Mostly medical

But first - When I was taking one of my knitting breaks from cleaning out flower beds on Monday, a hummingbird hovered about a foot and a half in front of me for half a minute before flying off. I felt like he was saying, "I'm back! Time to put up the feeders." I did put one up later that day.

Now for the  medical. Wednesday I had my quarterly visit to the oncologist. After we exchanged pleasantries, Dr Winkler pulled up my information on the screen (everything is on the computer now) and looked at it for a minute or so. He smiled and said,
"You're incredible!"
"Oh?"
"Your labwork from January shows no sign of Myeloma."
"Good."
But he wants a bone survey, bone density test and 24-hour urine study. And I reminded him that it's time for my annual mammogram. So the appointments were made for those things, as well as for a port flush in six weeks and another visit with him in three months.

That night, in one of my wakeful periods, I thought about that bone density test. I knew the last one I had was in my family doctor's office at about the time that her mother got very ill and she went to upstate NY to care for her, but I couldn't remember whether that was last year of the year before. The last report Dr W had was from March 2011, but that time of year didn't seem right. Yesterday morning, I checked my 2012 calendar, and found 'bone density' noted on August 8. So, on my way to Metropolis yesterday to play with Brady while Alyssa took Lexi to the doctor (she has strep throat), I stopped at the Cancer Group and told them about my find. They checked with Dr Pat's office - the report from that test had not been sent to Dr W. So all I will need to have done on Wednesday is the bone survey (about three dozen x-rays of every bone in my body!)

After I left Alyssa's, I drove home through Mayfield (adds about 15 miles), stopping at the drug store to get a refill on my blood pressure medication, and at the hospital to pick up the jug for the urine collection and to pre-register for the mammogram. (Is it strange to have some things done in Mayfield and some in Paducah?)

Today has been an almost complete waste, although I did get one load of laundry done. I have wasted a good bit of time taking trivia quizzes about Kentucky, Minnesota and New Jersey. I did lousy on the Minnesota ones, but then I was only 10 1/2 when we left there. I did so-so on the New Jersey ones (I lived there for 28 years), but very well on the Kentucky ones (I did take Kentucky state history in 7th or 8th grade, after all), except for two that were about Louisville. 

Spring!

I spent a lot of time outdoors today: first about two hours cleaning out the peony and gladiolus beds on the south end of the house; second mixed up some weed killer and sprayed several places; then spent about an hour cleaning out the bed on the south side of the shed. I had cleaned out the hosta bed on the north end of the house a week or so ago, so now there are only the beds in the front. Between these tasks, I took knitting breaks on the back porch. I would have done more spraying, but it started getting breezy.

I may never be able to stand up straight again!

What's blooming?

In my yard, the dogwood, pink flowering crabapple and lilac are beautiful, but the redbud and white flowering crabapple are past their prime. The daffodils are done, but moneyplant and bleeding heart are in full bloom, and I noticed one iris open on Wednesday. The holly is almost blooming - that will bring the bees.

I've spent the last two days knitting and reading (what else is new!), when I probably should have done some work outside. We had a few nice, warm days, but then yesterday was windy, it rained all night, and today is so cool I have the heat on again.

Frustration

I don't know what happened, but I've had so much trouble getting into my blog-site that I don't remember what I planned to write.

A Good Day

First I went to the Mayfield Library to return a book and check out three others. Then I met Mary at the Art Guild and we talked and knitted (me) and crocheted (Mary) for a couple of hours, after first looking at the new exhibit that was still in the process of being installed. It is the work of the Piecemakers quilting group. It's coming up to the annual quilt show in Paducah, so this is loosely tied in with that.

Then came the best part - I went to Sara's house. Lily was still taking a nap when I got there, but woke up shortly afterwards. I have seen her so seldom that she always considers me a stranger when she first sees me. She's nine months old now and is taking a few steps at a time before she falls. She does a good job of keeping herself occupied.

Reggie was there, since he has been transferred to night shift. That only started last week, so he's still working out his sleep schedule. He was asleep when I got there, but then got up (he'll get a couple more hours of sleep later) and had some soup for lunch. When Lily saw him eating, she stood beside him so he would share his food with her.

After Rose got home from school, Sara went into town to do some errands. Rose's homework was reading a certain story (the last one in her book). I got her to read it to me. She then went back and read all of the stories to me. She reads very well. I reminded her that two years ago she was jealous that her step-sister could read and she couldn't, and that I had told her at the time that she would learn to. I think she had forgotten that. She'll be going on two field trips next week. On Tuesday the class will go to Paducah for a performance of The Berenstain Bears at the Carson Center, and a visit to the National Quilt Museum. On Friday they will be going to Murray to watch some of their school-mates perform (I don't know what kind of performance).

The blog saves the day

Carmen messaged me asking if I had general instructions for the helmet liner with scarf that I made for a friend of hers a few years ago. I looked through my binders of patterns and didn't find it, so I messaged back that I couldn't find it and didn't remember how I did it. Then I thought that I may have put pictures on my blog, and would be able to tell something from the pictures. Not only are there pictures of Lexi modeling it, but on 9/17/09, in a post titled Designer? Me? I described what I did. Maybe I'll make more of them. I wonder if Seaman's Church Institute would be interested.

Spring, I think

I spent a little time outdoors this morning, getting dirt under my finger nails. There's a lot more to be done, of course, but I'll take it slow. The daffodils are pretty much gone now, and the flowering fruit trees are starting to blossom.

This afternoon I sat on the front porch for a while and then on the back one, knitting, of course. Since I finished those two shawls last week, I started three more. Maybe Dominic's right - the family needs to do an intervention for me.

On Tuesday, I got Lexi to model those two shawls for me.

Isn't she cute?