A Survivor's Rant + Saturday's Song - . Another Finish!

A Survivor's Rant + Saturday's Song

In two days I will be celebrating my second anniversary of my final treatment for Triple Negative Breast Cancer.  

Let me be clear: I'm so grateful to be alive.  I praise God for this life He has given me!

I did imagine life would be different on this day...I thought I would be myself...healthy enough to 
walk four miles a day with my Mia, 
keep up my weekly 2 hour round trip drives to see my parents, 
clean my own house, 
run with my grandchildren, blog....you know?  
Healthy enough to live life.

But as cancer survivors we spend some of our "aftermath" of treatment learning and accepting our new bodies:
scarred, burned from radiation, weaker and immune compromised.  

In the last six weeks I have had the flu, two colds, two sinus infections and terrible fatigue.

Yes, I've rested and done all the doctors suggest.  But I have a life to live.  

I can't be sick on days I'm observing my student teachers...they count on me to be there.  And I am.  Even if afterwards I come home and sleep for a few hours.  They bring me such joy as I watch them grow and develop!  But, that's a whole other post.

I'll be seeing an ENT next month and I'm working on building up my immune system. 

Another after effect of chemo is chemo brain - forgetfulness.  One doctor told me, "There's no such thing, the chemicals are out of your system."  I beg to differ.  

Please understand, I'm so happy to be alive, but I also long to live.  

I know a few of you out there are also survivors or know a survivor.  Maybe you can share your stories and/or your thoughts in the comments?  

For now, I listen to Even If by Kutless and know that He has a plan...I'll trust His plan over my own.  

https://www.wayfair.com/decor-pillows/pdp/enchantingly-elegant-for-i-know-the-plans-i-have-for-you-bible-verse-wall-decal-ence1303.html

Another Finish
Guess what!  I finished the potholders that go with these tea towels!  

 My favorite from this set is 

"El gran amor" 

(The Great Love)!

Isn't the ballerina 

so cute in these?

It feels good to get some projects out of the way!

Take a look at these fabulous link ups!

Crystal Twaddell’s

Fresh Market Friday

Oh Scrap! @ Quilting is More Fun ThanHousework

Can I Get a Whoop! Whoop!

@ Confessions of a Fabric Addict 

Finished or Not Friday @ Busy Hands Quilts

Finish It Up Friday @ CrazyMom Quilts

Sew Can She Show Off Saturday

You make my day with your comments!  

I love reading and responding to them!

Saturday's Song. Slow Sunday Stitching. A Finish! Stash Report

Saturday's Song
Friend, Jesus has you.  He really does.

If you are at the end of your rope...
if you are hurting...
if you are seeking...
give Him a try.
Believe.

Slow Sunday Stitching.
I almost gave up on my Advent Tree Project because I was rally struggling to work with gold metallic embroidery floss.  A friend had suggested it and boy!  I fell in love with the look of it!  Little did I know how hard it would be to work with.  

But, I prevailed and learned a few lessons along the way.
1.  Use shorter strands - no more that 15" folded in half.
2.  I was trying to use the blanket stitch and stem stitch on the small detailed parts.  This thread does not curve easily.  So I switched to a simple back stitch.  Tada!  Magically my stitching became so much easier!  
3.  Use Thread Heaven!

Here are the finished/semi-finished decorations!

A Finish!
Here it is!  I finally finished Wild Olive's Stitching Around the House Embroidery series!  

It's all hand embroidered,

 hand pieced,

 and hand quilted.  

The only part of this mini quilt that is machine sewn is the flange binding.

Janice from Color, Creating and Quilting gave me that great suggestion - and I love it! 
Thank you, Janice!

I used Missouri Star's tutorial and it was easy peasy!

This little baby will go into our guest/play room.  Hopefully, other minis will join her!

Stash Report

Here are the numbers!

Fiber Stash Report:  November 5, 2017 (started 6/11/17)
Fabric used this week	5 1/4 yds
Fabric used to date	42 1/8 yds
Fabric Added this week	4 1/2 yds
Fabric Added this year	37 1/2  yds
Net Fabric	5 5/8 yds
Yarn used this week	2 oz
Yarn used to date	124 oz
Yarn Added this week	7 oz
Yarn Added to date	149 oz
Net Yarn	25 oz

Here's my new additions!

  

Kate Spain's Fat Eighth Early Bird bundle!

Some Caron Simply Soft yarn!

I've started a scarf with this beautifully, sparkly soft yarn!

Linking up to:

SundayStash @ QuiltPaintCreate

SundaySlow Stitching @ Kathy’s Quilts

SundayStash @ Mollie Sparkles

Charlotte @ Spiritual Sundays 

This is a new link up for me!  

Thoughtful Tuesday. Fiber Finishes. To Do Tuesdays.

Thoughtful Tuesdays

I have a new blog to feature for Thoughtful Tuesday.  It's Laura Rath's post called Less of Me on her blog Journey In Faith.  She shared this phrase:

God's timing was perfect...
We all have troubling, personal issues crop up.  During a professional conversation, someone said, "...it's not all about them!"

And it hit me.

It's all about our Savior and LORD!  
If we pray for 
more of Him, 
and 
less of us, 
we can gain clarity and peace. 
Laura wrote it so eloquently, I encourage you to visit her post and be blessed!

Fiber Finishes
How I've missed my sewing studio!  We had a joyful reunion this past week and I finished these tea towels!

Just in time for Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead).  This is a time when we remember with warmth and laughter our deceased loved ones.  

Here is a closeup of some of the Bingo style trimmings.

 The last picture of the miner reminds me of how hard my step-grandfather worked to support his family.

 The first picture reminds me of how all of our grandmothers/mothers almost always had a freshly cooked "sopita" (Mexican pasta), beans and chili on the stove whenever we visited!

Crocheted Scarves and Hangers
I finished this cowl for myself in honor of Breast Cancer Month!  I used Crafty Begonia's pattern.  To make it a bit longer, I chained 36", used double strands of yarn and a K hook.





The leftover yarn (and some stash yarn) combined to make two more crocheted hanger covers!

To Do Tuesday
Last Week's List

Sewing

Finish 3 more Covered In Love blocks. Done!

Crocheting

Make progress on Prayer Shawl #5 as well as the Pink Hanger Covers. Done!

Slow Stitching

Make progress on the Felt Advent Calendar.  Done!

This weeks list:
Sewing

Complete Dia de los muertos pot holders  Already Done!
Finish Binding on my Around the House Mini Quilt

Crocheting

*Make progress on Prayer Shawl #5
*I really feel like making progress on my Hexagon Afghan.  

Slow Stitching

Make progress on the Felt Advent Calendar.  

Linking up to

Fiber Tuesday at

The Quilting Room with Mel

and

Oui Crochet Community

To Do Tuesday @ Stitch All Things.

Midweek Makers @ 

Quilt Fabrication

Hookin’ On Hump Day @

Petals to Picot

And

Moogly

Philippians 4:9.Prayer Shawl #5. Grand Prize Winner!

Philippians 4:9
Scripture

Observation
Wow.  Whatever you have learned/heard from me/seen in me put into practice.  What a strong statement.  According to Meriam-Webster, "whatever" means "anything or everything that; take whatever you want".  Anything/everything we have learned/heard/or seen in Paul can be applied to our lives.  Then the peace of God will be with us.  

Wow.  I know that I could not make a statement like that to my children about my own life, so Paul's statement, quite honestly leaves me pondering......

Application

However, as I look back on Philippians, I do see how his words indeed lead to the peace of God.  Even his past sins and mis-steps....he repented of them and turned 100% to serving Christ.  

Learn from our mistakes - as Paul did.
Turn it around - as Paul did.
Find God's peace - as Paul did.


Awesome.
Prayer
Dear LORD,
This is definitely one verse that I will be pondering today.  But, I'm grateful for Paul's confidence - and I pray that You will instill it in myself, my loved ones and those reading this.  
Help us, LORD, to live such a life that we can make this same statement to others.  LORD, I pray that You will bring others into our lives that can honestly make this statement about their own lives, that we may learn from them as well!  Amen and Amen.

PRAYER SHAWL #5
You know, every time I hear of someone being diagnosed with cancer, dying from cancer or experiencing a metastasis or reoccurence, I get so angry and sad.  I've decided to deal with it by crocheting Prayer Shawls during my cancer support meetings.  

Here is the beginning of my 5th Prayer Shawl!  

 I carry it in my 

Crochet in Public bag 

(pattern by Whistle and Ivy)!
I have realized I need to add a liner to this bag...one day!  :)

          I love crocheting with Hobby Lobby's Sugar Wheels!  

Grand Prize Winner!
In my last post, I mentioned that I had won a grand prize from our local quilt shop, Bernina Sewing and Design.  Let me give you more details!

October is their anniversary month.  Every time we made a purchase, we placed in a ticket in the container for the grand prize.  

October 21 is their birthday and is when they had their grand prize drawing and yours truly won!

Here it is!

I won the pattern and enough fabric to make a queen size "White Chocolate" pattern by Stitchin' Heaven!  Like I said before, neutrals I've never made a quilt from low volume fabrics, but I do believe this one will be perfect for my bedroom as the colors are so light and pretty!





Thank you to Marsha Cowan and all the Bernina Babes at Bernina Sewing and Design!

Linking up to:

Monday Making @ Love, Laugh, Quilt

Main Crush Mondays

@ Cooking Up Quilts

Moving It Forward Monday @ Em’s Scrapbag

Showand Tell Mondays with Bambi

Saturday's Song. Slow Stitching Sunday. Stash Report.

Saturday's Song
Sometimes we feel what we have done is 
too bad,
too wrong,
too big
for God to forgive.
Or perhaps you know someone who is trapped by this lie of the enemy.  
I do.
And here's my response.  Jordan Feliz' song, Never Too Far Gone.
 

Here's a basic printable of the lyrics, just in case you would like to send this to someone.

Sometimes, a hard copy is what's needed so that it can be read over and over again.
My Precious One, this Scripture got me through,
gets me through
and
will continue to get me through my past mistakes.  


It can do the same for you.
Believe it, if only with
mustard seed faith, 
believe it.

God will do the rest.  

Slow Stitching Sunday
These ornaments are on my radar as December 1 is quickly approaching!

My Slow Stitching usually always includes crochet as well.  I've been working on these cowls that will be sold at a Silent Auction to raise funds for Patrick.  If you read my posts with the label "Patrick's Strength", you will learn about his journey.  











He and his mom are still in Houston as he undergoes a rigorous treatment for bone cancer.  So much for this 16-year-old to deal with!

Stash Report

Fiber Stash Report:  October 29, 2017 (started 6/11/17)
Fabric used this week	0 yds
Fabric used to date	37 7/8 yds
Fabric Added this week	12.75 yds
Fabric Added this year	33  yds
Net Fabric	4 7/8 yds
Yarn used this week	6 oz
Yarn used to date	122 oz
Yarn Added this week	oz
Yarn Added to date	142 oz
Net Yarn	20 oz

Yes, you read right - I won a grand prize from my local quilt shop - Bernina Sewing and Design!  It was a kit filled with enough fabric to make a queen size quilt top!  It's low volume fabrics - not at all what I normally choose, but it would work in my bedroom....I'll be sharing that soon!  UPDATE:  You can see it here!

Linking up to:

Sunday Stash @ 

Quilt, Paint, Create

Sunday Slow Stitching @Kathy’s Quilts

Sunday Stash @ MollieSparkles