Hello, Friend! I hope you are well wherever you are when this post finds you.
I’m currently sitting on the back patio watching the birds on a gorgeous May afternoon. I can hear cardinals, house finches, titmice, and blue jays calling, singing, squeaking, and buzzing from the canopy overhead and behind us. Though it’s a warm, sunny day, there’s a lovely light breeze in the shade keeping me cool and bringing the last scent of quickly fading lilac across the yard to me. It is a springtime feast for the senses!
Yesterday and today have been absolutely joyful days as my typically excessive MS fatigue has lessened and allowed me to be up and about more than usual. So, naturally, I rode my scooter over to the lake in our neighborhood yesterday and soaked in some Vitamin D and the beauty of God’s creation around me.
American Bullfrog Baby starlings waiting for Mom to come back with a meal.This looks so peaceful, but…… this is the reality. I walked down to the water’s edge and, of course, MS gal lost her balance and stepped in the water 😜.Weeds can be beautiful too!Ladybug 🐞!
After I rode back home from the lake, I decided to sit under the birches in the backyard.
Isn’t this a delicious view through the treetops?One of my favorite corners of the garden.My Mother-in-law came for a visit last weekend and was watching the birds at the feeders when she suddenly exclaimed, “Turkey!”. My Hubby caught this pic with his phone before it flew away. I’ve seen several turkeys in the woods around our neighborhood, but this is the first one who’s ever flown over the fence for a visit. It was quite exciting 🦃!Blue JayMy tripod broke last week and as I was waiting for the new one to be delivered, some of my favorite springtime visitors dropped by for a snack. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks only stay in the Ozarks for a small window of time as they migrate north each year. If I would have had a tripod the picture would have been sharper. There’s always next year.Cute, but greedy varmint.Laudy’s turn to help me with my Bible study 😻I think I had three PDF patterns that needed to be put together. It took several days last week to get the job done, but Pip and I persevered. My sister asked me to make a dress for her from a pattern company I had never used before. Experience has taught me to try out a pattern before using precious fabric. I traced off my size onto butcher paper and am in the middle of making the dress for myself from fabric in my stash to check the fit. So far so good. I used some of my energy yesterday to clean the kitchen sink with Soft Scrub. Aren’t the patterns pretty?My Mom gave me this Chicago Metallic meatloaf pan several years ago. The raised insert allows the fat to drip through the holes, keeping the meat from getting soggy.Hubby loves ketchup drizzled over meatloaf before it’s baked. Dinner is served! Meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, salad, and homemade Rice Krispie Treat. Laudy says, “That’s all, folks.”So does Pip.
Thanks for stopping by. May God be with you! ❤️, Amy
When it rains it pours! Our dishwasher gave up the ghost Saturday morning (my birthday) and flooded the kitchen.
Thankfully, Hubby is a pretty smart cookie and got the water shut off.
He wrangled the dishwasher out of it’s nest and discovered the water lines from it were bad and the tub on the bottom had a crack.
Though we had to look for dishwashers on my birthday, we managed to squeeze in a yummy lunch at a delicious cafe/bakery. My favorite there is an almond croissant 🥐😋!
We found a replacement the same day and my Dad helped us get it home and supervised Hubby’s installation.
It was a lot of work, but Hubby got the job done and it was sealed with Pip’s approval. 😻
Pip playing with Hubby ❤️
Speaking of Pip, we have been dealing with a bit of a scare with him. Last month during his regular, annual check-up we learned he had a grade 2 heart murmur. Our vet referred us to the University of Missouri Vet Clinic to see a cardiologist to investigate the issue further.
It’s a three hour drive from Springfield to Columbia one way… it’s been a long day for us all.
She gave us some good news today that it looks benign and we are scheduled to go back next year to keep an eye on things.
Pip was still kinda stoned from the sedation on the way home. He curled up on my lap and insisted, by way of nudging my hand, that I rub his head the whole way ❤️😻.Here’s a random picture of the lunch I made myself Monday.In this month’s Universal Yums box they included a recipe for Belgian Meatballs, Hubby wanted to try them so I made them on Wednesday for dinner. I served them with baked new potatoes. Verdict? 😋😍👍Our lilac tree is now bursting with blooms and filling our backyard with the most wonderful scent ever smelled. I took this picture last week just as one of the bunches was starting to open up.
The weather has been nice enough each afternoon this week and, despite pretty lousy MS fatigue, I’ve been able to make it onto the patio to watch the birds. They fill my heart with joy and gratitude to God for the wonder of His creation.
Northern Cardinal – male American Goldfinch – female Northern Cardinal – female Downey Woodpecker – maleTufted Titmouse House Finch – maleWhite-Throated Sparrow Sun on our River BirchThis photo collage of my sister and I popped up on my memories this week. I love my sister, she is one of my greatest blessings and my best friend ❤️.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful day! May God be with you. ❤️, Amy
Can you see the spider’s web? White-throated Sparrow I love how the colors came out in this photo of a Common Grackle.American Goldfinch 19 of Hubby’s cycling friends stopped by halfway through one of their rides for a cookie and water break.Our sweet blue “Laudy” Laudanum Cornish Rex 💙 Our sweet chocolate “Pip” Cornish Rex 🤎It’s always a toss-up of who will be first in the sling to help me with my Bible study each morning. Pip won this day.😹Behind the scenes when I’m birdwatching on the back patio.
Hello! I bet you didn’t expect to hear from me again so soon, did you? It’s been a while since I did a “week in my life” sort of blog, so…I did. Let’s see, when I last wrote I believe I told you I had finally tested negative for Covid 🎉. I was still sick, though. I started some antibiotics for a bacterial sinus infection 5 days ago and am happy to report that I am doing much better. I still have a cough, but I’m hoping it will continue to dissipate with time (and another 5 days of antibiotics 😉).
Surprisingly, my MS hasn’t been too bad this week and I was able to putter around the house with reasonable rest breaks between activities. This has been a HUGE blessing to me ☺️!
Anywho, I’ve been sewing up a storm and enjoying myself thoroughly this week! As a matter of fact, in the pictures you’re about to see I think I’m wearing four different things I either finished up or made this week. (There’s more sewing stuff a bit further down too 🙂.)
Covid wore me out and I hadn’t cooked for over two weeks, we survived on freezer meals I had squirrelled away. I finally found the energy to get in the kitchen again on Tuesday. I made a huge pot of beef barley soup, enough to last us several days. I also decided to get out my Mom’s high school Home Ec. cookbook and made a couple loaves of our favorite bread. Mom’s book has seen better days, but it is very special to me and has some great recipes.
Oh, and I made some chocolate chip bars on Thursday from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Cookbook. 😋. I love lots of chocolate chips but Hubby only wants a few, and the itty-bitty ones. So, I compromised and put half the normal amount of my chips and some of his tiny chips into the batter and they actually managed to please both of us.
I hadn’t cleaned my sewing room for several weeks, it was really bad. I cleared the decks on Monday and gave it a good going over. I don’t know how I didn’t end up at urgent care with 23 pins stuck in my feet! YIKES 😬! I also gave both my sewing machine and my serger a good service and cleaning.
I spent a couple hours cutting patterns out last Saturday, here are a couple.Today (Friday), I cut out the Moire Blouse by Wardrobe by Me from this lovely double gauze from Beyond the Pink Door. I’ve had this in my stash for a while trying to decide what to do with it. I ❤️ double gauze, it’s so comfy.I wear special gloves when I use my rotary cutter so I don’t cut myself. Rotary cutters and MS don’t jive, precautions must be taken.Every Sunday afternoon at 1:00 I always try to catch the Live Sewing Chat with Andrea at Beyond the Pink Door. She has some of the best fabrics I’ve ever sewn and, despite having to ship it from Ireland, it’s quite reasonably priced. And I really like Andrea ❤️I’ve started keeping a bullet journal, mostly for sewing projects. I was having a hard time keeping straight what patterns I had made and the alterations, if any, for each. Oh, and I kinda like stickers. Yes, I’m seven years old.
The next few photos are random.
Every morning I enjoy solving a couple of cryptograms while having breakfast.Laudy is my constant shadow. She sat on my shoulder Wednesday as I ate lunch. This has been pretty typical of the last few weeks – a cup of hot tea, cough drops, Vaseline lip balm, and iced tea close at hand. I’ll save you the visual of snotty hankies.I really enjoy watching Horse Plus Humane Society YouTube videos. They rescue horses from the slaughter pipeline as well as any and all animals surrendered to them as the Humane Society in Tennessee. I’ve learned a lot about horsemanship and horse care.
Of course I watched the birds this week!
Carolina Chickadees and a female House Finch House Finches Male House Finch Male Downy Woodpecker Dark-eyed Junco Female Northern Cardinal
Lastly, I’ll share some of my favorite moments of the week with Pip and Laudy, my constant companions.
Pip joined us for dinner on Thursday.Laudy helped me solve a cryptogram on Wednesday…… but gave up quickly.Pip and I watched the birds on Thursday.Monday night snuggles with Pip while watching TV.Laudy helped me during my Bible study Monday morning.Thursday morning parrot imitation practice.Laudy snuggled with Hubby Tuesday evening.Thursday night snuggles. Are you seeing a pattern yet?😉I was trapped under cats after lunch today, it took 2 hours to get free. 😻😻Sun-bathing on her birthday 🎂!
Thanks for joining me this week. May God be with you. ❤️, Amy
Winter came to our backyard in January, she was exquisite ❄️.White-throated Sparrow Northern Cardinal One morning before breakfast, I looked out the window and straight into the eyes of this fine hawk. I’m lousy at identifying hawks. I think it’s a Red-tailed, but it might be Sharp-shinned. Please let me know if you know which it is.The same lovely person who gifted us a 6-month subscription to International Yums as a Christmas gift decided to spoil us for Valentine’s (a little early) too! We’ve had such fun tasting our way through these goodies. Though I must confess, Chicken-Larb flavored fried seaweed was not a hit in our house 😝.On the other hand, these easy home-made whole wheat english muffins are one of my favorites. I frequently make a double batch of these and stick them in the freezer for a toasted breakfast delight. If you’d like to try them, I’ve snapped pictures of the recipe and added them below 👇.
At the end of January I had a blood test to see if my immune system was rebuilding itself after stopping my MS treatments about a year ago (March 1st to be exact). The good news is yes, I have some nascent cells emerging. The bad news is I don’t have very many. I’m still immunocompromised, but the tide is slowly turning 🥳.
My MS has been all over the shop. Two weeks ago I had a string of good days and was able to cook and sew and putter around the house. Yesterday afternoon I couldn’t sit up or hold my head up and spent hour after hour in bed. Today, I’ve been able to sit up and ride around the house on my scooter, but my legs are like concrete and won’t work. Tomorrow? Your guess is as good as mine. The only predictable thing about MS is its unpredictability.
Laudy and Pip finishing my oatmeal a couple weeks ago 😆.
Thanks for staying tuned and stopping by. May God be with you! ❤️, Amy
Energy all gone, Feels like I’m in a coma – A puddle of goo.
I think I’ve melted into and become one with my recliner these last four days.
Thankfully, once again, my feathered friends have come to the rescue and filled the long hours with the joy of their songs and avian antics.
Eastern Bluebird and House FinchCardinal at takeoff. I love how you can see the individual features of his right wing.Female Cardinal Female House FinchAnother Eastern Bluebird I can’t get enough of our State Bird 💙American Goldfinch Mourning DoveCarolina Chickadee Dark-eyed Junco Though the image isn’t great, I was able to document my first ever sighting of a gorgeous Pileated Woodpecker across the road in our neighbor’s tree on Saturday!! This sighting was absolutely thrilling for me and I was on cloud nine for the rest of the day ☺️.
Another source of happiness filling my idle time has been the company of our cats, Laudy and Pip. They have no idea what a blessing and source of company they are to me, but I count them as one of God’s treasures gifted to my keeping. And they are experts at the art of resting 😻.
A person very dear to me gifted Hubby and I a fun surprise, a 6-month subscription to Universal Yums. It’s a monthly box featuring snack food from different countries around the world. This month’s box arrived yesterday with treats from… Austria 🇦🇹 😋!
Hubby’s favorite was the Waffelz and mine was the Auer Baumstamme.
As you can see, my life has revolved mostly around our cats Laudy and Pip. That’s as it should be for a crazy cat lady. I did squeeze in making some delicious English muffins; they didn’t last long. They were especially good with some Tiptree Raspberry Jam made in England 😋.
Southwest Missouri has been in the grips of a severe drought this summer made worse by excessive heat over 100°F these last couple of weeks. As a result, I’ve not been out of the house much because MS and heat don’t mix well. Summer has traded her usually lush green frock for a drab yellowish-brown garb that isn’t nearly as attractive. We may get some rain later this week, it’s gotta come sometime!
The MS Update Part: You may remember that a few years ago I started taking a drug for my MS named Ocrevus. It was an IV infusion given every six months and I was able to get the last couple of doses at home through home infusion nursing. Well, after a lot of prayer and discussion with my neurologist, I have decided to stop taking the drug. This will be the first time in 26 years that I will not be on a disease modifying therapy. My disease has continued to progress, in the normal course of things, to a place where there are no current drugs to treat it. I’ve known I’ve had Secondary Progressive MS for the last few years but opted to treat it with the drugs available for Relapsing Remitting MS because nothing else was available. Ocrevus has some significant side effects when used long-term and I’ve reached the point where the risks outweigh the benefits. Not everyone with MS may agree with my decision but, for better or for worse, no one else has to live with the results but me. As always with MS, no two people have the same disease progression or outcomes. Though I appreciate the concern and good will of others, please don’t send me articles and cures to try. I am probably already aware of whatever you’ve found on the internet or what your aunt’s cousin’s friend’s dad tried and how it “cured” him. I chose to educate myself about MS as soon as I was diagnosed and have stayed on top of research as well as drugs, diets, and homeopathic interventions ever since.
I am quite at peace with my decision, I’ve known this was coming for a long time. I’ve had 32 years to get used to my MS, we’ve sort of grown up together and understand each other 😉. As always, I appreciate your prayers. Considering how long I’ve had MS I know I am doing very well related to many others. I can still walk some for short periods of time and I can independently take care of most of my daily living needs. My wonderful hubby is my right hand and I know God gave me a tremendous gift when He gave Todd to me. My sister and Dad are always ready to help at the drop of a hat and my Mom-in-law is only a phone call away and has come to the rescue on more than one occasion. I also have a loving and supportive church family, as well as good friends who care and always offer to help me whenever needed.
Thanks for coming by to catch up today, I know it’s been a while since I last wrote. When things cool off a bit I’ll probably be more likely to post more often. May God be with you! ❤️, Amy
It’s here! Sure signs of Spring are breaking out all over the Ozarks.
Red-winged Blackbirds all in a row by our neighborhood lake.I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed—and gazed—but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.
– William Wordsworth Ornamental pear tree, I think.The first bee I’ve seen this year.Just look at that face covered in pollen 🐝.Stork’s bill, or at least that’s what Google came up with.I love to see what grows around the lake.That little dot of magenta made me so happy!Though it took all of last week, I managed to finish a dress by doing a little each day. It has become a habit for Pip to climb into his little pouch and take a snooze when I’m at my machine. I’m not sure which slows me down more, MS or Pip 😉.
I hope you have a wonderful week and take the time to look at the world around you.
Hello again, Friend. Below you will find some random pictures of things I’ve been doing to fill my winter days.
I really enjoy following several YouTube vloggers in the sewing world and wondered how hard it would be to take pictures of each step of garment construction like they do. I gave it a go and learned they have a lot more patience than me! Most of the pictures I took are in my camera’s trash and there they will stay. I’m sharing a few just to make myself feel like I didn’t waste all the effort it took to complete the experiment.
My notions and the PDF pattern.The tail end of cutting it out.I had enough fabric to make two tunics. I found the jersey knit on Etsy and loved the prints together.Sewing the pocket on.Finishing the hem.It was my first time sewing a cowl neck.The little pocket in the contrasting fabric turned out so cute 🥰.I’ve learned to keep a stash of bandaids by my machine 🙄. Blood, sweat, and tears 😉!
My favorite Laudy pics of the past few weeks…
We had some really beautiful warmish days since my last post so, of course, I sat out in the backyard and watched the birds.
House finch pair with a goldfinch looking on.Carolina chickadee Downy woodpecker 💛
But, my favorite winter activity? Snuggling with Hubby!
Lord willing, I’ll write again soon. God be with you! ❤️, Amy
Hello again, it’s been a while. I’ve been remiss in writing, distracted by other things in life. Well, actually, just one thing (drumroll)…my MS. Shocker, I know. The last couple of weeks have been simply outrageous. I’ll spare you the details, but I have IV steroids coming my way to try and get things under some sort of control. Yesterday, the day the home infusion nurse (yes, Bill 😀) was ready to come to the house and hook me up, winter storm Landon arrived covering the roads with ice. Today, Landon dumped 7 inches of snow before going on his merry way. Bill texted to say he will come over this weekend to get me going once the roads become traversable.
The snow has been beautiful to watch as it swirls and blows in frigid gusts. We’ve had 30+ birds at a time come to the feeders these past couple of days for an easy meal during the storm.
There’s a dark-eyed junco somewhere there in our lilac tree.BluejayCardinal, maleCardinal, female Buff tan dark-eyed junco Slate-tan dark-eyed junco
As ever, the cats are keeping me company.
Gratefully, neither they nor my sweet Hubby see someone with MS when they look my way, they just see me – full stop. I feel so loved, and I know it doesn’t get any better than that.
Amy's Axons 