IntrinsicTina

1 1 2 Towering dogwoods pale yellow in full flower, azaleas and rhodies in fresh bloom, splashing fuschia and crimsons, heavy lavender lilac blooms reach for the sky, while delicate bluebells and white cotton spears carpet the garden floor. But, this is not the garden, it's only the parking lot of my hospice house. Gentle breezes lift my hair, sunshine kisses my arms, warming my smiling, up-turned face, thinning my blood; while the shade reminiscent of winter's grasp, prickles and pokes at my flesh. My first escape from my ALS-inforced prison in months. I'm propelled in my fancy carriage, by my husband's gentle hand. He continues to visit the ruin of his financial life, the love of his life...Me. We've enjoyed 20 springtimes together, breaking out our motorcycles to tour the daffodil fields of Puyallup, Skagit Valley tulip fields, or fuschias in Lewis County; planting dahlia tubers, vegetable seeds, onion sets, flats of marigolds, pansies, and primroses; thr...

Tina's Twelve Days of Christmas (full version) ♫ On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...a glass pickle to hang in the tree. ♩  On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Two red poinsettias, and a glass pickle to hang in the tree. ♩  On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Three chocolate Santas, two red poinsettias, and a glass pickle to hang in the tree. ♩  On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Four rein-dogs poopin', three chocolate Santas, two red poinsettias, and a glass pickle to hang in the tree. ♩  On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Five red heart ornaments, four rein-dogs poopin', three chocolate Santas, two red poinsettias, and a glass pickle to hang in the tree. ♩  On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Six bags of kisses, five red heart ornaments, four rein-dogs poopin', three chocolate Santas, two red poinsettias, and a glass pic...

Getting right to it, Tina's Twelve Days of Christmas nears it's crescendo:  ♫ On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... eleven Trophy Cupcakes, ten Snowman bright lights, nine Fran's dark chocolates, eight Christmas crackers, seven cotton candies, six bags of kisses, five red heart ornaments..........four rein-dogs poopin', three chocolate Santas, two red poinsettias, and a glass pickle to hang in the tree. ♫ I have to share with you, the effort my husband is making. He brought me a few different choices for the eleventh day of Christmas: Eleven candy canes, eleven Lindor truffles, and eleven Trophy Cupcakes. Of course, I cannot possibly eat all of the nummy goodies, so my caregivers are, deservedly, getting tasty holiday treats.

My husband asked that I write about my experience as a patient in the skilled nursing facility, Lifecare Center of Federal Way. It's a difficult endeavor due to my many traumatic experiences and the impact of fear and anxiety it left upon me. I hesitate because I don't want to insult the few good souls who made it bearable.  One may wonder why I did not document issues as they occurred. At first, I was unable to write due to the progression of ALS. Although, I owned a speech generating device, it was new and I was unpracticed. Additionally, I was having issues dealing with either frontotemporal disease (FTD) or PseudoBulbar Affect (PBA). My emotions were raw and I was laid open to impulsivity and acting rashly. (It's important to know what these conditions are NOT. They are NOT dementia. They do NOT effect cognition.).  I mention these deficits, not to evoke pity, but to gain understanding. Finally, I was intimidated. Fear of reprisal was more than a vague fear, on at lea...

Before it reaches crisis level, I need my caregivers to be aware of my respiratory needs. Currently, they enter my room and apply Purrell antibacterial to their hands. Great practice for infection control! Bad impact to someone with limited breathing abilities. The compromise is to rub in the antibacterial thoroughly prior to entering the room. That way, the fumes are minimized. My speech therapist also said that soap and water is another alternative. I agree. Other irritants include perfumes, sprays, and powders. Anything that emits a chemical or is propelled into the air can steal away my breathe. For that matter, even too many flowers can leave me struggling to breath deeply. I've had to ask that my room be mopped only when I'm not in it. While I love my air freshener, Febreeze, it must be used judiciously; aiming toward the floor. Talc or powder must be shaken into caregiver's hand, away from my face, then applied to me. And, please don't use these admission...

Today is my birthdate. Does anybody know?  Apparently not my "friends" and caregivers at the home. For all of the "I love you"s that get readily voiced around here, I do not feel the love. Famous last words. About the time I printed those ungrateful, selfish, and self-centered words, I get flowers delivered from  ProFlowers.Com, which is my daughter's m. O. They were gorgeous roses of white, peach, and dual pink interspersed with sweet-smelling purple stock.  The bouquet was a glorious first clue of how my day would go. (sigh) When will I learn to be grateful in All things?

Baby it's been a long time since I've blogged! Between summertime and getting a job, my focus has been turned away from trivial pursuits (sort of). I have absolutely neglected my knitting and opted to lounge in the pool during my non-work hours. That is not the whole truth. I have also been scraping and painting the exterior trim of my house before the rains come. I've also been hauling the hose around my 1/2-acre watering the plants, hoping for massive amounts of tomatoes and peppers in the near future. My blueberries were a veritable bust this year. They just never quite ripened to their full deliciousness. THAT is a big bummer. On a positive note, my Clematis is finally blooming with two (count them...two) pretty purple blossoms!

2 76 77 What can I say? Apparently a designer lurks within my heart. Every once in awhile I get an overwhelming urge to make something without following a pattern. The yarn just screams to be worked into a specific shape for a specific purpose. I was sitting there minding my own business, contentedly following someone else's pattern when the feeling could not be ignored a moment longer. I dropped my knitting WIP (work-in-progress) and picked up my crochet hook and a wad of leftover yarn that my mother had given me then rooted through my own stash of leftovers to come up with this soothing combination that goes very well in my own living room. Since I liked it, I thought I should write up the pattern. No sense squandering divine inspiration by hoarding it all to myself. The pattern follows: Potted Plant Sleeve By Tina Flink Sleeve Using base color. Ch 50, join with sl st in first ch. Round 1: Chain 3 (this is the first dc), dc all around, adding one dc into bot...

So April showers may bring May flowers but I'm already getting some budding and blooming in my yard. Azaleas, Hyacinths, and Tulips. Oh My! Technically, the tulips have yet to bloom but I'm so tickled with the healthy growth of the sinuous green leaves popping four inches out of the ground that I'm giddy with anticipation. I was delighted to find hyacinths emerging and blooming out of an abandoned pot from last year and last but, not least, is the pink explosion of blooms that cover the dwarf azalea near my front door step. The dwarf rhody can't be far behind. I'm so so SO ready for spring and just cannot believe that we are barely into March. The onset of spring is so exhilarating for me. I've hung on each and every yellow forsythia blooming around the neighborhood and nearly burst when I get an eyeful of pink or white cherry blossoms along the public streets. Washington state remains green due to our rainfall and evergreens but compared to spring and summerti...