Of Skinny Jeans and shirts that button

I've been dieting for a while (haven't we all) just changing the way I eat, what I eat and how much, nothing formal I just called it the "enough diet" when I've had enough I quit eating!  I'd been losing a couple of pounds a week until the February doldrums hit when that stopped.  I'm grateful I didn't pack on all the weight I'd lost!  I signed up for Weight Watchers, boy is that a ton of work!  I'm not really following it but am back to watching the portion size again and I've lost a few pounds again, yeah me!  Not really exciting except that yesterday I put on a shirt that I have never been able to wear alone because it wouldn't button--yesterday it did!  With room to spare!  Inspired by that sucsess I tried on a really old pair of jeans, one I haven't been able to wear for at least a couple of years.  (I've been trying them every so often just to see.)  They snapped! They zipped!  And I could still move!  Oh happy day!

I don't know if it's just the weight,  I really doubt it.  I think it's Quinn.  Or rather the two plus miles she and I walk each day.  I know from past experience that walking takes the inches off your middle and I think that's what's happened!  It's a real incentive that's for sure.  I'll be ever so excited when my skinny jeans are too big!

Another project off the list!

Today I get to mark another UFO off my "TO DO" list!  These 16 hexie ornaments:

A closer look ( had to hunt for a ruler with both English and Metric on it!)

Again, some of these will go on my sewing room tree and some will be gifted!  I think they would be cute as a"bow" on a package.

Jilly, asked for a photo of my lilac bush so here it is:

When we moved into this house in 2000 this bush was a sadly neglected thing that I really thought would have to be taken out but after I trimmed it and lavished some love on it I think it will survive!  It has bloomed each year for the past 8 years and every year there are more blossoms.  I wish I could send along the smell it creates, I think it's my favorite flower smell!

Kolby was here for several days this week, well three-does that constitute several?  He was sent home Monday with pink eye.  Along with the misery of that his allergies are horrid, so his nose is stuffy and running and his asthma is acting up.  Adding insult to all of that he developed a contact rash!  Three trips to Urgent care, three different sets of medication the last being steroids.  I hope that fixes him up!  (It usually does me!)

Quinn is at Camp today which makes for a very quiet day for me.  I took myself off to the Genealogy library for a little while, I really have to get back to work on the Town of Kansas.  After taking two years off while Larry was sick it has been really hard to get back into!  After that I walked around the antique mall for a bit, until the knee said "owee" too many times.  Since I've been home I have worked on the Town of Kansas, well printed some newer versions of spreadsheets I developed out-have to go get ink so I can finish that. and finished up the ornaments.  I have many more things on the "TO DO" list I just have to pick one.

On the Knee front, I have an appointment with the knee surgeon on Monday to talk about options.  Those seem to be:  orthoscopic  surgery to repair a possible torn miniscus (doubt that's spelled properly), a partial knee replacement or a full knee replacement.  Different shots were mentioned but I would need assurances that they would help the pain.  In the meantime I am learning to live with the various levels of pain.

Much work in the garden tomorrow!  Maybe after I have weeded them I'll post some more photos.  This is the best time for blooms,  I intend to plants more flowering plants in empty spots this year and to plant more hydrangeas.

Ah, Green!

In the space of ten days-at the most-we have gone from bare branches to waves of glorious green!  The red bud and dogwood trees in the park are blooming in profusion.  My lilac bush is beginning to bloom-scenting the yard with that lovely smell!  All signs that spring is here to stay.  On the down side, we had to mow this week and the dandy lions are blooming in profusion as well!

Scrappy Pink

This past week I made the pink blocks for the rainbow quilt and some little pink houses!

I re-drew the house pattern to make the pieces easier for me to deal with but it is still small-6" give or take.  The first house went together quite easily, thought I had it made!  The second house took forever, each one after that (making adjustments along the way to my pattern) has gotten easier, at least I haven't had to re-cut the pieces any more!  I like them.  I've already cut out a bunch more-hoping to stitch 8 each week then I'll be caught up by the end of the year!

Sun is finally shining!  It is, however, too wet to do any work in the yard :(  Oh well, more time to stitch!

Rain, rain go away!

It has been raining here since Monday and tomorrow there is to be yet more!  YUK!!  There have been windows of dry so Quinn and I have made at least one walk each day, it's better when we can have two.  Today,  during a thunder storm she wanted out on the deck.  What did she do but dash out bark madly at the rain and dash back over and over!  Silly little girl, she sure is entertaining.

So on the doctor front.  I had an appointment for my knee on Tuesday.  The problem seems to be a torn meniscus, which they would normally just scope it and clean it up.  They won't be doing that for me as I have a great deal of arthritis in both knees and so I will be getting a partial knee replacement (in the left one now but probably in both at some point.)  I got a shot of cortisone but it doesn't seem to be helping, will have to send her an email on Monday.  I had a foot appointment today, didn't find anything that would cause the pain there so arch supports were recommended.  I think that could be the issue as I stopped wearing the shoes with Walking Co insoles in them not long before the pain began.  Need to go get some new ones, for that matter I need some new tennies!

Steve is having surgery on his foot in July, I don't know if I'll need to go out then or not.  He will have a long recovery period as this sounds like a major reconstruction of his foot.  Guess I'll have to wait and see.

While I was at the foot docs my brother sent me a text that he had taken my Dad to the hospital.  I went over to the VA to see him, he was having a stress test on his heart.  He has an 86 year old heart that underwent bypass surgery 24 years ago for 14 blockages-repaired by 7 bypasses, although one failed.  His heart has created it's own bypass as well.  This current problem is probably a little blip as he was as "fiesty" as ever.  (That's what the nurse said!)  On the whole he's in pretty good shape, still drives where ever he wants to go, has a bit of trouble getting about on foot but he does well enough to drive my brother nuts!  Bobby (my youngest brother) lives with Dad, a fact I am forever grateful for!

In between all this I have been getting some pink sewing done--show and tell tomorrow!

Signs of Spring!

I finally found my interest in accomplishing things this past week.  It could have been the 80 degree sunshine that did it!  The first (and largest) removal of leaves from flower beds was finished today, yeah!  All my plants except the hostas are up, and so are the dandy-lions, sigh. I will have to work at those this week between raindrops!  The house is cleaner-but really April is another big, deep cleaning month so for now I'll just tidy up.  Give it a "Lick and a promise" as my Granna would have said.

No sewing to mention, I spent a great deal of time cutting fabric for leader and ender projects, re-drew the little houses into inches and cut one of those out- thinking I'll shoot for 52 of those, depends on if I like doing them.  Cut out pink klosjes, etc.  Think the theme here is cut!  I will still need to find pastels and brights for the up-coming months but I am using up a lot of fabric, combining boxes already!  Although I haven't touched anything in the big pieces, sigh.

On other fronts, Quinn survived her spay surgery on Wednesday-lost a couple of baby teeth then as well- now if she can just survive the recovery time of "staying quiet."  I expect that by Monday we'll both be daft!  Brayden spent the week here for his spring break-trips to parks, ice cream cone eating, Lego playing, game playing with Aunt Tanya and some yard work.  He even took a nap one day-at 6 I don't push it but he does have to have a "rest" every day, he doesn't usually sleep 4 hours though, guess he was tired!

I have appointments with both Orthopedics and Podiatry this week, finally.

I'll leave you with Spring-ish garden photos:

Daffodils 

Lenten Rose-Helitrope

Tiny violets in the lawn!

End of Winter Blues.

I have been bitten by the end of winter blues.  Happens nearly every year about this time no matter how much Vitamin D I take!  I have a week (or this year three) when I have no desire to do anything! I don't even want to read.  As a result I have accomplished very little on any of the many on-going projects and my house is now dirty to boot, sigh.  I really hope I'm over the hump, today I actually want to stitch.  Well, I wanted to take a walk but it's raining, sigh.  Quinn will be grumpy, especially after 6+ hours in the truck yesterday.

About those hours in the truck.  I hitched up the travel trailer (aka yard weight or caravan if you are down under) and drove to Council Bluffs, IA to leave it at Camping World to be (I hope, hope, hope) sold.  Up and back is 4oo miles-a long day.  On the way back I stopped off at a Quilt shop in Stewartsville, MO which has been listed as a top ten shop.  I bought a few fat quarters-I'm on a quest for purples and pastels as I know I don't have much purple for the scrap challenge and I need colors other than pink for the pastel quilt.  I also need oranges and I did get one but really this was to be a way to use up the scraps, not buy fabric!  I am using up scraps by the tub full so a few fat quarters will be ok.  I tried to visit a shop in Iowa but at 2pm on a Saturday they were already closed-go figure, it isn't in a small town either.  The drive up with the trailer was pretty rough, the wind just kept getting worse and the roads in Iowa are worse that the roads in Missouri (didn't really think that was possible).  Every bump pulling a trailer is felt in the truck twice-once for the truck, once for the trailer-then there's the swaying about with the wind, by the time we got there I was getting queasy and poor Quinn lost her breakie!  The way home was faster, but the wind was worse.  I swear NW Missouri was blowing into Iowa and Iowa was blowing into Minnesota! I drove home wearing a MIZZOU sweatshirt over a t-shirt (also MIZZOU) with the air conditioning on and Quinn's battery operated fan blowing on me!  The sun was shining in the front and Quinn was too hot!  All that fur does heat a girl up.

Tiring of finding music stations I listened to the basketball game on the radio and got home in time to watch the second half.  Our Tigers beat the Baylor Bears quite handily to win the Big 12 Conference tourney.  This one was really sweet as it is our last year in the Big 12, next year we move to the South East Conference (SEC).  I was pleased to do the happy dance to the strains of the Missouri Waltz and chant MIZ-ZOU echos with Rob and Tanya!

Hit the bed early though, all that driving is tiring and in my case painful.  The knee did not like being in one position all day and made me pay for it last night!  Finally, took a pain pill at 1:30am which did give me some relief.  Added to that last night was the beginning of Daylight Savings Time, ugh!  A nap my be required!

A Bit of this, a bit of that.

First, I was gifted this lovely lot of buttons!  A friend of Rob and Tanya's was going to toss them out!  They belonged to his Mom and she passed away recently,  Tanya thought I would like them and I do!  Some of them are HUGE, and 1 1/2" easily, some have design in relief on them, some are likely quite old!  Haven't a clue what I will do with them but they are so lovely.

Second,

I'll be cutting this pile of pink fabric for the next several days.  Pink is the color for this months scrap challenge.  I have lots and what I don't use for the rainbow quilt blocks will be used in a leader and ender quilt along with other pastels as we come to them.

Finally,

A finish!  These 10 little reindeer ornaments for Christmas.  Some will go on my trees, some will be gifted.  Each one is different.  A closer look--some have buttons.

All are stitched in white on red felt--Swedish style.

The knee is still hurting, worse in fact!  Waiting for referral to Ortho to show so I can make an appointment.  One thing, I won't be stitching in bed again.  Lost my needle, that's a thought I didn't need--is there a needle in my bed?  There wasn't as I found it later stuck to a magnet!

And then there was snow...now wind

So on Thursday it was 71 degrees, remember?  Yesterday, big fat juicy white snowflakes fell for a few hours (not in the forecast either)!   It was a really wet snow, we need moisture badly, and created great beauty when they stuck to all the tree trunks and branches.  Today it is cold (30's with the wind) and the wind is brutal.  When I took Quinn for our morning walk I looked for paths that kept us out of it as much as possible.

I've been having pain in my right knee, I've had it before and this is gradually getting worse.  I went to the Doctor on Friday for referrals to my ortho doc and to the foot guy as the toes have been hurting as well.  Today I can hardly walk, no afternoon walk for Quinn!  Sitting hurts, standing hurts-somewhat less , walking really hurts especially those twists and turns we all make.  Finally, I took all my hand sewing in to my bed and spent a couple of  hours watching tv and stitching and I plan to do that for the rest of the evening.  Even lying with the leg straight out sometimes hurts!  As soon as those referrals process I'm off to see the good Dr Elton!

Tomorrow is to be much warmer--just have to love the weather in Missouri! I hope so and I hope the leg cooperates, I have a lot of things to do outside and a puppy who really needs her walk!

Spring, maybe?

So today the weather guessers say it will be 71 degrees (F)!  I know we've had a very mild winter but all my plants are budding or just plain leafing out, the ducks are back on the creek at the park and there are bubbles where other underwater folks are out and about as well.  Perhaps the best--I saw a Great Blue Heron this week, a sure sign of spring and my favorite bird!  Maybe I'll find my willingness to do something, anything return with the herons?