Old Project

I started making this snowman quilt top many years ago. I found the pattern when visiting in Las Vegas when I went with Jerry to a trade show. In fact I think I visited every quilt shop in Las Vegas instead of watching people gamble. I did walk the convention center with Jerry one day. The only problem I had was walking with the wrong shoes on. My feet were so sore and tired. Anyway I got the cute pattern and embroidered the snow men (redwork). That took a year or so and then I found another pattern to put the quilt together when I went with Jerry to a SSA Convention in Tucson. I think I went to every quilt store I could find in Tucson. Anyway, I appliqued what I call snowflakes (they're really leaves)on red fabric and got them finished this month. After Christmas I put all the blocks together. I think the top turned out pretty cute but bigger than I expected. I plan to hand quilt it. We'll see.

We Did It

I don't know why we did it but we spent Saturday on the Phoenix Light Rail. Julie has been following the building and development of the Rail since its beginning. Rides on the rail were free so we decided to ride it - along with thousands and thousands of other people. Were we adventuous? I'd say so. We attempted to wait to get on the rail at Sycamore and Main but the lines were 3 hours long so we took a bus to another station and got on a jam backed section of the train. Talk about being packed in, we were exactly that. You meet all kinds of people. What an experience.

We decided not to ride the rail to the end to Bethany Rd but got off the rail at 3rd and Washington. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves down town with the activities there. We waited in line for almost an hour to catch the rail back to Mesa. I don't know what happened to it. It was suppose to come every 10 or 15 minutes.
Anyway we made it home after standing for many a hour.

A Christmas Carol

If you want to see a good Christmas play, go to the Hale Theater in Gilbert. Playing now is a rendition of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." Julie and I were able to go with a group of women from my ward. It was thoroughly entertaining and delightful. I had no idea what the stage would look like but it is a theater in the round. The sound and effects were really good. It made a nice evening out. (Have dinner at Joe's B-B-Q before the show starts.)
Christmas is so much fun.

Day Cactus Patchers Christmas Luncheon

Tuesday I met with the day group of my quilting group, Cactus Patchers, for our annual Christmas get-together. We met for lunch at the Olive Garden.

Ellen Martin, Sharon Thompson, Jan Hartman, Mary Lou William, Penny McKinley, Fran Martinez, Margarite.

I have known these ladies since the early 1990's. We have met on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month for many, many years at the Pyle Adult Center in Tempe. We bring our own projects to work on and talk about quilting and the world in general. It's been fun.

A Great Trip to Temple Square

Julie has been so great to me while I was sick, doing anything I asked of her, I decided she needed a reward. We went to Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. What a great time the two of us had. We left Wednesday, November 19th and came back Sunday, November 23rd. We saw just about everything on Temple Square. I got a little tired each afternoon. Don't know if the Synthroid medicine has kicked in completely or if its still processing in my body. We saw "Savior of the World," a musical drama, in the Theater at the Conference Center. It was about the birth of Jesus and the events leading up to it and the events after his resurrection. The Church puts on spectacular events. We also saw "The Bells on Temple Square" at the Tabernacle. The orchestra and the bells were fabulous. The sound is great in the Tabernacle. Also we saw "The Spoken Word" with the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra. It was great and so inspirational. Julie loved it and got very emotional. We also saw the Christos at the North Visitor Center. So beautiful and had a tour with the Sister Missionaries. I believe Julie would be a great sister missionary on Temple Square. She is not shy at all. We toured the Beehive House and ate at the Beehive Pantry. We also took a tour of the Conference Center and took several pictures of the views from on top of the Conference Center. There are all kinds of plants growing on the roof with a water fall starting on the top of the building. How spectacular looking at the temple and other sites from on top of the Center. We saw the "Joseph Smith Story" in the Joseph Smith Memorial building. We also listened to an organ recital in the Tabernacle. I also looked up a few family names at the Family History Center. I did get a little overwhelmed with all the books and films. Before we left on our trip, I got an email from a lady I did not know who is writing a book for a client which includes the name of my dad's father's second wife, Erna Fruedenberg Jordan Hall, and some interesting information about her. So while at the Family Search area in the Joseph Smith Memorial building, a sister missionary helped me find the 1900-1930 census' of her. She lived and married my grandfather in El Paso, Texas. By coincidence, this sister missionary was from El Paso. I think that was interesting. We had a very good time in Salt Lake. Our trip was great!

The Worst Week of My LIfe

Well, I have thyroid cancer and had to start a treatment plan. It all started on August 14th with the removal of my entire thyroid. Then on October 6th I stopped the temporary thyroid medicine (cytomel) and went on a salt free diet thinking this would be for two weeks. My TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone had to be at 50 points but after 2 weeks it was only at 32 so I had to go another week without good food and thyroid medication. Just think - the normal thyroid level is between .4 and 4.5 and I had to be at 50. That is near death. Finally the nurse called and said, "yippee" you reached the 50 mark. That was on a Friday and I still had until the next week on Thursday before I could start any thyroid medication. I was so weak and puffy. My eye lids were hanging on eye lashes and my cheeks were so puffy I looked like a chipmunk.
Then on October 25th I went in to take the big pill, the I131 radioactive iodine pill. I asked the technician and the doctor if I had no more thyroid how long before I would be on my death bed and they both gave the same answer, "about now."
I took an anti nausea pill then looked at the pill and said here goes and swallowed it. Then I rushed out of the hospital and Jerry drove me home. I ate some lunch and then started the salivary inducing pill which I had to take 3 times a day. I had planned to finish the binding on my bed quilt (2 sides left to finish.) I knew I would have to wash it when this whole thing was over. I got about 1 side done and broke out in a cold sweat and then just layed down on the bed and never got up again. Tuesday I went through the same thing, holding myself up in the shower to wash my hair. It had to be done 3 times a day. By 4:30 and 5 pills later of the salivary inducing pill, I was so sick, I was on the john with that problem, shaking uncontrollably and vomiting. I managed to call the doctor and he said to stop that pill, that it sometimes can make you sick and just suck on hard candy. He didn't want my teeth to rot. After throwing up I felt a little better but so weak. Then on Wednesday, I had the worst headache. I called the doctor again and was told I probably had malnutrition. Who wouldn't after throwing up everything I had eaten and so weak I could hardly put a spoon to my mouth. My dear cousin, Julie, told me to get a supplement like Ensure. That makes my IBS act up so Jerry found Boost which has proved good for me.
I started Synthroid on Thursday and now have been on it for over a week and getting stronger each day. But - my body went through so much stress that my mouth broke out with canker sores so I could hardly swallow water or food. But each day I am better.
Thank you to all the sweet sisters in the ward who brought me meals and words of encouragement. I do so appreciate you.
Now to build up my body until the next time in April or May. My body scan showed no thyroid cells any other places in my body except the throat which the doctors said to expect. Now hopefully, the radioactive pill is killing the cancer in my throat.

I've Been Booo!ed Oh My!

I guess it is too late to Boo anyone since it is now November but I sure enjoyed looking at all the Halloween pictures of decoration and costumes. You all are amazing with what you do in your families.

Our Trip to San Diego

We had a very nice trip to San Diego for the Service Specialist Association (SSA). Jerry has belonged to this group for many years and was even the President in 2000. This group was formed originally around Spring Shop owners. Now there are spring shops, suspension shops and brake shops.

Jerry SSA 2008

They meet annually around the United States and this year the event was at the Loew Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego, California. There was much to learn from different classes offered and a time to renew acquaintances.

Coronado Bridge

A nice part of our trip was seeing our grandchildren who live north of LA in Agora Hills

Drew and Paige Lutzke

Drew with one of their four dogs

Paige at the piano for a recital

Paige wearing her Halloween costume

Suzie and David

Of course it was so good to see Jerry's daughter and her husband. What a busy and active life they live.
SSA meetings were arranged so that we had some time to do a little site seeing. First we visited Sea World. It has been a few years since we have been there. It was quite hot in San Diego but on this day it cooled down in the afternoon. But even so I had a few problems. I went off my thyroid medicine in preparation for the iodine radiation test I'll have next week. With the walking up the inclines to the stadium where some of the shows were given, my heart beat so fast I felt sick. From then on we took it pretty slow walking around. Here is one show we saw with the seals and otters.

A group of us went to see the USS Midway which was dock in San Diego. It was built around 1944-45 and decommissioned 1992. It was quite interesting seeing where all those sailors called "home" while at sea. We saw the large anchor coils, their cramped bunks, the boiler room, the Brig and flight deck. What an experience I had while at the brig. It was so warm down there and I had to climb some steep steps and while doing so I got faint and my eyesight was getting dim. I almost passed out. Jerry got me to a cooler area and someone gave me a bottle of water. Luckily we were close to the end and only had to walk up a few steps to get to the middle deck where there was some air. After resting awhile we went to the top flight deck. Here we saw many different kinds of airplanes that have played a big part of many of the wars. I didn't make the climb to the look out area. There is so much that has to be done to get a plane to take off-a lot of coordination between everyone on the flight deck.

Janice & Jerry at the USS Midway Museum

USS Midway

Anchor Cable

bunks

Brig

Hornet used in the Viet Nam War

Flight deck is 2 football fields long

I just had to show this picture of the San Diego Temple we saw off the freeway coming into San Diego. I always get a good feeling when I see a temple. The picture is not the best because it was taken inside the car. I remember the first time I took a picture of the temple from off the freeway. It was magnificent, so white and beautiful. Now the auto and polution flumes have changed the color to a dingy white but it is still magnificent.

San Diego Temple

Cactus Patchers Getaway

I have belonged to Cactus Patchers for nearly 20 years. We are a chapter of the Arizona Quilt Guild. I've had so much fun and met so many nice and fun ladies. For the last 13 years we have been going to a camp at Emmanuel Pines in Prescot to sew, eat, gab, laugh, shop and just have fun. The theme for this fall getaway was Pirate Treasury. I have some fun pictures to share.
This is the building we met in to sew. Its a little walk down to the dining room where the camp staff cooked for us. The meals were so good. We sew upstairs in this building which is really a chapel for the Methodist camp.

Mary Hartmann and I made the raffle quilt and titled it Pirates Lost in the Bermuda Triangle. (The quilt pattern was called Bermuda Triangle.)Here I am working on the label for the quilt. The weather was wonderful outside.
Here is the finished quilt. A lucky winner won the quilt.

Mary and I shared a table and set up our sewing machines and sewed all weekend. I worked on a Christmas quilt (Twelve Day of Christmas in a Pear Tree), a Christmas calender quilt (you can change the dates each day,) a one block wonder quilt (I made 114 blocks,) and started the church row for the row by month quilt (another Christmas quilt which I've had the fabric since 1999.) I had two other projects to work on but ran out of time.


Here are several ladies - Monica, Barbara and Mary L. who took our theme to heart and dressed up as pirates.








I got lucky and won the thread basket. Those who wanted to could contribute a thread spool for the raffle.


There were only 19 of us at camp this fall. There are usually between 27 and 30 ladies. But this gave us more room to set up our machines, fabric and stuff. Here is the sewing room with the sewing machines humming away and everyone working on different projects.


The winner of our quilt did not attend the getaway. That was a disappointment but Ike, the camp director, modeled the quilt for everyone and wore the tierra (He has a bald head.) and gave the famous wave. It was fun.

I've had a fun time with some really nice ladies who share the same interests I have. I've known many of them for years and appreciate their friendships.

20 Years Together

September 3 was a big day. Not only was it Jerry's 67th birthday but we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. We were married September 3, 1988. These 20 years have gone by quickly. There have been ups and downs but we have survived together and I hope better people than when we started. Happy anniversay to us.

The Big C Word

Last May I felt very impressed to do some testing that was being offered near by at the Higly High School. The testing was easy and consisted of an ultrasound of the carotid artery in the neck to test for stroke, an ankle arm index to test for blood flow, and an abdominal aorta ultrasound to check for an aneurysm in the abdominal area. These all tested out OK. The person testing said since they were so close to the thyroid gland when they do the carotid test, they will look at it. Low and behold he found some nodules on the thyroid, one large one on the left node and several smaller ones on the right node.
Well that started me going to the doctor and as a consequence, on August 14th I had my entire thyroid removed. The large nodule was cancerous but the smaller nodules were fine. One lymph node was removed and it was clean.
Now I have to have radioactive iodine radiation to kill any remaining thyroid cells in the body. So now my schedule includes finishing the temporary thyroid medicine I'm on, on September 19 and then going for two weeks with no thyroid medicine. No one can live without the thyroid hormone. It regulates your metabolism, the heating system of your body, heart, skin, hair and a zillion other things. Also I have to go on a two week diet of no salt. Everything has salt in it including all dairy products. This is because the thyroid produces iodine and the doctors want the radioactive pill I take to show up only for the remaining thyroid cells in the body.
The hard part is that for three days I have to be isolated from everyone including the dogs. My meals will have to be brought to me and left at the bedroom door. I have to wash my own bedding, dishes etc so no one will touch them. I will be radioactive and glowing. Ha.
But the part that will be hard is no thyroid medicine in my body. I will be very tired, might lose some hair, can get palpitations, be hot or cold, dry skin, moody and no telling what else. It can be done. I've heard of many other people going through it so I can do it also. Fun, Fun Fun.
Anyway, I'm going to do as much as possible until that time. I'm going to quilt camp and a trip to see our grandson in Texas.
I'll keep you up to date.

Happy Birthday to Me

I can't believe its my birthday already, so soon - Sunday, August 31. Boy does time go by so fast. I don't believe I'll be doing anything for my birthday, though. When you get my age,(I won't tell you how old) it just becomes another day. Julie will be baking a cake. That is already planned with the cake mix sitting out ready to put together. It will be chocolate, my favorite.
I hope to get something for my birthday. I've put in a request for an embroidery hoop. We'll see if that happens. If not I'm just glad for the embroidery stuff I have. Boy can these hobbies be expensive!
But anyway Happy Birthday to me.

Just Released

Sunday I was released from the ward's Relief Society Presidency. I enjoyed the last year and a half, learned a lot, got to know more sisters in the ward, did some service and taught too many lessons. I'm just kidding about that. Teaching was one thing we all didn't enjoy. But now I am tickled pink. You should have seen me after I was told our presidency was going to be released. Jerry said I was smiling ear to ear.
I have been called as a Family History Consultant. I love family history besides sewing. Sunday after the release, we came home and as usual took a short nap. I dreamed. My great-great grandfather, William Ernest Lipps was there so it seemed although I didn't see him. We had communicated somehow and I got a reply from him. Someone in New York had received a paper from him all folded up. I could hardly wait to see what was on it. When it was unfolded there was a picture of a man, no one I had seen before and it wasn't William Lipps. There were other papers but the phone rang and I woke up. Now is that a coincidence about being a family history consultant or not? Anyway, I thought that was pretty interesting. Jerry told me to continue my dream that night. But it didn't happen. Here is a picture of William Ernest Lipps 1824-1909.

The Dogs in Our Lives

We have been watching The Greatest American Dog. It has been so much fun to watch. Dogs sure bring a lot of joy into your life also alot of work. Our two Cocker Spaniels, Molly and Maggie, were just groomed so I thought I would show our Great American Dogs. Their tricks are not the greatest but at least they do a few.

This is Molly and her favorite toy, a purple bull. When someone comes over, she always gets her toy to show them. Maggie's favorite thing to do is roll over. For a treat, you don't even have to ask her to roll over. She just does it. Maggie has the funniest howl. She will howl when she gets excited or when she wants you to hurry up so she can go for a ride in the car. Here she is howling for her favorite treat, chicken jerky, we get from Costco. She loves them.


Molly will sit up on her hind legs. We can't get Maggie to do that yet. But then Maggie will roll over and Molly won't.













Here Maggie is shaking hands. Both dogs can do this.

The last few days I have been working on genealogy. I have been checking my submissions with the new.search.org site. It has been very time consuming and confusing keeping tract of all the families and their spouses and parents. I had to merge some families and add a few. I have been doing this only for the Lipps line on my father's side. My dad's grandfather, William Ernst Lipps, came from Gottsburen, Germany as a stow away on a ship in 1838. He married and ended up in Gonzales, Texas and raised 10 children. I have gone through the families of all 10 children and then did the Lipps line back to 1601. I am so grateful for the genealogy work that a cousin in Germany did. Without his effort, this line would have ended with just the 10 children. Then I'm grateful for the temple work my brother did for the men and for the temple work my stake did to get this work done.
Read about William Ernst Lipps and his families on my website, http:www.downthehallway.com. I really have an interesting family. Genealogy is addicting.