Ugh. I’m still struggling with the heat and I’m STILL in a flare. I spent another couple days in bed, talked to my rheumatologist, and really didn’t get too much done. The nightly news is just awful (seriously, how much worse can 2020 get? Don’t ask!), Hannah has decided that all of the best toys are KNITTED, Covid-19 cases are surging in my state, and my doctor has re-emphasized that I am totally on lockdown. No visitors. None. Well, if they stay outside, keep their mask on, and stay 10 feet away maybe one of my sons can come… Sigh. My joints are not getting better, and it is still too risky for a joint injection. I have to admit to some sadness here… what good are doctors if they can’t just wave a magic wand to make you feel better??! There was, however, some good news this week.
My governor has ordered everyone to wear masks in this state. At last!! I went to the grocery store late this evening (which I am not supposed to do, but the kitten needed more food, and I absolutely needed cheesecake…), and every single person in the store had a mask on. People made obvious efforts to give each other space. Thank you, thank you, thank you, everyone!! Don’t tell my doctor you saw me, okay, and thank you so much for being kind to me.
Also, the store had some cute orchid plants for sale, but more about that later.
Knitting
I started out the week working on my Breath and Hope shawl, but as the heat outside built and my flare intensified, I just wasn’t able to keep my attention on it. I decided that I didn’t have the brain power to work on my other glove either, so Hannah and I headed up to the yarn stash to see what I could find to knit some simple, mindless projects.
I has also found a great shawl pattern, Far Away Dreams by Joji Locatelli, that starts out with lots of simple garter stitching. I had some yarn left over from a sweater that I knitted last winter, so I dragged it out and wound it up too. Hannah helped.
Garden
Yeah, I’m not going outside in this heat. Poor garden. It got some water and I’m pretty sure that it’s still alive, but that’s it. Let me offer up a poorly shot photo of my new orchid. 🙂
By the way, I did notice that my potato plant in flourishing in spite of the neglect that happened this week. Figures. It’s growing taller than the dead rose twig coming up through the plant. I think that it’s growing to just spite me now.
Books
Have a great week, everyone!!
Read a little, knit a little, and garden like your heart can’t live without it.
Footnote:
What is this flare that I am whining complaining about? A flare is a surge of symptoms in both number and severity. In my case my constant fatigue gets a lot worse, my joints and muscles become pretty painful, eczema eruptions appear, and my gastrointestinal symptoms intensify. If I walk into the hot air outside I can’t breathe. Bad scleroderma, bad!! I’m on more drugs at the moment, staying on oxygen through the day, and surviving on yogurt and simple carbs. Next week has a better forecast and I’m looking forward to eating some great green chili!!
Yarn, Books & Roses 
Love your yarn. I too went masked yesterday and stocked up. Feel so rich and itching to start yet another project but have so many unfinished ones.
I totally stocked up while I was there too. I don’t plan to go back for at least 2 weeks, so I put two slices of cheesecake into the cart. 🙂 I’m struggling with an impulse to buy some more yarn for a sweater, but after shopping the stash I’m good again. I now have 4 projects going. Hey, my philosophy is to cast on with reckless abandon until you are out of needles. 🙂
I’ve been making masks before they become mandatory in shops next week. Hope your flare ends and you feel better soon.
Me too! This morning I am walking much better and the temperature is more reasonable outside so things are looking up.:-) My mask is also hand sewn and very comfy with crazy cats printed on it.
I’ve been knitting hot water bottle covers in lockdown. Love to Hannah and you💋.
What a smart thing to knit! I’m thinking of going on a cowl marathon.
Saw your pic. Actually beautiful. But what does one do with cowls once done?
Well, if you have Raynaud’s like me, you wear them constantly 8 months out of the year along with your wool socks, arm warmers, and fingerless mitts. 🙂
Might as well look beautiful while you’re at it. 😘
Have you banned your doctor from reading this blog? Seriously, I hope it cools down for you.
Yep. It’s a good thing she doesn’t know about it! The monsoon is developing here so our temperature hopefully should start dropping over the next week. Yay!!
I would so strongly urge you to arrange food deliveries and not risk going out. Masks don’t make you invisible which is why WHO had some reluctance and social distancing and staying home and washing your hands is safest. For people with risks like you have they were told to fully shield in doors and if they had no way of arranging food delivery, some elderly don’t have computers or credit cards or bank cards, the government arranged free food deliveries to those. Those sent a shielding letter by the government were told to stay in for 12 weeks and no visitors. The Highlands has now gone 7 days with no new cases and as painful as it was for those to be isolated it has worked and I have friends who shielded and only at the end of the last week have they been told it is ok for them to now see people. Your yarn is of course beautiful. Every skein you have is so yummy.
I thought of you this week: Colorado had a case of bubonic plague last week!! Of course we did!
I have been pretty good about staying home and using delivery services, but after all these weeks we’re right where we started because people refuse to wear masks or follow guidelines. I blame our nation’s leadership for this. Today’s news is that the party in power is refusing to fund additional testing and contract tracing: if we don’t test, there won’t be cases, don’t you know! Ugh!! Anyway, I do need to take the car out every two weeks or so, so I took it to the grocery store at about 10pm figuring that the store would be mostly empty, which it was. 🙂 Anyway, I luckily have the stash to see me through this! 🙂
First I hope you feel better!
Second lovely projects, beautiful orchid and cute Hannah photos.
Third I’m so glad your governor has given a mask order. It shows that the situation is being taken seriously. Do you have senior citizen shopping hours? We have an hour each day for seniors (age 60+) and people with compromised immune system. They even upped things by adding an hour on Sunday for first responders only.
Stay home. Don’t get worse. Get better! Stay away from that nasty virus!
I am so happy about the face mask order! I did try shopping at the special “at risk” time but it was way too crowded then. I have switched to the 10pm strategy that works much better. My store has one way traffic, shielded self checkouts, and has the air turned up to max. At that time of night there are only about a dozen people in the store. Perfect!! I’m stocked up for another month now.
First of all I hope you are getting so much better!!!!! We have a doctor who still makes house calls. I know amazing. We try to stay very far away from everyone and only go to the store when we need to which isn’t often. Also I have a great neighbor who is always asking us if we need anything. Our governor has mandated masks for a long time. I hate going into a store and someone doesn’t have one on. Honestly how hard is it to wear a mask? Hanna is so darn cute!!!!!! I love the colors your knitting your new shawl in. I have no color sense. Stay cool.
I am feeling better this morning; my doctor added a couple of drugs that are finally kicking in. It’s risky taking them, but everything is a risk these days. We talked about me coming in, but… too risky. Ugh! I’ve reached the point where I detest these self-righteous massless fools who are putting the community and the economy at risk. Hopefully the tide will now turn as governors step in and order masks.
My neighbors are we willing to help, but mostly I rely on shopping services. Hannah is so cute! I feel lucky to have gotten her. 😉
Moving backwards: so all the drugs ? – will the medicos never find the right mix ?! Sighh ..
My gut says I can no longer eat any chilli at all. I am desolate.
Hannah has big feet, Marilyn: be warned. [grin] She grows ever cuter, the little darlin.
There will never be a phalaenopsis that isn’t heavenly. Like all orchids. I think orchids should be named “heaven plants”.
Love all the yarns, but especially the pink garter bit that’s re-knitted and has that wonderful 1,000-y-o look. 🙂
Hang in there and keep posting: it’s your important link with the world, right now.
Gentle hug from Downunder.
My problem is that I have three autoimmune diseases that have no direct treatment, so they try to put out fires in different organs when they appear without knowing for sure which disease is causing the problem. It’s sometimes discouraging, to say the least. It is a huge balancing act with differential risk analysis (can you tell that I’m thinking about a blog post here?) as we decided how many risks I will accept for a hopeful benefit. It was already challenging before Covid arrived. This time we upped anti-inflammatory drugs and started me on steroids for a few days but I need to back right off again because of possible kidney damage. Avoiding dialysis is one of my main goals in life. 🙂 Well, also having all the yarn is a goal, too. And an endless supply of chocolate and lattes.
I’ve been thinking that Hannah’s feet are getting big. All of a sudden she can jump right up onto the table without problems, so I’m being extremely careful about the kitchen counters and the stovetop.
The orchids just cheered me right up and Hannah is having a ball playing with the ribbons.
Thanks for the hug. I kind of needed one. 🙂
Always on offer, me little mate ! 😀
I hope you are feeling better soon! Glad you have been able to get out, even for a little bit. Your projects are looking lovely, and Miss Hannah is even more adorable than ever 🙂
Thanks! Today I feel so much better I just polished off a bowl of green chili. 🙂 Hannah and I are now settling down for a little knitting… or a nap…
Glad to hear it!
I hope the weather improves and you can get back outside this week. And I completely understand an emergency need for cheesecake 🙂
The tide has turned, weather-wise. Yay!
I am sorry you have not been feeling well. I have difficulty knitting when I am having “a day”. Thank heaven for Hannah. I looked up the cowl on Ravelry and it is so nice. I love your choice of yarn.
Feel better!!
The tide is turning for sure and I’m pretty sure I’m coming out of the flare at last. My swelling is way down and joints are acting almost normal. Yay! I woke up with energy and have plans for more projects. Hannah can’t wait to hit the craft room again!!
So happy to hear you are improving.
I hope your flare is starting to behave itself and go away!
That yarn is beautiful and I wish I had some and it will make a gorgeous cowl.
I am getting better. Thank you for the yarn comment; it was a special edition yarn and an impulse buy. You know how it is… you have to get it when you see it or it is gone. That’s how I end up with too much yarn.