More Roses for Mom

I found a pink rose fabric, so I made some more pillows for Mom's room, to go with the commode cozy and pillows made of the green background fabric.

Her room is looking so cozy and I was pleased when I got positive comments from the kids, during their visit on Saturday.

Her neck rolls were previously covered with legs she had cut off of a pair of old knit slacks that she no longer wore. I thought it was clever of her to think of that, but they had seen a lot of wear and tear and were in need of refurbishing.

Thanksgiving Holiday

We had a wonderful time at our son, Carl's for Thanksgiving dinner; staying with daughter, Michal Ann in Wheatridge; visiting the Denver Zoo on Friday with the family; and having lunch in Colorado Springs on Saturday, with family at Guiseppi's (in the old C. S. RR depot); and then visiting Mom with the family on Saturday afternoon. This is a photo of the family with, Gramma Evy, in the parlor of the Friendship House.

There is an album of photos, taken with my new Canon Power Shot camera, on my

Facebook page. Joe says he think I'm becoming a Japanese tourist, taking photos of everything, whether it moves or not.

Thrilled Over Early Christmas

I came home from WalMart yesterday and told Joe about a camera (Canon PowerShot SX120 IS) I had seen on sale and did he think I should get it since the 6 year old Canon Elph has about seen it's end of days. Only problem was, they didn't have any instock, but had some coming soon.

He came back from his trip to Pueblo this morning with a sack from Best Buy. In it was the same camera (10MB; 10 optical zoom), a 4 GB Flash Memory card, and a blue carrying case. He thought I needed it before we went to Denver and Boulder for family Thanksgiving. I am ecstatic! I've been out trying it and comparing it to my beloved little Elph. Beloved because it is so small I can carry it in my purse all the time and it is easy to use. This one is a bit bigger but will still fit in that huge purse and it has a huge screen compared to the other, not to mention tons of mega bytes and optical zoom!!!

I can get all the tiny details in flora and fauna, especially the birds. See examples above. A Downey Woodpecker was gracious to show up at the feeders just as I needed a model. The flower is a very late Gaillardia that I planted on the south side of the house this summer, and it still thinks it is summer, in spite of the 18 degree nights we've had recently. Look at the miniscule details.

The new camera photo was taken with the old Elph.

Do I have a very special husband? Count your blessings, Granny Fran.

Look What I Found

While looking thru another of Mom's boxes, from her old home, look what I found.


Here are two cardboard templates with her notations on them. Along with these were a stack of recycled wool squares that she had planned for some comforter. There were also a few remnants of vintage fabrics she had saved.

Next were four notes to herself with longago measurements for a couple of my daughters dresses she was making as well as notes about things to do and a reminder to get the measurements from my brother Steve's daughter Regina. I feel so close to her when I see her handwriting on these yellowed pieces of paper. Granny had a genius for making things and recycling; she couldn't afford not to; she raised her family, on a farm, during the depression.

The final gem was this old early 40s pattern of a dress for my Mom, Evy. This was before sizes were changed so don't really reflect how small mother was. Daddy could circle his hands around her waist when they married.

Does anyone recognize the actress pictured on the front of the pattern envelope?

From the tattered condition of this pattern, I would say that Granny used it over and over. She was good at revising patterns for making different types of dresses. I grew up in school dresses that she made from feed sack fabric. She would have me pick out some dresses I liked from the "Monkey Wards" catalog and figure out how to make a version for me.

These went into "the box under the bed" that will one day be donated to the quilt museum that has the box under the bed project.

On the Road to Health Again

My virtual body image.



Check out my new goals for healthy living in the Quilter's Lounge.





Rian and I are on this trip together. Feel free to join us. The more the merrier and we can support each other.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, November 2009

Hi All, I've been ill and in the hospital and am still weak and shaky, but I'm here for
Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. Here is what is blooming outside today; snow blossoms. But it is wet snow and we are always thankful for that in this climate. This is the Dooryard Garden and Patio just outside the sliding glass door from the sunporch.

This Lily blossom just popped out of the bud overnight, in a dining room bouquet. I didn't know what color to expect and this is sunny and cheerful!

These Lipstick Vine blooms brighten the sunporch where we go in and out through the back sliding glass door. I am so glad that I found this plant at a local greenhouse several years ago after seeing one somewhere, I can't even remember where I first saw one, but love the way that the lipstick grows out of the tube as they bloom. This plant has done so well in this south window.

When I look out at the snow, I know that underneath are still blooming the Pansys and Violas.
On Thursday I picked a gorgeous orange one for my Mom, who was sitting in the back seat of the car, on the way home from her doctor appointment. They will appear as the snow melts and usually I find blooms all winter long, here in Colorado's Banana Belt.

May you all have blossoms and blooms in your life, today.

Commode Cozy Finished

And now for the good news! Before the roof caved in this month, I finished the rose covered commode cozy and some matching pillows for my Mom's assisted living room. I guess I should have taken a before photo of the commode, but take my word for it, this is a vast improvement during the daytime. At night it can be popped off to prepare it for nighttime visits.

I made a pillow to put on the top of the lid, so it would fill in between the rails; that way it looks like a hassock and can even be used for extra seating if needed when we're visiting her. It matches her bedspread and curtains so well, and she loves roses, so I'm so pleased that I found this fabric locally.

Wonder Woman Lives

And she is in about the same ragged condition as I am. This cartoon is one of my prize possessions from the early 80s when I had a "big lady dress up job". [That's what my college friends and I used to describe the jobs we were studying to (hopefully) get after graduation.] From time to time I dig it out and it still fits.


My friends, this old house I inhabit is wearing out. Since I last posted I had another TIA (mini-stroke) and I am now recuperating from a pretty miserable virus that affected my chest. I am so weak and shaky, have to force myself to eat a little chicken broth, toast and yoghurt, and am doing a lot of cogitating (wondering).

I realize that since the first 2 TIAs I have done almost no quilting, or even sewing. The joy seems to have simply disappeared and turned into guilt and "shoulds". I'm also not nearly as excited about photography, which was an integral part of my quilting interests. I still love gardening, but have to depend more and more on someone else to do the hard physical jobs, which I used to delight in. (Like laying a patio or digging a pond or spading a garden bed.) I still love to look at the birds, but no longer feel like hauling the feed outside the fence to the feeders.

Please do not take this as complaining or whining or asking for sympathy. I am simply trying to share what changes I am finding necessary due to challenges of the aging process. Different seasons of life require different things of us. Once in a while we need to set back and decide what is really important and then do some major pruning to allow us to use our waning energy more effectively.

There does seem to be some pain and grieving involved in this process, but it is a productive, necessary pain and grief.

One of my major weaknesses has been spreading myself too thin and ending up feeling overwhelmed. I was supposed to do "everything" myself and do it perfectly and it was not permissable to burden others by asking for help. When help is offered one smiles graciously and says, "Oh thank you, but I can do this myself, I don't want to impose on you."

Do you know what happens to someone who tries to do everything perfectly? Insanity or paralysis! (and in my case, obesity; food rather than alcohol or drugs). "There is a God. It is not me." I think I saw that in some AAA lit somewhere.

Right now my family is where my energy needs to be focused. And for the first time in my life I have to realize that it is ok, and necessary, to take care of myself so I can continue to share with my family.

Thank you, friends for letting me get some of this out of my system. I ask for your prayers and good thoughts as I go thru this new growing stage.

Added after first published: I'm still having trouble getting this darn thing to keep the spaces between my paragraphs for easier reading.