Weekend Wrap-up

I need to record life before it gets away from me.

First, I finished up some more summer stitching late tonight. I Dream of the Sea and the Wild Salt Air by Hands On Design. This was a fun fun fun stitch. I honestly didn't know how much I would love the whimsical stitch until I started it. The pictures taken late tonight in my sewing room do not do it justice, so I will take more tomorrow and share next time.

They are hard to see from the photo of the pattern, but I had already thought the spool would be cute to stitch, but one night while stitching I noticed the square holder in the bottom left of the following picture and thought how great that would be for a cute beachy Christmas ornament. I think a few of them will be done for me and the kids. I am thinking 40 count would make it small enough to do a circle finish on it.

Now, for the recording of life. Kristan and family made it over Saturday. It was so good to see everyone. I took a few posed pictures but also just some random shots to preserve life moments.

Here are just a few.

The above was an example of the activity that occurred out of Tucker. He was in heaven with the twins. He moved nonstop. Gus too.

I was trying to recreate a picture taken at Thanksgiving of the three, but Tucker was not interested.

Lots of visiting and just being so glad to be together. 

Lemony getting a little love.

I noticed Tucker wiping his eyes around 7:00, but he couldn't stop moving or he knew this would happen. He fell asleep almost instantly on the way home.

The funny thing is we all missed Gus and wondered where he was. 

He was in his box before all left totally exhausted and asleep himself, so I am thinking they had tons of fun.

I will let you know that I still need prayers for Mom. Just before the party, she just had a big meltdown. She is just worn out from hurting and not sleeping so we are headed back to the doctor in the morning.

Sunday afternoon a little more boating, sunshine, and dog swimming took place.

When Lemony had enough, she asked to get back on the boat and she found a shady spot to lay down.

Beauty Queen

Tucker had an outing as well with his parents and Lindsay snapped this picture of Tyler and Tucker. 

I thought it was the cutest. He wears his sun shirts, sunshades, hat, etc. like a beach king. He points out places she misses with sunscreen. I guess when you have done all this from the very beginning it all comes second nature to him. He never complains about his life jacket either.

Hoping for some healing with Mom soon,

Sandy

Jump Down the Rabbit Hole of Thoughts with Me

It seems many clever bloggers have named these posts where you just talk about thinks floating around in the ole noggin. I have yet to come up with one until maybe early this morning.
My thoughts were all over the place and I couldn't help but think of rabbits darting and then a rabbit hole, so....

Join me on a rabbit hole of thoughts and maybe this will be my new thinking post name.

Yes, I know that is prairie dogs, but the illustration came to mind when I was thinking about rabbit holes. It comes from an old science book.

I love planners and calendars...kind of right up there with my love of purses for which I have whittled down my obsession a bit. The past few months have had me thinking I might need to do the same with my love of planners and calendars.

When Pam of Closed Doors, Open Windows mentioned that she was having trouble keeping up with the day of the week and might need to start putting an x on the day passed, well, she really did get my thoughts going, so hang on tight.

My first thought was --- "Yep, I could totally relate." I had a vet appointment scheduled one day and showed up the the day before at the appointed time. The sweet little girl who works there walked out before I even got in with Lemony and said, "Mrs. Palmer, your appointment is tomorrow at 5:00." As soon as she said it, I knew I was there on the wrong day. Honestly, I was so jumbled that week and stressed with Mother that I sort of felt like I didn't know if I was coming or going. So no surprise when she told me that.

I went back home and of course Jeff wondered why I was back so quickly. I told him what I had done and that I had my days so mixed up. He took it as insult since he is still working and counting down the weekdays to weekends.

When Pamela, mentioned the crossing off if days,
I began to ponder whether I needed to start "X-ing" my days off the calendar or find a place in the home to write, the day of the week and the date like I did daily in my classroom on the board. Good grief!

I quit "X-ing" out days when I retired because I didn't think I should count days anymore ---no more countdowns so to speak. Just enjoy each one!



Basically, my JUNE days have been too full with stuff that is less than fun and has worn my brain out.

Anyway, all that mumbo jumbo thoughts led to thinking about planners and calendars and I had already been thinking I was going to make a change for the next year in my choice of one.

Image from Pinterest... My love of calendars started with these from Hallmark way back in the early 70s.

About 2013, I discovered these very pretty but pricey planners. I was still working and had the money to spend on them and so I sort of got addicted to them much like purses.

I eagerly purchased one each year and did my "X-ing on the monthly spread and wrote lots and lots of lists on the daily pages.

Did mention how much I love to make lists and and cross things off? No checking them, off ---I like to cross them off. You can still see them if you just check them off.

Are you seeing my crazy come out here?

From Pinterest

I have decided I  NO LONGER need the kind of planner that I have been spending big money to buy.
I plan to go back to a monthly spread only that just comes from a regular store...no frills...inexpensive to keep all my appointments and important dates and then a notepad to make lists.
 OR...
I could go back to this idea...

Hubby started buying me a dog calendar each Christmas for the refrigerator way back when. I stopped him when the kids left home, but maybe I should just renew that gift idea.
I hated throwing away the pictures so I stuck them in the front and back pockets to notebooks.
Double the enjoyment.

For one more story about calendars, Kristan, our one and only niece got a very cool calendar one year from Christmas from Nana ( my mother-in-love). She didn't care one iota about it, so when all the presents were opened and Nana wasn't looking I got the calendar from her. I gave her something for the exchange and that calendar's pictures graced my fall science bulletin board for the next 20 years.

It was a National Geographic calendar that I am sure had come in the mail free to Nana and she thought, "Oh, I will just save this for Kristan." They had perfect pictures of animal groups which was perfect for my 4th grade curriculum.

Here is the book that I taught from that was my most absolute favorite science book ever to teach from and where the prairie dog picture came from. I kept a copy of it...

Oh my, I have exposed too much of myself with this post, but the next rabbit hole post will be a little less crazy. Maybe I will do a rabbit hole post on stitching thoughts floating around in my noggin this summer.

I may not be able to do a rabbit hole post in the sense that others do multiple thoughts because I love a story and I can't stop with a few words. BIG problem here.

I am serious ---my mind is overdrive lately. It is like it quit working back in midMarch and now it is trying to process it all pronto.

Speaking of Kristan, her family is due in tomorrow from Houston. We can't wait. We only get to see them at Thanksgiving and in June mostly. We are having a cookout over here on Saturday so super excited. I am letting the kids handle it for once. I don't think I have to do anything except maybe snap some pictures this time.

A Random Assortment of Things

I am popping in with a cross stitch finish and trying not to be a complainer. The blog is a happy place, an escape from the mess and a place to record good things, so that is what I will do today.

2020 has been the year of stitching larger pieces, but June has been for doing some smaller quicker projects.

I completed my September wordplay. I am not sure how I am going to fully finish it just yet, but I have some time to ponder it. Being that is school themed and my birth month I almost am tempted to frame it. Probably won't, but definitely want to think about it for awhile.

 I have done two others and while I absolutely love these patterns I don't think I will do anymore.

I don't think I will do more than these three because I have a good many fall small stitches. That is probably my largest lot. I have about 4 more fall stitches kitted up, so no real place to put the fall ones. I have all the Christmas decor I can handle, so if it doesn't hang on a tree I don't think I have a place to put it. I just don't do winter scenes. It is not like I hate winter. I don't. For the most part winter here is mild and kind of fun to wear some winter clothes for a couple of months...or at least some of the time. I just have never been able to muster up the motivation for stitching snowmen. Again, I think they are adorable, but they will be out for 2 maybe 3 weeks and then it is like I am over that. I have a good many spring stitches so the word plays are not needed.

I do love them though. They are just the cutest little patterns. If they had come out with these right as I was retiring I might have done them instead of the monthly cottages that I did and still love.

I got my cardinal back from the frame shop. I can't wait to get to Auburn and hang it with the other birds. I want to maybe add some flowers to them. I am thinking of 4 from a book of state flowers that I have. Down the road I will do so.

In gardening notes, I have changed out my garage wall plants to some summery heat taking plants. I have had the best year with my selections for those pots. I traded these out at varying times getting the most out of the other ones. I have gone with white and green for the summer. They look so pretty when you drive in the circle. The white flowers are vinca and I have filled in with some lily of the Niles, some asparagus and foxtail ferns, and some other little white flower that I had never heard of.

The front flower beds look so much better without the roses. I miss having roses, but not at all the work that went with them especially in this season of life I find myself in.

Sorry for the poor quality. My camera fogged up and I didn't realize it until I went to upload. Day lilies are struggling this year. I just showered them with some food...hoping that will help.

We have really quit trying to grow anything on the back due the heat and sun. I take that back, he has two pepper plants out there.

I have grown geraniums outside my kitchen window for years now, but that pine tree that I have spoken of on too many occasions has gotten larger and larger. I may have to actually find a shady but heat tolerant plant to grow there next year. They are just getting so leggy trying to find sun. Plus they hate heat. We haven't really started with the real heat yet. July, August, and September are the scorcher months.

Update on Mama. Mother is still feeling poorly, but this morning she had her best day in ages. We went yesterday to the doctor again. I was just so worried about her not eating and getting weak. She got a prednisone shot and some pills so I think that may have helped.

Jeff made me leave and go out for a boat ride on Saturday afternoon. It was good for me.

Lemony and Gus leading the way out our bayou.

We went out to the sound near Hurlburt Field away from the crowds. We were greeted with a treat. An osprey's nest with mama in it and daddy in the tree all the way to the right. We were careful to go on down just a little ways to swim. I wish I were a photographer because it was picture worthy.

We found a little sandy area further down to swim and play. The Gulf of Mexico is just beyond the nest in case you wanted to know.

Tucker is scheduled to start daycare on August 10th. I will miss him terribly, but I am a back up if things get bad with the BIG C again. Cases are on the rise here.
The daycare is in a church right next door to Lindsay's workplace. They have a good Christian school curriculum and Lindsay will probably call it school with Tucker. She can pop over there to see him if needed. I like that is right next to her. No extra driving as she already has to drive from Destin to Niceville to work. Jeff and Paul Allen work out of this building as well, although they do travel to schools. He will have plenty of people to go get him if he gets sick.

I will close it up for now and rest while Tucker is napping.

Thanks for your sweet comments. I still have troubles with my account. I think it may be an Apple/Google thing and I just have had no time to address it. Maybe in August I will spend time researching it all.

Going to take a nap,
Sandy

An Update

I am going to share some stitching first and then get into a life update.

I finished the third bird in my plans to stitch three birds. I went in a totally different direction than originally planned. I was planning to choose between the Orioles or the Chickadees. I loved the orioles and felt they were the next prettiest pattern. The thing that took me off that trail was that I don't think I have ever seen an oriole in person. I then was leaning towards the chickadees which I do see here often, but I kept thinking I needed a cardinal to go with them because every single day on my strolls in the neighborhood I can always see a bluejay, mockingbird, and cardinal along with herons. I see others but I see those every single day without fail.

I don't think the cardinal albeit one of absolute most favorite birds is as pretty as the other two I have stitched mostly due to the pattern. It was by the same designer but did seem to be less detailed. The bird is pretty and I did add some outlining to it to define it more.

All in all I am very pleased and look forward to hanging it with the others. It is at the framer's now. 

I also stitched a pattern shared with me by Mary of Stitching Friends. I made a few mistakes but after ripping out the same thing three times I just decided I was over it and would live with it. I have another pattern I would like to stitch to partner this one. I will leave this out for a very long time. I think it is cute and goes with my coastal home.

I don't think the picture does it justice even with its flaws it is quite cute.

Now, for a little life update. Mother now has the shingles. She has had to stay at my house because with keeping Tucker I just could not stay at her house 24/7. I told her she had to come to my house if she was going to take pain medicine. Mother has been sick off and on for almost a year now. It is taking a toll on her. The shingles are awful. She had them many years ago and has had the vaccine, but I think she is just so weak and her immune system is down that she is just facing some tough days. 

I won't go into much detail, but it has been some tough weeks and I am very tired. I don't do well with stress with my Rheumatoid Arthritis so I have a flare going on and am trying really hard to take care of myself too.

I knew I was about ready for someone to stick a fork in me when this past weekend it was birthday celebration time. Jeff and Paul Allen are two days apart in birthdays and for most of Paul Allen's growing up years I insisted that they both have separate parties, but as the kids are now out on their own it is much harder to do so they get a joint party and Lindsay and I get a joint party in September. I have pictures to document every birthday of their lives and for that matter mine and Jeff's too. 

I don't this year. 

My day started off bad when I got up early and made a key lime pie for Jeff and placed it in the hallway refrigerator. Mom had called and needed us to come get her as she was hurting so bad she couldn't stand it. Jeff went to get her and I had literally just placed in the refrigerator when they walked in the door. I went to take care of her and get her some medicine and to bed. I walked back out to get something out of the fridge and out came the pie spilling out RUINED and a huge sticky mess. I sighed and cleaned it up. Jeff had a golfing date with Paul Allen and Tyler so I sent him away knowing he was looking forward to it.

I figured pie was over and I set out to make the planned yellow cake with fudge icing for Paul Allen. I figured I would make Jeff a pie later in the week...move forward, Sandy!

As I turned on the mixer I suppose the butter was not in a good location and stuff flew out of the mixer and made another mess. I really wanted to sit in the floor at this point and cry. 

Hospital stay, days with Mom, and now a Lucille Ball episode playing out in front of me the tears were just about to spill out. I got the cake on and then sat down to watch church. It was Sunday morning. The sermon was wonderful and calmed me down.

I figured Mom was asleep so I made a quick trip to the grocery store to get more limes and made the pie again.

Oh, and if you think the above isn't enough trouble, I had to make a second batch of icing because I put the wrong amount of milk on the first one.

You can really see my worn out spirit by now!!!!!!!!!!

Cake and pie were served with fried fish on Sunday evening and I totally enjoyed my family around the dining room table. It was soothing salve to my soul. 

However, I didn't have mind to take not even one picture of the event or of my boys.

Tyler did snap one of Tucker eating cake and that my friends is the only picture of the day.

You can see why I said I wouldn't be blogging much. Add in the state of affairs in the country and I am just too tired to think let alone do much more.

The one good thing I will post is that Tucker is just adorable and growing and I am enjoying him in spite of the fact that I am fully tired.

God is good and I will get through this and realize I am not alone. Many of my friends are going through this as well. I just want Mom to be ok, and she may bounce back but she is aging and that my friends is a hard pill to swallow. 

Just a few more things....Gus had a June birthday. Only picture I have snapped of him this month...

Lemony feels like I do...pooped.

One last picture.

I took this the other day as it is a favorite spot in the house. I thought it looked like an old 1970s magazine picture of houseplants.

I sent Lindsay and Paul Allen an article from Smithsonian earlier this week that documented highlights of 1968's news mostly to remind them we will get though these crazy times. If not, then "Come, Lord Jesus and soon."

Take care all, 

Sandy

A Little Update

How timely that I framed the verse mentioned in the last post and put it in my sewing room/ office! In quietness and confidence is your strength from Isaiah.
I have had a doozy of the a weekend so
I am giving you a life update,
a reason for the timeliness of the verse, and
a mention of a few things I want to record.

Mother has been sick for a while. First it was a sinuses/ears which are an ongoing problem that rears it ugly head 3 to 4 times a year. Sometimes we catch it early and heal quickly and sometimes it gets her down bad. The recent bout got her pretty bad and then quickly on the heels of that the other recurring problem is UTIs. That one had settled down for about two years, but it got her down starting a little over a week ago.

Friday midday she agreed to go the immediate care but only saw a PA. They gave her an antibiotic and some kidney stone medicine. I ended up having to take her to the ER Friday night.

All these weeks of staying home and being good went out the window when you had to go to the ER. The cases haven't actually stopped here and I know of a person my age who was just admitted this weekend for the Big C. The only worse place would be the rehab place which is part nursing home. 

She stayed in the hospital until yesterday. She was on pain medicine and IV antibiotics and seemed much better when they released her yesterday. IT was determined she had a cyst and some blockage that obstructed the kidneys.

She is not so good today because of all the pain medicine. She is so loopy and has no idea what has happened to her.

That said, I am going to take a blogging break. I will be back down the road, but there is just a bit too much to deal with to put a coherent thought together and I think it will take her a couple of weeks to get back to normal. I often feel with each of these bouts she loses a bit more clarity too, so that doesn't help. I think she will bounce back in a few weeks as she has gotten this bad and turned it around. I am praying that is the case anyway.

I will be dropping in with my friends in this wonderful community each week to read and comment and I will do a monthly post to update you. I was trying to do a weekly post, but I feel I need to just withdraw and focus on family.

That verse is just what I need to do right now...
Be quiet and have confidence that God has all this in His hands and He knows best. I intend to just focus my energies there for a few months.

To document a tad bit of life in other areas.... Coach Pat Dye passed away yesterday. I sort of expected it when he was hospitalized a few weeks ago and the last time I saw him he looked so feeble, but it was still a shock. To Auburn people my age he was a ICON. He came to Auburn while I was there. We loved him and he was a prominent part of our household life. We were DYE-hard Auburn fans.

The times we are in make it hard to even mourn a loss properly. Now he is not a family member, but still such a part of your life like any leader figure would be and you need to catalog those memories and thoughts.

I got my blue jays back from the framer. Jeff has determined that putting them in a bedroom is not proper exposure for the mockingbird, blue jay, and well, I will let you see my third choice in a moment. I told him that was what I had chosen these patterns for so I will evaluate it all when I finish the third one.

As you can see the third one is a cardinal.  A completely different direction than I had previously mentioned. There is some thought behind it which down the road I will share. I stitched quite a bit in the hospital room with Mom.

Thanks blogging friends for all your sweet comments. I am still not able to get my comments to come to my email, so my only way of replying to you is to comment back in the post which few want to go back to anyway. I have not replied to many from my previous post and will just let those go. I will try and get back to looking at things once a week and hopefully things will settle down and I can back to things more often.

Going Quiet for a few weeks,
Sandy