Tuesday, January 29, 2008

I had a great news day!!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I cant tell you how much all of your thoughts and prayers have meant to me in the past couple of months! I have had a really hard time dealing with all of this health stuff-- Now the good news. God has seen fit to answer our prayers in a great way.
I went to my long awaited Rheumatologist appointment today... He took a very very detailed history and did a good physical exam of my hands, and skin. Just for the record I found him a pretty strange individual ---he had a disconcerting habit of rolling his eyes so only the white part showed and talking with his eyes closed---- little strange but anyway.... his initial impression is that I do not have scleroderma YEAH!!!!!!
he says that despite my positive SCL-70 and all he thinks it is a false positive!!!!! he says it doesn't happen too often so I am hopeful. He also said with my symptoms – if 'someone held a gun to my head and said 'you have to give me a diagnosis for Brenda right this second what is it?” I would say she has sjogren;s disease”. now like I explained to my brother Sjogren's is not the best thing to have but it is a heck of a bunch better than Scleroderma! Sorta like they are the same family but Sjogren's is Scleroderma's younger weaker baby brother. They are both auto immune problems-- but I am probably not going to die from Sjogren's.
Now he did say that I could have primary Sjogren's and secondary lupus or sclero starting up-- but at this moment in time he does not think I have sclero and defiantly don't have Rheumatoid Arthritis (my mom had this) So tomorrow I start a new drug tomorrow that is kinda bad for eyes but at least in the next couple of months I should start to feel better. Maybe back to my old self 9who remembers what that is???)
Anyway---for this moment in time-- I am going with the probability that I have Sjogren's and not scleroderma. PRAISE GOD-- and thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers!! It's a good day in my part of the world!!

http://www.sjogrens.org/

Sunday, January 20, 2008

photo ornaments al la Carol Duvall

1987 photo ornament
If you know anything about me, and even if you don't, you may know that I love anything to do with pictures , paper ,creativity and Christmas. I especially love making Christmas ornaments that include any or all of these elements. These ornaments I am finally ready to share with my friends are especially wonderful to me. I love family history, photos of family and looking back at the way we were. Gosh! Makes you wonder where Katie got the whole love of history thing LOL
Back in the day—when I was a SAHM—about 15-21 years ago I discovered 'The Home Show” and Carol Duvall. Now you may be fan of Carol , you may not like her or you may not have even heard of her at all. But I need to give credit where credit is due and she demonstrated these years and years ago. I have taken her idea and with a few changes these ornaments have really become part of our family decorations over the years.
When I first started making them was in the days before good photo adhesives and when scrapbooking-as-we-know-it-today was just a dream. When I first started making these Carol suggested constructing them using super glue (!). Now that there are wonderful adhesives out thee especially made for photo's I suggest the red line tape—AKA Terrifically Tacky Tape. I have had to remake several of ours because the super-glue didn't hold. Another reason I would suggest the Tacky Tape is because the fumes of the super glue can “fog' the photo. A lot of my ornaments have these but because there are no duplicates (and this was waaaay before digital copies) and I have no idea where the negatives are. Another change I have made is to strengthen the hollow dome a bit by adding a bit of acid free paper (really thin like tissue paper) to the center of the geodesic dome. It just seems to make it a little more sturdy with not much weight. The only other thing I have done differently is add some bead tape with a bit of glue on the places where the edges of the photos meet (because my edges don't always match) and one panel with the year that ornament represents.
With those editorial comments I am adding the link to Carol's directions because hers are much more concise than mine would be and then will add a few pictures of the ones I have made.

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_cds/episode/0,1806,HGTV_3822_13364,00.html

1991 photo ornament1997 photo ornament1993 photo ornament1990 photo ornament

Let me know what you think-k??

Monday, January 7, 2008

beads, paper and organization


I have been a bit out of whack for a few days. Got a cold from all the sick people who I hang out with (namely my dear sweet hubby and my co-workers)- missed work today but I think I am doing better and will work tomorrow.
i have been beading for a few days. I have been making lanyard type/necklace thingies. I wear a badge to work every day. I have my main badge on a badge holder that has a clip on the back to attach it to the edge of your pants pocket, lapel etc. My problem is that most days I don't wear pants or jackets that have lapels. I am a skirt and/or dress type girl and never wear a jacket unless I am forced (because I am always HOT in our office). Anyway, I bought this little ribbon deal that hooks together and has a small charm on the end that you hang your badge on--5 bucks--. Well-- i bought the one so i could have a pattern. I have been making all kinds of them with different colored beads to match what i wear. Now, have a little wardrobe of them- - -actually I think I have made 6 so far. Anyway much easy to make--way cheaper than $5-- and cute.
i have not had time to play with my paper goodies much. I did get some paper containers that are 12 x 12 size and moved all of the paper to them. i have the solids all in rainbow order and then the prints sorted by something that makes sense to me..... I have flowers,plants and leaves as one section, geometries as another, textures as another, and vellum in another.... i have a few that are not too easy to classify. i don't really know what to do with the cartoony ones, the ones that have a slight pattern on it and other stuff like that.
The worst thing is that I found some mulberry paper i bought to make tear bears out of. Becky had given me a bunch of patterns and tips and ideas. She gave me a whole book of them. Now with all the cleaning and such I cant find them. i have the other stuff she gave me----but i can not find the book of patterns! wonder where in the world i put it????
Katie got a new (older) car on Friday. It is a green Toyota Corolla. 1999 I think she said.--I'm not very good with that sort of thing. She seems to like it well enough. She has already taken it to Memphis and back so I guess it runs OK. LOL She complains about spending so much on gas but then she is driving a lot too so that is no surprise. I don't know how many miles it is to Memphis from her place but it takes about 3 1/2 hrs. but with gas at $3 it adds up fast. i just cant get over that it has been almost a month since the wreck and that she is OK-- every time i look at the pictures----ewwww--- i cant believe it
well better hit the bed so i can go back to work tomorrow.