Bean Bags!

Felix: What are these things, Oscar?

Oscar: I have no idea. Our owner has been working on them all day. They must be good for something!

Felix: They're fun! I can bat them around. And maybe chew on them.

Oscar: Or you could just sleep on them like I'm doing.

Felix: Oh.

Mimi: Those are bean bags! Jeez, you guys are so dumb! Our owner is making them for her DD. They're for the kids at school to use in the gym - for exercise.

Felix: You mean they aren't for us?

Mimi: No! Those things are boring! But... maybe if they were mouse-shaped and had some catnip in them. Then they'd be pretty neat, I think! Me: Is this what you had in mind, Mimi?

Mimi: Oh! Yes! Delicious! Good exercise for my teeth! Thanks Mom!

Foto Friday!

Holy Halitosis, Batman! Killer Kat Breath!

Fall in the Garden

I went into my backyard yesterday - for about the first time this year. (It has not been easy to get around in my scooter. I had to wait until a ramp was completed in order to get into the backyard.)

OMG! I was in shock when I looked around at my plants! The garden looked more like an overgrown weedpatch! What a mess! No one has looked after it much this summer. And then there is the issue of the 'slowly-being-filled-in pool', which I had to maneuver around carefully so as not to fall in. It's still a huge 5-ft deep hole, but that is another story for another time!

I pulled up ragweed that had reached a height of 5 feet! Also some wild lettuce that was even higher and had already gone to seed. I will have lots of weeding to do next year if all this stuff seeds itself in! Most of my summer blooming perennials are finished. I had to keep reminding myself that it is the end of September, after all. But there were some bright spots. I found this lovely patch of wild sunflowers in the back corner. Usually I pull most of these out, but this year they have been allowed to grow. Don't they look great? It's kind of like botanical sunshine! I also found a lot of wild asters. These I have always pulled up in other years too, but this year they were spared. And look at how beautiful they are! Here they have found a nice place growing up through some well-established lungwort (Pulmonaria). The lungwort has long finished flowering, but it almost looked as if the asters are part of that plant.
Not only did I go out and pull some weeds yesterday, I also went to the first meeting of our quilt group, the Rouge Valley Quilters Guild. It was another first for this year, because I haven't been able to attend a meeting since last September. And I finally finished this little quilt for 'Quilts from the Heart'. It will be donated to a local shelter or hospital by our guild. It was great to do some 'normal' things. I feel as if I am getting back into the swing of things again!

Mimi Always Has the Last Word

Me: Hey, Mimi! What are you doing?! Get off that quilt! Now!

Mimi: Why?

Me: Because! It's a baby quilt! You shouldn't be on it! It will get dirty! No one will want to wrap a baby in a quilt full of cat fur!

Mimi: Why not? The baby's Mom won't care. They have several cats at their house. They love cats and cat hair! And anyways, I am a very clean feline!

Me: Now you listen to me, you little white critter! Get off now!!

Mimi: Awww! But it's so comfy! I love baby quilts! Me: Don't make me come over there and throw you off!

Mimi: Sorry, I can't hear you!

Me: Mimi! I'm going to count to 10 and you'd better be off by then. 1.....2....3....4....5........

Mimi: Oh, Jeez! Can't you see I'm busy! A cat's got to do what a cat's got to do. See how clean I am? I am always licking myself. The quilt will be fine! You worry too much!

The New Status of My UFO's

These are Now WIPS - Works in Progress!

This is a miniature quilt which I found in an old Australian magazine. It is paper pieced, using up lots of scraps. But not enough! I have too many scraps! Each strip is only 1/4inch wide. I used a total of 336 pieces of fabric and I still have to put a border around it. It was fun to make, especially since it made me realize that I am able to use my sewing machine again. Because of the weakness in my legs, I was not able to control the foot pedal before going into the hospital. But things are getting better and it is not a problem any more. Hurray!!!! Here is a close up of the tiny strips.
While going through some of my UFOs, I found this little I Spy quilt. I started this quilt a couple of years ago - maybe even longer! It seems like it was in another lifetime! This project was a Bee Night 'demo' at our Quilt Guild. Each piece is about 5 inches square. (We had a great exchange a few years ago. Everyone who wanted to take part had to cut half a metre of fabric into 24 - 5inch pieces. These were collected at our monthly meetings and returned to us at the following meeting, giving each of us a package of 24 different 5inch pieces.) The blocks are arranged in rows, which are later cut on the diagonal and then sewn back together to create a quilt that looks as if it was sewn together 'on point'. I completed the last four rows last night and hopefully over the next few days I will be able to cut it, re-sew it, sandwich it and quilt it. I hope I will be able to follow the instructions and cut it right.
And finally, a little 'Bear' quilt that I started a few days ago. The bears are machine appliqued. I still have to put some kind of border on and quilt it. I hope I can get it done as soon as possible. It is intended for my new grand nephew, Theodore Quinn, who was born a couple of weeks ago!
There! I feel much better now. At least I am making a little dent in my stash and unfinished projects and in posting them on my blog!

Hot Off My Hooks!

Perhaps 'hot' isn't the right word. These items were completed a while ago. I just haven't posted them. Too tired? Too lazy? Lack of interest? Who knows! But now is the time to get on with things. No more procrastinating! No more excuses! It is time to dust off the ol' crochet hooks, the knitting needles and the sewing machine! So without further ado, here are a few of my finished projects.

This afghan is similar to the one I made awhile ago. This one is done in dark green and off white. I started it while I was still a patient at West Park. When I got home, I completed it. It only took me a few hours to do so. I had planned to make several more of these afghans because I love this pattern. It is one of those 'Mile a Minute' ones - done in strips. I crocheted mine together, but they could be sewn too. This afghan is for my DD. Her favourite colour is green. It will go nicely in her TV room.

Then there is this little baby sweater. I only had one ball of this yarn. I think it was something by Red Heart, but I'm not sure. I ran out of it, so I used white to go all the way around the edges. So far this little sweater doesn't have a home yet. I started it while I was in Sunnybrook. I think it took me all of two days to complete. But it has taken me several months to sew the buttons on.
I fell in love with the colours of this yarn when I saw it. So I bought two balls. I can't remember exactly what it's called or who makes it. I think it might be by Bernat. This little sweater was also crocheted while I was at Sunnybrook. I was very bored at that hospital. Can you tell? I made a blue outfit while there too. Unfortunately I don't have a photo of that one. The woman who cleaned my room (I think her name was Velma) saw me crocheting one day and got all excited! She had just learned how to crochet and was making a baby blanket. She asked me if she could bring it in the following day so that I could see it and maybe help her with the pattern because she seemed to be stuck. It was nice to have a crocheting 'friend' while I was there. She asked me if the baby sweater was difficult to make. I told her it worked up very quickly. Then she asked me if she could commission me to make her one. Her sister was expecting a baby boy the following week. I told her that I very seldom sell my items, but if I had time I would love to make her new nephew a little blue outfit. I got some blue yarn and started crocheting. A few days later the baby was born. I gave her the finished sweater, hat and booties. I had finished them just in time! She was so excited and promised to get a photo of the little guy in his new outfit. Unfortunately I never did get a photo, because I was moved to West Park the following day.

I have a few quilt projects that I am working on. I will put them in the next post.

I'm having a 'Duh' moment!

I was just sitting here at my computer, idly wasting time. I really didn't have much to say at the moment. And goodness knows I haven't been very prolific in the creativity department lately! I was just sitting here thinking about the comments on my blog posts, wishing that there were more of them. Out of boredom I began reading some of them over again. And - DUH! - I realized that Aim from bumpydoink.blogspot.com wrote that she had tagged me. I kind of remember reading that before, but I didn't know what it meant, exactly, and it was a long time ago. Then my computer was down and I forgot all about it. Sorry Aim! I will try to fix that now.

Here are the rules:


1. Link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking to them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged bloggers' blogs letting them know they've been tagged.

Six Unspectacular Quirks of Mine

1. I am almost totally and completely computer illiterate! I don't even know how to link stuff on my blog. Have you ever seen links on my blog? Of course not! Because I don't know how to do that. It was quite an achievement for me to get my camera program to work and for me to hook up my printer after I had to get my computer reformatted. Maybe I should take a course sometime. That would probably be a good idea.

2. I love Japanese food, especially sushi! Before I began hosting Japanese students, I knew nothing about sushi or even Japan for that matter. But over the past years I have become enlightened during their visits! I must admit that trying to eat sushi for the first time was rather scary! After all, it is raw fish, you know, and I was afraid of anything raw. Thanks Mom! (She taught me that!) But once I tried it I became hooked! Now I love it. My favourite is sashimi! But I also like to try something new every time we go out for Japanese food. And that is often!

3. I have a rather strange sewing needle preference. I like to hand sew with one special needle. I have been known to throw a fit if I can't find my favourite needle. I have turned to house upside down to look for it. The last time I was at the Sewing and Needlework Festival I bought several packages of the kind of needles that I like. But there are only two of the size that I prefer in each package, so I still tend to throw a fit every now and then!

4. I like to make stained glass objects. Not quilted ones, but stained glass pieces using real glass. I like to make lamps, vases, bowls and other three dimensional pieces. But at the moment my stained glass is down in my workshop in the basement. And I can't get down there! I still have to use a stairglide to get up 4 steps to the main level of our house. I have no idea when I will be able to go up and down the 10 steps to the basement, but I hope it will be soon.

5. I love nature and I love the great outdoors! If I can't hug a tree every once in awhile, I get cranky. I have always enjoyed going camping and canoeing in the great wilderness that is northern Ontario. I love the coolness of an early morning dew rising off the lake, the taste of wild blueberries, picked in the old airfield in Algonquin Park and the haunting sound of a loon on one of the quiet interior lakes. I get high when I see the colours of wild flowers growing along the roadside. I love the changes of the seasons and would probably not be happy living in an environment that only had one season.

6. I have several acquisition disorders. I have FAD - Fabric Acquisition Disorder! Also YAD - Yarn Acquisition Disorder and PAD - Pattern Acquisition Disorder! Those are the tree main ones. But I have lots of others. I like to collect stuff - any stuff - from shells on a beach to rocks to leaves to, well, just stuff.

Well, that's six quirky things about me. There are probably a lot more, but thank goodness I don't have to admit to them! And now I have to tag 6 other bloggers. That is going to be difficult. I don't even think that I know 6 other bloggers. I used to have a lot of blogs on my 'favourites', but they were all lost when my computer was reformatted.

So here they are - in alphabetical order.....

Catherine at quiltobsession.blogspot.com

Martha at mybestfriendcallsmemartha.blogspot.com

Nicolette at devliegendekoe.blogpost.com

Nynke at thedutchpurplerabbit.blogspot.com

Opal at alkamaiknitter.blogspot.com

Oiyi at oiyi.blogspot.com

I am not sure what will happen if any of these people don't want to take part in this. Probably nothing. I won't threaten you with bad luck or some other malady. In fact, I doubt if anything bad or good will happen as a result of this, except that I will get to know you better. So, just do it if it moves you. Thanks.

The Things I am Grateful For

I realize that each day is like a new beginning for me. I have to stay positive in order to get through this disorder. I need to get the nerves and muscles back in my legs and feet. Nerve cells grow about a millimetre per day, so it will take a long time. And my muscles have to gain strength again, but I am working on that in physiotherapy. So here are a few things that I am grateful for.

1. Being home! It's the best place on earth!

2. Summertime! But where has it gone? School starts again for a new year tomorrow.

3. A working stairglide so that I can get up and down the stairs. My legs just aren't cooperating yet.

4. My new scooter! Ohhh! The places I can now go!

5. Like a quiet forest path. A little paved way for me to travel through the woods under a canopy of leaves. Cool and inviting!

6. Freshly cut grass (weeds mostly) at the edge of the road. It smells so sweet and reminds me of cinnamon and other fragrant herbs.

7. The sweet melody of a song bird as he sings from a branch high above me.

8. A little wooden bridge to take me to the other side of the creek.

9. The honking of a flock of geese as they fly off for the night to feast on a farmer's field of corn.

10. My furry felines. They have finally forgiven me for leaving them for an almost three-month stay in the hospital. Now I have to share my rather narrow bed (I am still sleeping in a hospital bed because I can't get in and out of my regular bed) with them, but that is a good thing too! Their purring comforts me.

11. Nature! All of it! From the tiniest insects to the largest mammals and all of the plant life - weeds, especially weeds, trees, rivers and streams, birds and even people that make up our wonderful planet. I am grateful for all of it. And best of all..... I am now able to enjoy idyllic places like this one with my scooter! It's Highland Creek and it is only about a kilometer from my house. Hurray for scooters! I wouldn't be able to get there any other way!

12. Oh, yeah. I almost forgot to mention my computer! I am really grateful that it is working again. I was totally lost without it!

Baby Outfit - Finished!

It's been a long time since I posted anything. After my hard drive crashed, I was afraid to even use my computer, let alone post anything. And the camera program was totally missing! I didn't know how I would be able to get the photos out of my camera and onto this blog. But now... can you believe it? I installed my photo program without help! Last week I went to a computer place to try and buy a new program, (I didn't know what I needed) but the guy there just looked at me as if I had an eye in the middle of my forehead and told me that I should already have the program disk at home. Apparently it came with my camera! Duh!

So tonight I finally looked for it and actually found it amongst all the old disks and other stuff dating back to the first computer I ever bought! Good thing I never throw anything out! Well, maybe that is not really a good thing. It makes for a lot of useless stuff lying around!

But, I am happy to say that I was able to download the program without any problems! So now I can show you my latest baby outfit. My sister asked me to make this for her new grandson. I guess that would make him my grand nephew - cool! He came into the world last Tuesday and his name is Theodore Quinn. He weighed a whopping 10 pounds at birth! I hope this little sweater will fit him! I made it in a 6-month size. The pattern came out of a Coats and Clark baby booklet called. "Soft and Sweet". The yarn was Softee Baby by Bernat. As soon as I finished it I started on a new sweater set. Busy hands are happy hands! Hope to be able to show you another finished baby set soon.

A New Day with New Problems!

Hi every one!

I am not ignoring all of you! I am home and enjoying that immensely! But the day after I got home, my computer refused to work for me! It is in the shop now, being repaired. I hope I get it back soon. Right now I am on the computer at the library. Talk to you again soon.

The Photo Tour Continues..........

This is the residents' garden. All the beds are raised to make them wheelchair accessible. The Garden Club 'meets' every Friday morning for some serious planting, weeding or just sitting in the sun.
On my journey around the grounds in my new scooter, I came upon the ruins of this left-over stone structure from the past. I love ruins! They hold a special magic for me - a sense of wonder. What was this in a former time? Was it a home? Was it a garden shed - or maybe a chicken coup? Maybe the gardener lived here, or perhaps a doctor. West Park has lots of history. In the late 1800's and early 1900's it was a sanatorium for children with tuberculosis. The sanatorium was closed in 1974, torn down and rebuilt as a rehabilitation hospital.
Another shot of the ruins. It was completely overgrown with wild grape vines - absolutely beautiful!
And finally, the sun, setting on the place I called home for 8 weeks. I am grateful to all the staff for the treatment I received as a patient there. They were all wonderful, making my stay so much more enjoyable. From the nurses who made my bed the way I liked it to the doctors who insisted on finding out my official diagnosis, everyone treated me with dignity and respect. I never felt like a patient! I am also grateful to the Physiotherapists, who helped me re-learn how to walk and climb the stairs again, the pool therapists who lifted me in and out of the pool so that I would be allowed to 'walk' in the water when I couldn't do so on land and the Occupational Therapists who recommended equipment to make my life more bearable and who had me do mental and physical exercises to get my mind and body back in shape. I made some wonderful friends at West Park, from the woman with whom I shared a room in my final week, to the residents who attended Coffee House, Pub Night, the Garden Club and Craft Club. One of the residents presented me with a card on my last evening, thanking me for being nice to her during my stay. (Sorry, folks, I'm wiping away a tear at the moment.) I will keep in touch with her. I plan to make some afghans and lap quilts for the residents who will spend the rest of their lives at West Park. At least I was able to go back home. Some of them don't have that luxury. And lastly I want to thank one special person, with whom I was able to discuss life and the world we live in. She made my stay, not only a physical journey to ambulation and self care, but a psychic journey to a healthy mind as well. If you read this you will know who you are! I feel privileged to have had the chance to meet you and hope that one day our paths will cross again.

A Photo Tour of West Park Healthcare Centre

Pathway through central park. A nice shaded place on a hot afternoon.
The gardens leading out from the second floor. I looked down on this fountain from my room. The roof in the back actually covers the front entrance leading from the main floor.

A view towards the Recreation Centre. On humid days I found huge toads. hopping around in the courtyard below.
I called this the Secret Garden. There was a gate which I had to go through to get into it. I was reminded of the book, "The Secret Garden", which was one of my favourite books when I was young.

Another shot of the Secret Garden. I loved these wooden columns and raised flower beds!

I'm Home!

The window in the corner, behind the trees on the top floor was my home for the past 56 days, but now I am home! Hurray!!!! It took a long time to get here. I was packed and ready to go at 9:00am this morning. Then it took almost the whole day to get all sorts of things ironed out before I could leave. (like follow-up doctor's appointments and finding a place that will provide me with physiotherapy on an outpatient basis.) We made several stops on the way home and we were smack dab in the middle of rush hour, so the drive took forever! I am now totally worn out, but happy to finally be back in my own home. Mimi is happy too! She has not left me alone for a minute since I got here. I took some more photos of West Park a couple of days ago. I found the place to be very photogenic. Is it possible for a place to be photogenic? Oh well, anyway, I was able to get some interesting shots which I will post tomorrow.

A Strawberry Social at West Park

Ontario strawberries are at their peak! And there is nothing better than a Strawberry Social to bring folks together for music, contests, fun and, of course, food! Yep! You guessed it - the food of the day was strawberries and ice cream! Yum!


West Park is a friendly place, with lots of gatherings for patients, residents and staff alike. On Thursday they held their annual Strawberry Social. Everyone was brought to the park in the centre of the complex by volunteers and staff. A band provided the musical entertainment. Huge bunches of helium-filled balloons were tethered to 'strawberry' weights. Ribbons and streamers floated from the trees. The organizers wore bright aprons made out of strawberry printed material and 'Strawberry Shortcake' caps. There was even a 'hat contest' to judge the best strawberry-decorated hat! There were prizes for the winners. And of course, strawberries and ice cream for all! The weather cooperated to the utmost! The temperature was in the high twenties (celsius) and there was no humidity! The sun twinkled through the tall trees, creating just the right amount of shade to provide comfort. I rode my new scooter out to the park. How exciting! It was so nice to be independent! In my wheelchair, I would have needed help to get up and down the hills, but in my scooter I can go anywhere! Don't worry, I will show you photos of it at another time. A great time was held by all at the Strawberry Social!

A Cat Without a Past

This is Mookie, my daughter's cat. He is a regal cat - very sure of himself. Always ready to take a nap on his favourite cat tree. His light orange coat made him standout among other cats. He was a hefty beast, weighing around 19 pounds. Recently though, he started to lose a lot of weight.My son found this handsome feline about three years ago and tried to contact his owners when he saw the signs which they had posted for his return. But they did not think that Mookie was their cat, even though he looked exactly like the photo on the poster and everytime some one called his name, he would look up at them, seeming to smile. He would come running to sit on my chest and purr in my face every time I went over to my daughter's place to visit. No one knows exactly how old Mookie was. He seemed much older than the vet's estimate. And although we wished he could talk, he could never tell anyone what adventures he had had in his life up to the time that he came to live at my daughter's house. He was a sophisticated cat. He would sit calmly on his cat tree or nap happily away for hours. My daughter was instructed, by the vet, to get Mookie to exercise more because he was so huge. She would run around her house with some exciting cat toy on a string so that Mookie could chase it. But usually he became bored with this 'game' after a few rounds of the livingroom, dining room and kitchen. Then he would just sit down in one spot, smacking the toy as my daughter ran by with it, until she was exhausted. Mookie believed in conservation. He did not want to waste his energy on a silly toy. After all, there was always some napping to do. And Mookie did the nap thing very well.

Over the past couple of weeks, Mookie had lots of medical tests done on his once healthy body. The vets' diagnosis was cancer - probably some kind of glandular cancer. There was nothing they could do and they said that he was in a lot of pain. Mookie stopped eating and drinking a few days ago and we were all sad that we could not do anything to make him feel better. It seemed as if this loyal friend deserved more from us.

Mookie passed away this morning, as he lay under his favourite shrubs in the garden. Well, actually any spot in the garden was his favourite, for Mookie loved the great outdoors. He would roll in the newly planted petunias and sniff every branch of the cedar bushes that were within his reach. The vet was kind enough to make the trip to my daughter's house to put Mookie out of his misery. No sterile veterinarian's office for this furry friend. He died peacefully in the garden. Goodbye Mookster!! We love you! You, the cat without a past, will remain in our hearts forever.

A Poem

A friend suggested that I read the book, "You Can Heal Your Life". by Louise L. Hay. In it, Hay describes her beliefs about life and the world. She claims that we each decide to incarnate on this planet at a particular time and space. We come here to learn a specific lesson so that we can advance our spiritual evolutionary pathway. We choose our sex, colour, country and look for a set of parents who will help us to actualize what we want to achieve here on earth. I was intrigued by this because I have always looked at people who were living a difficult life as being more evolved than I am. I thought that they had achieved a higher level of existence, that I still had a lot to learn and many more trips to make to this planet in order to reach a place where I could be free. Hay goes on to claim that we can cure any illness that we have by simply forgiving our past, moving into the present and loving ourselves. It seems so easy. As I read through her book, I was beginning to believe her theories, until I came to the section where she lists all the ills of the world and tells her readers how to overcome them. Pimples, for example, are small outbursts of anger which can be cured by having calm thoughts and being serene. Having malaria means we are out of balance with nature and our lives. We can cure it by telling ourselves that we are united and balanced with all life. What I want to know is... how does that malaria-carrying mosquito know that we are out of balance? Why does it bite us? Can it sense our imbalance? I guess she kind of loses me at that point. But I still believe that we have to pay a price each time we are incarnated and each visit to this planet comes with a higher price tag. I am convinced that the 'residents' in this hospital (people who will spend the rest of their lives here at West Park) are more evolved than I am. I look at their twisted, contorted bodies and realize that I am still intact and have a long way to go before I will be as evolved as they are. I wrote a poem the other night, while sitting in my bed, thinking about life and all that it brings with it. Let me know what you think.

The beauty of a field of daisies

Their tiny blossoms turned to face the sun

Peace

I am breathless.

The stillness of an early morning

Broken only by a robin heralding the day

Hope

I am quiet.

The softness of a yellow butterfly

Fluttering from blossom to fragrant blossom

Carefreeness

I am thoughtful.

The sound of distant thunder

Rumbling like an angry god, disturbing the silence

Impending doom

I listen.

The clatter of a sudden summer downpour

Drenching the land, leaving sparkling drops to glisten in the immediate sunshine

Ambivalence

I am pensive.

The sight of wheelchair-bound humanity

Twisted into grotesque contortions, sitting, waiting, waiting...

Reality

I am humbled.

A shriek of laughter from an otherwise motionless mouth

Gladness in the face of adversity

Energy

I am speechless.

I am healing.

My Backyard

Even without my care and attention - in fact, I haven't even been home - my garden is doing extremely well. I think it is all the rain we have been having lately, and of course, the mild and snowy winter that protected my plants and helped them to survive the cold. This is the strip of garden along the back of the yard. There are lilies, lavender, roses, phlox, shasta daisies, sweet wiliams, Maltese cross and even a few cherries, ripening in the foreground. I especially tried to keep the pool out of the photo. That is because it was just a large hole in the ground when I was home last weekend. We are in the process of filling it in. It is just too much work to look after. And with only a couple of months of warm weather each summer, a pool is just not practical. I hope to have some raised flower beds built in place of the pool. That way I will still be able to do some gardening from a wheelchair if neccessary. God I love gardening! I miss it! I can't wait to go home for good and get back into the swing of things. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you! That will be happening soon - probably within the next couple of weeks! Am I smiling? You'd better believe it!

I Have Been Busy!

Look what I've made!

I made this afghan using many of my scrap yarns. I saw the pattern on someone's blog and decided to copy it. I am not sure if I did the pattern correctly, but the afghan turned out great! It is very colourful and every hexagon is done in a different colour combination. It was really fun to do! I still have enough yarn left over to make three or four more of these bright things!
Here is another afghan which I have finished. I went to Walmart a couple of weeks ago. It was a trip organized by the hospital. A wheelchair bus came and picked us up and drove us to the nearest Walmart store. I was able to wheel myself around, so I was allowed to just shop until I dropped! And I did just that! After spending so many weeks in a hospital room, it was really great to get out! Along with some other purchases, I bought two big balls of off-white Red Heart yarn and one big ball of country-blue Red Heart yarn. I also bought a book of afghan patterns. This is a Mile-a-Minute pattern from that book. It really worked up a mile a minute! I had it finished in a week. It is now on my hospital bed. Not only does it look homey, but it keeps me warm. I know it is summer and all, but this is a very cool year so far. And this place is air-conditioned so it is always cold!

A Conversation With Mimi

Me: Hi Mimi!

Mimi: Meow! Oh, It's you. I wondered who that was climbing up the back stairs. I hardly recognized you! You look so different!

Me: Oh! You saw me on the stairs! Wasn't that amazing? I didn't think I would ever be able to do that again, but I did! I guess the exercises and physio with Kelvin have really paid off! But aren't you glad to see me? It's almost as if you don't want to look at me!

Mimi: It's just that you surprised me. That's all. I had given up on you. It's been at least 50 litter box clean-ups since you were home.

Me: I know. Hope everything is going okay here.

Mimi: Meow! Yeah, yeah. We get enough to eat and everything is nice and quiet - the way I like it. Meow! I have no complaints, but meow! You smell funny!

Me: Funny how? Like funny, haha or funny, strange?

Mimi: Meow! Weird! You smell kind of like human litter box and some kind of strong disinfectant!

Me: Oh, sorry about that. I guess it's a hospital smell.

Mimi: I don't like it! Meow! You used to smell nice, like the outdoors, kind of like plants and soil or fabrics and yarn. I used to like those smells!

Me: I know. Maybe it will not be much longer before I can come home for good. Can I pat you?

Mimi: Okay, but don't be upset if I lick myself clean right afterwards.

Me: I won't. I understand how you feel. You are so soft and sweet. When I come home next time I am going to brush you. I've missed you so much! I love you Mimi!

Mimi: Meow! I love you too, sort of I guess. When will you come home for good?

Me: In a few weeks, I hope.

Mimi: Oh, meow! That's good. Will you smell nice again then?

Me: I promise!

Mimi: Okay. Can I go back to my napping? It's nice to see you, but you are cutting into my nap time.

Me: Alright. Bye Mimi. See you later.

Mimi: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

The Hydrotherapy Pool

I feel very lucky to be able to exercise in the pool here at West Park. Not every patient has this opportunity. The water is around 94F. I can move my legs in the water and it feels great! It's sort of like I am free for a short time. The exercise is good for my wasted muscles. I go to the pool twice a week. Unfortunately the only way for me to get into the water is by this chair that lifts me off the ground and deposits me in the pool. Looks like fun, eh?

The Gardens of West Park

West Park is a beautiful place. There are lots of gardens and little secluded places to sit in the sun or shade. On Friday mornings a group of patients go out and work in one of the gardens. The beds are all raised so that it is easy to work in the soil while sitting in a wheelchair. I love gardening. so guess where I hang out on Friday mornings? I found some stones in the garden, so I picked them up and built some inuksuks. These are Inuit structures that are used to mark a route or food cache. Sometimes they resemble a human figure, but often they are just a pile of stones to leave a mark on the barren tundra. This one means that I have been here.


The gardens are full of flowers. Aren't these irises beautiful? They make me want to grab a canvas and paint brush to capture their exquisite beauty! More from West Park to follow. I have to take some more photos first.

The Latest Baby Blanket is Finished!

I haven't shown you much of my creative endeavours lately. That is not to say that I have been idle. Just that I wasn't able to download any photos on the computer here at the Rehab Centre. But yesterday I had an opportunity to go home and put the photos onto my home computer. So here is a picture of a baby blanket that I made last week. I used self-striping yarn by Bernat. My sister bought me the yarn so that I would have something to do while I'm here. The blanket turned out very soft. I have enough yarn to make two more!!!!

Life at West Park Healthcare Centre

When I found this picture on the internet, I was reminded of myself, as I tried to get up onto a low step the other day. Just like this little guy, I landed on my backside! Crazy as it sounds, I am relearning how to climb up a flight of stairs, starting out with small baby steps.

I promised you a post from West Park. So here it is. This is an excellent hospital. If I can learn to walk again, this will be the place to make that happen. I go to Occupational Therapy every morning. They make me do silly games and stuff, but I have to do them standing up. They are also working on strengthening my upper body and increasing my endurance when I am on my feet. In the afternoon I go to Mat Class. There are usually four of us with an instructor. We lie down on beds, not mats (I'd never get myself off the ground if I had to lie down on a mat). Then we do exercises, like leg bends and lifts etc. When Mat Class is over, my physiotherapist, Kelvin, takes me to the gym. After all those months of sitting and not doing much, I have to learn to walk again. It's a strange feeling. My brain doesn't seem to be connected to my body sometimes. I want to lift my foot, but it doesn't want to go up.

On Thursday Kelvin was doing 'stair' exercises with me. He had me step onto a 1 1/2 inch box, to simulate a low step. When he was convinced that I could do that, he brought out a 4 inch box. I could get up onto it with my left foot, but not with my right. He had me practice stepping up and down. Each time he had me bend my knee a little more. On the fourth try, I lost my balance, my legs became rubber and accordion folded under me. Luckily I was holding onto the parallel bars and did not hurt myself. But it took a couple of people to get me back up into a chair. Not only had I lost my balance, but also my confidence. So on Friday, Kelvin decided not to take any chances. He put me in a sling and 'hung' me from the ceiling. Then he had me try the step again. After a long session, with lots of sweating and moaning and groaning on my part, I was able to step up and down, with my left foot while bending my knee. I could not fall because of the sling. On Monday I will try again. My confidence is slowly returning. Till next time.......

Alien Abduction!

On May 7th, I went back to Sunnybrook Hospital to see the chief neurologist there. I had some more tests done in the EMG lab. The neurologist was flabbergasted by the results of those tests; my legs were getting worse! Doh! I could have told him that without any painful nerve conduction tests!

He was puzzled by my diagnosis. He had originally thought that it was a spinal problem, complicated by a very recent diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. If that diagnosis had been correct, I should have been getting better over the previous 2 and a half months, but I was getting worse. After consulting with his staff, he concluded that my condition was caused by my autoimmune system. To put it in layman's terms, my blood cells were attacking my nerve cells as if they were foreign invaders! He told me this condition would only strike one in a million people. Too bad I didn't buy a lottery ticket. He decided to admit me immediately and start me on a course of steroid treatments given directly into my blood stream. Unfortunately there were no beds available at that time. I was sent home to wait for a call from the hospital. Finally, the following Monday morning I was told to return to Sunnybrook to be admitted. My stay at the hospital remains like a foggy dream that I couldn't wake up from.

It felt as if I had been abducted by aliens! I was probed and prodded, scanned and scoped. Blood was drawn daily for god only knows what. My fingers were pricked to test my blood sugar levels. Dyes were infected into my veins. A course of five steroid treatments was started. I was told I would feel good and energetic, but instead, I became moody and tired.

Every night was a challenge to sleep as the others in my room dealt with their own pains and suffering. I wondered how long I could take this treatment.

When the steroid treatment was completed, the neurologist returned to my bedside. I had a million questions for him, but he could not answer any of them. He still was not sure if I had been diagnosed correctly. He was not sure if the steroids were the right treatment, and he could not give me any definite prognosis. I asked for more nerve tests, but he said that they would not show anything. Apparently nerve cells grow very slowly - only about a millimeter per day. I would have to wait at least 3 months before any result would show up on the EMG tests.

It was decided that I would go to a rehabilitation hospital to strengthen my muscles and learn to walk again. But that meant I would have to wait until a bed became available. so, I waited and waited. Each day went by without a light at the end of my long dark tunnel. I was not supposed to get any more medical attention, yet I was still prodded and probed, pricked and swabbed. A physiotherapist gave me exercises to do while I waited. I was surprised at the amount of strength and mobility I had in my left leg. It seemed as if the steroids had helped - at least a bit. But my right leg, which had always been my strongest, was totally useless. All of my muscles had wasted away. I struggled with every minute of my day. I practiced my exercises and slowly made my way to the bathroom with my walker. I was a very impatient patient! But then the good news came!

The social worker, who had arranged my rehab, together with the physiotherapist, came to my bedside. They had curious smiles on their faces. Had my wishes come true? Would I be moved to a place where I could get better? I dared not hope!

"Good news?" I asked.

"We have found a bed at West Park Health Care Centre. Do you want to take it?"

Did I want to ? You betcha!!!

I was transported by ambulance on the following morning. And so ended my abduction. I checked my body for scars. I found lots of bruises, but I was not missing any vital organs. All was well.

More next time on my stay here at West Park. Right now someone is waiting to use the computer. Till then.

Just Checking In!

Hi Folks! I'm back on the computer.
All is well. I am in a rehab hospital at the moment, but I have use of a computer in their library for about 20 minutes. I will write more tomorrow.

A Bad News Day!

I spent my day at Sunnybrook Hospital yesterday. It is one of the best hospitals here in Toronto! My neurologist is Head of the Neurology Department, so I think I am in good hands. I had some more test done and then we waited for a bed. My doctor thought that I should be admitted immediately. Unfortunately they did not have a bed available! So much for all the cutbacks lately!! We went home and now I am waiting for a phone call to tell me when to come back to the hospital. I hope it will come today. I want to get this stuff over with!

I know that I haven't said much on my blog about my condition, but it has not been good lately. Since about a year ago I have totally lost the ability to walk. I am suffering from a lot of nerve and muscle pain and I can no longer put one foot in front of the other without the use of my walker. Sometimes even that doesn't work. Like about a week ago when I fell down as I 'walked' to the bathroom at 4:00am in the morning. I bruised my left foot very badly and have not been able to put my full weight on it since. Needless to say, I have not been able to walk at all since then. So now I have to sit in my wheelchair to get from one room to another at all times. I am too afraid of falling again. Yesterday, when I was at the hospital, the neurologist I was seeing told me that he is very puzzled with my condition. He has tentatively diagnosed me as having an immuno disorder. Apparently this is not a common disorder - only a chance of about one in a million of getting this! When I go back to the hospital today I will have to start some kind of steroid IV treatment. And maybe some Intravenous Immuno Globulin or something. I am not looking forward to that, but I know that things can't go on like this. Something has to be done!

So for the time being, I will just have to think positive thoughts, like those of the beautiful flowers that are growing in my garden. Too bad I couldn't take photos of all of them. It is too difficult to get around at the moment! But here is one of the urns I managed to plant a few weeks ago. These beautiful plants welcome all visitors to my front door. Because they are a couple of feet tall, I was able to reach them without any problems. I also planted a few other pots and a large container with some lettuce! I can hardly wait to enjoy a nice fresh salad - maybe in a few weeks or so!
Anyway, for the time being, these images will have to feed my psyche. I will need all the positive vibes I can get to make my way through all this treatment and hospital stuff!! Oh, did I tell you that I do not like hospitals! I guess there is no need to do so. No one likes hospitals!! Wish me luck. I hope to be back soon with some new creations.