What a difference a year makes

Well, just one year ago today, I did not know I had cancer!! By this time of the day, I was in a room at St. Mary's Hospital, which is part of the Mayo Medical Complex. Little did I know that is a few days, I would get news that nobody wants to hear. Thank God Tom was there with me, because I really needed to lean on him then. I think he was worse off than I was, because he took it so hard. So much has happened in that year, and I am so very thankful that I am still here to be able to tell about it. Being in remission is wonderful, and a blessing, but what you have to go thru to get to that point is not fun at all. I am now hoping to be more like my old self in about a year more or less. The disease really knocks you for a loop, and it takes a long time to get completely back on your feet.

We went yesterday to the bluegrass festival in Garden City, MN, and that was for our anniversary celebration. We have made it 8 years married now, so we both think it will be a nice long union!! The fairgrounds where the music was held is full of oak trees, so the stage is set up under 2 huge trees that have limbs stretching so far from the trunks, I sometimes feel they will break off. It was wonderfully cool, comfortable, and not many bugs to bother us. The music was great and we got to visit with some friends we had not seen for a few years. All in all, it was a good day. By the time we got home about midnight, we were exhausted, tho, and went right to sleep! Went to the Mongolian Grill in Mankato for our supper, because the food available on the grounds was hopeless. Oh, well, next time we will take our own food in the cooler, so we won't have to drive an extra 35 miles for a decent meal.

Tomorrow I have to drive back up to Mankato for a day of necessity shopping, gotta get stuff for our party in September. You know, paper plates, toilet paper, trash bags, etc. We will be having about 150 people this year, so the trash and garbage really piles up in a hurry. At least we will enjoy the people coming up from Arkansas for the goings on this year, so that will be fun. It has been interesting trying to come up with enough sleeping spots for the people who do not have a camper. Good thing there are places in town for just this purpose, even if there is no motels. We have reserved a small house, to sleep at least 5 people, so that part is taken care of. We have been working on the yard and trees to make it look like someone actually lives here. LOL Poor Tom works so hard keeping up with the lawn mowing in between rains. We had a bit over 4" of rain last Thursday night. What a storm it was, lightening flashing almost constantly. Was glad we were home.

Just wanted to remind myself of the activities of last year, so now I am tired and need to get to sleep so I can travel in the morning. Will be back later today with more words and maybe a new picture. Keep watching.

Quilty hugs,
Ele

My return to blogdom!!

Hi, I'm back!!! Seems like a very long time since I did this, and from looking at the calendar, it is also very true. I have been so busy since we got back from Arkansas, I barely have time to write anything, let alone sit and think about this.

The last time I wrote, I had just delivered that lovely wedding quilt, and loved watching the bride and groom open and examine the quilt. I was happy to have it done and where it was intended to be, as I worked on it for nearly 2 years, even when I was dealing with my cancer. Needless to say, I was happy to have it gone from my house. My basement looks very bare, but I bet I will be filling it up again, with a new, or another old, quilt for hand quilting. I am making a very large dent in my UFO pile, which had numbered about 25 or so. At last count, I have finished up 8 of them, for which I am very thankful for having the energy and time to work on them to completion. Now if I can just find homes for them all.

I have been having a blast lately, making more teddy bears and paper pieced postcards. The cards are for a swap on the Carol Doak site, which I am a member of. Lots of fun stuff going on there, and I find I love p/p more every time I make a new block. Talk about addicting!! LOL

Had to go to the doctor today, for more info on my diabetes. I have been having horribly high glucose readings, first thing in the morning, after a full nights sleep. I got scared about that, because they should not be that high. He told me that my body was not getting the correct signals from my pancreas and liver, concerning the insulin inside me, thus the high readings. He put me on a generic medicine to help fix that problem, so hopefully, it will help. Will have a couple of months to find out. I spent the whole morning running around today, and got home just in time to do my stint in the quilt chatroom. Picked up some items I needed to complete one little quilt, which is to be a birthday gift in September. I have been working on this one for about 3 years, and all I have left to do is add the hanging sleeve, then make the decorative rod to hold the quilt. Won't take long, except the painting part, because that has to dry before I can get it all done. I will post a pic when the project is totally done.

I have gotten quite a bit of asparagus out of our small patch this year, and we have enjoyed every single bite. Have just about eaten the first package of radish seeds planted, and am about to freeze spinach, because it is coming faster than we can eat it. Not to worry, we love it fresh or frozen, except that the frozen does not do well in salads. LOL

Have gotten all my yellow petunias planted in containers, and they have started to grow a bit, even tho we need some rain. It is getting pretty dry here, so a nice gentle shower would be very welcome. Not sure if the stuff I planted in the rock garden will make it, but I keep hoping. Something or other has been moving my old hens and chickens around the rock garden, because I keep finding clumps of plants all over the place. I think it is squirrels, but I could be wrong. When Tom took the straw covering off, he knocked one bunch right off the spot it was growing, so I had to replant it. That is the ones that keep moving around. Perhaps those chickens are trying to see or go to the other side of the rocks. They will be really surprised, because there is nothing very good on the other side!!

Have had to pick up lots of branches and limbs from trees, because of all the wind we have had lately. New branches almost every day, so have to be careful out there.

Well, it is late now, and my eyes are trying to slam shut, so will take them to bed now. The Tylenol has started working, so I will be able to sleep, even with my sore legs. I have been doing some block piecing on the old Singer treadle machine, and forgot just how much work that is! LOL I have enough parts now to make a good sized quilt, so the pain is ok!!

More later and hugs for now.

Finally back home

Here is the bride and groom, opening the quilt Tom and I gave as our gift. They did seem to like it, and Sheri cried as she opened the quilt up to look at it. I was proud as I could be, and think they will get much good use of it. The wedding was wonderful, but I nearly had a coronary as I listened to the minister during the service. He was saying nearly the exact same thing I did when I wrote out the quilt label. It was a bit spooky, but then I thought that all the words came from God, so it would be ok. I think the quilt was the only gift opened on Saturday night, because the rest would be opened later, after we had headed home. We drove another 799.2 miles to deliver the quilt, on top of all the miles driven getting back from Arkansas last week. It has been a lot of sitting and riding, but those days are nearly done now, so I will be happy to just stay home for a few weeks. We do have a huge swap meet/flea market to go to this coming weekend, but the weather looks pretty iffy, so may just go up for one day, which would be Friday. The place is about 70 miles from home, so not a real long trip. Might get to stop at Sam's Club on the way back, for some much needed grocery shopping. I ran our food supply down a lot before we headed to Mt. View, so now have to restock. Now I have to get busy with more quilting, so I can work on more of my ufo pile!! I have actually gotten 2 more ready for quilting, as soon as I attach the borders on one of them. The other is ready for sandwiching and quilting, so it will go fast once I get to it. It is a birthday gift due in September. It will be done by then!!


I have some more parts to put together on my Foolish Goose Track BOM, because I missed one whole installment while away on vacation. Got the April part, but have not cut the pieces yet. Hope to work on that tomorrow, but we will see. I also changed some of my hours in the chatroom, so that will be a bit different for me, too. I tend to sit and spread while opping in there, so am hoping by doing less hours weekly will get me outside a bit more, now that the temps are rising a bit. Can't wait to get into the garden. I can hardly wait to crunch into some of our radishes!!


I have not seen any evidence of daffodils in the woods yet, but am still hopeful. I do see some of the bulbs I planted coming up, just not the ones in amongst the trees. The ones on the south side of the house are looking just great, so will be happy with those, I guess. The pretty purple wild flowers I moved to the south side are beautiful right now, too. The little purple ones by the rock garden look like a carpet now, so love to see them out the kitchen window. Looks like the forsythia is starting to turn yellow, too. I love that bush!! Rhubarb is pushing up out of the ground, so a pie will be coming soon! Tom will love that, especially if I add some of the strawberries we get at the swap meet to the rhubarb. Makes a fabulous pie for sure.


Ok, now I am tired, so will wrap this up for now. Am glad to be home, and I apologize for being away from this for so long. Did not have good, steady internet service at the campground, until the day before we left! I was bummed, but lived to tell about it. LOL


Off to bed now, so have a good night and I will see ya later.

Quilty hugs, Ele

I was having fun the last couple of days, making these cute little kitty blocks, which are going to be in a love quilt for a dear friend, who just lost her Mom. She likes cats, so this is the pattern chosen for her blocks. It goes so fast, I could easily make hundreds of them, but I don't know who would want such a quilt. LOL Oh, well, guess that will not stop me from making more. Got a couple of very good suggestions regarding fabric/color choices that I will try to make up later this week, like tomorrow.

I will be able to do that now, because I GOT THE WEDDING QUILT ALL DONE, EXCEPT FOR THE BINDING!!! It is off the frame, and the frame is leaning against the wall, making my basement look absolutely huge!! I did put up thanks to God for helping me get this quilt done, as I worked the time frame out mentally, and I came up with this quilt being worked on for almost 2 years. That cancer really put a crimp in my quilting time, but it is all better now, so God saw to it that I finished the project. Now I just have to come up with an appropriate label for the back of the quilt. I also discovered to my delight, that the backing actually has a bit of pink in it, so it really goes very well with the top of the quilt, which is teal, raspberry, and cream. I just hope that the bride and groom like the quilt.

My sewing cabinet is coming along nicely, and I think it will be coming home about the 18th of April, as Tom and I come home from the wedding in Moorhead, MN. I sure hope I can get some of the mess cleared up before it comes home. LOL

Well, I hope to get some more of my little swap quilt done tomorrow, as we are getting snowed on again. I hate going out in slippery weather, so quilting will be a great excuse for me. LOL
A nice big pot of soup, hot coffee, and quilting, what more does one need to be happy in February?

More later.

Ele

Well, it is now after Valentine's Day. What did you do for fun on that special day? I got to sew, and then we went out for barbecued ribs for supper. Very romantic, huh?? Well, the sauce on the ribs was sorta dark red, so that counts. We show love for each other every day of the year, so don't really need a special day for that.

I did get an e-mail from George, showing me the progress on my sewing cabinet. It now has the extensions and front doors on it. It looks soooooooo heavy, I just hope Tom and I will be able to get it down the steps to my cave. I do know it will get much used. Oh, a good news item!! I worked on a new BOM this weekend, using my FW, but because I can't locate the regular foot for it, was using the 1/4" foot, but that did not work well when trying to do diagonal stitiching for 1/2 square triangle blocks. I set that aside and tried again to make the Kenmore actually sew again. I put some heavier fabric in to sew on, so I could pull it hard if I needed to. Well, it would not sew forward, so I gave the fabric a yank backwards, and after a second or two, I heard the gears shift and it started sewing normally again. I was a very happy camper!

Put the FW away for the trip to Arkansas and finished the whole 12 blocks for the next BOM step. Then I cut pieces for the next lottery block for guild, which will get sewn today. I only have 2 more to make so I will not get behind while we are away. No mail today, so I should be getting a F8 bundle in the mail tomorrow, for a Carol Doak swap. I hope to get those 4 blocks done before we leave, but will have to see how that goes. Got lots of packing, loading, listing, etc. to do before we actually pull out, so some quilty stuff will not get done in the next 3 weeks.

I got a phone call today from the Mom of the bride who is getting the wedding quilt I have been working on for over a year. Needed the grooms name, as the bride changed her mind once before, after I started the quilt. Needless to say, putting the former groom-to-be's name on the quilt now would be ultra-tacky! LOL I now have the proper name, so I can start working on the label. I will be glad to see the last of that quilt, even tho it is lovely. It has been taking up space in my cave for almost 2 years, so it is time for it to go!

Well, it is now time for me to hit the sewing, because I do have to do something constructive today. Might as well be quilting, because tomorrow will be laundry and opping in the chatroom. Oh, ya, I get to be home alone again tomorrow, because Tom goes up to Dundas, MN to work on his steam tractor project. I really do like being home alone, because I get to do just what I want to. LOL Please don't tell him I said that, ok? That goes for you too, Morbida!

Well, I will see you later, have a wonderful day, and keep quilting.

Ele

Test driving a new quilt!!

Here is Edna, trying out her new birthday quilt. She has been bugging me for a green quilt for her, so this is what I made for her. Her big day was on Friday last week, but I figured I had to wait a couple of days, simply because we had house guests that she did not know. I think she looks pretty good laying on her Turning 20 quilt, even at 87 years old. And no, she did not fall asleep and start snoring!! She does do that, however. I got to stay home alone again today, as Tom went to work on the steam engine again. I did my 3 hours in the chat room, then went into town to deliver Edna's quilt, stopped at the post office and the grocery store, then back home. Just after I got home, the doorbell rang. Our renters had come to find out if I could jumpstart their car, as the battery was dead. I did not have cables in the van, so had to go out to the old corn crib to locate the battery charger, which they plugged in and used. Shortly after I came back in the house, they came and said the car had gotten started. It was fun trying to converse with them, as they don't speak much English and my Spanish is what I learned in high school, almost 50 years ago. LOL It was a fun afternoon. Now I am going to the cave, to cut and sew some 9-patch blocks that need to be sent off and received by next Sunday. I hope I can get it all done. All I can do is try.

Quilty hugs,
Ele, in Iowa, where snow is melting

Well, after a very busy, busy week for me, this is a fun moment at the end of the week. On Friday, I had the pleasure of teaching this nice lady how to sew my favorite teddy bear pattern, and here she is, holding her unstuffed, very first project. She made a couple of boo-boos, but after I made her rip the stitches and do it over, she had a nice looking critter to call her own. I sent her home with her very own usable pattern, the instructions for installing the nylon joints to make the arms and legs movable, a catalogue with the necessary supplies for making more bears, and a couple of estate sale chenille bedspreads she can use to make a bunch more teddy's. Joanne said she had so much fun learning how to do this, and she was very thankful to have my assistance. She was an excellent student. Tom said her hubby was an equally adept student, when they were outside in the orchard, pruning the apple trees. Jim has trees at his home in Minnesota that needed pruning, but he did not know how to do it, so he got showed!!! It is a necessary thing to do for the trees, and now he can help his own trees. LOL

Our weekend was wonderfully busy, as was our whole week, but now it is done, and we can get back to our lazy ways for a couple of days, before we start getting our stuff ready for loading into the motorhome, as we are getting closer to our Arkansas departure date. We are hoping the weather warms up some before we actually leave.

Today, we went to Nicollet, MN for the annual fish fry. We have gone on the first Saturday in February for that feast at least 15 years now. It is such a good meal, and we look forward to it all year long. We always meet a group of friends to share the meal with, and this year there were 14 of us, all eating beer battered pollack, German potato salad, creamy cole slaw, warm bread, and excellent coffee. Nobody went away hungry, I just know. After we eat that huge meal, we go around the corner and hit the famous meat market, to stock up on smoked summer sausage, made at the meat market. That is very good and this year we got a jalapeno flavored sausage that has a real zip to it. Should be wonderful on crisp crackers.

When we got done with all that, we headed to Mankato, MN to get Tom's glasses fixed. He lost the nose pad part of his specs, and we could not find how to repair them ourselves, so he put them on the dining table for about 2 weeks, knowing we could get them worked on today, so he wore an old, very scratched pair, and they are not good for his eyes any longer, so he was not doing well with reading and such. Now he is happier, because he can see again. They must have been in very bad shape, because the repair took almost an hour at Vision World! I think the girl working on them learned a couple of new words while working on them. One lens kept coming out of the frame, every time she was cleaning them before handing them back to Tom. She did some very bewildered frowning a couple of times, but was pleasant most of the time.

Left there and headed to Blue Earth, MN, so I could pick up my prescription refills at Wal-Mart. I also got some fusible interfacing to use for stabilizing some tender chenille I want to use to make a few teddy bears from. It is yellow and lovely, but very easily torn, so in order to make it a bit more sturdy, I will use the fusible, which will strengthen it a lot. I also picked up another box of my Mango/Peach tea, which is heavenly. I love the aroma of it while it steeps.

We left there and headed home finally. Seemed like forever since we were home, but it was just a few hours. lol Was glad to get home, as I really wanted to get to the basement and put more stitches in the wedding quilt, but alas, we both sat down in our recliners, and promptly fell asleep. When we woke up, we had to had a bit of left over soup for a quick, light supper, then back to the recliners, Tom to sleep and I to read some of my book. Now I am doing this and getting ready to head to bed. Does not seem that any stitching will be done tonight! I did take a couple of patterns off the computer to work on, and will most likely take them to Arkansas to work on, as they are small things, one is applique BOM and the other is a pin cushion thing to make.

I will be back tomorrow, to show you the green quilt I made for our friend's birthday, which was yesterday. I did not get the quilt to her yet, tho, as she was gone all day yesterday, and we were busy with house guests. She will get the quilt tomorrow, so I will let you see her with the quilt. I know, I know, this is supposed to be a quilty type blog, but sometimes I just don't get to quilt much. I want to, but it just doesn't happen the way it is supposed to. LOL

So, until I gift the green quilt, I will say good night, stay warm, think happy thoughts, and smile!!

Quilty hugs,
Ele