Saying good-bye

 Murphy was readmitted to ICU on Saturday. He is not eating and the diabetes is still not under control and top that with pancreatitis and now an eye infection....just too much for him. We love our babies with so much of our being but must face realistic decisions at times. This is the time. IVs, catheters, NG tube....just not fair to put him through it all with a very uncertain outcome. He can not stay in hospital indefinitely which at this point is what is happening. 

This precious baby has brought so much love and fun to this home. From the moment he stepped into his new home he made himself very much at home. My heart is empty.....

Today I ruffled his fur and held  his furry paw one last time. 
     

                           

 

Murphy , taken at 4 months old

      August 3, 2019 - July 7, 2025 

Murphy~~~~~

 It has been a few difficult days around here. We noticed this past Saturday that Murphy was not feeling well. On Monday we took him to the vet. They ran  tests. At 9am Tuesday morning the vet called with Murphy's results. I knew by the tone of her voice that it was serious. The test showed that he is Diabetic ketoacidosis... needing immediate treatment.

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in dogs is a serious and life-threatening complication of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. In some cases, the affected dog had previously been diagnosed with diabetes.  Not the case for us.  However, in many cases, the vet makes the diagnosis of DKA at the same time as the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. 

This is a major, life-threatening illness. In some case the pet might be euthanized. The reasons can vary; from severity of illness to  inability to provide long term at home care and the financial burden.

By 2pm Lisa and I took him to the emergency hospital and he was admitted for intensive care. .His labs were very much off and they began to stabilize him. Before you think we ignored something with him, we did not. Again, symptoms that something was wrong began on Saturday, June 28th. He was not eating, drinking copious amounts of water and had a few incidents of spitting up and lots of urination.  I initially thought he might have a UTI.

Around 4:30 yesterday Murphy began to respond to the IV for fluids but not out of trouble yet. Today he will see a specialist for diabetic care and we should know more.  They will insert an NG tube for nourishment. It was very difficult leaving him there yesterday. I cried all morning and Lisa cried all afternoon. We are all feeling sad. He is our baby...many of you have furbabies and can relate.

Murphy will be 6 years old this August.  To us he is still just a pup.  Please keep him in your thoughts. 

Thank you for your kind words and for your friendship. I will update  as soon as I know anything more.

 FYI

Signs of diabetic ketoacidosis include any combination of the following:

•  *Increased urination—the kidneys have to work extra hard to filter excess sugar in the blood, leading to increased urine output.
• *Increased thirst in dogs—what goes out must come in; dogs in DKA have to drink a lot more water to make up for the loss through urine.
• *Weight loss—because the dog can’t properly metabolize glucose, the body breaks down fats and proteins for cellular energy.
• Muscle wasting—altered energy metabolism deprives muscle cells of energy, so muscles can start to deteriorate.
• *Decreased appetite—the electrolyte imbalances and acid base problems caused by DKA can make dogs feel bad and not want to eat.
• Nausea—similarly, the blood chemistry disturbances in DKA can cause nausea.
• *Vomiting—nausea can become severe enough that dogs with DKA may vomit.
• *Depression or being a lethargic dog—without proper glucose metabolism, DKA in dogs can significantly reduce their overall energy.
• Weakness—muscle loss and poor energy can make dogs with DKA very weak.
• *Dehydration—sometimes dogs can’t drink enough water to overcome the extra fluid loss, leading to dehydration.
• Diarrhea—fluctuations in fluids and blood chemical levels can cause soft or watery stool.
• Cataracts in dogs—high blood sugar can lead to excess glucose in the eye fluid. This glucose is metabolized into sorbitol, which draws water into the lens and causes cataracts.
• An enlarged liver—breaking down fat stores for energy causes fatty accumulation in the liver.
• Increased respiratory rate and effort (dog is breathing fast)—dogs breathe more heavily or pant to compensate for altered metabolism and acid base balance.
• Dull mentation—the brain relies on glucose for energy.
• Stupor or coma—in severe cases of DKA, the brain is so deprived of cellular energy it starts to shut down.
• A sweet odor to the breath—some dogs will have a fruity odor to their breath that is from the buildup of acetone—one of the types of ketones—in their bodies.
•  
• Symptoms with the * are what Murphy exhibited. 

The night before , the night before

   The year is coming to an end and for many of us we look forward to a new year ....a new start. I have been busy at my sewing table...

The are two Prosperity Hen strings hanging in my house, one at the front door and the other at my bedroom slider. They were fun to make.

Although we do not get snow  here in The Valley (Arizona), I do like the look of snow and love snowflakes. These are made with wax paper!

Since I can not run away with the circus, I will bring it to me. Ann Wood is designing a few circus animals and I plan on making them all....this is the first, the elephant and soon to come will be a monkey and a cat.

This is my new Journal that I made to record thoughts and ideas and whatever happens. I will begin on January. I love making Latkans and so bedsides dangling beads there is one that will be a book mark. This will hopefully eliminate my writing notes on scrap paper.

A rocking horse ornament.

Two reindeer made from flannel with skinny twine legs and beads for feet. Thank you Debbie for designing the pattern.

Alejandro just moved in. I just love him....had to have him.

My d-i-l  Andrea and my grandchildren, Devin, Julian and Rosie and their new puppy Millie. They visited the Lobster Pot Christmas Tree in Stonington Ct.

A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Murphy ....

Thank you for your kind words and thank you for your friendship.

Pigs do fly!!!

 Here we are in November. There are 53 days until Christmas and I find myself almost ready. My packages for  mailing  should go out by the first week in December. 

My last post I mentioned how little things pop up to distract  me. Well, truth be told, they are not so little. I am sure in this house there are Pixies living here. Yes, I do believe in all those things. Why do I know this, well here is a list of things that are missing....a kitchen paring knife--one of Lisa's white flip flops--my black feathered crow--Alan's I watch--my resin sculpture of a horse and rider (The End of the Trail)--and now my small book of my passwords. Oh we have look high and low and near and far. These items are someplace in the house....but where? there are other things that go on that disrupt living here; but that is for another post.

Look at my flying pig! Isn't she cute. I think the pink/white check suits her perfectly. Maybe a friend will join her....never know.  I enjoy creating this and that for my room. My room is my special place.

Recently made The Green Man using felt and twigs. I wanted to make one for a long time. When I saw this pattern it was perfect for how I wanted to stitch it. What my eyes see keeps my hands busy for sure. I am lucky to have the time to spend on these projects. 

Our weather here in Arizona is finally changing. the triple digit temperatures have gone away. The bedroom slider is open most days and Murphy loves going in and out. Sometimes he just lays by the slider sniffing the air. For no this is what is happening around here. There is more to share....

Thank you for stopping by and for your kind words. Thank you for your friendship.

December Sue

 Here we are December 1st. We have all our Christmas decoration finished. This year, Alan and Lisa did the living room tree and the kitchen tree. The Brother really got into the spirit. Once again, Murphy did not get into anything. 

Sue is decorating her tree with the help of two gnomes.My  Lisa gnome this year was joined by The Brother Alan gnome!

Lots of sequins and beads.....
This is the last Sun Bonnet Sue monthly banner. It has been fun to create a special scene each month. What shall I do next year? Alan started Christmas wish lists for each of us.... he may be sorry! Lisa and I do shopping together for him so there will be no duplicates. A new family tradition.

I finally did mention to Alan that I fell. He had very stern words for me. I am totally forbidden to climb any step ladder except the one he gave me. He will be removing said items from my reach!.  It can be difficult to admit that I should not do this or that. That I need help. Oh and Lisa is in complete agreement with Alan..... no sympathy from her!

Our Arizona weather has finally changed. We even had rain last night. Not much, but every bit helps. Still in shorts however. Today I got out my winter slippers. Soon Lisa will be moving from her suede slippers to the Alaskan Bear slippers! 

I am still not feeling well...I keep thinking it is just a cold; maybe time for a doctor visit.Anyway, I am happy to have you visit with me today. Thank you for your kind words and thank you for your friendship.

Beginning to look like Christmas....

 First I want to thank all of you that sent special thoughts to my great-nephew, Antonio. He is out of hospital and holding his own. Still has a way to go, but keeping good thoughts that he will continue to improve.

Every year I try to make a new ornament... for me and to give away. This year it is a star.... a take-off of Ann Wood's Jingle Star. I have added a tag that has room for a name and says, "My star in heaven"...that is the mine for my tree in the center. There is one with a name already on it that will be traveling to... my aunt Rose Marie for uncle Tony. That leaves 2 that will need a home. I have also started another quilt.... one that will be sewn by hand whenever I pick it up...

Squares and rectangles. I am using whatever scrap fabrics from my bin...no selecting just using. Same will be for when i start sewing them together.  that will be as soon as I decide on the layout.

Our sweet Murphy...2 weeks ago at 5am I noticed that his eyes were completely clouded over! He was not having trouble maneuvering around inside or outside. Did not seem to be hurting. I called the vet and Lisa and I took him in. Blood work drawn.... eyes examined. She ruled out glaucoma...a relief. Medication for his eyes and then wait for results. Valley Fever ruled out and the conclusion is that he has high cholesterol. Do not bother to ask how...the answer is that it is my fault. I give him almost everything. Now he is on a diet...prescribed kibble. No more home cooked food. He still gets veggies. Now, back to the eyes. From day one we saw an immediate improvement and by day 4 the eyes were clear! Back to his handsome self. He will return to the vet in a month. I will be on my best behavior. This past few weeks I have not been feeling well...a cold....my diagnosis. Alan and Lisa completely decorated the living room and kitchen trees. Wreaths are hung outside...thank you Alan. Still deciding on some decorations then the mess I made will get cleaned. Normally I would put away as I empty a bin...not allowed to climb....which is good because on Saturday while home alone, I did use the ladder in the garage and somehow missed the last one or two steps....of course we did not tell Alan. Luckily I did not break anything but have a nasty scrape on my elbow. When will I learn! Glad to chat with you but I must get a move on with the mess around here. Thank you for your kind words and thank you for your friendship.

A very busy month

 This month has been full of busy and creative times. Leading up to Lisa's heart surgery, there were tests and tests and more tests. . Surgery was Wednesday (7/26) . After 5 hours in the OR she was sent to ICU where she still is. Of course she is being closely monitored and the staff is very attentive and very kind.  at least once  a day she takes a "lap" around the nurses station and sits in a chair part of the day. All in all, she is doing well. Thank you for all the kind words and encouragement.

Lisa's mom Carol will be visiting soon and while here we will celebrate her birthday...so, I decided to wrap her gifts differently...Korean fabric wrapping called Bojagi. Much like origami. I used a lovely piece of Batik.

Minature Granny square piece....size 20 tatting thread and a 0.05 hook...small, very small. Of the many hooks that I have I did not have this size...so I bought a set of small hooks

Why you may be asking am I doing this? I saw a YouTube video on miniatures and well, .... I am not new to such tiny crochet. I learned to crochet as an eight year old and back then you learned to crochet around handkerchiefs. I have also make doilies with larger thread and hook. Somewhere in the mist of my hanging handkerchiefs, there are a couple that I crocheted around.

My new roommate...a Twin-tail Half-moon Beta. He has no name yet. Hank....well one morning he was happily swimming and later that afternoon he was floating. that's a goldfish for ya.

That about wraps it up around here. You may have heard we in Arizona are in an excessive heat warning. The temps have been 115 and higher. I as well as Murphy are staying indoors. Glad to you stopped to visit. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. Thank you for your good wishes for Lisa who still has a way to recovery. Thank you for you friendship.

Catching up

 Last week...glad it is now gone.First my personal fridge decided to no longer cool. then the laptop had issues the remote Geek sessions could not fix and the big one...the A/C was not cooling and the temp was rising outside. So, laptop to Best Buy, emergency call to A/C company and a new fridge ordered. Alan took care of all of it. Update...all is good now. May Sue is on display. Every time I make one of these banners I add my own touch to the pattern.

I added a bunny in the grass and changed the flowers a little. Already working on June Sue. They are fun to create.

When we went to Vegas we stopped at a gift shop/store/almost anything place and I found these two beaded birds to take home. I bought a butterfly for Lisa which is in her bedroom. So colorful.

This pattern is looking for a new home. I made just the one  character. It is indigo junction  The Tea Party from the Alice and Wonderland collection. please email me ....ghorton1@cox.net if interested....if more than one I will put your name in the hat to draw a name.

Murphy enjoys being outside. His favorite place is the swing...in the sun. Right now he is yelling at birds. Time to fetch hum back inside.

Glad to chat with you today. thank you for your kind words and thank you for your friendship.

Tea, anyone?

 A beautiful day today...sun is shining and Mocking bird and House Wrens are singing, water fountain is a lovely sound too. Slider open so Murphy is in and out yelling at anything. Flowers are blooming here and there

Salvia for the hummingbirds

Lavender smells wonderful 

Yellow rose, one of 3 that are blooming. It is time to get a tomato plant and replace the Basil and see what else we would like to add to the garden.

I am enjoying my Tea Pot table topper project. Of course my mind is already thinking of what project next! I have few in mind.....Dianna started a Sun Bonnet Sue project and it is coming along. Will get permission to show you. We enjoy working on same type if not the same applique project. together. I wanted to make a runner for the top of my sewing table....but....it it always busy with a project! Glad to chat with you today. I think I will take my project out to the lanai to stitch a while. I have a tray that holds all necessities and a quick pick up and off I go. Thank you for your kind words and for your friendship.

Hello Hank

 Goodness we have been having rain here in The Valley.... today the sun is bright and the wind is picking up speed. Glad to be inside sewing.The flowers quilt is progressing. Did I mention that there will be a second quilt from the cut pieces?

Once each petal is sewn the back is trimmed to eliminate bulk that gives a smaller shape of what was just sewn.
Of course it will be smaller and I will need to add a backing to each flower. Fun! Trimming the back has gotten easier since I purchased applique scissors. I am still debating whether to sew each block together by hand as it is how they are sewn now or to machine sew them.

Who is Hank you are wondering. Well he is a goldfish that is now living with me. His home (bowl) sits right behind me in my sewing corner. Murphy lost interest once it went into the bowl. He can not see it or reach it so that may explain it. Hank is quite handsome; orange with a black stripe along his back. I gave him a sea shell to hide behind and grass also. I know, why....just because.

I should report that my hand and knee are healing from recent fall. At this point the hand is still sore and the deep loss of skin is very sensitive. I will be calling the trainer the end of this week to set up sessions. Just need to heal a little more.  It certainly is nice to chat with you. Thank you for your kind words and words of encouragement. Thank you for your friendship.

I lasted until the 5th!!!!

All Christmas decorations are packed and ready for garage storage.....Alan will do that. Always seems strange when after a month of trees and lights all is gone. Murphy did not seemed to care as he has full viewing out the front windows again. Speaking of Murphy....on Thursday January 5th....

Murphy and I started a walk. All was going well. The man in the golf cart was ahead and crossed our path. There was a woman walking toward us and then the man and his golf cart turned around and was heading toward us. Murphy was not liking this and so I decided to cross the street. The woman did also, once again to be on the same side of the street. Murphy began to bark and crossed in front of me. By now you should know what happened. If you guess a fall well you are correct. The nice man now exited the cart and started to walk toward us...Murphy barking and me down in the middle of the road. I thanked the man for wanting to help but asked that he please just ride away. The woman disappeared into the driveway up ahead. Murphy calmed while I tried to figure how to get up while hanging onto the leash. Skinned right knee bleeding onto the road and then I felt it. A patch of skin scraped off my right palm now bleeding a small puddle on the road. Finally back in the house...this occurred right in front of our house....did not get far thankfully. Bruising began immediately and I figured if I cleaned up real good, Alan would not notice. Wrong. Of course he saw the bloody knee as I hid my hand. Then I told him my tale of woe. Needless to say, I have been very achy and sore. My right wrist is very sore and now the black/blue is turning yellow. My shoulder (the fractured one still healing ) aches as does other parts of my delicate body that I did not expect.

No I am not angry with this precious pup. Look at that face. But, I will be calling back the trainer to work on a few things! Finally  I am back to my quilting. Not looking for sympathy and I am sure there would be a lecture or two. 

There will be no walks until we meet with the trainer. Glad to have you visit and listen. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. thank you for your friendship.

A new start

 Happy New Year my dear friends. I have never been so happy to kick the old year to the curb. It really had been a difficult year. There was a personal issue to deal with and once I admitted that I was not responsible or in control of, well it was much better. Not easier but better and filed away. Then I guess I should mention the medical stuff****. This year will be different. No running in the garden with Murphy...that injury was the only one I could have prevented. I contributed to many doctors/surgeons bank accounts  in 2022. I need to set limits for myself.

I ended 2022 with this sweet mamma doll and her baby. Lisa calls her Kim. The baby sling is Velcro so it can be removed. Then I started this year with

this quilt called French Roses but I call it Shabby Roses. I fell in love with the jewel tones in this Moda line and am using all 5 fabrics. Before you ask, yes I am stitching it all by hand. 

We had a wonderful gift filled Christmas and Murphy enjoyed tearing all the paper he could grab.  One of my favorite gifts is

Alan and Lisa wanted to get me something for my sewing and suggested a new table. I love this table! It is Sullivan's Quilt Design Table. It closes up to a nice size and fits perfectly in my sewing corner. Of course It has only been closed a few times since getting it...it has been helping me with my projects.

Christmas is still on display here but will slowly over the next week begin to disappear to the garage. I hope you all had a good holiday. I wish for all a healthy and peaceful 2023. Thank you for stopping by and for your kind words. Thank you for your friendship. 

****right hand surgery, right Achilles tendon surgery, fractured right shoulder and spinal fusion

Murphy likes the quilt

 Goodness, it is Christmas week. Are you ready...gifts? meal plans? I just need a few food items and that will be it. This week I will be baking and making ahead some of our Christmas Eve and Christmas day dinner. Christmas Eve celebration will be around 8pm. Both Alan and Lisa are working. We will enjoy an Antipasti tray, Crudite tray and baked goods. Christmas Day we are having Lasagna and Braciole and that will be depending on how the morning goes as to what time we will actually eat.

The Hexagon quilt is finished. Once again I sewed it completely by hand and no repeats of prints. It measures approximately 40x60. I was lucky that Dianna gave me some of the floral prints...we swap fabric when needed.

these 2 hexies are special. These 2 floral prints are special. The fabric was bought in Hawaii when Dianna vacationed there. The hot pink one is in the center of the quilt and the yellow hangs off the edge...just like the special Murphy hexie. What next? Not sure but I do know it will be another quilt. I have been thinking of Quillow ...maybe a French Rose quilt...maybe both! So ambitious.... we will see. This week will be plan time as I get ready for the holiday. 

Happy to have you stop and visit with me. Thank you for the kind words and the encouragement. Thank you for your friendship.

              🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅

Moving along slowly

 Goodness, tomorrow is December 1st hard to believe that tomorrow is December 1st. So much has happened this year that honestly I am looking forward to Christmas cheer and a new year...my goal is to stay out of doctor's offices and surgeries. If Santa is listening, please bring me a bubble to save me! This past week I have had a stomach bug. Thank goodness I was sthe only one in the house who was sick. Finally feeling better. The house is decorated

Not the best picture...maybe one at night...anyway, we have been giving our friends across the courtyard, Robyn and Dave have been seeing a light show with Alan switching from one light setting to another! Remember it has 7 functions....

In between not getting out of bed and when I have this past week, I have been slowly sewing the hexagon quilt

Only have 3 more rows to add...I think. What I mean is that I may add or not. I am working on row 16 now. While sewing I have Christmas music play via radio. Found a station that plays a great assortment. Just in case I need something special my CDs are at the ready.
Nce again this year I have joined Jo's Christmas Blog Hop. My posting date will be December 16th. I will remind you when the time arrives so you can visit her blog to see what everyone is posting. Both Alan and Lisa are working late tonight so Murphy and I are are on our. A simple supper it will be. So glad you had the time to visit with me. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. Thank you for your friendship.

End of month

 Where do the days go? Seems to me that the days fly by... but wait; there are a few days that seem to linger. Part of it is that I am still restricted and when I think of something I have to remind myself if it is okay to do. Soon, soon they should be lifted. I see the surgeon on November 15th for x-rays to make sure the cage and spine are still okay, All in all I am doing okay and feel good. Happily I have sewing that has kept me busy.

Since I reached 100 hexagons it is time to begin to get it together. I started to lay out the hexies.. using my trusty old cardboard mat...if you sew you may still have one. It is making it easy to plan and will make sewing this quilt easier for me. I will just pin in place and rearrange as I think I should. I must start to think of what project will be next.

Friday I planted my herb garden; Italian parsley, oregano, chives, creeping thyme and rosemary. The pot is a large high one so no need to bend or stoop down. There is already a pot with basil although it is beginning to become straggly. Possibly a cut back would help. Our Arizona weather has been wonderful...no more 100s. Having my bedroom slider open is so nice. Of course Murphy likes going in and out as he pleases.

Still have some blooms on the Fairy Duster bush...the hummers love it and soon there will be berries for the Goldfinches and House Wrens.  

Since it is almost Halloween, I will leave this post with a bag of Zapp's Voodoo potato chips...New Orleans style kettle chips. Nice to spend time with you. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. It really means a lot. Thank you for your friendship.

Slow but steady

 One of these days I will be able to say, no more tests...no surgeries.... no injuries. But for now, it is what it is. The incision is healing well although the surrounding area is still achy and sore to touch. Still with restrictions...no bending, stretching, twisting or lifting, and not sitting too long. In case you missed it...I had a fusion of L4 and L5 with a cage placement. A bit more than the fix the disc surgery.  I have been using the walker as needed in the house but using it when I leave the house. I go outside daily for a walk trying to increase my distance little by little. Following doctor orders...and The Brother Alan's too. Tuesday was a Nuclear Stress Test. I had put it off because of surgery but the cardiologist feels it is necessary. I had one in the past but this was different. Of course if something is going to go wrong, I am the one to have a reaction.  Just glad it is over. It really left me very sore both back and shoulder. This has been a tough year for me.... only two months to go.

Thank goodness I keep busy...sewing. I am almost (will be today) at the one hundred hexie count. Then the work really begins...laying them out and trying for the best looking placement of each hexie. It really does not matter. They are a mix of flowery prints and no repeats. I am waiting for one more center...Dianna has a Hawaiian print she is giving me when she returns from vacation.

They are in Hawaii celebrating Dianna's birthday. From the photos being posted they are having a wonderful time. It is Dianna's favorite place.  I miss our weekly sewing sessions. 

Our Arizona weather is finally cooling down...temps under 100. Nice to have my bedroom slider open. Murphy loves going in and out. I am happy to have you visit...thank you for your kind words and encouragement. Thank you for your friendship.

A pain in the neck!

 Well, I am certainly cutting it close with surgery preparations. Finally having an EKG on Monday morning at 9am. Surgery is October 3rd....it will have to do. I have had 2 other surgeries this year and did not require an EKG....not going to question the powers that will be doing the procedure. I would have had it last Monday but I incorrectly wrote the time down...so I missed the appointment....so not like me. Monday will be my first time using Uber for transportation. Alan is away until Monday very late evening and Lisa is working.  Today literally I have a pain in my neck. When I visited with the Pain doctor, we decided to wait and see if it is somehow connected with the disc issue. When I return in 2 months he will decide how to proceed. I have never had so many issues as now. Truth be told, I have been feeling a little stressed lately. I know it will work out.

Remember the baby quilt...

Well here is McKayla all wrapped in it. so nice to see it really being used. Message received from the dad Joe is that they love it.

👀Look at my hexies.... did I mention it might take 100 complete pieces which means 200 pieces cut...I am once again enjoying my project. Sewing by hand is very relaxing for me. My sewing table is on the opposite side of my bed area so it is like another room.  I have a floor length window...my view is nice and if I turn to my right, I can look out the slider and peer into the lanai and garden. 

Recently when I did look into the garden this is what I saw...a pair of Goldfinches enjoying a bath in the fountain. They stayed for some time and of course interrupted my sewing.  Then there is Murphy...at this very moment he is under the sewing table leaning against my legs waiting for attention. How can I get things done with all this stuff around me. I love it. time to continue chores...the House Faerie once again missed my house. Dishwasher swirling, laundry swishing and dryer fluffing.... I need another cup of coffee. Say something nice to someone today...share a smile, it just maybe what someone needs.

Glad you stopped by today...another nice interruption. Thank you for your kind words and for your friendship.