SATURDAY, JULY 20, 2009 - TODAY WAS ONLY GOOD THING THAT HAPPENED ON "GRISWOLD OUTHOUSE HELL VACATION"!!

Hello All,

I saw my doctor yesterday, and he is still ordering as much bed rest as possible and I am to stay in wheelchair at all other times. Eunice took me to the doctor, heard his Orders and then whisked me away to the big "Juneteenth Fest" down in our big park on the river!! Eunice was to be on a Panel Discussion and then be Judge to Pound Cake and Pie contest!! I have been taken to many fund raisers over the past year with Eunice, but never quite "got" what this "Juneteenth" thing was all about!! I don't remember any of the speaker's names and official titles, except that they were just quickly brought in to the park with police escort and as I ended up on the stage side as it was the only shaded and half-way cool place in that entire park, I got to hear and see a whole lot. These "dignitaries" were to have been taken by escort back to the airport to an awaiting private plane, but they were so impressed with this Celebration they continued on to stay and join in the festivities. There were tornado "watches" out for about 3:00 p.m. and they quickly turned into "warnings" and before all was over in the middle of a torrential downpour the tornado warning sirens went off!! These "dignitaries" being I can not remember there names were very impressed with this Celebration as they knew of no where else where one was being held. They spoke about Iowa being first to vote for Obama, and many other firsts, etc., etc., etc.!! They were absolutely astonished the Obama supporters had actually went out and canvassed door to door in every neighborhood they could possibly cover in this town of 26, 616 people. At least, I finally did learn our population in this city, if nothing else!!

This Celebration was all about the slaves being freed on this date in 1895!! These dignitaries said they had never seen such a harmonious city with the blacks and white gathering celebrating together!! Some "Dr. Boone", I think his name was, kept coming over to me wanting to discuss prejudice still in our schools as every one else on this stage were teachers!! I was just the "dummy" staying cool waiting for Eunice to finish!!

It was also a very lovely afternoon for me as I got to see and visit with about every Caregiver I have had over the past few years and got introduced to some more who could be potential next ones!! Max was safely at dialysis, so no interruptions or upsetting this apple cart of visiting these gals. I truly miss most every one of them very much!!

Then, about 3:30 p.m. the heavens let loose and it really thundered, lightning and downpoured!! After being knocked out of my chair by lightning hit a big oak tree right outside my Stitching Sanctuary about a month ago, I have a new fear of lightning for the first time!! However, I never had so many people pick me up and transfer me into Eunice's truck and hardly felt even a sprinkle. Then, suddenly many people came running towards Eunice's truck and started filling them with the Pound Cakes and Pies. A few of the women have this contest down to bring their entries to the contest straight from the oven, so they can be enjoyed at just eating, or I should say, tasting temperature!! Eunice's truck smelled heavenly!! I kept telling Eunice she could be a "legend" in her church's history if we just kept going north to our homes with those heavenly Pound Cakes and Pies!! But, honest Eunice had to stop by the church and some fellows came out and unloaded them and took them in the church!! Eunice thought I had enough up time and combined with the weather decided we would call it a day and go home after her truck was unloaded!!

I wanted Pound Cake all night last night!! Got none!! However, that sweet Wanda was here to help get me up this morning and she gave me a real special breakfast - a very large hunk size of a Pound Cake!! Note to me: Max do not even think about terminating Wanda or you shall be terminated!!

Well, I have lots of pictures and trying to write down all the stories I can remember from vacation, however, I HAVE to remedy my extreme rudeness and get all my birthday things pictured and Thank Yous finished before I get any thing else done!! However, my "birthday note pad" is temporarly missing right now as I had a BIG surprise upon being brought out of those damn "woods" by Eunice and her husband!! I had a beautiful computer amorie and a new Kodak All-In-One Printer for my newly organized and almost finished "Stitching Sanctuary"!! I also got a wonderful five blade with three light bulb fixtured ceiling fan as this room is a long story, but shortly surmised it is very hot and stuffy!! So, needless to say, my beloved "Stitching Sanctuary" has been emptied once again and all new plans revised and are beginning to be implemented!! Long story short, I can not find any thing, much less a writing pad!!

However, there was one very good thing that happened while we were on "vacation"!! I could not get any phone calls unless I happened to be at the very point of the river inlet backwaters fishing while being eaten alive by mosquitos and gnats!! I had black patches on me that others would notice just eating me up some thing terrible, but with my morphine I could not feel them at all. Now, I can yet very well as I am still trying to overcome infection where I scratched myself beyond doctor's belief as I could not feel the pain, just the itching. Thus, I was placed on pills that were for itching to make me stop!! Well, they worked as they knocked me cold out and I slept so I could not scratch!! Nor, be in attendance mentally for my second big birthday surprise party comprised of our married friends and neighbors!! Eunice found me out sleeping in my Stitching Sanctuary and was quite miffed that Max had not gotten me dressed and ready for company!! He had the "nerve" to say he knew his limits and he could not wake me up!! Eunice managed to and got me cleaned up and dressed for my birthday party, but I do not remember one person here or any thing about it!!
I am sure I am the rumor of this town now that "I" am the one with the drinking problem!! Good Grief only at the "Griswolds"!!

Well, at one time of this fishing fun EVERY day, I actually did get a telephone call!! This man asks me how I would like an officially autographed Chicago Cubs duffel bag!! I thought "Good Lord only a "Griswold" could get a telemarketer find them in the depth of woods"!! I was actually speechless, but so darn happy to talk to any one else from the city, I continued to talk to this man!! I know nothing about baseball and wondered what this guy wanted or rather how much!! Soon, he asked me how I would like to go to a Chicago Cubs ball game. Well, if he promised to come get me out of those darn woods, I would have went and watched grass grow with him!! I told him I sure would love to go to Chicago!! Thus, he then asked if he could be a stowaway to Chicago with me!! I then thought, I had been in the sun too long that day drowing worms and I had become delusional!! Here was a man promising to take me to Chicago!! Then, he said, since he had gotten my attention he wanted me to know I was the Grand Prize Winner for the Cancer Relay for Life Raffle!!
I am yelling "WOOHOO" by this time and Eunice is coming over and asking me to hand her my phone!! OH NO, I am getting out of here!! And, this man then tells me that in accepting the Chicago Cubs duffel bag I also had to accept ownership of all of it's contents, especially the FOUR CENTER FRONT BOX SEATS to the June 20 Noon Baseball Game!! I was going wild!! Eunice thought I finally had crossed over that fine line of delusional!! After I got off the phone, everyone wanted to know what was going on!! Well, this was the biggest mistake in my life and I told them!! Of course, by the time I came back into the city our local news medias had already told the entire town and surrounding areas!!

For the last three weeks, I have been the most popular woman in this town. All my dear friends who had disappeared on or about May 04, 2002 all came crawling out from their rocks!! Surely I needed some one to help me so that I could go to Chicago!! Well, let's say I will not repeat what I sure did tell these dear friends!!

I have never been so miserable in my entire life!! I had originally declared Eunice's husband, Marion and my hubby, Max each would get a pair of these tickets as these are die hard Chicago Cubs fans!! Well, every thing was well for about two days!! Marion was told he absolutely could NOT have this day off as his business had overbooked and had three separate weddings today!! NO way was Marion going to get today off!! They were really nice though and gave him four days of this past week off in a row and I believe even paid him!!

Back to my owning four Chicago Cubs Baseball tickets and Chicago package!!
I was never so guilt ridden and miserable in my life as to making a final decision of who got them!! Then, one night while tossing and turning and not being able to even close my eyes I remembered the very number one Chicago Cubs baseball fan of all time!! Do not ever interrupt Granny Lou from going to her Curves ladies work-out center every day of the week and never, never interrupt her watching a Cubs game on television!! Most know Granny Lou, as she and Eunice completely made the Iowa Department of Human Services look like the fools they are when they made their vain attempt to try and make Max, Miprezious and I move into an Assisted Living Facility!! These two women could be seen running between our homes in night clothes and every thing else just to outdo a real nasty Social Worker who had her nose into far too much information about us. Just because I am handicapped and Max got misdiagnosed THIRTEEN times in twelve weeks (he went totally unresponsive and 911 HAD to be called and this red flagged us as in need, but only need was Max being diagnosed correctly as needing a pacemaker and getting it) as this medical community simply did not care as he was deemed terminal on August 15, 2005!! I got Max transferred out of this town and he was a new man in less than 24 hours later!! He is still in dire need of a donor liver and kidney, if any one happens to see an extra not being used though!! Okay, back to Granny Lou!! She is our neighbor right next door and she is 85-years old to be in the middle of these shenanigans, but I would not have wanted to try and keep her away!! This woman still cross stitches 32-Count Linens!!

I could not wait until sunrise the following day!! I assigned Granny Lou Ticket Number One and Max Ticket Number Two!! Now, I knew there was a real need for some Caregivers to watch these two at such a crowded and large place as Wrigley Field!! So, Ticket Number Three went to Wanda, my present part-time evening gal and Ticket Number Four went to Eunice!!

Thus, this morning, I was awakened by a gentle tap on my shoulder and a nice back rub!! I thought now this is not Max!! It was Eunice and she said she discovered Max gone and decided to let herself in to get me up and settled in my chair for the day!! Wanda arrived and took over helping and gave me Pound Cake for my breakfast!! Soon, I was assuring all four that I would be just fine as I was having a make-up belated real birthday party today while I had the home all to myself!! Eunice told me I was in my chair and I had better not get my self in to any trouble as all my first responders were going to be in Chicago and the other close ones had just another working day!! I never thought of these "odds" until Eunice finished explaining them to me!! I told her I would be VERY good and stay in my chair!!

So, off the foursome went headed east to Chicago!! That game was awesome, I have just been informed!! It went THIRTEEN innings and the Cubs won 6-5!!
WOO HOO some real happy, but totally exhausted Cub fans!! There was 40,007 people at that baseball stadium today!! I again was darn glad I was not among them as it is in 90's after storming all night long!! Humidity is like you can cut it like a knife!! I have been informed there are four people very hungry going for the dinners and then are heading west back home to ME!!! WOO HOO!!

(Perhaps, I will not ask if any one has seen my Birthday list until some time late tomorrow afternoon. I think there will be four very cranky and overly tired fans returning without the zeal they left here with!!)

Love and Hugs!!
Deborah

JUNE 18, 2009 - HAPPY, HAPPY DANCE!!!!

I have had my very best finish yet, since prior September, 2006, finally!! And, there was no one who wanted a special (She even would have been glad for any piece) project of mine more than one of my very best friends, Kathy Kiley!! Thus, I set out to make My Big Toe Design "REMEMBER ME" specifically for her!! So, I could not release the final pictures of it, until Kathy received her Birthday Box from me!!

NOW it is time to HAPPY, HAPPY DANCE for me!! I do not like a braggart, as I detest such people and I would like to continue liking myself!! However, I have to say I am proud as a peacock with the way this "REMEMBER ME" turned out!! It was my first 25-Count Evenweave, my first stitching one over one and stitching four new Specialty Stitches for me!!

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, Kathy seemed quite pleased with her Birthday gift, even though I was a bit late. Kathy was again the calming force, that knew by the time I had not sent her Birthday Box, that I was in progress of stitching her birthday gift!! She was the one who said, with great finese, that I should just put away the piece I was working on when "Clark" threw the "monkeywrench" into my stitching progress with his "Griswold Outhouse Hell Vacation" during the last week I had to finish this piece on time!! I have never been so stressed out before and after a "vacation" in my entire life!! I am still operating on complete physical and emotional exhaustion!! Kathy told me it sounded like I wanted complete perfection on this gift more than ever and that she preferred that I just be a bit late than try to continue stitching in the exhausted state I was in. I am still working my way back into completely being and feeling such exhaustion!! However, I am so grateful Kathy convinced me to back off it for a bit until I had some rest!!

I had found this wonderful navy blue "Memory Album" while actually out on an appointment at a VA facility for Max. I spotted this beautiful leather album and knew I just had to have it!! Then, I remembered the chart I had for quite some time. I just knew it was the perfect combination for Kathy's birthday this year!!

The best part of doing this was I knew I needed to get some just perfect navy blue braid for the edges to make a perfect finish for mounting my piece on the front of this beautiful album. I had expressed to Max that I simply had to get out some time to find this braid and I knew it had to be some where other than Clinton as it has nothing since Wal-Mart gave up most of it's crafting things!!

Thus, the day I had to be rushed down to Davenport, 50 miles away, for what I thought would amount to be put on some antibiotics, I told Max that no matter the outcome I absolutely wanted to go to the new Super Joann's store also located there. Well, I ended up having emergency surgery for what was found to be a tumor in the roof of my mouth!! Hours later, while Max was transferring me into our van from my wheelchair at the Surgery Center, he asked if I still wanted to go looking for the braid. I was still groggy from anesthesia, but I said most definitely!! Max said he really did not want to even try to do this, but he knows my determination when I set my mind into doing any thing!! So, off we went to Super Joann's!! We got there and Max again transferred me and wheeled me in the store. He immediately began looking just for the aisle that had braid as quickly as he could. He began taking any thing navy off the shelves and I kept shaking my head no. Then, Max finally got in to the very nice variety of braid which I had wanted. He again kept picking up all navy braids and some I would nod okay to as I was again drifting off into additional morphine sleep and he knew he was on his own. He continued to pick up any navy braid he thought would do!! He then quickly went looking for a check out counter. The man at the register informed Max he had to go to the cutting table before checking out. By this time, Max just told him he would take all of it, but again this man told him he still had to go back to a cutting table!! So, off we went to find a cutting table and upon finding one a woman clerk realized Max was having a problem and asked what she could do to help. Max told her he simply wanted to check out. And, being I was in no state to decide which of the braids I wanted, that he had continued to choose after I had drifted off, that he would take them all!! The woman told Max that some of the bobbins contained several yards and asked if he thought I truly needed that much of so many different braids. Max tried to ask me, but it got him no answer about any braid!! Thus, he told the woman what I was trying to do with the braid. And, between them, they decided on two yards just to be sure I had enough!! In the end, I now have the start of some real braid stash, but all in navy blue!! But, the good thing was there were two different ones that were absolutely perfect for the Album cover!!

I keep telling him he might as well begin to stitch as he is beginning to learn about all the different things about it!! He said he had a life time fill of picking out and purchasing braid, so he thought not!!

Last finish, I had a first 32-Count Linen and this time it was 25-Count Evenweave!! I just am beginning a first 28-Count Teal Jobelan. Debra Hall sent me a chart among her birthday gifts to me that I absolutely love. I "thought" I had seen every "tea" related chart existing, but here was a brand new one to me!! It is by Ellen Mauer-Stroh called "Stitching Hour". It has a 2000 Copyright. I absolutely loved it and had to at least give it a start in a rotation I am going to organize soon and stick to it!!

Thus, I know the pictures above leave a lot to be desired!! But, I am sure Kathy will have some posted soon that show the true beauty of this soon!! Remember, all have to give an extra kick in this HAPPY, HAPPY DANCE jig for me!!

Love and Hugs!!

Deborah

P.S.

I am embarassed for my lateness in getting all my Thank Yous out for all the beautiful things I received for my birthday. I also am working on getting all the things photographed and posted!! There is truly no excuse for such rudeness, but I truly have just finally totally depleted and still have total exhaustion. I am trying to get a bit more accomplished each day, but it is truly very slow getting any thing accomplished yet!!