♥ Price Reduction ♥

It's not often I do this, but in the interest of continued income as I spend time at the hospital with John this week, I've reduced the price on two originals in the Etsy shop ("Baba Yaga" and "Valentine") by about $40 each. I do hope they find good homes. :)

On a personal note, John is feeling a bit better this morning, and his doctors are working to find just the right cocktail of medication which will keep him out of heart failure, while maintaining a health level of potassium (which has been dangerously low).

Must add, many thanks for the kind comments and notes of support both here and on facebook. Your support and encouragement mean the world to us.

Much love,
♥ Carolee

Another Work in Progress, Another Hospital Stay

Flying in quickly this morning to share a photo of the latest work in progress - another arctic painting...


After seeing the video of Siku, the polar bear cub, I just had to paint one. Soooooo cute. Look for it on Etsy later today. :)

On the home front, it's back to the hospital for John, who is having another cardioversion, in conjunction with some tests and new meds. Assuming all goes well, he should be home by the weekend, and in the meantime, I have all these furkids to keep me company here at the house. :)

While it's tempting to bemoan the need for another procedure, we're just ever so thankful that this technology is possible! When I listen to his artificial valve ticking away, I can't help but think how blessed we are to live in a time where medical miracles like this exist.

I'm off to the hospital now, and as soon as he's settled, it's back here to paint. After the polar cub is finished, it's on to Baba Yaga!

Until next time,
♥ Carolee
PS - don't forget to check out the previous post and enter the giveaway!

So Much to Share...

This is going to be one of those posts which is all over the place, I'm afraid - much to tell, and most of it unrelated - so if I sound unfocused, I'm trusting you'll forgive me, hehe...

Easter was lovely, if quiet, and I took the first day off in many months! Such fun to enjoy brunch out with John (no cooking - yay!) and a quiet drive through the country on the way home. The predicted rain never appeared. On the contrary, we had bright sunshine as we took in some of the most beautiful scenery in Chester and Lancaster counties; centuries old stone farmhouses, fields of "shippies" (Amish-speak for "sheep") and newborn lambs...dogwoods, cherry trees and flowering crabapples in bloom...just gorgeous, and a welcome break! Unfortunately, I left the camera at home, so no photos of the drive.

But I will share a pic of our very own flowering crabapple, at the edge of the little backyard koi pond. This is the view from my worktable, and if you look closely, you'll see one of the koi. I seriously must have the best job in the world - a commute down one flight of stairs, and this outside my window!

The blooms are sooooo beautiful, aren't they?


Daffodils are up too - one of my favorite flowers!


OK, enough of the garden, hehe...On to new work!

I've been having great fun lately playing with sculptural accents (see previous post for the first piece). Here's a second - just plain FUN, yes?

It's listed on eBay now. A couple of people on facebook have told me it reminds them of Beetlejuice - the black and white stripes, maybe? Haven't seen it since it first came out, but now I'm anxious to put it in the netflix queue and see what the similarity is, hehe. :)

I'm still working on mending boxes and pinkeeps, so stay tuned, and I also hope to have something to offer for the April 30th EHAG Emporium update. (What was I THINKING taking a day off?!?)

Moving on to an update on John, I'm happy to report he's doing well with the second round of radiation. He's still experiencing some burns, but so far not as bad as the first round, and we're hoping this improvement continues. The doctor tells us it will be at least a couple of weeks after treatment stops before they can determine if remission has been achieved. So please keep those prayers and positive thoughts coming!

That's about it for now, except to thank all of you who've been so supportive of my work! We absolutely could not get through these challenges without you, and feel incredibly blessed that I'm able to keep this "job" going as John forges ahead with treatment. I'm looking forward to the day when we'll look back at this time wondering how we did it - and always realizing that it wasn't alone. ♥

That's about it for now. I'm off to catch a few hours sleep, assuming I can find a place on the bed (last I checked, there was one human, two dogs and three cats crashed out there, hehe)....

Back very soon with a sneak peek at the Emporium piece, and more rambling...

Until then,
♥ Carolee

Emergencies, Challenges and Gratitude

Regular blog readers have read (perhaps too much, lol) about my husband's health issues, and have been incredibly kind and supportive. And this week was no exception as it found us in the emergency room in the wee hours Monday morning, followed by yet another hospital admission. No matter how many of these episodes we have (and with two heart surgeries, COPD and cancer, there have been many) they just never get any easier.

He's a good guy, who's worked incredibly hard all his life, and it's difficult to see him fighting battles on so many fronts...but fight he does, and life goes on...

He's home now, breathing much easier, and I'm back to painting, playing catch-up from the two days "off", and thinking how fragile life is, and how blessed we are despite the challenges.

Just wanted to share an update, and thank everyone who's sent prayers, positive thoughts, and more...We both appreciate it more than we can say.

New work is coming soon - a wonderful, oval, spring piece, and who knows after that - perhaps a jewelry or memory box? Stay tuned. ;)

And in the meantime, if you have someone special in your life, give them a hug and hold them close...

♥ Carolee

Black Cat Enchantment and Forging Ahead...

Hello!

I'm back already with new work.:) Not that I haven't fallen off the wagon once or twice with computer time, but all in all, I'm really working at the balance thing (see previous post).

Although I must admit it's easy to stay focused when I'm completely immersed in a piece, as I was with this one. There's something truly mystical and enchanting about black cats - like magic is afoot when I paint them...

This one is listed on eBay now. :)

On the home front, those of you who've been reading here awhile know about John's recent (and not so recent) health challenges. The short version is that after two major heart surgeries, and a successful recovery, his lymphoma is out of remission again, and he's now facing two rounds of radiation, which will begin in a couple of weeks.

The doctors tell us chances at a full remission are good, although they can't say for how long - but it's slow progressing, which is good, and we'll take what we can get. We're optimistic, and determined to take it one day at a time, but also realize our lives are about to change pretty drastically. For my own part, I'll be maintaining a full painting schedule, taking care of John, the pets and the house, running the errands, doing shipping, and hopefully some of the driving into the city (we're still working on housing and transportation).

So I want to apologize in advance if I'm slow at returning emails and facebook messages, and I ask that at least during this time, everyone refrain from sending me forwards and such. I just don't have time to manage and delete them all - hope you understand. I'll also be limiting shipping runs to twice a week, probably on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Finally, I want to thank all of you for your prayers and positive thoughts, and most especially for your understanding when correspondence and commissions run a bit late. I'm doing my best to keep up, and I will get to it, I promise. :)

John and I are truly blessed to have such amazing friends and family, and I know we'll get through this. Much love to all of you!

♥ Carolee

New Work, Challenges Ahead, and Choosing Optimism

I have much to tell, but first let me show you a little piece that's been bringing me smiles all week long (no small feat given the week we've had here!)

It's a display stand/plant stand I found at a local antique barn some weeks ago...sitting in a corner, looking very forlorn, slightly cracked and wearing a drab, dark brown stain. It was just crying to come home with me in the little Beetle, and be given a second life, full of bright color and whimsy...The gentleman at the antique barn dated it around the 1930's or '40's, but I suppose there's no way to tell for sure. A little wood putty, a little sanding, a little paint.....I think it's turning out splendidly though, don't you!?

To be perfectly honest, like a couple of pending commissions, this piece should have been finished days ago, but LIFE has a way of throwing the occasional curve ball.

I suppose I should start at the beginning, and tell you this isn't something we've shared with many people, but recent developments will make it apparent soon anyway...

Many years ago, when Courtney was just little, John was diagnosed with a rare, yet slow progressing form of non-hodgkins lymphoma. Slow progressing, but incurable. After trying a few rather unpleasant treatment options to no avail, he made the decision to stop treatment, and just enjoy life. Miraculously, this worked for many years...Aside from a recurrence in the mid 90s (when he underwent radiation) he's felt pretty good.

Fast forward to two years ago when he had his first heart surgery (regular readers may remember he's had two in the last two years and is the proud owner of a mechanical mitral valve) and blood tests were done prior to the surgery, indicating the cancer had progressed. But the heart was a priority, and he was cleared for surgery. Complications and a second surgery followed, but he's still felt pretty good.

Fast forward again to last week, when (at another Dr's recommendation) he visited U Penn for a consultation with an expert in this type of cancer, which included a biopsy and more thorough blood tests. Long story short, the lymphoma has progressed to stage 3, and they're strongly recommending interferon, along with another treatment. With these treatments, there's an approximate 30% chance of remission, and still greater chance of at least some improvement. Without it, the prognosis for five year survival is only about 50%.

Scary stuff.

But both of us being blessed with fairly optimistic spirits, we're hopeful. Like the heart surgery, this is one of those situations where the only way out of it is through it.

See the little badge on my right sidebar? "Choose Optimism". (Thanks, Jo!)

I believe with all my heart we have that choice. We may not be able to control the disease, or even it's progression. But we CAN control how we handle it. Yes, it will be challenging, and no, it won't always be pleasant. But we can choose optimism.

That said, there are immediate, practical concerns having to do with insurance issues and mounting medical bills, so in addition to choosing optimism, I'm also choosing to work a few extra hours. :) To that end, look for a blog sale to be announced in the next couple of days - Selling items directly on the blog not only saves the time and fees involved with eBay sales, but it allows collectors to purchase items at a price generally lower than the ending eBay bids. And it gives me a chance to focus on happiness and creativity as we face the challenges ahead. Soooo, stay tuned. ;)

Finally, thanks very much to everyone who's left such kind comments on facebook, and offered prayers and positive thoughts! We are incredibly blessed, and send you all much love.

Until next time,
♥ Carolee

Blue Moon Wishes for 2010

Okay, first of all, I have to tell you I'm not normally one to make a big deal out of New Year's Eve. In fact, as soon as I finish writing this, it's off to Land of Nod for us, well ahead of the clock striking midnight, the ball dropping, and the neighbors shooting off fireworks (although I have no doubt we'll be awakened at that hour, and spend some time calming down five very frightened fur-kids).

But this year feels a bit different. There's a full moon tonight. The second full moon this month. A blue moon. I read the last time this happened on New Year's Eve was back in 1990, so it's a pretty rare occurrence. Can't just let that go unnoticed. ;)

I'm also not one to make New Year's resolutions. Just the word is a bit much; "resolution". To resolve. It's so restrictive, so demanding, so.....not me.

Wishes are much better, don't you think? I believe there's great power in wishing, and if that's so, there must be even more power in wishing on a blue moon, yes?

So before I say goodbye to 2009, I'd like to share a few wishes for the coming year.

I wish for Health. Not selfishly (although as regular readers know, health issues have been a challenge for us this year) but for those who face challenges far more serious and immediate than ours; for a dear friend's father who is suffering from a very painful cancer, for a relative, a collector friend and an artist friend also fighting battles with cancer. For another dear friend fighting kidney failure and heart disease. For those with no insurance. I wish for health, for quality, affordable care, and for comfort.

I wish for Peace. I wish for the realization that, in the words of Ghandi, "There is no way to peace. Peace is the way."

I wish for warmth, comfort and safety, not only for those of us who walk on two legs, but for our four legged friends and companions. I wish for an end to cruelty, and for those of us with voices to speak up and protect those without.

I wish for magic and joy. I wish for delight in the smallest, simplest miracles we see all around us, every day. I wish that we take time to notice these little miracles, to draw inspiration from them, and to never, ever take them for granted.

I wish for these things and so much more....

What are your wishes? What good thoughts and intentions are you sending up to the universe this blue moon night?

Whatever they are, I wish they come true. And I wish you a Happy and blessed year to come!

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`• ~ Carolee