News From the Nest, July 21
Happy Monday!
Gosh, you all certainly know how to make a girl feel good!
(If you missed last week’s newsletter, this week make not make sense! You can catch up here. )
My inbox was flooded with well-wishes after sharing my saga last week. Thank you to each and every one of you who kept me in your thoughts and sent well wishes and prayers. Several wondered how I was able to get my newsletter out, given everything that was going on. The truth is that I enjoy writing this newsletter! And there are times when it is therapy and cathartic. So, thanks for being the best therapists out there! 🫶🏼
While I still have another week of HBOT (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy) at Duke Hospital, I’m over the moon excited to report that I’ve regained much of my hearing. I go back to my local ENT next week for another hearing test, after I’ve finished oral steroids and HBOT. They’ll decide then if it would be helpful to have an intratympanic steroid injection (right into my ear).
While I’ll need to keep a local ENT because of my chronic issues with my left ear, this new development in my right ear has prompted us to seek out a specialist in inner ear diseases, and I have an appointment in the fall with him. Until we meet with him, I won’t fly. It may be a coincidence, but this all happened right after a recent plane flight.
I’m not ready to keep my feet on the ground for the rest of my life, but I do need guidance and to explore whether anything can be done proactively to prevent this in the future.
Want to See My Hyperbaric Chamber?
Hyperbaric chambers are pressurized spaces that help your body absorb more oxygen than it normally would. That extra pressure helps your blood carry more oxygen to your tissues, even into areas with poor circulation. It’s like giving your cells a little boost to help them heal and recover more efficiently.
This one below is actually just a one-person chamber. I made my first ‘dive’ in it to ensure my ears could handle it. Once I passed that test, I got to dive in the bigger chamber.
Table of Contents
So, this 20′ by 20′ room is where you can find me every day this week from 1-ish until 4-ish. Eight of us mosey in between 1 and 1:20, and when we’ve all changed into our scrubs and left all our possessions in our lockers, we get into our chairs.
Each chair has a person’s helmet with their name on it. I’ve always been in chair two, and look across to the gents in chairs six, seven, and eight. The ring on top of my chair is fitted over my head and fits snugly against my neck. The goal is to prevent oxygen from escaping, so it is pretty snug.
One tube delivers 100% oxygen to me, while the other tube pulls away carbon dioxide and excess oxygen.
There are two nurses at all times in the chamber with us, throughout our entire ‘dive.’ They communicate with the outside world.
The individuals who sit at these controls perform all tasks related to the dives and inform nurses if someone has a leak or if someone’s oxygen level needs adjustment. While everyone else is snuggled under their blankets for the duration, I tend to run hotter than everyone else (menopause and steroids are a caustic mix) and can quickly break out into a sweat. The guys on the outside send in a bucket of ice through a pressured tube, then they run my O2 hose through the ice. My only personal AC!
Now, when I show up, they already have my ice bucket sitting by my chair! It’s just like a spa service.😉
HBOT can reduce inflammation, encourage the growth of new blood vessels, and support your body’s natural repair process. It’s often used in cases where healing has stalled, such as stubborn wounds, radiation damage, or severe infections. Sessions typically last between two and three hours, and you may require multiple sessions, depending on your condition. My ten sessions are definitely on the shorter end; one gentleman is almost halfway through his prescribed sixty sessions.
So, Terry, the girls (Elsa and Peep), and I will settle into our hotel room for one more week 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼Mom and I were supposed to have left yesterday for our Mother/Daughter cruise down the Great Lakes (Mom’s bucket list item). That was obviously cancelled. However, we are committed to revisiting the trip once I’ve spoken with the specialist and have a path forward.
To say I am thankful for my recovery thus far is a huge understatement. We take so much for granted, every single day. Sometimes, a greater power feels the need to poke us and remind us just how good we have it.
Some Fun Finds
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- It says a lot about me that I’ve had this in my cart for some time; I’ll actually buy it sometime in the future when I’ve a little extra mad money.
- Seems I’ve lived out of my suitcase more than I’ve lived at home thus far this year! I just treated myself to this to make mornings easier! 😂 (the black lid is on sale!)
- Each of our exterior extension cords has its own wrap and place to hang. These wraps have single-handedly wrangled our heretofore hot mess extension cords!
From the Knit + Crochet Studio
Summer farmers’ markets are in full swing, and this crochet market bag pattern is just the thing to bring along. Lightweight but sturdy, it’s roomy enough for peaches, greens, and a fresh bouquet—or whatever treasures you find at the Saturday stall. It’s a relaxed, on-the-go project that works up easily in cotton yarn, making it practical and giftable.
Add a handmade touch to your kitchen table with this garter stitch trivet pattern, a simple knit that looks more complicated than it is. Thick, squishy, and designed to hold up under hot dishes, it’s the kind of project you can finish in an afternoon and enjoy for years. Bonus points for it being an inexpensive, easy-to-make, and welcome gift.
We all make mistakes, but this guide to common knit errors and how to prevent and fix them is like having a kind, experienced knitting friend (me!) talk you through it. From dropped stitches to miscounted rows, it offers advice and helpful fixes, so you can keep moving forward with confidence and less unraveling.
From the Kitchen
If the summer heat has you craving something light, this simple Insalata Mista recipe is just what you need. Made with crisp lettuce, thinly sliced veggies, and a bright Italian vinaigrette, it’s the kind of easy, refreshing salad that pairs beautifully with grilled meat or fish—or stands on its own when you want something simple and satisfying.
If your sourdough starter is keeping you busy this summer, put that discard to delicious use with these sourdough banana muffins. Moist and just sweet enough, they’re a lovely way to reduce food waste while treating yourself—especially for quick breakfasts or afternoon snacks.
The flavor combo in this rosemary and goat cheese with ginger preserves appetizer is something special. It’s sweet, savory, herbaceous, and a little fancy without being fussy. Serve it with crackers or crostini at your next gathering or pair it with a glass of white wine on the porch for a quiet happy hour.
This no-bake blackberry tart is basically summer on a plate—juicy berries, a buttery cookie crust, and a silky filling, all without turning on the oven. It’s a keeper for dinner parties or warm-weather entertaining when you want a dessert that looks impressive but doesn’t require baking.
If you’ve got ripe peaches on hand, these homemade peach preserves are sunshine in a jar. Spoon them over yogurt, swirl them into cake batter, or—my favorite—slather them on a slice of toasted English muffin bread. Sweet, summery, and easier than you think.
And speaking of toast… this sourdough English muffin bread has all the nooks and crannies you love, with a slightly tangy flavor that makes it perfect for everything from peach preserves to soft scrambled eggs. As Theresa put it:
“Love this recipe, makes a perfect loaf of muffin bread! Lots of nooks and crannies!”
Delicate, fragrant, and just the right amount of sweet, these vanilla tea cakes are lovely with an afternoon cuppa, for a special brunch, or as a light dessert on warm evenings. Pamela gave it Five Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and wrote:
“These are incredible! Super easy to make and great flavor. Lavender can easily be too powerful, but the amount used in the glaze was perfect… I won’t be changing anything about these!”
From the Arts + Crafts Studio
If you’ve been curious about soap making, this quick and easy goat milk soap recipe is a wonderful place to start. With no lye handling required, it’s safe, simple, and great for gifting—or for treating your own skin to something gentle and moisturizing.
Soothe sore muscles or chill out after a long day with this DIY buckwheat heated neck wrap. Filled with buckwheat and dried lavender, it can be warmed in the microwave or chilled in the freezer, depending on your need. It’s a comforting, practical project—and it makes a thoughtful handmade gift, too.
If your kitchen needs a little calm, this list of kitchen organization tips and ideas is full of smart, doable ways to tidy things up. From decluttering drawers to storing sheet pans vertically (yes, please), it’s all about making your space work better for you—without a full remodel.
Looking for something to listen to while you bake, garden, or stitch? This roundup of favorite podcasts encompasses everything from storytelling to self-improvement, accompanied by personal notes on why each one is worth listening to.
Finally, tuck this measuring equivalents chart into your kitchen binder or hang it inside a cupboard or on the fridge—it’s both pretty and practical. With everything from teaspoons to gallons laid out clearly, it’s a lovely helper when you’re scaling recipes or baking on the fly.
I’ll see you next Monday!
Hugs,
