2023 And my first of the year post

I can't believe how fast time goes by...

the older we get it really does go by THAT FAST!!

Nov., Dec. and Jan. have gone by and no posts from me!!

So what's been happening here? 

Well you would think after 3 months I'd have lots to tell but sadly not. 

But it hasn't been boring either 😁

I really feel lost not making inventory for a show...

I knew I'd feel that way but at the same time relief too.

But I have been working on punch needle though

designing patterns for my website 

and buying patterns from other designers and working them up.
Here's some of my newest designs I made into
patterns - available on my Etsy and Website

'LOVE TOKEN'

'BLUEBELLS and BIRD'

'LEAPS N BOUNDS'

'PLUM TREE'

'HEARTS'

Here's the ones I've punched from patterns I purchased

This one is from Tara Guernsey of Perfect Prim Punch

https://www.etsy.com/shop/PerfectPrimPunch?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=661473068

The next 3 are from her as well

This is showing up quite light but the details are
much better in person

This is from Hickity Pickity
https://www.etsy.com/shop/hicketypickety?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=591272565

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So let me back up here to a couple days after Christmas.
Doug was helping with dinner - we were having scalloped potatoes

and he was using the Mandoline to slice them.
He wasn't even through the first potato when he sliced a chunk out of his thumb.

Well, he's on blood thinners so after about 5 minutes of me not being able to control the bleeding I took him to the ER - we were there for 2 hours with 2 nurses trying to stop the bleeding. He now has a small crater in his thumb...

maybe in time it will fill in but so far it hasn't....but it did heal well.

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On January 20th...I had some major right foot reconstructive surgery. I must say it was far worse than I anticipated. The doctor told me a couple times that it would not be a pleasant surgery, that it was going to be very painful. Guess what?

What you are told and get into your head is far different in reality!!!

IT HURT - the deep bone tissue pain was more than

I've ever experienced and I've had a whole lot of surgeries.

It was a day surgery so we were home by 4:30...by 6:00 I was in the emergency room...Doug went to put ice on my foot and we noticed a red spot on the side of the bandages. He put paper towels on the side but it kept getting soaked so he took me to the emergency room here (my surgery was in Milwaukee and he wasn't going to drive me an hour back to there). By the time we got to the ER the pain had built up and I was crying and shaking so bad! We were there for 2 hours and they gave me 3 injections of Dilaudid and it really calmed me and the pain. The doctor and nurse were so caring and gentle.

The first pictures were from the ER, the last is from last week when the stitches were removed.

Doctor said after the pins are removed my toes

will fall back to a natural alignment.

My whole foot is quite swollen yet.
I just wish the big toe was a bit straighter but
but compared to the 'before', it's great.

The bunion was removed, a plate and screws put in.

The baby toe had a bump off the side of the foot.

The bone was being pushed out so that was removed.

The three toes with pins had the bones from the top of my foot to the first knuckles removed.

The tendons behind the toes were cut so the toes will lay flat now.

It is very tiring getting around - I have a boot on my foot/leg and can only put weight on the heel part.  No pressure on the foot at all so it makes my hips and other foot hurt.

This is the first week that I've been up and about on a regular basis,

prior to that I went for my follow up appointments and that is it.
It felt good to go out to eat for lunch on Valentine's Day.

Prior to that I was on the sofa with my leg elevated.

Now I can at least help with meals and a few other things like this week I made Oatmeal Raisin Walnut cookies and I think they were the best ones I've ever made.  But I still have to keep my leg elevated as much as possible to help with swelling.

A few weeks ago I ordered some metal hearts from a friend on FB.

I love that they can be used just about anywhere because she left the string quite long.

It's the one with 7 hearts...I have 6 loose ones coming from her any day now,

not sure what I will do with them though.

The little set of hearts above I bought on FB last year.
Aren't they just sweet?

The this past week I received an order of Cellar Apples from a friend on FB.

They're just nice to have in a wood bowl or basket.
I guess they are a relative of the Filbert nut.

They are not edible though...just for decoration.

Before I leave I want to show you the solution Doug came up with for our fireplace.

We get so much cold air coming down the chimney so he bought a really thick insulation panel and cut a piece to fit into the opening, then he painted it black, put it in, put clear caulk around it and put our fire screen back and walla...no more cold air and it made the temperature rise by 5 degrees and that's huge

 

Blessings to all
Karen

THE BEST TIME OF YEAR

OH YES....FALL, been a long time coming!!!
I'm not one of those warm weather fans, anyone who knows me knows this. Fall could come and STAY!

I have news about my business - I FINALLY decided to stop doing shows.  It's just getting way to hard to do the set up and take down. A show off property is hard enough but when it's in your home it really takes a whole lot of effort.  This is the first year we asked for help taking furniture and things out and shop displays and products up from the basement. When it gets to that point then it's time to stop what is taking you down.  But once the decision was made I felt a relief come over me.
I LOVE doing the show, making the products and seeing my wonderful faithful generous customers - oh my customers....they were so surprised at this revaluation but so agreed.

But that being said, YES, I will still make things as I go along.  Just when I feel like it...sell it...move on to something else.  I want to concentrate on making more of my Civil War era penny rugs and designing punch needle (they have taken a back seat lately).  SO ONWARD I WILL GO and happy about it.

We are trying now to get a vacation in the books.  Nothing big, nothing fancy - just go someplace we've put off for quite awhile.  Thinking it might be the New England states.  It makes us feel so comfortable going that route, seeing nature, antique shops, prim shops...oh what fun is ahead!!!!

This past Saturday was our last show.  We had a fantastic turnout and the weather was perfect Fall weather!!!
Looking at the pictures they aren't that great and it looks like stuff just put anywhere but in person it worked!!!
We had things in the family room, den, kitchen, bath and dining room and all the garlands and dried items were in our E-Z UP  tent. Plus some of the garden items were by the courtyard.

The pictures were taken right after finishing setup - then it was tweaking time...move this here and that there. 

LOL, I see the last remnants of my donut on the counter - and Doug still needed to put the Open flag out.

A friend of ours lets us come out to their place in the country and forge in their acreage for whatever we can find.  We love dried things!!!  We found tons of wild Rose Hips that I de-thorn and remove the leaves, then I bundle them up with kraft tissue paper and tie with twine.

Rose Hips all tied up

Doug is always in charge of the outside and I think he did a great job 'again'!!!

A dear dear friend always give us his dried grungy sunflowers...I LOVE THEM in displays.

Dividing up the cornstalks for all the fence corners

Bundling them up!!!

Corn all tied up for the fences

One thing I did different this year with the gourds was to dye some.

I used Mahogany leather dye, then Briwax....they turned out just beautiful.

A few I did with an undercoat of red then the Mahogany!
Depending on the natural color and patina of the gourd it made the colors come out all different.

So I don't really have a more to chat about because we have been so busy with the show prep this past summer.
I think blogging will get better now that I'm not tying myself down.

Happy Fall

Karen and Doug