Pleased to report

I believe I'm feeling better. I certainly hope so. Headaches are gone so the blood pressure must be down. My back still hurts--from sneezing. Something in either the bedroom or the bathroom, or both, is setting off occasional fits of sneezing. Haven't located it yet.

Good news: I finally have a set of towels finished and up on the web page. The web site has changed since I last used it. "Improved"! Only when I figure it out. I've been warned for weeks it would happen, but I felt too awful to keep up with the news. The towel listed is blue, and the next set I will weave is grass green.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, interested residents were taken on a tour of the apartments available in the new wing. They are considerably larger than anything here in the older part, and considerably more expensive. I have no envy whatsoever. My world fits comfortably in my little studio. 

I am going for Thanksgiving to my sister's home, and a grandchild will take me and deliver me home. Sounds like a mighty fine time. Reminds me of all those years I would ferry my Grandma Rolf to and from family events.

That's it for now. Time for dinner. I'm not up to current events tonight. We've been here before and will come through again. We're down to local governments to provide the agency. School boards, libraries, food banks. Above all, do the right thing. 

Carry on

 I still wonder how all of you even started a new post, moving your thoughts through your fingers and onto the keyboard. Now it's tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, time to begin again.

We've been in tough spots before, even in our memories and extended memories. There are family stories of poverty, death in the flu epidemic, orphanages, death in wars, "coffee-sop" for dinner (bread in coffee), child labor, and on and on. 

I saw Beth today, first time in weeks since a deer ran into her car. She told me of a book she's reading, The Fourth Turning is Here, Neil Howe. I will get it and read it, as soon as I can. From her description it seems we may be at the cusp of the fourth turning.

Back to my take on our turn of events, we have been in ugly spots in our own life times, and know how we handled them. For my part, that has been Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq; being a single mother and how that formed my life. How back in the sixties I wrangled credit and a mortgage from male bankers, raised two daughters on women's wages. Together with my sister started a business.

Well, here we go again. Hold on to hope. Stay engaged, always push back, don't make it easy. Today I started on a simple project, a thank you note to every Democratic Congress member for what they have accomplished. We must make real the world we want to live in.

I'm sad to report real life is rather slow, here at home. My blood pressure is closing in on normal, and then in a fit of sneezing I seized up my back. I even dug out and reinstalled my toilet booster seat so I can rise up from the throne without moaning in pain.

The season is changing before my eyes. The trees in full color last week are bare branches this week. The red maple in one of the court yards has put on a lovely show. Half the leaves are a red skirt around the base, the rest seem to have delayed falling for another week or two.

Twenty days...

Hard to believe it's more than two weeks since I've posted. I left you with the new warp wound on and ready to tie on. This past week I finally finished that job and wove a bit. But on the whole I spent the time realizing I had a health problem and beginning to resolve it.

At a six month check up with one of my doctors, I had a frighteningly high blood pressure. I spent quite a few hours in emergency, but was sent home and advised to see my PCP quickly. That took another week. I'm back on my old blood pressure meds, which really aren't controlling the situation. However, I do feel better, am sleeping less and have my next appointment in another week.

And so, I've been weaving. Finally. Lots of new warp, and perhaps two or three new towels on the beam. That's good.

We finally have color in the trees. Actually, this past week has been the peak. I have some nice pictures from out and about.

The "resident's" garden has been put away for the winter. My dipladenia has been brought in and hung in the atrium. We'll see what becomes of it.

I finally prevailed with the Cleveland Clinic over a bill from last August. A five hundred fifty odd dollar bill. For as long as I can recall, Medicare has picked up an annual eye exam. I now understand it is only for some conditions, but for the last fifteen years I've met the criteria.

This time I have a new eye doctor. When I first saw the last one, some time in the eighties, I was pleased to have found a young one who would outlast me. Well, he retired and now it's a new young 'un. But someone didn't check the coding and I had a full freight bill.

Every time I checked up on correcting it, either it was being reviewed or they could find no record of all the previous bills. That was the story the last time I called and the billing department person patiently reiterated in indecipherable accent they would set up a payment plan.

Finally I yelled "Shut up! Listen to me! You have made a mistake and need to figure it out." I hung up and began reading Medicare eye exam rules. I still did not understand why I had not been billed all these years but was billed now. But the next day I looked at my statement on line again, and the invoice was gone. So, we'll see.

Well, I don't like the polls, but I don't believe them, either. We'll see.

From the top

Wow. I just deleted the entirety of the blog I just wrote. That is a first. And, it's not in the recycle bin.

Two weeks ago yesterday, Rose and I went for annual flue and Covid vaccinations. The next day I was fine. Rose has suffered no effects past a sore arm. But on the Monday, I was debilitated. Temperature, fatigue, pain. I spent several days totally in bed. Then down to two naps a day. Then one.

Jan agreed to come help me wind on the new warp that Saturday. That date was cancelled to yesterday. My only contribution was turning the crank. Jan did all the rest, including cleaning up, re-shelving the extra warp, putting away the tools. She left me sleeping.

It's ready to tie on, probably later today, and only a couple of bouts.

We seem to be in our last week of pseudo summer. Today will be in the low eighties, and the rest of the week sixties and seventies. Overnights have been in the forties for a couple of weeks.

There is little fall color this year. Leaves are simply turning brown and falling. Too little rain over the summer.

I am looking for a new home for Kitty. My balance grows more and more precarious; her demand for treats more and more obstreperous. Every time I stand she is between my feet, commanding. I told Jan I probably could solve the whole problem by throwing away the damn jar. Or make it worse.

So far no luck. She could always go back to the shelter, but I really don't want to do that. 

Well, that's as much as I can remember of the previous post. Off to put the laundry in the dryer.

Sunday morning coming down

Actually it's Sunday afternoon, still coming down. The sun is shining, my laundry is done (not folded), and my rudimentary Sunday morning  straightening up is done. I was invited to join a friend to watch a screening of The Hobbit this afternoon. When I looked up from the article I was reading it was 1:10, so fine. I'll look for it on Netflix or Amazon Prime or somewhere if I get very interested. Or listen on audio. Wonderful weaving companion.

Weaving is sidetracked, probably for the rest of the week. Thread is on order, but not yet shipped. Then the thread must go on the loom, tied on, pulled through...you know the drill by now. I'll be busy enough when it all begins, but for now, stalled.

Having little else to do, I'm still knee deep in the coming election, and the big fool says to push on (apologies to Pete Seeger). The article I was reading is in the Washington Post. "In rural Wisconsin a tangle of facts and fears over far away refugees." Probably a paywall, but if you can get it, good reading.

It's about a town hall meeting in Baraboo, Wisconsin, the winter home of the Barnum circus. Probably the former home. I don't remember. I did a show in Baraboo once, and I remember the crowd closely resembling the attendance of this town hall. It also referenced our Springfield, Ohio problem. 

The debate of interest concerned a non binding resolution to aid refugee settlement. Debate was vigorous in spite of the outcome being non binding. The Board of Supervisors voted to table without a vote, indefinitely. Neither the conservatives or the liberals were happy. I predict that county will go for Trump in November. It is fear mongering at its finest.

Our Portage County sheriff who recommended collecting addresses of Harris/Walz signs has his post relieved of responsibility for safeguarding ballots when early voting begins. With any luck he'll be relieved of his job come November.

I stumbled on a wonderful YouTube post last night, before going to bed, and stayed up late to watch it. It's by Robert Reich, Secretary of Labor under Clinton, and called 10 Worst Things about the Trump Presidency.  Totally worth the watch. Great to pass along.

And, in other news, such a week at home. On Monday morning, in the very a.m., a text from Beth. Her precious Subaru totaled. She is unhurt save bruising from airbags. She said every airbag in the car engaged.

She was on a country road and hit a deer. Beth says the car and the airbags saved her. And of course, she's looking for a new car, another Subaru, standard shift. Before the loaner rental insurance runs out.

In our old family litany of things happen in threes, Beth told me that Shelly was on her way home in the dark and hit an unmarked road construction open pothole. She lost a tire. "Thank goodness they all are brand new and I bought accident insurance!"

But wait, that's only two. Caroline, at college in Minneapolis, fell and hurt her shin. She iced it overnight, and her mother sent her to Urgent Care the next day. Broken fibula. When I broke my tibia several years ago, it was spliced together with a long shaft and I was on my back in rehab for a month. Caroline is in a walking cast. Young bones and young body!

Rose and I went for fall shots yesterday. I signed up for Covid, flu and RSV. It turned out I could not have the RSV vaccination. I had it last year and it has not been approved for annual use. Save the sore injection site, I am very well today. No Covid shot after effect at all.

And in hope of not having my thumbnail picture be a wrecked car, here's a picture of a mandevilla from only a couple of years ago.