Wednesday, September 23, 2015

First Day of Autumn

And so it comes, the First Day of Autumn.  Although the temperatures are still moderately warm, I see the leaves changing colors.  I dream of pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, chestnuts, and all things orange, rust and copper.
 
This past weekend was the Midwest Wool Festival.  I was able to get there this year, as last year was my mother's back injury and I was away in New Jersey.  I had budgeted a little bit of money to spend on some wonderful yarns, dyes and fibers.
 
 
I am still obsessed with making socks and I found this amazing red, white and blue blend to add to my stash.  The sock knitting has now taken over from the previous few weeks of doll clothes-stitching.  the cross-stitch?  Well, that has fallen by the wayside entirely.  I go in fits and starts with the crafting......bouncing from one style to another.  Last month is was all about quilting, a craft I had set aside last year.  Suddenly I was trolling the stores for grey and yellow print cottons for a new quilt ( not that there aren't at least FIVE unfinished quilting projects up in the attic room waiting for my attention). Then the quilting bug flew away and I was hot and heavy into doll clothes for the 18" dolls.  I made over a dozen new Fall/Winter outfits, then that mojo faded.
Bring on the Wool Festival and the knitting frenzy!  I finished a pair of socks for my Uncle Raymond while I was visiting my parents.  Then the brown pair in the collage below.....Etsy Marigold Jen "Orion".  The other half-finished pair in Jawoll "Color Aktion" in a nice ombre of rust, burgundy and plum.



Then come the days when I do NOTHING AT ALL.  Just sit in front of the TV mindlessly watching.  Maybe a sign of old-age, or perhaps ADD!

Monday, September 21, 2015

Going Home Again

Another trip to my mom and dad's house is gauged upon how much I can accomplish, and also how much I can get my mom to accomplish. Luckily she still finds some joy in knitting and crocheting. This time around I was also able to repair her sewing machine. This is quite a feat for me since even though I am creative, things to do with machines and fixing machines are not my strong point..


Such a joy to see my wonderful friend Pepper again. She has adjusted to their house so well. It took her almost 4 days to even notice I was there.

She is very attached to my dad now.  She follows him everywhere and does her selection of "tricks" for him.



My dad, at 84, is aging gracefully (in spite of this pose as a homeless man on the living room couch!).  My mother. at 80, has aged too rapidly in the past few years.  She has not been too severely affected by the progression of Parkinsons Disease, but more so by the side effects of the numerous medications she takes.  I think she could probably cut some of the meds in half and totally eliminate many of them.  Luckily the doctors seem to have finally come around to my "expert view" of medicine and cut down her blood regulating drugs.  This has improved things a bit.  I did notice some improvements in mood and energy level.  These high notes where interspersed with the now "usual" outbursts of anger and sadness all multiplied by 1,000!! 



The main accomplishment of this trip was to get my mother to go outside. She hasn't been outside for nearly a year, since her back injury last September.



Is it bad to say that I was a little bit happy to get back on the plane a week later and head home?


All in all things went well and I think I will be able to stay at my house and my job for a while longer.  I know I can be useful to them, but I wish I could just bring them more joy....