We're back!!!

Wow, last week was amazing. Arrived at the hotel at midnight, as usual, Amtrak was three hours late. We didn't have anything scheduled for morning so we slept in. The New Otani, in downtown LA, across from the central police station is such an oasis. A beautiful garden, a starbucks, each time we have stayed the room was very different. I request a room overlooking the garden, and this time the room had rice paper windows. They cut the heat of the day even better than black out curtains yet they allow light to pass that is very soothing. Plus the AC works and they have samples of Tarroco line of products. They smell of citrus, they are based on of all things blood oranges. As a knitter with constantly dry hands I have found that this lotion moisturizes and doesn't leave my hands greasy. Not as citrusy as the alchemic dragon stuff SP10 sent but wonderful none the less.

We saw Dr. Heck and it was a pleasant visit with a VNS change, we got J's shoulder CT and I will call Dr. I on Wednesday. Surgery went very well, we went in at 8 and left by 3. Back to the hotel, J slept hard. The kyphoplasty on the outside looks like someone used a nail to hang a picture on his back and missed the stud a couple times. They were only able to inflate one of the three vertebrae, so he may have gained an eighth of an inch, the other two were just too damaged. I was worried he didn't have enough recovery time and that the trip on the train, was going to be painful. Need not have worried. Surgery was very successful. He is walking, riding in the car, sitting up and feeling less pain than he has in years. The surgeon said that other levels can be treated as needed and that we will be seeing most improvement for the next two weeks, but continuing up to three months.

We got home and Jason hadn't showered for a couple days because of the home care instructions. He used the citrus alchemic dragon stuff and it cut the "man stench" he came out smelling yummy!

So did I get any actual knitting done. Well I was trying to make a pair of socks for my Mom for mothers day and I misread the label and ran out of yarn. Very cute sock but alas no mate and no time to go get another couple skeins to finish it. So I cast on on Friday night with some soft colorful cotton praying I would have enough to finish her spa socks and by Sunday at lunchtime I had (you guessed it ) only one sock for Mom. I took both to her when we visited and let her choose which one she would prefer to have a mate too.

Great weekend. I'll talk about today later. Thanks for all your prayers and good wishes. This time we did have a medical procedure that actually helped.

The Alchemic Dragon Soap

I have been pampered cleaned and feel refreshed. About to crawl onto Amtrak train until midnight. I took a shower to freshen up and used the soap SP10 sent this week, citrus splash, and Miss Penny the dog, was quite right. It lathered to the consistency of a mousse and the smell was like sitting under a grapefruit tree in bloom. It left my skin clean, and soft. Jason can't stop sniffing my neck. I think the train is going to be fun this time, private car, dinner and he's feeling frisky. I'll let you fill in the rest. So to my SP10 way to go, exceptional choice. Thanks for the refreshment, and the enjoying evening in advance.

My SP 10 Made my Day!!!!

Yesterday was our 2nd/3rd anniversary, and because we are headed for LA for a minor surgery for J it's been a little hectic to think about celebrating. Jason is having a kyphoplasty done on 3 of his mid back spinal bones. They put a ballon in your vertebrae and inflate it to restore height, then inject bone cement which is basically the stuff we use to attach long lovely nails. In 15 minutes they have basically put in a permanent cast to prevent osteoporosis from destroying that part of the spine. Since it's the back pain that holds back most of his PT, this is beyond exciting. So J, Miss Penny and I are taking Amtrak to LA again. Today the train is almost 12 hours behind, so we are worried about tomorrow's plan but it will all work out, we know it will.

So while rushing to get all our gear together and pack, the mail arrived my secret pal spoiled me yet again, and arriving with our anniversary gave J a real lift, in a way since he encouraged me to participate, he is responsible for hooking my SP and I up. And what a package. First off a card with this wonderful picture of a young buddist monk entering a monestary. J fell in love with the handmade paper it has a soft texture he hadn't seen before. 3 Skiens of "wild rose" feltable knit picks wool/alpaca yarn. Jason kept petting it, the dog got jealous. I know exactly what I am going to make, there is this great pattern for feltable slippers I have been dying to try. And even more stuff, purple bracelets with elastic string and silver bead separators. It suddenly reminded me of a afternoon last summer while J was in surgery, I went to visit a buddist temple just outside downtown LA. The monks saw my exhaustion and stress and in addition to offering their prayers a cup of tea and kindness were samples of generosity that lighted the load. They gave me a prayer bead bracelet and it reminded me of BAM very much. You think that would be enough but there was even more!!!! A magazine called TEA which I am saving for the long Amtrak ride. Cute iron on patches that I can definately use, I just "patched" a bunch of clothes with holes and I already ironed on one of the hearts, much faster than embroidery, perfect too! Today more arrived from my SP, two bars of soap from a company called alchemic dragon, oh my gosh. Citrus Splash and Vanilla. Glycerine soap that you just drink in the smell, wow, jason was threatening to put them in his pillow and let the fragrances drift him off to sleep. Fat chance honey! Those are going to be used in a nice hot bath, with a warm of tea tonight after I finish packing and when we return. Special soaps often wind up in a dish to display and look nice getting dusted along with the other bathroom trinkets. These soaps are getting used, I can just imagine the smell of the lather, ahhhhhhhh. Thank you secret pal, I'll take all your hints, relax with a cup of tea, some tunes and drink in the scent. You are a God send and have really improved my quality of life. I just hope my SP thinks the same. I got some things together to send this week and have two projects cast on hoping to finish them for her on the trip, we'll see. Oh, Miss Penny had to sniff the soaps, she seem to prefer the citrus to the vanilla, funny ol' dog.

I am planning a long couple of blogs when we get back to announce how well J is doing and catch up on many things in our lives.

Ta Ta For Now.
Suzi

SP 10 is the best!!!!

Ok not sure how my secret pal knew about my yearning for the Jordana Paige needle box, but she did!!! I remember seeing it in a knitting magazine and wanting it but decided instead to felt the Berroco Needle Carrier which I haven't finished. Why? It looks better as a crochet, dpn, circular carrier. So I used numbered buttons to identify my sets and then was going to have to do something else about my straights especially my long ones. Thank you secret Pally. My husband is also grateful for anything that organizes sharp objects, he hates finding dpns under his back on his side of the bed!!!! So with organization, came a huge leap forward this week. I canst on the coriolis sock from Cat Borhdi on Knitty Gritty. Hubby hates the seams, any seams in his socks, even hates tube sock seams. When she deomonstrated the pattern I saw somehting that I knew would be great. NO GRAFTING, no real seams. And when I knitted it up they came out perfectly, he is love with the sock, still have to make the other one, he may wear out the single waiting for the other in a pair. Toe up Coriolis socks on circulars here we come!!!!

BTW, he choose hazel eyes for the replacement eyeballs, apparently that's the color of Jim Kirk (William Shatner_ and he got all the alien babes, so he figures it will be good for gigs. His eye patches worked well. I had a migraine from lack of sleep and the sleep shades were very comfy and cozy. I'll be making more for Tony for his next trip to South America.

Ah, and another thing SCORE!!! My Mom's new next door neighbor is from Peru, and will set me up with a yarn supplier there so I can buy my wools direct from her anytime I want. Yipppeee.

Time to feed the little dog and check on the honey. Just really wanted to say way to go Mx BAM!!!

Sorry about that...

I haven't been blogging, J had a series of rough seizures. Sometimes they come in clusters, and like a swarm of earthquakes preceding eruption, they tend to build until the supervolcanoe has discharged the contents of the magma chamber. So I am back to resolving technical difficulties and getting more stuff in my blog next week. This weekend I take J to the eye guy and he is selecting a new eye color, not just blue, he has decided on hazel. This is going to be fun. He has his cool & comfy eye patches for the day. In a frenzy of knitting right now, for SP10 and because it really passes the long hours of the night when he is recovering and I am worried.

Apparently, my honey is learning lots from SP10. I like that, his comments on my last blog was well deserved. No one told me of this benefit of participating, husband gift training, the advanced course beyond flowers, chocolate and jewelry.

Yipppeeeee! My first SP10 package arrived

okay, I am so excited, I have to wait for the blind geek squad to arrive to fix my photo posting problem. Ironic? Yes, but also reality. Technology allows my blind husband to be the navigator in the car as well. If it wasn't for his abilities, my rather famous lack of direction would have us un Tijauna instead of Los Angeles. Anyway, pictures and a more detailed post to follow. I will follow the example of every television show, with a cliffhanger to bring you back to read more. My SP10 sent an item that led to an intimate moment. What could that be? Stay tuned for pictures.

Home again... ah the bed, the air conditioner it's all to good

I will take the time to tell the story of a four hour amtrak ride that took about 15 hours and a wonderful customer service agent who made our trip easier. I finished the shrug for my sister in law on the trip!!!!