Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year!

Do you make New Years resolutions?

I do. It's a way for me to look back at what the past year has brought and a look forward with a fresh new perspective. I don't make them to stress myself -- more to take a good look at what I'd like to change, improve or even to stay the same. And I don't make resolutions about things I have no control over. I can't take the cancer from Steve's head and I can't determine the gender of Steph's baby -- but I can pray to God about those things.

I make lots of the usual ones: Exercise more (or more specifically, walk 30 minutes 5 days a week). Eat right -- cut the junk out of the diet (this goes good for about a day).

And then I make resolutions about my quilting. These are probably more goals than resolutions, but looking back over the past year it seems that I didn't accomplish as much as I would have liked. I have at least 6 different applique projects going and none of them are close to being finished; so my resolution is to work on only 1 applique project this year until it is finished. The rest will wait their turn. The one I plan on working on is Primitive Garden -- it is now going on 3 years old. I really like it and I really want to finish it.
For the first 6 months of the new year I will be working on projects with Kris -- some are finishing quilt tops that are not finished, some will be starting a few new projects. We have contracted to do the program in July for our former guild and I want to be well prepared for it.

Some of my resolutions pertain to my longarm quilting and also to organizing my sewing areas. I've already started one -- sewing scrap batting pieces together. I'm always surprised at how long it takes to do this -- most of the afternoon, and after piecing 9 new pieces of various sizes, I found a couple of more pieces to add to them, so will finish that project later today or tomorrow. And resolve to do it more often so that it doesn't take all afternoon!
I consider these free battings -- it's just excess batting that I've cut off from quilting tops, or sometimes I've cut the wrong size. I use Warm & Natural almost exclusively, so they're all the same and I have plenty of my own quilt tops to quilt with these.

Some of my resolutions pertain to organizing recipes (I tried that last year, and still have stacks and stacks of recipes to go through); finally doing something with the stacks and stacks of pictures that accumulate, and of course the stacks and stacks of paper - receipts and tax info, etc. I did start a new card file system for paying bills this year that works out really well and reduces the amount of paper to be filed -- I pay most of the bills online anyway and it was getting ridiculous printing off copies all the time. So -- some of my resolutions do get resolved!

I resolve, once again, to take more pictures and post to my blog more often. (If I keep throwing this one at the wall, eventually it will stick!).

Gratitudes:
2009 is almost over! I am looking forward to 2010.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

JR Update


An update on JR: his surgery went well. He's not a happy camper with the cone or having to stay in his cage for any length of time. We'll have to put him in it when we head to Wisconsin tomorrow for our Christmas celebration with the kids and grandkids, but he's mostly laying next to me wherever I am all day long! Doesn't he look pitiful here?

Merry Christmas to all and I hope 2010 will be a healthy year for everyone!

Friday, December 18, 2009

One more surgery

So, just to end the year with good measure, we have one more surgery to get through.
Late yesterday afternoon, I let JR outside to take care of his business (we live in the country, he's 9 yrs old and doesn't like the cold -- he sometimes goes wandering through our woods, but never off our property). I did not go out with him. He came in a few minutes later limping. We assume he chased a squirrel or a deer -- he does think he's Rambo.
So, today we got him in to see the vet and as was the case 2 years ago next month, he has torn the ligament in his knee -- last time it was the right rear leg, this time the left rear leg. Needless to say, his surgery is scheduled for Tuesday. He'll go in early in the morning and we'll pick him up late afternoon.


The vet thought he'd have to put it off for a week -- into the new year, but I'm glad he got him scheduled this week -- I want to start the new year being through with surgeries!

Gratitudes:
The vet did not have to put him out to make the diagnosis - this is one of those good things/bad things. It was quite obvious without sedating him. It also makes me hurt to see him limp.

I bought the Susan Boyle cd the other day -- what a treasure her voice is. I'd definitely recommend the cd.

Listening to my new David Bailey cd's today -- he's a folk-type singer that writes his own songs -- he's a 12 year brain tumor survivor.

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Winter has arrived in all its glory

I took these photos this morning, but could have waited all day -- the snow is still laying heavily on the branches of the trees. We got about 8" of snow yesterday into last night, then rain and sleet, which I'm sure melted some of it, and then another 4" or so overnight. The roads are going to be terrible tonight -- after the plows cleared the snow which was very wet, the temps are falling and the winds are picking up, so I imagine the roads will be a sheet of ice soon. Supposed to be windy all day tomorrow also. The nice thing about it: I'm going to quilt all day tomorrow!

This first shot was taken from our back porch looking northeast towards the road at the front of the house and includes our view of the fields and woods and hills across the road.

This second view was taken from the back porch, just outside the library doors, just looking at part of our woods back there.
I do love looking at the beautiful fresh snow -- but am glad I don't have to go anywhere in it!

Gratitudes:
We had plenty of warning about this snowstorm, so I managed to run up to Steph's on Monday and run into our little town on Tuesday to pick up a couple of gallons of milk. Now we can sit by the fire and watch the world go by.
I made spaghetti and meatballs from scratch today -- just seemed like a good day to do that.

Monday, December 07, 2009

More Good News

I spent the day at Steph's today and she pointed out to me that I had not made the big announcement on my blog at all. (I am really getting old, because I was sure I had -- I've told everyone to think Pink!). So -- here we are -- Steph's pregnant! YAY! THINK PINK! She's due in June, and she's considered high risk, so is already on light duty, no lifting. Three sonograms have gone from egg yolk to blob with heart beat to baby with heartbeat, arms legs and a head! She's somewhere between 11 and 12 weeks, so we won't know what it is for awhile -- but THINK PINK! (And really, our grandsons are wonderful, so if it is a boy, that's okay, but I will be calling him Katie!)

And, Kevin's pathology report today showed that the margins are cancer free, so it looks like they got it all and he won't have to have further treatment at this time, other than a PSA test every two months for awhile.

Gratitudes:
A new baby.
Good news at the surgeon's office.
A safe drive to and from Wisconsin today.
Bill got the snowblower prepped and wood in for the fireplace -- winter storm heading our way by Wednesday!

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Good News

Kevin's surgery went very well Monday afternoon. We won't have the pathology report til next week, but the surgeon was confident it hadn't spread and he got it all. We left yesterday and expected him to come home on Thursday. However, they are on their way home now!

Steve's new chemo treatment was today and it went very well also. The infusion of Avastin was 90 minutes (for the first one; it'll be 60 minutes next time and 30 minutes each time after that). He was able to eat lunch while he was receiving the chemo and doesn't expect that nausea will be a problem with this protocol. He will continue to receive it every other week for 9 months - 1 year. He will have an MRI sometime in January.
They are also on their way home from Madison (they were able to stop and visit with Kevin before they left -- that's how we know all 4 of them are on their way home this afternoon!)

It's nice to finally have some good news!

Gratitudes:
Obviously -- our sons are doing well today.
All the prayers sent up from all over cyber land for us. We can't thank all of you enough.
Friends and Family.