Sunny Saturday.

Another beautiful fall day in Indiana. I should go out and clean up the flowerbeds. I started last week with two huge containers for the garbage. If I do that weekly the place should be cleaned up sooner than later. Yesterday, the sewing machine hummed all day. I talked with SEM about wall hangings for the children's treatment rooms in the hospital and decided to get started. I sewed two banners 18x60 that have at least 6 different blocks cut from fabric African animal skins with an animal boarder. I think the renditions of the skins are really authentic looking. Lots of fun. After doing the first one and figuring out the dimensions the second one was easy. Today I'm starting on two more making the parts. The first two will each have seven brightly colored cars filled with lots of different buttons of different numbers and lots of trims. I want it to look like a wall hanging and not like a quilt so I'm thinking! I think after the cars are finished, I'll move on to trucks that will fill two more banners. That should do it for the treatment rooms. Three banners for each room along with the animal pictures that will be attached to the wall with paste should do it. We bought out Baby's R Us. Sarah Ellen continues to receive more recognition in Kenya for her child advocacy work concerning children and their health treatment while hospitalized. It's a new concept for Kenya as well as probably all of Africa. Doctors are learning to listen to questions raised by patients and parents. It's a slow process. I would guess about 60 years ago, Doctors were deficient in listening to patients here as well. Some still are. Sarah Ellen has Child Life nurses who stay with children during treatment. That's another unheard of effort! So...the treatment rooms will hopefully be a bit more child friendly. So...back to the machine and back to my sewing brain.

Already Thursday

Well, lots of fun this week. It started on Monday with shopping with SEM. That was a hoot. Always is and always will be. Tuesday was doctor day with Doug. Once again we heard that the tear was huge. We have pictures that only doctors can really talk about but make us curious about what we're seeing. Lots of repairs for sure. Doug has exercises that must be done. It brings back memories for me remembering how difficult they were to do after surgery. Doug is finding out the same. We're back to the doc in 4 weeks. The arm continues to be in a sling for that whole amount of time reminding us that this was a huge tear as discribed by John the doc assistant. Doug tried to sleep in bed last night but found that impossible. Yesterday I got my scissors sharpened. That's a big yahoo. The difficulty is finding someone to sharpen. I took a lot of receipts to church to get reimbursed. Then to the garden shop to buy two holly bushes we will use on the altar at church during Advent. Something different and not Poinsettias. Enough of them for this year at least. We'll see what the complaints are. I'm sure I will hear. Could be dangerous but I'll chose not to listen! Then home for a bit and then on to SEM's to pack trunks for Kenya. We ended up with 11. It was a birthday day for her and we had another hoot afternoon. It's toys...office supplies...kitchen stuff...holiday stuff...craft stuff for the children...medicine...some books...crayons...and more. All needed, used and much loved. I did a sub job once again for bells. Woo...busy week. Doug mentioned that it was nice I stopped in for supper! I'm thinking about that statement. Well, he read all day so did he miss me? This morning is soup kitchen and the end of the month. We will be busy with enough stuff to keep 6 people busy preparing for the 11 o'clock hr. This afternoon is the Y...a trip to the fabric store for a great sale and then thinking and planning 3 wall hangings for the treatment rooms for children at Moi University just outside the Sally Test room. Should be lots of fun. Choir tonight. Doug plans to go. He can drive now but needs to make a few concessions with turning on lights, turn signals and seat belts. But...it's doable. He's going to heart rehab this morning but will just use the treadmill/bike. No weights for a long time. Life goes on. That's it from Carmel.

Sunny Monday

Well, today was a hoot. It was busy, busy and started with a trip to church to hang new bannersand water flowers and then I spent almost the entire rest of the day with Sarah Ellen. We shopped in 8 stores...I'm always the driver and my little car was full almost to the roof. We started at 10:30 and finished around 4 purchasing a card load of stuff to send back to Kenya. Wed. afternoon is packing day. This happens every time SEM comes home. Lots of time to talk in the car. It was two happy ladies having a great time together. Yesterday at church it was the best music ever. Such a wonderful up lifting message through lots of music about caring for the earth among other things. We became whales if you can believe that. Well, almost. We sang both services. Hospitality time continues to be fast and full meeting the need of allowing folks to gather from the four corners of our city and counties around. Sarah Ellen and Bob Einternz did a Kenya talk during the 9:45 hour in fellowship hall. Joe was called back to Kenya to meet some important folks like the US ambassador who has something to do with funding. Good for him I guess perhaps but bummer for us. Colts lost big time...Boo Hoo. Way to many things went wrong. The sewing machine continues to hum. I made 5 bibs yesterday as well as some fabric baskets earlier in the week. The quilt is finished and I think will travel to Georgia with us. I'd love to see the boys playing on this one unless I send it earlier to Michigan. Tomorrow morning Doug sees the surgeon. He continues to do well, taking little medication for pain. We'll hear about therapy tomorrow I hope. He is keeping it in a sling at all times and is in compliance. We hit Steak and Shake for Supper. Doug's favorite but almost becoming my least favorite place to eat. No diversity. Doug doesn't mind that for sure. He eats the same thing for years!!! Not me. Now on to Monday night football. I hope to see a good game.

Rainy Wed.

Cold and wet today. The weather is changing. Doug continues to do well. That means he's not doing much but probably could do more. But the doc did say he must be very careful with his shoulder to prevent another tear. Doug is in compliance for sure. No pain medicine since Sunday except for Tylenol. My latest project has been candle making for Advent. I think I'm finished for this year. I've had my fill of wax messes. 4 new 2 ft. blue candles, for the sanctuary. We already have a pink and white 2 ft. plus candle. 1 pink and 1 white fat candle to use along with 3 short blue candles for the Advent Festival and a host of little votive candles to take care of all the services during Advent and Christmastide. That's off the list. Yahoo. Tomorrow I'm meeting with a friend and we are going to put together the quilt that I'm making for Eli. Should be fun but in this case the more hands to do the putting together...the better. Then I'll start quilting with the sewing machine. Today Ruth S brought me jars of buttons and ric rac. Fun stuff for sure. My stash of buttons is getting low and it 's great to have a new supply. Lots of neat old and new buttons. Subbing for handbells tonight. One more thing that I really don't need but bell subs are almost impossible to get. This is it for a while. We did some visual arts work Tuesday changing banners, creating some fall arrangements for different places in the church and putting together two huge Christmas wreaths in blue and white and gold to hang at the back of the church. The rest will be blue Christmas banners and some arrangements on the altar along with the large candles at the front of the church. Easy and done! At least that's what I'm hoping.

Very eventful two days

Thursday was another busy soup kitchen day. Rickie was out of it and I needed to sit with him so the other folks were not scared of him. He was seeing someone and was quite mad at them...I told him to pick up his fork and eat...Humm...there is somewhere a story about pick up your bed and walk. Then it was off to lunch at Doris Douglas house with some other very delightful ladies. The food was yummy for sure. Then off to the market to pick up huge mum pots for the altar this Sunday and next. Doris always has her house decorated so beautifully so I decided to up the stuff I had done at church a few more degrees. I can do better. Then...home for wonderful bean soup and then off to church for choir.

This morning Doug had his rotator cuff fixed. He was a bit nervous about it although he didn't want to say the same. But actions speak louder than words. The repair was much more complicated than thought but the Doc said it was completed. Doug should be wearing a sling for 4 to 6 weeks. The doc. had talked about a 2 week sling time so that's changed a bit. He must be very careful not to tear it again. I hope he will follow doctors orders. Right now the nerve block is working but that should end around supper. Then it's on to big time pain pills.

I'm getting boxes, suitcases, clothes etc. moved around to make life a little easier for winter. The weather has been perfect. The flower garden is unbelievable beautiful. Monarchs are still here. I love having cut flowers in the house. Such a good close up of what is available for cutting.

Yup...another Wed.

This Wed. I did not work at church but I certainly worked much harder here at home. Woo...I'm bushed. It started with the thought that the stove needed cleaning. Well, really the whole kitchen needed cleaning. I finished the last of 4 candles for Advent and no matter how careful I am...wax gets everywhere when I'm candle making. So...the stove was an utter mess. Health board would have closed me down. So...it was scrub, scrub and scrub some more. I tore the whole top of the stove apart and then decided that if I did an oven cleaning the drip pans and rings could go in the oven. So...I did that. Then it was on to the counter tops which have been neglected far to long and then the table with mail stacked and that got uncovered and I changed the placemats...got out the pumpkin and got it lit, brought some beautiful flowers in and then finally on to the floor. I would love to say I cleaned out all the cupboards but that's another day. OOps...started the day on the sewing machine. So relaxing. Then it was putting fans away which means taking them apart and washing all the dirt out of them. Neighbors grand children are visiting from Denver so Anna and Alley came over and we made headbands together. Judy brought apples so Anna and Ally and I made a pie and it's baking in the Armstrong oven. Doug and I went to Long John Silvers for a greasy lunch meal. My choice but one of those meals will do me for the next 10 years or more. So now it's 7pm. Wish football were on tonight.
The goal now is to get the fans put in the closet but the closet needs cleaning out. One thing leads to another for sure. Doug had his preop check up today ready for shoulder surgery early Friday morning. Tomorrow is soup kitchen and a lunch at Doris Douglas house, then choir practice tomorrow evening. Looks like there will be no minutes to do much here.

Friday evening

Yup...not Wed. I just let it pass by. Fun week again. As usual the sewing machine just keeps on sewing. I finished another denim back pack along with a few more small denim purses that hold billfold, phone and a little more. So much fun decorating with crewel yarn, belt buckles, ribbon and buttons. Every one is different. Sold one and had an order for another one and Beth G is participating in a fall craft sale and wants to sell everything I have. We'll see. But the inventory just keeps on growing. Eli now has a huge pillow with cars/trucks, wall hanging and the top for the quilt is finished. Big sale at Hancock Monday and I'll get the rest of the stuff I need. It's been a blast. Great eye candy. So sorry it's almost finished although the quilt is the bigger of the projects.
Doug has been taking pain pills...unknown to me...silent suffer...for a very sore shoulder. So...to the ortho doc he went finally and now rotator cuff is scheduled for the 14th. He doesn't mess around but wants it FIXED asap or better yet yesterday.
Weather has been wonderful...some warm...some cool and some in between. Kenya activities have slowed down...thank heavens...Sarah Ellen and Joe will be back next week on the 15th.

I'm substituting for a friend playing handbells Sunday. I feel like I'm filling in the space and I do get about 75 % of the notes after one rehearsal, playing for the introit...bells, organ, piano and choir. So...who will miss a bell or two. NO ONE.

We've had fun Sat. mornings watching Andrew play soccer. Last game is tomorrow morning at 10 at the Y. I'm on the treadmill every day for almost an hr most days. Wooo...it's a fast clip that makes me sweat. Should do wonders for the sugar factor.