It’s Pink Saturday, with a twist. This week many of us are participating in a special series of posts about Miracles. Special thanks to Beverly from How Sweet The Sound for including Pink Saturday in this special time. You can find more blogs who are taking part over at Bev’s Blog – How Sweet The Sound. This special time was inspired by the wonderful caring and love given to Colette, pictured below.

I’m sure by now you’ve read all about the wonderful Makeover – but if not, go over to Kattilac Shack to watch the video of the make over and find out about the wonderful giveaways! The video is truly inspirational and shows what can be done when people chose to reach out to each other from a place of love and healing.

As for my own “miracle” I believe it happened to me this past May. I was getting my dinner and Bootsy’s dinner ready (my son’s Chihuahua who spends the day with me while my son is at work.) I hadn’t been feeling well for several days – had a bug or something. As I was working in the kitchen I felt my left hand go numb and an area around my mouth go numb. I called my son at work – not sure why – I really wasn’t thinking too straight – and asked if I should call the ambulance. He told me “Yes!”

So I called 911 and within five minutes the paramedics were there taking all my vitals. I got Bootsy into my bedroom and closed the door before they got there – poor little guy didn’t know what was going on but I wanted to make sure he didn’t bolt out the door.

The paramedics were wonderful and within half an hour I was in the ER of our local hospital and while they were doing some tests my son showed up. I was really surprised when they said they were going to admit me. I suppose once I saw a specialist in strokes from the Heart Hospital I shouldn’t have been surprised I wasn’t going home.

I had a bilateral stroke – meaning a stroke on each side of my brain. I got just about every test they could think of – including one where I had to swallow a camera on the end of a feed – luckily I was knocked out for that one.

The doctors were puzzled. They couldn’t find where the blood clots had come from or any part of the clots. The evidence was there – but they can’t figure out what caused them.

I really feel as though it’s a miracle that no damage was done. It’s been four months now and my doctor says he expects for me to make a full recovery. I still have a few more doctors to see for a test or two and follow up – but other than being just a bit more tired (which could be attributed to the awful summer) I’m fully recovered. My cholesterol is down to a very respectable number, my gloce, for the most part, is good, and I’m gradually losing weight.

I know the dangers of a stroke. I never knew her but my maternal grandmother died of a stroke when my mom was only 16.

I think God every day for the Miracle I experienced. The feeling isn’t quite as strong now, but I can remember when I got home from the hospital I felt such a Joy for not having suffered something very severe.

A blessing in my life happened after the stroke. I’d been after my parents for sometime to move from Florida, where they had retired many years ago, back up here to Illinois. They finally agreed and just last week my son flew down to Florida to pick them up and drive them and their car up here. They now live about ten minutes away and a beautiful retirement village! Oh, and they are both 89 and will be 90 in December and January.

And of course my biggest blessing is my son Dave who has been a real trooper through all of this – getting them moved up here (my dad was in the hospital when he got down there so that set them back a day) and then spending all of the next week (one of his vacation weeks) helping them get the furniture moved in, organizing their “stuff” and running various errands because of something that no one had realized they would need.

I am so thankful for all the Blessings in my life.

Sandra

Note: This is a repost from a year and a half ago. Forgot to charge the battery on my camera. Been a busy week with my parents (both 89) moving “back home” from Florida. It’s so good to have both of them five minutes away.

Have a wonderful Pink Saturday!

I began collecting items painted by Debi Coules on eBay. She has now moved on to having her own website (banner lower down in the post.) I just love her roses and have lots of items spread out through my condo. I’m sure they will all eventually find their way to the blog.

The following pictures are of the bay window in my kitchen. My son took them because my digital camera has gone missing. It’s somewhere in the “day room” that is still a mess from the remodeling.

The bay has a shelf and right now has a combination of enamelware and two stained glass lamps. Somewhere I’ve got more plates that I’ll probably put on the shelf – but I tend to like the way it looks now. I do have a lace trimmed runner that’s in my “to iron” stack that will go back on the shelf.

Thanks to Beverly at How Sweet The Sound for hosting Pink Saturday. I’m thrilled to be able to participate this week.

I love this version of Shour To The Lord that the American Idols did during Season 8 during Idol Gives Back week.

It’s Pink Saturday again at Cottage Dreamer! Thanks to Beverly at How Sweet The Sound for once more hosting this fun day of sharing all things Pink!

Two weeks ago I was fortunate enough to be included in Bev’s blog as a featured site. Thank you so much to those of you who came to visit and commented. It’s always nice to hear that you enjoyed something you found on my site.

This week I’ve got a graphic for you. It’s a scan I did of a vintage iron-on applique. And of course it’s got Pink Roses in it. There are many things you can do with it and since it was scanned at 300 dpi you can even print it out larger than the approximate 5″ x 5″ that is currently. I can see this being printed out on printable fabric and then turned into a pincushion, or part of a pillow, or even to decorate a pocket on a vintage-looking apron. Or you could print it out in the size you need to put into a mixed-media project.

I hope you enjoy this basket of roses! Just click on the image below for the larger image and then save that to your hard drive.

Each week Bev asks us to feature another blog and this week I’d like to mention is Vintage Porcelain Art. Amy does some of the most beautiful vintage-style china painting I have seen. Each week she adds new items to her blog that make me wish I could build an addition to my condo. lol Also, if you follow the link to her “About Me” you will end up on her “Me” page at eBay where you can see the other things she does – like murals, body painting, acrylic paintings, and more.

I hope you all have a wonderful Pink Saturday!

Sandra

For almost twelve years I’ve had a very good friend that I’ve talked on the phone with several times a week. I met him online though some business ventures and we became very good friends. This wasn’t a romance or anything – it was just a very good friend that I made. We never met in person, but that didn’t mean we weren’t very close.

I hadn’t been able to get in touch with him for awhile. I knew he was very sick and had been for a long time. I entered his name and where he lived into Google and was heartbroken when I saw the information that he had passed away. The man went through so much. He survived being shot at many times in Nam. He was involved in the oil business – not sitting behind a desk but out in the fields. He had owned a logging company, and did so many other things that were just incredible. While I knew him probably the most remarkable thing was that he beat Prostate Cancer and had survived for over five years.

I’m not sure exactly what happened, but the last time I talked to him, about a week or so before he died, he was having a great deal of difficulty breathing and had just found out he had a hairline fracture in his back. He was in a great deal of pain from many others things – more than anyone should have to endure. Perhaps that’s why the Lord called him Home.

I will miss you, my friend, falcon, and all the times we shared. I know that you are in a much better place and are free from pain. I’ll never forget you, my friend.

I “puppy sit” Bootsy during the day while Dave is at work. When he gets here around 10:30 in the morning he’s ready for a nap – which he takes until about 4:00 when we go out for a walk. Then it’s dinner time after which we curl up on the sofa and watch tv until “daddy” gets home.

These are pictures Dave took of him today along with captions of what he imagined Bootsy was thinking.

I want to thank Beverly for featuring Cottage Dreamer this week in her post for Pink Saturday at her blog How Sweet The Sound. I think it’s a wonderful idea to pick several blogs each week to highlight so we can get to know the Pink Saturday participants better.

This week I went through my previous posts and picked out a few of my favorite things to give you and idea of what I like. I suppose my style could be described as “pink, blue, and cream.” I don’t think I could ever become tired of living surrounded by these colors.


To start off, even though it’s not pink, here’s a photo of my son, Dave, and his Chihuahua, Bootsy, who I “puppy sit” each weekday when Dave is at work.





One of my favorite rooms is my bedroom. I’m not quite through decorating it – still have to put up the pictures, but it’s a very pretty pink room and very relaxing.





Many years ago I had a business selling my original dolls. I’ve been slowly getting back into sculpting and hope to have something to show soon. This doll, Allison, is what a few people have said looks like a self-portrait. I tell them, “Maybe in my dreams.” lol She’s about 28″ tall and is made of porcelain. One of the many things I love to do is Heirloom Sewing which I used in creating her costume. Ok, she’s not in pink, but on the umbrella she holds there are pink embroidered flowers.





One thing I love to collect is Angels, mostly Seraphime Angels by Roman and those by Jim Shore. Here’s one of the sets of Seraphime Angels that I’m fortunate to
have in my collection. It’s called Angel Garden. I just love the delicate nature of them and, of course, the blue, pink, and white color scheme.





And lastly, I’m fortunate enough to have been able to collect several pieces of art by Debi Coules. The piece below is one of several boxes I have by her. Thoughout my blog you’ll find more of her creations. I just love the beauty of her paintings and the touch of romance they bring to each room in my home.





Thank you so much for stopping by Cottage Dreamer today. I hope you have a wonderful Pink Saturday and I’d love to hear any comments you’d like to leave.


Sandra

It’s Pink Saturday again at Cottage Dreamer! Thanks to Beverly at How Sweet The Sound for once more hosting this fun day of sharing all things Pink!


Today I wanted to share with you the two beautiful Roman Seraphim Angels that grace my dinning room. Each statue sits on a handpainted cabinet from my favorite artist, Debi Coules. You’ve seen a lot of her creations in other posts. I just love her work and feel very fortunate that I’ve been able to collect so much.


The first angel is Alyssa. She is 27″ tall and was the first large figurine that Roman’s Seraphim Collection produced. She has such a wonderful and peaceful look to her face.


My son has always kidded me that if I buy one more angel figurine they are going to have to declair my condo a cathedral.

The next angel is another large Seraphim from Roman. I’ve forgotten her name and can’t find her online anywhere. Also, she is just too heavy for me to lift up on my own. When my son comes over I’ll have him lift her up and update this post.


The lantern that she holds lights up as she is searching for something – or perhaps guiding the way through dark times. As is usual for Roman Seraphim angels she has a very peaceful expression.


She also sits on a cabinet by Debi Coules.










Also, you might note the wallpaper. I just love it and when I redid my condo a few years ago it was one thing that I did not want changed. It might be close to 25 years old but I just love it.


Have a wonderful Saturday and enjoy all the great blogs featured for Pink Saturday.


Oh, and if you know the name of the angel carrying the lantern, please let me know.


Sandra

This is my son’s Chihuahua “Bootsy” whom I “puppy-sit” suring the week when Dave is at work. Bootsy is 7 years old and weighs about six pounds. So he’s really not a puppy – but when you’re this small you seem to be a puppy all the time. He’s a real character.

Dave had taken him out front to “do his thing” before they went home from my place. I think Bootsy decided that he’d rather walk. lol

It’s Pink Saturday again at Cottage Dreamer! Thanks to Beverly at How Sweet The Sound for once more hosting this fun day of sharing all things Pink!

Once again I’m posting pictures of one of my Debi Coules creations. This is a vintage wooden plaque that features an artist on a hillside painting a scene of sail boats on a lake. The plaque is about two feet long. I’ve included a picture of the whole plaque and then the two sides. Debi does some of the most beautiful roses.

Sandra