My Day.......

Diane:

This Christmas is going to be different for me because I will be with my friend Karen and her mom and their family.  I plan to make plenty of cookies still and I have so many jewelry gifts to give.  If I need a "guy" gift, I have 2 pairs of LLBean  mid weight hiking socks I ordered last month. So that could be 2 gifts.

What kind of cookies do you make, Diane?  The socks for guy gifts are a good idea.  Down here we don't need them much, but they sell fat socks made out of this soft, thick, cushion-y yarn.  I have 2 pairs.  If it ever gets cold, I'll wear then.

 

I make a basic brown sugar cookie and then add various nuts and chips to make them different.  I also like Mexican wedding cakes.  Last year I made a Mrs. Fields recipe which is a sugar cookie with a thumb print and then you add jelly.  Really good.  And this year I'm making fudge.  My friend is so looking forward to the cookies.  She has emailed me twice about it!

Lillie:

Alas, she did not have the quilt I made for her on her bed. She had some weird explanation about why she wasn't using it. I just  walked away. No sense in being upset. She'll either use it or she won't.

 That's too bad, Lillie.  I hope it didn't hurt your feelings too bad.  I know what it's like to put all that time into something and then the recipient doesn't appreciate it the way you thought they would.  Like you say, though, no sense in getting upset.  Do you have a picture of it?  I bet it's beautiful.  

Quilts have a life of their own.  I don't think there's a quilt made without a purpose.  Sometimes it's not the one the maker intended.  Look at all the gems now being hoarded by collectors as works of art that were only made because someone needed covers and fabric was too important to be discarded.  I read this thing once written by an unknown woman from the wagon train days.  It said something like she made quilts to keep her children from freezing to death and to stay off the insanity that crept in from being isolated and at the mercy of the wilderness.  It was written much more eloquently than that.  I wish I could remember where I saw that.  It was in a book somewhere over the last 20-30 years.  I suppose the only thing that is the same is that, for me at least, is that I quilt for sanity.  I really don't know what I'd be without it.  It defines me.  When people want to know what I "do", I say I quilt and sew.  It's as certain a part of me as my eye color.  The rest of my world might be flying apart at the seams and as long as I have fabric and needle and thread I know I'll be okay.

Diane:

I make a basic brown sugar cookie and then add various nuts and chips to make them different.  I also like Mexican wedding cakes.  Last year I made a Mrs. Fields recipe which is a sugar cookie with a thumb print and then you add jelly.  Really good.  And this year I'm making fudge.  My friend is so looking forward to the cookies.  She has emailed me twice about it!

Mmmmm!  Makes my mouth water.  I'm not a big baker, but I really appreciate those who are.  I used to make cookies when my kids were little.  I made pinwheels that were sugar cookie and chocolate cookie dough rolled out on top of each other.  Then I'd roll them in some red dyed sugar and chill.  Then slice and bake.  They were something everyone looked for at Christmas.  Those were the good old days.  Maybe when I retire I'll revive them.   It really is a joy to bake.

 

Linny t:

I used to make cookies when my kids were little.  I made pinwheels that were sugar cookie and chocolate cookie dough rolled out on top of each other.  Then I'd roll them in some red dyed sugar and chill.  Then slice and bake.

I left out that I rolled them into a log.  I bet you all knew that, but just in case, lol.

Robin,

Once again your week leaves me breathless in activities.

Robin:

I work with some real knuckle heads as far as students go, but for the lot I'm blessed with some real sweet students who will enjoy the giving they will be doing this week.   I can't wait to watch them grow in spirit and love.

I hope that you will end up plleasantly surprised and the knuckleheads will gain from this as well. Maybe you won't know it now, but years down the road as they mature and look back, who knows?

Robin:

My thoughts and prayers are heavy on Darlene and Tim.

 

Me too. And Mom. Darlene, if you read this please check in and let us know how everything is going....

Robin:

Hoping you all a Magical Merry Monday!

 

I wish the same for you dear friend....

 

Lillie:

Today will be the end of my shopping for stuff. Not getting any more gifts, just a few things for around the house. Only two of them are related to Christmas. I did put up the tree yesterday. I feel so much better to have a tree up. It's so beautiful to look at. Now I can start wrapping gifts for DH and put them under the tree. Not getting much this year as we are saving for Italy.

Have a wonderful week everyone.

 

Good for you Lillie! Having all your shopping done, and getting your tree up is pretty amazing considering you just got home. You are a go getter!

And planning a trip to Italy is the Bomb!!!!! Hopefully I can say that without getting edited. LOL

Diane:

One year I made crazy quilt needle books and small purses depending on who I was giving it to and I learned it on the show.  People loved them!

That is so cool! I don't think I ever saw any of those episodes and what great gifts!

 

Diane:

I make a basic brown sugar cookie and then add various nuts and chips to make them different.  I also like Mexican wedding cakes.  Last year I made a Mrs. Fields recipe which is a sugar cookie with a thumb print and then you add jelly.  Really good.  And this year I'm making fudge.  My friend is so looking forward to the cookies.  She has emailed me twice about it!

 

Oh my!!! Yum! Your plans sound like fun and you may find this funny, but I love socks. Always have, and if I was homeless and wished for nothing else in this world, socks would be number one on my list.  The LL Bean ones will make a great gift. And your handmade jewelry. I can't think of a women on earth that wouldn't love that.!

Well, the site is taking forever to load.

I'll catch up tomorrow.. Hope everyone has a wonderful evening!

Robin:

My thoughts and prayers are heavy on Darlene and Tim.

So so sorry that I have not posted.  I tried to get on line Friday and the site was not friendly at all and then I have been busy so I am just getting to

The pinwheels so so good!  I usually bake a week before Christmas--a different type each day.  It will be so nice for you Linny when you can retire.  You have so much to do!

Robin:

My thoughts and prayers are heavy on Darlene and Tim

Thank you all for thinking of us and praying for us.

I have tried to post a couple times when life was slow for a brief moment but each time this site has been unfriendly and I have been.

Mom has been relatively stable and is holding her own.  She strikes out to be independent more and more each day.  I believe this is because of Tim and she does not want to burden me.  Her doctor told me to let her be.  So, I am following doctor's orders.

We have had a very busy time here and are seeing some improvement in strength for Tim.  He still has major concerns but there is improvement and we are happy for what we can get.  He has had several appointments with all of his doctors.

• The surgeon believes the biopsy was a success. 
• The results of the pathology report were "normal" brain tissue.
• The Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon who assisted in the biopsy was pleased with Tim's progress and said there is no need to follow up with him again.
• The oncologist is concerned with Tim's complications from the biopsy and ordered an MRI ASAP and a spinal tap. 
• We went to the hospital Sunday at 4:30 in the afternoon for the MRI.
• The spinal tap is scheduled for Wednesday morning as long as his platelets are stable.
• The visiting nurse is coming to draw his blood tomorrow to confirm that his platelets are stable.
• The speech therapist seeing Tim for his difficulty swallowing will be here two more times next week and then she believes there is nothing more she can do for him.
• The physical therapist will be here one more time this week and then Tim will need to go for out patient therapy.
• The nutrionist is making me feel like a complete failure as a wife because Tim is not getting enough calories a day and I am responsible for feeding him.

I have completed my take over of Kyle's room.  I have moved my sewing table and machine, ironing board, and cutting table up as well as a beginning of the transfer of my stash to the closet.  Unfortunately, the closet is no where near big enough to hold my stash and so the majority of it will remain in the dungeon.  When weather breaks and I can have windows open, I will need to paint so that the walls are not so gloomy.  The kelly green is too dark for me and nor very inspiring.  I want to have a design wall but against that green I do not believe I would have anything good happen.

The Artisan Shop is getting busier with the impending holiday and sales are fast and furious.  Unfortunately, not of my wares. I continue to work one shift a week and have considered pulling out the first of the year.  I did sign out most of my things for the open house this past Saturday.

My open house was Saturday and the day was not quite what I would have prefered.  It started with me locking myself out of the house at 6:45 AM in my pajamas while I was loading my car.  It took the alarm on my cell phone going off at 7:30 to bring Tim downstairs to let me in the house.  He thought the knocking on the door was me sewing.  I have been told to knock less rhythmicly in the future if I need him to open the door.  My feet were froze by that point and I was late getting things set up.  The weather was cold and rainy and people were not in the holiday shopping mood so sales were slow.  I took my sewing machine with me and got some projects finished up so the day was not a complete bust.  If I had been at home, I would have been interrupted with meals and laundry.

I have one more opportunity to sell the Christmas things I have created this season.  There is a benefit craft/vendor show this Saturday which I hope will be well visited.  I only have a 6 foot table but will be along the wall and able to put up a rack or two behind me to put quilts on.  I will have to be creative in displaying things to make the most of the space. 

I have been creating thread bowls from the snippings from all the sewing I have been doing.  They are made from sandwiches of wash away stablizer with thread and ribbon in the middle.  Once I stitch the layers together I was away the majority of the stablizer and place over a bowl or inverted cup to dry.  There is enough residual glue from the stablizer that they stiffen and form a bowl of sorts.  I have made a dozen in assorted colors and will take them Saturday.  I will take pictures of my creations before then.  They are fun to do and only real expense is the wash away and some thread to stitch them together.  Good way to use up odds and ends of bobbins, etc.

Guess that is all.

I have lots of posts that I would love to comment on but time for the computer is up.  I must resume sewing.  I want you all to know that I continue to lurk and read my e-mail from my phone.  I wish you all well during the crazy busy holiday season and hope that you all are able to find a moment or two for yourself.

Thank you again for your continued support, thoughts and prayers.

Darlene, God Bless your heart.  This must be draining on you.  I saw some real positives in your list.  Hopefully the Oncologist is being cautious for caution's sake and there will not be anything there.  What a blessing your Mom is holding her own.  She loves you so much and really knows what you're going through.  What a fighter!  How is Kyle doing?

It really stinks to be locked out of your house, especially in the cold with your jammies on.  Tim is so accustomed to the sewing machine running he didn't think it could be anything else, right.  I bet you did more than knock after being out there for that long, lol.  Sounds like the weather kept everyone indoors for your open house, but at least you used your time productively.  Hopefully the consignment shop will show some results before you pull out and this benefit Saturday will be better.

I would love to see the bowls.  Ribbon and thread is all you use with the stabilizer?   I've seen them made that way with machine embroideries, but not what you've come up with.

I bet it's nice to be upstairs sewing than in that cold basement, green walls and all.  Hang your favorite stash or quilts on all the walls to hide the green until you can paint it.  I have a 36" quilt hoop that I put a piece of muslin in and I use it as a mini design wall.  I like to put pieces on it to keep me inspired, plus I like the way it looks.

Maybe you should make milk shakes for Tim to increase his calories.  They make protein powder you could add to it.  Maybe you already do this?  My daughter drinks them with yogurt and fruit, but they are good with ice cream, too :)  She used to use a blender, but I got her a Magic Bullet for her birthday and it's much more efficient when you make them one cup at a time.  Less waste and it works better than the blender.  Just a thought.  How rude for that nutritionist to make you feel inadequate as his caregiver.  She should have considered your circumstances and your well being, too.  Did she offer any advise that was practical for you to use? 

I know your time is tight and no one expects a personal response from you now.  We think of you often and pray for you always.  Now I want to ask you, how are you?  Are you taking care of yourself, too?  How's your health holding up?  

OMGosh. The site has been horrible today. This is the first time I have been able to get connected.

And now I can't find any of the posts that ya'll have been making. grrr...on this site!