Holiday Wishes

A Christmas Wish from Quinn, Simba and I!

We hope you have the most wonderful Christmas ever!

Filled with only good things (and cookies!)

Bright Blessings on you and yours for the very best in 2014!

May you be blessed with good health, happiness

and enough of everything else!

More Santas

This one is in my bedroom, originally intended for a Stocking for my mom, it was my first time to "do it backwards", then she choose another pattern-on black!  I'm still doing the backwards but I don't ever want to do another one in black!

 I painted these two (and several more) one year when I thought it might be fun to do craft painting.  (I was never a true painter).  I did a few other things and I still have them all.  These guys are getting beat up, but I guess that makes then look vintage-wait they are vintage 1991!

Such a jolly St Nick!

Then there's Mr and Mrs Claus!  Gifts from the children, I can't use them as the paint comes off in the wash!  Still they are awfully cute!

I have some Santas on the tree as well as little bears wearing Santa Hats!  I'm sure there are photos somewhere.

We are bracing for a winter storm.  Perhaps beginning with some rain/sleet=ice and followed by several inches of the white stuff.  I hope it's all done by 6 am like the weather guessers think as I have one o'clock tickets to the Kansas City Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker!  Brayden and I are having a date!  I do not want to give that up  (and won't unless they call it off.)

The halls are decked, the shopping done and I'm soon off to make a fruitcake for my Dad.  Sadly, the fruitcake will be made without the candied fruit as I cannot find it in the stores!  I could make it but its too late for this year.  I doubt he'll notice as it only calls for 1/2 cup and there are dried fruits galore in it.  Apricots, dates, cherries and raisins!  And two kinds of nuts!  It's yummy.

I still have to get the guest room ready and clean house a bit, first I may need a nap!

Humm. This everyday posting didn't go so well!

Oh yeah, I was going to show you some of my decorating every day-oops!

Tonight it's Santas.  I have a small but growing collection of Santa's.  I only bought one new one this year, mostly because I didn't have the walking duration to go to the antique malls.
Here's the statues:

See the one in brown furs?  He's the new one this year.

On a very happy note--I'm finished with Physical Therapy!  My knee is straight and very functional.  It stills complains if I don't do my exercises, but that's just incentive.  Stairs are still a bit tricky at times and getting off the floor isn't graceful but it's getting better!  At any rate I feel that I have my life back!
Now if I could just find my mojo, sigh.  Terribly un-motivated!

I finally got my Tri-recs rulers so that I can begin the Bonnie Hunter mystery-I'm only three weeks behind.  Again, where did I hide that mojo?

Ice, snow and Christmas

We are under a Winter Storm Advisory until sometime tomorrow.  There has been rain off and on all day making for a damp, dark, cold day and for ice now that the sun gone down and the temperature is falling.  It's supposed to begin snowing around midnight but it looks like the big dump is going to be east of here.  Hopefully, all the major roads will be fine by the time the Grandboys get here in the morning!  I plan to take them to Union Station to see the model trains they have set up, then it's out to the T-Rex grill for lunch.  If it's too bad for me to get out with a 2 year old, a 4 year old and a 7 year old then I'll come up with something else for us to do.

Today's holiday decor photo:

My nesting dolls.  I love these things and I have them for several holidays, I'd like to have more but they are not so easy to find now and are becoming quite expensive.  The boys always like to play with them,  and I noticed my sister in law fooling around with the Thanksgiving ones-so I guess they appeal to all ages!

Christmas? What's done?

So all five trees are up!  After all the effort the big tree (in my header) took I was glad that only the smallest tree had lighting issues!  I replaced those and all have been decorated.  Some of them less heavily than others, but that's okay I like them all.  I'll try and put up a photo of my decorations every day until I run out, no promises though.

In fact, all the decorations have been put out and the boxes returned to the attic. Whew, that was a MESS!

Most of my shopping is done as well-Thank You Amazon.com!  The UPS man is making regular stops here for a few days.  That means wrapping will commence soon-although for a few gifts I'm going to need to get creative.

No cards mailed out as yet, but I do have them purchased.

No baking done.  I'm not doing very much this year as we are all watching very carefully what we eat these days.  I'll make my fruitcake (for my Dad), Povatica to share around and blueberry coffeecake.  So much less than I have made in the past.  I used to begin December 1st and bake something nearly every day, sigh.  I sometimes miss that as I really love to bake.

Tomorrow, I'll clean the house up and get the guest room ready as I'm being invaded by the grandsons on Saturday for a sleepover!  I have big plans for outings and such-I really hope the weather doesn't throw a spanner into our plans.  But if it does we'll figure something else out!

A Tale of A Christmas Tree

A few years ago I purchased a lovely, 7 foot, pre-lit, fake Spruce Christmas tree.  It's skinnier than the old one so it doesn't take up as much space and I thought it would be easier.  I used to spend several hours lighting the old tree row by row as I put it together, it looked really pretty but it's hard work.  So pre-lit was an idea my back could get behind!

I set the skinny tree up last night only to find that it had three different "stripes" of NO lights!  I hit up three stores looking for a tester and then spent 45 minutes testing individual bulbs before I found the really bad one-you know the one that can't be replaced?  Then I read the box which says that the bulbs remain lit even if one burns out! (Of course, that doesn't include the one that can't be replaced.) I really thought about this--could I live with it like this, once decorated would it still even show?  Slept on it-got up this morning and started taking the lights off the tree to replace them with LED's (I hope).  Easy-peasy right?  WRONG!!  All I have to say is that those folks in China know how to put lights on that do. not. move!  It's either that or they pay them by the twist!! Each branch of the tree has it's own little length of lights and for every bulb there are at least three twists!  So some three or four hours later I still have two more layers of branches to remove, sigh.  Tomorrow, after I get those done, I'm off to the store to buy more lights.  

Somehow, a pre-lit tree no longer seems any easier!  Eventually, it will be really pretty and I will sit and soak up the beauty and it will light my heart.  So there!

Getting over Thanksgiving and needing a new deadline!

We had a lovely Thanksgiving this year, none of last year's disasters!  Twelve around the table plus 4 dogs of various sizes (from a sheltie, Quinn, to a small pony-sized husky mix!)  It made for a very full house.  My brother and his wife from Denver drove in and stayed with me (along with their dog, Molly) which was fun!  Food was devoured and talk poured out so the night must have been enjoyed by all!

Friday, after a walk with the dogs, I took SIL, Jessie, up to Weston for a shopping excursion!  Weston is a small town near the Missouri river that has a couple of blocks of unique shops-small but entertaining.  Jessie loved it and we both bought stuff-some for us and some for gifts.  Then we went out to dinner.  Somewhere along the way I hit the Overdone button!  The trouble with that button it that you never know you're going to hit it you just do, sigh.  You have to keep pushing yourself to get better-it's just really hard to know when to stop, especially if you are having fun!

Saturday, Rob, Tanya and I went to see Catching Fire in the morning.  It is VERY good.  I've read all the books and while they aren't great literature the movie was stunning-better than the book!   People even stood and applauded at the end-can't remember the last time I saw that happen.  I was to join Jim, Jessie, my cousin Bruce and wife Pam in a shop around the Country Club Plaza followed by dinner at Pierponts Union Station but I just met them for dinner.  No need to make the knee feel any sorer than it did!  Dinner was lovely-Crab cakes Yummy!

Yesterday, Jim, Jessie and Molly headed west fairly early in the morning.  I doubt they were out of KC before I was back asleep!  I didn't intend to sleep, just sat down in my chair to read and conked out!  Really not with it at all yesterday, even considering the nap.  Today I took two naps.  Jeeze.  I did wake up from the last one feeling more alert and managed to unload and load the dishwasher!  I didn't even do the laundry today-eech, one more day and I'm naked!  Just the let down from a big deadline-Turkey day-now I need another deadline to get me moving again.  Christmas is coming, after that I'll have to make my own deadlines!

Rough week

So last week will go down as a crappy week!  I started out on Monday nearly unable to do my physical therapy as I was out of nerve meds-lost the script bottle, found it Monday night called and ordered it.  Went to pick it up on Tuesday, was to be ready at 2pm I got there at 4:30pm no script-waited for it.  Wednesday was better, nerve meds on board so I could do my exercises.  Thursday, I had a visit with my knee Doc where he hit me with the happy (NOT) news that it will be another 3-6 months before the knee is healed and the nerve stuff over, sigh.  Got new script faxed to the pharmacy for nerve meds as the first was for 1 each day and I was taking 2 each day (so I ran out every two weeks).  Had a bit of a pity party- I really want to be over this NOW!  Friday, pity party still going, I went to pick up the nerve script which they wouldn't fill it because I'd just picked up the other one (even though I was willing to pay for it out of pocket).  This news after I waited a half an hour.  Made the decision then and there to change pharmacies.  Friday night the wind began blowing and it blew in a cough, runny nose, etc.  The wind blew 45-50 mph for two days.  I took asthma and allergy meds and felt ok.  Until yesterday.

These are my constant companion!  I still don't know if this misery is a cold or allergies but I'm so done with it!

Today this happened:

My ironing board won't close up any more.  Can't store it in the closet like this!  I've had it for so many years I can't remember when I bought it.  Guess I need a new one-Walmart here I come.  But before that I think I'll go take my meds and go to bed.  Tomorrow will be better.        I hope.

Under the Needle

I hope this will be a continuing idea!  And that I have something different "Under the Needle" each time!

This is what's under the needle tonight!

Scott's Rhombi!  Working on the black diamonds, stitching in the ditch, on the second row.  As there are only three rows it's going pretty fast, the gray gets more quilting so it will take a bit longer.  This one is getting closer and closer to a finish!  I want it done by the December Quilt Guild meeting so I can show it off then it can go home with Scott and I can get on to the next thing.

Finally, A cold night! A really cold night.

A front has moved in bringing wind, misty rain and MUCH colder air.  I think tonight's low it to be 20F-not extremely cold but cold enough that a mug of hot tea is just the thing!

Today was quilt guild, so many talented ladies!  We had Quilt University, where we went to different places and learned how to do something an easier way or just something new.  My favorite was the demo on piecing circles-using freezer paper, so glad I didn't throw that out! (the freezer paper, that is.) There was also one on "growing" fabric for backing, pretty confusing and I'm not sure if I'll ever use it but it is an interesting idea.

I had to race home after to change for Physical Therapy.  My therapist warned me that there would be bad days-this one was.  A combination of too much activity over the weekend, too much sitting this morning, a major weather change, and the fact that I ran out of nerve pills over the weekend.  Just lying on my stomach caused real pain in that knee.  So now I get to take it easy for a few days, sigh.  And hit the ice again.  I had planned to hit a new (to me) fabric shop after therapy as I need backing material for Hill Country Spring but instead I sat in my chair, ice pack on the knee and took a nap!  Quinn was a Day camp so I took myself out for Mexican, picked her up and now I'm settling in for TV watching and working on Scott's Rhombi.  Hill Country Spring gets folded up until after the first of the year as my long-arm quilter is trying to have a life!  So no more quilts until 2014!  I'll likely have have Twisted done by then as well.  It's not as if I don't have a multitude of things to work on!

On tap for tomorrow, typing at the Historical Society, and cleaning one small, not very dirty room.  Then more stitching, maybe cross stitch.  There will be some stretches, exercises and ice in there as well.  I think those things are in my future for quite some time.  Makes me wonder what knee replacement would be like if a cyst removal causes this much trouble!

Where Do They All Come From?

I think there was a song with that phrase-something about lonely people.  Anyway, that's not what this post is about.  I have been overrun with fruit flies!  I had some a month or so ago got rid of them using the ole vinegar in a coke bottle method and now THEY'RE BACK!  Only in much bigger numbers.  I've been after them with the vacumn cleaner, put all the fruit in the frig, and put out the coke bottle again (that doesn't seem to be very effective this time.)  I'm down to just a few remaining and I'm off to suck up some more!

Cross Stitching, again.

I think it's been months since I did a cross-stitch post.  That's because it's been months since I did any cross-stitch!  I was really slow beginning another stocking after finishing Bri's but Kolby's is at least begun. And here it is---

Looks exciting, huh?  Next comes a close up of the design, after 4 tries.

You might notice that my cording is begun in the upper left side not on the upper right, that's because all the other (11) stocking toes point in the other direction so I have to do this one in reverse!  I've done at least the last two this way as well, and have two more after this.  Once you get your "eyes" on it's not too bad but there's always this rough spot at the beginning so it slow going.  

I'm going to see it I can find some telly to watch while I cut and sew borders on Hill Country Spring, then I'll make little x's!

What I'm working on now.

Here's a list of my current "In Progress" doings! Not in any particular order.

Hill Country Spring quilt, only needs borders and a backing made-not tonight maybe tomorrow night as I have a banquet to attend.

Scott's Rhombi-ready for quilting
Twisted ready for sewing
Both of those use black thread so I can work on them at the same time.

Hexie Quilt--a work in slow progress

Kolby's Christmas stocking

The Chest-need to paint and install filets and doors-please all the gods and goddesses, etc this idea works.  Might get a coat of paint on after lunch, or not as the boys are here.

The shelf--just needs hanging, again maybe after lunch

The doll house--more roofing removed

Very long term project-The Town of Kansas research and writing

Then there's always cleaning! And catching up on finances! OMG!

And last but not least physical therapy on the leg.  She's also working on the hips, yak!  The actual doing of it isn't too bad, but I sure am aching!  It's much better in general.  Soon I'll be able to give Quinn a bath, which she seriously needs!

I did get the yard cleaned up and things put away for winter.  I need to trim the roses but they're still blooming!  The only other thing is raking leaves but it will be a little while before that's needed-I'm thinking I'll have help on that this year.

We've had several days of wind and or rain and the some of the trees are looking a bit bare.  Some are beautiful, some are just tuning, some are still green!  The temperatures are really lovely though, so unless it's wet you just want to be outside!  That raises issues with getting that list done!

I've been Montana dreaming for a while now.  I'm seriously thinking I'll put my house up for sale and spend the summer out there.  I do love the Mountains.

Miniature Monday!

Don't look for this to be a regular feature, I think the doll house will be another Work in Slow Progress!  Just like me.

This doll house was made for Beth by my Father and Brother Christmas 1986, she was 7.  I had found the plans in a magazine, back in the 80's magazines would have many possible gifts to make and this doll house was one.  I took it to home builder Dad (really, my Dad and Brothers where big home builders, not just miniature ones!) who bought only the big casters on the base.  Everything else was scraps in the shop.  My youngest brother, Bobby, used some veneer he had left from another project for the shingles!  I looked and looked for a photo of it brand new-I only found three really bad ones, maybe I'll run onto another one.  My Mom ordered a kit to make furniture and worked to get it all made up for Christmas as well.  Beth loved it!  She played and played with the house and the furniture-she added tables from pizza boxes and poker chip plates, lots of imagination used playing with it.  Most of the furniture was broken along the way but what is left will get a makeover and put back into the house.
Now it's pretty sad looking, and Beth has only boys (no interest in doll houses there), so it has come to live at my house.  At some point I may take it to Nora, or not.

So a before photo:

From the front

The Rooms

The shingles.

I've begun removing the shingles which are either stapled on (easy) or glued on (hard) in strips.  I'm going to try and salvage as much as I can for flooring etc.  I've also taken off the pillars as they need replaced.  Once the roof is clean and the rest of the house gets a good cleaning as well I'll get started on the redo, first up electrification!

Fall Fun!

I spent today with these three

Ethan, Kolby and Brayden in the corn maze!

(and their Mom-daughter Beth) out at the Louisberg Cider Mill.  We wandered about in the corn maze-I never really had any sense of what direction we were going!  But Kolby found the way out for Ethan and I while Beth and Brayden found another way out!  The big boys bounced on a huge air filled pillow and then we went for a hayride.  Way at the back of the pumpkin patch we got off the wagon to side down a hill.  Here's some pictures:

Kolby

Beth and Ethan

Brayden, the goof!

Brayden and Ethan!  Ethan is laughing!  Brayden is a super big brother.

After we got tired from all our fun we headed up to the shop to watch them making apple cider, then we had cider donuts, cold apple cider (or root beer)!  All pretty good.  Then we headed back home!

Finishes on Friday

Okay, it's not completely finished.  It still needs quilted and bound but the top is finished!  

This is Scott's Rhombi.  This particular rhombi is a Penrose Tiling, a mathematical construct.  Appropriate since Scott is a mathematician!  It is English paper pieced and will be machine quilted.  I hope to get it sandwiched tonight.

I've been trying, with only moderate success, to get caught up.  Four weeks of sitting around doing only the bare minimum as far as housekeeping and shopping are concerned and I'm left with a long list of to dos!  Shopping is a tiring affair when I feel great,  now, still suffering from much nerve pain,  I can only manage two stores before I'm dead!  All the stores are so big, and the parking lots are so big!  So much walking! I hope to be back to normal by Thanksgiving, sigh. 

I did go back to my volunteer positions last week and will keep going unless it is the same time as physical therapy. The tomato and pepper plants have been pulled and I have the plants inside that I hope to overwinter with a little warm spot made for them.  I need to transplant the lemon and clementine trees and the basil then that will be done.  We got our first hard frost last night and the trees are really changing color now, some of them are really beautiful!  

Edit profile

For Ann and anyone else out there who is wondering.  To edit your profile-1. click on "View My Complete Profile" 2. in the upper right hand corner click on "Edit Profile".  Type what ever you wish then save.  You are finished!  Easy, once you click on the correct Edit profile button!

Never Mind. . .

I figured it out!

Blogger Question?

Does anyone know how to change the text of your profile?  When I try to edit I just get the title, and couple of what to show.  Nora's four now!  I need to make changes!

Still limping along

I went to the knee Doc on Thursday.  He is doubling the meds for the nerve pain and I'm to begin Physical Therapy soon.  I have good days and bad days-sadly I'll have a great day which is followed by two or three bad ones but I think forward progress is being made.  At any rate it is what it is and I haven't any choice but to live with/through it.  I go back to see him in 4 weeks.

The Eye Doc visit on Monday (which left me mostly blind for the rest of the day!) was for my cataracts, which apparently are getting closer to being ready to come off as  I have a new script for glasses.  I'd really like to not have to wear glasses so I'd like for him to say it's time for surgery, maybe next year.

I have done a little sewing this past week, finished off two pillowcases for Nora (oops no photo-think Hello Kitty with pink and black bands).  I sent her quilts, and birthday gifts etc UPS on Wednesday and went to the quilt shop!  (Bought some fat quarters, some greens to see what I like for my hexie quilt.  Now I need to go back and buy some yardage!) Also put two strips of Hill country spring together.  I only need to add 8 or 9 strips and the top will be finished! I have a hard time sitting in a chair without a place for my leg to be straight so it's slow going.  I'd really like to get Twisted finished before I have company at Thanksgiving.

Brayden is here for a short school holiday for teacher/parent conferences and we've been playing a lot of checkers.  After lunch we're going to bake a pie for my Dad, and maybe take it to him.  Have to see how I'm holding up!

A Few More Steps ON the Road to Normal

I last used my crutches on Tuesday!  Today I put them away in the closet, hopefully I will never need them again.  Today, I went to the grocery store, I didn't ride around on the little cart and I unloaded all the bags alone!  Most importantly, I didn't need a pain pill when I got home!  I'm doing a little housework and planning some pressing and stitching.  While I still can't do everything I used to (or ride my bike) and I'm still spending time sitting around with my leg up I am making progress.

I've retired my chair!

So in the continuing saga of my personally being a work in slow progress I'm able to walk around the house enough to retire my desk chair!  It has taken it's rightful place in my office/sewing room.  I still use crutches for trips beyond the house and I still spend more time sitting in my nest than I do moving around but some progress has been made.  The doctor said the cyst was the size of a ping pong ball and that he did much pulling and pushing in the joint to get it out and trace the stem down to cauterize it.  Neither of us is especially surprised by the nerve pain, he did prescribe a med to help settle things down.  I also had to go for an ultrasound to rule out blood clots.  I was a very tired girl on Thursday after all that "crutching!"  Saturday morning it was so chilly, and I could finally bend over far enough to put on socks, that I wore real shoes (not flip flops) and I found I could walk much better.  I think full recovery is still weeks away though, darn it.  Tonight I will try sitting at the sewing machine and see how that goes as I'm in withdrawal!

I planted Kale, Broccoli and Cabbage about 3 weeks ago, for grins I've never done any fall planting or grown those three things.  The Broccoli looks peaked, the cabbage is doing quite well but the kale is being eaten up by something.  (I haven't crutched over there to check it out, maybe tomorrow.)  The mums are looking grand though!  Such pretty pops of color in gardens that are mostly done for the year.

I've been making a few hexie flowers and playing around with the Clover Yo-yo makers while sitting but not really accomplishing much.  Reading and napping!

I am a WISP (Work In Slow Progress)!

Three steps forward, two steps back that's the kind of progress I'm making on recovery!  I can take several steps, even stand up straight and take them almost normally, I could take many steps (maybe) but the cost in pain would be pretty high.  Not only the pain during the step but the pain after due to the cranky nerves.  So mostly I get around using crutches or rolling my chair around backwards!  Monday, Tanya took me to the grocery store.  She let me out at the door, I used crutches to get inside and then I rode around on the electric carts they keep for the disabled!  Apparently, it was fairly humorous watching me figure out how to drive the thing!  Always glad to provide entertainment for those around me!  Tanya carried in the groceries for me and I put them away using crutches.  I doubt that I could have done it myself but I probably would have tried.  Rob and Tanya have taken super care of me the past week-mowing the grass, bringing up coke from the frig downstairs and a million small things I would have found it difficult to do alone.  Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment.  I am doing that alone and on crutches.  Should be exciting.

I finished the top of Scott's Rhombi, a penrose tiling, but can't go any farther until I can get the proper batting etc and can sit at the machine table.  Today, I've played around some with the Clover Yo-yo makers.  They are kind of fun but I need a larger one to go with the ones I made today. I have the Extra-small and the small, sure hope they have a medium! Or maybe even a large.

Think I'll find a movie to watch and do some cross stitch.

Progress Update

Has there been progress?  You betcha!  I can get up and down out of chairs with only an ouch, I can hobble about (although not to far with out a break) and best of all I can sleep and change positions without any pain at all!  (All while keeping that leg as straight as possible so the scar tissue won't make the skin too short.  I don't even want to think where that might take me!)

I didn't want to get out of bed this morning.  I was awake and pain free for the first time since Monday morning, I didn't want to give that up!  Plus it was chilly out from under the covers and the cat had me pinned.  Hum all excuses but in the end I had to go potty so I got up-it was nearly 8am.  I usually get up at 6am and I went to bed at 8:30pm last night.  I think I might be catching up on my sleep!

Fall is here.  Thank goodness.  My favorite time of the year, cool crisp mornings, trees changing colors, and crisp fresh-picked apples.  Just The Best.  We won't talk about what happens when those pretty leaves fall on the ground, sigh.

On the sewing front, the past two days I have been working on the fills for Scott's rhombi.  I should finish those today and begin adding them to the top.  The top will be finished tomorrow, maybe.  Then it will need quilted, which I plan to do on the machine.  Still must get black batting, can't order it until I can measure it.  I've decided to use a heavy cotton for the backing, I have it in my stash and it will aid in stabilizing the odd shape of the thing for hanging.

So I'm off to finish Harry Potter's adventures while I stitch those fills!

I love my office chair!

Surgery yesterday went well, I think, but the pain was incredible!  The cyst sat on the main nerve in my leg and hurt all up and down my leg, much worse that last time.  I told the kids that meant he hadn't messed it up which was a big concern! It got better about halfway through the night.  The best thing is--I thought to have Rob get my desk chair out of the office (narrow doorway) and I just roll around through the house!  So much better than the crutches which just jar things up good, and I am terrible at them so I'm always losing my balance.  At first I used the crutches to propel me along, sort a odd looking little boat begin poled along the water!  Now I just go backwards!  Works like a charm, just have to think outside the box sometimes.  Now I must go propel myself to the back door to stop my yapping dog!

Happy Birthday Quinn!

Today, my best pal Quinn is two years old!

I don't know if you can tell but she has a white spot on her behind and sort of a skunk stripe up her back-like she's a sun-bleached blonde!

She has so much personality, and can be a wild child from time to time!  Always busy, always alert to anything going on inside or out!  Always ready for a walk, or to play with her favorite toy, a soccer ball!  She got a new ball for her birthday, as she had demolished two others, and it already has teeth holes in it!  Must find one made of different stuff!  Even when I think she nuts I can't imagine life without her, she makes me laugh every day--that it a big thing!

Ready!

I didn't believe it possible, just looking at the list of things I wished to have finished by surgery day, but I have for the most part completed everything!  Those things that aren't finished aren't all that important.
Tomorrow's the big day and I am ready!

Getting ready.

I'm scheduled to have surgery on my knee again on the 23rd of this month, removing the baker's cyst which has been annoying me for months now!  Yeah!  I don't know how long it will take to recover but I'll have stitches for 10 days.  Soon after that leaves, the raking of them, begin.  Added to that is the winterizing of the gardens and truck etc.  Then we are into the heart of the holidays!  (I'll still be raking until the first week in December, Yikes!)  Anticipating all that I have a pages long list of "to do's!"  Likely I won't finish all of them  but I am making good progress.  Lots of cleaning, cobweb getting, etc-It took three days to really clean the laundry room but boy does it look great! Cleaning isn't just about wiping up for me, it can also be about re-arranging.  Usually I make a huge mess in at least one other room!  (The laundry made two messes, as I had to move things about in the garage as well.)  I've only two things left on the yard list-finishing up the edging by the peonies and tidying up the shed, will finish those this weekend.  Then it's more cleaning!  I've cut fabric to finish 5 quilts-as if I'll finish all (any) of them!  The blocks are made for all but one-"Twisted"- I'll have all the pieces for the tops cut to keep going if I feel like sitting at the machine.  The new sewing room layout makes cutting more of a challenge, first I have to set up the cutting table or raise the table the machine is on, then there's pressing the wrinkles out of fabric that's been folded awhile. I even pulled some backing fabric for a couple.

Anyway, that's what I've been doing, getting ready.

Cooking!

Thought I'd report on my cooking experiments!

First, from the Bread Bible I made Seven-Grain Honey Bread.  This has to be one of the best breads from this book!  Nice texture and crust, it's still soft 3 days later!  Tastes yummy too.

Then from the internet I made Megan's granola, just fabulous! And super easy.

From Eating Well Serves Two I've made:  Grilled Chicken with Chipotle-Orange Glaze and Black Bean-Smothered Sweet Potatoes.  Neither was a great dish.  I only remake great dishes!  I had the sweet potato tonight and I came away wishing for a hamburger!  Of course, I went in wishing for a hamburger!

I'm feeling SO much better!

The meds have gone to work and I am feeling much better-only the knee is still an ongoing issue!
You know I'm feeling better because I'm cooking again! I made a "messy" dinner tonight.  Corn fritters and fried green tomatoes to go with our French Dip, the fritter recipe has hit the recycling!  Too much dough and too bland.  I've started cooking my way though a new cookbook:

So far I've made the Warm Arugula Salad with Chicken and Chevre-Very yummy! Even left over!  Will definitely make it again.

I also finished another quilt!

This is "See What you Started" for Larry's Mom.  The names of all her descendants are penned on it like this:

Although, most do not have birth and death years on it, but only their name.  Robin did a fantastic job quilting it, as usual!  This one has been in the works for several years and I am really glad it is finished! Now to pop it off to her on UPS!

Two more finishes, I'm on a roll!

Last night I took the final stitches in Nora's "Pretty in Pink" quilt! It's big enough for a bedspread now and for a bigger bed later.  I finished the smaller "Cuddle Up" quilt earlier in the week.  I really hope that she and her parents like them!

Again I'm just catching up!

Sometimes I wonder why I write this thing!

This past month has been a bit challenging!  I hurt? my left thumb in July and can not bend it!  Do you know how hard it is to do even simple things without two opposable thumbs?  Added to that it hurts!  I've been to see my hand doc (Love Dr Elton!) , she x-rayed it and it's not broken.  I have a large bone spur in the last joint and she thinks I broke off a bit and it's floating about causing mischief, so one cortisone shot (OUCH!) and I'm wearing a lovely splint!  Looks like a cast, as to immobilize the thumb involves the hand and wrist.  Makes for very interesting typing!  The Splint kept adding spaces so I took it off.  Haven't tried to sew yet, hum, that could provide me with an excuse for not picking up the needle!!!

I have an appointment with the knee doc on Monday, sigh.  Really, I may just have to learn to live with it.

The mold count went sky high and my asthma kicked me in the hinney!  Caused chest pain that made me think I was having a heart attack-nearly headed off to the Emergency Room one night before I thought to try my inhaler.  One day I slept like 14 hours and just sat the rest of the day!  New meds for that!  The good thing about all this rest I got being so tired trying to breathe-my knee quit hurting for a while!

Lastly, in January my Primary Care Doc changed me from brand name thyroid meds to generic (my insurance doesn't cover it) and I've been feeling more and more tired as the months go on, plus the crankies moved in (which I hate), and I could not lose weight!  Even though the numbers where good I went back on the brand name as many people just feel better on it-started it today will see how it goes.

I almost forgot, I had a cardiac stress test yesterday!  Because of those chest pains.  Will hear about that in the next week or two.

Things are getting better, I think, as I'm not waiting for approval for the specialists while in pain.  Perhaps I'll find more things to blog about in the future?

Still have two quilts needing bindings!  I did finish one of the pink ones but will wait to add a photo when the other is done as they are the same pattern.  Those go off to Nora in California.  Other than that I've been re-reading books, napping, etc and getting nothing done!  The house is a wreck!  I have peppers from the garden to freeze and a few tomatoes to do something with.  I really must get my act together!!

Missouri State Fair!

I went to the Missouri State Fair yesterday.  I had never been, not even when I was in 4-H and exhibiting things did I go.  I might not have gone but the weather has been so lovely and cool for August and I needed to get away from home for the day.  It's about an hour drive to Sedalia, home of the state fair, then I had to find it which wasn't at all hard.  Admission is charged but when I started to pull out my wallet I was told it was free for me.  Huh?  Women in Agriculture day, all women get in free!  So free admission plus free parking, not a bad deal.  I was a bit disappointed, I somehow expected more.  It's an agricultural fair and so I expected to see animals, lots of different animals, but no.  The sheep had already been judged and taken home and the goats had not yet come, the poultry was gone but there were several hundred rabbits!  So of those duds are BIG, and how does one choose a "Best in Show" for a breed of rabbit?  There were only four kinds of horses on the grounds; Belgiums, Percherons, Halfinlger and Gypsy.  The Gypsy were why I choose Thursday, so I got to see the Gypsy horse show.  Then I went to the horse barn and met a few in person as well as their owner from Thorn Hill Farms.  I drive past Thorn Hill every time I go to Beth's house and I've fallen in love with these gorgeous animals!  They were bigger than I thought but much smaller than the Draft horses-Belgiums and Percherons are HUGE-and traditionally were used to pull the Gypsy traveling wagons.  They have a really gentle disposition too.  Just a beautiful up close and personal!

I walked through the exhibit buildings, saw some quilts-one made by the woman do does long arm quilting for me!  Just beautiful.  Again, it seemed like there were fewer entries than could have been expected but I don't have a frame of reference.

I ate fair food!  Corn dogs, corn on the cob and funnel cakes! No fair is complete without those, although I can say for sure I won't be buying a funnel cake at Santa-Cali-Gon!  Too much sugar=headache.

All in all, I certainly won't go every year but I might try the Iowa State Fair!  It's supposed to be the biggest and best of all!

Finally, I finished something!

I began this Holiday Quilt last January while I was participating in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  The top was finished that month and I even had the binding ready.  I spent a few months hunting backing fabric (and why is that SO hard for me) then it all hung on a hanger for several months until I decided to send it off to a longarmer for quilting.  It came back like two months ago! I finished sewing the binding down last night, so HUZZAH!

 Here's a close up of the quilting!  Robin does an amazing job!

 And a close up of one of the blocks!

So I can add it to the finished side bar and work on the next one!  I have three more that need binding, two just need the binding stitched down.  Hope to be photographing them soon!

Garden experiments

Every year I fool around and experiment with growing something from something I brought home from the store.  Last year it was a pineapple plant from the top of a pineapple.  I started with two, one took and even though I tried to kill it over the winter it is still growing.  I started another one, but it isn't ready for a pot yet.  This year I decided to try growing the seeds from citrus fruits and cherries.

These are lemon trees.  I have no idea but I think 30 or 40 seeds sprouted! They will need to be thinned and repotted soon.  Lemons anyone?  Unfortunately, the cherry pits and the tangerine/clementine seeds have not sprouted.  Oh well, it only took a little time and the use of a pot!

Cross-Stitch update

I haven't posted one of these in a very long time!  When last you saw Bri's stocking it looked like this:

 Now it looks like this!

I can't say that it's finished as I am having difficulty finding the green(or red) cording I use as trim on the edges and to make a loop.  I'm hoping that as Christmas trims become more available I'll be able to find some.  When I do I'm buying enough for the last three!

I plan to get the threads, fabric and pattern for Kolby's out tonight, I hope to have it done by Christmas. Notice I said HOPE!

Progress and other stuff!

One month ago today I got on my bicycle for the first time in 40 years (give or take).  The first two days weren't pretty.  I wobbled, I had little control, I was slow as molasses in January and I fell every time I tried to stop or go over a bridge.  I maybe made it one mile.  Today I rode my 6th day at 10 miles, tomorrow it will be 12.  I'm steady and in control (mostly, although I won't do really tight squeezes!) I ride at 10 mile per hour, don't fall and mostly don't cringe in fright at narrow openings or tight curves.  I am so proud of myself!  I just keep getting on the bike and riding, it's fun!  Although the 10 I do now is still a far cry from the ride in September I really think I'll be able to do it.  Confidence comes from all sorts of places.

I've finished un-sewing a quilt which should have been done eons ago and once it's pressed and the batting cut properly it will go off to my long arm quilter.  Then I can send it off to Larry's Mom and mark another one off the list.  Shhh, I still haven't sew down the binding on the other three quilts, Shhh.

I'm down to the last star on the English paper piecing secret now know as Scott's Rhombi, there are a few fill in pieces and then I'll quilt it (by hand).  Must remember to order black batting.  

I'm working on a storage piece for the guest bedroom.  I started with an old chest on chest-forgot the before photos, oops.  Took out the drawers and the shelves that held them so that I ended up with two large areas.  I painted the inside yellow and the outside turquoise!  I've always wanted to do something like that but someone was always negative about the idea-now I just did it.  Figured the worst thing that could happen was I'd have to paint it white.  Now I'm working on the drawer fronts turning them into doors.  We'll see how well I create the image in my head!  Oh, and I have to replace the back on the top part--I poked BIG holes in it getting it off the work table.

Tomorrow, after my ride I plan to begin re-painting the guest room.  All so I can make "Twisted" for that bed!

The heat has found us, we've had a lovely coolish summer but the 90's have come and are here to stay. Oh, and that wet stuff that falls from the sky?  That rain stuff I was cursing not that long ago?  We haven't seen any in quite a while, sigh.  This afternoon it thundered all around but no raindrops fell here.  It did rain at Rob and Tanya's though she had just had the car washed!  I wonder if it would work for me?

Busy, Busy, Busy

I've become really busy, not quite sure how it happened.  Monday through Friday I get up at 5:30 (yes that's in the AM) and Quinn and I are out walking by 6 AM (that's before breakfast)  .  We walk over to Waterfall Park and back, a bit over 3 miles, takes about an hour (depending on how many times Quinn must stop to sniff!  I'd do it on the weekend but there are softball tournaments in Adair Park (we walk though there on our way to Waterfall) and by 7ish when we are coming home the players, coaches and parents are beginning to arrive and their driving makes it dangerous for Quinn and I.  I have breakfast then load up Annie (my bicycle) and head for the Little Blue Trace to ride, I ride Wednsday through Sunday.  This week I'm riding 8 miles each day, next week it will be 10.  I am training to ride in the Buffalo Classic September the 8th--35 miles.  I'm a little nervous.  I hadn't been on a bike for 40 years, give or take a year or two, and while it's true you don't forget how one's control isn't too great!  I fell many times, just trying to stop and get off the bike, running into the walls of bridges etc.  Now, though I'm much better-I even shift gears! And I like it!  When I get home I do a bit of garden work, which has come down to weeding and watering, then a bit of work on whatever "Messy" project I have going on.  Right now I'm redoing a chest for the extra bedroom.  Then I shower and do housework, practice the piano and guitar and stitch.  I will admit the days I both walk and ride I am REALLY TIRED!!! Somedays, I even have a nap.  Two days a week I do volunteer work-one afternoon at the National Frontier Trails Museum tidying up the archives, and one afternoon at the Jackson County Historical Society putting the accession register on the computer.

This past week there has been a "Gotcha Day" party for Ethan and Independence Day, both full of Festivities.  My brother flew in from Denver for "Gotcha Day" and I had a lovely day with him.  He's the one who got be started on this bike ride--he will ride the 100 mile loop.

Tomorrow, Rob and Tanya will come for dinner as it's my week to cook.  I'm grilling, should be interesting as the "menfolk" have always been in charge of that!

Right now, I going to kick the cat out of my chair and stitch the evening away!

One more post!

Three in one day!  I must feel chatty!

I have, as you know, an old (16) yellow cat named Simba and an almost 2 year old Sheltie named Quinn.  They are a source of some entertaining times!  Quinn will wrestle Simba to the ground any time she can and tries to herd him back to the house when he goes outside.  Simba never does more than grumble at her and he has claws!  I have a large stainless steel bowl in the kitchen for their water and this spring I added a smaller stainless steel bowl for water to my bathroom as Quinn sleeps in my room and I moved her crate and it's water bowl to the basement.  They have both decided that the preferred bowl is the one in my bathroom!  I have seen Quinn walk right past the big one in the kitchen, walk down the hall to drink out of the one in the bathroom, but that's not the truly funny thing.  The other night Simba was drinking out of in and Quinn comes in, lies down on the floor and patiently waits her turn!  I have a line for the water dish in my bathroom I wish I'd had my camera!

I'm off now for the shower, after a 3 mile walk with Quinn, a 6 mile ride on my bike and yard work I'l stinky!

A Mini Quilt-Shop Hop

After the Adoption hearing and lunch yesterday I took off across northern Missouri on a Mini Quilt shop hop.  The first place I stopped was closed and for sale, I later learned it shut down last year, bummer.  The Second was Missouri Star Quilt Shop in Hamilton Missouir.  Where I bought some of the fabrics for this:

Sideways-can't seem to fix it!

Then it was on to Quilter's Harvest in Higginsville.  I've been here several times and always liked it but she seems to be downsizing if not considering closing, bummer so I only bought fat quarters.

Then I visited a new on in Blue Springs, very small but I think they plan to expand if it goes. I bought the last fabric for Twist and a fat quarter here.

New Fabrics for twist (I already had the turquoise and I still need the black but it never happens that I find all the fabrics I'm looking for in one day! Some of these may not make the final quilt and some of those colors aren't quite right!  The one that looks red is actually raspberry!)

Then the fat quarters-I'm collecting blues and reds for future quilts.  Altho, this red was bought just because it was cute!

After that I picked Quinn up at Camp Bow-Wow and got home for a late dinner!  Then I mowed the lawn, and fixed the lawn mower.

A Garden Tour

It's been weeks and weeks since I showed you anything from the gardens.  I'm at the weed, water, repeat stage in the gardens, just hoping the heat doesn't get to things too much!  Today's actual temperature to be in the mid 90's with "feels like" temps over 100.   Now, just a few photos.

New water feature, since this was taken I've moved a few herb pots down to the right side.

Bush green beans beginning to flower

Green peppers-the plants look peeked but they have peppers

Arkansas Traveler tomatoes.  1 of 9 varieties I planted.

Cucumber blossoms

Peas and lettuce both about to lose to the heat!

Blue Larkspur and pink Foxglove

Yarrow!

Gotcha Day!

I'm way behind on posts and I'll try to get caught up but I could not end this day without this post.  Today was "Gotcha Day" for my daughter, Elizabeth/Beth/Libbie, and her family as a final date in court brought the verdict-"Adoption approved!"  A little guy who really joined the family last July is now Braxton Ethan Thomas Eiman!

The Eiman Family!  From left to right:  Kolby, Lucas, Brayden, Beth, Ethan and Judge Robb!

It's been a long year of many hoops to jump through, many days of wondering and worrying if this day would ever come and now he's ours, FOREVER!!!!!

Living with a cat!

Simba approves of the new office arrangement.  He especially approves of the easy chair I brought in.

He's less happy when I make him move so I can actually sit in it!

Catching up, again. Sigh.

I seem to keep myself so busy that I just can't think!  Truth is, I've been doing too much and have exhausted myself so I'm taking some down time.  Thought I'd use that to play catch up again.

I've been spending most of my days out in the yard.  How can there be SO much to do?  It's not like I started from scratch.  On the plus side it looks like it's going to be a good year for tomatoes!  I'm down to the last three hard scape jobs-a short run of edging, a very short wall (like 3 bricks) and the redo of the firepit so it's flat.  The redo of the air conditioner pavers is done, praise be to all the Gods!  It's not perfect but it's much better than before.  I have begun the weed, water, weed cycle but that I break up into small pieces which is good because we went from the 70's to the 90's.  The air conditioning is on and will remain on now unless we are forecast several days in a row of the 70's again.  It takes so long to cool the house and get rid of the humidity that I won't be turning it off and on (I do open the back door until it kicks on in the mornings.)

In the midst of all this yard stuff I decided to re-organize my office/sewing room.  What can I say, there was just too much in this tiny room, a whole lot of it had to go!  I took all the big boxes of fabric, along with the shelving unit they live on, to the garage.  Really how often do I get into those boxes?  The garage is not that far away.  Then I took down the ironing board which seemed to have become a permanent fixture, and the cutting table (again, how often to I cut fabric?)  The table and the lifts to make it taller are in the closet with the ironing board and the two, four drawer file cabinets.  This gives me room for a comfortable chair to sit in while I watch a movie and stitch.  Something I have really been missing since I turned the extra bedroom into a guest room (not that that project is finished.) Almost all the book shelves were re-arranged, the tv having it's own shelf as does the printer.  Most everything has been put away now and I have much more "elbow room!"

Today, I made lemon bars and from scratch lemonade with some lemons I bought a couple of weeks ago (needed using up) I don't much care for the lemon bar recipe, and it is so sweet it gave me a sugar headache!  The lemonade is really good, and not too much work, so I'll likely keep that recipe.  I also whipped up some "Gardener's Hand Scrub"  from a tutorial I found on the Tip Junkie's site (see my sidebar)  just sugar and dawn dish detergent with Olay in it.  I really like it, super simple to make up and really gets the ground in dirt out of this gardener's fingers!

The Doctor's attempted to drain the Baker's cyst in my right knee last Friday but the filling was too thick for the needle.  They did inject the cyst with cortisone hoping it re-absorbs on it's own.  Most days it's better, I think.

That's the news.  I'm off to make some Hill Country Spring blocks next!

Hill Country Spring!

On the design wall.

Twelve out of 90ish! Only 20 more days and all the blocks will be done, Ha, Ha!  I think I like it.

I've also been back stitching on Bri's stocking, nearly done with that.  I have to add her name and sew it together then I'll be down to only 3 more stockings!   (Unless some more children make their way into our lives and that's doubtful.)  I'm going to take a breather for a month after this one is done before I begin Kolby's.  Just too many projects going at the moment.

I managed to clear off the kitchen table so I can add the binding to the three quilts I had machine quilted.  My little 4 footer in the sewing room just isn't big enough.  Maybe I can get that done on at least one of them tomorrow.  Heaven knows it's still too wet to do much of anything outside.  I am headed to Beth's tomorrow to hang a "flagpole" in Brayden's room with his MIZZOU flag on it.  I'll take pictures!

More Rain!

Yesterday it rained nearly all day, this morning before dawn the thunder storms moved in and it began raining, again.  Rained most of the morning.  You know that hole in the ground where the pavers go, full of water again!  The ground is so saturated it's not soaking in, sigh.  I took the snow shovel and pulled water towards me onto the drive but there's still an inch or so.  Tomorrow I'll get out the small fountain pump and pump it out in the fond hopes that it will dry enough to work on it, if I can just get the dirt level and the sand in then the pavers can go in even if it rains.

I have blocks up on my design wall again!  I intended to include a photo but the battery's dead and the memory card is somewhere on this desk!  It's another Irish chain, it's been cut out for at least two years so it's time to get it finished.

Well, I'm going to go get Miss Quinn and shower off her belly and feet now so she'll dry before bedtime!  There's so much mud on her it looks like chocolate syrup going down the drain!  Then I'll put a movie on downstairs and at least look at my projects down there!

Let's catch up!

Finally, I can say that all the plants are in the ground!  A lot of weeding (gotta pull out the Creeping Jenny and over-large violets as well as plantain, dandylions, wild strawberry, etc) and some hardscaping to do.  I began the redo of the air conditioner pavers-not level, held water, weeds etc- and then the heavens opened up and forgot to turn off the spicket!  It rained most of the day on Monday and began again last night and didn't stop until about 4pm today!  It may have rained in between-I forget.  That's a LOT of rain.  So the space now empty of pavers is full of water for the second time, as there is no way for the water to get out I have to wait for it to soak into the ground and dry out.  That may take days and there is rain in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow then next week, sigh.  Oh well, at least I'm not having to water!  I'll take new photos on Sunday as that will be just at two weeks since the last, there's been a great deal of growing going on!

All the rain today did give me the chance to clean house-oh joy.  It looks better even if I didn't finish.  It's hard to keep clean when I have all the windows open and the breeze (read wind) carries in dust!  Not to mention the dirt Quinn and I bring in-Simba too now that I think of it as he's taken to going out in the yard daily rolling about in the grass and dirt!

It also let me finish cutting the strip sets for Hill Country Spring!  I've been cutting them a little at a time but I finished up today.  I may even sew a block or two together this evening!  What a shocker.  It'll be too wet to do anything in the yard tomorrow even if it doesn't rain anymore so I'll finish up in the house and sew some more.

I went with Tanya today to put deposits in for the venues for the big wedding next May.  They finally found something reasonable and relatively close together, now we have to brain storm the decor!  So the really big things are done!  Dress-check, Venues-check, Guys suits-check.  There's a long list yet but we're working on it!  She is understandably excited!  I have more to do on this wedding than any of the others.  Even though I am technically the Mother of the Groom (no 3) this Bride is really an adult orphan and has lived with me for 7 years and calls me Mom (thinks of me as Mom too) so I'm doing some of the Mother of the Bride things.  (Beth and Lucas met us all at a Bed and breakfast where everything was provided, so the most I did was pick out a dress for me!)  It will be fun, I think!

The Vegetable gardens!

It feels like all I've done since I've been home from Denver is work in the yard and gardens!  The oh so late spring really set me back so I've been trying to catch up on two months of gardening in May!  There is, finally, some light showing at the end of the tunnel.  The Dandylions are under control-mostly.  The veggies and flowers are planted-at least the ones I've bought.  On top of that I took everything out of the garage on Saturday, last, and hosed it out returning things in a more orderly fashion.  While that was in progress I also cleaned out my yard storage shed as I discovered things in the garage that went to the shed and vice versa! The garage isn't quite back in order but I'm making a bit of progress each day.

I'm not finished in the garden but here are some photos:

The vegetable beds.  The one you can barely see is tomatoes, peppers and marigolds.  The near one is peas, lettuce and bush beans.  I have 10 tomato plants total-maybe I over did it?

The sunflower bed.  There are four varieties of sunflowers, heights from 4 feet to 12 feet!  As well as some pole beans.  They are barely up-look close!

The flower and herb bed!

I'm not finished, sigh.  There is some hardscaping to be done, short walls, edging and a walk to be built.  The rest of the vegetable gardens need fenced as Quinn likes to take short cuts through them!  Also, the little Skinks (lizards) like to hide in the rocks and they drive her nuts! The pad in the front that I built in 2009 for the bench Larry made for me is being taken out.  Sadly, the bench has deteriorated to the point that it must be retired and rather than replace it I've decided to take out the pavers and reuse them elsewhere.  Then that area I'll fill with plants-which I must first go buy.

 Now, I'll have to get caught up on the house work and the million and one things that need to be repaired!

I'm so tired at night I don't dare stitch for fear of just having to pull it all out!  Soon though, it will be really hot and Quinn and I will be inside in the air conditioning.  Right now we are both enjoying the nice weather and being outside.