Needles

After hemming two prom dresses, I moved on to cuffing some heavy cotton trousers.

And I was reminded once again of the importance of needles.  For the satin prom dresses, size 8 ball point needles, for the heavy trousers, size 16 jeans needles.  Different needles make so much difference in how smoothly the projects go.  It isn't just a gimmick to sell more needles.

I don't think many people change their needles after exactly eight hours of sewing, how can we really know, but lots of sewists strive for that goal.  For most piecing and regular sewing, I usually stay with a universal 14 needle and I'm happy with that for my routine tasks.  I'm usually sewing on the same types of fabrics and just set my sewing machine for different fabric types.  And yes, I'm spoiled by that.

One of my friends gave me two pieces of the very best butterscotch pie last night, with a wonderful meringue.  Good meringue has always eluded me - now I'm in the mood to try again. 

Goetta

 

I took my neighbor out to breakfast to celebrate her birthday.  We went to Sleepy Bee, one of my favorites.  I tried this sandwich because it had vegan goetta.  Goetta is a local food, much loved in Cincinnati.  It's made from sausage and steel cut oats, fried in slices.  As a vegetarian, I'd never sampled it and was happy to see this version.  It was good. 

Everything I've tried at Sleepy Bee is good, especially the pancakes.  I love pancakes and theirs are light and fluffy, like mine never are.

My grandmother used to make mush, made with oats or cornmeal.  I wish I knew which hers was made of, but I don't.  My grandmother's mush was similar to goetta in that it was sliced and fried.  My grandmother and I ate it with Karo syrup.  Growing up, we never had maple syrup or pancake syrup, always Karo.

 I loved mush and would beg my mother to make it but she never would.  I'm guessing that's because she ate a lot of it during the depression, but I'm not sure of that.

(Thinking of my much-loved grandmother, she was blond, blue-eyed and short.  I got none of those genes.)  

Someone's Breakfast

 

I hadn't attempted walking up the hill to the park at the end of the street because it's a really, really steep hill.  Short, as hills go, but really steep.

So yesterday I gave it a try, and it was fine. This paark is just what I call a neighborhood pocket park, although this one does have more space than most.

When I walked around the perimeter I came across these apples scattered around the far edge.  Then I noticed a suspiciously large-sized bite taken out of one and realized that someone must have brought those apples for the deer that roam around the nearby wooded area.  (And roam around the streets and yards.)

And then I realized that the flesh of the bitten apple was white, no rotting at all.  I think that I surely disturbed a deer's breakfast.

Soon I'll have flowers and vegetables and I hope the deer continue having breakfast at the park and not in my yard.

Pansies

 

I've so enjoyed watching the pansies grow in their porch container.  Why didn't I fill another container with purples?

This afternoon I'll be helping set up comforters to knot tomorrow.  It's always a challenge from one month to the next to remember how the set up goes.   Maybe today it will look more familiar.

It seems like my hair is falling out at a great rate.  I looked it up (of course) and learned that it's called shedding and that it happens several months after an illness.  And then after six months or so it stops and hair returns to normal again.  It seems like I'll have no hair left after six months of this, but maybe it will come in pretty and white.

I've always admired pretty white hair in women but mine is more on the gray side.  And don't even mention coloring it to make it a pretty white - I'm so over that.

Clam Up

 

Yes, this little bag is finished, and yes, I'll make another one, and yes, next time I'll follow along with the tutorial as I sew.  Clam Up by Annie.com

I bought a whole bag of handbag zippers and the big pack of Soft and Stable, so there has to be at least one more, right?  And while it doesn't open flat like I thought it would, it opens very wide.  This is a medium and next time I'll try the large.

A friend just sent me a table runner kit so I worked on finishing three projects today.  And, someone is bringing a pretty pink prom dress to be hemmed too.

While I enjoy having several projects to choose from, sometimes some just need to be finished.

Remembering This Building

 

My view waiting for the doctor at one of my follow-up visits this morning.

I thought the building seemed a bit familiar and then I remembered going there for a Covid test fairly early on during the pandemic, back in the scary time  People needing a required test for whatever reason were directed one way and people who were testing because they felt sick were directed a different way.

I wasn't feeling sick so I was directed with the many people waiting for required tests.   Mine was prior to a pulmonary function test.  No one wants to be giving the test in a small room with Covid-positive people breathing heavily.

I'd forgotten the strange way the parking garage works.  On entry I got a ticket with a mag strip and in the office I got a second one.  After putting in the first ticket the machine showed that I owed $7.00.  When I put in the second the screen told me to have a good day, the gate lifted, and I went on my way.

Eclipse

,

Sitting with my legs crossed at the park up the street.  I'm sure you've seen enough pictures of the actual eclipse and don't want another one.  

It wasn't totality here, but it was 99% and that was enough to make me very happy.  It was a glorious show.  The street lights came on at the darkest part, then went off again on the other side.  The temperature cooled down and the breeze picked up and then things went back to where they were before.

The clouds stayed away and it was as warm as a nice summer day.

And then I went home  no traveling involved except for a trip to the Dairy Queen, because it was that kind of a day.

Love Series

 

Here'a how the hearts ended up, scattered on a pink batik to hopefully get people ready for the current  five-week Love Series at my church.

Tonight I'm working on a small clamshell bag.  I almost never sew at night, and that could be why I'm doing quite a bit of ripping.  Really, though, I don't think that's it.  It's just the nature of the project.  I thought the bag was supposed to open flat but I can't imagine ending up there - we'll see.

Maybe there's a reason why there's an online tutorial to go along with the written directions.  And maybe I should have watched it.

Fingers crossed for a sunny day tomorrow for the eclipse.  Many local schools will be closed.  There will be lots of disappointed people if it's a cloudy day.

Hearts

 

Ages ago, like many years ago, I purchased a package of die-cut hearts.  Several times I've looked at them and wondered if I should even keep them.  I must have originally thought I'd use them for applique but of course I never did.

Now I have a use for them, and you'll see that tomorrow.  For today, I fused Wonder Under on the backs of the hearts, along with a piece of red ribbon.  And then fused a second heart on the back.  Very easy.  The only thing that took any time at all was cutting the Wonder Under to heart size.

I feel like the Universe spoke to me twenty years ago and said, "Buy those hearts, you like them."  And later said, "Keep those hearts, you like them."

And finally this week the Universe said, "It's time for those hearts, and you know just where they are."

Comforter Top

 

Finally this comforter top is completed and ready to be knotted.  I used 5" blocks because I had quite a few already cut out.  If I do something similar again, I'll use 6 1/2" blocks, both because the piecing will go more quicky and because this one will require a lot of knots.

Scrap quilts are my favorite, and mine aren't as random as they appear.  My own personal theory is that scrap quilts need a few things that tie them together.  Note the yellow diagonals - even though the shades of yellow are different, they still identify as yellow, although in the picture the lighter ones look white.  Most rows have one of two print fabrics.  And even though they are  randomly placed, you'll find lots of greens, reds, purples, and blues.  I think all those things keep the quilt from being chaotic, they keep our eyes from bouncing around when we look at it.

When I got in my car tonight, it told me that the roads might be icy.  (They weren't.)  And the weather app tells me that on Monday - eclipse day - the high will be 72 degrees. 

For tonight, I'll go outside and cover my porch planter with its pansies.

Tenth President

 

Berea College is preparing for the inauguration of its tenth president this weekend, and she will be its first woman president.  The campus is preparing to show off its buildings and grounds, and the flowers are gorgeous.

My daughter and I just spent some time there, shopping and eating.  I had never spent the night at Boone Tavern, and that was a treat.  We had breakfast and dinner there, and both meals were wonderful.

Of course I have some awesome new earrings.

One of my recovery goals is to do some traveling, and this was a good start.

Hot Cross Buns

 

Little hot cross buns with dried cranberries, apricots, and raisins.

I noticed a tube of white icing in the store and decided that I didn't need that, I could just make icing and put it in a sandwich bag and snip off the corner.  Later I regretted that decision and got the tube after all.  Whoever designed that little tube knew what they were doing.

There were so many daffodils blooming on this early Easter.  They were putting out a show everywhere.

A new month - new goals, of course.  April is always such a hopeful month.

Happy Easter

The heaviness of the past week is over, the chains are broken.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Oh Happy Day

 

Yesterday was a happy day.

My new shoes came.  Note to self:  don't wait so long to replace shoes.  The new ones, which are the same style and model as the old ones, except for color, have so much more cushion and support.

It was my daughter's birthday, kind of.  She was born on a Good Friday.  I don't remember her ever having an actual birthday on Good Friday, so she gets a bonus birthday.

I noticed that there is now enough sunlight, on sunny days, for my back porch solar lights to light up in the evening, at least for a while.  That string of lights is such a joy for me.

When I was cleaning in the living room I found a lost earring under an ottoman.  A found earring is a treasure.

And one thing more - the bottle of gummy multivitamins is now empty.  After my intubation it was hard to swallow the regular vitamins and I had a big bottle of gummies.  Now the bottle is empty and swallowing is easy and natural once again.

It was a good day.

Carrots

 

My neighbor came home from a small trip raving about the lemon maple carrots he had at a restaurant he visited.  So of course  I had to look up a recipe.  They are indeed worth raving about and I suggest that you too look up a recipe.  Mine was from Food Network.

I feel like there's not much to talk about today.  I've mailed Easter cards, including a pretty pop-up one for a very young friend.  As always, I wish I had one or two more cards.  

I had a recipe in mind for an orange coffee cake for the church Easter brunch, but I can't find it.

If you're wondering how long you can keep a frozen turkey in the freezer, I just looked it up - one website says two years and I'm going with that one.  Maybe next week I'll thaw it and roast it, but this weekend there will be ham.

I was happy to find Janet Evanovich's new book Dirty Thirty on the library's new books shelf.  Her Stephanie Plum series is always a little predictable but always so humorous.  It's fun to meet the same cast of characters, even the hamster who lives in a soup can.

Friday Evening

Best ever - Friday evening dinner with my college grand girl.  At Goose and Elder close to Findlay Market.  We both had fish and chips, whch fulfilled a March goal for me - to have just that on a Friday evening during Lent.

I was impressed - Nora had an app on her phone for city parking.  She is becoming confident with finding her way around the city.  

I had the grandmother fun of giving her several grocery bags of provisions and good things to eat.  Some early morning foods, like Luna Bars and yogurt and homemade egg bites.  Some fun, like chocolate chip cookies and jelly beans and chocolate.  Some good for her like pasta, cheese, whole wheat bread, and Lean Cuisines.  Some paper goods.

Nora is a busy girl and I was delighted to spend a few hours just catching up with her.

 

Christmas Bag

 

My older friend who lives in a nursing home has a Singer Featherweight and she enjoys making small quilts.  Around the end of November she pieced and quilted two of these square pieces and asked me to make a zipper bag for her to take to Bingo.  She loves the Bingo games there.

We all remember how December worked out, and those two pieces have been living in my studio, just hanging out.  Now, it's mid March, and her little bag is ready.  It has a pretty light red lining and a red zipper.  Actually an invisible zipper, pretending to be a regular zipper.   And boxed corners so it can sit upright on a table.

I guess we'll have to consider it a first Christmas 2024 project completed.

Socks

 

Are these not the jazziest socks?  They arrived in my mailbox yesterday.  Along with a pair of Nike compressions socks, a little different from the ones I've been wearing.  Thanks, Sarah.

I wish - I was falling asleep more easily.  I'm usually a good sleeper.  I suspect that I haven't adjusted to the time change yet.

It was such a treat yesterday to have lunch with some of my retreat friends.  The Greyhound Tavern was such a good choice.  It's one hundred years old, especially favored by an older crowd.  It was crowded but still quiet.

Today - I really have to work on that worship banner.  It's Friday, Sunday is almost here.

Bookcase

 

Not my art.  The art on top of the bookcase was made by a friend and I've enjoyed it for the last many years.  Make more art, Janelle!  You're amazing.

There was a visitation this morning for a long time family friend.  When my husband died - 28 years ago - she and her husband made the two-hour trip to bring my older daughter home.  One of those things you don't forget.

And her daughter - hosted the rehearsal dinner for my older daughter's wedding.  Another of those things you don't forget.

And her grandson took my very young grandchildren fishing in the lake behind his house.

One of my former co-workers from the sewing machine store came to the visitation.  An example of different paths crossing.  

The Bunny

 

Last night I got a text from my neighbor telling me to look at the black bunny in my back yard.

The bunny spent quite a long time in my yard, nibbling on a rose bush and just hanging out.  I've learned that it is a neighborhood pet, spending time in many neighbors' yards.  Apparently it has a multi-colored friend as well.

Surely they were once pets.  They have escaped the coyotes and must have learned to look both ways before they cross the street. 

I guess a nice thing to do would be to toss out a few mini carrots.

And thinking of carrots, many years ago my across-the-street neighbor had a string of carrot lights that she would put out at Easter.  I've looked for some since, but none of the carrot lights now look just right.

Hope

The hope of marigolds in different colors.

The basil is slow to sprout, but it's starting to happen.  And the ground cherries - should start appearing in 7 - 14 days.  

My plan for today is to plant more marigold seeds so they aren't all ready at the same time.

I know the peat pellets are small, so I'll be transplanting to little paper cups with potting soil.  By that time the weather should be warm enough to put the little plants on the back porch, covering them at night if necessary.

It Happened

 

For the first time in a very long time, I've made something.  The sewing machine and I are friends once again.

The pattern is Be Mine Heart Zipper Pouch.  Fabric is Buttercup and Slate by Corey Yoder for Moda.  The other side has more yellow.  This bag uses a mini charm pack and a matching fat quarter.

Quick lesson:  Mini charm packs are 2 1/2" squares, 42 in all, that have all the fabrics in a collection.  Some are duplicated.  A fat quarter is 18" x 22" - a quarter of a yard cut differently than usual.  Moda is a fabric company with really nice fabrics, you won't go wrong with Moda.

Totally different, I've started a comforter top to be knotted.  Some of the fabrics were donated to Mennonite Central Committee, some are from my stash.  Because I'm making it, it will be bright.

Laying out the design means a lot of sitting on the floor, and a lot of getting up off the floor.  A reminder that I have a long way to go.

I'm also reminding myself, though, that I'm not the only almost-80-year-old struggling with getting off the floor.

Thirty Minutes

 

Thirty minute walk today in my hilly urban neighborhood  My ears were cold when I got back, it was a breezy 49 degrees.  If you enlarge the picture you can see the Cincinnati skyline in the background.

When I got home my oxygen level was 94.  After a minute, 96.

I'm pleased about this.  Two months ago at the doctor's office I couldn't complete the six minute walk test.  When my son-in-law dropped me off in front of the building I had to sit in a lobby chair when I waited for him.

Day to day, there sometimes seems like little improvement.  Sometimes it's nice to see a bigger picture.

RBG

 

These were among those offered at the post office today when I picked up stamps.

I remember where I was when I got the news that RBG had died. Do others? I was sitting on the high school bleachers in early evening, waiting for a marching band presentation when my phone chimed. And I knew that life would look different after that evening. If I'm remembering right, it was a chilly evening, with rain starting. The band presentation was moved inside.

I sat in back with my mask, not comfortable being in a crowded auditorium but really wanting to see my drum major grand daughter conduct. It was early Covid days. My grand daughter stood on a folding chair to conduct.

I have no desire to incorporate politics in my blog, so I'll just say that my grand daughter is in college now. She is considering marching band in the fall. Perhaps trying out a different instrument.

Little Zipper Bag

The front of a little zipper bag - because I have to start some where.  10 1/2" x 8 1/2".

After that will come piecing the top of a comforter for the church group to knot.  In a perfect world, two tops.  We'll see.  I have squares cut out for one of them - from before - probably in November.  From donated fabric.

And then, hypothetically, a worship Easter banner for church.  

Easter is early this year - March 31, as I've mentioned before.  And for those who keep track of those things, Reds Opening Day is March 28.

I so enjoy listening to a baseball game while sewing.  Two of my favorite things, and the time just passes so pleasantly.

Snare Drum

 

Aaron and me at Mason High School at Music for All.  His Symphonic Band was one of the first performances of the day.  It wasn't a competition, but they did get evaluated.  I missed his other concerts this year, and I did want to hear the snare drum and other percussion instruments he played.  (The snare drum was awesome.)

And no, I'm not short.  I'm not as tall as I once was, but I'm not short.  It's just that Aaron is - tall.

Button Eyes

The unembellished fish got their button eyes, and the wall hanging is finished.  Once it's delivered to its new owner I can show you the finished quilt.

I'm sitting over here just breathing.  Feeling joy that this delayed quilt is finished.  Feeling a little sad because I've lived with it so long and now it will be leaving.  Feeling more than a little sad that it wasn't the promised Christmas gift.  Feeling validated that little goals make a project come together.  And feeling amazed, too, that when I started there was none of this, just an idea in my head of what could happen.

It was truly a "build the bridge as you walk on it" project.  Cutting up that first swim suit was so, so scary.  Figuring out how to incorporate the slithery glittery Lycra into quilt form took longer than I thought it should.  I didn't know if using free motion for the applique would work.

But here we are, and this afternoon I'm just breathing.

Compression

 

I never thought there would be compression socks with my name on them, but here we are.  At least they aren't ugly, and there are more colors in the package, so there's that.

This was going to be the day I painted around the last fish on the wall hanging, but then I saw one more fish hanging out that needed paint.  So, tomorrow.  Then some of those fish will get button eyes and that will be that.

You never asked, but don't get Michael's house brand of fabric paint.  Those little bottles are enticing, but you'll wish you'd bought the Tulip brand.

My church will be having a 50th anniversary celebration in October and I've been asked to do a "big" banner for that.  So far, no information about what the theme will be or how big is "big."  Time is getting short for planning and making, so I'll just have to start on my own.

And now I'm thinking that I have these lovely bottles of fabric paint, so maybe I can incorporate some paint.  That's how these things work.  And there are fifty little black buttons in the package and I only need eight.

Dreaming

 

Of course there will be other seeds, on other days, but these are the ones that came in the mail today. Summer squash that are, hopefully, more bushy than vine-y, although they will need to be staked.  Marigolds in a blush color.  My favorite basil.  

It's the time of the year for dreaming, especially on days like today when the temperature almost reached 70 and the sun was shining.  Tomorrow, perhaps, I'll start those marigolds and the basil in little peat pellets.  The squash need fewer days to planting, and the nasturtium do best directly seeded into the flower bed.

In mid March the rest of the order will come - a gooseberry plant.  It's my personal do over.  In my last house there was a row of gooseberries beside the driveway.  I liked those gooseberries and made a pie or two.  My husband, though, didn't like the way they looked and one day I came home to find him digging them out.  Grrrr.  I don't know why it's taken sixteen years of living in this house before I planted my own gooseberry, which is supposed to grow to be a large plant.

There will be another do over for my daughter.  My uncle always had ground cherries.  I don't know whether he planted them every year or whether they reseeded, but they are an annual.  Every year at Thanksgiving there would be ground cherry pie, and every year my daughter ate pumpkin pie instead.  Now she is sorry that she never tried that pie.  I'm not sure how many ground cherry plants it takes to make a pie, but hopefully there will be enough.

Thankfully Negative

The morning after comforter knotting last week, I got an email from one of the participants that she had tested positive for Covid.  I hoped that since I had Covid at Christmas I had good antibodies.

Five days later, it appears that's what happened.  (Apparently, the newest strains have a shorter incubation period than the original one.)

This morning I made a snack mix using Pickapeppa Sauce.  It's an adaptation from a Southern Living recipe, less spicy than the original.  It's still plenty spicy.

1/2 5 oz bottle Pickapeppa Sauce, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup light    brown sugar, 1 tsp chili powder, 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1        tsp kosher salt, 6 cups Rice Chex, 4 cups pretzels, 12 oz can        salted peanuts

Combine pretzels, Rice Chex, and peanuts in a large bowl.  In a sauce pan, heat Peckapeppa Sauce, butter, light brown sugar, and spices.  Pour half of heated mixture over dry mixture in large bowl, stirring gently. Add remaining heated mixture.  Spread mixture on two rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Bake about an hour and fifteen minutes, 250 degrees, stirring every 15 minutes and rotating baking sheets after 45 minutes.  Let cool on baking sheets for thirty minutes.

By the way, "Smear" was a good first Wordle word.  (See yesterday's post.)

 

    

Last One

 

What an amazing thing.  After way too long, all the fish are appliqued on the wall hanging.

This was the last, and one of the prettiest.  And one of the thickest and most rigid.  I couldn't use my quilter for it but the ruler foot on my sewing machine worked fine.  There was also some hand sewing involved for those fish with beading that came up to the edge.

It's an amazing feeling to have come this far.  The wall hanging was supposed to be a Christmas gift but we know how that turned out.  It was one of the things that bothered me in the hospital, the knowing that someone would be disappointed.

But here we are.  What is left now is to outline some of the fish with glittery fabric paint.  I'll need to be patient because the paint takes several hours to dry so I can only do a row at a time.  I don't want any smears.  

Hmmm, that could be a first Wordle word - smear.  I'll try it tomorrow.

Maintenance

 

My car went in for its first service this morning.  And now it's lovely and washed.  The first service is complementary, probably to show customers what a nice job they do.  Including washing the car.

That isn't my car in the picture, it's a car in the show room.  For months the show room had been empty of cars.  I guess production finally caught up.

One more thing on my list of postponed things can be crossed off.

Sitting in the show room (I like to sit there instead of in the small waiting room) I realized that in my hurrying to get out the door I'd forgotten to eat breakfast.  Never even thought of it.  It's been ten days since my last prednisone pill, and I can tell a difference in my appetite.  I'm much less apt to look for a snack between  meals and I'm not always thinking about the next meal.   

Comforters

We knotted two comforters in the church basement this morning.  There were eight of us, a perfect number, and in two hours we were finished.

After I drove up at home I sat in the warm car for a while and enjoyed the sunshine.  And then took a short walk.

This afternoon I'll work on church council minutes, never an easy job for me.  And then, we'll see.

I was thinking this morning about Aaron in his younger preschool days.  He called his teacher into the bathroom where he was looking in the mirror.  And he said, "Miss Judy, I can't find my eyebrows."  Perils of a pale red=head.

 

Back in Business

Sometimes things happen.  I've learned to tighten the needle on my quilter before I start quilting, every time.  That lesson was learned when a needle fell into the bobbin case when the screw loosened.  The needle broke and the result was a trip to the repair shop.  Don't get me wrong - I love the sewing machine repair technician, but I'd rather just stop in to say hello.

Lesson learned this time:  after putting in a new bobbin, lower the hand wheel to make sure all is well.  It wasn't, and once again the needle broke when it struck the bobbin case.  The bobbin case jammed, it was really stuck.

I ignored it for about a week.  Finally today I removed the throat plate and had a better view and was able to pop out the bobbin case with a small screw driver.  I can't recommend this kind of repair, but this time it worked for me.  Amazingly, the machine was still in time and I could continue on with my project.

Number of fish left to quilt:  ten.

Scraps

 

At last, I made a visit to the cute little quilt shop in Latonia called Around the Corner.  It's a small shop but filled with goodies everywhere.  After looking, and looking again, I was starting to get overwhelmed and ended up getting two patterns for small zipper bags.  I do love a good bag pattern.

Then I noticed a tray of scrap bags, packaged in white.  Of course I had to get one.  Maybe even more than a good bag pattern, I love a mysterious scrap bag, especially one priced at $5.00. 

I'm rarely disappointed with a scrap bag and this one was no exception.  Someone else's scraps are always better.  I should embroider that on a sampler.

I especially like the white strips, just ready for binding something small.

Thanks to my sister for the Christmas gift certificate.  And I have enough left for another visit.

The Last of It

 

After more weeks than I even know about, I've taken the last of the prednisone and accompanying antibiotic.  Fingers crossed that after the long taper my body won't miss it.

I'd feel like a normal person again, except (a) my doctor discontinued my synthetic hormone because of the blood clot, (b) my lung doctor prescribed an antibiotic by nebulizer because the bacterial culprit that caused the pneumonia is a stubborn one, and (c) the eye doctor added a drop.

In the spirit of keeping track of things, the blood thinner medication has been reduced from two pills twice a day to one pill twice a day.

I'm not a fan of the nebulizer because it takes half an hour in the morning and half an hour at night.  But it's only for 28 days.

That's quite enough about that.  It's snowing tonight, just flurries.  We've had so little snow this winter, and this one is so light and pretty.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.  I'm trying to remember if I've seen Valentine's Day and the first day of Lent fall on the same day before - not in my recent memory.  Lent is early this year.

Trivia:  the earliest day Lent can start is February 4.  The latest day Lent can start is March 10.

My Valentine's Day secret, which now isn't a secret any more, is that I buy a pair of earrings for myself for Valentine's Day.  Earrings are my favorite jewelry (remember the earlier post about those orphan earrings.)

Less now, since I don't have a work place, I would feel sort of bad on Valentine's Day when coworkers were showing off flowers or pretty jewelry.  Then I decided that I could gift myself flowers on the day but that didn't feel quite right.  Earrings are always right!

Not a King Cake

 

It's Fat Tuesday and this year I didn't order a king cake.  I did look at the Graeter's website - I should have looked on the app.  Life is complicated sometimes.

But I made this big 9" cinnamon roll instead.  It's a King Arthur recipe and a little different from most bread recipes.  Butter is incorporated  into the dough while it's mixing and after rising the dough rests in the refrigerator. 

I even got to use a spring form pan that has been waiting for years to be used again.  No plastic babies or Mardi Gras beads were used in the presentation, however.

It's too late in the day to share with neighbors, but tomorrow it can be a Valentine treat. 

Earrings

 

My jewelry box has twenty-four small square-shaped divisions on its top layer and today I decided to sort through them.  Procrastinating.  On letter writing and walking and reading through materials for a Zoom meeting tonight.  

Try as I might to put both my earrings in the same little box when I swap them out, some always end up separated. It's like the earrings have a party and some go home with other partners.  And the ones in the picture - their partners never could find their way home. 

At my primary care doctor this morning,  l learned that the blood thinner that I'm taking doesn't require dietary restrictions like the older ones do.  And so, I'll be trying out a new recipe for a spinach and mushroom quiche for dinner.

Cover or Not?

 

Last week we had such lovely warm weather that encouraged this plant on my front porch to throw out new growth.

Then today when I started my car the screen told me that we have a winter weather advisory for tomorrow evening.  I don't know whether to try to cover this new growth or to let it survive, or not, on its own.  Of course I don't know the name of the plant, with its feathery shoots.

I suspect that if the new growth dies, the plant will try again later.  If any of my gardener friends have advice or know what this plant is, please let me know.

Usually on Sunday night I plan my goals for the coming week, but after last week's unexpectedly unmet goals I don't feel like setting new goals this week.  Maybe I'll just recycle the previous week's unmet goals and call it good.  Or maybe in the morning I'll add more.

Special Valentine

 

It was so special to get this Valentine in the mail from a very young friend.  As in, a first-grader friend.

How many of us remember the joy and anticipation of making Valentine boxes or bags to take to our classrooms in the week preceding Valentine's Day?  I think most parents encouraged their children to take a Valentine for everyone in the class, so everyone had lots of Valentines to open at the class party.

That class party was much looked forward to.  A time with no studies.  Some snacks, usually sweet.  And opening those cards.

If you haven't sent a Valentine, or two, yet, there is still just a little.time.

Blip

 

Above is my hospital room for the past night and day.  In what I hope was just a blip on the recovery road, I developed blood clots in my left leg.

It could have been from the earlier hospitalization and rehab, could have been from having Covid.  I had an overnight IV with a heparin drip and came home this afternoon with medication.

My hospital has a step down unit, where I was.  Not even in the main hospital.  It was a pretty quiet place and I was grateful for that.  

So, fingers crossed, that I'll take my three month's worth of medication and this will just be a memory.

Waiting for the Doctor

 

Waiting for the doctor this afternoon, trying to get over my white coat syndrome, 

What actually seemed to help - I decided to try journaling in the notes section on my phone, just whatever came into my mind like I do in the morning but even more random. And that calmed me.  When I left, I erased the notes. On Monday I'll see my primary care doctor, so I'll have a chance to try it again.

I have a month of a different antibiotic, just in case.  Apparently the bacteria that caused my pneumonia is a stubborn one.  There will be repeat tests and a return lung doctor visit in two to three months.  

And yes, I can start pulmonary rehab at the end of next week.  My last steroid pill will be next week and the long taper will be over.  The doctor said to call if I start feeling exhausted afterwards, but I may actually feel better.  Of course, I'm voting for feeling better.

Digging

My daughter Sarah came this weekend and dug.  All along the side of the house.  She removed the damaged PVC drain pipe and replaced it, then extended the trench and new pipe to the sidewalk beside the street.  Attached the downspouts firmly.

The hope is that this will prevent water pooling at the end of the driveway during heavy rains.  And then, from coming in under that garage door.  The next chance of rain is Monday, so we'll have to wait to see.

I got an estimate of $7000 to fix the problem, and it would be amazing if one woman with a shovel could fix it for $100.  And I'm not convinced that the $7000 fix actually addressed what needed to be fixed.  But even if this doesn't cure the problem, the old PVC pipe needed to be replaced.

Finding honest, competent people to do house repairs isn't easy.  Thanks, Sarah for doing this for me. 

 

Late Can Be Best

Sometimes it's the late gifts that are the best.  In this package was a tote bag that says, "Libraries Are Essential."  I'll take it when I go to the library and everyone will wish they had one.

After a weekend with both daughters here, it feel pretty quiet tonight.  There was a lot of good food, a little binge watching (daughters, not me) and an outside drain project (Sarah.)  As usual with outside projects, a couple of neighborhood guys  stopped over to see what was going on.  And one loaned some tools.

I just talked with Sarah and she is almost to Knoxville, about to make the big turn, so soon she will be heading east toward Asheville.  She doesn't seem to mind night driving like I do.

 

Banana Cookies

I can't be the only one who uses sort-of expensive ingredients like butter, pecans, and white chocolate chips because I have fifty cents worth of bananas about to go bad. 

If you want to try them, they're really good, you can find the recipe here:  https://sugarspunrun.com/banana-cookies/

I subbed pecans for walnuts and white chocolate chips for regular chocolate chips -  because that's what I had.

There may have been an adventure yesterday with the first batch.  I wasn't paying attention when I took them out of the over.  I tipped the cookie sheet just a little, the parchment paper slipped, and the cookies fell back into the oven.

I turned off the oven and let the cookies harden, and they didn't leavee too much of a mess.  And this morning I was more careful.

Paczi

 

7:30 this morning - the dreaded pulmonary function test.  And it actually wasn't as bad as I'd made it out to be.

Afterward we stopped at the Reading Road Graeter's, where the bakery is located and all the magic happens - for a Paczi donut.  Every year I like to get one before Lent and they are gone again for another year.

The story is that Paczi donuts are to be enjoyed before or on Fat Tuesday.  Graeter's has four flavors - chocolate cream, black raspberry, sweet cream cheese, and custard.  It's always the black raspberry for me.

They are big, and decadent and so, so good.

Bonus - my physical therapist said that as part of my continuing therapy I should try going into a store.  Even though that parking lot of tiny and the store is small, it felt good.  

Leaving Rehab

 

I'm celebrating discharge from rehab one month ago today.  (The picture was probably taken on Christmas Day, I remember wearing the red shirt and pajama pants.)  

A month ago today was my first full day of being allowed to get out of bed without supervision.  Without that belt that the helpers put around me.  To go to the bathroom without using the call button was so, so awesome.

I was eager to leave and was happy to pack away my clothes and miscellaneous items by myself.  My daughters came, the nurse with the wheel chair came, and then I was in the car.  I thought I knew where the facility was located, but as we drove away I realized it wasn't exactly where I thought it was.  

We drove down I-71, exited to 471, stopped at Graeter's for ice cream for the family Christmas gathering planned for that afternoon.  Then up the steps to my house - I think I was carried up the steps more than walked up them.

And there was my chair, my Christmas tree, a refrigerator full of things I could choose whenever I felt like it.  Soon there were my precious grandchildren and son-in-law.  I couldn't even be sad that I had to go to bed before the end of the gathering.

Maybe later we'll celebrate the accomplishments of the past month.

Dreaming

 

The January days are gray.

Enough said.

Off the Tree

Yes, I'm that person.  I love the Hallmark ornaments on my tree, and I enjoy the process of putting them back in their boxes at the end of the season.

Some are special and most were selected at after Christmas sales.  I have one my mother gave me, and she has been gone for many years.  Some "dad" ornaments purchased when my husband was still living. One given by a dear friend for my help during her baby daughter's hospitalization - that little daughter is now grown with children of her own.  Some have been gifts.

I take them off the tree one at a time and find the matching boxes.  Of course there are always a few boxes without ornaments (still somewhere on the tree) and a few ornaments without boxes that have been lost over the years.

The tree will stay up at least another week - I love the cheerful light during gray January days.