Theres No place like home!

Well everybody....Looky here I keep clickin these old ruby slippers cuz Im trying to find my way home, but I was lost for awhile in sickee-ville!

I thought for sure I was buyin the farm this time.

As many of you know this nightmare began with the exhausting symptoms of whats considered a (hep c flare up). Since my immune system was comprimised from this, I ended up catching this flu, which turned into "Acute Bronchial Pneumonia" so 9 weeks of goin down hill fast. No wonder I was feeling depressed.

Unfortunatley Im not medically insured until July 1st, so rather than pedal backwards financially, I tried my best to wait it out and take care of myself with otc methods.

But as my hubs said as I finally gave him the medical reigns on Saturday night as we bundled me up and drove me to the local ER defeated and resigned that "this wasnt getting better but worse, and its bigger than both of us, we needed help!"

The good news is that yesterday I felt like the grim reaper could go find some other victim cuz it wouldnt be me. Keep steppin Grave Digger!

I woke up yesterday with such a burst of energy, I was feeling euphoric. I drove Ronnie to work, went to the grocery store, straightened up the house, walked the dog, changed the sheets, even made macaroni salad and B.L.T. grinders. When I picked Ronnie up from work, I was rockin out with Led Zepplin and Bad Company while I was driving. I had the shades & leathers on, sister was ROCKIN OUT! I really didnt want to go to bed cuz I was worried that I wouldnt feel the same excitement I felt all day...I was right. Today? not so much...Im pooped!

But I also know that I am on the mend, I just over did it yesterday. Imean I was in bed for 3 days and get up for my last sitting of my tattoo and my computer classes, Id manage the homework, and end back up sleepin for 3 days. Then Id manage to get up and do something else...and back to bed...I was really feeling scared. The depletion and gradual progression of this sickness came upon me and I hadnt realized just how ill I had become. But I thank you all "once again" for your prayers, well wishes, comments, and private emails.

Today, Im going to take it easy. Im actually looking forward in sewing today. I so miss creating.

Ive also got some great news to share, Ronnie had done some welding as a side job for this man who hasnt been able to keep his payment commitment to us. But he is an antique dealer and offered us a beautiful light pine knotted antique dining room table and matching chairs, (nicer than any Ive ever had) and a soft sage and rose floral love seat and sofa, (not antique and much newer than mine) Imagine having a sofa thats not herculon tweed! Yikes...

So because as much as I love someone elses treasures, I still kinda tweak out about...well having someone elses treasures, so the man agreed to have it professionally cleaned for us. I recieved the dining room set and love seat and the sofa gets delievered on Saturday! Ill be sure to show and tell when I take pics.

I really missed being among the land of the living, i missed surfing, posting, creating..i even missed housework...I must have been delerious to have missed that!

Today is my last day of meds and tomorrow I have my Drs, appt. Im not bringing my toothbrush as the Dr, suggested, I am not planning on being admitted.

I thought I was lookin pretty good the other day until I looked in the mirror in the ladies room at computer class, the pasty complexion that hadnt seen sun or fresh air in awhile, my red eyes, raccoon circles and hue of jaundice...with the bigatzu in place... Im just grateful someone didnt toss me a candy bar wishin me a happy halloween! POOR KAT! where did she go?????? No wonder poor lil Opie wont leave my side, hes been on the death watch! well I fired him yesterday! I fired em all. Im comin back!

Temporarily disabled

Shots of nyquil twice a day...

bedrest.... Lotsa loungin...

Keepin away the fever w/ rubbing alcohol, tepid baths.

Im pumping the fluids....

and hopin for the best!

As some of you know, Ive been really sick for the past month or more. Hoping and praying that because I was told it was viral, time was of the essence, meds wouldnt help, I would have to wait this out... Until my husband threatened me with calling an ambulance the next time I took a 6 hour nap! So I bundled up on Saturday evening and off to the local Walk-in medical clinic in the next town...I had a chest x-ray, a breathing treatment which helped, but gave me the old jitters like I was withdrawling from sumpthin ferotious back in the day...was given an I.V. bag of anti-biotic and something from the dehydration, given the diagnosis of having Acute Bronchial Pnemonia and home I went w/ zithromax anti biotic, prednisone, an inhaler, and a script for cough syrup which Im holding off filling, since Im hoping Ill begin to feel better with everything else.

I havent forgotten anyone, I will take part in the name game and games of tag when Im feeling better. In the mean time Im temporarily disabled. I have an appt. on Friday with my pulmonologist who was contacted while I was at the Walk-In facility. He called me yesterday (on Easter) & told me if I wasnt improved by Friday he wants to admit me. YIKES..... Thems fightin words!!!!we'll have none of that!!!!! Im a horrible patient.... No really...H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E

So I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter Celebration and I appreciate and thank you in advance for any and all prayers. Ive got to go slab some more Vicks Vapo rub on the bottom of my feet, I was told that would speed the healing process.....Id do just about anything at this point to feel better and avoid a stay at the "Annie Wilkes Inn"

TAGGED, TAUGHT, AND TATTOOED!!!!!

TAtToOeD

Is this not just bbbbeeeautiful? I have to admit...I almost "pussed" not passed but "pussed" out towards the very end, I wasnt feeling my cheerios, actually I felt like I could have bitten someones face off! But just when I was convinced I couldnt take it a minute longer...the cool spray and gently swipe of antiseptic brought me back to life. I was so euphoric I could have kissed him!

It sure didnt look like this in the broshure!!!!

I finally completed my last of 3 LOOONNNGGG sittings with Steve aka "The Original Inker" Old School Style aka Kinky Inky! We started this process of painful artwork about 9 weeks ago. 3 sittings with about 3 weeks in between to heal.About 13 hours all together! OUCH!!!! but sooo worth it.

Theres no way I could have possibly afforded this large tattoo on my own, but when Steve offered to bless me with this gift, after Ronnie and I had helped him...whats a girl to do? I am a walking business card for "Guideline Tattoos" In East Hartford, Conn. (wonderful website by the way.) One of his artists Kevin Brady is the artist of the stars and has done some incredible work on John Melloncamp, The stars of Waynes World & several others in his hall of fame!

TAUGHT

I had quite the busy day yesterday morning, before being artfully and painfully branded, I had my first computer class!!!!! I know its hard to tell in the pics above while I was srunching up my face, but could ya tell I looked a little smarter?????

AAAHHH folks, I was in my element. I lOVE learning! it was an awesome experience. I got so choked up for a minute thinking..."look at you Kat, actually sitting here believeing in yourself, there isnt anything you cant do" it was such an "ah ha" moment for me. It was an absolute beginners course, although I was familiar and bacsically knew everything the instructor introduced to us, I learned about 4 new things I had NO clue about. I know it sounds silly, but I cannot wait till old Zoey girl freezes up on me so I can hold down the appropriate keys and delete the sentence in my "task" window that tells me shes not responding! IGNORE me will ya? How do ya like me now????

I felt such joy and got such a kick out of the other 2 students who had never been on a computer, learn all of this. They were about my age, so I understood their awe and wonder. We all take such simple things for granted dont we? Well I can see already, our patient instructor "Sharon" who volunteers her time to make a difference our lives while teaching us computer basics, has a primitive doll with a slate of ABCs holding an apple, has her name on it in my head that Im going to create for her to thank her.

TAGGED

NOW I thank Blondie for tagging me, and asking me to divulge 5 things that people may not know about me and then pass it on.

1) When I was 6, I was staying at my grammas house & while visiting a friend, I was mesmerized as I watched the old ringer washing machine thumping away, being fed socks and towels thru the feeder and curiosity didnt exactly kill, but maimed this Kat as she fed her index finger thru it....The surgeon at the hospital told my Dad that it would have done less damage had I inserted my entire hand thru it rather than the old pointer, cuz all I did was cause more tearing. I would have just ended up with a broken bone or two, but I caused much tendon and nerve damage to myself. I almost lost my finger. I was slave to a sling and wore a huge pressure bandage and cast for weeks. I still have the old zipper scar around my finger!

2) The same year, again at my Grams, I was showing my deep love towards my "Chatty Cathy" doll & while kissing her, & something malfunctioned in her mechanisms and her lips locked on mine and we couldnt seperate "Chucky" I mean Chatty Cathy from my mouth... so BACK to the E.R. with doll secured sucking my face... They had to cut the doll from my mouth and I had 3 butterfly bandages adhering that lip wound closed, and it was at that point my love for stuffed animals began.

I mean DANG!!!!!! no wonder Ive been in therapy for years!!!!!

3) Back in the 80s, when I was in my prime (28)... a very wild stage in my single Mom era of life, I dated a very famous W.W.F. Wrestlemania Star. We dated for about 2 months, and Im glad it ended, my hair didnt fit in his Lamborgini anyway. I was 5 feet 10 inches tall "without" my hair and heels and he was only about 5"9 but very large, very sweet, rich, and very unfaithful!!! He left nursing a couple of body slams from me!!!!

4)My husband and I recently came out of the "Country Music Closet" for the past 4 years, my husband and I have been Country Music Lovers, after hiding it from people and being old "Classic Rock" fans. We used to make fun of people who listened or loved anything w/ a twang in it. But after seeing Toby Keith in concert, my husband shouted over to me while we were acting a fool rockin out of our minds: "Honey, were goin home and puttin wheels under our house!" and weve been avid fans ever since....even watch the Country Music Awards every year, have a rediculous collection of music cds, and adore Montgomery & Gentry, (mmm yummy) & Big & Rich and I know Ronnie would leave me in a heartbeat for Gretchen Wilson!!!!

5)My nose is pierced!

SNAGGED

Now it is my pleasure to tag 5 friends of mine....please feel free to participate and if your not a tag lover...just know that your a fan of mine and Ill love ya if you play or not...sooooooooo without further ado....

1) Deb Wilkenson from "The Laughing Doll"

2) Erika from "Erikas Cupboard"

3) Emily Franz from "Hootin Annies"

4)Jennifer Jones from "Buttuglee.com"

5)Cookie from "Curds & Whey" (I know youve been tagged before but not fom me, so did girl dig!!!!

Minnie gets a make over!

I was honored last week when a dear friend of mine asked me if Id be willing to try and fix her daughters BFF Minnie who had been in her life since she was less than a year old, Mikaelas now 12. Im a doll maker, not a doll repair-er, but never one to give up a challenge, I accepted. So she arrived and although smiling, looked a bit haggered, probably the same way my guardian angel looks after protecting and comforting me for years

So I reinforced her tares, and kept having blow outs from the pressure of my previous stitches, so I decreased the size of my needle and used a finer thread and walaa. I replaced her cuffed lace with new bright white lace, better secured her head and then even gave her an ear lift. Minnie now has perky ears, and brighter eyes, (oh if it were that easy huh ladies?) I repainted her eyes, added a spot of glitter to her once dull and scratched glaze, and then came the skin graft. I knew although I had sewn her bare spots, she would continue tearing, so I dug deep in my stash and found a soft bleached muslin and cut small squares & rectangular pieces and handstitched them on to her lil tattered body.

Oh the Pressure.... Opie was sniffin sumpthin on this doll that he became obsessed with. he was sportin that look that said "I gotta have me some mouse...I gotta have me some of THAT mouse" so each time I would leave the room or house, Id safely sit Minnie on top of the fridge, tryin to keep back the visuals of callin my friend to tell her that although the surgery went well, she got eaten by a 13 pound dog!!!!

So now that the skin graft was complete and I painted my lil heart from all of my Scaredy Kat originals" on top of her neked body...I couldnt very well send her back home without new threads... Minnie was in dire need of some new digs....no pattern to help with sizing, I threw caution to the wind and started tracing and sewin away and I even made her a new bow to sit proudly between her perky new ears.

When I thought about the teaparties, tears and fears that this lil stuffed animal provided for this little girl, I thought they both deserved my best efforts. At first I was a bit leery, I knew this wasnt an ordinary doll, this was someones best friend forever.

How touched and honored was I, to think that her Mom trusted me enough to take this surgery on, she knew it wasnt even close to the realm of my experience, but believed in my personal mantra of trying to do the very best I can, in all I do. I learned that once I took the fear factor away, I was actually able to enjoy the process of giving Minnie a huge surgical make over. I pushed myself and am quite thrilled with the outcome. It opened my mind to embrace challenges that may first appear alot bigger than they may be.

So Minnie will be Florida bound on Wednesday. and shes "not" the only one that had recieved a make over.

Primitive vs Whimsical

Hi Everybody...

Well since Ive been working so hard on this particular primitive doll order, Ive been learning so much about myself. Such as I never realized what a VERY detailed orientated woman I am. I know primitive art is celebrated and expressed through the beauty of simplicity. But I never realized how difficult it is to know exactly when... less is more!

Some of these chillins have no faces...no hair...nor mouths...how will they tell their Mommies that theyre cold or hungry???? Ive had to say more than once: "Kat... step AWAY from the needle and thread!"

Ive learned so much about following directions, keeping the patterns as written and not adding or decreasing what I think would offer them POP!

Ive learned the importance of time management, self discipline, grunging, baking, sanding, rag stuffing, packaging and adding props. Ive never worked with wood or a jig saw and although at first I may have paniced...ok who am I kidding? I fweaked out! I did, I did, but the hubs knew exactly what "luan" wood is, and weve talked about investing in a jigsaw anyway. so I have learned so much with this doll order.

Im only about 6 dolls shy from completion, and Im so proud of myself for taking such a large commitment and not "just" creating these dolls, but showing up even when I was feeling a little limited or confined since they werent a "Scaredy Kat Folkheart "design.

On the days that I was feeling stressed, I stopped the order and created my own design and thats when I created Mimi I shared with you a couple of weeks ago. Mimi if you remember has lots of color, hair and a big mouth, much like her mama! Then I had a swap I was involved in that kept my creative juices flowing. so I learned how to work around "not" feeling stifled and was able to return to the sewing machine with a song in my heart, feeling refreshed.

I dont ever want to lose the feeling of whats really important on this wonderful journey of doll making. I dont ever want to forget how many blessing Im able to give and recieve from the woman Im privilidged to meet everyday.

I dont ever want to lose site of the gifts I have been given. When life happens or if I let myself down or feel disappointed with others & their frailties or human-ness, I dont have to join any circus that may be in town, I can keep my eyes on my own vision and continue thanking God for all Ive been blessed with. I can go into "my zone" and sew, paint, stitch or create. I have a place to go to thank God for the radical changes Hes inspired me to make w/ His help, the friendships & women Hes put in my life, and never go back on my promises Ive made to Him or myself about trying to be the very best I can be in everything I do.

So I absolutely believe Ive been given the better part of this deal in terms of my being commisioned to make dolls for this shopkeeper.Ive also learned my level of confidence has improved, I know only a couple of months ago, I would have been a nervous wreck with the old negative tapes playin in my head telling me my work will never be good enough, but Im actually quite excited for this woman to see the work I created for her from her patterns.

I didnt learn that kind of confidence on my own...oh no...you all had a little bit to do with that growth spurt in me. So thank you all who have encouraged me, supported me, and continue to inspire me to push myself.

JERSEY TICKS

EEEEEEWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Ok...so last Friday afternoon my son blew us away with a surprize visit... from Jersey...and although he didnt bring his wife, he didnt come alone!!!!

On Saturday morning his brother hollers to me as Im pecking away on my putter, "Hey Mom...does this look like a tick on my wall?" Sho nuff...little buggers slowly scaling the wall...so Jordan says..."Hmmm looks like a Jersey Tick to me" ( Im not alone in thinkin his brother "very" much a suspect now) so we confiscate the tick...did I tell you I have an unhealthy FEAR FACTOR about ticks????

although I dont care for ,but dont freak over centipeeds, roaches that I used to see in clients homes when I was an outreach counselor, or any creepy crawlers, but ticks to me are the rabid pitbulls of a bugs life.I am a "certified" "sissified" Scaredy Kat when it comes to ticks. especially Jersey Ticks.

So I wipe my tears away and see my first born off on Sunday, and sadly go on with my day...It was an awesome visit where we did little else other than eat delicious comfort food, veg out on the sofa, watch rented movies and learn how to cut, copy, and paste, on my computer...I told you my son was amazing!!!! The ONLY one whos been able to teach me this task...& Ive had many try! so other than giving his Mama facial twitches w/ his lil hitch hiking blood thriving parasites....Im just sayin!

Later that night in bed, I throw my socks off cuz its so hot, I run downstairs, turn the heat down and hop back into bed and decide to lather my legs w/ a new body cream from Vicorias Secret (a Christmas gift) so Im goopin up and all of a sudden...I feel this small bump on the bottom of my leg!!! WHAT THE ????? OH MY GAWD (LOUD SCREAMIN HERE) and the sweats, hyper ventilating, dropping everything cuz of the greasy massage products Ive got ALL over me, I get the bifocals...pinsharp tweezers, a pin.... baccitracin (sp)ointment, smelling salts. (exaggeration) and begin the surgical proceedure....

Prognosis? ...JERSEY TICKITIS! Im just sayin....Ive lived here with an inside cat with lots of long fur, hes a Mainecoone, known for their unusual long hair,,,, kinda makes an Angora look like hes sportin a fade....a ticks HGTV dream home, our dog Opie who goes outside every single day and in the 4 years weve had Opie and the 8 weve had Mr. O'Malley, weve NEVER seen a tick. & believe me I look, ok , I dont look ... I drive the babies NUTZ with my OCD combing, spreading the fur, checking for lumps, discoloration, rashes, missing hair, searching and tick hunting after every pee pee trip, or walk outside. Im an avid tick hunter. If I could find a way for the babies to have little I.V. poles & bags with time released "Frontline" Flea & tick juices flowin...I would, at any cost. So when the "Copper" comes home for a weekend respite freaking me out with a story about a tick he just found on his floor in his own home and all of a sudden were infested...ok, maybe not "infested", but I was ready for chemical warefare when Jordan found the first one boldly crawling on his bedroom wall. I swear...he was smiling at me as if to say..."Whats up Kat? Catch me if ya can" I wonder what he was sayin as he was swirlin away in his sea of blue Tidy Bowl form of transportation to the East Hartford Hock? Ya... How do ya like me now? Ticky, Ticky, Tavy? HAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!

Im just sayin!!

Is there anyone out there that can support, or relate to my Tick Obsession? come on...fess up...I dare ya...Double dare....ya know ya wanna....

Hands....Dwell in Possibility!!!

I have a really bizarre fetish of sorts...I love looking at peoples hands. I think they tell alot about a person. I wonder sometimes about the wonder of hands, the same way I do when I see an antique...I think, "where has it been? what story or history does it hold?"

well, I think about my own hands..theyve both blessed, and made messes. Ive spent the last several years rebuilding and creating a new life for myself, and family. Ive done some under handed things with these hands that im not proud of and those stories are private and dont belong here, but Ive also done some amazing things with these beginning to wrinkle, calloused, scarred, painfully arthritic, and often upreached to the heavens begging for mercy, olde hands of mine.

They have so many stories of their own. They have gently spanked little hineys when I needed to spare the rod and spoil the child, theyve been grasped in grief, & prayer when I buried my sister, my Father, my grand daughter, & a host of family and friends, theyve also been cemented together in prayers of gratitude for the joyful births of my own 2 sons, their ups and downs in life, and mine. Theyve planted seeds, gardens, baked pies, cooked delicious dinners, journaled, sewed, painted, stitched and written letters to God, and my son when he was away fighting a war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Theyve pounded in frustration on this computer when I decided to join the millenium and participate in electronically communicate which opened doors in my world that blow my mind, helped develop the amazing friendships I celebrate and share with you all the time.

Mine have done some amazingly wonderful things since 19none of your business, my question is what have yours done? I think it would be so interesting to invite you to bless us and share what your own hands have done? We all have stories wed prefer to remain private, so Im not asking for those, unless you feel compelled...but Im excited to hear about the miracles that your own precious hands have been a part of. Who have they touched? How have they made a difference? How do they serve God? or your community, family and friends????? oh pretell...

HANDS DOWN....WE WANT TO KNOW!!!!!!

"My Ya Ya's" Filling some big shoes....

This is what Im talkin about...Blessed by friendships that enrich my life EVERY single day!
I pass this "You Make My Day Award" to...drum roll please....
Deb-the Laughing Doll
Robin-Bittersweet Pumpkin
Jennifer-Buttuglee.com
Stacey-The Ravens Haven
Erika-Erikas Cupboard

You all make my life a little sweeter. Thank you Sherrie for honoring me with this award..Im humbled & grateful.

I just wanted to pop in & let everyone know how much Ive grown since being privilidged to know some of you.

Usually Im so busy being so hard on myself, Im unable to see the forest thru the trees. But after some recent soul searching Ive realized that I have indeed incorporated some courageous changes in my life. These changes wouldnt have been possible without the encouragement, support, and believeing in me that a handful of you have blessed me with. How do you thank someone for those gifts?

Well I guess if it were me...I would want to be thanked by seeing the person continue grasping for what was once thought impossible. For me...it would be my desire & passion to push myself and not fear all the hidden creativity just bottled up inside of me. I need to unleash more of it. I went thru quite a personal experience creating my new design "Mimi" Oh the wonderful but personal revelation I experienced while creating her.

And of course my deep passion and hunger to learn so much more on this computer. Not just to have fun on this blog, or participate in forwarding awards I recieve & am expected to pass on, but to share other artists links, especially those who have generously posted mine on their blogs. I am so very grateful I thank you kinfolk for your patience. I have promised to post yours and I intend to honor that promise. The delay isnt for lack of trying. I will learn how to master this.

I want to learn new things that others take for granted on this computer so I can bless some of you the way youve blessed me. I have been asked by Sherrie of Symple Thymes to...ok folks, get this....be her "Administrator" to her awesome new site & dream come true..."Artisan Chronicles" which is a fabulous site to gather together as doll makers. Not a place to feel pressure to market their wares, & meet deadlines, but in fact quite the opposite, a place to come and just "be" maybe network, meet new friends reconnect with old, share ideas, participate in challenges, swaps, embrace new ideas, learn new techniques and tweak some old..celebrate our work, pets, families but especially ourselves... So when she told me shed be "honored" if I considered taking this position and share her vision..I first thought...what in tarnation is she smokin?????? does she have a "CLUE" as to who I am???what I cant do???? and when I asked her this she claimed lovingly...generously that she indeed was aware of all I have and "can do" & "will learn to do" God had put it on her heart to invite me...no..Sherrie, the honor is all mine. as long as she understood I wouldnt be able to be the "go to girl" for "TECH SUPPORT" but Id show up with a spirit of expectancy, joy, and willingness to give & learn all I can.

And then recently being asked to fill a large doll order from another online artist/friend of mine, I am in awe of how you all trust me, & because Id do things for someone else before Id do them for myself..well the Lord sure works in mysterious ways....I am surley getting the better end of this doll making order than the woman who hired me is. I am learning so much about myself. I am able to embrace following directions in her patterns...Im learning how to make new dresses, pantaloons, wings...hair..time management...presentation and packaging...and props lots and lots of props.

So when I initially began this blog, this journey......I wanted so desperately to be like...Stacey...Peanut...Blondie....Sherrie.... Robin...Twigs... Cookie...Deb....but God has so gently used you all to help me to accept that I can learn from all of you, but being Kat is a trip!!! (a goode one) & although Im not a computer techie (yet)...Its because Ive been blessed from all of you in so many ways that thru my own journey, that I am indeed more than enough. I thank you all, but you were all right, Ive got my own shoes to fill. and theyre pretty darn big!!!!

IMAGINE...the old 12 step adages are true...."if you want what I have...do what I do"

"Act as if " bring the body, the mind will follow" I have learned so much from so many of you. In 4 short months, I am an entirely different woman, a better woman. Im kinder, softer, empowewered, more patient, my faith has grown.... My confidence has grown... my belief in myself has grown.. deepened with God.. I trust in my process, Im stronger, not so scared......not so much that Scaredy Kat any more. I am in awe of the changes in my life, I have been invited into some of thee most amazing social circles. Developed some amazing and intimate friendships, online and in my personal life.

Ya know, sometimes we get so caught up in making sure we are "heard" or validated when were injured or something was done "to us" or we hear a variety of complaints about things weve done or not done...and Im so sick of the negativity were pummeled with, so I am intentionally taking time to validate & thank my kin folk...my friends, my sisters.. my Ya Ya's.. and let you know how much I adore you. how youve touched and impacted my life . how grateful I am that God saw fit to lead me to you. I am a spoiled and grateful woman. I thank you. if we dont take a minute to lift, love & celebrate eachother...then who????

New Toys & Primitive Joys

Mimi....she looks like shes thinking "yup... Im so cute,its all about me"!

This is why I LOVE swaps! Kelly from Missori sent me these goodies. Thank you Kelly. I am a spoiled but happy woman with my new primitive toys and joys. I got a bunny, an angel, a homespun placemat, speckled & primitive muslin eggs that she made, a candle, and rosehips in a bag w/ lil teeny tiny clothespins...too cute. Thank you Kelly.

I also took a break from the large primitive doll order Im working on so I could express my own passion to detail. I love making someone elses patterns for their shoppes which Im hired to do now with this particular order, but its hard being a doll maker, not to add your own details such as faces, or hair, or a button here, or a jingle bell there, but I cant if its NOT in the pattern!!! so after being on doll 4 of this persons order, I just had to break camp and create MiMi. I originally wanted to make a little boy wabbit. I even had a name to go with who I had in mind...Dooley.

However Mimi just blossomed out of nowhere & Im so glad she did. I am head over carrots in love with this baby. Let me know what you think.... Her big juicy primitive carrot shell be soon holding...is marinading in some Spring stew & wont be ready till morning.

After designing and creating Mimi, Im now ready to go back to my large shoppe order, it was so nice to take a break. Ive really got the best of both worlds, able to work for others, and still unleash whatevers inside of this crazy heart of mine. I hope you like her as much as I do.

The Fresh Snow has Blessed Me with Spring!

Poor Kathleens been" sittin on the dock of the bay"...oh sorry, no she hasnt, shes been sittin here by my staircase just patiently, humbly, waitin for me to sew her up some clothes!!! I figures Id better do just that before someone around here called Dolly, Children & Family Services.

But Ive been so busy ya know as Ive shared all along...being sick, being depressed, lettin the house go to...well you know where it goes when youre in bed dyin from the flu.

Hells Bells No wonder Ive been depressed, who wouldnt be if they had this kinda housecleaning waitin on them. This calls for some chemical warfare!

But I wanted to thank you all who prayed & wished me healing thoughts. I had an awesome day yesterday, & I believe it was a direct result of everyones prayers. Being as sick as Ive been, this house needed groceries...lots and lots of pantry, fridge and freezer refills. But before I could even think about doing that, I had to clean the fridge from all the wonderful leftovers and take out food Ronnies been holding down the fort with.The wonderful rush of energy started there, So we loaded up the truck and we moved to Beverly...oh no we didnt... we went to Walmart for canned goods, & cleaning products, then we hit BJs Warehouse & found me some excellent deals. Next off to pay some bills, came home felt like collapsing but I saw little chilly Kathleen just sittin there, so I sat down and whipped her up some threads...

Today I even accepted Ronnies invite to breakfast at Maddies here in town. I came home scrubbed the bathroom, did the usual Saturday morning routine of housework, and laundry, and later were sittin down for some homemade stuffed peppers, salad & garlic bread.. Yummy...

Its been the first time in months that the hubs didnt have to work on a Saturday...at his paying job, but he worked alright...shoveling the 8 inches of fresh snow we were blessed w/ last night and into this morning..

But I have to admit, rather than grumbling about the snow and how ready I am for some spring sunshine and warmth, I did still feel warm knowing the beautiful white purity of the snow reminded me that perhaps its Gods way of whispering to me that fresh white snow might just represent new beginnings...& although the weather may still be frigid, my heart was very much warmed by the heartfelt prayers, private emails, cards, and phonecalls from my dear friends who have been so concerned and surrounded me with their strength until I found some of my own. Thank you all so very much.

So today Im really pretty exhausted physically, but it is such a freedom to feel just that & not the dibilitating sadness I cant even seem to identify. So Today Ill show up for this business of life again, put one foot in front of the other, and know Im not alone. Believing that this will pass. Heck...I even put my commisioned work order of dolls aside for the day, so I can whip up a big silly wabbit Ive had haunting me to create....so Im off to see the wizard... Oh, no Im not... Im off to work on my wabbit!