Winner winner

but no chicken dinner for capecodgirl565.  Vanessa, I have your email and will contact you soon for address.  Thanks everyone.

  I wasn't distracted by the big level at all.  'Cause he ain't here.  Trying for Monday, but the entire week is forecasting storms so it won't be done, I'm sure. 

 

We've been to every Amish greenhouse from here to Volant - beautiful full baskets of petunias but all mixed colors.  Yes those multi colors are gorgeous but not when I have several containers, barrels, and hangers.  Too much for my aging eyes.  A mass of solid color in the barrels doesn't compete with smaller displays, instead shows them off.  I saw something different that I loved, but it requires shade/morning sun which I can't provide.

No flowers, just beautiful soft yellow foliage.  She said it grows quickly and is very easy to care for so I came home with two 4" containers and will pot them for a shady corner.

 

This is a Golden Plectranthus.  Sounds like a dinosaur.  Maybe I should look for trailing foliage instead of flowers for the barrels.  Back to the nursery.

 

Hope you have a great weekend and a sweet Mother's Day.

 

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Before I lose it

would anyone like the small trifold card for this design?  It is JBW Designs Miss Mary's Sampler 1796 and is a sweet little stitch.  I did not use the linen color recommended.  Please leave your name in comments or email me (at right) and if there is more than one request by Friday morning, I will draw a name.  Let's say Friday 5/11 at noon.  Mr. speak softly and carry a big level should be keeping me distracted but I'll try to remember.

 

Chris saw the doctor that will be leaving soon and he is making an effort to have the pump updated to the latest model, even though his contract is not up until 2019.  The doctor said it is not working well with the sensor he was given and was amazed at the number of times he was over 400 and under 40.  He will meet with the Medtronic team and see what can be done.   Fingers crossed.

 

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It's starting

Got the call today, windows and cedar being delivered tomorrow!  Everyone thinks I am crazy to paint the new windows but it's what I've always been thought as anyway.  He is giving me a day to prepare, prime, and get a coat on the frames before installation.  The sashes rotate so I can install the screens and turn the outside in to paint later.  I know the painter can do it but this is so much easier without ladders.  We aren't having the back of the house changed since it faces north and those windows aren't warped.   Starting early tomorrow I need to remove the curtains and wooden rods, clear those walls of furniture on both floors and make a decent mess.  I was so hoping this could be completed by now so spring cleaning and cleanup would be done before summer, but the weather would not cooperate.  But it's happening!  And he has a really big metal square!  And a 4' level!  Yippe ki yay baby, he knows what he's doing!  Hopefully it's not for appearance sake only.   Wish us luck!

 

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Still looking for a start

Hello people.  While browsing photos, I saw the one of my mom holding me and transferred it to a post for Mother's Day as a draft.  Well guess who clicked on the wrong post to publish today?  That would be me.   Sorry - this is the correct click!

 

Hi all.  Hope you're enjoying the weekend.  I didn't get my flowers yesterday.  The nursery we usually visit was mobbed and the baskets huge.  I've found being too large this early fizzles out by August so I prefer a dense younger plant, which other places had, but the baskets were mixed colors.  Next week I'll try again.  We did get the Golden Dagger and Inferno peppers, Giant Marconi and Mucho Nacho (large jalapeno) were too small to bring home.  But it was a sunny warm day for a long ride in Amish country with a warm donut.  Or two.

 

Still going through charts and trying to be mindful of the fact that I don't feel like stitching, so the design has to be easy enough to stitch, but not boring.  So I came up with these two.  Harriot involves freehand at the bottom, Ann is larger overall with very little over one.  There is another file of small and simple samplers that I will look through this afternoon, and although  I prefer them, I don't know where to hang them all.  But perusing the file will stall the decision for another day and the longer I can put off searching through linen colors and counts, the better.

 

 

This odd twin pocket piece (I split a reproduction sampler into two) no longer agrees with me and I will tweak my finishing a little and offer it for sale soon.  For those of you that inquired about the Betsy Ross machine, I need to check with my brother, he may have offered it to his dealer friend to sell.   I'll see him this week.

 

Carole is coming over for spitini, parmesan potatoes, cranberry walnut salad and lemon bread for dessert.  Chris will come too unless he's called out which seems to always happen on Sundays. 

 

We've found three doctors that deal with Medtronic pumps, all over 90 minutes away.  One does not have a good rating from some patients but does visit New Castle (about 40 minutes away) once a month.  He was at 54 yesterday morning and the sensor alarm did not go off until 40 minutes after that finger prick.  Now we know the delay in reading and warning is far too slow for his rapid declines.

 

Enjoy the day.

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Freehand and a Betsy

 

 

Greetings folks.  My brother came across a little working electric child's sewing machine called Betsy Ross.  It's green and comes in a red case.  My little Singer is not electric and I didn't realize some of these miniatures were.  Do I want it?  Nope.  I may ask the only shop we have here if they are interested.

 

 

I found a lot of vintage hooks and eyes on cards that are solid brass.  I'm sure someone would use them, maybe Amish, so I will take those to Goodwill.  A reader buddy wanted my Simple Life so the entire lot will go to a good home which I'm happy about.  Thanks for the suggestions to use Media Mail.  I was told that rate is for retailers or mailers, not general public.  Now that I know that is incorrect, I will choose another post office for information. 

 

I was thinking about the sampler I showed with the winding freehand border.  Not that I want to stitch right now, but I'm thinking!   Mary Hazlehurst had a freehand border of mostly stem stitches, can't remember the others (chain?).  It really wasn't too difficult because stitching the body first makes it easy to see placement and it's OK if it doesn't match exactly as the chart shows. 

 

The only part I did not enjoy stitching was the little leaves, too small an area to know which way to fill.  I'm sure it was because of being inexperienced since they are a simple shape and solid color.  Mary Elliot's border has petals and flowers that are made up of very small colored sections so I don't know if I would enjoy that.  Really getting ahead of myself, I didn't start or even decide on the design yet.

 

Contractor hasn't shown yet but I can imagine he is behind because of the very cold and snowy spring.

 

We've had a rough few weeks with Chris, three days in a row and this morning the phone rang at 5:45.  When I saw her number it brought back the nights of Carole gasping at the other end, unable to breathe and needing an ambulance, the feel of a hand squeezing my neck while Rocky Balboa was pounding my chest.  Takes my breath away.  It wasn't about her, it was for Mark to get there for Chris again.  The paramedics had to be called twice in a week because he was unresponsive and clenched, Mark knew it was best for them to be there.  At that point, an IV is necessary and he was brought around from his 42 low.  We need to locate a doctor experienced with his pump, no one is local, and this temporary and worthless endocrinologist is leaving.  I want to see if the Dexcom CGM can be used with the Medtronic pump, it would be much better because it allows his numbers to be monitored on several devices.  And the volume on the Dexcom alarm can be increased, I can barely hear his current, not loud enough to wake up a gnat.

 

Going for flowers this weekend, will probably end up with the usual.  And a donut.  Amish sell their fresh donuts there on the weekends.

 

Hope your weekend is enjoyable and relaxing.  Or exciting.  Whatever makes you smile.

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Some days

you can chase tail, fighting with it until you think you've won,

but then you just give up and realize it's a losing battle. 

 

But not always. Sometimes you just can't let it go.

I've looked through charts, handled my linen, almost started a large sampler, but my mind is elsewhere and relaxing is not possible.  I don't really miss the needle at all.  Whether I will start stitching again at some point, only time will tell.  It could even be tomorrow, but that will depend on how soon I can settle myself.

 

 I actually considered this one for a few days, simple and uncomplicated letters, until I realized the freehand border may be a threat to my sanity (or what's left of it).  Maybe work on the easy body and leave the border for another time?  Scarlet Letter's Mary Elliott.

Our weather has been warm and cold, more warmth coming this week.  But there is sun, finally.  Mark's been golfing and taking a few bucks from his buddies.  And the sun shining in allows me to see the errant M&M peanuts on the floor that jumped from the pile in my hand, grabbed from the cupboard next to this table.

My sister is very upset about her friend's adult addict son.  He can't afford the ACA insurance, would qualify for a subsidy for his family of five, but cannot afford the massive deductibles.  She is afraid he will die.  Did this start with prescriptions?  No it did not.  There is no where that offers free help, regardless of their ads making you think they will.  He's checked everywhere and payment may be lowered without coverage, but still not affordable.  I should have him talk to my friend's friend who paid $80000 cash for a house and vacations in Dubai for tips on how she stays on Medicaid for free.
 

See this pile of A Simple Life?  The local shop does not want them and shipping one copy would be $4 so after Paypal and Ebay fees, why bother?  They are going to the recycler today.  They are wonderful for those that like a dark and dusty look, but I like lighter, colonial, less clutter.

Have a good week folks.

Thanks for visiting.

 

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