Nag, nag, nag.....I was pretty slack on my posting though!  Once, again, I got busy....so much for using that 'extra' hour productively I found when we moved from Daylight Savings Time.  I use it sleeping instead of exercising, or blogging, or crafting.....or anything else very productive.

It's been fairly stressful around here lately - probably why I wanted more sleep.  Work - while always stressful - took an 'even more stressful than usual' turn.  'Tis the season for audits, and we've had them back to back to back.  Some audits are less invasive than others, but two of the last three have been looking at loan files - which means I get to organize all the files coming from 4 offices, (and send them back when they are done) build reports, and gather anything else that they may want to see.  The last audit was actually of my department, and we had two people on site for 2 weeks, sitting with someone in my department, getting piles of paperwork, asking questions, etc.  We got a good rating, so it all ended well, but that, added to a busy month-end, made it more stressful than usual.  Whew!  Back to 'normal' stress!

Ralph has been making the rounds with doctors and therapists for quite a while now - it's been over a year since his surgery, and it took 6 months to even get to surgery.  He has one more appointment with a new doctor next week - the endocrinologist.  He is finished with the edema specialist - and has some lovely compression socks to wear and some exercises to do daily to keep the swelling down in his feet.  He is on medication and is seeing a therapist weekly for depression and PTSD - and is on stress leave until the first of the year, at least (he is starting the paperwork to make it permanent).  I think he is starting to feel better physically at least - and it will take time for the therapy and medication to work for his depression.  Ralph's boss sent ME flowers last week, along with a very nice note.

Mom was down last weekend to visit, and brought me a present!  

The cutest little sewing machine ever - a Singer Featherweight.  She picked it up at a garage sale and had it serviced for me too.  It makes my 306 model seem huge and clunky!  (It's been a great machine - no complaints - but this one is cuter!)  I had to try it out Sunday before she left - she took my 306 back with her to have serviced as well, and I didn't want to be without a machine.  The Featherweight sews better than my 306 and it isn't nearly as quirky.  I have 3 of the 4 blocks done for last month's Civil War quilt, and picked up this months fabric yesterday.  I have one more block to do, and I'm done with them!!!!  I picked up the first of two sets of finishing material.  I will be putting the blocks together this next month - if I get to work on it.  I'm already a month behind.....

While Mom as here, we went to the local nursery and got some seeds and plants for a winter garden.  Unfortunately, to plant a winter garden, I had to tear out the summer garden.  What a mess!  The eggplants weren't too bad - there were just two (big!) plants, but the tomatoes????  There may only have been four of them, but we had to hack them to pieces to get them out.  When I was pulling the roots out, Mom offered to watch, and if I fell on my butt, go for help.  (Which would have been a sight to see and very possible - those roots went deep, but I didn't fall!!)  I planted one artichoke and one mustard plant, some kale, and flowering kale plants, and seeds for lettuce and spinach.  Then, just to make it pretty - we planted some pansies out there too.

It may have taken me a while to post, but I posted a lot when I did - be careful what you ask for!!!!