Monday Meltdown

Have you ever had one of those days that you just got overwhelmed & caught off guard? Well, today was that day for me. The weather was sooooo beautiful & I had got all of my morning chores accomplished & a bath & hair clean -just to have an appointment with the doctor. I have a lovely young lady doctor that I am nuts about. She is kind & sensitive to your feelings- But- I think my "unraveling" came once we arrived at the clinic & signed in. I had been off of my meds for two weeks. I had called & told them that I would run out of my meds Before my doctor visit & I did not know what to do. The young pharmacist had called & said that she would have someone call me . But nobody called & I ran out  &  Mr. Fibromyalgia jumped on me with a vengeance. The pain moved back in & my body was consumed with fire & the brain fog settled back in & I was lost. It was horrible -but I think I bluffed my way through as I did not want my DH to have anything else on him as he fights with his cancer.

Once we arrived at the clinic I could feel that depression settle on me -just the thought that I have finally been diagnosed with this monster & the right medicine which locks it away in its cage , but had been denied it for two weeks just seemed more than I could bear on the inside. It is hard to fight extreme pain because it leads to exhaustion . But, when I gave the girl my papers she handed me my prescription- and was dated two weeks ago-it had been here all that time & I had not been notified. I told her I had a doctor appointment & did not know about my meds. She asked if I wanted them & I said a definite YES . But while I sat there waiting something inside of me began to crumble & when that sweet little nurse called me as I approached her & she asked those fateful words -how are you? That did it - I dissolved in tears -of course -mortifying myself.Once the tears started -there was no stopping them.

I made an absolute idiot of myself - but they definitely found out that I needed those meds . Same story with my sweet doctor. We had a sweet chat -in between tears. It turned out that my thyroid was messed up too. I showed her my gums -how I seemed to have a bony area sticking out on one side which made me 'whoppy-jawed". She too thought that when he had pulled my teeth he had broken that one side off uneven leaving me really whoppy-jawed. I asked if she thought it might interfer with getting dentures to fit & she said probably not since they would make a mold. But, I just hate that EVERYTHING on me is always Quirky.

So it ended up she raised  my thyroid meds & I have to have bloodwork in April . I apologized to her and told her that I guess once I was behind doors where DH could not see me I just let all of my pain & fears loose . I try to be so brave for him as I do not want to add any extra burden on him at this time when he needs all of his strength to fight this disease. I will be fine once I get my meds ( or as Chris on DietCokeRocks  - calls them- happy pills) back in my system . Plus, I get to see my counselor on Weds & they are calling for such beautiful weather here -with all of that sunshine - I will be on top of the world  & a new woman.  LOL

So, with high hopes I came home -did evening chores  & fed us -then started on that serger once again. I pulled the manual out & read & re-read taking it one sentence at a time -like Lynne had taught me to use for patterns & construction.

After another hour we had come to some kind of a compromise-not perfect -but usable for a shirt for me -hopefully to work out the kinks as we go along. So, I managed to get the shoulders re-sewn & the neckband attached. Making progress -but I need to lock the chickens up & feed the woodstove & get ready for bed as DH has a doctor appointment in the morning.

I hope you guys have had a lovely day - the weather here is going to be "unbelieveably too beautiful " here for the rest of the week. Everybody both here & in other countries are talking about the "global warming affect" & wondering if this is why all of our weather is so different?

So, love to all & Happy stitches to you until I see you again. :-)

A new week

Not much sewing going on as the serger is still mad at me , so it was a pleasant break when our oldest son & his family came up to pick up my car to take it back to his house to work on it next weekend. Cory works such long hard hours Sunday is about the only day that he gets a break .

Of course we made a swing by the sewing room to visit with the new member of the team-But - Miss Rosie had to give everybody a through inspection & verify them eligible to enter her domain.  She can be so funny - But - one thing you can say about Rosie is that she has taught everybody & everything the meaning of the word RESPECT.

You don't catch Rosie in a mood this "mellow" very often at all-maybe she just wanted to start the week off differently.
I still have not got the serger to co-operate at all - so my shirt is still in limbo! Dog gone thing!
As soon as I ever get it back in whack - I will finish my shirt - I just hope not too many more grey hairs take over my head before that happens. LOL

Plus, I need to get a flashdrive before I can test the Janome.Time will tell. Tomorrow is my day for a doctor visit & I am dreading it. I have been out of my meds for the fibromyalgia for the last week  & the pain is getting bad. Maybe that has something to do with me & the serger?It's hard to accomplish anything good when you have physical problems. They tell you to NEVER stop your meds -but - then they won't let me get them anywhere else & they will not return your phone calls - so I don't know what to do?I wish I could just afford my own doctor.

Well, loves - I hope you have had a lovely day!
hugs -linda

TA DAAAAAAA! Let me introduce!

My new "Main-Squeeze" - Janome 350E. Bless its little heart - this week has been one of TOO MUCH LIFE crammed into one week. It just does not seem fair -to have an over load of life in one week. I am longing for a nice quiet week where I could make my head quit spinning-but it does not look like this week has much hope of that. I was very disheartened that it seemed that I just fell into bed & turned around & fell into bed once again. Gone , my beautiful week before I even knew what happened.

So much so that even though my new baby arrived I could not find time to even take it out of the box. The man I bought it from must have a really good sense of humor! He actually had TWO machines for sale on E-bay. Now you guys know about the Demon Machine that I have battled with for the last three years & it was a Brother PE-700II. Well when this baby arrived it was shipped inside the Brother PE-700II BOX!  I think I almost had a heart-attack -except I did not have time to have one. I saw that name Brother & my heart sank - just at the thought that Maybe he had got the machines mixed up????????????????? Maybe that was another reason I was not so anxious to open that box.?????

But, my DH took matters into his own hands & took me to the sewing room & cut the tape on the box & Lifted out another box inside of that box  that said Janome!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost passed out from joy!  But , I was still a little afraid to actually attempt to use it - don't want those HOPES smashed one more time.

So, I had a good excuse - I had a lot of reading to do? But DH is secretly married to his tv - and -for some reason I have Never been able to read & absorb anything while a tv is playing. Then I decided I would come to the sewing room & FINALLY sew together that shirt I had started on -when the Brother broke bad on me & thought it had ruined that bird design entirely. I give him credit for almost succeeding. But, I decided that it would still make a very useful house shirt - kinda a celebration of the divorce of "Brother - PE700II  & Webb". Over with - Done - Finished - well you get the picture. I am still tempted to tie a rope around its little neck & drag it through the community!!!!!!!!!!!

SO I gathered up my parts to the shirt & changed the thread on the serger & the sewing machine & placed the shoulder of the shirt to the serger & *^%&%^$^$&T&()*_() - now the SERGER broke bad on me. It yanked and pulled & jerked & stretched & knifed my poor shoulder all across that seam!

Do you think it makes any difference that its name is BROTHER 103D??????????????????????????? Surely -fate would not be that cruel?
We had a serious discussion for about an hour & a half before I called it quits & took a break. Maybe - just maybe tomorrow will bring much different results!!!!!!!!!!!
So, love to all !  And many Happy Trails to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  LOL

Highlight of my Week

You know that old saying about when trouble comes - it comes in bunches?Well that is what has happened to me & I am just starting to fight my way to the surface.Last Wensday our car broke down & I had to order almost 300.00 in parts & put that on the credit card that I have been FIGHTING so hard to bring down. My heart broke.

Then on Friday the truck broke down Then on Sat., Sun. & Monday  the grandkids helped DH work on the truck in the really bad COLD. To  make a long story short -DH ended up having to repull the motor & fix what had got over looked after all that work  & we are hoping it will be able to go back to work this afternoon?

O Sat. & Sun. the house was full of kids & me cooking & doing dishes & playing with that cute baby. I was bushed . I think I punished myself on Mon. by working  outdoors in the cold just like DH was doing & I accomplished a LOT! I was pleased -but I paid for it that night. I ended up taking sinus medicine where the dust had blocked me up. I collasped in bed early -8 pm I think. But, my guardian angels woke me at 1:30 AM so I went back out & filled the wood stove back up & came back & went to bed again & the howling of the winds rocked me to sleep.

Since I had broke my heart with that dumb credit card I went nuts & got an embroidery machine on E-bay & a Used laptop computer & a used desktop computer to get the house back in order. I needed the desktop where I had the kitchen tore all to pieces from working on the main computer that had died. It took me two days to get the next one installed & get it in shape to do some work.

Then it turned out that the laptop & the new used embroidery machine were suppose to be delivered , but our mail people don't blow or come to the house so we received one of those notes that we could come pick them up! Yea- right -with no working vehicles ???? So, I called the post office & scheduled it to be re-delivered. It ended up the the person called DH & agreed to meet him at the road -with his tractor. I couldn't help but think what a pain this had turned into. IF it had been delivered by FedX or UPS there would have been no problem at all - delivered right to the door & now that I am getting older - that is a life-saver!

I had just completed work on the main computer & was happy with it -especially for 19.99 -so now I moved onto the lapto- yep that took me all of that day to figure out.Gosh that was "trying" but I finally accomplished my goal & left it in DH's lap playing his card game-which is what I mainly wanted it for . Next I headed into the sewing room to take down that dumb BrotherPE-700II- - -BUT'----I just could not help myself- I had to put it back together where DS2 had left it after he had pulled those jammed threads out. Then I could not contain myself to try ONE LAST time to complete that shirt I had started when all of this Misery had started! It was an hours worth of work -but I finally got it all lined up & pushed that dumb button. OF course the machine fussed at me & broke threads about every 5 stitches. I was so MAD at it I had steam coming from my ears. Three years & three dealers & still fighting the same battle. IT took me a couple of hours but I did get it semi-finished -enough that I called it QUITS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the LAST design that this dumb machine will EVER sew out for me. I yanked that panel out & loaded that demon machine up in one of the boxes with all kind of stuffing & packing!  Good riddance to bad rubbish is how I feel about it.!It is banished to the couch until such a time that I can find A Different Dealer to take this thing to to get it fixed & sell the darn thing? I feel horrible just thinking that because I would never unload this thing on any other person  - if it is not fixed? So far all of the dealers have wanted to blame it on me - the customer.

But by that time - the sewing computer was screaming at me that it was stopped up with dust , since it had been a year since I had cleaned the fans. I just turned the thing off intending to work on that today.I went to bed at 2AM -but was awakened at 4:30 AM with a horrible pain in my right side up high. It was excruciating. I tried to just sleep through it ,but that would not be the case. It was a gallbladder attach & it was rough. I finally got up & went outdoors .

One of the nice things about doing that was that I got to see some of the solar  flare they had been talking about on the news. I cannot find words to describe it but it was awesome. I fought through the pain & did all of the outdoor chores & fed the stove.

I have been at it all morning & am about to fall out of my chair from lack of sleep. I did take the sewing computer apart & clean it out so now it is a happy-puter-no noise! So, that is the reasons that I just fell off the face of the earth - what have you guys been doing for FUN?

Life -but cute life this time

After what seemed like life just tripped up & fell right on top of us -this cute little bundle of "LIFE" just popped in today. His name is Cory Jacob-he is almost 3 months old & he is "bundle " that belongs to our grandson & his partner , Jade. His Daddy , Ronnie came today to help his Grandpaw work on the truck that died yesterday. He brought our young friend, James & they all worked to put a head gasket on the truck. I guess the truck was just sicker than they thought because it blowed the head gasket again - only worse this time. So while the "guys " were out working themselves to death in the Cold / snow flurries - Jade & CoryJacob were in a warm house with me. ( or it would remain warm as long as I remembered to feed that stove~)

I did not manage to get even one Good picture because this camera is showing a black screen now too - so I just point & shoot & hope for the best. I loved his little dinosaur outfit with the little "shoes"built into the set.

 Father & son as Father attempts to eat his bowl of beans before Pawpaw drags him back out into the cold to work on that truck.

This is a new outfit -after he burped all over himself & his Mama. He still does not know what to think of that old woman following him around with that thing that shoots lights at him.

I did not manage to get even one good picture of this little guy when he was at his absolute cutest. He is only 3 months old -yet pulls himself up in your lap to look all around & then talks a mile a minute in baby talk . I know it does not sound like much- but I had never heard a baby have an hour long conversation with you continually. You know how they screw their little faces up while they are concentrating so hard. Sometimes it was just a "happy conversation" & sometimes it was like he did not think you were paying attention so he would really let you have it then.

He was totally cute & funny & full of himself the whole day. His Mom is having back problems & has an appointment with a back doctor tomorrow. I sure hope they can offer some help -because you know how hard it is to have a baby & a bad back at the same time. I know that Jade did most of the work all day long-but by the end of  the day I was a whipped pup-even if he does only weight 12 pounds-but Grannies have a way of forgetting how hard it is for young Mothers.

So, needless to say I did not get my sewing attended to. They are calling for 4 inches of snow tonight- I hope it misses us . They are coming back tomorrow to work on the truck again if it does not snow.. I fed them beans & cornbread & cranberry scones today . Then I had cornbread & buttermilk for my supper tonight & here it is after midnight AGAIN- another day Gone . I just noticed that next Sunday Daylight Savings starts & I HATE it! I despise it - I loath it - do you get the idea that I wish they would just leave our time ALONE!

I ran across this interesting article this after noon & it caught my attention:

Finger length

Comparative finger length can tell you a surprising amount about your likelihood of having certain conditions. Typically, men’s ring fingers tend to be longer than their index fingers, while in women it’s the opposite. Women who have a “masculinized” pattern, with ring fingers longer than their index fingers, are twice as likely to suffer from osteoarthritis, according to a 2008 study published inArthritis and Rheumatism. The study found osteoarthritis of the knees to be more common in both men and women with longer ring fingers, but the effect was most pronounced in women. Longer index fingers, on the other hand, are associated with a higher risk of breast cancer in women and with a lower risk of prostate cancer in men. A 2010 study found that men whose index fingers were noticeably longer than their ring fingers were 33 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer.

Why? Scientists aren’t sure yet, but they believe finger length is affected by exposure to varying amounts of the hormones testosterone and estrogen in the womb. Longer ring fingers indicate greater prenatal exposure to testosterone, while longer index fingers suggest higher estrogen exposure. Since breast cancer is estrogen-fueled, longer index fingers correlate with higher breast cancer. In men, more testosterone is linked to a higher incidence of prostate cancer, since one fuels the other. As for the osteoarthritis connection, scientists don’t have a clear explanation yet but think it may have something to do with the way hormones affect early bone growth.

What to do: Women who have longer ring fingers may want to be on the alert for weak or sore joints, particularly knees, and get injuries or soreness evaluated. Men who may be at higher risk for prostate cancer should be proactive about PSA testing and talk to their doctors about additional testing as well. All women should have regular mammograms for breast cancer screening; if you think you may be at higher risk, talk to your doctor about increasing the frequency of mammograms or scheduling an MRI in addition.

Some researchers believe that finger length should be used as a criterion for more comprehensive cancer screening, but this is controversial. In the meantime, follow suggested guidelines, and be proactive about getting all approved tests.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/7-things-your-hands-say-about-your-health.html#ixzz1oDbNRuH5

Life Gets In The Way

It started as a really nice , quiet morning. I woke early & went out & did all the chores-came back in quietly because DH was still sleeping . He had a rough night last night so I knew he needed the rest. I did not even stop in the kitchen to get a drink because I was afraid the noise would awaken him as he was asleep on the couch.

I made it to the sewing room & got on the computer to clear out emails & such. He came by shortly after & said that he had been out to the stove , but he saw that I had already filled it so he knew I was somewhere. LOL We fixed breakfast & I went to do the dishes-yep- that was my mistake for ruining a quiet morning.

The silverware drawer has been broken for approximately the last month. The support under neath of it gave way & it would either hang way out & thus you would bump it -or - if you pushed it in -then you could not get into the second drawer for the potholders???? It was a mess-but I had hopefully hoped that DH would feel like fixing it. But this morning it was the last straw for me - I got his drill & a screw & I was attempting to put a screw in to hold the broken support -just so it looked better & would be out of the way . But- NO- DH did not want that & he said we would go to town to get one & do it right?????? MISTAKE!

I did not want to go to town-but there was no derailing him. We made it to the little town where the hardware was located & IT WAS OUT OF BUSINESS!!!!!!!!!!!!  But he found some cheaper gas so we did get gas. Then we went to the next little town at Lowes building supplies & he found the support-yea!

We pulled out of the parking lot & the truck made the most aweful sound so we coasted into another parking lot. DH went in & got some oil -but it was too late to save the day. The motor was going -but we made it out of town & to a little country store a few miles from our  house. DH used their phone as we had Both left ours at home today????

He called a neighbor who was kind enough to come pick us up. He is such a sweet neighbor who was working at a local tire shop & was helping a co-worker when a piece of steel flew into his right eye. It was horrible - so much pain , but they thought he would be alright -wrong-now they don't think he will have but maybe 5 %sight-so he has been learning to drive with one eye & you would never know he had a problem. We also have another neighbor who only has one eye & he works for the local pop company fixing their pop machines.

We made it home & I was so thrilled - changed clothes & went out & did evening chores while DH called our oldest son who has a trailer and he & his wife came & picked up our truck & brought it home. The grandson & a friend are suppose to come in the morning to help DH pull the motor & work on it. Needless to say - time marches on. I went to lock up the chickens & was actually glad to take that walk up the hill - just to have a quiet moment to destress.

Even Yukon came over for a visit- always ready for a good "ear-scratching".

I ran across a nice tip today for clutter -  you just never know who it might help. As for me - I am still looking for that magic lamp with the genie! LOL

Hello and welcome back to your Declutter Fast newsletter!

Your home truly is your castle. And you deserve
to make your home a place that brings you serenity
and good feelings, 24 hours a day.

A long time ago, I figured out the "Doll House"
method of making a place into what you really
want it to be.

This is because I had a playhouse built in my
back yard. It started as a bare wood playhouse
with a bare floor. I had the playhouse painted,
and then I tiled the floor myself (about 64
squares of stick-on tile - it made all the
difference in the place).

If I'd had that place as a kid, I probably would
have spent all my time there, but my own kids
spent very little time in it. But I love the
playhouse because it's like a "perfect" little
home.

Even when my own home had too much clutter, I
refused to let the playhouse have ANY clutter.
I put cozy kid-sized armchairs in it, plus
some colorful kid-sized tables from Ikea. I
added lamps, a bookcase, a cute rug, a fold-out
chair-bed, a tiny TV set, and a mailbox.

This playhouse was always the no-clutter-zone
and it made me feel happy to look at it! It
still does!

It helped me to realize that at heart, I was
a spartan soul who liked ORDER and no clutter
whatsoever! And I know you like order too!

Later I decided to try this "doll house"
technique in my own home. I would take one
room at a time and make sure it only had what
was needed or pleasing to the eye - and not
one bit of clutter in sight. It works wonders!

How can you do this? You take away the things
which are making ANY sort of clutter - and put
them somewhere else for the time being.

Putting your clutter out of your sight is very
important - because every time you look at it,
this has a draining effect on you.

This way, your home can be your beautiful
"doll house" right away. You've moved and
contained the clutter for the time being.

Then, when you have time, you can systematically
go through your clutter. It WILL eventually be
conquered!

For more fast ways to declutter your world,
check out my book "Declutter Fast."

      at http://www.declutterfast.com

Every effort we make adds up.

Here's to order in our lives!

With love,
Mimi Tanner
Author of Declutter Fast - How to Get Your Home In
Order Almost Immediately!
http://www.declutterfast.com

Sorry - kids - I just ran across this recipe:

Blackberry Scones
(Makes 6-8 scones)

Ingredients:

For the scones:
1 – 1 1/2 c blackberries 2 c flour 1 Tbs baking powder 4 Tbs sugar 4 Tbs butter 2 eggs, beaten 1/3 c milk 1/4 c sour cream
For the crust:
1 egg white 1/4 c sugar

Directions:

If you are using fresh berries, wash them and then stick them in the freezer for at least a half hour. This will help the berries maintain their structural integrity when you work them into the dough.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the flour, baking flour, and the 4 Tbs of sugar in a bowl. Cut the butter into chunks and work it into the dough until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Stir in the milk, eggs, and sour cream and form a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Fold the berries into the dough. Be careful not to overwork or smash the fruit.

Pat the dough into an 8 inch circle. Now it’s time to make the sugary crust. Beat the egg white until it is frothy and then spread over the top of the dough. This will seem soupy and strange, but go with it. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar over the egg whites so that the top is covered and the sugar is absorbed by the egg whites.

With a floured knife, cut the dough into wedges. The scones will expand a bit in the oven, so keep this in mind when you cut them. Carefully transfer the scones onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 18-20 minutes until they are lightly browned. Wait until cooled and then enjoy.

Furbabies like new things to

If any of you have a furbaby like my Miss Blondie (on the right) She has always loved to sleep under the covers when cold weather arrives. So, I accidentally hit upon an idea I like & she really enjoys. I sewed two pillowcases for her favorite pillow -then put each one on the pillow on opposite sides. That way the first pillowcase covers the pillow & the second one she uses like a little tent& pulls the covers over top of herself.

I think that Miss Blondie had fallen off to sleep & Miss Honeybear decided to try out the new covers. LOL  Funny how they "spot" new things just like humans do? LOL

It was a perfectly lovely , sunny day today & I got 3 laundries all hung out in the pretty sunshine to dry.
Then I got online & ordered the parts for my little sick Tracker vehicle. Yes, she is sick - her clutch, pressure plate & throw out bearing have had it. So, we will see how it goes.

I have just taken a small carrot cake from the oven & am letting it cool for me to put the cream cheese icing on it  & now I have to tackle those bills once again. Can you believe how fast this past month has gone? It just seems like the other day when I did the bills for February . I hate for time to fly by so fast -just making me older quicker-but in this case it gets the weather closer to what my beautiful flowers & fruit trees need. If it turns back into a deadly cold I am worried about their survival. ????

Well, work to be done - have a wonderful , blessed day!
linda