BLOG HOP AND FIBRO HUMOR

SPRING BLOG HOP 

AND SOME

FIBRO HUMOR

Here are Your HOPPING Orders for Wed. and Thursday

Wednesday April 18th

Vickie

Shanna ( running late)

Deonn

Mrs Pickles 

Sharon  ( running late)

Piece Peace 

Thursday April 19th

Leslie ( lesquilts)

Jennifer ( that girl)

Karen 

Katherine

10 best things about Fibromyalgia

(from Zazzle.com amazing website of super cool products)

1. I save money on magazines. With brain fog, I can’t remember what I just read!
2. I am a cheap date. No alcohol, no dessert and I still feel drunk or hungover.
3. On ‘good day’s I feel wonderful. Other people need a much better day to feel that way.
4. I am easy to find…I’m either at the Dr’s office or at home.
5. I never have to make my bed because I’ll probably be right back in it.
6. I have acquired a great lounging/sleeping wardbrobe. I rarely get dressed as nobody ever sees me.
7. Disequilibrium saves money on amusement parks. I get the same sensations every time I stand up!
8. I feel smarter than my Doctors…all they say is ‘I don’t know’
9. With short-term memory impairment I can hide my own Easter eggs and Christmas presents.

Spring Is In The Air Blog Hop AND a Cure for My Fibro Fog

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

TABLE TOPPER BLOG HOP

DAY 2

Please Hop Along the Bunny Trail to each of these blogs for some cool Table Runners displayed on Ackfield wire hangars

Here is Tuesday's Blog Hopping Schedule

Tuesday April 17th

Kris

Marcia

Jenny

Sheila 

Josie

I received several heartfelt responses from my post on Sunday about my Fibromyalgia.  There are many of us in the quilting world who share our LOVE of Quilting/Stitching/Sewing along with our utter contempt for our little Fibro Friend. Can I get a Whoop Whoop???

Have you had NON Fibro sufferers give you advice on how to feel better?  Well, I've got one for ya....right from the left side of my own pillow.  Yes, I do mean #1 Husband has now decided that all I need is to drink some G2 Gatorade and I will be well!!  Coming from a lifetime of football coaching it makes sense to him that my aches and pains are nothing any different from the leg cramps football players get in a game due to loss of electrolytes or lack of sufficient conditioning enough during practice or even from the heat!

Nothing would do but stop at the store after church Sunday and buy me some Gatorade, G2 which is the sugarfree (I'm also diabetic).  

Well, now that I have your attention and you are waiting on baited breath to see if 

#1 Husband has found the Fibro Cure..........

Just know that I'm still on the injured reserve list and won't be game ready

before FALL 2030!!! much less Game ready TODAY!  The only thing that improved was the number of times I had to go to the bathroom from drinking all that gatorade!

Geeze Louize...

that man thinks of everything in terms of a sports metaphor!

ANYHOO...

Enjoy some seriously awesome Table-toppers

AND

FRIDAY, is MY DAY to show off MY TABLETOPPER &

You know it will have something to do with one of the Grandpeeps.

Blessings

A FIBRO SUNDAY AND BLOG HOP REMINDER

Today, Sunday, March 15, is a Painful day. 

Read to the bottom of this post for a Blog Hope Reminder which will be PAINLESS.

 If any of you have FIBROMYALGIA/CHRONIC FATIGUE

or any other chronic pain illness then you understand when I say I'm having a Fibro Flare-Up or I'm in a Fibro Fog today.  

Actually the last few days, the all over pain has gotten worse....thus, the reason why Prayer Request Sunday Post did NOT make it up in time.

I try not to make having Fibro the central issue of my life.  For the most part, I don't suffer debilitating pain like some sufferers, but when I have a flare-up I KNOW IT!!!!  If I allow myself to go to bed, I'll never get back up, so I try to keep moving, albeit, *hobbling along* would more accurately describe what I look like going about my day.  

The sound track would sound something like this:

Ugh...moan...ouch...groan...oops... where did I put that?...creak...rattle...popping of joints trying to move...ringing in my ears...knuckles popping...knee popping...teeth grinding while sleeping...SNORING...

SOUND FAMILIAR????

I've tried most every "pill of the day" since 1987 when I was first diagnosed. 

 Most worked for awhile, didn't work at all, had too many bad side effects, or I needed higher doses to continue the pain relieving properties which made continuing the medication nonfeasible.  Lyrica did NOT work for me contrary to those nice little commercials.  I am however, glad that Lyrica has brought attention to Fibromyalgia and given some legitimacy to the chronic illness so many of us sufferers knew was real all the time long before the pharmaceutical companies got on the bandwagon.  

By divine luck, I have found a doctor who "gets me" and has tried some out of the box thinking when it comes to Fibromyalgia.  For the most part, I am able to fulfill my daily responsibilites without taking me away from too many family activities.  The family knows, Mama, has fibromyalgia, but they still don't truly "get it" when I don't feel like participating or going somewhere, especially if I have just participated in some activity or gone somewhere recently.  In their minds, like most NON-Fibro sufferers, if you went to Sally's party on Sat. why can't you come to Tom's party on Sunday?  Why???  Because when you have Fibro, you never know from day to day how you will feel, or you can feel Ok all day until the bewitching hour of between 3-4.  

They try but don't really understand that I put all my energy into functioning during the day and the thought of going "OUT" after supper is excruciating! I'm often accused of being a recluse or a homebody because running errands one day a week takes me 2-3 days of recovery.  For me, I don't function well much after 4:00 p.m.  One day of yardwork, can make it difficult to do housework for a week.  With my limitations in mind, I have learned to pick and choose my activities and rate the consequences.

For me, Quilting/Stitching and it's rhythmic motion of needle, thread, and fabric has more pain relieving properties than can be bottled by any Pharmaceutical company in the world.  It doesn't take away the pain...it just diverts my mind from dwelling on the pain...at least Most times.  At those times when the pain in my hands is too intense, I get a calming effect from sitting in the comfy chair in my sewing cave/room, with a cup of tea/coffee (or Diet Pepsi!  LOL!), a heating pad, a quilting magazine, new book on my new Kindle, a Bible devotion, or simply a quiet nap. 

Just being in my sewing room brings comfort to me...that little 8x10 room has healing properties I tell ya!!  It has all my "stuff", all the 'things" that bring me comfort.  It can be quiet in there or rocking out with my favorite music. ...... Perhaps, even,a new episode of NCIS or Criminal Minds which sounds so weird when I'm talking about being calm.  I never said it had to make sense.  I just know how I feel!

SEW...

here's to a better day tomorrow and something that will surely make me and YOU feel better: 

 the Table TopperBlog Hop starting tomorrow

Monday Morning, April 16th, grab a cuppa and go to 

Sew We Quilt

I'm on deck Friday April 20th

Table Topper Blog HOP Schedule

Monday April 16th

Jacque (Snoodles)

Lesley

Sharon

Dawnmarie

Piece Peace 

Tuesday April 17th

Kris

Marcia

Jenny

Sheila 

Josie

Wednesday April 18th

Vickie

Shanna

Deonn

Mrs Pickles 

Sharon 

Thursday April 19th

Leslie ( lesquilts)

Jennifer ( that girl)

Karen 

Katherine

Friday April 20th 

Marlene 

Charlotte 

Leslie

Darlene 

Jane  ME!!!

Michelle

Cherry

Monday April 23rd

Christine

 Just Carol 

Patty D

Wendy

leanne

Elaine M 

Judy C

Tuesday  April 24th

 Jennifer m

Roxanne 

Syd 

Selina 

Connie

Patti

Jane

Wednesday April 25th 

Mary 

Marianna

Thearica

Kelly

Marnie  

Pauline

Mdm Samm

QUILTER'S INJURED RESERVE LIST

BREAKING NEWS...

GMAMA

 HAS BEEN PUT ON THE 

QUILTER'S INJURED RESERVE LIST

I know what you're thinking...

Sidekick Scott has been playing Doctor with the Band-aids and Grandmama has played Patient.  

Nope, truth is I made this mess all on my own.  How many times have you warned your children to not touch the inside rim of a tin can after the lid has been removed by a can opener?  If you had a nickel for every time, you would be rich, Right? 

WELL.........

Following my own advice has never been my strong suit, so, yesterday morning when I was feeding my dogs, I lost control of the situation and ended up with my right hand, MY QUILTING HAND, looking like THIS!

My hand was bleeding like a Stuck Hog!

You're asking, "HOW ON EARTH, did she cut herself THAT many times in THAT many places?"

Trust me, I've asked myself the same thing.  Unfortunately, when the TRAGEDY was unfolding, I wasn't counting how many times I grabbed the SAME Stinkin' metal flap on the rim of the dog food can!  My Border Collie, Hank, kept *herding* me into a corner of the laundry room and for some unknown reason I kept grabbing the tin can in the same place, slicing a nice little hunk of my hand each time.  It was as though I was moving in slow motion in a pool of mud.

Blood's pouring from each gash...SIX at last count...when, mercifully, I FINALLY untangle my arms/hands with Hank's legs and that lethal tail wagging at 90mph!

I immediately head for the First Aid box and I suppose the above picture tells the story better than a thousand words.

Needless to say I won't be winning any bandaging contests!

So for the next few days, a box of Band-Aids, and a tube of Neosporin, 

My Stitching will need to take a severe backseat to trying to get my Boo-Boo's all healed up.

I have, however, discovered the secret to Faster Healing.................

Sidekick Scott kissed every BooBoo on Grandmama's hand and proudly pronounced,

"Now, it's all better Grandmama"

YOU BETCHA!!!

Blessings

MAKING MEMORIES

Baby Girl and Gmama

It was just one of those days!  A day that goes down in the family history books as a 

Bonafide MEMORY!

My original reason for starting a blog was to chronicle my family's stories, special moments, milestones, and "Days of Our Lives"... (that used to be my favorite soap opera back when Bo & Hope were chasing each other all over Europe to get married.  Remember that?)  But I digress...I guess today is as good a day as any to *chase rabbits*  LOL!  I couldn't resist... my sister, Queen of Puns, will be proud of me on that one. 

 Ok, now back to my original thought...  

Today was simply a day when everything went right.  The entire crew, ALL 12, made it to the early Worship service ON TIME.  I have to admit I did come home after worship and skipped Sunday School so I could get all the food ready for the onslaught of hungry mouths ready to descend at 12:00. 

My 5 Little Grandpeeps!

 Baby Girl had spent the night so as to not have a long drive to the early service which meant I had use of her Martha Stewart Magic Wand.  She can clean, cook, and decorate all in one motion or so it seems.  In reality, I could finish cooking while she put the table together and made sure all the small details were handled. 

 Now, don't judge when you see Chinet plates on my Easter Table.  I have NEVER EVER used paper plates for Holiday dinners until last Thanksgiving and now Easter 2012.  My 3 girls had an "INTERVENTION" of sorts and insisted I go with a simpler plan if I wanted their help in the aftermath called CLEAN UP!  Since I simply don't have the mojo to "do-it-all" anymore, I relented.

Easter Dinner Table 2012

After the last bite of fresh strawberry shortcake, the party moved to the backyard.  Strawberries are in season even earlier this year due to the mild winter!!  Woo Hoo!!

I wish I had more pictures of the festivities outdoor but I was having too much fun watching the Easter egg hunt.  I saw an idea on Pinterest to colorcode the eggs designated for the little peeps.  About 2 dozne eggs had designs which meant they were only eligible to be found by Scott and James.  James could use his walker this year to hunt Easter Eggs!!!  A Huge FIRST!!!

Mary Ellen #2, Anna Laura #3, Matthew #1

The hats are in honor of my mother who wore a hat to church every Sunday!

My mother claimed hats hid her inability to fix her own hair!!

An impulsive purchase at the local Family Dollar, proved to be the Big Hit of the Day!!  Ladder Toss is a popular game seen with campers and tailgaters.  I picked the game up for $20 and we got $100 of fun out of it!  I can't remember how long it has been since I've seen #1 husband letting lose to play a game.  He's always working on a farm project but today #1 relaxed and played along with the kids.  The noise we made laughing and cheering could be heard 1/3 mile away at my MIL's house!!  Those of us waiting our turn listened to Baby Girl tell her "stories" and were laughing so hard our sides hurt.  No one can tell a story quite like Baby Girl.  She is the comic relief in this family.

Plans for this week include a 5 minute trek to Brown's Strawberry Farm for some more fresh picked strawberries.  At $13 per gallon I can't afford to buy too many but they are so hard to resist.

Next on the docket, I have several embroidery projects in the pipeline which make good hand work

while I watch Sidekick Scott play outside.  He has made me promise to buy some fresh sand for the Turtle sandbox so a trip to the local building supply store will provide a fresh load of sand for 2012.

Sidekick will go to Pre-School half day next year and I'm already dreading the separation anxiety...MINE NOT SCOTT's!!!

EASTER SUNDAY 2012

He's Alive, He's Alive 

He's Alive 

and

I'm Forgiven, 

Heaven's Gates are Open Wide

He's Alive!

On this Resurrection Sunday, 
I'm so very grateful for my precious family
here on this earth!
I'm Eternally grateful for the price that Jesus paid on that Old Rugged Cross
for ME!
I don't understand why but I claim God's promise that His ways are higher than my ways, and His thoughts are higher than my thoughts.

I will get to spend eternity asking all the questions I have and hear the answers from the Saints of old. 
I can hardly wait to talk with Peter, that hot head, so much like me...open mouth...insert foot!
Just think, what it will be like to sit with Esther, Naomi, Ruth, Debra, ...Wow, what a Quilting Party that will be!!

BLESSINGS

5 REASONS I LOVE NEW FABRIC

5 Reasons I Love New Fabric

WALK IN THE WOODS

Aneela Hoey  for Moda Fabrics

Charm Packages;  A Walk in the Woods & Little Apples

By Aneela Hoey for Moda

1.  I Love getting Packages in the Mail.  I especially love to come home and find a package on my front porch and then Thank the Good Lord my dogs didn't decide to have that package for lunch.  Opening it up to find fabric all folded and packaged so nicely.

2.  Opening the package and spreading out all my new goodies on the kitchen table.  I love looking at the packaging and deciding what I'm going to open first!  I chose 'Walk in the Wood's by Aneela Hoey for Moda.  She designs the most unique lines of fabric.  Do you see the second Charm package," Little Apples"?

Isn't this the cutest fabric??  I think I may combine both charm packets and make a charm quilt since I can't stand cutting into even one little square.  It will be my first charm quilt!

3.  Deciding what project will make the best use of the new fabric?  Right now, a charm quilt is my first choice but I'd love some suggestions.

4.  Picking out a just right container for my new fabric.  I'm all about using cute baskets, pretty boxes or plastic containers.  Dollar General, Family Dollar, The Dollar Tree are three of my favorite haunts for cute and cheap containers.

5.  The Feel of New Fabric!!  I'm partial to Kona Snow...aaahhh..the feel of that new white fabric makes me think of FRESH!  I didn't take a picture but I got 2 yrds. of Kona Snow with the two charm packages of  "A Walk in the Woods" and "Little Apples" .  I also bought a downloadable embroidery pattern by the same fabric designer Aneela Hoey, called "Cherry on the Tree Swing".

I can't wait to start on this quilt and use the embroidery pattern in some of the blocks.  My creative juices are running wild.  Any suggestions???

Remember Tomorrow is Easter Sunday

If you have any prayer requests, updates, praise reports just email them to me at

 jehillis@gmail.com

Blessings

EASTER WEEK DAYBOOK

EASTER WEEK

Outside my window...the sun has gone behind approaching storm clouds.  As much as I don't like rainy days, my garden is very thirsty.

What I'm Thinking...I'm planning my Easter Dinner menu in my head and after reading another Grandmother's blog post, making a list of goodies to buy at Dollar General for the Grandpeeps Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday afternoon. She had bought Hula hoops, Bubbles, and feed sacks for a sack race.  I will need to adjust items to fit ages of the 5 peeps.  I'm thinking a Badminton set might go over with the 3 oldest.  I might have to see if I can still knock ye old shuttlecock over the net.

Easter Menu Rough Draft...Spiral Sliced Ham, Mashed potatoes, Killer Mac n Cheese (combination of my recipe and my sister's recipe), Fresh Green Beans, Deviled Eggs, Josh's Salad (SIL makes the best salads!), Sister Schubert's Rolls, Marie Calender's RazzleDazzleBerry Pie, Sweet Tea

Favorite Easter Outfit...  7th grade was the first year I could wear panty hose.  My outfit was a Lime Green Shift dress with matching lime green gloves!  I thought I was Fabulous...ahh the ignorance of youth

Secret Admission...the only candy I really liked in my Easter Basket was the marshmallow peeps.  I never really liked jelly beans and my basket was usually 75% jelly beans!  No toys, nothing but candy!  I felt ripped off by the Easter Bunny!

Biggest Easter Surprise...the year we had 11 inches of SNOW the week before Easter.  I wore my new spring outfit with my snow boots!  This was in West Virginia in the 60's

Made the Biggest Impression..Easter Sunrise Services..were held in a local cemetery of all places but there was a hill that was used to depict Golgatha. The three wooden crosses were permanently placed on that hill throughout the year.  Most years a short Easter drama 

Best Easter Accessory...Easter HATS!!!  My mother loved loved loved Hats and she ALWAYS wore a hat on Easter Sunday.  I remember being little, sitting in the pew and not being able to see the preacher because of all the ladies wearing hats!  My daughters now try to always wear a hat in memory of their Grandmother. 

Fun Memory...going to G.C.Murphy Store, walking down those big wide creaky wooden steps and as I got halfway down I could see and hear the Colored Easter Chicks of all the green, yellow, purple, blue, pink, orange baby chicks.  Of course, some animal rights people deemed the coloring unsafe so we can't have Colored Easter chicks anymore...Boo Hoo  Side Note...we have 6 little Easter chicks bought for my daughter's photography business and are now living here on the farm.

My Easter Wish...that more families would worship together in the House of God especially at Easter Time.  Nothing can compare with my memories of church Easter egg hunts, Easter Passion Plays, Choir Specials, Easter finery, HATS, and pictures of the Stone rolled away on that old borrowed tomb so long ago that gives me the promise of Eternal Life!

Scripture: the scene is after the Crucifixion of Christ, Jesus has died, total darkness has descended at 3:00 in the afternoon, an earthquake has occurred, graves opened and bodies of the Saints were raised to life...

 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God"

Matthew 27: 54

BLESSINGS

Prayer Request Sunday APRIL 1st

Welcome to Prayer Request Sunday

Palm Sunday Edition

April 1st, 2012

Baby Max is HOME!!!  Here is what Patricia writes

Baby Max is finally home and doing great!  I thought you would like to know this joyous news!

love,
patricia

I'm overjoyed as I'm sure all of you who have been praying for Baby Max these past few weeks.  The little boy who started PRS is HOME... on Palm Sunday no less!  Patricia, please keep us in the loop with his progress and give our blessings to Baby Max's family!

That is the only request/praise report I received this week.  Let us continue to keep Josie, Jannette, "b", and all the others from past Sundays in our prayers.  God knows the need and can supply the  answer.  The Bible says He knows the number of hairs on our head.

I'm getting a late start on writing this post.  In fact, it's early Sunday morning, coffee is on, and I will be headed upstairs to get ready for church as soon as I finish writing my post.

Today is Palm Sunday in the Christian Calendar.  The Day Christ rode through the streets on the back of a donkey while the crowd waved large palm leaves and shouted Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna !!  Their adulation was Loud and Proud. Yet, in the very next few days these same revelers would be shouting, "Give us Barrabas" when given the choice to save a known "thug of that day" or Jesus Christ, who's only crime was healing on the Sabbath and... Oh yes, claim to be the Son of God!  Of course this is the condensed version but you get the picture.

I used to Love Palm Sunday as a child especially when my Sunday School Teacher would bring something resembling a palm fern and let us wave our palms as we marched around that  little Sunday School classroom.  I would bring my Palm leaf home determined to save it by putting it in a glass of water.  The picture of Jesus riding on a lowly donkey while the people waved Palm leaves in His honor made an indelible mark on this child's memory.  I could envision myself waving my palm branch and was certain that I would have NEVER joined in with the crowd a week later in choosing Barrabas.  My child like heart knew without a doubt, I would CHOOSE JESUS.

The years have flown by and as I reflect on THIS Palm Sunday of 2012, I am reminded of that little girl who waved her palm leaf and said she would always choose Jesus.  I think about the times throughout the years I have acted like the crowd and how God in His mercy has given me Grace.

Why?  Because the blood of Jesus on that Old Rugged Cross, 2000 yrs ago was shed for me...Jane Hillis...and because the simple lessons learned as a child in Sunday School are still true today...April 1st. 2012.

I Choose Jesus!

Blessings