A Quick Trip

Since I last posted we've made a quick trip to New England and back. The trip wasn't a planned one but came about as a result of another quick trip: one that Dad made straight to the floor a week ago Friday. He got up from his bed that morning and was going into the bathroom, the next thing that he remembered was waking up facing the ceiling; he had fallen backwards, striking the back of his head on the lip of the walk-in shower. It was a bad fall resulting in both stitches and staples to close the wound. He spent that day in the Emergency Dept. at the local hospital and was discharged to home. Two days later he found himself unable to speak. Thinking that he was having a stroke he was, once again, transported to the hospital by ambulance. It was quickly determined, as his speech returned, that he wasn't having a stroke at all; thanks be to God! But, rather, he was suffering from a subdural hematoma, or brain bleed. The pressure on the part of the brain that controls speech was affected and that is what mimicked the stroke-like symptoms. By the time we learned all of the above activity we were packed, in the car, and on the way to New Hampshire. It was comforting for us to lay eyes on Dad and ascertain how he was doing, I am SO GLAD that we went! He was discharged from the hospital to rehab, the same rehab that my mother loved so much, where she spent some of her final days last year. We (including Augie) are no strangers to these long corridors and attentive and supportive staff. 

While we were there we stopped at the library that has been dedicated to my mother. This tribute to her  hangs just inside the door with a quilt that she made in 1998 and framed photograph of her working at her sewing machine. 💗

Dad is all settled into his room, he loves sitting by the window. Until he gets a little stronger and steadier he'll be calling this home for a few weeks. Every bed in this rehab facility has a quilt on it made by the local quilt guild. I am planning a second part to this post in conjunction with that fact, stay tuned. 

When we left to travel home on Saturday, sadly, Dad was more than a bit discouraged. Even though Augie was comforting him to the best of his ability, for someone who is used to "going and doing" on his own being relegated to a rehab facility where one needs to call for assistance every time they move is a hard pill to swallow. In the meantime, prayers are graciously welcomed!

Life is Good!

I Know, I Know...

In my last post, which was almost a month ago, I explained what was keeping me away from this blog. And today, here we go again! We've been in New England for three weeks spending time with family. It's all good. In the earlier days I would've queued up posts to periodically appear during an absence of this duration but I just didn't get that done ahead of time this go-round. You'll never find me posting, either, while we're gone; announcing that our home is empty.  Most of our time away was spent with my Mom and Dad. In this photo (L) Augie is sitting on the steps waiting for my Mom to come downstairs. He was their lap companion during our stay with them. 

Mom uses a chair lift and Augie doesn't let her out of his sight when she's upstairs!

They're doing well, they have their own routines and rituals which we observed along with them. Mom has a hair appointment every Friday and following that they eat lunch at the diner right next door, this photo was snapped in the diner; it's "Cheers!"-like, everybody knows their names. They have a standing booth there and their beverages are delivered before they even sit down. We were able to help them get some chores done in anticipation of winter as well as get some things cleaned out and organized. It was a great time together.

We didn't stay in the house with them, but rather in a hotel a very short distance away; it worked out well. Augie kept an eye on the parking lot; he's a great security dog! Nothing gets past him. 

While we were staying at the hotel they replaced all the mattresses. I was shocked that they discard them into a dumpster! I did ask if they couldn't be donated to a needy cause but was told that they have to be trashed after they're used. I can't help but wonder why it was okay for us to sleep on these perfectly good mattresses one night and that they were required to be disposed of the next. This makes no good sense to me. 

I spent a good amount of time cross-stitching, until I ran out of the needed colors to finish. 

Augie doing what he does best, warming laps and being a sweet companion to everyone.

Here's a taste of picturesque New England. This covered bridge is a replacement for the original, it's a pedestrian bridge just a short way from where my parents live.

You know that you've been gone a long time when your accumulated mail is delivered like this. I have lots to catch you up on, surprises and accomplishments! Yes!!  I know, I know... I've been full of excuses lately. 

Dental surgery first thing in the morning. Say a little prayer.

In all honesty, this time we hit the ground running when we returned!

I'll be back, I promise!

Pinky swear.

Life is Good!

One Quick Trip

We've only just returned from a quick trip to Massachusetts; this time, sadly, for a family funeral. Our dear friend, and brother-in-law, Dick, passed away on Friday, September 8th. He'd been sick for the last few months, we kept up constant communication with Mr. G's sister, Barbara, and knew of his rapidly deteriorating condition but still were not prepared for that phone call informing us that he was gone. We have so many wonderful memories of him throughout the years.

In this photo, taken twenty five years ago, they were visiting us in our home overseas. Dick is on the far left, then Barbara, me and Mr. G. Those were happy times; we enjoyed SO many together! As you can tell by the picture at the top, Augie made himself at home while we stayed with Barbara, trying to help out as we could. That quilt in the upper photo is one that I made for my mother-in-law, seventeen years ago. You can read about it here; I was a brand new blogger way back then; the quilt now resides with my sister-in-law. 💗

We were able to dash up the road a little further, to NH, and grabbed lunch with my Mom and Dad on Friday (fish chow-dah, 'nuf said), it was so good to see them! On Sunday, when we were getting ready to leave, Augie and Monty (Barbara's dog) had a spirited game of tug-of turtle as we were eating breakfast. They're the original Big Dog, Little Dog pair.  They really do miss each other now. 

I read this book while traveling and highly recommend it; such great insight into dog behavior!  Home again, we're back to work on the kitchen project, finishing up the backsplash.

This is totally random but I thought I'd include this topic since I only just tackled it. When we arrived home there was a water ring mark on our coffee table. I have no idea where it came from or how long it had been there. I looked up some remedies and found one that utilized combining mayonnaise and fireplace ashes. I mixed up a small amount, rubbed in into the offending mark with a soft cloth, and left it there for about an hour. When I rubbed it off the mark was gone completely; I used equal parts, probably about a TBSP of each. 

Life is Good!

From Here to There (and Back Again...)

No, we didn't travel by helicopter, but we have only just returned from a quick visit to New England with my Mom and Dad; this trip had been planned for months. It ended up being a different kind of visit this time, as my mother was in the hospital for the duration of our time there, she suffered a compression fracture a few days before our arrival. Due to a shortage of nurses, and hospital staff in general, half of her stay was in the Emergency Department. This was my view as I waited. My husband, Dad and I alternated visits which were limited to one person at a time. I found this helicopter landing pad really quite entertaining and scary at the same time; the pad itself is just behind the wooden fence, directly behind that is the street (2 lanes) which separates the landing surface from the houses in the background! During my "waiting" time I witnessed numerous landings and takeoffs, holding my breath each time! 😲 I couldn't believe how "tight" this space appeared. By the middle of last week Mom was finally transferred to a room on a floor, out of the E.D. One thing after another led to a symptom cascade which delayed her transfer to a rehab facility until yesterday. I spoke with her this morning and she sounded good, her attitude was positive; that's over half of the battle right there. I was fearful that she would get discouraged; she wasn't happy about a plethora of things (you name it) at the time that we had to leave her to come back home. But, as of today, she sounded ready and eager to put on the back brace and get to physical therapy, we'll see. Baby steps. 

I did what I could to help Dad while staying at the house; all those things that he wouldn't necessarily think of (or want to do): cleaning the house to within an inch of its life, laundry, stocking the fridge, cooking, etc. In the afternoons more waiting time was spent sitting out in the backyard with needle and thread, that helped to keep the mind and hands occupied. 

This little painted rock was discovered on a bench outside of the hospital near the parking lot. 

Thank you to whoever leaves these great surprises that put everything all into perspective! 

What a day brightener!

This sweet photo popped up in my photo memories yesterday from exactly eight years ago. What a coincidence. Back in 2014 Mom and I took an improvisational piecing class from Lynne Tyler at Quilted Threads in Henniker, NH. We had such a wonderful day and made such great memories there! If you're so inclined, would you please lift my mother in prayer for strength and healing in the days and weeks to come? She's got an uphill climb to gain back to where she was, but we know what the power of prayer can accomplish, the more the better, one can never have too many prayers! Her name is Harriett, God knows who she is; please know that I am deeply grateful. I'll keep you posted on her progress here. 💗

Lots of passenger seat time on the drive back home yielded much progress on this piece. I still have a blossom to finish and the bottom of the finial to complete, but it's coming right along. 

These followed us home in the trunk of the car. 

You can take the girl out of New England, 

but... (you know the rest!)😉

Again, heartfelt thanks for your prayers!

Life is Good!

 

When In New England...

We made a trip up to New England to visit with family and spend Mother's Day with my mother. As of this morning we're home again and the washing machine is working overtime. Our visit north was blessed by the weather gods; lovel, sunny (albeit chilly) days and crisp, cool nights. It was glorious! My sister and her husband met up with a lobster fisherman on Saturday afternoon and brought back TEN(!) of these beauties. She set up a pot for boiling in the back yard on Sunday afternoon and in they went! It was a full New England experience! 😀

We all (not just the Moms) feasted on tender, sweet and succulent lobster that evening, it was a true Mother's Day treat to remember! We were able to score some delicious fried clams while in the area, as well. It was nice to see the mask mandates loosening up in New Hampshire; while we were there the "masks required" signs were being replaced with "masks recommended" in restaurants and stores, as well as those one way arrows being lifted up from the floors of the grocery store aisles. Progress...

Yesterday was a travel-back-home day, someone took full advantage of his "car time" by sleeping the day away. We didn't encounter any of the gasoline shut-down at all until we entered Virginia, in the evening. With an eye to the possibility of pumps being out we kept our tank filled, stopping to top off wherever we could along the way. That was a good thing! Our daughter loaned me her copy of The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, this passenger in the car couldn't put it down; it's a compelling read- but brutal! I haven't quite finished it yet, we'll see how it ends. 

Home again, home again, jiggety-jig! 

😉

Life is Good!

Back To School...

... a long, long time ago. There were days, even in the not so distant past, when back to school meant physically going back on the day after Labor Day, that's the way it was when I was a kid. This is me, back in those days, my fourth grade school picture. We were lucky enough to be able to take a trip back to those places where I attended elementary school last week. We have been FaceTiming with my family in New England since the COVID crisis began, but we really needed to see them in person, even for a very short time. This trip up there took some doing: COVID tests to make 100% sure we were negative and then self-quarantining until it was time to leave. We packed our food and gallons of sanitizer in the car, no stopping; (except for bathrooms and fuel) and drove straight up to their home- 865 miles. It was great to be able to hug my mom and dad again! We arrived on the 6th and drove back home, in identical fashion, on the 11th. Whew, it was a fast-paced, jam-packed few days! One day, last week, the decision was made to make a trip down to my hometown (also my Dad's). Mr. G and I, along with Mom and Dad, jumped in the car for the two hour drive back home. I thought that our road trip was fun, but there's much truth to the old saying that "you can't go home again". My Dad had hoped to see his old homestead, my grandparents home; much has been renovated and changed in the last year but the trees and shrubs have grown so large surrounding the house that it was almost impossible to see the place at all, that made him sad. My mother was very disappointed in our old house, next door to my grandparents home, where I grew up; the exterior paint color has changed and other alterations have occurred since they sold it. Time marches on, but it's hard; and especially so as one grows older. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the day visiting my old schools. Sadly, the biggest thing missing last week were the sounds and sights of children inside and outside the schools. The physical appearance of the buildings has changed dramatically, except for the school where I attended second grade, that school housed three second grade classrooms back then. Two were upstairs, one to the right and one to the left of the front door. My classroom was downstairs on the back of the building. sadly, those windows have been boarded over, thwarting my hope to peek inside. I was able to look in the window of the back door and remembered going up and down those steps, it looks exactly the same as it did in my mind, the cafeteria was downstairs there too, on the other side of the lower level (the building now temporarily houses the town's library). That oak tree behind the school where I spent the most number of years looks the same too, except for the fact that there used to be a bench built all around that tree; I recall that we would race out the door at recess time to claim spaces on that bench! The school where I attended sixth grade was brand-new when I entered for that single year before moving on to Jr. High. Those double doors were the main doors back then, there's a new entrance and another wing has been added in the last 55 years-- ha, imagine that! I did speak with the school secretary here. She came outside and introduced herself, she wanted to see why an old lady was photographing the school! She had questions about the way things used to be that I could actually answer. We commiserated about the current state of things; she, too, misses the students!

We spent Labor Day doing something quintessentially New England in my parents backyard; 

and, yes, it was as every bit as delicious as it looks.

Friday morning, bright and early, it was time to bid good-byes; always the hardest part, and hit the road once again. We have no idea what the fall will bring and when we'll be traveling again, but we made the most of our time together for a few, brief, golden days. I'll have a few more posts this week about our northern adventures. Thanks for joining me today on my trip down memory lane, it was such an enjoyable trip to take and one that's always more fun with friends along. 

💗

Life is Good!

Home Again, Home Again

I'm back! You may not have noticed the absence, I have been slow to post lately and got too busy to load any posts ahead of time before being in New England for the last week and a half. As you can see, I was lucky enough to visit Keepsake Quilting in Center Harbor, NH on Saturday last week, it was a rainy day and where better to spend time? And, yes, I found some goodies! 😁

Right around the corner of the porch on which I am standing is the site of the new Pineapple Fabrics store. It is featured as one of the top ten quilt shops in the current BH&G Quilt Sampler magazine; it does not disappoint, either! This space is filled with precuts; colorful displays, a wonderful room in which to relax (for quilter's spouses or those waiting on shoppers) equipped with a television, comfy chairs and complimentary beverages-- take a peek at the one minute video hyper-linked above-- you'll see!

A quick stop for Cider Bellies, donuts freshly made and hot out of the fryer, at a farm stand on the way to Keepsake made for a perfect day's outing! These may have been consumed in the car before even leaving the parking lot! Ah, fall in New England-- I wish you could have smelled this place, the donuts are positively irresistible!

Time spent in New England was precious family time. I carried a stack of quilt labels to document my Mother's quilts for her. Last time I visited we photographed and jotted pertinent data for each one.

This trip I sat and added the labels to the backs of each one. Don't ever neglect to document your quilts and include your quilt's name, your name, the year and where you were living when you made it; that's pretty much the bare minimum of what should goes on your label; naturally, if you can add more information it doesn't hurt (pattern name and/or source, quilter's name if different than piecer, etc.); you may think that you'll always remember and a label isn't necessary. Believe me, it really, truly is!!

My sister gave me this precious antique child's iron and ironing board during the visit. I still can't believe it; it reminds me so much of the ironing board that I had when I was three years old. I love it!

There's more to share and I know that I need to get back to the "little houses" teaser from the last post. I will, I promise. In the meantime: the pattern winner from that same post is Pat, she will be receiving a Lemoyne Trails pattern in the mail in the next few days; thanks to all of you for playing along! For the rest of the day I will be finishing laundry and settling back in. Dorothy knew best, even though it's wonderful to travel there really is no place like home! 

Life is Good! 

A Little Bit Of Family Time

I've been gone for a little over a week; we made a quick trip to New England to celebrate both Father's Day with my dad and my Mom's birthday two days later. It's always a great time when we get together, and it always goes by way too fast! This photo (L) was taken out in my Dad's workshop just as we were leaving to drive back home on Friday last week. I am posting, below, family photos that sum up our week together; mainly gathered around the table for meals, if not at my Mom and Dad's table at various other tables out and about, it's what we do!

Father's Day-- steak tips on the grill, Dad's choice! Mom, my BIL, sister, Mr. Goodneedle and Dad.

A fried clam roll from a take-out stand in Winnisquam, NH. I save up all year for this many carbohydrates and cholesterol in one meal. Yes, it is worth it. Just looking at this picture right now transports me back. 

The ladies all together for Mom's birthday. We ate at a favorite restaurant chosen by the birthday girl; we all had her favorite of all desserts instead of birthday cake there: fried ice cream! 

Lunch out at a great, old-fashioned diner after shopping at Keepsake Quilter. Hats are optional. 😉

My haul from the shopping trip. Great buys on backing fabric when purchased by the pound. I found a couple of books that I had been looking for and a pattern for placemats which are touted as quick and easy-- we'll see! I was very happy to see Keepsake Quilter return to the beautiful, well-stocked flagship store that it had been in the past; the new owners have turned this premiere shop back around.

This may seem totally unrelated, and maybe it is, but I wanted to add it to this "going back home" post. Mr. Goodneedle and I were in the same high school graduating class in Massachusetts. We recently observed the 48th anniversary of that occasion and couldn't resist swinging by our old alma mater on our way up to New Hampshire this time after spending time in the Boston area. The renovated building now bears little resemblance to the school as we knew it. In our minds, though, it remains exactly the same. On a warm June evening  in 1971 three hundred plus students stood proudly in the front driveway and walked up to the the podium, one by one, to receive their diplomas; a long time ago but, then, it sure doesn't seem that way.

That's the funny thing about time, the clock and the heart measure it completely differently;

in a blink, our short week was over and it was time to hop back in the car for our drive south.

I'm holding on to these memories,  I've tucked them away. 

I wouldn't trade this time of double celebrations together for the world.

★Two quilty posts to follow! Stay tuned~

Life is Good!