Stress tests and stress

This is Stephanie, our youngest daughter. She's going to be 25 this summer, and is our only child still at home. Steph works full time, and goes to college at night. She's on the permanent Dean's List at Camden County College, and has one two year degree in Business Mgt, and is working on one in Fire Science. She just got notified that she is accepted to Holy Family University in Philly to get her BS in Fire Science. Her employer is paying for most of her degree.

Steph wants to move out into an apartment, in Philly near the college, this summer. Just her and Toast. I really understand that she wants to spread her wings and get out of the family house. I just worry about a cute young lady living by herself. I'd be much happier if she was getting a two bedroom apartment with her best friend.

I don't think it's an empty nest thing, trying to keep the chicks in the nest. I hope I'm not that controlling, anyway. She tells me that it's a safe area, and that she and Toast will come home for weekends, because they'll miss us.

So all I can do is support her, and love her, and trust her judgement. I know she'll be fine, and her room will be ready anytime she wants to come home. But I can invoke a mom's privlege and worry!

Stress tests- I had part one this morning, and passed, or so the doc tells me. Walked the treadmill, and had pictures taken of my heart. Part two is Friday.

Holly

Still Sunday

Ralph and Steph walked me thru putting pix on the blog, and I wrote each step down. Hopefully, it will stay with me!

Toast was tired last night, and all curled up beside me, so I had to take her picture.

Fire and Ice is a paper pieced wall hanging that I finished yesterday. It's from the Carol Doak book, and was a two part class at Quilted Treasures. It was fun to do, and I'm so happy with the results! I still have to remove the paper from the back, and get it sandwiched and quilted.

Fire and Ice and Toast

A beautiful Sunday

The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and it's all the way up into the 40's! It's been so nice to have 3 days off, and I actually got some things done.

Yesterday I finished the quilttop for Fire and Ice. It looks fabulous!And I crocheted for a while, on the granny afghan that will go to the Burlington County Farm Fair as a raffle prize.

Things to be happy about:
Snow days! (but not too many of them)
Quilt classes
Snuggling with Ralph and the dog and cat
Julianna smiling at me

Dachshunds and Friends

I have a friend named Janet, that I hadn't seen in several years. Janet is responsible for the formation of my cookie swap group- we all worked for a company named Artcraft Concepts whay back when in the 70's, and Janet recruited all of us. The company folded, but we all stayed together.
When Janet heard that we were getting together last Friday, she flew up from Atlanta for the weekend to see us, and to see her son and grandson. Janet has always been a dachshund person. Now she is involved in a dachshund rescue group in Georgia. Janet adopts the unadoptable, the old and decrepit dachies who's people have died or gone into nursing homes. She has several at the present time, and the youngest is 13. She's got a one eyed dachie, one who had surgery, one with hair issues, and a bunch more. She had us laughing about her flock, but I've been thinking about it ever since.
It takes a special person to take in a bunch of old dogs, knowing that you're going to get attached to them, and that their lifespan is limited, and every one is going to break your heart when they cross the Rainbow Bridge.
Janet, you are my new hero! You're earning yourself a special place in Heaven for your kindness.
Holly

President's Day

It's so nice to have a day off from work! We picked up Steph and friends Jay and Kate from the Philly airport last night after midnight, so it was 3 a.m. before I went to sleep. Got up at 10 a.m. and went and had my bloodwork drawn before going to lunch with some of the family.

Then I came home and did it- I bought a Handiquilter 16, a midarm quilting machine. I've been planning on doing it for a year, and was going to order it at the Machine Quilter's Exposition, but I'm not going there after all. I don't want to be that far away from home right now, with the afib and flutter episodes. So I bought it, and it'll come next week. It'll be delivered in 7 boxes! I'll be able to quilt the several tops that are in the closet. Some are unassigned as of yet, but two are Manda's. She'll be so happy to finally get them for her couch.

Tonight I made 3 flannel receiving blankets that Heather requested for a friend of hers. Very easy to make, a two yard piece of flannel folded right sides together, stitch around it leaving room to turn it right sides out. Then do another row of stitching around all the edges. I made several for Heather when Julianna was born, and she uses them all the time. I also made some for my niece when her daughter was born last summer.

It felt good to be back in the sewing room! It's the first I've sewn, other than quilt class, since my hospital visit.

Holly

Sunday

I can't believe it's been a week since I posted! Ralph and I have been dogsitting all week, while Steph is on a ski trip to British Columbia- she's due back tonight. She was due in at 9 pm, but the flight from Chicago has been delayed twice, and now it'll be midnight.

Tuesday was parent conferences at school, from 2-6 p.m. The weather turned bad, and we were dismissed early- our cars had a half inch of ice on them! I drove at 5 MPH down the interstate, and was so glad to get home.

Wednesday night I picked fabric for the paper piecing class I took yesterday. It was my birthday, and Ralph made me dinner. I talked to my Mom, my brothers, and my daughters- some on Wednesday, some on Thursday.

Thursday I saw the cardiologist, and the EKG was good. He wants me to have a stress test the 27th and 29th. I'm concerned about my bad knee, but he said don't worry about it. Thursday night I cut my fabric for quilt class. The doc started me on HCTZ because I'm retaining so much fluid, and it hurts to stand up by the end of the day.

Friday I got together with a group of friends. We call ourselves Cookie Swap, because we used to have a yearly cookie swap. It drives Ralph crazy, he wants cookies! So now we call ourselves The Group Formerly Known as Cookie Swap. We had a wonderful evening, and I didn't get home until amost 2 a.m.

Saturday was paper piecing class, the Carol Doak method. We're doing a wall hanging called Fire and Ice. I love taking classes, to learn a new technique. The other two ladies in class are women that I've taken classes with before, so we did a lot of chattering and a lot of sewing. Class was supposed to end at 1 pm.- I left at 2 p.m., and I was the first to go! We have to finish up our squares, and next week will be assembling the wallhanging.

Today Ralph and I drove to Quilting Possibilities in Forked River, 51 miles from here. A nice drive, thru the Pine Barrens. A huge store, and very friendly people. Now I'm waiting for Steph's plane to get in.

Things I'm happy about:
Not having to go to the ER last night!
Finally finding a "add a 1/4 inch" ruler at QP.
Spending the day with Ralph.
Having tomorrow off for President's Day.

Holly

Saturday

Finally the weekend! Not that I accomplished anything. I went to bed really early last night, so I was up early today. I finally got caught up on reading my email. then I took a nap. Ralph and I went out to dinner with Steph and Jay, as an early birthday/Valentine. Having a birthday the day before Valentine's Day means not going out on the day, because of the crowds.

Steph and her friends are going to British Columbia on a ski club trip for a week. The plane leaves at 6. a.m. tomorrow, which means I get up at 3.30 to drive them to the airport. I figure I'll be back home in bed by 5 a.m.

Ralph and I will be dog sitting for our grand-dog Toast all week. She's a little 10 lb long haired mini dachshund. She's a cuddler, and just so sweet. She had some spine issues last year, but is well maintained on meds. She's not allowed to do steps, so taking her outside involves carrying her down and up the steps. She actually sleeps under the covers with us.

Thursday

I signed up for two classes at Quilted Treasures in Atco, NJ. Fire and Ice is from Carol Doak's book Mariner's Compass Stars. It makes a wallhanging, and is paper pieced. Steph is going to help me pick fabric for it. It'll be on two Saturdays, Feb 16 and 23. Pat Rambo is the teacher.

On March 8, also a Saturday, Sharon Densten is the teacher for Bella Bella, also a wall hanging, and also paper pieced. Sharon is an awsome teacher- most of the classes I've taken have been hers. I've only taken one class with Pat before, and that was on using Electric Quilt 5. I haven't taken any classes since last summer, and I'm looking forward to these.

I'm reading a bunch of books by Kay Hooper. They all involve murders, and an FBI unit comprised of agents with various paranormal abilities. I'm keeping track on Shelfari.

Monday

January was goofy. First I was sick for a week with something viral, then our cable modem went out, and it took 4 days to get it replaced. Then last week I felt awful, went to the ER, and was in the hospital for 6 days! I just got home yesterday.

So very little quilting got done. I have the binding 3/4 of the way done on a flannel quilt that is a wedding gift for a friend of my daughter's. It's not a surprise, luckily, since they got married last Sept! The longarmer was backed up, and I didn't get it back from her til a couple of weeks ago.

So February is going to be better and more productive!