A new project and a storage tip

Why do I get these ideas running through my head? I had this idea of a burgundy and light blue quilt so you know I had to try it. So far I have used 1 1/2 yards of each color. The pattern is just a nine patch and plain squares of fabric on point. The blue is washed out in the picture

Also here is a storage tip. Some of you may already do this, if so just ignore it. We buy a lot of stuff from Sams and I buy spinach in these clear plastic containers. I have been using them to store projects or cut fabric in. They stack nicely and hold a lot of stuff.

Lynn is doing pretty good. He is still having weakness that just don’t seem to go away. He has never had weakness like this. We see the cardiologist Friday if we can get there. We are supposed to have freezing rain and snow. Hopefully we will be able to go.

 Hope everyone has a great week.

Lynn is in the hospital

Just wanted to let everyone know that Lynn is in the hospital. He passed out at home yesterday morning, I was working the day shift, he called me at work a few minutes before 8 am and told me had passed out but he was all right but I didn’t think so cause his speech wasn’t right. So I called an ambulance and had him taken to St. Bernards hospital in Jonesboro. He has had a mini stroke but he is doing much better. His speech is back to normal and the left side of his mouth isn’t drawn now. I came home to take a shower, get clean clothes and go back. He is also have some problems with his heart rate going up and down. I don’t mean just a little flucuation. When they are checking his blood pressure his heart rate will go up and down so fast on the machine that sometimes you can’t read the numbers. About six weeks ago his doctors took him off  his Atenolol that he has been on about 4 years because it was making his blood pressure to low and put him on another one. They are working at getting his heart rate stabelized. I came home home for a little while and will going back shortly. I will update whenever I can.

If you get a chance go see Suzannes blog. She is having a giveaway.

I have a design wall, I have a design wall

Yes, I am singing it. I have never been able to have a design wall because of the way my room is laid out. There is a 9 foot window across the front of the house, which is the north side, a twelve foot window on the east side behind my quilting machine, twelve feet of closets on the south side at the end of my quilting machine and a six-foot opening going into my studio. That leaves a two foot space that I have a table to hold some of my junk stuff, and six feet on the other side where my computer desk and printer stand is.

I believe it was somebody on MQR that gave me this idea. I am so sorry but I don’t remember who. If you recognise your  idea, please let me know.

These are my closet doors.

Here is my design wall.

Isn’t it awesome. Underneath the design wall is another set of closet doors exactly like in the first pix. All I did was to to put 6 small white paneling nails above the closet trim.  They blend in with the wall and you would have to look very close to see them. I bought a 60×120 inch table cloth at Walmart for $3.50 and a pack of binder clips for $1.50. You might can find the supplies cheaper but Walmart was where I was at. I did cut about 10 inches of the tablecloth off as it was a little long. When I need to use the closet door we just fold the tablecloth back. Luckily those doors aren’t used very often.

I love it and now I can do Judy Laquidara’s Design wall Monday. Now, what is on your design wall? I hope someone knows whos idea this is so they can get the credit.

It is snowy and cold here, all though, I know some of you have lots more snow and cold and wouldn’t you know the four wheel drive in my truck is making a noise? Go figure. I hope everyone stays warm and dry.

I like it, I like it

Last week I was cleaning and rearranging some fabric that had somehow got piled up on my quilting machine table. I had moved most of it and was getting ready to get the rest when I saw this.

Now they weren’t lined up like this but they were all together. Hummmmm, I like those together. So I let the mixture simmer awhile in my head. When I couldn’t stand it any more I did this.

I do like those half square triangles. So I went searching for a pattern to put those HST in. I found this.

Four Patch and Furrows from quiltville.com. You can find some of the best patters on Bonnie’s site. So after a little sewing I have this much done.

I really like it. The quilt will probably be a lap size cause I have very limited supply of the pretty red strips unless I can scratch around and find a little more. You know I really needed this other project don’t you.

We will be headed to Memphis in a little while cause Lynn has a chemical stress test at seven in the morning. Instead of getting up at 3 in the morning and driving to Memphis, which is a 2 1/2 to three hour drive depending on traffic, we are going this afternoon and spend the night in a motel just down from the hospital.

Hope everyone who has gotten all the snow stays warm and dry. Have a great day.

Well I don’t know now

Last week the neurosurgeon called and wanted to see Lynn again. We went to that appointment yesterday and the treatment plan we had went right out the window. Lynn’s doctors met with the gamma knife radiation team and Lynn is a candidate for the gamma knife EXCEPT it won’t stop his spinning vertigo. The Neurosurgeon told him he was between a rock and a hard place because Lynn has been having angina also. We have an appointment next Tuesday for a chemical stress test because he is having angina. The neurosurgeons suggestion is to see what the stress test shows and if he is having another blockage get that treated, then when the cardiologist can clear him for surgery have the surgery. They wouldn’t have to bother the brain, they would go in right behind the ear. They would cut the vestibular nerve and remove the tumor. They wouldn’t have to try to save his hearing cause he has no useable hearing left.

This has been one long road and I guess we are still traveling it. Maybe soon we will get this behind us. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers for us. If you can add one more prayer to your list please pray for Mrs. Betty Krones. She is our neighbor and her husband Eugene died this morning of pancreatic cancer.

We have a treatment plan

Lynn saw the neurosurgeon today and Lynn’s brain tumor will be treated with gamma knife radiation.  This isn’t the treatment Lynn wanted, he wanted that tumor out of his head, but this is the safest with his heart problems and emphyzema. He will have it at the Methodist hospital in Memphis, Tn. We aren’t sure of the date at this time, hopefully we will know sometime next week. The neurosurgeon said most radiation is done in one day, some are given over a period of several days. After 2 1/2 years we are very glad to get treatment started. The goal of the radiation is to kill and shrink the tumor but it isn’t a fast process. Lynn is a strong person and he will make it through this. Thanks for everyones thoughts and prayers over this 2 1/2 year trip.

My name is Freda and I am a terrible blogger

I’m terrible at keeping my blog updated. I love reading everyone’s blog and do several times a day but I’m terrible at keeping up with my own. There isn’t enough hours in the day anymore.

Some of you have asked about Lynn. We see the neurosurgeon next Tuesday. His tumor has grown 2 more millimeters since March so our thoughts is some treatment will probably be talked about but we never know. He is also having angina again, stable angina this time, which could mean he is trying to get another blockage. He will get another chemical stress test and see the cardiologist. Also one of his heart meds was changed because his blood pressure had gotten way to low.

I have also had a medical problem and had a test done yesterday. I have blood work done every three months to monitor my thyroid. When the blood work was done in October it showed I was anemic so my doctor ordered the occult(hidden blood) stool sample. I was positive for blood in two different samples. Yesterday was my colonoscopy she ordered. Joy, joy. I had a polyp which was removed and sent to the lab and 2 hemorroids. The doctor didn’t think the polyp was cancerous but we will have to wait on the lab results to be sure. Why is there always something going on? lol

We will go to our cabin after we get home from the doctor next Tuesday and hunt until sometime Thanksgiving day when we will have to come home as I work the day shift on Friday. That will be all the hunting we will get to do. We went over the weekend but Lynn or I didn’t see a deer. Turkeys, squirrells and birds were all we saw. There was some in our group that did get a deer.

I know everytime I post to my blog it is like a medical journal but somehow that has become our normal routine. We used to never have medical problems but now it seems like there is something every time we turn around. I hope all of you are healthy and stay that way!

I also hope all of you have a very safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

 

Update on Surgery for Lynn

I think Lynn has too many doctors cause somehow his ENT doctors that told us he would be having surgery forgot to tell the surgeon!!!! For the last month we have been waiting on what we thought was a surgery date for Lynn’s tumor. Friday we had an appointment with the surgeon and he was, wait a minute, we need to look this over some more. I do want the surgeon to be comfortable with his decision, cause it is major surgery, I just wished we had not been told the surgery was happening now. We were all ready, had the plans that a person has to make for someone under going surgery, time off from work for me and our two sons, neighbors to watch after the house, neighbors to check on Lynn after he got home so I could work, the boarding kennel lined up, the whole drill. When we saw the surgeon it was like being hit in the stomach with a fist. It just knocks the breath out you. Well, what happens now is on our mind. The surgeon is putting him on medication to help control the spinning vertigo until a decision is made. He may not do surgery at all but do the Gamma Knife radiation. He is consulting with Lynn’s Neurosurgeon to make a decision. Lynn is of the mind set that he wants the tumor out of his head instead of radiation but that may not happen.

Please know that we do want what is best for Lynn and not rush the surgeons decision but we feel as if ENT was ahead of their selves when they told us he was fixing to have the surgery. Like I said too many doctors not on the same page.

So what are we too do? Well we are taking the camper and going to our favorite camping spot. We will just be gone from Tuesday morning to Thursday morning but we will enjoy it. Hope all of you do something you enjoy this week.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Wow, it has been a long time

Time sure gets away from me when it comes to blogging. I work 5 nights a week and my two days off are during the week so most of the time I don’t even feel like I have had days off. I love my job put sometimes it feels all consuming.

Lynn has had a lot of spinning vertigo the last few months caused by the brain tumor. We saw the doctor last week and now we are waiting on a surgery date. The neurosurgeon feels it needs to come out now as the symptoms have increased and we know the tumor is growing. The neurosurgeon wants an otologist, ear surgeon, to do the surgery and it is taking some time to get everyone involved scheduled. As soon as I know someting I will let my online friends know.

I have been doing quiet a bit of piecing on my days off and I am loving it. I can sit and sew but I can’t stand up to quilt because of my knee. I see my orthopediest tomorrow and I do hope that he can help this pain I have been in for three months. Last year was the year of the shoulder pain and this year is the year of the knee pain. Hopefully next year won’t be a year of any pain.

I finished my Terri W inspired quilt today so I am going to post it as my WIP. I love how it turned out.

 

I have another one running through my brain to start on next.

Here is a pic of Jazzy that we see every morning. It shows exactly how much she loves her food.

Her food is good to the last drop cause she licks that bowl clean every morning.

Well, I guess that is all I have for now. I hope everyone has a great week. I’m off to fix a coconut pie for supper cause that’s what Lynn thinks he wants. His wish is my command. lol

A mixed bag

I can’t believe it has been so long since I posted. I work a lot and don’t have a whole lot of time but I do find time to read blogs. This post has a mixed bag of stuff in  it.

Here is some pix of flowers in my yard.

     

Now for some quilting pix. This quilt has been on my machine for way to long and probably will be on a lot longer.

       

Now aren’t these pretty?

 

I got the recipe off Judy L’s blog. I made three of them last Saturday cause it is what my nephew from Alabama wanted and I just got through making 3 more cause we are having a cookout tomorrow and the same nephew will be there.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.