Monday, March 11, 2013

A Bird, a Movie, Pain, the Arrival of Spring, Knitting, and Crochet

On Saturday, John & I went outside in the bright, sunshiny 65-degree weather (ugh) to replenish the bird feeders.  I hung up this little seed bell & before too long one of the many black-capped chickadees who visit us decided to check it out.  He really seemed to enjoy it!


  
That last picture turned out cute.  It's like he's saying "Hey!  Who told you that you could take my picture?"

Yesterday it was a bright, sunshiny 67 degrees (ugh again).  I went out & did some cleaning up of the garage while John installed a new car battery.  We then went out for dinner.  When we came home, my feet were hurting a lot & I had trouble walking.  I think I really did a number on myself with all that walking we did in NYC.  I've also noticed that my left leg is swollen more than usual since we've been back.  This leg is always swollen a bit & I always have some degree of pain there thanks to 3 blood clots trying to do me in over the years.  Sometimes the pain gets really bad.  My dad once joked with me & said I should just have the doctors cut off the leg & give me a wooden one ... then I'd only have to worry about woodpeckers.  That is how I describe the worst pain ... cut it off & give me a wooden one.  Well, that's what it's like this morning. Quite swollen, horribly painful.  No clot though.  After having 3 of them, I know the signs.  I'm also taking preventative medication.  I think I need to see someone about this increase in discomfort.  Every time I have a bad pain somewhere, I think of a made for TV Christmas movie I first saw many years ago.  It's called The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story. 
This is one of the best movies ever!  As you can see, it stars Lee Remick, Angela Lansbury, & Polly Holliday.  If you haven't seen it, it really is worth checking out.  I don't want to give away the story, but at one point, Angela Lansbury utters the line "It hurts like a holy curse."  I have no idea what that means.  I've looked on Google & there is no reference for it.  It does, however, seem to indicate a lot of pain.

What was I talking about?  Oh yes, my left leg.  My left leg, my feet, my left arm.  Yep, gotta see someone.  The pain bothered me all night despite medication & I finally got out of bed at about 3 a.m. & tried sleeping on the couch.  No luck, so here I am, writing a blog post.  I had plans to do some cleaning upstairs today.  I hope I'll be able to do that.

This past weekend I did do a bit of spring decorating.  This basically involved taking down the Let It Snow snowman sign hanging in the kitchen, the Warm Winter Wishes sign near the thermostat, & the winter themed cutting board, sewing drawer, & pinkeep in the diningroom, & replacing them with the usual farm themed kitchen sign, a spring paddle, & the spring themed cutting board, sewing drawer, & pinkeep.  It also meant changing the dishes. I have Fiesta dishes.  I've sorted them into spring colors, summer colors, & fall/winter colors.  With the change of these seasons, the old season dishes are pushed to the back of the cabinet & the new season to the front.
The spring dishes are of course the pastels. Some of the colors are missing.  I'm hoping they were put into a moving box with Christmas decor or something because I couldn't have missed them & tossed them out by mistake when we moved here.  Yes, you see some paper plates there.  We use those a lot.  Saves me washing dishes.  

I'm still knitting that pair of socks I started last month.  No new photo to show you on this front.  However, I'm a bit skeptical as to whether or not I'm going to be able to finish this second sock based on the yarn I have left.  I'm ready to start the gusset now & then work my way down the foot.  Who knows, I might be surprised.  I think I will also be surprised if these socks fit me (see previous increased leg swelling reference).  I used a loose cast on for the cuff of the socks but I am afraid it's not going to be stretchy enough.  When I tried the first one on, it was just a very wee bit tight on my good leg.  Ah well, I've enjoyed knitting them & will figure out a different course of action for the next pair if need be.  

And speaking of crochet ...   : )   ... some of you know that for the past I don't know how many months, I've been seeing some wonderful crocheted items on your blogs (Hazel's & Tina's blogs in particular) & it has been calling to me.  Strongly calling.  I went so far as to buy a Learn to Crochet kit at Walmart sometime last year but I've never opened it.  I, of course, have enough to do with cross stitch & knitting &, on the odd occasion, quilting.  Although I bought the kit, I constantly told myself I didn't need to do anything with it.  Well, this didn't stop Hazel or Tina from tempting me with their crocheted creations.  Then in NYC I saw many, many locals wearing beautiful scarves. It seems to be a fashion statement there. Men, women, & children were arrayed in beautiful scarves, both knitted & crocheted. However, it was the crocheted ones that really caught my eye.  I read once that knitting can be done by machine, but crochet can only be done by hand.  At one of the knitting shops I went to, there was a display of various scarves.  The two that caught my eye were ... you guessed it ... crochet.  Recently Tina did a blog post about a granny stripe blanket she is crocheting for her husband.  I fell in love. This is a photo of the blanket from samples given on Ravelry.
Isn't it gorgeous?  I wouldn't make mine in those pastel colors but I think more like the colors on the designer's pattern.

Well, I've probably rambled on long enough for one blog post   : )   I think I'll go make myself another cup of tea, maybe a couple slices of toast, & then cuddle up in the recliner, read a bit, & maybe work on my socks.  I'm still hoping to do a bit of cleaning upstairs today.  Wish me luck   : )

22 comments:

Mii Stitch said...

Mind how you go with your leg & everything else!!! I love that crochet blanket, the colours are really pretty... Have a great day!

Dawn said...

Oh Shirlee, I hope your aches go away soon, I'm sure the rainy days we are having now will add to it. You should relax your leg in your recliner and do your reading and knitting.
I'll teach you to crochet, you teach me to knit, lol.
Have a dry day today.
Hugs

Nicola said...

You have had a bad run with your health, bless. I really like the idea of seasonal crockery.

Chris said...

Oh Shirlee,
I am so sorry that you had such a rough night. I hope that you feel beter as the day goes on. The bird pics are sweet. I love your Fiestaware and how you have sorted out the colors.
I LOVE your afghan start too. Like you these have kind of been calling to me.
Hugs!

Vickie said...

I would feel so much better Shirlee if you would call the doctor today for an appt. to have that swelling checked out.
I hope you get a nice nap in today. And the cleaning upstairs! One baby step at a time Shirlee. ;)

Earlene said...

Yes you need to get that pain looked at..is it a circulation problem?
Love your Spring color dishes.
Earlene

Maggee said...

The pain worries me, too! Hopefully you can get it checked out today! SOON! Love the birdie pictures! I need to take down my winter decorating and get spring up! Maybe tonight...after work, dinner, cleanup... Hugs!

Trace4J said...

Praying for you..
Please keep the leg. :) and go to the doctor.
Love the fiesta ware.. Oh my love all the colors.
And the granny stripe. Love too.
Happy crowhoooky my friend
Woolie Hugs
Trace

Catherine said...

I do hope you find some relief from your pain. Lovely bird pics! I wish I could knit and/or crochet!

Peggy Lee said...

Yep, I agree with everyone else here...it sounds scary about that leg! I hope you are able to find some relief soon.
When we finish our plans for a large deck we will put some bird feeders out to enjoy. We had some at our last place and I really miss watching them.
Did I show you the picture of all the Fiesta ware at that place in Monticello? I have never seen so much of it in one place in all my life!

gracie said...

Foot and leg pain is horrible. I use a liquid pain med...Pensaid (by prescription) and it really helps my knee and hip. I hope you have some relief with the pain.

butterfly said...

Oh Shirlee poor you, I never use to get pain but I do now I am over 60 , this is what we have to look forward too.
Love your birds, on the seed bell.

Also love the blanket I have to make two soon, maybe I can sit out in the Spring and Summer ! we will see, hugs

Southpaw Stitcher said...

You should learn to crochet--you'd love it. It's easy and much quicker than knitting! That granny stripe afghan would be a cinch to make. I have to chuckle about your editorial comments on the 65-degree weather. Wish we had some of that here.

P.S. Please get your leg check out! Hope you feel better soon!

Robin at The Primitive Hutch said...

Hope there is nothing serious about your leg ~ hope it gets better soon.
I do some knitting and crochet ~ I think crochet is easier!!!
Beautiful colors in the samples you've shown.
Good Luck to you ~ hope you get your to do list accomplished!!!
Take Care!
Prim Blessings
Robin

marly said...

Pain is one thing. Swelling is another. The arm also? GO TO THE DOCTOR!!! Better yet, visit an Urgent Care for quicker treatment. Just go.

geeky Heather said...

Goodness gracious, I hope your doctor can do something about that leg! (Rather than give you a wooden one...although I suppose that would be an excellent conversation piece and make dressing up for Halloween very easy...just add an eye patch and "arrrrr!!!")

Marie said...

When were you in NYC? I was there recently to see WICKED. :D

I have been busy knitting up a number of those popular scarfs seen all over NYC! Will be posting on that soon. They are so fun to knit ~ I have happily graduated to cable knit scarfs. I will check out the two blogs links to see some crocheting, thanks.

I hope that your leg gets better quickly. It's my shoulder that bothers me...it's always something.

Judy said...

Hope you will get that swollen leg checked out soon. I agree about all the scarves---I have been seeing the round all in one scarves and really like them. I can sort of crochet and knit--if very simple! Cute pics of the bird on the seed bell. And I would give a left leg for 65 degree temps!! It seems winter will NOT go away. Have a good week.

Judy heartland stitcher

~Sara said...

Been thinking of you. Hope you get your leg checked soon and get to feeling better.
blessings~Sara

Annette-California said...

Bless you Shirley. I sure pray you feel better soon. You should at least call a advise nurse for your leg. Lovely afghan start and your colors are beautiful. love Annette

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

Those scarves are gorgeous, the colours are so vibrant. You should definitely try making one.
Sorry about your leg, I imagine a Holy Curse is like being struck down by God so pretty painful. You could always get a blade instead of the wooden leg and take up running?
Love your header too, when it first loaded I thought "what the heck?" Then remembered the funeral pyre!

Stitchy Mc Floss said...

Oh I love the colors of this blanket. :) I will have to head over to Ravelry and check out her project page.

I can't tell you how happy it makes me that you are now crocheting.

Blessings always