Dedication

Let's move into September with

Want to?

Abatement

"Abate" is a good description of how I'm feeling today.  There's still that weird skin feeling, and my head hurts like there's a fever, but overall, I'm good.

I finished this book yesterday:

 

Yep, Kim read another non-fiction book about something disastrous.  Hannah and I once had a long discussion about Dyatlov Pass, and came up with several theories, many covered here.  And yes, they do put forth what is probably the correct explanation.

Wait. I Feel This Bad, and I'm Not Even Really Sick?

All the shots yesterday made sleeping last night practically impossible.  Both arms are so sore, I couldn't get comfortable.  Plus, I was having chills and a feverish headache. . .  Generally unpleasant.  Getting deeper into today has given me some ease, but, not a full erasure of symptoms.  What's the old saw about the cure being worse than the illness?

Inoculations

Left arm shingles.

Right arm flu, COVID, and not-very-sticky bandages.  

Thank you, CVS.  The shingles arm is getting sorer and sorer.  I've never had that shot before, so I'm anxious to see what happens.  The flu shot always makes me flu-ish, so I'm waiting for that to kick in.

If you haven't yet, go get the vaccines you're due.  And may your band-aids have stronger adhesive than mine.

 

Aspirational

Oooooh, look how near The End of The Blue is!  There is still much, much backstitching to be done.  My current plan is to set this aside for a little bit, coming back to it with fresh eyes.

Also aspirational in my cross-stitch world, the designs of Sally King.  An example here:

She has created an entire line of shoe designs, and they are incredibly imaginative.  Go to the website to see more.

Rotating Views

Big screen: DNC Convention.

Kindle: NFL game.

You? 

Simulating Content

Y'all, I've been trying to come up with things to say, and I've repeatedly come up short. 

The Girl with Rabbit cross-stitch is chugging along.  I've finished the front and one sleeve of the Sierra Yarn sweater, plus the back is cast on.

I finished Elizabeth Keckley's book (it was splendid).  Keeping the White House theme going, I've just received this, and am anxious to start it.  I was/am a huge "West Wing" fan;  so many remarkable actors, sharp writing, scenes that can still make me cry.  Martin Sheen, you are genuinely adored in this house.  Adored.

Educated, Still Unmedicated

Revisiting Matthew Perry's ketamine-related death has pretty much closed the door on my using it for my depression.  I realize his case, his history, his physiology are all likely very different from mine.  Still, that story has given me great pause.

Besides, we are still tinkering with my daily medications.  I need to let that settle down and settle in before a definitive answer about ketamine is made.

Opinionated

I put chips on a lot of my sandwiches.  The best chip for that is, of course,

The best chip, of course, of any type, is one that

is folded over like a taco shell.

Yes, I had a sandwich and some chips for lunch.

Otherwise, not much to report.  Therapy, dropping off new prescriptions, bookstore.  It has truly felt like a Monday for some reason.  All day.  Weird.

Participation Certificate

Hooray for me!  I crafted so much yesterday!  Every minute that I did was spent on this:

I mean, I didn't work on anything else.  You can scarcely tell it, I know.  Those little wispy swirls above her head?  I'm going to cover them up with blue, as you can see.  They don't really connect with anything, and covering them doesn't take away from the picture.

Today, my attention has been on this little guy:

All that's left is the dog's head.  Well, parts of the head.  I've run out of a couple of colors I need.  Then there will be deciding on how to back it.

An Appreciation

 If you think about it, knitting needles are magic wands of a sort.

 

State to State

Stunning String is currently doing something fairly remarkable.  It's called "Knit Across America," and each day features a different state.  You can buy kits and a tote bag "from" each state.  It's an ingenious idea.  If you're interested, click on through and see where they've been.

Excuse Me While I Advocate

New Shirt Day!

The State of Tiny Needes

Yeah, not gonna talk about the Girl with Rabbit this time.  Rather, another printed cross-stitch piece:

A dog/puppy bookmark, so big it could easily be used in a coffee table book. It's going relatively quickly.  These pre-printed ones provide relief from continually miscounting rows on blank fabric.  The last couple of pieces like that I've screwed up.

Narration: My Saturday

 At 4 AM, this little face started ever-so-gently booping my nose.

To which I had to reply, "Maddie, this is not breakfast time.  Breakfast is at 6:30."  I'm thinking, "How am I/is she going to make it 2 1/2 hours?"  I admit, she booped sporadically over those hours, but we made it.

Then I went back to bed.

When I got up again, took Tap out, cleaned the kitchen up a bit, then sat on the couch.  While there, I made a dishcloth,

made a few rows' progress on the sweater sleeve, worked on Girl's hair,

finished "The Fall of the House of Usher"*, and opened a new stitching kit to find the needles in this adorable little tube.

Usually you have to open kits really carefully so as not to lose the needle, so I truly appreciate this.

For dinner, I had soup and saltine crackers.  Boy, it has been a minute since I had soup and crackers.

And now I'm blogging.  How's your day been?

Uncleaning the Slate

Postcards have been helpful in kickstarting a bit of my collage energy.  Once again, let me remind you that I'm a minimalist.

None of them have names yet.  The woman in the last one is an image I've had and really liked for a long time. 

   So, how's everyone's August going  

so far?