The new quilt

I started quilting on Dozen Roses this weekend. I'm using a pink thread - I think this one is a Gutermann brand thread (I used mainly Mettler in the past, but it can be hard to find down here). The Gutermann is just a bit stiffer and I know some people prefer that for quilting. I'm okay with it but confess I prefer the softer Mettler....though the stiffer thread does make it easier to thread the needles with.



I'm just doing a simple cross-hatching on this, except for the very outermost border.

I also finished the first sleeve of Rosedale:



I was also a Grown-Up on Saturday morning and went in for the blood draw. The draw itself was not bad at all - the phlebotomist was one of those experienced types who can do it without it hurting, but I've been trying very hard not to psych myself out about what the results will return. (Lipid panel, CBC, and CMP.) I'm not so worried about the lipids - every time I've given blood my non-fasting total cholesterol has been 150 or lower, but I am concerned there will be something wonky with kidney or liver enzymes that will send me on a not-merry journey of diagnosis (like my dad went on, oh, 9 or so years ago now). Or, as I said, that I'll turn up with high fasting blood glucose (though I don't even know if she tested for that) and will have to do more dietary modifications and take some other kind of medication and add another testing regime to my day.

Not that I have any real reason to fear. My father did get a dx of pre-diabetes a couple years ago, but he's some 30 years older than I am. And before his diagnosis he was pretty sedentary (bad arthritis does that to a person) and his diet was not as stringent as mine is. (Actually, typing all that makes me feel better). I know I have a familial risk of it (My dad's mom's father died of complications of it, back in the day when they couldn't treat it easily) and I tend to be one of those who swallows the propaganda about "big people are sick people" probably more readily than I should. I AM a big person (but getting a little smaller) but I am active and eat pretty healthfully. (Also, he has it under control, but does take meds for it. I think he still does. I don't remember).

I also tried Stevia for the first time today. I can't use most replacement sweeteners because they either give me gastric distress or migraines (and I am not at all convinced of the safety of using heavy doses of aspartame over long periods of time) but from what I've read, stevia seems pretty safe. But. I'm going to have to play with the amounts because a "single serving packet" made my tea almost disgustingly sweet - they claim it's equivalent to 2 tsp sugar but it sure tasted like more than that to me. I also notice the slight licorice flavor some have commented on but I do not find that objectionable.

There's a limited amount of studies out there suggesting it can help stabilize blood pressure - and a few more studies suggesting it can reduce insulin resistance (which, if I do have something approaching type II diabetes, will be what is going on.)

I mostly use sugar in my tea (and even then, not always) and on fresh fruit if it's too tart to eat alone, but at least that's one place where I can replace some of the sugar in my diet. My mom tells me she even sometimes subs part stevia for sugar in baking (but not all the way, or else things don't brown as well). I don't bake much these days but maybe I will try that next time.

(I also realized: I can make hot cocoa with it, using milk and cocoa powder. I hadn't been drinking much hot chocolate, most of the mixes taste too sweet to me....I could also use it in hot milk - sometimes I just make hot milk with vanilla and a tiny bit of sugar)

Once again: what a drag it is getting old.