The Lord works in mysterious ways

Hello to every one,

Just a note to say I am here, been so busy between here (Ohio) and W.V. that have not had time to do anything else. Hope all are still hanging in there. Still missing my sister and always will. I have been going through all her artwork and still am amazed at how many angels she drew and I digitized. I am wanting to resew them out and frame them and hang them all over the house. We have made quilts together using them and had a lot of fun giving them away to family and friends.

I noticed the other day that we have spring bulbs coming up at both homes and they are getting ready to flower and some are flowering now. All the shrubs are budded up and ready for that perfect day.

I can't believe that today it is to be in the '60s here and that makes me want to get outside and dig, well at least "rake" up all the dead from last year. 😏

Did I say that last year in Oct. while at Nita's home I fell down their front yard, fell right off the boardwalk they have that runs all over the front yard? You see their front yard is such a huge "hill", they added boardwalks to get all over the yard, well I fell off one of them and as falling flipped in the air somehow and landed down below about 3 foot and landed on another boardwalk face first hitting my cheekbone and side of my mouth. I also landed hitting my left wrist which left me a huge swollen area before I could even get up off the ground. Must have broken a blood vessel there. But, the biggest item that hit was my right arm, used it as a jack sorta, hit on the lower arm, right at the elbow or just below, which used the upper arm as a "ram" which sent it into my shoulder, which (months later when seen by the VA) now has a torn rotator cup in 2 places so it shows after the MRI that was done months later. This explains why I can not use my arm any more like normal. Can we fix it??????
The doctor told me this, at my tender age of (blank) he wants to keep me away from all doctors with sharp knives. It is better to just let it be, so now I can be considered a cripple for the rest of my life. I spent 3 months sitting in an easy chair because I could NOT lay down to go to be, only sitting and part reclining in a chair. I cannot use my arm worth a hoot. In pain 27-7 all the time. I live on the pain patch and spray, both with the 4% lidocaine. Always have them on and spray all around the patch. Got to say the best one to stay stuck on the best is Aspercreme. No, I do not get paid to say that. 😜 No, it does not get rid of all the pain, but it makes it liveable.

So here we are in March. I must say though by now the pain is getting easier to live with, still can not use my arm like normal and if I forget and try to do so, it will sit you down on your backside with a reminder that will last for a few days. I can now at least lay on my one side with much less pain and if I want to take a pain pill (over the counter) it will let me sleep for at least 5 hours. The most sleep I have gotten was about 3 hours at a time, and that is from exhaustion.

I still thank the Lord that I fell the way I did because if I had fallen over sideways, I would have had a metal rod stuck through my chest, which could have killed me. You see there was a rose bush there and my sister had a metal rod stuck in the middle of it for support. So to this day, I feel the good Lord just gave me a push back and downhill which caused me to miss the rose bush and therefore landed on the wooden boardwalk below with a face plant.

So that has been my fun since Oct. so what have you all been up to?
Margo

Today is my sister's birthday and I know she is with our Lord and taking care of all our pets who have gone to Heaven before us.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NITA

Sad Sad News

Hello to all,

I don't know where to start, but I want and will have some kind of memorable update to my site about losing my sister, Nita T. She had hand-drawn most of the artwork on my site in which I turned into embroidery. You can see our work together on my blog. URL= https://craftyroseangel.com
I have been away for some time. I have been caring for my sister and her husband. They were both told they had cancer in the month of May this year. Nita passed on Dec. 2, 2019, from pancreas cancer. She fought hard having done the Chemo and radiation, but this cancer was nasty and would not let her win. 

She left some artwork that she had not given me yet of which I will in time digitize for her. She also had two toy poodles of which are now mine to take care of along with my guy "Kricket". So now we have 3 dogs underfoot which do keep me quite busy most of the time. I have not had 3 dogs in many years, I am older and they give me a run for my money. During all of this I fell while at Nita's and did something very bad to my shoulder, so have been running back and forth to this Dr. and that Dr., In fact, every day this week since we got back up here. All seem to be thinking that I tore something. Time will tell, yesterday got a "shot" in the joint.  It seems to be feeling a little better.

We have to keep going back and forth between W.V. and Oh. until we can get all things settled. This is taking longer than normal as Larry (Nita's husband) has the kidney machine 3 times a week, what time that is left leaves him so tired and worn out he can't go much.

Only touching on this so you will understand why I may be gone longer than normal for me for a while on posting. Why I may not want to post for a while, I need time to just be me and heal from my problem and my own time for greaving. I don't feel the other foot has dropped yet and I don't feel like my sister has passed.  Just doesn't seem real for me at all.

So, for now, please just try to hang in there for me if you can. I will return in time and try to carry on as best as I can.

Margo

back to Ohio

Hello to all,

Well, we are back in Ohio for now. Nita is now in Rose Wood, a care facility, her husband is also in there for now getting stronger we hope. Nita is not doing so great. As cancer progresses she is getting weaker. I cared for her non-stop 24-7 for two weeks, no sleep nor rest as she needed me all the time. As time went on I got so week and clumsy that I fell down the hill (their front yard) and landed on the boardwalk, banged myself up pretty good. As Nita got worst, I could no longer care for her, her husband decided that she should be in a care facility for her own health care, better than what I could do for her. I am afraid that Nita will not be coming back home anymore. Larry does now and then make a day trip and come home on weekends.

When I think that about 4 weeks ago Nita was home and doing her own thing, cancer is not nice!
So we are going back and forth from Ohio to W.V. every now and then getting things taken care of.

I don't know just how often I will be posting on the blog. I will try and keep you all informed.
Prayers are much appreciated now.
thanks,
margo

West Virgina

Hello to all,

I am in W.V. with my sister. I am typing this from my tablet. Nita has been in the hospital, maybe coming home tomorrow. They are trying to get her pain under control. I
Looks like I may be staying here for a while as Nita is weaker now. As some of you may remember she has Pancreas cancer. She is doing as well as she can.
More later as I learn more.
Margo

It is not everyday you see a "groundhog"

Morning to all,

It is not every day you see a groundhog in your neighbor's yard. Well, we did, yesterday just a plain as day. Just sitting there watching us, then he ran to hide under the porch we think.

Not every day I see one of those tiny little blue butterflies in your yard either, well anyways, I have not seen one since I was a kid. But, I had one on a clover flower in my backyard. I was delighted to see one, heard stories that they are on the endangered list.

Well we got some cabinets built and installed into our extended kitchen the other day and finally, all the foodstuff that has been in boxes under my sewing table and all over have now got their place to be and my sewing room can become a little more like a sewing room, still have to remove the old carpet and we might just live on the plywood floor and paint it until we are ready to add flooring to the room.

Now to start boxing up all the things in the sewing room, and I just thought to do the other rooms in the house was a mess. I don't know even where to start.

At least before we box everything up will have a chance to get the two quilts done I hope.

I hope all are having a wonderful summer, we are having a few days of less heat and cool evenings, just loving it.

What is everyone doing?

Hello to all,

This note is just to say "hi" and let you know what is in the works coming this fall. I plan to have some group block exchanges, if you are interested, please let me know. ok send me an email to this email address (tundrakid@gmail.com) and let me know what you would like to work on.

Today it is raining and humidified bad outside, so I decided to clean the house and mop the floors, I do love the way the cleaning solution makes the house smell when done.  

I want to find out just how many want to work along with us on this. We do have a very small group so there is no huge amount of blocks that will have to be done. I hope this helps everyone make a decision on this.

You can also post a message to this post in the blog, just click on the word "no comment" and it will open where you can post a message. IF the message box does not appear for you. Any problems just let me know.

Thanks,
Margo

What I am up to and what I have been doing

I know it has been a while since I last posted. I have been busy in the house. We have been busy working on the floors in this old house. The fireplace room, kitchen, and dining room have re-done. The carpet was removed and vinyl squares were placed down. Then all the tiles were not the same, some had to be removed and replaced with others. Now they are all done and we have a light floor in color next to the dark yellow and gold that was there. The old tiles you could lift up by hand and have been there for over 40 years. All of this was not done overnight, but all in all took over 2 to 3 months. Waiting for things to get done while your home is all (undone) is enough to drive one nuts. The kitchen is still not together, the dishwasher is out in the garage, the kitchen cabinet that we had built-in next to the dishwasher had to be removed in order to do the floor, and until that is redone, the dishwasher is still in the garage and I have no counter space when cooking. So the job is still not done, and this waiting is driving me nuts. lol  But, I must say the air is cleaner and my floors are a darn sight cleaner now and much easier to keep clean and that is what I was after.

In the meantime I had Vince remove the carpet in the front room, We had done this once before to remove the original carpet that had been there for over 30 years, we did new carpet and now 7 years later we are removing it and now we are down to the hard OLD tile, we can live with it until the sewing room is done. This is the last room that has to have the very old carpet removed and then we will have the vinyl squares put down to match the rest of the house, well at least the new floors. This will all have to be put on hold while we save up more money to have the floor done.

So in the meantime, I have busied myself outside working in the yard and taking time off to go and see Nita & Larry in W.V. Nita is holding her own and so is Larry. They are all doing ok for now. More on that is not given out in this blog, if you are a friend or family you have been told what is going on. They are both fighting cancer. Enough said on that.

I have had some people ask me to make them some designs in embroidery and some items in beading. I have enjoyed doing these things. I have not done any new designs in embroidery as I just don't have any time on my own it seems anymore to work on any of it. But, there is a day coming where I will be back into it I am sure.

I now have a very nice bird watching and feeding station in my backyard now. I love going out and sitting under the umbrella and or on my swing and just watching them all, I also have a few squirrels and chipmunks running around. I call the chipmunks "fairy-ditties" as that is what my sis calls them in W.V. It is just a cute name for such a tiny little critter.

Oh, yea, needless to say, the quilts I was working on have all been put on hold. It won't be until fall when I get back to them the way things are going. That is ok also, gives me a break from the quilting so I will be ready to get back into it and finish them for Christmas time. I just know the ones that are going to receive them will be very happy.

It is hot enough outside to fry an egg on the sidewalk right now and tomorrow also. Next week it is supposed to be a little cooler and I am hoping so, I am going to start riding my bike. I know an old lady should not be getting on a bike, but I use to ride many miles a day and that was only 10 or so years ago, no reason I could not do it again, might have to take my time and not go as far, but I do love to ride a bike. It is easier on the joints than walking most of the time. lol

Enough for now, I hope all are keeping cool and enjoying the summer.
Margo

new Christmas quilt started

Hi all,

I am also working on a Christmas quilt, went ahead and cut out and sewed the applique to blocks as I was working on the Halloween quilt, just figured do all the cutting and sewing at the same time and perhaps save some time. 😍

So here below are the pics of the Christmas quilt blocks.

Here we have 6 blocks set side by side for picture taking only. We have lots of snowmen on this quilt, snowman sitting on the moon, snowman with a tree, snowman sitting on presents, snowman sitting looking at a star, snowman with a plant of stars (2 blocks).

Here we have a house with a tree block, birds with stars, an angel, sleigh, reindeer, tree, and a snowflake.  I may add more of my own blocks as I go along with this quilt. 

So more to come as I start work on them. 

Have to say that when it is nice out this spring and early summer, I will be outside more than inside working on a quilt.