aaaahhhh...

I am HOME, cozy and warm at last.
What a week I've had. My "day surgery"
for a broken kneecap landed me in the
hospital for 3 days. Day surgery should
be illegal for anything more than removing
cats' claws! I am whipped, but so glad to be
home with my sweet family.
Walk carefully! Do NOT break your knee cap.
It is not fun.
xoxoxo~dale

That *&!$ glass IS half FULL!

Okay, so my kneecap is broken ... in half. So what? I am SERIOUSLY happy that this is all I am dealing with. As health issues go, it is not that bad. It is , afterall, fixable. I'll be fine, just gimpy for a while. I am thinking positive thoughts about all the digital work I can do now that I can't cook or do laundry. I refuse to feel sorry for myself! I mean, girls, imagine freedom from household chores for possibly MONTHS! How bad is that???

I have TEMPORARILY closed my Etsy shop for a few days so I don't get too far behind on orders. I will re-open ASAP... hopefully early next week.
And if I do get a little blue, I am going to order myself a MARIMBA!!
It is the sure route to Happy-Land!

My surgery is early tomorrow morning. The doc assures me he will be wide awake
and ready to piece me back together at 7:30. Then he is flying off to the
Napa Valley to buy some wine. Me? Oh, I think I'll just rest a bit.
xoxoxox~Dale

coming soon to a kneecap near you...

No, that's not a satanic emblem, just my futute kneecap after I have surgery on Wednesday morning. I will be wired and pinned back together and on the long road to recovery. I just called "Dancing With Stars" and told them I might have to push off my appearance for a season. Poor Maxim. His heart will be broken! May's ascent of Mt. Everset is on hold, too... not to mention my Victoria's Secret photo shoot. What IS on tap, you ask??? Crutches, PT, drugs and lots of daytime TV, crossword puzzles and naps. Thank God for this laptop!

The worst thing is dressing., it is awkward, but that's not the real problem. The thing I am hating is that I am wearing my 16 year old son's track shorts and t-shirts... not cool... It is nearly impossible to maintain any since of style under these circumstances. ugh...

Well, I am off to bejewel my cruthches!

welcome to my world...

Horray, spring is here! The sound of lawnmowers and weedeaters fills the air in suburbia. The sun is bright and the birds are busy building nests... and I am in bed with an "immobilzer" on my right leg, because I shattered my knee cap (patella) yesterday... No, I am not kidding, not one little bit. Will and I were leaving the grocery store yesterday and I slipped on the bumpy things in the sidewalk that are there to alert blind people that they are entering traffic. I landed right on my knee cap and I have to say it was a horrid experience. Hours in the ER netted me a very ugly set of x-rays and a bunch of pain pills. I will see the orthopedic surgeon (hopefully) on Monday. I feel pretty awful...
My sweet friend Jana came to my rescue, rushing me to the hospital and taking Will for the evening. The husband and kids have been taking good care of me. I'll be okay, just no skateboarding or ballet for a while...

What a spectacular morning!

The Spring Break Goddesses have smiled upon us all week

with beautiful, warm, sun-drenched days!

This weather is like a double-shot of joy to my soul!

I always feel rather victorious at winter's end,

a bit giddy to have survived the grey, cold season once more.

A bit of sunshine renders me hopeful and energized!

I hope your Friday is beautiful!

I can't think of many things that make me happier than saying

farewell to winter! Well, saying it from the deck of ship

would be nice, but anywhere feels good!

Speaking of feeling good, I am getting better every day.

I am trying hard to keep up with my digital orders

and have even taken a few hours to work on some new

jewelry projects! I am trying to decide if I should put my

new creations in my shop or save them for Paper Cowgirl.

It sure feels good to be able to create again!

Hope spring has sprung in your neck of the woods, too!

xoxoxox~dale

thank you

thank you, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Oh, I so appreciate the good wishes you've sent! I am feeling much better and am thinking positive, cheerful, bright and colorful thoughts!
I am also grateful for DRUGS! What a difference it makes when you are given the right treatment! I have a few more weeks of antibotics, but I am on the mend and ready to get back to life, fun and creativity!

that's it!

Okay, enough already! Last night I threw in the towel and heeded the advice of my insurance company's "ask a nurse phone line". She suggested that I "go to the ER within the next 3 hours."
This infection I have, that seems to sneer at antibiotics, was getting out of hand. The doctor gave me a big ole jug-o-antibiotics IV and some morphine as a side dish. I will get my lab results in a few days and hopefully the IV and the 2 antibiotic pescriptions I started on today will finally kill this nasty beast! I am so OVER feeling like I am under water. This has been putting a serious crimp in my creative abilities... hell, it's been putting crimp in my functioning-like-a-normal-human-being abilities, too!
Okay, enough boring health chat. I am so excited about Paper Cowgirl! As soon as I feel better I am going to get back to work on my goodies for Vendor Night. I have also started putting my class kits together. We are going to have so much fun!!!
Well, Mr. Vicodin says it is naptime and I always listen to him. Night-night...
xoxox

in case you wondered...

Frigidaire Washer, originally uploaded by saltycotton.

I've been distracted by feeling lousy for the past few weeks, but I must share my J*O*Y over my snazzy , new Frigidaire front-loading super-deluxe, ultra-fab washing machine! Girl, if you want really appreciate your little household helpers, try going without one of them for a few weeks. I guarantee you will be glowing with happiness when said gadget or machine is repaired or replaced.
This item has an added "feel good" factor in that it is an EnergyStar appliance. I even get a nice fat credit from the city on my water bill for using it! Gotta' love that.
It is a dreamy, beautiful Sunday afternoon and I am trying to use mind-over-matter to make myself feel better. My antibiotics are letting me down and I continue to feel sub-par. How utterly boring. Perhaps I'll do a load of laundry! That should cheer me right up!! ;)

ready to go

ready to go, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

I mailed my soldered glass houses today. What a fun swap! I have already gotten 3 and they are gorgeous. I am not a big swapper, but I couldn't resist the thought of 10 little glass house strung together to make a garland/neighborhood.
It was in the 80s here today! Needless to say I adore this weather!
And I am finally feeling better! Thank God!

you don't want to miss this!

Miss Dale showing one of her lantern examples, originally uploaded by FaithandChocolate.

Well, here I am in all my teacher-y glory at Paper Cowgirl . LOL!
Despite my less that delighted looking students' expressions, we really did have LOTS of fun. It was the start of my class and I imagine they were still trying to figure my wackiness (and my outfit) out. Good luck with that!
I am thinking of offering wine at this year's class. The students might not need it, but I will! Public speaking is not my most fav activity, but I can manage and if you come to my class I can guarantee you'll laugh... at me, probably, but that's cool!
You can find Paper Cowgirl info here... http://papercowgirl.blogspot.com/

modern medicine

Though I have been fighting it, I have really felt lousy for several weeks now. I am trying a different, kick-*&% antibiotic and if this one fails I am off to buy some Hops & Malts Bitters... hey wait a minute... can't I get that by drinking a beer?
It is a beautiful day here... 80 degrees and sunshine. I can''t tell you how happy I am to know springtime is nearly here!
I want to thank everyone who has signed up for my shadowbox class at Paper Cowgirl! I am already preparing my class kits, filling them with pretty things for making our bird themed creations. There are a few spots left. Hope to see you there!
I am also working on my goods for vendor night. My work table is buried in lace, glitter, ribbon and other delights. At this rate I'll need a U-Haul to transport my stuff down to Waxahachie come June!
I hope spring is showing her pretty face where you are today!

I love color!

What on earth is more fun than playing with color? I love to sort things by color! My clothes and jewelry are all catagorized by color and even arrayed in rainbow order. Weird? Perhaps, but I LOVE the way it looks! I notice color everywhere and it delights me.

Today I played with color, working on digital orders. It was a cool, but beautiful day. Signs of spring are everywhere. If only our economy could be reborn along with the grass and flowers. I'm afraid it will not be so simple or swift as that.

I hope your Monday was colored with joy!

it's all good...

Well, after a week of feeling lousy, taking antibiotics that kicked my butt and perhaps made me feel even worse, I am getting better! And my sweet son is returning from San Diego where he went to attend his friend's sweet 16 party. I think he had a great time and made some new friends. That makes me smile!

Despite feeling yucky, I have been plugging away on digital orders and a few other projects.

Also this week, I got my new washing machine, which I love beyond all reason! It is like a robot... so smart and covered with shiny buttons and twinkling lights!!

We've had a bit of a cold snap (aaarrrgg!), but it will be warming back up to the balmy temps I adore later this week. Spring is near! Oh, joy!!

And last but not least, check out this great organization my church is joining. http://familypromise.org/