Anesthesia makes me stupid

On Wednesday I made a quick charity quilt top to pass my time. I got the fabric at the Quilt n' Kaboodle shop in Cleveland the day before.  I now have three guinea pigs for my new machine when it comes.

                                 

                                          

                                           A vehicle themed quilt for a man

Here is what the fabrics look like.The backing is a plaid in these colors.

My surgery  became an all day affair when the doctor came and told me he had to put me off to work an emergent surgery. Poor old Mr Wazoo spent hours in uncomfortable chairs, waiting for something to happen! I dozed off from 7:30 until 11:15  in the pre-op area, comfortable on my stretcher. Anyway, the surgery went fine and I was in recovery by noon. The pre-op area is in the same room as the recovery area, and the room was about the size of a football field! I am quite impressed with the hospital and staff. We were able to leave about 3 :30. 

At home, I tried to answer all the texts from well-wishers, but I fear what I wrote was gibberish! The drugs I had both during and after the surgery made me pretty stupid. I don't remember the ride home, but Mr W told me I kept up a string of nonsensable chatter. Oops!

Penny was a good girl while we were gone, and wouldn't leave me while I rested in my chair. 

I don't know if she slept while we were gone, but she stayed here until I had to get up and russell up something for supper.

I won't be sewing today. My post- op pain ia bothering me, so I think I'll take a nap!

The countdown

 Sheets in the wash, check; Kong toys filled and in the freezer for Penny, check; gassed up the car, check; showered with Hibiclense and shaved legs, check (does every woman think the doctor will comment if she has not depilated before surgery?)...I will need to go to bed early in order to be well rested for tomorrow's crack of dawn start! It takes about an hour and a half to get to the hospital in Gainsville, so Mr Wazoo plans to be in the car by 5:30. Ugh... Oh well, I can snooze when I get there.

Yesterday, my friend Leslie and I made an impromptu trip to Cleveland after our longarm group meeting. I have been here for almost eight years and didn't know there was a different and prettier route to take. We stopped at two look-out points and passed a few more on the road. The views are long range and gorgeous! I will go this way every time from now on. Thanks, Leslie!

Remember the song, On a clear day, you can see forever...? That was what I thought of when I looked out over this panorama to the north. It really emphasizes the mountains, valleys and the beauty of the changing season.

Really beautiful.

Another over-look had this view to the south. I never realized how some of the peaks stick out because of their heights. The one in the foreground is Yonah, I forget the name of the middle one, and the farthest away one on the left waaaay in the distance, is Kennesaw. Wow! It's awesome!

At the shop in Cleveland, we both purchased some new colors, as well as old favorites, of Glide thread at a lower cost than usual. I bought fabric for another masculine nursing home quilt, as well as a couple of generic background fabrics for a quilt I have floating around in my head. There was a puzzle of the inside of an old fashioned quilt shop that I thought would be perfect for Mr W's Christmas-puzzle-project, and I will most likely get it the next time I'm there. 

Back at home, There was another branch of my family tree to research, and I did just that, taking my Mom's side of the family back to the 1500s. Yikes! My 11th great-grandfather was Hans Schneider, born in 1570! On my Grandma's side, I have gone back one more generation to my 12th great grandfather, Richard Knight Sr.. I find the research interesting and compelling. Figuring out the errors and eliminating people who don't fit the timeline is a little puzzle, and I love puzzles!

Speaking of ancestors, closer to home, my granddaughter made the honor society at the University of Massachusetts. I'm so proud of her to be able to do this after a full year of virtual study. She's back at school and enjoying the campus life.

I need to turn the laundry over and get about my business. The mouse catcher is coming to look at the box traps. Penny found a dead mouse near one of the boxes the other day, and we are concerned that she could have ingested some poison if we hadn't been in the yard with her. I plan to ask the guy about it today.

Until Friday, I am signing off.

Surgery set for Thursday!

 It has been a fairly uneventful week here at Wazoo.  On Thursday we took a ride up to Franklin, NC to show Mr W the Handi Quilter I have my eye on. The mountains were beautiful! We are past peak for leaf peeping, but it was still nice. The trip in both directions was glorious!

If you have never seen them, these are the Smoky Mountains

On Friday, we went to Gainsville for my Covid test, an ECG, blood draw and to give them money... Afterward, Mr Wazoo took me to Wendy's for lunch. Then it was another trip through the mountains, this time the Blue Ridge and our favorite, Blood Mountain. It is a scary trip the first couple of times, but we have gotten used to going over Blood Mountain since coming here almost 8 years ago. We stopped at the top and visited the hiking/gift shop on the Appalachian Trail to snap a few pictures and get the grandson a Blood Mountain Bigfoot tee shirt for his birthday. That and a Lego kit to make three robots, a set of Matchbook construction vehicles, a quilt that looks like terrain with roads and buildings, and four wind-up butterflies that flew out when the box was opened. He's now 6, and a true builder!

Happy Lego boy

The Appalachian Trail going off into the woods atop Blood Mountain

The view south from the top of Blood Mountain, at Mountain Crossing, or Wylasi Yi.

On your map, it is Neals Gap.

Two goofballs trying to take a selfie.

My only sewing of the week was another charity quilt. I got the fabric for this on a recent shopping trip to Hiawassee. They had a sale going on, so I took advantage of it to get some more masculine-looking fabric.

I thought this was a lovely Autumn fabric

 

The supporting fabrics are really nice, too! I'll quilt it later.

Saturday, we rode over  to Clayton and Mr Wazoo bought some more plants for the garden and yard. We got a  blue spruce tree, a spruce shrub, two Adagio ornamental grass clumps, and a little something I thought my daughter would like. She collects Santas like I do, and this guy is too cute to pass up.

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This butterfly found one of the last blooming Butterfly bush plants at the nursery to rest on.

I managed to catch him between flaps of his wings.

This guy has a spring inside and bounces and jiggles when you poke him.

Yesterday we hooked up Penny and climbed to the top of the mountain. On the way, we had two families of deer run by and disappear over the ridge. There were two young bucks, some does and even some juvenile ones. Leaves were falling and crunching under our feet, and the air was fresh and cool. I love it! I took a few pictures on the way down so you could see the house from the backside for once! It doesn't get much better than this.

This is the second tier of the back garden, mostly shrubs and the trellis. Mr Wazoo made the walkway. All the rocks in the little wall were taken out in order to make the walk flat!

The lower garden, Penny's run and the back porch on the house. Penny and I often sit out here and watch the deer, squirrels and birds while I have coffee.

Penny had a good time taking in all the smells in the woods. She slept for hours after our hike!

I took an accidental selfie while negotiating my way up the path.

The tiki totem pole way on the left was a gift from a friend in Florida. It marks the back of our property. Beyond that is the Chattahoochie Forest. 

From the bottom of the  property you can see the lower flagstone path and the gravel path leading farther up the grade. Mr W planted all the plants and shrubs along here.

I'm standing in the same location as above, looking to the left at the house. My studio is where the barn quilt is.

Today, I made a huge pot of vegetable soup and added some more people to my Ancestry trees. I'm taking it easy until I go to Gainsville for the surgery on Thursday. I have total confidence in my surgeon and hope to be 100% after he fixes me. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes!

Tomorrow is the big day for my back doctor visit

 Yup, it has been almost 5 months since my original injury, and I am still waiting (not so patiently) for a resolution. In the meantime, I did it again...while changing the linens on the guest bed, I felt the familiar stab and fell face first into the mattress. Mr Wazoo asked if I was okay. sheesh...how dim are men?! I've been nursing it along with OTC meds, ice and rest waiting for the appointment tomorrow. Say a little prayer and keep your fingers crossed for a good plan and a speedy recovery.

I have done a bit of sewing. I finished the second tee shirt quilt for the race car driver's son, and it looks great!

Here's where I left you...

And here is the flimsy. The guy's race car is green and white, so I used that for the sashing.

The small pieces are appliquéd to checkered flag!

And here it is quilted, bound and ready to go!

Panto: Bayside. I only have a few paper pantographs left and had to pick something 'racy'.

The backing is this speckled fabric. I chose the black and white stripe for the binding.

It has been gray, wet and dreary here for a few days, so we haven't been able to enjoy the beautiful fall colors and crispy leaf piles. The sun finally peeked out today for a while, and I took Penny out for her zoomies. She hadn't had a big exercise time in three days! We had a blast, and then she sat on the porch quietly enjoying her second favorite pastime...

What is she so mesmerized by? Oh yeah...

The yard was still squishy, but the cold loving flowers made it better.

The camellias are starting to bloom, and boy, are they pretty!

The view from this end isn't as nice. The sun was getting low and it was too shady.

Much better! I hope they don't get frost blasted!

Pansies don't mind the frost. They'll be fine...if the squirrels would stop eating them.

Most of the leaves were blown off by the big storm a couple of days ago, but there are a few beauties left.

It wouldn't be Fall without Halloween, and my grandson face-timed me to show me the costume he and my son made for trick-or-treating. He is a huge Lego fan, and  they nailed the Lego man. Right down to the grippy hands! They sure know how to design. It is entirely made from cardboard, glue and paint. Wow!

The head has two sides. This is the happy (?) side...

This is the evil side.

I certainly like the happy side better. Right after this, he began his candy forage through the neighborhood.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Good-bye Millie

 What a whirlwind week it has been. My buyer came and spent a day here taking apart Millie and getting her loaded in a U-Haul for the trip back to Oklahoma. They got there yesterday and sent me pictures of Millie in her new environment. I think everyone will be happy. There is a huge hole in my studio...

With a bit of help, my buyer had her dream become a reality.

All put together and ready to rock and roll. She has big plans for this rom. It will be a stunning studio when she's done.

Without the machine in the way, you can see what a fabricaholic I am. Penny has been happy with the big space to run around in. I may do a bit of re-arranging to get it looking better.

I finished all four of the second batch of small-from-large quilts. I think the customer will be pleased. (Picture goes here...I forgot to take it. Tomorrow!!)

I also had a customer come to the studio (without notice) and ask me to do a table runner for Thanksgiving. She didn't know about my back or that I wasn't quilting right now, but she is so sweet, I said I would do it. It only took an hour or so, and it was nice to take Big Gammill out for a spin.

It doesn't take very long to quilt something 49x16"!

Woodland scene on this side.

Paper pantograph: Primrose swirl, an old favorite.

For the backing, I chose this winter bird fabric, making the runner useful for two seasons. 

She was so pleased. She isn't a quilter, and was given the top by her sister. I guess I came in and saved the day! Ha ha ha ha.

Meanwhile, I sewed up a charity quilt for a nursing home man. Ladies get the bulk of the quilts, but I like to make them for men, too!

I will quilt it when I'm feeling better.

Penny finally got a haircut! No more buffalo here, just a pretty princess dog.

Bouncing to another subject...at guild the other night, Diane gave a wonderful tutorial on using equilateral triangles to make a quilted table runner or topper. This woman sews all the time and I can never begin to produce the amount of things she makes! She also is making a bunch of Raggedy Ann dolls, and brought the outfits she sewed for them to show us. I'm in awe.

Diane gives us the skinny on making the table runner.

It's like a puzzle. I am going to try it soon.

All these outfits are handmade by Diane.

Mr Wazoo was stuck in there house with a sore arm (long story...geezer stuff) so he decided to re-batt my design wall. After a bad false start, he got it together and finished the job. We tried it out with the antique blocks. Nice!

I took these down to start the planning for the second race car driver quilt.

This quilt will be smaller, for the race car driver's son.

It's that time of year. The deer are plentiful and hungry and they are always in the yard. Penny never barks at them. She watches quietly with her ears up and her tail wagging. This one peeked over Mr W's yard cart to see what we were up to. So funny!

As long as they stay out of the garden, we are okay with them in our yard.