Knitting

I go through these phases where I only want to do a certain thing.  I've been into crocheting for a long time and just wasn't interested in doing anything else.  I know how to knit and have a nice set of interchangeable knitting needles but I just couldn't get into it.  Then this last year I couldn't get into anything at all.  I didn't do anything with yarn except start something and then never go back to it.  I guess my thing last year was reading and whenever I was awake that was what I did.  I did pick up cross stitching at the end of the year and I definitely caught the bug but right now I don't really feel like doing that.  All of a sudden I'm interested in knitting again.  I wonder what causes this switching of interests like that.

It has been some years since I've knit anything now and I'm out of practice.  My knitting isn't very even so I'm been practicing a lot just making swatches.  My knitting isn't as even as it used to be.  Of course I want to tackle something difficult right away (because that's how I am).  I want to knit something with two colors.  It is a beautiful afghan made of about 35 blocks.  It's called the Nordic Afghan by (Mr.) Jody Long Knits.  It is beautiful in the red/white theme they made it in but I really want to make it in royal blue and white.  I've been watching youtube videos to learn helpful things and just practicing changing colors and trying to keep the tension even.  It is not so easy.  I did get half of the first block done and it was neat to see how my colors would look but I took it out because it wasn't very even.  I need to practice more and then try it again.

I've decided to try something a little easier to get some practice in.  There is a new pattern out by Lionbrand.com called the Deerfield V-neck Pullover.  I have some yarn I recently bought because I really love it so I'm going to use it to make this pullover.  Instead of the fuzzy yarn they used I'll use Caron's simply soft Party in Silver sparkle.  It isn't fuzzy at all and I think it will be cooler.  It is a light gray and has metallic strands in light pink, blue and gold I think.  Maybe silver too.  It is hard to tell in this light.

I do have a cold though and I've been making extra mistakes but that's okay.  It gives me something to focus on.  I'm still trying to get used to the new drug the doctor put me on and I've been so tired. I'm trying so hard to stay awake right now.  I might be losing the battle but I'll keep fighting as long as I can.

D

Happy 2016!

I just killed all the dust bunnies on this blog and shined it up so I can start posting again.  Okay, I don't kill things, not even dust bunnies.  I just set them free in the wild.

So last year was a bit rough on me even though I had some good things happen as far as my health.  I started seeing a new Rheumatologist in Jan and he's helped me some.  Then just recently I got a new primary doctor and he's already helped me too.  Now if I can just stay awake I might be able to live a little more like normal.  It seems that all drugs that help me make me sleep forever.  Now I'm like a vampire who never sees the daylight.  Hmmm, maybe it would be cool to have a cape.

I'm hoping 2016 will be a better year for me as I get a better balance with the drugs.  I want to be able to get more exercise and lose weight.  Pain makes it so hard to exercise.  I started a program in September I think it was and I lost 8 lbs but I had so much trouble with pain and sleeping so much.  I really want to do better, exercise more, keep eating healthy food and build back some of the muscle that I've lost.

In 2015 I read 44 books.  I'd been having such a hard time focusing that I barely read any books.  In 2014 I only managed to read 5.  On Goodreads.com I set my reading goal for 2015 at 12 books (which is pretty sad but much better than 5)  Then in January 2015 the Rheumatologist I saw in Anchorage put me on a drug called Plaquenil to bring down inflammation.  That helped a lot with my pain but I had to start at a really low dose and slowly build up to the dose I needed because it really made me feel drugged.  I totally understand the meaning of the word psychedelic now.  Anyway, around March I suddenly felt like reading and for a while I didn't do anything else.  I was rarely on the computer or facebook and didn't crochet or knit anything (which is very strange for me).  For Christmas my husband bought me a book light I wanted that is rechargeable.  That is something I put to use that same night and it is the best gift ever.

So this year I set my reading goal at 24.  That is low but I'm hoping to be outside more this summer. I have a new bike and want to use it.

I started a new hobby at the end of the year too.  I started cross stitching.  I was always buying little kits to try but never got far with them.  Sadly, I have a few kits that I started and ended up losing the pattern or other things to them.  When I started pulling out Christmas decorations I found a few ornament kits and actually made them and finished them and even hung them on my tree!  It was not even hard since I read the instructions.  Now I'm addicted.  My husband even bought me a few kits since the ones I had where mostly Christmas kits.  One of my doctors told me I needed to sit in a straight back chair instead of the couch because a muscle in my back was really tight so I started sitting at the kitchen table and cross stitching.  Now my back is fine.  I actually enjoy sitting at the table to work on cross stitching, especially when the sun is shining in the window.

Well, that's enough for now.

Here's too good health in the new year!

Long time no post

I know I haven't been posting and I'm not sure why.  I just haven't though of it.  I haven't been watching Bones either so haven't been looking up music from the show.  If I were I'm sure I would have been posting about that.  I haven't been watching any TV shows really.  I'm just not into it.

I've been keeping myself busy reading this year.  Ever since I saw the Rheumatologist in Jan and started taking Plaquenil I started feeling better and sleeping more.  Sometime in March I started to feel more clear-headed and decided to read a book.  Usually I can't focus on anything and keep reading the same line over and over.  Anyway, I started reading and never stopped.  I've read 38 books so far and have stacks more ready to go. 

Even though I had big plans for my garden this summer I had too many days where I was in pain or so fatigued I couldn't get out of bed so my garden was a fail.  I did enjoy my perennial flower beds though.  I started a bunch of flowers from seed and then I set them outside to start hardening them off and then fell asleep for a long time.  I ended up being stuck in bed for 3 days or so and just couldn't move my body.  I think it was a reaction to the new drug.  I had to cut back on it and increase slowly. Several of my seedlings died so that was a bummer.  I did enjoy the ones I got planted though.  I love the bright blue Royal Ensign Morning Glories.  I was just bummed that they are not the climbing variety.  I always plant morning glories of some type in a planter at the front of my porch and there is some lattis for them to climb up on.  I just had to loop the vines in the lattice here and there and I missed those curly tendrils.  I also planted some deep purple carnations and actually got one to bloom.  It was a really strange summer that was unusually hot and dry for the first half.  We had some nasty fires so even though the weather was nice we stayed inside to keep out of the smoke.  Then it started raining and didn't stop...  making up for lost time I guess.  My lilies didn't do as well this year. I had a lot less blooms than usual and my bleeding heart barely bloomed at all.  I hope next year is better.  

I've been busy keeping up with my freshwater fish tank too.  I bought 5 painted variatus platies and didn't expect them to have billions of babies.  Now I have to figure what to do with them all.  My fish tank is getting too full.  I guess I'll have to take some to the fish store for adoption although it is so hard to part with the cute little guys.  They said they love to take the babies.  Hopefully I can get there there without them freezing.  It's cold.  brrr.

  

Bit by the garden bug

I've been dreaming of summer and gardening since February.  I have been watching youtube videos on gardening and dreaming of what I'm going to plant this summer.  Last summer was very nasty and rainy the entire season so I never planted the seeds I got.  When it is raining my fibromyalgia flairs up and I usually can't get out of bed.  I found the seeds I bought last year and I started some sage and some sunflowers.  I also spouted some apple seeds and some lemons from store bought fruit. Yesterday I had an avocado and you know I planted that sucker too.

I was looking at seed catalogs but I wasn't finding what I was looking for.  We have a very short season here in central Alaska.  I read online about Siberian tomatoes that are more hardy and only take 48 days but they weren't in the catalogs.  I found some on ebay last night and ordered some.

This year my goal is to try to plant less so I can focus on those things and maybe be able to handle the garden myself.  I want to plant peas and beans (which are pretty easy I think) and tomatoes, some loose leaf mixed lettuce and maybe carrots.  I've never had luck with carrots so I'd like to try again.

I also want to add some new things to my perennial garden.  My whole front yard is all perennials so even though I wasn't able to do anything in my garden last summer the flowers in front took care of themselves and looked great.  The lilies are amazing.

oh I just can't wait.

Watching the Snow Fall

The last several days have been warm and the snow is melting a little.  I haven't been able to see the sun shining for a few days since we have been getting snow.  The sky looks a solid white/gray with no clear spots at all.  This afternoon the snow started to fall and we had some wind that was stirring it around so it looked like the snowflakes were dancing in the air.  I always want to take pictures of the snow falling but it just doesn't capture well so I took a video.

It wont be much longer and we will be seeing that snow melting into puddles.

Building Bridges

This is what I do.

When I think of all the things I want to do I feel like I'm standing at the edge of a giant ravine and what I want to do is on the other side.

It can be very depressing if you let it.

I've changed my thinking though.  It hasn't been that long since I got this inspiration.  I can change the way I do things, break things down into smaller projects or tasks and in the process I build a bridge to the other side and accomplish my goal.

The sun is shining and I am loving it so I'm slowly cleaning my house one wall, one window, one square of carpet at a time.  I used to chose a room or two to clean each day but now I know my limitations.  I think of what would make the biggest impact for me at the moment and do that.  When the sun was streaming in the window the other day I cleaned the window and put plants over there. That was the most I could do that day but it made a huge difference.  The next day I took it easy and rested. I have to recharge but I had one of my boys here so he helped.  I just had him move some things for me and take some bags of donations outside to be picked up.  He also cleaned up the entry way for me.

Today I'm vacuuming a little, dusting and running the vacuum because it has a hepa filter built in.

My living room looks great now so I am ready to move on to the kitchen/dining room area next.

I've been thinking about gardening a  lot lately too.  It seems warmer than usual right now and the sun is melting the snow.  The branches of the large spruce trees are full of snow that is slowly melting and dripping water.  From where I sit on the couch, looking through the trees, it looks like it is raining.  We usually have spring thaw in April and March is usually really sunny but still cold.  I think this is going to be a good year.  

I'm starting to plan how I will plant my garden outside.  My husband is going to get some wire fencing for me.  In the front yard we only put a decorative rail fence around the right side and planted grass in there since the neighbors on the left had something encroaching on our property.  That got moved before they sold it but the new neighbors don't seem to realize that half of what they thinks is their driveway is our yard.  I want to define that corner better and put up some wire fencing that I can plant vining plants up like sweet peas and scarlet runner beans.  I love how that looks.  I could also plants some other things over there but it is a bit of a slope.  The property is gradually sloped down towards the road and on the sides to allow water to run away from the house so I shouldn't really change that.  It could still be fixed up to look nicer.

I would also like to plant some sunflowers.  I'm going to look online to find a good variety to grow here with our short season.  I'll also look for tomato, beans, peas and lettuce.  There are so many things I'd like to plant but I really need to just pick a few things and focus on taking care of those.  I don't want to get in over my head.  My husband can't always help since he has to work.  My boys can help but they are usually not very willing helpers when it comes to yardwork.

We didn't even use our backyard last year since it rained so much so I'm anxious to get back there and clean up.  My boys mowed it but the trimming didn't get done like it should have.  My shrubs need to be cleaned up and pruned.  I want to set up an area for composting. I've watched Ray on the Praxxus55712 channel make compost and he makes it look like something I could do.  I even got a tub to try composting in the garage.  I got one of those tubs with the two hinged lids that meet in the middle so that lets some air get in there.  I put plant clippings in there and veggie scraps from the kitchen.  Oh, and coffee grounds.  My oldest son goes through a LOT of coffee.  I just can't wait to get out there.  Can you tell I'm chomping at the bit??

Spring Fever

The sun was out and shining beautifully today.  It is March in Fairbanks, Alaska so we will still have snow for a while.  I have definitely been bitten by the spring cleaning bug.  I decided I wanted to have more clear space in the living room so I had the boys haul off the old coffee table and an end table.  That really opened up some space and it looks nice.  There was another piece of furniture that we used to have below the front window but we moved it at Christmas time to put the tree there. Now I don't want it to come back.