Miss you Mom.

Two years ago today I had thought the world had stopped when I walked into my childhood home to find my Mom passed peacefully in her sleep. While time does not heal all hurt, it does give you the ability to remember with fondness the wonderful memories with your loved ones. This is a poem that helped me find that comfort after losing Mom and hopefully I can help someone gain comfort from its message by sharing this.

Miss you Mom.....

When tomorrow starts without me,
And I'm not there to see,
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
all filled with tears for me,
I wish so much you wouldn't cry
The way you did today,
While thinking of the many things,
We didn't get to say.

I know how much you love me,
As much as I love you,
and each time that you think of me,
I know you'll miss me too.
But when tomorrow starts without me,
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name,
And took me by the hand,

And said my place was ready,
In heaven far above,
And that I'd have to leave behind
All those I dearly love.
But as I turned to walk away,
A tear fell from my eye
For all my life, I'd always thought,
I didn't want to die.

I had so much to live for,
So much left yet to do,
It seemed almost impossible,
That I was leaving you.
I thought of all the yesterdays
The good ones and the bad,
I thought of all the love we shared,
and all the fun we had

If I could re-live yesterday
Just even for a while,
I'd say good-bye and kiss you
And maybe see you smile.
But then I fully realized,
That this could never be,
For emptiness and memories,
would take the place of me.

And when I thought of worldly things,
I might miss come tomorrow,
I thought of you, and when I did,
My heart was filled with sorrow.
But when I walked through heaven's gates,
I felt so much at home
When God looked down and smiled at me,
From His great golden throne.

He said, "This is eternity,
And all I've promised you."
Today your life on earth is past,
But here life starts anew
I promise no tomorrow,
But today will always last,
And since each day's the same way
There's no longing for the past.

You have been so faithful,
So trusting and so true.
Though there were times
You did some things
You knew you shouldn't do.
But you have been forgiven
And now at last you're free.
So won't you come and take my hand
And share my life with me?

So when tomorrow starts without me,
Don't think we're far apart,
For every time you think of me,
I'm right here, in your heart.
~David M Romano

June Update: Summer is here...

and the month long period of craziness is over!!! Kids are out of school; scouts is on summer vacation (not meetings every week but a few over the summer to keep everyone in touch) and I feel free as a bird. Of course, the kids are in a summer bowling league and I think Ray has found something that he loves. Usually Ray and sports do not mix ~ he becomes so frustrated with trying to keep up with the action because of his motor skill delays that he'll end up completely upset with himself, others and anything in the area. What is amazing is Ray has taken to bowling like a duck towater ~ he loves Duckpin Bowling! Becky doesn't enjoy it so much but she is trying and I am trying to encourage them each to stay active this summer. I may end up with a Fall League for Ray they way he is going but it will be so worth it.

Let me fill you in on some of my craziness of the past month. Let's see, it will begin with the kids receiving a Maryland State Citation for participating in a 'No TV Challenge' which kids had to go without television, video games and other computer related activities for 2 weeks. The goal is to get kids up and on their feet playing outside, bike riding or doing something other than sitting on their butts. At the end of the 2 week period you could be rewarded with a citation presented by our one Maryland Senator and three of the House of Delegates.



The next night (yep back to back... see craziness) was the Spring Concert for the kid's school and the last Elementary concert for Becky. She has particpated in the orchestra and chorus for 3 years and Ray is in his first year of orchestra; both children play the violin. The performance was wonderful and I am very proud to say both kids are continuing in their musical training next year.



Girl Scouts ~ Although Becky is already a Junior scout; it was a big year for our troop. We had the majority of our troop bridge to Junior scouts from Brownies. The ceremony ended up being held at the school we meet at and after the official ceremony for bridging we had a cook-out. Afterwards the girls received their end of year awards. Becky received a total of 12 patches and will be continuing next year with Junior Girl Scouting.

5th grade Picnic and Dance ~ Since Becky was a 5th grader this year it brought on additional activities for the end of the school year. The PTA held both a picnic for parent's and kids one afternoon and a 5th grade dance to mark the end of their elementary school years. The picnic was held on a picture perfect day and was fun to sit around with other parents and reminense about how much the kids had grown. The dance was Becky's first big dress up dance and she loved every moment of it. Here is a picture of her in front of our house looking so grown up.

Cub Scout Graduation ~ Ray completed his Bear rank this year and has obtained the ranking of Weblos. This program is a 1 1/2 year program which is the end of Cub Scouting. We were very proud of Ray's efforts this year and at the end of the year he not only had obtained his ranking of Bear but his whittle chip (allows him to use a pocket knife), 11 arrow (elective) points, 9 belt loops, 7 activity pins and several fun patches. He is looking forward to working on next years requirements so we will be continuing in our scouting adventures.

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5th grade Graduation and Ray's last day of 3rd grade ~ What a wonderful day!!! Becky's graduation was so special. She did very well at the awards ceremony and received 5 special awards (honor roll, orchestra, chorus, middle school orchestra gala, and 5th grade advancement) and was a source of pride for all of her family which attended. Ray came to her graduation ceremony and then returned to class to spend time with his friends and to join in on their pizza party. Becky looked so cute in her white dress and although I tried to hold it in; I cried when the 5th grade chorus members (Becky was one of them) sang their farewell song. I could just picture how proud my Mom would have been of her and that was when the tears started. Ray came out of class that day with honor roll and an orchestra award as well so I thought the kids had a great year.



Bike Safety ~ In scouting, it is very important to encourage safety for our kids in any and all situations. This year I worked with the County Police to have an officer come out and teach the kids bike safety. The kids were shown how to properly adjust their helmets, check their bikes and put through a series of "road courses" to help them learn how to control their bikes.

Becky's Birthday ~ Becky celebrated her 11th birthday on the 16th from Wednesday until Friday or so it seemed! We had bowling on Wednesday which was her "official" birthday so I surprised her with a cake at the bowling alley and all the kids could enjoy while playing their games. On Friday we ended up having a party with a few of her friends and Ray brought along one buddy to pal around with while the girls had their fun. We saw Marmaduke the Movie and then went to Sakura for dinner. The kids loved watching the Japanese Chef prepare their food and was so excited to see the fire and different tricks he did while performing. Afterwards we went for ice cream at a local icon, Ann's, for their choice of a cone or a milkshake.

Lancaster, PA ~ As a special celebration of my in-laws 55th Wedding Anniversary and my MIL's 75th Birthday, the entire family went to Lancaster, PA for the day. We had lunch at Shady Maple, which is a Amish styled buffet. Afterwards we went to see Nashville City Limits at the American Music Theatre; which was a show featuring hits from current and former country stars.

Farmall ~ As a little girl, I rode my parent's tractors all day long. Well, we have purchased a 1956 Farmall International Cub. This is a little smaller than the tractors I rode on as a child, but it brings back the memories every time I climb on it. This is a picture of me taking it on its first spin around the grass. See the silly smile on my face???

Stitching Retreat ~ The end of the month I took a long ago made invitation from Sue V, a member of my Every Stitch Counts group, to come down and visit her in Newport News, Virginia. Beth Haneke came along and the family set up camp outside of Williamsburg for the weekend. This is a picture of the 3 of us taken by Sue's hubby, Butch. We stitched, laughed, watched movies and even fit in a visit to Sue's LNS, Haus Tirol. What a wonderful shop; if you are ever in the area, I would highly recommend the visit!

Of course, at the end of all of this, you are probably wondering what did I accomplish in my stitching? Did I get anything done at all??? Well, I did finish up the May Lizzie Kate which I can post a picture of and I did stitch a book mark for Ray's teacher but I forgot to take a picture of it! After I realized it I have kicked myself quite a bit since I always try to take pictures of my projects. Grrrrrrr......... I have started June's Stamp-it and I am still working a little on my Quaker Seasons. Hopefully I can make some real progress now that life has calmed down and summer has arrived. :) Have fun!

Slow but sure.....

Slowly but surely I am making progress in the stitching department. Some days it seems like I barely make it through the day before it is time to go to bed and start all over again. However, I am finding that making a few minutes everyday helps me to relax and prepare for the next day a little better. I bought this piece last year shortly after my Mom's death because the verse just really spoke to me. The piece, Quaker Seasons by My Big Toe Designs says, "to everything there is a season; a time for every purpose under heaven" and is stitched in Weeks Dye Works threads. I am working on 32 count Ivory Lugana evenweave. Although it isn't much yet; a few stitches are all that is required for a start. Luckily this piece is large areas of the same color so it is very good for stitching on during a busy day. Unfortunately, it seems like this first color of thread, Collards, is wanting to knot up all the time. I use Thread Heaven all the time, but no matter how careful I am with the stitching; it always seem to knot up. Any suggestions????

Quaker Seasons

by

My Big Toe Designs

One year

Reba McEntire has a song, "If I Had Only Known". The lyrics goes like this....

If I had only known

It was the last walk in the rain

I'd keep you out for hours in the storm

I would hold your hand

Like a lifeline to my heart

Underneath the thunder we'd be warm

If I had only known

It was our last walk in the rain

If I had only known

I'd never hear your voice again

I'd memorize each thing you ever said

And on those lonely nights

I could think of them once more

Keep your words alive inside my head

If I had only known

I'd never hear your voice again

You were the treasure in my hand

You were the one who always stood beside me

So unaware I foolishly believed

That you would always be there

But then there came a day

And I turned my head and you slipped away

How fitting....... exactly one year today I spent my last day with my Mom. Looking back, we didn't do anything spectacular on March 7th 2009; but it is a treasured memory now just the same. Most days, I catch myself saying to myself, "I gotta call Mom!" only to realize that is not an option anymore. I miss having her around to talk to when I am mad, feeling blue, sick or happy. There are so many moments with the kids that my heart aches when they look at me and say, "I wish Grandma was here." I can only smile through my tears and tell them I wish she was still here too.

March 8th was when I lost Mom. I will never forget walking in to find her passed peacefully in her sleep. I can only hope that my passing when my time comes will be as gentle as hers appeared to be. The past year has been a hard one for me and my family. I have dreaded this anniversary for most of the year and still feel like I am torn apart.

I would like to thank my friends I have that have reached out and just been a shoulder to lean on, a smile, a kind word, or other thoughtful expression. Tomorrow I will be going to put flowers on Mom's grave and to sit beside her and reflect on the life of a wonderful mother and best friend. I will go out with friends of my Mom and Me and enjoy a lunch and hopefully some laughs. Deep down, I know my Mom wouldn't want me to grieve forever; but to live.

I received this last year from a friend about a month after my Mom's death. I think it is very fitting to share with all of you. May it provide comfort to those who have lost their Mom like I have or if you are still blessed with a Mom, may it help you appreciate her.

The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is this the long way?" she asked and the guide said: "Yes, and the way is hard and you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning."

But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams; And the sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."

Then the night came, and the storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "Mother, we are not afraid, For you are near, and no harm can come."

The morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children, " A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed, and when they reached the top they said, "Mother, we would not have done it without you."

And the mother, when she lay down at night looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, For my children have learned fortitude In the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today, I've given them strength."

The next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth, clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the mother said: "Look up. Lift your eyes to the light. " The children looked and saw above the clouds an everlasting glory, and it guided them beyond the darkness. That night the Mother said, "This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God."

The days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. When the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And mother said, "I have reached the end of my journey. Now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them."

The children said, "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates." They stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: "We cannot see her but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence..."

Your Mother is always with you... She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street; she's the smell of bleach in your freshly laundered socks; she's the cool hand on your brow when you're not well. Your Mother lives inside your laughter. And she's crystallized in every tear drop. She's the place you came from, your first home; and she's the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love and your first heartbreak, and nothing on earth can separate you.

In Memory of Helen Marie Boyer (21 August 1927 - 8 March 2010): a beloved Mom, Grandma and most of all, my best friend.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone. Okay, I am breaking my own "rule" about posting a picture of the family but I just love this picture of my brother and me with our families (well minus my husband who took the picture). This was taken on New Year's Day at his house when we celebrated Christmas and New Year's together. It was definitely a hard day for me; especially when my sister-in-law gave me a rememberance ornament with my Mom's picture in it. But this picture helps me out quite a bit because it shows a family which is coming together through a difficult time in our lives.

Last post for 2009

Well, the year is waning to a close and I just want to wish everyone a wonderful, healthy, happy New Year! I wish 2010 will be a year that is full of beautiful moments for all of you; and that you will be able to enjoy the upcoming year with friends and loved ones.

2009 has been a very hard year for me and my family. We lost the matriach of the family, my Mom, suddenly in March and since that time our family has been struggling to keep our chin up and honoring her memory by going on with life. She wouldn't want any of us to stop enjoying every moment but at times it is very hard to not look back with a tear in your eye and a ache in your heart. All of us has had a big adjustment and different challenges come up when we have had to depend on our lessons she taught us and forge a new path.

On the other hand, it is very true that a person finds their true friends in times of hardship. When my world felt like it was falling apart, friends came and helped pick up the pieces and was just there for a shoulder to lean on. For those who have been there for my family, I thank you.
As the song says,

"For old acquaintance be forgot,

and never brought to mind?

Should old acquaintance be forgot

and auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne."

God Bless you all and Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday Mom

Today Mom would be 82 years old. Wow, how times flies.... I remember celebrating her birthday last year in Pennsylvania and how much she enjoyed herself eating the Amish cake and other goodies we had while camping that weekend. Today the kids and I are off to the Smithsonian Institute Museum of Natural History to do what Mom loved us doing best ~ spending time as a family and I know that while only 3 of us may be walking the hallways there will be a 4th person there in our hearts.....

We thought of you with love today, but that is nothing new.

We thought about you yesterday, and days before that too.

We think of you in silence, we often speak your name.

All we have are memories, and your picture in a frame.

Your memory is our keepsake, with which we will never part.

God has you in His keeping, we have you in our hearts.

A million times we`ve wanted you.

A million times we cried.

If love could only have saved you, you never would have died.

It broke our hearts to lose you, but you didn`t go alone.

For a part of us went with you... the day God called you Home.

~Author Unknown

Father's Day and Stitching

Happy Father's Day to all the father's in the world! I spent today remembering my childhood with my Daddy who is still my hero after all these years. I can't believe it has been 31 years; I still can see him in my mind's eye. Here is a picture of my parents which I love; they look so happy together and it is how I like to think they are for eternity. Miss you Mom & Dad..... Love You!

I spent this week working on my Kind Fond Love Sampler by the Sampler Company. This piece has been so enjoyable and I seem to have a hard time putting my needle down. There is so much color and it makes it enjoyable project. As I work on it, I have enjoyed finding out about he history of samplers and what the different meanings of sampler designs were. Here is a list of what I have stitched so far and their meanings.

Roses - love & beauty

Stag - gentleness & pride

Crown - eternity & fidelity

Hopefully, my next update will show as much progress on my BRD sampler. I am hoping the rotation between the 2 projects will give me some variety between projects and will keep my stitching ADHD at bay!

My Puppy Story

Thursday was the kid's first day off school and I went into work as usual at o'dark thirty in the morning. When I came home I asked the kids to put the dogs out for their bathroom break and when they came in just started getting ready for Cubscouts. After scouts when we came home I realized Sam was missing. Sam is my Mom's dog which I inherited upon her death along with her orange tabby cat, Ginger, to bring up total animal count up to 8 (4 dogs and 4 cats). Frantically I started looking for him along with George until almost 2'oclock in the morning. Got up early for work and waited to call the local Animal Shelter to see if they had picked him up. Their answer: come by to see for yourself - we don't answer questions over the phone. George rode over and found our own little convict in isolation/observation and called me with the happy news. I was never so relieved! I had pretty much spent the night crying wondering if I would find Sam since he is somewhere between 15-17 years old. He isn't in the best of health but is happy just being with his family and I plan on taking care of him until it is his time to join his owner. We did take him to the vets which is something we hadn't done since taking him over in March and found out he had a major skin infection which had been bothering him for quite sometime. After a few other cursory treatments (ear cleaning, nail trimming) and purchasing medication for his ears, worming (as a precaution) and steroids and antibiotics for the skin infection we were $373.00 shorter in our wallets. To spring our "Folsom County Prison" convict out of the slammer was another $100.00. Turned out he snuck out of the house when George and the kids were leaving to go to daycare. Hopefully, Mr. Happy Feet (or as the Animal Control officer nicknamed him - Shuffles) will not pull this little stunt again!

2 Weeks...

Well, it has been 2 weeks since my Mom died. The amount of friends and relatives that either stopped by, mailed a card, sent flowers, called, made food, or some other type of support was amazing. The funeral was beautiful if such a word could be used to describe such a situation ~ the music, laughter, memories, tears and song just really made it heartfelt. I provided the eulogy for my Mom and I think it was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. It doesn't seem possible that she is gone, I still catch myself wanting to call her on the phone to check on her, talk about my day, tell her something funny about the kids or just talk about nothing particular.

My brother and I have been working through all the details and it seems that I'll be likely moving back home later this year. This is actually something that makes me very happy and neither one of us wanted to give up the house which has been our home for 31 years.

Today, I buried my Mom's best friend, Phyliss. She had also had a heart attack on March 8th; but survived for a week before being taken of a respirator. I was asked to provide her eulogy which I did in honor of both her and my mother.

I am ready for March to be over. I do have a few things to share with you all:

Mom's Eulogy
Mom,
The past few days have been really hard. I miss you so much already and I know this is a pain that will never leave my heart. The other night I sat in your chair and I looked at old photos through my tears and smiled. I have talked with friends and family, reliving moments, sharing laughter and tears.

You always said you were your Daddy’s girl ~ how you loved helping him butcher hogs, riding the planting machine and taking him to the racetrack to watch the horses run. I remember stories of you and Emory creating mischief, digging sweet potatoes and catching field mice to scare your sisters. You told us of when you met our Daddy when you were 15 years old and how much you loved him. You married shortly after graduating high school and lived happily together for 33 years. As you said, you didn’t always have much, but you always had each other.

Dad and you worked side by side on that farm. In the spring you tended hotbeds and plowed the field, planted your seeds and later went to market and lived by the harvest of your hard work. I remember you saying that a verse you saw was your favorite, “Who plants a seed beneath the sod and waits to see believes in God”.

You raised Charles and me with a tight rein you used to say. We always knew you loved us growing up, even when we made you mad. I read in your yearbook that you were known for your quick temper. I am glad some things never change. You were my best friend. We could disagree and argue but at the end, we always stuck together.

You loved being a Grandma to all 5 grandchildren: CJ, Jessica, Becky, Brianna and Raymond. I’ve heard you say you enjoyed being a Grandma because you had time to enjoy them. I remember asking you to be there when I brought my children into this world and how you were right beside me waiting to hold them in your arms.

You loved camping with Charles and Michelle, George and me and the whole family. I nicknamed you “Hobo Helen” because you always had your bags ready to go and lined up down the sidewalk. The yearbook said your favorite song was “Don’t Fence Me In” and it was appropriate. You never let the grass grow under your feet.

Thank you Mom for being a wonderful Mom. You never let us do without and always taught us right from wrong. We didn’t always listen to you but you loved us anyway. You loved being with friends and family ~ playing cards, having dinner on the holidays and enjoying a good conversation usually about the old days. Someone wrote to me the other day “Mothers maybe gone from our sight, but never from our hearts and memories”. I know you will stay in mine.

When I found you this past Sunday, I knew you had gone to a better place; you weren’t hurting and tired anymore. We have gone to see Daddy together for 31 years. Sometimes you held my hand, sometimes I held yours and sometimes we walked side by side. Today I’m walking with you one last time, but I’ll be following you and it will be the hardest. But I know you want to be with Daddy; a day never went by that you haven’t missed him. I know if I’m very still and listen very hard as we carry you over to the garden, I’ll hear you saying, “Hi Sweetheart, I’m so glad we’re together again”.

Love you Mom.

The video tribute that Charles and I had made for Mom can be viewed at the following link. It is permanent and can be visited as frequently as you like. http://videos.lifetributes.com/57815#

Loss Mom

On March 8, 2009, Helen Marie Boyer. Beloved wife of 33 years to the late Raymond I. Boyer; loving mother of Charles Raymond Boyer and Carol Marie Boyer-Crosby; cherished grandmother of Charles Raymond, Jessica Marie, Rebecca Marie, Brianna Nicole and Raymond Wesley. Dear sister of Henrietta Bernice Wolfe and the late Virginia June Warfel, George Elbridge, Charles Emory, Karl Wesley, Myrtle, and Emma Zepp. Helen was born in Odenton, Maryland to the late John Wesley and Grace Helen Zepp. She graduated from Arundel High School in 1945. During her years of employment, Helen and her late husband operated a family farm located in Severn, Maryland. She also was a school bus driver and a Cafeteria Manager at Harman's Elementary School. Helen was a member of the Ladies Auxillary at Post 276 and AARP. In her spare time, she greatly enjoyed attending church, camping, gardening, and reading.

Okay ~ I'm starting 2009 in February!!!

Finally life is getting back to normal ~ Woooooohooooooooooooo! As most of you know, Mom had quintuple bypass surgery on December 16th and came home on January 16th after spending 2 weeks in Washington Hospital Center and then 2 weeks in a local rehabilitation center. She is doing well and I finally got to come back home to my little place on February 2nd. None the less to say, the whole experience had been very hard on all of us, especially Becky and Ray. We are very glad to be back home and while we are still having to do a lot for Mom every day since she is on very limited activity, we enjoy going home at the end of it all and curling up in bed or chilling out in the family room.

Let's see..... what interesting news do I have to share with you all???? Well, Becky was given the Rising Eagle award at her school in January and was mentioned in her newsletter. She really enjoys all the activites at the school and participates in both chorus and string ensemble. She wants to see if we can play a duet at the spring concert since both mom and her play fiddle and while I would enjoy it; I would like to see her perform on her own. We always try to come up with something for the family reunion in July and I think if I can talk her into it, we might try a duet there. We'll see. Becky also has been very busy with girl scouts between holiday events, roller skating, and badge work. She has decided she is going to work on her bronze award by volunteering at the rehabilitation center that Grandma was in a day or two a week. She will visit with residents, help with bingo and other activities, and try and help the nursing staff with filling water/ice cups, delivering snacks, etc. I'm very proud that she is ready to due her part in volunteer work.

Ray had pinewood derby in Cubscouts and while we didn't have the fastest car; we did win a few heats and at the end of the day; he still walked away with a prize! Ray's car, named "Treeco's Racer" was blue with lightening streaks down the side and one of his favorite Pokemon characters was painted on the front courtesy of me. Over the past year he has became a NASCAR fanatic and somehow he thinks his Mom can paint details on a pinewood derby car like the Kasey Kahne's and Dale Earnhardt's car has all the sponsors on them. Ray ran one of the 5 fastest runs during the day but at the end of the day he did get recognized for the funniest car and received a ribbon of recognition. I don't think any NASCAR driver could have been any more excited winning the Daytona 500 than he was over his ribbon. Too cute!

Stitching hasn't been going as well as I would have liked; there has been so much going on with my Mom's recovery and keeping both houses going but every once in a while I managed a few stitches here and there. I did manage to meet up with Beth tonight at the Borders in Annapolis for a stitching group and to hang out with the true blond diva; Kasey K; her golden retriever. Beth did honor me with a blog award (Thanks Beth!) which was my first award I have received in the blogging world. Of course it wasn't for my frequent posting but for my stash enabling in cross stitch but everyone has to have a talent right? The write up for this award was as follows:

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

So I'm going to think for a day or two about who to nominate for my blog award and will post in the next few days. Hopefully I can keep some stitching time in the schedule and I'll post some updates on that front soon too. Since life is starting to settle down from the last 2 months, I decided that my Happy New Year was starting in 2009. See ya!

Happy New Year 2009

Happy New Year! Hoping all of you enjoyed your Christmas holiday and had a safe, wonderful start to 2009. My good news is my Mom was transferred to rehabilitation on Wednesday afternoon and started therapy this morning for 2 1/2 hours. I'm hoping she can come home in the next few weeks when some of her strength returns.

Stitching wise, I'm hoping to complete my first finish tomorrow. My reindeer ornament is coming along but with Mom being released from the hospital, and putting together clothing and toiletries to take to her, I didn't have a chance to finish up today. I was quite pleased with my stitching results in 2008 - 23 finishes in one year which was a new record for me. I'm looking forward to participating in the ornament challenge with several ladies from my stitching groups, participating in a Blue Ribbon Designs SAL, and working on some of my personal goals in stitching. I am finishing up the scarf I have been working on and then I have another scarf I need to make for my son, Ray. Of course, it will be green because that is his favorite color.

Ornament Challenge Underway

Well, I decided to get a start on my 2009 Ornament Challenge by picking out a few ornaments, bagging up the supplies, cutting and fray checking the fabric. I even managed to start the first ornament which is from a book I picked up Friday from Michaels. It is called Ornaments Galore by Ursela Michael and seems to have a lot of cute, whimsical ornaments in bright colors. I decided to stitch a reindeer first and so I have started working on it and was quite surprised with the progress which I made. I am by no means a fast stitcher, so it will take me a few days; especially when I return to work tomorrow. The true challenge for me will be the finishing techniques since I have not finished an ornament other than adding a piece of felt onto the back of the piece. I would love to learn all the different ways of finishing ornaments and pieces and become more confident in this so I guess I'll start practicing.

My mom was very well tonight, she even got up while I was there with minimal help and went to the bathroom and got into the bed. She is starting to feel more like herself although she still has good days and bad days. She becomes frustrated when she has a bad day but that is to be expected when you consider the extent of her surgery, other medical conditions and age. She is 81 years old with two knee replacements and is a cancer survivor.

My finish(es) in stitching and knitting

Well, I FINALLY finished the LK Blessings of Christmas that I have been working on forever. It had been a UFO earlier this year and I decided that it was time to pull it out and finish it. So yesterday while sitting in my Mom's hospital room while she was sleeping, I put the final stitches in the linen. Woooooohoooooo!

Earlier this month I also finished up my daughter's scarf which is my first completed knitting project. I have another scarf which still requires a fringe to be added before it is marked as done. I am hoping to finish a 3rd scarf which will be a belated Christmas gift (for Mom) later this week as well so I won't post that picture until it is received.

I also am adding pictures of the kids Winter concert which took place a few days before my Mom's heart attack. Becky performed on the recorder, violin and in

the chorus. Ray performed on his flutophone. What is a flutophone you may ask? (I know I did!) It is basically a recorder with raised finger holes which aids younger students with the finger placement.

I have been working on two of my BAPs - Dance of the Roses (Told in a Garden) and I See the Moon (M Designs) but I haven't made enough progress to really post a picture yet. I have been working on America by Trail Creek Farms and also on Don't get your Tinsel in a Tangle by Lizzie Kate. I am hoping to start some new ornaments this week for next Christmas since I would love to set up a small tree one year with all handmade ornaments. I even have joined a blog called the 2009 Ornament Challenge. There is no exchange, just you are encouraged to stitch and finish a ornament a month. The location is http://2009xmaschallenge.multiply.com/ if you are interested.

I am hoping to see Mom tomorrow and will hopefully continue to see the improvement that I have been seeing for the last few days. Will keep you posted. Thanks for the prayers and kind thoughts ~ they are working!

What a busy week!

I am so glad the past week is finally over. My mom has been hospitalized twice, admitted for observation once, taken to her primary doctor once and I've forgotten the number of perscriptions that had to be filled. It all started last Sunday when she called and said she wasn't feeling well; we ended up in the local hosptial from 7:30 a.m. until 5:00 pm. that night and they only found a urinary track infection at the time. The hospital had ran blood tests, a urine test, a CAT scan so they sent her home with a prescription for antibiotics and said she would be fine. NOT! The next morning she called me really sounding upset that she couldn't get her eyes open for the amount of infection in them, she had gout acting up in both legs and she was nauseous. We ran her down to her regular physican who gave her eye drops for the infection there, medication to calm her stomach, and suggestions/medication for the gout. When the doctor called the hosptial for the results of the urine culture they said it hadn't came back yet...... Does my story end here????? NOT EVEN CLOSE!

The hospital called on Tuesday, changed her antibiotics and we hoped all would be fine. The gout and eye infection seemed to be coming along okay at this point. Everyone made it through Wednesday with no major issues but Thursday the bad luck cloud rained down again. My mom was sent to the hosptial with chest pains, shortness of breath, and dizziness. She arrived at 11:00 that morning and we did not hear anything on any test results until well after 5:00p.m. that night. After blood tests, Xrays of her chest, and a VG test (some sort of pulmonary test), they wanted me to take her home because I quote, "Antibiotics can cause some sorts of chest pains sometimes, we don't know why." Well, after the week so far, I just had to ask how they could send home an 81-year old woman without having verified that there was no heart related issues; no EKG, no Cardiac enzymes, no complete cardiac workup. The doctor actually says, "Well the e-coli your mom is suffering from may be causing some other infections in areas of her body we don't know about"......... I just looked incredulous at this guy and said, "You mean you are going to send her home, I don't think so!"

Well, the good news is after 24 hours of observation and the necessary tests required to ensure no cardiac damage had occurred; she is home and resting comfortably. She has been diagnosed with acute COPD and I think I'm going to need to look into oxygen as needed for her next week with her physician. The antibiotic change seemed to have caused her stomach reflux to have caused burning in her esophagus that was causing the chest discomfort. I actually stayed over with her last night to make sure she was okay and made her take it easy today while I cooked and cleaned her house, did her laundry, etc. Tomorrow I have to work 12 hours again (yeah - can't you tell I'm excited) so I'm hoping to have a chance to stitch and catch up on all my emails; all 500 of them.