Upon Which I Show You How to Fix Small Holes in Your Vinyl Siding - CHEAP

Hale damage to vinyl siding

A couple years ago we had a few heavy-duty hail storms go through town.  A lot of folks got new roofs out of that thanks to hefty insurance checks.  But our roof, barely one year old, had only a couple nicks and no real damage.  (Still, even though we paid for it ourselves the prior year, we're happy to have been able to do so.)



The hail DID put a few small holes in our 40-year-old vinyl siding. The stuff gets brittle with time.  We decided to do a simple repair job that cost us all of $5.00 for materials.



Here's my supply list. Sample siding, Scotch tape to hold it temporarily in place, DAP auto/marine silicone sealant in a tube, and scissors to cut the tip of the sealant.

Supplies necessary to the fixit job!

We found free samples of siding of the same color at Lowe's.  I asked for a half dozen pieces and told them we weren't planning to buy siding...just needed some patch material.  They sent us away with their blessing. (We buy plenty of other supplies there!)



The repair was easy as could be. First I washed the dust off the siding, drying it carefully. Then I dabbed some of the silicone sealant on the back of the sample, put it into position, and taped it to hold it securely till the silicone set up.  The tape was probably not necessary but it took only a minute. The next day I removed the tape and the repair was solidly secured.

Georgia Pacific sample of vinyl siding

Perfect color match

A year later, the repair is still holding and is almost not noticeable unless one is looking for it.   Of course, if your damage is extensive, especially if it is covered by insurance, this is not your remedy.  But in our case it was perfect.

You can tell 'em you got the idea from WhiteStone!  *smile*
P.S. Disclaimer! We are not affiliated in any way with any of the products named herein...just happy customers.  (We had no leftover pieces of the original siding...if you do, simply cut to an appropriate size and apply a patch, sealing the edges well with the silicone.)
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A Repost on Morel Mushrooms...Just Because Now is the TIME!

If you came here to find out where to find morel mushrooms, you're not alone. Many of those who land on Wanna Walk Along arrive because they googled something like "where to find morel mushrooms". And google sends 'em here. Or at least to a post I made in May 2009 entitled "The Best Place to Find Morel Mushrooms".

Here's what I wrote then! If you have never eaten morels, you will surely be enticed! Read on!
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Morels! These mushrooms in a paper bag may not look very appetizing but we know these are a true prize!
They are the best of the best! Each spring local mushroom hunters impatiently wait for those first warm days for they know the morels will be popping. Those on the sandy soils of the Missouri River bottoms pop first! And that's good! However, those tend to be dirty with sand and with teensy bugs. Of course you can wash and rinse until they are clean. But the BEST morels come from the foothills. The slopes warm a tad slower than the bottomland soils so this makes them a second crop, so to speak. These are the best and the cleanest. Free from sand. And most years free from bugs.

We don't hunt mushrooms anymore but we have family and friends who bring us enough of a supply to eat a few tasty meals each spring. Look at these cleaned morels. They've been lightly rinsed and sliced through the middle and they're ready to cook!

Folks cook them different ways...a simple saute in butter...dip in egg and flour and fry till crispy...or dip in egg and cracker crumbs and fry. You can go online and find various recipes but everyone is in complete agreement that morels are wonderful. I've also used them in a creamy pasta dish. They're easy to store in the freezer...simply freeze on a cookie sheet, then place in a freezer bag for storage. They can also be dried and later rehydrated.

This morning we had a few with scrambled eggs for breakfast. Yum!

By the way, morel hunters are as close-mouthed as fisherman. They'll never tell you their favorite hunting spot. It's each man for himself when it comes to morel mushrooms. And we thank friend Mike and son-in-law Mark for keeping us supplied with these tasty gems!

When There Are Only Two for Dinner

When there are only two of you for dinner...

And when appetites are non-existent in regards to tomorrow's leftovers...

One must think "small".

Today's culinary experience is this poor tiny creature. Small enough to sit in my hand. Not much larger than a baked potato.

It's been a long time since I cooked a Cornish game hen, but it seemed it would be much easier than roasting a turkey. Smaller, ya know. It was a simple procedure to rinse it in a stainless steel bowl instead of wrestling a turkey in the kitchen sink...a sink which must be cleaned properly before and after.

When I first unwrapped this little hen I almost had second thoughts. I mean, look at the size of this poor little fowl. Surely when it still proudly wore feathers it must have been the cutest little thing! And here it was, simply a carcass, and a tiny one at that, ready to be placed in the oven.

I grew up on the farm. I know how to catch a chicken, stretch its neck over the chopping block, chop off the head, dip the fowl in boiling water (loosens the feathers), pluck, singe the pin feathers, gut, cut, soak, dip, and fry.

But looking at this poor little critter I thought once again how once upon a time I enjoyed eating vegetarian. Those days are long past. And even if we decided to go back to being vegetarians, it's simply not possible. Hubby has renal failure and one of his dietary necessities is lots and lots of protein. Meat protein.

So little Miss Cornish Game Hen was stuffed with a piece of lemon and onion, glazed with a pineapple, butter and maple syrup, and roasted to perfection.

I can tell you it took much, much less time in the kitchen than any turkey you'll ever cook.

And twice as delicious. So next time you're cooking small? Try this simple dish. Recipes abound online, so find one you like and enjoy a treat.

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Whereupon I Cover Over a Bad Mistake!

Once upon a time I foolishly used a very heavy pot atop my glass top stove.


Oh, I was careful to not drop it on the glass top. Instead I dropped it on the corner of the stove, creating a chip in the white porcelain the size of a dime.


THEN! I read in a magazine (can't remember which) that I could repair that chip with a little bottle of white stuff...sorta like that little bottle of white-out we used to use at the office to cover typos. Only this stuff is for appliances. So I jotted down the info and headed for the hardware store.


The product is Appliance Epoxy Touchup by Rust-oleum. You can find it in the appliance department.


I put on a couple layers, letting the epoxy dry between coats.


The resulting repair is almost invisible. This little cover-up job was well worth the $5 I paid for the bottle.


I no longer covet Le Creuset ware. No, indeedy. I'll stick to my lighter weight pots and pans and leave the heavy-duty stuff to heavy-duty cooks.

P.S. White on white is difficult to photograph. The area is still visible to the naked eye if one looks closely. But the repaired area no longer catches my eye every time I look at the stovetop.

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People Really Wanna Know! Now You, Too, Can Know!

Occasionally I check to see how people land on my blog. And one of the things I check are the google search phrases that sometimes cause them to find me. One of the strangest and most common searches that lands them here is "how to write a snore?"

You may wonder, "WHO wants to know how to write a snore!!??"

The answer, I suppose, is "writers". Writers write. And if their hero/heroine is sleeping I suppose they want him/her to snore as well. If he/she is snoring, he/she is definitely sound asleep. Whatever....

In October 2008 I learned how to write "snore" in snore language. Read on if you, too, need to know how to "write a snore!" Here's my post from that year.

I confess. I snore. Up until now only Hubby knows that. (Now you ALL know!!!) Snoring does not seem like something a lady should confess to, but there it is.

Recently, in the middle of the night, Hubby tapped me on the shoulder which is his signal to me to "Roll over, you're snoring." In that small moment between the "tap" and "awake", my mind had a mental picture of how "snore" would look if it were written in snore language (not to be confused with plain English).

Here's a pic of that written sound. Just in case you ever need to write it out yourself. (You never know when this bit of info will come in handy!)

I'm an inventor of a new written language. But so far it only has one word.
And now you, too, can write a "snore".
*giggle*

It's Pretty Green at our House

Today's color is "green". Not that I choose any particular color but simply because a batch of photos yesterday included some cool examples...all unplanned...I was simply snapping away with the new digital camera Hubby bought for me, checking this feature and that. And look what happened! (you can click on the photos for close-ups)
Mr. Robin was happy to pose beside the church near the vineyard. The vineyard consists of a single grapeless vine...but it is still lovely to look at as it climbs a small lattice divider on the back property line.

This glimpse of the redbud tree happened quite by accident. I was playing with the zoom and these leaves got in the way of another photo plan. But aren't they lovely!

Mr. Ant insisted upon traveling across this photo. I would have included his portrait in more than one photo but he was traveling so fast the camera couldn't keep up. Portraiture was not his aim for the day. No matter...I snapped a nice photo regardless of his lack of cooperation.

The potted plant near the deck offered up this green leaf.

This one appears to be an "ant" highway or byway, but I saw no critters traveling hereon.

By the way! Today's Tip for the Day for all you bloggers? If you inadvertently delete a photo you had uploaded, you can simply right-click and select "undo". Oh, Man, am I happy to have discovered that!

Have a Green Day!
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Upon Which I Forecast the Weather By An Old Saying

The storm this morning sounded like a freight train roaring past our bedroom window.

A train wouldn't be unusual...we have numerous coal trains go through town every night and every day. The engineer blows that whistle from one end of town to the other and you can hear that train rumble its way from south of us to north of us and then again from north to south as it heads back to Wyoming for more coal. It's amazing that I can sleep through the night and never hear those trains unless I happen to already be up and making a trip to the bathroom.

But this early morning, before sunrise, the roar was outside the window and it wasn't a train. A storm was blowing through town. Not a tornado storm. Just a heavy-duty horizontal wind.

I took a photo out the back window to try to show you how the wind was swirling the branches of our small trees but it's hard to capture wind in a photo. How do you do that? Wind is invisible...I must capture the moving branches...but my effort was to no avail.

I have a tip for you again today. It is this...."Rain before Seven, Over by Eleven.". Yep. This little storm will roar through town, drop a bit of rain, bluster and boast, and then dissipate into a quiet day. In order to be over by eleven, the storm must begin in the early hours of the morning. If it begins at midnight...nope...the saying will not necessarily hold true. But an early morning storm? Regardless of how boastful the storm might be, it will soon exhaust itself and move eastward to bother someone else. In our part of the country, in Western Iowa, the saying is true about 95 percent of the time.

Hoping your day is one of sunshine. Unless you need rain, of course. In that event, I hope your land gets needed moisture.

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Steak Knives Are Not Just for Steaks

Today's Hint: Don't leave all those steak knives in the drawer. In fact, leave a couple out where you garden. They are perfect for skimming tiny weeds from the soil in areas where you need a delicate touch and do not wish to disturb more desired plants. A knife allows you to be more precise than a long-handled hoe. Plus they're perfect for jabbing down next to the root of a larger weed and popping it from the soil.

Some blades work better than others. I like a serrated, curved edge. If you're a yard sale aficionado you can find great steak knives for a pittance.

Keep your favorite garden "steak" knife with your other garden tools. (I keep one in a flower pot near the back door, but this is NOT a good idea if you have small children living or visiting with you. In that case, keep it out of reach!!)

You Can Have a "Secret Garden" of Your Own!

Sometimes I enjoy life in "miniature". My collections include pretty bottles of buttons, jars filled with tiny button-size sea shells from a Maui beach, and a glass container of dice of various sizes and colors. And, of course, bottles of more buttons. So this past weekend when my daughter brought me this tiny terrarium she made from a light bulb I was tickled with its tiny form and beauty.

Daughter found instructions online to take apart a burned out light bulb. (She advises you wear gloves and safety glasses and follow instructions here.)

Once the bulb has been cleaned it is an easy (ahem!) process to layer gravel, charcoal, and plants. In this case a tiny bird has been added to the scene.

While this light bulb terrarium is as tiny and as cute as can be, remember that you can use any kind of glass container of any size to create a terrarium of your own. Check here or google to find good terrarium instructions.

They really are rather simple to make and so delightful to the eye. For a kid project, select a larger jar with an opening large enough for them to handle with ease. Terrariums can be any size and shape but whatever container you choose, they're Fun!

Be prepared to enjoy a summer garden scene weeks before summer gets here!

Have fun!

Of "Pins and Needles" and How They Are Useful

Be advised that the following hint will not work if you live in an older home with those hard-plaster walls.

Here's a handy-dandy hint for those of you who live in homes with sheet-rock walls and who like to hang things such as small wall quilts and who don't want the hassle of putting yet-more nail holes in the walls. (This will work for other items that are very light in weight...don't use for heavy pictures.)


Some years ago I purchased a small container of short applique pins at a yard sale. (Most everything in my house is from some yard sale so perhaps I should stop adding that to every post...you can just insert the words yourself next time you read!)

Applique pins are shorter than standard pins. I don't do much applique. Instead I use these short pins to hang small things on the wall...in particular, small wall quilts. If I decide later to move the item, the only thing left on the wall are tiny holes which can easily be disguised with a smidgen of white toothpaste. (Or, if you're a purist about your walls, spackling compound.)


Simply grasp the pin with a pair of pliers (needle nose work well) and stick it through the quilt into the wall. Sometimes I just attach at the top corners. Other times I will add a couple pins at the bottom as well. Place them far enough into the wall that you won't snag them as you walk by but leave them sticking out just enough that you can grasp them with pliers when you want to remove them. Be care, if you drop them in carpeting they are a bear to find. No! Wait! A bear would be easy to find. Believe me, the pins are Not!

My advice if you live in an older home with hard plaster walls? Move! No, that's not a good idea...sorry about that. I jest. If you have hard plaster walls you already know they are hard as a rock. Even pounding a nail to hang a picture is a task and you'll end up with bent nails on the floor at your feet! Instead, pre-drill a hole using a bit that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the nail. Then you can pound the nail into the wall.


P.S. You can use regular pins as well. Grasp them close to the tip, push them in the wall a bit, grasp them again further up the pin, push some more, until you have them firmly in the wall. It is possible to use old sewing machine needles for heavier items...remember again to grasp close to the tip as you push them into the wall.)




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The Scam Bugs (Scum Bags) Are Still At Work!

Crooks abound!!! And I'm betting I just heard from another one. I don't know why I should be amazed at their audacity but I am.

Got a phone call today which my caller ID identified as "service call" and phone number (714) 607-5763. After a weird beepy sound a computerized woman's voice came on and suggested they were calling to help me "reduce the interest" on my "credit card". And she advised me to call some number (which I did not record so I can't tell you what it was). I haven't a clue who this company is, but I'm betting this one is a SCAM in CAPITAL LETTERS!

Ummmm, Yah. I'll betcha dimes to donuts this outfit would love me to call their number and give them my credit ID and then scam me out of $$.

My advice to self and to all of you? Nevah, Evah respond to one of these phone calls. NEVAH! If you've got a problem with the interest rate on your credit card, call the card company and try to negotiate. Or find a card company that will charge you less interest than the one you have now.

DON'T be giving your name, card number, bank account number, etc., to some unidentified individual over the phone. If they initiate the call, you have absolutely no certainty that they are honest and not a scammer. And if you initiate the call by calling a number THEY gave you, you are still in the dark and at their mercy.

My Very Best Advice in regards to credit cards! Don't! Just Don't use them UNLESS you are able to pay them off on a monthly basis.

If you can't pay for an item with the cash you have on hand, then you need to renegotiate how you are handling your money.

Just Sayin'!


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Just 15 Minutes More Snooze!!! PuhLeeze?!

Hey, Moms! Are your kids getting to bed on time? I ask that question after reading a magazine interview with Po Bronson, writer of Nurture Shock,. The author mentions things that parents sometimes do wrong but which they can easily correct.

Among other topics, the author Bronson discusses Sleep! He says that kids today get a full hour less sleep than their parents did at their age. That's probably not surprising. We live hectic lives and our busyness is compounded by today's use of electronic devices and games of all kinds.

But here is what startled me in reading the review! Bronson maintains that for every 15 minutes' less sleep, there is a correlated drop in grade point average. He says "A" students get 15 minutes more sleep than "B" students, who themselves get 15 minutes more than "C" students. What this means is that when a sixth grader gets an hour less sleep he performs more like a fourth grader.

So, Today's Tip? Get your kids to bed on time! Try it for six weeks and see what happens!


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Forget the Chicken! Why Did theWoolly Bear Cross the Road?

Woolly Bear. That's the name of that brown and black caterpillar that clues us in on what to expect about the coming winter. We just hope he is not clueless.

Last Wednesday my mother, brother and I drove down the road a ways to the apple orchard. For the first time this week the sun was shining. Fall leaves were showing color. Crop fields are ready for the harvest. And the apples were ready. We picked out several boxes of apples (and ate a piece of yummy cherry pie in the lunch room) and headed home.

I asked my brother about a side road that turned northward, which was the general direction of "home". I had never taken this road and thought it might be a nice alternate route.

"Oh," he said, "it goes right over to Little Sioux." Which is in our direct travel path. So we take the side road. Which is part of the Loess Hills Scenic Byway. Which is NOT a straight road or it wouldn't be scenic. Normal s-curves turn out to be double-s-curves. You get the drift. This was a winding, round-about way to get home. But we were having fun. And enjoying the scenery. Heading home.

So there we were, twisting and turning, driving north, west, then east, north, then west again. We did eventually find Little Sioux from whence we were able to find the old familiar highway home.

But not until we had spotted numerous Woolly Bear caterpillars crossing the road in front of us. And yep, these are my photos. And a different Woolly Bear in each photo. Stopped in the middle of the road numerous times for numerous photos. No traffic. Not on this scenic byway. Every other human in the county was out on the straight-a-way.

I figured four Woolly Bears would give us somewhat of a scientific poll, so to speak. Were they all on the same track in regards to the forecast? Were they all on the Right track for that matter! The locals (of whom we are) say that if the WB is mostly black, the coming winter will be colder than usual. The wider the brown area, the milder the winter. And, Aha! These four are in total agreement. Mild Winter Ahead. Yayyy, Woolly Bear! You Rule!

So...weather aside...here's the question. Why did the woolly bear cross the road?

Answer: I don't know. You'll have to ask the chicken.

But we WILL have a mild winter.
And next spring I'll be able to tell you, "I told you so!"
I hope.

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Averting Cell Phone Disaster - Again!!!

We survived another cell phone disaster!

Yesterday my beloved dropped his cell phone in....well...ahem....the toilet. (Thankfully HE was the one who retrieved it and not I.)

This was Major Crisis! This was a brand-new cell phone. The same one he temporarily lost last month...and found again within 24 hours. But that's another story.

A "toilet dunk" can kill your phone. Permanently. But if you react quickly you have a very good chance of avoiding that costly scenario. I know. Because almost four years ago I dropped My cell in the ocean! In salt water! And I am STILL USING THAT PHONE! So here are my suggestions if you find yourself in a similar situation:

IMPORTANT .. REMOVE THE BATTERY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THIS IS ESSENTIAL!

1. Briefly rinse phone (and battery which you have already removed!!!) under the kitchen faucet to remove any contaminants. The idea is to clean the phone but NOT to soak it further. This baby is already wet. Rinse it only long enough to remove the bad stuff. Be brief but thorough. Swish it quickly and go to Step Two. (If your phone has a memory card, remove and rinse it as well. And if you dropped it in plain, non-salty, CLEAN water, disregard this step.)

2. Dry with a kitchen towel. As thoroughly as possible, including any crevices and ports. Wick that moisture out with a corner of the fabric or a Q-tip!

3. Find a warm dry spot. Turn on the light in your oven. Do NOT turn on the heat! The light bulb alone will produce a quiet, drying heated air. I've heard of people placing their phones on the dash of their car and letting solar energy provide the warmth to dry it but it would seem that might get a bit hot if you live in Death Valley or some such place...use some sense here.

4. Place the open phone and its battery in this warm spot AT LEAST 24 hours before re-connecting the battery. Forty-eight is even better...if you can stand the suspense that long. If you re-connect while your phone still holds moisture you run the risk of shorting it out completely and your end result will be a dead phone.

5. In my case, I waited about 36 hours before placing the battery back on the phone and it worked fine. In hubby's case, 24 hours did the trick.

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There Is A Certainty About His Work

Reading these verses today and savoring them.

John 6:37-40 (Jesus speaking)
37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out.
38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.
39 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given Me, but raise it up on the last day.
40 For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

Part of what I like about these verses is the certainty expressed in the words. Those whom the Father gives to the Son WILL come to the Son. And the Son will never lose them. They belong to the Son because THE FATHER HAS GIVEN them to Him. And everyone that the Father gives to the Son WILL HAVE eternal life. There is a certainty expressed here that cannot be overlooked. And the certainty is this....the work is of the Father and of the Son and NOT of ourselves! Those who come to the Son do so because the Father has ordained that they do so. And they come because God draws them (John 6:44,45) and they love the Father and the Son because of such a good and great gift...eternal life through Christ Jesus.

This Is Not a Metallic Centipede!!!

This may look like a metallic centipede, but never fear, it's harmless. (Eeewww, centipedes. Makes me shudder!)

I brought this Timex watch home from a yard sale. I knew it needed a battery...no problem... easy fix.

It was the expandable band that I liked. So I took this $1 purchase home.

I decided to clean the band before replacing the battery. The pins holding the band in place are spring loaded. Think of a toilet paper holder. Same principle. Only instead of a finger, you use something tiny, such as a small knife blade to pull the pin back and remove the band from the watch.

I mixed up my usual "jewelry cleaner" (half a cup of water plus a tablespoon of ammonia). Do not use this on pearls or opals. And don't shoot me if you dip in some $100,000 piece of jewelry and find that this solution damages your investment. I use it on my wedding ring (gold/diamond). And sometimes an expandable watch band. And I don't clean pearls or opals. If you need advice beyond that, ask your jeweler.

After a good soak look at the filth! After I had stretched the band (four hands work better here, so ask your hubby) I used a small artists brush to clean the inner pieces. The water became even more filthy. The amount of dirt was incredible! (The lady I bought it from is a happy gardener and all I can think is that she wore this watch while digging in the dirt. And bulldozing her driveway. And digging a basement. And traveling 60 miles afoot in a dust storm. What else could it be?)

To replace the battery I had to remove the back. I used a magnifying glass to find the small notch where a thin knife blade could be used to pry. Popped right off. Replaced the battery. Couldn't get the back on again. Tried numerous times. Pliers. Two pair of pliers. Getting ready to use the hammer. Getting ready to smash my investment (which had grown to $3 with the purchase of the battery) to smithereens.

Decided to google. I found that I needed to place the back in a level position and not with one edge set in while trying to pop in the opposite edge. The entire back has to be popped in from a level position.

So....laid the watch upside down on a wood cutting board. Then used a small piece of wood and (you guessed it) the hammer. With everything in position, a light tap on the top piece of wood popped that back right in place.

I still can't believe the amount of dirt that was inside the band. Hmmmm! Maybe it really was a centipede after all...don't they live in the dirt under rocks and bricks? Ughhhh! Makes me shiver!

For the Women and For Those Who Love Them!

This is to encourage women of all ages (yes, all ages) to be aware of symptoms so that in the event that you acquire this disease (pray not), you will be informed enough that you will seek treatment early. Early diagnosis ups the odds for life tremendously!

Ovarian cancer may be known as the "silent cancer" but it is not entirely Silent! It manifests in many early symptoms. It may only "whisper" but it is not "silent".

Nearly 89% of all diagnosed women experience symptoms even at early stages, yet we often dismiss them. And worse, too many women have been diagnosed after their doctors ignored them for years. But each of us has the power to take control over our own health.

Please be aware that as a patient, you have the right to copies of everything in your medical file! Blood tests, annual physicals, lab tests, mammogram results, etc. Everything.

In my own case, as I look back, I see many symptoms that I should have recognized if only I had been knowledgeable! And my doc (a female!) should have recognized them, too. In fairness to her, however, I realize that I did not emphasize these symptoms enough!

• Fatigue (I thought I was just getting older)
  
• Bloating abdomen (I thought my body was just changing shape due to age. Ovarian cancer causes fluid buildup in the abdominal area, hence the bloating abdomen.)
  
• I had an unexplained bout of iron deficiency anemia. A one-a-day vitamin with iron over a month's time took care of it. But yes, this can be a symptom of cancer in the body.
• Frequent need to urinate. Before leaving the house to go anywhere I would make a "preventive" trip to the bathroom. During the night I had to get up 3-4 times for that bathroom trip. Again, I thought it was age or due to a partial hysterectomy many years prior.
• Pelvic or abdominal pains. In my case I had a vague and uncomfortable sensation under the edge of the bottom right rib. It was uncomfy enough that I could not lie on my side to sleep. It bothered me only at night or when lying down. Some women suffer much pain before being diagnosed. Others may notice only mild annoying discomfort.
  
• Constipation or diarrhea. I did not have these symptoms. (Frankly, I've always dealt with constipation issues...mostly because I did not eat right.)
  
• Trouble eating or feeling full too quickly... I did not have this problem.
• High testosterone level. (This was brought to my attention after I wrote the original post. A rare type of ovarian tumor can cause a very high testosterone level. Yes, women have testosterone. Symptons, besides high testosterone level, would include hirsutism, or excessive hair on the face or chest.)
• Unexplained iron deficiency anemia...As I think back, I had an unexplained anemia about 7 months prior to diagnosis. I looked it up online, and yes, this can be a symptom. Somehow the growing cancer and resultant growing blood vessels can cause some type of anemia. Mine went away after taking one-a-day vitamins with iron. But it was, in actuality, another symptom of the cancer.
• Unexplained itching of the very top of my scalp. I've added this one, too, since my original post. Again, as I think back, prior to my diagnosis I noticed that the top of my scalp, the crown and not the sides, became itchy...but only as I was brushing my hair. Any other time I did not notice it. But once I began brushing, my scalp wanted me to continue brushing vigorously to allay the itch. This itching disappeared when I commenced my first series of chemo. Then several months later, when I relapsed, the itching appeared again. And again, with the new chemo, it disappeared.
  

I was fortunate in that I kept copies of all blood results during annual physicals. I noticed (my doc did not) an abnormally high reading of "alkaline phosphatase". Google informed me that this could mean a problem with either liver/bones/cancer/gall bladder. So because of the pain under the rib and because of this abnormal reading, I requested (my doc did not) an ultrasound of the gall bladder. That showed a large gallstone even though I had not had any gallstone attacks. I asked for surgery (my doc did not) and it was during the gall bladder surgery that the cancer was found. Two weeks later I had another surgery, this time to debulk the cancer before beginning chemo.

When symptoms occur that are unusual for you, or when they are present daily and last for weeks, you should see a doctor, preferably a gynecologist or a gynecological oncologist. When ovarian cancer is diagnosed early, the chance for a cure is enhanced greatly!! Better to be safe than sorry.

No single test can detect ovarian cancer. But symptoms should lead to various tests and all combined together should give your doctor a clear picture of your problem.

Ovarian cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer death among women and kills more women than all the other gyn-cancers combined. There is no reliable test....so it is up to YOU to know your body and be aware of unexplained changes. And if your doctor pooh-poohs you, ask for a second opinion.

Sewing Lessons

I thought you'd like to see how I assemble the set of lessons for my ladies in jail. (click for a closer view)

We're allowed to take in paper, Bibles, and other printed materials. But we cannot take in pencils or a variety of other things that can be used as weapons. Yeah, I know, a wood No. 2 pencil doesn't seem like much of a weapon, but over in the men's section, some guy actually managed to stab one of his fellows with one. So there ya go. No pencils.

However, the women can buy writing instruments of a different sort. The commissary (or whatever they call it) sells them plastic refills for ballpoint pens. Yep. Just the refills. Plastic.

You'd be surprised what inmates can think up in regards to "making do". Even metal staples could be collected and used somehow as a weapon. (Don't ask me how! I never tried it!) And so, instead of stapling this 13-page lesson set, I sew them together.

So how did ya like the title of this blog? Sewing lessons. Get it?! ;-)

How to Fix Your Broken Car Key! The One With a Chip Inside and Which Costs Zillions to Replace!

Our car has one of those keys with an electronic chip inside the plastic coated handle. That means in order to buy a replacement key we have to go to the dealer and spend about a zillion bucks! I don't like to spend zillions! It makes me flinch!


So when the handle of my key broke in one corner I figured I could fix it myself. I probably could have found some brand of glue that would fasten the plastic pieces back together in a secure fashion but I didn't do that. Instead I dug out a roll of black electrician's tape from the tool box and a couple twist-ties from the kitchen drawer. (You can click on the photos for a closer view.)


Since the repair needed some strength beyond what the tape could provide, I used the two plastic wire bread ties to reinforce the tape. I could have used one, but I figured two would add extra reinforcement. The ties were just the right length to run the full length of one side, up over the top, and down the other side. I placed two small pieces of tape in a couple spots to secure the ties. Then I cut a length of tape about three inches long and cut it down the middle to make a narrow piece of tape. This I used to wrap the handle, stretching the tape snug as I wrapped.


Then I cut another piece of tape several inches long. This piece was wrapped around the main body of the plastic part of the key and secured all in place.


The wire twist-ties add reinforcement to the broken area. The key is back on the key ring! And I still have my zillion dollars!

Chemo Scarf - Or How To Keep Your Cool When You're Not Looking So Cool!

Thanks to chemotherapy I lost my hair last March. My daughter knit my first warm cap and I knit a couple after that. I purchased a couple online so I was set for cool weather. Keeping warm was the issue and the knit caps did the trick.

But when warm weather arrived I realized that any covering, whether scarf or cap, made my head too warm. As in "Sweat". Cap, scarf, wig...all were too warm.

This week I discovered LINEN! I had a lovely linen skirt in the closet that did not fit. I had planned to make a sofa pillow with the fabric. I've done that before and loved the "cool" feel of the linen as compared to other fabrics.

While looking at the skirt I realized there was enough fabric to cut a large square for a scarf. I didn't even hem it, I was so lazeeee. Then I folded the scarf into a triangle as you would a square scarf. I placed it on my head, pulled the ends to the back, and secured them with a stretchy pony-tail tie. I cannot believe how comfortable this is. I wore it for hours and felt cool the entire time.

Then I switched to a very thin cotton scarf and I was sweating in minutes.

You have to try Linen!