Transitions.....

I am feeling incredibly blessed to be here...it is so amazingly beautiful and different. All the things to do here..the different culture, life in general! Ok... the beach anytime of the year and the weather... heavenly:) 

That said..I am struggling a bit with the lack of seasons and my head is saying,

"It is August...see look outside! Why on earth is there holiday stuff up in the stores..like it is November or something?"

My head wants to be doing this..knitting. Frankly it is a bit too hot for that. :/ But this hat..I wanna make this one!

I want to enjoy a great hot cocoa..or coffee. Iced is the only way here..just not the same. But yummy. I am embracing all the "new".

As my friends in the cold North are dealing with snow and cold..I am trying to wrap my head around 80 degrees in November. Delightfully so..don't get me wrong..just is a bit odd is all.

I am about six months out from my last treatment..and frankly I think it is time to write about it maybe. My Muse and my heart are telling me it is time to get it out of my head. Starting to rattle around in there a bit too much.

Happy Monday all!

Namaste

The Caribbean..where is the rum.....

Actually they give you a shot a you get off the puddle jumper LOL! Rum that is. Here is a little cattle egret..it seem they are white until breeding season. We have the large ones also..but these guys are all over.

The skies here..can't get enough of them..the clouds are amazing. Happy to be playing with my camera again. I will also say..I am surprised my phone takes such great shots.

Of course I had to create some jellies...hope your Sunday is going well. Namaste all!

Big Changes....

 

So...it has been a right long time since I blogged..way too long. I have missed it...I have missed all of you. I am hoping you have not all disappeared! First off..clean bill of health. For which I am extremely thankful for. Treatment was complete in May and was completely clear in August. At which time...I joined my hubby Jim, Fox, Mhanon and Kate in St. Croix.

Yuppers..I am living here...in the Caribbean. Sometimes you have to just leap and go for it! So here I am..healthy and starting over in St. Croix..US Virgin Islands. Toes in sand and pina colada in hand (well now and again LOL). Seriously though..it is stunning here and the water...amazing.

Am loving seeing ships out my back window, pelicans, coral reefs...amazing!

Snorkeling here...well is my very favorite thing to do. As you can see it has showed up in my artwork LOL. Here is Becky Blue Bonnet with his kitteh buddy taking in the reef!

My muse...yuppers she has joined me. Trying to get back into the creative groove. Anyway, I am so happy to be back. Namaste all :)

Raffle #2 for Cancer Support

 

I had hoped to do just one..I know I said I would offer up two raffles. Seems I need to do the second one, which I struggle with :/ I am back to work..thankfully! But I am struggling to do more than a couple days here at the start. The new chemo I am on is easier on the system and I am getting stronger day by day..it is just taking more time than I had hoped. So…I decided to offer up two of my very favorite original pieces, “The Bohemian Bean” and “Dragon’s Rest”. Both created in pen and ink and colored pencil..each will come to the winner with a certificate of authenticity.

As before you will get an entry with each $5.00 donation. Please add a comment too :) If you are kind enough to share it on your page or blog, or anywhere.. you will get another entryJ If you donated last time and didn’t win..I will add your name in one time again.  For those of you that sent donation after the last raffle you will be added into this oneJ The raffle starts today and will end at 4pm Pacific time on May 18^th.

I cannot tell you all what this means to me..how your support has lifted me up and touched me. Thank you just does not say enough. Huge hugs and love!

Lessons on Trusting...

 

There have been times in my life that I have been called stubborn girl. Who me? Uhmmm yeah. This last couple of weeks I have tried to get myself back to work a couple days a week. Clearly finances are a concern…but well as usual I pushed a bit harder than I should have. My head was thinking that two days a week, on my feet for seven hours should be doable right? Maybe I could even handle three or four. Sigh.. last Friday my body and the Universe had a serious sit down conversation with me. It went something like this.

“Hi Sarah…how is the view from the floor in the back room at work? You were not ready to come to work today…your body told you so..you pushed on ahead and well..how does that ceiling look? You have scared your daughter (working with me) to death and well it’s time to go home for the day and regroup.”

“But…but…but…I can do this..I will be ok in a bit..just let me...ok…I will go home.”

Mortified and when I was ok enough to drive, I went home. I wanted to stay, but my gut was trying to readjust to the new chemo and had other ideas. I went home and I sat outside for several hours in the shade contemplating.

“Sarah…your fear is overwhelming your trust. Stop today and listen to me and your body. Slow down, you are not able to do 100% right now. Someday soon you will, but not yet. You only have so much energy to spread around as your doing chemo and your body is healing. Stubbornness and fear will hurt you here. Calm and positive will win this battle..stop and regroup.”

Several folks close to me had been telling me this…many worried that I was pushing too hard..fear about finances and well..to be honest my frustration at being at a mere 50% of my normal energy level upset me.

The fact was simple and clear I only have so much energy to go around right now and I had to accept that and work with what I had. Thankfully and without fear I had to do some heavy duty trusting and quit being so stubborn. I restarted my meditation practice, started measuring my activities more carefully and started working on being in the present. Not the past or the future..the now. Sometimes you just have to let go of all the fear before the answers are presented to you. Is it easy??  NO..cause I want control..but I am working on it. Minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day. Trusting.

Namaste all, Sarah

A Thank You Giveaway.....

I am so deeply touched and thankful for all of you who donated to help me get through this rough time. Thank you was just not enough..so I wanted to offer a little original. This sweet little ocean piece is approx. 8" x 3", created in pen and ink and colored pencil. It will come to one lucky winner with a certificate of authenticity. So between now and May 5th at 4pm Pacific time..first chance please leave me a comment here..and for a second chance share it on your blog or FB :) Make sure you let me know you have shared this so I can add it to your chances.

A couple folks have asked about the second raffle I mentioned...I will be doing another in a couple weeks. I am thankfully back to work two days a week and that is about all I can handle for a little bit. So I will be offering up two of my favorite originals for those who missed the last one or would like a chance to win the next ones:) For those who entered the first one but did not win will be added into the second raffle automatically for a chance to win:) Cause well...you guys are amazing and thank you is just not enough..huge hugs and love all. xoxo

We have Raffle Winners!!

Our winners are.......................... Grant Anderson and Laura Imhoff for my two pieces and Martha Murphy for Tammy's amazing offering! How can I tell you how much this meant to me..thank you is not enough. Huge hugs and love to each and every one of you xooxoxoxox

I need a little help.....and a raffle...

I need a bit of help. Those of you that have known a while..friends, blogie friends, folks who know me for a very long time..most of you know asking for help is hard for me. Cancer tends to change that. I find myself gratefully all be with a little difficulty accepting help, meals and visits from amazing folks..it has been a huge blessing for me and well…one of those lessons I had to learn.  So today I am asking..

The added two weeks of heavy duty chemo has thrown off my schedule all the way around. But hardest hit was my financial plan. It put off going back to work part time for several weeks and thus the first paycheck nearly a month. So my sister and I were throwing around ideas about this..I know lots of folks put donation buttons on their blogs when they get into difficult spots like this. I guess I just wanted to offer something back. So this is what we decided. I am going to do a couple of raffles. I have several of my original art pieces... ones that I have especially liked over the years. I would like to offer them up as thank you. Larger ones not the little baseball card size ones. Full pieces of work. Although I might add an extra ACEOl treat at the end.

So here is the deal…for every $5.00 you donate to help me keep my apartment, car and phone running and food on the table for my kids..I will add your name to the pot for the piece being offered. Share it on your Facebook page and I will add your name again. The raffle will run ten days and at the end my sister Barb will draw a number out of her hat and I will send the piece of artwork off to a lucky winner..international includedJ

So here is the first raffle of the springy piece above..starting right now..and ending April 20th at 4pm Pacific time..

1. for each $5.00 you donate your name will be added in the hat..if you share on your facebook page I will add it another time (please let me know if your link does not show up on my FB page..add a note here:)

2. International is fine and I will cover shipping costs:)

3. The donate button is on the right hand side of my blog at the top.

Although this is hard for me to do..please know that it means the world to me that you are here and supporting me. If you can and want to help…that means the world to me too. Hugs all

Plot Twist...Going Pink...

You know that moment in movies when the doctor calls and says “Your results are in but you need to come in and talk to me.”? Yeah that moment…it really is just like in the movies! Everything kinda stops..you choke on your own heart and then you sob for a bit. As I walked into the doctor’s office…the receptionist says to me…”Sarah I am so very sorry!”…OMG! Yuppers…just like the movies! PLOT TWIST…you have breast cancer! There it is…the big C. I said it…and well I am gonna beat it. Strong words from someone who feels a bit small and scared at the moment..but I have a wonderful cast of folks to help me be brave. Jim has been beside me from the beginning of this two months.  To be honest, I am not sure if I could have gotten through this without him. There is no doubt his love has gotten me through this and continues to do so. He is my rock. Kate has stepped in to make sure I am covered at work and covered with hugs. My sisters were right there to give strength, love and advice. My daughter Hanna ever confident and unwavering in her belief I will be fine.  Fox and Nonni...there for me on my down chemo days! Thankfully due to new drugs..have been few. Not to mention those who have already stepped in to send their love, prayers and healing my way. Amazingly blessed..I am.

 

I have had my Lumpectomy and lymph nodes removed on the..margins and all lymph nodes were blessedly clear!  I have been on a whirlwind of doctor's appointments and procedures ever since. I am now partway through my chemo...not fun..but will make sure I am clear of any stray cancer cells. I have posted quick posts of Facebook and many of you may have already been aware of my new battle...but I know many here don't FB..and you are important to me..so I am going to try and be consistently posting here.

So please keep me in your prayers as I go through this battle. Thank you and hugs all!