Sunday: Synopsis of a Week

With the best of intentions I refreshed and re-started the blog here.  Then... things went you know where in a special basket around my world.  Not as bad as it could be - but definitely wearing away at my creative and desire to update my adventures.  I'm not going to apologize.  I'll just say, I'll be here when I'm here!

I offer you a synopsis of my previous week to 12 days:  

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/2346840/August

Now that you're all caught up.  What?  Oh, you want some explanations.

Mom has been having in-home physical therapy to help her regain some stamina and energy and such.  The visiting nurses discovered a pressure sore.  I've been learning to care for that and taking Mom to appointments for others to keep an eye out.  In the nursing arena, I've also learned how to give B12 shots.

When I was a young girl, first or second grade, I wanted to be a nurse.  I outgrew that desire after many visits to hospitals, doctors, etc.  Now, I'm a nurse - sort of!

I started coughing with a painful face and such a little over a week ago.  Last Sunday, the voice had hit the Bass level and I turned into Mr. C ~~ and not the dad from Happy Days!  My seasonal allergies often have me singing Bass and I'm generally mistaken for a man on the phone.  Turns out this was not just (or, possibly, even) seasonal allergies, but bronchitis and sinusitis.  On top of that, I was diagnosed with High Blood Pressure.  So, I've been taking new meds and getting used to this new regime for the past week.

My face feels a bet better.  I'm still coughing and don't think the bronchi are completely clear.  We will see what progress on Wednesday morning when I go in for blood work and an ekg.  Time to take care of me - according to me and my new doctor!

Since I was feeling poorly and taking care of me and Mom, I didn't drain the pool cover immediately after the last two rain storms.  Nobody was home to use the pool anyway.

I decided on Thursday that I needed to clear the water off the cover.  I placed the pump on the cover and let it go for a couple of hours.  I went out to adjust the pump's location and discovered hundreds and hundreds, nay, THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of tadpoles on my pool cover!!  Every rivulet of water not yet drained had this and many more tadpoles of various sizes swimming round and round.

I did not exaggerate on the thousands... my pool cover is 20'x40'... this little 6"x10" section has >25 tadpoles of various sizes.

After a major freak out - posting the picture and a little video on Facebook and Ravelry... I got my leaf basket/scoop net and scooped leaves and tadpoles and other stuff off the cover and into the brush behind the pool.  Today - we are tadpole free.   

Jungle taming came by hiring someone to tame the yard, the garden and the gutters.  Peaceful, beautiful yard today.  And I am grinning...

and still coughing....

and still knitting....

and still reading....

and still playing on the computer.

New paint on the wall and sheeeeeee's baaaa-aaack!

I have been away from the blog for the summer.  I've been busy and life has been hectic and I've not had much to say.  Well, that's probably not strictly true, but I didn't really have time to say it!

Medical appointments for Mom, work and such have kept me hopping.  It's been so darn hot all summer I haven't done a  lot of 'memorable' things.

But I'm back, for now, and hopefully I'll be a more frequent updater than in recent days.

Here are a few things I've been doing:

Knitting:

My first Baby Surprise Jacket!  Still needs buttons and ends woven, as well as the white buttons.

I also made a hat and a blanket:

Baby's Hat

Baby's Blanket

These are for Sean's Baby Boy - due at the end of August.  They will be finished and in the mail on Wednesday!!!!

Another cousin, Ami, is due with her first child in October.  Stealth knitting is going on for her baby girl.  I'd show you, but my family reads and I'd like her to be surprised!  :)

Other endeavors, mostly failed or barely executed, for the summer:  

• planting veggies - all died due to extreme heat and a late start
• clearing the clutter - plans were made, plans were not executed, plans have been remade, hope to execute as the weather cools
• debt reduction - plans have been made, budgets have been made and (mostly) followed.  Long way to go, but I'm determined
• Selling stuff - plans have been made, listing will soon begin, though I have sold a few things on Half.com while I'm learning the ropes of other venues.  I will be selling the stuff I de-clutter; selling stuff I knit, crochet, paint, bead, whatever; selling books and DVDs and such.  I'm learning the ins and outs of eBay, Craigslist, and Etsy!

Look for links in the future to the Etsy shop and my eBay listings and yard sale woes!

Glad to be back.  Looking forward to recording All My Great Adventures once again!

Summer's coming!

Today, 6000 gallons of water will be delivered to top off my in-ground pool!

Water delivery is scheduled between 8 and noon.  I got up waaaaay too early for a Saturday and put the pump on because we had thunderstorms roll through last evening.  It's now about 9:30 AM and the water has not yet arrives.  I realize I could have slept a while longer.  Of course, if I had slept in, the water would have arrived at 8 AM on the nose!

I dreaded rolling back the cover.  The winter weather was the worst it has been in many years.  Certainly the worst it has been since I've owned this pool.  Surprise, surprise -- this was the BEST winter for the pool.  Go figure!  Very little debris inched its way into the water through the very narrow gap between the pool cover and the wall on the shallow end.  I am usually scooping many, many leaves.  Hardly any this year.  This is a good thing, since the best scooper basket was broken by some helper over the winter.

Looks like we'll be ready for the pool company to come and get it set for the season on Tuesday!

In knitting news, I finished my Baktus, except for the blocking. 

I need to figure out what to do next.  With five or more babies expected in my extended family and friends network, you'd think I could pick some baby thing or another.  Yet, I have not. 

Instead, I am planning a Pampered Chef(r) Help Whip Cancer(r) fundraiser show for next Saturday.  The Pampered Chef(r) has been supporting the American Cancer Society and their Breast Cancer Education program for over 10 years, contributing $7.9 million dollars since 2000.  Last year, the Help Whip Cancer(r) campaign raised $875,000.  The HWC fundraisers are regular Pampered Chef shows, with a pink twist.  During the month of May, the guest specials are special pink and white products.  The Pampered Chef(r) contributes $1.00 for every pink product sold and up to 25% of the total products sold to the American Cancer Society. 

If you'd be interested in purchasing something to help raise funds for Breast Cancer Education, or you'd just like to see what The Pampered Chef has to offer, drop me a line and I'll send you the link.