Another month gone by...

How did that happen? How could it possibly be January 29 already? My birthday is on Saturday and it’s a big one. I’m going to be 60! Now really, how did that happen? I used to think anyone over 40 was old. Ha! I passed that by years ago. We don’t have any huge plans. I imagine we’ll go out to breakfast with our friends as we do most Saturdays and then come home for a cozy day in.

We have had rain every day since the day it stopped snowing a couple of weeks ago.  It has washed almost all of the snow away, although we still have a few inches in our front yard. That’s OK. I would much rather have rain than snow, but a little sunshine would be nice too.  I took this photo as I waited in the cardiologists office yesterday morning. This is what our skies have looked like for a couple of weeks now. This photo is looking south-east towards Idaho.

I have been busy crocheting on a rectangular blanket. So far this is about 36 inches wide and 44 inches long. I’m going to make it as big as I can until I run out of yarn in these colors. I’m hoping it’s big enough for the top of a bed. I like the more muted colors and I’m enjoying the rhythm of the granny stitch. I don’t have to think of it at all. Every round I flip it over and go the other way. That is supposed to help with the stretching and the misshapen  results that come when you just go round and round on a big granny square.

I started ”The Amulet” shawl by Helen Stewart last weekend. I had actually gotten about 4 inches further than this photo shows before I had to tink it back to the color change. I had miss counted on the first row of the lighter color. It was actually a lot of work that I had to take out because in that 4 inches were five rows of beading. Placing beads is always more time consuming.

I have now reknit the first row of beads.  Can you see them?  There!  Towards the bottom!  I have knitted this shawl before and I think it’s a beautiful pattern. I can’t believe I messed up almost 20 hours of work by my silly mistake.

I hung the Valentines decorations on the island yesterday. The hearts are crocheted using Teresa’s free Scandinavian heart pattern that she has on her blog. You can find her on my sidebar as Teresa Kasner and I believe the heart pattern is still on her sidebar.  I made this several years ago and I still think they are one of the best patterns I’ve used for crocheting hearts.

Even though the weather outside is dreary, my Hoosier cabinet says spring to me. The sheep, (and alpaca), have all gathered in a flock and are waiting for the grass outside to turn green. :-)

I’m sorry that my photos today have a lot of shadows in them. It can’t be helped with the clouds outside. I never take very good photos but these are even worse than normal!

My visit with the cardiologist went well yesterday. He adjusted my meds again and they did an EKG. It must have been fine because they didn’t say anything about it! Ha! I have to do downloads for my pacemaker every week for the next month so he can see what’s happening with the medication adjustment. I am feeling much better than I was last week. Apparently my heart has been racing a lot due to the tachycardia and that was why I wasn’t feeling well and having chest pain. I hope it’s finally right this time and I can get on with my life.  

It was my last time seeing this particular cardiologist unless something goes terribly wrong with me before July. After 23 years as my cardiologist, he is retiring. He’s going to take the summer off and then start doing pro bono heart surgeries on children around the world. He has actually been trying to retire since January 2017 but they kept scheduling him with patients! He told me yesterday he’s finally put his foot down and said enough is enough.

I have been assigned a new cardiologist/electrophysician who has a wonderful reputation and several of our friends actually see him too.  Although my current doctor can be rather abrupt, I have a lot of faith in him and it will seem strange to see someone new.  He actually hugged me when we said goodbye yesterday.  That was a first as he’s usually fairly impersonal.

It’s always something isn’t it? Next week I go for another round of injections in my back. I am really hoping and praying that they work this time around.  The last two sets have done nothing and my back seems to be worse every week. I have some traveling I really want to do this year, so something needs to be done. I just don’t know what.

I’m wishing you all a wonderful week and I’m trying to keep up with your blogs.

“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” Psalm 113:3

Blessings,

Betsy