My head hurts.

Hello, anyone out there? Of course, I'm just being funky. It has been a hard day. and My head is killing me. The saga with Mom just took another turn today. In the hospital today for a surgery to change the shunt in her leg for her I.V. treatment. She has gotten a staff infection from it and they needed to go in and replace it, but still not sure that it is going to help. She goes from one thing to another. She is tired and so sick. I told her Monday, after going to a doctor, that it was okay if she felt like she needed to go. She understood what I was say, that I don't want her to have to suffer and not get better. It has just been a hard 5 weeks, and sometimes there is no silver lining at the end. Just wish the doctors could get their act together. I'm getting to where I am worried about going out at night, each and every time I go out something happens to her. What is going to happen when I move out? I know, don't worry. Trust in God. But I keep taking it out of his hands and putting it on my shoulders.

tons of photos to show you.

Myles and Drake have a new little buddy. This is Princess Lila. She is Hunter's new baby, and he is taking such good care of her. Looks closely and you will see her snuggled in against Drake.
Since we are still living with Mom, if Hunter has to be at work all day long she will come to work with Myles and me. They love playing together.



Here are some of the photos of what I brought back from the convention. Some things were given to the attendees, some things were bought, and the Santa sleigh was given to me by a very special friend.

Here are two of my roommates and good friends,

Sandy and Nicole. This wast he first night of the convention and we were dressed for the 60's and flower power. My paints are hand painted and tons of flower patches, you just can't see them.

This is Norma and Renee, they received roses from me on the last night. See those beautiful smiles?

Donna is teaching the last day of the convention in this photo.

And this is one of my favorite pieces that I saw at the convention. The floor cloth is using Donna's fabric, along with paint. I loved it.

I didn't really take a lot of photos, or not funny photos, just of the products. Lots to see and remember.

Sunday night, or should I say Monday morning.

It is now 12:28a.m. and I'm sitting here in bed listening to my hubby snoring, and moving my legs over so that Myles has room to sleep. We went to go see Mama Mia tonight, and I've got to tell you, it was a blast. Hunter, my 17 year old hated it. He couldn't believe all the singing, and a few times he looked at us as we joined in with some of the songs and he just shook his head at us. He is so funny at times.


It was a strange weekend. On Friday night we had to say goodbye to two of our best friends as they prepared to travel to New Orleans for the next 2 1/2 years. Not that they will be traveling that long, they will just be gone that long. Terry is the one that I call Sis, and I always claim her hubby as my brother-in-law. I hope and pray that they will be happy there, but I look forward to their returning home.

Mom has been very sick, she now has a staff infection. This has got to be the same infection that she had a few weeks ago. I feel so guilty when I go out, I feel like I should be here with her instead. That is really getting hard because we are so close to being in our own home. Matter of fact, Phil and I have spent most of the past two days at our new home working on it and getting closer to a move in day. Today I painted our front door RED. I love it. I took photos, but my cord for downloading photos is at the studio, so it will be later this week before I can post them. But back to Mom. Tomorrow we go to the doctor to find out if her arm has improved enough to put her port in her arm for her dialysis instead of her leg. They believe that the infection is coming from the one that they put in her leg, so probably Wednesday she will have to go into the hospital to have it removed, but I'm not sure where they will put the next one. She just looks so bad.


Saturday at the studio we had a Creative Memories workshop, and it really was a lot of fun. But, Patty, the friend that does the workshops, told us that she had been laid off from her regular job and then when Kathy came in she told us that she had been laid off two. I tell you what, I am so concerned about everyone and our economy. I keep trying to tell everyone to hang in there, that it is going to get better, but sometimes my faith falters just a bit. (Don't tell anyone!)


Our financial problems are still here, I just don't let them get to me like I did before. I know that we will be back on our feet again one day, and at that point I hope to be able to pay all of loans and everyone that we own money too. My daughter lost her car last weekend. We had been making the payments ever since we got it, but I told her months ago that she would need to pick up the payments, guess she didn't believe me. Now I'm not sure what we will do about her car. Right now she is driving mine, isn't life just grand? Yes, it is. Without all of the bumps in the road I don't think that I would appreciate the smooth roads so much.


Okay, smiles for the week.
Monday, day 20, I sent an e-mail card and I also spent the entire day with Mom instead of going to the studio. My sister even came and spent some time with us.

Tuesday, day 21, made a phone call to a friend that I hadn't talked to in a long time. That was a smile for both of us.

Wednesday, day 22, a friend was meeting a new guy for the first time and mentioned that she would love it if I could be there just in case. So, on the way home I decided to stop by just in case. (the guy didn't do much for me, and I was so glad that he didn't do a thing for her either.

Thursday, day 23, I went to McDonald's for Myles's and my breakfast. When I left I called back and asked for the manager and told him that the two young kids at the windows were really pleasant and that I left there smiling. He thanked me for calling and told me to keep smiling. He was telling me to smile, and here I was hoping to cause the kids to smile. Also that day at the studio I got to help a student do a painting that she had been wanting to do for a while now, and she did so well. She has a problem seeing small details, but you would never know it if you saw her piece and the eyes that she painted on her project. Way to go Pat.

Friday, day 23, I was a McDonald's again, and they young guy was at the window again, and when I saw him I told him that I had called his manager the day before. He was so shocked that I would do that and asked if he could give me a hug. Wasn't that sweet of him?

Saturday, day 24, I made sure to compliment someone on their weight loss. Something so simple as to tell someone that they were looking good and how proud you are of them of their effort.

Sunday, day 25. What did I do today? I'm not sure. I know that when I'm with Mom I do my best to make her laugh, which she does. But that isn't doing something on purpose to make someone smile. So I'm going to let you be my smile today. I want each and everyone of you to know that you are special to me in your own way. Each of you touch my heart when I hear from you, by letting me know that you are praying for me and my family, when you shared your funny stories with me, and just your life. Each of you are special, and God has put you in my life for a reason. Take care my friends, and may each of you have a special smile before laying your head down and having sweet dreams.
Hugs to all,
Charlie

I'm finally on the way home.

Hi, Have you missed me? Seems like forever since I came in here to tickle these little white keys. I looked at the dates, and it has almost been two weeks. Time sure does fly by while you are busy.

Right now Phil and I are driving home from Florida. I went to Orlando for a convention with Dewberry Designs/OneStroke Painting. I left last Monday morning, and Phil flew in and picked me up on Friday afternoon when everything was over. We drove to Daytona and checked into a hotel and just hung around. We always enjoy going there, and this time was no exception. But I've got to tell you, I slept until 12:30 p.m. on Saturday while he went and played golf. I think that I could have slept even longer, but I didn't.

This morning before leaving we went to the Flea Market, looking for half runner green beans for my Mom. They didn't have any, so I'm going to have to get my friend Becky in WV to bring some when she comes down later on in the month.

The convention was nice, but like everything it was effected by the money crunch going on in the world. There were not a lot of freebies, and most of our surfaces were just paper. But you know, it is great going and getting a ton of stuff, but when it comes right down to it, that just isn't that important. I love going and seeing friends and making new ones. I look forward to learning new techniques, and hearing ideas that will help my business. Seems like this year I've been stumped when it comes to being creative, and this really helped me some.

Of course I loved seeing my friend Sandy, and getting to meet her friend Nicole. It was funny, even though she and I had never really met before it was like we had been friends forever. She just has such a sweet spirit, and such a joy to be around. The three of us shared a room, a long with Hazel. Hazel is a few years older than us, and she usually would go to bed earlier than we did, but she was still fun to be around. And her hubby is a bee keeper, and I learned so much about bees at lunch one day. I had no idea that bees are such interesting characters.

Sandy is already planning things for next year's convention, I really hope she gets the chance to share her ideas with the right people and put some of them into action. Her brain goes 100 miles a minute with ideas, and she is so good at organizing. Me, just point me in the direction that you want me to go.

I got to give "smiles" out each day. I took 6 roses with me so that I could give them out each day. Of course I gave my three roommates a rose, and then I got to surprise two friends with roses. I've got to say, their reactions to the roses were priceless. I wish I had the camera going when I gave them to Renee and Norma. I got their pictures later, and they were still smiling big. I told them about the 100 days of smiles, and they are going to go get the book to read for themselves, and who knows, they might even start their own 100 days of smiles.

I know that I've done a "smile" everyday, but I'm not sure that I can remember two weeks worth, so I'm just going to add these six roses to my counting, and not count the week before the convention. That's okay, it will just be an extra week of smiles. So this makes my count up to 19 days of smiles.

I'll post photos once we get home. I guess I should go for now, Phil is getting tired and I might need to take over driving.
keep the smile going,
Charlie

Darn, she is sick again.

A Mom update. She had a good weekend, was feeling so much better and even cooked last night. Then this morning she drove herself to her treatment and I got a call this afternoon telling me that she was sick again and needed to be picked up. She has been home for over 4 hours and she is still sick. I know that in her mind she is thinking that this isn't worth being this sick. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

My 12th smile was an e-mail card to a special friend that is going thru some life changing events in her life. When I sent it I didn't really know what she is going thru but I found out this evening. I can't share it with you right now, but please pray in your spirit for her. Thanks.

My 13th smile is going to be another e-mail card. A friend of mine had to reprimand someone at her place of business and it is so not her. It upset her that she had to put two people on notice, but it had to be done. So, I am going to send her a card to help her smile.

Okay, take care and I'll be back in tomorrow.
hugs,
Charlie