It's about time...........

that I did a blogpost!!!!  Heard from a couple of you that said you are missing my posts, so here ya go ........ the big "catch-up blogpost"!!!!!!  This post will be loaded with photos and lots of thank you's!!! 
So, where should I begin? Well, I'll start with ....... I'm doing well and getting lots of rest and not "over-doing" it At All!  I have taken up residence in the little "sitting room" that is part of the master bedroom on the first floor in our house. This is my view from my comfy red chair..................

 And here is what I am working on.................

There are 23 "mostly finished" crazy quilt blocks in that pile and I am determined to put the finishing touches on them over the next three months (I want them sewn together by the end of 2012!!!).  Each block has a different crocheted heart on it that I bought on some trip or received as a gift. I started the blocks in 2000 when we organized our crazy quilting group at the Scott County Historical Society in Shakopee, MN (and if you live in the area and want to know more about the group, just e-mail me!).  I have had lots of time to stitch while I recover as my husband picked up the cooking, cleaning and laundry duties. And he was helped out in the cooking department by my friend, Barb, who brought us soup and muffins and this yummy Crescent Roll casserole that had a taco flavor to it. We ate this for dinner on Easter Sunday. Yummy! Thanks, Barb!!

A few days later, my neighbor Kathy called and said she'd like to make dinner for us and it was Crescent Roll Chicken Hotdish. Also yummy!!

I only do Crescent Rolls as 'rolls' and these were both so good that I think I need to check out some recipes for things to make with Crescent Rolls. Do you suppose there is a recipe that would involve chocolate and whipped cream and Crescent Rolls?? Sounds good and might be as tasty as Kathy's Rhubarb Crisp dessert that topped off the chicken hotdish. Thanks, Kathy!!

My friend, Doris, stopped by and brought pretty red roses and muffins. The muffins were good but, oh, how I loved the roses!! My husband is not a "flower guy" so I dearly love it when I get flowers.  They had such a lovely scent and I liked walking through the living room just get a whiff of the "scent of roses".  :-)  Thanks, Doris!!

The flowers that my daughter and son-in-law sent when I was in the hospital lasted almost two weeks before I had to remove the big lily flowers.  They started to crumble but the carnations and daisies are still looking good. I'm amazed they are lasting into a third week!

A couple weeks before I went in for surgery my daughter gave me a gift that she intended to give me at Christmas. Do you ever do that? You know, buy a gift, then set it aside and find it long after the date.  Collette and I do that all the time!!!!! So anyway, here's the bag she gave me.............

and it's one of those expandable totes from Thirty-One gifts (you'll find the bag here). She thought it would be great for me to fill it with quilts when I present my quilting program. I agree!

Inside the bag, were all these neat gifts which came in handy for making notes and writing thank you's when I was at the hospital. Thanks, Collette!

At about the same time, Collette gave me her gifts, my sister, Judy, sent a package with OREOS!!!! Yay!! and this lovely journal where I have kept some notes of this interesting health related journey. The journal is from the Ellie Claire line and can be found here.

I ate all the OREOS long before I went to the hospital so I can't show you what they look like but I am guessing you all know anyway. LOL!  Judy also does the "buy a gift and forget to give it thing".  Must run in the family.  She found this old-fashioned Ball canning jar that has a modern touch! Some folks are so clever! Just add a lotion pump and Voila!! it's a hand-lotion dispenser!!  Very handy to keep next to my sewing chair. Thanks, Judy!

So, as noted, with all this food and gifts, and the husband doing the usual housework, I had time to stitch........so, I finished the hand-quilting on this 30's print tablerunner!! With a project finished, this means I can start something new!

So I decided to play with my beading stuff and made some bracelets and earrings. I love the bead aisle at Michael's and treat myself to a strand of beads every so often. Mostly, I make things just for me or my daughter although I made a couple pieces for my sister and for a giveaway. I am a novice at this and worry that my pieces will fall apart although..........so far, so good. :-)

I spent a couple nights working with beads and both nights we were getting rain. One band of showers left behind this pretty rainbow.....

The photo was taken from our upstairs bedroom window. By the time I got downstairs and outside for a photo...........the rainbow was barely there.  They are so pretty and they last such a short time!
One thing that will last a long time is all the cards and good wishes that I received the last three weeks. I hung a picture frame in the family room where I kept tucking the cards and as you can see, I ran out of room!!

Thank you all so much for the good wishes. They really lifted my spirits!!!
I figured that was about the end of the cards but then yesterday.........and just when I was thinking, "I cannot do one more word search puzzle!!!"..... I walked out to the mailbox and found a big package that I wasn't expecting...........

And then I saw it was from Sharon at Daisy*Cottage*Quilting and inside was her signature polka dot tissue paper wrapped around...........

these lovely gifts!!! I was so surprised and I squealed when I saw that zippered bag. I am such a "pink lady" and just love it!!! Sharon is a blogging friend that I've never met in person but it hasn't stopped us from being friends. BFF's, you know, just like Paris Hilton. :-)  Thanks so much, Sharon!!!

Okay, a couple more "gifts" and this card with those sweet red, white and blue fabrics comes from Linda in Virginia who is in my Seasons BOM Yahoo group. And, just like Sharon, I've never met Linda but when I started blogging and hosting the Yahoo groups, I started adding friends from all over the U.S. and "across the pond", and "down under" and "over here" and "over there" and it has been fantastic! Thanks, Linda!!!

When I went to mailbox today, there was another unexpected package. This one came from Jacquelynne at The*Noble*Wife blog.  You all may remember that Jacquelynne has shared fabrics from her collection and several of you won a few charm packs and patterns. I have a project and giveaway planned for this summer that will involve Jacquelynne's fabrics so there will be another chance to win. Thanks, Jacquelynne for the card and great CD!

Okay, so are you still with me?? Yes, this is a long blogpost but I had lots of "catch-up" to do. And speaking of "catch-up", here is a tiny project that I took along to stitch on when I was in the hospital................

You can see by the size of my Tracphone that this is a tiny quilt. It's not pieced but instead is a piece of white cotton muslin that I drew the quilt design on and then carefully colored it with markers. It was a project that we did in the Midwest*Miniature*Guild back in the late 1980's. SO, talk about a project that needed some "catch-up"!! This one was it!!  I am very carefully hand-quilting the little piece and it will eventually go on a bed in the dollhouse that my dad built about the same time I started this quilt. So that I'll finish this, I have placed it in a basket on the kitchen table so I can pick it up and regulary add a few stitches. There was one other thing I brought along to the hospital.........a book, Marie*Bostwick's newest novel called "Ties That Bind".

I received the copy just two days before I went for surgery and kept it for a treat after the surgery was over. Did I enjoy the book? Well........... I can't tell you just yet.......because, you will have to visit my blog next Thursday, April 26th to find out!  That's because the book was sent to me to review as I'll be part of Michele's Quilting*Gallery Book Blog Hop next week and there will be lots of chances for you to win a copy of the book!!!   Many of you are very familiar with Michele of Quilting*Gallery fame. She hosts great contests for quilters, connects us with great products, shops and quilters, and has a new feature The*Learning*Center that is hosted by Pat*Sloan. Check back on Monday and I will give you all the details on the blogs who will be hosting a giveaway for the book. Plus, there's a free quilt pattern available!!

And you just might want to stop back on Sunday to see what I might share then because.............I was supposed to go to retreat at Villa Maria this weekend but due to my surgery, I had to make a decision and knew that I should not go, just stay home and recover. But, I will have a little something to share, so check in on Sunday and see what's up.  :-)  In the meantime, have a great weekend!!

And thanks one more time for all the cards, gifts, food and well-wishes you all shared!
Sandi