It's been a long couple of days. This is the first I've felt somewhat normal since Monday.
Tuesday was doctor day, long trip each way, then errands and home. He's given me a new med to try. I started it Tuesday evening and have felt pretty much a zombie until a few little bit ago. I could barely hold my eyes open and have slept most of two days away. I'm to try this drug for 4 weeks and if no change in my headaches, he gave me another prescription that I'm to start. I'll also be having a new MRI run in two weeks. My last was in 2013 so he wants to see if there are any changes.
We've had several days of late afternoon/early evening rainstorms, recently. I went out Tuesday (or maybe it was Monday) after one of them and snapped a few photos. I love the red veins that show on the mum in the bottom photo.
I've missed out on the Perseids. I'm hoping to be able to try tonight to see if they can be seen. I hope I'm not too late.
Tomorrow is the new moon and I'm looking forward to doing a bit of work. The last month I've been remembering who and what I am and doing the work that needs to be done. When I do, I feel like I fit in my skin again. For so long I've felt apart from myself, as if I didn't really belong in my body. That feeling is leaving now, a little at a time. If I persevere I know I'll get where I need to be when I should.
Well, I hope everyone is having a wonderful week. Do you have any big plans for the New Moon?
blessings
~*~
I took a little ride this weekend, about an hour away to a farm in search of fresh cut flowers. it was a complete bust. But it was a pretty day, the traffic wasn't bad and I saw some lovely sights. If only I'd remembered my camera.
I've been on a hunt for flower farms in the area. The flowers at the grocers are expensive and rarely in good shape and florists are just too costly. All I can find at the farmers markets are mixed bouquets. What I really want is to find something like they have in the big cities, the flower markets with tons of flowers, where you can chose how many of each kind.
I've really been inspired by people I follow on Instagram and how they use flowers as props, and make up their own bouquets. I've spent so much on flowers the past month or so. I must get to work on my little patio garden so that next spring and summer I can have lots of my own flowers to chose from. I also just love having flowers in around.
The above picture is of some small bud roses that I bought at the grocers for my ancestor altar.
I'm off to the neurologist tomorrow. I haven't seen him in over a year and half. Last I was there I was told they couldn't help me. I'm going to see if there is something new that I can try. The pain has become much worse in the past year. I really didn't think that was possible. I rarely go out around people because of how much pain I'm in. The other day I told my mum just how much pain I was dealing with. At this point I wish I still had the morphine, even though I was mostly comatose while on it. Hopefully, the good doctor will have something up his sleeve. (fingers crossed)
What are you up to this week?
blessings
~*~
Hi there. Yes, it's me. I have no idea why I haven't been here, or much of anywhere really. The photos above are some of the best of the few I've taken since December.
I'm slowly trying to make my way back into the world. Another hermit phase seems to be coming to a close, hopefully. I hope you have all been well. What's going on in your world? Any big gardens growing out there?
blessings
~*~
My first Thanksgiving hosting turned out wonderfully. The turkey was delicious and everyone loved all the food. My mum kept talking about how well organized I had everything and how it was all done "on time" and went so well. I think I've been designated the official Thanksgiving cook.
I have an admission to make, I'm a bit of an Instagram addict. I find myself reaching for my phone and Instagram app instead of my camera. When I started looking for photos for this post, I had a hard time finding what I wanted to share.
The bird bath has been full lately and I seem to get a lot of little visitors. When I go to the door to take a picture, they fly away. I was able to sneak photos of this guy at his bath. So cute.
My cactus is blooming! The last time it bloomed was in 2008. I'd say it approves of our new home. Looking at those blossoms makes me want more flowering houseplants.
Baking and making is going on here this week. I'm having some family over on Saturday for a visit and to see my new home. We're having snacks instead of a sit down meal so it should be pretty easy.
I saw my new Endo on Monday. My A1c had jumped quite a bit since the end of May and now I'm back on meds. He's also prescribed a new med and it is not pleasant. The tiny little pill is fine, except that it smells funny. However, the side effects are ugh... disrupted sleep, no appetite at all, tremors (which is really bad when I want to paint or sketch), and my head hurts more than usual. I could stand all the others, but that last one...living with a constant on the pain scale at 9 or 10 is one thing, but having the pain almost doubled, is miserable. I go back in two months, so I'll see if I can tolerate it.
I keep thinking of posts that I want to make that are concise and have themes, but I just keep rambling. Oh well...
I hope you are all having a wonderful week.
blessings
~*~
It's the eve of a holiday here in the US and I'm looking forward to staying in for the next few days to prepare for my family dinner. To make things easier on my brother and s-i-l we have our gathering on a separate day. They don't feel so rushed and stuffed that way. And it gives us more time together as they don't have to rush off to, or come rushing in from, somewhere else.
I'm hosting this year. It is the first year I've really had enough room for everyone to be comfortable and have felt like doing all the work. I'm pretty excited and starting to get a wee bit nervous. We'll gather on Saturday so I have Thursday and Friday to do prep work and figure out my plan.
This past weekend was kind of a blah time for me. I didn't feel well, at all - more than the usual aches and pains. I spent it resting with a bit of crochet (I'm learning via YouTube videos) and watching sports and shows on Netflix. I'm still working my way through the second season of The Following and have just discovered Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch. The only thing I really did was to start a batch of vanilla extract. The bottle I brought back from Cancun is almost empty and it is the best vanilla I've ever had. I've heard that it is very easy to make, so I'm trying. I hope my current bottle will last for two more months.
Monday was a soak in the sun with a cup of tea day, planning menus and making grocer and errand lists, and general piddling around the house.
Tuesday was errand day. Mum and I went to a warehouse shop to pick up bulk items for our three households. After a late start, we were starving just after finishing that shop so she treated me to lunch.
We headed off to a few more shops after lunch and then a visit with a friend who lives in her neighborhood. I'd forgotten to take my earplugs with me and all that noise from the shops, traffic and restaurant was just horrid. After that, I still had the grocer to get through - it took two hours. Yes, the grocer was so packed it took two hours for me to get everything and get checked out. I was so happy to get home to the quiet!
This morning I headed to the farmer's market to pick up my turkey (you can see part of him in the last photo). I also found some pansies (to replace my poor fading mum at the front door), sweet potatoes, granny smith and pink lady(?) mountain apples. I also treated myself to a nosegay. I just love those.
A quick stop to visit with a friend and my two favorite littles, who aren't so little anymore! Then another run to the grocers for broccoli, since the farmer's market didn't have any. And now I'm home. I hope to not have to leave again until Sunday.
I've been functioning today on less than two hours sleep. Every time I'd start to doze off, I'd hear someone call my name loud and clear as if they were right by my ear. My eyes would pop open and I would be wide awake. I never did see or sense anyone nearby and heard nothing else. I was up and down, surfing on the net, or reading. After my second round of lying there for over an hour trying to fall asleep, I got up and worked in the studio for a while. Even that didn't stop the name calling.
It was very cold and rainy when I left this morning and throughout my errands. About an hour after I made it home, the sun broke through the clouds. I've become a bit obsessed with the sky here. At the cottage, there were so many trees around that I could really only see sky just over the cottage and the back garden. There are so few trees here and all of them on the fringes of the complex so there is lots of open sky to view. My instagram addiction is in full force and lots of sky shots show up there. Anyway, while the sun was out I went out back to take a few pictures, just playing around. I heard the strangest sound coming from the pond area. Peeking between my fence slats I found the strangest looking bird. I tried to get a few photos of it through the fence but couldn't tell what it was. So I opened my back gate just a bit (so as not to startle it off) and found that bird in the third photo. Then I saw the bird in the fourth photo. I was pretty sure the second bird was a crane or a heron, but that first one was a complete mystery. Thanks to google, I found that the blue bird is a Belted Kingfisher and the second bird is a Great Blue Heron. I just love the wildlife around here. Now if I could just spot some deer, I'd be thrilled! Though, I think there are too many people and dogs around for the deer to pass through here.
Well, I didn't mean for this to be a long post, but there you have it. This is what my week has been like since my last post.
I hope those of you who celebrate the US Thanksgiving will have a wonderful holiday tomorrow. And those of you who don't, have a wonderful regular day. :-)
I think it might be time for a nap.
blessings
~*~
I've been wanting to get here for several days, but haven't been able to find the words I wanted to share. I compose so many posts in my head, yet when I sit down to type one up, all the words disappear. A wonderful friend from RTR suggested one of those recording programs for the computer. I'm seriously considering it. Whenever I think about them or see them advertised, I think about Adama from Battlestar Galactica (the original) and how he would talk into a device and it showed up on his computer screen. I thought that was just the neatest thing back then.
I've been very busy, playing in my studio or around the house. Mostly working in the studio on cleaning out tubs of possessions. I found some wonderful photos that I'd forgotten about; lots of yarn; old and worn clothes that I had set aside to turn into something else; even two old smocks and an apron that had belonged to my Grandmother. The smocks are too small for me, but I can and will wear the apron. I'm playing hostess quite a lot over the coming months and I will feel her with me as I work.
I cast on a hat to give as a gift this year. I'd made The Vermonter once before, last year I think it was, my first hat. It went so smoothly this time and only took about six hours total. I'm sure many people could have done it much faster, but I'm a slow knitter. I'm finding myself unable to just sit and relax. I seem to constantly need to be doing something with my hands. So I've pulled out the knitting needles again. If I'm not knitting, I'm playing in my sketch book.
Double chocolate chip cookies, frozen dough. They were okay. I miss homemade and will have to work it in somehow to make some cookies soon.
The art is a mixed media piece I finished. I haven't figured out a name for it yet. But I am pretty happy with it. I have started two more and have also been working on some pieces I'd started over a year ago and just left undone. I am so enjoying letting my creativity come out.
Well, I'll be off to the studio now, with a quick stop in the kitchen for some breakfast. I hope you have a wonderful day!
blessings
~*~
ps...I'm trying this new format of photos first then writing. What do you think? Do you like it better with the pictures interspersed with the words or separate?
