Merry Christmas

Wishing you and yours a day filled with peace and love. 

Joanne (PhotoJo)

Mom's Tree

My world has been turned upside down and gone sideways. Since the 2nd, Mom has been in the hospital. The diagnosis is multi organ failure with metabolic encephalopathy. She also had positive blood cultures (positive for VRE). This past Friday she was unresponsive (not even to sternum rubs). As her POA I had to sign her into comfort care. THE MOST DIFFICULT THING I HAVE EVER DONE. My brother and I said our goodbyes to her and left knowing we would be getting that dreaded phone call. All meds were stopped (mainly dobutamine). The staff told me to come back on Saturday to sign papers to put Mom in hospice care. I got there around 1 pm and asked her nurse how she was. Much to my surprise, MOM IS AWAKE AND LUCID! I walked into her room and she asked me how I was. Asked about the dogs and how the decorating of the house is going. I was in utter shock!. The nurse got me out of her room and said the entire nursing staff was in as much shock as me.

My brother and I had been told on Friday that she has 48 to 72 hours left. Now, no one knows. She still is terminal, no way around that, but the 180 degree turnabout has us all confused.

Because she is a medicare patient, we have to play by their rules. Since there is nothing to do medically, she could no longer stay in the hospital. She has been moved to a skilled nursing facility that shares property with the hospital.

As far as Christmas is concerned. Yes, the tree she wanted has been put up and decorated. It is a white tree with teal, silver, white and pearl colored ornaments.

Wishing you and yours and beautiful holiday season;
Joanne

Snow

Yes, you are reading the ruler correctly, 14 inches of snow. From 7 am to 5 pm this evening.Taking a vacation day tomorrow because another 12 inches are predicted for tonight. Time to turn on the fireplace and grab some stitching.

Joanne

It's Snowing!

I, for one, love snow. Missed it when I lived in Florida for 18 years. This morning, while rushing Mom to the ER for shortness of breath, it started to snow. Those big huge flakes. Lovely. Sort of calmed me down as I was driving. Once she had her paracentesis done, her breathing returned to normal. She is now taking a nap and I am waiting for the guy to hook of the gas fireplace. Cannot wait to get that puppy fired up. Photos will definitely follow.

On the stitching front, I am still trying to decide what to do about the "unique" Blue Santa. Leaning towards tossing it. Just placed an order at 1-2-3 Stitch for a couple of Little House Needlework and some Belle Soie Threads.

It's December and the madness begins. Wondering home many Buckeyes I will roll and how many dozens of Christmas Cookies I will bake.

Hope everyone had a great Holiday weekend.
Joanne

Stitching woes!

Stitched this weekend, but wound up having to stop. Thread kept coming undone, knots happened, frog visited, but at this moment I am not going to take it out. Plus, it is an old kit and I was supposed to  have alot more of the light blue thread, but I got more of the dark blue. Argh! Call me frustrated. Deciding whether to just let it go with all the errors or toss it completely. Put everything away and came here to the computer room. It needs straightening. ALOT of straightening, everything does since I started this job in July. They say the first 6 months are the most difficult and boy, they are not kidding! Since I am so stressed, I will just take a few deep breaths of my lavender...

Have a great week;

Joanne

Tuesday

Such a windy day today, gusts up to 50 mph. Straight line rain. Luckily, for me, I was at work watching it through a window. Tonight's 50 minute drive home saw just rain and no accidents. Wind and 70's predicted again for tomorrow and then the bottom will drop out for a couple of days. Even heard the word SLEET for Thursday night. I am no where near ready for sleet. I still have perennials that need to be be given their winter mulch. Garden beds to pull up. Grass to keep cutting. I am waiting for the leaves to drop from my 65 foot maple tree. Rake it in rows and the use the push mower the mulch/bag the leaves. Here is the base of the tree from last Fall.

(Again from last Fall)

Stitching wise, I found a new shop on Main Street in Vermilion, Ohio, Clare's Stitching Post. She has been open about a month. Nice quaint shop. Plan to make it part of my personal quarterly shop hop. Finished a couple of projects. No pictures. Which if you think about, it is hilarious, seeing as I am a photographer. Right now I am stitching an Old World Santa from a kit that I got back in the late 80's!! from a company in New Berlin, WI. That one, for sure, will get photos when it is done. Cannot believe I have stash that is that old. 

Mom wise, the shingles have all but healed. All that remains is the lingering pain. Docs say it can stay for months!  

Me, well, work is great, totally interesting Cytology! Great people. Think I'll stay.

Have a great week;

Joanne

AHHHHHHH, sitting feels good.

Still doing laundry at this hour. Why, you ask? Because I spent the day on the 2010 Tour de Stitches. 7 cross stitch shops put together a tour and we stitchers visit and spend bags and bags of cash. Having a hard time getting the photos to look decent so tomorrow when it is light out, I'll get some photos of the haul. I only did 3 shops and I think the debit card is still smokin'. I went with a list of all the threads I needed to make ornaments from the Just Cross Stitch Christmas issue. Well, the threads were lonely so I HAD to add some fabric and then a few charts wound up in the stash. Had a blast, but had to drive over 100 miles round trip. The other 4 stores are WAY to far away. One shop is 2.5 hours ONE WAY. I made the decision to only go to stores in my area. Shops that I can "easily" run to after work.

Till tomorrow with the stash building photos...
Joanne