People Who Inspire Me

It has been another very long and very hot summer. We have had major foods, major heat, hurricanes and earthquakes. As I reflect back on summer,  the intentions that I had for it and the actual end result, it kind of depresses me and makes me wonder where I go wrong and what happens that makes it end up nowhere near what I wanted it to be. It must be something in me that is just disfunctional and keeps me from getting things done that I intend to actually do and never do.

Summer needs to be spent getting ready for fall and winter shows, painting, cutting wood and dreaming up ideas. It never goes that way. It gets spent with kids, flowers, mowing, sweating and then football, depending on my babysitting schedule. We won't mention the hours spent making breakfast, lunch and dinner and the constant cleaning. Sometimes I get a yard sale in there. Not that any of these are bad, but I can't afford to take the summer off from painting, I want it to be my full time job. I want to figure out how to do that before I die, there are too many nay sayers that think I can't do it, but I think I can, I just need a little more than an hour or 2 a day to paint.
 

That brings me to my point of writing this. There are some ingenious, organized craft people out there that I truly admire for accomplishing the things that I dream of, they are my inspiration. Though this is by far not a complete list of them all, this is just the tip of a huge amount of wonderful talented people that I have had the privilege to meet and follow over the years. If you have a minute, visit them, you won't be disappointed. When I grow up, I want to be just like them!

Lynn from Painting Thyme Needfuls delightful creations. You can find her on Facebook as well at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Painting-Thyme-Needfuls.

Then we have Elfie from paintingfromtheheart, Such a wonderful, sweet and very talented lady who finds the time to paint the most delightful treasures. You can also find her at Etsy..

These are people that love the work they do and they do it well, there are so many others that have the honor of loving their work, making it work for them and creating some beautiful treasures along the way. Someday maybe I can join those ranks too. But for now, some more painting to be done, a child to check on and some new fall shows to keep me company.

How many of you have someone that inspires you to keep striving for something you want? Share with us!! 

Where has the time gone?

The last time I wrote a post was September and I had butterflies. This is a brand new year and we have snow. We have been through Christmas and New Year's. Somehow the time got away from me. The last time I talked about breast cancer, this time I am recovering from Lyme disease, started shortly after the surgeries. It has been a long battle, being that it took 2 months to diagnose. By that time I thought I was dying, painting stopped, holiday stuff stopped, depression sank in, and the anxiety was horrible, and no one knew what was wrong with me. Finally I found out. Now I am doing much better, left with some knee problems and fatigue and some very bad eye problems that have to be worked out. It doesn't allow me to paint as much as I would like or do as much as I would like. But I am fighting to get back to me, I've been gone so long I forgot who I am.

 But on a lighter note, I have been painting as I can, and I have been trying to fill some orders. My next goal is to get some things into Etsy and debating about closing my Ebay store as there is never enough to list to keep it going. Still debating on that.

I am enjoying the snow, we have had a few inches here and there, more than normal and I don't mind, keeps me in and behaving, more time to paint. I am praying and hoping that I can have a healthier New Year and wishes for you all to have the same. Maybe this year I can accomplish some of the things that I really want to do. Happy New Year to one and all and thanks for the support and friendship all of you have given me this past year and into this year too.

So I will make no promise as to the next post, but let's say I am shooting for bi weekly right now, I'll see how that goes. As I leave you tonight, here a few things that I have been working on. Enjoy!

S

Life gets in the way

Ok, it's been awhile I know. I never meant it to be this way. It has been a long, very hot and very stressful summer for me. I will be honest and tell you that anxiety and depression and children have ruled my summer, there weren't many traces of "me" actually around. 

I wanted to share what has happened to those of you who wondered where I went. Maybe it will help someone else deal with some fear they may be having too. 

5 years ago I had breast pain, I went and got that checked, they found a lump and a cyst, a very small lump. They wanted a needle biopsy, well no, I can't do needles and that is true, I asked to be knocked out, nope, they wouldn't do it. I didn't go back. Before we went on vacation, I found a few more lumps, was having severe pain and my right breast had actually grown. I don't think that 51 yr old women grow a larger breast, it's a little late for that, and especially just one.We went despite my fear, I tried to have fun, as best as I could with the anxiety that was building inside of me. We came home, the pain subsided a bit, until 2 weeks before the next monthly, this time it came back in both of them, so I forced myself to my doctor for some anxiety meds, scheduled an appointment at the breast clinic and went. Fortunately a good friend went with me through all of this and let me cry whenever I needed to. I don't need to tell you that the little lump had grown to about 4 cm. and I was full of cysts. They really didn't think it was anything bad, they figured it was a fiberadnoma, nothing real serious, but it needed removed.Shall I say that fear overtook me that day late in July. That was it, there was no more me, anxiety, fear, depression, that's what the summer was for me. I couldn't touch my chest for pain, work was hard, couldn't find a bra that would cause no pain, life sucked at that time. I functioned at the necessary stuff, but I couldn't think, I tried to paint and it wouldn't happen. I just kept looking at my grandson and crying, thinking that I had just been handed a death sentence. I prayed hard, talked to God at odd times of the day, tried to cope. Surgery for me was scary, it was needles and pain and fear of what might really be there.

The day came, drugs are good, I was relaxed, the IV went well, I slept and was given more drugs. Diana was with me as was my middle daughter Tina and I guess I was amusing. Then I woke up and came home and was amazed at the lack of pain, no pain meds needed, went back to work and was pretty positive waiting for the biopsy. Then the call came. It was a Phyllodes tumor, a very rare and fast growing type of cancer, and it had grown, to 5 1/2 cm in a month. No cure, no radiation, chemo, hormone therapy, talk about a slap in the face! More surgery to remove the tissue around it to make sure it was clear. A partial mastectomy. 2 weeks and they were doing more. More fear, more anxiety, no sleep. Monday came and the surgery was done. This time more pain, less positive, no sleep, scared out of my mind. But between all my FB family, my family and friends and God above, I made it through the week, and Friday came and a phone call came, I held my breath, when she said "I wanted to call you and let you know that the biopsy was clear so that you could enjoy your weekend", the tears came and I looked up and thanked God. It's not over though, I have to be watched, some can regrow, but I am going to try and have the faith that God won't let that happen. I survived that thing for 5 years, that was a miracle in itself. So please to all, don't let anything go, if there is fear, ask your doctor to help you, there are good anti anxiety meds, and talk to people. We don't have to die, just don't be like me and wait 5 years, that was a miracle and God had to have made that happen.

A quick post

Hello my friends! I know it has been awhile since I have posted, I have been dealing with some life issues and the summer has not been the best. I will be back in the next few weeks and let you know all about it.

Until then, I wanted to share a giveaway going on now from a fellow blogger and Facebook friend. Please go over to Cricket Hollow and join in the fun. She has many ways to enter and you can earn lots of chances.

So finish off the summer with lots of fun, enjoy and I will see you very soon!

Well it's over for another year

Well, sad but true, another vacation is over and I have post vacation depression. Hmmph, what now? There is just something about the Outer Banks of North Carolina, God must have made them for me. 

I was there when I was 12 for a very brief time when the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was still on the beach. I went to the Wright Brother's Memorial and the Dunes in Kitty Hawk. I went to the lighthouse, played in the ocean and that was that. But that place had been haunting me for 37 years. My daughter metioned 3 years ago that she wanted to go to South Carolina. I am not a big beach person, I told her to have fun with that, I want to go to North Carolina. A few weeks later, she decided that's where she was going and I was welcome to come too, she was going to rent a house. The whole family went and the love affair started. We have gone as a family for the last 3 years and have even included a few friends.

There is just something about the fact that you are on a very thin strip of sand land in  between the sound and the ocean. I sit in awe the entire time I am there. If you go to the farthest end at Hatteras, there is nowhere else to go other than by ferry. It is not commercialized there, very family oriented, no boardwalk, and beach for as far as you can see. Blue green water that is so very clear and some huge waves at times. The history of the Outer Banks is very fascinating in itself. I have learned more there than I ever did in history class. 

The sunsets are phenomenal, but I haven't been awake in time to catch a sunrise, one year I will. I get a sense of peace when I am there that I just can't get at home, sad to say. I have tears when I leave and needless to say, it takes forever to get back into  "real life" as I call it. Sometimes the thought of living there takes over, but then I remember that I really am not a beach person and the thought of the hurricanes that they have down there really scares me, not too up for them!

So another vacation over and now to focus on getting back to the real life again, I will be savoring the sights and sounds for awhile.

I did manage to get some thrift store time, just a little and I did find a few things, but next year there are a few bigger thrift stores that I will get to, couldn't do it this time. Here are my finds and I had sure better start painting them soon! If I don't marie is waiting to take them from me!

It was funny because most of them had no prices on them and I had so many that they just started making up prices and nothing over 1.50. I was a happy camper with my paper grocery bag full of new treasures!

 Well, I wasn't so funny this time, more emotional than my norm, but I am missing the beach and wanted to share some memories with you. This has been long, I will let you leave now but with some fantastic sunsets, you can share my memories with me!

 Good night my friends!!

OK, so it's Monday, AGAIN and a giveaway

Good morning! It's Monday.......again. Why do these days seem to come around so fast?? I don't know, but this one is killing me. No energy, didn't get half of the things done that I wanted to do and this is how I feel. 5:30 am did not like me this morning, maybe it was me that didn't like it!

Possibly I feel this way because Spring is weird this year. We needed air conditioning in March and April, yesterday we needed a fire in the woodstove, hmmm. Even though the sun was shining for the most part, I stayed in and maybe that's the problem. But 50 mph winds on Saturday didn't call to me to go out under the hundreds of trees that I live amongst for fear of being whacked in the head by tree limbs and yesterday was cold and windy too. I had withdraw from yard sales, missed quite a few, so I decided to be kind to myself and set one goal and that was to clean my desk.

Did I get it done? Well yes, but it took a day and a half. It makes me wonder what I do when I paint that I create such a mess. I couldn't find the desk, let alone the stuff I was working on or my brushes. I had paint from one end to the other and lots of "wanna get done" projects all over. I feel like I can at least think now anyway. I swear that I have adult ADD for all the things that I start. It's no wonder that I can't ever get anywhere! I can't find anything. So that goal got accomplished.

Setting goals and making lists tend to be a problem for me. I am not sure why, I think because I tend to punish myself when I don't get things done. Then I get overwhelmed and don't do anything. Maybe that's why I am still dreaming of having a shop instead of actually having one. Silly me, you have to actually do something to get where you want to be.

Anyway, as for goals and shops, I wanted to make mention of a giveaway going on from a wonderful lady who actually has a shop and does get things done, she has become my idol, I wanna be like her when I grow up. She is on Facebook and has 2 blogs. Wander over, say hi to Marie, and sign up for her giveaway, she has such wonderful creative work, you'll love her painting. Marie's Country Woodcrafts

Tell me about your goals and how you go about getting where you want to be. Have a glorious, blessed day! Take some time to see the beauty around you today!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of you. I hope that you have a chance to count your blessings, laugh and just relax today! I have no plans, just puttering around and reflecting on my many blessings, my children grand children and the things in my life that I have been allowed to have and the talents that I have been blessed with.

My Mom is not with me anymore, but I sure hope that she is experiencing Mother's Day in a new state and feels free from her bonds and problems that she had experienced in her life time, missing you today Mom!

Many hugs and smiles to all of you, I hope that your day is filled with many blessings!

See you all soon!