Remember Your Old Friends

Did you see "For Better or for Worse" in your comic pages, today?  Pardon me, but I have to comment . . . it's not my intent to pick on the cartoonist . . .I think this was the greater thought that she was after . . . and I would like to expand on it . . .

Eight years ago, my blessed Father passed away near the end of September.  Two months later, December 2003, I was still in no emotional condition to send Christmas cards.  I planned to send notes in January, I had so much to tell!  We had our first grandchild!  Our son had safely served our country and was now out of the service! . . . but in the very first week of January, they were suddenly able to squeeze me in for the right hand surgery that I cancelled the day after we lost Pop.  No Christmas cards, and no notes went out that year.

The next year {2004} the number of Christmas cards that we received dropped to half.

That's not all!  The day before Thanksgiving {also 2004} {the year we received so few cards . . .}, I had a second surgery on the same hand.  For that one, I got to wear a 10 pound cast that immobilized my arm from my fingertips to between my elbow and shoulder for six weeks.   . . . again, I wasn't able . . . after six weeks in a cast, I wasn't even able to hold a pen . . . sigh . . . no Christmas cards, and after having the cast removed somewhere around New Year's Day . . . no New Year's letter to explain . . . you can imagine what that did to our Christmas cards the next year! 

There were so many other sad and difficult events that took place in those couple of years that it even hurts to remember those times . . . At a time when we were absolutely reeling, so many of those who we thought cared the most, dropped us from their lists. When we could most have used the greetings, the remembrances and the cheers . . . old friends assumed we were cutting them off . . . so did the same to us. 

Here is my plea . . . if you haven't received a Christmas card from someone with whom you have exchanged greetings for years, Call them!  Check on them!  Reach out to them!  SEND THEM A CHRISTMAS CARD!  This year AND next year, and the one after that!  What's the worst that could happen?  They could know that you care?  Isn't that worth a few minutes of your time, and the price of a postage stamp?

I'll step down from my soapbox now.  Thank you very much. 

~Much Love!  Merry Christmas!~

The P.I.N.K. Method

This post is definitely gonna fall in the T.M.I. category . . . and I'm embarrassed to admit this, but . . . I am on a diet. There. I said it. {They say that it's a good idea to share that . . . accountability and all . . .}

My doctor says, I am not obese. Well, that's a relief.  Here's the most embarrassing part, I bought the P.I.N.K. Method. I've never been on an actual organized diet before, but I guess I've finally arrived at that place . . .  you know? . . . where I am ready to do something about it. So far, in three days, I've lost four pounds.

Let's say that I'm a mature person {I am a Grandma . . .}.  {Had to make sure you know where I am coming from . . .}   I've read through the book, and I can tell you this much . . . prudish, Christian Grammy's are not their target market. I am completely offended by the writing, the silly visualizations, the language . . . Sexy Salad?  Come on.

. . . but the diet makes sense. I bought it because I get to buy and prepare my own foods. No additional cost, and it seemed like a reasonable price to me, two $40.00 payments, or one $67.00-ish payment . . . which still came to about $80.00 with the addition of sales tax and shipping . . . que sera, sera . . .

I have certain dietary restrictions . . .{one of those health things mature people get. . . sigh . . .} I can't eat nuts, seeds and berries. These things are staples on the diet. . .  you know, whole grains, strawberries {any berry, really}, nuts . . . great fibre and protein, but not for me . . . I decided to substitute as nearly as I could . . .  I'm using strawberry nectar instead of strawberries, which includes a certain amount of sugar . . . this substitution displaces fibre, so I take fibre . . . what can it hurt? I will eat cracked wheat bread when it's called for instead of whole grain . . . am using dairy milk instead of dairy substitutes . . . and it is working! {If I had known it was this easy, I would have gone on it the minute I had to take prednisone!} . . . and still, for the first time in my life, I'm losing weight!

I have not yet begun the work out portion of the program, I need to stay in the first stage till I have lost 5 to 10 pounds, then the next stage including the workout begin . . . I'm loving that 5 pounds could be tomorrow! It could be right now! This minute!

I plan to partake of Christmas festivities and all of the goodies that come with it! So my start may be slow-ish . . . but doggone it! Christmas only comes once a year! And I started just two weeks before Christmas! But start I did. And so far, while I find the book to be crude, tasteless, and  unprofessional {it is self published} the diet is working just fine. And I am very pleased. Thank.You.Very.Much.

Winter Wishes Theatre

{photo from Gilding the Lily Classes}

Have you always hoped that someday you would be able to take a class from Colleen Moody, too?  I found one that I loved, and I couldn't find a single reason not to go . . .

I can't believe it!  I finally did it!  Above is the beautiful project, originally designed by Colleen Moody and Iva Wilcox {this day Iva couldn't make it to teach}.  Such a shame, but Colleen, I think can do anything she turns her hand to . . . it was a wonderful, if intense day long class . . .

This is not my doll, but the model that I'm working from . . . don't you just love it?  Colleen is such a uniquely talented doll atelier . . .

and if I wasn't aware before, after I had the opportunity to observe her talented and capable hands form a lump of clay into a beautiful doll face, I certainly am aware now!

Colleen's sweet little snow lady . . .

And mine!  Only partially finished . . . but maybe tonight her skirt will happen . . . 

 

My lighted theatre was a only slightly more complete than this, the last photo I took of it before leaving it in Dede's tender care.  :)  I flew . . .  didn't even try to get that on the plane, Dede Warren is shipping it to me.  Bless her sweet heart!  Thank you, Dede! 

The completed theatre made by Colleen Moody and Iva Wilcox . . .

Mine only dreams of being so lovely someday!

Hopefully before Christmas!

I had a sweet little visitor the day that my package arrived . . . Thank you, Dede. 

Now I really can't wait to finish it.   

A New Heart for Tammy

When I think of all the times in my life that I have uttered the words, "Bless your heart" . . . 

 

This is a wonderful photograph of my beautiful friend, Tammy Lumpkins.  Tammy made history today.  She is the first person on the West Coast to leave the hospital with an artificial heart. {And one of only 22 people in the country.}

Tammy and Dale

  I have been posting prayer requests {on Facebook} for Tammy and her family, especially for Tammy, for months now . . . isn't it beautiful to see the fulfillment!? 

  

Thank you, Keck Hospital USC, and Dr. Michael Bowdish, {a cardiothoracic surgeon at Keck Hospital} for caring enough to do something about it.
 

I couldn't tell her story better than Anna Gorman, Los Angeles Times has:  An artificial heart offers a real chance - latimes.com

Photos Borrowed from LA Times Article above ~

(Genaro Molina, Los Angeles Times / November 8, 2011)

 

Please continue to remember Tammy in your prayers.

 

~Much love!~


Another terrific article from the Hospital's website: 
Home is Where the Heart is.

This article from the local CBS news includes video . . .
Tammy leaving the hospital

 

 



Hand Born

I'll be at Hand Born again this year!

 

I'll have loads and oodles of soldered charms, each one an original . . . and some wonderful metal jewelry!  I'll be introducing some industrial tie~tacks . . . so the guys aren't left out . . .  It all happens as inspiration strikes, so it's just not possible to tell you what will be there . . . but I'll post pictures before the event!  {likely the very day before}  ;)

Hand Born . . . by the way . . . is a brilliantly conceived handmade gift faire  . . . Around closing time, businesses in the Modesto's hip downtown area, push their tables back and open their doors to artisans of youthful oriented wares.  How cool is that!?  Always anxiously anticipated  . . . this speed shopping event takes place in just 4 hours, once a year!  It is hugely popular, and honestly I don't think one could possibly see all of the wonderfulness in the time allotted!

Don't forget!! November 26!

in case you wondered . . .

. . . this hiatus is not permanent . . . life has intervened . . . I will be back the very minute that I find one free . . . besides this one, I mean . . . it came along and surprised me . . . caught me totally unprepared . . . so did the "life intervening" part . . . sigh . . .  

 

~ Much Love ~

 Debbi

Copper Tags

What do you think?  I've been experimenting . . .

. . . and I'm really pleased with the outcome.

I told somebody tonight, that I have lost more sleep over this project . . . that's not a bad thing . . .

. . . rather, I'm enjoying the challenge enough, that I lay awake planning the next step . . .

That's a good thing!