The Simple Woman's Daybook ~ April

(Photo Credit: Sharon Virts, Selma Mansion)

For Today, Tuesday, April 21

Looking out my window...

 

Yes, a few days ago, the Allegheny Mountains out my window looked like this! Glad the snow stayed up there instead of coming down into the Valley! Pretty though!

I am hoping...

That I can keep up with the Spring 100! We joined this year with Shiloh Photography's annual Spring 100 Challenge...which means walking 100 miles this season. Tom, Hannah, and I are walking a mile a day around our property, social distancing from the rest of the neighborhood, ha!

 

 

And when the weather has been too chilly and windy....Granny's bedroom treadmill comes in quite handy!

 

 

I am thinking...

That our living room is ever and always continuing to live up to it's nickname of All-Purpose Room. Tom recently finished building a dining room table for friends, and part of the set up was in the living room!

 

 

Here are some of the photos in progress below, and there are more photos over at Pleasant View Woodworks here, and you can also see the final delivery and installation at our friends' home over on Tom's woodworking blog.

 

 

I am thankful...

That Granny is doing so much better! You'll remember that she fell and broke her shoulder exactly 8 weeks ago today. She has had a rough couple of months for sure! Nurses, Occupational Therapists, and Physical Therapists have been coming and going three times a week, along with us conducting tele-health phone calls with her doctor.

 

Here's Granny with one of the therapists out on the sunny deck doing some arm exercises. This photo was taken a month ago before masks became the protocol. Now all the therapists wear masks every time they enter the house, which is a good thing!

 

Yesterday her arm felt so much better that she asked if she could peel apples for supper last night! Yay, Granny! That's more like it! She's getting back to normal, and her fried apples were delicious! Thank you ALL for all the prayers and well wishes for her. Please continue praying for complete recuperation.

 

Granny enjoys the interaction of all her therapists! Here they are practicing side-stepping for balance:

 

I am wearing...

What else but a mask these days?!  I'm loving the floral...as long as it's best to wear them!

 

Hannah has been sewing face masks for family and friends (check these links for men / women).

She made the one above for me. Check her Etsy and let her know if you'd like one.

 

One of my favorite things...

Barn quilts! I've written about them before, but imagine my surprise when I was driving through our neighborhood recently and spotted this display of 5 small barn quilts on a neighbor's property! I love the bright visual quilt patterns I see whenever we pass by:

 

 

I am creating...

Quilts and more quilts! Right now the Daisy Quilt I finished for the Daisy Sew-Along is at the quilter's shop.  I'm not sure when it will be long-armed quilted. It's a gift, so I hope I receive it back soon!

 

So while I wait to put on the final Daisy Quilt binding...I'm working on a red and white Moda Blockheads 3 quilt, following along with Joanna over at Fig Tree Quilts. Here are the blocks so far:

 

 

Beginning in May, my sewing friend Chris and I will be doing a virtual sew-along using the HomeBody mini-pattern by Camille over at Thimble Blossoms. She's sewing the blue/green, and I'm sewing the red/green:

 

Hannah is creating...

..a new shampoo scent (think tropical hibiscus) for a local store which carries her soaps.

 

 

In my kitchen...

 

No new recipes in the kitchen today, but Tom has been working hard stripping kitchen wallpaper...it's a bear of a job when it's been stuck solid for 18 years!! But I'm getting new paint, and I'm quite excited!

 

It feels like we're moving with so much stuff in disarray, but with no one traveling and visiting these days with the virus restrictions, it's the perfect timing!

 

In my garden...

We haven't started putting in vegetables quite yet because we're still having freeze warnings...but there is something else going on in the garden.

 

In fact, today's the day a vinyl picket fence is going in, and the old dilapidated, paint-peeled fence has been removed (and sold on Craigslist as vintage pieces! Yay!). This new installation will be great....I love a white picket fence that will never need painting!

 

 

I am learning...

To be content with not traveling during this crazy virus season! I haven't seen grandsons little Jack in Maryland or Ethan in Michigan since Christmas. One of my little grandsons in Georgia recently turned 4, and we weren't able to be with his family on his special day. But Sarah sent me this picture of precious Andrew on his birthday.

 

Do you remember how all of you prayed for him when he was born at 24 weeks and in the NICU for months? He is doing well, and the Lord has blessed his little life. He is our miracle baby! Happy 4th Birthday, Andrew!

 

 

A moment from my day

Also a sign of the times...using Zoom and/or Duo for church services each week, connecting with far-away family members, and, in the case below, even connecting with members in the same household!

 

Here we are...Hannah, Jonathan, Tom, and Deb....connecting with each other in the same house! Jonathan has been quarantined in his room when he comes home from work each evening for the past month or more! He's exposed to so many folks at work (and Harrisonburg has lots of cases!), so we're trying to keep Granny especially (and the rest of us, too!) protected as much as possible.

 

We miss him, so Duo has come in handy to catch up on news.

 

 

 

Closing Notes

 

 

For more Simple Woman Daybook posts, check here.

 

~Deb

Comments

[Tammy C]

Nice to see how all of you are doing during this time.

Online church has been an adjustment.Chris has been working from home since March 13 and Alison has been home from school since March 19.

Interesting about Jonathan.One of our friend does that by living in his basement.

Take care and thanks for the update.

[Toni]

Hi Deb!
Wow, you have a great mountain view from your house. Love it. Love your quilts, too. (I've decided I'm not a quilter, just a piddle-r.)
I'm glad Granny is doing better. She looks great.
We're been staying home, too, and starting our garden. Love the floral mask.

[Barbara J.]

Hi Deb, and wow! what a lot of memories and things to think about after reading your posts. So glad Granny is improving and peeling apples. I love fried apples and was remembering how a favorite aunt of mine and I always enjoyed having them using apples from her neighbor's tree. Lee just had his first zoom meeting this morning - we are all learning new things while staying at home. And there is always something that can be done. Take care - all of you.

[victoria]

Yay, so excited to see your new fence is going in. I know you will love the low maintenance on that. Now if those pesky deer will just keep out!
Continuing to pray for Granny but glad to know she is doing so much better. Look forward to the day this virus is out of here and we can all get together again. Our precious little grandson is quite the happiest four year old. He is a miracle!

[Abigail]

Yay! Go, Granny! It's so good to see her up and around. And fun to read your update, too. Miss seeing you all. :)

[Colletta]

I live in the foothills of the Alleghenies in PA. I was nice visiting your blog today. I hope you'll stop by!

https://collettaskitchensink.blogspot.com/2020/04/a-simple-womans-daybook-42820.html

Colletta

[Carolyn Shortt]

Hi, Deb,
So happy to hear your Mom is doing so much better! Tell her I bet they were the best fried apples in the world!
Loved the pics of your quilt, Tom's table, your picket fence and Hannah's delicious meals!

Hope you all are doing well and God keeps you safe. I kinda love not having to run here and there. Makes me think, maybe we don't need to be so busy running to and fro anyway.
Looking forward to your next post and what life has in store for you.

[Shirley Cox]

Hi Deb and Hannah,
I'm glad to hear that Granny is on the mend. Ashleigh, Cathy and I are still looking forward to meeting you one day and hopefully having a class in soapmaking.
I so enjoy your lovely blog.
Hugs from Shirley