It's SPRING BREAK!! (also known as one week of rain...)

In seriousness, it is closer to half a week of rain.  Today, for example, is very nice, and few clouds.  So, the kids will get some pleasant weather to go create havoc and chaos... Heh.  This is from someone who's idea of spring break was to go home, do laundry, and sleep for about 2 days... Then see what things I needed to get ready for, for the next school session. 

Not really a party animal, no. 

Meh...

Well.  Hmm.  Found out our doctor is retiring.  I am not pleased much about that, but, on the bright side, we don't have to hunt for a new doctor, there is one taking his patient load.  And, looking him up, he seems to be freshly minted from our doctor school nearby.  I think this might be a good thing.  I just hope I don't seem old, broken down, and decrepit.

Oh, wait...    (Hee hee!!!) 😃

Well, we need to trim another wing.  Mon Ami, that lovable stinker, has figured out how to get over the fence.  We have trimmed one wing, thinking this would stop him.

Ahem.

I watched, as he got waaaaaay back from the fence, took a fast run, then jumped and flapped right near the gate, managed to get his feet on to the gate, then jumped down, into the wide world of  Not In The Henyard.  This is not going swimmingly for Husband, as there are little land mines about.  And Mon Ami, he just wants to follow me about like a puppy, can't understand why I put him back in the pen.  Someone must have spoiled him.  Can't imagine who. Cough...

I have been working on knitting a vest for myself.  I think it will be quite nice, especially in cold weather, as it is a good, thick wool.  It's red, (Think Cola Can red), and the pattern is really nice...

Except.

I have a problem with one little part.  It's called a fleck stitch (it looks something like this...)  This should NOT be a problem.  But it is.  And it's about 1/3 of the patterns, alternating, on the vest.  I have the back finished, and so far, haven't found any major boo-boos, so I really need to make it match on the front.  I started, and found I was continually making a mistake of putting two rows of knit and purl in, when you only need one.  I think this was because the pattern calls for this fleck stitch, and then moss stitch, which is ALL knit and purl.  So I frog*.  And knit. And frog.  THEN there was my bright idea to knit both of the front panels at the same time.  Until I realized I had managed to knit both fronts, as both LEFT fronts.  And, I had made the same blasted mistake on them, so they had a couple nasty squares that were screwed up.  So, frog again...

So, I started knitting alllllllll over again on the LEFT one.  SLOWLY knitting on that one.  Husband noticed that I had started another project...  I told him I needed to put that away for a day or two, and do some mindless knitting, so I don't go seeing if anyone wants it for target shooting.  So, I will get it out, and with severe trepidation, measure to see if it is coming out equal with the back, and then finish, and start on the Right half. 

And do I want to do this vest again? Yes.  Do I want to do fleck stitch, oh, **** no!  In fact, I was thinking of doing no pattern at all, just using blocks of color, or textured yarn for the accent.  But I do need to finish this one first.  Dang.

As far as the blanket, I am doing something with a stitch that I just came up with, and have later found out it is an actual stitch that has a name.  (Yep, right here, if you want to see...)  I just made it up, when I found out a stitch I used didn't show up well on my sock, so I did this instead. 

The funny thing, most knitters see it, and comment on how odd the stitch is, the way I use it.  One or two even said that it doesn't look good.  But, I have come to the opinion, it's my socks, I will knit little bumps, or not, or colors that are different on each sock, or whatever, as I am not doing for anyone but me.  So dere.  I guess I have been a bit irked by some of the folks telling me how "off" some of my knitting is, I know it's not everyone's cup of  Camellia sinensis.  I have things I could comment on other's knitting, but I figure, they enjoy it, and you know, life is too darn short to worry about a funky color, or oddball combination of stitches.  If they like, go forth and knit, dang it!  Considering I have even been told I was a witch one time, because of what I was knitting**, I tend to be a bit shy of showing off my stuff anymore... 

Woo!! So, off the soap box.  Anyway, the blanket is another co-creation with Ding kitty and my knitting.  She keeps pulling yarn balls out at night, and then wants attention.  I give it to her, and the cycle repeats.  So, I had to do something with it.  I have made a simple garter stitch blanket for the trailer. Also, a lap warmer, my Mom likes to have something in my car, as an electric car tends to use up electrons very quickly when the heat is on... 

So, this will be the Linen Stitch Flow blanket.  Flow, because when you change colors, the first color alternates with the second, then goes to the second, so it isn't quite as jarring.  (Especially since she picks out some color combinations that are... unique, to say the least.  But it's fun to see what she comes up with.)  I was worried when she first started doing that, but she has never eaten the yarn, or done anything but pull it out, carry it into the hall or front room, then sing for me to come see.  Kinda wish she'd do that at times other than 2 am, but hey, it's a cat thing...

* frog, based on the sound a frog makes, you rip-it, rip-it... Also known as throwing something in the frog pond.

** I was knitting with yarn I'd spun, and she'd noticed that I'd spun it counterclockwise.  In front of a large circle of ladies, she pipes up, LOUDLY, "Oh, you're a witch, then?!??"  You could have heard a pin drop.  She then continues, "Only witches spin backwards!"  Um.  Oh.  I had no response, and she finally left.  I don't think the red left my face for a half hour.  None of the other women said a thing.  I don't know if they did think me a witch, didn't know what to say, or just were as dumbfounded as I was.  It still didn't do too much for me...

Oh, Qwap...

I was all set to write today's R blog, when I glanced at my list, and for some reason, I blew past Q without a second thought... Huh.  Ok, well, I will be a day behind this week, I guess.  Poo...

Ok, Q.  I guess this isn't retro, per se, but I was thinking about when I get up in the morning.

It's quiet.

The roosters are just getting started with crowing, a poultry game of one upsmanship.

Turkeys are coming down from the trees, and some gobbling, flutter, and the occasional squawk.

Rudee yawns, groans, then a clatter of tags as he gets up to walk out to the yard with me.

I watch the sunrise.  The birds seem to get energized to chirp, chitter, and sing.

Dozens of geese fly by, honking like a freeway pile up.

Opening the hen house door, a cascade of chickens pours out, clucking and chattering.

Buzz meows from atop the fence post when I come out.

You know what?  Maybe my quiet morning, isn't as quiet as I thought!

*****

Well, I suppose it isn't exactly the world's biggest "thing", but I was so pleased, I have been helping at the Sheriff's Office with the Neighborhood Watch group, and doing volunteer work.  

I am now able to give out official business cards!  It's such a little thing, but it makes me feel like someone is paying attention to what I do.  And I guess they want me around a while, I think they gave me something on the order of 5K of them!

I also got a clean bill of health on my yearly Doctor's appointment, so that went well, other than a minor scare.  I had a sore leg, and told him about it, I wasn't concerned, just a toss off comment to his query of any pains of late.  

He became REAL serious, and started checking my leg, and had me do a bunch of things I recognized as signs to check for a STROKE... Oooooookay, Mr. Doctor person, what, pray tell, is going on?  

He was highly worried that I had a blood clot.  Why, I am still not sure.  But after an extensive dance of on the spot testing, he decided... I had overdone something, and had maybe strained a muscle.

Whew!  Not that I was worried or anything... Cough.  

Um, does anyone know the resting heart rate for minor panic?  

Oh, what a loooooong day.

I gave the new rod in my leg a workout today!

I had a doctor's appointment for a leg check in the morning.  I also had a mammogram (oh, yay...) in the afternoon.  Husband said, well, we are going to be in town, what else do we have to do?

We ended up going to the post office, (fortunately he did that, or I would have had to stand in line for about 20 minutes, right off the bat), Christmas shopping at about 3 stores, a quick trip to the grocery store, a lunch out, (this was Husband's idea, and he treated me to a really nice lunch.  I think he's a keeper... grin), and then after all the appointments, Husband received a phone call from a friend of his about a machine that wasn't working right.  Husband went over and gave him some pointers, and then we went home.

As happy as I am that my leg is on the mend, I am TIRED.

(Fair warning, the next couple paragraphs are somewhat medically graphic.)

Poor Husband.  I am reading a book, "The Horse and Buggy Doctor" by Arthur E. Hertzler, and it talks about the quality of health care when he was a child in the late 1800's.  (He was a doctor in the 20's and 30's.)  One thing that (big surprise) got my attention was the fact that a broken leg wasn't cast.  It was amputated.  In fact, a good surgeon was one that could remove a leg in less than 40 seconds.  They also mentioned the fact doctors were wont to put silk threaded needles into collars, so they would be ready as they needed them for stitching wounds, and it was unusual for a doctor to remove his coat between patients (or wash hands), and it was even mentioned that doctors would hold a knife in the teeth if they needed both hands for stitching.

Weeellll, I was talking to my doctor about this, and he lit up, and was commenting about the fact that I would have had about a 20 percent chance of survival in that time period, and that sepsis was rampant during that period even in 'clean' areas, because of the sanitation and just plain gangrene.  I was really enjoying the discussion, (doctor was actually checking my leg, we weren't just jawboning...), when I happened to glance over at my poor Husband.  He was positively GREEN.  I decided that as much as I would have liked to find out more about the subject, a barfing Husband might not be the best choice.  Poor man, he normally can tolerate a lot, but when it relates to me directly, he gets all protective, and a bit on the soft and mushy side.

So, if you happen to go to the doctor, and start a conversation, you might give a quick check to the person who drove you there, if it wasn't you.  Having them ready to horf up breakfast might not be the best repayment...

  

A Breast Cancer Awareness Post. Please don't laugh. Or do... (blush)

Have to get back in the habit of blogging again!  Ok, for quick here, I have been making applesauce, zucchini bread with apples, I cleaned out our freezer as I had run out of room, I have picked  apples to make MORE applesauce, or some such.  And I just checked the garden, it needs to be picked over and cleaned out.

Did I hear glutton for punishment?

Yes.  What, may I ask, is your point? (grin)

So.  I realized it was October, which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I decided to share a story about it.

It's a story with a happy ending!  Really!!

I was in my first year of college where I was out "on my own", in my little apartment, doing my college-y things, and one thing I wanted to do was take karate.  There is a family story that when I was a toddler sized carpet rodent, I had used some karate skills, taught to me by my babysitter, to kick another kid off the stage when my Dad was being installed as Sargent of Arms in a lodge meeting.

I guess I never got over it, because I still like karate.  Thusly, I wander into my class, and start with running.  Lots and lots of running.  (And I was given the nickname Duck by one of the others, as I have feet as flat as flat can be, and it sounded like I was slapping the floor, not running...)  After what seemed like MILES of running, we would then go on to practice punches.  Over and over, and over, and over again, with the teacher  pausing by certain students to correct arm placement or stance.  After all this we'd usually actually get to spar a bit.  (I usually managed to get put with someone who was several belts ahead and at least 10 inches taller than me. But it was fun.  Most of the time.)

So, this went on for about 2 months, and I thought nothing of it.  I was losing a little weight, I was getting some shape in my legs, and looking pretty good.

Then I did a breast exam.  I was horrified to realize I had not one, but two big lumps under my breasts!  I was freaked out, to say the least.  I also knew that I had a family history of breast cancer.  I called my OBGYN, and made an appointment.  Fortune would have it, I was due for the yearly "fun" anyway, so I just shined everyone on that I was just 'getting the girls checked'.  I figured there was no sense borrowing trouble and freaking everyone else out, 'til I knew what I was dealing with.

After a few nervous days of wondering what the problem was, I finally had my appointment.  I nearly bawled at the doctor, saying I had these lumps and I had a family history and omg what was I going to do if it IS cancer...  He calmed me down, and very seriously said, maybe we should check what it is that you are feeling first.

So, I pointed out the area.  With a stern expression he then did a breast exam.  Then he looked confused.  Is this the lump?  He gently prodded a spot.

Yes.

And you say there is one on the opposite side?

Yes... (Of course, by then I had images of surgery, hair loss, all the lovely things that run through the imagination.)

He stood up, and said, managing to keep a straight face.  You haven't maybe been exercising a lot lately, by chance?

Well, yeah.  I told him about my class, and he asked me to dress.  He also asked if I would tell him about the regular exercises I did in class.  I told him, and said that I did them nearly every day out of class, so I could keep up with the other students.

That's when he put a hand on my shoulder, and trying desperately not to laugh, told me that he was quite happy to let me know that what I had was not cancer.  It was not even bad.  In fact, it made his day to let me know I had proof the exercises were working, because that was new muscle growth under my breasts!    He then got out a silicone model of a breast that had "lumps", so I could have a better idea what I was trying to look for.  I just figured that any change was bad, up to that point.

 He gave me a much better idea of what was good and bad when checking, and seemed pleased when I said he'd made my day.  I left with a much better frame of mind, knowledge, and a very good idea of what my doctor's laugh sounded like from behind his office door!

So, please be sure and check things out, but know for what you are checking.  I will do my PSA here and say, do the monthly check, and have a check by a doc, too.

You never know when you will have a muscle sneak up on you!

(Oh, and messymimi, if you'd called the posse, they probably would have just handed the phone to my boss, to hand to me!  That was most of what my volunteer work was last month!)