There’s nothing new to talk about – weather is crappy, I don’t go anywhere except therapy and I’ve turned into a whiner. Whiner because my knee is so stiff and it hurts too much, I’m bored, I hate my messy house, am so uninspired in my sewing room and it all just makes me pretty mad.
Would the “Connie” who has the book to sell please contact me at marye@ncn.net? I can’t get to the admin page to find your address. If a reader has contacted me about “something”, I expect that reader to keep up with the comments. I’m trying to reach you so I can put you in touch with the reader who wants your book.
I’ve received several cards like the one shown here – signed by quilters at a retreat and it’s so fun to be greeted by like minded quilters who I don’t know personally. Thank you for those cards! They’ve been so appreciated!
Dirty Dozens
Connie will be leaving this Saturday so I’m not going to post any new patterns for sale just in case the weather turns really bad and I can’t get out to the shop to fill those orders.
I’ll try to improve me attitude – maybe a nap? That’s all I do. I took over the litter box chores today – Rick did a fine job but now I can do it again and he’s thrilled!
Here’s something that didn’t thrill him so much – an order addressed to Mary Tendall. We’ve been married 23 years! My last name has been Etherington since 1997.
Hazel helped last night in the sewing room – I started piecing the 9 patches – mindless sewing that doesn’t take any concentration. I’m going to be finishing the Netflix series called Greenleaf. It runs 4 seasons and I don’t want it to end – it feels like saying goodbye to friends. What Netflix shows can you recommend? I’ll be needing a new one soon.
How many of you watched Heartland Docs on Nat Geo Wild last Saturday night? It was excellent but I don’t think I’ll be a steady watcher. I don’t like to see what the vets have to do to save an animal – I have to close my eyes. Before that show came on, I watched Dr. Pol and Dr. Brenda. I do not have it in me to watch these shows. So Mary – when your episode is coming on next, please let me know. I want to see you but not all the rest of the details.
Both Sam and Becky’s amaryllis bulbs have bloomed beautifully – not mine however. Grrrrr……
That’s all folks! Talk to you soon!
Cheer up Mary. Better days are ahead. You are in the Winter post surgery blues
Just make yourself keep going and pretty soon you will get better. I have been there and you just have to try to smile and keep going. Good luck we are all pulling for you.
Nothing like cold, dreary weather to make you achy and wanting spring to be here! Hugs to you, Mary and prayers for a better day! 😘
Cloudy & dreary here in WI but it could be a lot colder! My husband has been watching Designated Survivor on Netflix. I don’t really watch TV but I have been listening and it seems good if you like dramas. Great to hear from you! Chin up!
My recommendation for Netflix is “Grace and Frankie”. Enjoy and take care…..feel better.
Love the series…Season 1..episode 1 made me laugh until I had tears running down my face. Have watched more than once & each time catch something I missed before..Mary thing you would enjoy.
Glad to hear you are well enough for litter duty, Haha. I enjoy winter because it gets so darn hot here all the rest of the year. Our turn for bad weather comes with the hurricanes. Take care, Sharon from Florida.
Did you feel the earthquake?
Mary, I believe the symptoms you describe in your first paragraph are called, “January”.
Except for the PT sessions, I’ve got all of those symptoms, too.
Mary Says Sew! – good to know it’s not just me who’s whining! Thank you! We can be kindred spirits with several more readers!
Good to hear from you , Mary. My husband had both knees replaced in about the same time span as you. I think that much anesthetic tends to make you feel somewhat droopy. I am not a Dr. or nurse so this is just my observation. Little trips out helped him–lunch or dinner, the hardware, etc. The surgery center where he had his knees replaced has a Friday Prime Rib that is awesome–the whole meal is $9.99–baked potato, salad, and a cookie. YUM.
I am slowly working on my #9. I don’t think it will be finished by 1/31, but I’ll keep plugging away. I do have 4 pillowcases finished. Do those count?
I love seeing Hazel “help” you. Squeak does, too.
Mary, what would you do about this? We live inside the city limits, but have a large forest one street over. There are coyotes and foxes in there. One of the neighbors in the neighboring town has, Buckeye, a beautiful part Siamese, gray Tuxedo cat. He visits Squeak (who is totally inside) every night about midnight. I feed and pet him on the porch and then he goes off. I’d like to tell those neighbors about the coyotes and foxes because Buckeye could eaten. Good idea?
Diane and Squeak – good Lord, yes! If Buckeye visits that late at night, he might need to spend the night in your garage for safety or the owners can’t let him out in the evening. Oh, that would be so sad if he got eaten by a coyote! Yes, I think you have to stick your nose in this time to possibly save Buckeye’s life – it’s only a matter of time.
That’s what I thought, too:) We put him in our garage, but he cried and cried to get out so finally we let him out. I will go over there today. Thanks, Mary. Hang in there; you will love your new knees pretty soon!! Diane
Maybe you could find an article online about the dangers of cats being attacked and eaten by coyotes and fox and share it with your neighbor(s).
Your local paper or radio station might print or broadcast an article or Public Service Announcement about pets lost to predators. Perhaps a veterinarian, animal control office, humane society representative or Game, Fish and Parks officer would do an interview.
A coyote recently attacked a child and the child’s father strangled it to death with his bare hands. That was in the news a week or two ago.
Do you have mountain lions in your area? There showing up in places they haven’t been seen before.
Mary says sew – no bobcats that I’ve heard of and we only hear coyotes in the distance during the summer although people say they’re around. Like I’ve said before, the people around here do not value cats and they would never care if their barn cats were killed.
A child? Oh, good Heavens! What a brave dad! Was it a small child?
Diane – oh, thanks for looking out for Buckeye – too bad he wouldn’t stay in your garage late at night.
The child in the most recent coyote attack is two years old.
I looked up the incident, and here’s an article with details on this attack, and more info on coyotes. It covers another attack on a three-year-old.
https://www.ajc.com/news/father-kills-coyote-with-his-bare-hands-after-son-attacked/pzaKPUvJeBOm5kuStnmd1K/
There’s a great PBS show on urban coyotes. Probably from two – three years ago.
Mary says – wow, I read the article. I wonder if I would have been brave enough to do that. Of course, if it meant my child, I probably would.
Oh! Mary, you are always so cheerful. Even when I’m crabby, you had kind words for me.
I’m listening to an old John Steinbeck book, Tortilla Flats, it’s very funny. I think Hazel would enjoy you reading it to her.
Chin up, my friend, you can pull thru this.
There’s a fun series on Amazon Prime Video called, “A Stitch in Time”. Costume historians recreate six garments from paintings, sculpture or other sources. One episode includes quilted clothing with armor.
The host is kind of kooky, but I liked her.
I am watching the series “Call the Midwife”. An excellent chic flick!
How is Reed doing? Hang in there Mary! Better days ahead.
Jane – Reed has stopped coming to my house.
I wish I could do something to cheer you up, but perhaps soon we will get some spring-like weather. That would do the trick, I bet. FYI….Anyone would be whiny with the winter you have had.
We love Greenleaf too. It feels like it is winding up now though, so we will be looking for a new one also. I see The Ranch has another episode. We watched The Crown and liked it. At least they bring out new ones while we are involved with a long one like Greenleaf. We have a Smart TV, (which my husband often calls a Dumb TV because it has its stubborn moments) so we watch lots of YouTube videos. You can get pretty hooked on some of the homestead ones. There are lots of Quilting ones too.
Take care and thank you for giving us such a great blog even when you don’t feel like doing it. We appreciate it.
We all need some sunshine. This fog and drizzle is a downer. Go out to eat and be around other people for awhile.
The dirty dozen has kept me busy all winter. I probably would never have finished these projects if it wasn’t for you and Connie. A big hug for doing this.
Iam off to my sewing room to find something to do until Feb. DD.
Glad to hear you were sewing. Keep thinking positive and you will be back doing all the things you enjoy!!
prayers for you
Hang in there. Just think …. by the time you’re up & “running” again, it will be Spring! We watched the Virgin River season 1 series on one snowy day when I didn’t feel good. It was really good.
Mary – sorry to hear you have a case of the blahs! Hopefully some sunshine and smiles will greet you soon. I know that medication and anesthesia can mess with our bodies and our minds. Add that to the weather and shorter days and the blahs can be severe. Keep on going with the PT and hopefully you’ll be feeling better soon. I’ve been married 35 years now and probably wouldn’t answer to my maiden name!
Sending hugs and wishes that you feel better soon!
Cheer up Mary…you could gladly have some of my today’s snow!! Came down all morning until just after noon! Plow and two snowblowers are ongoing.
Reading about tv programs I like Dr. Pol and didn’t care quite as much for the first episode of Heartland Docs. When I last saw my dermatologist I asked if he watched Dr. Pimple Popper? He and his nurse both voiced, YES!
Country Threads came into my SPAM box today! Happened with a good friend’s e-mail, too!
Nice to see the pictures you posted.
Mary, can you tell me where the country threads sampler can be found? Book ,or pattern? I hope I have the name correct,lots of different blocks,a house a zig zag, windmill blocks,etc. thank you in advance!
What you need are a couple sunny days to lift your spirits, I could use that too! Have patience,this too will pass.🌺🌸🌞
Susie Lenz – I don’t believe we have it anymore – it was a free block pattern for a year and then the layout. I’m sorry – I’ll look but I’m pretty sure it’s gone.
Thank you,Mary I may be able to come close,working from the photo.
Thank you!
Mary, your Amaryllis looks like the one I had a few years ago. A friend told me they only flower if they have been prepped correctly before they’re sold. But how would you know when you go to buy that bulb??
We haven’t seen the sun in such a long time, I hardly remember what it looks like! A nap sounds like just the ticket, I love taking naps on a cold winter day. Thank you for this blog, we know you put a lot of effort into it.
Glad to see you back Mary,winter is tough, especially with added problems.just keep doing what makes you happy! Call the midwife and doc Martin are 2 great English series.best wishes,sandy
Oh Mary! I wish I could bring you a pot of soup and a warm loaf of homemade bread! Some comfort food! At least the days are getting longer and spring will be here and you will be able to garden again! Just hang in there.
Ellie – I’ll just pretend you brought soup and homemade bread – sounds so yummy!
Hi Mary, You are allowed to be a whiner, you’re in pain. This gray, dreary weather makes me grumpy and I don’t even have a sore knee! I really hope the sun comes out for you soon. I know how much better I feel when the sun shines. You’ll have your sew-jo mojo back soon. Miss Hazel is so darn cute!
Hi Mary, You are allowed to be a whiner, you’re in pain. This gray, dreary weather makes me grumpy and I don’t even have a sore knee! I really hope the sun comes out for you soon. I know how much better I feel when the sun shines. You’ll have your sew-jo mojo back soon. Miss Hazel is so darn cute!
HUGS to You Mary-so sorry u have the blues…..
Winter and gray days are the pits!
Love the pic of Hazel-so cute
The Snowman quilt from Nancy is just adorable,,,,,so much talent from You, Connie & your readers!
I always enjoy your blog posts
Feel better!
Oh, Mary my father used to say you are suffering from being sick and tired about being sick and tired. I always felt like this before the next change in my recovery. So it looks like you are ready. Hang in there kiddo-this too shall pass.Cindy
Mary, you have quite a gift for writing. You said you didn’t have anything new and still managed to draw a mental picture for us of a place undoubtedly many of us have been. I wonder how many of us wish we could descend like a swarm of bluebirds to be good fairies for you? Imagine what a flock could do to make everything you mentioned shine and gleam in no time? Wish we could Blessings, Judy
You’ll be up & at ’em before you know it. Stinks in the meantime, I’m sure. We all still love you and feel your pain. Keep up with your mindless 9-patches. At least it’s productive and will lead to something beautiful, I’m sure!
Mary, watch The Haves and Have Nots on OWN, Tyler Perry at his best. Try to get it from the beginning. Rest! Hug Hazel! Wyoming friend Ginger
Evening Mary,
It’s been overcast here for several days so the doom and gloom sets in before my first cup of coffee sometimes. Today it was a drizzly mess outside and if it wasn’t for a women’s bible group meeting for breakfast and I do enjoy chatting with the ladies cause some are quilters, I would have stayed home. I am glad I got out for a little bit cause it was above freezing so no reason to stay home.
Thanks for helping Diane do the right thing with taking care of her neighbors kitty. Some people just think differently about how animals survive and most pets do need humans to help them live so we must do our part.
You are entitled to whine all you want for all you went through to ensure you have good knees in spring!!! You are normal in my book of life.
Kathy in western NY – I hope Buckeye lives a long life! I’m done whining now – I’m over it?
Morning Mary, sometimes when I just tidy up a pile in my sewing sanctuary I am in a much better state of mind. Mine needs a good cleaning right now so it’s today’s project cause I want to find my partially started Harvey from last year after seeing Diane’s pix. All of those that people made were so darn cute last year so mine needs to be finished for my front door.
Hazel sure is cute
Have you watched the movie The Greatest Showman?
Oh, Mary! You barely recovered from your first surgery and have to start all over again. It really takes your body awhile to heal itself. And the anesthesia can really effect you with brain fuzz. That is not a good feeling. Sunday about 4:00 I took stuff to the car for Project Warmth on Monday. While I was out at least 15 VERY BIG V’s of Canadian geese flew to the NE of town in a half hour. There were lots of them. This is a fly path to more water like stock dams and small lakes. I run out to see every time I hear them as I just love to watch. “They” say there are at least 1200 of the birds that winter at Canyon Lake on the other side of town. We see them all along the creek which cuts right thru the middle of Rapid City. I run outside to watch the B-1b’s fly over, too. They are beautiful. Project Warmth was great with about 30 of us sewing. Several ladies go south for the winter. Their creativity just amazes me and no shortage of lots of colors, too.
In the meantime, I won’t repeat all the good advice the ladies have given. As Mom said “this, too, will pass” and it always seems to do it. You just aren’t used to being inactive and unable to do whatever you want. Pretty soon we’ll go on Daylight Saving time and it won’t get dark so early. Spring does have that look to it. Oh, our Thanksgiving snow is almost melted from the parking spot. The pile was solid ice.
Betty Klosterman – I love to see geese flying over, too. What’s a B-1b? I’m too dumb to figure it out, Betty!Yes, I’m really over being kept in a chair all the time. I walk around the house a lot because I’m afraid to go out in our parking area – so much snow and ice. It’s a hard time of the year for anybody to be cooped up day after day. I hope to be driving by next week. Then maybe I won’t be so bored!
Get your wheels and you’ll be ready to go? Not being around people can be extremely depressing to many people, my husband for one. It seems like afternoons are so short in winter. Ellsworth AFB is about 10 miles east of Rapid City and they have the BIG B-1b airplanes. They have been sent to the middle east to help with the war. The plane is very swept back and sometimes they go over quite low, especially when landing. When they go really fast their wings sweep back, like a bird diving. I was lucky to see that one time. The Canadian geese are very impressive. God does really take care of his critters. They aren’t a soaring bird and I wonder how far they fly at one time flapping their wings all the way. Guess I really like that stuff–even the garter snakes that live under the step by my back door all summer. There were ant colonies there until the snakes moved in!!
Betty K – I did wonder if it was a plane you were referring to – I would love to see that, too.
I enjoy seeing the amaryllis. I wanted to send you a picture of mine, but can’t put it here in the comment section. I bought 2 bulbs at wal-mart, before thanksgiving. They were in a bin by the garden center door.$6.22 @. No box which is what I had always bought before. Just a bin of bulbs. They bloomed. I had 11 blooms between the 2 bulbs. The leaves did not grow hardly at all. It was amazing. What is even better one of the bulbs has shot up another bloom stalk. I put the pot back in the greenhouse until it blooms again. I have never gotten one to bloom more than one flower and even those were small blooms. I was so excited. Hope you are feeling less winter blues tomorrow. blessing judy
Hey Mary, I sent you a picture on your e-mail of the flowers. Thought it might perk you up. judy
Judith – the pictures were spectacular and I’ll put them in the blog. I bought mine from a bin at Walmart, too. Such a difference!
Eight ads to close! I think that’s the most I’ve done so far! I hope each tomorrow gets better, Mary!
Take care,
Susan Moore
Susan MOORE – thank you so much for your support – I hope we can get back on track again!
Are we supposed to close ads again?
Betty Klosterman – yes and thank you!!!
If you like a Western, my husband and I got hooked on Hell on Wheels on Netflix. I’ve been nursing a bad back since October, it gets you down. I always have 4 patches going at my sewing machine. Hope you are feeling better soon.
Linda carpenter – I’ve been recovering since October, too, and it seems like forever! I didn’t sleep well last night so now I’ll be tired all day. Grrr…….
Rest up Mary. Tomorrow is a new day. I’d say after all you’ve been through, you’re entitled to a little grumpy. My amaryllis hasn’t done much at all ☹️ But I must admit I was late planting it. Connie and Becky have beauties. I watched Longmire on Netflix. I’m new to their offerings and just loving it! Really enjoyed Heartland Docs. I think it’s a winner. I’ve watched Dr Pol for several years and always learn something new. I’m a city girl who is a country girl at heart ❤️ So always interesting to me.
Julianna – wait till you see the amaryllis I will post today!
Hi, Mary two of my amaryllis bloomed, however, I don’t think the third one will. Two out of three is not too bad, though. Sorry to hear that your knee is not behaving.
Felicia Hamlin – it’s just that I’m so impatient- I’m sick of being just a shadow of myself and not pulling my weight. Although I’ve taken back the litter boxes and the cooking. Guess I’ve always had the cleaning because it’s pretty messy/dirty around here and I don’t see Rick cleaning.
Good News for/from this reader!! Your blog posted AS NORMAL this morning!! I was so thrilled!! It didn’t post normally yesterday or for several weeks before that. I hope hope hope this will continue! I thank whoever is still working on getting your blog completely back up and running! This looks good!
I have my own blog list, as I cannot have posts stacking up in emails chastising me for not reading them. So when your daily posts went incognito after the Death-Cleaning post, I worked around the problem through the posts listed at the top of each comments section. I tried the archives too, which sometimes had January 2020 listed but mostly not. (No, I’m not on instagram.)
It’s even good to see your Snow, as we have had practically none here in Maryland.
Best Wishes for your continued recovery!
Ruth – I am so sorry to tell you I haven’t changed one thing – Denise is coming tonight but I’m not sure that she will change anything. It’s gotta be something on your end. I always tell people that if they’re having problems to unsubscribe and then subscribe again. I hope your good luck continues and I’d like to take credit but I can’t.
Mary, This will pass. The weatherman in Minnesota said this is the longest ‘no sun’ stretch we’ve ever had. Netflix has a series ‘Kominsky Method’. It’s about 2 old cantankerous old men who are just living life. It’s great. The sun will be back & spring will come.
Netflix:
Call the Midwife. Excellent show!!!! You will fall in love with
Sister Monica Joan.
Anne With an E. Another excellent show!
Outlander. but WARNING graphic sex scenes. It’s good.
I don’t have bad knees but I do have Crohns. It’s decided to flare up this month. Some days it takes all of my energy to get out of bed. So you have my empathy!
Hi Mary, Hope you are feeling better today. You are definitely allowed to whine. You have been through so much for such an active person. Spring will be here soon! I get gloomy when the sun doesn’t shine for 3 days and we don’t get any snow!! It is shining a little today. I love the #9s. Anxious to see what the next # is in a few days.
Grave and Frankie on Netflix. It’s a blog !
Hang in there, Mary. Things WILL get better. A friend, when she was widowed, and the professional TV fisherman (whose name I can’t remember) both begin each day by repeating “This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it!” Psalm 118: 24 It works!
Sandy – I had that verse printed on our wedding programs as well as our thank you notes! One of my very favorites!
I have been watching Anne with an E on netfex. Highly recommend. It is based on Anne of Green Gables
I agree. Anne With An E is excellent. I did not want it to end. If you haven’t seen it Mary, I know you would love it too.