Most of the family has covid again and it's in the middle of the hot of summer. Our house is pretty small and I have done a lot of work trying to keep our living spaces including the outside enjoyable. 

The house next to us has gone up for sale 900 odd square feet three bedroom, one bath, no garage and it's being sold for $550,000. During the flip the landscapers cut down our wisteria that was on the chain link fence between us. It really upset me to the point of weeping hysterically. I worked for the 18 years. We lived in this house to cultivate it across the whole communal fence where I call the kitchen table. It's the big party table where we've entertained friends and family over the years. It brings the temperature of that area down a good 10°. We found some bamboo fencing at daiso for pretty cheap, so we've strung it together and my best friend brought us more and I'll probably do another couple sections of it. 

Still here out. I sit under an umbrella enjoying the fresh air without having to wear my mask to get my morning coffee eating my morning toast. Enjoying this beautiful weather while it's still in the mid '70s. Very lucky to have this space.

Countdown to spay day.

As I'm a Veterinary Technician, I still say it's my spay day, as in human medicine then often leave the ovaries. But due to family history they are taking those too. I had my pre-op appointment yesterday. It was not very helpful for preparing as there is so much still up in the air. The flighty billing department at my doctor's office still hasn't applied to my insurance. Which means they haven't ok the surgery as being covered. She stuck her foot in her mouth, as she called me Friday to tell me she expected to be paid in full for the Doctors costs. $1600. I told her I would see what I could do. I called in the morning to verify cost as I had to get a cashier's check, from my mom's trust. She's like you're so lucky you have an inheritance to get this money from. Well my mom died of ovarian cancer (bitch implied) so it's only fair she paid for my preventative total hysterectomy.

Still no word on how long my recovery will be.
So I'm trying to be good to myself, and stick to my diet but ...

Hospital called tried to tell me it will be $9000 out of pocket, I told them I've already  paid the doctor part of the deductable, later she calls back and attributed her error to computer glitch. I'll still owe close to $5000.


That is life, here's craft.

To help with the skin problem I've been having, Dr. Beth had me get an all purpose salve, it's kind of expensive, but it does help. So I being a crafty witch, already had some supplies on hand, I went to the 4 sisters store in Renton to grab the calendula flowers and they had it already in olive oil. I stopped at supper supplement too grab some other stuff and they had one of the oils Dr Beth wanted me to put in the salve on clearance.

So I whipped up a batch for a tenth of the price of the 1oz bottle I got before.

All-purpose salve
1.5 oz by weight bee wax
4 oz by weight Shea butter
4 oz by measure extra virgin olive oil infused with calendula
2 tsp local unfiltered honey
The following are essential oils
15 drops Frankincense
15 drops helichrysum
20 drops lavender

Total yield 8oz + a purse tub.

Healthy New year to us all.

I am proud to say I am a 46 year old woman who is currently not on any medications. I take a handful of herbs and vitamins every morning that on the whole keeps me going. This last few months have been down right painful. I was training for a 5k in october I completed in respectable time.I have been experiencing foot pain and finally got a radiograph and there were no reported fracture but I have a bone spur. HAHAHAHA.

In the other hand the stress of my job, life and environment is getting to me. Last year I broke with Shingles. This year I broke with skin lesions that started out looking like it again-so antivirals and diet change trying to avoid herpes stimulating foods. Blood tests that I put off in June were also drawn at the same time as foot rads were taken. It showed that I have a resounding response to Epstein Barr (yet another herpes virus)  and the skin lesions now many more have not receded. New theory is Psoriasis. I bought a locally made salve with all the ingredients recommended and it is already better in less than 6 hours. 

I am working towards have my total hysterectomy on Feb 6th. Some of you know my mother died of stage 4 ovarian cancer. Get a test- CA-125 it is the only know test for cancer markers it is not perfect but it's the only one out there. I have been having my test drawn every year, my numbers are still very much under the reference ranges but the number has slowly been creeping up.  I have been having this discussion with my Gynecologist since I first met her in 2014. I was pregnant with Tori and wanted them to do it at her c-section, but they wouldn't so I settled for tubal ligation. 3 years later she said I could at 45 last year I said lets start the process. We are at the days count down and I am scared but know this preventative measure will allow me to live longer and healthier so that I can watch my children grow. 

I have gained a great deal of weight back due to all the stress. I have been trying to get down under 200 for the surgery but with the latest test results it's recommended to go mostly vegan ( no red meat no gluten, I'm already allergic to cheese and to eggs. so shit why not go big. I will continue to eat fish and seafood, and maybe chicken but we shall see. ) We have also added in a few more vitamins and supplements in my handful every morning the one I'm least looking forward to is the tablespoon of fish oil. I bought supplies today and divided up my pills for the week and ordered what I'm missing. 

Again more info than what FB is about but you all know I am transparent to a fault. If one person can learn from me and my experiences so be it. 

Welcome Home friends.

The last time I posted to this system was 5 years ago. Since then I have returned to being a LVT full time, added another little human in my life and lost one of my beloved cats. I haved crafting through this whole time both knitting, sewing and crochet. If you wish to see those things you can see them on ravelry. I still go to my knit group formally known as the knitorious kent knitters renamed to the knitorious kent crafters because as most do we do more than just knit.

I took up machine embroidery, about the time i last spoke to you I took some of my inheritance and bought a huge Husqvarna Ruby embroidery machine. I have been able to create some beautiful things. And also make some money on the side to make more beautiful things. :)

About a year ago we moved our old child into my husbands office which is upstairs across from my sewing / guest room. Which wouldn't be so bad, however you might remember my husband actually works out of his office 3 days a week so moving into a cluttered over stuffed craft room with an artistic ( read messy) person has not been easy. Many things have changed but not my craft hording personality I just have to be better about hiding the new stuff.  My buy nothing and thrift store findings have help. My first big project was writing a list and as you can see finally getting to the point that there are more Xs than things to do.

Now as you can see it's far from done but in the last month I have been able to tick off 8 things. There are still some projects on this list from over 8 years ago and some that I am still mad at so they are sitting in time out....


As you can see this is a long way to talk about reorganizing and the crafter/artist soul. As you might know I am a orphan, my mother the og craft of the family left me lots, not limited to the love of craft but also supplies. I have been moving around some of these supplies for 20 + years (wow it zings every time I say shit like that.)  Now some is far from Practical case in point this QVC monstrosity - yes to get to every section you have to open it all up at 5 feet in total.           

This has held my jewelry pieces to some extent for 22 years or so and I have proof.

This here necklace was supposed to be mine. It matches the ones I made my attendants at  my wedding 20 years ago. My mother was sad i didn't make her one so I gave it to her and it broke. I never got around to restringing it for her.

I have since moved in this system which is way more compact and now I need to finish the job, but memory after memory comes up. A bead from my step mother, jade bought with a old best friend I don't talk to anymore. I just don't know if everyone feels all these feelings like I do when you clean your studio.

Veterinary Technician in captivity

Here I sit at my desk in a cube farm on the second story of a cool brick building in Ballard. This marks the end of my second month as Claims Specialist for a Pet Insurance Company. I have worked as a Veterinary Technician for the longest of all my career choices, 11 years. I am a credentialed (Licensed in my state) Veterinary Technologist, which means I have a bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Medicine. One of the things I loved about it is that not every day was the same, at least for the most part. The national average for Vet Tech burn out is 5-10 years the fact that I last this long is awesome. I suspect the most common reason for burnout is compassion fatigue. This was not the case for me, I was working for a large corporation that likes to hire young veterinarians. It was really good pay and good health insurance, which is big in my field. I liked the personalities of the Veterinarians I worked with, for the most part. However sometimes their medicine scared me, their apathy appalled me. Add this to the normal day’s work where clients don’t understand what we do, why it takes so much money and that we don’t just sit around and kiss and hug puppies all day. I needed out, I wanted a new job but wanted to keep in the same field but different. I paid or rather am paying a lot of money for my degree and I want to still use it, I am a skilled Technician, I have seen many things, I’ve worked with a lot of doctors which is actually to my benefit. I found what I am still hoping is my dream job. It’s a desk job, it’s a 9-5 or somewhat… it’s five days a week. I have energy when I come home from work. I am happier. It was a lot to learn. But it’s getting easier every day. So this vet tech is now in captivity and enjoying not having to dodge biting or scratching parts, dealing with less than stellar medicine, and less than common sense thinking.

 

 

The relief because of theft.

So remember how I told you about my mom's house. The one thing I wasn't able to really talk about was the sense of relief I felt because someone else took some control away. I still don't think I am doing it justice but because my sewing machine isn't working I thought I would try to explain it.
Let's first talk about the sewing machine. My mother and I bought it for me sometime in the 90's it is a really sturdy machine it's a Necchi student model. It can and has sewn through wood yard sticks and a few other things sewing machines shouldn't. I started my first business with it and I made many things for my loved ones with it. But it is very fidgety it takes at least 5 mins to warm up, what I mean is it takes a few minutes before it sews well, until then it makes what my family has refer to as muppet hair. The bobbin tension just sucks, but then it's fine. But because MY MOTHER bought it for me I have yet to been able to give it up.

Now the house- you all know my mom was a hoarder, and collector of fine a beautiful things. Yet my mother and I had different tastes sometimes it overlapped but rarely. I had a few collections yet at her house like my nutcracker collection, which I just realized 3 days ago is gone. And you know what I'm good with it. It was a collection I hadn't thought of in the 13 years I've lived up here. The theft of many of mom's and my possessions including my 115 year old sewing machine that I didn't know what to do with is freeing. I have many things that my mother bought me that I still own that are coming to the end of their life like the countless pairs of work socks that she has bought me that I can't let go of, and now this sewing machine. With the dispersal of the money from her estate OceanEdge and I have already started looking at a new all in one sewing machine.

I didn't have to say I didn't want something it was just taken away from me. There are somethings now that they are missing, appear to mean more to me like my father's chief blanket. But on the whole i feel good and free. Sometimes it's good not to be in control.

I asked my mothers best friend forever in august if she wanted any of my mother's hand throw pottery and she told me that she didn't need anything to remember her by. This simple, perfect, statement still brings tears to my eyes I wish I was there, I still collect things around me to remind me. But I'm closer.


All this is because my sewing machine sucks and I want a new one but feel too emotionally attached to it to get rid of it.

This week in Life.

So this last week was GenCon week. It's where my husband OceanEdge goes east and works for his old company and sets up the convention and surrounding areas for the best four days in gaming. It is normally when I lounge around the house living life as a single woman. But since I would have no built in child care for Little Lion when I would go to work we decided it was time for me to go see what happened to my mom's house, and start the process of getting it emptied and on the market. Well you see they broke into my mother's house in december, and stole things, lots of things. But my brother Sasha, wasn't able to really assess the lost because of the pure disarray, and the emotional stress it was causing. So his best friend and her handy man boarded up the house. It was not fun being up here 1300 miles away from my childhood home, with who knows what missing from the house. Then shortly after this my brother broke his foot, and when I mean broke I mean thank you sir may a have a new one. As a Diabetic he is prone to neuropathy- which leads to a horrible syndrome known as Charcot's. He has been in one hospital or another since March, it started as an ulcer and progressed to the amputation of his right foot.

The only thing my mother left us was the house and her belongings. There was no liquid assets, so as Executor, I've been really anxious about the house as a whole and being able to net my brother and I the most from her belongings. WE didn't sell when the market was at it's best because neither of us were ready to let go. Then I quit my jobs a few years back to clear out the house and it was too much for one person to do. I was able to fill a dumpster, and made a little bit of a dent.

But last monday morning when I stepped into the house for the first time in months- I couldn't tell. It was horrible. There was beer bottles, pizza boxes, along side my mother's belongings. There were things I've never seen before. It was also becoming apparently large chunks of some of the things I considered money makers to be gone. As well as some very precious items. The first and most upsetting was my mother's ashes. She was in a generic brown plastic box, clearly labeled as cremains. My mother's china, her wooden Russian bear collection, her butterflies, and most of her art. My father's chief blanket that he left for me. My brother and mine LEGO collection which was nearly 30 lbs. All gone, or so I thought. Again my brother's best friend and her handy man or what I will now refer to as the worlds best friend or WBF, helped in more ways than I can ever verbalize. They created structure and order then cleared, and sorted. They grabbed the best of my brothers possessions and gave me a sounding board. WBF has a good eye for value and was able to pull stuff from the rubble as the handy man cleared. I trust her with my Brother's life so of course I trust her with our belongings. I gave her whatever she wanted, there is no way I can ever repay her for her love and care of my brother. And I'm happy to know some of my mother's furniture will still be around. So here is one of the big problems my mother's taste was really good, she loved antiques but neither my brother nor I liked the same things. So despite us wanting to keep her memories alive, we didn't want much of her stuff. So in the best sense of the word the break in was a god send. It broke the emotional bond to the material stuff in my mom's house. It was just stuff. So on Saturday when I left the house for the last time as my mother's house I only took 9 boxes, and 3 were full of photos, viewfinders and films.

Rewind to Monday morning. I had arranged for 3 estate dealers to meet me at my mom's house starting on Monday at 11:00am. Well we only got into my mom's house at 10:30- for me to find what I explained above. So when Infinity Sales walked up I was literally in tears. I explained again that I hadn't know the level of disarray, I didn't know if they could help me and that the fact that my mom's ashes were missing. I did invite them in to look around, and asked them for some pointers. Blanca was so kind they did think there was still enough things of value, but it would need a lot of cleaning more than they were able to do. But she told me the tips and tricks and told me to call her back when it was cleaner. They drove away and WBF and I sat outside getting a grip and a plan when she drove back. She talked to a house buyer that flips houses. Since the market is rising he has been looking for new projects. Flipper are used to buying horder's houses and cleaning them out anyway. She she arranged to work with his cleaning crew to clear my mom's house and liquidate what we don't want.  So Handy Man and WBF started working on order and clearing.
Flipper can looked through the house and said he would give me an offer on Tuesday!

Tuesday came, the offer was less than what we would have gotten 6 years ago if we sold before the rats, and the damage the thieves left, but when you take into account I will not have to front ANY money for the sale of the house or the harvesting of the estate sale. I and my Brother considered it fair. I signed papers Wednesday and that would be the day I found my mother. In my bedroom on a table, not in the room I left her. But this was how I started finding things, my sushi plate that I made when I was 8 which was in the dining room was in my mother's bedroom unbroken, on the floor upside down.
My brother's Brownie Hawkeye camera that was in the living room, also in my mom's bedroom. I also found some of her butterflies and one of her russian bears. There are still many things missing but all of her handmade pottery is now at my aunt's house, as well as her handmade beaded flowers and her handmade beaded christmas tree with the base my grandfather made for it. It really is just the small things I will have to remember her by.

Add to this chaos the fact that my in-laws Down syndrome cousin Lorraine died the day before I got to San Diego. Her death is not to mourned, she was 59 years old! She was truly an angel on earth and great soul for all who knew her. We mourn our loss of her.  But we are catholic so there was the traditional novena being held, which I attended 2 or 3 times I honestly don't remember, as well as her funeral on Thursday.

I also ordered a new refrigerator and oven for my Aunt's house, three weeks ago, which was suppose to be delivered on Monday. However the fraud department of my bank had put a hold on it and I cleared it but no one told Sears. So since the kitchen is a 1950's set up the modern fridges don't fit. The fridge had to be special ordered 3 weeks in advance. So I went to the Sears down the street hoping to get one that would fit and have all the amenities I wanted, plus be available for delivery that week. I ordered one and after going home to measure one last time found it would not fit. So a trip Home Depot on wednesday net me a great fridge with water and ice makers! And it could be delivered FRIDAY!!!!

Small glitch this house has never had water to the fridge and the faucet is on the other side of the kitchen. My landscaper that has been on the eternal lawn sprinkler project in clay soil arranged for his friend to come and switch out the outlet to a grounded outlet and install a water line, on Sunday. It took 2 hours for him to install the water line as he had to crawl under the house and see there was no turn off valve and then crawl out turn off water then crawl back install the water line, crawl out install it to fridge and then back under to make sure it wasn't leaking! Oi vey.

Saturday was awesome I was able to drive up to my cousin's new condo in Ramona and spend some time with her and her teenage son and her best friend. I was also able to visit with my brother a little more, he was running a fever so he was napping and was a little loopy but he did remember me coming with his nephew, so that is awesome. OceanEdge's sister, Rio, flew in with her new husband and unloaded and I'm not joking 1/2 a suitcase for Little Lion, he is a well spoiled child, from toys to clothes, to costumes. Rio and her husband absolutely adored Little Lion.

So yesterday was my first and only day off from my vacation.

Little Lion, the in-laws and I went to the playground at shelter island. and then had old town mexican. Then I flew home.

I'm sorry I've been less than communicable this last week as you can see it was a whirlwind, and unexpected cascade of situations. It so far has ended up perfectly but I can't wait to have the house sale finalized.