There's a mala in my shop! (smile)

Malachite and Black Onyx 27 Bead Mala

Oh I had fun yesterday.  The pain was not as bad, my fingers were itching to play with gemstones and my knotting tool...and a malachite and black onyx 27 bead pocket mala was born.  Pictures taken this morning and up on Etsy it went.  Happiness!

I am finding that for now, at least for a little while, that I should stick with pocket malas, as I start to get tired (and my back starts to hurt more intensely where they removed the muscle) not soon after I've knotted the last bead and finished the tassel.  The creative juices have started flowing again though, as last night a gorgeous combination came to me for some lovely turquoise that I had found last spring.  Up until last night, I hadn't been sure what to create with it... now I know, but it will have to wait as it's meant to be 108 beads.  Not too long though, I hope. 

I had a difficult night last night, my asthma has been acting up the past couple of weeks and so I've been using my nebulizer twice a day...the medicine from which always eventually effects my heart arrhythmia.  Well last night was the "eventually", my heart started banging around in my chest, so I had to take my heart medicine.  After a little while it kicked in and my heart calmed down, but I woke up a couple of hours later in a cold sweat.  I have no idea why, it could be all the medicine in my system (those antibiotics I'm taking are brutal), it could be the hormone blocker, it could be a combination of things.  Who knows.  Later I woke up with my left eye tearing profusely, and it's been bothering me ever since.  It feels like something got stuck in there, but there's nothing there.  So, let's just say that I didn't get much sleep last night.  Eric wanted to get out for a little while today, the sun is out and it's not as cold (imagine, saying 30 degrees is not as cold!  I love NY!), but as much as I'd like to get out too, it's definitely going to be a day to crawl under a blanket with my book.  (Which is very good by the way...I'm reading "Nine Lives - In Search of the Sacred in Modern India" by William Dalrymple.  Absolutely amazing stories.)

So for now I'll be cocooning at home, but progress was made this weekend - there's a mala in my shop!  Hopefully many more to come.

My New Favorite Pants (and yes I'm still in pain)

Cotton Jersey Pants from Old Navy

These are my new favorite pants.  I happened to come across them a little while before my surgery.  I liked them so much I went back to get another pair in the other color, a really dark pinkish color.  I call them my Peace Pants. 

They have been wonderful to wear as I've been healing.  Soft and comfy and peaceful and happy.  Maybe you can find a pair at your local Old Navy, I checked and there are still a few lying around on oldnavy.com.

I hope everyone had a joyous holiday season.  I felt so grateful (and still do) it was all I could do not to burst with gratitude.  I was able to spend time with my dearest of friends, dinners out together, dinners at their homes made with so much love, and meals brought to my home along with special gifts chosen just for me.  Also trips to the movies, as I have amazing friends and loved ones that will come to get me even though I don't live very close by.  I have seen The King's Speech with Colin Firth and Black Swan with Natalie Portman.  Now I am not a movie critic, I liked The King's Speech, it was such an inspiring story, but it did drag a little in the middle (for me anyway, but I'm on pain meds and get sleepy at the drop of a hat).  Natalie Portman was brilliant in Black Swan, and the dancing was stunning, but it was a little too "Psycho" for me.  I honestly prefer to know whether something is actually happening or not in a film, at least for about half of it.  My friend Kathy and I were unsure about three quarters of it, which made for good conversation.  Some images stayed with me for a little too long...I'm not one for horror flicks (real life is scary enough!), and honestly I wish I had taken my friend Audrey's lead when she said "I think that may be a little too violent for me".  I honestly didn't know the ballerina was going to go that crazy!

So yes I am still on the pain medication, as I am still in pain.  As things continue to heal they are pulling very tightly and some mornings are just excruciating.  It is slowly getting better, and the healing of the skin grafts looks really good, so I can't complain.  It won't be this way forever.  I would really like to be able to drive again though, so I'm hoping it won't be this way for too much longer.

I was able to create a pocket mala for Kathy to give as a gift.  One of her yoga students had admired one I had made for her, so Kathy sent her to Etsy and she just loved my malas.  Kathy wanted to give her one as a gift, so I pulled it together and did some knotting.  It really did come out lovely.  It was lavender amethyst and dogtooth amethyst with a lepidolite Guru bead, strung on lavender thread with a lavender tassel.  I'm not posting the pic as it had gotten dark and it came out awful, and I had to hand it off to Kathleen to bring to Kathy's class in the morning.  If you really want to see it though, it is in my "sold" items with all the others in the Etsy shop.

So I was really happy to know that I hadn't lost my knotting fingers.  I just really haven't had the energy or the focus to create more, at least for now.  Again, I hope that it won't be this way for too much longer.  At least I have comfy Peace Pants to wear as I continue to heal.