IM IN PENNSYLVANIA

Hi everyone...well, I'm in Valley Forge, PA right now - and no camera!
It has been such a busy week heading into Milwaukee to see Darren and then leaving yesterday for out here.

Doug and I got all packed up in the morning and then stopped at Kohl's to pick up some Henley shirts for Darren to fit over his neck brace and then were going to head on up to see him before heading out...well we got a call from MaryAnn that he was going to be released in an hour!
It takes an hour just to get there and we needed to check out yet so I will say it was a quick run through the line and on the road.

Amazing that he was released so soon...dr. said he looked good and that his attitude is so positive and it was okay to leave.

His only real problem right now is the lack of use of his right arm...lots of nerves and muscles were pushed aside to get to the vertebra so there is bound to be some slowness - it's not uncommon anyway...but he can't lift it up but about 6-7 inches and can't grasp utensils well. Therapy will improve it. But that's all the side affects he got out of it thank goodness.  Oh, the blood clot between the lungs and esophagus will dissolve so that pressure is lessening for him.

So after hugs and kisses Doug and I were on our way around 2:30. We decided to break up the 15 hour trip in two days instead of the one day like normal. And we're glad we did...IT RAINED FROM THE TIME WE LEFT OUR HOUSE AND IS STILL RAINING.
When we were trying to find our hotel it was raining so hard you couldn't see and the streets were flooding...haven't seen this much rain in a long time.

Tomorrow morning we're going to the Cash & Carry Buyers show and then we head on into Lancaster for 2-3 days.

Guess I won't have pictures with no camera...I forgot several items this time. Guess I had a few things on my mind! lol

So here I have posted a few in a row with no pretties!
When I get home I promise I will try and find something of interest and fun.

Have a great week everyone and I'll try and get on your blogs soon.
Karen

BEEN GONE/WILL BE GONE

Evening everyone....I haven't been on much again lately because of orders but most of all because our oldest son, Darren - daddy to Aidan, had some very serious surgery today.

I don't know what the procedure was called but he had the top three vertebra fused together.
For a very long time now his arm has been almost numb and he has constant headaches...final word was he needed surgery.

After getting in there today they did more scraping than they thought they would do and also there was a huge bone spur (Calcium deposit) in the way as well.

They went in from the left front and moved EVERYTHING to the right side to work on the vertebra - the nerves were being severely pinched and a couple years down the line or sooner it could have caused paralysis.

They took him up at 10:30 - he went into surgery at a little after 11 and came down to his room in the Neuro ICU unit at 3:15.

He's a hurting fella but morphine is helping him. He thought he would be able to come home tomorrow (yeah, right!) but they said at least 4-5 days. Tomorrow he may get out of ICU if there's no bleeding to be found.

So that's where we spent our entire day. We just got home and are pooped. I pray he gets a good nights rest although the solid neck brace that he is wearing and has to wear for the next 5 weeks may cause more distress than he wants.

Then depending on his progress Doug and I are supposed to be heading for Pennsylvania either Friday or Saturday for the Wholesale Show on Sunday...so I won't be around much this coming weekend and part of the week.

I know I haven't been too exciting lately....I'm even disappointing myself! lol

I just might get a picture of my snowman pillow on tomorrow if I get a chance to take a picture.

Hugs to all!
Karen

SMALL FIND AND JUST SAYING HI

This has been a very busy week sewing and getting orders out and now I’m sewing items for my HOME SHOW.
I have 6 round Penny Mats cut out and almost finished along with some adorable Snowman Pillows (which I have to take a picture of and then I’ll post it).

Doug headed on a delivery to PA yesterday so it’s just me, the needle and two kitties.

Saturday we went to a craft show at our two grandchildren’s grade school and it really was a nice one  - NOTHING PRIMITIVE OR COUNTRY but the crafters still had some very nice items. I did find one booth that had VERY LITTLE FOR PRIMITIVES and so I picked up one of the items. They are tart melts but different than ones I’ve seen before so I just had to get them…you know how that is, right???
They were $10.00 for 12. Oh, the scent is Creme Brule – yummmmy.

   

Boy, when I don’t get out of the house and just sew not much happens for me to post! lol

So with that I will say HI TO EVERYONE and I will visit everyone eventually!

Karen

BLOGGER TROUBLES AGAIN???

Just a quick note to say that I have tried to post comments on some of your blogs but when I click the comment link the box just sits there all white...nothing will come up.

It's so frustrating after several tried that I just give up.

Not sure why it does it but it does. Do any of you get this now and then?

So I'm not ignoring you, it's just that it won't let me do it! I will keep trying though that's for sure.

Bless you all!
Karen

BEAUTIFUL BASKETS!

Friday I received a huge box in the mail…I found it at my front door when I went to get the mail. I knew I was getting my baskets from Pam of PRIMITIVEBASKETCASE http://primitivebasketcase.blogspot.com/ and was surprised at the size of the box…I new I ordered three baskets in a swap we did but wow, huge!

I had no idea the size of them…I am so delighted and can’t wait to put them up, hopefully on my family room beams. Oh they are just beautiful as those of you who have received Pam’s talent already know. So here’s what I received….aren’t they gorgeous!

BASKET GROUP

 
ROBIN’S EGG BLUE SHAKER BASKET

 
BLACK SHAKER BASKET

RED EGG BASKET

Here’s another of my sheep with blanket that was a special order from a girl who lives here in Burlington. She wanted just stars on it – these things have been walking out of here – I’m on my second batch from Justina from Peper Creek Gatherings http://pepercreekgatherings.blogspot.com/.
She has done such a wonderful job on them. Thanks Justina.

Have a super wonderful day and week – I’ll be visiting all of you soon – maybe not on the same day but I do make my rounds and do catch up now and then. For me, I’m staying in and sewing and not have a single sound in the house…not turning on the TV till evening and no radio either…I love the quite!!!!

P.S. I see my following is growing by leaps and bounds…Thank you everyone for giving me the confidence that my blogging is not in vain.

But you know….I’d do it anyway because it’s an outlet for me to share what I love whether it’s crafting, my home or just plain ‘talking’ – it’s wonderful having friends who share the same things.

Big hugs to all, Karen

BUSY WEEKEND!

I thought I’d not be on here again for a little while but I just have to share with you the adorable Table Runner/Mat for a special request customer…it’s a pattern I’ve had for quite a long time and finally had a chance to use it…my Country Sampler friend, Rachel, asked for a Cat runner…she chose this one.

The finished size is 11” x 22” and I love how it looks on my table…but I guess it has to be mailed out.
Will I ever get one of my own creations???? I don’t think so! lol

This is a Brenda Gervais design called ‘Halloween Happenings’

And….we finally got our Snowman Head Jar Toppers finished too. My dear husband has the war wounds to prove that we did indeed make most of the item….those glue guns sure are hot -  poor guy…hit the same spot twice and lost skin!!!  Now he’s out of commission…LOL – oh I shouldn’t snicker….it could have been me and then my sewing would have taken me even longer.

Have a great Sunday and talk again soon I hope.
Karen

LAST ONE FOR AWHILE…..

(Update to heading)
MAYBE THE HEADING IS MISS-LEADING….I WILL BE HERE – JUST NOT AS OFTEN  FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON…I don’t want anyone to think I’m not going to post because I know me and I can’t stop blabbering! lol So keep coming back to check – I’ll find something now and then….so that being said, here’s the rest of the original post.

This is the start of my busy holiday season so you probably won’t be seeing much of me around here for a bit…..I will pop on now and then to visit blogs but there won’t be much happening in my world. I don’t expect to see much going on except sewing.

I received a few good sized orders and need to get my ‘stock of merchandise’ going or I won’t have a show the end of November.

I got a surprise package in the mail just a few minutes ago and it was the ‘promised’ Bittersweet from Linda at :  http://simplycountryseasons.blogspot.com/  She read my Bittersweet dilemma and shipped off a box of it to me. How sweet is that – and she was so generous….just look at the wonderful cluster she sent. I guess I’ve never seen real up close Bittersweet before but this is beautiful. I’m going to be watching it daily till it pops! THANK YOU LINDA.

I did finally get my second batch of Jar toppers done – this time they have the Jack-O-Lantern face and I just love the look! They aren’t even spooky…just cute. I don’t like creepy spooky. I made 24 of them yesterday and have 12 left.

 

I also had an order from an Australian lady for one of my sheep with a Saltbox blanket of it….I’m loving this one!

In June when we took our last Pennsylvania trip it was to go to Doug’s cousins daughter’s graduation. Kylee is just the sweetest girl I have ever met – she and I bonded 7 years ago when on a cruise her mother had an aneurism on the second day out and was taken by motor boat to the port of Jamaica and then flown by a hospital jet to Ft. Lauderdale hospital where she spent 8 weeks in the hospital. I was called when it happened and was asked if I could come out and take care of Kylee and Grandma Myrt while they were in Fort Lauderdale so I did.

I spent the 8 weeks there and although it was stressful worrying about Linda, I had a great time with Kylee – she was just 11 then and it was dance lessons, Viola lessons, Piano lessons and just girlie things for that time.

Kylee has a special place in my heart and has from the day they brought her home from the Philly airport when she arrived in the US from Korea at age 10 months as daughter to John and Linda…what a proud day.

Oh, Linda came home in perfect health and went back to teaching that term. Amazing when she had 4 aneurisms during her time in the hospital plus 2 surgeries. She’s a walking miracle with no side effects.

So here are Kylee and me at her Graduation party and the whole family (Linda’s mother, Doug’s aunt Myrt) last month when they were back home here in Wisconsin visiting aunt Myrt. John and I are the same age…we were out to dinner celebrating our 65th birthdays.

Oh, one last thing….I just received a picture of the Saltbox/Sheep window hanging that I did special order. She sent the most wonderful note along with it and she LOVES IT. In the picture it looks lighter than the original on the left but they are the same color…it’s the light coming through the window.

So I think that’s it for me for now….I know this was a long one but I had to get it all in. You never know thought…something good might come up that I just have to chat about…lol   Let’s hope, huh?
Karen