October already?
G'day all!
The year is really starting to wind down now. I'm noticing that the sun is sitting a lot lower in the sky, and it is yet to sink really low. I dunno how those who live in the arctic or antarctic circle can cope with not seeing the sun. It's bad enough when we get to eight hour long days, if the sun comes out!
Anyway, we've had THREE WHOLE DAYS of sun! It has been glorious! It's not going to last but I've been trying to soak up as many rays as I can whilst also doing important things like tidying and cleaning in preparation for the in laws.
Yep, MiL and FiL are arriving on Thursday. I can expect to be busy! What am I talking about - I already am busy!
I still can't talk very well - I've gone backwards today and I think its because yesterday I got the hiccups. They were quite bad. I was making some really dreadful noises - thank heavens only DH was about. I couldn't stop them using my usual trick (thanks kbell even if it doesn't work any more!). I can't hold air in my lungs - it just leaks out past that annoying vocal cord. I had been getting quite good - I could sing some low stuff, project my voice a bit. There's no point resting it from what I read on the net.
It is surprising what you can't do when you have a paralysed vocal cord. I can't lift heavy things - it turns out that to brace your core, you take a breath and then close your glottis (vocal cords). I can't do that. I can't hoist things that usually are not a problem. Air just leaks out.
I'm feeling a bit crabby about it all, which is a reason for escaping and going for a drive. It is really really tedious not being able to project my voice or some times even talk audibly. It limits you socially and you start feeling like it is All Too Hard. It is horribly tedious not being able to walk uphill at a pace faster than a toddler can manage without gasping. DH likes to walk and talk and I can't walk uphill and talk or walk at a decent pace downhill and talk. I'm probably going to have to have the injection in the cord to make it close off my trachea a bit more - I am told it is very well tolerated and doesn't stop you breathing. Only problem is the ENT I am seeing does it under general anaesthetic and I really don't want to have a general if I can avoid it. I know some ENTs will do vocal cord injections with the patient sedated.
Anyway, in the meantime I clean, I tidy, I knit and oh yeah, I do work. Lots of work.
I have finished lots of knits in the last month. Maybe you'd like to see some of them? This is after all ostensibly a knitting blog, not a Lynne's whinings blog.
Plus yesterday we escaped the city and went for a drive in one of the most magical parts of Washington state, and there are many amazing places here. It is so amazingly pretty! We drove up to the Cascades part of State Highway 20. We only got as far as Ross Lake because we left a bit late but OMG! The pretty! The fall colours are in and some areas have already lost their leaves but they were the lower places in the upper Skagit valley, not up in the mountains.
The scenery around Diablo Lake was absolutely gobsmacking. I'm a bit sad that we haven't managed to get up there earlier, but I had planned a weekend up that way for DH's birthday. Alas it rained a lot up there in August and there were a number of landslips and the road was closed for a while. My little car is game and willing but there are limits.... Still, better late than never and I can see we'll be doing that trip again, hopefully this year before the road is closed by snow but if not, some time next year when it reopens again.
After a lovely weekend, the weather looks like it is going to get fairly craptastic again. Hope I've got enough sun stored up. I'll have to start running the heaters too - it's going to be 5C cooler than average for this time of year over the next week or two. 17C is normal and an ok temperature but 12 to 13C is a bit on the cool side! Last year my African Violets suffered quite badly because it was too cold (and I didn't realise - I'm not actually into torturing things I am meant to take care of!) so I'll just have to pay up the increased electricity bill and have all the rooms heated rather than the ones I am using.
anon!
The year is really starting to wind down now. I'm noticing that the sun is sitting a lot lower in the sky, and it is yet to sink really low. I dunno how those who live in the arctic or antarctic circle can cope with not seeing the sun. It's bad enough when we get to eight hour long days, if the sun comes out!
 |
| Glorious sun at the farmers' market today |
Anyway, we've had THREE WHOLE DAYS of sun! It has been glorious! It's not going to last but I've been trying to soak up as many rays as I can whilst also doing important things like tidying and cleaning in preparation for the in laws.
 |
| A lovely sunset. |
Yep, MiL and FiL are arriving on Thursday. I can expect to be busy! What am I talking about - I already am busy!
 |
| Colour in the mountains, North Cascades. |
I still can't talk very well - I've gone backwards today and I think its because yesterday I got the hiccups. They were quite bad. I was making some really dreadful noises - thank heavens only DH was about. I couldn't stop them using my usual trick (thanks kbell even if it doesn't work any more!). I can't hold air in my lungs - it just leaks out past that annoying vocal cord. I had been getting quite good - I could sing some low stuff, project my voice a bit. There's no point resting it from what I read on the net.
 |
| I believe this is the Skagit River, hurrying between appointments with various hydro plants. |
It is surprising what you can't do when you have a paralysed vocal cord. I can't lift heavy things - it turns out that to brace your core, you take a breath and then close your glottis (vocal cords). I can't do that. I can't hoist things that usually are not a problem. Air just leaks out.
 |
| Diablo Lake. Gobsmacking. |
 |
| Another view of Diablo Lake. |
I'm feeling a bit crabby about it all, which is a reason for escaping and going for a drive. It is really really tedious not being able to project my voice or some times even talk audibly. It limits you socially and you start feeling like it is All Too Hard. It is horribly tedious not being able to walk uphill at a pace faster than a toddler can manage without gasping. DH likes to walk and talk and I can't walk uphill and talk or walk at a decent pace downhill and talk. I'm probably going to have to have the injection in the cord to make it close off my trachea a bit more - I am told it is very well tolerated and doesn't stop you breathing. Only problem is the ENT I am seeing does it under general anaesthetic and I really don't want to have a general if I can avoid it. I know some ENTs will do vocal cord injections with the patient sedated.
 |
| A streamlet bounding. |
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| Skagit River looking more calm. It was still moving at a good pace. |
Anyway, in the meantime I clean, I tidy, I knit and oh yeah, I do work. Lots of work.
 |
| Fall leaves. Some great specimens around! |
I have finished lots of knits in the last month. Maybe you'd like to see some of them? This is after all ostensibly a knitting blog, not a Lynne's whinings blog.
 |
| DH's new socks at the beach. |
 |
| A rather bright shawl. |
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| A silk cowl |
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| My new cardie just laying around |
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| Finished this one in time for cool weather, sigh... |
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| Close up of the cowl's shiny silk and stitch pattern (star stitch - k3tog, knit/yo/knit into the k3tog, k1, repeat) |
Plus yesterday we escaped the city and went for a drive in one of the most magical parts of Washington state, and there are many amazing places here. It is so amazingly pretty! We drove up to the Cascades part of State Highway 20. We only got as far as Ross Lake because we left a bit late but OMG! The pretty! The fall colours are in and some areas have already lost their leaves but they were the lower places in the upper Skagit valley, not up in the mountains.
The scenery around Diablo Lake was absolutely gobsmacking. I'm a bit sad that we haven't managed to get up there earlier, but I had planned a weekend up that way for DH's birthday. Alas it rained a lot up there in August and there were a number of landslips and the road was closed for a while. My little car is game and willing but there are limits.... Still, better late than never and I can see we'll be doing that trip again, hopefully this year before the road is closed by snow but if not, some time next year when it reopens again.
After a lovely weekend, the weather looks like it is going to get fairly craptastic again. Hope I've got enough sun stored up. I'll have to start running the heaters too - it's going to be 5C cooler than average for this time of year over the next week or two. 17C is normal and an ok temperature but 12 to 13C is a bit on the cool side! Last year my African Violets suffered quite badly because it was too cold (and I didn't realise - I'm not actually into torturing things I am meant to take care of!) so I'll just have to pay up the increased electricity bill and have all the rooms heated rather than the ones I am using.
anon!
Ceduna had 42 today. We are in for a hot Summer. I am not happy. Your knitting is great, I love the striped cardi and you seem to have a bit of a colour theme happening. Oh it is Very Annoying not to be able to walk up a hill and talk. I know. Oh, a sedation would be much better than a general. I hope the hiccups stay away.
ReplyDeleteGobsmacking nature photos alright!! And I love your fancy knit photos too. You've been a busy knitter making fabulous things! It's crazy your vocal cord is still paralysed, I keep hoping you'll wake up and be better, I know you wish that too. Have fun with your family visitors.
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