Odds and Ends

 My back injury continues with no treatment plan in sight. I had X-rays 11 days ago and have not had a call from the doctor about the results. I have called the office, and they tell me they are waiting on a radiologist to read the films. I'll go on Friday for a CT scan, but I am not optimistic about anything happening after that. I did graduate from the recliner to the bed, after taking off the soft topper and puffy mattress pad. Now the bed is firmer and I was able to sleep with pain meds on board and the heating pad on my back. Enough of that!!

Nancy is making a Garden Delight top with fabric bought at the flea market fabric shop. Its going to be really pretty.

Nancy got 12 different colors of the same patterned fabric.

This quilt will be wonderful!

I took one of my kits over to Nancy's house and started sewing. I have the blocks sewn up to the last step, and then got rained out. It rained hard all day yesterday and I was unable to use the cart to get to Nancy's. Hopefully, I will get there today (it is still raining!!) and do some sewing.

This is what the finished blocks will look like. Some Kaffe, some batik and some Peppered cotton

The rest of the blocks are almost done, then it will  be sewn into a top.

On the fourth, there was a picnic for the residents here. I made cupcakes and seven layer salad.

If you have ever made one of these, you know how labor intensive it is. My Mom used to make it for special occasions. Now I know why we had it so seldom. It was yummy, though.

Nancy and I went to Donna to the flea market last Saturday. There were only a few booths open,and one is the fabric shop. I picked up two small quilts I had quilted there. This unusual RV was parked in the lot. I thought it was worth a picture.

I have to put the binding on the quilts, and then I will gift them to two little boys we met at the pool with their Dad. The Dad works for a company that sends him all over to work. Mama is the home school teacher to the boys.

The mowing man finally did the yard. It was good timing because the day after he did this, it began to rain and hasn't stopped!

The weather guy summed it up ...

Even the birds were trying to get out of the rain!

Penny was peeved that she couldn't go run with the other pups. 

We had to walk across the street to find a spot that wasn't under water so she could pee. I hope it stops soon. Next come the mosquitos...

Let's hope I can get some sewing done before we have to build an ark!

Back to sewing!

My back is still a mess, but I am soldiering on with my activities...slowly. The blocks for the blue and white quilt have been assembled and I have the border fabric pressed and ready to cut. Meanwhile, I took out one of the layer cakes I brought as a kit and did some sewing! The blocks were a Missouri Star Quilt Company tutorial on You Tube.

                                         

There are so many mistakes on this, I am totally embarrassed to show it to you. I guess with all that's going on, my mind couldn't focus properly. Even though the points don't match and many are cut off, I still like the fabrics and block pattern. It may improve with borders and quilting.

Penny is such a good pup. She stays occupied with toys and lets me know with a sharp bark when she needs a bathroom break.

This is the top I made yesterday and today. I got the layer cake in Cumming, GA at Thread Bear Quilt Shop. The colors and patterns appealed to me.

Nancy said I had to show my face, too.

I bet you are having some unusual weather wherever you are. We have had some really hot days, and a lot of rain for this part of the country. My daughter in Portland must be especially uncomfortable. I saw on the news tonight that it was 116 degrees there today! Yikes!! She is one of the unfortunate Portlandians who doesn't have central air. She has a small portable AC unit that can be used where needed, so I guess it isn't too dire. I hope you all are faring well in your neck of the woods.

I had to snap this photo when I got in the car yesterday. Notice the outside temperature.

Try not to notice all the dust! It gets in everything. The wind is fairly steady here, and dust is everywhere.

Penny and Kizzy run and run until they fall over and roll around sniffing and snorting on the grass. I wish I had half their energy! They don't care that it's hot, they love to play.

Nancy has an app on her phone that my daughter showed to me on her phone when she was here. It has all sorts of animals (even a robot, dragon and the poo emoji) that mimic your facial expressions while you record a short message. We played with it for a while today, laughing ourselves silly. I hope it works here and you can see how fun it is. If you have an iPhone 10 or later, it is on there. Unfortunately, I don't have one. (insert sad face here 😕).

First as a piggy...

Then, as myself!

 

What a week!

It has been a hard week for me. You all know I have been staying at Nancy's for a bit while waiting for the air conditioning to be fixed. The part came on Tuesday and the air was back on and making me happy I had one more night at Nancy's while the house cooled off, and that's where my woes began. At bedtime, I was trying to get Penny off the couch and off to  bed, but she wouldn't budge. I bent over and picked her up and POP! Something in my lower back popped, followed by intense pain radiating to my hips. We made it to bed, and I gingerly spent the night on my back, unable to turn or move around. I spent the next few days with ice packs and Ibuprofen trying to heal the problem and see a doctor. Dad had a doctor appointment yesterday, so after he was seen, I asked the doctor if he could help me. He is a wonderful guy, and saw me without an appointment, and I had numerous X-rays done. They will call with the appointment for a CT scan. At least I found someone who would take me on. I had already called several doctor's offices, and nobody could see me. They all said to go to the ER. Long story short...I am still in pain, awaiting news of the X-rays and the CT appointment.

I was able to get the blocks trimmed and sewn into fours. They are on the design wall at Nancy's.

Blocks and trimmings. I forgot to take the design wall photo!

I also finished the repair of a neighbor's backpack. 

A nice perk? Lunch at Olive Garden wit5h the owner!

Penny and I have spent time at the dog park, frolicking and burning off some of her puppy energy. I spied this fellow while we were there.

I don't know what kind of lizard this is. We didn't have them like this in Florida or Ge3orgia

He posed nicely for his close-up.

Penny finally got her hair cut on Wednesday. I opted for short on the body with a fluffy head and brushy tail. She knows she is styling'!

                                          

Here is Penny before the makeover

And, here she is with her new do.

Stylish and cool.

I was also able to catch one of the whistling ducks on the roof across the road. The bright salmon colored bill and feet are what distinguishes them from other similar ducks.

Too bad I wasn't closer.

Meanwhile...I can't leave Mr Wazoo alone for a minute. He found a place where the guy makes metal into sculptural things. Mr W seems pleased with his find; a helicopter. He has it staged  on the area where we usually keep the charcoal grill.

I hope to get back to sewing. It is the one constant thing that makes all this feel more normal. Until then, Penny took this selfie for you. Keep sewing and quilting!

Father's Day in Texas

Oh my! What a lot has happened since I last posted. On Thursday night, about 11:00, the AC quit working. It clanked and buzzed, so I shut it down and took a look in the interior part in the closet. There was frost all over the works, so I left it  off and went to bed. In the morning, it was already 80 degrees in the house, so I commenced calling AC repairmen. Fortunately, I found a place that could come right away. The guy was wonderful, and found the problem, a burned out motor. He ordered a new one and will come tomorrow with it to do the repair. Meanwhile, I have been staying at Nancy's and staying cool. Penny and I in a twin bed is a bit of a squeeze, but we're okay. Daytime temps in the high 90s.

There will be steak on the grill, some fresh asparagus and baked potatoes for Father's Day dinner. I hope I don't blow up the grill!!

I had Kizzy for the day while her owner was in the hospital having his knee replaced. His wife has traveled to and fro to visit him and try to get him home, but he has had pain complications and stayed three days! He is now at a rehab for his therapy. Kizzy and I bonded in the three days she was home alone, and she is such a laid back sweet dog, I didn't mind at all.

Kizzy made herself at home and ate Penny's breakfast and drank her water!

Penny gets the lion's share of a twin bed. Good thing I sleep on my side!

All snuggly this morning.

Meanwhile...Nancy and I have been sewing and chatting and having a good time. She made this table runner and I did the machine quilting on her Bernina as well as the binding. She thinks she'll keep it...it was going to be a gift for her granddaughter, whose birthday is the Fourth of July. Oops!

I finished all the blocks for the blue and white quilt, and when Nancy gets her project down from the design wall, I'll begin arranging.

This was a kit Nancy got from my sister. I love how it turned out!

I was a bit out of practice, but I was comfortable by the end!

I did stars and loops, then stitched around all the motifs and in the ditches.

The backing and binding are the same fabric.

Penny is always ready for her ride. After her run at the dog park, the long tongue comes out!

After her run, she 'helps' me water the flowers.

Funny picture of the week was taken on an outing to Freddy's Frozen Custard. 

I thought the custard machine looked like a face with the tongue out! Just like my Penny.

Warnings about electrical use

On the news, the reporter said there will be problems with the power grid here in Texas again. This time, it will be due to the excessively high temperatures, and last time it was the bitter cold! We have been told to really conserve from 4pm until 5pm when usage is at it's peak. I am usually cooking then, so I'm okay. I cook with gas. Honestly, if the power goes out and we don't have the AC I'll be very very unhappy.

I made another 16 blocks for my blue and white quilt yesterday, and I have another 16 in the works. When I finish those, I will be ready to square up all the blocks and start assembling the quilt top. Yippee! I am anxious to start another quilt, so I have incentive to finish the blue one.

Components ready to be sewn

Pile of finished blocks and the next ones to be assembled.

I finished another binding for Nancy. I think she has one more in the works.

Just a cute video of my 5 year old grandson learning to swim. I love the thumbs up gesture while paddling to stay afloat!

84 at 8:00

 It's a beautiful morning here in Texas, but it is already sticky and hot. Penny and her friend Kizzy did their morning run and frolic, and Penny's tongue is hanging to her knees! She will chase a ball, but won't bring it back.Who is fetching? I think it's me!

I was a complete slug yesterday. I took Penny for her twice daily frolics, tended to Dad and made a nice supper. Otherwise, I watched old episodes of Midsommer Murders while working puzzles in my puzzle book. I should have thrown in some sewing or cleaning...nah, it was Sunday. French toast breakfast was the only extra.

Today, we are off to the bank and Sams Club, then I will be sewing at Nancy's. It is time too get back at it and get something done.

                                                 

Every time I put my feet up (this time, I was hand sewing) Penny comes for what we call Footsies. She sounds vicious, but is only growling and barking for effect. No feet were harmed in the making of this video!

I finished the hand sewing on another of Nancy's quilts. A perfect job while watching murder in the small Midsommer villages!

I caught my Dad walking back to his house with a long extension cord. He was trying to reach the neighbor's house with the weed whacker. No dice. I will get the caretaker here to do it today.

Penny is wiped out after her run. She always either sits or lays pin my foot. Silly dog.

Same old, same old!

 Hot. Muggy. Mosquitos. The days sort of run together here, and sometimes I don't know what day it is! I haven't been sewing much...I did a binding for Nancy and made a few block components yesterday, but otherwise, I have been occupied with errands, cooking, cleaning and dog training. Unfortunately, Penny doesn't seem to care about 'come' or 'stay'. It's a challenge! The pool is great, the people are super nice, and it is wonderful to spend some time with my Dad. I'll be fine.

Nancy's quilt is  ready to send!

Penny loves the freedom to run at the dog park. She and her buddy Kizzy have a frolic every evening.

At home, after the frolic, , I watch episodes of British mysteries while Penny amuses herself with her toys and blanket.

Family visit

Two of our daughters came for the weekend and we had a wonderful visit. #1 came from Arizona, and #4  came from Portland, Oregon! They each made a long trip for only two days, but we were so happy to see them after over a year. Needless to say, I didn't sew at all, and will probably need a day or so to recover from the late nights. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Four trips to the airport should have the route seared into my memory, but I still rely on GPS to get me there and back...especially at night, in the rain! Mr Wazoo patiently waits for daughter #1.

Nothing yet...

Here she is! Safe and ready to visit.

Her son, (my grandson), sent this picture from his oath ceremony. He joined the Navy! She got the pictures while we waited at the airport.

Recognize the stairway? Daughter #4 came in at 12:15 AM after a delay in Dallas for bad weather here. We drove to the airport to pick her up in pouring rain. Not fun. We were all exhausted when we got home.

At the airport, there is a sculpture made from trash that washed up on South Padre island, about 20 miles from here. The sign that was with it tells the story.

Humberto is beautiful, but very sad. I wish people would pick up after themselves and think about their actions before leaving trash on the beach or in the water.

Speaking of in the water...We girls went in the pool to cool off. 

The gang, after a big spaghetti dinner.

We all went to the dog park with Penny.

Penny and Kizzy having a frolic

#4 being coy behind her morning coffee

She's a PA, and gave Dad a once over, helping him with his blood sugar testing.

My Dad

Dad and his happy granddaughter

Back at the airport to see off #1.

Before we knew it, it was time to say good bye. Mr Wazoo flies out on Tuesday, so I will make the trek to the airport again! He will be home in Georgia taking care of some business. There had better be some sewing happening while I am here by myself! I want to finish the blue and white top and start something new. We'll see... Its really quiet here. I think I'll take a nap.