Life updates

Thank you all for all of the good wishes, sweet words and prayers. Please keep praying for Tina's family. I have sent about 25 prints of Walk Ahead (in the post below), and the original, to her family and very close friends. I've had so many requests for it from so many people, I put it in my Etsy for a short time to help cover the postage and packaging. You only pay for materials and shipping.

It has been a rough couple of weeks. I feel like I always have some drama to share and I feel like overall I am the happiest most un-dramatic person you'll find in reality. But when one sums up one's existence on a blog, the bad news sticks out like a sore thumb and overtakes the joys and happy things sometimes. So, I am not being much of a happy carefreee artist this week but a person with a few curve balls thrown at her.

Spent yesterday in the ER with my daughter, again. She had the swine flu in the fall but this time had a good ol' stomach/intestinal flu and got dehydrated. So, we had to go get her tanks filled up and she is starting to perk up this morning.

My dad is doing much better and feels like he is on his way to finally getting better. That's great news and a big relief to me. But, I have other bad news. Kent's (my husband) brother is in intensive care after it appears the same flu my daughter and nephew had, caused some bleeding in his stomach and intestines. He had a seizure and was taken to the hospital when they discovered the bleeding and that he had some very serious liver problems after many years of injuries, medical and other issues have overtaxed his liver. He has had a broken back and other back problems over the years and then a very badly broken leg that he nearly lost, along with his life, due to staff infection and he is in pain daily due to those injuries. He has had lots of pain meds, even just over the counter, go through that liver over the years and they have taken their toll. We are waiting to find out how bad things are but he has been sedated since Tuesday night and is currently on a ventilator though he is breathing on his own. They expect that to come out today when they feel like they have good control over all the issues going on. Test results will let us know how bad the liver is in the next day or two.

On top of that, the mothers of two of my closest friends have been in the hospital too. One had a spinal stroke Christmas night and is now in a rehabilitation center getting therapy to help her legs work again. The other has been fighting cancer many years and is in the hospital to manage pain and get some heavy duty treatment.

Here I am again, asking for prayers. Please pray for the healing of these people and that their families can overcome the challenges they face and know they have the strength of an army of angels behind them. And selfishly, I ask that you pray that 2010 gets a little better soon.