Secret Santa Gift From Autumn

Here are my gifts that my "BWB Secret Santa" made for me. The Angel ornament is aptly named "Mended Wings". I think it is beautiful. It was the most thoughtful gift I could have gotten. I just love it. Also this lovely heart pin cushion with detailed needle work. Thank you very much Autumn.

"Its beginning to look a lot like christmas"....

Our Christmas tree is up!! At 7.5 feet! Wow.

Our outside lights are up too.

Now all we need is a little snow!

Thanksgiving 2007

This Thanksgiving we went to my husbands brothers house. As we do with most trips to his house, we first picked up his mom and away we went. Its only a 35 minute ride.
It was nice seeing everyone again. We have not all gotten together since August. He has four kids ranging from 15 to 23? Two in collage and one in high school. The oldest is living in New York. They are all truly nice folks. If all works out everyone will be at my house on Christmas Eve. Christmas day will be at my sisters in Norther New Jersey.

The weather here is getting colder. Just two weeks ago it was close to 70 degrees. Today it was 40. The leaves are falling by the yards. The birds are looking for extra seed and bread. ( I always feed the birds our old bread)

We purchased a new Christmas tree. Yes its fake. 7 1/2 feet tall. Bigger then what I really wanted. Next weekend we will be setting it up along with the outside lights. That will be fun.

I will post photos as soon as everything is set up.

Winter Blocks

Check it out! Here are most of my winter blocks for mjfg connection. I normally make all the same block but this time I mixed them up a little. I used all the same fabrics just in different places. I fussy cut the birds. Used green, red and a tan with gold.

Two Months and all is well

Well it has been just over two months since our surgery. Jeff is doing great. My kidney is working and living just fine and happy in him. I was hoping he would start liking Chinese food but no luck. It is still pizza for Friday nights. Oh well. I am doing well too. If not for the scars on my abdoment I would never know that I underwent major surgery.

Right now Jeffs only problem is his legs. He has a lot of pain in the hips and knees. The clinic doctors are saying it could be the medications he is taking. Prograf, Cellcep and Prednisone, they are all anti rejection medications. They are apparently recking havoc on his joints and bones. he also now needs to take Oscal and Fosamax. A bone density test shows some deterioration in his one hip. (he is only 45)

Its a little ironic how one drug saves your life as at the same time it can make you feel miserable.

He is keeping very busy these day with his HO trains. He is building a new layout in the basement. Gosh it is humongous. Almost three full sheets of plywood in a "C" shape. But this keeps him busy. He can't work in the garage because it is getting too cold. Also, he has a hard time getting up off the ground. So no working on cars for him this winter. I just hope that his leg and hip issue resolves it self by spring. He so loves to ride his motorcycles. If his legs are not strong enough then there will be no motorcycle riding for him.

Well, that's it for now. I have a lot of quilt blocks to make for a number of swaps I am in. ASG meeting tomorrow morning. And next week I am going to see my sister. We are taking a quilting class. I think we mostly take the class as an excuse to see each other. We talk more then we sew.

Autumn Theme Block Swap w/mjfg

Well here is the selection of blocks that I received from our recent swap. They are great. These will make a cozy quilt. I can't wait to see what the next swap might entail. Who made the blocks on the right hand side? There were no names attached.

RED WHITE and BLUE

Check it out. I received these blocks in a swap I did with my many friends at mjfg connection. Now it is a work in progress. I am still machine quilting. We swapped 8 1/2 inch blocks. Red white and blue, as you can see. Without a border it is about 40 X 40. I will most likely add a 1 1/2 or 2 inch boarder to it. Some of the blocks were hand sewn. Some were hand embroidered. Some machine. There is a foundation pieced one. Oh, the watermellon has these cute seeds sewn on them. They are all unique. What do you think? These ladies do nice work.

Fall Theme Blocks

Here are the 12 1/2 inch blocks I have made for mjfg connection swap. Something is wrong with the camara. The colores are messed up. They should be brown, orange and yellow. The darker block should be dark green with dark reds. I will have to re take this photo when I have some time.

What do you think?

Getting better with each day

Its been a week or so since I last posted anything...
Jeff was released on Sunday the 2nd of September. He was never happier to get home!
We are both doing better now. Well I am almost back to normal. I have little or no pain. I can't lay in my stomach yet, but I am doing well. I drive and even went out to the fabric shop for two hours the other day. I will see the doc on Monday for my checkup. He will tell me when I can return to work.
Jeff is doing better too. They removed all the staples on Wednesday. He can now wear his jeans. He is in some pain still. His incision area is a little tender and bruised. His legs are the real problem. Now his joints are bothering him. He goes though bouts of real pain in the knees and hips. We were told that could be caused by some of his meds. I believe it is the Prednisone, one of the three anti-rejection medications he will be taking for the rest of his life. But they are slowly lowering his dose each week. He started off at 20mg twice a day and is now down to just 25mg once a day. Monday he is to start taking 20mg once a day. For the pain he can take an extra strength Tylenol or if it is real bad he takes an Oxycod or better known as Percocet. (they put me in la la land) I will stick to the Tylenol.
Yesterday was Jeff's first time driving since the 13Th of July. He dropped off the cycler equipment. That is a piece of his life he never wants to see again.
This first month Jeff needs to go to the clinic/hospital twice a week. I believe in October he will be going only once a week. And then every other week. They need to keep a close watch on his blood work and kidney function. So far everything is good. Lets just hope it stays that way for a long, long time.

Home and healing

On Wednesday the 29th of August my husband and I left the house at 5:00am for the Hospital. My surgery started at 8:00am. I was told they took Jeff about an hour after me. I have to tell you that up till they rolled me in the the operating room I was ok. But once I saw all the equipment and large round lights it hit me. I was very nervous and scared. I almost started to cry. Two seconds later I was freezing cold and shaking in the recovery room. I don't remember any thing. One moment they say they are will give me something to relax and the next it is all over. I wake up with two things on my mind. How is my husband and can I see my daughter. In reality it was about two hours or more.
About 45 minutes after being in recovery I was in a regular hospital room.
Two or three hours after that I got up. And yes I was in pain. I needed to see Jeff. I hobbled down to his room to make sure he was ok.
I had to see that everything went well. And it did. He looked great. He looked healthy and glowing. I can not believe what a change it made just in his completion. My daughter took a sneak peek too. She said the same thing. He looked good. And he was awake too! I talked only a minute and hobbled back to bed. I was hooked up to an IV and a catheter. (yuck)
I came home on Friday the 31st. Very sore and stiff. Can't bend over. My stomach is bloated with the gas they used during the operation. Its mostly gone now. Jeff might be home on Sunday the 2nd of September or maybe the 3rd. He is doing well. He is having a little problem walking still. But that will get better.
Women were meant to give life. That is what our bodies were made for. Well I gave two. The first is a wonderful daughter. She might not always clean her room, but when mom needs help she is there. And the second is my husband. Without a new Kidney his life would have been shortened. I do not know what I would do if I ever lost either of them.

Where in the world is my sewing machine??

Well its Sunday. In three days we will be having surgery. Hmmmmm.......I'm not too worried about myself. although they told me last week that I will be in a lot of pain. Yuck! I am not happy about that . But they are only removing my kidney, its Jeff that worries me. I pray that everything is perfect. I pray that the kidney takes and there are no problems. I pray there is no rejection . I pray that his legs get stronger. I pray for a quick recovery for him.

I will be in only for a few days. Jeff will be in for about a week. So what do you do when you and your husband are going in for surgery? Think about other things like "Where in the world is my sewing machine??" It was down her last week. I am going to have to clean this mess up when I am back on my feet.

Fun and Funky blocks

One of the swap groups I am in is Seasonblockswap in Yahoo groups. In this group I am hosting a block swap. I call them Fun and Funky blocks.

Here is one of my Fun and Funky blocks. I love these blocks. They are so easy to make. Start with a 6 1/2 inch center. Then add two 2 inch boarders. Trim them up and you have a 12 1/2 inch block.

I will be using some 6 1/2 inch 9 patch blocks and a few 6 1/2 inch charms to make a large lap quilt. Or maybe I will make a full size quilt. We will just have to wait and see..

More about My Husband

More about Jeff This is a compilations of notes I posted on MaryJaneFarmGirl connection. I will say it again, they are a great group a ladies.
Monday the July16th I went in for my final testing. EKG, X-rays to make sure my heart and lungs are normal. Oh and 24 hour urine sample. To see if my kidneys function normally. And of course one more set of blood work. They like to take 6 vials at a time. So far I have had an excellent phlebotomist. She does it in one stick. They do this to make sure our blood stays compatible. Also to make sure there are no antibodies killing each other off when they mix our blood. After that we wait a week or so for all the results. If they come back OK my next and final test will be an ultrasound or cat scan of my kidneys. That may actually be done the day of surgery. That will depend on the doctor and his staff. With the scan, the doctors will choose which one to use. I guess they will be looking for any thing that could get in the way of moving it. Extra blood vessel or fatty matters or anything like that.I am really not too stressed over the whole thing yet. I have it in my mind that I am a perfect match. That everything will go smoothly and He will be back to his normal self in no time......So for the good news… Monday the 16th as Jeff was with his doctor, I went in for some final donor tests. On 19th of July morning I got the phone call and I was told it was a go! I am a perfect donor candidate for my husband. I am so glad. I now have to have a physiological exam. To see if I am stable, mentally fit. (I am a little crazy, but ain't we all?) Then a cat scan or MRI of my kidneys so they can see which one they want. They will take the better of the two. This test was done on the 31st of July. If all goes well, and I pray it will, by September my husband could have a new kidney! We have to check the hospital surgical calendar. We have not told the families yet about me even being tested as a donor, except for my daughter. She wanted to be tested too but I asked her to wait to see about me first. As a mom you don’t want your child put to any harm. She is 22 and can do as she pleases, but she is a good kid and still listens to me, (most of the time) Jeff is not her biological father. But sometimes you can’t tell. She works side by side with him when she is having car trouble. He taught her to change a tire and even change the oil in her car. I think that’s great. She cries when we talk about his problems. She laughs when he tells a joke. She gives him father’s day cards. He is a great father to her.A date has been set. August 29th my husband and I will be gong in for surgery! Yeah! He is so happy. I am so happy too. I guess I should also say that we are so lucky too. Many people are not so lucky. Donation can take years and years. Finding the right person is not as easy as a family member. So family's can not donate to each other. Some people don't have family at all.Monday the 30th I go in for a cat scan. This is the final test. They will choose which kidney to use. I also need a psychological or mental test/review, to make sure I am stable. And I am sure they will want more blood.( I keep saying final test but they always seem to come up with just one more every time them call me.)......So a date has been set. Jeff and I go in on the 29th of August at 6am. My kidney will be removed and placed in him....Now is the time to truly pray...

News about my husband

Early January 2007 my husband was feeling very tired, He had had a cold from November that just would not go away. He had his good days and bad days. He went to work. He did the normal thing of seeing his doctor and taking antibiotics. Then on February 3rd I went to my sisters early in the morning to take a quilt class with her. She lives about 80miles north of us. About 4pm I called home to let my husband know I was on my way back. He answered the phone from bed. I know he had a cold and was not feeling all that well. I asked him if he was in bed all day. And he said yes. Except to make a little breakfast and use the bathroom. He said he was just totally exhausted.On Monday February 5th I made him go to the doctor. They did the normal slew of blood work.I believe it was Wednesday February 7th 2007 my Husband was diagnosed with end stage renal failure (Kidney failure). He needs to go on dialysis. And here all along we thought it was just a bad cold or flu.On February 9th my Husband went to the hospital to have a plastic tube or catheter placed into his abdomen. This allows a sterile mixture of sugar and minerals (dextrose) to flow through the catheter into his abdomen or Peritoneal cavity. Waste and toxin that are normally filtered through your kidneys are drawn into the solution. The therapy he is on is called Continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis (CCPD) Hemo-Dialysis is more commonly known to people. That’s when they filter your blood. With Peritoneal Dialysis a machine automatically pumps dialysis solution into his peritoneal cavity and drains it several times during the night while he sleeps. He is attached to the machine for about 9 hours at night. Each fill is about the amount of a two litter bottle of soda. It can be very uncomfortable for him. He dwells for about an hour or so and them is drained. This is repeated 6 times during the night. Bottom line, he needs a new kidney. The waiting period can be any where from 5 to 7 years. The longer you are on dialysis the worst you get. He has to watch everything he eats. He is to have little or no potassium or sodium. But should eat high protein.He has only been on since March but his over all stamina is not so good. He is tired most of the time. His legs are very weak. Walking up stairs is becoming a chore. But he goes to work everyday. He does field service. He works on large pieces of equipment that keep large office building and hospitals running. Sometimes he is in a waste water treatment plant or a steal milling plant. Large plastic manufactures and corrugated box plants.He loves his old cars and motorcycles. But now when he gets down on the garage floor, he can almost not get back up. It is very sad. We only go on short bike rides mostly because I am afraid that when he come to a stop, he wont be able to hold the bike up. I have all I can do to lift my bike, there is no way I could lift his. Sometimes he tells me he wants to sell everything. All his toys as I call them. Then other days when he is feeling good he can’t wait for the weekend to work on the bikes or cars. He is restoring his pickup and has most of the sheet metal in the garage ready to go. For the most part my husband is in good spirits. I don't let him see me sad. So sometimes when I rush things its only because I dont know how much time I will realy have.I have been told that I am a prime candidate as a donor. I will be having a few more tests done next week. I had a number of viles of blood drawn already two weeks ago. Now these last tests will tell us if its a go or not. If I am physically able to donate. I am only 44, so I think I will be ok.I am also told that as a donor my body will experience less trauma then giving birth. I guess if I can have a 7 pound baby then a 2 ounce kidney will be a walk in the park. If the tests come back good, we will be setting a date for surgery. If they are not good, we will be looking for another kidney. They tell me if another couple is in need and we match each other, we can swap. I would give to that person and that person’s donor would give to my husband. There was a case just last year in Maryland where there was a set of 5 couples that swapped. Can you imagine?
I first told this to my friends at MaryJanesFarm Connection. What a wonderful group of ladies. Now I figured it was to time to share this with everyone.

Some of my completed quilts

Above are some of my lap quilts.

My Blog is Up and Running

Well this is my first ever blog.

The reason for my blog is to show everyone things what I am working on and or have finished.

In the days to come I am going to post a number of photos of my "stuff" and even a few family photos. (they are going to love that)