Last Monday, I opened a big box that arrived, and found three vacuum storage bags inside, each with a quilt and its batting and backing. I opened each bag to take the ‘squish’ off the quilts, and spread one out on my frame so it could ‘relax’.
Then I sent my customer a number of
pantographs from which to choose, and picked out some thread.
Tuesday, I paid bills, ordered
groceries and necessities from Hy-Vee, Wal-Mart, and Amazon, washed dishes and
cleaned the kitchen, took Loren some food, brought back his laundry and washed
it, then started washing ours. And I got
started quilting my customer’s ‘Dreaming in Blue’ quilt.
She had chosen a pantograph from those I had emailed
her. When I went to put the pantograph on the quilting table, I found
that... it wasn’t really a pantograph. It
was only a picture I’d saved in my pantograph files of someone’s
doodling! I’d found it at a line-drawing website, free for the
taking. I had saved it, thinking to turn it into a pantograph
someday.
So... I did just that, adding the curves and
curlicues necessary to connect the block-shaped doodle together. After
printing, I staggered the pages so the quilting would
mesh. (Straight block-shaped pantos are
prone to leaving blank spots between the rows.)
I used pale, silvery blue thread top and bottom.
Finally, at a quarter ’til two (that’s a.m.,
not p.m.), the first row of quilting was nearly done – and then I ran out of
bobbin thread. I looked at the clock,
and realized why I was fresh out of oomph.
There wasn’t even enough of said oomph to put another bobbin into the
machine, never mind the fact that one was already wound, ready, and waiting. It seemed like waaay too much work to
take out the empty bobbin, brush the lint out of the bobbin race, apply a drop
of oil, and put the next bobbin in.
It’s probably time to hang it up when
one gets that far gone, eh?
But
I worked up enough steam to take pictures.
😅
Wednesday, Larry went to the eye doctor to find out
what was causing a blurry spot, with flashes now and then, in his right
eye. They dilated his eye and took pictures of it, and the doctor then
told him that he had had a mini-stroke in that eye. They gave him an appointment to have ‘a
pocket of fluid’ removed from the eye the following day. He also needs to
see our family doctor and find out if there are any underlying problems that
may have contributed to that, such as high cholesterol. His blood
pressure is all right, though it was too high several years ago. It dropped back down to acceptable levels
after he lost 20-25 pounds. This is a
worry; he needs his eyesight to work!
The eye doctor
said he was fortunate that the blood vessel that broke was a small one to the
side of the eye. If it had’ve been a larger one, it could have caused
blindness in that eye.
Kenny’s family and our family recently
gave the money people had given as a memorial for Norma to the church to help
pay for bells in the steeple. They were put in two or three weeks ago, but
by Wednesday evening I had yet to hear them, because I either arrived too late
(not my fault – blame the slowpoke who masquerades as my chauffeur), or
too early, and was already sitting in the sanctuary by the time they played.
And we can’t hear them, in there.
I wanted to hear the bells!!!
When I was in Jr. High, every day at a
certain time, the nearby Methodist Church’s bells played a hymn. I loved
to hear them, and wished we had some at our church, too. But back then,
we didn’t have so much as a steeple.
Being a good self-diagnosist (should be
a word) (and I wasn’t too shabby at diagnosing my kids, either), I figure I might as well
diagnose others, too. (Step right up; take a number.) Therefore, I’ve been
reading... reading... reading... about Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.
The more I read about various types of
dementia, the more convinced I am that what Loren has is Lewy
Body dementia. This is definitely
the closest description, and in the right order: hallucinations come soon after
onset of this type of dementia, rather than at the middle and late stages, as
they do with Alzheimer's. He does not as
yet exhibit the physical difficulties, however.
The medications they recommend for this
disease don’t really help all that much, it seems – and they would likely be
detrimental to his health, probably causing him to be unable to live alone any
longer. Furthermore, he might not be able to take the medicine properly
on his own – he’d be liable to take too much or forget it entirely.
I see that in the articles I’ve read,
people live an average of 8 years with it – but some, only 2, and some, 20.
He’s quite healthy for his age.
So, for now, I will follow the recommendations of many doctors and caretakers
who have written on this disease: live with the hallucinations as best we
can. Explain... console... reassure... and have a good sense of
humor.
Sometimes we let his stories go; sometimes
we explain the ‘truth’, particularly if he asks (which he does less and less
often). We just wing it, and do what seems best at the moment. If
he does ask questions, we try to answer honestly. He doesn’t always like
those answers. Sometimes I pretend to start answering, and then launch
into a totally different topic of conversation.
That doesn’t always work. But sometimes it does. He loves to
hear stories about the children, the grandchildren, the cats... so I always
keep some handy to tell him.
It’s such a strange thing. Loren
still understands some things quite well, and can carry on an intelligent
conversation, though he might throw in a few oddities now and again.
Thursday,
upon reading my description of the above pantograph, my customer wrote, “I had
no idea it would take so long. That’s
going to be an expensive quilt.”
But
I assured her, “No, I’m not going to charge you extra; if I offer a
pantograph right along with all the others that are a fixed price, and it turns
out to be more complicated than I expected, that’s certainly not your
fault! It will be $0.015/square inch,
the same as the others. When I put it on
my webpage, though, I’ll have it in another category! 😉
”
After taking Loren some food that afternoon, I went to pick up my grocery order at Hy-Vee.
While sitting in the Jeep
waiting, my phone rang. It was Mr. Ryan,
my sixth-grade teacher, calling to wish me a Merry Christmas! He was a favorite teacher, and we’ve kept in
touch all these years.
Larry was unable to keep his appointment with Eye
Physicians that day, as he didn’t get back from a job in time. He was given an appointment for 12:30 p.m. Friday,
and the doctor gave him a shot in the eye to stop the hemorrhaging.
He came home soon afterwards, because
as soon as the deadening eyedrops wore off, the eye burned like it does when he’s
burnt his eyes welding. And now he sees
a blue ink smudge, with what looks like drips underneath it, and it changes
position when he tips his head. It’s
still like that today, though it may be fading.
He slept most of the afternoon and
evening.
That blood vessel probably ruptured
last Saturday when he was carrying his new, very large, bulky recliner into the
house. The chair was in two parts, but unwieldy to carry. I’d have
helped, if I’d have known he needed it! (You know, as in, hanging onto
one corner while Larry drug chair and me both.)
Teddy told him, “Help was just a minute
away!” Siggghhhh...
Eyes aren’t like fingernails; they don’t
grow back, should we be unfortunate enough to lose one. 😕
At LensCrafters last month, the eye
doctor pointed out on Larry’s picture of his eye how one of the little blood
vessels was all wiggly while mine was smoothly curved. He said this was a
sign that his blood pressure was high, or had been high in the past.
I finished my customer’s ‘Dreaming in
Blue’ quilt that night, and gladly closed shop at 10:30 p.m. My neck and back had been protesting for
hours, and I had consequently been dipping into
the Absorbine Jr., the Pain-A-Trate, and the Spring Chicken Rub. 😅
The quilt pattern is called ‘Child’s
Play’,
and is a free download from Sew Can She.
Here’s the backing, a
pretty butterfly print.
I poured myself a steaming cup of
Caramel Macchiato coffee, and then ensconced myself into my recliner. After placing an order for my brother, who
had found something in a magazine that he wanted, I set about ordering
Christmas gifts for the out-of-town children and grandchildren.
Teensy, always delighted when I seat
myself in that chair and pull up a fleece blanket, leapt up and commenced to making
bread on my lap.
I heard something over by the back door. I can’t see over there, because Larry’s new recliner
is in my line of view. The cats, Teensy
on the loveseat, and Tiger on his bed beside me, heard it, too, for their heads
popped up, and they stared sleepily in that general direction. I got up quickly a couple of times and
hurried over there, but nothing was there.
The third time, I ran. I jerked
open the back door – and there was a pudgy raccoon, hurrying away.
I put the pet door blocker in. Sorry, cats.
You know, the problem with
cutting tags out of your sweaters is that you are then liable to have problems
discerning front from back, and wind up going around half the day with said
sweater on backwards, with the neckline strangling you in the front. I knew you’d like to know.
We got a few inches of snow Friday night.
Shortly after noon on Saturday, the sun peeked
through the clouds, and the temperature struggled up to 34°. The wind chill was 26°. We’ve had an abnormally warm December until
now, with several days over 60°.
This is the view from my north-facing
quilting studio window:
Loren got out his John Deere with the
heated cab and cleaned the snow off his driveway. He’s still pretty spry and well-coordinated
for being 82 years old.
I had a cranberry-orange muffin and a
banana for breakfast, then started quilting my customer’s second quilt, which
she named ‘Crazy for Batiks’. She
hand-dyed the backing:
When I went to Loren’s house that
afternoon with his food, he told me that he couldn’t get his cellphone to work,
and was pretty sure it was done for. I
plugged it in, pressed a few buttons, got it to turn on... and soon it was
working. He probably just forgot which
button needed to be held down a few seconds to bring it to life.
He exclaimed, “Oh, thank you! Norma
tried for half an hour this morning to get that thing to work!”
I assured him I am no genius; I just
accidentally hit the right button. He
laughed at that. I do my best to always
be cheery with him.
That night, he called shortly after
9:00 p.m., wondering why it was pitch dark outside at 9:00 in the morning. He had gone to bed earlier, and thought he
had slept all night.
I told him, “It’s nighttime. It’s p.m., not a.m.”
He laughed, and said he thought that must be the case – but I think he
might have been a bit frightened, wondering what was happening. He said Norma had called to him that it was
time to get up and get ready for church, and he even had his tie on! “I guess I’ll just go back to bed,” he said.
I agreed
that would be a good idea, and told him, “But take your tie off first! You don’t want to strangle yourself with one
of those fancy nooses.”
He laughed
again, and I told him Larry would call him in the morning, as he usually does, so
he’d know it was really time to get ready for church.
A little later, I finished quilting the ‘Crazy for Batiks’ quilt. It measures 54.5” x 76”.
The pantograph is called ‘Monstera’, which is the name of a large plant with
pretty leaves.
I used YLI coral variegated 40-weight thread on top,
and Bottom Line coral 60-weight thread in the bobbin.
A
lady on an online quilting group inquired, “Why do you use different weight
threads for the top and bottom? Is that
a standard thing to do? Apparently you
don’t have issues with using different kinds of threads and thread weights? I plan on winning a longarm on Tuesday, and
need to know these things. I’ve been
entering a drawing most days for a few months.”
“Haha!”
I wrote back to her, “I thought I was going to win that thing! One of my main reasons for using 60-weight
thread in the bobbin is that I can get more thread on it, which means less
bobbin refills. But the other main
reason for any thread I happen to use is... just because that’s what kind of
thread I happen to have in the color I need. 😁”
The blurry spot was still bothering Larry that day, and caused him to miss seeing that an outrigger on his truck wasn’t all the way up. He had looked at it, and thought it was as it should be. A short while later, it caught on a railroad track as he drove over it, and got bent. 😯
His depth
perception is off, too. Sometimes when
he tries to put the boom hook through a cradle’s loop, he overshoots it by a
couple of feet – and he’s always been spot-on with the controls for that thing. Hopefully, the eye will clear up and be all
right again.
Sunday, we
walked out of church shortly after noon – and the
bells were playing! I finally got to hear them. They
were playing a hymn, and it was so beautiful.
I love church bells; they are so majestic, I think! After the evening service, we heard them
again, this time playing ‘Angels We Have Heard on High’.
Larry said,
“Do they need to tune those things?” and I called him a Callicack. 🤣 (But I actually think his hearing aid
magnifies the overtones in the bells.)
I’m so happy
we had a little part in it, giving Norma’s memorial money to the cause.
Last night
after church, we needed to put E85 gas in the Jeep. A few days ago, we put E15 in it; but that’s
not a high enough level of ethanol to keep it running good. It has quite a bit more torque and horsepower
on E85. We stopped at Arby’s to grab some
supper to eat on our way to the Schuyler Co-Op.
I got a roast
beef gyro, which is thinly sliced roast beef topped with lettuce, onions,
and tomatoes, creamy tzatziki sauce, and Greek seasonings, in a warm pita. I put Arby’s sauce on mine, too. Mmmm, I love that stuff. Larry got a roast turkey gyro.
Then I
proceeded on to the post office with the first two of my customer’s quilts. I packed them up using the vacuum bags she
sent them in, getting the quilts squished into a
not-as-big-as-it-would-have-been-otherwise box.
And backed back
out the door.
I trotted down
the steps, up the sidewalk, back to the Jeep (heavy box in tow), put on a mask,
and then trotted back down the sidewalk, up the steps (heavy box in tow), and
into the office. Everyone looked at me. I studiously read signs and
advertisements while simultaneously trying valiantly to appear nonchalant and
suave (even if the hem on my denim skirt was flipped up wrong side out)
(maybe it just looks like a cute little cuff down there) (do skirts have
cuffs?). And I left the mask under my nose despite being
the only one wearing it like that. (Sometimes almost everyone is
wearing it like that.) I find it more detrimental to run into walls on
account of fogged-up glasses than to breathe in coronavirus spores.
The box is now on its way to Washington
State. I was advised that it might be
late, since things are running slower on account of Christmas mailings.
Here’s Teensy; he somehow got himself
inside the folds of Larry’s favorite quilt without even messing it up. This is the wool/corduroy/velvet Log Cabin
quilt I cut down and remade in June.
Today Larry had a job near Glenwood,
Iowa, which is a little bit southeast of Omaha.
To get to the jobsite, he had to drive hilly country roads, and they’d
gotten even more snow there than we got a couple of days ago. So the gravel and dirt roads were a bit muddy
and slick, and the ditches are steep alongside those narrow roads.
He made it to the job all right,
driving carefully and not too fast. The
unfinished lane up to the house – that is, to the house’s basement that they were
going to pour – was steep and very narrow, with drop-offs on either side. He started up, trying not to slow too much,
or step on the throttle enough to make it spin.
The spot where he needed to pull into had boards and other construction
debris on the ground, and he had to stop with the truck and pup on an uphill
slant. He set the brake, got out, and
started moving those boards and things.
He was talking to Bobby, foreman for the crew that was working there,
when suddenly Bobby said, “Your truck is moving!”
Larry turned quickly – and the truck
and pup were both sliding downhill! The
brakes were set, and the tires not moving, but it was sliding. It would have done no good to try jumping in,
because, after all, what could he have done, once in? The brakes were already on. The tires were hot after the two-hour
drive to get to the location, and as the truck sat on that drive, the hot
rubber had melted through the top layer of snow down to frost and ice, making
it slick enough that there was no traction to hold the truck in place.
It was getting closer and closer to the
deep drop-off on the driver’s side, and Larry knew that if the wheels on that
side went over, it would be a goner – the truck would roll. Loaded, his truck and pup together are
licensed for 47 tons.
He grabbed the pads he uses for his
outriggers, threw them behind the tires – and the truck stopped sliding. But what to do now?
“This isn’t good,” he told Bobby,
surveying the predicament.
Larry said they needed dirt in front of
and around the tires, so he could drive the truck on up the hill. Bobby called the owner of a loader that had
been left at the site, got permission to use it, and started scooping up dirt
and dumping and spreading it where Larry needed to drive.
Finally Larry got into the truck, eased
down on the throttle a bit to see if the tires would grip, and when he
determined that the truck was indeed going to pull forward, he let the brakes
off, continuously applying the throttle.
The truck went up the hill, pulling the trailer, without even
spinning. Whew.
Bobby then made a ridge of dirt on the
edge of that slippery, steep lane to prevent others from going over, and to
help Larry when he had to go back down.
After he unloaded the forms, they
looked at a map on their phones, and chose a shorter way to get back to a paved
road.
And so he escaped mishap by the skin of
his teeth.
Here’s Larry’s truck and pup in our
lane a couple of years ago.
At the moment, I’m standing at the
kitchen table typing away, and my cool-air humidifier/diffuser is right beside
my computer, billowing steam into my face. It helps my eyes with their
dry-eye syndrome quite a lot. I put a few drops of peppermint and lemon
on the little felt pad that’s in a small slide-out tray on the bottom, so the
billows of steam have a pleasant scent. Not
too much, just enough to be... well, pleasant. 😊
Warm steam actually helps more than
cool steam; but the warm-air humidifier is upstairs, and it spits and hisses if
I get it too full, and I don’t imagine my laptop would be at all impressed to
get itself rained on.
Bedtime!
,,,>^..^<,,, Sarah Lynn ,,,>^..^<,,,
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