51. Magician, Noone, K. L. 50. Lord John and the Hand of Devils, Gabaldon, Diana 49. A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows, Gabaldon, Diana 48. Seven Stones to Stand or Fall, Gabaldon, Diana 47. Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade, Gabaldon, Diana 46. Lord John and the Private Matter, Gabaldon, Diana 45. The Custom of the Army, Gabaldon, Diana 44. The Marann, Meierz, Christie 43. Divergence, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 42. Resurgence, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 41. Emergence, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 40. Convergence, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 39. Visitor, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 38. Tracker, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 37. Peacemaker, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 36. Protector, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 35. Intruder, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 34. Betrayer, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 33. Deceiver, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 32. Conspirator, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 31. *Lust and Other Drugs, Nichols, TJ 30. *The Billionaire’s Familiar, Nichols, TJ 29. *The Firefighter’s Familiar, Nichols, TJ 28. *Salvage Right, Lee, Sharon and Miller, Steve (E-ARC) 27. *A Beginner’s Guide to Wooing Your Mate, Cooper, R. 26. Deliverer, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 25. Pretender, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 24. Destroyer, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 23, Explorer, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 22. Defender, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 21. Precursor, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 20. Inheritor, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 19. Invader, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 18. Foreigner, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 17 *Runescribe, Derr, Megan (novelette) 16. *Talismaker, Derr, Megan (novelette) 15. *The Alpha’s Gamble, Grayson, Eliot 14. *Nothing More Certain, Cooper, R. 13. *Return of the Thief, Turner, Megan Whalen (re-read) 12. *A Proper Dragon, Wheeler, E. B. 11. *A Little Blessing, Cooper, R 10. *Agatha Christie, An Elusive Woman, Worsley, Lucy 9. *Winter’s Dawn, Powell, Arden 8. *A Closed and Common Orbit, Chambers, Becky (re-read) 7. *The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, Chambers, Becky (re-read) 6. *A Matrimonial Advertisement, Matthews, Mimi 5. *Twice Bitten, Grayson, Eliot (re-read) 4. *The Alpha Contract, Grayson, Eliot (re-read) 3. *Lost Touch, Grayson, Eliot (re-read) 2. *Lost and Found, Grayson, Eliot (re-read) 1. *Sweep of the Heart, Andrews, Ilona * Ebook (re-x-read) = reread more than twice.
Category: Books
All Done
I am cautiously hopeful about the beauty saloon operator’s orchid. When I got groceries today, I got a pretty little blooming plant (kalanchoe?) in a teapot and took it over to her today because I have taken her orchid “into protective custody.”
I have repotted it properly (she thought all the roots had to be covered up!) and have gotten an orchid fertilizer spike on board. It now has a means to get all the water it wants and has a viable root (possibly three) which appears to be taking on water. It’s leaves have firmed up, which is a good indication that it is now better “hydrated” than it was.
I have recently learned about a birdsong app for smart phones. If you hear birdsong, you can start the app, which listens to the birdsong through the phone mike and identifies the specie(s) of bird(s) doing the singing. (It uses GPS to plot where you are and determine what birds might be found based on your location.) Back in the old days, you’d join a group of birders to go out bird watching together and a more experienced birder would take you under their wing, and it would be, “Hear that? That’s a Yellow-headed Whatchamacallit.” Then you’d scan the tree canopy with your binoculars to see if you could spot one. You’d finally spot a bird and there would be breathlessly whispered consultations over the bird book (Roger Tory Peterson, of course) and identification by consensus. It was all about being out in nature, the camaraderie of being with people who enjoyed the same activity you did, the challenge of the hunt, the thrill of the chase, the joy of success. Now they have an app for that. Sigh.
We had a violent crashy bangy T-storm just now, and it rained hard in big splatty drops against the window for about 10 minutes. (And this POS stupid internet that we have here is down. Rebooted the modem to no avail.) I like it when it rains at night. Gives it a chance to soak in and do some good. It evaporates too quickly when it rains in the daytime.
I had to be up at oh, God thirty this morning to make an 8 o’clock lab appointment at the VA and walked all over the world to get there. Then I went to the grocery store and walked all over the world. On my way back, I drove up under the portico and stopped by the lobby to pick up some stuff I ordered from Amazon from the receptionist before I went to my appointed parking space. I remembered to put my fold-up cart into the trunk, so I unloaded the car into it and schlepped the groceries upstairs (via the freight elevator). Then I carried a vase of roses and a teapot full of blooming plant down the elevator to first floor, up one hallway and down the other, up the elevator to third floor and gave the roses to mom for Mother’s day, and the (tea)potted plant to the beauty operator, hiked back and got the mail, (and took the package notification things for the packages I’d already gotten all the way up the hall to the lobby and back) and took my lunch back up to the apartment. By then I was exhausted and my knee was very unhappy with me. I put lunch in the fridge and crashed til 7 o’clock and had my lunch for supper.
Edit: The above was written on Wednesday evening. The internet went down Wednesday night and stayed down. I had to copy the blog post to a Word document and save it because not all of it autosaved before the internet went down. It’s still down. I languished all day Thursday, unable to finish my blog post, unable to listen to music on internet radio, unable to watch YouTube, unable to play games on my Kindle Fire, unable to read the next book in the series I’m reading because I hadn’t download it to my Kindle before the internet cratered. Then, early this morning, I had a huge forehead-smacker of a DUH! moment. Darling, your phone is hotspot enabled. (Yes, I call myself ‘darling’ when I’m taking myself to task. Bite me. )
I had purchased that option on my cell phone plan for when I travel, to be able to get Google maps, and internet radio access whenever and wherever I want it, as well as being able to use my Kindle in places where I don’t trust the WiFi, or where there isn’t any. My Kindle was already set up to connect to the internet through my phone’s hotspot. In a matter of minutes, I had the next book and the rest of the books in the series (Diana Gabaldon’s Lord John Grey books) downloaded to my Kindle because the internet for all three buildings is still down.
So, this morning, I fixed myself breakfast, got my phone, and proceeded to sign onto the internet on both computers via my phone’s hot spot. I’ve been eating my curds and whey (AKA cottage cheese) (with mandarin oranges) and my brioche toast and finishing this blog post. Here directly, I’ll have my shower and wash my hair and get suited up for my appointment with my PCP at the VA at 1330 hrs. I may go early to see if I can get my foot x-rayed so I can get a podiatry consult for orthotics which may help my knee by more properly aligning my foot. Or that’s the thinking anyway. Onward and upward.
Six!
Friday week ago, the trusty Greyolla had to be jump started. I managed to start it Monday to go to an appointment with my orthopod (pausing on the way home to catch and subdue an Arby’s Gyro and drag it back to my lair). I barely got it started Wednesday, took a tootle around town, and had a (Big) Mac attack on the way back. I’m allergic to potatoes, but I eat them with impunity (and a touch of salt). Between Monday’s curly fries, Wednesday’s French fries and the twice baked potato I had Thursday, I’ve sneezed more than once. I’m allergic to corn, too. Amazing how much I’m not sneezing since I changed from margarine to actual butter.
Monday, I saw my orthopod and we discussed my knee. The bone scan shows a suspicious area in the same place as the CT did — the medial (inside) aspect of the joint. There may be some loosening of the cement that anchors the knee prosthesis to the bone. However, before I’d had that knee replaced, I’d had pain in that same place. A podiatric consultation happened and orthotics were made for my feet. That helped some. I’d like to try that again, and see if a pair of orthotics (custom made arch supports) helps any. If not, the alternative is revision surgery to replace this prosthesis with another one, which is major surgery. I want to try conservative measures first and delay another surgery at least until taking care of mom is no longer an issue.
Because I need a car I can depend on, I called Gene Messer Toyota Wednesday for an appointment in the Service Department. I managed to get the old (she’ll be 9 in November!) girl started yet one more time this morning and headed off to the dealership. Based on her symptoms, the differential diagnoses were: The battery, the alternator or the starter motor. I lucked out (I think). It was the battery. I got a new battery and two Uber rides out of the deal. I wouldn’t say the repair bill was astronomical, but it was higher than giraffes’ ears . . . anyway, Mme Greyola marche encore, which is the important take-away here. Laissez la voiture rouler.
I rehomed the elephant ear Wednesday as well. There’s a lot more room for everybody now. I just need to repot the Christmas cactus. I’ve had the pot for months. I also have the potting soil. However, I seem to have misplaced my roundtuit. . . .
I’m on the last Foreigner book until the new one comes out in September. I have the new Sebastian St. Cyr book in my little hot hands. I ought to start a reread of the 18 books in that series. Might not though. We’ll see. Might read C. J. Cherryh‘s Chanur books (5) instead. (I have a soft spot for the Knnn.)
Still no knitting news. I haven’t figured out how to read and knit at the same time, and after 27 years of things going in one ear and staying in my brain only long enough to hang a left and go out my fingers, audiobooks are not the solution to that dilemma. I’ve got a new shawl pattern “in the oven” but it’s not done cooking yet.
I’ve decided that I’m going to call in a pizza strike this afternoon if it harelips the governor. I’ve gone a year and a half with nary a slice, which is cruel and unusual punishment in my book. I already have an account on the Domino’s website . . .
And The Blooms Just Keep On Coming
Four blooms now, fully open and gorgeous, and five, six and seven proceeding as planned. It’s ridiculous how chuffed I am about it. The peace lily is still going nuts, blooming front, back and center. Not as major a chuff as the orchid, though. I need to repot the Christmas cactus and I already have the pot.
Spring is well and truly sprung. The tree outside my window is greening up hand over fist. The wisteria growing over the pergola at the outdoor seating area on the other side of my wing has burst into leaf. One hopes that flowers will be forthcoming soon. You’ll note the picture on the left is of a plant (Syngonium phodophyllum) I’ve been wanting to have for ages.
I’m trying to confine the plants to one pair of windows because the other pair in the room is adjacent to the TV and I’d always be having to raise and lower the blinds in order to watch something on TV (most of which is streaming and DVDs. Cable services are crap anymore.). I’m going to have to rehome the “elephant ear” plant because it’s taking over the world. Mom has no room for it. She already has a poinsettia left over from Christmas, another orchid, a kalanchoe, an Easter lily, and a plant of unknown identity I gave her to make room for the elephant ear.
You see the problem. There’s two more plants tucked behind the others, the arrowhead plant, which is behind the orchid, and the Christmas cactus (which needs to be repotted) behind the big elephant ear which is hogging the middle. I may inherit (or buy) another orchid, and there’s simply no more room. I may see about talking to the grounds keepers about the Stone Pine. It can be planted outside if a protected place can be found for a tree that small. First world problem, though.
I had quite an exciting Friday. I had an appointment for a bone scan (with isotopes!) at the Covenant Hospital radiology department at 12:30, and I went down plenty early to leave me time to park in the parking building and hike the skybridge to where I needed to be. Got in the car. Turned the key. Nothing happened.
Fortunately, our security people have one of those little hand-carry booster battery things and got me going. I got to my appointment, got’er done, went back to my car in the parking garage, turned the car key, and nothing. There’s a Battery Joe’s right nearby so I called them, and this very nice young man came with his very nice little hand-carry booster thing and got the car started. Again. Of course, the problem was that I hadn’t driven far enough to recharge the battery after the first boost, so I took the scenic route home — a half orbit of the Loop to the other side of town, back up Indiana Avenue, and eventually to my friendly, neighborhood Market Street grocery store. Where I found the arrowhead plant. Among four bags of other things. And they had rosemary and olive oil specialty bread again! So, a happy ending to a rather fraught day. I gotta get me one of those little hand-carry battery booster dohickies. (You plug them into a wall outlet to charge them.)
I had the bone scan to see if osteoporosis is the problem with my left knee (my body’s current problem child). I’m in the (long, drawn-out) process (dealing with the VA) of setting up rehab through services here at Carillon so mom and I will both be in rehab. Again. (At left is a new part of Covenant Hospital (Hope Tower) being build in place of the old part they knocked down. )
I’m going to try to weasel in some exercises for my upper back and shoulders to head off my inherited tendency to age-related kyphoscoliosis.
I’m trying to get rehab for mom as often as Medicare will allow because she gets upper as well as lower body exercise in a safe and controlled setting, gets to interact one on one with the therapists (mom is a people person), and the trained rehab people can keep an eye on her various back issues (kyphoscoliosis, sciatica). She also gets cognitive therapy mostly for the sake of having one more person to interact with on a regular basis. A fair percentage of the people on her floor are “gaga” as she puts it (#4), and it’s hard to have meaningful interpersonal interactions with people who have misplaced a significant number of their marbles.
While I was out gazooting about Friday, I got stopped at the stoplight that enabled me to snap a quick picture of the smiley-face bush, whom I haven’t seen in quite a while, and its latest costume. Not sure what it’s supposed to represent, though. Perhaps a Frenchman for Valentine’s day? Je ne sais quoi.
Alas, there is no knitting news because I’ve mostly had my nose in a book. I’m on book #17 of the Foreigner series with four books left on the shelf and another one coming in September. There has to be another one after this, because the new one will be the 22nd book in the series and 22 is a very infelicitous number. Just saying. I probably will then embark on a reread of the 17 books in the Sebastian St. Cyr series (Regency murder mysteries!) because book #18 drops this month. (Spoiler Warning: Hero is pregnant again!)
And Then There Were TWO!
It’s ridiculous how chuffed I am about this plant blooming. Like getting a “You are worthy” from the universe at large.
Took me three weeks but I finally got the VA consult to see the doc who did the total knee replacement. I should have gotten a copy of the CT and plain film x-rays that the VA did and taken them with me, but just didn’t have the inertia (Newton’s second law). I got in to see the doc’s PA Thursday (I would have had to wait until the 10th to see the doc). I’m supposed to get a bone density scan. I knocked back an awful lot of prednisone between January and October of last year, and that can have effects on bone density. Like I told the PA, I want to nip the cause of my knee pain in the bud, whatever it is, if at all possible. I already have three risk factors for osteoporosis (age, sex, race). I need to stay as mobile as I can as long as mom is alive, so I can take care of her.
I’m pretty sure I have plantar fasciitis in both heels, but much worse on the left, but PT fixes that and I know what those exercises are. I’m also sure it’s a function of not being on my feet very much because of my left knee. Bette Davis said, “Old age ain’t for sissies,” and she ain’t wrong. The entire bummer about the situation is that my body is about 50 years older than my mind . . .
My BFF is a graphic artist. Her brain is “eye-wired.” She is a very visual person — shapes, colors, textures. Her mode of relaxation is binge watching TV and movies, mostly for the CGI and the visuals. My brain is “ear-wired” and “word-wired.” I love all kinds of music from all over the genres and all over the world. Doesn’t matter. (for example) I like stuff that would drive my mom nuts in a New York minute — bagpipes, sitar, oud, gamelan. There are voices that just melt my knees (the late John Gielgud, Sam Elliott, Stephen Fry) I made a living listening to people talk and typing what they said (medical transcription). I put my head into a book the way my BFF puts her head into movies and TV. Which is why there hasn’t been any knitting news.
I’ve been rereading C. J. Cherryh’s Foreigner series of which there are currently 21 books. (There’s a new Foreigner book due out in September.) They follow the career of translator Bren Cameron as he mediates between humans and the alien Atevi. This is the third or fourth reread I’ve done of this series and I gain new insights into the books with each rereading. I know what’s going to happen and I still can’t put them down!
Cherryh’s forte is world building. Her societies, both human and alien, hang together beautifully. She not infrequently juxtaposes human society against an alien society to highlight insightfully different aspects of human society. One of her themes in the Foreigner books is how one’s cultural context and the expectations it sets up get in the way of cross cultural interactions (both between different human cultures, and human and alien cultures). Two other series of hers that do this are the Chanur series (five books) and the Faded Sun trilogy. (If you are a “cat person,” you should read the Chanur books!)
After I get done with Foreigner, I plan to start on a reread of the Sebastian St. Cyr series by C. S. Harris (17 books) which has a new book coming out this month. These are murder mysteries set in Regency England during the Napoleonic era. The author has a Ph.D. in 19th century European history, so she gets all the little details of that time and place right. Her books are set within and around the historical events of the time, and use that context to address sociological and economic issues that are still relevant today. Her characters are well rounded and very real. It’s a cross between Sherlock Holmes, Georgette Heyer, John Le Carre and time travel. You have French spies and English aristocrats (St. Cyr is a viscount), murder, family drama, forbidden love and unexpected romance against a broad historical backdrop. What’s not to like?
As with any long running series of books, do yourself two favors and start with the first one: Foreigner by C. J. Cherryh, and What Angels Fear by C. S. Harris.
Books Read in 2023
32. Conspirator, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 31. *Lust and Other Drugs, Nichols, TJ 30. *The Billionaire’s Familiar, Nichols, TJ 29. *The Firefighter’s Familiar, Nichols, TJ 28. *Salvage Right, Lee, Sharon and Miller, Steve (E-ARC) 27. *A Beginner’s Guide to Wooing Your Mate, Cooper, R. 26. Deliverer, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 25. Pretender, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 24. Destroyer, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 23, Explorer, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 22. Defender, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 21. Precursor, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 20. Inheritor, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 19. Invader, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 18. Foreigner, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 17 *Runescribe, Derr, Megan (novelette) 16. *Talismaker, Derr, Megan (novelette) 15. *The Alpha’s Gamble, Grayson, Eliot 14. *Nothing More Certain, Cooper, R. 13. *Return of the Thief, Turner, Megan Whalen (re-read) 12. *A Proper Dragon, Wheeler, E. B. 11. *A Little Blessing, Cooper, R 10. *Agatha Christie, An Elusive Woman, Worsley, Lucy 9. *Winter’s Dawn, Powell, Arden 8. *A Closed and Common Orbit, Chambers, Becky (re-read) 7. *The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, Chambers, Becky (re-read) 6. *A Matrimonial Advertisement, Matthews, Mimi 5. *Twice Bitten, Grayson, Eliot (re-read) 4. *The Alpha Contract, Grayson, Eliot (re-read) 3. *Lost Touch, Grayson, Eliot (re-read) 2. *Lost and Found, Grayson, Eliot (re-read) 1. *Sweep of the Heart, Andrews, Ilona * Ebook (re-x-read) = reread more than twice.
The Suspense Is Killing Me . . .
It’s gotten to the point where every morning, first thing, I paddle-foot in and check the bud. Any day now. I am excessively chuffed that the orchid is even budding, never mind actually teetering on the brink of blooming. One of the reasons for my chuffedness (chuffitude?) is that orchids are tropical plants, epiphytes, as it were, and the flatlands of Tx by no means have a tropical climate. The huge bugbear in the situation is humidity. Orchids like lots of it and we don’t haz it. We’re in between “it rained a little bit about two months ago,” and “it rained some last Fall.” Yesterday, we had 50% humidity, and I was delighted — a vast improvement over the 10% we had last week. It’s back down to 30% today. This is not polyester country — not unless you enjoy getting the bejezuz shocked out of you every time you touch something metal. (Talk about a renewable energy source!)
Last week, the caregivers over at Carillon House called me to tell me mom had taken a little spill. They said she’d just bathed, was going to get her hearing aids and must have lost her balance. Then Thursday at the care plan meeting, the nursing rep said she’d slid off the edge of the bed mattress when she sat down on it to put in her hearing aids. (easy enough to do with those thick memory foam mattresses. I’ve encountered the physics of that situation myself!) Anyway, the important thing is she wasn’t hurt. She landed on a fundamentally well-padded region with only a negligible injury to her composure. She doesn’t seem to be having any balance issues, which is a great relief. Nor vision issues either, thank goodness. She can follow her sports teams’ games on TV just fine, even if she can’t hear the announcer’s voices well enough to understand what they’re saying. (She’s not missing much, frankly!)
I’ve been having trouble with my knee again, the one that was replaced. The VA, of course, won’t take my word for it. I lucked out and was able to get a same-day appointment (on a Friday, no less) for a plain film x-ray and a CT of said knee instead of having to wait two weeks for one. But then we had to wait for the spirit to move somebody to read the durn things. Finally, after three weeks of pushing that rope at the VA, I’ve finally gotten a consult to go see the guy who replaced the knee. Got it late Friday, of course. I’ve got to call to get an appointment first thing Monday. In the interim between replacing my knee and now, the orthopod has moved, not way the heck to the other side of town like my dentist and mom’s CPA, but actually closer to where I live. He used to be in a building right beside Covenant hospital. Now he’s in cahoots with that sports medicine group that’s right across the street from JACC, the cancer center I go to. They’re the same bunch that diagnosed mom’s scoliosis and resultant sciatica. Right handy.
I got the results of the x-ray and CT scans today, and they were detecting faint anomalies in the same place where I have pain, the inside (right side) of my left knee. I only have pain when I put weight on the knee, for which mixed blessing I am thankful. There’s a constellation of factors, not the least of them being chemotherapy both in the body processes it disrupts and the inaction caused by the (lasting) fatigue it induces. There’s my risk factors for osteoporosis (age, sex, race), and my dietary intake of calcium. I should eat more dairy products. Lots of calcium in dairy products. Ice cream is a dairy product. I should eat more ice cream. Yep.
I’ve got to go Monday to sign the permission so mom’s tax forms can be e-filed. (She got a refund. It was four figures.) I live in the 4100 block of 17th Street. Mom’s CPA is 1n the 5000 block of 122nd street. I should probably pack a lunch.
Part of what makes this so funny is how true it is.
Now and again, my BFF sends me a smile. We all live in a yellow mugmarine . . . .
I’m six books into the 21+ book Foreigner series by C. J. Cherryh, now, with number 22 due out in October (22 being an extremely infelicitous number , there has to be at least one more . . .). I’ve read through the series at least 4 times. I know what happens and I still resent having to stop reading and go do something else. Yes, they’re that good. Cherryh is a master at world building. Her alien societies are thoroughly thought-through, and she puts you right in the middle of them. She casts interesting lights on human society by putting them in sharp contrast to her alien society. Some of the books are thumbscrews — the tension builds turn by turn; some books are edge of seat with nonstop action. There’s always room for contrast and comparison between the alien society and the human one. And with two different alien races, a society where assassination is legal, and lace and knee boots are de rigueur, how can you lose?
In the knitting news, see above.
Books Read in 2023
19. Invader, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 18. Foreigner, Cherryh, C. J. (re-x-read) 17 *Runescribe, Derr, Megan (novelette) 16. *Talismaker, Derr, Megan (novelette) 15. *The Alpha’s Gamble, Grayson, Eliot 14. *Nothing More Certain, Cooper, R. 13. *Return of the Thief, Turner, Megan Whalen (re-read) 12. *A Proper Dragon, Wheeler, E. B. 11. *A Little Blessing, Cooper, R 10. *Agatha Christie, An Elusive Woman, Worsley, Lucy 9. *Winter’s Dawn, Powell, Arden 8. *A Closed and Common Orbit, Chambers, Becky (re-read) 7. *The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, Chambers, Becky (re-read) 6. *A Matrimonial Advertisement, Matthews, Mimi 5. *Twice Bitten, Grayson, Eliot (re-read) 4. *The Alpha Contract, Grayson, Eliot (re-read) 3. *Lost Touch, Grayson, Eliot (re-read) 2. *Lost and Found, Grayson, Eliot (re-read) 1. *Sweep of the Heart, Andrews, Ilona * Ebook (re-x-read) = reread more than twice.
Oh, If I Just Had A Chainsaw and a Good Lawyer . . .
I’d be chopping down those stupid Bradford pear trees all over town that just burst into bloom last week. Their pollen just rips my poor sinuses a new one, to coin a phrase. I am ambushed by sneezes like jump scares in a teen horror flick. I have what are called occular migraines — I get the flashy lights (scintillating scotomata) in both eyes, but no actual headache. They go away after about a half hour to three quarters of an hour, but in the meantime, I just have to either sit down or lie down until they’re over because it’s difficult to see. I may not have any all year, but I’ve already had three in as many weeks. Stupid Bradford pears. Pseudoephedrine + guaifenesin tablets are my friend.
And not to put too fine a point on the weather, Friday, the humidity was 10%. (!!!) It’s gone up to 29% now. At least the dirt’s not blowing today. That loud slurping noise you heard just now was me putting lotion on my poor hands. Again.
The other day it was gusty and blustery, and when I came in from running errands, my hair looked like Doc’s in Back To The Future. My hair’s about five inches long all over now and invariably I’ll get out of the car, and a gust of wind will whoosh me from behind. Like being shot in the back of the head with a leaf blower. All I can say is, “It was combed when I left the house.”
The Bradford pears are leafing as well as blooming, but nothing else is yet. That’s a wisteria vine on the pergola. Not a leaf in sight. Nor any hint of green on the locust tree outside my window. The squirrels are getting frisky, though.
Mom and I used to live in the 2BR apartment that goes with the 3 third floor windows behind the tree on the left, but when she went to the skilled nursing facility, I moved to a 1BR apartment on the same floor but in a different wing and no longer overlook the pergola. My apartment now is on the other side of the wing on the right side of the picture.
Mom’s orchid is ramping up to bloom. I’m almost ridiculously delighted about that. And my peace lily is going nuts. It has 7 blooms on it at the moment. I’ve been watering my little jungle with reverse osmosis water to avoid scale buildup in their soil. We have such hard water here.
I went to my oncologist yesterday afternoon and had lab work done. He said, “Your lab results are good, I’ll see you in August.” So, yay. Not so good is my left knee, the one I had replaced. That knee has been hurting when I walk and it pops in certain situations. I had a CT and plain x-rays of the knee done Friday at the VA in preparation for wrestling the red tape octopus to get a consult to go see the (non VA) doc who did the surgery. I swear, dealing with the VA is like pushing a rope.
There’s the old Cousin Minnie Pearl joke about going down to Grinder’s Switch to mail a letter at the post office, and when she came out, she said, “I looked up the road and here come Brother a’walkin’ down the road pulling this great big old logging chain behind him. And I said, ‘Brother, what are you doing walking around pulling that old logging chain?’ And Brother said, ‘D’yer ever try pushing one?'” Logging chains don’t push any better than ropes . . .
In the knitting news, I’ve got two more hats on the go. Another, larger, kitten hat on the left, and a kind of cloche affair on the right done in moss stitch. Moss stitch (which alternates knits and purls both horizontally and vertically) will separate the continental knitters from the throwers real fast. In order to purl, you have to bring the yarn to the front of the work first, then purl the stitch. Then you’ve got to bring your yarn to the back of the work to knit the next stitch. That’s two “throws” for every stitch. If you’re a thrower, moss stitch will wear you out.
Haven’t done much knitting lately, though. I haven’t mastered knitting and reading at the same time, yet. I finished the last book in the Familiar Spirits series by R. Cooper and the last book in Eliot Grayson’s Mismatched Mates series. And I reread one of the books in Megan Whalen Turner’s Thief series (6 books).
There’s a new C. S. Harris Sebastian St. Cyr book coming out in April and a new Foreigner book by C. J. Cherryh coming out in October. Oh, joy!
Books Read in 2023
10. *Agatha Christie, An Elusive Woman, Worsley, Lucy 9. *Winter’s Dawn, Powell, Arden 8. *A Closed and Common Orbit, Chambers, Becky (re-read) 7. *The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, Chambers, Becky (re-read) 6. *A Matrimonial Advertisement, Matthews, Mimi 5. *Twice Bitten, Grayson, Eliot (re-read) 4. *The Alpha Contract, Grayson, Eliot (re-read) 3. *Lost Touch, Grayson, Eliot (re-read) 2. *Lost and Found, Grayson, Eliot (re-read) 1. *Sweep of the Heart, Andrews, Ilona * Ebook
The Owl Underground 