Time Keeps On Ticking

Time is clicking away...tick tock tick tock...

This morning I woke up early, as usual.  I could have slept in a bit but Oh NOOO, that is not happening as my mind won't stop.  I had to hit the bathroom and once my eyes are open the mind starts going, so up I am.  Dang it!  This week seems to be going by so slowly.  Surgery is Tuesday and the days are just dragging by.  Don't get me wrong I'm in no hurry to have stuff ripped out of me but I do want to just get it over with and start the healing process.  

Last night was my book club and we had a great time.  We went to another new place downtown called Sisserou's, a Caribbean style YUMMY restaurant.  I had a jerk chicken that was so moist!  Parking was a bitch because of some show at the Brady.  I pulled into the parking lot and there was a space but a guy was standing in it waiting for someone.  I rolled my window down and said, "Excuse me, I need to park there."  What a dirty look, but hey, my car was there first, so the spot was MINE!  We just finished the book Deadline by Sandra Brown and really enjoyed it.  It was suspenseful and a fast read.  Since my surgery is the first of May we decided to skip May and move on to June for the next meeting with a couple of books on our list.  The June read is Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter.  The second book was for July and has a bit of tooth so we're getting a head start.  It's supposedly a modern day classic, The Women's Room by Marilyn French.    Set in the mid 70's it delves into the feminist movement, fictionally yet with hints of French's life.  Should be very interesting.

Tuesday I went to art and was incredibly productive.  I started these two paintings a few weeks ago but finished them and put them on Facebook.  WOW, the response was incredible.  

"Egret" 11x14 oil on canvas

"Winter on Spring Creek" 18x24 oil on senso linen canvas

The winter scene hit an all time high for likes and comments for me and I may have it sold already!!!!  If not the original sold I can surely sell giclee prints of it.  

Sunday Doin's

Yesterday was a wonderful day as I got to STAY home and enjoy resting.  Yes, I know I'm getting ready to have about 6 weeks of "resting" but I needed to be home, in my yard.  I finally planted some of my pots before the rest of the plants I bought died.  I piddled in my yard and found these lovelies.  My pink peony was blooming!  I really wanted a double one but I love this just the same.  Sadly, we may miss the blooming of the ones at the cabin.  Not sure if we will get there before my surgery next week.

Then as I moved on to the tomatoes, I was pulling weeds and look, LOOK what I found.  One of my Juliette tomatoes had babies!  Yeah!  I'm not much on small tomatoes, i.e. cherry, but these Juliette tomatoes are quite yummy, and prolific.   

Well, on to my week.  It will be a week of trying to get all done at the office and Friday payroll.  Stock up in the refrigerator and freezer.  I may try to get some casseroles in the freezer so The Hubby can feed me.  Hopefully he doesn't feed me too much BBQ, his go to pick up food.  

Workshop Time

The past three days I have attended a fabulous workshop hosted by Rachel Wimpey from Willowbrush Studio and Gallery.  It was the first where she brought in an artist and I must say it was a 10!  She got Charles Ewing to come and spend time with us.  Wow what a fabulous guy and instructor.  He charges usually $300 a day and I think that is all we paid for 3 days.  It was well worth the money.  

It was magic watching him create using a totally new medium, india ink.  I am not going to go out and buy the stuff as I'm happy with what I do but it was awesome to watch. 

The next day we watched him paint this mountain guy with oils.  Charles had all kinds of photos we could paint from, photos he took.  My he has met some very interesting people over the years.  This guy was a true mountain man from Colorado. 

I almost always choose to paint from my photos or my girls.  

This photo is of my oldest when she was in college.  I've always found it beautiful and wanted to paint but not sure if I could.  

Well, there you go...I did it!

The final day, yesterday we had a live model.  One of the ladies that we paint with a lot was terrified.  We tried to tell her to do it more often, that the nerves would pass and it would be come easier.  She finally gave up.  I have a lot more to do on her but I love what I have done so far.  

This will be the last workshop for a bit as I recuperative from surgery.  My scheduled date is May 5.  I'm told that it is hard and recovery will definitely be about 6-8 weeks.  I certainly hope not.  I do not have time for down time.  I need to paint, work and watch snickle-fritz.

It's ON!

Yes, it's on.  Surgery that is!  I met with the surgeon today and let me tell you I have been a bit nervous and walking into the building was really scary.  It was the new Tulsa Cancer Center off of the Broken Arrow Expressway, 51st & 129th.  Nice building but a little intimidating walking through those doors and see the word CANCER.  I don't have, they don't think, it's just the doctor works out of the group that is there.  The people there could not have been nicer but my tummy was definitely flip-flopping.  I was so sure my blood pressure was up, up, UP.  While "checking in" there was a huge CLANG of a very large bell around the corner that made me jump out of my skin.  The girl behind the desk was quick to let me know that it meant that it was the last treatment for a patient!  Yeah, that didn't help the "cancer scare" nerves.  I was fashioned with a pretty blue hospital type bracelet and then ushered upstairs to the doctor offices, a very nice waiting area to sit with all kinds of people, some who obviously had cancer with bald heads, protruding growths on a guy's neck and ME, scared to death.  I was early, as usual and still had to wait 30 minutes past my appointment time but I'm okay with that.  I'm a very patient waiter.  I tried to read but it was difficult when I was so unsure how the appointment was going to go.  Finally, I was taken down a very long hallway to a nice cubicle where I was weighed (down 3 pounds and that with my boots on) and my blood pressure taken (also down, surprisingly).  The blood pressure is probably because I have been a new medicine that seems to be helping!  

So with a ton of questions it has been scheduled for May 5.  He said I could probably drive in a week depending on how I was feeling and not on pain pills.  I would not want to overdo it and no lifting over 10 pounds or excessive bending.  So I will be able to do payroll and probably attend an art workshop at the end of the month, hopefully!  Maybe I'll be blogging a bit more with some downtime.  Life has been so very crazy for me lately, maybe I need the slow down.

Weekend Getaway

Weekend getaway with some of my fav people at the cabin.  Rio and her DadDad seemed to have a grand time.

She even got some golf cart drive time! 

She is growing up way to fast.   

To Have A Hysterectomy or Not to Have, That Is The Question!

I've been dealing with some of my own health issues as of late, and now that most know about them I can share with my bloggy friends (guys, you may or may not want to read.)

I have been dealing with a yearly occurrence for about three years now where I go just over a year without a period, then "HELLO," let's visit her again!  I've had three vaginal ultrasounds, and the first two my GYN just said we will watch it.  Well, this time, the "spotting" has not stopped.  So the third vaginal ultrasound showed that my endometrium has become very thick, to the point she said we need to either do a D&C or a biopsy.  EEK!  BIOPSY!  That is an extremely scary word and it freaked me out for sure.  That phone call was on a Thursday.  I was given the choice of either or, and I chose the in office biopsy, but that meant I had to wait till Tuesday for the procedure and then wait for results.  Oh gosh it is a good thing I am a patient person and am quite practiced in waiting.  So while I am in art class Thursday morning my cell phone rang and it was the results.  The nurse said, "You have complex endometrial hyperplasia with atypia and Dr. D says you need a hysterectomy ."  I specifically asked, "is there cancer" and her response was, "NO, there is no cancer!" Whew, that was such a HUGE relief.  The Hubby has been so scared, and of course me too.  It has been intense.  I immediately called those I needed to and let them know, especially The Hubby.  He of course wants me to do some research before have my plumbing taken out.  I did research the EHw/A and found that I have a few reasons why I need to have it, such as obesity (RATS) and thyroid issues and high blood pressure.  It is not cancer, but that can develop.  That is quite enough for me to have stuff ripped out.  Now though I need to really do some in depth research.  The Hubby's main concern is sex, of course, mine is TO LIVE!