Bad knee day and HTML fiddles

Yesterday my left hind leg was keeping me flat, so I was a bit bored.  I just can't exercise this thing hammer and tongs, and somehow I forgot about how badly the poor little patela, inside a pair of long pants, could be getting torqued.   With Major Ducats invested in this surgery, not to mention everyone's huge time and effort, to ill use it is just not going to earn a Good Behavior Badge. 

Anyway, the only thing to do was to go looking for things forgotten, or reload a music program, something I just wasn't in the mood for.  I looked at my options, and up popped a little project for restoration to the side bar. I remembered Monty Roberts, the first horseman popularized as being kinder to horses when getting them to work with humans.  His whole life he has been doing this; bless him! 

So, you will notice the side bar has a couple of new buttons.  One is to Monty's page were there's at least a dozen videos that are interesting.  Many are about training people to get along with their horses.  The newest is a little different in that it is one that is therapy for post traumatic stress, and is for military vets to work with special horses.  Wonderful stuff!  There's a Movie called "Tornado" that is from South Africa about a horse that is saved and the boy who works with him finds himself, too.  It's based on actual events.  Lovely movie.

And, you will notice, there is a picture of a horse's eye by dan.  Since he was offering it royalty free, there was a code that went with it.  But, I didn't like the size of the font in the code, so used a little piece of html code from this tutorial to make the provided code into a size 1 instead of a size 5, and it's, happily, still a hot link to dan's photos. 

This is easy stuff when you have other people doing the work, so  don't be afraid to plug html into the "Add a Gadget"  feature of the Blogger side bar.  You can not mess up the whole blog unless you do something in the code of the main page- the Main page code.  Even there, just save a copy first and you can also  revert without saving, which is like having a double safety on a shotgun. 

I've also relinked the Friends of The Bees site.  Those little critters are suffering and we will be,too, if their problem is not solved.

I knit two rounds on the sock.  Pathetic, I know.  I'm still sitting around reading and watching instant downloads of a documentaries, which are less toxic than the norm.  One can't have adrenaline racing around one's body when a leg joint is mending.  I never feel that I'm hurting this knee until the next day when I wake up and think, "What the heck was I doing that for??!"

I haz Flowrz Thurzdayz

I've decided to have a Thursday flower day of previously unpublished (I hope) flower pictures.

West Side Farmer's Market - Santa Cruz

Farmer's Market - La Mesa

Last night I watched a documentary from the late 70's, called,  "The Secret Life of Plants".  Stevie Wonder did the sound track for it.  It was a little campy and very 60's-70's but interesting.  The most interesting parts in the piece were time lapse films of flowers, how being out in the green of the Earth influences our moods, and the research into how plants react to harm - even in human thoughts - or to any deaths near them.  Plants can, apparently,  "read" human thoughts.

This is some serious science we are talking about.  There was a lot of money and effort being put into discovering a  "unifying principle" for all living things, and based on scientific method.  Because it's so interesting, if there is anything newer to be learned about this on the web or anywhere, I'll find it.

This principle would explain a  lot of anxiety in the world because if plants can sense evil intent in thoughts from humans, and get anxious or seem to exhibit anxiety, then humans definitely can.  We have not developed the senses we have to any great degree, or they are still  there and we don't attribute the feelings to the right events.   Something has to be wrong in our cognitive awareness if this is so.  We have, over millennia, simply suppressed the ability to correctly read and interpret the signals.

Today I am going to visit with my sister.  We've been planning to collaborate in making Comfort dolls for some time now, and we need to plan it out.  Since I'm still having trouble staying with even fairly simple knitting patterns (no matter how much I try), I'm hoping that sewing for a while will help.  The little dolls can be very beautiful, and they are actually sometimes works of art.  This is where we are planning to take these to, the very edge of art.  I wanted to make them ceramic faces but that might make them too fragile.  The women they will go to don't need a doll whose face can be broken.   I'll be taking out the quilt to sew, too. 

Yesterday at the gym, I got to try to balance on a half ball.   I think I'll save that for later.  My knee's a little tender this morning.  It's been hard to figure out what to do about getting it stronger as both my internist and surgeonhave "nixed" even moderate aerobics at this time.  What's a Jock to do?!? 

Enjoy the arrival of Spring.. it's on the way!

It's Officially Spring in SoCal...

The "Carolina Cherry" trees are all blooming!

SoCal's Harbinger of Spring!  I'm no longer sure this tree is a Carolina Cherry.

And there is a boat load - well a dinghy load - of new green ware on my table

This doesn't bode well for advancing too far in the knitting, but I did get down a Nancy Bush book called, Knitting on the Road and picked out three patterns for the 10 sock kit thing.  Or was that 13?  *Throws up hands!*

So, back to ceramics.  I always loved playing in the mud.  My brother's Tonka trucks were always partly mine, to the chagrin of my mother and my poor brother.  We built Cities in the sides of the riverbanks with those trucks.  We had cities with Ponds and water systems.  Believe me it's only a very short, winding  path to ceramics from mud pies and mud cities.  Of course we made mud pies for our mother decorated with willow leaves. Today I went back for three more  greenware pieces- a giant Snail, Halloween tower, and a Fall Welcome sign to make during summer.  I'll show those tomorrow or Friday.

Bro and Sis and I feel we should have been born Zuni, or even Hopi.  That would have been more fun. After all, Life, with a capital "L" has to be fun, and making fun for others, including animals, should be a life goal for more people.  Making HUMUNGOUS stacks of dollar bills is a stupid waste of energy and tends to make a person mean.

My knee feels like it's been dancing the flamenco but really, it needs the workouts. But now it needs the rest, so Good night and sweet dreams! 

Rain, Flowers, and Wilson's Warbler in the Garden, Bits of Knitting Blah Blah

No Rants today, only beauty shots!

First Moarea Bloom of the Season

Mother's Pink Zygocactus has finally bloomed again.  I almost lost this Heritage Plant.

Tiny Wilson's Warbler Feeding on the Cape Honeysuckle.

Keeping an Eye on the Woman With the Camera

 

 

 

 

 

Knitting Report:
I am decreasing finally on the Baktus, and here we go to the home stretch. I've enjoyed knitting on the 16 inch needles which I thought might cramp my hands but didn't. I wouldn't like to knit something on them in the round though. Maybe I'll try a hat next, color work. Hahahaha!

I must now put the camera down, and get off the computer to put up the hoof before DH starts bellowing, bull like, in my ears. hee hee.. He just frowns at me and levels those "storm at sea" colored eyes to mine. He's got my best interests at heart, and it hasn't been 8 weeks yet so he has a point. Yesterday at PT was good for me but can my PT ever grind her strong small hands into my sore and tight quad. OUCH! But, I have got 123 degrees out of that knee! Yay!

Bye! Happy Christmas Shopping!

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.  

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!

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!

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.

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.

  

Answers to comments

Blogger doesn't play will with Word pad.  I have to clean this all up, therefore.  That is for after when my brain is cooled down a bit.  Why would anyone need a / in a br tag?  Boggles the mind.  br's don't need closing tabs!


"Yay! I'm so glad it went well! Good luck with the rest and recovery. Little Luann and I are sending lots of love.  TGL"

To TGL:
Thank you so much, and thank you to Little Luann, too!  Every day is like a leap ahead across the stones in a frog pond.  Not all fun, and maybe a little dangerous , but everyday we grow I O.  YippieYay!!     :+)  The kid in me is well pleased to think that there will be another chance at dancing in  the kitchen.  Wii!

"So glad it went well! I hope it heals quickly, too.  k"

To k:
  Thank you k.  My surgeon has the reputation of being somewhat of a genius of knee replacement.  His good work is roaring along to the finish line practically  hourly.  This is totally amazing DH an myself.   But, back to the leg.  It has gone all red, orange, yellow and purple, that formerly cranky leg, and with many colorful blisters, but in the end the knee will work well with it's sister limb.  So, then,  what's a little extra color in a life that's lived for it, eh?  ;-)  Ah, the colors of life make their appearance in frightful places!  Pond scum comes to mind when I look at that leg.


"Wonderful! Wonderful to hear you are on the mend. I get hallucinations from anethesia--Percocet? I just slept. (and how wonderful that yours were fun and enjoyable--i have a dark spirit, and mine are always scary!) Keep knitting--but keep mobile too! and feel better every day."


OfTroy, thank you,  I've been out and about the house with my walker, and I'm just getting my brain back enough to attempt to knit a Bactus scarf.  But where is that yarn I picked out?  :p  It's hiding from me! 
Oh yes, good old Percocet, in huge dosages, no doubt.  That can make for obsessive dark dreams, and did for me, too, but I just slept 2 hours in 48, so, not much time for dreaming but awake was rather nice. ;)  (@)^(@)
In the OR, RR and in the ward, they load you up with all sorts of anti nausea meds, so that the pain killer doesn't make you ruin thier best efforts.  Can't say I blame them, and happily thedrugs work well.  Sometimes I wonder if it's an extract or synthetic version of weed,.  But of course, I didn't like to ask that question though it has to be said, "Inquiring minds wish to know"! hehe


"I am so glad it all worked out so well. I kept you in my thoughts at #1 that entire day!  karatheredhead "

Kara, :-)  Thank you!   When I did manage to sleep, my dreams were all involving great dragons, and being chased through thickets where bones were being dug up.  Go figure!  After that a frieze of objects from the dungeoens lined the edges of my hopital table.  They were tiny and gorgeously detailed.  Isn't that cool?  I loved those.


"Good to hear from you, my friend. Your spelling isn't too bad, you just need another "L" in your hallucinations. :)  Suzi"


Lol!  Thank you Suzi, for all the missives of love and good will, and Peace messages.  They worked to get me down out of my tree over this multi colored leg. lol  And, I have resisted the temptation to change spellings, though DH may have done more  than just erase two whole posts.  He's a good Egg, and he's a very good Nurse.    I have no complaints, though if I even think of doing this again, I will seek psychatric eval. lol


Again, I want to thank you all very much.  I'm very grateful for your good thoughts and wishes.  It's working! 
As soon as these cuffs are off, I'm going on a yarn wramble to find that bactus yarn.  Rho told me to get it all together BEFORE hand, but I forgot to leave a trail of crumbs.

That crooked knee is gone part two...ooops!

This is a re-post of the original post about that crooked knee of mine.  Last night I'd had  a "brain in death spiral" posting. something unwise to do, as in TMI.  So, I ended up asking DH to delete that post, but he used the shot gun style of post deletion, bless his heart, and  collateral damage occurred.

So, here we go again, and I will answer all the comments in this new post. 

Original post:

"And good riddance!   Now it will be a nice straight leg like the other one.   My surgeons are to be praised to the higher heavens, as is the entire staff of excellent nurses and Aids that took care of me.  I had a wonderful roomie, who was just so much fun to be around.  We neither of us could sleep that first nght and stayed up all night talking!  She's just a great gal.   The next night I stayed up almost all night, trying the patience, I'm sure of the Nurses.  But I had the most amazing halucinations.  The pictures on the walls changed like a diorama.  If you can't sleep, at least you can entertain yourself.  The wonders of Percocet.

I can't thank you all enough for all the prayers and thoughts for DH and I.

I can't spell well, yet, either so this is going to be short.  It's being typed on the net book so it's a hassle.

Wolfie spent a day in Doggie day care so that he wouldn't jump all over my new knee, the first day home..  He is also all healed up, and has a bragging  scar now, too.  His wee scab hung on long enough for me to get snaps, and looked just like a tiny vampire bat, trying to fly away off of his head.  It was too cute!

In Hospital, you get this medicine that can give you halucinations.  (remember- I can't spell).  Well, my favorite one was of an Orange spider that only moved when I looked at it.  It would catch tiny things and eat them.  I thought it was probably a special guardian angel spider, but alas.  Both the P.T. and DH.could not see it move.   They thought it was only a very small spot on the wall.

Tomorrow I might get the staples out, and maybe a cane.  Yahoo!i"

Now, to pin the comments on this one: