WHAT IS IT!?

This device sitting on the trailer got lots of attention over the weekend.  People thought it was: a part for skylab, a booster rocket for the space shuttle, a still, lots of other things. 

This was my first view of it.   Terry had told me what it was before he came home.  It sure looked like a rocket when he backed in.

It's a giant silencer (acoustic silencer) for a giant gas pump at a pumping station in Michigan.  I had never thought of a silencer for giant motors, but it seems they should be necessary. After all, we have mufflers on our vehicles to keep the noise down, why not industrial motors?

here's the website where they are built:

http://www.universalaet.com/en/index.php

Kalamazoo farmers market, May 28, 2011

Thanks to all the people who came out on Saturday to shop at the market.  It's always a good time and it was a nice day, anytime it's not pouring down rain or snow and you can't see your breath, it's a good day at the market.

my booth

across the aisle

My neighbor, Bear foot farm, great produce and meats, naturally raised

Great day!

It was easy to get out of bed today!  It may be a small thing, but I'm happy at that small thing. 

It's hot today, again.  It seems we go from winter to summer with about 5 minutes of spring.  I'm glad we have power so our a/c-s work.  There are still people w/o power in Battle Creek and some other places.  Some in Three Rivers just got their power back after the tornado on Sunday.  I hope they get it back today.

Wednesday

Feeling beat up today.  I had an acupuncture treatment yesterday in Kalamazoo.  Yesterday was a good day-very little pain.  It seems whenever I travel anywhere beyond a certain mile limit-don't know what that is yet-I feel really beat up the next day.  The further I travel, the more beat up and in pain I feel.  I have to take Mom to the dentist tomorrow.  Friday may not be a good day.  I hope tomorrow is a good day.  We need to get to South Bend and back.

Nelson's herb farm

I took Mom to Nelson's Herb Farm outside of Edwardsburg this afternoon.  The farm was as nice as expected and Mrs Nelson was, too.  I got to pet their two horses-one a beautiful black with a bit of white down her face and on one hoof and a light gray/whitish with small black dots (could have been an apaloosa without the blanket of color on her hind quarters).  We wandered through the gardens with water features and checked out the store-it was too heavy with essential oils for me to stay very long.  There were lots of wonderful herb plants and many other decorative perennials, shrubs, roses, etc.

We went to Lunker's for a meal.  I had never been there before.  It was good and there were fish tanks everywhere. 

We really had a good time.  It was nice to get out and do something different.  I still have some pain, especially in my legs, but the distraction of getting out and doing something helps a lot.  It's nice to feel like going somewhere and doing something.  The gluten free diet is working quite well for me.

Well, it's late, and I need to get to bed. 

Finally

I was starting to get a little impatient about the gabapentin working last night.  I was still very stiff and hurting quite a bit.  This morning I woke up with much less stiffness and only a little pain-compared to what I usually have.  I was even able to do my yoga with much less discomfort and pain.  I don't think it's going to be such an issue today.  I can do my work with only minor pain.  Woohoo!!

New rug still on the loom

The rug I'm working on now.  I have more than three feet done.  The bit of masking tape on the left is to mark the length, the bits on the right are to mark the pattern.  The pattern is so subtle it's hard to see.   I'm using a purple temple (stretcher) to help keep the width tension correct.  This one is 22 inches wide and going to be 5 or so feet long.  I've made one 3'x5' and one 22 inches by approximately 34 inches in the same pattern.  

Things are looking up

Yesterday I didn't take any pain killers.  I believe now that was a mistake.  At least until the pain gets less.  I took a Tramadol this morning and I'm feeling much better.  Still have quite a bit of stiffness and soreness.  It seems the fms has gotten worse since I realized I had it.  Geesh! 

Confirmation

Thursday I went to see my NP Karen.  She confirmed that I did indeed have Fibromyalgia.  She prescribed Gabapentin and Tramadol.  They both have generics, so it only cost me $14 and change for both.  That made my day.  Lyrica is much more expensive.  We're starting conservatively and see how that works.  I'm still going to see Dr Dave (acupuncturist) and Linde (massage therapist).  Maybe with all those people helping me, I should be able to manage the pain quite well.   I'm feeling much less pain this Sat compared to last Sat.  The gluten free diet is so far keeping me from getting bronchitis. 

Who did it!?

FM did it.  I feel beaten and battered today.  We went to Lansing yesterday for my uncle Ward's funeral.  My left knee wouldn't stay straight; it kept slightly buckling, so I took my cane since we would be walking over uneven ground to the gravesite.  I really didn't want to make a spectacle of myself and fall down and not be able to get up.   It would take a couple of big guys to help me up since I weigh so much.  I would prefer everyone to remember the 3 volley weapons salute or the 'taps' played at the funeral instead of me falling down. 

Getting together with many of my cousins and my last aunt (Betty) felt lovely.  When I get better I think we need to have a reunion just for fun.

Opening day at the market

We are normally under the shelter on the right that is fenced off with orange mesh.  It has been deterimed that it is unsafe, so we have been pulled back into the parking lot.  If we want protection from the elements, we have to bring our own.

My booth.  A canopy and two tarps.  Looks  a little patched up-much more than normal.

Another view.

We had a good day in spite of the conditions of the shelter.  It was warm and didn't rain until after we all left.

Oh, my aching.......

Yeah, I'm sore and stiff today.  Oh, well.  Got lots of things to do.  Just gulp a couple of tylenol and keep moving-slowly-but moving forward.

Checked the new large totes to see if I can get the tall birdhouses in them.  Whew!  I can.  We forgot to make sure of that when we got the new totes.  I'm keeping two of the large totes we got last week, returning the other two, and buying 4 of the longer, shorter totes. 

Acupuncture today.  I think the acupuncture and massage done frequently will help a lot with the soreness and stiffness.  Monday and Tuesday were pretty good days.  Although last night I was pretty sore.  I need to jot down a few questions for Karen (NP) when I go to see her next Thursday.

More rugs retagged but not packed.

Another rug I tagged today. 

I went to get birdhouses today.  Not too many.  I need to keep things controlled and easy to do.  Inventory control of the birdhouses went quite awry last year.  This year needs to be different.  I'm coding them in the inventory number so I can tell how much I paid for and which style of each one I sell. 

Good day today

This is one of the rugs I've been retagging and packing into new totes.

I woke up today with much less pain.  I've been feeling a new vitality just this week.  I may be on the way to better health.  I sure hope and pray so.  Acupuncture and massage may be doing what they are intended to do.  I have to remember to take my magnesium, also. 

I need to see if I can get some birdhouses to sell this weekend today.  I think Helen will be coming this weekend, so have to do some cleaning.  I hope we can make her room more allergen free. 

DRAT and Double Drat!!!

We got some new totes for my rugs and birdhouses.  After careful measurements, we decided on two different sizes.  The large ones aren't long enough!  We had the choice to get some the same capacity and a bit cheaper, but slightly different measurements, and I though they would be too long.  The ones we got aren't long enough.  Grrr!

Achey, breaky me, and other things

As usual, I'm achey and sore this morning.  I have a lot to do.  I have to retag all my rugs and repack them into the new totes.  I had to raise my prices a little to reflect the increasing costs of materials as well as gas. 

Much of the market shelter has been condemned and is under reconstruction.  So we'll have to set up in temporary spaces.  How temporary is yet to be seen.

May 2, 2011

Well, the troops finally found Bin Laden and killed him.  I really can't get into the cheering, etc, although I am glad he is gone and not inciting any more terrorism against the US.  I'm just not jumping up and down and rejoicing by some person's death.  I wonder how many repercussions we're going to feel from it.  I hope this will minimize terrorism to some extent since they know they will by hunted down and killed.