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.

On and Off the Needles as we Move into The New Year!

 Trying to get a picture with bad light isn't easy.  Neither of these is quite right in terms of color.  But, the first photo I lightened on the computer and think it's probably closest.  I'm using two color strands that are quite similar in color, just different intensity.  I started this shawl back in July for myself, and it got put away.........which is what always happens when I try to make something for myself.

Additionally, it's not something I can work on easily while watching tv at night.  Two fold, the fingering yarn is so fine, I find it hard to see at night using light vs day light.  AND the yarn is sooooooooo wonderfully soft it easily slids off the needle if I'm looking up to watch tv.  Which is why I only work on it once in a blue moon.  

This is the real color of the fiber/yarn of the lighter section before I did anything with it.  Perhaps the next picture will be better.  Anyway.  Thought I'd work on it for a few days during the day since I had just finished

Earth and Sky a few days ago.  (posted in previous post).  This is prior to being laundered and blocked.  Am pleased as it now is laying out to dry as it's being blocked.  It measures 60 x 65 ish.  

 After finishing above Earth and Sky, I dug out Cardiac Collage.  No doubt most of you will remember it.  I edged each square with the darker blue, crochet them together and ended up with a square measuring about 54 inches, from memory.  It was drying and being blocked yesterday.  After measuring it, I should have written it down, but think I'm not too far off in my memory.

The turquoise in the bottom picture is a bit closer, though the other colors in the first picture look pretty close.  So many gray drab days here in Ohio, it's often difficult to get colors to show up correctly in pictures.  Both afghans will be donated to Bridge and Beyond, my charity focused on helping the Homeless.

I trust you all had a wonderful Christmas with friends and families, I posted some Christmas memories in my previous post.  This picture just seems so appropriate to me.  I hope and pray, 2019 will rid of us of some of these horrible politicians.  So very tired of their ruining this country of ours.

If you're traveling for holiday, please be safe!

Merry Christmas, Earth and Sky Completed

 Without going through multiple files I don't know what year each picture represents

 But, from whatever the year was..............

 Wishing you a very Merry Christmas

 From my family to yours

 I hope you have a wonderful Christmas

 If you're traveling, please travel safe

 Funny, old, faded pictures.  Different hair styles......different

 glasses.........hair changing colors as well, lol

 Goodness, hard to believe we were that young once upon a time.

Look at the big hair.........lordy!

2017.......last years picture.

And finished Earth and Sky last night, got ends all tucked in and now it needs to be laundered and blocked and then can be donated to Bridge and Beyond, my charity.

Working on Earth and Sky...counting down to Christmas

Earth and Sky growing and growing.  On the 2nd to last section currently, the variegated section to be followed by the olive green section.  I measured this yesterday (have added a few more rows since), and it was 45 inches wide x 60 ish, so believe it will be ok size wise when completed.  Plus it will grow a bit when blocked after being laundered.  It like 99% of the stuff I made will be donated to my charity, Bridge and Beyond.  If you knit, crochet, loom etc...please hop over and check out the blog.  Maybe you'd like to help us by donating something you've knitted, crocheted, or loomed etc.

Making more headway with cleaning out, purging, de-cluttering.  Not sure if I'll get much more done before Christmas though.  

If you knew me, you'd know how much I hate winter.  So, when I saw this...had to save it.  Come on Spring.

We've not seen many adults who truly act as bad as a child pouting...but we see this often with this guy, except for maybe when he's playing golf at one of his properties.

Eating, Knitting, and De-Cluttering and

Breakfast is served.  When our daughter is home, we always have her make breakfast because she makes really good omelets.  I'm getting better, but.........no, I don't try to flip them over by flipping the pan.  She does.  We shared a 4 egg omelet with onion, peppers, spinach, mushrooms, and cheedar cheese.  I sliced avocado for the top.  We had some bacon and raisin cinnamon english muffins.

Earth and Sky continues to grow.  Have added the 2nd tan section and am now working with the next variegated section.  I measured it when I took the picture and have already forgotten how wide it is.......geesh, should have written it down.  Oh well...it's growing and looking more and more like it will be an ok size when I get the current variegated section followed by light green followed by another variegated section and then dark green to end.  I'm thinking now, I may not need to find another color of yarn and pick up on the other side.  Fingers crossed.

This looks less complicated then many designs I've seen posted.  Grapes, and cheeses...I don't know possibly this would be worth doing?

I'm making headway with my de-cluttering.  Though actually I've done a few things since editing my calendar.  I ended up erasing stuff that simply didn't pertain to me, things with toys, games, and my car, and then typed in stuff that I'm doing and or needs doing.  That worked better than when I tried to type at the end of the calendar.

 I haven't shared any new series with you all in a while.  This is a must!!!  A Place to Call Home on Amazon Prime, but you do need a membership to Acorn and it's definately worth it.  It's 6 seasons and I was totally addicted to it, staying up late at night watching.

 LOVED it, let me know if you watch and what you thought.  AND if you've not watched............treat yourself to a months membership and binge watch.

**BLOG QUESTION:
There used to be a way to see whom you've visited on your blog log because the link would change color.  It's driving me nuts that feature seems to be gone.  Anyone else having that trouble?  Anyone know how to fix that problem?