SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2009 - I CAN'T BELIEVE........

I CAN NOT BELIEVE this is my Handicap Ramp, two days prior to the Building Permit expires, so says today's mail!! I ALSO CAN NOT BELIEVE this pile of building materials defrosted before the Fourth of July!!

I CAN NOT BELIEVE all this was given to my free by a "Freecycle" lady!! Some body is going to get all that floss sitting in front of you right now!! Who will it be? Hint it will be for an April birthday that is not connected with the I.L.C.S. Birthday Club!!

I CAN NOT BELIEVE that you are looking at 32-COUNT LAMBSWOOL WICHELT LINEN and more unbelievable the stitching below is ME, MY, MYSELF, MOI and DEBORAH'S!!

Hello All My Dearest Friends,

I CAN NOT BELIEVE, I took two of my most serious falls in the past ten days, than the last one which was the final straw and I was ordered by doctors to no longer attempt to walk and stay in a wheelchair July, 2004!! My first was a repeat swan dive from the throne, a.k.a. le toilette, with head being hit by bath tub!! Same ole story, just a bit more severe injuries!!

Then, Wednesday night, I got up from my stitching nest to go to the le toilette and went from just standing still in the middle of my Stitching Sanctuary to totally body slamming the wall to wall unit!! I have literally sweat bullets about could this unit be moved should I need, or want, to recarpet the Stiching Sanctuary!! Well, I have taken care of that one, as I hit with such force that I knocked this entire wall unit off the wall. As I was clinging onto the shelves for lack of being able to move, I prayed to God to make the wall unit quit moving!! I have a collection of very heavy water globes on the very top of this unit and they were teetering on the very edge!! And, par to my luck, I have what I considered to be a quite heavy wooden quilt rack in this room to drape my fabric for works in progress and for holding some of the chart notebooks that will not fit on the shelving unit. Somehow it had to have also tilted or moved so that my left little toe and the top surrounding it became entrapped underneath it!!

I could not move between my left foot being caught and I felt my body was the only thing holding this entire wall unit upright!! Max was taking a nap and he had an early and extremely awfull day, so he was in deep sleep!! I began to scream after deciding he had to be totally out cold to have not awaken simply from the crashing sounds!! I have several large lumps on my head and think I am bruised on every single part of my body!! I have bruises where I did not think bruises could be!! My knees have not been good for quite some time, but doctors have always said, they would not touch them as that would be affecting the RSD and they do not want to be responsible for what it will do!! They also say that the very serious anesthesia problems I have had are not worth any more surgeries!! Well, we started once before without it and I NEVER will allow that one to happen again, now I insist on seeing anesthesiologist's license and at least three references!! And, above all else the doctor's attitudes are "she can not walk, any way"!! Well, little do they realize!!

I am hurting a plenty and I am taking a break just for the weekend!! I have a large gathering of our nearest, and dearest, coming for St. Patrick's Day dinner right down to the Blarney Stones and beautiful green daises I received from Max today that will be made into a beautiful centerpiece!! More on this, come Tuesday!!

I CAN NOT BELIEVE, I am again "Mrs." Markham!! And, neither can any one else I am near and dear to, know well or are merely acquainted with!! The story is way too long and way too boring!! Max was very, very wrong and did many terrible things to too many people, but we have talked it over and over and specific rules have been established. There simply are NO MORE CHANCES!! I am not going to try and make a dozen excuses for Max as there simply are none!! However, there are several contributing problems which I am taking steps to make sure they no longer do contribute again from Max's illnesses to my very meddling

"Mommy Dearest"!! As my dear Eunice has stated, "as long as I am happy and Max behaves himself things should be all right!! There have been a few rough "bumps" in the road, but they appear to be all taken care of and I have been most happy and Max has been on his best behavior!! We will be married 30 years this Christmas and that is a long time to dump every thing!! Honestly, we have had some real good times thus far and I think things are going to only get better!!

I CAN NOT BELIEVE my "Mommy Dearest" could possibly hit lower than the snake's belly she hit while I was "rotting" away in the "hellhole" Nursing Home she helped me get placed in!! BUT, JUST BELIEVE ME, SHE HAS!!

I CAN NOT BELIEVE that this Blog and my Webshots Albums are all still UNDER CONSTRUCTION, but they are!! I had the choice of "constructing" or "blogging" and I think I needed to re-start the Blogging!!

I have found more WIPS and UFOS than any of the ten best stitcher's in my I.L.C.S. combined!! I truly need to start a new blog, only I do not know how to add progress pictures to it!! I need to find something where I can publish more than 300 projects and be able to show their progress!!

That will take a lot of additional thinking out and consulting with some one who does know some thing about a computer!! I plan on pulling out the top ten that I want to show "some" progress on each week and show a running progress of them!!

I CAN NOT BELIEVE, that when the Little House Needleworks "TRAVELING STITCHER" premiered I did not give it a single look!!

Then, the frenze began to get the first edition Coral (DMC3712) Envelope Bags that you are to finish your stitched piece and Needlebook piece to!!

My dearest friend, Kathy Kiley LOVES her "Little House"!! Kathy thought she had the LNS that might place a "hold" on a bag until Kathy went to her next "Stitch and Sit"!! Well, dear Kathy inquired and the only one her LNS had available was for the store sample!! Well, Kathy being the fantastic and most caring daughter she is; had been busy, especially busy the last 12-18 months, giving her beloved mother the very best care possible on this earth prior to her passing December 06!! Thus, she had far more important things going on then simply becoming acquainted with a whole lot of online store owners (only the store owners loss, as they sure do want to meet her and surely will) like this "care free and stitch fancy" woman (only because Kathy directs me step by step on each chart)!! So, I think if one of these darn "TRAVELING STITCHER" Bags exist with her name on it, I would have to pay attention and see if any of my store owner's "loved" me enough to put her name on one of these rare

specimens that were getting more rare each day Nashville began!! So, I began to pay attention!! Well, as always, I over did, and suddenly found myself looking for a store owner who REALLY "loved" me enough to put her name and now MY NAME on one of these rare specimens!! I LOVED those darn things and I HAD to have one of my own!! Dear Karen at Wasatch was most kind, and tried to find one, but could not as all her allotment was sold out and there definitely were no more to be had!! Karen even directed me that if either Kathy or I were sew-ers, along with being stitchers, that we easily could make these bags!! Well, Kathy said she never sewed and my brand new Singer will shortly be having it's two year anniversay of being dusted each week, but never have left it's box so it was a definite NO here also!! But, Dear Linda at House of Stitches sent them out ASAP!! We love Linda!!

But, I CAN NOT BELIEVE, and luckily can not remember, who talked me into ordering 32-Count Lambswoold Wichelt Linen to stitch this on!!

However, I have found I TRULY LOVE IT!! I have not had a successful finish with any thing other than 14-Count Aida since before my life's "Pot Hole" began to open up and swallow me May 04, 2002!! And, by golly, THIS IS GOING TO BE A FINISH!! Above represents one full week's stitching!! Tune in next week...................!!!!

I CAN NOT BELIEVE that I could not wait for the release of "CUPCAKES, GLORIOUS, CUPCAKES, by "The Cat Whiskers"!!

I actually was awaiting the mailman every day for a week!! I anxiously open the package, while Kathy K. and I happen to be having our daily chat and I told her, "good Lord, who let me loose to do such a thing"!!

I told her all about this large book and read her the directions!! And, ever happy and so optimistic, my friend assured me these would make good Fobs!! Okie Dokie!! Well, later I have a chat with Rene, who was already fast "baking" her first cupcake, which was finished before nightfall. She had immediately sent me all the links and every thing I needed to order the Wilton baking cups needed to finish each cupcake, practically before I had even opened my book!! I thought save your efforts Rene, I ain't making mine!! THEN, Rene gives me a sneak preview of her first cupcake even before I have completely read my book and it looked mighty fine!! And, then Rene published her first cupcake and it got rave reviews!! And, then I discussed the cupcakes with Rene again and she assured me I could do it!! And, now I think I CAN and I will be once again be pulling on my cupcake making apron to prove to myself I CAN!!

BUT, I TRULY CAN NOT BELIEVE who I talked to or what drugs I got into that ever convinced me that I could remotely even read "The Victoria Sampler "TEA AND STITCHES"!! Good Grief!! From Thursday till furthermore, I am notifying my suppliers to not ship me any thing that has not been okayed by Kathy K. and at least six other stitchers!! I truly could not tell if those SIXTEEN pages are right side up or down had it not been for the pictures!! WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!! Again, as Max handed me this lovely bombshell, I was on the phone chatting with Ms. Kiley!! And, at first I think she was a bit hesitant and speechless, however, she came up with the amazing recovery that I could make a "real cute Needlebook" surely out of it!! Well, I have done some Crazy A$$ things before, but pay $22 for a Needlebook chart? NOT!! I LOVE tea patterns and I loved "TEA AND STITCHES"!! And, all I can say, is that I have the very best of friends that stitch!! I ever win the lottery all get prepared to move to these Iowa cornfields as I am going to create "Stitching Acres" and move you all on out to this one-horse town!! What a "hood" that would be!!

Of course, Eunice would be mayor!! Thankfully there would be no working, no cooking, no cleaning, no laundry, no shopping unless for needed stash until our STITCHING WAS DONE!! And, most THANKFULLY, shortly after chatting with Kathy, I started chatting online and I soon had a great stitcher, (will not identify until she says it is okay) volunteer to do my edge of big piece and edges of "smalls" with all those Greek (no offense intended to our Greek friends) stitches that surround each!! Then, I can do the center of these pieces!! And, as Kathy pointed out, I "think" I might be able to do the Needlebook!! WHAT A SAVE AND ANOTHER BLOOMING MIRACLE FOR ME!!

I keep protesting and sincerely saying that, "I must not be continued to be rescued from every dumb, and recently dummer, things I do"!! My dear friends, especially stitchers, PLEASE do not listen to me, as it is quite evident that I will be in very deep doggie doo doo with out each and every one of you!!

I CAN NOT BELIEVE, I have went on with this Blog!! And, YOU CAN NOT BELIEVE, how many times I have had to yell, I had to have a bathroom break to keep sneaking in another short computer time to finish it!! Thus, I have just been told NO ONE could possibly need to get up to the bathroom this many times in one evening!! OKAY, I AM OUT OF HERE!!

LOVE AND HUGS!!

Deborah and Max

and Miprezious, too!!

THURSDAY, MARCH 05, 2009 - MAJOR CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT

DEBORAH TOOK EXTREMELY SERIOUS FALL AT 7:00 A.M. THIS MORNING. IN CHAIR, AND IS NOT TO GET UP AT ALL!!
UPDATE ANY CHANGES AS THEY COME, HOPEFULLY VERY SOON!!

LOVE AND HUGS,
DEBORAH and MAX
and
MIPREZIOUS, TOO!!

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 04, 2009 - UNDER MAJOR CONSTRUCTION!!!

THIS IS WORK IN PROGRESS!!
VALENTINE BISCORNU!!

THIS PICTURE IS THE "AFTER" MI HAD HER DINNER , MINUS THE ONIONS, TOMATOES, AND MUSHROOMS!! SHE ALWAYS FINISHES THE "OTHER HALF" JUST BEFORE SHE LETS IT BE KNOWN SHE IS READY TO BE PUT INTO BED!!

THIS IS TYPICAL DINNER PLATE FOR MI, ALSO A WORK IN PROGRESS!! SHE EATS EXACTLY HALF AT DINNER TIME AND THEN LEAVES THE OTHER HALF FOR BEDTIME SNACK. MANY NIGHTS IT APPEARS SHE DRAWS A LINE STRAIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF HER PLATE WITH A RULER!! BUT, SHE WILL JUST TOSS, AND SHE HAS ONE HECK OF A PITCH, ANY ONIONS, TOMATOES, MUSHROOMS AND ANY KIND OF EGGS IF SOMETHING HAS THEM IN IT. MI LOVES POTATO AND PASTA SALAD, BUT WILL TOSS ALL EGGS SHE ENCOUNTERS IN THEM!!

FOUND A NEW RECIPE FOR "FROGGIE TEA"!! THOSE LITTLE CRITTERS COME A CALLING HERE ANY MORE THEY ARE INSTANTLY DROPPED INTO THEIR SPECIAL "FROGGIE" TEAPOT!! THUS FAR, IT HAS BEEN WORKING REAL WELL AND I FIND MY FAVORITE COLOR, PURPLE, TO BE NICE TO THE EYES ALSO!! REAL STRANGE NEW TRUCK INCENTIVE JUST AUTOMATICALLY CAME WITH THE PRETTY TRUCK!! THAT DARN TRUCK MUST STOP AT ALL GOOD WILL, DISABLED VETERANS, SALVATION ARMY, CANCER DISCOVERY AND EVERY OTHER KING OF BUILDING THAT EVEN REMOTELY RESEMBLES ANY KIND OF THRIFT STORE!! THANK YOU GOOD WILL STORE AND MY BEST FRIEND, NEIGHBOR AND CAREGIVER, ST. EUNICE!!

WORK IN PROGRESS OF MY PAPER DOLLS BIRTHDAY PARTY!! THOSE KIDS ARE GOING TO BE GRANDPARENTS BY THE TIME I GET THIS BIRTHDAY PARTY DONE!! GOOD GRIEF!!!!!

AND, THIS IS "GOOD LUCK" BISCORNU AS A WORK IN PROGRESS!! I LEAVE THIS LITTLE ONE OUT EACH NIGHT IN HOPES OF LITTLE LEPRECHAUNS APPEARING AND STUFFING IT UP FOR ME!! AND, ADD THE FEW STITCHES THAT ARE NEEDED!!

AND, AS FOR THE REST OF EVERY THING, AND EVERY ONE, IT IS SITE UNDER MAJOR CONSTRUCTION, WORK IN PROGRESS, UNFINISHED FOREVER OPTION, OR ONLY THE GOOD LORD KNOWS!!

I AM HAVING SOME MAJOR "ISSUES" AGAIN WITH MY LEGS!! MY KNEES HAVE BOTH DECIDED TO "GO OUT TO LUNCH" AND HAVE FORGOT TO COME BACK!! BOTH LEGS ARE SWOLLEN ROCK HARD AND WORSE THAN EVER BEFORE, BUT THEY ARE NOT DOING THEIR USUAL "BURSTING" SO IT CERTAINLY COULD BE A WHOLE LOT WORSE!! ANY MOVING OF MY LEGS IS ABSOLUTELY EXCRUCIATING, IN SPITE OF TAKING THE BREAK THROUGH PAIN MORPHINE!!

I DO NOT WANT TO RUSH IN TO DOING ANY THING "CRAZY", LIKE GOING IN TO MY DOCTOR ANY SOONER THAN REGULAR APPOINTMENT ON FRIDAY, MARCH 13. THUS, I WILL JUST CONTINUE TO NEST IN MY STITCHING RECLINER AND JUST KEEP ON STITCHING AND BxxxxING!!

TONS OF NEW NEWS AND PICTURES WHEN MY BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION PERMITS ARE RENEWED!!

LOVE AND HUGS!!

DEBORAH, MAX

and

MIPREZIOUS, TOO!!!

FEBRUARY 02, 2009 - LITTLE NEWS

Hello Dearest All,

Miprezious and I have got all kinds of news, but not that kind of time required to remember and tell it all!! But, just to let you know we are both around and doing fairly well we are giving you just a peak into what we have been up to!!

Two weeks ago, I started a new project EVERY day of the week!! Guess, no one has to ask "have you been on edge, jittery or nervous" lately!!

And, this is just one of the starts of them and the continuing WIPS I have out and get to put a few stitches in here and there!!

Above is "Paper Dolls Boy/Girl Tri-Lingual"!! It is my very first 28-Count Evenweave fabric that I can remember!! I have been struggling, but yet very much enjoying stitching this. This got the majority of my time during the last two weeks!!

After discussing the fractual stitches at some length with Kathy Kiley yesterday and today, she has convinced me after hearing and looking at the stitching progress picture, that I am doing okay!! I think she may have even dared to utter "terrific"!! I am much more at ease with it after her explaining the "fractuals" to me!!

In fact, I love this fabric so much, I ordered 4 Yards more of it on E-Bay this evening!!

I was really a good lady over the Super Bowl!! Well, I had a three page list comprised of new releases I want already!! BUT, I have vowed to buy no more "stash" until I can at least see some real finishes first!! Should have vowed for this year of 2009, as I would have been further ahead!!

Being, the too overly honest person I am, I will have to admit I probably did not buy these new releases for two main reasons over the Super Bowl Sales!!

FIRST, the "SUPER BOWL" SALES drove me crazy!! Well take 10%, 20%, 25%, Name Winning Team, Take Amount of Winning Points, OFF, with the EXCEPTION of all their individual small prints!! I may have my attorneys on retainer, however, I probably would have been very disappointed to try to have found one on "Super Bowl" Sunday to interpret ALL the small prints of each individual online shop!! Sorry, God knows, I love you all online stores, BUT these "SUPER BOWL" SALES' fine print, exceptions, etc. drove me right over the edge!!

SECONDLY, my dear friend, Ms. Kathy K., reminded me that the "PRESIDENT BIRTHDAYS" SALES are only a few weeks away!! And, by this time, the "Nashville Market Days" will be old news and not be made part of the "fine print"!!

But, the far more important and major deterent from "stash" shopping was my beloved little Miprezious was having a not so good day!! To put it as delicately as possible, the little "sweetie" was left alone with her "daddy" last Tuesday while I went back to the dentist for another set of impressions!! Not my teeth, as Eunice had promised me, but another set of impressions!! And, for the record, I go back in next week, for yet another set of impressions!! And, every thing that could go wrong did!! I was gone for quite a long time. Miprezious has a "limp" back right leg that she obviously "favors" all the time. Once in awhile, she will get off balance and start to tumble, however, my little "darling" is smart enough to simply just sit her butt down hard and "plop" where ever she lands!! Well, to make a long story short and neatly as possible, Mi promptly had to have "plopped" right on top of her "daily pile" she had just done!! The dentist had my sinus, nasal, you name it so plugged up after he completed his pulling, pushing, pinching, etc. that upon coming home, and until the next morning, I "could not smell Sxxx, if it was under my nose" quite literally for this "incident"!! Promptly, upon waking up in my "stitching nest" recliner the following morning, I knew instantly "something" was wrong!! It was one time, I literally said a prayer of gratitude that I had not awakened and got into bed with Mi going with me!! Nothing, else would take care of this situation, but a full bath for Miprezious!!

I got down on both knees and hung over the edge of my bath tub after placing Mi in the tub!! I was in instant pain, but let me tell you 90 minutes later I had actual tears in my eyes and I was not nearly done yet!!

I have no knowledge of what Mi had ingested or the workings of a poodle's digestion system, but what was the after "leaving" was comparable to pure cement!! I finally could take it no longer, so I positioned myself upon the closed toilet seat to rest a bit and Mi's "daddy" took over this bath time!! After he declared her as clean as she was going to ever be, he handed her off to me, so she could be "blowed dried" with my hair dryer!!

I could feel something way high on Mi's stomach and sort of in her right hip joint that felt strange!! I thought about it for quite some time and thought there could be no way that she was still "dirty"!! I then decided this spot had to be an ulcerated scrape or worse!! Well, "Daddy" just accused me of being "over protective" for about the thousandeth time of Mi's young eight years!! Mi had never been complaining or had I ever seen her trying to itch this area, so for once I thought I might have been a bit paranoid!! Mi was just very happy to be a clean little girl again!!

By Saturday night, I was in my Stitching Sanctuary, as usual, trying to work my way through some quarter stitches on this evenweave. Suddenly, I was aware that some one was standing looking over me again!! I am not used to this and about jumped out of my chair!! It was Mi and "Daddy"!! Then, I notice "that look" and could only wonder what curse had been bestowed upon us then!! "Well, you are right again"!! Good Lord, what in the world has happened? "Mi, came whinning a little bit and was trying to get at her back right leg"!! He would get a hold of her Vet first thing Monday morning!! Mi did have a fairly good area that looked scraped and perhaps ulcerated!! Immediately, all I could think was that it looked exactly like my melanoma cancer looked like!! A good friend just had to have her dog put down due to melanoma cancer not too long ago!! I was bezerk immediately and right up until that Vet patted me on the shoulder this afternoon and assured me that Mi has a "superficial scrape" on her belly and right hip!! Praise The Lord!!

Mi had an injection to get antibiotics immediately in to her system and we have a new bottle of Amoxicillen pills we now have to beg and plead for Mi to take every morning and evening beginning tomorrow morning!! My part-time Caregiver, Wanda, can simply hand Mi a pill and she gulps it down like candy or her favorite treat, BUT no one else can, including her own Vet!! I got a feeling my beloved Wanda will be getting several extra hours on her paycheck this week and I am more glad than ever before that she only lives three blocks away from me!!

Okay, all is calm!! Well, almost!! Mi got a T-Bone steak bone after her supper this evening!! She was just beside herself with anxiety all the way to the Vet's office and absolutely in total panic attack the whole time we were there!! This all adds up to vomitting over the moon!! And, vomit is what this little one has done for the last hour!! I am remaining calm so far, as I can easily see the combination for potential of this happening was certainly all there!! Coupled with the new antibiotics, in hindsight, I should have prepared for it, if such a preparedness could be done!! She is resting quite well right beside me presently, so I am hoping she has got over every thing by now!!

And, I did just decide, "Oh, what the heck" and I ordered the new Shepherd's Bush "Be My Valentine" and Cat's Whiskar's "Cupcakes, Glorious Cupcakes"!! I did not buy the Silk Pack though, as my dear friend, Kathy K. (she is so helpful) convinced me "we" could figure these out without the benefit of silks for the tops!! Now, if Granny Rene just jumps in here, I am sure we can figure this out!!

My legs are just on the "edge" of doing some thing!! Given their poor judgment in the past, I have done my utmost to stay off them and keep them elevated in my "stitching nest"!! So, hopefully, I can get all my new starts and my WIPS that are on top of surface organized enough to put a posting of each on this Blog and keep them updated!! Are you allowed over 200 Albums in Webshots?!!

And, with a little luck, and successful photographing, irregardless of how many "takes" it takes, I will have a Blog on giving a wall by wall, shelf by shelf, bin by bin tour of my new and improved "Stitching Sanctuary"!!

And, I have promised, and re-promised so many, the pictures of our "Trial Two Day Move To Assisted Living" last April 1 and 2 will finally get published so I can file those nightmare pictures away once and for all!!

Amazing, what you can unearth when you clean every single inch of a room!!

So, possibly there is finally some interest and possible humor will again appear in this space very soon!!

Love and Hugs!!

Deborah

and

Miprezious, too!!

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2009 - GOOD MORNING SNOW!!!

Good Morning All,

Another Morning, Another Dig Out!! Fun is Fun, but this is More Than Enough!! This used to be Miprezious' play yard!! Her first step, would turn her up Missing!!

We are still having bitter cold below zero temperatures with wind chills that make you shiver just hearing about them!! We still have not hit the height of this storm!! It is not due until mid-afternoon tomorrow!! They are predicting complete white outs tonight on a majority of this area. The winds have not picked up at all as of yet. They are expected to start again during this night and be up to 30-50 M.P.H. again and the wind chills will then go off the charts!!

Many of you up north probably think this is every day stuff, but Iowa hardly ever has hit these lows and snowfalls all at once!! This happens about once in every ten years here!! Our entire town borders it's entire east side with the Mississippi River. I do not even begin to understand the logistics, but every one says it is the Mississippi River abuting us that makes us safe from the brunt of most storms and supposedly exempt for tornados, but I have seen the damage here from those, although it has been exceptionally mild to what I have seen on the news in other places.

So, I am well aware many are worst off, but this town is literally shut down with this one!!

I have not checked in with Eunice across the street yet to see if she is still saying we are going to continue to "brave this" and just "dress warmer" and still plans to take me out to dental appointment tomorrow. I am sure she must be starting to have reservations and may be changing her mind.

I am hoping the dental clinic calls and changes it for us in telling me they simply are not even going to try to open in the morning!!

Well, this is definitely another sit back and stitch day!! I did have breakfast made for me this morning, so it looks like we are trying to have a good day!! But. looking out may be just the right incentive also!!

Hopefully, will have a Valentine Biscornu already for finishing by bed time tonight!! Who knows!!

Love and Hugs!!

Deborah

and

Miprezious, too!!

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2009 - I AM OKAY!! I AM OKAY!!

Hello All,

My Daily, ALL DAY, Affirmation, - I AM OKAY, I AM OKAY, I AM OKAY!! I say it enough I will believe it, or is it if you say it you claim it!!

Who knows at this point?!!

I just had to put down my three Christmas presents and special secret project (have not even shared with best friends) and get a change of scenery in my stitching!! I am close to finishes on two of the Christmas gifts and secret project of my own and I do not know why I just can not pick them up and finish them!! Well, I know why on the two Christmas gifts as they are to the point they MUST be Flatfolds and my last Flatfold and I were a complete diaster!! And, I have a third Christmas gift that I have to get with the person receiving it and find out her favorite of the collection. This collection is baby angels and two of the eight had black skin. Wanda has seen them and loved them all, but thought she had to choose between the two that were shown in black skin. Dah!! Blonde roots glowing again!! At least until, many of you suggested that I just change the color of skin on all of them, as I have the color numbers right in front of me with the chart, it is child's play!! Evidently, not for me until it was pointed out!! And, I am not talking Christmas presents for 2009, OH NO these are still for 2008!! Very thankful for patient friends!!

So, I thought, okay, my perfect head start on Valentine's Day!! A simple Valentine Biscornu!! Well, actually I stitched the top of the Biscornu quite well and with some nice time to do it!! However, Monday night I got to these little heart "thingys" backstitched in each corner - as you can see they are faint in red on pattern and absent on my fabric!! I hated them when I first saw the first one!! Okay, very late at night, take look see by the light of day!! Oh, no better!! Herd of froggies entered!! This is "metallic" floss and not too easy to work with!! I stitched these in and the frogs took over taking them out more times on Tuesday and Tuesday night then I could keep count of!! Finally, chatted with Kathy K. Tuesday afternoon and she said, "leave them out"!! Another fine blonde moment!!

So, I did one more attempt and thought LEAVE THEM OUT DUMMIE!!

And, that is DUMMIE, not DEBBIE!! So, as this picture reflects I have two sides of straight border line to back stitch in and this Biscornu top is finished and I truly do not think it will be missed when finished!!

So, to say the least, Tuesday was a tense stitching day!! And, our weather has continued to worsen!! I believe, Kathy B. posted about not being able to get to an important doctor's appointment and she lives in Davenport the town next largest to me 50 miles south and is having the same weather!! It is the very worse I can remember ever!! And, we have not hit the worst yet!! That is predicted to hit mid-Thursday, tomorrow, afternoon!! Just about the same time, I was scheduled for my first dental impressions for my teeth. It will take weeks to get into this dental office if I have to cancel out tomorrow!! They are very understanding with my being handicapped, but they are also a very busy office!! Eunice has forbid my canceling yet as of yesterday!! She just says, "we will dress warmer"!! My mother brainwashed me to being quite fearful of bad ice storms and extra cold weather such as we are having. I am very fearful of being homebound by snow and/or ice and loosing power in my home alone!! I have prepared my bed to be a "refuge" for Mi and I if such happens until some one can get to me!! But, I truly worry about going out in this as I simply can not move fast enough!! Given, in my day, I would have simply made a mad dash for the entrance and then back to vehicle, but this is not going to happent, at least during this storm!!

AND, like the proverbial old penny, Max is back with me!! This is NOT permanent!! He is very well aware of this and accepts that this is for this storm and extraordinary below zero cold bout!! He also is aware, and agrees, one foul word or act, he has an instant exit to the local shelter, which is some where I would not even place an animal!!

Thus, far it has been total peace!! Although, today was Dialysis and it totally beats him down to nothing!! He is below one hundred pounds and simply can not get warm enough!! No one should ever freeze to death, but it has happened to way too many people!! He is certainly NOT one of my favorite people now, nor ever will be, but I can not stand to think of any one homeless in this awful weather!! I have had very strong words of advice for him to take his checks the first of February and get, at the very least, another room or efficiency apartment!! I am NOT going to continue to do this!!

He immediately got into recliner and went into almost comatose sleep!!

I was so tired all day also!! I went into my bedroom and took Mi with me and fell asleep mysleep late in the afternoon. Mi woke me about 7:00 p.m. HUNGRY!! I went to kitchen and placed dinner in oven and cleaned out refrigerator of leftovers to add to the hamballs that were in the oven.

Truly made quite a nice potluck!! I truly had been intent on my Biscornu stitching and then television show HOPKINS came on. I was watching this in kitchen and Max finally woke up and came to the kitchen. He did take over making the rest of dinner and helped with clean-up!! He immediately went right back to sleep again and I am sure will sleep the night through, in the living room, and may even sleep in morning!! Today will tell if peace prevails as he should be a bit more "spunky" as he does not have dialysis!! Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday are dialysis days!! He simply is going to have to do some thing very soon as he can hardly put one foot in front of the other!! He will be needing the Caregiver, and sorry it is NOT going to be me!! Eunice, and most others are quite upset with me now, for relenting this much. I do realize, very well, he is "not my problem any more"!! But, he has helped me over the thirty years we were together different times!! Had he not got totally "bullheaded" and decided to "take another person against their will" as police tried to charge him with, I would probably be, most likely, still sitting in that "hellhole" Nursing Home rotting away till day I passed!! But, on the other side, he has done a whole lot of not so good things to me over the past thirty years also!! And, unlike most things, I have not forgotten a single one!!

Thus, it will either be a very short or long day today!! I will try to put on short posting at some point today!!

Any ideas on my Valentine Biscornu? Think it will look okay with out the squiggly "thingys" that I think are supposed to look like double hearts?

Till Later,

Love and Hugs,

Deborah

and

Miprezious, too!!

TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2009

Hello All,

Yes, at least I "think" I am ahead of this one!! Even though I am very actively stitching on three, yet to be given, Christmas gifts, I simply had to give up their "ghost" for a bit and get a new change of stitchery!! Thus, I hope I have a slight jump on Valentines Day!!

Above is an almost completed top for this "VALENTINE BISCORNU"!!

There is also a picture of what it is to look like finished!! We can hope!!

The picture is not that great as this Biscornu is simply going to just be BLING, BLING, BLING!! The fabric is very sparkly and the thread is actually DMC Metallic Red 321!! Should be fun trying to put it together!!

It has been a little "on the edge" for me here the last few days!! That person who used to live here has been showing up at my door step several times a day!! He "thinks" he might have a small efficiency apartment, BUT only if "I" give him $100 to enable him to hold it as on, or before, January 05 he had again went through over $4,000 and was broke until the fourth Wednesday of January rolls around and then again on February 01 as he receives money in two different checks!! And, he had the nerve to ask "what did I do for Christmas"!! I knew, but refused to even acknowledge that upon being thrown out of here at 2:30 a.m. Christmas Eve Day he immediately went out and checked in to the hotel attached to our local gambling casino The Wild Rose!! Must have been a very Merry Christmas and really good New Year's Eve!!

Thus, he has me "wound up tighter than ever before" to quote Eunice!!

I was again so upset Saturday night I could not sleep at all!! Last night, I layed down about 2:00 a.m. and woke at 4:00 a.m. with terrific stomach pains and was sure I had "incarcerated" another hernia!! I was absolutely terrified!! But, I simply just talked myself down and calmed myself and the pains did subside a bit!! Of course, I was up for the day so I did take the 120 mg. of morning morphine that may have helped also!!

Eunice called me promptly at 9:00 a.m. this morning to tell me to not be afraid if I heard my garage door and kitchen door as she was sending her hubby, Marion, over to collect all my garbage and get the tote to the curbside!! It was soooooooo cold here and I felt so bad for him!! Although, Miprezious dearly adores Marion as he stayed with her the majority of the time I have been hospitalized!! Thus, he did come in and warm up as she insisted on seeing him and he sitting with her and chatting a bit!! Ironically, I had got dressed and was about to try and get the garbage bags at least outside of the garage. I would have froze solid before I could move quick enough!! We are under a BLIZZARD ALERT tonight beginning at 5:00 p.m. and lasting till noon tomorrow!! We have about 14 inches of snow on the ground with 5" of it being brand new in last day!! The winds have been reported as 30-50 miles per hour with wind chills in the minus twenties below zero!! And, it just keeps gearing up all week with Thursday being the very worst!! I was scheduled to get my very first dental impressions for my new teeth on Thursday. I have not had any teeth since November 20!! And, I believe they told me the dentures would take 6-8 weeks after the impressions are done!! And, Friday I MUST get my Port Catheter flushed. It is in precarious positioning right now, that it could go either way as to if it intends to continue working!! I sincerely hope it lasts as long as possible as it will be full surgery again as the last time was nothing short of a nightmare ordeal!! That was when they started the surgery and I was NOT out at all!! The Surgeon stopped it immediately and had me transferred to the larger town, Davenport, 50 miles south of me and admitted to the hospital there for the surgery to be completed!! Thus, I called dear Eunice this morning and asked if I should try to reschedule these days!! She told me "absolutely not, she was driving, and as she had told me before we just needed to dress warmer"!! I so wanted to say, Eunice remember our hour of togetherness last Thursday as we were stuck on the ice for that long while taking Miprezious to get groomed!! But, Eunice will probably pull out her big truck and we should be able to get around okay, but transferring me will be an absolute nightmare and very frigid experiences!! It is not to get above zero on Thursday!! And, who knows what these winds and snow accumulations will finally bring. When I woke this morning with the stomach pains all I could think about was how I would get to a doctor in this weather!! I am so thankful it calmed itself!! Eunice also pointed out to me that her hubby can not believe the number of Coke Cola bottles he takes out of here each time he comes over!! I have refused to bother with the bottles when sending someone else to do my grocery shopping, but Eunice will not let them be thrown away to rot some where and tries very hard to recycle every thing!! I did try to think about choosing some thing else to drink each time I wanted a Coke today and ended up with only two of the small bottles (10-12 oz.)!!

Have to admit, this is best stomach has felt since before the weekend!! If the Coke is the only trade off, I can easily do it!!

Thus, dear Wanda could hardly make it home to her house tonight after work!! She called me to ask if I was in real need of any thing tonight as she always comes here after her day job on Monday evenings!! She had gotten me nine cases of eight bottles of Coke over the weekend and dropped it off as it was on sale at one of the grocery stores here!! Eunice started refusing to pick it up for me months ago, but as Wanda says, "I sign her checks" and she will get any thing I ask for!! But, she also takes all my things to the Post Office as her job requires her to got there each day at some point!! So, my mailings will be even a bit more later!! I do hope she can get here tomorrow, but it is supposed to be wind chill of minus twenty-two below zero at 8:00 a.m. in the morning!! I doubt if she even goes into her day job!! Of course, she only lives about three blocks away from me, so may , or may not, be able to get over here. And, I truly am in immediate need of nothing, other than Post Office!!

And, the mailman was a real joke today!! Granny Lou, the 85-year-old neighbor right next to me, always calls each morning to make sure I am able to get up and that I am okay for the day!! She then believes it is her specific "duty" to go and get my mail at the curbside and to retrieve my daily newspaper and bring them in to me every day about supper time!!

I have told her all winter, that there is NOTHING in either of our mail boxes that is worth going over snow and/or ice by her!! I reminded her that some one usually stops for some reason here most every day and that they could take care of my, and her's, mail and newspapers!! But, she has hardly missed a day, irregardless of snow and/or ice!!

Yesterday, we were chatting on the phone about whether she should go over to the hospital and work her 5:00-8:00 p.m. Pink Lady Volunteer job or not!! I had said absolutely NOT and warned her Eunice would be watching and I would not want to "upset" her over her going out for this reason and Eunice WOULD be very upset!! I think Granny did decide to not show up last night!! Our yard man came about supper time and opened both her and my driveways, but I am sure they are blown closed again by now!! Even, Miprezious is running around here with her blankie still wrapped around her and I believe she is trying to keep it on!! While we were chatting on the phone, we saw our mailman pull up to each of our mail boxes!! Actually, a large pine tree blocks my vision of my actual mailbox!! Granny began to yell a bit and was very upset with mailman.

Here I got a package from Nordic Needle and Everything Cross Stitch and they both contained large amounts of fabrics that were on end of year clearances!! That darn mailman put these packages in a plastic bag and hung it over my mailbox, rather than bring it up to even my garage door!!

I even hit the automatic opener and he just stared at it and went on, even though he is very aware that I can not get to my mailbox at any time, much less in this weather!! He could have at least kept these packages at the very least for a better day!! Granny was then intent on going to mail box and I told her absolutely NOT!! Before we got off the phone, the UPS man arrived!! Both of us yelled out our doors to him and asked if he would retrieve the plastic bag on the mail box!! Well, he was not the most pleasant person about doing this, and I really could not blame him, but he did stop and grab it as he passed by it!! And, my fabrics already had begun to feel damp!! I was a bit miffed, but thought "not going to get upset about any thing today"!!

I am quite nervous and edgy being homebound alone in weather conditions like this!! Kathy K. has talked me through what I should do should I loose my utilities, etc. in one of our "Blizzard Alerts" before!! She gave me a whole lot of ideas of what to do, at least until some one can come for me, if they do, and survive alone until!! Thus, I did gather my portable oxygen tank on wheels, extra blankets, Mi's sweaters, bottled water, flashlights, etc. and put it in the other bed in my room!! So, I am prepared for about any thing should it get any worse here!! Old timers tell of 1950 here and how this town was literally shut down for over a week!! We had a terrible fire here on Saturday night, about 9:30 p.m., where a small Lutheran Church just burned to the ground!! It was a very terrible thing, but that area sure was lucky it went up in flames just before this weather hit, instead of just after as things turned out!!

Well, back to my red hearts for about another twenty minutes and I am going to actually go in to my bed and sleep tonight, at least that is my plan and hope!!

Hopefully post finishes before this week is up!!

Love and Hugs!!

Deborah

and

Miprezious, too!!