Long Overdue

Hello dear friends,

I can’t believe July is almost over. So much has been going on and yet I feel stuck. Some days I can’t bring myself to do anything. 

I miss my mom so so much. I’ve picked up my phone to call or text her so many times. We had her memorial service in May. It was a beautiful day and all but two members of our immediate family were able to join us.

Found this photo when I was moving all of mom's belongings out of her apartment.

Family - guessing sometime around 1976-1977
Back Row: Dad & Mom
Front Row (L to R): Ken (brother), Kris (sister), Me, Tammy (sister)

I recently had a follow up with my doctor.  He told me I have Post ICU Syndrome, Post Sepsis Syndrome and PTSD, which were all triggered when my mom was in the ICU before she passed.  I had a ton of labs, CT scans, and EKG done.  I’m happy to say everything came back normal and my kidney function has improved even more.

Unfortunately, I still have neuropathy in my arms, hands, legs, feet, and lower back.  My doctor says we just have to wait and see if it resolves, but it might not ever resolve, so prepare myself for that possibility.  Even though it has not improved, I've been having nerve sensations like ice water running down along my shin bone, walking through a spider web, or something light brushing against my arm.  There are days that the neuropathy is so bad, that I can't hold anything without dropping it or I can't stand or walk without holding on to something.

I've had some pretty bad falls too.  A lot of the falls have resulted from tripping over a slight edge on the floor or losing my balance.  In my mind, I see myself like I was before I got sick, not as having mobility and balance issues.  Still having anxiety, panic attacks, and nightmares.  My doctor says that is part of the recovery process, but it also may not ever resolve. 

Our youngest daughter - during deployment - 2026

Our youngest daughter, the Army Captain, left for deployment in early February 2026.   She had told us that she wouldn't be back from deployment until July or August.  We were happy to hear from her in mid-June letting us know she was home!  She'll be moving again as she has received her next assignment to begin in January 2027 and is expected to be promoted to Major in December 2026 or January 2027!  

We decided at the last minute to drive to Colorado, where she is currently living, for the long Independence Day weekend.  Because Hubby wasn't able to get any extra time off, we arrived on Thursday,  July 1 and left on Sunday, July 5.  Our oldest daughter and her family had already arrived a few days before us.

We had a great family weekend together!

Skyline Drive, Canon City, C0
July 4, 2026

Our oldest daughter wanted to go on a scenic drive to have their picture taken again because it was something they did two years ago when they visited.  They asked us to go too, but said we'd have to drive separately because they didn't have enough room for all of us in one vehicle.  However, they purposely failed to tell us what type of road we'd be traveling on.  In the photo above, I was trembling because I don't do well with heights.  The views were spectacular, but the road to get there was the most terrifying road I've ever been on!  If you are interested in learning more about Skyline Drive, click here.

Our oldest grandson, L, played Little League Baseball this year.  We went to every game and cheered him on.  His team was made up of kindergarten through 2nd grade.  He was one of the two kindergarteners on the team.  There were a couple first graders and the rest were second graders.  

Always left his socks rolled down and his helmet seemed to be bigger than him, lol

On second base, holding his pants up, ready to run to third

He was the smallest kid on the team.  My daughter was unable to find baseball pants small enough to fit him.  He wasn't always able to get his belt tightened enough and we often saw him holding his pants up while he was playing, as in the picture above!  For his first season of playing baseball, he did very well.  He got on base every game and scored almost every time he got on base.  He played center field most of the time, but occasionally, the coach had him play first base, which L loved!

Youngest Grandson, H, playing hide & seek!

I've been having the boys one or two days a week to give our daughter time to continue her college courses towards her second masters.  This particular day, I only had H because L was at day camp.  H wanted to play hide & seek and found the perfect hiding spot, lol!

More news - I retired in December 2025!  I had always planned to keep working and never thought about retirement.  After my illness, I wasn't sure I would see another birthday.  With support from my family, I decided to retire after my birthday, which was December 3.  I now have more time to focus on my family and my continuing recovery. 

Our first tomato harvest!

Hubby and I quietly celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary on May 27.  This man has been beside me through all of my illness and continuing recovery.  He held my hand and tended to my needs.  He came to the hospital and skilled nursing facility every single day. We are truly living the "in sickness" part of our vows.

In April, he had a MRI of the prostate and we were informed that a mass was found on the MRI and it was likely cancer.  Hubby had a biopsy in June.  Of the 15 samples they took from the prostate, all but two have cancer.  Hubby has decided to have surgery to remove the prostate.  We see the surgeon next week to get everything set up for surgery.   

Here's your laugh for the day:

Our youngest daughter calls these lights boob lights.  Hubby put up a couple new ones in our camper recently.  She said, "well, mom, you should know why guys like them so much!" 🤣

Praying that you and your family are doing well!

Lately...

 Hello Friends,

I've tried to write this post so many times.  

If you've been following my blog, you know that I've been my Mom's caregiver for many years and that she's had complex medical issues.  We were able to keep her medical issues stable for a very long time, but things started changing last fall.  My Mom was hospitalized again in late January.  Her heart and kidneys were failing and my Mom decided she was done fighting.  

My mom passed away peacefully on February 4, 2026.  

I am so sad and heartbroken.  She suffered so much the last three months and I feel that I didn't do enough to ease her suffering.  

I am still recovering from my severe illness.  It is hard to believe that I couldn't stand or walk a year ago. I've accomplished a lot, but still have a long recovery ahead.

Hug your loved ones and let them know how much they mean to you.

Been A Long Time!

 Hello Dear Friends,

I was just reading my last blog post.  So much has happened since that post.  For those that don't know, my entire family got sick with Influenza A in December.  I got very sick.  I had Influenza A, pneumonia, a strep infection in my blood,  and sepsis. 

Hubby took me to the emergency room on December 26 and I was lifeflighted to a bigger hospital 100 miles away on December 27.  I'm told that I would not have survived if I wouldn't have been lifeflighted.  I was put on a ventilator for many weeks and even during that time, the doctors and my family didn't know if I would survive.  I was in a medically induced coma, my organs had shut down, I was on continual dialysis, and lost all of my muscle mass during that time.  I have very little memory of December, January, February, and March.  

I spent seven weeks in the ICU, five weeks at a skilled nursing facility, and I am still in physical, occupational, and speech therapy.  I couldn't talk or move my body, arms, legs, fingers or toes because I had lost all my muscle mass and strength.  The skilled nursing facility worked with me to get me moving,  standing, walking, and feeding myself.

My family says I am a miracle.  My kidneys are working and show no signs of injury from my illness and I'm getting stronger every day.  I have neuropathy in my extremities, a hoarseness in my voice from being on the ventilator so long, and other weaknesses that may or may not resolve.  My doctors tell me I need to wait and see.  I was also told that it will take more than a year and a half for me to fully recover.  I worry about getting sick again.

I thought the hardest part would be getting strong enough to move my body, stand, walk, and feed myself.  No one mentioned that I would also have memory and cognitive issues, PTSD and depression during my recovery too.  

I hope to be back with another post soon.

Your continued thoughts and prayers are so appreciated.  

December

Hello Dear Friends,

I can't believe it is Christmas already!  I am not ready at all and everything is on hold for a bit now.

My oldest daughter started getting sick last week.  A trip to prompt care confirmed Influenza A.  She has been very sick.  By Friday, Baby H and I both were sick too.  Hubby started getting sick on Saturday.

So far, my son-in-law and oldest grandson have not gotten sick.  We've canceled all of our Christmas plans so we don't pass this on to the rest of our extended family.

I'll be back after the holidays to catch up.  Praying you stay safe and healthy.

Wishing you a Joyous Christmas and a Happy New Year!

No Change, but Still Thankful!

Hi friends,  

I hope you are all doing well.  

Baby H saw the pediatric cardiologist on Friday.  There have been no changes with the ventricle hole, but the doctor did say the velocity of blood flow is increasing and that is a good thing.  She said Baby H looks really good and healthy.

Baby H gained another 6 ounces and now weighs just under 14 pounds.  He is considered small for being almost five months old, but given his medical issue and the fact that his parents and big brother are also small, the doctor is pleased with his weight gain.  The doctor said she still only wants to monitor him and, unless he has a problem, will see him again in January.

My oldest grandson started afternoon preschool just before Labor Day.  He gets really upset when he has to leave his brother to get on the bus.  He says he likes school, but doesn't want to leave his brother.  I let him pick a picture of his brother to carry in his backpack and talked with him about why he gets so upset.  

Thursday morning, my oldest grandson and I picked tomatoes.  We picked all that you see on the counter.  He was excited to pick so many tomatoes.  My grandson took some home and we shared some with my mom.

I've been stitching in the evenings and have almost all of my ornaments for Christmas gifts stitched.  

I changed a couple floss colors to add some pink to match my daughter's pastel themed tree.  I will FFO these when I have a finishing day.

I need some suggestions for Christmas ornaments for my youngest grandson.  I have stitched Prairie Schooler's Button Up for my oldest grandson.  Any ideas you care to share would be great!

This gorgeous Monarch butterfly visited my garden today.  I enjoyed watching it go from flower to flower.

The hummingbirds have been crazy!  We have the hummingbirds that are here all summer plus the ones passing through on their migration south.  We usually have hummingbirds here until the middle of October and I'm hopeful they'll be here for several more weeks.

Thank you for your continued prayers! They are so appreciated!

Wishing you a great week!

Thankful

 Hi Dear Friends!

I've been crazy busy since my daughter returned to her teaching job two weeks ago.

I am loving the time with my grandsons, but I under-estimated how much energy it takes to take care of a baby and four year old! I'm sure we'll get in a daily routine...eventually, lol.

My grandson returns to the pediatric cardiologist on September 6. At his last appointment, things were the same. Although we pray for improvement, we're thankful for no change as that means it isn't worse.

It is hard to believe my youngest grandson is now four months old. I took Big Brother to an appointment today and Baby H fell asleep in his carseat during the drive. I had to take this picture of his little hands folded, as if in prayer.  This is something new for him.

Thank you for your continued prayers! We so appreciate them!

Take care!

Another Short Post - Still Asking For Prayers

 Hello Friends,

It has been a month since I last posted.  Baby H went to the pediatric cardiologist late last week.  The doctor told us that the hole is 7 mm in size and that there has been no change.   

We saw a different doctor than the doctors we saw last month.  He asked my daughter what their "goal" was for Baby H and what treatment they were seeking.  She told the doctor that was the most absurd question and she didn't even know how to answer that.

The doctor discussed Baby H's ongoing care and, if he needs surgery, it would be when he is 6-8 months old.  For now, they are only going to monitor Baby H and treat symptoms that develope.  The doctor also discussed that Baby H should not go to daycare when my daughter returns to work next month.  One of the biggest concerns is preventing Baby H from getting infections and being around other small children is too risky right now.

My daughter's mother-in-law and I will be taking care of Baby H when my daughter returns to work.  It means a big schedule change for me and I'm lucky that my two jobs allow for me to change my schedule to accommodate this new situation.

Baby H was exhibiting symptoms of a respiratory infection and because of his heart issue, the pediatrician advised that he go to the ER yesterday.  Chest x-ray, covid test, strep test, and RSV test all came back negative and the exam results were normal.   There was a moment of panic as my daughter thought about heart failure being a possibility.   The ER doctor assured my daughter that Baby H was not in heart failure.  The doctor is thinking it may be seasonal allergies, but due to his young age and heart issue, they won't treat it unless it gets severe.

Since my daughter has asked that I don't share photos of her children, here's a bouquet of blooms from my Hydrangea bush.  I helped with the Volunteer Luncheon at our local Food Pantry and used the blooms for the centerpieces.

Please keep Baby H and my family in your thoughts and prayers.

Praying that you and your families are doing well.

 

Just a Short Post - Asking for Prayers

Hello Dear Friends,

Just a short post today.  I pray that you are all doing well.

My grandson is eight weeks old now.  When he went for his one month doctor appointment, his pediatrician heard a heart murmur and referred Baby H to a pediatric cardiologist.

Last week, Baby H had several tests, an echocardiogram, and saw the pediatric cardiologist.  He has been diagnosed with Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), which is a hole in the ventricular wall separating the ventricles of the lower heart.  The doctor is calling this a genetic heart defect, although no other family member on either side has been diagnosed with this or any other heart defect.

Baby H goes back to the pediatric cardiologist on July 5.  The doctors will determine at that time if the hole has changed.  In some cases, the hole closes on its own and in other cases, surgical intervention is needed to close the hole.

I am respecting my daughter and son-in-law's wishes and not sharing a full photo of Baby H.  

Please keep Baby H and my family in your thoughts and prayers.

Happy Spring!

Hello Dear Friends,

Are you having spring weather or winter weather -- or if you live in Illinois like I do, you're having both!  One day it is sunny and warm and the next it is windy and cold.  Even with our typical midwest weather swings, the spring flowers are popping up and birds have migrated back to our area.

Our youngest daughter has transferred from an Army base in Tennessee to one in Colorado.  Her and her fiance have purchased property with almost eight acres, barn and outbuildings.  

A week after they moved in, they had a snow storm.  My daughter said they didn't think they would get much snow.  She was wrong!  We had been hearing on the news that Colorado was going to get more snow than they have had in several years and that it would be measured in feet, not inches.

My daughter sent this picture.  They had 22 inches of snow, lost power for two days and, since they didn't think it would get so bad, they hadn't gone grocery shopping, so they didn't have much food.  She says she now understands why everyone goes shopping before a snow storm, lol.  A week later the snow was all gone.

My daughter has always loved animals and we have a new grand-dogger!

Meet Lulu, a four-month-old Lab mix puppy.  

Lulu looks very much like Callie, our daughter's older dog.

If you follow me on social media, you already know that I casually mentioned to Hubby that I wanted a working Singer Featherweight sewing machine.  A couple days later, he found one on marketplace that was a reasonable price and close to home.

This Featherweight was manufactured in October 1953.  She needed some maintenance and cleaning, which has just been completed and I'm excited to start using her.

I've been busy stitching, crocheting and making cards.  In February, my nephew and his fiance welcomed a little girl to their family.  I crocheted a blanket that has become their favorite.

I made another baby blanket for my new grandson expected in April.

I had help choosing the animals for this blanket from the soon-to-be big brother.  Of course, he decided he needed a new blanket too.

So I crocheted another blanket for big brother-to-be.

This past Tuesday, we welcomed our new grandson to the world!

My grandson is so in love with his baby brother! Baby Brother weighed 6 lbs 12 oz and 19.5 inches long.  Both mom and baby are doing well.

I pray that you and your families are all doing well.

Until next time,

Happy Stitchin'

 

 

Long Overdue

Hello friends, 

I've been gone a long time.  Didn't realize it had been so long!  I've been thinking about posting for some time now, just haven't been able to.   

I've spent the last five months recovering from a severe rash and side effects from the steroid I was given to treat the rash.  I came into contact with ONE ragweed plant that caused a severe rash after sun exposure.  Hubby said the rash I got from that one plant is way worse than any poison ivy he has ever had.  Although much better, I still have the rash and still dealing with the side effects from the steroid. 

In late October, my mother-in-law got very sick, developed sepsis and went into septic shock.  She managed to call for the ambulance and unlock the door for them, but then collapsed.  She was unresponsive, had no blood pressure and her heart rate was below 30.  The paramedics got her to the ER where the doctor and nurses began working on her.  In our rural area, the ER stabilizes patients enough to transfer them to one of the bigger cities hours away.  My MIL was transferred to a bigger hospital 90 minutes away, where they began intensive treatment.  All of her organs had begun to shut down and her condition was very grave.  The doctors started six or seven different IV antibiotics, administered 4 units of blood and prepared her to be transferred to another, even bigger hospital another 90 minutes away.  After my MIL was lifeflighted to the other hospital, she went in to surgery to have the infection drained and treated.  She spent two weeks in the hospital and was transferred to a local rehab facility, where she is still receiving treatment.  She has been making progress and we're hoping she'll be home mid to late January.  

Even with everything going on, I have some stitching to share.

I stitched and finished these in February. Loveable Petites by Little House Needleworks, Love You Too freebie by Hands on Design, and Love freebie by Erin Elizabeth.

 

In April, I decided to try one over one on 25 count natural Lugana. Still not a fan of over one. Pattern is Without Ceasing by Sweet Wing Studio. Chose my own Classic Colorworks colors.  

My annual ornaments gifted to family members for Christmas this year are from Annie Beez 2019 Country Christmas series.  These were stitched on various 32 count fabrics from my stash and stitched with a combination of Sulky Cotton Petites and DMC.  Hubby cut out and finished the wooden ornament shape.

The ornament for my grandson is another design from the Prairie Schooler Button Up booklet.  This is the fourth ornament from the booklet that I've stitched for him. 

Other News:

You may remember that my youngest daughter and her Army unit deployed to Romania in June 2022 for 9-12 months.  In February, she let us know that she would be returning home between April and June and then I didn't hear from her after that.  I was getting worried.  I kept asking my oldest daughter if she had heard from her sister.  My oldest daughter said no, but she thought their unit was just busy with everything going on.   

One March day, with my daughter's help, my grandson video called me, as he often does.  He asked if we could come to dinner that evening.  I thought we were getting together to celebrate my son-in-law's birthday that was a few days earlier.  To my surprise, my youngest daughter had returned from deployment and come for dinner!  Every family member knew she was coming, except me!  I found out later that my youngest daughter somehow blocked me from getting any messages or social media posts so that the surprise could be carried out.  We are so very happy to have her home from deployment. 

She was able to join us for Thanksgiving this year and her boyfriend, Colton joined us as well.  After dinner and after almost everyone had gone home, Colton asked to speak to Hubby in private. 

A few days later, SHE SAID YES!

We were able to camp many weekends over the summer and enjoyed camping with our oldest daughter, son-in-law and grandson several of those weekends.

 

My grandson helping his daddy grease the wheel bearings on their camper one weekend we were camping together.  It was fun watching my grandson help clean the camper, do maintenance on their camper and make sure everything was put where it was supposed to go.  

My grandson learned to ride his two-wheeler bicycle without training wheels, caught fish and lightning bugs, enjoyed campfires, cookouts, swimming lessons, hiking nature trails, and tending to and harvesting his own little garden.  He also learned how to peel potatoes and carrots (with child-safe utensils), shuck corn on the cob, help mom and dad cook and do dishes, set and clear off the table, and help his other grandparents on their farm.  

My grandson announced to us in October that he is going to be a big brother!  My daughter and son-in-law decided to give fertility treatments another try and she is due in April!  A few weeks ago, my grandson announced that he is having a baby brother! 

 My niece's triplets started kindergarten this year and their older brother is in first grade!  

We had a family get-together in June and got this photo of my mom with almost all of her great-grandsons.  Mom has 11 great-grandsons, with 10 of them ranging in age from 2 months old to seven years old and her oldest great-grandson (not pictured) turning 21 this year.  In the photo above, the boys on the left side are the triplets and their older brother, the one my mom is holding and the boys to the right are all my nephew's boys and all the way over to the right is my grandson, who refused to join the group.   

  

In early November, my cousin brought her mom up from Arkansas to visit my mom and my uncle for their birthdays.

My mom (front, left) turned 83 on November 2 and my uncle turned 81 on November 1.  We were able to gather most of the family for a birthday celebration.

Many pictures were taken that day.  This is my mom, brother, my two sisters and I.  We haven't had a family picture like this in many years.

From our family to yours, 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2022 Review

Just a few of the things I made in 2022...

Watercolor Paintings and Cards

I made several sets of cards (upper left) that I gave as gifts to family members.  The gingerbread house was sent to my cousin who celebrates her birthday in December. The snowmen cards were the Christmas cards I sent out this year.  The cart with flowers was sent given to my mom for her birthday.  I painted and gave many more cards than pictured here.

The top two are more cards that were sent.  The pumpkins were painted just to celebrate Halloween.  The four circles were used as tags on Christmas gifts and the snowman and sled was framed and given to my mom to display for the holidays.

The boy fishing was painted in honor of my grandson catching his first fish last summer.  The scare crow, rocky stream, ice cream shop and patriotic cart were painted as seasonal pieces to be displayed in my home.  The little seahorse was painted and given to welcome a new family member.

Saw the bear silhouette and was inspired to create my own.  These were painted by applying a mask and painting the inside area to create the silhouette.  Pulling the mask off after painting was magical!  As you can tell, I was inspired to keep creating silhouettes.  I really like them all, but the fish with the colorful sky is my favorite.  Hubby wants me to create more silhouettes in a larger size to be framed and displayed in our home.

This was painted for a friend, inspired from her photo of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly.  It is 16x20 inches and the largest watercolor painting I have painted.

Crochet Blankets

We had a baby boom in 2022 and I made seven of these blankets in various colors.

Cross Stitch

The Rudolph ornament is a free kit from a very old Cross Stitcher Magazine.  The child building the snowman ornament is from Prairie Schooler All Buttoned Up and given to my grandson for Christmas.  I am stitching all of the ornaments from that design and giving one to my grandson each year.  The other ornaments are Prairie Schooler Christmas Favorites.  They were stitched and mounted on small planks Hubby cut from logs from the apple tree we lost a couple of years ago.  These ornaments were all given to family members for Christmas this year.  The Halloween piece is Costume Party by Hands on Design.  I stitched this on 32 count Silvermist Belfast with my own floss colors, mounted on a painted wood blank found in my stash.

Wow! I was more creative than I thought I was!  Thanks for coming along on my look back on my creativity during 2022.

Until next time,

HAPPY STITCHIN!

So long 2022

I'm back for a final 2022 post.  

I'm still dealing with a chronic sinus infection.  Yes, it has been since August 2021 that I've had this.  I only have a couple days when I feel a little better and then it gets bad again.  I have been seeing my ENT and following his treatment plan, but so far nothing has improved.  In addition to the sinus infection, I am having a never-ending, severe migraine episode and thoracic outlet syndrome flare.  

My youngest daughter and her Army unit deployed to Romania on June 26.  She told me they would be deployed 9-12 months.

She was able to have flowers sent to me for my birthday earlier in December.  She knows my favorite color is pink and the name of this bouquet is Pink Showstopper!  They were gorgeous and lasted over two weeks!

Hollie and Hazel posed for a Christmas photo.  Hazel turned 6 years old on December 17.

We had a beautiful sunrise Thursday morning. 

I have been painting, cross stitching and crocheting.  I'll share those photos in my next post.

Until next time,

Wishing you a

Happy New Year!