Portable Project

 Years ago a friend left the country and gave me several bins of craft supplies that she no longer wanted.  I've given away and used what I could yet still have much to get through.

There were lots of sheets of clear plastic canvas that I am finally putting to use by stitching a Palestinian motif, backing with felt and adding a small magnet.

It's also a good way of using up bits of leftover yarn from crochet projects.

The pattern I chose is from the digital library of Tirazain that's called qamar b reesh (moon with feathers).

I've stitched during mornings with my craft group, meet-ups with my friend Susanna, and even took supplies with me to Amman so I could stitch there -- where I even did a photo shoot with all the beautiful flowers found in the neighborhood around our hotel.

I've given some magnets as birthday gifts recently and snagged photos from my friends' Instagram stories since I forgot to take pictures before gifting them.

I stitched about 5 while traveling so now need to add the felt backings and magnets.

Thankful for creative hobbies.

Have a good Thursday.

New Month, Different Country

While walking in my neighborhood last Wednesday morning, I found this on the ground.

The irony is that we would be flying to Jordan that evening and waking up on May Day in Amman. 

 Normally on our way to Al Quds (Jerusalem) we just pass through Amman straight to the border, but this time we were staying for a few days, mainly to visit my husband's cousins since his aunt died last month and it had been many years since our last visit. 

We spent the first day in old Amman, on Friday we took the bus to visit his cousins which was an all day affair, and then on Saturday we were preparing ourselves for the return home.

I love Amman for its tradition and the roses ... every tine we've been it seems that roses are in bloom.

Such a lovely sight to see in what otherwise could be a rather drab environment -- especially since we left Kuwait in a dust storm and arrived there amidst one.

There's been daily dust since our return Saturday late afternoon.

Hope your May is off to a good start.

Take care.

Tuesday x's 2

 Last week with Susanna ...

And this week ... for our regular Tuesday meet-ups.

There were no morning meet-ups during Ramadan plus she was in the States for a month, so it's nice to be back to our routine.  (Anytime you see knitting, it's her, not me, but didn't take a picture of her project this week because she was still working on the same sock.  :)

We've had a couple of major sandstorms lately.  I didn't realize we were expecting one last night and had just finished cleaning our second balcony from the previous storm.  Now everything is covered in a thick layer of dust again.  Ugh!

Hope this finds you well.

Craft Day

It has been a month and a half since my craft group last met.

Yesterday, while the weather outside was dreary and dusty, we were inside crafting away.

The stitched projects are all mine (except the watermelon tote bag), one knitter and the rest crocheters.

Bright spots on a drabby day.

Friday Flowers and a Finish

 April so far has been mostly overcast.

With a sprinkling of rain here and there.

But on a blue sky day at the end of March, I took my latest crochet finish to the park for a photo shoot.

Lots of flowers are in bloom but soon will be drying up and dying off as it gets hotter.  Weather predictions have us reaching 90 F this coming week.

So NOT looking forward to the excessive heat.

“Every tear is answered by a blossom
Every sigh with songs and laughter blent
April-blooms upon the breezes toss them
April knows her own, and is content.”
(Susan Coolidge)

Spoke too Soon

Some of you may recall this cat that was hanging out on our balcony while our youngest son was here January/February.

I never put any food out at my husband's request but did just let it be since it mainly just slept in the chair.

I thought I had identified it as a he. but then HE turned out to be a SHE when she did this.

Kittens a few weeks old in a big empty elephant planter that we rescued from our neighbor who was throwing out so many ceramic pots and planters from his garden.

The thing is, mama cat had to scale several balcony ledges across 3 homes to get here and I have no idea why or how she found us in the first place. A few of weeks ago, when they started to mew a bit louder, I moved the planter around to the backside of the balcony while mama cat was off looking for food. Then we had a big rainstorm and when I checked afterwards, I thought she had taken the babies somewhere else because they were nowhere to be found.  I was relieved because that meant I didn't have to contact a rescue group since they are all so overwhelmed already.

My husband didn't have a clue about the little ones for the first month, but then on a walk Sunday morning he mentioned he thought he heard kittens on our balcony. So I fessed up and told him the whole story. I also told him he was probably hearing them from downstairs or something because they weren't on the balcony anymore.

Well, when we got back from our walk, I went out there to sweep and he came out to look around and I was explaining to him a bit more what happened when lo and behold if there weren't little eyes peering out at me from the bottom of a shelf behind a big planter. The babies were all there and at this point, it seems that they've been abandoned -- or something happened to mama -- because I have not seen here in at least a couple of weeks.

 They were so scared and in such a sad state that I started feeding them a few day ago.  Poor things still don't have full eyesight and are still suckling when they slurp up the food.  They also try to crowd the others out so they can have all the food to themselves.  I've since switched to a larger dish -- actually a drip tray for a potted plant that I found on a neighborhood walk. 

So, I will still have to contact a rescue group after all. :(

Sure hope someone can come get them.

Down for the Count

 Yesterday morning, I went for a nice neighborhood walk.

I felt a headache coming on once I got home and should have taken medicine right away, but didn't.

Big mistake!

It turned into a migraine that put me in bed around 4:00 p.m. and a few hours later I threw up.

I was up a lot during the night to drink a sip of water and go to the bathroom.

Woke up at 5:15 a.m. today.

Thankfully, the headache is gone, but I'm still dealing with a cough and nose blowing from the cold.

Quite aggravating.

Good news is that there's been no eye pulsation for several days now (see previous post if you don't know what I'm talking about).

Came across this quote and thought it appropriate for the turning of the calendar and the current state of politics worldwide.

“Here cometh April again, and as far as I can see the world hath more fools in it than ever.”
(Charles Lamb)

Current Circumstances

 Let's start off with some color therapy

Bougainvillea and blue skies.

March has not gone according to plan where blogging and walking are concerned.

Have you heard of ocular myokymia?

"Plalking" -- Picking up litter while walking.

I've been dealing with visible pulsation under my left eye for a couple of weeks now.  I've been to two doctors who both say, don't worry, it will go on its own -- and they are right, it does, but then comes right back again.  Sometimes for hours, sometimes days.

The possible usual suspects are too much caffeine, stress and anxiety, not enough sleep -- similar to what I was told when I had several weeks of heart arrhythmia in 2021.  Did a blood test to check my magnesium level which is perfectly fine.  Because I have dry eyes, likely made even worse by the glaucoma drops, I also need to limit my screen time so have been reading more; but, if I read for too long, even that causes eye strain.  My bedtime gets earlier and earlier because my eyes are so tired by the end of the day.  The problem is, though the eyes are tired -- the mind and body are not -- so there's often a lot of tossing and turning. 

Frustrating to say the least.  So I have to try and figure out what's enough, what's too much.

I just hope this isn't going to be a chronic issue. 

And ...

to top that off,

my husband was coughing away last week with a sore throat --

now it's my turn.

Started with a burning throat and has now traveled to my nose.  When I walk outside, my nostrils feel like they are burning, my nose runs at night.  Cough, cough, cough.  Today add sneezing and nose blowing to the mix.

Warmer weather isn't helping the situation or my symptoms.  But the pollinators are happy.

Take care,

Friday Flowers

For your viewing pleasure.

Have a good weekend.