I have been struggling with the neuropathy and so only minor sewing has happened. I am not sure if the neuropathy in my legs or hands has any improvement ....things are different. Especially in the feet and legs, which has greatly affected my balance and standing.
Anyway, we took a ride up to Apple Valley to the apple orchard. It is a beautiful area and the day was perfect for a trip. We bought up a bushel of Red Rome apples for Fresh Apple Bread, and then selected a few other varieties to share with the neighbors too. Baking day for the apples begins on this weekend.On the way back down the mountain, we stopped in at Foam and Fabric to find some upholstery weight fabric to recover our bar stools. I only picked up a scrap bag for $4 and a new seam ripper. I need one with a sharper point to un-pick short seams of sub cuts for a scrappy trips project.
Scrappy Trips project......I have two bins of assorted strips of 2'' width. I got tired of string type blocks, so I turned to a "kitchen sink" pattern. That means anything goes. No photos as I am in the sorting and grouping stage. I really need to clear these strips out. I will continue with the leader and ender---Jewel Box Star---as I work on these.
In the email in box this morning......A nice note that gave me a lift.
Kathy originally found one of my quilts on Pinterest, and followed to my blog. She was planning a watercolor wall hanging for her son for his wedding. Apparently she had already cut squares to 2 1/2'' and began to have challenges as she was developing her design. She asked for help with sizes, and blending.
I gave her all the info I could in an email, and referred her to several spots on the blog for more details. She promised to send photo of her finish. That was several months ago.
Today this arrived.
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| Made by Kathy |
Her finished size is 24'' by 36''.
Viewed from a distance, the glow from the base of the buildings is striking. I can almost see the specks of light in the buildings as day begins. She captured the skyline against the sunrise behind the buildings. I absolutely love it.
Great job, Kathy, and thank you for sharing your finished project.
A total stranger finds my blog, asks a few questions, and the back and forth dialog begins. And I have a new person to help and touch. Little do these folks know just how much they help me, give me purpose, provide me with a reason to stand longer and fight on. Thank you.
Happy stitching.
16 comments:
So glad you had a bright email! Orchard apples are always sooo good! I hope you begin feeling better soon. Take care! ~Jeanne
I hope your neuropathy begins to improve and provide you with more mobility soon. It is so difficult to face these challenges when there is still so much creativity just waiting to bloom. You gave your new friend Kathy a beautiful gift, and her results are absolutely gorgeous. You used the word that immediately came to mind, her wallhanging simply 'glows.' The apples sound so yummy - apple bread is something I haven't tried - yet. It seems that the fall colors are completely lacking all over the east coast states this year, with few exceptions. Very strange year all around.
What fun to go to the apple orchard. Nice outing and those apples look yummy. And what fun email you received. I love the architect influence in this color blended quilt. Very appropriate for the new couple too! I'm sorry you are not feeling 100%. Sending positive thoughts & prayers your way. I hope your doctors can figure out a solution, and at a very minimum a way to get you to have far more good days than bad days.
Sounds like you had a great road trip to the apple orchard. I've never had a fresh picked apple before but I know they must be delicious! Apple Bread sounds very good...would love the recipe! How exciting it must have been to get the email from Kathy & from the results it looks like you guided her in the right direction the quilt she produced is a real beauty.
Praying extra hard for you during your health struggles. I do hope the Doctors can find relief for you soon. {{{Hugs}}}
So you're baking this weekend! I've never had apple bread but it sounds wonderful. Kathy's quilt is beautiful.
You are such a warrior, Debbie! I pray the neuropathy becomes less of an issue!!
The apples look luscious. Sounds like a good day out and about.
Love the story about the architect's watercolor quilt. Isn't it great the way blogs connect us in ways we never dreamed? And you are always so good to share your knowledge and skills. You are a blessing to us all!
Making those connections is fun!! What a great story!
Glad you got out for those apples and some great photos! Been awful gray here this fall with little color. Thanks for sharing the architectural quilt and story. Although it does not seem like much progress, I have been collecting and collecting floral prints and have the quarter log cabin in process, trying to get enough strips for a floral Scrappy trips, and filling my floral square trays for a colorwash. All of these are based on what you have shared. As soon as I am done with Wanda's class and the batik colorwash is sewn, a floral one is going up in its place. Keep going.
I don't know if this will help, but I just sent it to a friend of mine and I offer it to you for your consideration:
Alpha-Lipoic Acid for Neuropathy in Feet:
Q. One of my massage clients had terrible pain and sensitivity in his feet after playing a lot of volleyball. His doctor prescribed Neurontin for neuropathy. After he took hundreds of Neurontin pills without results, I suggested alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and a chiropractor to check the alignment of bones in his feet. His physician said that ALA was a good idea since he takes 300 mg daily himself.
My client was outraged that the doctor never recommended ALA for him. Instead, his massage therapist had to recommend it. He was to take 200 mg per day to start. In addition to the chiropractic treatments, this led to improvement. When I remember that giant bottle of Neurontin, I just cringe.
Treating Neuropathy with Alpha-Lipoic Acid:
A. Neuropathy (nerve pain) is notoriously difficult to treat. Physicians frequently prescribe gabapentin (Neurontin) or pregabalin (Lyrica) for this condition with mixed results.
Alpha-lipoic acid has been studied and found beneficial for alleviating diabetic neuropathy (European Journal of Endocrinology, Oct. 2012; Current Medical Research and Opinion, Aug. 17, 2018). Researchers hypothesize that its pain-relieving effects are related to its antioxidant activity (Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, Apr. 10, 2018).
A review of medical research found that nutraceuticals including vitamin B complex, alpha-lipoic acid, L-acetylcarnitine, vitamin E and Coenzyme Q may alleviate the pain of neuropathy (Current Drug Metabolism, 2018). The supplements should be taken half an hour before meals to ensure good absorption.
I am sorry to hear that the neuropathy is taking such a toll on you. As a diabetic, I have to be very aware of that as a possibility.
Isn't it wonderful to see the results of your inspiration come to life? I am always surprised when someone tells me that I inspired them. I think that I am just plugging along trying to get by - and then I see something someone says I inspired them to do. To me, that is a great honor.
Kathy did a great job with that quilt. I know her son will love it. Sorry the neuropathy is getting worse. Hopefully it is just a temporary thing. I know mine tends to get worse, then gets better, in swings. I'm trying to move more frequently, which seems to help.
So sorry about the neuropathy. My own chronic pain syndrome cleared a long time ago, but I’m sympathetic to how debilitating it is, and how depressing it can be. The quilt is lovely, and I have to agree about those little notes. I get them occasionally too, along with little gifts, and it really does brighten a day.
Thank you for sharing Kathy's story and her beautiful quilt! Sending you best wishes for feeling better and stronger, Debbie.
Good morning Debbie...So sad to hear of your continuing battle with Nasty Neuropathy. I know what our son goes through with his diabetic neuropathy, which he has had for at least a dozen of his 57 years. Hopefully you may find some relief with the info given to you by the massage therapist above.
Our eldest son suffers terribly from Asthma and has found great relief from the use of Holistic products, so maybe it might be worth giving them a test run to see if they help. I am in the process of baking, using my apple purchases from our local grocery store, which, at this time of year, offers a group of varieties for around 70 cents per pound. I would be interested in your apple bread recipe, if you are willing to share. I've tried several, and while good, are not what I'm looking for. Hugs and prayers!
So sorry you continue to struggle with the neuropathy. How lovely that you were able to help a newcomer achieve success. I'm glad she let you know the outcome. I'm happy to say you remain an inspiration to me even if I can't seem to finish any of the projects you've inspired. Don't give up. I'll get there some day. Enjoy your apple bread. I once made an apple bread from a recipe on a flour bag and it was really good, but I either didn't save it or misplaced it and I've never found one like it since.
Pat
I would LOVE a bushel of apples! Let us know what you bake up! Our trees are currently exploding with color that I just cannot get enough of. Maybe it'll hit there soon, though I know the cold that brings it may not be so welcome.
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