I CAN Sew

The sewing area is now finished.

The last thing to go in was the ceiling light and then attaching the counter to wall with the chests underneath. Last night everything was together and I was able to put everything away where it belongs.

And the first thing I saw out the window was this:

Maybe its a sign?

To tell you the truth I never would have thought I would have a sewing area, not in a million years. I never liked to sew because things just never worked out. If I had to read the directions, and it was difficult, I just did it on my own. And if I didn’t have to read directions, well my day was made! I can’t remember what grades I got in home-ec nearly 40 years ago, but it probably wasn’t straight A’s.

My mom is much better at sewing. She can stitch something up and it looks very professional when she is done. It might be the years she’s invested in the learning, but I also have to think that she is just a natural at it.

Recently when I started using the embroidery machine I decided I COULD sew, at least I was going to try. So I’ve made a couple of things, and they still look like a 7th grader made them, but I’m going to keep trying. Now with this new sewing area I feel like I have room to really work at what I’m doing. So things have to look up from here!

Thanks for listening ~

Oh Let the Sunshine In!

The first cut for my new window.

You would never know it is nice and bright outside.

I went outside to check the progress.

Now to finish the cutting.

Almost finished.

And there you go!

Now to make sure it is even and level.

Sure lets a lot of light in now.

Then I had to step on the dog leash,

while cutting ensued from the outside.  The dog would have wrapped herself around the ladder.

Now the window looks great from the inside,

and from the outside.

Framed in and caulked.

Now to finish the inside.

Time to let the mud dry.

The cat decided he wanted to look out and left his paw prints in the window……  Had to apply more mud.

The window, and the rest of the sewing area will be finished next week.  Yippee!

Thanks for listening ~

Things - They are a Changing

The counter is upstairs and sitting on the cabinets.  My sewing room is nearing completion.

Next step is to attach the counter to the wall.  We bought the window today.  It will go in tomorrow!    Watch for the new pictures.

Emily is doing much better.  She still had a bit of a fever today but she is off oxygen and seems to be getting back to normal.

 A couple of weeks ago Emily was pretending to sing to a music video.  She really got a kick out of it.  We got a kick out of it too.

Thanks for listening ~

Tough Tough Week

Emily’s had a very tough week.  She’s been struggling with the cold that I had.  When Grace had it she was sick for about 2 weeks.  This was Emily’s first week with it.  Thursday night was awful.  I spent the night in Emily’s room till she finally settled, which was in the early morning.  She was acting like she was in a lot of pain, as well as having trouble breathing.  It is difficult to watch her try to deal with pain.  That is what I hate the most about her disabilities.

Yesterday we started her on steroids for her breathing problems.  She was a little more relaxed during the day (probably due to the pain meds that I gave her the night before…. just kicking in?).  Today she is much more relaxed but started the morning out with a seizure.  She had a seizure last night also.  At least she is not in pain.

Grace and I went out to the pasture to fly a kite on Wednesday afternoon.  What fun!  Sorry, no pictures this time.  I didn’t take my camera out there with me.  The wind was whipping up so much we didn’t have to do anything to get the kite in the air.  It was cool out but the sun was trying to shine.  Hasn’t been sunny here in a week or more.  It was nice to be out in the sun.  I see my neighbor’s tulips are blooming. (pictures of that later)

Did I tell you its sunny outside today?  Yippee.  Frost on the ground though.  Wonder what is still alive in my garden.  The plants are so small yet.  I thought I saw a mole hill in the garden.  I haven’t been out to inspect it yet.

There is a Daffodil parade going on today.  Maybe we can get down there to watch it.  Maybe, its 37 outside….. 

Thanks for listening ~

Breathe Deep, it’s a Migraine

I’ve had migraines for at least the last 35-40 years.  Seems that the older I got the more difficult time I have had managing those awful headaches.  In the last couple of years I would have 2-3 migraines a week.  No fun.  The medication I used to get rid of the migraine would cause other problems.  For me it was severe muscle cramping.

Last fall I changed doctors.  I had been to the new doctor once already when I suddenly had a heart problem during the worst migraine I’d ever had.  When I went to the doctor she asked me about the migraines and the medicine I was using.  She told me to stop taking the migraine medicine that I had used to alleviate the episodes each week.  This could have caused my heart episode.  Her suggestion was to try oxygen.

I’d never heard of using oxygen for a migraine, but I was game.  I went home and with the next migraine I tried the oxygen.  8 liters for 15 minutes was the dose.  It worked!  Wow!

I had an appointment a couple of weeks later to have a treadmill test.  That day I had a whopper of a migraine and I couldn’t take the oxygen with me.  So I took a small dose of pain medicine and went to my appointment.  I was miserable.

A treadmill stress test is difficult.  That is putting it mildly.  And with a migraine I felt like I just wanted to die.  However, as I got to the end of the test, wanting to vomit and feeling like I was going to pass-out, the migraine seemed to be getting weaker and weaker.

Of course the stress test caused me to breath deeper and faster, and I used lots of oxygen just trying to get through the test.  This got me to thinking about my oxygen need.  I had to wonder if I took a number of deeper breaths during the day would this help my situation?

That was in November, and at least 2+ migraines a week.  Since then I spend a little time each day taking very deep breaths.  And when I do get a migraine I start the oxygen right away.  I can’t use the 8 liters of oxygen as was suggested because it burns my nose up.  But I turn on 5 liters of oxygen and use it for about an hour. 

Now, after these months of breathing deep and using oxygen the migraines are less than 1 a week.  I no longer use migraine medicine because I’ve had at least a 99% success rate with the oxygen therapy in stopping the migraine.  I never would have thought this possible.  I am SO thankful. 

So any of you out there who have migraines, take a very deep breath, literally, and then ask your doctor about oxygen therapy.  It really works. 

Thanks for listening ~

Stitching it Together, Sort of

I’ve been under the weather lately so I haven’t done as much as I’d like to with getting my sewing area together.  I bought two cabinets with drawers to go under my sewing counter.  They were a great price, but I have to put them together.

This cabinet actually has 3 drawers.

My new counter.  This will be put in after the window goes into the wall.

Now to put the other cabinet together….. More pictures soon.

Thanks for listening ~

Spring Break

We’ve started our Spring Break here this week.  Although we are still recovering from the worlds worst head/chest cold, we still have time for fun.

We went to a Gymnastics place that was open for a play-day.

Grace jumped,

and rode the slide,

again and again,

while Emily and nurse Bryn watched.

Grace swung on the rings,

and on a rope.

She tried a balance beam,

and then the taller one.

And finally she learned to

 

do this!

And all that packed into an hour!

Thanks for listening ~