MONDAY, May 19th, 2025

[purrfect-lady]

Good rainy morning,

Our weather is more like April - 50's and rainy - than mid May. But our trees are liking a big drink of water so I guess I'll take it.

TINA - you've had some busy times! You are so accommodating - fixing potatoes 3 different ways for one meal! I'd make them all, but only one way each night. Potatoes are my favorite food - and you can tell just by looking at me. When I was a kid, we had potatoes almost every night - chunked up and boiled. We got mashed on holidays. My parents grew them so they were 'free' and they lasted all year long in the fruit cellar. How is your foot? Any improvement? What color is the new kitty and what is her name? Voltarin is great for arthritis. Biofreeze works well, too. The secret to any topical pain reliever is to keep reapplying and rubbing it in until it no longer absorbs. Biofreeze comes in 4% and 10% strength. Costco sells the 4%. You want 10% if you can find it.

CHRISS - You saved some money by not going to the sales, but you missed the fun of the sales. I guess one cancels out the other. And saving your money is good. I would think Dad would love you to be at their house when he's trying to work on something. You could Mom-sit. Does she like to play any simple games? Just trying to think of things to keep her occupied. Have you gotten any new photos and updates on Elliott? It's past time for a gramma visit, don't you think?

LORI - A movie called "The Brutalist" doesn't sound like one I'd be watching. I'm a "Vacation" movie fan. If it doesn't make me laugh then I'm probably not going to be watching it. Maybe the orange kitty was just passing through? Nothing hangs around in our yard for long - Scottie sees to that. Do you think you'll get a new kitty? Or maybe two?? Your boys would love that, I'm pretty sure. I looked up Grace Errea, too, and saw there was a video on her liquid thread technique, though I didn't take the time to watch it.

LYN - Your suggestion to get Maddox tested for heavy metals, etc is a good one. Is he 5 now? I hope Layne comes to visit you. But if he's like our grandsons, I wish you good luck. We see them maybe 3x/yr. With their own jobs, lives, friends, they are very busy.

VALERIE - I love to see the old classic cars. Lucky you happened upon a car show. MY DBIL in CO put his 64 Camaro in a car show just yesterday. That car is his baby. Years ago we were in Walla Walla and a car show was going on - and one of them was a '55 red/white Chevy Nova station wagon that belongs to Tim Allen. In one of his Home Improvement episodes it was used in a scene and smashed flat (with the use of camera trickery), and we got to to see the actual car! But not Tim. Sounds like you didn't get a good vibe from that group. I joined a craft group some years back. No good vibes there either. I got to where I dreaded going and was planning to drop out, but when I was gone south they had a big fight and the group broke up. Trust your instincts. What color scheme did you do your Kira quilt in? It's a neat pattern.

JUDI - I hope Ken was able to find and fix the leak. And you got to wander around the Home Depot store! It's always fun - for a while, anyway. Only one more sleep!! And you'll have your new machine! I'm excited for you. Will the shop give you a few lessons on it?

JANA - It's so great that Voltaren works for you! And so well! It does say on the package - not for hips. My thought was that a hip is a greater area than smaller joints and therefore you would get a larger does of the med. But the research says that they hadn't tested it fully for hip pain yet. I guess it sure passed YOUR test! Just keep rubbing more in until it's no longer absorbed. Have you tried Biofreeze and if so, does it help? How about arnica?

LOIS - how was your weekend? Are you out playing in the sunflower field?

I did nothing productive over the weekend. It was jammies all day both days. I've been so tired from having no sleep all week. I read, cross-stitched, napped, and made supper. I think my sciatica is slowly improving. Still worse at night but pain level is down to about 5 from 9. When my pain was highest, so was my BP - at one point 186/95. Chiro recommended taking Garlic. I started that and my last reading was 127/77. So, things might be turning around for me. But I'm still keeping my dr appt on Wed and want the MRI the ER doc advised. Bill has dr appt tomorrow morning to learn results of his biopsy. He is quilting my Llamas with a swirling snowflake pattern. I think I want to make two more llamas and put them on a pillowcase to go with the quilt. But no rush on that project. I'm staying away from the sewing room because my chair hits the back of my thighs wrong and aggravates my sciatic nerve. I need to go shopping for a good chair one of these days.

That's all I've got for today. Wishing you good times with full bobbins!
mary z
>^+^<

[auntjana]

Good morning!

The rain is gone and we start warming. Yesterday had a freeze warning and snow, but not in my area.

The family dinner was fun. All the kids run and play and love getting with cousins. I had a special gift for my Andrew. My organist works with a very famous sci fi book author. She's a beta reader and all kinds of book related things for this author. . In fact, she's traveling in London this week for a book tour with this author. Anyway, this author is all my kids very favorite, especially Andrew. Sarah and Joseph read all this author's writing and can't wait for the next release. The newest book came out in December and is very difficult to get a copy. Some special way the author uses, which I don't understand and is beyond my pay grade. So as we were getting the music ready for Sacrament meeting, I asked her how I could find or what to do to buy a copy for Andrew. She told me that at her last team meeting on Friday, there was a freebie table with all kinds of things for the team to take. She looked and took a copy of the last book. She already had a copy, but took this free one, for a just in case need. Not knowing exactly why, but, the little voice told her that she needed to take that book, took it anyway. So her face lit up when I asked about how I could buy one. She was so excited to give me this free copy for Andrew. She sent her husband home from church to get it right then foe me. This book is huge, about 1400 pages! I took it last night and gave it to Andrew. Was he ever surprised! And happy! There's out in the world, quite a huge collection of fans of this author and he holds conventions, which sell out in a matter of minutes. My friend told me when Andrew gets home from his mission in 2 years, she'll make sure he gets a special ticket to attend the convention here. I'm been granted most favorite grandma status! Lesson learned here, always listen, God is there, always, to help, even in the small simple things. He puts those to help, in our lives, all the time!

Today is a bit straightening and playing in the Batt Cave. Daniel got another section of railing fabricated. Now the hard ones, the steps and the landing sections. Kind of like our fussing over y-seams!

Time to get dressed and busy,
Hugs,
Jana

[grammiequilts]

Good morning I was up early and started chores...First my emails. then making the bed and tidying up the bathroom. Then I go started on refilling toilet paper in the bathrooms and emptying the dishwasher,,,Then my son house alarm went off so I hurried and called Val. She set it off accidently and my son didnt tell her I was the back up person, we laughed about the cops catching me in her driveway,,, if I hadnt gotten a hold of her I would have scurried over to her, They are a couple of miles from me. All is well.
Now I am getting all the stuff ready to do 4 windows in the spare room. And I need to pack up all the clothes in there to take to salvation army or goodwill, Ken has purged all the TOO BIG clothing and I just keep telling him to put it in thr spare room...well now the pile of stuff is big,,,Totl from his highest weight to today he has lost almost 80lbs, He feels good and the dr is pleased.A1C is almost normal. And meds are working well...
This afternoon I have a hearing aide appt..I really dont feel any different and cant really tell if my hearing is any better,,,but the Audiologist says it is based on my test results...before and after tests,,,so I will see if they make any changes,,,its always something
Jana that is awesome bout the author and the book but you didnt tell us his name??? details about the writer and his stories,
Maryz Hope you get out to find that chair or you might having quilting withdrawal.
Have a great day XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[auntjana]

It's Brandon Sanderson. Well known Utah author. I think it's sci fi fantasy genre. Not what I read. My reading consists of quilt magazines with picture!

[WeeOne]

Breezy and cool on the Mtn today.

Chriss, I think Maddox Loves his Mommy very much and I know she does not regret adopting him, even when he's acting out. If I see Layne again, I will give him an extra hug from you.

MaryZ, Maddox turned 7 in March. Please send rain this way. I hope the Dr appts go well.

Jana, God does answer all sizes of prayers.

Judi, If you want more windows to clean, come on out. My kitchen window is so dirty I can hardly see out, but it requires getting on a tall ladder outside on the narrow deck that leads from front steps to the steps up to the big deck.

Tina, You are a great Mom/Grandma to fix potatoes multiple ways. A Dr Garry went to years ago told him eating 1 potato was equivalent to eating 1 cup of sugar because of the starch and carbs. Of course that doesn't stop him having fries when we go to a restaurant. I will buy potato salad if I buy a rotisserie chicken and if I'm doing a pot roast in the crock pot I will splurge and add the little potatoes, but that's only a couple times a year. It's hard, cause I do like potatoes.

Amanda and Maddox got to see 2 tornadoes just east of Denver and north of I-70 yesterday. They did damage, it showed on the news last night. She had to stop in Burlington, which is almost to the Kansas line, and hid under a bank drive through because there was hail. She said it was very windy, but she managed to stay in front of the other storms across Kansas.

I did mostly nothing yesterday. Minnie and I took a nap. I looked at some YouTube videos and checked out FB. I had read that there was a quilt show at the Stanley Hotel home museum from 5 to 7, so I headed over to check it out. They had a gate to the parking lot and a young man there taking your $10 to park. I told him I didn't need to see the quilts that badly and did a U turn around the little building. I don't know if there were 6 or 60, but I didn't care to pay $10 to find out. Dinner was leftover pizza.

I need to get dressed and get the trash out, luckily they don't show up until almost noon or later. Today is a free day, no appts or places I have to be. I will probably do some laundry, towels and guest sheets. I'm trying to decide if I want to tie my coverlet for the MH or try and sew the 2 layers together. I will have to use the dining room table since my sewing room stuff is in Texas now. I may start the book that MaryZ sent me. Another nap might be on the list too. Dinner will be leftover rotisserie chicken and salads.

I hope y'all have a good day.

[WeSignificant]

Good morning, was up early, had by coffee, breakfast, went to the grocery and now I am here. Next will be to go to Vacaville shop to pick up my KT quilt from the long armer and then on to Napa for lunch with a girl I used to work with. Then home to sew. OOPs got a load in the dryer that needs taken care of too. That might have to wait till later.

Yesterday I sewed quite a bit. Got a good ways through my Kira quilt. Just have to more row seams for the center and then the borders. Picked out 20 blues for the Blueberry and Cream quilt. They are up on the design wall but not sure I like them all, will have get input from DH and just keep thinking.

Maryz I love love love those jammie days. I think I will have one on Wednesday. So sorry to hear you are still having sciatica pain though it can last quite a bit. Mine is just chronic, it can become intense at time but for the most part it is "just a pain in the leg". I definately agree to keep those appointments. Even if the MRI just verifies the dx. I am not a big classic car person. DH loves them but since he did take me to the quilt shop guess it's only fair that I go see the cars. I am going to try this quilt group at least until they decide on a quilt theme for this year and see how that works. It may be fun to do a community charity quilt. Honestly, my biggest fear is since they are all "old" and many mentioned health concerens, they are looking for younger people to take over. Nope, not for me.

Tina while I grew up with potatoes/rice most nights, I don't eat them much anymore. So sad your kitchen doesn't clean itself, you know, mine won't either! Maybe I need a new one?

Jana the closest thing we have to a family dinner now is our annual trip to the delta. And that's my husbands family. I never hear from my sister in Colorado and my sister in Virginia is still slow from her whatever it was a few months ago and busy with her husbands Parkinson's. She is back to being able to take care of the chickens and doing some gardening but still tires easily. I really wish they had taken the time to figure that whole episode out but she is not to keen on medical care so she didn't push it. I will have to look into that author. I am not much on SciFi but my grandsons are.

Judi wow 80lbs, thats a lot. Best thing though a diabetic can do if they are overweight. Good luck with the audiologist. I never really could get used to mine.

Chriss the place was crowded. It was outside though so it wasn't too bad. The wind though was horrible. My allergies were a mess. I stayed inside yesterday to recover. Much better today.

Lori oops, guess my memory is not as good as it once was. I have never taken a class from any body well known. Maybe one day.

Lyn not sure what the issue was with Maddox's parents but what popped into my brain was Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Could be be autistic and having sensory issues.

Well the time just goes so quickly here. I need to head out soon to get to Vacaville and Napa. Would like to be home by 2 at the latest. Lunch date is at noon.

Have a great day everyone.

[zfatcat]

Valerie, glad you got a lot of sewing in yesterday. I have the Kira pattern and will make it one day. I take classes though our guild. They are held at a quilt shop and are only $35.00.
We get some good teachers. If you have a guild near you, you should check it out.

Lyn, how exciting and scary for Amanda and Maddox. I've seen and been in tornados. They are pretty incredible.

Judi, maybe you already got used to the hearing aids for you don't notice the differnce.

Tina, that's a lot of potatoes. I baked some last night and put chili on them. Growing up we did more pasta than anything else.

Maryz, no plans to get a cat right now. I think the orange tabby had been dumped. She was very friendly, but had some scars on her head. I'm sure someone took her in. She walked right in the house and made herself at home. If I lived there I would have closed the door and kept her. I do miss Molly though. Maybe someday will get another cat when the time is right. Rest is probably helping you heal. I know sometimes it's hard to just sit still, but it does help the body heal.

I've got a few phone calls to make this morning. Then I figure out the rest of my day.

Have a lovely day.

[WeeOne]

Valerie, I think you are right. Amanda is wondering about autism and does see some sensory stuff.

I was going to stay home today but an Amazon order has been delivered to our UPS mailbox and I need wine.
Lyn