Saturday, December 31, 2011

New Year's Eve

Sorry, but I am doing a boring post to end this 2011.
Oh how I wish I would have taken my camera to Cleveland.
We stayed 3 days and nights in the Hospitality House
directly across from the Clinic.
We were on the 5th floor (top one) and had a perfect view.
The thing I found amazing was that at least every 10-15 minutes 
a helicopter is either arriving or departing the roof of the 
Sydell-Miller Pavilion (the heart center). 
It is amazing to say the least.
I didn't have a bit of boredom watching this nor the people
 going about their business on the street. 
When you are a small town girl living outside of a one-traffic light 
community (that use to be called "a village"), I guess
I would seem like a regular country bumpkin. It is hard for me to believe I was born in West Berlin, West Germany, 
a city of millions of people. I lived there till I was 3 years old and was brought to the States. I have no memory of that time. 
My memory is of an airplane ride (Swiss Air)
that I did not know was across the Atlantic to New York City.
And then my memory was of going to 1st grade, 
no kindergarten for me, and I hated that.
The kindergarten kids had a nifty playhouse in their classroom. It had furniture and a small sink, stove and fridge. It had windows with curtains. It had a table and chairs and all kinds of stuff to play with.
I desperately wanted to play in that!
And so how I got from chatting about Cleveland to kindergarten 
I do not know. Sometimes my mind works like that,
especially when my brain needs a rest. I know one thing, the camera goes with me on Monday, and that I have some great blogging friends. I hope that 2012 is a good year bringing all kinds of good things for us all.
God Bless Everyone! 
Happy New Year!
P.S. I have not forgotten the GIVEAWAY. Please bear with me, 
since our schedule was changed by the Clinic it threw me behind by a day so I will post the details on New Year's Day.
♥♥♥


Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Closing the Door on 2011


I don't think I will miss 2011.
It has been a year of ups and downs,
a regular roller coaster ride of uncertainties.
It started with my husband and his health issues.
It will be ending with the same.
Reflecting on the year, I can say it was not all bad.
This family has so much to be grateful for.
The highlight was in July when we found out our oldest
is expecting her first baby. 
She had been trying for over 3 years to get pregnant.
Baby is due in March and no matter what we got on Christmas Day,
this baby will be the best present.
Rachael, Christmas Day at Meg's, 2011.
Forgive my ramblings, but this week is when we 
go to Cleveland and the catheter will be inserted  for
the stem cell collection. 
They need to collect 5 million good cells to freeze.
Of course as things go, the car is acting up
and it went to the garage this morning. 
I am thankful for a good bunch of mechanics 
who are dependable and trustworthy.
When it rains it pours, the weather is now showing 
snow mixed with rain, maybe 3 inches of accumulation.
Of course we will be traveling in this. 
Made this blue jean log cabin years ago for Meghan. Picture, far left is my graduation pic.

I have had my mind on so many things. 
It would be great to have life just quiet down 
and be back to normal. 
I ask myself, just what is "normal" anyways because I can't seem to remember what "normal" is anymore.
I have read so many blogs in your day to day lives 
and I keep reading
that "it is always something".
I agree, it is always something, with a little bit of "more" 
thrown in to help make matters worse. 
I talk a lot about blessings and God, but truthfully 
I hadn't picked up my Bible in ages. 
So the other evening I grabbed the small white 
covered testament that I received the day I graduated 
from nursing school and I started reading in Psalms.
After reading for awhile I felt some calm.
I know everything is going to be alright.
I'm going to put that small Bible in my purse and when I feel frazzled again I will pull it out and read. 
We should all have the worries of Jack, Meg's cat.
 There is so much in our lives that we can not control, 
but we can control to some degree who we let into our lives.
Right now I am letting God control the hands of the mechanic 
who is fixing the car. I am letting him do what he must to 
see that we get to our destination tomorrow evening.
And I have faith that he will guide the brilliant minds
and skillful hands 
of the doctors and nurses who will care for my husband.
It is all we can do when it is that "always something, and more" 
kind of day, week, month or year.
Here is hoping that 2012 will be "normal" and 
a good year for all of us.
God Bless Everyone!
♥♥♥


Monday, December 26, 2011

Resolutions, Ramblings of Me, Myself & I

 Resolutions, "don't even go there," I tell myself.
"Have you even once, just once, kept a resolution?
Of course you haven't, so why are you even thinking about this?"
"Because it is the thing we all do when the New Year rolls around.
It is like a tradition."
So, you are setting yourself up for failure and then beating
yourself up afterward?
You must be a glutton for punishment.
Look at you, talking with yourself even.
You know what they say about people who talk to themselves.
"Twos company, threes a crowd?"
At least a third party has not put in their 2-cents worth yet.
Now that would be scary. 
"Ahhh, but a third party can put in their 2-cents worth.
I is waiting in the wings. And anyone can chat this subject up,
all they need to do is make a comment, and let us know what they think about resolutions."
So, what do you think out there, have you decided to 
resolve punish  improve yourself in some way for 2012?"
Talk amongst yourselves, 
come join the convo with me, myself and I.
(Thank you Pinterest for photo, please note, Joan is knitting in this movie poster, lol)
(Okay, who yelled "straight jacket?" Yes, I did take my medication!)




Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Wishing all of my family and friends a 
very Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year!
 

God Bless us all.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Blogging - First Year Anniversary

Oh look at me, come December 29th it will be my 1 year anniversary blogging. I am thrilled to have 72 followers especially since at the start I didn't think anyone would even find my postings of any interest. I guess I was wrong because many of you have stuck it through with me. I figure you are either a glutton for punishment or truly finding some things worth your time.
  I can't allow this to go unnoticed and ignored. What better way to celebrate than to offer up some sort of reward for the people who come here faithfully and let me into your lives. 
I am in the process of planning a 
*~* GIVEAWAY *~*
to mark this milestone.
Since I have to work around trips to Cleveland and my husband's hospitalization, I will announce the particulars on the last day of this month, December 31st, New Year's Eve. On that day I will show a picture of the prizes. I will give everyone plenty of time to participate and run this the entire month of January. I debated about doing it for this length of time, but 3 of those weeks my husband will be in the hospital and I want my full attention to be on him. In the meantime everyone can come and visit me here and do the requirements to win. I am also hoping to add a few more followers with a little help from my friends.
So make sure you stop by on December 31st for details.
♥♥♥



Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Home From Cleveland

I hope none of you ever have to go to a hospital for any serious medical care, but sooner or later you or someone you love (or know) will require special medical attention that can not be given locally, that is unless you are fortunate enough to live near one of these facilities. I speak now of the Cleveland Clinic where they have all their ducks in a row and if you don't have yours in a row too, they will set them straight for you. So far I can not say enough good things about this hospital. The doctors and the staff are awesome. The office workers and even the service people are friendly and helpful. The Clinic campus is a group of many buildings used for a variety of medical conditions. The one building, The Miller Pavilion, is so huge that it is mind boggling to say the least. As we found our way from the cardiology department to the cafeteria it blew me away that 2 families were so wealthy that they were able to build this building and donate it for the health and well-being of people afflicted with serious illness. I found it so heart-warming to know that someone's intent was to unselfishly do good with their fortune. I know this was a personal choice. Not everyone uses their money for positive things, let alone for others. So we spent 2 days in Cleveland and my husband had some pre-testing done. We return in 7 days to spend 3 days for more preparations. The last thing they did today was a bone marrow biopsy (this was his 3rd since January). The trip home was not so good when he started to feel sick from the percocet they gave him before the procedure. He does not tolerate pain medications very well. Let's just say I had to pull the car over to the side of the road and I think you get the picture. It takes about 2 hours to drive home and that is all on interstate roads and the Turnpike. When we got home I gave him a compazine to ease up the nausea and he took right to his recliner and fell asleep. It has been a grueling 2 days and they have wore us both out. We are so glad to have made it safely home for now and can relax a bit till the next trip. I leave you all with this thought, be thankful for your good health and be tolerant of those who suffer. It isn't always an easy road through this life, but we are all in it together and need to just make the most of what what have. You never know when circumstances will change and you have to deal with obstacles. Take care. ♥♥♥

Friday, December 9, 2011

Visiting Mom, Seasonal Songs & Thoughts


Nothing new to post today. I went to see my mom.
Tomorrow is her 81st birthday and I took her some 
German treats that I had ordered online.
She does not have a computer, nor does she drive.
I just couldn't imagine my life if I couldn't drive.
I don't suppose it would be much fun without a pc either, 
yet she manages quite nicely. 

The only other thing I did today was to add some seasonal 
Christmas songs to my play list. I am sure those of you
who are faithful to visit my blog either know all the 
 selections by heart or are purely sick of them.
(I thought I heard someone grumble, "When is she gonna get some new songs?" Oh
yeah, that was me, lol)

I also want all of you to know that I will post
when time allows. This next 6-7 weeks are jam
packed with a host of obligations and hospital
appointments and stays. If you don't hear from me
please know that I am swamped. I promise to keep yarn,
a hook/needles in my hands. 
maybe I will find some time to read a book 
on my Kindle. I downloaded a book over a week
ago and still haven't had time to read it.
Just know I wish all of you a Very Merry Christmas 
and a Happy New Year. 
You are all near and dear to me.
I am so lucky and so blessed to have the best
followers. That you take the time to offer 
encouragement and support mean so much to me.
Many of you have had rough roads yourself, 
I appreciate when you share your experiences.
One doesn't feel quite so alone if someone else has
traveled the same road and knows your dark moments.
It puts a light at the end of the tunnel, and a smile on my lips. 
It lessens the struggle and gives me comfort.
It reminds me that we are spiritual beings going through
a human experience, and not the other way around.
So I leave you for now.
God Bless and keep you and yours safe and healthy.
No matter where you be, be happy.
♥♥♥

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Cleveland , Baby/Toddler Toys

The next 6-7 weeks are going to be so busy for us.
Starting this Monday we go to Cleveland Clinic to begin the procedure for my husband's 
bone marrow transplant.
Monday will be filled with meetings.
Tuesday will start the testing and lab work.
There will be numerous trips back and forth for Cardio 
workup and other things. If all goes well then they will put in a catheter and harvest his good cells, 
then comes the rough part, 
he will receive a mega dose of chemo 
that will kill off as many of the cancer cells as possible.
He will get sick.
They re-introduce his good cells. 
This involves being in the hospital for about 3 weeks.
As I said there will be a lot of travel involved 
and some over nights.
And folks, if you know anything about Cleveland,
you know they are in the snow belt.
They get the worst snow falls in the state. 
If we have 3 feet of snow, 
you can bet Cleveland has 6-8 feet.
They (who are "they" anyways?") are predicting
a very cold and snowy winter, 
and I am dreading it!
 
Now To get to the fun stuff.
TOYS!!!!
After all, who doesn't like toys?
Baby is coming in March 
and grandma is gonna make sure
that there is no lead or other strange harmful
things baby sticks in his mouth.
There won't be a recall on any of these handmade items.
First, the knitted ball. 
Are any of you acquainted with this?
The pattern can be found,
here and here
The first link is a free charity pattern.
The second one is a free download on Ravelry, 
which is the one I used.
The gal who made it up was right,
the easy part was the knitting, the hard part was assembling it.
Now I don't consider myself a dimwit, 
but it took me well over an hour to figure it out, 
even with the diagrams.



 Then there is the cute little bear cupcake.
The pattern for this is in a book 
called Amigurumi by Lan-Anh Bui & Josephine Wan.




 And of course there are some colorful soft balls, 
stuffed lightly with polyfil. The pattern for this is in the book
Cute & Easy Crochet by Nicki Trench.

  
And we needed to make a colorful worm, 
only the worm I made has a dog face, lol, 
but baby won't care. 
This worm has bells inside and it jingles. 
I honestly don't remember what pattern book I got this one from.


And so that is my start on making soft toys for the baby.
I have had a lot of fun doing these and plan to make more as time allows. I don't want to sound like a Scrooge, but I didn't put up a Christmas tree this year mainly because I know that I am going to be hard pressed for time. My girls have trees at their homes and we will enjoy Christmas there. 
The less fuss in my life right now the better. 
It has also been great peeking in on your blogs 
to see all the festive things you are doing to celebrate.
I can be content with that.
♥♥♥

Monday, December 5, 2011

Fish Cleaner, Bird Nest and Workin' the Hook

I'm gonna make this post a fast zippy drive by.
First I wanna put a shout out to Jeanie over at Getting Started
(you can link to her blog on my right sidebar). She had a cool giveaway for some FISH brand window/glass cleaner and 
was I surprised, I expected 1 can but got 3 in the box.
Soon as our weather isn't so rainy and gloomy I'm gonna 
try that cleaner. THANK YOU JEANIE!!!!

Yeah, it is nasty out now but some things prevail even though the elements are whipping against them......


I didn't even realize there was a nest in the red bud tree
until fall had come and all the leaves were on the ground.


I took several pics from various angles, 
but posted only the two that were the best.
Little baby birds are south now for the winter.


Then I felt like messing around
with those little cell phone purses.
 

I dug out a few of my books with flowers 
and found this pattern, a dainty little beauty.


  I just played around for a couple of hours.


I need to dig out my beads,
of course it would be the tote way at the 
bottom of the stack in my craft closet.


 I was thinking of layering the flowers,
maybe using buttons for the centers,
maybe using beads?


I have plenty of yarn, plenty of colors.
Those little flowers take all of about 5 minutes to make.


The pattern can be found in this book, 
along with many other lovelies.
 

Another pattern book with tiny, dainty flowers is this one below.
I liked this book so well that I didn't realize 
I had bought two.
 

I am thinking that second book would be nice
to add in my next giveaway.
 

So there ya have it folks. 
Just killing a bit of time between household chores. 


Messing around with my hook and yarn,
pondering my options on doing up these flowers.
 

Goofing off and loving every minute of it.
 

Telling myself that if crocheting was my job
I would feel like I never had to work 
a day in my life.
♥♥♥

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Found Another Great Project

My darlings, yesterday I found another "KEEPER".
I am going to give you a glimpse, but the best is yet to come.
Yes, there is more to see, so hang in there with me and check. I won't keep you in suspense too long. I am not one of these bloggers who tease you into waiting, and waiting, and waiting some more.


So go and check out Greta and her Etsy shop. At first I thought it was something Lucy24 had going on here, but this gal is from the Netherlands and I just love her bright Christmas bobbles. These and several other things are downloadable patterns from her store and she is a sweetheart to deal with. I know because I bought 4 of her patterns and now just itching to try them. Any of you who know me, know that I am that scrappy kind of gal. I save even the smallest tails of yarn and crochet thread, also fabric scraps, because I know that there is a use for them somewhere down the line. 
I am off now to go visit with my mom.
Hope all of you are having a wonderful weekend.
♥♥♥

Friday, December 2, 2011

Found a Giveaway

Hop on over to Carol's blog for her Mollie Makes Magazine giveaway. You can find her at http://smileattheflowers.blogspot.com/  She is offering up the most recent Christmas issue. (I love this magazine and have bought the last 3 issues in the past). You'll need to scroll down to her end of November post to read about this.
♥♥♥

Thursday, December 1, 2011

First Snow


 I suspected this would be outside when I got up 
yesterday morning.



 Hubby's wood shop roof covered with a light dusting of snow.
 

The deck outside my back door also has some of the white stuff.
    It is suppose to be down in the 20's right now. 
All I can say is BRRRRRRRR!!!
♥♥♥
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