Ring out the old, Bring in the new. Happy 2016

It's that time of year again where we all take stock of what we made of the year gone by. Mr Wazoo and I pulled up stakes and moved to the North Georgia mountains, leaving our friends and established business behind. It was scary to start anew, but we have always been adventurous and flexible. After 14 years of the Florida heat and humidity (and bugs, gators and snakes...) we saw a winter snow and pleasant temperatures all year. Once the studio was up and running, we advertised in the paper and got our first local customer. I do have to thank my Florida customers for carrying us through the first rough months. We now have a good base of customers and I am enjoying the new arm of the business; repairing quilts and making commissioned quilts.
Five weeks ago I had a total knee replacement of my right knee. I still can't walk very well, but I did stand and quilt yesterday! I have to be better by February, so I can join the gals in Sebring for a retreat. Just about the same time, we welcomed a new grandson, Dechen, to the family. Hopefully, a trip to Boston in the near future is in the cards.
Most of the family came here for Christmas, and we are happily headed toward the new year.
My tally is as follows: I made 24 charity quilts, 17 quilts just because I wanted to make them (you know how that is) 2 show quilts, 4 quilts from stacks of vintage blocks, 6 commissioned quilts, 3 customer tee shirt quilts, repaired 5 quilts, and fixed, quilted and bound 7 vintage tops. That comes to 68 quilts!
We didn't figure out how many more we did the quilting on, but I know it is a pretty good number. Mr Wazoo really stepped up and he truly is my number one employee! Tomorrow, the tree comes down and all the frou-frou goes back into the box and into the closet under the stairs until next Christmas.
Enjoy your New Year's Eve with a slideshow and some champagne.
Thank you for being out there, reading and laughing with me.

Another picture slideshow by Smilebox

A Toe in the Water

Today I woke up feeling good enough to do some quilting. Tim had been having issues with a large quilt, so I stepped in to help. The quilt is done, despite two rather long breaks during the quilting to ice and rest my knee.

Mr Wazoo kept me company in the studio, working on this sweet quilt for a little girl.

I also finished the red and white Irish chain quilt I have been hand mending for months!!!After a wash and dry, it looks good as new. 43 replaced and re-quilted squares,  three patched holes, and new binding, too. I am so happy to have this one done, I could do a little dance...if I could.

The day ended with a lovely surprise from my quilting pen pal in Iowa! I got two sets of coasters she made; one set for the holidays and one for all year round. I plan to use the holiday ones on New Year's Eve for my champagne glass...Thank you, Ronda! I was so surprised to find them in my mail box.

Almost 2016! I can't believe this year has gone by so fast. I am putting together my year end blog post, and I even shocked myself with what 2015 held for us here at Wazoo. Stay tuned!

Oh! Christmas!!

We were chasing our tails here at Wazoo getting everything ready for Christmas and a big family gathering. I made 9 kinds of cookies and sent them to various friends and family members, as well as getting all the sleeping accommodations ready for tired travelers.
Everyone arrived, and the fun began! Kids went shopping, hiking and grocery gathering while I kept the home fire burning. The girls did all the cooking and cleaning up, which was the best Christmas present ever for me. We played games, made a puzzle, explored the neighborhood and just enjoyed everyone's company after a one and a half year period of not seeing each other.
My youngest got engaged, and brought along the fiance ...

My oldest girl and my two Arizona grandkids were here, too.

The other twin daughter came the farthest, all the way from Oregon!

My son and his wife stayed in Boston because Dechen is too little to travel yet, and the other grandma is there visiting from Japan! They had a happy Christmas, too, and we had some quality FaceTime with them. Technology is sure wonderful sometimes.

Mr Wazoo got a new leather jacket and some hand knit accoutrements, which he gladly modeled along with a funky pair of steam punk goggles...

Family game night, a Christmas movie marathon, lots of cooking and eating, and some good old goofing around filled up a week's time quickly.

Before we knew it, Christmas was over and it was time for the family to go home. One last family picture, and they were off to Atlanta and flights to parts north, south and west. I took a much needed nap and dreamed of next Christmas. Oh yes...I also finished the puzzle while Mr Wazoo drove the last group to Atlanta!

I hope you had a Merry Christmas! Now, back to quilting!

PT and quilting

PT is going well, and my back pain is abated with  TENS unit. I use it when I do the exercises and when I first get going in the morning. What a wonderful thing. On the cardiac front; I had an episode of tachycardia that I did catch on the monitor. I think it's amazing that this device sends a message to the 'home office' and they call to see how you are. The phone rang at midnight and the monitor company was calling to verify I had pushed the button and was doing okay. No more episodes today, but that's okay with me. Now, we just wait and see what the MD thinks.
Mr Wazoo finished the last of the Christmas deadline quilts today, and will switch gears tomorrow into getting ready for the family to come for the holiday. These are the last of the customer quilts for 2015. (The repair is in there, too, lest you think I have been sitting on my hands these last weeks)

This is my repair...I forgot the 'before' pic. Oops

I replaced the binding and the three turquoise blocks at the edge.

The darker blue plaid squares are repairs.

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care; If I could find mine, it too would be there...

Mixed feelings

I don't have any pictures to post today...Mr Wazoo has been busy quilting, but I am trying not to do the stairs as much as possible. Progress with the knee recovery is slow and steady, but frustrating. Forty minutes at Walmart to get cookie fixings laid me up for the rest of the day! The Christmas glacier is moving slowly in my direction and there is no stopping time so I can get all the things accomplished that I want to. There will be minimal cookie baking, for sure.
Then there is my heart... Just when I think I can't take another setback, my arrhythmia (supra ventricular tachycardia) has made an appearance yet again. Since the surgery, I have had some scary episodes of the rapid heart rate and dizziness associated with the disorder. After a trip to the cardiologist, I will be on a monitor for about a month to they and record an episode. This is how he will decide what course of action to take. I am petrified over anything cardiac happening to me because my favorite and beloved Grandma died of a sudden, massive heart attack when I was 12. I'm trying not to get to wigged out, but it is really scary to me. I only share this with you, dear bloggies, because it helps to verbalize my fear. I'm sure this, too, will pass. We'll see.
So with this in mind, I am starting the cookie and candy making blitz and starting the christmas wrapping. The cards are written and will be sent tomorrow, along with the presents I have to send off. Who'd a thunk it?! I actually did all my shopping from the comfort of my chair... Thank you, internet!
Pictures tomorrow! The outside deck is being stained (house swathed in plastic), Mr Wazoo is quilting his fanny off (and it is a nice fanny...) and cookie baking should be in full swing.
Stay tuned!

Spotlight on Mr Wazoo!

Tim has been carrying the ball for Wazoo since I had my surgery, and he has been doing a great job. He has been cooking, cleaning up the dishes and taking care of Molly, too. What a guy. 

He is getting close to earning the coveted Employee of the Month! We'll see.

Here is what he has done so far.

I have been slowing along with repairs, and am beginning to think I will finally see the end of the Irish Chain...if I can get Molly off of it. ha ha

On another front, Andy and Chikako sent some new photos of my seriously wonderful grandson. You have to look at them. It's required blog reading. Just kidding. No really, look at them and say "Awwww!"

Three generations.

I have been able to unpack some of the  Christmas stuff, too, and get it set out for the holiday fun. I love these little mice. I wish they still made them.






And it just wouldn't be Christmas without Santas and snowmen. Fa la la la la, la la la la!

Slow recovery

The surgery was successful, and I am in the long recovery period. I sure didn't think it would be so painful and debilitating, but I am dealing with it as best I can. Thankfully, my daughter and her boyfriend came for the week of Thanksgiving, and picked up the ball doing the cooking and cleaning up. Mr Wazoo started back quilting on Monday, and he is being a real trooper about working, cooking, and caring for me, too.
I have been back to the handwork for a couple of days, but between exercising, icing, napping and just plain vegging out, I haven't gotten much done! The red shoofly quilt work is done and I have decided to add new binding to it before getting it back to the customer. I also finished the repair on a dresden plate quilt for another customer. Work will progress, but rather slower than I thought it would. I am looking forward to Christmas and having the family here for a few days.
Thanks to Jenny for putting up the tree!

We have a new tree topper! Mr Owl keeps watch over the living room.

Our Christmas tree

I made and replaced this block

All finished!

I used a red floral for the binding on the shoofly quilt.

My new grandson, Dechen, in a pensive mood.

My son and mini-me!

So macho, he already has a mustache!! ha ha ha

The moods of a two week old baby