Keep Moving Forward
Oh, how I have missed blogging! My personal and business life have been really busy lately. Let me fill you in!
February 6th, my mother-in-law went to the ER for a severe stomach ache. She had just had her 3rd dose of chemo (cancer was found on a lymph node) so we chocked it up as being a severe case of the stomach flu. It turned out to be much worse. The chemo was too strong and had essentially “killed” her intestines. Because her intestines were no longer working as they should, stool began leaking into her body and she quickly became septic and went into shock. We received a phone call at 5am from the doctor asking us for permission to do surgery. If she didn’t have this surgery, she WOULD die. If she did have this surgery, there was a small chance she could pull through. We chose the latter.
She was not expected to live 48 hours, due to the severity and all of the complications. After many months and transfers to different facilities, she finally came to live with us at the end of July. A normal person has about 29 feet of intestines–she has 4. She does not have enough intestines to absorb nutrients from her food, so she gets her nutrition through an IV (TPN). She also lives with an ostomy bag and a trach. Six months in a hospital left her bedridden, but with therapy she is learning to get around again.
I am her “nurse”. I dose out her medicine daily, change her ostomy, care for her trach, connect her IV, make her meals, clean up after her, and help her get around. This is VERY time consuming and exhausting since I also have three kids and a house to take care of.
For the last four years, I have homeschooled my children, but thankfully, this year we were able to afford to send two of them to private school to ease the daily burden. I’m still homeschooling my youngest (first grade!).
As for my business, I have been working on building stock (when am I NOT doing that?!) and have been enjoying working on some seasonal items.
Working through this holiday season will be a challenge for me with everything I’ve got going on. But I’m going to take it one day at a time and “KEEP MOVING FORWARD”!
My facebook fan page is doing GREAT! I am 98 “likes” from having a giveaway, which will put me at 3,000 fans!! If you haven’t already, please go “like” my page….then send your friends!
Newman’s Own Organics GIVEAWAY!!
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| Image Source: Newman’s Own Organics |
When I got my package, I wasn’t sure if my dogs were more excited or I was. The dogs sniffed around the box and circled around it. I had to separate the dogs from this huge package from Newman’s Own Organics. When I opened the box, it seemed like a never ending box filled with goodies.
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| Image Source: Newman’s Own Organics |
I didn’t know what to open first. I closed my eyes and picked a package. The first thing we opened was the Newman-O’s Creme Filled Chocolate Cookies. They were crispy on the outside and creamy in the inside. It wasn’t long before they were gone. I brought most of the candy to my work to share with my co-teachers since we’re always munching. Each of us had a favorite flavor of licorice. My favorite was the low fat Sour Cherry Licorice. I love the strong cherry flavor. I couldn’t believe that I ate the whole package so fast. I didn’t realize that they were low fat until I looked at the package after most of the licorice was gone. The mints were also good. They were strong but not to where my mouth felt like it was burning. The mints were light enough to enjoy. I had a special place in my purse and car for the mints. The pretzels were nice and crunchy and tasted great. The best thing was that they were organic.
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| Image Source: Newman’s Own Organics |
Prize: One lucky winner will receive Crazy About Deals favorite 4 snacks from Newman’s Own Organics. They are responsible for choosing and notifying the winner.
(This review is the sole opinion of CrazyAboutDeals.com. The products reviewed were given by Newman’s Own Organics for review. No monetary exchange occurred.)
A little bit about Newman’s Own Organics (found on Newman’s Own Organics site).
Newman’s Own Organics was established as a division of Newman’s Own in 1993, and became a separate company in late 2001. Paul Newman has given over $200 million to thousands of charities worldwide since 1982.
****TO ENTER: CLICK HERE!!****
Knitting with a Crochet Hook
I was recently given this kit called The Knook. I have only ever crocheted, so the idea of learning to knit with a crochet hook (something I was already comfortable with) was really interesting to me. I decided to sit down yesterday and get to work on a washcloth–something small so I could get the hang of this Knook.
It was a bit strange at first–not much like the crochet I was already accustomed to and also because you’re still only using one tool instead of the typical two. New vocabulary and techniques were a challenge, but I picked it up quickly enough.
In the time it took me to make one average sized washcloth, I could have crocheted at least TEN! I finished it and I know of at least three mistakes (there’s probably a few more!), but I’m happy with it! I think I prefer to crochet because it works up much quicker and is a lot less tedious for me, but I’m always thrilled when I have new challenges that turn out pretty well.
In the kit you receive 3 bamboo “knooks”, 3 cords, and an instructional book with 4 patterns for about $10. Not bad if you’re looking for a new hobby!!
