June 13, 2009
New Studio Steps & Deck
Those of you who have visited my studio may have found the stairs to my studio challenging. This weekend that is all changing! My guys demolished the old steps, and are building a 2 level deck with easier to navigate steps and landings. They've promised it will be completely finished in time for some of my QOV quilter friends coming by next Friday to work on quilting. This picture shows Mitchell working on ratcheting some bolts, while Scott is looking for the next board. I am taking this picture while sitting on the tractor. It was my job to use the bucket to lift the heavy beams. We had talked about putting new stairs in since moving into our house 4 years ago. Now seemed like the best time to do it, as I injured my knee in late April, and am having surgery in 2 weeks. After the surgery I won't be climbing stairs for awhile, but when I do I'm sure they'll be easier to manage than the old ones. Knee Injury Being the Klutz that I am, I stumbled on some rough sidewalk and tore a dime sized "divet" out of my articulate cartilage in my knee. This weight bearing cartilage is on the end of my femur. It is full thickness, to the bone. Needless to say, it has been painful! I never knew a knee could swell so much - and so fast! The swelling is better now, but still not able to tolerate much time on my feet. I'll have arthroscopic surgery. My surgeon has lined up 3 possible repairs, depending on what he finds when he goes in. (I had an MRI, but "having a look see" is the best way to determine the situation). He will either 1) just clean up the injury area and debris, and stop there if my arthritis is too advanced and not enough surrounding cartilage (& it may or may not help much), 2) do a microfracture procedure where he punches holes in the bone to release bone marrow that will help fill in the hole with a somewhat helpful "cartilage-like" substance, or 3) put plugs of cartilage from another area of my knee into the hole. The first option will ony have me on crutches a week or two. The 2nd and 3rd options will have me on crutches 6-8 weeks, non weight bearing. YIKES! What's on the Frame Although I haven't been able to do a lot of quilting the last 6 weeks, I have been able to get a few finished. I don't have pictures uploaded, but will soon. You can view some of the quilts I have longarmed in 2009 at: http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/slideshow/569726988nFtSCo Colonel Benson's Quilt of Valor I was asked to make another special presentation quilt by the folks at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. This time it was for a Colonel who was being sent stateside to head up a training dept. I had help with piecing the Wagon Trail blocks by my good friend, Linda R. She made the blocks, and I assembled them along with the applique and photos. It was a real honor to have been asked to make this special quilt. Thank you, Colonel Benson, and best wishes. Memorial Day Weekend All the kids and grandkids were here for Memorial Day weekend. We spent a lot of time down at our pond fishing. It was so much fun watching the little girls fish (& the big ones, too). My Gardens It seemed like the April/May rain would never end, but my flower gardens are looking great. Over the holiday weekend and following week we installed an underground irrigation system in one of my big flowerbeds. Finally.... a summer without lugging garden hoses around.
