Andrea McDowell

Review: Embroidered Animals: Wild and Woolly Creatures to Stitch and Sew

Disclaimer: I received a free, temporary e-book for this review through NetGalley. I have two pet peeves that I’m bringing into this: One: Reviews of embroidery or craft books that are really just gushing over the pretty pictures of finished projects, written by someone who may not even have the intention of ever making one,Continue reading “Review: Embroidered Animals: Wild and Woolly Creatures to Stitch and Sew”

longest March ever

This time last year was the March Break That Never Ended. I’d been saving my errands up for that week off, and as it became clearer that businesses were going to close and no one knew when they’d open again, I made a mad dash to fit them in: repairing the lawn mower, getting theContinue reading “longest March ever”

post surgery stretchy pants

An actual sewing project! So: last summer I made myself these shorts: Then I adapted them for Echo, and made them a few pairs. Good thing, because we’ve really needed that pattern this fall and winter. When we got the surgery dates, I reached out to the Occupational and Physical Therapists to ask them whatContinue reading “post surgery stretchy pants”

the joys of medical experimentation

Every post about the surgeries themselves that I’ve tried to write starts turning into a book. But I want to write something about them, since it’s the only time this kind of surgery has been performed on someone with Saul-Wilson syndrome, and I want a patient’s (or caregiver’s) perspective to be available somewhere for othersContinue reading “the joys of medical experimentation”

fun facts about hospital stays in the time of covid-19

Visitors don’t really exist. In the hospital Echo was at, most patients were allowed one visitor for one visit for their entire stay. That was it. For most of the patients, this was fine; they were cognitively fully functional and were, physically, ok on their own for relatively short 1-2 day stays. For one ofContinue reading “fun facts about hospital stays in the time of covid-19”

Happy Old Year’s End

New Year’s Eve has a whole other flavour this year, doesn’t it? Less “Hurray! Let’s celebrate the start of another year!” and more “Is it dead yet? Are we sure? Should we set the corpse on fire to be on the safe side?” I’m drafting this in November–already looking forward, yes, but also anticipating thatContinue reading “Happy Old Year’s End”

organizational culture is toxic

I know! Months between posts, and then two in one week. This isn’t a new thought, but it’s one that keeps coming to me, and I’m curious to hear what you think: Organizational culture is toxic. It fosters us-vs-them thinking. The loyalty it creates among members makes it hard to, for instance, speak out againstContinue reading “organizational culture is toxic”

Stitches

First, I’d like to say: I know all of the approved ways of managing stress and anxiety. I know you’re supposed to move, ok? Exercise! I know. I know about healthy eating and getting enough sleep, connecting with loved ones, spending time in nature. As it turns out, when you’re in the middle of aContinue reading “Stitches”