New Dishcloths

We Love Reading

I love reading. Out of my four kids only one really loves to read like I do. This last week grand-daughter Jo was here and I took her to "the big library" or the liberry as she calls it. We had been to the small branch library by my house but this was the first time for her to go to the Central Library. It has two floors with stairs and an escalator. It has a large children's area. Every summer they have a children's reading club. Jo had a little catching up to do but while she was here we managed to read enough for her to get the first reading certificate. I am not sure who was more excited her or me.

Feeding the Ducks

Jo and I went and fed the ducks on Thursday. She at first said she was a little scared because she had never done it before. I told her she would love it just to remember to throw the bread. We did not want any fingers beaked. She was so excited. The ducks apparently were hungry and all came out of the water to her. She said she hoped to see some baby ducks but I told her that I did not know if there were any still around. We walked to the other end of the pond and there they were, a momma and her babies. Jo was so excited. She was hoping they would come closer but of course they didn't. We had a great time even in what was around 100 degree temperature. Good thing we did not know what the heat index was.

Middle Ground

There has to be some middle ground somewhere. I am one of those people who usually goes all or nothing. The back issues just never go away. After not doing my "stretching" exercises for a while I thought I really must do them. I mean really, the back thing is aggravating. I also thought I might as well start riding my stationary bike again. The last couple of years I have required more chocolate than I should have. Well you understand. So I went on the "I am going to get back to where I was and even better" routine. I added four more stretching exercises, ones that still would not cause a strain on the dumb OA in my back. That made about nine stretching exercises and then I added riding the bike. I decided I should ride a little conservatively so I only rode for twenty minutes at a medium pace. I was doing so good. I was so proud of myself thinking hey I can do this, I can "get back to where I was." Not quite two weeks later I started having this back pain. The stupid one that also makes my left leg hurt. Dang, dang, dang. I knew what was going on. When this happens the only thing to do is stop and rest. Dang. Rest. Yeah I can read, use the computer and knit but the whole time I am doing this there is still the stupid pain. When I went to the doctor yesterday I brought up the "back thing"..... again. So apparently now the stationary bike is off limits. Without support my poor little back just does not want to ride. This is now added to no stairs if there is an elevator available. I am also suppose to get a back brace support to help reduce the stress on my back. Apparently the pool is supposed to be the best thing for me right now. Not the swimmng but basically just walking in the pool doing laps like you would if you were a mall walker. So here is what I have decided. I am not going to "get back where I used to be". I have a new norm and I need to think how I can do what I want to do without wrecking myself anymore than I already have. I want to be able to play with the grandkids so if that means adapting I am going to do it. Now with my personality it will be hard not to do things that I want done because "if I do not do it it won't get done because no one else will do it". But here I am.

The Juice

What comes to mind when someone mentions "the juice"? OJ? Apple juice? Jo & Scout's favorite. Florida orange juice? For anyone who knows me "the juice" means my Remicade infusion. There are a lot a varieties of RA medicines. For me Remicade works very well. I get my infusion every two months. This last week I could tell it was very much time for the infusion. Sometimes I glide through those two months and other months I am dragging along and starting to ache and become creaky and stiff. This last week fell into the last category. My back, which always has issues, was worse. Even my knee and neck had gotten into the act. We have had a lot of rain lately and that seems to affect me too. Thankfully today was infusion day. Now I am set to go another two months. I am extremely grateful for "the juice."

Christmas in July

Last July when I was in Florida visiting my sister I made a Christmas stocking. I've posted before that the traditional stockings I have made have been out of flannel with assorted things sewn on the such as a sleigh, mitten tree, holly. They are trimmed in sequins and then hand sewn on the stocking before it is sewn together. My sister had sent me the cute stocking pattern that was actually in a Martha Stewart Living magazine in December 2004. It called for worsted weight yarn and size 6 needles. Picture #1. Ok, this was not fun. It worked "thickly". Then the pattern had some issues that did not seem to knit up correctly and I ended up making the heel and lower foot by adapting Yarn Harlot's sock recipe. I had wanted to make several of these but it was no fun. I also had purchased shall we say a gazillion skeins of red and green yarn. It all went in the closet. Then last week I got a new email from http://www.knittingonthenet.com/ . They have tons of great patterns. Listed was a stocking pattern by Barbara Breiter. Out came the yarn. The pattern called for size 10 1/2 double point needles. Amazingly I did not have those but of course had 10's so I used them. The only thing I did differently from the pattern was I made the leg a little shorter. This time the stocking was much more fun and I actually like the look of it better than the original. Picture #2. They look very much the same but the size 10 needles made the knitting so much easier. I might make a few more but not yet. I am still working on "New Soft Blankie" for Jo.

Tylenol Recall

Ok, here we go again. Another Tylenol recall. Tylenol is the only medication I can take that is compatible with the other medicines that I take for RA. So if I have a headache I cannot get rid of or back pain that is needing something Tylenol is the drug of choice. Well you don't want Vicoden all the time you know. So acetaminophen blends with my other meds. Dang, now it is being recalled again. I got a newsletter from Health Central. These are sent through www.MyRACentral.com a great and informative website. The newsletter listed the website to check on the lot numbers of any Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl products you might have in your cabinet. These include adult and children's products. Here is the website: www.mcneilproductrecall.com . Go check it out. If you are not feeling well you sure do not need to take something else that makes you feel worse. Get it together J&J. A lot of us depend on you.

Happy 4th of July

I am a little late on pictures of the 4th. I have sortof figured how to put them on the old computer but they are still not right. But I managed a few. Scout with her stand up hair after Dudley had kissed her. The girls riding their horses.We did a bunch of smoke bombs since Jo likes to run through the smoke. This year we combined some fireworks form last year, some from Uncle Daisey's house we found before he moved and some I found at my house while I was cleaning out from a couple of years ago. The pictures did not come out too well a little dark and blurry. Guess I do need a new camera. Jo learning how to play pool with TJ and both girls riding in the truck. Allison & TJ did a crab boil that included mussels, shrimp, crab, corn, and potatoes. It was fantastic. We had five kinds of dessert. Yeah we like dessert. It was a very fun day.

Two Of My Favorite People

Was going through some of my pix today and came across this picture of Allison & TJ. I just love this picture. Love ya'll!