I finished ds' blooming ninepatch. I think he liked it based on the ear to ear grin and the big hug he gave it.
Quilted by tirane.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Sewing Again
Thursday I decided I needed to "make" myself sew in order to get back in the habit. I sewed together some fleece to give as a gift for a chemo blanket. I just have to fringe and wash it. Last night I sat down and added the final borders on my Spring Breeze and then I made and added the binding to my son's Blooming Ninepatch. Now to complete the hand sewing. It felt good to be sewing again. More pcitures as items are completed.
Here is a picture of the batik love I got in the mail from mamacrafty.
Here are some more detailed shots of the wall hanging my mother made for me.
Enjoy!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
A Wonderful Birthday Gift
My Mother learned to quilt over the past few years. She really knocked my socks off with this gift. I will try to take a better pic.
My Mother learned to quilt over the past few years. She really knocked my socks off with this gift. I will try to take a better pic.
She embroidered, used a twin needle and gathered borders. She quilted it herself. I am SOOOO proud of my Momma and she asked that I hang it over my bed in my apartment. Her wish will soon be granted.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
I disappeared again
That was not my intention. But my string of bad luck seems to continue. After my fun day on town I was hit with an eye infection and a few more "sores" popped up. Monday I had a tummy bug strike me down. Sent me home for a loooong nap to recover. Went to the doc the next day and he gave me more meds. He warned me to watch for side effects from the antibiotics since I have been on them for over 30 days straight now. I am watching.
Wednesday I got a call from dh that he was heading to the ER again. He thought he was having the same issue he had last time. I made another mad dash home. He was out by Friday. They gave him more meds. When he got out he still had gut issues. I arranged to stay home this past week just in case. When he was in the hospital they did a heart cath that they had planned to do. He has a heart issue that he needs to get resolved and is off the transplant list until it is. They think it will be July or August and feel meds can manage it.
My Dad started his second round of chemo. It went better this time than it had the first time. My Aunt Fran, his sister, has been in the hospital for several weeks and Dad was struggling with this. He didn't want to go to the hospital after his chemo for fear of catching something. He had a test scheduled at the hospital she was in and did manage to go by. It took a long time to diagnose her but they finally told her pancreatic cancer. She was given three months last week and passed a week later, this past Thursday. Dad was having his second chemo during this. I know he is stressed. To add to the drama I have a bachelor Uncle that lived with Aunt Fran. There was a family agreement that he would move in with my cousin if something happened to Aunt Fran. This cousin assured my Aunt Fran's kids that she would keep her promise. Later that same evening she called Dad to say she would not be honoring this promise. Now Dad is trying to figure out what to do. Neither of my parents have the greatest health and my uncle does not know how to cook or wash his clothes. Dad told Mom he wished he didn't have cancer as he would take himin. Mom didn't say anything since she would have to carry the extra load. We will see how this plays out.
So on a happier note. DS passed his permit test. He won't get his permit until I have gone back to Monroe. I can't wait to take him driving. Acually I have mixed emotions. Fear and happiness! LOL! And, last week, my little baby shaved his face for the first time. He isn't old enough to be doing that!
That was not my intention. But my string of bad luck seems to continue. After my fun day on town I was hit with an eye infection and a few more "sores" popped up. Monday I had a tummy bug strike me down. Sent me home for a loooong nap to recover. Went to the doc the next day and he gave me more meds. He warned me to watch for side effects from the antibiotics since I have been on them for over 30 days straight now. I am watching.
Wednesday I got a call from dh that he was heading to the ER again. He thought he was having the same issue he had last time. I made another mad dash home. He was out by Friday. They gave him more meds. When he got out he still had gut issues. I arranged to stay home this past week just in case. When he was in the hospital they did a heart cath that they had planned to do. He has a heart issue that he needs to get resolved and is off the transplant list until it is. They think it will be July or August and feel meds can manage it.
My Dad started his second round of chemo. It went better this time than it had the first time. My Aunt Fran, his sister, has been in the hospital for several weeks and Dad was struggling with this. He didn't want to go to the hospital after his chemo for fear of catching something. He had a test scheduled at the hospital she was in and did manage to go by. It took a long time to diagnose her but they finally told her pancreatic cancer. She was given three months last week and passed a week later, this past Thursday. Dad was having his second chemo during this. I know he is stressed. To add to the drama I have a bachelor Uncle that lived with Aunt Fran. There was a family agreement that he would move in with my cousin if something happened to Aunt Fran. This cousin assured my Aunt Fran's kids that she would keep her promise. Later that same evening she called Dad to say she would not be honoring this promise. Now Dad is trying to figure out what to do. Neither of my parents have the greatest health and my uncle does not know how to cook or wash his clothes. Dad told Mom he wished he didn't have cancer as he would take himin. Mom didn't say anything since she would have to carry the extra load. We will see how this plays out.
So on a happier note. DS passed his permit test. He won't get his permit until I have gone back to Monroe. I can't wait to take him driving. Acually I have mixed emotions. Fear and happiness! LOL! And, last week, my little baby shaved his face for the first time. He isn't old enough to be doing that!
Sunday, May 03, 2009
I Stayed In Monroe to Rest from the Road
First I went to the LQS. I saw 3 of the ladies from guild that I met last month. The next meeting is coming up this week and I can't wait. It is fun to get together with ladies with common interests.
I was waiting for a friend to call me to go to Antique Alley so decided to take a little detour. Have you been watching Judy pine for chickens? Well I have been pining for a rooster. Pining for a looooong time! Look what I found!!
I had wanted a ceramic rooster. A BIG one. But I had a change of heart because my things tend to get broken by some incident. I had two different roosters in my cart but this one won out due to the color. While I was there I added to the few small decorations I have around the apartment. I bought the orange one to add with the butterfly and bee.
This gazing ball was hard to pass up. For now it sits in the corner of my living room in the sunlight. Beautiful!
I left there and went to Antique Alley. Roads were closed off for a car show. It makes it hard for me being new to the city to navigate but I found my way. I went to at least a dozen shops. Fun. Bought mother a Mother's day gift. The wonderful lady gift wrapped and wrapped to ship it for free! I then went and added to my collection. Vintage costume jewelry.
I went home for a little while and had something to eat and a rest. I had promised dd I would go to the mall to pick up some shoelaces she wanted. I remembered seeing some candles that I love. If you like a good candle check out Circle E. I loved this fragrance so much I bought the biggest jar for my mother and I. I burned through mine quickly. Every time I go to Mom's I light this candle first thing! Here it is.
I was busy but this break helped restore my spirit. Thanks for stopping by!
Friday, May 01, 2009
So Here Is the Story
I contemplated to tell or not to tell. I decided since I goaded you I should tell.
About three weeks ago I popped up with an abscess on my nether regions. I have been battling this issue since October and usually a round of antibiotics does the trick. This time has been a bit tougher. I took antibiotics for a week and then started having spots show up on my stomach and legs. I had had MRSA in October too and these spots looked a lot like that. I went to the doc and he put me on two more weeks of antibiotics. Even after seeing the doc I had more spots pop up on my back side. I am about 5 days away from being done with the meds and all the spots have finally come to a head except one that is right on my butt cheek. So it has been agonizing to sit for any length of time. Imagine being at work all day then coming home and sitting. I didn't want to do it and was miserable trying to get comfortable. Then imagine a 4 hours drive home 2 x each weekend. Well get ready for the hard part.
I saw the doc on Monday and the Saturday before I was at my sewing group. On the way home it was raining and I noticed that my rear windshield would not come clean. I made a mental note that I needed to replace the wiper blade. I made a few stops on the way home and after my last stop I noticed a sound that I knew was not good. I went to the garage I like to use and ultimately they discovered that my engine was completely empty of oil. I contacted the dealer and got my car up there via a tow. They thought it was only a hose but would thoroughly check it out. I told them I really needed my car Monday and they delivered! It was ready by 9.
Last Monday the 20th (I usually come home on Sunday) I was driving back to Monroe. I had this little cough and just assumed it was allergies. It turned into a killer of a cold. I was sipping cold medicine trying to keep the cough and sore throat at bay. Coughing hard hurt...see above paragraph. I decided I would just stay in Monroe that following weekend so I could sleep and get some much needed rest and try to get over this cold. Monday night I was talking to dh and he told me he had a bad pain in his stomach. I didn't think too much of it as he has pains from time to time. We spoke the next day and he didn't feel any better and could not get comfortable. I told him it sounded like his gall bladder. He called and made a doc appointment and was seen the next day. I got a call at work from dh that the doc wanted him to admit himself. His belly was full of fluid and they didn't know why. I went and told my boss and went straight to the apartment, packed and grabbed lunch as I headed out of town.
Once I was on the road I called my neighbor and told her what was going on. He couldn't drive because he had some vertigo. He wanted to wait the 4 hours it would take me to drive home. I asked her to take him and she agreed. I called him and told him NOT to wait and to go with her to the ER. I complied. I made calls as I went home to arrange for the kids care until I could get home. I got home and rested for a short time. Took care of the dogs and other little things. Then dd and I headed to the ER to see what the situation was. Without going through all the minutiae he was diagnosed with pancreatitis as a result of passing a gall stone that blocked the ducts for both organs. As an added bonus it super aggravated his liver (he is waiting for a transplant) and caused severe jaundice. I have never seen someone literally yellow like this.
I left the ER and didn't go back until Friday when he thought he was getting out. He ultimately was made to stay another day. As soon as I sat down I fell asleep. Miserable. I repeated the visit the next day after he told me he was ready to get out. He was going to be released the doc that needed to release him just hadn't shown up after being paged 2.5 hours earlier. I fell asleep again. DH took pity on me and just walked out. Some call it self-released.
I have had my gall bladder out and in the process knew to avoid spicy and fatty foods. I told him as much and he ignored my advice. For the next 2 days he ate the fattiest foods and complained of not feeling well.....but I digress.
While dh was in the hospital ds complained of not feeling well and thinking he had caught a cold as well. He missed 2 days of school. We tried to get everything under control and thought we had. I returned to Monroe on Sunday. Monday morning ds calls me short of breath and not feeling well. We ultimately sent him to school as it was TAKS testing (state required tests) and we didn't want him to miss them. We also could use the nurse to help us. She assessed the situation and talked to his doctors. He had to go to the ER. With fighting the cold and diabetes he just couldn't keep the diabetes in control. They worked all day on him and had him to the point where they thought he could go home. Suddenly one of his labs went the wrong way and he spent the night after being admitted. He was released the next day and is fine now.
While all the above is going on my Dad started chemo the same day that my dh went to the ER. I was planning to go see him but will not as long as I am sick. It hurts me that I can't go yet. After 4 months of chemo he will have to have his bladder removed. He found out that he has small cell cancer which is very aggressive. They did a scan before chemo and the scan shows the cancer is still contained in the bladder. That is good news.
Dad's sister was admitted to the hospital with some issues. We are getting very poor news. They feel she has cancer but have not been able to identify where it is. They have drained a lot of fluid and are giving her pain management until they can resolve the issue. My dad is bothered that he isn't getting info and really doesn't need to be in the hospital just having completed chemo. He had a blood test and popped by for a minute but that didn't give him much more information than before.
So...this past Monday while dealing with ds we got the news that dh is now #1 on the liver transplant list. While they were in the process of getting him moved up the list they found something abnormal in a heart test. He will be having a heart cath in the coming weeks to see what the issue is. Once that is done, straight to the top of the list. I have mixed emotions here. Once dh has the transplant he will require 3 months of 24 x 7 care. Not constant nursing but he cannot be left alone. I was trying to figure out what we are going to do about this. My job requires that I be here in Monroe. My boss from the consulting firm showed up on Tuesday. He told me he had gone to my boss at the company I am consulting for and arranged for me to work from home once dh has the transplant. Let me tell you nothing made me teary except them working out this arrangement. I am so relieved and appreciative of them for doing this. They said I had proven myself the times I have had to work from home and they knew they could rely on me.
So my plate has been a little overflowing. I have been miserable. But I feel much better and things are improving in many areas here. Thanks for your ear. I can't wait to be able to sew again!!
I contemplated to tell or not to tell. I decided since I goaded you I should tell.
About three weeks ago I popped up with an abscess on my nether regions. I have been battling this issue since October and usually a round of antibiotics does the trick. This time has been a bit tougher. I took antibiotics for a week and then started having spots show up on my stomach and legs. I had had MRSA in October too and these spots looked a lot like that. I went to the doc and he put me on two more weeks of antibiotics. Even after seeing the doc I had more spots pop up on my back side. I am about 5 days away from being done with the meds and all the spots have finally come to a head except one that is right on my butt cheek. So it has been agonizing to sit for any length of time. Imagine being at work all day then coming home and sitting. I didn't want to do it and was miserable trying to get comfortable. Then imagine a 4 hours drive home 2 x each weekend. Well get ready for the hard part.
I saw the doc on Monday and the Saturday before I was at my sewing group. On the way home it was raining and I noticed that my rear windshield would not come clean. I made a mental note that I needed to replace the wiper blade. I made a few stops on the way home and after my last stop I noticed a sound that I knew was not good. I went to the garage I like to use and ultimately they discovered that my engine was completely empty of oil. I contacted the dealer and got my car up there via a tow. They thought it was only a hose but would thoroughly check it out. I told them I really needed my car Monday and they delivered! It was ready by 9.
Last Monday the 20th (I usually come home on Sunday) I was driving back to Monroe. I had this little cough and just assumed it was allergies. It turned into a killer of a cold. I was sipping cold medicine trying to keep the cough and sore throat at bay. Coughing hard hurt...see above paragraph. I decided I would just stay in Monroe that following weekend so I could sleep and get some much needed rest and try to get over this cold. Monday night I was talking to dh and he told me he had a bad pain in his stomach. I didn't think too much of it as he has pains from time to time. We spoke the next day and he didn't feel any better and could not get comfortable. I told him it sounded like his gall bladder. He called and made a doc appointment and was seen the next day. I got a call at work from dh that the doc wanted him to admit himself. His belly was full of fluid and they didn't know why. I went and told my boss and went straight to the apartment, packed and grabbed lunch as I headed out of town.
Once I was on the road I called my neighbor and told her what was going on. He couldn't drive because he had some vertigo. He wanted to wait the 4 hours it would take me to drive home. I asked her to take him and she agreed. I called him and told him NOT to wait and to go with her to the ER. I complied. I made calls as I went home to arrange for the kids care until I could get home. I got home and rested for a short time. Took care of the dogs and other little things. Then dd and I headed to the ER to see what the situation was. Without going through all the minutiae he was diagnosed with pancreatitis as a result of passing a gall stone that blocked the ducts for both organs. As an added bonus it super aggravated his liver (he is waiting for a transplant) and caused severe jaundice. I have never seen someone literally yellow like this.
I left the ER and didn't go back until Friday when he thought he was getting out. He ultimately was made to stay another day. As soon as I sat down I fell asleep. Miserable. I repeated the visit the next day after he told me he was ready to get out. He was going to be released the doc that needed to release him just hadn't shown up after being paged 2.5 hours earlier. I fell asleep again. DH took pity on me and just walked out. Some call it self-released.
I have had my gall bladder out and in the process knew to avoid spicy and fatty foods. I told him as much and he ignored my advice. For the next 2 days he ate the fattiest foods and complained of not feeling well.....but I digress.
While dh was in the hospital ds complained of not feeling well and thinking he had caught a cold as well. He missed 2 days of school. We tried to get everything under control and thought we had. I returned to Monroe on Sunday. Monday morning ds calls me short of breath and not feeling well. We ultimately sent him to school as it was TAKS testing (state required tests) and we didn't want him to miss them. We also could use the nurse to help us. She assessed the situation and talked to his doctors. He had to go to the ER. With fighting the cold and diabetes he just couldn't keep the diabetes in control. They worked all day on him and had him to the point where they thought he could go home. Suddenly one of his labs went the wrong way and he spent the night after being admitted. He was released the next day and is fine now.
While all the above is going on my Dad started chemo the same day that my dh went to the ER. I was planning to go see him but will not as long as I am sick. It hurts me that I can't go yet. After 4 months of chemo he will have to have his bladder removed. He found out that he has small cell cancer which is very aggressive. They did a scan before chemo and the scan shows the cancer is still contained in the bladder. That is good news.
Dad's sister was admitted to the hospital with some issues. We are getting very poor news. They feel she has cancer but have not been able to identify where it is. They have drained a lot of fluid and are giving her pain management until they can resolve the issue. My dad is bothered that he isn't getting info and really doesn't need to be in the hospital just having completed chemo. He had a blood test and popped by for a minute but that didn't give him much more information than before.
So...this past Monday while dealing with ds we got the news that dh is now #1 on the liver transplant list. While they were in the process of getting him moved up the list they found something abnormal in a heart test. He will be having a heart cath in the coming weeks to see what the issue is. Once that is done, straight to the top of the list. I have mixed emotions here. Once dh has the transplant he will require 3 months of 24 x 7 care. Not constant nursing but he cannot be left alone. I was trying to figure out what we are going to do about this. My job requires that I be here in Monroe. My boss from the consulting firm showed up on Tuesday. He told me he had gone to my boss at the company I am consulting for and arranged for me to work from home once dh has the transplant. Let me tell you nothing made me teary except them working out this arrangement. I am so relieved and appreciative of them for doing this. They said I had proven myself the times I have had to work from home and they knew they could rely on me.
So my plate has been a little overflowing. I have been miserable. But I feel much better and things are improving in many areas here. Thanks for your ear. I can't wait to be able to sew again!!