"O-PEN!.....O-PEN!.....O-PEN!"

MY NEW SHOP, www.lollishops.com/velvetrainstudio , SHOULD BE OPEN VERY SOON! LIKE REAL SOON!! wooooohooooooo!

SO MANY BLESSINGS, I CAN'T BEGIN TO COUNT. . .

So many blessings, so little time.
No, wait.
That's not the way it goes.
So many blessings, so little time.
What is wrong with me??? I can't get it right!

However, when I think of all that I have to do, all of the obligations and commitments that threaten to overwhelm me, all of the friends and family that I feel like I'm not paying enough attention to.....
I KNOW I AM BLESSED.
....because I am able to be in the middle of "all of this" and I know that I am physically able to get to all of it *in time*. Last year at this time I was in and out of the hospital and at one point, almost died.
So, I am feelin' mighty blessed right now.....

Blake and Clay are home from college and I can hear them and their many friends down the hall in Clay's bedroom laughing,
Craig gets Thanksgiving off and will be home tomorrow morning and as a rookie (police officer), to get a holiday off is amazing,
My boys have the best father and I have the most wonderful, supportive and understanding husband,
I'm serving lunch at the Salvation Army tomorrow,
I have orders continue to flow into my Etsy store,
I'm opening a second online shop by the 1st of December *maybe the 1st! LOL*,
I'm finishing up three swap commitments that I made before I had to rush up to Michigan,
I was able to spend almost five weeks with my mother and my siblings after my mother's fall,
My mother is getting better every day; she's doing great,
I have amazing friends, some I've never met,
I can walk,
and I have an amazing God that gets me through all of the hard times, is with me during all of the good times, and continues to love me even though I'm so unworthy.

I am blessed.
So, so blessed.

Below, this is a picture of mess on the table in the sitting area of my bedroom where I'm working on one of those many commitments I mentioned..................just looking at this picture makes me smile - I love creating!

Of course, the pictures are out of order..... I never do get them uploaded correctly but have learned to *sometimes, like tonight* look past it and simply 'blog'. This one is of the snow I experienced while in Kalamazoo at mom's.......in October ..........in linen.........and, of course, no coat.

This is a picture of my mom doing her leg lifts with her ankle weights on - she's become very diligent and is doing all of her exercises every day:)
Oh, and see the *ugly, dated, not owned by my mother* recliner she's sitting in?
It's gone.
She's gotten so much better that she doesn't need a chair that she can doze in when up!
Praise God!..........that she's so much better and that that chair is gone!
So.
I need to get back to my "commitments" and will end this post.
I'm so glad to be home - I think I neglected to tell you that I came home last Thursday -
we were late in taking off out of Detroit because THE PLANE HAD TO BE DEICED........
and I was wearing linen.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my precious readers.
YOU bless me!


XOXO, .........Jan

ODDLY, I FELT RIGHT AT HOME

Check it out.
First of all, a post NOT about my mom (who is at home and healing with my prodding....).
Secondly, since I'm in Kalamazoo and my sister, Jean, knows I do odd, she took me to her friend's house, Joan and Eric's, to see their place KNOWING that I would love it.
And, I did. I LOVED it!
Okay. This first picture is a shot taken from their *really cool* deck.
You are looking at..............are you ready???................Frank the Tank is SO going to want one...............their pellet gun shooting range! ROTF!!
What a hoot! I LOVED IT and I don't even do guns!
But, I thought it was hysterical. I can just see Frank sitting on the lane, (we don't have a deck, just a patio and if you shot from it you'd be aiming towards the pool and the horse barn - I just didn't feel like that was a good idea....) anyway, back to Frank.......he'll be sitting on the lane, shooting at the shooting range I plan on assembling when I get home!
.....See the little town? the mermaid from that animated movie??? Oh, I'm dyin' here!!
Look closely at the pictures, they're great! I just must re-create the range from Joan and Eric's!
Oh. Oh. First, I'll have to go to the Salvation Army and buy just the right targets.
Isn't this hysterical???

Oh, and move the bench that I pulled out of a stranger's trash pile by the side of the road, set it up with targets.............and when the boys come home during breaks from college??? They'll LOVE this!

Oh, and we'll have to buy a pellet gun. [Being from Texas, we only have real guns - the targets would have to be honkin' if we used real, I mean, if THEY, used real guns]

Now, this mobile below, I would have bought. The problem was that it wasn't for sale.

I was so bummed.

The metal part is from an old paint store's paint can shaker machine. Isn't it wonderful? And the animal bones??? Well, these animal bones came from Joan and Eric's five acres - they're smaller animals but I think they make a great mobile.

What was that movie where the girl used bones to make mobiles???...........

Anyway, we have bones all over the ranch! I just need to find a great metal thing to hang them from....

This baby doll on the metal planter???

I never really cared for those tricycle planters. I've always thought they were, oh, I can't say I thought they were stupid, I might hurt someone's feelings, but I always thought they were just not me.

There. That works.

Well, I've since changed my mind and am on the lookout for a metal tricycle planter so I can put a nasty baby doll in the driver's seat! THIS IS HYSTERICAL!

The clown.

Used, I think, to scare small children, is on the pathway from the deck to the house. I LOVE IT! LOL

The unicorn lamp wouldn't fit in my purse! That's the only reason it's still in their house.

Isn't it fabulous??? Oh, and they have two.

Unicorn - lamp - hogs.

Getting in the car I noticed the paint brush.

A fine piece of art.

So, those are the highlights of my visit to Joan and Eric's Triple Nasty Bohemian Country Club.
It was wonderful! A little side trip during all of the stress - it was great!

XOXO,

"praiseGod,praiseGod,praiseGod"

Hi, my precious friends and family, my faithful prayer warriors, and all of you that voted for McCain. (I'm kidding, you sillies)

We'll start this post with a picture of my mother *going through her Publisher's Clearinghouse tree*
(get it? the trees they waste putting all of those packets together? Junk mail - another post...). She's home! She feels like sitting up and reading, she's eating and drinking (water - I'm drinking Boones Farm) JK!
If we keep her on her pain med schedule then she doesn't get a headache! woooooooooooooooo hoooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

I was so happy when I saw my mom the morning after her *brain* surgery and saw how wonderful she looked compared to the night before {just after her surgery} that the words just popped out of my mouth - "I'M SO HAPPY!" when I saw her.
I was just so stinkin' happy! God is so good! I knew that he would fix everything, that he would heal my mother, but to have him do it per my request [heehee], uh-hum, in such a wonderful way was, well, all I can say is, "PRAISE GOD!" Remember my first post? "pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease"?
We're a far cry from that with, "praiseGodpraiseGodpraiseGodpraiseGod"! PRAISE GOD!!

Through all of this I was stressed from sitting, sitting, sitting at the hospital waiting, waiting, waiting for doctors, didn't get very good sleep *or enough*, concerned that the doctors weren't communicating with each other [don't get me started], determined to keep up with my blog posts for those of y'all that I knew were praying and checking for updates - you get it.
But not once, never, did I doubt God, loose my faith, waver in my belief that God was in charge no matter what his will. My mom was in the best of hands - His - and now she's home and doing fabulously.

The neurosurgeon drilled two holes in her skull and drained out approximately 1/4 cup of f-l-u-i-d. *gagging*
The night of the surgery, after mom had been moved into ICU, she had a honkin' headache ("I know!!") and it was pretty spooky looking down at her in her bed in the darkened room where we were told "no cell phones, no noise". Needless to say, my brother and sisters and I didn't stay long.
Flash forward to the next morning. . . ."I'M SO HAPPY!"

So. The next day, that would be yesterday, mom is being released - *happy dance*.
It's going to be a while before the paper work is finished and she can leave and Jean's at the hospital so. . . . . .Joan and I make a quick run to the antique mall in downtown Kalamazoo and I managed to get a hit, a fix.
These things below are just a few of the precious treasures that I found. Check out that sweet girl, and that small square box thing with the vintage ribbon. Those black dots are straight pins, and then there are the vintage baby shoes *I hope to make into pin cushions*, oh, and that fabric children's book, and the pink floral hat with pink netting, and that beautiful vintage hankie.
I wish you could have been there. I had goosebumps.

I just must show you a close-up of the vintage hankie. Isn't it gorgeous?
I found about a half dozen white vintage hankies there with beautiful needle work. Again, goosebumps.

One more thing and I'll stop talking! {I think because I'm getting to talk about something other than p-u-s and s-c-a-b-s that I'm a bit giddy}
Okay, these vintage Valentines were THE FIND OF THE DAY!
About 20 of them, all precious and all priced at, well, I just can't say it. It's obscene.
Wanna guess???
Hmmmm. Okay, I'm tired and wanna go to bed and read. Tomorrow will be here before I know it!
Oh, and fyi, I was supposed to be home yesterday, but, changed my plane reservations and will be staying with my mother until the 20th. That's two more weeks.
Please don't forget me - I'll need some type of stimulation other than a med schedule, taking mom's blood pressure 3X a day, doctor's appointments, walking to the mailbox and back every day for mom's exercise, cooking (okay, heating up what Joan cooked and froze), watching Law and Order re-runs day after day, and counting my blessings - I need y'all to keep me mindful of my studio and that it WILL be waiting for me when I go home.
Oh, and Frank the Tank??? He misses me terribly - says it's boring without me. Hope that doesn't change! LOL


XOXO,

DOCTORS AND NURSES AND SURGERY, OH MY!!

Well, y'all, I think the worst is behind us. Of course, I'm not in control;)
Let me tell you about late yesterday through today - what a ride!
Especially in this particular hospital - doesn't seem like the right hand has known what the left is doing at any point in our experience AND I'M TALKING DOCTORS!

I feel a letter to Bronson Hospital coming on.....it's been stupid, and when it involves my sweet mother!

We'll start today's update with a picture of my sister, Joan, from Angola, Indiana, who came up yesterday. After a really long day at the hospital yesterday we collapsed in front of the t.v. at mom's and she and Sophie just vegged for a while.
It was decided that mom would have surgery this morning - did I mention this in yesterday's post? I don't think so, but if I did, I apologize. Tired.

Okay, so a neurosurgeon *precious, btw* was going to make two incisions and put in a drain tube *I feel a gag rising* to drain off, well, you get the picture.

He was going to wait and see how her night went with the headache, blah, blah, and we were to meet with him this morning at 9 a.m. to make a final decision.

So, we meet with the doc this morning and it's decided that, yes, surgery would be performed at noon with full anesthesia and he patiently answered all of our questions. This is a picture of mom waiting to be taken to pre-op.

I don't like looking at this picture, so let's move on. . . .

Oh, these two lovelies were responsible for getting my precious mother to pre-op and they were a hoot. Actually, Clara, the one in front, a bit of a problem. Gave me some lip.

But, mom loved them so all was well:)

Oh, yeah, Clara - the one I call Trouble - wanted her picture taken *over and over and over*. JK

She was so excited to hear that I was going to blog them.

Then she asked me what a blog was. . . . . . . . . . ."I know!"

I told Clara that I was going to have to report her for calling her boyfriend while she was supposed to be wheeling my mother down the hall.

She tried to tell me that she was "calling ahead" - she sure must like the nurse she was talking to - called her "sweetpants". JK
This is my brother from Florida, Russ, in the surgery waiting room. It was past wonderful that he flew up to be with all of us for mom's surgery!

And, when he made his plans, his plane reservations, he didn't even know she was going to have surgery so it worked out great. He's wonderful and I don't get to see him much so it was a double blessing that he was here.

Mom's surgery went very well, they drained what they drained and it drained so well *gagging* that she didn't have to have a "drain" put in the incision to drain out more.

Okay, that's enough.

We're in the surgery waiting room waiting for her to come out of recovery.

Here's Joan - she finally couldn't resist that long curved bench!

And, Jean. She snagged the only recliner! LOL

After mom's put in ICU, the N-surgeon said he would have a better idea how much longer I'm going to be here - probably 2 more weeks.

I'm not going home until she can manage on her own.

All of my siblings have jobs and I'm "just an artist" - hahaha - so I can stay! ROTF

I'm happy to be in the position to be here with her until she's back to herself!

I've missed my mom!

Praise God, give Him ALL of the glory for the surgery going so well.

The next step will be happening sometime this afternoon when she wakes up,

so KEEP PRAYING!

I love all y'all.

XOXO,

Jan

YOU'RE NOT IN TEXAS ANYMORE......

oh, good grief. i have tried to upload these photos in the correct order TWICE and i can't get it to work and after you read this post you'll understand why i'm posting it with the pictures out of order - i just can't mess with them any more.
this picture below is of mom and her best friend, norma, at mom's this last week.
norma is amazing.
mom can be in the worst mood and the minute norma shows up, her entire persona changes.
it's so aggravating - we've been putting up with mom being pitiful all day and then walks in norma and you'd never know that mom had been pitiful just minutes before! LOL
below is mom laying on the couch a couple of days ago with her baby, sophie, at her head, *probably* watching a Law and Order re-run.

okay, here we go......starting the out of order pictures - aughhhh! - this is mom leaving the doctor's office this last week after getting her stitches out. they had to wrap this turban around her head to keep the bandage over the s-c-a-b (i cannot say that word - makes me want to vomit) that was still on the back of her head where the stitches were because that's where she hit her head when she fell (ewwwwwwwww!).

nikki, her nurse, seemed to be rather fond of gauze. i can't help but wonder about that...

nikki is wrapping *and wrapping and wrapping and wrapping* gauze around mom's head.....i told you she had a thing for gauze.

jean, my sister, is helping nikki take the stitches out. guh-ross.

i was in the room only to take the pictures for blogging.

it was after this one that i hit the waiting room - too disgusting.

nikki obviously loves her job which i think is fortunate because there is no way i'm getting close to s-c-a-b-s or p-u-s.

no, no, no, not me. give me glue and paper and let nikki handle the bloody stuff.

still out of order, jean and mom waiting in the doctor's office to have the stitches removed.

okay, it's at this time that we start to go downhill.

last night we took mom to the E.R. because the last three days her headaches have gotten really bad and she had become nauseous. i insisted that we take her to the doctors and that they send her for a CAT scan because i knew something was up.......i admit that i had to get a wee bit bossy. they did the cat scan and wanted us to go home and wait for he doctor to call us with the results - right.

it's 4 p.m. on friday and we're going to go home and wait for the doctor to call that afternoon.

i told them we were not leaving;

that we would wait for the results and talk to the doctor that afternoon in person.

don't argue with me.

it worked *of course* and aren't we glad i was insistant.

long story short, fluid around the subdural hematoma which was causing pressure against the skull and brain and therefore, causing the headaches and nausea. they admitted her to the E.R. where we sat (mom laid down on the bed) in folding chairs for SEVEN hours waiting for admittance into the hospital.

finally, at 1:30 a.m. we go to her room.

she's put on this medicine called mannital (sp?) that pulls the fluid off the brain, blah, blah, blah.

anyway, she'll be here until at least tomorrow and she is NOT delightful. she is pissed.

there. i said it. *the "p" word. i said it because it's true. she's been rather upset about being in the hospital which i thought called for some comic relief..............it worked for about 10 seconds...............

before i close, i must tell y'all thank you.

every single one of you that has been praying and y'all that have left the most encouraging comments and sent the sweetest emails - i cannot thank you enough.

i had hoped to write each of you a personal email but there have been so many emails and posts that i'm afraid that's not going to happen, so let me tell you now how much i appreciate y'all and how much i love each of you.

also, my original plan was to be here for two weeks, flying back home this tuesday, but it's obvious to me that that's not going to happen. i'll be changing my flight home; i don't know how much longer i'll need to stay, i need to talk to my sisters first, but it will be a while longer.

i'm going to have to ask my best friend go to my studio and send me something more to work on....................or maybe not - below is what i've gotten accomplished so far.....it's slow going.

i love you all dearly and thank you again for your faithfulness in your prayers.

XOXO,