Seriously......

I am not impressed!  I think I'm coming down with a cold!  I worked Friday night and today and I have to go into the store to make lunch for tomorrow but the rest of the week is all mine to rest and fight this - whatever it is!!!!  I got a little too "Cocky" there (ha,ha being the head rooster has its benefits).

On one of my trips to the U.S. I bought a series of patterns I really liked thinking they were full size quilts - when I went to start making one it turned out they are miniatures so if you didn't read the store blog - here's the quilt I worked on while I was at the store......

I went to my Farmer's WIfe stash and my Civil War fabrics and managed to hand pick each fabric - it's really adorable.....there are only 2 or 3 repeats of fabric in the whole quilt.  Now I just have to add the borders...there's a couple of little tips on the Cock A Doodle blog if you're interested - http://www.cockadoodlequilts.blogspot.com/.

I also finally got the needle and thread out again to work on my Farmer's Wife blocks.

Block 23 - Country Farm.  I've been so busy marking and cutting that I have about 20 blocks ready to be sewn.  I figured I'd better get to it.....evening work upstairs in my room....
It'll keep me busy while I recuperate from whatever this is, not to mention the original plan was to have a bunch ready to sew up while I am recuperating from surgery, just around the corner......

Will keep you all posted on my progress, blocks and health!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

I'm back......

...with the living that is!  Takes a few days after the treatment to get back to normal but had a pretty easy time this time.  Of course, I'm pretty sure it's because after last week's great news I can easily grin and bear it!

I was at the store yesterday, worked from 2 to 8 and then we had Applique Club.  Being the summer, it was Annadele, Laurissa and I and we had a great time.  Laurissa and I were there until 11:30 because Bill, from Nerds on Site was busy fixing the store computer so we had to wait until he was done but it was great fun and I got started on a miniature I had been meaning to do - I'll post a pic later and I even have a couple of tips for this one!

Today I am home, cleaning and cooking!  I hate that it takes me forever when it used to be a quick job but I certainly am taking pride in every little accomplishment.  I need to prepare lunch for Monday which serves 2 purposes!  I will be making one of my favorite recipes and that way I can add it to the Cock A Doodle recipe book that I am compiling!  Kind of like killing two birds with one stone - I hate that saying LOL

I find I have to take a break between each chore so it becomes extremely tedious!  Tomorrow I will be at the store from 11 to 5 and I'm really looking forward to it.  I'm certainly finding more and more energy these days.  Where there's a will there's a way!

I also managed to get a Farmer's Wife block done the other day and started another so I'm actually getting quite a bit done these days......I credit this to knowing that I AM going to beat this thing - right into the ground!!!!!

Have a great day everyone - will try to keep up with all my trials and tribulations, not to mention my creations!

Jo-Ann

4 down - 2 to go!

Barb was the designated "friend" for Chemo today and it worked out pretty good.  She had an 11:00 A.M. appointment at Sunnybrook with her doctor and I had to be there bright and early at 8:30 A.M.. 

It was a good day and Barb managed to snap a couple of photos - I wanted you all to see I'm using the quilt!!!!  Because I have what we can now call "Chemo Brain", it took me 4 treatments to figure out that I can actually take my Farmer's Wife with me and work on it - the way I have the binder set up I just have to take out a page per block - DUH!  So here I am.....working away.....

Barb liked this pic better because I'm actually smiling with the double chin!!!!

I told Jonathan that I had become my grandmother.  Every summer she would come to spend a few months with us and as she became older she would fly as "handicapped" so they would drive her on and off the plane with a wheelchair.  We would wait at Arrivals for her to come in and there she would be with one shopping bag on the right and one on the left and one hanging off the back - her purse nestled in her lap.

When I left the house today I swear I looked just like her with the three shopping bags.  One had my purse, the camera and the quilt in it.  Another had a quilt I'm binding, a new project with half square triangles I needed to mark, a number of pages from my Farmer's Wife binder for hand piecing and my book.  Last but not at all least was bag number 3 with my thermos of coffee, my blueberry yogurt with extra blueberries and a banana for breakfast, and some tuna sandwiches for lunch with some cookies for snack..... I think I have this down pat now!  I really don't enjoy the food at the hospital so I've started bringing my own.  Since I'm there from 8:30 A.M. to almost 4:00 P.M. and since I always get a bed - I decided to just check myself into the "hotel chemo"!

I would imagine you won't be hearing much from me for the next few days - it's when the side effects are the worst, so......

Have a great weekend everyone!

Jo-Ann

Best Day EVER!!!!!!!

At 9:07 A.M. I was awoken by a loud knock on the door, luckily Jonathan was already up and he answered immediately to find Bosley "Bear",  Mama Linda and Sister Ainsley on the other side of that door!!!!  When I called the "Boo Bear" from upstairs he came bounding up to say Hello and pretty much made my day.....

Here he is having his big stretch........

 Hamming it up for Jonathan and the camera.......

 Giving the camera lens a big lick.......

 Looking at Jonathan but listening to me......

 Making a big decision.....you can almost see the wheels turning......

Giving me some loving.......

 ...and a little more, but wants to see the camera.......

 Getting a great ear rub.......

 Maybe a little bored with this pose.......

 But still listening........

It was fabulous and Linda was able to hang out for about 2 hours so we had a really great visit.....I needed that!

But that wasn't all that made my day THE BEST EVER!!!!!  This afternoon I went to see the doctor!  I did finally have my CT Scan, yesterday at 5:00 P.M., so today after my blood work was done Jonathan and I waited to see the doctor.  We were called almost right away but found ourselves waiting in the room for a really long time.  Usually I have to go through the motions with the med student first but today was different.  When the door opened, it was Dr. Osborne himself, along with Ellie his nurse and both of them were smiling from ear to ear.  Ellie had walked over to the Radiology Department to get the radiologist to read my CT Scan, that's what took so long.  Dr. Osborne sat down to tell me that Larry and Terry are vacating the premises!!!!!  My CT Scan showed substantial improvement.....so, we are going to do 3 more Chemo treatments as discussed and then the hysterectomy!!!!  WOOHOO!!!!

I'm actually looking forward to Friday and my 4th Chemo Treatment!!!!  There will only be 2 more to go - but the most fantastic thing is - it's working!!!!  It's all about ATTITUDE!!!!
Okay, maybe not all but it sure helps and I have no intention of letting this get me!!!  

Hoping everyone is having this great a day!!!!!

Jo-Ann

Wow! I'm still going.....

Who'da thunk it!  I really wasn't sure if I could do it, it's been 2 months since I worked a weekend in the store, but, with the help of my friends, Annadele, Andy, Barb and Liz it's been a pretty good two days and I'll be there again tomorrow!

Thought I would share my Alaskan Wildflowers with you.  Last Thursday I dropped into the store and hung it on the design wall so I could check out my border choices.....

 Choices, choices, choices!  I finally decided to take off the yellow floral border and just go with the green and the "field of flowers" and voila!!!!!

 I managed to finish up the borders this afternoon!  Nancy challenged me with the green fabric - it's one of those fabrics that shade from light to dark - well, I took her up on the challenge and I think it looks pretty awesome.....now I just have to quilt it!!!!  On the pile it goes.......

I'm pretty happy about the way it turned out and I'm gonna leave it up on the design wall for a few days.  I'm pretty sure I mentioned the book it came from earlier in the blog....

Okay, off to write the Cock A Doodle Blog - check it out!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Always the way.....

I'm a little disappointed, Bosley and his "mama" had to cancel this morning - car trouble, but hopefully I'll still get to see him one day next week.  In the meantime I made it to the store on time for 2:00 P.M. to relieve Kathy, and with the help of my friends I made it until 8:00 P.M..

Annadele came by just after 2:00 P.M., then Joan showed up to keep us company .  The next one to arrive was Liz and last but not at all least was Barb.  Everyone wanted to make sure that I'd get through my "shift" okay!  I did and admittedly I'm tired but I even managed to get a little bit of a binding done and one side of a border on the Alaskan Wildflower Quilt I've been working on.....yeah me!

Tomorrow is Healing Heroes so we'll all be working in the classroom, having a great time.....come and join us for tea or a coffee!  I might even throw some baking in the oven if I have the energy!  I'll be there from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. so if you have a minute, drop by for a bit!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Not sure....

....how this is going to work for me but I will be working tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday at the store.  It's pretty much my first time back since I started the "treatments" so hopefully all will go well.  I'm quite determined so I plan for it to go well!!!!

The girls have been fabulous, taking over the store for me and just doing absolutely everything.  They need some time off (for good behaviour)!  For me it's been great not having to worry about the store but on the other hand there are alot of things that only I can do....like ordering and stuff.....

Hopefully I'll get to see some of you this weekend!  I'll be the one in the red chair snoring - ha, ha!  Wake me if you see me!  Only kidding, hopefully I'll be wide awake!

On another note I have a very important visitor coming to see me in the morning!  Bosley "Bear" is bringing his mommy Linda to visit.  I can't wait so I have to go and make sure there are no socks on the floor.....

A quick clean-up is in order but I'm really excited to see him....

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann