And So She Sews…

And boy does that feel good… well outside of the fact that standing still (ironing and cutting) uses my knee differently and made it a bit sore in different places.  But I can at least sit with my feet planted in front of me for a period of time and that felt really good.

Really a post about quilting!  Can you believe it?  Yeah, me neither!

Anyhoo – this is what I’m working with…

This is the 3rd year for a gathering of quilters here at my house – we call it Howdy’s HoeDown.  Hokey I know – but it is what it is!  LOL  The Challenge this year was to use the fabrics handed out in a quilt top.  I had selected 3 fabrics (yellow, green & pink) and then combined 2 of them in each package -  a 2 yard cut of one fabric and a half yard cut of another.  You can add whatever else you need to end up with a 60 x 60ish size quilt.  My fabrics are the yellow and green and although I had a plan and other fabrics picked out last summer – I shifted gears and selected an easier design and picked up new fabrics last week to work with.  I have the blocks completed and into rows.  Today I’ll have a top… and I’m happy with it!  But I can’t show you pictures of it until after the gathering!

I have turned in both the July and August Calendar Quilts… but I only have a picture of one of them.  This is August.  I’ll get better pictures – those bees really are yellow.  Although I had quilted the first 4 – those done since I busted up my knee are just assembled and fused – I’ve not done any of the decorative stitching nor quilted them.  Next week I’ll go back to the shop and get the fabric picked out for Sept. & Oct. so I can get them going.

I’ll have to update my Quilt University list next week when I get some pictures.  Actually I need to go in and refresh my memory as to what I wanted to work on – I think I’d like to try and catch up by attending ‘summer school’… LOL

Only a quick note about my knee… I saw the Dr. this past week – 4 months post surgery.  He said I’m doing very well considering the extent of my injury.  So I continue with PT – I’m now at 125 degrees of bend – with them pushing on it.  Functionally what I can easily bend it to with my own lame muscles is about 115.  I’m not content to stop there… I want my knee back… I want it all back.  I still have swelling and discomfort but that’s all part of the therapy – I’m challenging it every day so it stays a bit annoyed at me.  The water therapy I’m doing at the gym is wonderful for all of me and I’m slowly adding to the ‘circuit machine’ exercises I do – I really need to add ‘core’ exercises and now that I’m stronger in general I can do that – PT has now OK’d my adding some of the leg machines in as well since we started those this past week in therapy. 

I don’t think I’ve ever exercised this much in my whole life.

Building Strength and Flexibility

Slowly but surely I’m gaining my strength back.

I am adding to my daily schedule as I get stronger.  Last week I started going to a water therapy class at the gym to help improve my overall strength.  I’m still going to Physical Therapy 3 times a week and am slowly and continually gaining flexibility in my knee.  Nothing magical about it – just plain old hard painful stretching.  I am now at 115 degrees…

There was so much that I took for granted before I busted up my knee… who knew I’d ‘want’ to be able to do laundry, shopping, and cleaning?  I can run the little vacuum around and although I’m usually pretty flexible (ha, ha, ha – flexible!) about some clutter – the accumulation is starting to bother me.  To clear up things it requires multiple trips in and out of various rooms and up and down the stairs – I’ve only got one good hand to use but carrying a lot of stuff throws my balance off – which is scary on the stairs.  Going to the store for more than just a few items is exhaustive – I’m so glad I shop at one of those old fashion ‘small town’ grocery stores – it’s not even open on Sunday.  I haven’t been in a ‘super store’ in ages and I don’t miss it.

Adding the water therapy class into my routine last week resulted in the need of an afternoon rest/nap each day.  Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for naps… but I’d rather take one because I want too… not because I need to.

I’ll be the first to admit I’m overweight… but this knee – well it's not my knee.  The whole leg doesn’t look like my leg – which is weird.  The muscles are misshapen and the therapy keeps everything swollen.  Sure wish fat had melted away as quickly as muscle mass did… LOL!

OK enough of that…

Let’s talk gardening!  The strawberries are dying out there on the plants.  I just can’t spend much time picking as I can’t squat or use the garden stool that I used last year and I can only bend over for so long.  I didn’t get the water pipes set up so it’s up to Mother Nature to water… and although she provided quite a bit of water a couple weeks ago… here recently - not so much.  Besides – if I did pick them I’d have to do something with them and I still have frozen strawberries from last year.  I did buy some tomato plants to put in – but they are now dead… shriveled up sitting right there by the faucet - I didn’t water them and apparently they didn’t water themselves either.  My daughter and granddaughter helped put in some onions and they are holding their own back there in the raised beds – the lettuce plants they helped with are also doing well – I’ll be picking and eating some of that soon.  Hmmm – let’s see… oh I also put in a couple basil plants that are holding their own so far.  I wish I had found a new rosemary plant to replace the one that didn’t survive the winter snow… I’ll have to go out to the herb place and check there for one.  Otherwise my perennial plants are doing just what they are suppose to… and that is making me happy.  The Engineer is doing all the yard work so far… I know he’ll be happy when I can get back on the tractor and at least mow the back yard – that would knock an hour off his time. 

I have done no sewing since I finished the last pair of Calendar Quilts… I haven’t even gone up to my sewing room.  I will work on the July Calendar Quilt this weekend.  I spent a couple hours at the shop Thursday picking out fabric for it.  The time I spent at the shop convinced me that I am no where near ready to go back to work.  I was exhausted… those bolts got heavier while I was away.

Quilters are Amazing Folks

Do you remember in a previous post I mentioned a fund raising effort by Judy Laquidara of the blog Patchwork Times to benefit the Joplin Red Cross.  Thursday she delivered the checks sent in to the Joplin Red Cross Office that totaled $11,245 dollars – YES eleven thousand dollars!!  Amazing response to her call to action!!  To those of you who joined in the effort – Bravo!!

Speaking of Joplin - there is an amazing story from the Joplin Globe Newspaper of 2 Oklahoma Storm Chasers that followed the Joplin Tornado into the city… Desperate Moments will leave you with goose bumps on your arms and tears in your eyes.  Take a minute to read through some of the other stories too… recently a family cat was found under the debris of their destroyed house 16 days after the tornado.  Poor kitty must have heard it’s owner talking and meowed out for attention.

I am so glad that my quilty friends are all safe in MA following the tornado there last week.  I’ve watched several of the videos posted at MassLive.com and have looked through the still photos of the tornado damage in all those different towns – scary stuff indeed.  I asked my son how he knew there was a tornado in his area.  He said the power had just gone out and the rain had started and he was closing windows in his apartment.  It was “the lawn chair flying past his window that was the give away” for him… since he’s on the third (top) floor of his building.

Raise your hand if you are ready for a nice calm summer… that’s what I thought!

Dear Mother Nature…

For Crying Out Loud - Enough Already… Knock It Off… Take a Chill Pill…Put a Sock In It… Quit Yer Bitching!

At 4:46 pm Wednesday my son Kelly calls me to say he’d just been in a tornado.  Not a conversation I expected to ever have with him as he still lives in MA.  As he talked I switched the TV to the Weather Channel… and sure enough there was video of the tornado coming across the CT River and live video showing a truck overturned on the Memorial Bridge… the bridge I know my daughter Kayse uses to go home… at that time of day.  He was OK but said that he’d checked outside and there was lots of damage in his neighborhood and you could hear sirens in the background.  He hadn’t been able to get in touch with his sister who lives in the same town because the cell phone service was overloaded.  His other sister in Hawaii had tried to call while we were on the phone so I told him to call me later and I’d see if I could connect with Kayse.

Sure enough I also couldn’t get a connection with Kayse but was able to call Kara in Hawaii.  Bless her heart… she was crying and all upset.  It took me a minute to understand her… Kayse had called her to say that she was OK but that she hadn’t been able to contact Kelly and then the call disconnected.  Poor girl sure needed a hug… I assured her Kelly was OK.  And I was able to connect with Kayse by phone a short time later.  She was home and had fortunately left work early – otherwise she would have been right in the middle of it.

My kids are safe… but a block from my son apartment… the story is very different.  This is a 2 1/2 story multi-family house… well it use to be 2 1/2 stories.

And this… well I’m not sure what it was – although I recognize the tan stucco building to the right of it.

And this would have been a 3 story multi-family house… just like the grey one next to it…

Many communities have suffered damage… certainly not what Joplin has suffered… but for this part of the country – an event to be remembered.

I’ll call Southampton Quilts later to make sure all my quilty friends are OK… I hope everyone is OK.

Do You Like Action Adventure Movies?

I do…

But I don’t like feeling like I’m watching an Action Adventure Movie when I’ve got the Weather Channel tuned in.

The live reporting last evening of the OK tornados that were touching down and churning their way across the landscape – well - it was surreal…

During an Action Adventure Movie you know that nobody really gets hurt… but it tears at my heart to see those tornados spewing debris knowing that people are having their lives ripped apart… right at that moment.

I’ve lived in Texas, Kansas, and Nebraska and have relatives living in TX, KS and OK.  I’ve known that sick feeling when you see the air turn that eerie green… I don’t miss it a bit.

Do you know Judy Laquidara of the blog Patchwork Times? She’s an accomplished quilter, quilt book author and all around great gal who currently lives outside the Joplin, MO area.  I’ve known Judy ‘virtually’ for as long as I’ve been a quilter – having met her via Alex Andersons Quilting Message Board.  She has a wonderful proposal for all who would like to reach out and help the folks of Joplin.  Please go read her blog post and if you would like to help out please do. 

Now all I need to do if find my check book – I can’t remember the last time I ‘wrote’ a check out… LOL

What a Spring We’re Having…

My heart just hurts for the folks suffering from the terrible tornados that have been wrecking their way through the mid-west and south this year.

I pray those suffering find peace and comfort soon…

Here We Are…

Nearly a month since I sat down here… figured I better get here before the End of The World… ya know… just in case!  LOL

We have had 7 straight days of rain here – certainly not the flooding along the Mississippi – but I’m so ready for some sunshine!  I need it for my mental health…

Physically I am slowly getting stronger… when I come down the stairs and realize I forgot something upstairs – I usually go back up and get it… if I really need it… sooner than later… sometimes.

I got to 90 degrees a couple weeks ago and then came to almost a screeching halt only gaining 6 degrees since then.  That has been very discouraging for me – but they are still very up beat at Therapy and believe I can continue to gain slowly but surely.

So I decided to take a pro-active approach and I joined a local Health Club this week.  It has a large facility, hundreds of pieces of equipment, lots of programs, and a warm water (92 degrees) therapy pool – which is what I am most interested in.  Although shopping for workout clothes and a bathing suit might just do me in… too much walking… and that’s just from the parking lot… LOL

I won’t be going back to work at the shop until the fall… I want to focus on my rehab and getting back to doing my normal everyday activities.  I need to get back to doing housework, laundry, grocery shopping, and cooking on a regular basis… who would have ever thought I’d look forward to doing those things!

La, La, La, La, La, La…

I say with my fingers stuck in my ears!!!  OMG are you as tired of hearing about the Royal Wedding as I am?  I do wish the couple well – as I would any young couple setting out… but for crying out loud… enough already.  Unfortunately it’s not going to be over as of Friday – it will continue for a good couple weeks I’m sure.  I am thankful that I am at least more mobile these days and not confined to my prison recliner all day long eating bon-bons and watching TV.

She walks!  Yea!!  With a single crutch no less!!! AND…. drum roll please… she does STAIRS!!!

The timing could not be better for my increased mobility as my daughter is off with her husband and kids this week for a much deserved vacation… which means I’m on my own during the day.  I have to go get my own coffee and meals during the day.  I am also driving myself to PT – which continues to be a painful but fruitful experience… I am now up to 77 degrees.  Can you say ow?  Me… I usually say ow, Ow, OW!  The tendons and ligaments were pretty well banged up in the fall – so now I need to encourage them to stretch out again… well the therapist does the encouraging… me - I say ow, Ow, OW!

I am getting those muscles in my leg stronger – they now mostly cooperate when I send them mental commands to work… although they do still have a jello quality to them as they quiver and wobble.

Kara and her family will return here this weekend and then between Monday and Tuesday they all head off to San Diego for a couple weeks.  Mark still has a week of school in SD and they will work in some more family time before heading back to Hawaii.

And so - my days of being pampered are over… I think I could have enjoyed them more if there wasn’t all that pain involved!  LOL

I Am Cured…

I am cured of the want, urge, desire, hankering, longing, craving, wish, yearning, eagerness, or desire…

…to sit around and do nothing all day.

Yep, I am so over that…

Get Some Cheese and Crackers…

I feel a wine whine coming on… LOL

I won’t really whine much - I am a bit frustrated with about everything these days.  My knee, the weather, quilting…

Let’s start with my knee… it’s doing about what I expected – which is not much.  I had PT twice a week for 4 weeks and just began my 3 visits a week.  I am putting weight on it and using it to walk although I’m still using the walker until I build up my overall strength more.  I have recently started to work on bending it – going from 40 degrees the first time they measured to 60 degrees yesterday.  Not at all what I need or want in a knee… I think know the rest of it is going to be a lot of hard painful work.

My overall strength is getting better – especially once I started weight bearing on that leg.  I no longer wear myself out just getting my shower…and I’m not exhausted when I get to PT.

I have been spending a little more time downstairs recently – but still have to haul myself up the stairs for the ladies room.  I’ll be happy when I can walk up the stairs.  But for now I’ll go up and down on my hiney a few times and then call it quits and stay up in my room.

I miss the sunshine when it’s hiding… and it’s been hiding around here a lot recently.  It was such a pleasure to raise the blinds to the sunshine this morning!  Now that I’m walking easier and further I can venture out on the driveway with the kids and enjoy some fresh air – which we did this morning.  There is so much I’d like to be doing in my garden – I look forward to getting out there and getting stuff done.  It’s mid April already – let’s get the warmth going on a more regular basis!

Quilting… well there isn’t much to say on that subject.  I haven’t done a thing – nothing… nadda!  I haven’t even gotten up to my studio to work on the calendar quilts I need to work on.  I brought the stuff home a couple weeks ago – but just have not been able to get up there to work on them.  I hope this weekend will be different.

My daughter and grandkids will be here just a few more weeks.  I am so very grateful of the time and energy she has given me these past 2 months.  I know it’s not the vacation she had planned – it’s not what I would have planned either.  There are lots of things I wanted to do with them while they were here… but those adventures will have to wait until next time.  I do hate that she’s had to work so hard… she pregnant and due late July – so it’s been a lot of work taking care of the kids and her Mom and Dad.  I really don’t know what I would have done without her here.

Just a quick note:  because I have recently had some S P A M comments show up on older posts I changed the settings so that Anonymous comments aren’t accepted and (if I remember right) you may get a note that the comment is awaiting ‘Moderation’.  I’ll reset things after a while… I wish those nitwits would find something better to do with their time.

But after all that frustrating stuff… this is the kind of thing that keeps me sane.  I know it’s a long video… but the boy was just too funny.