Saturday, April 30, 2016

April 30th Virginia's View Challenge (Hello)

My Entry - Hello card

Playing with distress inks, stamps, water color paper

The top panel of my card was made from this stamped sheet


Virginia's April 30th Challenge:  Friendship, Hello, Etc.



I finally made something! 
 Back on April 16th I came across 'I love Virginia's View Challenge' Blog from another friend's blog (Thanks Lin!).  And, I got inspired.  And, life happened, and I got sidetracked with a million other things.  And, today, as I looked at my scrappy mess in my bedroom, I remembered that today is the deadline to submit, so here I am.

Supplies Used:
Watercolor paper
Tim Holtz Distress Inks (cracked pistachio, festive berries, spiced marmalade, shabby shutters)
Tim Holtz Distress Stain (antique linen)
Stamps:  Stampin' Up 'What I Love'
Hero Arts' Hello Stamp & Cuts' (I used the Hello die cut)
Big Shot
Orange card stock and brown pattered paper (design on other side) from Simon Says Stamp April Kit 


Thanks for looking:)


Sunday, April 17, 2016

This is Jake - April 2016

Jake - One Fine Saturday Evening in April

Jake - Candid Shot
Jake is starting to 'bloom'. 

The man-child (16 soon to be 17) now has a girlfriend and is getting out of his cave (aka computer game world).  My quiet, mellow, observe from the corner of the room type of guy, is starting to expand his wings.  His social life is pretty minimal.  He's not the kind of kid who escapes every chance he gets.  Nope.  He would rather stay home after working all week at the ranch.  Even during the school year, he does chores before and after school, and puts in a full day on Fridays and Sundays.  So, his time at my house, is usually his 'down time' and his private time.

Every now and then he gets out with his guy friends to do off the wall stuff, like paint-ball wars, or air gun fights, or some other crap that seems to end in someone (him) getting hurt (dead front tooth on top, broken front tooth on bottom - permanent teeth things that drive me crazy). 

His girlfriend is a cute, sweet, rough and tumble kick-ass basketball player ranch girl, and the apple of her daddy's eye. Whom, one fine date-night for Jake and his cutie, appeared at my front door, with his daughter, and put the fear of Dad into Jake.
'So.  What's the Plan?'.  He asked Jake, while his baby girl was waiting in the car (do doubt for the 'all clear' signal).
'Um, Watching Movies'.  Jake replied (since I was in my room I could not see if he was trembling, fidgeting, or brave enough to look him in the eye.  Darn it).
'What movie?'.  Big 6 foot 4 or so Dad bellowed.
Jake replied with the G-rated movie they were going to watch.
'Fine.  I'll be back at xxx'.
Needless to say, I joined the movie watchers.  The Fear of Dad was instilled in me as well.

Phew.  Jake is a 'good' boy.  As in, he has a loving heart, a gentle spirit, and doesn't run with the wolves, if you get my drift.  He is respectful.  He makes my mommy heart proud. 

This last Friday was supposed to be their Sadie Hawkins dance and it got cancelled (not enough chaperones).  I was bummed about it.  Jake wasn't.  His GF had gone to great pains to 'setup' his invite - a bucket of KFC on the dinner table with a cute saying about her 'winging it' and never doing this type of thing before, and would be be her date.  It was adorable.  The nearest KFC is 33 miles away so it took some effort.

They will have another chance.  Prom is 3 weeks.
And yes, I am looking forward to it!




 

Friday, April 15, 2016

On the Topic of Grace

Grace Walsh - April 15, 2016

My birth mother has been in a sub-acute care facility for close to 2 months.  She seems to go back and forth to the Stanford Hospital Emergency Room every 2 weeks to have a blood transfusion and most recently, had 'fluid' drained at a different hospital.  Her health has been on a serious decline since last July, when she was diagnosed with liver cancer. She had tumors treated with radiation, has been on various medications, and, that is all I know.  The 'story' is always hard to get - in terms what she wants us to know, and what is truly happening.  Last  week we were told she has liver cirrhosis and that she knew this last summer and chose not to have a liver transplant.  Seriously?  She could have had a liver transplant and prevented all the crap that has been going on lately? 

However, it was her decision and we have to respect that.  Interestingly, I was recently thinking 'what would I do if I had cancer'?  I watched my dad die a over a three month period from his cancer and some hard core chemo therapy treatments.  I would never do chemo. 

The photo above was taken by my Aunt Alice, today, and was sent with the following message:



A miracle, prayers do get answered.  She's lost 50 lbs of water and looks great, even skinny.   Mentally pretty sharp and well spoken.  She's made friends there too.  Says Dr Marcus at El Camino hospital was the catalyst for her improvement.  Pls fwd this to Paula, I don't have her on this phone.  Had a great, happy, long visit with her.
Keep up the great work, girls, love you Much.

The 'great work' is due to my sister Avis, who has taken the lead as Grace's health advocate.  Not an easy job.  On the physical side, she has a two-hour drive to get to Grace, and has to juggle her own full-time job. Grace did not have any releases of information signed with any of her doctors. She doesn't have a power of attorney.  I doubt she even has a will.  It has been a very frustrating process.  You read about this stuff all this time.  But, for whatever reason, people like to keep their private affairs, private.  Until the day you get a call from another relative that 'it's an emergency'.   On the emotional side, my mother is a handful on her 'best' days.  Our own relationship has been strained for over 20 years.  Seeing her this last January was the best visit we have had in a very long time.

The photo?  I love seeing the smile on my mom's face.  My goodness.  I don't recognize her at all. 

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