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dooley's Blog
Busy day off!
Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 3:12 am It's been a while since I blogged so I thought since I was sitting I would write a bit here.We've been using my Friday's off lately to do medical stuff. That's doing mostly okay now. I had the radiation treatment and there's nothing to do with it until I have to have a hormone count and doctor visit in December. It goes up and down and some days makes me feel not so good but until it levels out there isn't much to be done about it. Last week I had that MRI on my knee that I hurt last spring. They said at the time I hurt it that I pulled a ligament and it would heal itself. I didn't worry about it because it was getting better though slowly. I can do stairs now if I go slow. I can kneel a bit at a time and walk farther. But, when I went to the doctor in September he thought it should be all healed so he thought I should have the MRI. Well, I had it on Monday. It took 45 minutes. It's cold in the room so they provide this nice fuzzy blanket. I had a nice nap while it was doing it's thing. I went to the doctor on Thursday. He said I didn't pull the ligament, I tore it. I also have two small tears somewhere else in the knee. I can't find where I put the paper and I don't remember the medical terms. I also displaced something but they couldn't tell where it went. The doctor said it wasn't life threating so if I wanted to wait to have it repaired I could or I could not do anything at all. I asked if it would heal itself and he said the tears wouldn't repair themselves but it could be done microsurgery in outpatient. I told him I would wait until spring. No sense in ruining the holidays by being layed up with knee surgery because someone made a mistake and it needed more than they thought. That's what happened the last time I had knee surgery. They said I'd be off a week and It ended up being closer to two months and I did a whole summer reading program on crutches. Last week, I ask Dan what he thought about me doing a couple children's programs a month at his library. He thought it would be a great thing. So, the Thursday before Thanksgiving we'll have Turkey Day and make a variety of turkeys and have some stories and a finger game. Then, the Thursday after Thanksgiving we'll have Countdown to Christmas and make red and green paper chains so they can take a link off each day until Christmas and we'll make trees or stockings with windows and they can open a window and put a sticker in it until Christmas. Of course there will be Christmas stories to start the season off. In December, we'll do Christmasy things. I miss doing his children's programs since I started working at the Prescott Valley library. I don't work in the children's dept. there. So, today we decided we would stay home. We went and got the paper and was having breakfast when dr saw that Ace Hardware was having flu shots today and we hadn't had one yet. So, I bet you can guess what we did. We went up and got a flu shot. We stopped and dr bought a stereo that will play cd's and cassettes. Most only play cd's now. He's been buying some cd's lately and the old player didn't sound too great. Now, he's got Johnny Cash playing. Chance likes Johnny Cash. She's laying there listening to it. If she doesn't like what he's playing, she sings along. Sounds terrible! After doing a bit of this and that I decided I'd clean my sewing corner and try to make some space for a few more bears that were displaced by the new stereo. We "borrowed" a set of shelves out of the big shed. They belong to Dan. That will teach him to store things with us. Anyway, I now have a large mess that needs sorted out and either disposed of or a new place found for it. My sewing corner is growing ever smaller. One of these days I will have to sew with my arms held tight against me and no where to put anything. dr said he would have to "find" his room stretcher to make room for anything else in here. I'm not the one that brings all the bears to live here. I did buy a small one on Friday and he bought a small one on Saturday. It's when we buy large ones that problems develop. We found an assortment of small chairs on Friday, too. Now, it's nice for the bears to have their own chairs but it's beginning to look like a classroom in here. I'm trying to write a family history for my youngest sister's boys. She is much younger than the rest of us and missed out on a lot of history. So, she can't tell her boys and our parents died before her boys were old enough to remember them much. In fact, her youngest was born after they died so he doesn't know them at all. I had to stop and check with Wannabe on dates but I'll get back to it. I think this is probably long enough and I'd better finish my tea and see what other mischief I can get into before bedtime. dooley This blog entry has been viewed 641 times
Frustrated is spelled dooley!!!
Category: Choices | Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:30 pm I'm going to quit going to doctors. All they want to do is send you to another doctor. Yuck! Way back in February I had an appointment with the family doctor. His office called the week before and I had to come in right away on my day off because he had my lab tests back. It was an emergency. So, (on my day off) I went to the doctor. My thyroid levels were too high and I had no thyroid because I'd had it removed 27 years ago. So, I had to go to an endocrinologist. Time to get an appointment, (remember this was an emergency) two and a half months. She said my thyroid has grown back. Off to the hospital for a radio active (gamma rays) thyroid scan. Endocrinologist calls two weeks later. Scan not sufficient, back to hospital for ultrasound. Endocrinologist calls, must come in right away. Thyroid grown too large, must have either surgery or radio active thyroid treatment. First, must go to surgeon for biopsy. Time to get an appointment, (remember this was an emergency) two and a half months. Another appointment with the family doctor to check my diabetes. Did he want to talk about diabetes? NO, he wanted to talk about a knee injury from back in March. I need to go to an orthopedic doctor right away. I told him that first, I needed to get through this thyroid thing. One thing at a time. He wasn't happy and when I went to pay, he had scheduled me for another appointment in September. So, I then went to the surgeon for the biopsy and lo and behold he did it the same day. The nurse called at the beginning of the next week and told me it was benign and I could call the endocrinologist and make an appointment for the radiation treatment. But, first I had to go back the next week to see the surgeon. Why? Because federal law says the results have to come from the doctor not the nurse. He tells me the very same thing she did. I had to call the endocrinologist three weeks in a row before anyone returned my call and then it was to say I needed a lab test for thyroid levels. Meantime, back to the family doctor to have an x-ray of my knee which shows only slight degeneration due to arthritis. I knew that without an x-ray. Now, he says go to the orthopedic doctor. Endocrinologist office calls and says they sent paperwork to hospital and I will receive a call for an appointment. Lady from hospital calls (are you ready for this) two days later. Scheduled appointment for last Friday. Of course, the appointment for the orthopedic doctor was today. Only one month wait for it. Thursday, the endocrinologist office nurse calls and wants to know if I scheduled the appointment for the radiation treatment. I told it was on Friday. Well, I couldn't go for that without coming by the office for instructions. So, on the way to work we stop at office. Instructions are waiting. Preprinted pages stuffed into an enveloped which I had to sign for. Went to Flagstaff on Friday for radiation treatment. Had to see their doctor first which took all of 10 minutes. Swallowed one very large blue capsule (beta rays) and I'm shown the door. Long list of instructions to follow. No work on Saturday. So, today we got up and went to the orthopedic doctor. He wanted copy of x-ray from family doctor. Did anyone tell me? They did, when it was too late to do anything about it. It was on the voice mail when we got home on Friday. No time to stop to get it this morning. I would take at least three days notice. The orthopedic doctor seems a very nice man. He looks at knee, asks a few questions and says you need an MRI. Well, of course, I do. Receptionist calls the radiology clinic and sets it up for this coming Friday. It's an open MRI so it costs a bit more. Then, I'm to go back to the orthopedic doctor on November lst. He suspects a torn mensa(?) I suspect he'll want to repair it. Is there an alternative? Probably not one he will recommend. We shall see. Meanwhile I had to cancel my eye doctor appointment to fit in another (more important, of course) appointment. I have to call the endocrinologist to see about a schedule for lab tests to monitor said thyroid radiation. When do you think she will get to that? It only takes two to three months for it to work. Can you say frustrated? It's spelled, dooley. Last edited: Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:32 pm This blog entry has been viewed 745 times
Cleaning!
Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2007 6:21 pm I've been busy this morning trying to get some cleaning done. Those darn daddy longlegs seem to make webs faster than I can sweep them away. I even went out and did the ones they made under the porch roof. I dug out my fall decor and put some scrawcrows and gourds and pumpkins around. dr bought me a couple of large scarecrows that I'm going to put outside. I just need to figure out where. I have two already out there. I have two ghoulie things too. I hung up my harvest wreath's and some bears dress for Halloween and fall. I want to go to the Dollar Store and get some fall leaves. My sister has some fall wreaths that she made and they look really nice. I don't think I'm as talented but I'll give it a try. I've been working on that quilt but not as much as I should and it's only half done. I had thought to get some more done today, but dr wants to cut wood this afternoon. Our woodshed is not quite empty but near enough. We have a shed full of four foot logs and a pile of four foot logs. We need to move the pile of logs anyway so now is a good time to cut them. I made coffeecake for breakfast this morning because it wasn't very warm in the house when we got up. It was really windy Friday and Saturday so it dropped the temps some. It's supposed to be sunny and in the 80's this week so maybe it will feel warmer again for awhile. I still need to get out and finish cleaning up the yard. We went to get the headlights on the truck changed on Friday. They were mismatched in the factory. But, the parts weren't there. They couldn't figure out what to order and needed to look at the truck. They said the parts should be in by Tuesday so it means another 45 minute trip to get them changed. dr has been polishing the truck with some wax that has uv protection in it. Sometime this week we are going to look into a sprayed in bed liner. So many things to do. For retired folks we sure keep busy. Of course, I work 20 hrs a week but that's in the evenings so don't you think we could get things done in the daytime. I have lots of books and magazines now to get through too. Dan was having a booksale at his library. One cent for paperbacks and magazines and hardback books 5/$1.00. How can you pass up that? You wouldn't know that I work in a library. I have to scan and print some recipes from some cookbooks that I have checked out so I can take them back this week. I checked out another one yesterday and haven't opened my library bag yet. Oh, well! Chance is in the "doghouse". She dug under and inside fence to get at a cat. But, dr is afraid that she will now learn to dig under an outside fence. He isn't sure how to fix that problem. So, she's confined to the big yard that has double fences and the little yard that is armor plated. She isn't happy. She got stuck in some brush when she got into the lower yard and dr had to rescue her so when he carried her to the house he holler at her and she wouldn't look at him or speak to him all evening. Except of course when we were eating chicken for dinner and she came and sat by him to beg for a bite. After dinner she insisted on sitting on my lap while I was trying to look at some of the magazines that I had bought. Silly dog! Guess I'd better go and look outside and see if I can figure out where to put the scarecrows. I'm thinking I may make a spinach/bacon pie for lunch. It has a fancy name but I can't spell it without looking it up. dooley This blog entry has been viewed 746 times
Cleaning up!
Category: Yard work! | Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 7:34 pm All summer I've neglected my yard except for watering. Then, the grasshoppers came by the thousands and ate just about everything. What's left they don't like or I've sprayed. I sprayed our little arborvitae trees this morning as they are not attacking them. Yesterday, I started a general cleanup of the front yard. We have five sections to our front yard. I still need to cut some grass in the upper section and the section on the far side of the lower drive. I moved all the flower pots with dead or eaten on plants back to the area near the garden shed. I'll clean them up and store them for winter. Cut and raked dead grass and cleaned up spider webs. Cut iris by the front corner and moved some things around. dr cut the branches of the mulberry tree that were hanging too far into the street and a few that were hanging low enough we bumped into them. I am very allergic to mulberry so I took an antihistamine as a precaution. Seemed to work as I have no headache as yet. Hopefully since I didn't touch the stuff and washed good when I come inside and changed clothing I won't get a reaction. I wonder if I can cut the rose bushes back now because the grasshoppers have eaten most of the leaves. Will they have a better chance of coming back in the spring if I cut them now or should I wait until after a frost when they won't grow until spring? dooley This blog entry has been viewed 644 times
I've been busy!
Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 4:31 am I've already posted a picture of the quilt. That's been a work in progress and will be for the next few weeks. It's cooler now since the rains started so I've worked more on it. Since the rains have started the weeds and grass have about taken over. My knee is not so great yet. Still can't kneel or stoop much. That little seat helps a lot. The problem is finding a time when things aren't wet or being rained on. The flowers are growing and the very small cantaloupe has grown to about three inches in a few days. The tomatoes have decided to put on new fruit and they are bigger than the marble sized ones we've been getting. Then, I work those 20 hours a week at the library. I was doing all the shelving but then Gloria started and she and I share the shelving now. We also share checkin and checkout and all the other little things that pop up every night and on Saturday. This week started out okay. Monday and Tuesday were normal evenings. But, Wednesday and Thursday the computers were down. There is a program that was designed for checkout but not one for checkin so those books for the two days were piled on tables and carts in the workroom to be checked in when the computers came back online on Friday morning. Wednesday night, Gloria sat at checkout and I started with 00 and went to 300 putting the nonfiction books in order. Then, I sat at the checkout desk and Gloria put from 745 to 790 in order. These are the craft and art books so they get a lot of use and are almost always out of order. On Thursday, I didn't work. Gloria worked with two other people. On Friday, we got up early and went to an estate sale. It was in an area that I hadn't been before and I made a wrong turn and got way out of the way before I finally conceded defeat and turned around and backtracked. It turned out that it was only a block or two from where I turned the wrong direction. It was a really nice sale and we bought quite a few things. dr bought some things to resell. We went and had breakfast but it wasn't a very good place so we won't go back there. It is an area that is pretty far away but we saw this one in the paper and it sounded good. Then, we had a few other things to do. I had to buy some gift cards at the bookstore for a couple of birthdays. I bought a big ceramic pot to repot the snake plant, which I guess I should have done today, but didn't. It's growing a few new shoots and will be too big for that small pot it came in. I went to work at 1pm and worked until 4 pm. The computers which were to be back online on Friday morning were just coming up when I got there. There were two ladies doing checkin and there was a couple of volunteers and the young adult librarian and the children's librarian and the director and assistant director and a couple of thousand books to be done. Everyone pitched in and started to work. As soon as a cart was filled with books, I put them in order and started to shelve them. After the first one the volunteers had the books on carts in order when I came back for another one. I did nine small three shelf carts full and two large three shelf carts full. Then, my knees were bothering me so I stopped and started putting other things in order. Some of the volunteers had left. The assistant director shelved video's and dvd's. The director did a bit of everything. The bookdrop cart came up and it was overfull so that still had to be done when I left. dr had gone grocery shopping and picked up a deli sandwich for supper. Saturday morning when I went in at 8 am. there was quite a few books on the carts so I put them in order and waited for the dropbox to come up. There was a new guy so it was a bit late and it was again overfull so it took us a bit of time to empty it and get the books checked in. I got to shelving and used the big cart before the library opened. Someone else volunteered to sit at the checkout desk so I just did checkin and answered the phone at the circulation desk and did new library cards. The children's librarian had to leave early because her husband called and told her they had to go to Phoenix because her sister had a heart attack and was in the hospital and they wanted them to come down. Gloria was sick on Saturday so that left us two short. The new guy was an hour late getting the afternoon bookdrop brought up so we had to rush to get it done. The checkout volunteer helped by checking the media material to make sure the right ones were in the right cases and all the cd's were in the cd books. Needless to say, I did not get those books put away. I worked half an hour past time and was ready to go home at 4 pm. dr spent the day at the fleamarket and was pretty tired himself. He didn't use sunscreen so he was a bit red, too. He stopped and got a deli chicken and we just had chicken and fruit for supper. We had to drive through a heavy rain, thunder and lightning storm to get home. It rained all evening and into the night. It was cloudy and rainy this morning but we got up early and went up to breakfast at Golden Corral and stopped at a grocery store and a gas station and came home. I cleaned the kitchen and bathroom and the pantry closet. They all needed it. Then, I sat down and put the border on the quilt. I think it might be about time for bed. dr and chance are both sleeping already. I do so hope next week isn't as busy, but there are those books I didn't get done on Saturday plus the Monday books to be done when I work 6 to 9 tomorrow. Maybe I won't do so much before I go to work. Some days I think I might be getting older. I do feel like it. Other days, I don't feel so old and then I get a lot done. I do want to get some more grass and weeks done tomorrow. If it's not raining that is. dooley This blog entry has been viewed 819 times
Amish Quilt picture-Aug. 5th
Category: Amish quilt | Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 10:25 pm Okay, I finished the top. Next step is to iron the seams flat and then measure the back material and sew it to fit the top. Then layer it and baste it and start to quilt it. The quilting will be a zig-zag, diagonal up one square and down the next, up and down diagonals across. Then, just the opposite on the next row so that the back will have squares when it's finished. Some squares will get small bears, etc in them. So, here is the picture. dooley 
Last edited: Sun Aug 05, 2007 10:37 pm This blog entry has been viewed 739 times
Amish quilt update, Aug 2nd
Category: Amish quilt | Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 9:14 pm I now have all 289 square sewn together. 17 rows by 17 rows. Next step is to add the three inch black border and then get the backing set up and pin it all together with the middle. Then, I can start quilting it. So far, there are 21 hours and 35 minutes into it. dooley This blog entry has been viewed 806 times
Amish quilt update, July 17
Category: Amish quilt | Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 8:43 pm Today, I ironed all the seams flat and laid the rows out on the table so I could check the pattern. Other than the two squares that I had to change yesterday, the pattern seems to be okay. I will have to tweak some seams a bit as I eyeballed them as I sewed and in some cases my eyeballs may have been a little tired. Anyway, the camera flash made the colors a little brighter but for the most part this is what it will be when I get the top finished. dooley 
This blog entry has been viewed 641 times
Amish quilt update, July 15
Category: Amish quilt | Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 1:22 am Wow! I have 17 rows of 17 squares done. That is 289 squares. Earlier I estimated 40 stitches per row and there are 16 rows of stitches per row. So, that makes 640 stitches per row or 10,880 stitches for the 17 rows. Total time so far, 13 hours an 25 minutes approximately. The next step is to iron out all the seams, 172 of them, to flatten them and then, sew the strips together according to the grid. Guess I will start that part tomorrow. dooley total time to date:13 hours 25 minutes This blog entry has been viewed 573 times
Amish quilt update, July 10
Category: Amish quilt | Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 5:09 am I didn't work on the quilt yesterday but I did two rows this afternoon. Two rows are 34 squares and added to the 102 that I have already finished makes it 136 squares sewn together. That is 8 rows. So, I'm almost half finished with the squares. Total time is 6 hrs and 55 minutes. dooley This blog entry has been viewed 567 times
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