Saturday, October 22, 2016

I’m sorry about yesterday. A social engagement in the morning meant that the day’s strength had to be spent on tidying the sitting room. It looks much better.

Lying in bed this morning, worrying about the day, I decided that I need to resort to that old end-of-year list-making, instead of just knocking off the most urgent job each time and considering that a day’s work.

My sister phoned in the evening. Two interesting things: she didn’t seem to know what the phrase “bed-blocking” means. She’s a doctor, and has seen our parents through end-of-life. Things must indeed be different in the US. And, secondly, although she worked for Hillary in her (my sister’s) high-flying days, and admired her, she’s almost as unhappy about the current choice as I am.

While I’m there: I was distressed, in the third debate, by Hillary’s repeated references to how Osama bin Laden had been "brought to justice". That’s wasn't justice, lady. That was summary execution, or assassination, if you prefer. It sent me back, yesterday, to Wikipedia on the Nuremberg Trials. Stalin and Churchill and Roosevelt had been talking for months, before the war in Europe ended, about what to do with the Nazi leaders, and summary execution was high among the possibilities they discussed. I’m glad they chose as they did.

Not everyone was convicted at the Trials, and, among those who were, not everyone was hanged. They were being tried for war crimes, not just for losing. It’s all pretty distressing – I loathe capital punishment – but the Allies were trying to let justice be seen to be done. Hillary wouldn’t remember.

Knitting

The Uncia has been pretty stressful, too. Shandy, I wish you were here to sweat it through with me. Somebody said that Chart H, the final one, was the worst of all. I sailed through the first 16 rows or so, not bad at all, especially since the repeat was shorter than in earlier charts. Then…!

370, with those Make-1’s next to YO’s in the previous row. I got through that, more or less, with the help of your comment. 371 went pretty well, although there was a bit of trouble at the end – two stitches missing in the final repeat, which would be the first repeat of 372.

But then 372 turned out to be the first wrong-side row with action of its own more exciting than K or P or slip-one. I discovered that on Thursday evening, 371 having been my only achievement of the day. I put the knitting aside in horror. Things went better yesterday. I did three rows, got those missing stitches re-inserted, and at the end – 374 – all was well, the stitches presenting themselves to be knitted or purled as required.


375 doesn’t look bad at all. But at the moment, I have abandoned all thought of five-rows-a-day. Inching forward is all my ambition.

7 comments:

  1. In a way, Jean, I am here to sweat Uncia through with you. I was grateful for your comments on earlier sections.
    I am about to do row 381, and can see the end in sight. I'd watch out for 379 where some of those single crosses are twists, needing a purl, and some are cables, meaning two knits. Some of the rows in this chart mean manipulating virtually every stitch, so it is bound to take a while.
    I still don't understand how some people are apparently sailing through Uncia, rating it as of moderate difficulty and not getting stuck on those M1s next to YOs. This caused me major difficulty on Row 249.
    I've had missing stitches, too. Usually it has been missing YOs which can be put back, provided you can identify where they need to go.
    I've just read "The Widow Barnaby", with great pleasure. Thank you for that.

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  2. I'm afraid I don't know what "bed-blocking" means either. Can someone help? As for the Uncia, maybe it's good that you have something challenging to occupy your mind? I hope you also have some socks to distract you and simplify your mind!

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  3. From my internet search I think bed-blocking is a British term. It means hospital beds being occupied by chronically ill persons waiting for care to be arranged at home. Presumably they are blocking the use of the bed for those with acute problems.
    .

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  4. Yes, there probably is no such thing as bed blocking here because our system would boot them out.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:21 PM

      Sad but true.
      -- Gretchen (aka stashdragon)

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  5. Anonymous8:21 PM

    In Canada, or at least Toronto, bed-blocking can be called "waiting in hospital". Those patients often have priority for moving to long-term care over those waiting at home.
    Very expensive! The hospitals really want the beds for acute patients.
    LusaRR

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  6. All I am able to offer as far as this deplorable election in the US is , ya gotta be here to understand it. I really like Hillary Clinton and am not swayed by the Republican representation of her. The GOP has changed for the worst in the last few years. They have made it their mission to discredit anyone who deviated beyond their belief system. I don't subscribe to the anti Hillary rubbish. I think that she is an admirable woman, a smart woman, a tenacious woman, skilled, bold and capable.

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