No “Easy” Button Here

Nothing about my life is easy.  I don’t talk to anyone about the aggravations I deal with, so blog, you are it!  I am currently shooting 3 medicines up into my sinuses with a sinus nebulizer every morning. I have been doing this for 2 weeks and have 2 more weeks to go.  I think it might be helping the sinuses, but it is killing my body, my brain fog and my head.  I can’t think.  I can’t remember anything.  I can’t concentrate.  

My pharmacist thinks part of this is the medicines I am using in my sinuses. 

White powder in sinuses (nose) is... not good... even prescribed.

How do I compensate?  I sew.  It is repetitive and I don’t have to concentrate, I just do over and over.  My daily grind is doing laundry, sewing, walking, sewing, napping, sewing, cooking supper and sewing.  No thought in any of what I do.  Just repetitive stuff.  I try to smile.  I forget.  I try to function normally.  I can’t.  Even riding in the car with Steve, I have nothing to say.  I just can’t think of anything of interest.  We are together every day, and honestly, I am comfortable in our silence.

But I am sure I am boring - well other than my medical crap, but believe me, that is no reason to keep me around.  I want so much more for him.  I just don’t know how to give it and I don’t have the energy to figure it out.  

It makes me incredibly sad.  He deserves so much more.

So, I sew.

Yesterday, I made 20 pot holders.  I washed them, de-linted them, marked them for sale and found a basket to put them in.  I try to accomplish something every single day.  This was yesterday.

Today  I made signs for the boutique with stamping and inks,  

I laminated them and then cut them apart.  

That was all I could muster today.

Tomorrow I am going to my first session with a counselor for coping skills.  

And to grieve what is gone.

Hopefully I will find a way to turn this around.

And in two weeks, the white powder sniffs will be finished 

and hopefully another obstacle will be behind me.  

Just Smiles

Some days I just have to look at things that make me smile.  I think few people understand depression.  I have suffered with it as long as I can remember.  

Some days I just pick things out that makes me smile.  These were my smiles today!

Plates I picked up for Aunt Sandra:

A Strawberry Shortcake crocheted doll:

My sewing room clock and the flower next to it:

An adorable planter:

Our state sign with all the states we have visited in our married life:

I have to enjoy the fun things because the depression can suck me in.

Not today - there are too many things to keep on plugging ahead for.

Sewing Room Revamp

I thought when I started gathering quilting projects that I would be better off putting them in plastic containers, but when I went to look for something I spent forever looking through my containers.  A few months ago, I did some research and decided to put my fabric all on comic boards. I have spent months diligently emptying containers and wrapping fabric on the comic boards.  I have finally just about finished!

This is my before picture of miscellaneous (non-dedicated) fabrics sorted by colors:

And this is after, also sorted by colors:

These are my project boxes before:

These are my projects after, separated projects by thin elastic headbands: 

I keep all of the fabric selvages from my fabrics in case I need to find more (online/eBay/Etsy/etc) I will know brand, name and pattern number.  The bag I kept them in was full, so I got this wild hair to make a valance out of them!  It came out pretty good!

These are what I am talking about:

This area was a nightmare, just lots of containers big and small:

I had Steve bring down a toy bin shelf and leave the toy bins upstairs.  I put flannels, kid’s fabrics and stabilizers in it.  It is so much better now!

The donkey is a story for another day... lol...

These bins on the right were scraps.  The left is ziploc bags, etc.  The right two sets of drawers were lots and lots of scraps.  

I sorted every one of them by colors and put each color in a ziplock baggie.  I love being able to walk to a baggie and get a scrap the color I need without digging through tons of scraps!

And finally, this closet is built on an angle and absolutely useless, so I put my fat quarters on the narrow shelves!  Not much fits on them, but these are perfect there - also sorted by colors, theme or holiday.

It has been a lot of work, but I have already used so much fabric out of it because I can reach and grab!  I may never have to leave my sewing room now, but I won’t tell you I have bought fabric from 3 different stores in the last 2 days!  

I made 2 of these mug rugs out of my scraps!  ❤️

Cow Troubles

Yesterday morning, Steve and I were headed out for our walk.  We realized the cows were all in an uproar, mooing like crazy and whatever it was, was serious.  We headed over to the pasture, and on the far west area of the pond was a cow in distress surrounded by all of the other cattle and vultures surrounding the main attraction; a cow with what appeared to be afterbirth on her backside.  The new calf appeared to be laying by her side, but she was not tending to it.  She would walk a couple steps and lay down.  We changed into our muck boots and headed out.  

Upon arrival at the cow, we found she had a prolapsed uterus, not afterbirth.  We called our vet, who had recently opened a shop south of us in Wagoner.  He couldn’t get to us for several hours.  We called his sister vet north of us and thankfully Clint could come right out.

Jake babysat.  He licked the calf and made sure the vultures were staying away from momma and her new baby.

The momma was miserable and the vet was 30 minutes away.  She would walk a bit and drop.  Steve came over with the tractor with cattle panels to contain her, but momma went in the pond.  When Clint got here, he got a rope around her neck and Steve pulled her out with the tractor.

Clint put on a shoulder length glove and shoved her uterus back in, put gauze on ether side, stitched through the gauze and her, tied a knot and said, “That’ll do it!  You can cut the stitch out in 2 weeks!”  That all took a total of 10 minutes - including pulling her out of the pond!

But look at the size of her baby!!!  

This will be a fun 2 weeks...

This morning, everyone seems to be fine; she is sore, but the BIG baby boy is nursing and hopping around the pond.  Wendy is trying to settle him down and corral him near mom, but he is having none of it - he is running and hopping from here to there, runs to mom, gets a bit more fuel and runs some more!

Life on a farm; living and learning.  :-)

Steph and I Are Sewing!

We are making her quilt together.  She bought this fabric several years ago and since she closed her soap shop she now had a bit of time to sew!  Our first day sewing and we made 30 blocks!  WHOOT!  I enjoyed just sitting and sewing with her, we didn’t chat much, but it was a comfortable silence.

Wearing a south Louisiana shirt...

Love the colors in her quilt!

I think she became a quilter today!  Look at her shirt!

I love great days like this...

Then I screwed it up by not having a cake and mini party for my daughter-in-law.  Long story, but I didn’t forget her. birthday at all, I just didn’t carry it into the family Sunday meal.

The day ended crappy.  

Tomorrow is another day.  

Wonky Donkey

Many years ago my Aunt Connie gave me this donkey and told me that my great aunt Ottie made it.  Her story was that Aunt Ottie tried her hand at quilting only one time, and never finished this guy.  You would have to know Aunt Connie; the story may or may not be true.  I have had it tucked away for many years.  Cleaning the sewing room last week I came across it again and decided to finish it and enjoy it.  Looking closely at the squares, I knew it would be a challenge.

 I learned to “meander” stitch...

And it is finished!!

                                                   

The Wonky Donkey!

Stop The Rain!!

We have cattle!  Cattle are land animals, they don’t like mud to their knees.  Neither does Steve who has to feed them twice a day.  This is what they are all dealing with:

It is not fun anymore.  Please stop the rain!  This is Oklahoma, not Louisiana!    😂 

This Blog...

Keeps calling me back... I have no idea why.  My life is not worth writing about.  I sew, make Drs visits and get plasma infusions.  And I come home and sew some more.

We are going to Utah for a month soon for vacation.  We are also planning a trip to south Louisiana to see friends, then we will go to Mississippi and see friends there, and to Alabama to see my aunt and uncle.  I have a trip to DC planned for my Drs visit.  It all sounds wonderful, but honestly the last year has done me in.  Mentally, I struggle.

What have I been sewing?   Hmmm, let’s see...

I learned to appliqué a pre-cut frog - and since I am always using my seam ripper, I added my wording...

I am reorganizing my sewing room and came across a donkey my great aunt had pieced, so I am making it into a wall hanging:

I have started a quilt named Daydreaming:

 I made a tied lap quilt for my Bible Study chair:

And I finished pillows for my sofa:

Just stuff.  Finishing projects, starting new oneself .

And I am spending a lot of time praying for our friend’s nephew and his family.  The 2 young men were in a freak accident and the oldest one passed away yesterday.  The second, his brother, is fighting for his life.   I am heartsick for them.

Gonna try again later...