Back in the Swing of Things

After a couple of set backs, I'm trying to get things back to normal. My sister is recovering nicely after her surgery. She has a long recovery, but at least it was something that was fixable. Somewhere in the mix, I caught a nasty virus - again! I'm starting to function with the help of decongestants and cough syrup. Yuck! Believe it or not, I am still putting away the Christmas decorations. They are usually back in their storage totes around New Year's Day. With all that has been going on with health issues, they might be safely tucked away by this weekend. I never thought I would get tired of seeing my Christmas decorations, but this year put that to the test! Okay, enough whining. I am going to start working on spring creations. I will be selling them March 15th at Flourishes, a new venue by Aleta Breese (The Silly Bear). Aleta and her husband have purchased the former Willow Nest location in Washougal! I will be joining other artists to kick-off their first event! How exciting! I must work, work, work! I can picture many shadow boxes and glass domes filled with sweet springy things! I will keep you posted!

Oh, I was tagged by Joy to tell you seven things about myself - so here I go.

1. I am a huge procrastinator and seem to work better under pressure. However, my body tells me otherwise.

2. I love gingerbread Bee-Bop biscotti.

3. I just discovered the Keurig (sp?) single serving coffee maker while staying with my sister. It makes a great cup of Joe and I got spoiled being able to have a fresh cup whenever I wished - along with an occasional piece of gingerbread biscotti!

4. I have never cared much for Valentine's Day. Even though I have a wonderful husband for a Valentine, that hasn't always been the case. So much emphasis is placed on having a sweetheart that if you don't, it is even more obvious on that day. Just a little insight from another time in my life when I would instead show my love to my son and close family.

5. I love going to sleep to the sound of rain on the roof. Which is a good thing considering I live in Oregon! I got to hear a lot of it while staying with my sister, especially on the skylights.

6. Before I can concentrate on a specific project, I have to have my house in order. If it isn't, I can't focus. I think about all the things that need to be taken care of. That is why I have to get my house tidied up before can start on my new creations.

7. I am a floral designer. These days, it is something I reserve for family weddings and events at Deepwood. I love it. There is nothing like fresh flowers and it is about time to have a vase of fresh tulips on my coffee table!

Also, I have been having problems adding new favorites to my blog. I will get some tech support from my son and see if I can take care of it. I will also be adding new events to attend in the upcoming months. That's it for today!

Watch Your Step

Happy New Year to all! I thought I had better get back on the radar screen and let you know that I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. It has certainly been an interesting start to the new year -- and an enlightening one too. On New Year's Day, my sister fell off a curb at the Portland airport. As a result, she dislocated and fractured her right ankle and sprained her left ankle. She is scheduled to have surgery on January 10th - to insert plates and screws in her ankle. Believe it or not - this procedure is now a day surgery! The bottom line is that she is in a hospital bed in her living room and is unable to bear any weight on her right foot (for at least the next 6 weeks) and very little on her left. Until you are part of this type of situation, you have no idea what you will have to deal with and resolve. Simple, everyday tasks and self-care come to a screeching halt. The real eye-opener is the lack of services that are covered under health care plans. Most of us fall into the middle-income bracket where you don't earn enough to pay for services out-of-pocket, but earn too much to qualify for assistance. So, this is where I come in. I have adapted and learned a lot this past week. I have been unbelievably frustrated with our health care system. She was told to not bear any weight on her feet, but - oh, by the way - here are some crutches to take home with you! And, okay, I guess we can order a wheelchair for you - sorry it won't fit through any of your bathroom doorways! Nice. We have adapted and have developed our own routine. I'm sure we will have to adapt again after surgery. After this week, we can accomplish anything.

Since I do have a part-time job, the family will have to coordinate and be available to assist her after I return to work. My husband has been a peach (as usual). He is always my rock. The reason I am sharing this recent experience is to make you all aware of how one wrong move can change your world. Almost, more importantly, our health care system leaves a lot to be desired - even with good insurance. After six hours in the ER, numerous pain injections, casting, etc. , my sister was one step above being placed on the curb outside the ER with a note pinned on her. She is lucky; she has us. My heart goes out to all those people out there that are really alone.

I will be putting my creative activities on the back burner for awhile. It makes me crazy since I have all these ideas buzzing around in my head for Valentine's Day. Maybe I will just start on springy, Easter things and save my Valentine ideas for next year. I will keep you updated. Take good care of yourselves and keep in touch. Miss you all, Martha