Any Time of Life, It's Good To Be Alive!

Just Bee-Cause!

Still trying to traverse the muck that is my life right now, but will slowly try to post some things over the next week.  I have a DT assignment to post, but I need to download and edit the photos.....and I am not in the mood to do that this morning.

I signed up for a swap with my new SBS#26 group of stamping sisters, and I am glad I did.  It got my butt moving a little bit again.  I made a card!  Actually, I made 4 cards.....because that's how many other sisters signed up for the swap (okay, secretly I am soooooooooo glad I only had to make 4!!).  I don't really do swaps anymore, but I am glad I did this one.  I not only produced a card I like, but I used some new stamps that have been sitting around waiting for me to use them.  And, of course, that butt-moving thing.

The brown cardstock is actually that cool Core'dinations stuff that is another color in the core of each sheet.  I put it through my Cuttlebug and sanded the brown off the top to reveal the pretty light pink underneath.  Definitely going to figure out other ways to use it, because it was fun!

 

 

Card Recipe:

 

The Bee List stamp by Cornish Heritage Farms

Bumble B. Bear stamp set from Cookie Crumbs by C. C. Designs

Espresso Adirondack dye ink pad by Ranger

Colored pencils (Apple Green, Jasmine, Pink, Pink Rose, Yellow Ochre) from Prismacolor by Sanford

Strawberries n’ Cream cardstock from The Chocolate Box Collection by Core’dinations Cardstock

Gold textured cardstock by Bazzill

Ivory Simply Smooth cardstock by Prism Papers

Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder by Provo Craft

3/8” light pink double sided satin ribbon by American Crafts

Bootiful Mini Sprinkles mini brads by Queen & Co.

Mini pink rosebuds by Savvy Stamps

 

Be Thankful!

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary
Because it means you've made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.
~ Author Unknown ~

I have had a tough couple of weeks following the end of radiation.  When they perform breast cancer surgery, they do a sentinel node biopsy which removes lymph nodes from under your arm to make sure the cancer has not spread to your lymph system.  The first time I had BC, I had two lymph nodes removed.....this time I had eight removed.  What a difference!  I have had so much pain as my lymph system readjusts and the excess fluid goes away.  To know how it feels, put a hard baseball under your arm and try to sleep with it there.  Ouch!  The past two days have been much better, so I am hoping this is it.

 

I probably won't do anymore cancer updating because I really want to get back to whatever my new normal is going to be, and take the focus off of my cancer.  Don't get me wrong.....it will be with me every minute of every day, but I am tired of giving "It" more power in my life than it deserves.  Life has to be more about living rather than focusing on "what ifs".

 

From the bottom of my heart, and I mean this ever so sincerely, thanks for the support and compassion many of you have shown me over the past few months.  You may think it was insignificant to write a few words of encouragement here or to send a card or email, but it is big in the life of someone whose world becomes increasingly small when faced with illness.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

 

Okay......I will be back in a few days with some actual cards and stuff.  I have a DT assignment to finish and an SBS group swap to accomplish.  It is my small attempt to get back to that "normal" I was talking about.  This is coming from a slightly abnormal person, so we'll see how that goes. 

 

The Finish Line......At Least For This Part Of The Race!

 

I finished radiation on Tuesday (yippee!) and will continue to take another couple of weeks to recover to where I feel like I can have a semi-normal day.  Radiation really took a lot of my normal spirit away and made me so so so tired and made me sore.  In reality, it will take many weeks for the effects to go away if I can count on what happened last time to also happen to me this time.

Next week I will be starting another journey.  I really don't know what to expect, as I have heard so much good and so much bad about what I am going to begin next.  I will start hormonal therapy and will be on various types of therapy for the next five to ten years.  I keep joking to people that I will soon grow a mustache and my voice will get deeper (yikes!), but truth be told it scares me a lot.  I just have to keep remembering that I am trying to do everything I can to keep cancer from re-entering my life.

I'll be back in a couple of weeks.  In the meantime, I hope to get around at some point to look at creative blogs again.  As always, thanks for your sweet comments.  Keep the faith!