Remembering Michael Jackson

Last night Tammy and I ventured to Branson, MO. to see the Legends in Concert show. It was the anniversary of Michael's death that drew me to the show. They would feature the local dance troupe last night for this special show. Click on Tammy's name above to see lots more pictures!

About the "other story" Tammy spoke of, I thought it was Ridiculous to ask $20.00 for a photo of us with the Imposter, so........... I took a picture of the picture they were selling! I know, I'm such a REBEL!!! Tammy said she was going to have to tell Kenny that I had her on an Unwilling crime spree while we were out! We got home around 11:30 and I headed straight to bed.

Straight to bed because I had to get up this morning and go to the Springfield Regional Arts Council and volunteer at the Free Arts Day for kids. It was my first time "teaching" there. I think I had as much fun as the little ones!

If you look real close you can see some HAIR under my ball cap!

This is my friend Susan getting her bugs ready before we started. She's an art teacher here in town. A talented collage and assemblage artist too. We share and trade garage sale trinkets. We have discovered we can't go to the sales together though, 'cause we both want the same thing!

This is one of her pieces that just sold!

And some pics of the little darlin's

When I got home from this I worked on my rug a little and then did the usual ~ NAPPING!!!

Aaahhhh felt so good.

Peace,

Sheri

I've been asleep for a month!

No kidding!!!  I had the last radiation treatment last Friday and they said it would probably be another 10-14 days until I didn't feel the need to sleep day and night.  I had NO idea when they said it would cause fatigue, did they mean you would literally sleep 16-20 hours a day!  But it's all behind me now and I'm ready to start livin' life! The cancer is gone, it did leave me with a little heart trouble but the cardiologist says he can make it alot better with meds.  I am taking a Beta blocker and ACE inhibitor and will see him again on July 1st.  I imagine he will tweak that medicine until he gets my heart rate where he is comfortable with it.  (It's still averaging 110)  Too high.

Today I was actually awake more hours than asleep and I got out the sewing machine and made some pillows for the new sofa.  I haven't told you I decided to order it in white and also got the red slipcover that I plan to use in winter.  Today I made a cool pillow out of burlap and made a little "runner" in velvet down the middle of it.

Also made some with red print fabric to go with the red slipcover!  I only took a picture of this little one, but I made another with a scalloped edge that's cute too.

And while I had the machine out I made some placemats with the leftover linen I had.  Oh, that's another story I haven't told you.  Maybe later this week!

I don't know if the stars are lined up just right or what, but I did all this today without one cuss word!!!  Usually when I sew it sounds like a few sailors are in my house!?!

Glad you guys didn't send out a posse looking for me!  I won't keep you wondering how, or where I am any more~promise. 

Dangerously close to finishing my antique stars rug too.  I'll take a pic tonight and post later.  I would like to get in finished by next week when my aunt and her daughter are coming for a visit from Florida.

Lots more to say, but no more energy this evening.

Talk to you soon,

Peace,

Sheri

Interesting web sites

I found these sites late last night.  I couldn't get to sleep and entered "antique hooked rugs" into my search engine.  I spent HOURS looking at pictures of beautiful textiles.

Thought I'd share them with you. 

The first one is www.rahmanan.com

This one is circa 1880 and is listed under American hooked rugs.  What a website.  There's over 400 pages of antique rug photos!!!

The other one I spent a lot of time on was, www.cyberrug.com

I spent the whole weekend hooking on my antique star adaptation.  Talked to my oncologist Friday and she said the ECHO cardiogram wasn't normal and she is trying to get me into a cardiologist asap.  She told me to take it easy and No Exertion this weekend!  Gee...why didn't she scare me? (For once I followed her advice though.)

Hope you enjoy looking at the antique rugs!  Don't stay up all night!

Peace,

Sheri

Making some progress on antique rug and

the mat for Jimmie Dean's little chair that sits at the front door so he can see out!

First, here's the antique adaptation.  It measures 19" by 42" and there's really not that much more to do.  Just sit down and Do It!!!

I think this shot depicts the colors the best.

Very muted from my usual color palette.   (That's why I think I totally lost interest in it right in the middle of the rug.  When we hooked at JoLynn's a couple of weekends ago, it was my intention to get all the red diamonds hooked around the border.  That made it seem like there's not so much more!  Just fill in some lines now~~~LOL.

And this little mat for J.D. has been what I've been doing while I lost interest in the big star rug!  He sits on this little chair every day and watches the children walking to and from school.  I think he likes his little mat!

Had some not so good health news over the weekend.  I spent all of Saturday night in the ER.  I had seen my MD two weeks earlier for what I thought was asthma.  He gave me an inhaler and it did nothing.  So my radiation oncologist said her husband is a pulmonary specialist and sent me to his office that very minute!  He gave another inhaler, which also didn't help.  That was last Wednesday.  Well, by Saturday afternoon I Could Not Breathe and told Mick to take me to the Urgent Care Clinic.  They did tests that showed a suspected pulmonary embolism (from the surgery)  He said go to the ER immediately!  Your husband can drive you~I don't think you need an ambulance!  Scared the shit out of me!!!  Got to the ER and thank God I was expedited and didn't have to sit in the waiting room with sick babies that don't have health insurance~~~totally another story,  don't get me started on that.  But that's just not right for a mother to have to go there to get treatment for her sick child...

The ER physician comes in and checks the EKG and chest x-rays from the place I had just come from and suggested "congestive heart failure" especially since my breathing was almost impossible when I tried to lay down.  He explained that the left side of my heart showed damage and inflammation~~~ probably from the chemotherapy!!!!

He called my oncologist who said it Was Not from chemo, it was from radiation.  The ER doc was ready to admit me and start running all the heart tests and hook me up with a cardiologist.  Looking back, I wish that's what had happened.

He did, in the hospital start an IV with Lasix and Prednisone to try to get rid of some of the fluid on my lungs.  Then prescribed Prednisone for eight days.  I dread that.  Last time I took it I gained 20 pounds overnight and it took over a year to get it off.  Guess that's the least of my troubles right now though.

Yesterday I saw both oncologists/ the regular one and the radiation one.  Boy are they protective of their special fields of medicine!!!  Again the radiation doctor said it wasn't possible to have any heart damage from only 10 treatments (which makes since to me) but the regular oncologist keeps saying the chemo I took doesn't cause heart problems.  WRONG..... Now I should have known better than this because before I could have the chemo I had to have a MUGA(sp) test to make sure my heart could handle these drugs.  (This is what Tammy does all day in her job in nuclear medicine).  Of course me being me, I came home and read every thing I could find out about the drugs I received.

1. Adriamycin: side effects:  COMMON:

Damage to the heart with the symptoms of:

swelling of the hands and ankles 

shortness of breath

difficulty breathing

2. Cytoxan: side effects: Rare

Damage to the heart muscle.  Symptoms include difficulty breathing, swelling of the legs and feet and tiring easily.

I was supposed to have a radiation treatment today, but just can't do it right now.  Although the RA Dr. PROMISED ME this wasn't the problem.  Yesterday she said, "do you want this cancer to come back?  Then march down that hall and get your treatment!"  Which I DID!!!  But I just couldn't do it today.  How are you gonna know what's the right thing to do?  I will always question myself now.  what if.....what if...

Good news~~~This Thursday at 4:00 p.m. I am scheduled for an ECHO cardiogram.  This will answer all the questions about my heart.  Even congestive heart failure can be treated with medicine and the breast cancer is gone! Please send out some positive vibes my way!  I truly believe in  Prayer and Positive Thinking.  And I promise to keep you guys informed.

Peace and love,

Sheri

 

Furniture shopping with Tammy

Yesterday we went to most of the furniture stores in town.  We separated immediately upon entering the stores!  She was searching for leather and I for a "cottagey" slip covered sofa. The salespeople pointed us to our appropriate corners and we shouted out for each other if we found something interesting!

You can see her interests on her blog Skip to my Ewe. (click on name to go there~this Windows Live won't let me make my links another color!)

Here is what I've decided on.  

I was Sooo sure I wanted a white slip covered sofa until I brought home the swatches and put them up against the walls and curtains in my living room.  Too blah for me.

So red it is!  And I think Tammy is choosing at least one piece of red leather.  Must be our bashful personalities...not.

Last week I bought this settee at a garage sale.  I think it will look good with the red sofa.  (Those are the sofa color swatches on it)

I didn't want to get into a red, white and blue color scheme, then I remembered this wingback chair I reupholstered that is in my hooking room now.  I think it will bring the room together!  Eclectic...Just how I like it.

Poor Mickey said it sounds like I've already made up my mind when I asked him if he wanted to go look at it.  He just can't understand why I keep buying couches.  The only reason I Hate the one we have now is that the back cushions aren't attached and the seat cushions scoot out every time you sit on it.  It's a very soft cotton material, almost slick~pretty...but it makes me CRAZY!

Started radiation treatments this Monday.  One week under my belt.  Only six more weeks to go.  It really goes quickly.  I'm in and out in fifteen minutes.  The only bad thing is that it's at 2:00 every afternoon.  Right in the middle of the day.

Also been working like a dog in the garden.  Trying to get everything planted before the side effects of the radiation catch up with me.  They say it causes fatigue~as in you have to take a nap every day.  YUK!  I don't want to take naps. 

I've got some livin' to do!

Have a great weekend.

Peace,

Sheri