Sometimes Life Throws you a Curve Ball!

Every so often life can throw you a curve ball.  I have been retired for just 6 years now; and have become involved in a number of local non-profit community organizations.  In May I had the opportunity to take my first ride in an ambulance and spend 6 days in ICU.

Car Crash?  Nope.  Food poisoning?  Nope.  Heath exhaustion?  (that is what I thought - living in AZ).  Heart Attack?  Nope  Stroke?  Nope..... well what??????  Acute bi-lateral pulmonary embolisms.  Holy Crap you say what is that?   Basically, a blood clot behind my left knee ( they call it DVT or deep vein thrombosis and I don't know how that happened) decided not to dissolve but to travel up and  part of it stayed in both of my lungs.

This has slowed up all of my physical activities!  The good news?  My hubby added housework to his list of things he already did around the house.  LOL

More good news?  I have had more time to spend on my knitting and crochet.  I had added "Creatures for a Cure" and made some octopuses in all the colors of the cancer ribbons to sell for donations at the local Relay For Life here in town.  This extra resting time is allowing me to add other creatures to my list.

I was recently adopted (unofficially) by a couple of families who don't have grandmas here in AZ and I don't have any grandkids so it seemed a good match.  I made a grumpasauras for one of the little ones with a cute pout that seems to work getting what she wants from her family.  This got one of her older brothers to ask if I can make him a "toothless" dragon.  If you  haven't seen the movie How To Train Your Dragon - it is quite fun.  Of course I said  "Yes I Can!" and  then had to find a pattern.  Having found a few dragon patterns all the boys want one or another and so I have enough projects to keep me busy while in recovery.  It seems I am "grounded" until the blood clots in my lungs are gone.  Most of the doctors say it can take 6 months to fully recover and it's only been 2 1/2.  So these projects are fun to make and keep me busy.  I can also make others and add them to my "Creatures for a Cure" for the next Relay in 2016.

This curve has also allowed me to sympathize with elder folk who are no longer allowed to drive and have to  count on friends, family or public transport to get around.  It has helped me to work on patience, as there is nothing I can do to cure my situation.  It has also made me grateful for friends and my husband who have taken care of me during this "time out" in my otherwise active life.

When we have knots in our yarn - or YARN BARF -- we take the time to detangle  and save the yarn.  This is a a bit of a knot in my life but he beautiful creations that are coming out of it are bringing joy to others!

Don't let the Yarn Barf in your life get you down - take the time to detangle - it is worth the effort!

Women Friends - Who needs 'Em?

When I was young ( under 13) I had girl friends.  My parents moved into a new development in 1960 and most of the families had kids some my age some younger but all  of us qualified as baby boomer kids. I had close girl friends through junior high school (some places call it middle school) and into high school.  I was more of a tom-boy growing up.  I played baseball in the street with the guys, rode my bike with the guys and even had a paper route.

As boys became more interesting though, I still had girl friends.  The primary function of girl friends at that stage of my life was to talk about boys and parents.  We seemed to be able to talk for hours in person and on the phone (they were land lines).  Some of us were lucky enough to have our own phone number so we didn't have to hear our parents tell us to "get off the phone - someone might want to call".  Of course no one ever called the house for our parents!!

After high school, things changed though.  I didn't go away to college, but I did move out of my parents house and worked days and went to school nights.  Somehow, during that time girlfriends became co-workers and the talk changed from boys and parents to school and work, boyfriends and if we would ever get married.

For the next 30 years, girlfriends became people I knew at work or the women in other couples, but  not really people I spent time with.

I retired 2 years ago, and many of my work friends are still working.  Their lives are still overwhelmed with the day to day issues of the job; while I have moved away from those issues.  It is not that I am not interested in the job; but as things change at work I am not involved in the politics of the work place,the daily stresses or even the accomplishments.

I am now able to spend more time doing the things I enjoy, and the need for women friends has become more important.  My husband is wonderful. My step kids are too, but being able to share experiences with women friends has become something special to me.  Perhaps it is because we women know the probability that we will outlive our husband; or perhaps we want someone to share our concerns about our husbands health issues or even our own aches and pains that we don't want our husbands and kids to know about.  Whatever the reason, having a peer group of women to talk with, share experiences and even complain to is a wonderful thing.

I am meeting new women here in Arizona; both in my knitting group and in my book club group.  These women come from different places in their lives with different backgrounds. Some are married; some not.  Some have children or step children; some not.  All have something to offer.   I have something to offer too; friendship, a sympathetic ear and a shoulder to lean on or cry on.  How wonderful that these women have opened their hearts to me.

Women friends - Who needs 'em?  I have found that I do!

56 and 1/2 years young!

Remember when we were kids and we told everyone we were (age) and 1/2 ???? I think that lasted until we were 13 - then we started telling everyone we were OLDER than we really were - trying to get older quicker. It took for- EVER for summer vacation to arrive then even longer for Christmas to come around. Then I reached 21 and stopped telling folks I was 'almost'.... something just the year no one halves or three quarters or all mosts! Now that I am past 55, I think it is time to start adding in the 1/4, 1/2 and almost to my age.

I have a great aunt who just turned 100, she tells me that 100 is the official age for OLD - good to know!