:Springtime in the Rockies

It’s here. Springtime in the Rockies. Snow. Taken this morning…  

Sometime I’m glad for snow on a Sunday morning. When I awoke, the snow was gently falling, setting a perfect mood for the day. Cozy. Calm. Stillness. Mother Nature’s way of telling me to take a break.

:Chris update

Chris went home from the hospital on Wednesday. Yesterday she took a four block walk! I asked her if we should go out dancing tonight… This photo was taken several years ago, at her daughter’s wedding in Mexico. She was undergoing chemotherapy at the time. Here’s to Chris!

:Weekend update

A quick weekend update before digging out so Carol can take Suzanne to work. Her Jeep is in the garage. Again. Sleek Sue and I will follow a bit later. Zena and Wyatt are scheduled to have some baby teeth removed. Wouldn’t ya know, it started snowing last night. It’s too dark to tell if it’s still snowing this morning.

And on Sunday morning she was ready to eat! The physical therapist had been by before we arrived and had Chris standing up on a stool by the bed. Everything seems to be working correctly, confirmed by a few tests Dr. Duke did while we were there. Chris is in good spirits, has all her wits about her and will be moved out of ICU this morning.

Besides the smile, note the carpenter’s level hanging off that rack. Her surgery was done using some kind of Stealth Guided Computer Assisted Navigation system…the latest technology. But the machine tracking her blood pressure isn’t working correctly. Not sure how the level is suppose to fix that, but I couldn’t resist getting a photo!

The other day Kathy asked me why is Chris my hero. She’s my hero because she has accepted her situation, from the beginning, with grace and dignity. She doesn’t whine about it; she simply looks at what must be done to buy more time, as long as it’s quality time. “I’m buying myself some more time.” Her positive outlook has surely helped her defy the odds. The survival rate for IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer) is 30% is the first year. Chris has passed the five year mark. Yesterday, the occupational therapist asked her about her long-term goal. To play a round of golf, was the reply. You can bet she’ll be doing that later this spring. Or this summer.

Kathy also wondered what has touched me the most. My family, I suppose. Saturday afternoon, Rick and Nate picked me up from Clothes Day – would that be Clothes Quarter Day? – and I joined the rest of the family at the hospital. After surgery, Dr. Duke entered the waiting room, took a look and commented on how many of us there were (seven). “That’s the way we roll!” my niece Emilie replied.

:Nate’s Quilt Square

Doing a bit of homework for the Library of Memories I’m taking, before heading down the hill to see Chris and the rest of the family, I came upon this. Thought I’d share…

:Saturday

Today’s the day. Chris – my sister-in-law, not the Chris that has commented on this blog – at this very moment, is undergoing the long preparation for her surgery today. It really is the only option she has. The other is to simply live with the tumor, letting it grow and take over her brain. :::sigh::: Needless to say, things have been a little….unsettled….scattered.

I’ve immersed myself in a series of books which I discovered about two weeks ago. Audio books are one of my pleasures in life. Usually I reserve the books, but once in a while I peruse the shelves, which is exactly how I found The New Year’s Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini. In a review of one her books, the Library Journal says, “Chiaverini has pieced together a beautiful story…. Women – daughters, sisters and mothers – will enjoy.” I’ve just started my 4th, The Quilter’s Legacy. She develops her characters so that you care about each and every one of them, although it may take some time to understand and appreciate the personality traits of some of the more colorful characters. Woven throughout each book is information on quilting. The diversion, the characters, the concept, Elm Creek Quilters is just what my soul needs right now!

Inspired, I pulled out the pieces of a quilt I made ten years ago in a class titled Colorado Sampler Quilt. I told Rick I want to attend Elm Creek Quilt Camp for a week and get it finished. 🙂 I learned when you make a quilt, you start with a palette of colors. I selected my favorite colors, black and red, along with white and gray for contrast. Mine was definitely the most contemporary in our class. The instructor, especially with several of the blocks, was always curious what I’d come up with. 

 Hayride served as our signature block. Of course, mine included a Lhasa Apso along with my favorite yoga pose, Warrior 2.

Rail Fence

Foundation Piece – Pine Tree
This one was the hardest, because the representation is fairly real. What else could I do but a night sky!

Covered Wagon

Road to Colorado

Cabin Pattern..In the Elm Creek Quilters’ series I learned that, traditionally, the door is red or yellow. Red sybolizes the hearth. I can’t remember what yellow symbolizes. Quilts, hanging on a clothesline, were used as signals along the Underground Railroad. This pattern – or some version of it – with a black door, indicated a safe haven for slaves.

Cripple Creek and Purple Mountain Majesties

 Wild Goose Chase

Bear Paw and Colorado Star