whirlwind weekends . . .

Y'all . . . whirlwind doesn't half describe the past two weeks! I was completely absent last weekend . . . but for very good reason!  Joc, Ellie and I traveled to the Northern Neck of Virginia for my niece Cecilia's wedding!

She was a beautiful bride and she had a very handsome groom, too!

The whole affair wore Miss Eleanor out.

LOL! This is post-wedding/pre-reception, while we waited for all the family pics to be taken. She perked up for the "party". . . she was very interested in the wedding cake. Her mommy was interested in the cream cheese mints we carried to Virginia for the party . . .

Poor Joc.  she had to travel 750 miles to get some more cream cheese mints!

We drove up on Friday, the wedding was on Saturday, and we drove back on Sunday. I'm telling you -- whirlwind. Monday was my baby girl's 30th birthday!

She is such a beautiful young woman -- I'm so proud of her! Speaking of which, I've been a little remiss in sharing something here. Joc has started up her own business called Pearl's Pegs.

Aren't these just darling? She does incredible work.

Ellie and Evey love them -- and already she's 4-6 weeks out on orders!  Yes, very proud of my girl!

Yesterday, Todd and I headed down to Shocco Springs -- the Baptist Retreat Center outside of Talladega, Alabama, for our annual Mission Service Corps Missionary Retreat and Training.  

We enjoy the beautiful grounds of the center *and* the great fellowship! Yesterday was also Kim's birthday . . .

She celebrated waaaaay far away in California -- the first of their birthdays to be celebrated out there! But Sawyer was not far behind . . .

He turned SIX years old today. Gosh, look how grown up he looks! Sweet fellow! Todd and I sang happy birthday to him and enjoyed some FaceTime. It was a bittersweet day . . . as much as I'm happy he's six and happy it's his birthday, it was sad to me that for the first time since he was born, I didn't get to at least give him a hug or kiss on his birthday.  *sniffle, sniffle* :)

I chased my blues away by doing a little shopping with Todd at Bass Pro Shops on our way home from Talladega. I got my first pair of Crocs!

LOL! These are so comfortable--why did I not know that?? Plus, they don't hit the scars on either side of my right foot, which are still (even after six years) very sensitive. Aaaand, these Crocs are really CUTE!  I may have to invest in a couple of more pairs. Haha!

I haven't done anything quilty in I don't know how long . . . and my stash report shows it, too.

Aaaah well . . . sometime in the next month or so I may get a free weekend to do something of significance!

I did manage to sneak enough time to cut out some Christmas fabric for another yo-yo ornament. I loved the tree so much, I'm going to do another one of those. I have the charms all ready to go, too.

This will make for the perfect slow Sunday stitching project!

Spring is finally making its way into the camp. As we drove up the drive today, I was happy to see that the daffodils were out in full force.

They have such sunny, sweet faces! We have one rogue yellow flower in the midst of the paler variety . . .

The little purple flowers are blooming all over the turtle sanctuary . . .

And the Lamb's Ear is starting to make sporadic appearances, as well:

And I do believe that about does it for me. A lot of pics and a lot of words...that's what happens when I don't blog for two weeks. I'll link up to Patchwork Times and Kathy's Quilts tomorrow! Don't forget to change your clocks tonight . . . Spring Forward!

:)

why are christmas trees bad at knitting?

Because they're always dropping their needles!!!

How could I resist sharing that little gem?  

Do you know that this is my nine hundred seventy-second post?  That means only twenty-eight more until one THOUSAND posts.  I'd love for that to coincide with January 1, 2013 ... wouldn't that be cool?  It means I'll have to be a little more . . . prolific . . . than usual.  Hmmmm.

Speaking of not resisting, Todd and I took what I thought was going to be an innocuous little trip into Fayetteville and Tractor Supply this morning.  We needed a heater for the bird pond/bath.  The robins flew in this morning to take baths and found a block of ice ... oops!  Anyway, while we were in there, look what I found:

Aren't they CUTE?!!  And when I found I could not only put my foot down into them but walk around in them without pain, I nearly cried!  (For those who don't know, I was in a bad accident several years ago that broke my foot/ankle quite thoroughly.  I'm still in recovery.)  They look so cute with my jean skirts ... fun for playing around in (not work boots) ... and WARM!

But wait, there's more.  I walked around the corner and saw this darling pair . . .

Aaaaaaagh!!!!!  I've missed *so* much having a pair of sturdy, rubber utility boots for around the camp.  These are perfect and cute and they fit!!  Polka dots!!!!  

And they were BOTH on sale ... and rang up even lower than their sale prices.  To me?  That's a *sign*!

It's a sign they're in my closet now.  Well ... except for the pair that I'm wearing.  

:)

docs, swaps, and hops . . .

My mom's surgery went well yesterday ... they started re-hab this morning. Gracious. I chatted with her this morning and she sounded pretty good ... though she's had a little trouble finding relief from pain without nausea. Bless her heart -- I know *exactly* how that is.  I don't do well with pain meds, either.  

Speaking of needing pain meds, it's been one year since my last ankle surgery.  I can hardly believe it!  Yesterday I had a check-up appointment with my doc.  The fusion is looking great, I have good range of mobility, and the donor bone, the grafting and reconstruction are all looking good -- which pleased me beyond belief.  He did see a little arthritis connected to the tibia--when he said it, I knew exactly the spot to which he referred--for now I'll continue to deal with it with an anti-inflammatory med.  I also set a date for a hardware removal surgery . . . 

Dr. DeOrio -- my *very* confident orthpaedic surgeon.  *grin*

The x-rays show that the screw heads are really sticking out beyond the surface of the bone--one more so than the other.  When he ran his finger along the bottom of my heel and saw me jump, he agreed a surgery was definitely in order.  The recovery time is pretty quick and it's an easy, outpatient process.  In fact, they only use a local anesthesia!  (Yikes!)  November 7th it is!

I teased y'all with some photos of pretty fabrics yesterday.  Here's the quilt I'm using as the inspiration for June's baby quilt . . .

lucky little me from mamas kram

Only it will be a little bigger and instead of "lucky little me" it will say "June Madelyn ♥"!  I think it's going to be darling!!  The blue print I showed yesterday will be the back, and is a perfect compliment to the soft aqua blue on June's walls.

I received this pretty little thing in the mail . . .

It's my September doll swap quilt from Andra!  Isn't it gorgeous?!?  I'd say she pretty much pegged the neutral colors of the RV -- and the colored squares are just perfect!

And don't forget to check out all the fall Leafs Me Happy blocks!  Not sure where to start?  Let me help:

Tuesday 2

Mrs.Pickles Garden

Gingersnaps Quilts

Petit Design Co

A Passion For Applique

Annie Oak Designs

Michelle's Romantic Tangle

CherrysPrairiePrimitives

Krislovesfabric

Scrapbook-ChickADoodle

Have a GREAT day!

:)

fall fruits inside and out . . .

I was hoping to have a finish to share this morning, but we had a busy day yesterday!  I do have this to share . . .

It's not attached or quilted yet, but give me an hour (some hour, any hour) and it'll be finished!

Todd is working on updating the camp's website, so I spent a good portion of my day sorting through three years worth of photos, picking the best ones and editing them.  Then we decided we needed to go out into the camp and grab some new photos.  So I did something I haven't done in well over a year . . .

Yup.  I can wear my tennis shoes again!  I tried sometime in the last two and a half months (when I was doing the de-cluttering process) and couldn't do it, so I was *very* pleased to be able to get into them yesterday afternoon!  Sometime next week I'll update my whole foot/weight loss progress (because I'm really thinking it's all tied together, now).

The golf cart is down ... and needs major $$ to get it back up and running, so we got in Todd's little truck.  But it meant we would have to 'hoof it' onto the trails.  One I've really missed is the little trail down to Crawdad Creek.  It really is a lovely, magical little spot.  First you have to find the Hidden Pathway . . . 

And then there's a trail opening in there somewhere!

Now, past the Forked Tree (which is so tall, it made my neck hurt to look up at it).

And through Fern Valley . . . 

Tiptoe past the upended group of trees . . .

Then there's the *magical* mushroom . . . 

Okay, it's not really magical, but I imagine if mushrooms could be magical, this one definitely would be.  

And finally, the creek starts to widen and make an appearance!

I got several great "micro" shots while I was out.

AND! before I forget, Kim, from Big B (everything embroidery!), had the solution/answer to my mystery nut!  It's from a Sawtooth Oak -- and as soon as I googled it, I knew that was spot on. Thank you SO much, Kim!

But after yesterday's adventure, I now have a new mystery:

Neither Todd nor I have ever seen one of these before ... they were falling on me as we left the Crawdad Creek area (had we overstayed our welcome?!?).  They're really tiny -- less than an inch big -- and very spikey!!

Today I'm off to Athens, Alabama to catch the Piecemaker Guild's quilt show!  Then Alabama plays at Arkansas this afternoon.  Should be a fun day!

:)

creative outlets . . .

While I wait for my machine to be able to go in to get fixed up, I'm finding other means by which to be creative.  Of course, I'm working on getting our women's ministry up and rolling.  This will be the insert for this Sunday's bulletin:

I'm having such fun coming up with ideas and putting together a program -- it's exciting to see what God's doing and going to do!!

I also took this opportunity to go back to my Moda prize and really appreciate the fabrics that had been included in it.  One of the sweet comments on that prize post (from Kris) had shared a little more information on the collection, which is the Friendship Collection by Howard Morris Collections:

Collections for a Cause - Friendship by Howard Marcus - This 1850’s friendship quilt from Philadelphia is the Ninth in a Series of reproduction quilts featuring the Howard Marcus Collection. The series includes antique quilts from across America. This friendship quilt is believed to be a wedding or anniversary quilt. With a cheerful red and cream color palette and fine applique work, this quilt was made with love and friendship for a happy occasion. The center of each block is signed in a beautiful script further indicating the quilter’s desire to create her very finest work. Many of the signatures are from members of the same family. It is our hope that you, too, will create a friendship quilt for the special loved ones in your life. Supporting the Cause…Feeding America “Whose mission is to feed America’s hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger.”

How fine is that?  Further indication to me that I need to use these fabrics to 'pay it forward' as it were.  Anyway, I took the fat quarter bundle apart and laid all the pretties out on the table . . . 

And pulled some out that really caught my attention.

These are just such sweet, sweet prints . . . oh yes, I'll have a lovely time playing with these!

And my doctor's visit went fairly well on Monday.  He told me that there is noticeable bone growth around the fusion, which is terrific news, and that the screws are solid and there's good bone growth around them as well.  He said there is a large bone spur that's developed in the front and a lot of bone fragments on the side where the donor bone was packed, which may be causing my pain.  He said the process and healing is very slow and he wants to give it another six months (which is when I'll go back next).  He also put me on an anti-inflammatory, to see if that helps with swelling and pain.  I've noticed a positive difference since then, which is very encouraging to me.

I asked him (mind you, he did not bring this up) if losing a significant amount of weight would be helpful.  LOL!  He took that and ran with it!  Although he was quick to tell me that it's got to be strictly lifestyle changes in diet -- no exercise.  I guess I wouldn't be a good candidate for The Biggest Loser, then.  Haha! 

I happened to have an appointment with my GP that day, as well, and I told him what Dr. DeOrio had said and told him I needed input, guidance and HELP!  Really what I wanted was for him to give me a magic pill (or something) but he was far more practical.  He told me to not change anything for the next three days and to just record what I ate and to track the grams of carbs and sugars.  Then (and not until those three days have passed, which is tomorrow) I am to get online and thoroughly research the South Beach Diet and the 17-Day Diet.  Then I'm to compare those diets to my three days of notes and make some decisions and draw some conclusions.  Then I'll bring it all back to him next week, and he will help me chart out a course of action.  

So that's where I am ... looking forward to seeing where I end up!

:)

fighting the odds . . .

I've not been very prolific this past week.  Not on my blog or my sewing machine.  Neither are working the way they are supposed to work and it's very *frustrating*.  I've not been able to finish up my March UFO or start any NewFOs ... ugh!!  And I'm about ready to shoot my lap top and put it out of my misery.  Yes.  That's exactly what I meant to say.  LOL!!  And I have backed everything up, so I don't feel the need to watch my tongue.  :)  I'm not sure if it's all my laptop's fault ... our internet is driving me nuts, too.  But mostly my computer. Ergh. 

I have been busy.  I've spent a good portion of this past week working on women's ministry stuff, which has me in my element!  The church we're with right now is so new that they've never had a women's ministry ... and they are ripe and ready for one.  It's so exciting!  After a lot of prayer and thought and study, here's what I've come up with as our name . . . 

James helped me with the graphic.  Didn't he do a great job?!  I swear, he's a whiz.  It took him less than ten minutes.  He's really got quite a natural gifting for it!

I'm real excited to see where our women's ministry is going to GLOW . . . !!  I'm planning through August right now and hope to have a team together soon to begin planning for a full year, kicking off in September.  We're going to keep the summer light -- with a monthly fun meeting nights, some community mission projects, etc., and perhaps even a simple GLOW-Getaway . . . and then go hardcore come the fall!

We've got two groups up here fishing at the ponds today.  Rather, we had one this morning and then one came in this afternoon, just as the first one was leaving.  Great timing for them both.  The fish are biting today, too.  The first group caught some very fat and sassy shell crackers!

I even got a hand in -- literally -- by holding onto one so the young man who'd caught it good get his hook out.  He didn't want to touch the fish, bless his heart!  

I miss fishing ... I used to be able to go with Todd, but I've not been since the accident.  Perhaps sometime soon.  There's something very soothing about fishing and all the activities that go with it!

Speaking of the accident, I had a CT scan done of my ankle this past week and I go in Monday for another post-op visit.  I'm feeling rather resigned about the whole thing.  We got heel inserts for my shoes which have definitely helped alleviate the pain from walking on the screw heads.  But there's still a lot of residual pain and swelling and I feel very limited in not just what I can do, but how much I can (or rather, can't) do.  Like keeping up with a two-year-old.  Gracious!  I try not to dwell on it too much because it mires me down pretty quickly, and feeling that way does NOT suit me at all!  Which is also why I've not talked about it a whole lot.  It didn't hurt as much when I was in a cast and not walking on it.  LOL!!!  :)  We'll see what the doc has to say about it on Monday.

And seeing as how it's Foto Finish Saturday and the theme for this week is "Flowers" *and* I just happened to grab a couple shots while I was out and about the camp this morning, here's my offering:

I've never seen this wild flower before so I can't tell you what it is.  They were not in bloom a couple of days ago, because I saw the plant and thought how much it looked like a dandelion.  But it's obviously not -- it's purple!!  Check out other Foto Finish offering over at Cat Patches!

:)

out and about . . .

A last hurrah for me . . . before the surgery, so-to-speak . . . Joc and I went to lunch at Emma's today. She was so sweet -- she even picked up the tab! We got there earlier enough (ummm, in fact, we were the first patrons of the day) to have our choice of all the specials! I got chicken pot pie and chicken & sausage vegetable soup, and Joc got the spinach quiche with a side of the same soup. We purposefully got different entrees so we could share. ♥

We also had a lovely pot of Tuscany Pear Red Rooibus tea. I mean it was GOOD! We split a large pot and drank every last bit of it. And I got a little package of it to go. Because. I. Can.

From Emma's, Joc & I headed to one of my favorite LQS, Patches & Stitches. Joc went in for me and picked up a little something-something to go in my GIVEAWAY which I'll announce tomorrow!

And then, we went to the grocery store. Once we got there, I rode in one of those motorized carts, and Joc pushed the regular cart. She even followed me home and put groceries away! We'd just settled in for a visit when I realized something. I was reading through (again) the information my surgeon's office sent me when I read that I was supposed to make an appointment for pre-op labwork at least TEN to FOURTEEN days before my surgery. It's two days before my surgery. YIKES! I called and they told me to come right in. Whew. After a hundred million questions and a quart of blood, I was good to go. My surgery? I'm having my exaggerater removed. LOL! :)

On my way home, I stopped by for a last pre-surgery visit with Sawyer and his mommy and daddy. Kim had made some apple cake and shared it with me. SO good!! Sawyer was as adorable as ever. He is definitely all boy. What a delight!

And now, I'm off to bed.

599 posts.

:)

whiling away . . .

So. My life in pictures.

Last night was spent with him . . .

His daddy makes it obvious from whence his silliness comes from!

Such a sweetheart!

Today is spent creating things like this . . .

for this . . .

in preparation for tomorrow's this . . .

After which I'll spend a day and a half doing this . . .


So that I'm prepared Monday to put a sleeve and label on this . . .

And get it turned in for next weekend's quilt show.
Which I won't be able to go to, because I'll have gone in for round two of this . . .

And had I known I would not be allowed to take any ibuprofen,
aspirin, Aleve, etc. for the next six days, I'd have waited another week
before scheduling my surgery!

And . . . only THREE more posts before a giveaway!!

:)