I wish I knew the identity of the anonymous comment left on my last post ...
thank you, whoever you are, for your kind compliment and encouraging words! I appreciate it very much!
So here I am, coming to you live ... gallbladder-less! The surgery was originally scheduled for 2pm today, then it was bumped up to 11;30am. And then, just yesterday, they bumped it up again to 10:00am. I told Kevin at that rate, it could be out by the evening! LOL! Well, as God would have it, today's surgery was indeed orchestrated by the Great Physician Himself and I can honestly say I feel better right now (just hours post-op!) than I have felt in the last several months! This pain is nothing - natta - lower than low! They even gave us 4 sequential pictures of the inside of my guts, showing all the parts & pieces! That's just too much!! Scrapbook material?!? Ha Our Sunday School class pretty much had a party in the waiting room. And now that they've seen the pictures, they can honestly say they know me inside and out! So --- the parting was graceful, and although I appreciate everything she did for me while we were together, it's goodbye Ms. Bladdie. Rest in peace.
Kevin & I truly do appreciate you praying us through. Anyone who might doubt the power of prayer hasn't been hanging around with us enough! Of course, it's not the power of prayer. It's the mighty miraculous power of God sought in prayer. I praise Him to the highest heavens for His generosity! Not once did I feel apart from His tender care. Not once. N-o-t o-n-c-e. He even granted us an opportunity to witness (of course, we did that all the live long day), but a specific opportunity to talk with my nurse about Jesus and to invite her and her husband to join us at church. I think she will -- Cindy, God is anxious to prove Himself to you! He loves us so much, and He is all the time arranging details to let us know He's there. This, I k-n-o-w!
I'll be crafting soon! It might be my most inspiring creations to date! Amazing what a good gallbladder surgery will do to ya! Thank you again family & friends. You are loved. You are never forgotten. Never overlooked. My heart is completely stolen by God over each of you, with bleary eyes.
If you can spare one last prayer, my very very very dear friend, Eleanore, is having lens replacement on her eyes starting tomorrow. And we are expecting a snow storm as well. Please pray for her surgery to be perfect, and her pain to be tolerable, and their safe travels. She was very very very instrumental in getting me the medical attention I needed so quickly (she's kinda a big shot at the hospital, but you'd never know it. Especially since she's a short tiny little speck of a thing!). We have been very very very close friends for like-ever (23 years) and she is precious. Thank you for remembering her and Brent.
Kiss your life. Accept it, just as it is. Today. Now. So that those moments of happiness you're waiting for don't pass you by.
Today's cards went with me to church this morning, to the sweet Ms. Cynthia who delivered yummy homemade vegie soup and jello salad to us in the days following Goodbye Ms. Bladdie. {Personally, I think anyone out there who still has a Gallbladder should donate it just so they can get some of Miss Cynthia's soup!} These cards were inspired by this post and I'm so excited about the upcoming new Spellbinders release! Debbie's intro of the Jumbo Scalloped Petite Borderabilities just mesmerised me! I've pre-ordered mine, but my mind was working overtime trying to concoct a way to make Debbie's card right now {patience has never been my best attribute!}.
By George, I'm stinkin' happy with the result! (well, not really stinkin' after that wonderful hot shower this morning...). I used a Martha Stewart wide scalloped edge punch to get the same effect of the new soon-to-be-released Spellbinders Die. The pretty ivory scalloped ribbon was a fun find from JoAnns, and I added large pink pearls to the center of the PTI vintage buttons.
Now the really fun part was dolling up the designer paper, which is from Making Memories Vintage Findings Collection. First, I stamped PTI's polka dot basics, using Peeled Paint Distress Ink. Then I added a touch of sheet music stamp in Chocolate Brown, and edged it with Antique Linen for a nice aged-to-perfection look! The card base is a scarlet burgundy (source unknown), edged with PTI's Snow White ink.
These cards are almost as yummy as Miss Cynthia's soup! Oh -- and did I mention that I made these from 9 to midnight last night? Ya just can't keep a true paper crafter down, even if she does have a black & blue tummy! Amazing what a good gallbladder surgery can do for ya! Get your plastic out girlfriends, and pre-order your Spellbinders! Happy happy happy!
