Rambling

I know. My blog will never be one of those successful blogs. Why? Because my blog is like my life: I have too many interests. People do not like to read one paragraph about cooking then suddenly jump to watercolor painting techniques, then in the next paragraph talk about global warming and the effect on the Great Plains tornado season.

I know that for a successful blog, one needs to stick to one subject (or at least one category of subjects) and beat that baby until it doesn't move. And the next day, when it starts showing signs it might be breathing again, beat a little bit more on it.

Well, I can't. My life doesn't revolve around one thing, it revolves around many. I am interested in the latest metaphysical discoveries, in quantum theories, in ghost stories, in successful "green" gardening (that doesn't sound right but that's the word of the day), in one of a kind jewelry making, in one of a kind sculpture, in making tribal artifacts, in health and nutrition, and many more things.

That is not to say that I am some kind of "Jack of all trades and master of none". The areas that I am really involved in, areas that bring me the meager money I make, put food on my table or are very important interests of mine, I do master them. I am, though, interested in many other fields and subjects in which I am not a master of, but I like to learn more. And days are always too short. Sometimes even nights are too short.

So, getting back to my interests.

1. I am very very behind in my gardening. Not my fault. Last year we had a very mild winter, and by the 1st of April I already had things blooming in my garden and my tomatoes were at least 7" tall. I DID, though, have to battle all spring pesky earwigs and pill-bugs trying to devour all my seedlings - just because the winter had been too mild and there wasn't enough freeze to kill off most of the bugs.

THIS winter though doesn't want to let go. A few days ago we had the normal Spring severe-thunderstorms that were followed by... freezing rain and a temperature of 21F. On April 17 and 18. Got better after, but then next week, in three days from now, there will be a night low of ... 34F. So I am still busy moving seedling trays in during the night and out during the day, and a few more plants get moved in during the nights of freezing or close to freezing temps. And that doesn't happen just because they're still in pots (and they don't have the benefit of being in the ground and thus being more insulated so they'd withstand the frost) because I was too lazy to shovel the dirt and make new flower and veggie beds. No. I COULDN'T shovel as, due to so much rain, the ground out there is mud. Pure mud. Where there is grass, when you walk, it squishes under your feet, and you have the feeling that you're walking in a swamp, and you will start sinking soon.

So, yeah, very behind in my gardening. I had planned my seeds and plant deliveries for a normal spring. Which obviously this one isn't.

2. I DID manage to catch up on most of my pendant-making. I do have a few necklaces that are still in the stage of beads (that is, need to be put together) but I did get caught up on the Dragon's Eye pendants and mostly on the Little Goddesses pendants. I was severely out of merchandise to sell and people kept requesting them.

Aren't they pretty? Of course, these are not all that I have made, but you get an idea. I did find a new way to apply mettalic powders on certain colors of the clay, and I love the effect.

3. I seem to not be able to catch up on my spirit dolls and on my sculptures. No matter what I do, it seems that as soon as I make one it sells and there's someone else wanting one, so I never have time to make more. Don't get me wrong, I shouldn't complain about my stuff selling, right? The issue is that I have a few new ideas, that I don't seem to manage to bring to life because I keep making the same styles over and over (of course, never looking the same) because people like the "Garden Guardian" or the "Shamaness" or the "Yemaya" or "Kuan Yin". You get the picture.

4. I'm slowly catching up on my new websites. Probably that is the reason why I didn't write too much in the blog lately, but when you write article after article after article, by the end of the day you're kind of... spent.

5. Health is ok. Just ok. I got new XRays to see how my neck is actually doing (PcP ordered several views) and I'll get the result next week. ObGyn declared that my ovarian cyst didn't change in a year and 4 ultrasounds so, unless I start hurting, he will stop the follow-up for now. The neurologist said that my head CT scan, B12 and folate levels all came back normal, so the only thing that causes my memory issues is either the thyroid messing up (PcP ordered bloodwork) or, simply, still long-term side effect of chemotherapy. I saw the Great Poobah two days ago and he said the latest research shows that chemo-brain doesn't go away in two years, but in 4-5 years so I am in normal levels. Phew.

6. I didn't paint in ages.

7. There's more, but some other time. Yes, I wrote articles today.

And to bring some smiles to you, I discovered this website that makes me laugh. Hard.

http://joyreactor.com/

When it doesn't rain, it pours.

Long winter. Well, it WAS very sunny and clear sky on February 2nd, so we will have apparently to wait for the 6 weeks of winter before spring ever shows up.

There was a "winter storm" two weeks ago. Then another one this last week. Then another one coming Monday.

My seeds are waiting to be planted. I should and will start on them next week. Just need to finish the jewelry I'm working on so the table in the kitchen will be free to receive the planters. And there will be A LOT of planters. Towards the end of the next week I will also plant outside the seeds that are supposed to grow wild, and not "babied".

I wish the Wild Wolf was less sleepy. There is so much to work on and most of it I can't do it myself. I told him today - if this is the case, then I guess we will never be able to have a house with some land and a garden. Those require work. Lots of work. Not laying around on couches reading books when there's stuff to be done.

Anyway. Got the cervical spine xray report today. Not only I have two intervertebral disks that are trying to play a disappearing act on me but two vertebrae (not the ones with the missing disks) are slipped forward. Only a grade 1 slippage but still, it's not nice as the spinal canal is narrowed. The  Spine and Pain Management dr. at the last visit said that I should think about a nerve blocking shot. That it might at least get rid of the pain between and down my shoulderblades.

Anyway. I know that this means sometimes in the future I will have to have spinal fusion and that I am not supposed to be in any kind of activity that involves jumping or fast head movements.

I made a lot of dragon's eye pendants - I'll post some photos later. Now to work on Goddess pendants.

Rather pissed at the Atkins diet, my endocrinologist, and life in general. who in the world heard of GAINING weight while on Atkins diet? I did a lot of research and didn't find a thing. And I keep telling her that probably for my body's metabolism, I am hypothyroid now. She keeps insisting I am still hyperthyroid because my TSH is still too low even if my FreeT3 and FreeT4 are normal. I really really need to convince her to check my pituitary. I am sure that that is the culprit, and if they find that they will finally give me the thyroid hormone pills. I shouldn't have done the thyroid radiation. Grrr.

Anyway. I'll be back on a sunny day. Which might not happen before the end of next week.

Meanwhile, have some fun. Isn't this the most adorable thing?