FINDING MY STYLE

Happy spring, everyone!  I've been adding bits and pieces of things to my home that are light and fresh as we wait for the day when we can truly say winter and it's unpredictable weather is behind us  Last week we had a terrible snowstorm that left us with 10 inches of the white stuff, and it surprisingly melted within 2 days.  We've also had thunderstorms and lightning and just about every weather element you can think of.  

Thanks so much for all of your well wishes for whatever disease (virus) I have.  ;)  My infectious disease doctor thinks that based on some of my blood work, I have something very similar but different from mono, and wants to pinpoint it as there may be some medications that can help.  I donated more of my precious blood last week and I'm waiting to hear what will happen next.  Last week was terrible as far as my lack of energy and the amount of time I spent sleeping.  From Monday to Wednesday night I slept almost around the clock but for a few 3 hour periods when I moped around and wondered when I'd ever get my life back.  But I do tell myself all the time, in the realm of all the illnesses and diseases out there, I'm fortunate.  I have days when I really perk up and feel energy and that's when I get caught up on laundry, cleaning and cooking something somewhat normal for The Husband.  I even managed to put in some time to get 2 newspaper columns finished up.  I'm also trying to make the rounds to visit all of you.  I want to mention that I've had a glitch in sending email replies to comments.  It's definitely on my end, something pops up that tells me the email is unsuccessful and I simply can't figure it out.  So please know I'm reading your comments, listening to your experiences, advice and get well wishes, and I really do appreciate it.  

My new and improved reupholstered sofa was delivered back to me on Monday.  I'm really happy with it.  I shared a picture of the sample fabric in THIS post if you want to see it close up.  It's sort of a window pane pattern, cream on taupe.  It looks nubby but it's actually soft.  

I mentioned that I've been looking for a new coffee table as the glass one I have now is just not safe with the little ones visiting.  I was going to look for an ottoman like the one I have at the lake from Pier 1 (you can see it in that same post I linked to earlier).  That was a real bargain and it's very well made if you are considering a small ottoman.  But then that little Jane voice inside said, "Sounds like too much fabric in the room, Jane."  And then that little voice was saying, "A lot of beige here, too, Jane."  So I have food for thought and I may want to have this little Jane exorcised out of me as well.  I'm actually ready to make some decisions tomorrow...I'm sleeping on it.  Hahahaha...

Another view, it looks like it has a sheen to it but it doesn't.  It's actually very cottage~like.  I'd like to go to Hobby Lobby, someone told me that they carry pillow covers.  That sounds great as I have a ton of outdated and ugly pillows and to be able to slip on a new cover is like, well...reupholstering a sofa. 

Decisions...

Our little Madelyn was Christened this past Sunday.  She looks like a little bride here, doesn't she?  She should because her dress was made out of Emily's wedding gown.  There was one other baby being baptized at the same time and I couldn't help but notice her gown.  As I clawed my way to the front of the group to get a photo when they were pouring the water on Madelyn's head,  I noticed a woman who looked grandmotherly (like me) and so I had to whisper to her, identify her relationship to this baby (indeed the grandmother), and learned that dress was actually almost 100 years old, and the woman;s father was the first to be christened in it and 5 more babies thereafter.  It was beautiful.  And of course, so was Madelyn. 

The church was having a fundraiser and selling sweets so just before we had to enter the church, I made a beeline towards the tables laden with cookies, cakes, brownies, pies...and then tripped on an uneven sidewalk and made a very graceful fall down on to my knees and then rocked back on my rear end.  I was so appalled all I could do was sit there, my face red with embarrassment.  But I guess if you ever have to fall you may as well do it in front of a Catholic church.  Within seconds I was surrounded by concerned men and women helping me up, one lady offering me her handkerchief for my bleeding knee, a man not a day younger than ninety offering to help me inside to a pew.  It was so, so sweet, but all I kept thinking was how much I wanted a chocolate chip cookie.  Still, very nice people.

The after party was close to home and it was a great time.  A smallish neighborhood restaurant that set up a buffet of baked potato soup, stuffed pork tenderloin, green beans and roasted potatoes.  The cake came from a local bakery.

These gorgeous cookies are made by a lady in the neighborhood who is known by word of mouth.  They are about 1/4 inch thick and the flavor is unbelievable.  The cake and cookies disappeared.   We've known Mike's family forever so it was a huge family get together and I enjoyed seeing all of these people on his side of the family that love Madelyn as much as we do.  

I'm still watching her on Mondays when Emily works downtown.  With this possibly different virus, the key is to wash my hands often, especially after using the washroom.  It's passed on through urine. I cleared that with the doctor because I really love having her for the day.  I do get very tired but I keep her little cradle next to my bed and when she naps I rest and read and doze a little.  She's getting very accustomed to the atmosphere in our home, and when I look at her she always recognizes me with a big smile.  I just love this little darling.

 This has been a good week so far.  I came down with some sort of chest congestion thing with a cough that sounds like a cross between a dog barking and a foghorn.  Thankfully I still have some cough syrup prescribed last week for when I had some sort of bronchitis thing.  I'm just going to keep catching things, that's the deal.  But in my lucid moments I use disinfectant everywhere so its safe for people to come and go, and I guess its best that I really just stay close to home since so much is airborne.  We have several family members down with some sort of flu going around.  Today I dragged myself out of bed at the crack of 11:00 and the thought of going to the grocery store loomed in front of me.  All I wanted was a hot shower and clean P.J's, followed by a little nap.  We were literally down to nothing though, including Milo and Layla's little snacks.  While I was making coffee and contemplating Plan A, I was reminded of that little nursery rhyme, "Mother Hubbard went to her cupboard..."  So it was more like a hot shower and then out into the 30 degree cold and wind and boy, it's been a long time I've done a big shopping with feeling so down, so my cart was overflowing.  Before I left home I had grabbed a page from one of my notepads with several new recipes to try and the ingredients I needed and I picked those up as well.  It's such a nice feeling to be stocked up and ready to cook and eat healthy again.  We've been having a lot of frozen pizza, Chinese, and occasionally, Corn Flakes for dinner.  But as fate would have it, I was so tired once I got home, well...frozen pizza it was.

See you soon!

Jane x