Back to knitting

I finally found out that I do have spinal arthritis and that is what is causing my pain.
I won't let it get the best of me and I am back to my knitting, just a little at a time. I have to make some more things for the holidays and for my Etsy shop which has gone by the wayside for a while. Only had one sale in a very long time. Hope to sell something before Christmas........

My back problems

I went to the doctor on Monday and it seems that I have spinal arthritis. No wonder I am in such pain.
I am doing a little knitting, I finished the coaster sets I was making and now I am making matching dishcloths. It is very slow going as I get tired early and haven't really made much progress on them.

Just had another sale on Etsy

Ladies Gold Beaded Socks, girls beaded socks

Good News

My brain MRI results came back negative. Oh I do have a brain, but did not have a stroke.
My back is another story, I have degenerative disc disease but that just goes along with getting older. I will live with the pain. I will not have back surgery. I also have stopped going to the balance clinic as I am not having the dizzy spells any more.

I am doing a little knitting these days but not much. Just working on small things for Christmas presents.

Hello

I haven't been here for a while as I seem to spend all my time visiting different doctors. Because of my dizzy spells, I have to go to the balance clinic twice a week. Also have had an MRI of my brain to rule out a stroke. I have to go next week for another MRI of my spine. It seems my vertabrae have slipped one in front of another so I have had back pain. Now my fingers are hurting from arthritis. So blogging was the last thing in my mind. I still haven't done much knitting, but I do once in a while. I am making knitted coasters now. Hopefully, I will have some done for Christmas gifts as they are in Christmas colors.

Crochet Roses

I got tired of knitting and needed a change, so I am making crochet roses. If I make enough before getting bored of this project, I will give them as holiday gifts.

Here I am!

I haven't written here for a while as I have been plagued with light headed spells and have tried to stay off the computer for a while.
I guess I am really addicted to this thing.
I am slowly getting back to my knitting and crocheting, just doing a little bit at a time.
I am working , right now, on rectangles both knit and crocheted for HAP. That is the group that makes afghans for the wounded veterans that are in military hospitals. We knit or crochet 6 X 9 inch rectangles and the group crochets them together for the afghans. The HAP stands for Handmade Afghans Project. A very good cause if anyone is interested, I will give you the address...

My Grandson

My grandson is home on a two week leave from Afghanistan, unfortunately he will have to go back.He sure has been through some very traumatic experiences which I won't go through here. We spent some quality time with him over two days and then he will go up north to visit with the rest of his family for a few days and then back here before he will ship out again. I will hate to see him go. He has another six months to spend in Afghanistan. Please say some prayers for him.

Check sidebar

I have the time posted in Kabul, Afghanistan. Don't know exactly where my grandson is, but he is in Afghanistan. He was sent on another mission. Hopefully he will be home for a visit
next month.

My Tomato Harvest

I planted two little tomato plants in a pot on my patio. Here is the first one I picked. It weighs 6 ounces. It will be ready to eat in about two days.

I am still here

I haven't been writing much as I have been plagued with lightheaded spells lately.

Maybe from all the stress in the family. I am going to see my doctor tomorrow.

Also haven't heard from my grandson in over two months , he is in Afghanistan, but he called my son, his dad , the other night and said he was among 16 other soldiers that were sent to the middle of nowhere for two months and he is now back at base and he and the other guys are all ok.

My Great Niece, Horse related, con't.

She is now walking around but wearing a turtle brace.
My sister still needs her 24/7 caretaker but is improving although she still does not
have use of her arm.
I am doing ok but still having problems with my blood sugars going up and down, I guess it is
from the stress of my family and their health problems.

More trauma in my family

My great niece was thrown from her horse and broke her back Saturday morning. She was on a MS ride when the new horse threw her over his head.She had an 8 hour surgery to repair three broken vertabrae and fuse five vertabraes together. Fortunately her spinal cord is ok. She will walk again. They are only going to keep her in the hospital for five days. Then she will be having rehab.
Elayne

Latest on my sister

She was home from the hospital and went in her yard and tripped in a gopher hole. She fell and broke her sholder. The ambulance took her back to the hospital and then she was transferred to a rehab hospital about 2 hours from me. I will go there tomorrow to visit with my son.

My Sister, cont.

She was sent home from the hospital in a cab on Saturday night. BAsically dumped. I have filed a complaint with the hospital administrator. She was confused and also did not have her house key. I also filed a complaint with her insurance carrier which is SEcure Horizons.
She is home now and her grand daughter is with her for a couple of days. She lives in another state.

Prayers for my Sister

My sister was rushed to the hospital in congestive heart failure. She lives over 50 miles away and the hospital is probably another 10. I have been driving there to be with her as much as I can. She is 83 1/2 years old and alone . It has been a very scary time for the family. We are in Southern Calif. and her daughters and granddaughters live in Texas. Her neighbor has been taking care of her dog. She will be having a nuclear stress test tomorrow and hopefully she will be able to go home next week. Please say some prayers for her. Thanks.

My New Dishcloth

I just finished making this dishcloth and will be starting another. It was really fun to make and it is called the optical illusion cloth. It looks like a little box but is actually flat.

My Birthday

Tomorrow is my birthday, my kids and one grandson took me out for a wonderful Mexican Dinner at my favorite restaurant. We had a great time. I got some wonderful gifts including a web cam for my computer. Now when my grandson calls from Afghanistan , I can see him as well as talk to him. Isn't that a wonderful invention ? I call this computer my magic box since it does such wonderful things, including sometimes driving me crazy.

A special email came today.

I am very happy today as I got an email from my DGS in Afghanistan. It was short, sweet and to the point. Of course he can't say much about where he is. It was just good to hear from him.

My Grandson Christopher

Chris left yesterday morning for his tour in Afghanistan. I am a wreck. He called to say good bye and we both cried. I pray he will be safe and come home asap. He has Skype on his laptop and my son, Chris's dad , was here today and he downloaded it for me, but have to get a webcam for my computer so I can see him when we talk.

Peace

Please watch this video. It says it all



http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=Rooyt3ptNco&feature=email

Grandson's Cap

Well, my soldier grandson received the cap and he called to say he just loves it and is wearing it all the time that he is not in uniform. Since I finished it, I made another for his dad, my son.
I was going to make one for my other grandson, but he said he didn't want one. So I am back to making my scrubbies , dishcloths, and rectangles for HAP.

The weather here has been beautiful so I am usually out in the afternoons. I walk every day with my dogs.

Finally Finished the Cap

Here is the cap for my grandson. I mailed it today so hopefull he will have it soon. He called me and is so excited about getting it. It doesn't fit the stuffed dog very well.

Also, here are my lazy dogs. Kaley and Merlin, just taking it easy after a hard day of resting.

Watch Cap

I am knitting a cap for my grandson in the Army. He will be deployed in March for Afghanistan but right now is in Alaska. He said it is freezing cold there. This weekend he went snowboarding. It is hard to imagine because here in Southern California the weather has been 80 degrees.

Here is the partially finished cap I am making him. I am waiting for the double point needles I ordered on Ebay to arrive so I can do the decreases. The yarn is by Cascade Yarns and the color is called Greenland. It is 100% Merino Superwash.

Good morning,We had a very successful day yesterday, got everything done. My DS was here and he finished cleaning the garage and we had a load for the trashman and another load for the Cancer society.
He also installed an external hard drive to my computer and I was able to transfer the hundreds of folders with pictures and videos to it. Now I have to eliminate them from the internal hard drive. That may take me some time.
Elayne

Doing Great

My eyes are healing great and I am back to knitting my rectangles. Here is the address if any of you knitters and crocheters out there are interested.

http://www.rectangle6x9.org/

As I said in my previous post, these finished afghans are sent to Military Hospitals for our wounded veterans. There are groups that we send the rectangles to that complete them.

Check out the site to see photos of the finished projects.

Another Surgery for Me

Yesterday was spent in the hospital, I had my other eye done, (cataract), I saw the surgeon today and he said everything went well, I have had some double vision today, so I hope I am typing this right. I am back to the three eye drops four times a day for a while, but that is ok. I can deal with that. Right now I only need my glasses for the computer or close up work like my knitting. Didn't knit last night. I missed it. I will tonight, as I am making the rectangles for the afghans for the military hospitals. I haven't put anything in my Etsy shop for a while but haven't sold anything either. Cey la Vi. Is that right???

Happy New Year

Can you believe it 2009, that doesn't seem real. I have met so many good friends here and I treasure all of you. I am so thankful for my family and friends, good health and love from all of you.

Tonight is New Years Eve and I will be at home with my two Whippets, Merlin and Kaley. I will be watching the ball drop in Times Square, that is if I can stay awake that late. I will grab my knitting and a bottle of Crystal Lite and celebrate.

Please say some prayers for my grandson Christopher as he will be deployed to Afghanistan next month. He is just 21 years old and my first Grandson.

Wishing all my family and friends a very Happy, Healthy New Year.

Merry Christmas

I went to my daughter's home today for a Christmas breakfast. My son in law made Monte Cristo sandwiches for breakfast, boy they were good. They got me a new toaster , broiler and other lovely things. My friends gave me gift cards. My son could not make it as he is sick with the flu. It was just daughter, son in law and grandson. A good time was had by all.

Another sale on Etsy

I just had another sale on Etsy. My sales are few and far between but I am glad for any of them.

This is what I sold.

Butterfly award

Thank You Laura from Any Occasion Boutique for this award. I now have to go through the blogs I have visited and do the same.

Any Occasion Boutique
Etsy Bloggers Street Team
Gramily
The Dogs Who Could Fly
The Mum and The Rose

My eyes

I saw my eye surgeon today and everything is going great. I ordered my new glasses today, but it will be 10 days before I get them. I have been using my old ones for close up work, ie, the computer and knitting and reading.

Here are some of the scrubbies I have been making.

Sold on Etsy

I just sold these booties from my Etsy store. I made them quite a while ago but just recently put them in my shop.

They will fit an infant or a large doll.

I am in the Treasury

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=21637

I have the gold socks, they would be great for Thansgiving and Christmas.

I had my cataract surgery

Hi everyone,I had my cataract surgery on Thursday and it was a wonderful experience. I can see blocks away and everything is so sharp and clear and the whites are white, I thought they were yellow. It is amazing what they can do. I had my follow up appt yesterday and the surgeon said I am healing fine. I do have to take three different drops four times a day. I don't have to wear my glasses any more, I have worn them since I was seven years old. I will need reading glasses though, and will get a pair tomorrow at Walmart. I am using my old ones right now for reading. I also did some knitting last night. I am so thrilled.

Yesterday, I even took the dogs for a walk. The hospital gave me dark wrap around glasses so the bright sun did not bother me.


Elayne

Surgery

Well tomorrow is the day for my surgery. I had all the pre-ops and pre-admissions completed. I found out two of the nurses I used to work with are now in the out patient surgery dept. and they will probably take care of me. I saw them yesterday when I was pre admitted and we reminised about old times working in the NICU nursery. All good memories.

I probably wont be posting here for a while until my eye is healed. Don't want to strain it any more than I have to.

Another Day , Another Blog

Nothing interesting went on today, just did some laundry, posted in my groups and took the dogs for a walk. Yesterday I had my pre-ops done for my cataract surgery. I will have the surgery on Thursday. I wish it was over already. I know it is nothing to worry about and being a former nurse, I know that is true. It is just the idea of someone digging around in my eye.
Wish me luck.

Christopher

Today, my grandson Chris is 21 years old. He is a man but has been since he joined the US Army last July 2007. He is stationed in Alaska and will be deployed to Afghanistan in February. I am so proud of him. Unfortunately we will not see him on his birthday, but he will be on leave and visiting us next month for almost a month before deployment. Please say some prayers for him. I love him very much.

My completed order

These are the completed citrus slices scrubbies that I just finished for an order and am sending to Colorado. I sure need a brake from this pattern and now I am working on the knot scrubbie that is pictured below. I will make them in a variety of colors and give them as gifts.

My newest scrubbie

I cannot sell this scrubbie since it is a copywrited pattern but I can make it for gifts. It was fun to make and knot. Actually it is a Japanese Tawashi.

I am in a Treasury

I am thrilled to have had my keyring entered in a Treasury.

Please check it out.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=16383

I saw my cousin yesterday

We haven't seen each other in 53 years. We were always close as kids, but we moved to California and he lives in New York. I met his wife for the first time yesterday and she is so sweet. We went out for lunch and all we kept saying was "remember this or remember that and remember when". We had a great time and of course took pictures. I can't post them because I am having trouble uploading pictures on the computer. I will work on that. When I try to upload, the pictures are wiped off the disc and I don't want to lose them. I don't know why this happens. If anyone know, please tell me.......

Early for Christmas

Here is a cute hair scrunchie for the holidays. Check my Etsy store for more.

Halloween Socks on Etsy

Check my Etsy store to buy these socks for Halloween or other occasions. They are womens size 9-11.

Too Hot Here

Southern California is still having a hot spell. It is about 90 today and the weatherman says it will drop to 67 tomorrow. That is ridiculous. Today sweat, tomorrow freeze. Thats how we all get sick. I don't want to go through that again.

I bought a new pattern for a Tawashi on Ebay, but the author says I cannot make them to sell. Darn it!!!!!

Back to normal

What ever that is. I am finally feeling good again and have picked up my knitting needles, I am trying to complete an order that I have for the citrus slices scrubbies.

They are fun to make and I am using a circular needle. They are also partially crocheted.

I am in the Treasury

I am thrilled to be in the Etsy Treasury again.


http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=9051

Pet Food Recall

For all you pet lovers out there, please check your pet food.
Please check out your food from these companies and a sammonella problem.

http://www.petcare.mars.com/

This website lists all the pet foods involved.

Feeling better

I am slowly getting better. A little more strength each day. I finally picked up my knitting needles last night and did a few rows on the scrubbies I started over a month ago. I can only work on a little at a time but it will get better. My etsy store is very slow, I have renewed some things but there is nothing new there for the time being. I have to get my health back first.

It has been three weeks and I am still not feeling well. I am just too weak to do anything. I have not touched a knitting needle or crochet hook. All I want to do is sleep most of the time. My poor dogs are going stir crazy because I can't walk them every day as we usually do. I haven't even touched my Etsy store in all this time. I hope people don't forget about me. I hope I get over this soon.

I am sick

I have some kind of bacterial infection that has knocked me for a loop. I am just out of it. Also my computer was down again for almost a week and cost a fortune to fix. It kept going into hibernation and I was told when I shut down, to do it all the way, not just hibernate. Then the heater in the bathroom went out, so got that fixed. It has just be a week to forget.

My printer

I just received my new Epson printer,scanner,copier yesterday. It is all hooked up and ready for use. Unfortunately, the slots for the memory cards from my camera do not fit the openings, so back to my old way of uploading pictures to the computer.

Earthquake

Today Southern California had a major earthquake, it was a 5.4. I was at the computer when the first jolt was felt, and then we had a rocking motion. The first thing I did was get the dogs collars and leashes on so they wouldn't run out the doggie door. Then I shut down the computer. I had a bunch of VCR tapes fall out of the cabinet and had pictures fall off the walls. We have had 27 aftershocks so far and they will probably continue. The phone and cell phones were out for a while, in fact the cells are still down. I have been through many earthquakes and this was a bad one. Hope this is over for now.

Christmas in July

I have been busy working on Christmas things for gifts and also have an order for 6 sets of the Citrus Slices Scrubbies. They are keeping me busy in the evenings. If you scroll way down on the page, you can see what they look like. They are both knitted and crocheted. I also want to make more of the cookies for gifts.

It has been so hot here that the knitting and crocheting is only done in the evenings. Can't even think of working on anything in this heat.

My Computer has been sick

My computer was sick for the past week and is feeling better now. I really don't know what the problem was but all of a sudden it is working again. Maybe it needed a weeks vacation. I went through computer withdrawel. It was horrible. I didn't realize how addicted I am to it.

Some more cookies

How about some chocolate and vanilla wafers?

My Third Treasury

I made the Treasury in Etsy for the third time. What an honor that is. These are barrettes made on plastic canvas.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=55423

Crocheted Cookies

Don't they look real? They are sure fun to make. I have had friends go to take one then they realize they are not real, but they do have a lot of fiber in them. :)

July 4,2008

We had a fun time on the fourth. My whole family was here and also some friends. We had a great barbecue, the cook was my son. The food was wonderful and the evening was spent on the front lawn watching and shooting fireworks. We only had the safe and sane ones which are allowed in my city. The kids all had a good time. The dogs were in the house and they tolerated the noise with only a little shaking.

Here is the button to the dog towel

HANGING, CROCHET, DISH , HAND TOWEL

These will be going into my Etsy shop. They always sold well when I did craft shows.

Something for July 4th.

Just added this to my shop on Etsy. It is a facecloth and two scrubbies, great for removing make-up or exfoliating. The large cloth is 8X8 inches and is knitted, the small square is 4 1/2 inches and the round one is 3 1/2 inches, both of these are crocheted.

Knitting Lady

I just added the knitting lady to the sidebar. How do you like her?

Potato on Fire

I had an experience the other day that I want to warn you about. I was cooking a potato in the microwave oven that was wrapped in a paper towel. After a while I smelled smoke and the oven was on fire. I mean flames all over.

I got it out with a wet towel and called the company. They sent someone out today and it seems I may have cooked it too long. Then after the fact, I read the booklet that came with the microwave and it said that cooking a potato too long will cause a fire. Who knew???????

I was picked for the Treasury again

What an honor, I was picked for the Treasury on Etsy again.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=52329

It is the pair of socks. How exciting......

Another Etsy Item

This is a pillow I also made.

Just added this to Etsy

I crocheted this little Teddy Bear a while ago and now have him on Etsy. He is 13 inches tall and in soft colors of mint green and cocoa brown. He is stuffed with polyester fiber fill and crocheted with acrylic yarn. The eyes are sewn with dark brown, so there are no buttons and he is safe for kids.

Whippet Heads

I bought some new yarn yesterday to make some plant pokes of Whippet heads. Don't know when I will get started on them, but here is a picture of what they look like from the pattern of L.Conlon. I bought the pattern on Etsy.

New Item on Etsy

These are booties I crocheted and hope to sell on Etsy. They are for a little girl of about 1-2 years of age.