"Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit either." ~ Elizabeth Zimmerman

8/28/08

Red Flame

In order to bring some sanity to my morning, because I was nervous about my doctor appointment, I worked on the Red Flame bead crochet rope yesterday. It calmed me down considerably and I have finished it.


Red Flame

It's about 22 inches long. Here's a detail close up.


I really love the clasp and bead caps. I found them at Bead Creative in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

To repeat, I used size 8 DMC perle cotton in a dark red, size 10 steel crochet hook, and size 8 Japanese seed beads in 5 shades of red, matte black, and silver lined light topaz. The pattern can be found here.

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My doctor appointment went fine. Yes indeed, my hernia needs to be repaired. I'm seeing the surgeon Friday of next week.

I got to have my very first EKG. I needed to have one anyway in preparation for surgery (wanna make sure the ol' ticker can handle it), but it was more like my doctors way of trying to win an arguement.

I really like my doctor, but he has a real hang up about high blood pressure. When I first arrived for my appointment, the nurse took my blood pressure and it was 128 over 80. But when the Doc started talking about the surgery I felt a minor panic attack launch (I have panic attack anxiety disorder, which I keep under control with medication). My heart started pounding, the vision got dizzy, I felt my face flush. He says "Let me take your blood pressure", which was 150 over something I didn't hear. Suddenly he starts talking about high blood pressure medication and I say "But I'm nervous now. I was fine before you said surgery." Some more blah blah blah from him. I argue back. Finally, in a fit of frustration, he says we're doing an EKG (I need one before the surgery anyway). Hey cool! I've never had one of those. I'm all for it.

It says my heart's just fine and healthy. I do not have high blood pressure. Just nerves. He was kind of surprised. A good doctor, but I sure wish he'd get off that high blood pressure craze of his. He was gracious about losing the argument.

This morning I went in for some blood work. First time I've faced a needle and not felt like passing out.

Right now I'm feeling huge relief. I've done it. I've taken the steps toward getting healed. Now I can hardly wait to have it done.

I think I spoke a bit too soon about the moose yesterday. We had another visitor last night. It was a very large female. She ran away quite nicely, but a few minutes later she came back to chew on the flowering cherry. I should have grabbed the paint gun, but I got so mad I just started screaming at her at a decibel level I'm sure they heard over in Montana. She took off and didn't come back. My first thoughts were maybe it was Miss Molly? But she's not afraid of me. I could stand there screaming until the cows come home and it wouldn't phase her in the least.

The furboys are upset with me at the moment. I took their beds and blankets away so I can wash them. We're heading over to Seattle on Saturday morning to attend my nephew Jonny's wedding. The boys are going in the new (to us) kennel while we're away. Sorry boys. Mustn't take dirty beds to the kennel! Get over it!

Have a good day.

4 comments:

  1. Well, now you know you need the surgery. Once it is over, you will be glad it is. I will keep you in my prayers. Tell the boys not to be too mad at you.

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  2. Good luck with the surgery! Once it is over, hopefully you will feel much better.

    Red flame is gorgeous! You are so lucky to have a bead store like that in your area. Ours went out of business and I have yet to find another.

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  3. I saw your post on BeadTalk. I love Red Flame. Great job. However, I think I see an error in the graph. Look at rows 31 and 32. I see two purple beads that I think should be black to complete the black flame properly. Also, did you intend for the tip of each of the "down" black V's to be purple? You may have wanted it to be this way.

    Please take this as trying to be helpful and not as criticism. I know how hard it is to get a graph perfect. And my "perfect" may not be what you, the artist, intended.

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  4. okbeader,

    Didn't notice that when I posted the picture. My graph shows black in those spaces. I don't know why they're purple on the blog. I will look into it when I get back from our trip next week.

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