SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2009 - WHAT IS IT?

THIS IS A FRONT VIEW.

THIS IS VIEW OF OPENED CHEST. THERE IS A TRAY THAT SLIDES FROM SIDE TO SIDE. ON ON BOTTOM SIDE OF THE CLOSURE IS A PRINTED TYPE OF RULER AND ON THE OTHER SIDE IS A METAL ROD THAT WILL HOLD SPOOLS FROM ANY MEMORY HERE!!

ABOVE AGAIN IS AN OPENED UP VIEW.

THIS IS A VIEW OF CABINET CLOSED.

THIS IS VIEW FROM TOP WHEN CABINET IS CLOSED.

THIS IF FULL VIEW. I REMEMBER GREAT-GRANDMA SET HER MUSIC BOOKS FOR HER UPRIGHT PIANO IN BOTTOM RACK OF THIS.

I would love to get any, and information, I can find on this sewing cabinet!! Not sure, just what it was officially called!! Presently, Max is calling it his worst nightmare!! Not sure, if I am going to turn him loose on this as it may just be returned to me all duct taped as that is all he knows how to do.

I had one wood finisher look at it and he advised "not" to strip it inside as it would take off the measuring marks. It is in rather good condition inside. That is, besides getting dirtier from Max's dirty shop!! Max is thinking of trying to gently strip the outside and then refinish the entire cabinet. Rather, than turning Max loose with it, I may opt for a light washing with Murphy's Wood Soap and live with it!!

I truly would like to know exactly how old it might be and just what it was called. It belonged to my great-great-grandmother, and possibly it was a triple "great" grandmother, as no one can remember for sure.

I DO want it to be part of my "Stitching Sanctuary"!! I have this same grandmother's hope chest in my room and I display all my "smalls" and a bit of other things on the top of it. My father refinished it to a beautiful restored shine and surface as smooth as glass before he passed!! Unfortunately, he did not get to this "stitching cabinet" though.

If, any one has ever seen any thing like this, I would love to know any thing about it!!

I am feeling a wee bit better today, but this "waiting game" is pure "hell"!!

Stitches are beginning to loosen and disappear at strangest times.

I am up and sitting in my life recliner stitching away!! It has been a very pleasant afternoon.

Love and Hugs!!

Deborah

FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2009 - LONG WEEK!!

I have had my ups and downs, but this week met an all time high of downs!!

Late into last summer, I had about a ten day period where every time I moved my mouth, I had another tooth break, crack, chip or disingrate right before my eyes!! Within ten days, I had nothing left, but bits and pieces. Finally, just decided, I had to "buck up" and just have them all extracted and cross over to "old fart" officially and get dentures. Well, before I could get extractions even scheduled I had to have major emergency surgery for the "incarcerated hernia" in September. As soon as I recovered from it, I again began plans for teeth to be extracted!!

After many consoltations with my Oral Surgeon, regular Dentist and Doctor they decided that it would be best that I simply go into the hospital and have the extractions all done and that I be kept in the hospital until they were sure I would be free of any and all complications. The Oral Surgeon was just tops and did every thing he could possibly do to make this as easy as possible on me including he drove to Clinton and did the surgery here at the hospital. The surgery went very well and due to the fact the hospital had closed it's Surgical Floor I was placed on it's Medical Floor to recuperate. The care left a lot to be desired so Eunice simply go me discharged and stayed in my home three days and nights with me!!
I still did absolutely wonderfully.

My dentist was aware of my poor healing history and had decided to not even try to make impressions and dentures till at least mid-January!! Al progressed as scheduled. I have, in fact, gotten along so well with out my teeth that I think dentures are just going to be a problem I do not need!!

But, the dentures have been making steady progress and, in fact, I received a call yesterday that the final revisions had been made and that there was a "slim" chance of my possibly being able to get them yet this day!! I could only laugh and tell the receptionist that it was "far slimmer than she could ever have guessed"!!

I have had a bit of a "bump" on the roof of my mouth towards the right front!! My dentist called this a "soft mass" and made reference to my Oral Surgeon possibly having to take a look at it, but never pushed the issue. I really thought, being four bones had to be reduced during the surgery, that it surely just had to be a "bone chip" that was working it's way out. I truly was not too concerned whatsoever!! However, Tuesday evening, this "whatever" just sort of "burst"!! The pain was excruciating!!
I did not sleep all night!!

First thing Wednesday morning, I called my Oral Surgeon's office and they told me to simply come in as soon as possible. Well, he is located 50 miles south of me and I do not travel well. Max did immediately try to get things arranged to take me down to Quad-Cities as soon as he could. We got to Oral Surgeon's office and he saw me immediately. He said he wanted to have this x-rayed to see if there was some sort of bone involved or something. The x-rays showed absolutely nothing, but a bit of a light spot. The Oral Surgeon said he was not happy with the size, shape and color of this all and called it "quite suspicious". He tossed several ideas about and suddenly said he thought it best he just remove the entire area and get a good biopsy of it. I am kind of just trying to process all this and before I know it the Oral Surgeon is saying the more he considers this he thinks immediate emergency surgery should be done!! I was blown away in shock!!

And, before I knew or could consider all this, I was being set up for immediate emergency surgery at the Surgical Center in Quad-Cities!!
And, the Oral Surgeon just kind of tosses in "removing of more bone" in the Surgical Consents!! And, it was done!!

I have a much bigger hole, "gap" as the Oral Surgeon prefers, and more stitches in then when I had all the teeth extracted!! Max brought me home and I am just to not try to eat any thing, but malts, for two to three days and take things very easy!! The Oral Surgeon says he "hopes" he got it all, but only the biopsy will tell for sure!! So, I wait for another ten days and pray for healing!!

Love and Hugs!!
Deborah

APRIL 21, 2009 - STITCHER TRAVELING - F I N I S H ! ! !

I HAVE A FINISH!!!

MY FIRST 32-COUNT LINEN!!!

I finally have a finish and have my first finish in 32-Count Linen since before my May, 2002 accident!!

How can I "Happy Dance" when under a bedrest order???

I must find a way!!

I am quite happy and proud of this one!! Sure has been a real hard journey, but ever so worth it!!

Now, they tell me I never could do French Knots, so I guess that will be the real test!!

This could use a very good pressing and then it has to have an iron on stiffener and then attached to the "envelope" purse!! I am going to want to carry it every where!! Of course, there is little where I do not take my stitching these days any way!!

Love and Hugs!!

Deborah

and

Miprezious

SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2009 - PROGRESS ON CONSTUCTION

THANKFULLY, this is the end of the week, I hope!!

Totally addicted to checking my email!! Max conceded a bit as he is feeling so guilty, while he is innocent this time!!

Max put me to bed this afternoon as I could not stay awake. He evidently promptly fell asleep in the Living Room as this morning was another 5:00 a.m. Dialysis session. They totally exhaust him any more. Kathy called and we talked a bit and I hung up bedside phone fine and immediately must have fallen asleep!! About one hour later, I awoke to feeling I was falling as I slammed against the bi-fold closet doors and hit the floor. To avoid having to stay in my hospital bed at home, Max went out and bought the adjustable Thermopedic beds. They are extremely high for a "normal" bed!! I hurt very bad, but did not panic as I just knew Max would be running in any moment!! Nope, he can now sleep through any thing I believe!! I screamed till I had no more breath to waste!! Nothing!! Thankfull, I had enough sense to pull phone off the bedside table by the cord, however, I could not remember any phone numbers including ours!! With the two phone lines, I can put one on hold and call here on other, if I can remember (forget it) my own phone number, which I could not!!

Finally, decided I had to hope for "redial" and ended up getting my mother!! She immediately began calling our home until she woke Max up. She told him I had evidentally fallen again. Max said no that was a few weeks ago and Mother tells him, no, it was right then!! Max told her he had just put me in bed about two hours before!! Mother told him then I must have fallen from there then and he immediately dropped the phone and came a checking!! But, I was wedged in a two foot wide spot up against closet doors!! Eunice was not at home and not a job for Granny Lou to take on!! Thus, after some trial and error, Max and I finally got me turned and working my way back to top of bed with me pulling and Max pushing. Max can not lift any thing, even Mi, on Dialysis days!!

I am hurting mega yet. Thus, Max came in to sit and watch me checking email so I do not take another "header" again!! But, I think he wanted to keep my mind off pain as he feels real guilty he can not watch me 24/7 of all things!! Does not appear we are going to get Wanda back evenings and weekends for awhile as she is having some serious "post trauma"!!

Friends from Chicago got in last night, but plan on extending their weekend plans as Wanda's office does reopen Monday!! Going to be tough day and worse nights ahead!!

So, have to make this short and sweet!!

Above is my seventh day of progress on "Victorian Doll's House"!! Wish I was as far as Kathy K. in California, but in all honesty that is going to take a whole lot of seven days of progress!! Be lucky if this does not turn into another "lifer" in fact. I am totally mesmerised with this piece, however this is my fill for awhile. Going to transfer to "stitching nest" and take up my "Stitcher Traveling" once again. I am very close to finish and am going to try to bring her in!! Have to see how comfortable I can become with another dose of morphine and in my chair!! Am hoping with my tiredness, that I can work on night number one of getting my "days and nights" turned back around one more time!!

Well, I am out of here till hopefully another weak moment with Max!!

Love and Hugs!!

Deborah

FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2009 - APPEARS I WILL BE OUT FOR A BIT!!

Actually, I did make a bit more progress on my "Victorian Doll's House" yesterday and last evening!! Simply do not feel like wrestling it into "scanner" and get the picture, although it is some thing I must continue to make my self do!! It is important for me to keep my self going!!

And, my Blogs will be kind of touch and go. I have known that last fall into the wall unit did some real damage!! I think my doctor even thought not a whole lot about it UNTIL TODAY!! I had an appointment to get some "magic concoction" injected into my knees and right shoulder!! I knew some thing was very wrong when the doctor put the darn needles in and I had that vague sense "some thing" was wrong!! Unfortunately, it turned out to be "things"!! The doctor asked how upset I would be if he had to take the needles out and try another point in which to stick them!!

Part of the excruciating pain I have been having the last 5-6 weeks is because there are spots that are hardened that are "calcified arithitis"!!

I asked the doctor is this also meant I had torn my rotor cuff. He said he was not sure at this point what I have done to the rotor cuff, but I have definitely damaged it!! I have suspected this for quite some time!! But, he also added that it was "among many other miscellaneous injuries I have got in that right arm and shoulder!!

Bottom line I am to do nothing. I was told this "magic concoction" my body would try to reject in the first 24-36 hours during which I will have yet added pain and discomfort, BUT it will not last forever!! Boy, did that ever console me!! NOT!!

They called after supper to check on how I am doing!! I am to do nothing for FIVE FULL DAYS!! I did win stitching, as I told the doctor he could add nervous breakdown to lengthening list should I not be able to do it. Just can not exert any thing with right arm whatsoever!! This is just not me!!

The doctor had discussed Physical Therapy last 4-week re-check after he put in these injections of today!! That is out for awhile now!! And, he said he would be discussing raising my daily dosage of morphine during this next four-week check coming up!!

Thus, Max has been giving me the "evil eyeball" since returning home!! OH, OH!! I do have a few pictures to post!! Upon leaving the doctor's office I got a cell phone call from a lady moving from Clinton (lucky lady)!! She had a real big and pretty darn nice "stash" to give away!! She said since the truck was coming in the morning, we would have to try and figure out where to exchange the "stash"!! I told her we were on our way home from the doctor's office and that if it was convenient for her, we would be glad to stop by and pick it up. She agreed!! What a Stash!!

I did get a couple of pictures of about the first one-fourth of it that I had sorted out!! There is about three times as much more to go through!!

However, the "evil eyeball" is now threatening my computer, as well as me, so I guess this is all we will get to see for a few days!!

And, I will also be very sporatic, if at all, for next five days!! If you really need me for any thing, perhaps Kathy Kiley, if you can catch her from her wonderful gardening, or Carolyn Anderson will be so kind as to pass any thing urgent along!! I have long explicit notes of magazines so I will get to them yet and Sadie and Tracy W. your on the list and in fact just sitting here, and many others. I am going to buckle down and get all my "to be sent out" finally done before things get any worse here!! Hang in there with me until I think I am at least caught up and then please send any reminders of what I have left undone!!

Will try to get some one to scan my progress each day and get them posted whenever I find the "evil eye-ball" gone!! I sure do not want him messing with my computer as surely he will have to die!!

Love and Hugs!!

Deborah

and

Miprezious, too!!

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2009 - VICTORIAN DOLL'S HOUSE - Day Six

WELL, if any thing could go wrong, yesterday and into last evening, IT DID!!

I did accumulate the "tray" of Mi's "Milbones" and had rubber banded a slip with each person's name on it for each day they left a message on my Blog and/or wrote me private email of wanting to, but Blog site would not allow them access!! And, just like any other typical child, when you want them to do something, and for neither "love or "Milkbones" will they do what you are begging them to do!! And, I have learned much about allowing "Mi" to be the unbiased selector!! It must be done first thing in the morning, before Mi and her "Daddy" get a chance to begin their long day and evening of continous eating, including going out for a frozen yogurt cone!! She looked at those "Milkbones" like "No, Thank You Mommy"!! She was too full by 8:00 p.m. last evening to even want to give them even a second glance!! I should have been used to it by then as my Computer was flip flopping all over the screen and I could not even get into the "Online Stitching Show"!! Thus, no Blogging for yesterday!! Finally, just before midnight, I tried one more time, after countless other attempts!! Mi looked at them and grabbed one only to just throw it to me!! This little one was banned from having one of her most favorite toys which she cut her teeth on which was a golf ball the day it hit the big screen television recently, which sits atop my fire place mantel!! She has quite the "toss" in her!! And, she choose Kathy Brandton!! So, I believe Kathy's computer is down for repair, but hopefully I will remember to tell her she was the lucky "Milkbone"!! And, I also wanted to document this big event, but the camera did not cooperate whatsoever!! It was as obstinate as our "guest selector" last evening!!

Congratulations Kathy!! You are now the proud owner of two pieces, possibly the third to follow, of "Amid Amish"!! Much thanks to every one who expressed interest in it. I am sure there will be countless others!!

And, hopefully above, and maybe below, is Day Number Six of my "Victorian Doll's House"!!

I am making progress, that even I can see!! So, now I am content to slow my pace down a little bit!!

Normally, I have a good deal of my morning, afternoon and evening to stitch!! I don't think I am going to push for three pieces per day, but I absolutely HAVE to begin setting up a "rotation" schedule for day and evening for each day of the week!!

I have soooooooo many WIPS!! I do not know how to begin to organize them. Hopefully Meari will still have some time to visit as she offered to a few weeks ago!! Meari offered to help me organize these, but I do not like to take any chances with my friends, or any one else for that matter, of coming around me when my legs are actively breaking down and seeping!! Well, these were forming blisters, about the size of a marble and bursting!! I have been "hospital acquired" positive for MRSA in recent years and I will not allow any one to be around me if there is active problems with my legs!! The doctor assures me every thing is okay, but it is NOT in my own mind and although my tests are coming back negative at this time, I simply will not take that chance with any one, particulary friends for any type of exposure from me!!

So, it is back to the doctor again tomorrow!! He plans to inject my shoulder and both knees with some long lasting and slow released steroid and pain killer!! They have been excruciating since my last severe fall!!

In fact, I began not being able to hold any thing in my right hand again late this afternoon!! Another 12-ounce Coke went splashing all over my Stitching Sanctuary!! Thus, far two skeins of DMC and one Confederate Blue 14-Count Aida cloth ordered for a Just Another Button Company tea cup were damaged!! But, this is according to Max as I was so upset that I could not check this out for myself yet!!

I am extremely worried about my right arm as this is my stitching arm!!

The doctors have said no more surgery!! I am in complete agreement with them!! However, I do not want to be trying for yet another way to learn to stitch as I think I have run out of ideas!!

So, I plan to really work on my rotation and see what the doctor has to say about my infection level tomorrow so hopefully if Meari still can work me in she will!! I so enjoy her company also!! And, I am very much a "B" when it comes to other "furbabies" coming around my little Mi. HOWEVER, Meari's little darling, Celeste is more than welcomed to come visit with her "Mommy" any time Meari wishes to bring her. We can work in the Stitching Sanctuary and Max can Celeste and Miprezious sit!! He is good with the babies and is a pushover for any thing they would like!!

So, there is hope that Meari will get me and this Blogging thing straightened out ASAP!! Meari's Blog is always so very neat and fantastic!! I will be very happy with just her "mediocre" if she has such a mode!!

I hope you all can see "progress" on my construction building of the Victorian House!!

Say a few extra prayers for my right arm that it will some how just go back together the way it needs to do without more surgery!!

Love and Hugs!!

Deborah

and

Miprezious, Too!!

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2009 - VICTORIAN DOLL'S HOUSE - DAY FIVE

This is another day's construction.

Love and Hugs!!

Deborah

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2009 - WANDA AND OTHER LADY

This is the picture of the hostage situation here yesterday!!

Above is a picture of a neighbor woman in the pink top, who although she only lives about six houses down none of us know her. The woman she is helping out in the long black skirt is my dear friend and caregiver to me, Wanda.

I have never seen so many rifles in my life the two on the left have them in their hands and sitting on white squad car!! I still can not believe this happened my self. Thus, I can not even imagine what that poor wife, Erin, she is Wanda's secretary, the unknown neighbor woman and Wanda went through. Wanda told me this poor Erin stayed perfectly calm and just followed the "whacko" husband's orders!!

I will continue to pray for them all, especially the little eight year old boy, although I would think it would be a big relief to know his mother and him will not be harmed any longer, but yet this was his father!!

Love and Hugs!!

Deborah

MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2009 - WHAT A DAY!!!

DAY NUMBER FOUR

DAY NUMBER THREE

DAY NUMBER TWO

DAY NUMBER ONE

VICTORIAN DOLL'S HOUSE

I had little or no sleep, upon sun rise, this morning! I truly was not up on my feet, in spite of our hosting the second annual neighborhood Easter Dinner. However, I was in excruciating pain!! My legs had begun breaking down and had several places which had "blown" and began bleeding quite badly early on this morning!! I simply stayed in my "stitching nest", which felt pretty good, at this point, and decided to just stitch for the entire day and evening!! I took the additional morphine, I have ordered for times like this and started to stitch. Things went along pretty well in spite of the morphine. Some times, needing the additional morphine, brings nothing, but many episodes of "frogging"!!

Having a father who was in the law enforcement career, his entire life, I was raised with a police scanner on 24/7. In my earliest, memories of this "scanner" was it was in our home, basically for my mother, as she was always on "edge" from the time my father left until he returned home every day and especially during "call-ins". Early times, a "scanner" was the very best source for town "gossip" than any ten "tongue wagglers" in our small town!! The scanner told ever detail, with nothing left to the imagination!! In recent years, the law enforcement agencies just about all have went to "scramblers" which only leaves a very obnoxious knocking sound when the police officer decides to switch to it!! However, for any thing very important or life threatening every thing comes over the "scanner" until all agencies needed are contacted and the "scene" secured. However, this does not keep fire, accident and other horrible things locations kept unknown to half the city resulting in ten times the normal traffic that soon become onseekers and just add additional problems for law enforcement to handle!!

About 3:00 yesterday, the "scanner" went off and the police dispatcher kept repeating 10-32, which represents emergency situation involving some kind of gun. Then, came the location of "Work Force Office"!! Unlike, the majority of the local police responding, I knew immediately where this office was located as my dear friend and caretaker Wanda is in charge of this Office!! Before the "scanner" was scrambled, I heard there was already a hostage situation!! Immediately, my mind went to things Wanda had been involved in the past few weeks!! But, with my poor memory, I was having a very hard time trying to disinguish which persons had which problems. I knew suddenly it was Wanda's secretary had been a victim of severe spousal abuse and that Wanda was in the middle of it all!! Wanda is on the Board of our Women's Resource Center that deals with domestic violence along with growing up with a life of it with parents and her own husbands. Wanda will not just not look the other way and ignore any woman suffering any type of spousal abuse!! The last transmission on the "scanner" was did they have any idea of who the "gunman" was and the police dispatcher came immediately back with name of "Shamus Pridmore". This simply is a name usually associated with the "black" culture in our city. All things combined, I suddenly felt like the "wind had been knocked out of me"!! Eunice has been away to Chicago again for an undetermined stay!! I immediately called her to see if she remembered any more than I did and to see what she surmised of the whole thing and also to hopefully find out who could be sent to make sure Wanda was okay!!

Eunice had telephoned Easter night during our Easter dinner as she knew every one would be here to wish every one a Happy Easter. The phone sort of made it's rounds around our dinner table and ended back with me.

So, I asked Eunice then when could we expect her to return. Well, she was having just too much fun and she had no plans of coming back at that time. She had told us of being out till 5:00 a.m. at some Club and had such fun!! We were glad Eunice was getting out with her old friends and had fun as this just is not like Eunice!! So, I jokingly told her Granny Lou, our 85-year old neighbor, and I would go out till 5:00 a.m. dancing with her, if she came home. She just said she was not ready yet!! Then, I asked her which of us had to break a hip to get her to return. Eunice again said she would have to think about that one!! And, others had asked her different things. So, when I called yesterday, and told her about I had horrific feeling about Wanda being held hostage by a "Wacko" gunman Eunice just said, "yeah, sure"!! Then she told me that it had taken me an awfully long time to try to think up that one and it was the worst excuse yet, but she still was not coming back home!! I had sent Eunice the link to the ABC television affiliate who had picked up the news story and had it on their headlines on computer news updates of having occurred 35 minutes before, but knowing my computer skills, I could not be sure of what I had ended up sending. So, I just told Eunice to log onto her lap top (Eunice never goes any where with out her lap top and cell phone!) and see if she had gotten email from me and to open it. Well, amazingly I had done it right for the first time!! I then heard nothing, but OMG and silence!! Then, Eunice told me she would call the only friend of us all that might be available to go find Wanda or be told where the families were being told to wait!! As luck had it, this friend, Linda, was only a few doors away from the Work Force Office in Home Depot shopping and she was wondering what was going on outside. About twenty minutes later, Linda had found out all the "hostages" had been released except the "gunman's" wife. The wife had been hit with the butt of the shot gun and Wanda had a gun pointed at her head.

Evidently, the "gunman" had just received an Order that he could no longer see his child. Wanda had helped this woman get a Restraining Order so this Secretary would not continue coming to work with obvious signs of being severely beaten. The "gunman" said "if he could not see his child, that his wife was not going to ever see him again either"!!

Wanda is closer than any "family" I have!! I was extremely upset and filled with terror for Wanda. Wanda telephoned me about 10:00 p.m. last evening and we spoke briefly. She had asked me to contact Eunice for her and to please get her to call her ASAP. Wanda said she would call me a bit later then. I did call Eunice and gave her the message. I rather imagine Eunice and Wanda talked for a very long time, as they are the best of each other's friend, and this is truly what Wanda needed last night. Thus, I did not hear from her, but am sure I will very soon.

I can not think of any thing, but this horrific ordeal!! And, it only brings up every other horrific shootings and killings that have occurred in past few years and even back to 911!! Wanda is not a "blood" relative, even though she could not be any closer and loved by me!! It sure has made me think of all of these, and will of any future, of just what, especially relatives of these victims are put through!!

My phone began ringing almost immediately as it is rare that the number of sirens that could be heard of responding emergency vehicles happens rarely in this town. Phone continued well into the evening!! Thus, I did not get much additional stitching time in until very late for a few hours until I fell asleep in my chair some where around 3:00 a.m.

I have placed my very start to where I have progressed!! I did not feel like I was getting much of any thing done on this. However, Nancy M. left a comment that I was making quite good progress for the time I have in this considering how I am not back to my best stitching yet. This made me stop and want to see it from start until where I have gotten it! I can see it daily and wonder to dare think my stitching is going to get better and that I may get to where I once was in skill!! Guess, I will spend one more evening on the doll's house as I "think" I may finally be near progressing out of the "browns"!! Once I see just a bit of color, I may be able to put it down and list my especially important WIPS and get a good rotation worked out!! With me, I can almost plan a different rotation than most being I can plan a morning, afternoon and evening piece time.

I am absolutely mesmerised with this doll's house for some reason, but I am well aware it is a BAP and is going to take a very long time, especially for me. I have Christmas 2008 to finish, thank you gifts for my ramp and there is my ongoing Secret project I have been doing since Christmas Day!! I simply can not put these all on hold until building construction is finished!!

I am ready for complete peace, calm and pain relief!!

Love and Hugs!!

Deborah

EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2009 - VICTORIAN DOLL'S HOUSE

This is an update of my
"Victorian Doll's House"!!

This is going SLOW, but I have been SLOW,
for quite some time now!! But, I am so Blessed to
have my stitching!! I truly do not know what I would
do with my self with out it!! It would certainly be some
very long days and nights!!

I HAVE to make up a rotation schedule to start "rotating",
however, I just do not want to put this doll's house down
at this time. However, I think just a bit of color will allow
me to feel I can start putting some time on all of the others!!
I still am working on three Christmas 2008 gifts!! And,
truth be told, I should be working on the 2009 by this time, if
I think I will be through!! I have the "Thank You" gifts for the
Rev. and Contractor responsible for my handicap ramp being
given and built for me also!!

Truly, I think I am going to have to leave my doll's and put
a lot of serious work time in!!

I DON'T WANT TO GROW UP!!

There is another posting for this date of Miprezious finding
her Easter basket and unwrapping her new toys and lots
and lots of bubbles!!

Also, remember "Amid Amish" drawing by Mi on, or about,
8:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 15!!

Love and Hugs!!
Deborah and Max
and Miprezious, too!!

EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2009 - MI'S STASH FROM THE EASTER BUNNY!!

MIPRZIOUS HAD A WONDERFUL EASTER!!

PICTURES WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS!!

VICTORIAN DOLL'S HOUSE UPDATE A BIT LATER OR FIRST THING IN THE MORNING!!

MY FEET ARE SO SWOLLEN I CAN NOT EVEN TRY TO STAND UP ON THEM. GOT SOME SERIOUS RESTING TO DO BEFORE FRIDAY!!

HAPPY EASTER!!

LOVE AND HUGS!!

DEBORAH and MAX

AND

MIPREZIOUS, too!!

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2009 - NO EASTER BUNNIES, JUST DARN FROGS!!!

I got up very early, after little sleep and could not stand not picking up my linen to continue construction on the "Victorian Doll's House"!! Well, I promptly fell asleep!! Thus, I was awaken for supper and was still quite tired!! I am barely being able to even "skim" my emails as my legs just will not tolerate any length of time on the computer again!! And, before I could even do that I fell asleep again!! I am guessing it was while I was "snoozing", those darn frogs came over to hunt "Easter Eggs" with Mi!! But, being Mi was not able to go to the big "Caine Easter Egg Hunt", they are occupying their selves in my "Stitching Sanctuary"!! Mi is going back to her "pesky" habit of grabbing one of my charts and attempting to tear it or chew it again!! I swear Max teaches her this every chance he can get as she simply would never do this on her own!! She never destroyed on thing, even when she was a brand new baby!! As for those darn frogs, I have a real bad suspicion they got my "itchy" fingers over one more space than they should have and as you can see from the picture I could stand to loose the entire roof area of this house!! I will be trapping some frogs here directly after finishing this Blog entry!! I actually thought I was making very good progress!! I absolutely have to finish making a schedule for my rotation so I can assure each piece gets a fair chance. I am either going to put days for "Victorian Doll's House" and nights for some thing else!! OR, I should assign each day a different project and each evening a different project and get some finishes out of my last year series of monthly tea pots by Just Another Button Company and this year's tea cup monthly series!! And, then I have plenty of others sitting here ready for an assigned day!! I just do not feel I can give up this doll house any too easy for only one time period each week!!
I have had many of you ask what this Victorian Doll's House will look like when it is finished!! I have been hesitant to do this as this was Kathy K., in California, project originally and I felt it was up to her if she wanted to show this doll's house or not!! Kathy did contact me today and told me she would be most pleased to release this picture. In fact, she was attempting to do it her self today, but she ran into malfunction of some of her equipment that would not allow her to "download" it!! Thus, I "attempted" to scan the picture of this doll's house, but I did not have much success either!! Perhaps, the frogs are playing with this also!! Sounds much better than I messed it up again!!

I guess if you look at the two pictures you can at least get an idea of what this doll's house is going to look like!!

Mi could not attend the annual "Canine Easter Egg Hunt" today as Max had another horrible day with his dialysis and needed time to recoup from it!! Mi, has been promised a nice Easter basket with many goodies when she wakes up tomorrow morning!! Easter Bunny has orders to "please wrap" all Mi's things in tissue paper, as nothing delights her more!!

I have the very hard task now to run off the frogs, perhaps I can convince Easter Bunny to drop them off in some child's Easter Basket who can not stitch!! Then, I have to figure out if I am indeed off and where I am off if so!!

Thus, I am off to "hunt" stitches!!

Don't forget the "Amid Amish" registering on each day's Blog until 8:00 p.m. April 15, 2009!! Details are in my Tuesday, April 07, 2008 Blog!!

Love and Hugs!!

Deborah

APRIL 10, 2009 - EASTER BUNNY CAME!!!

I GOT A PHONE CALL ABOUT 1:00 A.M. THIS MORNING!! IT WAS THE EASTER BUNNY'S ELF, A.K.A. EUNICE!! ALL OUR NEIGHBORS HAVE AUTOMATIC DOOR OPENERS FOR OUR HOME!! WE TEND TO HAVE AN EMERGENCY, JUST A WEE BIT TOO OFTEN, AND NEIGHBORS DECIDED IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE ECONOMICAL FOR US TO GET AUTOMATIC DOOR OPENERS FOR ALL SO THEY DO NOT HAVE TO DO DAMAGE TO OUR HOME TO GET IN WHEN NEEDED A.S.A.P.!! HOWEVER, "ELF" EUNICE, HAD JUST GOTTEN HOME FROM OUR LOCAL CASINO AND HAD NOT TAKEN THE DOOR OPENER WITH HER! SHE WAS LEAVING FOR CHICAGO THIS MORNING, TAX ACCOUNTANT TIME, AND WAS NOT SURE WHEN SHE WOULD BE RETURNING. SHE WANTED TO LEAVE MY EASTER "TEA POT" HERE TO BE SURE I GOT IT!!

I HAVE ACCUMULATED A WHOLE LOT OF TEAPOTS, BUT THIS JUST TOOK OVER MY VERY, VERY MOST FAVORITE!! WELL, I SHOULD SAY THIS ONE AND THE OTHER ONE EUNICE GAVE ME THAT BELONGED TO HER MOTHER!!

YOU JUST HAVE TO LOVE THIS TEA POT, EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT REALLY "IN TO" TEA POTS!!

AND, THIS IS THE FIRST EFFORT OF MINE, TO START KATHY (IN CALIFORNIA) VICTORIAN DOLL'S HOUSE!! SURE WISH I HAD AS MUCH DONE AS KATHY!! SHE PROBABLY HAS ALREADY FINISHED WHAT WILL BE EQUIVALENT TO A LIFE TIME FOR ME!!

I HAVE NOT INCLUDED A PICTURE OF THE FINISHED DOLL'S HOUSE AS I HAVE NOT SEEN IT YET ON KATHY'S SITE AND OUT OF COURTESOUSY TO HER, I WILL NOT POST A PICTURE OF THIS UNTIL I GET A CHANCE TO ASK HER PERMISSION FIRST!! I AM SO VERY CLOSE TO A FINISH ON "STITCHER TRAVELING", HOWEVER, AFTER THIS CRAZED WEEK, I JUST HAD TO HAVE A "CHANGE OF SCENERY!! I DO PLAN TO PUT ADDITIONAL TIME ON "STITCHER TRAVELING" THIS WEEKEND, BUT JUST NOT TODAY OR TONIGHT!! I AM DOING THIS VICTORIAN DOLL'S HOUSE ON WHITE 28-COUNT CASHEL LINEN!! THIS IS JUST LITTLE BITTY PART OF SMALL PORCH OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HOUSE!!

I am ever so glad that this week is almost history!! It has been one of the worst I have had in quite some time!!

However, Easter Bunny "In Training", Eunice, did cheer me up quite a bit first thing this morning, wee hours of this morning!! I am still trying to decide the very best place for it to find a permanent home here!! I would like to put it in the middle of my kitchen table, but that is a bit too risky!!

And, my second choice would be the middle of my fireplace mantel, however, since placing the big screen television on the mantel it has become a big "no-no" to put any thing on the mantel that may even "might" interfere with the blessed remote control!! This may very well go among my other sacred and cherished "smalls" that are in the progress of "homesteading" their own spots on great-great-grandmother's hope chest in my own spot, my "Stitching Sanctuary"!!

And, of course, I have had so very many of you helping me along as you always do!! Especially, am thankful for the wisdom of Kathy K. (Kiley),

Gabi and Nancy M.!!

I will never know how, and long, long ago quit trying to find out, but an ex-fiance' stopped by this morning!! This man has just "always" known when I have problems I can not take care of or when I am completely overwhelmed!! We simply were not meant to be a "couple"!! No one, most importantly me could ever figure "why" and it is simply one of those things I just had "to let go"!! After one of our "break-ups" he met a very wonderful woman and they did marry after a very short time of courtship! Unfortunately, way too short of time after they were married, and really had just got settled combing households, families, etc. she passed way too young and way too soon!! And, all way too much to re-think, he was back with me seventeen days later!! I truly thought that was the time we would finally make it!! However, he hit the Emergency Room with his running shoes on when I was hit in the accident. He did make sure I got the very best possible medical care down to taking me to all my appointments right through arranging for me to see one of the top ten specialists in the world for my disease!! This man is an absolute genius, except when it comes to relationships, and can solve about any problem that can be!! Presently, I got that wonderful $10,000 power wheelchair last year (no one yet has been able to find generous person responsible for this RAK) just a week before my birthday!! It was fantastic and made for me to be so mobile in my home!! Unfortunately, this chair weighs 250 pounds so being I have steps at every door, I rarely got out of my home!!

I have the dent in my new stove and every doorway's woodwork scraped and knicked to prove it!! So, I was so close to freedom, but as I so often say, "Close only counts in horseshoes"!! Then, just last month a wonderful group from a church that I hardly knew even existed appeared, after holding a fantastic fund raiser, and brought $2,500 worth of building materials and a contractor with a very small crew, built and installed a fantastic deck and handicap ramp out of my home!! Again, unfortunately, my van has a lift, however, it only lifts me up and in the van!! My wheelchair is left sitting beside my van!! There are two "medical" equipment ramps that fit in the van with the third row of seats removed. Again, unfortunately each of these ramps weighs about 35 pounds each and take two people to slide them out and line them up just right!! Again, so very, very close, but not quite my total freedom!! I did take the "Big" step of using our local Mass Transit System for the very first time in my almost 59 years of life last October, but it was with my old manual wheelchair!! Presently, I am very meticulously nursing my right shoulder, upper arm as it is my whole remaining sanity, as it is my stitching arm!! Thus, my manual wheelchair has been replaced with my transport chair in which I have no way to move it!! I had dozens of the so called "best" look at my van for ideas of what to do next!! Well, now the real expert has taken a look and hopefully has already figured out the solution needed and the who and how to "get er' done"!!

This will be the second Easter that we are having the family, a.k.a. our neighborhood, for Easter dinner!! We are planning a late dinner and this will work real well for "slow ole' me"!! Granny Lou will be leaving in the morning for my "favorite" (NOT) place in this world, Iowa City, (Tuesday's wonderful VA trip) tomorrow morning to be with her daughter, grand-daughter, and great-grand-children and their families over night!! She will be leaving to come home early Sunday morning!! I will just be so glad to see her back home and safe!! I pity the person who tries to stop her, but I do worry very much about this 85-year old wonderful woman when she goes so far alone!! I want her around for another 85-years!! Granny Lou's appointed "job" is to call and check that I have been able to get out of bed and that every thing is going well each morning. However, I have yet to see any snow or ice that has prevented her from bringing my curbside mail and newspaper to me each later afternoon!! Thus, a later dinner time will give her time to get a few stitches or possibly a short nap in after she gets back home!! And, Eunice's husband, Marion, will not get out the restaurant till the crowds have subsided in the later afternoon!! And, he will definitely need a short nap time when he gets home!! And, I will continue to hope and pray Eunice will be not too deep in her tax preparing to get back home in time for a later dinner time!! I do have to remember to call Wanda and make sure she is going to be with family or she will have to come!! I will make my very yummie "make ahead" mashed potatoes with the sour cream and cream cheese tomorrow night so the flavors can all blend and it leaves them just to be baked on Sunday. The salad and vegetables will also be made ahead tomorrow evening!! And, it only leaves spiral ham to be baked, big chicken (Marion detests ham) to be baked, strawberries to be cleaned and cream to be whipped on Sunday!! I just need to set the table some where mid way and all very do-able!! I already discovered the silver missing last year on Easter Sunday!!

And, tomorrow is our annual tradition of taking Miprezious to the Easter Egg Hunt!! By this time, we have to have changed in our looks enough that we can hopefully be allowed to participate again!! The first year we went we felt very much overwhelmed and out numbered, as most of the little "furbabies" had Big families!! They simply throw out those plastic eggs and they are all filled with "Milkbones", however some of them have a brightly colored coupon that means you get to also claim the attached prize!! I do not remember the total number of eggs we found, but we got 28 Prize Coupons and we did not have to purchase "Milkbones" or "Beggin Strips" for a very long time, in addition to some really nice things!! One family of TEN was especially really "let's just say upset" with us that we got so many prizes!! Personally, I would not have uttered a word if a total cripple, half cripple and "furbaby" with a bad leg had gotten so many eggs when that "herd" could not have found them if they had been knocked in the head with one thrown at them!! Well, you know Max, and his little snits, and the egg was empty..........!! And, I truly do not know what Max said that came out sounding like "lady, get off your butt, and teach those eight brats, what a colored plastic egg looks like, and if you would exercise, more than switching channels for different soaps, you truly could bend over and pick them up"!! The Easter Egg Hunt for those people with two-legged children was held last week!! NO, Max was not allowed any where near the park that day!!

And, contrary to the record breaking cold, snow, ice, blizzard, flood, tornado and earth quake expected last Palm Sunday, according to Max, that absolutely were too much to dare taking me to Palm Sunday services, this Sunday is going to be a nice day in record breaking high 50 degrees!!

I will be attending Easter Sunday services!!

However, come Monday I intend to hibernate hanging from my ankles, if necessary, to bring these legs and ankles back down to at least recognizable as next Friday is supposed to be my doctor day!! He is planning on injecting my shoulder, upper arm, and both knees with some kind of "concoction" that is supposed to be slowly released pain killer and steroid to reduce inflamtion. He then wants to know if I want to try going in to Physical Therapy three times a week or be declared "homebound" again and have my in-home Physical Therapist come to home three times a week!! He told me a few weeks ago to start thinking about this one as he realizes "I now have a pretty hard every week again"!! Here is where I hope my "dear" Eunice is still buried in tax receipts in Chicago as she is determined that "some thing" could be done for my right side lean!! I would love to be able to slip him a note to tell her to pile up every Hynmal within her sight under my right arm each Sunday in church so it appears I am sitting up in the pew instead of making a pillow out of the person sitting next to me!! Eunice arrived a little too late in this "life process" to understand I am deemed to lean towards the right for the rest of my days!! And, "nothing" upsets my doctor more than any one bringing this subject up to him!! The week is already looking like an extra good stitching week!!

Mi has to be the most spoiled little "furbaby" on the face of this earth!! And, she is a smart little one also!! She gets her own place setting at dinner every night and regularly uses her fork and spoon. And, I think it only took three nights of having "oatmeal" or "cream of wheat" for a bed time snack for it to become a sacred ritual every night now!! And, I decided today, I would again pop in my salon and have my hair washed as I truly am taking every thing easy with this shoulder, only because I can't lift it high enough to wash my hair!! And, I never know how long I will stay at the salon as much depends on how I feel and what is going on there!! Max has chosen to take me each time and take Mi for a ride at the same time. He usually will go to the meat locker and buy an Illinois Lotto ticket!! But, today was the third straight time he has taken her to the frozen yogurt shop and they have gotten frozen yogurt cones!! Last year, Mi was only allowed the "baby" sized cone. This year she has advanced from the "baby", skipped the "toddler" and went right into the "junior" sized cones!! And, they usually bring a quart of the flavor of the day home!! He never believes me when I tell him Mi tends to be obsessed/compulsed, a miniature addict and all becomes a habit after the third time!!

As my luck runs true to form, I gained twenty pounds in the five months I was without teeth!! I am not complaining about my dentist as he is truly also obsessed/compulsed and a perfectionist!! I truly can save I have not suffered a day before the extraction surgery, during the hospitalization and all the way up until Wednesday when I got the dreaded "choppers"!!

I have one of the worst "gag reflexes" known to man!! I so feared that putting those "things" in my mouth was going to be the cause of my demise choking on them!! Thus, time to put mind over matter, and I decided they were going to be absolutely wonderful!! And, they are the greatest thing that ever happened to me!! This is just with one small exception, of each time I try to talk, drink simple water and I have the surest way to loose the twenty pounds I gained as I do not dare try to chew the water being I can not swallow it!! Nancy M. left a plan on last night's Blog and I do plan on trying it upon waking tomorrow!! I do have my extracted teeth yet, but they are not much help sitting in the box I put them in!!

Hope I get a bit more interest in my "Amid Amish" pieces!! Mi really wants the interest as each entry is another "Milkbone" for her!! I am going to have a real "snit" my self, if I am the one that has to spray the first whiff of Pledge on them!!

Break over!! Back to construction site!! Got to get some thing put in other than any of the various shades of brown!!

Love and Hugs!!

Deborah

and

Miprezious, too!!