On The Bright Side...

I'll have plenty of time to complete my bluebirds - and a few other projects! We had the appointment with the orthopedist yesterday and here's the news:

1) The meniscus is, in fact, severely torn on one side. The doctor likened it to a tree that's been uprooted. My meniscus is not attached to anything on the outer side of my knee joint, and as such is trying to squeeze itself out of the joint completely. This is bad.

2) I have the beginnings of arthritis in the joint (already in my other knee), and that can be addressed along with the tears.

3) The inner side of the joint also has a slight tear, but is thankfully still attached to the bone. It's a minor repair.

4) There is also a buildup of fluid trying to exit the back of the joint, causing some of the constant Level 10 pain I'm experiencing.

5) Post arthroscopic surgery recovery time with only toe-touch weight on that leg, is approximately TWELVE WEEKS. That would include post-op crutches and physical therapy.

I have three choices, only two of which are viable. 1) Do nothing. Not an option. 2) Full knee replacement. I'm not a fan of the option, even though I'm told that's now the only option for my other knee. and 3) arthroscopic surgery to repair the tears with about an 80% success rate.

I'm waiting for a phone call from the scheduling office to set the date for a pre-op physical therapy appointment, as well as the surgery date. I'm told that the longer I wait to do this, the more damage can occur in the joint. If the meniscus completely breaks free, it can't be saved. I'll be bone-on-bone on both knees with no other options but replacement. So, I'll be scheduling this asap.

I called my boss tonight to drop the news. She's wonderful. She said, "Don't worry about us. We'll figure it out. You need to take care of you and then heal." She assured me there will be a job waiting for me if I choose to go back...which I'd definitely do for her.

As the stairs in the farmhouse will likely be an issue for a while, we'll probably set up my smaller farmhouse bed in Handsome's downstairs office to avoid them altogether as I heal. We'll see if we can get help to move the bed down from the attic and set it up in the next week or so. I'll move some clothes downstairs, too, to make life easier all around.

The best possible news - the bright side - is that it appears I'll have lots of time for my needlework. I'll finish this bluebird project, make more spoolies, and also update my Etsy shop with new items for sale.  That means I'll also bring some supplies downstairs so I'm fully prepared for a little leisure time once the surgery is accomplished. 

I'll probably know the date before the weekend, so I'll also have time to make the other preparations. I think it's gonna be a little bumpy for us for a while, but like we always say, "It's what we do." We'll handle this as well.

Handsome is already feeling better, but he saw the doctor yesterday, too. He's scheduled for an MRI next week. The doctor will see him after that appointment, and once we know exactly what's causing this, we can look to help him to be pain-free.

Hope this all wasn't too boring for you, my friends. I don't want you to worry about me. We'll get this all figured out, and in the meantime, I'll be treating my knee with the utmost care to avoid further damage. I guess when I have an accident, I manage to go all in. I keep shaking my head at my rotten luck, but I'll continue to look to the bright side. It can be fixed, and as I'm a really good healer, I'm confident this will heal better than the statistics. We've got this, but prayers are always appreciated. You already knew that, right? Thank you in advance.

I have a baking order to fulfill today. I'm going to be busy, but careful. I promise. I'll show you what I accomplish tomorrow. Thanks again!

Early To Bed, Early To Rise...

My humble farmhouse bed, wearing freshly laundered bedding. The doctor sent me home from our last appointment with a bottle of special shower wash, with instructions to use it the night before, and again  the morning of my surgery. After my evening shower, I went to bed in clean pajamas and slept fitfully, anticipating today's procedure. I showered again and then dressed for our trip to the hospital. 

My surgery is scheduled for mid-morning, so we left for the hospital at 6:30 am. I'll be back home (thanks to Handsome) by late-afternoon. It's a relatively simple procedure, performed under twilight sedation. I won't be aware of a thing if it's like the last one. After we get home, I'll head straight back to my comfy bed to sleep the rest of the day and night away...and begin healing again.

I'm not concerned. I know that I rest in His hands, and He watches over me. Thanks to those who wish to say a prayer or send healing thoughts. I know He hears them. I'll be back soon.

 

Ta-Daaaa!...

Brynwood Needleworks - Carved Acorn Headboard - Before

Well, the suspense is over. I can finally show you what I've been working on. This is the before photograph of the detail on the headboard of a queen size bed set I purchase a few months ago.

Brynwood Needleworks - Carved Acorn Headboard -After

I waited to start work on it until I was healed from my last surgery. I knew I wanted to get the paint on before the weather got too cold to do that in the garage. I finished this project over the weekend, so I can finally share it with you! Have you guessed yet what drew me to this set?

Brynwood Needleworks - Carved Acorn Bed Set - Before

I found it on - you guessed it - Facebook Marketplace. It was about an hour away, so I showed it to Handsome, and he agreed we should get it. Once it was here, I realized it was a little (basement) musty, so before I could paint, I took the time to clean it with water and Murphy's Oil Soap™. Then I used the Deglosser from Heirloom Traditions All-in-One Paint Company.

To say there was a little elbow grease involved would be an understatement. I cleaned both sides of each piece - taking extra care around the spindles - and let it dry between sessions. When my nose and I were satisfied that I'd accomplished my goal, I was finally able to use the Deglosser to take the sheen off the wood finish. (I also removed the metal decorations from the footboard to deal with later.)

Brynwood Needleworks - Carved Acorn Bed Set -After

Once everything was, again, thoroughly dry, I began painting. I used the Heirloom Traditions' All-In-One Paint in Cashmere (white), and London (gray-green). The Cashmere took three coats to completely cover the oak finish. The London paint only took two coats.

Brynwood Needleworks - Small Bed Side Table Showing Drawer Detail

I also painted a small, antique washstand table I had to coordinate with the bed. The exterior is London, and I painted Cashmere inside the drawer.

I'm wasn't sure how I felt about the modern-looking drawer pull, so I've since actually changed that for a more rustic-looking one. I took the gold-tone medallions from the bed, and used Rub 'n Buff™ in a silvertone on them. I like them much better in the silvertone, but...

I also have some carved acorns that I've had for years. I may try those on the footboard to see if I like them better than the metal trim. If I do, I may switch them. 

The plan for this bed is to bring it into the main bedroom. As much as I love (and I really do) my farmhouse bed, I want to use that in a future guest room, and have a queen bed in the main bedroom. I just didn't like the mattress as tall as the last one was. It was nearly impossible for me to toss myself into bed every night with this gimpy knee. (My little brother wanted that set, so it has a good home.) 

I  have an antique oak table that's on the other side of my bed now. I've had it for 30 years, and I just can't bring myself to paint it. I do, however, have a table cover that fits it perfectly. I'm going to embroider it along the borders with my new flower obsession design, in colors that go with the bed and washstand. I think it will fit right in without having a painted finish. Fingers crossed. Otherwise, I'll find another washstand on Marketplace for painting. I see them just like the one I have all the time.

We have a few things we need moved in the house, so in a few weeks we'll hire professionals to do another "in-house move" for us. I'm making a list of what we want moved and where it needs to go, so I don't forget once they're here, and we can make the best use of their time. Time is money, you know.

When that happens, I'll be sure to take photos of the new setup. It will be all moved and settled before the snow flies, and we can just enjoy the new (and final) arrangement.

Now, what was I working on before this? Oh, yes. I remember. Time to get my morning coffee and then I'll get back to it.

Master Bedroom - A Work In Progress...

Brynwood Needleworks - Farmhouse Bed

You thought this was done already, right? In February, 2018, I wrote a blog post about the Paul Bunyan bed and bedroom set we purchased for the master bedroom. While it's a beautiful set, this bed has, lately, been almost impossible for me to get into at night. That's mainly because of the issues related to my recent surgeries. (I wrote about this beautiful set HERE.)

 

Well, obviously, I need to be able to get into bed at night without having an issue, so Handsome and I discussed options. The Paul Bunyan bed is a queen size bed, and while it fit in the master bedroom, the whole set definitely took up more space. We even discussed painting the set to make it appear smaller, but in the end, the height of the mattresses was still an issue. Let me say that changing the depth of the mattresses wouldn't make a significant difference because of where the rails are set to hold them.

Brynwood Needleworks - Farmhouse Bed

I have loved the double size farmhouse bed since I purchased it before we'd even moved into the house. The downside of this bed is that, my dear husband is 6'5" tall, and a double bed is too short for him. We do have a queen size bed in another bedroom, so we have sleeping options.

In light of the fact that I'm likely to have another surgery, I need a bed in which I'm comfortable (I sleep alone post-op), and the farmhouse bed fits that parameter. So, a week ago, the Paul Bunyan bed left the second floor (thanks to my dear nephew's help), and the farmhouse bed returned to the master bedroom.

The rest of the dark bedroom set will be moved out, as soon as I find adequate vintage pieces to replace the dresser and armoire. Then, we'll sell the entire set as the guest room is too small for it. My vintage dressing table will also come back into this room.

Usually, I have a larger table next to the bed, but with winter coming, I don't want my chair blocking the radiator. The little plant stand will function perfectly as a surface for my overnight water bottle, and my eye glasses. 

I'm not sure I like the Wyeth print so high above the bed, so that might move into the fabric room when it's finally turned into the future guest room. We also brought the side wall lamps with us from Florida when we moved here. They've been stored safely until now. We've mounted them on the wall, and they function perfectly next to the farmhouse bed.

Once the entire bedroom is finished in keeping with the farmhouse look, I'll be sure to take more photographs to share. For now, I have a completely comfortable place to sleep and rest. I have a lot of sorting to do...mainly clothes (sheesh! How did I accumulate so much?), but there are other things, too, and then I can finish up. I can tell you there are lots of pieces that will be donated and shared.

One other piece I need is a nice bookcase. I love to read, and most of our books are still in boxes - tucked where they'll stay dry and safe until we have bookcases. I miss our Florida library room, and hope we can figure out the best place to do that here. For now, a bookcase in the master bedroom would be a nice start. 

I have so much inspiration from which to draw. I save photos that I find on Pinterest or online from favorite blogs. I'm not in any hurry, so I have time to edit and end up with what we really want. I like that this is a work in progress. Once of these days it will be complete, but I'm going to enjoy the process...the journey...until we get there.