FATIGUE; Fortuna-AZ

MAN!

We've been so stinking t.i.r.e.d. 🥱

Our batteries are so worn out with the strength it needs to just stay alive: we go to bed tired, we wake up tired, we shuffle through the days tired …  it's wearying.

The blowing sand here is ridiculous; we should have been long gone from here, but Holland wanted to stay another month and give this landlord a chance to get another renter for this space. But we are so miserable. And really, it is not our responsibility to keep this space rented so the landlord has steady income - we've done our part. It's time to move on.

Provided we can still function 12 days from today 🙏

Windy day, today; Fortuna-AZ

Risky weather, for us {sensitives}; Fortuna-AZ

We need to be able to breathe easy.

We need our energy back.

We will "for sure" be pulling stakes here February 3rd.

Texting with Brenda.

This morning, I woke up around 6:30 A.M. … Holland woke up around 8 - or so; we chit-chatted for a bit - but my eyes kept closing (my battery was on the fritz), so I finally said, "I'm going back to bed for a bit; I can't stay awake, and my lungs burn. Sorry."

That was at 10:30 A.M.

I was still snoozing soundly, when Holland joined me at 2:30 P.M.!

Holland, getting some much needed sleep … he's been researching around the clock; looking for a State with warmth, that we can actually enjoy.

I got up again, somewhere around 4 P.M., thinking I'd make Supper and have it ready when Holland's snooze was over.

No go.

My stomach (like Holland's) is so full of sandy mucus that all I wanted to do was hurl (Holland has been hacking, coughing, and spitting for weeks; he sounds like a cat with a hairball & I try not to laugh). Just the thought of preparing food and smelling it while it cooked made my stomach churn.

Supper, as considered, did not happen; if Holland is hungry when he wakes up, I'll make him a sandwich. That, I think my stomach would be okay with.

In the meantime, I worked out a new design … and got busy on the matching dishcloth first:

Working a design out …

Yarn Bobbins, ready to employ.

Working on the dishcloth, first. MOD

Holland wasn't hungry when he woke up - and he is always hungry.

Fatigue is very fatiguing.

I think water will be all we ingest, tonight.

MOD CHRISTMAS CACTUS 2 PATTERN~12-04-2024; Fortuna-AZ

Yuma-AZ, is the sunniest place in all of America; though it does chill down overnight (here in Fortuna-AZ where we are this year, temperatures cool down to 39-degrees overnight), and heats back up to 70ish-degrees by noon.

Morning temperatures~Foothills, Fortuna-AZ

Christie Huff - 'Desert Christmas' song: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UCEH2nnRQA)

The terrain, everywhere in AZ, is by and large a gritty barren sandscape: cactuses are more prevalent in Arizona, than evergreens are - so, that is what my Christmas designs center around.

Last year I designed & crafted a "Christmas Cactus" to hang in our 45-foot RV Home, where our Livingroom, dining area, and kitchen space combined is roughly the size of a small shot-gun galley-kitchen studio apartment:

OUR HOME FLOORPLAN - 460 square feet; the combined kitchen, livingroom & dining area takes up about 1/3 of that footage.

My December 5, 2023 Post: MOD CHRISTMAS CACTUS PATTERN~Yuma-AZ: 

https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2023/12/mod-christmas-cactus-patternyuma-az.html

But, even though last year's design was loosely stuffed with 1 large garbage bag to give it some shape, it was too heavy to stay hung in place. The Command hook kept coming loose & falling down - this may have been because Arizona temperatures are hot, even in Winter months. But, after repeated replacing, I knew last year that I would have to do something different this year -)

So, I did :-)

This December, I designed & crafted a flatter, lighter, newly designed crocheted & beaded Christmas Cactus. If you travel & live full-time in a 5th Wheel RV that has limited space, as I do - you may enjoy crafting this little Christmas Cactus to decorate as you wish :-)

My new husband does not "do" Christmas.

At all.

I don't go all out for Christmas - but because this is my Birthday Month … he is consenting to a few small chrismasty notations; so I added lights, a scented candle, some tinsel garland, as well as this new cactus design & a couple holiday themed kitchen towels (5 new MOD Patterns posted to my Blog today, also) :-)

Mr. No Christmas admits he likes the ambiance of the Christmas lights; I may leave them in place, all year long ;-)

Festive scented candle; I love the clean smell of alpine forests ;-)

MOD Christmas Designs for 2024

I designed my new Christmas Cactus the evening of December 5th, and completed it the afternoon of December 6th; it's very easy to make, using only a few simple basic crochet stitches.

It's flat, so it doesn't 'hog' precious space; and it's easy to store away 'til next year.

MOD CHRISTMAS CACTUS 2 PATTERN

Materials:

Worsted yarn - 1 skein Green worsted yarn & scraps of Red & Yellow worsted yarns

Crochet Hook #H

String of faux Gold Bead Garland (I bought mine at a Dollar Tree)

A bit of Silver Garland (skip this step, if this doesn't matter to you)

Tapestry Needle

Scissors

Cardboard for project backing (I used a large Ritz Cracker box, cut to fit)

Ballpoint pen

1 ct. 0.5 lb. weight Resin Command Hook

Terms Used:

ch = chain

sl st = slip stitch

dc = double crochet

hdc = half double crochet

sc = single crochet

st = stitch

inc = increase

dec = decrease

BL = back loops

FL = front loops

rpt = repeat

X = times

EA = each

EO = end off

MOD Christmas Cactus Instructions:

MOD CHRISTMAS CACTUS 2

Main Spear - Row 1: using doubled strands of Green worsted yarn, ch 36; turn, and work in dc up one side of foundation chain; making 5 dc in end ch. Work in dc down 2nd side of foundation chain - at end if work, ch 3 & turn.

Row 2: *Dc in BL of 1st st, dc in FL of next st* = rpt * to * for 36 sts, then work 2 dc (following pattern of BL & FL texture) in EA of the next 3 top point sts (3 inc's made); continue to work in textured dc pattern to end st - at end of work, ch 3 & turn.

Arm #1 - Row 3: Work in established textured dc pattern for 11 sts; in next st, ch 12 - turn foundation chain & make 3 dc in 1st st; then in BL only of foundation ch, make 1 dc next 5 sts, 1 hdc next 2 sts, 1 sc next 2 sts, and 1 sl st to the side of the main cactus spear.

Remove hook & slip it behind the arm piece: make a sl st to 1st st & sc around arm piece, inc'g x3 at the arm tip (3 inc's made).

When you reach the end st of entire arm piece, make a sl st in next st and work crotch st and next spear st together (5 sts on hook, worked off together in 1 st); dc in BL of next st & work following sts in *2 dc next st, 1 dc next st* over next 5 sts; 1 dc EA of next 16 sts: now you will begin working on the second cactus arm.

Arm 2: ch 17 - turn foundation chain & make 3 dc in 1st st; then in BL only of the foundation ch, make 1 dc in next 13 sts, 1 hdc in next 2 sts, 1 sc in next 2 sts, and 1 sl st to the side of the main cactus spear.

Remove hook & slip it behind the arm piece: working this arm as the first arm to join to the main cactus spear - at end of work, ch 3 & turn.

Row 4: Work established dc textured pattern around the entire cactus (dc along main spear & sc along arm pieces), increasing around tips as needed so piece lays evenly flat.

Row 5: Sl st around entire cactus; EO. DO NOT CUT YARN YET! Loosely lay the yarn strand along the crocheted edges of the cactus piece - then add about 12-inches to that: now, cut the yarn.

Lay work aside for the time being.

Backing: Dismantle the cardboard box - lay flat; position crocheted piece right-side-UP over the printed side of the cardboard & trace around it: remove the crocheted cactus piece, and cut the cardboard around the tracing.

Place the crocheted work over the cardboard, and thread the yarn tail through the tapestry needle: begin to stitch the pieces together, keeping the crochet work flat and matched to the cardboard edges as you sew it together.

And because I like Poinsettia's for my BD, I surfed the internet and also added this little crocheted Poinsettia to my cactus top (online pattern link is provided):

Poinsettia Ornament Crochet Pattern: 

https://www.stitchbyfay.com/poinsettia-ornament-crochet-pattern/

Trim your Christmas Cactus (I just draped a length of faux beads, a bit of silver tinsel garland - sewed in place that suited my fancy; a few candy canes … and called it 'good' ;-)) … anchor the hook in place with the pull-tap adhesive, and hang your "tree" :-)

This December, I also designed & crafted 5 new holiday kitchen towel sets … I am "on a roll" before we pack up and roll on a bit further, down the road ;-)

My Morning Post: MOD 5 CT. CHRISTMAS KITCHEN TOWEL PATTERNS~2024; Fortuna-AZ https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2024/12/mod-5-ct-christmas-kitchen-towel.html

HAVE A FUNTASTIC HOLIDAY!

Chris Janson - 'Holiday Road' song: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSGX6jtHV9w)

I LOVE YOU, ELOHIM; Fortuna-AZ

I got a PM very early Saturday morning, informing me that my BIL died a couple weeks ago.

I cried most of the morning - and off and on, all through Sunday; I loved Rick.

I never met Iris or Rick face-to-face, but we shared many phone calls and FB humor.

I don't really know much about Rick: but I know he loved my sister, Iris, deeply. And he mourned her death unashamedly.

Iris & Rick.

They came into my life at exactly the right time; and brought light into my darkest widowing days – Bob had been taken Home, December 14th morning in 2018; and Elohim brought Iris & Rick into my life, February 14th, 2019.

My youngest sister, Carla Emerson was the one that made the connection happen - she did a 23nme DNA test and was surprised when a match came up with a sibling she had heard me mention constantly through the years: Carla called me right away …

Me: "What's up?"

Carla: "Val, are you sitting down?"

Me: "Noooo … do I need to sit down?"

Carla: "You might want to - I found Iris."

I sat down. "Talk to me."

Carla: "I did that DNA test I told you about, through 23nme ... and her name came up as a definite sibling match. No doubt about it. We have her, Val."

Me: "I'm SO GLAD! Man, I wish Bob were here for this day - I talked about Iris all the time; from the moment we started dating, I told Bob about her straight off. I wondered what she was like - where she lived (USA or Germany; I learned she had lived with her grandmother in Germany for 13 years) … I never stopped talking about her. Bob would be so happy for me right now. If I had known that for decades Iris had only lived hours from me during her years in WA State! Bob would gladly have driven me to where she was."

When Carla hung up, I cried happy tears.

And I laughed with unbound joy.

And I profusely thanked Elohim.

Then, I immediately got on FB, found Iris, and sent her a message on FB 😘😉

((((HELLO IRIS)))) was what I posted to my 'found' sister: I had waited 51 years to say that to her.

I had prayed every day since finding out about her, that someday - somehow … some way … Elohim would make a way.

He did - He was faithful.

She called me the next morning 🥰

We talked for 2 hours - it was wonderful; we were immediate friends … like we had grown up siblings. We talked just about every Wednesday following that first phone convo :-D From Valentine's Day 2019 to August 2019; she left this life September 3rd, 2019 following a surgical procedure that she never woke from.

I can still hear her voice; I will always treasure those phone convo's.

And Rick continued the phone convo's every month after that, telling me more about my sister as we comforted each other in our widowing days.

I can still hear Rick's voice, too; so, I did cry with missingness of Rick.

Holland, bless him, kept the coffee coming … and listened to me talk my sorrow out between wiping tears and snot ;-)

I hadn't slept.

My head ached, and my eyes burned.

But I was alert enough to notice that Holland was bustling around switching the burnt out microwave with a new one - while also making sure my coffee cup was always refilled, and Kleenex as near:

Microwaves being switched out; the old had been struggling for months, it finally gave up the ghost 3 days ago.

I perked up and dried my tears from my face, when the Ruach HaKo'desh pricked my memory to remind me that Elohim hears our prayers … and He is not slow in responding to my prayers about this situation with Mr. Complication: He always answers our prayers … ON HIS TIMELINE, not necessarily ours.

The timing of the PM message, the timing of the reminding prick - and the replacement of the microwave was perfect timing.

A few years ago, I had asked Elohim "for purpose … something to make me feel alive, again" - and He blessed me in spades, with Holland; he is a genuine "new experience". Holland definitely gives my life purpose, and he certainly keeps my life interesting ;-)

********************

Today unfolded with upper 70's sunshine … and a weekend blessing :-D

And there's Mr. handsome - he tickles my ears with his sweet song, every morning ;-)

Loving this warm AZ weather!  The front door stayed open until bedtime; Fortuna-AZ

Working on a Spring design ;-)

I can't wait for the weekend!

I love you, Elohim: thank You for greatly loving me, highly favoring me … and surrounding me always with Your unconditional love.