Day 686

I can't stop taking pictures of cold things. Lucky for all of us, I'm only posting one of them today!

Day 685

This notice is to inform you that the request for benefits (for infusions) has been denied based upon our review of the information provided by (your doctor).

I thought the third time might be the charm. The insurance company would take pity on me, look at my lengthy medical records and my even lengthier list of medications taken over the course of the past few years, and render a favorable decision. No such luck. Three pre-approvals submitted, three denied.

Whatever.

I'm just gonna keep on keepin' on. Steroids are helping with the pain, but are coming with a whole slew of side effects. Again, whatever.

At least they help me enough to spend lots of time quilting. The local bank collects and displays quilts donated for the Marsing Disaster Auction, so if you happen to be in Marsing anytime before February 2, stop by and take a look at this big (56" x 56") beauty. Done by me. (Still not thrilled about the orange, but from afar it looks pretty darn good.)

Day 684

When you're young you think you're invincible. You will live forever, work forever, play, go out, do whatever it is you do forever. In my husband's case, he thought he was going to teach forever. He knew retirement would come someday, but no where in the near distant future.

But when you get sick, really sick like he was, your perspective changes. It changes who you are in the present, it changes how you look at the future. It shifts your priorities. Life becomes too short to squander it away. Too short to be wasting your time on things that no longer matter. Things like a big house.

At one point in our lives we had been dreaming of retiring to Arizona, but then figured retirement would come and go and we'd still be right here in Marsing. Sitting in our 4 bedroom, 3 bath house on a large lot with a rose garden, a vegetable garden, a shade garden, and a perennial garden.

With his illness came clarity. A new dream for retirement.

2 bedroom, 2 bath, very small yard. In a 55+ community in Boise.

Tonight we took a huge step (a leap, really) in securing a future where the important things matter. Where bigger isn't better.

Our new home. And a bonus for my mom - a place for her to live until we're ready to head to Boise.

Day 683

Kickin' my behind is what the chemotherapy drugs are doing. Last time around they knocked me down and out and this time isn't any different.

Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday-Friday-Saturday I feel great (thanks, steroids!). I take the chemo stuff on Saturday, and wind up having a sucky Sunday and Monday. The pattern has already re-established itself.

Today I had my heart set on finishing the Disaster Auction quilt and even had the entire day to finish it. I'd work for a little while, then get too tired to do anything but sit in my recliner. And wouldn't you know it, every time I sat in my recliner today I fell asleep? Three, four, (or was it five?) different times. Sleep, back to quilting, sleep, back to quilting. Again and again and again.

I'm certain I'll be able to finish the quilt this week, but as for tonight a picture of a partly-finished quilt will have to do.

Day 682

Another day of Would you Rather?

Would you rather look down on your drive to Boise and see this temperature outside?

 Or...

Would you rather get to Boise, take your mom out for a birthday lunch, and get to share her birthday dessert? Baked apple dumplin at Cracker Barrel.

Yeah, me too.

Happy birthday, Mom!

Day 681

When I walked in the sewing room today my only thought was, "Seriously?"

Is it really necessary for you to be sleeping on top of the Disaster Auction quilt?! 

Day 680

Hubby got his Winter Wonderland call at 5:30 this morning and I got my at 6:30. No school. Snow Day!

A combination of freezing rain and snow blowing in sideways, sticking to everything, led to almost every school for over 100 miles being closed. (That'd be Parma all the way to Glenns Ferry.)

Snow shoveling, quilt sewing, cat watching, phone call making, kindle reading, bookshelf cleaning, and of course picture taking. All today.

You can see how the snow blew so hard it stuck to the side of the fence.

Stuck to the north side of the trees, too.

Not sure the burning bush can hold much more.

Kitty doesn't like her paws in the snow. But she found a tire track and followed it down the road. Thank goodness no cars were around.

Day 679

Making good progress on the quilt for the Disaster Auction. I'm not so sure about the center block color I chose but I think once it all comes together it'll be fine. I hope.

Day 678

Usually it's the kitty waiting for us on the porch after work. Not today. With the kitty in the warm, dry house a couple birds took advantage of the predator-free environment.

Day 677

I'm not one who cares much about what the neighbors do or have. But there has been this skull sitting across the fence that I see every time I look out my sewing room window. I never paid much attention to it until today.

Something intrigued me about the snow coming down - and continuing to pile up - on a skull that sits on top of a barbecue.

Day 676

I feel good about the progress I made on a new charity quilt today. This one will be for the Marsing Disaster Auction next month.

Now, if I can just get my helper to turn the machine on and off for me...

Day 675

For someone who is trying to simplify things I sure am complicating them. Take the snowmen for example.

I made a quilt that I adore on Day 622. It's now hanging on our living room wall.

We figured since we had a quilt that we could keep up for the winter, we might as well make matching throw pillows for the couch. That happened on Day 641.

And now, here comes a table runner for the coffee table. I think I better stop before this  really gets out of control.

Day 674

While I'm thankful for the steroids working - my pain and stiffness has subsided greatly - I'm not thankful for the side effects. Headaches, anxiety, high blood pressure, an always-on-edge feeling, and the weight gain. Especially the weight gain. As I look in the mirror I see a big ole' balloon. A big balloon body and the beginnings of the steroid-looking face, all round and pudgy. It is getting so I won't even look in the mirror anymore. But I'm thankful for the temporary relief the joints are getting.

I thought when I went to the rheumatologist he might take me off the hard-on-my-body drugs, but it appears I'll be continuing them for at least another month. He also broke the unfortunate news that the disease - rheumatoid arthritis - is running rampant and needs to be controlled.  That it's time to start back on the chemotherapy drug and it's time for another attempt at insurance approval for the infusion IV drug. Dang it. Dang it for the test results, too. Another mess of abnormal tests and a sky-high, higher than ever inflammation test.

But I'm still thankful. Thankful I can now get out of bed in the morning and do things. Things like take early morning pictures in the one degree weather. Beautiful, icy pictures. I feel so lucky to be able to take pictures like these.

What looks like snow is really ice crystals. Moisture in the air freezing to trees.

In this picture, what looks like white dots in the tree are where the sun is reflecting off the ice crystals at just the right angle.

Day 673

Would you rather?

Would you rather step out into the cold and see this sunrise? Or...

Would you rather get in the car and find out how cold it really is?

Day 672

He did it! He left the house at 6:20 AM and returned at 4 PM. Hubby, after being so, so, sick has made it back to school.

His first stop after heading in the door? Off with the tie, off with the shoes, and into the warm bed for a nap. One day down.

I couldn't figure out what to do with the extra time by myself. Sew? Bake? Clean? I mostly sat in the recliner and watched the snow fall, then when the sun broke through found my way to the bed for a little rest. I did spend a teeny tiny bit of time sewing my next project, a snowman table runner.

Day 671

If I wasn't so worried about what people thought of me I would have taken a picture of vodka bottles today. Not from a New Year's party and not from me or anyone I know.

From the water heater.

We spent this morning with the inspector at the new place in Boise. He called us to the back bedroom to show us where the water heater was - in the back of the closet, behind a panel. When you look at the closet it looks normal, but when you remove the panel, voila! There is a water heater.

And two empty bottles of vodka.

Guess someone living there must have had a drinking problem. A big enough problem to hide their bottles behind a panel in the closet. I so wanted to take a picture but was too afraid in front of the inspector, the agent and her husband, and my mom to go grab my camera and take a picture of the comical sight.

I instead found an even better picture when I stopped by to see my daughter. The fine snowflakes falling on her jacket were beautiful. This snow's for you, Lisa!

Day 670

Who wouldn't love for the freezing fog to lift and see this left behind on the trees?

I know who - the cat.

Looks like she wants me to send her off in the mail. Any takers?

Day 669

A tumbleweed garden wasn't the only thing the wind did for us. It also made us realize our double-pane, relatively new windows weren't as sturdy as we thought. Just look at the gross dirt that found its way in.

I hope we don't see something like that in our next place. The place we made an offer on in Boise. Through a series of circumstances we found a can't-pass-up opportunity that will help us in planning for our post-retirement future. It is a decision that affects us, my mom, and our daughter.

A very clean and well cared for manufactured home in a 55+ community. Mom will be moving into it as soon as the deal closes and will live there until we're ready to retire. Daughter, whose lease in running out on her apartment, will move into my mom's old place.

Wonder who will win the fight over the empty boxes at the liquor store?

Day 668

I'm sure my mom thought her baking bread was going to be the best part of her day. If she only knew what we had in store for her when we stopped by! Hopefully I'll be sharing exciting details tomorrow.

Day 667

Look to the west, take a peek at the moon before sunrise.

Wait a bit and look to the east, see the jet trails in the morning sun.

Day 666

Today my plan was to take pictures of the tumbleweed garden in the snow. I snapped pictures of the tumbleweeds, but of course my eyes wandered to the burning bush, a bare tree, and up-close snow. 

Yet the best picture came when I was sitting at hubby's desk at his school. (We went in today to get his classroom ready for when he returns next week.) Boy, can you image how distracting this view would be if you were grading papers?!

Day 665

A new pair of hands operated my sewing machine today. These hands right here:

This person loved the flower quilt with button centers I recently made. This person loves buttons. This person spent last night at our house, waiting out the snow that moved in Christmas afternoon. This person is older than me and related to me.

That would be my mom.

She learned more about quilting today than she probably wanted to. But it was enough for her to design and work with me in putting together this wallhanging for her apartment. The first quilt she ever machine quilted!

Day 664

Day 663

Santa comes tonight. I don't know how he knows who is sleeping at our house on Christmas Eve, but he always figures it out. Since I crocheted new stockings for daughter's boyfriend and the kitty, I'm just sure he'll show up for them, too.

Happy Holidays to all.

Day 662

Over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go.

Not exactly. More like:

Across the desert, through the fields and over the fence they go.

It appears we have a migration happening. After several days of high winds, tumbleweeds have jumped the fence and made their way into our backyard.

And set up shop in the rose garden. Looks like our rose-turned-tumbleweed garden is now open for tours.

Day 661

Last quilt of 2012, just for me. On to the next project, one involving yarn.

Day 660

The morning started out beautiful with this sunrise taken from the parking lot of hubby's school.

Why was I in the school parking lot? Well, hubby went to a breakfast the teachers were having on this last day before Christmas break, a day that kids weren't in school. He got to see the staff again, was able to do whatever it is he does when he's around people (I suspect BS), and even got to stop in his room for just a moment. First time since May.

His day didn't end there. As soon as he came back home a little after 9:00 our Friday baking began. Prepping for Christmas morning breakfast and Christmas dinner we worked together all day and whipped up homemade:

• Zucchini Bread
• Pumpkin Bread
• Blueberry Buckle
• Apple Strudel Muffins
• Potato-Bacon-Chive Muffins
• Cinnamon Rolls
• Flaky Dinner Rolls

Everything smelled so wonderful. Being that we taste-tested several things (don't want to serve guests bad-tasting bread products!) we know everything tasted wonderful, too.

I think the prettiest things were these muffins. Just look at the yummy pieces of bacon and chive.

Day 659

What does a cold day + very strong winds all day + a car sitting under a carport all day + a dusty day in Owyhee County equal?

This right here. Poor car.

Day 658

Hubby finished up his baking goals. The last on his list was baking powder biscuits, but he decided to turn them into cheesy garlic biscuits like you might find at Red Lobster. Oh, my.

What we had with them is something you probably wouldn't find at Red Lobster.

Homemade pureed kale-Swiss chard-carrot-celery-onion-garlic-zucchini-bell pepper-cayenne pepper-beef soup. Again, oh my.

Day 657

Tuesdays are hubby's favorite night at the Mexican restaurant in town, Alejandra's. All-you-can-eat taco night. But since he's been sick he hasn't been able to partake in the tacos. Too much sodium, too much protein for his in-crisis system. With his diet restrictions gone and his kidneys much improved it was time. And boy, did he go all out! (I think six months away was just too much for him.)

His plate started like this:

 And no fewer than six tacos later it looked like this: