Dr. Mughne

I have osteoarthritis. I've had it for years. Here's a post I wrote about an experience with a doc, and the first time I had heard the diagnosis of arthritis associated with me. (What? No way! That's an "old lady" disease. Surely I'm not old enough to have arthritis, am I?) 

In the ensuing years arthritis has worked to overtake many moving parts of my body....that now don't move so well! 

I mentioned some of the pain I have been experiencing to my primary provider. He referred me to a Rheumatologist. I explained I had been referred to one almost 10 years ago, and that doc (with a much kinder bedside manner than the hand doctor I wrote about in the post I reference above) said he was sorry, but he couldn't help me. My primary provider explained that it's true, Rheumatologists don't treat osteoarthritis, but one may have suggestions to help me.

So, off to Dr. Mughne I went. A picture on the exam room wall let me in on how to pronounce his name!

I love this doc. He listened carefully. He examined my hands and inquired about other areas of pain. Then explained that osteoarthritis is a disease of aging and nothing will stop its progression. 

That made me sad. It isn't exactly what I wanted to hear, but in the back of my mind I kinda knew it. 

As they say, getting old isn't for sissies! Oh, and it's better than the alternative!

Garage - Next Step

I wrote about our having space prepared for a new garage next to the house a few weeks ago.

This week the contractor and his crew were back to prepare the slab and footings before the concrete could be poured.

The inspector came and we passed.

Concrete should be poured soon.

The girls are not happy. They loved running and wrestling on the packed sandy surface. Now the wire and plastic have taken all of their fun away! 

I am looking forward to this project being complete, not just because it will be nice to have a garage and storage for lawn and garden tools, but the sand we drag in is terrible. I am constantly sweeping, swiffering, or vacuuming, No matter how hard we stomp our feet, sand sticks to the soles of our shoes. 

 

IQ

 Lauren, owner of Bold Notion Quilting, is installing a brain on my long arm machine. 

Lord knows, I need one!

At the moment I'm afraid it isn't working. 

My brain is struggling trying to figure out all of the ins and outs of the new computerized quilting system!*

*IntelliQuilter

Destiny

I loved to play with parquetry blocks as a kid. I spent hours recreating the different patterns with all of those smooth, colorful, wooden blocks. 

I guess that's why I enjoy making quilts!

I Can See Clearly Now....

I can't, but hopefully hubby is on his way to clearer vision. Cataract surgery on his first eye was on Tuesday. The first few days afterwards he was disappointed. He didn't think he could see any better, in fact, his vision was cloudier.

He pulled out every pair of glasses he could find. Some of the prescriptions were years old. 

We tried taking the lens out for the eye that had the surgery.

That didn't work. 

We bought a readers of different strength.

That didn't work, either.

Today he seems to becoming accustomed to his eyes having different visual acuity. He commented that he really can see distances well with the "new eye". 

There's a bright light (literally!!!) on the horizon!

Next week he has his the procedure on his other eye. 

Hopefully that works equally well.

 

Quilting in the Sky

The cloud looks remarkably like a rope boarder quilting pattern!

 

It's Love Bug Season

We are seeing lovebugs flying, almost aimlessly, around our yard. Occasionally they land on you, but they don't bite or sting. They don't even seem to fly with a directional path in mind. But then again, if you were part of this Pushmi-Pullyu* combination, I guess it might be difficult to navigate!

If you have not traveled in the southeast in the fall or spring, especially in any of the Gulf states, you may not have had the joy of experiencing lovebugs. These innocuous insects swarm in the fall and spring for breeding. The females emerge and are attracted to the heat and perhaps odor of hot blacktop roads and gas fumes. Once they mate they remain attached, up to several days. Shortly after they separate, the female lays eggs and dies. I could make all kinds of ribald comments at this juncture, but I shall refrain!

Several years ago we drove from Savannah, GA to south Florida. The front of our motorhome was covered with lovebugs that had met their demise as they ambled above the roadway. 

We had to stop at several truck stops to wash an area on the windshield where Scott could see clearly enough to continue. (We learned early on....never use your windshield wipers!!)

Inside the motorhome the sound of bugs splattering on the windshield was similar to a good rainstorm....for miles! 

The carcasses need to be removed promptly as the acid in their body can damage paint on vehicles. The pressure washer works wonders. For small patches they say that using fabric softener cloths work well to remove them. I usually rely on elbow grease! 

I guess it is a good thing we are not out on the road now!

* My dad was a huge fan of Dr Doolittle. His copy of the book was probably the only childhood book I recall that he had. I don't remember him reading the stories to me, but I do remember that he encouraged me to read it, telling me it was the best! 

Model Train Show

The Villages in Florida are about an hour from where we now live.

One of my friends sent me information about the Model Train Show at the Villages. 

The Mister has some Z-scale trains, more N-scale trains, and some more garden scale

trains. So, of course he was quite happy to make a trek to The Villages. 

There were a number of displays, one of just about every scale of train set-up that is out there. 

There were actually three working roller coaster displays among the trains.

Among the smallest of scales is Z scale. The rails of the track are just over 1/4" apart. 

The Mister has a few trains in the scale. 

I enjoyed watching kids (of all ages) interacting with the displays.

Peter Pan must have been here....

there are a bunch of "boys" who refuse to grow up, 

and want to play with their trains!

A few views of the layouts:

As the show was coming to a close, this large display had dedicated

track that brought the trains into the inner sanctum, 

where they could be removed and packed, 

ready to go back home with the train collector. 

Many years ago my siblings wanted skis for Christmas. My father declared that skiing was stupid; one simply went up a hill, and down a hill, and back up a hill, and down.... three months later he came home with the complete outfit and we skied every weekend thereafter. 

I'm kinda in the camp where I don't understand electric train sets. They go around, and around, and around. Kinda like the up and down of skiing. 

 

Take me for a ride in your....lawnmower?

Do you remember Peter, Paul & Mary's version of "Car - Car"? I was in my teens when they sang it, and for some reason I loved the song. 

As I write this, the song keeps going round and round through my head. 

One evening the Mister climbed on his lawn mower. We were chatting, and Kaitlyn jumped up between his legs. She wanted a ride on his "car-car"! He took off, slowly, watching her carefully, lest she try to jump off. Kaitlyn was quite content. 

I think she was saying "nanny nanny boo boo" to Vickie!

Puppy Paw Stamp of Approval

The girls fully endorse and approve of the new sewing room.  If they could, they'd use their little stompers to give a puppy paw stomp of approval! They finally have windows that they can use to see what is going on outside...on two sides of the house, no less!

 For some reason they remind me of kids looking for Santa Claus!

It's a Tough Life

Meet Queen Victoria....the Vixen (aka Vickie), in some of her contortions!

...and only a bit of attitude!

Does this position make my floofy butt look big?

Do you mind?

I'm trying to get some sleep!

 

Quilty Madness

It started innocently enough.....

I was walking out of a quilt shop and saw fabric that I thought was really pretty:

I looked online for pattern ideas where this fabric collection had been used. I found this stunning quilt.

I ordered the pattern.

I think I went into shock when the pattern arrived! 

This is a paper piecing pattern. The pattern consists of many newsprint papers with the designs printed on them. The pieces of fabric are sewn onto the papers to align them just so. 

I planned on purchasing the fabrics from the shop where I had seen the initial 4 fabrics, and adding what I needed. This collection of fabrics  (Desert Oasis by Moda) is an older collection and many of the fabrics are no longer available. I found a few here, and a few there...but not everything. Once I received the pattern I realized there were Oh. So. Many. more fabrics from the collection, and I struggled finding out how much fabric I would need for each section.

In fact...there are 14 different fabrics in the quilt. I know, because I broke down and ordered the kit. It arrived today, all 7 pounds of fabric!! 

Holy quilted cow! I think I have taken a big bite into something that I just may not be able to swallow!

It reminds me of a quip I heard as a kid, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!"

So...I've begun to take some nibbles on the project.

Hummingbird Moth

I was first introduced to Hummingbird Moths on a trip to Europe about 10 years ago. We were visiting a botanical garden in Linz, Austria. They were zipping back and forth among the flowers. At first we thought that Europe had a different variety of hummingbird. 

Can you spot the Hummingbird Moth on the Star Cluster plant?

I found it difficult to capture them as they flit from here to there

in the blink of an eye.

 

They like feeding from trumpet shaped flowers at dusk.

In Colorado I used to have dozens swarming around my Monarda flowers.

Here's a picture of a moth that a friend posted on Facebook. 

When you stop the motion, you can see that they are quite a different 

shape than a hummingbird. 

And this shot from the Internet (Mary Carlson) really shows how

amazingly similar to hummingbirds they are. 

...and the caterpillar that these interesting moths pupate from?

If you have ever had a vegetable garden....

you have probably met this moth's caterpillar form!

The hummingbird moth comes from the Tobacco Hornworm caterpillar,

the plague of all folks who grow tomatoes!

 

Something's Coming.....

 Oh, it looks so easy when seen in a series of photos!