Finishinfg Touches

 This is how I start my day.   Whether Eric leaves to teach his classes or sleeps in, as soon as he is out of bed I have the doxie horde with me.  And then it is hard for me to want to get up.  They don’t always lie around like this, sometimes they are all over me.  And you know I hate that.  Also they tend to come and go, jump down at the slightest sound and then bound back in acting like “we found you.”  It’s a great way to start the day.



And when I finally get up and ready to face the world I walk out into our living room to what is our Christmas tree this year.  Although not an original idea, it was one I saw online last year and spent most of the year trying to get it implemented.  First we had to find a wooden ladder, which was not as easy as I thought it would be.  Then, because this was going to be our Christmas tree, I decided to paint it forest green.  We bought premade shelves and I have since decided they also need to be painted but that will wait for later.  Anyway, after the ladder was properly prepared Eric took over adding the lights and then arranging the village pieces.  We are both thrilled with it.

Oh, you may have noticed the big empty space at the bottom.  We decided that with our three doxie babies, who have to get into everything, we would do better to not set up any of the village down there.  We do have three large animated Pooh pieces that may make an appearance before Christmas gets here.

For those who followed the Birthday Month experience, you may remember that the last gift was on “back order” so the month didn’t get completed.  Well, here it finally is. 

The last few years that I worked I used the word “whatever” quite frequently.  It seemed that decisions were made that I thought were either illogical, not well thought out, or just plain stupid.  However I was not consulted for my expertise nor would my unsolicited input be appreciated so I would utter “whatever” and attempt work within the new guidelines.  I became known for the word.  So when Eric saw this clock he knew it was made for me: I agree.

I have nothing creative to show.  I will show what I have made as gifts but they will be shown after Christmas.  This has not been a year for creative gift giving so my offerings are quite small and humble.  But I couldn’t let this season of gift giving go without something made by me.  I am so grateful for my family’s response to my illness that I needed to respond with a little something that wasn’t bought but made.  And the thing I am most grateful for is the gift that God has given all of us who would receive it, that of his son’s sacrifice that assures us of eternal life with Him.  That gift has made everything worthwhile.

Health Update:  I was supposed to start an increased medication this week but turns out my white blood cell count was low (800) so it was put off for at least a week.  Other than that I appear to be doing well.  This pause in chemo therapy seems to be common but it was the first time it had happened to me.  I am having some pain problems with my hip replacement.  I was going to talk to the surgeon about it but my appointment this week was postponed (he had three emergency surgeries) until next week.  I just hope it will take care of itself rather than me having to go back in the hospital.  I REALLY don’t want to do that ever again.

Eric starts a 3 week semester break tomorrow: I will probably be spending more time in the studio for a while.   Have a great week and a Merry Christmas, just in case I don’t get back here for a while,  Gari

Birthday Month Part 4 & Conclusion

Nov 26:  It is hard to believe that Birthday Month is coming to an end.  Today I got another AU ornament.  Initially I decorated the bedroom with them but on Iron Bowl Saturday Eric used them to decorate our front door to ward off evil Bama spirits.























Nov 27:  My gift on this day was a pair of AU tights for me to wear on my birthday.  I was quite concerned as tights have never been my friends.  However I have lost enough weight that they fit great.

































Nov 28: It’s a new iPad.  I have an old one that has difficulty holding a charge and Eric has been keeping it going for me.  Now it will be easier to charge it and my responsibility.  And I had it up and running before I went to bed (tech savvy).
























And on my birthday we had all four of our children here: first time all together in 27 years.  I felt like crying but I didn’t.  We even had three of the four spouses plus some of the adult children.  There were lots of laughs and a significant amount of AUBURN/alabama trash talk.

























As you can tell from this picture, fun was had by all.  And I spent the whole day smiling, I was so happy.


















Nov 29:  Before I could get up Eric presented me with these owl wind chimes.  The owl is beautiful and the chime is delicate.  I think I will attach it to the bed so I will hear the chime with movement.  I wonder how long that will last. 






















Nov 30:  My last Birthday Month gift is on back order and didn’t make it here.  I guess the good news is that I still have one gift to look forward to.  The bad news is that it leaves this month incomplete.  But it has been a really fun month and I have enjoyed sharing it.





One more thing, I did get these socks done and gifted to my daughter on her birthday (16th).  Because they were started before I got sick and were finished after I finally have begun to feel so much better, they really felt special.



And now we leave Birthday Month and enter the Christmas season.  See you back here next November 1st for another Birthday Month. Meanwhile we will continue with our regularly scheduled knitting and hopefully quilting blog.  Have a great week,    Gari

Birthday Month Part 3

For anyone who hasn’t been reading my blog I feel I should explain what is going on at our house.  At the end of June my arm broke, almost on it’s own.  I had to have surgery to put it back together which included a metal piece to hold the two pieces in place.  While cleaning up the break the surgeon detected cancer in the bone.  A biopsy confirmed that diagnosis but found it was breast cancer that had migrated to all the bones of my body.  This diagnosis insured that my cancer was incurable but with medication could strengthen my bones and perhaps increase my lifetime.  I opted for medication rather than chemo and/or radiation and have been on two different medications since that time with positive results.  Oh, and I got to have two other surgeries, getting a pacemaker because my heart decided to cut back on beating (27 beats per minute) and hip replacement because the orthopedic surgeon, after looking at the x-rays, decided that there had been such significant deterioration that it was likely to break on it’s own.

Anyway, my husband decided to not take any chances that I might not be here for my next birthday and has made this Birthday Month the best one ever: a gift a day.   




Nov 18:  My husband has a great sense of humor.  And although we don’t feed the dogs from our plates, he recognized this expression as theirs.  And when you have 4 of those faces looking up at you, it is sometimes hard to ignore them.


















Nov 19:  I collect glass owls: they can be found all over the house and even in the studio.  So this little crystal owl is a perfect fit.  It even has the body that matches the topaz, November’s birthstone.











Nov 20:  One may have noticed a Daschund bias.  I have had and loved Daschunds all my life and right now we have 3. Thus IU got this scarf.  It is really heavy so when we get those few really cold days this winter, I am ready to face them.  Isn’t he cute?

















Nov 21:  What we are looking at are the flowers.  My husband knows that I love getting flowers and these appear to be lasting for a long time.  They really do add a soft touch in front of my owl lamp, don’t you think?













Nov 22:  This is a “giant” dark chocolate bar.  I had just explained to Eric that dark chocolate is good for the heart and this showed up.  Do you think I could convince him that pound cake was good for bone reconstruction?  














Nov 23:  We are decorating parts of our house for the Iron Bowl: we have our children coming and will be dealing with some “Alabama”  fans.  So today’s gift is a cute ornament to show our preference for Auburn.




















 
Nov 24:  It’s another sleep shirt and I love it.  Eric has been buying from Christmas catalogs and he is doing such a great job in finding things that I am loving.  I have now slept in this and then I laugh at it when I wake up and look down.  I have to admit though that the dogs don’t seem to be overly impressed.

Nov 25:  This one really made me laugh.  Several times a week Eric has heard me moan about having come from getting dressed but forgot my reading glasses, which I really need.  So I start pouting as I trudge back to the bedroom to get them. I have several pair but he got these for me and is insisting that they be kept in the living room, just in case I forget again.


That’s if for now but we still have a few days coming and that includes my real birthday.  But I cannot tell you how much fun this has been and not only for me, Eric has enjoyed it, too.  And I keep wondering how he is going to top it next year (I do plan to be here).

Happy Thanksgiving everybody,   Gari

Birthday Month: Part 1r

In my family we/I celebrate Birthday Month.  It is only for November babies and primarily for female family members.  In fact I started it for me and then over time others have joined me.  Over the years it has resulted in some extra small birthday gifts and it has been a fun game.  This year however has been quite different.  So far I have gotten a gift from my husband every day: 


Nov 1 –
We love calendars and I love owls so here I am already ready with my bedroom calendar way before the new year.















Nov 2-
And then I was gifted with a pound cake, my favorite.  I have been sharing but mostly because hubby cuts the cake for me and somehow winds up with a piece for himself.











Nov 3 -
This, despite the size here, is a small calendar which will replace the in in the bathroom.  I almost could use the 2015 one since it didn’t get changed from May until October when I finally felt well enough to get around the house.  But I am sure the 2016 one will be more accurate.







Nov 4 –
This is a miniature violin that represents a family joke.  My sister will be laughing when she sees this and I hope my mother will also.










Nov 5 –
My husband knows that I love old murder mysteries.  One year I got all the old Charlie Chan movies which we watch all throughout the year, every year.  And now we can add the best of Sherlock Holmes.  Yippy!!   



















Nov 6 -
This is an Auburn pillowcase on my down pillow.  It gets a bigger picture because 1: I am an AU graduate and 2: AU won its football game Saturday and that is a real accomplishment this year, and 3: I am an AU fan no matter how the football team does on the field.







Nov 7-
This is actually a bracelet with a saying I had come to live by several years ago.  It has especially become true this past summer as my physical health became our primary concern.









Nov 8 –
On this day I got this burlap bag.  Eric is always encouraging me to continue with my creative projects.  And I need help in carting them from one place to another.










Nov 9 –
Imagine my surprise today when Eric presented this to me while I was still in bed.  I was not sure what he was trying to tell me. 








The first couple of days I was surprised but after a while I started looking forward to what would come next.  This has become a very fun game and I am enjoying it immensely.  Also, I am a very lucky lady in that even after almost 55 years of marriage, 4 children, first at home with us and then moving away to start their own lives and families, my husband loves me and has never been afraid to show me how much.

Health Update:  As of today I am no longer receiving any services from Home Health.  I am doing well on the extra strong drug I am taking and am feeling fine.  There is no question that I have a serious condition but it is not stopping me from enjoying my life. 
Have a great week everybody,  Gari

Today I am 71

And given that both my birthday and Thanksgiving arrived on the same day this year I decided to share what I am thankful for.  First and foremost I am thankful that I know Jesus Christ as my Savior and that he has walked with me for most of my 71 years.  Second I am thankful for my husband, Eric, who has been my partner for almost 53 years.  We have survived good years and bad years (currently good) and each has made us stronger both individually and as a couple.  And third I am thankful for our 4 children.  Each has grown into a strong and successful adult with good marriages.  We have watched them mature and grow as parents and to learn to accept each child as an individual rather than carbon copies of themselves. 

There are many other small things that I am thankful for (other family members, our nation, my home, friends, etc.) but if I tried to mention all of them I would forget someone and that wouldn’t be good (sounds like the academy awards, doesn’t it?).

Now let me tell you about my birthday.  As you can see from the picture above, we went to the beach after a Thanksgiving dinner at Applebee’s, which was terrific.  We walked the beach so we could make a stop at Village Inn for PIE.  They make the best lemon meringue pie and serve very big slices.












Anyone who regularly reads my blog knows that DH took me to see Kenny G earlier this month as my birthday gift.  But this morning he presented me with this book, which I didn’t even know was coming out.  I have read all of her Elm Creek books so this was well welcomed.











He also gave me these earrings.  Aren’t they the cutest?  And perfect for a person who has three doxies.









I also need to show this again.  It is a bedside glass owl pitcher that my/our twins and their very special spouses gave me for my birthday after they had been together this summer.





It is quite unique and I have never seen another like it.  It always makes me feel special when my children remember me even though we are so far apart.




And I guess there is one last thing.  Look what followed me home.  A whole lemon meringue pie.  I guess we will be celebrating my birthday for a while longer: but of course there are still 2 more days in BIRTHDAY MONTH!

Gari

Kenny G & Me

Guess where we are going?  Guess who we will be seeing and hearing?  I am so excited.  This is an early birthday gift from DH (my birthday is on Thanksgiving this year). 

When I got my HQ I found that I enjoyed quilting best when I was listening to jazz so I started buying Kenny G albums.  He, along with others, has gotten me through a lot of quilts. 





These are the fruits of my labor for the beginning of the week. 


















This is one of the smaller owls.  The pattern calls for a pieced border around but I am thinking that I will use a sashing fabric for each of the blocks.













And this is my most recent fish.  I have tried to use this green fabric a couple of times but this was the first time this fabric fit a fish. 













I also spent this afternoon picking out fabrics for Bonnie Hunter’s new mystery that is starting the day after my birthday.  The colors she has picked out are the ones I used for last year’s mystery so I had to put my thinking cap on and come up with my own combination.  I have pulled yellow, moss green, blue, and rust, for now.  I am not really sure of this as I would really like to use purple, I think.  I really don’t like mysteries because I like to know what I am doing.  But my Easy Street from last year turned out so great that I am willing to give Celtic Solstice a try.

Now, I think I will spend some time cleaning the studio so I don’t loose all those little pieces Bonnie is going to have me/us cut.  I had baggies all over the place last year so I figure it will be the same this time.  And without some clean surfaces I will loose those little parts and just have a mess.  So I have 23 days to get my space ready…..better get at it. 
Gari

The last week of Birthday Month

And I am expecting great things.  First there is the laundry, the dishes, cleaning the bird cages, and, well, that doesn’t sound much like a celebration, does it? 
Ok, then, here’s what I am celebrating?  Well, during this month I completed two Christmas quilts and both have been gifted as housewarming gifts to two of my grandchildren.  I also completed two quilts for friends for Christmas, so I can’t show them yet.  But that’s 4 quilts in one month!!
And now?

I have decided to try Bonnie Hunter’s annual New Year’s Mystery, Easy Street.  And these are my chosen fabrics.  Normally I don’t like mysteries but Bonnie has promised that there are not as many small parts as in years past and I have all my Christmas gifts either bought or made so, what the heck, I might as well play along.



So the first step is to make hundreds of 4 patches.  Well, I cut bunches 2” strips out of the gray and black on white fabrics and began sewing them together.  Before Friday I hope to have almost 200 4 patches ready to go on to Step 2.  I don’t know if I will be able to keep up but at least I am up with everyone right now.  If you are interested, a new step will be revealed every Friday through Dec.  I think the idea is that, if we have kept up, we should be able to sew the top together on New Year’s Day……..fat chance!



DH has started getting our Christmas Village pieces out.  I think he is having a great time creating the village this year.  After he hung my quilt, Flight School, he decided I should make another to fill the whole wall (I don’t think so).  But we will have to come up with something for that big blue space.



He also hung up my Twelve Days of Christmas quilt.  Of course I had told him not to put it up until I got the ornaments attached but, what the hay, I can climb on a ladder and stick them up there.  I love this quilt.  It is the first big applique quilt I did and it was really a challenge but I got it done and this is the second year we have been able to enjoy it.
Now, as for celebrations, on Wednesday I will be celebrating my 70th birthday.  It is really funny because I don’t feel like I think 70 should feel like.  But thinking about it I began to also think about what I am most thankful for in my life.  I think that it would be that for all of my childhood I was raised in a Christian home and, even as an only child, was privileged to be surrounded by a loving, laughing, and fun Christian family.  This gave me the background to find a Christian husband and raise our 4 children as I had been raised.  Everything else that I am grateful for stems from the above.  And with that I go marching into my 8th decade.  Coming along?

Let Birthday Month Begin

Tomorrow, November 1st, is the beginning of BIRTHDAY MONTH.  And this is a really important birthday: I will be turning 70.  For that reason I made sure to dress holiday appropriately for Halloween even though I spent most of the day at home.  It’s funny how many holiday pieces of clothing I have accumulated over the years.    And they never wear out when I only wear them once or twice a year.











The only real sewing I have gotten done this week is to get this chicken appliqued.  I still have two to applique and then tomorrow a new one comes out at Fat Cat Patterns.  Oh, joy, it is fun with batiks, again.







I know that most people have been glued to the TV watching Sandy working her way to the East Coast.  As one who has experienced several hurricanes while living in FL, my thoughts and prayers were/are for the people who probably didn’t have any idea what they were in for.

We lived through Erin, Opal, Dennis, Ivan, and Arlene before deciding to leave Florida and return to Alabama.  To work through the trauma of the storms and the difficult decision to move I made this:

This is “Flight to Alabama.”  At the bottom you can see the sandy beach, water and seagulls under a blue sky.  Then, going up, the skies darken and we see the whirling storms.  In the quilting are the names of the significant storms that I didn’t want to experience again.

Then the sky lightens again and we see the clay colored soil, the trees, and the path through the trees to my swing, all on our 5 acres in AL.



All of the above  is leading to my idea for a quilt: Tracking Sandy.  Both because I relived my own hurricane experiences while watching this and because our youngest son and his wife live in MD (and are all right) it was the first thing I thought of when I saw this on our TV.  I am still thinking  on this idea but don’t be surprised if it shows up in fabric sometime.

And now Halloween night is coming to a close and, yippee, tomorrow we wake up to BIRTHDAY MONTH.