BACK TO KNITTING

Have you notice that there's been no knitting since May?  I was going along well on my sweater and then developed swelling and pain in my left wrist, on the thumb side.  I quit knitting which I thought might be irritating that joint.  I tried everything I knew of to make that swelling and pain go away.  Nothing worked, so I finally went to the Dr. to see what he could do.  He said, "It's either arthritis or tendonitis.  For arthritis you should get one of those "squishy" balls and squeeze it for two minutes every day.  That will warm up that joint and loosen it.  But if it's tendonitis then you need to rest that joint, not work it." 

He sent me to a clinic in Airdrie for X rays and an ultrasound where it was discovered to be arthritis.  In September I had a shot in that joint and the swelling and pain more or less went away.  By the end of September I cast on a pair of socks for my brother-in-law Wayne.  I usually give him a pair of socks for his birthday, which happened to be the day I cast on the first sock.  

Then we were in Arizona where I have musical activities almost every day and quilting, art, and visits to the swimming pool with the Dear One, so not much knitting got done.

Yesterday I finished the first sock and cast on the second one:

I guess this year Wayne will get his socks for Christmas instead of for his birthday.

Dear Son #1 plans to arrive here early this afternoon.  He's been travelling, hiking and climbing for a year now. 

This evening (6 p.m.) we will be at a Thanksgiving Service for our Lutheran Church, the Synagogue next door and the Methodist Church next door to the Synagogue.  This is a yearly get together and one of the features is a large combined choir of the Lutheran and Methodist Churches.  The other feature, aside from the actual Thanksgiving Service, is a pie social that follows the service.  That's always an enjoyable time of fellowship and I will be baking a pie for that.  I plan to make a Cranberry/Pecan Pie.  You can find the recipe for that in the blog post of September 25, 2018.

Approaching Thanksgiving Day I have been thinking more than usual on our many blessings.  We watch news programs a lot and when you do that you are aware of how very, very many people in this world are suffering from war, from oppression, from famine, floods and fires.  It can make a person feel guilty about living such a pain-free life.  I am deeply grateful for the innumerable blessings in our life!