My Left Thumb!

Will I ever learn!  

Never, never knit to a Christmas deadline!

During the Stay-cation with my grand dogs I set a goal to finish the two kid sweaters I am trying to complete for Christmas.  With hours and hours of knitting time available, I felt this goal was do-able.  After all - my grand daughter's sweater just needs two short sleeves and 3 buttons.  My grand nephew's top down sweater was almost to the point where you split out for the sleeves.

And I have 10 whole days available!!  I can do this!!!

Sadly, my left thumb feels different.  For me lots of knitting does not create over-use problems in my hands.  I feel lucky ... especially when reading about the repetitive use injuries of other crafters.  But my grand nephew's project requires more left thumb effort than normal.  My thumb is a little cranky right now.

Photo Credit: Ravelry.Com
Designer's sample

The pattern is called Miracle Sweater by Nicole Montgomery.  I love the gender neutral look of the garment, the dense feel of the fabric created, the jacket-like style, and the unique stitch itself.  I also love that the proceeds of the purchased pattern are donated to a charity.

Up close Twisted Basket stitch pattern.

The first thing I noticed was that although the stitch was uncomplicated to create - for some darn reason "unknitting" the stitch (a function often needed to correct mistakes) was difficult to do.  I did several gauge swatches - to get gauge - but also to learn and practice unknitting the Twisted Basket Stitch so I could fix errors when they occurred.  I never reached a level of comfort in that unknitting effort for this stitch (actually not one single time.)

My progress to date.  Sleeves will need to be picked
up and knitting at some point.

Regardless, I was not deterred by that failure.  I started the sweater anyway, determined to avoid mistakes.  I, of course, made a mistake within the first 5 rows of the woven pattern and made the problem even worse trying to correct it.  So I ripped out those 5 rows and started again - learning from that mistake, convinced I would, at least, not repeat that particular error again.

And I didn't.  I made a different mistake!  You see, the stitches are stacked on top of each other in a very specific order.  Within 5 rows I made a stacking mistake - and one whole row along the back between the sleeve sections - was wrong.  And it clearly showed!  I couldn't unpack even a single stitch successfully and now I had a whole row of stitches that were wrong.  Damn.

So I made a creative decision to hide that row of errors under the generous collar by tacking the collar down so the wrong row can't be seen.  It was an option I considered before I made the error because the collar had a lot of "bounce" in it and probably wouldn't rest easily on the shoulders when worn without tacking.  Now that decision was finalized and it killed two birds with one stone!  Excellent!!

Second problem solved (without ripping out my progress.) I plowed on.

But there are limits.  At this point, if I cannot fix or hide an error that can only be corrected by ripping out, I will stop this project and choose another pattern ... I don't want to start completely over.  Finding this pattern took a lot of time at the beginning.  And I still like it.

When the third error rolled around (surprised? ... not me) I somehow miraculously managed to de-construct the stitch - and mostly get it right.  Right enough to be acceptable to the casual eye.  Not perfect, but acceptable.

Is that the end of the errors knitting this beautiful stitch?  No chance - the risk is still very very much there.  But if I can avoid the blinding frustration that grows with each error maybe I can avoid pitching this project deep into my trash can.  It wouldn't be the first time I pitched yarn, a partially complete project and the pattern into the garbage.

I secretly planned to maybe make this same sweater for my grand daughter at some point.  I really love the look of the stitch, and I love my grand daughter beyond all measure, BUT, no second sweater in this pattern for me - I also love my left thumb because without it - knitting would be very very hard.

Finally, there is one other small problem with this stitch.  Besides eating up a lot of yarn (which I was prepared for), it eats up lot of time.   A . LOT . OF . TIME.  In the picture above, the middle white markers show where I began 5 days ago.  Each day was about 4-5 hours of knitting.  That is 20 to 25 hours of knitting on a child's size 3T sweater.  While I was knitting the gauge swatch I could see it was time consuming - but I figured that as I got better with the stitch, I would get faster ... and I did.  But now I see how grossly off I was on time needed.  I still have 4 inches of body to do beyond the lower edge - and 2 full sleeves!

When I researched this pattern in Ravelry I saw comments like "beautiful," "worth the effort," "heirloom piece," and "appealing."  The other observations were "tedious," "time consuming," "patience needed."  All the statements are true.  My mistake?  I put more importance on the positive statements rather than the negative ones.

And my thumb?  It cramped a bit this morning.  A sign that I am pushing it too much?  You betcha!  So today I am blogging about knitting and not knitting - giving this vital appendage of my body needed for knitting - my left thumb - a day off!

Did you know that if you are a touch typist like me - 

the left thumb does absolutely nothing when typing? 

Ha!

Stay-cation with my grand dogs

Well, here I am on another Stay-cation with my grand dogs ... and extended 10 day stay-cation ... and I am on day 5 as I write.

On a previous stay-cation with my furry grand babies I waxed poetic on how restful and free these stays are.

He is a little large to sit on my lap, but his head fits just fine.

Liv is even larger.  She seldom sits by me, except for the first 24 hours when she is feeling a
bit lost by the absence of her owners.

I sleep at my son's house, I stay until about noon each day, when I drive to my home (about a 20 minutes away) to check in on my husband and to see he has dinner - then I return back to the dogs around 5 or 6 to spend the evening till noon the next day.  During these times, the only things scheduled are making these trips, making dinner and maybe a load of laundry.  The rest of the time is mine.  Knitting, binge watching TV series and dog love.

Except this time!

We have had a few problems medical problems - dog medical problems - this time.

Olivia, Liv for short, takes these absences of her family very personally.  She is a rescue.  She has abandonment issues I am sure.  She gets diarrhea - sometimes bloody diarrhea - when her owners are absent on trips.  This time it was 'normal' diarrhea, because they started her on medications before they left - and - also an additional medication should it be needed.  It was!  This problem is under control and she is adjusting.  She loves grandma (me).  But I am second best.  She can take second best when she has no choice.  On a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being a scuzzy scum-ball of a human who hates dogs ... I will be raised from my normal position of 2.0 to 1.5 by the time her 'parents' return.  She is also the smart dog.  Very very smart.  Scary smart.  So I will never be #1 because she will never forget her resucers!  My son and daughter-in-law.  She will never be abandoned again.  If something should happen to my children - I would take her!  But she doesn't know that.  Poor baby.  I am happy with being 1.5 in her life for this 10 days.

Now, Rags!  The total opposite of Liv.  He has never been abandon.  In fact, my son paid thousands of dollars for his little butt from the breeder - his little English Bull Dog butt!  He is a lot of things:  very self confident, very energetic, very determined, very stubborn, VERY Bull Dog!  Except that as a full blooded English Bull Dog, he comes with all the typical inherited English Bull Dog medical issues.  I arrived 5 days ago to dog sit.  He was fine.  Three days ago he was licking his paws.

The start of a swelling in his left foot between the toes.

I noticed a swelling between his toes on one foot.  He has had these before, Interdigital Cysts.  I also noticed that one of the face wrinkles was red and weepy - and not a pretty color when spread open.  Two days ago I got him into his vet - a family vet who knows us well.  Three feet had cysts - one foot was infected and his wrinkle was infected.  We left with an antibiotic shot - good for 2 weeks - ointment for the toes and face and instructions.  Orders to return in a week.  Today things look little better, but one of his feet had some bleeding.  It has stopped now but ...

So here is what he looks like when I am gone - visiting my husband!  Pretty sad!

It is the only way to keep him from licking his toes in my absence.

And when I return - there is much joy!

They have a very large fenced in yard where they can safely
run and be crazy.

So this Stay-Vacation has included some nursing duties!  Good thing I have previous medical training - and I am not shy of diarrhea, blood, or icky green fluid build ups in a facial wrinkle.  And I am as determined and persistent as he is ... He sees me coming with tissues and he knows its wrinkle dab clean up time - and he goes in the other direction!!  Ha!  Grandma the enforcer is on the job!

Where do I rate on that 1 to 5 scale with him?  Remarkably I am sitting in #1 right now.  He is a smart bulldog - a fact he keeps hidden.  He is a forgiving bulldog - a fact he demonstrates all the time.  He is not worried about being abandoned.  He doesn't even know what "abandon" means.  He looks better today!  'Looks' are all I have to go on - because he acts very self confident, very energetic, very determined, very stubborn, VERY Bull Dog - even with his problems! Haha!

I know I will slip to #2 when his mom and dad return.  I am ok with that.

A Solid #2

That's me!

Picture a Prairie Dog

I seem to have fallen into another blogging slump.  

I guess my writing mojo just becomes dormant with some regularity.  

I have come to see this behavior as "learning" and "accepting" things about myself

 rather than a fault or lack of consistency!

Ha!  

How's that for talking my way out of something
 I characterized as a failure
in the past!

The slump is not over, but as I trek a round reading and commenting on the blogs I follow, I realize that connecting occasionally with my own blog is probably a good idea.

Like the Praire Dog that pokes his head out of his hole to take a look around ... this post is my head poking out.  Consider it a mini update and an indication that I still live!

1. I am fine.  Not moody or depressed or over busy.  Just not blog inspired.
2. I am still knitting like a banshie.  Christmas is coming and my gifts need to be completed.  Next year - if I am crazy enough to insist on knitting for Christmas - I am NOT going to use those fingering weight yarns no matter how alluring or temping the project appears - sport or worsted weight knits up so much faster.  Pictures of finished projects will take their place in their own blog posts at some point in the future.
3. I made another trip up to Long Island with my sister to visit my mom's friend who is 94 years old.  She is still mentally pretty good and the trip was great fun.  She is plagued with some medical issues, but her brain still seems to be working just fine.  This trip left me pondering if I could choose only one life status in my very senior old age which would be better: mental alertness or physical well being.  A remarkably few people have both in their 90s so it stands to reason I won't be one of the "very few."  In fact, if personal family history is any kind of predictor, I won't have either one.  Could it be a kindness to one's self to not mentally know your are physically failing - rather than witnessing the total disintegration of your physical self - while your alert mental self watches?  Ugh! That is pretty depressing now that I think on it.  Better start pondering something else - like when does "Dancing With The Stars" return to TV.  I feel better all ready!  
4. My grand daughter continues to grow in leaps and bounds.  A joy to all my senses!  These first two years in a child's life are just miraculous.  Looking back one year ago - the changes are amazing.  It may be time for another grand daughter post.
5. My exercise mojo has its ups and downs as well.  My left knee (surgery 2017) gets cranky at times.  The heat here is brutal - thank you Climate Change.  And my very expensive (but old) walking shoes don't seem to be giving me the support I need anymore - resulting in sore feet if I am standing too long.  I can fix the shoes and will do so this month.  Just wish they didn't cost $150.   The weather should break positively starting next month - and if I ice my knee before and after walking, it is manageable.  I even re-joined the senior gym so I could use the treadmill (which I hate with a passion.). The facility is air conditioned, new and cheap by gym standards so my excuses are pretty few for not going.  So "struggle" is the right word to describe my efforts to stay reasonably fit.
6. Eating wise - this is my absolutely favorite time of year.  Produce is flavorful and abundant.  Some meals I just eat vegetables.  So good.  And my very favorite is corn on the cob and tomatoes.  I think I could live on just those two things alone.  Throw in a few garbanzo or kidney beans and it would probably be pretty healthy as well.  And coffee.  Need my coffee.

So ... there you go!  All caught up on my boring life!  And just to clarify ... boring is A-OK for me.  I have lived a long enough to have had my share of "events."  I discovered that is better to figuratively live in the middle path of life rather than to soar high and sink low.

Back again when my mojo returns or a "prairie dog poke out" seems appropriate.

Time to look Up rather than Down

Why is it that looking "Down" is so much easier than looking "Up?" 

Is it a matter of habit or is it just human nature?  I find its too easy to look 'Down' into the daily frustrations of the current political scene, into the daily challenges of caregiving (for the third time in my life), into the realization that the plans I had for my own retirement are far from the life I live now.

It is crazy thinking to look Down when Up is so much better.  I am SO really blessed at this stage of life.  Time to make a list and post it somewhere (oh, yes ...  that's right - I have a blog!!) where I can page back and remind myself of one simple constant truth:

My blessings are someone else's strongest desire!

So here goes my Up - (in no particular order.)

• I am 72!  Yes, I am grateful for that.  The other option doesn't appeal!
• I am retired!  That condition is not a given for everyone.  I would enjoy being completely retired (retired from cooking, house cleaning, laundry - opps - look up, up up!  Looking up ... I don't work!)
• I am comfortable in retirement.  No need to baby sit every penny or eat hotdogs instead of steak.  (Of course I prefer chicken and fish ... but you get the idea.)
• I have a close immediate family that is a regular part of my life - not geographically or emotionally distant.
• I wear the title of Grandmother proudly!!  An Alpine-level size Up.  
• A husband.  A life partner - of 52 years duration.  While he adds to my stress at times (like all spouses can do) he is in relatively good health and still standing by my side.
• I am healthy.  God knows ... No serious life threatening illnesses.  For my age and my "on-again off-again" focus on health - it is remarkable that the expiration date on something in this body hasn't come due.  (Excuse me while I find some wood to knock on.)
• I have friends of long and short duration.  I must not be too much a drag on them - as they keep coming back!! 😀
• Hobbies and interests abound.  I'd be lost without knitting and reading. Thank God for my hands and my eyes. 
• My blog ... where I can dump thoughts that rattle in my brain and then pop out like a "Jack in the Box" explosion of angst (like my Democratic Debate Post - opps - looking down again - look up, look up!) 
• Death and loss has been a rare visitor in my life.  
• My husband's disability has prepared me to stand independently if I should be left widowed.  No excuses like 'my spouse handled that.'  (How's that for making lemonade out of lemons.)
• Downsizing a life is in my rear view mirror!  My condo doesn't require a large expenditure of cash or life energy to maintain.
• Finally, I have my brain ... a major plus, having watched my mom's brain slowly and painfully disintegrate into nothingness ... until it finally snuffed out her life.  Dementia runs in my family.  That is a genetic pre-disposition bullet I hope to miss.

Sure, I fret about not being able to travel, or participate as a couple in some activities we used to take joy in, or even go to the movies without feeling guilt about my husband left at home.  But would I change any of the above pluses for yearly vacations, broadway shows,  beach trips or hiking adventures?  No ... I really do have more than my fair way share of good things. 

AND I am ever so grateful that while looking 'Down,' in the past ... nothing on my 'Up' list disappeared yet.  I know that at my age, big changes can naturally be expected on that list ... but for today ... which is all any of us have ... it is all good!

Do you ever do that?  

Look Down too much rather than Up.  

Or am I the only one who has to make a list and post it somewhere
 so that my aging brain doesn't get stuck

 in Down mode rather than Up mode?

Anonymous - PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE

Hello blog readers.

I think I need to alert some visitors to my blog about my personal practice of handling "Anonymous" comments.

In the near future, I will stop accepting Anonymous comments. I think I have 2 "real flesh and bone" readers who comment that way.  But because of the bad behavior of a "few" - I will be ending that option in the next month or so.  In April, while I was participating in the A-to-Z Blog Challenge, the number of Anonymous comments jumped dramatically.  I guess that level of exposure to the internet opened me up to more JUNK comments.

Since the Challenge - I checked out the Anonymous comments regularly - deleting almost all.
Unfortunately the Anonymous comments have continued to grow in number and as a result, they eat up more time to sift through.  I don't regularly review them now.  I just delete them without opening them.  Sometimes when the onslaught of Anonymous comments are fewer - I will open them - but generally I don't - they go right to Trash.  So if you are an Anonymous commenter and your comments didn't show up - sorry - it is becoming just to hard to find the real visitors from the "fake" ones.

Anonymous commenters - please find a way to set up a google account that will allow you to comment with an identity.

If you do comment and do not use Google as your platform - and your comments typically get through to my blog - because you identify yourself in some manner - please share your method with others in your comments today.  I hate to block regular readers (and sometimes commenters) by taking away the Anonymous option, but it will come to that at some point.

Thanks.

Democratic Debates

I generally keep to the premise that my blog should be politics free.  Politics like religion has a tendency to polarize people.  When these topics are discussed, it often leads to "I am right and You are wrong" black and white kind of thinking.  So I have opted to keep my personal opinions about religion between me and God - where they should be, and maintain a mostly a-polictical stance by registering as an Independent and stepping out of the loop of political discussions in all settings.

Oh, make no mistake, I have very strong opinions about both - but until recently I felt my own peace-of-mind was more important than trying to sway others to my way of thinking on either of these topics.

Now ...  here I am - talking politics with these questions.

Did you watch the first two Democratic Debates this past week?

What did you think?

Is there a candidate that can challenge our current wreck of a president

 and bring our country back to sanity? 

I watched both nights.  I know these are 'early days' in the election process.  But the issues facing us are gravely important.  An attack on our democracy from the inside out is happening every single day.  We must right our course as soon as possible.  Another four years on this self destructive path may damage us permanently.

My goal in watching the debates was two-fold:  Who the heck are all these people AND, most importantly, is there a candidate among them that can confront and stop the re-election of the worst President in our history?

You will notice that I said nothing about their policies.  Sadly, we have moved away from that kind of intelligent discussion.  It isn't about the issues any more for most of us.  It is about selecting a leader who will not be an embarrassment on the world stage, who will recognize our international friends and enemies without Cliff Notes, who can speak with intelligence and in complete understandable sentences, who gives thought and research to issues before Tweeting his mouth off, who will respect our democracy, our constitution, our laws, our institutions, and ALL human beings.  We have none of that now.

That was what I was looking for.  Was there someone like that on the debate stage?

There were several candidates I thought could do the job, had great ideas and could be groomed to demonstrate the qualities I listed!  But there was only one who I believe would remain cool under the sizzling glare and auditory assault of Trump that would shower down on them in the campaign ... only one who might be able to turn the tables and make Trump look even more foolish than he is now.

My pick is not the front runner - Joe Biden.

Joe Biden - is a likable, well known, knowledgeable and a courteous gentleman.  We hunger for those qualities in our leader - after 3 1/2 years of Trump.  However, Trump will walk all over Biden in the campagin.  Our electorate has become more combative and argumentative under Trump and would probably see Biden's positive qualities as weaknesses!  I guarantee Trump would hammer that assessment over and over again into the electorate's psyche until voting day (and after, remember "Crooked Hillary?"  We will ever get passed that!!)  Don't get me wrong.  I would be thrilled to see Biden win a general election but I don't think he could win against Trump.  I also believe that although Biden looks good for his age, we need the energy and focus of a younger leader.  As one debater repeated several times - It is time to pass the torch!  I agree.

My pick is Kamala Harris.

I think Kamala Harris has the steel spine needed to beat Trump.  She is direct, focused, and intelligent.  I watched her question Justice Brett Kavanaugh during the hearings. She is like a laser beam that cannot be distracted or deflected.  During the debates Harris was more likely to speak calmly and deliberately - something Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren can't seem to do when expressing a point of view.  Both of them seem to slip toward the unfortunate stereo types of 'older man bonbastically talking' and 'excitable female.'  Kamala Harris appears to have no 'skeletons in her closet' to trip her up during the campaign. And she is not an 'old white man!'

Does it seem like I am focusing on cosmetic qualities rather than the real substance of a candidates' message?  Yes ... I am.  After 3 1/2 years of a President who is filled with warts and puss-festering talk and actions - we could do with a little polish in our leader.  The quality of anyone's 'message' won't beat Donald Trump.  What will beat this President is someone who can 'give as well as they get,' who can turn Trump's snappy slogans back on him to demonstrate his empty promises, and someone who can remain steady as a rock (and Presidential) while doing it!  So far ... Kamala Harris seems to be that woman.

While I typically don't care about age, race or gender in picking a leader,
wouldn't it be just the MOST delicious situation EVER

 to see Trump taken down by a strong qualified mature Black Woman!

I think she could do it.
I'd like to see her do it!!

What do you think?

Apparently ...

Self discoveries are always interesting.

I am a person of 'routines' ... apparently.

When one routine 'hits the skids,' it avalanches into other routines and then I am doing pretty much nothing ... apparently.

And then when I notice that nothing is happening, despite a long to-do list, it leads to a lot more nothing getting done since the world didn't fall apart when I did nothing ... apparently.

Oh yes, I am still feeding myself (and my husband) but meals could not be called 'cooking.'  Soup, sandwiches, salads, pan frying, left overs ... easy stuff.  I am still knitting - three projects are in the works.  Since knitting has not dropped off my radar - I know I am healthy and emotionally fine.  The house gets marginally cleaned of dirt and clutter.  I could probably do "clutter," but my husband couldn't because he is legally blind.  He could probably do "dirt" because he is legally blind, but I couldn't because I can see.  Ha!

But things like exercise and blogging and dieting - things that require a routine to build on - those routines seemed linked together some how and when one of them falls - they all fall!  As a result, there are fewer blog posts, Hersey's Chocolate Bars with Almonds are a viable food group and walking to the lounge chair from the bedroom comprises almost all of my exercise ... apparently.

*sigh*

I have been reading my Kindle, listening to my Audible library and binging on Netflix and Amazon Prime TV shows.

My latest binge TV is The Sopranos.  It is pretty good.  Like The Godfather series of movies, I find myself hoping that the Soprano family (at least the wife and kids) does well and that no harm comes to them.

My latest Kindle completions are:

AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller

and

Wolfhunter River (Stillhouse Lake Book #3) by Rachel Caine

Both books are excellent.  Check out the story summary on Amazon if you are interested.

My current Kindle read is:

Cold Waters by Debbie Herbert.  

Too soon to tell if this will be good but I have passed my "80 page" mark which means I care about something in the story enough to finish.

Then my Audible library (which was over 60 titles and now is down to about 7) is currently filling my ears with the following:

Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters

This is the second in a 20 book series that can be called archaeology adventure and romantic mystery with Amelia Peabody.  This is an older series of books that were hugely popular maybe 15 years or more ago and continues to have a dedicated fan base even to this day.  The stories are fun and the 'clean' romance story line adds grace and enjoyment to the story.  But the real star of the Audio versions is the narrator, Barbara Rosenblat.  She handles all the accents, genders and ages of the characters with Oscar level performances. Years ago I read or listened to this series - and I have decided to do it again (rare for me to re-read anything.). I highly recommend this series.

But the wagon train of exercise, blogging and healthy eating have been pretty much stalled.

I am here now hoping with baby steps to get back on all those wagons again!!