A Blog Post Can be What I Need the Most Anymore: A Nap

A year ago, naps were infrequent for me,

but now,

I need a nap every morning, 

and,

if I don't get one,

I get cranky and very tired.

Fred likes to sleep in his paper nest.

I like to sleep on the couch.

It's almost time.

I'm going to take a nap now.

A Blog Post Can Be a Declarative Statement: I was Chosen

That's what my daughter tells me:

I was chosen.

When the kids were small,

I rarely had any peace and quiet 

in.the.bathroom,

unless they were watching TV,

playing  with friends, 

eating a snack,

you get the picture.

Then, they got older, 

and,

at last,

I had time to myself in the bathroom!

Now that Marvin and Fred have moved in with us,

I have been chosen,

again.

Fred has decided that my bathroom time, 

or as I now tell him,

my litter box time,

is our 

QUALITY TIME.

I have no choice.

A closed door does not stop him.

Pixie cannot stop him,

although she has tried,

but Fred gives her that look,

the one in the photo,

and

Pixie retreats to her bed to play dead.

No,

Fred has chosen me

in this time,

in this place.

This is our quality time.

Yes,

I am blessed.

I have been chosen.

Things could be worse.

It's ok.

I'm used to it now.

I have been chosen.

A Blog Post Can Be a Thought...

Because someone is different does not mean they are bad, it only means they are different.

The Gals:

Maya, Bayaline, Jazzmun

A Blog Can Be Thankful: Three Beautiful Things This Week

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Clare writes called Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.

1) It looks like Fred is starting to tolerate, not like, Pixie.  Fred is now willing to walk past Pixie without

hissing at her.   Pixie stays in place and doesn't run and hide.

2) Hit the thrift store today, and I found a wonderful sweater/poncho for the fall.  It's in perfect shape!

3) Found the perfect yarn on sale for my lighted rug.  Check Pinterest for this idea.

It was a good week.

 

A Blog Post Can Be Something You Show: Mushroom Heads

I firmly believe that I am being drawn to a different type of 

"art"

rather than the bead and component aspect of polymer clay.

Things have happened,

and I won't go into details,

that have encouraged me to look at  sculptural art

as a means of expression.

I prefer 

sculpture.

So, let me introduce you to the

Mushroom Heads.

They are pieces, formerly 

jewelry components,

that are now attached to make them

Mushroom Heads.

As I cleaned out my other beads,

I found some I had saved, rather than thrown away.

Suddenly, I knew.

Mushroom Heads in a bed of roses.

Now, I have to figure out a base for them.

I'm sure something will turn up for the

Mushroom Heads.

Any suggestions?

Sometimes a Blog is Worth Repeating: It's December 27, 2007

Do I look forward or back?
Do I dream of the future
or
Remember the past?
The
New Year,
2010,
will bring changes,
as did
2009.
So, what do I do
for the rest of the year,
Do I look forward
or
do I search my mind
for the past?
What should I do?

A Blog Post Can be an Event: The End of the Soap Making Season

For me, it's a season:

Soap Making.

I make soap in my garage because of the fumes from the lye.

The garage door must be open.

The time, I have found to be the best for making soap, is either early spring or early fall.

This year, the season was early fall. 

Today, the season ended.

The last soap was made with olive oil, coconut oil, grape seed oil, and rose petals harvested fresh from the garden.  

There is no fragrance, but it's pretty soap.

The extra soap bars will be given as gifts.

Personally, I love my soap!

Next year, when soap season begins, 

I might even try soap in layers. 

We'll see.

For now, the season has finished. 

A Blog Post Can be A Morning that Will Become a Memory: The Last Gift From the Garden

Rose Petals.

The last gift of the garden.

Now, they are in the soap.

It's beautiful.

I wish I could show you.  

Soon, the frost will put the bushes to sleep.

Spring will revive the plants, 

and

roses will bloom again.

Now, I have harvested the last of the blossoms.

The garden gave it's all.

Rose hips? 

you ask.

I'm not sure.

Perhaps there is more.

I must look in the bushes

then find a use.

Right now,

I have used the final gift of the garden.

Three Beautiful Things This Week

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Clare writes called Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.

1) The colors are amazing!

2) The last of the tomatoes are in the freezer.

3) Rose petals are ready to make the soap.

It was a great week!

A Blog Can Be the Other Side of the Story

I am one of those mothers whose life was at risk during my last pregnancy. I was told the longer I carried, the higher the risk of losing my  life. If a woman learned of a risk late term, the solution is delivery of a viable baby, not abortion. I carried my baby to 30 weeks, and he and I survived. Who is to say my life was any more valuable than his? If anything the argument could be made as his mother, it would fall on my shoulders to protect him, even with my life. It seem backwards for a child to sacrifice for the parent.

I struggled to have my children, and losing my twin preemies makes one understand how precious life is.  This topic gets me riled up because we didn't know if I could have a child.  I have a friend who actually asked me to take her to an abortion clinic.  I was outraged. I tried so hard to have a baby, and we looked at adoption. With my child,  the doctors told me I had to have him to save myself.  I fought with them, insisted on steroid shots to help mature his lungs.  I was in ICU with Hellp syndrome and was told the only cure was to have the baby.  I denied consent.  I ended up having an emergency c-section. On my way into surgery,  I prayed for God to take me and save my son. I felt this warm feeling engulf me and knew God was taking control.  I cry when I tell the story.  I have felt God bless me and my son.

A Blog Can Be an Inspiring Quote

A Blog Can Be Worth Repeating: I Had to Look Back to Find Him: Moments with God

He was there with me.  I just didn't know it.

Thanksgiving morning, my beautiful, loving, therapy dog came down the stairs dragging her foot.

I thought she had had a stroke during the night.

She would whine a little, but something was terribly wrong.

Of course, the vet was closed that day.

Since we were dining with friends, I decided I wouldn't go.  

I knew I had to stay home with Pixie.

My tall son came downstairs and lifted Pixie on to the couch to give her some relief.

I told him I wasn't going to dinner.

He suggested I call our friends and ask if we could bring Pixie along.

Maybe she would stay in the garage.

I did just that, and they said, "Bring her, but we'll put her in the house."

(They do not allow animals in their home normally.)

So, off we went to dinner.

Pixie was put in their bedroom on the floor, covered up with a blanket and our jackets.

I didn't realize it, but everyone kept sneaking into the bedroom with hugs, love and food.

I was still very worried.

Dinner was over.  My son picked her up and scooped her into the car.  I remember thinking that I could never carry that 60+ pound dog, but he did it with ease.

We got home.  Pixie was no better, so I called the vet.

She told me what to do to help relieve her pain, and she had me make an appointment for Friday.

Friday morning, we had a diagnosis:

Lumbosacral stenosis.

It's a very painful, degenerative condition, however,

IT IS TREATABLE!

Ka-ching!

Again, we went home, this time armed with medications that would relieve Pixie's pain.

She responded in less than an hour.

Now, she wasn't healed, and she had a long way to go, but she was clearly on the mend.

She was carried around in the strong arms of my son.

He took her out and walked her, as best she could be walked since she was dragging her leg and walking on her knuckles, to go potty.

That night I slept on the couch while Pixie slept on the love seat.

We all made our sacrifices, but Saturday morning, the pain had returned.  I called the vet.  They asked me to bring her right in.  There was a change of medications and a laser treatment was added.

You could see Pixie visibly relax.  Things got better for her.

Fast forward to Monday.

Pixie was going up and down the stairs, again, even though her leg was a little gimpy.  

She had an appointment for another laser treatment.

We beat the snow, and she feels better.

Her leg is still very weak.  She almost slipped going down the stairs, but I don't have to carry her.

So, where was God.  I had to look back to see and know that He had been with me through all of it.

1) Pixie's stenosis had never acted up before.  If my son had not been home, I could not have carried her.  She's just too heavy for me.  The timing was impeccable.

2)  Pixie responded to the medications within an hour, and they are not that expensive.  She will need to be on them the rest of her life.

3) Our friends allowed Pixie to come to Thanksgiving, and, they allowed her to be in their bedroom!

3) The laser treatments helped!  Not every dog responds the way Pixie did.

4) Even though her leg is a little bit weak, and it will, most likely stay that way, Pixie is learning how to use her other legs to adjust.

5) Even when I was at my lowest being worried about Pixie, I felt that everything was going to be all right.  I know she's 11, and I have been blessed with her.  I have to be ready to let her go.  The thought was overwhelming for me, but I made it through.

God found His way through the chaos of my live to let me know that He loved me and that He loved Pixie.

I was blessed and inspired to think about all of this.

Chaos is chaos, but Love trumps chaos with no effort at all.

Thank You, Lord, for reminding me that no matter what, no matter where, 

You are always there for me.

 Amen.

 

A Blog Can be a Phrase...

Yes, you are!

A Blog can be one word, so This Week I Wish You...

Three Beautiful Things This Week

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Clare writes called Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.

1) The garden is closing down.  It's falling its natural instincts as the temperatures cool and days become shorter.  It was a good season.

2) Pixie had a great birthday.  She's an old lady now.  She's 12!

3) The trees look beautiful!  The colors that were covered up by the green are now showing. 

God is good.

OK: Off topic again. It's been a beautiful day to make soap.

This is coconut oil soap still in liquid form.

It's cooking in my crockpot.

That's a faster way to make soap 

and let it cure.

When the soap cools, I will cut it immediately.

I didn't realize that if you don't cut the soap right away,

you might end up with one

HUGE

bar of soap.

It's still cooling, and as soon as it's solid,

I will cut the soap.

Next up will be a salt soap.

I've read that salt soap is really good for your skin.

We shall see.

The only thing is you need to increase the coconut oil by 70%.

That will be fun!

I started to make my own soaps 2 years ago.

I love these soaps!

I have dry skin, and, most of the time, I don't need to use lotion 

when I use these 

moisturizing bars.

Well, I'm at the bottom of my soap supply.

It's time to get the soap made before it's too cold to open my garage door.

The mixture of lye and water really smells.

You need good ventilation to make soap.

I've seen videos of people making soap in their kitchen.

I don't know how they do it.

The smell overwhelms me.

If you decide to make soap,

be very careful with the lye.

More later. 

I have to check the soap to see if it's  hard enough to cut.

More later.

Worth Repeating: The Journey - Taking the Wrong Way

We've all done it. We've gone the wrong way at some point in time. Sometimes we see the sign, and sometimes we don't. We've taken a left instead of a right, or we've taken a right instead of a left. We end up where we thought we weren't supposed to be, but then we find that, maybe, just maybe, we were supposed to be here all along. These turns and twists in the road cause my anxieties to elevate. When I get where I'm going, then I look back. It was where I was supposed to be. 

Have you ever done that? How do you feel when you take the wrong turn?

We Interrupt 31 Days of Writing about Polymer Clay to Say: Happy Birthday, Miss Pixie Marie!

"The Girl" is 12 years old today!

Happy Birthday, Miss Pixie Marie.

A gift from God,

His beautiful Hug,

Happy Birthday!

You'll get your cupcake later today!

Day #3 This Little Piggie Went to Market

I went on a "piggie" burst for a few days.

I made many different types of pigs.

They were really fun to make.

Last night, 

I thought I would make a few  more 

piggies,

and 

I did.

However, 

my piggies decided they didn't want to be piggies,

so

I made fish instead.

That's what happens sometimes when your muse gets going.

My muse wanted fish.

I wanted piggies.

The score:

Muse 1

Me 0.

It happens.

Day #2 Doodles Moving On

Of course I forgot to take a photo of the doodle sheet from which I made these pendants!

However,

I really thought it was a pretty sheet!

I was able to cut three very usable pendants from the sheet, and two that were 

ok.  

All  I need to do now is add a bit of shine to the pendants, and they will be ready.

Technique was the same. 

When the sheet was finished,

I covered the sheet with a piece of plastic wrap and cut out my pieces with cookie cutters to avoid sharp edges.

I'm looking forward to exploring more uses for the doodle sheets. 

I Honestly Forgot About This Until I Received the Email

Of course, I am running behind

Already.

I didn't find a category that would cover my topic, 

so, you can find me under

Too Awesome to Categorzie

and

probably a little bit behind.

My plan, right now,

and

it's subject to change is to explore the world of 

polymer clay.

A Bit of My History with polymer clay.

I began to work with polymer clay about 4 or 5 years ago after it became apparent that I needed to keep my hands and mind very busy to pull myself out of a deep depression into which I had fallen.  My daughter had been diagnosed with an incurable cancer called multiple myeloma.  There were times when I would move in with her, for extended periods of time,  to help her out.  I couldn't take my glass studio along with me when I was with her, so after trying other types of art such as felting and jewelry, I began to explore the world of polymer clay.

Now...

I am  still busy with polymer clay.  My daughter is doing well, and she has moved in with me.  Experimentation and exploration are the words I would use to describe what I do with polymer clay.

Let's Talk Doodles

I've only recently begun to explore doodling with clay.  I am also exploring different types of mediums on which to put my clay.  I used a cardboard backing for this piece.  I plan to change things a bit with my doodles and see if there are some pendants in doodling.  I have a feeling there will be so, stay tuned.

In the Meantime

Here's how I made this particular doodle.  Oh, do you see the bird in it?  I began with a sheet of white clay that I put on a piece of corrugated cardboard.  I rolled out ropes of black clay in different thicknesses, and I simply began to doodle.  When I was finished, I pulled out the alcohol inks and dripped drops of inks onto the canvas.  I dabbed up the colors with a baby wipe.  When I was finished with this process, I baked this piece for 50 minutes.  I have one more step to complete this piece, and I'm not sure how I will accomplish the shine I think this needs.  

Again, stay tuned and welcome to my site.

And the One Accepted Was:

The Gals!

They were accepted into the art show beginning next week. 

I was there to pick up Fatima, and 

The Gals 

were already hanging on the wall.

I didn't win a cash prize, but that's all right.

To be in the company of the most amazing artists is a compliment.

Woooooo Hoooooo!