My Favorite Stretch

All those electric shocks last week must have loosened things up a bit, because today I was finally able to do my favorite stretching exercise! I haven't been able to do it for months, my right arm just wouldn't cooperate. This is a terrific and simple stretch for upper back muscles, and perfect for anyone who sits in a chair for any length of time.

Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and arms at your sides. Raise one arm straight up, bend it at the elbow and bring your hand down behind your neck and upper back. With your other arm straight down, bend it at the elbow and bring that hand up behind your back. Can you touch the fingers of one hand with the other? If not, put a little effort into bringing them closer together. If you can clasp the fingers of both hands together and hold for 10 seconds you've succeeded in doing a complete stretch! Now switch arm positions and stretch again.

Don't you feel better? I know I do!

Cow Pouches Are Just Plain Fun

Since I haven't been able to make much new stuff lately I've been busy restocking my eBay store. I love these cow pouches--they're just fun! They measure about 4" x 6" and are made with soft, furry, plushie fabric. The patterns vary a bit from pouch to pouch, but each one looks like the side of a cow. The heavy fabric and white drawstring closure make these perfect to hold a small gift or special surprise.

Got Tarnish?

I hate it when I'm rushing to get ready for something, dig through my jewelry box for the perfect piece of jewelry to wear, and discover it's tarnished. If it's tarnished badly enough no amount of rubbing with a polishing cloth will get it sparkling again, and the chemical silver cleaners smell horrible and can damage many pieces.

I've finally got around to restocking my supply of 3M anti-tarnish strips. This paper is treated with activated charcoal to protect silver, nickel, copper, bronze, brass, tin, and gold by absorbing sulfides and other pollutants that naturally occur in the air and thereby prevent tarnish from forming.

They won't clean something that's already become tarnished, but a piece in a jewelry box will keep jewelry tarnish-free for about 6 months. They're non-toxic, leave no stains or residue, and emit no gases or fumes. They work nicely for silverware chests, too.

$5 for a pack of 10 strips in my Etsy shop.

Torture, Ed Sullivan Disease, and a Giveaway

My right hand doesn't work correctly, and the pain and fine motor control has been getting a lot worse over the last couple of months. Enough so that I finally broke down and made a doctor's appointment. This has snowballed into many appointments and tests, and the past two weeks have seemed like near constant medical events. We've determined that I have some arthritis, miserable but common so no big deal.

They're still trying to figure out the rest of the puzzle, and at one point a doctor mentioned Ed Sullivan disease. It's real name is Ankylosing Spondylitis (try saying that three times fast!), and it causes your spine to curve and your neck to stiffen to that you have to turn your torso in order to look right or left. I don't think I have that, and besides, I don't want to spend my remaining days saying things like "rillly big shew."

Yesterday's tests were, officially, valid medical tests: a nerve conduction test and a needle EMG. The doctor seemed like a pleasant, soft-spoken sort when he introduced himself. As he started sticking needles in my hand and zapping me with electricity, I swear he morphed into Jack Bauer. I keep having flashbacks to the scene where Bauer rips a lamp from its electrical cord so he can use the exposed wires to shock some poor guy into confessing some horrible crime or other. (If you don't get this and haven't seen 24, it's time you visited Netflix.)

I left the doctor's office totally and completely traumatized, and with the knowledge that I'd give in to torture before it even started. After sleeping for 14 hours I'm still feeling the effects and am about ready for a nap. But let's move on to the happy part of this!

I love how you've all jumped in and left opinions on my Little People post! I feel like spending more time reliving my childhood right now, and it seems as though many of you are ready to join me. I have (left over from my years working in publishing) an extra autographed copy of Marianne Gingher's How To Have a Happy Childhood. It's a sweet little gift book I worked on some years ago, just the thing to bring back memories of a simpler and less-tortuous time.

To enter my Happy Childhood giveaway, leave a comment on this post telling me about your favorite childhood toy by September 18. Earn an extra entry by blogging about this giveaway, linking back to this post, and leaving a second comment directing me to your post. Make sure you leave some way for me to reach you if you're the winner. Open to bloggers and non-bloggers world-wide. On September 19 I'll use the randomizer thingie and choose a winner. I'm off to take that nap now. Good luck!