It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

After hearing about Deena's MRI, I got the urge to decorate for Christmas. I know it's early, but it will take me a while and I can't do like I did in passed years. We only brought out the trees and put them in place. I still have to pack up things as I do every year, but it's a start. I can't afford to go pink, so I will still have the traditional red and green. Micheals has a cute flocked pink tree that I have been eyeing, but will have to wait and see if Al's overtime kicks back in. At first I wasn't going to decorate but my brother reminded me of how much dad loved decorating at Christmas. It was always a joke each year about me needing another tree, so one year I told my dad, yes as a matter of fact, I do need another one---which started my gingerbread ornament collection over 15 years ago. Not sure if I will put my Red Hat tree up, because I put the Nativity tree in my bedroom.

Had a rough night, so when he left for work, I just stayed up. Will catch a "catnap" later. I don't really sleep, but it does rest my muscles.

An update on my friend Dot, her body has still not been released because her daughter's confession does not match the autopsy and now we are thinking she died a cruel tortured death in a wooden box---they built. Yes, it happens in the best of families and poor Dot was just trying to help her daughter out of a bad situation.

Well I am going finish my coffee, then relax before deciding how I will decorate. Praying you all have a wonderful weekend, no matter what your situation---you can make it happen.

Just stopping by

Life is busy around here and I just wanted to pop in and say hello. I have tons of material and lace to put away and then start dusting and packing my "normal" things away to begin preparations for Christmas. I don't decorate for fall because it takes too much time for Christmas and we usually don't spend Thanksgiving here. Because of all the furniture we had to bring here, I won't have as many trees up this year. My enlarged craft room has to wait until next year so I am using my bathroom as a storage room, which is not fun for me.

I will be working on a new blog about my trials and tribulations and I want to keep this one for fun stuff. I am hoping to reach out to people who suffer from Chronic pain due to surgery or disease. I am also hoping that it will help people who suffer silently from GERD-gastric esphogial reflux disease. Nexium came to late for me as many of you know and I went from being a avid garderner, all night crafter, 5 mile a day walker and baking maniac to a disabled person who requires injections weekly just to get by. I don't want you to think that I live on a pitty pot, but my faith tells me I need to share so that others who suffer can deal with. You will get to see how much I have done in recent years---pictures of my old craft booths and such. Plus it will be a place for prayers, because I was given a miracle through prayer and I want the world to know that it happens and Never give up.

I am also doing this for our Sweet Pink Warrier and you will see her name mentioned often. She and Amy from foursistersinacottage have both helped me when I thought the worst of life. Deena and Amy have both been an inspiration in my darkest hours and I had many.

I hope that when I get started, you will join me in prayers. I am not looking for sympathy, but prayers are what I yearn for the most. My dad was my greatest source of prayer and he is gone, but I know that he is looking after me still.

Well I am off to boxes and boxes of wonderful lace and goodies. Every piece I touch, I think of mom and all the wonderful things she made her entire life. I hope you all have a Blessed Day and smile, it takes less energy for a smile than a frown. Love and Hugs, Pat

Pink October Event

In honor of all the Pink Warriers.

I had almost forgotten today, so my pink things didn't get downloaded from my camera and I do apologize. So you get to see things that I have made or gotten from my PSP club. I hope you all go out today wearing Pink in honor of Deena's One year anniversary. Let's keep all the Pink Warriers in our prayers, including those who have lost the battle and those are just beginning.

Today is October Pink event day, so I hope to see lots of pink things in honor of Deena's 1 year annivsary. Deena you are an inspiration to all of us, with your strength and faith. You have cheered me up many days and for that I am eternally grateful.

Going through a rough storm

Things have been hectic all week and I have to return to our parents home in the morning, so I thought I would drop in and say hello. I hope that all of you that read my blog, keep my friend in your prayers. They aren't releasing her body because the autopsy and the daughter's confession don't match with the report.

We tried getting things organized for the garage sale but I knew it would take longer than a week to price 62 years of things. The only thing I have left to take is my furniture and maybe a few Tupperware things. Even though it was my dad's wishes that the girls take the angels and dolls, we gave some to our brothers. We found my mom's sewing machine that goes in the cabinet but not sure if it works, but I'm going to try. The new one has not shown up, so I'm not going to worry about that anymore. I hope the person that has it, gets great use out of it and didn't do it out of spite.

I will be going into the hospital on the 6Th of November for my 5 year colonoscopy and they are doing an endoscope on the same day to see what that huge lump in my stomach is---just praying that it's only the hernia that got bigger.

We are waiting to see if my aunt has leukemia, which is almost likely, so keep Aunt Dee in your prayers for me. My other aunt's daughter has ALS (Lou Gehrig's) and not looking good, so Cindy is need of your prayers also.

Please don't forget about Deena's October 27Th Pink Day. I hope you all have a blessed and beautiful weekend. Love and Hugs to all. Pat

My friend is gone

Well we got some heartbreaking news today. Dot has been found and it wasn't good. It's been on the news and if you live in Texas, you have probably heard the story also. It appears her daughter murdered her and drove her to Texas in a box and buried Dot in her back yard. I cried this afternoon because she didn't deserve to be treated like this especially from a daughter she let move in with her to help her get back on her feet. Life is so cruel and it makes me wander what drives people to this sort of thing. It's not in my world of thinking and I do know that it can happen to any family. Al's brother was one of them---killed by his own son and buried in a hole in the backyard and only served 8 years for his crime.

Dot's mom is not in good health, so please pray for her. Love and Hugs, Pat

Today is such a beautiful day, but I have to spend it inside packing up craft things so the Dish Network guy can install the digital recorder on my TV. We got a better deal by packaging all our services into one bundle, so we are dropping Cox cable to save $20 a month. We had Dish before and the clarity of the picture was so great, but they installed the satellite wrong, so half of the time, we had nothing. Al will be here to make sure they put it in correctly. Now I don't have to worry about finding a tape to record Army Wives and Grey's Anatomy when I'm not home or too busy.

On sad news, a friend of ours that helped us out when my parents died has been missing since Tuesday and it isn't looking good for her. Her medicine, debit card, and her cigarettes were all left in her house, but because of some text message left on her phone and then stopped in the middle of a sentence, they have to wait 72 hours until after the text message to start looking for her. When I saw her last Sunday, she was in good spirits and was excited because she finally got to receive her husband's VA benefits, so things were going to be easy. The family has contacted a psychic and she claims they will find her in some water under a bridge and I pray this woman is just a looney. Please keep Dot in your prayers. I pray she just needed to get away from her daughter who just moved in with her.

My Joys today

God in my life

Sunshine and beautiful weather

My family and friends

My beautiful "Father in law"

I want to dedicate this page to the man who would have been my father in law, had my boyfriend came home from Vietnam, but destiny is cruel sometimes, but Mr. Norace still treated me as though I was a part of his family. He was a captain for a tank brigade during World War II and now he is very ill and they have sent him home to die at his request. There is nothing more that they can do for him, except to pray that he is not in pain. I love this man dearly and they accepted my husband and Mr. Norace respected him so much and Al felt comfortable sitting and watching some games with him when we would visit him. He is a big teddy bear and the most gentle man I have known. He raised 8 children with good manners and respect for others. The bottom picture is me and Garland at the age of 16, serving in my brothers wedding. The other picture is Garland and is one of the last pictures we have of him, because his platoon leader got his film wet and lost all the pictures he took of his men in Vietnam. Please keep this lovely man in your prayers. He keeps saying he wants to go home to meet Mom and I know that soon they will be in each other's loving arms again. I am going to visit him tomorrow and his son told me, I am trying very hard to prepare myself, but how does one do that?

To the Benoit Family, you will always be like part of my family and I love you all as though you were. God had other plans, but I am grateful for still being around all of you when we can. Prayers for "Pop" Benoit. Love and Hugs, Pat

My newest find

I have been busy painting some things for my new bedroom that will happen sooner than I thought. We have decided to put my parents house up for sale since my sister can't find the funding to keep it.
I would love to be able to buy the house, because of the craft shop, but we would have to sell ours first or find a renter who would stay and take care of our house.

Any way, I will be gone all next week to start pricing things for the garage sale and we are praying we can do it all in one week. We have to rent a van this weekend to get our furniture out and anything we are keeping because we will need the main house for all the things we have to sell.

This is a Gutmann book that I found and even though it's not old, 1990, the pictures are adorable. Somewhere here, I have an old picture of the little girl sleeping, but not sure what I filed it under, but hopefully when I clean out my files, I will find it. My scanner is old, so I am hoping to get it scanned at a print shop and put them on a disk.

I have an infection in my nose ever since I fractured it, so I have to call an make an appt. to see the doctor. Just the thought of it still being fractured has me worried that I have a deviated septum which might require surgery---the thought of gauze stuffed up my nose is not a good thought since we had to smell my brothers nose when it got broken----yuk!

I found a lot of new treasures but haven't had time to take pictures and the things I am painting, I forgot to take before pictures--oh well too late now.

I am almost finished with my Halloween cards, so they should go out in the mail on Monday. Al is on vacation next week, so he is going to sand down my 2 doors for my dressing screen. I was hoping that we could find another door like one of them and put the one with all the opening in the middle and cover the openings with a pretty vintage fabric. Al can draw really good, like Candace Olsen on Divine Designs, so I am hoping that he will do it for my bedroom, that way I can carry it with me when I shop for things to put in it. I can sleep with pretty clutter, so that is my intentions---the more the better.

I have decided to put my Christmas blog back and just use that for seasonal decorations, so it won't actually be a Christmas blog per say. I will use old pictures that aren't so great, but you can see how our collection has grown over the last 37 years. I was really into country back then and except for a few things, all the rest have new homes.

The International Rice Festival is this weekend and for the first time since 1988, I will be visiting booths instead of having one. I will be fun seeing all my crafting friends from all over Louisiana and Texas.

Well I can hear the orange and black calling me-lol- so after visiting some blogs to say hello, I am getting to work. I hope you all have a beautiful weekend. Love, Hugs, and Prayers for all. Pat

Happy Birthday Theresa

I didn't have time to go through all my pictures of my little Theresa, but I just don't know where the years have gone. As you can see, I still don't have the knowledge that most of you have to post a really good blog and put pictures in order. When she was born, I couldn't hold her because I had surgery a month before she was born and she weighed 9Lbs14ozs, so that had to put her in my lap for me to hold her. I am so hoping for another grandchild, but I may have to settle on Theresa and Jacob. I want to hold a baby. She played all afternoon with her CuttleKid and then went next door to play with the kids there.
As you can tell, she is a ham when in front of a camera. The little Christmas dress where she is sitting on her pawees lap is one I made for her---she loves when I make her clothes. In about another year, she will be as "short" as me, but will pass me up like her brother is doing. Chris is my only chance for another grandchild, but her clock is ticking fast at 37, but who knows.

We celebrated my beautful Theresa's 8th Birthday last night and her dad pushed her face into the cake. Poor darling got icing up her nose and I was very upset with him.

My New Toy

Well my son surprised me and got me a pink Zune, so he gets the black one back. We joined the games he plays and they are fun, but annoying at times. They are basiclly word search games, so it isn't some awful games that you play to earn points. The things that they offer to get with points are never the same, but he was lucky to get 3 of these. Here is the link if you would like to join Live Search.

club.live.com It's easy to join and most have an MSN password and username.

My friend is doing okay after the surgery, but she has a lot of healing to do. My "fil" is going through therapy and I went to visit him again on Monday. He doesn't remember too much except how bad he felt when he had the stroke.Thanks for all the prayers. Love and Hugs, Pat

Prayers needed tonight and tomorrow

Well today I have decided that I need to make a prayer blog. So much is happening with friends and family and I want to keep this blog for happy things. Please give me your thoughts on this.

My "almost" father in law is very frail and he suffered a stroke and he also has Alzheimer's, but after visiting him yesterday, I was excited that he recognized me and called me Pat. Now today when I return at 6, he may not, because it comes and goes. I think he will remember me because I hold a strong past to him, his son Garland that I have spoken about. I challenged him to a game of poker tonight, but he wants to play $100 a hand. I had to laugh and said that was too rich for my blood. He is a sweetheart and I love this man like he was my fil. So please keep him in your prayers. Alzheimer's is such a horrible disease and with 7 of his children still living, not to mention the many grandchildren, great grandchildren and even a couple of great,great grandchildren. I am hoping they will allow us to bring in a camera---you have to check in your purse before allowed behind locks door, for safety reasons.

Also a friend, Erica, will be under going surgery tomorrow morning at Tulane in New Orleans for kidney cancer. Eric, her husband is going to call me as soon as she gets out of surgery, so we are hoping it hasn't spread to the other or anywhere else.

Well I am off to shower after painting, then to the hospital. Will check in later. Love, Hugs, and Prayers, Pat

Funky picture

This is a picture I found at a thrift store and will be putting it up on ebay unless someone sees it here first and gives me an offer I won't refuse. It's about 18 inches by 9 with layers for a 3 D look. The pictures don't do it justice and I wish I had a bar to hang it behind. The shipping is around $8, but will try something cheaper if possible. Well I have got to finish painting my next ribbon/bead holder, so I am off. Will take a picture of it when finished---about the same, only you will see all the beading trim that I have. Have a great weekend everyone. Love and Hugs, Pat

Join Deena's October Pink Blog event

October 27th will be a year since Deena was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and she is having an October Pink Blog event, so please go to her blog and join in. http://deenasstory.blogspot.com/You can read all about it at her blog. Deena has given so many of us strength and determination by her attitude and faith. I for one will never forget that and she is truly an inspiration, should I ever face this disease. It's going to be a fun day and I have lots of pink things. I hope you join her for a day of fun and celebrating Women of Courage. If you choose to join , please do it at her blog, then use this sweet picture on yours and tell all your friends about it. Deena will make a list of all the blogs to visit that day. Also please click on the free mammogram and put it on your blog and click daily. There are women who can be saved by getting free mammograms who other wise cannot afford it. I myself have 3 aunts who had mastectomies and friends who lost the battle to Breast Cancer.

Just a thought for some of you that aren't aware of the different breasts cysts that we have. Mine are hormonal, so anything with soy is not good. There are also Fatty cysts and they thrive on high fat foods. When you go for your mammogram, ask them which kind you have---they know and will gladly tell you. Prayers to all who have won the battle, are still fighting the battle and those that have lost the battle. Love and Hugs, Pat

Thursday Thrift Fun

Well I have been having fun going to thrift stores and yard sales, plus some of the vintage Christmas things came from moms. These globes I think I will make some pretty Christmas decorations with. The step table I am keeping---it's solid wood with no veneer and was a real bargain. The wall shelves will be painted white and the shawl is from Liz Claiborne and I love shawls when it's cool. The pink vanity mirror will be perfect in my new pink room. Not sure if the paper mache angel is old but fell in love with it when I saw it. And as you can see there is a 30G Zune that my son won playing games on the internet and you win points, but only one item per address, so he sent it to me. It will hold movies, music, pictures, and videos. The antique hand driven sewing machine is my aunts, so it's only on loan to me. I gave up bingo and I find this is more fun. The little mouse with the train still works and even though most of my Christmas things are new, I may keep it---haven't decided yet. Well I hope you enjoyed my Thursday Thrift Day. Still have more, but will wait until next Thursday to post them. Blessings, Pat