Reflections of .....

the way life used to be.

Adios 2010

If someone asked me to describe the past year with one word, it would be a piece of cake. It's a no-brainer for me. One word? Ahhh, that's simple. Loss. Loss sums it up perfectly. I could leave it at that, and it would be enough said. The year of Loss, that is what 2010 means to me.

Please don't get me wrong here. I'm not feeling sorry for myself. Welllll, maybe just a bit. OK, no doubt about it, yes I am. I am downright feeling sorry for myself! I'm ok with saying it. I think I am entitled to it, and I'm taking it and running with it, and I expect no one to feel abliged to run with me, it's a solo run and one I must travel alone. I usually will not own that mind set (self-pity), as I have always been capable of realizing that there is always someone else who has it worse off, and I still do know this, but I cannot help but to feel my own pain, my void, the bitterness I feel toward the year 2010! Going into it I had no idea how many family members we would lose. No idea whatsoever. Looking back at it, reflecting......it is hard to believe. We lost 6 family members in 2010, and we don't have a real big family. Yes, loss is the word of the year for our family.

It started in February, with my mom's cousin. He was older, but still so very sad to lose him. He lived right next door to me for many years, and his children were so close with him. I remember thinking at his funeral about what it would be like if it were my mom. How would I ever handle it I thought to myself as we said good bye to this lovely man. My mom was the same age as him. I knew eventually it would be our turn to have to do this. I couldn't have known though that we would be in that very same church saying goodbye just some months down the road.

In August, my dear cousin lost his 27 yr old son to a prescription drug overdose. He (Christopher) laid in a coma for a week, surrounded by loved ones before the family could come to grips with the reality that he was brain dead, and they would have to take him off life support. That was one of the saddest funerals I had ever attended, as seeing this young man in the casket, I could imagine any of our young people in his place, b/c I know the abuse is rampant.

In September my cousin Terri Jo lost her 10 yr battle with cancer. She was my age, and an only child. She leaves behind 2 children and a brand new granddaughter, and her Mother. I cannot imagine.

In October my other cousin's husband passed away just 3 weeks after being diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer. He was such a nice man, so kind, thoughtful and patient. The world lost an upstanding man that day.

Also in October I lost my Mia. My sweet 10 yr old dog. Anyone who knows me knows how I feel about dogs, and how much I love my own. Mia brought us a lot of joy, and I sure was not expecting her to be hear one minute, and gone the next.

My greatest loss though, as so many of you know was my mom, my best friend. Who knew we would lose her this year. She didn't have to die. She fought her pneumonia like a veteran soldier, and yes, she won that battle, but a nasty side effect of any infection can be "Sepsis", and she developed it and as a result it caused her organs to fail, including her heart. Damn that sepsis!!!!!! The hardest thing to come to terms with was to accept that she was not going to get better, and that we needed to stop expecting her to. After weeks of ups and downs, filled with promises of hope and recovery, we had to surrender, the Doctor told us she was dying. I will never forget that day. It was a Sunday. When someone says to you "You look like you lost your best friend", well, there is a reason that phrase is so synonymous w/ sadness, as losing my mom, my BFF has left me saturated with grief. I'm having a hard time shaking it. I miss her, and I want to talk with her, I want to run to her for comfort. I hate 2010.

I know it could be worse. I know this, and I know that there are so many out there who suffer terrible loss, and I do know I should be thankful for what I have, and all the years I had with my Mom, and deep down, I truly am thankful, but for now, the sadness and anger has taken the front seat, and I know it is OK for me to feel this way, it is part of the mourning and the grief and even the healing, and eventually I will accept this and will take it all in and know that loss is part of life, but for now all I can think of is this year, 2010, the year of loss.

The way life used to be is no more. I have to get used to my new life, the life without my Mom. I still want to call her at night after everything is done, and I am winding down. She was like a fine dessert after a good meal, a nice way to end each day. Now I have to look for a new way to wind down my days. 2010 took so much from me. I hope 2011 is better, and I am going to feel optimistic that it will be.

Once the clock strikes 12 on New Years I'm going to be looking eagerly and counting down the days for Spring to come, for new beginnings, and one day, the way life used to be will be a fond memory, and won't hurt so bad to think of it.

Thanks for listening to me lick, ummmm, lap my wounds. They will heal, they are healing now, but it's gonna take time. I am hurting, but it will not last forever.

Come on 2011......I can't wait to greet you with open arms.

I know my BFF would want me to :)

Wishing you and yours Christmas Cheer :)

Special gifts from a dear friend!

Some people are just extra thoughtful, and I know many who are and as you can see, one is my good friend Bobbie (Unionstar Primitives/aka The evening Stitcher)!

Just look at this gorgeous Snowman Hooked rug! I absolutely love it, and still can't believe that she took the time to hook it just for me!

She sure caught me by surprise last week when I went over for a visit to make little sheep together, and that was treat enough, as it's always a fun to go to her place, especially during the holidays, as she's got such a knack for decorating, and she's a topnotch host to boot! Anyway.....I sure never expected her to have a gift for me, much less a few, and such generous heartfelt ones at that.

Not only did Bobbie give me the beautiful hand hooked rug, she also had this wonderful book of Daily Inspirational Quotes for me. What thoughtful gifts, and I love and appreciate them.

As if that wasn't enough, she also included a card for my Granddaughter Zoey, w/ a gift card inside. Bobbie leaves no stone unturned and she thinks of everyone.

Thank you Bobbie for a wonderful visit, yummy bread, pastry and coffee, but most of all for being so very thoughtful! I will cherish these gifts forever.

Peace on Earth

Each Holiday Season, I like to offer a "Peace on Earth" Angel.
For this season, I've created this sweet face little gal in soft neutral colors.
She will be available on Simply Primitives tonight.

Thanks so much, and Happy Holidays!

Missing you today

I think today is the first day I have really grieved for my furry family member. With losing her so suddenly in the midst of my Mom being in Hospice.....and just days before my mom passed away, I believe I truly have not dealt with it. I think I wouldn't let myself feel the sorrow, as the sadness of losing my mom was too great. I haven't understood it, b/c I love Mia so much, and I've known something was just not right with me not crying for her, as I loved my MoMo (just one of the many silly nicknames we had for her)....she was the clown of the bunch. So now I realize I guess it's only right that the numbness would eventually give way to the tears. Today it has, today the numbness is replaced, and I can't seem to stop crying for her. I've spent weeks crying for my mom, on and off, as I think anyone does when they lose someone that means so much to them. But I'm working through the sadness as best i can, and today for the first time since losing my baby, the tears flow for my sweet friend Mia.

I need to post about her, she is deserving.

Mia's story

My daughter found Mia in a bad neighborhood back in 2001. She was just a little pup standing in the street, and when Becky stopped the car and got out to coax Mia out of the street, she wouldn't go, and instead wanted in the car, she was determined she was coming home with Becky. Mia never would take "no" for an answer. It's one of the things I loved about her....she was pushy, but in a fun sorta way.

Nelly loved her, and she and Mia were friends immediatley, and Nelly even let her think she was the "Alpha" doggie.

We couldn't say the words "birdie, kitty cat, or squirrel" without her tilting her head, then going crazy whining and running through the house like a banshee wondering where these creatures were.

Mia lived a nice life, with the freedom to take a nap on our beds, and I cringe to think what her life might have been like had Becky not come along and swooped her off the streets.

I take great comfort in knowing we made a difference for her. She gave back to us tenfold though..... she made us all laugh, and we all felt safe with her here protectecting us. She had a nice deep bark, and alerted us when a stranger would come to the door.

Mia had been receiving treatment for some urine incontinence the past 6 months or so, but other than that was doing well. We could not have known that she had a tumor on her spleen, as it was virtually symptomless until that sad day when we woke up to her not feeling well, and getting sicker by the hour. Upon taking her into the Vets, we would discover it had ruptured that morning making her gravely ill. We had her put to sleep that afternoon.....October 15th. It was all so sudden.

Today, I am missing her, and I bet if Nelly could talk, she would say the same thing.

Run free sweet MoMo.

I will never forget you or the joy and laughter you brought our family.

Thank you.

New for ebay

Blue Christmas Snowfolk is my newest creation, and he's currently listed on ebay w/ no reserve.

He'll make a great addition to your holiday decor, or the perfect gift for the snowfolk collector in your life.

The auction ends Thursday, and I will ship the day after receiving payment.

Thanks for stopping by, and

Happy Holidays to you and yours~

Peg-Leg Petites for TDIPT Mercantile

For December I'm offering 2 new pieces from my Peg-Leg Petites Collection. You can find them along with all the other wonderful top notch folk art at TDIPT Mercantile!

Please be sure to browse through all the artists pages, as you'll find only the BEST at TDIPT Mercantile!

Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving and The Empty Seat

Today on this Thanksgiving, the day we all count our blessings and give thanks for what we have, we will do that, but here we will also mourn for the one missing.......the empty seat.

Everyone has their traditions, and around here on Thanksgiving it is our custom that when we sit down to eat our Thanksgiving meal, we go around the table, each of us speaking from our hearts of what we are particularly thankful for. Zoey usually likes to go first. We each mention the little blessings bestowed upon us that year, and we all give special thanks that there are no empty seats at our table, as we knew there easily could be, and we always knew many families were missing loved ones. We never took it for granted. We also would all get choked up when talking about being grateful, as again we knew that eventually there would be the dreaded empty seat, as my mom was getting up in age, and already on borrowed time w/ her kidney transplant. No one had to say it, but we all knew who we were most thankful for being there.

This year will be so different, this year we have "the empty seat"......the one we all knew in our heart of hearts would be the first. My Mother's seat will be empty. It's all so new, and still so raw, and our hearts are still hurting so badly. I'm sure there will be many tears at our table today. We lost her just one month ago after a lengthy stay in the hospital.

My Mom was a beautiful woman, who I can honestly say was never ever was in a bad mood, ever! She was always so perky, and she had not one enemy. Everyone loved her, and she had such a way of making everyone feel so special. Her presense was like sunshine, and today, this first holiday without her will seem so dull and the void will be huge without her. I know she wouldn't want us to be sad.

It is still hard to believe our Matriarch is gone.

My mom loved Zoey and Zoey loved her.

We miss you dearest lady. There is no one like you. With your kind, gentle, generous and ever caring spirit, you made this world a better place, and you are sorely missed.

We will miss your beautiful smiling face today.

On this Thanksgiving day......we must be thankful, that God let us have you for so long and gave us a chance to say goodbye to you.

Wishing everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving, and thinking of those with the Empty seats.

Mr Snowfolk

Coming to Simply Primitives Novemebr 14th

I hope you'll stop by and take a peek.

holding on, letting go..... and trying to say good bye

After a lengthy stay in the hospital, a tough battle with a most fierce strain of pnemonia..... getting better..... cause for hope, we were given the news the other night that my Mother will not get better.

She will not make it.

Many of you know that my mom has been hospitalized since right before Labor Day, and while there she contracted a really tough strain of pneumonia.

She's fought so hard, and even when the Docs said she may not make it, she fought to prove them wrong. She had to be put on a ventilator just until they could get the pneumonia under control, and they did, and we sat bedside with her through it all.
She told my son "she wasn't goin anywhere". We believed her and held on to her words. She did beat the pneumonia, but the joy was short lived, as we were told soon after that the infection had caused her kidney to fail. BUT.....there is a chance it could come back said the Doctors.

My Stevie kissing his "Mimmy", early on, some 2 1/2 weeks ago.

Sweet Zoey seeing her Mimmy for the first time on the ventilator. It frightened her at first, but she begged to come back each day and sit bedside the bed w/ us. my mom loves her so, and you can see, even while heavily sedated, she tries to touch Zoey.

Me, giving my Mom a kiss.

I know this will be one of the very last. I see in this pic just how much she has failed in 2 1/2 weeks. She's grown tired and she is exhausted...fighting to breath all the time.

I know our time is running out, and I am letting go and saying good bye. I just don't know how I will ever manage in a world without this precious woman. It seems impossible to me.

We've been told that the pneumonia not only damaged my Mom's kidney, it also tooks it's nasty toll on her heart. She will not get better they say, and still she fights. This explains her continued swelling even though she goes through 3 hours of dialysis every other day. She doesn;t even look like the woman who was taken into that hospital some 6 weeks ago.

She could refuse the dialysis, but she asks to have it to give her time here, and I know she probably feels there may be some hope, and who are we to say otherwise. She knows we all love her so much, and she knows how hard it is for us all to say good bye, and I know she isn't ready to leave us. She is and always has been a nurturing, giving person to anyone she came in contact with. She's been the caretaker of the family, the one we all run to when we need something, even something as small as an ear to listen to our troubles.

I've had to be strong and I've had to tell her it is OK...I will be OK. she can go, and we will be OK. I just don't know how.

I'll be back to my doll making eventually, as I know she would want me to, and she loves my dolls so much. I even have a set in the works, but don't know when I will finish. I thought she was getting better and I was working a few hours each week.

since getting the news, I'm soaking up every ounce of life with my mom, and learning to let go and trying to say good bye to the woman who has meant so very much to me. I'm 50 years old, yet I feel like such a child.

Candy & Cornelius

Available on Ebay, ending Sunday 9/19 @ 10:15 PM EDT :)

TDIPT Mercantile is Updated

The talented TDIPT artists of the 1st of the Month have updated their pages....and of course there's top notch handmades being offered.
Be sure to stop by the Mercantile to see all of the beautiful work!

This time around I'm offering a Santa from my Peg-Leg Petite © Collection. I hope you'll head over and take a peek.

Is solace anywhere more comforting than in the arms of a sister?

Welcome to the world......

Cooper Cameron Price

:)

waiting patiently......

My oldest daughter's (Shannon) due date was yesterday, and other than some cramping, it came and went w/ no true signs of labor.

We're all trying to be so patient, but Shannon has reached that point (if you're a mom you know what I'm speaking of) where the thought of going on one more day totin the little one around in her belly is more than she can stand! I think she's reached the breaking point.

I'm thinking today will be the day...hoping anyway.

Come on Cooper.....

we're all so eager for you to make your appearance!

Stay tuned :)

More Michigan Fun

Antique Yard Sale Trail

Along Beautiful Lake Huron
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
August 13, 14, 15, 2010

200+ miles of antiques, yard sales, and much more to explore!
From Sebewaing in the north to Algonac in the south, M-25 / M-29 follows the rugged and majestic shoreline of Lake Huron, then continues down the banks of the beautiful St. Clair River.
Many communities along the route offer unique shops, "antiquing," museums full of local history, and small diners for convenience and comfort.

It's not the longest yard sale, but it's a goody that's for sure! It's a beautful ride up the thumb area of Michigans Lake Huron coast.

I haven't been in quite a few years, and last time I went was w/ my sister, and we went on Friday, and came home late that evening, and then on Saturday we snatched up my mom and took her with us and made another day of it!

I found lots and lots of goodies on that trip.

Anyway, hub and I are gonna go tomorrow and we're taking Zoey with us. I hope she's not bored!

Michigan BEAUTIFUL Michigan

Just recently I went on a little mini vakay to the western side of the state to visit my Aunt and Uncle. We joke that their home is a B&B....as it could easily be, as it's huge, historic, and they give the VIP treatment every time we visit!

We had a really nice time visiting, and while there we enjoyed seeing some of the beautiful sites Michigan has to offer.

They purchased this beautiful home a few years back, in horrible condition, but they've worked hard to restore it and it now is the nicest house in their little town of Fountain!

We went for a nice drive up highway 22 which follows the coast between Manistee and Traverse City. It was about a 200 mile drive (round trip) , and what a gorgeous ride it was!

We stopped at a look out site in Arcadia, and was it ever a site to behold! Our Great Lakes look more like oceans!

I climbed up the walkway to get these pics. Lots and lots and lots of stairs to climb, but so worth the trek!

It was breathtakingly beautiful!

The pics above are looking to the south, and the one below is looking to the north.

Lake Michigan is my favorite of all the Great lakes w/ it's beautiful sandy beaches and sand dunes!

There are so many quaint little towns along this drive.
Below is Lake Glen, an inland lake in the Sleeping Bear Sand dunes area. It was so pretty w/ the sand dunes in the background, and just over the dunes is Lake Michigan.

If you ever get the chance to visit Michigan, I highly recommend you do, and be sure to see Lake Michigan while you're here!

New for the Merc.....

This gal and her sidekick can be found on TDIPT Mercantile tonight, along w/ many other enchanting offerings from my TDIPT sisters!~

Be sure to check us out!

The ones that got away!

No... not just another fish tale...but a Cow Tail ;)

The story of the overturned truck transporting used up dairy cows to a "rendering" plant (what the hell does that mean, and it sickens me to think of it) made our local Detroit news the other day.

The truck had overturned in grand Rapids MI, and some of the poor cows were killed as a result (probably a blessing) but 4 of them escaped.

They showed video of the poor frightened black and white cows trying to climb over the guard rail as they tried to capture them. I felt so bad when I saw them, as I knew in my heart what their intended fate was before even hearing the story. It really saddened me to think that these creatures had spent their whole life being used for milking, and probably pregnant all the time and their babies taken away from them immediatly, and as if they hadn't given/suffered enough.....now b/c they were used up and could no longer be of any purpose to the dairy industry, they were being transported off to slaughter. It all seems so cruel, and it is. I hate that it is this way, and I feel terribly guilty for even liking cheese or milk or ice cream! I have so much respect for the vegans of the world!

I was so happy when I got the email from one of my favorite animals rescues, SASHA Farms, the largest Farm animal sanctuary here in the midwest (only a 1/2 hours drive from me) got involved right away, and they are going to be taking the cows there to the sanctuary if they can be rounded up!

YAY....I'm so happy for the ones who got away!

I'm going to be traveling through the Grands Rapids area tomorrow on my way across state, and I'm gonna be sure to be on the look out for one of these big black & white girls!

I sure hope they are able to find them so they can live out the rest of their lives at the sanctuary being pampered and appreciated since they've given so much and had such a strong will to escape!

Thank you SASHA farms for caring and acting on it!

Here is the email I got from them:

A livestock transport truck carrying former dairy cows was bound for a rendering plant when it overturned in Grand Rapids early Wednesday morning. Tragically, several didn’t survive the crash and those who could be captured finished their journey to the rendering plant. Four of the cows are still wandering the Grand Rapids area, probably enjoying their first taste of freedom. News reports noted that they would be captured and euthanized.
Phone calls have poured into our office alerting us to this situation, and after contacting authorities in Grand Rapids, we have been assured that when the cows are located, assuming they are not causing an immediate threat to human safety, we will be contacted to transport them back the SASHA Farm.
If you are in the Grand Rapids area and might be able to assist in the rescue if necessary, please email your contact information to us at info@sashafarm.org. Depending on where they are eventually located, we may need many people to help corral them into a trailer.
Our phones are very busy right now, so unless you have solid information on the whereabouts of these cows, please direct your inquiries about this situation to our info@sashafarm.org.

Oh Silly Lilly......

Did you have to steal our hearts?

Still not sure where this over the top sweet girl came from, but I do have my suspicions as to why she was running loose.

We live just outside Detroit in the home that was my grandparents as far back as I can remember, and while this area was once a nice modest community, sadly it has gone way down hill, and it's a matter of time before we're gonna need to get out. I have so many fond warm and fuzzy childhood memories in this house. I've not wanted to leave it, but yes the time is coming.

Anyway, it never surprises me to see a stray or unwanted dog running through our neighborhood. We've got an overabundance of strays in this area, and it seems people struggle to take care of their children, let alone a pet. Each time one of these strays has crossed my path..... no on wants them, cares about them, or is looking for them.

Such seems to be the case w/ this sweet little girl we've named Lilly.

When I first spotted her wandering I thought surely this time it would be different, surely this petite pup was different from all the rest, and she had gotten out of someone's yard, and an owner would be franticly looking for her. I mean just look at her! They don't come any cuter, and personality wise, she wins the Blue Ribbon! But NOPE, no one is looking for her, and I think it was no accident that she was running loose. I think someone put her out purposely b/c they couldn't potty train her.

We've had her for over a week, but I knew immediatley that she has some serious potty training issues, and I think someone has been very mean to her when she goes inside. Some people are so ignorant, and haven't the first clue as to how to potty train a dog! Whoever had her went about it all wrong, and this poor girl was so confused as to what was expected of her.

I am happy to say she is learning that we prefer for her to do her business "outside", and w/ a little help from our other 4 legged girls, and w/ plenty of praise.....she seems to be catching on to this idea, and is coming around nicely.

She keeps us laughing as she is a clown!

My intention is not to keep her. My intention is to find her a good home. It's not that I wouldn't love to have her, as she gets along beautifully w/ the other dogs, and everyone here adores her, even Stevie who usually could care less about the dogs. Lilly has stole his heart too.

BUT......I would like to find a good home for her. We have enough, and if we are overloaded, then the next time opportunity presents itself, I may not be able to help out, so that is why it may be best for Lilly to be placed in a good home, other than here. I'm trying to look at the bigger picture.

We'll see, as like I said.....she has stolen all of our hearts, and she makes herself right at home here, as if she's known us forever.

I'm still on the fence, and as hard as it will be, if a great person came forward willing to provide this girl w/ the home she deserves, I would suck it up and let her go, but I'll tell you, make no mistake, it will not be an easy thing to do.

In the meantime.....we will enjoy her and continue to work with her so that if someone meant for her comes along, she will make a wonderful companion for them, w/ no bad habits or issues that would make them want to give this loving girl up.

What will be will be....if she's meant to stay, she will.

I will keep you posted on the adventures of our Silly Lilly :)

Looky Looky......

What found me :)

I think I'm in L-O-V-E !

This sweet little angel of a girl was wandering the streets yesterday, w/ just the green collar on, but no tags. I would like to know who put this ugly green collar on such a pretty little girl?

I've searched all over and can't seem to find where she belongs.

I know someone must love her, and she's a heavy little thing, so someone's been feeding her good, but still the green collar thing has me wondering.

She is the most baby-fied dog I've ever seen, even more so than my Missy Moo. Maybe it's just b/c she is lost and homesick for her owner, I don't know, but she loves to be held. She has the sweetest most pitiful cry when I put her in her crate, even though she has a nice blanky, she still wants to be by me. She has taken a real fondness to me, and it's mutual let me tell you, and really I have never ever been crazy for the small dogs, but I knew I had to help her, but I never imagined this little one could steal my heart, and so quickly!

I am being patient and waiting to see if someone turns up to claim her, and if not she will either go to the rescue as she is extra-adoptable b/c of her size, breed and beautiful nature, or my neighbor may take her as she just had to have her 14 year old pooch put to sleep. Either way...this gal will have a wonderful home, but I sure hope to find who she belongs to. I hope they haven't moved away and left her behind.

She will be one of the hardest ones to part with, and she will take a piece of my heart.

I will keep you posted.

Coming to the Merc

Here's just a little sneeky peeky at my offering for TDIPT Mercantile July 1st update.

She, along w/ many wonderful primtastic handmades from the TDIPT crew, will be available on the Mercantile tonight after 9 PM EDT, so be sure to stop by and take a looksy for yourself~

Coming to Ebay

Here's just a little peek at my Best in Show offering for our TDIPT Group Launch. This nicely detailed set w/ be available on ebay later tonight.

To see all of the wonderful top-notch Blue Ribbon offerings from the TDIPT gals click here

There's not been a Flag Day that's gone by that I haven't thought of my Dad.

Happy Flag Day, and Happy Birthday to my Dad who would have turned 86 today. I sure do miss him.

TDIPT Ebay Group Launch

Today is launch day! YIPPEEE!

Just click here to see all the "Blue Ribbon Worthy" offerings the talented members will be listing beginning sometime today or this evening!

I'll be joining in on the fun, but I won't get my offering listed until later this week, as life around the Dogpatch has been just a bit busier than usual.

I've got a wonderfully delightful set in the works though, I promise!

Thanks as always for stopping by.