I've Been Missing from my Blog :(

Hello All !!!

What a tumultuous year I have had.

I lost my sister-in-law who I spoke about last year. I spent a lot of time with Lee-Anne during her last few months and the last week was the hardest. On September 19, 2012 Lee passed away after a relatively short battle with breast cancer. This insidious disease metastasized. Chemo and surgery were not to be the be all and end all. The hospital and staff were fantastic letting me have the bed next to her so I could be with her till she was no longer.  I was there for her and she knew that she had love and companionship to the end as I had promised her.

My newest grandson was born weeks earlier - Lee never got to see him in person but my little phone videos and photos made her grin. She revelled in the fact I assisted his entry into the world.
Unfortunately Lee left four daughters behind. The eldest only 15 and the youngest only 2 at the time.
It saddens me to say its only two weeks til the anniversary.

I had my name on a list to train for voluntary palliative care and assistance and when I rang last week they had mislaid my name - I was told I now have to wait another two years for another training session. I feel saddened as I really felt I could help somehow.

Family crisis, both good and bad have competed for my time. Elderly parents in-law have developed the onset of old age, friendships changed due to locality. Family partnerships have stopped and started, a child born and torments of modern day living affected us all. And pets have too left us with holes in our hearts.

My computer died and as avid craftspeople you know my hard saved dollars would be spent on a new sewing machine before I would purchase a new computer. Thank goodness the craft I make and sell bought me this newest toy - my new 'Puta" :)

So now I can be blogging on and on and sharing of my crafts and busy life.

Warmest thoughts Dee

Just saying .... LOL

It's raining in the Blue Mountains where I am at the moment. Freezing and Misty. I am sitting in front of the television with my youngest grandson watching a children's program (thank you TV programmers). Not something we normally do as we both love to go outside in the fresh air - cool or not. Isn't that what our coats and hats are for? Keeping us warm and comfy. This does come at a small cost though. I am simply unable to get my sewing out as those 20 month old fingers try to help at every turn. :) Not that I mind. I gave him some fabric and a chopstick so he could mimic me. It was successful for a short time, but the lure of what Nan hand in her hands was so tempting, so I gave it up. Sorry to my teacher - I may not have my homework done for Sunday's class. It's been an interesting week and a bit. I have not child proofed my house, choosing to just use the logic of a simple two letter word - NO :)) LOL Another fave is my amazing ability to count - 1 - 2 - 3 !! Usually I get a reaction before three so all it's very good in this household. My grandchildren know that Nan and Pa love them heaps and smile so sweetly at us - like who us??? when they do something they know they maybe should not do.

 

I thought you might like to know how your brain is made up, so have added the following diagram so you can make sense of what happens with the hallowed walls of our heads :)))  I wanted to share this &  thought you could do it in a lovely patchwork cushion for your workspace and take note of it from time to time.. It's great therapy and gives you a good laugh :)))

Aren''t these cute. Just about to make some for pressies :)) Xmas is but months away

This is how I feel about my friends and patchwork buddies. Great Saying :)) It would make a great addition as a label or even within the quilt top itself.,

Enjoy your day, Love your Hubby or Partner & Family, Share with Friends and Just Be !

Quilty Hugs Dee

Prayers need for S.I.L.

This blog is a lot different to the norm today. Nothing about sewing, creating or quilting.               Today, I have to share some sad news. My foster sisterinlaw -  Lee's breast cancer has travelled. Though her breasts were removed in March and cancer found in five of the seven lymph nodes taken out, she was feeling positive that it was all found and was looking forward to a pain free period. Her doctors were positive that this cancer had been taken care of. We did know that there was cancer in her breastbone but were told radiation would help. Chemotherapy took its toll with the loss of her glorious auburn hair - which the darker hair bow coming through dyed blonde - cause she could :)) 

Her left arm blew up and the doctors thought it may be lymphoma though she thought it was because they stuck a port in her chest to allow chemotherapy but just hadn't taken it out. She has been having a lot of back pain and over the past few weeks shoulder pain, so she went to the doc's last week and then sent to see her cancer clinic. The nurse there took a look at her and sent her to hospital - where she thought she would be a day or so. She spent many hours sitting around waiting for a bed and within another 24 hours they had one upstairs in the hospital. After having her port checked and flushed yesterday, the doctors decided to do an MRI on her skull and found cancer in her neck :((( And next week more MRI;s for the neck and shoulders themselves. She is feeling weak today after having two rounds of radiation the last to days as well.

She is concerned for her four daughters ranging from 14 to just 2 1./2 :(( I have had them all sent Breast Care awareness packs kindly sent by Purple Boots - a Breast Cancer group, to each of them. The eldest understands very well, the two middle girls have auspergers and kinda understand and the youngest, too little to know much at all - other than Mummy losing her hair.

Am making her a pillow for her back at the moment. I am thinking of a quilt for Lee at the moment and as she isn't the feminine type of person - her words, ( she has been a tom boy the whole 36 1./2 years I have known her) was wondering what fabrics to use. I know she loves purples and lilacs just like me, so may go that way.


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Any prayers, chants through faith and thoughts for Lee and her girls would be much appreciated by me and I am sure by Lee and her girls as well.



Keep well my friends and readers - Dee

Watch This Space - More Quilts to Make

How lucky am I? I have two beautiful grandsons and a third is on his way. No secrets here - my family (brothers included) are destined to be male dominated. My eldest brother and his wife have one son - probably thought that was enough and stopped. My own family consists of two boys and then lucky me, I had me a girl. My youngest brother has six - yes that's right - 6 boys!!! And now my own children look destined to follow suite. My father was one of three boys and Mum one of two girls, so you would think there would be some fairness and sharing of sexes. That is, at least some girls would come about - alas - like myself, there is one female per generation. My youngest son has two boys - both pictured, and suprise, suprise, there is another little boy is about to be born. He is coming to us next month!

Jordan's Donkey :))

This is JB - my eldest grandchild, who at 6 - almost 7 (not till December 10th) Nanna. He loves everything his Daddy likes. That is cars and motorbikes. He also loves hats - again like his Dad, and has amassed an amazing collection of them and little cars. The picture below shows him in his bedroom at Dad's. I started him off with some pirate things, and he seems to have got carried away with those too....or more probably his Dad. LOL.  He loves coming to see his Daddy and I think his favourite food is Mcdonalds, though he does adore chocolate milk and icecream. Have all the bits and pieces to do a Donkey quilt designed by Hot Possum for him in his favourite colours. Even though he is a big boy now, he still loves colour and animals !

This cheeky little chap is MJ, who will be two on November 1st. His smile lights up any room, and his enormous blue eyes which are exactly like Mummies, are gorgeous. Not sure why the car is in his mouth, probably cause his Mum calls him motormouth :)) Always welcomes his Nan and Pa will a cuddle and kiss. Runs to the door and swoops on us - just lovely !! The photo above shows him in his element, he also loves cars and is always mucking around with Daddy while he paints and fixes up mini-trucks. Dad is like his own father - they both love motorcycles - seems to be a thing with all the makes in my family! Think little MJ may talk his Dad into getting him a motorbike, quicker rather than later. This little man loves his food - anything at all - and everything is his favourite. The kind of kid everyone loves to have around too. If they can make more like him, I'll take six - LOL. MJ's new quilt is half way finished and features stars and stripes in the brightest of greens, blues and a bit of red thrown in for impact.



This is the latest little man on the right in his latest scan. Due in August and we can't wait to meet him! We may not be able to wait, but mother nature says we have to, so we will wait till Mummy obliges. In this image he is waving to his Daddy LOL. Now I will have to get busy and design another quilt for this little fellow. Have pretty well decided on wild animals. Have a great quilt to complete and a Giraffe Sketch to embroider on another blanket. Any ideas on some simply made toys would be appreciated as I know little presies from the baby to the big boys will make having a new member of the family more welcome by them. Have thought of toy bags, but maybe someone has some other great ideas they want to share with me.

Chat again soon - Quilty Hugs - Dee :))

Happy Birthday to Self - LOL

Who said birthdays are fun? Some certain hubby rubbing extra year in face at every occasion - wait buddy cause you've only got a few more years till your next large milestone birthday - OKAY !!! Hear me buddy!! And I WILL write about it on my blog in October - hear me? Anyway at least he remembered and left my birthday presie I selected and laybyed for him to go get so he could say he bought it, only to have to go and pay and collect - then he leaves it in a drawer at my Mum;s home !!! So I did a little retail therapy of my own, some nice new sheets - in a lovely purple shade of course, chocys, oil burner, neck pillow and a yummy mega chocolate birthday cake later - I came home :))

Had just spent a couple of nights with my daughter as her navy hubby was away and had a little girl time with her and hubby just had to go to his sports club on Saturday - my birthday - so I said, go - stuff around and I will go visit my nephew and nieces (adopted by me by choice) and have a cuppa with their Dad as well, Mum was at work :(( shame that - we always have a great chinwag. Then the shopping where I bought an enormous amount of fruit and veg :)) Except when I got home and opened the apples - there was mega soft bits on them - shame veggie shop - shame !!

I had a presie from my bro and sisinlaw - gorgeous stuff she made me - decorated a bag, a triangular doorstop and a hand made wood and glass display for my wall :)) Thanks Nique & Baz. Funniest thing is - we are decorating the same bags :))) So much of our craft at the moment is exactly the same and we live hundreds of kilometres away from each other - amazing again that soe of the items are so close in making its scary lol

This pic is sooooo true LOL

My kids rememberd me this year too - thanx for the sms's - I am soooo worthy of them. Hubby came home and rushed off to have a shower - let's go out and have dinner and go to the movies - so I checked the movies - went through them and stated them out loud - nup not that one - his Lordship says - nope that;s a kids prgram - funny that since it's school holidays again - nup, nup, nope, oh yeah that one - Snow White and the Huntsman. Soooo grown up. So dinner we had - lovely steak and a beer at the pub - yep - the pub and then went to check in at the cinema - WT????? A two hour wait, so we headed back to the pub, which is closest to the cinema and waited for a bit before deciding that 9.25pm was another 1..25 hours away and journeyed home. Have tried again to see it - another two hour wait - must be my old bones - can't walk quick enough to get there so miss out LOL



I particularly like this one - thanx a lot!!

A great quote I like is - The best way to remember your wife's birthday is to remember it once !!

One I made up is - Your birthday lasts 366 days a year - as you never age a day till the next birthday !! Who goes around saying I am 50 years, 8 months, and three weeks and 4 days ???? So 50 for all that time is very good huh? And once you reacdh 50 you are legally allowed to go backwards My choice and I am sticking to it !!!



Am so lucky to have friends, personally, on Facebook and via my Blog. have have heaps of well wishes - it's been awesome - so thank you all very very much -  mwah !!!! Life isn;t so serious when you can chat to a friend. I wrote to a lady only a month or so ago - and feel we have a lot in common already. I know when I am writing I can share funny anedotes, stories and read what you say and hope I respond with care, lightheartedness, fun, concern and all the emotions I feel from your notes.





Well it's time to be off and enjoy another round of cr** on the television and then off to bed.. Am doing some craft whilst I 'watch; - can cope well that way. That's a noisy square shape with pictures flashing on and off in it - at the moment there is a cougar that just caught a large bird and is crunching on it - lovely - :( glad I have already eaten my dinner.......



Dee

There's a Storm coming

hmmmmmm. Just heard on the news channel that the mountains of NSW are going to experience a storm. DER. The television is already mucking up, so we are getting our candles and torches to the ready. Water in the jugs - yes its electric but I have a gas stove and pans to boil water LOL.. And a large bucket or two of water for the loo cause that also requires water - funny that.

So have had dinner and a nice cuppa and might have to go to bed early, cause as soon as there is any thunder - the electricity will be turned off so as not to blow up all our electricals. That has happened before.

Only last week whilst  we were off enjoying ourselves the power went out due to trees falling on lines and an accident on the main road. Unfortunately that buggered up the fridge/freezer and we came home to a mess. A smelly trully awful mess, meat was soooo off and everything else in fridge disgusting too - luckily for us, garbage day was the following day. So there wasn't anything left to eat other than what we keep in cans, luck has it I have rice milk and that is in long life containers and hubby drinks his tea black :)) Have to make a claim on the insurance - about time I got something back after decades of payments.

These pics above were taken during and after the last been 'storm' we had. A carpet of white made it look like the Snowy Mountians instead of the Blue Mountains.

Going to investigate getting some more stuff for the puta and so I can blog more - you know it's old age - you know - the gigabyte thing. I only have 3 gigs a month and the way I am writing and using the computer I will need to increase it as soon as possible. Maybe I should send hubby to Telstra again as when he went today he got positive results after complaining of the 30 messages from Telstra saying his credit was less by the call, though they promised him a longer usage time. Although I reckon I can rock this little boat all by myself. I said to him, behave yourself and you get good results. LOL.  He came back and the first words to me were - I behaved myself and I got results. He was only gone 25 minutes too :)) So we are hoping in 21 days time we don't get messages all day long about running out of credit - cause I know he will do his block.

Going off so my puta lives to tell another blog tomoz

Nite all - Dee

Last Sunday of the month - Sunday Night Musings

Sunday is always a great day. People of faith go to church or venues with other like minded souls, those who don't visit friends and family or just enjoy the life they live. Its everyones choice how they live their lives. I have a faith that I don't need to shove down anyone else's throat - that's probably why I have friends from many denominations in life I suppose. Great huh.

As I awoke this morning from my slumber, I thought of my children and family and wonder what they will all be up to today. I know my relos who live close by, will welcome the morning with an early morning walk with the dogs, probably not my FIL who could be found snoozing away - which is deserved after being on this earth 82 years +. My eldest is visiting so he will be up and tickling the engine of a car he is fixing, the youngest son will be playing with his boys then venturing out to work and the youngest bidding farewell to her hubby for a bit as he sails off in his job. My Mum will probably be off to one of her markets unless my Aunty has got a visit out of her :) My brother will wake with the noise of 5 sons  before going through the days goings on with his wife. My hubby and I have jobs to do, like finding firewood for the relos fireplace, while I unpack from our break away, play with my little dogs and sort the wash.

Have sorted through my craft stuff for some new projects for my market stall and others that I am completing as a friend aand I have a quilt to complete each with similar fabrics - be interesting to see how we both see the same pattern come to life. I have another as part of a monthly class I have been doing. Will show more of that when I have some completed bits.

I sell these buttons and more at my market as well as on the net. The floral ones are very popular and the black and white ones are becoming so. Made of wood, they look great on all things crafts.

Found a few new blogs to read, though after I saved them - they haven't shown up. Disappointing that, cause it did say DONE, so I thought it was. Oh well. Will try again soon.

Am interested in making some door stops and pin cushions, so if you have any interesting patterns that you would not mind me using, can you pass them on? Many thanks. I have made mice before and some other ones that are a little common now, so something new would be good.

Have been busily crocheting flowers - from patterns in my head - its a long time since I did that two night class, and I can;t remember how to do some of the designs that I read. LOL. I willupload some pics when I take them. Very different designs methinx :))))

Sleep well friends :))) Dee