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Even though there was snow on the ground this morning, it is all gone now and a blue sky is overhead. Here's hoping that this means that Spring will be out in full force soon. I have seen the first robins already; so it is close.
This post is to inform you that my Mom has been discharged from the hospital and is home! She was discharged two months from the day that she was admitted. What a long haul it was. She is now resting comfortably at home and building her strength back up. We were lucky that all of our family, friends, and nursing staff at the hospital took such good care of us. Thank you for all of your kind thoughts and deeds. I am hoping that I will be able to get back into the swing of normal life; which means updating my blog with more frequency. So, to that end, I will see you later this week!
Please sign up to win this magazine. It is full of inspiration; especially the Christmas ornaments by Chris at Red Lead!!!! I will draw a winner on Sunday night and mail the magazine out on Monday. This is a "quick draw McGraw!" (Edited to add the winner: Well, 4 people signed up. I can't understand that random number picking site so I told Mike to pick a number between 1 and 4. Miked picked NUMBER 3 and that is Patti! I will mail this to you tomorrow Patti! Thanks for all who signed up. As you know I wish I had one to send to everyone.)
I am hoping that this is the last weekend I will have to visit my Mom in the hospital. She had her surgery this week and it went very well. She has been recovering from that kind of slowly; but everyday brings some improvement. Yesterday she had two cups of apple juice; her first oral intake in seven weeks! I can't wait for the day when we can just have a normal day of running around to antique shops or spend a day crafting. I will be sure to have my camera ready on that day!
I am almost finished with Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult. Excellent read! I am totally involved in this story. Speaking of books, I joined Paperbackswap.com. Here is how it works; you list books on the site that you are willing to send to other people. You get credits for books you send out. Then you can "spend" those credits to receive books from a huge list of books that are available. It is fun! The only cost is postage. I urge you to sign up! The more people that sign up the more varied book selection they will have. I have seen tons of books on there that I have read and loved.
Best wishes to all for a wonderful weekend!!
Today I met up with some gal pals to attend a reading/signing by author Jodi Picoult. We had a fabulous time talking, eating lunch, and then foisting books on each other. My friend Trish brought her niece Jessica. Pictured above is Jessica meeting Jodi Picoult. It was great because Jessica was so excited to meet her as she loves her books. It was really great to meet a teenager who is so into reading and is such a lovely young lady. She also has her own pet sitting business! This girl is going places I tell ya!
I am currently reading Jodi's new book and it is very good. 
Another exciting part of the day was meeting and hanging out with fellow blogger Patti! Her blog is Creative Cottage Dreamer. Patti and I have emailed and I think we have tons in common. It was so very nice of her to join us for lunch and the book signing. I loved meeting her and I hope that we see more of each other. We both like to stamp, read and cross-stitch; so it is not like we don't have lots to talk about! (Pictured above me, Jessica and Patti).
My dear friend Sharon joined us too which was so wonderful. Sharon and I met up early so that we could arm bands for everyone to have their book signed. Also, not pictured are my friend Joyce, her daughter Hannah (another young lady who loves to read!), and her sister. There is nothing like being in the company of like-minded people to really inspire you. I just feel so happy to have spent time with all of these wonderful gals.
Here are Trish and Jessica still basking in the Jodi glow! We are all going to try to get together in May for a reading that Elizabeth Berg is doing.
On the health front, my Mom is still in the hospital. It has been 6 weeks. The light at the end of the tunnel can be seen though. Her surgery is scheduled for this coming Tuesday afternoon. My brother and I will both be there with her. This surgery should take care of things and then she should be on the mend and ready to go home soon. Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, cards and flowers. It has really helped us to get through this time. I am hoping to get back to a regular blog schedule. I have missed being part of things.
I have been absent from my blog due to the fact that my Mom has been in the hospital these past ten days. She has a severe case of pancreatitis and is on IV therapy. She will continue to need this therapy for weeks. It has been a most scary and anxiety provoking time. As you all know, it is so very difficult to watch someone you love feel pain and become helpless for you are then at the mercy of hospital personnel. I have the utmost respect and admiration for good nurses. They are lifesavers in so many ways; especially when they take the time to be good to family members. I feel blessed that the nurses taking care of my Mom all seem to be truly caring individuals. I am confident that my Mom will make a full recovery; but it is going to be arduous and will take time. I am so thankful for the support we have received from her friends and my friends. So, if I am not around for a few days at a stretch that is what is going on.
I was lucky enough to win a book on Lesley's blog so I wanted to return the favor to someone else. (Go visit Lesley's blog because she has her 10 ten reads list up!)
Here is a book that I read last week. It was very good; one of those that you can't wait to get home to (my new criteria for a good book). It is about a married pregnant woman whose husband is having an "emotional" affair.
If you would like me to send this book on to you please just leave me a comment with your name. I will pick a winner on Saturday and have your book in the mail on Monday!
EDITED TO ADD: We have a winner......Danielle, please email me your address. I wish I had enough copies to send to all of you.
Run, don't walk, to the bookstore to get these two special publications from Somerset! First up is Somerset in Love. I cannot tell you how great this magazine is for fans of altered art, stamping, vintage ephemera, and just plain old eye candy! I am lucky enough to know several of the artists in this magazine and I am thrilled for them. In fact, one of the artists, Heather Simpson-Bluhm, is the genius behind my blog banner. Marilyn Healy started the collaborative round robin that is the subject of this special issue. I love her artwork. I was lucky enough to participate in her Alphabetica round robin which was such fun. Their work is so gorgeous and absolutely stunning. If you liked the publication "True Colors" then you will love this too. 
Right next to Somerset in Love was this eye-catching magazine, Art Journaling. The cover is unmistakably the work of Pam Garrison who is a genius. Lots of inspiration in here folks!
It was the perfect capper on a Friday evening to find these magazines at the store. Mike and I had to run out for toilet paper (!) and so we also managed to squeeze in my 15th time looking at Barnes and Noble for Somerset in Love. Finally, it was there! Then we topped off the evening with my most favorite meal, Taco Bell!!! Following my burritos, I was up to bed to page through these magazines and dream about creating such beauty.
Merry Christmas!
I hope that all of my wonderful friends that I have found through this blog and in my life have a very happy Christmas! I wish for you moments of peace, time with family, and some of that special Christmas magic that only happens at this time of year.
Photo Credits: The photos posted here are by the brilliant woman who is behind the blog at Creative Breathing. If you go to her Flicker photostream you will give yourself several moments of pure joy!!!! Also, her blog, by the same name, is on my blog roll.
My Mom has a magical touch at Christmas time. Her house is a vision to behold. It always brings me feelings of joy, wonderful childhood memories, and it embodies the Spirit of Christmas to me.
My Mom decorates so beautifully with bits of whimsy here and there that just add that extra something happy!
Every year in December my Mom and I try to do a special day together before Christmas. Usually we go shopping. This year due to lack of funds we decided to hang out at her house (my childhood home) and she was going to learn to cross-stitch.
My Mom already is a great knitter, quilter, and needlepointer; but she has not cross-stitched and that is the only needlework I know how to do. So, she made us a wonderful lunch, we walked around the house looking at the decorations, and remembering where all of them came from; and then we sat down to stitch.
My Mom is working on a little Swedish girl ornament which I will show you when she is done. It is totally cute.
On December 27th my Mom and I are going to take a little mother-daughter trip up to Crystal Lake, IL to a cross stitch shop I have not been to. 
Also in the new year we are hoping to take a class on stitching on linen at The Country Cupboard in Orland Park. Great place!
We wish that my Grandmas were here to go with us.
Also in the new year we want to make more ornaments like the one above. We love, love, love them. We learned to make them at Red Lead Paperworks in St. Louis. 
My Mom's mantlepiece is always a wonder.
I love how she decorates for Christmas with old toys.
These are the stockings my brother and I have had since we were babies. My Grandma made mine and my aunt made Todd's. 
Merry Christmas. God Jul.
Wishing you a season of joy, wonderment, and peace.
