Thought I should update this since it's been a year since the last time I updated my Journal.

Let's see - what has been going on in the last year.  Haven't done much art work - just have not been in the mood and I kind of have to be feeling it in order to really get into doing it.  I do have a couple of pieces halfway done, but I swear my muse has taken off for the Bahamas without me and didn't leave a forwarding address!  However spring is finally here and that usually revs up the creative juices, so hopefully I'll get going on some things again.

In January my oldest son took a bad step out of our  toy hauler and broke his tibia and fibula about halfway between the knee and ankle.  Very close to being a compound fracture and we could see the end of the bone pressing against the skin.  Legs should NOT bend that way!  I saw it as it happened and have to tell you that even though my son is now 24 and is 6'5" tall - it's not something a mother ever wants to experience!  Anyway, hospital by ambulance, then surgery to insert an intermedullary rod with screws, four days in the hospital.  It's all healed now and he's finally off of using a cane - just still has some numbness in the bottom of his foot from nerve damage, but we are hoping that will go away as it continues to heal.

March and April were pretty sucky.  In March I found my elderly neighbor dead in her home - she had major heart problems and it wasn't totally unexpected, but it's still not an experience I want to repeat and we miss her.  She was a very, very sweet lady.  Another dear friend's husband passed away also.  On top of that yet another friend was diagnosed with breast cancer (ladies - if you are old enough, get that yearly mammogram done and if not encourage your mothers, aunts and grandmothers to get theirs done!).

In April, a childhood friend who was also the son of a dear friend lost his battle with cancer.  I was so sad to find out that he passed on one of his daughter's birthdays and it was also the day before his mom's birthday.  I just recently found these friends and re-connected with them.  So sad I didn't get to know him as an adult.

Then my youngest son, a California Conservation Corps corpsmember,  injured his foot a week before he was supposed to go to their Backcountry Trails program for 5 mos.  Possible stress fracture and so he doesn't get to go this year.  At least he gets to hang out at home with us for a couple of weeks while it heals before having to report back to work.

Also in April, I had a slight tear of my Achilles tendon - calf muscle.  It's like "Really???  What else???"

I also took in my youngest Border Collie, our blue merle Gracie (great-granddaughter of my first BC), for her OFA hip and elbow x-rays.  I was pretty crushed when the vet told me OFA wasn't going to like it because she had some remodeling of the femur neck and head on one hip.  He said it was a very interesting case because both hips were tight in the socket and if they both looked like the other hip she probably would be OFA Excellent.  Elbows looked great though - Hah!  OFA came back with a finding of unilateral (one hip) mild dysplasia.  That pretty much sent a lot of plans down the toilet.  We will spay her and not continue to show her, but may still do some herding with her.  Still contemplating on where to go from here.

Oh the plus side, I still feel great and as long as my health is doing well I have to look on the bright side!

So here's hoping the rest of the year goes much, much better!!!

Cheers!