Finally Back at the Village

Yesterday I finally went back to my volunteering in the Weaving Shoppe at Greenfield Village.  Ankle is not strong enough to weave on the Jacquard and climb those steep steps upstairs.

It was fun to see some of the patterns that I helped plan last winter being woven.  This is on the fly shuttle loom.  Particularly like how the white between the colors sets off the stripes.

This windowpane design was selected by me and both Max and I did the planning.   It is being woven upstairs.

All patterns and colors need to be historically accurate for the time.

My Solar Eclipse Adventure

Right now I am wishing that I was in a place to see todays total Solar Eclipse.  It is definitely something worth seeing.  I won't even be able to see the partial eclipse today - do not have the right equipment and will be in physical therapy.

In July, 1972 I was fortunate enough to see a total eclipse as part of the Central Michigan Astronomy Club.  We drove straight from Detroit to Prince Edward Island.  That was before the bridge - so we took the ferry to PEI.

A farmer who had land overlooking the sea, opened his land to scientific groups and we were lucky enough to qualify for a spot.   To keep costs down we camped and cooked out.  Of course we did have some time to play.

I remember how eerie it was at totality.  All the sea birds went crazy as the sun was blocked out.

Two members of the group went on to future scientific careers.  Dale Gary is currently a solar astronomer.  Ed Doty got a degree in atmospheric physics and worked for the EPA.

Finally Started Weaving Again

Starting gradually on my Baby Wolf loom which does not require as much leg strength as my AVL.
I did twenty minutes on Tuesday and forty on Wednesday.  Working on dish towels.

The picture is one of the dish towels that I had taken off the loom before my accident.  It was supposed to be in the Cross Borders Group exhibit at the MLH Conference this summer.   The weaving was done but I hadn't finished it and it was buried under things so Frank couldn't find it when I sent him downstairs looking.  Happy I can now go up and down stairs - even if it is very slowly.

Icelandic Medical Bills

Just received the medical bill for the hospital in Reykjavik.  I was billed $6,746 US dollars.  That was for two nights in the hospital and my surgery, X-rays and medication.   The previous bill for the first hospital translated to $2,592.23 (most of that was for ambulance services).

Interesting how low the cost is compared to US medical.  And the doctors here said they did an excellent job on my ankle.  I am in love with socialized medicine.

Another picture from my trip.

Cold Picture for a Hot Day

Supposed to be in the 90s so I thought we needed a cold picture from the Iceland trip.

On Thursday it will be 11 weeks since my ankle surgery.  As of Saturday, the Doc said I can put 20% of my weight on my leg.  Hard to figure what 20% is.  Yes I can do the math but even trying to get on a scale and trying different pressures - it is hard to translate that to the walker.  But I must admit it is less painful on the hip of my good leg to be able to put some pressure on the left.

I can see the end of the horizon.

Knitting Class

I have tried to teach myself how to knit but have always gotten frustrated trying to get base the simple knit and purl.  I decided now is an excellent time to try to move further.  Signed up for a knitting class as a shop in Berkley.  It is close, parking is usually available right in front and it has only one step.

Above is what I accomplished during a 2 hour class.  Then I proceeded to go home and made mistake after mistake that I couldn't figure out how to correct.  I ripped out had restarted at least 5 times, but believe I am now getting the hang of this pattern.  It is supposed to end up to be a triangular neck scarf.  Picked that pattern since hard to weave triangles.

Cold and Quiet

Currently reading a book titled Cold by Bill Streever.  Interesting quote I found, "Inupiat frequently pause when they talk, leaving what might seem like an uncomfortable silence.  I have been told that the pauses give them time to think and therefore avoid the mindless patter of whites."   Maybe we should try to emulate them more.

While not a picture of Alaska - home of the Inupiat, the following is one of the pictures from my Iceland trip.  Picture looked like cold and quiet to me.

I Should Of Taken A Picture

...of the resident and the ankle specialist closely examining the stitches on my ankle on Monday.  They were intrigued by the type of stitches done on my ankle by the doctors in Iceland.  They indicated that they were impressed versus what they do in U.S.

They good news:  they indicated that they did a great job on my ankle in Iceland.  Only difference with what they would have done here it that here they would have put one more pin (I was told after surgery in Iceland  that the extra pin was a maybe but they felt I didn't need it).

The bad news:  due to some health issues I have, the U.S. doctors want be to stay off my ankle two more weeks than what the Icelandic doctors indicated.  That means NO weight on that foot for 12 weeks.  It seems forever.

But with a promise that I would not put any weight on the ankle they gave me a boot versus a plaster cast.  At least I can take it off and wash.

So right now I am staying pretty close to home.  I don't really have the knack for stairs yet.

Why Am I Smiling (or is that a Grimace)?

I returned home from Iceland on Saturday as planned - just not how I planned.  Let me just say that I LOVED Iceland.  It is one of my favorite places of all time.  It has been on my bucket list for years and I wanted to see it while they still had the glaciers.   I went on a small group photography trip.  There were 12 of us all together, nine clients, the bus driver, tour guide and photography guru.

Terrain was rugged with many of our stops requiring a bit of walking over uneven rocks.  I even participated in a glacier walk, complete with crampons and ice ax with no issues.

But last Wednesday, I along with others climbed the 500+ steps to the top of a hill to photograph the Skogafoss waterfall.   I was almost to the bottom when my foot slipped on the gravel between the steps.  Needless to say I dislocated/broke my ankle in two places.

This is me waiting for my rescue.  You can see a bit of the waterfall on the left and the platform I came from on the top.  It doesn't look dangerous but the EMT guy and the Doctor at the first hospital said that many people hurt themselves on those steps due to the loose gravel.  

The bus driver and tour directer had to help me down from this point to the bus which seemed forever away.  Then a longer than I wanted to deal with wait for the ambulance.  Trip to the first hospital in what I believe to be Selfoss was over an hour - (thank God for morphine).   They fixed the dislocation and sent the X-rays over to Reykjavik.  Spent the night waiting to hear back from them.  In the morning they got back to the doctors in Reykjavik that the ankle was too bad to send me home and that I needed to come to Reykjavik for surgery.  Another 45 minute plus ambulance ride to the University Hospital, surgery, then 2 nights in the hospital before my revised flight home.

Am I ever glad that this trip required trip insurance.  They took care of all the arrangements, from a limo to the airport, a first class ticket for me on Delta (since doctor said I needed to keep my leg up) and a limo ride home.  Since Frank did not come on this trip with me, the insurance company did not want me to fly home along.  So they paid for a first class ticket for the photo guru/tour guide Sandi Wheaton to fly home with me.  I thought I didn't need her but I was very thankful she came with me.   She also came with me to the first hospital so I didn't need to do that alone.   She resides in Windsor so it worked for both of us.  

So now my life as I know it is different for quite a while.  

Spring Came Too Early

 Trees are confused.  Started budding from the 50-60 degree weather to 20-30 degrees.  I hope they can recover.

Finally - SUN

As many of you know I volunteer at the Weaving Shop at Greenfield Village.  I go even when the village is closed which I enjoy since it is so quiet, particularly with snow on the ground.  Yesterday was the first day in a while that the sun was out so I brought out my phone for a few quick pictures on my way out of the village.