Saturday 28 July 2007

That worked

I may need to resize the original pictures a little, so they're not too hard to view when clicked on. I should really figure out what album site is best for viewing pictures, so I can add an album on the side-bar.

Anyway, here's the shrug I just finished. I really dislike these pictures of myself, but I dislike more seeing pictures of finished knitting just laid out flat, if it's clothing.

Yarn info etc - Katia Denim (cotton blend ribbon with fringed edges.) Quick knit side to side on US 11 needles.
Ok, I think that's it for now. May you have the peace of the Lord!

Camera connection works again!!

This is my first attempt at pictures, so bear with me. I think you can click the picture to get a bigger shot, but I'll have to test that theory out once I post it. I put them in small, since I always prefer the page to load faster and then to click on pictures I want to see closer.

Wrist warmers/fingerless mitts below made from Elann Esprit, 2x2 rib, size 7 needles. I don't know how long they took, since I was just doing them bit by bit at Bible study. I didn't use a pattern (have yet to learn how to read a pattern,) but just cast on 50 stitches for each on one circular needle and knit them flat at once from two balls of yarn, then sewed them up, leaving a thumb hole.


I'm going to see how this posts, so I know if I need to change anything doing pictures, then I'll do another one with a few more pics.

Wednesday 25 July 2007

still no pictures

Thanks, Linda, for commenting (and Eve, if I never thanked you before.) I've found out quickly that it feels pointless to blog just for myself. If I want to do that, why put it online? lol

I haven't tested the camera connection again, since I haven't wanted to risk the blue-screen when I've got stuff going. I'm still pondering possible fixes too.

I got a phone call today asking about how to start an email group, like the yahoo groups I've started. I was rather startled. I caught the last name as one I knew, but not the first name. She did say who had directed her my way though, so I did my best to help. I then asked at supper who I'd been talking to! They knew immediately what I was asking, so now I know who I talked to. LOL Hopefully I was able to help. I haven't heard back from her, so I'll hope no news is good news.

We had corn on the cob tonight for dinner. I like corn on the cob, but for a long time I've cut it off the cob as my preferred way to eat it. The kids had interesting comments on this though. Someone commented that they felt sorry for "adults" who had to cut it off to eat it. I had to chuckle, because it's true I'd find it hard to chew the corn off the cob anymore, what with "boughten" teeth. I preferred cutting it off before that though.

A couple nights ago as I opened the door to take Lexy out, a little brown scorpion scuttled in the door. I couldn't do anything about sending it back outside while I had Lexy, because she was so all fired ready to play with it. I had to get her around it, get her back in after doing her business, then once I had her settled, go back to see if I could catch it and put it back outside. It was still there when I brought Lexy back in, but by the time I went back with some long tweezers to find it, it was gone. I keep wondering where it went. Considering the fact that I've found three of them inside the basement before, I'm sure there have been others I've never seen. It doesn't do any good to worry about it, but I keep wondering if I Should be worrying about it.. lol

I would dearly love to be able to get good pictures of many bugs down here! Oops... I got thinking on bugs and went on a beetle search and forgot to finish this... lol The kids have found Hercules beetles several times that are bigger than the end of my thumb and I was trying to figure out what they were. Anyway, I think it would be fun to share pictures with the kids out west of some of the crazy bugs here. I'd best finish this off and get to bed! I really lost track of time! God bless!

Tuesday 24 July 2007

Finished projects, but no pictures

I finished two knitting projects tonight (both were almost done) and I even took pictures, but now I can't post the pictures, as I'd hoped to. I hooked up the camera to the computer and it promptly blue-screened. Once the computer restarted, I thought perhaps with nothing else open it would work... another blue-screen... and a third. Now I'll have to figure out what's wrong with my camera connection... or maybe the problem will just go away.... hey, I can hope, can't I? It's going to be really wretched if I can't get my pictures onto the computer after the reunion!! What a pain! Anyway, I did finish a shrug and a pair of wrist warmers that I've been working on a while. We're supposed to have Bible study on Tuesday nights, but lately it's just been visiting, since most people seem too busy to come while it's summer. I did my finishing work while we visited.

I've had some times of wonderful relief from the worst of the pain in the last few days. Sunday I was able to do four loads of laundry (which involves going up and down the stairs, which gets difficult.) I got through all of it before my foot acted up enough to slow me down. That was really a great feeling! Today I took a shower. Now I know that doesn't sound like anything, but recently I've been breaking it down to washing my hair, shaving my legs, and showering the rest of me separately, so as to cut down on the time I was on my feet and give time in between for my foot to calm down. That might be in the realm of too much information, so I won't go into anymore detail.

The things that's striking about good days (so far as pain) is that they show me just how useless I am most of the time. When a good day is being able to take a shower without breaking it into increments... well, what can I say about that... it just seems pathetic. I've reached the point where I can't get the words out that I want to, so I'll have to stop again for now. For a long time God has been giving me songs (or just the tune first) that carry a message for me. I often have tunes in my head, but sometimes I just know I need to remember and consider the words to hear what the Lord is telling me. Not too long ago I woke up with line "God has given you his promise that he hears and answers prayer" in my head. I am clinging to that promise hard, because I feel my life very well may depend on it. He is my only hope and the only reason I'm able to go on.

Tuesday 17 July 2007

Titles are back..

Not that it matters much. I can't seem to write lately. Do you have to be an official "writer" to get writer's block? I'd put a picture in here, but I can't settle on what to put in either. Maybe I'll just tear my hair out in frustration, because there's a Lot inside wanting to come out, but it's bottled up tight. Maybe I'll try again later...

Sunday 8 July 2007

Wow, I've seen a few other people's posts about not being allowed to write a title and now I see what they mean! The title box won't even take the cursor.

If my sleep schedule stays as close to "normal" as it has been lately, I'm going to have to try post here earlier in the evening. It's not yet 10pm and my mind is a fog. This schedule shift has also made me almost constantly tired, but perhaps that will pass. I had hoped to wake up in time to get to church today. I prayed quite specifically as I was going to sleep last night. First that I hoped to wake up in time and be refreshed, even though I'd be getting a less sleep than usual and then that if I did not wake up, I wouldn't beat myself up about it, or think that God hadn't been listening, but just accept it and go on with the day.

Well, I did not wake up. I had two alarms set and I heard neither, though when I did wake up to hearing the door close as everyone else left for church, I had a bit of a tune from the CD alarm still in my head. By then the alarm would have shut itself off a half hour before. The most striking thing was that I remembered my prayer (especially the part about not beating myself up) the moment I woke and I was able to simply accept it. Not so many years ago, I'd have thought praying for help waking up was foolish, or irreverent, or just plain wrong in some way, but I've struggled for years with this. I've also changed my thinking on what sort of things God cares about concerning His children. Whenever I pray for help waking up and I get it, it's quite clear it's God's doing and I'm thankful for it, but when I still don't wake up, I always think there had to be something I could have done to try harder. Why is it so hard for me to imagine that God could say no to that prayer? It's still a quandary for me, but enough of that for now.

I also had a strange and disturbing dream about someone I barely know, having only spent time with them in a group a couple times. This person is fairly recently divorced and when I saw them last, I was concerned, knowing they were in that terribly risky time when the hurt and rejection of the divorce, brought on by infidelity, left them extremely vulnerable. The risks of ugly entanglements during that time are so high. Some people come through it ok and others are left with scars and even habits that affect them for a lifetime. Divorce itself leaves enough lasting scars without more added. Anyway, I had heard that this person did run wild and has been left with lasting consequences and that's probably why I dreamed about them.

I dreamed that I was praying for them and then somehow I realized that it was too late to pray for them, because they'd taken their own life. When I woke up and remembered it, I was very disturbed by it. I certainly hope it had nothing to do with reality and was simply born of my worry for them!! I also pray that if God would have me reach out to them in some way, He'll show me how and give me the strength to do so!
"If I gained the world, but lost the Savior..." oh what desolation that would be!! Hold fast to Jesus!

Thursday 5 July 2007

Poor neglected blog :(

I have been trying to continue with regular posts here, but life has been pretty chaotic lately by my standard, which doesn't take all that much. My brother threw a curve in the mix yesterday when he asked me to set up a group email aimed at helping people dealing with loss. As unexpected as that was, I knew I could manage the set-up part and if I didn't run with it immediately, I might get overwhelmed by the "you can't manage that" thoughts. The fact is, I do have more time than most and I also have the know-how to set it up. With that now done, the rest of the details can be worked out by more than must me.

I'm excited about it, even though my poor brain has been wearing me out trying to figure out all the details alone. I'm told there's a great need and I believe it! I'm praying that God is the power behind it, because without Him it'll never fly. We've already got three members and a couple others invited, officially, or unofficially.

I was so tired a bit ago, then I got a second wind and thought I would be able to write more, but that second wind just took a nose dive. I'm done in and tired of being tired, but I'd better head for bed and try again later.

"In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3: 6 I hope God will show me ever better how to do that!

Monday 2 July 2007

worn out

I've been too tired to write anything during the convention. I don't want to let this die off to nothing though, so I figured I'd best try come up with a post. I made it to the first night's service at the church. That was really nice, but terrifying at the same time, since it was the first time I used my wheelchair in public since I had an obviously broken ankle to help explain it. I got through and it was definately worth it for the sermons and singing. When I tried to sleep that night I sure wondered though! I was sick with pain and frustrated to tears over that. God helped me through that and answered my prayers about being able to manage attending more services. I think I may have had some sort of virus adding to the pain. I'd had awful pain through my arms and shoulders for what felt like a very long time, though it probably wasn't more than a month or two and I'd begun to think it was another thing being caused by my RSD. The next day (Thursday) that pain in my shoulders and arms was gone and I was able to think of attending more of convention.

I'm too exhausted to fill in much more, so I'll just get the basics in. Thursday night my niece brought me to the gathering for a while and I got to sing more. The singing was the main reason I was drawn to the gatherings, since it was mostly youth and they almost all seemed So Young to me. Friday my friend picked me up for evening services and then we went to the gathering for a while after. Saturday I went nowhere... too tired and no one to take me anywhere anyway. The same friend who took me Friday evening took me to services Sunday evening. Every day I've been as tired, or more so, as I would have been before from going to the whole convention before.

Anyway, I'm writing in fits and starts and better get some sleep so I can think clearly and feel better tomorrow, I hope! I thank and praise God for making it possible for me to attend as much as I did!