Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Reflecting

The bedraggled thing in the picture below is a beloved stuffed dog that my hubby cherished when he was little. Dog (he didn't have a name) endured many hugs, with one particularly vivid memory being when hubby was hospitalized for having his tonsils removed, and his parents brought Dog to him in the hospital. I'm sharing this because wee doggy was accidentally left behind when we moved in May, 2012! The poor fellow was tucked away on the top shelf of the master bedroom closet where he wasn't seen until the new homeowners recently found him. We're grateful for their thoughtfulness in contacting us, and then going to the effort to mail him. Some lovely people are still to be found, aren't they?

Another lovely person, Cindy in our Mid-Century Modern Bee, sent me these two gifts, a scarf and trivet, along with the blocks she made during my June Queen Bee month. Cindy shared that breast cancer awareness is a very dear cause to her and her husband Keith who made the 12" ceramic trivet.

Since a few of you have inquired about the status of my health, I share that am doing extremely well, tolerating without side effects a daily dose of the keep-cancer-away drug (Arimidex) I've been on since April 18. Two weeks ago I returned to the imaging doc for a recheck and was given an "all clear" until another check in December. Before then, I'll keep regular appointments with my general practitioner, oncologist, surgeon, and radiation oncologist, so if anything untoward pops up, I'm in good hands.

If you can't remember when you had your last mammogram, it's time to have one! The ONLY way my breast cancer could have been found was through a routine, annual mammogram, and I thank God it was! I had NO - zero, zip, nada - risk factors for breast cancer, and got it anyway. Your check-ups aren't anything to pooh-pooh, ladies!

Last Thursday morning I started teaching again - First Time Quiltmaking - and boy-o, was it a nice class! Eighteen women signed up, and 18 women showed up! I think that's a first - to have every registrant attend the first class. Guess that's the different between free lessons and paid-for lessons! 

It was somewhat daunting to face this roomful of empty chairs, but shortly afterward, many smiling faces put me at ease. Students were attentive and, based on their thoughtful questions, very engaged about learning how to make a quilt. I'm looking forward to lesson two this Thursday morning.

I'll have to add that though I am thrilled to be teaching again, these different circumstances are making me miss the thoughtful and supportive Iowa women who always helped me teach. They quite spoiled me by helping unload/load my car; set up/take down my sewing machine; unpack/pack-up quilts and bins of supplies, and answering questions and generally help students. Among my most supportive friends were Norma, Michelle, Bug...

Kim 

Susan

Lola (me on the left)

Mary, Deb, Suzanne... and many others who helped with six years of Stitchin' Mission lessons... You're the best! I miss you!

At home, between activities, I'm steadily FMQing Bloom. It's coming along as I'm now filling in open spaces with feathers.

I especially like to quilt feathers. A glass of wine alongside - in the evenings only - help take the edge off, so quilted feathers are smoother. That's my story, anyway.
Linda

22 comments:

  1. How wonderful of the new owners to send Dog to you. He looks like my stuffed animal I called Bluey because he was blue. Still have him. He has a very very floppy neck with absolutely no stuffing left.

    I'm so glad to hear you are doing well. Will continue to send prayers your way.

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  2. How sweet your buyers thought to contact you regarding Dog!

    Loving your quilting - I see an entire nature them. The flowers of course. The feathers remind me of ferns and I see raindrops and a breeze blowing through. Just gorgeous!

    The best news of all is that you're doing so well!

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  3. Wow, I can't get over the speed your getting your quilt quilted! And it's looking fantastic. So glad that "dog" got found. When my son was little he had a lamb skin he couldn't sleep without and he was using it into his teens. When we moved the last time, it got also left behind or got thrown away and you wouldn't believe it, ever so often he still complains about it ;)!!!

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  4. How lovely that there are still such nice people around and hubby got his wee dog back. Your quilt is so beautiful and a glass of wine is always needed to help the quilting process.
    So happy that you are doing well health wise I know how it can go.
    You will find those special friends and helpers again.Ask for help sometimes they need a little push . You seem like such a sweet person I would want to be your friend and help as much as I was able . Blessings sweet lady, keep healthy.

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  5. Hi Linda. So happy to hear you are doing so great.do you quilt on a domestic machine? It's stunning

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  6. What a sweet story about Dog. I wonder if my granddaughers will still have Hop and Beary when they are Dan's age! LOL! Your quilting is so so pretty, Linda...just fantastic!

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  7. So happy to hear of your good health and the return of Dog to his family home! Your FMQ still amazes me and your new class will love having you as their teacher! (ps I cannot comment on your blog when I open your posts via Blog Lovin'. I think I might know why...)

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  8. Sigh, just such lovely machine quilting... A talent and a skill.
    Glad to hear that your teaching went well, wish I lived closer.

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  9. Dog is home once again.. lovely. Bloom is looking so pretty. And how exciting to be back in a quilting classroom with enthusiastic new students. Enjoy your class.

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  10. So nice to hear you're doing well, Linda. Fabulous quilting on that beautiful quilt. Can't wait to see it all finished. I wish I could take one of your classes - what a treat that must be. And you're teasing me with those two quilts hanging sideways in one of your pics - I can't see them :-(
    xo

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  11. Hi Linda, I am so happy to hear you are feeling so well. What a wonderful support group you have.

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  12. Oh Linda! Your quilting is SO beautiful! I'm so happy also to know you're doing so well in every way. Looks like a beautiful place to teach. You're amazing--the grass is never growing under your feet!

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  13. What a sweet post so glad your class we t well, I know you're a great teacher. The quilting is looking amazing!!

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  14. So glad found his way HOME! What thoughtful buyers. Glad to hear that you are doing so well health-wise. And Bloom is really blooming beautifully. You do have a way with feathers, for sure. Do you mark them at all or just wing it totally? They look so perfect.

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  15. I'm glad the dog made his way to your new home. It was very kind of them to send him to you. The quilts look lovely and I also can't believe how quickly you can quilt them. I know your class will be great for your students and hope you are enjoying yourself teaching again.

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  16. So good to have Dog coming back home, makes you have kind thoughts about the new owners.
    Good health news. Linda! I share in your joy regarding that. I wish I could share with you the "funny" that happened after my last visit to the tech ~
    :-}pokey

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  17. Linda your quilting is always so beautiful...I wish I lived close enough to take a class with you! blessings, marlene

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  18. Linda,

    So good to hear you - and to hear that you have been using Aurifil 28th for hand stitching you binding! I feel vindicated! :o)

    Your FMQ is gorgeous looking!!! I hope it's another show quilt.

    Love your DOG story too - so sweet.

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  19. I think you know some very nice people - people who return items like Dog to you and, of course, quilting friends!

    Beautiful quilting!

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  20. that is so sweet that your hubby still has the dog and that the buyers of your house return the dog to you. it is cute.
    18 students! good for you. I know they learned a lot from you.
    WOW! your fmq is just amazing.
    glad to hear you are getting good reports.

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  21. Aha!!! It's the wine. ;D I need to try some wine to see if that lets my hands be able to do "normal" feathers! I really love what you're doing with "Bloom". So glad the new owners got Dog back to you guys. Things like that count so much. Enjoy those classes. I would love to teach quilt classes, but it just doesn't fit in right now. Maybe in 3 or 4 years I can see about trying that out. You're looking great! Thanks for the update on your status. I'm really glad the medicine's not throwing you for a loop. {{{ }}}

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  22. How wonderful to get dog back, the new owners must have known he was special. Your machine quilting is amazing, I'm totally in awe. Wishing you the very best for your health

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