Sunday-11:15am

Woke up to snow on Wednesday!

I do have pictures to show you from Tuesday, but this was the surprise of the week--LOL! 

Was almost a white out for a while there. 

The birds were looking for food and my container was empty so I made a trip to the garage for the last of the bird seed. 

You can see the bin against the wall and the last of the seed there in the container on the trunk of the dead Paseo. 

We need to tow away the Paseo and move all this ValleyCon suite furniture in the middle of the floor over to the left hand side of the garage...and organize all the shelves and various stuff. 

 I need to make room on the shelves for the storage tubs I want to move out here from the apartment.  That's one of the big projects I want done before Annie comes.

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You can see it was drifting more on the other side of the garages.  That's my building at the end of the garage tunnel--LOL!  My apartment is on the backside across from that bottom apartment on the left corner.

My garage is at the far end of this garage line.  The wall of garages off to the left are for the next apartment complex.  Yes--there are a lot of apartment complexes where I live. 

It continued to snow and drift all day long.

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 Meanwhile, I've been slowly working on the pantry.

Cleaning off each bottle, can, or box... 

...and reorgainzing. 

I still have a ways to go.  This is the other bigger project I want done before Annie comes.  Then we can haul all the cat stuff back in from the garage.  :)

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 Oh, Iggy sent me a link to the instruction booklet for the serger!!  Whoohoo!!  So once we get done with the Annie preparations and the current sewing project...then I can work at trying to tackle the serger.  I do have several other sewing projects I want to do this year and Leah has a couple, too.

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This last week Leah was exhausted on Monday night again.  (I was, too, from working in the pantry.)  Leah asked if we could switch up our craft nights to Tuesdays for the foreseeable future, which was fine with me.  Mondays are her errand days and after running around shopping all day she is pretty beat to come over for crafts.  So we're going to try for Tuesday nights.

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She wanted a break from tracing the sewing patterns and suggested we tackle another project--yes!  And it was one I could help with some even though I couldn't see that well.  :)

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We worked till after midnight making samples and labels for all our embossing powders!

Most of them are in small jars, but we have some larger amounts of our most commonly used powders.  Those were transferred from old containers that were hard to open (and easy to spill) to our new containers with side clips.  And there is now a small plastic spoon clipped inside the cover of each of the bigger containers, too!  We have labels and round samples on both white and black paper on the tops...   

...and on one side of the containers. 

We actually finished them all!  Checked that off the nearly endless to-do list.  :)

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The snow started to melt by the next afternoon.  I fed the confused birds that had just flown up from the south--all day--for two days they ate and ate and I'd put out some more--LOL!  

The last of the seed actually went out yesterday.  Now I plan to have the patio back to myself for the summer!  I'll feed them again come fall, though.  If it snows again they're out of luck from my patio--hehe!

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Went to pick up my new red prescription sunglasses on Thursday!!   

The world may be dark right now, but I can see close up again!!  Whoohoo!  My other regular glasses should maybe come in this week.  Better to see clear distortion than blurry distortion--LOL!  ;)

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Oh, I looked up online what they said I have in my right eye--epiretinal membrane--and it is called seven other names that I found easily.  Preretinal membrane, macular pucker, cellophane maculopathy, retina wrinkle, surface wrinkling retinopathy, premacular fibrosis, and internal limiting membrane disease.  Mine was apparently closer to the back of my eye before the surgery (like it apparently is most likely to be) and has come farther away after.  

Kind of like this:

Which is why I've had issues seeing since the surgery and I will just live a distorted life--LOL!  But--seems like being able to see closer gives me less jumpy-bendy-warpy-distortion .  Far away pictures are good--words are a little more difficult.  But when I get in to that mid-bifocal range there's a lot of print dancing...which seems to be a bit less as I can now get in to that closer-trifocal range.  Hallelujah!!  I am sooooo grateful!  Hey!  I was used to having to get nose close up to see sometimes before cataract surgery so my brain understands that just fine.  ;)  

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Now that I can see better I have been catching up with some detail end-of-the-month work.  Worked on my bullet journal.  (BTW--was I EVER glad I had set it up from January through April before I ever knew about the cataract surgeries!)  Now I set up the skeletal framework from May through September...and filled in May so that's all set to go.   

I need to think of something else to use besides Avery labels--LOL!  They were fun, but this bullet has gotten so fat!!  I left about 10-12 pages at the end for lists, but that will fill this one up.  Come October I'll be starting a new one.

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Also been working on the usual monthly tasks--grocery list and still need to finish balancing of the checkbook and bills.  Who would have thought I'd be looking forward to doing such mundane things--but just so delighted to be able to read and see close up again!  Even if I have to tilt my head this way and that.  (Some days seem "clearer" than others.)  I am just plain grateful...and I can always close one eye.  ;)

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This Canadian goose seemed to be lost.  They rarely travel alone.  It walked over to the sidewalk and waddled all the way down the pathway.  So funny. 

Yesterday Dagan and Ian stopped by for a visit.  Dagan helped me change the bed skirt on my bed...and Ian wanted to help.  When my sheets and towels were done Ian wanted to help me with those, too.  Absolutely reminded me of when Dagan was little.  They are so excited to be helpful...for a while there, anyways--ROFL!  I loved it!    

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Yes--I forgot to take pictures.  I get so wrapped up in the visit that taking pictures goes out of my head.  Ian comes chattering his way in the door and all else is lost for Gramma--hehe!

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So that is how the week went up here.  It's sunny and 54 degrees right now.  I need to get back to working on the checkbook and organizing the pantry.  

Have a great week!!  :) :)

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"Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense regardless of how it turns out."

Vaclav Havel

Sunday-4:45pm

Good Afternoon!

Yesterday it was almost 70 degrees and today it's 44--LOL!  Spring in the North Country.

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  The birds were happily bathing in the water dish yesterday.

The two mourning doves seem to love a good bath.  Even just sat in the water for a while. 

This big box came late on Friday but I waited to open it till McFamily arrived yesterday. 

My mom had called and asked me if I wanted her serger sewing machine.  Whoohoo!!  She sent it all the way up from Florida.  

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Hope you can see it there with all the piles on the black table in the studio. 

She didn't have the instruction booklet and I have no experience with sergers (also called overlock machines) so will be doing searches online for information.  Be so cool if I can figure out how to use this!!  Leah is excited, too.  They can enclose and cut off the excess fabric in a seam all at the same time--like most clothes are done at factories.  Will be an interesting challenge, eh?

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Ian came with his new "First Bike" that has no pedals.  Teaching him balance when he sits on it.  He does really well.

We took a trip down the walking path to the big cottonwood tree to give it a hug.  (I love the lime green helmet!)  Ian gave the tree a hug and told me the tree said "thank you".  Gramma had to turn off the video so she could give the tree a hug, too.  Ian decided that we also needed to give the tree a kiss.  So we did.  Perfect for Earth Day, eh?

Ian was very interested in seeing his shadow.  He got to bring home a piece of the bark that had fallen off the tree and a bit of small branch.  Tokens of tree hugging.

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I hope everybody had a happy Earth Day!  :) :)

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"Today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense  of Universal responsibility, not only nation to nation and human to human, but also human to other forms of life."

The Dalai Lama

Friday-10:30am

Good news!!

Well, there's a bad part, too, but I was too excited about the good part to focus on that side of it--LOL!  

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Dr. Dye's office called on Monday.  He wanted me to come in so he could talk to me about what he found out about my eyes.  They were pretty booked this week--scheduled an appointment for 11:30 Thursday.  I figured it was likely not going to be good news.  Even asked Leah to come in with me (since my memory isn't what it used to be with the fibro) thinking it might be another complicated explanation and Leah could record the conversation like she did for me with Dr. Grosz, the cataract surgeon.  (Which she did.)

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Well, Dr. Dye consulted with another doctor (probably the retinal specialist?).  The bad news is--I don't actually have fluid or swelling back of my right eye--it's that saran wrap type film that has kind of puffed up and away from the back of my eye.  That is what's causing the visual distortions.  They don't do anything about it until it gets really bad.  (I remember being told that a retinal specialist can go in and remove that film if it becomes necessary.)  They expect it to get worse over time.

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The good news is--there's a slim chance that it might go back down on its own and I don't have to go back for a checkup till January.  So, it is obviously not something that usually changes quickly and he did say there was a slight possibility that it might just smooth back down on its own.  I am a big believer in miracles, as you know.  So I'll take any healing energy, positive thoughts, and prayers in my direction that you can spare.  :):)  I plan to do some regular energy work and visualization on my eyes for the rest of the year, too.  Think positive, right?

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Sooo...that meant I could order new glasses!!  I found a pair of frames (that weren't ugly) in the medicaid drawer and my new trifocals will be here in about two weeks.  Since I hadn't gotten new glasses for like possibly 10-12 years (can't even remember) I was covered!  Awesome!

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But I couldn't get glasses with clip on sunglasses like my old ones (which weren't medicaid frames)--and the light really bothers me since the surgery.  (Could even be refracting off that poofed up saran wrap, I suppose.)  Leah suggested we make a trip to Costco...so off we went.  And guess what?!  I ordered a pair of prescription sunglasses--whoohoo!  Never had that luxury before in my whole life.  My new red sunglasses should be here in about a week!  Yes--I went wild and crazy with the sunglasses--LOL!  Thank you, Dagan and Leah!!!

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I am so happy!!  I should be able to see close up again and no eye surgery in the foreseeable future (maybe ever)--whoohoo!  Clear wavy distortion is much better than blurry wavy distortion.  And my left eye has gotten much better with seeing a straight, unwavy line so I can always close my right eye when I need to.

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Happy dancing in Fargo!!

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And THEN--Leah asked me if I wanted to go look at the cheap storage bins she had found at Costco.  So we also picked up bins!!

There's quite a lot of old banker boxes I have in the hall closet...

...and also already in the garage and even in the studio closet that should go in plastic bins if they are going to be in the garage.  Keeps the mice out...and just in case the roof ever leaks.  Been meaning to do this for years but they were too expensive.  Those big bins are three for $14.99 at Costco!  The smaller ones were six for the same, I believe.  So exciting!!  Well, to organizers it sure is, let me tell you--LOL!

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So what a happy, happy day yesterday!  I even went down late to the Thursday afternoon group for a few minutes to let them know that I should be able to get back to actually being able to craft with them soon.  Told them I could possibly show up with wild red sunglasses first--LOL!  As I left they were teasing me that they might have to start calling me "Big Red"--hehe!

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Being able to see clearly close up--OMG!  I will finally be able to do all the various things I enjoy again--making cards, sewing, crafting, reading, art...you name it.  And I will be able to see more clearly when I write letters and journal!  These visual limitations have been driving me nuts since February 8th!  I will still have to deal with the distortions, but being able to SEE close up...I will adapt.  Oh, and I have no depth perception.  With the 2.5 reading glasses I can't see clearly anything closer than more like 10-12 inches--not the 6-8 inches I thought it was!  Dr. Dye measured--LOL!

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Anyways, things are looking up, eh?  :)

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(Knock on wood!)

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The mourning doves are back now, too.  

And I have seen the ground squirrel again. 

Because of the 13-striped ground squirrel I decided that once I am out of seed (which won't be too long) I am not feeding the critters for the rest of the summer.  I can't remember if I told you that already or not.   

I will put out water for them, but they will be perfectly fine all summer for food.  My main reason is that I do not want to attract the ground squirrels.  Much as I LOVE to watch them, I don't want them noticed, you know!  Don't want them hunted down and killed.  The ground squirrels hibernate all winter, so feeding the birds and jackrabbits in the wintertime (when they really need the help) will be just fine.  I'll start feeding them again in the late fall.

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And honestly...the plus side to that is also that the patio won't be such a mess all summer.  Maybe Ian won't be able to recognize Gramma's patio because of the bird poop--LOL!  I was thinking of maybe getting some planter boxes--if not this year--maybe next summer.  Maybe do some outside reading with my red sunglasses?  LOL!

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 I have some pictures from Dagan and Leah.

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Profile of new baby McGregor safely tucked inside Mama.

And Ian went bowling!  Here he just pushed the ball one handed down the ramp. 

I didn't know they have those plastic ramp thingies for little kids!  Those are so cool!  They can aim them where they hope the ball will go, place the ball on the top, and then push it down the plastic ramp.  Seems better than the bumpers they put in the gutters.

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I don't think you're really supposed to fly in the air like Superman on top of it while you watch your ball go down the alley, though--ROFL!! 

Looks like Ian got a 61!!  Not bad for almost three year old. 

Ian being silly on the floor at the bowling alley. 

 What a fun carpet, though! 

 

They had pancakes that day, too. 

Busy day!

Gramma is excited because McFamily is planning to come for a visit tomorrow afternoon!  So glad to be able to share some happy news.  (The bad parts...just shut one eye--LOL!)

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  Have a great weekend!  :) :)

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"We are never more than one grateful thought away from peace of heart."

Br. David Steindl-Rast

Saturday-1:30pm

Okay--let's get the bad news over and done with.

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Finally made the eye exam yesterday with Dr. Dye.  No glasses for me.  Not yet.  I do not have double vision.  My vision problem is more of a bending, wobbly, shifting thing and prism lenses won't help.  He has to talk to the surgeon.

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I had to take a deep breath.

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Anyways, I had wondered why they were pushing the cataract surgery so fast and maybe this has something to do with that urgency?  I had swelling in the backs of my eyes and odd readings before the cataract surgery.  They did not know how much the readings may have been off because of the cataracts, but now that my lenses are nice and clear...well, I still have swelling and fluid in the backs of my eyes.  The left one has gotten much better at being able to see a straight line since the surgery, but the right one is still really off kilter.  That is the one with the weird saran wrap like film on the back, if you recall.  So the crazy jumpy warped vision issues are because of the swelling and fluid back there.  No easy fix with glasses.  No point in getting new glasses yet until this issue is dealt with.

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Deep breath.

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Dr. Dye is not sure what they will want to do.  They may want to try special eye drops for a while to see if they improve.  I might have to see a retinal specialist.  They might have to go in with a needle and try to suck out the fluid...not sure what the future holds, really.  Dr. Dye doesn't know.  This is not his speciality.  (I kind of pressed him to give me an idea what I might be looking at.)  They took another scan of the back of my eyes, Dr. Dye will consult with the surgeon, Dr. Grosz, and get back to me.

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So.  

There you go.

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I am going to try to focus on sending healing energy to my eyes.

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And wait.

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Still can't see close up.  Computer is still more difficult.  I am sorry I haven't been getting back to your comments and emails.  Not sure when or even if I will, but they are greatly appreciated.  Thank you so very much!!  Like I said, I can read here and there on the computer by enlarging the print to huge, so I do read and savor them all.  And I do pop in to read blogs.  Even occasionally comment.  But things aren't right yet for me and my goofy eyes.  Looks like it may be a while.

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So, in the meantime...I do want to especially thank all my snail mail friends!!!  Hand writing is easier for me to read for some reason and something I can actually do more easily in return (mostly muscle memory--but no one has complained they can't read what I am writing--over fifty years of practice--LOL!).  Since I can't really do any other kind of detail work, can't read well, or spend much time at the computer...I really, really appreciate the hand written cards and letters so very much!!  If anyone new wants to write just pop me an email and I'll give you my address.  :)

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Now, on to the happy news.  

Look what I saw nibbling there on the patio!      

A regular cottontail rabbit!

These are the ones I grew up with (Mpls, Mn).  They never turn white and look at those cute tiny ears!

I had seen some when I lived in Moorhead, Mn across the river, but not since I moved to Fargo.  Was sweet to see one up close...and this is actually a pretty large one.  :)

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To help the slowly failing strength in my wrists/hands I ordered an OXO jar opener (black) and Leah found me a jar seal popper (red).

The jar opener has that rubber circle piece you use to set the jar on so it doesn't move around on the counter--slides right in along the backside of it for storage.  Pretty cool!  And they both work really well!!  I am delighted! 

For two days I cleaned out fountain pens. 

You know how I usually have my trays of filled pens--LOL!  Well, I have been waiting months for them to all go empty (still had a couple that weren't but just couldn't wait any longer--too used to having a big variety of inks to use).  The plan was to fill them all with actual ink bottles I own to test them out to see if they still (or ever) worked well or not.  (I remember some drying out so quickly in fine pens that they drove me crazy--but not sure which ones.)  Some of them are 30-35 years old--a couple maybe older.  As many of you know, I have been using ink samples from Goulet Pens for years!  Time to test out my own ink bottles and any that don't behave well will go into the studio to use with art projects.  :)

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I discovered that both my Mont Blanc bottles had completely evaporated and dried up.  Obviously not air tight.  Interesting.  And the only J. Herbin ink I had (about 20 years old) formed a film of some kind.  I had shaken it so I don't know if it was on the top or bottom of the bottle, but it wasn't discolored like mold would be.  No matter where I tried to fill from the bottle the film sucked stuck and plugged.  Not worth straining the bottle, in my opinion, so that got tossed out, too.  

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Okay...this gives me the perfect excuse to show you my pen cabinet--for those of you who hadn't seen it years ago when this exciting purchase was made.  (It's actually some kind of a gun or hunter's cabinet, if I remember correctly--real pen cabinets were totally out of my price range and I found this on sale!)  

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From left to right on the dresser: my lone serape tetra in the fish bowl (Ian comes to search for it almost every time he comes over), my printer, and the beautiful pen cabinet!

I still do have a few bottles that don't fit inside on the top there because they are too tall--my large Noodler's bottles.

On the left hand side are the Noodler's (6 years old), then two sets of six Levenger inks (20+ yrs old), three Pilot Iroshizuku inks (newest--only a few years old--already know they work beautifully), and then the odd assortment of collected bottles on the right hand side (15-35+ years old). 

  All the Levenger inks and the odds and ends bottles are now in cleaned pens!! 

I know a few of you might wonder what is inside all those drawers--LOL!  So I'll give you a quick peek...any pens in here are clean and empty.  

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Left: $3.00 Preppy pens accumulated over several years because I wanted to try the Goulet ink samples but didn't want to spend money on pens.  Right: the under $5 China pens from Amazon.

Left: rag, syringes, and brushes for cleaning.  (Oh, the bulb syringe for cleaning doesn't fit in a drawer so that is what you see in the front left hand corner of the very top with the bottles.) Right: some old calligraphy pens (none of which work very well) and my two Rotring Art Pens and a Parallel Pen for drawing.  

 Left: a red Metropolitan that didn't work but I kept in case I can fix it and the supplies for writing with invisible ink.  Right: three Noodler's pens and my Waterman (none of which work well at all), another rag, and my set of Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph pens for drawing (awesome!).

 A big drawer full of odds and ends--pen cases, a smaller bulb cleaner, different type of syringes, etc.

This big drawer has dip pen/calligraphy supplies.  All that special paper in the back left corner is blotter paper I pre-cut to fit my beloved wooden blotter.

Said bloved blotter...

Lastly, the bottom big drawer is filled with ink cartridges, converters... 

...pen parts and special tools. 

If you had any doubts about me being a pen/ink/paper/writing nut...you know now for sure that you were not mistaken--LOL!  (Tip of the iceberg??)

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I spent a few hours filling cleaned pens with all those bottles.

Well, not all.  I still have my Noodler's ink bottles to test after these begin to empty out.  :)  How many pens are currently inked up in the trays?  Confession...26!! 

I may have to write letters in segments, but they are a different color each time I pick up a pen.  And yes--my OCD side does keep track.  You may be able to see a highlighter in each of the three trays.  I use those as place holders to keep track of where I left off--LOL!  And I keep a record of which pen has which ink in it using a small spiral notebook...with post-it tabs to keep track of which pen to use for my daily journaling (red tab), which pen to use next for letter writing (yellow tab)...and I divide up the three trays with the blue tabs on the bottom.

I started a brand new notebook, too, as long as I was at it and starting fresh.    

No crossed out colors at the moment.  Pristine.  For now.  ;)

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Let's see...I at least managed to get all the stuff off my bedroom floor and on to the bathroom shelves.  Also got a few things from the pantry up there, too.  (Have not exactly been a bundle of energy.)

I did make a trip to the garage to bring out the patio snow shovel and the bird feeder, etc.  Brought in the bird water dish...and they were so happy to see it back! 

I was admittedly bummed out last night with the bad eye news...but this morning April the giraffe finally had her baby!  So stinking cute!!  

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And then--look what I saw on the patio this morning!! 

OMG!!  

I was thrilled!!

A thirteen striped ground squirrel!! 

I was soooo excited to see one.  But also scared for it.  Just pray that nobody else around here notices it because if they complain again...the maintenance people will hunt it down and kill this little beauty.  :(

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I was finally able to make it down to a library day on Tuesday (checked out an audio book) and to the Thursday "coloring" group (just visited).  Nobody has seen me around here for over a month or more--LOL!  Guess what I found out!?  We have a new part-time activity coordinator!!  Her name is Pam.  Whoohoo!!

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  They are going to be trying out a bunch of new things--Meals On Wheels, a breakfast group once a week, a walking group, Cinco de Mayo taco night, Cookie Make n' Take, a community garage sale in May...goodness!  Things are looking up!  I am so excited to see this even if I can't go to most of it.  Just wonderful!!  [Only problem is I heard Nazare is trying to use Pam as his personal secretary/assistant--but that's another story.  She's new and I have faith that she will get her bearings and give him what-for.]

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Made some bean soup while I was chatting with you--LOL!

Even had some leftover rice to toss into the pot this time.  Yummy!  Time to eat dinner.  I'll be back when I have something to share.  Thank you for being my friends.  :) :)

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"A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere.  Before him I may think aloud."

Ralph Waldo Emerson