Hindsight is 20/20

 I am really frustrated.  The sinus infection from hell has reared its ugly head again.  I was up at 2am dealing with the sinus infection. The decongestant took 2 hours to kick in so I could go back to sleep. It has caused me so much grief over the last year or so.  Not even the nasal surgery got rid of it.  I am currently waiting for the lab to figure out what bacteria this is so we can knock this thing out of my body for good.  

My advice to all my readers with chronic medical conditions is to ditch your doctor if they don’t take you seriously or refuse to treat a chronic condition.  If I had really not trusted my previous doctor so much and listened to my family this whole year or so from hell could have been avoided.  They had been trying to get me to switch doctors for a couple of years. 

I finally switched doctors and a lot of stuff that should have been part of my regular and routine care is getting done. The difference between my old doctor and new doctor is light years apart.  My new doctor may not have all the answers, but is willing to send me to the other doctors who do.  

Making Progress

 I got the all clear to resume normal activity at my post op appointment today.  So the first things I did was start a load of laundry and the dishwasher.  The dishwasher got emptied. The laundry is still waiting for me in the dryer.  It apparently was not the day to fold 2 loads of laundry.  

I also did a 5 minute Zenning project in the kitchen.  I pared down my measuring cups.  I have lost a lot of measuring cups over the years.  So I kept 1 metal and 1 plastic set of measuring cups.  The excess cups are headed to Goodwill.  I also have a set of glass bowls that have not been used for at least 10 years.  I had to face the fact that I just don’t bake as much as I use too. This might have something to do with kids growing up and moving out. So why waste the space.  My husband immediately put extra tea and coffee cups in the space.  So this is a massive win for 5 minutes of work.  The extra cups are no longer on the counter and the measuring cups are not falling down when I open the cupboard.  

The last of my Tour de Fleece yarn from Hilltop Clouds was washed and thwack.  It is now drying in the garage.  It will take a couple of days to dry due to high humidity.  My current plan for the yarn includes 3 different shawls.  One shawl for each stage.  Pictures once the yarn is dry.  

One Week Out

 I am 1 week out from surgery last Friday and am being to feel better.  I am taking less Tylenol. I am sleeping better.  My daily numbers are down.  Apparently pain and the stress that the pain causes make all numbers go up.  I feel like my old self joking around with my husband.  I am getting faster with my zingers. 

So as much as the first week after surgery was difficult for me, in the end run it was very good to get the repair work done.  Yes, I do for the most part consider surgery repair work.  I still have 1 week of resting to do.  And my 1st post op next week.  I am hoping that things are healing to plan.  

Today I managed to finish plying the last third of my Tour de Fleece yarn.  I even managed to work out chain plying on my Hanson e-spinner, I just wish my arms were longer.  I am almost finished with the brim on the hat that I started yesterday. This one will be a planed scrappy hat.  

At this time blogger is having trouble uploading pictures. I will post the hat to instagram.

Still Exhausted

 I am so over this recovery period.  The supplies that I thought would last for 2 weeks are almost gone.  I am using my last nasal spray. I have ordered another 6 pack which will arrive on Saturday.  I have lost my appetite and finding it hard to hit 20 grams of protein per meal. Not to mention eating my vegetables.  I am also tired of being exhausted.  

To end on a positive note. I completed one charity hat which is very bright and colorful tonight.  I cast on another hat tonight too.  I am only a few rows into the brim.  I am putting the shawl aside until I feel a little better.   I need quick fun projects so hats do fit the bill.  Also the clothing bank I knit for has promised they will find a head for every hat that I knit.  Today’s hat will show up in  tomorrows blog.  You have been forewarned that it is bright and colorful.  

The 5 Minute Rule

 I strongly believe in the 5 minute rule for doing larger cleaning projects. Since my surgery last Friday and my very obviously diminished supply of spoons, I have come up with a very effective variation of the five minute rule. 

It goes as follows. If I manage to get up from my very important job of resting I try to put a few things away.  While my tea is brewing, I put things away around the kitchen.  If I need to go to the back of the house for any reason, I try to return things to the back of the house.  If there is nothing to bring forward, I stop and try to un clutter an area for a few minutes. I find it amazing how much I can get cleaned up in 5 minutes.  

As usual the recovery is taking longer than I think it should.  Although it is going according to the doctor’s recovery plan.  As you know I hate the recovery period. 5 days in 9 to go for the hard core recovery. Then I will start to increase my activity.  

I have also started a new shawl. Hopefully I will finish the entire 100 grams of wool before I complete my recovery.  I am using a Zauerball. I find the Zauerball’s very fun to knit with. My husband thinks that I should choose a brighter color for the next one. 

Recovering Again.

 Going to through the lastest round of surgery recovery. I will be out of commission for 2 weeks.  So the usual restrictions.  Lift nothing over 10 pounds.  No bending over.  So it’s knitting, spinning and reading.  Resting as much as possible.  

The Streak - Day 2

 I am currently working through a weird streak.  Yesterday as you recall, I broke our coffee maker. According to Costco that model broke a lot. We did not even have to explain. Just show the paperwork work for the refund. 

Today was quite different.  While bending down to pick out my shoes for the day a closet clothing rack fell on my head. At least the clothes were soft. But the hangers did do a little bit of scratching.  So I cleaned off a couch. Then moved all the clothes to the couch.  Then I vacuumed up the mess. Cleaned my self up. Did my hair.  Had a very quick lunch. Started a load of laundry. Added water to the pool. Then went to have back to back lab studies done.  Then went to the grocery store where my discount card failed yet again.  I have signed up for that account at least 10 times.  But it’s always someone else’s fault that their discount card does not work as promised.  I re registered the dam app.  I think if it does not work this time I will send a note to the state attorney general’s office and complain about false advertising.  

The good part is that I found time to spin and relax.  After dinner I did some knitting   

Wish me luck that tomorrow will be a better day.  

A Busy Day

 Today was a day to get things out of the house.  We started out by dropping off 2 cubic feet of socks, hats and scarfs at Flowing Wells School District for their students.  The it was off to Costco to drop of a 4 month old coffee maker that died yesterday.  That was another cubic foot out of the house.  

Now on to the good stuff. We picked up 16 duck eggs from Lee Lee’s grocery store. If you are allergic to chicken eggs I would highly recommend trying duck or quail eggs. They might just surprise you.  We did one more pick up.  I left my husband to put everything away.  While I took a nap.  

Then after lunch I went through my piles of mail and packages that had to be sent out. I will have at least another cubic foot of mail leaving the house tomorrow.  

We are reclaiming space left and right.  Then Tuesday another 2 cubic feet will leave the house unless I can manage to get more stuff done and ready to leave the house. 

All of this would not have been possible without my husband doing all the driving.  If I use myspoons wisely I can get a lot done if I ask for help and take naps. 

I also had to add an extension to my current knitting project.  I also managed to get some spinning done too. 

A Healthy Dessert

 This healthy, two ingredient dessert was a childhood favorite of mine. It is simple to make. It tastes wonderful. Yes, and kids are sure to like it.  

Peanut Butter Kisses

1 small banana cut into slices.  You may substitute any fruit you like, just cut them into bite sized pieces. 

1 skippy peanut butter squeeze tube.  Or your favorite brand of peanut butter. You can even substitute with almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter.

1 dessert plate 

1 knife

I like to peel my Banana from the bottom, not the top stem. This makes it easier to peel. After peeling the banana. Cut the banana in slices. Arrange the banana slices on the plate. Squeeze a small dollop of peanut butter on each banana piece. Grab your fork and enjoy your dessert. 

This recipe is vegan. Can be made nut free. Is a very satisfying snack. It’s like eating candy, but healthier this serves O.N.E. adult or two children. Tell me what you think. 

This is an off-the-cuff blog tonight. So the plate is not very clean. It’s covered with peanut butter, but darn it was good. As you can see the dollops don’t have to be perfect., Yes, I do have the skills to make it very pretty. In a previous life, I taught cake decorating and was a professional cake decorator. However, I did not feel like making a pastry bag or finding a pastry tip to make them very pretty, I just wanted a quick bedtime snack. 

A Bumpy Day

 I made a very short to do list today by my spoonie standards.  I got half my list done by lunchtime.  After a small salad for lunch I thought it would be nice to close my eyes for 15 minutes.  Three hours later I woke up still feeling very tired. I made scrambled eggs for dinner  along with vegetables and honeydew melon.

I guess shopping at 2 stores and doing the driving in one morning is too much for me right now. I guess I still need help with the driving . Just when I thought I was finally getting my energy back.  My body decided it was in charge not my mind.  

In other news my dresses decided to get longer all on their own.  I see some hemming in my future.  

The Road to Recovery

 The road to recovery can be very bumpy.  This morning I was feeling very good. So I packed my car with shopping bags.  My first stop was Walmart where I picked up some Rit dye remover to try to fix one of my husband’s shirt that got some bleed over dye in the wash.  Yes, I had a fully saturated color catcher in the wash.  It is the first time in over a decade that the dye catcher did not pick up all the stray dye in the wash. 

Then it was off to Whole Foods to get some fresh fruit and goat milk yogurt. I got a treat for lunch too.  My husband graciously carried in the heavy bags and put the groceries away.   Then we had lunch.  I had planned to do paperwork and spin after lunch. Instead I spent the next 3 hours resting.  The morning activity had worn me out.  

I still do not have the stamina I had before I got sick in mid February.  Just walking around two stores and the house I managed to get 100 minutes in the Zone of moderate to vigorous exercise.  I have really got to figure out how to get back into shape so it is actually exercise instead of  just walking that causes an exercise heart rate. 

I am getting very tired of not being able to do much.  I am not a happy person right now.  My mind feels that I should be able to do more.  My body says no.  

Kitchen Confusion

 I think there is a lot of kitchen confusion in our local restaurants lately.  In the past 2 months I have had to send food back about 80% of the time.  The confusion seems to be what exactly is milk and what products contain milk.  So I thought I might try to clarify this for restaurants.  

Milk is Obviously milk, cheese, butter, cream, sour cream, yogurt and anything that contain those ingredients.   Your kitchen needs to know what contains milk.  Item that can contain milk are breads, coated French fries, almost all desserts.  Here is my plug to put fresh fruit on the menu for dessert. 

Milk is not mayonnaise, yes it is white but mayonnaise it is an emulsion of eggs and oil. 

For those of us allergic to milk we get tired of sending our food back.  Various reasons that I have sent food back.  My meal was coated with cheese, this is very common. Sour cream was covering my meal.  Butter was liberally applied to a milk free bun, not my meal.  My dry potato with chives on the side was covered with cheese and sour cream. My salad was covered with cheese and or sour cream.  

Now I always say I have a milk allergy and request that milk items be left off. I even go so far as to call them out.  I have done my part. Now it is time you do yours.   I even go to restaurant websites to see what is allergy friendly.  So I know what to order.  

By making my order right the first time saves you money.  It leaves me less frustrated.  You can also turn your table faster.  This all adds to your bottom line in a very tight economy.  

Breaking Things

 I thought I was only good with breaking electronics.  Well tonight I thought I broke the pantry door.  It just stopped opening and closing for me.  So it turns out my husband who just lays hands on electronics to fix them can also troubleshoot and fix pantry doors too.  No laying of hands though.  

First I checked all the hinges and they seemed to be in place.  So I could tell the door was not falling off the hinges. That hit my limit of door fixing. I can handle hinges. This was definitely not a hinge problem. So hat in hand I went to tell my husband that I had broken the pantry door. I told him that it was not the hinges. 

So he came out and double checked the hinges and said they looked fine.  He sent me for screw drivers and he got the flashlight because something on the floor looked odd. 

It turns out that a thumb tack landed on the floor earlier today and went missing.  I can tell you exactly where that stupid little thumb tack went.  Straight to the middle of the pantry door. Just in the right place to give a solid jam.  So with the screw driver he managed to get the thumb tack out. Other than the tile getting scratched everything is working and fine. 

The husband is a keeper.  I really wanted to throw the thumb tack out.  Since the thumb tack only annoyed us. Since we did not step on it, the thumb tack went back on the cork board. 

So how was your evening?

The Stasher Hat - Part 2

 The Stasher Bag hat was finally finished this morning. Boy were there a lot of end to weave in. That is to be expected with a scrappy hat. However I got the hat finished in time to make it to my dentist appointment on time.  I was very surprised that I had no cavities, I had a lot of jaw pain earlier this year for a health issue, so I assumed that I would have a lot of cavities.  

To celebrate, I went straight to the grocery store to buy some fresh fruit, a roasted chicken and purple potatoes for dinner.  Well I did buy 2 packages of cut up watermelon, of which one did not make it to the fridge. It was a light very late lunch.  It was my treat for the day.  I was debating between a cherry turnover or watermelon. The healthy choice won out.  

This was also my most active day since the beginning of February. If I can repeat this for a couple more weeks I would be elated.  

Tour De Fleece Part 2

 My spin for the second third of the Tour de Fleece is complete.  I finished plying and skeining the last 3 skeins tonight.  The last skein is chain plyed.  I am still not very good at chain plying.  I do however feel that it is passable.  In case you are wondering the chain plyed skein is the one on the left   I used a 1 yard knitty noddy on it   

Tomorrow I start the last section of the spinning.  With the daily spins compressed. This means that I will open more than one packet a day.  

Without further ado here is the second section of spun yarn.  I am getting a little more finished yarn than I thought that I would do so a shawl might be out of the question.  Or maybe multiple shawls is the best answer.  

The Stasher Hat

 The hand knit hat below was knit entirely with scraps of yarn that I put in the Stasher bag.  I started keeping the Stasher bag in my hat knitting bag.  Before I started using the Stasher bag I just dropped the tiny scraps of yarn in the of my bag.  With the yarn in the bottom of the bag I found it hard to find the right combination of colors for a hat like this.  

With the yarn in the Stasher bag, it holds a little more than enough for a hat.  It also has the advantage over disposable bags, in that it won’t fall apart and make an unintended mess.  Once this hat is finished I will start another hat and start refilling the bags with the next batch of bits and pieces.  

I bought this Stasher Bag. I am not receiving compensation for this post   

First Day Back

 Today was my very first day back at exercise since I got sick in mid February.  I did my elliptical for 20 minutes.  I did the elliptical until I got tired.  That took all of 20 minutes.  Then I took a 2 hour nap.  It’s a start.