New Year

I always like to get a new cross stitch project to start on New Year's day and work on during the winter months.  This is what I settled on this year--sorry it is blurry, I couldn't enlarge it without the blurs.  The pattern cost $7.50.  I already have all the embroidery yarn I will need the the light blue Aida-14ct cloth.  I think this is going to be complicated, a lot of work and beautiful when it is done.

I got the tree and all the decorations put away.  What I used to do in 3-4 hours, now takes me 3-4 days.  My back is killing me and I know it would get better if I just went to physical therapy, but I can't get motivated to go 2-3 times a week--even though the place is only 1 mile away from home.
GEEZ LOUISE--I am such a stick-in-the-mud!!!  It still surprised me that I was strong enough this year to do it all in one day.

Today I did 6 loads of laundry, vacuum, dusted and cleaned, living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom and put my hanging room divider back up, without dropping any of the blown glass balls.  Have hauled out two cans of rubbish for tomorrow pick-up and tomorrow I WILL start on this room.

I can't even bring myself to show you a photo of this room.  There are papers and boxes, cocoa mugs, USB port wires--scrapbooks and extra yarn laying all over in here--plus dust is very visible on every surface.  Why I haven't attacked it long before now, is some kind of mystery.

It's simple enough,  start at the doorway and worked my way around clock-wise--to the right.  It does get messy when I am working on a genealogy and have extra folding tables and stacks of print-outs sitting in here, but I don't have that excuse.  I finished my last one and mailed it out on the 21st.

The one I did for the young woman--for free--and have heard nothing back from her.  Which I suppose is typical.  As I remember her, she never said Thank-You all the time (2.5 years) I knew here.  Guess just because she is now 23, she hasn't changed.
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The cute little white cloche hat I made for the baby, wouldn't even fit over her head.  3-6 months size--on the large size of that.  So I am remaking it in 12 months size--hoping that might fit, at least in and through the spring.  

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The latest report I have on Dar--on her 9th doctor.  No one can find anything that resulted from her accident 7 months ago.  Her insurance has dropped her $$$ from the other insurance company.  Her personal injury attorney has told her she doesn't have much of a case, and the Meijer store she worked for is going to fire her.  BUT--even I wonder, why a woman could work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, standing up all the time as a cashier and only after this accident, is she in such pain she can barely walk, sit or sleep.  Could it all be psychosomatic?  

The last time I saw her, she was upset that her son hadn't called or come to visit her Dad.  The son that she kicked out, along with two grandchildren, and told him never to come back again--that son.  She invited her older son to live with her and Dad, while he gets "established" after his last stint in re-hab--the same one she vowed she would never let in her house--and three months later, has found out he is drinking again.

Her 95  year old father is driving her nuts--we ALL knew that would happen--because he HAS to go out either for breakfast, supper or an ice cream cone every day.  No matter what.  When we had the big 9 inch snow storm--she had to call a professional to come clear the driveway and part of the streets in the park so she and Dada could get out onto the road.
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As for Merle and Pearl.  I need to get down and visit them again--maybe tomorrow.  Merle is doing great!  Once his Parkinson's was diagnosed and they got him on the meds for it. he's a new man.  He walks or rides his bike all over the park every day.  His hands don't shake anymore and his voice is clear and strong.  He shovels his own driveway!  Takes out the garbage and -
Just got a phone call from Pearl to come right down!

I ran out of here in my slippers and no coat and walked really fast.  I thought maybe she was in trouble and Merle wasn't home.    

Whew!  Nothing wrong.  Merle and their daughter were grocery shopping and Pearl?  She just wanted to show me a glass butterfly she had bought for herself.

She can't put a complete sentence together without forgetting words.  I try and think of what she might be trying to say, or a place she is trying to tell me about, so I can help.  She is failing and knows it.  She is back at another physical therapy place where they are trying to get her body "opened up", so she can walk better.  She is using a walker and can barely walk with that! She has fallen twice in the grocery store because the cart moves too fast and she can keep up with it, so down she goes onto her knees.  She fell last week, trying to get out of bed and to the bathroom in the middle of the night.  She is so heavy that Merle couldn't get her up, so he had to call 911 to come help.

I feel bad and know she is in a lot of pain, but in reality--it IS her own fault.  A couple of years ago, she mentioned that she just wanted to be in a wheel chair and she stopped moving around very much.  She is at least 80 pounds overweight, which of course is causing pain in her knees and feet.  She mainly sits in her chair and watches TV all day.  Once you stop moving, you're in trouble.  

I have explained it all to her and she knows it.  This is her third physical therapy this year alone, but she never keeps up with it.  Won't do any of the recommended "at home" exercises.

She has someone come in and clean every week and her daughter gets her groceries for her.  I would LOVE to have someone get groceries for me, but.......I purposefully go to Walmart--start at the Pharmacy end of the store and walk up and down aisles on my way to the other side of the store.  I figure that's about the only good exercise I get in the winter and I count my steps.  It's 400 steps from the sports area over to the grocery area.  I know I can walk 400 steps now, so sometimes, I walk in at the grocery door, walk over to the pharmacy and then to the back of the store than over to the grocery side--just to increase my steps.

Pearl relies on her husband and her daughter's a lot.  I don't have that luxury, so I gotta keep my own self in some sort of shape or my goose is cooked!!!

I'm ready for the new year.  My house will be ready for the new year by end of tomorrow.  Bring on the Bowl games and my annual snack plate of Summer Sausage, sharp cheddar cheese, Ritz crackers and Sweet Bread and Butter pickles.