Oops It's March

Hello All,

Mom fell again on the 6th day of January. She fractured her pelvis. Last year she fell in May and broke her hip and elbow. She was in a care home three weeks this time and last year six weeks. This all has really taken a toll on moms physical being. She is frail and I am now her full time caregiver. Let me tell you it is a lot of work. Very stressful at times. I have had many friends say to me I wish my mom was alive, and believe me I am happy my mom is alive, but when people say that after I say it is a lot of work I don't think they understand the stress this can put on one person. Thanks be to God for my wonderful husband! he never complains about the fact we cannot go anywhere or do much until we can figure out how to deal with this all.

On March 9th my step father passed away he was in a care home. It all happened so fast. He passed away at the age 83. We had the funeral within 4 days. I had already been with mom just at the beginning of the year to the Cemetery to have her chose her end of life plans for burial and such. I can't believe what a great decision that was on my part. After Christmas I had the week of mom where I got all things done to make sure if something  happened to her or Dave that everything would be taken care of legally and otherwise. Now that my step dad has passed away I have more things to do! but we are getting them done quickly and I think one more thing to do and then move on and try to enjoy the rest of the year.

It has been such a difficult year. Now that we are passed all these unpleasant situations Steve and I would like to go camping and enjoy some life, but what to do with mom? My brothers won't help and take her in so even though it's our 30th anniversary year, we are trying to be imaginative how we can still do things and take care of mom. She cannot stay home alone for days upon a time. I am not comfortable having strangers in our house sleeping in our bed, perhaps rambling through our private life and who knows what else. My kids work so that is out as well.
I have 2 brothers one lives in Washington and Utah. I thought the one in Utah would take mom for a week because he retired last year, but he won't do it.

My back has literally been killing me these past weeks. I feel so miserable and at times very depressed. 

It's going to be my birthday on the 9th of April, I can't believe that the year is suddenly going by so fast. 

Next week on Easter my family and I are getting together and going to Coloma for a picnic. It's been raining so much I hope the sun will shine that day so we can all get out of the house. After all these depressing things I really want to be in nature and outdoors. There are trails to walk and the American River is known for the discovery of Gold at Coloma in 1848 and started the Gold Rush. It is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. Today the river has high quality water and is the main source of drinking water for the Sacramento Valley. The American River watershed supports Mediterranean, temperate, and montane ecosystems, and it is the home of a diverse array of fish and wildlife.

I can't tell you how frustrating it is to be living in a Sanctuary state that feels like a third would country in many ways with all the homelessness, drug addicts everywhere, illegals. Everywhere I go people don't speak English! Steve and I can't wait to move but we will be here at least 3 more years if we can hang on even that long, but we have no choice because of his retirement won't be until 2020 or 2021.

Some valentine's I made for Valentine's day. Instead of cards I gave mom and Steve some valentine's that will last. Steve uses his as a mug rug. I will be posting a little tutorial on that I hope soon. I want to blog a bit more than I do right now. 
I have a trip to add into my blog we took in the fall and get up to date on my quilting and crafts. I like to put everything like that into my blog so I can remember it all.

I hope everyone has a Beautiful Blessed Sunday!

I post mostly to my Instagram these days it is so fast and easy. Click here to visit me there and see what I have been up to.

click here to visit my online shop for Crystal Suncatchers

Or my Etsy Shop. I am still making my jewelry and suncatchers!

Good Bye 2017! Happy New Year! Hello 2018

Well... I missed writing in my blog for many months. 

Yesterday was my moms 85th Birthday! 

We had a wonderful Christmas I hope you did too!

I guess I will share some Christmas Photos today

My grandkids Morgan now 19 years old! and Rylan 6.

Mom with my two kids, Shane and Kirsten and my two grandkids here great grands and Kirsten's step grandkids.

~Mom and me~

All of us, missing is my daughter in law, my son and her are not together anymore.

My sweetie and me. 

During the past months mom of course as I mentioned my mom broker her hip and elbow. I know have to shower her and take her everywhere she needs to go, that includes Dr appts and to visit her husband in the home. I am cutting way back on some of her errands as it has become overwhelming to me. Organization is key.

Steve is back to work after his surgery for the full knee replacement. He went back a few days after Thanksgiving. He seems to be doing ok, but is in pain some. He has a Doctor appt coming up. It is said it takes a long while to heal. 

In October Steve and I took a camping trip to Idaho and Montana

We are looking for a place to move out of California. 

Have a Happy New Year!

God Bless You this New Year of 2018!

~Kat

August 1, 2017 Hot Summer Days! Husbands Knee Recovery, Moms Fractured Hip Surgery Recovery, Hen House Pillow, Lori Holt Millie's Dresses Quilt

Two weeks ago was my husbands knee replacement surgery, 2 weeks ago on Monday. It's been a difficult few weeks full of pain, nausea from pain medication. He is getting home therapy sessions and a nurse comes once a week. He had his staples removed last Friday.
It's a major surgery and wow I really feel for him.

Mom had her major surgery on her hip and elbow on May 7th after her fall on May 5th. She is using a cane, the four prong type with the rubber sleeves. 

Steve is using a walker. Our home looks like a care facility right now. Sorry no more patients please! 

In the meantime I do a lot of errands and running around some days picking up medication, shopping for groceries and things they both need or ask for, cook, clean, laundry, take mom to therapy and Doctor appointments, Steve too.
I also have a veggie garden and 2 pets. I am a busy girl. 

I too have a few medical issues myself so I tend to get quite tired. Sometimes it is more stressful than others and some days seem to go quite smoothly. Mom cannot shower or bathe herself so I have to help her with that. Steve is doing ok in that area. Mom needs a lot of help in many things but she also is not trying to do things she should and could do. This makes it hard on me and I don't like to see her be so lazy. She does not want to get up and move.
 I don't think she is progressing as well as they said she should. I don't know what that means really, she is 84 years old. 

Steve had the knee replacement surgery because of arthritis in the knee, he stands all day at work when he was at work and it finally has taken it's toll on him. He will be returning to work sometime in October or early November.

So on to the things that bring me much joy and the time I now cherish.

Tomorrow August 2, is my daughter Kirsten's birthday, I made this quilt for her by Lori Holt, Millie's Dresses Quilt. I just finished quilting the top of it 2 weeks ago. I finished piecing and sewing it together in April.

This is the back of Kirsten's Quilt with my Chihuahua Edee showing it off for me!

I made this darling quilt top for a pillow, the pattern is by Edyta Sitar, It's going to be a mini quilt I plan on hanging on our kitchen wall by the table.

These are two patterns by Edyta Sitar, the basket one is from her new book "Little Handful of Scraps". The Hen House Pillow is a single pattern.
You can find these pattern and books at her website Laundry Basket Quilts Hen House Quilt, Basket Quilt.

Every since we bought our trailer I love decorating it, the living room I love the bear theme, that started after we went to Washington State and we bought a cozy bear blanket. I made these two embroidery hoop art bears to hang in our trailer over the couch. This is not the wall of trailer that they are hanging on. The papa bear is really big 20" long oval hoop.

It was my granddaughter's birthday, she graduated last year and is now working and starts school for Vet Tech in September. I bought her that cute purse and put some money in there for her. Looks like she likes the purse, she immediately started putting her things in it. Happy Birthday Morgan!

My grandson Rylan is now doing Karate and he loves it. As you can see he has the moves! such a cutie pie.

My garden is about to burst with tomatoes and I just harvested a few cucumbers. I am growing peppers, bell peppers, cucumbers, yellow and green and several tomato plants, one is a roma tomato plant.

It's growing like a weed and is even larger today, this photo was taken last week.

The bee is working hard pollenating my garden

It was our 29th Anniversary on July 9, where did the time go! I love this man.

I'm really into dresses this year. I am getting fat, it's been so stressful these past months I think I've gained at least 7 lbs, time to get back on 21 day diet, it was so healthy and I lost 10 lbs when I did it a few years ago, now I have gained most of the weight back. Boo. So sad about that all my hard work.

Cucumber, Onions and Vinegar with Olive Oil Salad. Ymm!

Have a very Happy August! God Bless and Hugs

Happy 4th of July 2017

Happy Independence Day to All who Visit my Blog!

It's wonderful time in our nations history to celebrate our freedoms! Never stop! God Bless America!

Where freedom is, there is my nation. — Benjamin Franklin

Another Glamping Trip!

My husband took me to Reno last week to see the quilt show in Reno
Quilt Show Reno

There was a beautiful display of Lion King Quilts that were entered into the Lion King Quilt Challenge

I am posting a few photos of the ones on display at the quilt show

There were so many beautiful and creative Lions, the one that won was a bit shocking to all the guest of the quilt show and to myself. My favorite is the one on the bottom right, the winner is the one at the bottom left. 

I guess it's interesting, but it barely looks like a lion.

While on our trip to Reno we drove to Lake Tahoe Ca and left the trailer parked in Reno, we went just for the day. We were married at Lake Tahoe 29 years ago on July 9th.

This is at Emerald Bay Lake Tahoe a very super special and beautiful photo spot. It's probably the most popular spot to take photos of yourself and Love and family and friends.

This is a small quilt wall hanging, I have not quilted the top yet. It looks a lot better in person. I used a pattern from Edyta Sitar's new book. I am doing a lot of Edyta Sitar's designs right now.

Mom looks great she is home now. I am her caretaker and it's a lot of work! she has a long way to go to getting better. It's hard for her to walk and get around. This was her first day out holding the bear I bought for my trailer.
We were on our way to Doctor appointments when we stopped for lunch.

Cute sign

I made two of these little mug rugs for the 4th of July. Super cute and fun to make. I used Edyta Sitar's Speciality Set, Serendipity.

Have a Happy Safe 4th of July! Happy Birthday America!

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