Bette's Horrible, Terrible, Not-So-Good Month!

Have you ever had one of those months that you just wish would disappear? Well, march has been like that for me. If I could go back and erase it from the calendar, I'd do it in a heartbeat. First, we found out that Dave's dad has inoperable lung cancer (has never smoked but lived in coal country for years). He's been given about 6 months. He also has dementia so we're not sure how much he really understands. But the blessed thing is that he's in no pain whatsoever. His only symptom is hoarseness. Dave plans on arranging some business trips to Fl to spend some time with his parents.

Next I got a very bad case of the flu while Dave was in Fl earlier this month. Sherrie was worried about getting me to the ER cause my fever was so high (almost 106). Fortunately I was able to get it to a more manageable level. It still took me almost 2 weeks to fully recover.

Then I got some bad news about my eyesight. I've been treated for glaucoma for about 6 years. Then 2 years ago I was put on a beta blocker to control my heart rate. It turns out the oral beta blocker nullifies the beta blocker eyedrops I was using. So when I was at the eye doctor last week, she discovered I had pinpoint hemmoraging around the optical nerve in both eyes. So she switched my drops and have to go back in mid-April to have the pressure checked again. It's really scary to think I'm really close to losing some of my vision.

To top everything off, we thought my oldest son was finally back on the right track after have strayed about 5 years ago. Now he tells us that he may be back in trouble with the courts and may have his probation revoked. I'm not sure how much we can or should help. I'm afraid we've only been enabling him for several years and it's finally catching up with all of us.

All I can say is I'll be so glad when this month is over. Lots of prayers have gone up for lots of different reasons. I know God never gives you more than you can handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much. But maybe my lesson is that I need to trust in Him more to take care of things in His way and His time.

My Next Big Project!

Well, I bit the bullet and ordered the silks for the Shores of Hawk Run Hollow. I prices them at work and even with my employee discount, it still cost me almost $35.00 more than using Vicki Clayton's premium silks. So I decided to indulge myself and am really pleased with them. They are really lovely. I also got the fabric from Lakeside Linens. I did not get what the pattern called for. I just can't work on 40CT even with magnification. I'm not even sure I can work on 32CT but that's what I got. 32Ct Sand Dune. It's a vintage shade and it is offered as an alternative to the Autumn Gold (which I believe is what is called for). The Autumn Gold is also more expensive because it has to be dyed twice. But I'm happy with my choices. I'm anxious to get started on this. I found my large lap frame and I'm pretty sure I have a scroll frame that's big enough. If not, I'll have to order one. I use K's Creations frames and I was really sadden to read that she had passed away on the 5th. She was a delightful lady and one who will be missed. She held her company together and was the driving force behind it. I've heard that her family hopes to keep things going but I'm sure they will need to time mourn.

I think I need to go hug my family. Life is very fragile. We need to embrace our family and friends and let them know how much we love them. The day will come when they aren't around for us to tell them.

Making Progress!

I'm finally getting back into my everyday routines since coming back from Nashville. It's always amazing to me how long it takes to get back into the habit of doing something, whether it's making David's lunch or regular stitching. I did make a paper pin from Handblessings and actually finished and wore it. It's a monthly program where she supplies the free pattern and we kit it up. March was, of course, a Celtic Cross shamrock. April will be a tulip. They're quick to stitch and a cute idea. I've also been doing some knitting. I'm making a wrap to wear at work when everyone wants to turn the AC to freezing and I have icicles hanging from my nose. But the project I've been trying to work on consistently is Cirque des Triangles. The picture didn't turn out very well but it's better than the last one I took of it. I'm stitching it on 22CT hardanger fabric over one. The color is Christmas Green. I'm using a Weeks Dye Works thread called Calypso. It's multi-colored in yellow, red, pink and green. It's so different from CDC. I've had a lot of nice comments on it so far so I guess it's working. It's funny though. I like the looks of it when it's at work better then I do at home. The only thing I can figure is the lighting is different.

Oh, and I was a bad girl last week. I bought new stash from Vicki Clayton and Lakeside Linens.

I fell in love with the design Shores of Hawn Run Hollow and decided to get the linen and some silks to stitch it. The linen I got was 32CT Sand Dune. I really couldn't enjoy it if I had to stitch it on the 40CT it called for. I was going to use the Needlepoint Inc silks the pattern calls for but I saved almost $30.00 by using the hand-dyed fibers. And that's taking into account my employee discount and before tax. Also the colors are a little brighter and I like that. I knew I couldn't go on a stash diet for very long. But I have to start this as soon as I can.

Well, the race is almost on so I gotta go watch it and eat pizza with my guys. Have a wonderful day!