Today was Beautiful........

The sun was shining bright and the temps were in the 70's, a little breeze blowin'! I just love days like today!! Don't you?? The best part was I got to go out...even if it was only to get some groceries, put gas in the van,(I only had 1/8 of a tank left), and get the new sticker for my license tags. My tags expire this month on my birthday UGH!!

This has been a very busy week, but then the first week or so of the month usually is. We get our checks, the bills get paid, some food gets bought and then we are broke again until the next month! I just feel happy and blessed that we are able to have our checks to pay the bills, etc. I can make do with whatever we get. We may not eat fancy, but we don't go hungry either. It's the way I was raised!!

Kevin has an appt. for a consult with Physical Therapy tomorrow morning. He broke the femur in his left leg 4 years ago and is losing more of the limited mobility he had, which was not much to begin with. He has trouble raising his foot to even get it in the van, our van is one of the lower one's. He uses a step but even with that it's a battle. Please, if you can, say a little prayer that maybe they can help him.

Tomorrow afternoon I am going to be posting things for sale on the store blog... http://countrydreamsandcreationsstore.blogspot.com/. I have the pictures taken and the info ready to go. I have so many ideas and plans for the store, I can't wait to get it up and running. I hope you will like what you see!!!

I just have to hope and pray my computer doesn't crash completely before Kevin works on it Friday. I've already saved all of my files to a folder on his computer. We have our computers networked together.

Well blogging friends it's getting late, I'm getting tired and I just know morning will be here sooner than I want it to be. I will say Good Night to all of you until tomorrow. I hope you have sweet dreams and a great day tomorrow!

Hugs and Blessings, my friends,

Brenda

It's been a long day...

It has been a very long day following a very short 4 hours sleep last night. I'm getting to old for this. Kevin has an 8:15 appt. for physical therapy in the morning. He is losing what little mobility he has in the leg that he broke the femur in 4 years ago. I don't think there is anything that can be done at this point, but we will see and hope for the best. I hope I am wrong and they can help him.

My computer has been doing weird things the last couple of days so Kevin is going to work on it for me in a few days and see if he can get things right. I have a lot I need to do on here right now so it isn't a good time for it to have a "Hissy fit" LOL

I did some cleaning in the apt. today and will do more later. I do believe that is a never ending job. I need to get the rest of the shopping done for the month too. I want to free up as much time as I can the next few months to be able to post more on here. I'm going to need all the time I can get to make things for Christmas gifts and for the store also.I have a lot of projects in the making for the store! I will be posting some things on it the end of this week. I have been digging into my recipes also, so keep an eye on the Kitchen blog.

I would love to stay and visit longer with you tonight but I'm beat. I'm also creating all kinds of new words by hitting the wrong keys....OOPPSS. Good thing I proof read every line or 2 LOL.

See you tomorrow friends, Sweet Dreams,

Hugs and Blessings,
Brenda

110 Days Until Christmas !!!!

I know it's too soon to be thinking about Christmas on Labor Day Weekend! The time goes by fast though when you are making all of the gifts by hand, computer or sewing machine! I am making all of Kevin's gifts which really won't be all that many...10-15 maybe, if I get busy and get started. We make each others gifts each year, it means more because of the thought and work that goes into the projects. They are usually just little things but they mean a lot!

I'm also trying to work on my store blog. I have some information I need to add about shipping and purchasing, and I have some items finished that I will be posting later this week for sale. I have a huge amount of stuff to make yet, but it will all get done in time so I can add several new things each week. I could get a lot more work done if I could train Missy, my cat, how to cook and clean LOL!!!! Kevin is really good about helping out with doing things around the apt. He runs the sweeper, does his own laundry, empties the dishwasher, I fill it. He even cooks sometimes too. We both have some mobility problems so we balance out what each other is able to do. It works for both of us that way. I do more of the things that require lifting or moving, plus fixing supper, food preservation, shopping, laundry, mending/sewing, cleaning etc. and trying to get a business going.

I really enjoyed the cool weather we had this week, it made me feel like getting some work done. I see now that the heat is going to return this week. I guess we had better enjoy the warm weather while we still have it soon enough we will be complaining "it's to cold". I know, it's a vicious circle LOL!!!!

It's getting late and I'm getting tired. We went to Krogers today for a "few" groceries. I don't think it's possible to go to the store for just a "few" things, the cart was almost full!!

I hope you all have a good night,, what's left of it anyway. I will be around daily from now on. I have given up Face Book for the most part. I might use it to help advertise the store blog after I get it going, but other than that it's just a darn good way to waste time! I've got too many other things to do!!!

See you all tomorrow,

Hugs and Blessings,
Brenda

Beautiful Day........

It was such a beautiful day today. The sun was shining bright, not to hot, I could enjoy days like today year round! Makes it kind of hard to stay inside and work though. I did finish a blouse I started yesterday. I will post pictures if I can get my camera to work again. It takes 1 or 2 pictures and then quits until I put in new batteries, they cost too much to keep doing that.

Kevin drove for the 1st time today since his fall 4 years ago. He did great, just like he had been driving all along. We went to the cemetery for him to practice, figured he couldn't hurt anyone there LOL!! He has a Dr. appt. tomorrow and I have 2 next week. I'm getting tired of Doctors!

I've been working on another blog. It's not published yet because I still have a lot to do before it's ready. It's called "Country Dreams and Creations Store". It will have a little something for everyone ...Crafts of all kinds, Teddy Bears made from old cutter quilts, Handmade kitchen items...aprons, towel sets, herb scented trivets and a lot more things. Too many to mention now. Homemade baked goods...Breads. zucchini, lemon, etc. ..cookies and all other kinds of goodies , depending on the season and availability of ingredients. I hope to have it up and running by the end of September, hopefully sooner.

I'm going to call it a day and get some sleep. I have a LOT to do tomorrow and want to get an early start.

Have a goodnight,
Hugs and Blessings my Friends,
Brenda

Good News Today....

I had my follow up exam with the surgeon today and he said everything had healed up just the way it should have. Thank you Lord. I was glad to hear that. I had tried to be careful with what I was doing, not lifting too much etc. , but I felt so good it was easy to forget I had even had surgery.

I spent the other day digging through my fabric stash. I gathered up enough to make 19 tops, dresses and jackets for me to wear, and fabric for 19 pillows, 18 aprons and 24 wicker baskets to line to sell. That's just for starters too, lots more after that. My Store blog is waiting to be published. I will let you all know when I publish it. I hope to sometime in late September. I'm glad the creative side of me is back . I'll just bury myself in my work and God!

I got a start on my sewing a couple of days ago, but as usual real life got in the way. I hope to get a chance to sew some more this week in between Dr. appts. etc. It really felt good to cut out a few tops and get them ready to sew. I'd be happy to just sit and sew and craft all day and forget everything else!! Wouldn't that be fun??? I think it would be!

It's getting to be that time of year to start thinking about doing some large batch cooking and then canning it up the next day. I like to have some canned meals on hand as much as possible. It is just to hot in this apt. even with the AC on to do much cooking in the summer. I would love to have the "Summer Kitchen" my great aunt had on her old farmhouse when she was living. It was large and open with lots of windows for those breezes to blow through and cool things down. I miss that. Those were the "Good Old Days" for sure, life was so much simpler then.

I have a lot to do tomorrow so I better try to get to bed soon.

Hugs and Blessings my friends,

God is so Good!!!!

Hi Friends,

I had my surgery July 16 and was home by noon on the 17th., they sure don't give you anytime to even get the pain med. and anesthetic out of your system. I was dizzy for days!!! Kevin(DH) would tell you I'm dizzy or dingy anyway though LOL!!! The Surgeon didn't take my sense of humor out just everything else!!! I had a Vaginal Hysterectomy, never knew they could do that! I was in surgery longer than they thought I would be. The Dr. said my uterus was huge and full of tumors, they took everything out. The good news is they were all BENIGN. Thank the Good Lord for that. I just found out the results yesterday when I saw him for my post-op consult. I've been on pins and needles since the surgery wondering ???. I finally got tired of worrying and gave it over to God and I was at peace after that. I did the same thing before the surgery, I was getting so stressed out. I went in with a sense of peace and calm because I knew God had taken the weight off my shoulders and carried it for me. This whole experience has brought me closer to God than I think I've ever been. He will always have a special place in my life over everything else. I go back in a month for an exam to be sure everything healed as it should!

I feel like I'm being drawn back here and away from other things on the computer. I want to spend more time blogging, I've missed you all and FB is getting kind of trashy.

I am getting back to sewing again. I had cut out a night shirt pattern in Dec. and never got it sewed up until a week ago. I have lost so much weight since Nov.
I had to take it in 6" and re-make my pattern!! Woo Hoo!! It's nice to have something too big for a change!! LOL!! Now I've got to go through all the patterns I had matched to fabric and check the sizes. I think most of the patterns are multiple size, so I should be ok. I'm getting back into crafting again too. I have a lot of projects set up and ready to be made. I have been working on a blog to use as a place to sell things. I may set up an Etsy account too. I have to think about that and check them out more.

I think I needed to get the household in order and my health before I felt settled enough to spend time doing the things I enjoy. I can't sew and craft if I feel I am letting the necessary things slide. I feel a lot more at peace now about a lot of things.

I think I'm going to call it a night and get some sleep. I've been doing a lot more of that since the surgery.

I will be back,

Hugs and Blessings my friends,

Short little catch-up before I call it a night.

I hope you all have had a good day! We had a pretty good one here. I just keep thinking that next week this time the surgery will be over and I will be on the road to recovery, hopefully. I've been doing a lot of talking to the Man Upstairs to help me get through all of this. I know He's been listening because He's lifted a big weight off my shoulders.I can't imagine anyone not having God in their lives, but I know many don't and that is sad. They are missing out on the most wonderful experience.

I just finished making out my grocery list for tomorrow. I'll be lucky if I will be able to get 1/4 of what I need but we will make do. I thank God everyday that I was brought up learning how to stretch food and everything else as far as it will go. I don't think there is anything that goes to waste around here, be it food or other things, I can always find a way to re-cycle things into something else. Kevin is really good about eating some of the crazy concoctions I come up with. It fills us up and I make sure it is healthy. I can up the leftovers if there is enough for later meals rather than freeze them. I don't have to worry if the power goes out or anything thing, they will keep.

I just wanted to stop by and say HI and that I'm thinking of all of you. I want to try and get back in the habit of posting here daily, writing seems to help calm me down and put things in perspective. Thanks to you all for being here to listen. I'd love to here any comments or suggestions you may have, I value your input!!!

I hope to get an early start to beat some of the crowds in Walmart, Saturdays can be a real pain.

Take care and have a peaceful night.

Hugs and blessings,
Brenda

Murphy's Law has been in full force here lately!!!!

Hi Friends,

If it could go wrong it has lately!!! the day after I last posted I noticed a wet spot on the carpet in the hallway. The first thing I thought was my 18 year old cat, Missy, had an accident. The spot wasn't made by her much to my relief but where was it coming from? It kept getting larger and quite soggy by the following Monday when I was finally able to reach the landlord...grumble, grumble, grumble..She told me to put a fan on it and try to soak up the water and let her know if that helped, of course it just kept getting worse. A couple of days later she finally sent maintenance in to check it out, It was close to the bathroom so they checked that & fixed what they thought the problem was and told me to call them if that didn't help, well they got called, by this time I was ready to call them a lot of things! They shook their heads no idea well to make a long story short, I had asked about the AC & they said no way but checked it to keep me happy. It was the AC but not mine . The apt. behind me was were it was coming from. Their AC leaked and the floors are so uneven it all ran into my apartment between the concrete floor and the carpet! It was finally fixed and dry the end of last week!!

I saw my Dr. last week and told her the "little" problem I had was getting worse and thought it was time to check it out and do something. July 5th, I saw the surgeon thinking my bladder was dropping, did I ever get the surprise. He said I have good news and bad news, you can imagine all of the things that were going through my mind by then. The "good" news was it wasn't my bladder, the bad news was, my uterus had prolapsed. He said that was a lot more serious. I'm scheduled for surgery July 16th @10 AM. I'm supposed to take it easy, no lifting etc. I will get to come home the next day if everything goes right. I have been having a lot of extra conversations with God to get me through this, and I know He will as He feels fit.

There has been a lot of downsizing going on around here again too! I gathered up a bunch of stuff, had a yard sale the 1st of the month and took what didn't sell to Good Will. I have gathered up more things but these are the old family pieces, and my cousin told me to go ahead and sell them. I will take pictures before I do. I will do that tomorrow. I have spent most of the day today researching the pieces I have so I know what price to ask for them.

I have started sewing some again. I had made a night shirt a couple of months ago but got sidetracked and didn't get it hemmed.I have been losing weight,40lbs. since last November, I tried the night shirt on and it about fell off. I need to take it in about 10" total and remake my patterns . I will have to cut all of the patterns I made down a bunch now...which is good !! I will have a lot of time to sew and craft while I'm taking it easy for a while. I'm very happy about that!!

It's getting late and I need to get some sleep. I have a long list of things I want to get done before my surgery. Talk to you all soon!

Hugs and Blessings my friends,
Brenda

Just a quick note.....

Its been a long day and I can barely keep my eyes open. I got a lot done today straightening up around here. The landlord was down today and checked out the wet spot on the hallway floor. We live on a concrete slab floor covered with carpet. A few days ago a wet spot appeared on the floor. She thinks it is coming from the bathtub maybe , something with the pipes that are under the cement are leaking and coming up through the carpet! It will be interesting to see how they fix this. We might have to move to another apt. if they have to tear up the floors according to the maintenance girl. time will tell!! We have an inspection tomorrow from HUD where we get housing assistance. They will make sure things get taken care of one way or another!

It was a nice day here today but they are forecasting storms again. My plants are all looking good still but we have so many spiders on the porch and coming into the apt. along with an invasion of ants. I found a spider about the size of a quarter in one of my tennis shoes. I knocked it out and killed it then threw my shoes in the trash. I am not putting my foot in there where that spider had been living!!!! I had a little spider spray left and used it up outside. I will have to get some more and for ants too! I have breathing problems and have to be very careful what I use or I can't get my breath. I have an appt. Wednesday to take paperwork into HUD and hopefully everything will pass their standards.

I'm going to call it a night and hopefully get some sleep tonight! I will talk to you all tomorrow. Have a good night!

Hugs and Blessings,

Brenda

2 Months, Too Long Between Posts

Hi Friends,

I can't believe it has been 2 months since I last posted. I've stopped by a few times, but just couldn't seem to think of anything to say. I've been dealing with a lot of back and leg pains lately and it has been taking over my concentration.

I did manage to slowly sort through things around here and had a garage sale last weekend. It was supposed to be 2 days but Saturday was rained out completely. The things that were left went to Goodwill. It's amazing how things accumulate...being a "pack rat" doesn't help either. I have been breaking that habit though. I have stopped going to yard sales and if I see something in a store, I ask myself if I really need it or just think I do. It seems to be working, but it isn't easy sometimes.

I have finally gotten caught up on all the things I have let slide, now I can turn my thoughts to gardening in containers , working on my Recipe blog and family cookbook and sewing & crafts to sell on the new blog I have been working at setting up. I will be selling some vintage items, etc . on it also. I will publish the blog when I have things completely set up. I hope It will be ready around July 1st. Keep checking back for updates!!!!!

I think I'm going to call it a night and go to bed. My back and legs don't seem to be hurting too bad right now, thanks to pain pills. I hate taking them and only do when it gets really bad.

You will be seeing me on a regular basis now. I plan on spending a lot of time between the 3 Blogs, sewing & crafting and my little container garden.


Have a good night my friends,

Hugs and Blessings,
Brenda