Slow Going

I was hoping that my hand would be fully functional by now. Not quite. If I over use it, I take backward steps. So I am slowing things down and not rushing things.  I am still at baby steps. 

Baby Steps

I am making very slow but steady progress with my hand post surgery.  Tonight at dinner I managed to use a fork in my left hand for the first time since surgery. It was so nice not to have to worry about the food going every which way. I also used less napkins too. My hand was sore for a couple of hours, but no pain no gain.  

Eric also let me bring weaving into his room this afternoon. I made it 3/4 of the way through a mud rug before my hand needed a rest.  The mud rugs seem to serve two purposes right now.  The first is that it is keeping my hands and mind occupied. The second, that it is using up some hand spun yarn that is not soft enough to go next to the skin, but that I do not have enough to weave a full sized rug or a full set of placemats with. This is a very portable weaving project.  Did I mention that I also get to show off one off my cool handmade baskets too. I did not weave the basket, but it was made by another artist. 

I know that I should be sleeping now, but I woke up at 2:30 am with the headache from he double toothpicks.  As I am writing this I am waiting for the aspirin to kick.  I am also enjoying the rain and lighting show.  We are approaching the 3/4 of an inch mark since the rain started around dinner time last night.  

The Bumpy Road

This has not been the month that summer dreams blossom around here. The road to recovery has been very slow. My hand is still not healed enough for therapy to start. It seems to me that I just finished therapy for the car accident in December a few weeks ago, and here it is the end of July and I am waiting to begin again. Patients is not my virtue this month, I want my hand to be all better and to start knitting and spinning again. I find that I can do about 30 minutes of weaving a day. Hardly enough time to get my 35 grams of fiber per day. Heck, I would even settle for being able to fold laundry again.

Between Eric being sick and staffing shortages at Eric's day program, Eric has been home all but a few days this month. He will also be home the rest of this week and into next week. If you know anyone who would like to work with Eric and his friends please give them the information in this link. Taglit Day Program, Eric and his friends like to have a good time as they explore the world around them. I am also not sure who has the most fun, the staff or the young adults. You would also be doing this mom a great favor.

Well tomorrow is going to be a very long day. I need to unwind before bedtime.

Breaking the Rules

Today I tried a different way to finish warping my loom.  I have always struggled to get the warp tight and even. I have been taught to warp from the outside to the middle and keep adjusting the warp.  It is very hard on the hands.  So I tried wrapping from the center out. It was easier on my hands. I also did not have to do one adjustment to the warp. I am also getting a better weave. I think it will be a good way to continue to break the rules.  

No More Stitches

The good news is that the stitches came out today. The so-so news is that my hand needs more healing time.  The not so good news is that my hand needs therapy to get my hand in better shape. Knitting and spinning are still on hold until my hand feels better.  Although I can do as much weaving as I want.  John and Eric are happy with the weaving because I will use yarn faster.

So my plan is to take the small loom when I go hang out with friends and use the new bigger loom at home. I don't want to put extra strain on my hands right now. I am a little sad because this is my peak hat knitting time for the Flowing Wells School District Clothing Bank and I can not knit the hats I so love to knit for the kids. If you knit or crochet I ask that you consider making 1 or 2 hats for the kids.. They need sizes from preschool through high school. A lot of the kids come from very low income homes.  You can drop the hats off or mail them to the Superintendent of the school district at the main office.  Other new clothing items and school supplies will also be accepted. 

My Wall

Today I hit my wall.  There is not a break in sight until August 5th.  Eric is home the rest of the week. I am hoping that with the stitches coming out tomorrow that things might ease up a bit.  I am not sure how long it will take for my left hand to be the new best it can be.  To cope I did a lot of weaving and 1 handed cleaning, I am not sure why this helps but it does. I will make it through this 5 minutes at a time.  

Teri Got a Book Published

The first thing that I would like to say in this blog tonight, is that if you don't want to read about a very proud mom bragging about her child come back tomorrow.

Now that that is out of the way, let me get on with being a proud mom. This is Teri's first published book. Teri and her former boss Art Neill have finally had their book published. Don't Panic; A Legal Guide (in plain English) for Small Business and Creative Professionals. You can get it in paperback and on Kindle. A link is on the side of the blog post. I am not awake enough to embed the link in the text. It is written for creative types like me. Because I could not say it better, I am using Amazon's description of the book.

"Don’t Panic! will prepare you for potential legal issues you'll encounter as a creator or entrepreneur. Whether you are a small start-up, a musician, an author, or publisher, this handy, how-to manual will be a useful resource. The book covers a range of legal situations that may arise, from the inception of your business, or the creation of your work, to that dreaded moment (that hopefully doesn’t happen) you get a nasty lawyer letter for the first time. While this book is not a substitute for legal advice, it can serve as a valuable guide to preventing and resolving legal issues. The book is organized to help you quickly jump to specific information that will help you through that stage of your work. There are short, straight to the point summaries throughout called “The Bottom Line” providing the essentials you need to know. You’ll learn how to form your business, protect your intellectual property, understand E&O insurance, and avoid problems when launching an App or internet-based service. Often, you can take a few simple steps upfront that will protect your business or creative works, and ultimately save time and money down the road."
It would also make a great gift for the artist or new business owner in your life.

I do apologize for my readers outside of the United States. Teri and Art are licensed to practice law in California; therefore all of the information in this book is based on the laws of the United States and California. There should be similar resources in your own country.