Pretty Posies

It's wintertime and not too many flowers are in bloom...so I made my own.

I had a tiny terra cotta pot, and these little blue and lavender posies seemed like a good fit. The kitty likes them too.

Yesterday I saw a picture of planter and I said to myself "I can do that!" I started with the planter that has a basketweave design, a scalloped base and a ribbon around the top.. The colorful flowers came next. What you cannot see is the flowers are in "crocheted dirt." The other DrC says it's the best thing I've ever done. What do you think? This is the perfect plant for folks who do not have a green thumb.

It's that Time

I want to wish you and yours a MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

A Quiet Night

It was a dark and stormy night...well it was raining a little bit in the desert...and we were looking at the 1988 Mini-Series "War and Remembrance" and of course I was crocheting. We've been seeing one episode of the Herman Wouk World War II classic story each night. Parts of the story sound like current events. Tonight's episode told a story I hope never gets repeated again (but something ugly did happen in Israel on October 7 and history is repeating itself). Part of the episode took place at the Theresienstadt  Ghetto, a place we have visited. I had such a violent reaction to that German Concentration Camp, aka "The Paradise Ghetto" that I finished the rest of the day in the bus thinking about the ugly things man does toward man. This was the model camp and it was hell on earth. I cannot imagine what the other camps were like? All of that was on my mind, and I crocheted and crocheted. I think I was blocking some of the horrific content by making critters and things. I made  'treasure boxes" and  piggies  

Then, just to see my work from the last few days, I lined my critters up into a pyramid of piggies.

.

Can you find the 2 imposters?

May the atrocities of World War II never be repeated again.

Hiding Kitties

You know how kitties like to hide in boxes? I tried to re-create that in crochet

Two kitties hiding in a blue box--I wonder if they know we can see them?

The piggy is just confused by the whole thing.

(I do like to have fun with the critters I make)

Coping

I'm tired of being an invalid. I'm tired of wearing my boot. I'm tired of asking people to take me places. I want to be independent again...but I'm not quite ready.  Yesterday I had a manicure in town. I drove by myself. I discovered I cannot deal with the walker by myself, so I put on "real shoes" and used a cane to drive the 3 miles to the shop.  That's when I discovered I'm not quite stable enough with a cane. Getting out of the car without help was difficult. When I almost fell leaving the shop, the owner of the shop walked me to my car. Today my wonderful neighbor drove us to St. George. It was a beautiful winter day, about 65 degrees...sunny with a few scattered clouds...shirt-sleeve weather. It was the first time in 7 weeks I had left my hometown and I was enjoying the ride and the desert scenery. We went to 3 locations...did what we needed to do...and I tried to hold up my end of the bargain. I exited the vehicle at only 2 locations. Costco has electric carts ...without them I couldn't go shopping. We ended up in a restaurant where we had "linner" (you know, lunch/dinner). It was a good day. But I'm not ready for prime time yet. I'm worried that someone is going to run into me and I'll topple over. I'm worried I might slip on something and topple over. Every day I'm improving, but I'm not quite ready to go out on my own. Soon but not tomorrow.

Still in the Boot

I saw the bone doc today--you know, the one who accidentally broke my ankle--and I'm still in the boot.  

This x-ray was taken today. The yellow arrow is pointing to the break. You can see a white line showing where the bone has remodeled. The bone is healing, but more time is needed. As of today I can drive short distances around town ONLY without the boot. I can walk around the house without the boot but need to put the boot on when it starts to hurt. I need to follow this regimen for 4 to 6 more weeks. He's expecting that it will start to feel better in about 4 weeks.  If I was 25, it would have been healed in 6 weeks, but I've not been 25 in quite awhile. Progress is being made and I'm thankful for that. The good news...my hip looks textbook perfect. He got one out of two.

Cane or Walker

My PT person told me I could use a cane instead of a walker...so I tried it. I went out on Friday using the cane and discovered it's very difficult. The boot is slippery and the lift is not stable. That's an accident waiting to happen. I went back to using the walker. Yesterday I went out with the walker which is stable. When I get out of the boot and the shoe lift, I'll practice using the cane, but for now, the walker is the answer. BTW, my cane is named Michael.

Getting Around

A friend of mine had both of his knees replaced this past week. I'm complaining about a broken ankle...but 2 knees...that's a major thing to complain about.

 I gave him a little get well kitty, which he put in a place of honor in his hospital room.

 

One of his nurses comes in and says "OH, you must know DrC, you have one of her crocheted critters. Lucky you!"

Now I'm wondering who is his nurse, and when I gave her a critter.

Another Milestone

Today I had my last PT session at home and the news was good. I was told I could start walking with a cane. What a treat! I'm still wearing the boot but instead of leaning on the walker, I'm now leaning on a cane. It's not as secure as the walker. Going up and down slopes is definitely more difficult with a cane too. BUT I'm trying to walk with a cane for the time being. I was instructed I could take a few steps without the cane, but not to try that outside.

To test my new found independence, I went to a little shop with my friend this morning, and later, the "girls" and I went to lunch. It was a very nice way to start the weekend. I came home and .... are you ready .... I took a nap. I was exhausted. I needed help from my friends getting into and out of the car; getting to the table; getting up from the table; and getting back into the house. Walking with a cane is different but I'll get the hang of it. My PT person said I needed to be ready for the 14th, when an x-ray will show that the ankle is healed. I don't want to think too far ahead of the healing process, but it's possible I'll be out of the boot on the 14th. That would be a great news.

A Day of Infamy

Today is the 82nd anniversary of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, sinking many ships and killing hundreds of people, soldiers and civilians alike. War is HELL. It has not changed in the 80 plus years between now and then. It is still HELL. When will we learn? I don't know if that's possible. In 1941 hundreds of men and women signed up to fight for America; I wonder if we would have the same result in 2023? Values change. As FDR said, "it is a day which will live in infamy." Thank you World War II vets for making my country as great as it is.

Not Quite Ready

Today I did something I probably should not have done, I drove my truck. We needed to go to the post office and the store and I did not think it would be a big deal. It was a big deal. Getting into the truck was the first challenge as my truck is taller than my car. Once inside the driver's compartment, I felt great. I was in command and that felt good. Then I bent my ankle and felt a slight hint of ache (or was it pain). I never feel pain in the blasted boot; but outside of the boot, it's a bit different. I drove the 11 miles needed to go to store and post office. I parked the truck in the garage and gingerly got out. I found my walker and limped into the house. The first thing I did was put on the blasted boot. I don't like that thing, but I still need it. I learned a little lesson and I called my neighbor and said "please take me to my next appointment tomorrow" and she said YES. My neighbors are beyond great! Thank you all.

Snowflake

A few days ago I put a video in my blog in an effort to save it. It might have worked, as it's now past the Google deadline and my blog is still "up and running." 

In case you are wondering, the video was for a snowflake pattern.

The directions are very clear and I've made several of them. 

Tonight I made 3. I think I'll put them in my Christmas cards as a little surprise.

 

Boot Update

It's been one month and 2 days since my hip was replaced and my ankle was broken. The hip is healing nicely. The scar itches, which is considered normal. The ankle...that's another issue. I'm wearing the "blasted" boot 12 to 14 hours a day. I am walking better than I was and, I can even take a few steps without my walker. It feels strange not to have the walker for a safety net but it's freeing to know that I can walk a short distance without it. About 4 days ago I was clinging to any surface I could when I did not have the walker...now I'm not clinging as much. I'm also tired after I walk. 

Today I was taken to town by my great neighbors, and I was exhausted when I got home, but things are getting better, as I needed a 2 hour nap to recover.  On Thanksgiving, I needed a 6 hour nap to recover from that outing. 

I have learned a good way to remember how to go up and down steps and curbs. The Good go to Heaven and the Bad go to Hell...so following that adage, Good foot first to go UP stairs; bad foot first to go DOWN stairs. I've also learned that handicapped ramps are very steep, even if they do not feel steep to someone not in a boot with a walker. In addition to everything else, I've learned a new appreciation for handicapped parking places, handicapped ramps, and wide doors. Maybe, just maybe, when I see my doc on the December 14 my ankle will be healed and I'll be out of the boot. Cross your fingers for me.

Cock-Eyed Kitty

I made a kitty this morning. That's not earth-shaking. But the eyes on the kitty were different. One of the googly eyes is stuck in the "up position" and the other is not. The kitty has a strange expression on his face.

  

I could have taken off the eye and put another one on...but I liked  this cock-eyed little guy too much to do that. He's a whimsical kitty with strange eyes.

Saving my Blog

My blog is on a Google platform. Google says it's going to close all accounts that have not been used in 2 years. I have not used the email address related to this account in a while...but I do use the blog. Google also said if there was a U-tube video on the account, then it would not be deleted...so the following is a U-tube video that I'm putting in my blog in an effort to save my blog and my account. Thank you for your patience.

It's a crochet pattern for making snowflakes. 

Outdoors

I've not done a lot of stuff outside recently. Sitting in the patio is a big excursion for me, so yesterday was a stellar event. My neighbor took me to the nail emporium and I had a manicure. What a great adventure. To start the adventure I walked to her house, something I've not been able to do for the past few weeks...but I did it. Then I hobbled to her minivan and figured out how to get in it (YAY). She drove us to Rio Nails and I figured out how to get out of the minivan. I walked to manicure station number 4 and had a manicure.

 

Look at my snowflake, something every desert dweller needs! I walked back to the minivan figured out how to get in and then out.

 Once home I sat down and rested. I was a wee bit tired. Nevertheless, I did it. My first big outing in a long time that was not related to a doctor visit. I'm a happy camper.

Huge thanks go to my neighbor for making this happen.

Wheels Down

I'm grounded. In simple words I cannot drive. That's a bummer. The upside to this dilemma is wonderful friends who are helping us. We are so blessed to live in this neighborhood. I grew up in a neighborhood, yet I've never lived in one since then. As a kid, I knew that everyone on the block would help me if help was needed. I'm no longer a kid, but I have the same feeling in this neighborhood. If I need help, help is nearby. Yesterday my neighbor asked if he could put up my Christmas lights. Another neighbor called and asked when my next appointment was so she could put it on her calendar and then take me to my appointment. Another brought over dinner for two nights. People are calling and texting asking if all is well and what can they do to help me out.  I also know if I ask for help, help is nearby. My wheels might be down but the love of my friends is close. I'm ever so thankful to live in this wonderful place. Thank you one and all.

Black Friday

Traditionally, today is the day when stores "broke even" for the year...hence they were finally in the black. I hope that happens this year...but alas I will not be helping in that equation. Yesterday we went to a wonderful Thanksgiving Feast with our friends and neighbors. It was great fun and it wore me out. I arrived via golf cart limo and left the same way. I stayed about two hours before I pooped out. There was no energy left in me.  Once at home, I collapsed in my chair and slept till 10 PM. The party started at 2 PM, I left about 4 PM and I slept for about 6 hours. I think I'm on the mend but I'm not quite back to normal.

Since I'm grounded from driving and since I have limited energy, I'll miss the Black Friday blowouts and enjoy walking around my home every hour or so. Someday soon I hope to  walk on my own without boot and walker, but for now, that's the way it is. I'm thankful I can do as much as I can do.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. What are you thankful this holiday? It might sound strange, but I'm thankful that I can get around even a little bit while I 

recover from surgery and a broken ankle. 

We wish you and yours a good "turkey day" and happy shopping on Black Friday.

(Graphic courtesy of Lucianne.com)

One Day at a Time

Since I have adjusted the boot, I've tried to adjust my attitude too. I'm trying not to focus on a hurting ankle. I've developed a routine that is based on "one day at a time" but I'm calling it "one hour at a time." I need to wear the boot during every waking moment of the day. I take it off to shower and drive. There is a collection of recliners in the house, so I go from one to another throughout the day. My office is a sunny place and offers a good view of the east side of the house. I sit in my chair, look at the view and work on something. Every hour or so I get up and do a lap around the house then select another room where I can put my leg up and rest. In the living room, I sit and rest and look at something o the big screen TV. When I'm tired of the view I retreat to the master bedroom and sit in the recliner there and take a nap. Three times a day I do a series of exercises that are supposed to strengthen my hip and ankle. One hour at a time, I'm healing. That's my mantra. 

I  help a little bit around the house, but the bulk of the work is done by the other DrC. One hour at a time, and this too shall pass.

Melting Point

The search for the heat gun did not take long. I called my wonderful neighbor Karen, and asked if she had one and she told me she did. However after looking for it she couldn't find it. She asked neighbor Rick if he had one. About 15 minutes later, my doorbell rang, and there was Karen carrying a heat gun in a box. Rick's heat gun had never been opened.

We "decanted" the heat gun, removed the plastic wrapping, the twist tie from the cord, and went to work. I determined where the boot was hitting my ankle in the wrong place, and marked it on the boot. Karen who has used heat guns before knew exactly what to do. She slowly heated the area and I pressed the area with a ball peen hammer. In a few minutes the plastic started to relax and stretch a tiny bit. We turned off the gun waited for the boot to cool, and then I put it on. It worked! The boot is still heavy and awkward but now it does not hit my ankle bone the wrong way.

I love my new neighborhood. 

Das Boot

That's German for "the boat" but for me it just means "the boot." The blasted boot. The stupid boot. The painful boot...and a few more boot-i-ful expressions that I won't repeat. I'm sure that folks who have had a boot feel the same way. While the boot will help the healing process, it's not for sissies. Thank goodness I have a great husband and good friends who are keeping watch over me. 

My next task is to find a heat gun to relax a small portion of the boot that rubs on my ankle. A hair dryer does not get hot enough, but a heat gun does. According to my cousin Wes, who lived in a boot for 1 year, he made his boot more comfortable by slightly stretching the plastic around the ankle bone. The doc said I could do it.  Watch this space to see what happens next.

Driving with Two Feet

The boot problem might be solved. It's still a nuisance to walk around on stilts supported by a walker but the alternative is a broken ankle that hurts all the time. Now my challenge is relearning how to drive. It's more of a process than it was. Before it was sit behind driver's seat, start vehicle, point safely in the correct direction. Now I have to think about it.

Getting into the vehicle is the first problem. I cannot stand for long periods of time on my right leg. That means point bottom toward seat and sit down. If the vehicle fits me well that's easy to do. If the vehicle is my four wheel drive TALL pickup truck it's harder. After sitting down, swivel body to get feet in correct location and then scrunch over on seat until somewhat comfortable. The rest is relatively easy from there. Exiting the vehicle is just as difficult. Thank goodness we live in a community of golf carts and geezers. I have to do this without my storm trooper boot as there's no way I can fit in the vehicle with that huge boot. Once the boot goes on, I'm quarantined in my home.

If I plan to get out of the vehicle, I need someone to stow the walker. That means I cannot be alone. Thankfully, the other DrC is a willing participant in this little game of driving. So far I've been to the store and the post office. I've driven both of our vehicles. It's not going to be a daily occurrence as it's just a huge hassle. 

All is not bad. 

Yesterday my wonderful neighbor brought the other DrC his favorite, pineapple upside down cake, for his birthday; and we had a little party. 

Life is good, even if there are a few bumps along the way!

Baby Steps

The ankle-hip saga continues. I saw my doctor yesterday and he explained how my ankle was broken. He also said, he has not had a broken ankle while doing hip replacement surgery in about 2 years. I was his "first" in a long time. He apologized and we went on with how to solve the problem. 

First and foremost I offered 2 solutions: a walking cast or a tall boot. With a walking cast I would have more comfort but would not be able to drive. With a tall boot I would be able to drive, all I needed to do is take the boot off when driving and put it on again when I returned home. Since I'm the driver in the household right now I opted for the boot. I was given a tall ankle boot that covers me from knee to toe. Instead of the "perfect" size for my foot, he recommended a larger boot to give me a bit more room by the "ankle bone" as the shorter boot was rubbing the ankle causing more pain. He gently placed the boot on my foot and he put it on in a different way from the first boot. I stood up and it was doable. Not perfect but I was not in pain like the last boot. I said how do you even up the feet of other patients who have a boot...and he said he did not do that. I asked why? He said no one asks. I find that almost impossible to understand.

It still looks like the first model, but it's longer and heavier. I hope it works.

Once home, we checked the mail the Amazon package had arrived. The other DrC put the device together and fitted it to my shoe. I put on the shoe and I suddenly both legs were the same length. WOW. I took a few tentative steps and I was not limping. I felt a little precarious, but  I was was not hurting when I walked. The lift was doing its magic too.

The lift works. The reviews for the lift are all positive but the one that caught my attention said the lift was not a fashion statement. That is true. It will not win any fashion prizes, but it does allow me to walk in my tall walking boot while my ankle heals. I will be in the boot for at least another month (my next appointment is December 14). I need to wear it when I'm awake but the doc said I did not need to wear it in bed. I should be able to get some sleep now.

The boot is still awkward, tall,  heavy and cumbersome. The lift is not super sturdy but it should last a month to 6 weeks. Keep watching this spot for progress. The news today is better and I'm taking baby steps to full recovery.

Guess What?

In the continuing saga of my hip, there's another twist. This twist started with trying to walk with a high foot and a low foot. One of my neighbors, a nurse, said I needed to have a prosthetic designed to fit my shoe and I should be able to get that from my doctor. I called the doctor and was given the merry run around saying they never heard of any such thing. I found a prosthetic store and called them. They told me they needed an Rx from my doctor to get the perfect lift, Easy Peasy! Since the doctor's office had not heard of such a thing, I thought this was going to be interesting.

That conversation led me to Amazon, the store that has everything --I wondered if they had a lift? I looked and I found one.

They have a device that fits over a running shoe that can provides lift from 1/2 inch, 1 inch and 1 1/2 inches. I ordered it and it's supposed to come today. This might be a big help. I'll let you know.

Much later in the day, I get a call from my doctor's office. I'm told I was given the wrong boot and I will need to be re-evaluated ASAP and can I come to the office tomorrow at 1 PM. Needless to say, I'm going to see my doctor and find out if there have been any more mistakes. The same doctor replaced my other hip without any problems. I'm wondering why so much has gone wrong this time???

My Storm Trooper Boot

I feel like I have a Star Wars Storm Trooper boot attached to the bottom of my leg. It's tall, awkward, sturdy and hurts when I wear it. I hope it's doing its magic of healing my broken ankle. Yesterday I had the boot on for 11 hours and discovered the 15 pound boot gave me an additional 2 inches in height on one side of my body. While I've always wanted to be 5'9", this is not how I thought it would be. My normal foot is 5'7" off the ground and the 2 inch differential is quite jarring. We went looking for shoes that would even me out, but alas, I do not have one. The limp is throwing my back and hip out of alignment. I need to find a device to even my legs  out. If you have any ideas, please help me out. 

I also discovered that the boot seems to become heavier as the hours pass. I swear, it was weighing at least 900 pounds by the time I took it off last night. Kudos to all those folks who are wearing recovery boots. I'm proud of them for walking, talking and recovering without a whimper. I need to learn how to do that.

Collateral Damage

There's an adage that says-- for every action there is a reaction. The same happens with surgery. I've had several surgeries in my lifetime, and while the surgery has solved the problem at hand, another problem pops up as a result of the surgery. Sometimes the reaction is tiny, other times, not so tiny. This time...not so tiny. 

On November 2 I had my right hip replaced. That surgery worked quite well. My hip does not hurt any more; in fact, it has not hurt very much since the I was taken out of the recovery room. I was prescribed a huge vial of pain pills and I've taken about 5 of them. That's the good news. My hip does not hurt and I'm beginning to walk evenly (with the help of Johnny, my Walker). The collateral damage happened before the surgery began, in the prep-room. To start the process, the surgical team needed to clean the site and they used a "soap" (for lack of a better word) called Betadine. As soon as they put Betadine on my skin, my nurse said my skin started to "fry" indicating I was allergic to it. The team removed the Betadine as thoroughly and quickly as they could and used another cleaning compound, and went on with the surgery. About 3 days after the surgery, I noticed the wound site was red, hot and swollen. I brought this problem up with my home nurse she agreed and recommended I see my doctor and I did. I had an infection. For the next few days I took a penicillin-type drug to cure the infection. It is now gone.

However, that's not the only piece of collateral damage that happened before the surgery. Apparently, to replace a big bone like a hip, the leg needs to be manipulated to a specific position. My right foot was put in a stirrup on the operating table and turned in such a way to present the hip in that perfect position. That however did not go so well. Somehow the end of the fibula was broken when that "twist" was made, unbeknownst to anyone. When I woke up from surgery I asked why my ankle hurt more than my hip. The nurse noticed a largish purple bruise on the outside of my ankle, and I was told how that was done. The team indicated that bruised ankle was not uncommon and it would heal in a few days.

In the following 11 days, I've been complaining about the pain in my ankle more than anything. It just hurts. Yesterday, I had my post-op visit with my doctor. The wound site was inspected and about 15 staples were removed. No infection and a good looking scar were in place--that was the good news. The ex-ray indicated that the hip was replaced correctly and all was proceeding to plan. That's when I asked about my purple swollen ankle. The doc felt my ankle and I cringed (and gave a rather large YELP too)--so another ex-ray was ordered. Sure enough, there is a very small fracture of the ankle...to put it in medical-ese, the distal fibula is broken. It's not a big break...it looks like a small jagged shadow on the ex-ray, and it HURTS. I was given a choice...I could wear a boot for 6 weeks while it heals, or I could have it cast for 6 weeks. The catch...I could walk in the boot, but NOT in the cast. Since walking is part of the recovery process for the hip, I opted for the boot and that's where I stand (no pun intended) now. 

I have a newly replaced hip that needs PT to get it working seamlessly. I have a newly broken ankle that needs PT to get it working seamlessly. However the PT for both maladies is different. Today, home PT is going to re-evaluate my situation. IF I'm going to walk (which I must do to keep my hip working properly, not to mention my life) I have to keep moving. Every time I'm on my feet I have to wear the boot. When I'm not exercising my hip or foot, I need to elevate the foot and not mess up the ankle. Like I said, for every action there is a reaction. I'm optimistic that this too shall pass. I'm a bit bummed too. Around Christmas time I will be able to dance again. YAY!

Veteran's Day

In honor of our veterans..a small homage

. 

To my brother in law, father in law, his brother and my mother in law's sister and brothers. Just a few who served our country. Let's not throw their honor away.

Totally Hip Replacement

On Thursday I had my right hip replaced at our local hospital. My surgeon was the same fellow who replaced my left hip about 18 months ago. I've been prepping for this surgery all summer by going to physical therapy two days a week. The therapy worked as by the end of summer, I was not in pain. I wish I could say that now. I'm in pain...but it will pass. In the meantime, I have home health care as well as home PT. I'm walking using a walker but mainly I'm the sit down queen doing exercises from my chair with the hope that they are working. I have two wonderful helpers and a phalanx of neighbors who are providing food and moral support. I'm blessed. 

Needless to say I'm busy. I'm crocheting kitties and trying to figure out a most complicated afghan pattern. 

The Search for Dobby

(Spoiler alert...there is a bit of whimsy in this story) 

Like many people, we have a roomba-type vacuum cleaner. We have named our roomba "Dobby" after the house elf in the Harry Potter books. If you are familiar with the Harry Potter story, you know that house elves like to work. Our Dobby, like any good house elf, vacuums our home and we assume he likes his job. Dobby however has a problem. Every so often, he loses his programming. When that happens, Dobby goes walk-about. That, in and of itself, does not pose a problem, but when an eerie blue light followed by  jerky zig-zag movements and strange sweeping noises rolls into your bedroom in the middle of the night, it scares the dickens out of you. That has happened a couple of times and now we only use Dobby on manual mode. 

An interesting thing happened 2 nights ago. When I got up I found one shoe in the middle of the bathroom. How did that happen? Neither of us could figure out how the shoe ///ended up about 10 feet from where it was supposed to be. 

Today, we were out doing errands and arrived home at dinner time. As we were setting the table, I noticed that Dobby was not in his home base. Where was Dobby? Almost immediately, we found one of Dobby's brushes hiding by a door. We surmised that Dobby went walk-about until the battery died, so it would not do any good to push the "Home" button on his remote control which would activate Dobby to seek home base. We searched the easy hiding places all over the house to no avail, so we thought that Dobby had gotten lost under a piece of furniture. We looked under all the furniture and finally found him stuck under the sofa. Lucky for us, Dobby had turned himself off and the battery still had a charge. Once we un-stuck Dobby, the other DrC pushed the home button on the remote, and Dobby headed for his home base. Dobby is a "good house elf" after all. 

Now for the question of the shoe? Did Dobby go walk-about the other night and move my shoe? It's possible, but we'll never know for sure. 

PS. I have a friend who has a "Lost Roomba" somewhere in her 5000 square foot home. She and her kids have gone looking for it for several months now, and they have no idea where it went walk-about. Of course the battery is dead by now, so pushing the remote "home" button will not do any good.This roomba does not have a name.

PS2. I have another friend who lost the remote control for her roomba but that has not the stopped the programmed vacuum from doing it's chores. She says it decides when to clean and when to go home and they get out of the way when the roomba is doing its thing. BTW, the name of that roomba is Robby. 

...Escape

The world is going crazy. I understand that. I don't plan to add to that rhetoric. Instead I am offering cat-o-lanterns 

...Just in time for Halloween.

In the Desert Again

It was cold and snowy-ish when we left the high country and now it's warm and dry. What a difference 500+ miles makes. The winter house made it thru the blistering summer without a hitch...all that we have to do is organize things. Well...there were 2 hitches...one smoke alarm needed a new battery and a light bulb burned out...we must have left it on??

It's good to be back. We love our neighbors and our neighborhood and we're already making plans for what happens next. All is well in the desert.

Snowbirds Flying South

It's that time of year when the snowbirds fly. Some fly to the north to experience winter weather, skiing, snowmobiling, and playing in the snow. We are not part of that group of snowbirds. We fly south and head for warmer climes. We will "spread our wings" tomorrow after we winterize the house, and head for our first stop Salt Lake City. One more day and we'll be home in the Mojave Desert in Nevada.   

The summers in Star Valley are among the best in the world, and I know...I've been to 122 countries to find something better and Star Valley wins hands down (at least for us). When we retired lo so many years ago, we made a pact that we would try to live in a climate that was "late spring, summer and early fall" for as long as we could. We are still able to do that, so that's is what we are doing. We love our two houses...one in the aspens in the summer and one in the Mojave desert in the winter.

The leaves are on the ground, there's snow in the mountains, it sleeted on our drive to town today; all the indicators are there--it is time to fly south. Watch this space as we plan to land at our other home on Friday. 

....And Now There are Five

On this Columbus Day, two more kitties and a greenish pumpkin joined the menagerie tonight. 

Meet Noisy and Mardi...the pumpkin does not have a name.

A Tail of Three Kitties

I like to make kitties (please don't ask what my favorite critters are)... so three more joined the menagerie. 

Meet Beaner, Jazzy-short for Jasmine, and Moby Grape. If nothing else they make me smile.

 

Dexter the Doxie

Meet Dexter. I said I was going to work on a Dachshund...and here he is. 

He is a cutie.

Back by Popular Demand

Last fall I made many pumpkins and I thought I was done...but I've been asked to make a few more...

 I'm in the pumpkin business again. If you would like a set of pumpkins, let me know.

6 Kitties

The kitties are so much fun to make, that I've made a lot of them. This morning I had 6:

Tiny (on top), Blueberry and Muffin, Maisy, Tiger and Marmalade. By this evening 2 kitties (Blueberry and Muffin) went to new homes. 

I loved the smiles of the folks who received a kitty.

Tonight I'm working on a dashchund for a friend who will be visiting this weekend. I better get busy.

Boing Boing...

I've crocheted a new airline company...it's called Boing Boing because these little guys don't fly--unlike their really big brother, Boeing airplanes.

This model,  the .0000000717 sadly won't get off the ground

But then, neither will models .000000000727 and .0000000000737

Just having some fun.

Soft Kitty

I've tried to make kitties before, and I've always failed. They have not been easy for me. 

BUT, the other day I saw a picture of a crocheted kitty and I said to myself "I can make that!" 

So I did

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Last night, I made two tiny kitties, one dark lavender and the other light beige. 

What do you think? 

Almost Autumn

The asters predicted that autumn would begin September 14 this year. There was a hint of autumn in the cooler air temp...but not too many other indicators. Today however, is the 19th of September, 5 days later and autumn is definitely here--in fact it was 2 days ago on Sunday when the brilliant red mountain mahogany appeared on the mountainsides. Today the aspen leaves are morphing to yellow and starting to fall.

 

The golden leaves and light dapple the ground in a pattern that only Mother Nature can make. 

 The season is changing.

Something Practical

I have a medium-sized repertoire of crochet patterns. I started with blankets, and made over a thousand of them for Project Linus. That was practical.

Then I branched out to scarfs, caps 

And pillows....

...but somewhere along the way I went off the edge and started making "stuff" that was not as practical...like flowers, 

....and toys....lots of toys of all kinds

I give my creations away as that gives everyone a bit of joy. 

My latest creation is on the practical side and still a bit whimsical

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At first blush it looks like a basket of flowers...but there's a trick...

The flowers become coasters. That's why I named this post "something practical." If you would like one of these baskets, let me know.

A Few Days at Yellowstone and the Tetons

We are blessed to have two National Parks nearby...and I believe they are 2 of the prettiest national parks in the US. The closest is Grand Teton with a boutique range of spectacular mountains, that captured my heart and soul half a century ago

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The Tetons from Schwabacher's Landing are spectacular. You can see a sliver of the Snake River shimmering in the foreground. 

Natural beauty at it's best.

Another view of the mountains from Oxbow Bend...possibly my favorite place in the world. I can gaze at Mt. Moran for hours and feel at peace.

A few short miles from the Tetons is Yellowstone, the first national park in the world. It's impossible to use one word to describe this park as it's too big and filled with amazing wonders. You can look at Old Faithful Geyser one minute and see a 2000 pound bison resting near a mud pot the next. There are geysers and mud pots that spout and smell, as well as an outdoor zoo filled with some of America's iconic animals, lakes and rivers, mountains and streams, all above a huge resting volcano that has not blown it's top for millennia. 

Sunset at Yellowstone Lake is special as it marks the time when some of the large animals make a foray into the meadows for some juicy morsels to munch upon. There's a chance (not guaranteed) to see bear, elk, moose, deer and bison. Sometimes you are lucky and you see all of them, sometimes you see none of them. We saw a mama moose and her twins one evening (but her twins were camera shy).

The elk congregate in the Mammoth area of the park, and they are quite adept at blocking traffic (but bison do it even better)

This big guy was ready for the rut which was about to begin when we were there. 

In a few more days, harems would be formed and bugling would begin. He's resting now.

No trip to Yellowstone is complete until I see Artist Point, in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. 

Here you can see the rhyolite...or the yellow stone that gives this natural wonder it's name.

If you want to get up early (and it's mandatory if you plan to see critters) you will be entranced by the morning mist on the rivers and lakes.

I'm always amazed at how a tree can grow in a rock...but they do. It's my way of thinking "never give up hope."

Throughout the park, you will see critters big and small--a coyote looking or lunch...

...or a pronghorn enjoying the sage. We saw herds of bison but no bears.

 No matter...any time spent in Yellowstone and the Tetons is amazing and we had an amazing time.