Time is Screeching Ahead

So the summer is all too rapidly screeching ahead and I realized that it has been eons since I've posted. Not that a lot hasn't happened, of course, but the days march along and posting has gotten neglected.

To recap a bit, my husband had an eagerly anticipated procedure done on his heart to correct palpitations that he's had since he was a wee one. Everyone told us that it was a simple procedure, in and out of the hospital in a day, with a short recovery time. Although I was nervous, I imagined him home the next day, tired but pleased that we had finally gotten this annoying benign ailment taken care of. Well this simple procedure turned out to be much more complicated than expected. The doctor pierced his heart with the wires that they insert up through his legs. Yes, it was a small minimal possibility, the doctor warned us at our consultation. So instead of coming home the same day, he was admitted with a drain in his heart and quite a bit of pain. I ran back and forth to the house, feeding and letting the dogs out. I kept telling myself, "This was supposed to be a simple procedure"! Well after many tests and hours of waiting for the results, he was released at 7 p.m. the following day. All he wanted to do was get back to running, as he ran 3 miles 3 to 5 days a week. The doctor told him to wait two weeks until he started again. But unfortunately, he's been plagued with a series of ailments, a hurt back and foot among them. It just hasn't gone easily for him. And we are not sure that the procedure corrected the problem totally as a combo of caffeine and hard exercise brought on another palpitation. So that's been very disappointing for us.

I had started a ruffled shawl in the hospital. With all the waiting for the procedure to be completed and then test results, I got lots of knitting completed. When I was halfway done on just the shawl however, I decided to rip it. The hospital doesn't bring back good memories, and I really didn't want a shawl attached to it.

So for some completed objects. There is Mr. Greenjeans I made this sweater out of HandpaintedYarn.com's merino worsted in the Naranja y limon color. It is buttery soft and a dream to wear next to the skin. I started the cabling just below my chest, unlike the pattern's directions which starts it lower, as I didn't like the bunching up below the chest that I saw in other pictures. I also made it longer than the pattern and stayed with the size 7 needle size throughout.

Another completed object is for a woman that I work with who is expecting her second baby. It is Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Sweater with a matching bonnet. What a joy of a pattern! The yarn used is King Cole DK. The bonnet has an i-cord tie and the sweater is about a one year old size. I don't think that you can see them from the picture, but the buttons are the cutest little turquoise lady bugs.

 

 

 

 

We have had the wackiest weather this summer and our property is filled with many mosquitoes, which we are not sure why. So my dreams of laying in the hammock, knitting and reading, were not really realized this summer. I did get a lot of both done, but not in the hammock, sadly. This was also the first summer that our skies were too overcast to see any shooting stars in the Perseid's Meteor Shower, an annual event for us since I can't remember when. For a week or so, the afternoon skies opened up and we even had quarter-sized hail, a surprise indeed. The hail hitting the house made it sound as though we were living in a tin roofed home, very scary! Our tomatoes, unfortunately, got battered with deep bruises, but there are still plenty on the vines and we hope they recover.

 

 

 

Along with all the other activities we did, I'm thrilled that I continued to walk 3 miles a day for mostly six days a week. It has been tough at times. Once again, towards the beginning of August I decided that I wanted to start jogging. Once again, I injured my left calf. Maybe this year I will learn that walking is for me, not jogging. So I now walk with a bit of pain in my one leg, but if I could only slow down a bit and not push myself as much, it is much less noticeable. We also went hiking upstate in North Lake and the views were as beautiful as ever. Just to be with my husband is heavenly.

We were lucky to visit quite a few fairs this summer, something we love to do. Oh the cream puffs at the Dutchess County fare were so divine!

Otherwise, sadly, school starts a week from tomorrow. I've really enjoyed this summer. Yes, it certainly had its stressful parts, but nothing like the stress that my days with my students have. Luckily, the teacher that substituted for me over the summer was very organized, so my classroom should be in good shape when I return. I will have the same aged kids, fourth, fifth and sixth graders. Wheeeee...

Comments

[Betty]

What gorgeous sweaters!

I'm so sorry that things haven't gone well for your husband. I hope that things turn around soon--you both deserve good things!