Remember that indentation in the hay bunk? It was gone this morning!!!
I played for our church service this morning and then came home to a quiet day. Last night we went to Becky’s for supper and her son and his wife, Danny and Virginia, were there with their 8 month old adopted dog named Ruby! I told them all about Jo’s Ruby – did you see that Jo has some exciting news to share with us in Friday’s post?
I have several book reviews to catch up on and giveaways – coming soon!
It was 50 degrees today – no kidding! The tribe was in the pasture and the older hens were up by the bird feeder. It was absolutely balmy outside. Rick drove to our local Ace Hardware and picked up their remaining 6 Christmas trees which we feed to the goats. They love them to eat, chew on, and itch the tops of their heads and the best part is that pine needles are a natural wormer. Yes!
Here is the missing Improv quilt picture.
Tammy is going to the vet tomorrow and it will be a real challenge. I’ve never managed to get her into a carrier and both Connie and I tried one time together – impossible. She has a dermatitis of some kind – probably an allergy but her skin is so broken out that I have to try my hardest to get her there.
And look at these two eggs Rick got yesterday – one teeny tiny one and one long narrow green one.
I have found several of these through the years and here’s a few in a goldfinch nest made of goat hair. The pen is shown for scale.
And now for my biggest struggle – you might think it’s being able to walk – haha, no, that’s not it. Sleeping!!! Since knee surgery two months ago I have not been able to get to sleep even though I take meds for this hereditary problem and have for quite awhile. I might get 2 hours of sleep a night and right now I’m so sleep deprived, I simply don’t feel well. At my pre-op appointment this week, my dr. decided to try a different med but then she forgot to call the pharmacy and by the time I discovered it, the clinic was closed for Christmas so I have’t gotten to try it. I’ll bet many of you have trouble sleeping like me but I also bet your husbands simply roll over and they’re asleep immediately- so aggravating, isn’t it?
So as tired as I am, I can’t get to sleep and now it’s dark again and I know it will happen again tonite- ugh. So I guess I’ll hit the sewing room again – maybe tonite will be different.
What did I forget to write about – my brain is too tired to remember. New patterns tomorrow!
Love the pics. Sorry you still aren’t sleeping. Both my husband & I take 100mg per night of Trazodone for sleep. I take mine about 10-15 minutes before I want to go to sleep & I’m out! Love it! No sleepy feeling in the am either. It also helps my husband get to sleep but I’m pretty sure he has sleep apnea so once he awakens, he’s off & on asleep the rest of the night. Hope that’s what she prescribed for you. It’s also very inexpensive with our Medicare drug plan.
Merry Christmas.🎄Hope you can get some sleep tonight! 🤞
Jan from TN – I’ve never heard of trazadone – I’ll check into it. Thanks!
My doctor said Trazadone can cause memory problems so I stopped taking it. Too bad because it works.
My doctor said Trazodone causes memory problems, so I stopped taking it.
Love your improv quilt. Hope you feel better soon.
I had a doctor tell me to take a magnesium tablet about an hour before bed. She said it works for some people and it worked for me.
I understand the sleep issue. If I go to bed before I yawn…I never get to sleep. I figure I’m resting my eyes.
Love the pictures, the hay thing is a puzzle, I have to agree it’s not explainable in our language.
I hope you had a wonderful day and many more to come.
Jo in Wyoming – when I think about the hay bunk, I get goosebumps and on Christmas Day after church I looked at it again and it was gone!
Mary
The hay dent made my heart sing. It is definitely a God Wink.
Wish I could have been there.
Merry Christmas.!!!!
I don’t know why but when I can’t sleep if I go have a cracker, or something small, and a cup of warm milk I can Usually go to sleep..
About your uncooperative, rambunctious cat.
Could you nonchalantly sneak up and put something over her?
Best wishes….
Love the improv quilt!!
To get to sleep, for me, about 20-30 min before, I take one Benadryl (diphenhydramene 25 mg) and melatonin 5-6 mg. Works every time.
OK..I wasn’t going to say anything, but I also take magnesium 400 mg. I would think it was time to get up and it was 2:00 or earlier. Sometimes I wake up but will go right back to sleep.
Jackie B – that’s one I have not tried but I’m willing to try most anything at this point. My dr. wants me to get some good sleep before surgery so more drugs. Hopefully when all this is over I can straighten it out.
So sorry you’re having trouble sleeping. Makes life pretty miserable, both day & night.
Sending you an e mail. . .
I liked.the “God Wink”. The impromptu quilt is very interesting, would like to make one. Excited about the new patterns. The video was good. Hope you get some sleep tonight.
I feel your angst! I have to take med’s, but still have issues. Try chamomile tea , it does help.
Love the hay dent… definitely has God’s fingerprints all over it. Thanks for sharing.
Hmmm… and the “dent” was gone…wow!
I have some trouble sleeping, but not like you. My brain some nights feels like it’s on fire and I can’t calm down. I can, however, fall asleep in front of TV. So sometimes I have to resort to that.
I love that improve quilt!
When I had knee surgery, sleeping was easiest in a recliner. I would put a pillow under my legs (from mid-thigh past my feet) and because I couldn’t move too much in the recliner, I wouldn’t put my knee in a painful position. I hope you can get some decent sleep…it is miserable to be sleep-deprived!!
Susan the farm quilter – I’ve been sleeping in a recliner for way over a year now but my dr. and pt both do not encourage it. They say absolutely not! So we’re going to shop for a new bed tomorrow. I am pretty comfortable in the recliner but they won’t believe me
Love the improv quilt. that hay dent sure is a mystery for Christmas Eve. sorry you have sleeping problems. i take Kirkland Acetaminphen Pm 500 mg every night before I go to bed. most of the time it helps as I am 79 years old and only sleep 5 to 6 hours each night. We have trouble getting our kitty in the carrier and throw a towel over her each time. Looking forward to the new patterns.
Carolyn b Shenandoah Valley VA.
Oh I know how it is when your husband hits the pillow and is in slumberland…my mind just won’t shut off sometimes, like last nite…I was still awake at 4 AM..Some people get up and read, I just want to stay under the comforter and keep trying..I think for me it was the coffee with caffine…One thing that sometimes helps is the wonderful smell of lavender. I have lavender oil, 100% oil, they say that works best…put a few drops on your wrists, neck and or your pillow..I use to take sleeping aids but quit, not a good thing…a warm bath also may help.
I think you are with a lot of company with this problem..
So enjoyed your trip to the barn, very comforting to see all of them on Christmas nite.
I had a cat too that didn’t like the carrier. I would put it out in the room with it open for a few days, he would probably knew what was coming but it seem to relax him better than just bringing it out and stuffing him in it…
Now tho he is gone, died on Dec 3 this yr. he had cancer..he is missed greatly.
Wish you all well and hope your holiday was a good one…
Mary Jane – I’m so sorry you lost your buddy – how about getting another one? There are so many wonderful cats who need homes. My dr. Started me on Nortriptaline last summer because my brain wouldn’t be quiet. I shut off the light and I start to THINK! It worked well for awhile.
Your improv quilt reminds me of the quilting done by the Gee’s Bend, Alabama quilters. Very unique.
I hope you are able to get some sleep soon. That is so hard. Sorry you are having that problem.
One of my cats had a rash on his belly that he would lick
After vet visit and 3 rounds of antibiotics he still had the rash
A lady I met suggested putting vinegar on it and it improved. I haven’t had to use the vinegar in months and no licking. Seasons have changed- we’ll see if it comes back next summer. I used apple cider vinegar with the “mother”.
Rosalie – I’m not sure she’d let me apply vinegar but I’ll keep it in mind.
Dear Mary,
I too can’t sleep. But I always have mundane stitching beside by machine……strips, squares, selvages, or I just sew crumb blocks ….aka Bonnie Hunter…..for an hour or so……using boxes of tiny scraps. I have a hard time throwing even tiny scraps away as I figure they are ten plus dollars a yard too. Then some nights I just press blocks…and some nights cut blocks with my newly made fabrics. Usually after about an hour, I can try to sleep again. Or I embroider.. take care of. Yourself…you are important to so many.
Carrolyn v – several months ago I decided that I should just get up and do something if I can’t fall asleep and sometimes that does work. I also have scraps and small squares to methodically sew together and I’m getting some ready for my recovery time. We’re the 3 littles at your house for Christmas?
My son has a banana B4 bed. It works. I read that also.
So sorry about your insomnia. You do have a lot of company. I also have it. I try different things. Sometimes I take a acetaminophen PM tablet, but I try not to take anything. Other times I take a Tylenol. It seems to keep my arthritic joints from waking me up. In my early seventies, so I rarely get more than four or five hours. Most of the time, it is less than that. Keep trying, and keep blogging. Your posts are so heartwarming.
It’s so good to read that the goats get to enjoy leftover trees and they are put to good use so the store doesn’t have to trash them. It’s so mild here too. Some nights I sleep better than others. I can’t turn off my brain of what I want to do the next day or what went on that day when I lay down so I try reading a book cause the eye doctor says don’t read my iPad with the blue light before sleeping. I will sometimes get crackers with small glass of milk too. I love the picture of your niece with the dog on her on the couch. It was so cute. Your quilt does remind me of Gees Bend. Let us know the pretty kitty makes out. She’s probably hoping for some relief. Could be even a food allergy just like people have happen and break out with skin issues.
Hopefully you and your cat will make it to the vet in one piece – it is really hard to get them into a container to take them, I will you well! Sorry that you are having sleep problems – you don’t need one other thing! What a wonderful weather time for this Christmas. Makes holiday travel so much better. Hope you have a great day!
I have no problem falling asleep the FIRST time but after 4-5 hours am awake and if I give in to computer time it is fun but still a LONG wait when back in bed to fall asleep again…..
A belated Merry Christmas to you and your extended family and friends.
I recently came across a video by Dr. Andrew Weil referring to a 4-7-8 breathing exercise that puts me to sleep quite successfully. I have a feeling that concentrating on the breathing helps to clear my mind of all the past, present, and future thoughts and naturally drift off into slumberland.
Wow! I love the Improv Quilt! I’m going to go back a few posts to see if you explain more about that. Looks like a few mens shirts in there? Really pretty result. I hope kitty gets some relief for the skin condition. I’m sure she’s miserable. I like the idea of using ACV – might be worth a try. Bragg’s is the one Rosalie suggested, that stuff is amazing! It’s funny, I have a nest we found on the ground in my breezeway filled with tiny eggs that my hens laid over the years. There’s even a finch egg or two in there, itty bitty! I’ll put in my 2 cents on sleeping – I have used melatonin and it worked pretty well for me. I try not to use it too often for fear that it might stop working if my body gets used to it but that’s probably unfounded as it’s naturally found in our bodies. I hope you find something that works for you Mary. It’s terrible to be sleep deprived! Jan in MA
Janice Hebert – I take Melatonin now. Love those tiny eggs! I guess I’m. It the only one – ha!
Is your cat wearing a flea collar? If do, try removing for a few days. Had a cat like that once. He could not tolerate something in the collar. Once it was off he was himself again.
Good luck getting her into the carrier!
I love the indentation picture. What a lovely reminder of baby Jesus’ birth!
Good luck getting Tammy into a carrier. Harry S Truman will not get in one. I have to wear a big zip up sweatshirt and put him in it and zip it up. That is how he goes in. Looks and feels great in the summer – ha!
MartyCae – I’m afraid she’d claw me to pieces if I tried the sweatshirt and then I’d be locked out of surgery!
A pharmacist can help you find an appropriate med or supplement to help your not-sleeping problem. They’ll have the info you need on side effects, interactions, efficacy, cost, etc., and maybe even the time to discuss those things with you that your provider may not have.
I’ve used a pillowcase to nab some of not-really-tame garage cats and get them in the carrier. Since then, I got a large mesh laundry bag for the next time I need to do this.
I set the carrier out several days before it’s needed and put a blanket or rug in, along with food and treats. When it’s time to go to the vet, i set the carrier so the opening faces up, to give me a little more advantage. Good luck with your next cat nabbing!
Pat Smith – but where did you get the tea?
Hi Mary,
Hope your kitty is better after his visit to the vet.
I wanted to let you know what I do when I can’t sleep. I bought a rechargeable small portable CD player which I use to play soft relaxing music. I have yoga, classical CDs that I use. I have earmuff headphones so they are soft and comfortable which also help. I also put on podcasts and with my eyes closed I just nod off. If I wake In the night I also use this technique. I will take Melatonin sometimes if I think I need it.
My sewing room is next to our bedroom so I can’t use my machines. I find if I sew at night I get too “excited” about my progress!
I had the same problems with sleep troubles after my partial knee replacement. And I have the opposite problem. I take meds for hypersomnia. The meds help me stay awake. I do not have narcolepsy. But I can fall asleep way to easily and almost anywhere if I am still for too long. It took me a long time to get back to my regular sleep habits. My surgeon told me this was typical of many of his patients. The good news is you will eventually get back to your regular patterns. It just takes time.
Poor kitty and poor you for having to get her into a carrier. My Dolly gets eye drops and trying to wrestle 110 pounds of puppy is always a challenge. For a variety of reasons, I’ve had trouble sleeping for years. Aleve PM is not as strong as Tylenol PM and it works for me. If you cannot sleep, perhaps you can simply rest. Take care Mary.
Looks like Tammy is very comfy in that box, too bad she wouldn’t stay in that for you, but i’m sure she wouldn’t.
Love your improv quilt, you are so creative.
I too have trouble sleeping, drives me crazy!! I have been taking Aleve PM, it seems to work, sometimes I take magnesium. I think sometimes I just get tired out from tossing & turning !!
Mary, I just love the second improv and I couldn’t wait until it was finished. Great job on both of your improvs.