Life is pretty crazy at the moment - so many things are happening that I thought I'd do a quick update.
Tammo
Tammo and Kyle got back to St. Augustine safely.
Tammo is adjusting to being back home and enjoying reacquainting himself with his favorite spots in the yard.
"Helping" Kyle mow the lawn. Kyle had said that our grass was much softer than Florida grass and I can see what he means.
Kyle's kids are coming home tomorrow and they are so excited to see their dog again. I think Tammo will be, too. He loves kids and they will be doing a lot of playing and petting with him.
Not only does Kyle have to get the house ready for the rest of the family, he has to work, too. He can work from anywhere - his company is based in California and his boss is in Ohio.
Kyle's been sitting out in the lanai by the pool and working with Tammo by his side. There are huge fans overhead and Florida is much cooler at the moment than the midwest. (We are on our fifth day of 90+ temps with more in the forecast.)
Craig, Pepper, and I miss Tammo terribly. Even our neighbors miss him - Nan from next door came over to say good bye to him. (If Tammo saw Nan and Bob sitting outside on their patio, he'd run over to say hello.)
Nash and Mama are here and you can tell they are missing Tammo, too. Lisa is in Boston for my uncle's funeral and so we are watching her dogs.
Nash especially seems to be missing his play buddy so we are doing what we can to give him some extra attention and play time together.
Mama (who is recovering well from her MRSA) is also a bit more subdued without Tammo around. (Sure am glad I put that blanket down to indicate where I wanted her to lie. She missed the mark and her backside is right by some of my models!)
Pepper is quieter, too, with Tammo gone. However, I think she does enjoy having Craig and me to herself again.
The Boston Funeral
Lisa flew out to Boston for Uncle Ned's funeral.
Lisa with her Aunt Sissy.
Sissy (her real name is Jean, but family calls her Sissy) is having a rough time with the loss of Ned. They had a deep and abiding love and friendship, and were each other's rocks. Their four kids have all come to Boston and are there to support her. The funeral mass is today and is being live streamed so those of us who could not get to Boston will be able to watch.
Horses
You never know where you might find horses, and in this case, my sewing life intersected with my horsey life.
I've been looking for a silver 18th century bodkin. I already have five bodkins, but four of them don't work well and the fifth wasn't strong enough for what I need and bent in use.
I found this beautiful 18th century style bodkin on Etsy and ordered four. (They are very easy to lose when they travel with me to events so I always buy extras.)
The return address sure caught my eye.
As did the Fragile stamp. Who was this Etsy seller?
Her name is Kimberly Walters and she runs The Sign of the Gray Horse on Etsy. She also runs a horse rescue of the same name. You can find her shop on Facebook , too.
I've looked online for her as a model horse collector, too, but haven't come across her yet. It would be fun to discover that she was.
Sewing
I made four chemises and two pockets the last two weeks and now I am stitching up women's caps.
The seams are teeny tiny and because of all the gathering and the ruffle, you cannot iron the finished product.
Instead I'm using two different sizes of sewing clips to "press" those seams so that they lie flat. One women's cap is done, another is in process, and then I'll make a girl's cap that Mila requested for this year's Feast of the Hunters' Moon.
Health
I've saved the best news for last. I spoke with my hematologist Friday afternoon about that pathology report that indicated I had cancer markers for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and that suggested we repeat the tests in three weeks.
She acknowledged that those markers were present but she assured me that she did not think I had cancer. I meet with her July 8 and we will talk more, but in the meantime, I am breathing easier!
Meanwhile, I received this missive from my brother. It made me laugh and is SO typical of him!
Gotta love big brothers, right?
My siblings clockwise starting with me: Lynn, Steve, Jenny, and Leslie.
There are a few other things I could update you on (Abby's fine but it's hot here!) but that's most of it.
In the meantime, I will be hibernating inside during the day and stitching up those women's caps as well as attending Uncle Ned's funeral. I'll also be keeping an eye on social media for any more news on BreyerFest - can't wait!
Stay cool, everyone!
