Jubilation!!!

A week ago, I had a lumpectomy done.  I've known about the lump since March.  But with the move, Kerry's health, Mom's health.....and just life....I guess I didn't know how much I was worried about this until the surgeon called and said the all the cells were benign.

Who knew one could feel such jubilation??  Such praise to God for His grace and glory!  Kerry and I celebrated most of the day.

How?  By driving 9 miles to a neighboring village and having lunch at a BBQ place we had seen.  And then I spent 2 hours wondering through the antique stores this little place is known for.  More about all that later.

I came home inspired to play.  I'd seen this done in one of the cute little shops.

Take old lace that you have and wind it up loosely, then pinch one end and tie a ribbon around it real tight.  Fluff open the other end and it sort of looks like a flower!  I did it with some old doilies first:

used 2 doilies for each little flower

And I took apart some silk flowers to add to the mix

Thinner lace looks a little like rose buds

And I made a rose from silk - you can buy it by the yard from Creative Impressions

and then I stuck it all in a cut glass bowl I picked up at the thrift store ($.99)

It's great to go antiquing if you want to get inspired!  And what a great way to store my unused lace.  Now, if I look at it every day, how long until I decide to use it?  One must live in creative surroundings in order to live a creative life!!!

Choices

I believe that there is a reason for everything that we do in life. I also believe that every second is a choice. Right, left. Good, bad. Sleep, work. We constantly make choices. And the summation of those choices is the path our life takes us on. And the journey continues to amaze me.

For whatever reason, at the present time, my path is filled with cancer. Not in me, but all around me. My Aunt Eleanor survived polio as a child and is now battling cancer. Her daughter is a breast cancer survivor. I lost another cousin to brain cancer. My friend Joyce is a 12 year survivor. And I have other friends who are in the midst of the battle right now.

A few months ago, I stumbled across a blog being written by a former pastor of mine. I've kept up with it and want to share it with you so that you can read this most amazing story.

First. How many men would bother to write about their wife's cancer? His story is so amazing just from that standpoint alone.

If you want to start from today and go backwards, then click here

If you want to look at the progression of Carol's journey, then click here

I attended Jim's church from 1994 - 1997. I sang in the Living Christmas Tree. I sang in the church choir. I always enjoyed his messages....but I do believe he is writing his greatest messages in his blog about Carol.

If you read through all of his posts, you will learn that they combined a variety of treatments as well as prayer. But what comes across the most...is that we have the right to choose our treatment plan. We do not have to listen to our doctor...or to a group of doctors. We do not have to listen to what our health insurance limits us to do. We have the choice to seek out alternative treatments....or to simply pray, and let God take care of us.

I have learned so much about cancer, the options, the choices available through Jim's writings. At one point, I was crying because I felt certain Carol would not live until he wrote again. It has been several months that I have been following her journey.

And I cried happy tears the day Jim wrote that Carol walked into church without her wig on. I was just so proud of her. No, I do not know her on a personal basis....only as the wife of the pastor of this church that I attended. But just gaze upon her photos and you will see a woman who is a survivor. And a man who loves her.

I think their real story is just beginning.

"If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."

It is a simple choice, to believe, or not to believe.

Mariah's Journey

Some days, you get a note, or a phone call, hear from a friend.....and the news is just so wonderful you want to scream to the world!

So instead, I will blog!

My friend, Mariah, is just 16 years old and had surgery 2 days ago to remove her thyroid which had a tumor attached to it. I just received word that there is "no cancer"

And Mariah's mom asked me to write her a poem, so here it is:

Just 2 tiny words
"no cancer", I read
My heart felt a leap
"Praise Jehovah!" I said

A spring in my step
A song in my heart
I feel like dancing
And making new art!

Mariah's journey
Cancer free today
Stay that way always
That's what I will pray

Praise Jehovah now
Always - forever
Keep the tumors gone
Wrap your arms 'round her

Just 2 tiny words
Turned our day to glee
And here's that poem
For you, just from me


Oh! I am so relieved, so happy, so thrilled.....so grateful to Jehovah for all that He continues to do, for answered prayers and for friends like Mariah who keep me young at heart!

Click to read Mariah's Journey

Giving back

On my 40th birthday, someone gave me a card that had the "when I am old I will wear purple and red" saying on it. Something was wrong with that...something just didn't fit - for me. Several years later, I wrote my version of it and put it on a card to mom because it was really me saying the things I thought she was thinking at that time.

"When I am old, I will wear green and blue to match my bruises. I will laugh loud and long, and I will have drama in my life. When I have time, I will sit in my garden and paint my flowers. My friends will come for coffee and I will make them biscotti. I will take long, slow trips and wander through art galleries and take pictures of old doors, old mailboxes and old houses. When I fall down and get bruised, my children will come and take care of me and then they will tell me that I have to go live with them. But I shall say no and live alone and sit with my cat in the shade and laugh at my grandchildren and not be afraid. I will play with the child that's still inside of me. My bones will shrink and I will get short and my hips will get wide and I will buy a pound of chocolate and hide it on the shelf. I will read my Bible and tell the angels they were wrong when they take my children before they take me. I will keep my bags packed in case you want to go somewhere and start my car every day just to make sure it still runs. When I am old I will wear green and blue to match my bruises, I know they will be doozies!!!"

I always wanted to have a rubber stamp of that saying. So a year ago, I was working with Linda Hanson at After Midnight Stamps and things just evolved to where she and I decided to produce a line of stamps for Lucy McGoo. My sister, Colleen, did most of the preliminary sketches of Lucy...she is just so talented!

Lucy as art:


This sheet is dedicated to my sister's granddaughter, Anna Lee. Anna was born with only two chambers in her heart. At the age of 2, she has already had 10 heart surgeries. As soon as she weighs 30 pounds, she will undergo a heart transplant at Stanford Hospital in California

10% of the price of this sheet of stamps will go directly to the Anna Lee “Little Lucy” Heart Fund at Stamford. Your purchase will not only bring you joy in the years to come, it will help keep Anna (and other children needing heart transplants) alive.

Anna needs a new heart. You need new stamps! Together…we can spend our money to make everyone happy!!!

Lucy as an angel:


This set of stamps is dedicated to Israel. One million five hundred thousand twinkling lights is what you will see when you enter the Children's Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. 1.5 million tiny lives that were never given a chance a generation before most of our lives began. In honor of each of these children, 10% of the retail price of this sheet of stamps will be sent to Israel. Lucy wants to be an angel to all children, young and old! May you find your angels everywhere you look!!!

Lucy Dances:


Lucy can’t begin to fathom life without her hair!
But all around her, more and more of her friends and their friends are getting cancer, undergoing chemotherapy, and losing their hair. Joyce has survived 11 years now. Nola has survied 5 years! Janis starts chemotherapy in 2 weeks.

10% of the price of this sheet of stamps will go directly to the Susan G. Koman Cancer Fund in the hopes that one day, none of Lucy’s friends will be lockless. Together, let’s keep Lucy in lots of locks!!!

To date, over $600.00 has been sent to these charities. OK....I guess I have to confess that just a bit more than 10% is being given away! I am so blessed by my art that most of what I receive is simply given back through these charities in the hopes that someone else will be able to play just a little bit more.

If you would like to purchase any of Lucy's stamps, just click here.

We are working hard to bring you more stamps in the near future!