A Scary End to A Year

As her love is mine

Her heart his

I am today blessed.

As her heart is mine

Her love his

I am today blessed.

Yesterday was haiku Friday here in blog land. Notice how the two written above say much the same even with the change of one word.

My youngest child, Billie Jo, spent yesterday in pain. I am told it began during the night. My son-in-law woke to his wife whimpering. The pain grew worse as the night became day. Her stomach ached. The vomiting began. They are both unemployed at the moment. He is in college and she helps make ends meet with babysitting money. Thankfully they have an understanding room-mate that is like family to us, her and her little son. My daughters mother-in-law is an EMT and my son-in-law is studying to enter nursing school. A future RN in the making. So they finally convinced my stubborn angel to go to the ER. She worries so about finances as you can imagine. There they could find nothing wrong. They were ready to send her home with some pain med when my son-in-law convinced them to check her appendix, something his mom mentioned. They were right. It was appendicitis. The CT scan showed it needed to come out. Luckily it had not burst yet. I worked yesterday and then went to the rehab fitness center to workout as usual. My hubby was off on vacation and still in his jammie's at noontime . When I got home a little after 6 he was fully dressed. That was my first clue. I changed quickly as he filled me in and we headed to Manhattan, less than a 30 min. drive down the interstate. Derek (my son-in-law) called as we were hitting town to tell us they had just taken her in for surgery.

What a way to end a day, eh?!

The good news, the blessed news, the happy thank you God news: She made it through laporascopic (spelling?) surgery just fine. Came out of surgery saying she felt sooo much better. (Of course, she was full of pain med and such.) Today we drove back over to visit with her in the hospital. She had eaten a meal of a turkey sandwich and such during the night and had a very good breakfast. She said the food is great and the hospital bed comfy and she thinks she might need to stay another night. Funny!! The doctor visited while we were there. She went home today and is resting at home with her hubby taking care of her. He said it's good practice for him as he has had 2 job interviews at the same nursing home now for a CNA position. He has worked hard at getting certified and jumping all the hoops to get this job. Please pray he gets it and for her to continue to heal swiftly from this surgery. They are to call him again on Tuesday. Pray a thankful prayer too. My baby girl is going to be OK. I was so scared. These two gals of mine are so deeply embedded in my heart I just can't imagine not having them to fuss at or fuss over.

So as you can see 2010 has gone out with a bang. And 2011 will come in with me in a thankful mood. I hope this feeling will last throughout the new year. I hope 2011 will give me many things to be thankful for but not in a scaring the life out of me dramatic sort of way. I know, I know, beggars can't be choosers. But hey, I can dream can't I! I can pray for it from the powers that be. Demand and wish for it from all the tooth fairies, leprechauns, god mothers, saints and whatever other magical beings I can dream up. And I can just sit back, take a deep breath and be thankful for just being. That too will continue to hold this feeling close to me. I am so lucky to have a loving husband that holds me tight through thick and thin and two wonderful daughters that share their lives with me no matter what. I am feeling a bit melancholy I think,

and grateful too.

Thank you to all of my friends here for being close when needed and understanding when I am absent. I wish for you all a safe, healthy, blessed and

Happy New Year,

Tess

The First Day of 2010

Happy 2010 Everyone,

Here it is the end of the First Day of 2010. I trust you all had a safe and happy New Years Eve. I spent mine at home with my Mr. and my online friends. We had Pizza and Chicken Wings and a few glasses of Strawberry White Zinfandel. I even managed a game of Scrabble online with one of my brothers. It was quiet around here and just what I needed. We almost forgot to watch the ball drop. A relaxed and calm late night after a day of stressed work was just what I needed to end a long year that had many happenings. I was given more gray hairs with the thought of losing my oldest daughter to a brain tumor and have a wonderful blessing of the tumor being removed and non cancerous. She is doing well. I gained a step father this year too. Henry is a sweet, sweet man and makes my mom so happy. Many things I worried about and many things made me happy and joyful. I woke this morning feeling great. No headache, no achy back or knees. It was a good day, a good start to a new year. I even ran into mom and Henry at the grocery store and had a call from the youngest daughter today.

I read on Misty Mawn's blog that she is going to do another January Journaling event. For the first week of January she has suggested altering a photo we took in our journal. I have decided to play along. I even got out a sheet of heavy watercolor paper and used Teesha Moore's 16 page Journal instructions to create a new journal. I did it from memory of the first one I made and I used the heavier weight Fabriano paper and my new Reeves water color set to paint the cover background. Tomorrow I will add a photo and some lettering to create my 2010 New Year journal. It is just a bit smaller than Teesha's and only 12 pages but I think I will be able to make a wonderful January 2010 Journal with it by working in it a bit everyday or every other day. And with 12 pages I will be able to use each prompt on a few pages every week.

How was your first day of the New Year?

May you find many blessings this new year. Continue to follow your dreams, create your bliss and list them with your favorite pen during 2010. (Hey that rhymed, I love it!!)

Be Happy, Be Healthy, and most of all ~ Be Yourself,

Tess