Surviving an Injury!

So how did I get past the tendonitis without losing my mind?

I did a jigsaw puzzle. I have started this a number of times…. but never got past getting some of the outside edges done before putting it back in the box. I generally keep a puzzle around for when I have to sit on my hands… and do nothing. The last time was when we were selling the house in Virginia.

This time I had enough time to complete this puzzle and I will be passing it on later in the year. I rarely ever do a puzzle less than a 1000 pieces, and this one was doubly difficult because the pieces were irregular, very irregular! And did not fit together as well as I would have liked.

After almost 10 days of rest I think I can go about my daily activities without restriction. But I will monitor for pain or swelling and find a new activity if I feel…. any discomfort.

Until Later! Beth

Pupdate…

I promised a pupdate… that would feature Linzi. She is going to be 8 in a few months. She has had a rough time of it the last year or so … with Bandit being a bully, and then… having to deal with another puppy. She has been a little gun shy… not sure if she should fully embrace Goldie or not. For the most part, she has.

We acquired Linzi in South Africa, shortly after moving there. She and Axel, (he was 6) got along great. Mostly because Axel was such a low key dog with other dogs. No cuddling, but no wars either. Axel on the right and Linzi on the left in 2010.

                              

To give Linzi some peace from Bandit, I used to take her up to the sewing room with me after dinner. She would =find a place and just rest. Not often changing locations. Now, because Goldie is still a puppy… I still give her the peace and she knows the phrase ‘take Linzi up with me’.

 

And this is her favorite toy in the Creative Space. I was clearing off a table and tossed this old top that has some repair work going on… out of the way for a few minutes and… when I turned around …..

A note on Goldie. She just completed round 5 of medications for Giardia, after the last test of clear.. she started to revert again and on Monday I took another sample in. Things are looking better and I will consult with the vet again tomorrow… about how things are shaping up, (pun intended).

We have lived in this house just over 2.5 years and never had a fire…. we fixed that the other night.

And outside this morning… yep that ground hog might just be right!

More Later-Beth!

Full Stop!

Think as in engines and forward movement.

Yep that's me!

Started last week with some discomfort… and finally got to the point on Sunday of some pain and by Wednesday… enough to seek medical intervention.

After several hours and  good old fashioned x-rays a diagnosis.

My poor thumb is experiencing tendonitis combined with arthritis (bone spurs and calcifications too). A steroid shot for the inflammation and a brace for the next 7-10 days and then see about further treatment of if it is just a management issue.

So the hard work for me is to ignore all the things calling my name with deadlines, needs doing or even the THINGS I want to do and rest my hand.

So to combat the hours of boredom I have broken out a jigsaw puzzle.

How do you cope with situations that require you to not only change the forward motion plans or the order of Full Stop!!!

More Later! (maybe) Beth

Focus

Do you ever find that you have lost focus in your creative endeavors. Not just falling out of love with a project, but forgetting that you even have it in the works. Not only that but the project is sitting right out in the open, on the table, -

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visible!

I just did that the other night. Sometimes I have difficulty finding the order of projects after completing an unforeseen or unplanned project or obligation and when coming back to the Creative Space feel lost. I spent an hour piddling about… with a little hand work on an old quilt top, that was not really on the list ‘get done immediately’ projects.

I had been working on getting this

little thing done…

but was sidelined once because I hadn’t totally thought the project through and then I had those “Guild Chores” or Meeting Preparation things to move off the table, which totally drew all my focus from the creative fun stuff.

Do you find you are diverted from your focus, and find yourself doing nothing?

More Later! – Beth

Winter 2018

The middle of January has come and gone!!!

I would say I have no idea of where the time went since the New Year Year dawned... but I do.

Most of it has been winter!!! Lots of it. We went in the deep freeze in December and haven't really seen any relief since. This has been like Chicago COLD!!!  negative temperatures with biting wind chills, and we have snow to go with it.

There are a couple of bright spots.... even in the winter!

This bloomed yesterday. Can you see the snow outside. We had more than 5" on the ground when all was done. And it is still cold, weather people suggest that we will be above freezing tomorrow.

I know.... I said Linzi next, but well ...The only ones in our house that love the snow are the dogs. This was Goldies 1st snow of any accumulation and she loves it.

Plays tag/chase with Linzi... eats it, snow plows with her nose... and in general doesn't want to come in.

I observed the robins last winter... flocking, like in huge groups... and saw it again yesterday. If you were wondering how cold is is, this robin is puffed and sitting with his feathers covering his feet.

In the Creative Spaces I have been on hold. It is the end of year or the beginning of a new year for both of the guilds. I have been preparing to hand off the VP stuff for one guild and pick up Membership as well as have a Live Auction in a few months and that has taken a chunk of time recently too.  At the other guild we are gearing up for the Quilt Show... in September!

What are you working on.... something quilty or NOT!!!

More Later-Beth

Goldie 4 month Pupdate!

As I promised.... a Goldie update.

Let me just say that is Freezing cold in Kentucky these days. Much more like up north... in Chicago than down south in Kentucky. Several nights have been at zero... and a few degrees below that a couple of  times... and that does not include wind chills!!!

Her life in our household has been a bit difficult to say the least. Nothing too serious .... but her puppyhood has had a rather 'loose' beginning. I will try and discuss this delicately... She was 9 weeks old when she came to live with us. As you can see by the rug she is on... she has grown! Photo on the left  9 weeks + and one on the right is just the other day at 16 weeks +. She pretty much fills up the rug now.

  

At first we thought that she was under stress ... of leaving home new people, sleeping alone; then she wasn't eating so we gave her a little food additives (canned food as the breeder was doing) which can also bring on a bit of looseness.

Then we saw the vet for our 12 week inoculations, vet found Roundworms, (they come from mom, either in utero or via the milk). Medicated and eradicated.

Next we had a bit of teething.... which will often cause the same issue.

 

So, at about 14 weeks... still the same, so return visit to the vet along with a sample. The sun was coming in a high window... and I just couldn't resist the silhouette.

Diagnosis; Giardia -generally caused by unclean water or from a particular delicacy found in a yard that has visiting wild rabbits (Rabbit Treats).

At 16 weeks, the final shots and a revisit about the Giardia... Now after 4 weeks of 2 different medications, and not much improvement, although she feels better! More active. It might also be just a particularly healthy colony of Giardia and it has resisted the individual medications, but we may be seeing some improvement....  Along with this last course of medication we are changing her diet, as there may also be an allergy to something in her food. Hopefully this poor girl will get a bit more regular and I will get a full nights sleep without a trip or 2 outside in the middle of the night!!! We keep a calendar... of  'puppy business' so we will know if the puppy is holding longer... and able to go through the night without a trip outside. This calendar started out as joke for the husbands retirement...so he would know which day of the week we were on and the date. It only took a year for us to not need the chalkboard for that... we found a new reason to use it... first for Bandit and now for Goldie, but I din't change the reason!!!

It always seems to be something.... the next dog story I'll share some about Linzi, she has been a trooper!

Do you have a pet? Does it bring you joy? Share in the comments, we all want to know!!!

As Always- More later! Beth