The Month is Running Out

Goodness it's the last week of July, in my heart I am doing cart wheels though in reality I am just counting the days until September when the gallbladder is to be removed.  I'm sick of feeling sick and even though I have a few good days most of the days are miserable. When I say good days I mean the nausea isn't too bad, sitting upright for a few hours without pain is possible, and I can drink more than a few sips of water, leaning forward is not a good idea ever right now.  The bad days I won't mention except to say there are more of those then the good days.

This week we have been blessed with glorious rain daily which helps my potted plants thrive so much I ached inside to see them struggle in the heat and humidity earlier in the month when watering with the watering can at lease kept them living. 

I haven't been able to transplant them into larger pots and the raised beds never came to fruition due to being hit with the annoying illness in March just before I was going to put in the beds.

In May the palm tree in the front yard blossomed this for lack of knowledge of what it is I'll just say a flower of sorts, I believe the poisonous berries that were there last summer will eventually come out of the flower.  I haven't even noticed if they were there this year yet so I don't have photo.

UPDATE: Here are the berries:

Well it's time for a cup of tea and some crocheting while I feel up to it.  I am still working on the Granny stitch shawl I started months ago and finally have the energy this evening to put in a few stitches.

It could have been finished a while ago but I like my shawls on the larger size so I can really wrap myself in a soft hug.

A Little Bit of Slow Stitching and a Few Good Reads

Our rainy season is upon us and late afternoon on the 2nd of July lightening hit in the area and took out my modem I spent about an hour on the phone mostly on hold trying to arrange to have a new modem shipped to me but first I had to wait 24 hours for the technicians in the area to make repairs.  The next day I was able to order the modem and pushed for it to be shipped asap as I work from home and depend on the modem to do business.  The rep kept telling me it wouldn't go out till Monday or Tuesday but after several discussions the modem arrived on Monday, with a big stoke of luck the line the modem was attached to worked just fine.  Since living in Florida I have lost many small appliances not to mention 4 or 5 landline phones, usually the answering machine.  One motherboard and a computer.  Two years ago only the sound on my TV.  During the summer months or times when we have heavy thunder I normally unplug the TV, Modems, and Computers until the storm passes, Florida is the lightening capital of the world so a strike is inevitable even with surge protectors.

 On the medical front it seems my gallbladder will have to be removed as it is no longer functioning, one of the test I had shows me at 1% normal is 35% and above, I am hoping this is the reason for the intense pain and trips to the hospital aside from the aschemic colitis.  I don't want to think about it too much until the surgery is done and that isn't going to happen until sometime in September. UGH!

I recently read a few fun light mystery books.

Well after weeks of illness and not being comfortable enough to sit up long enough to do any hand embroidery last week I was finally able to sit up for a little while and I pulled out an old pattern I had prepped on fabric to stitch. (I usually have a few small pieces prepped to stitch).  The pattern was offered free from Crabapple Hill Studios, I just love the cute snowman and witch.

 The Spellcaster's Garden fabric panel in the photos below are the newest line of fabrics by Meg Hawkey of Crabapple Hill Studios, I just love her patterns especially the witches, there will be several hand embroidery patterns to go along with the fabrics soon.  In the meantime I am enjoying the time spent hand embroidering the snowman and witch.

 I couldn't resist buying the fat quarter bundle to go along with the panel, oh the bundle also includes a panel.

These are a few close up shots of my favorites in the bundle:

These are next on my to read table

The wool applique kit is a project I am working along with a stitch a long info here https://www.calicopatch.net/woolen-oak-wool-applique-mystery-stitch-a-long.htm each pattern is free as a download and each shop offers a kit or one type or another. You do not need the kits to take part.  This is block #5, it is the piece I saw in my Facebook timeline posted by Valdani Threads and I just wanted to make one.

The above photo is the original block done by Shawn York of Rusty Crow https://www.rustycrow.com/ 
I joined the Facebook Group for the Woolen Oaks Mystery Stitch A Long and these Turkey blocks are just so cute.  The other blocks are quite lovely too here is more info including the shops taking part and when the blocks will be available.

I am also doing the Christmas by the Sea stitch along.  Here is the first ornament  I just had to buy the kit I love anything beach related.

The first pattern is available here: https://hattieanddella.com/products/free-download-christmas-by-the-sea-week-1-star-man?fbclid=IwAR0q322yGirqU9B3g6Zzyo2tEG_Sv9vzmw6qpZG2jfIucX20F0XQjMG-Zp4

And week two pattern is here: https://www.rustycrow.com/

And last but not least from Notforgotten Farm these two witch patterns:

Update: Stitching on the Witch and Snowman piece progress is being made it's slow going but isn't that the point of slow stitching.  Yesterday was a good day as far as pain goes so I was able to sit for about an hour so I did take advantage it.

A little blast from the past July 12th 2015 I started the Hocuspocusville Quilt by Crabapple Hill Studios

I traced all 12 pattern blocks before I began stitching, the first block the potting shed was traced the first time on a tone on tone fabric that was so rough it wore away the tip of my tracing pen so I changed fabric to a plain muslin which I backed with muslin also to give it more stability.  I often back my pieces with another piece of fabric especially muslin.   I will link to Kathy's Quilts today for Slow Sunday Stitching, I haven't link up in quite sometime but I have been reading her blog and checking what others are slow stitching while I have been ill.   https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2020/07/slow-sunday-stitching_12.html

I am...