just this and that

Got home about 2:30 this afternoon. My cat Helen usually spends the day on the couch with my husband, but since he had to go to The Big City for a health appointment today, I guess she was lonesome. I looked around for her and found her sitting in the windowseat in my room with Savannah. Ebony, however, was nowhere to be seen. I finally found him under my recliner.

I toddled on out to the kitchen to make salmon patties for dinner. I learned by watching the Food Network that they won't fall apart when you cook them if you let them set up in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so.

When I went back into my room, All three cats were posing prettily on the window seat so I captured them for posterity. I know I'm prejudiced, but aren't they just three of the most gorgeous felines you've ever seen?
My furbabies. Yeah, I love 'em. Lots.

Back in the Saddle Again

Went to work for a couple of hours yesterday, just so I could get a feel for how it will be when I return on Monday.

Felt good to be back and it was nice to know I'd been missed.

Now that I'm able to sit for longer periods, I've been updating my etsy shop with a few things, like this pretty pink cross necklace. I'm hoping to draw some traffic in by twittering my new items. It's amazing how quickly people go to the links! I can sit and refresh the page for a couple minutes and watch the numbers rise. Now if folks would BUY instead of just clicking!

The medical bill tally - so far - is $17,000 and counting. Phew! I'm going to have to sell LOTS of handcrafted jewelry to pay that off, huh? Good thing I still have a day job. LOL

How I spent my 4th of July

Last year's 4th of July was my very first Arts and Crafts Show. My beading buddy, Keli and I did the Stars and Stripes Festival in Fernandina Beach. I was so excited when I made my first sale!

This year, of course, I was unable to participate in the 4th of July festivities. I'd planned on going to the one in St. Marys, Ga. because it draws a bigger crowd. Maybe next year.

I'm having a PIF sale on patriotic items at my etsy store today. Already sold two things.

Meanwhile, I spent part of the day working on a bracelet, using the nice tray table Daniel bought me. He had to go to three different stores but finally found one at Target.

It's perfect!

I let Daniel have the couch for a few hours today while I watched stuff on the computer as I lay upon my futon. Caught up with the CSI NY episode where Lindsay and Danny's baby is born. Then I watched Red Shoe Diaries on Hulu. Oh, I sure do love that David Duchovny!

Okay - enough chair time for me...back to the couch!

sunday musings

Greetings from sunny Florida where yours truly is recuperating at home following surgery.

These days I spend most of my waking hours on the couch, either reading, sleeping or watching TV. The latter usually only at night.

Yesterday I had a visit from my beading buddy Keli who brought me the latest issue of Bead Style magazine.

She's moving away soon and I'm going to miss her like crazy. Keli's the one who helped me "get serious" about beading.

Speaking of which, I was able to do a bit of work on a rosary while I was in the hospital, but I haven't been able to do anything since I got home. I can't seem to sit for any length of time in any kind of regular chair because it hurts. Darn!

Tomorrow I'm going to dispatch the spouse to Wal-Mart in search of a TV tray with short feet or some kind of breakfast tray I can rest over my tummy. I gotta be able to bead over the next couple weeks or yours truly will go stark raving bonkers! Meanwhile, I've been drooling over all the projects in the Bead Style magazine and dreaming of all the projects I want to make once I get well.

A hearty thank-you and shout out to all the great doctors, nurses and support staff at Baptist Hospital downtown, especially Shirley, Angela, Elaine, Elsa, Imelda, Kristin, Marisha, Marlene, Angel, Mary and, of course, Baby Jane. You all are the best nurses ever and I thank each and every one of your for the special brand of TLC you provided me.

thanks to *M* and *S* for helping me post this.

Fish in the Waiting Room

When we were walking through Baptist Hospital to the PACE Center get my pre-op stuff done this morning, we passed this fabulous aquarium full of the most beautiful fish. I couldn't resist taking some pix. The one little guy with the mouthful of teeth seemed as interested in us as we were in him! One of these days, I'd like to have an aquarium again. They're so relaxing to watch. These are salt water fish. Lots of work -- but they certainly are beautiful!

Everything went fine for the pre-op stuff. Chest x-ray and EKG. When the woman was taking my blood (three vials!) she asked me, "Are you all right?" "Oh, I'm just reciting a poem to myself," I said. "It's what I do to keep my mind off what you're doing."

Doc sez I'll be in the hospital anywhere from 3 to 5 days after, depending on what he finds once he gets in there. The more extensive the repair job, the longer it'll be before I can get home to Daniel and the kitties. But the good news is, he said I can go back to work as soon as I feel able...and he signs my medical release. YAY!!

I can wear makeup (oh, thank goodness for that!!) but no jewelry and no finger nail polish. And of course, I gotta remove ye olde choppers. I made the intake nurse write it in the chart -- please do not let my husband see me without my teeth! hahahahaha

Tomorrow afternoon, I have to go in search of a nightgown. Turns out I won't be able to wear the new pj's I bought because my tummy will be too tender. I gotta get some BIG granny panties, a robe and some slippers. Looks like a trip to Wally World is in order. I don't usually wear nightgowns because I don't like the way they get all bunched up when I thrash around in bed trying to sleep. So annoying!

I'm thinking about taking a couple beading projects to work on while I'm laid up at the hospital. Maybe I can interest some of the nurses in my work, huh? I may even make up a couple little keychains to bring with me just to give to the nurses who wait on me. Those women work long hours and deserve to be rewarded for their compassionate care.

Anywho - that's what's up in my corner of the world.

Thoughts for a Sunday morning

Just for the heck of it one day, I searched Twitter for Jane Fonda and was delighted to find her there. Not only is Jane a prolific Twitterer, she blogs profusely as well. She's been a hero of mine since way back when and I'm thoroughly enjoying perusing her writings on a daily basis. At 71, she's still kicking ass. Go ahead, girl! 

From her "Matters That Move Me" pages, I offer you this:  

If you read the front page story of the SF Chronicle, you would have read about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth. 

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farralone Islands (outside the Golden Gate ) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her.  

A very dangerous proposition. One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer. They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her. 

When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed gently around-she thanked them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives. The man who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.  

May you, and all those you love, be so blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by people who will swim with you in the deep waters that may engulf you, and who will help you become untangled from the things that bind you. And, may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude. 

thanks to Rick I and Craig Neal for passing this to me.  

Be sure to read the comments here. 

And read SF Bay Whale Watcher blog.  

We truly do need to realize, once and for all, that animals and birds are our brothers and sisters on this planet...and behave accordingly.  

Amen. End of sermon. ;)

Gearing up for surgery

Met with my surgeon yesterday. Quite young, only in practice since 2005 but exceptionally qualified and very bright - graduated magna cum laude. Sweet, friendly, compassionate - shall I go on? The most adorable thing about him - besides the most pinchable cheeks! - is his cute little accent. At first I thought it might be Austrian, but when I looked up his bio, under languages it says "Polish." Ah, the homeland of my favorite composer, Chopin. ;)
Anyway, he probed my plumbing sure hope we're nearing the end of all those invasions, thank you very much! and confirmed that yes, back in 1993 when they did my hysterectomy, they left a bit of ye olde cervix in there, from whence originated the abnormal cells which so alarmed Dr. G.
Dr. McCutie said he thought he'd be able to do the surgery week after next. He must have read the "oh, no!" expression clearly written on my face because he quickly amended to say he'd try to work me in this coming week.
Thank God/Goddess because it's becoming increasingly difficult to maintain my lifestyle when any extended sitting, standing, or walking causes discomfort and pain. I told him how this whole thing was infringing on my passion in this instance, I'm referring my ability to work the arts+crafts fair circuit . He not only didn't brush off my remark, he actually asked me about it. Other, older docs could take lessons from this young fellow - it's called building rapport, guys. Making your patient feel as if she matters, that her comfort and quality of life mean something to you. Get it?
So now my project is putting together a CD to play before and maybe even during my surgery. I heard this story on NPR the other morning and it gave me the idea for the project.
I'm going to start it off with the theme from "Enterprise" --Faith of the Heart. It's my understanding that the astronauts like that song. Hey, if it's good enough forthose guys, it's good enough for me! Here are a few other types of songs I thought of including....  

Classical I love me some Chopin, baby! 

Broadway Climb Every Mountain from Sound of Music gets me every time 

Pop You are Beautiful by Christina Aguilera 

Folk just about anything by John Denver 

Gospel You'll Never Walk Alone - an oldie but a goodie and of course, In The Chapel by Elvis. 

Hymns It Is Well With My Soul and Softly and Tenderly from "A Trip to Bountiful"  

If you happen to know the best site for finding and downloading songs preferably for free!, I'd love to know that. Tell me your favorites! Help me build my CD Thanks, guys!