Dithering and Dallying!!!

These days I try hard to set my mind to do something really worthwhile, but in reality end up in bed with a hottie!!!

I need to decide on the fabrics to use in the next project,

Wayward Transparency  with Yvonne

I chose three, and then after they were all measured and cut, took a photo in B&W with my phone. Oh No, not enough contrast between light, medium and dark.Too late to change, a good lesson to learn, take a B&W photo first.

So off to find what I have here, second choice, grey marbled, green and a  darker one with blues, greens and almost black.

Maybe sort of OK, but it did not say “YES, pick me!!”

Next is pale mauve, green and again the darker one. and this seems to be all right. Good contrast, and mauve in the green, picks up the pale mauve  in the lightest fabric.

However we have some time before the cutting begins, so I can play, set them out all over again and ponder some more.

Our weather is so changeable, warmer days, then rain, AGAIN, and some wind. Down south lambing is going well, one  brave ewe had  FOUR baby lambs. They were all fostered out to be bottle fed by another family, one was very tiny, I hope he made the grade and survived.  No huge late season snow falls this year so far, the farmers will be elated to avoid that sleet and snow  with freezing wind.

For years, Hugh has said if we see a logging truck going past,” I just would like one of those logs to fall off at our place”. Well, last week a local man  had  a whole truck load for sale, I sent a txt, he replied, and bingo, they arrived. The huge truck reversed up to this spot, and even after some dry days the huge wheels sunk into the grass, look carefully and you can see the indentation. This was late afternoon, and not the best light for photos.

We think there are 50!!!!!So all Hugh’s dreams came true. No stumps to clean out, no branches to trim, no scruffy stuff to burn, just cut into rounds and split. Thanks Ross, you will be very popular everywhere you go.

Hugh’s shoulder fracture is healing perfectly, no separation or displacement, he is driving again. My muscle sprain is still very painful, slightly improving, how we take good health and ability to do everything we want to, for granted.

I am slightly better and each day hope  to be able to do a bit more, Roller cutting is out for now,  but fabric can be patted, laid out and arranged again and again.

Thank you all so much for your caring comments, enquiries, and emails. I so appreciate every one, and if I have not replied to you in  person,  pain medication and all else dims the mind!!! At least that is what I believe.

Quotation of the day, from Nelson Mandela

“ May your choices reflect your hopes ,

not your fears”

Greetings from Jean

Home Again, Home again, Jiggity-Jig!!!!

I have borrowed those words from Jenn in Canada, as Jenn, you so often use these after a hospital visit, I thought they were very suitable for  our last few  weeks down here!!!

The weeks since my last post have been action packed, if you can interpret that to be “ Filled with Hospital visits, trips by ambulance, and more”.

Hugh’s shoulder is improving slowly, he can dress himself, almost drive, manage to sit on the ride on mower, and a little more. However through this, he had severe pain in his right knee,  not able to walk, so once more off in the green and gold chariot, aka Ambulance. Blood test, X-Ray, possible fracture NO, possible gout? Maybe, overnight stay and home the next day.

Now, all mowers need petrol!!! The lawn needed mowing,  The 20 litre can  was filled at the garage, they lifted it into the wagon, and when we arrived home I had to help Hugh lift it onto the back tray on the quad bike!!! This is so he can take it to the other shed past the driveway. That was something we had done together dozens of times, but previously when his right arm was good!!! My ribs ached afterwards, the next day, so painful. The following Friday, my turn to get carried off on a stretcher,  then an  X-Ray, maybe a fractured rib, NO, maybe a chest wall muscle sprain? Not sure. Home with a whole heap of medication. Lots of explanations to the OT lady and the Social worker about how this was absolutely necessary. One of them suggested we leave the lawn until it was SO high, indicating with her hands at least 10 to 12 inches. Well, we would then make hay.I am guessing she has no idea at all about how large a 3 acre area is.

Then Sunday, the pain escalated into “ where is it on a scale of 1 to 10?” Off the scale, so back to hospital again. More pain meds, an overnight stay, and home to take life very slowly and carefully. The Dr said maybe 4 to 6 weeks for it to heal.

Through all of this, I keep thinking of Irma, my friend in Florida , how her barn cats are managing, and all those in Texas and other states nearby.Stay safe are the usual words, but they seem so insignificant right now.

Before this I had managed to finish Blocks #3 and #4 for the QAL. They are bright and so Christmassy!!!

Santa’s Belt,  there are so many lovely blocks, on the Facebook group page.  with belts, buckles, and a fat tummy as well.

Then Christmas Decorations, again all the group members have made this in their own so special way. Each one a delight to see. The green is sparkly and glittery, as a Christmas tree would be.

Meantime, before all this, I was in a quilt fabric shop,  looking, as we do, and found this panel of elephants.It just  hopped into my hands!!! Not the best photos, it is just too hard to  find a good place with plenty of light.

Then I found this on the net, and have seen it before.It, too, just landed in my patterns. Paper pieced, not my favourite way to do it, but I might try with freezer paper instead.

This will have to wait till all things are back to normal,  for now  I can look and dream.

Quotation of the day. author unknown

“ Always  fall asleep with a dream

and wake up with a purpose.”

Greetings from Jean.