Been quiet on the blog....

because...

New (recycled) kitchen towels and washcloths.

Appliqued beach and bath towels.

 much needed ORGANIZATION

planting and repotting.

 pot holder 2 swap.

finishing baby quilt gift.

and ... a whole lot of beach days.

with NO MORE WHEELCHAIR!!!!!!!!

or shoes for that matter.

 

the Easter bunny. Kaiya had no interest again this year.

singing and swinging.

 and Jamie Cullum.  If you don't know who he is, you should.

 I'm still trying to get things finished/ sorted /sent/ freecycled or tossed and found I get more done * suprise*  if the computer/TV isn't turned on. 

Take care,

Pluggin' along at a snail's pace.

It's been quiet on the blog lately as I've been slowly working on my long list of in Progress quilts and finishing up my pot holders for the Potholder Pass.  Round three sign ups are going on now if you're interested, just let Amy over at http://duringquiettime.blogspot.com/ know.  She's been a wonderful hostess and organizer  and there has been a great collection of works by some really talented people.    I will be bowing out of # 3 as  life at home has gotten a bit crazy. 

Wednesday we are taking a trip to C.H.O.P.S. to meet a  new Dr/surgeon who has specialized in Perthes.  I hesitate to say he will be Brian's doctor as I know nothing about him except what is stated in his Bio on the Hospital's website.  There is still so much we don't know and numerous opinions as to what stage Brian's perthes is in, that we are at least going to have another opinion to add to the ever growing medical file.  It was stated that he will be casted and have some sort of surgey on his right side sometime this year; hopefully this doctor  can give us something a bit more absolute.  The unknown is what drives me insane or to tears on any given day.  We are still unaware of what the insurance company is going to cover. They didn't think the wheelchair is medically necessary,so...

He has recently learned how to use crutches for short distance walking and for home use and some excercises to help his range of motion in his hip.   He will likely need a walker for ease of use when he's casted ( I'm hoping for a Scottish-Rite Brace) , because he just feels that the wheelchair and crutches are "too much work".  Some days are good , somedays are bad and it seems as though it's a constant battle concerning his perthes.  This photo shows him as a happy child, right after this, he purposefully ran himself into a wooden fence for dramatic effect, outside of the tiger's cage  and yelled "this is too hard!  I hate You! I hate perthes", while onlookers leered at us; the  terrible parents of that poor boy in the wheelchair, with their mouths agape. He wanted a reaction and got it in spades.  It sucks for him, and us at times.    It's extremely frustrating  to continuously explain to an active seven year old ( he's frustrated with continously hearing it) that while he is able to walk, he is unable to run or jump because it will cause further damage and pain. I hope for a lot from this doctor without really knowing what I'm hoping for, if that makes sense. Thinking some good thoughts and sending our way would be greatly appreciated. 

 We participated in my friend Kate's day for Case for Smiles this past weekend and had a lot of fun with the kids.  So a big thank you to her for all her hard work and planning.  Make sure you check her out.  

I currently have 6 quilts in the works 4 of these are scrap quilts and here are some pictures of  the two I'm working on lately. 

This is my version of Paint Box Quilt made of scraps.  I pieced and sewed long srtips of scraps together and rotary cut them in 6-1/2 x 6-1/2 blocks.  I still have to add on the purple panel and the outside sashing.

This quilt is of my own design, although I'm sure I'm not the first to ever think of it.  These are the scrap leftover cuts from the scrap string panels I used to make my stars. This will be crib sized when finished.  I've been practicing my free motion quilting and have been using  a Skillbuilder #1 panel described here by Anita over at http://bloominworkshop.wordpress.com/.  I need so much more practice. :)

Take care,

Good Trade Farm Friday - Times past.

http://www.goodtradefarm.com/

Today's post is a bit reflective. I miss these times. I miss me and the person I was before kids. I miss the little boy in these pictures and the fun we had. I miss the times before things got so complicated and the Perthes diagnosis. Looking back, those times seemed so easy. They weren't really, it just seems that way as we made it through without too many scratches. My biggest worries back then seem so trivial compared to those we have now. On a scale of one to ten, they wouldn't even register. I try to remind myself today, that things could be far worse. It gives me a bit of comfort, but not much.

 

I always looked forward to going home. I still do. We could vacation anywhere but we always go there. Life is crazy and messy and sometimes really hard and this place always allows us an escape from it all for a while. We could go fishing for hours for all different types of fish in different settings. The bass literally jump on your hook. They still put up one hell of a fight and have often times outsmarted many a fisherman as they are trying to bring them ashore, but their nature and the outcome are usually the same. The catfish have proven to be a bit more elusive. As soon as you figure them out, they change it up and leave you guessing ”what the hell do I do now?"; making you re-evaluate your approach. Ironically this is the same with my kids, especially my son.

 

When he was little I could run and jump and be goofy and spin him like an "airplane" and everything in his  world was right again.  He would giggle and wrap his arms around my neck and nuzzle and cuddle and everything in my world was right again. Not anymore. Brian has switched it up just like those big ol' catfish snorting and grunting all the way making me reevaluate my approach and go back into my parenting tool box and dig around for new techniques. I am again left shaking my head wondering what to do next. Calm down. Breathe in...Breathe out...

Looking at these photos brings up a heap of emotions some I'm ready face and some I am unable to do so honestly so I stuff them back down until I am able. I will eventually. I miss my little happy boy who had his whole life in front of him. Don't get me wrong, he still does, but with much pain and sadness and things we never imagined for him.  We see now the many little things we took for granted and think "Jesus what were we fretting about"? I said before it could be worse, and I am extremely grateful that it isn't; it is still hard for him and us, none the less. Perthes has taken our entire family down a different path than the one that we talked about or dreamed of. It has affected us as a family and separately alike and as everyone knows, we all deal with things in our ways, good and bad.

This year we are planning our annual trip home wondering how things will be different, knowing that things will be different. How we all will handle it? The wheelchair for one,  fishing, running, playing, chasing the dog, emptying the minnow traps, feeding the fish, hiking the hill, building stuff in the shop with Spike, catching fireflies, skipping rocks in the creek, catching crayfish, throwing the Frisbee, taking night walks and all the other things we do when we escape from life. This year we will escape the shoobies, but life will follow us and remind us with an incessant nod, not unlike that of a bobble head doll, that we can't escape it or forget about it.

We're all going to be tested this summer, and through out this year, including the folks.  They too are on a path they hadn't imagined for themselves.We're going to go through  a lot of changes with a sprinkling  flood of emotions through out;  learning and relearning as we go.

Big breath in... hold it...and let it out.

Here's hoping we catch those big old ugly snorting catfish before they figure out what's coming.  :) 

http://www.goodtradefarm.com/

Take care,

Storm's a comin'

What-are-those-yellow-looking-things-that-look-like-a-floppy-spinal-cord?


Miss Kaiya Mae and I walked the beach yesterday after dropping off our Ebay packages at the post office  and came acroos a sight we had never before seen.  There were dead crabs all along the shore line.  The seagulls that were soaking up the sun had no interest in them as there were so many the likely got their fill before we happened upon them.  It seemed like they went on as far as our eyes could see. needless to say kaiya was less than thrilled and commented repeatedly how "dross" ( gross in toddlerese) they were and how she didn't " like those "trappies' ( crabbys ). 

We have started to pack and sort through things again as we were told that Brian is going to be casted and have surgery within the year for his Perthes.  His right side will be first ,as it has collapsed, and the left has yet to break down so it's still too soon to say. We are definately moving, but are unsure if we will stay on the island.  We've seen a few houses with full basements and backyards that are within our price range, so... How cool would it be to have a house party and let the kids go crazy and scream like wild banshees  they are while I am comfortably sewing a quiet basement?   So the next few months will be a whirlwind.  For now, I'm enjoying my chai and getting seriousagain about sorting through  my fabric stash. they are all so pretty i wish I could keep them all.

Take care,

What we've been up to.

 If you remember a few posts back, this was the quilt I was making progress on.  The main line of fabric is Snippets for American Jane.  My local quilt shop was having a sale and had these 2x6 scraps already precut and were selling them along with other prints in scrap bags. I snatched most of them up and decided to do a  Stacked  coin quilt of my own creation. I added many of my 30's reproduction fabric in the same color scheme to break it up a bit. 

This is the pieced back it still needs the final edge attached .

 This is the edge and the binding. I still have to make my sandwich and quilt it.

 I decided to put this on the back burner for the time being as we have loads of doctor visits coming up for both kids and the follow up visit concering Brian's Perthes.  We will be going in the next couple of days to get  a bunch of x-rays (which are cool)  and blood work (which is not cool) so we can take the films and labs to his doctor.  We plan on talking to her about letting Brian use crutches while at home instead of the wheelchair as it has been a real struggle keeping him in it with out a lot of tears, his and mine.  Hopefully we will be closer to figuring out where we go from here. 

This is one of the potholder ideas I had for the Potholder Pass Swap.  I have a few more ideas and have been practicing my paper piecing  skills in the process.  It's definately been a challenge for me as I am working with color schemes I'm not used to and are very different than what I think I'm good at.  My sister Krista is much more adventurous with bold colors than I am.   I do  hope my  swap buddy likes them . 

This is the latest toothbrush rug I've been  working on to sell. I have a grocery sack of precut 2 inch strips and it will be finished when the bag is empty.  Thankfully it isn't something fine detail eyes are needed to make.   I have been having a hard time lately with sewing and quilting since my 20/20 vision took a leave of absence, I've benn dealing with it but find that most of my work  and reading has been done in a constant blur. I went and got glasses yesterday and will get thim in about a week.  I picked a style that isn't normally "me" and I think the family's going to need some time to get used to them.. :)

Here's a little bit of E-Bay love with more  from the Snippets line I will eventually make a quilt for myself with these fabrics.

Miss Kaiya and I decided to go and get our haircut.

She did such a good job sitting still.

Finally you can see her eyes!

 I got my normal shag flip bob combo.

Excuse the dirty mirror.

Today after Brian gets home we are hoping to do some block carving to make our own stamps. I made mention of Valentines, he made mention of zombies so clearly we are each going to go our own way which is in the opposite direction of each other! 

Life's good right now.I hope yours is as well.

Take care,

It is what it is.

 I have been sewing like a mad woman finishing up gifts for "holiday packages", I swear.   After Brian's Perthes diagnosis, we all just kind of shut down and just laid around together watching movies and reading books trying to keep it as normal as possible at home ; all crafts just stopped. We had to go through a mourning process of sorts. Neither Brody nor I had a desire to look towards Christmas . We were anything but "giving or joyful", when this terrible life altering  and painful thing was happening to our child. Our poor sweet boy. Instead I would go off and cry feeling mother's guilt and  bad for him and our family and what all of this would mean for the next 2-3 years and Brody would just get angry. We really were starting to get twinges of bitterness.  Okay, alot of bitterness.

Our bitterness has melted away and an overwhelming feeling of gratitiude has taken it's place.  We are privilidged to live in the community that we do and have the friends that we do.  We are thankful  for the kindness that has been shown to us & to Brian during all of this.  We are not accustomed to asking people for help, so when people just started doing nice things and volunteering their time to us, we were blown away.  Thank you so much to all of you for your kind words and gestures it really has meant the world to us and to remind us that we are not alone. We are loved. Our families have been a great support.  Old ties have been rekindled . We will get through this, because it is what it is and that's what you do.  Things are good.

Okay on to the crafty part of this blog. I was reading through some of my favorite blogs, trying to find some pretty last minute gifts to make .  I came across  Wendy at Dozi Design  and this tutorial screamed  "MAKE THESE RIGHT NOW!!!!" She had made hers out of a heavy weight paper. 

I decided I was going to use suede from an old skirt that I picked up at a yard sale, as it would require little to no sewing. As I started to make these, I got the idea to soak some very thin felt in Linit Starch and iron them to a crisp finish.  I then followed the tutorial cutting out my spirals and started rolling them as it instructed.  I added some green felt leaves, onto which I will hand sew some little details and add a pin backing that my folks had sent.   This will defiantely be a project for many future events.  Thanks you so much Wendy.

I wish you all warm hearts, full bellies and feelings of love and kindness during this holiday season and in to the new year. 

Take Care.