On The Upside!

Yup, it's cold!

It's a beautiful Sunday morning; 0 degrees and sunny.  The dogs, Jamison's friend Sammy is here for a visit, have been relaxing on either end of the back of the couch looking out their windows. Ray just left to get our Sunday paper, our one indulgence; his for the Sports page and TV Guide and mine for the Sunday ads. He reads the news, I figure I've already heard it about 10,000 times already this week on the evening news!  News is kinda like football, if you don't see it the first time you always know there's going to be at least three more chances!

Ours has been a very eventful week.  I'm sure most of you can claim the same. Our life always seems to be one of adventure.  As I've said before, we can really say, "dull is something our life together isn't". After the "event" last weekend we saw the cardiologist yesterday.  He's scheduled Ray for a battery of tests.  But for right now, he's feeling better than he has in months which is a very good sign.  Thank you all again for your prayers and support.

Aaron believed this with all his heart!

This week we received a box from our daughter-in-law, Kristin. She sent us some belated Christmas gifts. Ray was opening the box, which is funny because he never does (he always brings them to me), I was working in the studio.  He was standing at the dining room table just outside my studio door and was lifting the contents one at a time and telling me what they were.  All of a sudden he broke out in tears and held up Aaron's letterman jacket from Springfield High School.  The minute he unfolded the jacket you could smell the scent of Aaron. Shoot, I didn't cry then, why the tears now. Dang it (as my little sister would say)! What a very kind and precious thing she did for us. Ray tried it on in the midst of tears and it fit perfectly.  I told him he should have it cleaned and wear it.  Aaron would have loved that.  But he's decided for now to leave it as is.  Neither of us can bear the idea of loosing the scent of our son as we hug the jacket.  Thank you Kristin.

I was able to put in eight hours in my studio yesterday.  I'm currently working on two projects.  One project is for our Josie and her 4th birthday the 25th of this month.  I bought this "project" over two years ago with the intent of doing it for her 2nd birthday.  Aaron got sick and the project got put on the back burner.  The baby doll crib has now made the 3,400 mile trip across country in the back of our car and will be completed for her birthday this year.  Two years late, but I don't think she'll notice.  The other project is something I've seen everywhere and decided I wanted to make one to see how long it would take.  When you're making crafts to sell you can't really spend 6 hours making something and sell it for $6.99.  I think with this one I'll be able to streamline the process, since I've made one, and save some time.  It's also an item that is interchangeable for absolutely any occasion or holiday which is great.  I'll post some pictures later because both of these are gifts and I don't want them to see them before they receive them.  Makes sense, right?

I really am in my element when I'm in the studio.  My stress goes away, the tension in my back leaves, my headache disappears, my excitement returns and I'm happy. I can work in the studio doing the basics and then any of the hand finish work I do at night while watching a movie with hubby or a football or basketball game. Afternoons are the best for me in the studio because I have a window over my work table and the light is perfect.  I think I'll be able to get a few Valentine items out on Etsy but I'm already thinking Spring and Easter.  I'm able to do all of this because my hubby knows my heart.  He know this is what makes my heart sing.  He helps by doing prep work on any wood items, chauffeuring me around for supplies and ideas, listening to me for endless hours over coffee about all my ideas and sharing his ideas with me, cleaning the house, helping with laundry and anything else that will free me up so I can be in the studio.  We're planning on "hitting the road" a couple or three times this Spring for craft fairs.  That means I'd best get my fanny in gear and get some stock built up. I couldn't do this without him; nor would I want to.  Believe it or not, this has been a dream for both of us so we're very excited about getting started.  Of course, his first BIG JOB is finishing putting away Christmas!  He does it must S-L-O-W-E-R than I do but I'm really working on focusing on what I'm suppose to be doing and staying out of what he's doing.  I did tell him this morning, because we were both laughing at how much dust is on the TV stand, that if anything sprouts, save it, we'll plant it when the ground thaws!


Ooo,,,that's something else I don't want to forget.  We're going to start all of our own plants and flowers for our yard this year from seeds.  That's going to be a Ray project.  He's the gardner in the family, not me.  Buying ready grown plants in the Spring just costs to much for how many we want to plant so we'll try it this way this year.  Sounds simple.


We find ourselves, in this cold weather, not venturing out very much.  Which is perfectly alright with all the projects we have going on.  We actually planned it this way. I go out in the mornings if I'm going to the office to work on a project, but it's a short trip and Ray heats the car before I leave.  We've not had very much snow to speak of but the cold weather plays havic with my fibromylagia in my legs.  Most of the time I do fine but If my legs get cold the pain is more than I want to deal with.  Now please don't say, "then why did you move to the East Coast?". I've already explained that in previous blogs.  The East Coast has nothing to do with it.  I had the same thing in Oregon and California (where it actually began while living in the San Joaquin Valley).  It's just the cold.  Ray is cold all the time since he's lost all his weight.  He simply dresses in layers; usually four!  He may get down to two layers a month or so during the summer months but even then, it's a rarity. 
 

At their window perches.

Sammy

 This weekend Sammy is here visiting as I said earlier.  We have such fun when he's here. Jamison does go in a little, "don't touch me or talk to me, I'm in a ticked mood" every once in awhile.  He's use to getting all our attention but he gets over it.  He allows Sammy to play with certain toys but now all.  Last night they argued over "Mr. Cone" (so named because it is an 'ice cream' cone squeeky toy) who goes everywhere with Jamison, including bed. Needless to say, Jamison won but then he immediately went over and took the next toy Sammy wanted to play with. THAT was not allowed!  Playing fetch in the house with two dogs and two separate fetch toys can get pretty interesting but they finally got the hang of it last night and believe it not, only fetched their toy.Sammy sleeps on the bed with Katrin when he's home so he naturally sleeps at the foot of our bed when he's here.  The first night he and Jamison much have been up at least six times but since then, they sleep the night through.  Jamison sleeps stretched out beside my leg and Sammy at the foot of the bed. (Rita, I know you're reading this and laughing your head off.  Stop it!)  Believe it or not, and I can hardly believe it myself when I say, I find it very comforting to have them there. 

During the last few years with Aaron so ill if it had not been for friends who loved animals and welcomed Jamison into their homes with open arms, I don't know what we would have done.  Jamison is such an integral part of our lives we needed people to care for him that really loved him.  Those people we will love forever.  I don't know if they really know how much we will ever be grateful to them for taking care of him on a moments notice; because most of the time, that all we had.  A moments notice.  Thank you Paula & Mary and Ginger & Paul. We know that you love Jamison as much as your own and you'll be happy to know that  Katrin loves Jamison too.  She comes at a moments notice and now, we're able to do the same for her which makes us feel especially good.


Well, it's12:45 PM here.  The morning is gone, but like Aaron, Sunday is my favorite day; because it's one of new beginnings.  Everything feels fresh and new.  Ray has found us a church to visit next Sunday morning and has already spoken with the pastor so we're both looking forward to that.  My blogs will be coming later in the day because I will be writing them in the afternoon rather than the morning.  I do so enjoying sharing with all of you about my everyday life and hope that through my blogs you get a glimpse of JOY in all things.

Look what showed up on Google Image when you search for JOY!

 The above picture is a tatoo a friend of Aaron's had done when she was his nurse during chemo.  When I searched Google Image this morning for "joy" this image appeared from Aaron's blog.  How amazing is that!  The message is still going on.

It doesn't really matter who you are, what you do or where you are, you CAN find JOY in all that happens. I encourage you to look for the JOY this week. I'll tell you, if you can't find JOY, do something for someone else.  That single act alone never, ever fails to bring JOY!


Until next week, jan


ps  If you want to see some amazing, truly amazing photography that will bring JOY to your heart and life check out my friends photography at

 John Bulmer