Archive | November, 2018

Ongoing Therapy

30 Nov

My physiotherapy is coming along fine despite it being just once a week. The therapist said there’s improvement but I must continue with the home exercises and she even added a new routine for me to do to strengthen the area which is still weak.

I have been mindful not to exert too much and strain the wrist and thumb when I carve. With two more sessions to go before the year ends, I think I should be fine by then. Otherwise I may have to extend another round of treatment. We shall see.

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Plastered with orange KT Tape

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The Battle Continues

29 Nov

Hubby and I are on a box challenge again! It must be some bug that bites us to want to buy stuff online.

Within two days this week, there were several deliveries. He had a box of plants (of course) that came on Monday and another on Tuesday while I had two boxes delivered on Tuesday itself. This is not counting two other soft packages for me and him, a box full of tissues protecting some air plants not too long ago.

Maybe I will ‘win’ the challenge this round because my third parcel came yesterday. Then again, he may be expecting a box too before the end of the week. We shall see.

So what did I buy? Nothing to do with art or carving this time, but something for Mom and the house. Useful purchases in other words.

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Two More to Go

27 Nov

M2’s SPM exam feels like an eternity even for us! Thank goodness, she is almost at the tail end of it. There’s one subject today, two more subjects to go and then we are so done with it.

M2 is managing well, so are we. I think the three of us deserve a little break once the final paper is finished next week.

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Nothing Goes to Waste, Part 2

26 Nov

When I carve my pieces using Meranti wood, the wood blocks are all at different sizes. As such, I have to cut them to the proportions I want and there’ll be wastage. Hubby felt that it’s such a waste to throw away all those excess odd pieces.

So he experimented with the leftovers, using them as a prop or base for his air plants. And with just coat of acrylic paint, no gesso, they became simple and eye-catching tabletop pieces.

I wonder if the next piece should be a bit more elaborate. Hmm? Well, there’s plenty of wood to fine tune the overall look. From balsa where the odd ends become little Gnomes, and now Meranti as props for air plants certainly nothing goes to waste.

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The Beautiful Shield

23 Nov

I have been monitoring the stag horn in front of the house, taking its picture every two or four days apart. And it has flourished to become a beautiful shield. Hubby concludes that the spot is perfect for growth despite the wonky weather.

Two weeks ago, it was very wet with a lot of rain just about every day and strong wind on occasions. Then the weather changed, now it’s hot and not as wet.

Nevertheless, the spot is good. So he decided to place another fern behind the existing one. Let’s hope the relocated fern will also bloom well in this unpredictable weather condition.

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Ciabatta No More, Part 2

22 Nov

A couple of weeks ago, the effort reworking the second Gnome Home sapped me and I left it unattended for days after the first coat of colors. Eventually, despite a gruelling gym session where—in my trainer’s words “She went mental and gave it to us”— we were depleted of strength, I somehow managed to muster some energy to apply the final coat of acrylic to the roof and chimney.

The Fire Engine Red is obviously darker than the Cadmium Red but I think there’s character as well. I think the Gnomes like it.

Now in between mulling another home but a towering one for variation, I carved four phone holder whales, seven Gnomes and a Monument. So much carving to do, so little time.

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The Gnomes standing proudly in front of the two new Gnome Homes.

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Yet Another Public Holiday

20 Nov

Malaysia is known to have a lot of public holidays. Sometimes it’s nice but sometimes it can also be disruptive, depending on one’s workflow or timetable. Yes, today is a public holiday in the midst of being busy and having a big exam.

For us, it’s disruptive because we are busy. But for M2, it’s a welcome breather allowing her an extra day to do more preparation.

Well, we can’t fight it so we make use of it. It will be a day of carving for me of course. I have completed the second phone holder whale and have two more blocks in the pipeline to continue for this range.

Only left with the varnishing step

Two blocks coming up soon!

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Whale of a Time

19 Nov

Sometimes doing the same thing over and over again can be quite mundane. I am not saying Citizens, Monuments and Gnomes are getting boring but once in a while, I’d like to do something different for variety.

That’s why there are Superheroes, Dinky the dinosaur, Halloween Owl, giant Citizens, a couple of Gnome Homes, an Apeach and whales in the collection. My latest challenge was carving another whale but a much larger one than the four that I have carved.

Larger because it will double up as a smart phone holder as well. The idea came about after a dim sum meal with a girlfriend. I totally had a whale of a time (pun intended) carving this new baby on a glued two-piece Meranti. So much so, I started another one in between some other efforts.

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Hubby’s Samsung A6+ sitting on the whale

 

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A Little Scare

16 Nov

Yesterday morning I couldn’t launch Candy Crush Soda on my iPad Mini! Eeeks. I was like “Nooooooo!” my Daily Bonus record is going to be broken. The app kept saying to log into Facebook to continue and when I did, it couldn’t go on. Aaaargh…

I restarted the device and said a little prayer because my record was at stake. Thank goodness, after several attempts, I managed to launch without further problems. It was Day 815.

An unnecessary little scare that was. And today? Without a hitch that I could even play three rounds before the app quit on me! The iPad is dying a slow death.

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Treating the Wrist Tendonitis

15 Nov

I finally got around to seeing a physiotherapist this week after consulting the sports doctor last week to treat the Wrist Tendonitis. It looked like the ‘damage’ is not that extensive although the left hand looked slightly atrophic. Gosh.

The tendon along the thumb to the wrist hurt only when probed. The rest and minimal usage has been effective although I must admit I have been carving but being very careful not to aggravate the situation.

Immediate measures to take besides rest are four sessions of ultrasound therapy within a month and regular strengthening exercises which I must do twice daily. And I should continue using the Acupuncture Meridian Pen for added self-treatment.

With these steps and proper care, healing and recovery will be faster. The good news is I don’t have to sit out the year from golf. Then again, with the weather being so wet until year end, I don’t think I am missing out.

For now, I should apply KT Tape to the affected area for support and at the same time protect the tendon from further injury. Otherwise I wear a wrist thumb brace which works just as well.

I am thankful this turned out much better than I had anticipated. Phew.

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