A new lease on life...

 Just had to open with a photo of the boy!  He was about to go to sleep, but he likes to keep an eye on me throughout the day.  He does not want to miss anything.  And if Roger is watching TV in our room, he insists on going and checking on him every so often.

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Roger not only has not fallen any more, but he sleeps through the night every now and then.  If not through, most times only up once.  He had not slept through the night in at least 2 or 3 yrs...and was up multiple times most nights....since being here he has slept throughh at least 4 or 5 nights.  He is still staying up later.  Which probably helps with not being up multiple times, but even before when he stayed up late, he was up at least 2 or 3 times a night.    Anyway, I am so thankful for this.

We get to see Lorelei and her mom often, too...at least once a week!  Lorelei spent the night last night...she is in the marching band so has practice this summer.

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  This is the start of my daughter's current project...the star on the left is sewn together.  The one on the right as two or three rows that the rows ares sewn but then they have to be sewn to the rest of the start.  She does the cutting, and marking and I do the sewing.  I think she had made some of the half square triangle units...but cannot remember for sure.  There will be two more stars.

There is a method of adding triangles to corners or blocks or rectangles where you place a square on the corner first and so diagonal from corner to corner....then you trim off the extra fabric.  Somewhere I picked up a handful of these corners.  I sewed them together the other day...these little half-square triangle units are probably not quite 2 inches square, and maybe closer to 1 1/2 inchesbut they were fun to make.  I may or may not trim the to make them completely square.  But I will do something with them.  Maybe make a potholder, or mug rug.

I continue to mess with the little scraps...making boxed squares, and even had several of them on the design wall, but took them down without taking a pic.  It is going to take a gazillion to make a quilt of any size.  And I mess with the crumb blocks...examples of both of these can be seen in the previous post.

I wish I could get in the swing of posting again...on a more regular basis.  Not sure it is going to ever happen again now.

Now living....

 We have moved, and are now living with our daughter and this guy and his sister, Delta.  We are a bit over and hour from our old house...and still have stuff to bring, but we have what is necessary for living.  

It was a rough start to getting here...the night before moving, Roger fell again face first into the floor...but this time he was up in just a minute.  He was coughing again and I think just got light headed.  The first week here, he was trying to get up and slid out of bed and fell over, and I think the same week, he was going to the bathroom one night and fell hard in the bathroom.  

Our daughter heard and came...she got him to roll over off his arm, and helped him sit up on his bottom.  She was facing him and wrapped her arms around under his armpits, and physically picked him up to where he could get his legs under him...after she got him up I was pushing from behind...

Then she was able to help him get steady on his feet.  Both these falls he was using his walker.  I am amazed he did not hurt himself on it.  I do not know how she did it, she is NOT big...not tall...but she does work out most days.  Her job requires that she stays fit.  

Otherwise, he slept through the night a night or two ago, the first time in years.  He is not up as much at night either.  a lot of nights only one time...but sometimes two.

That is about it for now.  I will try to do a post now and then....

Tired boy!

 He likes to exaggerate everything...including how tired he is.

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Just wanted to pop on to tell that we saw the dr about Roger's kidney function.  It was our first time meeting him.  We both really liked him.  He introduced himself and shook hands, then set down and ask Roger a few questions.  And started going over his meds.  I pulled out the antibiotic the ER doctor had given him and told him Roger had been on it for a few days.  

He asked if it was before the labs were done.  I told him yes, and he reworded it and asked again.  I told him yes.  He said that it would have caused the bad results, and asked if he was taking it now.  I told him no.  The dr. said that Roger should recover!   So we are thanking God, and feeling a bit lighter in spirits.

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I started this day before yesterday....intending to add to it, but I just cannot seem to get it done.  So will post it as is.

Living the life

 I had a good title for this post because of this pic, but now I cannot remember what it was.  As you can see Copper has it made.

When my daughter came back from taking a shower, this is what she saw.  I told her she was lucky they allow her to sleep in their bed.

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I now have 171 of these  blocks.  Each one is 6 1/2 inches square. I will make a quilt top of them, but just not sure how I will sew them together.    I wish I could stop making them but in times of stress, they are not precision based, can sew and then cut to fit.  They give my mind a rest from everything else.

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Roger is feeling better.  I cannot say he is 100% better, but he is eating more normal, and looks so much better through his eyes.  According to some of the numbers from the labwork, he now has stage 3 kidney disease.  We see a dr. on Thursday.  I am hoping he will repeat the labs because one other time the numbers were bad when he was feeling real bad.  When he got to feeling better, we repeated the labs and the numbers were within the normal range.  

I have had a cold...felt horrible for a while, but have come to the conclusion that I will live...LOL  So far Roger has not showed signs of getting it.  

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The video today is long...it is not funny or heartwarming.  But I found it  interesting. I showed it to Roger and he enjoyed it.  I did not know chainsaws came with blades as long as the one used here for slicing the tree into thick boards.  Whoever thought of doing things this way is a genius...but it does make me think of something Roger would have come up with.   

Finished...

I cannot remember when I first actually started this.  I know it was in February when I got the request to make our granddaughter a 'turtle.'  It had to sit and simmer in my mind...and then I had to sketch it out and decide how to make it.  Lorelei is happy with it.  I have mixed feelings about it...I think that is why it took me so long to finish it.

Edited to add:  This is not full sized quilt.  I did not think to tell but it is a wall hanging.  I am not even sure of the size...around 16 inches wide and maybe 18 inches up long.

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We had a lot of rain/overcast days this past week.  The coming week is supposed to be sunny and bright every day, with temps near 90°F some days.  I look forward to the warm days and sitting on the porch to read a few minutes sometimes.

I saw that my hibisus are both coming up.  I am very relieved.  My red one is much farther along than the pink one.  I really was afraid the pink one was not going to pop up.   I need to pull more weeds, and need to get some tomato plants to go in my pots.  I look forward to have a fresh, home-grown tomato to eat one more time.  

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I have to include a pic of Delta and Copper...they are taking care of Lorelei when she is spending time with her Aunt.  

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I tried to leave a youtube short, but I cannot find a way to link to only mine.  And depending on when I click on the link they provide there are things I just don't like to see at all.  It is a video of the squirrel coming to me.  If I figure it out, I will post it later.

 Just a couple views of

She is growing like a weed...almost.

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While I am at it, I might as well show Copper....he is enjoying his life.  My daughter also gets pics of some of his siblings...they seem to have landed in good homes, too.   Even if I had the photos, I would not feel free to show since they are not mine.  But wish you could see them all.  Below he was so tire he just had to snooze a while.

And below he is sitting on his mom's legs while leaning against the couch...he is a bit peeved that she is reading instead of playing with him.

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It is a rainy day here.  Or should I say a day of sprinkles.  I think if it is going to rain, it is supposed to come in the afternoon.  

I am wondering if spring is ever going to get here all the way.  I am afraid it will basically skip spring and go into the heat of summer.

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I have shown this before but still love it and hoping someone else will enjoy it...

Smile!

 This is Rosie, Lorelei's dog...Lorelei sent this a few dayss and keep forgetting to post it.  Today is the day.  It makes me smile every time I see it.  You can tell she is such a happy dog.  She is just so loving.

My other daughter sent this the other night...Copper had just came into her kitchen looking like this.  We both wondered what he had been doing.  Sandra says Beau does this when he wakes up. 

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After a couple days of around 50°F, we have stayed below freezing today.  I have only stepped outside to get the mail in and a delivery.  

Do you have a lot of deliveries?  We sure do.  And most of it is just to save me from having to pick it up at Walmart and handle it so many times.  Saves me time in finding some of it, as in vitamins and personal things like that.  All of Roger's meds come by delivery.  Today's delivery were little bottles of 2-cycle oil.  Tomorrow will be a book about my camera.  I am so thankful that I don't have to get out and go shopping for every little thing.

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Night before last the hard drive of our Directv dvr was malfunctioning, so I had to get on the phone to call tech support.  Of course I first got on line and searched for fixes, but it came down to the fact that I had to call.  I at least had done done all the things she started to tell me to try.  So, a new one is supposedly on its way.  I hope it is simple to get back up and running.  I miss recording the local news, and being able to watch it when I want.   Also, there is a quilting show I always record and watch after Roger goes to bed.  

Well, that is about it from my world.  I leave you with another short, cute little video.

Sorry, I forgot to embed it, and now I go to embed it and the owner does not allow it to be posted on other websites.  So HERE is the link.  It is only a few seconds long.

Snow!

Both the above and below were taken late yesterday afternoon.  It did not stop snowing before dark.  I do not know if it stopped at all but I did look outside sometime between 11:00 and midnight and it was snowing pretty hard.  

 

I did not do any shoveling yesterday, though I did clean off the front porch.  You probably cannot tell, but somehow the wind whipped the snow from the back of the porch to the edge and that is a snowdrift on the edge of my porch in the top photo.  Where my steps are.  So I did clean the steps off somewhat.

But I shoveled today.  Not all I need to do, but enough to get back.  From the back to the garage was probably 10 9inches of snow.  But directly behind the garage was only an inch or two.  Out front was probably just 5 or 6 inches.  So got it shoved from the porch to the sidewalk, and the sidewalk out front did so if the mailman comes, he won't have to wade snow up to my door as he must have done at some point yesterday.  

I had mail, but had not seen any tracks...when I went back out there today, I could barely see tracks in front of the porch.  None on the porch or none leading up to the porch.  Just those walking away...and they were barely noticeable.  

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For fun a couple little videos from my daughter.  The first one shows her reaction if you ask if she wants to go to the basement and play.

And the second one is showing her and Delta's love of snow.

Me or a book?

 Copper's mom sent me these pics to show what he thought of her trying to read a book.  Doesn't your heart just go out to him?  You would never guess that he is spoiled rotten.

He says, 'But if you must read, I will be right here on your knees.

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I had to run to the grocery yesterday evening just to pick up a couple items.  I decided to run to the strip pits before I came home.  

The Snow Geese are passing through...and were on the biggest pond/strip pit.  

The strip pit is huge and they almost covered it from end to end...minus maybe a hundred feet on the end near me.

Other pics will be posted at my other blog tomorrow...I hope you enjoy these.

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And today's video:

Relaxing

 Can you look at him and not smile?  He is living the life!

I was in the sewing room , trying to rearrange some things and came across this fabric. I sent a pic to Lorelei and ask if she wanted a pillowcase.  This is basically the only sewing I have done since working on the curtain panels.  I am not sure when my daughter is coming back for us to finish them.  

I got new puzzles for Christmas besides having some I have bought myself.  I am trying to make up my mind on which one to start.  I want to work my photomosaic of the wolf before I die, but I know it is going to take more than two or three days to do it so am trying to decide whether to start on it or choose another one.

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I have had no more problems with vertigo since right after my previous post.   Hopefully it won't pop up again.  

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I told my Jeremy if I were made of money I would get this for him, but it would be an awful expensive t[shirt for a grease rag.  The part that cracks me up is that last line 'living the dream.'

Bits

Copper's mom sent me this last week I think...click to expand the view and look at his face closely.  He was talking back to her about something.  You can see it when you look at his mouth.  He is a funny boy.  She had to get a new fridge last Friday and after the guys left, he barked and growled at it.  And for two or three days continued to go bark and growl at it when he heard the ice maker.  

Notice his ears...they tend to say 'Go that way!'

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These are a couple of my favorite ornaments.   I have to put up a Christmas tree till I can use them.  LOL

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I have been dealing with a touch of what I assume is vertigo.  It happens most when I roll over in bed, or first set up.  It did happen once when I tipped my head back to put in eyedrops.  It never lasts long.  So though I call it vertigo, not sure that that is what it is. It is not like when you get dizzy.  And last night it hit after I went to bed.  I was just laying there as still as could be when it started.  It did not last long.  But it sure is a funny feeling.... and my body feels like a dead weight when it hits.   

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I have been trying to get this ready to post for about three days.  I am taking a break from some much needed dusting in this computer corner.  Where all kinds of paperwork sits.  I just do not know how much stuff I should keep up with.  Most people I know have never needed anything like insurance statements, and I have had to have them at least 3 times I can think of off hand.

I bet when we die the girls will have a big old bonfire and I don't blame them.  I wore out a shredder going through my mother-in-law's stuff and finally resorted to burning a lot of it.  But I do try to get rid of stuff....when I am sure I will no longer need it.  I have even managed to let go of a couple things in doing this.  On another day I will do more in-depth going through the papers again.

I know I am planning on going the paperless route on some things....

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I need to go sew a couple lines on curtains Rachel and I are making.  Then will fold it up and put it away till after Christmas.  

If I don't post again, I hope you have a Merry Christmas....

This and that...

Just thought I would put up a few pics...above is Copper looking quite handsome.  Don't you love his ears?

Above is a new Christmas ornament from Lorelei's mom...

There are two there, believe it or not...they are finished. The backing is denim from an old pair of jeans.  I like to use denim...I only use the ones that don't have any stretch to them.  It wears like iron, but not the prettiest.

And above is another handkerchief from the box. 

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I got these ready to post last night and actually thought I had.  But I got to thinking I haven't got a single comment.  So thought to look and see and I had forgot to finish the post.  So here it is...I still feel it is incomplete, but shall publish it anyway.

Smile!

 

I crack up.every time I see this photo... 

Fun sewing...

 First of all, let me say that on one computer, these look much darker than they are, and the other one shows them pretty much like they were. They are not super bright, but on this computer they just look so dark...  Anyway, I have been wanting to play with making leaves but had just never taken the time to shows one side and below is the other side of the same leaves.

I cut the heart leaf and the two simple leaves free hand..

These two I found a simple drawing.  Normally I can at least draw leaves, but sometimes my hands get shaky when I try to do something like that now.  

Just thought I would show a close up of  one.  I used Heat & Bond light to fuse two fabrics together, then I cut out the shape and did the stitching around the edges.    I have ideas for making a bunch of these but I don't know if it will ever get done.

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Daughter continues to recover from Covid.  I am glad they did not all get hit so hard.  She is starting to feel more normal, but still having headaches and only has partial taste.

I just cannot get up the nerve to try to blog again...maybe I will start posting every now and then.   

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Following are a couple videos of Copper reacting to a spider he seen on the ceiling.

I hope you enjoy them...they crack us up.

So long...

 First I just have to share some pics from my daughter.

She just wanted to read a while the other night and these are the looks she got.

This last one is so funny.  He just cannot comprehend her wanting to do anything other than take care of him.

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I am taking a blog break.  I don't know for how long...right now I think for a long time but I might surprise myself and be back in a few days.  Just things.  Sort of a shame to do it now.  Come May 30 would be 14 years.  

A blast from the past....well, sort of

 First of all, I am sorry but for some reason the program I normally use on this computer will not let me reduce the size of the pic  to the smaller size I normally use.  I hope they do not slow your computer down too much if you click to view.

I was going through some stuff last week and came across these 'quilt blocks'...or whatever you want to call them.  I did them when I was in high school.  These were all made with actual scraps.  I don't remember where they all came from.  Specially the solid colored fabrics.  I have a vague recollection of the purple flowered on the left in the top photo.

  I think the fabric with the pink fabric was given to mom.    I would love to have more of it now.  IN real life it is gorgeous.

The orange fabric on top was from fabric given my mom...I even know who by but too convoluted to explain.  And see that fabric paired with the purple...on extreme right.  The tan&blue fabric.  I had a dress made of that in 5th or 6th grade.    I would love to have some of that green fabric that is paired with the blue, too.

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Copper was pouting here...because Delta had managed to snag the seat next to my daughter!  LOL  He is a character.  I don't know how long he stayed this way.

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IF I counted right, I have almost enough blocks for my current quilt project.  I have the last four blocks about half done.  I am looking forward to have them done.  Yesterday I managed to get all my batik fabrics folded and back in containers.  For those of you who don't know, batik fabrics are dyed, not printed.  I cannot tell which is front and which is back.

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In case I don't post before next week, I hope everyone has a great Mother's Day.  I will leave you with a short feel-good video:

Broken....

 This is Copper...at rest.  Daughter has sent me pics like this before and I did not think to post them.  He is a character.  

I am still working on my quilt I showed you last time..just a couple blocks a day.   Rather than bore you with it, I  thought I would show you one my daughter is working on:

I think this is going to be just beautiful. 

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Then last night I got this photo and caption from Lorelei's mom:

Potting is such sweet sorrow.

I thought of you, Sandra.  I was going to mail it to you, then thought I would share it on my blog.

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April has returned to cooler weather here in our part of the world.  It is after 11:00 and only 48° F here.  Actually quite chilly.  I was so happy to be wearing flip-flops again, but I think I might have to put on shoes today.

Our yard has been mown for the first time...I have been weeding some but have a lot more to do.  Maybe I will get to do more later today, but I have got to make a walmart run for catfood, etc.   I am having trouble finding the canned cat food I use for the cats.    So I may end up stopping two or three places.  Roger wants to go, so will look around a bit and give him time to look.

Just a really short little video today....something that will give you joy:

Bits...

 We were at the girls' this weekend...Lorelei is so funny.    

I wish I had taken a pic of Copper and Delta side by side...Copper is 3 or 4 inches taller I think.  He can just stand and look on the table...does not have to make an effort at all.

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It is slowy growing...but here I go again boring you to death with it.

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I had such a pleasant surprise...a card and a letter and pics from an old friend.  She had printed pics of her mom and dad and  what would be a niece and nephew of hers and sent them.  Roger sure enjoyed seeing them.    Seemed like it came just when I needed a bit of an uplift.

***********You may not want to read the rest...it is a bit of whining.  Just needing to talk this out a bit.  

I went to the dermatologist last week.  I have had a spot that becomes a little open sore for the past two or three years.  The results came back as basal cell cancer again.  Which is better than melanoma.  What is funny, is she never did get it numb to cauterize it.  I did not say anything after the second time cause it only took a second or two. It is NOT as big as a dime...maybe close to half that size. She smoothed it out she said...and it really does not look like anything.  But the next day, even my nose hurt where my glasses set.  The cancer is below the OUTSIDE corner of my eye.

When I took my glasses off and felt of my nose, it felt like it had been punched...was really sore for a couple days and then just stopped hurting.

This one has bothered me more than any of them since the first one.  It bled a bit once when I was cleaning it...i have not had one bleed after removal till this one.  I always remember with my father-in-law that that was not good...but it does seem to be healing.

I really don't know if there is any use of me staying out of the sun...but every time I am out doing something, I am wondering if I am causing more.  Part of me feels like now that I have had it, I will just keep getting it.  

Well, friends if you are still reading...I hope you have a great week ahead.  We get our second shot on Thursday.