Thank you so much for visiting and writing comments of encouragement and prayers regarding my last post! I've hesitated to share my health issues as I want to encourage others and not appear to be complaining. Kathryn's commentmade me realize that by sharing, I have the opportunity to be prayed for by my loving blogging community! Secondly, I remembered the origins of this blog and thus, have decided to remain true to myself and continue to provide updates on my continued journey with Triple Negative Breast Cancer.
Thank you for stopping by! Just an FYI, the following few paragraphs are real life and not very encouraging....the last few weeks have been rough. Feel free to skip to the index below. 😊
I sure missed posting last week, but health kept my goals at bay. Arthritic pain in my knees has affected my gait, thus affecting my back. Anti-inflammatories are no longer an option as they have torn up my tummy - more pain. Thus, the fibromyalgia symptoms are in full bloom. A partial knee replacement is in my near future as well as appointments with my oncologist and PCP.
Getting old has it's price. Surviving cancer also has it's price. Sometimes I feel like I'm existing and not really living.
Cancer survivors, how do you deal with the long-term affects of chemotherapy - especially if you had what is commonly referred to as "The Red Devil"? Apparently this medication inflames fibromyalgia?
Full disclosure: I have been very discouraged and sad. Being a spoonie is hard. We look healthy, but live with chronic, debilitating conditions. I try to stay positive and upbeat, but it's so very challenging.
Here's is an index should you have a special interest you like to read first!
The Weekly Word - is a short devotional that sometimes becomes a Bible Study series.
My Reading Life - is filled with current, completed and upcoming reads as well as an occasional short review.
Stash Report and To Do Tuesday is where I'll share share stats regarding my fiber usage and acquisitions, goals met/lack thereof and photos of my projects.
Gratitude Journal - Sometimes I get lost in my own stinky thinking. This digital journal reminds me to count my blessings!
As I was reading it, the word "for" in verse 7 caused me to pause. I knew David was was using it to mean "because". The LORD has taken all these marvelous actions on David's behalf because...well why?
"For the king trusts in the LORD; though the unfailing love of the Most High, he (David) will not be shaken.
David will not be shaken because he trust in the LORD. Also, God's unfailing love keeps him firm - keeps him from being shaken by life's curve balls.
As I pondered this verse, Psalm 46:5 came to mind also. Though it is referencing Israel, I believe we can take comfort in it for ourselves.
Though it may take years, even generations for us to see the results of our trust in the LORD, we must remember, God is faithful and cannot lie!
Yes, we grieve. Yes, we hurt. As we go through the emotions that challenges can bring, we can also stand firm - refusing to be shaken - because we trust in the LORD and His unfailing love.
Can I get an amen?
My Reading Life
Currently Reading
Finished
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A Stitch in Crime is book four in Betty Hetchman's Crochet Mystery Series. This read was delightfully light and fun. Molly Pink is forever finding mysteries to solve and her sidekick, the outrageous Adele, keeps me simultaneously smiling and rolling my eyes.
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The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles can only cause use to appreciate the strong, resilient people of WWII. Skelien captured the challenges, pain and triumphs of the lives these precious librarians, their love of books and their devotion to their subscribers. Not only that, but my appreciation for librarians was deepened even more. For those librarians reading this, many of your own have been precious sunbeams throughout my life.
There is a special place in Heaven for you all.
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I'd Rather Be Reading, The Delights and Delimmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel was just the book I needed to lift my spirit!
Anne writes about her reading heart - and perhaps ours as well. A delightful read about one of my favorite subjects: books about books. Anne Bogel expressed a my reader's heart to a "T"! Highly recommend this book if you are in a reading slump, need a bit of a lift or are simply looking for that sometimes evasive "good book"!
Stash Report
We have changes in the yarn numbers!
I finally finished my Granddaughter's 12 point star afghan! (See below). I also finished a couple of dishcloths which were prizes for a game during my Golden Girls gathering. :)
My fabric numbers haven't changed at all. :)
To Do Tuesday
Last Week's List
1. Sunday Slow Stitching: - Stitch up one hexie a day. - Make progress on my embroidered tea towel! Done! Finished stitching with green and moving onto yellow! 2. Crochet: Finish up my granddaughter's afghan. Done! Here it is!
This is her afghan spread out on my queen size bed.
Here is it in all it's glory!
3. Machine Sewing: Finish the Farmhouse On Point Four Patch Quilt by Amy at Diary of a Quilter and maybe even a matching pillow! This one is 3/4 done. As I shared early, Pain has decided to visit me these past two weeks, so some tasks are delayed. - I also plan to participate in Melva's new SAL, Pieces in the Garden. I love her SALs as they are seemingly complicated blocks made sew easy with her fabulous tutorials! Done! Fabrics are chosen and I'm now practicing my scant 1/4" seam. Any tips you can offer would be greatly appreciated! 4. Christmas Sewing List: - my flannel quilt +made a bonus baby quilt Next up: Holiday mug rugs not even touched either Perhaps this week? - my four grandchildren's next softies - two Christmas quilts for my own home (Can you believe I haven't made me even one?!) 😲 - a Christmas table topper
This Week's List
1. Sunday Slow Stitching: - Stitch up one hexie a day. - Make progress on my embroidered tea towel!Finish stitching with yellow. 2. Crochet: I've started another 12 point star afghan! This one will be for a baby. I'm planning to use three skeins, so I'm hoping to finish one skein a week. Here's a link to the pattern. I've modified it by stitching in the back loop at regular intervals.
3. Machine Sewing: Practice the scant 1/4" seam and piece Row 1 of Melva's SAL, Pieces in the Garden.
4. Christmas Sewing List: - my flannel quilt +made a bonus baby quilt Next up: Holiday mug rugs not even touched either - my four grandchildren's next softies - two Christmas quilts for my own home (Can you believe I haven't made me even one?!) 😲 - a Christmas table topper
Gratitude Journal
These last two weeks, I've been struggling to find a grateful heart. Does that happen to you sometimes? However, my family always comes through.
Our local library is providing craft kits for kiddos. I had two days to play with my grandbabies.
We made snowmen while reading Snowmen at Night.
Check out my granddaughter's nail polish!
I was able to enjoy 6 hours with my Golden Girls - a group of current and retired teachers I used to work with. The following are quotes on our hostess' fridge that I call "wisdom from the fridge".
I so grateful Mama and Daddy are enjoying beach life!
I love that I have time for Bible study in my new "cloffice" - an office in a closet. More pics of this transformation to come later.
My dear hubby took me on a Sunday cruise today. We went to Mesilla Book Center and I picked up this oh-so-important non-fiction book!
We ended our cruise at a local pizza joint - and yes - I resisted tasting his pizza - but just barely! :)
Kitty has been patiently trying to get Mia to snuggle and share her warm little body. This was two weeks ago....
Now that we've finished the verses from Until We Reach Home, I was wondering where to go from here. For now, I want to share this verse that speaks of gratefulness.
You see, we, my husband and I, had a COVID scare, but thankfully we both tested negative!
As you can well imagine, it’s been hard to find time or even enough focus to blog or craft.
Yes, you read correctly: Thank God for my cancer diagnosis. There's a verse that I remember when I am confused about my journey: Isaiah 55:8-9. When life hits, this is my go-to verse, my anchor. Life has hit. Dad has been diagnosed with METS (metastatic cancer). He has advanced stage prostate cancer that metastasized to his bones. In November 2018 his CT scan was clear, now it's not. We are very close - his role throughout my life has been both mother and father. I thank God that I have been down this road, because I "get it" and understand him. He also has tons of support from the rest of the family. This week I've leaned on my faith and family like never before. A line from Praying Through Cancer: Set Your Heart Free from Fear: A 90-Day Devotional for Women bySusan Sorensen blessed me during my journey:
The Big "C" is bigger than the Little "c".
I'm indeed "gracefully broken", but not destroyed. Amen? Amen!
Saturday's Song Slow Stitching As I'm spending time with Daddy (Yes, at the age of 56, he's still "Daddy" to me!), my Grandmother's Flower Garden has been put on hold as I work on portable hand stitching projects. One is a Hand Pieced QAL dual hosted by Patty at Elm Street Quilts and Kristin at Simple. Handmade. Everyday. Here's my blocks thus far.
Practice Blocks 1 and 2
Block 1
Block 2
I found this older QAL at hosted by Erin at Why Not Sew? I've prepped a few of Erin's blocks. This is my "Year of the QALs and BOMs". I needed a way to organize my fabrics and patterns. Enter the 3-ring binder and page protectors!
A few hours dedicated to prepping blocks - choosing, pressing and cutting the fabrics - yields to optimized sewing time.
When I'm home, I pull the sleeves and sew away on my machine. I use this same system to have my machine embroidery projects ready. That way, as I'm sewing one one machine, my machine embroidery sewing machine is hard at work as well. It's the perfect 2 for 1!
If I'm going portable, I take the prepped fabrics in my hand sewing kit. A screen shot of tutorials guarantees I'll have access to the pattern regardless of WiFi connect-ability. (Is that a real word?)
Being that I'll probably be spending time away from home, these hand piecing QALs are a special blessing to me. God always prepares our path. I'll be forever grateful to these hard-working hostesses of the hand piecing blogs.
Sunday Stats I want to thank those wonderful ladies have sent in ideas on how to figure out my fabric usage for BOMs. I've fallen behind in commenting and fully reading comments, but am trying to catch up. Therefore, fabric usage is the same. fabric usage - 3.45/100 yards (same as last week)
yarn usage - 12/100 ounces I've made several dishcloths, so those numbers have gone up! Yea!
This year I've decided to use the same basic pattern. Thus far, my favorite yarn is Hobby Lobby's I Love This Cotton!
"You have a tumor in your breast. It's really deep in
there. You need a good surgeon because this type of tumor cannot be
handled by just any surgeon."
My heart stopped beating for a season.
November 13, 2015.
After 6 months of chemotherapy and 42 days of radiation, I reached
the last day of treatment!
As I drove home, I erroneously believed I would immediately return to the person
I was before.
It's been 2 1/2 years and I still live with the effects of chemotherapy.
I told my daughter one day, "I just want the old me, to be normal
again."
She wisely said, "You are normal, this is your normal - you're alive."
I stopped in my tracks! Praise God! I'm alive! Furthermore, I'm getting stronger every day.
July 17, 2018. My heart is beating again....I guess it's been beating for
some time.
Here's the
story behind the song.
Are
you going through cancer?
Are you going through a trial?
Are you heartbroken?
Has your heart stopped beating?
Your heart will beat again.
You will thrive again.
You will appreciate life more than ever before.
Tell You Heart To Beat Again.
Slow Stitching
My dear readers, please be careful when cutting fabric with a rotary cutter. This week I cut my finger pretty badly - 1/2" long, about 1/4" deep. I decided not to go to the hospital choosing instead to treat at home. After a phone consult with my surgeon, (I called him because I cut on the same side as my ancillary node dissection and we have to be careful with that side.), he was pleased with how we're treating it, though he felt I should have had stitches. Please be careful, my friends.
Consequently, there's not a lot going in the stitching department. I can, however, type with both hands now! :)
I did make these yo-yo's
and embroider a bit. Still Stitching continues to give me time to rest in Him and remember His Word and lessons.
