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.