Thursday, August 18, 2016

~ Healing Stitches ~

Good Morning Friends & Folk ~
well, the preliminary blood tests have come back inconclusive.
really not what I had hoped for, but it's something anyhow.

I have another appointment to see another dr. and am hoping for more thorough testing and results.
I am pretty sure it is tick-bite related as I have been having 'normal' symptoms of Lyme's but also
not-so 'normal' signs of other strains. 
… and So we hurry up & wait.

in the meantime again, I am resting as much as I can
 {or as much as Peter can make me rest}
... I'm sure by now you've guessed I am type-A and am never still or idle ~
so it's hard to keep me down when I don't want to be!

I thank you all for your continued positive thoughts and well-wishes!

I have been stitching, of course.
I can only focus though on doing my free-hand cross stitching…
my brain won't let me focus on much more right now, 
~ so this works at the moment to keep me from going nuts.

this is my little friend, 
Good Witch Mary ~ she finds her way into my work often!




I enjoy this look…
a scattered & naively stitched look I guess ~
such crooked little stitches
wonk-ily worked one at a time to fill in a penciled motif;
in this case an apron adorned Farm Witch!




I have shown you how I stitch like this before, 
but if you'd like a reminder, 
you may click on the links below of my previous postings on this subject:


&


see that sweet little Hitchcock chair? it's only about 5 inches tall….
{{ I wish I was small enough to sit in it! }}

I am originally from CT, 
where these chairs are made and found this tiny version {salesman sample?}
 in PA of all places!




I think I'll add a chair like this one to this sampler ~ or two ~ 
one for her, one for a friend perhaps?
right now I'm stitching on her red saltbox styled farmhouse…




Once finished with the stitching, 
I think I'll make this into a sawdust stuffed pillow ~
at least that is my thought for now ~ 
~ but it will be available here in the Farm Shop for our 8th annual
Gathering of Primitive Friends Show on Sept. 17th
{{WHICH btw, is now less than a month away!}}}
wha whaaaaat?




haven't done much gardening,
but Mother Nature has been generous with rains & heat ~
so we have plenty of fresh tomatoes, green peppers, basil to make a nice sauce.
and yes, although I have to strain mine to remove all seeds, 
I enjoy making it for Peter and LOVE the smell of cooking fresh sauce in my farmhouse
:)

our sunflowers have gotten so heavy that I've had to cut them ~
they now hang, drying for next years' planting.




and although most of our plants are thriving,
the japanese beetles have done terrible damage to our hibiscus, roses and hydrangea…
~ leaving skeletal leaves and nibbled petals.
This one has so far been lucky not to have been devoured yet!




Hannah bought me a beautiful Yellow rose bush for mothers' day a few years back, and the bush it fighting off those blasted beetles.
I will NOT use pesticides though ~ preferring to let Nature take her course…
I have seen praying mantis in our larger herb garden, 
… so I'm hoping they will fly over to the farmhouse and begin eradicating the beetles soon,
before the entire bush is eaten beyond recuperating ~




amidst the rain, heat & humidity ~
and along with illness and stress…

there is always something to be thankful for;
simple beauty
simple handwork
and
love ~

Thank you Peter for taking such good care of me while I'm under the weather….





wishing you all a day filled with things you love,
and those who love you most!


~ Blessings from the Farm ~
 Lori

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sooo good to hear from you, sweet Lori…been so concerned. Keep stitching your bewitchments, and allow Good Witch Mary to help you heal. ~N~

gracie said...

Sorry you have not received better test results. Someone will figure it out. I love the idea of this free stitching and think I will give it a try. Thank you for always sharing.

lynda said...

Glad you are taking it easy..if it is Lyme, it can be really hard to diagnose....you may have started with it while up in Connecticut....
The chair is wonderfulL
Despite being assured by the weathermen that it is better today, I am drenched with sweat after grooming 2 horses and a donkey and cleaning out their feet....
Stay cool!

Ava said...

Lori glad you feel like doing something. I had knee replacement back the end of June and have not wanted to do any quilting until 2 weeks ago. Hang in there. And stitch as much as you can

Ava said...

Lori glad you feel like doing something. I had knee replacement back the end of June and have not wanted to do any quilting until 2 weeks ago. Hang in there. And stitch as much as you can

Jane said...

Sending good thoughts and prayers for you to FEEL BETTER SOON!!! This dreadful humidity can't be helping much.
I'm just inside stitchin', too. All this rain has done my basil in but the cukes are still pumping and there are a few tomatoes on the vines.
Big hugs....
Jane

Anonymous said...

P.S. Maybe you could stitch a little witch to sit in that precious little Hitchcock chair?

Flannel Jammies Farm said...

Been thinking of you so often over the last few days... Sending healing prayers and thoughts of Autumn's renewing chill your way!

Jacqueline said...

Continued good thoughts and prayers coming your way for you and for Peter too.

karen said...

Sending good thoughts...hope you feel better soon!

Sandra said...


Dear Lori,
One of my first thoughts this morning when I sat at the computer was you. Went straight to Facebook to see if you had posted. The waiting for a diagnosis is so hard as I well know. I hope you feel well enough to keep those fingers busy. Wish there was something I could help you with.
Blessings to you and your wonderful husband Peter,
Sandra

Debra said...

I was hoping that your tests would be conclusive, but maybe you will have some answers soon. I was having joint pain and swelling in my left hand, and after seeing a rheumatologist, I learned that I have psoriatic arthritis. Never expected that, but thankfully, I can still stitch!

sheravery said...

Hi Lori,
So sorry that you have no conclusive diagnosis as yet. Fingers crossed for you that you find relief soon. I love your little with, but am TOTALLY IN LOVE with that little chair!! What a gem. I have a Hitchcock rocking chair that has been in my family for many moons. About your blasted Japanese Beetles--- I think every gardener on the planet is plagued by those nasty things. I, personally, will not use pesticides, either. They totally devoured a rose bush I have-- every. single. flower!! Then my Grandmother told me of her remedy. Go out periodically during the day with a bowl/bucket of HOT water. Pick the critters off the plants and drop them in the hot water. This kills them. It's rather time consuming, but the results are worth it. And safer for you and the environment than using chemicals. Just a thought.
Have a great rest of your day, and hope you have answers, in regards to your health, soon.

-Sherry-

WoolenSails said...

I have been tested for lyme, multiple times and it is always negative, the test are not that reliable.
I found a good doc who gives me the meds and lets me regulate how i treat it, sometimes they over do it and I do not want to make myself sicker from too much treatment. I got another tick bite, this time I found it on myself, so fighting off another case myself. I hope they can figure it out and get you on meds now if it is lyme.

Debbie

Glenda said...

I hope you are feeling better soon! Its tedious but I pick the Japanese beetles off by hand and drown them in a jar of soapy water. I pick them off my vegetable plants but I let them have my canas.

marly said...

Inconclusive. But you seem to know your body and your diagnosis is probably correct. I hope the next round of testing has answers for you.

My Colonial Home said...

Hi Lori
So sorry you have to be suffering so - I too am a type A personality and it's hard to keep me down - I work through pain more often than not but still enjoy it. We sound alike.
Your husband is so sweet to take care of you which I would have not doubt - and again we are similar, my husband is always hovering and wanting to take care of me. Are we lucky or what.
I wish we had more sun in our yard because I'd grow a few sunflowers - I used to never like them but the last few years they have grown on me.
Love your witch!!!
Blessings
Karen

woollabeast said...

Hi sweet, adorable you...been checking in on your posts to see how you're feeling & glad to hear you're {stitching a bit} that can only keep your mind off the worry of your tests & results. Remember, this is (not) unusual to get "false-positive test results"...you (have to hammer the docs) -or- search online yourself for one that truly goes the extra mile to do the extensive blood panels. An {integrative doctor} will look at "all avenues" & connect the dots if there is any other concerns for "other possibilities". Keeping you in my thoughts & love your Goody Witch Mary & your sweet hubby Peter for taking such good care of you. Blessings from your woolly friend, Diane

annie said...

Very sorry to read you are so ill, hoping for better days for you.
I love the chair too!

elaine allerton said...

Lori,,, keeping u in my thoughts and prayers,, too,,,, so sorry,, waiting is hard!!
Love ur stitchery,,, sweet,,
Your sunflowers look like mine ,,,, must do that ,, and use the seeds next year,,,
Take care,,,,

NMK said...

Hope you feel better Soon !!! Love your little Hitchcock chair ! Happy stitching !!!

Jeannine520 said...

I'm sorry you're not feeling well Lori, wishing you some relief soon and hopefully a way to figure out what's going on. I agree with you about the pesticide use, I won't do it either. Just started on your Gourdon Squashbottom yesterday, love this one so much, will show progress on FB soon. Take care.

LindaLee said...

I am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. I was bitten a couple of years ago by a tick and never gave it a thought when I took it off me. Several days later I started sleeping day and nigh and wasn't eating at all. When I went to my doctor and she had some tests done, it was indeed from the tick. Fortunately, she had put me on an antibiotic when I went in the first place and that cleared all right up. Please keep us posted and get as much rest as you can.

Saundra said...

Hope you get better soon. I live in the woods also with various wild critters running about for my enjoyment. Have also had various ailments which I thought might be lyme even tho I never saw the bulls eye. Had the blood test and they came back negative.

Have been told the only good blood test is the Western Blot which health insurance will not pay for. Sadly I chose to not spend the hundreds of dollars for test for fear that would come back negative too and I'd be out the money.

Will be reading to find out what doctors and results are found.

Anonymous said...

sorry to hear of your illness and so frustrating not to have it diagnosed. Hoping things improve soon. When I lived in the East, I found hand-picking the beetles into a bucket of soapy water the best defense--their phermones just keep attracting more beetles. there is a natural bacteria that you can sprinkle the ground with that is somewhat effective at killing their grubs. Sorry I can't remember what it was. Pesticides really aren't effective against them, so it is good that you aren't killing your good bugs with them. Becky

Heritage Hall said...

Hope you get to the bottom of your malaise and on the road to recovery. We hailed from Farmington and mourned the demise of our
beloved Hitchcock organization. Just love that miniature chair...
a treasure find.