Oh, Praise be to GOD !

I underwent a 3 hour upper G.I. and swallow study/x-ray yesterday, which showed that there was NO obstruction anywhere, and then my surgeon's assistant removed my feeding tube. 

With her scope, she could see that my remaining good vocal cord is already compensating almost fully for the 'dead' one !  Good reports everywhere. 

The surgeon said that he didn't know what could be causing so much acid reflux, but that maybe now that the tube is out, it would improve.  Well, IT HAS !   I slept so much better last night, WITHOUT the saliva seeping down my esophagus and airway !  

And, right now, I'm enjoying a bowl of chicken and rice soup, filled with crumbled crackers, and it is going down SO EASILY !    I am just flabbergasted !  (Forgive me, Lord, I should not be amazed by your mercy and grace at this point, but I am still humbled by it !)

2014 is going to be a FANTASTIC year !

Christmas passed...........

........in such a peaceful manner.  Praise God, our Saviour lives !

   When the tree is taken down, and the ornaments and home decor is stored away, I hope to set up my cutting table SOMEWHERE.  I just don't start many projects because of the aggravation of getting everything out, and then putting it all away after only a few hours' work.  I have some fun new fabrics, and some ideas floating around for ways to use them.  I MUST get my sewing fix........SOON !

    I guess that means that I am starting to feel more like my old self again !  I have been trying out different foods this past week and I have found that I can eat quite a few things if I take my time, swallow carefully, and sip skim milk or water after pretty much every bite.  In essence, I am washing down my food, but, hey, I'm eating !  Praise God !   I reached 137 lbs, so far, at my lowest weight, but am back up to around 140.  I still drink an occasional bottle of Ensure Plus, just to make sure I get a little more protein and other needed things that my limited diet may not give me. 
 
   The sleeping situation is a little better, too.  My next doctor's appointment is this coming Monday, and I feel confident that they'll be removing this feeding tube !  Hooray, hooray ! 

God is FAITHFUL

I have no long explanation about the trial that I said was coming up.  The amazing thing is that my blog friends have never asked me to explain; they have just supported me blindly, praying for my well-being.  In today's world, that is the rarest of jewels.

Having said that, giving all of the glory to our LORD God Almighty, I humbly tell you tonight that truth willed out, and I was found NOT GUILTY by a jury of my peers. 

I will never forget the support, encouragement, and especially prayers that were expressed to or for me throughout this ordeal, both by people who know the details, and those of you who don't.  I can honestly say that my heart is filled with love for you.  I love you, you are true kinsmen in Christ.

Now.......let's get back to healing and quilting !

December is quickly passing.........

..........and I finally have something quilty to share !

I took a few days to work on a gift for my neighbor, Rose.  She has been such a wonderful friend to me and my hubby, and she admired the ten commandments wallhanging that I have up in my home.  Remember this one?

So, I set out to make one for her.  Unbeknown to me, her son was replacing her living room carpet with hardwood this week, and the finished quilty is just the right color for her new living room decor

 She called me today and told me that she had opened her gift and LOVED it .  I'm so glad.

I didn't think to take measurements, but judging from the photo taken on top of the cutting mat, I would say that it finished at approximately 22 by 32 inches.  I rounded the top to make it look like a stone tablet, but it was a last minute decision after printing the text by hand.  If I had thought ahead, I might have spread the commandments over 2 tablets, more appropriately, but this came out a very good size, so I'm satisfied.  

I machine-quilted it with my walking foot that I bought earlier this year.......it was well worth the extra bucks to wait until I found this one with the wide-open foot so that I can really tell where I'm quilting. 

Photo courtesy of Connecting Threads

My purchases from Connecting Threads arrived and are awaiting inspiration.  I especially loved this photo on site, which prompted me to order the kit.

I don't know if I'll make a quilt like the photo, or just use the yummy color combination for something else delicious (see, Wanda, just gotta start playing against the rules again).  Whatever the case, it's nice to get an infusion of new color into the stash.

On the health side of things, I am still eating only cream soups for lunch, and using the Ensure to fill in the rest of the diet.  I still have to sleep in a semi-upright position to keep from drowning in my own saliva secretions.  But, you know, things could be A LOT worse, and I know the healer, and I am just waiting to see the evidence of things not yet seen......know what I mean?   If not, you can read the 11th chapter of Hebrews for a clue !


Well, tomorrow and the next few days are going to be rather busy, so I'll send my love to you all right now, and thank you for all the prayers and support.

New court dates

December 16th has been set as the date for the judge to hear my lawyer's motion for dismissal.  If the judge denies the motion, the trial is set to begin on December 18th. 

I am praying and trusting in the LORD.

 Psalm 56 feels familiar........

"Be  merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up.  Fighting all day he oppresses me.  My enemies would hound me all day.  For there are many who fight against me, O Most High.
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.  In God (I will praise His word).  In God I have put my trust.  I will not fear.  What can flesh do to me?  All day they twist my words; All their thoughts are against me for evil."

I ain't dead yet, praise God !..........................

.............and I KNOW that, because although I haven't touched a rotary cutter in weeks, I still can't let Black Friday pass me by without ordering something for 50% off from Connecting Threads !

Yep, I wound up just ordering a couple of strip sets of the batiks, but that was enough to satisfy the after-Thanksgiving crazed feeling.

Cyber Monday has been pre-empted !

  Last night, I did my Walmart run.
Got there at 4:30 p.m. and the wristbands had all been passed out to pick up the Funai, 32 inch t.v.s for $98.00 that were in stock.   The electronics guy said I could still get the one-hour guarantee (and pick up a t.v. later when it shipped to the store) if I got in line at 6 p.m. "Don't worry, the line won't form for another hour", he says. Ha ! I thought I'd just wander over and peek at the line location, and uh, there were already 20 people or so in line, so I joined it immediately. At about 5:40, a young man came along passing out the one-hour guarantee cards to take to the register. I sailed up to a cashier, and, of course, she told me that I couldn't pay until 6 p.m. So, with no one waiting to make regular purchases, I began a line right then and there at her register, and people started filing in behind me. At precisely 6 p.m., I paid for my t.v. and booked it on home. I went on line and registered the purchase. Now let's just wait and see what happens when 750,000 people all over the country do the same thing. Think we'll get them before Christmas?

  I went back today and leisurely browsed, found a couple of cheaper flannel shirts for my husband to live the winter out in, and saw that everything was thoroughly picked over.  Glad that hubby and I did our main shopping weeks ago, even if we did miss the 'special' prices.  I think it's kindof sad that everyone will have the same seven or eight gifts under the tree that were in the special ads. 

Thanksgiving came with Jeff and Judy blessing us with two plates heaped over with goodness.   I tried, I really did, but couldn't eat anything........back to the Ensure bottle !    Doctor is talking about putting the tube in the belly come December 30 if I'm not able to eat by then.  DON'T WANT THAT,.........but.....what will be, will be.   It could be worse.

Happy Birthday to granddaughter, Zoe...........

...........and to ME  !

I was just in here catching up on some blogs that I follow, and doing a little pre-black-Friday snooping, when a knock came on my front door.

  Lo and behold...........haven't you always wanted to say that?..........there was a beautiful arrangement of flowers for me,.....sent by my dear best friend, Wanda, out in Oklahoma !    What a sweet, sentimental sap I am to break into tears !   Thank you so much Wanda, I love you
........it's dreary here, and I was in the middle of another one of the never-ending, but much appreciated, tube feedings, and you lifted my spirits greatly.

  Much like the surprise a couple of days ago when I received a priority flat-rate envelope from other best friend, JoAnn.........containing the CUTEST Vera Bradley cross-body wallet.............and THE funniest letter I have read in EONS !   Thank you........I love you so much, Jodie ! 

  This is already the best week I've had in a very long time !

WAIT---------it gets better !   Wanda says that the florist left out my roses.......so they had to come and bring me another bouquet !  Squeeeeeeaaaaaaaaal !

5 weeks post tumor surgery............

..........found me hospitalized again !

I went up to Vanderbilt on Monday for my one month post surgery checkup.   I thought I'd save my brother the trouble of driving me up there, and just take the public transportation that they offer here at home.   I booked a round trip for $30.00, but my doctor decided that he could save me a trip back up there another day by hospitalizing me overnight for a procedure that I needed.  So, I wound up having to pay the return trip fee, AND staying 2 nights ! 

   My vocal nerve has not recovered at all, so he injected silicone or something into it to protect my airway and give me a little more of my voice back.   Scheduling got aggravating, thus the extra long stay. 

  I've thrown up the last two nights since being home, so it's been quite trying.  I've lost 14 pounds in 5 weeks, and need to stop and maintain my weight from here forward, but I can't eat anything much by mouth except for creamy tomato soup.  The tube feedings make me sick when I take the amount they prescribe, so I've got to develop an alternate method.  Sleep is still difficult without aspirating saliva into my airway.   My dentures are causing sore places in my mouth because of all the weight loss/ misfitting now.

One day at a time, with the grace of my Lord, I WILL get better.

3 weeks post surgery

Monday, I had a new swallow study/X-ray performed at Vanderbilt Hospital.  The specialist seemed to think that I was improving right on schedule, praise God .  She released me to start eating soft foods, but left the feeding tube in as I can't eat enough to get the nutrition I need from solid foods right now.


I've had potato soup for a couple of lunches this week, and overcooked some macaroni and cheese today (just the way I like it) and I ate a half cup of that.  It's actual work, with a lot of coughing and clearing my airway just to get through a little meal like that, so I have quite a ways to go.  As of this morning, I weigh 145 pounds, down from 158 on day of surgery.

I see my actual doctor on November 18th.  I hope he can explain the pain and modified movement I have in my left arm/shoulder.  Fun days !

Keep the faith !

Great news.........on the tumor !

That big ol' octopus of a tumor that was wrapped around everything it could find was           benign  !! !!! !!! !!

        non-cancerous   ! ! ! ! !

 !  !  !  !  ! PRAISE GOD !  !  !  !  !

Home again, home again,.........jiggity jog !

Well, I am definitely happy to be sitting here today.   What was supposed to be a 1 1/2 to 3 hour surgery turned into 4 hours, and what was supposed to be an overnight stay turned into 5 days. 

The tumor was not the type that the doctor had expected, and it was just wrapped around everything it could find to wrap around, including and especially my jugular vein ! 

I came out of surgery unable to swallow my own saliva.......panicky........and called upon the name of Jesus MANY, MANY times throughout those trying days.  He was everpresent, and put so many angels/saints of God in my path all along the way !  Unexpectedly being able to speak a bit, I found that singing praises to God could bring me out of the most miserable states.  It was off-key, as I lost a lot of range for now, but he's used to some of that out of me anyway, and like the wonderful father he is.........he likes to hear me sing however I can do it .

I have come home with a feeding tube in my nose, and my swallow ......partially prohibited by some paralysis of the back part of the tongue....is slowly returning.   I can swallow a little bit of water, maybe 2 - 4 swallows now.   They don't want me to even try any type of food, as I may aspirate some into my lungs and wind up with pneumonia.  

I am humbled that God finds me worthy of such a trial, and have gained a new empathy for the suffering of others, including and especially my own husband.  He's had swallowing difficulties for nearly 6 years now, since his first stroke, and I had no idea what that was like.  It's one of those things we take for granted, sortof like breathing. 

I KNOW that I am healed, by the stripes of my dear Saviour JESUS, and I pray that this experience will help me to be of some help to another person going through a hard time.   In the mean time, I look forward to each step of that healing's manifestation..........especially being able to sleep someway besides sitting straight up !

Until I post again, my love to you all, as always..............

Surgery week !

My surgery is scheduled for Wednesday morning, and I am scheduled to have this tumor removed that has been slowly growing under my left ear for several years.   The MRI calls in a paraganglioma, and I've been told that it is a tumor of the parotid gland, probably non-cancerous.  The confusing thing is that my doctor says that he'll most likely have to remove a section of one of my vocal cords, and yet, when I google it, none of the surgeries I find seem to do that.  Mine must show itself to be located differently or something.

So, you who know me know that the thought of not being able to talk scares the bejeebers out of me.  With hubby having so much trouble being understood when HE talks,.......even by ME,  I just keep thinking...................?

Needless to say, I would appreciate  your prayers for a good outcome.......and NO NEED to mess with the vocal chords.....NO facial paralysis, and a quick recovery !
I give it to the LORD and find peace.........and then I take it BACK ! Why do we do that ??????  So silly .......... and so human.

In the meantime, here's a "before" shot.......

Maybe I'll regain my jawline !

Love to you all !

Hi again !

Let's see if I can update this blog just a bit.

 

The vegetable garden took off growing like wildfire after amending the soil with a good manure/compost mix.

God blessed us with enough cucumbers, tomatoes, okra, squash, and peppers to share with a good many neighbors, family and friends !

It is still producing okra and peppers, with a few small tomatoes.

 This plant that I couldn't identify last Spring turned out to be some Canterbury Bells that I had planted from seed and forgotten about. 














I'd never grown them before (or seen them grown by anyone else) so I didn't recognize them.  Many a morning I was tempted to pull the plant, thinking that it must be a big weed.  But patience prevailed, praise God, and here's the sight with which I was eventually rewarded !

 The long flowerbed gave me beautiful Gladioli, Crepe Myrtle blooms, Easter Lilies, Marigold, Lantana, and many, many, MANY Zinnias !

 And if you will notice, we added a carport to the end of the driveway.  Last week, we were also able to have the leaning power pole replaced, much to the relief of my husband.......he was obsessed with that thing, and it turns out that the old one was only in the ground 2 feet !   It's only by God's grace that it didn't fall before having it removed !

I pieced a little baby-sized quilt top yesterday from flannel squares that my sister brought me from California last month (what a wonderful visit we had !)  I hope to be able to finish it and give it to a young woman at our Church who is expecting a little boy !

That's all I have time for right now, I think, but I'll try to get back here again soon !

Love to all you guys !

Hello from the craziest summer !

Just checking in at the library.............really, really fast ! 

Wonderful cooler temperatures around here have me riding my bike again.........not of of NECESSITY, this time, but out of fun !

We're both doing fine, grandkids are good in OK, and daughter is teaching 3rd grade,,,,,,,,,,crazy busy there !
 Hope all is good with ya'll,.........all my love !
Talk to you next time .............  Dolly

Hello from the Library !

This is the first time I've taken the opportunity to use the library's computer since I dropped internet service to my home.  

We're doing fine, enjoying working in the yard together as usual, and have eaten the first couple of cucumbers from our little garden.  The okra has babies showing on many of the plants, and we added another row.    The squash have looked like they weren't going to make it, but this week we have a few little starts of squash fruit, so we're hopeful that we'll soon harvest those for our table.  The tomatoes are EXCEEDINGLY hesitant, too.   We lifted almost every plant in the garden, and worked composted manure into it, so maybe things will come along well now.

I'm going to try to find me some books to read before I go home, so I'll move along now.  No sewing going on, still, but I am knitting a pair of socks, SLOWLY.

Love to you all, in Jesus's precious name !

Happy Mothers' Day

A special Happy Mothers' day goes out to my little girl as she spends this day without her hubby there to help.  I'm told that 9 year-old Zoe fixed grilled cheese sandwiches for everyone (with mommy supervising, of course) so that mommy didn't have to cook.  Way to go, Zoe, I'm so proud of you !

 My son-in-love, Tim, always spoils my daughter as she deserves, but is now deployed once again, so I especially wish that I could have been there for her day.

As far as my mother goes, she passed away in 1988.  I was able to put together a small bouquet in a glass vase to take to her gravestone.  The bouquet included roses, daisies and bachelor buttons.  Her stone was easily recognizable from the road, as the Irises growing behind it were still in bloom, towering over the stone.  Daddy's daisies were also in full bloom.

I can hardly believe that just hubby and I went through that much ice cream this past year !

On the homefront, with this strange Spring we're having we're expecting a frost tonight; so, I dragged every ice cream bucket and leftover potting container I could find to cover the new little plants.  I put a few English Pea seeds and a few watermelon seeds into one area of the garden today, too.

Anyway, sending love and good memories out to all the moms today.  Be sure and stop to smell those red roses !

I guess I have a cold !

It looks like the cable company hasn't pulled the switch on the internet connection yet, so I'll post again.

Just the other day, I was trying to remember what it felt like to have a bad cold.  I heard that my daughter and son-in-love were suffering from sinus attacks, and it made me realize that I hadn't had more than a runny nose in a LONG time.

Well, yep, you guessed it........I've got it now.  This is the first time I've been sick like this since we moved into this home, I think. ( I am truly blessed !)   Full-blown (pun intended) runny/stopped up nose, sinus headache, postnasal drip, slight cough...........phew, what a night I just had !  I'm starting my third day with this mess, so hopefully if it is a cold, it'll be gone in another 4 to 7 days.

In the meantime, my life is easygoing enough, praise God, that I can take naps when the sleepiness from my own naturally-produced antihistamine hits me.   That's usually around noon, it seems.

A family member helped us to bring home a couple of sheets of lattice to finish the rear deck area.  Now we need to wait on a pretty day for painting.  Trimming the old pieces last time was such a joke, balancing them on a wheelbarrow and a lawn chair !   I'm thinking of pulling out my 6 foot craft table and using it for support this time.........I totally forgot about it before.  That should make the job some easier.

The plants in the garden look good except for the cucumbers.   The leaves on them have turned pale and I don't know that they'll survive.  No sign of any sprouts from the okra seed.. UPDATE:  I did a walk-through in the garden, and I counted atleast 14 of the okra seed sprouting !  

 I did plant some Marigolds and some mint in different places, hoping to deter the deer.

No internet for awhile

My package price went up, so I'm dropping internet service to offset the raise in price.  I'll miss journaling, and I'll miss checking all the blogs that I like to keep up with.  

Seems like I do this about every year or so, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out this time. 

I can still check in at the library, so, bye for now !

Thank you, DEE !

Atleast, I think it was Dee, of Dee's Doodles, who sanely suggested using stakes and string to give me straight edges for laying the concrete border in my long flower bed !   I took her advice today, and it worked out really well !

I'm finally resting, but hubby and I started at about 9 a.m. this morning, measuring things off, driving stakes, and using red acrylic yarn for our string.

 By working in spurts, with a rest inbetween, he was able to put a few borders at a time in the wheelbarrow, and deliver them to the flower bed.

  We made quite a team today, I tell you !

The pieces are all in place, but darkness fell before I finished pushing the dirt back into place around them all.

I think that this is going to look quite nice.......I'm excited, and thankful for the strength to do it and the good working comraderie !  Praise GOD !

I want to make a note here that hubby had his quarterly bloodwork done today.

Blooms !

  Anyone who knows me has to know how I love blooming things !   God's creation at it's finest ! 

My Knockout Roses started blooming on Thursday, I think it was, and they are waist high with the most gorgeous full blooms.  

 My deep purple Irises led the way down the front of the trailer-home,

but were quickly followed this past week by these taller, bigger, more ruffly medium purple blooms.   Now THESE are my favorite of my Iris, and somehow I just have to label/mark them so that I know which ones they are when they're NOT in bloom.

These ones that I always call burgundy started blooming down at the end closest to the porch.  I don't care for this color in my yard, but with the 7-9 blooms all at once that were on Mama and Daddy's grave this week, they were quite beautiful.

Wow, this is alot prettier in a photograph than I ever noticed in person !

  Hubby likes this coloration.

I used a few of the concrete borders to shape up this flower area where my Deep Pink Hibiscus has been growing for a year and a half.   I made it big enough to add this Mexican Bush Sage that I just bought.

 It is supposed to become a bush and bloom every Autumn (of course, the nurseries get them to bloom early to show us what we're buying).

       And, here's a shot of the garden once it was planted.   I still have room for 2 more partial rows.  I may want to put in more okra.

We did it.......the garden is IN !

 I'm sorry about the lack of pictures of the actual garden work.  Had a problem with the camera, but wanted to be sure and document today's momentous progress !

This is the only shot I got of the garden before the card needed reformatting.  And since the wedding photos are on it, I couldn't reformat right now, or I would wipe them all out ! 

I couldn't figure out why I had so much trepidation about this garden all Winter long, and it finally hit me today.....I've never made a garden big enough to need walking rows !   Before it was always a patch with a fence on one side for climbing things, and reaching distance on the other side.........maybe 4 ft x 12 to 15 ft.

This plot measures 21 feet x 21 feet !   With hubby's supervision, direction, moral support and encouragement, I tilled, loosened soil for rows, made a plan, purchased plants, planted plants and seeds, erected tomato cages (one of THE most difficult jobs of the entire DAY), and made hills for planting the cukes and squash.  IT IS DONE.

I have one small section that I may fill with potato eyes if I can get it dug a little bit deeper.   And I have most of 2 rows still open for anything that I might want to add later.
I wound up with 8 tomatoes, an entire row of Okra, 6 hills of cucumbers, 6 hills of yellow squash, 4 bell peppers, and 4 banana peppers.

Now comes the concern about deer eating everything I've put into the ground !   I have no fencing or any other deterrent.  I am praying.

In other news, my niece, Mandy, Allyssia's mommy, got married yesterday evening.   I hope they live well and happily together and for Christ.

Another painting day.......and I feel GOOD !

My Centrum Silver must be hard at work ! 

We took one of the pieces of lattice that we had removed, and experimented with being able to trim one down to size with a circular saw, figuring that's what we'll have to do if we buy new 4 foot by 8 foot sheets of lattice.  I had to use the saw !   Yikes, I was fearful !   And even once I got the hang of using it a little bit, that thing spit those lattice pieces out like a machine-gun, everytime a piece was ready to come off !   I know that it probably means that we needed a saw blade with closer-together teeth, but I ran into the house and got my rubber boots on !   Thusly, armed with boots, goggles and a leather glove for my left hand, I was pretty successful completing the cut.  

Then the fun part began.......I told hubby that I wished he had taken the REAL pictures I'd like to post.   I sat on the grass, in the SHADE, praise God, and painted that old lattice piece with a 2 inch roller.  I layed it on a big sheet of plastic first, and with two coats, that worked out well.............NOT FUN, but do-able.  Then hubby painted the 4 x 4 posts while I tackled the lattice that was still attached BEHIND the back steps.  It couldn't be easily removed, but was in good condition.   I reached THROUGH the steps with the roller, painted the lattice, and then proceeded to paint the risers of the steps themselves.  Before I was finished, I actually had to lie down on the grass in front of the steps to get the lowest part of the risers !

Don't let anyone tell you that it's fun to paint latticework.

When the posts and the lattice were dry, we refastened the long lattice piece to the left side of the deck.  It looks pretty good for a redo.  Now we just need to purchase two 4 x 8 sheets, trim, paint and apply to the deck..

The white is a bit bright compared to the trailer itself, but atleast it's crisp and clean-looking.

NOW........how many of you LAUGHED when you saw that I had PAINTED my deck floor boards ?  Be honest now, it won't hurt my feelings.  I ask because, after applying 2 coats of really good exterior paint/stain, my husband scooted around in his lawn chair putting the third coat of white on the railing, and you can just guess what happened .  Yep, peeling paint everywhere he scooted ! 

Bless his heart, he can't stand for long because of the arthritis in that replaced hip, and he was a HUGE help painting those inside rails.   So.........I WON'T whup 'im !    I have retouching to do because of this white painting I did today, so I'll just give the floor a third coat of the orange........and be more careful with it.  
I really wanted to go with weather-proofing, but ..........well, I didn't.

In between painting, I got mowing done around my Irises, and down the driveway by the mailbox.  I am SO PLEASED with my driveway plantings.  The Lilacs are blooming as small as they are........this is their first Spring in the ground.  

And the Daisies are reaching tall for the sun, the Irises are starting to bloom.   The Mums are coming back behind the mailbox, along with a Hibiscus, and Bachelor Button, and some sort of yellow flower.   I am just so very blessed that God entrusted us with our very own place to care for.   

Latest project.......not quilty !

I wish that this past week's blog absence meant that I had been getting a lot of stuff done, but for the life of me, I can't think what it is !

Wanda's comment on the neutral color for the bottom portion of the deck structure really got me to thinking.......that and the fact that they are currently out of the white paint that I had planned to use.  I like the idea of the base fading into the background.  And we haven't yet purchased replacement lattice as we aren't sure how we're going to do it, and we need use of a borrowed pick-up truck to haul it.   That can be arranged, but still thinking.

On the other hand, customer appreciation day came and went yesterday at the local lumber yard and nursery.

I bought 56 of the scallops, and 4 round ones (for who knows what?)

 Since they had concrete borders and round pavers on sale for only fifty cents each, I decided to get enough to edge the long flowerbed that runs along my driveway.   I originally dug it up last Fall because I was tired of mowing in and out between the shrubs, but I'm tickled to have that much planting space to use as I desire.

Here's the problem, though.   I made NO measurements or markers when digging around the shrubs, and I have a very wiggly-shaped bed !

Can you see the wiggliness ?

 I have to figure some way, even if I use a chalk-line, to straighten out these edges BEFORE I can install the concrete border pieces.

So, I've added another project to the growing list.  But first it has to stop raining so that I can dig........right now there's water standing in that flowerbed !

Missing a wood strip

I did replace one of the missing wooden pieces from around the bedroom window.  I still need to go in and touch-up paint all of the brown wooden slats, but this corrected the problem from driveway- viewing distance.

I almost forgot the fact that I got the shed cleaned up and reorganized so that you can now WALK IN once again, instead of just peering in and grabbing stuff.  I guess I have gotten a BIT of work done lately.

On the quilting front, not alot has been done, although I do recall a couple of really comfortable naps that I took under the Goldie quilt (family asked me if I'd like to have it back after she passed away, and I said "yes".)   But, work-wise, I did finish the machine-quilting on the 'pots' quilt, and it is awaiting binding.  I am still thrilled with the open-toed walking foot.

My son-in-love, Tim, left yesterday on his latest deployment.  My brave daughter and grandchildren are starting 9 months of coping without his physical presence, and I am very proud of all of them.  I hope the time passes quickly, and is filled with wonderful things to share with him, (electronically) during his absence and, in person, upon his return in January. 

One step closer ....well, 4 steps, actually !

Today has been a BEAUTIFUL day from the beginning, ON !

Hubby and I started clearing off all the clutter on the back deck, including the hose reel attachment screwed to the side of it, and then we brushed off a lot of accumulated yuck.  We pulled off most of the old latticework from down below-deck, and then hubby and I started cutting in the new porchfloor color.

It was frightening !   So orange !  This was supposed to look like an aged clay pot, I thought !    But it went on so shiny and bright !   I stuck in there and had faith, though, and after two complete coats and a quick drying in the bright sunlight, it now resembles a NEW clay pot...........which really isn't bad at all.   I'm pleased with the finished look.

 I left the big boards under the floorboards unpainted, intending to purchase another gallon of the white, and possibly white plastic latticework.  I'll have to do some pricing before I make my decisions, but I'm thinking that I'd like those boards white.  I didn't want a huge band of orange showing from the yard level.

Anyway, I have chicken thighs slowcooking, potatoes boiling for mashing, and French-style greenbeans simmering with new green onions.  Not bad for a gal who went and tilled some more of that garden spot AFTER finishing the painting......huh ?

Love ya'll !