March 4, 2009-Not a good day

I did some stitching early this afternoon while waiting for my truck. I completed three more corner motifs on Panel 1. New back tires have been put on, and then I took it up to my shop where they re-torqued the lug nuts. Seems the tire place turned them all too tight. They got the air pressure right, though! The last tire shop didn't even do that.

Kasey and I returned home and I ate my lunch. I left for dialysis, got there a little early and then heard the words I've been dreading since my graft was replaced in August: You're clotted. That's it! No dialysis today! The nurse called my vascular surgeon right away and I've just received my instructions for tomorrow.

I have to be at the hospital at 3:00pm, surgery is at 5:00 and it sounds like they're going to try to de-clot the graft. I'll be home tomorrow evening, but I'll be groggy and probably just go right to bed. It's not a complicated procedure at all, and isn't even done in OR. It's done in radiology because they shoot dye into the graft, pull the clot out through a needle, and the dye shows them when bloodflow has been restored. It's just frustrating, because I had 6 surgeries on my dialysis access last year and this new graft was supposed to last longer. I don't consider 6 months "longer."

I'm going to go do some stitching on A Stitcher's Companion, eat and drink til 8 hours before surgery, and go meet Carol for some stitching fun tonight at Border's Books.

UPDATE: Kasey and I met Carol in the food court of Annapolis Mall for dinner. Kasey didn't like all the noise and bustle, but fell asleep beside my feet after I put some Peace& Calming oil on her foot. She was spooked by the mechanical rides for the kids. Once she figured out the carousel was moving in place and not coming to get her she was okay, though. This was the first time she's been in a big, crowded area and I feel she did very well over all. At first she wanted to cling to my side and not lay down but the P&C helped with her nervousness.

Stitching-wise, I completed the eight small motifs in each of the corners of Panel 1. Carol and I had a very nice time stitching in the Borders cafe. I'm hoping I can stitch while I wait for my procedure time, but it all depends on where they place my IV. If I can't stitch, I have my iPod to listen to and I'm taking a book as well.

I will take a picture later to post, but right now I need to go back to bed.

Hugs,
Beth

March 3, 2009

Happy Birthday to Chetter-Bug! My Bug is 15 today. To celebrate, he was served a whole can of tuna fish. Chet was nice enough to leave a little for Kasey to lick up, but he ate almost the entire thing. Tuna fish is Chet's favorite, in case you couldn't tell.

Kasey has an upset tummy and is being fed rice along with her dry food. Cherie also reminded me that I have some essential oils that can help her, so I mixed some lavender oil, peppermint oil, and canola oil (to dilute the essential oils to prevent irritation) to rub on Kasey's belly. She promptly fell asleep on her couch and didn't move for more than two hours. If she's not better by Thursday, we are going to the vet.

Today was a day for errands! I went out and got my hair cut and styled, stopped at Wawa to re-charge my gift card, and then went home to get Kasey. I took her to Muddy Paw Wash (soon to be renamed Bark 'n Bean) where she went bonkers upon our arrival. She was a whirling dervish, running from one person to another to say hello. Mike took her to the wash area while I enjoyed a large Chai (free with the frequent visitor bonus) and talked with the girls in the lounge. On the way to Muddy Paw, we stopped at the Post Office so that I could get more stamps and send out my OW~OH giveaways. You can start stalking your mailmen tomorrow, ladies!

After leaving MPW I stopped by the Goodyear shop and made an appointment to get the back tires of Kasey's truck replaced. They gave me a better price for on-the-rim-and-out-the-door, plus road hazzard, than Mr Tire (who did the front tires) so I'm having them do the work this time. They're going to do the tires tomorrow while I wait so I'll be able to drive myself to dialysis afterwards.

I also returned the rubberized fingertips to Staples today. No questions asked, they refunded my money for the two boxes I'd purchased on Sunday. Thank you, Staples! They just didn't do what I needed them to do. One cannot stitch if one is unable to feel the needle!

Staples was our last stop before returning home, where I (obviously) played online today. After getting through all my emails and chatting for about an hour with the ladies in one of my groups, I watched a Hallmark movie, the 11 o'clock news, and Jay Leno before turning off the tv. While I was watching television I changed my blog background and text colors. I finally found a purple background I liked! What do you think? Please let me know if you have difficulty reading anything. That's one of my pet peeves about using different colors. Sometimes I think the blog owner doesn't go back and look at what they've created. If they re-read everything, they'd see that some colors make the words indecipherable.

No stitching today, but tomorrow will be different! Not only will I have about an hour while the tires are getting changed, but also Carol and I are meeting at Border's Books tomorrow evening to stitch together. I'll let you know how I do with the elevator. Maybe it was just a one-time thing.

I know I said Kasey has an upset tummy and I took her out with me. Don't worry, she is acting like she's at 100%. I'm not being a mean mommy by taking her out when she's sick. As a matter of fact, she probably would have read me the riot act if I tried to leave her home the second time I went out. She just had nasties coming out the hind end and she is asking to go outside a little more frequently than usual. If I didn't pay such close attention to her, I wouldn't even know something wasn't right. Nothing in her behavior, besides going outside more, indicates that she's feeling poorly. I'm just concerned because if it's something she ate, it should clear up in a few days.

February 26, 2009

You might think I'm boring, but I slept for thirteen hours today! Obvoiusly I needed the rest. My theory on sleep is that I go to bed when I'm tired and I wake up whenever I wake up. I know this doesn't work for alot of people, but it's how I ensure I get all the rest my body needs. I only set an alarm on dialysis days and don't feel guilty if I sleep for an exorbitant amount of time. Since the body needs sleep to recouperate and heal, and I know there's alot wrong with mine, I sleep til it says I've slept enough. I think if more people did this, instead of constantly on the go-go-go, they'd be less prone to alot of the nasty "bugs" that are out there. As long as they keep their germs to themselves, they can keep on rushing through life but I'm going to enjoy mine while I have it!

For the fourth day in a row, Mr Mailman brought birtday cards and floss! Cards from Debi, Teresa, and CJ arrived. CJ even sent a piece of Fairy Blush 18ct Aida when my card was returned to her. I don't mind late cards, CJ! It extends my birthday fun! Thank you for the thoughtful gift!

If you've stayed away from joining a birthday card and floss exchange in your groups, you should certainly give it a go! It's the easiest way to increase your floss stash! I belong to three BFC's and look forward to them each year.
I was determined to complete Lasseter's Reef today! I forbade myself from turning on the laptop until the last stitch was in. It took most of the afternoon and evening, but at 10:00pm on the dot I did it! Lasseter's Reef is my fourth Dinky Dyes quilt square finish and my seventh in the Year of the Sampler.

I was on the telephone with Debi and I finished LR and we discussed my next project. I'm not allowing myself to start anything else until I finish the stitching on A Stitcher's Companion and my BRD gameboard. I honestly don't like having more than one project on the go. I like working on one thing until it's done. I complete things faster that way, rather than spreading my stitching out over several projects at a time. Later this year, I may work on a smaller project to take a break from whatever BAP I decide to work on, but not right now. I might switch back and forth between my two projects if I get bored, but NO NEW STARTS! Here's my progress on the inside cover of A Stitcher's Companion by Enchanting Lair. All I need to do is to put in my personalization and stitch the corner motifs.

I'm also very proud of myself for adhering to my stash diet! I've spent a total of $14 in the month of February for stash. Has anyone else cut back? For me, it made a huge difference this month! I haven't been scrabbling the last week of the month, making do with what's in the pantry. I still had money to go get a few groceries and other things. Being on disability, there isn't much left after I pay bills, so I honestly do live "check to check."

Next month I will have another car repair bill, this time replacing the rear tires which are showing the wear bands. That's not a repair that can be put off so my diet continues! The only thing I'm allowed to pay for is the auto-ship of My Stitching Album. I'm hoping to be able to trade for anything else if the need arises. Right now, there is nothing I need. To fight temptation I haven't even looked at the Nashville new releases. They'll be there when I have the means to purchase them. If not, it just wasn't meant to be.

Back to my question about cutting back, has anyone gone a less-expensive route when kitting up a project? Using a less expensive substitute to the reccommended fibers? I've opted to offer my Soie d'Alger silks for trade. I'm not going to buy the rest needed for my Just Nan projects. I can't afford them so I will use the Vikki Clayton Hand-Dyed Fibers. So if you need/want any of the silks I've already purchased, just let me know. They'll be on my trade blog soon. My wishlist is in the sidebar of my trade blog, too.

February 17, 2009

I was stuck at home today because the truck is in the shop getting new front brakes. You'd think I got alot of stitching done, right?

*Snort of disgust* NO!

I read email until Uncle Wes picked me up at 3:00 to go get the truck. Then I read email for another hour and a half until I had to get Kasey and I ready to go to Heirloom Stitchers.

Carol and Kathy were there and Sharon was able to stop by on her way home to show us her beautiful finishes. She even gave Kathy and I each a piece of hand-dyed Jobelan, complete with Thunder (her black Lab) hair! The bit in the middle is where she frogged some black floss, so I'll get that out with a piece of tape. I love how wispy the blue and white is. I'm sure I'll find something to stitch on this!

Kathy showed off a new finish last week and I was drooling over the chart. Imagine my surprise when she gifted the chart and floss to me! She said she bought the chart as my birthday present, but when she saw how cute it was she had to stitch it herself! This is 'Patriotic Hearts & Sampler Stitches' by Sekas & Co. It is definitely going in the "Favorites" drawer of my stash cabinet!

We were also joined by Carol's husband, George and her son, Raymond. Kasey was in Heaven with two admirers! George sat down and she was more than willing to rest her chin on his leg so that he could give her the admiration she thinks she so richly deserves. She was also quite smitten with Raymond, but I had to remind her that she was working and couldn't rough-house.

Carol brought Kasey a box of doggie-goodies as a goodwill gesture. At last week's Border's meeting, I found a tick on Kasey's neck. I couldn't get the whole thing so Carol used my needle-nosed tweezers and dug it out. I think Carol was more traumatized by the incident than Kasey Kay was.

When I reached in my stitching bag to get out Lasseter's Reef I discovered that I left it sitting on my Ergo stand at home! The BRD gameboard was in my bag so I thought "might as well." And then...

It almost became a QSnap Frisbee! But I was in a library and didn't want to scare Kasey with the loud bang and scream of frustration that would have accompanied it. Somehow, in my geniousness (that's sarcasm, btw), I made the flag one stitch too short! Therefore, the right side of the box, that faint line you see going down the length of the picture, was two threads too far to the left! How I managed this feat, I cannot begin to tell you! I frogged the offending line and then put the almost-Frisbee into my stitching bag, out of sight. I spent the last half hour of our stitch-in eating my shredded chicken mini sammies and chatting with Carol and Kathy instead.

So my stitching progress today is...

NEGATIVE 80 +/- stitches.

My truck's brakes are replaced, though! The only good news of the day was that the rotors didn't have to be resurfaced! That saved me 25 bucks!

February 16, 2009

I did some stitching just after midnight. I also squeezed in a little more before dialysis this morning. I've worked my way over to the border and am going to complete it before going back to the individual motifs. I find that's the way I usually do these geometric patterns.

I feel most comfortable starting a design in the center of the fabric and then work my way out to one of the edges. Maybe it's because I'm left-handed and like to stitch the way I write, but I usually work left to right. Once I get to the right side of the design I stitch the remainder in a counter-clockwise fashion. I don't plan it that way, but more often than not that's how it goes.

Many of you will be glad to know that I dropped my truck off at the shop tonight and the brakes will be done tomorrow. Now I just have to cross my fingers and hope that it will be ready for me to pick up when Uncle Wes comes through Annapolis tomorrow afternoon on his way back to Baltimore. Otherwise I have to wait til he comes home for the night. If that's the case, I may be late for my Heirloom Stitchers meeting.

I've already had to miss two stitching groups in the past week because of my lingering migraine but I especially do NOT want to miss Heirloom! I'm sure Kasey is wondering why we haven't gone anywhere in so long, too. I haven't left the house except to go to dialysis, and a quick grocery store run this morning, since last Monday when we went to Borders Books.

This was posted on one of my groups today. Since many of my readers share the same addiction, I knew you'd enjoy this.

I thought this was a 12-step program:

1) Join a group

2) Introduce yourself

3) Buy some patterns/kits

4) Buy some fabric

5) Buy some floss

6) "Oooh" and "Aaaah" at everyone's accomplishments

7) Post pics of your progress

8) Ask if anyone knows where to find a particular pattern

9) Ask another stitcher where he/she found that ABSOLUTELY MARVELOUS BAP that you saw on his/her blog ('Cause ya know you just HAVE to do it some day!)

10) Scratch your head and wonder "How did I get so much stuff?"

11) Declare that you will go on a stash diet

12) Repeat steps 3-11 for the rest of your life

Scary, but true!

February 9, 2009

I tell you, I really, really, really love my Kasey Kay!

But sometimes I could wring her neck!

I went to sleep at 3:30 this morning and she woke me up at 8:30am. Of course I couldn't get back to sleep so I got dressed and we went to run errands. I was in the mood for an Egg McMuffin. I arrived at the drive-through order screen at 10:35am. "We're serving lunch" I'm told. So much for McD's serving breakfast to 11am like my brother told me! I don't eat anything else there, so I just pulled out of line after saying "no thanks" into the microphone.

To give Kasey more practice in her long down-stay with distractions, we went to Muddy Paw Wash. I ordered a chai and sat down with my stitching. I didn't have to be at the Crownsville service station for my brake inspection until noon so we had some time to kill.

The new management of the service station was very helpful and took the time to explain what needed to be done to my truck without talking down to me. In fact, he had three other customers while I was there and the only thing he would accept payment for was a 95-cent light bulb. They did three different quick-fix/inspect jobs, including mine, without charging anything. I will definitely be using them for all my future vehicle maintenance and repair work!

The verdict on the truck's brakes is that, yes, they do need to be replaced, and as soon as possible. The good news is that it'll cost $133 less than what the Rt 50 Exxon service station was going to charge me. But there's more...I also need to replace the rear tires, quickly. I paid $333 in December for front tires but the estimate for rear ones is $280 if I have the Crownsville station do them.

The third bit of news from the Exxon station totally confused me. Last summer they gave me a printout of what's included in the 30,000 mile service and told me parts and labor would be $600. Last week they gave me the same printout and told me that all the parts were fine so it would only be $249 for labor to do the service. I didn't say anything, but the question in my mind was "what parts were needed last summer that are suddenly okay now?! How bad are they lying to me?" The estimate from the Crownsville shop was $198 for the service. Jason told me that 90% of the items included in the 30, 60, and 90,000 mile services are included in his station's regular oil change. Uncle Wes and I need to sit down and figure out when each issue can be dealt with. In the meantime I'm going to keep the truck in the driveway as much as possible.

I've given up on stitching at dialysis because the placement of my new graft doesn't allow me to bend my arm once the needles are in. Today, for example, I slept through my treatment. The 2-hour-plus nap helped make up for some of the sleep Kasey caused me to miss. My dialysis doc was doing rounds today and asked why I was so tired. When I told him I only slept for five hours he cautioned that I was heading for a cold, and maybe worse, if I didn't get a full night's sleep each night. He also said that he wants a picture of Kasey in her service band once it arrives. I told that was completely do-able and I would get it for him as soon as possible.

The stitching group met in the cafe of Border's Books at Annapolis Mall tonight from 7-10pm. Carol called me to let me know she would also be there but would arrive late because she was still making dinner for the family. I picked Kasey up and headed to Border's after leaving dialysis.

I continued working on my Flag Monthly Musing and am very pleased with my progress. My needles have been smokin' ever since I started this project. To give you an idea, here's a little timeline:


Two o'clock this morning






Three o'clock this morning

Three thirty this morning, when I went to sleep.




My progress on the Flag Monthly Musing as of midnight tonight.


I had a scare tonight when Kasey, Carol, and I were leaving Border's Books. The cafe is upstairs in the two-storey store. The only two ways to get to the cafe are an escalator and an elevator. Because Kasey can't ride the escalator, we take the elevator despite neither one of us liking them. We were fine going up. The way down, however, was a different story.

Carol noted that the elevator had a hard jerk when it started and stopped. I didn't say anything at first because I thought I was imagining it, being uneasy on them as I am. Kasey got very spooked and bolted out the elevator door as soon as it opened.

We walked across the store, about 25 feet, to look at the cross stitch magazines. All of a sudden I had a feeling like I was still riding the elevator. My head and my knees made me feel like I was sinking through the floor. Kasey helped me maneuver to a stack of books I could sit on. I put my head down on my knees, resting my forehead on the top of Kasey's muzzle, until the feeling in my head stopped. Carol brought magazine issues to me so that I could peruse them from my perch.

I wasn't light-headed or dizzy. The closest I can compare it to is that it was similar to when you've been on a boat and return to shore, yet still feel like you're on the water.

For years, elevators have disrupted my equalibrium. Tonight was the worst episode caused by riding an elevator that I've ever experienced. Carol mentioned that Kasey's spooking was probably due to her picking up on my discomfort and uneasiness. Kasey continued to dance around and pant nervously until she got in the truck. I was okay to drive home after sitting on that stack of books for several minutes. I'm hoping this was a fluke, but will definitely say something to Borders staff if the elevator jerks sharply the next time I'm on it. I'm also hoping that my problem with elevators isn't getting worse. I'd hate to have to stop going to this group just because I can't ride the elevator anymore. It's too bad they don't have stairs because the escalator could rip off one of Kasey's toenails if we used it.