Michele's 27th birthday

I wore my eyemask to bed since there were no light-blocking curtains in Michele's room. She slept in the computer room. I dreamed of eating. I woke early to use the restroom and went back to bed. It seemed like forever. I was waiting for the phone alarm to ring, signaling 7:30. I thought I must have missed it. But eventually it did ring and Chris got up to shut it off. After a few minutes, I got up to take a shower and get dressed. I went downstairs where Cecily was watching TV and doing puzzles. The interview was with a doctor on the rise of colon cancer and the need for earlier screening. The doctor attributed the rise in colon cancer to obesity and lack of exercise – not a word about diet. Harumph. I guess the food industry sponsors wouldn't like it.
I did some of my Wednesday exercises and went upstairs to get my breakfast box. I brought it to the kitchen and mixed all the ingredients together and swallowed the liquid capsules. I ate in the dining room with Michele, Chris and Al. Then I put my bowl in the sink and took the box back upstairs. I sat at my laptop and read e-mail for a bit until we were ready to go to the Asian market.
Cecily, Al, Carol and I got in the Prius and Al drove us to the Asian market. The difficulty in navigating the streets and traffic was everything I imaged DC would be. I wouldn't have done it. But the market was fascinating. It had lots of things I saw in Asia plus things I never heard of. Grass jelly? Fresh amaranth? They were out of the bitter melon that I wanted to try. We found most of the other things we were looking for, even the natto I wanted. On the way home, we stopped at the Thursday farmer's market down the street from Marie's house. They had veggies and plants and breads and meats and fruits. Carol got two parsley plants. Then we went home.
I brought my laptop down to the dining room to read e-mail. I read that one insurance company is paying pediatricians a $400 bonus for fully vaccinating their patients before the age of 2. I took advantage of the current Swanson's promotion and placed an order. Chris, Al and Michele went to The Cheesecake Factory to get a cake for her birthday. She asked for a plain cake and some fruit to put on it.
I read e-mail for awhile. Cecily took the dogs for a walk, but it started raining. When they came in, Carol had to wipe their paws so they wouldn't drag dirt all over the house. Then the sun came out. I went out on the deck to sit in the sunshine. Cecily came out and talked to me for a while. Chris came out to visit with us. And then Michele came out, and so did the dogs. They could not decide if they wanted to be in or out. Cecilly jumped up to open the door every time they stood by it. I think they had her trained. Michele did the same thing. I guess Chris and I did not get the memo. But then it started to rain again so we all went in. Chris worked on the pork butt and broccoli. Cecily supervised.
I went back to reading e-mail. Chris sat in the livingroom to watch the food channel with Cecily. Rowan kept trying to sit in his lap. To save him, I sat in his lap. But Rowan did not understand that that seat was taken and she still tried to sit there, on both of us. We were saved by the door: the dogs heard Marie coming home and raced to greet her.

There was thunder outside and the dogs got very nervous. Marie put them in her room upstairs, but we could hear them scratching at the door.
For dinner we had a pork butt that Chris had in the oven all day. We also had broccoli sauteed in coconut oil and baby bok choy. Most of us put the pork on tortillas, but Carol and I had rice instead. Eventually Carol let the dogs out. After we ate, Marie cut the cheesecake and put strawerries and blueberries on top. I just had the fruit, and skipped the cake. Then we sang to Michele and she opened her cards and gifts. I photographed her wearing the shrug Faye gave her. Rowan tried to sit in Marie's lap and then Chris' lap and then mine, followed by Michele. She was just too big. Then Carol took them down with her. The others wandered off to watch TV or get online or go to bed.
I read e-mail for awhile. I texted with my tapping buddy but skipped the call because we just didn't have the privacy. Then I sat with Chris in the living room where they were watching Chopped. Then Chris got up to go to bed and I went back to my computer to post to my blog.

The big reveal

We stayed in bed after alarm went off. Then I brushed my teeth. I swished with my homemade toothpaste for awhile and went out back to spit it out. But the door closed behind me and I got locked out. There was no one in the kitchen to hear me knock so I went to the front door. There was a broom nearby so I swept the sidewalk and porch. Then I knocked on the door, and Chris let me in. While talking to Dad, I put the second batch of fat bombs in baggie in the fridge. I ran the mail out to the mailbox. I put a check in an envelop for Kevin. I called Labcorp and found out that Dad doesn't need an appointment to go there. I wrote down the number and address for Dad. Some of the plants seemed dry, so I watered them. I washed the measuring cup that I used to make the fat bombs. Dad made his breakfast, then had me put Polident on his dentures. I called William to find out if the train tracks on the front porch were recyclable. I asked Dad about the chord changes for Lamb of God. Because there wasn't time to get out his accordion and play it, I found a video of it on Youtube. I brought the laptop out to the kitchen to play it for him. It played several times and then the battery shut down the laptop.
We packed up by noon to leave. We went to Annandale, listening to Chris speak of the GPS in less than glowing terms. We only stopped once, at a rest stop. When we arrived, Chris parked in the driveway and we unloaded. Then he moved the car so Marie could drive in later. We said hello to my in-laws, Carol, and Michele. I gave Michele the doublet and took pics. She was very happy with it. Michele showed me the crocheted items she had made. She has decided to make writing and art her new 'job'. So 8 hours a day of writing stories and crocheting or drawing electronically.
Michele and I went for a walk, smelled the honeysuckle and peonies. Then I sat in the dining room talking to Michele and Chris. Michele tried to get my phone to send pics. I showed her the message in Hangul on my phone. She couldn't read much of it. Life went on and then she offered to write the message down so I could give it to the Korean doctors. I could not get it back on my phone so I had to use my laptop. I checked its battery – 100%. I took the laptop downstairs to get the password. Now 97%. Chris read the password while I typed it in. The laptop connected to wifi and I went back upstairs to show Michele. But then the laptop went blank and I could not revive it. However, Chris 'started' it back up in a few minutes. 95% battery power. So what happened? Anyway, I pulled the message up on Facebook and showed it to Michele. She wrote it down on a piece of paper so I could give it to the Korean doctors.
I started jotting notes for my blog, and Rowan (large Scottish deerhound) decided to sit on the bed with Michele and me. Her butt was on Michele and her head was drooling on my keyboard. She would not leave until she heard Marie come home from work. I deleted e-mail and tried to get it down from 220 to under 100.
Cecily gave us a five minute warning for supper. I washed my hands and went down to the dining room. The word had gotten out that I fast on Wednesdays so there was no plate for me at the table. I got a glass of water however. After saying grace, they all dug in. I was surprised how quickly supper went. And I was ok with not eating even though it looked delicious. The conversation was entertaining as always. Then the dishes were cleared and we continued to chat. Carol did stuff in the kitchen and retired to her room. Cecily went in the livingroom and presently announced that she wanted chocolate. So Marie, Chris and Michele went to the grocery store to get chocolate ice cream. While they were gone, I brought my stash of cacao nibs to Cecily and she really liked them. Alfred tried some, too. When the others got back, someone handed out small bowls of ice cream. Chris and Michele put some cacao nibs on their portion.
The whole time the TV was tuned to the Food Network. Fasting and Food Network don't go together. But I stayed with the conversation as one by one people went to bed. I fixed a mug of hot bone broth and then some kava and valerian tea. Finally Chris and I went upstairs to Michele's room to retire for the night.

Dbase isn't my thing

I slept well, even if I did wake up sweating. I stayed in bed until my phone alarm went off at 7:30. (It was 6:30 CST)
When I heard Dad get up, I got the DNA test kit and explained that I wanted him to fill the tube with saliva. He was all for it, but just could not come up with any spit. So he drank some water and I set a timer for 30 minutes – the length of time a person is not supposed to eat or drink before giving a sample. Half an hour later, we were seated in front of his desktop, modifying the family letter (that would normally pass as a Christmas letter). We tried spitting again, but he still could not do it. I had him drink more water and gave him a plastic toothpick to stick in his mouth to stimulate salivation. We finally got the letter to be acceptable to Dad. Then we had to access the Christmas card list of addresses. He had them saved in a file in Dbase and did not know the name. Chris helped us get the list on the screen and to print it on paper. We tried the spit tube again. He spit into it and closed the top, which punctures a vial of spit preservative. The instructions said not to touch it. There wasn't enough spit in it, but with the liquid in, I could not tell how much was short. So I packaged it according to the directions, registered the package online, and put it in the mail. I did not realize at the time that he was still trying to save up spit to put in the tube.
Chris went to a movie. I printed the Christmas list on label paper. But the addresses did not line up well. Dad printed copies of the family letter while I applied the useable labels to envelopes and handwrote the rest. Frankly, I could have written them all by hand faster than trying to get the computer to do it.
Kevin came over. Around 3. He needed coconut oil and I had used it all up. So Chris went to the store to get more. I worked on printing more letters and writing out addresses that I found in the trash in the computer room. Dad wasn't sure it was up to date, so I printed out another Fox reunion page and copied addresses from that. When all the envelopes were addressed, I stamped them and put letters in before sealing each one. They were ready to go in the mail, but the mail had already gone.
Dad needed appointments to get an x-ray and lab work. He wanted to know where the places were. We called the number on the x-ray order and the lady who finally answered said that they don't do x-rays; you have to find a radiology lab. So Dad remembered having one years ago and I found it on the web. We called and they said appointments were not needed, just walk in before 4:15. So then we went looking for a lab for the bloodwork. We looked at the map to see exactly where it was and how to get there. But then I found a closer one, right in front of Johnston Willis Hospital. We tried to call to see if appointments were needed, but it was 5pm and no one answered.
Kevin finished cleaning and went home. I meant to give him the check I wrote, but totally forgot. Dad needed notes on the progress we made on the labs. Then he got into eating. He had me cut the casserole into 24 pieces so he could eat 1.7 pieces a day for 2 weeks. I suggested that he skip Sundays (because he buys a sub) and eat two pieces a day. But that was too easy apparently. He wants to eat exactly the same thing every day. The watermelon was still here and Dad did not want any. So I ate a large piece while sitting outside on the deck. Then I threw the rinds in the overgrown garden. I had some of Kevin's chicken while Chris had some Chicken Parmesan. Dad ate, too. Then I read e-mail and jotted notes for my blog.
After supper Dad wanted to locate the circuit layout. I handed him the hard copy which I found by the printer. But he wanted to locate it on his desktop. I watched him search Lotus for it. It was so painstaking that I had to leave. I made another batch of fat bombs for Dad. Then he came out and said he couldn't find it. So I went to the Start menu and did a search and versions of it popped up. He had to make sure it was the same as the hard copy. Then he wanted to work on pills for next week. His week starts on Wednesday. I asked Chris to do the shredding that was also on his list. While Chris shredded, Dad and I laid out his pills. That wouldn't have been bad at all, except that when one bottle is emptied, we can't just open the next bottle. He has to add what was left in the old bottle to what is in the new bottle (90 or 100) then count out the days till it would run out and record that on his laptop. That doesn't sound as bad as it was. I don't know if he kept losing his place, or what. I would give him my rough estimate and he said it sounded good, but he continued to count and count until he was satisfied. I got dressed for bed. I brushed my teeth.
When the pills were done, he turned his attention to a card he bought for Michele. He wrote a note on scratch paper and asked me to copy it onto note paper. Then he had me write a check. I was so tired that I also signed it. Oops. Finally I got to post to my blog and go to bed.
* I didn't take any pics today so here is the one Michele sent me of the doublet she wanted. *

Another party for Chris

I woke up before 5, with hot flashes. I used the restroom and went back to bed. I may have slept on and off, but not as well as before. Chris got up and then I got up. I took my vitamin C and then made and ate breakfast. I checked my e-mail. There was one in Korean addressed to the Facebook page I did for the Korean doctors. I typed it into Google translate and it made no sense. Alfred typed it into his translation program and it was different but still made no sense. We loaded our stuff in the car and some food Cecily gave us and said Goodbye.
Chris drove us to Dad's house. It took longer than usual because we missed the exit and had to turn around. We brought all our stuff into Dad's house. Chris got on his laptop and I asked Dad for his to-do list. I washed a couple of areas on the fridge and the stove and his bib. I mended a shirt that was worn out. I wrote some checks for him and he signed them and we got them ready for the mail. I poured his jar of coconut oil into a measuring cup along with some ground cacao nibs. At Faye's suggestion, I put mini-muffin papers in an empty egg carton and poured the mixture in. Then I slid a cookie sheet under it and put the fat bombs in the freezer to harden.
Faye and Kevin came over and we took Dad to Joe's Inn. William and Karen were already there. The waitress brought us menus and water. We ordered then talked among ourselves until the salads came out. Actually we never stopped talking. Dad ordered a meatball appetizer and chicken Parmesan. But the three meatballs were so big that he never got to the chicken. I had fried chicken livers and veggies. But I could only eat half of the livers.
Eventually the party ended: Faye gave Chris some cards for his birthday and Dad paid for the food. Then William and Karen went to run errands and the other five of us went to Dad's house. Faye and Dad and I talked about printing out labels for his family letter. But his chair was covered in papers and magazines and mail. So Faye helped him sort through all of that and collected a bunch for recycling. When the chair was clear, somehow our attention moved to the watermelon that Faye brought. She sliced it up and we sat outside and ate and talked. I could see blackberry bushes growing among small trees that ought to be cut down while they are still small enough.
It began to get dark so we went inside. Faye had to go so after more conversation, she left. I ate the leftover chicken and artichokes that Cecily sent with us. Dad ate grapes and my leftovers from lunch. Then I suggested we print out labels and he said only Faye knew how to do it. So I called Faye, but she was still driving. So I watched Dad eat until she called back. She gave me the command prompts to print out a reunion list, although that wasn't exactly what Dad needed. Then we looked for the letter to copy it, but could not find it anywhere. I searched all rooms several times. I did find it on my laptop, so Chris put it on a thumb drive and moved it to Dad's computer. That took awhile so I sat and jotted notes for my blog. I found Dad sitting in the kitchen reading a printout of the letter. I hung around for a few minutes, then helped Chris open the hide-a-bed and dress it with sheets. I changed into my nightgown and brushed my teeth. I posted to my blog, in the belief that I was going to bed imminently.

An all-white squirrel

I slept well until the hot flashes hit early in the morning. Chris got up and I stayed in bed. But when it was clear sleep would not return, I got up too. Everyone was dressed and watching Food Network, or at least tolerating it while reading the paper and doing puzzles. I made my breakfast. We sang Happy Birthday to Chris and then they went to the Catholic service. I stayed to finish my breakfast and post to my blog for yesterday. I listened to a podcast on thermography. The chances of breast cancer go from 3 in 4 for women who wear bras 24 hours a day to 1 in 168 for women who rarely or never wear a bra. I did some yoga and saw crumbs under the table. So I swept up the crumbs. I did lymph-moving exercises. I cleaned spots on the cabinetry. They came home from church. Chris told me to look out the window to see an all-white squirrel. I tried to take a pic, but he was so small. Cecily cooked eggs and bacon for brunch. We sat down and had a nice meal.
After brunch, Cecily spot-treated all the purificators from church and put them in the wash. Al and Chris went to the store to get an herb chicken for supper. Then Alfred and I went to the park to walk for 55 minutes. When we got back, Cecily was just finishing ironing the purificators. Chris was on his laptop. I got on my laptop. Faye called to straighten out details for tomorrow. Cecily started supper. I paused the interview I was listening to and went to lend support. I couldn't help her drink wine, but I talked to her so she wouldn't feel left out or ignored while making supper.
She gave the others the 5 minute warning. Al came in to cut up the chicken. We held hands and said grace. We ate supper and talked. When supper was over, Chris cleared the table and Cecily put food away. She sat down with a glass of wine and the conversation continued. Eventually she went to bed. Then three of us conversed. Later, Chris left to get on his laptop and it was just Al and I. When we got around to the subject of sleep, I excused myself to write my blog and go to bed.
* Alfred took this pic. I don't think it is an albino. *

Sleepless in Bristol

It was a long and sleepless night, sopping wet. I called the front desk, hoping to get some earplugs, but they did not have any. They offered to switch our room, but I declined because Chris was already asleep. So I moved the furniture around until I could open the couch into a bed. I found some sheets and blankets in the closet. But I could not walk around the bed to make it, so I just used the top sheet half under me and half over me. But the unending series of hot flashes kept me from sleeping.
When I noticed a little dawn coming through from the bedroom, I crawled in bed with Chris, just to have dry sheets. The traffic was not so bad and I got some sleep. When Chris woke up, I told him about my night and he said we could get a different hotel next time. He had a spoon in his backpack so I put coconut milk on my prepared breakfast and ate it. He ate some hard boiled eggs and chips that Herberth had bought but not taken with him. We both took showers and got dressed.
About 9:30 EST we got on the road to Richmond. We finished the first book on tape and started a second one. Dad called to ask about buying food for us. I called William to find out what restaurants he and Karen like to eat at. The beginning of our trip was in the rain, but once the sun came out, it was sunny all the way to Chester. We arrived at his parent's house mid-afternoon. We greeted them and brought in our stuff. We sat in the den doing puzzles and talking until suppertime. Then we went to Rosa's in Chester. I got a greek salad. They heaped the feta cheese on, so I gave some of it to Chris. We had a good time talking. Two bottles of wine were consumed, but not by me.
Then we went back to their house. The sun was low in the sky. I wanted to go for a walk, so Alfred came with me and we did maybe half an hour. He showed me their garden, all tomatoes and a row of tiny lettuce. Shortly after we got back, Cecily went to bed. The three of us stayed up to talk, mostly politics. I got really tired, so finally we went to bed and I did not stay up to post to my blog.

Too much to do

I got up early, probably before 7. I brushed with my new batch of toothpaste and put up my hair. Then I pulled clothes out to pack my suitcase and get dressed and have something for traveling. My usual travel pants are so worn at the crotch that I would have to wear black underwear to be decent. I used the desktop computer to access my packing list. I added some things to my toiletries case. I washed a small lip balm container and poured some toothpaste into it. I put it and the toothpaste into the fridge to harden a little.
I made a batch of seed crackers. Then I sewed one strip to a new strip block. I turned on the router and the laptop but it needed lots of time to do updates (which it was supposed to have done last night). I made and ate breakfast at the desktop. I signed into the laptop which had finally finished updating. I took plants out to my car. I put the backseat stuff in the trunk to make room for them. Then I jotted notes for my blog.
At 9:50 I went to the acupuncture store. Jennifer wasn't there yet. Dr. Grace wanted to see her Facebook page in English. I could not see how to sign her out, so I opened another browser and entered my Facebook info to bring up the business page in English. I added some info to two of the pics on her page. I also gave her some fresh seed crackers. While I was on her account, I sent myself a friend request. Then Jennifer arrived. But I was still talking to Dr. Gace. So Dr. Jae got the foot baths ready, then called me over. Jenn was already relaxing into hers. I gave Jennifer some of the mineralizing toothpaste I had made. We had a nice talk. Dr. Grace brought us some Solomon's Seal tea. When the ionic part was over, Dr. Grace took pics of the water. She gave us paper towels to wipe off our feet. There was a lot less crud sticking to my ankles this time. Jennifer noticed the same thing. We continued to talk through the shoulder massage. Dr. Grace brought us each a cup of snack that looked like finger pretzels. I did not know how to politely refuse, so I ate one. Jennifer ate one too although we are both trying to go gluten-free. Then Dr. Grace showed me her Facebook page on her phone. It had no reviews so she asked me to make one. I would have done it at home, but she insisted. I tried to do it from my account but there was nothing to click on to leave it. So I did it from her account. But then it had her name on it, so Jennifer showed me how to edit it. I could not change the posting name, so I put quotes around the text and typed my name after it. Dr. Grace was so happy that she did not charge me for the foot bath.
But it was getting late, so Jennifer and I went to our cars. We transferred the plants from my back seat to hers. She hugged me and wished me a good vacation. I drove home.
I had more stuff to do to get ready. At least Chris wasn't home yet. I finished packing my suitcase. I sliced up a jicama for a snack. I put the seed crackers in a bag. I checked for everything on the packing list. I brought in the peace lily. I fixed a really big salad to use up half of the salad greens. Then Chris came home from work. He moved stuff to the car. He brought in the big tomato plants and watered them. He pulled food from the fridge that would probably go bad. When we finally got everything in his car, I grabbed a sewing kit and he locked the house. I checked the house mail. There was one thing, but it wasn't for us so I left it there. I got in the car and we headed out.
We listened to a book on CD from the library. We hit traffic around Chattanooga. Several times we got rained on. But mostly the trip went well. I got tired of sitting for 5 hours. We pulled into the hotel in Bristol Va about 8 Central. We checked in and then carried our stuff up to the 10th floor. We read e-mail for awhile. My purple bracelet broke, spilling beads on the desk and floor. I took my room card and went to the car to get my sewing kit. On the way back, I stopped at the desk to make sure of our room number (since it was not on the card). Then I went up to our room. I put the beads in the kit. Chris called up an episode of Death in Paradise on his laptop and we watched the first episode. Then we brushed our teeth and went to bed. I was really tired but could not sleep because of all the noise from the interstate. So I went through my toiletries bag, hoping to find ear plugs. But no luck. Since I wasn't sleeping anyway, I decided to post to my blog after all. Since they gave us a suite, I decided to try sleeping on the couch, which is in another room. It is not as dark because of the light in the hall, but definitely quieter.
* These are the plants I gave Jennifer to water while we are gone. *

Me in my natural environment

I stayed in bed late not wanting to face packing and crowns and the acupuncture Facbook page and the post office, etc. But then I heard my alarm go off in the diningroom, signalling that it was only 7:30. I got up, put my hair in a ponytail, and sewed on the remaining buttons for the doublet. I put it on the dressmaker's dummy and took a pic. I turned on the router while picking up here and there and putting away more laundry. Not sure where that pile came from. Beverly called to thank me for teaching her how to join the ends of binding. I went to the post office to pick up a package from Swansons. He assured me that their package area was air conditioned in case I was on vacation when the next package came. I called the dentist to talk about having an onlay instead of a crown. I talked to the receptionist and she said she'd have the dentist call back when free. I called the acupuncture place and made the appointment Jennifer wanted. I also told them I had added an e-mail address to the page and they needed to confirm it so it would be active. Then I made three breakfasts and refilled some of the containers for traveling. I ate my breakfast while reading e-mail. I discovered that the bottle of kombucha that I bought last fall and left in the cupboard had finally grown a scoby! But I did not have time to make it some tea.
I took the doublet and material and went to quilting. Susan took a pic of me with the hand-dyed fabric spread out. Leanne showed off her cigar box guitar. She played a song on it, but I could not hear a note of it. I finished the red quilt top and Susan took a pic of that, too. Then I made two strip blocks. It was going on 2, so I packed up and went home.
I ate lunch which consisted of leftovers. I made more of two mixes for traveling. I watered the plants. I played Solitaire while listening to an interview on EMF stress. I made more supplement doses to last all next week. I made a batch of remineralizing toothpaste using eggshells from local hens.
Chris came home late from work. He packed his clothes in 5 minutes and proudly announced that he was all packed. I brought my sewing stuff in from the car. I put the doublet in a bag with some items for other people.
I took my laptop to the guest room. My tapping buddy called and we talked for a bit, then tapped for my tooth and not knowing exactly what to do with it. The call lasted until 8:30. I moved my laptop back to the diningroom. Then we watched the next episode of Inspector Lynley. We discussed which plants could stay inside and be ok for a week. Then Chris went to bed. I stayed up to blog and got caught up in a game of Solitaire.

The only explanation I could think of

I got up between 7:30 and 8. I got dressed and went to the car to get Michele's doublet and the battings and backings from yesterday. I drank some lemon water and sewed on one button, then I turned on the router. I started the coffee on the stove. I went in the backyard to do some trimming while soaking up some morning sunlight. I did my drybrushing. Then I read some e-mail until the niacin kicked in. I started my exercises. I kept taking small breaks to put music on the desktop, throw out dead flowers, trim my toenails, put some myrrh on my tick bite and jot notes for my blog. I gathered up my dyed fabrics and put them in order by color. I listened to a short interview on Oxytocin; for empathy, bone density, weight loss, appetite suppressant, increased collagen, increased muscle, and reduced insulin resistance.
I meditated and tapped. I started cleaning. I watered the plants. I continued cleaning. I skipped the floors and took a shower. I put laundry away. I changed my thread color back to white. I made a drawing for Jeanne. I put away all the pattern pieces into their respective envelopes. I folded some of Chris' laundry.
I went to have a massage. I got there shortly before 2:30, but we talked for some time, discussing which areas needed treatment and her usual approach. Then she left so I could get undressed and get under the blanket. When she came back, she felt for my spinal flow, then massaged my calves and back and shoulders. Then I had to lay on my left side while she did the right neck and shoulder, then on my right side while she did my left neck and shoulder. Then I flipped over for more calf and shoulder work. When it was over, I got dressed and went up front to pay. We got into another discussion. She showed me a pool float that I could lay on to stretch my shoulders.
Chris called and said he had to go past the bank to pick up some cupcakes, and to come in the back way. So I ended the conversation and went home. There was a police car and yellow tape preventing anyone from going beyond our driveway. I was lucky I could get in. I drank some water. Chris was ready to go and I noticed my keys were missing. We hunted around and eventually he went out to my car to look. He came back with the keys and said not only hadn't I locked the car, it was still running. That made no sense to me since I remember getting out and locking the door. The only explanation I could come up with was that the engine stopped automatically when I parked. I got out and pushed the lock button down, but since the keys were inside, it did not lock. Then after 2 minutes, the engine started up again. Maybe.
Ok, so we went out the back way of the neighborhood, and proceeded down Airport Road and stopped at the bank. We deposited a check then went to the fish market, because right beside it was Small Cakes, where an order of cupcakes was waiting to be picked up for work tomorrow. He picked up the two dozen regular cupcakes and picked out 4 large ones for the birthday people, of whom he was one. That was over $100 worth. They also sell Pup-cakes, for man's best friend.
Then we went to the fish market and got a salmon filet (for me because Chris doesn't care for salmon). Right across the street was CVS. He made it across and we went in to have passport photos taken. It took longer than we thought because the printing machine was being finicky. Then we got in the car and went home.
Chris asked if he should cook the filet tonight, but I said no because I fast on Wednesdays. So I put it in the freezer. Chris got a 'serious incidents' report in his e-mail and we learned that there was a suicide a few doors down. I considered going for a walk, but my phone rang. It was Jennifer and we talked for some time. She wanted to go do the ionic foot detox with me on Friday. After I hung up with her, I went for a walk, choosing run part of the way. When I got back, I made a mug of bone broth to sip while reading e-mail.
It was after 8:30 when Chris was ready to watch TV. We saw one episode of Inspector Lynley. Then he looked up something and went to bed. I stayed up to research alternatives to crowns (because a crown suffocates the tooth, not allowing dentinal fluid to flow). But it got late, so I let it go in order to post to my blog and get some sleep.
* The specialty cupcake store *

A complicated day

I got up around 8:30, having slept quite well. I wondered if it was due to the evening primrose oil. I only had a few hot flashes and they were mild. I sewed two patches together and put up my hair. I turned on the router and started reading e-mail and drinking lemon water. I folded some laundry.
At 9:30 I got dressed and went to quilting. They were making strip blocks again. So many ladies were participating, that there were no outlets available in the sewing area. So I found one in a far corner. I showed off my red quilt top, almost finished. Beverly wasn't far behind me and so we pulled a table over to our corner and set up our machines. I got some strips, a piece of batting and a piece of backing. It turns out I had enough to make three blocks. Beverly had to leave early, but I stayed to put up the table and talk to Anita. When I trimmed my last block, I did something to her rotary cutter that made it stable again. I watched her cut out block backings. She had a strip that wasn't quite wide enough to get the untrimmed size cut out. But I figured I could make them work, so she cut out squares for me to take home and work on. I got some batting that needed piecing as well. Then I packed up my machine and left.
On the way home, I stopped by the Asian store for a package of kimbap. Then I went two doors down to the Korean doctors' place. I gave her some information she had asked for last week. She took off my bandaid and stuck a needle in my tick bite site. She talked about how many patients she had in California and how few here, and that the location wasn't good. I told her she needed a Facebook page; that there are other ways of advertising but they are expensive. She asked me if I knew how and I said sort of. Setting up a page for the Monday quilters was easy. So she had me sit at her computer to make a page. The problem was that her operating system and browser were all in Korean. I had to have her read the different bits to me. It was a lot harder that way. When it asked for a pic, we went outside. She took one of the storefront. I tried to upload the pic from her phone to her laptop but my cord did not transfer data, only power. So I brought her outside and took a pic with my phone of her standing at the door. It was just after 1 and I had to leave. I told her I would be back after my dental appointment.
I went home. I ate some kimbap with a small amount of kimchi (so as not to offend the dentist any more than necessary). I took a pic of the book I bought for Pat and e-mailed it to her. Then I signed into Facebook and started making a business page. Pat called and said she could not copy the pic I sent so she wanted to pick up the book. I told her I had a dentist appointment at 2. That's when I realized how late it was. I jumped up, brushed my teeth, and headed out.
I went to the dentist. I arrived exactly at 2. I sat down with a book, but did not get far before my name was called. The hygienist took me to a room. She put a bottle of mouthrinse on the counter for me and went to get a heated neck pillow, blanket, and knee pillow. I poured out the mouthrinse and filled the cup with water. I rinsed with the traces that were left. Then I sat in the chair, which had a vibration mat on it. I turned it on. It vibrated from one section to another continuously. She came back, covered me with a blanket and put the heated pillow behind my head and the big pillow under my knees. Then she laid me back and started cleaning.
We had a conversation about the effect of cleaning on enamel. She measured my gum pockets and said they were all good except the one by the broken tooth. When the dentist came in, she reviewed the notes from my last appointment and asked for intraoral pics of the broken tooth. So I had to move to another room for that. When she had taken them, she showed me the situation and said my last molar had changed quite a bit in the last 6 months. It looked like a crater in the top of my tooth. Probably some of the filling broke off. There was a crack running through the filling and a chip off of the tooth. She recommended a crown and said it would take two appointments and that crown technology had come a ways since my first one. Putting a crown on the last tooth would allow the tooth in front of it to last longer. It sounded good, but I wondered if there was something I was forgetting to consider. I went up front to pay and make an appointment. But I noticed it was 3:30 already so I just paid and left.
I went home. Chris had just arrived. I finished eating the kimbap. I added the pics to the Facebook page and got it live. I texted Pat that I was home but had to leave again. Pat called me later to ask me to leave the book on the front porch so she could pick it up even if I wasn't home.
I drove to the acupuncture place. It took longer than usual because of heavy traffic on Patton. But they were both in the office and without patients. I showed them a screenshot of the page I made with the pics I took. I took pics of the two of them together. She did not like my pics so she had me take more with her camera. She also wanted me to take down the pics I posted of her and replace them. She texted me pics and waited until they appeared on my phone. I spoke to them about the missing pieces of information for the Facebook page. They gave me some information but not all I wanted. At 5 they were getting ready to go, so I got ready to leave. She insisted that I keep track of my time so she could pay me $10 an hour. I waved off the thought of money but she insisted. I suggested payment in kind, but she insisted cash was the only way to go.
I went home. I sat at my laptop and looked for the pics on my camera. It turned out I had to 'download' them to the phone first and THEN transfer them to my laptop. Technology is supposed to make things simpler – right? Anyway, once I had the pics, I had to figure out how to upload them to the Facebook page and put them in the proper places. I replaced the pic of her standing in front of the business with one of the business without her. I thought it looked better with her as a focal point, but she thought it looked like she was running a restaurant. I tried to find her personal Facebook page and befriend her, but could not. Probably only accessible in Korean.
I made my breakfast and ate it. I wrote down some estimates of how long I had worked on her page. I mowed the yard, then washed a load of salad greens. I ate one bowl of salad while reading e-mail. When Chris was ready to watch, I put the rest of the greens in my bowl. We watched the next episode of Inspector Lynley. Chris made his sandwich and went to bed. I made kava tea and took my evening supplements before sitting down to write my blog post.

Revealing the beauty

I got up about 8. I sewed two patches together and turned on the router. I put my hair up out of my way. I had to turn on the 5g signal to get my laptop to find the 2.4 signal. Weird. I listened to an audio while ironing 10 of the fat quarters dry. It was very satisfying to take a dark ball of fabric, spread it out and iron it flat, watching the dappled designs appear. I brought in the jar of honey that I put outside in the heat yesterday. It was upside down and all the honey had moved to the top. I played a video on grafting fruit trees while I made and ate breakfast. I gathered together all the supplements I needed to take to the doctor this afternoon. Then I gathered some fabric and patterns to contribute to the swap/donate day at quilting. My machine was already in the car, so I just grabbed the supplements and fabrics and headed out.
On the way, I stopped at the gas station to fill the tank. I wrote the mileage on the receipt and went on to the church. Then I made an entry in my gas log book. I pulled the machine and red project and give-aways and carted it all to the quilting room. The ladies already had stuff on the front table where they usually eat lunch. I left my stuff there and rolled my machine to the back to set up. A few ladies were just leaving for exercise class. I showed off the doublet, which is finished except for the buttons. Then Lauri showed me the newest charity project. I took a pic of the block but promptly forgot the dimensions. I chatted with the group. I looked through the give-aways and picked out some red scraps and a book or two. The ladies looked through a stack of old quilt tops. Some were nicely done Sunbonnet Sue's but the sashing was purple. I worked on my red project, finally getting it into one piece which needed a 2 by 14 inch pieced strip.
Then I had to pack up in order to be at the doctor by 3. I said goodbye to Lauri who was still there working on a baby quilt. It did not take long to get where I was going. I chatted with the receptionist while the doctor finished his lunch hour (or 2). then he ushured me into the exam room. He asked how the different sections of my back felt. He adjusted my neck and upper back, but without any quick twists. We discussed how acupuncture just isn't working. He muscled tested me for all the supplements and most seemed to be working. He gave me an open bottle of evening primrose oil to try. I showed him the tick bite and he recommended I see an MD.
I paid and made my next appointment. A lady in the waiting room talked about the hosta sale by the Hosta Society of North Alabama. But that was last weekend. Then I went home. Chris was there. He told me that he got a card to use the PX at Housing.

So I went over there to get one, too. I told the lady I need to have a tick bite checked out and she suggested the health department. I went home to look it up. I did not see anything on their website that said they did testing, just reports of test results, like how many cases of Lyme disease for the last 5 years. I texted Beverly. I saw a paragraph from the CDC saying that a black legged tick needed to attach for at least 24 hours to pass on Lyme disease. I figured mine was attached for a max of 12 hours.
I put my fanny pack out back to dry. Then I went for a walk around the neighborhood. It gets kind of boring since there isn't much to it. I ran for a minute a few times. When I passed the playground, I went to the climbing bars. It was a short structure, about 5 feet tall. I wanted to hang upside down, but was surprised how hard it was to get my feet up there. I guess I am just not used to those motions any more. Eventually my feet went up and my head went down. My hands touched the ground while I hung there. But I didn't stay long due to fear that my back might suddenly have a tantrum. Then I went home.
Chris was making onion soup. I put some in a bowl to eat while I read about Lyme disease. Then I put salad greens in a bowl to soak and cut up some garlic. I spent half an hour ironing the rest of the dyed fabrics. Then I finished my salad and ate it. I watched a QnA from the Human Longevity Project. When Chris was ready, we watched the next episode of Inspector Lynley. Chris made his sandwich while I collated the recyclables. SOMEbody did not empty their soda cans before they put them in the bin. Since neither Chris nor I drink soda... At least all the beer is gone from the fridge and there is room for the food. I left the bags by the door for Chris to take out tomorrow. Chris went to bed and I stayed up to post to my blog.

Soaked!

I was up until midnight washing out the fabric balls. I hated to waste the dye in the bags so I saved it. I left the 18 balls of dyed fabric lying on plastic bags (to protect the countertop) and went to bed. The next morning I got up about 8. I took my shower and got dressed. I sewed two patches together and then read e-mail while Chris and Herberth got ready for church. After they left, I listened to an interview. I forgot the time and all of a sudden jumped up to leave. I forgot to put in my earrings and fix my hair. I just picked up my purse and left.
I drove to church and walked immediately to the front of the sanctuary to join the choir already assembled. We sang through the anthem several times and then an long involved Amen. I hit the restroom and got a bulletin. I sat in my usual front row seat with Don. That's when it hit me that the paraments were ones that I made. The church looked nice all decorated in red.
There were lots of announcements before the service. Then it began. The choir sang after the first prayer and did well. We also sang the long Amen before the last hymn. And then it was over. I greeted the couple behind me since they were new. I told Cecelia she did a great job playing flute for the anthem. She said the magnesium was helping her sleep. Then she wanted to introduce me to her friend. The lady turned out to be a recent college graduate, who was very entertaining. Hopefully another new person to join our church. I showed my tick bite to Susan and she said to go to a walk-in clinic. Then Barbara looked at it and said to go to her house and let her husband take a look at it. I decided to just go home.
On the way home, I stopped at the ATM for cash for the week. I also took a stroll through Michaels, looking for sharp tweezers, but did not find what I wanted. So I went home. I made and ate breakfast. I rinsed out some of the fabric balls from last night. They were bleeding color again. Sigh. I looked up how to use Synthrapol, which Jennifer had given out yesterday. Then I put some hot water in an big bowl and added a little bit of the Synthrapol. I soaked the lightest colored balls of fabric. Then I listened to an interview.
The sky was looking a little dark, but I decided to go for a walk anyway. I put on long pants and my light blue windbreaker thinking it was water proof. I headed out to see the flowers blooming in the woods. The rain hit, but it wasn't too bad – at first. I walked into the forest and took pics of the amaryllis and the small blue irises. Then I started running back home. I passed a police car sitting in the middle of the road. He seemed to be looking at something on his phone. I was thoroughly soaked by then, including my fanny pack which contained my phone and check book. When I finally got back to the house, Chris was home from taking Herberth to Tuscaloosa. He helped me strip off all my wet clothes, but I had to get dressed by myself. Thankfully my phone was unhurt.
He finished hard boiling some eggs and I washed out the fabric soaking in Synthrapol. I set each one down separately and put the next color in, adding hot water. I listened to an interview on growing tomatoes. The tips I picked up were: play Sonic Bloom because plants prefer the music of stringed instruments, best played in the morning before 10. Ducks are good slug patrol in the garden. Companion plantings help: carrots, parsley, etc., but not potatoes or pole beans.
When the rain stopped, we went to Pubix for groceries. We called Marie to see if Kurt could come on one of the days we will be visiting her and Michele. She said they had been meaning to invite him something. At Publix, we got food and also got a pair of sharp tweezers. When we got home, we put the groceries away. Chris used the tweezers to probe the tick bite, but I could only stand so much, and called a halt to the project. I did a little probing of my own but did not find a tick head.
I washed out the next batch of fabrics. Chris called Kurt to find out which day he preferred. I drained out the water and put in clean hot water and more Synthrapol. I read e-mail and listened to an interview until Chris was ready to watch TV. We watched another episode of Inspector Lynley. Then I rinsed out the fabric soaking in the Synthrapol. I tried rinsing fabrics from earlier and this time there was no color coming out. Then I sat down to write my blog and listen to more of the audio I paused. I was so ready for bed.

Dyeing to make new colors

I got up before 8. I finished sewing the Velcro on Michele's doublet. I checked e-mail and listened to audios. I made breakfast and ate it. I chose something to wear: polyester pants (won't take dye) and a green shirt that had bleach spots on it.
Around 12:20 I left for class. I memorized the route and got to Trina's house by 12:45. I guess I would have had time to stop at a yard sale, but thought the trip would have taken longer. I parked out front. There was a sign on the door to go 'round back for the fabric dyeing class. The tables were set up with fabric and boxes of baggies and measuring cups with syringes. Jennifer got us going on marking the bags from 1 to 18 and putting a fat quarter in each one. We were directed to put 40ml of water in each bag and make sure the fabric was thoroughly wet. At some point we wrote our names on a half yard piece and threw it in a bowl of soda ash to soak. Then she split the class in half. One half started dying the fat quarters while the other half watched her do demonstrations. I watched. She rolled a big piece around a pool noodle and secured it with zip ties. Then we got to squirt different colors of dye on it. Then she filled a pan with shaving cream. We poured yellow and blue dyes on it and combed it around, then laid a piece of fabric on top. I wish I had a pic of that. Finally, we each pulled out our half yard and spread it on a large sheet of plastic. Then she gave us three bottles of dye – tangerine, red and blue. I squirted away, as did the others. But I did not like the way mine came out. I scrunched it up to see it that would help, but it didn't.
Anyway, then it was our turn to dye the fat quarters. That's when I stopped taking pics. There were three containers of dye – yellow, red, and blue. The first fat quarter got all yellow, next was 5/6 yellow and 1/6 red, then 2/3 yellow and 1/3 red. And so on until all 18 were sitting in dye water. Then we went back and added soda ash water to each one and sealed them. All of those bags went into a bigger ziplock bag. I retrieved my half yard and immersed it in a puddle of green dye from someone else's project. I figured the greener, the better. I put it in a baggie and then into the larger baggie. I helped to clean up, and then said my thankyou's and goodbye's.
When I got home, I put the dye bags in a big bowl on front porch. She said to let them soak for 4 to 6 hours and it occurred to me that it would be dark by then. I read e-mail, and made big salad just as the men came home from a movie. I changed shirts and put the green one with bleach spots in a matching dye bag and crossed my fingers. Then I listened to an interview on the home death movement. I had no idea that it is legal to clean the dead loved one and put them in a compostable casket and bury it in the ground, where the body and box will decompose. No vault or embalming needed.
Then I went for a walk. I saw lots of queen anne's lace blooming. There were deer tracks in the mud. I also went a slightly different way and saw some pink flowers growing by a parking lot. I wondered if it used to be a homestead. On the way back, I saw a police car, just sitting in the road. I wondered who they were looking for or trying to deter.
When I got back, I finished an interview. Herberth talked to us for a bit, then went to take his shower. We watched an episode of Inspector Lynley. Then we dressed our bed with clean sheets. I sat down to write up my blog post, knowing that I still needed to rinse out all those pieces of fabric.

Matchmaker me

I got up around 8 and put on clothes. I went to the living room to whipstitch some facing on the doublet. The router was already on and Chris was using it. I deleted some e-mail and put on some interviews from the Beyond Chemo series. While I listened, I took out the topstitching in the sleeves and whipstitched the sleeve facings to the main facing. Herberth wanted to meet my friend Leanne so I called her and set up a time to meet at the front gate. Herberth and Chris went shopping. They came back with a set of guitar strings and more beer. There were groceries, too, and apparently some were missing. They went back to the store to get them. I looked up how to replace guitar strings and did the low E which was broken. I tried to tune the guitar with the piano. Herberth picked up the guitar and strummed and adjusted pegs, but it still did not sound right. He told me that his friend tunes his guitar. (Now he tells me). He got ready for his date while I tried replacing the other strings. Then Leanne called to say she had arrived early. So I drove him to the gate. They introduced themselves and seemed to hit it off, so I went home. I replaced one more string and had some lunch. I decided not to replace them all at once because it was very wearing on the wrists.
I went to the Korean naturopath. She was happy to see me. I showed her the tick bite and said I wanted the detox foot bath. She stuck an acupuncture needle in the tick bite. Her husband got the bowl of hot water. I put my feet in and he put the ionizer in. While it ran, she sat in a chair opposite me and told me about the wonders of argan oil, especially the one she sells because it is pure, whereas others are not. But she wanted $50 for a one months supply. She put some on my itchy ear and said it was good for age spots and dark circles under the eyes. My ear had stopped itching, but I still thought $50 was an awful lot. Then she told me of the wonders of onion juice. She showed me posters of the $15000 machine that makes the onion extract. She wanted $100 for 50 packets. Too rich for my blood. She asked me how she could get Obamacare. I told her I didn't know and we talked about insurance. Then she said she wanted to hire a licensed massage therapist but did not know how to find one. I couldn't help her with that, either. When the ionizer was done, she took a pic and he brought over the foot massager and the shoulder massager. He removed the needle from my wrist and she applied argan oil to it. 15 minutes later the massages were over. As I went to pay, I asked about what caused the itching. He asked what my source of protein was. I mentioned nuts and chicken and beef. He said no chicken and only a hand-sized piece of beef once a week. I did not promise anything.
After paying and thanking her, I went home. It was raining. I looked up how to apply for Obamacare. I went to the website, but it didn't work. I finished the handsewing on the doublet, and started sewing on the Velcro. Then Leanne called to say she was bringing him back to post. I went to the gate to get him, and read a book until they showed up. They seemed to have had a good time at Lowe Mill.
I drove Herberth back to our place. He was very talkative, as usual. I went in the living room and replaced the last three strings, but one kept coming loose. I decided I would have to take it to the store where they got the strings. Chris pulled steaks from the oven. I put ingredients in the bread machine, and started listening to another interview as I jotted notes for my blog. When the baked potatoes came out, we ate the steaks at the dining room table.
Daylight was fading, but I went for a walk anyway. I tried to stay ahead of the bugs. When I got back, I listened to a few minutes of a paused interview, then paused it again. We watched an episode of inspector lynley. Then it was time for bed. Chris took the loaf of bread from the machine and put it in the fridge. My ear itched again while I typed up my blog. I guess the argan oil wasn't the panacea she said it was.
* That's one way to treat a tick bite. *

The tick

I got up about 8. My wrist was itching and I discovered a tiny tick hanging on. It looked like a speck of dirt, but with glasses and a magnifier, I was able to see that it had legs. I can only assume it came from Russel Cave, but how it took two days to bite me is beyond me. I sewed a seam on the doublet, then turned on the router. I called Faye and left a message. I looked up tick removal. The CDC website said to grab it with a pair of sharp tweezers and pull with even force until the tick releases. So I searched for sharp tweezers but did not find any. I tried fingernail clippers. But I was afraid to close it enough to grab the tick because I might clip it off. I looked up essential oils. There are a bunch they don't like. I added drops to a small bowl and mixed them with coconut oil. Then I dipped a paper towel in it and smothered the tick. But it didn't seem to care. I found a Tick Twister. There were two sizes and I chose the smaller one. I was barely able to get it under the tick. I tried twisting like they said, but it did not release and then it slipped through the slot. I gave up. I read e-mail and listened to audios. I made breakfast and ate it. I baked a batch of seed crackers.
Then I got dressed and put the doublet in a bag. I took it with me to quilting. There were not many women there. Christy borrowed a pair of tweezers and pulled the tick out, but there was still a black speck left inside. She tried to dig it out with a needle. I washed my wrist in the kitchen with soap. Then I forgot about it. I worked on the doublet while the conversation went around the table. Pat came in with freebies donated by someone in her Sunday School class. The fabric looked like feedsack. But there were lots of buttons. I went through them to see if there was anything that would look good on the doublet. Then I helped Pat move the rest to the group closet.
When I had done what I could with the machine, I used handsewing for the trickier parts. I finished whipstitching the lining on the back flap, then packed up. We all went out together. I spied plaintain growing in the grass and picked a leaf to take home. When I got home, Chris and Herberth had just arrived and were doing laundry. I washed the plaintain leaf. I chewed it up and spread it on my itchy ear. I looked at my umbrella to see what specifically was wrong with it. It looked like there was a gray thread running through the spikes at the center top. But when I got some heavy gray thread and went to thread it through, I discovered that it was a piece of wire that broke. I fixed it with thread, hoping that was good enough.
Faye called and I told her about the tick. She told me her tick story and how it ended with doxycycline. She urged me to go to a doc-in-the-box and get a round of it. I took some wormwood complex and made a mental note to see the Korean doctors tomorrow. Herberth helped me move the coffee table and couch so I could vacuum under them. I put strawberries and blueberries in a bowl to eat while I jotted notes for my blog. I read and deleted more e-mail. I practiced playing Lamb of God using the chords I thought were right. Then I started making a salad. Chris' phone rang and it was the interviewer for a job in Korea. I ate the salad while trying to listen to a podcast, but mostly hearing Chris. Then at 7, my tapping buddy called. I did not want to interrupt Chris' interview, so I took my laptop out on the back porch and plugged it in. I found a tub for it to sit on and I sat on a small bench. I had my pad of paper to take notes. And so we talked a bit, then tapped for awhile. And the bugs came out. So finally we signed off.
I thought Chris would be ready to watch TV, but I found him and Herberth sitting on the curb out front. They had been walking around post. I checked the mail, and there was only one envelop, and it wasn't for us. The three of us stood around talking and waving off the bugs. Then we came inside. Herberth kept talking, telling us how members of his family died. Then Chris and I sat down to watch TV, so he went to his room. We watched one episode of Inspector Lynley. Then we checked each other for ticks. And the sheets, too. It took some time. Then I got up to post to my blog.
* Here is a pic of Herberth posing on a log near Russell Cave. *

A day to myself

I got up after hearing my alarm go off. I had been awake, listening to the men get ready for their trip to Atlanta. But they were gone before the alarm. I put up my hair, then went to my sewing area. I cut off part of a front peplum to make the angle closer to 90 degrees and sewed a new seam. Then I turned on the router. I made coffee and checked my laptop. But it was not connected to the internet because it could not find the signal. I went to the desktop to listen to the next episode. It was connected, but there was no sound. I hooked up the external speakers from my laptop and played the episode. I swished and drank water. I cut up some lemons and put them through the blender. Then I poured the mixture in ice cube trays.
When the episode was over, I put on meditation music during my exercises, drybrushing, rebounding, meditating and tapping. When I was done with that, since the laptop still had not connected, I used the desktop to sign into the router, and turned on the 5g signal. For some reason, the laptop could then find both signals. I connected it to the 2.4 signal and turned the 5g off again. From then on, I used the laptop.
Rosehips extract inhibits fat accumulation in tissue and accelerates fat-burning.
I cleaned the bathrooms and kitchen. I carefully cleaned the shower, cautious to avoid straining my back. I think I got away with it. I dustmopped and vacuumed. I cleaned the vacuum filter. I listened to the second episode of Beyond Chemo while making up a new set of supplements. Take-aways: To get mice with cancer for their research, they inject healthy mice with aflatoxin. Doctors check nodes for cancer but not for mycotoxins (mycetoma). A grain-free, sugar-free diet starves fungi. Sporinox (for toenail fungus) also helps with cancer.
I went for a walk. I ran part of the way so as to cut down on the time. When I got back, I took a shower, got dressed, and watered the plants. Then I went for a massage. I arrived shortly before 4. He showed me to the room, and left while I got undressed and under the blanket. Then he came back. I mentioned the tension in my neck and shoulders. So he rubbed my neck and my feet. He said they work together. Then he did some thoracic energy work. It released in my chest. He tried it on my hyoid bone, but it didn't work there. Then he had me turn over so he could rub my back and the back of my neck. I rolled over again for some shoulder work. When the hour was up, he left and I got dressed. I walked out to the front desk rather stiffly because of my lower back. So he took me back to the room and did some psoas relase. That was surprisingly helpful. I paid him, then made an appointment for next week with his wife. And I went home.
I listened to more of episode 2 of Beyond Chemo. I finished my Swansons order and submitted it. I read an article on intermittant fasting for women. The author said there wasn't much research, but he did not recommend it.
At 6:30, I put up my hair which was almost dry. Then I took my umbrella and headed to choir practice. It was not raining when I got there. I put another fabric grocery bag in the food pantry. Then I went to choir practice. Cecelia gave me $10 for the bottle of magnesium I got for her. We all sang through our piece for Sunday, as well as a few hymns. Then the men were dismissed. The women stayed to practice a piece for the following Sunday. I will miss that Sunday, but not the song. After practice, I chatted with Jennifer until I had to leave. I turned out the lights in the vestibule and let the door lock behind me. Then I drove home.
I made it through the gate with 9 minutes to spare. When I got home, I took my evening supplements and checked e-mail. I listened to the last episode of the Human Longevity Project. It was less than an hour. I cut a bit off the stems of the roses and gave them fresh water. Then I settled in to write my blog post for today.
* I didn't take any pics today, so here is one of Russell Cave. *

Russel Cave

I got up at 7:30 after hearing my alarm go off. I got dressed and went to collate the recyclables. I separated them into three bags: paper, plastic, cans. The curbside recycling doesn't take glass. I took the bags outside and found that the bin was already at the street. I walked up to it to put the bags in and discovered a large white trash bag in it. I went inside to ask Chris about it and he said he didn't do it. I remembered Herberth taking the trash out one day so I checked in the trash bin and it was empty. Putting all the clues together, I took the white bag from the recycling and put it in the trash bin. I watered the plants.
Chris said they were going to see Russel Cave and did I want to come along. I asked if they could wait until 11 to go and be back before 6 when the farmer's market closes. Chris said he could not guarantee that. So I ate a fat bomb and went to sewing earlier than usual. When I got there, Jane said as much.
I set up my machine at a back table, then walked up to the table of scrap strips. I handed a bag of my soft sewing trash to Anita for dog beds. Then I picked up a square of backing, one of batting and some strips. A lady came up to me and said she wanted to watch me make a square. So we went back to my machine. I invited her to pull up a chair and I threaded the machine. I explained the process and sewed on a couple of strips. Then I invited her to sew on a few. And I let her pin the next ones. She seemed to enjoy it. She pressed it at the ironing board, and then I showed her how to trim it. She remarked on my choice of colors and I told her to pick one strip that was colorful and then others to go with it. So she started picking out her own to take home and sew. I picked another selection and took them to my table. Beverly set up next to me. She had a quilt she was binding but wanted to see a demonstration of how to connect the ends. I showed her how I pin it, then took it all out and let her try it from scratch. I don't think she'll have any problems. I finished the second block and packed up.
After loading my stuff in the car, I drove to the Asian store and got a package of kimbap. Then I hurried back to base, trying to be on time. Since we were to go visit a cave, I put on some baggy pants and socks. I filled a water bottle with filtered water. Then the three of us got in his car and headed East.
It took about an hour and a half to reach Russel Cave. We spent some time in the visitor's center reading the captions and watching the short movie. Then we walked the boardwalk to the cave. It was more like a large niche, not a tunnel. And we were not supposed to leave the board walk. Apparently lots of artifacts had been dug up covering centuries worth of civilizations.
After visiting the cave, we took the trail. I found the plant I was looking for days ago. I chewed up one leaf and put it behind my right ear. Then we followed the trail. It was several miles of sloped asphalt – quite a workout in the heat. I took lots of pics and Herberth liked taking movie segments and speaking.
When we got back to the building, I refilled my water bottle. Then we went back to the car. Soon after we hit the road, it started to rain. I imagined all the rain falling in my back yard and nourishing the lawn. On the way home, the men talked about going out to eat. They decided on barbeque, so they left me off at the house and went to find a restaurant. I checked the mail, and picked up the empty milk jug from last week. I drove to the farmer's market, finding less traffic than I anticipated. I looked around a bit on the way to the goat farm booth. I handed in the jug, and said I was not ready for more. But the man remembered that I had lived in Korea so he asked me questions about it. The conversation went on and then the rain hit. We continued to talk. I put up my umbrella since I was so close to the side of the tent. The other man there kept emptying the water that was collecting on his side. But I guess no one noticed the water collecting in the back until the tent collapsed, breaking my umbrella. I was soaked and I ran for my car, surprised how deep the water in the parking lot was.
When I got home, I started making a salad. Herberth came in, and put more beer in the fridge. Chris was behind him mouthing 'I tried to stop him'. I checked e-mail as I ate. I realized that I was going to be late for the modern quilt guild meeting. Actually I did not feel like driving since I was still soaked. So I sent a message and relaxed and ate.
Herberth wanted to look at my guitar. So I pointed it out in the closet and he was able to get it down. He opened it up to look at it while I sat down with the doublet. He came back soon and asked if I wanted the good news first or the bad news. I elected for bad. He said one of the strings was broken, but that it was a good guitar. He showed me the broken string. I went back to sewing on the doublet. He took a shower. I tried to fix the string by wapping thread around one end to make it large enough to hold in the bridge. He tried it, but it did not hold. He said he and Chris could pick up new strings in Atlanta. I went back to the doublet. I cut down the front peplum pieces by 1.5 inches. I pinned the peplum pieces on in the the only way I could think of. I started sewing around the edges of the armpits. Chris turned on the TV, so I sat with him and we watched an episode of Inspector Lynley.
Afterward, I took my evening supplements. Chris and Herberth went to bed. I wrote up my blog post and sifted through the pics, looking for the best one. Then I went to bed.
* Guess who? *

The perfectly punctured patient

I woke up about 6:30, and got up to check the time. I went back to bed for a bit because no one else was up. Then I got up to start sewing on the doublet. I had to re-draft the sleeve to get the right shape. The right shape turned out to be the usual sleeve shape but put in reverse: the curved part for the hem and the straight-ish part for the seam. The men finally left to get haircuts, etc. I turned up the volume and finished the rest of episode 6. while it was playing, I made some progress on the doublet and also breakfast. I tried to read e-mail but Yahoo kept crashing, no matter how many windows I closed.
I watered the plants. I loaded my sewing gear in the trunk and went to quilting. I sat with the ladies who were finishing lunch, and socialized. Later we retreated to our machines. I worked on the doublet. I lined the peplum pieces. I sewed the facing in. At 2:30 I packed up. I drank my can of coconut water. I left Lauri there with Mariane and Cheryl.
I went to the chiropractor. My mind was a little distracted and I blamed the coconut water. We chatted in the waiting room and then went to the exam room. He asked the usual questions. I mentioned that I wanted my money back from the wrist manipulation since it was worse after I left than when I came in. He replied that that was not unusual and that he had set it up to crack later: that it healed faster than it would have if he hadn't manipulated it. But, he said he would refund the cost of that manipulation if I wanted. I had to think about his explanation.
I laid down and he felt my neck and said I needed it cracked but since I didn't like it last time, that he would try holding it in different positions until it released. Then I had a hot flash. So he opened his book to the menopause page. He had his secretary make a copy of it for me. It listed herbs, most of which I already had. He told me to bring them next time and he would muscle-test me to see which one or two would be most effective for me. Then he took me to the acupuncture room. He had a menopause acupuncture page. I didn't like where he put some of the needles, but … hot flashes make desperate women.
I did some visualization to relax. He left me there so long that the music ran out. When he came back, he took the needles out, then he had to put some in my back, briefly. Then I was free to go. I paid at the front desk and made an appointment for next week.
I drove home. Chris and Herberth were already there. Chris had a package for me from the post office but he had left it in his car. He went to get it, and when I opened it, all the bottles were really hot. Then I had to reboot my computer in order to read my Yahoo mail.
I made two bowls of salad, and heated some chicken in the toaster oven. I listened to episode 7. It was about older people with a sense of purpose outliving people who don't, even more important than not smoking or having a low BMI. I played around on the piano a bit. Then I wrote chord changes on the copy of Lamb of God.
We watched Lucifer at 7. Herberth came out of his room to wish us good night. Then we watched a DVD of F-Troop episodes. Chris looked up some of the actors and then went to bed. I took my evening supplements and drank kava tea as I typed up my blog post for today.
* This pic is from the yard sale on Saturday. *

Mother's Day surprise

I got up around 7:30. Herberth had just taken his shower, so I took mine and got dressed. I basted the edges of the sleeves for the doublet, then read the card that Chris had left on my laptop. I read e-mail while Chris took his shower. Then they left for the chapel. I ate a fat bomb and some cashews. Then I put a few things in my red purse which matched my red church dress. I took it and all the grocery bags which were mounded up and spilling off of the kitchen table. And I went to church.
I was a bit late leaving, so I sang the song “Get me to the church on time” as I drove. I don't know many of the lyrics so I soon tired of it and tried to think of the lyrics to the song “Wouldn't it be loverly?”. I walked in as the choir was practicing the anthem. I put a reuseable grocery bag in the food panty shelf (the charity requested them). Then I joined the choir. We sang through several times. I got a bullitin and sat in the pew with Don. Cecelia came over to see if I had the magnesium she asked for but I had to tell her it hadn't come yet.
The pastor made a lot of announcements before the service began. One was that a lunch would be served after church by the men in honor of Mother's Day. Our anthem had some lyrics about mothers, but the sermon did not.
After the service, I got in line to greet the pastor. Then I joined the lunch line. I had some fresh fruit and crustless quiche. I talked to a couple I hadn't seen before. I asked Mary (the organist) if she had made a copy of Lamb of God and she hadn't but she did then. She handed it to me on my way out. When I got to the car, I called Chris to meet me at Publix. Then I drove there, slowed by all the traffic of churches letting out at noon.
I threw the pile of used grocery bags in the recycling bin in front of the store. I got a cart and started shopping, thinking Chris would be there any minute. I was starting to get worried when he called. He saw me as I answered and then he took over the cart. Herberth had stayed at the house. So we got the usual groceries and extra eggs and limes for our guest, not knowing exactly what he wanted to eat. As Chris was checking out, I left the store and went home.
When I got home, I changed clothes. Chris came in with the food. I saw the vase of flowers that Herberth had bought for me for Mother's Day. I trimmed the stems and arranged them in the vase. He was busy in his room, so I watered the plants, and then thanked him for his thoughtfulness. He decided to go for a walk to the commissary and PX. I listened to an interview on vaccines. I made and ate my breakfast. After eating, we called Al and Cecily who were at Marie's house. So we also talked to Michele. Then Chris wanted some time alone with me.
I tried to order a present for Dad, but there were so many options. I called and talked to Faye about it. We spoke at length about other things as well. Herberth came back just as I went for a walk. I looked for a special plant to use as a poultice on my ear, but did not find it.
When I got back, I made two bowls of salad. I listened to part of the next episode of the Human Longevity Project while I ate the salad. I paused it to look for trim to put on the sleeves of the doublet. I could not find any. Chris came to let me know he was ready to watch TV. We sat on the couch and watched the next episode of Inspector Lynley. Herberth went to bed at the beginning. After it was over, I found a spider and Chris evicted it. Might be the third one today. Then I sat down to write my blog. I realized that I never made the order and the offer ends at midnight.

Cosplay yard sale

I woke up early, but did not want to get up because I didn't feel like playing hostess. Chris got up though. Finally I could not stay in bed any longer. I got up and dressed and fixed my hair. I sewed a seam but the router was already on. I started reading e-mail. Chris started the laundry. Herberth came out and made scrambled eggs and put them on a tortilla. He talked for awhile. Then he and Chris went to the Space and Rocket Center. I made and ate my breakfast. I took the white load from the washer and put it in the dryer. Then I washed the dark load.
I left the house about 10:30. I went to the Stitchits house and parked. I sat against a tree and started reading a book. When Leanne showed up, I put the book in the car and locked it. I got in her car. She asked for the address of the cosplay yard sale and I just happened to remember it. She typed it into her phone and it gave her voice directions all the way.
We got a good parking space and walked a short way. I went through the stalls, looking for a doublet, but not finding one. I happened upon a book I thought Chris would like, so I bought it for his birthday. Then we stumbled upon (almost literally) two sewing machines. One looked a lot like mine and had the same foot pedal. She said the price was 25ish. We found a place to plug it in and I made sure the pedal worked on both fast and slow speed. I offered her $20 and she said it was worth $30. I offered $25 and she grudgingly accepted. Leanne carried it back to her car while I continued to look around. I found a few pieces of fabric. There was another sewing machine, which did not have a foot. The lady went as low as $10 but I just could not justify another machine. When Leanne found me again, we looked together. She found a book and I found pencils. And we looked at arrowheads but did not need any. Finally I spied two katanas. I called Michele to see if she wanted one, but she did not answer. But I bought one anyway. Then we left.
Patched and Stitches was just around the corner. Leanne brought a quilt top that she wanted to find backing for. We looked around and selected four or five. She picked her favorite and then we discussed binding. She got backing, binding and piping. Then she took me back to my car. I think she would have kept me longer, but I wanted to get the machine home and hide it from Chris before he got home.
When I got home, I brought the machine in and sat it on the floor by my sew-away-from-home stuff. It looked so much like my other one that I figured Chris wouldn't know the difference. I moved the dark load to the dryer. I had a snack and worked on the doublet. I had all the pieces cut out and sewed the darts and shoulder seams. Then I realized I needed some sort of backing for the peplum pieces. Chris and Herberth arrived as I worked it out. Chris laid down for a nap while Herberth talked to me.
I worked on the doublet. He said friends were coming at 4 to pick him up. Beverly called to debug her sewing machine. 4Pm came and went. Finally he said he was going to walk to Gate 8 so I offered him a ride. When we got there, no one was there. But he insisted that I go back home. I asked if he had his phone and he showed it to me. I assumed he could call me if he needed a ride back.
When I got home, I called Beverly back. We had gone through all the usual suspects and I couldn't think of anything else. Chris woke up from his nap and got on his laptop. I drafted some cap sleeves for the doublet. I put on episode 5 of The Human Longevity Project. I had it turned up so I could work at the sewing machine. But soon I sat down to watch the screen because all the centenarians were speaking other languages and I wanted to read the translations. I went for a walk, which took almost an hour. I visited the peony bush in the forest. It was in full bloom. There were some small iris' blooming nearby, but there was poison ivy in the way so I just left.
When I got back, I washed my calves in case of poison. I picked some dandelion in the back yard. I made two bowls of salad and ate them while watching. Chris cooked up the last of the mushrooms for me. When the episode was over, I watched more of the Craftsy class on bindings and edgings.
We watched the next episode of Inspector Lynley. It was one we had seen before, although we did not remember how it worked out. I put some tea tree oil on my itchy ear. Chris got the bedding from the dryer and we dressed the bed. Then he tried calling Herberth again. We hadn't thought to warn him that Gate 8 closes at 9. Chris noticed a Facebook message from Herberth with a different number. Chris called that and told him that only Gate 9 was open. So I typed up my blog while we waited for him. Chris said I could go to bed. So I did.

Not much progress

I got up before 8. I put my hair up because, at its present length, it is too hot to wear down. I removed some things from the guest room to have it ready for tonight. One thing was a roll of yellow tulle. I cut a long piece off and sewed the ends together. Then I carefully placed it over the second tomato plant for its protection.
I turned on the router and assembled ingredients in the bread machine. I drank water while listening to the rest of the episode from yesterday. I paused it near the end to go outside and trim part of the yard. I swept dirt and leaves from the porch, but there was nowhere for it to go. I watered the plants out back and the ones out front. Then I finished the episode and the quart of lemon water. The subject was food, how people years ago ate whatever they had, produced locally, and no more than they needed since it was labor-intensive to produce.
Facebook told me that one of my friends was interested in a local event. So I clicked the link and saw that there was a Yardsale for Nerds and Cosplay. I wondered if there would be doublets there. I told Beverly what street it was on and she seemed to know where it was.
I was outside watering the flowers when the mailman stopped at the bank of mailboxes. I went inside to get my keys. When the truck moved away, I went to get my mail. I threw out the junk ones and laid the other two on Chris' laptop. I threw the bathroom rugs and some fabrics in the wash.
I listened to an interview while making and eating breakfast. I drafted the peplum, then pinned the front, back, and peplum pieces for the doublet to the heavy fabric. I cut out the back, then realized I needed to redraw the front, and that changed the front facing as well. I got a piece of solid brown for the facings and l hunted up a length of interfacing.
I drove to the post office to get the mail. There was a lot of junk and a few bills for Chris. I noticed that the Ghostbusters van parked outside was just leaving as I came out. I took pics, but it was too late to get a good one. Before I returned home, I stopped at the library. I had a romance novel with me that I got at the thrift shop. I perused the book exchange shelf and traded it for a book on health. Then I went home.
I was just about to start watching the next episode of the Human Longevity Project when the front door opened and in walked Chris and Herberth. Chris had said he needed to drive to Tuscaloosa to pick him up, so I wasn't expecting them until 8 or 9. But someone had given Herberth a ride most of the way. The men came in with boxes of beer and some food. Chris was able to stuff it all in our fridge. We all talked for awhile, then the three of us went for a walk. It was only a couple of miles. Chris pointed out the different kinds of trees. Herberth enjoyed seeing the wildlife.
When we got home, I cut out one pattern piece from interfacing. Craftsy was having a free watch weekend, so I started watching a class on linings and facings and interfacings. I did not have much luck finding the information I wanted. But I realized that there was a lot to know that I did not know.
Chris and Herberth decided to go to the Fireman's Pub for supper. I encouraged Chris to change his shirt since he was all sweaty. After the two of them left, I finished the next episode, then started watching Craftsy. But soon the men were back. Apparently the pub was not serving food. Herberth took a shower and went to his room. Chris heated chicken in the oven and made rice. I picked some dandelion from the back yard and made a salad. I had some chicken as well. Herberth came out and talked to us. Then he went back in his room to communicate with people back in Honduras. Later he came back to get a plate of food. I guess he ate it in the guest room.
We watched one episode of Inspector Lynley. Then Chris went to bed. I stayed up to piece my day together and write it down.
* I ain't afraid of no ghosts. *