For when the big one hits...

This is one of the little bags I made recently, which now is finished.  It has a special purpose.  When my husband and I are out, we carry it with us, and at home it hangs on the wall, over a note that says: Medical Information. 

See the two little notebooks?  There is one for each of us and contains the following:

A photo for identification
Our medical insurance card
Our Medicare card
Dental Insurance card
The card from the Neptune Society  (prepaid arrangement for the final barbecue)
The names and phone numbers of all our doctors
    (you can use their business cards - get one next time you visit them)
Names and phone numbers of the pharmacies we use
Our diagnoses
A list of our medications (I always print up a bunch, because every time you visit a doctor
    you are asked what you are taking, so I whip out my little list for them to keep
Your phone number(s)

To this you can add any other pertinent information - for example:  my husband wants to be called "Mr." Whatever, and not by his first name.  Not, horrors,   "sweetie, honey, grandpa, or hun"  or other  terms of endearment which someone forty years younger than he  feels like calling him.  He also hates TV.

You may want to add the names and addresses of your closest relatives and friends.  Or the name of your attorney, in case you croak.

Don't include  your social security number or your address.  This information can be obtained from your insurance or doctor, if necessary.  Do not include credit cards.

You get the picture.  I believe everyone should carry something like this with him.  In case of an emergency of any kind, when all your medical information is instantly available to whomever comes to your aid, this will speed up the process of getting you the help you need as quickly as possible.

Don't leave home without it!

        ☯      

~ Tranquility and Tolerance ~

Mom's Pot Holders

I have moved around a lot in my 44 years of living in California.  The last time was from Northern California to Los Angeles, to my new husband's house (his was bigger than mine so we sold my house).  There was also already a lot of stuff in his house which had belonged to his parents.  In essence, we combined three households and for a while the house looked like we were aspiring hoarders.  Thirteen years later it looks a lot better, but we are still finding stuff we did not know, or had forgotten, we had.

So when I recently looked in the back of a linen closet, there were a bunch of pot holders, among which two my mother had made, ages ago.  I guess I always carried them with me from place to place, without really being aware of it.  Looking at them closer, I tried to figure out how she had made them, and I managed to copy them.  It was not too hard.  They are made as if you are making a weird pointy sided hat.  The end result is a double thick pot holder, which is joined at the bottom with a row of single crochet through both layers.

Unfortunately one of my mother's had caught a bit of a flame over the stove, so I removed the last, burnt, row and made a new one.  The orangy one is hers, the blue one mine.  These are great stash busters.  For instructions look in HOW DO I DO THAT.

☯

~ Tranquility and Tolerance ~

Lots of Little Bags

Apart from the fact that the days of utter muggyness  are finally over, and it was fun to go out again, our weekend was particularly successful with a trip to Big Lots and finding lots of cheap yarn.  I found some lovely multicolored stuff and matching yellow and whipped up a bunch of little bags.   I wanted to try different stitches from the book:  The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet by Margaret Hubert, which I absolutely adore.  Get it from Amazon, the price has just been reduced to $16.

All the bags are done in a different pattern.

 

The multicolored bag on the left with the shoulder strap and crocheted white flower, is finished and the crochet stitch almost looks like bargello embroidery.  It is much less difficult than it looks.  I used both the yellow and multicolored yarn alternately.  The other multicolored ones are WIPs, as are the two yellow ones.  The top yellow one is in a very thick sturdy stitch.  I love its texture and have to think of making something special of it, with embellishments.  Stay tuned!

☯

~ Tranquility and Tolerance ~

Something old.... is a Little shopping bag

Here's the answer to my mystery item of a few days ago:  It is a pouch with a net shopping bag folded up inside it.

The  net bag fits between the two halves of the pouch and is crocheted atop one of the halves.  The other half is attached on the other side of the half with the net.    You open the pouch,  take out the net bag part and then turn the whole thing inside out, so that the second circle does not flop about at the bottom.  This one is rather small, but bigger ones can be made of course.  The circles are easy to copy and the net can be any pattern and any size as long as the circles can hold it all.  A Great Green Gadget!!

Clever, eh? FIts in your bag or purse.   Thanks "Tante Marie"!

☯

~ Tranquility and Tolerance ~

All Things Law And Order

Love, love, love all the Law And Order shows. I am so going to miss Bobby Goren and Alex Eames but am looking forward to the new and third season of Law And Order UK, on Wednesday, August 17, 2011,  on BBC. After the "Bobby and Eames" show,   I like the UK show the best .

 Kathryn Erbe and Vincent D'Onofrio

Always fascinating to watch!
Thanks for hours of fascinated nailbiting.

Below a link to a site here on blogger about all the L&O shows. I was glad I found it. Lots of information and news updates!  Check it out:

All Things Law And Order: This Is My Story

☯

~ Tranquility and Tolerance ~

Something old, something new

I had a few old aunts who knitted and crocheted.  One of them almost sixty years ago gave this little thingamajig to my mother, who gave it to me.  It is a clever little thing, about four inches in diameter - can you guess what it is?

 

I also made my first (and probably last) ruffle scarf and it did not come out at all as expected. Actually way large but nevertheless wearable and warm and it can be manipulated into a kind of circular collar with ruffles down the front.   

Done with the scarves for now as well, way too hot for anything woollie down here in Socal.

 It looks more like a giant insect..... and seems to take on a life of its own.  

it is knitted in just pearl stitch with a border of matching multi colored eye lash yarn.

  

It is the Fourth of July - very troubled about the state of distress of our country and the world.

☯

~ Tranquility and Tolerance ~

BSJ and Knitted Babes

On one of the knitting blogs I read, I learned about the "Baby Surprise Jacket" or "BSJ".  This was a new one for me.  It is a jacket you knit in one piece,  and it ends up looking like a floppy rag:

 http://www.knitting-and.com/wiki/Baby_Surprise_Jacket

  then you sew two seams or sides together and suddenly you have a jacket. 

The original design was created in 1968 by Elizabeth Zimmermann,  a British woman who revolutionized knitting.  Sounds odd, doesn't it, knitting and revolution? She also invented a way to enlarge garments, mathematically, which is very clever:

http://www.knitting-and.com/wiki/Elizabeth_Zimmermann

From which the following quotation:

"Her "EPS" (Elizabeth's Percentage System) is still widely used by designers: it consists of a mathematical formula to determine how many stitches to cast on for a sweater, given that the sleeves and body are always proportionate no matter what yarn or gauge is used. Other patterns and techniques for which she is well known are the so-called "Pi Shawl," a circular shawl that is formed by regularly spaced increases based on Pi, 'i-cord' (or 'idiot cord'), and the "Baby Surprise Jacket," which is knit completely flat and then folded, origami-style, to create a nicely shaped jacket."

Since, after you start the project you can change yarns several times, you really have no idea how the end product will look.  I am assuming that,  because I  have not made one.  I am pretty much done for now with the baby jackets and wanted to try this, but in an adult size.  I found the pattern for $14.95 Incl. S&H, on line,  and this pamphlet  also includes the baby size and other kid sizes check out this great source for patterns and other needle stuff:

http://www.schoolhousepress.com/patterns.htm

just scroll down the page a bit until you see this pamphlet and then click on the abcsj link

Another project I am working on is knitting a doll.  From Amazon I recently ordered this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Knitted-Babes-Clare-Garland/dp/1596680008   

it is inexpensive as well, about $12 I believe,  and also available, really cheaply, used.  These dolls are so cute.  They basically have a big head, smaller body and stringy arms and legs.  They are finished quickly.  Then you can give them hair, clothes, etc., to create their personalities.

Another blogspotter here , http://knittedbabes.blogspot.com/   has a lot of finished dolls and toys, really impressive!

Here is my WIP:  got a long way to go.  I found this wonderful thick, wavy colorful yarn which I thought was perfect for the hair.  The undies are from the book.  I like to put the face on last, after the doll is fully dressed.  I don't know why. Perhaps "clothes make the woman"?

☯

~ Tranquility and Tolerance ~

Dr. Michael Colvard in Encino, CA and Cataractectomies

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Haven't been here for a while, again.  Turned out, two weeks after I had my right eye fixed, there was a sudden opening and I had the left one done sooner than expected.  It all went super!  I cannot believe that I can even read decent size print and watch TV and read the subtitles without glasses or contacts.  A not so minor miracle!!   Should have done it last year.   There is absolutely no pain, and very briefly some pressure which is completely tolerable without any type of aenesthesia.  Although it is available.

Remember, If you need a cataractectomy,  it is now recommended not to do that without lens implants.  Why go through the trouble and then have very little improvement in eye sight, while still needing glasses.  I also noticed from reading message boards that some people are sent home without eye drops.  I can hardly believe that, but I would make sure that your physician prescribes something like Zymax the day before and 3 days after the surgery, and a steroid like Presnisolone (anti inflammatory) as well as an NSAID like Ketorolac  for 4 weeks post op, first 4 x/day x 2 wks then 2x/day x 2 wks.     I'm just saying: no eye drops sounds very odd to me.

Anyway, it is a ton of eye drops, especially if the surgeries overlap, so the blog has been a bit neglected, although I have been working on a lot of projects, all in progress now, and also, mostly,  without glasses, yeah!

My husband and I both had the absolute best and dearest doctor: Doctor Michael Colvard of the Colvard Eye Center, in Encino, CA.

Dr. Michael Colvard, M.D., F.A.C.S.

  http://www.colvardvision.com/

We  both had bilateral cataractectomies and lens implants,  and as a retired health care professional, I recognize superior practices and procedures.  

Dr. Colvard and his entire staff, both in his office and at his Vision (surgery) Center are professional, knowledgeable, extremely kind and caring, efficient, and all have a great sense of humor.   Additionally,  Dr. Colvard teaches his finely developed surgical procedures to other ophthalmologists, has designed a variety of  instruments, of which the "Pupillometer", used preoperatively, is used by many other eye surgeons. 

He has collected multiple awards, including best doctor,  and  has founded the "Friends of Vision Foundation" which takes him to third world countries on a regular basis to perform pro bono procedures for people who otherwise would be without sight.

In case you are wondering: the removal of cataracts and lens implants is truly nothing to worry about.  The procedure is quick, no more than 15 minutes at most, once you are in the operating room.  There is no pain; there is a brief moment of pressure on the eye.  There is an instrument that makes the most amazing "new age-y" sounds, and light anesthesia is available, but I didn't need it.

We give the highest recommendation to this wonderful doctor.

Thank you Dr. Colvard and staff!!!

☯

~ Tranquility and Tolerance ~

Even better: a crochet version! Thanks again. When it comes to knitting versus crocheting these a... MORE