September 3-5, 2008

It has been several days since my last post, but there was a reason (which I will get to later). First is an update on my arm:

I haven't been online much this week except to read and reply to email because I am still having alot of trouble with my arm. Not only am I having continued pain near the incision closest to my elbow, but also the bloodflow that was re-routed to supply the CryoVein has not redistributed to effectively supply the rest of my arm. Consequently I have large areas of tingling and/or numbness. Most of the time my hand and wrist are very cold because there isn't enough blood flowing through them. The lack of proper bloodflow has also caused the muscles in my forearm to tighten up when I use my hand and arm too much. The process of the bloodflow redistributing evenly throughout my arm could take several weeks. Until then, I will be limited as to how much I can do with my right hand and arm.




Now for a stitching suprise:
Followers of my blog may recognize this piece as Mount Coot-tha by Dinky-Dyes Designs. I started this at the beginning of July and became frustrated with it because I had to do so much frogging. Near the end of July, I decided to work on a smaller project for a "finish fix" and set MCT aside temporarily. As of Tuesday, two months had passed since my last finish, so I thought it was high time I completed something. There was just the border of MCT to work on so I knew it wouldn't take me long to get done. Walking away from this project was obviously the right thing to do because stitching went much better this time; there was not nearly as much frogging going on.
I took MCT with me when I went to get my dialysis treatment on Wednesday and made even more progress. I also stitched once I got home, as my arm allowed.

I didn't even turn the television on at all on Thursday because I was focused on completing MCT. It was a disappoint-ment that it wasn't done by Midnight, however, the last stitch went in at 2:05 Friday morning!

This is Finish #29 for 2008!
Once I got MCT put away I decided it was time to work seriously towards that "crazy" and "unrealistic" goal I set to complete 100 pieces this year. So far, I have 29 cross stitch, four pillows, two shams, and two Q-Snap covers, for a total of 37 pieces completed to date. That leaves 63 to go.

I wanted to work on some UFOs that are done except for the backstitching. First, I tried working on a bookmark that I started back in 2006. I don't have the chart anymore because I was so disgusted with all the quarter-stitches in the designs. I had to look through all my Stitch Bow storage binders to find the correct shades of purple and pink to complete this project. Unfortunately, I had to put the bookmark down because of the uncomfortable cramping in my right forearm and hand.


Next, I worked on Good Dog. I put it in my 3 1/2 inch spring hoop but I ran into the same problem: my hand couldn't hold the small hoop without cramping and Good Dog, too, was set aside once again.
Since I only have four months to finish 63 projects, they need to all be small. Therefore, I decided it was the perfect time to stitch one of my Doodles for Leftovers by Hob-Nobb Designs. I chose to start with God Bless America and changed out the fabric. I switched from the hand-dyed dark blue that the LNS included to some light blue opalescent Lugana from my stash. I chose Navy and Snowflake by WDW and Cranberry by GAST as my blue, white, and red. I hope to have this finished tomorrow so I worked on the border at dialysis and continued stitching once I returned home.

August 2, 2008

I have to admit that I still didn't get much stitching done. I was out all evening, so the only work on Good Dog was done in the early morning hours before I went to sleep. I have alot more backstitching to do, but I'm pretty sure I can line the stitching up with the pre-printed mat. I feel a little better after studing the model picture and noticing that theirs doesn't line up, either. I've extended my stitching a few extra lines so it'll line up a little better than the model.

This afternoon was alot of fun. My friend Daniel and I went to Sakura Japanese Steakhouse for a wonderful meal that was cooked right before our eyes. The chefs always put on a great show and the food is perfectly cooked. We both enjoyed some Green Tea ice cream after our shrimp and scallops.

Then the skies opened up and we had hail here in Annapolis for the first time in years that I could remember. I shot this picture looking through the windshield of my truck, so there are fuzzy dots where raindrops fell. But you can see the ice on the ground in August!

We went Downtown where I took some pictures of the skies as one thunderstorm was leaving and another was approaching.

This is Spa Creek, looking over towards the Eastport section of Annapolis. The bright white of the cloud caught my attention. This is the tail-end of the storm that dropped the hail upon us.
I turned around from snapping the previous picture and this vista was a treat for the eyes. In the background you can see the dome of the State House. This building is the oldest wooden-domed building still in legislative use in the United States. It was inside that George Washington resigned his commission in front of the Contintental Congress and was also the capital of the United States from November 1783 to August 1784. Currently undergoing a major renovation, the State House is closed to all but construction workers. Even the Governor had to move to temporary offices in one of the legislative office buildings.These mallard hens were resting on the dingy of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Skipjack, Stanley Norman. You can see the waters of "Ego Alley" behind them. This stretch of City Dock became known by this moniker because of boaters' habit of trolling up and down it, just to be seen. There was a restaurant/bar by the same name but its owners came under fire from many locals after trying to trademark "Ego Alley" as their own. Walking around City Dock, there was no Ego Alley except the waterway so it looks like the locals won!
We saw All Shook Up! at the Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre and thoroughly enjoyed the show. There was a rain delay that made the show start about 45 minutes late but there were no complaints. That's the way things go when you enjoy Theatre Under the Stars™! This show was hilarious and I will probably volunteer to do house so that I can see it again. The audience erupted into peals of laughter throughout the performance. We were advised before it began that some modifications had to be made in some of the dances for safety reasons (the stage was still a little wet) but it was still a wonderful show!

All Shook Up, the 2005 hit written by Joe DiPeitro, brings the fifties and its most famous rock star back to life. But it’s not a biographical review. It’s a story depicting a small town that’s in for the kind of excitement they haven’t seen in a lifetime – and more love triangles than you could possibly imagine.

Somewhere in a dreary little town in the Midwest in the 1950's, Natalie, a mechanic, dreams of passion and adventure. Sitting with friends in Sylvia's, the local honky-tonk, they’re suddenly interrupted with a roar as Chad, a roustabout, arrives on his motorcycle. And what a strange coincidence – Chad needs a mechanic to fix his bike! When Chad learns that excitement is outlawed under the Mayor's strict rules, Chad promises to breathe some life into this sad, little town.

He touches a broken-down jukebox, and it immediately comes to life. Natalie and Chad go off to work on Chad’s bike, and she tells him of her dreams. Meanwhile, Matilda the mayor, Earl the sheriff and Matilda’s son Dean arrive and scold everyone for their dancing and singing, then head off to find the town’s new menace. That’s just the beginning. The story is so full of real, secret and unrequited love among an incredible cast of townspeople that you’ll have to pay real close attention to keep up with it.

And at the same time, keep a special eye out for who’s dressed up as whom! Of course, you’ll be treated to a whole host of The King’s biggest hits throughout the story, from Heartbreak Hotel to Hound Dog, Teddy Bear to Blue Suede Shoes, and Love Me Tender to Devil in Disguise – and more than a dozen others. Will true love prevail? Will the power of music win the day? Will this small town survive getting all shook up? You’ll learn all the answers when everything comes to a head in the finale at the Fairgrounds.

The large cast includes ASGT veterans and young performers from the greater Annapolis area, a number of whom are pursuing theatre degrees in college.

Left to right: TJ Touzin (Sandra), Vince Musgrave (Chad), Ali Guidry
(Natalie)

Synopsis & picture from ASGT's website.

August 1, 2008

Can you blieve that it's already August?! Where has this year gone? Maybe it feels like it's May to me because I spent so much time in the hospital over the winter? I don't know, but it certainly doesn't feel like August first! But enough of that!

I watched The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants in the wee morning hours. I'm adding this one to my "Must Own" list! If you happen to watch make sure you have tissues handy! It's a wonderful movie, and although aimed at teenaged girls, it could teach us all some lessons. The only reason I got this movie through NetFlix is because I keep seeing the trailer for the sequel and it looks good. I wanted to see the first one so I would know what's going on when I see The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants brings to the screen Ann Brashares’best-selling novel about one very special summer in the lives of four lifelong friends.

Introduced as babies who were born to mothers who met in a prenatal aerobics class, the four grew up together and developed an enduring bond despite
their distinctly different emerging personalities. Now, after years of sharing every triumph and loss, every wild idea and secret fear with the laughter and love of true friends, these four young women couldn’t be closer…except that they’re about to be separated as their lives take them in different directions for the first time.

Introspective and occasionally volatile Carmen (AMERICA FERRERA) is looking forward to spending quality time with her out-of-state dad, whom she hasn’t seen much since he divorced her mother years ago; super-confident star athlete Bridget (BLAKE LIVELY) is heading for a soccer camp in Mexico; soft-spoken Lena(ALEXIS BLEDEL), a gifted artist as beautiful as her drawings, is set to discover her heritage – and an unexpected romance – on a trip to her grandparents’ home in Greece; and sharp-witted rebel Tibby (AMBER TAMBLYN) will reluctantly remain in town, stocking shelves at the local discount store while working on her pet project, a video “suckumentary” to expose what she sees as the banality of everyday life.

On a shopping trip together the day before their paths diverge, the friends find a pair of thrift-shop jeans that amazingly fits and flatters each one of them perfectly, even though they are four young women of very different shapes and sizes. It seems these pants are meant for sharing and that gives Carmen, Bridget, Lena, and Tibby a wonderful idea. They decide to use the pants as a way of keeping in touch during the months ahead, each one wearing them for a week to see what luck they bring before mailing them on to the next.

In this unique way, though miles apart, the four still experience the challenges and surprises of life as they always have – together – in a summer they’ll never forget.

Stitching-wise, I continued working on Good Dog. I almost threw it lock, stock, and barrel across the room this evening though. I've had to extend the stitching on the bottom and top and it still doesn't really line up right with the pre-printed mat. I think I can make it work, but I still have to finish the backstitching.

I'm not sure what I'll stitch next, but if I'm to get to my goal of 100 finishes this year whatever it is needs to be small. Doggie will be my 29th finish for 2008. I also would like to finally finish Mount Coot-tha by Dinky-Dyes Designs, but I may wait a little longer before picking it up again. I guess there really CAN be too many choices!

July 31, 2008

Last night was alot of fun! I called Debi M to make sure she was okay because no one in our private group had seen her all day. She lives about three miles from the epicenter to yesterday's California earthquake and we were all worried about her. Everything was fine in Anaheim; she was doing yard work most of the day with Allen and Rachel. We talked for a long while and started joking around about the men in PS I Love You. Rachel decided that she wanted to watch it so I put my DVD in at the same time.

Debi and I had a great time watching the movie "together" from opposite sides of the country. Both of us have seen it so many times we can recite scenes from memory. We laughed, guffawed, and giggled our way through lines, sometimes mangling them and sometimes reciting word for word in time with the actors. It was about 4:30am when the movie ended and I went to take a quick shower. I was ready at 5:20 to leave for the hospital and we arrived there shortly after 5:30.

I chatted with the ladies at the registration desk and received a big hug from Debbie, my Registration Specialist pal, when she returned from walking a patient back. She and I were discussing the ages of our dogs. I told her that Shandi turned seven and Kasey turned six last week. She replied that her two would be five in December. We remarked on how the time passes; I remember when she was discussing the possibility of getting a dog and now it's been almost five years that she's had them! Even better news: she and her DH welcomed a new grand-baby into the world last week!

After the IV was in and the bloodwork drawn I read a book. I could have stitched, but I was honestly afraid to after being up all night. I've made some careless mistakes lately and I am convinced it's because I've been getting tired and not realizing it, so I keep working. I didn't want to take a chance on making another time-consuming mistake with my stitching.

The surgery to replace my stents went as planned and Uncle Wes arrived to take me home at 9:23. Patients have to be back in the Short Stay Unit for thirty minutes after leaving Recovery so I wasn't allowed to go until at least 9:30. I was already dressed by the time Wessy got there so all that needed to be done was for the IV to be taken out and the discharge instructions to be signed. On the way home we stopped at Wawa so I could have another jug of their Lemonade Tea.

I walked through the door to the house at 9:40 and was in bed within minutes. Kasey was wound like an eight-day clock so Wes took her out to take care of business. He knew I was going to sleep most of the day and didn't want her waking me. She came back in and joined Chet and I in my bedroom and the three of us settled in for a nice nap.

I woke around 2:30 in the afternoon and chatted with Debi M and stitched a little on my Doggie project. After a couple hours my eyes started to close on me again and I went back to bed. I was unable to fall asleep so I just read my book in bed for several hours.

Upon waking the second time I started working on Good Dog some more. I was hoping to have him finished by the end of the month but that just was not to be. It's pretty close but there are a few more hours' worth of work to do.

July 30, 2008

Here's my progress on Doggie today. Not much, because I was occupied doing other things and watching movies most of the evening, but at least you can tell I worked on it today.

Because I have many friends on here, I want to let you know that I will be having a minor surgery tomorrow to change the tubes that hold my kidneys and ureters open. I have to be at the hospital at 5:30am, but I should be home by 11:00am.

Because of the anesthesia, nausea, and pain medicines, I will most likely sleep for the majority of the day once I get home. This is a routine procedure that I've had over 60 times since 1995, so I don't want anyone to worry because I said the word "surgery" again. So, please, don't worry if you don't see any posts from me in my groups on Thursday! I hope everyone has a wonderful day!!

Love,
Beth

July 29, 2008

After yesterday's "Stitching ADHD" I focused my attention on Good Dog, the JanLynn kit designed by Alma Lynne. Doggie is coming along nicely, although I had to do a small bit of frogging. I got two symbols mixed up and stitched the outline of his face in the wrong color. The mistake was quickly remedied, but I was still upset with myself for my lack of concentration.

I'm considering whether or not to stitch the white in his neckerchief. This is on white Aida, and sometimes I don't stitch all the white that is called for. What is your opinion on this?

My stitching chair is not my own anymore. A certain Bug has decided that it's his and I disturb him whenever I get up. You should see the glare he gives me every time he has to move to let me sit back down. It's a good thing I'm as small as I am, because I have to cram myself against the arm of the chair so HE has enough room! You're probably thinking "Why don't you just make him get down?" Because he just comes right back! And he sits beside me like this because he worries about me. He's very clingy when I've been gone for any amount of time, and I was gone almost all of last week. You can be sure he'll be keeping me company when I get home from the hospital on Thursday morning.

It's been a very lazy day today. I've been feeling a little under the weather since last week. It started when I took my new medication that was supposed to raise my blood pressure. It accomplished that goal, but because it's a steriod, I also gained over twelve pounds in less than three days. Needless to say, I felt like the Sta-Puff Marshmallow Man from the movie Ghostbusters. The doctor was concerned when he saw me on Friday, but we agreed to let the excess fluid go away on its own rather than try to pull it off durning my dialysis treatment. It's probably going to take another week, but the way I lose and gain weight I'm not worried about it.

July 28, 2008

I was a little restless last night and continued stitching Good Dog. Then my Stitching ADHD hit and I just *had* to start something else, too. I picked up one of the Miniature Quilt Collection kits Miss Deborah from Clinton, IA, sent me. The one I started is called Grandma's Flower Garden. Everything, including the perforated paper and the silks, are provided in the kit. This is going to be very cute when finished. You have the option of stitching on the bright white or the antiqued side and I chose the antique side. I think the colors will look better with the aged look.

When I took it out of my stitching bag at dialysis, I realized that Good Dog isn't just a JanLynn Kit, it was designed by Alma Lynne. I think this is a very cute design, but I can't claim to be a fan of everything she's done. It's coming along, but I didn't have much time to stitch during my treatment today. I'm back down to 2 1/2 hour treatments rather than three hours, and I had to spend about half my treatment on the phone.

I totally forgot the date and realized over the weekend that my surgery to change the tubes that hold my kidneys and ureters open is on Thursday. I was supposed to get an appointment to have a doctor give medical clearance for the surgery and found out there were no appointments until mid-August. I called the prep team at the hospital and was told that the clearance I got at the end of May is still good, but I'll have another EKG when I get to the hospital on Thursday morning. My technician, Faye, faxed over my bloodwork to them so now everything is taken care of. All I have to do is show up...at 5:30am. If you want to see a real walking zombie, you should be around me at 5:30 in the morning. Luckily I get to sleep the rest of the day because of the anesthesia, so I'll make up for the early morning wake up call.

I actually got some stitching done this evening, continuing to work on Good Dog. He's coming along nicely, isn't he?

I've also been thinking about taking Deftly Wrought out of UFO Pergatory and finishing up that verse. I'm not making any promises, though!

July 27, 2008

Today started with total frustration. Shortly after midnight, I finally found the mistake that had been niggling at my brain every time I looked at Mount Coot-tha! It wasn't a minor one, either. The realization began last week when I thought the upper left set of ribbon and bow motifs weren't centered between the two flowers. Then, as I was stitching the border I began to see the border wasn't lining up with the design as it should. Not only did I have to frog the ribbon and bow motifs, but also the flower and leaves in the upper right corner. It took six hours to get back to where I was before the frog attacked, but I continued working on the border afterwards.

My day also ended in frustration over the fact that Mount Coot-tha is taking so long. I decided to put it away for a few days so that I can work on a few smaller things. I don't want to burn out like I did when I was working on Deftly Wrought, so I took it out of the Q-Snaps and started this cute little JanLynn kit Sue V gave to me. This is called "Good Dog" and comes with a pre-printed mat, so I only have to stitch a small oval in the center. I'll probably add this to my inventory for the store over in Greensboro.