BUSY DAYS

Bill and I installed a new perch for Lena in my room--she can watch the birds, butterflies and squirrels!

I finally hung the first set of paint-by-numbers I did!

And added the finishing touches to my watercolor.

After the dentist yesterday, I stopped at my local quilt store and picked up my new Fat Quarter Club fabrics!  I hope to make a few of these today!

 

PLANS

I was pretty much down all day.  I have the sneaking suspicion that all is not well with my iron count again...       

 I did finish out this painting of a hydrangea.   

 Today I have plans to go and visit my brother's new home (he's been there for a year!) and go out to lunch with he and his wife.  He invited us in January 

and then we went to Ethan's funeral instead.  

It's time to try again

it is the first of August for goodness sakes! 

 

PUT THE BRAKES ON!

No biggie, but I am down with a head cold! 

 It's been a long time since I have had a cold but here it is, 

uninvited but manufacturing snot in abundance. 

 Down time and plenty of fluids; I know the drill.

Watercolor, 8 1/2" x 11"

 

GOING FOR THE GREEN

I cut out two more blocks for the Nordic Nights and only made one wrong cut!  Pretty good for me lately!

I've also been working on another painting project-instead of a water coloring book, this one is much larger-full 8 1/2" x 11" pages.  It's been a bit intimidating but still  enjoyable!  Each page is a light sketch of floral and I have to make sense of it all.  Good brain work!

 

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

I had my last one of these--an iron infusion, #5, which gets followed by 250ml of saline solution.  As things go, it was a memorable time because this vein almost blew and so we had to try 3 other locations.  A ton of fun but other than a blood draw today, I should be done with the pokes for at least a month!

When I get home from an infusion, 

this is all I can do--rest with Lena!

I do enjoy a few sessions with a new water coloring book!

And I can make a dishcloth every other day.

Outside hasn't been to hospitable because of the heat wave!  

This was pulling into our driveway after the last treatment! 

 Last week was filled with doctor appointments, labs and an ultrasound on my parotid glands--just too much fun. 

 After the lab work today, 

the rest of the week is a clean slate-hooray!

 

A NEW ROUTINE

My Dad's Heliopsis is blooming again!!! 

 It's already taller than I am so it is a fast grower since the frost this winter knocked it down to nothing!

The iron infusion was very interesting on Monday, all went well without any adverse reactions except that headache continued to grow in intensity so that I was in bed with the curtains closed! That night was a misery so I was a wreck by morning.

So I did a little bit of painting later in the day

just to remind me I was still able.

The headache lasted all day Tuesday and I didn't do much more than add a few layers to this painting.

I did sleep well Tuesday night and felt much better in the morning and even felt that spark that is me which I haven't sensed for these long months.  I went for another infusion Wednesday afternoon and told them the headache was a strong one and they said they knew what to do!  It worked!  After they infect the iron into the IV over 5 minutes, they hook me up to a saline solution for 30 minutes.  They used a larger dose of the saline for a bit longer and it worked!  I did get a headache but a much milder one!  I just might be getting excited!  I don't go again until Monday so I am hoping I can ENJOY the next few days!!!

 

PRETTY

The phlox are blooming along our highways! 

 So pretty and much better than mowing it all down!

I've not done much but a little painting...

both are things I would like to do again someday!

 

WATERCOLOR FUN

I enjoyed my last book so much,

 I ordered this one of different landscape scenes!

Yup, it is so wonderful to just savor the joy of color!

 

THE SAGA CONTINUES

 Knocked down with another migraine this week-let's add vertigo and vomiting with this one!  Fun. Marsel bought me this pad of watercolor paper that is a watercolor coloring book!  It's a great way for me to play without too much strain!  It's also good therapy because my hand shakes now and it is helping me to steady it!  Also, I can play while sitting in my bed which has been my world again this week

I know how fragile my emotions are still because I was sobbing when awakened to texts for prayer because a man under the influence of drugs caused this accident.  It is my daughter-in-law's vehicle;  she and daughter were on their way home.  He drove them right into those cement traffic barriers.  My son and his son were following  right behind them and saw the accident and thought they had witnessed a fatal crash!   Ella was taken to the hospital and released, her mom, Cassandra was take to a trauma center and just came home tonight.

Ella is one poor bruised body but her Mom has fractured her sternum and T2 vertebrae but she is alive and there is no spinal cord injury!  

I know this sounds like the worst case of bad luck for a family but I don't believe in luck--and yes, we think these are all bad things happening lately but I will just say, I believe God will have his own good reasons for all of these tears and I trust him, shakily some days but still I acknowledge him as God Almighty in all things.

Steel is strengthened when it is heated up and beaten-I have a whole new understanding of refining faith!

QUIET PURSUITS

If your grand daughter asks for a watercolor cell phone insert, then of course, it gets made! lol Those are dolphins dancing in the ocean--she is still in love all things dolphin, so I will include the love!

I made several pairs of dishcloths; 

 I'm still not tired of making this pattern pairs!

And I found this yarn while looking for some more dishcloth cotton!  There is enough for this summer T-shirt even though it is the pattern I just finished, the yarn is so different, it is like a new sweater all over again!  It is going much more confidently this time around!

 I hope to spend a bit of time in the studio today, 

putting a start to the Sea Traveler quilts.

 

PLEASURABLE AND COMPANIONABLE

I am having a wonderful visit;  just being with my daughter and son-in-law and seeing my first grandson is beyond medicine for me! We get the chores done together, sit on the porch swing and watch her birds, run errands and even sit and crochet! 

We tried another watercolor because it looked easy!  Do you know that when you don't paint everyday and that you hate not being an expert just naturally it became very funny right away!  We had a number of laughs while trying to create!!!  You know that alone frustration would've mounted but together it was grand fun!

Here is the new haircut--so easy to dry and style, I am enjoying the freedom of shorter hair especially as temperatures will be climbing by the day!  I mentioned that my face looks so puffy to my daughter and she said."Mom, you are on steroids!" 

 I think I need to keep my sense of humor going!

(I am wearing dark glasses because something has caused my eyes to dilate and be irritated.  Have I mentioned that when one thing messes up, I run the risk of setting up a domino trail on the health front?!)

 

CROSSING THE LINE

First thing in the morning yesterday, my daughter and I went and had our nails done and then went 3 doors down and had my hair cut!  It feels so good!  (pictures later, I promise!)

  On to the art--we filled out palettes with watercolor paint,

spread out on the art table and played. 

 I picked line and wash and tomorrow we will pick another style of painting.  What fun to relax and just paint!

And I was gifted this sketching journal from my daughter--there are prompts for each day--fun things like what are you looking forward to today  or  what makes you smile? 

 It will be a wonderful way to get lost in the joy of art!

 

INGREDIENTS

I'm eating fresh grapefruit for the vitamin C!

I did finish the borders.  It is a nice size now-36" x 48".  I'm not sure about the tassels so I made three and I will think about it.  It is still not blocked yet but as soon as I get upright longer, I will give it a good steam press.

My daughter sent me some love--she painted it in watercolor and filled the inside with love--she and her husband and son all had Covid in the Fall so she knows the only way to feeling better is patience.  Next week will be the portal to getting back on my feet!

 

GROAN

I finally finished the dreaded stockinette-body-round-and-round-forever-stage--the ribbing is done and cast off, too! I am pressently working on the sleeves delighting over the fact that there are far fewer stitches to go round and round!  It is only a short sleeved sweater so it won't be long before I have these sleeves finished!  In fact, I have a doctor appointment today so I will have some waiting room knitting time! (I always postition myself as far from the dreaded game show program that will be on the waiting room tv and try to relax and knit instead!)

I tried a warm-up exercise on this recent watercolor.  I have some new acrylics that I want to paint with soon as I can bear standing and thinking.... and thought this would be a good way to get my colors flowing again!

After reading a few comments on my last post, I had a good laugh!  I said I 'saw a face' on the right side of the Dotz painting but it was indeed on the left side!  That is, unfortunately, One of the effects of my MS; my inability to say my right from my left--I can point okay but hearing it or having to tell someone can be rather contrary!!!!  (Can you imagine me as copilot? 

 I yell, "That way!" and just point! )

Anyway, this is the next Dotz painting is waiting for me;  I glued it to its board so I will be able to start working on it today, I hope!

 

WATERCOLOR WEDNESDAY

I've found some inspiration on a '100 days of Watercolors' on YouTube to help me ramp up my watercolor work again.

  It is relaxing, if nothing else.

She does a lot of different subjects  so that appeals to me, too!

I'm about a week behind but I will be doubling up and skipping some but will try to work on it every day, at least.

In another kind of painting, I spray painted this 3" high shelf Bill found somewhere and put it in the lanai.  A nice pop of color!

Speaking of color--the irises are blooming happily-

nice to see them in full bloom.

And the buddha plants are all blooming--I do love

 the combination of orange and green!

 

WATERCOLOR WEDNESDAY

When I say this tutorial on YouTube, I knew I was going to have to try it!  It is just a clear, soft gel cell phone case with your own watercolor piece trimmed to fit between it and the phone.

I did a simple coloring of the background,

and when it was dry, I cut it out to fit the cover.

And then I had a little bit of a dyslexic moment because I drew the cutout for the camera area (piece on right)and then painted and so when I went to put it inside, it was all WRONG!  The painting didn't show!  So I tried it again using a better grade of watercolor paper (left piece). 

 All went well ....except the paper was so thick,

 the phone wouldn't stay put within the lip of the cover!!!!! 

 Third time was indeed the charm but I used new colors since I was tired of doing the same one again! lol  

I can't wait to make a bunch of these

 to fit my mood or frame of mind!    

 

ACHIEVING CALM

This rescue orchid I bought last Januare is flourishing and even blooming again already!  The first time it had only 4 blooms and this time 6 will be the results BUT it has a second  and third stem with buds, maybe 7 more on them!   Dee, should I cut off the other stems or wait and see what happens?

These flowers are quite large --about 3" across!

 They are a deep salmon color!

As soon as I completed the quilting on this little lap quilt, Lena claimed it.  (Once the quilt is finished , meaning washed and dried, I do not let her lay on the quilts!) 

 I have the binding cut and will sew it on today.

I did a free motion series of water-ish lines over this one.

Throughout the day, I wataercolored these free to download tags.  (tidbits-cami.com)

There are two more hats in the donation pile! 

 (tagged and pom-pommed even!)