Let’s try a post! 6-25-22

Once again technology problems – I don’t think it was me but I also don’t know how to fix it when something doesn’t work. I’ve had another bump in the road – tendonitis in my left foot. It’s been hurting for months but lately has gotten worse to the point I can hardly walk and by bedtime my foot is swollen, puffy and hurts all the way to my knee.

A visit to the podiatrist put me in this boot for 3 weeks – ugh. I have a plastic bag to put over the boot when I go to the barn so keep it clean. I can do almost everything but slowly and awkwardly. At least it’s my left foot so I can still drive.

Ciara (I thought it was Sierra) is doing well – she is a loving puppy, 4 months old last week but sadly there have been no inquiries about her because she is a pit mix which is crazy. I put some pictures of her on the Patriots for Pets Facebook page. I have always thought pit bulls were raised to fight because their owners wanted them to be aggressive – not because they were born that way.

Yesterday Sam came out with Ivy and her 7 month old puppy named Finn – this is what Ciara needs – a dog to run and play hard with – my dogs at age 5 and 11 are no longer interested in “rassling”. Moe is also here for the weekend, too – but she’s also 5 years old.

Moe,Hazel,Telly

The kids ate mulberries.

Ivy, Finn, Lucy, Aidan

Reader quilts

Loved this coop sent from a reader -thanks, Jan.
My orchid cactus is blooming!
Colton in the birdbath

It rained so hard in the night and we got almost 1.5” of much desired rain. And now the heat – perfect corn growing conditions.

Before I show any more $5 patterns, I need to address the ordering rules – when you just put $5 in an envelope how am I to know what you’re ordering? When this happens I simply can’t believe it. And when you think you’ve told me in a comment or an email 2 weeks prior, how many text messages, emails and comments do you imagine I’ve had in the past 2 weeks? I’ve had HUNDREDS! I can’t search for yours – it takes hours of my time – hours that I simply don’t have.

So before I sound too grumpy I’ll close and get to work – have a great weekend. Don’t forget to organize your Dirty Dozen projects before July 1.

45 thoughts on “Let’s try a post! 6-25-22

  1. Sandy in Indiana

    Wonderful post today, Mary!
    So sorry about your foot….Ouch it sounds very painful!
    Loved the picture of Colton & the new Puppy…so sweet

    Enjoy your weekend

    Sandy

  2. Kathy in western NY

    Hurray!! You got us up to date on you and the internet gods are working with you today! Sorry about the painful tendon issue slowing you down. Summer heat will slow you down enough if you were here. No rain so it’s been watering all the time the last week for us. The pictures of pups and kids on a farm are so cute to see. Love that we have Chris from Alaska too. So many readers, such fun. And yes Mary common sense dictates you can’t read our minds so it’s only a small gesture to add a note with $5 to say what pattern is requested. You can be grumpy but I sure do love seeing all the patterns you post to sell so don’t let a few ruin our good time shopping with you.

  3. Jeanne H in Finger Lakes of New York

    So sorry, Mary, that you are having trouble with your foot – ouch! I hope wearing the boot helps.

    Sadly, it is understandable that people might be leery of pit bulls. I am myself, but I think if Ciara were described as a short-haired, smooth-coated mix rather than “pit bull mix” there might be more interest in her. As you say, it is how pet owners treat dogs and train them that determines their behavior.

    Best – Jeanne

    1. Janet S

      I agree with Jeanne H. Friends had a pit bull mix who was the most loving animal ever, so you never know.

  4. Launa

    Mary,
    Sorry about the boot you are needing to wear! Hope it gives relief, tho!
    Nice to see all the pictures this morning. Cute flag pincushion, too!
    A cool 40o sunny morning up here in Idaho. Needed a stove fire for late afternoon yesterday as the wind was so cold 🥶 I avoided sitting on deck more than 10 minutes!
    Nice the dogs had a good playful visit, too!

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Launa – how is Pepper? I haven’t heard much about her!

    2. Peggy S

      Just a note about the flag pincushion. It is a Country Threads pattern. Calls for wool, but I used felt instead. First time ever using walnut shells for stuffing, along with Jo Kramer’s suggestion of using some polyfil too. Love it.

  5. Jeanice Domino

    Your Colton looks a lot like my cat “Mister”. He is quite a character. I can’t figure out how to include a picture of him.

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Jeanice – you not be able to add a photo – only I can so you could send it to my email

  6. Diane, Squeak, Buddy

    Hi Mary, Here is what my Orthopedic surgeon told me to do when I wore a boot for 3 weeks after I broke my ankle. Find a sneaker with a THICK sole for your right foot so you don’t get your hip out of balance. It worked! Goid luck. Sorry you have to wear it. You are right about Pit Bulls. A friend hat a lovely one when he got married. They had twins. That dog never hurt one hair on those kids heads. When she died, they got another Pit puppy. Most dogs are trained to be mean. Love the quilts, flowers, chickens, and Colton in the birdbath made me laugh out loud!! No worries on the $5.00 patterns. You sounded like a teacher (me) who has said the same thing 10 times!! Kathy in western NY, we were at Chautauqua this weekend. Ahhhh😀

    1. Kathy in western NY

      Diane – nothing more beautiful to admire than gorgeous Chautauqua Lake. We camped there few years ago and loved the lakefront area and the Institute.
      It’s about three hours from my house on the thruway.

      1. Diane and all in Central Ohio

        Neat! Near Rochester or further East?

        So hot and humid here tonight-82 at almost 10. Yuck.

        1. Kathy

          Diane- we are west of Rochester on the Erie Canal. Another hot one here today too, then cooler for week.

  7. Tina in Oregon

    Your orchid cactus is magnificent! Does the bloom last very long? Ciera is such a cute puppy and I think Jeanne is correct that describing her differently may help find her a home. The quilts today are wonderful along with the cute pincushion. Looking forward to seeing your $5 patterns. Hopefully readers will send a note with their $ along with a SASE (self addressed stamped envelope). Great post this morning!

  8. Marsha from Kansas

    Love the picture of Moe, Hazel, and Telly watching “the youngsters” from under a nice shady tree! I’d be joining them! Hope your tendonitis resolves quickly. Still need to figure out one more dirty dozen project. Not hard finding one, hard choosing WHICH one!

  9. Lynette in Orlando

    Mary, with the plastic bag over your boot be very careful — it can be slippery. Ask me how I know……. LOL

  10. Lois Ann Johnson

    Mary: As you know, my Bailey Girl is a “pit-mix” and is such a nice, friendly dog. She had a rough first two years before she and I found each other, but now she has had love, discipline and a secure home. If your foster is a puppy, she probably hasn’t had time to acquire bad habits yet. That would be a “plus.” Good luck with your foot problem. I feel for you!

  11. Jo in Wyoming

    Fun post today. How you got 3 dogs to line up for a picture is saying a lot for your talent.
    Rest as much as you can, that boot can do some damage to your hips and knees.
    I was out doing a little gardening yesterday and found the lilac bushes covered with butterflies!!! They were small and had coloring like a monarch. What a gift that was.

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Jo in Wyoming – this boot throws my back out of whack for sure – hips, legs – how can it do much good when everything else goes bad in the meantime ?

        1. Mary Etherington Post author

          Diane – I am very convinced a tall sneaker would work – but I hate shoes! Maybe I can find a flip flop with a thick sole.

          1. Diane

            Ahh, that’s a good idea, but then you have to watch out for Plantar Facitis (sp?) Our daughter had that from flip flops and it is painful. I wear Brooks sneakers. They are like walking on little trampolines:) The 2021 ones are on sale at Brooks.com now. I buy the Adrenaline ones.
            GOOD LUCK.

  12. Margaret in North Texas

    I see another watercolor painting in that orchid cactus for Becky to do! Creating another memory for you.
    Mary, maybe you could post the RULES for ordering at the beginning of the blog for a week—-hoping that everyone gets the message. Just a thought—- you have every right to be grumpy but oh so frustrating!!

  13. carolyn meadow

    Do you think Ciara is part boxer? Are you sure about the pit bull? I hope someone takes her home to give her lots of love.

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Carolyn – I do think she looks like boxer – when a rescue takes in a dog that has traveled on a transport for miles, who knows for sure what they “are”. Records can change, depending on who’s recording! She is very mild tempered but she’s only a puppy.

  14. Quilting Sister

    You do a WONDERFUL job, Mary … we could all try harder to communicate what we need.

    Loved seeing all the dogs laying in the shade, they’re no dummies! And surely someone will step up soon to give that cute little rescue a home … such adorable ears! I agree with what you said about Pit Bulls. If you raise a dog to fight, it will fight, which is so sad.

    Take care of your foot … I’ve had an issue with my right achilles tendon for over a year now, but it has finally healed, fingers crossed. Hoping you’ll have same outcome soon!

  15. Georgia

    You mean you’re not a mind reader? I would put any money not earmarked properly into the doggie slush fund, lol! Fair is fair. My friend is a dog groomer, she regales me with horror stories from what she calls “Tupid People” – Actually, she uses expletive deletives to more accurately describe the things they put their dogs through. She is madder than a wet hen when people stroll through the door a half-hour or more late & expect immediate service for poor, long-haired “Charlie” who has been un-groomed for a year & is covered in hair mats – and of course, she is in the middle of grooming a fussy-cut for a Bichon when this occurs.
    It will take a little longer to adopt out the cute Pit – because of the power of their bites you need the right home with the right people. My neighbor rescues Pits & keeps 7 of them as pets. They all have sweet dispositions, except one, who goes bizarro occasionally. (Other than that, he is lovable as well) An air horn & blasts of water don’t stop him when he attacks another dog for some perceived slight infraction.

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Georgia – generally people are great but having been in the retail business for 44 years I could tell you some horror stories. Good idea for the money!

  16. MartyCae

    Thanks for sharing all the summer pictures. My favorite season! Hope you are up and and that the boot works for you soon.

  17. Rita in Iowa

    Hi Mary, great post of the dogs. Great job on thee photos. Love all the sewing and quilting projects. So beautiful!
    Glad to hear all the response on wearing a boot. I have surgery schedule this fall to have a spur removed on my big toe and tendon repair on the toe next to it. May wear a boot for 3 to 6 weeks, so I like all the great advice you received. It does bother my knee as I have osteoarthritis in it. But oh well it could be worse. Tuesday I spent too much time on it hoeing and suffered for or it that night. 6 hours was too much.

    Received 3.17 inches of rain overnight and today and more to come this afternoon. I live in east central Iowa.
    Take care of yourself!

  18. Dee in Ohio

    My son had a pitbull mix and she was the sweetest dog you ever met. She wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box but she was so loving.

  19. Sheila N

    Mary you are an inspiration to all your readers.
    You just keep plugging along. Maybe not always with
    a smile. Hang in there. I hope Ciara finds her forever
    family. She is a cutie.
    As always the reader ‘s quilts are beautiful.
    Better days ahead.

  20. Charlotte Shira

    Love the pictures today! Great quilts from Jeanie and Chris! I love Show and Tell and really enjoy seeing what others are making. Sorry about your foot. Hope the boot helps.

  21. Chris in Alaska

    So sorry about your foot Mary , I hated wearing a boot after foot surgery . Wishing you a speedy recovery!

  22. Sandy

    Hi Mary, sorry about your foot, are you using a walking stick to help you balance right? Ciara has enormous ears!with love, she will be the best dog ever! Going to make some marmalade today, bored with peanut butter on toast got breakfast! Planning to go on a cruise around Australia in 2 years time with my sister Gwen ❤ and catch up with cousins l haven’t seen for many years.take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Yes, I am using a walking stick around the farm because of the dogs – especially Ciara who is like a torpedo under my feet. I am afraid I’ll fall and wreck something else. She really does have huge ears – maybe she’ll grow into them?

  23. Sue in Oregon

    Love this post and all the great photos today, Mary. And, Jan…your chicken photo is gorgeous.
    Sorry about your foot and the boot. Hope it corrects quickly and you can ditch the thing.
    I agree with the others. Ciara looks more Boxer than Pit Bull.
    We are having a heatwave today. 90 degrees out there. That is really hot for the OR coast. It will probably be gone tomorrow. lol

  24. Judy

    Cute pictures of the dogs. The kids seem to be having a good time with the mulberries and then I saw the quilt in the next picture. My first thought was “oh no.” I missed that it was a reader quilt. I thought it was with the mulberries. It reminds me of a day we went to town and the neighbor kids had a picnic under the mulberry trees. The moms had a cleaning job. Glad we had gone to town or our daughter would have been part of the group and I would have been doing mulberry stained laundry. Hope the boot helps. My knee replacement is two years old and doing well but my doctor sent me to the orthopedic doctor about my hip. He says it has the same problem of bone on bone and a replacement could be done today. But I’m not there yet. Going to PT and have a shot scheduled. My greatest pain is at night. Hopefully the shot will help.

  25. Susan K in Texas

    Hopefully the foot will heal quickly and the boot can disappear! I’m sorry you’re having tendinitis.
    Ciera is cute. I’m glad she had friends to play with. Puppies need lots of exercise and then they sleep good so they have energy again. Love the quilts, the animals, the flowers, and the visitors. It’s nice to have people around again.

  26. patti

    ciara is such a good looking puppy. every pit bull i’ve personally known has been a great dog – loyal, protective, best baby sitter, and wouldn’t hurt a fly. tis very true that how dogs are brought up, raised and taught, and loved says tons about their personality. chain them up in the back yard, neglect them, forget to feed them and visit with them every day and they become mean. same thing happens with kids. (except the chaining up in the yard) i so hope someone who understands this will take ciara ino their life and love her.
    all the quilts are wondeful. thanks for all you do including sharing the pictures. patti in forida

  27. Sue H

    That’s a bummer about your foot. Wearing a boot is no fun either. I just learned about mulberries earlier this week. There are lots on the bike trail where I walk my dog. So tasty! I need to get my UFO list ready. July 1st is right around the corner!

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