Memory is a funny thing!

Okay, I do this all the time. I put something important in a very special place so that I will remember that place when the time comes that I need that special item.

Okay, so the time comes that I need the special item and, yep, I cannot recall the very special place where I put the important item. LOL! So, it's best to stop looking which is what I did last night when I couldn't find my "JOY" Christmas stocking. I went to bed and within 30 minutes I remembered where it was. It was in a large Christmas tin (you know - the ones that popcorn assortments come in) and it was filled with stockings that were cut and ready to sew for donations come this Christmas. There on the top of the stack was the folded Christmas JOY stocking. So I pick it up and wait.......it wasn't finished! Then I remembered that I was going to post the pattern as a tutorial in July for a "Christmas in July" project and I wanted to take photos of the steps "in progess". That whole back pain thing has totally thrown me off schedule so the stocking will have to wait til next year to be entered in the county fair. I'll get the stocking posted as a tutorial in early September. In the meantime, Joy from "down-under" who won the finished one that's in the picture, offered up her stocking but felt it would be a bit of trip to get it here for the fair. Thanks, though for the offer, Joy! Read this post about the WINNER to see that, amazingly, "Joy" won the stocking with JOY on it. I still shiver to think of it when my husband pulled out the name and I saw who it was! I am making a note in my planner to post the JOY stocking tutorial the first week in September. That's one place that's safe. If I write it in my planner it happens!
Now, what did I enter in the fair? Well, I will tell you after the fair is over as names don't go on items til after they are judged. There were lots of folks bringing in handcrafts and baked goods but the best displays were the flowers! They were not just beautiful but fragrant, too. I didn't take pictures today as they were just setting things up. I love the county fair better than the State Fair. It's small and makes me feel like I'm young again. Not a bad thing as far as I am concerned. Now if they had just been selling those wonderful mini donuts, my day would have been complete. :-)
I enjoyed some time at my sewing machine tonight. Am working on that pink strips quilt and will have some show and tell on that one in a couple of weeks. Tomorrow, I am going to work on BOM blocks and will get them posted within the next few days. Feeling pretty good!
Lights out!
Sandi

More vintage embroideries......

I'm glad you enjoyed the vintage treasures from my previous post and I have two more to share with you. The piece above is a close-up from a dresser scarf that is pictured below. Each one of these vintage pieces was on very sheer fabric. The one in the photo below was the stiffest of the four pieces. It was a preprinted design with very faint writing on the piece. The embroidery was mostly finished but the piece was never completed. One has to wonder.........was it a pillow top or perhaps a doily that would have had a crocheted edging? It was very wrinkled and I couldn't get it to smooth out for a good picture and I didn't have an iron handy. :-) I really liked the design on this one and I see inspiration for a penny rug design in this one!

The softest of the four pieces was this beautiful dresser scarf. The embroidery is just beautiful.

I've printed out copies of all of these designs so that I can trace and do black and white line drawings of them. It's a project for later on in the fall when the cold weather sets in. :-)

Tomorrow, I am going to take a few items to the county fair and enter them. I have all my items together but cannot remember where I put my "JOY" Christmas stocking. I can see myself folding it up with care and then that's it. I looked in the box with all the Christmas stockings and such and it's not there. I looked in the box where the leftover fabric is that I used to make the stocking. I've decided I will sleep on it and get up in the morning and see if I can find it. And if not, well, I'll enter it next year. :-)

Have a good day!

Sandi

Pretty treasures from the past.......

A week ago last Friday evening and after my mom had given me my birthday quilts, she pulled out some delicate vintage linens that are some of her favorites. I took pictures of them so that you could see these "little pretties". Here are two of the pieces and tomorrow I'll share the other two items. Both my mother and I have a fondness for embroidery. She doesn't do as much as she did years ago but it still makes her happy just to look at lovely embroider work or patterns and magazines filled with designs. When she pulled out this little pillow sham, I went "ooooooooohh! that is lovely!" The pale green background fabric is a very thin cotton and the embroidery floss that was used has a fairly high sheen to it. This piece would be fun to recreate.

And so would the little apron in the photo below..........................

I placed this sweet little tea apron on the reverse side of a doll quilt that my mother made just so you could see how sheer and delicate it is. This lady is not a Sunbonnet Sue has she actually has some definition to the embroidered edge of her face. This design would also be pretty on opposite ends of a table runner and would also be fun to recreate. Oh, so many things one could stitch and only so much time in the day! I think that by enlarging the photos of these designs and then printing them and tracing same, that I could get a good enough sketch to be able to do my own embroidered piece. So, another project to add to the "to do" list. LOL!

I can't start any new projects now, though, as I need to get the quilt blocks for August finished and posted here on my blog and in my Yahoo group. I am reading posts and have been strolling through some blogs trying to catch up on what you are all doing this summer. I may not get "caught up" til the end of August! Look for the August blocks by the end of the week. Back soon with more "pretty treasures from the past"............

Sandi

Time for some changes........

I'm changing the colors and lay-out on my blog. I've had the yellow background for a long time so thought I would go with some different font colors and new background for awhile. Those things will change but the way I blog will stay the same. :-) More pictures and projects coming in the next few days. I am not hurrying to do anything lately. I got the message that I need to slow down...............

A Tour of the Secret Garden!

Before I give you the garden tour, just let me say.......I felt so good yesterday that I did too many things and today I had to take it easy. I find that very hard to do. The cortisone shot I got on Wednesday has helped my back and leg pain but it has not dissappeared by any means. I think it's going to take a bit longer to get back to what is "my normal" than I would have thought.


Soooooooooo, since I needed to relax, I thought I would look at the garden photos that I took last weekend. I titled this post "the Secret Garden" but it's not really a secret. The gardens are the art and work of my high school friend, Lonnie. He and his wife, Sandy, (good name, huh?) live in a house nestled into a hillside and I always wondered about what it looked like. Well, I got the chance to see it last Sunday when I stopped by his house and what a lovely surprise! He gave me a little tour and I asked if I could take pictures, so now you get to take the tour, too.


Lonnie and I both enjoyed art in school but as we walked, we talked about how he never imagined he'd enjoy gardening this much and I never pictured me quilting so much. He said he was inspired by his Aunt Margie who had lovely gardens and flowers. I've been inspired by the women in my family and the many ladies of Lehigh where we both grew up. We both need a creative outlet. You've seen many of my quilting and stitchery projects so now, take a peek at Lonnie's gardens.........................

I loved this little vignette but Lonnie thought it might have looked better with an old-fashioned watering can. At some point, I'm going to sketch it so I can stitch this scene. :-)

It was when I looked down this hillside that I asked if I could take pictures and I quickly got my camera from the car.

There were two or three little kittens darting around the garden. I love kittens. They are just plain cute.

Lonnie gathered all the rocks and said he just starts placing them and the gardens "evolve". Like me, he said watching HGTV gave him lots of ideas.

I only wish I had flowers this pretty. As you can see from the photos I share of my quilts on the line........my only plant so far is my rhubarb plant and in this years dry weather, it's not doing so well. Maybe next year we'll get to growing something other than a lawn.

I have to believe that the birds just love this garden.

There's even a pond.............

and a hollow log for real or not-so-real turtles!

The weather last Sunday was a "picture-perfect summer day". Can't you just picture yourself sitting down for a chat with a good friend on that bench......or reading a good book........or enjoying some quiet time to stitch and just listen to nature? Lonnie was inspired by his Aunt Margie but I came away inspired by Lonnie's gardens and I'm so glad he gave me a tour. I've already told my husband we have to try to create something similar in our backyard. Who knows what pictures I might be able to share next summer?!!

Have a lovely Sunday!

Sandi

Birthday Quilts!!

I am feeling really good!!! Almost as good as the day before the pain set in about a month ago. To celebrate, I took my basket out to the line and took pictures of the quilts my mother gave me for my birthday. When I arrived on Friday evening, it was suppertime so we went to the Nifty 50's Cafe on Main Street and enjoyed our meal and seeing old friends. We weren't home very long before my mother got out the quilt top that she bought for me at Sparkey's Auction in Fort Dodge. I knew I was getting it as she went to the auction on my birthday and called to say she had bought this lovely quilt top with lots of triangles in it. I was thrilled. Just by her description, I knew it was going to be pretty. And I don't do triangles well, so I was really thrilled someone else made it!! And here it is................

Just look at all those little triangles!! And the whole thing is sewn by hand! It is in excellent condition and I love it! My mom thinks the center square fabric is from the 20's and she says she's pretty sure it's not feedsack. She did a lot of sewing with feedsacks and she feels this is "yard-goods". There are every color of fabric scraps in the triangles and my favorite are the blue shirtings. This one begs for hand-quilting so now I have to decide if I can do it or need to get a group together and have a "bee". :-) I thought the quilt top was my gift but then my mother showed me these quilts. I asked if I could take pictures of them and she said "oh, they're part of your birthday gift, too!" She said no one was interested in bidding on them so she got them really cheap. She thought the one below could be used as a "cutter" quilt as it is not in very good condition and then stitched into smaller projects. Hmmm, I'm thinking not on this one.

You can see in the close-up that it is very worn but the colors that remain are still so vibrant and I love the intricately stitched zig-zag binding, so I just can't cut it up yet. Now this next one is just lovely, except for one thing..........

......the faded spot in the bottom right. Otherwise, the quilt is beautifully quilted and in very good condition. There are a couple minor places that need to be stitched up but once repaired, you'll never find them again. And a washing in a good quilt soap will take away the suface grime. The fading is another matter. I think someone may have used bleach in trying to remove a spot that is in the area. My mom thought maybe it was sun-fade but it's so localized that I don't think that's it. I took a close-up of a couple of the blocks, as they are all blue and white, except for a couple of blocks that surprise you with their red and white polka dot fabric.

I love the pattern of this quilt and am definitely going to recreate this one in a collection of blue shirtings that have been waiting for just the right project. Add that one to my long list of "projects I want to do"!

That's all for tonight. See you tomorrow with more pics of fun stuff. :-)

Sandi

Home from the Reunion!

I am back from my family reunion and I have many pictures to share, stories to tell, and more. I managed to make the trip without aggravating my back and leg problems and tomorrow I go for the spinal cortisone shot, so perhaps that will give me some relief so I can get back to my regular routine of blogging and projects!
Here are three "quick pics" from my weekend trip............
This one below was an unexpected photo opportunity. I was just north of Lakota, Iowa on Hwy. 169 and came to a stop sign where I needed to turn right. A sheriff's car was there and I thought perhaps there was an accident....................but not so................it was a parade of tractors! There must have been 50 of them! I waved as they went by and thought how much my dad would have enjoyed seeing them!

Then there was the purpose of the trip.....................the 80th Annual Linn Family Reunion and, of course, there was a lot of good food and a lot of fried chicken. There's a story to that and I'll share it later.

And there was another unexpected photo opportunity when I stopped to return a key at my friend's house and there was a ................. Secret Garden. I have more pictures to share and.....

the visit inspired my creativity and all kinds of designs are rumbling around in my head!

Right now, though, I must put my head to the pillow so I am rested up for that shot tomorrow. I am not real fond of needles so I hope this doesn't hurt too much. As long as it gets me some pain relief, it will be worth it.

Lights out!

More later...........

Sandi

A little edit........have returned from the doctor and the cortisone shot went fine - "piece of cake"!! Tired now, though, as I didn't sleep well last night. Think I will take a little afternoon siesta..........zzzzzzzz

Family Reunion weekend!

Wow, can't believe it is here already but this is the weekend of our 80th annual Linn reunion. I was really getting worried that I would not be able to participate due to all these back problems. My doctor gave me the okay to go so I will be busy with that all weekend. I continue to improve but still have a bit of a limp that slows my pace. Thanks for the encouraging words that so many of you have offered! I cannot believe how far behind one gets when you basically lose three weeks to illness. I'll be catching up for weeks!
It is cold and windy here in Minnesota today and you would think it is autumn!! I sure am glad I'm not camping this weekend!! It's supposed to warm up a bit but thankfully we are in a covered shelter with kitchen and bathrooms and an eating area. We do food really well so we will be warm and happy after our noon meal!
Have a good weekend! I might post this weekend but it's doubtful so I'll see you on Monday when all the festivities are over!
Sandi

Time out for Tea!

It's about 9:30 p.m. CST and I am sitting down with a cup of hot tea and I'm ready to blog. I saw the doctor this morning and am happy to report that I am doing very well and the doctor was surprised to see that. Don't get me wrong, as there is still numbness in my heel and up the back of my leg and pain there, too, but nothing like what it was just a few days ago. I got more definitive info from him and while I have what is termed "degenerative back problems", it does not warrant surgery. I have a pinched nerve at L5/S1 that is the cause of my pain. He has referred me to another clinic for a cortisone shot and it should give me some relief and considerable improvement. I will keep you all posted but I am just so glad to be able to sit instead of laying down or standing. I can finally get to my sewing machine and the computer for more than 5 minutes at a time!!!
Now, here's something to think about for all of you.........we should all get up and stretch if we have been sitting at our desk typing or drawing or sewing, whatever, at least every half-hour or so. It's really not good for our bodies and it's really bad for our backs to sit for long periods of time. I am guilty of sitting too long as when I get going on a sewing project or get to blogging or drawing a pattern, I stay at it till the project is done. And then when I go to stand up, sometimes I can hardly stand up because I am too stiff. I've read plenty about back issues during the past week or so, and so I am a "reformed back abuser" but I will try not to be annoying about my new cause. ;-)
Anyway, that's the scoop for now. My cup of hot tea is finished but earlier today, I enjoyed a glass of iced tea and cookies that you can read about if you go here .

This past Saturday, my mother surprised me with a package full of fabric and a couple of patterns and that cute card to cheer me up. It worked! I have plans for the four fat quarters on the left. :-)

And yesterday, I finished this pincushion that I started at my fall retreat last October. Tomorrow, I will post a little tutorial for it, in case you would like to make one, too. That's all for tonight!

Thanks for all your supportive and informative e-mails and comments during this leg and back pain thing. They have really helped me!!

Sandi

No pain, no gain!

Who said that anyway? Doesn't make sense to me since I have had plenty of pain and I see no gain in my sewing projects! I can report that the pain that still remains is much less than when it started almost three weeks ago. I actually sewed a couple little things on my sewing machine today but they're not done so can't do "show 'n tell". However, I need to show you something so I looked at the last photos I loaded and that was the last weekend in June at Henderson's Sauerkraut Days Festival. My daughter and grandson came that weekend and helped me with some chores and we also went to watch the parade and all the classic cars. We took a few minutes to pop into "Unique Antiques" on Main Street and I couldn't resist taking a photo of the fresh garden flowers that were placed in vases around the shop.

These are pretty enough to be on some notecards. And the ones below are pretty, too, but I like the little table and chair set even better. :-)

I was on the pain meds that weekend so I was feelin' no pain, just the numb heel thing which was bothering me so I kind of walked with a limp. My heel is still a bit numb but I can walk almost normally now.

In case you are wondering what I sewed today, it was a St. Patrick's Day/March block that will go with the ones you see below. I stitched these up the week before the leg pain hit me. I had signed on for the Calendar Challenge and always intended to do a crazy quilt wallhanging of monthly blocks. I printed out my blocks in January and finally got started in June. I should be done by December of 2010! hee hee! The blocks are 6 1/2" squares and I will embroider messages in the solid section and then I have chosen lots of buttons to embellish the squares with once the blocks are assembled into a quilt top. It was nice to sew today, even if it was just one 6 1/2" square!

I also got started on a little pincushion but had to quit as the pain in my leg was returning just a bit. Don't want to push my luck!

I got preliminary results of my MRI and it was not quite the news I was hoping for. I knew that I had disc problems at L4 and L5 in my lower back but I also showed damage in L2 and L3. Treatment options will be discussed when I see the Orthopedic doctor again this Wednesday morning. I feel like this is dragging on a long time but maybe that's just because I would rather be doing a lot of quilty and crafty things instead of going to the doctor. Taking it one day at a time..........

That's all for tonight..........I guess you could say......."The NightOwl is back!"

Sandi

Summer Pincushion Swap!

A couple of months ago, I signed up for a pincushion swap at Sandra's blog Quilt*at*Home . I like making pincushions and other small items because I get them finished in a realistic amount of time. My large quilt projects go on forever but at least I always have something to look forward to because I have so many unfinished projects!!! Anyway, about a week before I developed this back pain thing, I received a large box in the mail from Kaaren of thePaintedQuilt in Canada. I'm thinking, "hmmmmm, this is just a pincushion swap and there must be a lot of good stuff in this box because it is large!" I ripped off the outer wrapping and saw all the wrapped packages and said "Oh, my!!" I wrote it on a piece of paper and included it in the photo because as I unwrapped everything, I kept saying "Oh, my!"

Kaaren inclued a lovely note that described everything she sent from the dressmaker pincushion to the wool socks that she knit!!!

There was a magnet from Canada, notecards, and needles and pins and a scissors fob that she made! And the dressmaker form pincushion was custom made for me. Then there was that cool round notions holder and it is made from lightweight wood that has round wood circles at each end. I can't explain it so I guess I will have to take a better picture. It's Kaaren's own design. She was very generous with her time and talents and I appreciate every item she made and sent to me. And she added one more thing.......this "green" shopping bag from the town she lives in and I'm thinking "I want to visit this little town". I love the architecture on these homes. Thanks so much for all the goodies, Kaaren!

And she added one more thing.......this "green" shopping bag from the town she lives in and I'm thinking "I want to visit this little town". I love the architecture on these homes. Thanks so much for all the goodies, Kaaren!

I waited to post about what I had received until I knew that my partner Emily at EmsScrapbag had received what I sent to her. She was on vacation for a bit so I just waited until she returned to post about what I made and sent to her. And so, here is what I made and sent to Emily.

In the info I received on Emily she said she "really liked red and green, yellow is a favorite....no purple". Well, I had this vintage piece of cotton fabric that had all her colors in it and so I stitched it up into this little rosey posey pincushion and needlecase (the center part is woolfelt).

I added a little cookbook, a journal (so she can inventory her pincushions and projects!), a little cup of trims and another one of buttons, plus a card of vintage buttons and note cards in her favorite colors, too! She loved what I sent and I loved what I received so we are both very happy pincushion swappers!

Now, back to Kaaren. She is really quite a talented lady and so I am recommending that you click on over to her blog and see the tutorial she has just posted for a really neat fall pumpkin! Just click here and you can read all about it. I will probably make this one when I get back to sewing as it involves a bit of crazy patchwork and I love crazy quilting!

This is my first "real" post in almost two weeks. I am doing much better today and the pain is less and the numbness in the bag of my leg and heel is subsiding (ever so slowly). I discovered that if I set a box on the floor and then put my left foot on the box, I have less pain when I am sitting. No word on the MRI results. I am taking things just one day at a time!
I didn't do my monthly tea post today but will do that next week. I am behind in some things I wanted to post but as I said yesterday................there is always tomorrow!!
Back soon!
Sandi

Coming back slowly.......

I was doing really well this morning, then the drive to the hospital required sitting and I "crashed" the minute I got home (not the car.....I mean I "crashed" on the couch as soon as I got home). The MRI is done and I await the results. This is not nearly as exciting as leaving a comment for someone's giveaway but I do hope there is an answer to be found.
Just want to say, "thanks for your patience" with my Facebook e-mail. I think there is a lot of "figuring out" that I must do with my "home page". I signed on to Facebook mainly to try to connect with some family members but it's fun to connect with friends and quilters, too. Right now, I'm signed on and that's good enough.
Nothing to report here but if I'm feeling even better tomorrow, then I am going to share some pincushion swap photos. I will still post photos of Pandora's quilt show but haven't been able to choose photos yet. There's always tomorrow.
All for now.
Sandi

Uh, Oh! Facebook e-mail......

Oh, dear, my apologies to everyone who got an e-mail invite from me to join Facebook. Last night, when I was momentarly pain-free, I checked my e-mail and there was a reminder that I had two friends who had invited me to join Facebook. One was Pat Sloan and I follow her blog and miss out on some things because I'm not on Facebook. The other was from my friend Marianne and then I knew that my sister was on Facebook, so I thought........I'll just enter my name and stuff, add a new password to another venture that I must remember and that will be it. Ohhhhhh, nooooooooo! NOT SO!
I awoke this morning and when I went to check my e-mail, I had all these replies from people I had invited to join Facebook. Obviously, in what I thought was a lucid moment, I must have been half-sleeping or something and clicked something that invited all these people. Ohhhhhh, I am soooooo sorry. But on a positive note, one of the replies was from my sister and we both get so busy that we don't e-mail often. Who knows what connections Facebook will bring? Right now, though, I can't keep up with my groups and blog because of this leg/heel pain issue so adding another thing that requires validation was not so wise at this time. However, my MRI has been moved up to this afternoon and perhaps there I will get some validation for the cause of my pain and when that issue is resolved, I'll be back in fine shape on-line.........And I'll be only a "twitter" away from the next opportunity to make connections on-line. :-)
Sandi

Brown Bear and the Christmas Charm Fabrics!

Morning, all!
For those of you that were following my post on Brown Bear and the Christmas Charm fabrics, well, your patience has paid off. Several of you are going to receive packs of Christmas Charm fabrics. The winning name that my husband drew is "Annemarie" but Mary Grace was so diligent, as was the Owl Lady, and Pat in Delaware, then Margie and SarahVee, JustSusan, and Lotta in Sweden! You were all commenting almost everyday and so I'll be sending similar charm packs to all of you! I'll be sending smaller charm packs to a couple of you that also commented fairly often and you are Ida, Janelle, CieAngel, and Crispy. (And in case, I have extras, I might add a couple more. ) I loved reading the comments!! I was planning to get busy with "Christmas in July" and start cutting square right after the 4th of July.
Now unfortunately, I am still in pain and it is just not going away so there'll be no cutting of fabric or any sewing anytime soon. The MRI is not until Friday but come tomorrow morning I'll be calling the doctor to say "it can't wait that long"!! You all know you are winners and some of you have won gifties from me before so you know I send good little packages that are worth waiting for so hang in there and good stuff will come your way. Oh, and be sure to send me an e-mail with your mailing address but no hurry on that yet. I can't sit at the computer long enough to send individual e-mails to all of you right now.
One last thing......today is my son's birthday! He was born in 1976 and I remember July 4th of that year and the tall ships that sailed into New York Harbor. I remember, too, that I had a terrible back ache all that day and knew and hoped that "my time" was imminent. He was, after all, almost two weeks overdue! Well, that pain ended up being gone by the next morning when he was born. This pain seems to want to stay around and I'm not sure what the end result will be. Say a little prayer that this will all get resolved soon as I am getting mightly tired of not being able to sew or blog. I am getting in some handwork so it's not a total loss. Take care all and have a good day!
Sandi

Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue!!

Since I started blogging a little over a year ago, I have been fairly regular at it. Once I started blogging, it quickly became a part of my day. Occasionally, I went a couple days in a row without blogging but soon was right back at it. Unfortunately, this little journey of back and sciatica pain that I am on, has made it almost impossible to blog or even think about posting. As noted in my previous post, I am slowly doing better. I was actually doing pretty well and then had some issues arise with side effects from the drugs I am on. I decided no more pain pills and so I am back in a "rough patch". It's not as bad as it was at first, so I know I'm getting better and my leg and heel have almost regained normal feeling. I only waited a couple days before going to the doctor but I will give you this advice. If you have pain that is "over the top", get to the doctor. Even if it's not something serious, your recovery will be quicker the sooner you start treatment!

Now, I couldn't let tomorrow pass by and not post my snowman for this month. I like him so much and even if you are not from the United States, you can substitute the flag of your country for the U.S. flag he is holding. I'm only sharing the drawing right now and will provide pattern pieces for doing him in fusibles later next week. I'll also post the other Seasons block then. I have already been sitting in this chair too long so I need to go lay down on the couch for a bit. Here, though, before I go, is my snowman for July.............


Happy Independence Day!! Have wonderful 4th of July wherever you are!!

Sandi

*****

Edit: Here is the pattern page for the July Snowman. When I think about it, it's kind of silly to draw a snowman for July but then again it's kinda cool, too. :-) You can change the flag in this design and the words so that they reflect your state or country. Have fun!

Slowly returning to normal........

I didn't expect to be gone so long. However, the leg and low back pain got the better of me and I didn't feel like blogging. It hurt to sit for more than a few minutes at the computer or at my machine. Not fun, as I was planning to do a lot of both as my husband was gone on a business trip. Instead, I was in pain. The Prednisone helped somewhat but not enough so had to make another visit to the doctor last Friday and more meds and pain patches. My doctor referred me to an Orthopedic surgeon and I saw him this morning. That exam led him to schedule me for an MRI next Friday. It's looking like I have some kind of disc damage and the sciatic nerve is so irritated that the back of my leg is numb and so is my heel on my left leg. I am able to keep the pain "at bay" with the pain killers and at night with the pain patches but when they wear off, it is not fun. I have fibromyalgia and so pain is something I am used to. This pain was "off the scale" and not my normal fibro pains. It was "I hurt and I can't think straight pain". On doctor's orders, I'll be doing no lawn mowing, no lifting of boxes and no strenuous activity. I am a bit better each day, but it is a slow process. Perhaps by this weekend, I will be back in the "swing of things" and will get my BOM blocks posted and also, the pics of Pandora's Garden quilt show. I'll be back again soon.
Thanks for all your concerns, e-mails and prayers!
Sandi