Mushroom Hunt

Up/Down, Hot/Cold

2009-04-07T21:33:00.003-04:00

I was re-reading my Twitter posts for the last couple of weeks. Yo-yo comes to mind. I've had a number of ups and downs after the knee surgery. One day I'm doing really great; the next I have lots of uncontrolled pain. When I make gains in physical therapy, the therapist starts me on something new that I can't do very well and it feels like I'm going backward. Overall I've made lots of gains, but it doesn't always feel like it. I bent my knee too far while getting off the couch tonight. Movement becomes easier and careful deliberative steps are not taken. I'm hoping that I'm not in worse pain tomorrow because of my casual attitude towards getting off the couch tonight! It could have been worse: I could have been walking and taken a fall. This will serve as a warning not to get too cocky about my abilities just yet!

The weather is supposed to be nice again tomorrow. The therapist has warned me that she'll be taking me outside to begin using the cane outside the house...

Doctor's Visit

2009-04-01T20:06:00.002-04:00

I went to the doc yesterday and had my staples removed and I now have steri strips. The doc said I was doing wonderful! He and the nurse practitioner even made jokes about taking my picture and putting it on a poster (poster child). I think I overdid it a bit yesterday. I was really exhausted when I got back home. My sister, Lois and I did a few other errands while we were out. But today is much better. The physical therapist was here this morning. She had me walk up and down the stairs again and declared that I'm ready to do it on my own whenever I want. I don't think I'll be in a giant hurry to do stairs. They've never been much fun anyway. :-)

We also went outside and walkered to the corner and up to the neighbors driveway. She said I could do this by myself too. I did a solo walk this evening. It was a little harder than this morning, but, of course, I'm more tired this evening.

Penny was dog sitting today. She brought Cocoa Bean, a lab mix to the house. She's such a sweet dog. She's very mild mannered and loves to be scratched. She surprised us by jumping up in Penny's chair. I'm glad she didn't try that with me. I'm not sure my reflexes would have worked really well just now.

I don't have any appointments or therapy tomorrow. I'm free to walk a little and practice my exercises on my own. Penny is going to come by and help me with the surgical stockings after my shower. I could put them on the good leg, but I'm not that good yet with the surgery leg.

I'll be sleeping in my beg again tonight. I've had some trouble with low back pain and need to quit sleeping on the couch. The last time I slept in the bed I couldn't get comfortable with the surgery leg but hopefully this time will be better.

Still "Walkering"

2009-03-29T01:54:00.002-04:00

Knee rehab is a lot of work. I'm now doing standing, sitting and lying down exercises. In addition, I've added a session where I use a strap around my foot to gently tease the knee upward. When I feel like I can't go any further, I pull the strap to force the knee up just a little more. Not only does my knee hurt, but I've got pain in the quadriceps and calf muscles too. Pain medicines only partially control the pain. "Pacing" with the walker helps with pain control. I don't know if it's just a diversion or if there is a physiological reason it hurts less while pacing.

My sister Lois is coming up Monday evening and staying over to take me to the doctor on Tuesday. I'll get the staples out! The scar looks pretty good. The physical therapist wants me to do a scar massage with vitamin E oil. She says it helps heal the tissue underneath.

I've had lots of visits from friends. They've brought lots of wonderful foods with them. My favorites so far have been a broccoli quiche and macaroni & cheese made with blue cheese. Yum! Along with the foods that my sister and I froze before the surgery, I've not had to do any cooking (just warming up). Penny went to a wedding yesterday and brought back a piece of cake for me. She's spoiling me.

I'm up in the middle of the night again. Just took some pain medications so I'll probably get tired soon. I just started sleeping in my bed again (instead of the couch). For some reason it's more uncomfortable. I may go back to the couch tomorrow. Penny is not staying overnight anymore. She comes in the morning and evening to help with therapy and any other needs. She is a lifesaver!

Knee Replacement

2009-03-20T22:20:00.002-04:00

I'm recovering from total knee replacement on my right knee. I injured it 11 years ago (a mushroom hunting mishap). It has been getting progressively worse for the past decade and it was finally time. It had got to the point that I couldn't walk any distance and was using a "walker/cart" at work to get through the day. Even walking in the pool could be a disaster. I did a lot of preparations to make the recovery easier. I hired a trainer I've worked with off and on to come to the house twice a week and help me exercise the legs and upper body. I also did a lot of practicing: getting up using only one leg, using a shower chair, using the walker. It paid off. I did not have to go to a nursing home for rehab and the physical therapist told me I was way ahead of most other people. Probably at 2 weeks out rather than 4 days. The therapist was wonderful!! I was feeling a little discouraged and she really helped me to get some perspective.

My friend Penny is staying with me for a couple of weeks. She's been great about fixing meals and helping me with the physical therapy, etc. It's really nice to get to know her better as well.

I'm expecting a lot of hard work with the physical therapy. But in the next couple of months, I also hope to catch up on reading and movie watching too!

Snow!

2008-12-07T07:13:00.040-05:00

We got about an inch of snow last night. The streets are slick but it sure is pretty outside. I reminds me of a book I cataloged a few years ago about "Snowflake Bentley" who was a self educated scientist who devised a method to photograph snowflakes. Find out more at www.snowflakebentley.com

Or check out some books at the library:

http://catalog.columbuslibrary.org/?q=snowflake%20bentley

A new Model T and a new bride

2008-12-05T07:07:00.005-05:00

My grandfather came to Ohio from West Virginia in 1923 -- with a new Model T and a new bride. At that time he changed our name from Harman to Harmon. I've heard it was because there was once an Ohio governor whose last name was Harmon. He also just wanted to be a bit different. He and my grandmother divided the next 47 years between W.Va. and Ohio. My grandfather bought several parcels of land for his children. He would have purchased a large farm for my older brother but died of a heart attack the day before the land was to be auctioned. Only one farm remains in the family and that belongs to my Hedrick cousins.

10 random things

2008-11-29T09:46:00.005-05:00

1. I have an interest in mushrooms: hunting them, cooking them, eating them. I did a mushroom program at the Southeast branch for the homeschool kids. 1998 was a particulary good year. Even though I was still in a neck brace from an earlier surgery, I found 300 mushrooms that year!

2. I used to be an avid birdwatcher. I went to Pickerington Ponds almost every day to see what species were lurking about. I don't know what's kept me from that, but maybe I'll start again. I never kept a "lifelist" of species that were spotted. Just seemed a little dorky to me.

3. I like to bake, particularly cookies. Usually I take my creations to work or share with neighbors. I've toyed with the idea of selling frozen cookie dough.

4. I own a four bedroom house and in nine years I've had 3 roommates. I've never asked or advertised, but people seem to find me. I've enjoyed learning lots of new things from people I've lived with!

5. I grew up on a farm in Coshocton County, Ohio. We had pigs, cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks, rabbits and various dogs and cats. Someday I'd like to write a book of essays about my experiences growing up in the country.

6. I love to make small talk with strangers. I used to be incredibly shy and this was a tool I used to come out of my shell. I figured if I looked stupid, I'd never have to see the person again.

7. I'm a cataloger for CML. I've worked here for 22 years. I love the idea of taking random information and putting those pieces together to help people find what they're looking for.

8. In 1994, I had surgery for a brain tumor. (Benign, thank God!) I have a residual limp (spastic hemiparesis). Sometimes I have trouble with my balance and have been known to fall. It can be difficult at times, but I'm still thankful!

9. I have seven brothers and sisters! This includes a set of twins: Karon and Sharon. I'm number six out of seven.

10. I love to take serendipity trips. Sometimes you find the best places by accident. I like to eat in dives and talk to the locals. Some of my best trips were not planned in advance.

23 things!

2008-11-28T09:46:00.006-05:00

It's been quite a journey! I've learned a lot along the way. I was familiar with some of the things before I started, but not an expert by any means. I really like blogging! I'm going to keep it up. YouTube is really fun, but also really addictive! I'm going to dig deeper into some of the exercises since I just scratched the surface.

I would definitely participate in this again. Library Joy and Gerald 2.0 (and the others on the team) did a great job with this initiative.

MOLDI

2008-11-28T09:38:00.006-05:00

Unfortunately I couldn't get the software to install; I've submitted a LiveTime ticket to IT. I'd love to listen to audiobooks and maybe some music....

Podcasts

2008-11-28T08:33:00.008-05:00

I tried to find a mushroom related podcast using the three podcast directories suggested. No luck. :( And I had a hard time finding one that I could put in my RSS feeder. But as an avid NPR fan, I knew there would be some there, so I added "The Splendid Table" to my MyYahoo account. I listen to it on Saturdays, but there are many times I miss it. Not anymore!

Postcards -- The Original Twitter

2008-11-27T08:25:00.009-05:00

We're helping GHT enter metadata for historic postcards. It occurred to me that the messages on these postcards are essentially like the posts on Twitter. It just took a lot longer to get to the recipient. But on the way other people had access to the message (just like Twitter). Anyone at the Post Office could read it and so could other household members. "Everything old is new again..."

As far as I can make out it reads:

Mrs. Stewart of Gallitz in Pa. is making me a little visit. Can you not find time to run up some afternoon to see her? Let me know what car you'll come on and I'll met you at the car line with the horse and runabout. Would Thurs. ___ afternoon suit you? Unless I hear from you to the contrary will look for you on the ________ car Thursday. That is the car of _____ here at 2 o'clock. Mrs. ________

If anyone can make out some of the blanks, please comment!

Power Tools

2008-11-26T12:44:00.003-05:00

I really enjoyed StumbleUpon. Let's face it. I don't have tons of time to search for the fun stuff, so it's nice when someone else does it for you. You can send links to friends, comment, etc. I found pictures of Lilypad, a prototype of an auto-sufficient amphibious city. Fun!

Thing #16 Playing Around With Wikis

2008-11-26T10:40:00.003-05:00

I'm glad I waited for this one. It sounds like earlier participants had a hard time logging in to the CML Wiki. I posted my blog on the favorite blogs and added Groundhog Day as my favorite movie. Just like the movie where Bill Murray relives the same day over and over, I could watch Groundhog Day again and again. I like the idea of getting a second and third, fourth etc. chance to perfect something. With the speed of change these days, I feel like I just get a taste of something and have to hurry up to the next "thing."

Web 2.0 Awards List -- Comiqs

2008-11-26T09:54:00.003-05:00

I decided to use the Comiqs site. It was not very intuitive. But with a little help from a coworker I managed to get a single pane comic. However, I couldn't figure out how to edit the comic once it was published...

Mushroom Walks into a Bar from morchelladeliciosa on Comiqs

Google Docs

2008-11-26T08:41:00.002-05:00

This is a great idea!!! Some of my colleagues have been using this service for a while now. But I'm new to the idea. I'm sold on the idea of not having to purchase software. I've had to do a system recovery a few times at home and it's a real pain to download all the necessary software. I'm definitely going to use this at home...

Wikis

2008-11-26T08:04:00.002-05:00

I've used Wikipedia for my own searches. I've also used it on the reference desk at HFAR for some popular culture types of stuff. It's a good place to start if you have no clue about a topic. I like to use it in conjuction with other sites.

I looked at SJCPL Subject Guides on the suggested list. It looked OK but was pretty dry. I'm assuming most wikis don't give the inputter a lot of leeway in terms of creativity... not a lot of ability to add pictures, use fun fonts, etc.

Web 2.0.

2008-11-25T14:54:00.002-05:00

I read through the suggested articles on Web 2.0. I'd actually already read them in the OCLC newsletter. I've been working in libraries for 22 years and there have been dramatic shifts in library service. Everything used to be about books, then came the Internet, but this newest wave of Internet usage is revolutionizing the way we see the world and how we can reach our audiences.

Delicious

2008-11-24T16:29:00.002-05:00

I'm familiar with Delicious since HFAR has had an account for a while. I've been meaning to set up my own account for some time since I've had to do a system recovery on my home computer a few times to get rid of those pesky viruses. And there go the favorites............... Delicious here I come.

Twitter

2008-11-24T16:03:00.001-05:00

Hmmm.... I posted a few tweets on Twitter. I'm not sure if this will be helpful to me, but I might lurk a little and see what I can find. Of course, I looked for some mushroom related tweets.

Library Thing

2008-11-20T20:49:00.002-05:00

I added a few books and CDs to Library Thing today. I don't actually buy very many books but a few titles come to mind: any mushrooom related title! We had our first snow on Monday and I remembered a book I had cataloged about "Snowflake Bentley." He was a self-taught scientist who was fascinated by snowflakes and devised a way to photograph them.

Image Generator

2008-11-20T14:09:00.003-05:00

I read ChuckatMain's post about Face Your Manga and decided to make a mangatar. I've set up other avatars but this one seemed a little more "realistic."

Library Related Blogs

2008-11-20T13:26:00.002-05:00

I've been using MyYahoo to capture some work related blogs. I subscribe to Catalogablog, The Shifted Librarian and It's All Good. I must admit it's hard to find time to check back... As I mentioned in an earlier post, I use the library's feeds to review new materials.

Bloglines

2008-11-20T12:39:00.003-05:00

I used Bloglines today to set up 11 feeds. And, no, I didn't put any mushroom ones in the mix. :-) I've been using MyYahoo for quite a while now for work-related feeds. I've even used the ones from our Catalog for a work related purpose. Instead of holding back books to review subject headings, I set up a feed to give me all the new Picture Books added to the collection so I could review items without holding up new materials. It's a nice way to use the technology to assist in my job.

I set up a wide variety of feeds including news, books, art, etc. I'm looking forward to checking them and maybe adding some new ones. Mushrooms here we come......

Flickr trading card

2008-11-20T09:34:00.005-05:00

I made a trading card for Morchella Deliciosa. If you haven't guessed by now, Morchella Delisiosa is the scientific name for one of the prize morel mushrooms that are hunted in the spring.

Technology -- Cheese Frogs

2008-11-20T08:35:00.003-05:00

Okay... the technology is not the "cheese frog." But I've got a picture on my phone of a cheese frog "sculpture" that I made for our leap day party this year in TSD. I enjoy sending pictures to friends, but I don't know how to upload these to my computer. It's really something I should explore... Maybe someone reading could give me some tips???

White Thumb -- You Tube

2008-11-08T11:26:00.012-05:00

A few weeks ago I took chocolate chip cookies to work. My co-worker, Kathy S., asked me if I used a special recipe. I told her that I just used the one on the Nestle's bag. She told me I had a "white thumb." I liked the sound of that and wondered if that moniker had been used before. I googled it and found a YouTube video of this great retro commercial from Gold Medal. Enjoy.

Read My Blog

2008-11-07T07:30:00.002-05:00

Yikes! After I did that video with Joy and Gerald yesterday, I figured I better get a move on! I've done a bunch of the other stuff on the list, but haven't blogged about them... Look for more posts soooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnn!

2008-08-26T19:47:00.000-04:00

I found a great image on Flickr today: Mushroom girl! http://www.flickr.com/photos/planetelsita/2405656974/

There are some great mushroom pics on Flickr. I'll have to add a few of my own...

2008-08-21T15:02:00.000-04:00

We've started a cool new thing at work. (Actually, 23 things!) We're learning about Web 2.0 tools and blogging about our experiences. After we finish I'll probably continue the blog on more personal stuff (such as mushroom hunting...)