Life Goes On...And On...

Life here goes on.  Dad is the same.  Not better, not worse.  He has been rolled over again.  We are now at twenty-two months on Hospice...

DH is not back at work.  He's doing most of the housework since he's not able to help with changing Dad.  I really appreciate it and say thank you every day.  He feeds Dad at dinner, so that give me extra time to get our dinner prepared and on the table.  His other project is getting the yard back into shape.  My dog had a thing for digging little, tiny holes last year and did quite a bit of damage.  DH is patching what he can, seeding what is beyond help.  I don't like using the water, but with the time and money we have invested, just can't see letting it all die.

I have not done one stitch.  Not. A. Single. One.  I promised myself I would stitch this weekend, but so far, not being very successful!  I go to my stitching chair, pick up my stitching, and just flat out lose focus.  I get back up, wander around.  No rhyme or reason.  Just no focus.

On the upside, I walked four out of seven days this past week!  I am sleeping a little better, still tired, but not exhausted.  LOL

I have a few pictures.  I mentioned a while back that I have orchids.  This past year, I sadly neglected them.  Watered them when I remembered, which wasn't very often, never misted them, etc, etc, etc.  They have graciously chosen to not hold a grudge and there are four that have spikes.  I have close-ups of two and a picture of all three together:

I have two that look a lot alike, yellow-green with dark red.  One is more spotted, one striped.  Guess I liked the combination!

Well, peeps, back to the grindstone.  I promised that I would give DH a haircut, so better get going.  Be kind to one another.

Move Along...Nothing To See Here...

I saw this on someone's blog last week and decided to "borrow" it for myself.  I haven't done any stitching, no quilting, and am barely functioning.  I am back on antibiotics.  Whatever is going on is still going on.  I went to the doctor on Tuesday.  She is not warm and fuzzy, but was willing to talk about Hospice and my constant battle to make it through the day.  When I asked her if she had any experience with Hospice, she hesitated, then said yes, her son was on Hospice for two years.  I cannot even begin to imagine how devastating it would be to loose a child.  Once again, my life is not that bad.

I was somewhat surprised, her records show that I've only gained four pounds in the last year and a half.  I am pretty sure that I lost 15 pounds after last year's appointment, but I didn't bring that up.  My little secret.  My blood pressure was back to normal and I only cried when we talked about my dad.  All in all, not a bad appointment.  I have definitely had worse.  I must attract doctors without any bedside manner.  When I was about four months pregnant with my son, I had managed to gain 20 pounds...the doctor told me that I had to walk thirty minutes a day, every day, and wrote "FAT" across my chart.  Hmm, not warm and fuzzy....

I managed five days of exercise last week.  Four walking days, one day on the stationery bike.  I'm up to two miles on my walks, so doing okay.  I feel better after I walk, just need to stay focused.   I've signed up a walking buddy, so that helps, too.

My husband has started PT for his shoulder.  He's still not able to change Dad, but is trying to feed him so I can use those thirty minutes to get our dinner ready.  It does help.  He is also doing quite a bit of the housework.  He is worried about me and it shows.  I took a two hour nap yesterday and today.  Still feel bad, but at least I don't feel bad and tired.  LOL

So, with coping with the nausea from the antibiotics, and the general exhaustion, I am cutting this short.  Be kind to one another.

Still In the Stitching Hall of Shame...Kind Of...

I was so excited!!  I was going to stitch!!  Sat down in my favorite chair, picked up my project, and then...where are my scissors?  I know I was using them just last night.  Let's check my craft table.  I got up, headed across the room, looked down and SQUIRREL...I pick up my punch needle project. Wow, I should work on this.  Look how cute this chicken is!  Forgot about the scissors, forgot about my cross stitching. This is what I started with:

And here is an after photo:

Still figuring out what to do with the background.  This is a large piece, about 12 inches across.  I need to decide if I will dye some thread first, or finish the entire piece and then dye it.  Or...who knows?  I just hope I can remember that I'm working on it!

My dollar store gladiolus bulbs are starting to poke through the warm dirt.  I am so glad!  I was getting tired of digging them up every few days to check for roots!  LOL

Time for chores.  Be kind to one another.

Making a Change

I've got a couple pictures for you today.  Here is my favorite coffee cup.  Is it my favorite because it is red?  Nope.  Is it my favorite because it is a Starbuck’s cup?  Nope.  Is it my favorite because it holds sixteen ounces?  Of course!  LOL  I know that I've mentioned that I have a habit of having a little coffee with my creamer, and since I’m trying to be more conscious of calories, I only use this cup on the weekends.  During the week, I only get one tiny, piddly eight ounce cup.  So…if this cup is on the table, it must be my day off.  Happy day!

Peeps, I am hanging my head...Not only have I been a slow stitcher, I have been a non-stitcher.  Now stand up and give me a big woot-woot!  I am breaking out of the Stitching Hall of Shame!  

This little sampler is from Pineberry Lane.  Merry Christmas Hanging Sampler.  I have been stitching on this for over a year.  Yes, that word is year!   I've done stuff in between, punch needle and quilting, but have been sorely lacking on the stitching front.  I am ready to make a change.

In the past couple of days, I've added Santa's arm, finished the sleigh, and started on the Merry.  I am still a slow stitcher, but at least I'm stitching.  LOL

I'm off to get lunch for Dad.  It is beautiful outside, lots of sunshine and singing birds.  I am leaving the windows open, hoping that Dad will enjoy a little bit of the life around him.  My head tells me that he isn't able to process it, but my heart always hopes.

Have a wonderful weekend and be kind to one another.

Can't Complain

When I was growing up, people would ask my dad how he was doing.  His answer?  Oh, can’t complain, nobody wants to hear about it anyway.

I kind of like to hear people complain once in a while.  It puts my life in perspective.  Not in a “Oh my gosh, I am so much better off than you” way.  But in a “Oh my gosh, if your life is that bad, I can hang on one more day” way.  Sometimes I feel so alone on this mountain.

While I was lurking around Pinterest a few days ago, I ran into a quote that talked about how you shouldn't complain about things you have not made any real effort to change.  Example:  I know that I've gained about twenty pounds in the past two years.  My complaint, I don’t have time to exercise because I take care of my dad.  Well, let’s be honest, if I spent just 30 minutes a day exercising, even just a walk, I probably wouldn't have gained all that weight.  Maybe five or ten pounds, but the whole twenty?  Do I have 30 minutes of time each day that I could set aside for this?  Absolutely.  I am tired.  That is not going to change.  But I will be just as tired if I walk 30 minutes or I don’t.  Don’t have time to stitch?  Do I have another 30 minutes to dedicate to myself and my mental well-being?  I may not have 30, but I know I have 15.  Get off Pinterest, get off my butt, get off my excuses.  I need to complain less and change more.  I have always been a happy person at heart and hate that life has beat me down.  And you know what?  Sometimes I held the stick myself.  

Let me leave you with a picture I took on one of my walks this week.  I call it Oats at Sunset…

Be kind to one another.

Just One Word

Finished!!

What? Someone Did Some Stitching?

Okay, peeps, sit down.  Take a deep breath, clear your mind...wait for it...I stitched!  LOL   Not a lot, not for long, but definitely got in some stitching time.

I stayed pretty busy on Sunday morning, finally sat down after lunch and decided to take some "me" time.  Once I got started, it was easy to keep going!  Took a break, got dinner done, fit in a walk, and back to stitching.  Only one more edge, fill in the little flowers and this baby is finished!  Well, not finished-finished, but you know what I mean.  LOL  I can't believe how much MIS-counting I did in this little piece.  I've done huge samplers that didn't give me this much trouble.  I fudged in a few spots, definitely used some creative license on the bottom edge, but all in all, I'm happy.  Give me an hour tonight and I can move on to the next project.   I am so excited to finally be back in the groove...be kind to one another.

Just Another Manic....Saturday

So, I have this song in my head. But it's not Monday, it's Saturday. Oh well, if it's stuck, it's stuck. LOL

Out for a bit this morning. I took a couple of pictures to prove that Spring is "thinking" about heading our way. Our area is still getting down in the 30's at night, but hitting 75 during the day!

First are my irises. I have to keep them in pots since my neighbor's gophers like to vacation on my side of the fence. My pots are recycled cow supplement buckets. I drill holes in the bottom and BOOM! A new pot! Not pretty, though I suppose I could paint the plastic. I do have a few of these buckets inside half wine barrels that look nice. But, I live in the country on a dirt road, so not really worried about aesthetics! LOL And once the irises start to bloom, you don't even notice the pots.

The little clay colored pots are gladiolas. I usually plant them next to the house, but when it warms up, my dog LOVES to lay on top of them. Not good for the blooms.

This poor little guy is doing everything it can to bloom. Not pretty, but gets points for being persistent. LOL

Now, this is one of the rose bushes at the side of the house. These roses are better protected from the wind, so usually look a bit better.

I love my roses, and they seem to be doing better with the extra rain this winter. The real test will be this summer. I still haven't replaced the ones that died and probably won't. Just not enough rain...

Doing some fix-it chores this weekend. DH and a friend fixed my stove top yesterday, but blew another switch this morning. Back to the parts store and another $60! DH has been trying to help more around the house. Been doing one load of laundry a day and keeping up the floors. Best part, he washed windows! Not all of them, just the three in the kitchen that really, really bugged him. He is proud of the windows. I was polite and didn't bring up that this is the first time since we moved in (1985) that he has touched the windows. Sometimes, it's just better to smile and say thank you! LOL

I will leave you with the moon rising over my neighbor's willow tree a few days ago.

Have a great weekend and be kind to one another.

End of The Weekend Report and Information Update

End of the weekend report....

Very quiet, chores and more chores. I took DH to the doctor's on Friday. The PA, not the doctor, said he is ready to go back to work on Monday. Not really sure how that will work as his arm is still in a sling and will be for another five weeks. Now, he is a mechanic, so thinking that this will not work. Took his paperwork to the powers-that-be. They will get back to him. I guess he could answer the phone or do other office stuff. Since I know how NOT organized he is, maybe not such a good idea. He still can't help with Dad, but is trying to do little house cleaning stuff. Just for laughs, I watch him wash dishes. He is not that great at dishes (bad vision) and can only use one arm, but they are mostly clean. He is good at vacuuming, so I "let " him do that....LOL

Waited all weekend for rain. Got about three minutes of hail, so I guess that counts for something. Here is a snap of our sunset tonight...

Had a list for the weekend. Taxes ready to go to the CPA? Check. Pick up the Easter Cards? Check. Pay bills? Check. Mow the lawn and clean up the leaves? Check. Take a walk? Check. Stitch? Ha ha ha ha. As if…. And when I picked up my ornament, what did I notice? Off two rows. And not just two rows on the side, but also two rows on the bottom! What in the world was I doing when I should have been counting? They call it "counted" cross stitch for a reason. There is a reasonable expectation that I would count. LOL So, do I pull it all out or change the pattern? I’m leaning towards the change. Honestly, if I stop now, I will never get this darn thing finished. I cannot understand how such a tiny ornament can be so much trouble. I really need a few more stitched projects to take with me on the finishing weekend that I signed up for in April. Had a blast last year, but need to get some stuff done so I can finish them! LOL

As for my medical "issues". Still not 100%. If things are not great by Wednesday, I will be making an appointment with my regular doctor. I don't have time for this crap, so have been looking into home remedies for UTIs. Cranberry juice? Not really in the top five, but lots of information on parsley infusions with lemon. Hmmmm....I'm willing to try that. I need to drink more water anyway. Doesn't taste that bad and is supposed to give you fresh breath. Can't hurt. LOL

Wishing a great week for everyone out there in blogger land. Be kind to one another.