Back Again

 Last week was an off week. I did not have a fever nor felt physically ill in any way. I just felt blah. No energy and even picking up my stitching felt like a major chore! Maybe it was all that awful pollen we have had floating around in the air this season! We had a little rain but not enough to wash all of it out of the air! Our red jeep looks like a lime green jeep with red undertones! LOL

The Grumpy Ol Gazer helped me out with my new organizing system. I love my new storage boxes but something was missing. Oh yeah, my craft storage unit! It had gotten old and just did not work right so out it went and I ordered a new one to replace it. Now everything is just right! I also brought out a smaller basket to keep my current stitches by my chair for easy access.

 

Boy, family history can be exhausting! I am still finding quite a bit of new information and am finding things that I had put aside to work on later on so that is like more new info all over again! I have gotten up to my 12th great grandparents on certain sides and to the Grumpy Ol Gazer's 13th ggrandparents!!  That is a long ways back in time! I decided that I am going to give our Family History several days a week until I get caught up again.

 

Since my last post, we have had a few more dr. appointments, a lot of errands and I got the first of my vaccines after waiting the allotted 3 months since my last infusion! As for my shoulder, this guy wants to do surgery and I just don't know if I like that idea! It doesn't hurt as bad as it first did and I can use it to a certain extent. I have a few more questions and maybe even get another opinion.

 

I pulled out all of my WIPs. OMG! I didn't realize that I had so many! And yet I keep ordering more! LOL. I am embarrassed but I have never let that stop me! I have 2-3 new charts I recently ordered and received that I keep debating on starting. I think I will hold off until June before I pull them out though.

 

Since my lost blog post, I ordered Songbird Sampler by Artful Offerings along with the threads. I have plenty of fabrics so I should be able to find something that will work!

 

I started another SAL with an IG pal. O My Bird by Teresa Kogut. Thank goodness this one will be a s-l-o-w stitch with no plans of finishing up until Mother's Day 2022.

 

Until next time may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

A Slow Week

We had a short break from the hot hot humid days. It was nice while it lasted but those days are back! What's a gal to do? Even though I hate getting out on those super hot days, I love summer for 2 reasons. Watermelon and Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble! I bought my watermelon when I did grocery shopping AND I bought everything I needed to make my crumble! Sort of a cross between a pie and cobbler. The picture is not mine. It is from Pinterest where I got the recipe. By the time I get my camera out, it is almost eaten up! Oh, it is so good and double good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! I also bought everything to make a peach cobbler later this week. 

It was a week of appointments and errands. I was not able to get any stitching done and very little of any thing else because my shoulder is still hurting terribly. At one appointment, the dr. insisted on taking an X-ray. No results yet so I am crossing my fingers for some summertime inflammation.

I did order my threads and have everything I need to start on Ann Tarbox sometime in the near future.

Until next time may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

It's Stitching Time!

I finally have some stitching news to report!  

I was able to finish up The Apostle's Creed by My Big Toe which was an infusion project that I did during my Vasculitis treatments.  

I started on The Our Father by My Big Toe as my current infusion project. I am working on Our Father more often because I don't want it to take 1.5 years to finish like the first infusion project. I am so sorry for all the wrinkles. I did not lay them out very well.

On both of these I changed the colors around. The colors the designs called for were beautiful but I just needed some ZING! Also, I have not used all of the bottom borders because of fabric space and because of the excitement to finish them!

 

I have already picked out my next infusion project and have it kitted and ready to go!

 

I am trying to continue stitching from my stash as much as possible. I bought these because I fell in love with them and letting them sit in boxes unstitched just doesn't do them justice! I buy a few here and there but not as often.

 

My doctor and I decided to re-adjust the time frame on my treatments and since then I am finally feeling more like myself again after battling all of my health issues over the past several years.  I am looking forward to Spring and catching up on some gardening, tending to my roses, growing some tomatoes and herbs, watching my nesting birds, stitching and just "gently" enjoying life again.

 

Thank you all for not giving up on me and patiently waiting for my return. I love my blog and I love my followers! You guys are the best. Until next time, may you have simple days and uncluttered heart.

Life Really DOES Go On!

As many of you know I was diagnosed with a life threatening form of Vasculitis in September 2013. Vasculitis is inflammation of the veins and arteries and can invade your vital organs, depending on what type of Vasculitis you have and the severity.

I still remember the day I was told of the diagnosis and told I should get my affairs in order. My husband and I drove home in a state of shock. I turned to him and said "What did she say that I have? All I heard was life threatening." I had never heard of this auto immune disorder before.

The past several years have been a period of learning for me. Learning that I can't do everything I once did anymore. Even on my good days I have to limit what I do or my body will pay dearly for it. I have learned to listen to my body and know when I need to rest.

 I learned to change my priorities. Knowing that you have a life threatening illness can change everything. You can either live in denial or accept it and move on as best you can. I chose to move on. I have learned to balance my emotions by remaining as positive as I can.

I have learned that things I never thought would happen to me, can and very possibly will because of the Vasculitis. So far this past year I have had cataract surgery on both eyes and a total hip replacement. Both because of the Vasculitis.

I have also learned that the good days are precious and I appreciate each one of them more than I ever did before. I have learned to find joy in the little things that I never noticed before. Each day is blessing for me. It is what I choose instead of feeling grief over the life I left behind.

I am not perfect. I am only human. I still have my bad days when breathing is a challenge or one of my many other symptoms (or other auto immune disorders) rears it's ugly head. Occasionally, I have a pity party where I cry for hours and wonder "why me?".  But when all is said and done, I realize how lucky I am that it is not worse and how grateful I am to still be here.

I still have my stitching to comfort me and keep me calm. I still have my backyard birds to serenade me and I still have my blog that waits patiently for those good days when I can post updates! I still have my faith which only grows stronger every day now. I still have my friends and family who stand by me (even if they don't totally understand it all) because they care. Most of all I have my wonderful husband who helps me, sits with me during treatments and is always there to support me in silence and I couldn't do it without him.

I know this is a lot about me and something that many of you have never heard of before now but if I can touch one person who has it or make one person who has never heard of it aware of it then I have succeeded.

I realize that this is was started as a blog for my hobbies and I promise to keep it that way. Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read about my life. You are all very special to me which is why I wanted to share this with you. 

Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.  

Stitching and Frogging

I haven't been on the computer much recently. My house guest, Mr. Arthur I. Tis has kept me tied up in knots (literally). Each time I do something with my hands, they would cramp up like a clump of twisted vines! I tried out witting him by sneaking in a few chores or stitching here and there but he would soon catch on to my games.

The weather has been just wonderful here the past week! Beautiful Spring like days, temperatures in the 70's or higher and lots of sunshine! A shower or quick thunderstorm every now and then but that's Spring! And I forgot - lots and lots of green pollen covering everything! Ugh. I have ventured outside in the morning hours but come afternoon when it is at it's worst, I hide inside with my stitching (if possible).

I decided that I wanted to finish up several of these smalls I had in my finished pile but where was I going to set up my sewing machine. I used to sew on the kitchen table but the table we have now sits higher and doesn't allow a good view for sewing. I could put a few books in the chair for me to sit on to adjust the problem. No, that would just be uncomfortable. The coffee table? Too low and a cramped space. The computer desk? No available electrical outlets and I hate to unplug anything in that area fearing the whole shabang will crash! So until I find (or make) a place to set up, my small finishing is on hold!

Before the hand cramps started, I was stitching on this wonderfully sweet design by Beth Twist! It is an exclusive design available only to those who participate in her simple rules at Heartstrings Around the World (even though I had to read it several times for it to register). I did change out a few colors since I did not have all the required threads and I was so anxious to start on it! No patience here! I had a little trouble at first with wondering about my color choices, my fabric choice and a herd of frogs invaded my time. Once the frogs left and I got some color stitched into the piece, it has become a fun piece to work on.



I had a hard time deciding on the name to put on this special piece. So many strong and creative women to choose from in our family lines. I kept coming back to my MIL because this verse and the pinks really reminded me of her. I am thinking that I will probably frog out the last line and redo it later when my hands are better as I saw a major boo boo after it was completely done! Why couldn't I notice it sooner?

And last but not least, I thought I would share my TUSAL post (since I can't remember if I am late with it again or not)!



Thanks so much for stopping by! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Ho Ho Ho and Giveaway!

I noticed that my blog has been missing some stitching pictures the past several times I posted! It happens to all of us every so often but I still feel guilty. After all, this is a stitching blog! Thank you for the comments and emails about my bursitis but it happens (too) every so often. Thanks to some TLC and meds it is all better for now!

I have been battling my first cold of the season. At first I thought it might be allergies but once everyone else began sneezing and coughing along with me, I had second thoughts. Out came the quilt my Grandma made for us and I have been sneaking in some naps, wrapped up nice and cozy. There is something magical about this quilt. It even makes me feel better than homemade chicken soup! Oh yeah, she could make a good pot of that, too.

Christmas stitching is showing up more and more on a lot of the blogs. I love these but I seldom do any type of holiday stitching that is bigger than ornament size. Not because I don't want to. The problem is that I know I will not want to put them away for a year! *big slap on the forehead* What am I thinking? I keep my Santa collection out year round! There are several Christmas designs in my stash I have been itching to do for a few years (or longer) and I am working on A Weary World Rejoices (a verse from a Christmas carol). So get off it and start working on them (that's me fussing at myself. lol). I haven't even started yet but the design pictured by NNF is the one I really want to do (first). What do you do with bigger holiday pieces after the season is over?

For those of you who showed concern over my sudden weight loss, I spoke with my Endocrinologist. They will probably do some tests. I was hyper thyroid until 2007 when they gave me radioactive iodine to kill it off. Then I was supposed to do an about face and go hypo thyroid so they could give me medicine to control it. My thyroid levels never went below normal so I was never put on the medicine. I was shocked to find out that hyperthyroidism can come back! It doesn't happen often but it does happen! I have been having some of the symptoms that I had before - just not as bad. Time (and some lab work) will tell.

I think it's time for another giveaway! This time I am going to offer 3 La D Da charts. You are my Sunshine, Merry Sunshine and Mares Eat Oats.They are from my stash but have never been used. One person will win all three. No rules to speak of. Just leave a comment on this post by October 23 and make sure there is a way for me to contact you in the event you win.

Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart!

Life Without Pictures

It feels like I have been gone from life much longer than I actually have. What with what seems like almost a month long string of one thing after another, though, I am back! DH, health issues, storms, dealing with insurance adjusters, running errands, yadda yadda yadda.

After my last post I looked at the pictures and thought I should apologize. I was pooped and didn't take the time to edit and crop them so that you could all see the details of the damage. Unfortunately, Mother Nature wasn't finished with us yet. About a week after the power returned there was a line of severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and hail as big as baseballs balls! I had pictures but DH was playing around with my camera one evening and deleted them before they got downloaded to the computer! Bad DH! Those large balls of hail beating on our roof was a scary sound! There were some trees blown down again and a lot of power outages but luckily our power only flickered occasionally. There have been several other storms move through since then that we have watched carefully but luckily no damage or power knocked out.We were extremely lucky to miss the line of 62 tornados that passed through our state. We had some hard heavy winds but nothing like a lot of other people got. Now all eyes are watching another system that is moving in this week. So far, they are saying it should be milder but Mother Nature is a woman and women are prone to changing their minds! I have heard reports that because of all the odd and unusual weather changes, storms like this will become more common. I realize Spring is a big season for storms but these were definitely not our usual type.

The insurance adjuster came out this past weekend to take a look at our roof and damage that the hail caused. We will be getting a new roof and new gutters for the house, a new roof for the storage building and some repairs to the air conditioner unit. This week we have to take the car in for an assessment of damages from the hail.

DH has gone back to work for now but I don't know for how long. The doctor has put a load of restrictions on him and being the worry wart that I am I like to have him nearby so I can jump into action if need be. He has his good days and his bad days. Unfortunately, even his good days are not as good as he would like me to believe. I have made a few changes around the house so that I can be better prepared should (and probably when) any thing like this happens again.

Stitching has just taken a back seat to all the hull-a-balu going on lately. It's in my basket and each night I look at it fondly then slowly drift off for a short nap! I think I will pull it out again later this week after things (hopefully) calm down a bit more.

I felt so bad about being MIA that I spent a better part of the morning catching up on some blog reading! I just wanted to drop in and say hi. Maybe next time I will have some good news, stitching updates and pictures to share. I learned my lesson about downloading pictures immediately! lol. I have been a good girl and not ordered anythhing new all year so far but after this past month, I am thinking it's time for a little Sherry spoiling! *wink*

Thanks so much for stopping by. Your visits and comments always brighten my day!

Where Did The Sun Go?

While setting up my new 15 drawer organizer, I was happily surprised to see that I have much more fabric than I thought. I still need a few pieces though. Never enough fabric! Here is a picture of my organizer. Not as good a picture as Vonna's but mine is in a cramped little corner of our bedroom. On either side, you can see quilting rulers, mats and frames. On top are storage boxes that contain kitted charts, charts for trading or not yet kitted and extras like ribbon, doilies, lace, ect. Now I need a stitching stand and my very own craft room!

Our wonderful sunny days have disappeared! We are in the midst of cloudy, rainy, foggy days again! Ugh! I. want. my. sunshine. back. Now! I am so tired of wet and cold days! And so is our squishy yard. I don't think the poor ol' ground can hold anymore water!

Harold went in for his last follow up visit yesterday. The doctor released him from using oxygen during the day but he still has to use it at night. He was allowed to go back to work but with restrictions (which is what I had predicted for him) and he will have another test in a week to see if he can do without night oxygen as well.

Thanks for stopping by! I also enjoy your visits.

Signs of Spring

I want to apologize about the past several posts I have made. I know they have been downers because they even depressed me when I went back to read them again! I have had time to rest up some and that "bug" is getting better so I finally feel a little energy coming back. *grin* As for Harold, he is still on Home Health Care but as I have told him, I really think it is only a temporary thing. This whole ordeal has been a wake up call for him and he has quit smoking also. I did tell him to be prepared for some restrictions from the doctors at his follow up but all in all, I think everything will turn out better than he is expecting.

Our snow melted away quickly which was fine with me. It was a pretty surprise and I love the white stuff but I just don't care if it hangs around like I did when I was younger. Here today, gone tomorrow is good by me.

The piece I had started on (and got very little done on) was put aside for now. I just couldn't get the *feel* of it. I still like the design and hope to pick it back up at a later date. For now I am working on another WIP and will post a picture after I get enough progress under my belt.

As I have said before, I want to pack up and move to Hawk Run Hollow! Especially now that I have had a sneak peek of Autumn there! But why can't I start stitching these pieces? Is it the size or just the overall commitment to such a large piece? I have thought of doing it over one on 28 count which would cut the size back a lot. Then I have thought of only my favorite blocks from each one. Maybe doing a long table runner type piece. How about doing each block as it's own separate piece. And then again, maybe I am just thinking about it all too much and should just dive in and get my feet wet with HRH glory!

I have bluebirds building nests in my birdhouses out back! They are always early birds about this and I am surprised they waited this long to start but I am thrilled because last year they just passed my houses over and I had no baby blues to enjoy. When moma and daddy fly away for a break from the kiddies, I am able to sneak over and lift the lid for a better peak. Of course, I always knock first. One year I forgot to knock and Daddy Blue almost flew into my face. Don't think badly of me for doing this. The Bluebird Society even recommends monitering the babies for abandonment or preditors (and count), I never stay around long and they build the sides up so high, there is no way those darlings can fall out. I always put out my leftover floss from projects to help out with the building so it's fun to see my contributions mixed into the nest walls.

Thanks so much for stopping by and listening to me yack away again. I always enjoy your visits. Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Wet and Messy Friday

No new starts for me just yet and the reason will become apparent on into the post. I promised myself that I would not start another big stitch until I had finished at least one of the two big pieces currently in progress. I know what I want my next biggie to be. Now, can I really hold off?

I wish I could say that it looked like it would be another not so eventful weekend. Several family members have been sick, including Harold. It started out yesterday morning when he woke me up while getting ready for work and told me he was dizzy and had a fever so I told him to call in and stay home sick. He had bouts of fever and chills all day but around 3:30 in the afternoon, he began having breathing problems and they only got worse as the day progressed. By 9pm I was begging him to let me call an ambulance (as you remember we did this same thing several months ago and for the same reason). My pleas and watchful eye were only making him more aggitated thus making his problem worse so I went on to bed knowing he would come for me if needed. Sure enough, about midnight he came in and woke me from my very light sleep and I called the ambulance. We were in ER until the wee morning hours before they decided to keep him overnight and sent me on home. I got a needed (but hardly enough) several hours sleep. I will know sometime today whether they are letting him come home or keeping him another day. Depending on today, the doctor even said that Harold may need to take some time off from work. All I know is that it will take me the remainder of the weekend to catch up on my rest just from yeterday's broo-ha-ha.

I will leave you with a close up of AAFG in progress. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by. Until next time may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

New Day. New Start.

Thank you for all the wonderful comments left about my finish of MHIBIG. They were all appreciated so deeply. Our weather has finally gotten up out of the teens and into some more comfortable temperatures.

The winner of the giveaway is Jeni. Congratulations! Contact me with your mailing address and I will pop it in the mail to you this week.

My new glasses arrived over the weekend and I went to pick them up. I was a bit nervous to try them on since this would be the first time I would see clearly what the new frames looked like on me. I was pleasantly surprised! The new frames are a big change from my old ones but change is good. Especially when you are happy with it.

I had some extra stitching time the past several days. Not as much as I would have liked but anything is better than nothing. Right? I am not making a rotation schedule for any of the new/WIP pieces I am working on. I'll just do what I feel like when I feel like it. Makes everything seem much less demanding.

Not much to show just yet but I did get started on AMIAF. Even a little start is still better than nothing! At first I chose a nice piece of 22ct Hardanger but my eyes were really tired from working on this count after MHIBIG so I switched it out for a piece of 28ct evenweave. One of my *uh, duh* moments. After several small stitches, I knew that wasn't going to work either so I am back working on my standard 18ct Aida in Natural. It agrees the best with my eyes thus making it a much easier and more pleasurable stitch (and that's what it's all about).

After I got several letters of the large up top alphabet completed, I realized there was a rhythm to it. Sounds a little funny but it worked for me once I got into it. Now I'm not dreading the rest of the alphabet as much as I was afraid I would. I did see that the large up top alphabet is missing the letter J. I don't know if this is done purposely or not but I'm fine with it. So far, so good! Just one tip about this piece - be sure to have plenty of black floss on hand. This top alphabet really eats it up!

I am doing this piece in memory of my aunt. It just reminds me of something she said to me many times over and I will think of her each time I stitch on it.

I haven't started on the Early Candle Pocket yet but I hope to get that up and going very soon. Something simple and fairly quick should be nice to have in the "pile".

Brrrrrrr! It's Cold Outside!

The temps are in the teens! I'll just stay indoors, thank you very much!

After having Harold home for 2 weeks over the holidays, the house feels empty. I miss him. I really do enjoy having him around. Sometimes we work on our "to do" list which we managed to knock a few items off of, we go out or we just sit around watching old movies and other shows on TV. New Years Eve he wanted to watch a Three Stooges marathon. I never liked the Stooges but this time I couldn't help but laugh some with him.

On Monday, I went to pick out my new glasses! Finally. I have known I needed a stronger prescription and the doctor even agreed by writing one up. I was holding back because of the frames. I like my current frames but have used and reused them to the point that they are on their last go round. The type of frame I wear hasn't been in style for a while. I ended up picking out 4 frames then letting the assistant help me choose by telling me which ones she liked best on me (since I can't see worth a hoot without my glasses). I should have my new glasses in about a week. They will definitely be a big change compared to what I am wearing now and since my eyes are so bad on their own, I really won't know for sure how I like them on me until I pick them up! *fingers crossed*

On a fun note, one of my many challenge layouts from December was a winner over at Category Stories! How neat is that! Also, I thought I would share another corn husk doll with you. This one is a baker. I picked her out of my aunt's collection since I enjoy baking (when I have all the ingredients and no one bothers me).

How many of you are still using stitching rotations? I love the idea but I can never hold myself to them. *big sigh* I love to know how other people stitch, their routines, their favorite fabrics, colors, designers and more. I took some time out to go through my fabric stash and see what might be needed. I hate to run low and running out is just the worst!

Next time, I will post a progress update on MHIBIG. It's coming right along. Five colors in the border and I am almost finished with 1 of them. Till then, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart! Thanks for stopping by!

Postponed

I went to see the surgeon one last time today before surgery tomorrow and he was not happy some of my lab work so surgery has been post poned for the time. I am hoping that my blood levels are off because of all the stress I have been dealing with lately and they will return to normal within several weeks which is when I will have another session of lab work. Surgery has been put off until mid-September for the time being unless something else should (but hopefully not) happen.

Thank you all for hanging in there with me.

Taking a Good Hard Look

As I sit here updating my blog, I am waiting on a phone call from my doctor. It is my gallbladder and I will need surgery. They will have to refer me to a surgeon and so on. I need to let my doctor know that we need to speed this up some! I got word about my dad and it looks like I will need to get back there as quickly as possible!

I told Harold that we need to move some of our birdhouses to the side of our storage building. There are some stray cats that I have been having to "shoo" away from the occupied houses because they are stalking the present tenants! I love hearing all my babies chirping so early in the morning!

There is definitely not much news this morning but the day is still young! LOL. If you get a chance, Vonna's blog is a must read today! She always has a way of helping me put things in perspective about myself and my life! Now, that's a friend!

Thank you all for visiting. I know my posts have been sort of on the down side lately. I am hoping things will begin to look better very soon and I am grateful to you all for continueing to stop by during this terrible slump! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart!

Monday News Flash!

It was a long weekend with more tests and several more "attacks" but it also brought a beautiful rainbow after one of the many storms we had. Everyone (including the doctors) are giving me reason to believe it may be my gallbladder causing the problem but no one is saying anything definite until the test results are in. For right now I am waiting to hear if I will be sent to the hospital sometime this week. I have total faith in my doctors and God above so I am not worried about anything. I just want a solution to this problem because the "attacks" are coming much more frequently now and I really can't travel to see my dad until something is done to fix it!

I am in the midst of getting my next order together and hope to send off for it very soon! I also picked up my current WIP a few times over the weekend and got a little bit done on it but naturally not as much as I would have liked!



Over the weekend, I found a wonderful 50% off sale and these boxes (plus the sale prices) were impossible to pass up! They are in my kitchen and I will use the smaller boxes to hold coupons. I lined the rooster box with some shelf paper and am using it as a bread box. I also have another garden theme small box which I may use for some stitching storage.

Until next time, here's wishing you simple days and an uncluttered heart!

Back Home!

Thank you to all who have left comforting comments about my Dad. Yes, it is hard. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think anything like this would happen to him. I always think of him as a strong, confident, independent person and to suddenly, without any real warning, see him in his present condition is very upsetting. I received a sudden call last weekend that the doctor had said it would be a good idea for the family to come so I have been out of town this past week. Once again, his condition was very touch and go. When I left on Friday, he was beginning to show some improvement but there is still a long road ahead of us all.

And thank you for also leaving comments wishing me well also. This is definitely not a good time for me to be ill. I was able to get in to see my doctor before I left town and he seems to feel that one of my new medications was causing the problem. He has taken me off of it and so far so good! Fingers crossed!

I did not work on my stitching much this past week but I hope to find some time for it this week! I took this picture of my current progress since I haven't posted any of my work in awhile (or so it seems to me). After getting back home from a long and emotional week, I told Harold that I may not be waiting too much longer to get some new stash! I am also thinking of a new start! I know I should finish up the present one first but.........!

Thank you all for stopping by to see me! Your friendship means so much to me especially during these emotional times! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart!

Good News

No pictures today as you will find out the reason why as you read on.

Thank you to everyone who kept my Dad in your prayers. I talked to my stepmother yesterday and his primary care doctor didn't even know about any of this and once he found out, he really got the ball rolling and made sure these other doctors got busy on Dad's case. Both my stepmother and I feel relieved because for so long it was as though the doctors were just sweeping his case under the rug. Now they are taking action! There is still the posibility we may lose him to the cancer but we take one step at a time for now.

The reason there is no picture is that I was not home most of day yesterday so no stitching got done. I spent almost all day in the Emergency Room at the hospital. Harold was convinced I was having a heart attack and I kept telling him no, it wasn't but the pain was still really severe. They did alot of tests and found some things they want me to discuss with my primary care physician next week. Today I just feel really weak and will probably spend the day resting. Thank goodness they did enough testing because they were talking about sending me into surgery!

So for today, dear friends, I will keep this short so I can get back to resting in bed.

Good Morning!

For several months running, I have forgotten to post my goals (past and present). Oh well, for now I need to give myself a break! I will start listing and posting them again in the early Fall.

I hope everyone had a long and enjoyable Holiday weekend! We did some our usual errands and routines but nothing special (unless grocery shopping counts. Nawwww!). We cooked out, watched some movies and enjoyed some neighborhood fireworks from the front porch.

I took some time off from stitching to help Harold with repairs on the front porch rails. We ran into a few minor problems that were fixed easily enough until--------- we realized that the majority of the wood was just rotten and it all needs to be replaced! *big hard heavy sigh* The joys of being a homeowner!

In the meantime, I was able to get some more done on my recent work in progress. After all my bragging about not having any problems with my hands, I overworked them with more yardwork and stitching than usual and both hands had a bad flare up so I had to slow it down a bit over the weekend.

Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart!

Gardens and Needles

I have psoriasis. Not a fun topic but I have it non the less and a pretty bad case of it. I have had it since I was a young child and found no comfort back then when the doctors told me that my children probably wouldn't get it! Of course I am glad now, though. Any hoo, years ago I was in an experimental program for a new medication being used to control this beast. I cleared up -- completely! I wore tank tops, swim suits, dresses, shorts and more with no worry! I chose to leave the program after a year because it was experimental and some of the side effects were pretty spooky to me. Also I was not allowed to get pregnant while taking it and we wanted children. So naturally the psoriasis broke back out.

Many moons later, I go to see my rheumatologist for my aching bones and she diagnoses me as having psoriatic arthritis and puts me back on this same medication! Only now it is no longer experimental and they feel since I handled it well last time I will do wonderfully this time also. I will be clear again! I am having a blast look through catalogs at shorts and dresses and short sleeve blouses!

Oh and it is obviously helping my arthritis too! Since I began taking this medication, I have had not one problem with my hands, fingers and wrists that were always swelling and very tender to touch. I can stitch, garden and even open a jar of mayonaisse with no problems again! Yea! Two benefits!

Speaking of gardening, our tomatoes are out and a couple have some! This year, I decided to mix it up a bit and bought several Heirloom tomato plants also! And speaking of cross stitch, I have been working on my WIP alot more lately so I hope to have some real progress to post next time!

Thank you all for your get well wishes. Both DH and myself are feeling much better and hope to be able totally over this by the time our meds run out and then we schedule a trip to go see my Dad again!

Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart! Thanks for stopping by!

Monday Review

I didn't get any stitching done over the weekend as I had planned because I got a last minute phone call from my step sister asking if I wanted to ride up and see our folks for Father's Day. I have been wanting to see my Dad since he got home from the hospital so I packed a bag and off we went! Unfortunately when I got there I found out that my Dad's health was not as good as I had thought and the news was not good. The next few months will be rocky for all of us to say the least.

I was so tired when I got home yesterday I just rested then went to bed early but I have some extra stitching time coming up later this week so I plan to take advantage of it but for today I will show off another pig from my tiny collection.

Over the past several weeks, we have ordered and watched a few movies on Pay Per View. Gran Torino with Clint Eastwood was the first. I have never been a big Clint fan especially of his westerns but this movie was great! We all enjoyed it and I highly recommend it! The next movie we ordered was The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. I had been wanting to see this. You were able to see WWII through a child's eyes which gave a whole new meaning to war. For those of you who haven't seen it, I don't want to spoil the ending but it was not anything like I was expecting! Definitely another good movie and a must see! I watched this movie several times before our viewing period expired.

Until next time, dear friends, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart. Thank you for stopping by to visit with me and I hope you come back soon!