Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Since these questions are posting on the first day of April it seems only right to ask-when was the last time you did something foolish? If you can’t answer that one, try this one-when was the last time someone fooled you?

I often open my mouth and insert my foot. It’s not that I mean to say the wrong thing, it’s perhaps that I empathize too much.

2. What’s the last biography or non-fiction book you’ve read? Was it any good?

I just finished reading “The Ghost of Flight 401”. True story of Eastern Airlines L1011 flight that crashed in the everglades in Florida. Good book!

3. Garlic-friend or foe? What’s your favorite dish made with garlic?

I love garlic and I use it all the time in soups and stews.

4. Several Spring flower festivals happen in the US during the month of April. Of those listed, which would you most like to see in person…The Skagit Tulip Festival in Skagit Washington, The Dogwood Arts Festival in Knoxville Tennessee, The North Carolina Azalea Festival in Wilmington North Carolina or the Daffodil Festival Weekend on Nantucket Island, Massachussets?

This year none. But I would really love to see the Chery Blossoms in Washington, DC.

5. How do you choose which blogs to read? What is something that will make you stop and read every time? Something that makes you say, ‘eh, think I’ll skip this one and move on to the next’?

I have blogs I’ve been reading for years. One blog I read for a long time suddenly became a fitness blog, and well, frankly, I’m guiltily not in to fitness right now.

6. April is National Mathematics Education Month so tell us, when did you last use math?

Although I don’t like math, I do use it all the time. I think I use it in recipes most of all.

7. In honor of the A-Z challenge kicking off on April 1…choose one word beginning with the letter A to describe your yesterday.

affectionate

8. Insert your own random thought here.

April Fools Day 2014

I’m getting better using my left hand for mouse control. Oh, I still mess up from time to time, but this morning I wanted to make a new desk top picture for my laptop.

Savannah

I have to say working with the one hand was a challenge! But in the end I got this picture collage of Savannah put together.

It was also on Monday that Fickr/Yahoo implemented changes that caused chaos on my accounts as well as Hubby’s! (Was this their April Fools Joke?) I do not even want to tell you how long it took me to get things straightened out. And all with one hand splinted behind my back!

In fact I will admit to a bout of frustration where I accidentally knocked over a glass of juice, which fell into Greta’s dog bed! Thankfully, she wasn’t in it at the time. Oh well, it needed a washing anyway!

It is frustrating. Not having a functioning hand. I sure hope it gets better soon.

‘Snirt’

What’s this? Warmer temperatures, even though it is grey and rainy. Hubby and I went to the grocery store, where we saw, while walking through the parking lot, two locals walking into the store in work boots, shorts, a short sleeve shirt and down vest. Yes springtime in New Hampshire!

The ice is thinning on our lake and there are large puddles everywhere. All the BOB houses (for ice fishing) must be off the ice by April first.

Our snow is melting, and I know under all that snow and dirt ‘Snirt’ my lawn really took a beating! I am afraid we will need a lot of reseeding this spring.

I was thinking that perhaps I will plant some spring bulbs. You know, I stopped planting bulbs, because Fritz followed me around and dug up every bulb I planted! At first I was a bit angry, but how could I stay angry at that dear boy?

Life has changed but life also goes on.

Ghosts

I’ve been reading a book called “The Ghost Of Flight 401” by John Fuller. I was intrigued about the subject matter, the crash of an Eastern Airlines, L1011. Hubby was an Air Line Pilot, but not for Eastern Air Lines. He also piloted the L1011, and so as I read about the crash, I asked Hubby about the plane involved, and different things that were beyond my knowledge.

The first half of the book was fascinating. The people on board, both crew and passengers, what led up to the crash and then the crash itself. The rescue of those 75, very lucky survivors and the sad loss of 101 people.

Over the next several months, the employees of Eastern Airlines began to report sightings of the dead crew members Captain Loft and the Flight Engineer, Don Repo on board another L-1011. Parts from Flight 401 were reportedly salvaged after the Flight 401 crash investigation and refitted into another L-1011 in service. The Captain merely showed up in quite life like form, but the Engineer, Repo, would show up and try to warn other flight crews of problems with their plane.

I will not tell you how it all ends, but if you are interested in ghosts and aviation disasters, this is the book for you.

All in all, an interesting read

i

Friday

On Friday we had a change in the weather. On Friday it warmed up enough, and when we had precipitation it was in the form of rain!

This was totally wonderful, as it took much of the snow pack with it. Currently out driveway is clear and easy to get up and down.

The dogs got out to play, even though it rained, I managed to do up more laundry, an Hubby fixed the lights in my laundry-room!

All in all a productive day!!!

Therapy

My first day of physical therapy on my  hand went well. It was a bit painful then, and now several hours after, it hurts like heck, but I am determined to do the treatments and get better!

I have had to ask Hubby for help with thing like chopping onions, and he has been great! I guess I must make him something like a vegetable omelet.

I’ve gotten to the point where I can use the mouse with my left hand pretty well, but cooking, cleaning, and dressing are still tricky.

I have big news coming later in the week. I love surprises!

One Hand Tied Behind My Back

Today I start OT on my hand. I sure hope this works. I’m a little nervous because I think it may really hurt. Still, I know I must do it so I can get the use of my hand back.

I managed to change the sheets on the bed, do laundry and make dinner with one hand. I did have to get Hubby to slice the onions, but aside from that, I did it myself.

One thing that was tough today was turning the key in the car’s ignition. Also lifting the tea kettle in my left hand.

I do seem to be getting the mouse down in the left hand. It’s tricky, but it can be done.

We did not get any of the snow that fell on Wednesday. It stayed south of us. However we did get some strong wind. Forty miles an hour!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. March is known as the windy month. Which of the following phrases best fits your March so far…’throw caution to the wind’, ‘three sheets to the wind’, ‘run like the wind’, or ‘see which way the wind blows’?

Throw caution to the wind. I can’t explain now but will soon enough!

2. Your favorite green food? Your favorite dish made with your favorite green food?

Asparagus! Any way at all! I love it!!!

3. Ever been locked out of your home-car-office-anywhere? Do tell!

Actually, no. I have a secret to share. I can pick many locks. Or at least many of the old fashioned ones.

4. Yoda, Kermit, Shrek, The Wicked Witch of the West, Oscar the Grouch, The Grinch, or Mike Wasowski (Monsters Inc.)…of the green characters listed, which one’s your favorite and why?

Kermit. The sweet gentle dreamer.

5. “The first task of a leader is to keep hope alive.”~Joe Batten Do you agree? Why or why not?

Yes, hope is so . Without hope, one is lost.

6. Share a favorite song with an emotion in it’s title.

“Happy” by Pharrell Williams! Love that song!

7. What’s a road trip you’d like to take?

I have a road trip Hubby and I will be taking in May. Details to come.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Finding being without the use of my right hand is very tricky. I am really not a lefty.

The Verdict Is In

Well, here is the diagnosis. I have De Quervain’s tenosynovitis (dih-kwer-VAINS ten-oh-sine-oh-VIE-tis) it is a painful condition affecting the tendons on the thumb side of your wrist. If you have de Quervain’s tenosynovitis, it will probably hurt every time you turn your wrist, grasp anything or make a fist.

Although the exact cause of de Quervain’s tenosynovitis isn’t known, any activity that relies on repetitive hand or wrist movement — such as working in the garden, playing golf or racket sports or lifting your baby — can make it worse.

I also have In trigger finger, also known as stenosing tenosynovitis (stuh-NO-sing ten-o-sin-o-VIE-tis), one of your fingers or your thumb gets stuck in a bent position and then straightens with a snap — like a trigger being pulled and released. Often painful, trigger finger is caused by a narrowing of the sheath that surrounds the tendon in the affected finger. In my case all four fingers are affected.

So I am in a half hard and half soft cast. And of course while I am going through therapy, I cannot use my right hand, and yes, I am right handed!

So I am typing with one hand and not getting too far too fast. I start therapy on Thursday.

Fingers

A few weeks back my hand, fingers and wrist started to bother me at night. I tried just immobilizing it, but gosh darn it, that did not work!

Luckily, I have a hand surgeon who did my carpal tunnel surgery a few years back, and I called her office. Today is finally the day I will see her and hopefully she can help me out.

The thumb, middle  finger, ring finger, and baby finger on my right hand are not only painful, but seem to get caught in the bent position.

I simply cannot imagine what it is. Dr. Google says it could be “Trigger Fingers”. We shall just have to wait and see what she says.