Itchy arms and I scratch until it bleeds

(Graffic pictures ahead)

I have visiting doctor's over the years. My family doctor has prescribed a number of things for me to try even had the pharmacy mix old remidies to try to releave this itch. I've been to two dermitologists, had a skin sample ( didn't get any results ) was given a prescription to try. Sometimes I have been places where a doctor has said to me outloud, "you have old people's skin, you are too young to have that." I've looked after elderly people, seen this and have no idea what it is.

I can wake up in the morning and my pillows and sheets have blood on them from where I've scratched myself until it bleeds. I feel like a cat with scotch tape stuck to it's paws, as I spend countless hours through the day being careful not to touch the area, as soon as it is touched it reacts by getting itchy just as new hair growth makes you itchy if you shave your privates.

My daughter tries to help she is anaesthician, she has been waxing my arms for years. I get relief when there is no hair on my arms. I can feel the hair grow, I feel it move, I feel it tingle.

My other daughter puts ice on my arm, while I get some together time as she rubs a piece of ice back and forth it seems to be the only thing that gives me relief however it isn't long lived.

It isn't a rash, it is blood that has surfaced the skin just from itching. It doesn't blister like chicken pox however I carry the virus and have had shingles twice now and been sucessfully treated. I've had allergy testing done and shows I'm allergic to dust. It is also on a few other areas of my leg and back but not as bad. My arms are the worst.

I'm going through a bought of this now, however seems I'm never fully realived of it. just gets milder sometimes.

The itchy areas will actually rise up.

 

 

 

Here are somethings I've tried

 

I get relief from allergy meds as I have a very low tolerance to medication and it puts me to sleep, ei - giving me realief. This blue star seems to be the same as vick's. The betaderm is prescribed for red irittation of the scalp that I get also very itchy, and it has a lot of alcohol in it and well you can guess. The other is a prescribed antibiotic that I use and it doesn't take the itch away however it will kill germs and keep away an infection. I have found I get relief from ice or a glass of wine. This leads me to believe it isn't in my head as the nerve endings stop tingling and I get some temporary relief.

I have now moved to another source of treatment as I've left Canada and I'm visiting my daughter in North Carolina and a visit to a doctor here might be pointless as well very costly.

This is horse lineament and ointment.

 

I'm about to try this. I know it is for horses, dogs & cats. I'm aware of the first aid lables, the dangers and have read the active ingredients. I'm at my witts end, or my scratching end.

 

The scratching seems to consume great parts of my day and concentration keeping me from doing things I'd like to be doing or enjoying.

signed itchy scratchy

 

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Crochet Felt Insole Slippers

Once a year I visit my daughter and 8 grand-children in North Carolina. At Christmas time we spend the odd numbered years in Prince Edward Island with our two children and three grand-children, then the even numbered years we are in North Carolina for Christmas. We are here in NC we arrived yesterday and I got the biggest hug in the world from Jennifer my daughter just after she hugged grandpa first, lol.

 

On the drive down I crochet slippers and filled orders that I took over the Christmas holidays, have a peek.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've been mailing these beauties all over Canada and the USA. The cost is Small $10 Medium $12 and Large $15 all booties are $10 a pair plus shipping and handling. the baby booties can be purchased on my

Etsy shop

Now, that all my children moved from the big city of Ottawa to rural areas they are all farmers, I find that funny. My daughter here works for a farm equipment company and farms fresh eggs and I'll be taking chicken pictures soon. My son works for a turkey farmer and he has his own farm chicken/eggs/beef and my daughter is living operating their dairy farm.

No me, I like to visit them, I'm still a city girl, lol

cindy

 

 

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Crochet Felt Insole Slippers

Once a year I visit my daughter and 8 grand-children in North Carolina. At Christmas time we spend the odd numbered years in Prince Edward Island with our two children and three grand-children, then the even numbered years we are in North Carolina for Christmas. We are here in NC we arrived yesterday and I got the biggest hug in the world from Jennifer my daughter just after she hugged grandpa first, lol.

 

On the drive down I crochet slippers and filled orders that I took over the Christmas holidays, have a peek.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've been mailing these beauties all over Canada and the USA. The cost is Small $10 Medium $12 and Large $15 all booties are $10 a pair plus shipping and handling. the baby booties can be purchased on my

Etsy shop

Now, that all my children moved from the big city of Ottawa to rural areas they are all farmers, I find that funny. My daughter here works for a farm equipment company and farms fresh eggs and I'll be taking chicken pictures soon. My son works for a turkey farmer and he has his own farm chicken/eggs/beef and my daughter is living operating their dairy farm.

No me, I like to visit them, I'm still a city girl, lol

cindy

 

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Homemade Christmas Crackers

These little guys have been lending a hand all week

Today we are making Christmas Crackers

You will need

Scissors, tape, paper roll, wrapping paper, ribbon, candy, ruler, pensil, paper hat, and a had written joke.

 

you will need a piece of wrapping paper oh about 12" by 6"

folded the way I have here

 

 

then fold the paper in between the ruler fold of 2" and clip it as I have so when you wrap the paper around your roll it will come together nicely.

 

I don't have ribbon on mine yet but you get the just of it.

 

I used the left over roll from the wrapping paper and cut it into 4" lengths. Then I stuffed it with candy, the paper hat, a joke and some surprises.

I'll decorate the table when the kids come for dinner on Christmas Eve.

 

I'm going to say good-bye here as I've a bunch to get done between now and the Eve.

Wishing you the best of the Christmas Holidays,

Merry Christmas

xoxo, Cindy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Kelly Green SeaGlass Pendant & Earrings Set

The latest posts on Etsy

(note to self - remember to upload blog after making it)

I've been making sets and listing them, this is a new wire weave I've been doing and I can watch tv and weave at the same time, took practice at first.

 

Ghost Beads

These are Juniper seeds that have fallen from the cedar/Juniper and ants come along and chew one end off the little bead and eat the inside. The seed then dries out and artisans pluk them up and drill the other end for beading. Now why Ghost Beads? Well Ghost Bead necklaces are a Navajo traditional bead that was worked with. The connection with the earth and trees and nature brings peace and harmoney and safety to the person wearing the necklace. The Navajo women would string these beads and give them to children to wear to protect them from evil spirits, ghosts and nightmares. I started making these for little Ana and within no time at all she told me the man that grabs her from under the bed was gone. However, I recieved a crying phone call the day she lost her necklace and didn't want to go to sleep until she found it. Grandma to the rescue I had a number of them made. So I thought why not post them for others.

 

Tea, got to have something to do with tea. Yes, drip catchers. The centre is elastic so it fits a 2-4 or 6 cup tea pot. I've been selling these for about 5 years now but just posted these to etsy.

 

Well I have Christmas piano music playing in the back ground and I'm hoping Victoria doesn't ask me to go to the dollar store with her as it is so busy in the stores right now, crazy. I try not to leave anything to the last minute because I don't like crowds. Yesterday Ana's concert for tap dance was starting soon, I was on time until Victoria phoned me and said, "Mom, I need you to go to the dollar store and get Ana a pair of black socks". She is the only one with pink socks on. When I got to the dollar store there was 3 cashes lined up to the back of the store. I feared I"d be late so I did somethng no one would think me to do. Yup, I walked up to the first one in line up and begged her to let me go next. Sure I explained about the concert and the pink socks and the frantic mom and the grumbling grandchild who couldn't go on stage without black socks. She was probably so anxious listening to me she let me go ahead. So I left the change from the $10 with the casheir and told her to apply it to the ladies bill, and ran out the door, probably embarrassed.

I got there on time, Ana got her black socks and I wish I had a picture of her for you, but it is coming,

Thanks for stopping by,

cindy

 

 

 

 

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1000 Pieces

I've been doing jig saw puzzles lately and this one could be a 1000 piece,

 

What do you think?

maybe only 500

We are starting our Winter wonderland, pretty

Pretty early is all.

I love watching the snow slide off our tin barn roof. I can hear it plump the ground from my morning spot.

Thanks for visiting,

Cindy

_________

this ends my blog post and for now on I'm going to write a spoiler in point form just so I have a count of what I've been up to. Yours to read but it might be boring, it sure is one thing, realieving to just not have to put together an amazing blog post and just keep it simple.

Spoiler,

I'm still upset that my computer died.

More upset that my father-in-law is in a wheel chair over just falling in the backyard.

Deciding to blog is easy, returning has been hard, so I'm posting short content from now on.

I've never been one to be depressed, so i'm chalking this up to anger, more over and get on.

We are replacing 5 windows in the older part of the house, 2 are finished.

The bathroom upstairs will be compleated Dec 16th, I called someone in, I can't help guy with this stuff.

A trip to the emergency room yesterday to find out I have bursitis in the jaw, never figured on that.

I got my paperwork finished yesterday for the business next year, I had to re-due all reservation documents after the computer crash and I lost everything. I find a surprise each day I go looking for something.

I did a backup yesterday - learned my lesson but having a deal working off a laptop - refusing to spend another cent on a computer that will just let me down. They only last 2 years with me, what a waist.

Christmas tree up, all the macaroni, popcorn, popsicle stick ornaments the kids made through the years are in the garbage and I finally have a real tree with real beautiful ornaments. Not that the kids ornaments weren't beautiful they were also tacky. I love my blue and silver tree, found everything on sale last year after Christmas when down South at Jennifer's for a visit and I think the tree and ornaments and everything was all 70 to 90% off and did I get a car full.

end of spoiler.

 

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Harvesting Sunflowers - Tip or Trick

Once upon a time you took pleasure in watching those beautiful big flowers turn their heads toward the afternoon sun, but now it's time to harvest the seeds.

The Big Sunflower above is from our Big's collection of photos

There is no real trick to getting the sunflowers out of the ground and they have a very large root ball attached. So you want to harvest the seeds after you have watched these grow over time. You might not be the only one who wants to harvest, as squirles, birds, and field mice might have beat you to the seed harvest, as these flowers are a favourite of theirs also..

Know when to havest your sunflower seeds

To harvest your sunflowers can be an easy job but knowing when the best time to harvest can be questioning. If you pick too early you might have plenty of seed husks but the seed meat will be too small. If you wait too long your seeds maybe to dry, and waiting too long also gives your other garden friends time to do a little harvesting of their own leaving you with little or nothing.

It is best to harvest sunflowers when the flower petals are dry and weepy and the flower head will be turning from a lush green to a yellow and then brown. You will notice the seeds take on another shape, they almost swell inside and the shell of the seed will be black or black and white. Tip: if the birds and other garden friends start to harvest you can cover your flower head with a net or a paper bag when the petals fall.

Harvest sunflowers when their petals become dry and begin to fall. The green base of the head will turn yellow and eventually brown. Seeds will look plump and the seed coats will be fully black or black and white stripes depending on the variety. If animals or birds are a problem, you can cover the heads with fine netting or paper bags as soon as the petals begin to wilt.

How to harvest your sunflower seeds

If you are like me you try and get ahead of your gardening chores. This harvest is worth waiting for as sunflower seeds can be dried and roasted and enjoyed all Winter long. There is two ways you can harvest your sunflower seeds. First, let the seeds fully ripen while still on the stem and cut the stem about 4 inches below the stem and rub back and forth loosening the seeds from the head. Tip: let the seeds dry completely before storing them. Or the second way is to get the flower when 3/4 of the seeds are fully mature and the cut the stem leaving about a foot, wrap the heads of the flowers in a paper bag and hang the plants in a warm place for 2 to 3 weeks. Trick: make sure the spot you hang them in is dry and well ventalated or your seeds will turn moldy.

 

The sunflower below is half harvested by my helpful backyard birds.

Notice the flower head is yellow and the seeds are white and that depends on the variety of sunflower.

I find rubbing the yellow fluff almost as hard to resist as bubble wrap.

Time to Roast your fresh harvested sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds are a great snack and a favourite to harvest for grandchildren while with grandma on those afternoons. Shell all your seeds and put into a pot with about 1/4 cup of salt and cover with water. Bring them to a boil and just simmer them for one hour. Lay them on paper towel and dry. Or you can roast your sunflower seeds in a 325F oven for 30 minutes then remove from the oven and stir in 1 Tablespoon of butter and your favourite seasoning, my girls almost always pick cinnamon and sugar mix that they can sprinkle on.

Enjoy,

Cindy

 

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