Coming out 0f the Winter doldrums...

...so I think that I am getting back to life a little. Have been inspired and making some things. No pictures for now.

Went to celebrate my grandmother's baby sister's 97th birthday last Saturday. When I put some pictures on the computer I will share. How many 97 year olds can have a bookshelf fall on them, break their tailbone in 3 places (in Oct.) , and be healed totally by February? But, she lost a bit of weight. Still looks great! Could pass for someone in her late 70's. She can talk politics and social issues with you, keeps up on things like Cairo, is into homeopathy, and can stick her tongue out like a 16 year old for pictures. She's amazing.

Sadly, my fabulous grandmother, (I was truly blessed with the best and always knew it), passed away at 59 when I was in 3rd grade. My 97 yr. old aunt has buried all three of her children and her husband. That is so very tough. But, she is an inspiration to us all and always keeps her spirits up. I easily have 4 hour telephone conversations with her. She is so much fun with whom to have a conversation.In fact, up until about 8-10 years ago, four generations would go antiquing, and guess who would drive?

The reason that I have not been blogging much is that my work schedule has been hectic, and everyday life takes so much of the time that is left. Have been feeling a bit frazzled. Hoping to get some things off my list now, and feel better about things. Lots going on since the fall, much on the shoulders. Trying to clear my head.

Of course it is hard on days like Valentine's Day and such. But, I think in general that this year has been tougher for me- maybe because it was 'last year' that we lost him.

Well, I recently took to my wool and needle felted for the first time. I am very pleased with the results. Have been working on some other wool pieces as well. Had a woolen Christmas stocking that I cut up with which I made some heads. A dog's head, a cat's head and a snake's face. They are very folk art like. The snakes face,(not scary), will turn into a little purse. The cat and dog will either be purses or dolls. Not sure which to do yet. Also have some paper mache birds in the works.

I am feeling frazzled as I have so many things to do, and when I get started, something comes to interrupt the process. I feel sometimes that not much gets done, even though I do far more than many others. Would love to start on my basement studio, but then have other necessary projects like redoing my filing system, and the purging of old papers. I have no problems organizing and purging, I just have so much of it to do. Time, time, time.

Our world is surely so crazy, when retired relatives are frazzled from life. The answer is to do less, but getting rid of things that one likes to do to stay de-frazzled sometimes seems to be the only answer to the time crunch.

My Mom's rose bush was transplanted when we sold our old family home. It gives me roses in winter. I feel that it is my Mom watching over me, sending me her love and support from heaven above when it does. And it usually comes at a point when I need the extra lift.Although there is no rose on the bush now, the above rose picture is from this rose bush which has been transplanted twice, and still gives us roses.

Just read a quote that I like, something to the effect of :

"Don't give the devil a ride. He will insist upon driving."

I take it to mean to not give in to negative thoughts- and , I guess to things in general that one may later regret doing.

Maybe Puxatawney Phil was right, and spring will be with us soon. We have been having some blue skies and temps. in the 40's and nearing 50 recently. Have a great day.

xo Lydia

31 Years ago today, My Dad Died...1 Year ago today, Ken came home for Hospice

31 years ago today at 5:45 am I received a phone call. I thought that it was a subbing call, but then I looked at the clock and saw how early it was. That wasn't good. My super, well loved father passed away at 52 from fibrosis of the lungs, due to too much radiation treatment for his Hodgkin's Disease.

The radiologist was an awful man. My father was a civil servant, with average pay for the day. The doctor told him,"You took a mortgage out for your home, you took a loan out for your car, I'm not waiting for Blue Cross-Blue Shield, take a loan out to pay me."

I loved my father to the ends of the earth. He made us feel as if all four of us were his favorite. I always figured that if I was 1/2 as good a parent as my Dad was, that my kids would turn out all right. *

So it did not slip my mind in the least when we found out that Ken would come home for Hospice a year ago today. It compounded the memory date, emblazoned it in my heart and soul forever.

Of course, we were hoping to heal Ken. And, after all, while home in Hospice, he got rid of his hematuria, 2 colds, and started to gain weight/eat & drink more, ever so slowly. But then he made a drastic turn for the worst, his body temperature plummeted to 88 degrees, and then the following day, his final day here on earth with us in May, to 87 degrees. He was 55.

My sister said that he had 1 foot in heaven , and three here on earth. That so described Ken. He did not want to leave. But, alas, it was not his decision to make , but it was the decision of the man upstairs.

West Side Tennis Club.

Our beautiful children at their cousin's wedding last September.
* I feel awful, but I do not have any photos of my Dad on the computer. So many to scan. He was the best Dad anyone could've had. No lie.

S Novim Godom! Happy New Year!

Last photo of hubby taken a day before his massive stroke last year at his Mom's. Thanksgiving 2009. Vomiting and Thanksgiving don't quite go together. He put on this smile for us, even though what he was going through was lousy, he still gave us this smile.
My three beautiful children at my niece's wedding last year. Even though they have been through so much, their youth carries them onward. What is the quote? "Youth is a gift of nature. Age is a work of art." Forgot who said it. So I am a work of art? Wish I thought so! ...hahaha
A little china head doll with painted body that I made about 1 1/2 years ago. Already sold, but I thought I would post it. Not sure if I posted her picture before or not.
Here's her sister. They went to the same home. Her crown and mask are made out of painted tar paper. It is fairly sturdy and paints up well.
Yesterday we went to the facility where hubby worked. He ran the junior tennis program there for years, and the day after Christmas starts the largest junior tournament in our state. When Ken passed away, they renamed it in his name. Nice, huh?

So they asked me to come in to hand out awards, shake hands, and take photos with the winners. My oldest, who works there, did the morning photos I believe, and my middle daughter was working, so my son handed out the finalists' awards, and I the winners' .

It was nice because the winner of the boys 18s was one of Ken's long time students. And he had to beat out a lot of stiff competition to get there. And the finalist of the boys 16's is the son of Ken's doubles partner.

It was nice seeing friendly faces. One of them was a young lady who Ken coached for years who 'made good' in the tennis world. She's graduating college soon. Seeing her , I told her how much Ken enjoyed coaching her. She was affected, and I started to cry, just a little. I had to NOT look at all his photos at the club, to retain my composure.

After that nice afternoon, my son and I had dinner, then a quiet evening at home.My oldest was with her boyfriend, and celebrations leading up to a wedding today. My middle daughter went with a good friend to a Drama teacher's party for past and present students, then they came home to play guitar and make brownies. And I put a mini fooseball table together that I had gotten as a gift. The regular table is in the basement, but my oldest thought it would make a great gift to have a little table upstairs.

You see, in college, I 'minored' in fooseball. I hung out with all the international students, who were very good at the fooseball table, and learned a thing or two. Of course, I am out of practice a bit. My friend Jean and I would put our quarter up to play the winners. The guys would size us up and think they could beat us because we were a couple of girls. Then we'd whip their buns, and perplex the heck out of them. And to think that the first time I played the game in Syracuse, while visiting Jean, that I played so very badly. But, I was smitten by the game and got so good that by the time I visited her next, I was actually a decent partner. And so began my career in University Fooseball....hahaha

It was hard last night at midnite, not having my Ken to kiss, not even in the hospital. It was also hard because now I have to say that I lost my husband 'last year'. And remembering our quiet night last (2009) New Year's Eve in the Rehab hospital, and the following day when we spent 11 1/2 hours in the ER of the hospital attached to the Rehab . Hospital, all the while taking care of my husband's hematuria, and the subsequent lack of sleep for 2 days+, and the horrible stay at that hospital for 6 days, and just wanting to take hubby home because they were just atrocious there, and him going back to the Rehab, Hospital, but things had changed and he started to go down hill---well, those are tough memories to hold for all of us.

But, you know? God says to have hope 'til the end. And that's what I did with Ken, and that's what I do now. Hope that things will get better for us all, and knowing that he is at peace, and no longer in mental, (and physical) suffering. For it was the mental suffering which was the hardest for my poor hubby.

So if you smoke, please heed this warning. I don't want to get graphic, but it was no cake walk to go through what my hubby went through. Don't risk what he went through. You will be so very thankful that you gave it up. I did, so many years ago, when I became pregnant with my first, and I am so thankful that I did.

Ok...so I've spoken of dolls/artwork, kids , a hubby that left us, smoking, and fooseball in college. Now I have a kitty on my lap who needs some attention:)

Have a Blessed New Year.

xo Lydia

Merry Christmas!

What's been going on, what's around my house,memories and then some...and a little recent artwork.....

Circa 1987.
Circa 1980.
A Kick Ass definition by my kick-ass fabulous niece and hubby (ex-Marine & all around wonder guy) given to my hubby before his brain surgery 4 years ago. Preparation for the surgery included Power Words air brushed that are still around the house. This is part of the Kick Ass sign.
China head doll pin keep.
Kiska kitty and very old hand painted, water color, large, wooden, Ukrainian/Russian egg from where my grandmother's family is from-Galitsia. It is now mostly Austria & Hungary.
My anniversary card this year from hubby before he passed away. Written with help from my daughter. He signed the bottom-barely legible with his 'stroke' mind & body.

It says,

" Dear Lydia, I would like to write to you a letter telling you how much I love you. I love you because you write well, and some of the lilacs you gave to me smell good. I love you. Sincerely with love, KenBuvShluv" "It says" pointing to what he signed- dictated to Lara . So he signed his name with his initials, and told her what to write.( My husband wrote extremely well himself. He wrote articles for tennis magazines as a side line).

I had gotten a small handful of lilacs from our garden & put them in a tiny glass on his stand by his bed while he was in Hospice. It's funny how he said, "some of the lilacs", because there were only a few that would fit into that tiny glass. They were my anniversary gift to him. He loved his gardening. It is my most special card and now resides on the fireplace mantle.

BtC- before the cancer.

Three little old chalk ware dolls who rest in front of an oil painting, as if they had just walked out of it. Notice the little Cossack guy.
A great card that I had gotten and given to hubby that is eternally up on my wire card rack hanging on my laundry room door.

It's there because it reminds me to find humor in my otherwise not always humorous days: Failure to diagnose cancer for my hubby by a doctor who said, "you have pain in your arm and chest and you smoke, I can't find anything, you're ok because you're an athlete"-so that when he finally is diagnosed he has stage IV lung cancer. 4 years of cancer treatments, brain surgery, massive stroke, blood clot in the lung, multiple bad seizures, 3 hospitals, hematuria for 70 days, massive weight loss, major debilitation, lack of cognizance most of the time (and he was a very sharp man), Hospice, not always recognizing us, running tennis tournaments in our family room, and not knowing that I had Lyme and Mono when he was first diagnosed and had brain surgery, 4 years ago. I do need to remind myself to find the humor.

A watercolor painting by my wonderful friend Patty, who painted this of/for our family. She said she was sending me some flowers. We are each flowers. Isn't it wonderful?
A cute find ...keep, make pin cushion in and sell...not sure what to do with it just yet...
A corner old shelf holding mugs. The top 2 were my Mom's. I always loved them growing up. The bottom one I found antiquing somewhere about 10 years ago.
A tiny kitty pin keep.
An old oil painting which now hangs in our powder room. Found at my Mom's, when she passed away. Someone gave it to her.OK- I am trying to come alive again. You see, the day after Thanksgiving 2009 while visiting Ken's family, my husband got up and had a massive stroke, blood clot in the lung, and multiple bad seizures, all on top of stage IV lung cancer. It was very tough, and continues to be. I am trying not to book too much, as I have to try and relax and enjoy life. It is so difficult to do without the one you love. And life doesn't exactly get easier.

We went to my brother's house and had a Norman Rockwell looking and tasting turkey. Then we had a blast for a few hours playing Scrabble with my niece and her hubby. It felt so good to laugh hysterically for such a long time. And their delicious little daughter, my grand niece, melts you when she just says, "Yess". We are looking forward to going to their house for Christmas. It will break up what we usually do. We need that.

God Bless, and I pray you all enjoy your holidays.

So Sorry for Not Posting Lately...

...life has been very hectic lately, as we came upon the one year anniversary of hubby's massive stroke.Hit a deer, baking element went right before the cooking demo, jobs, interviews, artwork for shows and shops, and a great big mess around the house getting cleaned up...a noise in the garage sends for the police, but it looks like it was just the ladder that slid---I guess. Nothing found-phew!

It has been a very tough time and year, so please bear with- will post more very soon.

Thank you all for all of your support. What a year.

God Bless.

PS- The Russian Cooking Demonstration was a success! Cookbook to come??? haha

Russian Cooking Demonstration

Zhulyienne,Russian Tea Cakes, and Variations of, and maybe some piroshki! Oh, My! I have never done anything like this before. Cooking, baking, talking, teaching language and culture...well, I have done all of these, just not together for a group, outside my home. 3 1/2 hours!!!

Wish me luck!

xo