MUSE BLESSINGS

You'll never guess what my hubby spotted first thing yesterday morning, when he glanced out our front door. More prayer flags!

Apparently some little elves snuck over in the wee hours of the morn, and hung their very unique, hand-made version of prayer flags across our garage.

I don't think I will ever take them down.

THE KEY TO ALL HAPPINESS

The other day my friend Paula, who's had a lot of experience with this herself, wrote me "After ten days in the hospital, you are really going to appreciate the simple things when you get home." Synchronicity tapped me on the shoulder the very next day, reminding me of her words, when I began my new on-line art class. Our very first assignment was to "sketch breakfast."

As I sat there arranging my favorite teapot and mugs, pulling out my mother-in-law's vintage juice glasses, and grouping my mom's old glass canister, which holds my oatmeal, with my beehive brown sugar jar, butter dish and honey jug, it suddenly occurred to me that this is what I have missed the most -- my simple morning routine.

I adore everything about my breakfast ritual, from brewing a proper pot of tea, to the well-loved pieces everything is stored in and served from. Most especially, I love the quiet solitude of it. As I sat there sketching, I was reminded of the little quote I painted on a mug about fifteen years ago: All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast. ~ Gunther

And, after ten days of spending an hour and a half each morning fighting the rush hour traffic up I-35 into Austin, instead of being snuggled in my little nest, watching the sun come up, I hope never to take this simple luxury for granted!

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES

We'll we're back, we're doing good, and I'm dying to get back into my daily posting routine. Had one all planned out in my head this morning, took the photos I needed to accompany it, then went to download them to my computer. Plugged the camera in, turned it on, waited for it to start the transfer...and waited...and waited...and waited. Nothing happened. Zip. Nada. ARRRGGH!

JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME

Woo Hoo! We're home -- and just in the nick of time, for, 1) my hospital parking pass was about to run out, 2) someone you all know has a birthday coming up, and really didn't want to spend yet another holiday in the hospital, and most importantly 3) my newest art class, Art of Wild Abandonment 2, started yesterday! This class is one that both High School Debbie and I have been anticipating with glee for a very long time -- ever since we took Junelle Jacobson's first AWA class way last spring. That was the uber wonderful class that really got me comfortable with the idea of sketching for fun and whimsey, rather than perfection, and where we did cute, cute projects like this...

and this...

and this!

Though this class was Junelle's first to teach, it was obvious from the start that she was a natural -- one who knows how to inspire, not just instruct. Needless to say, we just can't wait to see what she has in store for us this time!

MY HUBBY THE BULLET DODGER

Well, not only did my hubby feel well enough today to start pestering me for Dr. Pepper again, he also got a very good report back from this morning's angiogram. No new bleeds, no vasospasms, no sign of any aneurysms needing "intervention." Not even any real proof of where the blood came from in the first place. Yes, there are a few abnormal sections of artery, but then, his body is full of those, and there's just no way of knowing for sure that the blood came from one of those. In fact, there's a good chance the blood came from a vein, not an artery, which could explain why he is getting off with nothing more than a pretty miserable week of headaches and nausea.

John was kind of depressed today, since they didn't actually "fix" anything, but then, he wasn't there for the talk I got that first night -- the one where the doctor explained to me that 1 in 3 people with a brain aneurysm dies within a few days, another survives but is no longer able to care for themselves, and only one gets to lead a fairly normal life. I think we're pretty damn lucky to have dodged yet another bullet. He's had bypass surgery, but never had to experience a heart attack. He had the stroke, but the only real damage was to his sense of taste, and now this. Why, the boy even got hit by a car when he was a kid, and came away with nothing more than a concussion! Well, that and a good wallop on his behind from their family doctor, just to remind him not to run out into the street ever again. All in all, I'd say we have a whole lot to be grateful for, wouldn't you?

I'm hoping his various teams will be convening soon, will come up with a plan of action for us, and will let John outta that place. Fingers crossed everyone!

ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK

Yesterday John was smiling and cheerful, sat up in a chair for all his meals, and even pestered me for sips of my Dr. Pepper. It was a very good day. Today, not so much. The nausea was back with a vengeance -- so bad, in fact, that the only thing they could do was give him enough drugs to make him sleep all day. They warned me about this at the start -- said this would not be a steady progression. They said the nausea would come and go. The headaches would be worse some days than others, and would probably move from one spot to another. Still, after several days in a row of things getting better and better, it can be pretty dang scary when things suddenly go so far in reverse.

Luckily, he called me a little while ago, and sounded much more like his old self. Now maybe I can get a decent night's sleep. I'm gonna need it, because I need to leave by 7:00 if I want to be with him in pre-op, before he heads off for his angiogram. The reason for doing another one is twofold. First they want to check for anything new, but there's also a chance that something could have been hidden by blood and clots when they did the first one. Now that a lot of that has dispersed, they can get a better view -- make sure there wasn't a little balloon-type aneurysm in there somewhere that needs to be taken care of. Your prayers, positive vibes, and loving thoughts would be much appreciated. And, just to be on the safe side, I made sure these new prayer flags my friend Nicki sent us got hung in his hospital room before I left today. It couldn't hurt, right?