Friday, January 4, 2019

2019

I’m off to a slow blogging start for the year. I had three doctors appointments this week and haven’t been able to get myself organized enough to do a blog post. I haven’t taken hardly any photos either so this will probably be a short post.

Dennis went back to work on Wednesday. After 2 four day weekends it’s going to be hard for him next week when he has to work five days in a row! I imagine there are a lot of people facing that hard fact right now.  I’m sure missing having him home. I’m looking forward to his retirement.

 I finished Alex’s sweater! It will look very familiar to you all because it is exactly like Dennis’s, just a size smaller. And I played yarn chicken and won!  Do you see this 4 inch length of yarn? This is all that I had left when I finished his sweater! Believe me, I wasn’t sure that I would make it. I don’t think I’ve ever cut anything this close. It sure made me wish I had taken a couple of rows off of the length of the sweater. Ha!

And the finished sweater after washing and blocking. Please excuse the wrinkled tablecloth.  I will be mailing this off to him shortly.  I sent him this picture and when we talked last night he was pretty excited about it. I enjoy knitting for my kids. He and Mandy are especially very verbal in their thanks for anything I knit for them. Definitely “yarn worthy” people.

Wednesday night I made a big pot of chicken and wild rice soup. I used a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and that makes the process so easy. It is very labor-intensive, but also very worth it. We will have the leftovers for dinner tonight. If anyone would like the recipe just let me know and I would be happy to post it next time.

Last night we had our annual Bible Study Christmas potluck and gift exchange. We usually wait until January to have it because people are so busy in December. I left the decorations up and I took this photo of the tree just before I went to bed last night. This morning it all came down and got packed in boxes for Dennis to drag downstairs tonight. It’s always sad to take the decorations down, but also a nice feeling to get things back to normal again.  In the past, I have always wanted to have everything put away before the new year so it felt like I was starting with a clean slate. Since we’ve had the party in January, I’ve left the decorations up by everyone’s request. It’s really no big deal since I’m home now and can take them down anytime. When I was working it was a lot harder to find the time to put them away.  Do you see my blue and white crocheted tree skirt? I love that tree skirt. I debated making it for a couple years and I’m glad I finally did it.

Monday, on New Year’s Eve, I saw the actual spine doctor that took me months and months to get an appointment with. I was so glad that Dennis was off work and able to go with me. That extra set of ears is so handy. The doctor was amazed at how much I have already done to try to make my back better. I saw the physical therapist in their office yesterday and a pain psychologist this morning. She gave me some breathing exercises to do when the pain gets severe and also recommended some natural supplements to reduce the inflammation in my back.  I can either choose to keep seeing her or not. The physical therapist gave me two exercises to do. They don’t seem to be hardly any motion at all, but boy, I can sure feel it. On the 22nd I will receive an injection in my back and will also continue with physical therapy for a month or so. They will then reevaluate where I am.

I hope you are all having a wonderful start to 2019. I am very hopeful that this will be the year I get my health under control and I can start traveling again. I want so badly to go to Japan in the spring to visit Alex for the cherry blossom festivals.  I would love to be able to go to Omaha and see Mandy and Piper and the rest of our family too. And of course, Dennis and I want to go to the coast in February or March to watch the winter storms come in off of the Pacific. Such an amazing and powerful sight to see.  We had hoped to go to Hawaii in February but that’s obviously not going to happen. Maybe next year.  It all depends on when I can fly again.

On Sunday I begin teaching the kindergarten through third grade Sunday school class every Sunday morning.  I haven’t taught Sunday school in several years and I’m both looking forward to it and dreading it. :-)  I’m not sure what to expect. Children seem to have much different expectations now than they did when our children were young. I’ll let you all know how it goes. Pray for me!

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.”  Proverbs 16:3

Many blessings, 
Betsy

15 comments:

  1. Wow! Another whole sweater finished! I am so impressed.
    I am down and out with my back right now too. Sleeping in that chair for four days did me in during the bedroom redo. I'm on a mattress on the floor right now with a heating pad until we get the floor down. Ouch. Bad backs are NO fun and putting a big kink in my DIY plans.

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  2. Nice work on the sweater! And your soup looks delicious. Hope 2019 finds you feeling lots better so that you can get back to travelling. Happy New Year and lots of hugs, too.

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  3. The sweater looks great! You are a very fast knitter. I hope that the new year brings you good health. And, yes please! Post your soup recipe.

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  4. Hi dear Betsy,
    Love your gorgeous jumper for your boy and yes Alex will be very handsome in it! And grateful to his loving mumma!
    Mm yum yum the soup looks grand indeed but certainly not soup weather here!
    Praying hard the therapy and exercises may really help you strengthen your muscles supporting your back so the pain maybe diminished greatly allowing you to fly again, if the LORD so will.
    Sending prayers and bloggy hugs dear sweet sis.
    Shaz in Oz.x

    {Calligraphy Cards - Shaz in Oz}
    {Wonderful Words Of Life - Shaz in Oz}

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  5. PS had a chuckle at yarn chicken.. God is faithful to meet the need tothe last inch! 😉❤️🤗

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  6. Whoa, yarn chicken, indeed! The sweater looks fabulous.

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  7. The sweater is beautiful Betsy. I do no knit for my kids or husband, living in Florida they don't use items like this. I also knit for My oldest when he was in Ohio and he lost all of it. Good news about the Spine Doc/Therapist and other help. I hope the injection will move everything forward for a full recovery.

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  8. Beautiful sweater for Alex. I don't think I've seen yarn chicken that close before! I would love your soup recipe, please.

    Your tree looks so pretty. Ours us STILL up! I'm beyond ready to put everything away...but Fletch still wants it up.

    Your latest doctor visit sounds so promising. Prayers and fingers crossed for you!

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  9. I sure do hope the injection does the trick and you can resume a more pain-free life, Betsy! Bravo on the sweater finish! We got our xmas decor down on NY day and as much as I love all my colorful things, the clear finishes are a balm to my senses. I do hope you head to the beach next month so we can set up a lunch or dinner with you. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  10. Great job on the sweater for Alex! I love both the yarn color and pattern you used! Wishing you a much healthier 2019! I know it can be truly difficult when your body won't cooperate with the dreams your heart has..I'm so glad to see you still have your tree up. Very lovely! I love my Christmas decorations so much that I leave some of them up year round 😉
    God bless you and yours in 2019.
    Aimee

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  11. Another nice sweater done! I hope the progress on your back continues. So hard when you can't do what you want to. The kids took our tree down Thursday and put it up in the attic for us. I miss the cheery lights! I am sure you will do great teaching your SS class. How many are there in it? Nancy

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  12. Oh, I know you will do GREAT teaching those kids! They will love you so much. I trust this will be the year you get your health back, too, sweet friend. I hope, eventually, the Lord makes a way for you to go every, single place you are wanting to go. He is able! The sweater is just amazing, and that was something else to see how close you came to running out of yarn! Wow, I know you were praising the Lord on that one! Happy, happy new year to you and Dennis and your family!

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  13. Such an exciting finish for Alex's sweater, and it looks great! The soup looks yummy. Praying for you and believing God will open the hearts of the children to know and love Him. xxx

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  14. Happy New Year Betsy, you are in my prayers for improved health and strength to endure it. I teach Sunday school and like you was a little overwhelmed to start but what a joy those little ones bring. A firm but gentle approach seems to work. Take care.

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  15. Oh I hope your back is better soon. My mom has good results from a pain center, they did an ablation of the nerves that were sending signals to her brain. She was in so much pain and not sleeping much at all. Now she is much better. I am certain you will be a wonderful Sunday school teacher. Our tree is still up, maybe next week. Aloha! Hope you feel better to make your trips.

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