Cross-stitch report late again

Okay, I'm late with the photo again. I've been busy enjoying a visit with my youngest son and his fiancee the last few days, and hosting a birthday party for Brayden's third birthday. We were joined by the Columbia Fines and my Dad and Brother. We had a really good time. I tried a new recipe for vegetable lasagna which I really liked. We had the usual Lasagna as well, something for everyone, that's pretty hard with 16 folks! Brayden and Alayna had a good time together as usual, and we all had a good visit. Larry did pretty well until the end, he took a long nap ahead of time so he'd be a little energetic. His mom is having health problems with a hernia caused by her stoma, backpain from arthur and still being sore from her fall last week. My Dad though older just suffers from arthur and his heart.
This is Brayden' s Christmas stocking and I'm hoping that next week you'll see some more work done! Tomorrow I intend to work on his quilt, the quiltlets go quickly so maybe I'll have it done before his Eiman party!

Thursday Chemo

Today was the second half of this chemo round and it has been a rough one. I drove Larry to the hospital then came home as there isn't much for me to do and he intended to sleep thru it, it's a good thing I drove as I doubt he'd have made it home after. He ate his cup of soup and went to bed for a nap. I ran some errands and came home, he was still in bed and a bit later was asking for more blankets. He was shivering he was so cold, still shivered under three blankets, a heating pad and 2 cats! Got warmed up and tried to get up for dinner only to end up back in bed shivering. That seems to have passed but he is down for the night. I wish there was something I could do for him but there just doesn't seem to be. Awlful lot of suffering for something that isn't likely to work!

Scott and Bri are here from Columbia. Scott is speaking at the Math and Physics Institue, where he went his last year of High school, tomorrow. They're staying through Brayden's birthday party on Saturday. I think he's tutoring Rob in Physics also. Lucky Rob, both his brothers are willing to be his tutors when he's having troubles with their fields.

Quilt block progress

I promised photos of quilt block progress on Monday's and oops here it is Tuesday! I finished one more block on "Look what you started" which is a gift so I can't show it! But, I'm up to 65 blocks for Brayden's quilt. I guesstimated that I would need 70 so tonight I'll cut batting and begin making quiltlets. I still have several backs cut and alot of strips still cut so I'll continue to make up blocks with the idea of a second quilt, I just might keep it. I'd like to get his done soon as I intended it for Christmas and didn't finish it. I doubt it'll be done before his birthday on the 6th but I hope soon after it. Depends on how quickly the quiltlets make up. Also on how much time I spend at the VA and how many days we spend out of town!

I love my sewing machine and it's been such a long time since I wanted to sew, it's all good, well the housework may have to go and cooking too! Ha-Ha!

We are heading up the Minneapolis for their RV show as we missed the one here when we were in Vegas/California. Larry has had the bug for a fifth-wheel for 9 months or so. I have consistently (and adamately) said NO but I would really like a few things we don't have on our trailer: a full slide, double-paned windows, artic package and a table with chairs instead of the booth. We found a trailer manufacturer that looks interesting and thought we might see more trailers with the winter stuff in MN. We like MN so we'll go up on Wednesday next, do the RV thing on Thursday and come home on Friday. Of course this means we get to eat at the Tool Shed in Des Moines (I wonder if that would be the true reason for the trip? Hmm.) I'll also have to visit a couple of quilt shops. No baseball or light houses this trip, darn it!

Dinky

Well, the Dinky (93 Ford Escort) is gone to another home. While I know it was certainly time it is a bit sad. We bought the car, new, when Steve was learning to drive and we lived split between Denver and Kansas City. All the boys learned to drive in it. It's carried us to both coasts and many places in between, I drove it to KU when taking Graduate classes, and it was the car we most often drove to Ballet classes, baseball games, etc. Scott drove it for 4 years (it was already pretty much a heap) and when he finished his undergrad and got a new car Rob began driving it. It certainly served us well! However, it was slowly dying causing continual repairs, etc so Rob had to have a newer car and the Dinky had to go. I hope the new owners appreciate it as much as we did!

On other subjects, I've been busy since we got home sewing quilt blocks for Brayden's quilt. I'm hoping, probably in vain, to have it done by his birthday. I still consider myself on vacation so I'll be sewing again today. Think I'm up to 60 blocks. When I use up all the backs I have cut I'll lay out the top and begin making quiltlets. Photos on Friday! I did some cross-stitching last night on a Christmas Sock for Brayden. I think I need to make at least 4 of these things this year! I have to clean house some this week as well, since we're having the party for Brayden's third birthday (and my MIL is coming--I always use her as an excuse for cleaning!) Also this week I'm getting back on the research wagon and putting time in on organizing and at the library! Woo-hoo I really didn't know if I'd ever get there again.

Larry's chemo this past Thursday went well, I don't think the full effect has hit him yet as he's only had two shots to boost his white counts and they really hit him. Has part two this Thursday then a week off-we're not going to Vegas this time! There will be another ct scan to see if this chemo is working sometime after Thursday.

Think that covers it, it's cold and we're pretty much hibernating! Keep warm! Just think, in Austrailia they are complaining of the heat! We will be soon enough as well.

Home, tired but happy

We got home about 8PM night, tired but thankful to be home in our own bed and not driving. We had a great time but you know how it is, home is good as well. Today, Larry went to Chemo and I did laundry, unpacked, etc. I'm stiff and sore from sitting and driving for so long, think that may take a couple of days to get over. I've been reading alot of quilt blogs since I joined the Project a Month challenge and many of them post photos of their works in progress (slightly intimidating in fact) and I think I'll start posting some as well. On Friday I'll post any cross-stitching I've done for the week and on Monday any quilting progress (unless that progress is on a gift.) I hope that will push me to work on things each and that it isn't too boring for you non-sewers.

The last hotel!

We have arrived in Amarillo where we are staying the night. Had a close call with a semi earlier but I got out of his way! Tomorrow we'll get home, likely after dark as we don't intend to leave here really early. Can't wait to unload the car for good. Well, for this trip. Have decided that the next time we drive home from California we need at least 4 days! Live and learn. We've seen alot of pretty country and some that I could happily never set eyes upon again--take Yuma Arizona for example, please someone take it! We've had fun and Larry's spirits are up so it's all good!

For Debbie

Well duh, I just read your comment about staying with you and oops we're already past Mesa. We couldn't have stopped anyway as we MUST be home Wednesday night, Larry has chemo Thursday AM. Thanks for the offer!

Monday driving

We left San Diego pretty early this morning, wearing jackets over our short sleeved shirts drove east to Yuma. Removed the jackets along the way. Headed east across the desert, turned to air conditioning on, went around Phoenix and towards Falgstaff. Turned off the air conditioning and when we got he we put on jackets! Highest temp of day 84 degrees, lowest 39 degrees! We also went from Sea level to 4000 ft to sea level to 7000 ft. A bit of everything in between. We had a terrific time with Steve and Candice in San Diego even though we had to axe the deep sea fishing to wait for supplies for the wound vac. Tomorrow we're hoping to make Amarillo, TX then home on Wednesday. We are both ready to be home and not driving! Think I'll go soak in the tub!

San Diego

We arrived in San Diego yesterday afternoon to 80 degree temperatures and tons of traffic, in fact we had alot of traffic from Vegas on, so it was a tiring day. We didn't get lost! Which for us in San Diego is amazing!
Today Steve and Candice joined us for a fun day. Candice and I went to a terrific quilt shop here, the best one of the trip, and I bought a few pieces of fabric. Then we came back to the hotel to pick up Steve and Larry to go shopping and to lunch. I found my Best of the Best of California! So I have two more for this trip. Then we went to Cabrilla National monument. All of these photos were taken at Cabrilla. Pacific side.


Old Port Loma lighthouse. After sitting and watching the boats, and planes from the naval station we went to dinner at our favorite Italian place in San Diego.

Larry is able to eat more each day and he and Steve are going deep sea fishing tomorrow.
I opted out of that one!

Pictures of Vegas

There are lions everywhere here, this is one of the 37 lions used in the lion habitat at the MGM. The lion habitat is a 9mil dollar area, completly climate controlled, scent and sound proof. They change lions on display every 5 hours. The keepers are in the exhibit with them, sometimes playing or loving them and sometimes just sitting being a part of the pride. It is amazing and I have a lot of lion photos for you to see when we get home.
This is the MGM lion outside! There are MGM lions on all the elevators and room doors as well.
This is the view from our window on the 21st floor looking to the north.
And to the east.

I did a little more shopping today, found a couple of pieces of fabric for the eagle quilt and my Best of the Best of Nevada cookbook. We rode the Monorail the length of the strip and now we are resting. Tomorrow we'll head off the San Diego. I've learned one more thing on this trip-two nights in Vegas is plenty!

Las Vegas!

Well, after a long, twisty drive through Utah and a corner of Arizona we arrived last night about 5:30pm. Our day began with scraping ice from the windows (of our very dirty van) in 4 degree temps and ended in 68 degree temps here in Las Vegas. This place in unreal, like Branson on Crack! (maybe 10 times crack.) The MGM Grand is huge we are on the 21st floor and there are some 400+ rooms just on this floor! We face the northeast so this morning we watched the sun come up over the mountains and the airplanes taking off from MacCracken Airport next door. Brayden would love these windows, planes take off about every 3 minutes. Tonight we watched the sun go down on the mountains, very nice. Since we were BEAT from the drive we retired very early, Larry about 7:30 and me about 8:00. That would be the reason we were up to see the sun rise!

Larry stayed at the hotel today while I went quilt shop hopping! I bought a few fat quarters and a kit for a little quilt called 'Card trip with a Vegas twist' that has a really cute Las Vegas print in it. I couldn't resist and it will be cute near the games table in the basement. I'm thinking about either the outlet mall or the other two quilt shops for tomorrow, that or staying in and cross-stitching or piecing.

Larry tires very easily and there is an enormous amount of walking to be done just inside the MGM Grand so we haven't done anything on the strip yet, maybe tomorrow. He is still having alot of trouble finding food that he can eat, things either taste terrible or don't set well. He's game but it's taking a toll.

Yesterday, as we were unloading stuff (after the bellman delivered it) I mentioned that there must be an easier way to travel, Larry replied "there is, in an RV!" I agree, it takes longer to haul everything in and out than to set up the trailer. I can set up the trailer all by myself in about 15 minutes and break it down just as quick. While inside everything is already stowed and tidy! Not to mention that I'd cook and eat my own food. Lesson to Gail, TAKE THE TRAILER!

Grand Junction

Larry wanted me to include these photos of the rest area where Grizzly Creek joins the Colorado River in Grand Junction Canyon.

In the end chicken cup of soup saved the day! Larry managed to eat a bowl of that for breakfast, along with a variety of pills for nausea and we set out for Vegas again. First, we went to Golden to the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum. I have been reading about the place for some time and wanted to see it and we wanted to give the highway department some more time to clear I-70 westbound. I enjoyed the museum, it is small but had a very nice exhibit of California Gold Rush quilts that I especially enjoyed. The other exhibit was the works of several art quilters from the northwest. Some of which I enjoyed and others that I didn't care for. There where some that were very heavily machine quilted, beautiful, but they made me tired! I especially enjoyed the small pieces that were framed in rust pocked metal. We decided not to go up to Breckenridge because of the snow and I'm glad we didn't. The highway was very snowy, not just packed but drifted and blowing until we got over Vail pass then it got better fast. We arrived in Grand Junction in time for dinner, a late start coupled with the snow made for a very slow driving day.

Snow!

We are currently stuck in Denver waiting for the snow to end and traffic to clear before we head out somewhere. Larry has been having trouble keeping any food or drink down and a couple of other side effects of chemo-this on top of everything else-so we are trying to decide which direction to drive! Neither of us really want to go home but in the end we may have to. I'll send another message when we get ready to head out.

Sunday travels

We are here in Denver. Left Hays about 9 had lunch in Limon (boy does that place need a big clean up!) Beautiful day for a drive, I find all that space so relaxing to the eye. I know alot of people would say it's boring but I like it and it's a pleasure to drive through the high plains. Right before you get to Limon there's a place with a tower that claims you can see 6 states from the top, Okay, it's on a high spot so I'll give them Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming and Nebraska-although Wyoming and Nebraska are a stretch- but there's no way I'd belive New Mexico, Okalahoma, or Texas is visible from the top of a 20 foot tower! I wonder how many people go there? We came across 86 into Castle Rock, thought we'd stop at the outlets so we did but most of the stores are empty and all the walking is hard for Larry so we didn't stay long. Got into the hotel around 2 MST and rested until we left for Jim's. We spent a pleasant evening with them and got back here about 8:30. Tomorrow we're heading to Golden to the quilt museum then on to Breckenridge to a quilt shop and for Larry to see Breckenridge. I think it's a neat place. We'll drive on after that until we decide to stop for the night, may not make it out of Colorado, who knows.

Vegas Trip Day One, Hays KS

We're here tucked up in the Ramada Inn Hays. It's funny because it's the same building where we always stayed in Hays when the children were younger only then it was the Holiday Inn! Hays has changed alot since we first visited in 1992-progress I suppose, I kind of miss the old way! We left home about 9:30, ate lunch in Junction City then stopped at Abilene to visit the Eisenhower museum. It was interesting but alot to take in, maybe too much. I'm having trouble reading some things, the cataract thing, so I got tired of all that museum stuff. Isn't that sad-I'm a museum lover! I enjoyed the Clinton center more, I think because I could remember alot of those events.

Tomorrow we're headed on to Denver. I don't think we have any stops planned before then. We're having fun already!!

Trip preparations underway

We're leaving tomorrow for Las Vegas and then San Diego, we'll be back on the 21st as Larry has chemo again on the 22nd. We haven't loaded the car yet but that shouldn't take too long in the morning then we're off to Hays, Ks for our first night. Planning to stop at the Eisenhower library in Abiline as we have never been there and we have been across Kansas so-o-o-o many times and need something new! Day two takes us into Denver, after that I'm not sure where we'll be except we arrive Las Vegas on Tuesday. Friday, we'll leave and head for the weekend with Steve, the following Monday it heading home time as it takes three days. I'm planning on hitting several quilt shops and the outlet malls-especially Oshkosh! Larry and I always have fun on these jaunts, I'm so glad we are going!

I've been sewing up blocks for Brayden's quilt, have 30 made now, I have no idea how many I need so I just plan to use up all the fabric then layout what I need. I'll made a second quilt with the leftovers. It's fun and amazing in that it really doesn't seem to matter which fabrics I put together it looks cute! I really can't wait to finish it. It isn't moble, however, so I'll work on other things on the trip--another quilt I'm hand pieceing and a cross-stitch stocking. Think I'll sew until the laundry finishes then I have a little ironing to do, shower and pack some, I did get all the errands run!

Wednesday update

I've had a very productive couple of days, got thru the mountain of paperwork on my desk, got better organized and found some stuff we'd been looking for on Monday. Plus the laundry, yuk! Yesterday I took down the tree and the cottages, packed it all up and Rob and Tanya put it into the attic. Returned the living room to its normal configuration, etc. Rob said the room looked "naked" which is always the way I feel after taking down Christmas. Then I packed up the china and silver to return to Dad today while I'm running errands. (Does anyone know why there are so many errands?) To reward myself I cut more flannel and made three blocks for Brayden's quilt. I thought I was done with cutting flannel for that but I found two cute Thomas prints and I had some shirting flannel in the boxes that was very thin so I was afraid it would not hold up to an active little boy! Have to use those strips in another quilt, I think I'm going to have more blocks than I need in the end, whenever the end is.

We really are leaving on Saturday for Las Vegas, and if we can change Larry's chemo from Wed to Fri we are going on to San Diego for the weekend with Steve before we head home. We'll be home, latest, on the 22nd. Rob and Tanya are holding down the fort and watching the critters-what would we do without them?

We haven't heard, as yet, about the culture of his wound. I'll have to change the dressing today and give it a good look, Dr Duncan did the drain differently and it has really drained so I'm going to try his way today, keeping the thing draining is what stimulates the lymph system (I think.)
Dr Gail at it again!

News from Orthopedics

We went in for Larry's check up on his wound vac this morning. It's closing well but Dr Duncan expects it to be with us another month best case, sigh. The last two dressing changes the wound has smelled off so Dr Duncan took a culture and sent it to the lab, will hear when we hear. Also he had his INR drawn (blood thickness) and we stopped in at the Anti-coagulation clinic and saw Rick for more lab numbers. It's weird that we know all these doctors, Pharmacists etc by first name! Anyway, we were still home by 9:30! I can't remember the last time we got out of there before noon! Larry went back to bed as he hasn't been sleeping well lately and I headed for computerland to work on finances and that small mountain I mentioned. So far I've set up my spreadsheets and now I'm going to work on the mountain! I wonder if I'll ever finish?

3 Down 4 to go- shots that is!

We've survived three shots now and have only four more, I don't know who hates them the most, Larry or Me!

This morning at breakfast I was reading an article in the Sunday paper about Vegas being cheaper and said, "Let's go to Las Vegas next week." (Larry has a week off chemo) and he got on the internet and booked three days at the MGM Grand! Whoa, that was odd. It'll be good to get away for a week or so anyway, we both need it. We're leaving on Saturday getting back by the 19th, I'm sure the medical stuff will start back up on the 20th.

Speaking of medical, he has an appointment in Ortho tomorrow bright and early to check his vacumn. Urgh! I don't think either of us wants to go.

I'm behind getting things set up for the 2009 fiscal year (the Fines fiscal year that is) but I'm getting there, plus I have a small mound of other paper work to get through before I can really sew again, sigh. I really don't know when I got this total urge to sew again but I really wish I could just sit at the machine all day! Guess I'd better get at it.

Here We Go Again

Larry began chemo, again, today. I have to give him a shot each day for a week, to help keep his blood counts right so that he can have chemo again next Friday. We aren't too happy about the shots but will do what must be done. He tolerated the chemo itself well and is working on his jigsaw puzzle now. The DVD player Marie loaned him and the Saturday Night Live DVD's Libby's gang got him for Christmas really help him get through all the wait time, so thanks to both of you! I spent the day shopping and running errands, my least favorite activity, so am beat! I took part of the recycling today and will finish up tomorrow, I think we might not drown in paper and plastic as yet. Have gotten my area rearranged, not quite clean but clean enough that I finished several blocks for Brayden's quilt! My getting projects finished will help clear my space. Tomorrow I MUST clean the kitchen and begin taking down the Christmas decorations so my quilt blocks will have to wait until I finish some of that. House is a disaster and I Hate that! I wonder where the person went who didn't mind if everything was a mess?