life goes on...

Since our car is incapacitated and grandson is using the truck for work and college, DH and I are basically non-mobile for the most part. Of course we can always drop grandson off at work and keep the car, but unless something pressing comes up, it hasn't been necessary.  We will have to make a decision as to what we want to do about a car in the next few weeks.

We did make a run to Best Buy yesterday to take advantage of their Labor Day sale to buy a new smart TV. Our old one is 10 years old and now has a solid red stripe down the middle. Luckily the new TVs these days are not that expensive. We got a 43 inch LG Ultra HD one for $350... which I feel is pretty reasonable. 

My yoga/aerobic class started today, but with my bruises decided that I wouldn't go this week and give myself a little more time to heal. Pottery/Ceramics starts again this Saturday. Can't wait!

egg birdhouse I'm working on...

DH dropped me off Sunday morning at Starbucks. And old friend of mine and I had planned to get together for coffee this weekend before my car accident... and I didn't want to miss seeing her. We used to work together before we both retired. She's another voracious reader and has several kindles loaded up. I have one of her old ones and when I run out of actual books to read... am glad to pick up the kindle. 

At the moment I'm reading both Dan Brown's Origin (actual book) and one of the Detective Lavender's mysteries (kindle).  "Origin" is typical Dan Brown. I've read all of his books, but I have to say that this one's premise is fascinating. The amount of research in his stories is amazing... and the places he describes! 

Well, that's my contribution to the world of blogging this week... nothing too exciting I'm happy to say after last week. I hope all of you are staying healthy and safe... and will enjoy a wonderful Labor Day weekend! 

...the lizard that lives on our porch next to the nest doorbell.   

more info I didn't need to know...

My car accident was Wednesday afternoon. Got home from the ER around 8PM that evening.  Had taken a Tylenol and slept fairly well that night. Thursday I was just sore and noticed more bruising popping up here and there. But by Thursday night my right arm had turned from red to blue, there was a large hard knot under the skin... and it hurt to move my fingers (which worried me). 

So I called my family physician. Was told the same thing as Wednesday that they couldn't see 'car accident' cases and to go to the ER. (I had already done this Wed. so I thought surely they would see a follow-call - apparently not - more new info). 

So DH and I returned to the ER and addressed the arm issue. They examined and x-rayed it, and seeing the amount of new bruising on my chest and abdomen decided to run a CT of that area. As it turns out, all is still well... just deep bruising and contusions that should go away in a few weeks.

Told my daughter that it looks like someone beat me up.  But seriously, I'm not complaining. It could have been a lot worse - no broken bones, no internal injuries. I had one person see my bruises and asked me if I had fallen... guess that comes with the territory (age). 

OK... more info I learned: the ER gives you a car accident form to fill out and mail back to the hospital within 3 days. The info they ask for is info only the police report has - like name of the other driver, other driver's insurance, etc. So we call to get the police report... apparently they have 10 days to file a report. So....?? We either send in an incomplete form or we wait until the police report is made available. Still waiting.

Guess like everything else in life, it's been a learning experience.

Oh... and a blessing that did come out of the last few days - Oahu didn't get much of anything from the hurricane. From what I gather from the news and my son there, it basically fizzled out before it got too close. They may get a bit of rain, but that's about it. Thank God for that!!  

And of course we heard yesterday of John McCain's passing. I was surprised as it seemed to come so close on the heals of the news that he was foregoing further treatment for the cancer. However, it seems that he died as he lived 'honorably'... and the world will mourn his loss. 

That's all I have. Hope your weekend has been good. Since I can't physically sit with you and  share these words over a cup of coffee, I'll have to be content to do it virtually.  Thanks for reading!


Our black and whites say hello! Ghost is NOT in a good mood today. She woke up on the wrong side and has been hissing at me all day... 

Tux

Julie

Accident!

Hurricane Lane heading to Hawaii

In the mist of Hurricane Lane bearing down on the Hawaiian islands... and me texting our son about the possibility of "flying out of there" while there's still time... (Wednesday morning)

what do I do? ... but have a car accident Wednesday afternoon! Police! Fire Engines! Paramedics! Etc! (It's amazing how fast all those people showed up). 

Probably totaled our old car (1995 Grand Marquis). It was my mom's and we thought we might get another year out of it... apparently not.

No one was seriously hurt (thank God) and I refused the ambulance. The paramedics did bandage my left arm that was bruised and bleeding from the air bag. However, once I was home, both the insurance lady I spoke with and my daughter-in-law who is a nurse recommended that I go to the emergency room because although my  obvious wounds seemed not life-threatening, I was complaining of a loud ringing in my ears and some dizziness (and I was still shaking from the obvious shock of it all).

So DH and I went to the ER where they did a CT scan of my head and an x-ray of my arm. Both were fine.  So... just bruises and contusions  on my arms from the air bags and across my chest and stomach from the seat belt. We got home about 8pm. 

This morning... just sore. And although my ears are no longer ringing (which I was told by someone that might have been caused by the impact or the sound of the air bags exploding?), my hearing still seems a bit 'off '. Weird...

left and right arms...










When I was asked if anything hurt... both on the street and in the ER,  I said "no... but my arms burned?".  I was told that this was due to the powder used in the exploding air bags (didn't know that... you learn something new all the time - would rather have not learned this.)

I also learned that it smells like something's burning as I thought the car was on fire after the impact and explosion of the air bags. My driver's door was jammed from the impact and wouldn't open. I tried several times. Smelled what I thought was something burning and tried to get out... but was pressed up against the steering wheel. Finally I thought to see if the seat would still move backwards and it did! So I climbed out from the passenger side.

Have to admit that I'm still in shock over this incident. I've gone all these years without an accident and thought I was a pretty cautious driver, but now...   All I can say is that I'm so very happy that no one was seriously hurt. But now that I've experienced this, my mind keeps replaying that moment of impact. 

And... Hurricane Lane is due to arrive around Honolulu sometime in the next few hours.  Keeping track on CNN.

cats, grandkids, pottery, and books...

Ghost and Tux sleeping by the Aga

Today was a very busy day (not for the cats as you can see). It was our youngest grand daughter's first day of Kindergarten and we were all apprehensive. As it turned out, she did just fine... and I think she even enjoyed it. Today was only until noon, but tomorrow is until 3. She says she's looking forward to recess tomorrow so they can go out and play on the playground... (she explained to me that there wasn't enough time for recess today since it was only a half day)

I'm working on a few more clay projects, more windchimes, another bluebird soap dish, and an egg shaped bird house. Once I get them a little further along, I'll post a few pics on the Cheeky Chickens Studio site. By the time the new semester starts at the end of August, I should have several things to fire.

BTW, my jaw is definitely better. I don't want to talk too soon, but although I'm still careful with it, the TMJ inflammation or whatever it was seems to be gradually going away. (Hurray!) 

There's been so much political uproar on the news that I've basically 'tuned it out'.  Sometimes I think people are losing their minds. That's all I'll say on that subject.

I am reading a good book written by an 85 year old woman that decided to take notes while living in a home for the aged. Actually it's 3 books in one, "Out to Pasture", "Over what Hill?", and "Older but Wilder". The author is Effie Wilder and her stories are both insightful and funny. 

Oh, and I tried a new recipe from Cast Iron Comfort Food magazine today to celebrate grand daughter's first day of Kindergarten. It's a giant snickerdoodle cookie made in a cast iron skillet. DH actually saw this recipe in the magazine at CM and promptly bought it for me. They do have some other good recipes in it too...

Cast Iron magazine

Snickerdoodle in cast iron skillet

Happy Wednesday!

jaw still hurting...

It's been a strange week... feeling better, but jaw still hurting - Tylenol X-tra strength helps. If it's TMJ, I'm not wearing a mouth piece and I'm not taking meds - so I guess I have to add it to another of age's inconveniences (at least for now). Eating soft foods and being very careful when I sneeze or yawn helps.

I have been working on some new clay pieces. Click here if you'd like to see them  or  just go to my Cheeky Chickens Studio (should be listed over to the right under "New Blog").

Have a wonderful weekend!

Have you noticed....? Also quilts and cats!

I have noticed that now I get my email notifications on my iPhone for comments left on my blogs... but only AFTER I publish the 'comments awaiting modification'.  This isn't exactly a  email notification of comments since I have to look for them under 'comments awaiting modification' first. Does this make sense or is it only me?

Before I used to get the comments awaiting modification notification on my phone and only after I 'published' them would they appear in my blog. This seems to make more sense. What do you think?

OK, having gotten that off my mind, I will share some photos I took at the Plano Quilt Show this past week.

This was my good friend's quilt and my picture doesn't do it justice since the light from above was casting a shadow on the bottom. It won a Blue Ribbon (first prize in her category).

This was just another that I found the pattern eye pleasing...

and another that the colors were comforting.

And this one was my favorite... very sweet.
Again shadows mess up the lower left half.

close up of  last quilt

These quilts (IMO) are not functional quilts (made to cover beds), but rather "art" best shown as wall hangings, etc. I enjoy quilting, but don't ever aspire to be a master quilter. 

As with my writing, pottery, etc. I enjoy the process of creating immensely, but for whatever reason don't have the desire to be 'the best'. Perhaps this is a flaw? No competitive spirit? As I've  mentioned before, my older sister once told me I was "too content". That sounded like a flaw. 

It's a little late to worry about flaws at 73. But it does seem that people who have a  lot to overcome are more motivated - to be the best!  So perhaps who we really are is truly both a product of our genetics (personality) and our environment (conditions under which we were brought up).  Any comments on this?

My comment: I may never be great at what I do... but I do enjoy it!

And I'm going to leave you with 2 pics of Tux while he was lying on my lap the other night. They are in black and white as they seem to show his 'expressions' better. The first is of him lying peacefully with eyes closed. The second is of him giving me 'the look' for disturbing him.

peaceful

"really?"

Have a great Sunday!

Forgot a quilt pic! (will post next time)

a good Sunday....

For those of you who know, I've been a bit under the weather this week after getting the DPT injection. I checked and apparently the one I got was a combination; Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus. Can't really explain how it made me feel, but it was weird... sore, headachy, and extremely tired. So I basically slept through the week. But...

I woke up Sunday morning around 2:00 am... drenched in sweat... and suddenly realized that "I felt good"! My jaw is still sore, but I'm pretty sure it's TMJ and it hasn't gotten any worse.  But I'm so happy to feel good again!

Thought I'd send a few pics of my finished wind chime. It has definitely been a learning experience. I will make more as I really like wind chimes and have learned some of the pitfalls. Firsts of all, I didn't realize until I was putting it together this morning that some of the holes I had made for the strings had been glazed over. This was a real problem as those pieces wouldn't even drill out. So I improvised.  Then I realized that the piece that should be in the very center of the chimes themselves should have had 4-5 holes in it - not just the one in the center. This piece holds the actual chimes apart. Another mistake! 

But I put it together the best I could and still like it. The colors are exactly what I wanted, even if the shape isn't. Here is a picture:

outside on our tree

pieces up close

I was trying to get a close up picture inside and had hung up some cloth in the kitchen and if you will look closely at the next pic, you will see a paw playing with the strings underneath.

see paw?

I

It turns out Tux had climbed up on the counter and was after the strings I had cut.

Tux with strings

So these are my first wind chimes. I'm sure I'll do better for the next set. And here's a picture of my finished cheeky chickens soap dish.

Since it would be exposed to water, I had to glaze it so it wouldn't be porous. I used a matt glaze and was happy with the result.

Thanks so much for reading! Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!

feeling great... not so much

Wow! Knocked for a loop today. Got a Tetanus shot yesterday due to a wound I got in San Antonio from a rusty screen door. Wound looks fine, no redness, no infection... but it's been a while since I've had a Tetanus injection... so to be safe I went in for one.  

Didn't feel too well this morning. Expected my arm to be sore, but didn't expect to feel so tired, achy, low grade fever, etc. 

Had my annual appointment with my Oncologist today and when he asked me how I was feeling, I told him... "usually great, but this morning... not so much". He said that the Tetanus injection was usually combined with other things and that it wasn't unusual for me to feel this way for a day or so while the body reacts to the vaccine. 

Good to know. I came home, took a Tylenol with a cup of tea and slept the day away.

(The cartoon at the top reminded me that I had to pay to have a test run because no one was sure if Medicare would pay for it... said they 'might'... but probably not.)