Jinxed myself..

After writing my last blog about how much I love going to Zumba and walking, I get myself in bind with my back.  Somehow I pulled a muscle in my back while blow drying my hair. I know that sounds crazy but that's how it started and never stopped.

I went to the chiropractor, Thursday night, I did feel better.  Friday and Saturday, I was feeling better, not 100%, but better than I did on Thursday.  Sunday, I was laying in bed, reached for my cell phone and I must have reached for it the wrong way, ended up repulling that muscle and let me tell you, that bugger hurt.  Hurt so much that I stayed in bed all day Sunday.  This was the week that we had  70 and 80's weather.  I certainly did not want to be stuck in bed, but there was no way I was able to get out.  Spasms were horrible.

Monday, I am out of work because I am in too much pain to drive an hour to work so I ended up going back to the chiropractor and they suggested I go to my primary care doctor to get some pain meds.  While talking to the pcp, she said I would be better off going to the ER.  So off I went to the ER, in excruciating pain.  Hubby drove me and one of my caring friends met me there (you know who you are, thank you so much for being there).  They prescribed some good meds and suggested I go home and rest.  Which I did for 3 days.  Finally, get an appt. to the PCP and they prescribe a better muscle relaxer and pain meds, then prescribe physical therapy.  The rest of the weekend, I am still layed up, which I stay layed up for 2 full weeks, and no work.  I went to PT for the first week, but I am concerned that there is something wrong with my back so I finally tell my PCP that I want to see a specialist. I need to know what is wrong with my back, if anything.

Today, I go to see an orothopedic surgeon and he takes x-rays of my back and fortunately there appears to be nothing wrong with my back, it is just a badly pulled muscle.  Thank goodness.   I get a cortisone shot, in hopes that, that will help me feel better.  I know it will, but it could be a coule of days.  So I sit here waiting for my back to feel better, but I will continue with my physical therapy to strengthen my back muscles.

I want to thank my dear friends, Tracy and Jessica for driving me to my doctor appts and to physical therapy.  I couldn't have done it without you.  I owe you big time.  If there is ever anything you need, you know I'll be there if I can.

Hopefully I will be back to work on Monday.  I will be back to Zumba within a week or two and while I am waiting for my body to get better for Zumba, I will try, with all my might, to finish the mystery quilt that has been on and off my frame for months. 

So that is what I have been up to.  How about you? 

Wow.. March already

It has been since November that I wrote in my blog and I can't believe it has been that long.  Where has the time gone?  Thankfully there wasn't much a real northern winter this year.  We had the snow storm in October, then a few flurries here and there, another storm in February or was that March?  Can't remember!

Anyways, this week has been beautiful.  Monday and Tuesday in the 70's and today high 50's.  Who would have ever thunk we would have this kind of weather in March in the northeast?  Loving it.

I haven't been doing much sewing, but I have taken on a new journey.  I am on a new kick to lose some weight and get some exercise.  I have been wanting to look into some Zumba classes for quite some time now and I have finally done it.  I take classes 3 days a week and I can't seem to get enough of it.  I love it.  It is a fun type of exercise and I am actually losing weight.  I joined Zumba 3 weeks ago and I have lost 6 lbs so far.  I am also on a diet, so I am sure that helps too.  Since the weather has been nice, at lunch time while at work, I go for a walk in the park behind us and that is a 2.5 mile walk, done in 42 minutes. Size 4 here I come, I hope. 

I still have the want to sew and quilt, so I need to get that into my schedule too.  Hopefully I can find some time on the weekends.  We will keep trying.
 

Wow who would have thought...

That we would get 22 inches of snow in October.  Well, we did.  Where I live, we were fortunate, yes we got 22 inches of snow, but others were not as fortunate as we were.  Many areas got less snow, but they lost their power and some still don't have their power 4 days later.  The last I heard there are more than 200,000 customers still without power.  I feel so bad for those people, if it wasn't so cold it probably wouldn't be so bad, but it is COLD!!  Here is a picture of our picnic table, buried under the snow.

I get a chuckle from the next picture.  I took a picture of the roof of our 3 season room, but I noticed while looking at the picture, the pole that the clothes line is hooked up to is also in the picture, but look at the leaning tower of snow on that pole.  It shows how much snow built up on this one little pole.  Look for yourself.

Isn't that funny looking?  I chuckle everytime I look a it.

On Saturday, the day of the storm, I was able to get 2 tops made.  I now have to take my mystery quilt off the frame, one more time, to quilt these tops.  I really need to stop making tops that need to be quilted right away so that I can  get my mystery quilt quilted.  Oh well, someday that quilt will get quilted.  When, is the mystery,  I suppose.  Hah, get it, a mystery when the mystery quilt gets quilted.

Great visit but I forgot

Today we had our children and grandchildren over for a wonderful visit.  I had to think of something special to do for the grandchildren, so I made 11 halloween pillowcases, filled them with toys and candy.  I thought it would be fun to hide the bags so the kids could try to find them.  I told the kids before searching, that if they found a bag that didn't have their name on it, they had to leave it there for the actual owner to find.  They had a really good time trying to find them.  I knew that Jake and Nate, the oldest grandsons, would find some of the bags first because I didn't really hide them in difficult places, so I hid Jake and Nate's in a more difficult place.  It took them quite a while to find their bags, but they finally did.  I think the kids really enjoyed that hunt and the toys they got.

The only thing that I did not do, shame on me, is take pictures of those pillowcases.  I was having so much fun making, filling and hiding them that I completely forgot about taking pictures of them.  Oh well, next time. 

Now I am off to making yo-yo's.  I am going on a business trip to NJ and VA this week, so I thought I would make some yo-yo's while I am away.  I am still waiting for my yellow thread that is on back order before I can continue working on my mystery quilt. 

Jelly roll race

Well, I tried it and they sew up pretty fast.  I have made 2 and I like them.  I take the jelly rolls and put them in a bag, mix up the strips and sew them together.  You don't know how the strips will end up.  It's like sewing a mystery quilt, you just don't know how it is going to turn out.  The first one I made, Happy, I didn't make it right.  I cut the 1st strip in half and sewed the strips together, but put the other half of the first strip in later on.  As you can see, by doing this, the seams are not staggered and doesn't give it an attractive look.  It still looks nice but not as nice as the second one, Gelato.

The first one is a Jelly Roll called Happy by Moda.  This one is really cute, bright and just makes you happy.  I guess that is why it is called Happy.

This second one is a Tonga Treat-Gelato by Timeless Treasures.  I love the pinks and purples in this quilt.  The yellow makes it pop too.  This one reminds me of raspberry ice cream.

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Life gets in the way

Well my life certainly has gotten in the way of quilting, as you can tell by the last time I wrote in my blog.  I put my mystery quilt back on the frame but I only got the first border done before I had to take it off to work on a customer quilt. 

This quilt was made by a 91 year old lady.  She is donating it to her church bazaar and she needed it done in a jiffy.  She wanted a pantograph on the quilt, so that is what I did. 

I am going to put my mystery quilt back on the frame so I can try to get that done. 

The fish are up...

Today we finally hung up my fish quilt.  I can't say enough about the talent the women have that made these blocks for me.  These blocks were the result of a friendship block.  I picked the theme of an "undersea the sea" theme.  I wanted a quilt to hang in my bathroom.  I asked that they embellish the quilt as they wish.  I provided the background fabric, some fabric and embellishments.  They had to come up with their own theme.  I got 14 great blocks but only used 12 because the space was limited.  The other 2 I will mount on canvas. 

Anyways, I just love this quilt.  It looks awesome hanging in my bathroom.  It looks so nice I had to share.