Sister's Choice Quilts

Got To Change My Ways

Well.  I had my annual physical this past week and just got the results of my blood work. 

Let's just say I've had a bit of a wake up call.  Cut back on the carbs, eat more fresh fruits and veggies, consider exercise more than a theory, and maybe take a multi purpose vitamin.

I've never been a believer in vitamins.  Those big ol' horse pills that smell so funky?  Fuggetaboutit.  I get all the news I need on the weather report.  I mean, I get all the vitamins I need from my normal diet, right?  Umm.  Maybe not.

My doctor ordered a new test this time, one I haven't had before.  A test that measures the vitamin D in your body.  Have any of you had this test?  I had never even heard of it!  I suppose when one gets to a certain age, bone density, calcium, vitamin D is a concern. 

My level of Vitamin D was so low it is a miracle I don't have rickets.

So, major changes ahead.  Greek yogurt every day, vitamin D supplements, a multi vitamin, whole grains.  And no pizza deliveries for awhile.

 

Kill Me Now

This could be a wordless post, but of course I can't resist the opportunity to use words when I have the occasion.

I just do not know what happened to me over the past two months.  My asthma was acting up this winter, and I lost about 10 pounds.  Bad about the asthma, hallelujah about losing weight.  So, I got back on my meds early this spring, and feel a hundred times better.

Guess I have been celebrating that fact by eating lots of the wrong kinds of food.  It is quite amazing how quickly one can gain 10 pounds....

The good thing is, we are going into summer, and the best sorts of foods for losing weight are all around me.  You know what I would love?  A good smoothie recipe.  I want one that is Weight Watcher friendly, and not one that equat es to 8 points or something.  A nice smoothie I can whip up for breakfast that starts my day with four or five points max.

Anyone have a smoothie recipe they would like to share?

 

Mixed Bag

My Easter weekend surely was a mixed bag.  On the one hand, we had glorious weather.  On the other, everything that could go wrong seemed to do that.

This was supposed to be the big weekend to move Grandpa into a little cottage on the nearby golf course.  He got through the day just fine, but when he was getting out of the truck at the final destination, he did something to his knee and has not been able to walk since.  Today we will get him to the doctor for xrays to see what he did to himself.  This is a disaster because I cannot lift him and my husband works out of town during the week.  I have a feeling Grandpa  may be going into a rehab center until he can walk again.  What a shame!  He hasn't even set foot into his new house!  I was there for awhile yesterday afternoon, directing the movers on where to place furniture and I know he will love the place once he gets into it.  His windows and back porch look out onto the golf course where one can watch both herds of deer and golfers enjoying themselves.

What little sewing I did took place during Eva's naps on Friday.

I am pretty happy with these Winding Ways blocks!  It takes me about 20 minutes to construct one.  Just look at the secondary circular pattern.  That is just so cool!

Here is something else I am planning on joining in on.  Sinta over at Pink Pincushion is hosting a BOM Rehab group.  Do I ever need that!  The idea is that the participants pick one of their BOMs that is sitting around gathering dust and make one block per week, and post about it on Mondays.  I have several BOMs to choose from (hangs head in shame).  In fact, have I ever finished a BOM?  "Why, I can't recall", she says, not making eye contact. 

Which one to choose?

Why yes, how about that one?

Do Not Try This At Home

Now this seemed like a really good idea at the time.  A home waxing kit.  You can save hundreds of dollars over time by doing your own waxing.  Got a fuzzy chin?  Zip it off in the privacy of your own home.  Got a little mustache going on?  Take care of it yourself and save the $15 bucks you would pay at a salon.  Need to wear a bathing suit on your vacation?  Think you look a bit furry, and it isn't the look you are going for?  Save yourself the embarrassment of having a stranger dealing with your hairy nether regions.  Buy your own Home Waxing Kit!!!

Oh man.

First of all, it takes about 4 hours for the wax to melt and get to the right temperature.  Second, that stuff is darn tricky to work with.  If you aren't careful, that wax gets onto all sorts of things you would rather it didn't.

I tried the lip and chin area first.  I used a teensy little Popsicle stick and managed not to burn myself with the wax, and got those pesky hairs right off in a quick flip of the wrist.  Easy peasy, Bob's your  uncle, I can do this!  Pleased with my success, I decided to move on to shall we say, trickier areas.

Friends, I may have done myself permanent damage.  The bikini area is delicate.  Delicate.  And I am only talking about the upper part of my inner thigh.  I don't know what I did wrong, but I bruised the dickens out of myself.  BIg purple spotty bruises that popped up instantly.  I must not have been holding my flabby thigh skin down firmly enough or something.  Owie, owie, owie, owie, owie.

Mercy.  I won't be trying to wax that area on my own again.  Oooh, man that hurt.  I would show you a picture, but this is a family friendly blog.

Some things just should be left to the professionals.

I am just so thankful I didn't try to wax the area around my eyebrows.  Can you imagine?  Oh dear.

Working From Home

I was not able to go to work today.  On Friday I had an appointment with my doctor for my annual check up.  I am doing pretty well--weight is acceptable, blood pressure a teensy bit high, and cholesterol needs attention.  Nothing major.  Lucky me.  At the end of the appointment, my doctor said "You know, Nicole, they have come out with a vaccination for shingles.  I am recommending it to all my patients of a certain age.  Would you like to have one today?"  Well, as a person who has had major issues with cold sores all her life, I was very excited to think that I may be spared the gruesome effects of shingles, which is a related virus.  I agreed to the shot and that was that.

Until Saturday.  When I developed a patch of shingles on my face.  Now, it is very mild, hasn't spread, and is now just a little red patch, with no active blisters.  Just a little reaction to the vaccine.  I took my acycolvir, which probably totally counteracted the effect of the vaccine, but at least the patch hasn't spread and was lessened considerably in its severity.

Herein lies the problem.  Shingles is related to chicken pox as well as the common cold sore virus.  A person with shingles can't give shingles to someone else, and the virus is not spread by sneezing, coughing, saliva etc.  But, and this is a major BUT, a person with shingles (no matter how mild a case) can give chicken pox to someone who has not had that disease. They would have to get pretty intimate with the shingles blisters, but it could happen.  Weird, I know, but no joke.

So, in all good conscience, I fessed up to the folks at work and said I had a mild case of shingles and had to stay home for a couple of days.  It is now Wednesday (five days after the vaccine) and my doctor says I am no longer contagious, and am perfectly fine to go back to work.  Three of my colleagues at work have never had chicken pox, and were greatly alarmed that I might give it to them if I came back to work too soon.   They threatened to stay home from work themselves if I set foot in the place, doctor's ok or not.  I caused quite a little stir at the work place with my over cautious co-workers.  Just call me Typhoid Mary.

So, I am missing the entire week of work (and the pay I desperately need) and am stuck at home with a little fading red patch on my face. 

I put the time to good use though, and worked on my Wuthering Heights quilt top.  The pattern is Summerwinds by Miss Rosie's Quilt Company.  You start with a center medallion and keep adding borders until the quilt is around 76" square.  I have two borders to go:  a border of stars and a border of squares and rectangles.  Watch me, I could finish this up tomorrow if I work hard.

On the Tuesday Sale front, I didn't sell everything yesterday (major PayPal issues), and have reduced the prices on what I have left.  You can still purchase if you are interested.  No foreign buyers please-- postage is a killer.