Staying Warm, Or Trying To

Winter arrived with a bang on Saturday.  It's cold, it's been snowing, and that's not going to change.  It's more like January than late November.

As I sit here typing, I am covered with a blanket I finished crocheting over the summer.  I had started it several times using one pattern, but it just wasn't coming out right, so after I ripped it out twice, I decided to go with a tried and true pattern.

The pattern is the Little V-Stitch Blanket from Lion Brand, which I crocheted using about 1-1/2 skeins of Caron One Pound Yarn.  I made it a lot bigger by using a longer foundation row.  Once it was nearly 39" square, I decided to add a scalloped border for a nice finish. 

My blanket is nice and warm, as well as plenty large to tuck under my arms and still have it cover my feet.

In other news, things here are still crazy.  I am looking forward to finishing physical therapy at the end of December (thanks to insurance changes, but I am SO ready, even if I don't meet all the goals I "should"), but for now, I still go twice a week, and one of those days we go to an early afternoon doctor's appointment, usually for Phil, and then I take the 5:30 physical therapy slot, the last of the day.  Phil's Myeloma is still not under control, and we have added two additional chemo drugs (in pill form) over the last month.  We found out at his oncology appointment this past Wednesday that his oncologist is moving to the cancer center a mere 10 minutes from our house, which will be very helpful since we may well move to both an oral and injectible chemo once that switch takes place.  On top of that, his kidneys are failing again, and we are carefully watching the blood markers that will indicate when he will need to begin home dialysis again, after four years off all dialysis.  We are hoping to hold off the surgery needed to prepare until after the holidays, but should know on Tuesday whether we are keeping our December 2 appointment with the surgeon.  See why I am ready to be done with therapy?

I remain thankful to God for sustaining me - us - through the past four months since my knee replacement and the craziness of all these appointments.  My fibromyalgia is acting up, though, so I am counting down the remaining 10 therapy appointments with great anticipation.

Granola Bars

My husband was admitted to the hospital for his stem cell transplant on Monday, November 5.  He had a rocky start, with a medication making him violently ill, and then he had a reaction to one of the anti-nausea medicines.  He was "out of his head" (i.e., confusion, agitation) for about 36 hours.  It was a very, very difficult time for me, trying to keep him from getting up by himself, having him get angry with me for coddling him, and not being able to answer his nonsensical questions.  Since the confusion cleared, he has progressed as expected, with all his blood counts reaching zero yesterday.  He has developed a sore in his mouth today after several days of complaining that his mouth was tender.  Again, not unexpected, but it makes eating even more difficult.  I don't know how much longer he will be in the hospital.  The original estimate was 14 days, and I am hoping he will be home for Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately, I haven't gotten more than a couple of stitches put into my current project.  I spend a lot of time helping Phil, doing things that help the nurses, who are patiently dedicated to their patients in this unit.  But I did want to say that the granola bars I mentioned in my last post are absolutely delicious!!!  You can find the recipe at Money Saving Mom.  I used the Rice Krispies (generic ones from Aldi), and for my add-ins I used tiny cinnamon chips, peanut butter chips, and peanuts.  (I love peanut butter!)  I would like to try making them with flax seed (maybe using half flax seed and half wheat germ), and using other mix-ins such as coconut (another favorite) and sunflower seeds.  I froze my bars after I cut them, and they are still deliciously chewy once they thaw.  I highly recommend this recipe!  If you make it, let me know how you tweaked it to your taste.

I have pictures on my computer to share, so hopefully I can get to those soon. 

Autumn Harvest

The wind is howling outside, thanks to Hurricane Sandy.  We are five hours west of New York City, where she is wreaking havoc with strong winds (stronger than here) and storm surges that are flooding many parts of the city.  Up and down the east coast of the United States, Sandy has made her presence known.  My heart goes out to those of you affected by this huge and powerful storm.

Our thoughts at the Ingram household have turned to my husband's expected hospitalization sometime next week as he undergoes what will be a second stem cell transplant for him (his first was in June, 2006).  I have individual portions of several main dishes in the freezer, but still have baking to do so I will have some treats to take to the hospital with me every day.  I learned the first time around that there will be times I'll need some comfort food, not to mention that I have quite a sweet tooth!  It's much more economical to make my own granola bars and cookies than to go to the hospital cafeteria to buy food.  If the granola bars are good - and the blogger who shared the recipe says they are delicious - I will share the recipe!

I am finally working on some cross stitch again.  My arm still bothers me some, but with frequent breaks and avoiding stitching for too long at one time, I have been able to finish a few projects.  I can't share everything with you because I'm working on Christmas ornaments for family, but that's what happens this time of the year!

One project I finished is Autumn Harvest by JBW Designs.

As usual, I can't find the chart, so I am unable to tell you exactly which threads I used, but it was a combination of the specialty threads mentioned.  (The chart listed at least three different color combinations.)

I did a new-to-me finish for this one:  I found a wooden tray at A. C. Moore for less than $3.00, and painted it with black acrylic paint.  I then mounted the stitching on a piece of foam core that I padded with cotton batting.  I glued the trim around the outside, tucking the ends down beside the piece.  I am thrilled with how it came out!

Joy of the Snowflake

But wait!  There's more!  No, this isn't an infomercial.  <grin>  I just like saying it.

Because I finished my other ornaments early, I decided to stitch some more. 

It was the colors that attracted me to this design.  I love the blue and brown, maybe because these are the colors in my bedroom and bathroom.  I also think snowflakes are one of God's most special creations, since no two of them are ever alike. 

This design is Joy of the Snowflake by Little by Little Design Company, from the JCS 2011 Ornament Issue.  I stitched this on white 28 count Monaco evenweave using DMC thread.

This was the first ornament in which I used all cotton batting (Warm and Natural, I believe), and I'm a believer.  It is smooth and even in thickness, and has a firmness to it that polyester batting lacks. 

Oh, and the ornament to the left of the snowflake one in the picture above?  That was the one Phil and I bought the year we were married.

Adeste Fideles

This is the ornament I made for Phil and me this Christmas.  Once again, it's from the Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament issue, this time from 2008.  As with Sarah's ornament, it is by Fancy Work.  I stitched it on 28 count Monaco evenweave; I believe the color is mushroom, which is much darker than it is in the picture, and I used DMC thread.  I was able to finish this in the shape the designer called for.  The trim around the outside I found at Hobby Lobby in their clearance section.

Happy Birthday!

Today is my hubby's birthday.  He doesn't look a day over 35, does he?  LOL  (Ok, he WAS younger when this picture was taken last New Year's Eve.  It was the most recent picture I could find.  He's making the best meatballs our family has ever eaten - his specialty!)

Those of you who have read my blog for a while know that nearly six years ago, Phil was diagnosed with a relatively rare blood cancer called Multiple Myeloma.  Unfortunately, this cancer has no cure, although with new treatments, patients are living longer than when Phil was diagnosed.  It has been a very difficult year for Phil, as he has endured one painful medical problem after another, most not related to the Myeloma. 

And so on this very special day, I wish you a very happy birthday, Phil, and if God grants it, another year of walking with the Lord and growing in His Grace.  I love you!

A Finished Finish

On Saturday, I braved the craft room - being very careful with all the sharp things in there <grin> - and turned Sunflowers 'N' Crows into a pillow. 

I am pleased to report that all my fingers are still intact. 

Vonna, The Twisted Stitcher, has been graciously compiling tutorials for finishing and sharing them on her finishing blog.  I was reading her latest tutorials and was intrigued when she said to iron interfacing on the back of finished projects such as pillow ornaments.  Now I've been sewing since I was young, but it never occurred to me to do that.  I tried it with this pillow though, and am amazed at the difference it made.  I ended up using interfacing on all the fabric pieces, and it made for a crisp, yet soft, pillow that should maintain its shape well.  Thanks, Vonna!

As I was looking at the precarious pile of items on my sewing table to be completed, I decided that I will finish the Blackbird Designs Reward of Merit pincushions that I've stitched next.  We have only one medical appointment this week - on Monday afternoon - so I am hopeful the week will be quiet.

Heidi commented that she hoped my husband is doing well.  His recovery from this surgery has been  much more difficult than we anticipated, although he is progressing as the doctor expected.  The dressing on his skin graft donor site has nearly fallen off, but the skin underneath is raw (think large rug burn - OUCH!), so we keep it covered.  And the 2.5" nearly circular area on his wrist where the melanoma was removed is healing, but still looks yucky (for lack of a better term).  It will probably be a long time before the area looks more like a cut than, well, what it looks like now.  Unfortunately, his chemo meds have left him exhausted, and the surgery on top of that hasn't helped.  Because his cancer numbers have fallen precipitously (he's within six points of returning to normal range), the oncologist agreed to a two week drug break, instead of the usual one.  Hopefully this will make a difference.  Thanks for asking, Heidi.

I noticed the leaves suddenly turning this past week, although the weather has been warm.  Come next weekend, though, it is supposed to turn chilly, with highs in the very low 60s (F).  Saturday IS the first day of October, so we can't hope for too many more days in the 70s.

Anniversary Card for Phil

On May 26th, Phil and I celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary.  We took the family to dinner at Romano's Macaroni Grill, and had a joint celebration with Grace and Anthony.  Sarah came along for the ride. 

You guessed it:  I made a card for Phil. 

Details:

~ Paper:  "Summer Dream Stack" by DCWV
~ Spellbinders:  Classic Ovals Small & Large, Standard Circles Small & Large
~ Stamp:  Sailboat by PSX; "I Love You" unknown

Birthday Card

Things have continued to be difficult around our home, although we are hopeful things are looking up.  My husband had a bad reaction to the new chemo drug, which caused terrible pain and suffering.   (The condition is called Hand-Foot Syndrome, but Phil developed it under his arms from the crutches, on his hands, a small patch on his stomach, and one other place.   It looked like a horrible sunburn, which is now peeling.  You can see a picture of what his hands now look like on Wikipedia.)  Thankfully, he is on the mend, although the oncologist says it will be another two or three weeks before he is completely healed.  Needless to say, he will not be receiving any more of the drug.  And he's still wearing the immobilizing boot for his foot problem and must continue to stay off his feet as much as possible. 

This weekend, I am also off my feet, following my (I think) fourth Synvisc injection in my knee, so I thought I should try to catch up on blog posts.  First up is a birthday card I made for my mom, whose birthday was at the beginning of April.

I used another Stamp TV technique called Watercolor Spritz.  I will embed the video at the end of this post.  I chose to use watercolor paper, even though in the video it says you don't have to, since I didn't have any heavy white cardstock.  Here's my card recipe:

Stamp:  Vintage Labels by Stampin' Up!
Ink:  Memento Bamboo Leaves, Impress dye ink in Wisteria
Markers:  Impress markers in #7 - Pansy & #12 - Spring Green
Nestabilities:  Labels 4 & 8, Fancy Tags

Valentine's Booklet

When I saw Bekka Feeken's booklet, Hopeful Hearts, I knew I wanted to create my own version as a Valentine's Gift for my husband. 

Here are the supplies I used:

Spellbinders -

Renaissance Hearts Shapeabilities Pendant
Nestabilities Classic Hearts
Fancy Tags
Classic Ovals Large
Labels Four, Eight, Eleven
Classic Scalloped Ovals Large
Decorative Photo Corners
Ribbon Tags Trio
Standard Circles Small
Fleur de Lis Pendant

Sissix -

Tags, Scallop Combo #2

Rubber Stamps -

Psalm 96:4 - Biblical Impressions
I Peter 5:7 - Biblical Impressions
Psalm 135: 3 - Biblical Impressions
Psalm 113: 3 - My Heart Stamps for You
Trust in the Lord - Uptown Rubber Stamps
The Lord is My Rock - Uptown Rubber Stamps

God is Our Refuge - Stampin' Up!

I used Brillance ink pads in Lightning Black and Mediterranean Blue

Busy Days, a New Computer, and a Card to Share

My dear hubby started physical therapy at the beginning of the month.  He has been dealing with chronic sciatica since summer; he had an MRI in August, and although the results indicated no damage from his Myeloma, (which is known to eat holes in the bones), they did show some disk problems, and slight impingement of the sciatic nerve, and depending on which of Phil's doctors we spoke to, generated different opinions as to the severity of the problem.  Ultimately, we heeded the advice of Phil's oncologist and saw a spinal surgeon in January, and of all her recommendations, pursuing physical therapy seemed the best option since it wasn't invasive or likely to add to his fatigue.  So between February 4 and 18, we have had five appointments, the first of which was in the middle of a bad snowstorm!  Phil has made remarkable progress according to his therapist is now down to once-a-week visits, and his pain level is significantly reduced.  There are no promises of being pain free, and he will have good days and bad, but to be able to walk for longer than a couple minutes without tremendous pain is a huge improvement.

Then on February 7th, my daughter, Sarah, started a full time nanny job, so I have been trying to help with some of the household errands she normally does.  Because of my own physical problems - fibromyalgia and a badly arthritic knee - and accompanying Phil to his appointments, this has been very tiring for me.  It's definitely a period of adjustment for all of us.

In my last entry of January 31, I said that my computer was continuing to act up, and we decided that the most likely problem was either an imminent hard drive failure, or something with the motherboard.  Because of the cost involved in fixing either of those,  I started researching new laptops and scouring the sale ads each week, hoping to find one that was highly rated but still affordable.  I did - and both Phil and I are the new owners of Toshiba Satellite laptops from Best Buy.  Well, sort of.  We took advantage of their free 18-month financing, since we didn't have the cash on hand, but knew we could pay them off in the allotted time.  This new machine is incredibly fast, and although I don't  like Windows 7, I am learning to live with it.

I have a card to share with you, although I didn't make it.  Anthony has discovered the joy of card making, and we are thrilled that he is using our many tools and putting his own spin on cards.  He made this lovely card for his mom, and it's the first one he created.  I whited out the verse he wrote when I edited the pictures since it was personal.  Didn't he do a great job? 

 

 

Computers, Snow, and Health

Still having computer problems.  We've tried everything, and are now researching new laptops.  Problem is my husband also needs a new computer - and he wants a laptop this time - so all prices double.  We were hoping to go looking on Wednesday evening, but . . .

We are expecting our biggest snow storm of the season (so far).  Depending on who you ask, we could get anywhere from 12" - 22"!  I am watching the weather right now, and the meteorologist I trust is saying a foot, starting Tuesday evening, and ending Thursday morning.  It will be cold, too, with temps in the low teens, and not getting out of the single digits on Thursday!  Some wind, too . . .

Which means, we may not even get to my husband's first physical therapy appointment at 4:30 on Wednesday (even though it's a four minute drive from our home).  In addition to his cancer, Phil has been dealing with what I would label chronic sciatica since this past summer.  Some days he is in horrible pain, so we have to do something, but are limited because of his cancer (medications he can take) and what we can afford.  We were blessed with the gift of a TENS unit, so we'll be discussing how to use it on Wednesday - if we get to the appointment.

I've been dealing with a sinus infection.  I'm on antibiotics, but my teeth and sinuses still hurt, although the pain isn't as bad as it was last week.

To bring us full circle, I have pictures on my camera, but don't want to download them to my computer for fear of losing them.  You'll just have to imagine a cross stitch finish, some cards, and adorable Cassie.

Hopefully, we'll be back to your regularly scheduled blog posts soon!

The Wedding

It's over.  The event we planned for so many months is now behind us.  The wedding was wonderful.  Grace was a beautiful bride, and Anthony a handsome groom.  Most things went as we wanted them to.  And those that didn't, well, most were not that important.

So now, life is supposed to get "back to normal".  Whatever that means.  But what was normal on Friday is no longer normal.  I have a married daughter, and a wonderful son (in-law).  Come Monday evening, there will be two married couples, one single woman, two neurotic cats, and an overly enthusiastic dog living under one roof.  There will be adjustments as Phil and I continue to learn our place in Grace and Anthony's lives, and as Sarah adapts to having another man in the house.  The animals will think it's great that there are two more hands to feed and pet them though.

God has been so gracious to us.  Not only that He "show[ed] his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us"  (Romans 5:8, ESV), but that by accepting Christ's death on the cross as the only sufficient payment for our sin, and allowing Christ to assume His rightful headship in our lives, we are His children.  The journey we have been on with Anthony and Grace these past 15 months has been incredible.  It has brought Phil and I closer together as we walked through courtship and then betrothal with Anthony and Grace.  Anthony has been a blessing in our lives, and we have learned much from him, and will continue to do so.  We have also learned more about our daughter.  And Sarah has been challenged and is growing spiritually and emotionally.  We are in awe of all God is doing, and we look forward to the months and years ahead.

It was difficult as the mother-of-the-bride to take pictures, but I have uploaded the ones I was able to get to Facebook.  You can go here to see them - you do not have to have a Facebook account to see them.  Should you not want to do that, here are a few you can enjoy.

 Me with Anthony & Grace

 Phil & I with the happy couple

 Looking to the cross

 The dads with Anthony & Grace

 The entire bridal party

 With my parents

 With Phil's mom

 

 The bridesmaids

 At the beginning of the ceremony

 Grace with her cousin, Jamie Rae, who was one of the flower girls

Grace had to get her favorite monkeys in somewhere!