AND THEN...SIX MONTHS LATER...SHE SOARS ON GRATEFUL WINGS

 

LET THE SPINSTERING BEGIN!

 

YUP.

 

SATURDAY SPINSTER TOOTSIE BLISS

I just returned from the salon, and the lovely ministrations of Miss Jenny. She does my toes for me since I'm not yet quite able to manage them on my own. Bending and twisting makes for a very sore tummy scar. No bueno.

These are the nail wraps that I played with last night. Lily & Fox wraps called Paint My Petals.

Now it's time to snuggle in with my Bower Birds. I'm determined to get it finished soon!

Happy Saturday, Dearies! Do something fun and come tell me all about it!

 

RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU SAW THAT COMING.

Yesterday was just not at all pretty, Dearies. My Sunday activity/frenzy laid me completely f.l.a.t. and miserable. Everything hurt, I couldn't get myself out of bed, and all I wanted to do was sleep.

So I did.

In what might be a first, Yours Truly actually listened to her body and gave it a lovely, long rest. The biggest accomplishment is that I didn't feel one bit bad about it, and I stayed home in my pajamas without guilt.

Today, I am back on track and getting ready to return to the gym for a slow walk on the treadmill followed by a nice long soak in the therapy pool. 

I've had quite a few notes from Dearies worried about me left to my own devices at a gym. The one that I've joined is owned and operated by one of our hospital systems and offers several wonderful programs specifically for medical recovery, therapy, etc. I will have a complete evaluation on April 8th, and will then take classes geared toward strength and balance, flexibility, etc.

Until then, I am being super careful to walk slowly on the treadmill for my bones and heart, and move about in the therapy pool for my muscles...so all is well, Dearies. All is well.

I did stitch last night while watching my Lady Irish advance in the basketball tournament. (Sadly, my boys weren't so lucky, and lost to Texas Tech in a valiant effort.)

Here's the progress:

I hope your day is wonderful, and that you get to do whatever it is you want to do! Come tell me all about it!

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?

I woke up this morning thinking I would stay in pajamas and stitch all day.

Nope.

First, I stripped the bed, washed all of the "Winter" bedding, washed a set of sheets that I found at the top of the linen closet in their original package from when I moved here five years ago (😳), re-made the bed with "Spring" bedding, re-potted succulents, made a grocery order, and then...in what can only be described as an act of sheer lunacy...emptied the entire contents of the bathroom cupboard, culled it, cleaned it, and re-organized it to within an inch of its life, packed my gym bag for the morning, wrote a to do list for next week, and washed the bathroom rugs.

Jiminy.

Crickets.

So now I'm sitting here at 7:34 pm waiting to watch the Notre Dame basketball game with what is most assuredly a headache due to overwork.

Damnit, Gumby.

Oh...and then...just because I wasn't tired enough...I organized my needle minders:

Happy Sunday, Dearies! I really hope your day was restful, stitchy, and exactly as you wanted it to be!

EVERY WEEKEND...FOR UKRAINE

 

HOLEY, SCHMOLEY....

Well, well, well,

So THIS is what it's like to be a normally functioning human.

First up was labwork, then a visit to the gym downtown for a mile walk on the treadmill, then out to breakfast at a wonderful downtown restaurant:

Then home to take the cardboard out to the recycling, then to Starbucks for a cold brew fix, then back home to change clothes, and now I'm off to meet my new family physician, Dr Campbell.

(She went to St Mary's and IU Medical School, so she's practically family.)

(St Mary's is the all-female college across the street from Notre Dame, and where I'm prettysure my mom wanted me to go, but knew I'd pick Notre Dame because Dad went there, and despite that fact she knew it would overwhelm me,which it did. So there. Forever and ever. Amen.)

So Happy Friday, Deariex!

I'm off like a herd of turtles.

LUCK OF MY IRISH

At the end of regulation, the score was tied 69/69:

At the end of the first overtime, the score was tied 79/79:

And then, with less that a second left, and a few minutes into St Patrick's Day (in other words, just after the stroke of midnight), my boys won the game:

Coach Brey said he was looking forward to some Irish Whiskey on the charter plane to the next game. I hope he shared it with the team....they definitely deserved it!

WHAT DAY IS IT?

Well, as usual, Dearies, your hapless Spinster has gone from zero to sixty in two and a half seconds.

Me and moderation? 

Not so much.

Last week, I was awake approximately fifteen minutes a day, never left the apartment, and wore pajamas (different sets) 24/7.

This week?

In addition to joining the gym and then actually going each day, I have labwork, two appointments with two different doctors, a haircut and pedicure, and about a billion and a half little chores to do here at CS2.

I'm pretty sure that Sunday is going to be a bed coffee and not much else day.

I've just finished breakfast (a banana, yogurt, and half a scone) and soon will be off to hit the treadmill. When I get home, I desperately need to flip my closet from cold weather clothes to warm, since it looks like it will be near 70 for a few days here.

(Never fear....I will definitely keep a few sweatshirts out, since I'm pretty sure the minute I find my shorts and swimming things it'll snow again.)

I moved the q-snaps on Bower Birds and have two more rows of the alphabet, the top flowers, and the border to go. I really want to get this one finished so I can start Heart in Hand's Coffee Bird, which is on its way to me from Miss Linda at the House of Stitches!

So that's it for me today. I hope you are well and happy and...all the things! Come tell me all about it!

THE IDES? THEY WEREN'T SO BAD.

Today was pool day at the gym. First, a few laps in the swimming pool, then a few walking laps in the therapy pool, and then a few minutes in the whirlpool. 

All together I got a good forty minutes of moving. I realize it wasn't weight bearing, which I need to get for my bones, but it felt great to move and stretch and get my heart beating pretty good.

Tomorrow will be back to the treadmill for slow walking, which will be the Mon-Wed-Fri routine and the water activities will be on Tue-Thur. I can't take official classes until April (because this session is full), but I hope to add a few in there...stretch and balance, yoga, pilates, water aerobics, etc.

Time for bed, I think. Nightmares kept me awake almost all night last night, so I'm tired!

I hope your Tuesday was as you hoped it would be! What's new in your corner of the world?

DAY ONE

 

A very tired turtle could have passed me twice, given my pace, but you know what? I got up, put my shoes and socks on, joined the fitness place, and walked.

Tomorrow...the therapy pool!

OK...BRACE YOURSELVES, DEARIES

Your hapless Spinster went to a concert last night.

Yes...you read that correctly. I donned actual outside clothing and left the cozy confines of CS2 for a ROCKIN' Saturday night out.

(Pause for reaction).

The first stop was 4:00 Mass in the Basilica's Crypt. Sadly, I did not make it past the second reading, because I was having more issues than Vogue and needed to flee to the powder room. Instead of returning to the services, I made my way to the car and took some deep cleansing breaths and then tried to analyze just what the heck is wrong with me.

(I'm honestly hoping it was a stomach bug and not a complete agoraphobic breakdown. It honestly felt like a panic attack combined with a case of the uh-ohs, but cold fresh air seemed to help.)

(Either way, Rich is convinced I'm just crazy.)

Then we drove over to LaPorte, Indiana (home of House of Stitches), and we met both old and new friends for a fantastic dinner at a restaurant called Portofino.

And then...it was off to the LaPorte Civic Auditorium for Marakesh Express...a Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young tribute band.

Most of the music might have been a little before my time, but I recognized almost every single song, and I tapped my feet right along with the rest of the crowd.

The venue itself is, quite possibly, one of the most beautiful auditoria I've ever seen, and despite its age of 100+ years, it is in absolutely perfect condition. The sound quality and our seats (at a big table on the floor thanks to our hosts and friends Mike and Cherly) were just wonderful, and I can't wait to go again!

Rich knew every word to every song, and had a great time!

Admittedly, after making it home and moving the clocks an hour forward to almost 2am,  I am completely worn out today and didn't make it out of the big girl sleigh bed until well after noon. But, it was definitely worth it!

So, that's the happy report from Spinsterville today! I'm going to get the newspapers read and get back to stitching my Bower Birds!

Hope your Sunday is exactly what you need it to be, Dearies! Come tell me all about it!

IN WHICH OUR SPINSTER IS CONVINCED IT IS SATURDAY, BUT ALAS, IT IS NOT

I am having the Saturdayest Friday ever, Dearies. I took Rich to the eye doctor yesterday, and then we stopped at the restaurant across the  parking lot from CS2 for dinner. 

Villa Macri is huge! There is a sports theater room, a private dining room, a patio, a martini bar, and a big round room. They also have an upstairs private room and a wine room in the basement.

(If I ever get my act together and plan a retreat, I think we might have to go there.)

 

Today, I'm a bit bleary, so I'm situated with the paper, a nice cold Vitamin water, and my stitching.

And yes, I couldn't leave well enough alone. I just had to make those birds red. I'm missing seeing the cardinals in the back yard, so decided that these two little guys would have to suffice.

I'm going to wash towels and bedding today and not much else. I suspect that I'll get twitchy later this afternoon thinking that I have to get ready for Mass, but I'll figure it out and will probably do my nails instead.

What's on your agenda for the day, Dearies? Come tell me all about it!

FUTZINGDAY SHENANAGINS

 

Well, let's see. I've been sleeping, cooking, eating, laundry-ing, bill-paying, and generally vegging for about three days now. All in all, not a bad way to spend one's time, no?

Dearies...you have asked me lots of questions in the comments, but for some reason I am unable to post responses to them. Three in particular stick in my head, so I'll answer them here:

My round bed coffee tray comes from Target. I have a small one and a larger one and love them both. With the proliferation of charcuterie trays (or, as I prefer to call them...cheese and crackers snack plates), they are readily available for good prices.

Betty is the name that I've given to my hater(s). I regularly get awful emails that point out every single thing that's wrong with me, shames every choice I make, berates me for talking about anything other than stitching, and wishes that I would just shut up already and crawl back under the rock from whence I came. I used to be completely gutted by these little gems, but now I kinda' get a kick out of just how much I can peeve somebody off by just being me.

The silly nail wraps are from a company called Lily&Fox and you can buy them online on their website, which is www.lilyandfox.com . I have also purchased them from Beyond Polish (also on the web), but they are a dollar and fifty cents more there, and I am, after all, a Spinster on a budget.

I really am sorry that I can't seem to figure out how to respond to each and every one of your comments, and I do hope you will continue to post them. If I've missed your question, please please please send it again, and I'll try to get an answer for you!

Happy Futzingday, Dearies! Do something fun and come tell me all about it!

SUNDAY FANCYPANTS NAIL DAY

Today's nails are called "Lipstick Daisies". The bottom picture shows the way I use the back of the sticker as a handle for application. I know Betty hates these posts and thinks I'm too old for this sort of thing, but she can sit on it, Howard. This is the most fun I've ever had with three dollars in a long time!

Speaking of three dollars...have you ever had a Sumo orange? I saw an add for them and tossed a few in the basket at Trader Joes on Friday, but didn't realize the darn things were $2.69 each! Talk about sticker shock!

All I can sat to this is two words...WORTH IT! Quite possibly the very best orange I've ever had in my life, and an absolutely perfect dessert after chicken wings last night!

Happy Sunday, Dearies!

BASKETBALLS AND BLESSINGS AND HOOTERS...OH, MY!

First, we went to the basketball game:

 

(Notre Dame beat Pitt by quite a lot, and it was Senior day...so we got to see the boys walk out one final time with their families.) 

(Yes. I was all teary.)

Then we went to 5:00 Mass in the Basilica, and afterwards...right there in front of that gorgeous church, at sunset, on a 70 degree day with a beautiful breeze...a priest laid his hands on my head and gave me a blessing for recovery, my donor, and that I will live a good life worthy of this incredible gift.)

(This time I think Rich was the teary one.)

And then we stopped at the Hooters for dinner (because there was a two hour wait every place else), and I got sassy and ordered a non-alcoholic beer. I was never a big beer drinker (or any kind of drinker, actually) before, but something about an ice cold beer and chicken wings sounded good to me.

(I was right...delicious!)

Tomorrow is Sunday, and I'm not getting out of pajamas or doing one single thing other than stitch and slurp damn good! I have a stack of papers and magazines to read, so it might be a bed coffee all day long!

Happy Saturday, Dearies! I hope your weekend has been as fun as mine! Come tell me all about it.

SCENES FROM A FRIDAY NIGHT....

 

FRIDAY

 

I'm making progress...slowly, but surely Dearies! If the day goes as planned, I will have several hours this afternoon to stitch while the laundry sploshes. 

First, though, there's breakfast out this morning while the Cottage Care crew scrubs and buffs and polishes and disinfects the entirety of CS2, and then a nice evening out with my JB to a Notre Dame hockey game.

The weekend is upon us! I hope yours is filled with good things. Come tell me all about it!

TESTING 1-2-3