Thursday, November 29, 2012

RAK and Good Intentions

Whew where does time go? I sure hope that each of you had a terrific Thanksgiving filled with family and good food! Although a bittersweet day ,we had a lot of laughs and plenty of food.My father in law spent the day with us and it was just so nice.

On my last post I hinted about a RAK that I had received and I wanted to share it with you.I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to get it posted but there will be more about that a bit later.Let's get on with the good stuff. As some of you know it has been a rough summer and I haven't been around much ,well when sweet Carol of Firecracker Kid read my story she decided to make me smile.LOL! Boy did she ever do a good job too.Please click the link to check out the wonderful wooden items that she and her husband create! They are a very talented couple.She sent me one of her candle boards and I so wish I was better at photography so I could do the piece justice.It is fantastic the color and the textures on this piece are amazing.Shoot just look at the pic and you will see what I mean.
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See what I mean ...Fantastic!Now look at a close up of the top ..

Don't you just love it.Planning on getting it hung this weekend.I am wanting to change some things around and get busy with Christmas decorating.Thank you Carol from the bottom of my heart.Carol is just so talented andkind.

Well there is a saying around here that the road to heck(go ahead and laugh at me for not saying the true word.LOL!)is paved with good intentions.Well if that is the case I am in some deep do winky  cause my intentions were to post the candle board the day after I got it that and I wanted to do a blog  post at least once a week.Well as you see, I have failed miserably. But in my defense I have good reasons excuses, the week before Thanksgiving I spent going to the doctor with my momma and sis.The news on both was not good.Momma has an enlarged heart,two heart murmurs,two valves that are leaking worse than before,blockage in the back side of the heart,suspected blockage in the front left side and the blood pressure in the lungs should be 30 her's is 50.The doctor basically said that with her bleeding disease that there is nothing that can be done for her now.It would be way to risky to do a heart cath for fear of rupturing the heart ,vessels or her hemorrhaging.To be honest this news has me in a tail spin with a lot of emotions.

Reason number 2: The week of Thanksgiving was spent listening to backhoes and the like as our septic system had failed.Oh my gosh what a mess, I am thankful though that it is fixed.It was a long week of not being able to use water while they were here working on it.Next Spring will be spent replacing and rebuilding my flower gardens and berry vines.Seems like the inspector decided I didn't them anymore as they were in the way of where the pipes needed to go. Something to look forward to and plan over the winter,I guess.

Well I apologize for the long post and my absence in blog land.Tomorrow hubby and I are off to Lexington to take my FIL to the VA hospital .He is having some blood pressure issues and such.Maybe I will find some goodies to share. Have a blessed day and remember that there is a smile out there no matter what happens.Friends always seem to  find a  way to remind you of that fact.Hugs,Jen

Fantastic Giveaway


Folks I hate to spread the word on this giveaway because it cuts my chances of wining of it .LOL!I just have to share it though because it is to good not to. Once you see the beautiful Santa you are sure to run over to Mary's blog for a chance.While you are there be sure to check out all of Mary's blog... Marmmies Mammy's And More.It is a beautiful blog and she is just a doll,so kind and willing to help you in any way.Lets not even get started on her talent,that could take all day but  as you  can see already no words are really  needed.Her work speaks for itself.Thank you Mary for your generosity ,it is a lovely giveaway.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Chilly Tuesday !

Good morning friends,hope that this day finds you with a smile and love in your heart.It sure is a cold start to the day here ,was only 27 degrees when I headed out to feed the critters. They are always ready to head out of the barn ,no matter  the weather .I can tell you that by the time I got to the barn I sure was wishing that I had not forgotten my gloves in the house.LOL! It is so much fun to watch the baby goats running around,trying to keep up with their mommas.The ducks amaze me for they jump right in the water,even in frigid temps.I understand that they are equipped for it but it still sends shivers down my back to see it.


I just want to take a moment to remember all of our friends on the East Coast this morning.It is such a sad situation,when I woke this morning I was thinking of all those still with out electricity and it just breaks my heart.I and so many are blessed to have a warm house and bed that it is easy sometimes to forget the less fortunate.Please remember them all in your prayers as we enter into the holiday season and each day. Know that I am keeping you all  in my heart, thoughts and prayers.



Crafting has not been a big part of my routine of late but I did finish a couple projects a week or so ago and would like to share .The first one is a needle punch project ( not my design, it was inspired by a print a friend sent me) and my hat is off to the designer. Love rabbits so when I saw this I just had to do my version of it .It is roughly 20X24 inches .I punched it using wool threads, wool sock yarn ,floss,and crochet thread.The fun part of it to me was using different threads to achieve different  textures.I am currently using this piece in my living room.


This one is with the flash and the next one is without .The colors are actually more muted than they appear.

The next project is a simple hooked Fall pouch.This is my design ,which I did with small strips of wool.I thought it came out ok.



I hung it off my large dough trencher after adding some fall goodies. Guess that is all for today,however as soon as I locate my camera charger I will be back to share a RAK from a special lady that we all know and love.Have a great day and be kind to one another.Hugs,Jen

Monday, November 5, 2012

A long lost blogger








Just as the title says I feel like a long lost blogger! It has been a very long time since my last post and for that I am so sorry.I am  also sorry for neglecting your blogs ,I have missed reading  them so much. I wish I could say that I had been missing in action just because I was having fun in the sun but that is not the case at all. It has been a long hard summer and fall.

As some of you may remember I had requested prayers for my mom and I thank each of you for those.Most of the late Spring and early Summer was spent being sent from one doctor to another for this test or that test.After many days she was finally diagnosed with a genetic disease called Osler Weber Rendu .This disease affects the tissues and vessels of the body causing them to thin and become fragile.It is scary as that means she could start hemorrhaging at any time day or night and it may not be apparent until it is to late.Because of this condition she had to stop taking part of medications that she had been taking for her heart condition, which was not a good thing.She has started having a few additional  problems with her heart and had a stress test last Thursday.We are waiting for those results.The doctor is worried that the vessels in the front of her heart are now blocked .We already know that the main one in the back of the heart is closed off. This is how part of my time has been spent.

Just as things were beginning to settle down and the shock of it was wearing off a bit,my chores were getting caught up something else happened. In July my MIL started having a little trouble breathing.At first the doctor thought it was related to her heart condition.Somewhere towards the end of July she was sent for a CAT scan and x rays.The results showed a suspicious shadow on her left lung.She was then sent to a pulmonologist  on August 10th.It doesn't look good was the answer she received from the doctor but in order to know how bad it was we were sent to University of Louisville hospital the following Friday for a bronchoscopy, to do a biopsy .Suppose to be an easy outpatient kind of thing,well long story short we almost lost her on the operating table because her oxygen levels fell so much that they had to stop the procedure.We did notmake it home till the next day and she had to have oxygen from that day on.As the doctor had said it was not good...she was diagnosed the next week with extensive Small Cell Lung Cancer.This is a nasty nasty cancer,very aggressive ! She was in the hospital due to seizures caused by her potassium bottoming out when we received the news. I am the one that told her what her condition was and exactly how bad it was as her doctor was two hours away.It just did not seem something that her husband or son should have to tell her.My husband was the only child that lived  local and as he had to work I was the one that went with them to see the doctors and get all the test ran.Her daughter did fly home  not long after the diagnosis. She started chemo after being  told her that it was only controllable but she should have 12 months to 18 months if she would take the chemo.She made it through the first cycle but it weakened her so much that she never recovered her strength back .My sweet MIL went home with the Lord on September 30.She lasted somewhere around 6 weeks from start to finish.

The last month or so has been spent catching up on all the things at home that were pushed to the side .Through this ordeal my MIL and FIL's needs  came first as it should be. My husband  and I have been helping my FIL  learn how to do the things that his wife had always taken  care for him.He is a sweetheart and is doing pretty good to have gone through the stress of losing his best friend and wife of over 58 years.The Lord has blessed us in so many ways even though it has been hard ,He has saw us through it .I know in my heart that my MIL is dancing with the angels as she was ready to go.

I am sorry that this has been such a long gloomy  post but I felt an explanation was needed .It has been a long time since I have been able to visit with you but the plan is to rectify that soon. There are some happy things to share to but that is a post for another time .Wanted to get the sadness out of the way first.May God bless and keep you all!Hugs,Jen