I’m feeling rather old and tired. It is 7:30 at night and I can’t keep my eyes open. This pattern is a repeat of last week where I swear I was in bed by 8:00 every night. It started with a small rash, you know, the kind where your bra rubs you the wrong way on a hot day? Unless you’re a guy, and then I guess you’ll have to imagine something else. Anyway, I woke up one day and there were little bumps all over the rash. Go to the store, get some cream to sooth the little bumps. Go again looking for something better to help with the itch.
I worked all week, and finished off the week by cleaning out old files in a dusty, dirty plant basement, sneezing, coughing and hacking all day. The only good part of that day was that I had a co-worker helping who is a quilter, and we starated our weekend early by visiting our favorite quilting store (part of our reward for doing the crummy job) near the plant. Ahh, the weekend and I don't have to wear a bra... The real fun begins. Damn, someone is sticking sharp needles in my skin all hours of the day and night!! Too late to go to the Dr., unless I want to spend hours in urgent care on a weekend. Wake up Sunday morning with 8-10 red bumps on my arms, chest, face and legs. Uh oh, something is wrong, so I resolve to call the Dr. first thing on Monday.
I get to work and call the Dr. and get an appointment. I check on my co-worker, and she tells me she has a rash on her face! She calls the Dr. and gets an immediate appointment. She calls after she sees the Dr. and tells me she has shingles. I go to the Dr. and I have shingles too. I'm told I had shingles as a baby and the virus can lie dormant in your body until your immune system is compromised. With 2 colds in 6 weeks, I guess my system was compromised. Both Dr.’s tell us we are not contagious. Doesn’t sound right to me. I feel like Typhoid Mary…
The Dr. says there is not much they can do for me because the most effective treatment needs to be started in 48 hours, and I had this longer than that. On the good side, it is starting to heal and there are far fewer sharp needle pains. Lesson learned. Don’t wait to go to the doctor! Now if I can just get this itching all over my body to stop I’d be in good shape. Benadryl is my new best friend, and it does a good job of helping me sleep too! I'm sleepy so I guess I’m off to go to bed. Hope tomorrow will be a better day.
Quiltluver - I love to look at beautiful quilts!
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Monday, April 26, 2010
Sunday, November 8, 2009
What a Wonderful Day!
I was feeling a little down this morning because DH had to work today. Then I decided that sunny skies, a pleasant breeze and 65 degree weather meant it was too nice to stay indoors. This weather won’t last too much longer before the dreaded snow and ice gets here. So, I called my mother and asked if she was dressed and would she be ready to go somewhere in 15 minutes? She asked where we were going, and I told her I wasn’t going to tell her. I said, “just be ready for me to pick you up”.
I am glad we went. My mother enjoyed herself very much. She hasn’t been getting out much lately because my dad is having a hard time walking. She definitely needed a break…
And, I scored some brownie points with DH when I brought him some cider and doughnuts to share at work. When he gets off work, I think we'll be taking a drive somewhere to enjoy the rest of the day.
Today was one of those days when you feel thankful for your health, family, freedom, and to be alive. With thoughts of veterans day later this week, a day to reflect and thank all of the service men and women, past and present, for serving their country.
How was your weekend? Great, I hope.
Karen
We went here (check out that blue sky)
For some of this (click to enlarge if you can’t read the sign)
The cider was sweet and the doughnuts were warm
and full of cinnamon…yum
The town was picturesque, the water flowing over the rapids with the white church steeple showing through the trees. People were out enjoying cider by the stream.
Apple pie, anyone?
How about some sweet, crunchy apples?
I am glad we went. My mother enjoyed herself very much. She hasn’t been getting out much lately because my dad is having a hard time walking. She definitely needed a break…
And, I scored some brownie points with DH when I brought him some cider and doughnuts to share at work. When he gets off work, I think we'll be taking a drive somewhere to enjoy the rest of the day.
Today was one of those days when you feel thankful for your health, family, freedom, and to be alive. With thoughts of veterans day later this week, a day to reflect and thank all of the service men and women, past and present, for serving their country.
How was your weekend? Great, I hope.
Karen
Monday, October 5, 2009
Almost Cold Turkey
Well, I did it. Lately, my DH hardly ever watches TV anymore. He spends a lot more time on the internet, and since I started blogging, I don't watch TV as much as I used to. I started thinking about the $60/month I pay for "expanded cable" TV that I could save or buy other things I'd rather have. And the cable company justs keeps increasing the bill and doesn't really give you anything more for your money.
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So, I told the cable company goodbye. Well, almost goodbye. We live far away from the city so that an antenna does not give us very good TV reception. And, with the TV's that are not digital, we'd have to buy both the digital converter as well as an antenna. So, since I still like to watch the occasional TV show and local news, we cut back to the cheapest cable available ($22/month). Just the local channels and PBS. Of course the cable company doesn't like it when you pick this option. You have to pay them a $25 fee to come to your house and put a "restrictor" on your cable so you can only see the local channels. They turned it off last Friday. So far, I'm ok with the decision. We'll have to see what happens when I get tired of watching network TV...
I'm curious, what does everyone else pay for cable TV?
Karen
So, I told the cable company goodbye. Well, almost goodbye. We live far away from the city so that an antenna does not give us very good TV reception. And, with the TV's that are not digital, we'd have to buy both the digital converter as well as an antenna. So, since I still like to watch the occasional TV show and local news, we cut back to the cheapest cable available ($22/month). Just the local channels and PBS. Of course the cable company doesn't like it when you pick this option. You have to pay them a $25 fee to come to your house and put a "restrictor" on your cable so you can only see the local channels. They turned it off last Friday. So far, I'm ok with the decision. We'll have to see what happens when I get tired of watching network TV...
I'm curious, what does everyone else pay for cable TV?
Karen
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Llamafest, Anyone?
The Labor Day weekend was beautiful here in Michigan, and it was even better when I was able to make it a 4 day weekend. I was checking out some web sites to see if there were any quilt shows, and ran across a posting that said they were having a llamafest at Michigan State last weekend. OK, I'm game. It was free, not too far to drive, and I've always wanted to see these creatures up close. We were headed to Lansing anyway, so DH and I decided to check it out. It was interesting to see the many varieties of llamas.
Monday was kind of rainy, so I spent a good part of the day working on my pinwheel quilt. I got 2 side borders put on, and almost all of the applique done on the top border. I have a few more flowers to applique, and I have to figure out the bottom border. After I stitched the first border on, I discovered that the thread was kind of pulling on the fabric. I realized that the tension dial on my machine was wrong. I thought I could ease the thread through the fabric, and iron it smooth. Rip out an entire border? I don't think so. But the quilt has been hanging in my sewing room, and that border is nagging at me. If it doesn't look good now, it probably won't look any better when it is quilted. The perfectionist in me thinks I may have to rip it...
Hope your holiday was wonderful.
Karen
They had several varieties that were two-tone, spotted.
These little guys were kind of cute.
This guy was kind of cute with his buck tooth sticking out...
And for who love fiber arts, there were several vendors with llama hair for spinning, and beautiful knitted,weaved and other lovely goodies for sale. DH was with me though, so there was no buying going on.
Monday was kind of rainy, so I spent a good part of the day working on my pinwheel quilt. I got 2 side borders put on, and almost all of the applique done on the top border. I have a few more flowers to applique, and I have to figure out the bottom border. After I stitched the first border on, I discovered that the thread was kind of pulling on the fabric. I realized that the tension dial on my machine was wrong. I thought I could ease the thread through the fabric, and iron it smooth. Rip out an entire border? I don't think so. But the quilt has been hanging in my sewing room, and that border is nagging at me. If it doesn't look good now, it probably won't look any better when it is quilted. The perfectionist in me thinks I may have to rip it...
Hope your holiday was wonderful.
Karen
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Vacation from Hell, part 2
Continued from part 1. Click here if you didn't see the first part.
The strangers whose car we got into were very nice, and they dropped us off at the winery. We called a tow truck to tow the van. Not an easy task with the trailer attached. After forever, they came and towed our van to town, and dropped us off at a hotel. They promised they would take the van to a nearby repair shop who would look at it on Saturday. Now, we're stuck in a hotel with no transportation. Oh, and did I tell you that my DH decided we no longer needed the AAA roadside insurance that would have paid for the tow truck and also have given us a significant discount on the hotel?
Saturday morning I was able to spend some time walking around the town, looking at the shops. DH wanted to stick around the repair shop to see what was up with the van. Oh, and Calico Cat, this proves that my DH can act just like your husband. The difference is when we were at the Biltmore, he thought that cooling off the van engine would help, so we went on the tour. The repair shop was unable to diagnose the problem (and they closed at noon), so we were told they would tow it AGAIN $$ on Monday to a dealer. We were really stuck there now.
DH was so upset, he started making calls to friends and family back home to tell them of our troubles. He decided to use an old phone credit card for the calls since our cell phones didn't work in that area. He used that credit card the entire time he was there. We were shocked when we got the $600 phone bill a month later.
After telling my boss that I was not going to be back on Monday, he said he needed me back to work and was willing to pay to put me on a plane. Our company had just been acquired, and they needed the budget done! It was the first of many new experiences with a big corporation. Who am I kidding? When you've been married as long as I have, you know when to retreat... So, on Sunday, I got into a cab BY MYSELF (first time was a little nerve wracking), and went to the airport to fly home. I flew into a different airport than where I flew out of so I didn't have my car, and my mom had to come get me and drive me to another airport 100 miles away to get my car...
DH stayed behind, incurring hotel costs for several days. Finally, after days of the dealer "fixing the problem" only to break down shortly after leaving the dealer, while at the same time charging us lots of money for each new part that had been "fixed", DH convinced his very good friend to drive down with a trailer to tow the van (and our trailer) home to Michigan. That trip over the mountains would put a strain on any vehicle let alone towing a trailer with a van AND trailer on it, but they finally made it home. Good friends like that are a treasure!
When I got home, the stray cat we had taken in seemed kind of tired. But being an outdoor stray, he was constantly getting into fights with other animals, and I didn't think too much of it. DH was very attached to that cat, and worried himself sick about the cat. When he got home, he found some lumps on the cat and took him to the vet. After extensive, and yes expensive tests, they told us the cat had cancer. So, a week before Christmas, we had to put him down. We were both heartbroken, and DH blamed himself for being gone while the cat was sick.
The local dealer was finally able to diagnose and fix the electrical problem on the van, and it only cost a mere $1800.
And that, my friends, is why we have not gone vacation in over ten years due to the vacation from HELL! It took us a while to recover financially, and emotionally...
After listening to that long recital, I promise a more quilty post next time.
Take care,
Karen
The strangers whose car we got into were very nice, and they dropped us off at the winery. We called a tow truck to tow the van. Not an easy task with the trailer attached. After forever, they came and towed our van to town, and dropped us off at a hotel. They promised they would take the van to a nearby repair shop who would look at it on Saturday. Now, we're stuck in a hotel with no transportation. Oh, and did I tell you that my DH decided we no longer needed the AAA roadside insurance that would have paid for the tow truck and also have given us a significant discount on the hotel?
Saturday morning I was able to spend some time walking around the town, looking at the shops. DH wanted to stick around the repair shop to see what was up with the van. Oh, and Calico Cat, this proves that my DH can act just like your husband. The difference is when we were at the Biltmore, he thought that cooling off the van engine would help, so we went on the tour. The repair shop was unable to diagnose the problem (and they closed at noon), so we were told they would tow it AGAIN $$ on Monday to a dealer. We were really stuck there now.
DH was so upset, he started making calls to friends and family back home to tell them of our troubles. He decided to use an old phone credit card for the calls since our cell phones didn't work in that area. He used that credit card the entire time he was there. We were shocked when we got the $600 phone bill a month later.
After telling my boss that I was not going to be back on Monday, he said he needed me back to work and was willing to pay to put me on a plane. Our company had just been acquired, and they needed the budget done! It was the first of many new experiences with a big corporation. Who am I kidding? When you've been married as long as I have, you know when to retreat... So, on Sunday, I got into a cab BY MYSELF (first time was a little nerve wracking), and went to the airport to fly home. I flew into a different airport than where I flew out of so I didn't have my car, and my mom had to come get me and drive me to another airport 100 miles away to get my car...
DH stayed behind, incurring hotel costs for several days. Finally, after days of the dealer "fixing the problem" only to break down shortly after leaving the dealer, while at the same time charging us lots of money for each new part that had been "fixed", DH convinced his very good friend to drive down with a trailer to tow the van (and our trailer) home to Michigan. That trip over the mountains would put a strain on any vehicle let alone towing a trailer with a van AND trailer on it, but they finally made it home. Good friends like that are a treasure!
When I got home, the stray cat we had taken in seemed kind of tired. But being an outdoor stray, he was constantly getting into fights with other animals, and I didn't think too much of it. DH was very attached to that cat, and worried himself sick about the cat. When he got home, he found some lumps on the cat and took him to the vet. After extensive, and yes expensive tests, they told us the cat had cancer. So, a week before Christmas, we had to put him down. We were both heartbroken, and DH blamed himself for being gone while the cat was sick.
The local dealer was finally able to diagnose and fix the electrical problem on the van, and it only cost a mere $1800.
And that, my friends, is why we have not gone vacation in over ten years due to the vacation from HELL! It took us a while to recover financially, and emotionally...
After listening to that long recital, I promise a more quilty post next time.
Take care,
Karen
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Vacation from Hell
First, let me say that the mini-vacation went great. Some relaxation, lots of shopping, and gawking at beautiful beach houses along the shores of Lake Michigan. No pictures and no quilt shops though. Gives me hope for future vacations...
Some of you have asked about the vacation from hell, so here's the (very long) story:
10 years ago, in search of more work during the cold Michigan winter, my DH went to Florida with a friend to help build home additions. The plan was that I would fly down for a vacation in early December, and we would drive back to Michigan for Christmas and he would return to Florida after Christmas. We had been married over 20 years by then and had never been apart for that long. I flew to Florida and we had a nice vacation visiting Mickey Mouse and relatives and just hanging out and relaxing. Except, if you want to stay married, NEVER EVER, attempt to live a week with your spouse in a 19 ft trailer. It's just not normal. After a week, I had to get back to work on Monday, so we started the long drive back to Michigan.
Since my DH was staying in Florida while I had to take care of EVERYTHING at home while he was gone during the LONG, COLD WINTER, he agreed to my request to see the Biltmore Estate all decked out for Christmas. Can you say "guilty conscience" anyone? Anyway, on the map, it looked like only a short detour from I-75 to Asheville, NC. I didn't factor in that the detour was over the mountains and took a little longer than expected.
Our first clue was when we stopped for gas, and had a hard time starting the van again. Ahh, we thought, it is just not built for travel through the mountains, and we were also towing a small utility trailer. The van was chugging, slowly, through the mountains, misfiring and making lots of engine noises. And our cell phones don't work very well in the mountains. We finally got to the Biltmore Estate around mid-day on Friday. If you've ever been to the Biltmore, you know that from the entrance to the house is a long, winding road through beautiful grounds. It is a 3 mile long stretch of road and the van started sputtering. We finally pulled into the parking lot and the van died. Nothing we could do, so we went and enjoyed the house tour.
When we came out, it was starting to get dark, and thank heavens, the van started again! So, we started on the 2 mile trek to the next stop, a store and winery. Part way there, the van died. In the middle of NOWHERE. We have no idea how long it is to the next stop. We have NO cell phones. The road is deserted. It is getting dark. Every 5 or 10 minutes, a car passes by, but nobody stops. Finally, after a LONG 20-30 minutes or so while frantically trying to get a cell signal, someone stops and offers us a ride to the winery. GULP, we take a leap of faith and get in the strangers' car.
At times like this, I wish I was a drinker...
Whew, this is a long story. To be continued...click here
Some of you have asked about the vacation from hell, so here's the (very long) story:
10 years ago, in search of more work during the cold Michigan winter, my DH went to Florida with a friend to help build home additions. The plan was that I would fly down for a vacation in early December, and we would drive back to Michigan for Christmas and he would return to Florida after Christmas. We had been married over 20 years by then and had never been apart for that long. I flew to Florida and we had a nice vacation visiting Mickey Mouse and relatives and just hanging out and relaxing. Except, if you want to stay married, NEVER EVER, attempt to live a week with your spouse in a 19 ft trailer. It's just not normal. After a week, I had to get back to work on Monday, so we started the long drive back to Michigan.
Since my DH was staying in Florida while I had to take care of EVERYTHING at home while he was gone during the LONG, COLD WINTER, he agreed to my request to see the Biltmore Estate all decked out for Christmas. Can you say "guilty conscience" anyone? Anyway, on the map, it looked like only a short detour from I-75 to Asheville, NC. I didn't factor in that the detour was over the mountains and took a little longer than expected.
Our first clue was when we stopped for gas, and had a hard time starting the van again. Ahh, we thought, it is just not built for travel through the mountains, and we were also towing a small utility trailer. The van was chugging, slowly, through the mountains, misfiring and making lots of engine noises. And our cell phones don't work very well in the mountains. We finally got to the Biltmore Estate around mid-day on Friday. If you've ever been to the Biltmore, you know that from the entrance to the house is a long, winding road through beautiful grounds. It is a 3 mile long stretch of road and the van started sputtering. We finally pulled into the parking lot and the van died. Nothing we could do, so we went and enjoyed the house tour.
When we came out, it was starting to get dark, and thank heavens, the van started again! So, we started on the 2 mile trek to the next stop, a store and winery. Part way there, the van died. In the middle of NOWHERE. We have no idea how long it is to the next stop. We have NO cell phones. The road is deserted. It is getting dark. Every 5 or 10 minutes, a car passes by, but nobody stops. Finally, after a LONG 20-30 minutes or so while frantically trying to get a cell signal, someone stops and offers us a ride to the winery. GULP, we take a leap of faith and get in the strangers' car.
At times like this, I wish I was a drinker...
Whew, this is a long story. To be continued...click here
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Going on Vacation
Have you ever had a bad vacation experience?
Well, I have. It has been 10 years since my husband and I went on our last vacation. That was the vacation from hell...and I didn't think he'd ever go on vacation again. In the time since then, we've only gone on day trips that were close to home. Last month, he had to take a short business trip to Indiana, and I went with him. We stumbled across this cute little town on the shore of Lake Michigan called St. Joseph. It was a beautiful, sunny day with lots of sailboats out on the lake. The town was a bit crowded however, because they were having a festival. You could have blown me away when he said he wanted to come back and spend the day and stay overnight. I made plans so fast it would make your head spin. It's only for two days, but we have to start with baby steps before we can walk faster...
I'm so excited. We're off tomorrow to St. Joseph, and we're also visiting Saugatuk (lots of small shops & galleries) on Tuesday. Oh wait, I have to go check out the net to see if there are any quilt shops along the way...Do they make a GPS with quilt shop listings???
See you later.
Karen
Well, I have. It has been 10 years since my husband and I went on our last vacation. That was the vacation from hell...and I didn't think he'd ever go on vacation again. In the time since then, we've only gone on day trips that were close to home. Last month, he had to take a short business trip to Indiana, and I went with him. We stumbled across this cute little town on the shore of Lake Michigan called St. Joseph. It was a beautiful, sunny day with lots of sailboats out on the lake. The town was a bit crowded however, because they were having a festival. You could have blown me away when he said he wanted to come back and spend the day and stay overnight. I made plans so fast it would make your head spin. It's only for two days, but we have to start with baby steps before we can walk faster...
I'm so excited. We're off tomorrow to St. Joseph, and we're also visiting Saugatuk (lots of small shops & galleries) on Tuesday. Oh wait, I have to go check out the net to see if there are any quilt shops along the way...Do they make a GPS with quilt shop listings???
See you later.
Karen
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Happy Birthday Violet
Today is my (great) niece's 1st birthday. I don't get to see her too much because she lives in Washington. But my niece, Amanda, does a wonderful job of posting pictuers of Violet and her sister Amelia on her blog. Here she is celebrating her birthday.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
What other blogs do you read?
There are several blogs that I follow on a regular basis. Since I love to look at quilts, many are quilt related. Some are former myquiltblog contributors who've gone to another blog. Some are funny.
I stumbled on to this pair of blogs several months ago. I don't know if the same person does both blogs, but they seem to compete with each other to see which one will be the funniest. Here are the links.
http://beenchasingsquirrels.blogspot.com/ http://beenteasingdogs.blogspot.com/
Honestly, where do people come up with these ideas? And where do they get these pictures?
This is another funny blog about funny looking cakes that people find in bakeries:
http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/
What prompted me to write this blog today was that I checked in with one of my favorite blog writers, and found the most georgous pictures with the very cute captions and commentary. This woman lives on a farm in the middle of nowhere, and has the most beautiful pictures of her life on the farm. There are lots of different sections to her blog that I find fascinating to read. Here is the link to today's blog. She changes her blog every day, so if you miss today's posting, it is worth it to go back and look at it.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/confessions/
Hope you enjoy what you see. What blogs do you find interesting?
Karen
I stumbled on to this pair of blogs several months ago. I don't know if the same person does both blogs, but they seem to compete with each other to see which one will be the funniest. Here are the links.
http://beenchasingsquirrels.blogspot.com/ http://beenteasingdogs.blogspot.com/
Honestly, where do people come up with these ideas? And where do they get these pictures?
This is another funny blog about funny looking cakes that people find in bakeries:
http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/
What prompted me to write this blog today was that I checked in with one of my favorite blog writers, and found the most georgous pictures with the very cute captions and commentary. This woman lives on a farm in the middle of nowhere, and has the most beautiful pictures of her life on the farm. There are lots of different sections to her blog that I find fascinating to read. Here is the link to today's blog. She changes her blog every day, so if you miss today's posting, it is worth it to go back and look at it.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/confessions/
Hope you enjoy what you see. What blogs do you find interesting?
Karen
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