Page 4

...done, as you can see in the craptastic photo.  After two more short lines, on to the motifs and house, pages 5 and 6.  I'm very surprised that I'm this close to completion because the slump is still hanging heavy. 

 

This sampler was too appealing to not stitch even though much larger than the small projects I've kept to.  Am I ready for one of the larger reproductions with more detail?  Hell no.

 

 About the kidney thing - iced tea will not bother you and yes green tea has health benefits.  But anything in excess can have unintended consequences.  On hot days throughout the summer, I sometimes consumed a half gallon, the only liquid I would drink, which is another bad habit of forgoing water.  Black tea is worse than green, but more than 5-6 cups a day of either can affect the kidneys.  A cup of tea is less than half the amount of an iced tumbler, so my consumption was pretty high.  This doesn't mean everyone will have the same reaction but I do not have HBP, family history, or diabetes which are main factors of kidney disease, so this was the doctor's assessment of cause.  I've researched this online also and read about oxalate and polyphenols (in teas) being detrimental to kidneys in excess.

 

Don't be concerned about your tea!  If you drink it excessively, just cut back. I have for the last six months and I will get test results Friday.  Fingers crossed.

 

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A cute chick, Polly too

The birds were back this morning and I wanted to show you the little ones.   You can see how tiny they are compared to the larger brood.   I am so nervous about Nitzy because he would definitely go after either one.  The young were lounging on the cool dirt with their wings spread and mommas were roaming.  NO!!!  Nit could grab one in a split second if momma is not there to scare him off.

See the little blur in front of the juveniles, right front?

 

 

 

 

Little guy left front.

 

 

 

This is Polly with three pages completed, not much stitching on page four to complete the right side.

 

Did all of Carole's shopping again this morning and I have been flashing for two days.  Continual.  Going for testing this week because of kidney disease.  I kept reading the benefits of green tea and my drink of choice for many years has been iced green tea.  Who knew that drinking a lot of it could cause kidney disease, stones, failure.  Black tea also.  A glass or two a day certainly won't hurt you, but this was my only beverage throughout the year.  No soda, no "pop".  I have no other conditions that would cause these numbers and this is what she attributed it to, after my own research, yep it is.

 

Have a good day!

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Power flower

Hey all.  How was the weekend?  We had nice weather without rain for two days.  But I am still upset that July is half over because with the cold and then rain, it seems like summer is just starting, not half over. 

A few photos of yard stuff with those amazing Vista petunias.  The whiskey barrels are already covered and the plants have been trimmed twice.  These were transplanted single baskets, and because of the extra dirt and room for growth, they are three times the size of the others still in pots.

The white planter is the original pink Wave petunia.

 

This is also a Vista petunia in fuchsia.  It is still in a pot, no extra dirt like the barrel, but I assume it would get just as large.  Next year, this may be the color in the barrels.

 

We had visitors this morning, three hens and two different broods, both with only a few chicks. 

 

I'm making good progress on Polly, almost finished with page three.  If you remember, I offered three bags of floss with hundreds of skeins each because I had way too many.  So now, when I run out, I have no backup inventory.  That's OK. 

 

 

 

When I went into the room to check my floss box, I see my sampler sack down, feathers removed, cupboard door open, and dried parsnips that hung on the knob on the floor.  Missy was here.  What a brat.  Missy Mischief, or Punky Monkey as we sometimes call her.

 

This afternoon we attended a family graduation party and good thing we did.  I was planning a surprise birthday party for husband, his 70th, and was told by my cousin that he is indeed, not turning 70.  He will be 69.  Whew.  That would have been embarrassing.

 

 

 

I should be starting on page four this evening.  I don't believe I have any errands to run for Carole, that will be tomorrow.  She will be having the surgery within weeks if the cardiologist agrees to sign off.  He is debating and thinks her heart may be too weak for anesthesia, but another doc feels the risk is minimal.  Answers will come this week.

 

Have a great start to your week.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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A diagnosis

that took three days and a full night in ER, something that should have been obvious from the symptoms, maybe one of the first things you look for, a condition that affects many people and is common .... but only after an echocardiogram, nuclear stress test, CT scan with dye, several ultrasounds of the lungs and legs for clots, an endoscopy, a few other tests with machines that are unknown to her, and a thwarted heart catheterization, it's her gall bladder.   I assumed they checked this and ruled it out but no, that test was after all the others.

 

Then she was having trouble breathing and called the nurse (a very good nurse as they all were) and after some research discovered that something in her IV was the cause.  Maybe mixed with the nuclear and dye injections, I don't know.  She was told in the lab that two of her meds cannot be taken for several days because of them.  It was handled and she is fine now.  She's decided to treat first before committing to surgery.  Since she has had such critical results to routine procedures, she is scared to death for even laparoscopic surgery.  We will wait and see after she is released this weekend with medication.  Her first episode with the gall bladder, and we hope the last, but time will tell.  If the surgery is absolutely necessary, she will consent and hope for the best.  General anesthesia could be life threatening with her weakened heart, she was told.

 

At least we have an answer!

Thanks for all your concern and best wishes.  You guys are the best.

 

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Slow Polly progress

Hiya folks.  When do you do the majority of stitching?  Early morning?  Evening?  The only time I stitch during the day is when I am outside, late evening is best for me.  I guess because that is the time we sit and watch a movie or TV, no chores are done.  During the day I fidget and get up and down and can't focus, thinking I should be more productive and not sitting.  Between the ER evening, phone calls, and washing/rehanging all her curtains, I haven't had time to work on Polly.

 

I love the section of initials at a 90 degree turn.

Today I had an eye appointment for sharply declining vision (within a year) and am dilated, but should be OK by this evening.  I am very sensitive to any drug.  When the dentist tells me the numbness should be gone in two hours, it lasts closer to eight.  Dilation should be two to three hours, it's already been three and no change.  The strange result of today's visit, is improvement.  ????  I wear one contact lens for distance, the other eye bare for close up and have for many years.  The eye wearing the contact has gone from -2.25 DOWN to -1.25.  That's a huge difference and I have never heard of such a drastic change (improvement) in a short time, in a older person.  Or young for that matter.  He did all the testing and checked inside, said all is well.  I am very anxious for the pupils to return to normal so I can tell if the new Rx lens works.  Hopefully I will be able to tell if the worker in bright orange is holding a SLOW or STOP sign. Really strange isn't it?  The bare eye stayed the same. 

 

As for Carole, her scope revealed nothing new, same hiatal hernia as always.  They then sent her for a CT scan, early this morning.  She still has pain and has not been given her BP meds, heart pill, Lasix, nothing since she was admitted and this is day three.  Developing edema in her legs people!  She takes Lasix twice a day because of CHF so what the hell are you doing?  I can understand another test may be necessary so no food but for days without either?  The lady in her room is there because of another hospital giving her the wrong meds.  Same with the woman in the next room, doctor error.  Hospitalists are the thing now, but with most older patients, their personal doc knows their condition and should be making the decisions.  Carole's physician still makes daily rounds for his patients as do a few others, but most rely on the hospitalist.   He consults with her every morning even though she is under the orders of other specialists.  His opinion matters to her. 

 

I think the rain will stay away for the weekend and it is pretty hot and muggy.  Still can't believe it's the middle of July.

 

Have a great day and thanks for visiting.

 

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Thanks!

Your thoughts and prayers are much appreciated.  The problem is not stemming from her heart.  Whew.  We had to argue with the doctors that her slightly elevated enzymes, were not reason for catheterization.  They even mentioned open heart surgery!  I checked several medical sites and there are a number of benign issues that can cause this, it can be temporary, and many times a reason is not found.  She agreed to a stress test and echo first, both showed no change from priors.  If they had their way, a heart cath would have been done first, and totally unnecessary.  She will be having the endoscopy soon.

 

Nitzy, stump sitting.  The overturned copper kettle is a safe house for chased chipmunks.  I have several around the yard, the least I can do after homing feral killers.  The toads have their pot houses but rarely have the sense to hide in them. 

 

The logs and limbs in Carole's yard are because the loggers do not clean up, they are not a tree service.  They want the trunk only and leave the limbs.  Passing by wooded areas reveals a mess just like the one behind her house. Her yard trees were white oak, poker straight, and huge for which the logger will get a very fine price, in exchange for cutting.   I begged her to hire someone for cleanup but she thinks her grandson will cut and take it all for his woodburner.  No he won't.  Monthly income is not even enough to pay bills let alone removal expense but we offered to chip in.  If the mess is still there in four weeks, I am calling a few people myself and she can get mad if she wants. Years ago, a logger stopped at her house and gave her a price for some of her trees (cherry and hickory) and she was thrilled.  He cut, stacked, and sneaked back at 3:00 in the morning with the rig and took them all.  She couldn't hear them at the bottom of the hill but the neighbor did, knew she was selling the trees so didn't question it.  She received nothing and no one could locate him behind several fake businesses, including BBB and the police.  The 13 cherry and 8 hickory trees were worth a great deal of money.

 

Garden was drowned again and now the tomatoes have a blight from the damp and humid days (weeks!).  But the Roma beans we were given, an Italian green bean that is wide and flat, popped and are growing nicely. 

I can't believe July is half over.  Where is summer going??

 

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