I'm Home and Stitching!

Hello, Everyone!

Jack bought me a new laptop while I was in North Logan Healthcare. Yay! I’ll be the first to admit that I

Psalm 23

am not a big computer user, however, when I do want to do something it is very aggravating  when I can’t get on it! I’m VERY HAPPY Jack bought me this laptop! :)

I have been thinking about things that I could do to make my blog unique but also witness to others that I am a Bible believing Christian woman. I know that one day I will be in heaven, with a new body, free from all that ails me today and the days I have left on Earth.

1 John 1:8-9 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

This verse means a lot to me. It reminds me that everyone is a sinner. It also tells me that all that we need to do is ask that our sins be forgiven. Then He will, and our sin is erased! Not to say we won’t “slip” and sin again, we will, we are human. However, remember, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That doesn’t mean we go and sin purposely, saying, “it's okay, God will forgive me for _________”, but that we do our best and when we do slip, we can ask God to forgive us. Because we are human we sin daily. But if we continue to keep in touch with the Lord, through the Bible and prayer, we will become more aware of what our sins are and how to rid that sin from our lives.

I left the nursing home Thursday of last week. We brought in my magnifying lamp and my Ott lamp that has the clip to hold a metal board to hold patterns with its own magnifying glass. We ended up leaving my projects in the van, as well as my iPad. I was okay Thursday because Jack and I had business in Champaign. I thought very little of my stitching that day. Friday we forgot to get my stuff out of the van before Rachel took it to work. I was a bit fidgety at first, then I decided to spend some time on the new laptop. I was on it most of the day, getting caught up on my e-mail, Facebook and such. Now that I have this laptop, my goal is to update my blog weekly. I believe that now that I will have sole use of my computer, that will be very possible.

Whipped Spider Rose

Rachel had taken the van, to spend Friday night at a friend’s house. Getting the what was left in the van out before she left wasn’t mentioned. She came home long enough on Saturday morning to say, “hi, I’m okay, bye!” before going to her job, a 12 hour shift. My stitching was left in the van, because I didn’t even have a chance to ask her to bring it in!! At first I was frustrated, then I remembered I had a UFO I could work on. I had started it last August when I was in the hospital because of my left knee infection. I pulled it out and finished everything I could on it.

The project was a kit from The Victoria Sampler Learning Collection. It is called, “Whipped Spider Rose”. I had started working on the light green band first, since that was where I’d left off. I was having a bit of trouble getting the hang of that particular stitch, so I ended up frogging it multiple times. By the time I got the hang of it, I didn’t have enough of the light green to complete the band with what came in the kit. (Not because there wasn’t originally enough, but because of all my frogging!) Fortunately, I had ordered a ball of the thread and so I frogged it yet again, because I noticed the color was just a tad different. (Not sure anyone but me would have noticed but still…) I cut enough thread off the ball to make sure I had enough thread to complete the band without having to tie off. I told Jack that I knew I’d be upset with myself about having to frog so much, normally, but that I wasn’t upset because I was learning a new stitch. Once I got the hang of it, I completed it in short order. The other new stitch to me was completing a spider rose. I’m still not sure if I got it quite right. Was I supposed to do the under and then over with putting the needle through the material or just the base of the spider web? The only reason I didn’t finish the stitching on this 100% is because I need more of the gold kreinik. I contacted Victoria sampler via e-mail and told them. They are sending more for me in today’s mail. When I get it, I can stitch the last gold line and attach the gold heart.

On Sunday, once again, Rachel took the van to work before we got my stitching out, but we called

Life's Little Tangles

her and asked her to come home and bring in the box that had my stitching and clothes as well as my big project (“Life’s Little Tangles”) and my iPad. Her job is only a couple miles away, taking care of an older gentleman who is like family to us. When she brought me the projects, I started working on Psalm 23. I also stitched on this project on Monday. I can see my progress on this and I am happy with how it’s looking.

McGlasson Wedding Sampler 

The stitching I did during the last few days at the nursing home included on my wedding sampler for my cousin’s son and his bride, who will be married in the spring of 2017. I am happy with my progress on this one too. When I look at the last picture taken and this one, there is a lot more done. I honestly didn’t realize this until I looked at that picture. :)

I also did some stitching on “Life’s Little Tangles” in the nursing home, but didn’t get nearly as much done as I would have liked. To be fair to myself though, I did concentrate more on Psalm 23 and the wedding sampler. That was largely because “Life’s Little Tangles” is done over one on 25 count evenweave, where Psalm 23 is on 14 count adia and the wedding sampler is done over two on 28 count evenweave and my magnifying lamp was acting up. I actually have two of the lamps. When I couldn’t get the first lamp Rachel brought in to work for more than a few minutes at a time, (GRRRR) I finally asked Jack to have Rachel swap out the lamps. She brought the second lamp but I kept the original cord. In my last week at North Logan I realized there was an issue with the cord because the second lamp would go out if the cord wasn’t positioned ‘just right’.

I promised you the post before last that I would show you a picture of the beautiful Peacock lit Val Stocker gave me when we met up in my trip to Fresno in June. I was looking at it, and it is 5x7 on 18 count. I've never stitched on 18 count, but, there is a first time for everything! Thanks again, Val! I enjoyed meeting you and your husband. The needle threader to gave me has been a lifesaver! I use it all the time!

At home I am using the lamp just off of the battery power. It is doing very well that way. This will mean I need to keep myself supplied in D cell batteries, but that’s life! I was using my Ott lamp with the clip and magnifying glass until last night. The lamp tipped over and landed just right so the light broke. So

Peacock Kit

now, until we get paid, I need to use just the magnifying lamp. It will work though! Another thing that could throw frustration high but I am not going to let a light bulb (expensive, yes, but still a light bulb) get to me.

I received a letter from my insurance company regarding my electric wheelchair application, stating they were denying my application. The letter also stated I could appeal the decision. We are doing that!! Their reason for the denial was because they received information I can walk more than 70 steps with minimal aid. (That was at the nursing home with my therapist having a gait belt around me and a wheelchair behind me). I called the nursing home and spoke with my therapist. She told me she also stated that my walking was on a level service, not what would always be outside the nursing home. I went to my doctor yesterday and she drafted a letter explaining, once again, WHY I NEED the chair so much. You can tell, by looking at my boot that I am walking on my heel. She told them that between coming home Thursday and the day I saw her (Monday) I had fallen three times. Two of the times Jack had to call Rachel and have her help me up. Her training at the fire department comes in handy sometimes; he, he, he! The other time I fell, Jack and I, working together, got me up. No, I didn’t hurt myself in any of the falls!!

Sarah started nursing school and is doing well. We’re very proud of her. She started a couple of weeks ago with her first semester. After she is done with her second semester she will be an LPN. Then she has two more semesters to complete and she will be an RN! Sarah has a very determined attitude (good thing) about school. That’s why I know she will be fine!

Jack’s foot is starting to get better. Yay!! We are not having to put as much ‘packing’ in the wound as we were when we first started having to pack it. The last time he went to the wound clinic they were happy about how it is looking.

That’s about it, for this week. Everyone have a great week! Happy Stitching!