been putting off in the last bit. Have one letter finished and sent, and one nearly ready to go. Several left to do, but it's a start!

6. I am not sure what has happened, but I'm getting better the last few days about not falling asleep after dinner.  Definitely an advantage to do things of an evening! 

7. A friend of mine moved, and my husband, bless him, helped her, knowing I wouldn't be able to. I don't take that lightly, he doesn't like doing moving, and it wasn't close by!!  

8. I managed to get a commonplace book started. I have heard quotes and thought, oh, I should write that down. Now I have a place. Important things, silly things, even a couple Fortune Cookie fortunes... 

9. Needed a mindless project for when I am at my parents. Writing doesn't work. I was kind of bored with socks, so I am knitting hats for chemo and some other groups. I have a basket, and I try to fill it then donate. Um. There isn't many in there right now. So, I can rectify that, in between chores.

10. I am going to be able to go to a movie I want to see with Dad this weekend. :)

Enjoy your week, and happy thankfuls! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

This is not a test...

 It's ten things of thankful!!!   :)

1. Finished a hat, and am working on a second one. I have a literal night cap. It's from a pattern about 1830's? Lovely, except I made it in cotton thread. For some reason, it stretches out and gets huge, so I need to make one that doesn't turn into a sleeping bag! (New hat is a different pattern.)

2. Oddly, the yarn I am using for the hat is from some knitting I was going to do for Kelley's Chemo Caps. But the head of the cancer unit said absolutely NO wool. Huh. So I was looking at my stash, and realized it read "75% superwash wool". Well! It's mine now, and I can go get some acrylic for caps later!

3.Husband found some ice cream I quite like, cherry bits in it. Very nice! Simple thing, but nice.

4. Am now coming back to my house at night, with the blessing of the nurses and therapists that are visiting. Husband and Ding and I are quite happy about this!

5. Mom took 3 steps with her walker today, which is the first I believe she's taken since her surgery. (!!!)

6. For all the scatter shot running around and trying to get things together... My plants are mostly okay. One or two look kind of crispy, but the majority are very neglect tolerant, and look fine, if a bit dry. 

7. It has been frozen in the morning when I leave, but I have found all of my fingertip gloves! Good to have for warm hands, also good when I need to text. 

8. I have been still able to read with the Kindle on my phone, so I'm not going through withdrawals! But I really want to start reading my backlog of dead tree books! 

9. Mom and Dad like my cooking, and considering I am cooking almost all their meals, (except breakfast, unless you count toast), I am thankful I have a fairly extensive selection of recipes to make! 

10. I am doing pretty well. Husband seems to be doing well, too. And we are keeping up with things, so I think that's a very big thankful!

So. Go forward and be thankful!! :)

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Shorty thankfuls.

 1. I had a torn up spot in my shoe. I wanted to repair it, but didn't have any "work" shoes to wear in the meantime. Until my husband trotted in, carrying the second pair we had bought at the same time. Oh, riiight. So I am using the new ones, and when I get the chance I'll repair the others.

2. Getting a chance to read/write, if I plan ahead.

3. I have lost enough weight that my pants are baggy, so said Mom.

4. All of the various meets and greets went well, and one of the people helping my Mom is a knitter, so we were having fun with that.

5. I am enjoying sleeping upstairs, it's nice and cool. I had to work out what I was seeing at night, turns out the fire detector has a tiny light that flashes. I couldn't figure out until the daytime, but now it doesn't worry me.

6. We are getting the hang of the various things I have to help with, but Mom is getting a bit of help from Dad, too, so we do tag team occasionally.

7. Mom is getting stronger! No running marathons anytime soon, but she is much more able to help.

8. I went home for a bit, and Husband treated me like a royal. It was just wonderful. 

9. Family is enjoying my cooking. I laugh though, I get time off, because Mom didn't have any of the various restaurant food she liked for some months. Well, she puts on an order for X, and I drive in and get it. I guess that is a day off... ! 

10. Ding was happy to see me. I was happy to see her. We had cuddles!

Enjoy your week!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Hmmm. Thankfuls.

 1. Mom is home! After over 2 months, she is back to her house, with her family.

2. After lots of training before she came home, I learned caregiver skills, and am going to, with help from Dad and Husband, take care of Mom until we have extra help. 

3. I don't know how long they might last, but because of the oddball weather, I am enjoying crocus, and daffodil buds, even some iris peeking out of the earth. The crocus, especially, give a bright yellow hello to the area.

4. I am staying with Mom and Dad at their house, I am sleeping upstairs. They were worried I would be cold in the bedroom there. It's been wonderful. I have plenty of blankets, and I like it much cooler, so it is fine. Perhaps a bit brisk, but that just encourages me to get dressed quickly! 

5. 

I finished the bouquet blanket before Mom got home. She likes it. The colors? Yellow for Mom Red for me, green leaf for Dad, blue for Husband (okay, blue-ish...)

6. We had problems with our car. Husband took it (under warranty), they did whatever voodoo they needed to, and it's off and running again. Hopefully it stays that way now! 

7. Ding has been a little trooper. She is very confused about what is going on, but she isn't frightened like she used to be. Big time snuggling when I get home, tho! 

8. I have been trying to do ONE project at a time, finished a knit hat, and now going to work on a pair of gloves for my Dad. 

9. I have good, wonderful friends encouraging me as I go through helping. As well as reminding me not to overdo. Cough...

10. I am happily feeding my family. They are happily enjoying being fed!

Good week to all, and keep being thankful!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter