Good early morning!
How could I have forgotten to show you the second sample from the floor guy last week?! This was basically another coat to see if a third coat would dry and not transfer stain like the second coat did so well.
Nope.
So it was decided to do that second coat in the walnut. (I still can't get over how pale that first coat looks at the bottom of that first photo above!)
Monday
Dr. Failing's nurse called me to tell me he wouldn't renew my steroid prescription because he didn't want to impair my immune system any more than it is already. I didn't realize steroids did that. My white count was low as it was so I could see why it was kind of a fine line using steroids in the first place. He gave it to me to deal with the diarrhea and now I only have that every 2-3 days instead of every day and it usually only lasts 1-2 hours, so that's improvement. I still have the weird dry, sticky mouth but I can usually breathe through one nostril, anyways. So, still fighting the inflammation, but I think there's less than there was maybe.
Because I was more concerned with the Keytruda side effects I didn't push on the nerve pain meds because the shingles will get better in time regardless. I'm down to having sudden shooting pains only a few times a day now. The constant burning pain and prickliness I can tolerate okay. Seems to be slowly subsiding. I still have a rash all around that left side but that is slowly thinning out and will hopefully disappear eventually.
So, just doing more of the same...enduring and waiting it out. At least that is getting a bit easier over time. :)
Tuesday
By the time Keanna got here the parking lot was already plowed--hurray! That also meant that Leah and the boys could stop in for a short visit when they brought my groceries later. The boys ate apples here and Leah did a couple computer things for me. I sent home all the art supplies I kept for Ian in his bookcase when he used to come for Gramma days. They were almost out of paints at home and I even had some new sets! Worked out perfectly!
Wednesday and Thursday
Uneventful, quiet days. Haven't been online that much. Been watching movies and series and puttering a bit here and there.
Friday
Leah came over in the afternoon to help me with those bookcards we started so long ago. I can't remember when I got the first batch done. (Last summer?) I had the second bigger batch set up for hole punching long ago but needed Leah to do that for me since that would really hurt this old shingles body--lol!
With the big snow removal project they had here on Tuesday we had been talking about how awful they are with the plowing and sidewalks here. They don't plow often and the parking lot turns into a rutted frozen mess that Dagan and Leah don't want me to even try to walk across to get to the dumpster or my garage--especially trying to pull my cart over the ruts. The sidewalk is usually fairly good by the front door but that is because they do leave a bucket of sidewalk salt we can toss out there and then the sun helps out a lot--lol!
Anyways, Leah took this picture when she got here Friday to give me a chuckle. We'd had maybe 4 inches of snow or more since Tuesday...no plowing.
Right back to their usual ways. It gets really tricky getting into a spot and then in and out of the car. And this is a senior building. We do have people with canes and walkers and wheelchairs. Good grief!
The boys were off bowling again with Mom and Dad. They do love bowling!
The big news was that the floor guy had been there Thursday and Friday to put on the second coat! Leah had the window cracked open because of the fumes.
You can see Blink checking out the darker, shiny floor!
Waaay better than the first time.
Now Leah says he will be back to fill in the cracks with this colored epoxy.
It looks like it should match pretty well.
The cracks and seams will be filled in and then it will be burnished again.
That will take place in a week or so and then the basement floor will finally be all done!
Anyways, Friday Leah and I had a Craft Day and worked on the bookcards. I have company so seldom that I seem to totally forget about taking pictures these days--lol! This was as far as I got on Friday and it still looks like this. I am on the last tray!
Leah punched the three holes through the cover and inside pages. Then I picked out an embroidery thread color, cut a hunk of thread, and...
...tucked it inside the bookcard so I am all set to sew them together while I watch TV.
I am so excited to finally have some of the bookcards made up with the pretty watercolor-y paper I fell in love with last year. Plus some other boughten handmade paper and other pretty papers for the covers.
I have a lot of hand sewing to do.
Meanwhile...we had another blizzard Saturday into Sunday. Seems like we've had some snow most days.
Good weather for snugging up in a comfy bed to watch CatTV on the patio.
BTW--I like the change in time less and less the older I get--lol! All I can think is--please stop!
Leah and I talked about paint colors for the walls and ceiling...and other fun stuff. I am so glad she made it over because pretty soon now she will be busy building in the basement quite a bit and will be pretty tired when she actually has some time to herself, you know? Next thing they will be framing the walls!
Me--this week I hope to finish setting up embroidery threads for the bookcards and begin sewing them together. I still haven't gone through the saver box of rubber stamps or filled my new file cabinet. Always things waiting to be done, aren't there?
When I get those projects done or in motion...I badly need to go through all my fountain pen trays to check, clean and/or fill them all. This is the third time, I think, in the past couple years that I have felt too miserable to deal with each tray as I get to it. I have just been skipping pens that were out of ink or dried up...and moving on to the next pen...until now probably over half of them aren't functional anymore. So, when I am up to it I will deal with one tray at a time. I will be happy dancing when my precious FPs are all working again! You know how I love my fountain pens. Well, I love all my gel pens and other pens, too.
Let's be honest--I am a pen fanatic. Not expensive pens...mine are what true pen fanatics would consider the cheaper variety...but I love all my pens. There will be very little purging in this department. ;) I have a few FPs that would be considered the upper end of cheaper--not over $100. In my world--anything over $50 is high end. I see these beautiful pens that are hundreds and thousands of dollars and--honestly--I would be afraid to use them--lol! I love my pens because I also love the wide variety of ink colors. I love color. I am a rainbow type of girl, I guess.
But first--finish the bookcards (where I can use many inks in many pens), go through the rubber stamps box, and get my file cabinet organized. How many weeks do you think all that will take--ROFL! Goals. A person needs goals. Or, in my case, a prioritized to-do list. ;)
I just keep plugging away when I can for however long I can. Seems like I am always starting back at the fifteen minute baby steps--lol! At least when I am physically able to even do that, eh? Am having some times when I am able to do things...baking, cooking, a little purging...that I couldn't have even a couple weeks ago. So--on the mend! Again.
And maybe this time when I am truly starting to feel better I won't get knocked back to non-functional. Maybe that is actually over and done with? Maybe I can eventually get back to my old limited self...before cancer...and even the mysterious leg swelling up...all of the non-functional parts of these last few years. Almost hard for me to imagine. But it could be true. It could happen. Wouldn't that be nice?!
Anyways, in the meantime...I have my to-do list for this week. I would be happy to finish one thing on that list. I would! :) Till next week, my friends. Think positive, count your blessings, and let people know how much you appreciate them.
I really, really appreciate you more than you'll ever know! Thank you for hanging in here with me and thinking positive.
*love and hugs from Fargo*
