No loose screws no matter what anyone thinks!

 Oh I am so proud to show you my great-great niece!

Meet Alanni Lee (not including her last name). Just look at that beautiful face. My great-nephew Joey and Heaven (parents) are so happy. Such a cute snuggle bug! They live back East so I enjoy every picture I see.

Speaking of pictures.... I saw the surgeon on Tuesday and the x-rays looked good.

The one on the right is straight on to back and the other a side view.  I think I stood a bit crooked! As long as the screws are in place. I was a little disappointed to be told 6 more weeks of restrictions; no bending, stretching, twisting or lifting. As the doc said, you have come this far let's make sure it heals good. I walk and I make sure not to sit too long. I am actually following orders. My hexagon quilt is coming along. Don't think it will be too long before it is finished. Then onto the next project. Before you ask, I do not have a plan yet.

I ordered a new Christmas tree...last one is 6 years old and now needs a new home. This tree has a 7 function light switch. Need I tell you that The Brother Alan has played with it already...yes it is up. Lisa and I thought why drag it to the garage when we will need it in a little over a week. Decorations are still stored until Alan gets them down. Had a busy morning so now I need to relax. Leg and back are sore. Happy to have you visit. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. 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.

May has arrived...

April has gone and May is here.... it happened quickly. So you ask what have I been doing. Well today so far; washed the kitchen floor, picked out a couple of pieces of fabric for a couple more masks. I made one each for Alan and Lisa and myself. The vacuum is ready to roll around and

Murphy is trying to decide whether to go for a walk. He has been on garden patrol…. not happy that Doves live in the Ficus tree outside our wall, not happy with sounds and concerned with the towel wrapped around my washed hair. The sound of the shower had him in in hiding! At the moment he is napping on the coffee table shelf.
The temps have been in the triple digits but today a cool down to 99. Last week found me flat on my back one day ...then off to get injections for the second time in April and now on Monday Alan will take me back for the  nerve burn procedure. As it is on my right side and my leg will be numb for a few hours I can not drive myself. Not too much to do for arthritis, but I am trying to at least eliminate most of the pain. I am still remaining in home with very few exceptions. Yes, I am lucky, Alan and Lisa can pick up what we might need and taking Murphy for a walk is what I do. When I do run an errand it is get go..get..return quickly. Even if the restrictions are lifted, I will not rush to get my hair cut, or to go shopping...Lisa and I do that on line! I truly understand for the businesses and the people out of work but I am not ready to get back into the race. I hope all of you are being extra careful. Glad for the visit with you today. Thank you for the kind words and for your friendship.

Finally Friday

What a week. Monday was the day for my RFA procedure.... all in all it was not too bad and I am still waiting for it to take full effect. I am not in the pain I was in. At this point I am very achy...which is a lot better than I was. I am also having headaches (some all day) which I am not sure if it is connected to the procedure. Time will tell if this is going to work for me. So, I have not done any of my garden work or heavy household cleaning... instead I have been beading. I started an ornament called a Peyote Pod….

One side of 3 completed and almost the second one. I have been easily distracted while beading.....

My chair (in my bedroom) faces the lanai which looks out to the garden.... the occasional bird, the disco ball "parkles" and just the serene look calls to me and before I know it I stop beading. Happiness and memories. Sometimes the frustration of not being able to get out there and clean.... then I remind myself that it will wait.
Yesterday I took a walk to stretch my back muscles and this is what I saw in my community...

the soft pink of the Oleander bush

the purple blooms on the Jacaranda tree

a tiny bloom on the cactus

the bright glow from the Red Bird of Paradise bush

the lemon yellow of the Lantana bush

then back in my own garden my Plumeria …..

I am so happy that it is finally showing signs of growing and it is growing quickly. Not sure if I will get blooms this summer but I can certainly hope for that. Wonderful distractions.

Today will be hopefully to finish this beaded ornament. I would like to make several. While cross stitch is on hiatus, beading is filling my creative time. Morning coffee finished and no shores that need me today. I have checked on the Dove kids and they are well.  I think something may have happened to one of the parents.... just a feeling and not seeing them both around at the same time. Lucky for the kids they are old enough for the one parent to go off for short periods. Such is nature. 

So glad you had time to visit. Thank you for the kind words and encouragement and concern for me. Thank you for you friendship. Do you know the count? We are down to 11...11 days and The Brother Alan and Lisa will be here.

My left leg......

Happy to have the weekend gone. The weather was delightful, very warm and sunny. We entered a cool down to the 80s yesterday. In this early morning the chimes are singing loudly in the darkness. Caught a glimpse of the Dove kids  while the parent was off nest...

It is beginning too get a little crowded up there. They now have feathers so it will not be too long before they try them out. Never a sound from them unlike other baby birds.
I have been busy with beading...

Russian Leaves Earrings finished; dipped and dried. The beads have  a high shine and a green tinge to them. I also tried without success to learn another beaded earring. I plan to continue trying until I get it! Getting lots of encouragement from the Facebook beading group. I did practice to make a small beaded tube...

I just grabbed some beads to practice and it was easier than I thought. Today I will begin a "pod" style ornament. Positive thoughts that I will accomplish it.
Just trying tp keep sitting busy so that I will not do too much of anything. Yesterday was the RFA procedure on my back. My blood pressure was quite high so we had to wait a little to see if I relaxed enough.... I admit I was nervous. Thankfully Dr. Paul is a sweet man who continued to chat with me to occupy my mind. I will admit it was painful to get the initial injections for insertion of the larger needles, but all said it was not too bad. When he was finished, two nurses came in and I thought why do I need them both. That was soon revealed when I stood and my left leg turned to rubber. Totally numbness.  So, they took me to the recovery area ( a small room with soft recliners) to rest until I could walk. It was what seemed to be a very long 3 mile drive home. I was clear headed but my left leg seemed to be still at the office! Getting from the car/garage into the house was tricky and then right to the recliner to rest and let it wear off. Finally I could actually stand and feel my leg somewhat. The phone rang.... from across the courtyard. Robyn was checking to be sure I was doing okay.... then Dave appeared at the front door. Robyn sent

freshly baked and still warm Banana Bread for me to have for breakfast. Why wait?! Yum... and it certainly took my mind off the left leg issue. So here it is very early morning and I am walking almost perfectly, not quite fully a normal feeling in my leg/hip area. Today and tomorrow will be rest days to let the procedure take hold. No driving and not much of anything. It can take 3 weeks for the effect to take hold … or longer and can last from 6 months to a year or more. Keeping positive thoughts.

My Plumeria is leafing! I am excited that there are signs of successfully rooting this plant that Dianna and Bobby brought back from Hawaii for me. They have a few in their yard and now I will have one too. I know it is not  the best picture, but as I can not bend down yet to get a better look, this will have to do. My Garden Jungle is looking mighty good. Still needs some work, but in 18 days The Brother Alan and Lisa will be here and will take care of it . Yes, the count is now 18 days. I do not have too much on the TO Do List this time.
Thank you for the emails checking on me...and the encouragement. Thank you for the kind words and your friendship.
When friends care, all is well......

Because you asked....

Well, I thought I would answer the questions about my upcoming procedure in one place rather than individually. Thank you for the concern and interest. If you go to this link:
 https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/injections/radiofrequency-ablation-rfa-procedure-and-recovery you will learn all about it and maybe some you do not want to know!
Before this procedure, I need one more visit with injections to the lower back on May 1st. The RFA procedure will be done on May 6th. In the meantime, I will continue to carefully do what I can when I can and how I can... a bit of pampering.
The garden, although needing some TLC is looking pretty good here and there:

The Sweet Memory tree is blooming.... I love the delicate purple flowers.
It will need trimming by wintertime.

The Hops Bush has tripled since last year. This will need a good sturdy trellis (according to Don when he and Glenda stopped by the other day) and as soon as I can I will install one. Obviously it will not be until the procedure has been done.

Look at the bright red of the Fairy Duster bush! I love these fluffy little blossoms. The bush right next to it is the Firecracker bush. That was cut back severely and is coming back so full and loads of flowers getting ready to pop open.
It is so nice looking into the garden and seeing is all colorful. The bees love it and the hummingbird does too. I should let you know that we do not have baby doves yet... soon I think. As good as the garden is doing my house plants are not. My African Violets are going to be leaving if they do not cooperate really soon. No patience for them. And how about the Christmas Cactus … both of them? They are pushing for early vacation also. The Pond Garden will get a load of flower seeds tossed in and I will hand water for now. I am disappointed that the irrigation is not yet ready...thanks to my issues. I will go with the garden hose and all will be taken care of.
So that about covers the happenings to me and the garden. Thank you for your kind words and for your caring encouragement. Thank you for you friendship.... I am so lucky to have you as friends.

Welcome to the buffet!

The day of being busy and oh my aching back. I did not get a few things I thought would be done....the garden for one thing. The landscaper was suppose to stop by to do a few things for me but he did not show up. In the meantime, the bunny is here scooting around having a buffet dinner. First he is nibbling at one plant then off to another. He manages to be just out of picture range. I see the plant jiggling so I know where he is munching!
My doctor just phoned to tell me the results of the MRI...not a surprise to him. Nice for him to take the time to call after hours. He will be doing a nerve block next week. Tomorrow I will call to set it up. I should be able to be more normal then. I did replant a few things today. Of course getting up from the ground was not a pretty sight so I was sure to do this task before my neighbors were up and able to look out the windows. Hopefully next week I will get more accomplished before the heat begins.The forecast is for the 90s all week with the first triple digit day by the end of week. May even get some rain drops ….very cloudy tonight.

There are several cacti around the property...this flower caught my eye this morning.....vibrant orange and yellow with several more getting ready to open.
Well my friends time for a cup of tea and Pepperidge Farm snack. Glad to chat with you. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. Thank you for your friendship. 

Oh Bunny!

A lovely day yesterday. First there was the invite to join Robyn and Dave across the courtyard for breakfast.... cinnamon rolls and coffee. I also had an invite for a luncheon with Glenda and Don and you know that I accepted. We enjoyed our ham and potato salad outside on the patio. The breeze was lovely. Glenda sent me home with  helping of ham for a couple of meals. Yum!   Good friends all day!
But first....as I was leaving my house to take the long walk

this was hanging on my front door..... so there really is an Easter bunny out there. I am sure it travelled from across the courtyard! but no one is admitting anything.

I thought she was cute while in the bag...but she is adorable....and made of string… some kind of string….

Excuse her backside but I wanted you to see.... and she is so soft. She is wearing a knitted vest and carrying violets. Too darn cute!

Currently growing on my kitchen counter is Basil, green onions and white onion and romaine lettuce. They will be soon planted out in the garden...definitely in a tall planter so the visiting bunny will not get to eat them before me. Yes he is still in and out leaving me deposits to clean. Before they can go out there I need to decide if the planter is going to be moved.... that will be Tuesday when the landscaper comes to remove a plant for me from the garden. (It is a Yucca that I am constantly getting cut on.) You did not think I was going to try to move a 36 inch high ceramic planter full of soil did you? Ok, I did think about it.... for a quick moment.
On Saturday evening at 5:30 I went for my MRI and should have results by Tuesday. Finally, maybe, hopefully, then I can start or get treatment for my aching back.

Thank you for the kind words about my latest beading project. Now that I have been looking at it I like the colors.... this is my beading cabinet which I am outgrowing! The top shelf is containers 3 deep. So I do have beads but never the combination that I want.  Or the amount or size...you know how it is for those of us who craft.... no matter what materials we use.
The weather has been in the high 90s and will continue. For now the AC is not on but soon, very soon; unless there is a nice cross breeze in the house.
Well, I hope all of you had a lovely day. I am getting ready to just relax and get the Tylenol. Thank you for your kind words and for your friendship.

The week ends.....

I am still here.... thank you for asking and caring. I just needed time to gather thoughts. My hand is really feeling okay. This means back to beading and stitching. The back not so good. I will be having some tests so that my doctor can properly get to what is causing my pain. We do know that arthritis is a part of it but there is more going on. He has thoughts and has plans but we will wait until the tests and results are in. I am so appreciative of your thoughts. The week past also brought me tears and frustration. When I could not walk or move my thoughts went to how I am not happy feeling helpless. Being alone and not able to do what I want or more importantly what needs to be done. I have been very frustrated with myself. Yesterday was a nice morning. Dianna and Cassandra (Cassandra works  at Jo Ann's) came by for a visit. I was up early and made an apple pie for us to have. Good to be with friends.
Not all the week was  unpleasant.....the bunny arrives almost daily around 7AM and sometimes it is in the evening. He made a meal out of one of the plants in the garden. We scare one another … he pops out of the grass and then scoots to the other grass across the garden. The Doves are back with a new nest--- same nest. The children have yet to venture out of the garden for more than an hour. Today a suitor appeared.... going to be a long Spring/Summer with these birds.

The hummer spent most of the day on Thursday standing guard over his kingdom. This is one of the wall planters that will be coming down soon.... of course now I feel guilty taking it away.
The Brother Alan has offered to make Limoncello with the lemons I have when he is here in May.... hope he has learned to make it correctly. The last time I had a taste of it (years back) it was very potent. It could knock your socks off.

While tossing out the trash the other day I found this very large … about 1 1/2 inches big moth at my mail slot. I think it is called a White Line Sphinx Moth. Always something in the garden or surrounding area. I am not fond of flying things...well any bug to be truthful.
We are in a cool down. A few days of 97 then the 80s now the 70s. Next week back to the 80s.
I will be going through my stash this weekend and donating to a local school. So, that about covers my week. I will be positive about the back issue. Glad to chat with you today. Thank you for your kind words and for your friendship.

Oh the drama!

The days are starting to really warm up. We are heading for our first 90s day this weekend.
My pain management doctor did indeed give me injections on Monday along my lower back. I lost count at 5 as he chats with me to get my mind off it. A few hours after being home the numbing wore off and a different pain. But, that was almost gone yesterday... then I made the mistake of starting to open the soil and pour into the pond. I should have done it differently but lesson learned and it will be a few days before I touch the bags again.

If it  is not me causing an issue, now one of the young Doves decided to hop out of the nest and did not know what to do...of course. So he sat here for a short time and then finally tried to gain flight...

Finally he made it to the chair.... and cried a bit. While I was working at the pond I chatted to him and he was calmer. When I came into the house his parent came back and after a few minutes of convincing, the young Dove went back to the nest. Hopefully he will not do that again. So I will rest my back for a day or two as it is bothering me.  My hand which also is still healing but doing great is now a little sore. Need patience in my life.

Look how pink my geranium is..... this plant is from last year and sits at my front porch. I just read that I can root my Rosemary from cuttings...it needs to be cut back drastically. So I will offer it to my neighbors and dry some more for my kitchen. I also should cut the Oregano and dry that. Another plant from last year that is growing like a weed.
Today I will be going to lunch with a friend, Vickie, that I met on blogger. We commented on one another's blog and discovered that she lives not to far from me. After Denny passed she called me and we met for lunch and still keep in touch with our blogs. Small world.
That is  about it for now. So happy to have you visit with me. Thank you for your kind words and friendship.

Even a dried tulip is pretty

The sun is bright and the temp moving toward the 70 mark then into the 80s today. There is a breeze right now which is bordering windy. As soon as I opened the back gate door and returned to the kitchen I looked out to see the bunny running so fast into the garden through the wrought iron gate opening and right into the Fountain grass. Then last evening as the light just faded, I stood in front of the kitchen slider and there he was... looking at me through the glass. Of course once he saw me off he ran to the grass again. Just opened the gate door and no sign of him...  yet.

I love having fresh flowers in the house. Denny always brought some home to me through the years just because. When it comes time to discard them, I think they still have beauty so I let them stay just a day or so. The tulips had such lovely twists to them....
Sat for a short time yesterday with the embroidery, until my back said it was time to move about. Still not much better today. Is it Monday yet? The hand seems to be finally getting to that loose point and hopefully my fine movements will also improve. The incisions are almost invisible and less tender. ( I tell you this because some of you have asked). Dear Dianna stopped by yesterday morning with some printed exercises for me to try for my back. She actually made me get down on the floor and do a few!
I have hopes of getting into the garden later... most likely it is not going to happen but nice to think I am. I filled the center area with the mulch and put the paver in place...took forever. After a text with Bobby, we decided that I should add landscape cloth before the soil which means I need to lift the paver out then put it back ... not sure if the body will cooperate. Is it Monday yet? All this so I can plant before the temps heat up. April is the time to set it in motion.
The embroidery may get finished today. Just shoes and flowers left and touch up here and there. Still no sure why I chose pinks for her... probably will make another in different colors. Anyway, she is fun to do. Might even get to do some beading again soon.

Could not decide what to have last evening so I tossed shrimp with my salad  and made some croutons to add. I could eat shrimp every day. Guess I should think about tonight's meal and the swishing in the laundry area has stopped so off I go. Glad to chat with you today. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. Thank you for your friendship.