The Problem With Butterfly Friendly Plants

You might end up with these feasting on your plants:





Apparently, some little Gulf Fritillary butterfly found favor with my passiflora foetida (passionflower) and laid her egss on it! The plant is now covered with larvae in various stages, so maybe I'll get some butterflies out of it!

The Flowers are Blooming, The Birds are Singing, and Rain!

Aren't the sunflowers and crows pretty?? I pulled out Sunflower Garden Sampler to work on while sitting in the waiting room during hubby's cardiac rehab sessions. I'm guaranteed at least three hours of stitching time a week while waiting. This is my first larger PS design, and I'm loving it! Not sure why it's taken me so long to get back to it.

I have also been working on getting caught up on my iStitch Mystery SAL piece. This is parts 1-4 and it's a very relaxing, peaceful stitch. I started part 5 while sitting at the imagining place this afternoon. Had to go do my part to support breast cancer awareness. ;) I got a lovely parting gift, too! LOL

We were fortunate to see some rain Saturday night into Sunday morning. It started raining early Saturday evening and continued all night long until about 11AM on Sunday. It was heavenly!! We received about 5" of rain total. There are some places to our west, where the wildfires have been prevalent, that got even more rain than we did. We'll take all we can get! My plants certainly appreciated all the rain we got.

As I mentioned previously, my hubby has started cardiac rehab. He goes 3 times a week for 12 weeks. Each session lasts about an hour and he is connected to a heart monitor. He does various cardiac exercises. Since he's connected to the monitor, if his heart rate gets too high or they notice something on the EKG, he is slowed down or stopped. One day last week, he had some kind of extra wave on his EKG while walking on the treadmill, but not on any other of the machines. They showed him the irregularity and mentioned it could be from pain. They've been watching it ever since, but he's not had any more. On Day 3 of rehab, they increased the intensity of his workout. I think that's a pretty good sign. Saturday, his cardiac rehab consisted of mowing the yard. The nurses fussed at him about that today! LOL I know he's feeling better, especially since we figured out what medication was causing the horrible rash. The doctor has taken him off that and put him on a different med. So far, so good!!

Until next time, happy stitching!!

My House is Built!

I've not picked up my needle once in the past week, but this is an update on my progress on "Blessed are the Merciful" by Little House Needleworks. Working full-time, coming home to take care of all the household chores and the husband, and making sure the kitties are fed has left me exhausted and worn out. All I want to do is sleep! I'm sure part of it is also hormonal.

The husband is recovering nicely. He's been released from the surgeon with permission to resume driving in 4 more weeks and his cardiologist has signed him up for cardiac rehab with instructions to come back in 3 months. We go to his initial visit at cardiac rehab this coming week. All they will do this week is paperwork, insurance stuff, a stress test, tour of the facility, and set up appointments. The only real pain Hubs is still experiencing is pain in his left pectoral muscle. If he takes pain meds, he breaks out in a very itchy rash so the strongest thing he can take for pain is Tylenol. Living with a grumpy man who doesn't feel well is not my cup of tea, but I know that this will soon pass and he'll be back to his normal self. At least I hope so! We went to Sam's today and he did very well. He walked about half of the store and only had to sit down once we got to the check out, so I think he's doing pretty good.

Friday evening shortly after I got home from work, it started to rain!! It was such a nice, gentle rain with no hail or high winds. We haven't had any measurable rain in my part of Texas since late June/early July. Half the state is on fire and all of the state is in a severe drought. We are under water usage restrictions and can only water twice a week. The rain was a very welcome visitor on Friday night!

Even with the rain restrictions, my plants are continuing to do well. The two volunteer watermelon plants that sprang up have overtaken the garden plot. I have several baby melons. Looking forward to harvesting before the first freeze.

The pink hurricane lilies showed up right around Labor Day. I love these things! I haven't seen the red ones yet, though. I hope I haven't lost them due to the heat and dry weather. :(

Pretty Miss Hannah enjoying the morning sun in our spare bedroom. I love this sweet little girly cat!

Making Good Use of My Time

Mark had heart bypass surgery Thursday, August 18th. The doctor ended up doing 3 bypasses and discovered Mark has skinny veins in his legs below his knees, so he had to take veins from both thighs. Due to the shortage of veins, the cardiologist might have to go in and place a couple of stents in some of the arteries, but Mark needs to heal first before we start investigating that option.

Mark's recovery has been fantastic, though. He did very well at the hospital with the anesthesia and pain meds. He only got loopy a couple of times and told the nurses that he'd had enough and to hold off on the pain meds or find him something else. He came home from the hospital this past Tuesday and continues to get stronger and become more independent daily. It probably helps that I don't baby him and I push him to do what he can do within his limits. He is still in some pain, but his medical sensitivities make it difficult for him to take pain meds, so sometimes all he can take is Tylenol. He has two furry nurses to help him throughout the day. Here's Hannah ensuring Mark gets his rest.



While Mark was in the hospital, I had lots of time on my hands. My stitching went with me to the hospital to help me pass the time. I got the first part of the iStitch Mystery SAL finished and started the last block on my LHN Seasonal Saltbox piece, Blessed are the Peacemakers. I got a good deal of stitching on it while sitting with Mark.



I would post pics of my iStitch Mystery SAL piece, but we've been asked to only show pics that can't be enlarged and I've not figured out how to do that, so I'll work on that and then post a pic. Instead, I'll let Tumbles demonstrate the proper way to spend your Sunday.

A New Start!

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I signed up for Carol's iStitch Mystery SAL. The first part arrived in my inbox a few days ago and the fun has begun! I finally decided on use HDF's Rose silk and 32 ct. Princess Pink linen from Silkweaver. I've had the fabric forever and the thread had been sitting near my stitching spot just begging me to use it. In my opinion, it's a pretty combination. :) If you click the picture, you can see it better and see the actual shading in the fabric and thread.

Mark's surgery is this Thursday. He went for his pre-op blood work and x-rays today. He came home with paperwork and a scrubber of betadine soap! He can't shave any potential surgery sites (chest and/or legs). Thankfully, we have that part under control! LOL I have to admit that my first thought was, "What man shaves his chest or his legs??" We both feel very confident with the doctors and the hospital. We both know what to expect when Mark's exposed to too much anesthesia and pain meds and now how to handle it. (He's got a very sensitive system and hallucinates, tears his clothing off, rips out his IVs, and many other things when he gets too much in his system.) It's still going to be interesting to see how he responds to any meds they give him, but I now know what to expect and can tell the medical professionals that it's the meds/drugs and not his normal behavior. We are also know that God has given us hope and we have nothing to fear. We know that God is in control and he holds us close.

In other news, the heat continues. We didn't break the record for most consecutive 100º+ days, but we're still having 100º+ days. We on day #50 as of this writing. I'm really looking forward to October!! The cantaloupes are still loving the heat. It's just about the only thing growing in the garden.

A Finish & Answers for the Husband's Issues

While the husband was having his heart cath this past Thursday, I finished the 3rd in the Seasonal Saltbox series, Blessed are the Merciful, from Little House Needleworks. I really like the blue in this piece! I've already started the final chart in this series and hope to have a pic of it soon.

Next Thursday will once again find me sitting in a waiting room at the hospital. Mark's heart cath showed many blockages, so he will be having bypass surgery. I foresee lots of stitching time in my future, especially since I don't have a smart phone to access the internet. I covet your prayers for Mark's doctors and surgical staff, a complication free surgery and recovery, and for a full & complete return to health for my man. Also pray for me as I take over all the household responsibilities and continue to go to work.

A Stitching Post (Gasp!!) With Info on a Giveaway

Lest you think I've just been playing around in the garden and spending lots of time watching Kitty Rescue Center Reality TV (which is addicting if you're a kitty lover), I have proof that I've not been consumed by either of those things.

First up is "Blessed are the Merciful" from LHN. I am determined to finish this by the weekend. I just have the wording and the little flowers to finish around the border.

Next up is the Sampler Daze exchange piece I stitched for Judith. It's Bluebirds and Daisies from Blue Ribbon Designs and stitched with the called for Crescent Colours fibers. You can download the design from the Blue Ribbon Designs' Complimentary Chart page.

My friend, Jan, over at Tree of Life Samplings is previewing her newest design and having a giveaway! Hurry on over and check it out!

Mark's angiogram is tomorrow (Thursday). I'm praying for peace for both of us and a clear diagnosis of the problem with his heart. I'm also praying for no complications and a clear and easy fix for this problem. If you're the praying sort, I'd appreciate your prayers.

It's Hot!! So, I'm Joining a Mystery SAL!

We've now had 37 straight days of 100º+ temps and 6 straight days of temps 105º or higher. Granted, we Texans are a strong lot and we're used to hot weather, but this is ridiculous! We are now officially in a drought. I don't remember when we last had rain. Work isn't much better as it's 80-something degrees in the store. The air conditioning just can't keep up and we don't really have enough tonnage to compete with this heat. Our corporate office is "working on it fast and hard" which means we'll probably get a new AC unit in January! Bless our customers who have filled out comment cards expressing their displeasure over the temperature in our store. To help our customers and our staff, we've set out a 5 gallon cooler of cold water with cups for them to drink while in the store. It's been very well received and many have thanked us for it.

Lest you think everything is fried down here, which it pretty much is if it's not watered regularly, here are a few things that have survived in this heat.

This is West Texas Mistflower (or Blue Mistflower) and Strawberry Fields Gomphrena. Both love this weather and do well with little watering. Once you plant either one, you never have to plant again. The West TX mistflower grows from underground runners and the gomphrena reseeds like crazy.

These are Cowpen Daisies. (Nice name, huh?) I love them!! They have been blooming continuously for 3 months. They also do well with little supplemental watering. This is one of the few native annuals that I have in my garden. They reseed well, though, and it's easy to collect seeds if needed.

This little lovely is a Scarlet Fruited Passion Flower. It's another Texas native and it's the first year in my garden. I planted it at the beginning of June just before all this hot, dry weather started. Thought I was going to lose it, but with 2 weeks of daily watering, the roots were able to get established and it's taken off. This little bee was enamored with the blooms this morning while I was snapping pics, too.

Since my outdoor activity is limited to brief periods of time and only in the mornings when it's "cooler" and there's a slight breeze, I've decided to join the Mystery SAL on Carol's blog, iStitch. I will not be stitching on 40 count linen, though. Thirty-two count is the smallest my eyes can handle! I've not decided on what color combination I'm going to use. Will need to spend some time in my stash (what a drag!) to find something that will work for me. I might use a Belle Soie silk or one of the HDF silks my friend Robin has sent me. Decisions, decisions, decisions!!

On the husband front, Mark had an echocardiogram and stress test on Wednesday. Unfortunately, the results weren't what we were hoping for, so now he has to have an angiogram. This will be done this coming Thursday afternoon. Not sure what they'll find, so I'm a bit apprehensive. I know that God is in control and I have nothing to fear, but I'm still concerned and praying it's a relatively easy fix. I'm ready for Mark to start feeling better!

A Big Day for the Tumbleweed

This past Wednesday, July 13th, we celebrated Tumbles' first "gotcha day"! One year ago, we brought a very underweight, tiny, scared of people kitten into our home. He's grown into such a handsome young boy! (You can click the pics to see them larger.)

Exchange Piece Sent!

I stitched this for Lani for the Wonders of Stitching exchange. Last year, many of her stitched ornies were destroyed and she was heartbroken. I decided to help her replenish her supply by stitching this ornament for her. It's a free design from Plum Street Samplers and stitched on a random piece of fabric from my stash. I used the called-for DMC fibers. It was a fun stitch!

Ditching It!

Since my last post, my husband (Mark) has been in the hospital twice. They kept him overnight the Saturday night of Memorial Day weekend and then sent him home on Sunday. They sent him home with an antibiotic for his supposed fluid in the lung, thinking it was pneumonia. By the following Thursday evening, I'd had it with him not getting any better and in fact, getting worse. He was so puffy with fluid retention, was short of breath, couldn't sleep, and generally feeling miserable. Very late on Thursday evening, I gave him the choice of either going to the ER then or waiting until Friday morning. He chose Friday morning so that I could get some sleep and so we'd have less waiting at the ER.

Knowing that I'd have a wait in the ER, I decided to start a new project and take it with me. (What was I thinking?!? Was I thinking??) So, Friday morning while Mark was getting ready and while I was calling my boss to tell him I'd not be there and calling co-workers to get someone to work for me, I gathered all that I would need to start this project. Later that morning, sitting in the ER waiting for the doc to figure out what was going on, I started my project. A few days later, I figured out I was one thread off. No wonder my stitches looked horrible, my thread was all wonky, and I couldn't count properly!! Mark was eventually admitted and spent a week in the hospital. I continued to work on it thinking I could tough it out. On day 5 of the hospital stay, I decided to chunk it! I was so tired of fighting it! Here's what I got done on it.


I'm going to rip it ALL out, then start over again because I really like the fabric. It's a quick stitch when you're in the right hole! LOL I tell ya, I got so tired of ripping out stuff and being off on the count because it was difficult counting the squares. I've never had such problems. I should've just stopped when I figured out I was off a thread and started over at that point, but I was stubborn. Well! I've learned my lesson!! Count twice, stitch once.

On a more positive note, I received my Wonders of Ewe exchange piece from Robin, my non-blogging friend. She always stitches the BEST exchange pieces and sends the best packages. Always know I'm going to be so happy with any exchange piece she stitches when she has my name. She chose "May Basket" from the May Stocking leaflet from Blackbird Designs. It's stitched with a combination of fibers on 32 ct. Aerial lugana from Picture This Plus. The fabric color is a light blue and it's absolutely perfect for this project. Great job, Robin! I love it!



Not to leave you hanging about Mark...he was finally diagnosed with cardiomyopathy (weakened heart muscle) and congestive heart failure. He's been put on 2 new meds to lower his blood pressure (even though he has never had high blood pressure) and on a diuretic to be taken as needed. He has to monitor his blood pressure twice a day and weigh himself daily. He's also been put on a low-sodium diet and has to watch his sodium intake. However, he's now been told to up his sodium so it'll raise his blood pressure enough to help him feel better in the mornings. He's adjusting to the new meds and has been doing great at monitoring everything that needs to be monitored. I'm just glad to have him feeling better! In the hospital, they put him on 2 different diuretics. He lost about 25 pounds of water weight in about 3 or 4 days!!

Hannah says, "Have you seen my Cat in the Hat book?"

Of Waiting Rooms and Doctor's Appointments

This past week, I've spent countless hours in doctor waiting rooms, imaging service waiting rooms, and the hospital ER with my husband. The bad news is the doctors can't figure out what's wrong with my husband and it's landed him in the hospital. The good news is that I have increased stitching time. Since it was convenient, I picked up my LHN Seasonal Saltbox piece.

Since last Friday, I've finished the border, the grass, and most of the leaves. At this rate, I'll finish this block in a few days.

Here is the piece in its entirety. Sorry for the crummy pic, but my scanner and computer weren't communicating and my tech guy is out of commission at the moment. You get the general idea, though.



To keep me from getting too bogged down in all this stuff with Mark, I have this to lighten the load.

American Pride Exchange Piece

I stitched this cute little Lizzie Kate design for my non-blogging friend, Robin, in the American Pride exchange. I used the fabric that was included in the kit, 28 ct. Relic linen from Picture This Plus and GAST, CCs, and DMC fibers. It was SO much fun to stitch! This was one of those designs that when I saw it, I knew that was the piece to stitch for the exchange.


Some quick views from the garden:

Daylily 'Siloam Double Classic' has been in my garden for 3 or 4 years, but it's never done well. Last fall, I relocated almost all of my daylilies to one section in my front flower bed. These guys seem to love their new home! They've been blooming like crazy for a couple of weeks.

The purple coneflowers are also blooming their little heads off! This is the second full season for them and they're doing so well! Such happy flowers.

This is "the look" from Hannah when her royal kittyness has been disturbed. Don't Mess with the Queen! LOL

A Stitching Related Post

Amazing, I know! I have tons of unfinished stuff, so I decided to finish a few of the ornaments I've stitched and send them to the Friends of Felines Rescue Center in Defiance, OH for their fundraiser/garage sale in June. By the way, if you live near Defiance, OH and are in the market for adding a kitty to your home, I highly recommend FFRC.





Spring is in full swing here, and everything is starting to bloom! I've been spending tons of time out in the flower beds planting, moving, and pulling weeds. In a month or so, it'll be too hot to do anything outside for 3 months, so I have to get it all done now.