NEEDLEMINDERS SHIPPING!

Hello, Dearies!

Needleminder orders have started shipping and should be completed by Wednesday of this week. Of all the crazy things...I ran out of magnets and had to order extras from the amazons after buying out the Michael's of all the magnets they had.

I enclosed a little note with the orders, but want to also mention it here: If for any reason you receive your needleminder and are disappointed or dissatisfied in any way, please contact me and let me know. I will either re-make your order for you or will happily return your donation.

(In light of some disappointing things I have been hearing about stitchers behaving badly with respects to other people's money, I want to make sure that you feel very happy that you got your money's worth!)

WooHoo!

Coni

NOT. MOVING. TODAY.

EXHAUSTED, BUT VERY HAPPY

Today I cleaned the apartment like the old days. I'm wiped out, but very very happy that I did so. The physical exercise was great for my poor old worn out portly body, and the resultng clean and tidy home is just what my poor old worn out soul needed.

I'm off to a hot scrubby shower in that clean bathrom and then I'm going to climb into that freshly changed bed and sleep deeply and well!

Ciao, Dearies and Happy Saturday!

WELL, SO MUCH FOR THAT IDEA...

So there I was, minding my own business, when I decided to make the bed.

Instead of making the bed, I stripped it, flipped the mattress, re-dressed it with Fall/Winter bedding and then decided to clean to bedroom. 

It didn't stop there. Noooooo, I just had to go into the bathroom and clean it like an Amish woman getting ready to host church services. I washed walls, changed the shower curtain, scrubbed, cleaned, disinfected, and polished that sucker right back to factory condition.

I'm pretty sure we could do surgery in there now...exactly how I like it.

It's been quite a while since I've been able to do a "let's clean the house Saturday", so i think I'm going to enjoy it and head into the kitchen now.

Pray for me, Dearies. This is either going to end with me happily stitching in a clean apartment or the emergency room.

SATURDAY SPINSTER BLISS...

I've got the Ryder Cup on for damn good time, the magic blanket did its trick during the night, and I'm contemplating the day ahead. I suppose I could do laundry, clean CS2 to within an inch of its life, go to the grocery, and make something fun for dinner.

Nope.

I'm going to stay right here and enjoy a "do nothing" Saturday until it's time for the game. Notre Dame and Stanford kick off this evening and I'm hoping for another victory for my Irish, even though I really like Stanford.

Stitching will commence as soon as I take a hot scrubby and wake up a bit more. I still have my hangover from yesterday and need it to go away before I put needle and thread in hand!

Here's hoping your very own Saturday is wonderfully swell, Dearies. Come tell us all about it!

FALL FRIDAY...

I'm enjoying my second cup of damn good under my magic blanket before it's time to get ready for dialysis. It's about 50 degrees outside and about 55 degrees inside...just exactly how I love it!

No stitching to report, Dearies. I made needleminders all day yesterday and then spent the evening with a few ice packs and some Tylenol. I have been having trouble with my left hand and arm, and it looks like I might have developed something called Steal Syndrome...an issue that sometimes crops up with patients with AV fistulas. I'm thinking that all of the activity with that hand was a little too much, but we'll see...

Tonight, I hope to return to stitching a bit, with a movie or two and the magic blanket back in place. But first, Buzzy ans Beepy need to go do their thing for a bit, so off we go!

Happy Friday! I hope your weekend is off to a great start and that you get to spend some time with your own needle and thread. Come tell us all about it!

TUESDAY MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

I made needleminders...

And I stitched!

Now it's time to find my pillow. This was a wonderful day for me, Dearies! Tinkering at the table for a few hours, a good hot scrubby shower, a nice quick healthy dinner, and stitching!  I can't think of a better was to spend the day, unless it would be with Jeffrey Dean Morgan making us waffles at our 5-star stitchy retreat while wearing our flannel jams in front of a roaring fireplace while fluffy white snow fell softly on the treetops and all of our fur babies were toasty and warm with us under magic blankets and our minions fetched us supplies from our seven story needlework and damn good coffee emporium next door.

Night night! More adventures tomorrow!

INQUIRING MINDS WANTED TO KNOW...

Yes, I am making the heart needle inders completely by hand and to order. I pull your order and then sit and talk to you as I'm painting happily away.

For the cups and boots, I do the same, but I can't talk so much because there is glue involved.

PAGING H.L. COMPANY...

Dear H.L. Company...thank you for your PayPal payment for $8 for cup #1. I'm sorry , but I don't habe any other information about you. Could you please send your name and mailing address to me at spinsterstitcher@aol.com? 

Thank you, Dearie!

REFUNDS: For those of you who overpaid, I am sending refunds now...please bear with me while I figure out how to do so!

TUESDAY TO DO LIST:

Make needleminders:

Stitch:

So here we are on an Autumn Tuesday, Dearies! It is a bit drizzly here in Hoosierville today, so as soon as I have dispatched the second cup of damn good and completed a few little chores, I am going to get to it.

Thank you for the needleminder orders! The packaging arrived yesterday, and I am hoping for the Stewey stickers on Friday, so I should be able to hold to my deadline of a Saturday ship date. I have really enjoyed tinkering with these silly little hearts, and hope to continue to make them going forward.

On the stitchy front, I broke down and started something new on Sunday. I really enjoyed those first few  stitches, so we'll see if that doesn't get me back into the swing of things toot sweet!

If you ordered a t-shirt from the second batch, they are en route, but probably not packaged and/or labeled as nicely as I would have preferred. Magoo (*) did me a favor yesterday while I was doing my d-chair thing, and I'm pretty sure there were no pretty pieces of tissue or thank you stickers involved whatsoever.

Forgive me?

(*) The Jersey Boy has officially been christened "Magoo". I love the guy, I really do, but are ALL men this oblivious? Between the poor eyesight, the propensity for getting lost, and the habit of getting distracted by something shiny...oey. He thinks I hold his arm for support when we go places, but it's really to keep him from wandering into traffic. 😳

Well, I suppose that's enough kibbutzing for today...I better get to work!  

I hope your week is off to a swell start and that you are getting to do all the things that blow your skirt up. If you get a chance, come tell us all about it!

NEEDLEMINDERS FOR SALE!

Well, here we are...the first official round of half-assed but sincere needleminders from Yours Truly! Here are all of the details:

COFFEE CUPS:

approximately 1.5in high

$5 each plus shipping

1-red  2-orange  3-pink  4-purple  5-blue  6-brown  7-green  8-yellow  9-magenta

WITCHY BOOTS:

approx 1.5in square

$10 each plus shipping

DOT PAINTED HEARTS

approximately 1.5 in wide

$12 plus shipping

Shipping charges:

$3 for US

$7 for Europe, UK, and Canada

Please email me for other destinations.

These needleminders are hand made by me and not perfect.

All proceeds from the sale will go toward my IU transplant fund.

The sale will be open until noon on Friday, September 28.

Needleminders will be packaged and shipped on Saturday, September 29.

You will receive a small Stewey minder free with each purchase.

This is Round One....more styles coming in Round Two.

Payments may be made via PayPal or personal check.

PayPal:  PayPal.Me/spinsterstitcher

Personal checks: Coni J Rich, 244 Toscana Blvd, Granger IN, 46530

If you pay via check, please send me an email with your order details.

For all orders, please indicate your style and color preference (if you have one). For example: heart #6, or boots #4, or cup #3 etc.

Please make sure to provide me with your mailing address!

Round Two will include more cups, hearts, and a huge Stewey minder!

Thank you for your support!

IN WHICH BUZZY BEHAVES HIMSELF VERY NICELY INDEED

I'm in the chair and running smoothly so far, knock wood. Buzzy is bruised and sore, but a real trooper today, and he and Beepy are doing their thing.

A cool front is moving through this afternoon, so hopefuuly by the time I'm finished it will be in the 60's here in Hoosierville rather than the dreaded 80's. If all goes according to plan, I hope to be on the golf course tomorrow afternoon...right after I complete my chores.

Needleminders should be posted on this here blog tomorrow...please stay tuned! I think the first batch will be worthy of consideration, but I beg you to be gentle with me. They are made with lots of love, but not much talent.

Stewey needleminders will be delayed a bit, since I was not able to figure out how to print his little picture. But, thanks to the Etsy, I think I have found a solution and should have those soon.

Damn good mug samples should be here today, along with the mailing box. Then...once I have taken it to the postalpeoples for pricing on shipping, I should be able to get those posted too!

I really need to get my stitchy act together, Dearies. I don't think I've had needle and thread in hand in over a week, and we all know what happens when I am sans stitchy time. A non-stitchy spinster is a cranky spinster, and nobody needs a cranky spinster in their world!

I think that's it for today....other than the fact that I am STILL thinking about that darn sandwich. Methinks we might need to put those on the menu, for certain!

Come tell us all about your adventures both great and small, and have a wonderful Friday!

OH, MY GOODNESS, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?

I've just had the most delicious thing for dinner, and even though I ate it two hours ago and have since cleaned up the kitchen, taken a bath, and read the paper, I can't stop thinking about it.

Pepper and egg.

More specifically, a pepper, onion, egg and provolone sandwich on Atlantic City Italian bread.

Jersey Boy/Mr.Spinster/Magoo called it a poor man's cheesesteak, and he told me that this was his favorite sandwich from the White House sandwich shop in AC when he was growing up as a kid because you could get it and a soda pop for sixty cents.

Sautee onion and green pepper until both are soft and a bit carmelized. Add beaten eggs and combine all together until the egg is cooked, add provolone cheese on top to melt a bit and then put it all in a delicious sub type roll, and viola'...a pepper and egg.

I wanted to hate it, I really did. 

But it was wonderfully delicious and all within my kidney diet. Eggs and cheese are good protein, the veggies are both on the approved list, and the bread (although a carb) is OK because it is not mulit-grain.

That's it for my culinary adventures tonight, Dearies. I am going to call it an early night and head back to bed now, since all of the good meds have worn off and Buzzy is screaming.

See you on the flip side!

IT'S OFF TO BED WE GO...

I'm home from surgery on Buzzy...a little worse for wear, but happily in pajamas and ready to hit the big girl sleigh bed for a lovely Fentanil and Versid assisted nap.  I feel fine, but I know that the numby stuff hasn't worn off yet and when it does I might not be quite so happy, but it's nothing an ice pack and a few Tylenol can't fix.

Tomorrow's treatment should be good once they get the needles in, since the pathway has been roto-rootered quite nicely and my flow has been restored to full strength.

Amazing how, as with all things in life, it all boils down to good plumbing.

Thank you for your notes, Dearies. I hope your Thursday has been swell!

IN WHICH MY NEPHEW BOSCO TURNS THIRTEEN

Today is a great day.

Bosco Oliver Willowswamp His Very Self turns thirteen years old today.

He was born on September 20, 2005 at Willowswamp Farm in Ligonier, Indiana to Mr. Catfish Hunter Willowswamp and Mrs. Twiggy Willowswamp. He was an only child and was taken, along with his mother, into the lovely little log cabin style home occupied by the humans of Willowswamp Farm. His favorite pastime as a baby was to lounge under a heatlamp and play with squeezy toys in his playpen.

In December of 2005, he traveled to his forever home in Mishawaka, Indiana with his new person and soon to be Mom...my sister.

He was always a funny, playful, curious, smart little guy, and over the years he developed quite a special bond with Yours Truly...his Aunt CJ.

(With Stewey, however, the relationship was much slower to develop. Bosco loved to body check Stewey off of his perch. Stewey liked to growl at Bosco in an attempt to civilize him.)

Today, Bosco lives with his Mom and visits Aunt CJ whenever the Bat Signal is deployed. This arrangement was made between the two of us during very turbulent times, and we promised to be there for one another whenever the need arose. 

Happy Birthday, dear little Bosco. You are very very loved and I hope you have a wonderful day.

FUTZUS INTERRUPTUS...

I got up this morning at the crack 'o dawn, exercised, ate a healthy breakfast, packed my bag, and went to dialysis like a model citizen.

(Spinster translation: I woke up late, stumbled into the shower, slurped down a cup of damn good and then went kicking and screaming the whole way.)

My normal tech, Lorie, was absent today...out taking a test or something similarly stupid for certification, so I was under the care of Nurse Wendy.  The Big Big Boss.

(Nurse Jamie is the Big Boss.  Nurse Wendy is the Big Big Boss.)

(All of the other nurses are just Bosses..Boss Eva, Boss Shawn, Regular Boss Wendy (as opposed to Big Big Boss Wendy).

But I regress.

Normally, Lorie is able to get the needles inserted with only a small amount of pain and we chat delightfully as she does so.

(Spinster translation: I pretty much see stars, jump out of the chair, and mutter "Mother of Pearl, Fudge, and Fiddlesticks" under my breath and I give Lorie suggestions as to what activities she can engage in by herself later on.)

(Don't worry.  I always apologize after. I might curse her like a drunken sailor, but I apologize like a freakin lady.)

Today, though, Big Big Boss Nurse Wendy could not get me stuck properly...not for love or money. She tried and tried and tried, and when that proved unsuccessful, she called in reinforcements. 

That didn't work either.

Seems to me that Buzzy decided to run for the hills, and to make matters worse, it feels like nerves were involved in the melee'. My poor arm and hand feel as though they have been plugged into a hot light socket, so here I sit with an ice pack and an appointment to see the surgeon tomorrow morning at 10.

Frickety frack.

So no dialysis for me today. Instead, methinks I will play with needleminders a bit more and see if I can add to the inventory. I think I will have three different minders for offer...small one inch square photos of Stewey, coffee cups, and dot painted hearts.  I am thinking that the Stewey photos will be free with purchase, since I just feel somehow very funny charging for his picture.

(Spinster translation: Who in their right mind would want to pay for these stupid things in the first place, and why couldn't I have learned how to make stuff that doesn't look like it came from the reject bin of a factory powered entirely by one-armed blind crazy ferrets, and when am I ever going to learn that you just can't come up with some facockta idea on the fly and then expect it to work?)

Again with the regressing...

Happy Futzingday, Dearies! I hope that your corner of the world is perfectly swell today! Come tell me all about it!

THEY REALLY SHOULD MAKE PILLS FOR THIS...

It'll be fun...she said.  It'll be relaxing and a delightful way to spend a Tuesday.

Delightful? 

Nope.

More like Little Kidney Shoppe of Horrors.

I have an idea in my head of what I want these to look like, but I am far from realizing it. I have to keep reminding myself that you all know and love/tolerate me, so it's not the complete and total end of the universe if these are not perfect.

Right?

TUESDAY...TUESDAY

The view from the Happy Chair is quiet and peaceful so far, but the day has just begun. I will have my treatment hangover for another hour or so, and then there's no telling where the day will take us!

It must be the change of season, because I have projects swirling about inside my tiny little brain. Things I am playing with currently, things I want to play with, and things I don't even know HOW to play with are dancing about and giving me inspiration and joy.

Stewey always said it, but I really am quite simple-minded. Just the thought of threads and fabrics and gadgets and beads and magnets and....can keep me occupied for hours on end. This is a great thing to be when you're a homebody, right? I can sit here and have wonderful times and great days without having to get out if my pajamas!

I added another coat of the ModPodge to the heart needleminders and let it dry overnight.

Unfortunately, I think the problem persists:

I remain, however, undaunted, and will continue to work in my laboratory today to see if I can find a solution:

I imagine that it is as simple as giving up on the idea of a glass-like surface and just being happy with the regular shine and seal of a different formula of the stuff.  We shall see.

We're off like a herd of turtles on this lovely Tuesday, Dearies! I'm going to grab a second cup of damn good and will be on my way!

I hope that your corner of the world is wonderfully swell today! Come tell us all about it!

MONDAY, MONDAY...IN WHICH WE PONDER

I am in the d-chair and determined to solve a craft problem.

What could possibly go wrong?

My dot painted heart needleminders are giving me fits because the resin stuff I used looked fabulous until I added the magnets. Then, instead of the surface being clear and smooth and glossy and glass like...it wrinkled.

I used ModPodge dimension something. It came out of the bottle super think and took forever to dry, but I liked the finish it gave.

Hmmmmm...loooks like today will be a YouTube day instead of a Flosstube day. 

Stay tuned, Dearies! I'm like a dog with a bone and am determined to crack this one. If I don't, these darn things really will be half-assed but sincere!

Happy Monday! Do something fabulous and come tell me all about it!

YE OLDE KIDNEY SHOPPE UPDATE ON A SUNDAY NIGHT

SPINSTER STITCHER 10 YEAR T-SHIRT

The good news is that I have 19 additional t-shirts for sale for anyone interested. 

The bad news is that there has been a price increase from the initial run. I'm sorry for this, but the factory raised the price significantly, and I do not have enough margin built in to absorb the extra cost. These shirts were overruns from the first order, and they are willing to sell them to me for the new price, even though the quantity does not meet the minimum. What doesn't sell will go back to them for God knows what.

Sizes small through extra large are $25.

Size 2XL is $26.

Sizes 3XL and 4XL are $30.

Here is what I have availavle...first come, first served, please:

SMALL: 1 yellow, 1 pink, 1 light blue

MEDIUM: 1 yellow, 1 pink, 1 light blue

LARGE: 1pink, 1 light blue

XL: 1 yellow, 1 pink

2XL: 1 yellow, 1 pink, 1 light blue

3XL: 1 yellow, 1 pink, 1 light blue, 1 white

4XL: 1 yellow, 1 pink

These prices include shipping and handling in the US.

For Dearies outside the US, I will be happy to calculate the exact shipping charges for you before payment if you provide me with your mailing address.

Payment may be made via PayPal to paypal.me/spinsterstitcher or via check to my mailing address: Coni J Rich, 244 Toscana Blvd.; Granger, IN 46530.  

Please make sure to include your complete mailing address, quantity, color, and size preference so I can pull the shirt(s) for you from this small inventory.

I am hoping to do another run or another t-shirt design in the future...stay tuned for that!

DAMN GOOD COFFEE MUGS

For those of you dying to order...here is a picture of the official Spinster Stitcher Damn Good coffee mug:

This is a 16oz ceramic mug with a silicone base. It will be imprinted on one side with simple script...and it will say "damn good". I don't have pricing for you yet, because the darn thing is bloody expensive to ship (as are all mugs), but I should be able to start taking orders for them in the next day or two.  By then the sample should be here and I will be able to have the postalpeoples tell me exactly how much it will cost to get it to you.

SPINSTER STITCHER HALF-ASSED BUT SINCERE NEEDLEMINDERS

I think I will have several different options for you. I will definitely have the coffee cups and little pictures of Stewey and dot painted hearts. I am going to be making these in the coming days like a crazy person, so stay tuned for these also!

WHAT'S THE NEXT CAR ON THE CRAZY TRAIN, YOU ASK?

OK...so now it's your turn. What should be the next item? For those of you just joining us, I am selling imprinted stitchy things in an effort to sock away as much money as I can for a trip to Indiana University for a kidney transplant...thus the name of my virtual shop. I am thinking that it's time for a tote bag and blanket.

What say you, Dearies?

Thank you for undetstanding my joy over making needleminders, Dearies! It really does confirm that we are a special breed, because when I proudly showed them to Jersey Boy he looked at them for an exact split second, mumbled something vaguely positive, then went back to watching the soccer game on the TeeVee.

Never fear, though, because this adventure has just begun. I am making a hard press to get more items sourced and made and available as fast as I can. I told SOMEBODY that they better get me pricing and a picture of a damn good mug today or I'm going elsewhere.

😳

(What can I say?  I'm a ruthless businesswoman and know how to drive a hard bargain.)

(Actually...I'm not and I don't, but I would like to think that there is one small part of me that might be able to do this without bloodshed, swear words, or permanent consequesces lingering.)

So hopefully there will be t-shirts, damn good mugs, and needleminders coming your way very soon.  Stay tuned!

(Somebody asked me about the costs of a kidney transplant. I've never been told an exact figure, but I think it is somewhere in the neighborhood of $800 thousand. When you consider the fact that nine months of dialysis treatments have already cost twice that amount (Yes...you read that correctly. The latest statement from Fresenius that I saw was at $1.5 million), you can imagine why getting a transplant becomes not just a life saver, but a serious financial savings as well.)

Onward we go!

The sun is shining today, and temperatures are expected to be near 90 so I am getting chores done, having a bit of breakfast, and heading down to the pool for a little aqua therapy. I really need to up my exercise game, and for some reason swimming is the one thing I've been able to stick with.

Hopefully, there will be some stitchy time this afternoon. I saw a post on the Facebook about converting cross stitch patterns to canvas, and it got me thinking that I could kit up a few favorites like this for D-days.  

Happy Sunday! I hope yours is wonderfully swell and that you get to do things that blow your skirt up!  Come tell us all about it!

I MADE NEEDLEMINDERS!

I wanted to practice making needleminders so I can get some ready for the Kidney Shoppe.

This one is my favorite:

For the Kidney Shoppe, I was planning on 1in x 1in squares with one of three designs: a generic stitchy logo, my official Spinster Stitcher logo, and a photo of Stewey. Am I nuts, or do you think there is interest? I can also make dot painted hearts, but I think the cost of those would be a little more.

Speaking of cost...what do you think is a fair price for a needle minder?

OK...I'm bushed! After I got my mess cleaned up I headed to the pool for some exercise. Now I'm clean and sleepy and ready to call it a night!  

Ciao, Dearies!

SATURDAY SPINSTER BLISS...

A little craft day gone awry...

A festive autumnal tableau...

Notre Dame football on the TeeVee...

AAAAHHHHH...THAT'S BETTER

Yesterday's session went very well, and I made it all the way to the four hour mark before passing out.

(We have identified the problem, and my tech and I are going to fix it. My "dry weight" is set too low. This means that the machine is trying to pull off too much fluid and is causing my blood pressure to plummet...thus causing me to wake up on my head feeling silly that I can't manage to keep it together sitting in a damn chair, but being reassured that it's not my fault at all by the lovely group of concerned responders who are wtanding around my chair when I finally come to.)

(The Nurse Practitioner doesn't want to change the dry weight, because...well, I'm not sure exactly, but as long as my tech and I know where I tend to fall out, we can work around it.)

(My tech, by the way, is the one that saved a fellow patient's life recently when she realized that the dialyzer was causing an allergic reaction. The poor lady kept crashing and was being revived and rushed to the hospital, and my tech went back to one of her textbooks from training and figured out the problem.)

But I regress.

The best part of yesterday (besides not actually dying during my treatment), was discovering this: 

If I'm going to stitch in the d-chair, I need to stitch on canvas that is mounted on stretcher bars.

Period.

My lap stand is an Elan model and works perfectly with stretcher bars, but not as perfectly with q-snaps. I suspect that I could rig it in some way to play well with q-snaps (perhaps with some grippy shelf liner), but there is a better reason for sticking with canvas at treatment;

I can see the holes.

It's not exactly conducive to cart a day light with me, and although there is a light over my chair, I am afraid it will disturb my fellow patients. With fabric, I need that light to see the holes.  With canvas...the light coming through the window is just enough!

Besides...I have been hankering to do canvaswork again, so this scratches that itch very nicely! Now all I have to do is collect more pieces that fit within that general size of about 12 x 12 max, and I can go to town!

So that's the happy report for the day. I'm off to find a suitable breakfast (I think I'm going to try this no carb thing), and then I might venture to the pool before kick-off to get some exercise in. Then it's going to be all stitching all the time around these here parts, with a little grilled chicken thrown in for good measure!

Happy Saturday to one and all. If you were visited by the hurricane (or any other recent calamity), I hope that you are safe and dry and well today.  Come tell us all about it...

IN WHICH WE ARE...DETERMINED

THURSDAY, THURSDAY

Today is the day.

As soon as I finish my second cup of damn good and take a hot scrubby shower, I am going to plop myself into the middle of that mess and clean it up.

I haven't been sleeping well the last few nights, so instead of dreaming away in the big girl sleigh bed I find myself dreaming away in the cube room studio instead. This involves a lot of pawing and fishing through things, and instead of putting them away in a tidy fashion, I end up making a mess.

Horrors.

CS2 is tarted up for Fall, and I think I managed to re-create the Big White Wall of Nothingness well enough to make it festive:

And from the opposite direction:

I'd show you the dining room table tableau, but it is decidedly askew today because SOMEBODY decided to put his crap all over the table instead of all over his office.

But I digress...

No stitching to report, but I did make two needle minders in an effort to learn how to do so. I am determined to get a Spinster Stitcher/Stewey/damn good one made and up for sale in the Kidney Shoppe, but for the life of me, I can't figure out how. Never fear, though. I am stubborn as a bull, remember?

Here's the first attempt:

Tips are always appreciated, and I promise not to share any trade secrets!

I got a call from IU yesterday. The transplant surgeon will be here in November to check in with me, so I need to get serious about these last few pounds.  I'm still pretty far down on the list and looking at another five to seven years of dialysis, but when your transplant surgeon tells you he wants you to weigh X...you weigh X.

Goodbye, cheesesteak...hello broiled fish!

So that's it for today, Dearies! I hope your corner of the world is swell. If you are in the path of Flo (or anything else, for that matter), please be safe and well and know we are all praying for you!

Ciao, for now!

AND THEN IT WAS MONDAY...

My view today is not of the fountain or the usual Esther Williamsesque waterfowl pageantry, but that's OK. Buzzy is hooked up to Beepy and cousin Midge is doing her blood pressure measuring thing, so all is well in Hoosierville.

I think Fall is finally upon us, Dearies, since I slept with the windows wide open and woke up in the middle of the night to fetch a cozier blanket from my linen closet.  

Ahhhhhhhh, cool crisp air that makes me want to buy school supplies!

No stitching to report, I'm afraid. I had hoped to remedy that here in the chair today, but forgot to stash a project in my bag. I need to get my act together and assemble a few small kits for here and when I'm  not in the Happy Chair, but I keep forgetting to do so. Maybe Christmas ornaments? 

What happened to the hyper-organized nutball that used to plan her planning, organize her organizing, and list her lists? When did I become so delightfully easy and spontaneous and kay-sir-ah-sir-ah?

(She asks with just a hint of sarcasm...but only a hint, because it is one trait I never mastered. Irony, wit, self-deprecation I've got in spades. But sarcasm? Not so much.)

I think that's about all for today. I'm thinking that it might be time for a blanket and some Flosstube!

What's new with you?

It's 7:47.

PM.

7:47 on Sunday night and I am still exhausted, still in my Happy Chair, and still  hungover (*) from yesterday. Every square inch of me hurts and is worn out. My head and eyes are heavy, my legs are crampy, and I'm not sure if my poor tired little brain will ever recover.

But you know what, Dearies?

I can't wait to do it again!

Highlights of the day are too extensive to remember/mention, but I made great strides in the remembering who I am department. My copious tears were all happy ones. Jersey Boy surprised me with a few of his own, but considering they were the first I've seen from him in twenty eight years, I'll keep the cause of them private.

Our tailgate party was wonderful, and Rich's friends went above and beyond with the food and hospitality.  Our neighbor in the tailgate lot was visiting from Long Island,  and as we chatted I learned that his son Kevin is a Freshman and a remarkable young man. Soon, Kevin himself joined us, and I got to hear all about life as a student and how it is the same and yet very different from my time on campus.  This kid was heavily recruited to come here and was in the top 1% of the applicant pool, and I can honestly say I don't remember when I have been so impressed by a person that age.

Godspeed, dear Kevin.  I hope your time here is blessed and the beginning of an extraordinary life for you!

My walk to the stadium was just about ready to end in complete surrender when Rich spid a guy driving a golf cart and flagged him down. Turns out, the guy is one of the Regional Directors of Development and was probably on his way to gather VIP's from the private tailgating tents and drive them to their seats, but do you know what that guy did? He invited us to hop in,  introduced himself, and then drove us through the crowd right up to our gate.

This angel's name is Marty Harshman, and I can tell you that his simple act of kindness and compassion meant so much to me. I am a complete nobody at Notre Dame, and given my current level of success in life, they would probably wish I would stop advertising that I went there...but Marty treated me with such dignity and respect that I forgot all of that for a minute and remembered why I love the place so darn much.

Thank you, Marty. You really exemplified what's best about our university.

The highlight, though, had to be when the Notre Dame hockey team was honored, and their little friend Rudy ran out on the field to join them. Rudy is six years old and is battling cancer, and the team has adopted him and made him an honorary member of the team. As God is my witness, there was not one person with a single dry eye when that little kid got lifted up onto their shoulders and 80,000 people chanted "Ru-dy...Ru-dy."

Jimminy Crickets.

On the TMI side of things, I discovered a very happy side effect of dialysis. I did not have to use the restroom one time in the thirteen hours I was away from home. No porta-potty or treck down a thousand steps in the stadium for me!

I'm off to bed now. My body and mind need a nice long rest before the week begins!

I hope your weekend was swell and that your heart is as full as mine is tonight! Come tell me all about it!

(*) It's not an alcohol hangover. I don't imbibe (and make no judgements of those who do). It's a physical, mental, and emotional hangover. 

(**) My food hangovers usually happen sometime around Christmas and Easter, when I eat my considerable body weight in Honeybaked Ham, but this one, sadly, had no ham involved whatsoever.