IN WHICH THE SPINSTER CELEBRATES TINY HAPPY THINGS

I'm a person who has a TON of big fat huge miraculous things to celebrate...and I do...every single night when I put my head on my Target clearance bin pillow and thank BG (*) for all of the gifts, blessings, and miracles of my life.

But my day-to-day life is also filled with thousands of small things...not life-changing or earth-shattering, mind you, but nonetheless important to me and how I enjoy my life.

Like finally finishing the anti-biotic, and being able to do so with purified ice and water from my favorite amazon sippy cup:

Or starting a new book about people who love books, and being a big fat beautiful bird away from finishing a project that has brought me stitchy joy:

Or finally figuring out that if I eat yogurt for breakfast it's good for my gut, bones, heart, BellyBean, etc and that it will lead to a 40 pound weight loss that puts me almost lower than my post-transplant weight:

And loving the fact that a stitchy friend who sent me an amazon gift card is with me every day when I look up and see the beautiful little tree that her gift enabled:

Is this the wisdom of age, Dearies? Or am I finally able to enjoy the smaller (though no less significant) things that make this here life of mine so wonderful? Sometimes I think I get so gobsmacked by the fact that I received a kidney transplant, or was blessed with support that enabled me to start a new life in a new home, or that I survived a surgery and recovery that should have killed me...and then I wake up to an emptied dishwasher (thank you, JB) and a big huge cup of damn good that I can taste again now that this cold/flu/plague has finally started to lift.

So today I'm going to enjoy my little things a bit before plunging in to chores and to-dos. Rich is doing his thing over on campus. (Can I just say that he looks so damn handsome with his new smile and his nice blue blazer and that head of beautiful hair?), and then I think it will be time for spaghetti or salmon for dinner. Slow and simple...but...happy.

Futzingday is upon us! How will you spend your hours and minutes today? I hope it will involve doing something fun and that you'll come tell me all about it!

(*) BG = Big Guy

GO OUTSIDE, THEY SAID...FRESH AIR WILL BE GOOD FOR YOU

Phooey.

Last week I went out into the world like a normal adult and did various and sundry things.

This week I have a cold/flu/plague situation that is making me think I should probably re-watch the 1970's classic film "The Boy In The Plastic Bubble" to review important safety tips.

Why can't I a) just be like everybody else and b) be smart enough to WEAR A DAMN MASK whenever I leave the house?

Yup. 100% self-imposed, and I do not feel one bit sorry for myself that I am now sitting here wanting my mommy and a TV tray with chicken dumpling soup, saltines, and ginger ale next to me. I give myself no grace for thinking that I could spend 9 hours in an ER or go to umpteen medical facilities without catching SOMETHING from SOMEBODY.

Lesson learned. Your Spinster will forthwith be donning appropriate PPE and will be avoiding all crowds, labs, restrooms, and plague-ridden facilities for the immediate future.

Seriously, Dearies. No fever, GI symptoms, shortness of breath, pain, etc etc. Just a damn cold/cough that has me guzzling fluids, carefully administering doctor-approved Mucinex and Tylenol, and sleeping my butt off.

Stitching progress:

Wherever you are and whatever you're doing...I hope it's blowing your skirt right up! I'm going to settle in with a hot shower, fresh pajamas, and something good in the TeeVee this afternoon and hopefully finish my project!

What are you up to?

 

WEEKEND PLAN

 

THIS WHOLE LEAVING THE HOUSE THING IS FOR THE BIRDS...

If you've been my friend on this here blog for any length of time, you know that I am what you would call a "homebody". (Mental health professionals call it "agoraphobic", but....potAAAto, potAAAHHHto).

My Lima family (sissyfriend Denise and brotherfriend Jeff) were here for the Notre Dame football Spring game, and although I was unable to go to the actual game (too much walking, sitting on bleachers, and lack of fast access to a restroom), I still made it out to dinner on Saturday night and then brunch on Sunday.

Yesterday I visited with my Louie surgeon, Dr Thompson. I needed to follow up with him for an ER visit (Friday night I thought I had a simple UTI and went to Urgent Care, but because I'm me and can't do anything easy, so I was sent to the ER for extensive tests and CT scans.)

(No UTI, but evidence of inflammation near Louie that requires antibiotics for ten days.)

Today, I had an iron infusion at the "spa doctor" (*), and then I have to take Rich to the dentist for a check-up later this afternoon, and bright and early Friday morning I have to go get kidney labwork done.

Phooey.

That is more "outsiding" than I've done in calendar year 2026, and I need a smack in the head for scheduling this stuff all at once. Silly, silly Spinster. I thought that I would be perfectly capable of playing the part of a functional adult, with shoes, and a bra, and actual athleisure-wear that is not, in fact, Target clearance bin pajamas, but all I am at the moment is overwhelmed, exhausted, hungry, and wanting my blanket.

But...there are updates to be shared, so share I shall:

I'm making good progress on Robin Pickens Cross Stitch "Fanciful Flight" and am enjoying it very much! I'm using both fabric and threads from Colour & Cotton that I had in my stash, and am loving how it's coming together.

(*) The place where I go to get iron infusions is called Flourish and it looks like a very upscale hair salon on the outside, but is one of the most professionally run medical facilities I've ever been in on the inside.

The infusion rooms are lovely, private, and super comfortable. I'm only there for about an hour, but it's the most relaxing hour of the day!

That's it for now, Dearies! I need to give Rich his first sedative for the dentist (yes, Betty, I hide it in a piece of cheese, and yes, he has SEVERE medical anxiety and requires this help to even walk in the place...so zip it), and then it's time to put the bra back on and head out.

Happy Futzingday to one and all! What's on your menu for the day?

 

IN WHICH THE POOL OPENS AND THE SPINSTER CONTEMPLATES A SWIM

 

A LITTLE SUNDAY NIGHT PROGRESS

 

Don't ask what possessed me to stitch all of the green first....I didn't even realize I was doing it until it was done! After all these years of stitching, I think this is the first time I've ever done that?

Tomorrow is infusion day. My poor hemoglobin has not rebounded since surgery, so in I go for a (hopefully) big boost of iron!

Otherwise, quiet and still feeling a little "off", Dearies. Nothing to fret about, since I am fully aware that not being a bundle of joy and bubbles and giggly happiness all the time is perfectly OK, if not considerably tiresome for my JB to have to put up with. 

I hope you've had a wonderful weekend! What's new?

IN WHICH THE SPINSTER'S HEART OVERFLOWS ONCE AGAIN...

I am in perpetual awe at the sheer volume of happiness I feel because of the love and kindness of my Dearies. Thank you. Turning 60 was a milestone I never thought I'd see, but so far...so good.

I did have a lovely day. Rich and I ate the most delicious little cakes at the stroke of midnight...I think the Martin's (our local grocery store) called them Mississippi Mud Cakes, and boy oh boy were they delicious!

The next day I had a kidney check-in with my local doc, and then I came home and made a cold brew:

Opened an amazing box of beautiful things from my sister:

Played with the little case that I bought a few months ago, but swore it was my birthday gift to myself to justify the spendiness:

Fished through my WiPs:

And started a new project...Fanciful Flight from Robin Pickens:

So there you have it...a wonderful day enjoying the things I love and being so very grateful for all of them. You're at the top of the list, my dear and previous friends.

Thank you.

 

WAIT....HOW DID THAT HAPPEN SO FAST!

 

I can't seem to find the words today, Dearies.

So....how about the ones from when I turned 50? An awful lot has changed in 10 years, but one thing has remained the same.

I have a beautiful life.

💐

Here's the post from so long ago:

Today I am 50.

Wow.

Time sure flies when you're having this much fun.

If I've told you these stories before, forgive me, but they've been rattling around in my brain since the wee hours of the morning, and I guess they must be in there for a reason...

When my mom went into labor with me, my dad happened to be in San Francisco giving a speech.  The urban legend/family story has it that he was addressing the audience at a podium and someone passed him a note that said "Mr. Rich, your wife has gone into labor" and Dad looked out at the crowd, and said "Excuse me, please.  My wife is having a baby" and walked off the stage to a standing ovation.  (I'd like to think that this was my first).  Then he found the nearest telephone, called my mom and said "Don't do anything until I get there" and hung up. 

The second part of the urban legend/family story is that he made it back to Lima in time for my arrival, and after traveling all day and night, patiently waiting in the waiting room (as dads were wont to do in those days) and then kissing me on my tiny little head, he got in his Pontiac and drive to a plant nursery and bough a little flowering tree that he took home and planted in the front yard of 25 Beaumont Place.

I don't know if any of that is true or not, but when I finish this here blog post, I'm going to Google Earth 25 Beaumont Place in Lima, Ohio to see if my tree is still there.

The title of my post is courtesy of my Aunt JoAnn.  Every year (for as long as I can remember, anyway), my Aunt JoAnn calls and leaves a message on my answering machine that starts out with "It was the most beautiful day that Lima, Ohio had ever seen".  And then she tells me the story of how she was with my mom at the hospital and how she held her hand and told her to be brave, but not to embarrass anybody by crying.

I love those stories.

I guess, come to think about it, I love almost all of the stories of my life thus far.  Some have happier endings than others, true, and some have handsome princes and evil queens, but all in all I just don't have one darn thing to complain about.  I have been spectacularly blessed with incredible things and interesting challenges and wonderful opportunities and hilarious perspectives, and I don't think I would change one single solitary moment of one single solitary day.

Oh, what a ride it's been.  I can't wait to see what happens next!

So, my dear friends, I thank you from the bottom of my pitiful little heart for being such a huge part of this crazy life of mine and for making it so....lovely.  I'll leave you with the card that was attached to a beautiful vase of flowers that arrived as I was heading to the library.  They are from my dear dear friend, Lou, and I think it is the perfect example of why I walk around with a silly grin on my face....how did I get so lucky to have people like this in my life?

WOOHOOOOOOOO!

All Manner of Thing

Shepherd's Bush

32ct hand dyed linen

Weeks Dye Works Overdyed Threads

IN WHICH WE DISCOVER A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF "CLEAN"

So I did a thing.

Bolstered by your loving comments about my current state of schlump, I hauled my heiney out of the chair and decided to "clean the apartment".

If you've known me for any length of time, you know that my old standard for what constituted a properly kept house was the idea that a team of surgeons could, at any moment, enter said house and perform surgery on any surface without hesitation.

Even when Stewey was watering the drapes, I tried as best as I could to disinfect and swipe and scrub and brush, polish, and buff everything in my possession to within an inch of its proverbial life.

But now?

I came to the conclusion that if it's not dirty enough to kill me with some rare bacterium...it's good enough for now.

So instead of removing every item from every surface and dousing things in bleach and Lysol and any other crazy thing I fished out of the Targets...I grabbed a handful of paper towels, some Windex, and enough scrubbing bubbles to make it shine and smell nice, and I called it a day.

I pushed the vacuum around for a few minutes until I was tired, fluffed the bedding a bit, replaced the kitchen towels....and declared that I was officially tired, found my book and water, made a damn good cold brew, and returned to the chair.

You know what the funniest thing was at the end of the night as I settled in for sleep? I was as happy and satisfied with my seven minutes of half-a$$ed spiffing as I used to be after a two-day marathon.

So there.

Happy Weekend, Dearies! I, for one, am going to spend it stitching, reading, resting, and slurping. How about you?

ALMOST THERE!

 

A bottom border, a few backstitched details, itty bitty buttons and this one will be finished! It truly has been a joy to stitch, and I have promised myself to take this for proper framing and then proper hanging on a wall in the bedroom so I can enjoy it every day.

I confess to feeling decidedly not myself these last few days. I seem to have moved from unbridled happiness and gratitude to the edge of a big fat pity party, and I don't like it. At all. In addition to being miserable to be around when I'm feeling the feelings, I get hit square between the eyes with overwhelming guilt and shame that I could allow myself to go there.

But, contrary to the fantasy in my head, I am, after all, very human. And I suspect that a lot of the physical stuff I'm going through is starting to take a toll on me, and it's manifesting a return of the big black dog. 

I know that medication, weather, world events, and turning 60 next week are all adding fuel to this stupid little fire, so I will allow myself a tiny bit of grace for a minute and not get too bent out of shape over it, but still...it does kinda suck.

Enough of that. 

Showers to take and errands to run and things to do today, so I better get myself moving. I'd love to camp out under blankets today with stitching and a book, but alas...adulting must be done.

Happy Thursday, Dearies! How are things in your little corner of the world? Are you doing all the things and taking care of yourselves? Come tell me all about it!

HAPPY APRIL, DEARIES!

 

IN WHICH THE SPINSTER TAKES A WALK....SORT OF.

 

It took me longer to get my shoes on than it did to make it down the stairs and into the parking lot for a three and a half minute walk, but...

I did it....Slowly, and without my scooter contraption, but I put one foot in front of the other for three and a half minutes and felt the warm breeze on my face and probably looked like a mafia widow in my all black get-up with hat pulled low and glasses covering much of my head, but like my Jersey Boy said: "It's three and a half minutes more than you walked yesterday", so I'm feeling pretty happy at the moment.

Time for a damn good cold brew, a water refill, and a little reading time before stitching.

Cheers, Dearies! And Happy Monday to you!

PROGRESS

 

Hi, Dearies!

I put the final stitch in the upper motif last night, so now it's on to the big sheep hill and bottom border! I am just so in love with this piece, and have promised myself to have it framed rather than put it in the fuppy box.

Small setback due to some low hemoglobin, but all will be well as soon as I can get some iron. My kidney team is arranging an infusion, so I'm in good hands...nothing to fret about.

The sun is shining, the birds are tweeting sweetly, and I finally have laundry sploshing away in the contraption. I'll have my cold brew and a shower this afternoon, and will be good as new!

What's going on in your little corner of the world?

 

SNICKERS, HEATH BAR, OR BUTTERFINGER...OH MY!

 

SLOWLY...BUT GETTING THERE

 

OK, BETTY. I FINALLY TOOK THE DAMN CHRISTMAS TREE DOWN.

 

Here's an important safety tip if you happen to be seven weeks post major surgery. If you do something reckless like decide to sit on the floor, have a plan for getting back up before you do so.

(I'm slowly chipping away at my to do list, and today was the day I was determined to get the Christmas tree put back into its bag. Thanks to a lovely Dearie who gifted me an amazon gift certificate, I was able to find what I think is a pretty good replacement tree so that the corner won't look so naked.)

(Thank you again, Dearie!)

Down I went to unplug things and de-dust and generally tidy up, when it occurred to me that it was going to take a minor miracle or a major forklift to get me back up. I sat there for several minutes before I confessed to my JB that I might be stuck, but I suddenly remembered a video I saw on the YouTubes about this very thing, and before I knew it...I was safely and painlessly upright once again.

(Crisis averted.)

I am now happily under the blankets with Snoopy, and as soon as my afternoon damn good knocks the cobwebs away I'm going to try to stitch a bit before making dinner. 

Happy Friday that has felt like a Saturday to me all day! If you're having the same blustery weather we are, batten the hatches! 

FINALLY...ONE I CAN COMPLETE!

 

 

 

...especially with freshly laundered sheets and blankets and after a wonderful shower with all of the "good" soaps and shampoos!

SATURDAY PLAN

 

Good morning, Dearies.

Well, I had to give myself a stern talking-to this morning already. For the last several days I have been fretting myself into a snit over this and that, and I sat down to drink my damn good with a thousand little shouldlings buzzing around in my head.

"Enough!", I bellowed loud enough to scare the neighbors.

This is probably the one time in my life when it is absolutely positively certainly and without doubt OK for me to do nothing but R.E.S.T.  And instead of fully embracing that fact, I allowed that dastardly part of my tiny little brain a moment to pipe up with all of the crap he felt I should be doing instead.

(I really dislike that little bas$#@* and wish he'd go haunt somebody else's house for a while. Mine is all full-up with all of his colleagues that tell me I should be eating better or drinking more water or taking better care of my skin.)

Phooey on all of 'em, I say!

So I am going to sit here on my big fat heiney today and enjoy my new book, enjoy my Blessing Sampler, and enjoy the last season of The Crown that I have been bingeing, and everything else can just...wait. Critical things like the bathroom and kitchen are clean enough not to warrant plague, and one more night on flannel sheets isn't going to kill anybody. I have healthy things to eat and lots of water to drink (thanks to a dispensing gizmo that prevents me from having to lift the bottle onto the cooler), and my JB will call from NJ to check in later this afternoon, I'm sure.

I'm getting there, I promise. But, as many of you know, old habits die hard, and in my head I am still capable of having a Spinster Saturday...clean the house top to bottom, run a week's worth of errands, and then still have energy left over to dine and dance the night away. Forget the fact that I was 20 when I did that, and now I'm a month away from 60...that stuff is ingrained deep deep inside.

So, I hereby announce a new mode of Spinster Saturday! Stay in your jammies, drink damn good or your bevvie of choice with impunity, and do absolutely nothing but rest and do all the things you love! Let's get started!

WHADDA YA MEAN IT ISN'T?!

 

 

AMEN

 

TRUE STORY

 

 

IN WHICH I BECOME A...POOTER

SPINSTER, KNOW THYSELF!

 

THE STATE OF THE SPINSTER STITCHER UNION...

 

My fellow Dearies...

Today has been a good day thus far. I had a good long sleep and finally hauled myself out of the big girl sleigh bed after 11am! My JB was out and about for appointments and errands, and just as the coffee maker was sputtering its last bit of damn good into my big huge cup, he arrived home with good reports and a few bags of provisions.

After a wonderful hot and soapy shower and hair wash, I was off to visit with Dr Eskapalli...my kidney doc, who was anxious to hear all of the exciting details of the last month.

Can you believe it's been a month?! I was kind of feeling a bit behind schedule a few days ago, but Dr E assures me that a normal person (without all of my other issues) normally needs at least twelve full weeks to get this far, so I'm feeling a little better about being so "lazy" these last several days.

But in the spirit of keeping you up to date, I will tell you that my recovery progress remains slow and steady. I am becoming more and more confident taking care of Louie, and thanks to patience and excellent nursing while in hospital, I think I've learned what to look for in terms of trouble signs.  Pain is still an issue, but more and more a minor one, and I have weaned myself down to taking two Tylenol before bed instead of every six hours.

I've lost a fair amount of weight and continue to do so, and despite being free to eat "anything that sounds good", I am, for the first time in my life, consistently making good choices and have reduced my portion sizes considerably. I'm concentrating on protein, and am very very slowly re-adding fresh fruits and vegetables as well as higher fiber foods.

Energy-wise, I am still nowhere near my old self, and my ability to stand or walk for any length of time is really really limited, but I have a wonderful set of exercises to do for both upper and lower body, thanks to visits from physical and occupational therapists.

My greatest challenge right now is mental. (I know. Surprise surprise , right?)  My stupid to do list has grown arms and legs and is now learning to growl at me from various corners, and I spend a lot if time mulling all of the shoulds that just aren't getting done. CS2 is in desperate need of a deep clean, I am woefully behind in keeping up with bills, paperwork, correspondence, etc., and my poor skin and hair are definitely looking more Swamp Witch than Suburban Spinster.

(But...baby steps. I have to remember that at no time did one single doctor or nurse refuse to care for me because of my split ends or epic winter leg hair and post-menopausal beard/mustache situation, and last time I checked, not one visitor has recoiled in horror when coming in to check my blood pressure.)

So tonight I will have a light dinner and will watch a bit of something easy while Rich ushers the Notre Dame men's basketball game versus Duke. I'll put the game on for a minute or two to see if he's on camera, and then I'll head to bed early for another good sleep.

I am still so very happy and grateful and humbled by the love and prayers and encouragement that surround me. How did I ever get to be so incredibly blessed with such a beautiful life?

AND THEN...SHE STITCHED

 

 

OH...TAMMY!

I received another wonderful gift from a Dearie named Tammy. 

This little guy is called a Warmie, and he's weighted with lavender scented beads that can be warmed in the microwave for even more comfort. 

What Tammy didn't know is that this Warmie is the exact size, weight, and softness as Stewey! and I haven't been able to put him down. The feeling of aaaaaahhhhhh that washes over me is just indescribable!

Dearies....I am so grateful, humbled, and amazed by your support. I'm not sure how I got so lucky to be surrounded by so much love, but I know I will never forget it or take it for granted. Thank you!

Happy Thursday! We are home safely from a 7am dentist appointment for my JB. He is one step closer to getting his pearly whites completed! I managed to drive, sit in the waiting room with a book (!) and get us home without incident, so we're just going to tuck in for the duration.

(!) I haven't really been able to read or stitch yet, but I decided to just pick up my book and go for it, and if I follow it...great, and if I don't...that's OK too. I'm reading Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin, which is already a pretty dense and complicated read, but the writing is lyrical and I'm just letting that be the focus (rather than intricate plot points).

My hope for the weekend is that I can slowly tackle one room at a time and get us back to square. There is lots of laundry to be done (as usual), Louie supplies to organize and find a home for, Christmas decorations to take down (zip it, Betty), and things to scrub, polish, sweep, and fluff. Before you worry...I solemnly promise that I will be super careful and will not do anything to impede my recovery. I know that I am only four weeks post-op and will not be 100% until the 12-week mark, so the old/silly me that used to go at it like the Tasmanian Devil will sit this one out.

I've been asked a few times how my weight is doing, and although I took a rough path to do it, I've managed to lose 20 pounds so far. I expect that this will continue, since my appetite, diet, and portions have changed drastically. I don't have any dietary restrictions, and can eat anything I want (per Dr Thompson), but I am intuitively reaching for whole foods and lean proteins while very slowly re-introducing fruits and vegetables. I did a complete gut rest (nothing but ice water) for eight days in the hospital, and I think that really helped to get the healing started on the right foot.

(Yes...you read that correctly. EIGHT DAYS without one single sip of damn good! I'm sure the drugs helped, but I didn't have any withdrawal/side-effects!)

OK. Time to contemplate a little nap. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, Dearies, and that you get to do all the things! What's blowing your skirt/sweats/pajama bottoms up? Come tell me all about it!