Been on vacation part 2

Because Richard is in stage 5 of Alzheimer's, about the only way we can travel anymore is if someone goes with us or we take tours with groups. For a variety of reasons, the tour groups seem to be working out best. They're fun, cost-effective, and I don't have to drive or organize anything except our suitcases! I can ride and knit (again). The only problem is that there's very little time to go off on your own so I've missed yarn shops in several places but that's the way it goes!

We just last week went to Nashville and thru St. Louis, Memphis, and Little Rock. We had a tour of St. Louis—beautiful city they've really invested a lot of money into themselves. Lots of public art, sports arenas, other tour attractions, and food. We had dinner at the Bevo, a German restaurant built as a windmill--been there a while I think. Our hotel was across the street from the Arches. I opted not to ride to the top but enjoyed looking at them from below.








In Nashville, we had a tour of the city, visited the Ryman Auditorium (see previous post), the Country Music Hall of Fame, had a dinner tour on a riverboat on the Cumberland River,





attended the Grand Ole Opry (I was almost disappointed Friday night show is a little lame compared to The Saturday night show), the Hermitage which was in reality a plantation.



We ate and walked and ate some more. We hurried up and waited, hurried up and waited and so on....




Saturday morning we headed to Memphis for lunch in a blues café, a Rock and Roll tour of Memphis, and some shopping. Same day on to Little Rock and the Crowne Plaza Hotel which was fabulous. Talk about customer service-they were really amazing. Home on Sunday.

Richard did really well until about the 5th. day and it seems that he'd had enough. He didn't get ugly just confused; the (organized) chaos gets to him. Too much stimulation confuses him and he becomes unable to manage even silverware. So we spent some time in our room or just quietly walking around to settle his brain. It just shuts down when confused. He had a good time and enjoyed all the music of which there was a lot.
Did I mention the Coyote Ugly Café? And the pictures on the bar? And the waitress draped all over him?
























That would be (pleasingly plump ha!!) me on the left....



I finished my Lady Eleanor made with Noro Silk Garden. You just can't beat Noro for colors but there seems to be a lot of knots in the balls of yarn. At least that was my experience. But it's wonderful otherwise and I plan to use it again and maybe again! I love the shawl. It was just perfect on the Riverboat. Just a smidgeon of cool in the air on the water and it gave exactly the right amount of warmth! More pix of it on Ravelry under Autoharpgirl.


That's Richard on the right.

The colors don't show up too well. It's bright and beautiful. Color #87

Well okay for now. If you haven't read it see the previous post detailing my "debut" at the Ryman Theatre.....

Been on vacation

MY DEBUT AT THE RYMAN
While on vacation, we visited the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN, original home of the Grand Ole Opry. During tours, they had a photographer and you could get on stage and he'd take your picture behind a microphone (it wasn't on). Well, when it was my turn, I decided to yodel--I wasn't about to miss a chance to sing on the stage at the Ryman! There were about 150-160 people touring at this time and the auditorium got very quiet as people quit talking when I started. When I was finished, they applauded. The acoustics in that place are amazing. The people in the back of the balcony could hear me even without a mic. When I told my kids and mom and mentioned that I was the only tourist who sang during their photo, they replied to a person--well that's no surprise! (Do they know me or what?!) Checking one thing off my "bucket list"! More later.......

Color me....aqua!

you are aqua #00FFFF

Your dominant hues are green and blue. You're smart and you know it, and want to use your power to help people and relate to others. Even though you tend to battle with yourself, you solve other people's conflicts well. Your saturation level is very high - you are all about getting things done. The world may think you work too hard but you have a lot to show for it, and it keeps you going. You shouldn't be afraid to lead people, because if you're doing it, it'll be done right. Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

Well this was fun! I'm aqua too. I was checking so many mismatched things that I thought for sure it would tell me I was impossible to color code!!

Knitting progress and philosphical thoughts

I noticed last night that an adorable darling 15-month-old grandson is just a smidgen less adorable when he won’t go to sleep at 3:00-5:00 am. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and happy. Ya gotta smile back at him even through bleary eyes.

My Lady E is just 9 tiers short of being finished and fringed! I’ve mastered the skill of “knitting backwards” on this project too.

My long suffering /neglected socks are now having their little heels turned and they seem very happy about that. Don’t ask me how I know that, I just do….. And my Miss Priss Clara Barton colorway multi-directional scarf is about halfway through. You might ask (or not) how I’m accomplishing so much knitting suddenly. WELL! For the last 19 days, I’ve been hosting an author at several of our library branches who is doing a book talk and discussion about one of her books (it’s Rilla Askew and Fire in Beulah—a pretty amazing book—I recommend it) and while she talks-I knit! I’ve heard her talk many times but I can still knit and listen so I’m really making progress! It’s wonderful to be able to knit at work. :) !

I’ve been participating in the “10 on Tuesday” thingy you might have noticed and the one for last week was “10 Wonderful Things (or Things I Love) About My Life”. And to my dismay, I couldn’t think of 10 things. The Zomig is supposed to take care of that I thought but apparently not. And then just this week I started listening to “20 Wishes” by Debbie Macomber and so I’ve decided to sort of play the Glad Game (remember Pollyanna?) and try to get myself out of this bog I’m mired in. Yes, a lot of life is kind of stink-y right now but a lot of life isn’t! I’ll keep you posted as I come up with my 10 things and/or 20 wishes.

Is anybody reading this blog? I’ve said I write it for me but it’s nice if it gets read. I seldom get any commentss (and I’ve noticed I haven’t been added to some of my friend’s “favorite blogs to read” lists….just joking) It’s okay. So if you drop by, stop and say hi! Okay?

Toodles……Anita

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knit? blog?

Knit? blog? knit? blog? hmmmm knit

later, Anita

10 on Tuesday

This week's 10 is Favorite Funny Movies and here are my 10 faves and one bonus movie!
In no particular order

1. Heaven Can Wait (Warren Beatty version)
2. Princess Bride
3. Elf
4. Young Frankenstein
5. A Mighty Wind
6. Heart and Souls
7. Mrs. Doubtfire
8. Three Men and a Baby
9. Oh Brother Where Art Thou
10. The Full Monty
11. The Committments

Out of my mind.....

Well, hello. It's been a while since I posted. Seems to be a really busy life but when I try to think of what all I've been doing....I can't. So, I don't know what I've been doing but I've been really busy doing it!

A couple weeks ago I was reading one of the yahoo groups I subscribe to on lace knitting I think and a discussion of a 12 step program for lace knitters came up. Someone then made this comment "12 steps? I thought it was 3 steps--buy yarn, knit objects with deliberate holes in them, do it again---or something like that. And it made me think "we" (knitters/crocheters) need a step program. So "borrowing" the comment from that person, I think this works...at least for me.

1. Buy yarn

2. Knit / crochet

3. See steps 1 & 2

Now if we could just come up with an acronym--something catchy--like AA, ACoA (where I spent some time working on issues) people would look at us with respect or perhaps awe that we were addressing our issue (not problem) head on! We could get buttons, t-shirts, bumper stickers, etc..... or maybe not. just mindless thinking...... is that an oxymoron? "mindless thinking"?

Okay, well! Richard and I had a disastrious Sunday. I woke up with a migraine, took a Zomig about 8:30 and laid down and didn't wake up until 2:30! My tablets have never knocked me out like that before! But at least the headache was gone. I found Richard still in his pj's, hadn't had anything to eat all day long and was bent double with pain. So I get us both dressed and head to the emergency room (for the 2nd. time since Feb. with this problem I might add) and finally after a ct scan they figured out he has a hernia--oddly enough in the exact same spot he had one repaired 5 years ago which (the anesthesia) triggered the Alz ( anes.--alz) a little known bad combo. Anyhow, now he's got to have another surgery tp repair the repair and this is not good news cause the anest. could increase his dementia. So I'm kind of reeling here.

RANT APPROACHING...sorry, can't help it: Allright, I do have help. My kids and sister and mom try to help me as needed but ultimately it all boils down to me! I have to make the financial, medical everything arrangements for both of us (I finally did our taxes yesterday) plus work full time. I want to laugh hysterically when people say "are you taking anytime for yourself?" and SMACK them when they pat my arm and say "well God doesn't give us any more than we can handle". (I had to go talk to my minister about that one! and she said it was okay to smack them---not really but she agreed with me) So it often doesn't feel like I have any help at all. I do seem to get a lot of advice...like I need more "I need to" things for my already never ending list. End of rant

Yesterday I finally surrendered Richard's driver's license. I think that was possibly the hardest thing I've ever had to do--take away his freedom. Today we're going to get him an official state id card. Here's Carter and Grandpa (Richard). They're very close.

Someone reading (a college English teacher!) my blog awhile back told me I should publish our experiences. I'm not sure that I'll ever try that, but it did make me think I'd try to journal some of our experiences.

On The Needles: still working on the Lady Eleanor entralac. I sure enjoy knitting this project, but it is taking a long time. Course I do take time out to work on some socks and a scarf and some other things.

Toodles and thanks for reading! .....Anita