Happy New Year!

Just checking in for a bit, hoping this finds you all well and happy! I'm so thankful and grateful for your friendship and care. Wishing you a lovely New Year's Eve, spent with all your dear ones, saying goodbye to 2009 and welcoming in 2010. Wishes for robust health, peace of mind and happy and contented hearts for all of you.

Still weak as a kitten over here, still on the road to recovery. I get blue sometimes but then I remember how far I've come from those overwhelming days of recent past. So all is good, it will just take a bit more time.

And ... good grief, I'm a slow learner ... I only just realized that I could visit your blogs on my iPhone! Hurray hurrah! I've enjoyed catching up a wee bit with all of your goings on and holiday-ifying.

I also discovered some game app's for my phone ... I know, I'm so very behind in this techno world ... these were life savers for me, keeping my mind off of myself during the darkest days and sleepless nights. Do you have any fave's?



Hey! Do you watch PBS? They had some wonderful shows on recently ... American Masters on Louisa May Alcott, Independent Lens about Origami artists, the wonderful dancer/choreographer/citizen of the world, Bill T. Jones on Bill Moyers Journal (I'm heartbroken that he's going off the air!). And of course, the repeat of "Cranford", can't get enough of English period dramas.





Oh! I read Coraline over the weekend - good gosh, I don't know how kids read that book?! It scared the bejeezus out of me and I'm old as dirt!!! shiver shiver shake. Now I'm reading his "The Graveyard Book" - there was an excerpt in my issue of "Coraline" and it looked really good. I'm enjoying it very much so far.



The husband was sent on an errand of mercy the other day - his mission was to pick me up the December issue of Marie Claire Idees. Success! Someday I hope to locate a copy before the Christmas holiday - is that possible??? Worth the wait though, beautiful as always! (But is it me? There is always this off-gassing stinkiness to the magazine. p-u-zah! Please dear MCI, please cease with the oh so smelly chemicals!)

Goodness me, sorry to have bent you ear so much, I guess I really needed to blather on huh?!

Have a fun New Year's Eve and much joy in 2010!

Merry Christmas!

Just poking my head in for a moment to wish everyone the most wonderful and merriest of holidays! Thank you all so much for your very kind words and care and concern. I so appreciate it, it means so very much to me!

My oral surgeon said that the surgery went like clockwork - everything went perfectly. I was able to go home before eleven in the morning and didn't feel too badly. Wednesday and Thursday unfortunately I got walloped by the residual anesthesia and felt like I had the worlds worst flu. Every muscle, every joint, cried out when I moved. WAH!

Thankfully today the aches are gone ... now I have just come down with a cold. I can't win for losing as the saying goes.

Christmas is a very wee one this year for us, spent healing and regaining strength. We're watching old Christmas movies on TV that we've never seen before and eating lots of ice cream. (Alas, my jaw is still locked, so no big meals of indulgence for me.)

Thinking of you all and hoping your day today is delightful and full of all those dear to you!

Sally

P.S. I was looking in my mom's things for a vintage christmas card image to post and I found this drawing. I thought for sure it was mine, but it turned out to be even older - the drawing was folded and inside of it was this note, from my mom's little sister to my mom. So cute!

One very sick puppy

Hi you guys!

SOB! Coming to you from day 13 of Living Dental Hell. This is the first time since I posted last that I felt like I could sit down for awhile at the computer.

Last time I posted I thought I was experiencing a TMJ problem. Well ... not so.

About five or six days into Living Dental Hell (henceforward to be known as LDH teehee!), I developed a swelling, which felt like the size of a baseball under my chin.

YIKES! I went to the ER at UCLA and the initial consulting doctor agreed with me that it seemed to be TMJ - I wasn't in pain in a particular tooth, I had vague (believe me, not so vague!!!) pain in my teeth - but tremendous pain in my jaw - which was now locking.

But thank heavens, the senior doctor was more concerned about the swelling and directed me to get a panoramic xray to rule out an infected tooth. Problem was, it was too late in the day - I would have to wait until the next day. WAH!

So they gave me penicillin, prescription ibuprofen and vicodin (spelling?), and sent me on my way.

We went to UCLA Dental School for my xray the next day (a little late out of the gate, after the vicodin had made me barfie, terrific!) - I had the xray - and found out that I had an infected tooth. ARGH! This dentist prescribed a different and stronger antibiotic.

Thankfully the UCLA dentist sent me to an Endodontist I had previously been to - thank heavens he was in on a Friday and so we ran over to see that dentist. He has these witch doctor-y methods he uses to determine if a tooth is still viable - the final one is liquid nitrogen (I think I'm remembering that correctly???) and it freezes your tooth. If the tooth is alive, it hurts ... if it's dead, you don't feel anything in the tooth. I didn't feel anything in the back molar. WAH!!! To make matters worse, he says I have such a deep pocket and so much bone loss, that he recommends extraction.

So now we go off to the third dentist that day, an oral surgeon, all the while I feel like I'm dying. The third dentist doubles the UCLA dentist's dosage of the (second) antibiotic.

I have had to keep going back to the oral surgeon and follow the infection, as these kinds of infections are possibly "life threatening". sniffle sniffle SOB

At one of these evaluations, it's deemed that I'm getting worse!!! So they give me two new antibiotics, stating they are bringing out THE BIG GUNS. Sheesh. Sure would have been nice if you had done that a week earlier. :(

All of this is compounded by the fact that I am dental phobic. The dentist office is the last place that I want to be. So because I'm phobic, I can't have the stinkin' tooth just pulled. I have to be knocked out. I can't just be knocked out because I have apnea. I have to be knocked out at the hospital, so that my airway will be protected.



So ... I have to go to the hospital and be knocked out with general anesthesia. Crikey. I'm going on Tuesday morning, bright and early. Have to be there at five am.



Oh good grief, I've written a book, haven't I?! If you've made it this far, thank you so much for your care and concern, I greatly appreciate it (and you)! I miss you all and hope you are having a very lovely holiday season!

Sally

Giving gifties to myself!

I've had a rough go with my dental work and now, the resulting aftermath. The past three days have brought excruciating TMJ pain. OUCHERS! The dentist tells me I need to relax, take loads of ibuprofen and use warm compresses. I don't think I've had a relaxed day in my entire life. I'm not built that way. Ay yi yi. So I'm pampering myself with a little holiday shopping for moi. ;)

Yesterday I had fun buying some online holiday craft patterns!

I got darlin' Jenny, of Allsorts, adorable Christmas Elfies!

I got darlin' Betz White's adorable gingerbread boy and dog!

I got darlin' Alicia, of Posie Gets Cozy, adorable Walk in the Woods patterns!

I got darlin' Anna, of twelve22, winter-time paper village!
Anna has a free printable of one of her winter-time houses available here.

I got the prepublication, online version of Fa La La La Felt from Zinnio, featuring so many designers work that I love! Be ready to fall in love - they let you preview quite a few pages of this wonderful book, so be sure and check it out.

And I also recently got Laurraine, of Patchwork Pottery, Bird pattern, her Pumpkin Coasters pattern and Quilters Connection Magazine (which Laurraine sweetly autographed) featuring her Partridge in a Pear Tree!
Bird Ornament
Pumpkin Coasters
Quilters Connection Magazine

Another great pattern set I got recently, Crafty Tree Trimmings, which features six well known bloggers adorable patterns, from Crafty Pod! 15 % of purchase will benefit Project Linus!

I've mentioned the first three delightful ornament sets I received from Stephanie before and I want to add that I went back for three more sets teehee! Could not resist! ... I got six sets of the most adorable ornaments from dear Stephanie of Old World Primitives at her Etsy Store! I'm linking to Stephanie's main Etsy Store addy for you to see all of her wonderful things. I bought her doggies, kitties, angels, snowmen and two different Santa sets, all charming!

I'm off to enjoy my holiday patterns and magazines and hopefully, relax and UNCLENCH, and happily dream of sugarplums! :)

Monday blog love

a studio with a view
Andrea Walford
art = love = life
Cloth and Clay Dolls
Create With Me
D'Blogala
Flea Market Fancy Freaks
Food People Want
Froken Skicklig
Handmade by Jenni
handmade love
Lost in Paper Scraps
Marges8's Blog
My Black Book
nest full of eggs
Peets Scrapalbum
Pip Notes
Poetic Home
rose hip
Scrapping og skrytebilder
small bird
Stamping Matilda
Sugared Songbird
Tangarang
The Creative Type
This is love forever
Veggie Belly
Vintage Flair
waltzingmouse makes
With thy needle and thread

It's A Wonderful Life

We went Downtown yesterday to the amazing Million Dollar Theater to see the classic and much beloved by us, "It's A Wonderful Life" for a much needed jump start to some holiday spirit. The Million Dollar theater was built in 1918 and had long since seen it's glory days. Thankfully the wonderful Los Angeles Conservancy is restoring it and it is already quite something grand to behold.

Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! On, Cupid!
On, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch!
To the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away!
Dash away all!

Make a sock reindeer ala Martha
Sock Reindeer inspiration



Get beautiful reindeer clipart from The Graphics Fairy
Reindeer Clipart



Make a herd of reindeer from Cheeky Magpie (I made these last year, so cute!)
Reindeer pattern



Reindeer Embroidery pattern from Andrea Zuill
Reindeer Embroidery pattern



Reindeer Gingersnaps from Little Birdie Secrets
Reindeer Gingersnaps



Charming Twig Reindeer from Pretty Ditty
Twig Reindeer


Make Birch Branch Reindeer from Womans Day
Birch Branch Reindeer



Reindeer knitting pattern from Lulu
Knitted Reindeer


Printable Reindeer gift tags from Kristina for Creature Comforts
Reindeer Tags



Make a paperless origami reindeer from Craftstylish
Paperless origami reindeer

Ho Ho Ho

I give up. UNCLE. I can't deny that Christmas is approaching at the speed of light any longer. Good gosh, time is flying, isn't it?!

Time to roll out some fun stuff ...


Santa Claus paper craft printable from Family Fun
Santa Claus paper craft decoration




Oh my gosh, this is the cutest!
Make a miniature Santa, with sleigh and reindeer from Dollmaker
Mini Felt Santa Claus



Cute Santa to print out from Ziggity Zoom
Santa Printable



Make Santa and his helpers from Melodies Plus
Santa, Mrs. Claus and Elf dolls



Santa Claus tea cozy from Santa's Postbag
Santa Claus tea cozy knitting pattern


Mr. and Mrs. Santa Clothespin dolls from Martha
Mr. and Mrs. Santa Clothespin dolls


Christmas Santa Box at Craft Ideas
Santa Gift Box

Doin' the happy dance over here!

Thanks again everyone for all of your care and concern and sweet comments, it means so much to me!

WHEW! The Vet called yesterday afternoon and began by saying "I have some good news for you". Hurray hurrah!!! He said that it was a benign overgrowth of the epi-something or other.

Yippie!

And our Miss Precious Poochie Pie began to feel better yesterday and perk up and today she seems to have even more ooomph. So all is well in this little corner of the world again.

Thank you again so much for your kindness and friendship.

Let the holiday merry making begin!

My doggie is having surgery

EDITED TO ADD December 2nd: Thanks everyone so much for your kind words and good thoughts for my doggie! I so appreciate your kindness.

The vet told us our doggie made it through the anesthesia and the surgery with flying colors. He said he thinks it's just "exuberant" tissue growth (common in older dogs) but then added, "But you never know". He also found a second area of concern, on the corresponding upper tooth area. We will hopefully receive the biopsy results tomorrow afternoon. If not, then it will be Friday.

Our doggie patient was very bouncy and so happy to be home last night, you'd never guess she had surgery. But today she is all forelorn looking and very much the sad sack. I think she must feel really awful. We shared a lot of cuddles and rubbie-do's on the couch this morning and since then, she's just been flat out, mostly sleeping, sometimes lifting a bleary eyelid and looking around.

Thank you all again for your care and concern! You are very dear souls and it means a lot to me!


Original post:

WAH! When our doggie had her teeth cleaned, they found a lump by one of her back molars. It could just be an overgrowth of gum tissue but the vet said there are two kinds of cancer that it could be too. He said although it could be an overgrowth of gum tissue, it was odd/suspicious because it was just in the one area ... and he kept talking about the two cancers it could be. One of them tends not to spread but the other one is bad, spreads quickly. He said Golden Retrievers are prone to both.

SOB! I'm a nervous nellie over here. She's our little (ten year old) nutball baby and we love her so.

If you can spare some get well doggie wishes today, I'd so appreciate it.