One blanket finished

I got up between 7:30 and 8. I compared several red panels until I found two that kind of matched and sewed them together. I pressed it well. Then I turned on the router. I read e-mail and listened to interviews. I made and ate breakfast a little earlier than usual. Then I got dressed and ready for quilting. That's when I remembered the insurance form. I called the insurance number, and he guided me to a different form. I left it up on my monitor and headed out.
My stuff was already in the car, so I jumped in and went to quilting. I sat with the ladies who were still eating lunch, just to talk. Later, I set up my machine to sew. I spread out the red panels, but then decided to work on the receiving blankets since I had the room to cut big pieces. But the material was not as big as she said, so there was only enough for one. I cut a backing for it from the blanket from the hospital. After completing it, I tried to text a pic to her, but it failed.
By then, I was the only one left. I packed up my stuff. I put the cutting mats away and turned off the lights. Then I rolled my cart to my car. After loading it all in the trunk, I drove to the chiropractor's office. I was a few minutes early, but as I signed in and chatted with the receptionist, the doctor came out of his office and invited me to the exam room. He asked about my neck, which I said was tight. So he used a thumper thing all over it. Then he asked about my lower back, which was just fine. He asked about the chest pain, and I said it was bad on Saturday, but nothing on Sunday or today. So he took a wait and see attitude. I told him about the hot flashes and he took me to the acupuncture room. He tested the points he used last week and determined that the neck points were the only ones that needed it. So he left my lying there, listening to waterfall sounds. That was nice, but he came back all too soon to take the needles out. I said my spleen might be weak. He rubbed a point between my left thumb and forefinger. It hurt like heck. So he rubbed it with one hand and a spot under my navel with the other until the pain stopped. Weird, but it worked. It should improve my sleep tonight.
I went home. I checked e-mail. Chris came home from work. I put some leftovers in the toaster oven to heat up. I looked at the new insurance form. I started filling it in. But when I got to the provider codes I was stuck. I ate the leftovers and had some tempeh and plantain. I was in eating mode so I went for a walk to interrupt the pattern. I was gone for about 45 minutes. But when I came back, I made a salad. Then I had some blueberries with cinnamon, cashews and pecans. I dug up another plant with yellow flowers from the back yard and stuck it in a pot. I watered all the potted plants.
When Chris' phone alarm went off, it was time for Lucifer. We sat on the couch and watched Lucifer, chafing at all the commercials. Then we watched two episodes of Enterprise. I had some bone broth and kava tea, as well as my evening supplements. I typed up my blog and was ready for bed. Chris made his sandwich and laid out his clothes for tomorrow. Then he went to bed.

Is planting a subversive activity?

I heard Chris get up this morning and I stayed in bed, doing some mental programming. I got up much later, or so I thought. It was only 8 and Chris said he'd been up for only 10 minutes. I sewed the seam I had pinned last night. Then I drank 12 oz of water. I took a shower and got dressed for church. Then I read e-mail until it was almost time to go. I fixed my hair, then grabbed my stuff and headed out.
I got to church in time to warm up with the choir. After that, Cecelia came over to get some magnesium. I handed her a small bottle with 4 tsp of magnesium bisglycinate powder in it. I also gave her a botttle of magnesium spray to try. Jennifer came over with the fabric she bought. I handed her the tiny bottle of Delta-5 and wished her better luck with it than I had. I hit the restroom then talked to Tamara until the service began. Just then, my phone rang. Embarrassed, I shut it off as quickly as possible. Whoever it was did not call back.
The music for the service was a bit informal. Chris would not have liked it. But it was catchy. After the service, I ran into Ron. He wants me to print out the spreadsheets and give them to him, so he can pass them out to the ministry heads. Okaaaaaay.... I went looking for Jennifer and started talking to Linda. We had a nice chat. When Jennifer came by, I went out to the car to get the fabric I had chosen to go with what she had bought, based on the pic she sent. But what I thought was red, was actually pink. So only the red-and-pink fabric matched. However, I also had the blanket that the hospital gave me. She like that best for the backing of the baby blankets. I asked her how involved she wanted to be and she said just to buy the fabric and give it to me. So I agreed to make the blankets.
I went to my car and called Chris to meet me at Publix. I went straight there. I got a cart and started shopping. They had some spice plants there so I picked up a basil. Chris showed up and we shopped from the list. Then we checked out. Chris loaded the bags in his car and went home. I got in my car and stopped at the bank for cash before going home. When I got there, he had all the food inside already. I cleaned the golden beets for Chris to cook. I washed a bunch of carrots we'd had for awhile. Some of them were sprouting. So I planted a whole one and the top of one in the back yard. I also repotted the basil in a larger pot. I made and ate breakfast while listening to interviews from the Food Revolution Summit. Today's topic was Alzhemiers and brain health. I also watched quilting videos with the sound turned off so I could hear the interviews. Chris cooked a large piece of beef with carrots, garlic, onions and beets.
About 5pm, I went for a walk. I wanted to see if the peonies were blooming. I kind of walked back there, then assumed that if I couldn't see them from 10 yards away, then they were not blooming yet. On the way back, I met a lady out for a walk. We talked about weather and plants and then husbands. She said I could drop Chris' resume by her house for her husband to take a look at. She pulled out her rosary and said she would pray for Chris to get a good job. I decided to pray for her husband who had several surgeries recently. She also told me she had planted some annuals around her tree and that she didn't think the housing people would mind. Then I resumed walking. I only saw wildflowers and a dead snake on the way home.
When I got home, Chris pulled out the beef and cut it up. I put some in a bowl, plus the veggies and broth. It made me cough, probably due to the cayenne he used. As I ate, I read about fermented papaya for electromagnetic sensitivity. It was really expensive to buy and did not sound so hard to make. I continued watching silent quilting videos.
At 8, I made a mug of broth with a turmeric ice cube. When Chris was ready, we watched three episodes of Enterprise. Then he made his sandwich and I posted to my blog so we could go to bed.
* a picture made from zippers *

Panoply

I stayed in bed late, long after Chris got up. I was trying to do some mental programming but my mind was all over the place. Finally I got up at 9. I sewed two red panels together. Chris already had the router on, so I read e-mail, and started listening to interviews from the Food Revolution Summit. Chris needed some attention, and later I returned to the interviews. I made and ate breakfast, plus a tomato that I picked from one of the bushes out front. It had blossom end rot, but I cut around that. I also took my supplements. Then I washed up and got ready for Panoply. I had a few minutes yet, so I washed my footies and laid them out to dry. I was able to listen to a little more of the third interview while jotting a few notes.
At 12:30, I went to the place where Stitch-Its meets. I sat by a tree and waited for Leanne. I had left early in case there was a yardsale along the way, but there wasn't one that caught my attention. So I had a 15-20 minute wait. When she arrived, I put up my windows and locked my car. I got in her car and she drove us downtown to a parking garage.
We found our way to Big Spring Park where Panoply was in full swing. We bought tickets and someone stamped my hand with a pink image. It looked like an “A” with a circle around it. The first booths we passed were food vendors. Nothing I would eat. Then we saw the quilt guild tent. We stopped to talk to the ladies sitting there. Several were helped kids make a simple project. Then we wandered past more booths and stopped at one where two ladies were floating paint/dye on water and then swirling it. They each laid a silk scarf on the design and created a work of art. The owner said they do parties and Leanne asked questions about that. We walked around some more, stopping to look at paintings, jewelry, and pottery. One artist was making textured pictures out of zippers. There were metal sculptures and digital photography. Many booths had projects for kids. Fresh Market had samples of dried fruits and vegetables. There were several lemonade stands making drinks with freshly squeezed lemons. But I did not want to stand in line. Under a big tent were rows and rows of artwork from local school children. Some were quite talented, especially the high school students. A band was starting to play and it was loud.
So we left the area and looked for the parking garage. We had a time finding the right door to go in. But we made it. Then she drove around town looking for the right road out. Then, as we turned onto California, I asked her about the best way for me to get to Huntsville SewnVac from Stitch-Its. She said she'd like to go too, and turned her car around. So we both went to Huntsville Sew and Vac, but they were closed. So we stopped at Patches and Stitches on the way back. We looked around. I found some batik that would work for the stained glass project. She found a book. We checked out and she drove me back to my car. We talked a bit about some movie that was coming out soon. Then we parted ways.
I drove home. Chris was on his laptop, having done all the laundry. I ate some seed crackers and then mowed the back yard. I read articles while listening to the replays of the interviews from this morning. I had a can of soup, and a cucumber for supper. I found two red panels that fit together and I pinned their edges for sewing tomorrow. I readied another panel for comparison. Chris wasn't quite ready to watch TV, so I started folding laundry. I kept folding until he called up Enterprise on Netflix. Then we watched three episodes. I posted to my blog and we went to bed.
* Ladies getting ready to paint silk scarves. *

A new project to finish

I am not sure when I got up, but it was probably before 7. I cut a strip of batik. It had several colors in it. I cut out six squares of orange. Out of what was left, I got 4 squares of mostly pink. The rest were kind of yellow. I sewed the orange ones to a strip of black. Then I turned on the router to read e-mail. After a while, I made and ate breakfast. Jennifer texted me that she wanted to meet me after 12:30 to look at the fabric she bought to make receiving blankets. But I told her I was planning to go to Blanket Daze.
It was a sunny day so I had enough light to work at the desktop. I entered the latest time and talent sheet info into the spreadsheets. Then I saved the work. I looked at a map online to see the best way to get to the church hosting Blanket Daze. I chose a route not dependent on my being able to read street signs. My sewing gear was already in the car, so I put on a coat, grabbed my purse and headed out. I had to pass by the acupuncture place, so I stopped in and got some more information for the insurance company.
Then I went to quilting. I had no trouble getting around the one-way streets. I parked in the lot across the street and wheeled my machine to the door. I set up beside Betty. I chatted with her and Tina for a bit. I liked the scrap pattern she was using. I had forgotten my phone so Betty took a pic and texted it to my phone. There were bins and bins of fabric to choose from. But I did not want to start from scratch. So I picked baggie of pieces. But it turned out to be a strange project. I wished the fabric could talk and tell me what happened to it. The other ladies encouraged me to put it back and choose again. So I did. This one was easier to work with. It was a disappearing nine-patch. But I had to measure each piece because some of them were cut short. When lunch time came, I looked through the offerings and had some deviled eggs, cheese, and bean salad. Tina had cartons of eggs for sale. But she said they were not organic because she could not afford the organic feed. Still, they had to be fresher than the ones at the store.
After that, I kept sewing pairs of pieces together until I had blocks. Most of the ladies were gone by then, so I packed up, too. I put all the blocks and leftovers in a bag. Some of the ladies are returning tomorrow so they left their stuff. But I wasn't coming back, so I rolled my machine to the car.
Driving home was easier because the one-way streets were in my favor. Soon I was home. I left the machine in the trunk, but brought in the bag with the rulers and eggs. I put the eggs in the fridge. I drank a can of coconut water. I went for a walk. There was a police car parked in an overgrown cul-de-sac near where the peonies are going to bloom. He waved as I walked by. I also saw an animal that I could not identify. It ran on four legs, had a very long tail, and kind of bounced. It wasn't quite a dog, or a cat.
When I got home, I checked the house mail. Nothing. I jotted notes for my blog. I assembled a bowl of leftovers and put it in the toaster oven to heat. I texted with Jennifer. I ate supper while listening to an interview. Then I made a salad with red kale and salad greens.
At 8 we watched three episodes of Enterprise. Then I wrote my blog post and went to bed.
* This is the picture she texted me. It consists of six blocks. *

Partial success

It was raining when I woke up so I did not get out of bed right away, probably sometime just after 8. I opened the door to the bathroom to let the moisture escape, then used the other one. I compared several of my panels of red scraps and found two of similar dimension and sewed them together. I took off the bandaid on my mole. The black crust had fallen off. However, unlike the videos on youtube, the mole was still there. The diameter had not changed but it did feel diminished in height. I put some coconut oil on it. I moved my toothbrush and paste to the other bathroom and poured fresh hydrogen peroxide in the cup. I brushed my teeth with coconut oil and baking soda, then swished it while I turned on the router and started my blog post.
I deleted e-mail while listening to a podcast. I put a chunk of frozen pureed lemon in a quart of water and drank it. I heard a podcast on hormone balance that recommended seed cycling: 2 weeks of ground flax and pumpkin seeds, followed by 2 weeks of sesame and sunflower seeds. Gee, all those seeds are in my seed crackers. Should I split them up?
I sent the insurance form from the laptop to the desktop computer for printing. I printed it out, then checked for the information that the insurance website said was necessary for payment. But it wasn't all there because the form did not ask for it. I did the column of light visualization that the massage person gave me yesterday.
I got dressed and left for the chiropractor.
I got there a few minutes early, so I sat there reading about the exercises the emergency room doctor recommended. I asked the receptionist about how she files my treatment with the insurance company. She has a different form and suggested I use a cover letter to add the information that is not on the form. When the doctor was ready, I followed him into the exam room. He asked how different parts of me felt. I told him my neck was tight, and my lower back as well. And that I had a few twinges of chest pain, but that my computer occasionally picked up a 5g signal from some place nearby. He used his thumper on my back, as well as a massage tool. There was enough pressure that it was a little painful. He used it on my feet, too. He shimmed my hips for this process, the one on the right was higher. He said my neck was doing really well. I did not tell him about the massage person who worked on it yesterday. Then he muscle-tested me for hormonal balance and said I was fine. So no acupuncture for me today. He said to come back on Monday and maybe only come once a week for awhile. I went to the front desk to pay and make an appointment.
Then I went to Stitch-Its. It was not raining as I pulled my machine out of the car. But the room was full of ladies. Pat got up and gave me her seat, saying she had to leave soon. So I sat by Leanne and we talked for a bit. A lady gave me a baggie of red scraps from Lynn. The other Pat talked to me about the book she wants me to order for the guild. The others were talking about Panoply. Leanne invited me to go with her on Saturday. So we made plans to meet then. I worked a little longer on my red project, and then it was time to go. I packed up my stuff, and carried a box of books to Pat's car. Then I rolled my stuff to my car. It was raining at that point, but not hard. I was going to stop at the acupunturists on the way home for more information for the insurance company, but the rain increased and I did not want to get the form wet.
It was almost 3 when I got home. I was getting hungry. It seems each time I fast, it gets easier, but at the end, I get really hungry and my chest hurts. So I ate a fat bomb and some seed crackers. The hurt went away. Jennifer texted me that she bought some fabric for making receiving blankets. So I looked up tutorials online. Few of them had hoods, even though I specifically searched for hooded baby blankets. Finally I e-mailed her back that I had some cotton fabric that might match the flannel she bought to make them double-sided. Then I made and ate breakfast.
I moved my laptop to the guest room. I cut black strips at my sewing desk in preparation for a bit of sewing tomorrow. I stopped when skype rang. I went back to talk to my tapping buddy. We talked and tapped for an hour and a half. When it was over, I moved my laptop back to the diningroom table. I had missed a call, so I checked and it was Cecelia. I called her back and we talked about magnesium for leg cramps. Then Chris and I watched two episodes of Enterprise. Afterward, I typed up my blog, treated my mole, and went to bed.
* an orphan block quilt from the MQG. *

Too much typing

I got up before 8. I sewed a thin black strip of fabric to a thicker green strip. Then I called up some music on the desktop computer. I entered information on the time and talent spreadsheet while I swished with coconut oil. I made coffee and did exercises, drybrushed, tapped and meditated. I cleaned the bathrooms and kitchen. I called Pat to see if she still needed me to record books for the guild library. Then I took a shower and drove to her house. I cleared out my passenger seat and she got in. She directed me to Patches and Stitches. We went in the back way and set up in the room that the guild books are shelved in. She plugged in her laptop. I called up a spreadsheet and we spent an hour typing in the titles and authors of books in the guild library. We only completed one shelf and my hands were tired! I hoped she could find someone who already had the library on digital media. She gave me the name and author of the next book she wants to buy for the library. At 3 we packed up and I took her home. I went back to my place for water and a potty break. Then I drove to Dream Maker for a massage appointment.
I was a little early, but he took me to the room. He talked to me for a few minutes, then left so I could get undressed and slip under the sheet on the table. Soon he was back. He worked on my skull and ankles and back. He explained some sore spots on my feet and how they relate emotionally. He talked about becoming a 4th level shaman in ...Mexico? Something like that. Of course, he also had a license to practice massage therapy.
When it was over (all too soon), I got dressed and went to the desk to pay. He gave me a sheet with a light meditation to practice for next week. He said when my skull goes back to its original place, I will be able to think better.
I went home. Chris hadn't arrived yet. I deleted a few e-mails. He came home and brought me a banana peel for my mole. We talked. Then I started an audio. At 6:30 I paused it to go to choir practice. Marcie was subbing for our regular organist. We only sang through three songs in an hour. Cecelia and Doris sang with the men because there were so few. Afterward, Jennifer wanted to talk to me about making baby blankets for the kits that Outreach is doing. She also gave me a jar of stevia that she harvested from her garden. Then I went home.
Chris was still at his laptop. I drank water and took my evening supplements. I pulled the sock of rice from the freezer and draped it around my neck. The masseuse said my neck might be sore later. Also good for hot flashes. Chris helped me tape a piece of banana peel over the mole. We watched the first two episodes of Season 4 of Enterprise. It seemed like they were back at Earth and the mission was over, so I don't know what is in store for the remainder of the season. Chris made his sandwich for tomorrow. I typed up my blog entry for today.
* Another quilt shown at the modern quilt guild meeting. *

Job offer

I got up around 8. I swished as I sewed a black strip to a colored strip. I turned on the router and waited for the signal to reach my laptop. I ate a fat bomb and a hard boiled egg while I cleared e-mail. Then I got dressed and hunted up my Strips Ahoy ruler. I picked up my iron, large square ruler, and channeled cutting board and headed to quilting.
When I got there, I looked for Beverly's car but did not see it. I went inside. Anita and Robin were cutting the last of the fleece rectangles. So I used my channeled cutting ruler to cut the sides into strips for tying. Other ladies were doing the same. Within a hour, the sets were all cut and packed into bags for VBS. The ladies were packing up to go so I did, too.
I went to the Asian store for kimbap. Then I went next door to Ace Acupuncture for a foot detox. The male doctor was there. He saw my crusty mole and encouraged me to show it to his wife if I saw her. He said she might give me a price break. I asked about 'heart and spleen blood deficiency' since I had seen it on a Chinese-American acupuncture site. One of the symptoms is insomnia. He showed me supplements that he recommends for that. The cheaper ones were $50 a bottle. I said I'd think about it. I sat down and he brought me a tub of really hot water. I eased my feet into it. Then he hooked up the detox unit. During the 30 minutes that it ran, he talked to me occasionally. I had to call out to him when it stopped. He brought me some paper towels to wipe the detox gunk off of my feet and ankles. I reminded him to take a photograph. So he did. Then he put surgical covers on my feet. He set up the foot massage machine, turned it on, and left. I had to ask for the shoulder massager as well.
I sat there, enjoying both massagers. Dr. Grace returned shortly before the massagers were finished. She brought me a cup of ionized water. When my time was up, I put on my shoes and socks and went to the front desk to pay. I showed her my mole. She tsk-tsked and said how important it was to be removed. But she would not give me a price break. I told them that my insurance pays for acupuncture if they have an itemized receipt. They said they were told Alabama insurance would not pay. I said if they gave me an itemized receipt for the acupuncture session two weeks ago, I would submit it and find out for sure. So he prepared one for me. She asked if I was good on the computer and I said yes. Then she asked for my phone number and said she would call me if she needed someone to make phone calls and do stuff on the computer. Effectively, she offered me a job. But she couldn't say how many hours or when. Since I did not see any other customers, probably not many if any. He explained why they picked the name ACE for their business. I suggested that her last name of Hwang might be better. As I got up to leave, she asked me to sign the big paper on her wall. I added my name and message to her wall, and she said I was the first Alabama customer to sign it. I bid them good bye and went home.
When I got home, I added some kimchi to my container of kimbap and ate it at my laptop. I cleared e-mail, and looked up how to submit insurance claims. I found an on-line form and filled out what I could, but I needed Chris' input. I wondered if I should have accepted her job offer, not for money but for services in kind, like having the mole removed. I put some pumpkin and sunflower seeds in a bowl to soak. Then I went for a walk around the neighborhood. At one point I realized I was walking directly under the power line and I changed to a parallel course. When I got back, I mixed up a batch of seed crackers. While they baked, I made hummus. When the timer rang, I turned off the oven and left the crackers in to crisp up. Then I went to watching mole removal videos. I tried searching by the alphabet. I typed in “ remove moles with _” . I put 'a' in the blank and a bunch of things starting with 'a' were suggested. I went to 'z' and wrote down the most promising ones. Chris came home from work. I paused the current video to talk to him. I got the info I needed to finish the form. I watched more videos. Then I whipped up a batch of castor oil/baking soda/frankincense mix and tried to put it on my mole, but it wouldn't stick. I just rubbed it with coconut oil for the time being. I had some fish and roasted veggies for supper. I played too many games of Solitaire, trying to beat a particularly tough game. And I finally did, but then it was time to watch TV.
Chris cued up Netflix and the next episode of Enterprise. We watched two episodes, which included the season ender. It was almost too exciting. Then I took my evening supplements and sat down to write my blog post for today.
* I took this pic at the modern quilt guild meeting. *

A good hair day

I got up at 7:30. I got dressed and swished while sewing strips for the cross project. I put water on the stove to boil, then assembled ingredients for bread. When the water was boiling, I poured it into the washbowl and put a towel over my head. The intent was to soften the scab over the mole, but it didn't work. Then I fired up my laptop and finished making the bread.
I read e-mail, but there wasn't that much. I ate breakfast early. I read about insomnia syndromes on the acupuncture-points.org site. From what I read, it seemed my blood is not rich enough to support my shen as it tries to sleep. Also eating raw or chilled food is not good for people with bags under the eyes.
It was sunny outside, much to my surprise because the forecast was for three days of rain. I loaded my machine in the trunk an dI went to quilting. Six ladies were there having lunch. I told them about my experience with 5g, but that I can't blame it for my good hair day. Another showed up and we chatted for awhile. Then some left and some of us stayed to sew. I worked on my red project. We traded stories as we worked. At 2:40 I packed up to leave. It was starting to rain so I hurried to get my machine back in the trunk.
I went to the chirpractor, which wasn't far away. I talked with the receptionist for a few minutes. Then the doctor came out to fix himself some coffee or something. He took me to the exam room. I told him about the pain in my right shoulder blade. He used his thumper thing all over my neck and back. The pain went away. He asked about the chest pain and I told him it had decreased in frequency and duration until it was gone starting on Wednesday when I turned off the 5g. Then he said he could use acupuncture to balance my hormones and make me feel more energetic. That sounded good to me.
So he took me into the acupuncture room. I laid on the bed and he got out his book of acupuncture diagrams. He turned to a specific page and proceeded to insert needles where shown. Some I did not even feel, but others went in painfully, especially the ones in my finger tips. He put on some music and left. I went through the yoga nidra procedure mentally. I got very relaxed but did not fall asleep. I did not want to sleep with needles in my wrists, fingers, neck, torso, legs and ankles. When he came back, he took the needles out. One slipped from his hand and he searched my neck and shirt for it. He checked the carpet too, but did not find it. Finally I went to the front desk to pay. She gave me a next appointment for Thursday morning.
On the way home, I found a needle above my pancreas. I wondered how it had gotten there from the right side of my neck. Then I felt another pricking on the right side. When I got home, Chris helped me find the remaining needle, which was right above my liver. I will tell the doctore next time to count the needles to make sure he gets them all out. There was a pile of packages on my computer. Chris said he found them by the front door. I opened them and put the contents away.
I went for a walk. It was threatening to rain so I ran for a minute three different times. It felt good to run. But I did get a little rained on anyway. I checked e-mail. I made a large salad for supper. Michele called just for a lazy chat, I think. When supper was over and Chris' phone alarm rang, he hung up with Michele and we watched Lucifer. Then I made a mug of bone broth.
We had an argument. He said I interrupt him all the time. So I said nothing. After a bit, I sat in the living room and tapped. Then I went back to my laptop while he did whatever on his. Then he fired up the laptop attached to the TV and called up Netflix. And we watched two episodes of Enterprise. He sat at his laptop while I typed up my blog. Then it was time to go to bed.

The first of several rainy days

I got up at 8. I took a shower and got dressed for church. My hair looked better than it has in months. I checked e-mail. I discovered that the kimchi I bought last week had fermented and overflowed. I had to mop the floor. I put it in the fridge. Then I put on my coat to go to church.
It was raining and my car windows were down a little. So I ran back inside for a towel. I sat on it to drive to church, with the windows cracked for air. On the way, it sounded like there was a little creature rustling around in the back seat. But, at every stop light, the noise stopped. Finally I realized it was the 6 ft. shepherds hook I had gotten at Joanns. Whew!
I made it in time for choir warm-up. Then I hit the restroom before church. Ron gave me a time and talent sheet to add to my collection.
Our pastor had some screws removed from his ankle this week. It was worse than the doctor had said. So he gave his sermon from a wheelchair at the altar. Jennifer did the liturgy, as well as led the choir. He led the ceremony for the confirmands, Quinn and McKenna. After the service, there was a reception. I attended, bypassing the beautiful cross cake for the fresh veggies. I talked to Jennifer, the mother of the confirmands. Then I talked to Margie, wife of Pastor Keith. I offered help if they wanted anything. Then I drove home.
When I got home, I changed clothes. I took some more towels out to my car to sop up the water. I checked e-mail, but there wasn't much. I looked online for a quilting idea I had seen 20 years ago on Simply Quilts, but the search was unsuccessful. I watched an episode of TQS. Apparently they sell fabric with mandalas printed on them and you can color them in with Inktense watercolor pencils, and put them on wallhangings or quilts. But they are pricey for just a line drawing on fabric. Then I worked on the cross project, arranging them on my cutting board and deciding which colors I want more of. I put some fabric away, but needed to put away more to have space to work.
I came back to my laptop to listen to more audios. Chris made sweet potatoes, fish, and an onion-green tomato curry to put on the fish. It was delicious. I updated my latest works of art to my Pinterest page. I played a few games of Solitaire while listening to a 3hz binaural beat. I started writing my blog post. Chris called up Enterprise on the TV. After watching one episode, I took melatonin. After the second episode, I took the rest of my evening supplements with kava tea. Chris made his sandwish and went to bed. I stayed up to finish my blog. Wish Chris luck with his interview tomorrow.
* this is a quilt that Jane showed off last Tuesday. *

The start of a garden

I got up about 8:30. I swished while cutting and sewing little blocks to black strips. I left a set for tomorrow morning. Chris already had the router on. So I just sat down at my laptop and started reading e-mail. After several hours, I made and ate breakfast. I went through the receipt from Joanns and discovered that I had bought a pack of buttons that I was looking at but did not mean to buy.
We got dressed and went to the bank. It closed at noon and we got there at 12:01, but everyone was gone. Then we went to Publix. The tomato plants looked a little frost-bit, but they were on sale from $18 to 2 for $15. So we got the best two we could find. Then we picked out groceries. When we got home, we put the tomato plants by the front window. I watered them and took off some of the dead leaves.
I texted Beverly, and she called me. She reminded me of the iron caddy project, so I set the iron by the door as a reminder for Tuesday. Then I got a trowel and two plastic bags and a pair of athletic socks. I put them in a handbag and went for a walk. I passed two kids having a yardsale. But I had no money with me. When I reached the far end of the neighborhood, I filled the plastic bags with potting soil from discarded dead plants. I found a tulip and some daffodils, too. When I got home, I left the soil in front. I returned to the yard sale by car, but it was all packed up, so I went back home.
I read e-mail, and ate cashews with butter. I took a break to plant the stuff surrepticiously in the front flower bed. Then I watched three tapping videos. I enjoyed the expressions on the ASL interpreter's face. I wanted to go to Lowes and get flowers but I did not have the energy. (I did not have any heart pain either).
Then I worked on the red project until 8:30. I made a mug of bone broth and kava tea. I drank the bone broth while we watched three episodes of Enterprise. I also wore the cold rice pack around my neck. When we were done watching, I sat down to write my blog post while Chris took the clean sheets from the dryer to make the bed. I helped him, then took my evening supplements. I finished my blog and wen went to bed.

An escape pod?

I got up just after 7. I cut a set of red squares and sewed them to a black strip. I turned on the router. This time my laptop connected without me having to login and turn on 5g. Hurray! I squeezed lemon into a quart of water and drank it while reading e-mail and listening to audios. I heard jojoba oil was good for skin problems, so I rubbed jojoba oil on my mole. It had a big scab on it and I didn't want the spa people to refuse to let me in the pod.
I ate a fat bomb, then made and ate breakfast, still listening to audios. I had breakfast early so it wouldn't be sitting in my stomach at the spa. I washed my face with a mixture of coconut and castor oil. I added something to my Swanson cart and to my Amazon cart. I submitted the Amazon order. I packed a bag for the spa. I hunted for my loosest-fitting bathing suit. I got dressed and put fabric away. I read a few last e-mails until it was time to go. Then I headed to the Tranquility Float Spa.
When I got there, Leanne was already filling out paperwork. I filled out my own. It had a lot of legalese. Then the man showed us around: the recovery room, the powder room, the bathroom, and the pod rooms which have showers. He explained the procedure. I used the bathroom, then entered my pod room. I searched my bag for my tablet to hook it to the music system of the pod, but I had left it on the charger in the kitchen. Bummer. Then I took a shower to rinse off any dirt. I put on the suit and got in the pod with a washclotth. I closed the pod, laid in the water and turned off the inside light. I could see light from the room, so I got out and turned the room lights off. Then I got back in the pod. It was dark and quiet, and super salty. I had my head at the furtherest end, but there was a bit of a hum at times. I had my elbows bent and my hands near my ears to be most comfortable. We were given a round float to support the head and neck, but I didn't need it. In fact, the air got stuffy and humid, so I used the float to prop the tank open a bit and let some fresh air in. Then I floated. And floated. Sometimes a finger or a toe would touch the side and I had to push off. But mostly, it was like lying in bed at night trying to get to sleep. I did virtual tapping. I went through the ABC gratitude list. I started yoga nidra. Finally the lights came in, signaling the end of the hour. I took another shower and got dressed. I went to the powder room to fix my hair. Then I went out front to wait for Leanne. The clerk was also part-owner. He asked a lot of questions about how we liked our experience. It was fine, but not worth another $50.
After the spa, we wen to the chocolate shop next door for her to buy chai tea. Then we sat and talked for a few minutes. I drank my coconut water. I called Dream Maker to schedule another appointment. We agreed we would like to try something else, maybe in a massage theme.
I went home and got the mail. Chris was home early. I read e-mail and ate seed crackers. Michele called to talk. She told me about escape rooms. It seemed like a fun idea, if you have enough people.
I ate all the seed crackers and hummus. Then I ate some figs and dates. I had a piece of ham and the rest of the sheep cheese. I seemed to be eating a lot, so I went for a walk. I checked out the peonies, which are big fat buds right now. I plucked a knot that was growing on an old weed stalk. I brought it home and gave it to Chris. He cut it open to see the bug that made it, but there was no bug that we could see.
I emptied dried tea bags on the back lawn. I read e-mail as the sun went down. Then I headed to Joanns, taking the back gate because Research Road crosses University right by the Joanns shopping center. It seemed like such a good idea until I took the off-ramp to University and discovered that I needed to cross three lanes of traffic to get into the left turn lane at the first light. With this new car it is very difficult to see cars coming up on the left. But by the grace of God, I survived and made it to the left turn lane. I sat there long enough to see that if I had gone to the right and made a U-turn, I could have been through the intersection sooner and not had to cross traffic.
I went into Joanns to get fabric for Michele's costume. I may have picked up some batiks as well. After it was measured, I looked at the button display. I took pics of several. I texted Michele. While I was waiting to hear back, I looked at batting and tacks. Finally I got tired of waiting and made my way to the front of the store. There was a nice shepherds hook for 70% off. I waited in line to pay. When she rung me up, I handed her my 50% coupon and showed her a 60% coupon on my phone. None of it applied to the fabric or batting so probably did not make much difference in the price.
By then, it was dark. I drove home through gate 9. It was almost 8:30. I made a mug of bone broth while Chris warmed up the TV. We watched two episodes of Enterprise. As I watched, I had a sock of cold rice on my neck. I wondered if it was sore from floating in the pod. After watched TV, Chris went to bed and I stayed up to blog.

Too much to handle

I got up at 8. I uncovered the mole and took a pic to compare with the earlier one. I threw out my toothbrush and opened a new one. They say the bristles get sharp edges after a month or so. I cut six gold squares and sewed 4 of them to a black strip. I turned on the router and prepared lemon water. But for some reason, the laptop could not find the 2.4g signal. I rebooted it and listened to an audio with the desktop. But the laptop still did not recognize any signal from our router. So I went to the router IP address and turned on 5g. My laptop then found both signals and connected to the 2.4g. Then I turned off the 5g again and the 2.4g connection held. I cannot explain it. Will I have to do this every day?
I read e-mail for a bit, then got dressed. I drove to the chiropractor. I chatted with the receptionist until he finished with his previous patient. He asked about my appointment with the GP and I explained that I couldn't get one. Then he got off on a tangent about federal spending and health care. Finally I told him I wanted my head and lower back adjusted. He did that, then said next week we would work on hormonal levels. I was not sure how he could do that. I went out front to pay and make an appointment for next week.
From there, I went to the bank to get cash. The drive-thru was blocked by a Brinks security truck so I had to go inside. I came out with an envelop of cash. Then I went to the nearby Publix to pick up two boxes of kava tea. I also got a digial timer to replace the one I got in Japan which needs a new battery. Then I proceeded to quilting. I worked on the red scrap quilt top while chatting with the others. Several commented positively on my work. Leanne wanted to go to the flotation tank spa, so I agreed since it was on my bucket list. She made us an appointment for 1pm tomorrow.
At 2 I packed up to go home. Pat was still talking to me, wanting me to help her type up all the titles, authors and subjects of the books in the guild library. I stopped by the Asian store for a large container of kimchi. When I got home, I took my machine from the car, but left it by the front door. I brought in the mail, then added a scarf to my coat and went for a walk. I saw some nice wild lettuce and picked it. When I got back, I asked myself if my back was feeling better than before the walk. Since it wasn't quite as good, I thought that the chiropractic adjustment did not hold.
After the walk, I read e-mail and listened to audios. I heard that l-lycine is good for sleep, calcite is for EMF protection, and one can do a breath test instead of a muscle test for ingestibles. Chris came home from work. He said he has an interview on Monday for a job in Philadelphia. I washed a big bunch of greens for a salad. It turned out to be enough for two. As I ate the first one, Chris called his brother James to wish him a happy birthday. Then I ate the second salad. But it made me so full, I was in pain. It seemed odd that just two salads could do that, especially because I was so hungry. I tapped for a bit then turned to sewing.
When Chris heard the skype sound, he called to me that my tapping buddy was online. I sat down for our usual session. She had a good time at the EFT conference last weekend and I wished I could have joined her. We tapped until after 8. She said she felt better about her issue and I know I felt better about eating the two salads. Then Chris and I watched two episodes of Enterprise. I posted to my blog, drank my kava tea, put on the bandaid and went to bed.
* Chris' new laundry bag. *

Some EMF relief

I got up about 7:40. For my morning sew, I cut the drawstring top off of Chris' laundry bag. It was a little bigger than the bag I had made so I ran a gathering stitch around it. Then I put on some meditation music from a file stored on my desktop computer. I did my exercises, drybrushing, meditation and tapping with the router off. At the end, I saw Ron had called several times. So I called him back.He said he had handed out five more time and talent surveys but has not gotten them back yet. I started jotting notes from past bulletins, then reminded myself to clean while I still have the caffeine.
I cleaned the bathrooms and kitchen. I dustmopped and wet-mopped the kitchen floor. I called Knology. I had a hard time getting to a live person. But once I explained that I wanted to turn off the 5g signal from the router, it was easy. She talked me through it on the desktop. If I had known it was so easy, I would have called months ago. The 2.4g signal was still on. I saved the info in case Chris wants it turned back on.
Then I went for a walk. I expected my back to feel better when I got back, but it did not. So I wondered if something in my back is out of alignment and so walking just aggravates it. I took off my shoes and trimmed grass around the edges of the back yard. :Then I called Dad and read him the letter I composed at his request. He liked 99 percent of it. I changed one line and sent it to the other computer so I could print it out. Then I put it in an envelope and placed it in the mail. I folded my laundry and put it away.
I checked e-mail and saw that Myra was on Facebook. So we texted a little, then I called her. We talked for some time. She has chest pain issues that are heart-related but not serious. Interesting.
Her husband came home, so we hung up. I called the chiropractor and made an appointment for tomorrow. Then I made a cup of bone broth and started listening to an audio on electromagnetic sensitivity: Professor Olle Johansson said there is 1 quintillion times more radiation than 100 years ago. Scientists exposed bacteria to normal elctromagneic signals like from cell phones and they became resistant to antibiotics.
I pinned the drawstring top to my bag. Chris came home from work. I finished sewing the top on the bag. Then I took a shower. I noticed the tub needed scrubbing but was afraid of having a repeat of the last back incident. I read about holotropic breathing, and several other forms.
Then I went to choir. We practiced 4 songs. When it was over, I drove home. I thought about stopping at Publix for kava tea, but I was so hungry I might have bought other stuff, too.
When I got home, Chris was not ready to watch. So I scoured the cupboards for tea. I found a packet of dandelion detox tea. I heated some water for that, and by the time it was ready to drink, Chris was ready to watch TV. We watched two episodes of Enterprise. Then he made his sandwich and went to bed. I posted to my blog and put apple cider vinegar on my mole so I was ready for bed, too.
* This is the flower block from the crayon challenge (that isn't due until next month). *

Reiki

I'm not sure when I first got up. I tried going back to bed, but the brain was awake even if the body wanted more rest. Before 7 I took off the ACV bandaid. The darkest brown layer of the mole came off. Then I started looking for my feed dog cover. I could not find it in any of little boxes and baskets of stuff in the sewing room. So I had to quilt without it. I set the stitch length to 0. I used the ruler template like yesterday. The first flower petal came out with very short stitches and the thread broke. My pedal was not giving even stitches, instead it was going in pulses. So I ran the handwheel with my right hand and moved the fabric with my left, around inside the ruler shape. It was slow, tedious and painful to the wrist. I wondered if another machine would do better. When the flower was done, I stitched-in-the-ditch around the petals.
I wasn't sure where to go from there, so I turned on the router and read e-mail while drinking lemon water. I made seed crackers and refilled some of the small containers from larger ones. Then I made breakfast and ate it while listening to an audio. When I finished eating, I got dressed for cold weather and headed to quilting.
I thought it was a regular day of chatting and individual projects, but Jane and some others were cutting fleece for a vacation bible school project. Beverly was matching baseball panels with blue panels, so I helped her. As the ladies cut off the fleece selvege edges, I collected them for my rug. We all talked for a bit. Beverly laid out her quilt top and backing. Anita and I gave her advice on how to construct a backing that was big enough. After Jane left, she and I went to the thrift shop looking for the tiny sewing machine I had seen months ago. But it was gone. Then I looked for something made of brown fabric to reclaim for the doublet Michele wants. I didn't see anything I was sure she would like. Then we went to Joanns for Beverly to buy batting. I saw some brown fabric there and sent a pic to Michele but the phone would not send it.
We went back to the church to get my car. I went home and ate some seed crackers with hummus. I washed up and dressed for warm weather. I tried to call the GP to set up an appt but got a busy signal 3 times. Then I headed to Dream Maker. It's a place where they sell rocks and crystals and meditation stuff. First I had to fill out paperwork stating my health issues, if I had any. Then Ron took me to a back room. He showed me the crystal light bed. Basically, it was a row of lighted crystals in chakra colors. He explained that he would use a mixture of Reiki and energy techniques. Then he left while I undressed and got under the sheet on the table. He came back a few minutes later. He held my head and assessed my energy flow. He said my cranium was sitting low on my neck, like a cork in a bottle. He massaged tender points on my ankles that were related to my heart. He did a psoas release technique that included moving my knee back and forth. Then he said my legs were now the same length. He did some more work on my neck and said to put ice on the back of my neck tonight. I was so relaxed at that point that I did not see what he did with stones on front of my body. When he was done, he left. I got dressed and went to the front desk to pay. He introduced me to his wife and said something about coming back.
I drove home, very relaxed and trying to digest the whole experience. I checked the mail, and ate some nuts. I called the GP again. After verifying my insurance, the clerk said the GP wasn't taking any new patients. I told her the chiropractor had talked to the doctor and I assumed it was taken care of. She said she would tell the doctor and call me back. Chris came home from work. I called the insurance company to ask about the ambulance bill for $500. She called the EMS company and got it straightened out. Then I went for a walk since it was so nice and sunny. I asked Chris to answer my phone while I was gone.
When I got back, he said no one had called. It was past the closing time for the GP. To finish the flower block (due at the meeting at 6), I folded the backing to the front and stitched all around. Then I grabbed orphan quilt block challenge top and headed to the Modern Quilt Guild. To avoid all the traffic on Jordan, I took Drake to the parkway. It was faster. At the meeting, I showed off the quilt top and took pics of other people's work. I found out that the flower block is not due until next month. New challenges were announced. There was a drawing for everyone who had submitted a quilt top or block. After the meeting, I talked to Jen whom I hadn't seen in years.
Then I drove home. I made a salad for supper and read e-mail. When I was done, we watched two episodes of Enterprise. Then Chris made his sandwich and went to bed. I edited the pics I took and wrote my blog post. I taped ACV over the mole on my face which was getting sore. Then I went to bed.
* This is someone else's orphan block top. *

Going zen

I got up before 7. I fixed my hair, then rubbed castor oil on my back and laid down on the infrared heating pad. I did not realize I had fallen asleep until my phone alarm went off at 7:30. I looked at my sewing table to see what I could work on. Then I grabbed a fraying towel from the hall bathroom and zigzagged the edge of it. Having sewn, I turned on the router and made lemon water. I drank it while reading e-mail and listening to audios. I took a break to cut up the organic lemons and blend them with a little water (probably too little water). I put the mixture in ice cube trays to freeze. The idea is to add a cube to the lemon water each morning to add the vitamins found in the peel. Then I made and ate breakfast. I watched an audio on dowsing for childhood fears. It seemed like a good idea.
It was going on noon, so I packed the flower panel project, plus the special ruler foot and several rulers. It is due tomorrow night! Then I drove to quilting. It was only 12:15 but they were already finishing up lunch. I unpacked my sewing gear and socialized. I looked at their projects. They wanted to watch me do rulerwork, but quilting the flower did not work out. The metal bobbin I had wound with green thread was too high and it made a thread nest. I replaced it with the original white one. But for some reason, it did not sew either. And I had trouble moving the ruler and fabric because I had forgotten the rubber shelf liner pieces. I gave up, and worked on the red project instead. One by one the ladies left until only Lauri and I remained. I had a dr appt at 3, so I started packing up at 2:40. I hated to leave her sewing alone, but time was short.
I arrived just in time. I joked with the secretary when I signed in. The doctor came out of his office and showed me into the exam room. He explained at length why I should see his GP to get a request for an echocardiogram. Then he asked the standard questions. I said my low back needed straightening out. He moved my legs in a bunch of positions and it told him something. He laid a block of some kind under my left side and one on the right but lower down. I laid there for a few minutes and he was satisfied with the outcome. Then he took me to the acupuncture room. I had to take off my top so he could stick needles in my chest, as well as legs and arms. He left me there, with sounds of a waterfall and music playing. I did yoga nidra to relax, then tapped mentally. I had achieved a fairly zen state by the time he came back, removed the needles, and sat me up. Then he put two needles in my back. He said not to eat or drink anything cold before midnight. Finally I got to put my shirt back on. I went out front to pay. Jennifer was there, waiting her turn. We had a little chat before he called her back. I paid my bill and the receptionist said to call when I got an appt with the GP.
It was after 4. Chris was home when I got there. He had a package from Swansons. I checked the house mail and found a bill, a check, and a paper. I put the supplements where they belonged. The weather was windy and cold and I wondered if that was as bad as eating something cold. I poured boiling water over the nuts that were soaking. I finished an audio from earlier. Then I ate the nuts. I put some beef and veggies in a bowl in the toaster oven. Then I took a walk around the circle, wearing a scarf and coat to keep warm. When I got back, I ate the warm food. I was listening to another podcast when Chris' phone rang. It was his parents. They spoke to him briefly then hung up. He made his own supper.
His phone alarm rang at 6:55 because Lucifer was about to start. I paused my podcast when it came on. We watched it together, and then two episodes of Enterprise. I heated some water to make bone broth and tea. I drank the bone broth while writing my blog. Then I drank the tea with my evening supplements. Then I put ACV on my mole before going to bed.

Another rainy day

It was 8:45 when I got up. I was still a little woozy from the meds which I had taken 12 hours ago. I took a shower and got dressed. I grabbed my umbrella and choir folder, and went to church. I was late for practice so I just slipped in next to Roz. But it went ok. Roz told me that she walked in a race every year and was the fastest 89year old last year. She hoped to be the fastest 90 year old this year, but her hips hurt. Then I was going to give the spreadsheet to Ron but got caught in a conversation with Barbara and Jim. I forgot why I wanted to leave, so I sat in my pew, then realized I needed a bulletin. So I went out to get one and Ron was handing them out. I told him about the spreadsheet and the text I had sent him yesterday. Then I sat down and talked to Tamara until the service began. Ron stood up to give out time and talent sheets to anyone who wanted one. It made me chuckle because he did not fill one out.
I was thankful for the hymn of the day, which helped me warm up my voice. I was still woozy and my back still wasn't right. The choir anthem went well. The sermon seemed long and then there was a farewell ceremony for the Sanders. After the service, I went looking for Ron to give him the sheet, but ran into Jennifer first. We discussed the chiropractor and communion wafers. I muscle-tested her to see if the regular ones were ok for her. They were. Then Susan came to give something to Jennifer and I ended up talking to her for a long time. We discussed how to change the message on the sign out front, checking the fire extinguishers, time and talent sheets, etc.
It was after 1 when I finally got home. I changed my clothes and ate some seed crackers and a fat bomb. All of a sudden, I realized my back did not hurt anymore. I was still really tired, though. We went to the grocery store to buy food. They had large tomato plants there and I wanted one, but we forgot to get one before we left. When we got home, we put some of the food away. Chris put some in the oven. I washed the golden beets and Chris cut them up for roasting. Then he made soup with the greens. I sewed two patches together, then I read e-mail and ate the soup.
I posted yesterday's info to my blog. I took some notes on an article I read. Some beneficial bacteria produce histamines, which can lead to histamine intolerance. Some that produce histamines are LB casei, LB reuteri and LB bulgaricus. Some that lower histamines are Bblongum, Bbinfantis, LB plantarum.
We ate the beets and beef roast for supper. I made up 14 days worth of day supplements focusing on the vitamins and leaving out a lot of the other stuff. I started listening to an interview on neurotransmitters. I paused when Chris was ready to watch TV. We watched three episodes of Enterprise. Then I took Calm and magnesium with kava tea. I posted to my blog while Chris made his sandwich. And then we went to bed.

April Showers

I woke up and discovered Chris was already up. I was ruminating when I heard a torrent of rain hit the roof. I jumped out of bed and threw on some clothes, then grabbed my keys and an umbrella to put up my car windows. With the windows up, I relaxed. I took off the ACV bandaid from the mole. It did not look any different. I started swishing. I sewed the second side seam on the bag. Then I pressed the backing fabric for the flower block. Then the swishing was done, so I took some morning supplements. I fired up my laptop to read e-mail. I looked up some videos on nerve flossing and back pain on the Zhealth blog.
I watched a video on how pet food is made while entering info on time and talent spreadsheet. I found the spreadsheet very distracting. Nevertheless, I learned that it takes 40% or more starch to make those extruded pellets in pet food, so it is high carb. Dogs are colorblinnd so who is the colored kibble for? Chicken meal is chicken feathers and beaks and stuff cooked at high temp to a slurpy paste which is then extruded to be kibble. High temps create advanced glycation end products. Dry pet food is worse than the standard american diet. Rabies vaccines were causing tumors, so they started injecting the tail or leg cause it could be cut off. Injecting every year is over-vaccination. Most pet vaccines last 5 to 7 years. Little dogs get the same dose of vaccine as big dogs. Most contain either mercury or aluminum or both. Vaccine labels state 'for healthy animals only', but many vets are not paying attention to that. Re-vaccinating without a titer test is unnecessary and harmful. One vet would rather treat distemper than cancer.
I made and ate breakfast. Then we went to Barnes and Noble. They did not have the book the doctor recommended. I chose a different one and Chris got some DVD's. He paid for most of it with gift cards. We were going to go to Lowes, but my back was tired, so we went home instead. Chris did laundry and put veggies in the oven to roast. I heated up the leftover onion soup.
I listened to other audios while I created a spreadsheet for each ministry and filled them in. I also made a sheet of contact info to go with it. I mashed up a hard boiled egg with hummus and ate it. I took a walk in the rain, for the benefit of my back. Sometimes I had to step off the sidewalk and walk in the street to avoid deep flows of water.
When I got back, I separated all the notes for Dad's letter into paragraphs by person, and converted them to full sentences. I looked online for some sincere holiday wishes to copy. (Sincerity: when you can fake that, you've got it made.) I ate some of the roasted veggies, then made a salad. I threw out some older stuff from the fridge. I finished the spreadsheets and printed out the one for Stewardship, with the relevant contact info on the back.
Since I had a full stomach, I took my meds at full strength. Then we watched two episodes of Enterprise. I was getting dizzy and sleepy. I made myself some hot bone broth to protect my digestive system from the medication. Chris helped me put ACV on my mole, and then I went to bed. Frustratingly, I did not sleep for some time. But when I did, I did not wake up until after 8.

Still not 100%

I had a little trouble sleeping last night. I had high hopes for my back which had been running at 95% and was finally feeling 100% when I went to bed. But during the night it stiffened up and regressed. I was afraid to get up and find out how much. So I laid in bed longer than necessary, running scenarios of time and talent spreadsheets through my mind. When I finally got up, it was 9am. I had some trouble getting up, but it soon released, back to 85%. I did lymph moving excercises and stretched my back, but it was not well received. On the other hand, I noticed my cyst seemed to have shrunk way down.
I put my hair in a ponytail because Michele said she liked it like that. It wasn't all long enough so I did the top part and let the back hang down. Chris had helped me dig out a bag of batting scraps last night, so this morning I went through them and pulled out something small for the flower panel. Then I sewed a french seam on the bag, and turned on router. I boiled water for tea and bone broth. Then I drank water while jotting a few notes waiting for the router to catch up. I walked outside in my bare feet to catch some sun. I read e-mail, then made breakfast. I ate it while talking to William.
William called. He talked mostly about the shoes he wears and why, and also about the traffic accident at work. Then I looked at mole removal videos on Youtube. Some were for bloodroot, but the ACV or tea tree looked best. I emptied my handbag and put two plastic bags in it. Then I locked the front door behind me. I left the two back doors open for fresh air, knowing I would be back before Chris got home. I walked to the dirt pile in the back of the neighborhood. There were some dead plants that had been removed from their pots. I put the dirt (which was mostly vermiculite) in the plastic bags and then in my handbag. I walked home again, switching shoulders to spread the weight. To my surprise, there were two cars in the driveway. Apparently Chris got out early. He asked about the back doors being open. I put the dirt in a large pot on the back porch. I read e-mail and ate an avocado. I had th throw away a cucumber which had gone bad.
He mentioned bad weather for tomorrow, so I asked him to put the battery back in the mower. Then I mowed the lawn in the setting sun. I had to use very erect posture to keep my back from hurting. When I was finished, I drank some water and listened to a podcast: recommended nerve flossing, Acetyl L carnitine for nerve pain, plus gamma linoleic oil, or even iodine.
I brought in the house mail: bills for Chris and a check from the health insurance. I made a salad and added a hard boiled egg. I ate while watching the last two episodes of X-Files, season 11. One of them was unnecessarily gory. It's like the whole point was to show as much gore as possible. The season ender was a little better, more of the intrigue and conspiracy that X-files is known for. Then Chris and I watched three episodes of Enterprise. Afterward, he cut pills in half for me to take, since I wanted only half doses to get me back to 100%. I took them with kava tea. I decided to try the overnight ACV treatment on the mole on my face. Then I went to bed.
* A lovely tree in the back of our neighborhood. *

Michele called....

I heard the phone alarm go off at 7:30, but I was too cold to get up. I was hoping for a hot flash. But eventually I got up anyway. The heat was turned off from yesterday so I turned it back on. I fixed my hair then worked on the laundry bag, making two french seams. Then I turned on the router. I started making bread for Chris when my dad called. He wanted me to help him write a Christmas letter to explain to everyone why he hadn't gotten it out yet. I jotted some notes as we talked. But we both had other things to do.
After the call, I washed up from the sink since I still had tape on my back. I took some supplements and sat down to read e-mail until the niacin flush hit. I listened to some short interviews. I read an article that basically said wheat reduces blood flow to the frontal cortex in susceptible people. I did some lymph moving exercises. My laptop was slow so I rebooted it and spent the time tapping.
At 11, I went to gas station to fill up, then proceeded to the chiropractor. He followed up on previous complaints and adjusted my vertebrae a little. I told him how the cyst did not go away after he adjusted my wrist, but the pain did. So he adjusted my elbow and wrist again (since the pain was coming back). Then he muscle-tested me for mitral valve prolapse. He said I should get an echocardiogram. He had a book of acupuncture points for mvp. With an electrical unit, he probed each point for 20 seconds. At each point, I felt nothing at first but then the sensation increased to pain. He told me later that he found my responses entertaining. I felt better afterward. I wanted to take a pic of the page with the points, but he would not allow it. He said if I tapped the points in the wrong order, I could do some damage.
I went to the front desk to pay. He invited the next patient in. I got an appt for next Monday. The receptionist wrote the name and number of his GP on the ticket so I could go to her and get a referral for an echocardiagram. Then I went to quilting.
I did not bring my machine, but rather some handwork in a box. I was socializing so much that I never opened it. Leanne wanted me to go to Paducah with her next week, leaving on Wednesday and coming back on Saturday. She said lodging was $100 a night. Well, $300 was too much for me and I said so. So she kept looking for more Air B-n-b lodgings that might be cheaper. I did not realize that she would be sharing the nightly cost. I left about 2.
I went home and checked e-mail. I ate an egg and some seed crackers. I called Dream Maker and set up a Reiki appointment for next week. Then I called the health insurance company to see if they would cover an echocardiagram. In the end, the answer was yes. She said the chiropractor could write the order himself and I could take it to any in-network radiology place. So I called the chiropractor to tell him and he said he had never written such an order before, but he would find out from his GP. He did not seem to mind.
I went outside to check the mail and when I got back, Michele was calling me on Skype. She asked what was up with me and I told her the story of the last week. Chris came home in time to hear part of it. Then she asked if I could make her a doublet for cosplay in June. She sent me pics of what she wanted, the neckline here, and the buttons there, and the fabric from a third. I told her which measurements I wanted. It was quite the discussion and I suppose I should be honored that she thought I could do it just from a picture.
I put on heavy walking shoes and walked around the neighborhood. There were baseball games and maybe soccer going on in the public areas. When I got back, I jotted some notes for my blog. Chris made his supper. I called my Dad. We talked about things to put in the letter. Afterward, I made a salad and ate it.
I read e-mail until Chris was ready to watch TV. We saw two episodes of Enterprise. Chris did not make his sandwich because the bread needed more time to cool. When I finished my blog, we both went to bed.
* This is Annie's quilt. *

Chocolate fat bombs

Chris' alarm woke me up really early. It annoyed me because he did not get up then. I was not able to go back to sleep, and finally got up at 6:45.
I cut up a piece of green fabric to make into a laundry bag for Chris. I sewed the first seam wrong, so I took it out and resewed it. I started swishing, then looked for a piece of batting for my flower mugrug. I found one with some quilting already in it. I took the stitches out and then discovered that it was too small anyway. Phooey.
I turned on the router, and heated water in the coffee carafe. I took some niacin and waited for the reaction to start my exercises. I skipped the rebounder, just in case my back didn't like it. I did my coffee detox and meditations and tapping. I cleaned the kitchen and bathrooms, but did not scrub the tubs or run the vacuum. I did use the dust mop on the wood floors.
Because taking walks this week hasn't gone so well, I decided to take two shorter walks instead. So I went walking just around the circle, at a relaxed pace. But still, my back felt better before the walk than after. I could not explain why. I listened to some audios. Then I slowly walked around the back yard in my bare feet.
On my to-do list were two items: make fat bombs, make chocolates. So I sat down and figured out how to make chocolate fat bombs. I did the math on carbs vs fat to make sure it was high fat. Cacao has lots of carbs, you know. Then I proceeded to put the coconut oil in a pan and heated it on the stove. But the coconut butter was all separated and hardened. I had to dig it out with a spoon at length. I put it in a pan to melt back into one mass. Then I measured some for the bombs. I also put in coconut flakes and butter. I poured that in the blender with the pili nuts. When it was all mixed, I lined the silicone mini-cupcake mold with papers and filled them all. I put that in the fridge to harden, but there was some leftover. I kept stirring the remaining coconut butter to keep it from separating again.
I listened to more audios. They kind of ran together after a while. Some notes I took: Dogs benefit from thymus extract and omega-3 oils. Carnavora, a fly-trap extract, is good for pet cancer. We humans should take fewer supplements but more doses, particularly Vit C, Vit E, niacinamide, and magnesium. Cheap forms are ok, except for vit E and B-!2. Go for the methylcobalamin. The other B vitamins do not need to be methylated.
I finished reading the brochure about the Bethlehem Area Moravian Trombone Choir. I checked online to see if there are any local trombone choirs and did not see one.
I took the solid fat bombs from the fridge and put them in a bag. Then I poured the remaining liquid into cupcake papers and put them in the fridge. I hard-boiled a dozen eggs from Tina's flock. Chris came home from work while I was cleaning up from the chocolate fat bombs. I walked out in the back yard again, in my bare feet. I listened to interviews from the Joyful Movement summit. I watched a video of a man who got rid of two moles with black salve made from bloodroot. I started a spreadsheet for the time and talent sheets.
Then I left for choir practice. When I got inside the church, I handed in the old music and picked up 4 new ones. Cecelia came in after me and I gave her the trombone choir pamphlet. We practiced all four songs, and did ok on the one for this Sunday. I was so hungry that I was cold. I left right after and was home by 8:25. Chris was warming up the little laptop that connects to the TV. We watched two episodes of Enterprise. Chris made his sandwich for tomorrow. I typed up my blog for today, and took my evening supplements. Then we went to bed.
* This is the tulip I saw days ago. *

Another solution for back pain

I slept really well last night. I woke up before 7. I did not want to get up, but nature was calling. So I did, very carefully, and was soon vertical. I performed my morning ablusions. Some of what I thought was fabric from the bin at quilting was actually a skirt. It was a green demin-like material and I thought I could make a new laundry bag for Chris, since his has patched patches. The skirt was fully constructed except for the button. Such a long heavy thing would not look good on me, but if I put a button on it, I could donate it to the thrift shop. I ironed the leftover fabric that came with it. I straightened the edges a little and considered how big a bag I could get from it. Then I started swishing and turned my attention to sewing two squares to fulfil my resolution. Then I started cleaning up fabric pieces from my table to see the banner I had been putting off because I could not decide on a background. When the 20 minutes of swishing were over, I turned on the router and took some arsenic medication. I drank water and jotted a few notes for my blog.
I meditated with Oprah. I went through my e-mail and deleted much of it. I started reading the rest. I felt tired and cold. I wrapped myself in my warmest robe. I tapped, but could not resist laying down for 5 minutes. Perhaps I got up too early? Apparently I fell asleep. I was waking up when my phone rang, which I had near me. Beverly called since I did not show up at quilting. I assured her I was ok, but tired. We talked for a while. When I got up, I decided to get dressed and go for kimbap. So I did. Since the Asian store was so close, I stopped at the acupuncturist place. The lady doctor wasn't there, so I waited a bit, then left. I went to the neighborhood WalMart for goat milk and flax seed. Then I went home to eat the kimbap with the kimchi I had left.
I got back to the acupuncturist office a little after 1. They were both waiting for me. She gave me a hug and I sat down. She wanted me to fill out the same form she always gives me. I wrote my name and it seemed to be enough. She gave me a grapefruit. She took my blood pressure. She said my systolic was low, my diastolic was normal and my heart rate was high. So she asked what I ate this morning and I told her. I also told her what happened this weekend. She recommended acupuncture and taping. She took me in a curtained-off alcove and had me remove my socks and shoes. I wondered how I was going to pick them up again. I laid on my back on the table. The man came in and put needles in my feet and hands and leg. He didn't think it hurt and I disagreed. On the left, there was a needle in the top of my wrist and one in near my pulse. He brought something for me to rest my hand on so that the needles were not being pressed. She directed a heat lamp at my feet and the table warmed my back. I laid there for half an hour. Then she came to take the needles away and stand me up. He came back and put different needles in my hands. Then he demonstrated how he wanted me to move, twisting slowly to the left and right and then bending slightly forward. He had me do that continuously for 5 minutes before he removed the needles. I had never had moving acupuncture before. The site of one needle continued to hurt after he removed the needle. After he left, she put some kind of tape on my back. She said it was the expensive kind from Japan, and to wear it for two days, no sweating. Well, my middle name is 'hot flash' right now, so no promises. I am not sure what it is supposed to do.
I sat at the front desk ready to pay. He was doing something on the computer and I thought it had to do with me so I waited. I gave a lip balm to the lady doctor. She said if it was good, she would sell them in her store, but I said I thought there were health laws that would not allow that. She and I chatted for a bit. She brought me some solomons seal tea in a cup. She had the carton for sale. Then I gave money to the man. But she continued to talk and he did not take it. So, I got up to leave. She gave me some extra tea bags to take home. I thanked her and left.
When I got home, I read e-mail and listened to an audio until Chris came home. He told me that his boss' boss was supposed to be given 13 positions and he would get one of them, but that counts for nothing until he sees it on paper. I went for a walk, which I thought would be good for my back. But when I got back and sat down, my back stiffened up. I made and ate breakfast, then started listening to the next episode. I paused it at 6:30 and headed to the Stewardship meeting at the church.
I drove with the windows down. When I got there, it was only Ron, but others showed up later. We went through the giving reports and talked about ways of increasing the funds, like getting a church credit card that gives cash back. Ron talked about the Time and Talent cards. He gave them to me to put into a spread sheet. The meeting broke up about 8. I stood in the parking lot with the pastor and we talked about acupuncture. Then he had to go, so I got in my car and headed home. I had meant to keep an eye on my odometer to watch it turn 5000 but I missed it by 2 miles.
When I got home, Chris was on his laptop. He cued up Enterprise while I took some evening supplements. Then we watched two episodes. He made his sandwich and went to bed. I split a Motrin in two and swallowed the smaller one with some fermented coconut milk. (I wanted to take a little something to make sure my back did not get inflamed overnight.) Then I wrote my blog post and went to bed.

Not so good after all

I got up this morning with minimal problems. I swished and sewed two squares together. I turned on the router to read e-mail. I listened to an audio: Use cayenne pepper for anxiety, start small and work up to two capsules per meal. Then I took a shower and got dressed. The chiropractor's office called to say the arsenic medicine was in. So I made an appointment for 3pm to pick up the medication and tell him what happened this weekend.
At 11, I ate a fat bomb. Then I made and ate breakfast. I got in my car and headed to quilting. I pulled my machine out of the trunk, then the box and the rolling cart. I put the box on the cart and put the machine inside, then rolled it to the church. The ladies had finished eating and several had left. Two more left as I walked up. I set up in the back. I walked around to see what everyone was working on. Bertha had a box of blocks and fabric. She told me how she had participated in a swap but did not get enough blocks to make a quilt. So I offered to make her one. She showed me the instructions and blocks of fabric. I picked a background and a contrast. Then I sat down to sew and cut and resew as the pattern directed. Sheryl came in with several tubs of fabric that she said someone gave her after a death in the family. Naturally we all wanted to go through it. Most of it was apparel fabric and some décor fabric. There were some nics woolens, but I did not know what to do with them. Bertha was getting ready to leave, so I quickly finished the block for her. Then we left together.
I drove to the chiropractor's office. I signed in and she gave me the arsenic med. Then he walked in. I told him the tale of straining my back and riding in an ambulance, etc. He felt my vertebrae. We talked. I showed him the exercises that the ER doctor gave me. He said don't do them yet, and to make an appointment for Thursday since I wasn't ready for the exam he wanted to do. He muscle-tested me for dosage on the arsenic. I asked him to also test for the source since I wanted to eliminate it. He tested a bunch of options and got yes answers for off-gassing in my new car.
I paid at the front desk and made an appt for Thursday. Then I drove home with my windows open. When I got home, I cued up the next meditation. But just as Deepak got to the manta part, Chris came home from work. We discussed what the dr said and he got angry at the thought of muscle-testing. I finished the meditation, then went for a 40 minute walk. I had no trouble.
When I got back, I went in the back yard to pick dandelion. When I tried to get up again, I could not. So Chris helped me inside. I sat and read e-mail, then listened to the next episode of The Truth About Pet Cancer: Add 20% fresh food to dog kibble to avoid problems. Remove fluoride from pet's water. Silver can destroy cancer cells. Music called Wholetones can heal pets. You are messing with their sleep cycle by expecting dogs to sleep at night and be awake during the day.
Chris helped me make a salad. I ate it. He suggested I take the meds, but I wanted to wait until bedtime. However, the pain increased, as did the tendancy to spasm. So I let him get me one tablet of each and I swallowed them with water.
He was working on job applications, so I just walked around the house for awhile. When he was done, he got me a straight-backed chair to sit by the couch. We watched one episode of Enterprise. Then I posted to my blog and we went to bed.
* An easy block to make for Bertha. *

Almost normal

I woke Chris at 6 to bring me a towel because I could not get out of bed. He went back to bed after throwing the towel in the wash. I might have gone back to sleep. Later he helped me out of bed and into the bathroom. I walked around a bit and went back to bed. Chris went to a pharmacy to get my meds. I had my tablet, so I listened to some TV theme songs, and then cued up the next Oprah meditation. When he got back, he helped me get out of bed. I walked around a bit and my back loosened up. I made and ate breakfast in preparation to take the new meds. But I was getting around so well, that both Chris and I decided that I did not need the meds.
I read e-mail. Eventually Chris went to the grocery store for food. I asked him to stop by the church where the Renegades were sewing and buy some eggs from Tina who has her own chickens.
While he was gone, I put on my earrings to keep the holes from healing shut. I boiled some water and poured it down the drains to kill any gnats that might be breeding there. I made a batch of seed crackers. I also washed and cut up a cauliflower and put the pieces in leftover olive juice to pickle. I washed the dishes in the sink. I swept the floor just as he came home from the store. We put the food away together. Then we read e-mail for awhile.
The weather warmed up to 53 degrees. We put on coats and went for a walk around the neighborhood and picked some wild lettuce. When we got back, I put the greens in a bowl for later. I watch an episode of The Truth About Pet Cancer: Neutering and spaying have health consequences, but early procedures are even more problematic. Pets are more affected by chemicals because they are closer to them – household cleaners on surfaces, chemicals in rugs and couches, chemicals on lawns, etc. One vet said he would rather treat his dog for heartworms than give him the pills to prevent it. Flea and tick collars and treatments put chemicals on the skin which gets in their blood. Essential oils can replace them.
I mended one of Chris' socks as my daily sewing. Sadly I have missed two days due to back pain. I wished I had thought of sewing last night. I ate some Goat cheese while catching up on e-mail. Then I took the wild lettuce and made a salad. I started watching a video on whey people don't heal. I paused it when Chris was ready. We watched two episodes of Enterprise. We dressed the bed. Chris put my sewing gear in my trunk. Then he put my meds by the bed, as well as my phone. He went to bed while I stayed up to blog, take my evening supplements and finish the video.
* Here is a poor dogwood tree that got blown over in our neighborhood. *

'Back' in the ER

I did not sleep well last night, which made it a long night. I woke Chris up at 7 to bring me a towel and some meds. I tried to rest until they took effect. I contacted my tapping buddy and we tapped, but the pain just got worse. Finally she said that maybe I needed a more physical intervention and to let her know what happened. Right after she signed off, the meds kicked in and I felt better. I watched an episode of The 4400 on my tablet. Then I decided I should sleep while the pain was not so bad. But sleep did not come and the meds wore off. The pain was so bad that I could barely stand it, and getting worse. I could not move my arms or wiggle my feet without triggering a spasm. And some came on without provocation of any kind.

I took some oxycodon and tried to be patient. But I was afraid that something bad was happening in my spine. So Chris took a shower, then called the insurance company and we spoke with a nurse that triaged my symptoms. She recommended that I see a doctor. Since I could not get out of bed, Chris called 911 and they sent an ambulance. But first the fire department showed up and took my vital signs.

Then the Hemi showed up. But the stretcher would not fit in the bedroom, so they had it just inside the front door. I tried to get up but could not, so they rolled me onto a sheet and carried me to the stretcher. Yes, it hurt, but since the oxycodone had kicked in, the spasms weren't as bad as I feared. They put me on the stretcher , covered me with blankets because I was in my nightgown and it was raining. And rolled it to the ambulance, and slid me into it. I had a bad moment there. A man took my blood pressure again. We chatted all the way to the hospital. The ride wasn't too bumpy and he warned me each time. I had a white-knuckled hand on each side rail.

When we got to the hospital, he rolled me inside and we waited by a desk until the lady could tell us which room to go to. Then the two men rolled me there, and used the sheet to convey me to the hospital bed. It hurt more than the first time. There were two nurses, one male and one female, that took my vitals again, and tagged me. He asked a few questions and entered them in the computer. Then they left. After a while, a lady came to push me to the MRI room. Then I had to scoot myself from the bed to the MRI table. Luckily she was in no hurry. It took three passes of pictures of me. Then I had to scoot myself back to the hospital bed. I felt a little better afterward and wondered if I had pushed something back into place by accident.

When we got back to my room, Chris was sitting there. She left me with him. I passed the time by watching the monitor. It took my blood pressure every 15 minutes. It went down to 103 over 59 during the course of my stay.

A doctor came in finally. He wasn't Dr. Bombay 'cause he didn't come right away. He asked questions about my history and what the pain felt like and he examined my scar. He said the MRI did not show anything major, just the beginnings of arthritis and some degeneration. He said there was probably a micro tear in a disk and stuff was bulging out of it just a little. He discussed what mix of prescriptions I wanted. I did not want the steroid pack, so he ordered a steroid shot instead, plus one for pain and valium as a muscle relaxer. I asked him if I was staying overnight and he said I would be taken to the car in a wheelchair, although he could order an ambulance if I preferred. Then he left. Chris went home to get some street clothes for me.

Waiting... and watching the monitor.... and finally a woman came in. She had three shots for me. She said she was the best shot-giver in the hospital. She pinched some skin in my derriere and the first two shots were done before I had time to react. But then came the Vallium shot. It took longer and it stung for some time and left bruising on my skin. It hurt worse than my back, but then my back wasn't feeling as bad as before I took the oxycodone. She said she'd be back to check on me and thought I would be walking out of the hospital. Wow, such positivity here. More than I could imagine.

More waiting and hoping the shots would create the miracle she promised. The doctor came back with a prescription sheet for Percoset, Naprosyn and Skelaxin. We had a nice chat about keto diets, and the value of fat in food, and fasting and all sorts of health stuff. He recommended I read a book called The Back Mechanic, which could prevent me from having this happen again. He said only 48 hours of bedrest was helpful and after that one should get up and move around. He said he understood about the spasms, but I didn't get the feeling that he quite got that the spasms are dangerous because they can set back healing for days. He thought only the pain part was relevant and no damage occurred. H

e insisted that I get into a sitting position. It was quite painful. He raised the head of the bed to help me. Then I had to swing my legs over the edge. He did not understand how painful that was. But he did not leave until I was sitting on the edge of the bed, with a death grip on the mattress to support my back.

After he left, Chris helped me get dressed and move to the wheelchair. A man came to push me to the checkout station and we had to wait. If I had realized all the sitting that was involved, I would have asked for an ambulance. Chris said he thought I should have stayed overnight. But, as tiring as it was, I waited in the chair. There was more sitting time as a lady figured out which forms we needed. Chris signed them because I was still using my hands to support my upper body weight. Then a lady wheeled me out to the entrance as Chris went to get the car. I had a few bad moments getting into the car from the chair.

But then we went to Rite Aid to fill the prescriptions. Sadly the pharmacy was closed. I told Chris I just wanted to go home. So we did. He parked the car and brought out a rolling desk chair. I maneuvered onto it and he pushed me to the front door. There was a chair inside the door so I only had to walk a few feet before sitting down again. Then he put the chair away and helped me to the bathroom. I wanted to go lay down, so he helped me there and then he went out to another pharmacy. Three people were texting me, so I laid there and texted back. Then Chris returned, saying that pharmacy was closed as well.

He made me a bowl of hot soup. Then he helped me get to the dining room table to eat it. I walked back and forth a few times, gingerly. I took today's supplements. Then I sat down to post to my blog, looking forward to going back to bed, and hoping I would be able to get up in the morning.
* Chris took this pic of me just as the paramedics were taking me out. *

P.S.
I just remembered a few other things the doctor said. A- the valium may cause short term memory loss so Chris shouldn't be concerned if I don't remember a conversation we had under the influence. B - Stretching the spine is a bad idea. It will only take so many stretches before something breaks. Yoga is good for the rest of the body, but don't do the spinal stretches.