Hi everyone,
I am very happy to be able to write this blog post. I don’t have too much to say, but Linda sent some pictures to share, so stay tuned for those!
Okay, my Thermal Venous Ablation is a thing of the past and I’m very happy it’s over! When I found out I was going to be awake or at least only groggy, I was a little more than nervous. Then when they mentioned gauge 18 needles used to inject the numbing medicine to protect the nerves, I was even more nervous. So nervous, in fact, that when they gave me the 2 Valium, I was still wide awake when they took me into the room for the procedure. I was talking with them part of the time and watching the ultrasound… They make a small cut in your leg down by your ankle and a catheter is inserted into the vein using ultrasound imagining to guide it. The catheter goes up your vein until it gets to your “gate” or your “shut off” valve in your groin. Then Radiofrequency or laser energy (which gets 300 degrees!) is applied to the vein through the catheter, but you are given those shots with the needle all the way down your leg to protect your nerves from being damaged. The catheter is withdrawn, causing the vein to collapse and close off. It’s like the vein is being cauterized! (The whole reason I had this done was because the “valve” up near my groin wasn’t opening up for a long enough period of time to let the blood pump back to my heart, keeping it down in my leg and making it swell.) By closing off this superficial vein, the blood will join another vein or make a new one that isn’t damaged. And hopefully this will reduce the swelling in my leg by 50%. That’s what the doctor is hoping for. I’m guessing it was a small price to pay if it really does work. My leg does bother me because I sit for periods of time causing it to swell… It takes about 6-8 weeks for the closed off vein to find a new way to join another vein and carry on.
I’ll show you a picture of my leg all wrapped up. The wrapping came off after 2 days and felt so much better. It was wrapped tightly! I felt a little like Lazarus!
I go back to the doctor (again) this week and get another Ultrasound to make sure there is no blood flowing in that vein and then I have to go back 2 days later to see the doctor and he’ll give me his assessment! Oh boy!
Okay, enough about all that! Let’s see some of Linda’s dolls dressed up in some Ice Skating outfits! This is a much better topic!
Hi Jeanne,
Here are the 40’s girls playing in the (imaginary) snow! Sara is having a blast! Hope she doesn’t fall off, since she is not strapped in!
Here are the modern girls ice skating, on ice, once again, imaginary! However, we have the real thing outside, too much in fact!
Here is a picture of my pretty poinsettia plant my daughter gave to me for Christmas. Actually it was used in a Christmas Eve mass, and everyone was able to take home a plant if you wanted. This one is huge, but sure brightens up the living room!
Thank you Linda! You saved me again from a boring/non-dolly post! Your girls look lovely… COLD, but LOVELY!
See everyone tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
I guess I’m first here, Jeanne, unless Charlotte is writing moms, and am glad that your operation is now in the rear view mirror, as much as you do! Gee, that sounds and looks painful, but you made it and I hope it worked for you. The weather should get a bit warmer in a few days, so that will be even better when you go back to the doctor.
I was happy to send you the pictures and thank you for showing them! Hopefully, you get some from others to help you out so you can rest and get back to your sewing room!❤️
Boy, this iPad of mine sure does mess what I write up! I meant now, not moms! Charlotte, where are you?
Thank you for filling in for Jeanne again, Linda. I always love seeing your sweet girls in their outfits. These are so bright and pretty and they look so happy to be enjoying the weather.
Thank you., Sissy! They are a happy bunch!
I knew what you meant to write… my phone is makes me look illiterate. LOL Just as I’m sending the thing changes my typed word… makes me crazy!
Thank you for sharing your girls with us. I love the snowy scenes. I loved ice skating as a younger woman. Brings back fond memories.
I was in Joann fabrics yesterday and walked down the clearance Christmas aisle and almost bought a bag of poly snow for 70% off. I think I might go back and get some so I can bring my girls out for some fun in the snow. Thank you for the idea!
You would never know, Ingrid, that I was a teacher with the way the iPad changes me up! I know what I am writing, and it’s not what it looks like sometimes! I do have some of that poly snow, but it certainly is hard to get the dolls to stand on it, even though they have stands. I never was much of an ice skater, mainly because I never had skates, but I loved roller skating!
When I did my winter scene a couple years ago I did it after I put away my Christmas village but kept the “hills and snow” to use for the photos. The snow is a piece of white fleece. It is flat enough that the dolls sometimes will stand by themselves. I bought some of the flakes one year for my smaller set-ups but decided clean-up would be a problem, so it never got used. The fleece was a good choice, and I have smaller pieces where I need them. It looks nice and clean-up is a breeze. I just fold it and store it in a plastic zipper bag.
Could your dolls be more appropriately dressed? It is frigid everywhere. As darling as they are I hope to see them dressed for spring very soon. Thanks for sharing them with Jeanne.
Thank you, Debbie! Since I have all these winter clothes, and we are having winter weather, it just makes sense!
I hesitated to write first while waiting for The Reliables to chime in. So glad you’re home and in good spirits. What a relief! You’ll find the balance between resting and activities soon. Sorry you were made to feel so anxious about the procedure.
I’m going to post about Bee’s Knees winning the contest on RRFF websites but want to make sure I don’t violate the rules about recommending a website that sells items. Linda’s pictures are wonderful! Come on, everyone, share your pictures. I’m expecting an RRFF doll by FedEx today! I guess they deliver on holidays.
Linda, your girls are so sweet. I love the outfits.
As a former figure skater, I do love the sweet girls in skates! (I still have mine in a box and dream about skating)
I adore all of the clothes and the scenes!
Jeanne, I am so glad you got over your procedure. It does sound scary and I would have been crying a little… and I am an olden RN.
So this is a good week to rest and go slow. You can do some hand sewing if you feel stitchy. Happy Monday every one. It is going to be a great sunny cold day today in Northern Virginia. 22º and breezy.
Thank you, Rosemary! So you were a skater! How lucky to be able to do that! Did you skate outdoors or in a rink inside? I lived on 400 acres when I was a teen, and we had a pond that always froze over, and we skated on that, but not me! I never did get ice skates, but my sisters had them and had a lot of fun with that. I was already in college and not living at home when that would happen. It is fun seeing the videos of that though.
When I was seven we moved to a subdivision built on land that used to be part of a farm. The farmer kept several acres and he had a pond that froze over in the winter. He allowed all the kids in the neighborhood to skate there and that is where I learned to skate. I loved ice skating and wanted to take lessons but that did not happen. But I kept on skating for years anyway. Then I moved to Texas so haven’t had skates on in years and am too afraid of falling these days to do it.
At my age, I am not about to take up skating now either, Barbara!
Hi Jeanne,
I’m happy you’re home and doing well. As I read about your procedure, I wondered why they didn’t knock you out. Did they need you awake for a reason? I’m pretty sure I would have fainted even the thought of what you experienced made me queasy! What a brave woman you are. Prayers continue for a quick and complete healing. Thank you for sharing Linda’s photo’s, I always enjoy seeing her girls it brings a smile to my face each time!
Crazy weather we are all having in the country. We are finally getting snow here. I think this has been the mildest winter I can recall. I hope all our SS are warm, safe and happy!
Hugs
Ingrid
Color me happy… watching President Trumps return : )
Jeanne, so glad to hear from you this morning! You have been through it now, but prayers are still going up that it does what it is supposed to do.
I will work on getting some photos for you today. It is very cold up here today and the birds are flocking to our seed on the balcony! They are so funny, as they fly away when I open the door to put out more and they are back in seconds! There are so many coming now that they chase each other into the air. We will miss them, and I am sure they will miss us!
Very glad that Jeanne, is on the road to recovery. Taking off the wrapping must feel so much better. Hope the next two appointments are positive and that all is progressing as expected.
Oh, I love Linda’s snow scene. How perfect. Sara’s outfit is adorable. The maker is? And of course the big girls too are perfectly dressed. Definitely should look for some snow gear for some of those around here. 🙂 It’s been cold for us.
The skaters look almost professional. Good for them. Sure hope that Linda, is taking care with all of the ice. Don’t want any accidents.
The poinsettia is so festive and perfect to add some color to the January gloom that is prevailing in many areas.
Keep warm everyone.
Thanks Joy, for the compliments! That is a Wellie Wisher snow suit that Sara is wearing. I had bought that from AG for Emmy, but since she is skating now, Sara gets the snowsuit. We do a lot of sharing around here! I did a lot of mixing up with hats, gloves, and outfits to get what is shown here. Not everything goes with what it is worn with. It’s easy to do that when you have an abundance of outfits !
Thanks for the compliments on the poinsettias too! They certainly do brighten up these winter days!
Congratulations on the surgery being over and done. I read about it and it sounds like a real advance in that sort of medicine. Keep giving us follow-up reports.
Love Linda’s pictures. They are so clear and everyone is having so much fun.
It’s 0 degrees here. We were asked to leave towels in our milk boxes so the bottles could huddle under them and not freeze. We have less than 2″ of new snow over 6-7″ left from yesterday. It’s a good day to stay in and make soup.
Thanks, Marilyn! Yes, today is a good day for soup! As a matter of fact I have a pot of homemade broccoli soup ready to go for lunch today!
Take it easy, Jeanne, and rest up. I’m sure you’re glad to have it all behind you.
How sweet your girls look, Linda. I see even Sara is getting a nice little wardrobe going. I love seeing the pups in coats and hats as well. Our dogs always had coats on in the cold, even if it was just for 10 minutes to go out and potty. Your poinsettia is so pretty.
Thank you, Laura! Yes, little by little, Sara is getting a nice little wardrobe! She really adds to the scenes with her able to pose! I always have the pups join in on the fun, just like if they were real! Life is more fun with pets!
I’m glad your procedure went well Jeanne, I hope it fixes the problem for you.
Linda I always love to see your girls all dressed up. When I joined the blog I thought I would display my dolls in my spare room. Then Sam and the children moved in and I no longer have a spare room! I have Sara out on display but that is all I have room for now. I love your poinsettia, I always killed the ones I had.
Summer is trying to break through here. Not hot but at least pleasantly warm the last few days. School starts again in Feb so any hot weather is bound to come then! Murphy’s Law. I’m looking forward to missing our winter this year.
Thank you, Anne! Luckily, when my two children moved out I was able to do what I wanted with their rooms, and my dolls are what happened to those rooms! While my daughter’s bedroom set is still in one room, it works with the dolls, like Felicity, Cecile and Kirsten. My son’s room has the 40’s dolls and modern dolls, along with Molly’s kitchen and bedroom. There is no way they could ever move back!
I actually have to throw out my poinsettia at some point even though it keeps on blooming! It just doesn’t “go” with spring flowers, and that’s how long I will have it. Mine always get a lot of sun, which they like, since they are in our south facing living room,
Jeanne, so glad all is going well with your surgery and recovery. Hopefully your two appointments will give you a clean bill of health and you will have put paid to the vein problems for good.
Linda, I love the pictures of your girls enjoying the winter season. Reminds me of my childhood in PA. I thought that was a Wellie snowsuit. Do you have the snowboard also? I have that and Camille loves snowboarding. Kendall doesn’t much like the cold so Camille gets to have it all to herself. Betsy looks like she is having fun on her sled. Has she thought of hitching her pet doggie to the sled so he can pull her around. He looks big enough for that and she’s certainly small enough. All the skating girls look like they know what they are doing. They’re certainly dressed like they are professionals ready to perform at the ice show. What a beautiful poinsettia. We donate poinsettias to the church each year for Christmas Eve. After Christmas Day we can take them home if we want. We do not because I can’t keep them alive so I gladly give ours to whomever would like them.
I keep trying to take pictures of the girls dressed for the holidays but when I have the time to take them, it is gloomy outside and my lighting is bad. I will hopefully find a day this week to take them but the holiday season is passed, and they don’t look a bit like Easter clothes so I may have to wait and send them next year.
Today it was 29 when I got up but David says it went down to 26 last night. Tomorrow is supposed to be a wintry mix for us and most things have already been cancelled. David and I had our 45th anniversary on Sunday and planned to go to dinner Wednesday evening. I heard from the restaurant yesterday that they will be closed Tuesday and evaluate whether to open Wednesday after they see what’s up. We may have to put off celebrating till next week.
This weekend is my stepson Jason and Stephanie’s wedding. Will be glad to get this one over with. Steph’s mom is not sure she’s ready to let her little girl go and has been Momzilla for the past year. Steph is 44 years old and has lived home for most of it. We’re praying her mom does not do anything stupid during the wedding. Father Jason says he is more worried what she’ll do during the rehearsal. Only time will tell on that one but we will definitely be praying for the best for them.
Yes, Barbara, I do have the snowboard for that outfit. It also has a darling helmet that goes with it. I made sure that I got that before AG discontinues it. The snow suit is already discontinued but the snowboard is currently on sale now, along with Emmy’s hat, and sequined backpack, which doesn’t show in my pictures. Actually I think they were for Gwynn. Well, yes,
Betsy thought of having her dog pull her, but as you can see, there is no room on the top of my sewing cabinet for that! That’s the trouble when you get too many dolls and too much stuff! What you mentioned about the poinsettias at Yur church is exactly what we also do with them at our church. They are in memory of someone, and whoever donated money for them gets to take them home after the Christmas season. Thank you for the compliments, and the best of luck at the wedding!
So happy to hear that your ordeal is over and praying that the results provide relief. You never know who might be helped by your story. Hubby, who is scheduled for this procedure, listened carefully as I read every word you wrote. He is also apprehensive. Thank you for the update. Prayers continue.
Hope you feel better soon, Jeanne!
Thanks for all the cheerful pictures, Linda! At least one time in the past, we also got to take home poinsettias that were used for decorating for Christmas Mass, too 🙂