Struggling!

Started on Atkins as the doc suggested, but I am struggling. I am using My Fitness Pal to record my food choices so I won't bother to write my meals here.  I am going to spend sometime reading more about this low carb diet and come up with some more meals. Since I was up early this morning I did roast some asparagus and green beans for lunch and dinner.  I still can't get my carbs to 20 a day but I am getting closer. I did get my exercise in yesterday and it really made me feel better. Tired, but a good tired.

I did some knitting yesterday and finished the felted bag I was working on. I knit until the shoulder began to hurt and then I rested. Now I need to find a strap, some fabric for lining it, and some embroidery patterns. After felting I want to embroidery some flowers or shapes on it. All that will have to wait until I have the use of my shoulder back, hopefully by fall. My next knitting project will be to finish my Holden shawl. I only have about 15 more rows to go, so I hope I can get it finished by next week. Then I need to find something else to knit that will be easy on the shoulder.

I wanted to share some more goodies that came in the mail. One thing for sure, being cooped up in a house can lead too many internet purchases and going way over budget. I got the Oz stitch markers from Little Skein.

And two skeins of self stripping yarn from Turtle Purl. The colors are beautiful and much prettier than the picture .As I put my yarn out to take pictures I find that I seem to pick out the same colors. I really need to get outside my box in terms of colors.



I have a trip to physical therapy today and  I am hoping for good news. I am hoping that I can start driving in the next couple of weeks. Yippee!
Time to try knitting for a little. Everyone take care and I hope you get to do something today that you enjoy!

Feeling Good

Seems that each day is getting better with the shoulder. Exercises are done,  I'm showered and dressed, and had breakfast. Now I'm doing a little knitting and watching the scify channel.

Eating today:
Bkfast: 2 fried eggs, 2 slices bacon, 2 cups coffee with sugar free sweetener
Lunch: tossed salad, roasted chicken, Greek dressing
Dinner: 
Snacks: pork rinds, natural almonds, Atkins bar
Lots of water

 Last day of tax season so the hubby will be home more and we will be able to spend more time in SC.

What is happening in this world? Bombings at the Boston Marathon today.

Everyone stay safe out there and pray for all the people in Boston.

Progress!

Progress on the home front. Yesterday,  I walked for 15 minutes and rode a stationary bike for 15 minutes. I am hoping that this will happen more often as my shoulder heals. Walking with your arm in a sling is a bit of a challenge since it causes dizziness and an off balance feeling. But it was great to get out of the house and into the fresh air. It was a beautiful day. I also did my shoulder exercises 3 times so hopefully I will be further along on my next visit to the physical therapist.

I didn't try to knit yesterday but I am going to try today, at least 1 row maybe more. I am working on a felted bag that still needs a couple of inches. I did try to purl a row on a shawlette but that hurt the shoulder too much.

I have decided to start on Atkins as the doctor suggested. I'm gonna be using My Fitness Pal to record my food and keep up with the nutrition stuff  The site is free and well worth using if you want to keep up with what you are eating and getting the nutritional analysis. During  the last few days I have been reading different low carb blogs gathering info for this new venture and it looks pretty doable. Since I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic and it looks like low carb is one way to fix that, am willing to try it.
I know that the first 2 weeks are called Induction and that I haven't stayed on it today, but hopefully I will get better at it. I am still reading about those first 2 weeks and I haven't quite gotten it all in my head yet, but I will. and that is the good news!
Today's Eats:
Breakfast: 1 fried egg, 1 slice bacon, 2 cups of coffee with cream(I have to check on the cream)
Snack: 1 Atkins bar
Lunch: lettuce, Gazebo lite Greek dressing, grilled salmon, tomatoes, cucumber,
Dinner: roasted green beans, corned beef, (I might try to link the green bean recipe if its edible)
Need to work on drinking more water during the day!
Exercise: 20 minutes walking/20 minutes stationary bike


Got a couple of new knitting items in the mail yesterday. Some yarn from Unwind Yarn Company. I got twinkle sock for a pair of socks and 2 skeins for a shawl. It came with a stitch marker from BeaGin Design.  

I haven't tried this yarn before but I really like the colors.

I also got several bags from Knittings My Bag. One is a small project bag and the other 2 are the new alternating bags. I really like the fabric I chose and it came with a thank  you stitch marker. One of the alternating bags is going to Katie!

Started reading The Enchanted April this afternoon. It was a free book from Amazon for the kindle. Once I've read it I plan to watch the movie. So far I am enjoying the book. What are you reading Katie?

Well I'm off to try to knit one more row, then maybe a short nap, or I'll just read some more and fall asleep, anyway it happens, I hope everyone enjoys their day, until next time

New Knitting Stuff and Life

I have moved on to watching movies and got Persuasion in yesterday. Today I'm watching Scify movies with the Hunger Games on tap for this afternoon.

I was able to get my hair done yesterday which made me feel like a million dollars. Now I would love to get a pedicure. Maybe that is in the works for next week.

I did try to knit some yesterday-for about 5 minutes. The shoulder is in pain today. Just have to be patient and I'll be back to knitting in no time. I am doing my shoulder exercises faithfully so the shoulder should improve. I think I might try to work on a sock today-might get one row done.

I did get 2 items in the mail yesterday that made my day! My row counter from Karit Stix and my Intersection Kit. The row counter is great and I can't wait to start using it, plus it matches my  needle gauge. Eventually I would like to get a stitch gauge to go with it.

The Intersection Kit from Stunning String Studio came all boxed up and wrapped. It was packaged beautifully and the colors of the yarn are gorgeous. I almost wish I had ordered a full skein in each color. It came with 4 stitch markers that are used to knit the shawl. I've forgotten when this KAL begins but this will be one of first knits I want to start on when I can knit again. The colors are absolutely STUNNING!

I also have pictures of my sock club yarns from Knit and Fiber Creations. I haven't picked out anything yet for these 2 colorways but I'm looking. I wasn't able to add the photos for these, but I will figure it out.

Well, time for lunch and then The Hunger Games.

Life is Crazy!

This is the 3rd week since rotator cuff surgery and I am going crazy:) NO knitting, driving, exercising, for another 3 weeks. I have exhausted tv (rogue, Americans, Grimm, homeland, monday mornings, duck dynasty, swamp people, Dallas, revolution, Mr. Sheffield, star trek, justified,) you name it, I have probably watched it. Since I am now a one handed typist I am leaving off the caps etc until I can use both hands. Thank goodness for correction mistakes.

 I am now weaning myself away from the tv and turning to the internet. Well that wasn't great because I went over my budget this month way too soon. There are so many great knitting items out there to buy. (stitch markers, yarn clubs, knitting tools) and such great craftsman making them. One thing I have really enjoyed is seeing what everyone is dyeing, sewing, and creating for knitting. 

So to stop the buying craze, I have turned to my nook and kindle. B&N had some great quick reads last week on their free Friday blog (I think I ended up with about 20 books) and I just got Enchanted April for free on my kindle. I am hoping to be able to get at least one skein of Canon Hand Dyes to go with this book.(So much for the budget) I haven't checked to see if the movie is free on amazon prime, but I hope so. First I plan to read the book. NO tv for awhile. HA

On the home front, hubby has been wonderful keeping up with laundry, cooking, etc. and my exercises. I did get to spend a week with my son and daughter #3. She was wonderful taking care of me right after my surgery. She took a week off work and kept me company, helped me bathe, made my meals etc. She is a gem. Plus I got to see my grandson everyday. He is wonderful. They are wonderful.

Since I have been laid up the pounds are creeping up so I plan to spend some time getting back to eating healthy. The doc says I am prediabetic and I need to go on Atkins. Atkins? Well I have looked at it and looked at it, but I'm not getting anywhere with it. I know the carbs have to go but I'm not sold on this, but I know I have to do something. I really want to get the weight off and the sugar down. I know its just up to me to get this going, but sometimes the mind doesn't cooperate. I know its all about CHOICES but sometimes that is really hard.

Well I am going to try to post some picks of the goodies I have purchased and get to reading. Eveyone have a great day and enjoy the warm weather. If you live in the Midwest, stay safe and inside.

Floops on etsy

karatstix on etsy

Knitters brewing company

  
 

Snow? Yarn?

Yesterday afternoon it really started snowing! I thought we would probably get 3 to 4 inches, but from the pictures I took this morning you can see we only got about a half inch, and most of it was ice.  Would so like to be with you, Katie, in Kitty Hawk where I bet it is warm and sunny;)

Looking out the front door.

Summer tools left out for the winter!

Snow in the yard. The first of the season.

Ice on the trees.

 After pictures it was time to sit and relax with a cup of blueberry green tea in my Haldecraft teacup,

and check out my new yarn acquisitions that I got yesterday. First I took a drive to Ferrum, VA and picked up my last Victorian club shipment from Natasha of Unplanned Peacock. It's always great to see the new colorways and patterns that she comes up with for each month. Next year's club is going to be about Fairy Tales.

Then in the mail I received my very first skeins of Yarn vs Zombies in the Damsel base all the way from Australia. I got Party Shoes Purple and Barossa Valley colorways. Not sure what I am going to do with it yet, but I'm sure I'll think of something. Also in the package was a pack of Haribo, Happy Cola candies. I've decided to save those to try out with you, Katie. Candies from Australia-how neat is that!

Plus I stopped by the local yarn shop, the Crooked Stitch, and picked up my Mountain Colors and Simply Worsted to start on the Pop Blanket. That's where I also picked up my Clark Gable mitt to work on. Unfortunately, I forgot to get Whitney, (the wonderful owner of this fantastic shop) to wind the yarn for me so I could get started on them, but I have plenty to keep me busy until I can back to see her.

Well, hubby just called and he's coming home for lunch, so I guess I'll put on my chef's hat and get lunch ready.
Until next time.

Moving AGAIN!

Well, I am moving back to Rocky Mount and we are selling our townhouse in Christiansburg, VA. The kids and I really love the place, but it's time to let it go and travel down another path.
 I've made lots of new friends there, tried new crafts, (basket making), started hiking, got back into swimming and exercising, and took some day trips with the Senior group. I will truly miss everyone , but life goes on.

Most of our furniture will be making a new home in Roanoke, at our son's new house. I only wish he had room for the dining room set. It belonged to my parents and I really hate to sell it, but no one has room for it. Having to downsize again is really hard for me, but I know I won't have room for it at the house in Conway, SC, so away it goes.

One thing I am not letting loose of is my yarn. Well, not yet. Eventually, I plan to photograph it, post it on Ravelry and then destash some of it since I have enough yarn to last me a lifetime or maybe several lifetimes. I figure when I go no one out there is going to love my stash like I do, so I need to try to go on a yarn diet. The only problem is that if a yarn diet is anything like a food diet, the yarn might not go anywhere. One good thing about having to move your stash, is that you find all kinds of new projects to work on that you plum forgot about. And I found out that most of the yarn I have I really still like it.

Rain, Sleet, Snow?

Well here in the mountains, or just at the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains, we have had 4 days of rain and I mean monsoon rain. It's rained enough that the drought might be nonexistent. And now we are having sleet which they say will soon turn into snow, maybe 6 inches or more.  

This is the beginning of the ice!

These will be gifted to someone special!

So what did I do? Well. I finished up my retirement teaching days this week (which I always stress out about until I have them done) and then headed to the local knitting store to find something new to knit. Now, it's not like I don't have any yarn or projects to work on, but the first snow of winter just called for a new project. I am going to work on the Clark Gable mitts. Don't you just love him! I figure if we get 6 inches or more of snow, I will tuck up with a cup of tea or a latte, probably both,  knit on these mitts, and hopefully find a Clark Gable movie to watch.

Talking about movies, my hubby got me the Kindle Fire HD for Christmas this year, and I am in love. So far, I have watched most of season 1 of Dr. Who, read some books, and watched the movie Ghost Protocol, which stars Tom Cruise, and downloaded a word game called Jumble 2, where you unscramble the letters to form words all for free. Now granted you have to be a prime member to get these, but I am finding that is money well spent.

I guess that's all for now. We hope to get more stuff packed this week-end to get ready to move, again, but that all depends on the weather so I will let that be another entry.

Let's Try This Again

Well, I noticed that it has almost been another year since my last update, so I figured I would try this out again. Lots has been going on in the mountains as well as at the beach.

Well reading back on the post I see we took a trip with Sawyer to Myrtle Beach, SC. We had a great time visiting the aquarium, gardens, butterfly house, beach, shopping, and just playing at the house.

Papa, Nana, and Sawyer heading to Myrtle Beach on our very first trip together.

Just arrived and someone took our picture for us:)

Sawyer loved the fish and so did Papa!

The official trip picture that everyone gets.

We just couldn't catch those butterflies!

And this little boy wouldn't do anything!

Shopping was fun

  

but so exhausting!

Sawyer made a Mother's Day card for his mommy:)

Sawyer got to put his feet in the sand and watch the birds.

Relaxing and playing with my favorite toy, open/close.