Perspective

To say this has been an unusual summer for me would be putting it rather mildly. This has been a season of unforeseen events in my life. Summertime has always been my favorite and I look forward to it wholeheartedly every year. Due to the fact I struggle with rheumatoid diseases, I always feel my best during the warmer months. Generally my days include some portion of time spent on my porch swing with my knitting and a cup of tea. However, since I got sick in the middle of June with bronchitis and this beastly asthma flared, the course of my summer took a turn I didn't see coming. Even my dogs are confused. They always join me on the porch and every time I open the front door for any reason they rush forward in anticipation. But I cannot breathe out there, especially not in the ghastly heat and humidity we have been enduring in the Midwest lately. This is all rather disappointing to me because I have never been one to love staying inside on a beautiful sunny day and I'm not typically a lover of air conditioning...
That is until I discovered I can't breathe without it these days.
Oh well. I know, as with all things, this too shall pass.

Another issue I've been having along with the inability to breathe is that from coughing so much and so hard from the asthma, I have a broken rib. Well let me tell you, it's a real pain in the side. The whole side. I saw the doctor on Friday and she said that sadly there's nothing to be done for a broken rib except wait for it to heal and take pain medication. Fortunately, I am quite used to chronic pain and have been since I was a child. This is one of those instances when that comes in handy. Don't get me wrong, it hurts to do absolutely everything. Mostly it hurts when I lay down, therefore I have a hard time sleeping at night. But I am used to coping with, and working around, constant pain. Honestly, at times like this, just like when I broke my foot in two places a few years ago, I see this as a blessing. I feel sad for people who have no experience with pain and suddenly they break a bone or, worse, they get a diagnosis for a rheumatoid disease and they suffer so badly. I hurt more for them than I do for me. This is when there's something to be said for being a "lifer".

Anyway, of course the other thing I did not see coming was my sister's situation. We are still waiting for a firm diagnosis. One thing we know for sure from a sonogram last week is that she definitely has a diseased gall bladder with a spot on it that the oncologist strongly suspects to be malignant. The gall bladder has to be removed but she is not strong enough for surgery at this point. Another oncologist is being called in to work with the first one. She is still self injecting B12 and is still taking mega doses of prescription iron. She is currently staying with our parents in their home. She had a fall nearly three weeks ago due to a fainting spell from weakness. In the fall she gashed her neck and ruptured an ear drum when her head hit a table. So while she rests and regains her strength she spends her days surrounded by her family. We are a very close knit family and I'm so thankful that we all live right here in the same town so we can look after one another when need be.

Now, with all this being said, I don't want to give the impression that I am downhearted here. Honestly, I truly am not. I have said it over and over and I will say it again. Quite simply, I am happy.

There's so much in my life that brings me joy. I have so much to be thankful for. Let me say right here and now I have gained a new perspective on quite literally being thankful for every breath I take. So many of them don't come easy these days. That just makes each and every one all the more precious.

Also, Bridget is holding up exceptionally well. I have received so many messages on her behalf and she and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your love and prayers mean more to my family at this time than words can ever say. We feel God's love surrounding us through the outpouring of His people and we
Thank You.

Just to show you I am not languishing here, I have a recipe to share.

It's what I made for my knitting group last night. You know me, as long as I have some yarn to play with and can do a little baking, I've had a good day.

This one was easy on my broken rib because it took very little prep time and it's mostly no bake, which is nice on a hot summer day. It's my own concoction.
I hope you like it.

Strawberry Chiffon Pie

8 Ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Sour Cream

1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla

8 Ounces Cool Whip, Extra Creamy with Real Cream

12 to 14 Sliced Strawberries

Few drops pink food coloring

Mix cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, vanilla, and pink coloring together.

Fold in Cool Whip and strawberries with a spoon.

Leave in mixing bowl and refrigerate while making graham cracker crust.

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 Cups Finely Ground Graham Cracker Crumbs

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

6 Tablespoons Melted Butter

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Place several graham crackers at a time between two pieces of parchment paper and roll over them with a rolling pin until they are finely ground.

Mix graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, melted butter and cinnamon until well blended.

Press into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate.

Bake graham cracker crust at 375 degrees for 7 minutes.
Remove from oven.

Cool on a rack for 15 minutes.

Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Once pie plate and crust are completely cool, spread pie filling on top.

Return to refrigerator.
Chill for at least 4 hours.

Enjoy!

I would like to finish by thanking the kind people of Galena, Illinois for featuring the blog post I did on my recent mother/daughter trip to their lovely town on their official website.
I am truly honored.
Galena is a place of magic for my husband and me.
We look forward to walking your streets again as soon as possible.

"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts."

Marcus Aurelius

(121-180)

Too Much Fun

Why.... YES I DO!

Isn't that what this whole road trip is about after all?

Okay, maybe not the whole trip was about me shopping for yarn but...

From June 6th - June 9th I was in Galena, Illinois with my mom and sister.

We were given a three night stay in the

Queen Anne Guest House

as a Mother's Day gift from my father.

Not only was this our mom's first time to visit Galena and her first

stay in a B&B, it was also our first ever mother-daughter trip.

We had the best time together.

This is my Mom at breakfast.

Just out the window to the left we had a visitor every morning.

Miss Kitty belongs to the owner but lives outside

due to potential allergies of guests.

She sure wants to come in and join the party though.

I gave her some love every day as we went to and fro.

While we're still on the subject of food in Galena...

The options are seemingly endless and delightful.

They have fabulous steakhouses, pizza joints and bar and grill type restaurants.

There's Asian food, Greek food, Seafood, fine Italian dining

and a Good Ole Mom and Pop Diner on a corner.

 Plus I always find delicious vegetarian fare for myself when I visit.

Galena is also rich with history.

It's the home place of President Ulysses S. Grant.

Everywhere you look your eye lands on beautiful old buildings.

There are lots and lots of stairs because,

unlike most of our flat state of Illinois,

Galena is very hilly.

Now back to that Yarn Shop...

I always make a beeline for this place of heaven on earth the moment we hit Galena.

As a matter of fact, when Amy, the owner of

Fiber Wild

 first opened a few years ago,

I just happened to be in Galena celebrating my birthday with my husband.

I was so excited to find that there was a Yarn Shop in town all of a sudden.

And it really was all of a sudden.

She was literally setting up shop on her first week there.

I'm just so thrilled to see that she's still open for business every time I return.

There are people in this world who keep walking in a certain direction

down a certain street because they smell the undeniable aroma of food.

For me...

It's Yarn...

I promise you ...

some things in this world speak to me,

other things call my name.

Yarn however,

I Smell.

On this trip I purchased three different yarns that are all new to me.

In my next post I will give you my review on the one I've worked with so far,

making the cabled fingerless gloves from my last post.

One last thing I have to say that I love about my trips to Galena is this...

For a tiny town in Illinois with a population of 3,361 to have the appeal

it does to so many different people amazes me.

I love catching snatches of foreign languages on the breeze

as I walk up and down the streets.

I also enjoy watching other people being happy 

and observing how they express themselves.

I like getting glimpses of how they live,

what makes them feel beautiful

and how they relate to this big vast world we live in.

So many things can be seen in a small tourist town.

This was my favorite thing on this trip to Galena.

Disappointingly, I never saw the owners of this wonderful van.

No doubt they were off having too much fun.