Fiber and Pulp

Happy Together

This is the time of year that my Japanese bloodleaf maple trees really get showy! Their dark red leaves turn bright scarlet overnight sometime after the first hard freeze and the front yard lights up! :) Besides the mother tree that sits in the middle of our front yard (and has maybe tripled in size since we bought the house in 1987)l, there are three 'baby' trees that grew from seeds of the mommy. Also in our rather small front yard are two swamp maples and an ash tree. And, as you might guess, not much grass. :)

I came out to go to see my surgeon yesterday and found this beautiful carpet on the front driveway:

Lovely red carpet all around with that wonderful walking-in-leaves sound (my daughter says she feels like she's walking in cornflakes:). Ahh, Fall! :) The birds are heavy eaters at my feeder these days with visiting squirrels added into the mix. Must be the beginning of breeding season because they are chasing each other around the yard, up and down trees and across the eaves with vigor.

Today was the monthly meeting of my Sew&Tell group of friends. So nice to see everyone in real life! As usual, we met at my friend Barbara's house. Some of us actually had show and tell to share and, for a change of pace, I remembered to take pictures.

Beth was hand sewing the binding down on a rainbow I Spy baby quilt. Soooo cute!

Kathy was starting a new project - a kit from Bear's Paw in Towson for a wool applique block that I really like.

I quick copied down the designer's website so I could go buy some of her designs.

Might have to give the shop a call. :)

Sandie won the prize for most items to share today! Here was the first one -

a sampler that will likely go to her brother-in-law.

I've seen a number of sewing machine patterns but this one Sandie made was pretty eye-catching.

This top was made from parts gifted to Sandie by another of our members,

Amy, who got tired of making four patches. I think Sandie said this is Amy's Revenge. :)

The last thing she shared was this 18" pieced block that is part of a design series (wish I could remember the designer's name) ... I quite like this block and might like to make some for myself. The little 2" pinwheel units were gifted to Sandie by a past S&T member who has since passed away.

 

Behind Sandie you can just see two of Barbara's quilts on her work wall - a Halloween black

cat and (just peeking out) a nice Sawtooth Star in browns and slate blues.

 

As usual, we shared a pot luck lunch together (I was pleased to find things to eat that were easy on my stomach - AND managed not to get overfull). Eating together is a time-honored social activity and I've been feeling a bit anxious about how that would work for me now. I feel much better after today's lunch with my ability to exhibit self control and still have fun :)

Chilly and wet on the way home ... and a quiet evening reading and resting. Wonderful day!

:) Linda

Tootling Along

Do you know about Rachel Daisy and her jazzy quilts? :) If not, you are missing out on a whole lot of cheery! :) As a birthday gift to myself, I signed up for a Zoom class with Rachel (sponsored by a Florida shop called The Red Thread) ... and it took place this past Thursday afternoon, direct from Australia. I really enjoyed her teaching style and the class was great. :)

As usual, I was not particularly well prepared ... and had intended to just take notes as my energy level was pretty low. Cheerful faces and a great class vibe prompted me to take better-than-usual notes. I even learned a thing or two! Grin. I am eager to try out some of Rachel's ideas to make this Razzmatazz style quilt (see photo above). 

My class was a welcome change from the other events-of-note this past week. On Tuesday afternoon I had a post-operative appointment with my primary care physician (which went very well) ... he put me on continuous doses of heavy duty muscle relaxant for my neck pains for this week. Today was the last day of that regimen ... and, alas, the irruption has not quieted so the next likely prescription is a shot of cortisone into my neck's spinal column. :P I've done that before and it does work ... so can't complain, I guess.

Friday afternoon I had my five week post-op appointment with the surgeon. I have to say I really like this guy (Dr Christopher You) - he listens well and responds promptly to all my questions which always pleases me (trust me, I've had way too much experience with non-listening doctors). My weight loss is two pounds more than the statistical expectation at this stage, so that is good. He had some good advice for me on how to avoid the recurring nausea ... and dragged in his dietician to give me a great thirty minute discussion about what to add to my diet to increase my protein intake. All together (except for the hour-long drive each direction to his office) a satisfying meeting, again.

The weather had been fairly mild - mid 40s to 50s during the day though a bit too windy for my taste, and mostly sunshiny. My Japanese maple trees turned color to the brilliant red they express every autumn - the only time of year our house has any kind of flashy 'curb appeal.' LOL.

Other than my razzy class sewing, I'm still doing hand embroidery when I have the energy to do anything at all. I am almost done with the last block for the Halloween mystery project. Time to finish making the wonky Dresden frames for the unfinished blocks and think about a setting arrangement.

Birthday is getting closer.

:) Linda

Awfully Fall

NO, not today but soon is my birthday. Somewhat like the proverbial 1950s housewife, this one ends with a '9'. :) I doubt I'll be getting a fancy chocolate cake either (will make me sick:). I"ll  have to wait and see, eh?

The weather has been quite pleasant so far this month though we have had a couple days of very wet grayness. The most difficult thing about November for me is the shortening day length. :P It gets dark long before I think it should this time of year. I always glory in the long evening hours of summertime and mourn them when they are gone!

Most of my attention is being taken up still with my healing journey. I am continuing to have periodic troubles with nausea. A lifetime of eating habits is having to be relearned oh so slowly. :P

I bought myself a copy of this book which arrived recently - I am reading it very slowly as there is only so much sadness my heart can process at once.

There are lots of opinions on either political side about the issues of racism in our society ... myself, having grown up in the south during the civil rights struggles of the 60s, I have personal memories - I never really understood what was going on as a child. I'm a pretty pragmatic person and had (still have) a hard time understanding the worldview that says one person is less deserving than another. Sigh. Having trained as a biological scientist and geneticist, we really are all human - all one species. Shrug.

My dear daughter sent me a birthday gift with plenty of shipping leeway this year. I got a beautiful book from her the day after the one above and have been slowly reading and cherishing it.

I am so enjoying the whole idea of keeping travel journals. I do keep a drawing journal as I travel (I have thought several times of doing this at home, too) and I have pages from many trips in the past. Of course, nowhere I travel is exotic (well, to me:) - Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska, etc. To see beloved family members. :)

Tomorrow is supposed to be a pretty autumnal day. I hope to get out for at least a short walk around my neighborhood. I am planning to attend my modern guild's sew-in this weekend as well. Fun times!

:) Linda