Blooming

A bit of flowering springtime for all of us. This is an iris (of some sort) that is blooming in our front yard. We planted a few of these a couple years ago next to the house and this is the first time they have bloomed. It sends up a long stem that has a bloom at a time for 6 or 7 total.

All is well. Second test came back negative, which is good. I'll go back in 6 months for another screening to see where things stand. Skin screening is all good. One area to watch, but no doom and gloom, just good sense. My eye is healing well. Still need to massage the area to break down the scar tissue, and I "lost" my lower lashes in that area, but the line of the eyelid is normal.

I have debated whether to delete the last posting. I'll leave it. Many of us go through some sort of assessment of life. Some come to it on their own and some have an emergency review. We live, we learn and we adjust.

Contemplation (or: the bucket list)

I find myself measuring what is important to me the last few day. I mean REALLY measuring. Am I doing something because it brings joy and meaning or because I have always done it. If I spend my life pursuing my dreams and goals where does that lead me and what have I given to the world? Is it important to give to the world, or give back? If I create or live a bucket list what is the measurement of success of the completion and is that important? Is measurement important? Is it important to leave a legacy? What is a legacy? What is important? In other words, to quote Monty Python, What is the meaning of life?

I can say I am somewhat paralyzed by these questions. Upon finding out I had cancer below my eye, I froze. I lived in a state of disbelief and fear for a few months as I waited for the process to complete. Now I find myself on the receiving end of a slightly-less-than-normal well-woman check-up. (Guess that would make it a not-well-check-up, though I felt fine going into the whole thing). Do I create a bucket list? (I'm not really fond of that name) OR, Have I always had one and if so what is on that list?

Hearts to Alaska

Here is the second and final set of hearts traveling to Alaska for inclusion in the "Beaders Have the Heart to Take on Breast Cancer" Challenge Quilts. Thanks again to everyone who gave me their designs so I could bead. 

Mack's other Heart

Mack found these pieces in the bead store during one of our trips. He was playing around with designs and really liked the "wing" effect that these had.

Thanks Mack!

Brenna's Heart

As a divergence from my standard delica bead, I used to seed beads in this heart. They are rounded and sit together differently. Using a square stitch, I created the base and then added more seed beads in the centers of the squares to create the heart and pattern.

Thanks Brenna! Live and Learn.

Kay's Heart

I found this beautiful pottery looking bead at a local shop. As I was walking through the fabric shop I saw this interesting fabric. Put them together and I have something similar to Kay's design.

Thanks Kay, Live and Learn!

Stem of Hearts

Silvia designed a block that had hearts "growing". I used these foil glass hearts to create a stem.

Thanks Silvia! Live and Learn Unschoolers

Layered Heart

Many people gave me designs that had hearts inside of hearts creating multiple layers. This one is for them. The inside is a button. I trimmed the button connect point as it poked out and would have lifted the button to high. Then I used peyote stitch to create a caboch cap to hold the top into place.

Mack's Heart

Mack designed a heart block that incorporated both a heart and arteries as well as valentine-type hearts. I created a fabric background and then added the pieces to create his picture.

Thanks Mack! Family

How does the garden grow and other thoughts

Our garden is planted for the upcoming season. I tweak a bit now and then as I squeeze in a few more plants, or realize that those seeds didn't germinate (lettuce). I have more flowers in there than the past, in hopes of having some color during the peak hot season when nothing else produces. I do have lots of volunteer tomatoes and a pumpkin volunteer that came up because I used the compost from our bin for the first time this year. We are still harvesting radishes and carrots that wintered over, yummy.

I"m sure I will have to thin the marigolds and probably the basil... I might have the heart to do that.

We were sitting out on the lanai working on taxes today and had two parrots come to feed at our bird feeder. They are regulars there and must be very light birds as they don't seem to trigger the spin mechanism on the Yankee Flipper we have to deter the squirrels. Quaker parrots are really beautiful green with black heads.

My surgery sight continues to progress. I have a small bit of swelling left in the area, and it is red/bruised/scar, but I am please with my progress. Fresh Pineapple! Yes, my surgeon recommended it as there is something in it that inhibits bruising and promotes healing. They recommend eating it three days out from surgery. I ate it 5 days out and then every day for the first 10 days after. I stopped every day and went to every other as it started to effect my taste. Arnica Montana was also recommended for the first three days.

I am sending my final batch of beaded hearts to Jeannette tomorrow. I managed to do quite a few more post surgery as my vision started to clear. I'll post the photos of this weekend's work tomorrow.

My honey's Heart

Here is Kirk's heart stitched in one drop peyote. He chose distinctive colors for absolute changes in heart.

Thanks Kirk! Family and Live & Learn

Heart from Ben

Here is Ben's design using Live and Learn 2008 colors. This was done with silver lined purple beads and clear gold-tint beads with silver block letters. I have to say it was the hardest one I have done in terms of leaving spaces open for the letters to sit in. I ended up filling the space with another color and short thread, and then pulling them out. I think I am just not that linear a thinker, LOL.

Thanks Ben! Live and Learn Unschoolers

Celtic heart from Jen

In keeping with simpler projects, I had found this celtic heart at Hobby Lobby and had it in my stash. Vision is clearing and so I did a simple pink beaded ribbon design in size 11 delica to add color (it's pink which doesn't really show in the photo).

Thanks Jen. Live and Learn

Acey's heart

For this design I found these great millefore heart beads at a local bead store. Perfect for the simple classic design of variation of color.

Thanks Acey, family.

Amanda's heart

Back to beading, albeit bigger beads or simpler designs for now. These are size 8 seed beads so I could see the holes even though they were blurry. The design is an emoticon symbol.

Thanks Amanda, family.