Life Interrupted...

Today was to be the day of my husband's amputation. Again....did not happen. 

I can't believe that we have ANOTHER POSTPONEMENT!!!!! Due to an error on the part of the doctor's office staff (which they won't admit to and are blaming US for!) the surgery could not be done today, as he needs to stop two of his medications for 7 days prior to surgery. Of all the many people we spoke to preparing for this day, not one person informed us (excuse me, to use the words of the office staff, "educated us" -- grrrr!!) about the medications. Nor has any of this roller coaster ride been put in writing. I'm still fuming, if you couldn't tell. Sorry. 

Meantime, "they" (doctors, surgeons) have been so afraid of the infection in the toes getting worse, that they literally crammed us in for today's surgery. Obviously, in the middle of all the hustling to find him a spot on the schedule they dropped the ball about the medication. Well, suddenly, the infection must not be as bad as they have been saying all these past weeks (months, to be honest) because they now aren't getting him in until July 11 - more than another whole week!!! I had to call and ask for antibiotics AGAIN, so he's continuing them for yet another week. He has been on these things since the end of May when he had the stents put in his leg. 

The good news (seriously?? there really HAS to be some good news in all of this, right?) is that he can go fishing again at least one more time before the surgery.

Wow.

Please continue your prayers and good thoughts. We love you for it and it really means more than you can know. 

Much love, 

 and Randy

Life happened.....

My husband lives for fishing. It's all he thinks about when he isn't fishing. And if the weather is not being cooperative or for whatever reason he can't go fishing, he's in his hobby room making sure all of his fishing gear is ready for the next time he does go fishing. This includes making sure the snack cupboard is stocked. Honestly, he's as bad with his fishing as I am with my crafting!! (And really, is it a BAD thing? Not at all!) He is one person - he has three pontoon boats. THREE! (Looking around my room at all the die cutters and machines I have that do the same job....oops!) Don't even ask about the rods, reels and flies. 👀

But life has thrown him/us a curveball that we had never in a million years thought would ever happen. He's been suffering with pain in his toes, foot, and leg since January, the worst of it beginning in March. His toes became infected and went septic, he was put in a coma and flown by helicopter to the ICU for a week in April. After many doctors, xrays, sonograms, and angiograms he now has two stents for revascularization of his right leg. However, even after all that, the blockages in his arteries are so severe, he ultimately ended up with gangrene in the toes. He is facing major surgery. 

We have been considering all options for the few weeks and he has made his decision how to proceed (after going back and forth and changing his mind a few times). It's a scary thing to have to face, but given the severity of the blockages in his lower leg and foot, taking just the dead tissue (toes) is not an option that is likely to heal properly, if at all. Therefore, he will be losing not just the toes, not just the foot, but midcalf down. It seems so surreal to even say it out loud, but that is what our future holds. It has been a horrible chapter for him, dealing with the pain for so long, so even though the next chapter will be extremely difficult, we are ready to face it together. Believe me, I have prayed about this A LOT. He has a good attitude about it after thinking for so long about what to expect, what to do, what it will be like afterward, and considering everything there is to consider. We are ready for it. 

He said he doesn't want a peg leg as it will get stuck in the mud when he goes fishing. Maybe a web foot attachment?? LOL

He is scheduled for surgery Friday, June 30. He'll be in the hospital for at least a few days, then there will be a long road ahead, learning how to deal with it all. He has a good outlook and great attitude about it all and I am grateful for that. If you pray, please keep him in your prayers, and me too, as it will certainly be a huge change for us both. 🙏

Pictures from Wednesday, June 14, 2023. 

Randy catches carp and freezes them until he has a couple of coolers full. He then takes them to a guy who makes fertilizer out of them. It's a win-win for them both!

Son, Christopher's first carp

My Favorite Things, Sketch 650

Today's peachy card is for the current sketch challenge at MFT, #650. I took the Main Squeeze set from My Favorite Things and modified one of the lemons to create this cute little peach. I think he turned out pretty adorable. 

Gold foil accents on the paper

Copic colors used

Product List:
My Favorite Things, Main Squeeze (lemon turned into peach)
Peachy Keen Stamps, Fruit Sentiments TWO (sentiment)
My Mind's Eye, On Trend 6x6 paper pad (gold foiled pattern paper)
Heidi Swapp, 6x8 notebook paper pad (green check)
Metallic gold cardstock
Copic Markers
   BG11  BG34  BG75  E25  R32  YR00  YR01  YR82
Foam tape

Father's Day

My husband lives-loves also, but this is not a typo- he also lives to fish. If he could fish every single day, he would. And timewise, he can, but there are other factors that prevent him.....too much wind, too much sun, not enough sun, too cloudy, not enough cloud cover, too hot, too cold, too many boats on the water...  you get the idea. Being retired, his time is all his own, so he can pick and choose his days more than ever before. Which makes him happy, Which makes me happy. :) 

I used the new release from Whimsy Stamps for this year's fishing card. I used watercolor paper and Distress Inks with water to paint the background. I really like how it turned out.

For the fish and the water, I used glossy accents to create the 'wet' look. It shows up real well in this shot.

Ink colors and stamp sets used for this one.

Happy Father's Day sentiment on the inside is from the Hooked on You collection by Honey Bee Stamps.

Product List:
Distress Ink cubes, Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Iced Spruce, Stormy Sky, Tumbled Glass
Whimsy Stamps, fishing sets (they don't have names on the product packaging - weird)
Honey Bee Stamps, Hooked on You (inside sentiment)
Glossy Accents, Canson Watercolor Paper

My Favorite Things, Sketch 649

For this challenge, I used these lemons I had in my stash, already colored from a previous project that went unused, and papers from Simple Stories, Vintage Lemon Twist. I think that might be my all time favorite collection they've ever created! Hope you like it. 

The lemon stamps and dies are by Simon Says Stamp.

Sentiment and pattern papers are also Simple Stories, Vintage Lemon Twist collection.

Simple Stories, Vintage Lemon Twist
Simple Stories, Snap Color Vibe 6x6 paper pad (yellow mini dot)
Copic markers in yellows and yellow greens
Foam tape

My Favorite Things, Outside the Box

I've done another combined challenge with this card. I made a box card for the Outside the Box challenge, which is FLOWERS this month, and used the Ready, Set, Christmas theme as well. I really like how it turned out. 

My Favorite Things, Outside the Box, Level Up dies

My Favorite Things, Pretty Poinsettias stamps and dies
My Favorite Things, Winter Songbird stamps and dies
My Favorite Things, Winter Wreath stamp and die
My Favorite Things, Christmas Cheer (tree)
My Favorite Things, Winter Greenery (bow)

Heidi Swapp, sentiment

Copic Xpress it Blending Cardstock
Copic sketch markers
   B23  B24  B41  B26, R14  R24  R29

Recollections 110# white cardstock
Glossy accents, stickles (ornaments and flower centers)

My Favorite Things, Sketch 648

Cutie patootie little raccoon buddies are from the newest release by My Favorite Things. Sentiment is also from the set. Thanks for looking! 

p.s. Things at home are not yet back to "normal". I'm hoping they actually will one day, but at this moment, I'm not even 98% sure. :( Thanks to all for your good thoughts and prayers! 

My Favorite Things, Ready, Set, Christmas

My project today is a shaker tag. Inspired by TheUnpamperedStamper, for the My Favorite Things Christmas card challenge. 

Product List:
My Favorite Things, Snow Buddies (snowman)
My Favorite Things, Christmas Cheer (background trees)

My Favorite Things, Pile on The Hugs (snow mound)

My Favorite Things, Tag Builder Blueprints #1 (tag and frame)
Copic Xpress it blending cardstock
Copic Sketch Markers 
   E27, RV00, YR01, YR16

Heidi Swapp, sentiment
Button, twine, tiny stars and moons shaker filler, acetate, glossy accents, star dust stickles