Been gone for a while!

On the 17th, I got a call about 10:30 pm that my dad was being taken to a cardiologist by ambulance to Portland. Because of my PTSD, I immediately freaked out and didn't know what to do.

I stayed up all night just freaked out to the total limit. Meanwhile, Julie, bless her little heart called my kids and they bought me a round trip to Portland.

So Julie, her two little ones and my niece Emily and her little guy flew that evening.

I could tell it made my dad feel less anxious with us there. All three of my kids showed up too and the grand kids. Despite the emergency it just felt wonderful to see them all in one place.

I stayed with dad in the hospital, and he scooted closer to me so he could hold my hand. He is very undemonstrative and it warmed my heart that he wanted me to stay and that I was a comfort....

Outside calm and peace, inside terror, anxiety, adrenaline. (no I am not talking about dad, I am talking about me!!!) But the good news? I was convincing and got him all nice and rested.

The nurse let me know that the next morning they were planning a triple bypass and thought he had some pretty bad heart damage. We all held hands including the babies and said a prayer for dad...There was a visiting expert cardiologist and he was able to remove one blockage with the angio and able to put stints in the other two...Dad went home two days later.

On the drive home to Rockaway I had a total melt down...Just got in a really bad place...Then things kind of settled down...

Julie and I worked like maniacs trying to make the living room livable...He had been remodeling and it was chaos. I caught him outside cutting moulding the day he got home...


Once we got that done I saw some friends that I haven't seen in years....My bestest friend from high school came and got me and took me to Cannon Beach and we laughed and I cried. Then we laughed some more and it was so much fun to have a friend where I didn't have to be one way or another...I could just let it all hang out baby. She knows I am crazy and is just fine with it.

Then the next day my friend Maureen came down and we went to a local motel and had a sleepover...We met when we were ten years old and have had a very close friendship since then..Although I have secluded myself from everyone, she was the first one I heard from when Don left me....Here we are at ten...















No, she is not a giant, she is the normal sized one thank you very much.

I was just a little pea.


Then here is one at 15....She lived in the Portland area, but I lived in Rockaway and you could here us shrieking all the way in New York when we realized we had the same cheer leading outfits just different colors...We had just got them and this was before school started. Her dad always said he wore ear plugs when we were together...


















And last of all, here we are standing on the porch of the house where I grew up. this was about a week ago.















We have decided that 50 is the new 30 and let's skip the forties all together..You are welcome to join our progressive thinking little club if you like.


I also spent the night with my little Andrew who is my ultimate little sweetheart!















I got to give him some one on one maga love........He is such a wonderful boy and he misses me as much as I miss him. It was hard to say goodbye.
When I got back, I lazed around and could hardly move. I am just now getting some energy back. I did do February's journal page. The monthly prompt was "Appreciation".
This was done down at dad's house with colored pencils and markers.
























Before I left, my partner for the accessory bag swap had just gotten her package, and I had gotten mine. We had emailed back and forth and this was her first swap ever.

She doesn't have a blog......yet. We had fun just enjoying the process and getting to know each other a bit. She wrote me the sweetest letter too. Here is what she sent me.....













Not one but three little bags...All with zippers. Margaret, I promise because you have inspired me, I am going to start using zippers...I mean it's not like bungee jumping or anything...at least I hope...
I love that they are bright and pink and I used them when I went to Oregon...The big one is for make-up, the medium for prescriptions and the little one for change..They were much admired by everyone cause they just are so fun! Then look what she had them stuffed with..What you wont see is the chocolate...she bought me a dark choc. bar, lindt truffles and reeses pieces and they are gone...




















All I can say is HOLY CRAP WOMAN!!!!!! (and did I mention the chocolate?) Thank you, thank you, thank you Miss Margaret for a wonderful swap....
Now here is what I sent her...and she professed love too although my package was all handmade....



















Clay buttons and she said she had the perfect jacket to put them on!













Her zipperless accessory bag. This was one of those "fast and easy" patterns that took me four hours and never did look like the pattern but I like it anyway. So there you stupid pattern maker people.

I also sent her the green neck cozy in the blogger header...She told me her daughter tried to make off with it!










Again, Thank you Margaret for being such a good listener and so generous...I will post these on the fliker site for both of us tomorrow...
I started one project tonight...This is after I had a little energy left after taking the last two days to get caught up on cleaning, laundry, unpacking and grocery shopping...
Here is a little peekie....what does it remind you of? I would love to know so I know if I am capturing the right feel?












Happy March! I want to see the daffodils! xoxoxox melinda