A Bigger Gift Than I Thought

I had fun picking Christmas gifts this year. Even buying for Tim was fun. He and I both are hard to shop for. We have all the toys we need and are very picky about our tools. Well I got him different cool lights, just decorative fun ones for his office and I took a chance and bought him a new toolbox. It’s turned into a bigger gift than I expected.

Tim had very specific requirements for his toolbox, not too big, not too small, not too heavy, not too flimsy, etc and I got it right, amazing. Yay, he really likes it. What I didn’t anticipate was the “tool catharsis” this new box would cause. He has pulled all his sockets from the various places he has stored them and is sorting them and putting them on socket holders we have gotten since Christmas from harbor Freight. He has been reliving some of his past too as he sorts them. Some were from his Dad, and my Dad, both are passed. Some were from a shed he helped a co-worker clean out, they were her father’s. These socket are more than just tools, they are important markers of his past.

When I commented on how much space the tools were taking in the living room and how I don’t remember any other gifts causing such a commotion Tim reminded me of the jewelry chest he got me. I hate it when he is right, and boy was he right. Several years ago he got me a jewelry chest for Christmas. I rarely get rid of stuff and some of my jewelry dates back to my early teen years, just like Tim’s sockets. Well the jewelry chest was a lovely gift but it was so big we couldn’t fit in the bedroom. So I bought new furniture so I could fit his gift in. There were other reasons for new furniture but his gift was the catalyst. I wonder if any other changes are in store because I gave him a tool box.

Anticipation

My longest friend called me today, I don’t want to call her my oldest friend since she is not old but she has been my friend for over 20 years. She knows me pretty well and was calling to see how I’m feeling about my upcoming surgery. I told her I’m doing my best to ignore it for a few more days but it’s not working so well. Plugging my fingers in my ears and singing la la la just doesn’t push it out of my head as I go to my pre-surgery physicals, phase off my diet, quit taking my vitamin supplements, and start arranging the house and my studio for my incarceration.

I’ve done all that I can to get ready physically (diet 47lbs lost and exercise) and now I need to get my head ready. Nope, not gonna be ready. I’ll do it but I’m not looking forward to it. I’m not dreading it and I will do my best to go through it with an optimistic smile but SHIT I don’t wanna do it. Yes that was said in a whiny little kid voice. And it’s their (the doctor and the physical therapists) fault that I don’t want to. They made me feel so good, this is the best I have felt in years and I LIKE it. I don’t want to feel like crappola again.

But my left knee is painful all the time and it will be better after its fixed. Ok, fine, I’ll do it. But I won’t like it. There. Done.

I have this conversation with myself several times a day. No way to get better but go through it. Since there is no other solution I think I will try ignoring it a little more and focus on the fun stuff I’m doing between now and next Wed.

I don’t have any plans for today, just hanging out with my dog girls, maybe play in my studio. Then tomorrow I have Physical Therapy in the morning and I think I will go swim at the pool when I’m done and sit in the Jacuzzi. I love the water and I will have to keep my knee dry for 6 weeks or so after surgery. Ya that sounds good. Then I think I’ll meet Tim for lunch. It’s a lot easier to do that when I can still drive and walk un-aided. Then I’ll go by Macy’s and see what is on sale. That sounds just right.

On Friday Tim has the day off and we are going to pack up the trailer and dogs and go camping at Champoeg for the weekend. We have friends joining us, friends who don’t camp and one who has never had a S’more. We are going to fix that right up. We are bringing our bikes, yay! I can peddle around to my heart’s content (another activity that will be put on hold until I heal). We will also be celebrating our 30^th Wedding Aniversary! What a nice way to celebrate, I’m really looking forward to it.

Monday is more Dr stuff, physical by surgeon, pre-admittance to hospital, blech! So after I do that I’m going to go hang with my girls in Aurora, we'll eat goodies, kvetch and pretend I'm knitting. Tuesday is my vanity day, hair cut, pedicure all the things I want to have tidy so that when I’m feeling bad I won’t feel like I look bad too, silly me for sure.

Wednesday is surgery day and I will be at Legacy Meridian Park Hospital until Friday, please feel free to drop by. Becky Clayton ( a fellow fiber addict) is having her hip done the same time I’m having my knee so bring your knitting I’m sure one of us will be awake. Tim will keep everyone in the loop again and post to my FB page. He is so thoughtful. I will post again after all the hoopla and drugs fade away. I will be looking for friends to come keep my company while I am recovering and unable to drive. Please anticipate coming over to visit!

Exuberance

So far September has been a really good month. Tim and I went to Memphis to see our daughter and her family. I finally got to meet my youngest grandson, ok I saw him when he was born but now he is 4 and showing so much personality. Plus I got to hug my daughter (as much as I wanted) and laugh with Keith, my witty sarcastic and newly accepted US citizen son-in-law. Yay! We ate, boy did we eat, fabulous Gus’ fried chicken, breakfast at Brother Junipers, cooking an egg scramble with Lacee in her kitchen (her favorite meal) I loved cooking with her, but my favorite was the donuts from Gibson’s. At Gibson’s they accused us of being Yankees, we admitted to being first timers and the owner brought us freshly fried raised donuts with chocolate glaze. My eyes still cross thinking of it. Yummmmmy!

After we revived from our donut induced coma we went shopping at the Nike Outlet and the professional Beauty Supply. Then Lacee gave me a new do. She is more than ½ way done at cosmetology school. She colored my hair Wild Orchid and Magenta and did a beautiful job. Here I am sporting my new hair.

 I'm pink!

When we headed home we had a whole suitcase full of Nike gear. A big big thank you to Keith, he works at Nike and shared his discount us plus he handed us a big pile of shoes and clothes he gets as an employee. We brought home 6 pairs of shoes for our Oregon grandkids, 3 pairs of shoes for Tim and a really comfy pair for me. Then the clothes! I scored the most with 5 pairs of capris and yoga pants. In a size Extra Large!!!!!! I fit into Nike XLs; I remember a time not too long ago I couldn’t fit into a Nike 3X. I was so excited I bounced around their house in them.

Love my shoes!

This past weekend was a good time too. Tish came over on Saturday and I altered some of her dog showing clothing for her. Tish is Mila’s first Mom (breeder). She is going to bathe and groom Mila for me; we are talking about showing her next year. It was so nice, Tish hung out in my studio while I sewed, it was her first time in my world and she was oogling all my treasures. It was the longest I’ve ever seen her sit still too as we chatted and tried stuff on for several hours. So cool!

On Sunday I took Sarah and the 3 grandkids to Seaside. Seaside is not a beach that I go to often esp during the summer. It is a crazy busy beach, I normally go to the beach in the late fall or early spring and walk the dogs on an empty gray shore. Not yesterday, we hauled chairs, beach toys, snacks, clothes and towels for the kids all the way out by the water. We dodged dogs, toddlers, teenagers on beach bikes. The energy level on that vigorous beach was amazing. The grandkids were lying down in the shallow waves, or running and flinging sand and water with their buckets and shovels. Then of course we had to do the downtown carrousel and candy store. It took all of 2 minutes back on the road for them to sleep most of the way home.

And September is only half done, OFFF is coming up, and I have a grooming date with Tish and a sewing date with Nancy and our 30^th Anniversary to celebrate. Woo hoo, it is great feeling good. On Oct 15^th I am going to have my other knee replaced and will be looking at another recovery from surgery. You can bet your buttons I’m filling up the time between now and then with exuberance!

Endurance and Revival

I haven’t posted for a bit mostly because I wasn’t feeling very positive for several weeks in fact I felt pissy  and didn't feel justified in whinging all over you all. My knee was fine but I was so wiped out all the time. It was very frustrating, feeling good when sitting like a lump but not having any juice when I stood up. Ya, ya, I know, three surgeries in a month is enough to suck anybody dry but I was even too tired to read and daytime tv sucks so bad. I started watching Ancient Aliens. And I liked it….somebody save me. 

 

But this week I’ve got enough energy to wear out my new knee! Today it is sore from pushing at physical therapy and I'm happy about it. About last week I got some of my energy back. Not all, I still get wiped out but I can do stuff, yay! I can vacuum, I’ve finally been up to the barn and I can drive for more than an hour, I can cook dinner, and empty the dishwasher and best of all I can take a shower and not have to sit down immediately. I can even shop for a while without using an electric scooter.  My left knee (the one that isn't replaced) can't keep up with the new shiny right knee, I will have it replaced Oct 15th. (Here I go again, although it should only take one surgery this time.)

So to catch you all up on what I've been doing on the fiber/fabric front: since it was cool enough to get into the studio a few times, I made 2 pairs of bike type shorts. I took my favorite pair that was wearing thin, laid it on the fabric and cut around them then sewed ‘em up on my serger. Took less than an hour each, they fit great and cost 1 yard of fabric. Gave me a lot more confidence in my pattern making skills, making elastic waistbands and using my serger.

And I'm working on some really cool embroidered pictures from the classes I took with Judith Baker Montano at Quilt Knit Stitch two weeks ago. I'm working on two, a landscape and an underwater scene. Her method uses lots of layers. I still working on the backgrounds which use small light and uncomplicated stitches on top of the fabric shapes that define the landscape. I'll be adding many more layers of heavier stitches as I work to the foreground.

I Went to a Fiber Garden Party

Yesterday I went to a Fiber Garden Party, lots of fiber, spinning, and eating as is common with my  friends so of course it was a fun day! We gathered at Betty Neer’s home in Ranier. Her family has lived there since the mid 1800’s and played a large part in logging and developing the area. Her home is perched on a large rock bluff overlooking the Colombia River. She says the dirt is only a few inches thick but she has extensive gardens with some of the biggest dahlias I have ever seen. Betty maintains all the gardens herself. When she treated us to a tour of her home we got to see her indoor swimming pool, she says she works out an hour a day in it. I can believe it, she is a strong and interesting woman.

This Fiber Party was also Area 6010 of NwRSA’s quarterly spinning meeting so we had a little guild business to take care of, like electing an area representative. I volunteered to organize our meetings while Audrey Sinner volunteered to be Area Rep, Lyn Ward agreed to continue as our Alt Rep. Shelia January, Diane McKinnon and Marlyn Balzat volunteering to help with whenever needed we voted Audrey in. Yay .

With the business over we helped ourselves to our potluck lunch, salads, homemade pickled beets, squash casserole, deviled eggs, crackers with cream cheese and mango preserve, peach berry pie, and rhubarb crumble topped with whipped cream. Thus fortified we got to the meat of our meeting- the Fiber Garden Party.

Now what is a Fiber Garden Party you ask? We each brought at least 8 oz of colorful fiber, (most of us brought a lot more than 8 oz, a LOT more). It could be any fiber, coarse or fine, from batts to locks, wool, silk, Angora rabbit, mohair and camel. We took it out of various bags and basket, pulled it apart and threw it on Betty’s clean kitchen floor. Poor Betty, it was quite the mess.

We stirred up our big pile of fluff, roughly blending the wide variety of fiber and then we ran it through Shelia’s picker. Diane sat at the end of the picker with a gardening fork raking the fiber from the bottom of the picker into not one but two large garbage bags. We took turns pushing the picker.

 Each of us got to take home as much fiber as we brought. The intention is that it will be spun into art yarn, bumpy lumpy and full of color and texture but there is nothing saying that the fiber couldn’t be run through a carder to smooth it out. I can’t wait to see what everyone makes with it.