Finally we're back at home!!...

Since December 9th 2009 J has been in the hospital...

...from the ER to ICU... and then to IMC... and ICU again...
and IMC one more time...

and finally we came back home yesterday!

As always, I've been with J all the time.

I do not dare to leave him by himself,

as he can't ask for help or tell what's going on.

And believe me,

each and every time he has to be hospitalized,

I've found more than enough reasons to do so.

Don't get me wrong... we met lots of wonderful people,

nurses and doctors and all different sort of health workers, really concerned, committed and humane,

but we also met others not so wonderful.

It was very lonely, like always,
but specially this holiday time.
J's birthday came and went, as did Christmas and New Year.
My daily phone conversations with my son and my sister helped a lot
and made me feel not as lonely,
tough my son is in Canada and my sister in Portugal.

Outside the window all the excitement
was about the construction of the new hospital addition.

As part of the view from the ICU room,

the Thompson Cancer Survival Center,

right in front of the Hospital.

To help pass the time, as always,

I had my yarn and my hook and crocheted (Tunisian crochet)

a bunch of small pouches.

Filled them up with candy and put them on the table on Xmas day

so anyone that would come in would pick one.

I think the nurses and the staff really enjoyed it!

For Christmas I got some whatnot's at the gift shop

and displayed them on the window sill.

Not really like my Christmas decorations at home,

but at least I could look up and have a little Christmas feel.

My day chair/night bed

on J's room where I spent my days and nights.

After the pouches,

I made a doll, also in Tunisian crochet,

the same type as so many others I've made before,

but with some little differences this time, which I think came out pretty well (bigger head, bigger eyes, a skirt and striped socks).

This one I've called Lollita.

Cute, ain't she...?

What's been going on...

Surprise surprise!....

it's finally on its way!

Exactly a week ago (November 30)...

it left...

all the way to Portugal...

It should arrive between 6 to 10 days

(at least that's the time table the USPS website told me).

Hopefully it will arrive well and in time!

Also, two days ago, we had the first snow of the year!
Check it out!

I don't think we had more than 2 inches,
but still it was pretty cool!
I just thought I would share with you so you could enjoy it too,
specially you guys back there in Portugal!... :0)
For the cats however
it wasn't fun at all!

Can you tell?... lol...

Anyhow...

between the snow, taking care of J, preparing the package to go,

cleaning and cooking, I've been busy
remodeling a little bit our bedroom.
I bought an electric fireplace,

which reminds me a lot of the salamandra
(Portuguese word for these kind of real iron wood burning fireplace)
I had on my classroom
when I was teaching in a country rural area close to Viseu (small city in the middle of Portugal)...
Lots and lots of cold...
it wasn't a good experience I assure you!
I've also bought some drawer towers to better organize

and easily access J's medical supplies.

The curtains I had made for the bedroom initially
were OK,

but not really keeping the draft out...

So, I had some insulated old curtains
(which I really don't like the pattern at all)
but, till I get the money to buy fabric to make new ones,
I used those old ones
after I changed them to fit these windows and hardware.
This is the final product.
The Poohs on the wall...ah!!!!!.... that's my secret magnetic wall...
They're actual magnets that I printed out from the net and laminate.

I have been busy also with my sewing ands crafts,
mainly speeding up things for Christmas,
but I'll tell you about it on another post.
With this one,
I just wanted you to know what's been going on...

Deck the walls and watch the vultures!

Thanksgiving is gone.

I remember when I used to cook all day long,
tough for J and me mainly,
for the kids some times also
because he always loved this holiday...

As an European,

Thanksgiving is not part of my cultural heritage,

but, like everything else, I grew up fond of it because of my husband.

And we both did have a good holiday.

I kept messing with J all day long wishing him Happy Thanksgiving

and he kinda kept giving me the evil eye

because I was not leaving him alone.

I didn't cook this Thanksgiving day,

but I did finish

putting up

my Xmas decorations.

As years go by
my Christmas stash grows bigger too

mainly because of the things I make,

like this tree skirt:

I made it years ago out of white felt and Xmas cut outs felt applications,
all hand applique.



Also made some of the Xmas ornaments,
like this crochet balls,

and some old Xmas cards glued on an old CD like this one:

Some snow people,

made out of glass jars, Styrofoam balls and old socks.


Of course,
all my friends are part
of the Holiday's spirit
so they're all here celebrating with me:

The Teddies...

... and Purpurina...

... can you see her?,

hanging out with all the fancy porcelain dolls.....?

...the Bunnies ...

... and the Xmas quilt I made last year...

and the Xmas pillows I made out of tapestry place mats...

... and the Xmas quilted table runner I've made for my coffee table....

... and the purple granny squares Afghan covering my rocker cushions...

... and the medallion crochet afghan and pillows on my couch....

And when my Christmas tree was done,

I went outside,

to check out the decorations I had put up the day before...

... and just look what I saw!

Flying around in circles,

not one, not two,

but

dozens of vultures,

... and lots of them already roosting on the trees for the night,

like big dark ripe fruits hanging from the trees!

At night time
I went back outside...

... and took some pictures of the fruit of my work,
my pride and joy!