The Domino effect

WOW, you never know hat you set in motion when you break your foot.  Bud moved our TV up from the room downstairs so that I wouldn't have to go up and down the stairs.  Then on Friday he had lunch with some guys and they were talking about new TVs.  We have been talking about moving some TVs around for quite a while but were just waiting for the new technology to make it possible to stream shows off the Internet to our TV.  The guys informed him that that technology is here now and so he went by the shop and brought home some information about a 55" TV for that room.  (Glen, I think it is smaller than your TV.  I kind of blame Glen some for having such a nice TV setup in his family room.  Bud had a lot of TV envy when he watched a game out there.)   

 SO, Bud attached the TV to the wall upstairs in our bedroom/bathroom suite.  We had a small TV there and it will go down in my sewing room.

 The new TV (not yet ordered but I'm sure on the way this week) will go in the TV room downstairs.  We have needed new furniture for that room since the recliner is starting to fall apart. So, Saturday Bud took measurements, planned and visited the local furniture store to check out the possibilities.  That room is a long and narrow room so it is difficult to find furniture that will fit and meet our needs.  Usually it is only the two of us watching TV but it would be nice to have room to have people over to watch a game or something like that.  He came back from the furniture store with several possibilities.

 Eva came to visit on Sunday and we took her to the store.  Bud's words before we went were, "We don't have to buy today, I just want you to see what the possibilities are."  WELL, this one is pretty nice.  We would put the sofa/recliner under the windows, put a TV in the corner, probably the 55" one he is looking at and then angle the other recliner facing the TV.  It would take up most of the space from the fireplace to the wall but it would look nice.  Four people could watch TV in that space and be comfortable.  Don't we look pretty comfortable here?

 I was hoping for a gray color but this was on the floor and on sale.  It is very classic and nice leather.  The recliner has a motor so it goes up slowly and stops at any place that is comfortable.  The middle piece doesn't recline but we like it.

 The extra recliner is pretty big too so it looks comfortable.  We toyed with the idea of a smaller chair for this space but Bud really wanted the matching set.  So, guess what??? yes, we bought it for ourselves.  It will be delivered on Tuesday.  Eva approved and we are all happy.

 Eva brought up Bud's birthday present, 2 CDs by the man that was in the movie Searching for Sugar Man.  The music is very nice.

 I decided to give Eva her birthday present early.  Jessica was with me when I picked this skirt out and she was pretty unsure about the color.  I went with my 'gut' and bought it anyway.  It turns out that Eva had seen it on someone else and almost went out to buy it for herself.

 I bought her a couple of sweaters to go with the skirt.  It is hard to believe but they are putting this aqua blue with the olive green color in the stores.  Anyway, she is happy.  Her birthday is quite a ways away but I like giving presents in person.

In the evening we went out to |Phil's downtown for dinner.  They have the best crab cakes in the world with nice big chunks of crab.  All three of us had some crab.  I also had some delicious soup.  All in all it was a great day.

I am managing to get around better every day.  I walk without crutches or a walker, just resting on the heal of my foot/cast.  I have a boot to put over the cast to protect it and keep me from slipping so I am pretty mobile.  Bud is still very nervous to watch me go up and down stairs but I will keep that to a minimum and stay mostly on the upper level of the house.

SO, you can see the domino effect of me breaking my foot, from new TV to new furniture.  It has been a bit of a costly break but I knew that the TV and furniture thing was coming, especially after Bud saw Glen's big TV.

Thursday I am off on another adventure.  Eva is driving out to  Cape Cod to see Sara and take some things to her.  I am 'tagging' along, just for company since I can't drive but I am looking forward to the trip.  Bud is going to a conference in Florida on the weekend so I would have been by myself anyway.  This is a good way for me to see Sara and Leo before the babies.  Life is full of excitement.

Purple cast, the birthday boy and assorted other events

I'm sure that the family is getting tired of my constant updates on my poor broken foot but there isn't much else going on here and I am stuck in the house.  SO, you will be getting updates or nothing at all.  Let me know if the 'nothing at all' is your favorite option.  

 Thursday afternoon I made it to the orthopedic doctor and he gave me the best news I have received through this whole ordeal.  I do not need surgery, and a cast was all that was necessary.  He said that I could probably have gone without a cast, just with some kind of a boot but this was the safest option.  Considering my coordination problems, it is probably the best for me.  My foot is a little swollen in this picture,.

 It doesn't look too bad here either

 However, the close-up is kind of bad.  It looks much better now that the swelling has gone down even though it is in a cast.  I can tell that it isn't as swollen.

 My purple cast is going on here.  It goes quite high but I can get the waterproof boot over it for a shower so I am good.

 Friday was Bud's 58th birthday.  We stayed home.  We are going out Sunday night when Eva comes to visit.  I bought him this sweater.  He has quite a sweater collection and wears them every day to work.  He just tossed one the other day because it had a hole in the elbow so it was good that I bought him a replacement.

 I wasn't able to get out and buy him a card BUT we still hadn't opened our anniversary cards so we decided that we would exchange them instead of a birthday card for Bud.

That means that I had a card too.  All in all we are getting along fine.  We had steak and vegetables for his birthday dinner.  I am much more mobile now that I have a cast on my foot.  I can walk around and use that foot for balance.  I am not putting full weight on it yet but it helps my balance a lot.  I was even able to put on regular clothes this morning so I am presentable in jeans not sweats.

Today I had an outing in the morning.  I went and bought an outside type boot to put over the cast.  It was snowing here this morning so it is a good thing that I have some protection from the weather.  Then I went and voted.  They let the crippled and people over 60 vote early so I did the absentee thing today.   (Leo asked which I was, over 60 or crippled I told him I was just the smart ass)

SO, I cast my vote in this election.  I don't know how I feel about the outcome except that I will be glad when it is over.  You won't believe it but I received the strangest phone message/call yesterday.  Sara Palin was on the line encouraging me to vote.  I didn't listen long enough to tell if it was really her or just Tina Fey sounding like her.  You have to know that the republicans are getting pretty desperate if they are calling ME and they are using Sara Palin as a spokes person AGAIN.  Didn't they learn their lesson before???? and aren't there enough other republicans with a tiny bit more credibility than her????   Even I can think of a few.

So, there you have it.  My foot and the election.  I hope they both turn out fine but unfortunately I am more sure about my foot than the election.  3 more days!!!!  

I saw this printed the other day and thought it might be good for this election season:
PEACE. it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work
It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.

I wish you peace this coming week.

HELP I've fallen and I can't get up

WELL. a lot has happened since my last post. I will start at the beginning though.  Monday I drove down to Coleman for the funeral of my Aunt Ruth, Dad's oldest sister and the 4th in line in his family.  If you didn't read the previous post, check that information out.  

The family all gathered although the oldest generation is getting smaller.  Aunt Ruth was Greta's mother for those of the family that can't remember all of them.  Greta is my age (actually a few months younger than me as I am sure she would point out)  so I spent many Sunday afternoons over at their house.  It was about a mile away so I would walk over to see her and spend the long Sunday afternoon.  This is Greta's daughter Rachael.  NO, they didn't plan this 'look alike' day but it sure does look great.  Greta thought it was cuter than Rachael.  I just thought it was a 'picture perfect' moment.  

 Here we have the GIRLS.  Eva, Greta, Me, Kay and Darleen Clarke.  We all look pretty good for being over 60.

 Of course many of you know about my latest adventure because I have been sending text messages.  Tuesday evening I was walking downstairs, talking to Bud about something and carrying a glass of my Ruby Red Squirt, heading for the TV room to watch something.  I guess I was a little distracted with what I was saying and didn't notice that I had 2 more steps instead of just 1 so I stepped out into the air and down those two steps.  Can you believe it that I didn't spill much of the glass of Squirt??  I didn't go all the way down and the glass was almost full.  It did hurt a bit but I quickly found something to soak up the Squirt and complained that my foot hurt a little bit. I put ice on it and elevated it, hoping it was nothing but a sprain.  I went to bed, slept all night but in the morning it was quite swollen.  I called my doctor and they sent me to Urgent Care.  There the x-rays told us that I have 2 broken toes and the bones are separated and not in line any more.  That requires an orthopedic doctor to figure out the next step  but we are guessing that it may require some surgery and some pins.  I will find out this afternoon.
Bud has be his usual VERY helpful self.  I have a 'nest' around one of the chairs in the living room complete with a cooler full of pop and my book.
I am not very well balanced on the crutches, walking down the stairs was a very difficult experience last evening.  SO. Bud brought up the TV and installed it in the room beside the bedroom although I don't watch much daytime TV.  It will be helpful on some boring days though.
I did get up this morning and manage to take a shower, wash my hair, fix my coffee and have breakfast.  Last night Bud drove up to Sonja's house and she gave us a walker that she had so that is a much more stable way for me to get around.  I don't worry about tipping backwards.  I never realized that crutches were so hard to use but now have a whole new appreciation for anyone that must use them and a new appreciation for the stability of a walker.  I think that I will use both of them depending on the situation.  I know that my upper arms are getting quite a workout.  My only hope is that through this experience I develop "Michael Obama" arms.

Kathy was my first visitor.  She came by today and brought chili for dinner tonight.  What a great friend.

SO, I am learning to be humble (quite a difficult lesson for me) and thankful for a wonderful husband, family and friends. I am also thankful for good drugs.  I took a nice nap this morning and am remembering to rest and recover.
Thank you all for your kind text messages of concern. I will continue to keep my blog up and let you know how I am doing. I think it will be about a 6 week recovery time so lots of good books and maybe I will even get better on the crutches.  I probably won't be driving though since it is my right foot.  I will keep smiling though.  Life is full of excitement and this is just one more experience that I will share with you.

Weekend activities.

Friday evening Bud had a dinner commitment so I decided to have a date with Leo.  We arranged to meet in Cadillac for dinner.  I hadn't seen him in a month or so and decided he needed a little time with his sister.  We had a good dinner and a nice talk.  It was great to just meet him half way.  We need to work at doing that more often.  It is about and hour drive for me and about 45 minutes for him  

 Saturday I took another class on landscape quilting.  I took a class with Jessica from this lady last winter.  This one was a little different and it was a fall scene.  I had a little more trouble with this one.  I think I put too much color in the background so the trees didn't show up as much.  It is an interesting technique and I enjoy working on this type of project.  This lady was at Art Prize in Grand Rapids and was in the top 25 so she is very talented.  She is a great teacher and a wonderful artist with small pieces of fabric.
Bud spent the morning working at the Yacht Club helping with fall clean up.  In the afternoon he started on our yard.  It was quite covered with leaves.  He only worked a while and then we decided that a movie would be in order for us in the evening.  We went to see Argo.  It was an interesting movie that centered around the Iranian Hostage problem in the Jimmy Carter administration.  Since it was just a review of history for the two of us, we found it interesting.  Of course since Bud was beside me, I could be reminded of the actual events when we talked about the movie later. He has a wealth of information about history in his brain so I was able to be reminded of the actual events.  The movie followed the events pretty closely and we both enjoyed watching it.

 Today Bud went back to his leaf project.  He managed to pile up this large pile, waiting for someone to come and pick them up.  It is quite a big pile.

 Then He decided he needed to mow the lawn one more time.  I told him I didn't think it was necessary but he didn't listen to me and did it anyway.  I think that we are ready for winter.

 While Bud was working outside, I was inside doing laundry and sewing.  This is a new project that I am working on.  I just started it this past week.  I am using fabric that I already had and trying out this pattern. I am 'making it my own' by changing some things and just using a couple of different fabrics instead of the 8 different ones that was recommended by the pattern.  Besides, I wanted to use up my old fabrics, not buy some new ones.  I am about half way finished.  You can see the tree emerging from the part that I am working on.  It will be a wall hanging.  I am making some smaller projects after finishing that large quilt I showed in my last posting.  I like the way this one is turning out.

This is the pattern cover.  I think mine will look great too, just different.

SO, don't be afraid to make things your own, think outside the pattern and break a few rules.

I wanted to include a picture of Aunt Ruth in this posting but was unsuccessful in uploading the picture that I found.  I don't exactly know why I couldn't upload it but I became frustrated and gave up.  Anyway, Aunt Ruth, Dad's sister, died this past week.  She is the 4th child in his family to die.  She was a great, tough Lewis, living to be 94 years old.  She was the oldest girl too so she will be missed by her younger brothers and sisters.  Just like a Lewis, she was the next one in line and so it was her time to go.  The children in Dad's family are leaving this world in the same order that they arrived.  It all seems a bit strange but it is just part of 'Lewis story'.  Tomorrow I will drive to Coleman for the funeral.  I am glad that I stopped to see her this summer, just before she turned 94.  She was a Lewis, through and through and a wonderful woman.  She will be missed by all but I'm sure that she is in a much better place.

So, spend time with family, enjoy a hobby, do a little work and break a few rules, maybe even 'be a Lewis' if you can.

NOT by the hair of my chinny chin chin

This last week I was talking to a wonderful woman at my quilt group.  However, I was slightly distracted by the LONG  white hairs growing out of her chin.  I know that she is of a different generation and probably not as vain as me but it just set me to thinking and I wanted to get on the record with family and friends.  If you ever notice a LONG white hair growing out of my chin, PLEASE tell me.  If I am in a coma or unable to see those hairs myself, please remove them in any way possible.  Pluck, cut, or shave them away and while you are at it, put on a little mascara or something to make me look good.  Comb my hair and fluff me up.  I am very aware that the Lewis family has a history of living a long time so this task may fall upon one of my nieces or nephews.  I will do my best to not spend all my money so there might be a reward for you in the end if you keep me looking good.  Yes, I will be vain right up to the end.

Fall/Autumn memories and quilts

Waiting outside my door

The smells of autumn

The musty earthy smells of leaves

Waiting outside my window

The bright colors of  fall

Red, Yellow, orange 

Framing my world

 It has been a beautiful fall here in N. Michigan.  BUT, I thought that the family would appreciate a trip down memory lane instead of pictures that I took outside my window.  This was one of the last family gatherings we had at the house before closing it up and putting it on the market.  The trees were in full glory for us.  So many memories of fall activities that we shared in that yard.

 Later that day we took a walk in the woods.  The stream in the back was floating some leaves for us.

 Jessica posed for us standing in the back field.

 A few of us on the bridge.  Good memories.

 I have always loved this little picture that I took in the woods.  I miss those woods, those wonderful memories of the many fall days we spent wandering those woods, climbing the trees, shooting in the back yard and occasionally getting some 'prey'.  That one is for Erik, I remember the raccoon that he got in the woods and he and David skinned it and stretched it out on a board.
Great memories.  Think of them as you go through your own fall/autumn where ever you are.

 The bright colors of this quilt kind of make me think of fall. I finally was able to get this on back from the quilter and finish it off.  This is a very large quilt, about 110" square and is the largest that my quilter can make.  It is going on our bed.  I will change it with the one that is there.

 It started with a Block of the Month in my quilt group.  I wanted to add to it so that it would fit on my bed.  You may recognize that i put this down on my living room floor and it is almost bigger than the rug that we have on the floor.  All of these blocks contain a star pattern, including the green on in the middle.  It is very bright and colorful.

 All of the fabrics are batiks which I love to work with because they ;are so colorful and bright.

I put many smaller star blocks around the edge to finish it off.  I really love it.

SO, bright and colorful fall/autumn and quilts.  It is a beautiful season.  May something bright and colorful bless your life this season.

my commentary on the debate

If you haven't heard the funny about the debate last night, check out this site.  I loved some of the submissions. www.bindersfullofwomen.tumblr.com  This may look like you can connect directly to the site but I am not skilled enough at that kind of technology but believe me when I tell you that it only takes a minute for you to connect to the web site on your own with this information and it is worth it. THEN if you are still interested in more information about this go to CBS Fact Checking Romney's binders full of women claim.  That tells another story about the real 'binders'.  I found this all very interesting and of course since it is my blog I decided to pass it on.  You may not agree  with me but I thought it was all funny AND I'm not in a binder.