I'm Back....

Happy New Year! I am back from taking a break for a little while....had to, not wanted to. At Thanksgiving, I came down with pneumonia and it really threw me for a loop this past month. In addition, I have very high blood pressure and so December, in between being sick and tired, I have been getting over that serious bout of pneumonia, have been working to control my asthma, working to control my blood pressure and am once again back on the weight loss train. I have had numerous doctors’ visits this past month (cardiologist, allergist, ultrasounds, ct scan, and stress echo) so am dealing with these issues. I have got to get a grip on my health and weight. I want to be around for a long time! My four-legged children need me!!

So.....My house is a mess and my studio has been neglected, but with the new year comes better health and excitement for what the new year will bring. I am at my highest weight in years, and so on December 30 I started the Bob Greene BEST LIFE DIET (vegetarian version) and in the first week have lost 9.6 pounds. I have been a yoyo dieter for years and have always said "this time will be it".....well, this time HAS to be 'it". My doctor told me that my blood pressure and weight and age (I'm 43 this month) makes me a prime candidate for a stroke. I have to say that scared the heck out of me, so onward to extreme good health. I have a long way to go, but I will get there.

I am ready to get crafty and so have joined a couple of swaps - The Sweet Treats and Roses Swap hosted by Karla and Beth and The Sweet Heart Box Swap hosted by Maria at The Junkk Drawer. Looking forward to getting busy with these!

On December 8, I lost one of my beloved cats, Charlie.
He was my handsome, snaggle-toothed blind old Persian cat. He had gone blind earlier this year due to detached retinas caused by high blood pressure. He also was discovered to have an enlarged heart. However, that did not stop him. He adapted well to the blindness and was still my handsome, friendly greeter to all who came in the front door. He still followed me everywhere and along with Frieda, the queen (see below) reigned supreme as a leader among the others. Charlie died at home with me after what appeared to be a stroke – he was able to limp to all his favorite spots downstairs, almost as if he was saying goodbye – then he made it to my chair and he passed away peacefully in the spot next to me that he loved so much within an hour. My sweet Charlie gave me such tremendous joy when he came to me in the final five years of his life and the realization that he is gone from me now is almost too much to bear. He is missed greatly.


I am excited and energized about what the new year will bring to me. 2007 was filled with highs and lows, but each and everyday I am grateful to be here on mother earth, to have a family (4-legged and 2-legged) that I adore, friends who are wonderful, a home that makes me happy, a job that leaves me satisfied, a spiritual life that fulfills me, a voice that I can use to sing, to praise, to yell, to question, to laugh and to cry, and a life that is blessed with goodness.

I am happy to be back!