Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Prayers for Linda

As some of you know, mymothersdaughter has a sister who has fought bravely with lung cancer. I have made this and hope that you use it on your blog as a symbol of strength for Linda. She is an inspiration to anyone who battles cancer or any other illness. I pray that she wins this fight as she did the other. Big Hugs to all of Linda's family and friends.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

7 things about me

Well guess I will list my 7 things since I visited Paula and only 2 people posted.

Hmmmmm!

1. I was my senior class Most Wittiest girl---but the years have taken their toll and I'm not as quick witted as I used to be.

2. I won the Betty Crocker Most Oustanding Student in Home Ec---have to admit--I am a baking and sewing freak.

3. I used to be deathly afraid of flying but after 911, somehow I got the courage to fly and love it.

4. This is a tellling one, but I am no longer afraid of the stigma, as it is a brain disease---I am bipolar, which probably accounts for my obsession with crafting.

5. I love making things and sending them to people who appreciate my work.

6.I love to decorate other people's houses with their money.

7.I have an addiction to Christmas. As soon as I finish posting my Christmas house on another blog, I will list it for you to visit. I am a child at heart

8. I thought I would throw this one in. I love to take an image and make a pattern to bead or stitch for my cards and am hoping one day to compile them into a book, since it's very hard to find patterns here in the US.

New Cards

Well today is a great day and I thought I would serve cake along with viewing my latest cards. This was a simple cake to make---I box spice cake mix, pecans, and cream cheese frosting. I chopped the pecans and put them in the cake mix, then sprinkled some on the frosting. My aunt usually subsitutes applesauce for some of the water and it tells you on the side of the box. This cake is quick and very good.












My Nightmare that became a Blessing

Well l need to get some things off my chest and even though most of my friends already know about, I am hoping that my testimony helps others with health issues.

I suffered from severe Gerd and all the medicine in the world didn't help. I was choking in my sleep because the acid ate the LCD(I think that's what they called it), so there was nothing to stop acid from flowing up to the top and it was getting in my lungs also. In 2000, my gastro dr said it was time to have the nissan wrap done. This was supposed to be a quick surgery and gone home once I could tolerate soft food, but the surgeon punctured my spleen and almost bled to death, so it had to be removed. Well I was counting the days to go home and on Thursday they said I would probably be released on Saturday. It wasn't to be. I started running a fever and could feel wettness on my gown, but my husband didn't see anything, until he rolled me over and was covered in black. I acquired a hospital staph that ate through my intestines and had to be returned to surgery where the nightmare began. It turns out I also had an Enterrococcus infection (someone didn't wash their hands properly) and ended up with pneumonia and almost died. So from a 2 day stay, I ended up 25 days in the hospital. The nightmare didn't end. Without going into more detail, I had 14 surgeries all because I lost my spleen and the nissan wrap came unstitched and had to go through all of that again. But skip back to 2003, I had a headache on Friday, which was unusual for me and on Monday, my husband found me in bed with a fever of 104 and by the time he got me to the ER, it was 106. The fever wouldn't come down and my white cell count was 30,000, so exploratory surgery was done. Nothing was found----the Vancomycin had started to work, but not enough. I was walking the halls so I could go home and had to stop at the nurses station because I couldn't breathe. Never in my wildest dreams would I have to go through a code blue and taken to ICU where I spent 3 weeks---13 days of them on life support. They didn't think I would live, but I have a strong faith and fighting will and a wonderful support group from my friends at ABC--our crafting group. Even though I loved life, my bipolar became severe and there were days when I thought, "What the ---- is my life worth. I know I bored everyone with all my surgeries and for that I am sorry, but so happy that you all were there for me. Pity is something I hate, but support is a wonderful thing and whether you used both, it doesn't matter, I am here today because of you. Now into the future, I was scheduled to have the wrap done again in New Orleans, but Katrina had other plans, so had to wait almost 4 months for it. People kept telling me to find another surgeon, because I had 15 hernias, lots of lysis done to remove the adhesions, once having a blockage, and one because my intestines malrotated and were all on my left side with nothing on the right. My surgeon never charged me what the insurance didn't pay and that really should have sent off bells, but the day he told me he was closing his practice was the day every bell rang and my eyes opened up to a very scary reality------I will likely have more surgeries if the adhesions kinked my intestines, so just call me Tammy Wynette---you have to know her story.

Anyhoo, the point to this is Never give up, keep your faith and have a support group---life is worth the fight and I am a stronger person for it all. I no longer tell people when I am hurting and try to smile each day, because I am here. Call me crazy, but there are angels watching over you. To this day, I swear that my aunt and her daughter were holding my hand before I went into surgery and I had no medication yet, so was wide awake.

Use everything you are saving because you never know when the page will turn that holds your name. Count your blessings, even the bad things, because without them, you don't know how blessed you are. You will not hear this again, unless I need to let you know that I am in the hospital Again. God Bless You and Keep the faith.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Empty Nest syndrome

Just so everyone knows, no bird was harmed by removing this nest from the bush.

The eggs were ruined by another bird or snake, so instead of letting another mockingbird nest, we removed it. As I stared at it, I couldn't help but be reminded
of what an empty nest feels like.

Yesterday made the empty nest feel so much better after recieving a package from Chris. She sent me a mixed cd and the very first song had me in tears. I can't remember the name of the song, but it's been in Mother's Day commercials for Hallmark thanking Mothers for their kindness, generosity and unselfishness. I realized that the empty nest held all the love and memories of a Mothers Love, so I want to do something with the nest. Not sure if I want to spray paint it and then decorate it with a few things.

If anyone has any suggestions, would love to hear them.















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Cards for my sister's shop

Well I have been really busy lately and even though no one posts on my blog, I still like posting. Guess it's just too boring, but I'm learning more about other people by visiting theirs. I hope you enjoy seeing my cards as much as I like making and sending them. These are for my sister's shop. I will become a partner later, but she is using some of my ideas so that is good. Did I ever tell you, I have the most wonderful sister for a friend. I have 100 cards completely finished for the shop and I started the week after Christmas with them. I still want to do more and am going to work on some altered things for it also. So if you are reading this, I hope you have a great day or night.




















Friday, May 18, 2007

Love Yourself


Not sure when "Girlfriend" Day is, but I am hoping that all who read this, take it to their blog.



OUR GIRLFRIENDS:
Someone will always be prettier.Some will always be smarter.Some of their houses will be bigger.Some will drive a better car.Their children will do better in school.And their husband will fix more things around the house.
So let it go, and love you and your circumstances.
Think about it!The prettiest woman in the world can have hell in her heart.And the most highly favored woman on your job may be unable to have children.And the richest woman you know,she's got the car, the house, the clothes~~~~might be lonely.And the word says, "If I have not Love, I am nothing.
"So, again, love you.Love who you are.Look in the mirror in the morning and smile and say,"I am too blessed to be stressed and too anointed, to be disappointed!
""Winners make things happen~~Losers let things happen."Be "blessed" ladies~~~~~"To the world you might be one person,but to the one person you just might be the world".



Friday, May 11, 2007

I have been a busy bee

Well I have been a busy bee as the shop will soon be a reality. Brenda goes to act of sale in 2 weeks, so I am trying to get at least 10 cards done a day. I am getting so excited about saleing my cards, as I have already sold some. I need a good name to put on the back of them, so if any one has a good idea, I would love it. We thought of Treasured Heirlooms, becauses everyone said they were not the kind of cards you throw away---now that has my head getting big, but since I have low self asteem, it helps to boost it.



















Tuesday, May 8, 2007

My newest card


Well I got tagged from Nettie's blog, but that will have to given thought---now those who know me, already know I'm weird but trying to think of 7 of them will take some thought, so will be back later for that. I wanted to show you the new card I made that I am quite proud of and will make more of these but in different colored threads and cardstock. I didn't make the pattern, just took a couple of patterns and combined them. If anyone knows where I can get card protectors, I would appreciate the link. I found one, but want to shop around for a good price so I don't have to pass the cost on.

MSN Tuesday blues

Well today is a beautiful spring day---I think Mother Nature is teasing us, but I will take it. I want it to stay that way---do you hear me Universe! MSN was not good this morning, so couldn't post after 12 tries and gave up---something I don't do easily---call me die hard, but that is part of my life as a bp. So MSN gals if you are reading this---Good Tuesday to all of you.

Has anyone read the Secret? Well I can tell you that my daugher has been living that life for years and it works. She is a wonderful girl with a positive attitude about everything in life. Instead of dwelling on the job (audiologist) she wasn't happy with, she thought of the thing she wanted and it came to be and she is happy. Money was not important, even though it has followed her by selling a pair of Levis for $1500. She has a quaint little vintage shop and is doing good. Even when I was on life support and they didn't think I would make it, she had positive things to say. When I came out of the coma, she didn't mention the bad stuff, she just said" Mom, I want you to be around because I need advice from you and I need you". There are no greater words that a Mother can hear from a child than that---it said I Love You in a big way.
So I try to live like she does and focus on the things I want.

I worked on a new card last night because I couldn't sleep---and I really like it, so I am going to make different colors of. Will post it later.

I saw that smoochie posted weird things about herself and just couldn't think of any, so I didn't want to post and be tagged, but I know that I am very weird. One of the weird things about me is that I hate it when people borrow something and not put it back from where they got it. Even if the thing is not where it should be, I know that it's there and I want it there. My bil came into my apt and made a comment about my knowing where every little craft item is and he is so right. I don't have them labeled yet, but I do which drawer they are in. I also have a weird connection to paper towels and toilet paper---I always buy lots of it, because I am so scared of running out--go figure. Wish I could think of more as I am sure I could list 100 of them.
So on that note, I am going to get back to work on more cards. Have a great Tuesday.

Monday, May 7, 2007

More new cards













I have been busy the last week trying to finish enough cards for our shop that we hope to open in August, so if you don't see me here too much, you know I am knee deep in beads and cardstock. I have 117 fronts done, just have to decide how to mount them and that's the hard part. I hope to get them all finished in time, so wish me luck.