A visit with my mom

Mark and I went to visit mom this month. Here we are at her house.
This is a rare picture of me and my mom.

My relationship with my mom could be better and I'm trying to make sure I see her more often. She lives in Cookeville, Tennessee. She moved out there in 1990 when she divorced my dad. She lives in a house that belongs to my Aunt and Uncle. I am so grateful for them and all they do to help mom out. Mark and me went to see her a couple weeks ago. It is a long day in the car. My legs were so stiff and sore I could barely unfold myself and I hated for mom to see me limping along like I do now. I did warn her so she wouldn't be shocked. It was a nice visit for the most part. I tried to do some housework for her but she wouldn't let me do much. Mark and I went to Hobby Lobby one of those days and we also took one day and went out to see my Aunt and uncle.

This is Aunt Betty standing and Aunt Madge sitting: Can you believe Aunt Betty is 79 and Madge is 74? They are beautiful women and take good care of themselves.

This is me and Aunt Madge at her house in the woods. We had a really nice visit and they took us to lunch at the cutest little local cafe. I wish I had taken pictures of that.

All in all it was a nice visit. Mark wants to go back in the fall.

Stash Report May 30, 2010

First stash report of the year and it is almost June. Yikes!
Well I haven't posted a stash report in quite awhile because nothing in and nothing out but this week is differant! First of all I went quilt shop hopping on Wednesday with 3 of my good friends. I bought some black fabrics to add to my drunkard's path quilt right away so I will count that both in and out. I bought 6 yds for some new projects..... I couldn't resist these fabrics they were so cute! I also bought 3 more yds of reds and greens for my strip Christmas quilt so that is also to be counted in both in and out today.



Judy L is having a QOV challenge this week and since I have been wanting to make a QOV all year and hadn't gotten around to it I decided to jump in too. I didn't start right away but that is ok because I waited until day 5 and added all the strips up and used my new GO cutter and have been having a ball for the last day or so. Cutting and sewing, I spent all day yesterday working on this project. This is as far as I got at 10:30 this morning. It will have to wait until tonight to sew more on it because I have some other things needing my attention.

Fabric IN this week: 12 yds

Fabric used this week: 19 yds

Total IN this year: 12 yds

Total out this year: 19 yds

I can do this!

I have been newly diagnosed with RRMS which is Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. I have seen my doctor and am starting daily injections of Copaxone.

I'm not gonna lie, I was a little nervous but hid it because I didn't want Mark and Jess to be nervous. The nurse was great! She took lots of time with us explaining everything and then we all practiced on the little ball she brought...I was expecting an orange....harumph!

I injected myself and really didn't feel the needle at all. They are very small and the injection pen makes it super simple. Yep, I can do this.....hopefully it will help keep the MS from flaring up. This medicine works well for most so I have good reason to believe it will help me too.

On to other things (I don't know why I was worried about this)

Sewing today!

I am sewing today! Are all the items on my "TO-DO" list completed? NO!
Is there quilting that needs to be completed.......YES
Have I even had a shower yet? NO!

I have been doing my chores around the house and trying to be a good housewife. When I am working, Mark does a lot of the housework and almost all of the cooking. When I am not working, I do those things. I figure it is only fair right? I usually get a lot of satisfaction in keeping my house clean and cooking and organizing. Not this time..... I have been in a funk!

It most likely is because I am very upset about my mobility of late, or lack thereof.....I thought I would be up and doing things normally again within a couple months but it's not happening that way. I am stiff and hurting a lot. Standing up from a sitting position is difficult. I don't walk normally. I don't use my cane around the house but I do out in public because I always feel as if I will fall otherwise. I don't want to go on dissability but I may not have a choice if I don't get another job soon. I feel like my condition will really stop employers from hiring me. I know they aren't supposed to discriminate but it happens (you can't prove it anyway). So, yeah....I've been down in the dumps. I woke up today and felt like sewing so I AM!
I have 3 different projects I am working on at a time. First there is my 4 patch posie using bright Christmas fabric. A friend in my Tuesday sewing group cut the whole thing out then gave it to me. It is turning out cute. There will be frames around each block and then a sashing and cornerstones to lay it out.

I also have another 4 patch posie that I cut out from a favorite fabric of mine. You quilters may recognize this fabric from about 15 yrs ago. It was very popular!

Then I am also working on my Christmas Diamond strip blocks.

I'll get to the To-DO list soon enough!
So much for my not procrastinating! OY!

I'm a fraud!

I posted earlier about all the things I was going to accomplish today and I didn't do a thing! I read a book! A silly girly novel at that! Ok I took off that big long list because it was quite frankly, embarrassing! I just made dinner and I do intend to piece for a bit so those two stayed..sheesh, I need some motivation!

Maybe tomorrow...maybe not!

Gumbo!

Well, I didn't get the job I was hoping for and I applied (grudgingly) for unemployment yesterday. Oh how I hate that! I hope I had enough time working to be ABLE to collect while I look for work. Otherwise we are going to be in big trouble!

Ok, Mark just left for a quick trip to the grocery store and then to go see his mom. I am about to jump in the shower and then have a long list of things to accomplish.

1. Make dinner for tonight
2. Piecing for a quilt for at least one hour.

Waiting for a call and baby quilts.....

It's Monday...I should be working if I had a job.......I had an interview on Friday, I am qualified and it went well. He told me I was "perfect". That means I have the right background, working experience and I am current in my skills. It was with a recruiter though and he has to check to see if all positions have been filled. There were 4 openings and last he had checked only one was filled. This is a Ford job and only for about 3 months but that is better than 3 months of unemployment. I am waiting for a call today.

Let's see, my husband has decided he wants to make baby quilts and sell them....sigh....this will mean lots of work for me of course. He has made two quilts so far. One for his mother and one for a friend's new baby. He did a great job on both. He needs a refresher on piecing though since it has been a while. He also wants to learn to quilt...or so he says. AGAIN, a lot of work on my part. I don't think he realises how much work he will have to do for not a lot of profit. I don't make quilts to sell. I make them for gifts. We will see how it goes.

This is what I am quilting right now. Pretty boring..all blocks are the same...not my kind of quilt. This is a customer quilt and it would have benefitted from custom quilting but it was not to be as the customer wanted cheap edge to edge. Using square spiral panto and it is my new favorite panto. It doesn't hurt that this quilt is beautifully pieced. I haven't had such a flat, square quilt in a very long time. I need to make sure I tell this lady what a nice job she did piecing it.