Thankful Thursday

One of the many reasons I am thankful today:

my niece: Princess Batgirl
photo by my sister-in-law Candice Wiesblott



How I spent my Thanksgiving

One month ago I tested mildly elevated for a CA125 ovarian cancer marker test.

It was considered an early warning sign for a cancer that is often diagnosed way too late.

Through the tears, I saw this as a gift and a reminder that life always offers surprises.

 

under the power of many mantras and bathed in love

 

On November 16th at 11 am I had surgery to remove the 5cm endometrioma that was causing all the commotion and concern. I knew going into the surgery that I might loose my left ovary to the disease.

I'm allergic to everything...
 

 

two hours after surgery, still a little green but walking per doctors orders
 

my swollen tummy and bruised button two days post surgery

 

My doctor was able to remove the cyst and save my ovary, she also declared that she saw nothing cancerous or cancer suspicious during the surgery. *
I can now report that all pathology came back clear...we got it in time!

 

I have experienced an OVER POURING of love, and kindness from friends and family.

I am beyond words, embarrassed from the fuss...but humbled and so so honored.

I can not thank you enough, really.

 

my oldest friend stayed with us for the first four days
She and hubby made it easier to ride the waves

 

Today marks one week since the surgery.
I have not taken a single pain pill, no need for them as there has been no pain!

I have spent it re-cooping and laying low.

My hubby has mostly convinced me that although it feels like I could sneeze or cough my innards out of my incisions, that is not the case. 

 

I have also spent a good bit of time burping and laughing.

You know what I mean....

Fire breathing dragon, art purchased from the 8 year old Ruby who lives across the street.
A sweet deal at .25cents
Ruby says: "I draw animals really well"
I agree

So I have been juggling many plates these days...work and work and life.

Aren't we all though...

I attended a memorial service this last week, and although no one likes to think about death.

It had me thinking a lot about death, mine, family lost and still here and my hubby.

Frankly, It shook me up pretty good.

I was thankful for a date that night with my sweetie to try

and

reset all my fears back up on a shelf and enjoy the present.

Murphy's law had a good laugh that night, as the concert we went to had a lot of songs about loss, heartbreak and untimely deaths.

I guess I needed to address my fears...or at least acknowledge them.

In light of this "eye-opening" experience, I have started to take vitamins again, had my doctor look at some funny bumps on my leg and am slowly walking away from bread and dairy....

slowly, I mean there is no reason to act suddenly don't need to shock the system or anything.

Gosh I love mint chip ice cream....

We have also begun to actively looked at when we can take a little vacation.

We had a little break this last July joining some friends at a lake, but hubs and I have not taken a good vaca since our "honeymoon" two years after we got married...so that would be 2004!

In the meantime, I have been making new work and submitting it where I can. As I told a friend, my goal is to make my husband a kept man...he has done so much for me it is the least I could do.

He thinks this is a fine idea as well.

I was lucky enough to see my friend Tiger Huang's exhibit at The Ojai Center for Art.

It was an amazing exhibition of traditional Chinese paintings of animals and landscapes mixed with his current loose figure work. Tiger studied traditional calligraphy in China and the central installation piece at the show was an amazing display of this tradition.

the piece started with a large rectangle of paper on the floor that had line after line of character brushwork, on top of this lay practice books splayed open and face down on these papers, surrounding a wooden box that was filled with meticulous lines of characters that were pulled from the box and pulled over the ceiling supports. The size and detail in this piece left me silent, to me it displayed such discipline and focus and love for his art. I was inspired to find a greater focus and purpose.

Still silenced from this work I wandered home slowly and found a lovely meditation spot but a mere couple miles from home.

A reminder to grow and plant ideas and water them.

I am a sucker for a good garden what can I say...

plus there were baby goats!

I have made a few new pieces one was just accepted into a juried show that offers Art Advances, this means I am in a drawing for possibly winning some cold hard cash as well as selling some work!

I submitted three pieces but am thrilled with the one they chose:

"A Sense of Something" 2011

this piece has all my hallmarks:

Phone poles, clouds, my scratch thru with the ink and it is PURPLE!!

Hopefully someone will love it and take it home

Until the next epiphany, I am going to be in the garden grounding my thoughts

 and pulling weeds, it is good for the soil and my soul.

Thank you day

Making Nana & Aunt Elizabeth's Sweet potato puff 

I am thankful every day of my life

I have been taught from a very early age that there is no reason to wait to give a gift,

say what you feel

and

hug someone.

I am thankful for that.

My Goddaughter

My beautiful goddaughter is almost 5 years old....she is a daring, bold, curious, joyful young lady.

I had plans yesterday to go down to Manhattan Beach to attend the first board meeting for the Los Angeles Printmakers Society. I was sad because this meant I would miss my goddaughters birthday party at the local skating rink and I had yet to see her roller skate.
I woke up yesterday with out the alarm clock I had set and realized I would never make it in time for the meeting....but I could make her party!
I looked at my husband and said " I'm going roller skating with Gabi !"
What was going to be a disappointment was now a joy !

I have a history with roller skating that only a few people really know about, I practically lived in my roller skates between the ages of 7-12 years old.

The visit to the roller rink was AMAZING!! Those places never change, thank goodness...the funny carpets and loud music, the crappy food and prizes and the sweet sweet sound of wheels on the hardwood floor!

My husband was afraid I would break a wrist or hurt myself, but once I hit the rink it was his jaw that hit the floor. According to him I pack some "mad ninja skills on the skates"

My goddaughter was excited, I was excited and her sister Sierra was there with a friend and it reminded me of days gone by:

Sierra and Emma were a little nervous on the wheels with that loopy sense of balance

Now being super model height I was ready to hit the floor....I handed the camera over to my husband and he took a few pictures:

hitting the rink

He asked me to pose and stand still...with the number of tumblers around me I was afraid to cause another accident. (point in case)

I got Sierra off the wall and after convincing her that I would not let her fall she allowed me to take her around the rink

skating backwards as the girls learned to skate forwards

The birthday girl was a natural and it was a blast to see her with her best friends enjoying her party!

Happy birthday little goofball!!

Dia De Los Muertos

I have just entered and been accepted to this years Dia De Los Muertos show at Gallery 255!
I submitted a work that is not for sale, I am trying something different and...I felt that it was too personal and that parting with it might be just too much.

"These Beloved" is the name and it honors the many that have come before me.
I created an image that wove my image with those of my family...then overlayed text with my thoughts and their names. Believing that if their names are uttered that they are remembered now.

" When I think of all the lives that have come before mine and all the memories that simply live in my breath and are remembered thru my eyes, I feel that much less lonely."