I'm so far behind!

Hi, all!  It has been far too long since I last posted.  I wanted to.  I really did.  I even opened up my blog in my browser several times to remind myself to do it.  But things always get in the way, or my energy level is very low, or I'm on the phone for hours about something.

But today is the day!  I'm awake before Steve comes home from work (that's been rare lately), and I don't have to get ready to go anywhere, so here I am!

Here's a brief update on what's been going on:

• Mom's done with chemo and doesn't have to go back to the doctor until June!  She feels much better and is even working part time.
• Mom and John bought me a car.  My old one has almost 108,000 miles on it and is making rattly sounds.  They know we can't afford it, and they want me to be safe.  I got a Titanium (fancy word for dark gray) Kia Forte 5 door (fancy word for hatchback).  Thanks, Mom and John!
• I've opened a store on Etsy.  I'll have a link to it on the right side of my blog and eventually on my website, which needs to be changed because my business is not just web design anymore.  I'm expanding it to include my jewelry and other "Creative Pursuits".
• I've been struggling with my health.  I went to a new Rheumatologist (I didn't like my first one), and she said that she doesn't think anything serious is going on, but I do have Fibromyalgia which is affecting my whole body, not just the standard Fibro areas.  The blood work hasn't come back yet, though.  I've been starting to exercise, which is what I'm supposed to help me feel better.  We'll see.
• Steve has been more supportive than ever, and I'm so glad to have him!

And now for something completely different.

When I last posted on February 2nd - Goodness! - I posted about having a winner for the Happy Things contest.  I made Kathy a bracelet using a technique I came up with that I'm calling "Parentheses" based on how the outer beads curve around the inner one.  Here's a picture of the bracelet on my new hand display in a picture-taking box-thing that my husband made for me:

I usually make this kind of bracelet with bigger beads, but I didn't have any in Kathy's color palette in my stash!  This turned out nice, though.  Very delicate and supple.

A number of you told me that you were "so close" to finishing your lists, but apart from my mother who came up with 90 items, no one sent me a list.  That's okay - it's more important that you all started thinking about things that make you happy.

I won't post my Mom's whole list here, but here are a few highlights with my comments underneath like last time:

1. John
   (Her husband - did I mention spouses always seem to end up first?)
2. Traci
   (Awww... Thanks, Mom!)
3. Steve
   (I'm glad he made the list, but to be so high up is great!)
8. Being alive
11. Traci taking me to Chemo and Doctor appts
    (That's what I'm here for!)
17. Morning sun glistening on the fence
34. Watching Traci being so kind and helpful to the people around us
    (Now you're making me tear up, Mom!)
39. Smell of lilacs
88. Magic Chute in bathroom (it produces clean clothes)
    (Funny, I have one of those, too)
90. Being done with this list

I also completed my list, and I made it to 100 items.  I was all set to do a "word cloud" of my items (you can see examples and create your own here), but I couldn't find a way to do phrases - just words.  If I could boil my list down to single words, I think a word cloud would be a great way to display the list.  I may have to think more on that.

However, what I have right now is a spreadsheet.  At some point I want to make a double layout scrapbook page of it, but I'm so far behind in my scrapping that it will have to wait.  I think I'm up to Valentine's Day 2010.  Eek!

Until I can get it into a nicer form, here are a few highlights from my own list which was finished before I got my new car:

1. Steve and everything he does for me
   (This can fill up 3 lists or more on its own!)
2. Our house
3. Living in Milwaukee
10. Mom being healthy (this is a future thing!)
    (This is future no longer... she's done with chemo!!)
    (Before you ask, Mom, numbers 4-9 are Katy, Simoon, Pixel, Fe, Cappuccino, and Caegal.)
11. John taking such good care of Mom.
12. The generosity of my in-laws
16. The Wheel of Time series
    (The last book in the series is almost out!  Thanks, Brandon Sanderson!)
    
18. The Loose Bead Society of Greater Milwaukee
23. Running into new friends when I'm out and about
45. Making Steve laugh
50. People reading my blog
    (Thanks!)
56. Going somewhere without my GPS (I always get lost in Milwaukee!)
74. Simoon following (or leading) me to the bathroom
87. Fe greeting me with a meow when I come into the room
88. Pixel and his Papa together
89. Katy hanging out with me on the couch
99. How nice everyone in Mom's Oncology office is
100. Speaking in LOLspeak

Whew!  Well, what I lack in number of posts I make up for in length!