Recent Projects

Between radiation and the cold, life has been pretty boring. The cold is now on its last legs, radiation has a month to go. Yesterday I made a break for it, thought I would do some retail therapy. I went to Stanford Shopping Center. Nothing caught my eye. I walked around the mall for exercise and only had to sit down and rest twice.
So I thought I would share some of my projects. This is the one I do most often. I've been making this pattern for over 40 years. I vary the color and buttons to keep each one individual. I can do this pattern in my sleep and I still love it.







This is a new pattern--a hoodie that screams "little boy." It is actually more of an olive green--didn't photograph too well, since this looks like baby poop yellow. I've got some navy blue yarn to make another one.

This is a pattern I picked up in Canada because I thought I needed to try something new.

This is a blanket and hat. I've now made several in different colors. It looks harder than it is. Actually, it's kind of fun. The blanket is worked on 22 stitches at a time. It is fun watching it grow. The border is not especially fun, since you have to repeat the same pattern 56 times. But

then, finishing has never been fun.

So that's my exciting live right not. I have some weekend functions that I can attend if I feel up to it. We'll see.

xxooxx

Utter exhaustion

I knew that somewhere I would have to pay for doing what I did over the weekend. The price was exhaustion. Total and complete exhaustion. I did nothing at all on Monday--just rested. I may have changed out of my jammies at sometime, but I never got far from my chair. Tuesday I had an appointment downtown, so I dutifully got up, had breakfast, got dressed, went to BART. made the appointment, deposited a check at the ATM, BARTed back, did necessary grocery shopping--well, maybe some of it unnecessary, but I was hungry, cane back home, eat my lunch, and slept for three hours. I woke up in time to watch the Giants loose. I'd been invited to the game but knew there was no way I could stay conscious to get back downtown and stay upright for the game. Just as well--it rained, which it NEVER does here in August.
On top of the exhaustion, every muscle I owned hurt--well, maybe just my neck, back, shoulders, and arms. It seemed like all of them.
I think I was asleep five minutes after the game. This morning, the muscle aches and exhaustion were still with me, but I had things to do. I had my simulation appointment at the radiation oncologists. It consisted of getting there, no mean trick, then being CT scanned so that they could make a computer image of my abdomen to plan my treatment. Now I wait till they call me for the next steps. Haven't even really started and I can almost see the end. Of course, I'm old enough to remember that sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is the oncoming train, so I won't get cocky. I made two stops on the way home--one for gas and one taking my cross-stitches of Hawaii for Rebecca and Lower Yellowstone Falls for me to the framer. I always feel a sense of satisfaction when I do that.
Now I have to pack for tomorrow's trip to Las Vegas. What to wear to a wedding in Las Vegas in August--that is cool enough--that fits. Once again I have wheel chairs arranged at the airports. Since we're only going for two nights I shouldn't have to take my entire wardrobe, all the books I have left to read and all the yarn I have left to knit--just enough to keep me entertained.
I expect to return with pictures.
xxooxx

Dr. Radiation Oncology

So, I met with Dr. Steven Weller today. My next appointment will be for a simulation next Wednesday, I'm assuming that will be when I'll get marked up, including what I hope will be tiny tattoos to make sure they are radiating the right place. After that, it will be a week or so to finish up this round of chemo, then the radiation will start, every day, Mon-Fri for about 5 1/2 weeks. I have plans to get away for my 30th anniversary on Sept 30. The doctor expects we should be done by then. Yippee. Now I just have to decide whether I want to keep my reservation at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, which would include flights to and from, or go back to Sonoma where they know and love me, which is just an hour and a half to two hours away. I'm leaning back toward Sonoma, but I'll wait and see how tired the whole process makes me.
That's the latest update.
xxooxx