Happy Halloween!

 

Happy Halloween!

Have a great day!

I Like Thursdays: October 28, 2021

 Welcome to another edition of "I like Thursdays" hosted by Lee Anna at Not Afraid of Color!  Join us to share positive news and visit other bloggers as well!

The best news of the week is I'm going to be a great-aunt again!  My niece Maggie is pregnant and due with a little girl in May.  Maggie has two stepchildren that we adore but we are gaga about having another baby in the family!  Her best friend (who we have known all her life) is also pregnant with twins!  Time to make baby quilts!  Yeehaw!

I find baby quilts freeing these days.  Not so long ago, I would inquire about the colors and theme of the nursery.  But now baby quilts aren't even used in the crib for the first year of life.  Often parents use the quilts to lay the baby on for tummy time or other activities in the main part of the house.  So I am just going to go with the flow and check out if I can make some quilts with fabric I already have in my stash.

Mom is still in the hospital but moving to a rehab today.

Today I'm grateful for what my kids used to call "the dreaded low voice."  They knew that when I used that voice they were in deep trouble and I meant business.

The most exhausting part Mom's situation is getting doctors to listen.  She's got an ongoing condition where the entrance to her stomach closes.  The orthopedic hospital wanted to release her even though she couldn't keep down food, couldn't void, and her bowels weren't functioning.  To compound the issue she had just received a hip replacement and has severe osteoporosis.  By Monday--when the hospital's entire phone service was out of order--I had enough.  I went to the hospital and requested she be moved to a regular hospital.  I was met with resistance by the attending physician who was sure that all her problems derived from the surgery and would be corrected (magically) with time.  At the end of her litany of rationalizations, I used the low voice:

"I want her transferred and I want her transferred today."

Yesterday a G.I. scope proved us right and her stomach entrance had to be stretched slightly (only a small amount can be done at a time).  She'll have another G.I. procedure in 3 months but can at least eat pureed food.

In the meantime, my brother and I are watching Kerry, Mom's dog.  She's been spending more time at our house and hte dogs are getting along a little better.  Kerry is always rooting through my pockets.  It's annoying but I ordered a toy that allows her to dig in the toy instead of in my pockets:

This little chipmunks and log toy has been keeping her very occupied!

I'm so grateful for all of you who have been keeping Mom and us in your prayers!  Many thanks!

Have a safe and happy weekend!

To Do Tuesday: October 26, 2021

 I'm never sure what I'll accomplish in a week and that is why I like to make lists--mental and written ones and that brings us to what I'm doing today...Joining up with the "To-Do-Tuesday" posts that are now being hosted by Texas Quilt Gal. 

Last week's goals:

 I finished my Sunbonnet Sue Halloween wall hanging.  Not a big project but fun!

I'm almost done binding Rowan's quilt!  I'll be glad to get this one done and delivered!

My to do list for next week:

Take photographs of quilts I have completed this year.

Finish Rowan's quilt.

Attach binding to Christina's quilt.

Mom's hip surgery went well but she developed complications and is now in a regular hospital again.  I'll be busy with her care for the next few weeks so I'm taking it easy on goals.

Have a safe and happy week!

I Like Thursdays: October 21, 2021

 Today is "I LikeThursdays" and time to post positive things on the internet!  Hosted by Lee Anna at Not Afraid of Color, join us for today's pick-me-up!

I like the color of these mums at my front door.  For quite some time my husband and I have been debating as to what color we prefer to paint the front door.  I choose the color of these mums, it just pops!  I won't be able to paint until spring but I hope to get a similar paint color in the spring so I can add it to our door!

Butterflies in October!  The beginning of the week was quite chilly so it pleased me to see that the butterflies still visiting our garden!

Another signal of autumn, the geese arrived at the lake last week.  For a few days there were quite a few of them and then yesterday we noticed that the majority had embarked on their southern migration.

I like that my husband took vacation for the next week.  It's going to be a busy day so I'm off to get started.  Mom gets her hip replacement this morning and we are off to help with her dog and some other things.  Have a safe and happy day!

Tuesday's To Do List: October 19, 2021

 

It's been many months since I participated in "To-Do-Tuesdays" blogging.  As I wrote about last week, I was just having too many problems with my hands to commit to finishing projects in a timely manner.  The hands aren't cured but I'm willing to do a list--even if the list takes me longer to complete!

Link up to Texas Quilt Gal to see other fine projects that bloggers are completing!

One thing that is completed are my placemats for our guild's Meals on Wheels drive!  Some are holiday themed and others are not.

To-Do for the next week:

1. Bind Rowen's quilt.  He is the grandson of a neighbor and recently turned 2 years old.  I just started binding the quilt last night and work only 15 minutes a day to keep my hands from getting inflamed.  I know that this will probably take 2 weeks at this rate.

2. Finish my Sunbonnet Halloween wall hanging.  I've decided to machine bind this since it is just a small piece for our house.

This is all I can commit to right now.  My mother is having a hip replacement on Thursday and I know that caring for her will keep me very busy.

Have a safe and happy day!

I like Thursdays: October 14, 2021

 

Today we celebrate the good in life by participating in "I like Thursdays" sponsored by Lee Anna at Not Afraid of Color!  Join us to share the good in the world!

My first like is pretty basic.  I like that I saw the hand doctor last week.  I wrote more extensively about this on my other blog but the long and short of it is I have tendonitis not arthritis.  With steroid injections and a bit of rest, I'm hoping to be back to normal soon!

I love my blog friends!  Then hand thing had me a bit blue because I'm not supposed to go overboard with the use of my hands right now.  I was fretting about finishing my placemats for our guild's community service project (placemats for Meals on Wheels seniors).  

And then magically, Diann at Little Penguin Quilts shared a great link for a tutorial (here) for machine binding  quilts.  I've tried machine binding before and didn't like the results but this process was different.  I gave it a whirl and it worked!  Thanks Diann for referring to that tutorial and thanks Sylvia for a great tutorial!  I tried it on Wednesday and found my first try wasn't perfect but it was acceptable!

I like that the days are cooler.  When it's warm out, I have a brief window of time in the sewing room before it's too hot to work in there.  Now I can sew in the afternoon!  It's great!

Glad to see "Call the Midwives" is back on pbs!  

Wishing you all a safe and pleasant weekend!

I like Thursdays: October 7, 2021

 It's Thursday and time to post the things that have made us happy, grateful, or positive this week!  Join the positive moment by visiting Lee Anna at Not Afraid of Color!

This week I'm grateful that my sewing room is a mess.  All it means is that I'm getting things done as I continue to use up scrap fabric.  Speaking of sewing...

My Pfaff sewing machine is repaired and I just got it back!  I like my Featherweight but there's a lot it doesn't do as efficiently as the Pfaff.  Each year my guild collects placemats that we make for Meals on Wheels seniors.  It's a great way to use up scraps and I have a stack of placemats that I want to use the Pfaff to machine quilt!  

Plus I will finish a  little embroidery that I finished and will make into a wall hanging.  I've had this orange and green odd fabric scrap for years but I decided to use it up this year and made this little sunbonnet:

This week the weather has been warm but cloudy.  It's been pretty good walking weather and Scout and I have been enjoying a walk or two in the park each day!

Anyone who has done caregiving knows what a tough job it can be.  I'm so grateful for my brother Jim who shares the responsibility with me.  

My husband Brad is also a big help and often calms me when I am frustrated.  I'm grateful for the two of them and also my friends who are caring for their elderly parents too.  We exchange ideas, vent, and make each other laugh.

Wishing you a safe and happy weekend!