Category Archives: What I’m Working On

What I’m Working On….

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First off some news on the Kramer hospital stay:
Yesterday we found out that he’ll likely be in the hospital a minimum until Tuesday.  They were giving him two strong IV antibiotics.  They took one away yesterday and will see how he does.  If he does okay, they will take the other one away today.  They will monitor him after that and assess then.  That bring us to Tuesday.  As frustrating as it is to not be at home, we both don’t want him here if there is a possibility he will tank again.  We want to put this episode COMPLETELY behind us.

I opted to come home…mostly because Kramer pushed me too.  I’ll do childcare Monday and if things go as planned part of Tuesday then Kelli will come and finish up childcare for Tuesday.

Little by little we are getting closer to the two of us both being home.

Now onto the regular post.

I did get some stitching time this week…
It was all thanks to the hospital stay in Lacrosse for Kramer.

It looks like I got a lot done but it really wasn’t a lot.  Two of the pieces were nearing the end so I did some quick stitching and they were finished.

A blog reader had sent this Lizzie Kate pattern to me and I was tickled.  It certainly fits for what we are going through now.

I changed the colors a bit by making the pink more red and the blue moved to a darker blue.  I used a scrap piece of fabric that another blog reader gifted to me.  I started it too far to the right and ended up with just barely enough room to fit the whole saying on.  I’m finishing it myself so it isn’t a bit deal.

I do really like this.  Thanks so much to you blog readers that gifted the goodies.  It kept my mind from worrying…

This one was almost finished.  I only have the house left.  My fabric is pretty dark and the house was supposed to be the same color as the moon.  I didn’t think it would show up so I just left it thinking I’d come up with some other color.  Kelli suggested blue.  What do you think? Continue reading →

What I’m Working On…

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Well…We made it home.  It was no small task to get here and it was a endless game of catch up once we got here.

Being we were discharged on a Sunday and the hospital pharmacy wasn’t open and our local Wal-mart likely didn’t have the meds Kramer needed we had to go to the Lacrosse Wallgreens.  There was a big hassle over what meds the insurance company would cover now and which needed pre-authorization.  UGH.  We ended up having to pay cash for one….then tomorrow I have to call the insurance company and then call Wallgreens and then do all of that before the seven days run out and be back to Wallgreens to pick up a reimbursement for the difference between what I paid and what the insurance covered.  OH MY WORD.  The man is sick.  He has lung cancer, bone cancer and broke his neck.  I think that’s enough to “authorize” medications he needs for pain.  But…I’m being a big girl and only ranting to all of you as no one else can do anything about it anyway.  It certainly isn’t the clerks fault.

All of that took about an hour for us to finally get the medicine. In the middle of me trying to manage it all Kramer walked in from the truck to see what was going on.  UGH.  He was badly in need of meds when I finally got them.

Kramer’s meds are a nightmare.  In January, he took two inhalers.  Now he takes over 27 pills a day.  Seriously, keeping track of them gives me a headache just to think about.  The 27 doesn’t count his nebulizer treatments or the feedings via his feeding tube.  Kalissa ended up coming over and set up an app for his Kindle that is helping him track it….again, Kramer is learning something new as he didn’t regularly use the Kindle before.  Little by little he’s coming into the modern world.  I’ll tell you more about the app he’s using once we test it for a few days to see if we like it.

Being I spent a week in the hospital one would think I got LOTS of stitching done.  I didn’t.  I didn’t at all.  Kramer saw lots of doctors often and keeping track of it all, plus going to my own appointments took up lots of time.  We also had LOTS of visitors and we so appreciated that.  Visitors was more fun than stitching.

Kayla was one of my visitors.  She seemed to be on a mission to get me out of the hospital and get me back on track with food after my 2 week long low-iodine diet.  We got burgers at the The Crow in Lacrosse.

I HIGHLY recommend it.  YUM.  This was a Crow Burger on a pretzel bun with sloppy fries.  Oh my.  It was so much food that it was my lunch and supper.

As for stitching.  I was almost done with my “Faith” but didn’t like the color choice for the house so stopped here until I could get home and get a better color.  See the moon…(Don’t worry, I can’t see it the best either) well the house was supposed to be the same color.  Kelli suggested a blue that is used in the whole series and I’m thinking I might follow her advice and use it.

Do any of you have opinions??

I ended up starting something else….this.  Continue reading →

Spring Cleaning

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It was one of those “try to stay afloat” weeks for us.  With my doctor appointments and Kramer’s crash landing in the ER on Saturday I gave up on anything fun.  I decided to clean instead.

Part of that was prompted because Kalissa said she is having a garage sale.  Well that had me looking around and getting the spring cleaning itch.  Oh, I’d love to clean…and that’s exactly what I did.  Thankfully cleaning is something I can do a little of here and there and feel like I got something accomplished.

Kayla was here and I made the decision to offer my Fairy Gardens to her.  I had all beautiful matching pots, decent plants but ZERO space to winter things over.  It was so hard wintering things over.  One year I tried the basement…one the upstairs and one the main floor.  UGH.  I just never felt like I was doing a decent job.  Then when spring came I was always needing to buy more plants as the wintered over so terribly.  It was a money pit..but I did love it.  I might do something different.  I think ONE pot only!!

I LOVED the fairy gardens in the summer but the winter…UGH.  Unfortunately where we live, the summer isn’t all that long.  Anyway…that was wonderful to have all of that gone!

Then I started in on my upstairs closet.  All of my clothes are all gone through….Then to the bathroom.  All of the extra childcare clothes, bids and blankets have been gone through.  I have stuff for the garage sale.


Well all the cleaning and stuff got us to thinking that we might as well just have the garage sale here at my house.  I know we have PLENTY of irons in the fire already but…nothing make me happier than getting rid of STUFF!

From there Kalissa messaged me and asked if I was working outside…No I wasn’t.  Then she said, if you are we thought we’d come over and help.  Oh wait…YES.  I will run outside.  I will work outside.  I’m not declining any help.

Kramer has it in his mind that we are going to landscape the front of the house.  I think he sits in his recliner and thinks of all the things he wishes were done….then we end up doing them.  He got Kelli talked into taking him to Menards last week and she helped him bring home all of this…. Continue reading →

What I’m Working On…

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No sewing happened.  Kayla was home and I tried to take advantage of the help she offered.

I did do some stitching at the doctor’s office when I took Hubby on Monday last week.  I had a miserable time with this project….I’m working on Sheep Virtues by Little House Needleworks.  I started a new one…FAITH.


Oh this was a trying one for the border.

They use three different greens and they are very close in tone.  Two of the number are WAY hard.

I started with one green…I realized it was the wrong one but decided I didn’t care.  Seriously it’s really hard to tell the difference in color unless they are side by side.  Remember I am stitching in a doctor’s office with little light on linen so it’s kind of hard.

I ended up having one side done, got new thread and grabbed the wrong one but didn’t realize until I had about 25 stitches in.  UGH.  Rip out time.

Then I got another big section done and did the same thing only with the third of the greens.  AHH.  I had a side and a half to rip out of that.

I fixed that and was stitching again only to find my border didn’t line up.  AH…I can’t believe it.  One would think I could do this.  This is the FIFTH one I am stitching of the series and it’s the same fabric….the same style of directions.  To be honest, I think I wasn’t in the mood to stitch.  That can really make a difference.

I have a plan with the thread and this won’t be happening again anytime soon.  How frustration especially when the word is “FAITH” that I’m stitching.  Faith is something I need to be strong and bold about…not something I need to be ripping and restitching….but alas.  Here I am.

Friday at the doctor for me and then Saturday in the ER with Kramer has brought my project to here….


Today is chemo/radiation day so I’m guessing I’ll get a lot more stitched.

A blog reader, Pat,  sent me a cross stitch kit.  Well, it’s a pattern with the fabric.  I had seen this one before and liked it but that’s as far as I got.

It says, “When we do what we can, God will do what we cannot“.

This one is so meaningful to me now.  I am stitching it for sure.  It will be another of the “stitching my life into words” project for me.  I have been living this saying these last few weeks.  THANKS Pat.  It’s perfect.

When I tighten my budget and told myself no more crafty purchases for a while…what happens?  You all provide them.  When I worry about the extra gas expenses what happens?  You all send a gift card.  I feel God is working through others to help us and I sure do appreciate that.

Sitting through the doctor appointments, it’s really the cross stitch that makes it all so much easier.

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