Crafty Wednesday

Welcome to my newest follower, Lonicera!

Hi friends and bloggers,

I've missed doing my crafts while I've been away so much on family related matters this summer. I just had to make a new dishcloth and pull out an unfinished doily.

Here is the new dishcloth I've made. I used a larger set of needles than I am used to using. Normally I use a size 4 mm set of needles but this time I used a size 6 mm as that is what the pattern recommends. I must say it sure is a lot faster though and the tension is a lot looser and the weave more open.

I will be making several of these for a friend who wants to give them as gifts at a headstone potlatch for her deceased brother.  Click here for more information about the potlatch of the Southern Tutchone which is my friend's tribal group.  This pattern seems to go by various names but I think Grandma's Dishcloth is probably the original name someone gave it though I don't know who set out the original pattern. If I make a lot of these and I get bored with it, there are a host of other patterns out there that I can try.

It will take me a a little bit longer to get used to my tension with this larger sized needles but that shouldn't be a problem as I will be making many more of these dishcloths over the coming months.

I've also brought out a doily I started some time ago.  This is a square doily and is my first one of this shape. Normally I make round doilies (click here for a sample).  The doily is about two thirds finished. I hope to finish it in a day or two and block it so the pattern is more visible. If you look closely you can see four pineapples which join at the centre of the doily.

I think this particular colour looks really nice for this time of year in North America where it is the Fall or Autumn season. I also have some navy blue cotton which is lined with white which I think will look stunning for a pattern I've yet to settle upon.

Now that the Fall weather has arrived in the western hemisphere, do you also feel the need to "get crafty"? If you live in other parts of the world, do you find the change of seasons spurs you on to certain types of activities?

My Two Loaves

Monday was a coolish day for most of the morning and for part of the afternoon it threatened to rain. After disinfecting the kitchen, washing the floors, doing a few loads of laundry and running errands, I felt like making bread.

I got what looked like a great recipe from Rhonda's blog, if you do stuff, stuff gets done. Rhonda learned how to bake bread from her grandpa.


 Grandpa's Bread
2 cups warm water
1 package yeast (I googled this and it is 2 1/4 tsps. of yeast per pkg. in NA)
1 t salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
about 6 cups of flour

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Then stir in the salt, oil and most of the flour. (I used about 5 cups out of the 6 before my mixture got too thick). Mix well, then knead until you have a smooth dough. Let dough rise in an oiled bowl, covered with a clean kitchen towel, until at least double in size. Punch down. Divide in 2. Shape into loaves and place in greased bread pans.
Let rise again, until at least double.
Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes.

Here are what my two loaves look like. Yum!

I got a fairly late start on the bread so while it was rising, I watched my favourite television program, "Dancing with the Stars" and began work on another knitted dishcloth. It's been awhile since I've made any dishcloths so I had to refresh my memory!

 For some fabulous scenery shots taken Sunday, click here. You can also join others here for My World Tuesday.

Journey Home

Welcome to my newest follower gennyhoka. I hope you find many things here of interest.

Morning came early on Sunday after a late night of packing and sorting. A quick phone call from mom at 8:30 a.m. was the prelude to more feverish packing and sorting and bagging things up for the garbage bins. A quick shower and last minute instructions for my brother and I was off to the bus depot for my journey home.

I always like to get to the depot early and be first in line. Today was no exception. Thankfully my luggage wasn't over the limit as it has been the last few trips. It costs a lot these days for oversize luggage. My clothing needs aren't exceptional but all the paraphernalia that I have to take with me add up to a lot of extra weight. (Click on each photo to enlarge.)

The weather today was spectacular. A perfect day for a bus trip. It was eerily quiet at the depot today. The lady at the ticket wicket says it has been that way all week though by the time it came time to board the bus the bus was half full. A perfect load as far as I'm concerned since it means I can have a seat all to myself.

Scenery as always, was spectacular. Just an hour and a half outside of Vancouver, the weather changed significantly from brilliant sunshine to lots of low lying clouds in the mountains and the air was really brisk.  I've put in a few photos here for your viewing pleasure. The rest will be uploaded into a slide show and added a little later. Enjoy!

I'm home to rest awhile!

Come, Rest Awhile
Come, rest awhile, and let us idly stray In glimmering valleys, cool and far away. Come from the greedy mart, the troubled street, And listen to the music, faint and sweet, That echoes ever to a listening ear, Unheard by those who will not pause to hear­ The wayward chimes of memory's pensive bells, Wind-blown o'er misty hills and curtained dells. One step aside and dewy buds unclose The sweetness of the violet and the rose; Song and romance still linger in the green, Emblossomed ways by you so seldom seen, And near at hand, would you but see them, lie All lovely things beloved in days gone by. You have forgotten what it is to smile In your too busy life­come, rest awhile. by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Click here for more Blue Monday.

Fall is the Perfect Time of Year: Scenic Sunday, October 3, 2010

I think Fall is the perfect time of year. I can never get enough of the Fall colours though when I see the leaves fall, I do get saddened that winter is around the corner. I was never one who loved the snow. Though I might enjoy snow for a few days, I think the childhood memories of freezing cold, freezing a few toes and winters which dragged endlessly on, are never far from me. I do love one thing about winter which I will leave for the winter season to blog about *smile.

In the meantime, let me leave you with some final snap shots of Kamloops. These are likely the last photos I will take before I depart for my home on the coast on Sunday. It is Fall now but these shots are landscape shots of the city from the vantage point of the mountain. As you can see, the city is beautifully located alongside rivers and nestled in the valley.  When you drive in at night and see all the city lights it is particularly beautiful.  (Click on any photo to enlarge).

I hope you enjoyed these photos of Kamloops. If you would like to see some of the city in it's Fall splendour, please click here. Otherwise do join others here from around the globe for more beautiful Scenic Sundays.

Vapour Trails in the Sky: Skywatch Friday, October 1, 2010

These photos of vapour trails were all taken this month in Kamloops, BC. I took them "on the fly" usually as I waited for a bus to take me to downtown or to the hospital.

Speaking of the hospital, mom is to be released on Monday if all goes well. I couldn't believe it and she is very happy though I won't be here to bring her home this time. My brother will arrive over the weekend while I finish packing mom's things. I am trying to pack as much as possible before I go back home for a rest. It has been a rough week as there is so much here to sort through. I won't be done when I leave but I will have done most of the hard work. Whew!

As one daughter of an aging parent, I ask any of you out there who are also aging, "please do not put off getting rid of junk, personal papers, old documents or new documents with identification on it." One day if you do not take care of this stuff, it is likely your older daughter will have to do it for you during an already stressful time. I've tried for more than two decades to help my mom sort through things. She wouldn' t hear of it.  She always wanted to do it herself.

 

In the decades that followed, mom never got to enjoy any of these items as they were all boxed up waiting for the day when they would be sorted.  While she did make some progress getting rid of some items about five years ago, it seems that clothing, papers and photos were an area of difficulty to deal with.  This is mostly what I have been dealing with at a time when I am also trying to deal with her many needs and issues at the local hospital and attend to the business of finding her a long term critical care placement.  It has been a very challenging week and I'm just glad I've been physically able to handle as much of the packing and sorting as I've been able to get to. While mom is coming home in a few days she knows, and has agreed to being put on a waiting list for a nursing home.

 

Check out what's happening in the skies across the globe by clicking here.

Fall Colours: WW, September 29, 2010

To view more beautiful Fall colours join other participants in this week's Wordless Wednesday. Click here.

Crisis Update

Today was a tough day.

This is the end of the sidewalk leading up the hill to the hospital. The road below leads into the main part of the downtown core.  Today as I walked to town, there were several emergency vehicles just a few blocks from where this photo was taken. A young man had been run down as he was jay walking. I pray he is all right.

I wasn't planning on going in to the hospital to see mom as I am packing at her home.  Although I have made a lot of progress in sorting and packing, I still have quite a lot to do before I leave town for my own home and attend to personal business there. When I left the hospital last night mom was doing well.  But when I called the hospital this morning to say "hello",  a nun who was visiting mom answered the phone and said I must get to hospital immediately as mom really needed me. I guess she was having a nose bleed.

I didn't think too much of this since I thought the nun could help mom while she was there. I protested that I had a cold coming on.  If mom contracted a cold due to my presence she could possibly be in more danger from lung problems than from a nose bleed.  The nun insisted I get there quickly. That got me moving as fast as I could.

By the time I arrived at the hospital mom's nose bleed had stopped but as it had been going on for 2 hours she looked like she had been in a terrible fight. Her clothing and her bedding were full of blood and no one had tried to wash the blood from her face. I set to work to start cleaning her at which point the male nurse said he could do it. I declined as I didn't want mom waiting any longer to be changed.

It is Fall now in Canada. These are the colours of most deciduous trees, although we also have some deeper red colours on maple trees.  The most glorious Fall colours are found in eastern Canada.  This view is from the top of the hill just before get to the original hospital entrance.

After spending several hours at the hospital, I also got a chance to meet the attending doctor.  He was only attending to mom today.  Her family physician called him in especially to address the issue of the nose bleeds which have been happening daily for the past several days.  I don't know how to spell the doctor's name but he was such a godsend and such a delightful man. So kind and gentle and very clear in his presentation of mom's condition.  He readily informed me when I asked him for an update on several issues of concern.  Then he turned around and proceeded to repeat everything to mom.

The doctors in Emergency were concerned that she might get a blood clot in the leg that is infected with cellulitis so they have been administering a blood thinner medication daily.  It also seems that  a possible blood clot in the lungs were found in the  x-rays taken yesterday (Sunday).  When I visited mom Sunday evening she did complain of sore back and asked me to rub it as she felt something there that was bothering her. Now I don't know in retrospect if my rubbing the back was a good thing but mom seems to think I saved her life by doing this.

Today she was spitting out a lot of blood clots during her nose bleed. From what she says about the ordeal,  it is the worst nose bleed of her life even though she has had some doozies in her lifetime.  The specialist ordered blood work which was done at noon and by 2 p.m. he prescribed another IV medication to neutralize the blood thinner. He says they will have to monitor her carefully and that hers was a complicated case since they do need to continue to give her blood thinners.

I left the hospital at 3 p.m. and apparently before the doctor left, he told mom he would not likely be back to see her but that the nursing staff would call him if need be. At 9 p.m., mom called very briefly to let me know the nose bleeding had started again and that the doctor, who was then in the Emergency Room was expected to pop around and see her again.  I didn't get any call from the hospital so am trusting everything will be all right and will call the hospital first thing Tuesday.  More things happened today that made it a very tough day but I thank God I survived the day relatively intact and feeling less tired and sore than yesterday.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

1 Peter 5:7

For my readers in Africa, I just want to say how impressed I am with the attending doctor today and with the attending doctor in emergency on Wednesday evening. Both of these good and knowledgeable doctors are from South Africa and we are so blessed to have them here where there is a shortage of good doctors in the country.

When I left the hospital a shift change of nurses had just taken place.  Here a nurse hurries home.