Looks like a visit from another male black widow, this time a more mature one. I've killed several females but don't know where they are breeding. A few weeks ago, I saw a female crawling toward a pair of shoes I had just been thinking about putting on. She didn't live long. We don't mind the jumping spiders as they do an excellent job of getting rid of flies, two tails (ear wigs), and beetles that come in when we have the doors and windows open in the spring and fall. We have screens on the doors, but some bugs still manage to get in. However, we may have to be a little more aggressive at spider eradication if there are this many black widows breeding here. This is the second male we've seen, and I've killed at least three females.
Life has been busy still with organization. All we need now is a shelf unit for organizing the rest of the craft stuff in the bedroom. Can't wait until that looks nice. On Saturday we went out to the thrift stores, hoping to find a shelf unit at a good price. This didn't happen, but the Lord blessed with a big bag of yarn for a good price. There were about 4 pounds of yarn in the bag for $7.99. I've already been making projects with them. One of the types of yarn was 50% acrylic/50% cotton. It seems to be both easy to crochet with and easy to sew or tuck in ends on tricky pieces such as scrubbies. Another type of yarn is 98% cotton/2% elastic. Not sure what to make with this. There are three small skeins of it.
Also was able to finish the main part of a throw I am making. It is probably about 52" by 52". Will be a couple inches bigger after the border is put on. It will be red with a white border. Can't wait for it to be done. Maybe a baby blanket will be the next project. :-)
Here are some of the scrubbies I've made, but not with the new yarn.
Physically I have been up and down. So thankful for the improvement in arthritis symptoms and some improvement in neurological symptoms. This is indeed a blessing.
Some things have never been right since the "intestinal bug" I got in July. Sometimes I feel well and do well. Other times I have symptoms of irritation in the digestive tract. For a while, things seemed to work rather slowly. Last night I had terrible cramps in my tummy and things were definitely not working slowly. Also, there is often bad pain in my left side. This comes and goes. When it comes, I look pale and slightly yellowish. There is no discoloration of eyes though. Tested blood sugar today and it is apparently slightly elevated during the pain episodes, which makes me think the "bug" may have affected the pancreas. Interestingly, a good dose of quercetin and some homeopathic apis mel reduced the symptoms. These both are effective for allergies. ??? Did the "bug" trigger more food allergy responses?
Below is a picture that shows the difference in how I look when I feel well and how I look during pain episodes. No flash was used for either picture. (Sorry for the messy hair in the picture on the left :-) ) Even my lips look pale. As soon as the pain subsides, normal color returns. Oh, well, I won't bore you with more. We are praying for the Lord to give wisdom in what to do for these health needs.
Through all these physical needs, we have been learning a lot about health, especially about the role of good drinking water. Also have learned about a way to get rid of pesticides and herbicides from fresh produce before preparing and eating it. I hope to share some of the interesting things we have learned on my health update and prayer request blog in the near future.
Am getting excited about trying what sounds like a yummy dish for Christy this afternoon - broccoli "cupcakes." Plan to make baked "cupcake cups" and then put broccoli in them that has been flavored with potato soup mix and drizzled over with a cheese sauce. Mmmmm! Wonder what I can make for me? Hope y'all are having an enjoyable Monday!