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Sunday, November 28, 2010

I've slain the Pink Monster

Me and free-motion went at it today in an effort to get the Pink Monster completed for Tuesday night's UFO celebration at Spirited Quilter's in Duluth.
You have no idea how happy I am to be back at my machine, and to have this baby off my UFO list, where it lived for 32 years!
There was just enough light left to grab this shot in the back yard.  I told mom I was considering unbleached muslin for the binding and she made that noise.  You know that noise you hear over the phone when you know they don't approve? So I changed the binding to Yankee Blue to contrast with the Confederate Grey of the inner border (I am making that up as I write). And I stitched the binding down by machine.  Some parts I had to stitch twice since they didn't get caught up in the first pass.
I tore a piece of canvas and wrote "Started in 1978, Finished in 2010, Karmen, DOB 4/23/1958," and free motioned it into the quilt.  Labels are good even if they aren't great labels. I figure if the darn thing is already 32 years old now, it could make it another 40 and be around for my 100th birthday (pretty sure I won't be)!

 It is now in the washer getting it's first bath. The very best thing about getting this little pink monster done:
NO MORE OF THIS!
Yippee!  And, AND, I am healthy enough for work tomorrow.
Buzz kill.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving day I cooked in anticipation of seeing my boys the next day.  My husband and I ate a little of what I cooked and then retired to the bedroom.  I picked up the little project I started in Roberta Horton's workshop last summer; the one I attended with mother.
As I was sewing on the last yo-yo I started to feel nauseous and really, really ill.
I drove myself to the ER at 1 a.m. and gave them a most spectacular vomit show.  Yes, you read that right.  I cannot believe anyone can eject that much from their body twice in one night.  The abdominal pain was horrific.
The gave me a shot while I was throwing up, and then hooked me up to IV fluids.  Three and a half hours later I noticed the IV bag was still completely full.  I had no call button, so I took the pulse monitor off my finger to trigger the alarm so they would check on me.  They didn't though.
I finally managed to get someone's attention, and she was really mad about the IV not working.
At 6 a.m. the pain returned.  I tried the pulse monitor trick again, but still no response to it, so I started hollering, and it took all I had in me to make enough noise to attract attention. The nurse came in and told me I shouldn't holler like that, since there were a lot of sick people there.  Well, damn, I don't think anyone should have to holler for help in the ER.  My blood pressure dropped to 80/54 and I broke into a sweat with a "pins and needles" feeling all over me and a burning across my chest; then I passed out.
They gave me more pain medication, and at 7:30 I noticed the IV bag was empty so I summoned them again.  I asked about another bag of fluids and the nurse says to me "oh no, you're out of here.  We need the room." I said what about what happened before?  And she replied "that was just from pain.  We're giving you a prescription."
I ran a high fever all day yesterday.  I lost track of time.  Missed seeing my boys.
Glad to be alive.
American health care is so much better than elsewhere? REALLY!?

Thursday, November 25, 2010

One-eyed Kitten on the Roof

Kitten took a tour OF THE ROOF yesterday morning (and she is an INDOOR cat).  I was a little late to work (like 5-10 minutes) after I got her down by climbing a ladder myself.  I left my SD card in my computer at work, but here is one of the shots I had saved to Facebook.  She was all over the roof.  Evidently one-eyedness only affects her aim onto kitchen cabinets, not our roof.  She is safe and sound today.  Resting on the back of the sofa as I cook.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Contents of my fridge

The day before Thanksgiving, a work day, and this is what's in my fridge.
Yogurt (from top left), a defrosting turkey in the blue tub, large pizza box containing 1 single slice, a few oranges, and a couple of eggs.  You will see me at the store after work.  Yup, me and how many others?

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Fours sides on

This quilt top is so hard to photograph!  I don't know if it is me getting pickier about photo quality, or the lighting, insufficient camera, or these colors are just difficult to photograph, but I want to do better, but how to get clear crisp shots?  Time for a camera upgrade? Should I make the leap to SLR?  I have my eye on the Nikon 3100.  Any advice?
I am celebrating the completion of hand-quilting on the pink monster.  As soon as I get my machine free-motion anxiety under control, I will tackle the border and binding so I can celebrate having all three of my declared UFOs done for the year.  Last year I was 0 for 5 and this year I will be, as soon as I bind the pink monster, 3 for 3.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

no yellow

This picture tells the whole story.
Not the whole story, exactly, since I have three sides on and don't have the third side made yet.
And that would be why?  Oh yeah, Karmen doesn't measure when she starts something.
She prefers to jump in and deal with the consequences. So back to the pink project and sore fingers until I get the guts to tackle the "do I have enough" question again