Once again,

thank you for all your help and suggestions.  She has tried a few products including Theraworks and Hyland's leg cramp pills, both of which did help.  For a brief period of time.  She is scheduled for blood work this week and the doc does not want her taking any supplements or vitamins until he sees what her mineral levels are after the massive diuretics so she can't take the mag pills.  Protein drinks, bananas, avocado, tonic water and a few other natural remedies aren't changing the intensity.  Doc is OK with electrolyte drinks to help but that's all until after the results.  I will order the topical Amish remedy on Amazon and give it a try along with the soap.  The cramps have become secondary to insomnia.  Now she can't sleep at all!  She said her entire upper body feels like restless leg syndrome and she can't settle.  This happened before and Valerian helped, Melatonin helped, but she still needs clearance before taking so hopefully that will happen next week. 

 

Tomorrow I am staying home all day.  No Meals on Wheels delivery to Carole.  I bought plenty of excellent frozen dinners that prepare in 10 or 15 minutes in one pan, and she is certainly well enough for a quick and simple task.  Bertolli's Chicken Carbonara is SO good along with other complete meals in minutes.  Maybe I'll send Mark out to find a produce stand with corn.  My favorite is Bodacious but August was busy and we missed the entire harvest.  First summer I didn't have cob corn twice a week.  Instead, I ate more chocolate and gained another 8#.  Whoa Nelly!  Time to pull back.

 

Before the season is over, this is for Miss Vickie the Pink Queen.

 

 

I plan to sell sampler charts and linen soon, any suggestions?  Should I offer them here, Ebay, or a FB stitching group?

 

  Happy Labor Day folks!!

 

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Bye bye summer

Eszter has a new design that is darling.  In case you didn't see it ....  from her blog ....

 

Pumpkin Heart 

 

I think we all love heart shaped designs.  I mentioned that I am tired of darker linen but what is the first thing I thought of?  A little darker linen!! 

 

 

The emailed pattern from her Etsy shop if you want to stitch this ....

https://www.etsy.com/listing/626829976/pumpkin-heart-primitive-cross-stitch

 

I'm making Brier Hill pizza tonight, Carole is craving it.  She's a little better but still too weak, and the night leg cramps are killers.  Pickles appear to work somewhat and the over the counter remedies are failing.  She is cautious of Gatorade, seems to make them worse.  Needs to watch the sodium because of the fluid retention so she is smack between a rock and a hard place.  All in good time, things will work out.  But not for my MN cousin who is now in hospice care.  Never heard of frontotemporal dementia before this.

 

Hope everyone has an enjoyable long weekend.  Can't believe it's September.  Still warm, but the month means Fall and that just pops my balloon.

 

Stay safe and enjoy the holiday.

 

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Feelings

OMG.  I was walking through my tiny messy parlor and I got this ... twinge ..... urge ...... longing  ..... yearning .....

 

Much to my husband's dismay it was for a piece of linen and a needle.

 

Seen on Facebook -

Good one.

 

I went into Kohls today to return one of the tops I ordered for my nephew's grandkids.  They could not find it on my credit card, the tag would not scan, it didn't show on the receipt.  It was from JCPenney.  I of course blamed it on my sister.

 

Leslie I tried freezing the shreds and did not like the soggy result.  My sister does it all the time and just lets them thaw in a colander and then squeezes out some of the water.

 

It's hot here.  Muggy too.  YAY!!! 

 Hope your day is warm and fuzzy.

 

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Soup on a plate

Greetings folks.

Bridgewater Mercantile had a post about the Back Woods Fest (Thornville Ohio) where they will be a vendor.  Never heard of it, too long of a drive for me, but thought I would mention it if you're close and looking for such an event.  Looks like the Shaker Woods Festival but it may be larger.  The list of vendors is extensive and includes everything from crocheted and sewn items to furniture.  And they have fried green tomatoes and apple dumplings.   Oooooooh baby.

 

http://www.thornvillebackwoodsfest.com/vendors.html#vendors

 

Taking Carole to the doc at 4 and have an easy on the stomach dinner ready to go.  My friend made it a lot for her husband and never really gave me accurate measurements, so you sort of wing it. 

You saute a large chopped onion, 2 stalks diced celery, and at least a cup of diced carrots.  I don't use oil, just keep adding some water to allow them to simmer and soften.  Transfer them to a 13x9 casserole

and add 1 1/4 cups of rice and 1 Tbsp of butter to the pan and gently saute until the rice is no longer translucent.  Add the rice to the veggies, sprinkle with salt and pepper, top with diced cooked chicken. 

Add 2+ cups of chicken broth and cover and bake at 325 - 350 for 20 minutes.  Remove cover and add more broth if necessary (always needs more) and continue cooking with loose cover until rice is tender and broth is absorbed, another 10 minutes.  The tricky part is just making sure the rice is tender and not dried out.  I like to sprinkle Parmesan on top once on my plate.  It's sort of like chicken soup in a casserole.

 

I have my zucchini shredded and ready for recipes.  I always let a few zukes grow very large for this and remove the seeds and soft center before shredding.

Using the shredding blade on my old Cuisinart processor makes it so easy.  The pulp is not sopping wet, and I keep it in a colander over a bowl in the fridge for many days.  A bag over the top is all that's needed and it never discolors or wilts.  I tried Allrecipes's apple walnut zucchini bread (with less cinnamon) but it wasn't what I wanted.  Next I will try with even less cinnamon, more apple, more zucchini, and white (not brown) sugar.

 

Carole is still very weak so I need to haul out the transport chair again and get it in the car.  Mark will drop us off while he runs to the store to get more bread and corn for the deer.

 

Hope your week goes well.

Thanks for visiting.

 

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An easy decision

Hello people.  Welcome to the last Sunday of summer.  September may have warm temps but I don't consider it summer, do you?  I'm taking your advice and looking forward to a new season with less stress instead of whining about what is gone.  No I'm not.   Not yet!  But I plan to.  I think what bothers me most is the uncertainty of next summer.  Will I still be here?  Will my health be in crisis?  Will I be missing another family member?  Am I the only menomorbid that has these thoughts as I pack away summer clothes that I never wore? 

 

After wasting way too much time searching online and elsewhere for boxes to fit 24"-31" long gourds, tall angels with wide twig wingspans, and bean garlands, I've decided to just take them somewhere.  This decision was easy and quick, not something I can usually manage.  The box cost is more than I would get and I have too many other chores right now that need my time.  Bins are filled with wood bowls and stompers of a manageable box size and at a later date I may offer them.   A few stitched pieces and linen are easy to stick in padded envelopes, hopefully very soon. 

 

Upon opening one of the linen drawers I found Ann Greanawalt.  Forgot that I even started her and especially that I'd chosen to stitch only the bottom section with the top border.  All those years of using unbleached linen became a habit, and I do love my older samplers on it, but I am not loving it any more.   Most all of my linen is dark, but I have no intention to purchase what may never be used so a little bleach may be in order.

I love these clear zip envelopes that leave no question as to content, and also found a few smalls in the Magma.  But I still have no desire and must force myself to continue, maybe once that happens it will become enjoyable.  I purchased a lot of these at Staples sale for $2 and use them for storing interfacing and fabrics too.  The small ones hold my little card sized projects and floss threads.

 

Mark is making a few more benches from the old cedar wood and I'm off to wrap Carole's legs since the stockings are causing too much pain.  Doctor visit tomorrow and we will find out if the stomach pain is from the ERCP or another issue.

 

Still baking zucchini breads and this time will try adding apples, raisins, and walnuts with cinnamon.  I've made so many of the chocolate and lemon, passed them out to the nurses and doctors so I need to bake a few for our freezer.

 

Enjoy the last week of August!

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Big boxes and little pies

Greetings to all.  Was your week uneventful?  The older I get, that's what I hope for.  I hope yours could be described as good, at the very least.

 

Where the heck do you find long skinny shipping boxes?  If they are long enough, they are way too large everywhere else.  I made one for the sampler on board I am selling, it wasn't easy, and I don't want to do it again.  But what if I want to mail a few of these?  I am tired of having to explain the gonad gourds to visitors who look at them cautiously as if they are dried bull parts.  Hanging them on my exterior door was causing traffic to slow.

 I think I may ask a few shops if they want to buy the gourds.  I gave the others away last time but paid a decent price for these.  Too bad I don't have any shops close by!

When I pulled out a pie plate to stuff our excess tomatoes (garlic, basil, seasoned bread crumbs, Parmesan, Italian pepper, olive oil),

 

 

 

I found these sweet little Pyrex with the ruffled rim.  They are vintage and perfect for little pies, as long as I don't have to share.  This little 6" plate is one piece for me.  The 7" with handles I may be willing to share.  I missed out on elderberry season this year, my favorite pie.

 

Going out in a little while to ride a cart around 18 holes, searching for husband's flip phone.  Yes, flip phone.  He refuses technology.  On the way home we'll stop for a DQ blizzard for Carole.  Her stomach is so very sore so maybe a frozen treat will help temporarily.

 

Have a great weekend everyone.

Thanks for visiting.

 

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