Busy Few Months

I am so used to quickly adapting to life changes that I surprised myself with how much has happened recently. Let's break it down:

June: holy wow, Benlysta is working!
July: Summer has a boyfriend
Aug: Jake diagnosed with lymphoma; support group co-leader quit
Sept: Jake euthanized; family gathering in Pennsylvania
Oct: never-ending cold; my 40th bday; new co-leader

So, yeah, a lot going on. I've stayed productive, made and kept friendships, and my fella is still around :D I've been struggling with high pain some days but managing well despite that.

Friday night prefunk with a friend

Whale Baby Sweater

I traveled to visit family a few weeks ago. One of my trip must dos was to finish the Whale Baby sweater for a cousin's November baby. A nasty cold and reknitting the button bands slowed me down, but I did finish! Even if our grandma questioned a blue sweater for a baby girl ;)

It fits already!

The recipient and everyone else loved it. I knit a size 12mo so we'll have to wait another year to see action shots.

This was a tricky project because it uses super soft baby wool. Normally stranded colorwork is done with sticky wool. The wool's stickiness holds it all together and evens out tension. I'm very proud of my ability to get a nice result with the materials used, something I doubted I could do. It's fun to see the result of 20+ years of knitting.

The reverse side: so proud :)

I love nurses

I went for a Benlysta infusion today. It went very well, and I enjoyed catching up with Awesome Infusion Nurse. I told her about my rheumatologist saga. Mine is still out on medical leave, with no idea if or when she'll return, so I need somebody. Options on Medicaid are limited, and most rheumies want positive labs (which I don't have).

My PCP met the clinic's new rheumies and suggested I see one of them. Weeks later and something was holding up the works. I called and nothing changed. But Awesome Infusion Nurse spoke to the scheduler today and voila! I see a new rheumy on Wednesday. That's in two days, which is astonishingly quick.

Today's infusion was located in a sunbeam :)

I'm still sad over losing Jake, but adjusting. The house feels emptier without him.

Grief Salad

Jake was put to sleep on Sunday at home. Holding his limp sedated body then watching the pink leave his nose was so hard. I'm going to miss my fluffy buddy for a long time

I made a big bowl of bean salad on Saturday so I'd have something easy to eat this week. When my head or heart are full I forget to eat or can't be bothered. This salad doesn't even need heating.

Grief Salad

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans, ditto
1/4c couscous, rehydrated in 3/8c boiling water
3/8c white wine vinegar
~1/8c olive oil
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 ears fresh corn, sliced off the cob, or frozen white corn
chopped cilantro to taste
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce to taste
Optional: juice of half a lime (reduce vinegar accordingly)

Serve over arugula if desired. The flavors meld overnight and it's even better the next day. If you have extra vinegar at the bottom of the bowl try adding 1/4c more rehydrated couscous.

Nothing in this recipe is hard or fast. I used frozen corn this time and kept adding until it looked like a good amount. If you've been too sparing on salt and hot sauce it will taste sad and bland and you may begin to question your life choices. Do not fear, continue seasoning and all will be well.

Six years, 400 posts

Happy sixth birthday, blog! I started this blog to share sewing projects plus some random thoughts. But my health got worse--hello autoimmune disease--so that's become the focus. As interests and hobbies are stripped away I realize just how important people are. Any energy left after doing the things that need done, that's how I spend it.

But 400 posts? I had no idea I had that much to say. I was reading some old posts and realized that I'm pretty much the same person now. The more we change, eh? Maybe I've written myself out--I can't think of anything else to say ;)