The sad, the good, and the boring

I happens in three.  Seems that is what everyone says about deaths.  And so it goes.  One of Mark's golfing friends, a co-worker's son, and my cousin's in-law and friend of ours.  The first was someone who gave up on life.  The second was to drugs which is happening every week in this area, and the last was a beautiful woman who took one step in the wrong direction causing a backward fall. 

 

I know many of you enjoy walking through cemeteries and taking note of the old stones and dates.  I've lived here all my life and have never driven through this one, the largest I've ever seen, set behind homes off a narrow street.  The monuments are amazing, the hills, landscape, the stone chapel.  I should have taken a few photos while the pink dogwoods were ablaze.  Maybe tomorrow.  The wealthy families from years ago to present day whose namesakes are streets, banks, and stores, and unusually shaped stones that I have never seen before dominate.   Need to return. 

 

Here's some information for you about dental crap.   Are you a Costco club member?  We weren't, but are now.  The closest one is over an hour from here but items can also be ordered online.  Basic membership is $55 a year.  But.  A benefit of that is their dental plan. For two people, $135 a YEAR.  $0 deductible.  The catch is that you must go to a participating dentist which you can find on their site or call.  Once you choose, if you change your mind and prefer a different participating dentist, you must call with the change.  The amount you pay for crowns, cleaning, fillings, dentures, is drastically less.  Really.  $200 for the first year (membership+plan+$10 fee) is still less than $20 a month for two people.  There are also family options.  For the cost of dental work, well worth looking into and having to go to a participating provider.   Go to their website for details, click on SERVICES, then dental.  It's not an insurance plan with co-pays, it is a discount plan that accepts specified amounts. 

 

My tooth seems to be electrified from some unknown source, but the severe pain is gone.  Next Tuesday I will see my perio guy (I like him) and he will evaluate the possibility of an implant.  He also agreed to do the extraction in a week or so.  I'm more comfortable with him and will be glad to wait. 

 

No projects started yet.  I am thinking about charting another miniature.  If I did the odd shape of a pear once a month, why not a miniature?  A little late in the year to start a monthly ornament for a feather tree but what the hell?  If I do I do if I don't I don't.  To me, a sampler contains the alphabet and trying to vary that over and over for such a small design may not be easy. 

 

Bought flowers today wearing a heavy jacket in cold winds.  Got Carole's for her, and decided to stop procrastinating, over thinking colors.  I just bought what I always do - Vista Bubblegum Petunia.  The pink is outstanding, the growth better than any other petunia, and one fills a barrel.  So I bought 3 hanging baskets and one in fuchsia, that's it.  I waste too much time trying to mix and plan when in the end, half do not do well.  I can always count on the Bubblegum.

 

Jean Bee, you are no-reply, no email listed in your profile, I cannot answer your inquiry.

 

That's it.  Hope your week's end leads to a fabulous weekend.

 

******************************

Scripted

Greetings to all on this sunny but cold day.  As I sit with racing heart and a case of the trots from strong meds for excruciating pain, I am awaiting a call from the dentist as to whether a root canal can save a large molar or if an extraction is necessary.  Since my TMJ issue prevents my mouth from opening wide enough, or for any period of time, and has locked (panic!) in the office before, I seriously doubt the root work and following crown will be possible.  Why do I have this jaw joint issue?  Because the hygienist I faithfully visited every 6 months for 12 years told me all was well, never recommended perio surgery and because of her negligence I lost a tooth and now another.  I did not sue for either of my falls (and the hardware store owner will not even pay my doctor/x-ray co-pays) both of which left me with damage to knee and ankle, but I am so sorry I did not sue her for negligence.  I could have used the funds to replace with implants.  But then - could I open my mouth wide enough for that work?  Not only did she cause the loss, she caused the reason I can't have them replaced. Pain for years, life changing, my cheek is indented where the tooth is missing, my speech is different, my entire mouth is suffering from my jaw swinging to the right and affecting all the other teeth.  The tooth I lost is the last molar on top, above a permanent bridge, which caused the bite to change and throw everything off.  Four bite adjustments and my top lip still doesn't align with the bottom.  Freaking pissed?  You bet.  Now this molar on the other side and I will be sounding like Daffy Duck.  Looney Tunes forever.  Well, looney.

Anyway,  Carole now has sciatica and we have to go shopping for her again this afternoon.  But when I get back and if I can stay awake from lack of sleep, I want to work on these finishes.  Fabric choices whittled down to one or two.

There is no where locally to find wools and what I have isn't the right shade for the red pouch, so the hell with it.  When going through the fabrics I came across the script designs and sampler fabrics that I don't seem to like as backing.  Thought I would.  But I don't.  Then I decided to make a stitching bag with them, and shit-canned that idea too.  I like my clear zip folders so I can see at a glance what a mess I have in there.

Really like this red script and would like to age it, but will I ever use it?

What's left of Blackbird Designs (?) sampler prints.

I bought this postcard/telegram print in beige, brown, and red.  Only used the red.

And more script.  I also have pieces of smaller script and sampler prints, may use those for something.

Well, it's time to chew down the meds and get to her shopping.  I really hate to make that appointment with a new doc for an extraction.  What happened to the old days when our dentists did it?  Maybe I will hold off.

As my pal Porky Pig would say, "that's all folks!".

Rebecca Hall

from Pineberry Lane.

DMC color changes and others on 35 count WDW Straw linen.

 

 Will be sewing into a small hanging pillow along with several of the previous projects that are not completed.

 

I wanted to mention about the composition books.  I was making a few for my notebook loving sister, color coded for each room with scrapbooking papers.  For some reason, I was able to peel it off.  The kraft paper stuck with ModPodge but not these.  And I'm finding that the covers are still warping somewhat.  Just so you know!

 

Have a good week.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

******************

The plan that worked for me

Greetings folks.  Lots of crazy weather across the country.  We had terrible winds for two days and very low temps.  Back in the sweat clothes and the furnace is running.  I hope you are all safe.

 

 Note - I received a few emails about the miniature sampler chart not printing on a full page.  It is corrected now in both post and FREE tab. 

 

Now.  About the "plan" I followed that several readers requested.  First of all, I am a piggy.  I don't have one piece of pie or cake, I have two, and another later.  So giving up sweets was extremely difficult, but after four days, I was OK.   I baked pies for mom every week, cake every few days, (glucose level was still respectable) and was able to take a bite and nothing more after the first week.  I learned a little about the glycemic index and how high simple carb foods can turn into fat quickly, and how the low are digested and absorbed differently.  So I checked online for some guidelines and food lists, cut out all boxed and processed foods (man foods) and ate more natural and simple foods (God foods).  I ate Hodgson's (hot cereal) oat bran and also oatmeal, eggs, nuts, things I like but in moderation.  Will never give up pasta, do not like the whole wheat varieties, started using Ronzoni brand "Smart Taste" with 2.5x more fiber.  But I also would eat a 1/4 cup of dry Fiber One cereal (original) before a high carb meal.  I reasoned that it would slow down the high glycemics, worked for me!   Fiber One was not the best tasting shredded cardboard I ever had, but I could handle 1/4 cup.  And when we had a loaded dinner, I would try to balance the next day with a large salad for dinner.  Light and heavy were figured in the same day too.  Birthday cake?  Light lunch and dinner that day.  Simple.  The hardest part is staying accountable for what goes in my mouth.  When you aren't counting calories or points, you can get off track easily, but cutting out processed foods, sugar, and junk makes it fairly easy.  There are also calculators online to figure foods. Splenda was my sweetener of choice for bad fruit (which we seem to always have locally) and anything else.  High fat and fried foods were avoided and I had no meatballs with my spaghetti so I could eat more pasta (homemade sauce).  Nickles' 35 calorie white bread and the Arnold brand flats were my breads.  My only processed meats were Hillshire Farms and Oscar Meyer reduced fat turkey, chicken or ham in the tubs but no other deli meats.  Home cooked shredded chicken breast and beef roasts made excellent sandwiches.  The big question - chocolate?  Of course, but reasonable amounts.  Snacks?  Popcorn, home made pita chips, hummus, nuts.  When I really needed a treat, Blue Bunny no sugar added ice creams (fabulous!) or Klondike 100 calorie fudge bars.  NO Aspartame (NutraSweet) drinks, only those with Splenda or Stevia.

Moderation of low glycemic foods, very little processed (boxed) food, big reduction in sugar, added fiber, and balancing.  I guess that's all I needed to say instead of the long winded version, huh?  When will I learn.


****************************


 

Still changing

...colors. 

 

Decided to do the lion in a gold/orange and the majority were either too bold or too close to the linen and unnoticeable.   Rebecca had mostly green threads and used them throughout, but I didn't want green lions.  For as small as this piece is I wanted a little more definition  Also changing the bottom's 503 to one of the other greens.  Not sure I will stitch all the hearts, maybe just one or two.  I was trying to finish before I totally lost interest but when I change the colors as I am stitching, I end up doing it two or three times.  But making those choices before I start usually doesn't work either especially using one strand.  The floss skeins look dark and shiny, but soften when actually stitched, so there are always changes with that idea too.  But close!  Usually only a few shades different from the floss toss, like I am in the right church but the wrong pew.

 

 

Ain't she sweet?  The bottom border is one full stitch off in width, and one thread higher.  Since both errors are in the same row, I may remove and re-do, but at this point probably not.  When it is hanging from a peg somewhere, I will certainly not notice.  But I may remove the barely noticeable flowers and do them a little brighter. 

 

Have a good weekend.

 

*****************************

Strut your stuff

He's a big boy.

 

Progress on Rebecca Hall.  Not much contrast shows in the photo but there is enough between the Straw linen and the flowers.  822 was too light, other light beiges were too pinkish against it, so 738 worked the best.  I like it.  Instead of doing prominent colors, I decided to keep the soft look of the original, so I went with a muted brown and green.  Still may have some changes in the bottom.

Am I enjoying this little sampler?  Well, yes and no.  I really like it, I don't like to stitch it.  I told Mark I am about ready to stop the stitching and he encouraged me to continue small projects, and not to take a break.  We'll see.

 

Four weeks on WW.  The first week was five pounds, and I finally lost ONE more.  Three weeks. Sticking to points, not using the extras, hungry.  Everyone else is dropping weight more quickly.  I'll see what happens next week and if there is no more progress, I will return to my own plan that shed thirty pounds ten years ago.

 

Have a nice week!

Thanks for visiting.

 

***********************************