IntrinsicTina

Ballot mailed.  Car serviced.  Windshield replaced. Disabled placard acquired.  Appointment for occupational therapy set.  Vision appointment set.  Sam's Club.  Yarn shop.  Visited sister getting chemotherapy.  My life may have changed but somehow it remains extremely full.

Back in April 2012, I detailed a deteriorating health condition that was causing loss of strength, muscle spasms, and a whole lot of angst surrounding a decision I made to file a Labor & Industries claim.  On September 11th, while our country was re-counting our losses when those airplanes hit the twin towers, I experienced my own personal 9-Eleven.  My third EMG administered by a neurologist revealed that my supposed "nerve pinch in my neck" was much more grave than I could possibly realize...He told me that I had ALS or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (a.k.a. Lou Gehrig's disease). If you are unaware of the details of this disease then you are not alone.  I only knew that it was a death sentence and I was emotionally "knocked off my feet".  My anguish knew no bounds as I tried to catch my breathe so I could drive myself home.  I walked into my doctor's office holding out hope that they would locate the errant nerve root and fix it even if it meant t...

I've been planting a garden in raingutters affixed to a sunny spot on our cedar fence.  So far I have planted Sweet Genovese Basil and Salad Bowl Lettuce back in mid May.  The lettuce is up and green! Today, due to a two day break in the rain, I managed to plant an Ed Hume gourmet herb mixture of chives, thyme, parsley, and more basil.  Additionally, I poked in a few sprouting garlic bulbs given to me by a dear friend and fellow garden enthusiast. I still have room to plant more stuff and am on the lookout for Wexler carrots.  Last but not least, I scratched in some dill below the gutters on the ground.  I sure am looking forward to results.  (Note: the attached picture is not of my garden. Just, what I am striving for.)

This weekend marked the 12th anniversary of my marriage to my husband, Rod. Actually, our anniversary date coincided with Earth Day. I'd love to tell you that we spent the day cleaning penguins or stoically and stubbornly not using fossil fuels around the home taking up the push-mower or the humble rake but that would be a lie. We started our day seated in our Subaru trekking northward participating in the annual migration of tourists to visit the tulip fields of Mt. Vernon. We love a road trip that culminates into varied photo opportunities. Vast expanses of blooming flowers on a promised sunny day guaranteed success in that regard and it did not disappoint. Additionally we got to indulge in our passion in sampling the local cuisine as well as mingle with the locals. Our first stop was at Bill's Diner in the heart of Mt. Vernon proper, across the street from the courthouse. Normally this historic establishment caters to the business crowd Monday through Friday from 7 am t...

Thankfully, one pastime that I haven't had to relinquish since the onset of my occupational disease is reading.  Having to put the kibosh on former activities such as working for a living, knitting, cooking (unable to safely control a knife), and many household chores, including yard work (BTW, I love yard work especially mowing and mulching), I am ever so grateful that I can still (with enough pillows to provide support) hold a book and read it. While I also will download audiobooks from the library onto my iPod and listen to those while I manage other chores, I am resistant to iPads, Kindles, and the like. Heck, I have a computer I can either listen to or read eBooks on.  But nothing quite measures up to the look and the feel of a real, live "low-tech" book.  Hardback or paperback usually make no never mind to me.  I just the love the physical reality of a book in my hands. The most recent series of books I read are actually aimed at the teenager and young adul...

March brought serious surprises to my life. Although I haven't mentioned it, I've been struggling with an increasing disability.  Since late last year, I've been plagued with an unstable spinal condition. What started off as a troublesome pain in my neck (October/November) has deteriorated into diminishing control over the fingers in my right hand (January) and arm (February).  This condition left me without any other option but to file a claim with our state's department of Labor and Industries. (March).  The tenacity of this condition coupled with the state's lethargy to diagnose and treat my condition, spurred my employer into cutting me loose (April). Unfortunately, because of this relentless deterioration, I've had to give up many of my preferred activities and pastimes: personal computing (blogging, social networking, learning new programs). Digital photography (capturing, uploading, captioning, classifying, and printing), knitting and crocheting, p...

During my recent trip to Las Vegas, I had the opportunity to cross off a few items from my "bucket" list. Admittedly, some are tiny little things like eating a Deep-Fried Twinkie at "Mermaids" and finally having the chance to savor Cioppino at La Village in the Paris Hotel and Casino. I like mussels. No small wonder there as I love oysters, scallops, and most anything from the ocean I've eaten. More significantly I got to take a ride in a helicopter. It was a short ride (about 5 minutes) a gloriously smooth and fascinating lift over Lake Mead to float purposefully over the Hoover Dam. I got the front seat and despite my recently-acquired fear of heights (usually manifesting in high windy places out of doors) I did not flinch. I'm certain my eyes were wide with wonder and I felt an unusual calm and joy at the new sensation.

Old Las Vegas signs are given a new life in the Fremont area and mixes well with the new. We visited the Fremont area often for the gambling, for the sights, and for the entertainment.

Resorts can be a lovely thing. Sparkling pools, maintained and walkable pathways, a clean room with space to live and breathe. Ours was in the form of a timeshare owned by my sister and brother-in-law and was right smack at the southern end of the Las Vegas strip. (Just far enough away from the "action" to be relaxing yet close enough to grab hold of the action when the mood struck.)

We had the first day to ourselves at my sister's timeshare at the WorldMark Las Vegas when their flight was canceled. The wind kicked up and accompanied us on our side-trip to Jean and Pahrump in search of the Bonnie & Clyde Death Car. (My husband's folly) We would miss the car until another day but discovered many more at a rally in Goodman Springs. Quite by accident we found the oldest building in the State of Nevada and had a little adventure in a windstorm. We failed to find a desert tortoise though we entered a conservation area for the little buggers.

Gladly leaving downed trees and a 3-day power outage, we embark on our vacation to Vegas, Baby! Of course I brought along some Cascade 220 SuperWash to knit up a mens hat while on the airplane. Unfortunately, I didn't bother with a picture of my project-du-jour. Instead, here are some sights on that first night (or should I admit that it was the wee hours of the following morning?) (Pictured are New York, New York , Caesar's Palace , and the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino) My husband and I were amazed to find that this new Vegas-on-Steroids since our last visit 10 years ago.

The forecast was predicting a "snow-magedden". We got a little snow...followed by freezing rain...followed by a fast thaw causing flooding. This event occurred previous to my vacation. The heavy snows clung to tree branches breaking many. Ice storms coated the branches breaking trees. One of ours broke off in three sections, blocking our neighbors garage. The next night one hit our home. Luckily not causing any damage to it. Our fences did not fare as well. Each one will need repair. We were lucky.

This is what I've been up to for the past few months. Lots of baby knitting for impending new parents. This one is a blanket I hand knit for Rod's former co-worker who is having his second child. Of course, if there is an adorable first child, it is wise not to leave her empty-handed. I also knit a sweet little seed stitch hat for the wee one. The Skull and Crossbones and Heart Earflap Hat and Mittens are a hand-knit gift for my co-worker and supervisor at work. Her baby shower was today.