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