And Then This Happened

Sorry I've been absent for a while.  Just haven't had anything exciting to say.   My goal this month is to think positively and find positive things to post about.  But, first, I'll explain the reason for my absence.  As they say -- "If it weren't for bad luck ..."  

In mid-May I was feeling well enough to go to a Devo sew day.  Sitting on my borrowed old Rollator, 

I adjusted my sitting position and a front wheel broke off, throwing me backwards onto the concrete floor.  Thankfully no one would let me move until the pastor, who is also an EMT, checked me out.  It didn't seem that there was any direct injury, but I've had increasing difficulty walking ever since.  (Couldn't have any relation to my lack of exercise ... 😏)  Hopefully the recent series of CT scans and MRIs will help the medical community get me back onto the road to recovery.

The good news is I've been able to return to Devo twice, and even went to church on Sunday (it was Hawaiian shirt day).

I Married A Gem

We had a new hot water heater installed last Friday and while the plumbers were here we had them install some shut-off valves in the ceiling above the fabric shelves in my basement studio.  Since I was not yet approved for stairs, my husband took it on himself to move the base cabinets that support the ironing board and to remove a couple of shelves in the area.  He borrowed two long tables from our church to have a surface to put the fabric on.  

Note that he not only carefully kept the color-coordinated stacks intact, but he made certain to keep them in the same order as they were on the shelf!

At Monday's PT I was approved for stairs so I ventured down the 16 steps (with assistance) to assess his handiwork.  I am still not stable enough to help with restoring order, so while he labored I sat amd stitched two more blocks to add to the design wall.  The first time my foot had been on the pedal since the end of January.  It felt SEW good!!!  But I was wasted by the time I climbed back up those 16 steps.

Thank You!

 Thanks to those who responded to my special request yesterday! All of you had great suggestions, some new to me and some I had just forgotten about.  I'll share my list when I get it prepared for our guild's newsletter.

Also, a big thank you to those of you who have checked up on me and cheered me on in my recent confinement.  My last scheduled PT is this morning but I think we'll ask for more, even if we have to pay out of pocket.  I need to be more diligent about exercising at home, too.  I can walk without assistance, but my balance is still iffy.  Good thing I wear step-in shoes; I can't bend down to tie yet.

On the home front, we survived last week's storm without incident, though the dock was almost completely submerged by the extra rain.  The birds are going through the sunflower seeds in about two days.  We have had a raft of the most beautiful gold finches, tons of house finches, the occasional titmouse and chickadee, plus a gorgeous red-headed woodpecker who was on the feeder as I just looked up.  The rhododendron are blooming along with this beautiful yellow iris.

Hope y'all have a blessed week.

Special Request

 Can any of my readers (the few that remain) suggest web sites that offer free patterns, either block or whole quilt?  I'm trying to make a list.

Thanks!

My Own Bed!

The rehab staff did all they could do make the residents feel at home.  I had beads for Mardi Gras and a bunny on my door for Easter.

Nevertheless, after two months in hospital beds, we opted to sleep in one of the guest bedrooms with twin beds at home because the path to the bathroom is shorter than our bedroom.  Two weeks later we have finally returned "home" to our own bed.   I can't describe the excitement (and relief).

I am definitely improving at home, but still have my bad days.  PT 3 days a week tends to wear me out, but is definitely helping.  Next Monday we are making a big batch of chili to "thank" the PT staff for all they did to help me get out of there!

Still no sewing, though, even though I have my travel machine available on the main floor of the house.  I did go to Devo on Tuesday for a couple of hours and help make kits for our November "sew day" by ironing which I could do while sitting in the wheelchair.  Even though it was great to get out of the house and see everyone, I was exhausted by the time I got home.

On another front, it appears the geese couple have returned to the nesting spot on our bluff overlooking the lake.  She had built a nest there in April 2020 ...

...but a late May freeze caused her to abandon the nest.

There was no further activity today, but we're hopeful.

Pardon the Interruption

 I had an unfortunate incident at the beginning of February that put me in the hospital and rehab for two months.  I'm home, but not yet in shape enough to manage the stairs down to my studio, so there won't be any sewing in the near future.  I'm scheming where I might set up a machine upstairs!

For those of you who heard about my predicament through the Nann Grapevine, I appreciate your kind messages. 

Has It Been a Week?

I have realized that it is easier to post daily if you post daily.  Once you let a day go by, it morphs into a week.  So much for my New Year's Resolution!

Anyway, it's been a productive week on many fronts.  First I chose my starting block for the Stay at Home Round Robin and got started on the first round.

Not being so thrilled with my progress, I put that project on hold.  I did manage to get a couple more blocks of 1863 on the design wall.

I now have 12 of the 27 blocks finished.  My goal is to finish a block a day.

I have determined that I have too much stuff.  Can you relate?  Anyway, it's really weighing me down so I plan to divest myself of lots of it.  Anything I don't think I'll use in my remaining years I am putting up for grabs with my Devo and S'mores friends.  What doesn't get taken will go to a charity in Nashville that supports developmentally disadvantaged adults.  So I devoted quite a bit of time over the weekend to culling through my batiks.  I had no idea how many I had!

Meanwhile, Spring is about to spring! (in spite of the sub-freezing temps)  

And my Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas cactus has no clue what month it is.