The End of 2023 report....

 

Peacock, Unicorn, and Badger from the Scarlet Letter.  I have completed pages that I can count as done.  Well, except filling in the background... or the water.  I have 8 pages completed of 20 pages.  I have that left side filled in down to the unicorn, and through the tree.  I have the unicorn, the ground, and the underwater area yet to do.  I only have the water pages done on the right side.  But the border is there, and I have a few things filled in near the deer.  I should be able to fill in a couple things to complete two more pages before the end of the year.  But this is my final year end post.

I completed 9 stitching projects this year.  Considering I was doing chemo for breast cancer to start the year, and then did radiation daily (week days) for 30 treatments... with treatment ending at the end of June...  I am fine with 9 completed.  My goal is just to not start more than I finished...  so that the things I have started do slowly decrease in numbers.  I keep track of what I spend, I simply write it down.  I started 2023 year with buying floss for a $1. at Joann's on January 2.  I am pretty sure I will go to Joanns as the first purchase of 2024 if the weather is okay.  My friend does jigsaw puzzles during winter months.  During treatments, in waiting areas, there were jigsaw puzzles and I would sometimes do them.  So this winter I bought a folding table that I could use for jigsaw puzzles, and I have done a couple.  It was a nice break for a couple days doing a puzzle, and then going back to stitching.  My first purchase might be a puzzle with the coupon.  I had bought just a couple of puzzles at the Dollar Store several years ago, and done those.  This is not completely out of the blue.  But before this, oh, it's been more than twenty years.  

I am trying to settle onto the estrogen meds.  The first version was awful, so I asked for a different pill, and this version has been better.  But it's taken 6 months, and I'm watching my blood pressure which is the side effect of this medication.  It's all really weird, they say that chemo meds screw up your body so much it takes a year before you know what effects will be lasting.  Technically, I still have 6 more months till I figure all this out.  I don't miss the breast, but there is so much that nobody tells you about.  I understand, it is different for everybody.  And that is their answer for most questions.  It all could have been much worse, so I am not complaining.  I'm able to stitch.  But I let things go, and need to get my life in better working order.  That is my goal for 2024. 

 May you have a safe and happy 2024....  as the readers that come and check on me from time to time.