What I Have Been Doing

 With my new eyes I have been busy sewing.  The above quilted tote bag is available for purchase.  It was made from a charm pack called Peony Blush.  The colors are pinks and greens.  SALE PENDING $25.00

A close up view. 

Pale Pink lining with a pocket.  The green fabric was also used for the handles and a panel that joins the front and back of bag.

This is the second bag I made from the same charm pack.  My neighbor saw the squares before I got it put together and wanted it.  So it is sold.  I was pretty happy since this is the first bag I've sold!  :)  SOLD

The colors are gorgeous.

This is a smaller tote bag I made last summer from left over squares that I am making my quilt top from.  It is not quilted, has a lightweight interfacing to give it some body.  The bag alone is $10.00...with the zippered pouch $12.50.  SALE PENDING

The other side.

The lining, also made the straps from the same fabric.  They are about 9 inches long.

Then I made a zipper pouch with different squares on both sides.  SALE PENDING

This is the inside of the pouch.  THE ABOVE 3 TOTE BAGS & ZIPPERED POUCH ARE EITHER SALE PENDING OR SOLD.  SCROLL DOWN TO SEE TOTE BAG THAT IS STILL AVAILABLE.  THANKS!

I had my second cataract surgery on April 8th...left eye.  It was a complete different experience.  I did not doze off after given the IV sedative so I was aware of everything that was going on.  There was a tiny bit of pain and could feel tugging and pulling.  I also felt the injection that the doctor gave me to numb the eye.  He and the OR nurse were chatting back and forth.  I could have said that I needed more of the sedative, however the pain was tolerable and I wanted the procedure to be over as soon as possible.

I didn't have a long wait as I did the first time.  I think I was there a total of about 2 and a half hours.  I have done real well and have 3 more days of putting eye drops in that eye.  It is absolutely amazing how well I can see.  Everything is so clear and vivid.  I am enjoying being able to get back to my regular activities and especially enjoying being able to sew again.

Haven't done any card making, need to tackle that one of these days.  Actually thinking about downsizing my card making stuff so I have more room for fabric, etc.  I could really use my 6 foot table.

I need to make an appointment with the optometrist now to see about getting glasses.  Thankfully I still have my old glasses so I have been using them to read and see things up close.  My distance vision is fantastic.  I still have to use the glaucoma drops for another 5 months and will have a check up in October to see how that is doing.  Then next year in April I will have a complete eye test.

I couldn't be happier with the care that I got from my doctor and the entire staff at the Eye Surgery Center.  I got cards from them after both surgeries and a Starbucks gift card.  Well, the Starbucks was because of the 5 and a half hour wait I had the first time. :)

 Almost forgot to add this bag.  I just completed it this afternoon.  It is another quilted tote bag made from a charm pack called Tapestry.  The colors are corals and greens.  It is also available for purchase. $25.00  THIS TOTE BAG IS STILL AVAILABLE.

The lining is green.  I forgot to sew in a pocket.  The handles are about 9 inches long.

Leave a comment or email me if interested in any of these.  bettytownsend@hotmail.com

Thanks!



My Afternoon Project - Dish Towels

I've needed some new dishtowels.  I've seen several different projects on some of the sewing, quilting web pages that I subscribe to.

So the other day, I went up to Joann's to see if they had any toweling fabric.  The only thing they had was terry cloth...I wasn't too interested in using terry cloth.  So I looked over in the section where they have different kits.  I found a package of these dish towels, 3 to a package for $8.99.  I bought some trim and a fat quarter that I was going to use on them.

On this first one I used some fabric that I had in my stash.  It is pink with lady bugs on it.

This second one, I used red rick rack trim that I bought and a red stripe ribbon from my card making ribbon box.

A close-up...the rick rack looks orange...

The third one I used some strip ribbon that I bought.  I remembered that I had a spool of these daisies so used some of them over the ribbon.

I thought they came out pretty good...however after using them, they are not very absorbent.  I thought maybe they wouldn't be...will see what they are like after another wash or two.  I'll have to search online and see if I can find fabric to use in making dishtowels.

Other Projects:

This week I tried on all the skirts I have to see if any fit.  A few I have are way too big...I have lost quite a bit of weight with my diabetes.  I fixed one that has an elastic waist...it was too long too.  So I ripped out the waistband and made a new casing for elastic.  That took care of shortening it too.  One of the tiered one, I took out one of the tiers and put a new hem in it.  I took out a tier in another skirt, however the material is rayon so am going to take it to the cleaners and see what they'll charge me for hemming it.  A couple of others need new elastic to make them fit. 

I am so wanting to sew again.  I've seen several projects I want to try.

Left Eye Surgery:

My surgery on my left eye is scheduled for this coming Monday, the 8th.  I got a call from the surgery center yesterday.  I report in at 11:45 am and surgery will be, maybe, around 1 pm.  Hopefully there are no glitches this time and Dr. Baker is able to get into the OR to do his surgeries on time.   It will be so nice to be able to fully see again.  I will probably find out on Tuesday, when my bandage come off, whether I will still need glasses.

My distance vision is great with the new lens in my right eye.  I am having to use my old glasses to read and look at things up close.  So maybe I will just need reading glasses. 

I apologize, I don't know how that first picture got so large...and I don't know how to fix it.  Blogger drives me crazy sometimes... :) 

I think I fixed all the typos...lol.

Cataracts & Diabetes

I can see again...well, with my right eye that is.  I had my surgery on Monday, the 11th.  I had my follow-up appointment with Dr. Baker this past Monday and the right eye has healed and my vision is excellent in that eye.  I was able to see and read the 20/20 line on the eye chart.  I did miss one letter... :)

I had to wait about 4 hours before I actually got into the operating room.  The surgeon that had morning surgeries got way behind from the onset.  That pushed all Dr. Baker's patients back. 

We got to the surgery center at 11 am, was suppose to check in at 11:10am, got taken back to be prepped for surgery at 1 pm and it was 3 pm when I was actually taken to surgery.  The awesome thing was that we were sitting in the car at 3:45pm ready to go get something to eat, finally...and I was talking to my sister, Ernie.

The patient that was Dr. Baker's first, kind of caused a ruckus while we waited.  It was a gentleman in his 80's (?), he kept asking how long it was going to be while he was still in the waiting room.  He had to get up to go to the restroom 3 times which meant having to unhook him from the monitors.  He had the staff running back and forth into the OR to see how much longer.  The third time he had to get up, he was quite loud by then and kept saying he was going to cancel.  The staff tried to placate him which was not working.  He wanted to talk to Dr. Baker.  Dr. Baker tried to reason with him to no avail.  He finally got dressed after Dr. Baker told him he could reschedule.  He no sooner left and I was being wheeled into the OR.  If he had just hung on a few minutes he would have been done. 

I was doing very well, my BP was good, however right at the point of his getting louder, my BP spiked a little.  Different ones of the staff kept coming over to my space making sure I was ok.  At one point my nurse closed my curtain, I was right across from this man.  They all apologized for the delay and the unhappy patient.  Just before I went into surgery, my nurse went out to get Gerry so I could see him for a minute.  I started to get weepy when I saw him so was glad it was just for a minute.  He thought I was already done.

The last thing I remember in the OR was one of the nurses telling me a pipe like thing she was placing in the side of the bed and over me was for my oxygen...and then the next thing was Dr. Baker telling me we were done.  I was given a mild sedative which put me to sleep at the beginning, however supposedly I was awake through the actual surgery.  I could hear a whizzing sound...that was the machine that powered the instrument to suction the cataract out. 

I think I was only in recovery for about 10 minutes.  I walked out to the waiting room, on my own, with help from one of the staff.  Everyone was so nice...must say I had excellent care.  Yesterday I got a card from the OR staff and a letter from the prep staff, apologizing for the delay and thanking me for allowing them to take care of me.  The prep staff sent a Starbucks gift card. :)  I've had on my mind to send Thank you cards and I need to do that.

The next day I had the bandage taken off...since then I have been like a kid in a candy shop...marveling at the vivid colors and being able to see so much...Red is really red, greens are really green, yellows are really yellow...it is so exciting!!  Gerry laughs at me when I tell him about something I've noticed.  I had to wear a shield over my eye all of last week...that was so I didn't rub it or hurt it in any way.  I need to make sure I have sunglasses on when I go outside and it was even advised that I wear my old glasses in the house.  I am wearing them which is helping quite a bit to see things, like read the newspaper and my desktop computer.  I reduced the zoom on the desktop from 200% to 125%.  I can see the words at 100%.

The surgery for the left eye is scheduled for April 8th, about 2 and a half weeks away.  I am so excited to get it over with and get back to doing things that I haven't been able to do for so many months.  I'm looking forward to driving again.

I am doing a lot better with managing my diabetes.  It was so frustrating in the beginning which had a lot to do with not being able to see things.  This past week I've made 3 recipes from one of the cookbooks Gerry bought me.  One was not too exciting, the other two were pretty good, especially the dessert I made...I'm having some now.  My glucose readings have been consistent...not jumping all over the place when I first started testing.  I couldn't eat anything the day of my surgery nor take my medications.  Gerry was concerned about that, especially since it was about 16 hours without food.  They tested me at the surgery center and it was really good...right in the range where it should be.  I was really thankful for that.

I am so thankful my surgery went well, I couldn't get over how peaceful I felt.  I knew it was because so many were praying...I certainly felt those prayers.  I said in a status on Facebook that morning that I was resting in the Father's arms and that is exactly where I was through it all.

I hope to be blogging more, I have missed doing this.

Checking In

It has been a while since I have been on my blog.  It has been a huge adjustment trying to deal with being a diabetic.  It can be so frustrating at times.

The first of my cataract surgeries is this coming Monday, the 11th.  The right eye will be done first since it is the worse of the two.  The surgery for the left eye will be 4 weeks later.  It will be a welcome relief to get my eyesight back.  It is getting to be worse than a broken record, saying constantly "I can't see" or "I can't see anything".  It has been very difficult to be on the computer, to read, etc.  Thankfully I have my tablet to use although even then it is challenging.

So not much has been happening around here.  I must say I miss blogging.

Ok, that's about all I can manage to type.  Catch up later.

Christmas 2012 and More

Looking at my blog, it has been several months since I have written anything.  It has been a very busy few months...so I will try to catch up.

We spent a quiet Christmas.  Jason, our youngest son, invited us over for dinner yesterday.  We had gone over to his house for Thanksgiving too.  It was nice...Sybil fixed a nice turkey dinner with all the trimmings.  One of her sisters was there with her adult daughters and their boyfriends.  Courtney, Sybil's daughter, and Chris were also there.

It was a very rainy day so it was nice to be inside, enjoying the food and fellowship.

On Christmas Eve, we spent about 11 hours at the airport.  The local chapter of the Patriot Guard Riders did a 12 hour vigil at the airport welcoming military personnel coming home for Christmas.  They had no idea how many would be arriving...as it turned out they welcomed 54 people.  One guy proposed to his girlfriend when he got off the escalator...that was pretty awesome.  Six of us met for breakfast at an IHOP restaurant that is near the airport.  We were at the airport by 9 am.  The vigil was from 9 am to 9pm.  It was a "come when you can, and stay as long as you can" kind of mission.  I think there were as many as 22 there at one point.  The evening ended with 7 of us.  Gerry and I were pretty tired by the time we got home.

It has been really busy with PGR missions.  One of the highlights that I participated in was the "Snowball Express" the early part of December.  The family members (spouse and children) of fallen heroes are invited each year to go to a major city for a weekend of fun.  American Airlines donates the planes and crews to fly these families and it is all expenses paid.  The last 2 years Sacramento has been one of the cities where a plane is assigned.  Also, for the past 2 years they have gone to Fort Worth/Dallas, TX.  The morning they left, the PGR guys had to be at the airport by 4 am.  They help the families with their luggage and assist them in getting on the plane.  American Airlines decorates the plane being used and has some activites for the kids to take part in, including hot chocolate and donuts.

I got an idea to make Christmas cards to give to each family when they returned from the trip.  As it turned out, I made cards for each child, 27 of them.  Some of the guys contributed a $1 that we tucked into each card.  The night they came back, I had some help in giving a card to each child.  One little girl came up to thank me and then asked if she could give me a hug.  I, of course, wrapped her up in my arms and gave her a big hug.  That was such a sweet feeling.

The lady who usually makes a card for the military personnel we are welcoming home was out of town for a few weeks so I was asked to make a few cards.

We are working on making some lifestyle changes.  The middle of November I was diagnosed with having Type 2 Diabetes.  In the same week I got that news, I also found out that my cataracts are quite bad and I need to have surgery.  I also have glaucoma, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  Wow, just overwhelming news all at the same time.

I am taking medication for all of it.  In January I will have to have more blood work done to see what my glucose readings are...and maybe add insulin injections if they are not good.  I am hoping I don't have to do that.  It has been a real challenge trying to figure out what I can eat...my gout has also flared up...I am finding out foods that are good for diabetes are not good for gout.  Gerry has been a super, big help in all of this...it affects him too.

My cataract surgery should happen sometime after the first of the year.

We traded our Nissan Quest van in and bought a 2010 Nissan Sentra...it has very low miles and looks brand new.  It is loaded with leather seats, a sunroof, keyless entry and ignition. navigation system, power doors/windows...a few other things.  Gerry has been wanting to cut down on the expenses of a larger vehicle.  I wasn't too thrilled about it, at first...loved the van.  The Sentra is a nice car and it will be better for us.  I haven't been driving for the last 3 or so months...hoping that will change once I have my surgery.

My great granddaughter, Chayse Katherine is growing, still a beauty.  She celebrated her 1st birthday in September.  Hard to believe the year has gone by so quickly.  Denise and her family spent last weekend in Fayetteville so they could have Christmas with Chayse.  They took lots of pictures and posted them on Facebook. :)

I think I've written a book...lol! 

Happy New Year!!

70th Birthday and a Train Ride

I have some catching up to do...

I celebrated my 70th birthday last week Saturday, July 28th.  I don't feel 70 years old and I know I don't look it, yet somehow the years have sped by and here I am...

My mom use to always call me on the 27th and I'd say "Mom, its tomorrow"...and she'd say "well, it was pitch black the morning you were born".  It was a few minutes after midnight and there was a single light bulb hanging down...it was partially covered because of blackouts, no light could be showing...it was almost 8 months after Pearl Harbor...I miss those phone calls...

My daughter, Denise Noelani, made me a gorgeous handmade lap size quilt.  The package came a couple of days before my birthday...she sent it Express Mail to be sure I got it before my birthday. :) The colors are fallish...greens, browns, cream, blue and barn red...I love it.  It is beautiful!

This little patch says "Happy 70th Birthday Mom...Made with Love...Denise Noelani, July 2012".

I sobbed when I pulled the quilt out of the packing box.  I couldn't believe what I was seeing!!  I will treasure this always!!

Saturday morning we went out to breakfast at Eggie's...it is a place we've been to several times.  I had a San Francisco Joes scramble.  I think they call it something else, can't remember...anyway it is 3 eggs scrambled with ground beef, spinach, mushrooms and onions then cheese melted on top...also an English muffin and orange juice.

After we ate, we drove to Roseville to the Galleria Mall.  I wanted to go to Penney's...they weren't open yet so I sat and waited and Gerry did a couple of laps around the upstairs.  I didn't really see anything I really had to have so we walked around some and left.  I don't enjoy shopping much, anymore.

We had parked on the top level and I decided to walk out one of the downstairs exits and wait for Gerry to get the van and come around.  Going to get the car, he passed by Sees and got us some chocolates...a box of soft centers and a box of molasses chips.

We came back home and hung out until about 3:30pm.  We were going on a train ride and decided to have dinner before we went on the ride.  We went to a place called Emma's Taco House.  They don't have a website...the restaurant has been open for a lot of years...it doesn't look like much on the outside, however the food is pretty good.  We were there early so it wasn't crowded...yet.  The servers were putting reserved signs on several tables as we left.

We both had combination places...I forgot to take pictures of our entrees...I had a chicken enchilada and a chicken taco...they both had lots of chicken in them...with rice...no beans.  Not sure what Gerry had...they serve a delicious soup and a salad with the meals.  This soup was really good...it had a little bit of heat to it...I was able to eat it though.  They bring the soup out in a separate bowl and you serve yourself from the bowl.  There was some left over so our server put it in a container for us to bring home.

 Nothing special with the salad..it was good too.

Emma's is about 5 minutes away from where we needed to catch the train...Sacramento River Train .  Gerry had bought a coupon online...we took the Sunset train which goes to Woodland and back.  They have beer and wine tastings on this particular trip which we got coupons for...didn't use them since we don't drink.  There was also a local BBQ restaurant catering food on the trip...a bar serving drinks...and a small band too.  It was crowded...it was sold out and I noticed that the August trip is sold out.  We sat in an open car...there were benches w/backs lined up on each side...Gerry stood the whole way.  It leaves West Sacramento at 6pm and returns at 9pm.

 The Sacramento River.

 Corn fields...

Gerry took the next few pictures...the train has arrived in Woodland and the engine is being switched for the return trip.

 There is no guessing when the engine has been hooked up again...there's a huge jolt to the whole train...the ride was ok...not something I'd want to do again.  We've taken other train rides that were much more enjoyable...

 I got a few coupons from different restaurants for a free birthday meal.  We went to Mimi's, the Natomas location for Sunday lunch.  I had the salmon dinner...Gerry had breakfast.  His meal was less than mine so it was free with my coupon.

After we ate, we stopped at Fys's...here's what I got for my birthday...

 Samsung Galaxy Tab2 tablet...10.1 inch...

I am enjoying it...I downloaded my Kindle application onto it so can read the free Kindle books that I get from Amazon.  I also downloaded a Nook application.  I have a Nook which I use to read library ebooks.  I just purchased a Nook ebook so I need to see if it downloads to the tablet.  I have Mahjong downloaded and a game that Gerry plays called Jewels...it is just like Bejeweled that I play on my PC.  I can do everything on the tablet that I can do on my computer, except print anything.  It will be so nice on trips and won't have to get frustrated trying to read something on my cell phone.

I'm looking forward to see what this new decade of my life holds... :)

Summer Storm

It is very seldom we have a thunderstorm(s) here in the Sacramento Valley during the summer.  They occur often up in the mountains, during the summer.

Last night and early this morning, we had some.  One of the lightening strikes seemed like it was very close...woke me up.  And it rained really hard too.  It sounded like it could have been hailing too...I didn't get up to see.

The weather forecast is for another very hot day.  Right now there is a soft breeze and it is rather pleasant.  Kinda of overcast too.  It will be interesting to see what the rest of the day turns out to be.

It was miserable yesterday, well over a 100 degrees.