Christmas in the Making

 Hello Everyone,

I’ve been easing back into the swing of things after the retreat, unpacking supplies, sorting through the accounting, and carving out a little time to rest and recharge before the Holidays roll in. I had a generous pile of leftover scraps from Cozy Country Christmas, so I put them to good use in a 24" x 24" table topper. Of course, that means writing and testing a new pattern too—but the four log cabin blocks are already stitched and looking festive!

Thanks to EQ8 software, I’ve mapped out how the table topper will look once it’s finished. I have to say, one of my friends nailed it when they said it resembles the view through a kaleidoscope. I couldn’t agree more! 

On the home front, Mr. Joe is still suffering with constant pain in every joint in his body except for his jaw.  His doctor has tried many different medications, physical therapy, MRI's, and X-rays.  The pain started in his shoulders and now extends down his arms to his wrists, hands, hips, and knees. He has a video appointment with a rheumatologist on Tuesday, so we are hopeful to get to the bottom of what is going on.

I’ve been keeping a close eye on his diet and put him on an anti-inflammatory plan. While I was away at the retreat, things seemed to slide—he wasn’t eating well and spent far too much time curled up in his recliner under an electric blanket, rotating the heating pad between his shoulders and hands. When I’m home, I make sure he gets up and moving, and it really does seem to help. I keep telling him 'motion is lotion'.  I had to hide my surprise the other day when he vacuumed the great room and even fired up the leaf blower before the rains came—but sure enough, the next day he was worse than ever. So much for my motion is lotion theory.

Winter has rolled into and over the mountains.  We had 3.74" of rain in 24 hours with a lot more on the horizon.  The rain makes Mazey's trips to the powder room a little more challenging. 

I'll keep on quilting and caring for Mr. Joe.  He sleeps so much that I've gotten a lot of quilting done!

Soon,

Lynn