Christmas Wall Hanging

I finished my Christmas wall hanging.  It was from a kit I bought many years ago at a quilt convention. I have never done machine applique before and I definitely need more practice. It was fun though.  My Christmas tree is up with the sleigh tree skirt I finished earlier this year.

Christmas Gifts

I have been busy making some Christmas gifts for the kids.  I made these sets of placemats, trivets, and napkins. I tried to use up some of my scraps but hardly made a dent in them.  Martha and Jim didn't want placemats so I made these wreath wall hangings that they could either hang or use as a table cover.  I made placemats for the little kids, Sammy, Sofie and Molly too.

A Sick Mindy

Early Sunday morning Mindy woke us up whimpering.  Hubby took her out but she didn't settle very well. He fed the two dogs and Suki gobbled her breakfast but Mindy didn't want to eat so Suki ate her breakfast as well.  Mindy drank water and then threw it all up.  a little later she drank water again and threw it up. She laid down in a corner and wouldn't move. About noon we took her to the emergency vet($600). They xrayed her stomach and found nothing which was encouraging because she does eat rocks. She has an ear infection and they gave her fluids.  Mindy came home form the vet went in her crate and wouldn't come out. She wouldn't even lift her head. About 10:30 PM we decided to take her back to the emergency vet.  We put Suki in her crate and backed the car out of the garage.  When Mindy heard the garage door she stood up, I put the leash on her and she came downstairs and Hubby took her outside and she peed. We decided not to go to the vets.  She slept through the night and this morning drank a little water and hubby fixed her a little rice and chicken.  She still wants to lay around and when Suki wanted to play she let her know in no uncertain terms that she didn't want to. We will watch her closely all day.

Walcott Mills

A week ago, we went on a Leader Dog Puppy outing. We went to Walcott Mills Farm. It is part of the Detroit Metro Parks. It is an operating dairy farm, has all sorts of farm animals, and a program to raise the pheasant population. Suki was not afraid of any of the animals no matter how large with the exception of the farm cat. She has learned from Fervor about cats. She even kissed a friendly donkey.

Sofie Came to Visit

My daughter and granddaughter came to visit this weekend.  We had a great time.  We carved a pumpkin, played with bubbles, and went to Leon and Lulu. What a fun place.  Sofie had lots of fun with both the dogs and the cat.  Bill had some Breyer horses and she especially liked playing with Hi Ho Silver.

Doggie Play Day

Yesterday afternoon we went to friend, Julie and Brian's home for a doggie play date . Why I don't take my camera? I don't know. Her two springer spaniel shelty mix puppies played with our two dogs while Julie supplied wine and cheese. All of us had a great time.  When we got home, Hubby and I were too full for supper and the dogs were exhausted.

Publishers Clearing House

Yesterday I got one of those letters from Publishers Clearing House.  It was quite a job to find all the required stickers to put on the form and envelope. Before I could get it out to the mailbox, Mindy ate part of it.

Grandma Sews

I like making clothes for my young granddaughters.  I used to sew for Kameren when she was little now I sew for Molly and Sofie, These are the fall dresses I made for the girls.

The one tan jumpers has yo-yos as flowers.  I don't know how they will launder but they look cute now.

Oakland Airport Open House

Sunday we went to the Oakland International Airport Open House.  The airport is used by private planes and corporate jets. The Detroit Piston plane was there and they had several other interesting planes, like air ambulance and gliders. They also had a lot of huge radio controlled models. Hubby and I took a helicopter ride, my first. Now I only have a hot air balloon and a motorcycle on my bucket list.

Cranbrook Gardens

Last Sunday the Leader Dog puppies and their raisers had a field trip to the Cranbrook Gardens. They were stunningly beautiful. I can't believe that I have lived here all my life and didn't know about them. This was the Booth family home.  They started the Cranbrook schools, Cranbrook Institute of Science and the Cranbrook Art School.Cranbrook Gardens

A Bit of a Scare

Monday night I came home from knitting and sat down to watch TV and suddenly my upper back started hurting and I had a bout of indigestion and nausea. As I got more frightened I became a little short of breath.  I took my blood pressure and it was very high. Hubby took me to the emergency room.  Everything was normal but they kept me overnight and did a CAT scan the next day.  Everything was normal so I have a clean bill of health.  The only exciting thing was that I have a very low heart rate. At two o'clock in the morning, every time I would fall asleep my heart rate would drop to 39 and ring all the alarms and wake me up again.

An Engineer in the Garden

Hubby is a mechanical engineer. Like most engineers he is slightly eccentric. He loves working in the garden.  When we retired we took a Master Gardener class together and he has taken it very seriously. This year the vegetable garden did not do well so he has taken action.  He is reconditioning the soil, has planted a crop of clover as a natural fertilizer and is putting in walkways through the garden.  It really looks good. He even straightened the border stones to look nicer.

Lions Golf Outing

Yesterday, the Lathrup Village Lions Club had its annual gold outing to benefit the Leader dog for the Blind and Bear Lake Camp for Blind Children.  The outing was an huge success especially because we had five sponsors who each gave $1000 and many other sponsors with smaller amounts.We had over seventy golfers participating. It was my job to run the putting competition, which was lots of fun.  We also brought Suki, our Future Leader Dog , we are raising.  She was very good and charmed all she met.

Retirement

The best part of retirement is that I can play a lot. It takes very little time to straighten a house inhabited by two old people so I play a lot. I usually quilt, knit, embroider, or sew clothes for the grandchildren. Yesterday I tried something different.  I did a paint-by-number.  It took the whole day and I didn't finish it. I won't but it was fun to try it. I don't have a clue how to paint those little areas with a brush. Poor Hubby, he just works all the time. He works in the garden a lot and there is always repairs to do around the house.  This week he is working on replacing the back storm door.

Rest in Peace Arnold

Our cat, Arnold, had to be put down on Monday.  Arnold was the best cat ever with lots of personality.  We had him for eight years and his previous owner lived in Baltimore and had him for eight years. We will miss him terribly but will always enjoy the memories of him,  Now I can put the lamps back on the night stand and the picture frames back on my dresser top. I would rather have Arnold.

Solitaire

I am hopelessly addicted to solitaire.  I cannot do anything on the computer without taking time to play a few games. My favorites are the old standards. Spider Solitaire, solitaire, Free Cell, Mahjong Titans and Sudoku. My game records are not astounding and I suppose it means my brain powers are not increasing. Has anyone tried those brain enriching games?

A Real Scare

Last Thursday night I took Mindy out for the last time in the evening and I didn't realize Arnold, our cat, had got out. Arnold is strictly a house cat and has never been allowed outside.  He is 15 years old and quite frail, 8 pounds, a squirrel could take him down. We didn't miss him until the next day. He didn't return Friday night. We were sure he was gone. On Saturday when Hubby got up at 6 AM he put it on facebook (our neighborhood association has a site). We got two immediate replies of sympathy with promises to watch fro him and then around 7AM there was a reply the someone had seen him the previous day in a backyard on the next street. I put my shoes on to walk around there
and we got a call before I could get out of the house.  "I have your cat!"  Happiness is getting your kitty back when you were really afraid you would not.

Two months after Surgery

It has been two months since my MOHS surgey. I have been quite pleased with the progress.

Suki sees the Dentist

We took Suki into the vet at Leader Dogs. We got her in the first place because she had a maloclusion. At 6 weeks they pulled her baby canines and wanted her to be raised by people who could easily bring her into the clinic at Leader Dog for treatment. They are going to open up the bottom gum so the teeth can spread more easily(They did the same thing for Penny) and if that doesn't work they will give her an appliance. I had enough trouble with three of my kids needing braces without the dog as well.

Japanese Beetles

Well the Japanese Beetles have attacked.  They especially like my knock out roses in the front of our house.  They come every year when it gets warm outside. The only way to get rid of them is to pick them off and drop them into a bucket of soapy water. They sell Japanese Beetle traps but the garden societies do not recommend them as the traps basically attract the beetles from all over the neighborhood and cause you to have more beetles than they kill. It is sad though the damage they do in a short time,.

Protecting the Garden

Suki, the puppy we are raising for Leader Dogs for the Blind, is a really good puppy except she eats plants.  we have placed wire fences around all of our gardens except the roses.  The hostas that are not fenced have been eaten down to the ground.  (I know they are not poisonous). She even jumps up to pull on the hanging baskets.

At least the green fences don't show from a distance but still do the trick.

Penny

Our first Leader Dog, Penny, was a handful for first time puppy raisers.  But she made it and went to Denise who wanted a lively puppy.  If you get a chance read her blog My Leader Dogs. Thank goodness Penny is not Denise's first Leader Dog.

The Toledo Zoo

Yesterday we went to the zoo in Toledo Ohio. What a nice zoo. The animal ddisplays were very nice and we saw lots of animals up close. There were a lot of people there but it worked out very well. The zoo turns out to be equidistant from Detroit and Sandusky, Ohio so we met my daughter, Mary, and Sofie there.

Summer Visitors

This first part of the summer has been so busy with the kids coming to visit. Bill and his family were here this last week.  I haven't seen his wife in three years and I really missed her. We have had some really good food too.  On Sunday Mary was here and made rouladen  and spaetzle. Then on Tuesday Rejina cooked Indian food, chicken curry, egg curry, coconut rice and okra. This coming Wednesday Martha comes in from Oklahoma and Gretel and her family come from Brooklyn. I hate that everyone lives so far away. It would be nice to spend afternoons with them more often rather than the week long visits where there is so much to do. But I will take what I can get.

A Busy Time

Last week my daughter, Mary, and her daughter, Sofie, came to visit. They brought along with them a terrible cold.  So hubby and I have been barely functioning.  This has been a rough year for me, healthwise but thankfully nothing serious just nuisance illnesses. I miss all the people I used to blog with.

Basal Cell Cancer is a Bummer

I had the second basal cell on my cheek in the same location so the doctor recommended MOHS surgery. I had no idea it was involve as much as it did. I hear I won't have any scar at all but I am really sceptical.  I really am not worried about scarring just a little surprised.

The Puppy is Learning

Suki is 12 weeks old and 19 pounds.  Mary calls her Gordita. She is a smart little girl and quite laid back. It is much easier having two dogs as they keep each other busy.  We had complained that we wished Suki would learn to go up the stairs because she is quite heavy. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR! Suki now goes up the stairs but is afraid to come back down. We put a plywood gate at the bottom of the stairs to stop her but it has a small opening for the cats and Suki still fits through it.

Sewing for the Granddaughters

I love sewing for the granddaughters.  Hubby says that sewing is all I do.I found these patterns called Olive Ann Designs  at a quilt shop. They really are neat.  They don't have zippers. This one was called "Eazy Peazy Pleats". The hard part was that the dress had 34 pleats each exactly 3/4 inch wide. If you were off a little the bodice lining wouldn't fit.  I ended up doing most of the pleats over again. The rest of the dress went together easily. I made it out of Seersucker.  The border was cut from another piece of seersucker.

Scraps

I have tons of flannel scraps given to me by the wife of a Lion. She makes pajamas for poor kids. I decided to make a throw out of them.  I cut them into 3 inch equilateral triangles. On the back side I did 13 inch triangles. I really enjoyed it and I enjoy looking at it even more. When you look at it you find football helmets, monkeys, dogs, cats, whales and Sofie was thrilled to find Tinker Bell. Since it was flannel on both sides, I didn't use any batting and yarn tied it.

Tax Day

My brother called me on Sunday to find out if Mom filed her taxes.  I had forgot about them as he had.  When I called Mom she said, " they aren't due until March."  I guess that was a "No." Got a little work to do today, finding the necessary paperwork and then turning it over to Hubby to file.

An Outfit for Sofie

Sofie's Mommy gave me a pattern for a dress and coat for Sofie. My Mom had given me linen fabric.  I warned Mary that linen takes ironing but she said that was fine.  Linen is easy to sew as long as you keep it from raveling. I finished the outfit in spite of having very little time to sew.  I promised Hubby I would help with the puppies. Mindy at 15 months is still very much a puppy.

Busy Weeks

Since the last blog, I went on a wonderful quilt retreat, Mom got a terrible stomach flu which she managed to give to Hubby, my brother, and me. and Hubby and I drove to Oklahoma City with a Uhaul truck to deliver Martha's belongings to her new apartment. While we were on the way home in Missouri we got a phone call from Leader Dog that they had a new puppy for us. We are calling her Suki.  She is a black lab, a hefty little girl. At 8 weeks she weighs 12 pounds and is afraid of nothing at all. She has even gone up and down the stairs. So far the two puppies are doing well together.

Hubby is Home

Hubby is home. The doctors, in spite of numerous test, could not find anything seriously wrong with him. Mindy is overjoyed to have him back as am I.  Hopefully things will be much calmer around here.

I thought the Week was Bad

I thought it had been a bad week with Mom being in the hospital but it got worse.  This morning my husband came up to me looking quite pale and said," Peggy something is wrong." I took him to the emergency room where they are keeping him overnight for a very fast heart beat.

It has been a Busy Week

Tuesday the doctor sent Mom to the ER to be admitted for a pacemaker. The ER was terrible. Because the hospital was full, the only way to get admitted was through the ER. We got there at 2PM they did an EKG and then we waited until 7PM to see a doctor. I left about 10:30 and Mom was given a room after that. The next day she had her surgery at 8PM.  According to her doctor that was the soonest he could fit her in the schedule. She was released from the hospital yesterday. She does really well except that when she is tired, or there is too much going on, she gets confused. My brother and I have been going down to the hospital and he has been wonderful in helping me in spite of the fact it is an hour and a half drive for him to get there. Hopefully she will be feeling better now.

Dinner with Sofie

Yesterday we went to small town Ohio to visit my daughter, Mary, and her family.  Sofie is three years old and an amazing little girl.  We had dinner and Sofie said grace and had such nice table manners. She also showed me how she goes potty by herself. At one point she wanted to play ball with me but we had a problem.  Mindy loves to play ball.  I explained to Sofie that at our house Mindy chases the ball. So Sofie said to Mindy, "At your house you play ball but this is my house. Do you understand?' Mindy did not and punctured the ball and ended the game.

Mom's Throw

I finished the quilted throw I made for my Mom.  I will take it to her on Tuesday. The pattern is a "5 Yard Quilt," but as usual I varied it a little.  I made it entirely from my stash. The white material came from Mom last year when she cleaned out her cedar chest. The backing was left over from Amy and Seth's quilt.  The reason my stash gets so large is that I always buy extra material. just in case... I do wonder what will happen to my stash when I die.  I hope they find someone to take it and don't just throw it out or give it all to the Salvation Army.

Warts

Probably because I am in fearsome pain after this wart surgery but I am thinking more about warts.  My friend Carole said, her grandmother cured warts with spittle and it worked in one instance anyway.  My uncle had a wart on his hand and my grandmother told him to cut a navy bean in half rub it on the wart and then throw the bean in a flowing stream. He did as she directed and flushed the bean down the toilet.  It worked.

Mom and the TV Remote

Mom's television has two remotes. One for the cable and one for the TV. My brother Michael sets it up for Mom but it only takes one day and she has the television all goofed up.  We feel really bad about it because the television is her main activity.  Hubby tried buying a special remote that only had "Off,On and Channel and Volume" but it didn't work with the cable.  Mom called the front desk at the Village and they sent up a cable person who quickly assessed the situation and took Mom's two remotes and returned with one from the cable that only had "Off,On and Channel and Volume." When I was visiting Mom she went to turn off the TV and pressed every button on the remote in the process.  Fortunately the new remote could handle that.

A Plantar Wart

According to my podiatrist, one has an hereditary factor which allows one to get warts. If you get them on your fingers it is the same as a plantar wart.  Lucky me! I have it. Those things on the heel are damn painful.  Today after months of unsuccessful treatment, I had surgery to remove it. Right now my heel is numb so it feels the best it has for months.

Crazy Quilt Patching

I have been doing a little playing around with my huge bag of scraps. Crazy quilting has always appealed to me but the embroidery needed for real crazy quilts is beyond my abilities. So I decided to try some placemats and armchair covers for Mom.  It is not as easy as it looks. It really takes planning. Worst or all it doesn't make a dent in my bag of scraps.

Animals

I was visiting my Mom today and I was telling her that Hubby tapes the programs on Saturday morning about sewing, quilting and knitting, (I don't get up early enough to watch them when they are aired.)  Last night I was watching these programs as Hubby was in the other room reading.  I was doing my counted cross stitch while Arnold, the cat, was on my lap and Mindy, the dog, was on my feet.  Mom says "You need a bird to sit on your head."

A Cold Winter

It has been a terribly cold winter. Last night the temperature hit a -16 degrees.  Several times going to the YMCA at 8 AM to swim does not appeal to me. Mom hasn't been out for months and is really suffering from cabin fever. Mindy on the other hand doesn't mind so much.

Dirty Cars

Today while I was driving to my mom's place, I couldn't help but notice that all the cars on the freeway were covered with salt and dirt. In this terrible cold weather it is not a good time to wash your car.  I remember driving to Florida in a winter snowstorm.  When we got to a rest stop down south there was a man who stared at my car. He said to me "Is that salt?"  Thank goodness the newer cars don't rust like the old ones did.  I can remember my dad saying it was best to buy a "Florida Car"

A star Spangled Quilt

I finished a quilt I started several years ago.  I took a class from Willie Pfeiffer and I must have been drinking something to pick out that combination of patterns. (I don't smoke). I machine quilted it and I am definitely an amateur at that. It is twin size and will be great for a grandchild who is going off to
college

Last Night on TV

Last night there was a program on TV about tuberculosis.  It was really amazing.  Even after scientists had figured out it was the result of a bacterial infection and they knew how it was transmitted, it was still impossible to cure.  They cut the rate of infection some by new standards of sanitation and education.  The sanitariums helped some people to live longer with the infection by building their immune systems by rest, fresh air and good food. It was really sad though the way people were taken from their families as soon as they were suspect. It wasn't until the discovery of streptomycin that they could cure it.  Penicillin didn't phase it. They even found that patients needed several different antibiotics to completely cure it because the bacteria became resistant so quickly.  I know that I had a great aunt who was a nun who worked in a hospital and she died of TB.

An Engineer's house

Hubby is an engineer and a little eccentric (Engineer and eccentric is redundant) We have cats and a dog. We have a cat door to our bedroom because hubby didn't want to leave the door open at night and of course the cats didn't want it closed. For years we had a screen door across the middle of our upstairs hall because two of our cats, Cleo and Fervor, would fight to the death if we let them.  Later , after Cleo died we had a cat door in the screen door so the cat could escape the leader dog puppy, Penny, who managed to terrify Fervor. We have a wooden door at the top of the basement stairs with a cat opening in it so that the cats could go down to the litter box but the Leader Dog puppy could not get down to the cat food and litter box.  Now Hubby is attaching a music box to the door that will play when we forget to close the door.

A Christmas Wall Hanging

Years ago, Carole and I went to a quilt convention, I don't remember which one, and I bought this kit.  This weekend at the quilt retreat I finished the top. I still have to get backing and quilt it. It was my first attempt at machine applique. I still like the looks of needle turned better. So many of the women pay to have their quilts quilted.  I don't know how they afford it.

Knock on Wood

Last Tuesday while we were at water aerobics, Janet made a prediction. "We won't have any big snowstorms this year." As soon as she said it we all let out a moan and remarked that, in the pool, there was no way to knock on wood. Of course the very next weekend we had a monster of a snowstorm.  I went to water aerobics this morning and as soon as Janet came in, she said , "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Quilt Retreat

Last weekend I went on a quilt retreat at Create a Memory Inn It is located in Holly Michigan. There were twelve women on this retreat.  We had a wonderful time.  The house is beautiful and decorated in a very feminine manner (the way you could never do at home without your husband getting sick). The food was wonderful and not just because you didn't have to do the cooking because I don't do the cooking at home. At these retreats I learn a lot from the other ladies and get lots of ideas for my next quilt. This was a picture of breakfast on Saturday morning.

Snow

Well, Juno came through and hit Chicago and Ohio. We didn't get a flake. The kids in Brooklyn got a snow day but nothing like they expected. John drives near Philadelphia and southeast NY so I am sure he is happy too. Amy wanted a snow day to finish her bathroom but she didn't get it.  On a whole everyone is happy. (except Amy)

Mindy

This morning we received a phone call from the puppy department at Leader Dog for the Blind. They said, Mindy, the last puppy we raised has been career changed.  Apparently she does not react well to new situations.  We can pick her up at 4 this afternoon.  I can't tell you how excited we are. We liked this dog so much it was really difficult to give her up. Hubby is getting her crate out of the attic and finding her favorite toys. Mindy has had a complete physical and passed and been spayed and given all her shots.

Throwback Thursday

Hubby says that on Thursday I have to do a post from the past.  His favorite story is from when I was working as a controls engineer. I was working at a plant in Pontiac,Michigan.  My brother was a machine repairman at the same plant.  It was fun because he would come over and talk to me once in a while during the day. The skilled trades had an office in the center of the plant which I went into to use the phone.  My brother was in there so he said very loudly, "Hey this is for skilled trades only." I answered just as loudly," Hey Mister, button your lip." You should have seen the reaction on the other men in the office.

Pillows

The other night we watched a nature program on television. One about predators. They showed all the mites that live in your pillows and eat dead skin cells and stuff. So I have been putting my pillows through the dryer on high heat for an hour. I personally like to sleep with only one pillow, in fact I can easily sleep without any.  Hubby has a Temperpedic pillow that he likes and in the summer a different "special" pillow.  When Mary or Martha stay over they use several pillows.  When I was having trouble with vertigo the doctor wanted me to use several pillows to elevate my head and I had a terrible time sleeping that way. Apparently pillows are a very personal choice.  When we stay in a motel with a king sized bed they give us six pillows, 3 firm and 3 not.

Water Aerobics

At least four times a week I go to water aerobics class at the YMCA. You would think I would lose weight but unfortunately when I get home I eat everything in sight.  I suppose it is still good at keeping me flexible and improving my balance.  I have also made some good friends through the class. I took swimming lessons last fall and can now swim with even putting my face in the water. The best part is the classes are early in the day so I have to get up and out of bed a little earlier than I normally would.

Taking Care of Mom

My Mom is 97 years old.  She is really doing well. She can get around her own apartment without a walker and only needs it when going out or to the dining room.  She gets a little mixed up about days of the week and ends up going to church on the wrong days, We have ordered a clock for her that will tell the day of the week, month and time. Everyday nurses aides come and give her medicine 3 times a day and at noon take her blood pressure. Lately they call me to say its high. Mom has made it clear she does not want to go to the hospital again. From prior experience when she does go to the hospital for high blood pressure they leave her in the emergence room over night and send her home. One doctor told her that her warranty was up. Another said that they do not have much data on 97 year old people. So if she says she is feeling fine I ignore the high blood pressure. It is hard to know what to do.

The Full Bath

Hubby is very conservative.  He would paint all rooms white or maybe beige. Our big bathroom is beige, light beige, but our art work livens it up a little. I just finished the cowgirl bath and it will hang next to the big Vargas drawing.

Done with the Doll sewing

I have finished making 12 American Doll outfits for the Cameo Quilt Guild silent auction.  I am glad my two granddaughters are only three years old  and will not get the A. G. dolls for at least three more years. I have patterns for doll shoes but decide to order them from Nancy's notions. You can tell I am old fashioned because I thought the red plaid dress was thin so I made a half slip for it.