ya know I should have been out in the sun

Instead I spent it in the work shop working on some stuff.  Got a couple more projects underway.  Then I spent another couple hours knitting a scarf that is now finished then started onknitting a snowman. When they are finished will post them.  For now just part of the drawing board.and filled the place with saw dust again.  Covered the hubbies motor bike with sawdust.  he was not too happy about that, but I do just love the smell of sawdust.  Too bad it plugs up  my nose

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours at the hospital.  had to have my annual mamogram done.  You know the old squish me into a tinny space.  I call it the pancakes.  I have a bit of a rack so when they squish them into a flat surface it takes up allot of space.  Well that was another test done.  and will find out the results at the end of next month.  Four more tests to go and then back to the specialist.  Hope all this is worth it.  So I can find out what exactly is wrong with me and can do something t help with the pain and such. 

The pain has been getting worse these last few days.  Standing at work is not that great either.  That is when most of my pain starts to show up in my legs.  The last two days I worked I had to slip off my shoes for a while and wiggle my toes.  they were falling asleep.  And my legs were cramping up.  Not as very confortable feeling when you have to stand on them.  A chair would be nice at work just to put my butt on and lean on.  would elieviate some of the pressure on my legs.. then sleeping at night is not much good either.  I get on my side and about a half hour later the pain starts running down my leg from my hip to my ankle.  So tossing and turning all night just to get confortable.  Well guess it is something I have to live with.  but just for a little while would love to be pain free   Arthritis does not give you a choice though.

well that is my whining for today.

wow the sun came out

Aw sunshine

Do enjoy getting some Vit D.  It has been so long.  our summer has been a wet and cold one this year.  is making it awful sore on my joints and muscles.

I was sitting in the living room watching tv last night   Knitting away.  I finished another couple of projects and now have them on my blog. 

Started watching the Harry Potter movies.  Figured I would go through all of them then go to the movie and see the last one..  Finished these projects while watching the movies.  Got all seven movies watched and now on Tuesday when I get a day off again maybe I will shuffle down to the movie theater and sit and watch the big screen version of the last movie.  Well some say it is god and some say not so good.  I guess I will judge for myself.

The knitting for the weekend did a little toll on my hands but I enjoy doing it.  And have started another one.  Won't get much work done on it in the next few days.  have to spend my time doing work to bring in the money to pay the bills.

I know just blabbering on here.  Not too much to say today.  Just thought I would let you see my lates work.

another angel for my christmas craft fair project

well got another angel done.  Just keep myuself pluckin along here and maybe I will get enough done to do a craft fair this year.  Hopefully all my work wil pay off for me.  I have now started on some bottle toppers.  They may look a little better then these angels.  Well maybe.  But for something that looks good to someone else maynot look so good to me.  I am critical of my own work and always figure it isn't good enough.

Ya know for a person with out much to say I am sure putting allot down in my blog.

Went and had my bone scan done today.  Not much to it. Lay on a table and they take a picture, But you have to lay there for more then a few minutes. Hopefully I am not too bad off yet.  Another test done and many more to go. Well in the end they better find out something so I can figure out how to deal with it.

and so the rest of my life begins

Boy do I hurt today.  I spent last night at work.  Pain running down my back and shooting pain running down both legs..Then my legs started to cramp on me.  That was fun. I snuk a few minutes with my shoes off. hiding behind the counter. Hey as usual I made it through work.  But how much can I take before I can't do it any more.  People say I am strong, but I don't think I am that strong. Stuborn maybe thats more the word for it.  I am not going to let this get me down , but it gets harder and harder each day.   Especially this morning when I couldn't move without something hurting.  The walk with the dogs was the biggest chore I did today.  Now I sit behind the computer whining about my aches and pains.  Then I will head for the couch and put my feet up and putll yarn off a ball to make it into something before the family gets home and demansds my attention.  Aw!!! a day off.  Only one I will get this week as they changed my schedule and now I have Saturday off instead of Wednesday.  Sucks!!!  Saturday family is home and I don't get the me time I like to have.

Well as for the rest of my life.  I started with a specialist here a couple of weeks ago.  She did a top to bottom exam of me.  You see I have been feeling poorly for the past ten years on and off.  Always something hitting me and they could never put two and two together and figure out what was causing the problem.  Well it is sort of figured out now as I am seeing a Rhuemetolagist.  Last year a blood test was done and found out I have arthritist.  A year later of waiting. (Thanks Medical services for the year wait) So be it why I am going to a Rhuematolist.  She says the it is something called Sjorgrens Symdrom.   This is an auto ammune desease that starts attaching my soft tissue.  This started about ten years ago when I got a sinus infection that just wouldn't go away.  We were renting a house that had mould in it.  Didn't know it at the time  until we moved to this house and the sinus infection left me lickity split, but the aftereffects are with me. I started getting things I never had before.  I would get bile stones and more sinus infections and  colds that I never had pronblems with started getting more frequent and hitting me harder.. I've been hit with what seemed like the flu or food poisening a couple of times.  I have never had the flu except when I was a kid  Soon after I started to feel pain in my side around my rib area. which eventually  moved to my hip. I have had all sorts of test and small operations in order to help .  Figuring that it might be this or it might be that. Cameras down my throat and another the other way.  Pretty pictures but no answers. Later after that I lost the spit in my mouth and then my eyes started to loose their moisture.Tear ducts not working.  Docs say it was just medication at the time I was taking.  WRONG!!!  Now the pain is in my hip and is starting to move to the rest of my body.  I just fell like shit sometimes and others not too bad.

So now with the last blood test I had it say well I have arthritis.  Oh goody.  Pain for the rest of my life.  This Doc got me into see a specialist.  Took a year to get to see her.  An am finally in.  She figures it is Sjorgrens syndrom..  This is that the ammune system will think of my soft tissue as being foreign to me and attach it.   This is why I have no spit ducts or tear ducts any more.  I am also loosing moisture elswere in my body which makes some things hard on me.  The great voice I had a few years ago to sing with the choir of Sweet Adelines is no more.  Just a lot of scratching when I hit various notes.  I can still hold a tune but I don't think you want to hear me sing it.  Sounds just plain awful sometimes.  I loose my voice every now and then.  Now I am starting to fell tightness in my chest when I am breathing. so I figure it is moving further down my body..  She also figures that I have rheumetory arthritis to go along with this. Plus a few other things that she will varify before she starts telling me the good news.

Tomorrow I start with the test. She did a whole slew of blood tests.  The vampire has struck.  Took about 16 viels of blood. I have had xrays from top to bottom.  That took about an hour laying on a cold slab while they take picture.  I have been radiated.  I have a month long of appointments to keep.  I am going to hospital tomorrow to have a bone density test.  I don't know what that will curtail of of but doesn't sound that great.  As I am now an inch shorter then what I was most of my life.  Shrinking violet I am.  Mamagran the week after that. Yeah pancake time. Then in two weeks I am going to an Octoligist to have my eyes scaned as sometimes I can see just fine and others it is out of wack.  Then the end of the month I am having some glands checked out in a biopsy to make sure that they are not changing on me.  These are some lumps I have on my neck that I have had since I was a kid.  Plus one is being removed because it makes me look like I have a hump on my shoulder.  By a plasic surgen a little nip and tuck here and there please.  Last but not least back to the rheumatologist for result.

In the mean time I am sitting on pins and needles to see what will become of all this.  The waiting game is the worst..  I am swelling up now and then and the pain sometimes is just unbearable.  Sleep I can do when I get comfortable, but I love to take up the whole bed to get that way which doesn't leave much room for anyone else and he does tell me about it quite often.  What I really don't like is I am ALWAYS SO FREACKIN COLD!!!  Everyone around says how nice and warm it is and I am in my fleece jacket yet.  Lots of covers on the bed, while the windows are opened so everyone else is happy.  He even suggested putting on the air conditioner the other day.  I just grabbed another sweater. I guess that means no then.  YEAH YOU GOT THAT RIGHT.

Well they say exercise is the best medicine.  I am trying but it real hard to do when it just hurts more.  The couch looks so inviting so I will just sit and relax for awhile.  I know, I know.  Get up and get moving.HMM maybe later.

another day another craft fair item finished

well here's my latest project for the christmas craft fair this year. So many more to go to have enough to make my table loo full and ready for selling.  As usual the last time I did this I didn't sell a dang thing so hopefully will do better this year. 

Will be working on scarves and little ornament and bottle toppers.  I have a couple of afgans already made and have enough yarn around here to make a few more.  So am going to be busy for the next few months.  Plus down in the work shop I have a picture going that I am scroll sawing out. Busy busy girl I is.  Well it keeps me out of trouble

Will post pictures as I get them done.  Hopefully my hands hold out with all this movement.  Sometimes they start to bind up on me and am not able to move them too well.  At least it is my legs that are going first and my back.  So hopefully I will be able to keep going for many years yet.  I hate to give up my craft time because of bad hands. Maybe have to slow down but I don't wnat to give it up.

weekend is over

Well that was  a long weekend at work.  It is just so hard to get up in the morning when you hurt so much and then have to go to work for 8 hours of standing all day.  The customers were just the oitts today, but that just could be me not feeling the best.  My pain killers stopped working half way through the day and didn't make it very much easier to work...

It is late so won't say much more now.  Will be on again tomorrow and complain a little more then

my life up till now, Dull and boring if you ask me

I guess if I am going to blog you might as well get to know me a little better.

I know who says you really want to get to know Well I am going to tell you anyways because I am getting old and like to reminise about the olden days.

I born and raised on a farm in Southern Ontario.  The youngest and as everyone said mistake in the family. You see Mom and Dad had me 6 years after my sister so be it to say I was a mistake.  I took it in stride though.  Was tormented by my older sister and when  I was going to school every one else had already left to roost.  The oldest brother was still around as he helped to workl the farm.  Me I never reaaly helped out that much. Was never sure whether I was a Tom boy or wanted to just be a girl.  I use to crawl around in the hay loft and lake tunnels and rope swings in the barn.  Want to feed to calves.  And I know I peaved Dad off because I tamed all the barn cats so they were not much for mousing anymore. But when it came time to working in the fields my help was not very good.  Couldn't get the tractor to move or couldn't lift a bail of heay.  Helpless little girl I was.  I was also helpless in the house as well.  Never could pick up on being a home maker either.  Cooking seemed to be out of my depth.  The only thing I was good at was playing around with crafts.  I taught myself to knit and sew and crochet.  I love sitting for hours out on the porch when the flies weren't bad and knitting aways. Or playing my guitar that I has been self taught at.Couldn't have lessons because one or the other of my sisters or brothers took lessons and they never did anything with them after wards

I made it through highschool and just wanted to get out of there.  Get on with an exciting life of making money and not living on the farm.  Live in town were I could do things.  Yeah right! as if that was going to happen now that I look back.  Last year of highschool met my future hubby.  Yeah I married my highschool sweetheart.  Sometimes there is a wonder there,but hey we are stil together through thick and thin so something must be right. For 32 years now plus 2 yearse we got married.

Had a fair sized wedding.  About 250 people invited.  Don't remember too much of it.  Must have had a little too much of the stress.  I know the night before it was too much alcohol from his brother serving.  I was layed out on the floor in the hall way.  Had to take a little walk that night before I went back to Mom and Dads place.  Honeymoon was spend in BC  Hubbys first time on a plane anywere.  Had a little visit with my brother and sister in law who lived in White Rock att he time.  Hubby fell in love with BC then and there and decided that some day we were going to live here.

Well we did come back to Ontario.  Bought our first house in Stratford  You know that first house only cost us $17000.00 to buy.  Gee if we would have stayed there we could have had it payed off years ago.  And living free and clear.Spent three years in that place.  But fools we were we decided to move.  Just to save from having to drive to Kitchener to work.  So sold that house and bought another one in Kitchener.  Paid $60000.00 for this one.  Prices are rising too fast. Spent three more years here.  Hubby was doing an apprentiship to be an electrician.  Thiose were hard times for use.  Between being layed off every winter and low wages because of apprentiship made it pretty hard.

I have had many jobs over this time period.  Started out in production working on a line.  Layed off after a year then another production job and lay off after three months..  I did a stint in resteraunts after that.  Pnderosa and Timmies  When we moved to Kitchener I did a stint at Burger King,  then tried out to take courses as a life guard.  Got through those and statted to teach swinning and do a little lifeguarding on the side.  I likes this job but had to resertify every couple of years.

Through this time decided to start a family.  Well found out i am not much good at that.  Had to go through fertilty treatments to get to a point were I was pregnant and then to have it fail a couple of months later.  Those were trying years.  I ended up pregnant three times only to have them gone later.  So we decided that it was time for a change..  Sold the house in Kitchener for a good profit of selling for $120000.00   Low and behold and month after that had all gone through so did a pregnancy that was holding.  Oh goodness.  No house and planning on a move to BC.  So we bought a trailor and lived at a campground just outside of Kitchener.  It was anice place to stay.  Could go swinning every day.  Well anyways we had our little boy.
Had three more tries after that and no success on that front.  finally decided that it wasn't going to happen and ended taking the program

 Spent two more months in Ontario to make sure everything was all right with him then headed west.  The dog, the little boy and the tow of us traveling across country in our 30 foot trailor.  Fun trip that was.

Ended up in Namiamo as our first stop.  Stayed living in the trailor while Hubby looked for work  Took him a year to find something  even though he was trained as an electrician.  We were then in Campbell River. Hubby worked up there for three years before he hit it good and got a job with BC Hydro.  This is when allot more moving around became relavant.  Every year to a new place.  Hubby had an aprrentiship again.  So low wages again and allot of moving.  From Campbell River we were in Massett on the Queen Charlotte Islands and they were called at the time now Hiada Quay.  North part of the island.  It is a beautiful place to visit but I recoment not wnzting to stay there very long.  That is if you are not into remotemenss.  Stir crazy you will go up there.  Too much snow in winter and buggy summers.  But the beaches wer great to walk along just have to watch out for wildlife..  Well from there we headed to Hudson hope.  North I mean very north of Prince George.  The summer is nice there but the winter in long and DANG cold.  I had to find something to do there so started exercising.  I use to get on the bike and run the dog (SparkPlug) was her name down to the dam everdat.  That was a ten mile run one way.  the dog loved it.  Me just something to do beside all the walking I use to do.  Still had to watch out for wildlife on my treks.  Our next stop was Vernon  AW much nicer place to be.  Spent one more year there and then ende up down in Maple Ridge.  We bought a haunted condo there.

That is right it was haunted.  I am the only one that had seen him though so every one thinks I am nuts He sure didn't want us living there  we had a few mishaps in this place.  First a pipe starts leaking in the bathroom that sends water all over the floor in the bedroom.  Well we get that all fixed up and then a car decides to come through the bedroom window while Hubby is still sleeping.  He had a quick trip across the floor with that one. This is when we find out that a mam had hung himself in the garage.. then last but not least we get that all fixed up and then go awy on holidays our place floods again.  This time because of a broken toilet bowl.  The neighbour was looking after our outside flowers and said the condo was self watering them for us.  The water was pouring out ever door.  Well anothe r fix up coming.  I spend My days sleeping in the garage while the resoration company redid the place again.. That is when i saw the ghost.  He flaoted acroos to the work bench and checked out the tools then he floated back into the condo. My dog can vouch fo mme if she was still around.  She was growling at him.  I know I am nutty and old.

Our last stop is now in Mission.  Have a great house out here were I can do my crafts and sit and enjoy the view. Well not much of a view but a little one.  Can see a bit of the roof tops and out the back door can see Mount Baker.  The back  yard has a water feature in it with allot of garden.. Weeds I am not much on pulling but get to them once in whlie.  I enjoy being here.  I told everyone we are not moving again.  The next move you are taking me out in a box.  Which may be sooner then I think if this desease I have takes a wrong turn.  Lets hoping not I want to live a long life and see what I can do with the rest of my life.  A few more years of working and then retirement to work on my crafts and enjoy life.  If I can make it that long at work.  It gets harder and harder every day to get up and go, but I am still doing it.

Other people want to travel but me i am a home body and love to just sit around here and enjopy myself.  get out once in while but don't want to be out all the time.

Well a long post today  I know I bored you to death

Well back to work

Have to head for work in half an hour.  So won't be getting much of a post in today... Got the dogs shaved down yesterday.  Wouldn't you know it the sun is not here today to keep them warm.  They are wet and soaked sitting on my couch right now.  They did snuggle close last night though.  When is summer ever going to get here.

With the weather being this way.  I ache all over.  My feet are a little swelled and my hip and back are really bothering me today.  Don't know how easily it is to get through work today.  But am going to have to try my best.  Sleep last night was not a great thing either.  The night before I slept so good.  The weather was warmer but now that the rain is back Here comes the arthritis again to plaig me.

Finished last night my afgan.  Used allot of yarn to get that done.  Boy it is sure warm though.  You can see the image to the right there.  I stuck it on my wall.  This is the start of items for doing various craft fairs this winter.  I have a few ideas just hacve to get them done before November when the craft fairs start.  I have to get busy.  I have an angle I am working on now.  Turned the body for it and now am making the wings and outfit in crocheting.  it is just an idea of mine.  Hopefully it will go over good.  I have other ideas for some snowman and santa as well.  I thought maybe some bottle tops would be in for the making as well.  They make it look like anwine bottle hase some wrapping on it.  When I get them finished I'll put them on my page.

Really don't know if anyone is reading these but will keep writting anyways.

Well time for work and about five housrs of standing behind a counter to listen to people rag about hos bad the store is. Customer service.  Really a fun pace to work. (Sarcasm there!!!)

went to see Bob today

Well had a drive and a half today.

first had to drop the dogs off for a haircut and then I headed to Vancouver to see my brother.  he is in the G F Strong rehabilitation hospital to control his arthritis.

He is doing real good.  Will be heading back here next week.  So hopefully I get the day off to go pick him up.  They have kept him there for two months to get what is ailing him working his way instead of the other way around.  So far what they are doing is really helping him out.  He is walking again and has a great smile on his face again.. Considering a couple of months ago he really didn't want to live any mor with the pain that he was in.

he plans when he gets out to head to Vancouver island and take care of a few things over there.  His trailor is stil over there to deal with and he has to take a sign over that he made for my other brother.  So Bob will have abusy time when he is out and on his own again.

For me today.  Not too much different then from yesterday.  I am having a little pain in my back today and a little swelling of my feet.  But I figure that is from driving for a couple of hours this morning and then again tonight.  Had a good night sleep last night which does all the good in the world.  But had to get up to take the dogs out.  Would have rather slept allot longer.  At least my hubby is at work today and not pushing me to get up and moving.

Well time to start getting some knitting done and finish off this afgan I was making.  yeap had to go get one more ball of yarn today.  Then wait a little bit and go pick up the dogs.. All freshly washed and shaven down for anothe two months.  Too bad they can't stay that way.

Then tomorrow back to work.

first day on a blog

Hi all
This is my first day trying out a blog.
I don't know if I have nmuch to say right now.

Well I guess just to start with who I am.

I am coming into my seasoned citizen years.  I love to be creative and make things.  I work with the mediums of wood and yarn..  I know a funny combination.  But I am either down in the work shop playing in the sawdust or I am sitting up on the couch knitting or crocheting.

My biggest problem right  now is that I have been diagnoised with Sjorgren's syndrom and it is starting to take a tole on my work and my hobbies at home.

Sjorgren's syndrom is a little known desease at this time.  For me it has taken away all the moisture in my eyes, nose and mouth.  it is also starting to effect my throat and chest are were I am starting to ciough a bit now and then.  Then I start to loose my voice.  I use to love to sing in chiors and just for the fun of it but now my vioce just cracks and scratches.  Does not sound the same anymore.  Getting old before my time.  There is also the secondary part that goes alongf with this. and that is rhuemtory arthritis.  I have it in my back and down into my hips  Which also makes for doing things very difficult but so far am managing pretty good.

Work is my hardest part right now.  I have to be standing for 5 to 8 hours a day.  Everyday gets harder to be there and I would love so much just to give it up but then were does the money come from to pay the bills.  I am not old enough to do the retireing thing yet.  Maybe in a few years.Just have to keep prodding along.

But I do love to do my crafts.  I am in the process of finishing off an afgan.  Don't know what I will do with it when it is finished.  Maybe put it towards my Christmas craft far items.  I try to do them every year.  It cleans out my house of all the articles I make every years.  Will be starting on some Angles here in the next couple of weeks

I guess that is about it for today.  I guess I have a little to write about.  Will talk about my crafts and put pictures on of them and then also compain about my sickness and how I am getting along with it.

May not be on everyday but will try to get on when ever I can.  I am always doing something so will keep you all posted.

Bye for today