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September 27, 2003
9.26.03: spinning straw into gold…
Boy I wish I could do that. How many times would that come in handy? Another thing I have wanted to learn is quilting. I was inspired by all the beautiful quilts I saw at the International Quilt Festival. They are truly works of art. That was 2 years ago, and all I did was buy a subscription to a quilting magazine. I just didn’t think I could do it. This past summer while we were in Michigan, my SIL Julie took me to a quilting shop. I loved seeing all those bolts of beautiful fabric. Running my hand across the fabric, had me wondering for minute if I could do something like that, and why not try? I took a basic sewing course earlier in the year and managed to learn a little something. I didn’t sew my thumb to my knee, and Rachel ended up with three dresses which she calls her “sewing dresses.” They aren’t exactly works of art, but she really enjoys wearing them. I am proud of them in a motherly kind of way in that I have managed to sew some things for my daughter who sincerely likes to wear them. I signed up for a basic quilting class which started on Monday night. I was a bit apprehensive, but it was fun. I got there early and they encouraged us to browse around to see what fabrics we wanted to use for our project. I saw many fabrics that I liked. There are 8 women taking the class. Some of them have quilted before, others have extensive sewing experience, and a few are just like me: clueless. During the class, we learned the very basics of quilting and we learned about the tools and notions we will use with our project. The teacher is one of those people who knew nothing about quilting and taught herself everything she knows. She’s been doing this for 20+ years and put all of us at ease. She hands out smiley face stickers for every time you make a mistake. So, far I have one smiley face on my name tag. Personally, I don’t think the name tag is big enough for all the stickers I will earn in the next few weeks. After class, we were allowed some time to browse in the shop to select fabric for our project and buy anything else we wanted at a discount. I bought fabric and (aiming high) a kit for a quilt I saw hanging on the wall that I think (1) I can do after taking the class; and (2) would look good in our home. At first, I thought this quilting stuff was sewing blankets with flowers and hearts and butterflies. So, I didn’t think I’d like it because none of that stuff appeals to me, but there are so many styles of quilting and they really are pieces of art. Thousands of hours go into making these things. So, we will see where it goes. My homework was to cut out the center pieces for the project and we will begin sewing in the next class on Monday.
Jerry’s knee...
Jerry’s knee surgery went well. He went in for scope surgery last Tuesday. He had to be there at 6 a.m. They shaved his knee area and wrote the word YES on his right knee and put a little smiley face there so the doctor would operate on the right knee. His surgery was scheduled for 7:30, but they took him in earlier. The doctor called me on my cell phone at 7:45 to let me know that all went well. He said he was initially going to repair a tear in the meniscus, but found the meniscus was not torn, it was totally shredded. There was nothing to repair, so he removed cartilage and tightened the ACL under the scope. Jerry was up and drinking coffee by 9 a.m., reading the sports page. The nurse explained everything about his care to me, and we were sent home with prescriptions and Jerry on crutches. He sat across the back seat on the way home. I felt like a taxi driver talking to him from the front seat. We parked out front and he was able to walk inside. He was hungry, so he ate and then got settled in on the sofa with his leg propped up on a pillow with ice on it. I picked up his prescriptions while he relaxed on the sofa reading John Grisham’s Bleachers. He finished it in a few hours. He kept ice on his knee for the first 48 hours, kept it elevated for the most part, and was careful not to get it wet. How he managed to get in and out of the tub, I will never know, but he did it, and he’s been really great with the recovery process. After 2 days, he nixed the crutches and used a cane with the prongs on the bottom for a few days. He had his 1-week follow up this week. The remainder of the stitches were removed, he was cleared to drive and shower and given his physical therapy prescription which starts next week. For 3-4 weeks, he will go for PT three times a week. Rachel has stayed home with him most of this week. They have been able to get out and do some fun things on a limited basis. They packed a picnic and ate lunch at the park, went to McDonald’s, went to Blockbuster and rented some family movies. Rachel picked out Spirit and The Aristocats. They went to pick out a birthday gift for Avery. (Her princess party is on Saturday. Rachel is excited about this because it is a princess tea party and all the little girls will dress up like princesses.) What else did they do? They went to the wildlife ranch (drive thru) and saw the ostriches and buffalo. Rachel was disappointed that there weren’t any pink flamingos, so I guess it’s time for a visit to the zoo. I’m secretly happy that Jerry can’t mow the lawn. He deserves a break from that great chore, and the lawn services does a great job.
Neighborhood Safety...
Besides having monitored security systems and a German Shepherd in the house, there are other things that make us “feel” safer. Whether they will ever save a life, we hope to never know. But, there couldn’t be more video cameras and filming equipment in our neighborhood right now. Part of this is due to the home which caught on fire in June. After the fire, the home sat untouched while various contractors and insurance people hashed out the details of the rebuilding process. During the rebuilding process, the home was videotaped by the insurance company and the home owners at each stage. We’ve had all sorts of trucks delivering brick and cement and sheetrock, and other supplies. Mud has been tracked up and down the street, but they have been good about coming back to clean it up. A video company came through the neighborhood and left its business cards on our front doors telling us about their service. What they do is come to your home and videotape the property (inside and out). They film the home, the garage, the yard, the landscape, all of it. When they are inside, they walk through your entire home videotaping the interior and contents and describing what they are seeing from the carpeting, to the drapes, to the silver, to the junk drawers, i.e., “oh here we are in the master closet, where we see 8 pairs of shoes,” and they open drawers and cabinets and film the contents. This is done for a modest fee and they give you and your insurance company a copy of the tape. Then, if you ever have a fire or loss, it is a lot easier to remember things that you otherwise may have forgotten. It is a very good idea. When our neighborhood was first started, video surveillance was one of the new perks you could purchase with your home. Angie has this in her home, and that is fine with us. At first, I felt weird being videotaped while coming to the door each day, but there is also a great feeling of peace and personal security in knowing you are safe and knowing what happens if you aren’t home or aren’t watching every minute of the day. Some of the homeowners have this surveillance and some do not.
Sand in my face…
On Tuesday night we went out to eat dinner at Willie's. I just wanted a break from it all, to clear my head and get out of the house. Rachel and Mitch played in the sand while we were talking over dinner. It was just the two of us at the table discussing our plans and current events. All of these kids were in the sand area. As we sat finishing up our drinks and meals, all of a sudden, all this sand starts flying right up in my lap, my face, and my food. I turned my head, and saw an 8-yr old boy bent over in the sand box with his rear facing me and he was digging like a maniac. All his sand came flying right up in my face, lap & food. I was like, "hey, hey, hey! please stop that!" He didn't do it on purpose, it was not intentional, but still I was thinking CUT. IT. OUT. His mom eventually jumped up when she finally noticed what he did and tried to get him to come over and apologize. He didn't want to, so I just smiled and said, "listen I'm sorry, but I didn't expect that, so I'm really sorry.” He never did apologize and went running off to play in the sand. Jerry and I continued talking like it never even happened and that was that. Back to our margaritas and plans. Jerry went to the restroom, and I reached for my wallet to pay the bill and noticed my ATM/Visa card was missing. I used it the day before to get money out of the ATM. I dug around and could only find my cash and receipt but no debit card. Jerry returned and paid for dinner, and then we headed out. I dug around in the car, thinking the card had fallen in between the seats, but I couldn’t find it. I hated calling the bank (what kind of moron loses her ATM card in her car?) but what am I going to do? I told them I thought I lost it, but wasn’t sure. They said no one had used the card and canceled it. I went in to the bank and got a replacement card the next day.
Here kitty, kitty…
There is a kitten stuck in the storm drain out front. Water drains from the grass and follows the curb line before falling into the storm drain. There is an iron grate around it, and we can’t see the kitten, but we can hear him: “meow, meow, meow! Get me out of here!” He has fallen in there and can’t get out by himself. After we got in from dinner on Tuesday night, we heard a knock on our front door. The next door neighbor’s daughter came over to ask if we had lost our cat. No, our cat was sitting right there on the ottoman. Apparently, the kids at the bus stop noticed the sound of a cat meowing that morning. They were worried about him and didn’t know what to do. They tossed some dry food down there, but couldn’t see him. The following morning, we went out to ask the kids if he was still meowing, but the bus had picked them up and it was driving away. Jerry has been out there checking for noises and he has thrown down more cat food. This morning, he went out to bring in the newspaper and heard the cat meowing. He started making calls to the SPCA, Humane Society, Parks Department, Animal Rescue, and so on. Each one referred him to the next one. No one would help. He finally called the Municipal Utilities District and they said they had a truck out in the area and would send someone over. We just don’t have any tools or equipment to get down there. Jerry said our neighbors are watering their yards today. Water is running down the curb falling into the drain. How traumatic for him. Hopefully we can get this kitten out of the drain. I hope he can be rescued and restored to health before he dies or drowns.
Jerry marinated steaks and grilled them last night. He made baked potatoes and corn on the cob, it was a delicious meal. Afterwards, we watched Survivor. I like the Grizzly Adams guy, but it's hard to watch him running around in a mini skirt. Will someone please get that man some clothes! The woman who came over to claim the tarp was too much. In the previews for the next episode, they showed her yelling and screaming at someone. Why do they always have to show the women acting like screaming banshees? I guess it’s in the editing.
In the works…
We are getting ready to celebrate Mitch’s second birthday next Thursday. In the blink of an eye, Mitchell is 2. When did that happen? My parents are on their way down from PA. They will stay in their various time shares on the way down and back. They will be in Branson next week. They will visit for a few weeks and then head back up the east coast staying at Hilton Head and Virginia Beach (or what’s left of it). I have taken some days off, so I am looking forward to some Calgon moments.
Warmly,
Megan
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/m/millimaki/
millimaki@yahoo.com
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