Happy New Year....

What a new year, snow, followed by freezing rain, followed by a chinook (warm) wind to blow all the snow and ice away.  That is how it started here in our neck of the woods.  Sadly, we didn't  stay up to watch the ball drop and kiss at midnight, both of us snored the new decade in.  Must have been that outstanding italian dinner at Bella Italia and the bottle of wine - couldn't be that we're both long out of our 20's could it?
I keep seeing all of your inspiring blogs out there with lists of all you'll accomplish or at least intend to accomplish in 2010 and I keep thinking I should do the same, however, I was the lead of a software project before I retired and I lived by lists and deadlines and I'm not sure I want to do that to myself.  I can be very driven to achieve what needs to be done.  So when I want to clean house, clean out a room, etc, I make a list and will accomplish it or put my back out trying.  The hubs calls me the race horse when I am in that mode - blinders on and go, go, go.  So rather than have a list and a constant reminder, I will just mention the quilts/projects I'd most like to accomplish this year:
1.  A quilt that I've already started  for our bed.
2.  A quilt for Cliff's brother and his lovely wife and my special Sister (SIL) Monica to celebrate their retirement this year.
3.  A cute wall hanging for every month of the year for our house.  I have Oct, Nov, Dec, and Jan
and have spied some cute patterns at Joined at the Hip (http://www.joinedatthehip.com/index.html) for a few of the other months.
4.  A cute panel lap quilt I recently purchased for my good friend and adopted brother, Virgil.  I met him when I was 16, he worked where my Aunt worked, I'd just left home and was living with my Grandmother and Aunt, neither one of these ladies had a clue what had gone on in my home and to me during the time which my mother cut off contact with them.  I was very stoic and difficult to reach, but Virg just accepted me and with out having ever to say much, we just got each other, realized we both had secrets that were painful and forged a friendship that continues on.  He took me on my first trip to the big city, he took me to see Grease and we both to this day share a love for that movie, he helped me get my first grown up job and the job in which I later met my hubby.  Sorry, memory lane.
So those are the projects special to me and that I want to accomplish, anything else is just gravy.
My next post is number 100, so plan to see a giveaway to help me celebrate.  I started this blog on a lark to see if I could do it and to have some fun with it.  In the process I've made some wonderful friends here and all over the country and even in Australia.  I love my blog and find it to be a real blessing.  Thank you all for visiting and encouraging me!!

Tammy

Christmas Day

What a chilly Christmas Day we are having, but no snow and ice like my best friend B is getting in the Chicago area, so I will be grateful for that.  It's been a slow and relaxing day so far.  We'll be having lasagne for dinner - CR is quite the lasagne maker and oy vey we will have happy christmas tummies tonight, and horror on the scales tomorrow, haha.  Madison opened her presents, she got 2 dollies with squeekers, she loves to walk around and squeek the holy crap out of them, I'm so used to it, I've learned to tune it out.  At least she isn't a barker, so I won't complain.

Here she is in the process of opening dolly number 1:

And the hard work paid off, here is her reindeer dolly:

The two boys got catnip for their treat.  They LOVE it so much all you do is show them the bag and they'll follow you anywhere.  I have to put it on a blanket on my cutting table, because a very spoiled little dog thinks that if they get it so should she.  Oh brother, sibling rivilary.  haha.

Here is Skeezics:

And here is ChanceMan

They'll be high till New Years!!

I think I told you all that the furniture we recently purchased was our Christmas gift to each other, but we did get a couple little things to open.  One thing I got/did for CR was a quilt, made by me, especially for him, with a label to always remember.  So last night I started to panic, is that a stupid gift to give a man, will he look at me like "what do I do with this", yep I was worried.  I shouldn't have, I know my man, that is why I made it to begin with, I knew he'd know the love that went into it and what it represented from me to him, it was actually an emotional gift for him and he loves it.  I need to learn to stop second guessing myself in the new year.  Here is the quilt and a close up picture of the center of the quilt:

CR's daughter and family surprised us with a wonderful and fun gift that we can't wait to use.  It's a wine tour for 4 people, visit 5 wineries and enjoy an italian picnic.  It just blew us away.  We love the local wines and we think Washington has some of the best out there, but what a treat to have someone do the driving for us and just a fun time with friends we will have.

S called her Dad today and they had a wonderful time talking, I love it when they do that, it's special father/daughter time and something you always need no matter how old you are.  Ben loved his gifts and was busy helping his Daddy set up their new Wii and watching a pheasant hunting video while doing it.  Note to self:  Order some chick flicks for S so she can have something fun to watch too.  Poor girl, all that testosterone in the house.  But she adores her little man and big man and I'm sure enjoys the quiet of doing whatever she'd like while Dad and Son do their manly stuff.  On a sad note, they had to put their beloved dog Gus down this past November.  She was their baby before Ben was even a thought, she was such a sweet dog and so smart, she was our grand dog and we will miss her greeting us as we drive up the lane to their house when we visit.  She was a one in a million dog, now she's in heaven and no more pain and watching over her family still I am sure.

Tammy

On to the 2nd Cast

I got my post surgery cast removed last Friday and am currently sporting my new and festive red cast until the 4th of Jan.  Isn't it lovely - or, well, it looks okay considering that I'm stuck with it for a while.

On the 4th I'll get this cast off and move on to a splint.  Oh joy, perhaps I can get back to doing some sewing.

While I've been on the mend my wonderful CR has taken such good care of me and surprised me with this beautiful Jim Shore Angel, that plays "We wish you a Merry Christmas":

Here is a picture of my Christmas Card Wall hanging with a bunch of cards on it.  I really love it.

And of course a picture of Madison, she really didn't want her picture taken, but gave in to it for me (she has a couple of presents to open in a few days -- can't wait to take pictures of that)

Merry Christmas to you all!!

On the mend

had surgery on monday and all went well, although once the block wore off and my arm was no longer numb we quickly figured out that i needed stronger pain meds.  things seemed fine until tuesday night when the pain became unbearable and all the pain meds were doing was making me sick.  back to the doc on wednesday and he split the cast because my hand had swelled up huge.  instant relief, could have cried it was such a huge relief.  he used an ace bandaid to hold the cast in place and this next week he will re-cast.  i'm feeling pretty good at this point, now i'd like to get off of the drugs, but that will come in time.  typing with one hand is not fun, so take care and enjoy the season

Ready, Set, oh my that doesn't feel good..........

Merry Christmas a little early. I've been in a race against time to clean the house, bake, get laundry caught up, presents wrapped and decorate - oops, wait, no decorating. I'll be absent for a while, this Monday I'm having my basil thumb joint replaced. I've picked up my "good" drugs prescription, and now I'm just waiting for 9:30 Monday morning. I'd really rather be decorating the house and doing more crazy holiday things, but when a dog gone thumb can keep you awake with pain; it's just time to give in and get it taken care of. Thankfully modern medicine makes it possible for someone like me with so much arthritis to get things fixed. At 49 I sure don't want to be in pain and crippled for the many years I hopefully have left. Nor do I want to live on pain medications; I did that for 3 years before finding a doctor who told me I wasn't too young to have hip replacement. Sadly I had to go out of town to find that doctor. I have a hip that will outlive me, so perhaps my new thumb joint will outlive me as well. Take care and have a safe and wonderful Holiday Season. I hope Santa is good to you all.

Doctor Update

Went to my doctor today, my lungs are a mess - heck I could have called to tell him that, haha. Anyhow I've got a rescue inhaler for my asthma (never had one, didn't know I needed one, but I was only diagnosed 2 years ago), the ever popular ZPak - antibiotics, and some cough syrup with codeine. Why is it that we can do so many technical things and have so many advances and yet no one can make cough syrup that doesn't make you want to gag? I don't know how all you parents out there get your kids to swallow the stuff - it can't be easy. The rescue inhaler already has me feeling calmer - not panicking for every smidgeon of air I can get.

Sure wish I had vacation pictures and interesting stories to tell y'all about, but sadly I've got nothing!!

Home Again

We arrived home last night and even though I have a mountain of laundry to do, I'm so grateful to be home.  Both of us caught horrible colds and so we spent most of our vacation sick.  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, but this year it's best forgotten I think.  Today I'm off to the doctor, my lungs are full and I think an antibiotic is in order.  Having asthma means it always goes into my lungs and I can't seem to shake it without drug intervention.  I really hate that.  There's no place like home when you don't feel well and I feel much better just being home.  Hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are looking forward to a very Merry Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving - a little early....

We are off to the Oregon Coast for our annual Thanksgiving trip.  We may get blown away as the area we always go to has been hammered this week with high winds, some flooding and lots of rain.  There always has to be a storm or two this time of year at the beach, makes for good beach combing the next day.  Have a wonderful holiday everyone!!