Today I Feel Like Whining

My good friend Ingrid is a nurse and she told me that while recovering from several major surgeries I would have good days and bad days and oh she was so right. I had a string of good days last week because I was finally out of the hospital and so glad to be home, eager to lounge on the couch and be taken care of. But then I noticed that the euphoria started to fade as the week wore on - and then maybe  because I was doing a little too much or thought I was recovering too nicely -WHAM! Suddenly I'm exhausted and feel like I've taken a couple of steps backwards. Simple things like washing a few dishes make me fatigued. All I want to do is sleep.

I'm counting my blessings every day and trying to be patient but there's so much to do around here that hasn't been done yet and all of that still hangs over my head. I'm not supposed to bend or stretch so I am dependent on others for simple things for awhile longer, like cleaning up spills, making a cup of tea or running upstairs for a box of tissue. I feel guilty sitting around reading or watching TV on the couch while everyone else is running around like chickens with you-know-what. My sweet husband has been working so hard to help -  he cooks and cleans and "fetches" for me when he can, and even watches my website for orders. On Saturday he went to the Post Office and mailed out some book and  pattern orders for me because I still can't drive for a couple of weeks. Funny how much time I used to spend out running errands. Don't forget, pattern #4 of  the American Schoolgirl Club will be mailed out later in Oct - probably very late, the way I'm feeling right now.

I am feeling a little depressed over what I CANNOT do for myself, even though I know I get a LITTLE better every day and I've only been home for a week. I become impatient easily and would like a  fast recovery NOW, please. Will I ever get back to feeling the way I did before?

The visiting Physical Therapist told me that spending 2 weeks in the hospital causes you to lose 30% of your muscles so we're slowly working on doing tiny leg lifts and stretches. Ouch, that hurts - in more ways than one. I was trying to get into decent shape and walked a lot before I got sick but now I have to start all over and then some and who knows when I'll get the ok to walk briskly again. 

Didn't guess I could be such a whiner when I was sick, did you? I'm afraid I do not make a very good patient, LOL.

Yesterday, however, I actually finished a novel and cooked a pot of spaghetti and meatballs in two sittings so I didn't have to stand for too long. Little accomplishments, but they matter a lot. Hand piecing the little pink and blue scrappy doll quilt got me through all last week. I pieced the blocks together on the machine and now have to choose a border. 

I have a few blue Jo Morton fat quarters I'm itching to use and for some reason I want to use this one, the busiest one, instead of  the ones that are more subtle. I'm usually more conservative with my borders for scrappy quilts but really love this print. What do you think? Too busy?

Last weekend I bid on and won (!) an antique doll quilt, a coming home present to myself. It arrived on Saturday and is so cute I decided to reproduce it with more pre-cut squares I had lying around.

I just love doll quilts made from squares - the simplicity speaks to me. That's good because simple is best for me right now - I don't think I can handle anything complicated.

This one will keep me busy this week, I think. I'm not a great hand piecer, but I'm getting some good practice. It's coming along nicely and is so much fun really. Maybe I'll even quilt it if I don't fall asleep first.