Superglue can fix anything!

Wow, sure wish I had listened to Dr Mark before I spent the $$$ on a co-pay to see a "real dr".  That was an amazing trick and the dr even said I could use it when my fingers split from stitching to much....hey it can happen when the needle is flying.  LOL!  Anyhoo, he said just make sure I wash them  really well before I do it because would want to glue the germs in ....yucky!  I can actually walk without limping but of course, I did get a tube of the special lotion and I have applied it twice a day including while watching tv with saran wrap booties.  I think you could probably do this same trick with any heavy lotion because the saran wrap is just trapping in the heat and really allowing the lotion to penetrate.

I leave in the morning for a business trip to Alabama....yep, that's right where all the storms hit last night.  It seems weird that I'll actually be the one away on a business trip while Mark holds down the homefort.  Of course, unlike his business trips, I'll only be away one night and I have cooked a huge pot of chicken and dumplings along with frosted sugar cookies to tide him over while I'm gone.  Why doesn't he do this for me when he's leaving? 

We had a very lazy weekend of just hanging out at home.  It rained all weekend long and really had huge thunderstorms Saturday afternoon so we just snugged up at home.  We watched everything we had taped while he was gone, watched a couple of movies and I stitched a lot.  It was very relaxing and allowed us to get reconnected before he leaves again on Saturday.  He's headed back to Germany and France for 12 days so I needed some hubby time and this weekend was great.

Well I'm off to stir my dumplings and finish my laundry so I can get packed up.  Lots of estate sales coming up this weekend and since I'll be forced to drive into Atlanta to drop him off at the airport, I'll need to make it a worthwhile trip and stop at a few.

Terrible Tuesdays

Yesterday was heavenly and I did stay in my pj just about all day long.  I finally hit the shower at 3:30 and that was only because I was starving for some "real food" and needed to get my glasses adjusted.  I hate, hate getting my glasses adjusted because the place is so small and always, always busy no matter what day or time I stop by.  I was there 30 minutes before they even had a chance to acknowledge me and almost left several times but my new glasses were starting to rub the bridge of my nose raw so I stuck it out.  Argh!!!!  So after that nightmare I decided to treat myself to a trip to the bookstore and a nice dinner out .  Now one is probably thinking but she owns a kindle and we know this because she raves about it to anyone that will listen....and they'd be correct but every now and then I still like to wonder into the bookstore to look for new authors.  I always check out the bargain books for home decor markdowns and can never pass up the magazines.  I confess that I have a magazine addiction....other people need liquor, drugs, ect but I need shiny slick magazine pages!  So after  I looked around and purchased a couple of said shiny page mags, I headed to Jim and Nick's for bbq! I love that place because they make everything from scratch daily and have the greatest cinnamon apples and creamed spinach.  They also make pies from scratch but I abstained but only because they were out of take out boxes for me to bring it home in.  How strong do you really think my willpower is?  Not strong enough to resist chocolate pie!!!!!

And today I was back at work or sorta back at work.  I had to go see the dermatologist because I'm having a horrible time with the skin on my feet cracking open.  I split my instep over the weekend that was the final straw so I called the dr's office yesterday in tears because I was hurting so bad.  They agreed to work me in this morning and you can't imagine what they told me.  Get this....buy superglue and use it to close the wounds, use this special foot creme (which by the way my co-pay is $100) and apply it then wrap your feet with saran wrap for atleast 1 hour a night.  Huh????  The scary thing is that Mark told me to use superglue a few weeks back and I called him crazy!  Man, I really dread telling him that he was right and I was wrong to question him on that bit of medical advice.  The dr also said never wear shoes without socks, quit pumicing my feet and buy better shoes that fit properly.  Ok the buy better shoes I will do but the other 2 I'm not so sure about.  How can you wear skechers with socks and not exfoliate?  That's too scary!

So I went to the dr then back to work for a couple of hours before leaving to take Clarice and Gizmo to the vet for shots.  The vet's office was running a 2 for 1 special on animal exams and it was time for the little ones to have checkups.  I was mortified and think we have offically been banned from the vet's office.  Last time Hubert bit the vet and now Clarice acted like she was a demon cat.  She rolled her eyes up in the back of her head, scratched, bit and screamed for all she was worth.  I've never seen anything like it.  I had asked the vet to cut her nails but they wouldn't even touch her.  They managed to get a towel over her head long enough to adminster the shots but then they literally threw her back into her carrier.  There was no exam or even taking her temp because she was wild!  Now Gizmo on the other hand, rolled over to have his belly rubbed and was a perfect angel.  I certainly hope that Clarice doesn't have to go back this year because I'm not sure after her proformance that they will see her.  I think from now on that Mark should have to take her and Hubert to the vet office because it's too hard on me watching them manhandle my babies. 

Ok so that's the updates on my little world for today and now headed off to wrap up my toosties in saran wrap.  That just sounds so weird but hopefully it'll fix me right up.  I know the superglue trick went a long way today in cutting down on the pain in my foot after I recovered from the horrible sting of applying it. 

Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be

to quote The Mamas and The Papas!  I plan on hanging out in pjs and doing nothing all day long.  Well I might do something like eat lots of junk, watch mindless tv and stitch.  I certainly won't make the same mistake that I did about 4 years ago when I took the train into downtown Atlanta to pick up Bon Jovi tshirts and pins from Hard Rock Cafe.  Never even occurred to me that there would be Huge Parade and Crowds celebrating MLK day.  Duh, it's Atlanta!  My granny would say that "Donna Gay's elevator don't aways go up" and sadly the older I get the more true that is becoming. 

I have had an entire weekend of just fun and feel recharged.  Mark's still gone so Saturday I drove up into the mountains and hit a few shops and estate sales.  The only bad thing was my favorite store, Hearts and Flowers was closed because of the cold temps.  I was really bummed out about that because I have Christmas money that needed to be spent dang it!  I will learn to call ahead in the future before I make that drive in the winter.



Sunday found me at the Mall of Georgia meeting with Maria for a fun day of lunch, movie and shopping.  We did the usual favorite PF Changs which truth be told, I could eat at every day!  And then we saw the movie New Years Eve which was great.  We knew that Jon had a role in the movie but had no idea that his part was so huge.  It was wonderful and we did get a little singing so that might tide us over for a few days.  Of course, I'm probably the only person in the world that honed in on the fact that as Jon was singing in Times Square there was a billboard ad for Memphis.  So I got my secret David fix!  LOL!  Too soon it was time for her family to pick her up so I headed home.  Clarice was a snuggle kitty and actually sat on my footstool while I stitched last night.  She's never, ever done that before so I was beyond thrilled.  My Maggie cat would sit in my lap when she was really tired and nap while I stitched but none of my other cats have ever done that.

What a difference an hour makes in Georgia

Let's see it's been above 60 degrees all year but today within the space of an hour the wind started howling and the temps started dropping.  It's suppose to be in the 20's tonight....brrrrr....where's my warm snuggle partner....oh Clarice will you let mommy curl up in the kitty condo tonight and watch tv?

Mark left Monday afternoon for Germany and I'm doing ok with it this time around.  He sent me his schedule yesterday and he'll be out of the country for 5 of the next 7 weeks so I'd better be ok with this.  I know, I know that he's always traveled and that I have always thoroughly enjoyed my me time but the last year it's been a little depressing not having anyone to talk to at night.  You know your mind starts reeling with home, work, family, ect   and there's no one sitting right beside you  to pull you off the ledge.  Anyhoo, I got some new happy pills, started seeing a therapist and things are looking brighter again.  Of course, a family cruise for the holidays went a long way into helping me find my way back to me!  I feel so grown up saying I have a shrink....lol....very Sex and The City don't ya think?  She's helping me learn to cope with work stress a lot better and given me some insight into why I do what I do.  But most importantly, she just listens without judgement or trying to solve every issue I talk to her about.   I love my hubby but he thinks he has to solve any work issues that I try to talk to him about and he doesn't get it, no matter how many times I say it.....just listen, don't fix anything!  He's a doer and I'm a thinking about doing person. 

So back to the family cruise, I went ziplining with my youngest brother, John and had so much fun.  I had almost forgotten what a smart, funny guy he is.   We're always close growing up but I don't get to go home that often anymore and when I do, I'm always trying to cram as much "auntie" time in that I forget that my brothers are even in the house.  I still can't believe that I went ziplining because I'm terrified of heights so much that glass elevators freak me out.  Not to mention my control freak tendencies so this was a huge feat for me.  The rest of the family decided to go with Mark drift snorkeling but John really wanted to zipline so I chose to go with him instead.  Of course, I have failed to mention that I got "stuck" about halfway across the 2 zipline and was just dangling out there.  When they say" don't brake lady until you are almost at the platform", they really, really mean don't brake lady until you are almost at the platform because if you do,  you will be left dangling until we can send out a sandbag and knock your fat ass back into moving.  It was quite funny then and even funnier now that I'm back on solid ground not dangling from a harness in the rain forest baring my fat, white ass and scaring the monkeys.  I had a blast!!!!!!  And so did John once he stopped laughing at me.  It was a great week for family time and reminded why I love my family so much....hey, we really put the "fun" in dysfunctional family! It was heavenly to just hang out, laugh and not to mention a whole  week without even having to pick up your own wet towels off the bathroom floor or wonder who was going to clean up the kitchen. 

Ok off to cuddle with Clarice and drink some yummy hot chocolate or something to warm up.

2011 Finishes

Wow it's been quite a year and with things winding down I wanted to share my 2011 finishes.  I can tell Mark's been traveling a lot based on the number of pieces that I actually finished.  No WIP's this past year was my goal and I almost accomplished that but dang Midnight Watch is still lingering in the guestroom closet.  I started stitching it to honor my Magggie cat and I think in my heart of hearts I just can't bear to finish it.  I'd think after 2 years it would be easier to "talk" about her but the truth is that I still miss her every day.  So 2012 resolution is to finish Midnight Watch.

Wow as I look at them now, I realize they are all Blackbird Designs and thank my lucky stars that Michael's had such a great deal on framing last month. 

Tulip House stitched for my MIL for christmas gift.  It honors her, my GMIL, my mom and granny.  The frame and matting were just perfect for her house and really added just the perfect finishing touch.

Dear Sister was stitched to honor my Great Aunt Flo.  She was quite a gal

Blackbird's Message

Paris Freebie Chart stitched while in Paris!  What great memories and I changed the color from pink to blue to fit in my bedroom scheme better.

Farm House stitched to honor my Pappa and what a gentle soul he was.

Waiting for the Harvest-pinkeep pattern but I love it framed

Moonlit Garden

Evergreen

So that's what I've been doing all year instead of blogging on a regular basis.  Right now I'm off to finish my first Non Blackbird Pattern in the last 2 years.....Bent Creek's Winter Row.  It's just too stinking cute and will be perfect hanging in the entrance hall until the last snow flake falls which in Atlanta happens about next week.  LOL!  Everyone have a wonderful new year and I look forward to spending the day looking thru my ever increasing "must stitch projects" for next year. 

Getting older just suxs!

Last week I had a scare with my blood pressure which has never, ever been high but Friday morning it shot up to 189/128 which scared the crud out of me and everyone at work around me. Someone drove me home because I was much too lightheaded to drive myself then I spent the entire weekend just lying on the sofa. My pressure stayed up but not that high so I made a dr's appointment as soon as they opened. The dr ran an ekg which showed no heart attack or damage (wahoo) but he wanted me to see a cardiologist so he made me an appointment for that same afternoon. That was a little troubling to me that I need to be seen right away by the cardiologist but hey wasn't gonna turn it down. So now we're waiting to schedule some more tests to see if we can get to the bottom of it. My pressure is back into a normal range but it occasionally shoots up, I have back pain, lightheadedness and just generally don't feel "right". I can't explain it other than something doesn't feel right which I'm sure is a huge help to the dr in getting this puzzle solved. Anyhoo, just gonna let the dr do his job and quit trying to play doctor. Mark will be so disappointed, LOL!

My folks are coming to see me in a week and I can't wait. I need a Momma hug and some Daddy love right now! Mark's going back out of the country for a couple of weeks so they will drive in to stay a couple of days with me. It's not they are avoiding him it just makes more sense when I can spend one on one time with them and we can act like the weird family that we are without Mark having to see it all. We put the Fun in dysfunctional and not everyone gets that. We had hoped that Rachel and Josi could come with them but cheerleading camp will keep both of them busy so maybe next year. They are just growing up too fast...Rachel will be sweet sixteen in September and Josi just turned 13. I truly do wonder where the time as gone. Rachel's first sentences were "U happy Pappa? Me happy"..She accomplished something I never thought possible; she taught me that I had enough room/love in my life for her and Zared. You see, Zared was my special little guy and he loved spending time with me almost as much as I loved spending time with him so I worried that his little sister wouldn't feel as special to me. But Rachel's bright eyes and smile won me over immediately and I couldn't wait to spoil her rotten just like I did Z. She wasn't a cuddly little baby and gosh, that girl had a set of lungs on her but she still had me wrapped around her little finger. As she got older, her BIG personality just shined thru and I loved spending more and more time with her. Then Kelton was born and what a lover he was. He liked to be cuddled, he smiled all the time, had the cutest little pot belly and man, oh man, he loved his cousin Rachel. They are only 10 months apart so they were best buddies and gonna get married! I started having Auntie Days with Zared when he was probably just a few weeks old so now I had 3 kids on our days and things were somewhat more challenging but equally just as rewarding. We'd go to Chuckie Cheese, Toys R Us, parks, bookstores, movies, ect with the kids always making the decisions about what we did and where we ate....of course, in the early days Z could talk the younger ones into doing whatever he really wanted to do just like he could me! Then Josi came along and she brought even more joy into our lives. She had the sweetest, most loving personality and she was just happy all the time. She had all of us wrapped around her fingers....well, maybe not all of us because her big brother wasn't entirely thrilled she was there at first. She quickly grew up and I do mean quickly because anything Rachel and Kelton did then by gosh, she did! This child was fearless! We started called Rachel, Kelton and Josi the "little kids" because they were all so close in age but nothing these 3 ever did was little! I moved out of state on Rachel's 5th birthday so I've missed so much now of everyday watching them grow up but the time I do spend with them is quality time. I think they all know how much Aunt Donna loves them but they won't ever fully understand the joy they have brought to me in my life until they have kids of their own. I'm a proud aunt as I'm sure you can't tell from this post. I love every one of them in a way that I never thought possible and the joy they bring me has enriched my life immensely.

Ok, enough sappy tearjerker memories because it's Saturday here in Hotlanta and its raining. Yea! We need it so bad because I got a $145 water bill yesterday....sure wish I was kidding about that but no such luck. I'm resetting that sprinkler system tonight no matter what Mark has to say. That's too much watering and it's cutting into be estate sale budget....LOL! I'm heading over to a couple of promising looking sales today while Mark works. He's trying to finish his presentations today so tomorrow we can play. Have a great weekend everyone!

The hurrier I go, the behinder I get!

Anyone else ever feel this way?  I swear it was just January last week and now the calendar is telling me it's freakin July!  Well all I have to do is step outside my door to know it's July in Atlanta also known as Hotlanta.  It's 99 in the shade and yes I meant the Bon Jovi pun for those who know me too well. 

Vacation was amazing and we had such a great time.  It was nice to just relax, lounge around and explore every square inch of Boppard, Reims and Paris.  I did send us off on a wild goose chase looking for a needlework store that Alma from Blackbird Designs mentioned on her blog about her trip a couple of years ago.  I wish I was kidding when I say that we walked 7 1/2 miles in one afternoon and never found it.  We were armed with the iphone map and it kept telling us it was just around the corner but as soon as we made the turn it would send us off another way.  Mark kept his spirits up just making fun of me huffing and puffing but determined to find it.  After a couple of stops for lunch, dinner and lots of wine, I finally admitted defeat so we headed back to the hotel and I was content to stitch away the freebie design that I downloaded from Alma's blog as a tribute to the trip.  As we were walking back to the Arc de Trimphe which was right beside our hotel, Mark said "Hey I hear a band playing at the Arc" and this will tell you who tired I was because I replied "It could be Bon Freakin Jovi and I wouldn't stop right now".  Still a once in a lifetime trip and it really makes you appreciate home when you get back!

I did actually make it to the Paris flea market and was so disappointed. I made sure to get exact directions so I didn't go to the swap meets thinking it was the Fleas as the French call it. I think before the world of internet shopping the fleas was the biggest thing ever but now I could find everything I could possibly want online so I was disappointed. Not as much as Mark who had made arrangements to have stuff shipped home and changed subway trains 7 times with me just to get there. But I can now say be there, done that and mark it off my bucket list. Now that's not to say that I came home empty handed....don't despair my friends I still brought home treasures just treasures that I could carry on or pack into Mark's suitcase.  There was a great antique street fair close to the hotel so I spent more time there than anywhere else.  I managed to score the stool and 2 pewter porringers from a guy for about $60, the two coffee grinders were $40 for both and the yellowware bowl, chopping board and wooden mallet were quite a bit more I'm afraid.  But all of it fit in my suitcases along with a few other small things I bought like 3 pillows and a huge slate cheese platter.  Mark was about to kill me after lugging all that "old wood" as he likes to refer to it all thru bus trip to airport, thru Paris airport, thru Atlanta airport and finally the marta trip home.  I was afraid he would throw them off the train tracks when he realized that the elevator was broken so we had to carry the bags down the stairs.  What a guy!  Now I just need some time to play with my newest treasures and get them displayed properly in the house.  I promise more pics after all the fluffing is done.