Yopping Update #17

A quick update today.  I am feeling off and typing seems to be making me nauseous. 
For those that read my last post I have taken a number of small steps.  I went to the doctor, I made a physio appointment for my hip, the doctor sent me for an xray of said hip and I am waiting on results.  I contacted my counsellor and made an appointment for early November and the doctor and I have agreed to up my anti-depressant medication (this may be the nausea issue).  Anyways, I am moving forward small steps. 

I finished my hat and took these not so great selfies. 

brim down

brim up

It came in very handy on Friday as it was a very blustery day over at my Croatian teacher's house!  Ferries were cancelled and they even closed Stanley Park for fear of falling trees.  At my house there was barely a whisper of a breeze - I guess that is what comes from living in a valley. 

I worked a bit on Monday and Tuesday - check
Pool  on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday - check
Massage Thursday - check
Doctor Monday and Thursday - check and check
Hope Centre support group Thursday - check.
Tai Chi lesson Friday - check
Croatian lesson Friday - check
CoDa meeting Saturday - check

I helped my husband cook a turkey dinner last night for my son, brother and a dear friend.  A little late Thanksgiving dinner which was yummy and now we have leftovers for a few days.

I have knit all the pieces for the little sloth except two toes and his nose!   Next week I should have him all sewn up to show you. 

And then I think I should get back to Advent knitting since November is almost upon me.

I am going to go try and nap now.  I tried this morning to no avail and so went to the pool instead and just got home.  It is sunny out and the leaves need more raking - but that will have to wait. 

To follow other yoppers check out their links to the right of this post. 

And don't forget - next week - our clocks go back. 

Can't leave you without sharing this pic of my now 10 month old grand-daughter using a spoon (sort of).

Going nowhere fast

Maybe it is the incessant rain.  Maybe it is the pain in my hip and back.  Maybe it is the constant itching of a spot on my leg.  Whatever it is I am going nowhere fast.  And by nowhere I mean down.

I know that depression lies.  I know I have much to be thankful for.

I just can't see it right now. 

Eating isn't much fun these days.  I have a gnawing pain that comes and goes in my stomach.  I am getting to the pool almost every day and that is, as always, a saving grace. 

My son is here and we are spending time together, playing board games and card games, but still, and all, I am feeling flat.  Actually lower that flat.

I am working a bit this week, but I feel like a fraud.  Who am I to tell another teacher how to better handle a class of unruly children?  I can not handle my own unruly self. 

I keep looking out the window.  The sun is shining and the chestnut tree across the street is a riot of orange and yellow. 

Still, and all, I am not feeling it. 

I should get out in the sunshiine.  I should walk in the fall leaves.  I should eat something besides the banana I had an hour ago. 

I did the dishes.  I made the bed.  I will get dressed after I finish writing this because I do have to go to work in an hour and the school is not ready to see me in my pajamas. 

I did get my handouts ready to mail off to the administration for the courses I am teaching in November. 

I am getting some things done.  But still the dust bunnies are mocking me, as are the spider webs in the corner of the bathroom, and what the fuck is up with the itchy spot on my leg?

I saw the doctor yesterday for a flu shot, and I should have told her about how I was in a downward spiral, but I didn't. 

I did make an appointment for Thursday to talk to her so I have taken hold of myself to some degree. 

I do have a physio appointment tomorrow for my hip and back, and so I can tell myself I am not a lazy poo-head and that I am not giving in to giving up. 

Still, and all, it is a hard fall.  I mean that literally and metaphorically. 

I have a book entitled Learning to Fall. 

You would think after all this time I would be better at it. 

Yopping Update #16 - A surprise finish

Look what is finally finished:

And for a brief moment I had NOTHING on my needles.

Well technically I had the beginning of the sloth on my needles, but I couldn't figure out where I was so I frogged it.  Also I don't like the feel of the Sidar Snuggly so I am going to start the sloth again with a nicer feeling wool.  It won't be fuzzy, but it will be nicer to the touch (and to knit with). I will donate the Snuggle to the free store on the little island when next I visit.

Nature abhors a vacuum so my needles weren't empty for long.  I started a cable hat to match my fisherwoman's sweater.   It is a slouchy cable toque from the TapRoot magazine.  It is called Wild Mustard.

We had beautiful weather for Sunday and Monday and enjoyed our Thanksgiving dinner of steaks cooked over the campfire.

Tuesday the rain started to fall in earnest - I think 4 cm fell in 24 hours!   So on Wednesday we decided to head home.

Thursday was my 64th birthday.  My daughter sent me an audio clip of her singing the Beatles' song "When I'm 64...." which was a lovely way to start the celebrating.

I headed to the pool in the afternoon and I swam my age in pool lengths.  Yup.  64 lengths. (Maybe it was 66 as I lost count and wanted to make sure I did the requisite 64).   It wasn't all front crawl, and it wasn't as fast as I have been known to swim that distance but I did it in one hour and eight minutes, and I have had no complaints from my arm either!  My son and husband took me out for Thai food after my swim and it was delicious.

I have been known to stretch my birthday out for days, and on Friday my son made me a roast chicken dinner and then last night he made a gluten free pumpkin pie.  I am happily being spoiled at this start of my 65th year.

Friday was also my Tai Chi class and I am certain it is not the cause of my hip problem as some of my readers suggested last week.  I am not sure what is up with it, but I have an appointment on Wednesday with a new massage physio specialist so I am hopeful.

It has been very rainy for the past week, but the leaves are beautiful in their fall colours none-the-less.  We also discovered some interesting sea plants while on the Pacific West Coast.

My husband took this picture of my son and I  'hard at work' at the beach on Monday.

Like mother, like son

Perhaps next week I will have more knitting to show, but I am scheduled to do some evaluations and mentoring at my school so we shall see what I will get accomplished.

On the grand-daughter front - she took her first steps a couple of days ago - and she is only 9 1/2 months old.   A smart one she is!

making the face my son (her uncle)  taught her

To follow other yoppers you can check out their links on the right side of this post.

Blessings to you all this coming week. Hopefully the sun will make an appearance one day soon.

Yopping Update #15 - On the road again

Saturday Evening:

I am in our hotel about to go to bed after a L O N G day which started at 5:15am.  Alarm went off, shower and then we got the last few bags into the camper, grabbed a quick cup of coffee, ensured the cat was in, and by 6:30am we pulled out of the driveway.  

I was a little anxious about making the ferry, because I had hoped for 6:15 departure, but we got to the ferry on time and were boarded and on our way by 8am.

After a ferry breakfast (and more coffee) we settled in for the ride.  Both my guys napped and I spent the time joining a writers group.  Hopefully it will help me get on with publishing my novel.

Then off the ferry at 9:30 and drove into the city where my son's race is tomorrow.  A couple of stops along the way to get a national parks pass needed for our camping trip and for my son to pick up his race package.

We were at the Provincial museum by 11 am and even scored a deluxe parking space (well I thought I had....more about that later.)

We spent 3 hours at the museum which had a wonderful display about the Mayan peoples and another about the indigenous peoples of our province.  It focused on the reclaiming of their languages, but there were amazing masks too,  and in one room there was over a dozen inspiring totem poles. 

By 3pm we were all very tired and it was time to check into our hotel.

Oh look.  A ticket on our truck!   ARGGGGG.  I had misread the time on the ticket and it was only good for two hours.   55 dollars later.   DRAT!!

A nap at the hotel and then a long swim (I was the only one in the pool for 45 minutes), followed by sushi dinner put it all in perspective.  It had been a good parking spot with very little walking which was good for both my husband's knees and my hip!

So now to bed - up early for the race to cheer our boy on. 

Oh, and on the knitting front?  I have started the border on my shawl, but it is left at home as we head out camping after the race.  I did bring along my sloth toy to knit so perhaps I will have something to show next week.

Sunday 10:45 am:

He did it!  And so did we.  What we did was found our way (in our big truck and camper) to the 13km point where he had to pass heading back to the finish line.   It was so great to see his smiling face running by us.

He finished in record time taking 2 minutes off his August time and this race had a lot more hills.

We got parked relatively close to the finish line and he found us and now we are heading for a well deserved breakfast before continuing on our camping journey.  It is a beautiful day.  Sunny with lovely small fluffy clouds.   Perfect weather for wearing my fisherwoman's sweater which I have had on non stop since yesterday morning!

Happy Thanksgiving from Canada.  My blogging family is something I am very thankful for.

Yopping Update #14 - The sweater is MINE!

Ta-Da!

It is done.  And it is mine, all mine.   We have booked our camping trip for the wild, wet, west coast starting next weekend, so I am ready. 

I have enough yarn left over to make a toque to match so I will start that this week. 

Otherwise I have been working on my Knit Slip Love shawl and I am on the final mosaic section before the final garter section and then the border. Who knows?  It may be done by next update. 

My son is here!  We have been playing word games and card games, as well as going to the gym/pool.  My arm is so much better, but now my right hip is causing me a lot of pain. Grrrrr - it is always something. 

I had my third Tai Chi class last Friday and I am really enjoying it. It is a small class, only five of us, so the instructor can help when I get my left and right mixed up (which is often). 

The weather has been hard to predict as we get the camper ready for our trip. Sunny, rainy, then sunny then rainy.  Oh well, I have new rain boots so it is all good. 

I didn't go to Knit City this year.  I didn't need anything, and would only be tempted to buy wool I don't need (besides I had that retail therapy from Winners a few weeks ago I have yet to start knitting with).  Also my hip is so sore I couldn't image walking up and down all the aisles to admire everything so I gave it a pass this year. 

My anxiety is a bit higher than usual with the upcoming trip.  It is par for the course.  Once I am on the road I am fine, but the prep can make me a wee bit crazier than normal. 

I am off for a swim now.  That usually sets things to right for a few hours at least. 

I may be late with an update next week depending on my wifi signal at the campsite.  I am looking forward to campfires and windy/rainy walks on the beach.  That is after we cheer on my son in his half marathon race next Sunday. 

Wishing you all a good, peaceful week.  Hug those your love and smile at strangers you meet.  In the end all we have is each other.

my little Croatian sunflower - 9 months old

PS:

When I left my physio on Monday I saw this:

Oops - and I thought I was having a bad day

This is the cruise ship called the Norwegian Bliss - I think it is the largest cruise ship that comes into our harbour.  It can only leave at low tide to get under the bridge, and somebody screwed up because it missed the low tide the night before and had to spend the day by our little park until the next low tide.  That tiny boat to the left of the cruise ship is our seabus that carries 400 passengers from the north shore to downtown Vancouver - just to give you an indication of the cruiseship's size!