Saturdays

I am beginning to love Saturdays again. Growing up, Saturdays were days of chores, chores, chores. After we got married, Saturdays were still designated as days of chores, because we worked outside the home during the week. When I became a SAHM with three little ones, five dozen cloth diapers and endless toys, Saturdays were still days of chores. Now the kids are out of the house with homes and kids of their own. Still Saturdays were chore days. Yuck!

In July, I drank the Kool-ade and joined Flylady’s group of followers. I have had a clean and shiny sink ever since. Not only a clean sink, but clean countertops. No dirty dishes. An empty dishwasher. No dirty clothes. (No more Mt. Washmore). Clean bathrooms. And the clutter that is 37 years of life is slowly (15 minutes at a time) leaving this house. Our house is finally becoming a place we want to be. 

Yes, there is still dust. Yes, there is still too much stuff. Yes, there is still my stash of yarn. But, most people don’t even notice when they come into the house. It looks fairly presentable. What an accomplishment!

The nicest part is when the 3 year old twins grandchildren come over, it only takes a few minutes after they leave to bring the house back to our new normal. Makes having them over even more enjoyable. This is good since they are here about 3 days a week while their dad is on night shift until the end of October.

Since most of the chores are done throughout the week, Saturdays are now for play!  As soon as I finish this blog post, I will return to my knitting. Life is good!

Who Needs Excitement?

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. The last few weeks have been sooooo busy.  

All of the grandchildren have returned home and most have started school for the year. Two begin on Thursday. You just gotta love New York.  Three are still too young for school, but they like to think they are just as big as their brothers, sister and cousins.  

Our trip to Anaheim, CA was very enjoyable even though we didn’t get to see much beyond the hotel and conference center. We did visit Downtown Disney one day for a little retail therapy. Have to add to the infamous shot glass collection wherever we go!

Crystal Cathedral

We also were there for the 4.4 earthquake which we experienced from the 14th floor of the hotel. Yikes!!

Within hours of returning home, we hosted Tom’s best friend from high school and his wife for the weekend. We also hosted Tom’s class reunion the same evening or at least Tom did. I needed to stay home and take care of three of the grandchildren who live close by as their dad had to go to work. He works shift and their mom is in the hospital.

Which brings me to our hospital adventures of August. My mom needed to have an angiogram to determine if she was a viable candidate for a carotid artery angioplasty and stent. The angiogram was done and an appointment set up the following week have the procedure. The day before the procedure, after she mowed the lawn, (yes, she is 75), she developed dangerously low sodium which sent us to the emergency room. They admitted her, brought her sodium up over the next four days and rescheduled her procedure. The day before her procedure, she was trying not to do much. So, she vacuum and mopped her entire house including moving the sofa and vacuuming under it. Sheeeesh!  Luckily, no ill effects and the procedure went like clock work. 

The blocked artery was the size of fingering yarn before the procedure and the size of extra bulky afterward. The doctors think she will outlive us all.

Since I didn’t want her to get all the attention, I had an allergic reaction to a newly prescribed medication. At three a.m. the morning of her procedure, I woke having difficulty breathing, having an asthma attack, full body swelling and hives. Not a pretty site and really scary. I made my way downstairs to find my epi-pen. Reread the directions and jammed it into my thigh. Within seconds, the epinephrine started coursing through my body and I could breath and the hives started going away. Now, I had to wake up my husband, so he could take me to the hospital. Yes, the same one that Mom was due at 4 hours later.  The monitored me for several hours and released me in time to get Mom to the hospital. I didn’t tell her any of this until hours after her procedure. When you already have an irregular heartbeat, you don’t need all this drama.

Mom is home. I am fine. And then........yep! not to be outdone, Tom steps in a hole on the road in front of our house and tear ligaments in his ankle. 

I am ready to hide in the house and knit. Especially, since for the last two months I have picked up my knitting about six times. 

Yesterday proved to be knitterlicious! I finally finished the gusset and heel of the second Shades of Green toe-up sock in Saucon Sock in the Jungle Vine colorway. Yeah! I am about to finish the first project since June except for the Lea Cloche which I knitted on the plane home from California. It unfortunately doesn’t fit too well so it may not see much use. The socks however fit well and I like the way they look.

Lea Cloche (still needs ribbon band)

Shades of Green Socks in sock bag from Three Bags Full (dance2yarn.etsy.com)

Until next time.........