Family Finally

It was time.  A year is a long time without seeing your family.  I have stayed safe and healthy for that long.  I have shopped as needed, met friends occasionally and finally I decided I needed some sense of normalcy.

We made a date where we knew we could spread out.  Masks were required inside The Mother Road Market everywhere except at the tables.  The tables are spread far apart.  We could sit in family units and chat with each other.

It was pretty darned nice.

Stephenie, Raelee and Todd

Alex, Megan’s significant other, Megan, Jaci and Liz

And Steve and I.  🥰

Megan braiding Alex’s hair... lol... 

he loves her - he let her!  😍 

She did pretty good too!  😂

And she was proud of it!

But we missed Jeremy and his family who are safely staying home.  

Covid 19 sucks!  😕

But here is a sign at the mini golf

that made me smile.  😊

The View

 Not the show - the view out the window.  

We had the most amazing sunset this evening.  I was riding with Steve to the store and this was my view. 

I often wonder if people actually look at the beauty God has given us.  It takes my breath away.  

Remember all the grief I had when I first started crocheting?  I am getting better - and braver.  I am starting to read patterns now.  Barely, but it’s a start. 

This is my first real pattern.  It is simple - but I like it.. 

That is it for today.

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Depression has me down.  I look forward to people visiting.  This last two days 3 people had to cancel - all for very good reasons, but I had my hopes up that one would pan out.  I also let my pain patch lapse by 3 days.  Between the discomfort and disappointment, and the sinus ugh - it was just a down day.  Tomorrow my sister is coming and we are working on genealogy.  Tomorrow evening, we are going to eat with some of the kids hopefully.  We will see who shows up.

Night all.  ❤️

Veteran’s Quilts

 I have been helping a church group make Veteran’s quilts for their members.

They sure are coming out pretty.

Fabric fills my days.  Night all. 

 

Crumbs to Blocks

Needless to say, I have lots of fabric scraps.  

Lots.  All different sizes.  

Did I say lots?  

I call them crumbs.

You know, like the leftovers?

Crumbs of leftover fabric from quilts and crafts.  

So I decided to start sewing the crumbs together.

Looking at the block I made from the crumbs, 

I decided it kinda looks like a crazy quilt block.  

And that I actually like it!  

So I trimmed it up and started making some more... 

I like my colors.  I like the blocks. 

The memories flowed from the crumbs of fabric left from Raelee's quilt, from Aedan's quilt, from Marcus's quilt and from Steph's quilt.  There are crumbs left from donated quilts, from our quilts and from stray quilts.  They are crumbs left from baby blankets, pillow cases, bowl buddies, casserole carriers and every other little thing I have ever made - from as far back as the time I was pregnant with Stephenie.  

Yes, I even have fabric that old... 

many years of 'crumbs'.  

Truly scrappy quilts.

I may call them crummy quilts.

The silly blocks made me smile because of the memories of the hours I spent lovingly sewing pieces of fabric back together.  And here I go again - making something of nothing!

Maybe I am crazy, but I enjoy sewing the scraps together.  Is this how they came up with a crazy quilt?  Maybe I should call it a crazy quilt?

Regardless, I think I will keep making them as throw quilts - or even picnic quilts.

What do you think?

This is my thoughtless sewing time, no stress - kind of liberating, in fact.  

I can sit and sew one block together in about 30 relaxing minutes.  

AND I get rid of scraps... or quilt crumbs... and make crazy crummy quilts!

 

Family Moments

Jeremy, Cheyenne and Aedan came over this past weekend.  

We visited outside in the cold air, but at heat we could visit.  

Jeremy got a really awesome Camaro last year that we have yet to even be able to get in due to Covid 19.  It is a beautiful car and the sound... oh my goodness, the sound!  He keeps adding bells and whistles to make it even better.  Isn't it pretty? 

I have not had a JerBear hug in over a year now.  Looking forward to eventually getting back to our Sunday family days.  Jeremy had a terrible abscessed tooth a couple of weeks ago, and had to have it pulled.  Then he got a dry socket - he has really had a tough time of it.  But he was finally better enough to drive his car - when he was having the worst of the tooth problems he said the vibrating of the car even hurt.  He was happy they were able to drive out to see us - and we were thrilled to see them.

Cheyenne has been having rough times as well with her health.  Together they have been making it through... together.  Tough times health wise the last few weeks.  

No one has Covid, ok?  Lol... just normal problems.

Megan messaged Sunday just to say, "I love you".  I asked if she was ok and she said, "Yes, I just miss our Sunday family days".  Oh, girl, I do, too.... I do too.  I miss us.  All of us.

THE Vaccine

I feel like I won the lottery!  I got a date and time to get the Covid vaccine!

Secret?  They open the bookings Wednesday night through Thursday morning.

You register on the site and answer all the questions.  You will get an e-mail stating what phase you are in and that you will be notified when you are eligible.

I was immediately eligible due to my PI, BUT, my first e-mail was the only one I got.  For nearly a month I waited.  Then I found out I should have gotten a second e-mail.  I shamelessly refilled it out again, and lo and behold, 30 minutes later, e-mail #2 came in with the magical link.

I had also heard that appointments are opened Wednesday night through Thursday morning.  

So tonight I have clicked on that e-mail link a hundred + times if I did it once.  I refilled out my date of birth a hundred times and rechecked for an appointment 100+ times.  

Finally I hit within 50 miles and one opened.  If you don’t get that kapcha code EXACTLY right it boots you out.  Upper and lower case COUNTS.  Do it as fast as possible.  

It took 2 more times telling me that appointment was taken, but doing it all over again (click link, enter birth date, enter Kaptcha) it finally gave me an appointment.

Stay determined and focused!!

And pray a lot.  A lot.

Now I hope I develop antibodies.  

3 Weeks

Sis and I

This is my sister, Liz, and I.  I can't even tell you why we took the picture, but I sure am glad. We do not look alike do we?  😂  I love ya, sis!
 

This picture was just added as interest.  This post will not be interesting to anyone but me.  I am noting it for a referral to my brain fog and struggles  Below is medical. 

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My sinus infection was getting worse again.  It is never, ever gone, but it quells and ebbs.  It was worse.  I had been on one antibiotic for a month, but it obviously was no longer working. Dr had told me when I finished that antibiotic, to go onto another one, once a day, for prophylactic reasons.  Always have to be on an antibiotic.  So every time I have to change antibiotics, I rotate through the only 3 I can take.  The next one was the one he wanted me on prophylactic, so instead of calling him, I just went on it and instead of one a day, I took it like I do when I have an infection - 3 times a day.  And I didn't confer with him.  I just did it.  As a PI patient, you kind of know what to do next.  I was going in to him in 3 days, so I would let him know.  I did, in fact I told him and said to go ahead and fuss me, but that is what I did.  He said, no, I did exactly right, and after one month of it, go down to one a day.

That was on infusion day.  He does a check up each infusion day.  During the infusion he asked how I was doing other than the infection and I told him I had something weird going on.  I am itching in my throat, my ears, my sinuses, and kinda even going into my chest. Did I cough?  Well, yes, but this is the weirdest thing - I cough a few times then sneeze repeatedly from my toes.  Deep deep sneezes - it is crazy.  There was some discussion that it indicated an allergy of some kind, but the only thing here is cedars blowing from Texas.  In my mind, I am thinking, dogs - I need to vacuum.  That was the end of the conversation, I finished my infusion and continued on.

A couple days later, the itching is going through and through my body.  I am going nuts trying to figure it out - continuously running it through my mind... what is making me itch?!?  Dr had told me to take Benadryl and if it got really bad just to take Atarax - the super Benadryl.  I did.  It hadn't helped.  I dusted, I vacuumed, I cleaned.  I itched. From head to toe, I itched.  No new meds, no new foods, no new laundry products.... nothing that I could pinpoint, except I am going insane from the clawing at my entire body. Scratch marks everywhere.  At night, you don't even know what you are doing!

Yesterday I take my morning meds, and was struggling with the itching.  At this point, even my eyes are itching terribly.  Thinking it through again... I remembered having told someone about it... oh, it was Dr.  That was 3 weeks ago today.  And it just had the itching in my head/throat/sinuses and chest.  Now it was through and through.  I am miserable.  Wait.... I started that antibiotic 3 days prior to going to him!  Yes, it is the antibiotic - and damned it - I just took my morning one!

Good grief.  Why can't  I figure this crap out?  Why did it take 3 freaking weeks?  *sigh*

And is it a side effect or an allergy?  Am I down to 2 antibiotics?  Dr again next Monday.  No antibiotics until I see him again.

Brain fog sucks.

Crochet, Quilt, Sew, Repeat

Since I don't go out a lot because of Covid and how easily I tire, I have to be busy, so I spend my time crafting.  I am crocheting a little baby afghan and I really like the colors.   This is the first time I have ever attempted a shell stitch and I finally figured it out!  Now is it correct?  I have no idea, but it is working and it is pleasing to look at.  I really love the colors.  I want to try a fine, soft yarn soon.  I wonder if it is difficult to work with?

I would also like to learn how to make these - I love using them!

Either kind is wonderful.  They look simple... are they?

This quilt had 10 blocks previously finished.  I picked it up at an estate sale - it was in a box with other blocks for $4!  I am trying to get finished with unfinished project - both mine and ones I have picked up.  This is be my next quilting project - 

probably will be a lap quilt for the nursing home.

This is one unfinished project, I had cut it out and put it together, but now done the hand stitching and added the button.  I did that yesterday.  I kinda like my new pin cushion!  I collect pin cushions by the way - and I particularly collect antique ones.

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I have ingrown toenails. I have tried a podiatrist.  Believe me a pedicure is much nicer, less painful and it gets the job done - for a lot less money.  Today I got a pedicure.  I love the Vietnamese pedis - I have not found anyone that does as good of a job as they do.  

After that, I went to help a friend, Mrs Betty, organize her yarn. She has yarn - lots and lots and lots of yarn.  And she lives in a little apartment.  I worry about her getting around with big totes of yards from one end of the room to the other. I organized, labeled and stacked 5 large totes today.  They are clearly labeled - and I sat the yarn on ends so she can look in the tote and see every color in the tote.  I thought about organizing it that way, in the middle of the night, when I was awake clawing at my body. Itching insanely with no clue why.  It was driving me insane and keeping me awake.

So this morning I took my meds and while doing so, I was trying to figure out when this itching started.  There is absolutely no rash - just a insane deep itching, like my throat, deep in my ears, my skin but also my muscles inside!  I remembered telling someone about it before it was bad... who was it? 

Ahhh, that is right, it was my Dr!!  When was that?  3 weeks ago today - my last IgIV.  It had just started 3 days prior.  We could not figure out what it was, so he told me to take Benadryl and we went on... for 3 weeks I steadily got worse.  Then after taking my meds this morning I realized I started a different antibiotic in my rotation (of 3) exactly 3 days prior to my Dr Visit.  And so, I figured it out.  Lol.. after I downed my morning capsule. 

And that my friends is how long it takes me to figure things out. Brain fog is deep.  Hopefully the itching goes away now.  I guess I am down to 2 oral antibiotics.

The Covid Vaccine

I was told the other day that I must be not as afraid as everyone else of because I am used to avoiding everything already.  Like this is a breeze to me.

The truth is, heck no I am not used to how it feels to expose us every time we have to get groceries!

I have been watching the health department trying to get a shot.  I am obviously not good at it, because I still don’t have an appointment - much less the shot.  Someone told me to try Wednesday nights.  Others Thursday mornings.  Some are skilled and got right in there.  I have yet to even figure it out!  And I am not an elderly person trying to do this.  Can you imagine how they feel?

So here is the real kicker - I am trying to get a shot that will likely not help me one iota because, “Hello!  I have a PI!”  Most of us PI patients are lucky IF we hold a titer to ANY vaccines.  It is actually a challenge we have to take all the shots, then go back for blood work to see if it looks like we had them.

It is a kinda “well, we can hope” type of thing.  We may or may not hold “a titer”... if we don’t it is like we never got a tetanus vaccine... or pneumonia vaccine... or Covid vaccine.

No, I am not more comfortable with it.  I am down right afraid, because half the world has straight up said no they are not getting the Covid vaccine.  That means that crowd immunity will not happen for me and others like me - therefore meaning this is my life; the way it will be for me, forever - esp if my  titer doesn’t hold.

Am I going to sit home and be terrified to walk out my door?  No.  I will “social distance”, “wash my hands often”, “wear a mask”, PRAY and use my God given common sense.

And I will do as I always do - the best I can in any situation.  And I will be brave enough to continue to go beyond our doors because I have adjusted to what the world has required.  I won’t live in fear.

This Girl

Is growing up much too fast. In a few months she will be 18!  Where did he time go?  She has a job at Sonic and loves it.  However she doesn't want to work at Sonic the rest of her life. 

She likes to work, to save money, to skate, to draw, she rides horses, she thought about getting into cosmetology, she has asked her papa about welding, she is helping him rebuild an old motorcycle that her dad gave her so she can ride it.  

She hasn't settled on any one thing though.

And she likes to dress all crazy.  I call her my eccentric kid. She has honestly been that kid all her life.  She loves finding second hand clothes and decking them out.  She has conned granny into several different shenanigan clothing ensembles.  

She will skate, dress cute or act goofy to get more tips.  All those funny head bobbers you can buy she will wear.  She wears big earrings.  She wears patchy jeans.  Her car is not boring - you can sit behind/beside her and read all her bumper stickers.  

One of them says, "Do you follow Jesus this close?"

She is quick witted and somewhat of a smart last, though I don't have a clue where she gets it. You cannot con her though - she is quick.  And funny.  And "gets it" most of the time before you do.

At Christmas she dressed up as Mrs Claus.  If you saw her on the road, you probably did a double take.  She wore my grandmother's glasses and looked like a pretty Mrs Claus. 

Sometimes people think she is being rude when she answers or something she says. They honestly don't know her - she has a heart of gold and high standards. She is very responsible.  She speaks her piece, but heck she grew up being able to do that.  We might very well not have her if she had to hide her feelings.  Our God knew who needed to raise her.  They have done a wonderful job.

I am proud of all of our kids and grandkids.  I just get to see this one.  

Covid has take Aedan away from me (quarantine) and Marcus lives in California.  Raelee... she has always known granny and papa were a moment away so she just kept coming, but keeping her distance from me.  I love that she did.  We have maintained contact with Steph and Todd and occasionally eat at their house or ours.  So far, one year, we have made it work.  How many people haven't' because they have lost touch with the world?  Not because they died of Covid, but they died of loneliness.  

I miss Aedan. I miss my son and daughter-in-law who live 20 miles away, I miss my friends, my OHCE ladies and I miss life before Covid.  Life keeps on twirling though... a lonely life.  I should thank God that we have blogs and internet.  Years ago, our ancestors went through pandemics alone and lost so many of their loved ones.

Ada Mariam Tucker Nimrod

 

Steadily worked on my genealogy today. I came across this picture of my paternal great grandmother, Ada Mariam Tucker Nimrod (1875-1958).  

She looks adorable and very much like my paternal grandmother - even though she was grandma's her mother-in-law - no DNA relation.

Spent most of the day sorting Bryant's, Vernon's, and Nimrods.  Gosh I have a lot of genealogy STUFF!  I think I have it mostly separated out, I just need to go through pictures now.  Thankfully, our uncle is able to identify most pictures and I have asked grands and marked names on the back of most. 

My mom was adopted.  Talk about a mess to do a family tree!  I was very fortunate by getting my mom's original birth certificate.  How strange - the feeling was disbelief actually.  I did a DNA test years ago and her birth father's surname shows up in our family DNA.  It will be interesting to start matching once I get all this mess straight.

The President of the USA was sworn in today.  I watched bits and pieces of it.  The fanfare is fun to see, but I do worry about the last few presidents; haven't much liked any of them.  Obviously I am in the minority.  Anyway, watched a bit as I slept a lot.

*********** 

Feeling better today, just took it easy, filed as I could and slept in between.  I did sleep a lot. If I sat, I was out.  I didn't feel awful, just get tired way too easy.  

Round Robin Letters

Years ago, our family was spread out all over the United States.  It was before Facebook and texting, so it was difficult to keep  up with everyone.  I decided to start a round robin letter.  I picked a route for it to go on, and started the first letter.  

From south Louisiana to Oklahoma, from Oklahoma to Seattle, from Seattle to where ever Danny was (I don't remember), then from Danny to Florida, From Florida to Alabama and then back to me.  

We would add a letter about what was going on in our lives, notes to each of the others, add pics if we desired and shipped it to the next person in line.  It got to be quite full, so I ended up asking for them to remove their previous letter.  Gosh, what a mistake!  I wish I had the others now.  

Anyway, it actually worked pretty well!  

We kept up with each other and loved reading what was going on in each other's lives.  

A few days ago, I started going through genealogy and lo and behold I found the round robin.  Oh my goodness, the memories!  It was a great "back then" blast.  I read through all the letters and enjoyed reminiscing.  Facebook and texting are ok, but there is something about letters... ya know?

I have mounds of genealogy to sort through.  I want to save it all, but I want to share it and I have no idea how to do that.  Any suggestions would be awesome.   

How do I share the round robin?  

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Today is a damnit day.  My body and I are in a war - it seems to be winning.  

Brain fog from you-know-where, hip and back screaming and fatigue is beyond fatigue.

Fibro, Sjogren's, Lupus and PI seem to be raging a war in my body, but I am absolutely determined not one day will go by without me accomplishing something significant.  

Today it was genealogy.

 

Gifts and Sales

I am a junker.  I go to estate sales, garage sales and junk stores searching for the perfect... whatever.  Sewing loot is always on my radar.  Especially at estate sales, I find the crafty room and search the deep corners of the room.  Usually a closed box.  I buy it.  By doing this, I have acquired a large amount of orphan blocks.  One or two or five blocks - or partial blocks for a quilt.  Not enough for a quilt, but enough for someone to enjoy.

So one day in my prayers I asked God to tell me what I needed to be doing. What was needed?  He had been leading me to our local nursing home, but I had no idea what to do.  After the prayers, I go online and saw that the nursing home had just asked for some blankets for the patients for Christmas - specifically "fun" blankets - they had normal hospital type blankets.  So I realized here was my answer - heck, I am a quilter!  I can do this!  

I let the poster know I would be working on quilts, but I could not provide for every patient - 50-ish.  She said if you don't mind, I really need fidgets mats.  Can you make those?  Well, yes, I have never done it but I can figure this out...   So there was God's answer.

I went into the sewing room and was trying to figure out where to start.  My cousin had given me a shower curtain that they did not need and some fabric,  I saw the shower curtain and thought it might make a nice guy's fidget mat.  And sew I started.  This is the first one.  It is not my best, but it is just the beginning.  There are buttons, washers, a zipper, beads, strings and a squishy.  The bears are a shower curtain.  It came out ok, but I could do better... 

So I started looking for other ideas.  Lo and behold I found the boxes I had picked up at estate/garage sales.  Orphan blocks or beginnings!  And so I started again... I made them with puffs, keys, key chains, buttons, fuzzies, stretchies, pulls, squishies, bumpies, nubbies and pulls.  And orphan blocks.

How fun!  And of course, I got better...

This block was a block that I got on a quilt run.  At each quilt store you get a block to add to the overall quilt designed for the run.  I only went to a couple of stores and I didn't care for the rooster block for a quilt.  I added yarns, buttons, stretchies, tabs and key pull on a zipper.  

They all came out much cuter than the pics.

This was the stack of donations that I took to the nursing home.  Fidget mats, quilts, throws and an afghan that I made as well.  It was a lot of fun and I will continue to make more.  

Someone saw the post on nursing home's facebook post and saw that they asked me to make fidget mats for the home.  The lady PM'd me and told me she wanted one for her 96 year old grandmother - would I consider making her one to give her granny for Christmas?  She wanted to pay.  And so it began...  

She loved flowers and buttons... and this is what she bought.

Then a friend contacted me and asked me to make one for her mom.   When she contacted me she sent a picture of her mom, tapping on the table like drums.  

I got the specifics and went to work.  

This is the one I came up with.  After receiving her fidget mat, she sent a picture of her mom very busy playing with it.  It was so rewarding!  If it helps her for a day it was worth it.  

 

I will continue to make to donate and to sell.  Unfortunately there is a need for them.  I went to the dollar store and bought a bunch of stuff for the ones I will sell, and two people in the community donated a lot of things.  I have duplicates on the ones they donated - some worked and I haven't found a way to make some work - yet.  However, I do feel like I am answering God's call.  Our seniors need activities that are safe and fun for them - especially if they cannot participate in group activities.

And I donated these things for Christmas, so I am backing up just a bit.  All of this fiber art is what keeps me sane.  I do enjoy it.  

Shopping With a Friend Today

Today, my friend Carolyn asked me to go shopping with her - for a HOUSE!  We left, with the real estate agent, at 10am.  By 12pm, she had found the perfect house for her in Claremore, a town about 15 miles from us.  It is as cute as a button!

It has all the original floors and is as open as a floor plan as an older place can be.  I love it, but more than that, Carolyn loved it so much she put an offer in out it and it was accepted!  

Today, that was the only thing I accomplished other than working on my blog some more.  I am trying to retag my posts.

Tomorrow we have an appointment to go help an elderly friend in Claremore.  She is an OHCE friend.  I will sure be glad when we can get back together as a club.  I miss my friends.

We Survived.

This blog post was started in April of 2020 after making literally hundreds and hundreds of masks.  I have no recollection of this, but here it is, me bearing my soul - and here we are 9 months later and not much has changed.  

I just didn't deal with making hundreds of masks well.  

It is rather interesting seeing other people reacting with what I have been dealing with day to day since my ICL diagnosis in 2013... they are flipping out.  I guess my one day is ok... I am still dog paddling... 

My crash last week was wicked; two days of hell, bawling, fussing, crying... it was awful.  If you were a part of it, I am sorry.  If you were not, thank God.

We survived.  I don’t know how he didn’t walk, but he is still here, still reassuring me and still my rock.  I love this man.

I put the masks away.  They scare me.  They remind me that we may be here forever, that we will not ever again be as carefree as we were 3 months ago.  It reminds me that there may never be an end to this or that the end will not be good.  I didn’t need to think about that 24/7 - the masks had to go despite people begging me to make them.

So I gave away my mask making supplies and took a walk around the yard.  The spring flowers reminded me that God is still on control and that I don’t get to choose the path, HE does.

I walked back into my sewing nook and started sewing.  I have pieced 2 baby quilts, sandwiched them and today I will be quilting them!

I scheduled this post to post on Saturday.  I am taking a down day today.  Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.  I plan to sew bowl buddies and one quilt block.  Steve will be working on my truck hopefully.  It is sick.  Not sure what it has but it is sick.  Lol...