Saturday, January 20, 2024

HAS IT REALLY BEEN A YEAR!!!

BEFORE I START MY POST I WANT TO SAY THAT for some reason my post from a year ago seemed to have gotten posted again because I had two comments this week.
I had a new post all done and when I previewed it I only saw the first paragraph - but when I went back into the 'edit' it was all there...it kept doing that the whole time I was creating the post and previewing...but somehow I lost it all except the first paragraph and lo and behold last years must have posted. Anyway...here's my new post
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Well I guess it has been a year!
I don't know how I let so much time get away from me...so this is going to be a LONG ONE!!!
For those of you who saw my foot surgery it was one year ago today.  Foot/toes are doing much better but I still get some pain - doctor said for this kind of surgery I will have healing for quite some time internally.
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For those who have kept up with my posts over the years know that we had our dream home (a dream for us anyway) but a few months ago after some lighthearted talk we decided to sell.  We are getting older and taking care of that much home is tiring and after awhile things need to be done and we just didn't want to put more money into it.  We did the big things like roof, furnace, even updated the electrical box and had the house wired for a generator.  All the big things were kept up with.
The other small things were starting to add up.

So one day in September I said 'we are selling' and it took off from there and was listed the middle of October and sold the middle of November and we moved December 15th to a much smaller place.  A 2 bedroom open concept condo.  Boy did we downsize!!!
But from the moment we moved in we felt at home and comfortable.  Less upkeep and Doug doesn't have to worry about things breaking and needing to be fixed and the big thing...no snow blowing/shoveling snow or mowing a double sized corner lot.
We will however move again come summer.  We needed a place to live when it sold so this place was just built, nice and brand new so we took it and the plus was that we could
do a 6 month lease.  It's in a little town 9 miles up the highway from our town.
We are waiting for a new condo to be finished being built and we will move back to our town for a final move.  It's not ideal to move twice in a year but we so want to be back in Burlington....this condo is built and managed by a corporation and it seems you have ton jump through hoops to get results (although we haven't had any problems yet) whereas the new ones being built are local and we know the builder/owner somewhat so that's a bones.
So you are probably wondering where we put all our furniture....we rented a 10x40 storage unit (very close to the new condos being built that we will be going to)
and believe me it sounds big but it's almost full.
When I packed up our things at the house I kept out just basics to use/live with and packed up the rest for storage.  As it turns out we find that we need just those things...
we need so little to live on.
All of our pictures/framed art is in our sons basement where it won't be effected by extreme temperatures.
Now and then we have had to go to the unit for one thing or another but nothing big.
We didn't put the upholstered furniture or the wood dining chairs there because of fear of moisture so they are here with us. We are fortunate to not need the second bedroom
as a bedroom so the extra things went in there.
And, we didn't bring much at all for décor - it's all still boxed up in the spare room or in storage.  We couldn't see having to pack it all back up again in 6-7 months

This condo is an upper on an end and we have a wonderful view
(we chose it for this reason).
We love activity and seeing things happen.  


There's a natural pond and retention pond that wraps around the front and
side of the complex. We can see the pond.
To the left of the pond/road there's a new children's hospital
being built - we like seeing the progress weekly.
Just outside the unit there are some business's - pizza restaurant, bowling, burger place and a few other business's.  So there's lots of activity by us.

Living area



Dining area



Kitchen

Main Bedroom


Main Bath

Guest Bedroom
We are using it as our office and my sewing space
Our large black desk is in storage.  It was way too large to bring to an upper



Guest Bath

So there's the short grand tour
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Prior to moving we purchased a new chair...we loved the fabric and style but after getting it we realized it sat too deep for us - we are both rather short.  So we sold the chair and purchased a new one from a shop up north from us.  And we love the chair.  The fabric of it is actually one of the samples we had to choose from when we bought the other chair - guess this one was meant to be after all.
If you are in the Wisconsin Rapids, WI area visit Joni's shop
https://www.facebook.com/countryfreckleswi

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While we were at the shop buying the chair I also bought some more wool for my penny rugs and hooked rugs - and I bought another hooked rug pattern.  I probably shouldn't have because I have 3 more I bought this past year I haven't started plus two that are works in progress.  I have good intentions but preparing for my craft show every year seems to take over my time.  Which by the way I have decided to stop doing.  I'm getting too worn out when I do them and poor Doug has to do all the heavy work.  I will continue though with punch needle, penny rugs and hooked rugs to sell.


These are the one's I bought this past year that need to be started
I think I had better stop buying patterns



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This past year I had a special order for a penny rug.  She wanted this specific design and colors.  It was fun but the angles and measuring gave me lots of stress.
She loved it though and so did I once it was finished.  She's been a great customer over
the years ordering many special order penny rugs. 

I just sent one out to her this past week that she special ordered.


I've been keeping busy with my penny rugs and designing punch needle patterns.
I added some winter/Christmas ones to my Etsy shop in October....
I also have some sweet heart patterns!!!
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The middle of October our granddaughter Alexandra got married in New Orleans.
It was a destination wedding....we didn't want to go at first being it was so far away for a down and back plus our house was to go live on-line that day....
but we are so happy we went.
It was a short 4 hour wedding at Rosys' Jazz Hall...but like a fairytale, so beautiful.  We stayed in a huge Air B&B with our son Dan/wife Jamie and her parents and brother.  It was a gorgeous home and gated so we felt very comfortable.

Alexandra, Jade and their family Zayne and Kira





Zayne loves and dotes on his sister so much it melts your heart!!!
He's a huge protector and big brother.


Thank you so much for sticking with this to the end...I warned you at the start it was long lol
Blessings
Karen


Sunday, February 19, 2023

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

The next 3 are from her as well


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


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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