Time is Flying...

Below are jar openers.  They are backed with rubber draw liners...Now is the time for relaxing sewing with no stress and no deadlines!!

Here: 13 bowl cozies for the holidays.  The bottom one is made from a shirt  I had  made for my son when he was five...He is now 40!!  Both my boy grands wore it too! 

Making more laminate  pouches closed with velcro.  They are perfect for holding cards, or snacks, or anything.  I have one for dog  treats and one for labels.  The old ladies here play "Hand and Foot ". a card game.  I made one of these for each table so the cards would not get lost.

Our darling Stitch is now 9.5 years old.  I still remember how Evan and I went to get him at  the shelter after Granddaddy died.  He is  the best cat ever...king everywhere he goes.  Now he lives in Union County with the grandchildren he loves.  Stitch no longer sleeps on my sewing table, but as you see, he is quite happy  xox Love you Stitch!!

A fun scrap potholder...

It has now been almost 3 months since my hip replacement surgery.  Still zero pain...so grateful...However, I am wobbly, on a walker and working on my patience..Life does seem to change.  Little by little I am able to do new things...Eg. I can now exercise in the pool for 30 min and ride the Nu-step for 11 minutes. Still only walking small distances.... I am carrying on.

I am making new friends.  A couple moved in last week where the husband has ALS.  I took them a potholder and told them I was available any time they cared for support.  No one should be alone with this disease!!  I can be a fellow traveler.( If they want)

Reading and  relaxing and getting better...Finally posting...Internet is back and I am still in the learning curve of my new PC mini...

I am preparing new small works for the  holidays..and preparing myself to get  better!!  xoxo

Happy Saturday

 Indeed, I have a  wonderful daughter.  She was only a few hours in Ireland, when the pictures started coming...Two cousins....the same age.

Posing as Irish roses!!

Irish cousins taking a walk in Irish weather.

Today was my first sit-and-sew out and about in forever..

My stamina is low, but my energy for friends and sewing is high.

A great time prepping 20 bowl cozies for the holidays.

Next week, I will be able to pin these for sewing while visiting with friends.

More fun for the other side:  My DIL and her man....Two of the 5 grandchildren, dirt biking in the Carolina mountains for the holidays

My sister came for a short visit with milk and sundries..

How many good  days can a person have/????

PS  If I do not have any way to  find your email address, we cannot chat and I cannot tell you thank you for your comments...just sayin'

xoox

How Can This Be???

 Lucky me had a visitor on Thursday.  Thirteen year old Dylan came to help his grandmother.  He made bobbins, watered the garden, lifted things, emptied garbage...so wonderful.  We visited, went down  to lunch and enjoyed each others company.  He was here 5 great hours.

Doctor's orders for me not to go in the pool, but Dylan did..performing legs up the entire time.

                         After Dylan left, I went down to dinner with friends...So happy I am better.

Until I am not.

Yup, I overdid it and have spent the past two  days in bed or lounging around, lightheaded and fatigued...OMG, How can this be????  Extrovert here, hates to hang out alone.  No choice now.

Meantime, in Portland, Oregon, our Aoife turns 3. Today is her birthday.  Her family is taking her camping to celebrate and getting her her requested donuts. Picture below was found on Instagram from her pre-school.

In between resting, I found these old blocks.  They are so awful, I do not want to work on them....On the other hand,  I could probably make  the quilt attractive enough for the holiday giveaway in West Virginia.  Margaret said that they ran out of quilts last  year.

My useful and well used bowl cozies...right out of the dryer....all fluffy and nice.

Wonder what tomorrow will bring???

It is so hard to "suck it up, buttercup" when I really want to go out and play like all my friends....Oh, well...

Still a spoiled baby!!

As Midnight Approaches

 

If a miracle ever happens and I feel the urge to straighten up.....This is usually what happens..

Distraction.  I found a few  unfinished bowl cozies under a pile....

The other side.

Cleaning is so over-rated xo

Malaise

Today's diary entry:

Woke up crabby and went to the pool for the cure!!

Exercised with 5, 90 year olds and totally kept up!!!

My lovely Hyacinth drooped...Fixed with forks...Voila!!

To celebrate buying a new apt in Matthews Glen, we were all given I-pads.  I got mine today, 8 months late, however still grateful.  It is an Apple, but I do not know which version and, this one has a real keyboard....Hmmmm...a mystery .  I cannot get a pretty cover if I remain clueless.

Of course, I deal with the doldrums by sewing.  The greatest part is fondling pretty fabric.

These are work.  On Etsy, I see them sold for $6 or 7$$  Hmmm  I do not know if they are made with Wrap and Zap, if it is doubled or what.....I make mine for gifts and do it right.

 Out of  nowhere came melancholy today . It probably has no connection to anything but life stages.  

After  so much joy and few tears, Today I realized that there is no more Thanksgiving /Easter dinners at Grandma's house where the family gathers.  My "matriarchal" head of household  role is now defunct and I am the last/ oldest of my family.  I am now, the "Ad-on" if I am lucky. My DIL and the grands live in a place without a walker ramp.  I know I am in the right place for me. Guess I am grieving a bit.. Surely nothing to do with the 8 year anniversary in 8 days of losing my wonderful  husband.to that monster, ALS.  Certainly I am not the only one my age with this feeling...And, I do know, that like the weather, eventually every cloud runs out of rain.

I wish I could have lunch with my son...but, unfortunately, he is already out to lunch. Lucky me has a wonderful daughter who is coming to visit in two weeks..(alone)

Finally, it has come to pass that I am able to be grateful for the life I have been given, instead of looking around the corner to see what other's have...

Maybe malaise came from being totally out of Brach's original jelly beans.  I drove out to get them, but the sky opened up and rain and lightening were upon me. A message???  Sigh...

The Best Day in a Very Long Time!

 It is almost midnight as I remember to blog about my great day.  My sister  and two friends joined me today for lunch and laughter. I almost felt "normal"..although I surely know that "normal" does not exist.

I made bowl cozies in order to give the potholders a rest.

Here are the three I made, both sides.

A stunning day today of 77 degrees F.  Bright sun and Carolina blue skies.

Pansies blooming in my grandmother's antique  bowl.

Hyacynths Linda planted in the late fall.

I am sitting here eating a slab of Port Salud cheese, a few pretzels and a glass of Shiraz.  My brain is bursting with memories of our fine day.

Meantime, in Portland, it is snowing.

Teaching her young, Aoife clears the road for her car!!

They are all ready to leave at 5 am tomorrow for vacation...IF the airport does not close.

At today's end, I enjoyed cutting with my new Shamrock template.  I just love to be able to make "Thank you's" for the kind anf generous new friends and staff here at my new retirement village.

The lovely today ended with dinner with friends at our Bistro while Carol's Yadi cleaned my apartment.

I came home from dinner with a clean place, fresh sheets and joy in my heart.

So very grateful!!

As Good as it Gets...is Still Good

 Queen Bee Christmas...Love

Lynsey will be 11 in February, Dylan will be 10

Yet...denial and fancy thinking persist.

They just had to put out  cookies and milk and crack the fireplace door so Santa could get in.

Lynsey woke me up at 4 am to tell me that she did not think Santa had come...

Below, our Christmas Eve family picture...a little like the Krantz  *%%

Children acting out, folks missing, Oh, well...this year things were slack.

When my children were little...I made everyone wear a red or green shirt...

That is over!!  No one dressed for the holidays but Dylan.

It is OK...Times have changed, so have priorities.

Ava and her mother.  Everyone loves 20 month Ava!
So proud of my daughter in law.  She is doing a mighty fine job.

The large mug rug I made my son from his favorite fabric.

He was surprised and pleased.

Eamon's mug rug backing.

Trying to relax tonight...a tough call for this old lady.
My mind goes 24/7.  It always has.
Calm arrives thru rope bowl creativity.

Today was a one friend sewing day.
Linda sewed a very clever zippered pocket
into an existing bag...

A present from me to me....cat pens...love.

Bowl cozies I made for Christmas presents.

There we have it for the Boxing Day roundup!!

To Where You Are by Josh Groban