ODDS & ENDS: “Of course if you like your kids, if you love them from the moment they begin, you yourself begin all over again, in them, with them, and so there is something more to the world again.”

“Of course if you like your kids, if you love them from the moment they begin, you yourself begin all over again, in them, with them, and so there is something more to the world again.”
William Saroyan quotes (American Writer known for his stories celebrating the joy of living in spite of poverty. 1908-1981)

More than any presents what I really wanted for my 54th birthday was to be with my children. During every minute of the testing and surgery in search of breast cancer during these last two months I promised myself my reward would be spending precious time with Barry and Kara for my birthday weekend.

From the time can remember my dream in life was to be a Mommy. The plan was to have a boy first then a girl. After I gave birth to Barry then Kara my dream was complete that was it for having children.

When people meet meet me today and hear that I was a stay home, full time Mommy their response is, "Nice that you could afford to stay home with your children."

What they never look at is the sacrifices my husband and I made so I could be home to raise our family. Barry was born just before our second wedding anniversary. After I left my job even though it was a low paying office job that put a screeching halt on frivolous spending for years. Jim drove a 1974 VW Gold Sun Bug we bought used for $4000 cash right after we got marrind in May 1978. He drove that car until we had to by a larger car with a real trunk to transport groceries home after we had Barry and Kara in 1984. I never did learn to drive the stick shift in Pittsburgh; that left me home without a car for the first six years of our marriage. Not many young women I know are willing to do that today.

Christmas gifts for me included; a cutlery set to make meal preparation easier as well as a commercial grade Eureka vacuum with a really long cord so I could work faster cleaning our home. That vacuum was great until it was time to empty the bag full of dirt. It was designed without paper bag liner. Still using that cutlery set in my kitchen and that old Eureka Christmas gift is still being used to vacuum my car or clean leaves and debris out of our garage.

The first ten years of our marriage we had definite scary dips into poverty thanks to six months of unemployment when my husband was a laid off Sand Lab Technician for McConway and Torley in Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh. http://www.mcconway.com/

Funny how my happiness was not affected by our lack of money. No matter how little cash I had access to I never considered myself poor. The less money we had the more creative I became as a wife, mother, home cook, seamstress, gardener, home decorator, day trip planner, reading specialist teacher for the children.

In other words "I was all over the place". If there was a need for myself, my husband or my children I figured out how to get the job done well with very little money. In almost every case that meant more work for me but I rose to the occasion. Interesting how the lessons learned in the trenches stay with us for life...

Life is different for me now. I have arrived at a new plateau of living. Barry and Kara are adults now who take care of their own needs. This is my time to focus creative energy on my art and wearable art objects sold under the cottage industry is started with my daughter rice rafferty.

Last Saturday was my 54th birthday; I feel really BLESSED ;~)

I am sitting here in my studio writing my blog while Chant is playing in the background, and

Frankincense is burning in the Blessing Bowl I made from up cycled brown bag papers

Looking back on the past week and feel truly blessed because too many good people I have known have not lived to enjoy 54 healthy years on this earth.

I am BLESSED because I am THANKFUL;

for a husband who has loved me for 32 years of marriage and 4 years of dating before that, he excuses my exccentricities by telling himself and our children, " Your mother's an artist" :~)
for a son who taught me how to be a Mommy and loves me even if he is an economist and can ascribed a numerical value to me. I'm PRICELESS ;~)
for a daughter who shares my vision as an artist and entrepreneur
for rice rafferty our cottage industry for women, by women, to improve the life of women.
for friends from Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and around the world, those that moved away and friends on face book that brighten my day with their intellectual information, witty humor and fellowship via the Internet.
for our 14 year old Pomeranian Chewie, who reminds me to enjoy everyday, he does not let stiff joints, poor eye sight and an occasion seizure kill his joy for living...
for my grand kitty Fever that I am watching for Barry and fiance Meghan, he teaches me to linger longer out in the garden on sunny days, strike up a playful situation that is completely unprovoked and the enjoy a cat nap in the afternoon.
for these and many more pleasures in my life I give thanks as a look back over this past week and remember...

Jimi and me