August 10, 2014

Remembering Elvis

Happy Sunday, all! First of all, in answer to a couple of questions I received about my banner photo: the name of the piece is "Alphabetissimo," by Papillon Creations.

I mentioned in my last post that I had injured my knee and that I'd be undergoing surgery for it. Sure enough, I accomplished that on August 1. I'll be off my feet and off work for 2-3 weeks total with a total recovery time of about 12 weeks. The surgery went well, but the news wasn't particularly inspiring: I'll have to work hard to get back about 80% of my knee's function, and there will be a knee replacement in my future most likely, and no running. I'm grateful that I've got as much function as I do though, and that I feel better and stronger every day and that I had strengthened my knee going into surgery with two months of physical therapy. And that I like to stitch, because I have been passing the time very nicely with needle in hand, leg up on the sofa/recliner/bed. I've read some also, but mostly stitched. The first few days after surgery, while post-anesthesia and under the influence of pain pills, I stitched small designs on 32 count. When I ditched the pills, I decided to commemorate the time off my feet--so that I'd have a "souvenir" of my surgery (other than the medical bills). So I chose something from my stash that I really liked, had already started but hadn't made a lot of progress on, and would normally take me a year or more to stitch. I'd like to finish it no later than Labor Day weekend. That's a LOT of stitching between now and then, but it gives me something more useful to do than eat carton after carton of Yeungling Ice Cream (if you live in PA, you know what I mean).
One week down, and this is where I stand so far. Jane Clarkson 1856, by Samplers Revisited. I'm stitching her on 40 count Lakeside in Maritime White, using the recommended NPI silks.
Here's a closeup of the house:
And a shot of the finished sampler from the Samplers Revisited trunk show that was at In Stitches several months ago.
Sadly, since my last post, I lost darling little Elvis, to a stroke. He was the best bunny ever. He was a lionhead with a giant heart in his little three pound body. I adopted him from the Alexandria, VA animal shelter. He hated being in a cage, particulary since he was alone. The first time I saw him, I fetched him out of the cage and he licked my nose like a puppy. He loved being petted and cuddled.
He was alone until we got first Pink, and then Peaches. How he loved to cuddle with other rabbits. Here he is with Peaches.
And with Pink.
Even better if he could cuddle with everyone at once. He'd squeeze himself in between the two bunnies. Unfortunately, Peaches and Pink bonded separately, and the other two would no longer accept him. He was beside himself with grief at being excluded. It was terrible seeing his pain.
So we allowed him to choose a new mate, Elizabeth. I didn't particularly want Elizabeth, but he fell in love with her, so we brought her home. They doted on each other to the end. She seems to miss him, but she's ok alone, fortunately. Had he been the one to survive, we would have had to find him another bunny. Some bunnies just aren't meant to be alone.
As we get older ourselves, we try not to replace our pets as they pass away. That makes each death even more poignant, but it seems the responsible thing to do, even if we are terribly sad at the passing of each furry family member.
Best wishes to all for a wonderful week ahead.

31 comments:

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

It hurts so much to lose one of our little friends, especially when they make themselves easy to love.

Binky free, Elvis. You are missed.

Alice said...

So sorry about Elvis. Best wishes for a quick knee recovery!

Robin said...

Glenna, i'm so sorry to hear of Elvis's passing. I know how hard it is to lose one of our furbabies. I hope you are finding comfort in your memories of him. He was a darling boy and I always loved reading about your bunny pack. Good luck with your knee. Hope you mend fast.

marly said...

I'm so sorry you lost your Elvis. Sounds like you are recovering from your surgery and have chosen another exquisite project. Take care!

krayolakris said...

So very sorry for your loss. What a sweet personality little Elvis had.

Margaret said...

I'm so sorry to hear of Elvis' passing. I always enjoyedd seeing him and seeing when he got his mate Elizabeth. Lots of hugs. I love your Jane Clarkson. Another to add to my wish list. Hope you get lots of stitching time with your recovery from surgery. Hope the recovery and recuperation go well and you get as much of your original knee use as you can.

woolwoman said...

sorry to hear about your loss of Elvis and also your knee surgery. I hope you will recover quickly. Jane Clarkson is exquisite - I was enamored when I first saw her - I have resisted adding her to my stash but resistance may be future. Enjoy your stitching Melody

Melissa said...

Oh I'm sorry to hear about Elvis. I always thought he was a smart looking bunny, giving you the "eye" peeking out from under all that hair. Sweet.

I am glad you are on recovery and have a great project to stitch on. Jane looks awesome!

Take care!

Stitchinowl said...

I am so sorry to hear of Elvis' passing. He had a wonderful life - try to take comfort in that.
Hope you recover quickly from your knee surgery.
Carolyn

Margie said...

I'm so sorry to hear about Elvis - I remember when you adopted him and have loved seeing photos of him (and the others) over the years.

Stitchy Mc Floss said...

((hugs)) to you on the loss of sweet little Elvis. He sounded like a true sweet heart. Wishing you a speedy recovery, too. :)

Karen said...

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss of your sweet little Elvis. He sounds like an exceptional bunny.

Good luck with getting the knee back in shape!

Frances said...

What a precious bunny! I'm so sorry to hear that you lost him. He looks like he was very sweet and special.

Linda said...

I'm so sorry for your loss Glenna. But happy to hear the knee is better. Fantastic stitching and good luck getting it done.

Linda

Cari said...

I am so very, very sad that your sweet Elvis is gone. Oh how we love our furry family members. They bring us such joy and comfort. Again…so sorry and sad.

Sounds like your knee is doing just about as good as it can do. I had my knee replaced two years ago and it's doing very well. I'm very happy with the results. I believe the physical therapy before and after knee surgery is so important. Keep it up girl and you'll do just fine. And you can stitch like crazy !! That's the best part. I love your newest piece and I'm looking forward to drooling over your progress.

Hugs dear friend and do take good care of yourself !! Hugs

Michelle-ozark crafter said...

Glad to hear you are on the road to recovery but so sad about Elvis! I remember when you got him and the others of course. Loving huggles.

LaNelle said...

Sympathies on your loss of Elvis...May your memories of him help to bring comfort.
Your stitching is just gorgeous...wishing you continued improvement in your recovery!

RG said...

Oh Oh Oh - Elvis was such a favorite. So many friends he had. How hard :<(

Ditto with the knee. NO more double-clutching I guess.

You have good spirits and are an inspiration to all of the rest of us in, or approaching, the failure of the knee!

Kristen said...

Oh Glenna, I am so sorry to hear the sad news about Elvis. I'm glad he had such happy times with you, and that you cared enough about him to bring Elizabeth home.

Deepest condolences.

Deborah said...

I'm so sorry about Elvis. He was a beautiful bunny. Glad your knee is doing better.

Brigitte said...

It's always so sad to lose a beloved pet.

Good to hear that you are recovering so well from your knee surgery. Stitching is always a good therapy, so yxou are never bored when having to keep your leg up on the sofa. Nice progress on Jane.

Brenda A said...

Awe, I'm sorry about your little furry buddy. It's always hard to lose them.

Melody said...

I am sorry to read about the loss of Elvis. It's difficult to lose our pets. Good luck on your recovery from your knee surgery. I'm glad you are able to be productive with your stitching during your rest time.

Mary in TN said...

Oh poor Elvis. When my grandson was younger, we had to look at the bunnies every day and he really enjoyed Elvis because he had a big head and hiding eyes!

Good luck with the knee. DH had a replacement and says it was the best thing he ever did.

Mary in TN

Anna van Schurman said...

I'm so sorry about the loss of your bun. I know how attached we can become to our animal friends. Best of luck with your recovery and your souvenir project.

Kerri said...

So sorry for your loss! I loved the photos of him you have shared and they made me smile. He was lucky to be rescued by such a wonderful family who loved him dearly. I hope your stitching eases your loss.

Karen M said...

Haven't been around the blogs much lately, so I've seen this very late. I'm so, so sorry to hear that Elvis crossed the bridge. He had to be about the most adorable bunny on the internet. Hope the knee is much mended by now, too.

Thumper S. Thompson said...

I'm so sorry to hear about your beloved Elvis.

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