Naps and ice packs with a few beads thrown in

Kathryn emailed me tonight, scolding me for being well past an acceptable blog update time. She's right, darn her.

I got Mom home around 2pm on Friday, and we've gradually been working out a system for everything. We planned so much for the first surgery that it was a well oiled machine. But we got a little "oh, we've done this before" attitude for this time around, and as a result we're finding we weren't quite as prepared as we should have been! We're adaptable, though, and it's coming together. The main thing is keeping a rotating schedule for the various medications, pain pills, time spent on the continuous motion machine, ice packs, walking, etc.

She's in more pain this time around because there were some muscles that had to get cut this time that weren't cut in the first surgery. Turns out her left knee is a bit bigger than the right one was.

The best part as far as I'm concerned is that the super medicated dopiness has worn off. It was like Abbott and Costello here the afternoon she got home. We were trying to communicate, but the meds were making her mix up her words and thoughts. She would very confidently state something that made absolutely no sense whatsoever, and then look annoyed with me when I had a totally blank look on my face as it was clear I didn't understand her. I finally sent her to bed that day and told her we'd talk about it later (it was insurance stuff that's horrible to deal with in the best of circumstances.) She drifted in and out of that "crazy lady" state for most of Saturday too, but Sunday brought my real Mommy back to me. Thank goodness!

There's been some beading going on too - even Mom! I spent my evening tonight playing with samples for my Quick & Easy Kumihimo: Incorporating Beads class. I worked for a few hours on a necklace using all drop beads, but was very disappointed that it lost the look of the drops because it was so dense. It just looked like I was using Size 6 seed beads. So I cut it apart, and worked on it again, but this time used Size 8 seed beads on half the cords with drops on the rest. MUCH better! As soon as I get it a little longer, I'll get a photo posted. In the meantime, here's a photo of the faux bead crochet bracelet I made with Kumihimo the other day. Love it!

Coming home Friday

Another quickie post tonight....I've been at home very little the last few days between errands, the hospital, and dinner with friends last night. Tomorrow morning, Mom gets released from the hospital and comes home - Yippee! But then I become the 24 hour nurse, too. I don't mind it a bit, but naturally, I get less Tapestry Beads work accomplished as a result.

All of which explains why I decided yesterday to bow out of the Puget Sound Bead Festival to be held weekend after next. I feel like leaving Mom so soon after her surgery is the wrong thing to do and it's been eating at me. Now that I've decided, I feel a big relief, so I know I made the right decision.

I'll be adding two home classes the weekend of July 11th instead, then. One will be Kumihimo with Beads. I think the other will be Celebration Collar, but I'm going to send out the official announcement sometime Friday. I'm still working out details.

Today's news of the passing of both Farrah and Michael Jackson has left me saddened beyond what I would have expected. Growing up, I was one of those little girls watching Charlie's Angels and wishing my hair would look like that. I had her iconic poster on my wall for a time. She was dazzling. And Michael Jackson - oh, Michael. The very first record I bought (and it was real vinyl!) with my very own carefully hoarded babysitting money was Off the Wall. My high school years are set to a soundtrack dominated by Michael Jackson songs. My first huge concert was traveling to Dallas for the Victory Tour. I still see my friends in my mind, group dancing to Thriller in unison at a birthday party. I watched with increasing disbelief as he physically and mentally declined in the years since. But in his heyday? MJ was a musical genius from the age of 10 on. I choose to remember the music, the dancing, and the videos, and part ways with the rest.

And now...I need sleep. Lots and lots of sleep.

Second knee - DONE!

Just a quick post tonight as I'm dead tired and simply must collapse on my pillow soon or perish.

Mom's second knee replacement surgery was today at noon, and just like before, she's doing amazingly well. Sailed through the operation, and had the nerve to be PERKY by the time I met up with her again in her room. I hung around until she started getting really tired, then came on home to spend the evening with the dogs. They're spoiled and not used to being alone much. We were worried about damage!

I guess my nerves about the surgery betrayed me...I was stiff as a board when I tried to go to sleep last night. Every muscle tightened up in worry, so I only slept about 3 hours. I'm very glad it's over now, and we can concentrate on recovery.

My progress

I adore this bracelet. Really adore it. It's so soft and slinky and sexy on the wrist. I still have the clasp to add, and there will be optional Czech firepolish on loops on the outside edge to match the description I have of the inspiration piece.

Progress being made

Stand back! Actual project progress is being made here. You may be in danger of getting hit by a flying crystal or an out of control needle. Use caution.

Mom has been finishing a number of necklaces lately. Is she trying to show me up? She's had this vision of a triple Butterfly Kisses necklace, made out of Size 11 seed beads instead of the Size 8s, and I have to admit, I'm so in love with it, I think the kit may migrate to this version instead of the current one.

I've spent the last two nights wrestling a netted bracelet in the Huichol style to the ground. What I thought would be so simple to whip out, instead challenged me and made me learn new things. I love it when that happens! I finally have the skills to create it, the design tweaked to my liking, and seed bead choices I'm happy with. The final version is getting beaded tonight, and I'll share the whole ugly design process with you tomorrow since I have each and every little sample bit I made in pursuit of perfection. I'll leave it to you to let me know if I succeeded!

Also on tap for Sunday - work on assembling the Ikea furniture we bought last weekend. If we don't get it put together Sunday, then it will either sit here until Mom's well into recovery from her knee replacement, or I'll have to put it together myself.

Lastly, we've got a smallish amount of kits and patterns to make and print so I can get the boxes of goodies shipped to Tacoma for the Puget Sound Bead Festival. It's weird not doing that at the last minute and paying for 2-day shipping like the procrastinator, er, I mean deadline driven, person I am.

Friday Eyecandy

I've been so remiss in posting this week - it's been one of those weeks where not a lot that seems post-worthy has been going on. Mom's been working instead of recovering from surgery - bah. I had a dermatologist appointment and now have a small hole in my forehead after the removal of a stupid spot. Bah. I've been slugging away on paperwork and travel details like hotels and airport vans and ordering tables for shows. Bah.

So instead of exciting antics, let me entertain you instead with some exciting beadwork!

Mom has temporarily finished with this necklace. I say temporarily because she claims there's more beading she wants to do on it. I say it's already perfect, but I bow to her greater vision. I'm so proud of her work! The three cabs are from Marsha Neal Studios.
We bought a bunch more from her at Bead & Button this year to see about designing a kit with one. Sometimes it can take literally years for us to have the right project at the right moment with the right materials. Which is why we have to buy everything. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Friday's Random Bits

• A favorite moment of last weekend's Saturday class - Kathryn pulling out a bracelet from my display case and inquiring, "why don't you teach this??" Um, Kath? You made that bracelet. In Rebecca's class, and it was too big for you, so you gifted it to me. She laughed like the awesome dame she is...loud and long...
• Mom and I figured out a way to beat the Bead & Button room service delivery back up after the shows each night. I have Mom leave 15 min. early and get back to the room to place our order before all the other vendors do. It kind of feels like cheating, but in a way I'm totally okay with.

Best laid plans

First off, what a great weekend we had! I taught classes on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and it was one of those times when you laugh so much your face hurts. My dear sister of the heart, Kathryn, was feeling well enough to attend which made me thrilled beyond belief. Between my schedule and her health, it's been months since we've been in the same room. Not gonna be letting that happen again!

She was generous enough to gift me with a really lovely bracelet from her collection, and when the ladies found it, well....photos are worth a thousand words....






















Monday, Mom had me up early to go visit Alexis and William before her surgery on Tuesday. "Early" meaning I was ready to leave the house at 10am. But as we were ready to walk out the door, the phone rang. It was the doctor's office, telling Mom her knee replacement surgery has to be postponed due to a urinary tract infection that showed up in her blood work. Poor Mom wanted to cry! It's so hard to get all mentally set for the big event, and then poof! You have to completely change the mindset. She got the prescription today, and they've rescheduled for next Tues instead. Which means that she'll have to go back to work for a week, starting tomorrow. Booo!

We still had Monday though, and made the best of it. Our visit to the kids was a blast - Alexis has discovered a love of art, and William, at 2 months, is showing signs of being quite a handsome fellow! Afterwards we fed our disappointment with lunch (and dessert - how could I have been ignorant all these years how amazing bread pudding is??) and then some retail therapy at Ikea.

We purchased two chairs for the class table (2 down, 6 to go) that will look smashing when we get them put together. We also came home with some drawer units for our office/store space to start replacing the 20 year old white cubes and bookshelves that look so out of place in there now. Bit by bit, piece by piece.

A nap capped off the day. Running errands in 105 degree heat index is taxing! And when I woke up from the nap, I got my favorite kind of package - more 2mm Swarovski crystals!! I'm now back in stock with the Jet Dorado, the Light Rose/Rosaline, and I have new Olivine AB and Aqua AB that are sparkle city! We'll be working on getting photos in the next few days and getting them up on the website.

I've declared Tuesday a paperwork day. Sigh. But it has to be done. I need to figure out the cash flow over the next few months, pay some bills, and work up the bead restocking order to get ready for July and August. I've got a bunch of shows back-to-back, so I'll need to get a large quantity of everything ready in advance.