- Good food, good company, good advice from Grandma

Some Random Pic From My Camera

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FabGrandpa says I take pictures all the time, and he is right. This morning when I took the card out of the camera to upload the pics onto the computer, I had quite a variety of stuff on there.

Here is the mountain across the highway from the Christmas tree lot (behind the outlet mall) at sunset the other day:

It rained most of the week in Phoenix. The day we had to break down the trailer to take it two blocks across I-17 for warranty work to be done, it was pouring down. We both got soaked.

You never know what you will see in an RV park. Here, obviously, is a chair having a picnic.

My new scarf. While I was out Christmas shopping, there was a deal too good to pass up. I love wearing scarves in winter. It also helps prevent those sore throats I am prone to get.

An experiment with light. I was playing around with the camera during one of the many dull moments at the Christmas tree lot. This turned out pretty cool.

A Palpable Mass, Part III

Karen · 9 Comments

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I went to the chiropractor again yesterday, and while I DO feel better in my neck and shoulders, and DO agree that the visits to him did me some good, I STILL have that pesky lump and pain in my left arm. Granted, it does not seem to be as big as it was or hurt as much as it did before, but that could also be because I am not using that arm as much, and because Lynda, Charlie, and FabGrandpa are not letting my drag trees around anymore.

So, today after breakfast we went over to the lab where I got the ultrasound done, and requested a copy of my ultrasound pictures. I am posting them here so that you can see what I am talking about. The problem is in my left arm, and the report from the radiologist said that “the left arm was more globular than the right arm.” But to me, there does not seem to be ANY glob of any type in the right arm. What do you think?

My New Project–An Etsy Store

Karen · 14 Comments

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I have been wanting to open an Etsy store for some time now. I love to make things because for some reason I have a need to keep my hands busy. When I am not writing, I am usually making something. So, a lot of my spare time for the last couple of weeks has been spent doing the behind the scenes stuff to get my store open.

So, for your viewing and shopping pleasure, click here.

Please take a minute to go over there and look around. I have more things I want to put on there, and because I am always making something, there will be new stuff up there frequently. I would also appreciate any feedback on my store, good or bad, and any suggestions you may have to make it better.

Also, I am going to be having a contest! yes, a contest, to promote my store. If you would like to have an entry to win a “Wait Book” in your choice of colors, all you have to do is

1. Write a little bitty blog post with a link to my Etsy store. Here is the link:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6518503

2. Leave me a comment here to let me know you have done it. Remember I will need your email address to be able to contact you if you win.

That is it. The contest will run until January 2. I will pick a winner randomly to win the prize.

Edited to add: I DO ship to Canada and Everywhere else, but I did not know how to add that option to my listings. I will fix that as soon as I can, but don’t not enter the contest because you don’t live in the US. I’ll ship anywhere.

A Palpable Mass, Part III

Karen · 5 Comments

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I went to my appointment with an open mind this morning. When I arrived, they were waiting for me, there were no other patients there, so I had a lot of one on one attention from this doctor. He stood me in front of a mirror and showed me how I was standing lopsided and crooked. Then he had me stand on two scales, one foot on each one, to see how my weight was distributed. I have been to chiropractors before, but have never had THAT particular little test done. The result of stepping on those scales showed that I was standing heavier on the left side by 8 pounds. Weird. (FabGrandpa and I joked that it was because I have an 8 pound knot in that arm.)

Then, he used a couple of electronic devices to measure “muscle tightness” and “energy flow” or something like that, in my spine. The results showed that I had a lot of tightness and a lot of electrical impulses on my C1 on the left side, which is what controls the left arm muscles and nerves. He also did some X-rays of my spine and neck, which we will see tomorrow.

After he determined that my body is pretty much screwed up on the left side, he did some “gentle touch adjustments” on my body. I felt almost nothing, but I started to feel better right away. I had a lot of muscle tightness that I didn’t even realize. I kept thinking about that old joke that goes “If your head hurts that much, let me stomp on your toe.” You know, my arm was hurting so much I did not even feel the pain in my neck.

We made an appointment for me to go back tomorrow, at which time he will do a “laser treatment” on my arm (I do not know what that is since I have never had one.) And if I am not considerably better in a few days, he will refer me to the DO.

After he was finished with my adjustment, he asked me about my diet, and we discussed my gluten free eating habits. He asked me if I was taking any supplements, and suggested that I take Omega 3 fatty acid supplments and a digestive enzyme. He also suggested that we do a very thorough blood, hair, urine lab workup to determine what other things, if any, are going on with me. While I am very interested in this sort of thing, I am not financially prepared to do it at this time, as it is a very expensive panel of tests, and I suggested to him that I wait for that until next winter when we come back to the Phoenix area. He thought that was a good idea.

So, there you have it. My first experience with a naturopathic chiropractor. I was impressed with the attention and time he spent with me. Time will tell if he did me any good.

A Palpable Mass, Part II

Karen · 14 Comments

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A week or so ago, I wrote about my arm, my left arm. I told you about how it is swollen and how it hurts when I pick things up or try to open the door of the truck. I went to a doctor and they sent me to get an ultrasound done on that arm.

Yesterday, they called me to tell me that the ultrasound did not find anything. Well, the exact wording of the report, which I drove over and picked up today, is:

” We studied the area of soft tissue swelling in the left forearm and made comparison images of the right side.

I do not identify a superficial mass or fluid collection on the left side.

The deeper muscles on the left side have a little more globlular shape but no definite abnormality was identified there.

Impression: No discrete sonographic abnormality proved. Deeper forearm muscles have a slightly more globular shape on the left than on the right…”

They went on to say that I should be referred to a primary care physician so that primary care physician can refer me for an MRI. I asked them to refer me to a doctor because I do not know any doctors in the area, and they referred me to the General Practice group that is associated with their Urgent Care Facility.

They also told me that because I am a new patient, I will have to pay a higher fee, even though I have already been seen at their Urgent Care Facility. (what a ripoff, they have the record of my visit already). I made the appointment for Thursday. Then we went over to visit with our friends, Lynda and Charlie. Yeah, even though we were off today we went over there anyway.

I was telling Lynda about my medical stuff to bring her up to date, and I mentioned to her that the “doctor” I thought I saw at the Urgent Care Facility was actually a Nurse Practioner. Now, I have nothing against nurses, or nurse practioners, so if you are one or know a super one, don’t go getting your panties all in a wad. It was just that “my impression” of this particular nurse practioner was that she was a ditz. That she was preoccupied with something other than “my” arm when I went in there to see her. And that she could have cared less about my arm. It was a Saturday, and it was close to quitting time when I went there. So, maybe she had other things to think about. That’s just how “I” felt about it. That maybe she was not the best person for me to see.

We had met a Naturopathic Chiropractor who came to the Christmas tree lot to buy his family’s Christmas tree, and chatted with him about a lot of stuff (we were not that busy). He seemed to have a lot of the same thoughts on medicine as I do, and he gave me his business card. So, while I was at Lynda’s I called his office. His receptionist is also his wife, and she remembered me from the tree lot. After I told her what my problem was, we made an appointment for me to go see him tomorrow. If he can not figure out what is wrong with my arm, he will refer me to a Osteopathic doctor who is in practice with him. Right now, I feel like that is the best way for me to go. I feel sort of “led” to go in that direction. Why else would I meet this doctor and strike up a conversation with him, if he was not supposed to be in my life right at this moment. We’ll see.

In the meantime, I want everyone to tell me all the horror stories about their best friend’s cousin’s mother-in-law who had a swollen arm, and what the problem with them was. I want all the scenarios I can get, so I can google them and maybe self diagnose my problem. Comment away, let me know what YOU think may be wrong with me.

I still think, my best guess, is that I have a fracture in the a bone in there. But no one in a medical suit listens to what I have to say.

Finished Shopping

Karen · 14 Comments

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I started and finished my Christmas shopping today. All the gifts have been got, and wrapped, and put in shipping boxes, and addressed. They are going to Ft. Lewis, Washington; Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland; Denver, Colorado; Villa Rica, Georgia; and Douglasville, Georgia. The kids are scattered out all over the place.

I only made one gift this year, but it is something I have wanted to make for its recipient for some time. I call it a “Wait Book”.

He is a rather rambunctious little guy, and needs something to hold his attention when he is waiting for something. Whether it is when he is sitting in the waiting room at the doctor’s office or waiting for dinner to arrive when he and his parents go out to eat, he really needs something TO DO.

He likes to draw, paint, and color. He likes to tell stories about the drawings he has made. So, I made him this little book:

It will fit in his Mommy’s purse, or he can carry it himself with the handles. It holds a refillable pad of paper and 16 crayons. There is a place for every crayon, so they won’t fall out and get lost. He likes orange. A lot. I made him a quilt for his room a couple of years ago that has a lot of orange in it. No wonder they call me the FabGrandma!

Budget Report Week 6 Cash Monday

Karen · 6 Comments

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This week was a little busy. We took the truck over to Chuck’s Speed and RV and dropped it off for some custom exhaust work. Got a car at Enterprise Leasing for the day. Got an ultrasound done on my arm (NO, I haven’t heard from the doctor yet!). And worked 5 days at the Christmas tree lot.

We took out the usual $300 from our checking account last Monday. Went out to breakfast 4 times: Once at Cracker Barrel, once at Fast Eddie’s, and twice at Denney’s. Picked up lunch once at Taco Bell, mmmm. And had a treat at Coldstone Creamery. If we had stayed out of there we would have made it under budget. Oh well, life needs ice cream once in a while.

The bottom line this week: We still had $13.35 in our pockets, but we used the debit card once at Fry’s when we picked up milk and cereal, for $23.99. So, for the week, we are over budget by $10.64. But for the 6 week period since we started doing Cash Monday, we are under the budget by $89.41. Not bad. If you guys know how much self control this took, you would be cheering so loud I could hear you all the way out here to Phoenix!

Full Moon

Karen · 5 Comments

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Thursday night was a beautiful night at the Christmas tree lot. There was a full moon up there, making the whole place glow. In the photo above, the highest light is the moon. The other ones are the streetlights in the mall parking lot.

This is a Nobel Christmas tree. It has been the most popular kind so far. The people are here are buying huge trees, over nine feet tall. I never had a house that had a place to put such a large tree. Heck, I never had that many ornaments!

Lynda’s handmade Christmas ornaments are selling quite well, too. She has a lot of different kinds, but I like these the best. Very cute.

We also have some wreaths to sell. They are beautiful! This one didn’t have a bow on it yet, but it is still pretty.

The job itself is pretty fun. Yes, we do have a lot of work to do. We have to make sure the lot stays full, so after a sale, someone has to stand up another tree, measure it, put a tag on it, cut off the twine that binds it, and fluff it out. It keeps us quite busy. Today is supposed to be the busiest day of them all. We’ll see.