When Granddaughters ask...

Last October  Kasey asked if I would sew a dress for Pioneer Days in fourth grade.  They read the book, "Little House In The Big Woods."  Then complete the unit with a special day of activities.   She picked out the fabric and helped with sewing the side seams and hem by machine.

Fast forward to last Tuesday, Tatum asked for a dress for her 3rd grade Abe Lincoln play.  

I found fabric on Wednesday and sewed Thursday.  Today she came after church to help me finish. 

She sewed the hem with my machine.  She is ready for her play. 

This grandma's heart is full. 

Stepping Out Of My Box

This past Saturday I completed a project I have wanted to do for a long time.  Our local Community Education Program sponsored a workshop to create a wooden Barn Quilt. 

 The class started at 8:30 and I completed at 5:30. 

Each color section is taped one at a time from other colors.  It is painted with three thin coats before moving to the next color. 

 

Some of my other projects completed since my last visit. 

I finally finished my youngest grandson's quilt.  Another first...First attempt at machine applique and my first attempt at echo quilting. 

An overdue baby quilt for a special young couple.  

One of my friends is having a new grandson.  Since I found out the shower was sooner than expected I went to my standby pattern

I needed one more Christmas gift for Colby.  He needed a bag to take his John Deere equipment to his Day Care.  He loved it.

Christmas is a busy and memory making day at our house!!

Currently I am working on a Quilt of Valor.  It is for a Vietnam vet who is dealing yet with issues from his experiences.  His wife is a close friend of mine.  She asked for it to be lap/ couch size rather than a full size quilt. I have five strips sewn. 

God Bless, 

Linda

Afternoon Adventure

Colby has school on four mornings a week.  Today his daycare provider wasn't available so he spent the afternoon with me.

                                 The little stream was still winding gently through the woods.

He called, "Grandma something is running through the woods!"  He told me he was using his "good eyes" to spot the deer.  We watched her as she watched us!

Being a grandma is one of God's Greatest Blessings!

Linda

Therapy

Therapy takes on many forms...

We have had beautiful fall weather.  Last weekend three of the grandkids spent a day with us.  It was a perfect day to work outside.

Outside With Grandkids Therapy

 Colby and I cut corn stalks to make corn shocks to decorate the yard.

 

 Meanwhile Kasey and Cole took my cameras across to the pond.

 

Cardiac Rehab Therapy

This morning DH began his rehab.  It was challenging.  When picking him up he said, "I knew I was worthless, but this is worse than I thought."  He pointed to a rack of hand weights.  He asked which ones I thought he used.  Then smiled and said, "The little pink ones at the top."  It is a beginning.  The rest of the day was spent in bed.  Monday we head back to rehab.

While he was in rehab, I went to join the Health & Wellness Center sponsored by the hospital.   A perfect opportunity for me to use equipment when waiting for DH. 

A Friday Night Sew In Therapy:

Finally, I was able to concentrate enough to search out fabric from my stash to work on a quilt for a baby shower this Sunday.   It is a familiar pattern so I knew what I needed.  It felt so good to sit at the machine and sew.  Tonight I finished the free motion quilting and the binding.  

Love and Prayers,

Linda

Home Again..

We arrived home yesterday afternoon.    As I drove to the driveway I noticed the swans had returned this week while we were gone.  It was so peaceful to see them gliding across the pond.

On early Tuesday morning, DH was taken into surgery again to have the fluid removed from his chest cavity.  A four inch incision was made between two ribs to insert a scope into the cavity. The surgeon removed 2200 cc ( 2.2 liters or 9.2 cups) of fluid / blood / gunk.  Two chest drainage tubes were inserted between the next set of ribs.  The tubes were removed on Friday.      Hopefully he will be on the long road to recovery.  

Thank you my friends for your prayers.  It is only through prayers we have made it this far. 

I started a Friendship flower garden last year with plants I received from friends at retirement.    I purchased more plants with money I received from the staff at school.

I was excited to see the mums were still blooming when we arrived home.

Hopefully this week I will be able to finish Caleb's baby quilt!!  

Love and Prayers, 

Linda

Next Step:

During the four days when DH was unconscious and on the respirator he did not look like himself.  Several  IV's,  four drainage tubes, respirator, monitors and computers were filling  the ICU where DH was being cared for by the amazing staff.   Every twelve hours the staff would change.  The second day I started showing the nurse on duty this photo of DH and Tatum (Herbal Essence.) It had been taken the day before surgery.

I wanted them to know the man and papa they were caring for so intensely.  I also told each one I was praying for them as they cared for him.   I left them in the unit to do their job.  I told them I would be in the ICU lounge if they needed me.  I would stop in briefly every 15 to 30 minutes just to check.

Tuesday DH will be back in surgery at Allina Abbott Northwestern Heart Hospital.  He will have a Plueathoracoscopy with decortication.  His chest cavity has fluid / blood building up which is causing him to be extremely short of breath and difficulty trying to breathe.  The doctor said this is nothing compared to what he has already been through.  A 3-4 inch incision will be made between ribs.  A scope will be placed into the cavity to remove fluid.  Then a chest tube will be placed to continue to drain for a few days.  I asked how long he will be hospitalized.  She said perhaps 4-6 days.

I am writing this to request your prayers for the medical team, DH (who is becoming very frustrated), and for me as once again I am away from home and trying to keep DH encouraged.

Love and Prayers,

Linda

Challenging Days...

My first request of my blogging friends, please make a phone call to someone you love to tell them how important they are to you.

The past month has been a challenge.  On August 28th my DH went into surgery for replacing the tissue valve he received seven and a half years ago.   What was supposed to be a routine 4 1/2 hour surgery became 8 1/2 hours of surgery on the heart lung bypass machine

.  

When the surgery was complete he had received a mechanical mitral valve, a repaired tricuspid valve, and  the aortic valve was replaced with a tissue valve.  We were told the surgery was complicated and complex. His heart is extremely compromised.  We were told the first 24-48 hours were critical.  Afterwards doctors and nurses told me they didn't know if DH would survive the first night.

Following the surgery he experienced a collapse lung, a chest tube to drain blood/ fluid from the chest cavity. The next day I was told the doctor was "pleased" DH had pneumonia. It meant there was not infection at the site of one valves.  After four days on the respirator and being sedated he was brought out and the respirator was removed.  He recognized me and we began the long road to recovery.

I will try to shorten the story to finish by saying he was released from the hospital after 12 days. 

Life is still full of challenges,  medical difficulties are happening.  I am putting one foot in front of the other and depending on strength from our Lord and Savior. I know without a shadow of a doubt it is only through the power of prayer, and bold prayer requests that I didn't come home alone.

I am so very thankful for the amazing care of the doctors, nurses and staff at the Allina Abbott Northwestern Heart Hospital in Minneapolis, MN. 

No sewing is happening.  My time is filled with being a nurse..

Love and Prayers,
Linda

A Busy Summer

Like everyone else, our summer has been busy.

For today I will hit the highlights!

I finished the Christmas Tree Skirt for the bridal shower. The bride was thrilled.



A former neighbor girl was home for the county fair and a family reunion.  Her family had a quick baby shower for family and close friends.  I went to an old faithful baby quilt pattern and with a few changes I completed it in time.


                 Our newest grandson arrived on July 14.  We are so very very blessed with nine grandchildren.  Each one is unique.   Love just grows. Two of his sisters stayed with us several days just before and after he arrived.

Kasey heard it announced in church that bags were needed for a medical mission team heading to Nicaragua.  She asked if she could make some.  I did the cutting and pressing.  She did all the sewing.  She has two complete. 

Due to a difficult situation with the nanny Marie had hired for the summer, I have had Kasey, Cole and Colby since the last week of July..Makes for busy grandma time!!


One daily grandma and Cole activity with  includes gopher hunting along the fence lines.




 Yesterday was a skipping rocks in the pond time.

There have been several grandma days this summer.  The kids have a great time together.  First I wanted everyone to stand still for a photo.  One said, "Can we be silly?"  I thought,,"Why not?"  The result!


I am blessed!!

I will be spending a week in Minneapolis while my DH has another heart surgery.  I am packing a cutting mat and supplies to cut pieces at night!!

Hugs and Prayers,


Linda

A Little Bit Of Quilting..

I have not completed nearly the amount of quilting I thought I would do in the past year..
These are a few of my projects.








A baby quilt for a tiny baby who was delivered very early because her mom's life was in danger.  What do you make for a tiny baby...a small quilt with "Guess How Much I Love you Fabric."






Christmas was coming.  I was short one gift.  Kylie, 3 years old, loves her baby dolls.  I quickly made her a diaper bag and filled it with things for her babies.

Kasey, third grader, received a sewing machine for Christmas.  When it was time to make a project for third grade Social Studies she knew what she wanted to do.

After sewing it together, she did all the sewing herself, she saw one square was turned.  She thought before she decided to leave it.  Her comment, "If it was for someone else I would change. "  

Snow pants in Wisconsin take a real hit with active kids.  When one knee had a hole it was Grandma to the rescue.  Since the second knee was getting warn I sewed matching patches.  She loved them.  The only kindergartener with purple polka dots on her snow pants.













Grandchildren of friends take a high priority on my quilting list.  Since I had made one for her older sister and brother,  Genevieve needed one also.

Our assistant pastor and his wife are raising their grandson.  Due to a difficult situation the quilt I made for him a year ago was lost.  His Grandma asked if I would make him a tractor blanket large enough to be a naptime blanket.















A friend asked if I didn't get tired of making John Deere quilts.  I said not when I know that a tractor quilt will be loved!  With that in mind I made another John Deere quilt for the new baby of a neighbor who grew up with our sons.  Another case where his older sister and brother each received quilts.  I couldn't just give the baby a gift.  Big sister received a sleeping bag for her Teddy and Big brother a John Deere pillowcase and tote bag.

Two die hard Packer fans are expecting their first baby.  I wanted to make them a quilt that would be used!! Not hung on a wall or put on a shelf because they think it is too nice to use. I wrote a note to take it on a picnic, put it on the floor!  The Father-to-Be isn't sure if the baby will have a chance to use it.











Right now I am working on a Christmas Tree Skirt for a bridal shower on Sunday...I will share when it is finished...

One of the most successful changes in retirement has been ME!  I had to make some changes for my health and to be the person I wanted and needed to be! Nothing drastic, Healthy eating with limiting portions, walking and exercising.  I am down 5 sizes.

 

June 6, 2016

April 14, 2017

Love and Prayers,
                                                                                    Linda