Back in the Saddle Again!

It’s so good to be back in the land of the healthy and strong! My recent left hip replacement was as easy as most everyone said it would be. But I didn’t blog last week because I was laser-focused on my healing and meds and exercises - and the time just sailed by. Bruce and I have mended our differences and he was an excellent nurse, LOL. We spent Thanksgiving at my friend Ruby’s house with her man and her half sister. She had the meal catered and it was delightful to just sit and talk and laugh. And eat, of course. 

Did I tell you that I hit my Weight Watchers goal just before my surgery? Actually, after weeks and weeks of a weight plateau, I finally broke through and sailed past my goal, which was -64.4 pounds. I’m actually at -67.8 pounds. Luckily, as a Lifetime Member, I only have to weigh in once per month. I’ve been mindful of my healthy eating through Thanksgiving, but the hip surgery tends to add weight with the fluids they give you, the swelling, etc. Luckily, most of that has passed, but even though I never miss a workshop meeting, I won’t weigh in for another week or two just to be realistic. Now, I hope to lose just a few more pounds - to total 75 lost. They give us these lovely charms for various milestones, and I want that 75 pound charm!! But that will be my winter to spring focus - I’m in no rush. 

I do have some quilt blocks to show you. After the first several days of recovery, I began to be interested in sewing again. After a week, I had Bruce take all my sewing stuff back down to the studio (he’s such a gem) and I ventured downstairs carefully to take up residence once again in my sewing chair. And all was right in my little world! 

So, in the two week since I last posted, I managed to sew 75 string blocks (at 6.5”). These will be added to my Bag O’ Strings for Quilts for Kids. They’re pinned in batches of 15 for kit-making.

That brought my total for November string blocks sewn to 90. In October I sewed 243, so my total so far this fall for my String Finishing Frenzy is 333. My goal is to hit 400 blocks by the end of the year, so I’m going to have to put the pedal to the metal! At least my string tote bag is breathing easier!! But I doubt I’ll be able to get to the very bottom of it. We’ll see!

I also have my Chaser quilt half quilted. These were Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks for this year. Watch for that finish next week.

While I convalesced, I also began sewing up some Zip(per) blocks for another quilt. I haven’t counted them, nor do I even know how many I want for a quilt top. Hopefully this one will be for me, because my first two  three ended up going to charity, my daughter and my cousin, respectively. 

Winter has arrived here, and leaves from the big tree have fallen and littered our front lawn. I haven’t been able to rake or blow them into a pile because of my surgery - and then the rain and snow came. Hopefully we’ll get a few clear and dry days so we can get them all cleaned up! 

That wraps it up for this week. I have more to show you, but it will wait for next week. Have a good one, friends!

Linking up to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.