Catchup - Dec 11th - 25th - Merry Christmas

 Dec 11th

What a surprise to attend my first Meadowood Quilters Christmas potluck. WOW, talk about an awesome turnout plus the variety of appetizers, salads, meats, starches and desserts too!!! I was very good and sampled small amounts of only what I wanted and somehow totally missed the perogies!!! Thank goodness Dianne brought me one to enjoy! It was nice to sit with Dianne U and also see Bruce too. They both told me that Dr Jeremy Levi, my cataract surgeon, is very good!

Dec 12th

Good morning! Hmmm! I thought I had checked the weather app to see if my baby needs plugging in, guess I didn't so quickly ran out and did so. Hopefully a couple hours will help before venturing out!!! Also look at the snowfall on my ledge this morning, yesterday it was just at the window frame.

OHHHH them sun dogs were so impressive even if the weather wasn't!!! So first lunch with Sylvia at the Southdale Village Family Restaurant, yummy shrimp, fries and garlic mushrooms, last minute grocery shopping and then an hour of puzzle therapy together!

On my way across the city to take Edna grocery shopping, she was going to bus it, I noticed my tire gauge light stay on. This happened the past two years now whenever it got COLD. So twice I stopped and walked around not spotting any low tires, plus no pulling to any side or any weird noises, so I continued. My garage had told me what to do but check in whenever.

I snuck out and got this picture and glad as the sun was sinking fast!

So picked up Edna and was I ever glad as she had two full bags, said she got other stuff since she had a ride. While she was busy I too did some shopping then waited in the warm car till she called for pick up.

I felt happy helping both of them today!

Dec 13th

WOW what a day!!! I'm finished uploading the group's posts and now relaxing!

A lovely 30th Anniversary and Christmas potluck with friends of Assiniboine Circle Quilters!!! Food was quite abundant, delicious, varied and lots!!! Yummy! They kept me hopping with all the activities that as picture taker I was trying to catch! Some I missed being too slow getting into place. So here is a recap of our day!!!

Lovely table centre

Full hall

Dessert and coffee area

Closeup of the fancy tea cups we got to use and keep! Thank you.

Delicious anniversary cake.

Coffee area

Start of set up

End of set up

Chow Time!!!

My plate and travel placement gift from Edna.

Cake time, honorary guests first!

Group shot. Thank you Donna H.

Dec 19th

OMGG I stayed home yesterday but ventured out today, stupid me!!! Thankfully 99.9% of drivers around me were actually driving for the conditions. Thank you!!! There was one sports car on Pembina behind me a few cars that switched into the right lane, going by fast on icy roads, quickly veered OVER TWO LANES into the left turning intersection. Thank GOD he hadn't hit anyone, vehicle or pedestrian, and I don't even know if he made it across the north bound three lanes safely. I was past that and looking forward. Each stop I scraped the ice/snow off the windows, lots didn't bother.

In that time I was about, I drove in rain, heavy fluffy snow, nothing, rain again and finished in wet snow before parking the car, thankful to be home without incident! We started the week with grass still showing to snowbanks! Typical Manitoba/Canada winter weather - unpredictable - with Christmas Day up to -5C - go figure!!!

Dec 20th - from Taunya

Spa day at Perfect Paws today. We are fresh and de-haired for our visit with Rose Anne Burdeny over Christmas

Dec 23rd

Hmmmm seems I've forgotten to post yesterday!!!

It was a Christmas lunch with the girls at Poke Mono in Southdale shopping area, some shopping, then dropped the girls off before heading home to relax a bit!

Then over to Angela's for an awesome catchup on our lives and some Christmas martinis - I love her crantinis, even this weaker one!!!

When I got home last night there was a sign posted to move cars by 8am for parking lot cleaning! I hate early mornings!!! So at 10:30 - YIKES - I texted Sylvia to see if she was awake! Yes, so I arranged to meet her for breakfast at Sal's!

So after our early breakfast, I went over to work some puzzle magic as she had gotten stumped, before my 10:30 am appointment. Then a few more errands before heading home to relax some!

Finally after a long dry spell, Janice had Cindy and I over at her son's place (dog sitting while they vacationed) for a lovely visit! Lots of yummy finger food, some wine and finished off with homemade desserts and coffee! Lovely tree!!!

Now home to relax before another busy day tomorrow!

May you have a HEARTWARMING Christmas and a joyous New Year!!!

May your days be BRIGHT, and your heart LIGHT!!!

A warm and friendly wish from ME to YOU for a holiday season filled with HAPPINESS!!!

Dec 24th

Merry Christmas, relaxing after a bit of scraping mush off the stairs before I could unload. Bubba and Dahli joined me briefly. Dahli went back to the couch but Bubba stayed with me! I'm enjoying my reheated McDs coffee and added a generous amount of Baileys. I think I'm mellowing some!!!

Ohhhhhh it's 7:30ish and I'm ready for sleep after that fresh air and exercise earlier!!! The dogs are snoozing and I'm trying to watch movies!!! It might be an early night!!!

Dec 25th - Merry Christmas!!!

I love Snowman and my coffee too!!!

Today the pugs are good and I was able to have Christmas supper at Randy and Pat's with Byran, Sylvia, Amanda, Justin and Astro! Lovely visit and HUGS alongwith a care packages to take home!!! AWESOME!!!

Now to relax a couple days!

Catchup - Dec 1st-10th

 Dec 1st

Thanks for posting this image Aruna. AND I used my Baileys coffee creamer this morning alongwith Edna's cranberry biscuits. YUMMY!!!

Dec 3rd

Today Sylvia and I enjoyed Olive Garden lunch before shopping. Then home and finishing off tatting the angels by WIKI with my changes, found years ago on the Web. Next to dress them up!

Dec 4th

Well today in that blustery morning I ventured out to Meadowood Quilters sewing day, worked on more of my now pressed potato chip blocks (3 more added to my stack). Love this and my Assiniboine Circle Quilters group sewing days, I seem to get more done here than at home, too many distractions! If I'd gotten here an hour sooner, maybe another block could have been sewn up. I just wish I could snap my fingers and transport magically not hauling stuff!!!

On the way home the wind had calmed down and it seemed warmer. So over to Sylvia's for some puzzle time. One finished and another started!!!

Hey for once it's chilly in my apartment, shorts were a no no this evening!!! The wind must be from a different direction!

Dec 6th

As far as my hip/back pain, well I've good days and then some bad ones, but I keep going and am very thankful for my family/friends within my quilting community.

I did have my MRI recently, results back last week, not good news. Basically L1-2, L2-3, L3-4, L4-5 and L5-S1 all affected to various degrees.

Results "Impression: severe central canal stenosis at L4-5 and moderate to severe central canal stenosis at L3-4. Recommend consultation with spine surgeon."

My sports medicine Dr said spinal injection maybe a first step with "lyrical - nerve pain blocker" and discuss surgery (not my choice). He's referred me to a spine surgeon and I've a phone consultation set up for end of January.

Hey I'm still mobile and have many good days ahead hopefully.

If anyone in my FB friends has undergone spinal fusion surgery (or have immediate family or close friends) recently, I'd love to hear their thoughts on their surgery, results and how they are now. Thank you very much.

UPDATE:

Has anyone with these symptoms been for laser spinal decompression therapy? If yes, what are your thoughts on it please? Thank you!!!

I've also joined a back pain therapy group, posted my qyestions there and read mostly good news on surgeries but still leary of that.

Dec 8th

I think I need that wine that's in the fridge. Now I know my body is falling apart but my mind is not ready for all this shit! It took me 30 minutes to walk 4 blocks and only benches at the Law Courts to rest halfway, otherwise stops over my sticks?

Just back from my 6 month cataract check only to be told surgery on my right eye will be January 26th and the left to be scheduled afterwards! And January 30th is my phone consultation with the spine surgeon.

So got home and promptly found the ad for Dr. Suzanne's Laser Spinal Decompression Clinic, I've a phone consultation for Wednesday, then will see. I'm open to this than surgery.

SHEESH!!!

Dec 10th

Well I've had my phone consultation with Dr. Suzanne of the Laser Spinal Decompression Clinic noting my L4-5 was severe and might take more treatments. I start therapy January 6th. She noted the usual was 3x/week but said many from out of town can't do that so I also chose 2x/week. I pray this helps and I can forget about the spinal injection and spinal surgery too! I need all the help I can get to hopefully get back as much of my mobility I can!

Catchup - Nov 17th-29th

Nov 17th

Well I walked to the Forks for lunch and relaxed tatting somewhere different. The street was closed off at 390 Assiniboine Ave for crane lifting of gyprock sheets to finish off the bare bones suites on the top three floors! WOW this condominium has been up and functional for 3 or more years but apparently not all sold or even insides finished, just bare bones in place!

My walk home with sticks was slow and sore!!! Resting feet up!

Nov 19th

Tuesday was sewing day at Sylvia's as Pat had taken vacation time!!! Sylvia already asked for a sewing day with Chinese Peking Restaurant supper and a couple days later Edna said it's maybe Chinese supper time! Okay girls I know where you're going! Then after setting the date Edna asked about lunch, I suggested sandwiches but both Sylvia and Pat said taco salad was a good idea, so we each brought ingredients and that's what we had. 

Edna worked on a lovely winter Snowman table topper to a certain spot then switched to fancy stitching her Oriental fans blocks. Pat was working on her Twister UFO into a cushion slip cover with Sylvia's help. Sylvia finished off a football themed toiletries bag for Byran then switched to my leftover basil blocks quilt fabric project pouch. I continued to work on my potato chip blocks but quickly realized I need more variety of fabrics, especially in darks. So it'll be back to the scraps given to me lately for more variety.

Edna's gift for a friend.

Pat's Twister project.

Sylvia's toiletry bag for grandson.

My potato chip pieces and blocks. 

Edna's embellished Oriental Fan.

Sylvia's working on my pouch.

Edna's block closeup.

The front stitched.

Front finished.

Back finished

My potato chip blocks 

LOVELY visit and a productive sewing day! Ohhh and besides my favourite meals, Sylvia made lemon meringue pie for our dessert break! Yummy!!!

Well yesterday I realized I needed more variety to my 2.5x4.5" potato chip pieces before sewing up anymore blocks. So tonight that's exactly what I did, first from gifted fabrics to add something different then my own stash search for other fabrics. So hopefully tomorrow at Meadowood I'll be able to continue easier than yesterday's endeavors to mix things up. These were yesterday's except for two from Saturday's sewing. See too much blue!

Nov 25th

A good post to read for us that are alone!

 When you are alone and have a heart attack, what are you gonna do? A really good post that can't be shared often enough:

1. Take a 2 minute break and read this:

Let's say it's 5:25 pm and you're driving home after an unusually hard day's work.

2. You are really tired and frustrated.

All of a sudden your experience chest pains. They are starting to radiate in the arm and jaw. It feels like being stabbed in the chest and heart. You're only a few miles away from the nearest hospital or home.

3. Unfortunately you don't know if you can make it..

4. Maybe you've taken CPR training, but the person running the course hasn't told you how to help yourself.

5. How do you survive a heart attack when you're alone when it happens? A person who is feeling weak and whose heart is beating hard has only about 10 seconds before losing consciousness.

6. But you can help yourself by coughing repeatedly and very strongly! Deep breaths before every cough. Coughing should be repeated every second until you arrive at the hospital or until your heart starts to beat normally.

7. Deep breathing gives oxygen to your lungs and coughing movements boost the heart and blood circulation. Heart pressure also helps to restore a normal heartbeat. That’s how cardiac arrest victims can make it to the hospital for the right treatment.

8. Cardiologists say if someone gets this message and passes it on to 10 people, we can expect to save at least one life.

9. FOR WOMEN: You should know that women have additional and different symptoms. Rarely have crushing chest pain or pain in the arms. Often have indigestion and tightness across the back at the bra line plus sudden fatigue.  

Instead of posting jokes, maybe I'm helping save lives by spreading this message.

Nov 22nd

Saturday, Nov 22nd, was a busy day. First off a very interesting MPQ meeting and my four donations to the ABC program in the showing.  

Older quilt, never used, now donated.

Older flannel quilt, never used, now donated, front.

Older flannel quilt, never used, now donated, back.

NICU coverlet 

NICU coverlet 

My quilts on MPQ ABC parade.

Then picked up Sylvia for a BP wings n salad lunch before taking in the Piece it Together Christmas Craft Sale, ending with a stop at the Meadowood Quilt Retreat to shop at OMA's pop-up shop. Then home to rest and more tatted snowflakes.

Nov 25th

I finished off another 5, Star 1 from Laura Bziukiewicz's book "Tatting Christmas Decorations" using size 20 Lizbeth thread.

Nov 26th

Today at my Northern Lights Lace gathering I sold out of my Assiniboine Circle Quilters raffle tickets. Yeah! Now to try get another book for a few more requests for tickets.

Then once home I finished tatting another angel body, four more to do and assemble within the next two weeks.

Nov 27th

Yummy!!! Off the Holiday menu at BP, supper with Edna!!! Delicious!!!

Today was sewing with Sylvia at Medowood too! Lovely day!!!

Then home to relax, tat another angel and 2 butterflies with leftover thread.

Tomorrow starts a two day quilting retreat at Meadowood United Church, will be two long days but home to sleep!!!

Nov 28th

Day 1 of Meadowood Cropping/Quilting Retreat was awesome. Visited many quilting friends, yummy food and treats along with awesome garage sale going on! Sylvia worked on a quilt but not finished. I continued with the second "I Spy" quilt top from the 72 blocks sewn up earlier, this time with an inspiration from a Pinterest post. A quilter from Meadowood quilters helped pick the sashing fabrics. Hopefully tomorrow I'll finish my top and start on the second one. Oh yeah there was a sorta short workshop in tole painting an ornament, I like mine!

My inspiration! 

Sashing my blocks continuous stitching.

Her new door hanger!  

Can't wait to see it finished.

She's finished and supper isn't ready yet!

Nov 29th

Day 2 tomorrow will be another full day! Sylvia may continue to work on her newest wall hanging, hope so as I love it! Like I said she's MAGIC as she narrowed the panel's width and detached the saying, rearranged it to fit her apartment door for a new hanger. Can't wait to see her finishing it!

Love this pose!!!

Looking AWESOME!!!

I just ❤️ it!!!