Gone Too Long!

 Hello Again!

 I intended for my blog to be a journal. Not a diary, but a personal journal- mostly for myself, to document an ordinary life. As I listen to my elderly parents talk about their own lives, I see how mundane, day-to-day life events become interesting and important 50 years later. The little things you don’t normally give a second thought to that make up daily life. After all, every day isn’t all rosey and exciting. We must learn to appreciate the little things each day that are good. To be grateful for little things is a blessing! I’m terrible at a written journal. Before PCs and cell phones and tablets came into being- you know, in “the olden days”- I tried so many times and failed to keep a journal. 😞 Facebook became unsafe to post information and photos. Why do people have to be so bad? Why must they take good things and twist them into bad things, and ruin it for everyone? So after a long hiatus, I have been thinking about my abandoned little blog, and that it would be a good idea to get back to it as a part of trying to get back to a more normal place in my life. But I’m getting ahead of my story here. I should explain...

On June 15, 2015, I came down with a “mystery” illness. I felt horrible. My joints hurt. I went to bed and became almost unresponsive. I think it was a Monday. On about Saturday that same week, I could see things weren’t getting any better and had my husband take me to an urgent care facility. Tests were run. It was discovered my liver enzymes were way out of the normal range. If I remember correctly, the normal range was somewhere in the 40s. Mine were over 500. Hepatitis was suspected, but that test was negative. A tick panel was run, but came back negative also. But I saw my pc the following Monday, and she put me on doxycycline, to which I responded quickly, considering how sick I was. I’m thinking that tick panel was a false negative, since the symptoms fit and the response to the doxy was good. It was never confirmed, but I’m convinced. I’ve never really gotten all the way well again. It’s like my life ended the day I got sick. I certainly don’t feel recovered. I’ve tried to live as normally as I could, but it seems to be of no use. I have no energy, feel weak, can’t remember stuff and seem to spend a good amount of time looking for things I’ve misplaced. I can’t garden anymore, and the yard looks awful. My husband has his hands full of other things- I know he is running as fast as he can. He has proven to be so very patient with me, the man is a saint! I spend a lot of time sitting or laying down. I get so tired so easily! Every space I inhabit in our home looks like a hoarder’s house. I hate it but don’t seem to be able to do anything about it. I can’t do enough cleaning at one time to even be noticeable. I don’t go anywhere except doctor’s appointments, family, and occasionally the pharmacy if my husband can’t go for me. I don’t make it to the stores very often (thank goodness for Amazon! It’s been a lifesaver.), and any fun activities are impossible. It kills me to know I will most likely never see our Oregon property ever again. There are no trips, except I did manage a yearly trip to visit my son and grandson at Fairchild AFB several times, until he was transferred (almost two years ago) to Okinawa. Obviously, that kind of trip is out of the question. It makes me so sad not to be going back to Spokane. I was able to go enough times to come to have favorite places there, and I sure don’t want to forget those wonderful memories! I think I should start digging up photos from those trips and document my visits there. But that will be for another day. 

Since most physical activity has gone out the door, I have come to depend on art and crafts that I can do on my bed. I live on my bed. Back and neck problems make it painful to sit at the kitchen table, or even the couch or my “easy chair “ in the living room for very long. But I’ve learned so many new things! I’ve learned about painting- watercolor and acrylic paint pouring, which is new to me, mixed media, to crochet, make little treasure boxes from “up cycled” materials,  resin jewelry, paper crafts, polymer clay, and so much I can’t even think of everything. That part has been rewarding. I miss being able to do craft shows. I REALLY miss that. I’m making a real effort to get back outside and do as much as I can. I have some nursery plants that need to be planted, but we had rain last night, making it necessary to wait until the ground dries out some. 

I take photos primarily with my phone now. It’s smaller and easier for my arthritic hands to hold. My neuropathy causes me to drop things like crazy now (is that what they used to call “the dropsy”?). It’s so frustrating! Oh, it makes me mad! 😡 Most of the time it’s just a frustration, but sometimes it’s damaging. I try so hard to be careful, but I’m like a bull in a china closet now. 

There is so much to write! It will take a long time to fill in the blanks, so to speak. I’ll write those things a bit at a time, as I think of them. So why not start with today, right now? That seems like a good idea to me. 

As you may deduce, all these issues have caused some ferocious depression. I take medications, but they don’t begin to kick it. On the news a couple of weeks ago, I learned of this book:

I haven’t gotten very  far into the book yet, but I’m not giving up! It gives me some hope. You’ve GOT to have hope. Without hope, there is only despair and darkness. And you can see part of a beautiful bookmark I made! 😊 Link to pattern:

https://youtu.be/U-G1mHqggm4

I think I’m all out of energy for writing now. So this will be it for the first new entry, and there is plenty more for another time. At least this is a start, right? It’s a dark, wet day today after last night’s rain, so I think I’ll read some of that book and continue working on a crochet doily I started yesterday. Nobody uses doilies anymore, but I wanted the challenge of a thread project. Here is the progress so far:

Here is the link to the pattern:

http://www.kristinescrochets.com/2019/06/crochet-summer-haze-doily-easy-pattern.html?m=1

Not much yet, I know. It comes slowly. Everything comes slowly now. Under the doily is the top (lid) of a treasure box I’m working on. It also has a long way to go! It’ll get there. My husband has taught me to “peck at” things, and that a little bit of progress is better than no progress. See, she CAN be taught! 😉  

To be continued.....

#AbandonedBeads-Again

I'm sure these posts will get boring, but they are very important to me. Since I am physically pretty low, I'm not really able to do much good in the world these days. These little leave-behind pieces (only beaded bracelets so far, since I found this pretty and quick little pattern that I really enjoy stitching) bring me joy in the hopes that the person that finds each one I abandon may be someone like me who is very down and just needs a little something good to happen for them that day. Or maybe simply someone who will wear and enjoy the piece and find a bit of joy themselves in coming across an unexpected surprise that day. I try to imagine how I would feel if I came across one of these pieces left anonymously for the joy of someone they don'e even know. I left one one the counter when I went to physical therapy two days ago. It was gone when I left. Yea!!! No photo this time, I don't even remember which one I left. Best wishes and much love to all who find my pieces.

Peg 

#AbandonedBeads-Another Leave-Behind

I was able to leave another little bracelet in the changing room of the radiology department at McBride in Norman. It’s not a place that gets a lot of traffic. So I am wondering, who will find it? Could be either an employee or a patient. I wish I could be a fly on the wall and see who finds it! The back of the card says, “...just leaving a little love behind for someone else to find.” I figured that way, someone won’t think it’s a lost item and try to turn it in at the reception desk. My hope, of course, is that it it will be found be someone who is really down and out, someone in need of a little  hope and positivity. ❤️

#AbandonedBeads

I had this little idea this morning... Remember a few years ago, in the news there was a story about someone leaving $100.00 bills in public places for others to find? Well, I can’t afford to do that, but I have tons of jewelry making supplies. I had these two little bracelets I made this past week, and after this idea hit, I was just busting at the seams to maybe spread a little love today. So I left the green one on a chair in the waiting room at McBride Orthopedic Hospital in Oklahoma City. I prayed to find someone who may be having a tough time to give the pink one to on the way back to my car. I walked around a bit, but no one struck me as looking down and out. I circled back around and spied a Hispanic-looking woman in a chair. She - well, I couldn’t say that she looked too much like she needed something today, but maybe a little. I held my hand out to her and dropped the bracelet into her hand. I said, “For you.” She looked confused (wouldn’t you be?), but said thank you. I’m not sure what she thought, but it’s doing me a world of good...  When I get home, I’ll make some tags to attach to future leave-behinds. This feels good and will probably do me more good than any of my future recipients. But you just never know...

Gator Boy

This sweet guy, whom Dale named Gator,  was dumped in our neighborhood.  We intended to find him a home. Some neighbors who kept him for a few days kindly offered to help with vet bills to have shots/neutering, etc.  But after keeping him for a few days,  I decided that he was too good a dog to let go of.  The last thing I wanted was another dog.  And it was me that wanted to keep him!  He just fit right in. Soooo, we have four dogs again.  A happy house full.  And some mighty good home security,  to boot!

I am so excited to be taking this on-line class:



http://effywild.com/radiant


Can't wait to get started!

Oops.

Well, I am STILL being negligent. Too many irons in the fire. That combined with the-light-is-on-but-no-one-is-home problems from having fibromyalgia. My symptoms have become so much worse in the last 5 months or so. It's all I can do to get through most days. I need a PA (personal assistant) to help me keep things straight.

Here is some of my art work I would love to sell. The first is a tissue paper floral collage. I'ts a technique I actually figured out all by myself! Much prettier in person than photograph. The second two are mixed media collages. Lots of work, but well worth it. The trouble is, it makes such a mess in the house! But, I am working to get things into my studio and organized. It's taking me forever just because I feel so bad all the time. But I will keep on plugging along.

Here are some of my botanical collages. Also great fun to make!

I also included a few of the gourds I stitch with pine needles from our trees. They also need new homes! The lady in the photo is my friend Cindy. Anyway, back to work for me.