WOW.

 

 

THE RETURN OF THE HOUSE PURSE

My routine of late has prompted me to put all of my daily toys back into my little school bag, and I find myself carrying it around like a toddler with a teddy bear. I have stitching, coloring, and reading materials, along with a book light and pencil case with a few journaling supplies (even though I haven't journaled in quite some time).

Progress continues on all fronts. I hope to finish the Shepherd's Bush Autumn Blessings sampler either tonight or tomorrow, and I recently started a new mono-color coloring book since I finished the first one. And...if I can keep my eyes open long enough tonight at bedtime I might actually finish A Tale Of Two Cities, too!

I'm tapering Prednisone this week, so our visits might be a bit sporadic, so bear with me, please. Yours Truly is feeling entirely unwell, and the withdrawal is just...brutal.

But all will be well again soon, and hopefully there will be lots of new things to share! In the meantime, come tell me all of the things. What's new and wonderful in your corner of the world?

WAIT....HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?!

 

The Notre Dame Men's Basketball team just beat Villanova in the Eternal City Tip Off in Rome, which was absolutely not supposed to happen. I've been following all of the things online, including the fact that Pope Leo is a Villanova grad, and has been fun to watch in the days leading up to the game. 

God might have been routing for 'Nova....

But His Mom was definitely routing for Notre Dame! 🤭

IN WHICH WE DISCUSS DAMN GOOD

 

I never stop to think that there might be new friends on this here blog, so when I got a note saying "Hey, SpinsterStitcher...what the heck is damn good?"...I thought I'd explain.

Damn Good is what I call my cup of coffee. I think it started circa 2005 or 2006 when I slurped my first sip of the day over at Chez Spinster and said to Stewey..."Stewey, this is just a damn good cup of coffee" and then I slurped to my heart's content.

It's simple, really. I use a 39 ounce coffee mug that I found on the amazons, and I fill it with 32 ounces of Starbucks French Roast. I brew k-cups, and do a 10 cup and then a 6 cup from pod one and repeat that with pod two.

A heaping little teaspoon of Truvia and a splash of half and half, and that's the recipe for the perfect start to my perfect day. Hot, rich, full-bodied, slightly sweet, and slightly creamy.

Bliss.

I'm saving my pin money for a second mug from the amazons...this time in matte black. I figure it will be perfect on my coffee tray, and when I start bed coffee again (hopefully soon), it will match all of my lovely little accessories.

So that's it, Dearies. SpinsterStitcher Damn Goof 101.

What's in your cup?

WHEN YOUR BOO BOOS MAKE YOU SMILE

 

I see a lovely little heart.

(Rich thinks I'm nuts and turned three shades of green when I showed it to him moments ago. 🙄)

Today has been a wonderfully perfect day, with a good sleep, a huge mug of hot damn good while reading for a few hours in the quiet of a sunny cool morning, lots of coloring:

And a really good dinner:

(Chicken Florentine, twice-baked potatoes, and crispy green beans with garlic and chili oil.)

Now it's time for some stitching. I have been enjoying Autumn Blessings from Shepherd's Bush, and almost half-way up from the bottom:

Not one thing to complain about, Dearies. Life is beautiful here in Hoosierville, and every day brings me closer to getting back to some semblance of normal. I still don't have any news on Remicade because everybody seems to be scratching their heads with the whole "kidney transplant patient with a colostomy, no thyroid, and a thirty year history of immunosuppressants" thing.

(It's not easy being me sometimes.)

I'm so interested to hear all about life in your corner of the world. Are you well and happy, dear friends? What's on your q-snaps or stretcher bars or knitting needles or dining room table or light pad or....

Come tell me all about it!

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PORTLY SPINSTER WHO IS LEARNING HOW TO SLOOOOWWW IT DOWN

 

FRIDAY SPINSTER BLISS

A delicious pepper and egg for dinner last night:

Next up on the q-snaps...Shepherd's Bush Autumn Blessings:

Yesterday's coloring page:

Today's afternoon cold brew and vat of iced water:

And today's coloring page...a bookstore!

Some healthy snacks:

Some treats:

 

Oh, Dearies...I don't know if it's Prednisone euphoria or what, but it is just the most beautiful day in the neighborhood! I can't get over this weather, with its beautiful skies and cool temps, and I am rested, happily ensconced in my chair, and ready to remain here for the duration.

Louie is a bit of a pita today, but toast and Gatorade will get him in order (I hope) in short order. BellyBean is hopefully happy in there doing his thing, and I'm just....grateful.

Happy Weekend to all! I hope that you get to do all of the things that you want to do! What's your bliss? Come tell me all about it.

CRISIS AVERTED...AND A FEE NEE!

I am happy to report that we are now fully stocked here at CS2 for all eventualities, thanks to deliveries from the Costco, the Meijer, the Targets, and the amazons. My French Roast is now back in place and healthy provisions have been procured.

But...wow. I don't want to do THAT again!

Moments ago, I completed the final stitch of my latest piece, and I confess that I really did love every single time I got to play with her:

A Grateful Heart

The Scarlett House

28ct Picture This Plus in Fog

all DMC threads

Oh, Dearies...how I love it so! I have visions of an entire wall full of gratitude samplers, but I have a lot of stitching to do to realize that particular goal! In the meantime I'm just going to enjoy whatever pops itself into the House Purse next!

Time for bed, I think. In addition to finishing my stitchy project, I also finished reading Middlemarch and then listened to a bunch of podcasts and lectures, so it's time for a new book too. I'm thinking Dickens...maybe A Tale Of Two Cities? Great Expectations? I actually have an Oprah edition that contains both, so who knows? Maybe it'll be a Dickens November!

I hope your Futzingday was wonderful and that you got to do all the things. What's new with you?

LEVEL ONE EMERGENCY...OF THE DAMN GOOD KIND

 

Dearies, we have a SITUATION. I awoke at the heiney crack of dawn after sleeping about eleven minutes, and discovered the most horrifying scene a portly French Roast addicted Spinster could possibly imagine. 

Oh. Dear.

SPINSTER STITCHER WEATHER BLISS

Dearies, can we talk about the weather for a minute? I don't know if it's just me being me, or if anybody around these here parts will agree with me, but our weather has been positively GLORIOUS. The hours of the day that I am awake (anywhere from 9am to God knows whenever), have been full of perfect blue skies with puffy white clouds and the most beautiful low-humidity fresh cool air imaginable.

Oh, what a beautiful Fall we're having, and it looks like the next ten days will bring more of the same, so I am going to do everything I can to get out and enjoy it. Maybe a trip to campus? Maybe a survey of the garage...that is stacked to the ceiling with the entire contents of Chez Spinster and needs to be PURGED. (Nine years has got to be long enough to get over it, no?)

I'm coloring one page a day in my Still&Slow book and enjoying it very very much. I was otherwise occupied with trying to be a living, breathing, functional human today, so I've just finished today's page late, and now I'm too tired to stitch. 

No matter. That's what tomorrow's for...right?

 

WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME...🫤

 

Well, Dearies, another ride in an ambulance yesterday to the ER. ☹️ Violent chills and what I thought was shock turned out to be dehydration and just me being a condominium with two tenants that occasionally do not get along. Louie can be boisterous, unpredictable, and a chaos agent, while BellyBean just wants to do his thing and quietly go about the business of keeping me alive.

I am home and feeling much better. Yes, Betty, I am following all instructions and drinking water and doing all the things, but...It's complicated being me.

No need to fret or worry. Coloring, stitching, and reading continue, and with a little luck I might have a FeeNee to share shortly! Only the bottom border to go on Grateful Heart:

Cheers to a new week ahead, Dearies! What's new in your corner of the world, and where does everybody know YOUR name? Come tell me all about it!

PRE-GAME...SPINSTER STYLE

 

I woke up late with my face in the sun, and a beautiful cool breeze coming through the open window. Were it not for the fact that I was ready for some damn good, I'd still be there dozing under the snoozy blanket, Dearies!

Notre Dame plays BYU tonight, and the ESPN shenangins have already started out there in Provo, so while they do their thing on the TeeVee, I'm looking forward to yet another slow and quiet afternoon of coloring and stitching. 

My hope is that you, too, can have a purely blissful day. What's on your pre-game agenda? Come tell me all about it!

MORE SPINSTER BLISS

My days here at CS2 are slow and quiet, but very routine. I sleep until my tiny little brain tells me it's time to get out of the big girl sleigh bed, and then I start re-hydrating before my big a$$ cup of morning damn good.

If Rich is ushering or substitute teaching (like he was today...high school ceramics 🤭), I spend an hour or so reading my book. I'm about 3/4 of the way through Middlemarch, and enjoying it very much! I read slowly and savor every word. No annotating or notes, but I do feel like slowing down has greatly helped with my overall experience of visiting all of these classics.

Meal one is the same as it's been for a long while now: cottage cheese, blueberries, peaches, and pineapple with lots of water and a little Gatorade to wash it all down. De-hydration has been a huge problem with Louie, so I'm learning what things keep BellyBean safe and happy and plump without throwing everything out of whack.

Most of the mid-day hours are spent with coloring, and lately I've been enjoying monochrome coloring by way of Stll&Slow books. I usually complete one page a day before maximum relation state is achieved, and the effect it has on my handwriting (massive improvement) is wonderful!

Rich heads out to the balcony for some sports radio/cigar time and to call his mom for the daily check-in, and I usually head back to the big girl sleigh bed for a nice nap with my face in the sun that streams through the window.

Dinner has been simple things lately, and after the kitchen is clean and I've had a cool dark shower (*) it's stitchy time! And I ply needle and thread through whatever sports game is showing in the TeeVee, then one episode of Sopranos, one West Wing, and then it's time for bed.

If you've made it thus far without falling into a bored stupor at the sheer dullness of all things Spinster at the moment, I do apologize, but this seems to be exactly what the doctor ordered for getting me out of this darn flare up. I have to say, this one has completely humbled me, and dealing with it at this age and with Louie is very different than bulling my way through a flare up in my twenties at MachOne with my hair on fire.

But the thread that runs through this entire narrative is gratitude that I'm here to be living this boring yet beautiful life. Maybe slow and quiet isn't so bad after all, Dearies! I hope that your day is full of bliss today. What's keeping you slow and steady? Come tell me all about it!

 

AFTERNOON SPINSTER BLISS

A cold brew, my vat of ice water, and a gorgeous blueberry scone that my JB surprised me with in yesterday's grocery run!

I. Love. Scones.

Happy Tuesday, Dearies!

TIME TO MOVE THE Q-SNAPS

 Grateful Heart

The Scarlett House

FRIDAY SPINSTER BLISS

It's currently 57 degrees outside and cloudy, and I'm happily ensconced in the big grey chair for the duration, Dearies. Rich has just left for campus, where he will be until the late hours, so I am left without adult supervision.

Gird your loins!

I've got stitching, coloring, reading...both novel and news...and the Snoopy robe firmly in place, as well as my damn good, a vat of water, and the thoughts of scrambled eggs a little bit later.

(And there may or may not be an English muffin involved.)

It's Spinster Bliss Day here in Hoosierville! What day is it where you are?

SPINSTER...WE HAVE A PLAN

Dearies, today, on what would have been my mom's 93rd birthday, I think we might actually have a bit of a plan. It's not exactly what an impatient portly Spinster would wish for, but it's safe and will be slow and steady. So while I might not be able to be here full speed just yet...I'm happy to report that I have a nice wide lane in which to park my fanny, and I'm staying here. Prednisone is still on board for now and I will taper as symptoms calm down. Will start on biologic/Remicade as soon as possible. Ongoing surveillance of BellyBean and Louie as day to day vitals indicate. Any fever, pain, or other issues and I'm back at the Four Seasons (*) asap.

In the meantime, I am trying to function daily as best as I can, but fighting terrible terrible fatigue, brain fog, blurry vision, moon face, etc that keep me quiet and mindful of rest.

Done.

So here are the things that are keeping Yours Truly from coming out of her skin:

READING: 

COLORING:

STITCHING: 

My Jersey Boy has been substitute teaching and ushering his heiney off, so I feel happy that he is getting out into the beautiful sunshine and doing things he loves. His mom is happily settled into Villa Raffaella in NJ and is thriving there, so it is an enormous weight off of his (and my) mind and heart.

So all good and happy things, Dearies. Not yet 100%, but hopeful that we're going in a good direction

The love and support and cards and letters and notes and prayers and gifts overwhelm me in the most profound way possible....as they always have. I thank you for them. Truly. My night-time prayers of gratitude grow longer and longer, and your names are in them each and every time I offer them.

What's new with you? Are you having the most beautiful cool sunny days with big white puffy clouds in pretty blue skies like we are? I am finding my way out onto the balcony more and more with my basket (**), and sometimes I just sit and rock and watch the world go by.

Love you, Dearies! Do something fun and come tell me all about it!

(*) Four Seasons is Beacon Granger Hospital

(**) My basket is a felt diaper tote that Rich calls my House Purse. It holds my book, book light, journal, stitchy project, coloring book, pens, water bottle, etc...and I tote it from room to room like it's my job.

COMING SOON TO A BLOG NEAR YOU...

 

FIVE YEARS. THANK YOU, ANGEL.