Flowers of summer

Many are showing their flower gardens as the last of summer brings forth new blooms. Here in SE TN, temperatures have been so hot and so dry that everything has turned to dust. So while I don't have much outside to show - I do have some treasures from inside to show. One of my favorites, next to African violets are my orchids.
They are dependable to show their beauty year after year, with only modest care, and occasional dividing and repotting.



This is a denbrodium that my oldest son gave me quite a few years ago. I have several pots of it, but they don't bloom at the same time. So I get to spread its beauty around.



This beauty is called Sugar Sweet - and it is covered with dozens of small, yellow fragrant blossoms. It is a real treat when it blooms.

Seeing these lovelies helps me forget that we haven't had but 1 rain for the month of September, which is normally one of our rainiest or that yesterday set a record temperature at 94 degrees! I may have to go to the street corner to panhandle to be able to continue to pay our electric bill. Any donations are appreciated!!

September Exchange

In the TeaTimeKnitters September exchange, I was having my eye problems and wasn't able to knit to start it. Deborah, the list mom, sent me a care package - which was wonderful of her. Look at all of the nice things she sent me! A beautiful rose lace dishcloth that is incrediblely soft, a cannister of tea with a tea bag retriever (don't know what to call it - LOL), some loose tea bags, some little dice that will make great stitch markers, a pad of leaves sticky notes - all great and exciting things. Deborah is a great list mom. And if anyone wants to join - TeaTimeKnitters is the name.

Thankful Heart

About 2 weeks ago I was told my retina had partially detached. I was devastated - having already been through 4 surgeries to work on my eye. But this week, I saw my regular ophthalmologist, who told me he saw no retinal detachment and that what the retina specialist saw could have been a fluid bubble behind the retina, making it look like it was detached. It could have been caused by my hitting the curb so hard in the hit and run accident I was in. Whatever the cause, I was so thankful that my retina had healed.

I feel that it was a healing from God, due to the prayers of the faithful - friends putting me on prayer lists, friends in Texas praying for me, internet friend - and new internet friends sending me messages of encouragement - all were heard by God.

Knitting and my eye

I have done quite a few dishcloths for Carrie. She will be moving into the cabin that Andy has been working on for the past year. It is almost finished. So I thought some dishcloths to match her kitchen would be nice. Then I also am in an exchange and need one for it. It is finished but need to weave in my tails and block it. Someone needs to invent an automatic tail weaver and make a fortune. I think it is the job knitters like the least of all!

I did receive some bad news two weeks ago. My retina has partially detached again. So that means I am looking at probably 3 surgeries - one to repair the retina, one to eventually remove the oil from my eye, and one to try to remove the scar tissue that has formed. I am not looking forward to these surgeries. The pain, the inability to function, the effect it has on my body for this extended period. I have lupus and fibromyalgia, plus a gazillion more autoimmune diseases, so my body does not react normally, nor heal normally. But one does what one has to do.

Busy month

I have been busy with so many things that I have neglected this. There have been a lot of happenings going on. I will have a new daughter in law next September - with a year to plan the wedding! Jeffery and Tara went on a vacation to Colorado and he had a ring with him, and proposed on a mountain top there. Could not have been more fitting for him. He has climbed many of the fourteeners there, plus 2 faces of Grand Teton, a glacier in Alaska for 6 weeks - an outdoors person. I am glad that she likes to climb with him - they do quite a bit of rock climbing around here. Chattanooga has some of the best areas of rock climbing in the nation.

Then Carrie has gotten adjusted to being back here and in her final year at UTC. When she is not in class, she is in the lab doing research with her genetics professor. She is looking at graduate schools vs taking a year or two off to do some research then go to grad school with a better idea of what she wants to do.

Eric, my oldest is also in school this semester. He is planning another trip in January - Chile - to see S America. It is the only continent, other than Anartica that he hasn't been on - so more world to conquer.

I have been busy knitting and....I don't know how my days fly by. I plan to get certain things done, but they just don't happen. I am going to PT 2x a week to try to get some conditioning. I have gotten so weak after all of these surgeries this year. So it is good for me to get stronger.

So it's time for me to go there - so until later.