Suddenly, I'm Better

I have no explanation. Last week I was still "bubbling" and "burping" and feeling queasy every evening. I tried two different prescription meds from the doctor that resulted in another episode of nausea on Tuesday. I quickly took an anti-nausea pill in the morning which let me sleep for the next 24 hours (off and on.) During one of my conversations with God about this dilemma, I admitted that I had run out of ideas, was really tired of going to doctors and taking medicine, and just asked for mercy.

So... on Wednesday I put away the IBS meds and the laxatives. They were just making me feel bad. I went back to my usual vitamins and Niacin and added the Pepcid. And we determined to eat only freshly cooked and very bland food, which means we are eating veggies and fruits and chicken and eggs.

I woke up on Thursday morning feeling pretty good. I fixed up some very plain potato salad - that tasted soooo good! We had that with cold cuts and fresh fruit. As I was getting ready for bed I realized that I still felt good and the "bubbling" was much less intense. That night I thanked God for His mercy. And today I have felt almost normal - praise Him!

One suggestion that I think I can live with came from a doctor friend of Meredith's who, after hearing her describe the symptoms, asked if I had been under any undue stress recently. She said, "As a matter of fact, she just lost her dog last month." And since this all started about a week after Treasure died, I have to believe that my body just let go and my immune system nearly shut down.

My heart has been healing - slowly - and I am recognizing that I don't need to be a hero and withhold my feelings of grief. I just read a book by Mark Levin ("Rescuing Sprite") about his sorrowful journey with an elderly dog who had to be put to sleep. I identified with so many of his thoughts and emotions as he struggled to come to grips with what had to be done. Writing was cathartic for him, and I believe it might be time for me to start writing about Treasure. I have a file in my computer for "Treasure's Tales" and it's just sitting there waiting for me to open it.

And suddenly, I'm feeling better.

Tasty Christmas Cookies

Every December I look for new and different Christmas cookies to try. Some are winners, most leave something to be desired! This week I have tried out three new recipes (all from Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen) and two out of the three are definitely keepers!


The cookies on the left side of the plate are called "Amy's Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies." The great thing about this cookie is that you are almost guaranteed to have all the ingredients in your pantry. The shortbread cookie is made from butter, sugar, flour and almond or vanilla extract. Any jam you have around works, and the glaze is just powdered sugar and water (or milk.) The recipe can be found here. I hate having to pick just one flavor of jam, so I used the three I had in my refrigerator and mixed them up!

The cookie on the other side of the plate is called "Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Spice Cookie" and it is really yummy. It takes just a little longer to prepare, and you will have most of the ingredients in your pantry. I had to make a grocery run to get the oats, cranberries and chocolate chips, but as long as you have eggs and shortening, the rest are staples. These may look like your every day oatmeal/chocolate chip cookie, but you'll be pleasantly surprised from the taste of the allspice and cinnamon. The recipe for this wonderful cookie is found here. The recommendation is for very large cookies. I made mine the regular size and got four dozen minus one from the batch. I also baked mine for a full 14 minutes. I made no substitutions, but this cookie would work well with a variety of fruits or nuts. Have fun with it!

Unraveling the Mystery

I got word yesterday from the allergist that the tests for pepper allergy all came back negative. So, no allergies to peppers, just sensitivity to them. It's nice to know that an accidental pepper won't close up my airway!

After another episode last week, we finally convinced the gastroenterologist to run some tests for a parasite or an infection. I will find out tomorrow what the results are. This would be the easy answer, because there's a medication I can take that will kill that bug.

Meanwhile, I felt well enough yesterday and today to do some Christmas baking. I poked around on Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen site and found several cookie recipes that look wonderful. And PW had an interesting recipe for Fruitcake Cookies that I copied and adapted to my taste. Here's what I have accomplished:

This is my adaptation of the fruitcake cookie. I made them in small and smaller cupcake papers to closely resemble one of my favorite Christmas finds - Little Puds. PW's recipe called for brandy as the liquid in the recipe, but I substituted Apple juice, just in case my grandson takes a liking to this cookie. They are so moist and fruity. You can check Pioneer Woman's website for the original recipe.

The recipe made 24 tiny cupcakes and 18 small ones. I put a little powdered sugar glaze (mixed with apple juice) on these to make them prettier.

This is a recipe for thumbprint cookies that I got from Tasty Kitchen. The cookie is an easy shortbread, filled with your favorite jam. Because it's impossible for me to choose, I used three different jams. Can't wait to try one of these. I still have a few more recipes I want to try. I think the mailperson (ours is a gal) will be very happy this December!

Food Allergies - a Pain in the Gut!

I have known for a very long time that I can't eat Bell peppers. I would get bad indigestion from them which sometimes lasted a couple days. So I've always been pretty careful to avoid any food that might be cooked with them.

It seems that my bouts with Bell pepper-related indigestion have been occurring more frequently in recent years (coinciding with the aging process!) and have gotten a little more severe in my reaction to them. I've tried to stay away from the term "allergy", choosing rather to claim a "sensitivity" to the enzyme in them.

As Graham and I have been able to travel more extensively since his retirement, I notice that I need to be more careful with my diet, especially in foreign countries. Since we began traveling with Grand Circle, however, some of that burden has been transferred to the company. This was especially true when we took a river trip in France. Upon notification of my "allergy" the Kitchen manager hovered over my meals every day, assuring a pepper free environment for me to enjoy! It was touching, but more than that, very health-full.

And that brings me to the subject of this post. For several months I have been experiencing symptoms of something more than indigestion with just about everything I eat. One or two days a week I would feel badly enough to postpone appointments and stay in bed. After Treasure died it seemed that my body just let down and the aggravating distress took over. Finally, I had had enough and called the gastroenterologist for an appointment.

After a check of my esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and ultrasound of my upper organs, the preliminary finding was gastritis. All the test results were negative, which should have made me very happy. But I still had this growing problem that produced very unladylike belches. And I was getting little help from the doctor.

So, the day after the unproductive appointment I began to search the internet for causes. I put in Bell pepper allergies on a whim and hit the jackpot! Among the foods that contain the enzyme that causes the allergy were sweet pepper, paprika, green pepper, hot pepper, red pepper, cayenne pepper, pimiento, and Mexican peppers. My little nemesis has friends! And the reactions from this allergy range from itching to rash to belching to constricted breathing and death. Yikes!

Graham went straight to the refrigerator and began looking at labels. You can't imagine how many processed foods contain some fashion of one of these peppers. We threw out several bottles of salad dressing, a half eaten container of pimento cheese (my favorite), several boxes of flavored crackers and chips. I came to the conclusion that I have been systematically poisoning myself for years.

I think it will take some time to rid my system from the months of eating these foods, but I am already feeling the cleansing effects in my body. I'm grateful for the results of the tests which show a generally healthy inside of me. And am so appreciative of the technology we now take for granted called the internet. When used for good it can be a godsend. I consider the information I got from it to be "God-sent."

A Few of Her Favorite Things

Treasure, in true Westie fashion, developed quite a few preferences that she insisted be a part of her daily activities. Her vocabulary increased as we discovered these favorite things of hers. One of them was to take a ride in the car. We had various car seats for her, most of which she was quite satisfied to ride in, for they lifted her up to the window so she could see the world around her. All I had to say was, "Let's go ride in the car!" and she would be waiting for me at the door to the garage, ready to go wherever I would take her.



Her next most favorite activity was taking our daily walks. Except for the times I was out of town, I can count on one hand the number of days we missed our walk together. Seriously, she simply would not let a day go by that we didn't take some kind of walk. If I even mentioned the word "walk" she would dance and somersault all the way to the front door. She loved everyone we met along the way, and there was not a dog she didn't befriend. There was only one thing she couldn't understand - what does "Keep off the grass" mean?


The first time we took her with us to visit the Whites and Jefferson, Treasure was captivated by all the critters in their backyard sanctuary (known as Critter Creek.) She stood in the window, watching squirrels, birds and deer for the longest time. She would chase a squirrel or two in our back yard, but never saw a congregation of squirrels such as in Critter Creek.

Treasure loved to get up on the back of our squishy leather sofas, usually when one of her favorite persons was sitting or lying on it. If afforded her a seat as close as possible to her person, got her out of reach of little grandchildren, and was soft enough to make a comfortable napping spot. We often found her on top of the sofa at Jo's or Meredith's house as well.

Treasure had been with us only a year when we first took her out to our ranch in Bandera. She proved to us how really tough a Westie can be, supervising the gathering of rocks, or watching the cows come up for feed. She even got a kick out of walking in the creek and getting herself thoroughly wet and dirty, then sleeping in the back seat of the truck all the way back home.

When Meredith was pregnant with Adrian I took a class to learn how to quilt. I fixed up the small bedroom upstairs with a nice table and my sewing machine and always had some project going. That meant that piles of fabric were always laid out on the table and quilt pieces were stacked up everywhere. Treasure learned that she could jump on a chair to get up on the sewing table and settle in on whatever fabric was handy. I rarely worked on a quilt that she didn't supervise closely, if not on top of the table, then right at my feet.

The finishing part of all the quilts I have made always took place on the floor of one room in the house. There was not a single quilt that did not get the Westie stamp of approval before I could finish it. Treasure always found a spot to sleep on during the pinning process. Her little habit prompted me to wash every quilt before I gave it away!

This sweet little dog brought a huge personality with her when she came into my life. Every day was filled with routine that never grew old. Every day held an adventure she wanted to share. As long as we did it together, her heart was happy. I will remember a few of her favorite things, and that will make my heart happy too.

Treasure and Jefferson - a Special Friendship

Treasure had a special friendship with a very unique poodle named Jefferson White. Their "people" are great friends, so it was only natural that these two pooches would spend time together. In fact, Jefferson and Treasure were Bible study mates for a couple of years. They got into a little mischief at times, but were usually the model of sanctification during these meetings! It is in this vein that I wish to tell the following story ~ an important part of Treasure's last tale ~ interspersed with pictures of them together.

Treasure is willing to share her most favorite man with her friend.

Thursday morning, once I recognized what needed to happen that day and had made our appointment, I asked Graham to call Jo and let her know that I wouldn't be at Bible study that day and to explain why. And as soon as Lois came to Jo's door, she was informed of my decision and set wheels in motion for Doug and Jefferson to come with her to Dr. Earl's office and meet us there. It seemed most fitting as they were the ones who introduced us to Dr. Earl and accompanied us to that first appointment.

Jefferson invited Treasure to ride with him on his motorcycle, though it appears that Treasure is not too sure of his driving skills.

Once we were situated in the exam room and Treasure was comfortably settled on the table, Jefferson hopped up beside her and began sniffing and kissing her all over. He had such concern for her and couldn't take his eyes away from her. Even when Dr. Earl came into the room, his focus remained on Treasure. Lois held him throughout the procedure and then allowed him to inspect her little lifeless body. Then she sent him out to the waiting room with Doug and Graham and he began to cry in his loud, cat-like voice.

Treasure and Jefferson enjoyed a rare moment of quiet together on a sunny winter afternoon. Treasure loved watching the squirrels and birds that live in Critter Creek outside this window.

This might have been the end of an isolated episode had it not been for a visit we made to the White's house on Saturday. We had gone over to discuss a river trip with them and I had no sooner sat down on the sofa when Lois let Jeffie out of his room upstairs. He bounded down the stairs and nearly flew through the air to the sofa, whereupon he began to smother me with kisses. He stayed on my lap for the longest time and, when Lois finally put him down, he ran over to Graham and did the same to him! It was remarkable in that Jefferson had always deferred my lap to Treasure. But now he seemed to be telling me that he knew and that he understood. It was an extraordinary moment, one I will not soon forget.

Treasure's Final Tale

This is the post I never wanted to write. Yesterday we took our beloved Treasure to Dr. Earl and released her from her struggle with cancer. She was first diagnosed on August 28, 2008 and given two months to live. I took her to Dr. Earl on September 29, 2008 and she thrived under his care for the next 24 1/2 months.

When we returned home from France in June, the ultrasound check showed that her cancer had begun to grow. She was showing more signs of her health deteriorating as we approached the time of our departure for Canada. When we returned from that trip Treasure, I think, sensed that the end was near. Her appetite waned and she began losing weight. Her back legs were making it very hard for her to take her walks and I would invariably have to carry her home each time we went out.

One thing that never diminished was her Westie spirit. If I even looked like I was heading to the front door, she would dance all the way and beat me there, wagging her tail in anticipation of the great outdoors. Mostly we would just go walk around the yard, slipping around and through the bushes in the garden. Thursday morning we just sat together in the grass, warmed by the sunshine. Meredith and Murphy had both come by at lunchtime. Treasure even shared a bite of fajita from Murphy, the only food she had eaten in two days.


I had called Dr. Earl's office earlier in the morning, and told them that we were ready for her "quality of life" appointment. He told me last week that she would know and would let me know when the time was right. All day Wednesday her eyes were telling me that she was no longer able to find comfort in her struggle. Her legs were being affected by the growing tumor, yet in her Westie determination, she could still, remarkably, climb up the twelve steps to "our room" where my computer and sewing machine are - a room where we shared so many hours together, a room that will hold many memories in the days to come.


As I watched her nap, just hours before her final appointment, I was reminded of a poem shared by an internet friend years ago, and I knew that I couldn't reverse the progress of this day.

If It Should Be

If it should be that I grow weak,

And pain should keep me from my sleep,

Then you must do what must be done,

For this last battle cannot be won.

You will be sad, I understand,

Don't let your grief then stay your hand,

For this day more than all the rest,

Your love for me must stand the test.

We've had so many happy years,

What is to come can hold no fears,

You'd not want me to suffer so,

The time has come, please let me go.

Take me where my need they'll tend,

And please stay with me until the end.

I know in time that you will see,

The kindness that you did for me.

Although my tail its last has waved,

From pain and suffering I've been saved.

Please do not grieve, it must be you

Who had this painful thing to do.

We've been so close, we two, these years,

Don't let your heart hold back its tears.

Author Unknown

So, with the heaviest heart, Graham and I took my precious Treasure to Dr. Earl yesterday afternoon. Our friends, Lois and Doug with Jefferson, met us there and, as a family, we loved Treasure through her final minutes. She was handled with such love and care by Dr. Earl and his staff, and as much care and love was given to me and I am forever grateful.

This blog post is going to serve as grief-therapy for me, so please forgive me if I bring you to tears. I have picked just a few pictures of some of the aspects of Treasure's personality. There are many more and I will probably post more in the days ahead. When she first came to us I wrote short stories about her called "Treasure's Tales". This may be the final tale in her story, but it also may motivate me to go back into the archives and tell her stories all over again.

Treasure, after successfully opening her Christmas present from Auntie Jo, takes her bounty into her favorite closet to enjoy all by herself!


Following our return from France, I got the message loud and clear that if I were planning to go somewhere, Treasure was going to go with me!

Murphy adored Treasure and worked diligently to train her to sit up and beg for her treats.

When I began quilting, Treasure spent many happy hours in the vicinity of my work. Sometimes she was on the floor by my feet, but more often she preferred the tabletop where there were always stacks of fabric to snooze on. She was my quilt tester and has been photographed on almost all of the quilts I've made.

Here she comes up the stairs! She would start at the bottom and in one long breath run nonstop up to the top. Because she always wanted to be wherever I was, this would occur multiple times a day. Unbelievably, she did this on the morning of her homegoing.

My sweet Treasure came into my life as a six year old on Valentine's Day, 2004. We loved each other the moment our eyes met and shared that bond until her very last breath. Rest in peace, little angel.

Back Home

Sheesh! I've been back for almost a week. I should have gotten my life back to normal by now! I mean, we were only two time zones away.

I did come home to a busy period, however. We did all the washing and folding in two days, and then I had the task of final editing, printing and binding Sunday school workbooks. Plus, when I transferred both my and Graham's photos to my external drive, there were 2076 pics to go through and edit! I'd like to pare them down a whole lot. And eventually I'll get around to making my picture book.

So, lots to do. Two little grandsons to hug. Treasure to walk. Laundry to pick up. Lessons to complete. Pictures to edit. Bills to pay. I had to pack two weeks' worth of living into a weekend! I hope to get some pictures posted here soon. And I hope Bill gets some of his photos on a disc for me soon as well. Between the three of us, we got some mighty fabulous pictures. Each of us has a different eye for photography, so it will be interesting to see the different points of view.

We were describing our trip to the Sunday school class yesterday. Graham, always looking at the glass half empty, was giving his view of the negative side of Canada. And little ole optimistic me kept interrupting him with the brighter side of things. One member finally piped up, "Did you all go on the same trip?" Peals of laughter brought us back to the realization that we really do see things from different colored glasses. I'll try to show you that in our photos.

Bar Harbor, Maine

Disclaimer: These pictures are in backward order! (A little quirk from blogspot! Plus, it deleted a couple of my pics - maybe I can repost them another time.)

So.... Here we are at a little restaurant in Bar Harbor called Parkside on the Green. We each had fish and chips, which was a fried haddock, and quite tasty.

Our morning was spent at the Acadia National Park, just minutes from our hotel. This park takes up most of the island of Mt. Desert, but we only toured about a third of it. The storm was stirring up the tides and this picture was taken at a place called Thunder Hole (which is the next picture.)
Because of the uncertainty of the hurricane, the rangers closed off the area jutting out, but from our vantage point we could still see and hear the thundering waves coming into this little cove.

This lake has a "seasonal" sandy beach. In the winter the tides wash the sand out into the bay, and then it is washed back in as the weather warms in the spring.

This is a view of the porcupine islands from the highest point of Cadillac Mountain in the park. I guess the haze is caused by the impending storm.

On Thursday night we had a lobster bake at the Bar Harbor Inn, right down on the harbor. We went out just in time to see the sky changing color as the sun went down.

We each had a plate with a big lobster, boiled potatoes, cole slaw and corn on the cob. Dessert was a slice of delicious blueberry pie. (I ate it before I remembered to take its picture!)

This is the Bar Harbor Inn where we had our dinner. It's a lovely hotel right on the harbor. There's a nice park adjacent to the hotel, and then the dock where lots of boats can be chartered for fishing or whale watching.

We have been so fortunate to have wonderful weather thus far. Although it's been a little warm, we have had abundant sunshine for multiple strolls up and down Main Street. After dinner tonight we noticed some coolness in the air and even a movement of fog coming off the water. The forecast is for rain tonight and most of tomorrow. Our TD says we will not take our cruise on the Bay of Fundy tomorrow, but might possibly do that on Sunday. So all is not lost to the weather! I'll try to keep the blog updated often.

Leaving in the Morning

We leave on the early flight to Dallas tomorrow morning where we'll meet up with Bill and fly together to Boston for the first night of our tour. God willing, we will go through Maine, up into New Brunswick, Canada, and over to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia before returning home. This trip has been six months in the planning and even accommodated a schedule change. So it's certainly not intentional that we might be heading into a hurricane!

I am of the opinion that, since Katrina, the news media and even the weather outlets all exaggerate the intensity of these storms. Generally they turn out to be a lot less destructive than predicted. But I believe that is because everybody missed the seriousness of Katrina so thoroughly. That said, I'm confident that we'll be safe and even experience some nice weather. We are so hoping for any temperatures lower than 80 degrees!

In my research on the hotels we will be in, it appears that every one has internet service in the rooms. So I will be able to post pictures and comments here on the blog and also on Facebook. I hope you'll enjoy following us around the Canadian Maritimes.

Big Kids and Grand Kids

Yesterday Meredith hosted Adrian's third birthday party and I remarked once again how "traditional" my daughter is in bringing together friends and family for certain events. She is the one who insists on turkey and dressing every Thanksgiving, and establishes a Christmas routine for her children that, hopefully, they will never grow away from. Thus far Adrian's parties have centered more on family and the values of inter-generational relationships. There is no greater joy for a parent than to see ones children grow into adulthood and prosper in relationship and personal fulfillment. (3 John 1:4)

So here a few glimpses of my sweet, wonderful children and grands...

Cristian, holding ten month old Andrew, has taken to fatherhood in a most natural way.

Adrian is learning how to blow the train whistle - takes an awful lot of practice, but he'll master it soon and will rival the trains passing through the neighborhood.

"Thomas the Train" was the theme for the day and everyone was sporting an appropriate bandanna to prove it.

Andrew may have been the littlest engineer. He crawled out of the bandanna in short order.

Adrian is quite fond of his Uncle Furfy (Murphy) and gave him the seat next to the seat of honor.

My traditional daughter is one fabulous Mommy and she radiates when she's holding one of her babies.

Here is one happy three year old, basking in the admiration of his extended family - Uncle Pat, Aunt Judy, Mimi & Dah, Auntie Jo, Uncle Furfy, and Papa & Ludee.

Not quite the center of attention, Andrew nevertheless enjoyed the commotion brought on by his brother's celebration. Just wait - October's coming!

A Special Birthday Today

August 14, 2010

Three years ago today. That's the day my first grandchild was born! It was also the first time I had ever experienced the birth of a baby in a state of consciousness! You see, I had been given amnesiac drugs at the births of my two children and have no memory of participation in their delivery. When Meredith first approached me about being with them for Adrian's birth, I wasn't really sure it was my place to be there. But I am so glad I went and was there to assist!

August 14, 2007

Much growing up has occurred over the last three years. Adrian has passed all the milestones for a three year old. He will move into a new stage of his life in September when he ventures off to Mother's Day Out. He'll begin to form friendships and bond with kids his age. He'll no longer be a baby and we'll wonder where that little boy has gone. It happens with every child, but deep inside we're never really prepared to let them move on.

July 3, 2010

Thank goodness for pictures that capture those moments, pieces of time that can never be duplicated. Preserved not only in our memories, but on film, in photo frames, or in our day, on a computer disc.

Happy Birthday, dear Adrian. All my love, Ludee.

Connections

I am, by nature, a "loner." I prefer a quiet room to crowds, soft music to raucous, a good book to a cocktail party. Given a choice I would read, sew or watch TV in solitude, perhaps with the company of my loyal dog. But I realize there are times when I must make the effort to socialize or there will be consequences to pay.

For instance, last year my siblings-in-law and I discussed the idea of having a "family picnic" in the summer, just an excuse to see each other for an occasion other than wedding or funeral. We talked about it, but did nothing toward it and the summer passed into Fall. Then the unthinkable happened, one of Graham's brothers died suddenly in January and we all realized an opportunity missed which had sad consequences. So this summer, amidst questions of suitability and timeliness, we sent out invitations and got a large portion of family together. One lesson learned.

Then, out of the blue, about a month ago, I received a "friend" request from a woman who is a distant cousin from my mother's side of my family. Maybe she is also looking into her "connections" and felt a pull to search for family members. Whatever the motive I am so glad that she took the initiative and used the technology of social networking to find me. We have already brought each other up to date from over fifty years of separation. Wow!

And just last week I was notified of the death of my last remaining first cousin in Louisiana. He was seven years older than me, the "biggest" cousin who had all the fun, but who the rest of us looked up to as "cool." Floods of memories of summertime visits came over me, and I realized afresh how important being "connected" is. It's who we are, what we are made of, the thing that prompts our behavior.

I still prefer the peace and quiet of being left to my own devices, but I have a fresh perspective of family and friends and of how important it is to let them into my little domain on occasion. Psalm 90:10 tells me that "the days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." I will be sixty-five in September. I can reasonably expect to live five to fifteen more years. How much better to live those years connected... to family... to friends... and to my Savior.

"Mother please! I'd rather do it myself!"

Does anyone besides me remember the old Anacin commercials? This one was for Headache #45. "Mother please! I'd rather do it myself!" My Mother and I used to break the tension between us with that line. As I recall, we did that quite often!

Last week, after I finished the quilt top for Graham's quilt, I decided to try to find someone who would sandwich and quilt it for me, saving my back and legs the agony of working on the floor. I can't describe the feeling of dread that came over me as I envisioned that process. So I got the name of a quilter from the fabric store and inquired. She emailed back and said it would take 2-3 months for her to get to my quilt.

Sooooo. Plan A was out and I was now at Plan B. I had laid out the quilt layers on my dining room table in order to cut the back and batting and got the idea to just pin the quilt sandwich right there on the table. It took lots and lots of "smoothing" the layers, but I was able to sit in a chair and do the actual pinning and saved my back days of misery.


So here I am, doing it myself, and taking my time, although it will definitely not take 2-3 months! I hope I can get it ready for the binding by tomorrow. The colors are so vibrant. I think it will be a very pretty quilt and long enough for Graham's six foot frame.

As part of my planning for our September tour of Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, I searched the internet one night and ordered lots of free maps and travel brochures for the places we'll visit. Besides the cooler temps, we are really looking forward to some fresh Atlantic seafood. I read that the oysters in Charlottetown, PEI, are the best in the world! And we will have a down-home Lobster bake in Bar Harbor the first night out. I'm thrilled at how much free reading material I was able to pick up.

So we're at "29 days and counting" till we meet Bill at the DFW airport and fly to Boston. All the hotels will have internet service in the rooms, so I'm looking forward to posting pictures as we go. I've already primed my little red mini computer with photo folders for each day we're there!

Meanwhile, we will celebrate Adrian on his third birthday in a little over a week. Can't believe how quickly the time has flown by. But then, I'll be 65 when we come home from Canada! I guess growing older is something that I have to do for myself!

The Top is Done!

I'm done with my part of this quilt. I have had to get creative with the borders, though. I couldn't find any more of the red background fabric, so I made a "folded border" with the little bit I had left over. It gives the impression of a triple-matted picture in a frame.

Then, because I added an extra row of blocks to the length of the quilt, I didn't have quite enough blue fabric to have a six-inch border all around. So, the top and bottom blue borders are only four inches in width. I think it actually gives it a more vertical look anyway!

Now I just need to contact a quilter who will sandwich and quilt my top with the batting and backing. A friend from church gave me the name of an individual who has helped her in the past. This may do it for big quilts for the time being. I can manage baby quilts, and may even try my hand at a wall hanging. My Janome sewing machine isn't ready to retire just yet!

Gems from my Garden

For some reason - and everyone seems to have a different idea - my garden this summer has been exceptionally good. We have tried to grow tomatoes every summer for several decades. Some years we had good crops, other years, not so good.

I remember the tomato plant my Daddy brought me, back in 1986 (that's the date on the picture) - that came from some seeds my uncle had planted. I put it in a sunny spot back of the pool and watched it grow. And grow... and grow! We had five inch tomatoes that summer. I even photographed one, just to keep my story honest.

As I recall, they were pretty tasty too.

Fast forward to this summer. I asked my yardman to take out a lot of grass that had not survived the drought and severe winter and make me a nice flower bed for roses. It turned out to be big enough for us to plant four tomato bushes and a pepper plant among the rose bushes. Knowing we would be on vacation for two weeks, I also placed a soaker hose throughout the bed, making sure that every plant would catch some water. Then I left it on low and we went to France.

Here is just a small sampling of our harvest from one week. We get enough to eat two or three every day, share a few with friends, and look forward to more on the morrow.

One of the casualties of winter this year were my potted bougainvilleas. I had three and they all looked as if the freezing nights had taken the life from them. I cut them all down to the dirt and set the pots back behind the pool. And then the spring rains came and two of the three plants were resuscitated by the life-giving rain. Only one of them has bloomed so far, but it is a real beauty!

Not only are my plants thriving, but the little cicadas are coming out of the earth and presenting themselves in chirping choruses. This little guy caught my ear and stayed on his perch long enough for me to run in a get my camera! His companion flew off before I could get back.

There's an awful lot of life going on in the back yard. I'll keep my camera handy for more "proof!"

A New Quilt

Back in May, before we left for France, I got a hankering to make another quilt. All I lacked was a pattern and some inspiration. I looked through a few quilt books, and then we left for France and all thoughts of quilting were left behind.

Once we got home, and I finished the cross stitch birth announcement for Andrew, my hankering came back and sent me off to the fabric store for some ideas. While there I saw the most beautiful quilt hanging in an area with the packet of instructions for a patriotic quilt that didn't look at all like the one I admired. I discovered, after talking to a saleswoman, that it was indeed the patriotic pattern, only done with a selection of multi-colored fabrics.

Thinking that I would be making this quilt for Graham, I picked out a pre-cut package of fabric strips in vibrant colors of blues, reds, greens, browns and tans. After a few more trips for accent features, I finally got started on the quilt on Monday. Here is my progress.

With about 35 different fabrics in the six colors I'm using, I wound up with several different strips of three. Each panel gets cut into 12 1/2 inch pieces. The accent pieces utilize a deep wine red with yellow and blue tones. They are then cut into triangles.

The next step is to sew the triangles onto the end of each strip. Once that is done, I'll make 12 inch blocks. Then I just have to decide how long to make the quilt. Stay tuned for updates.