title explained

Onward and upward! something that you say in order to encourage someone to forget an unpleasant experience or failure and to think about the future instead and move forward.

My e-mail: jjmiller6213@comcast.net

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

New Year

I always like to get a new cross stitch project to start on New Year's day and work on during the winter months.  This is what I settled on this year--sorry it is blurry, I couldn't enlarge it without the blurs.  The pattern cost $7.50.  I already have all the embroidery yarn I will need the the light blue Aida-14ct cloth.  I think this is going to be complicated, a lot of work and beautiful when it is done.



I got the tree and all the decorations put away.  What I used to do in 3-4 hours, now takes me 3-4 days.  My back is killing me and I know it would get better if I just went to physical therapy, but I can't get motivated to go 2-3 times a week--even though the place is only 1 mile away from home.
GEEZ LOUISE--I am such a stick-in-the-mud!!!  It still surprised me that I was strong enough this year to do it all in one day.

Today I did 6 loads of laundry, vacuum, dusted and cleaned, living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom and put my hanging room divider back up, without dropping any of the blown glass balls.  Have hauled out two cans of rubbish for tomorrow pick-up and tomorrow I WILL start on this room.

I can't even bring myself to show you a photo of this room.  There are papers and boxes, cocoa mugs, USB port wires--scrapbooks and extra yarn laying all over in here--plus dust is very visible on every surface.  Why I haven't attacked it long before now, is some kind of mystery.

It's simple enough,  start at the doorway and worked my way around clock-wise--to the right.  It does get messy when I am working on a genealogy and have extra folding tables and stacks of print-outs sitting in here, but I don't have that excuse.  I finished my last one and mailed it out on the 21st.

The one I did for the young woman--for free--and have heard nothing back from her.  Which I suppose is typical.  As I remember her, she never said Thank-You all the time (2.5 years) I knew here.  Guess just because she is now 23, she hasn't changed.
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The cute little white cloche hat I made for the baby, wouldn't even fit over her head.  3-6 months size--on the large size of that.  So I am remaking it in 12 months size--hoping that might fit, at least in and through the spring.  
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The latest report I have on Dar--on her 9th doctor.  No one can find anything that resulted from her accident 7 months ago.  Her insurance has dropped her $$$ from the other insurance company.  Her personal injury attorney has told her she doesn't have much of a case, and the Meijer store she worked for is going to fire her.  BUT--even I wonder, why a woman could work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, standing up all the time as a cashier and only after this accident, is she in such pain she can barely walk, sit or sleep.  Could it all be psychosomatic?  

The last time I saw her, she was upset that her son hadn't called or come to visit her Dad.  The son that she kicked out, along with two grandchildren, and told him never to come back again--that son.  She invited her older son to live with her and Dad, while he gets "established" after his last stint in re-hab--the same one she vowed she would never let in her house--and three months later, has found out he is drinking again.

Her 95  year old father is driving her nuts--we ALL knew that would happen--because he HAS to go out either for breakfast, supper or an ice cream cone every day.  No matter what.  When we had the big 9 inch snow storm--she had to call a professional to come clear the driveway and part of the streets in the park so she and Dada could get out onto the road.
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As for Merle and Pearl.  I need to get down and visit them again--maybe tomorrow.  Merle is doing great!  Once his Parkinson's was diagnosed and they got him on the meds for it. he's a new man.  He walks or rides his bike all over the park every day.  His hands don't shake anymore and his voice is clear and strong.  He shovels his own driveway!  Takes out the garbage and -
Just got a phone call from Pearl to come right down!

I ran out of here in my slippers and no coat and walked really fast.  I thought maybe she was in trouble and Merle wasn't home.    

Whew!  Nothing wrong.  Merle and their daughter were grocery shopping and Pearl?  She just wanted to show me a glass butterfly she had bought for herself.

She can't put a complete sentence together without forgetting words.  I try and think of what she might be trying to say, or a place she is trying to tell me about, so I can help.  She is failing and knows it.  She is back at another physical therapy place where they are trying to get her body "opened up", so she can walk better.  She is using a walker and can barely walk with that! She has fallen twice in the grocery store because the cart moves too fast and she can keep up with it, so down she goes onto her knees.  She fell last week, trying to get out of bed and to the bathroom in the middle of the night.  She is so heavy that Merle couldn't get her up, so he had to call 911 to come help.

I feel bad and know she is in a lot of pain, but in reality--it IS her own fault.  A couple of years ago, she mentioned that she just wanted to be in a wheel chair and she stopped moving around very much.  She is at least 80 pounds overweight, which of course is causing pain in her knees and feet.  She mainly sits in her chair and watches TV all day.  Once you stop moving, you're in trouble.  

I have explained it all to her and she knows it.  This is her third physical therapy this year alone, but she never keeps up with it.  Won't do any of the recommended "at home" exercises.

She has someone come in and clean every week and her daughter gets her groceries for her.  I would LOVE to have someone get groceries for me, but.......I purposefully go to Walmart--start at the Pharmacy end of the store and walk up and down aisles on my way to the other side of the store.  I figure that's about the only good exercise I get in the winter and I count my steps.  It's 400 steps from the sports area over to the grocery area.  I know I can walk 400 steps now, so sometimes, I walk in at the grocery door, walk over to the pharmacy and then to the back of the store than over to the grocery side--just to increase my steps.

Pearl relies on her husband and her daughter's a lot.  I don't have that luxury, so I gotta keep my own self in some sort of shape or my goose is cooked!!!

I'm ready for the new year.  My house will be ready for the new year by end of tomorrow.  Bring on the Bowl games and my annual snack plate of Summer Sausage, sharp cheddar cheese, Ritz crackers and Sweet Bread and Butter pickles.

17 comments:

  1. That was a nice, chatty post. Got us all caught up on the park news and gossip. hehehehe

    That looks like a time consuming cross stitch project. What would we do without our winter handwork?

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    1. I have to have some project, or 2 or 3 going at the same time because I tend to get bored with one, so shift on over to the other one. Cross stitch is my favorite though. I do a lot of this in the winter. Summer? Not so much. Gotta have something to do with my hands while sitting, watching TV.

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  2. She has been saying for the last three years that she has to die before Merle because she couldn't get alone with him gone. Sometimes I think she is trying for that end!

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  3. I want to try cross stitch again, I thought maybe I would start with something small! The one you picked is beautiful!!

    I don't put my decorations away until after New Years, and it takes me forever. The hubs helps me, it would take weeks if I had to do it myself!

    I would love to have someone help me clean, I hate that the hubs has to help me!!

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    1. He doesn't mind helping you. If it were the other way around, you would help him. Right?

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  4. I love that summer sausage and cheese, and now that we do low-carb, I can have some.

    You are smart to keep moving. That's what it's all about. I do the same thing: walk up and down the aisles, and I park a long way from the door and walk vigorously to it. I also walk every day for at least 20 minutes. I'm on a tear to get as healthy as possible. We won't talk about the temporary damage I've done over the holidays. :( But January will change all that. Back to clean living.

    Look at you, you're over halfway to getting your place back to "normal." Onward and upward to the new year. May it be a good one for you, Judy.

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    1. The summer sausage, crackers and cheese plate is kind of a tradition for me--on New Year's Day, while watching all the football bowl games. This year, because college bowl games CAN'T be played on a Sunday, I will enjoy this snack on Jan. 2nd.

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  5. Full confession - I love these gossipy posts..and hearing about your neighbors. I feel like I know them all! They are so lucky to have you as a caring person, yet you tell them like it is. We all need that. Sad about Pearl but so many cannot get the idea that they must move to be able to keep going. Haven't heard any mention of John, is he doing alright?
    So glad you got all the Christmas stuff away. That is always such a relief. We got it done right away because the new kittens are in to everything and wouldn't stay off the tree.

    Enjoy your New Year treats and games and may 2017 be a great year for you. Marcia

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    1. The new kitties are adorable!!! How does Ms. G feel about them or haven't they met?

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  6. I used to cross stitch all the time! I have several things I made hanging on my walls at home, plus I also took all of the stuff I made my parents when my dad sold his house to I have that too! Maybe I'll pick it up again when I retire along with taking a yoga class, learning to use my camera, start sewing again, refinish furniture to sell....etc!

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    1. A small project for you--cross stitch a baby "announcement" to hang in the nursery. Those kits are sold in all the craft stores and on-line at Mary Maxim or Herrschners. It has the baby's name, date of birth, weight--all those statistics. I did one for each of my grand babies. They are cute as can be.

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  7. Your cross stitch project is beautiful. My mother will be 80 in June and she still tackles complicated x-stitch projects like these, for every (now) great-grandchild that comes along. She's already done gorgeous pieces for all of her grandchildren. I love x-stitch but haven't done it in a long time. You may have inspired me to pick it up again.

    You crack me up with your running commentary on Dar, Pearl, and Merle. Pearl had better get herself in hand or she'll be down for the count.

    I don't enjoy going to Walmart -- in fact, I've taken advantage of their online shopping where you place your order, pay for it, and go have it loaded into your trunk, and it's FABULOUS -- but like you, I do it for the steps. With my arthritic hips it's difficult but as long as I'm holding onto the basket, I can do several loops around all that retail acreage. I pay my daughter Audrey to clean my house "properly" once every two weeks, but in between I keep everything picked up, bed made, dishes done, laundry done. I don't like clutter but I can ignore dust.

    I don't do football but TG does and I imagine he'll do a lot of watching this weekend and maybe even on Monday, although I don't know if he'll take the day off. I hope he does. I don't even like the sound of football so I'll go upstairs and putter around, maybe while listening to one of my Bette Davis movies (I got a TCM collection for Christmas. Booyah.)

    xoxo

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  8. I can't comment this phone hates me! Enjoyed reading you post
    Xo

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  9. I can't comment this phone hates me! Enjoyed reading you post
    Xo

    ReplyDelete
  10. I can't comment this phone hates me! Enjoyed reading you post
    Xo

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  11. With severe arthur, pain and balance issue my best walking
    at the grocery holding the cart, go around the store several times
    Would love to have one of these carts and told they do not sell.
    After my bad fall 12 days ago, physical theraphy will start
    coming next week, Careful and started being on yoga mat
    yesterday for 15 minutes of exercise. I will not stop
    but now know need to be really careful. Always the fast one
    and thinking I could do anything and guess finally realize
    I cannot. Relate to much you share.

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  12. that cross-stitch will be gorgeous! What a treat to work on it every day!

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