Yopping Update #39 - Time to get serious

Okay - I get it. I have to stop knitting.  At least for a while.  I knit on Sunday a little,, and on Monday too much and boy did my arm hurt all through Monday night.  Tuesday I put all my knitting away in the craft room so as not to be tempted while watching TV.  Turns out, TV is not as much fun as when I can knit.

I did finish the drapes on Monday, and hung them Tuesday.  I think putting the hooks in on Monday night attributed to my sore arm - but they are done and hung and I am very pleased with them.

Much better than the very old and broken bamboo curtain that was there for certain.  The colour isn't showing correctly.  The design is in a dark blue, not brown.

I frogged a square where I had lost on yarn chicken. I tried to match it with another yarn but it was too noticeable so I knew I wouldn't be happy for it to go into the blanket.  So I finished one square and frogged one square so that puts me at zero (I did start another, put it is in the time out with my fisherman sweater until my arm is better).

I did spin about 10 gms of fibre, but that too puts too much stress on my arm so instead I spent an evening entering all my fibre into Ravelry so I will be ready to spin again when I am healed.

I have been going to the gym and using the treadmill, stairmaster, elliptical and recumbent bike since I can't swim.  Trying to look at glass half full, but boy do I ever miss my swimming and my knitting.

I have been studying my Croatian and having the answer book is great for checking my progress.

As I write this I am on the little island looking after my sister's two jack russells.  Lots of walks in my future while here, and I have brought a whole bunch of recipes with me that I want to try.  I also have a few novels that I have been neglecting, and I have been thinking about reworking the novel I wrote a couple of years ago.   I can't knit, (did I mention that?), so I need to find other things to do. I also plan to journal daily.

Oh,and  I also have prep for my summer courses, so that is here with me as well.

You can find the other yoppers here.

By the way....

Tomorrow is April first.  Don't get fooled!

PS:  I just changed the bulb in the headlamp of my car - ALL BY MYSELF!  Thanks to youtube and also there may have been some curse words....but I DID IT!

Yopping Update #38 - Still grumbling along

Yup, still grumpy.  I did see the physio last Monday and I go again tomorrow.  I went to chiropractor yesterday and I think it helped a wee bit - at least I slept better last night.  Tomorrow I go to my doctor to request an ultrasound and then the physio again.  I think she will do some acupuncture or needling tomorrow.  She has given me exercises which I think help.

Knitting?  Not so much.   Swimming?  Not at all.  Thank God the weather has been wonderful and I went for three long walks this week.

I can knit about 20 rows a night - so I am plugging away on my KAL blanket.

I am about 40 rows in on another square - so little by little I am getting it done.

I have two more squares to do before my next issue arrives so I will be caught up by then.

I was going to go to a fibre show today to buy some yarn for the border, but it ended yesterday!   What????   I thought it ran all weekend.  I am going to head down to Michaels this morning and see if I can find something suitable.

Since I can't knit I have tackled making drapes for our bedroom out of some material I was given over a year ago.  I have pinned the pleats and today I will stitch them on the machine.

I bought the drape hooks yesterday so who knows, they might be hung by the end of the day.   My husband has to help me lift them into position of because of my arm, and I will post pictures next week. I promise, because right now they are just in a heap on the floor in my craft room.

My taxes got filed  and the answer book arrived for my Croatian exercise book so I am able to mark my work without having to wait to go to my lesson on Thursdays.  I have had a major break through understanding the verb syntax in Croatian so I am excited about that.  When I watch TV now I find myself translating words I hear into Croatian.  I am dreaming about my lessons now, and a friend once told me that is a good sign when you are learning a new language.

I have been feeling down this week, being lame and all, but I am trying to keep my spirits up by visiting with friends and doing what I can do.  The yard is taunting me because it needs a good raking from all the winter wind storms, but raking is definitely a no go.

I can't get my amaryllis to bloom like my son has been able to with his:

but my lawn is full of violets:

and my orchid and hoya are blooming in the kitchen window:

So spring is here - hooray, and the trees around my house are full of birds: robins, towees, juncoes, flickers, hummingbirds,jays, crows, chickadees and nuthatches.

Life is good.

I came across this saying today:

Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates: 

Is it true?
Is it necessary?
Is it kind?  

Kinda fits with my lenten promise, I think.   And since God felt it necessary for me to also give up swimming and knitting for Lent (apparently chocolate chip cookies and facebook wasn't enough) I have to believe it is all for a reason.

It will be all right in the end.  If it is not alright, it is not the end.

Follow my other intrepid yoppers - they are amazing in their support and their talents.

Yopping Update #37 - A little progress

Happy Saint Patrick's Day.   I hope you are wearing green for luck.  Or leprachaun socks like my grand-daughter!

The sun is shining and the sky is blue.  The barometer is up so good weather is ahead.  Hooray!

The arm is no better, but I am going for physio tomorrow morning (at 7am!).  Wish me luck because it is a real pain (literally and figuratively). 

I did get a little knitting done - I can knit for about 30 minutes before my upper arm starts to ache.

So now I have 24 finished squares.  Slow progress for sure but it is what it is. 

I did work quite a bit this week, and on Wednesday and Friday I was the substitute teacher in the handwork room.  What a fantastic gig.  I got paid to help students knit and sew. 
One dear little grade two girl told her mum (who told me later) that Mrs. T is the 'world's best handwork teacher!'  High praise indeed!

Spring break has started here so the school will not be calling on me and I can spend more time on rehab for my arm, walking, visiting and resting.

My son is in town for a few days so that has been wonderful to catch up and hang out.  This morning while having our coffee and chatting we watched two flickers involved in a very complicated mating ritual.  Too far away for any pictures but with the binoculars we had a good view of their antics. 

Baby flickers in my future!

I have been studying a lot this week since I needed to fill my knitting time with something else and I feel like I have had quite a break through understanding the complicated conjugation rules of the Croatian language.  Yay me. 

I am still grumpy because of my arm, but today I will go to the gym instead of the pool and do some leg work - also use the stair machine.  My son will come too so then after our workout we can hang out in the hot tub and the sauna. I will probably float in the river for a time too.

I let go of some things yesterday that no longer serve me to keep them around.  Old letters and such that were written in a different time out of a different place and to hang on to them and stumble upon them was causing me sadness.  At my CoDA meeting yesterday there was a lot of sharing about relationships,and forgiveness and trust.  It seems that every meeting I go to teaches me, or reaffirms for me, things that I need to learn, or am learning about myself. 

As Marie Kondo would say 'thank the things for how they have served you and then let them go. 

Letting go is not something that comes second nature to me. Holding on to old hurts doesn't serve me.  If you read about the metaphysical reasons for pain, shoulder pain means I am perhaps not letting go of things or holding on to another's sadness or, and I like this one, YOUR BODY IS TELLING YOU: LOVE YOURSELF.

Yes, it was in capitals in the article my daughter sent me so I am paying attention. 

I also cleaned up files off my computer and phone to free up space and I found this: 

Perfect. 

To follow other yoppers you can check out their progress here:  They are warriors too, just like me.

Yopping Update #36 - One row at a time

Hmmm.  It has been an interesting week.  I have done something to aggravate my rotator cuff so swimming is out, and I can only knit for about an hour before my arm starts to ache.   What?

I know, right?  

I still was able to finish another four squares on my Hearts and Diamonds KAL blanket.  I can manage about 1/2 square per evening.  

I am in withdrawal people!!

I am making slow progress on my fisherman's sweater.  After the ribbing I needed to get very organized for the charts and cables so I colour coded both the pattern and the stitch markers so I can keep track of which chart is which.  I am managing about two rows per evening before my arm flairs up.   

Arg!!!!   I am in serious withdrawal...  (oops I already said that). 

'Cause I am!!

On Thursday it snowed.  A lot.  I couldn't get to my Croatian lesson so I worked on my taxes instead.   

I sent my daughter a video of the fat snowflakes falling outside my window and she commented on how beautiful it was.  

My response?  

"IT'S MARCH!"

I have been out of sorts since Wednesday.  I blamed the new moon,  but I am still feeling off so I think it is something else.  Pain makes me grumpy.  Not being able to knit makes me grumpy. Not being able to swim?  You got it.  Grumpy.  (Also owing money on my taxes.  grrrr).

Lent started on Wednesday.  I have given up facebook and instagram and chocolate chip cookies. The Pope suggested people give up gossiping for Lent.  I think that is a wonderful idea.  And not just during Lent - but for always.  I am not Catholic, at least not with a capital C, but I can get behind the no gossiping thing.  I try, and there is always room for improvement.  

I have been studying my Croatian more each day and I am feeling good about my progress.  My coffee table which is usually covered with knitting is currently covered with flashcards.  

I am glad for the progress, but I am hoping my massage therapy appointment on Tuesday helps get me back to my knitting and swimming sooner rather than later.  

This coming week I am subbing two days as the handwork teacher, and I have two days of observations and mentoring some new teachers.  

And the clocks have gone ahead.  You know SPRUNG ahead.  Hopefully Spring isn't far behind.  

To follow other yoppers whom I am sure have more progress to show than I do check out their posts here. 

Yopping Update #35 - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

On the knitting front I have completed the 17th square of the Heart's Desire KAL

 and last night I cast on number 18.  I have been diligently blocking as I go:

Good thing no-one needs the spare bedroom!

I also gave a small bag of toques and mitts and boots goodwill this week.  I had put aside a beautiful aran vest my sister had made for me many many years ago.  It is too big for me now and I felt it was time for it to move on to the Free Store - but as it lay waiting for my trip to the little island it became a favourite place for Otis to curl up on as he kept me company while I was doing school prep.

Then I saw a video on facebook about a man that frequents second hand stores looking for sweaters to unravel to make wool hats. 

After a call to my sister to get her blessing I turned this:

into this:

and then I found the perfect pattern for a fisherman's knit sweater and so now I have this:

All my knitting this week is leftovers from my stash, and from the recycled sweater. 

I went to knit group on Thursday and I bought this kit from a friend who was de-cluttering.  It is roving and a pattern to make felted slippers!. Three bucks!  I will cast this on today!

Other than that I have been swimming and walking and doing a little contract working at my school.  I have also been working on my Croatian - especially the grammar rules in the new text book I received two weeks ago.  My teacher and I are working through it together.  It really helps to have her go over my lessons. 

Life is good: 

I watched the Oscar's last week.  Shallow won best song and the chorus has been going around and around in my head. 

I'm off the deep end
Watch as I dive in
I'll never meet the ground
Crash through the surface
Where they can't hurt us

We're far from the shallow now. 

I find these lyrics so comforting and inspiring and true.  At 63 I am far from the shallow but that is ok.  I know how to swim the deep waters 

And when I get tired, I can turn onto my back and float with the current. 

It is all ok. 

I am ok. 

And spring is coming.

I have the picture to prove it:

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