I'd Like to Knit Medicare into a Corner

Blue Ocean is coming along.  A bit slowly though.  Since taking this picture I've added a 3rd color and believe it's about 6 inches wide and about 55 inches long...forgot to write it down after I measured it.  I've been knitting a little here and there, but not making as much progress as I would like.    

Dad has fallen for the 3rd time in the last couple of years, so we've spent more time at the hospital, talking to doctors, making phone calls, trying to follow up on a medicare nightmare.

Did you know, you can be an inpatient at the hospital for several days, but medicare deems you not an inpatient, but an outpatient.  EVEN if you were admitted through the ER, and got to the ER via an ambulance at 3 in the morning!!!  Are you familiar with being admitted as an outpatient for observation?  If not, you really need to read the tiny print on your medicare book.  My Dad is to be 93 in a few weeks, fell, the squad took him to the hospital.  They ruled out breaks with xrays and scans, and were concerned about his heart, and did some things to his pacemaker....3 days later while in a hospital bed........being seen by only hospital doctors........they tell us he is not really admitted.  Now his actually hospital bills, may still get paid (too soon to tell yet if there's an issue with that), but..........since he wasn't really admitted, no follow up care in a skilled nursing facility for physical therapy, nursing, occupational therapy etc will be covered.  Apparently this relatively new "thing" has created lots of problems and huge numbers of law suits nationally.  Seems a crime to me you pay for medicare for YEARS, and then when you get old and need it........poof!

After talking to everyone under the sun to try and get this reversed, we were contacted by a Rehab Hospital...not a skilled facility, but a hospital where he was admitted and received intense therapy that is covered and this stay will qualify for him for the follow up care he needs at a skilled nursing facility for awhile before he goes onto Assited Care.  He's been living alone, and just really can't any longer.

While I don't think the mess about the wall on the boarder is at all funny...this made me smile.  And I believe would be just as effective as donnie john's big beautiful wall that Mexico was going to pay for..........perhaps more effective, though you could die from laughter watching.

Anyone using a dry brush?  A friend of mine got me doing this.  It feels good and is suppose to be helpful with improving dry skin...and has some other benefits.  I've not been able to be consistent yet with using it, as I've been rushing in and out of the shower to get to the various care facilities for Dad, but...hope to eventually.

There's actually a chart to show you  how to dry brush your body.

Fire's Provide Warmth, even on TV

Cleaning out photo's on the phone and sending them to my computer and came across a few I thought I'd share.  Not sure if I have before?

This was a gift we bought ourselves some time back and we've really enjoyed it.  And oh, how I wish we could sit outside now and enjoy our cocktails.  But, not until Spring, way too cold here in Central Ohio for that now.  Still though, looking at the fire, the nice warm fire makes me smile.  That's hubby's hand showing you his perfect Martini....I only make perfect ones you know!

This is our Christmas present to us.  The large tv and cabinet.  We had to clean out the entertainment center that I loved, just simply couldn't get a bigger tv, which we needed, as neither of us can read the print without getting up from the chair.  AND the new smart tv's...so much easier to use.  Who knew you could have a fire place with lovely music on the tv...I didn't until my youngest nephew's wife, Heather showed me.  We enjoyed this throughout the Christmas visit when our darling daughter was home visiting!

Christmas morning traditional brunch includes cinnamon rolls, Mandarin oranges, egg casserole and of course Champagne.  I make egg casseroles for everyone in the family so they can take it home on Christmas Eve and have for their breakfast in the morning.  Long standing tradition, and when Mom was alive she made homemade rolls to go with it.  In recent years, I've found out Mama Mimi's (take and bake pizza) makes homemade cinnamon rolls twice a year so we order a pan for everyone to go with their eggs.  Hubby and Darling Daughter always go out to the deck when opening the champagne to see how far they can get the cork to fly, lol

Absolutely terrible picture hubby took last night, but I thought I'd share anyway.  No sure why my hair looks so bad..........eh.  The purpose though of the picture is to show you my new light...see the thing around my neck?  It's a very light weight and flexible light to help with knitting and crocheting.  I ordered this Minger light from Amazon at the suggestion of Sandie P (check out her blog).  I made a comment a few days ago the difficulty with some yarn and some colors working at night and Sandie told me she used one of these lights and it really helped.  I followed the link she sent to Amazon and order pronto!  They have both one you put batteries in and one that you can re-charge.  I opted for the re-chargeable one, which I believe is what she also has.  Not that you can see much, but the item in my hand is a new afghan.  It's a knitted ripple and I'm currently using a blue variegated.  I'm fighting a bit when trying to K2tog, even though I don't knit tightly, the yarn is quite course, but hopefully it will solften with working with it and when it's laundered and blocked.  Looked last night in my stash for a brown variegated I thought I had to strip with it, but couldn't find it; so will have to look again.........if no luck....will pull out some other colors.  Stay tuned.

Cardiac Collage Afghan, Peruzzi Leather Purse, and Toilet Paper Rolls for Halloween

Cardiac Collage got a vacation while I was tarveling recently in Italy.  But, there is now the beginnings of the 7th square so it's coming a long.  Whether it will end up being a 9 square or 12 square ghan remains to be seen.  My current plan is to make 9...see how I like it and whether adding more to the existing squares or adding more squares is the way to go.  Since this is without a pattern....it truly evolves.  Once completed it will be donated through my charity, Bridge and Beyond to benefit the Homeless.

What's a trip without souvenirs?  Not sure I'm able to answer that question.  I'm a person who dislikes buying purses.  They either all look the same, are too big, too heavy, or too expensive...or don't have good pockets or something.  For years, I had stopped buying leather or pretend leather purses due to the weight on my shoulders and got "into" Vera Bradley's cloth purses.  But, while the prints are fun....they almost always clash with what you're wearing.  AND the particular style I liked they stopped making.  Florence, Italy is known for fine leather goods, hand crafted, durable, fashionable etc.  Guccio Gucci was a Florentine.  Even in antiquity, leather making was a big thing in Florence.  In part, because of the Arno River.  Tanning leather was a messy job, and a smelly job.  Lots of water was necessary in the process of doing the work and in cleaning up afterwards.  Peruzzi has been making fine leather goods in Florence since 1948.  I love this purse, it's not heavy on my shoulders, it's not large or small..a good inbetween size.  The strap is very adjustable to be a cross body or over the shoulder.  Italy has been the #1 country on my bucket list, so was pretty excited to travel there.  Been blogging about it with lots of pictures on my travel blog.  Traveling Suitcase.  Come travel virtually with me.

AND, yet another idea for you with re-using, re-purposing, and re-cycling your toilet paper rolls.  Just in time for Halloween.  Isn't this a cleaver idea!  Those of you with your children at home ought to get a kick out of this.

Cardiac Collage, Toilet Paper Rolls, and Island at War

Cardiac Collage a few days ago, when I thought I would get around to writing a post and didn't.  Bottom left square needed, as you can see a couple of inches on the top to fit and then the block above it needed ends tucked and some additional knitting on the outside edge.

Here it is more recently.  Took this photo last night before bed...and the colors are a tad off cause it wasn't very light in the room, and I tried to adjust in the photo software.  Bottom left block completed with the couple of inches it needed to fit.  And now you more clearly see how much is needed for the outside edge on the upper left square.  Plus I turned the top left square and think the colors are better that way to balance out the lights and darks.

Island at War, a very interesting series I highly recommend.  It touches on England's failure to recognize the importance of the geographic location of The Channel Island's leading up to War.  It deals with occupation by the enemy, The Germans on this small island community and how differently families copped.  It deals with the problems of being the occupying enemy.  What's the saying, all's fair in love and war.........maybe not in reality.

The Island was fictional in the series, called St. Gregory; but the stories are real, a combination of stories from Jersey and Guernsey Islands.  The filming took place largely on The Isle of Mann.

You may recognize the lady above as one of the primary characters from Downton Abbey...and Jammie from Outlander, though in a much smaller roll.

And here is a colorful idea for re-pursing toilet paper rolls.  Not sure how easy it is to cut the slices you need to turn a toilet paper roll into a lantern.  Not sure I think this is one of the better ideas, but I guess if you were decorating for a childs party it might be cute?  I think these are colorful, just not sure how easy it is to accomplish and whether it's worth the time to paint them, or cover with paper?  What do you all think?