Disfunctional Christmas Classics brought to you by Crazy Radio

This is too good to not share. Lol!

http://tunein.com/radio/Radiocom-Dysfunctional-Xmas-Classics-s149054/

Might not ALL be good for tender ears, you know those little ears on Pitchers?  Those tender little ears.

Hahahaha!  I am sooooo in a good mood. Rock on!  

Merry Merry!  Thank you Bee!

And for the knitting folks... And for Babies! Go HERE It's Drops!

A tiny snail and November Roses

Bebé Snail!

I came back into the house and said to DH, "Please come take a picture of this tiny snail before I smash it." (I didn't have the heart to smash it. Who can smash something so cute?) I also told him that I hadn't wanted to get into trouble by going around behind the plant container to pick more. He said that I can do anything I want but that if I fell I'd just have to lay there. Maybe I would take root? Anyway, I took the picture with a flash because the sun wasn't bright enough.  I'm so proud. :-)

The rains have made the whole yard green, mostly with weeds, but green none the less. California was described as the Land of Green and Gold by the first of the Spanish free booters who "discovered it". That's just what we are, Green in the winter wet season, Gold in the summer dry.

The Gardening report: Other than the weeds, these green striped tomatoes have been amazing. They are still putting out flowers and have lots of fruits, too. They just might last until the first frost, or something below 40 degrees overnight. Today the weather is warm, slightly sunny, with clouds out of the south. Just right for tomatoes! I guess the compost we've been making over the last 8 years is really good stuff because that's what they are planted in.

I'm still working on the Baktus, working on the knee, and working on getting the sewing machine put away so we can put up the Christmas tree. The knee bends to 125 degrees, so it's doing fine. Now if the rest of me was as spry.

Today I went outside and picked a half dozen ripe tomatoes. It was great to just go outside and feel the wind blow through my hair, and the sun shine on my head, in my own back yard. And, today, I talked for an hour with a dear friend in Jersey. We had a great chin wag!

I forgot the roses!

Sun Flare, today. 

Quote from His Holiness, the Dalai Lama

"The basic foundation of humanity is compassion and love. This is why, if even a few individuals simply try to create mental peace and happiness within themselves and act responsibly and kind-heartedly towards others, they will have a positive influence in their community."

Charity, or Love, starts at home. It starts with in our family, our neighborhood, our town, our city, and we can start making it better right now.

This awe inspiring quote, ages old thought, proposed by many Holy People down through the ages is still, remarkably, true. I'm going to go make a day happier for someone else.

The Skinny on UCSD from "SD on the QT", by Walter Menchken, of the Reader

This is for my kid, who is attending the only other public university in California that could give UCSD a run for it's money.

The San Diego Reader has all sorts of great stuff going for it, as long as you can wade through all the ads as readily as you do when reading, say, the Union Tribune, which delights in using color on most all the ads and not on things like a prize rose or tomato. You've got to love the UT. The ONLY thing I read in it are the comics:

as well as a few features like the Horoscopes and Dear Abby. I do like to read some year or two old news when we lay out the papers at ceramics. I feel like I can't really get PO'd about the slanted reporting this way. It's just a fun read when their failure to assemble and report on just the facts of the case has not resulted in what they predicted.

Anyway, back to UCSD and the latest faux news report from Walter. Enjoy!:

Oh yes, Be sure to keep Christmas in your Heart all year. lol

Baktus

So far, this is looking good and has been fun to knit. I'll likely get quite a bit done through the coming weekend since we have a quiet one coming up. After that I'm starting on the cotton top and the short fingered gloves, to have them all done by June.  Plus, I will get the snarly Beastly out of the tote and the Noro that is straight easy knitting, unlike Snarly Beastly, which is definitely a Man's Manly sweater.  Fight all the way!

 

DH turns one of the big numbers (70) this weekend, and we'll  have a little Italian dinner at a favorite spot. As we looked into each others' eyes this morning, in the sunny light of the kitchen window,  I remarked, "Wow, we made it this far; who knew we'd live this long?!!" He just smiled that sweet smokey blue-eyed smile of his and we hugged.

I'm so glad to be getting better so swiftly, and with an amazing new straight leg. Thank you all for the good thoughts and wishes! They are working!

This is The Old Busted

 The picture of The New Hotness will come when it's not so pathetic looking.  My limp is gone, the cane is practically history, though it's pink with roses, so it's a keeper just in case.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm wishing you an early Happy Thanksgiving as I might not get back on line to post it on the day.
I hope you have a wonderful Holiday filled with good things to eat; may you feel relief from the stress in life, and may you have congenial companionship!

My wish for you is that you will truly feel that your life is a blessing on this day of giving thanks.

Our version of "Fall Colors"

Liquid Amber Grove

More and more of these trees are being planted in California. They are good food sources for all the finch species. I love to watch the tiny Lesser Gold or Gold Finches hang onto a seed pod and eat the small seeds within. The seed pods themselves are great for crafting. The trees look like they are decorated when all the leaves fall and just the pods, on their long stems are left on the bare branches. Maybe I'm a little odd but I look forward to these events every year.

Knitting Report: The Baktus scarf now is as big as a crow's wing. Next it will be as large as a Raptor's wing, maybe like a Redtail! Well, maybe only as large as a Cooper's Hawk's wing, we'll see. There is an awful lot of that green yarn left; maybe I'll knit a bird blind out of it, too!

Weather report: We had a couple days of clouds and then one of measurable rain on Sunday. Yay! On the way to an appointment with my nice surgeon the next day, the puffy clouds were clearing out and the temperature was dropping.

Clouds from nice cold storm breaking up over Santee Valley

DH actually had to put a windbreaker on (gasp) before he walked Wolfie while I was at PT yesterday. This is the man who has nearly a Yeti's tolerance for cold weather, or so we've been told. Temps dropped into the 30's over night, and 43 degrees so far today. That's chilly for old bones in California!  It's time to finish that Manly Beastly Aran sweater and that Noro.

This is absolutely knitting weather!  When I can stand to have something brushing the fast healing scar, I'll break out the sweaters for the extra warmth while knitting.

Knee report:   Since I spoke of the devil, here's an update; it is healing up so fast that I'm already at the three month mark for "performing knees".  I credit doing all the exercises every day, and DH's very good care,  as well as great PTs.  If you get this done, eat lots of protein fro rebuilding the knee, and do your exercises every day, more than once.  The exercises work to keep the knee free and bending well.

Happy Thanksgiving to all the State Side readers!

One last thing.  My tiny Cezanne:

My sister bought a book on clearance that was about Impressionist and Post Impressionist artists, and she framed as much as she could from it, cutting out the prints. She found out that I loved Cezanne, so she made me a little picture of a small print from her book. Now I "OWN" a little Cezanne.

Big Day

Wilno had a great post today about pain and getting it under control. I'm taking it and running with it, to borrow a sports term from American Football. If you are a Charger's fan you know about Psychic pain, which is lots different.

But first, the knitting report:

The Baktus scarf is looking like a little bird wing so far' sort of a starling sized wing. But, it's a very pretty mottled (?) green yarn that was solar dyed by a friend who may still sell her BEAUTIFUL YARNS. Anyway, Take a peek at her site. The yarn sat in the stash and mellowed, eventually to become a pair of socks. And, now the remains will be a Baktus.

About pain:

Myofascial Pain does very much cause a "ramp up" factor, as your body reacts to stimulus, and gets ready to go on RED ALERT. You absolutely have to use your mind to not let "fear of what happens next" - fight or flight - take you all the way up there to the stratosphere of unbearable myofascial pain, when you have fibromyalgia, period. Because it will. This also works for trying to get a stiff new knee to bend a little further each PT session.

I am basically med free now, too, though was, luckily, not stuck on the worst Big Pharma offerings.

I was guided through this minefield by, firstly,web research, and by a great GP as well as a very wise, kind rheumatologist who both had minimalist approaches to medicines touted by trolley tugging reps who wander the halls of clinics.

I also cannot say enough good things about my hubby's efforts and research as he navigated through Big Pharma infested waters, or about having two daughters who know a LOT about alternative medicine.

Happy knitting! Big Day today for the knee. Yay, it works! More Later about that, plus some Autumn Leaves pictures and a snap of the wee Birdie wing Baktus.

Baktus

Printed out the Baktus scarf - again!  This because my addled brain will not reveal to me, or anyone else, what I did with the first one before the OP!

I also, against my better judgement, started reading a new book written in the early nineties.  It seems like a detailed blue print of what NOT to do if you are the power elite and didn't want a lot of Sheep turning into Wolves and biting you on the Hinie! Little wonder they are now trying to limit voter numbers with fancy scheming!

No pictures of either yet, but I am so bored I'll probably be posting coffee cups from the back of the cupboard pretty soon.

Well, some pictures showed up.

The Book!

Here's some Baby Pandas from the Zoo.  I don't know what zoo, but they are from a Zoo.

The knee can now reach 117 ° on the 180° scale.  Not bad for a beginner,eh?  I'm SO happy!!  Now to massage away the scar.  I feel absolutely CREEPED OUT to touch it, but massage it I must.  I must install a zipper there, too, like last time. hehe

Ok, everyone back to their knitting!  hehe

Here's the yarn I'm making the Baktus out of:

What IS this stuff?

Now to find it in the stash.  I need the Man for some heavy lifting down from upper stories of stash baskets, me thinks.  

Happy Knitting everyone!

The Extreme sticky note Experiment

I can't do this at home, but I'm BORED enough to try it!  Very cute! Don't forget to check out the other "You Tubes" made by eppy bird...






Weather report:  We got a freak storm that left us with a lot of water in the reservoirs.  Want to see a SoCalian smile?  Just give them enough water to get them through the summer months.

One of the first things my home PT and I discussed was chronic fatigue, and the value of finding Joy in Life to combat the effects of CSF.   When my sessions were over I gave him a little rustic style Christmas ornament that had a carved, wooden white heart inside a small wreath, and the heart had the word Joy hand painted on it.   I'm telling you this because, like happiness, joy in life is home made.  It's something you have to remember to do for yourself so that you can then have enough to share.

Warning!!  Unwarranted Old Lady Lecture ensues:

Make yourself some Joy, in the everyday world you are in.  Look for opportunities to make Joy anywhere and everywhere; like Beauty, the opportunity to feel Joy  will be there, in a child's voice, laughter, or smile, or the littlest flower or just the colors that the sun makes through the leaves on a tree. 

Awareness of the beauty around you in the everyday world can be life changing.  Jobs can be hard to get, boring, filled with bad tempered bosses, co-workers; you know how that goes.  They are also what pays the bills.  We all have to work to live.  But we can create Joy and our own happiness.  Give yourself something to look forward to.

Make a place for YOU to live that is free from angst.  If you can't change much in this world, you can do a little.  A little goes a long way even when it's as simple as making cookies for the neighbors , or in giving a bouquet of flowers to a neighbor who can no longer garden due to illness or age.  There IS always something out there you can do to increase the joy in this world for yourself and others.   It might be a struggle at first, especially if you have been in a tight place for a long time, but this is a way out of there.

I have been walking more and trying to find the yarn for the Baktus scarf.  I've stopped reading my depressing books for awhile.  My scar is all healed but looks like the edge of a pie crust, crimped by a fork.  I hope this changes!

Speaking of pie, a have a recipe for something called Chess Pie.  I guess it's something from the Great Depression.  It tastes so good, very tart and sweet,  too.   This is pie season you know!  I'll share the recipe soon. 

My Grandmother's Potato Salad, Midwestern Style

Pina asked for my grandma's potato salad recipe.  This makes a lot, like for sharing at a picnic for ten or more people.

Grandma Leila's Midwestern Style potato salad

Start with 8 -9  large red or same amount of medium sized white rose potatoes, steamed, cooled and peeled - I like the reds best.  Steaming works best though my grandmother and mother boiled the potatoes.  I just use my biggest pot and a little silver steamer basket, artistically layering the potatoes on top so they don't fall off.  Skewer to see if they are done in about 35-40 minutes.  Don't let the steamer go dry.
Test them with a meat skewer.  It will pass through the potato without a sticking place in the middle.  ( I cook mine the night before and let them cool til morning on the counter) 

While the potatoes cook and cool, chop and measure out the following amounts of other ingredients:

One and half cups of chopped celery
One and half cups of chopped red or white mild onions.
Rounded half cup of chopped sweet gerkins
Rounded half a cup of chopped dill pickle

Set aside.

Dressing:

Mix  one and a half cups of mayonnaise with a teaspoon each of salt, black pepper, teaspoon of celery seeds, and a some sweet pickle juice to thin it all down some.

Cut the thoroughly cooled and peeled potatoes into cubes about as big as the end of your thumb -less than an inch, more than a half- the "rule of thumb")  and put all this into a big bowl, layering with the rest of the chopped stuff a couple of times, and some of the dressing, as you go.

Mix gently but thoroughly.

Simple and delicious.  Keep it cold once you make it.  Carry in a ice cooler if it's traveling.  Enjoy!

*Notes*


I use my big tupperware cake keeper dome top to put it all in, since I never carry cakes in it, and it has a lid that seals completely.  But anything you have that you guess this all will fit into will work.  

If you like hard boiled egg chopped into this,  peel three hard boiled eggs and chop and layer those in as you go.  One egg can be saved, and sliced to decorate the finished salad, and you can sprinkle a little paprika across the top for color, just NO chili powder.  hehe

Leg update:

My leg is much better but getting a little stiff.  I need to tuck it under me more at the computer. lol


I want to thank everyone for their encouragement and advice.  It's working!  I start the rest of PT on Monday.

We are going to maybe get more rain.  My Christmas cactus has put forth ONE precious blossom.  I am stoked!

Laters!

Two hours later... the storm

Aside from reading my book, and getting geared up to do intense PT three days a week, I'm going into a Fibro spin out. and I thought it was going to give me a miss. So, I'll pull out the "No Whining Sign" and but it in the side bar. After all, I have DH, Wolfie, and that indomitable will to live mentioned by Kilgore Trout in the book, Breakfast of Champions by the wonderful Kurt Vonnegut - he who once said, "There is a tragic flaw in our precious Constitution, and I don't know what can be done to fix it. This is it: Only nut cases want to be president.".

Every page I read in Perfectly Legal explains to me what happened to my family in the 1970's forward. It is, sadly, very educational. I lived it, knew something was happening, warned my then 12 year old that she would have to earn a scholarship, was proven right when Reagan slashed Pell grants, and generally just watched the collapse of the American Dream. All this while we were economizing to make ends meet, working little second jobs for God knows what, and entertaining our brains with visions of America, The Beautiful where anything was possible with a good education and lots of hard work.

This is a very hard to read book but we must fix this, or we won't be able to stop this thievery before it takes the last penny out of middle class hands, not to mention the hands of the poor who bear a large tax burden in this economy.

Knitting? I have a list:
Known Objects and UFO's

1. Sock blank-to dye
2. Raw Merino Yarn hank - to dye
3. Two Churro hat kits - to knit - for ??
4. Jane's Hedgerows - on the needles - for Moi.
5. Aran Sweater - UFO for DH
6. Noro Sweater - UFO for R.
7. Apricot Sweater for L
8. Catnip mice for kitties
9. Bactus Skarf - for S
10. SF Gloves - for B


That about it.

Knee

5 inches of staples -note the note to the surgeon.  My surgeons and doctors were wonderful, as was the entire staff of Nurses of all levels.  Wonderful people!  I'm also tough to feed so I must give the dietitians kudos as well for putting up with me.  I also cannot forget the terrific PT's who have worked to give me mobility from day one.

The shocking looking, collateral damage"Pond Scum" lower leg.  I'm not sure it's typical but it does heal PDQ.  You must take daily shots or wear pressure cuffs, to avoid deep clots forming, and the cuffs may do this.  I can't give myself shots. *shudders* I can watch when given a shot because I trained myself to do this over time, but not self inflicted.

Staples out on Halloween, steri-strips in place.  The staples were taken out by the Physical therapist but I found out from my Bro, who had this done several years ago, that he had to take his own out with the funny little tool pictured at the bottom.

This small tool is good for bending wire so instead of tossing it, since it was made to be tossed, I asked to keep it.  It will come in handy for jewelry making.  Waste not, Want not! 

I do feel that I should have done this sooner. I cannot wait to go hiking with my family again. The Fibro tried to flare but gave up or something. I'm happy!

Several Ways to say, "No Fishing"

 

I'm back on the big computer, where all the pictures are!

I've graduated to a cane half time. Freeeeeedooooommmmmm!

My brain can still not knit at anything but FrustrationX level, a full fit of pique being the result, so I just don't do it yet. I have made a list - however boring that is - of all the UFOs, as well as projects bought recently and needing to be knit up in the next few months. "Needing to be knit up" sounds like a job rather than a joy right now, and is like having a job, a job you do not want. But, to be honest, I really do want to knit all those things it's just that it's going to be slower than my usual glacial pace.

I will show you the multi colored leg and it's progress because, frankly, it bothered me more than did the semi-frankenstein scar.

A little advice here about knee replacement: If you are going to have this done, you should know that it looks horrible but it does heal up faster than anyone could imagine, and the lower leg is going to take a hit, too.

The new knee is working perfectly though it's a little weak. I haven't gotten my head around what is actually inside that joint yet, as I still envision actual bones, etc., still being there. I guess that's the way God wants it. We can't see all the stuff crawling around on our skin for much the same reason. It might drive us all stark raving mad to see those teeny bugs going about daily life and dying and giving birth with such abandon on what we claim as our own outer territory.

What's going down in the street. OWS Oakland. This isn't going away. There's a neat picture of a guy dressed as if he were Jesus, carrying a sign that says." I threw out the money lenders for a reason."

Knitting 101

DH was going to knit a scarf several years ago but gave up because he thought it was too hard.

This video reminds us all that if you are a true free spirit, you can throw every convention out the window, including common sense, and succeed at a craft.

So, Guys, take up those cast off knitting needles of yours again (or go buy some second hand at the local Sally's) and just get out the scissors and glue for the stubborn bits that arise at the tips of the those pesky needles from time to time, and have some creative fun.

little of this, little of that

Jane, whose lovely knitting blog is HERE,  has some snaps of her beautiful Christmas cactus which is blooming.  I think all flowers should be shared widely so as to increase the happiness factor.  

So, now that I'm walking every half hour or so, I teetered out to the windows  by the shade patio to see what Mother Nature has been up to.   Well, there's a Bromeliad blooming, but no Zygos blossoms yet.  The weather is back up into the eighties but that's no excuse.    But, the trip - a word I probably shouldn't be using - was not in vain, since the Winter Wren chose that time to flit through the many plants in search of any bugs lurking in them.  That perky little fluff of brown striped feathers would cheer up a troll.

I am getting a cane in about a week.  Yay!  See, if you are contemplating having this done, recovery is PDQ!   It doesn't take forever.   So, back to canes.  I went in search of a group that makes and shares patterns for cane covers and after many unsuccessful searches turned up the old group that used to be in the side bar.  They are called Missability .  The web site shows all the exuberance that positive thinking engenders, so bear with the color scheme.  It's a fun place. 

There is so much going on here in terms of icing a limb, exercise sets, walkabouts, and normal daily life that I just can't get a knitting mojo working.  For instance, I reaaaally want to be outside in the Fall garden, repotting ferns- at present a no no.  But, I found a wonderful pumpkin sock pattern HERE that actually comes from Ravelry, and put the site, Knitting Under The Desk, into knitting sites at Some Of My Favorites .

Since it takes hours to type as short a post as this one,   until I can be on my desk top I won't probably post again.

So, Anyway, please don't think that I've fallen in the garden, or down a pothole while walk about.   I am fine, just run off my feet trying to keep up with my PT who is holding a cane before my eyes, as a carrot on a stick  so to speak -  unless and until my Quad muscle improves, and DH who keeps fretting that I'm not getting enough time in for the quad to imrprove.

There is also, I must admit, an almost irresistible urge to post some really ghastly pictures of post op recovery that my inner-ghoul keeps tempting me with.  No one needs that.    My kids might want to see  them but no one else needs that.

Sorry there hasn't been any flowers.

PS.  Both my PT and I agreed that one of my blister scars looks like a Kee Wee, so if I accidentally keep it, I can wear my accidental art tatoo with great pride and some Joy.